SEO
SEO: Vid-E-O and Wordpress
October 5th, 2011 4:53 PM
When our children were young we watched Sesame Street (I think it was) and occasionally there were some space aliens who would say "ra-di-o. yip, yip, yip. uhhuh, uhhuh." I always thought that was funny and would entertain my children with my rendition of it.
Now to inform (not entertain) you with something similar - "Vid-E-O"
It appears that the latest round of Google updates has given even more weight to well tagged and placed video. We have been noticing video's ascension for some time now and it looks like it is escalating. That makes sense because with our high bandwidth today, people want video and Google has always said that they are trying to deliver the content that people want in their search results.
So, the takeaway is obvious. If it fits, get some video on YouTube and embed it in keyword rich pages on your site, and ostensibly you will see improved rankings on Google.
On another note, I saw an article about how Wordpress is not the best choice for SEO results. The logic made sense. So many of the content farm websites that are being used to spoof search engines today are built on Wordpress, because it is easy to setup and theme and build those deceptive sites quickly and easily.
So, it makes sense that search engines would be on the lookout for those deceptive sites and one thing they look for is the platform it is built on. So, the article said - use an alternative that is not under such scrutiny. Of course we recommend SiteNow :)
Until next time...
Posted by Greg Pearson | 0 Comment(s)
SEO: When an SEO Expert Calls…
July 19th, 2011 3:02 PM
All of us have gotten the phone call or e-mail from a company telling us that our website’s search engine ranking can be improved. That is usually stating the obvious. What happens next is the real issue – should you engage that company or person to perform SEO services for your organization?
Evaluate Your Needs.
Just because you would like to see improvement in search engine rankings for some of your key phrases doesn’t mean you should pursue that.
One of our clients called me one day and had me do a Google search for one of their primary key phrases. When the search came back the client’s site was ranked number 3. I said, “This is great!” “But”, the client said, “our biggest competitor is number one and we want to be number one”. I responded that every change made to a web page WILL affect that page’s ranking either negatively or positively. Sometimes, it is better to live with ‘good’ than to pursue ‘perfect’ because the pursuit of perfect could harm instead of improve rankings. Is it worth the risk?
Without engaging an SEO specialist, there are some simple things you can do that will improve rankings for under-performing phrases without affecting those pages that have phrases that are performing well. Here are two: (1) If your site has an integrated blog (not an external blog), blog frequently using the key phrases that you are wanting to improve. (2) You can also create brand new content areas in your site that focus on the under-performing phrases.
$$$$ Doesn’t Equal Long-term Success
Most of the SEO specialists who contact you will ask for a large payment in return for getting certain of your primary key phrases to the top of rankings. They may succeed in the short term, but SEO success is a long-term commitment.
I remember a story I heard a few years ago from a man who angrily confronted a Google engineer at an SEO Q & A session I was involved in. A month before the seminar Google had just released a major algorithm update that turned website rankings on their heads. The man said this (I will never forget it) – “Three months ago I spent ten thousand dollars to improve my site’s rankings, and in one day, when Google launched its new algorithm my rankings fell several pages and some couldn’t even be found”.
Was that ten thousand dollars well spent? We would all agree that is was not. Long term success in search engine optimization requires corresponding long term analysis and revision, not just an initial effort. All search engines ‘tweak’ ranking algorithms frequently and do major updates occasionally. Sometimes, those changes benefit a site owner. But usually when they tweak, you probably need to also.
And don’t forget your competition - you know, those guys that want the same top ranking that you want? As long as they are working to achieve top placements you will need to work also.
Instead of a large expenditure for ‘guaranteed’ results that may be short lived, we think the best approach is incremental. An incremental approach means apply your best effort using best practices and see what happens and follow that with next steps as needed. Sometimes a very small investment yields very good results using this approach. One of our clients websites recently ranked on the top page of Google for nearly all of its primary key phrases. That result came within a week of the launch of its new optimized web site, and among heavy competition. The beauty of that is that the client spent very little on SEO.
The point is, why spend thousands when a much smaller investment MAY achieve the desired results? And even if the small investment doesn’t fully achieve the desired results, those efforts almost always improve rankings some. Then, if the first round doesn’t get you all the way to the top, do it again - and again if necessary.
More to come next time. Please let us know how we can serve your organization.
Posted by Greg Pearson | 0 Comment(s)
SEO: "Findability" vs SEO
March 30th, 2011 6:21 PM
I talk with clients quote often about SEO. My biggest problem with SEO is the acronym - Search Engine Optimization. SEO has nothing to do with optimizing search engines. Search engine companies do a pretty good job of optimizing themselves, usually optimizing away all the work we do to help clients improve their page rankings.
Posted by Kent Callison | 0 Comment(s)
SEO: Google's New Algorithm Forecloses on SEO Content Farms
February 25th, 2011 10:11 AM
The holy grail of SEO is to achieve a first page ranking in Google search results. Google is famously tight-lipped about how their search algorithms work, but they encourage organizations to create relevant, high quality content to achieve the best SEO results. Until now, Google didn't make much distinction between high-quality and high-volume content. Content farms took the latter approach to game the system.
"Many of the changes we make are so subtle that very few people notice them. But in the last day or so we launched a pretty big algorithmic improvement to our ranking—a change that noticeably impacts 11.8% of our queries—and we wanted to let people know what’s going on. This update is designed to reduce rankings for low-quality sites—sites which are low-value add for users, copy content from other websites or sites that are just not very useful. At the same time, it will provide better rankings for high-quality sites—sites with original content and information such as research, in-depth reports, thoughtful analysis and so on."
Posted by Kent Callison | 0 Comment(s)
SEO: The SEO Power of the Page Title
February 15th, 2011 11:56 AM
There are a lot of SEO tactics that help improve your rankings in the search engines. But one SEO tactic that is often overlooked, or at least underestimated, is the page title.
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- Make each page title unique. Google doesn't like duplicate page titles on the same site.
- Use your primary and secondary keywords in your page titles.
- Use your geographic location, if applicable, to assist with location specific searches
- Include your keywords at the front of the page title, and try to limit the page title to 84 characters or less. The conventional wisdom is that Google ignores anything beyond that limit.
Posted by Kent Callison | 0 Comment(s)
SEO: Using SEO to Maximize Your Online Marketing Investment
November 17th, 2010 8:50 PM
A website is an integral component of an organization's marketing strategy. In a difficult economy, making sure your website gets noticed by potential customers is more important than ever. One way to increase traffic to your website is with search engine optimization (SEO).
Every company wants to see their website at the top of a search results page, or at least on the first page of results. Each page after the first page is a step closer to oblivion in the world of online search. This desire, and need, to be at the top of search results has created an entire industry of "SEO Specialists." Some of these specialists are professionals and use proven methods to improve an organization's rankings over time. Others are downright fraudulent in their claims, produce temporary-if any-results and offer guarantees that cant possibly be backed up. Here are some guidelines to choosing a reputable SEO partner and avoiding a scam artist:
Guarantees
There are so many variables and unknowns at the outset of an SEO project that no one can legitimately guarantee a first position ranking. In fact, no one can back up any guarantee in SEO except to guarantee their best efforts. Don't trust anyone who tells you otherwise.Fast Acting SEO
Quick results are for stain removers and headache medicines. SEO takes time. It may take up to a month after the project is finsihed before improvements can be seen. Avoid companies who claim quick results.Keeping Secrets
There is no reason for a service provider to keep you in the dark about what they are doing to optimize your website. If you are ever told the methods being used are proprietary or secret, keep walking. This is not a reputable partner.Jargon and Geek Speak
If every conversation with your SEO provider requires a technical dictionary, it's likely you are dealing with someone who learned a lot of buzz words to cover up their inexperience. As with all service providers, a good SEO partner will use common, non technical terms and easily explain the SEO process in everyday language. If you don't know what an SEO specialist is talking about, don't trust them to do the work.Just remember, search engine optimization is a process that requires a lot of research and an ongoing series of content adjustments. Results take time and there are no guarantees. However, a reputable SEO partner will be able to demonstrate improvements over time by working with you to develop a solid plan to optimize your website in a targeted, methodical fashion.
Summary: Your website is a critical part of an effective marketing strategy, regardless of the economy. Making sure it gets noticed with proven SEO is an investment that will net significant returns if you choose a reputable provider who produces results and not just promises.
Kent Callison specializes in strategic online marketing, social media and SEO. You can reach Kent via email or at 423-485-4709.
Posted by Kent Callison | 0 Comment(s)
SEO: Google Instant Previews - Lower Bounce Rates, Higher Conversions
November 11th, 2010 10:28 AM
Google Instant Previews gives you a quick look at any web page listed in the search results. You hover over a small magnifying glass icon and see a preview of the page Google indexed. Here is the introduction video from Google:
Google Instant Previews is exciting for a number of reasons. It will help people identify the website they are looking for more quickly, and potentially direct traffic to your site that is more likely to result in goal conversions. Moreover, it gives you a chance to redesign or refresh your website's home page or landing page to stand out from the competition. Much like the old argument in Yellow Pages advertising that a display ad provides better results than a simple listing, a well designed homepage in a Google Instant Previews might be the key to differentiating yourself and making a positive first impression.
Contact us to learn more about how Google Instant Previews may affect your site, SEO or conversion rate performance.
Posted by Kent Callison | 0 Comment(s)
SEO: SEO Remains Key to Mobile Marketing
October 15th, 2010 6:49 AM
A recent report from comScore suggests SEO still plays an important role in marketing to mobile users. The report also reveals smartphone subscribers make up the majority of mobile browser and application users. Until now, the mobile web was dominated by "feature phones" and WAP-enabled mobile phones. And while the growth in smartphone usage isn't much of a surprise, how people use their smartphones on the web got my attention. From the comScore report:
"...search was the most popular category accessed through browsers, reaching 54 percent of the smartphone audience. 43 percent of smartphone subscribers accessed social networking sites via browser, followed by news (40 percent), weather (36 percent) and sports information (32 percent)."
Even with the exponential growth of social media and the focus of marketers on its use to communicate their message, search is still the primary usage of smartphones on the mobile web. Analysts at Nielsen estimate 50% of Americans will be using a smartphone by the end of 2011 and that means marketers should continue to optimize content both for mobile devices and for search engines.
In other words, SEO still remains a critical part of your marketing strategy and will continue to be an essential tactic in connecting your audience with your message, product or service.
Posted by Kent Callison | 0 Comment(s)
SEO: CRO Campaign Delivers Higher Conversions, Lower Costs, Better Search Results
August 25th, 2010 12:50 PM
Recently, Williams Web completed a CRO (Conversion Rate Optimization) program for one of our clients, including:
- LPO (Landing Page Optimization) of three unique landing pages
- SEO (Search Engine Optimization) of all content across three sites
- Paid Advertising (Google AdWords) with Multivariate testing across three different campaigns
The Problem
The client, an established automobile dealer with locations in Chattanooga, Cleveland and Knoxville, Tennessee, operates in a niche market. They are a Buy Here Pay Here used car dealership, offering used cars at competitive prices with in-house financing for customers with poor or little credit history. The client had strong name recognition due to many years of offline advertising and marketing, but their online conversions and search engine rankings were far below expectations. And with nearly 70% of car buyers beginning their car search online, our client needed a digital strategy to get the attention of potential customers.
The Solution
Today, our client is receiving a significant portion of their credit applications from the website, realizing more traffic as a result of organic search results and placing higher in the search rankings than ever before. Conversions are up, cost per conversion is down and the website has captured 52% of their target audience as a result of our efforts.
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Before CRO/SEO |
After CRO/SEO |
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Google Ranking |
Not in the Top 50 |
Top 5 |
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Page in Google |
6 |
1 |
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Percentage of Target Audience Visiting Site |
Unknown |
52% |
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Percentage of Visits From Optimized Keywords |
<10% |
65% |
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Percentage of Visits from Online Advertising (AdWords) |
N/A |
35% |
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Percentage of Conversions From Organic SEO |
N/A |
74% |
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Percentage of Conversions From AdWords |
N/A |
26% |
The Process
Williams Web began with rule-based LPO, geographically targeting potential customers in Chattanooga, Cleveland and Knoxville, Tennessee. Each landing page was tied to relevant paid advertising (Google AdWords) with multivariate testing to determine the most effective messaging, placement and budget. The landing pages offered quick access to online financing and pre-qualification applications. The completion of these applications was the primary conversion goal of the websites and the focus of our overall CRO program. Since most customers who complete a credit application with the dealership continue on to purchase a vehicle, measuring the number of credit applications completed on the website was of critical importance.
Next, we conducted extensive research into the keywords that potential customers use to find our client. We optimized content across all three sites, paying particular attention to the placement and use of these keywords.
Finally, we modified the Car Finder section of the website to include the keywords in the description of each vehicle, the page titles and URL descriptors of each page. Every time a new car was added to the Car Finder, it was treated like a blog post with its own page title and keyword-optimized content. Since the Car Finder now quacked like a blog and looked like blog, the search engines thought it was a blog, and weighted its relevance accordingly.
Throughout each step of our CRO program, we ensured all content was consistent and relevant. The ad copy was directly linked to the landing page, the landing page offered content relevant to the user's search and the search results were linked to a specific product or offer.
Posted by Kent Callison | 0 Comment(s)
SEO: Google Is Gonna Love You
July 16th, 2010 2:41 PM
Blogging is a great way to promote your organization, communicate with your customers and update your website with fresh new content on a regular basis. There's an additional benefit from regular blogging - search engine optimization. With a little effort, a blog can help get your site ranked in the top of the search engine results.
Search engines put extra weight on blogs in their rankings because they are updated more frequently than other web pages. By adding focused, relevant posts to your blog a couple of times a week, you provide search engines with the content they crave - and the content they reward. Here are some tips to make sure your blog posts get Google's attention:
Link It Up
Add links to related sections of your site or to external websites where appropriate. For example, if your blog post discusses advances in your industry, linking to an industry news website is beneficial to both your readers and the search engines. Similarly, if your post names one of your organization's professionals, linking to their bio or department in which they work gives readers quick access to more information about that person and their expertise.Optimize Every Post
Each blog post is seen by search engines as a unique page on your website. That means every post is an opportunity for you to include keywords about your organization and its products or services. The title of your blog post should be viewed as a headline designed to grab the reader's attention. It should also include at least one of your keywords. Use those keywords again in the first paragraph of the blog post as well.Consistent Content
Search engines like Google reward frequent bloggers. The more often you blog, the more frequently Google will return to index your website. Blog about topics that are relevant to your industry and to the services or products you provide. Use your blog to publish news announcements and press releases. Provide links to news articles that your readers will find relevant and beneficial. Bloggers who start out thinking they don't have much to say on a blog quickly find they have much more to offer than they first thought.Posted by Kent Callison | 0 Comment(s)
