SEO News
Big Bad Bounce Rates Beat Up Your Rankings?
I read some Dr. Seuss books to my youngest this morning so I’m all about the rhyming and alliteration. WebProNews had an article this week discussing how and if bounce rate is now a factor Google takes into account. It’s a great article, they have several quotes from industry experts and provide some inconclusive, although intriguing, results. Definitely worth the read/skim.
Rehashing the info seems kind of pointless so I’m going to talk about how big of an issue this really is. It seems the SEO industry has been concerned with this issue for several years now, but I don’t get it. Yes, it would be great if we had more insite into Google’s algorithm. Let’s be honest though, even if you knew all 200+ aspects of what goes into ranking sites, you’re only going to focus on the most important ones. Which is what we’re all kind of doing already. Second, bad bounce rates are bad not just because your rankings might take a hit. Not working to improve your bounce rate is like eating two chips out of the Doritos bag and then throwing the rest away. It’s straight up wasteful. It’s easier, and cheaper, to improve your bounce rate than it is to increase your traffic.
Why don’t more people do it? It’s probably more of a systemic problem in the SEO community in general. We only want SEO to be a group of processes that we can check off a list. In reality, good SEO is much more of a soft skill than a hard set of processes. Improving your bounce rate forces you to think about people and not just machines. We should do this more anyway in all our marketing and business endeavors, but I digress.
Whether or not Google is peaking at your analytics to change your rankings is secondary. Your focus should be on getting the most out of the traffic you’re getting as possible. To that end, here’s a great post on improving your bounce rate from Avinash Kaushik you HAVE to read.
I’d love you to tell me I’m wrong in the comments. It makes the few times I’m right even more fun.
Google Turns Everyone Into A SEO Expert
At least for AdWords they’re trying to with Google Engage. In an announcement back in January, one in a long line of great announcements that boost Google’s PR and bottom line, they now have a free program called Google Engage to help SMBs (everyone) learn how to offer AdWords services to their clients. Think if it as “AdWords for the rest of us.” It really seems like a great program and I’m probably coming off too negative here. Obviously, the more people using AdWords the more money Google makes. But… I’m a big proponent of AdWords first and organic rankings second. Learn and fail quickly doesn’t happen when you spend months growing organic rankings. It happens by throwing some money at traffic for a few months and doing a really thorough job tracking conversions. As long as you’re prepared to eat that initial AdWords investment you’ll end up with data worth it’s weight in premium grade gasoline. Although, with all the tools Google is offering for free now, you may not even have to worry about that.
Make sure to check out the following for more info:
- Google’s original blog post announcing Google Engage
- Google Engage
- Here’s a great review of the program from one of the beta testers
If you’ve tried the program out I’d love to get your feedback in the comments.
Webinar: The 5 myths of SEO revealed!
Even if you think you know a lot about SEO…even if you’re an SEO whiz who sells search engine optimization services to local businesses all day…there might still be something you’re missing.
In this free online workshop (exclusive to SEOWebHosting.net customers!), Erica Douglass, SEO and traffic whiz, reveals what other SEO professionals won’t:
- How she used SEO to get her former web hosting company’s website (not a content website) to a Google PageRank 7 (yes, 7) and earned over $250,000 in new annual revenue from SEO.
- What’s working in the SEO industry today–and what’s not working. (It probably isn’t what you think, and it’s definitely not what the big industry blogs are preaching.)
- How the Google Farmer update really affected sites, based on graphs of hundreds of different keywords and sites from her SEO customers.
- Do relevant links really work? What is a “relevant” link, anyway?
This workshop is completely, 100% free (no strings attached.) Join us and have an interactive, advanced “meeting of the minds” with both Erica and other SEO professionals.
Zemanta, EightFold Logic, Whitespark, and MyBlogGuest – 4 Great New Linkbuilding Services
Rand Fishkin over at SEOmoz really knows his stuff and he’s taken some time to highlight what he believes are four of the best new linkbuilding services around. In no particular order they are Zemanta, MyBlogGuest, Eightfold Logic and WhiteSpark.
There has been an influx of new services over the last few months that offer SEOs something beyond the traditional linkbuilding strategy of reverse engineering backlink profiles. Some are more service oriented while some acquire links and still others focus on visibility challenges.
Zemanta:
A unique concept, Zemanta allows users to submit content in the form of data or images and then displays the data in front of other bloggers while they write. The idea is that bloggers will be affected by the message and mention the brand in their posts, increasing brand awareness. Another thought is that direct links can be obtained as bloggers link to the content provided and still another theory is that the bloggers themselves make up a pool of direct traffickers who actually click on the links themselves.
Google’s given Zemanta the White Hat seal of approval and is now approved to appear in both WordPress and Blogger platforms. SEOmoz reported good results after using the still-being-upgraded service for the last year.
MyBlogGuest:
Ann Smarty, founder of MyBlogGuest started the service in an attempt to match up those looking to write or receive a guest blog post. It’s a simple concept but if it catches on even with a select number of powerful blogs, the number of backlinks could be tremendous.
Ann’s thought is that deep connections will emerge between users of the service and she’s so far created a simple and elegant interface. It’s hard not to be compelled, but the action items on the site are not as pared down as they could be. With a little more branding and marketing, MyBlogGuest could really take off.
EightFoldLogic:
The site’s Linker function aims to create one on one, private connections. Similar to MyBlogGuest, Linker is directed towards a broader audience and connect sites with the idea of partnership in mind. Linker’s role ends once the parties are connected, though, which leads the mind to wonder exactly how up and up the link connections are on the back end. Linkbuilding connection marketplaces are an interesting idea but like best seo hosting sites will hold little water until the sites obtain enough users to make the service valuable. On that note, Linker’s free for the first couple of months.
WhiteSpark:
WhiteSpark’s Local Citation Finder’s goal is to help identify sites that Google uses as “sources” for local map data or conversely reference several sites that rank in SERP results. As local continues to become more and more of a major player the competition for a service that provides useful data around the mysterious field will become fierce. In the future, it would be interesting to see more data about the listings provided and also some services that help SEOs manage multiple listings with a multiple host.
Thanks to Rand and Heather Hendrick for summarizing him here.
Google Makes Changes That Could Affect Rankings
This WebProNews article, originally from August 2010, focuses on some of the latest Google algorithm changes that may impact rankings. We’ve summarized it for you here so you and your SEO can make the best decisions accordingly.
Search is the keystone of Google and in the midst of all the social media, advertising, and video initiatives they also have going on at the moment.
Algorithm changes are some of Google’s most talked about items, especially when they make a big announcement beforehand as they did recently concerning the change that multiple pages will now be displayed from one domain for relevant queries. Google’s going to attempt to determine the intent behind certain queries and determine whether or not the SERP results are best populated with multiple pages from one site, which they’ve never done in the past. Not all SEOs and seo hosting companies are happy with this news as it means big sites may further dominate listings.
As with algorithm changes, Google’s experimentation is also much talked about. They’ve recently been spotted trying a format in which the autosuggest function more or less takes over all the SERP results which could definitely wreak havoc on search results as a whole. As we now know, though, this function is fully in play and called Google Instant. Habits are currently being evaluated by SEOs to determine the best ways to manage this change.
Google is also currently testing the idea of crawling from multiple ip hosting servers. This means that Googlebots are now able to spider sites faster than ever and with greater accuracy, and webmasters are monitoring this development closely to see how it affects algorithm changes.
Along with all these changes, Google is also acquiring companies such as Like.com. It’s yet to be told how these acquisitions will effect search as a whole.
Thanks to Heather Hendrick for the summary!
Mobile Carriers and Search Engines: A Dangerous Relationship
Suzzicks over at SEOmoz recently had some interesting insights into the crazy search results shown through mobile carriers. We’ve broken down the highlights for you here, below:
Universal Results are by far the most mobile friendly as they allow users to be totally interactive. For example, you can click on a phone number to call, a map to get directions or even listen to a simultaneously buy a song.
Though Universal results are interesting, they’re often fraught with trouble considering you never know what kind of result you’re going to get, depending on the phone you’re using. Along with Google’s algorithm changes, results vary week to week. For example, using an iPhone to look up “Britney Spears” a year ago produced vastly different results this year as the mobile carrier displayed results based on availability of adjoining apps.
The recent Verizon/Google net neutrality news has deepened the issue of mobile carrier/search relationships since SERP results could be affected by a potential deal, and neutrality may be threatened. As it stands now, carriers offer users three search options which is still at a level less than impartial.
Universal Triggers vary from phone to phone, and many of the carriers currently have deals with the phone companies to provide search engine services if their engine is the default search method on the phone. Many customers assume that when they search on Google.com on their phones they’re getting the same results they’d get searching Google.com on a PC, but this is incorrect as Google chooses search results based on the carrier, the type of phone, and the websites’ structure. As an example, T-Mobile sets a cookie so that users who search for mobile results one time will get the Universal Results displayed to them every time thereafter or until they clear their cookies.
Most people don’t take the time or even know how to change the Start default page on their mobile phones, or even their home computers for that matter. Universal Listing results are therefore having an effect on mobile SEO that SEOs and seo hosting companies have never had to deal with before, pushing traditional listings down and affecting rankings altogether.
This formatting makes it nearly impossible to determine rankings in a general sense and make an SEO’s job very difficult. As search engines and phone carriers are quiet about their connections it becomes even harder to determine who’s working with who, and exactly what kinds of deals are affecting “organic” search results.
Thanks to Heather Hendrick for the summary
Interviewing Andrew Chang, LinkedIn’s Marketing Manager
Manoj Jasra of Search Engine Guide had the opportunity last year to interview Andrew Chang, the marketing manager for none other than LinkedIn. Here are the highlights:
Manoj started by asking how LinkedIn fits in to the Business to Business equation as they were set to speak on B2B at an upcoming conference.
Chang responded that LinkedIn’s millions of daily visitors come from all walks of life but share in common a professionalism that makes them highly desirable targets for B2B companies. LinkedIn Direct Ads is a new service created by the company that offers inhouse PPC services for advertisers attempting to reach out to clients of the site, placing text ads on prominent pages to reach specific users.
For example, one of the company’s biggest advertisers attempts to sell Master’s Degree Program enrollments to primary school teachers, a sector that over a hundred thousand LinkedIn users identify themselves as working in. A text ad now runs to target just those clients and they can click straight through for more information.
Manoj then asked how lead generation has changed in 2011 and will be changing in the future.
Chang answered that social media and mobile are really the game changers here, and that businesses have to rethink how they spent their lead gen dollars. For example, on LinkedIn, groups have formed around common interests that last out the lifespan of a buying cycle, and businesses are encouraged to figure out how they can enter these conversations. It’s important for businesses to evaluate how their messages are seen and perceived across social media and mobile devices.
Manoj stated that he believed SEO and seo hosting was just as important as it’s ever been. He then asked Chang’s opinion on the matter.
Chang replied that he’s always believed businesses do well by considering how their sites are optimized both for search engines and for social media platforms in today’s digital world. He says that if you take the time to look at what’s changed you’ll realize it’s not just about good content and good links to your content anymore but rather how you can engage customers. This is especially important in the realm of Youtube, Twitter, Facebook, and the like.
People should remember that their own personal LinkedIn profiles should be optimized for search as well since they show up when searching for a specific name. They best thing you can do is have a complete profile that’s up to date. Large companies can also have a LinkedIn profile, and some people would be surprised how many clicks go to these pages after a user sees a link on a personal LinkedIn profile, so keep these current and informative as well.
Thanks to Heather Hendrick for the summary and transcription
August 2010 PRO Training Seminar
Rand Fishkin was excited about last year’s PRO Training Seminar, so we summarized his man points for you here.
He starts by talking about the top 5 ways the SEOmoz PRO seminar was better than others…
1. Tips as content – While some conferences try to sell you on their content, the PRO seminar focuses on applicable tips that businesses can apply immediately. The sessions are meant to make attendees smarter and faster in the world of SEO and SEO web hosting.
2. Good speakers and deep dives – Instead of cramming four or five panelists on a one hour session, PRO gets the best speakers in line for some really meaty discussions, offering only a few sessions a day. With only 14 presenters for the entire conference it’s important to note that you can only become a speaker by invitation.
3. Incentives for all Particpants – Rather than bleeding participants dry with entry fees and booth buyouts, PRO is far more interested in impacting the SEO community in a powerful, meaningful way. SEOmoz makes less than 4% of their gross from the conference and they pay in full all of the speakers’ travel expenses so they don’t have to worry about selling enough to recoup the costs.
4. It’s half the cost – Other conferences charge several thousand dollars for one ticket to their event, but PRO is only $649 with an SEOmoz membership. Once you add on hotel and airfare, it’s still less than half the cost of many other similar events in the industry.
5. No hard sell – At PRO, there are no vendors, no booths, no people hawking swag for attendees. The event is all about education and learning and there’s no place for commercialism in the structure. Networking and leaving with a wealth of information is the real goal at hand.
Heather Hendrick summarized
Which Matters More: Quality or Freshness of Content?
The question at hand for Chris Crum at Web Pro News is what matters more: freshness of content or its quality? He revisits a few spoken rules from Google and weighs in a bit on his own and we’ve summarized his main points for you guys here…
Matt Cutts over at Google Search once put out a piece a long time ago about the best practices for content, specifically how much freshness impacts the value of a piece of web copy. The question in the video is from a user and basically asks what matters more for blogs – freshness or quality? The old SEO notion that the more frequently a blog is updated, the better is at odds with the idea that a blog can rank well from a singular piece of quality content posted long ago.
Matt’s response is that yes, quality content is ultimately the absolute most important factor but that frequently updating is better for the users which in turn pleases Google. Page views go up in direct correlation with rankings, so it’s important to keep that in mind when creating content or dolling out the week’s best seo hosting coupons.
Matt goes on to say that on his own blog he doesn’t necessarily post daily or even every week, but every time he posts he has something useful to say. He says you’re better off in the long run waiting until you have something good to say rather than just cranking out content for the sake of posting content. Links are garnered this way, and that’s definitely a good thing.
While quality is important, it’s not a good idea to discount freshness altogether. Google’s new time filters as well as their real time results that display often mean that a more frequently updated site definitely has a leg up on the one that’s not. Visibility is key and updates such as Caffeine are sure to have an impact on the results that show for users.
Heather Hendrick, writer
4 Ways to Improve Your SEO Site Audit
Posted by Lindsay
The preparation of an SEO Site Audit is something that every SEO, whether in-house, agency-side, or independent consultant, has done. They range from a brief assessment of an hour or two followed by a quick email to mammoth document of more than 50 pages that can take a month or more to complete. A junior SEO might charge a few hundred dollars for a quick assessment and a well known consultancy can charge in the neighborhood of K for a report on the more complete end of the scale. For a process that gets that much time and money allocated it’s way, I’m amazed at the lack of chatter on industry blogs. I suppose what elements we review and how we go about the process are among the things that SEOs hold close to their chest.
In true SEOmoz spirit, I’m cracking open the black box and sharing what I’ve learned along the way. This is the first post of many that you will see from me over the coming months on the topic of optimizing your SEO reviews. Today, I’ll cover a few of the most significant elements that I’ve come up with over the years to include in all large SEO reviews.
1. SEO Scorecard
I’m starting with the single most important element of the SEO Audits I create. The idea was hammered out with the guidance of an executive at my old in-house gig. Woody wanted something to bring to the VCs that would summarize our SEO health across multiple web properties in a clean and concise summary. I told him SEO was too complicated for that, but he pushed me and together we came up with the SEO Scorecard.
The scorecard works on a five point rating scale and assesses the website’s key pages in columns against a hearty list of categorized SEO factors in rows. Don’t go overboard when selecting your key pages. I’ve never had to go over five even on the largest of websites. Once you dig in to a website you will usually find that 90% of the content is represented by a handful of templates. The SEO Scorecard is built and populated in Excel, then pulled into your audit document in screen shots.
I always feature the SEO Scorecard near the beginning of the document. It is an excellent way to anchor the rest of the report and gives you something to reference as you describe enhancements. I’m including a screen shot of the first bit of my current SEO Scorecard so you can visualize what I’m talking about.
2. Internal Linking
I’m not talking about the SEO factor here; I’m referring to how link within your SEO Audit Word document. If your reports are anything like the ones I’ve worked on, they end up huge in terms of length and file size. This is especially true if you are good at including screen shots and other graphic elements. Help your readers navigate the document with a click-able table of contents and plenty of embedded links between related sections and topics. Your readers will get more out of the document and will be able to navigate it in a way that makes the most sense to their learning style. This internal linking process might add an hour to the final editing process, but your clients will thank you. Believe me.
Here is a screen shot from the Most Pressing & Valuable Changes section of an audit.
3. Action Items
One of these days, I’ll share the outline that I use in creating an SEO Review document. For now, you can imagine a series of headings and subheadings along with a whole lot of text and a sprinkling of screen shots. For the average Joe, an SEO Review is a brute of a document to read. The concepts are foreign and as they read they’re mind is spinning with ideas of how they will implement the grand ideas you’ve presented. Don’t burden your readers with the additional task of creating a to-do list as they read. After you’ve elaborated on the details of an issue and how it should be resolved, include a list of action items. These are meant as a brief summary, so keep them short and concise!
Here is a sample of action items that followed the Local Search section of a recent report I created.
4. Repetition
As much as you like to think that your clients will read your entire review document over and over with bated breath, they won’t. More likely, your clients will skim the document looking for the most important issues and action items.
At SEOmoz, we not only covered key issues in the SEO Scorecard and in written detail within a dedicated section. We covered the most important components in one form or another a total of SIX times; Overview, Table of Contents, Scorecard, Most Pressing & Valuable Changes section, the topic section (most complete), the Action Items, and the document’s Closing Summary. I’m not suggesting that you copy and paste your entire assessment six times, but what I am suggesting is that you mention key enhancements often and place internal links to the complete assessment within the document’s dedicated section.
- Tell ‘em what your gunna tell ‘em (Overview).
- Tell ‘em some details about the most important things your gunna tell ‘em (Most Pressing & Valuable Changes).
- Tell ‘em where to find the info (Table of Contents, Internal Links).
- Tell ‘em just how bad it is on a scale of 1-5 (SEO Scorecard).
- Tell ‘em (the topic section).
- Tell ‘em what you told ‘em (Closing Summary).
I’ve been writing audits for a long time and will say that it has become one of my favorite tasks as an SEO. It wasn’t always that way. In the beginning it takes countless hours to get your groove and find your efficiencies. I hope that I’ve shared a few ideas here today that will improve your experience writing SEO Audits moving forward.
Keep your eyes out for more posts on the topic of SEO audits over the coming months. I plan to publish something every two weeks until I run out of interesting things to say. Topic suggestions are welcome.
Action Items
- Create your own SEO Scorecard and use it to anchor your SEO Site Audit documents.
- Link profusely within your audit document to ease navigation for your clients.
- Summarize each section of your audits with a list of clean and concise action items.
- Repeat yourself, A LOT.
Happy Auditing!
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