seo

We’ve been hearing about personalized search since 2007. We’ve even seen some advancements from Google in 2008 with the launch of the SearchWiki. To make even more advancements with personalized search, earlier in December, 2009 Google announced that they made even more enhancements. Now, whether a searcher is signed in to Google or not, their search results will be “personalized” just for them based on their web history.

So what exactly does this mean for the website owner? Take your keyword rankings with a grain of salt. After all, what you see in search results may not be what searchers see (unless personalization is turned off). Instead, pay close attention to your analytic data to see how your website performs as a whole. The basics of search engine optimization still hold true. Keyword selection and optimized titles, meta descriptions, and website copy are still super important. But for total SEO success, website owners should also concentrate on:

1. Web design and usability.
   Create a website that uses clean, up-to-date code and easily sends your visitor to a call-to-action. If your website is old, or possibly new, but designed by an inexperienced web designer, it is in your best interest to invest in a new website.
2. Web page load times.
   Slow loading web pages could mean lower rankings all together. There are many factors that affect a page load time (too many images, large images, hosting bandwidth etc.). You should talk to your webmaster if you feel your webpages do load slowly.
3. Visitor bounce rates.
   If your bounce rate is above 50% for any given page, then look at the content of that page. Does your copy say too little, or is there too much copy on that page? What about the calls-to-action? Is your message clear? The longer a visitor stays on a website, the more apt they are to make a buying decision.
4. Fresh content.
   Is your content being updated on a regular basis? If not, your website will suffer. It’s been known for some time that Google wants to show the most relevant search results to the searcher. If your content is stagnant, well, then it’s not relevant. Keep it updated, fresh, and relevant.

In conclusion, stop fretting over that #1 spot on Google. Instead, work towards making your website the best it can be and let the visitor behavior on your site tell you if your SEO efforts are working.

It seems as if Google’s been talking about revising their search engine forever, but soon, in the next few weeks, Caffeine will be live. We’ll talk about the algorithm implecations in a moment, but first, let’s look at an example of what a search engine results page (SERP) will look like on the new Google:

What you can expect with Google Caffeine update:

1. Live search results. Notice the Twitter update in the middle of the page. Also, the user can click on “Latest” time-frame to see the most recent results. It’s going to be very important to make constant updates to your blog or website to keep relevant.
2. Universal Search features. We’ve been able to search for video and images (as well as other Universal Search items) since 2007, but now these features are easily located in a left sidebar.
3. The Updates tab. See who’s currently talking about your subject on Twitter. Your social media marketing campaign just got easier.
4. Page Previews. See a snippet of the page before you click on the result.

If you’re a website owner, webmaster, marketer or blogger, I’m sure you thinking… “ok Google’s revision is great for the searcher, but what about me? What do I need to do to make sure I rank well on the new Google?”

There are a few algorithm changes that have come to light that anyone involved with the running of a website should know.

1. Speed your website loads. Yup, if you have a slow loading site either due by old technology, too many large images, or a flash intro, then your ranking may suffer a bit.
2. Broken links. Google is all about offering the searcher relevant information. If broken links are found while your site is indexed, you may see lower rankings as a result.
3. Website design. On page factors such as meta titles, meta descriptions, alt tags, current content, still play a factor, but now the design of your site will have an effect as well.
4. Social Bookmarking. Yes, that’s what I said. Social bookmarking will be a major factor in page ranking for 2010.

If your site has been optimized for search engines, you may be in good shape. If you’re not sure if your site meets the latest standards, please feel free to ask us, we’ll give you an honest answer.

I think this question has been asked ever since the dawn of Google. Website owner after website owner have pondered over this question, while SEO after SEO have tried to give a definitive answer.

Recently, the good folks over at Search Engine Roundtable released the results to their April 1st poll: “How Long Should it Take to Rank Well on Google?” Out of the over two-hundred respondents, the largest response was 3-6 months (35%), followed by 6-9 months (19%). In my experience, a well-optimized website will take approximately 3-6 months to rank well. A website that has not been optimized at all….never!

Three to six months for a site to rank well on Google may seem like a long time to the anxious website owner who really wants to prove their site a success. However, with millions upon millions of websites trying to rank on the first page of the SERPs (search engine results pages), it takes that amount of time for Google to revisit your web pages enough times to build up the trust factor. Also, Google looks at many different factors of a web page in order to give it high rankings in SERPs. And, those factors change all the time – which can seem to be a bit unfair to even the most diligent of webmasters.

Such factors that Google takes into account include:

• Age of the domain
• Use of keywords in the Title tag
• Relevancy of keywords in the body text
• Link popularity of the site (or web page in question)
• Anchor text used in inbound link
• Relevance of inbound links
• Quality of content & freshness of content

Google also looks at factors that may negatively affect a website. These factors include:

• Duplicate title/meta description tags
• Errors in site code which distracts search engine spiders
• Duplicate content of any kind
• Participation in link farms or link schemes
• Keyword stuffing (basically overusing keyword phrases)
• Keywords in Title do not match content
• Hidden keywords
• Disobeying any of Google rules (see Google’s webmaster guidelines)

One thing that I have learned in my many years of optimizing websites. A website is only as good as those who maintain it. I’ve also learned that once you get the hang of what Google likes, they change the rules. However, with all this said, it doesn’t matter how well a website ranks on Google. What matters is the visitor.

As a professional SEO who has done optimized a ton of websites for various industries – this is what I suggest.

• Have a plan – what do you want visitors to do when they land on your site
• Know your audience and produce well-written, useful content for them
• Make it easy for visitors to find what they are looking for – don’t hide important information
• Make your calls-to-action prominent and consistent
• Maintain your content – if a product or service changes, update your site accordingly

So instead of worrying how long it takes to rank well on Google. Start thinking about your visitor and what is important to them. Afterall, your in business to get business from humans, not search engines.

Not sure if your site meets Google’s (or Patti’s) guidelines. Contact us for a complimentary website review.

I just read a blog post by my friends at Beaupre, a high-tech PR firm in Portsmouth, NH, that got me thinking. Mike McGrail wrote a post about the recent announcement that the Pulitzer Committee is now accepting submissions from online-only publications. This announcement is great news for the Search Marketing industry.

As a search marketing specialist, I read LOTS of online publications, some of which are Pulitzer Prize worthy – in my opinion anyway. I read through the 14 possible Pulitzer Prizes for online journalists. In the SEM industry, two categories in particular sound promising:

9. For distinguished commentary, in print or online or both, Ten thousand dollars ($10,000).

10. For distinguished criticism, in print or online or both, Ten thousand dollars ($10,000).

I’m sure we all can think of a few online journalists that would qualify for these categories. My favorites include Loren Baker of Search Engine Journal and Maki of DoshDosh.

Who do you think is Pulitzer Prize worthy? Leave me a comment with your votes.

You’re a business owner who has spent thousands of dollars on a new website. You can’t wait for all of the response and customers you’ll receive from said website. Months pass and …. nothing happens. Your website can’t be found on the internet; customers aren’t flooding your in box with inquiries; and the only people who have commented on your website so far are your employees, and your relatives.

Why does this happen? Most times it’s either A. your website is not optimized so it’s virtually invisible on the internet; or, B. there are no calls-to-action on the site. We’ll talk about SEO another time, today, let’s explore the almighty “call-to-action”.

What is a Call-to-Action?

Simply put, a call-to-action is the end result you want from your visitor. Many business owners don’t clearly define their website goals before the design process begins. This is a huge mistake that can cost even more of your already stretched budget to fix after the fact.

Before jumping into the design, ask yourself “what do I want my visitors to do when they land on my website?”

Some examples of a call-to-action are:

• Fill out a contact form
• Subscribe to a newsletter
• Register for an event
• Download a white paper
• Subscribe to your blog

Whatever the action is, the steps leading to that action also need to be very clear. Wording and color of a call-to-action are just as important as the placement. Make the action clear, visible, and enticing. Avoid phrases like: “click here”, “read more”, and “more”. Think about how many websites you have visited that have such lame action phrases. Do you ever click on them? Probably not.

Messaging Your Call-to-Action

The message in the call-to-action needs to be clear and simple, but not boring. Some examples of this include:

• Buy Now, Save 50%
• Receive SEO Tips Weekly
• Read Our Gardening Articles
• Download Software Whitepapers
• Get Started Now
• Free Instant Quote

Grab your audiences attention. Make the action appealing. The visitor has landed on your site for a  reason, make it easy for them to make the desired action.

Conclusion

A website needs to be more than just a pretty picture. Think about what you want your visitors to do on your webiste. Then, make it easy for them to do so. You’ll be happy you did.

Earlier this month Adobe Systems, Inc., the makers of the Flash video development software, gave Google and Yahoo the ability to search and index Flash websites. Google took it one step further by developing  an algorithm that “explores Flash files in the same way that a person would, by clicking buttons, entering input, and so on. Our algorithm remembers all of the text that it encounters along the way, and that content is then available to be indexed”.

What does this mean for the website owner? This latest development gives Flash websites a chance to compete online with their non-Flash counterparts.

Exactly what will Google index? Here is the lowdown according to Google’s Official Webmaster Central Blog:

• Google can index textual content in SWF files of all kinds. This includes Flash “gadgets” such as buttons or menus, self-contained Flash websites, and everything in between.
• If your website contains Flash, the textual content in your Flash files can be used when Google generates a snippet for your website. Also, the words that appear in your Flash files can be used to match query terms in Google searches.

However, there are still limitations to the kinds of Flash files Google will index. For example:

• If the Flash files include only images, Google still will not be able to see or index any text within the image.
• Google can’t index FLV files (videos that appear on YouTube) since these files do not contain text.
• If the Flash file loads through JavaScript, Google still may not be aware of the Flash file.
• If a Flash file loads an HTML, XML, or another SWF file, Google will separately index that resource, but it will not consider it to be a part of the content within the Flash file.

So there you have it. Flash websites will no longer be lost in the depths of search results.

It’s official. Google has announced that they have made tweaks to their algorithm which includes faster information processing and the display of related search queries on the search results page.

“You won’t see related search suggestions for every query, and while they are usually shown below the search results, the algorithm sometimes causes them to display above the search results,” Google said.

What does this mean? Well, hot topics such as the recent tomato scare will appear within organic search results as they appear on the web (within 48 hours anyway). And, searcher will be given additional keyword phrases to choose from to help them narrow down what they are looking for. Example, a search for “wedding shoes” will also display related searches that look like this:

Searches related to: wedding shoes

These recent algorithm updates may not change the search engine marketing industry, but definitely show that Google continues to strive to keep their huge market share.

I’ve been a fan of Aaron Wall of SEOBook.com for a few years now. I’m an avid reader (and watcher) of his blogs. While I knew that video blogging (or vlogs) have grown in popularity over the years, I never really thought of using them myself until recently.

As most of my readers know, I’m in the process of making my SEO Consulting business official. That is, I’m working on developing a business plan and getting all my ducks in a row (an actual website is one of those ducks). In the process of doing so, I’ve obviously have been doing a ton of research relating to all the boring details of business plans (demographics, market research, competitor analysis, taxes, etc.).

In the midst of my research, I found myself landing upon vlog after vlog. Then it dawned on me, since video blogging is such a great vehicle for driving a ton of traffic to a site in a short period of time, why not integrate vlogs into the SEO mix for small businesses.

My initial thought was to use vlogs the same way we use press releases (or in conjunction with a press release). Say for example, you’re a small business and you’re opening a new location – one would normally send out a press release, right? Well, why not also make a video blog post about the new location, show it off in your video, highlight the benefits, and maybe give tips to others in your industry who are also considering an expansion. Post both the press release and the vlog on your site (fully SEO optimized, of course), and watch the traffic pour in. Add an immediate call to action on each landing page, and there ya go, SEO success!

Websites, like cars, need periodic maintenance. Maybe not after every 100,000 miles (or visitors), but definitely regular updates are required. Like your car, when cared for properly, your website will run smoothly and without a glitch. If neglected, the repairs needed may cost far more than it’s worth.

Unlike cars, there is no handbook to refer to that tells us what to do when. The type of maintenance needed and the time frame it should be completed within is all up to us. However, there are certain things to look for (and maintenance to perform) on your website to keep search engines indexing your site and to keep the “search engine” light from coming on.

How to tell if your site’s “search engine” light is on?

• Your Site Has Not Been Updated Since It Was Created
• Your Site Does Not Have a Search Engine Friendly Design
• The site is not easily navigated
• New Products/Services Are Not on the Website
• No Keyphrases in the Title & Description Tags
• Missing Keyword Phrases in Body Copy
• Lack of Calls to Action on the Website
• Website is not ranking on search engines
• Lack of Website traffic

How to turn the “search engine” light off.

• Redesign your website for visitors

o If your site has not been updated since it was created, the easiest way to solve this problem is to redesign the website. Yes, redesigns are time consuming and costly, however, with Web 2.0 technologies in place, you may not have any other choice.

• Add regular content to the website

o Whether you have new products or services or not, regular content additions are needed on your website to keep search engines coming back. Adding new pages with quality content or revising current pages are an easy fix. Also consider adding an FAQ section, press releases or news items, a blog, podcasts, .pdf files.

• Conduct keyword research and add relevant keyphrases to the Title and Description tag on each page. Also be sure that your body copy includes keyphrases as well.

• Add “Calls to Action” on your website

o First you must determine what you want visitors to do on your site, and then make it easy for them to do so. Whether you want your visitors to download a newsletter, fill out a form, buy a product, or contact the sales department – each call to action should be easy to find and prominent within the site design.

Still not sure if your website’s “search engine light” is on? Contact CreativeMind Search Marketing for a FREE website evaluation.

So you’ve decided to hire a professional SEOto optimize your website. Great! Now what? Well, before you sign on the dotted line be sure you asked the most important and fundamental questions.

Q: What type of techniques will you use to optimize my site?

A: If the answer is “we can not reveal our secrets”, run for the hills. A good SEO will walk you through the steps they take to optimize your website – they will also reveal their pricing. You want to hire a company or consultant that you can trust.

Q: How many pages will you optimize?

A: All of them! Beware of search marketing firms that optimize per page. Many inexperienced SEO’s will say they will optimize your home page and a few other pages of the site. A well-rounded search engine optimization campaign will include every page of your site.

Q: Will you guarantee results?

A: While a guarantee would be great, there are no such things as guarantees in this industry. The Search Engine Marketing industry is forever fluctuating. Major search engines change their algorithms so frequently that search engine results can not be promised.

If the potential SEO you are interviewing says that they will guarantee first page rankings on major search engines, DO NOT hire this person. No one can make such a promise, not even Google.

Q: How long will it take to see results?

A: A good SEO campaign is a long-term strategy. If an SEO firm says that your project will take 1-3 months, they are inexperienced and are not committed to your company. A reputable SEO firm will monitor and tweak the campaign regularly. Most SEO campaigns start at a minimum of 6 months and may last years.

Q: What are your best practices?

A: There are no “one size fits all” strategies in the SEO industry. The firm you hire should emphasize that the SEO strategy they set out for you fits your company and website goals.

The SEM firm or SEO consultant should not only follow Google’s Webmaster Guidelines, but should also present you with different options in achieving great results.The SEM campaign should include on-site optimization as well as link building, a PPC campaign, and social networking (if applicable to your business).