Posts Tagged ‘search engine optimization’

Google’s Keeping it Fresh…What Does the New Google Update Mean for Your Business?

Friday, November 4th, 2011

Let me start off by saying, I sometimes feel a bit like a broken record answering SEO questions.

What is the biggest thing Google looks for when ranking my site?
Relevancy.

Why do I need a dynamic social media presence?
Relevancy.

Why can’t I just cram a bunch of keywords in my meta descriptions tag and do whatever I want on the rest of my site?
I think you get the picture.

So it really shouldn’t come as too big a surprise to anyone that Google just announced that their rankings algorithm will take into account the “freshness”of your content, and serve up the most recent results associated with your search query.

This also comes on the heels of their official acknowledgement that they will indeed begin indexing Facebook comments in the SERPs. Coincidence? I think not.

What do these two announcements have in common? They both indicate that Google is looking more than ever at your site’s overall online presence. Not just your meta tags. Not just your blog. Your online everything. And everyone else’s online everything. And who’s gonna win the #1 spot for a search term? The site whose “everything” Google finds the most relevant.

RELEVANCY! Oh snap.

So what does that mean for your business? For one, it means that fresh, meaningful content is more important than ever. It also means that how your consumers, clients, fans, friends, and followers interact with your content means just as much. And really, if your content it topical and timely, your visitors will be that much more likely to engage with it now won’t they?

Tags: facebook and seo, google, Google algorithm change, google and facebook, google fresh, Google rankings, search engine optimization, search engine rankings, seo
Posted in SEO Strategies, Social Media Marketing | 1 Comment »

Three Common SEO Mistakes and How to Fix Them, Part 1

Tuesday, July 19th, 2011

When you’ve been doing SEO for as long as we have, it’s only expected that after a while, you begin to notice a pattern in the types of mistakes that you tend to find on your prospective clients’ websites. To be sure, part of the reason why we don’t offer pre-priced SEO packages is because we genuinely believe that each clients’ needs are unique. But there is no harm in admitting that during many of our initial free SEO evaluations, we generally start off by looking for specific mistakes simply because experience tells us that your website probably has them.

To help your website stand out from the crowd, we put together a list of three common SEO mistakes, why they are hurting your search engine rankings, and what to do about it.

WWW/non-WWW Canonical Problem

Despite popular belief, from a technical perspective, http://webheadinteractive.com, http://webheadinteractive.com/index.php, and http://www.webheadinteractive.com are actually not the same website. Although most search engines are sophisticated enough to realize that your main website and its non-www counterpart are not two separate pages with duplicate content, it’s worth your time to pick a single URL and set up 301 permanent redirects from all of the other URL variations. With a 301 redirect, if someone links to your page using a URL other than the one that you usually use, you run no risk of losing valuable link juice, i.e. link ranking power.

Setting up a 301 redirect is usually an easy technical modification. If you need help, ask your web developer, search online, or hire Webhead to do it for you!

Not Including Keywords in the Page Title

Your page title is the second most important on-page optimization factor (overall content is first), and is prime real estate for your primary and secondary keywords. It shows up as the main link on Search Engine Results Pages (SERP’s), as well as in the top of your web browser:

Notice that rather than writing “Webhead Interactive” or “Welcome to Webhead”, our title includes the high-level keywords that we are targeting, i.e. “Tampa SEO”, “Tampa Search Engine Optimization”, and “Florida SEO”. Independent tests have also shown that the earlier the keyword appears in the title, the better. That said, feel free to include your company name in the title for branding purposes, but if you are just starting out, the recommended title structure is:

Primary Keyword | Secondary Keyword | Company Name

Most search engines truncate a title that is too long (see the ellipses in the screenshot above), so try to keep it under 65 characters wherever possible. Use this website to calculate the number of characters.

Ignoring Image Alt Tags

Despite rapid advances in semantic technology, for now and the foreseeable future, search engines can’t read text embedded within images. Unfortunately, if the search engine “spider” can’t read the text, it can’t understand it, and if it can’t understand it, it has a hard time deciding if the image is relevant to the user’s search query. This problem is especially acute for photography blogs and websites that contain a large number of infographics.

Fortunately, one can provide a text-based description of the image within the website code using the so-called “alt” tag. From an SEO perspective, it’s helpful to make sure that the image descriptions are keyword-enriched, i.e. they contain the relevant keywords that you are targeting. Very few websites that we evaluate have properly coded alt tags, and of those that do, virtually none have tags that are SEO-optimized.

Have you checked your own website for the three common mistakes outlined above? If so, have you seen an increase in your search engine ranking performance? Discuss in the comments below!

Tags: google, google algorithm, google search algorithm, search engine optimization, seo mistakes
Posted in SEO Strategies | No Comments »

Cheap SEO: The Truth Behind Automatic Link Building

Wednesday, July 13th, 2011

It’s a deal to die for: 10,000 keyword-enriched backlinks, delivered within two days, and for only $5. Or how about 500 blog comments on 500 unique domains?

Think we’re making this up? Think again:

Both screenshots come from Fiverr.com, a recently launched online portal that allows individuals to post and search for five-dollar “gigs”.

From a search engine perspective, it’s hard to overstate the importance of quality inbound links. Independent tests have shown that backlink popularity is the most important website ranking factor, by some estimates constituting roughly 70 percent of Google’s algorithm.

500 links for $5 sounds like some serious link-lovin’, but are “verdox” and “rippa911” promising something that’s too good to be true? At Webhead, we have a common saying, “If it looks like a spammer, smells like a spammer, and quacks like a spammer, it’s a spammer.”

How exactly does automatic link building work, and is it worth your time and money?

In most cases, it’s all about downloading the right software. Programs like ScapeBox and SE Nuke X make it easy to compile a list of websites and blogs that are relevant to specified keywords and which accept comments. From there, it’s just a matter of loading the desired keyword-enriched link, which the program will auto-submit to the list of specified websites.

The whole process sounds like a link builder’s dream come true, so what are the drawbacks?

First, it’s very unlikely that your auto-submitted comment will ever actually make it onto the website. Most popular blogging platforms like WordPress have built-in spam protection and the comments section on quality blogs is almost always moderated by a living human being.

Second, platforms like WordPress automatically “no-follow” links submitted via comments. What does that mean? As Google’s Matt Cutts explains very explicitly on his blog, “nofollow links don’t help sites rank higher in Google’s search results.”

Third, Google employs a group of PhD statisticians who are trained to look for unnatural link building patterns. If you think that auto-submitted links blasted to thousands of blogs won’t stick out like a sore thumb, you’re wrong. In the best case scenario, your website will receive a temporary boost in search engine rankings. In the worst case, you’ll be penalized and your site’s ranking will drop.

The key takeaway is pretty clear here, folks: link building done via automation tools is a waste of time and money. When hiring an SEO consultant, always demand to get a clear explanation of the company’s tactics and strategies. And remember, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Tags: google algorithm, google search algorithm, link building, search engine optimization
Posted in SEO Strategies | 3 Comments »

In SEO, One Size Fits None

Wednesday, March 30th, 2011

My job is pretty amusing sometimes. Yesterday we got an organic lead from our website which had us all chuckling a bit. As a Tampa SEO company, we have tried to practice what we preach and, as a result, have established some kick-butt local rankings that serve to be a great source of leads (as well as a good showcase of our own competency – doesn’t get much more competitive in the SEO world than competing against other SEO’s). But sometimes, we get an inquiry that really makes us shake our heads. Yesterday’s was one of those: a gmail address as the only valid contact information, with the question: “how exactly would you optimize a website.”

Was this simply a case of spam? Maybe. Someone fishing for free tips? Probably. But frankly, it got me thinking…rather, stewing. How can it be that someone would think search engine optimization is achieved by a simple set of steps that we can just regurgitate without ANY information regarding the site, industry, business goals…anything? To me – someone who spends every day entrenched in SEO strategy – I was a bit incredulous, and maybe even a tad insulted, at first. But the thing is, as silly and spammy as this lead seemed, it’s not really that far off from a lot of people’s perception of the SEO process.

An effective SEO strategy is composed of many elements, both on and off site. And there is no good “one size fits all” strategy. While there are of course some basic common elements and best practices, a good SEO strategy will be based on many different factors that are unique to every individual client and website.

The problem is, there are too many “SEO companies” out there who take the one size fits all approach, most often to the detriment of their clients. That combined with the overwhelming amount of “how to” information available online can lead the average prospect to believe that there’s a quick formula that just needs to be applied and, poof! You’re at the top of Google.

There are so many factors that go into an effective SEO strategy, so make sure you keep this in mind when feeling out potential providers. If an SEO company offers up pricing or a package without taking the time to analyze your site, industry, competitive landscape, or really ask you about your ultimate business goals, move on.

Tags: search engine optimization, seo, seo companies, seo experts, tampa seo company
Posted in SEO Strategies | 3 Comments »

Google Cracks Down on Spam with New Algorithm Change

Monday, January 31st, 2011

A couple days ago Google rolled out a new algorithm update aimed at filtering out “spam” and duplicate content, and favoring original content. This comes in the wake of much criticism that Google was allowing spammy blogs and other sites who scrape content from other sources to rank, in many instances, higher for said content than the original sources.

Who will this change affect? Well, most directly, those sites that have been scraping content from others – sites without unique, original content should expect to see their rankings plummet, based on this new algorithm which will favor the original source of the content and “weed out” the duplicate. This will also obviously have positive affect on any reputable site that had once fallen victim to content theft, as they’ll now no longer have to fight for their rightful place on the SERP (search engine results page) amongst shifty competition.

To a certain extent, this is also just a good PR move for Google, who has been taking heat as of late for the vast number of spammy sites it’s been allowing in its top results – from searchers and site owners alike. I had one client who experienced this sort of “content jacking” first hand; to say that he was frustrated that another fly-by-night blog was getting credit for his hard work would be a serious understatement. Many authors like him will be glad to know that content theft is now not just a nuisance, but a sure recipe for landing on Google’s black list.

This also underscores the need to make sure your site is not committing any of the “duplicte content sins.” Now would be a good time to fix broken links, get rid of duplicate content across multiple platforms, and make sure your domain uses solid 301 redirects to ensure you continue to get full credit for all your on and off-site SEO efforts. (Shameless plug: you can contact Webhead if you want us to do a free audit of your site…just saying…)

While this tweak is welcome news to most, it really shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to anyone who practices above-the-board SEO and has been even mildly paying attention to the super power search engine over the years. Ultimately, this algorithm change is just another step Google is taking to combat “cheaters” in the vastly evolving and over-saturated online landscape. As long as Google has been the dominant search engine, there have always been those who try to circumvent the hard work and investment that it can take to get natural, long term top rankings. Remember keyword stuffing? Or link farms? There’s not a reputable SEO on the planet today that would recommend either of those strategies, but they were at one point widely used “tricks” to getting top rankings.

What’s the big lesson here: in good SEO, there really is no way around good, original content, and hard work over time. Always be wary of any company or individual who promises top organic rankings in an unrealistic time frame or for a too-low-to-be-true price point. If you put in the time and effort it takes to work your way up the ranks in a natural and above-the-board way, ultimately, Google will reward you.

Tags: Add new tag, google, google algorithm, Google algorithm change, Google rankings, google search algorithm, google spam, search engine optimization, search engine rankings, seo, seo companies, seo experts
Posted in SEO Strategies | 4 Comments »

Google’s “new” Keyword Tool Comes Out of Beta & SEOs Couldn’t Be Less Satisfied

Friday, October 22nd, 2010

A few weeks ago, I jumped into the Google Keyword Tool to do a new keyword search and was frustrated to see that the “previous interface” button was no longer an option. Now, I have seen the Keyword Tool for months now but have been successfully avoiding it and going straight to the old tool each and every time. Now forced to try out the new tool, I found myself immediately discouraged. While it is no secret that the keyword tool is not meant to enhance SEO, but rather promote Google’s tools, it is still an essential part of SEO. This new tool lacks several fundamental functions that were essential for both PPC (Google Adwords) and SEO.

One of my biggest concerns is the lack of relevant keyword variations within the search results. You have to basically export the data and sift through all 800 options before finding a handful of relevant terms. The old keyword tool would list results in groups, listing the closest related keywords to your search query first, then follow it with a grouping of other closely related ideas. Adding insult to injury is the added frustration of the filters that seem to “filter” out every single result once you uncheck a box. I watched my search results go from 800 to 20 simply by unclicking one box. After testing out the results with each box checked and then unchecked, I decided that the filters are so sporadic that it was best to just export and start manually filtering.

Another common problem seems to be the apparent glitch in selecting match forms. Half the time when I change the results from exact match, to phrase match, to broad match I lose a good chunk of the search results. Not to mention, the “negative match” option seems to be a thing of the past. For a Google’s Adwords account manager, the loss of the negative match option is a substantial shortfall. Like most others who have been complaining for the last month about the new Google Keyword tool, I haven’t the slightest idea what is causing these issues but I, for one, hope that Google fixes these problems ASAP.

My colleague and I recently decided to try Google’s “search based keyword tool” in hopes that it would offer better and/or more relevant results. Noticing the complete lack of consistency in data between the beta tool and the search based tool, we went searching for answers from Google.

“You may also notice that some of the data (like such as the monthly search volume) may vary slightly between the two tools, which is due to different methods of calculation at this time.”

Um…well, thank you for that clarification Google, that makes much more sense now. So far this seems to be the theme in looking for answers and/or explanations to the shortfalls of this new Keyword Tool. So, for now, I will continue to search for answers and hope that these bugs will work themselves out. Most importantly, I have to hope that Google is hearing these major concerns for their new tool from the SEO experts that are stuck using it and are counting on its results each and every day.

Tags: google keyword tool, search engine optimization, seo, seo experts
Posted in SEO Strategies | 3 Comments »

Why I’m Not Panicking Over Google Instant

Friday, September 24th, 2010

It’s been nearly three weeks since Google officially launched its new platform Google Instant (http://www.google.com/instant/), and you would think the sky was falling for many search engine marketers. How will this affect SEO? Are we going to lose all our rankings? I even had someone ask me if this would be the “death of longtail.” From all the buzz in the SEO world, you’d think this was the first time Google made a major change. Will it mix things up a bit in terms of rankings for many sites? Probably some. But then again, so has Google’s other fairly regular algorithm changes. So why is Google Instant giving so many SEO professionals such a headache? And why am I am not all that concerned?

First of all for those of you not familiar with Google Instant, the new platform shows you results as you type a search phrase, while also showing you suggested search phrases earlier in the search query process. Google claims this will make life easier by saving the searcher precious seconds between when they search and when they are presented with relevant results (don’t miss their super-melodramatic intro video, “I don’t even have to scroll! It’s RIGHT THERE!”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElubRNRIUg4).

So why all the stink in SEO land? Google Instant basically “changes the game” in two ways:

1. There is less “fixed real estate” on the SERP, as the “instant” results that show as you type take up about half the results page.

2. There is some argument/speculation/panic that the quicker suggestions of search phrases will narrow the number of keywords that are searched, “doing away” with the need for long tail optimization and forcing entire industries to compete for the same small handful of Google-suggested search terms. (Is anyone else having flashbacks to those annoying “What has search done to us” Bing commercials here??)

Here is my take: Regarding the panic on reduced “real estate” on Google’s first page, it has ALWAYS been important to be in that magical “top 5” of Google’s SERP. This just reinforces the need for truly effective SEO, and also for a keen awareness and understanding of your top online competitors. It also reinforces the need to be honest with yourself in terms of your ability to compete for certain terms. If you know you realistically can’t commit the resources to compete with the sites in the top 5 for a given term, you should probably switch your focus.

Regarding the speculations that all of search will be reduced to a narrow list of terms and that traffic from long tails will fall by the wayside, I say, no way. Long tail optimization is more important than ever, as it’s truly going to be those sites that are optimized for the full breadth of their keyword theme (i.e. naturally optimized) that will survive this Google change, and future algorithm and platform changes. Side note: not to toot my own horn here, but none of our clients have seen dramatic dips in search traffic since Instant took affect – and in most cases, our clients’ traffic has actually increased.

Just think, if Google never changed, we’d still be able to stuff lists of keywords in “hidden text” and forgo time-intensive quality link building strategies in lieu of spammy link farms managed in India. SEO could be an afterthought as opposed to a full time job. But I happen to like my full time job, and so I say to Google Instant: bring it on! We’re ready for you.

Tags: Google algorithm change, Google Instant, Google rankings, search engine optimization, search engine rankings, seo
Posted in SEO Strategies | 1 Comment »

Tips and Insights on the Ever Evolving Mobile Web

Friday, August 27th, 2010

Strolling around the airport the other day, I looked up from my new Droid X long enough to notice that everyone else was in their own mobile entranced world as well. Playing games, downloading the latest apps, browsing through sites or maybe even a little “old fashioned” calling or texting. With mobile internet access less than a decade old, many businesses find themselves scrambling to secure their place in the mobile world. I have clients ask me all the time whether or not they should consider a separate “mobile friendly” site. The answer – yes and no! With the mobile web landscape still evolving and changing and with so many factors coming into play in mobile web rankings, the best strategy is also going to be an evolving one. While traditional internet (desktop and PC) has a tangible and achievable methodology to SEO (Seach Engine Optimization), mobile web is still outlining the rules to achieve top rankings and to increase user functionality.

When cell phones with internet access were first introduced, it was thought that you must have a mobile-specific site in order to properly optimize and/or to receive any traffic. While this is certainly one method, it is not the only sure-fire approach to reach your mobile consumers. With the explosion of SmartPhones such as the iPhone, Blackberry and Android, “mobile junkies” can have full access to their favorite sites without missing out on anything that a desktop can offer. While a separate mobile site can still enhance a user’s experience by paring down your traditional site to just the basic information that a customer is looking for, your full site can be accessed by SmartPhones. So make sure that your traditional site is properly optimized and can be easily navigated when seen in miniature form.

While thorough optimization of your traditional (non mobile) site is critical and may influence your mobile rankings, that is not the only influence coming into play for mobile rankings. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that simply because you land in Google’s number one spot on a traditional SERP (search engine results page) that you will even show up on the top page for a mobile search query. There are several factors influencing customer’s mobile search results. First, the GPS locator that is in most SmartPhones that can adjust the results based on their current location. This combined with a consumer’s past search history will certainly aid in skewing the results. Second, there is an arguably unfair advantage given to certain websites based on the carrier that the consumer is using. Different mobile providers hold stake in certain brands and therefore are quietly and discreetly but profoundly having an effect on the impressionable mobile web and its rankings.

Last word of advice would be to think like a consumer when designing your site. Whether you’ve decided to go the extra mile and create a “mobile friendly” website or you are sticking with your traditional site, make sure its navigation is simple and user friendly. In the age of impatience and immediate gratification, consumers on the go (most mobile internet users) want to easily find the exact information they are looking for and apply it immediately. Ask yourself if directions to your store or restaurant will easily transition into navigation mode, and if your phone number can simply be clicked on to begin a phone call? If your site is not properly optimized to achieve these “simple” functions, then you are certain to lose a large amount of targeted traffic. With nearly 1 billion people accessing the internet via mobile phones these days, it is easy math to see the benefit of jumping on board with mobile SEO. In short, make certain that your site is easy to use and navigate, stay ahead of the game and be certain not to fall off the radar of the upwardly-mobile consumers who can dominate your market!

Tags: mobile search results, search engine optimization
Posted in SEO Strategies | 6 Comments »

3 Tips for Building Your SEO Keyword List

Monday, August 23rd, 2010

Keyword selection is the backbone of your search engine optimization strategy. Your choice of keywords can be the biggest factor in the success of all your SEO efforts, but how do you make sure you’re choosing the “right” keywords for your business? Here are 3 tips to keep in mind when building that initial list:

1. Focus

It can often be tempting to try and target as many terms as could potentially be relevant to your services or products. But, unless you also have a massive amount of content and unlimited time (and budget), you must resist the urge. While keyword variations are important (see number 3), you don’t want to spread yourself too thin by shooting for so many different terms that you lose your site’s keyword focus. Ask yourself, what is the core “theme” (or “main keyword”) of my business. Every other term you target should be within that theme, and should be naturally limited by your site’s content and your link building and SEO budget.

2. Know your limits.

Why are Super Bowl ads so expensive? Easy, right? Those are coveted spots and companies who can afford to do so will pay top dollar to feature their ad in front of millions of viewers, many of which might be anticipating the ads more than the actual game. If a company is willing to pay millions of dollars for an ad spot, then obviously another advertiser couldn’t expect to come in with $5000 and compete for that spot.

Although you are not “bidding” on organic listings on Google, the more coveted a keyword is, the more you need to “pay to play.” Know who the top players are for the terms you want to target, and what they have done to get there. If you are a small company or brand new site coming on the scene with a limited budget for marketing and link building, you are not going to be able to compete for terms that are dominated by massive sites with established brands and reputations – and budgets to match. Be realistic about how much you have to invest, and how much your competitors are investing, or you’ll be spinning your wheels.

3. Don’t Ignore Long Tail Variations

If you focus all your efforts on a handful of “top searched” terms without incorporating long tail variations into your strategy, you are missing out on valuable potential traffic from these long tail terms. Plus, you are way more likely to achieve rankings with staying power if you include some natural variations of the top terms you are targeting. Optimizing for a keyword theme which includes more specific variations will look natural to the search engines, as well as enable your site to rank for many relevant phrases which you are not specifically tracking. Plus, these long tail terms can often be the most qualified source of leads or sales, and often will indicate a potential client or customer that is further along in the buying cycle.

There are of course many factors that go into any successful SEO strategy, but if you aren’t targeting the right terms for your business, you will be wasting your time and efforts with everything else you do. Unsure whether or not your SEO company has been targeting the right terms? Contact us for a free analysis.

Tags: Keyword Selection, Keyword Tool, search engine optimization, search engine rankings, seo
Posted in SEO Strategies | 2 Comments »

3 Tips for Surviving (and Thriving After) Google’s Algorithm Changes

Friday, May 28th, 2010

If your site is among the many that saw a major upset in your rankings with Google’s May Day update, you are no doubt wondering “what can I do?” While fluctuations on the leading search engine are normal, and to a certain extent par for the course, there certainly are ways of structuring your SEO (search engine optimization) strategy so that you not only survive these major algorithm changes, but thrive as your competitors slip away:

1. Vary your approach.

Are you relying on one type of link building? Do you focus only on a handful of the top searched keywords but neglect variations or long tail terms? If so, you’re bound to lose ground at some point. The websites that I’ve seen do the best through major algorithm changes have been fully optimized for many variations within a keyword theme, and have built a strong foundation of quality back links from a variety of strong, contextually-relevant sources.

2. Be dynamic. B-E dynamic.

As an SEO company, we are constantly asked things like – can’t we just do one month? When will we be optimized and “done”?? Why can’t we stop once we are ranked #1??

Well, if you lost some ground over the last month and haven’t touched your site in awhile, there’s your answer! If you want search engine rankings that stick around through the search engine changes, your website needs to stay dynamic in its content, and you need to keep building, building, building that web presence.

3. Pay attention!

In the past several years, I’ve seen dozens of major changes to Google’s algorithm. Some have been major, some minor. But almost always, Google’s given some clue prior to the shift of how things will be ranked, or what elements they will be putting more emphasis on.

About 8 months back, for example, we started to see a big shift in local optimization toward domain names that included the location – something that had always helped but now seemed to be the main deciding factor in local ranking between otherwise similarly-optimized sites. So we tested it with some of our own sites, and even had some locally-based clients switch to localized domains. Sure enough, a week later, the SEO world was all a buzz with the new “upset”…and our clients who’d made the switch not only survived the algorithm change, but jumped to the top for new local terms.

So pay attention! If you see your site drop, and others replace you, try to see the trend –it might be a sign that Google is moving toward a different way of ranking. Want an expert opinion on how your site will fare long term? Just shoot us an email!

Tags: Google algorithm change, Google rankings, link building, search engine optimization, search engine rankings, seo
Posted in SEO Strategies | 2 Comments »