Yesterday was 'Cyber Monday', the day that everyone gets into buying online for Christmas in a Serious Way. According to Visa, the reason is that it's near Christmas, everyone has been paid (it being the end of the month) and perhaps more importantly, people have had the weekend to do their final research on the high street.
The latter is a key point, the whole ‘buying process’ said to be carried out in 3 phrases. First people do some research online to narrow down the potentials, then in 2 they go to the high street to view the items they are interested in, in the flesh. The third and most important part (for the seller) is the actual purchase, which is carried out online.
Take for example buying a digital camera. There are many models to choose from all very similar but with subtle differences, these of course making all the difference to people. For some it will be weight, for others the size or brightness of the viewing screen. Whatever, these things cannot be checked online, so a visit to a shop is a must.
If the above scenario is truly the case (and I have done this myself) then the high street shop does indeed have a place in the buying cycle, but not the one that the shop owners would have wanted I'm sure.
The real importance of the above is of course that once the model (or models) have been selected by the would be purchaser is what their next step is. The Cyber Monday predictors say this is to search online to find the best deals, which as you can imagine has major implications to what a site needs to be optimised for and thus found for on the Engines.
Things are a lot different at different parts of the buying cycle. At the start when people are looking for a camera, you’ll want to get found for generic terms like 'digital cameras' or 'canon digital cameras', but at the end, you will want to be found for 'Powershot 610' or 'Panasonic 57F' or whatever other model numbers are out there.
On one hand, it may look easier to get listed for such a definite term, but here you have to remember that many sites do not optimise their actual product pages very well at all, relying on the more generic terms to get traffic. This may well be a mistake, as even though they may succeed at getting traffic the start of the buying cycle, there is no guarantee that the visitor who finds them then will have any loyalty and come back to buy later.
Thus to be sure to get those sales, you have to optimise a site to get traffic for general terms and for specifics too. This brings its own problems as many sites rely on XML feeds from manufacturers sites to provide the descriptions of the products they sell. As this means that the words on their pages are the same as on other sites (because they all use the same feeds), they can easily get ignored by Google (who don't like duplicate content) and thus lose that all important listing for a specific model name.
Other sites don't have a problem with duplicate content, their problem being that the pages simply don't SHOUT the product number / name. The terms / words not being placed in the page Title or in any header tags, as is required.
So, if you want to be found on the Engines at the end of the buying cycle, do make sure that your site is optimised for those all important model names / numbers. Fail to do this and you could easily miss out on lots of business.
Tuesday, 30 November 2010
Monday, 29 November 2010
Content Management Systems and SEO
I know this is a bit of a hobby horse of mine, but I do get very frustrated by many CMS systems, at least when it comes to the carrying out Search Engine Optimisation for a site. There are many reasons for this, sometimes just a few things are 'wrong' in other cases the list is pretty endless.
The reason for these shortcomings is of course easy to explain, in that the CMS has been built so that it is easy to use and often also to a budget. Some open source CMS systems like Joomla have the advantage of lots of 'plug ins' / extensions that allow an optimiser to add the facilities that they need, but others do not and this leads to serious reductions in the number of SEO methodologies that can be used.
What is needed here is for the person commissioning the website to fully aware of his needs, i.e. is SEO an issue or is it just a brochure site. Here the website developer needs to ask some questions and to point out what they are going to do SEO wise and what the CMS that they are providing can and can't do. If they have any doubt, the should, at least in my view either not sell to that customer or to use a CMS that will 'fit the bill' so to speak.
It must be said that many CMS systems do have work arounds for most SEO issues, but none are as flexible as bespoke systems. Just a few issues that many CMS systems have:-
The reason for these shortcomings is of course easy to explain, in that the CMS has been built so that it is easy to use and often also to a budget. Some open source CMS systems like Joomla have the advantage of lots of 'plug ins' / extensions that allow an optimiser to add the facilities that they need, but others do not and this leads to serious reductions in the number of SEO methodologies that can be used.
What is needed here is for the person commissioning the website to fully aware of his needs, i.e. is SEO an issue or is it just a brochure site. Here the website developer needs to ask some questions and to point out what they are going to do SEO wise and what the CMS that they are providing can and can't do. If they have any doubt, the should, at least in my view either not sell to that customer or to use a CMS that will 'fit the bill' so to speak.
It must be said that many CMS systems do have work arounds for most SEO issues, but none are as flexible as bespoke systems. Just a few issues that many CMS systems have:-
- The Web page 'on page title' or the Meta Title are associated with the Menu so you can change these important items without ruining the Menu
- The Menu does not allow the full use of the No Follow tag (used for Page Rank Sculpting)
- Only parts of a page are accessible via the CMS
- You cannot add extra javascript commands
- You cannot alter the CSS
These are as I say just 5, there are many more.
So if you are about to purchase a new site using a CMS, please ask an expert on SEO to check that it will 'do the business' BEFORE you sign up for the deal.
More Tomorrow
Friday, 26 November 2010
Google to Show Twitter Ads in the UK
As everyone following the fortunes of Twitter knows, Google have been showing relevant Tweets in its results lists for sometime now. They are not always there, but even so, their inclusion started a bit of flurry with the big Brands. Why, simply because they were worried that some 'bad tweets' (at least bad for them) might, just might show up and thus put people off clicking through to their site, or as bad, damage the brand.
It was good for Twitter though and this and the belief that Google 'takes Tweets into consideration' in its ranking algoritim has been enough to keep the interest of people who are just Tweeting with marketing / business in mind.
However, one question that must have crossed many minds is 'Just how Twitter making any money?' The answer, is that they do allow advertising, sponsored Tweets now being seen in the Twittersphere. This form of advertising was given a boost in the USA when Google started putting these 'Promoted Tweet' adverts in its search results. It is the first time that Google have ever done anything like this, so is quite a breakthrough (and Google are open to ideas about others too it seems).
The benefits for both are clear, more revenue (they are splitting the cake on this one) and with it's introdction into the UK market place planned for 2011, it will provide another means for advertisers to get into Google, perhaps in a way that will be better even than PPC ads (which are starting to become a victim of 'banner blindness' it seems) as they will be in the body of the Organic results.
So watch out for Twitter Promoted Tweets on a Google Search Screen in 2011
It was good for Twitter though and this and the belief that Google 'takes Tweets into consideration' in its ranking algoritim has been enough to keep the interest of people who are just Tweeting with marketing / business in mind.
However, one question that must have crossed many minds is 'Just how Twitter making any money?' The answer, is that they do allow advertising, sponsored Tweets now being seen in the Twittersphere. This form of advertising was given a boost in the USA when Google started putting these 'Promoted Tweet' adverts in its search results. It is the first time that Google have ever done anything like this, so is quite a breakthrough (and Google are open to ideas about others too it seems).
The benefits for both are clear, more revenue (they are splitting the cake on this one) and with it's introdction into the UK market place planned for 2011, it will provide another means for advertisers to get into Google, perhaps in a way that will be better even than PPC ads (which are starting to become a victim of 'banner blindness' it seems) as they will be in the body of the Organic results.
So watch out for Twitter Promoted Tweets on a Google Search Screen in 2011
Thursday, 25 November 2010
Facebook Search & Social Media Marketing
The area of Social Media Marketing is one that is not fully understood by anyone, at least that is my view, everyone is still learning and wondering just how to make use of the medium. Sure some have got quite a good handle on it, but to be sure none know it all.
Twitter and Facebook
The two big names are of course Twitter and Facebook. My take is that these are two are very difficult animals, Twitter being more B2B focused than Facebook and easier to use too. Both take a hell of a lot of time IF you want to use them to full effect, something that few businesses are doing these days.
To Broadcast or To Have a Conversation?
Most business use Twitter as a ‘soap box’ from which they can broadcast messages about their products, whilst also keeping a ear to the ground, all the time checking if their brand is being mentioned. Where such comments are negative they quickly move to stop any rot, and where they are positive they’ll be sure to thank the Tweeter, all in the name of brand protection.
Of course the correct way of using Twitter is to engage with Twitterers and have a conversation. However, this is not as easy as it sounds and is very labour intensive – believe me on that one...
Facebook a Complex Beast
As for Facebook, this is a much more complex beast (and not one that I have a total handle on yet) and one that will in my view take even more time to use correctly than Twitter. Both have search facilities, and it is the latter that is causing ripples, at least for Facebook.
Facebook Search - A Lot Different From Google
The issue that is causing the big brands to scratch their heads is the way that the Facebook Search Engine works. Businesses using Facebook will of course want to be found for words associated with their brand, but unlike traditional Search Engines, getting listed in the top 8 (you have to be there or you can forget it) is not simply about the keyword density or the way a Facebook entity is created. With Facebook, it is all about ‘Friends’.
Brands therefore have to make sure that they have Friends who use the keyword they want to be found for in their name or on their walls. The places that their friends go is also taken into account, as is the number of fans and likes. All very complicated in my view and it will take some more digging before all is fully understood. One thing for certain is that because of the way that the Search Engine works is that if you are not in the first 8 then you can’t be clicked on and that means you can’t get a Like or a Friend to vote for you. Worse still while you are failing to get those all important votes your competitors (in the top 8) will be strengthening their position. If this is truly the case, it means that once you fall out of the top 8 you may never get back in.
Twitter and Facebook
The two big names are of course Twitter and Facebook. My take is that these are two are very difficult animals, Twitter being more B2B focused than Facebook and easier to use too. Both take a hell of a lot of time IF you want to use them to full effect, something that few businesses are doing these days.
To Broadcast or To Have a Conversation?
Most business use Twitter as a ‘soap box’ from which they can broadcast messages about their products, whilst also keeping a ear to the ground, all the time checking if their brand is being mentioned. Where such comments are negative they quickly move to stop any rot, and where they are positive they’ll be sure to thank the Tweeter, all in the name of brand protection.
Of course the correct way of using Twitter is to engage with Twitterers and have a conversation. However, this is not as easy as it sounds and is very labour intensive – believe me on that one...
Facebook a Complex Beast
As for Facebook, this is a much more complex beast (and not one that I have a total handle on yet) and one that will in my view take even more time to use correctly than Twitter. Both have search facilities, and it is the latter that is causing ripples, at least for Facebook.
Facebook Search - A Lot Different From Google
The issue that is causing the big brands to scratch their heads is the way that the Facebook Search Engine works. Businesses using Facebook will of course want to be found for words associated with their brand, but unlike traditional Search Engines, getting listed in the top 8 (you have to be there or you can forget it) is not simply about the keyword density or the way a Facebook entity is created. With Facebook, it is all about ‘Friends’.
Brands therefore have to make sure that they have Friends who use the keyword they want to be found for in their name or on their walls. The places that their friends go is also taken into account, as is the number of fans and likes. All very complicated in my view and it will take some more digging before all is fully understood. One thing for certain is that because of the way that the Search Engine works is that if you are not in the first 8 then you can’t be clicked on and that means you can’t get a Like or a Friend to vote for you. Worse still while you are failing to get those all important votes your competitors (in the top 8) will be strengthening their position. If this is truly the case, it means that once you fall out of the top 8 you may never get back in.
Wednesday, 24 November 2010
Google - Video Ads & The Mobile Phone
The Search Market place never stops moving, Google releasing news on videos and Pay Per Click, as well as telling all of the coming importance of the Mobile Phone.We’ll cover the video bit first.
New PPC Tools
PPC has been around for sometime of course, but it never stops changing. One reason for this is that PPC is not working as well as it used to, the phenomenon of Banner Blindness (where browsers simply do not see banner adverts) is it seems starting to affect users behaviour on Google, the click through rate dropping quite substantially over recent time. By the way, this has been hidden to most as even though the CTR has dropped, the number of searchers continues to be so high that no one has really noticed the effect. Although saying that, it must be said that many of the big names are realizing the power of the organic listings and are putting more effort into getting / retaining listings. As you can see nothing is straightforward when it comes to the Web...
Video Adverts
So to the adverts , Google it seems is about to start allowing UK Brands to include videos in their Adword Ads. These ‘video extensions’ are being promoted by Google as a way of combining the benefits of brand advertising with search. The videos will play underneath the normal PPC advert allowing users to click through to a site. Every 10 seconds of video will cost the same as the click.
Then Mobile Phone - More Important Than Desktop PC's by 2014?
As for the mobile phone, well we all knew it was important, but did you know that by 2014 the pundits reckon that more people will connect to the Internet (and presumably spend more time on line) via mobile phones than desktop PC’s. It is therefore not a surprise to know that Google is spending a lot of time and money on sorting out its mobile advertising platform. See www.google.co.uk/watchthisspace for info.
New PPC Tools
PPC has been around for sometime of course, but it never stops changing. One reason for this is that PPC is not working as well as it used to, the phenomenon of Banner Blindness (where browsers simply do not see banner adverts) is it seems starting to affect users behaviour on Google, the click through rate dropping quite substantially over recent time. By the way, this has been hidden to most as even though the CTR has dropped, the number of searchers continues to be so high that no one has really noticed the effect. Although saying that, it must be said that many of the big names are realizing the power of the organic listings and are putting more effort into getting / retaining listings. As you can see nothing is straightforward when it comes to the Web...
Video Adverts
So to the adverts , Google it seems is about to start allowing UK Brands to include videos in their Adword Ads. These ‘video extensions’ are being promoted by Google as a way of combining the benefits of brand advertising with search. The videos will play underneath the normal PPC advert allowing users to click through to a site. Every 10 seconds of video will cost the same as the click.
Then Mobile Phone - More Important Than Desktop PC's by 2014?
As for the mobile phone, well we all knew it was important, but did you know that by 2014 the pundits reckon that more people will connect to the Internet (and presumably spend more time on line) via mobile phones than desktop PC’s. It is therefore not a surprise to know that Google is spending a lot of time and money on sorting out its mobile advertising platform. See www.google.co.uk/watchthisspace for info.
Tuesday, 23 November 2010
The Third Area of SEO
Search Engine Optimisation has traditionally been about two things, On Page optimisation and Off Page optimisation. The first dealt with the words on the pages and how they ‘talked’ to the Search Engines, whilst the second was all about the links to a site.According to some there is now a third area, at least as far as Google is concerned.
Activity - The Third SEO Area
This latest area concerns the issue of ‘activity’. This activity itself covers two areas, that of activity in the matter of visits to a site and the activity on a site, that is the level of changes happening on that site.
Don't Let Your Site Go Stagnant
To be fair, the latter point has been one of the rules Google have been using for some time as they have never like stagnant sites that never seem to change. However, it is said that all of this area of activity now has a greater impact on the rankings for a site, so it is a matter that cannot be ignored.
At SOM we have been taking the whole matter very seriously for some months now, using both on page (e.g. the addition of news pages to sites) and off page techniques (e.g using Twitter to generate visits, all the time ensuring that Google are aware of the visits by using the Google URL shortening tool).
Links Are Still Important
It must be said that these methodologies look to be working very well, so if you are serious about getting (and keeping) your Google rankings I would give serious consideration to the matter of generating measurable activity for / on your site.That is not to say that you can afford to take your eye off the other two areas, this particularly being the case with links. Here you must ensure that your site has links from a wide variety of site types, IP address and that these links are pointed at pages other than the home page, these being called ‘deep links’ (aim for a deep link ratio of 50% – 80%).
Make Your Anchor Text Count
There is another issue with links too, this being all to do with the so called anchor text (the bit you click on). Make sure that the words here say what your site is all about and uses the keywords you want to be listed for, this really makes a difference.
So go and check your on page and off page optimisation, but please too, also consider this new area of activity.
Activity - The Third SEO Area
This latest area concerns the issue of ‘activity’. This activity itself covers two areas, that of activity in the matter of visits to a site and the activity on a site, that is the level of changes happening on that site.
Don't Let Your Site Go Stagnant
To be fair, the latter point has been one of the rules Google have been using for some time as they have never like stagnant sites that never seem to change. However, it is said that all of this area of activity now has a greater impact on the rankings for a site, so it is a matter that cannot be ignored.
At SOM we have been taking the whole matter very seriously for some months now, using both on page (e.g. the addition of news pages to sites) and off page techniques (e.g using Twitter to generate visits, all the time ensuring that Google are aware of the visits by using the Google URL shortening tool).
Links Are Still Important
It must be said that these methodologies look to be working very well, so if you are serious about getting (and keeping) your Google rankings I would give serious consideration to the matter of generating measurable activity for / on your site.That is not to say that you can afford to take your eye off the other two areas, this particularly being the case with links. Here you must ensure that your site has links from a wide variety of site types, IP address and that these links are pointed at pages other than the home page, these being called ‘deep links’ (aim for a deep link ratio of 50% – 80%).
Make Your Anchor Text Count
There is another issue with links too, this being all to do with the so called anchor text (the bit you click on). Make sure that the words here say what your site is all about and uses the keywords you want to be listed for, this really makes a difference.
So go and check your on page and off page optimisation, but please too, also consider this new area of activity.
Monday, 22 November 2010
SEO and Customer Expectations
I’ve been in the Search Engine Marketing business for over 10 years now and of the many issues I have come across perhaps the most important is that of managing customer’s expectations. Why is this so important? Well in my view it is because many people don’t really understand what SEO is all about, often thinking that all you have to do to get a good listing is to build a website, sit back and wait. Others though are more aware of all the issues, but whichever group they fit into, both want the traffic that getting a good ranking for the right keywords will bring and want it asap.
Guaranted Rankings?
Some want to know if you will guarantee getting them rankings. This is really a double edged question, as some customers will walk away if you do offer some them, whilst others will walk away if you don’t. Answering the question is however very easy for us, as we simply won’t offer guarantees, this for the simple reason (in our view) that you can’t. We say this as we cannot know how the competition are going to react, what changes the Engines are going to make and to some degree what ‘hidden’ factors are in play for that particular customer.
Examing the site
Our first job is therefore to explain why a customer’s site does not have the rankings that a competitor enjoys. In 99% of cases the reason is pretty easy to spot, it being down to a lack of links and / or poor On Page optimisation. In a few cases the issues are more difficult to deduce, but thankfully these are few and far between. We then go on to show how we will remedy the situation, detailing a project plan covering the next 3 to 6 months. This plan will cover getting links from a whole range of sources, changing the pages to make sure they are ‘talking’ in the way that the Engines understand, and, with Google, ensuring that there is enough activity being registered (i.e. visits to the site).
Our well trodden path
For one of our recent customers we followed our normal path of not guaranteeing results, just the normal promise of hard work and the application of our extensive knowledge in the area of SEO. This customer, Shire and Co, was it happens among the group that would be suspicious of anyone promising results, but they still wanted results, and wanted them quickly...We therefore started our normal SEO programme with a set of Directory listings (not submitting to the Engines though, we always like them to find the site via the links we build), this being a great way to kick start the linking programme. We also started building links via blogs, articles and social media, all again a part of our proven plan.
Making the on page changes
Time then came to start on the pages of the site, to make sure that they were SHOUTING the keywords Shire wanted rankings for (these of course being selected from the extensive number located during the keyword research phase). This is where the fun really began as the site had been built using Joomla. Joomla is a Content Management System (CMS) and is widely used in websites around the globe. However, it’s flexibility can lead to ‘unusual’ set ups and this was the case here (at least as far as our Joomla experts were concerned). Nevertheless, after we had taken stock of the build, we installed the iJoomla SEO component and set about allocating and weaving in, the target keywords to the most appropriate pages on the site, adding a number of new ones to cover areas that the site initially did not.
Amazing results
What happened next was amazing. As normal, we had advised the client that it could take between three and six months before real gains were made. But here, in just the second month, the site had got page 1 rankings on Google for a main (highly competitive) keyword and then a week later, the number 1 slot for ‘company lawyers’. Both I and the customer were to use the vernacular ‘gobsmacked’, and I was quick to warn that the rankings might slip (this often happens to new sites which have yet to build a firm enough base) but to date this has not happened, quite the reverse in fact, the rankings continuing to rise across the board.
Not the first time - but unusual
This is not to be fair the first time this has happened to one of our customers (and I’m sure to other SEO companies could same the thing too), the same thing taking place to others as different as a boat trailer supplier and a business intelligence consultancy. However, it is not usual and cannot be counted upon so we will continue to advise our clients that SEO is a long haul commitment for most at least.
I f you would like to keep track of the progress for Shire and Co, please see our website as we will be featuring this site as a continuing case study.
Guaranted Rankings?
Some want to know if you will guarantee getting them rankings. This is really a double edged question, as some customers will walk away if you do offer some them, whilst others will walk away if you don’t. Answering the question is however very easy for us, as we simply won’t offer guarantees, this for the simple reason (in our view) that you can’t. We say this as we cannot know how the competition are going to react, what changes the Engines are going to make and to some degree what ‘hidden’ factors are in play for that particular customer.
Examing the site
Our first job is therefore to explain why a customer’s site does not have the rankings that a competitor enjoys. In 99% of cases the reason is pretty easy to spot, it being down to a lack of links and / or poor On Page optimisation. In a few cases the issues are more difficult to deduce, but thankfully these are few and far between. We then go on to show how we will remedy the situation, detailing a project plan covering the next 3 to 6 months. This plan will cover getting links from a whole range of sources, changing the pages to make sure they are ‘talking’ in the way that the Engines understand, and, with Google, ensuring that there is enough activity being registered (i.e. visits to the site).
Our well trodden path
For one of our recent customers we followed our normal path of not guaranteeing results, just the normal promise of hard work and the application of our extensive knowledge in the area of SEO. This customer, Shire and Co, was it happens among the group that would be suspicious of anyone promising results, but they still wanted results, and wanted them quickly...We therefore started our normal SEO programme with a set of Directory listings (not submitting to the Engines though, we always like them to find the site via the links we build), this being a great way to kick start the linking programme. We also started building links via blogs, articles and social media, all again a part of our proven plan.
Making the on page changes
Time then came to start on the pages of the site, to make sure that they were SHOUTING the keywords Shire wanted rankings for (these of course being selected from the extensive number located during the keyword research phase). This is where the fun really began as the site had been built using Joomla. Joomla is a Content Management System (CMS) and is widely used in websites around the globe. However, it’s flexibility can lead to ‘unusual’ set ups and this was the case here (at least as far as our Joomla experts were concerned). Nevertheless, after we had taken stock of the build, we installed the iJoomla SEO component and set about allocating and weaving in, the target keywords to the most appropriate pages on the site, adding a number of new ones to cover areas that the site initially did not.
Amazing results
What happened next was amazing. As normal, we had advised the client that it could take between three and six months before real gains were made. But here, in just the second month, the site had got page 1 rankings on Google for a main (highly competitive) keyword and then a week later, the number 1 slot for ‘company lawyers’. Both I and the customer were to use the vernacular ‘gobsmacked’, and I was quick to warn that the rankings might slip (this often happens to new sites which have yet to build a firm enough base) but to date this has not happened, quite the reverse in fact, the rankings continuing to rise across the board.
Not the first time - but unusual
This is not to be fair the first time this has happened to one of our customers (and I’m sure to other SEO companies could same the thing too), the same thing taking place to others as different as a boat trailer supplier and a business intelligence consultancy. However, it is not usual and cannot be counted upon so we will continue to advise our clients that SEO is a long haul commitment for most at least.
I f you would like to keep track of the progress for Shire and Co, please see our website as we will be featuring this site as a continuing case study.
Friday, 19 November 2010
Content is King, But is CMS a King Killer?
Everyone understands that ‘Content is King’ on the web today. All the talk is about how the Engines only want to rate web sites which contain interesting information and this of course means in part at least the ‘words on the pages’. This information should also be seen to be changing on a regular basis.
A Vote for the CMS Then?
This would seem to be a vote for making it easy for website owners to add and amend their own content. This has of course been made easier by the huge growth in content management systems, these being available even on the cheapest of website hosting packages. Some of course are better than others and some are easier to use, however, there are real issues when it comes to the area of Search Engine Optimisation.
SEO Issues - Speed of Loading
There may be many more than the two I am going to cover below, but these are the two most important in my view. The first concerns the structure of the site itself, the way in which the pages are put together in HTML terms. Not all Content Management Systems (CMS) are bad of course, but if the pages load slowly because they have to make lots of ‘calls’ to the Web Server to ‘collect’ parts of the page itself, like css scripts, or files containing javascript code then the page will load slowly. This could well cause the site to be ‘downgraded’ by Google (this engine penalises web sites which loads slowly as it believes that they lessen the experience of web users) and that in turn can affect its chances of getting a good ranking.
Keyword Density
However, the biggest issue is that the web site owners can make any change they want to their sites text. Whilst this sounds like a good idea, making such changes can play havoc with a carefully optimised site. Areas like keyword density can be thrown out of the desired range (2% to 4%), whilst the all important heading text can be changed so much that the pages of the site no longer SHOUT the words they need to. If this happens, a page that had been enjoying a good ranking before it was changed by the owner could well drop down the rankings and even off them. If rankings are important (not all site owners are bothered) then you can see that allowing users the ability to change their own content might not be as good an idea as it first seems.
Headers SHOUT Keywords - Do you really want to Confuse the Listening Engines?
Problems are made even worse when the CMS has been set up to allow users to add headings whenever they want. Often these headings have been set up to use one of the old fashioned ‘header tags’ H1, H2 etc, which means that often the unknowing user ends up with a page full of header tags (which just ends up confusing things). Things can get even crazier when these headings end up in the wrong order, H1’s after H2’s and H3’s instead of before them, as this really makes thing messy!
The CMS & SEO Solution
Of course there is a way around the problem, first the CMS needs to be built in the right way, that is to minimise complexity and thus page load times. Secondly and more importantly the website owner needs to be made fully aware of how to use the CMS in the first place. This will allow them to make the changes they need whilst maintaining the ‘Optimisation’ of the pages.
So all you Web Designer chaps and lasses out there, please have a think about how you can help your customers, they'll love you for it in the end...
Back on the SEM SMO Road Again
Well it's been a long time since the last post on this blog. It happened for lots or reasons, the holiday season, we got busier, plus of course our business went Limited (we are in the UK). The sad fact is that a huge percentage of Blogs do go quiet, up to 80% some say, but whatever, for a while at least we were just one more statistic...
Now however we are back, with a new writer being assigned to the job of keeping this blog active. We have many reasons for doing this, not the least that it will soon become a part of our new link building programme - watch this exciting space!!
The plan is to post at least one blog a day on SEM, SMO topics as well as many more via our new 'Engine' as mentioned above.
We are going to start the ball rolling with a Blog on Content Management Systems and how they can be dangerous SEO wise..
Read on MacDuff (apologies to all Shakespeare fans for that)....
Graham
Now however we are back, with a new writer being assigned to the job of keeping this blog active. We have many reasons for doing this, not the least that it will soon become a part of our new link building programme - watch this exciting space!!
The plan is to post at least one blog a day on SEM, SMO topics as well as many more via our new 'Engine' as mentioned above.
We are going to start the ball rolling with a Blog on Content Management Systems and how they can be dangerous SEO wise..
Read on MacDuff (apologies to all Shakespeare fans for that)....
Graham
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