Making simple changes to a website to improve search engine rankings and drive traffic is not as complicated as it sounds. This article details the factors that can be simply manipulated yet produce big improvements if implemented correctly. They are worth bookmarking or printing so they can be used in the future as a checklist when creating new pages or reviewing your website.
1) Keyphrase Research - Before you can begin implementing any of the optimization techniques mentioned in the rest of this article, you will need to know which keyphrases you are going to optimize your site for. Once this is decided, everything becomes a lot clearer.
You should be able to get a rough idea of target keyphrases from the content on the pages within your site. At the end of the day, if there's not any content at which to target optimisation, achieving good search engine rankings will be very difficult and ultimately pointless! Visitors will leave immediately if they are not provided with the content they are searching for.
A frequent mistake is to target the keyphrases that drive the largest search volumes. It's important to target keyphrases that directly relate to your websites content, and the more defined the keyphrases are the better. Using keyphrases that may drive 120 high convertible visitors to your site each month is likely to be much better than targeting a highly competitive broad keyphrase that is only vaguely related to your business, even if it does attract 30,000 searches each month.
2) Page Titles - This is one of the key on-page elements that can be optimized. Each title should be different, and full of keyphrases related to the content of its page. Search engines often only display the first 65 or so characters of the page title, so it's important to get the most important keyphrases at the beginning of the page title. Also, the characters near the front of the page title are given more significance in algorithms.
The page title is displayed in the search engine results, so must make sense and encourage browsers to action the link. Finding a balance between readability and keyphrases density is a challenge but something that will improve with time and practise.
3) Meta Description - The meta description is not actually included in search engine algorithms, although as it is displayed in search engine results pages, it is vital it is optimised. Like page titles, the meta description should be specific to every page and contain text that is relevant to the keyphrases that page is aimed at.
The meta description is limited to around 160 characters, so it can often be challenging to fit all the required info into such a small space. However, if no meta description is entered, search engines tend to grab a random chunk of text from the page, regardless if it makes sense or is useful to the searcher. You can avoid this from happening, by ensuring every page has a meta description of some variety.
4) Page Content - Page content is viewed as the best method of attracting visitors and incoming links to a website, so it's important that it is given sufficient time and resource. Search engines thrive on content, so the more content on your site the better for search engine rankings. Content is less important now in search engine algorithms than it has been however, I suggest ensuring every keyphrase that is being targeted is mentioned about every 100 words or so. Beware - don't fall into the trap of keyphrase stuffing! Search engines employ advanced techniques to track this and will more than likely pick up on it immediately and you could end up with a blacklisted site that is impossible to rank.
About the author
Tim Jones is a SEO specialist working for Hertfordshire Search Engine Optimisation agency Distinctly Digital. Distinctly Digital specialise in Search Engine Optimisation. You have full permission to reprint this article provided this box is kept unchanged.
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Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Getting Started With Permission Based E-mail Marketing
The thing to understand is that every type of content you create can vary significantly in way it is written. General Web page copy can vary significantly from sales copy. Sales copy differs significantly from working with press releases or news feeds. In our live SEO Workshops, we go to great detail as a workshop to teach each of these facets of writing to individual students. We even offer options for how you can work with content, even if you don't feel like you can write anything at all. 
But once again copywriting for e-mail communications differs from everything else.
About Permission Based E-mail Marketing Vs. Bulk E-mail Marketing:
What is the difference between permission Based e-mail marketing versus bulk e-mail marketing?
Permission based is a way to build yourself a genuine list of responsive readers the proper way and bulk e-mailing or unsolicited e-mail is just Spam. Regardless of what type of sales pitches you read trying to convince you that purchasing ready made e-mail lists or so called safe e-mail addresses, don't do it. Don't fall for it.
In theory, good e-mail marketing is exactly as described by the term "permission based." You are asking people for their permission to communicate with them as your first essential step. The most powerful use of permission based e-mail marketing is to build your readership "based on a relationship." By letting your e-mail speak in your voice and personality, it helps people to get to know who you are.
What are the Benefits of E-mail Marketing:
Permission based e-mail marketing has a great number of benefits and you need to consider these if you a have a business Web site. Remember that the ultimate use of the Web is to build relationships with your customers and stay connected with them. Don't put off investigating this opportunity, because it greatly increases your odds of doing repeat business as well as several other things.
- What is your bounce rate? When people land on your home page, you only have seconds to take advantage of their presence. By offering the opportunity to sign up to your news letter or e-mail publication, it means you may have the opportunity to bring them back over and over again.
- Create useful newsletter publications that your readers will appreciate.
- Keep your audience up to date on the important changes to your industry.
- Create a series of timed auto-responses to deliver important information extremely effectively.
- Offer readers a series of tips or an advice column.
- Some services like Aweber has the ability to allow you to automatically turn your RSS feed into a blog newsletter that you can send to readers daily, weekly, monthly or whenever.
- Analytics allow you to see which of your communications are grabbing visitors' attention?
What's the best time to send your email newsletter?
Will the short version of your next campaign drive more sales than the long version?
Your ultimate goal is to build a list of readers who appreciate the advice our counsel that you have to offer.
General Tips Getting Started With Permission Based E-mail:
- One of the first things to do, is identify the purpose of your mailing. Will it be a newsletter or a special report, or perhaps a series of tips? Whatever your purpose is, it needs a defined purpose so that you can build the element of familiarity with your communication. Make sure it always comes out from the same person with the same voice.
- Use a good sequential auto responder like Aweber that has the ability to deliver your message sequentially so that you can create a nice series of communications to be released to each new reader.
- When I say to practice writing "for voice," I am using a term that broadcasters use. In other words, write the way you talk very naturally (rather traditional copywriting.) Your e-mail communication needs to project your own natural personality. Try and think of it as emphasis on communicating "naturally." So many times when people sit down to write something, they lose that ability to communicate naturally. Probably because most of us were brought up in school to worry more about subjects and predicates and verbs and grammar, instead of how to write for the purpose of communicating.
You can zoom up on your readers with Aweber Mapping
Aweber allows you to visually examine various subscriber lists by geographic region and many other ways
- Learn to use your unsubscribe rate as a barometer. People will always unsubscribe just as new readers will be coming in at all times. But if a specific mailing produces a huge unsubscribe number, you may want to look at the message and see if there was a reason for it. Were you being too pushy with sales? Is there any way that particular communication might be improved. Remember to try and stick to the purpose you started with.
- Remember that some systems allow for being able to mail to portions of your list. There can be some advantages to e-mailing based on certain criteria. For example there may be times you want to e-mail just to your readers in a specific geographic location. Maybe you want to extend a special offer just to subscribers who have purchased from you previously. Or perhaps you want to offer a special promotion to your long term subscribers who have been reading your subscription over a period of years.
- When you do see people unsubscribe, it is not always a negative thing. If they were not finding any value in your communications, it is unlikely that they would be doing business with you. Let them go and it's all good.
- Don't underestimate the power of shorter broadcast messages. If you keep to your original purpose then you won't see to many people unsubscribe. Your readers will actually look forward to your publications.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Is Your Landing Page Relevant?
By: William Flaiz, Search Engine Watch,
Last time, I asked, "Are Rankings Still Relevant?" This week, I pose a more personal question: Is your landing page relevant?
With Google collecting the data it needs to develop searcher personas, the search experience is becoming far more personalized. Web sites must rise to the occasion and create landing pages that appear for keywords while enhancing the search experience. Let's dive right into what you need to know to give your landing page a fighting chance with search spiders and human audiences.
Web Sites Shouldn't be Bouncy
Do you know the bounce rate of your Web site as a whole? How about the bounce rate of the landing page you drive searchers to? A quick indicator of irrelevant content is a whole bunch of users hitting your Web site and leaving without clicking a thing.
According to Google Analytics, bounce rate refers to "the percentage of single-page visits or visits in which the person left your site from the entrance (landing) page." What does it say about your page if a searcher doesn't stick around long enough to read your content?
High bounce rate doesn't just indicate content problems related to user relevancy. It may tell Google that the page isn't relevant to your target search phrase and, therefore, it shouldn't rank highly.
User relevancy issues can quickly become search engine issues, compounding the problem and making it harder to regain visibility. Make sure your content is relevant to your target keyword, encourages spidering, and (most importantly) engages the reader.
Make a Lasting First Impression
Your landing page is the first impression by which search engines and users alike will judge your site. And when a searcher first lands on your Web site, you have but mere seconds to establish credibility.
We all do it. We judge a site immediately by its design and decide whether we believe it will contain credible information. With search engines returning so many results, it's easy for users to hit the back button without actually reading the content.
Opinions are formed incredibly fast. If your site can't quickly (and visually) establish its worth, users will move to the next search result.
This is, of course, a balancing act. Many sites choose to establish "visual authority" through Flash design elements. While great for users, Flash still poses a challenge to search spiders as they're still working out the indexing kinks.
When determining a page's associated keywords, search spiders place significant emphasis on written content (body copy, links, alt tags, etc.). Consider Flash remediation or an alternate HTML page version to make things easier for spiders.
Your landing page needs the visual appeal to draw human users in, and the content appeal to have search spiders connect it with your target keywords. First impressions can be tricky, especially in such mixed company.
Construct a Scannable Page
How do you ensure a user will stay long enough to read the copy you've worked so hard to mold and craft? Steal a concept from the paid search playbook!
In paid search, it's been proven that when the search phrase is used in the search ad, the CTR is higher. Why not structure page titles, header tags, or called out content (think bulleted lists) to include the search phrase you're targeting? Let searchers make an immediate connection between what they're looking for and what you're offering.
Including keywords upfront makes a page easier for users to scan and find the information they need. Scannability is key, because people don't like to read long paragraphs online. Limit paragraphs to a few short sentences, break up copy with lists and sub-headers, and opt for the visual explanation over the textual one (remembering, of course, to use an alt tag for such images.
Length and shape of text also send a visual cue to the reader. Headers should be succinct, usually under 55 characters. Sentences are best kept to around 10 words. Paragraphs that take up about four lines are ideal.
Remember to construct your content with the most important information first in the "inverted pyramid" style of news article writing. Put an emphasis on user benefit, and put it up front.
Well-constructed, highly scannable copy is easier for readers to digest, and guess what? It's better for search spiders, too. By using keyword-optimized headers and dicing the content into well-labeled chunks, search spiders can easily identify the main components of a landing page and associate the page with the keywords you're looking to target.
Tools of the Trade
Even if you follow the best practices laid out above, you still need to test and tweak your landing page for optimal performance. Quite a few tools are available to help you with this. Make sure whatever tool you choose provides:
* Click density, which indicates where people click within the page.
* Scrolling analysis, which tells you how far down the page users are scrolling to read content.
* Form friction analysis, which highlights where people are abandoning forms.
There's a wealth of measurable elements, and even an overall page score based on all elements combined. Do your homework and optimize your pages for search engine spiders and searchers.
Exercise Common Sense
A lot of this information may seem obvious. Yet I'm always surprised by how often I click on a search result only to immediately leave for the next listing. Retaining user attention is tough, and our appetite for instant search gratification doesn't help.
If you go through the effort of optimization to rank well in the SERPs, you should also spend time measuring how your pages perform. Remember, it's not just the searcher who judges your site; the search engines themselves observe the relevancy of the page to the SERPs and the searcher. The best way to succeed online is to build with your audience in mind.
Join us for Search Engine Strategies London February 17-20 at the Business Design Centre in Islington. Don't miss the definitive event for U.K. and European marketers, corporate decision makers, webmasters and search marketing specialists!
Last time, I asked, "Are Rankings Still Relevant?" This week, I pose a more personal question: Is your landing page relevant?
With Google collecting the data it needs to develop searcher personas, the search experience is becoming far more personalized. Web sites must rise to the occasion and create landing pages that appear for keywords while enhancing the search experience. Let's dive right into what you need to know to give your landing page a fighting chance with search spiders and human audiences.
Web Sites Shouldn't be Bouncy
Do you know the bounce rate of your Web site as a whole? How about the bounce rate of the landing page you drive searchers to? A quick indicator of irrelevant content is a whole bunch of users hitting your Web site and leaving without clicking a thing.
According to Google Analytics, bounce rate refers to "the percentage of single-page visits or visits in which the person left your site from the entrance (landing) page." What does it say about your page if a searcher doesn't stick around long enough to read your content?
High bounce rate doesn't just indicate content problems related to user relevancy. It may tell Google that the page isn't relevant to your target search phrase and, therefore, it shouldn't rank highly.
User relevancy issues can quickly become search engine issues, compounding the problem and making it harder to regain visibility. Make sure your content is relevant to your target keyword, encourages spidering, and (most importantly) engages the reader.
Make a Lasting First Impression
Your landing page is the first impression by which search engines and users alike will judge your site. And when a searcher first lands on your Web site, you have but mere seconds to establish credibility.
We all do it. We judge a site immediately by its design and decide whether we believe it will contain credible information. With search engines returning so many results, it's easy for users to hit the back button without actually reading the content.
Opinions are formed incredibly fast. If your site can't quickly (and visually) establish its worth, users will move to the next search result.
This is, of course, a balancing act. Many sites choose to establish "visual authority" through Flash design elements. While great for users, Flash still poses a challenge to search spiders as they're still working out the indexing kinks.
When determining a page's associated keywords, search spiders place significant emphasis on written content (body copy, links, alt tags, etc.). Consider Flash remediation or an alternate HTML page version to make things easier for spiders.
Your landing page needs the visual appeal to draw human users in, and the content appeal to have search spiders connect it with your target keywords. First impressions can be tricky, especially in such mixed company.
Construct a Scannable Page
How do you ensure a user will stay long enough to read the copy you've worked so hard to mold and craft? Steal a concept from the paid search playbook!
In paid search, it's been proven that when the search phrase is used in the search ad, the CTR is higher. Why not structure page titles, header tags, or called out content (think bulleted lists) to include the search phrase you're targeting? Let searchers make an immediate connection between what they're looking for and what you're offering.
Including keywords upfront makes a page easier for users to scan and find the information they need. Scannability is key, because people don't like to read long paragraphs online. Limit paragraphs to a few short sentences, break up copy with lists and sub-headers, and opt for the visual explanation over the textual one (remembering, of course, to use an alt tag for such images.
Length and shape of text also send a visual cue to the reader. Headers should be succinct, usually under 55 characters. Sentences are best kept to around 10 words. Paragraphs that take up about four lines are ideal.
Remember to construct your content with the most important information first in the "inverted pyramid" style of news article writing. Put an emphasis on user benefit, and put it up front.
Well-constructed, highly scannable copy is easier for readers to digest, and guess what? It's better for search spiders, too. By using keyword-optimized headers and dicing the content into well-labeled chunks, search spiders can easily identify the main components of a landing page and associate the page with the keywords you're looking to target.
Tools of the Trade
Even if you follow the best practices laid out above, you still need to test and tweak your landing page for optimal performance. Quite a few tools are available to help you with this. Make sure whatever tool you choose provides:
* Click density, which indicates where people click within the page.
* Scrolling analysis, which tells you how far down the page users are scrolling to read content.
* Form friction analysis, which highlights where people are abandoning forms.
There's a wealth of measurable elements, and even an overall page score based on all elements combined. Do your homework and optimize your pages for search engine spiders and searchers.
Exercise Common Sense
A lot of this information may seem obvious. Yet I'm always surprised by how often I click on a search result only to immediately leave for the next listing. Retaining user attention is tough, and our appetite for instant search gratification doesn't help.
If you go through the effort of optimization to rank well in the SERPs, you should also spend time measuring how your pages perform. Remember, it's not just the searcher who judges your site; the search engines themselves observe the relevancy of the page to the SERPs and the searcher. The best way to succeed online is to build with your audience in mind.
Join us for Search Engine Strategies London February 17-20 at the Business Design Centre in Islington. Don't miss the definitive event for U.K. and European marketers, corporate decision makers, webmasters and search marketing specialists!
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