Can you skip SEO fundamentals

After you have been in the SEO industry awhile you learn how to do certain things better and more quickly.  To some this means shortcuts and to others it just means better research methods and fact-finding.  But what if all of our research and experiences lead us to believe that some SEO techniques are unnecessary and can be avoided?  Unfortunately I think that this is the approach of too many so-called SEO firms, a sort of lackadaisical misrepresentation of clients and the ultimate suffering of their client’s rankings.  SEO has become extremely popular and there seems to be webmasters turned SEO’s popping up everywhere.  People should know that they are not the same.  SEO is not solely web programming or social media or on-page optimization. It is a lot of things working together in a soup of what are rankings. You can’t have chicken noodle soup without the chicken.

To take it a step further let’s look at some of the fundamental SEO practices and how they should and shouldn’t be viewed- by SEO and persons seeking an SEO as well.

On-Page Optimization- You could argue that this is the first and most fundamental step in SEO. Optimizing things like title tags, meta descriptions, image descriptions, internal linking, site maps, the speed in which your site works and its inherent navigability are all things that provide for a good foundation.  Just because you have done these things right does not mean you have done a great job of representing your client as so many people I have seen believe.  If I had a nickel for every time I heard “appropriate title tags and you will rank” has been thrown out there I’d be a rich man.  These types of SEO’s take people’s money, lock them into long-term relationships and provide no results and then scratch their head when Panda algorithms bust down their two-day SEO campaign.

Can you skip this step? Hell no. You wouldn’t stand a chance of ranking if you didn’t do this step right but it doesn’t mean you are done.

Off-Page Optimization- These are the processes that occur outside of your website that direct traffic to it or generates a buzz about the business.  It’s true, many SEO companies have a weaker grasp on this facet of optimization than techie at a sorority party.  Forum posting, directory submission, press releases, videos, social media, link-building, RSS feed submission are all things that exist on a real ranking level.  With the push of Google to personalize search even more it would make sense to put some effort into the niche markets where your client exists.  The best thing about this facet is that all these things are generally free.  When is the last time your SEO company wrote a press release for you?

Can you skip this step?  Hell no.  Spread the word, off-page optimization is a great way to direct traffic from sources other than the search engines.  It’s not all about Google, but Google is paying attention to these sources.

Link-Building- Are you kidding me you don’t do link building?! You can’t figure out why you are not ranking?  SEO’s who don’t do link building piss me off more than anything else in the industry.  I’ll be the first to admit it, link building is a huge pain in the rear but it is absolutely necessary.  To simplify, links are third party votes for your site that show that people feel your content is worthy of recognition.  Having links that contain your most powerful keywords in the anchor text are a mandatory part of SEO and one of its most fundamental techniques.  Link building has changed for the better- Google wants good links from relevant websites that occur naturally and don’t look stuffed or artificial.  Doing this is tricky and time-consuming but only requires certain dedication and research to find other industry professionals who are glad to represent you.

Can you skip this step? Hell no. SEO’s who do I should thank you. You will be losing all your clients soon enough and the true professionals will shine.

Social Media- Although everyone now knows the power of social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, not all clients necessarily understand how it can benefit them.  “How is Facebook and Twitter going to get me more clients at my law firm? Social media is for my kids.” Valid point my white collar friends but look at it this way if no other way: the search engines are paying attention to social media sites and that alone should be enough for you to understand its importance.  Besides that, used correctly, and I stress used correctly, social media is like instant public relations on steroids.  Take the example of a major airline carrier’s CEO logging into Twitter only to find that passengers were unpleased with their service.  Instead of letting the fire turn into a PR nightmare, the CEO reached to the Twitter audience and instantly remedied the situation.  Social media can be your barometer of how the public views your products or services.

Can you skip this step? Hell no. Make sure to do it right and produce relevant and beneficial content. Nobody cares what you ate for breakfast Ashton Kutcher.

Conclusion

If this blog post seems a little bit on the heated side, it is.  It is difficult to be in an industry where there are so many “professionals” misrepresenting their clients, other SEOs, and the search industry in general.  I feel compelled to be the whistle blower and let the public know what they are getting into before they get themselves into what can be a very expensive situation.  How do you think baseball players feel when their competitors get busted for steroids? Probably angry that fans may feel like these few bad seeds represent the entire league which is entirely untrue.  Ethical SEOs feel the same way.  We don’t like the other teams selling out seats when they never win games, capiche?  If this blog post saved one person from hiring a firm who they now see doesn’t have a firm grasp on SEO than I have done my job.

Please share your thoughts on the matters or let us know about your horror stories and the lessons you learned from the so-called SEO experts.

Google Scroll Replaces Numbered Results?

As Google has revealed their new test of what is called “infinite scroll” SEOs are mulling over the impact it could have on rankings.  As long as we can remember ranking on the first page has been the be-all end-all but with the new scroll feature that could probably shift some of the click-through-rates beyond the first few rankings.  Here’s how it works:  Much like the search feature that currently exists results are shown with the most relevant websites.  Instead of the option to click to the next results page (Goooooooogle) there lies an option at the bottom of the page that reads “show more results.”  This allows users the opportunity to move quickly beyond the first page as in the Google Image Search features.  See below:

Google Infinite Scroll

As an SEO or website owner this means the possibility of having your website that ranks below the first few results clicked on is most likely going to be increased.  Although statistically most users find the info they need within the first results the possibility of the eye catching more significant meta-descriptions may yield more click-throughs for the results beyond what are typically most popular.  Personally I’d like to see a true scroll implemented into the search features much like Facebook and Twitter.  Having to click “show more results” can be improved, it still causes user’s to take action where a true infinite search feature allows them to sort through results quickly and easily.

Part of the reason Facebook and Twitter are so popular is because they feed off of the fact that users can easily read through their friends/followers feeds.  Implementing this same type of feature would allow Google user’s to be presented with multiple options in a quick and efficient manner, therefore improving search.  The most relevant results would still appear first but it least it allows users to quickly sort through a multitude of information that could yield quality options.  As Google continues to improve search the more options users have the better.  The true testament is how far they are willing to go while affecting their paid advertising income.

What are your thoughts on the potential of a Google infinite search option?  Let us know.

Affordable SEO Solutions for your Business

Welcome to Azimuth Six. I am sure the name and logo leave a lot of questions… as does the enthusiasm surrounding the brand and more importantly the process. We believe in delivering quality and value above all else. We truly do want to empower small business owners to take control of their online presence and cement their sterling reputations. As amazing as that sounds, it doesn’t go very far in talking about what we do.

Azimuth Six provides internet marketing, search engine optimization, social media, lead generation, and the requisite software and apps (software and apps are almost to pre-release) that small business needs to be successful in this culture of powerful websites that deliver excellent services and content to the end user.

We at Azimuth Six can act in multiple capacities for your business. Whether we are consulting and training your existing staff to better serve your site, or taking over the operation, we believe in long term partnerships not quick wins. We are very realistic in our deliverables and strive to bring quality and results to you, our client. Our partnerships with value added vendors rounds out our offering and allows for large discounts not available to business owners.

Feel free to read through our blogs, visit our SEO tutorials section, or drop us a line with any questions that you may have. We love to hear your suggestions and feedback, so keep it coming!

The importance of meta descriptions

In addition to a great title tag, a solid meta description can help you get the clicks to your website that place visitors in front of the quality content that you have worked so hard to present to them.  You will often here about “click-through-rates,” or CTRs, referring to the amount of clicks on your link compared to the amount of times it is shown.  The higher your CTRs the better.  This article will explain some of the best practices to write an effective meta description and increase your CTR.

What Is a Meta Description?

A meta description, also referred to as a snippet, is the sentence or two under a website link provided in the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).  This information should accurately summarize the web result and give the searcher a clear idea of what exactly the page they click on will entail.  In the code of a website it looks like this:

<META NAME=”Description” CONTENT=”informative description here”>

How Does Google View Meta Descriptions?

Because meta descriptions give users a clear idea of the web pages content and provides for the general theme of a destination URL, Google prefers to display meta descriptions that are accurate.  They have also stated that good meta descriptions direct users to results faster and reduces the likelihood that the user will get to a webpage only to learn that it does not contain the information they were seeking.  Google frowns upon forcing long strings of keywords into meta descriptions and mentions that this will result in a lowered likelihood of them being displayed.  So to make Google happy provide them with an accurate description of your URL’s content and don’t keyword stuff.

It should be noted early that writing an awesome, Google pleasing meta description does not effect your ranking within search results.  It can however improve click through, which is an important consideration as you likely have much competition to beat out.

You can learn more about Google’s suggestions by visiting their write-up:

http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/2007/09/improve-snippets-with-meta-description.html

Meta Descriptions Tips to Success

Length- As with title tags, meta descriptions too have limitations as to how much text will be displayed in the SERPs.  Typically this will be limited to 160 characters, so try to keep your meta descriptions within these constraints.

Original Descriptions on Each Page- As each page of your website should contain different content, each meta description should also be unique.  This is due in part because having identical or even similar descriptions on each page isn’t helpful when the results appear in the SERPs.  Google recommends using “site-level descriptions on the main home page or other aggregation pages, and use page-level descriptions everywhere else.”  This means that for your home page or aggregation pages write a description that encompasses as much as possible regarding the whole website and for the individual pages be specific as to what content is contained therein.

Format- How you choose to write your meta descriptions will depend on what you are writing about.  For example, most descriptions are written in sentence structure but don’t have to be this way.  They can also provide structured data that brings all the data contained together.  Here is a sample description written for a shoe.

<meta name=”Description” content=”Shoe: Nike, Model: Men’s JumpMan, Sizes:7-13, Price: $99.99, Color: Grey”>

In this example, information is clear and lets the reader know exactly what they will find on the URL.

When it’s Smart to Not Write Meta Descriptions- In the case of some large websites with thousands of pages it may be impossible to write meta descriptions for each page.  In the case of a huge product aggregation site, it may be wise to let Google scrape the data that it finds relevant and pull its own version of the description.  It is usually recommended that you write your own descriptions however sometimes it pays to allow the search engines to determine your relevancy.

Keyword Usage- Utilizing keywords in your meta descriptions can also help with your click through rates.  We suggest beginning with a keyword and ending with a keyword.  Try not to duplicate the keywords you used in your title tag, instead utilize variations of the words to appeal to more diverse audiences.  Again, do not keyword stuff your descriptions, this will not help your rankings.

Improving Your Click Through Rates

In a recent study on heat mapping (eye tracking research in relation to online search), research showed that the meta description garnered more attention from the searchers than the Title Tag and URL.  This truly shows the importance of writing effective content and appealing to the readers.  Writing an eye-catching or attention grabbing snippet can often be the difference between your link being clicked or that of another.

Title Tags

So you have chosen to embark on a journey to rankings land on a ship called SEO.  Do you know where to start?  A wise man once said “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”  The same applies for SEO and this first step is your title tags.

Title Tags

We have often seen responsibly designed websites coupled with appropriate title tags rank within the first page of Google very quickly in non-competitive markets.  Regardless of the competition that exists in your industry, this is one thing that must be done and must be done right.  So what is a title tag?  The title tag is a piece of HTML code that appears in the title bar at the top of your browser and as the words that appear as a link in the search engine results pages.  These words are indexed by the search engines and therefore are direct indicators of what your content will be about.  Here is what they look like in the code:

<Head>

<Title Meta> Title Tag Optimization | Azimuth Six</Title>

</Head>

The title tag also communicates to searchers what the topics of each page of your website will be comprised of.  More importantly is the way these words are used to tell the search engines the relevance of your web page.  In this sense is the most important of all the tags.  You can think of a title tag as a chapter of a book you are reading, a starting point that summarizes the content that follows it.

Effective Use of Title Tags

The importance of title tags cannot be downplayed as they have a tremendous impact on your ability to rank.  There are some parameters that come into to play and should be taken into account when writing them.  We have broken them down for you below:

Keyword Usage: You will never hear the end of how keywords play into all of your SEO efforts and the same goes for title tag optimization.  This is the area where you will want to focus on targeted keywords that research has shown are the most effective for your efforts.  Use only high traffic keywords in your title tag.  Use these keywords in the beginning and end of your title tags when possible.  Consider your readers as well as the search engines when writing, this way your title tag is not just composed of numerous keywords.  It is also important to utilize the same keywords in your content as in your title tags as the search engines are looking for the page to be relevant throughout.

Good Format:

Primary Keyword – Secondary Keyword | Brand Name

Or

Brand Name | Primary Keyword and Secondary Keyword

If you have a high profile brand, we would suggest the latter as you can leverage your name.  If not, consider the first suggestion.  If you are unsure of the weight your brand carries the best bet is to utilize the keywords closest to the start of the title tag.

This is an example of what the title tag looks like in the Google Chrome tab.

Length: 8-10 words is usually about the most you can pump into a title tag, although you should be mindful of the character limitations.  Good practice would be to limit your characters to less than 70 characters, as Google sets limits on the amounts they will display in the search results.

Unique Titles: As with the chapters in a book, each title tag should be unique so that you do not get hit for duplicate titles.  The same rules as above play out however each page must have its own unique title tag so that the content can be indexed properly and according to its relevancy.

Competition: If you are having some trouble coming up with good title tags you can always see what is working for others.  Make sure to clear your browser data so that it doesn’t bring up searches that it knows you have looked for.  Type in the keywords you wish to rank for and see what your competition is doing.  Grab the best ideas you can and try to improve upon them.  Keep in mind that their title tags alone are not the sole reason they are ranking highly.