Posts filed under 'SEO Industry'
Dave Naylor recently wrote an article on 5 things he would do if he were Google. At the end of his post, he asks what we we do?
Before I start, though, I will just add some thoughts on Dave’s comments, particularly those relating to pagerank.
1) Completely agree with him on his point ‘Stop displaying Pagerank it only drives link buying and selling’. Personally think many SEO’s (probably the more junior SEO’s) get very hung up on pagerank at the detriment of their SEO. Doing something like this may encourage better linkage with people focussing more on relevancy, and research as part of their linkbuilding.
2) Show showing site:… Got to say I slightly disagree with this. I can understand (and agree with the points he raises at the end of this point) - however in my opinion there are a alot of instances where having such a command is very useful. For example, if I were doing some initial research on a client, this would be one of my first ports of call in terms of establishing the current website from an SEO perspective.
3) Regarding redirects - Completely agree
4) Subdomains - To a certain degree agree here - however in certain instances I do condone the use of subdomains and as such, perhaps such a ‘hardhitting’ solution would be a step too far.
5) Displaying adsense on non indexed pages - Again probably needs some further thoughts - i can see where hes coming from - but I have in my head certain reasons - as to why I wouldn’t want a page indexed but would want adsense on it.
Anyhow enough of adressing Dave Naylors point’s, its only fair I provide some of my own points (and let Dave have a bash at mine)
1) More open long term strategy. Mentioned this on my previous post regarding Paid Links - however currently Google is addressing Paid Linkage, before it was Recipricol Linkage. There is only one type of link building tactic left - free, however since it is the intention Google is interested in (ie artificially affecting SERPS by link building for SEO purposes), it probably is only a matter of time before this is targetted. However by the mere fact linkage is part of the algorithm and there is potential ROI to be acquired online (and thus visibility on search engines important), then the business sector will always be interested in ensuring they are as high as possible in the search engines.
In my eyes (and maybe in my eyes only), perhaps rather than looking at origin and intention - focus on better link building - ie relevancy. I can’t help thinking that by targeting the quality and relevancy of the linkage rather than how it was sourced, would improve this scenario and surely this would be more in line with Googles mindset and quality driven approach.
2) Closer interaction with Search engine marketing specialists
Please note search engine marketing specialists not just seo specialists. I am not by any means saying this should be a howto session on influencing algorithms, just perhaps closer intergration with the industry, perhaps looking down a quality driven approach. I can’t help thinking that the search engines have a part to play in developing the perception of search marketing. At the end of the day, there is no getting away from the fact that Search Marketing and SEO are here to stay (in real terms- is it realistic that Google think that every company is going to have someone specifically designated to working on their own sites - surely not and at the end of the day SEO’s are just outsourced search marketing specialists.)
If we can work on the quality however of the people within the industry - not so much the top tier - more the small organisations. I personally have read a number of ‘my seo did this, my seo did that and it got me banned” type stories from new clients, which then affect how I work with them. We personally look at a holistic approach to our online marketing and as such, a client coming in from SEO may be cross-sold Paid Search (PPC) or Affiliate Marketing services as well depending on their requirements/targets.
Therefore the initial negative perceptions they have of SEO could affect how they perceive search marketing as a whole. Anyhow back on track - Google’s accreditation of such activity (along the lines maybe of their analytics experts ‘accreditation’) surely would give clients more confidence of not only who they are working with but search marketing as a whole.
3) Link: Really is this worth keeping. A snapshot of inbound linkage to your site. Personally can’t think of the last time I used it - and I would suggest it confuses things from a client perspective rather than helps. Either improve (ala site explorer and incorporate into WebMaster Tools) or do away. (PS maybe webmaster tools could get more advanced features based on above accreditation - ala adwords)
4) Expansion of webmaster tools - Potentially such a good tool from a search marketing perspective. OK this isn’t likely to make them money by adding to it - but surely they could offer Google Webmaster Tools Gold - which gives you increased functionality/reporting/analysis etc. Functionality then such as expanding SERP positioning, link reporting etc could then be incorporated with a ROI for Google.
5) Noindex/Nofollow and Robots.txt - Again mentioned this before - but perhaps this does need review. Noindex and Nofollow were great for Backrub but surely Google 2007 is a long way from that model. Nofollow for the use of paid links surely is not right symantically never mind anything else, so perhaps such functionality needs to be reviewed. This possibly is a conversation bigger than merely a quick refence on a post - but further though and discussion regarding robots use for search engine purposes is required particularly given the advances in web related technology over the last couple of years
Just a couple of thoughts, feel free to give me some feedback on the above.
PS. Dave N - if you do read this - are you going to the SEO Manchester do 
September 12th, 2007
Not really a part four, more a recap of other activity, and perspectives regarding the hot potato in th search engine world or rather SEO world that is paid links
John Andrews - SEOs the card counters of the web
Brilliant overview of Googles approach to the paid linkage issue. Aaron Wall features particularly prominently in the article given his recent comments regarding paid links
Dan Thies - I for one welcome the New SEO Overlords
Probably more rounded commentary of the current paid links issue, however all the same Dan puts forward some very pressing questions relating to the implementation of the nofollow strategy.
Loren Baker - Google loves transparent links and Hitcounter spam
Slightly different take, however really here to back up why perhaps focussing on quality of the links is probably more important than merely focussing on how they were acquired from Loren Baker
John Biundo - The Paid Links debate - Shades of Grey
John Biundo assesses the Paid links landscape following SES San Jose.
Andrew Girdwood (BigmouthMedia) - Why Paid links and adsense are not the same
BigMouthmedia are big nofollow masters, and Andrew Girdwood their head of search clearly lays his cards on the table regarding his thoughts on paid links and nofollow (oh and that of Bigmouthmedia)
There is no doubt the debate certainly continues to rumble on - as to the paid linkage and the merits or lack of. We will continue to watch the industry for further articles and as we find em add em (or feel free to add some for us )
September 11th, 2007
I was recently speaking to a PR colleague of mine, following some correspondance recently with her. During the conversation she raised a number of points relating to the e-mail I had sent and highlighted that some of the terminology used was overly technical and could be simplified for ‘human consumption’
At first I will say I was slightly taken aback. However, having further thought about it, I would suggest this is a problem I could throw at many SEO specialists in the industry. I have lost touch with the number of search engine optimisation experts that use pr syndication, lsi seo, social media optimisation and the like willy nilly. Is it any wonder that SEO is still regarded as a black art - or rather more of a misunderstood profession.
Education vs Evolution
Terms such as the above only make sense to us online marketing professionals. Ask many marketing manager what SEO is, and I would suggest you will get a fairly blank look, never mind Social Media Optimisation. Therefore this begs the question.
Do we need to educate peers such as marketing managers OR do we need to evolve and talk to these people in a language they understand.
I would suggest a mixture of both would suffice. We as online marketeers do over-engineer much of what we do - however the fact remains much of what we do is specialised - and often overlooked during any online or dare i say offline marketing campaigns. Internet Marketing has its own little specialisations much as other sectors do, which will always make it different, however if we could talk more as marketeers and less as techies - surely this will only serve to enhance the benefits and standing of online marketing and search marketing in particular.
However the education aspect certainly shouldn’t be overlooked. In a recent article on advertising age Mark Simon mentioned the following:
“4.SEARCHLESS ADVERTISING.
Many CMOs have no problem authorizing multimillion-dollar TV and print campaigns, but their systematic neglect of search marketing borders on the criminally myopic. Search-engine marketing doesn’t drive demand; it responds to it, which means that unless your brand is present to capture post-ad queries, you’ve failed to close the marketing loop. Plus, it’s quite likely your competitors are already exploiting that failure with strategies to poach the awareness you’ve spent so much to generate.”
This unfortunately happens a lot within the advertising sector ( I read an article highlighting this on the Muller - ‘Lick the Lid of life’ campaign ). Just imagine how effective some offline only campaigns could be if search or online marketing as a whole were introduced with the aim of enhancing what message the offline is trying to convey. Well needless to say - I would suggest in many cases results speak for themselves.
To conclude - we are new sector, a new profession - and we are still finding our way. Maybe though - we just need to find it a little quicker
September 10th, 2007
If any reason, as to the issues arising from link development and why non-paid links are not without their problems
DMoz mob strikes again
Digg commentary on the above
For previous posts on paid links, please visit
Paid Links - Good or bad - a UK SEO perspective
Paid Links - A UK SEO perspective Part II
August 29th, 2007
Whilst we all know the above not to be the case, it still amazes me how many times such comments still come out, however it is that coupled with a lack of ‘value’ that has really prompted this post.
I have lost count of the amount of times upon first meeting a client, I have a comment along the lines of ‘I only paid a fraction of that with my previous agency’ (and having ended up working on these sites/campaigns - it becomes all to apparent why they paid a fraction). However, it was a recent post on the UK Business Forums that really has got me thinking more about this.
In it one of the posters stated the following:
SEO is a corrupt industry - and I feel sorry for the honest SEO’s who are trying their best (RayB - Alocalprinter.com on the UKBusinessForums).
This statement, whilst grossly unfair, does however display the perception search engine optimisation in particular has, and whilst this statement is to a certain extent the personal opinion (although very misguided), it does serve as a benchmark of the mindset we as an industry need to change, particularly here in the UK.
If I went to an advertising agency, and told them I wanted 1000 signups in a month at a CPA of £50, I would be charged a GDP of a small country, however because the web is the web, that same model doesnt appear to translate to online marketing, with comments such as ‘ I also think the SEO industry is the new “Gold Rush” - lots of Cowboys and wild prices.’ (apologies our friend RayB yet again) commonplace.
So where does the issue lie?
Pricing
One has to therefore ask ourselves why is this? This particular scenario was in regard to a price quoted for an SEO project (I have my guesses which one - as initial poster mentions top 10 for SEO), where a price of 65K was mentioned. OK that sort of price whether a fair reflection of work or not (and in my opinion NOT), does not do any good for the reputation of the industry as a whole, as a shady bunch, rather than the Search Marketing professionals we are, and only serves to re-inforce the ‘SEO is a black art/SEO is overpriced brigade’. I would add however I would suggest such pricing was stated in order to disuade the client, rather than a true reflection of project value.
However pricing as a whole is still an issue. It varies widely across the industry, from niche regional boutique agency ad-ons to major search marketing only organisations such as Bigmouth and Latitude. However it is against the lowest common denominator that many of these prices are judged rather than against the larger organisations, which I would suggest isa more common practise across other related marketing sectors. Yes your web design/development agency can do SEO and Paid Search - but is it there bread and butter - Can they advise on long-term strategy - Integration of Online PR - Do they use up-to-date SEO techniques rather than Meta/On page optimisation only - Do they know what Panama is - the list goes on. I would suggest many of these ad-on type agencies don’t.
Selling Techniques
OK, I admit this is a bit generalised, however there are a number of Search Marketing agencies out there that do the Baffle, that is they blind the client with science, many of which are either factually incorrect or are hardly ever or never actually ever implemented on a SEO campaign.
This creates a feeling of ‘mystery’ about the industry to a certain extent, and to a certain degree a phobia. That coupled with the scaremonger Internet stories out there only serve to disuade potential advertisers of the power of the internet as a marketing tool.
The Internet is and will continue to be a powerful marketing tool, not just in terms of Search Engine Marketing but also in terms of other areas of Online Marketing such as Behavioural targeting and the like. However I would suggest until this stigma is broken their will continue to be a degree of reluctance by some advertisers to leverage the potential of the Internet.
Perception
Yes, Joe Blogs can optimise his site for ‘ant collection expert Oxford’. However and this is a BIG however, SEO is more than just optimising for a particular term, it is the aim of optimising for terms that will drive traffic, from enhanced visibility (not just in terms of search engines themselves) and encompasses far more than just visibility on one very localised term.
These days search engine optimisation comprises far more than just it used to. SEO has and probably always will do, had a foundation of creating new entry points into websites (ie linkage), and this means leveraging opportunities that are not just about mere PR passing, but also about traffic/lead generation. However in common day SEO, other facets of Search marketing are part of the SEO mix, such as Online PR, Social media Optimisation and Linkbaiting.
Paid Search is another part of the Search Marketing mix that suffers from a mixed public perception. According to a recent presentation I had from a Marketing Consultant, Paid search is perceived as expensive. I would in certain areas agree with this perception, particularly within the sub-prime finance sector, however there are still a lot of areas where a very good ROI can be achieved. For example I recently worked on a stairlift project where the ROI from the Online Marketing activity (in particular the PPC Management) was over four times lower than the offline activity, both in terms of the number of conversions and the actual cost per figures being reported.
Lack of regulation
This is one area where things are changing, particularly with the introduction of the Search Marketing Charter from the IAB. Such activity can only serve to enhance the perception of Search and Online Marketing as a whole.
Search Engine Marketing has come along way in short period of time, and no doubt will continue to evolve. However there is still some education required in order to show people just how Search Marketing and Online marketing can benefit an organisations marketing strategy
August 22nd, 2007
It still amazes me how many search engine marketeers merely focus on singular aspects of a search marketing strategy, such as traffic generation, or visibility. Whilst on some projects or within certain sectors, this is acceptable as a criteria for successm, it is becoming more and more commonplace for campaigns to be judged on ROI, on cost pers, and rightly so.
This is particularly the scenario with paid search management campaigns where customers are not merely paying for the service, they are paying for the traffic, and as such convertability in whatever guise it may come in, is fundamental when establishing the success of a campaign, and is a vital tool in establishing whether or not your campaign is correctly positioned.
However there are a number of simple things, that can be done in order to maximise your ROI across your search marketing campaigns
1) Web Analytics and stats are your friend
Stats are a fundamental part of any campaign we work on. If you were a pilot/sailor would you fly without either autopilot or a map - no I didn’t think so. Similarly with stats. Correct setup, analysis and planning based on behavioural and traffic stats and trends is fundamental in ensuring that campaigns are correctly focussed.
We have worked on a number of projects where early diagnosis of potential bottlenecks have been identified, and addressed quickly resulting in significant improvements to both ROI and traffic. If a customer has a bad experience on your website, it doesn’t just affect that particular visit, it may stop them from visiting your site again… and again… and again.
We have worked with a number of clients, where despite large figures being spent previously on marketing activity (aimed at driving traffic to the site), there has been no aspects of the ‘conversion process’ addressed, and ultimately these campaigns have failed to produce the expected ROI, and the subsequent failure of the sites put down to ‘customer preference’. Whilst this may be the case in more niche, or highly specialised industries, this site/customer (mentioned above), sits within a booming retailing sector where many of its competitors are fully exploiting the opportunities and benefits that online (and e-commerce) offer.
However stats really IMO come into their own in terms of the ongoing planning of a campaign. Regular reference to stats as regards user keyword activity, traffic sources, bounce rates and the like have been fundamental in ensuring that campaigns are correctly focussed, and optimised and that websites are not positioned in territory where traffic is either irrelevant or highly unlikely to either convert or result in significant brand awareness.
Regular reference to stats, including targeted goal definition, split testing analysis and subsequent planning and implementation won’t just improve the site, it will improve your ROI and ultimately the success of your online (and even offline) marketing activity.
2) Monitor, Monitor, Monitor
Online Marketing is often a long term piece of work, even in the case of paid search, and may require significant amounts of careful monitoring in order to ensure that they return what is expected of them. Never is this more apparent than within search marketing, where careful monitoring and analysis of phrasology can often open up unexpected sources of traffic and income.
Paid search in particular can benefit significantly from such activity. Careful analysis of customer behaviour can provide you with an overview of customer behaviour, such as when users tend to enter your site, what time(s) users tend to convert, and even when the highest percentage of users leave your site (obviously stats play an important part in this process). Such information could then be used to tailor visibility for certain periods of the day (by either turning ads on/off - or merely reducing/increasing the cost-per-click during applicable periods)
Monitoring should be taken particularly seriously - and if done properly will not only significantly increase your ROI, but also the time taken to manage your campaigns in the long run.
2) Test, Learn, Refine
You are very unlikely to get things right first time, particularly where paid search is concerned. This should never be seen as a sign of weakness, and rather more of an opportunity. Campaigns are like pets - they need to be looked after. As such constantly test your campaigns, learn from your mistakes/findings and refine your campaigns accordingly
Online marketing is a skill, and by incorporating such research into our everyday planning, we not only become a profession in our own right, I would suggest we earn the respect of more established sectors as well.
August 17th, 2007
I read a recent article on Adweek which complimented a recent issue we addressed about the future of search engine marketing and advertising. The article entitled ‘‘Old Media’ Still Resonate, Survey Says‘ followed a recent survey by Deloitte & Touche’s Technology, Media and Telecommunications practice.
The survey of 2,200 consumers 13 to 75 years old, offered hope for traditional media/advertising and yielded some fresh insights into new-media trends. THis included:
- Nearly three quarters of respondants enjoyed reading magazines, despite the fact the same publications were often available online as well as offline. This was the case across all generational segments.
- Over half of respondants (51%) consumed user generated content such as blogging
- Television was still a core activity across generational segments - however participatory TV will become more prevelant
However from a online or search marketing perspective, there were a number of very interesting findings
- More than a quarter of consumers would rather pay for online content than be exposed to advertising
- Search engines were the primary source of a driving traffic to a website. Although search engine activity was No. 1 at 84 percent, 82 percent of respondents visited a web site because of a personal recommendation. Adverts on television (65 percent), web site ads - such as banners(55 percent) and e-mail campaigns (54 percent) followed in influence.
- More than a quarter of those survey aged 13-24 said they plan to shop online in the next 12 months
- 60% of respondants visit 10 or more websites a week
- Overall there was more receptivity to print ads - however I would bear in mind the significant difference in response rates between search engine advertising and other forms of online advertising
To read the full article in Adweek, click here
August 15th, 2007
Being the proud Lancashire Search Marketing agency that we are, we thought it apt to take a moment to see what our fellow Lancashire SEO friends are doing.
In particular a number of Lancashire Search Marketing agencies have been making a lot of noise recently. However it has to be said there is still a distinct lack of good/reasonable search agencies in Lancashire (we have excluded Manchester SEO agencies from this list).
However in general I would say many of the local Lancashire new media/internet agencies offer Search Marketing as a mere add-on to their current range of services, rather than a standalone service. I would however say, the benchmark is raising, and we here at E-Gain will be chomping at the bit to ensure that we are at the forefront of SEO and SEM in Lancashire
August 15th, 2007
I have read a couple of articles recently, some directly saying that Google hates SEO’s others being more stealthy. However during a recent post by John Andrews (www.johnon.com), called ‘Can Google kill off SEO’. In the article John Andrews states
“We all know Google hates SEO. They used to express it openly, before they were a BigPublicCompany. Then they branded it, with the ‘black hat’ references. Now they are quiet about openly opposing SEO, although with each new “advance” of the Google ‘algorithm’ they try and kill off what is commonly understood to be Search Engine Optimization (SEO). They do it by trying to make it irrelevant, or at least trying to make it appear that way. They do it by taking away the signals that suggest a need for SEO, one at a time.”
John does go on to make a good point for why change within Google is good for SEO’s in particular, and how in particular only a complete change in direction would significantly affect SEO activity.
However the question he raises regarding Google hating SEO’s is a good one. Surely not …
Well in my humble opinion, no. What is the point behind Google hating SEO’s. Sure make life difficult for people trying to manipulate the search engine results, but in terms of hating an industry, I would have to draw a line short of that (although perhaps some of our less industrious spam-friendly friends may need their wings clipping somewhat).
To be brutally honest, I can see no reason for Google to hate SEO’s. SEO’s I would suggest are one of the reasons, search engines are as effective are. Us Search Engine marketeers at the end of the day, want our campaigns to work, and may marketeers such as E-Gain, rely heavily on ROI focussed service. For this reason, all aspects of the marketing mix have to be working in synergy, and thus relevance and targeting are fundamental aspects of all our campaigns. Essentially, this is what Google wants - good quality, relevant results.
Google have also provided a wealth of tools, aimed at providing marketeers and potential marketeers with sufficient information to promote their sites - whether it be guidelines, webmaster tools, API access or blogs. Surely such activity is not a case of trying to minimise the effect of would be search engine marketeers.
Above all, most search engine marketing agencies don’t just offer SEO, they offer paid search as well. If you annoy the agencies but attacking SEO, surely you run the risk of affecting paid search spend as well. Google and Yahoo work very closely with agencies as regards their paid search campaigns, and as such any more to alienate the SEO industry, would surely have an effect from a paid search as well. Too much of a risk I would have thought from a company like Google.
At the end of the day, I think it comes down to one thing. What commercial benefits would there be to doing so? If Google was seen to be impartial at the end of the day, I would suggest it would go the same way as Altavista and Yahoo before it
August 8th, 2007
Great news, it appears we have a search engine optimisation meeting coming right up here to the Northwest, in fact the meeting to discuss all things SEO is in Manchester.
Posted on the Searchengineserious website, the Manchester SEO meet is arranged on September 14/15th 2007. Like the original PubCon all attendees are responsible for paying there own way with drinks, meals etc, no sponsors, no presentations etc, etc
To read more about the Manchester SEO meet, please visit the Searchengineserious website to register your interest.
August 6th, 2007
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