Tag: Google

The New SEO Rules of Google

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SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of making a website rank as high as possible on a search engine, such as Google, Yahoo, or Bing. SEO is considered to be one of the most important elements of any digital marketing strategy because most contemporary consumers use a search engine in order to find goods and services over the web, and the higher a website ranks, i.e., the closer it is to the top of the first page that a person sees, the greater its chances are of attracting traffic.

And Google, in particular, has been the 800 pound gorilla in the room that has set the rules that companies must follow, in order for their websites to rank as high as they can.

But over the years, Google’s rules keep changing, so business owners need to keep abreast of the constantly shifting SEO landscape in order to know how to drive as much traffic as possible from search engines. This year, new rules give businesses an opportunity to fine-tune and re-evaluate their SEO efforts, or risk losing organic traffic, or even having their websites removed from search engine results, altogether, for not abiding by Google’s new guidelines.

Google’s biggest adjustment this year is its announcement that it will rank a site differently if it isn’t “mobile-friendly.” The rate of use of mobile devices has grown tremendously over the past few years. More and more people are now browsing websites on mobile devices, which means they need to have an experience that can be loaded clearly on them. This means that a business must either create a whole new mobile site with a separate domain for mobile users; or utilize “dynamic serving,” which is a technique that detects what device a site visitor is using and then redirects them at the server level; or employ “responsive design,” which determines the resolution of the screen on which a page is being viewed using media queries, then adjusts the size and layout of the page appropriately.

Long-form content will continue to matter strongly in 2015. The length of a post really does help when it comes to how well a website ranks. Most important, however, is that content be helpful, educational and/or entertaining, and provide verifiable value to users.

This year, content will need to be shared as much as possible on social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, in order to increase the odds of getting natural links due to more exposure. A balanced, back-link profile will still be essential, as well; relevant, fresh, and authoritative links always help move a business up in search engine rankings. Also, according to Google, site speed will play a larger role, this year, in mobile and desktop rankings.

It’s not always easy to keep up with the changes in SEO best practices, but if a business wants to strengthen its brand in 2015, it would be wise to understand and adhere to Google’s newest rules.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zati-En69TY

What are the Differences Between PPC and SEO?

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Current marketing research makes it clear that in order for a contemporary business to flourish, it must have a strong web presence in the most commonly used search engines, such as Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc. Under the general heading of Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Pay-Per-Click (PPC) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) are two tools that businesses use in their internet marketing campaigns in order to get their brands in front of their target audiences.

Research also shows that, in many cases, the ultimate success of an online business will often depend on the amount of “traffic” it can generate for its web pages utilizing either, or both, of these two modern marketing methods. However, there are several differences between PPC and SEO, and under certain circumstances, one approach may be preferable to the other.

First, let’s look at SEO. SEO is considered an “organic” method of driving web traffic because it is free, and depends on its success by means of its intrinsic value. SEO employs a number of sophisticated techniques whose aim is to propel a website to the highest place possible on the first page of the major search engines, where it will be seen by the greatest number of people. It does this by providing a website that is “optimized” for search engines.

An optimized web site has the most accurate and well-written content, the most “keywords” that people enter when they are searching for something online, and the widest variety of links to other sites. For example, Google, which is the world’s foremost search engine with over 400 million searches per day, employs a complex algorithm that ranks websites according to their level of relevant and accurate information, and how constantly they provide their searchers with continuing value.

SEO is most beneficial for an online business that wants consistent results, a reputation for authority, and benefits that are more affordable in the long run. Ranking high in search engines takes a long time, but most marketing experts agree that the results are worth the cost and effort.

PPC campaigns are more like traditional advertisements because they are paid listings. PPC ads are the ones you see on a search engine that are above or to the right of the organic SEO rankings. They are in the “Sponsored Ads” or “Sponsored Links” section on a results page. The closer they are to the first page of a search engine, the more they cost. Popular PPC systems include Google AdWords, Yahoo Advertising, and Facebook’s advertising platform. The good news for advertisers is that they only have to pay for their ads each time one is “clicked on” and not every time they are merely viewed.

PPC is more useful for short sales cycles, limited time promotions, or new websites that need to get immediate exposure. A business can get a first page listing almost immediately – if it is paid for. On the other hand, PPC campaigns disappear as soon as a business stops paying for them, which means their existence is usually much more temporary than an SEO listing. However, if there is an adequate budget, and sales need to be made quickly, a PPC ad can be very effective.

Research shows that PPC ads have a slight edge in conversion rates (the percentage of users who buy a product or otherwise do something else based upon their searches) over SEO listings, because the people who click on them are conducting more specific searches and, thus, are more likely to act. PPC ads are also appropriate when a website isn’t particularly designed for SEO.

Why Should You Have Your Pay-Per-Click Account Managed?

Pay-Per-Click, or PPC, is a system of marketing where ads are inserted into a user’s online experience and an advertiser pays every time that ad is clicked. In some PPC scenarios, that amount is a flat rate set out in advance. However, the most common format, including that used by Google, is for the advertiser to bid on certain “keywords”, with ads shown on an auction basis. The highest bidder’s ad is shown first, followed by the next highest and so forth. Google’s PPC programs are called AdSense and AdWords. AdWords ads are displayed during a user’s search, while AdSense ads are displayed on an actual website. For the purposes of this article, we will be focusing primarily on AdWords accounts. Publishing an AdWords ad is easy. One must set up a Google account, then set up an AdWords account. One must then write an ad, following certain guidelines, and choose one or more “keywords” for the ad. “Keywords” are specific words or phrases that describe what kinds of searches an advertiser wishes to target. For instance, “pizza delivery in San Diego” is an example of a keyword phrase that a pizzeria in San Diego may wish to target. An advertiser then bids on their chosen keyword(s), enters a payment method and sets an advertising budget, and publishes their ad, and voila! Their ad is now “live”. This couldn’t be easier process.

However, easy and effective are not the same thing. “Just because someone can quickly and easily buy a basketball doesn’t mean they can play like Kobe Bryant,” Tim, a  PPC account manager with The Click Experts, recently pointed out to me. Having a professional company like The Click Experts manage your Adwords account is important for several reasons, he continued. For one, choosing keywords correctly is very important. If they are too vague, an advertiser risks diluting their advertising money targeting unqualified clients. On the other hand, If they are too specific, an advertisers risks not having them displayed to those users they may be wishing to target. In addition, choosing the keywords carefully can minimize advertising costs while maximizing exposure. Since Google works on a bidding process, keywords are very subject to the vagaries of an open market. Popular keywords are more expensive, with some top words fetching over $50 per click. Choosing a specific keyword, however, can allow an advertiser to carefully target the audience for their ads without having to pay a fortune, since bids can also be as low as $0.10. Knowing how to choose a keyword, and how to correctly arrive at an appropriate bid for that keyword, can mean the difference between paying out a significant portion of the budget for unwanted clicks or making sure as many clicks as possible are made by qualified customers looking for exactly what an advertiser is offering.

Another key reason for having a professional like Tim manage your account is because Google is constantly making small and subtle, or occasionally even large, changes to its policies regarding PPC accounts. One important area Tim highlighted for me was the use of synonyms. When Google first starting in the PPC business, ads were only displayed on searches exactly matching to an advertiser’s chosen keywords. However, in a bid to generate more revenue and (one hopes) help advertisers target more qualified customers, Google changed its policy and began matching ads to synonyms of the keywords. In fact, says Tim, Google often changes its policy regarding the use of synonyms, with the general trend toward more and more permissive use. This can lead to more dilution and waste of advertising dollars. By actively managing an account, professionals like the team at The Click Experts can ensure an advertiser’s budget is being judiciously spent on clicks by users who are actually being actively targeted. In fact, in many cases, depending on an advertiser’s budget and they keywords targeted, The Click Experts can save the advertiser more money in wasted clicks than the account management actually costs.

Clearly, a manged PPC account should be seriously considered by every business desiring to develop and maintain an online presence. PPC, especially when combined with professional website development, effective content management, and a correctly targeted and executed SEO campaign, can deliver a steady stream of qualified, reliable customers who can bolster the revenue stream of a business. Why not see for yourself? Contact us today for a free quote and see what The Click Experts can do for you!

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