# Omi Sido
> Search engine (SEO) optimization expert
### How to Install DeepSeek AI Locally on Mac
If you're looking for a free, offline AI model that runs smoothly on your Mac, DeepSeek is a great option. DeepSeek is an open-source large language model that works entirely on your local machine - no internet connection is required. In this guide, I will walk you through the installation process step by step, from setting up the Terminal version of DeepSeek to installing a user-friendly chat application.
Why Use DeepSeek?
Unlike cloud-based AI models such as ChatGPT, DeepSeek runs locally on your Mac, making it both cost-effective and private. Whether you are using it for research, coding, or general inquiries, it offers a convenient way to have an AI model at your fingertips without relying on an internet connection.
Step 1: Download and Install Ollama
To run DeepSeek, we first need to install Ollama: a framework that will allow us to manage and run large language models.
Go to the Ollama website.
Ollama - Get up and running with large language models.
Click the download button and select 'Download for macOS'.
Download Ollama
Once downloaded, go to Finder → Downloads and locate the .zip file.
Double-click the file to extract it, then drag and drop the Ollama application into your Applications folder.
Open the Applications folder, find Ollama, and double-click to launch it.
Install Olama on Mac
If prompted with a security message, click 'Open'.
Follow the setup instructions and install the command-line version by pressing 'Install' and entering your Mac password when prompted.
After the installation has been completed we need to run our first model. Click the 'Copy' button to copy the command 'ollama run llama3.2' into your clipboard. Then open the Terminal, paste the command and press 'Return'.
Run model in Ollama
Step 2: Install DeepSeek
Now that Ollama is installed, we can install DeepSeek.
Go back to the Ollama website and search for 'DeepSeek'.
Ollama DeepSeek
Select 'DeepSeek R1' as it's the latest version and it's optimised for Apple Macs and especially for Apple Silicon Macs.
Choose the model size based on your Mac’s capabilities
DeepSeek models
Bare in mind that the 8B, the basic version is less resource-intensive but if you go for the larger models they will be more accurate but will require significantly more RAM.
Once you select the model click the 'Copy' button to copy the installation command (ollama run deepseek-r1:8b) as shown in the picture below.
Ollama run DeepSick
Open Terminal, paste the copied command (Command + V) and press 'Return'.
Ollama install DeepSeek in Terminal
The model (~4.9GB) will begin downloading and the installing DeepSeek on your computer. This may take a few minutes, depending on your internet speed.
DeepSeek successful installation
Step 3: Run DeepSeek in Terminal
Once the installation is complete, you can start using DeepSeek immediately (image below):
In Terminal, type a message like 'Hi, how are you?' and press 'Return'.
You can ask it questions such as 'What happened in Tiananmen Square'. What do you think of the answer? Lol.
To exit, type /bye and press 'Return'
To restart DeepSeek later, run the command 'ollama run deepseek-r1:8b' in Terminal.
Running DeepSeek locally
Step 4: Install a User-Friendly Chat Interface
For a more intuitive way to interact with DeepSeek, you can install the Chatbox AI app, a free chat application that provides a graphical user interface very similar to that of ChatGPT.
Go to the Chatbox AI website.
Download either the Apple Silicon version or the Intel-based Mac version.
Chatbox AI
Locate the downloaded file in Finder → Downloads.
Open the Chatbox ARM64 file, then drag and drop it into the Applications folder.
Chatbox AI installation
Find Chatbox in the Applications folder and double-click to open.
When prompted, click 'Open'.
Step 5: Configure Chatbox AI
To connect Chatbox AI with DeepSeek:
Open Chatbox AI. You don't need to pay for anything so just click on 'Use My Own API key / Local model'.
Chatbox AI local model
Select the Ollama API under the Model Provider.
Configure Ollama in Chatbox
On the next screen choose 'deepseek-r1:8b' as the model.
Configure DeepSeek in Chatbox
Click 'Save' (bottom right) and you are done.
Start chatting! You can now type questions like 'What model are you?' and interact with DeepSeek using a ChatGPT-style interface.
Running DeepSeek Locally
Final Thoughts
By following these steps, you now have DeepSeek installed and running on your Mac, both through the Terminal and a user-friendly chat interface. Whether you're looking for an alternative to online AI models or just want a local AI assistant, DeepSeek provides a powerful, private, and free solution.
Now, go ahead and explore what DeepSeek can do!
FAQ
Is DeepSeek free to use? Yes! DeepSeek is completely free and open-source. You can install and run it on your Mac without any subscription or hidden costs. Can I use DeepSeek without an internet connection? Yes! DeepSeek runs entirely on your local Mac, meaning no internet connection is required once it is installed. This makes it a private and cost-effective alternative to cloud-based AI models. What are the system requirements for running DeepSeek? DeepSeek requires a Mac with Apple Silicon (M1, M2, or M3) or an Intel-based Mac with sufficient RAM. The 8B model is less resource-intensive, while larger models require more RAM and processing power. How do I restart DeepSeek after installation? To restart DeepSeek in Terminal, simply run the command:ollama run deepseek-r1:8bIf you're using the Chatbox AI interface, open the app and select DeepSeek as your model.
### Harnessing AI for SEO: riding the wave of innovation or risking obsolescence?
https://youtu.be/2U_ffoQOlPs?si=Cfc-ZTbTYSNDPJe8
The discussion around artificial intelligence (AI) often swings between two extremes: it's either hailed as the cornerstone of human innovation (a view I personally share) or dismissed as a promising technology yet to fulfil its true potential.
Nowhere is this tension more evident than in the world of digital marketing and more specifically in the field of search engine optimisation (SEO). I am an SEO. At work, we discuss AI every single day.
While AI has already revolutionised several industries, its impact on SEO is provoking mixed responses. Some digital marketers are blown away by its potential talking about it like it's the new Messiah, while others remain sceptical, feeling disappointed by unmet and sometimes even crushed promises. So, is AI living up to its hype in SEO? More importantly, how can SEO teams leverage its power effectively?
Why AI matters in SEO
AI isn't just another tool - it's a technological revolution poised to touch every aspect of our lives including digital marketing and of course SEO. Its potential lies in amplifying the efficiency and effectiveness of SEO teams by automating tedious tasks, enabling deeper insights, and creating more personalised content strategies. But why does this matter so much, especially now?
The journey starts with understanding AI's broader implications. As of now, only 11% of tasks in the UK workforce are exposed to AI. However, this figure is projected to leap to 59% with the integration of advanced AI models and systems. This shift is profound and underscores the need for industries, including SEO, to adapt quickly (and by quickly I mean yesterday). As AI's reach grows, businesses face a stark choice: embrace AI or risk being left behind.
A wise woman once said:
"Some people call this artificial intelligence, but the reality is this technology will enhance us. So instead of artificial intelligence, I think we’ll augment our intelligence." - Ginni Rometty
SEO’s AI trough of disillusionment
The current state of AI in digital marketing and SEO can be likened to the Gartner Hype Cycle, which maps the adoption of emerging technologies with life-transformational capabilities/benefits. Initially, new technologies trigger excitement, leading to a 'peak of inflated expectations'. When these inspiring hopes are not immediately met, we enter the 'trough of disillusionment' where many people feel disappointed and unhappy.
Source: Gartner (August 2024)
Today, many SEO professionals are walking this road. Early experiences with AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini might have been underwhelming, with users finding that the tools "kind of" help but fail to meet expectations. These disappointments, however, come more from how we use AI than from the technology itself. To truly capitalise on AI’s potential, we must move beyond simplistic approaches like one-off prompts or narrow applications.
The Pitfalls of current AI approaches in SEO
Despite its promise, AI in SEO is often deployed narrowly and inefficiently. Common shortcomings include:
Limited scope: AI is frequently applied to isolated tasks, such as content creation or data analysis, rather than the entire SEO workflow. (Question: Can a human deliver an acceptable outcome without seeing the big picture?)
Lack of context: AI tools often lack a deep understanding of a business's unique offerings, audience, and goals, leading to generic outputs. Generic inputs will always lead to generic outputs.
Opacity: Many artificial intelligence tools operate as black boxes, leaving users unable to trace the data sources or reasoning behind their outputs.
Rigidity: Current AI systems often lack flexibility, making it difficult to adapt processes or tailor outputs to specific needs.
These issues contribute to low-quality, very often totally unacceptable outcomes, but they’re not impossible to overcome. With a strategic approach, AI can become a transformative force in SEO.
Reimagining AI in SEO: a holistic approach
The future of AI in SEO lies in broad, contextual, transparent, and flexible applications. Here’s what that could look like (or at least the way I see it):
True end-to-end integration: Artificial intelligence systems should support the entire SEO process, from keyword and competitor research and content creation to analytics and further optimisation.
Contextual intelligence: AI must understand your business’s unique products, services, and audience to produce truly valuable insights and outputs. Do not expect to provide generalised/simplistic input and receive tailored to your business output.
Transparency: Clear visibility into data sources and processes ensures trust and enables better decision-making.
Flexibility: Artificial intelligence systems should be adaptable, allowing users to modify workflows and tailor outputs as needed.
Building Effective AI Assistants
To achieve this vision, SEO teams need to embrace AI assistants that combine multi-step prompting and custom tools.
Multi-Step Prompting
Instead of asking a tool like ChatGPT or DeepSeek to generate a blog post in one go, break the process into smaller, more manageable tasks. For example:
Ask the AI tool to conduct research on a given topic.
Request an outline based on that research.
Feed it additional insights or data from your team.
Revise and refine the content through multiple iterations.
This granular approach significantly improves the quality of outputs and ensures the AI aligns closely with your business and SEO goals.
Custom Tools and Automation
Custom tools allow AI to integrate seamlessly with existing databases, content management systems (CMS), and workflows. For example:
Use AI to pull data from your affiliate database to identify relevant products for a blog post.
Employ Artificial intelligence to analyse competitor strategies by extracting and summarising insights from their content.
Leverage AI's image recognition capabilities to automate tasks like selecting the best product images for a page.
By automating these tasks and more, SEO teams can save time and focus on higher-value activities.
Implementing AI in your SEO team
To successfully integrate AI, follow these steps:
Map your processes: Sit down with your team to document your current workflows, identifying steps that could be streamlined with AI. If possible talk to all channels as SEO is always done better when working in close collaboration with developers, content creators, PPC etc.
Identify high-ROI areas: Start with tasks where AI can deliver the most significant impact, such as automating repetitive processes or enhancing data analysis.
Leverage existing tools: Use tools like Zapier for no-code automation or custom scripts to connect AI models with your systems.
Experiment and iterate: Stay updated on advancements in AI and continuously test new tools and approaches against your existing processes.
The AI advantage: scaling SEO efforts
The ultimate promise of AI is delivering unparalleled scalability. For SEO in particular, artificial intelligence enables tools that can and probably will revolutionise how teams conduct research, optimise content, and implement strategies. With the right tools and strategies, a small SEO team can achieve the output of a much larger one. This capability is critical in a competitive landscape where agility and efficiency often determine success.
Conclusion: riding the AI wave
Artificial intelligence represents the most significant technological shift of our time and its impact on SEO is only just beginning. The question is no longer 'Can AI help us?' but rather 'How can we help AI in order for AI to help us?'. By embracing AI strategically, SEO teams can unlock unprecedented efficiency, creativity, and impact.
So, are you riding the AI wave or risking being swept away by it? The choice is yours - and the time to act is now.
### The art of organic social media: advancing e-commerce through strategic authenticity
https://youtu.be/8Bj28jKJWlA?si=o_ja_K7LOC-IISQx
In the rapidly evolving digital world, social media has gone beyond its origins as a place for personal connection and it's emerging as a formidable force in e-commerce. As consumer behaviour evolves and the boundaries of retail expand, businesses are strategically harnessing social media platforms to convert engagement into tangible sales. This article and the attached video (with the amazing Lara Harding from Click Consult) dive into the sophisticated craft of organic social media, examining how authenticity underpins success and elucidating advanced strategies for leveraging social commerce.
Decoding social commerce
Social commerce (a rapidly growing branch of e-commerce) encapsulates the process of translating social media interactions into consumer purchases. It has become a pivotal component of e-commerce strategies, bolstered by the integration of shopping functionalities across social media platforms. In 2024, TikTok Shop is aiming to surpass $20 billion in revenue, while Facebook recorded a revenue of $134.9 billion in 2023, illustrating the immense potential of these channels. Consumers are not merely engaging (with likes and clicks) - they are purchasing directly within the social media ecosystem.
This paradigm shift is fuelled by a demand for seamless convenience and the resonance of user-centric content. Traditional aggressive sales tactics are being superseded by strategies that concentrate on narrative, relatability, and genuine audience connections.
Authenticity as the cornerstone
Authenticity, which in my personal opinion should be praised and talked about more in digital marketing, resonates profoundly because it cultivates trust and fosters meaningful engagement. Modern-day buyers are skilled at recognising inauthenticity and quickly disengage from overly commercialised content.
Consequently, successful brands on TikTok, such as Gymshark and ASOS, prioritise content that aligns with their audience's values, addresses specific challenges, and evokes inspiration.
To be successful in social commerce, brands must transition from a transactional focus to one centred on serving their audience (Haven't I said that hundreds of times over the last 3–4 years?). To create effective content under this new focus brands need to answer the following three questions:
- How does this content benefit the user?
- Does it educate, entertain, or inspire?
- Will it motivate sharing or saving?
Authentic content transcends product promotion; it crafts emotional connections. By emphasising relatability and narrative richness, brands build lasting loyalty and encourage repeat engagement.
Four pillars of advanced social commerce
The success of social commerce strategies is undergirded by four fundamental principles:
Crafting engaging content
Fostering community
Mastering narrative techniques
Deeply understanding the audience
Crafting engaging content
High-calibre content forms the backbone of social media success. A sophisticated content strategy marries creativity with data-driven insights to maximise impact.
Visual storytelling plays a pivotal role. Behind-the-scenes insights, compelling product visuals, dynamic videos, and interactive formats such as polls and quizzes enable brands to establish deeper connections with their audience. From my personal experience video content is a particularly potent medium for showcasing products and reinforcing brand identity.
Fostering community
Social media thrives on connection, and brands that prioritise community-building often achieve superior results. Effective community management entails proactive engagement through comments, direct messages, and user reviews. This reciprocal interaction builds trust and underscores the brand’s commitment to its audience.
Strategic collaborations, including partnerships with influencers and complementary brands, amplify community reach. Influencers, with their established credibility and expansive networks, introduce brands to new demographics, catalyzing trust and driving conversions.
"Of course not many businesses are comfortable building and sustaining communities. They see it as an unnecessary distraction that drains resources. It’s something they cannot easily quantify in a PowerPoint presentation or a balance sheet. So they avoid it. But they shouldn’t.
Until the mindset change that’s necessary happens the businesses that will forge ahead are the ones that ‘get it’. There’s no reason yours isn’t one of them." - David Amerland
Mastering narrative techniques
Storytelling is a sophisticated tool that enables brands to engage audiences on an emotional plane. Patagonia exemplifies this with its content focusing on sustainability rather than product catalogues. Campaigns such as the 'Neighborhood Jacket' (watch the video, but don't cry, lol) not only highlight the brand’s ethos but also position purchases within a broader, values-driven narrative.
Through storytelling, Patagonia has cultivated a dedicated customer base drawn to its mission as much as its merchandise. This narrative approach transforms customers into long-term advocates and aligns commerce with purpose.
Deeply understanding the audience
Advanced social listening and analytics are indispensable for understanding and decoding audience behaviour and preferences. Sophisticated tools like Brandwatch (features of this tool include image recognition, influencer identification, and predictive analytics) facilitate real-time tracking of online discourse, demographic insights, and purchasing tendencies, enabling brands to refine their strategies with precision.
Truly understanding what the audience prefers or values will allow your brand to tailor their messaging to maximise relevance. For example, if data shows that the audience cares about sustainability, campaigns can emphasise eco-conscious messaging to boost engagement and conversion rates.
Elevating social commerce through user-generated content (UGC)
User-generated content (UGC) has emerged as a transformative force in social commerce. Encouraging customers to showcase products through their own lens generates authentic, relatable marketing material that enhances engagement and builds trust.
When looking for new running trainers, I always watch UGS videos. I simply don't trust brand videos telling me their trainers are the best. Of course, every brand thinks their product is the best, and I'm okay with that. However, what I don't like is that brands always talk about the best bits and are never honest about the real user experience.
I always point at ASOS’s #AsSeenOnMe campaign as one of the best examples of utilising the power of UGC. Initiated in 2014, this campaign inspired customers to share personal images featuring ASOS products. Amassing over one million user submissions, the initiative revolutionised the integration of UGC in e-commerce. Brands such as Boohoo and PrettyLittleThing continue to emulate this success.
The effectiveness of UGC lies in its relatability: consumers inherently trust the endorsements of peers over polished advertisements. Furthermore, UGC fosters a sense of inclusion and recognition, cultivating a strong communal identity among audiences.
The role of employee-generated content (EGC)
Employee-generated content (EGC) represents an emergent trend that accentuates the human dimension of brands. By showcasing employees in content creation, companies inject their messaging with authenticity and relatability. Currently, I work at Canon. My family, friends and many of the people who follow me online think better of Canon because of me. Consumers value transparency and appreciate the opportunity to connect with the individuals behind the brand, further solidifying trust.
Note: One thing that nobody talks about is that by asking your employees to contribute to EGC, they can also showcase their work, helping them grow their personal brand, which in return can potentially improve employee retention. It's a win-win situation.
Harnessing visual storytelling
Visual storytelling is a sophisticated strategy that transcends mere aesthetics, serving as a conduit for conveying brand essence. Formats such as behind-the-scenes videos, product demonstrations, and interactive content exemplify this approach. Platforms like Instagram Stories provide dynamic opportunities for engagement through quizzes, polls, and exclusive promotions.
Aligned visual narratives underscore a brand’s core values. For instance, Patagonia’s sustainability campaigns or brands prioritising inclusivity can use storytelling to reinforce their unique identity. The alignment of narrative with brand ethos amplifies resonance and impact.
Anticipating the evolution of social commerce
The trajectory of social commerce will increasingly emphasise authenticity-centered strategies. As platforms and consumer expectations evolve, trends like UGC and EGC will gain prominence, enabling brands to:
Strengthen community ties
Increase consumer confidence
Optimise purchasing pathways
Advances in social listening and analytics will also empower brands to craft hyper-personalised digital marketing campaigns. Those who prioritise audience insight and authentic engagement will lead the next phase of social commerce innovation. I can also use some simple words here and just say that those who prioritise audience insight and authentic engagement will make money and those who don't will be on the losing side of social commerce.
Conclusion: authenticity as the nexus of connection and commerce
The essence of thriving in social commerce lies in authenticity. By fostering trust, narrating compelling stories, and engaging audiences with purpose, brands do more than drive transactions - they nurture enduring loyalty. Social media serves not merely as a commercial platform but as a medium for profound connection and vibrant community. Embracing the nuanced artistry of organic social media positions businesses to excel in the dynamic realm of e-commerce.
Social commerce
### Understanding search intent: beyond the traditional funnel
https://youtu.be/i8DuE7YLoNU?si=DBSjPUmNV3uofXt6
In the ever-changing world of digital marketing, understanding user intent is essential to crafting effective digital strategies that drive 'qualified traffic to your website and conversions. Historically, digital marketers have depended on simplistic intent models and linear funnels to guide their campaigns. However, as consumer behaviour becomes more variable and unpredictable, these outdated frameworks often fail to reflect the complexities of modern purchasing journeys. Let’s discuss common search intent misconceptions, and potential actions to optimise content and enhance user experiences.
Decoding search intent
Search intent (some people also call it user or keyword intent) categorises the motivations behind a user’s query. In other words, search intent refers to the searcher's primary goal when typing a query. Digital marketers typically divide search intent into the following categories:
Navigational intent
Users know precisely where they want to go and use search engines as shortcuts to reach specific websites. For example, someone searching for 'BBC News' is clearly aiming to go to the BBC website. I do that all the time when I want to know the latest news.
Informational intent
When users have informational intent, they seek answers, explanations, or insights about a subject. Initially, they might not know what exactly they're looking for, so they may begin by searching for general or high-level information. Queries such as 'How to make lasagne' or 'How to track AI traffic in GA4' fall into this category.
Transactional intent
Transactional intent is probably the easiest to explain. Users are ready to take action, often involving the purchase of a product or a service. Phrases like 'Buy iPhone 16 Pro' or 'Best deals on laptops' indicate a strong purchase intent.
Keyword research tools like SEMrush (go to the Keyword Magic Tool) often categorise keyword intent to help marketers align landing page types - homepages for navigation, blogs for information, and product pages for transactions - with corresponding user needs. Yet, this rigid approach doesn’t adequately capture the nuances of real-world user behaviour.
SEMrush Keyword Magic Tool
The myth of the linear funnel
The traditional conversion funnel - awareness, interest, decision - is a widely recognised model in digital marketing. While it serves as a useful framework, it is overly simplistic. Real-world purchasing journeys are rarely linear (in fact, almost never linear). External factors such as recommendations, targeted advertisements, and peer reviews can disrupt or influence the path. Consumers frequently revisit earlier stages of the funnel, particularly for high-consideration (expensive) purchases like cars or home appliances.
Furthermore, today’s consumers use diverse platforms to research and discover products. A user might see a product on TikTok, check reviews on Reddit, watch videos on YouTube and only then go to Google to start a search that may eventually lead to a purchase. Digital marketers must embrace this complexity and design flexible strategies that accommodate varying user behaviours.
Debunking common myths about search intent
Myth 1: Navigational searches only lead to homepages
Navigational intent is often wrongly limited to homepage visits. In reality, users frequently search for specific information related to a brand, such as discount codes or reviews. For instance, users searching for 'ASOS discount code' are actively seeking promotions (that's me every Christmas, lol) rather than the homepage. By failing to optimise for such queries, brands risk losing traffic to external sites offering voucher codes.
From what I know 'YouTube' and 'Facebook' are the most searched queries on Google, and these are also navigational queries.
Solution: Create dedicated landing pages for common navigational queries, such as discount codes or FAQs. This ensures users find the information they need without leaving your website.
Myth 2: Categories are solely for navigation
Category pages, often called Product Listing Pages (PLPs), are usually seen as navigational tools for browsing website products. However, without additional context or guidance, these pages can overwhelm the visitors. For example, a page displaying dozens of mountain bikes without details on wheel sizes, handlebar types, or intended user expertise can confuse novice buyers.
Solution: Enhance category pages with detailed filters and summaries. Include key product differentiators, such as specifications, use cases, and skill levels, to guide visitors effectively. For instance, a bicycle retailer could specify features like 'ideal for beginners' or 'perfect for mountain trails'. A strong example of a good category page is Decatlon's mountain bike PLP. The filter on this page gives the visitor all the information needed to segment the products and find the right bike.
SEMrush Keyword Magic Tool
Myth 3: Product pages are solely for conversions
A common misconception is that product pages should focus exclusively on driving purchases. Yes, these are the primary pages to drive sales but the visitors may arrive at these pages at different stages of their journey. In fact, if you think about it logically, most people arriving on your product pages are in fact not ready to purchase. Instead, most people arriving at your PLPs are seeking additional information to make an informed decision, and it's your job to give them as much useful information as possible.
Solution: Enrich product pages with supplementary content, such as FAQs, customer reviews, and instructional videos. For instance, a video demonstrating how to assemble a tent can reassure potential buyers about ease of use, addressing concerns that might otherwise deter a purchase.
Myth 4: Content length equals quality
There’s a persistent belief that longer content automatically ranks higher in search engines. This has led to the creation of bloated articles that bury key information beneath irrelevant details, as seen in recipe blogs featuring unnecessary personal anecdotes and family history (I just want to make a cake, I don't need to know the history of the pan you are using).
Solution: Focus on purposeful content. Every element on a page should serve a clear function, whether it is answering a question, providing guidance, or aiding navigation. Google’s Helpful Content Update rewards websites prioritising user value over keyword stuffing.
Actionable tips for optimising content for search intent
Engage with customers:
Consult your customer service team to identify common queries and use these queries to inform your FAQ sections.
Conduct surveys or use tools like Hotjar to gather user feedback.
Build user personas:
Develop detailed profiles of typical customers, including their goals, challenges, and behaviours.
Use these personas to guide content creation and website design (user journeys).
Leverage Google Search Console:
Filter queries by brand or product names to understand how users find your website.
Identify opportunities for optimising specific pages based on search trends.
Explore auto-complete and 'People Also Ask':
Use Google’s autocomplete suggestions to uncover related search queries.
Analyse 'People Also Ask' questions to identify recurring themes.
Tools like Answer The Public and Also Asked can visualise these insights effectively.
Incorporate related content:
Link relevant blog articles, guides, or videos directly on product pages.
Use content clusters to connect informational, navigational, and transactional resources.
Streamline content:
Prioritise clarity and usefulness over length (always!).
Regularly audit existing content to remove redundant or outdated information.
Adopting a comprehensive strategy
It is necessary to move away from strict frameworks and outdated ideas about how people buy online in order to comprehend and optimise for search intent. By focusing on individual user needs and crafting interconnected experiences, brands can better serve their audiences while improving visibility and conversions. The future of successful digital marketing is to approach each search query as a chance to establish trust, solve an issue, and develop enduring relationships.
### Analysing Google Search Console Data with BigQuery
In today's digital landscape, data is king. Google Search Console (GSC) serves as a treasure trove of data, offering valuable insights into your website's performance in the Google Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). However, for in-depth analysis and uncovering hidden trends, integrating GSC data with BigQuery unlocks a whole new level of SEO (digital marketing) power.
Understanding Google Search Console
Google Search Console provides essential data about your website's organic traffic and performance, including:
Search Analytics: Metrics like clicks, impressions, CTR (Click-Through Rate), and average position.
Index Coverage: Information about the indexing status of your website pages.
Mobile Usability: Issues affecting the mobile user experience.
Manual Actions: Notifications about manual penalties from Google.
While most GSC's dashboards are useful, they lack advanced querying capabilities and may become challenging when handling large amounts of data. This is where exporting data to BigQuery becomes extremely beneficial.
The power of BigQuery
BigQuery, Google's cloud-based data warehouse, provides a scalable and cost-effective platform for analysing large-scale datasets. By connecting Google Search Console with BigQuery, you can:
Unleash Granular Analysis: GSC offers a limited timeframe for data storage. BigQuery eliminates this restriction, allowing you to analyse historical trends spanning years, providing a more comprehensive understanding of your website's organic search performance over time.
Craft Custom Reports: GSC's reporting functionalities are powerful, but BigQuery reigns supreme for truly tailored insights. You can write complex SQL queries to create custom reports that answer your specific SEO questions. Imagine dissecting click-through rates (CTR) for specific device types or analysing keyword performance across different landing pages.
Combine Data Sources: SEO doesn't exist in a vacuum. BigQuery allows you to easily integrate GSC data with other valuable sources like Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and Google Ads. This holistic view empowers you to understand how organic search traffic interacts with other marketing channels, providing a deeper insight into your overall SEO and digital marketing strategy.
Setting up Google Search Console and BigQuery integration
To start analysing Search Console data in BigQuery, you need to set up a data export. This process involves several steps:
Enable BigQuery API: In the Google Cloud Console, ensure that the BigQuery API is enabled.
Create a BigQuery Project: If you don’t already have one, create a new project in BigQuery.
Link Google Search Console to BigQuery:
In the GSC dashboard, navigate to Settings > Associations > Add Association.
Choose BigQuery and follow the prompts to authenticate and link your BigQuery project.
Configure Data Export: Define the export parameters, such as the data range and frequency (daily exports are common).
Once set up, GSC will automatically export your data to BigQuery based on the configured schedule.
Analysing Search Console data with BigQuery
With your data flowing into BigQuery, you can start performing advanced analyses. Here are some common use cases and queries:
Identifying top-performing pages
SELECT
url,
search_type,
SUM(impressions) AS impressions,
SUM(clicks) AS clicks,
CAST(AVG(sum_position) AS INT64) AS average_position
FROM
`your_project.your_dataset.url_impression` -- Use url_impression table
WHERE
data_date BETWEEN DATE_SUB(CURRENT_DATE(), INTERVAL 28 DAY)
AND CURRENT_DATE()
GROUP BY
url,
search_type
ORDER BY
clicks DESC
LIMIT
100;
In this query:
CAST(AVG(sum_position) AS INT64) is used to convert the average position to an integer, effectively truncating any decimal places.
CURRENT_DATE() is used to get today's date.
DATE_SUB(CURRENT_DATE(), INTERVAL 28 DAY) calculates the date 28 days ago from today.This ensures that the query always returns data for the most recent 28 days, regardless of when it’s run.
Query results
Identifying top-performing pages BigQuery example
Note: Replace 'your_project.your_dataset.url_impression' with your url_impression table(!)
Device performance comparison
Comparing performance across devices (desktop, mobile, tablet) can reveal insights into user behaviour and device-specific issues.
SELECT
device,
SUM(clicks) AS total_clicks,
SUM(impressions) AS total_impressions,
CAST(AVG(sum_top_position) AS INT64) AS average_position
FROM
`your_project.your_dataset.searchdata_site_impression`
WHERE
data_date BETWEEN DATE_SUB(CURRENT_DATE(), INTERVAL 28 DAY)
AND CURRENT_DATE()
GROUP BY
device
ORDER BY
total_clicks DESC;
This query breaks down clicks, impressions, and average position by device type. By segmenting data by device, you can identify any discrepancies in performance between mobile and desktop users. This can inform decisions around mobile responsiveness and content optimisation for different screen sizes.
Query results
Device performance comparison BigQuery example
Identify queries containing your brand name
SELECT
query,
SUM(clicks) AS clicks,
SUM(impressions) AS impressions
FROM
`your_project.your_dataset.searchdata_url_impression`
WHERE
query LIKE '%sido%'
GROUP BY
query
ORDER BY
clicks DESC
Query results
Identify queries containing your brand name BigQuery example
Find queries with high impressions but low clicks (potential for optimisation)
SELECT
query,
SUM(impressions) AS impressions,
SUM(clicks) AS clicks,
FROM
`your_project.your_dataset.searchdata_url_impression` -- Use url_impression table
WHERE
data_date >= CURRENT_DATE() - INTERVAL 30 DAY
GROUP BY
query
HAVING
impressions >= 500 -- Adjust thresholds as needed
ORDER BY
impressions DESC
LIMIT
20
This query identifies queries with a high number of impressions (over 500 in the last 30 days) but a low number of clicks. These could be queries where your title tags or meta descriptions aren't compelling enough, or they might not be well-aligned with user intent.
Query results
Find queries with high impressions but low clicks BigQuery example
Visualising the data with Google Looker Studio
While BigQuery is excellent for querying and analysing data, visualising the results is often the best way to communicate insights. Google Looker Studio can connect directly to BigQuery and help you build dynamic dashboards.
Here’s how to create a basic Looker Studio dashboard:
Go to Data Studio and select "Create a Data Source."
Choose BigQuery as the source and select your dataset.
Build visualisations like line charts for clicks over time, bar charts for CTR by device, or tables for query performance.
Automating and Scaling
Once you’ve built your queries, you can schedule them to run at regular intervals. BigQuery allows you to schedule queries that will automatically update your datasets or reports. This is useful for keeping your dashboards fresh with the latest data without manual intervention.
Conclusion
Using BigQuery to analyse Search Console data opens up endless possibilities for deep analysis and actionable insights. With its ability to handle large datasets and run complex queries, you can uncover trends, opportunities, and areas for improvement much faster than using Google Search Console alone.
By following the steps outlined above, you’ll be well on your way to dissecting your Search Console data in BigQuery and using it to drive smarter, data-driven marketing decisions.
Analysing Search Console data with BigQuery
### How to track AI traffic in GA4
Understanding where your website traffic originates from in today's data-driven marketing world is crucial for optimising your digital marketing campaigns and enhancing the user experiences of your visitors. While traditional analytics focus mostly on organic search and PPC advertising, there is a new kid on the block called 'AI-driven traffic'.
Probably there is no need to tell you that AI traffic originates from interactions with so-called artificial intelligence platforms like chatbots, virtual assistants, and automated programs. As more and more people use AI chatbots to find answers that are difficult to find in search engines, accurately tracking AI traffic and its impact on your website becomes without a doubt essential.
But how do you identify referral traffic specifically from AI sources in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)?
Why Track AI Referral Traffic?
AI platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and DeepSeek are rapidly transforming how users interact with websites. Chatbots handle customer inquiries, virtual assistants recommend products and automated programs curate personalised experiences. Traffic generated by these AI interactions falls under the umbrella of referral traffic in Google Analytics 4. However, isolating and analysing it presents unique challenges.
I will show you how to track AI referrals in GA4 but first here's why, in my opinion, tracking AI referrals in GA4 is crucial:
Measuring AI's traffic effectiveness helps you to evaluate how AI interactions influence user engagement, conversion rates, and overall website performance.
Gaining insights into which AI interactions drive the most valuable traffic will allow you to make targeted improvements to your website.
By tracking AI referral traffic over time you can understand its evolving role in your website's traffic mix. I expect AI traffic to rise significantly over time. Pay attention!
By comparing AI referral traffic to organic search, paid advertising (PPC), and other channels you can assess its relative contribution.
To stay ahead of your competitors you should be monitoring industry trends in AI referral traffic. Measure your performance against them so you can understand how AI traffic influences user journeys, so you can employ data-driven strategies that enhance your website for both AI-driven and human interactions.
How to track AI traffic in GA4
Create an exploration report and use a regex formula to filter traffic
Currently, the easiest way to track traffic coming from AI tools, as far as I know, is to create an exploration report in GA4 with a regex formula to work with traffic source data, as shown in the screenshot.
Start by creating a new Exploration report (I will call it AI Traffic).
Set your 'Dimensions' to 'Session source / medium' and use 'Views' as a metric.
In 'Filters', choose 'Matches Regex', and in the 'Enter Expression' box, copy and paste the following regex:
.*gpt.*|.*chatgpt.*|.*openai.*|.*neeva.*|.*writesonic.*|.*nimble.*|.*outrider.*|.*perplexity.*|.*google.*bard.*|.*bard.*google.*|.*bard.*|.*edgeservices.*|.*gemini.*google.*
AI Traffic exploration report in GA4
Pro Tip: Remember that AI traffic identification is still evolving. This Regex pattern searches for keywords commonly associated with popular AI platforms like GPT, ChatGPT, OpenAI, and Gemini Gemini (Formerly Bard). Don't hesitate to update this list as new AI players emerge.
Create an AI traffic segment
The second method for tracking traffic coming from AI chatbots is to create a segment in an Exploration report.
Start by creating a new Exploration report. Let's call it the 'AI Traffic Segment'.
Build a new segment by clicking on the plus sign next to SEGMENTS.
Add a new segment to the exploration report in GA4.
In the 'Build new segment' section click on the create 'Event segment' button.
Event segment
Under 'Add a new condition', find 'Page referrer' and then apply the following filter: Page referrer matches regex
.*gpt.*|.*chatgpt.*|.*openai.*|.*neeva.*|.*writesonic.*|.*nimble.*|.*outrider.*|.*perplexity.*|.*google.*bard.*|.*bard.*google.*|.*bard.*|.*edgeservices.*|.*gemini.*google.*
Page referrer event parameter
Name your new segment (I called it AI Traffic) and then save and apply it to your report.
Use 'Page referrer' as a dimension in ROWS.
Exploration report with AI traffic segment
At this juncture, the AI referral traffic should appear on the chart.
I hope by now everything is clear, but as usual, if you have any questions, please comment down below, and I will try to get back to you as soon as possible.
Update: A Better Version of the Code
After sharing my article, I received a great suggestion from Sebastiaan Reinders on LinkedIn. He pointed out a more refined version of the code I initially shared, and I think it's definitely worth including here. His updated code enhances the logic and broadens its scope to catch even more relevant matches.
Here’s Sebastiaan’s improved code:
^.*ai|.*\.openai.*|.*copilot.*|.*chatgpt.*|.*gemini.*|.*gpt.*|.*neeva.*|.*writesonic.*|.*nimble.*|.*outrider.*|.*perplexity.*|.*google.*bard.*|.*bard.*google.*|.*bard.*|.*edgeservices.*|.*gemini.*google.*$
Big thanks to Sebastiaan for sharing this! It’s always great to get feedback from others in the community. If you’re working with a similar setup, you might find his version to be an even better fit.
How to track AI traffic in GA4 code
FAQ
What is 'referral traffic' in GA4? Referral traffic in GA4 refers to visits to your website that come from sources outside of search engines. When someone clicks on a link to your website on another website, it is considered a referral visit. Google Analytics 4 tracks referral traffic to help businesses understand which external sources are driving visitors to their site, enabling them to optimise their marketing efforts and partnerships effectively. What is 'session source' in GA4? In GA4, session source refers to the origin from which a user arrives at your website or app during a specific session. This can include direct traffic (users who directly type in your website's URL), organic search traffic (users who find your site through search engines), referral traffic (visitors who come from other websites, e.g. AI traffic), social media traffic, and more. Understanding session sources allows businesses to analyse the effectiveness of various marketing channels and make informed decisions to improve their online presence. What is the difference between users and traffic in GA4? In Google Analytics 4, 'users' and 'traffic' represent different metrics used to measure website or app engagement. 'Users' refer to the individuals who visit your website or app within a specified time frame, regardless of the number of sessions they initiate.On the other hand, 'traffic' encompasses the overall volume of visits or sessions to your site, including both new and returning users. While users focus on the unique individuals interacting with your platform, traffic provides insights into the frequency and intensity of user engagement, helping online businesses measure the overall popularity and performance of their digital properties.
Looking at data from all angles
### Calculated Metrics in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
What are calculated metrics?
In Google Analytics 4 (GA4), calculated metrics are formed by blending one or more existing metrics using a mathematical formula, yielding a fresh and potentially more insightful metric.
Think of calculated metrics as the alchemists of Google Analytics 4. They transmute existing metrics and custom metrics into brand-new ones, tailored to your unique business goals.
Why use calculated metrics?
Beyond scratching analytical itches, calculated metrics offer a slew of benefits:
Customisation: They answer questions standard metrics simply can't. Craving an 'engaged user' metric that factors in time spent and specific events? Create it!
Deeper analysis: Drill down into granular details. Gauge user engagement during key milestones in your buyer journey.
Enhanced reporting: Build robust, custom reports with metrics that speak directly to your KPIs and business goals. Thank me later.
Efficiencies galore: Say goodbye to manual calculations and spreadsheets. Calculated metrics automate your analysis, saving you time and effort.
How to set up calculated metrics in Google Analytics 4
Create calculated metrics in GA4
Now, let's get hands-on! Creating calculated metrics in GA4 is surprisingly straightforward. Here's your step-by-step guide:
Navigate to Admin > Custom definitions > Calculated metrics.
Click the blue button 'Create calculated metric'.
Write a descriptive name. Providing a distinct name will facilitate quick comprehension for anyone reviewing the metric in the future.
The API name is mandatory but it is populated automatically based on the calculated metric name. The API name must be unique and cannot be modified at a later time. Avoid using special characters, symbols, and spaces. The API name serves as the unique identifier for the calculated metric when querying through the API.
The Description is optional, but it will make it easier for you to later recall what this metric is about.
The Formula field is where the fun begins! Use the available metrics and operators such as (+, -, *, /) plus parentheses () to weave your analytical spell.
Choose a unit of measurement. Keep it consistent with your chosen formula.
Hit 'Save' and voila! Your new metric is ready to be unleashed.
Create calculated metric
Once saved, your calculated metric will be available for use in various reports and analyses. You can use it just like any other standard metric.
Calculated metric custom report
Note
In order to generate a new calculated metric, you must have Administrator or Editor access to your GA4 property.
In standard GA4 properties, the option to create calculated metrics is limited to a maximum of five.
It is crucial to carefully choose the metrics that will provide the most valuable insights. For users of Google Analytics 360, there is a more extensive capability, allowing the creation of up to 50 calculated metrics.
Formulas have a character limit of 1024.
Differentiate between custom metrics and calculated metrics. A 'custom metric' is employed to gather data not automatically collected by GA4. Conversely, a 'calculated metric' is utilised to gather/compute new data derived from the already available data in GA4.
Last but not least, not all standard metrics are available for calculated metrics but hopefully this will change in the near future.
Examples of calculated metrics in GA 4
Feeling stuck? Here are some examples of calculated metrics:
({Total revenue}*1.27)/{Total users} - Here 1.27 is the conversion factor used to convert the total revenue from British pounds to US dollars. This formula can be useful for businesses that operate in multiple currencies to analyse the average revenue per user (ARPU), considering the currency exchange rate.
{Engaged sessions}/{Total users} - This calculated metric provides insights into how actively users are engaging with your website or app on average. A higher engagement rate suggests that users, on average, are more actively interacting with your content during their sessions. This can be valuable for assessing the overall user experience, content effectiveness, and the success of engagement strategies on your website.
{Gross purchase revenue}/{Transactions} - This metric helps you understand the average value of each transaction (Average Transaction Value) on your site. It's a key indicator for e-commerce businesses to assess the overall performance of their sales and revenue generation. A higher average revenue per transaction is generally positive, indicating that each transaction is contributing more to the total revenue. It can be useful for evaluating pricing strategies, product performance, and overall revenue growth.
{Views}/{Transactions} - This metric can be valuable for assessing the effectiveness of your content or pages in converting visitors into customers. A higher conversion rate suggests that a higher percentage of visitors are taking the desired action (making a purchase) after viewing the content, while a lower conversion rate may indicate areas for improvement in your content or conversion funnel.
{Total users}-{Active users} - This metric can be useful for understanding the size of your audience that is not currently interacting with your site. It might be valuable for assessing user retention, re-engagement strategies, or identifying potential areas for improvement in user engagement.
{Gross purchase revenue}/{Transactions} - Average Order Value (AOV) helps you understand the average value of each transaction on your site, which can be useful for assessing the overall performance of your e-commerce activities and making informed business decisions.
{Item discount amount}/{Item revenue} - This metric helps you understand what percentage of the total revenue for those specific items is attributed to discounts. It can be useful for analysing the effectiveness of discount strategies, evaluating the impact of discounts on sales, and making informed decisions regarding pricing and promotional activities.
({Ads cost}/{Total revenue})*100 - By dividing the Ads Cost by the Total Revenue and multiplying by 100, you get the Advertising Cost Ratio (Advertising-To-Sales Ratio). This ratio is used to assess the efficiency of your advertising efforts by measuring how much of your total revenue is spent on advertising. A lower ACR indicates a more efficient use of advertising resources, while a higher ratio may suggest that a significant portion of revenue is being used to cover advertising costs.
Remember
You can combine standard and custom metrics in your formulas.
Use parentheses for complex calculations.
Test your formulas before unleashing them on your reports.
Don't be afraid to experiment and refine your metrics!
Calculated metrics beyond GA4
Calculated metrics aren't just for GA4. You can also create Calculated fields in Google Data Studio to enhance your dashboards and reports.
Embrace the power of calculated metrics
Calculated metrics are your gateway to a deeper understanding of your audience and business. By wielding this Google Analytics 4 superpower, you can optimise your marketing efforts, identify new opportunities, and ultimately achieve your business digital goals. So, dive into the world of calculated metrics, unleash your inner data alchemist, and discover the untapped potential hidden within your data.
Remember, the only limit is your imagination. Happy analysing!
Data analysis is the art of unraveling the story within the numbers, where each data point holds a brushstroke, painting a masterpiece of knowledge and wisdom.
### Vacation rental (VacationRental) structured data
In the dynamic world of online travel, vacation rentals have emerged as a popular accommodation option for travellers seeking unique experiences and flexible stays. To stand out among the vast array of vacation rental listings, property owners and rental platforms can leverage Google's Vacation Rental structured data. This markup language provides valuable information about vacation rental properties, allowing Google Search to showcase these listings more prominently and engagingly.
What is Vacation Rental Structured Data?
Vacation Rental structured data is a standardised way of marking up information about vacation rental properties on websites. It enables Google Search to understand the key details of these properties, such as the property name, location, amenities, availability, and pricing. By utilising Vacation Rental structured data, property owners can enhance their visibility in Google Search results, attract more potential renters, and ultimately increase their occupancy rates.
Vacation rental structured data rich result
Benefits of using Vacation Rental Structured Data
The implementation of Vacation Rental structured data offers several compelling benefits for vacation rental properties:
Enhanced Search Results: Vacation Rental markup enhances the appearance of vacation rental listings in Google Search results. By providing structured data, properties are more likely to appear as rich snippets, featuring prominent images, detailed descriptions, and star ratings. This improved presentation increases visibility and attracts more user attention.
Increased CTR (Click-Through Rate): Rich snippets with Vacation Rental structured data often lead to higher CTRs compared to standard listings. The enhanced visual presentation and detailed information pique users' interest, making them more likely to click on the listing to learn more.
Improved Local Search Presence: Vacation Rental structured data can strengthen the local search presence of properties. By providing location information, Google can distinguish between local and non-local vacation rentals, ensuring that local listings are displayed prominently to users searching for accommodations in the vicinity.
Increased Booking Rates: Ultimately, the goal of vacation rental listings is to increase bookings resulting in increased revenue. Vacation Rental structured data can play a crucial role in achieving this objective by attracting more clicks and providing potential renters with the information they need to make informed decisions.
How to Implement Vacation Rental Structured Data
Implementing Vacation Rental structured data involves adding a specific script tag (I would recommend using JSON-LD) to the HTML code of the vacation rental listing page. This code provides the necessary information about the property, such as its name, location, amenities, pricing, and availability. The specific codes and their placement will depend on the website's content management system (CMS).
Required structured data fields for Vacation Rental Structured Data
containsPlace: A vacation rental listing should include at least one Accommodation.
containsPlace.occupancy: Details regarding the maximum permissible number of guests ((including infants) for the vacation rental listing. Use "@type": "QuantitativeValue".
containsPlace.occupancy.value: The numeric value denoting the permissible number of guests for the vacation rental listing.
identifier: Provide a unique identifier for the property. Note: Consistent identifiers must be employed for the same listing across various languages.
image: Provide the URLs for one or more images of the listing, ensuring that there is at least one image for each of the bedrooms, bathrooms, and common areas. Ensure that the image orientation is landscape, with a maximum width and height of 4000px, and that the image URLs are accessible to Googlebot. Note: Listing without images will be automatically excluded from rich snippets.
latitude: The latitude of the listing's location should be specified with a precision of at least 5 decimal places.
longitude: The longitude of the listing's location should be specified with a precision of at least 5 decimal places.
name: Povide the name of the vacation rental listing.
Recommended structured data fields for Vacation Rental listings
additionalType: "Describe the type of vacation rental listing, such as a cabin, cottage, villa, house, etc. You can find the full list in the 'Holiday Rental Properties on Google' guide.
address: Details regarding the street address of the listing.
address.addressCountry: Provide the country of your listing. Use the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code.
address.addressLocality: Provide the city where the property is located.
address.addressRegion: The region where the property is situated, within the country.
address.postalCode: Provide the postal code for your vacation listing.
address.streetAddress: Provide the full street address of the property.
aggregateRating: Details regarding the average property rating, derived from feedback provided by users who have rented the property. Follow Google's guidelines for 'review snippet' and 'aggregated rating' markup.
brand: Provide the brand ID associated with your property. To link your properties with your brand, refer to the guide on 'How to associate your properties with brands'.
checkinTime: The earliest time at which someone can check in at a lodging establishment. Provide the time in ISO 8601 format.
checkoutTime: The latest time at which someone can check out of a lodging establishment. Provide the time in ISO 8601 format.
containsPlace.additionalType: Describe the type of room for your vacation rental using one of the following three values - EntirePlace, PrivateRoom, or SharedRoom.
containsPlace.amenityFeature: Use this schema property to tell Google whether the rental property has a specific amenity. To describe the rental property you can use the following boolean* values: ac - used to indicate whether the property has air conditioning; airportShuttle - related to whether the host provides transportation to and from an airport; balcony - indicates that the property has a balcony; beachAccess - indicates that there is a beach nearby; kidsFriendly - confirm that the property is suitable for kids; crib - indicates that the property provides a crib; elevator - indicates that the property has a lift; fireplace - indicates that the property has a fireplace; freeBreakfast - indicates that breakfast is included; gymFitnessEquipment - confirms that property has fitness/gym equipment; heating - this value reveals that the property has heating; hotTub - indicates that the property has a hot tub; instantBookable - communicates that the property can be booked instantly during the checkout process; ironingBoard - indicates that the property has in ironing board, kitchen - reveals that the property has a kitchen; microwave - indicates that the property provides a microwave; outdoorGrill - communicates that the property has an outdoor grill; ovenStove - inicates that the proprty has an oen or a stove; patio - indicates that the property has a patio; petsAllowed - communicates wheater the guest can bring a pet to the rental property; pool - indiates that the property has a pool; privateBeachAccess - indicates that the property has access to a private beach; selfCheckinCheckout - indicates that th prperty supports self checkin and checkout; smokingAllowed - communicats wheater smokig is allwoed (or not) in the rental property; tv - indisates that thee property has a TV; washerDryer - indiates that the property has washing appliances; wheelchairAccessible - indicates that the property is accessible for individuals using wheelchairs; wifi - indicate that the property has a wifi. You can also use the following non-boolean values: internetType - describe the type of internet available on the property using Free, Paid or None; parkingType - describe the type of parking available on the property using Free, Paid or None; poolType - describe the pool available on the property using Indoor, Outdoor or None; licenseNum - in specific global regions the license number (either for tourism or business purposes) must be displayed.
containsPlace.bed: Describe the type and number of beds in the property.
containsPlace.bed.numberOfBeds: Provide the number of beds.
containsPlace.bed.typeOfBed: Describe the type of beds in the listing using values like King, Double, Single, King or Queen.
containsPlace.floorSize: Provide the size of the property using FTK or SQFT for square feet and MTK or SQM for square meters.
containsPlace.numberOfBathroomsTotal: Provide the total number of bedrooms in the property.
containsPlace.numberOfRooms: Provide the total number of rooms in the property.
description: use this one to describe the property.
knowsLanguage: Use language codes from the IETF BCP 47 standard to indicate the languages the host can speak.
review: Using Google's Review snippet structured data recommendations provide one or more user reviews of the listing.
review.contentReferenceTime: This property is only required in France and indicates the start date of the author's stay.
Vacation Rental Structured Data example
How to test your Vacation rental (VacationRental) Structured Data
Once you have implemented Vacation Rental structured data on your website, you can use Google’s Rich Results Testing Tool to test it. This tool will show you any errors or warnings in your markup.
Vacation Rental structured data rich result test
How to monitor your Vacation Rental Structured data
You can use Google Search Console to monitor your Vacation Rental (VacationRental) structured data implementation. The Structured Data report will show you how many pages on your website have valid Vacation Rental (VacationRental) structured data, and any errors or warnings.
Image by Search Engine Land
FAQ
How does Google use structured data? Google uses structured data to enhance search results by providing richer snippets, such as rich cards, knowledge graph entries, and other interactive elements in the SERPs. Structured data helps improve the overall user experience by offering more informative and visually appealing search results. Does structured data impact search rankings? While structured data itself is not a direct ranking factor, it can indirectly influence SEO by improving the visibility and click-through rates of search results. Rich snippets may attract more user attention, leading to increased traffic. Is structured data essential for all websites? While not mandatory, implementing structured data is recommended as it can enhance the visibility and presentation of your content in search results, providing a better user experience. Are there specific types of structured data recommended for certain content? Yes, different content types benefit from specific markups. For example, LocalBusiness markup for local businesses, Course info structured data to describe online courses, Vehicle listing (Car) structured data to help car dealerships make their for-sale inventory eligible for display on various Google surfaces, and Article markup for news articles. Refer to Schema.org documentation for detailed guidance.
### Organization Structured Data: A Comprehensive Guide
In today's digital age, establishing a strong online presence is crucial for businesses and organisations. One of the best ways to enhance the visibility of your company on Google is by implementing Organization Structured data on your website.
This structured data provides essential administrative details, such as logos, addresses, contact information, and business identifiers, to help Google accurately represent your organisation in knowledge panels and other visual elements.
In this article, I will delve into the importance of Organisation Structured data, the process of adding it to your website, and the recommended properties to maximise its effectiveness.
What is Organisation Structured Data?
Organisation structured data is a type of structured data that uses schema.org vocabulary to describe an organisation. Schema.org is a collaborative project that defines a set of standardised vocabularies for structured data.
The Organization schema.org type can be used to describe a wide variety of organisations, including businesses, non-profit organisations, and government agencies.
Why is Organization Structured Data Important?
Organization structured data is important for several reasons:
Improved visibility in the SERPs: Search engines like Google use structured data to understand the content of a page and to provide more relevant and useful search results. By adding Organization Structured data to a website, an organisation can increase the chances that its website will appear in search results for relevant keywords thus positively impacting your SEO efforts.
Enhanced knowledge panels: Knowledge panels are the boxes that appear to the right of search results for certain types of entities, such as people, places, and organisations. By adding Organization Structured data to a website, an organisation can increase the chances that its website will appear in a knowledge panel. Knowledge panels can provide users with a quick overview of an organisation, including its name, logo, website, and contact information.
Increased user engagement: By providing users with more relevant and useful information about an organisation, organization structured data can help to increase user engagement. For example, if a user is searching for a specific product or service, organization structured data can help them find the right organisation and to contact them directly.
Organization Structured data rich result
Organization Structured Data Example
How to Implement Organization Structured Data
There are no required properties for Organization Structured Data; instead, incorporate all the properties relevant to your organisation. I strongly recommend including the properties that are most useful to searchers, such as name, address, phone number, URL, and logo. Coincidentally, all these properties were included in the previous version of the organization's structured data requirements.
Organization Structured Data Recommended properties
name: The name of your organisation that you are also using for your site name (this is the name of the site that appears when Google shows a page in the SERPs).
alternateName: Businesses commonly have related names, for instance, "Tesco Supermarkets" vs. "Tesco PLC." The alternateName property marks up other well-known corporate name variations (including abbreviations), such as "Tesco".
legalName: Use this property to display the registered (legal name) of your organisation, in case it is different from the name property.
description: Clearly describe your organisation. In my personal opinion this text should be very close to the text that you use in your meta description on your homepage, e.g. "UK Company Ltd. is a leading provider of cutting-edge software solutions".
logo: Use either a URL or ImageObject to link to the official logo of your organisation. The image should have a minimum size of 112px by 112px, the URL should be crawlable and indexable, and the image format should be BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG, WebP, or SVG.
url: The URL of your organisation. While using the main homepage URL is a common practice, the choice ultimately depends on your specific organisational structure and how you want to represent it in the structured data.
sameAs: The URL of a page on another website containing supplementary information about your organisation. This could include a link to your organisation's profile page on a social media or review site. With that in mind, you can provide Multiple sameAs URLs.
address: Display the physical or mailing address of your organisation. If you have multiple addresses in different cities include them all in the code. This property relates to the schema PostalAddress property and is a required property if you are using a LocalBusiness type schema.
address.streetAddress: Provide the full street address of your postal address.
address.addressLocality: Provide the city of your postal address.
address.addressRegion: Provide the region of your postal address, e.g. in the USA this would. be a state and in the UK this would be a county.
address.postalCode: Provide the postcode of your address.
address.addressCountry: Provide the country for your postal address using the two-letter ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code.
contactPoint: Provide the best way your customers can contact your organisation.
contactPoint.telephone: Provide the phone number your customers can use to contact you.
contactPoint.email: Provide the email your customers can use to contact you.
numberOfEmployees: Provide the number of employees by either using a specific number or a range.
foundingDate: Using ISO 8601 date format provide the date your business was founded.
iso6523Code: Provide the ISO 6523 code of your organisation separating the International Code Designator (ICD) and the identifier with a colon character (Recommended!).
duns: Provide the Dun & Bradstreet D-U-N-S number of your organization. If you want to include the DUNS code, Google's recommendation is to use the ISO 6523 code for your business and the DUNS code with a prefix, e.g., 0199:UKCOMPANY123ABCDEF.
leiCode: Provide the Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) for your organisation. Similar to the duns property use the LEI in conjunction with the ISO 6523 code with a prefix.
naics: Provide the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code of your organisation. Similar to the previous two properties use the naics in conjunction with the ISO 6523 code with a prefix.
globalLocationNumber: Provide the Global Location Number (GLN) for your business, a unique identifier used to specify the location of a business or organization in the GS1 system.
vatID: Provide the VAT (Value Added Tax) code of your organisation.
taxID: provide the Tax / Fiscal ID associated with your company. The Tax ID must match the country that you have provided in the address property field.
Guidelines for Organization Structured Data
There are a number of guidelines that should be followed when adding organization structured data to a website. These guidelines are designed to ensure that the data is accurate, complete, and consistent.
Accuracy: The data that is added to the organization's structured data markup should be accurate and up-to-date.
Completeness: All of the recommended properties for organization structured data should be added, if applicable.
Consistency: The data that is added to the organization structured data should be consistent across all of the organization's websites and other online properties.
The best page to place Organization Structured Data is the homepage or a page that describes your organization, such as an About Us page. You don't need to include Organization Structured Data markup on every page of your website.
How to test your Organization Structured data markup
Once you have implemented Organization Structured data on your website, you can use Google’s Rich Results Testing Tool to test it. This tool will show you any errors or warnings in your markup.
Organization Structured data rich result test
FAQ
How to Add Organization Structured Data to a Website There are two main ways to add organization structured data to a website:Using a plugin: There are several plugins available for popular content management systems (CMS) that can help to add organization structured data to a website. These plugins can be a good option for users who are not comfortable with coding.Adding it manually: Organization structured data can be added to a website manually by adding a JSON-LD or Microdata snippet to the code of the page. This option is more complex than using a plugin, but it gives users more control over the data that is being added. Where do I put schema code in HTML? While JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data) schema can technically be placed anywhere on a webpage, it is recommended to include it in the section of your HTML for clarity and readability (it separates metadata and structured data from the actual visible content of the webpage).The section is where you include meta information about your webpage, such as the title, character set, and other essential elements. How does Google use structured data? Google employs structured data to enrich its comprehension of web content, resulting in more informative and visually appealing search results. This structured format aids in generating rich snippets, refining the precision of voice search responses, integrating with the Knowledge Graph for contextual information, and ensuring a seamless experience across various devices. Through the implementation of structured data, businesses can optimise their online presence and deliver users more pertinent and engaging search results.
### Course Info (Course and CourseInstance) Structured Data: A Comprehensive Guide
In today's digital age, it's more important than ever for educational institutions to make their courses easily discoverable by potential students. One way to do this is by using Course info structured data.
Course info structured data is a powerful tool for educational institutions and online learning platforms to enhance the visibility and discoverability of their courses in search engine results (SERPs). By implementing this structured data markup, you can provide Google with detailed information about your courses, enabling them to present richer and more informative search results to potential learners.
What is Course Info Structured Data?
Course info structured data is a type of structured data used to describe courses. It organises and presents information about courses in a way that is easily understandable for search engines.
While Course Info structured data was introduced in November 2023, strictly speaking, this isn't a new feature. For the last few years, Google has supported a markup feature called Course List (previously Course), allowing educational institutions to provide structured data for courses, including name and description as required properties, and publisher as a recommended property.
Here is an example of a single course details page:
Both Course List and Course Info Structured Data markup use the same schema.org structured data type, and both types of markup will be supported in the future with two course rich result (also known as rich snippets) features in the SERPs. Therefore, if you are currently using Course List, the traffic coming from Google to your website won't be affected (Important!). At the same time, if you have both types of markup in your HTML, you will be potentially eligible for both course rich results features in Google.
The two course rich results features are as follows (according to Google):
Course list: A rich result that lists courses from the same website.
Course info: A carousel that shows detailed course information from a variety of websites.
Course info: A carousel that shows detailed course information from a variety of websites.
Course Info Structured data provide more detailed information about a course than a Course List, such as reviewer ratings, pricing, and course details. If you have the development capabilities I would strongly recommend aiming to implement Course Info Structured data over Course List.
Understanding Course and CourseInstance
Course Info structured data encompasses two main types of entities: Course and CourseInstance.
Course: Represents the overarching description of an educational offering, including its name, description, learning objectives, and other essential details.
CourseInstance: Represents a specific offering of a course, typically at a particular time and location or through a specific mode of delivery, such as online or in-person. Every course must have at least one course instance (Important!).
Essential Properties for Course Info Structured Data
The Course and CourseInstance types involve several important properties that should be included in the structured data markup and will be listed in the next few sections.
Course Required Properties
name: The full name of the course.
description: A comprehensive description of the course's content and learning objectives. The recommended length is 240 characters and the maximum length is 500 characters.
organization: Information about the organisation that created the content for the course.
provider.name: The name of the organisation that offers the course.
offers: Provide details regarding the final price to finish the course, inclusive of service fees. Avoid presenting a price that is applicable only to specific users, such as a '20% discount exclusively for first-time users'.
offers.category: Describe the pricing category of the course using one of the following values: Free, Partially Free, Subscription or Paid.
hasCourseInstance: As previously stated, each course should have at least one CourseInstance that provides comprehensive information about the course offerings.
Course Recommended properties
about: Outline the skills that may be acquired by users upon completing the course.
aggregateRating: Details regarding the average course rating, derived from feedback provided by users who have completed the course, if applicable.
availableLanguage: Describe the languages the course is offered in using the two-letter codes from the list of ISO 639-1 alpha-2 codes.
coursePrerequisites: Any prerequisite knowledge required for the course, if applicable, can be indicated by either describing the necessary background or providing links to another course, or employing a combination of both methods.
datePublished: Provide the date a course was first published using the 8601 date format (YYYY-MM-DD).
educationalCredentialAwarded: The credentials that students will earn upon completing the course. Note: If there is an additional charge for the award, please specify the extra cost.
educationalCredentialAwarded.credentialCategory: Specify the type of award the user may receive choosing from the following options: Certificate (an acknowledgement confirming the user's successful completion of the course or program) or Certification (an official credential that typically involves an examination, affirming the user's competence in the subject matter).
educationalCredentialAwarded.name: If applicable specify the name of the award.
educationalCredentialAwarded.offers.category: Specify the pricing category for the award using one of the following classifications: Free, Subscription or Paid.
educationalCredentialAwarded.offers.price: The price of the award.
educationalCredentialAwarded.offers.priceCurrency: The currency of the award's price specified in the ISO 4217 currency format (3-letter code).
educationalCredentialAwarded.url: Provide the URL of the award page.
educationalLevel: Describe the applicable education level targeted by the course. Choose from the following options: Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced.
financialAidEligible: Any available scholarships, specialised payment arrangements, or other opportunities for financial aid for individuals interested in enrolling in the course.
image: The URL leading to an image representing the course. Please use images pertinent to the course content, avoiding the use of logos or captions. All the images must be crawlable and indexable with a ratio of 16x9, 4x3 or 1x1.
inLanguage: The primary language of instruction for the course (use the short, two-letter language codes as defined in the ISO 639-1 standard).
offers.price: A numeric representation of the price or fee that a student or participant needs to pay to enrol in the course.
offers.priceCurrency: The currency in which the course is priced, following the ISO 4217 currency format.
provider.url: The URL linking to the homepage of the course provider.
publisher: Details regarding the organisation responsible for publishing and presenting the course.
publisher.name: The name of the publisher.
publisher.url: The URL directing to the homepage of the course publisher.
review: A list of user reviews about the course. Please adhere to Google's review snippet guidelines for additional details.
syllabusSections: Provide information about the different modules that make up the course.
syllabusSections.description: An explanation of the module's content and purpose.
syllabusSections.name: The title of the course module.
syllabusSections.timeRequired: The duration of the module. Use the 8601 duration format.
teaches: The skills or knowledge that users will acquire through course completion.
totalHistoricalEnrollment: The cumulative count of users who have enrolled throughout the course's existence.
video: A video preview or trailer for the course. Please follow the VideoObject guidelines for more information.
CourseInstance Required properties
Each course should include a minimum of one CourseInstance with all the required properties completed.
courseMode: The method by which the course will be conveyed. Choose from the following options: Online, Onsite or Blended.
courseSchedule: Details about the average time it takes for the typical user to complete the course, based on a suggested pace. Additionally, provide start and end dates for courses with a predetermined timeline.
courseSchedule.repeatCount: The numeric representation of the course duration in units of repeatFrequency and repeatCount.
courseSchedule.repeatFrequency: As this field is related to duration and repeatCount use one of the following values: Daily, Weekly, Monthly or Yearly.
courseWorkload: The overall time required to watch all videos, complete assignments, and exams for the course. Please utilize the ISO 8601 duration format.
CourseInstance Recommended properties
courseSchedule.duration: The suggested pacing for the average user's expected time commitment, specified in repeatFrequency units and adhering to the ISO 8601 duration format, if applicable. For instance, if the repeatFrequency is weekly and the duration is PT8H30M, users should anticipate dedicating 8 hours and 30 minutes per week.
courseSchedule.endDate: Provide the end date for the course, in 8601 date format.
courseSchedule.startDate: Provide the start date for the course, in 8601 date format.
image: The URL that links to an image of the instructor. All the images must be crawlable and indexable with a ratio of 16x9, 4x3 or 1x1.
instructor: Use the schema property Person. Provide information about the instructor for the course.
instructor.description: Details about the instructor and their qualifications.
instructor.name: The name of the instructor.
location: The address of the physical location where the course will be taught.
Course Program Required properties
A course program consists of individual child courses, each designed as a standalone course with unique URLs (Important!) and landing pages. If your webpage represents a course program, you must include all Course Program required properties, in addition to the Course and CourseInstance required properties.
hasPart: The list of child courses that are a part of this program.
hasPart.name: The complete title of the child course.
hasPart.url: The URL of the child course landing page.
Course Program Recommended properties
hasPart.description: Description of what the child course covers. The recommended length is 240 characters and the maximum length should be 500 characters.
Course Info Structured Data Example
Digital Marketing Strategies Course
Adopting the code above will give a chance to be included in Googles' Course list or Course info rich results.
Course info rich result example - both Coursera and Udemy have Course Info structured data on their pages.
Course Info structured data content guidelines
It is very important to understand that only educational material that meets Google's criteria for a course can qualify to be included in the Course info rich result.
With that in mind, you should only present Course markup structured data on a web page that offers a full, single course or course program. The following examples will not qualify for the course info rich result:
An overview page summarising academic degrees.
A standalone page for an examination.
A public event targeting the general public, e.g. "International Archaeology Day".
A brief 5-minute video titled "How to change a watch battery".
How to test your Course Info structured data
Once you have implemented Course Info structured data on your website, you can use the Google’s Rich Results Testing Tool to test it. This tool will show you any errors or warnings in your markup.
Course Info structured data rich result test
How to monitor your Course Info structured data
You can use Google Search Console to monitor your Course Info structured data. The Structured Data report will show you how many pages on your website have valid Course Info structured data, and any errors or warnings.
FAQ
What is structured data? Structured markup is a script tag (I would recommend using JSON-LD) that you place on your website in a format that is easy for web crawlers to understand. It is not displayed to human users; instead, it is visible only in the HTML of a page and is used solely to clarify and confirm the information on your pages. What are Rich Results? Rich results are enhanced search results displayed by search engines, providing more information and context directly on the search engine results pages (SERPs). These results go beyond the standard text snippets and may include additional features like images, reviews, ratings, prices, and more, depending on the type of content and the structured data provided by the website.Rich results are often achieved through the implementation of structured data markup on a website. By using markup languages like JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data), microdata or RDFa, website owners can provide explicit information about their content, helping search engines better understand the context and meaning of the data. What is Schema? Schema refers to a structured data markup vocabulary that webmasters can use to provide more meaningful information about their content to search engines in order to improve their SEO. This markup helps search engines understand the content on web pages, enabling them to present richer and more informative results for users. The most commonly used schema markup is provided by Schema.org, a collaboration between major search engines like Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, and Yandex.
### Vehicle listing (Car) structured data: A guide for car dealerships
Vehicle listing (Car) structured data is a new way for car dealerships to make their for-sale inventory eligible for display on various Google surfaces, including Google Search and dealerships' Business Profiles. It was released by Google on October 17, 2023, and is currently only available in the US and US territories.
Benefits of using vehicle listing (Car) structured data
There are several benefits to using vehicle listing (Car) structured data, including:
Increased visibility and exposure: Car dealerships that implement vehicle listing structured data will be eligible for the Vehicle Listing rich result. This rich result will be displayed in Google Search results when users search for vehicles for sale nearby. It will include key information about the vehicle, such as the make, model, year, price, and mileage.
Improved customer experience: The Vehicle Listing rich result makes it easy for potential customers to learn more about the vehicles you have for sale. They can view photos, compare prices, and even contact you directly from the search results.
Increased sales: By increasing your visibility and exposure, and by making it easier for potential customers to learn more about your vehicles, you can potentially increase your sales.
Vehicle listing structured data for car dealerships
Unlocking the Potential of Vehicle Listing Rich Results
In contrast to the typical dependency on structured data for most rich results, the Vehicle Listing rich result can be attained using two distinct methods.
Through structured data markup on your website. This is the main focus of this article. To implement vehicle listing structured data using markup, you will need to add a few lines of code to your vehicle listing pages.
Through feed files uploaded to the vehicle listings partner portal. This method is more complex, but it may be a better option for car dealerships with large inventories.
Requirements for vehicle listing (Car) structured data
In order to be eligible for the Vehicle Listing rich result, your vehicle listing pages must meet the following requirements:
Your vehicle listing pages must be publicly accessible.
Your vehicle listing pages must contain all of the required structured data fields.
Your vehicle listing pages must be accurate and up-to-date.
How to implement vehicle listing (Car) structured data
Required structured data fields for vehicle listing (Car)
The following structured data fields are required for vehicle listing (Car):
brand - provide the make of the vehicle.
brand.name - this field must contain the name of the vehicle, e.g. BMW
item condition - to define whether the vehicle is new or second-hand use one of the following values: https://schema.org/NewCondition or https://schema.org/UsedCondition
mileageFromOdometer - provide the total distance recorded on the odometer of the specific vehicle since it was first manufactured.
mileageFromOdometer.unitCode - provide the units used for measuring the total distance using the UN/CEFACT Common Code. For miles use SMI and for kilometres use KMT.
mileageFromOdometer.value - the numeric distance value indicated by the odometer reading.
model - provide the model of the car, e.g. M3.
offers - the offer details of the advertised vehicle. Use this one with offers.availability, offers.price and offers.priceCurrency.
offers. availability - information about whether the vehicle is in stock or not. Use https://schema.org/InStock if the vehicle is in stock and https://schema.org/OutOfStock if the vehicle is currently out of stock.
offers. price - provide the price of the vehicle that is applicable to all customers (with all discounts included).
offers.priceCurrency - provide the price currency in the ISO 4217 three-letter format.
vehicle identification number - provide the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). The VIN must be valid according to the NHTSA standard.
vehicleModelDate - provide the vehicle model year in the YYYY format, e.g. 2008
Optional structured data fields for vehicle listing (Car)
The following structured data fields are optional for vehicle listing (Car), but they are recommended:
bodyType - provide the body style of the vehicle, e.g. SUV, hatchback, saloon etc. As of today, Google only supports 'bodyType' values in English.
color - this field should contain the exterior colour of the vehicle.
image - this field must contain a URL to a photo of the vehicle.
name - supply the vehicle name as it appears on the website, e.g. 'Used BMW i5 M Sport Auto eDrive 4dr (11kW Charger)'.
numberOfDoors - provide the vehicle number of doors.
url - his field must contain a URL to the vehicle listing page.
vehicleConfiguration - indicate the configuration of the vehicle, e.g. L, SE, RS etc.
vehicleEngine - provide the vehicle's engine specification.
vehicleEngine.fuelType - this field should contain the fuel type of the vehicle, such as "gasoline" or "electric".
vehicleInteriorColor - this field should contain the interior colour of the vehicle.
vehicleInteriorType - provide the interior type or material of the vehicle, e.g. the interior type or material of the vehicle, e.g. faux leather, fabric, faux etc.
vehicleSeatingCapacity - specify the number of seats.
vehicleTransmission - describe the transmission of the vehicle, e.g. manual, automatic, direct-shift gearbox etc.
driveWheelConfiguration - provide the vehicle driveWheelConfiguration.*
*To define the driveWheelConfiguration use the following 4 options:
https://schema.org/AllWheelDriveConfiguration
https://schema.org/FourWheelDriveConfiguration
https://schema.org/FrontWheelDriveConfiguration
https://schema.org/RearWheelDriveConfiguration
Vehicle listing (Car) structured data Example
How to test your vehicle listing (Car) structured data
Once you have implemented vehicle listing structured data on your website, you can use the Google's Structured Data Testing Tool to test it. This tool will show you any errors or warnings in your markup.
Vehicle Listing Rich Result Test
How to monitor your vehicle listing (Car) structured data
You can use Google Search Console to monitor your vehicle listing structured data. The Structured Data report will show you how many pages on your website have valid vehicle listing structured data, and any errors or warnings.
FAQ structured data
What is structured data, and why is it important for SEO? Structured data, also known as schema markup, is a standardized format used to provide search engines with additional context about the content on a web page. It helps search engines understand the content better, which can lead to enhanced search engine results and improved SEO. Structured data can be used to mark up various types of content, such as events, products, recipes, and more. How can I check if my structured data is implemented correctly on my website? To check if your structured data is implemented correctly, you can use Google's Structured Data Testing Tool (formerly known as the Structured Data Markup Helper). Simply enter your website URL or the HTML code of the specific page you want to test, and the tool will provide feedback on any errors or warnings related to your structured data markup. What are common issues that can lead to structured data errors? Common issues that can lead to structured data errors include missing or incomplete markup, incorrect data types, mismatched property values, and outdated schema.org vocabulary. It's crucial to ensure that your structured data accurately represents the content on your page and follows schema.org guidelines. How can I fix structured data errors on my website? To fix structured data errors, you should review the feedback provided by tools like Google's Structured Data Testing Tool to identify specific issues. Once identified, make the necessary corrections in your website's HTML code to address these errors. After making changes, retest the structured data to confirm that the issues have been resolved. Can structured data affect how my content appears in search results? Yes, structured data can affect how your content appears in search results. When search engines like Google understand your content through structured data, they may display rich results, such as featured snippets, knowledge panels, or carousel listings. These enhanced search results can make your content more visible and engaging to users, potentially increasing click-through rates and traffic to your website.Remember that structured data is a valuable tool for SEO, and debugging any issues in its implementation can help improve your website's visibility in search engine results.
### Funnel exploration in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
Funnel exploration reports in Google Analytics 4 (GA4) are a powerful tool that can help us understand how users interact with our websites or apps.
By utilising these reports effectively, we can effectively identify where our visitors are dropping off in our conversion process. As digital marketers, this information empowers us to make data-informed changes in order to improve the user experience and hopefully end up with a better conversion rate.
I am glad to say that GA4 has introduced significant improvements to funnel reports compared to Universal Analytics. These reports allow you to build insightful reports using historical data and create multiple funnel analyses. While I have to admit that Funnel exploration reports are still not perfect in GA4, I must acknowledge that they have made significant strides.
In this article, my aim is to demonstrate the effortless process of constructing Funnel exploration reports in Google Analytics 4. As always, I will use simple examples to walk you through the process, and per usual, I will provide you with some tips for getting the most out of your GA4 Funnel exploration reports. I know you came here to learn so let's get started.
Create a funnel in GA4 Explorations
To begin, log in to your Google Analytics 4 property, select "Explorer" from the left sidebar and then click on Funnel exploration.
Explorations in GA4
The interface consists of three columns: 'Variables', 'Tab Settings', and the output report section. In the 'Variables' column, you can control the dimensions, segments, and metrics you wish to include. The 'Tab Settings' column allows you to customise the report's appearance and settings. The largest section is the output report area (called Funnel exploration), which displays the generated report based on your tab settings.
GA4 predefined funnel exploration
By default, Google Analytics 4 includes a predefined funnel in the report, but we'll start from scratch. Remove all the steps by clicking the "x" icon next to each step.
To better understand funnel exploration, let's walk through an example. In fact, the best way to understand 'Funnel exploration in GA4 is to build your own Funnel exploration report from scratch.
For this example, let's create a funnel with the following steps (a funnel is a series of steps that users must take in order to complete a conversion):
View a product
Add a product to the cart
Begin Checkout
Purchase
For each step, we need to specify a condition. A funnel condition is a rule that determines whether a website visitor has completed a particular step. In our example, the conditions are:
View a product - the website visitor has viewed a product page.
Add a product to the cart - the user has added a product to their cart.
Begin checkout - the user has started the checkout process.
Purchase: The user has completed the checkout process and purchased a product.
Building and analysing your Funnel Exploration report in GA4
To configure the steps of our funnel, we need to click on the pencil icon in the steps section, which will open the 'Edit funnel steps' section.
To configure the funnel steps, click the pencil icon in the 'Steps' section
Here in the 'Edit funnel steps' section, we can configure our funnel steps, which will be available later on in our report.
Edit funnel steps
For this example, I am using the Google [GA4] Demo account - a fully functional Google Analytics account that is free to use (and abuse), and that account already has some e-commerce GA4 recommended events like add_to_cart, view_item, begin_checkout, and purchase. If you haven't set up e-commerce tracking in your GA4 property, you will not be able to see these events, as you need to specifically send these events to Google Analytics with these exact names!
If you don't know what events are in GA4, please read my The Complete Guide to Events in Google Analytics 4 article and I would strongly recommend including your developers in the process.
Step 1: Adding the first funnel step
Let's start building our funnel by adding the first step. As we agreed earlier, the first step will be showing people who viewed an item, and for this, we need to find and add the event view_item (click on Add new condition which will open a search bar) .
view_item Event in GA4
As I said earlier, if you want to collect this data, you have to send an event with this specific name to your Google Analytics 4 property that will have parameters like product name, product ID, price, quantity, etc.
Example:
gtag("event", "view_item", {
currency: "USD",
value: 12.99,
items: [
{
item_id: "SKU_67890",
item_name: "Omi Hoodie",
affiliation: "Omi Store",
coupon: "FALL_SALE",
discount: 3.00,
index: 0,
item_brand: "Omi Store",
item_category: "Apparel",
item_category2: "Adult",
item_category3: "Hoodies",
item_category4: "Pullover",
item_category5: "Long sleeve",
item_list_id: "related_products",
item_list_name: "Related Products",
item_variant: "black",
location_id: "ChIJR0lV3V5ZwokR-sOXDvTQd-Q",
price: 15.99,
quantity: 1
}
]
});
After finding the right event for the funnel step, you should always give it a distinctive/recognisable name as that will later show in the Funnel report. In this case, I have chosen 'Viewed items' and now that I've completed the first step of our funnel I can move to add the second one.
Step one - Viewed items
But before that, to make a funnel step more explicit, GA4 gives us the ability to by clicking on the 'Add parameter' plus sign.
Add more event parameters to a funnel step
The possibilities don't stop here and we are also allowed to add another condition to the step using the logical operators 'And' or 'Or'. The operator 'And' means that both conditions have to be met, and in the case of 'Or' a visitor must complete one condition or another in order for the system to 'move' the site visitor to the next step.
'And' or 'Or' logical operators in Edit funnel steps
If you click on the three dots in the top right corner (on top of the Or operator and to the left of the Summary section), you can also copy or remove the step, or add a step above or below.
Copy, remove or add step button
As I mentioned before Google is giving us a lot of options in building our custom funnels, so if you forgot something or simply feel like adding another funnel step, you can always adjust your funnel at a later date.
Step 2: Tracking visitors who added items to the cart
Now let's add the second step of this funnel, where we want to track visitors who added an item to the cart. To do that, first we need to click on the 'Add step' button and then find and add the add_to_cart event. Then let's label this step as 'Add to cart'.
add_to_cart Event in GA4
If the funnel you are building is time-sensitive, and you want to know how many visitors completed a step within a particular period of time, you should click on the clock icon and select the time constraint.
Tap the clock icon and choose the time constraint from the options provided.
If you, for example, choose 5 min, then the difference between the first event and the second event should be 5 min or less (I hope it makes sense).
By the way, you have a choice of minutes, days, hours, and even seconds (customers adding items to the cart within seconds - is that even possible? Lol).
Funnel exploration step Time constrain
Step 3: Tracking visitors who begin the checkout process
In our third step, we want to track visitors who begin the checkout process, so we need to find and add the begin_checkout event. Let's give this step the distinctive 'Begin checkout' name.
begin_checkout event Event in GA4
Step 4: Tracking visitors who make a purchase
The last step of our funnel is where we want to track people who purchased our products. Let's name it "Purchase" and add the GA4 custom event called 'purchase'.
Purchase event in GA4
After adding the final step of the funnel, in the top right corner, you can see how many visitors are included, and if you're satisfied, click "Apply" to add the funnel to your report.
Click "Apply" to add the funnel to your report
View your Funnel exploration report
Once you've created a funnel, your funnel report will be available in Explorations (give it a unique name so you can distinguish it from other Funnel reports). Here, you can duplicate, rename, or delete your report.
Funnel exploration eCommerce report
If you click on Funnel Explorations, GA4 will give you a new Funnel report with a predefined funnel that you have to start configuring from zero. Hence, most of the time, I prefer duplicating an existing Funnel report.
Analyse your GA4 Funnel exploration report
Your funnel report will show you how many users have completed each step in your funnel. It will also show you the for each step. The abandonment rate is the percentage of users who did not complete the step.
Funnel exploration abandonment rate
Look for steps where the abandonment rate is high. These are the steps where users are dropping off in your conversion process.
In the example above, we can see that 146,151 thousand visitors saw the products in the Google Merchandise Store. Then, 10,706 thousand visitors added a product to the shopping cart. Out of those 10,706K visitors, 4,606 started the checkout process, and finally, 2,241 thousand people purchased a product.
Once you've identified the steps where users are dropping off, you can start making changes to improve your user experience. For example, you could add more information to the product pages, or you could make the checkout process easier.
If you want to zoom in or out while interacting with the funnel, simply click on the plus and minus icons in the bottom left corner. When you zoom in, the white wavy line shows that the column is much higher and doesn't fit into the graph.
Funnel zoom in or out
What I love about this interactive funnel is that I can right-click on any column or the 'Abandonment rate' and create a segment. For example, I can create a segment from the second step of our funnel, "Add to cart" abandonments, that I can later use to create an audience, import this audience to Google Ads, and target people who added a product to the shopping basket but for whatever reason ended up not purchasing it.
Right-click on any column or the 'Abandonment rate' and create a segment
Now that you have a basic understanding of how Funnel explorations work in GA4 let's see how we can dive even deeper into our data by amending things in the 'Tab settings'.
Funnel exploration Tab Settings
In the Funnel Tab settings, you can customise various aspects of the funnel exploration. Let's start from top to bottom.
Funnel exploration tab settings
Funnel Visualisation
The first setting you can change in the Funnel Tab settings is 'Visualisation'. Under 'Visualisation' you have the option to choose between trended funnel and standard funnel visualisation.
Trended funnel
The trended funnel allows you to track changes over time, while the standard funnel provides a static view. Each line in the trended funnel represents a step and it shows us how this step changed over time. You can even isolate a funnel step by clicking on the step name and see how a step changed over a chosen time period.
Trended funnel Add to cart step
Somehow I prefer the 'Standard funnel' but it's always good to have options.
Open funnel vs closed funnel in GA4
By default, funnels in GA4 are closed, but we are allowed to change that by clicking on the 'make open funnel' toggle. An open funnel allows users to enter at any step, while a closed funnel requires users to enter at the first step. In other words, a closed funnel means that if your website visitor enters step 2 or any other step except the first one, then they won't be counted.
Funnel exploration open funnel
Does it make sense to have an open funnel? Well, if you have an online shop and some of your visitors land on the product page, it makes sense to have an open funnel if the first step is a category page. But even then, I prefer two separate funnels: one starting from the category page and another starting from the product page, without including category page traffic.
Segment Comparisons in Funnel Exploration
Under the 'Segment comparisons' section, we can compare different segments within the funnel and apply filters to focus on specific data. GA4 allows us to compare up to 4 segments that are already included in the Segments section under the Variables tab.
Funnel exploration segment comparisons
For example, if I want to compare how Direct traffic is performing against Paid traffic, all I have to do is add the two to 'Segment comparisons' and the system will automatically give each segment its bar (or a line if you've previously selected Trended Funnel) in the funnel chart.
The system will also populate the breakdown table below the chart with the nested values. As you can see from the screenshot below, a lot more people have purchased coming from direct traffic than paid.
Funnel exploration segment comparison direct v paid traffic
Note: As I mentioned earlier, you can right-click on any of the bars and create a segment.
Funnel Steps
I've already told you how to use this section, but it's worth mentioning that after building your Funnel, you can add more steps at a later date by clicking on the pencil icon. Alternatively, you can remove a step(s) by simply clicking on the 'x' button. In this section, you can also reorder the steps by dragging them up or down.
To configure the funnel steps, click the pencil icon in the 'Steps' section
Breakdown
In this section, you can gain insights into your funnel analysis data by exploring it through a single dimension. The system provides us with the option to easily customise our Funnel report by dragging and dropping dimensions from the "Variables" section. Moreover, you have the flexibility to determine the number of rows per dimension to include in your report.
Funnel exploration breakdown by dimension
By default, this section is populated with the "Device category" dimension, and in our example (picture below), we can clearly see that although the number of people entering the first step of our funnel through mobile or desktop is almost the same, the number of people who purchased a product through desktop is nearly six times higher than the number of visitors who purchased a product using a mobile device.
Funnel exploration breakdown by device category
Show Elapsed Time
If you're curious about the average amount of time it takes for your users or visitors to progress from one step to the next in your funnel explorations, you can enable the "Show Elapsed Time" feature in Funnel Explorations in GA4. This feature will allow you to observe and analyse the elapsed time between each step in the funnel and gain valuable insights into the duration it typically takes for users to navigate through your funnel steps.
Funnel exploration elapsed time
Note: I am almost 100% sure that the numbers that the system is currently showing are wrong. For example the data shown for Desktop in the Add to Cart step of 16d 09h is probably a sum of the time of all visitors rather than the average time it took for a visitor to go from step one to step two.
Next Action
Next Action is a very useful functionality in Funnel explorations as it allows you to analyse the subsequent actions taken by users after completing a specific step in your funnel. For example, if you drag the 'Event Name' dimension over you can hover anywhere on your Funnel report and it will show you the next 5 most popular events that your visitors did immediately after this step.
Funnel exploration next action
This is astonishing as this knowledge enables you to refine your strategies, improve your user experience (UX), and potentially maximise conversions or desired outcomes within your funnel.
Filters
Last but not least we see the Filter section at the bottom of the Tab settings. Filters in GA4 funnel explorations are used to narrow down the data in the funnel report based on the conditions you specify. When applying filters with multiple conditions - GA4 allows us to apply up to 10 filters - all the conditions must be met to activate the filter!
To add a filter, access the Filters tab at the bottom of the Tab Settings section. Then, click on the Add filter button and choose the desired filter type you wish to create.
Funnel exploration filters
GA4 offers two types of filters:
Dimension filter: This type allows you to filter data based on specific dimensions, such as the user's country or the device they used to access your website.
Metric filter: This filter lets you narrow down data based on metrics, such as the number of page views or the time spent on your site.
Note: In order to use a dimension or metric in the filter, first, you have to add it to the respected Variables section.
Let's say you want to create a filter that gives us the data only for users who are from the United States and have visited your website on a mobile device.
First, click on the Filters box and select the country.
Then specify the conditions: in our case, this is 'Country exactly matches United States'. Click 'Apply'.
In the second filter, the condition should be: 'Device category exactly matches mobile'. Now, your funnel data will only show people who visited your website from the United States on a mobile device.
Funnel exploration filter by country and device
Utilising filters gives you the power to delve deeper into your data and gain valuable insights into your users' behaviour. By pinpointing specific areas for improvement in your funnel, you can enhance the user experience and boost conversions.
Tips for getting the most out of your funnel reports in GA4
As I mentioned at the beginning of this article I'd like to give you a few tips for getting the most out of your Explorations funnel reports:
Use multiple funnels. You can create multiple funnels to track different conversion paths. This will give you a better understanding of how users are interacting with your website or app. Also if you finding repeated patterns will give you an idea of how to optimise your marketing efforts across various channels.
Compare funnels. You can compare different funnels to see how they're performing. This will help you identify which funnels are most effective.
Use filters. You can use filters to segment your funnel reports. This will allow you to see how different user groups are interacting with your website or app.
Funnel Visualisation in Google Looker Studio
Before wrapping up this article, let's quickly discuss building Funnel Exploration reports in Google Looker Studio, which can be very beneficial when creating e-commerce dashboards.
Funnel Visualisation in Google Looker Studio
Building a Funnel in Google Looker Studio
Building a Funnel in Looker Studio is surprisingly easy. Start by adding 'Total users' as a metric and 'Event name' as a dimension to a Column chart. Add a filter that includes the following regex for 'Event name':
session_start|view_item|add_to_cart|begin_checkout|purchase
Funnel filter
The next step is to sort 'Total users' by 'Descending', and you are pretty much done.
Building a Funnel exploration in Looker Studio
Funnel completion and abandonment rates
To make this funnel report look more like the funnel report in GA4 Explorations, I would normally add the completion and abandonment rates for every step of the funnel.
Funnel completion abandonment rates
For example, to find the completion and abandonment rates for step 2 (view_item) in the funnel, I will first add two scorecards for steps 2 and 3 with two filters that only include events equal to view_item and add_to_cart, respectively.
Filter view_item
Then, I will blend the data between the two scorecards (select both scorecards, right-click, and select 'blend data'). Notice that I renamed the two scorecards to 'View' and 'Add to cart' respectively.
Blend data in Google Looker studio
The system will generate a new custom scorecard that may give you a strange number at first, but all you have to do is go and adjust the formula to SUM(Add to cart) / SUM(View item) to get the correct number for the completion rate of step 2 (view_cart).
Funnel completion rate Looker Studio
(To learn more about calculated metrics read Calculated fields in Google Looker Studio.)
At this point, I would normally rename this scorecard from 'View item / Add to cart' to 'Step 2 completion rate'.
Funnel visualisation in Looker Studio
Going back to the actual number, in our example, this is 19%, indicates that 19% of people who viewed an item added it to the shopping cart.
Now, to define the abandonment rate, all you have to do is copy and paste the 'Step 2 completion rate' scorecard, change the formula to 1 - (SUM(Add to cart) / SUM(View item)), and give it a different name like 'Step 2 Abandonment rate'.
Funnel abandonment rate visualisation in Looker studio
Now repeat these steps for every step of the funnel (click on the image below to see it in action).
Funnel visualisation in Google Looker Studio
Wrapping up
In conclusion, Google Analytics 4's funnel reports present a potent resource to comprehend user behaviour and . By analysing how users progress through the funnel, we can elevate the overall user experience and drive more successful outcomes for our business.
With this article, I trust you now have a comprehensive grasp of funnel exploration in Google Analytics 4 but as usual, if you have any questions or queries let me know in the comments below.
Data analysis is the art of unraveling the story within the numbers, where each data point holds a brushstroke, painting a masterpiece of knowledge and wisdom.
### The Complete Guide to Events in Google Analytics 4
Why use events in Google Analytics 4?
Events in Google Analytics 4 (GA4) play a crucial role in understanding how users interact with your website or app. They provide detailed information about user actions such as button clicks, form submissions, video plays, downloads, and much more. By tracking events in GA4, you can gain insights into user engagement, identify popular features or content, measure the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, and optimise your overall user experience (UX).
Unlike page views, which only provide information about the number of times a page was viewed, events in GA4 allow you to track specific user actions. This level of granularity helps you understand how users are engaging with your website or app beyond just browsing. By tracking events, you can uncover actionable data to make informed decisions and improve your digital presence.
What is an event in Google Analytics 4?
The short answer is everything. The long answer is absolutely everything.
In GA4, events serve as the foundation for all reports, dimensions, and metrics. By tracking the right events, you can gather high-quality data that empowers you to evaluate your marketing efforts effectively, boost your conversions, and improve user engagement. Understanding events is crucial for unlocking the full potential of GA4, to say the least.
Understanding events is crucial for unlocking the full potential of GA4.
Unlike previous versions of Google Analytics, where each event had to be set up individually using the site tag (gtag.js) or Google Tag Manager (GTM), GA4 introduces a new approach. In GA4, events are handled differently, as many of them come preconfigured. This means that setting up events in GA4 is easier and more streamlined, requiring less additional coding or tagging (and I have to admit I love it). GA4 has the capability to automatically capture numerous events without the need for manual configuration, simplifying the setup process and saving time for users.
There are two main ways to categorise events in GA4: by application or by readiness (I simply cannot come up with a better word to describe it).
GA4 events by application:
Web events: These events are recorded exclusively on a website and include actions like page_view, video_start, video_progress, video_complete, file_download, scroll, and view_search_results.
App events: App events are specifically recorded on a mobile app and encompass actions such as first_open, notification_open, in_app_purchase, screen_view, and more.
App+Web events: These events can be recorded on both the website and mobile app, and they cover actions like first_visit, user_engagement, session_start, and others.
Android events: These events are specific to activities recorded on an Android device. Examples include app_clear_data, app_store_subscription_cancel, app_remove, app_store_refund, app_store_subscription_cancel, and more.
GA4 events by readiness.
There are 4 types of events that can be tracked within GA4:
Automatically collected events
Enhanced measurement events
Recommended events
Custom events
Nevertheless, I must be candid and express that the aforementioned classifications hold relatively little significance. It may sound odd to say this in an article about GA4 events, but ultimately, it doesn't matter from a reporting perspective. All events are reported in the same way. What truly matters is how we think about different events when implementing tracking in relation to our business goals.
When creating events in GA4, you should start at the top and work your way down.
Automatically collected events in GA4
Google Analytics 4 automatically tracks certain events without the need for manual setup. These events offer fundamental insights into user interactions with your website or app, including the pages they visit, actions they take, and the duration of their sessions.
Here are some examples of the automatically collected events in Google Analytics 4:
first_visit: This event is triggered when a user visits a website or launches an Android instant app with Analytics enabled for the first time.
session_start: This event is triggered when a user initiates a new session on your website or app.
user_engagement: This event is recorded when the app is active or when a webpage is in focus for at least one second.
file_download: When a user initiates a file download from the website, this event is activated. To gain more insights, consider utilising the following parameters: file_extension, file_name, link_classes, link_domain, link_id, link_text, and link_url
You can refer to the list of automatically collected events in GA 4 for more details.
Note: The session_start and first_visit events don’t technically exist as their own independent events. That is, you won’t see them being logged in the browser if you are looking for them when testing your implementation. They are calculated off of the back of the page_view event by the inclusion of the parameters _fv (first visit) and _ss (session start).
What is the difference between first_visit and session_start?
In GA4, the 'session_start' event is triggered when a user launches a session with a website or app for the first time. It signifies the beginning of a user's engagement within a specific session.
On the other hand, the 'first_visit' event is fired to determine if it is the user's initial visit to the website or app. It confirms whether the user is accessing the site or app for the first time, and the event is triggered accordingly.
Where to find automatically collected events in Google Analytics 4
To locate automatically collected events in Google Analytics 4, follow these steps:
Access the GA4 reporting view.
Click on 'Engagement' under the 'Life cycle' section.
Next, click on 'Events' from the available options.
The reporting view will display all logged events, including the automatically collected events.
Automatically collected events in Google Analytics 4
Enhanced measurement events in GA4
In Google Analytics 4 (GA4), Enhanced Measurement Events refer to a set of predefined events that provide additional insights and data about user interactions on your website. These events go beyond the basic page views and screen views and offer more detailed information. You can toggle them on and off inside the GA4 environment, except for the page_view event, which is compulsory (well, you can turn the page_view off if you really, really want to, but trust me don't do it).
Here are some examples of the Enhanced measurement events in Google Analytics 4:
Page Views (page_view)
Each time a page is loaded, a page view event is triggered. Google Analytics 4 (GA4) automatically captures this event, and it cannot be disabled. However, users have control over tracking actions based on browser-history events. The parameters sent to Google Analytics 4 for this event include the page URL, page title, and the URL of the previous page.
Scroll (scroll)
The scroll event is activated when it is enabled in enhanced measurement and a visitor scrolls down to a minimum of 90% of the page. To trigger the scroll event for specific pixel values or other percentage thresholds of the viewed page you have to use Google Tag Manager. This event does not send any parameters to GA4.
Outbound clicks (click)
By enabling this feature in enhanced measurement (more on that later), GA4 will automatically monitor and record clicks on links leading to external domains. However, it is important to note that this functionality does not extend to domains that have been configured for cross-domain tracking (!).
The parameters associated with this event are link_classes, link_domain, link_id, link_url, and outbound (boolean). I've noticed that currently (July 2023) link_text is missing but hopefully, it will be implemented in the future.
Site search (view_search_results) in GA4
To uncover the information about what users are searching for on your website, you must first activate the "view_search_results" event in the enhanced measurement panel.
In GA4 Admin click on Data collection and modification and then click on Data streams. Click on your data stream and under Enhanced measurement click on the slider to enable all options.
Enhanced measurement Google Analytics 4
Site searches have historically been a source of confusion, even in the context of Universal Analytics. In GA4, the focus is on identifying a query string parameter within the URL when the page loads, which contains the search term used by the user. If this parameter exists in the URL, GA4's logic assumes it is the search results page and acknowledges that a search has been conducted by the user.
This event is automatically triggered when one of the following five query parameters appears in the URL:
q
s
search
query
keyword.
Note: If you don't use any of the parameters above, you have the ability to customise this event to search for additional URL query parameters.
Enabling this enhanced measurement option can yield significant rewards as it allows you to:
Identify content gaps that may be hindering user satisfaction and causing them to leave the site.
Gain insights into your site's architecture and assess whether users can easily find the content they need.
Explore opportunities to expand your business. It goes without saying that if your website visitors are actively searching for products or services on your site, they are likely interested in making a purchase.
I'm going to write an article about it (I promise), but for now, I want to tell you that the best way to analyse your On-Site search data (On-Site or simply Site search) is to create a report in Exploration, configured as follows: use 'Search term' and 'Event name' as dimensions. Use 'Event count' and 'Event count per user' as metrics. Apply a filter to only include events where the 'Event name' exactly matches 'view_search_results'.
Onsite search Exploration report Google Analytics 4
Video engagement
To automatically track embedded YouTube videos on a website, the JS API must be enabled for this event. The video engagement event captures various other events, such as video_start, video_progress, and video_complete. This event also includes parameters such as video_current_time, video_duration, video_percent, video_provider, video_url, and video_title.
File downloads
When a user clicks on a link that contains a file extension, the file download event is triggered.
Enhanced Measurement automatically tracks various file extensions, such as .wmv, .mid, .midi, .mp3, .mov, .mp4, .mpe, .mpeg, .pkg, .rar, .gz, .zip, .avi, .ppt, .pptx, .7z, .csv, .exe, .key, .pps, .doc, .docx, .txt, .pdf, .xls, and .xlsx.
This event captures several parameters, including file_extension, file_name, link_classes, link_domain, link_id, link_text, and link_url.
How to enable enhanced measurement in GA4?
To enable enhanced measurement events in Google Analytics 4 follow these steps:
Step One: Navigate to the 'Admin' section in the GA4 reporting view.
Step Two: Choose 'Data Streams' in the 'Property' column.
Step Three: Click on your web data stream.
Step Four: Enable the 'Enhanced measurement' by toggling the switch button.
Note: If you wish to track specific enhanced measurement events only, simply click on the gear icon and disable the switch next to the events you do not want to track. When done click the 'Save' button.
Recommended events in GA4
As the name suggests the recommended events require additional context to be meaningful so they are not sent automatically.
In Google Analytics 4 (GA4), Recommended Events are pre-defined event names and event parameters recommended by Google to track common user interactions and actions on websites or apps. These events are designed to provide valuable insights into user behaviour and engagement. Google offers a reference list of recommended events for various industries and use cases, such as e-commerce, content publishing, and lead generation.
To view the data in GA4, it is necessary to send the data aligned with the predefined event name and event parameters.
To give you an example let's use the 'sign_up' event. To ensure the number of signups and related metrics appears correctly in all standard reports, it is crucial to adhere to the specific naming convention. If you were to name the signup event something like "register_user," you would still be able to report on the number of events as expected.
However, certain metrics like conversion rate or user engagement may not be accurately calculated, and you may not be able to leverage modelled predictive metrics that are designed specifically for the "sign_up" event.
Following the recommended event naming convention ensures consistent and comprehensive data analysis within GA4.
Here are some examples of the Recommended events in Google Analytics 4:
Sign up ( sign_up)
This event signifies that a user has successfully signed up for an account. It is valuable for analysing the distinct behaviours between logged-in and logged-out users.
To implement this event use the following code (for gtag.js implementations)
gtag("event", "sign_up", {
method: "Google"
});
View cart (view_cart)
In Google Analytics 4 (GA4), the "view_cart" event is triggered when a user interacts with their shopping cart or basket on an e-commerce website or app. This event captures valuable information about the user's cart activity.
Here's an example implementation using gtag.js:
gtag("event", "view_cart", {
currency: "GBP",
value: 12.99,
items: [
{
item_id: "SKU_67890",
item_name: "Classic Oxford Shirt",
affiliation: "Fashion Emporium",
coupon: "SUMMER_SALE",
discount: 3.00,
index: 0,
item_brand: "FashionCo",
item_category: "Apparel",
item_category2: "Men",
item_category3: "Shirts",
item_category4: "Long sleeve",
item_list_id: "recommended_products",
item_list_name: "Recommended Products",
item_variant: "blue",
location_id: "ChIJR0MF2i3ahYARmU6M3M6hTHI",
price: 15.99,
quantity: 2
}
]
});
This example sends the "view_cart" event with the following details:
Currency: The currency of the cart items (GBP).
Value: The total value of the cart (£12.99).
Items: An array containing information about the items in the cart. This example includes two items with their respective details such as item ID, name, brand, category, variant, price, quantity, and additional attributes like affiliation, coupon, discount, index, item list ID and name, and location ID.
By implementing this event and providing relevant cart information, you can gain insights into user behaviour and optimise your e-commerce platform accordingly.
Custom events in GA4
A custom event in Google Analytics 4 refers to an event that you define by specifying its name and parameters. It provides you with the ability to gather data that is not automatically collected or suggested by Analytics. By creating custom events, you can track and analyse specific actions or interactions that are important to your business goals and gain insights beyond the default tracking capabilities of GA4.
Custom events in GA4 are typically used to track user interactions such as button clicks, form submissions, video plays, file downloads, or any other action that is important for your analytics goals. By defining custom events, you can gain deeper insights into user behaviour and measure specific actions that are unique to your website or app.
To implement custom events in GA4, you need to add code to your website or app that sends event data to the GA4 tracking system. The code typically consists of an event name and optional parameters that provide additional context or details about the event.
Here's an example of how a custom event might be implemented using the gtag.js library:
gtag('event', 'button_click', {
'event_category': 'Engagement',
'event_label': 'Subscribe Button'
});
In this example, the custom event is named "button_click" and includes two optional parameters: "event_category" and "event_label". These parameters provide additional information about the event, such as the category of the event ("Engagement") and the label associated with the event ("Subscribe Button").
Once the custom event data is sent to GA4, you can use the GA4 interface to analyse and visualise the data. Custom events can be used to create audiences, set up conversion tracking, build funnels (Funnel exploration in Google Analytics 4), and gain insights into user behaviour that is specific to your business objectives.
Prior to creating a custom event, it's important to go through the following steps:
Verify that the event you intend to create is not already collected automatically, categorised as an enhanced measurement event, or recommended by Google Analytics. Utilising events that are already recognised by Google Analytics is preferable as they automatically populate default dimensions and metrics, and seamlessly update standard reports.
Ensure that the name you choose for the custom event is not a reserved name. It is super important to avoid conflicting with any predefined event names or reserved terms within Google Analytics 4. For example, the event name 'click' refers to clicks on links leading to external domains and not tracking clicks on buttons on your site.
Familiarise yourself with the event collection limits and guidelines. Be aware of any restrictions or limitations imposed on event tracking, such as the maximum number of events allowed within a certain time frame or any other specific guidelines related to event collection.
By adhering to these steps, you can effectively create custom events that complement the existing functionality of Google Analytics 4 while obtaining the desired insights specific to your analytics goals. GA4 is not a finished product, not by far, but by introducing your custom events you can take it to another level.
GA4 custom events naming conventions
In Google Analytics 4 (GA4), there are certain limitations to consider regarding event collection. These limitations are designed to ensure efficient data processing and maintain optimal performance within the GA4 tracking system.
Here are the key points regarding event collection limits:
Maximum number of unique event names: GA4 allows up to 500 unique event names per property. It's essential to plan your event naming strategy carefully to stay within this limit and avoid data loss or inconsistencies.
Maximum parameters per event: Each event in GA4 can include up to 25 parameters. Parameters provide additional context and details about the event. It's important to consider the relevance and usefulness of each parameter to capture meaningful data effectively.
Maximum string length for event parameters: String values assigned to event parameters should not exceed 100 characters. If a value exceeds this limit, it will be truncated in the reporting and analysis.
Maximum event rate: GA4 sets a limit on the number of events that can be sent per second for a single property. This limit is dynamic and may vary based on factors like traffic volume and account history. Exceeding the event rate limit may result in data loss, so it's important to monitor your event volume and make adjustments as needed.
Data freshness: Data processing and availability in GA4 might experience a delay of up to 24-48 hours. This delay should be considered when analysing and interpreting real-time or recent data.
By understanding and adhering to these event collection limits, you can ensure accurate and reliable data tracking, maximise the effectiveness of your analytics implementation, and make informed decisions based on the insights provided by Google Analytics 4.
How to set up a custom event directly in the GA4 User Interface?
Let's say I want to set up a custom event called "omi_sido-bio" so I can track how many people visit my bio page https://omisido.com/omi-sido/.
To set up a custom event in GA4, follow these steps:
Step one. Access the admin panel of your Google Analytics 4 account and click 'Events'.
GA4 admin area
Step two. Within the 'Events' area select 'Create Event'.
Click on 'Create event'.
Step three. Within the 'Create Event' section, select the 'Create' button to proceed.
Within the 'Create Event' section, select the 'Create' button.
Step four. First, give your custom event a unique name before configuring the parameters you want to have in order for the event to fire. In my case, I am going to call my custom event 'omi_sido_bio'.
Custom event name Google Analytics 4
Step five. Next, configure the first event parameter - in my case, this is the event I want to create my event from - the page_view event.
Custom event parameter value GA4
Step six. Then if you have to add a second parameter click on the 'Add condition button. In my case, I'll have to specifically distinguish the Omi Sido page page_view from the rest as its own event. I'll use page_location contains /omi-sido/ for this condition.
GA4 custom event parameter
Note: To target complex URLs build custom events in GA4 using RegEx.
Step seven. Finally, you have to configure your parameters. If you wish to utilise the parameters already available in the original "page_view" event, you can keep the box checked for "Copy parameters from source event." When you are satisfied with everything hit 'Create'.
Create events in GA4
DebugView in Google Analytics 4
To validate that your custom event implementation is working correctly use the DebugView in Google Analytics 4. DebugView in GA4 is a feature designed to assist developers and digital marketers in validating the implementation of custom events on their websites or apps. It provides real-time insight into the events and parameters being sent to Google Analytics from your digital property.
DebugView in Google Analytics 4
By accessing DebugView, you can see event hits as they occur, including the event name, associated parameters, and other relevant information. This way, you can ensure that your custom events are set up properly and are functioning as intended before relying on the data for analysis and reporting in Google Analytics 4. It's a valuable tool that streamlines the debugging process and helps ensure the accuracy and effectiveness of event tracking within the platform.
Google Analytics Debugger Chrome Extension
To enable the DebugView in GA4 I am using the GA debugger Chrome extension. As you can see from the picture below the custom event I created earlier ‘ga4_categry_page_visits’ is working as expected and when I click on it I can see all its parameters.
DebugView in Google Analytics 4
Track Events with Google Analytics 4: Final Words
There you have it, our guide for beginners on setting up and tracking events in Google Analytics 4. Probably the main takeaways from this article are: Everything is now an event in Google Analytics 4, events can be created in the GA4 interface based on incoming events and you can use Use Google Analytics 4 DebugView to test and analyse your event implementation.
If you have more questions about how to track events with Google Analytics 4 please post them in the comments below! And if you have any ideas on how to improve event tracking in GA4 post them in the comments below too.
### UTM parameters in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
In the world of digital marketing, tracking and analysing the performance of our campaigns is crucial to optimising our efforts and achieving our business goals. One powerful tool that helps in this endeavour is UTM tracking. UTM parameters are widely used in Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to gain insights into campaign performance and understand the impact of different marketing channels. So in this article let's explore what UTM tracking is, why it is important, how to create UTM codes, where to see UTM data in GA4 and last but not least define the best practices for UTM tagging.
What is UTM Tracking and why is it important?
UTM tracking is a method of appending UTM parameters to the URLs of your marketing campaigns to track and attribute their performance accurately. UTM stands for Urchin Tracking Module (I still hear some digital marketers industry refer to it as the Urchin Traffic Monitor) which was the predecessor to Google Analytics. UTM tracking allows you to measure the effectiveness of different marketing activities and understand which channels or campaigns are driving the most traffic, conversions, and revenue.
A UTM code looks something like this:
http://yourwebsite.com/your-article/?utm_source=google
The portion following the '?' symbol is referred to as the UTM code. As you may have already deduced, this specific code tracks who sent the traffic to the page (i.e. the source).
The importance of UTM tracking lies in its ability to provide valuable insights into our marketing efforts. By properly tagging your URLs with UTM parameters, we can attribute website visits, conversions, and other key metrics to specific campaigns, channels, or even individual marketing assets. This data can help us understand the ROI of our marketing campaigns, identify high-performing channels, help us optimise our marketing budget (your boss will be happy), and make data-driven decisions in order to drive better results.
What are UTM Parameters?
UTM parameters are specific pieces of information added to the end of a URL that allow Google Analytics (GA4) to identify and track the source, medium, campaign, and other relevant information about the traffic coming to our website.
The five standard UTM parameters are:
Source (utm_source): Identifies the specific source of the traffic, such as a search engine (Google, Bing), social media platform (Facebook, Twitter), or newsletter. Example: utm_source=Twitter.
Medium (utm_medium): Indicates the medium or marketing channel through which the traffic is coming, like organic search, email, or display ads. Example: utm_medium=email.
Campaign (utm_campaign): Represents the name or identifier of the campaign you are running, such as a product launch, seasonal promotion, or event. Example: utm_medium=socialmedia.
Term (utm_term): This parameter is primarily used for tracking keywords in paid search campaigns (PPC), although it can be customised for other purposes. Example: utm_term=performance+advertising+software.
Content (utm_content): This parameter is optional and can be used to differentiate between different versions of the same ad or link. In other words use this tag to explain which specific element was clicked, like a footer call to action button or header banner. Example: utm_content=headerlink.
Note: Unlike Universal Analytics, GA4 requires sending at least one parameter to identify your campaign.
How to create UTM codes for Google Analytics 4?
Creating UTM codes is a fairly straightforward process. You can generate UTM codes using Google's Campaign URL Builder or various other online tools available. Of course, you can always type them manually but the problem with the manual approach is that UTM codes can become very lengthy and there’s a chance you'll make a mistake.
Campaign URL Builder
Here's a step-by-step guide to creating UTM codes
Step 1: Carefully identify the parameters you want to track (critical). Before creating UTM codes, determine the specific information you want to capture, such as the source, medium, and campaign name.
Step 2: Use Google's Campaign URL Builder - a user-friendly tool that allows you to input the necessary information and generates a tagged URL for you. It is as easy as entering the desired website URL, source, medium, campaign, and optional parameters like term and content and the tool will generate a UTM-tagged URL that you can use in your marketing campaigns.
Step 3: Customise and shorten the URL (optional). You can further customise the generated by using a shortening service like bit.ly to make the UTM-tagged URL more user-friendly and visually appealing.
Step 4: Implement the UTM-tagged URLs. Once you have your UTM-tagged URLs ready, use them in your marketing materials, such as email campaigns, social media posts, banner ads, or any other promotional channels you utilise.
How to track UTM parameters in Google Analytics 4
In GA4, UTM data can be viewed and analysed in various ways, but the Traffic Acquisition report is likely the initial destination to explore.
Acquisition report in Google Analytics 4
To access it, go to Reports → Acquisition → Traffic Acquisition and modify the table's initial dimension (Session default channel group) to Session source/medium.
Traffic acquisition: Session source/medium
Excellent! Now we can observe our newsletter source along with the email medium. As usual, I am utilising the Google Demo account, which is a fully operational Google Analytics 4 account accessible to anyone already using Google Analytics.
If you wish to view other UTM parameters in Google Analytics 4, you can add a secondary dimension to the table by clicking the "+" sign.
Add dimension to GA4 report
For example let's search for campaign, then select Session campaign.
Session campaign-metric
For some reason, it takes a few seconds for the table to update and display the campaign name we entered in the Campaign URL Builder.
Session campaign name GA4
Please note that the traffic acquisition report table has a limitation of presenting a maximum of two dimensions.
If you desire a more in-depth analysis of the data, I would suggest directly exploring the exploration reports, which are always my preferred choice for analysing UTM data in GA4.
Analysing UTM Parameters in Exploration Reports
The Explore section of Google Analytics 4 is by far my favourite tool. So go to Explore, click on a blank report and provide a distinctive name for this exploration report. I guess 'UTM Report' is appropriate.
Exploration reports in Google analytics 4
The next thing we need to do is specify the data we want to put together. Click on the '+' sign in Metrics then type 'sessions' in the search bar, then select Sessions and finally, click Import.
Session metric exploration report
Now for the dimensions, we have to add all our UTM parameters but as naming in Google Analytics 4 is not very intuitive we must know the corresponding values hence I am giving you this table below.
UTM ParameterGA4 Dimensionutm_idSession campaign IDutm_sourceSession sourceutm_mediumSession mediumutm_campaignSession campaignutm_source_platformSession source platformutm_termSession manual termutm_contentSession manual ad content UTM parameters and GA4 dimensions
To make things easy I can tell you that all UTM parameters in Google Analytics 4 are under the Traffic Source section so to add dimension click on the "+" sign, search for 'session', select all the matching dimensions and finally click Import.
Traffic Source section exploration report in GA4
To start building your report click and drag Sessions to the Values section in order to see data coming in.
Adding the sessions metric to the values section
Next, add the Session medium dimension to the Rows section so you can see the data for the mediums you used in a table to the right.
Adding the session medium dimension to the rows section
Next, add the Session source, as well so you can see your newsletter source (in my case this is Newsletter_April_2023, Newsletter_June_2023 etc.).
As we only want to focus on data for our newsletter we should add a filter to our report either by using the Filter section (below Values) or by simply clicking on the dimension/metric we want to filter in the table and selecting 'Include Only Selection'. This will automatically apply a filter for the Session medium that matches the email.
Filtering in exploration reports
It will automatically appliy a filter for the Session medium that matches the email.
Session source filter
Adding another dimension like a Session campaign will allow us to compare the two versions of the newsletter and it looks like the June2023_Plastic_Free_July_V1 newsletter was a lot more successful than June2023_Pride_V1 or June2023_Pride_V2.
Adding Session campaign
If you think that our report is a bit overcrowded since we have already filtered the report, remove the Session medium and source by clicking ✖.
Removing the session source and medium dimensions due to the addition of the session campaign
We can now focus exclusively on the session campaign, specifically filtered to include only the email medium and newsletter source.
Analysing newsletter performance in GA4 explorations
Since this is an eCommerce store let's add more metrics at this stage of building the Explorations report in order to confirm whether one of the newsletters was definitely better than the other - I guess adding the Transactions metric makes a lot of sense.
Inserting the transactions metric into the exploration report
It looks like we got more transactions on the first newsletter version so the June2023_Plastic_Free_July_V1 newsletter is definitely a winner.
Best practices for UTM-Tagging
To make the most of UTM tagging, consider the following best practices:
Consistent naming conventions. Establish a clear and consistent naming convention for your UTM parameters to ensure accurate tracking and easy analysis. This includes using standardised formats for source, medium, and campaign names.
Avoid over-tagging. Be mindful not to over-tag your URLs with excessive UTM parameters. Stick to the parameters that are relevant to your tracking objectives to prevent clutter and confusion in your analytics data.
Test and validate UTM codes. I can't stress enough how important is before launching your campaigns to test the UTM-tagged URLs to ensure they are working correctly and capturing the desired data. Validate the data in GA4 to verify that it aligns with your expectations.
Use UTM parameters in offline campaigns. It may come as a surprise but UTM tracking is not only limited to online campaigns. You can also utilise UTM parameters in offline marketing channels, such as print ads or direct mail, to track and measure their impact on website traffic and conversions.
Regularly review and refine: Continuously monitor and analyse your UTM data to identify trends, optimise your marketing efforts, and refine your campaigns. Regularly review the performance of different sources, mediums, and campaigns to allocate resources effectively and drive better results.
Analysing data in digital marketing is like peering through a kaleidoscope of insights, uncovering patterns that guide our strategies and illuminate success.
Summary
I hope this short guide helped you discover how to set up and decode UTM parameters in Google Analytics 4. As you've probably noticed it's only a matter of putting everything together, knowing where the data is, and then slicing and dicing so you can get the insights that your business needs.
UTM tracking and the use of UTM parameters in Google Analytics 4 are essential tools for marketers seeking to gain valuable insights into their campaigns' performance so they are able to make data-driven decisions, optimise their strategies, and drive better results. By properly implementing UTM-tagged URLs, we digital marketers can accurately attribute website traffic and conversions to specific marketing channels, campaigns, and assets.
### Bounce Rate in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
Google Analytics 4, also known as GA4, is a powerful web analytics tool that provides businesses with valuable insights into their online performance. GA4 is an improved version of the classic Universal Google Analytics (that we all loved), which was primarily used for tracking website traffic and user behaviour. One of the key features of GA4 is the ability to measure engagement metrics, including 'engaged sessions' and bounce rate. To explain the bounce rate in GA4 first we have to explain the so-called 'engaged sessions' in Google Analytics 4 so let's start with this one.
What are Engaged Sessions in Google Analytics 4
Let's start with a short answer and then we can have a longer description.
Engaged sessions in GA4 are defined as sessions that last for 10 seconds or more and include at least one conversion event or two or more page/screen views.
Engaged sessions in GA4 refer to the length of time a user spends actively interacting with your website or app. An engaged session is defined as a session where a user spends at least 10 seconds actively engaging with the content on the page. This includes actions such as scrolling, clicking, or watching a video. Engaged sessions are a valuable metric because they indicate how interested and invested users are in your website or app.
Engaged Sessions in Google Analytics 4
How to change the web session timeout in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
If you think that 10 seconds is too low to count a session as an 'engaged session' you can configure and customise your engaged session by increasing this time to up to 60 seconds.
To change the default timeout of 10 seconds for your engaged sessions follow these steps:
Sign in to your GA4 account and select the property you want to configure.
Click on "Admin" in the left-hand menu.
In the "Property" column, click on "Data Streams".
Select the data stream you want to configure and click on "Settings".
Scroll down and click on "Configure tag settings" under 'Google tag'.
In the Google Tag section, click Show All to see all available options.
Click "Adjust session timeout".
Set the engagement time threshold that you want to use. This is the amount of time that a user needs to spend on your website to be considered engaged.
Click on "Save" to save your changes.
How to change the web session timeout in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
Why are engaged sessions important?
Engaged sessions are important because they give businesses a better understanding of how users interact with their website or app. Tracking engaged sessions can help you answer important questions like:
How long are users staying on my website?
What content are users most interested in?
What actions are users taking after arriving on my website?
Engaged sessions are also a useful metric for measuring user engagement over time. By tracking engaged sessions over weeks or months, you can get a sense of whether your website or app is becoming more or less engaging to users.
Another benefit of engaged sessions is that they can help digital marketers identify areas for improvement. If you notice that your users are spending very little time engaged with your website or app, it may be an indication that your content is not as engaging and authoritative as it could be. On the other hand, if your users are spending a lot of time engaged with certain pages or content, it may be an indication that those pages are particularly effective and should be emphasised.
The importance of data in business
Tips for optimising engaged sessions
Once you start tracking engaged sessions in Google Analytics A4, there are several strategies you can use to optimise this metric and improve user engagement on your website or app. Let me give you a few tips to get you started:
Focus on creating engaging content: As I mentioned earlier, engaged sessions are a good indicator of how interesting and compelling your content is to your audience. By focusing on creating engaging content, you can increase the likelihood that users will spend more time on your website or app.
Optimise page load speed: I am sure that you already know that users are more likely to engage with your website or app if it loads quickly. Slow loading times can be a major barrier to engagement, so it's important to optimise your page load speed by compressing images, minimising HTTP requests, and using caching tools. And of course, let's not forget that although page speed is not a direct ranking factor it 'generally aligns with success in search ranking and is worth your attention'.
Improve website navigation: Visitors to your web properties are more likely to engage with your website or app if they can easily find what they're looking for. Make sure your site navigation is easy to use and intuitive, with clear labels and logical organisation.
Personalise the user experience (UX): Personalisation can be a powerful tool for increasing user engagement. Use data from Google Analytics 4 to create personalised experiences for users based on their interests, behaviour, and preferences.
Experiment with different content formats (this one also goes well with 'personalised user experience'): Different types of content can be more engaging to different users. Experiment with different content formats, such as videos, infographics, or interactive tools, to see what resonates with your audience.
Monitor user feedback: Keep an eye on user feedback, such as comments, reviews, or social media posts, to get a sense of how users are engaging with your website or app. Use this feedback to make improvements and optimise the user experience and content on your website.
Engagement metrics in GA4
Now that we understand what 'engaged sessions' are let me show you where to find certain engagement metrics in GA4.
Engaged sessions in GA4
Go to Reports in Google Analytics 4 and then Acquisition and Traffic Acquisition and the first engagement metric that you will see is Engagement sessions. By the way, Sessions here means all sessions including Engaged sessions and sessions that were not engaged.
Engaged sessions in Google Analytics 4
Average engagement time per session
The next metric is the Average engagement time per session - all engagement time is combined and then divided by the number of sessions. This metric is very similar to the 'average time on page' metric in Universal Analytics but in comparison, the Average engagement time per session is a lot more precise.
Average engagement time per session in GA4
Engaged sessions per user
The next metric that we see in this report is Engaged session per user. This metric is calculated by taking the total number of engaged sessions per user and dividing it by the total number of users. This ratio is useful for digital marketers and analysts to track over time. A higher value indicates that the site has more engaged users.
Engaged sessions per user in GA4
Engagement Rate in Google Analytics 4
Last but not least we see the Engagement Rate metric that is a good metric to look at but similar to Bounce rate in Universal Analytics it should never be analysed in isolation.
Engagement Rate in Google Analytics 4
What is 'Engagement rate' in GA4 (Google Analytics 4)
Engagement rate in GA4 (Google Analytics 4) is a metric that measures the level of user interaction with your website or mobile app and essentially replaces Bounce rate in GA4. It is calculated by dividing the total number of engaged sessions by the total number of sessions and then multiplying the result by 100.
Engagement rate = Number of Engaged Sessions / Total Number of Sessions * 100
The engagement rate helps you understand how effectively you are engaging your audience and can provide insight into how you can improve your website or app's user experience.
Engagement rate is a valuable metric to track over time and can be used to inform your marketing and website optimisation strategies.
Active users in GA4
Note: Before going any further I have to mention a very important thing in this report: Users in this report shows only the number of Active users - an Active user is a user who has at least one engaged session - compared to Universal Analytics where the metric Users gave us the total number of users landing on your website pages.
In other words, in Universal Analytics if a person came to your website and stayed for 2 seconds only that user would still be counted in the Users metric. In GA4 only Active users are counted so if you compare the Users metric between UA and GA4 the numbers will definitely not match and most likely the GA4 numbers are lower.
If you still want to see the Total number of users and Active users you should go to the Explore section of GA4 and select the metric Total users which will give you the number of unique users that have sent at least one event to your property and strictly speaking don't have to be engaged.
Active v Total users in Google Analytics 4
What is a good average engagement time?
It's important to keep in mind that engagement rates can vary significantly across different websites, industries and target audiences. What may be considered a desirable engagement rate for one industry or audience may not necessarily be the same for another.
The industry and target audience are critical factors that must be considered. Various industries and audiences exhibit distinct behaviours and expectations when it comes to interacting with websites and applications.
For example, the average engagement rate for B2B websites is typically around 63%, whereas B2C websites tend to see an average engagement rate of 71%. The difference in engagement rates between these two industries may be due to differences in product or service complexity and the purchasing process. As a result, it is essential to compare your website's engagement rate against that of your competitors in your industry to determine a reasonable engagement rate benchmark.
Now that we know what 'engaged sessions' and 'engagement rate' are it will be very easy to explain bounce rate in GA4.
What is bounce rate in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
Bounce rate in Google Analytics 4 is the percentage of sessions that were not engaged sessions.
Another way to explain Bounce rate in GA4 is if the following 3 actions do not occur during a session, it will be considered a bounce
A session consists of 2 or more page_view events
A visitor stays at least 10 seconds on a page
A conversion happened during the session
When you think about it Bounce rate in GA4 is the inverse of the Engagement rate metric and you can calculate it using the following formula:
100% - engagement rate = Bounce rate
Example: If you had a hundred sessions in total and out of those hundred, seventy were considered 'Engaged Sessions' then the bounce rate recorded in GA4 would be 30%. As simple as that.
Great, now that we understand how bounce rate is calculated in Google Analytics 4, it seems to be missing from my reports. Where exactly can we locate the bounce rate? That's a great question, let's explore and find the answer!
How do you see the bounce rate in GA4?
To access the bounce rate in GA4 reports, follow these steps:
Navigate to the left menu and click on 'Reports'.
Choose the specific report you wish to customise, e.g. Landing pages under Engagement.
Look for the 'Customise report' button located in the upper-right corner of the report (Note: if the button is not visible, it means you do not have the Editor or Administrator role.
In the Report data section of the right panel, click Metrics and then 'Add metric'.
Find "Bounce rate" and click on "Apply."
If you want this update to be applied every time you view the report, select 'Save changes to the current report' by hovering over the blue 'Save' button in the top right corner.
Bounce rate in GA4?
Custom exploration report that includes landing pages and bounce rate
Here's how to add bounce rate to a Google Analytics 4 exploration report:
Open the landing page report that we created in the Landing page report in Google Analytics 4 article.
Go to the settings and scroll down to the metrics section in the variables column.
Click on the plus sign and search for "bounce rate".
Make sure it's checked (if it's already added, it will be checked).
Click on "Import" in the top right corner.
In the right column of the configurations settings, under the tab settings, scroll down to the values section.
Grab your bounce rate from the metrics section and drag it over to the values.
Your table will update accordingly.
Custom exploration report that includes landing pages and bounce rate
How do I find exit pages in Google Analytics 4?
Currently, exit pages data in GA4 is not available from the standard reports.
To discover the webpages from which your website users leave, you need to use explorations in GA4, which are custom reports enabling the combination of different dimensions and metrics.
To create an exploration report for exit pages, follow these steps:
To begin, sign in to your GA4 account and click on ‘Explore‘ in the left-hand sidebar.
From the available options, select "Blank" (you can also choose "Free Form").
To import the desired metrics and dimensions, click on the ‘+‘ symbol next to each one.
Choose either 'page path and screen class' and/or 'page path + query string' as dimensions. Click "Import" when you’re done.
Next, in the 'Select Dimensions' window, find and import "Exits" and "Views".
Finally, drag-and-drop the Dimensions to Rows and the Metrics to Values. This will populate the report with data.
Don’t forget to give your new exploration report a relevant name, such as "Exit Pages".
Exit Pages GA4
I believe that now you know everything about Bounce Rate in Google Analytics 4 (GA4). If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask me in the comments below.
Want to hear more from Omi about GA4? Check out these articles:
Regular Expressions in Google Analytics 4: What You Need to Know
How to link Google Analytics 4 to BigQuery? The ultimate guide.
Dimensions and metrics in Google Analytics 4
GA4 Migration and Implementation
### Regular Expressions in Google Analytics 4: What You Need to Know
Regular expressions, commonly known as RegEx (RegExp), are a powerful tool for searching and manipulating text data. The best way to explain what a regular expression is is probably the following statement: a regular expression is a sequence of characters that forms a search pattern in any given text (string). And apart from being difficult to describe (lol), regular expressions can be used to match and manipulate text data in numerous programming languages and tools, including Google Analytics 4.
A regular expression is a sequence of characters that forms a search pattern in any given text (string)
The core idea behind regular expressions is to define a search pattern that matches a specific set of characters or words in a text string and as long as the string follows some sort of pattern, regex is robust enough to be able to capture this pattern and return a specific part of the string.
Some common uses of regular expressions include:
Validating input: You can use regular expressions to make sure that user input matches a particular pattern, such as an email address, phone number, or password. Example: An email address usually takes the form of "something@else.tld". To match any email address that conforms to this pattern, I may use the regular expression pattern (\w\.?)+@[\w\.-]+\.\w{2,}.
Searching and replacing: Very often I use the power of RegEx to find and replace specific text within a document, web page or files in Sublime text. For example this regex (\d{3})-(\d{2})-(\d{4}) matches any string in the format of a social security number, with three digits, followed by two digits, followed by four digits.
Data extraction: You can use a regex to extract specific data from a larger body of text, such as a log file or database. For example in a database containing a vast amount of textual data, you can employ regular expressions to extract only the relevant data sets for your analysis or project, thus saving time and effort compared to manually sorting through the entire data set.
Regular expressions allow for the use of quantifiers, which specify how many times a pattern should be matched. For example, the asterisk (*) quantifier means 'zero or more' while the plus sign (+) means 'one or more".
Using regular expressions in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
In Google Analytics 4 (GA4), regular expression support is not as widely available as it was in Universal Analytics. However, there are still places where they can be used. In this article, we'll explore where regular expressions can be used in Google Analytics 4 and highlight some nuances that you should be aware of.
Exclude referral traffic in GA4 using Regex
One place where regular expressions can be used in Google Analytics 4 is to define unwanted referrals. To exclude specific referral traffic from your GA4 reports, you should do the following steps:
Go to the admin panel of your Google Analytics 4 account.
Select your Data stream.
Select your Web Data Stream and then click on "Configure tag settings."
Inside the tag settings click on "Show all" and then click "List the unwanted referrals".
Exclude referral traffic in GA4
If you want to exclude multiple domains, you can either add multiple conditions using the 'Add condition' button, or you can have one condition matching different domains by switching to "Referral domain matches RegEx" and entering your condition.
Before doing that I want you to remember that when using regular expressions in Google Analytics 4, they are looking for exact matches. In other words, the default regex in GA4 is a "full match": the data must match the pattern you provide exactly.
For instance, if you use the pattern "Canada" it will only match data that exactly contains "Canada". If you want to perform a partial match, you can use metacharacters in your regular expression. For example, using the pattern "Canada.*" will match any value that starts with "Canada" and ends with anything (or nothing) else.
Going back to defining unwanted referrals if you want to exclude domains - for example, www.faceboook.com and www.youtube.com - that have the same subdomain, such as www, you can use a pipe (|') to separate the domains, and the dot (.) can be used as a wildcard.
www.faceboook.com|www.youtube.com
Exclude referral traffic in GA4 using Regex
If you want to match the actual character "." and not use it as a wildcard, enter the backslash (\) before the dot.
www\.faceboook\.com|www\.youtube\.com
Exclude referral traffic in GA4 using Regex
If you write your condition like the example above the regular expressions will be looking for www.faceboook.com or www.youtube.com. On the other side if you write the condition like faceboook\.com|youtube\.com the regular expression will not be including the www subdomains as in GA4 regular expressions are looking for the "full match".
Additionally, if do want to include all subdomains, you can use the regular expression (.*) (dot asterisk). This expression means, 'match zero or more of any character". Or in our case, the regular expression will include the www subdomains.
So if you are looking to include all subdomains (partial match) you can write something like this
.*(faceboook\.com|youtube\.com)
In this case, the referring domain must end with facebook.com or youtube.com but before them, there could be a subdomain like www or something else.
Exclude multi language referral traffic in GA4 using Regex
When dealing with a website that has multiple languages, the use of regular expressions is almost unavoidable. This is because the same third-party provider may use different domains for each language.
For example, if you have a multilingual e-commerce site and you want to exclude PayPal transactions from your Google Analytics 4 property, you may need to use regular expressions to match all the possible domains that PayPal may use for each language.
paypal\.(com|[a-z]{2})
Exclude multi language referral traffic in GA4 using Regex
This regular expression will match any domain that starts with "paypal." followed by either "com" or any two-letter lowercase code for a language (e.g., "es" for Spanish, "de" for German, etc.).
Another way to write the regular expression to match PayPal domains for multiple languages is:
paypal\.(com|es|en)
Exclude multi language referral traffic in GA4 using Regex
That regular expression would match the domain names "paypal.com", "paypal.es", and "paypal.en".
Exclude internal traffic in GA4 using Regex
When setting up a new Google Analytics 4 property the first thing you should be doing is to set up filters and exclude internal and developer traffic. Failing to properly exclude internal traffic from your tracking can result in skewed data that includes your own website visits or app sessions, as well as those of your team. This can lead to unreliable data that should not be used to make important decisions.
Failing to properly exclude internal traffic from your tracking can result in skewed data.
To exclude specific referral traffic from your GA4 reports, you should do the following steps:
Go to the admin panel of your Google Analytics 4 account.
Select your Data stream, then select your Web Data Stream.
Click on "Configure tag settings."
Inside the tag settings click on "Show all" and then click "Define internal traffic".
Finally click on "Create' Internal traffic rules and then select "IP address matches regular expression".
Here similar to the previous example of excluding referral traffic you can use a regular expression to add different IP addresses instead of adding multiple conditions.
192.168.123.(132|134|136)
Exclude internal traffic in GA4 using Regex
This regular expression will match IP addresses 192.168.123.132, 192.168.123.134, and 192.168.123.136.
Of course, you can also write the same regular expression as
192\.168\.123\.(132|134|136)
Exclude internal traffic in Google Analytics 4
Use RegEx to create audiences and segments in GA4 explore reports
In explorations, regular expressions can be used to create filters. For example, you can create a filter where the event name matches a regular expression.
Explorations within Google Analytics 4 refer to a set of advanced methodologies that go beyond regular reports and enable you to delve deeper into your customers' behaviour, thereby revealing valuable insights.
Let's start by creating a simple report where we use Event name as a dimension and Event count as a metric.
Free Form Report in GA4
Now imagine that we need to create a report where we only want to concentrate on page_view and first_visit. In this case, we can create a filter that "matches regex"
page_view|first_visit
Use RegEx to create audiences and segments in GA4 explore reports
After clicking 'Apply' the regex above will result in displaying only page_view and first_visit.
Use RegEx to create audiences and segments in GA4 explore reports
If you're looking for partial matches, use the ".*" regular expression to match anything. Remember that regular expressions in Google Analytics 4 are looking for exact matches unless you use the wildcard feature.
(page|first).*
Use RegEx to create audiences and segments in GA4 explore reports
Use RegEx to create segments in GA4 explore reports
Another place to use regular expressions in the GA4 Exploration section is when creating segments.
GA4 explorations segments
Go to Segments and click on the plus icon, then select a segment type. Now, select the dimension. For example, if you want to analyse sessions coming from a particular country, first click on the Sessions segment, then "Geography" followed by "Country ID." In the filter, switch to "matches regex" and enter the country ID.
GB|US|CA
Use RegEx to create segments in GA4 explore reports
Of course, you can also use the 'OR' button but I personally find it easier to configure the filter using RegEx.
Build Custom Events in GA4 Using RegEx
A very good way to utilise regular expressions in Google Analytics 4 is to create new, custom events based on the data you send, which can then be used for conversions.
Did you know you can create custom events in GA4 without using Google Tag Manager?
To create a custom event in GA4, you should do the following steps:
Go to the admin panel of your Google Analytics 4 account.
Select Events, then select Create Event.
Inside of the Create Event section click on the button 'Create".
Build Custom Events in GA4
So following the logic above if you want to create a custom event whenever someone visits a specific page on your website, for example my Google Analytics 4 category page at https://omisido.com/category/google-analytics-4/, you can use the GA4 page_view event and set the page_location to match the regular expression "https://omisido\.com\/category\/google-analytics-4\/".
https://omisido\.com\/category\/google-analytics-4\/
By doing this, GA4 will generate a new event every time someone visits this page, allowing me to track and analyse this specific activity separately.
Use Regex in GA4 to build custom events and conversions
Note: To validate that your custom event implementation is working correctly use the DebugView in Google Analytics 4. DebugView is a feature in Google Analytics 4 that allows you to view real-time events and parameters being sent to Google Analytics from your website or app.
As you can see from the picture below the custom even I have created earlier 'ga4_categry_page_visits' is working as expected. To enable the DebugView in GA4 I am using the GA debugger Chrome extension.
DebugView in Google Analytics 4
When you enable DebugView, you can see events and parameters such as page views, clicks, sessions, and custom events being sent to Google Analytics in real-time. This can help you verify that your tracking is correctly configured and ensure that you are collecting the data you need to make informed decisions.
Conclusion
Regular expressions can be a powerful tool in Google Analytics 4, but they come with some nuances that you should be aware of. Use regular expressions to define unwanted referrals, internal traffic, create filters in explorations, and modify or create events in the admin panel. Remember that regular expressions in Google Analytics 4 are looking for exact matches unless you use the wildcard feature.
### Which is Better: Creating a Country-Specific Domain or Using an Existing Website?
In the current worldwide marketplace, online businesses can now extend beyond their domestic borders. Due to technological and communication advancements, expanding online operations overseas has become simpler, enabling companies to bolster their global online presence and reach out to untapped markets, thereby attracting fresh customers and enhancing their earnings.
Expanding internationally can bring significant benefits to your business, but it also poses various challenges and risks. In this article, I will share my experience and insights on the opportunities, advantages, and disadvantages of international expansion for online businesses that want to use an existing domain or want to building an architecture from the ground up using the so-called ccTLDs (country code top-level domain).
Note: From a technical standpoint, both a dot com with a well-configured hreflang setup and a ccTLD are viable options and have the potential to achieve high organic rankings(!)
Opportunities of Expanding Internationally
Businesses can enjoy several benefits by expanding internationally, including:
Access to New Markets: International expansion offers businesses access to untapped markets and a larger customer base, which can boost revenue and profitability.
Diversification: Expanding globally can assist businesses in diversifying their revenue streams and reducing their dependence on domestic markets, thereby mitigating the risk of market fluctuations and economic downturns.
Competitive Edge: International expansion can give businesses a competitive edge over their rivals. Online companies can leverage their unique products or services, technology, or expertise to stand out in the global market.
Brand Establishment: International expansion can help businesses establish their brand in new markets and increase brand recognition globally. This can increase customer loyalty and build trust with potential customers, even in their initial/original market.
Embrace new markets, expand globally, and seize the limitless opportunities that await.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Expanding Internationally on an Existing Site
Expanding internationally on an existing website can offer several benefits, such as:
Cost-Effective: Expanding internationally on an existing website can be more cost-effective and practical than creating new 'country-specific' websites (ccTLDs). It saves the cost of website design and development and companies that already have an established process for creating and publishing content online can easily add new content and pages that cater to the 'new' international audiences.
Brand Consistency (probably my favourite part of using an existing .com domain): Expanding on an existing site allows international companies to maintain brand consistency (the practice of always delivering messages aligned with the core brand values) across all markets. This can help build trust with new customers and increase brand recognition globally. As more and more companies seek to make their mark in front of an international audience, knowing how to maintain brand consistency has never been more critical and building on an existing website is probably the easiest way to expand globally.
Easier to Manage: It can be less complex to manage an expansion on an existing website as businesses only need to update and maintain a single site. This is particularly advantageous for small enterprises that lack sufficient budgets to develop and upkeep multiple websites.
However, expanding internationally on an existing website also presents some drawbacks, including:
Challenges with SEO: Companies may encounter SEO difficulties when expanding internationally on an existing website, such as creating new content and optimising it for various languages and local markets.
Cultural Differences: Failing to account for cultural disparities when expanding on an existing website can impact user trust, experience and sales negatively.
Technical Limitations: The current website may not be configured to handle international traffic, leading to sluggish loading times or other technical problems.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Expanding Internationally with ccTLDs
Expanding internationally with country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) can offer a range of advantages for international companies that are looking to establish a presence in new 'local' markets.
There are numerous benefits to using country code top-level domains (ccTLDs), including:
SEO Benefits: One of the primary advantages of ccTLDs is that they can offer significant SEO benefits in the specific country or region that a business is targeting. From my personal observations, I have noticed that search engines often prioritise local domains (although Google states otherwise), which means that websites with a ccTLD for a specific country have a higher likelihood of appearing in local search results. This can aid businesses in increasing their visibility in the local market and driving more traffic to their website.
Cultural Relevance: Using ccTLDs can help international companies establish cultural relevance in the markets they're targeting, which can help build trust with customers. By using a local domain, businesses can show that they understand the local culture and are committed to serving the needs of customers in that market. This can help to establish a strong brand identity and improve customer loyalty. For example I can tell you that from my personal experience, German consumers are very suspicious of websites that don't look 'German'. Not having a German ccTLD is generally not a good way to start an online business in Germany).
Flexibility: Using ccTLDs allows businesses to tailor their content and marketing strategies specifically to the market they're targeting. This can include using the local language, adapting product offerings to meet local preferences, and creating marketing campaigns that resonate with the local audience. By tailoring their approach in this way, businesses can improve their chances of success in new markets and build strong relationships with customers.
Using a ccTLD is a more straightforward way of earning links for a publisher compared to using a .com/country/ domain. From my personal experience, the probability of obtaining a link is higher when using a ccTLD.
Overall, expanding internationally with ccTLDs can be a highly effective strategy for businesses that are looking to establish a presence in new markets. By taking advantage of the SEO benefits, cultural relevance, and flexibility offered by local domains, businesses can improve their chances of success and build a strong brand presence in new markets.
However, expanding internationally with ccTLDs (country code top-level domains) can have certain disadvantages that businesses should be aware of before making a decision to do so. Some of the main drawbacks are:
Cost: One of the primary drawbacks of using multiple ccTLDs is the cost involved in registering them. Each domain registration comes with a fee, and the cost can quickly add up if a business wants to register multiple domains for different countries. Additionally, businesses may also need to pay for translation and localisation services to ensure that their website content is adapted to local languages and customs, which can add to the overall expense.
Brand Consistency: Using multiple ccTLDs can make it challenging to maintain a consistent brand image across different markets. Each ccTLD may have different domain names, which can make it harder for customers to remember and recognise the brand. Additionally, different domain names may also imply different messages or associations, which can create confusion or dilute the brand's overall message.
Technical Complexity: Managing multiple ccTLDs (sometimes this also means managing multiple/different CMS systems) can be technically complex and may require additional resources, such as website hosting and maintenance. For example, businesses may need to ensure that their website is optimised for each country's search engines and that their content meets local regulatory requirements. Additionally, managing multiple domains can create more work for website administrators, who need to ensure that all domains are up-to-date, secure, and functioning correctly.
SEO factors to be considered while optimising a website for international search engines.
SEO checklist for International SEO success.
Hreflang Tags: Hreflang tags are HTML attributes that assist search engines, such as Google, to identify which language and/or geographic location a particular webpage is meant for. By using these tags, search engines can accurately display the relevant version of the website to the appropriate audience. Proper implementation of hreflang tags is critical to prevent any misunderstandings or incorrect indexing of webpages in global search results.
Keyword Research: I hope that you already know that keyword research is an essential aspect of any SEO campaign. Well, when it comes to International SEO conducting keyword research helps to identify the relevant keywords that users are searching for in a particular country/region. It is essential to understand the language and search behaviour of your target audience. Using the right keywords can help you rank higher in local search results. For instance, let's consider the term 'fibre', which has an estimated search volume of 4,000 per month in the USA, whereas the more commonly used spelling 'fiber' has a search volume of approximately 90,000 per month (April, 2023).
Language and Content: Language plays a vital role in International SEO. To establish a connection with the local audience, generating content in their local language is crucial. But, simply translating the content is insufficient. It's important to consider local customs and culture when creating content to establish credibility and trust. For instance, while red is considered a lucky colour in China, it is associated with danger in Western cultures.
Website Structure: The arrangement of a website is a vital element of International SEO. A properly structured website facilitates easy indexing and crawling by search engines. The website's structure should be tailored to the local audience. For instance, if you are targeting the British market, you may want to consider using a .co.uk domain extension and hosting the website in the UK.
Mobile-Friendliness: Considering that over 50% of the global population accesses the internet through mobile devices, incorporating mobile-friendliness is vital for success in International SEO. A mobile-friendly website guarantees accessibility to the local audience on their preferred device, further enhancing the user experience. Moreover, search engines prioritise mobile-friendly websites in mobile search results, making it a significant factor in improving website ranking.
Localised Meta Tags: Meta tags play a critical role in optimising a website for search engines. Incorporating localised meta tags can help search engines understand the website's content and relevance to the local audience. Localised meta tags should contain relevant keywords, the website's location, and the local language.
International Link Building: Acquiring backlinks from local websites in the target market is a crucial part of search engine optimisation. This helps to establish the website's authority and credibility in the local market. It is important to ensure that the websites from which the links are acquired are relevant and trustworthy.
Local Citations: Local citations are mentions of the business on other websites, such as directories, review sites, and social media platforms. Local citations help to establish the business's credibility and authority in the local market. It is essential to ensure that the local citations are accurate and consistent across all platforms.
Social Media: Not many people talk about social media and SEO but social media is an essential aspect of International SEO. Social media platforms can help you reach a wider audience and build brand awareness in the local market. It is essential to use the local language and engage with the local audience on the social media platforms that are used the most in a particular country.
Local SEO: In International SEO, prioritising Local SEO is critical. Local SEO comprises the process of optimising a website to appear in local search results, such as local business directories and Google Maps. Implementing Local SEO can enhance the website's visibility within the local market and drive traffic to the website.
Multilingual Customer Support: For International SEO achievement, offering customer support in multiple languages is crucial. Providing customer support in the local language can establish a sense of trust and credibility with the local audience. It is imperative to guarantee that the customer support team is adequately trained and proficient in effectively communicating with the local audience in their native tongue.
Legal and Regulatory Issues: Expanding internationally poses various legal and regulatory challenges that businesses need to consider. These challenges may include compliance with local laws and regulations, taxation, intellectual property rights, and data protection laws, e.g. the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union and the CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act) in the USA are two very different laws. Businesses need to ensure that they comply with all applicable laws and regulations in the countries they operate in to avoid legal and financial consequences.
Conclusion
Expanding internationally can offer significant opportunities for businesses, including access to new markets, diversification, competitive advantage, and brand recognition. However, it also poses various challenges and risks, such as cultural differences, legal and regulatory issues, and technical complexities.
Businesses need to carefully consider these factors and develop a comprehensive international expansion strategy to ensure success. Whether a business chooses to expand on an existing site, with ccTLDs, or with subdomains or subdirectories, they must carefully weigh the advantages and disadvantages to determine the best approach for their specific needs and goals. Ultimately, with careful planning and execution, international expansion can be a powerful tool for business growth and success in today's global economy.
### How to use podcasting as part of your SEO strategy
Podcasting has become increasingly popular in recent years as a great way for individuals and online businesses to connect with their audiences in a deeply meaningful way. With the rise of podcasts, it's important to consider using podcasting as part of your SEO strategy.
Podcasting can be a very powerful marketing tool that can drive traffic to your website, build brand awareness, and establish yourself and your brand as an authority in your industry. Becoming an authority in your field is a great way to stand out from the competition (crowd) and can lead to increased opportunities for business growth, higher brand recognition, and the ability to influence the direction of your industry. But before you start you have to understand that podcasting is a commitment. Similar to SEO it takes time and effort to grow your podcast and see tangible results.
In this article, I will try to give you some tips and ideas on how to use podcasting as part of your SEO strategy for better organic visibility and brand recognition in your niche.
Podcasting is not just a platform to share your voice, but a powerful tool to amplify your message and reach your target audience through SEO
Identify your podcast's target audience
Identifying your target audience is the first step in creating a successful podcast and using it as part of your SEO strategy. Here are some tips you can use to identify your target audience:
Conduct market research: Start by conducting market research so you truly understand your target audience's needs, preferences, and most of all their pain points. You can use tools such as Google Analytics, social media insights, and surveys (from my personal experience surveys are very effective) to gather data and insights about your target audience. Analysing this data can help you create content that resonates with your target audience and increase engagement with your podcast (ensuring your show is engaging and offers value to your listeners is essential).
Define your ideal listener: Define your ideal listener by creating buyer personas that represent your target audience. A buyer persona is a fictional character that represents your ideal listener and includes information such as age, gender, occupation, interests, and pain points. This can help you create content that is tailored to your ideal listener (and their interests and pain points) and greatly increase the likelihood of reaching your target audience.
Analyse your competitors: Analyse your competitors' podcasts to understand what they are doing well and what you can do differently (the important keyword here is 'differently'). Look at their topics, format, and audience engagement to get ideas for your own podcast. You can use tools such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts to analyse your competitors' podcasts and get insights into their audience demographics and engagement.
Engage with your existing audience: Engage with your existing audience to understand their needs, preferences and pain points. Ask openly for feedback, always respond to comments and reviews, and conduct surveys to gather insights on how to improve your podcast. This can help you create content that is tailored to your audience which in return will increase the engagement with your podcast.
Use keyword research tools: Use keyword research tools such as Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush and SE Ranking to identify keywords related to your topic that your target audience is searching for. This can help you create content that is optimised for SEO and increase the likelihood of reaching your target audience.
Note: Remember, identifying your target audience should not be a one-off exercise but an ongoing process. You should continue to gather insights and feedback from your audience and adjust your content accordingly.
Choose your podcast topic
Once you've identified your target audience, choose a topic for your podcast. Your topic should be relevant to your audience and align with your business objectives. You should also consider the competition in your industry and choose a topic that differentiates you from your competitors (Important!).
Plan your podcast episodes
Planning your episodes in advance will ensure that you have a consistent flow of content and keep your audience engaged. From my personal experience, I can tell you that a regular flow of content demonstrates reliability and true professionalism, and can ultimately drive conversions and sales.
When planning your podcast episodes, consider the format, length, and frequency of your podcast. You should also consider the topics you'll cover in each episode and any guests you may want to interview.
Guest to your podcast can bring valuable expertise, insights, and different perspectives to your show, helping to keep the content fresh and engaging for listeners (old and new). They can also help to expand the show's reach by promoting episodes to their own audiences and establishing your brand as a thought leader by association.
Record and edit your podcast episodes
After planning your episodes, it's time to begin recording. During the recording process, it's crucial to use high-quality podcast audio equipment to produce clear and crisp audio. The importance of having good audio cannot be overstated. Poor audio quality, characterised by static or echoes, can be unpleasant and uncomfortable for listeners and may cause them to lose interest in your podcast. And from my personal experience, I can tell you that it is very unlikely that your listeners will give you a second chance if you fail to meet their expectations the first time they land on your podcast.
Nowadays some famous podcasters, like Joe Rogan, also produce a video with each podcast and use this video or parts of it to promote their podcast on various social media platforms. I have to admit that this is a brilliant idea. I also have to admit that 'How video content can help your website's SEO' is a good topic to discuss in a future article (wink).
Optimise your podcast for SEO
Optimising your podcast for SEO is critical to driving traffic to your website and increasing your organic visibility in search engine results (SERPs). Here are some strategies you can use to optimise your podcast for SEO:
Choose a 'keyword-rich' title: Your podcast title should be keyword-rich and relevant to your target audience (but don't overdo it). Choose a title that accurately reflects the content of your podcast and includes keywords related to your topic. This will make it easier for people to find your podcast when they search for related topics on search engines like Google and Bing or podcast directories.
Use descriptive keywords in your description: Your podcast description should be clear, and concise, and include relevant keywords related to your topic. This will help search engines and podcast directories understand what your podcast is about and index it accordingly. Similar to a Meta Description your podcast description should also provide an overview of what listeners can expect to hear in each episode and this will help improve the Click Through Rate (CTR).
Include links to your website and social media profiles: Include links to your website and social media profiles in your podcast description. This will help listeners easily find and connect with you on other platforms. It can also increase the likelihood of listeners sharing your podcast on social media or visiting your website.
Transcribe your episodes: Transcribing your podcast episodes and posting them on your website can improve your SEO. At least for now, search engines can crawl and index text far better than they can index audio. Search bots can’t listen to audio (I am sure this will come in the future); they can crawl the metadata but not the content within the file. So transcribe your podcast episodes so search engines like Google and Bing can index the text content of your podcast and use it to understand the content of your podcast. This can also help you reach a wider audience, including those who prefer to read the content rather than listen to podcasts.
Use relevant tags and categories: Tags and categories can help search engines and podcast directories understand the content of your podcast and index it accordingly. Use relevant tags and categories that accurately reflect the content of your podcast and make it easier for people to find your podcast when searching for related topics.
Note: Remember, optimising your podcast for SEO is an ongoing process. You should continue to update your podcast description, tags, and categories as needed to reflect the content of your podcast and reach a wider audience in order to drive more traffic to your website.
Promote your podcast
Promoting your podcast is essential to building your audience and driving traffic to your website. Here are some more in-depth strategies you can use to promote your podcast:
Share on social media platforms: Social media is a powerful tool to promote your podcast and reach a wider audience. Share your podcast on your social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, and include a link to your podcast. Consider creating social media graphics or short video clips to promote each episode and increase engagement. Your audience most likely uses one or two of the big social media platforms but if your listeners are active on a small community like BikerOrNot (a social community for bikers), that’s where you should be. I always say 'Follow your fans'.
Email blast to your subscribers: Send out an email blast to your email subscribers to let them know about your new episode. Give them a good reason to subscribe. You can also include a call-to-action to encourage them to share your podcast with their friends and family.
Cross-promote with other podcasters: Partner with other podcasters within your industry to cross-promote each other's podcasts. On one side this will help you reach a new audience and on another side build relationships with other podcasters. Tapping into other people's audiences is vital for bringing people to your podcast that otherwise wouldn't have heard about your brand. Not just that but the other podcasters by default will have to portray you as an authority in your industry which in itself is a good starting point with a new audience.
Submit to podcast directories: Submit your podcast to podcast directories such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and others. This can help you reach a wider audience and increase your visibility. Also seeing your podcast there conveys trust in your potential broadcast listeners.
Guest appearances on other podcasts: Appear as a guest on other podcasts in your industry to reach a new audience and establish yourself as an authority in your field. This can also help you build relationships with other podcasters. When introducing your business always (casually) mention your podcast.
Paid advertising: Consider using paid advertising, such as social media ads or Google Ads, to promote your podcast. This can help you reach a wider audience and increase the visibility of your podcast.
It goes without saying that promoting your podcast is an ongoing process and you should continue to promote each episode even after it has been released to increase engagement and build your audience. In my personal experience, 80% of the success of your podcast will come from promoting it and constantly talking about it to business partners and clients. Word of mouth is still one of the best forms of advertising.
Measure your podcast success
Success in podcasting is not just about the number of downloads, but the positive impact and value you bring to your listeners' lives.
Measuring your success is an essential part of using podcasting as part of your SEO strategy. In general measuring success in digital marketing is of crucial importance for several reasons. Firstly, it allows you to evaluate the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns and determine whether you are achieving your desired outcomes. This information can help you identify areas for improvement and refine your marketing strategies to achieve better results. In our case, the main question to ask is: does my broadcast bring enough people to my website and can I monetise it (it doesn't have to be money, it could be also leads)? So let me give some points you can use to measure your success:
Track your downloads and listenership: Track your podcast's downloads and listenership to understand how many people are tuning in to your podcast. To track your downloads and listenership you can use podcast hosting platforms like Libsyn, Buzzsprout, or Blubrry. This can help you understand which episodes of your podcast are popular and which ones need improvement. Closely analyse the topics of the popular podcasts and if possible dive deeper (or approach from a different angle) into the same subjects.
Monitor your rankings: Monitoring your podcast's rankings on podcast directories like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts can help you understand how your podcast is performing compared to your competitors and how to improve your rankings. To monitor your rankings use tools like Chartable, Podtrac, or Podcharts.
Monitor your website traffic: Monitor your website traffic (I already told you to link to your website in your podcast description) to understand how many people are visiting your website from your podcast. You can use tools like Google Analytics 4 or even better link GA4 to BigQuery to track your website 'podcast' traffic and understand how many people are visiting your website from your podcast. This can help you understand how effective your podcast is at driving traffic to your website and subsequently if people coming from your podcast convert (or become leads).
Track your social media engagement: Tracking your social media engagement will help you to understand how many people are engaging with your podcast on social media. To track your social media engagement and understand how effective your podcast is at engaging with your target audience, use tools like Hootsuite, Sprout Social, or Buffer. Before I forget let me tell you that in my personal experience, the best way to promote a podcast on social media is to promote an upcoming season with video and audio clips that highlight some of your upcoming guests. And if your brand has a good sense of humour share something funny from the podcast recording that will make your potential visitors laugh, think, and share with their friends. Another good idea is to create behind-the-scenes clips or a blooper reel to promote your podcast on social media channels.
Monitor your reviews and feedback: Monitor your reviews and feedback to understand how your audience is responding to your podcast. This process can help you understand what your audience truly likes and dislikes (it happens so don't be too mad about it) about your podcast and how to improve it. It is very important to try and respond to as many reviews and feedback on social media as possible. By acknowledging and addressing feedback, you demonstrate that you are listening to your audience the same way they are listening to you (pun intended) and taking their opinions into account. This can help build loyalty and encourage repeat engagement and word-of-mouth promotion. Last but. not least reviews and feedback can give you topics to discuss in future podcasts. To monitor your reviews and feedback go to the comments section on podcast directories, social media or your website. If you are more adventurous you can use natural language processing (NLP), and machine learning to evaluate online reviews and feedback on social media posts.
Use surveys and feedback forms: It is super important to use surveys and feedback forms to gather comments from your audience on how to improve your podcast. This can help you understand what your audience wants and how to improve your podcast. To create surveys and feedback forms use tools like SurveyMonkey, Google Forms, or Typeform .
Analyse your conversion rates: Analyse your conversion rates to understand how effective your podcast is at converting listeners into customers, subscribers or leads. This can help you understand how to improve your podcast and increase your conversion rates. To track your conversion rates you can use tools like Google Analytics 4 (highly recommended) or Amplitude .
Conclusion
Podcasting can be a powerful tool to drive traffic to your website, build brand awareness, and establish yourself as an authority in your industry. By identifying your target audience, choosing a topic, planning your episodes, recording and editing your episodes, optimising your podcast for SEO, promoting your podcast, and measuring your success, you can effectively use podcasting as part of your SEO strategy.
Remember to stay consistent and patient as it may take time to see the results of your efforts.
Happy Podcasting!
### How to Write High Quality Content for Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
In today's digital age, writing high-quality content is essential for any website or online business. Search engine optimisation (SEO) plays a critical role in making sure your content is visible to potential customers and clients. The more visible your website is in the search engine result pages (SERPs) the better the chance is that potential customers will visit your web pages and buy your products.
In this article, we will explore the best practices for writing high-quality content that is optimised for search engines.
Understand Your Target Audience
The first step in writing high-quality content is understanding your target audience. Who are you writing for, and what are their interests, needs, and pain points? It's essential to conduct research on your target audience to get a better understanding of what they're looking for and how you can address their needs.
Some ways to gather information about your target audience include conducting surveys, analysing social media demographics, and reviewing customer feedback. By understanding your target audience, you can tailor your content to their specific needs and preferences, making it more likely to resonate with them and attract their attention.
Conduct Keyword Research
Keyword research is another crucial step in writing high-quality content for SEO. Keywords are the words and phrases that people type into search engines when looking for information, products, or services. By including relevant keywords in your content, you increase your chances of appearing in search results and driving traffic to your website.
There are various tools available to help you conduct keyword research, including Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, and SE Ranking. These tools allow you to identify high-volume and low-competition keywords related to your topic and target audience. Once you've identified your target keywords, you can strategically include them in your content to optimise it for search engines.
Write Compelling Headlines
Your headline is the first thing people see when they come across your content. A compelling headline can grab their attention and entice them to click through to your website. When writing headlines, it's essential to keep them short, descriptive, and attention-grabbing.
One popular approach to writing headlines is using the "4U" formula. This formula suggests that your headline should be unique, urgent, useful, and ultra-specific. By following this formula, you can craft headlines that are compelling, informative, and optimised for search engines.
Create High-Quality Content
Creating high-quality content is essential for SEO. Search engines favour websites that publish fresh, informative, and engaging content regularly. When creating content, it's essential to focus on quality over quantity.
High-quality content is well-researched, informative, and relevant to your target audience. It's also well-organised, easy to read, and free from errors and typos.
By creating high-quality content, you can establish yourself as an authority in your industry, build trust with your audience (online as well as offline), and improve your search engine rankings.
With the right SEO techniques, your words can reach the world and make a lasting impact. So, write with passion, write with purpose, and always strive for excellence.
Use Internal and External Links
Internal and external links are another critical element of SEO that many digital marketers neglect. Internal links are links that point to other pages on your website, while external links (outbound links) are links that point to other websites. By including relevant internal and external links in your content, you can improve your website's authority and credibility.
Internal links help search engines like Google and Bing understand the structure of your website and the relationships between different pages.
Website structure is (should be) a vital aspect of your SEO strategy. Why? Because the structure of your website shows Google which pages of your site are most important. Internal links also keep visitors on your website longer by guiding them to other relevant content.
Outbound links, on the other hand, show search engines that your website is connected to other high-quality websites in your industry. In other words, properly linking to trustworthy sources will contribute to the E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) of your content as this shows search engines that you’re using the right information to create content.
Optimise Your Metadata
Metadata is the information that appears in search engine results pages (SERPs) when someone searches for a particular keyword. Optimizing your metadata can improve your click-through rates and drive more traffic to your website.
There are three main types of metadata: title tags, meta descriptions, and header tags. Title tags are the main headlines that appear in SERPs, while meta descriptions are brief summaries of what your page is about. Header tags (H1, H2, H3 etc.) are used to break up your content into sections and provide structure.
When optimising your metadata, it's essential to include your target keywords in your title tags and meta descriptions. You should also make sure that your meta descriptions accurately describe the content on your page and are written in a compelling and engaging way.
Use Visuals
Visuals are an essential part of high-quality content. Visual content can make your web pages more engaging, memorable, and shareable. Visual elements like images and charts can also help break up long blocks of text and provide a more accessible and pleasurable reading experience.
There are many types of visuals you can use in your content, including images, videos, infographics, and charts. When using visuals, it's essential to make sure they are high-quality, relevant, and properly optimised. You should also include alt text descriptions for your visuals, as this can improve your website's accessibility and search engine rankings.
Note: Make sure your images add to the story. Google’s machine learning algorithm is learning to read visuals and if the Search Giant is focusing on learning how to crawl elements on your web page and then attribute them to the value your site brings to the Internet you should pay attention.
Optimise for Mobile
With more and more people accessing the internet on their mobile devices, it's crucial to optimise your content for mobile. This means making sure your website is responsive, loads quickly, and is easy to navigate on a small screen. Nowadays Google predominantly uses the mobile version of your website's content, crawled with the smartphone agent, for indexing and ranking so optimising for mobile is paramount.
When creating content, it's essential to keep mobile users in mind. This means using shorter paragraphs, larger font sizes, and fewer visuals. You should also make sure your website's design and layout are optimised for mobile devices.
Note: Make sure you optimise your visuals for mobile as page speed is a ranking factor in a Mobile-first indexing world. Slow and steady may win the race, but when it comes to page speed and SEO, fast and efficient takes the lead. Your website's speed can make or break its success in the digital world.
So, optimise your pages for lightning-fast load times, and watch as your rankings soar. Remember, speed is not just a competitive advantage, it's a crucial component of delivering a seamless user experience. Keep your site speedy and your audience happy!
Mobile speed is a significant factor in SEO
Monitor and Analyse Your Results
Finally, it's essential to monitor and analyse your content's performance regularly. This means tracking your website's traffic, engagement, and search engine rankings. By analysing your results, you can identify what's working and what's not and make necessary adjustments to improve your content's performance.
Note: Content that doesn't work should be retired.
There are many tools available to help you monitor and analyse your content's performance, including Google Analytics, SEMrush, and Ahrefs. These tools allow you to track your website's traffic, engagement, and search engine rankings, as well as identify areas for improvement.
Conclusion
In conclusion, writing high-quality content is essential for search engine optimisation. By understanding your target audience, conducting keyword research, and creating compelling headlines and high-quality content, you can improve your organic visibility (rankings) and drive more traffic to your website.
By using internal and external links, optimising your metadata, using visuals, and optimising for mobile, you can improve your website's authority, credibility, and user experience. Finally, by monitoring and analysing your results, you can identify what's working and what's not and make necessary adjustments to improve your content's performance.
### How to Fix Error 404 on AMP Pages After Deactivating the AMP Plugin
Understanding AMP
If you have recently deactivated your AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) plugin in WordPress and found that your website is showing 404 errors on the previously created AMP pages, don't panic! It's a common issue that can be easily fixed.
First, let's understand what AMP is and why it came to the SEO scene a few years ago. AMP is an open-source framework that was originally developed by Google to allow website owners to create fast and mobile-friendly pages. With more and more people accessing websites through mobile devices, it was essential to push people to start building websites that load quickly and are optimised for mobile use.
AMP does help to achieve this goal by reducing page load time and improving user experience but in 2021 Google announced that they will no longer be giving preference to AMP websites and won't display an AMP badge. So it's safe to say that AMP is no longer relevant in the SEO world.
Fixing 404 Errors on Deactivated AMP Pages
So, if you decide to deactivate the AMP plugin in your Wordpress, the previously created AMP pages will no longer be available, resulting in 404 errors. These errors occur when a user tries to access a page that doesn't exist on the server.
So, how can you fix the 404 errors on your AMP pages after deactivating the AMP plugin? Let's dive into the steps:
Step 1: Create Redirects
The first step is to create redirects for the Accelerated Mobile Pages to their non-AMP versions. You can use a plugin like Redirection or Simple 301 Redirects to create these redirects. These plugins make it easy to redirect the Accelerated Mobile Pages to their non-AMP versions with just a few clicks.
Alternatively (preferred method), you can create the redirects manually by adding the following code to your website's .htaccess file:
# Redirect AMP pages to their non-AMP versions
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} (.+)/amp(.*)$
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} !^/wp-admin
RewriteRule ^ %1/ [R=301,L]
This code will redirect all Accelerated Mobile Pages to their non-AMP versions, except for pages in the wp-admin directory.
The easiest way to add this code to your htaccess file is through the Yoast SEO plugin interface. Simply go to Yoast SEO plugin then Tools and then click on File editor.
Edit your htaccess file
In the .htaccess field add AMP to Non-AMP path redirection rule as shown below:
AMP Redirect Rule htaccess
Step 2: Update XML Sitemaps
The next step is to update your website's XML sitemaps to include the non-AMP versions of the pages. This will help search engines like Google and Bing to index the correct versions of the pages and avoid showing 404 errors in search results.
If you're using a plugin like Yoast SEO, you can easily update your XML sitemap by going to the plugin settings and selecting the option to include the non-AMP versions of the pages.
Alternatively, you can manually update your XML sitemap by adding the URLs of the non-AMP versions of the pages. You can use a tool like XML Sitemap Generator to create an updated sitemap.
Step 3: Clear Cache and Update CDN
The final step is to clear your website's cache and update your CDN (Content Delivery Network) settings. This will ensure that the updated redirects and XML sitemap changes are propagated to all users accessing your website.
If you're using a caching plugin like WP Rocket or W3 Total Cache, you can easily clear the cache by going to the plugin settings and selecting the option to clear the cache.
For updating your CDN, you can go to your CDN provider's dashboard (I use Cloudflare) and clear the cache or update the settings to ensure that the correct versions of the pages are being served.
Step 4: Check for Broken Links
After creating redirects and updating XML sitemaps, it's important to check for any broken links on your website that may have been caused by the deactivation of the AMP plugin. You can use a tool like Broken Link Checker to scan your website for broken links and fix them.
Broken internal links can negatively impact your website's user experience and search engine visibility, so it's important to fix them as soon as possible.
Fix broken internal links promptly to avoid harming user experience and search engine visibility.
Step 5: Monitor Website Traffic and Search Engine Rankings
Once you've fixed the 404 errors on your Accelerated Mobile Pages, it's important to monitor your website's traffic and search engine rankings to ensure that everything is functioning properly. You can use tools like Google Analytics 4 and Google Search Console to track your website's traffic and search engine rankings.
If you notice any issues, such as a decrease in organic traffic or search engine rankings, it's important to investigate and fix the problem as soon as possible to avoid further damage.
Conclusion
Deactivating the AMP plugin can lead to 404 errors on previously created AMP pages, but it's a common issue that can be easily fixed by creating redirects, updating XML sitemaps, checking for broken links, and monitoring website traffic and search engine rankings.
By following these steps, you can ensure that your website's users have a seamless experience, and search engines can index your website correctly. In the future, if you decide to activate the AMP plugin again, make sure to update your XML sitemaps and clear cache and CDN settings to ensure that the correct versions of the pages are being served.
### How to incorporate machine learning into your SERP analysis
https://youtu.be/Dm9x0HOvWyI
How to incorporate machine learning into your SERP analysis
Search Engine Result Page (SERP) analysis is an important aspect of digital marketing and SEO. It helps online businesses to understand how their online properties are ranking for specific keywords and provides insights into the overall performance of their websites. With the rise of machine learning, online businesses can now incorporate this amazing technology into their SERP analysis to gain more accurate and valuable insights. So let's explore the integration of machine learning into SERP analysis and the numerous advantages it offers.
Keyword Ranking Analysis using machine learning
Machine learning algorithms can be used to analyse keyword rankings and provide a more accurate representation of a website's online visibility. By analysing large amounts of data that can be collected through various SEO tools like Google Search Console or SERanking, machine learning algorithms can identify patterns and trends in the ranking of specific keywords. This information can then be used by digital marketers to optimise their website's content and improve its online visibility in the SERPs.
A frequently used algorithm for keyword ranking analysis is regression analysis. This type of machine learning algorithm can be used to identify patterns in the ranking of specific keywords and provide insights into factors that are impacting their ranking.
Another algorithm that can be used for keyword ranking analysis is decision trees. This type of algorithm can be used to identify the most important factors affecting keyword rankings so SEOs can prioritise their efforts.
Machine learning for SEO competitor research
Machine learning algorithms can also be used to analyse the performance of online competitors. By analysing large amounts of data, machine learning algorithms can identify the tactics strategies used by online competitors to rank higher in the SERPs. This information can then be used to improve a website's own ranking and gain a competitive advantage.
For competitor analysis in the Search Engine Result Pages, a good machine learning algorithm would be one that can effectively analyse keyword rankings, backlink analysis, content analysis, and accurately predict changes in rankings. Some suitable algorithms for this purpose include:
Random Forest: Random Forest is a powerful algorithm that can handle large amounts of data and make predictions based on many different variables. In the context of SERP analysis, Random Forest could be used to analyse competitor keyword rankings and predict changes in these rankings over time.
Gradient Boosting: Gradient Boosting is another algorithm that can be used for competitor analysis in the SERPs. It works by combining multiple weak prediction models to make a single, strong prediction. In the context of SERP analysis, Gradient Boosting could be used to analyse competitor content and predict changes in rankings based on this analysis.
Neural Networks: Neural networks can be used to analyse patterns and trends in competitor behaviour, and predict changes in rankings based on these patterns and trends.
Backlink Analysis with machine learning
Backlinks are an important factor in determining the ranking of a website on the SERP. Machine learning algorithms can be used to analyze the quality of a website's backlinks and identify any areas for improvement. This information can then be used to optimise the backlink profile of a website and improve its ranking on the SERP.
One algorithm that can be used for backlink analysis is classification analysis. This type of machine learning algorithm can be used to categorise backlinks as either high-quality or low-quality and provide insights into how the quality of backlinks is affecting a website's ranking on the SERP.
Another algorithm that can be used for backlink analysis is clustering analysis. Cluster analysis is a method of data analysis that uncovers the inherent groupings or clusters present in a dataset so in digital marketing this technique can be used to group similar backlinks together and provide insights into how backlinks are impacting the ranking of specific keywords.
Content Analysis with machine learning
Machine learning algorithms can be used to analyse the content on a website and provide insights into its performance. By analysing large amounts of data, machine learning algorithms can identify the types of content that are performing well and those that are underperforming. This information can then be used to optimise the underperforming content of a website and improve its ranking in the SERPs.
One algorithm that can be used for content analysis is Natural Language Processing (NLP). This type of machine learning algorithm can be used to analyze the content on a website and provide insights into its performance. For example, NLP algorithms can be used to identify the topics covered in a website's content and how well these topics are resonating with the target audience.
Another algorithm that can be used for content analysis is sentiment analysis. This type of algorithm can be used to determine the tone of a website's content and identify any areas for improvement.
Classify SEO keywords using GPT-3
We can not talk about content analysis with machine learning without talking about GPT-3 (Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3) - a language model relying on deep learning that can generate human-like texts based on a given text-based input - which has truly revolutionised the field of natural language processing. One of the key applications of GPT-3 is the ability to classify keyword context. This has numerous practical applications, such as sentiment analysis, topic modelling, and content classification to mention a few.
Build next-gen apps with OpenAI’s powerful models
The simplest way to explain the method of classifying the context of specific keywords: GPT-3 is fed with a set of keywords utilising its powerful language processing capabilities to determine the context in which these keywords are used. Before that, the pre-trained GPT-3 model has to be fine-tuned on a large corpus of text data (a large and structured collection of text data) that includes the target keywords and their surrounding context. This pre-training of GPT-3 allows the model to learn the contextual relationships between the keywords and the surrounding text, resulting in GPT-3 accurately classifying new keywords' contextual relationships in real time.
By far one of the biggest advantages of using GPT-3 for keyword context classification is its ability to handle complex, nuanced language. Unlike traditional keyword-based approaches, which may struggle to understand the context in which keywords are used, GPT-3 has a deep understanding of language and can accurately classify context even in the presence of subtle linguistic cues. This renders it particularly useful for applications such as sentiment analysis, where the context of keywords is critical to accurately determine the overall sentiment expressed in a piece of text.
Last but not least GPT-3 is the perfect machine learning model for keyword context classification because of its ability to handle large amounts of data. The pre-trained model has been trained on a massive corpus of text data, giving it the ability to handle large amounts of text data quickly and accurately. This makes it particularly useful for applications such as topic modelling, where large amounts of text data must be processed to accurately classify topics.
Meet Danny Richman the GPT-3 SEO guru
Danny Richman, award-winning SEO expert
Award-winning SEO expert Danny Richman is a well-known expert in the field of natural language processing and application using GPT-3. Danny Richman has been at the forefront of exploring its potential for various applications, including keyword context classification, advanced sentiment analysis and topic modelling algorithms.
Richman's expertise and contributions to the field have made him a respected thought leader and a go-to resource for companies looking to leverage GPT-3 for keyword context classification and other natural language processing tasks in digital marketing and SEO.
I strongly recommend that you go through Danny Richman's Free GPT-3 Sheets for Marketers
Machine learning can boost your predictive analytics
Believe it or not, machine learning algorithms can be used to predict future trends and patterns in the search engine results. By analysing large amounts of data, machine learning algorithms can identify patterns in the ranking of specific keywords and provide predictions on how these rankings may change in the future. This information can then be used to make data-driven decisions about the optimisation of a website and improve its ranking in the SERPs.
One common machine learning algorithm used for predictive analysis is time series analysis. Without going into details time series analysis is a method of analysing a series of data points collected over a period of time. With that in mind, this technique can be used to identify patterns in the ranking of important keywords over time and provide predictions on how these rankings may change in the future.
Another algorithm that can be used for predictive analysis is neural networks. This type of algorithm can be used to make predictions based on historical data and provide insights into the factors affecting keyword rankings.
Note: It's important to note that these are just a few examples of the many machine learning algorithms that can be used for SERP analysis. The specific algorithm used will depend on the type of analysis being performed and the data available.
It's also important to work with an experienced data scientist or machine learning expert to ensure that the algorithm used is appropriate for the analysis being performed and that the results are accurate and valuable.
Benefits of using machine learning in SEO
Machine learning is rapidly transforming the way businesses approach search engine optimisation as there are many benefits to integrating machine learning into SERP analysis for SEO purposes. Without a doubt, machine learning algorithms can provide more accurate and valuable insights into the performance of a website in the SERPs.
By analysing enormous amounts of data, machine learning algorithms can recognise patterns and trends that would not be possible to identify through manual 'human' analysis. This information can then be used to make data-informed decisions about the optimisation of a website and improve its ranking in the SERPs.
By leveraging the latest advancements in machine learning, you can stay ahead of the competition and capture a larger share of the market.
Another benefit of incorporating machine learning into SEO is the ability to automate many of the manual processes involved in SERP analysis. Machine learning algorithms can be programmed to analyse large amounts of data and provide insights into the performance of a website in the SERPs without human intervention. This can save companies time, money and resources, allowing them to focus on other aspects of their digital marketing strategy.
In conclusion, incorporating machine learning into your SERP analysis can provide your businesses with the opportunity to gain more accurate and valuable insights into the performance of your online properties in the SERPs.
With the ability to automate many of the manual processes involved in SERP analysis, machine learning algorithms can help your businesses save time, money and resources while improving the overall performance of your website in the SERPs. By leveraging advanced data analysis techniques, machine learning can provide a more comprehensive understanding of user behaviour and help online businesses improve their rankings, user engagement, and bottom line.
Who is Lazarina Stoy?
Lazarina Stoy is a multi-talented professional who excels in various areas, including being a Technical SEO Analyst, a freelance SEO Growth Strategist, and a gifted storyteller. Her technical prowess and data-focused approach have earned her the title of a progress-driven automation enthusiast.
https://twitter.com/lazarinastoy/status/1578402505364496385
With a strong desire for enhancement, Lazarina is an avid supporter of the use of automation and machine learning in SEO practices. She has a talent for spotting improvement opportunities in all that she does, making her a valuable contributor to the field of search engine optimisation.
https://www.slideshare.net/LazarinaStoyanova/how-to-incorporate-ml-in-your-serp-analysis-lazarina-stoy-brightonseo-oct-2022
### Cookie consent: mechanisms and practices for GDPR and ePrivacy compliance
https://youtu.be/QbtZTnol_xc
Cookie consent has become an increasingly important topic since the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the ePrivacy Directive in the European Union. These regulations require online organisations to obtain informed consent from users before collecting, storing, and using their data. This applies to cookies, which are small text files that track users' online behaviour and collect data about their preferences, location, and more.
Will all that in mind let's explore the mechanisms and practices for obtaining cookie consent that are in compliance with the GDPR and ePrivacy Directive.
Mechanisms for Obtaining Cookie Consent
There are several methods for obtaining cookie consent, including:
Pop-up notifications: This is by far the most common method used to obtain cookie consent. A pop-up notification is displayed to users when they first visit a website, asking them to accept or reject the use of cookies. Visitors can then choose to accept or reject the use of cookies. This method is simple and effective, but it can also be intrusive and annoying for users.
Cookie banners: A cookie banner is a banner that appears at the bottom of a website, asking users to accept or reject the use of cookies. This method is less intrusive than a pop-up notification and can be designed to blend in with the website's design.
In-line notifications: In-line notifications are similar to cookie banners, but they are integrated into the website's design and appear within the content of the website. This method is less intrusive than pop-up notifications and cookie banners, but it may not be as effective in getting users' attention.
Privacy settings: Some websites allow users to control the use of cookies through privacy settings. This method is less intrusive than pop-up notifications and cookie banners, but it requires users to actively seek out the privacy settings and make changes.
GDPR compliance
Practices for GDPR and ePrivacy Compliance
To ensure compliance with the GDPR and ePrivacy Directive, organisations must follow best practices for obtaining cookie consent, including:
Transparency: Organisations must be transparent about what data they collect and why. This information should be clearly communicated to users in the cookie consent notice.
Specific consent: Organisations must obtain specific consent for each category of cookies they use, rather than lumping all cookies into one consent notice.
Easy to understand language: The cookie consent notice should be written in clear, uncomplicated and straightforward language that is not overly technical.
Opt-in consent: The default option in the cookie consent notice should be set to ‘no’, requiring users to actively opt-in to the use of cookies.
User control: Organisations must allow users to control the use of cookies, including the ability to withdraw consent at any time.
Regular review and update: Organisations must regularly and thoroughly review and update their website cookie consent mechanisms and practices to ensure they are in line with the latest regulations and best practices.
Conclusion
The General Data Protection Regulation and ePrivacy Directive have brought the importance of cookie consent to the forefront of online privacy and data protection. Companies within the Europen Union must take steps to ensure they are obtaining informed consent from users in a manner that is transparent, specific, and last but not least easy to understand.
By following the mechanisms and practices outlined in this article, online businesses can ensure they are in compliance with the GDPR and ePrivacy Directive and protect the privacy rights of their users.
Who is Rowenna Fielding?
For over ten years, Rowenna Fielding has played a pivotal role in implementing data protection legislation in both commercial and non-profit organisations. In 2020, she founded Miss IG Geek Ltd, offering expertise, assistance, education, and guidance on data protection and e-privacy.
https://twitter.com/theamyhopper/status/1578337196805074945
People say that even winning the Lottery would not deter Rowenna Fielding from continuing her work in data protection. The combination of technology, societal norms, and human rights within the field continues to captivate her and provides an intriguing challenge.
### Shining a light on the Dark funnel
https://youtu.be/DlQQbpUIpS8
What is the Dark Funnel in marketing?
The Dark Funnel in digital marketing refers to the stage in the customer journey where potential customers are unknown to the brand and have not yet interacted with them in any way. It's called the "dark" funnel because, in this stage, the company has no visibility or information on the customer. This makes it difficult to target and convert them into paying customers.
However, with the advancement of technology and not to forget data analytics, companies are now able to shed light on the Dark funnel and tap into this previously untapped source of potential customers. The Dark funnel is crucial for businesses because it allows them to reach out to customers who may not have been aware of their products or services in the past.
The Dark funnel consists of three main stages (or paths): Awareness, Interest, and Desire.
The so-called Awareness stage is where the customer first becomes aware of a brand or product. He or she may come across the brand through a variety of channels, such as social media, search engines like Google or Bing, or advertising. In this stage, the customer is most likely not actively searching for the product, but they have taken notice of it.
The Interest stage is where the customer starts to engage with the brand and shows more intent to purchase. They may do more research on the product, read reviews, or interact with the brand through social media. This stage is crucial because it is where the customer begins to form an opinion on the brand and its products, and it's also where the company has a real opportunity to influence the customer's perception and decision-making process.
The Desire stage is where the customer has decided to purchase the product. They may be ready to buy immediately, or they may need a little more persuasion. This is where the company can use targeted marketing and advertising to close the sale.
To really tap into the Dark funnel, online businesses must first identify their target audience and understand their behaviours, interests and last but not least their pain points. They can then use various digital marketing tactics such as search engine optimisation (SEO), social media advertising, and content marketing to reach out to these 'hidden' customers and build brand awareness.
SEO involves optimising the company's website and content to rank higher in the search engine results pages (SERPs). This increases the online visibility of this brand and makes it easier for online shoppers to find it when searching for related products or services. Social media advertising involves creating targeted ads that reach the target audience where they spend most of their time, such as on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
Content marketing is also a very effective way to reach out to potential customers in the Dark funnel. Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach that involves creating valuable and relevant content that helps solve the customer's pain points and answers their questions. This can include articles, infographics, videos, e-books and podcasts. The goal of content marketing is to provide the customer with valuable information and build trust in the brand, which will increase the likelihood of them becoming paying customers.
The goal of content marketing is to provide your customer with valuable information and build trust in your brand.
In conclusion, the Dark Funnel is an important aspect of the customer journey that should not be overlooked by companies. By shedding light on this previously untapped source of potential customers, companies can reach out to customers who may not have been aware of their products or services before and convert them into paying customers. By using tactics such as SEO, social media advertising, and content marketing, companies can effectively target and influence customers in the Dark funnel and increase their chances of success.
Who is Riaz Kanani?
Riaz Kanani is a leading advocate for Account Based Marketing (ABM), a strategy that is making a comeback and is poised to revolutionise the way B2B marketers approach their marketing efforts. ABM fosters stronger relationships with potential clients and leads to larger, faster-closing deals. His ABM platform, Radiate B2B, empowers companies to effectively target other businesses through online advertising, resulting in a higher likelihood of closing deals worth up to seven times the average value.
https://twitter.com/Zelst_/status/1578351365520502786
Riaz Kanani has been a trailblazer in the use of data in MarTech for the past two decades, leveraging it to gain insights into online behaviour and enhance marketing capabilities. He also believes in giving individuals control over their privacy.
https://www.slideshare.net/riazkanani/shining-a-light-on-the-dark-funnel
### Making Google search data available at scale
https://youtu.be/pNcAA2N4WUU
Making Google search data available at scale - Daniel Waisberg at BrightonSEO
What is Google Search Console and how can it help your SEO?
Google Search Console is a free powerful tool that can help digital marketers to monitor and improve their website's visibility in the search engine results (SERPs). This tool provides valuable insights into how the Google bot crawls and indexes a website, as well as any potential technical issues that may be impacting a website's online search performance and visibility.
Search Console content optimisation
One of the core features of Search Console is the ability to show us which keywords and phrases (long tail keywords) are driving traffic to our website properties. This valuable information can be used to optimise a website's content and SEO meta tags for better performance in the search engine results. For example, if a website page is ranking well for a specific and relevant keyword, but not ranking that well for related keywords, the digital marketer can optimise the content of his pages for those related keywords in order to drive even more relevant organic traffic.
Search Console Click-through rate (CTR) information
The Google Search Console offers valuable insights into a website's click-through rate (CTR) and position in the SERPs. This information can be leveraged to optimise the website's meta descriptions, page titles and subsequently the overall user experience. For example, if a web page's CTR is low, the SEO can revise the meta descriptions or titles to make them more attractive to users, thus increasing the website's CTR.
Search Console technical SEO issues
Google Search Console is a crucial tool for keeping tabs on technical SEO issues that may be hindering a website's search performance. From broken links to crawl errors and security concerns, this platform allows you to keep an eye on all the technical SEO issues that could be affecting your website. By identifying and addressing these issues, a digital marketer can boost the website's search performance and climb the ranks.
Search Console mobile optimisation
The Google Search Console offers a wealth of information on a website's mobile performance, including mobile usability and the speed of mobile pages. As mobile optimisation becomes increasingly important in Google's eyes, this data is essential in making sure a website is tailored to mobile users.
Search Console sitemaps
In addition to these capabilities, the Search Console also enables digital marketers to submit sitemaps and track the progress of their website's indexing by Google, especially useful for new websites that are just starting to be crawled and indexed by Google.
The importance of Google Search Console
Overall, Google Search Console is a powerful tool that can help digital marketers improve their search engine visibility and drive more traffic (and revenue) to their websites. By monitoring key metrics, fixing technical SEO issues, and optimising content, SEOs can improve their website rankings and drive more qualified traffic to their websites.
Google Search Console is a free and powerful tool that helps site owners analyse the performance of their website while finding room for improvement
It's important to note that, Google Search Console is a powerful tool but not a magic wand. It can give you valuable insights on where to improve and optimise your website but it's not a substitute for a solid SEO strategy. Google's algorithm is complex and ever-evolving, so it's essential to stay up to date with the latest SEO best practices and continually improve your website's performance.
In conclusion, Google Search Console is a valuable tool for digital marketers looking to improve their search engine visibility and drive more organic traffic to their websites potentially resulting in more revenue. By monitoring key SEO metrics, fixing technical issues, and optimising content, SEOs can bulletproof their website against future Google algorithm updates. It is important to use it in conjunction with a solid SEO strategy and stay up to date with the latest SEO best practices.
Who is Daniel Waisberg?
Daniel Waisberg is a data wizard who's passionate about helping professionals make informed decisions using analytics. As an Analytics Advocate at Google, he's on a mission to educate and inspire others to see the value in data-driven decision making. He's constantly analysing and visualising data to uncover hidden gems and create compelling stories. Daniel is also a part of the Google Analytics Education team, working closely with the Product and Marketing teams to promote the use of analytics.
https://twitter.com/kristaseiden/status/1578414321318567936
But that's not all, Daniel is also the founder and editor of http://online-behavior.com, a go-to source for analytics and optimisation. Before joining Google, he spent over five years as a Google Analytics Certified Partner, helping companies measure, understand and optimise their businesses through data analysis.
With an M.Sc. in Operations Research from Tel Aviv University, Daniel has a deep understanding of statistics and its power in decision-making. He even developed a statistical model to optimise websites using Markov Chains during his time at university. If you want to know more about Daniel and his work, visit his personal website, http://danielwaisberg.com.
### Understanding your competitors' business to be truly successful at SEO
https://youtu.be/GrSfj54hj4A
Why an SEO competitor analysis is vital to your success
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a vital aspect of any business that wants to thrive in the digital world. To truly succeed in SEO (and for that matter digital marketing), it's crucial to have a deep understanding of your competitors' businesses. This means taking the time to do an SEO competitor analysis: analyse their websites, content, and overall online presence.
By understanding what your competitors are doing well and where they may be falling short, you can develop a strategy to outrank them in the search engine results (SERPs).
How to do an SEO competitor analysis
One way to begin analysing your competitors' online performance is to start by identifying their top keywords (and top pages related to these keywords). These are the words and phrases (long tail keywords so to speak) that they are using on their website and in their content that are driving the most traffic to their site. You can use tools like Google's Keyword Planner, SEMrush (probably my favourite tools for competitor research), Sistrix or CognitiveSEO to find these keywords and see how they are being used on your competitors' websites.
The next step after you have identified your competitors' top-ranking keywords is to analyse your competitors' web pages and content. Are they using these keywords effectively? Are they creating high-quality, informative content that is engaging and relevant to their audience? Are your competitors using images and videos on their product pages to enhance their content and make it more visually appealing? These are all super important factors to consider when analysing your competitors' online businesses.
SEO competitor analysis
Another important aspect to consider when analysing your competitors is their online presence. Are they active on social media? If they are, which online social media platforms are they using and how are they engaging with their audience? Are they using paid advertising (PPC and Paid Social) to drive traffic to their website? Understanding how your competitors are using these social media channels can help you develop a strategy for using them effectively in your own SEO efforts.
Keep a constant eye on your online rivals
In addition to analysing your competitors' online businesses, it is also important to keep an eye on any changes they make. This could include changes to their website, content, or social media interactions. By staying up-to-date on these changes, you can quickly adapt your own digital marketing strategy to stay ahead of your online rivals.
Never stop learning from your competitors
In conclusion, understanding your competitors' online business strategy is pivotal to being truly successful at SEO. By analysing their website, content, and online presence, you can develop a strategy to outrank them in the SERPs. Keep an eye on your competitor's activities to stay updated and then adapt your SEO strategy to stay ahead of your rivals. Remember, at the end of the day, it's not only about having better online visibility than your online competitors but also about providing better value to your target audience.
Who is Tom Vaughton?
Tom Vaughton, the founder and managing director of Varn, a specialist SEO agency, has been actively engaged in SEO for over two decades. He began his career in the field when Yahoo! was the leading search engine, Alta Vista was a strong contender, and SEO mainly entailed incorporating keywords in meta titles.
https://twitter.com/theamyhopper/status/1578417764124962816
Throughout his career, Tom has served both small and large businesses, relishing the constantly evolving nature and competitiveness of SEO. Tom frequently contributes to the Varn blog, offering insights on various SEO topics such as holistic search strategy and industry updates.
Understanding your competitors’ business to be truly successful at SEODownload
### Understanding the effect of your SEO changes with Causal Impact Analysis
https://youtu.be/sZXb41RhvW0
Search engine optimisation, or SEO for short, is a crucial aspect of any digital marketing plan. The SEO process involves making adjustments to a website, such as adding new content or optimising existing meta tags in order to improve its ranking on the search engine results pages (SERPs). However, SEO can be a complex and constantly changing field, making it difficult to determine the effects of any changes made. This is where causal impact analysis comes in.
What is a causal impact analysis and why should you care?
Causal impact analysis is a statistical method that enables us to comprehend the impact of a particular change on a specific outcome. In the context of SEO, it can be used to understand the effects of changes made to a website on search engine visibility and traffic.
Causal impact analysis benefits
One of the main advantages of causal impact analysis is that it helps identify the cause-and-effect relationship between changes and the desired outcomes. This is significant as it allows for data-driven decisions to be made regarding SEO strategies, rather than relying on intuition or assumptions (very common among digital marketers).
Another benefit of this analysis is that it can provide insight into the underlying mechanisms that influence search engine rankings and traffic. For example, it may reveal that certain adjustments to a website increase the number of backlinks, leading to higher search engine visibility. This knowledge can aid in optimising SEO strategies to focus on areas with the greatest potential impact.
The CausalImpact R package, which is based on the Bayesian structural time-series model, is a commonly used tool for performing causal impact analysis. It allows for the specification of a control and treatment group and then uses statistical methods to estimate the causal effect of the treatment on the outcome of interest.
Causal impact analysis is not a one-size-fits-all solution
It is important to note that causal impact analysis is not a one-size-fits-all solution. On one side it can be a valuable tool for understanding the effects of SEO changes, but on the other side, it has its limitations. For example, it can be challenging to control all variables that may affect search engine rankings and traffic and interpreting the results can be difficult.
Furthermore, SEO is a complex and constantly developing field of digital marketing, with many factors that can affect search engine rankings and traffic. Therefore, it is essential to use a variety of tools and techniques to understand the impact of changes, including web analytics like Google Analytics 4, A/B testing, and user feedback.
In conclusion, causal impact analysis is a powerful statistical method that can assist in comprehending the effects of SEO changes on search engine rankings and traffic. By identifying cause-and-effect relationships, data-driven decisions can be made regarding SEO strategies, and efforts can be optimised for maximum impact. However, it should be used in conjunction with other methods to obtain a comprehensive understanding of SEO performance, as SEO is a complex and ever-changing field of digital marketing.
Who is Giulia Panozzo?
Giulia Panozzo is a Senior Manager of Search Marketing at StockX, where she focuses on technical SEO and international strategy. She previously worked on global organic growth for websites of the caliber of RS Components and Expedia. Giulia leveraged her background in Neuroscience research to guide SEO tests and drive customer acquisition informed by cognitive patterns and bias.
Giulia Panozzo at the Benchmark Search Conference with Nick Wisldon, Petra Kis-Herczegh and Omi Sido
Giulia Panozzo is a speaker at international industry events, where she delivers talks about neuromarketing and data analytics for search.
https://twitter.com/SequinsNsearch/status/1577705509339234304
### Say Hello to the Workday Consumer
https://youtu.be/TrsbvkmpJpg
Who is the new 'Workday Consumer'?
The term "workday consumer" refers to individuals who make most of their purchases during their workday, rather than on weekends or in the evenings. This buying behaviour is becoming increasingly common as more and more people shop online and have access to online shops and apps on their work computers and devices. Not just that but many people believe their work and personal tasks to now be of equal importance.
Why do people shop online during working hours?
There are several reasons why workday consumers might prefer to do their shopping during business hours. For one, they might have more free time during the day to browse and shop online, as they are not busy with after-work activities or weekend errands. Additionally, many people find that they are more productive at work when they take short breaks to shop or make purchases online, as it helps to break up the monotony of the workday and provides a sense of accomplishment.
Another reason for the rise of workday consumers is the increasing number of businesses that offer workplace discounts and perks to their employees. These might include discounts on popular brands and products, free shipping, and special sales or promotions that are only available to employees. in the current economic climate these discounts and perks make it more appealing to make purchases during the workday, as they can save money and take advantage of special deals that are not available to the general public.
7 in 10 Gen Zers are shopping online during work calls - source Digital.com
The risks
However, there are also some potential drawbacks to the workday consumer trend. One concern is that it can lead to decreased productivity, as employees spend more time shopping online or making personal purchases during the workday. This can be especially true for employees who are not self-disciplined or who get easily distracted by online shopping.
Another potential issue is the potential for security breaches or other risks associated with making purchases on work computers. If employees are not careful about the websites they visit and the information they enter while shopping online during working hours, they could potentially compromise the security of their company's network or expose sensitive personal and company information.
Brands have yet to catch up with the workday consumer
Despite these potential drawbacks, the trend of 'workday consumers' is likely to continue in the future, as more and more people turn to online shopping as a convenient and efficient way to make purchases. Businesses and their employers can and should take steps to mitigate any potential negative effects by implementing policies and guidelines for online shopping and personal use of work devices. All companies should be providing training and resources to help employees stay productive and secure while shopping online. It's a win win situation for both parties.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the rise of the workday consumer is a reflection of the increasing convenience and accessibility of online shopping. While there are potential risks and downsides to this trend, it is likely to continue as more and more people turn to the internet to make their purchases. Companies and employers can take steps to ensure that this trend does not negatively impact productivity or security, and can even leverage it to offer discounts and perks to their employees.
Who is Ellie England?
Passionate about search, women in technology and making a lasting impact, Ellie England - Commercial Director, Microsoft Advertising - began her career in sales working in an inner-city secondary school ‘selling’ the importance of modern languages to disaffected teenagers. She got into the world of search working for Google for 6 years, before eventually relocating to Manchester and joining Microsoft.
Ellie England with Gerry White, Stacey Harper and John Warner at the Benchmark Search & Digital Marketing Conference 2022
### Building relationships in 5 easy steps. The Client relationships guide.
https://youtu.be/g3MnZXjLY3o
Building relationships in 5 easy steps - Benchmark Search & Digital Marketing Conference
The Client Relationships Guide: 12 Ways to Build Strong Relationships with Clients
Building strong client relationships is vital to the success of any business. In this article, we'll share 10 simple ways (in no particular order) you can improve your relationships with clients and build a strong and lasting bond.
Communicate Effectively and Consistently
The most important thing you can do to build strong relationships with clients is to communicate effectively and consistently. This means being clear and concise in your communication and making sure that you are always on the same page as your client. It also means being responsive to their needs and concerns and keeping them updated on the status of their project. If you can do these things, you will be well on your way to building strong, lasting relationships with your clients.
Be empathetic
When you're working with clients, it's important to be empathetic. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person. It's an important quality to have in any relationship, but it's especially important in client relationships.
Why is empathy important in client relationships? First, it helps you understand your client's needs and wants. If you can understand how they're feeling, you can better meet their needs. Second, empathy builds trust. When your clients feel like you understand them and their needs, they'll be more likely to trust you. And third, empathy makes clients feel valued. When you take the time to really understand how they're feeling, they'll feel like you value them as a person, not just a client.
So how can you be more empathetic with your clients?
First, try to put yourself in their shoes. Try to see things from their perspective.
Second, listen more than you talk. Really listen to what they're saying and try to understand their point of view.
Third, show that you care. Let them know that you understand how they're feeling and that you want to help them in any way you can.
By being more empathetic with your clients, you can build stronger relationships with them. You'll be able to better meet their needs, build trust, and make them feel valued.
Communicate your ideas
When it comes to developing strong client relationships, communication is key. By staying in touch with your clients and keeping them updated on your progress, you can build a level of trust and mutual respect. Furthermore, by being clear and concise in your communication, you can avoid misunderstandings and set expectations for both parties.
In order to build strong relationships with clients, you need to be able to effectively communicate your ideas. This means being clear and concise in your communication, as well as staying up-to-date with your clients.
By keeping your clients updated on your progress and maintaining regular contact, you can develop a strong level of trust between both parties. Furthermore, by setting expectations early on and avoiding misunderstandings, you can ensure that both parties are always on the same page.
Meet regularly with your clients
If you're looking to build strong relationships with your clients, one of the best things you can do is meet with them regularly. This gives you a chance to catch up on what's going on in their lives, discuss any new projects they may be working on, and see how you can help them out. Plus, it's a great opportunity to get feedback from them about your work together.
Meeting with your clients regularly is one of the best ways to build strong relationships with them.
Not only does it give you a chance to catch up on what's going on in their lives, but it also allows you to discuss any new projects they may be working on. You can also get feedback from them about your work together during these meetings.
Answer questions promptly
It is important to answer questions promptly in order to build strong relationships with clients. If you are unable to answer a question immediately, let the client know that you will get back to them as soon as possible. Thank them for their question and show that you value their inquiry.
Be responsive
Be sure to respond to clients in a timely manner. If a client sends you an email or leaves you a voicemail, be sure to respond within 24 hours. If you are unable to respond within 24 hours, let the client know when they can expect a response from you.
Be respectful
Always be respectful of your clients. Show them that you value their business and their time. Avoid using offensive language or making offensive jokes. Be professional at all times.
Be professional with your clients. At all time.
Be proactive and do more than what they ask you to do
If you want to build strong relationships with clients, you need to be proactive and do more than what they ask you to do. This means taking the initiative to solve problems and going above and beyond their expectations.
For example, if a client is unhappy with a deliverable, don’t just fix the problem – find out why they were unhappy and see if there’s anything you can do to prevent it from happening again in the future. If a client is constantly asking for small changes, see if there’s a way you can streamline the process so they don’t have to keep asking.
The key is to always be thinking about ways you can improve the client experience and make their lives easier. By doing this, you’ll not only build strong relationships with clients but also differentiate yourself from your competition.
Keep an open mind and listen to others
When it comes to client relationships, it is important to keep an open mind and listen to what others have to say. After all, these are the people you are working with and they likely have valuable insights that can help you better serve them. By taking the time to truly listen to your clients, you can build stronger, more trusting relationships that will benefit both parties involved.
Offer your opinions when asked but be tactful: know when to speak more, or less
When you're working with clients, it's important to offer your opinions when asked, but also to know when to hold back. Be tactful in your interactions and try to read the situation so that you know when it's best to speak up more, or less. If you can build strong relationships with clients based on trust and mutual respect, you'll be well on your way to a successful business partnership.
Accept feedback
When it comes to building strong relationships with clients, one of the most important things you can do is accept feedback. Whether it’s positive or negative, feedback can help you understand what your clients want and how you can improve your service.
Of course, it’s not always easy to hear criticism. But if you want to build a successful business, it’s important to be open to feedback and willing to make changes based on what your clients are saying.
Follow Up after Your Project Ends
It's not uncommon for business relationships to fizzle out after a project has ended. After all, once the work is done, there's often no reason to keep in touch. However, if you want to build strong relationships with your clients, it's important to follow up even after the project is over.
There are a few key reasons why following up is so important:
It shows that you care about the client and their business, even after the project has ended.
It gives you an opportunity to check in and see how the client is doing with your product or service. This can help you identify any areas where they may need additional support.
It keeps you top of mind for future projects or referrals.
So how do you go about following up? Here are a few tips:
Send a handwritten thank-you note. A simple thank-you goes a long way in showing your appreciation for your client's business.
Schedule a post-project call or meeting. This is a great opportunity to check in and see how things are going. It can also be used to discuss any potential future projects.
Stay in touch via email or social media. A quick monthly email or social media post is a great way to keep your name top of mind.
Send along relevant articles or resources. If you come across something that you think would be helpful for your client, send it along. This shows that you're still thinking about their business even after the project has ended.
By following up after your project ends, you can show your clients that you care about their business and build strong relationships that will last long after the project is over.
Who is Christian Guerreiro?
Christian Guerreiro leads SEO at the Co-op and has worked across all of their businesses from Food to funeral care over the last 8 years. He’s most recently delivered a 2-year project for Funeralcare, driving significant traffic and lead growth. Before this, he worked at iProspect across travel and retail clients.
He enjoys analysing search behaviour, dashboard automation and setting content strategies.
https://twitter.com/nickwilsdon/status/1587835234493599748
### GA4 Migration and Implementation
https://youtu.be/vNoR7wqIY04
GA4 Migration and Implementation
Who is Stacey Harper?
Stacey Harper is a Sheffield-based analytics freelancer specialising in all things Google Analytics implementation and Google Analytics 4 (GA4) migrations. Stacey helps brands make the most of their digital marketing, using insightful data to create better user experiences online and in apps.
https://twitter.com/dergal/status/1587771128654823426
What is Google Analytics 4
Google Analytics is one of the most important, if not THE most important, tools in your business. It's a wealth of information that can help you monitor traffic to your website and see what users are doing when they're on it.
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the latest version of Google Analytics and it was announced in October 2020. Google Analytics 4 is a free and powerful analytics tool that gives you all the data you need to understand your visitors, their behaviour, and how they found your website.
GA4 uses a new data model that is based on events, rather than page views. This means that GA4 can provide more accurate data about how users interact with your website or app.
With this new version, you can track even more granular information about your website traffic and marketing channels, provide deep-dive analytics with custom dashboards, and get reports that are now easier to read.
GA4 also introduces a number of new features, such as:
Support for multiple measurement ID’s allowing you to track across devices and platforms
Measure holistically - a unified data model that makes it easier to analyse cross-device and cross-platform data
The ability to track conversions from any source (including offline sources)
Predictive data analytics - Google Analytics 4 has been built with machine learning at its core, so it fills in the gaps where data may be incomplete due to advanced privacy rules.
Improved user interface for managing measurement setting
And much more!
Migration to Google Analytics 4: A step-by-step guide
If your business relies on data-driven decisions, you need to start your Google Analytics 4 journey now!
Google will sunset Google Universal Analytics in June of 2023 and as the two systems are not compatible (data will not migrate over from UA to GA4) if you haven't upgraded to Google Analytics 4, now is the time!
By now I mean yesterday!
Google Analytics 4 migration
Step 1: Create your Google Analytics 4 Account
Properties won’t be importing historical data from Universal Analytics so it is of utmost importance to create your new GA4 properties and launch them immediately!
So as a first step create your account and connect it to your data sources such as Google Search Console, Google Ads and basically all data sources that your business uses.
Check what integrations you have been using in Universal Analytics and link your GA4 properties to other tools.
Google Analytics 4 gives us the ability to link our properties to BigQuery for free! Before, this integration was available for Google Analytics 360 only.
Note:
For those of you using Google Tag Manager: create a new “GA4 Configuration” tag to fire on all pages.
For those of you who prefer hard coding add the GA4 gtag to all pages of your website.
Once you complete the setup of your account, you will start receiving some core data into your new GA4 property.
Step 2: Migrate your events from UA to GA4
Events in Google Analytics 4 are quite different from Universal Analytics so this step requires things to be done very carefully and with great attention to detail.
Start with creating a list of all your current events: evaluate tracking items you need to keep, tracking items you need to get rid of and perhaps new tracking items (new events, new goals, etc.) you need to create in order to fill the gaps in your current settings. Last but not least check if there are events that could be replaced by enhanced measurement.
Below is a list of the most common Universal Analytics tracking items:
Audiences
Goals (Conversions)
Custom Dimensions and Metrics
Events
Content Groupings
Referral Exclusions
Product Link Connections
Note: Google has a tool that can help you migrate your Universal Analytics events and adapt them to GA4, setting up your events from the ground up will allow you to have complete control over your data. You will also learn more about the new Google Analytics 4 event model, allowing you to unlock its full potential.
Step 3: Build custom reports in GA4
Getting familiar with Google Analytics 4 takes time but luckily GA4 allows you to create custom reports to track the data that matter most for your business.
Creating custom reports is easy as long as you follow these steps:
Click 'Explore' in the top left sidebar.
Select "+ under the label 'Start a new exploration' to create a blank report or choose one of the predefined ones from Google (I am a big fan of the Segment overlap exploration report).
Name your report by giving it a distinctive name.
Choose a date range for your report.
Select your Segments (optional), Dimensions and Metrics
Drag & Drop Filters - you can drag and drop dimensions or metrics into your filters, depending on what you’re trying to set up.
In this article, you can see an example of how to build a Landing page report in Google Analytics 4.
Step 4: Implement eCommerce tracking
Implementing eCommerce tracking in GA4 is an absolute must if you're selling products online.
Before you begin (!): the names of some eCommerce event parameters have changed and the new schemas are not backwards compatible so they will break your current Universal analytics setup (you've been warned). For example, Universal Analytics is using promoView, productClick and addToCart and GA4 is using view_promotion, select_item and add_to_cart respectively.
On the other side, the majority of the schemas are forward-compatible so Google will decipher your Universal Analytics events to the GA4 custom events.
The best thing to do is to update your current setup to add Google Analytics 4 specific data layer and schemas along with your present schemas.
Implement eCommerce Tracking in Google Analytics 4
Step 5: Cross-validate GA4 data with your internal systems
I hope you already know that Google Analytics 4 works completely differently from Universal Analytics in terms of how it collects and process data so it is crucial to validate purchases, form submissions and other business-critical data with your internal systems.
In other words, you will make sure that Google Analytics 4 reports reflect your conversions accurately (do not present data to your superiors before completing this step!).
Step 6: Decide on a date that Google Analytics 4 will be your single source of data
While it is very likely that your organisation is currently drawing from the two different sets of GA data for reporting purposes it is paramount that all relevant stakeholders agree on when GA4 will become the "single source of truth" for all data and reporting.
Conclusion
Migrating to Google Analytics 4 from Universal Analytics is a challenging task. The guide above is fairly basic, but even still, many who attempt to create a GA4 will run into issues. If you’d like some help, or if your current Analytics setup is complicated simply contact Stacey Harper. Thank me later.
One last note - keep in mind that Google Analytics 4 is still under heavy development. As things change, we'll update this post. However, there's a good chance you'll see features or options that aren't included here.
### Data-driven marketing
https://youtu.be/diKe-DcA9W8
Data-driven marketing - Benchmark Search Conference
Who is Gerry White?
Gerry White has been in the industry for 20+ years, with a background in development he transitioned to technical marketing leading on SEO, analytics and digital growth strategies for companies, agencies, the government and corporations such as the BBC. In the past few years, Gerry has spoken at conferences around the globe including Paris, Germany, the USA and of course the UK.
Gerry was the Technical SEO Lead for Just Eat an FTSE 100 company in 12 markets as well as consulting for other e-commerce brands. Gerry White was the SEO Director for Rise at Seven from 2020 to 2021 when they grew from 15 to 115 people before returning client side as the head of SEO at Oda an international supermarket.
Omi Sido & Gerry White at the Benchmark Search & Digital Conference
In his spare time, Gerry White co-runs a digital roundtable conference called Take It Offline which aims to replicate the best of the post-pub conversations, typically in a pub.
Data driven marketingDownload
Why Data-Driven Marketing Matters
As a business owner, you’re always looking for ways to get an edge on the competition. Marketing is one of the most important aspects of running a successful business, and making sure that your marketing efforts are as effective as possible is crucial.
One of the best ways to ensure that your marketing is as effective as possible is to make sure that it’s data-driven. In other words, you need to base your marketing decisions on hard data and analytics, rather than making assumptions or going with your gut feelings.
There are a number of reasons why data-driven marketing matters:
It allows you to make more informed decisions. When you have data to back up your decisions, you can be confident that you’re making the right choices for your business.
It helps you track your progress. By tracking the data, you can see what’s working and what isn’t. This allows you to make necessary changes to your marketing strategy on the fly.
It provides insight into your customers. When you have data about your customers, you can better understand their needs and wants. This allows you to tailor your marketing efforts to them specifically, which will result in more sales.
It saves you money. Data-driven marketing is more effective than traditional marketing, which means that you’ll get a higher return on investment (ROI). In other words, you’ll save money in the long run by investing in data-driven marketing.
It helps you stay ahead of the competition. By being data-driven, you can always be sure that your marketing efforts are at the cutting edge. This allows you to stay one step ahead of your competitors, who are likely still relying on traditional methods (like intuition).
Determining What Data is Okay and What Data is More Important
The world of marketing is always changing, and it can be difficult to keep up with the latest trends. However, one trend that is here to stay is data-driven marketing. In order to be successful in today's market, you need to know how to use data to your advantage.
Data-driven marketing benefits
One of the most important aspects of data-driven marketing is determining what data is okay to use and what data is more important. For example, you may have a lot of data on your customer's purchase history, but not all of it may be relevant to your current marketing campaign. On the other hand, there may be some data that you didn't even know you had that could be really useful for your current campaign.
So, how do you determine what data is okay to use and what data is more important? Here are a few tips:
Know your goals. Before you start looking at all of the data you have, know what you want to achieve with your marketing campaign. This will help you narrow down which data is relevant and which isn't.
Talk to your team. Your team probably has a lot of knowledge about your customer base and what they're looking for. Utilize this knowledge by talking to them about which data would be most useful for your campaign.
Test things out. Once you've determined which data is most important, test out different scenarios with that data until you find the perfect solution for your campaign.
Keep track of your results. Always keep track of the results of your marketing campaigns so you can see which data is most useful and which isn't. This will help you fine-tune your strategies over time.
Company Benefits of Doing Data Driven Vs. Traditional Inbound Marketing
There are a number of benefits that companies can experience by doing data-driven marketing as opposed to traditional inbound marketing. Perhaps the most significant benefit is that data-driven marketing enables companies to make more informed decisions about their marketing efforts. When done correctly, data-driven marketing can provide invaluable insights about what is and is not working for a company. This information can then be used to adjust campaigns and strategies accordingly in order to maximize results.
Another benefit of data-driven marketing is that it allows for more targeted and personalized messaging. By understanding who your target audience is and what they are interested in, you can create content and ads that are more likely to resonate with them. This leads to higher engagement rates and conversions, as well as improved brand awareness and loyalty.
Finally, data-driven marketing simply tends to be more effective overall than traditional inbound marketing techniques. With a laser-focused approach backed by reliable data, companies using data-driven marketing can expect to see better ROI from their campaigns compared to those who rely on older methods.
Examples of Companies Using these Techniques Successfully in Practice
In the current marketing landscape, data-driven marketing is the key to success. By incorporating data into every aspect of their marketing strategy, companies are able to make more informed decisions that lead to better results.
Here are a few examples of companies that are using data-driven marketing successfully in practice:
1. Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is one of the most recognized brands in the world and they are also a prime example of a company that uses data effectively in their marketing. They have a dedicated team of analysts that collect and analyze data from a variety of sources. This information is then used to improve their marketing campaigns and ensure that they are reaching their target audience. Not just that but they also use data to come up with new products and flavours. For example, Cherry Sprite was inspired by the data pulled from their Freestyle dispensers.
2. Amazon
Another company that has mastered data-driven marketing is Amazon. They use data to personalize the shopping experience for each customer and recommend products that they may be interested in. This has led to increased sales and loyalty from customers.
3. UPS
UPS is a company that has used data to improve their operations. By collecting data on package delivery times, they were able to make changes to their routes and schedules which resulted in more efficient deliveries. This not only saved them money but also improved customer satisfaction.
Before You Change Your Inbound Strategy to Data-Driven marketing
There are a lot of companies out there that are looking to change their inbound marketing strategy to be more data-driven. However, before you make this change, there are a few things that you need to take into consideration.
First and foremost, you need to make sure that you have a good understanding of your customer data. This includes knowing who your target audience is, what their needs and wants are, and how they can be best reached. Without this knowledge, it will be difficult to create an effective data-driven marketing campaign.
Secondly, you need to have a plan in place for how you are going to collect and analyze your customer data. There are a lot of different tools and technologies out there that can help with this, so it’s important to do some research and find the ones that will work best for your needs.
Finally, once you have all of the necessary data collected and analyzed, you need to create a plan for how you are going to use it to improve your marketing efforts. This includes developing targeted content and campaigns that address the specific needs of your target audience.
By taking the time to consider these things before changing your inbound marketing strategy to be data-driven, you will be much more likely to succeed in your efforts.
### How to win the long game in enterprise SEO
https://youtu.be/5noJh2qL3Jo
The Main Reason Strategies Fail
Despite what you may think and what digital agencies always try to sell you in the world of SEO, it's not just about short-term gains and quick wins. In fact, many companies - big and small - are now looking towards enterprise SEO strategies that focus on long-term success and prosperity. Enterprise SEO involves a more complex approach to search engine optimisation (SEO), where the goal is to create a sustainable and scalable SEO framework that can adapt to changes in the industry and your company's goals.
Enterprise SEO is a holistic approach to SEO (and digital marketing) that should involve various teams across your organisation, including marketing, IT (web development), and content production and distribution across all digital marketing channels. Furthermore, with a focus on long-term success, enterprise SEO involves a more significant investment of time, resources and money, but the payoff can be substantial.
Whether you're just starting out with enterprise SEO or looking to take your existing digital strategy to the next level, this article will provide valuable insights and actionable tips for achieving long-term success in the ever-changing world of SEO.
Enterprise SEO Buy-in: Selling SEO to the C-suite
The enterprise SEO landscape is constantly changing, and it can be difficult to keep up with the latest trends and best practices. However, by investing in a long-term SEO strategy, you can ensure that your website stays ahead of the competition and ranks highly in search engine results pages (SERPs).
To gain buy-in from the enterprise, start by educating yourself on the ever-changing landscape of SEO. Keep up with the latest trends and best practices by reading industry news and blogs, attending conferences, and networking with other SEO professionals. Then, create a comprehensive plan that outlines your goals and strategies for achieving them. Be sure to include measurable objectives so you can track your progress along the way (important!).
Once you have a solid plan in place, present it to all decision-makers within the enterprise. If possible, use data from your own research to demonstrate the potential benefits of investing in SEO stressing both the short-term and long-term return on investment (ROI). With a convincing case, you should be able to gain buy-in from even the most sceptical stakeholders.
How to tell the difference between short-term and long-term success in SEO
In order to win the long game in enterprise SEO, it is important to distinguish between short-term and long-term success. Short-term success can be defined as improving rankings, traffic, and ROI for a given period of time. Long-term success, on the other hand, is more concerned with building a sustainable foundation that will continue to generate results over the course of years or even decades.
There are a few key indicators that can help you tell the difference between short-term and long-term success:
The focus of your efforts: If you're primarily focused on improving your rankings in the search engines, then you're likely more interested in short-term success. On the other hand, if you're focused on building a strong foundation for your website with quality content and links, then you're probably more interested in long-term success.
The timeframe of your goals: short-term success is typically achieved within a few months, while long-term success takes years to achieve.
The sustainability of your results: Results from short-term SEO campaigns are often not sustainable, as they rely heavily on tactics that can be easily replicated by your competitors. Long-term results, on the other hand, are much more difficult to replicate and are therefore more sustainable over time.
How to make SEO sustainable in the enterprise
There are a lot of moving parts to enterprise SEO, which can make it difficult to maintain sustainable results over time. However, there are a few key ways that you can make sure your enterprise SEO program is sustainable in the long run.
Keep your keywords relevant. One of the most important things you can do to keep your enterprise SEO sustainable is to keep your keywords relevant. As your business changes and grows, so too will your customer base and their needs. Make sure you regularly update your keyword list to reflect the current state of your business and industry.
Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Another key to sustaining enterprise SEO results is to diversify your traffic sources. Don't rely on just one or two channels for all of your traffic. Instead, spread out your efforts across multiple channels, including organic search, paid search, social media, email marketing, etc. This will help ensure that you're not overly reliant on any one source of traffic and that you have a more well-rounded approach to marketing.
Stay up-to-date on algorithm changes. The third way to sustain enterprise SEO results is to stay up-to-date on algorithm changes. Google makes hundreds of algorithm changes every year, some of which can impact enterprise SEO programs negatively if they're not prepared for them. By keeping abreast of these changes and making adjustments accordingly, you can ensure that your program remains effective despite any algorithm
What are the best practices for long-term success in SEO?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the best practices for long-term success in enterprise SEO will vary depending on the specific nature of your business and your goals. However, there are some general principles that all businesses should bear in mind if they want to achieve sustainable success with their SEO efforts.
Firstly, it is important to remember that SEO is a long-term game. It can take months or even years to see the full benefits of your efforts, so you need to be patient and committed to the process.
Secondly, you need to make sure that your SEO strategy is continuously evolving and adapting to the ever-changing landscape of search engine algorithms and user behaviour. This means regularly reviewing your approach and making changes where necessary.
Finally, perhaps the most important thing to bear in mind is that successful enterprise SEO requires a team effort. It is not something that can be achieved by one person working in isolation. You need to have buy-in from all levels of the organisation, from the CEO down. Only then can you hope to create a truly effective and long-lasting SEO strategy.
Integrating analytics into your marketing strategy
As the world of digital marketing becomes more and more complex, it's important for enterprises to take a holistic and data-driven approach to their SEO strategy. This means incorporating analytics into every aspect of your marketing strategy, from your website and content to your social media and paid advertising.
Marketing needs to be data-driven to be effective!
There are a few key ways to do this:
Use data to inform your keyword research. This will help you identify which keywords are most likely to drive traffic and conversions for your business.
Track your progress over time. This will help you see which tactics are working and which need to be tweaked or abandoned altogether.
Set up goals and KPIs. This will help you measure your success and ROI so you can continue to optimise your strategy over time.
Test, test, test! Try different tactics and see how they impact your traffic and conversions. Then, keep the ones that work and ditch the rest.
By taking a data-driven approach to enterprise SEO, you'll be able to win the long game and build a sustainable, successful online presence.
Who should be leading SEO in the enterprise?
As the role of SEO continues to evolve, it's becoming more and more important for enterprises to have a dedicated SEO team. But who should be leading that team?
There are a few key qualities that make a great SEO leader. Firstly, they need to have a deep understanding of how search engines work. Secondly, they need to be able to translate that technical knowledge into actionable insights for the rest of the team. And thirdly, they need to be able to stay up-to-date with the latest industry trends and changes.
The ideal candidate for leading enterprise SEO would therefore be someone with both technical SEO expertise and strong people skills. They would need to be able to not only understand the complex algorithms of search engines but also be able to communicate clearly and effectively with other members of the team.
If you're looking for someone to lead your enterprise SEO efforts, make sure they have these key qualities. With the right person at the helm, you can win the long game in enterprise SEO.
Conclusions:
After years of experience in enterprise SEO, we've learned that the key to success is playing the long game. This means being patient, consistent, and always striving to improve your SEO strategy. It can be tempting to take shortcuts or try to game the system, but this will only lead to frustration in the long run.
With a solid understanding of how search engines work and a commitment to providing quality content, you can win the long game in enterprise SEO.
Enterprise SEO is a marathon, not a sprint that requires strategy and foresight. It's important to have someone at the helm who knows how to get the most out of your website and keep you ahead of the competition.
An experienced enterprise SEO team will have a deep understanding of how search engines work and what it takes to rank highly for your target keywords. They'll also be up-to-date on the latest algorithm changes and SEO best practices. With their help, you can develop a comprehensive enterprise SEO strategy that includes both on-site and off-site optimization. This will ensure that your website is visible to your target audience and that you're able to drive traffic and conversions.
If you're looking to win the long game in enterprise SEO, partner with an experienced agency or consultant who can help you develop and execute a winning strategy.
Top SEOs to consider when looking for an SEO partner on your journey to success.
Aleyda Solis - https://www.aleydasolis.com/
Nick Wilsdon - https://torquepartnership.com/
Judith Lews - https://www.decabbit.com/
Grant Simmons - https://www.grantsimmons.com/
Jeannie Hill - https://www.hillwebcreations.com/
Bill Hartzer - https://www.billhartzer.com/
Lidia Infante - https://www.lidia-infante.com/
Chima Mmeje - https://www.zenithcopy.com/
Moccand-Sayegh Sara - https://moccandsayeghsara.ch/
Fili Wiese - https://fili.com/
Who is Petra Kis-Herczegh?
Petra Kis-Herczegh is a Senior Solution Engineer with an SEO focus at Yext. Petra’s job is to help potential and current clients understand the solutions Yext can provide, and how they can integrate with their tech stack and help them achieve their business goals.
https://twitter.com/RoxanaStingu/status/1587838887199744004
Petra Kis-Herczegh started her SEO career in 2017 as an in-house SEO, quickly progressed to become an SEO manager, and later moved to the world of software, with the goal to amplify the voices of SEOs at the leadership level and help prove the value of organic search.
View slides
The Buy-in-ish Cycle: The Main Reason Strategies FailDownload
### The Internet for SEO’s
https://youtu.be/lDRWTBLqfNY
The Internet for SEO’s | Benchmark Search Conference 2022
Who is Roxana Stingu?
Roxana Stingu heads the SEO and search efforts at Alamy, a stock photography agency with a collection of almost 300M images. She loves getting into the nitty-gritty of technical SEO and, besides theorising about the future of Image Search, her favourite past-time is automating anything repetitive.
https://twitter.com/chameleon_jrnl/status/1587824421728829442
Roxana Stingu has been previously working in the web hosting industry for almost 10 years, leading the technical SEO efforts for brands such as 123 Reg, Host Europe and GoDaddy EMEA. Roxana is also a proud member of the Women in Tech SEO community and a frequent speaker at BrightonSEO and WTSFestival.
The internet for SEOs by Roxana StinguDownload
A guide to technical SEO: working with marketers and developers for business success.
Why marketers and developers need to communicate with each other
It's no secret that marketers and developers don't always see eye to eye. Marketers are focused on generating leads and driving sales, while developers are focused on building the websites and applications that make those things possible.
But if marketers and developers want to be successful, they need to find a way to work together. After all, marketing efforts are pointless if the website doesn't work, and a website is useless if no one knows about it.
Why marketers and developers need to communicate with each other
That's why it's so important for marketers and developers to communicate with each other. By working together, they can ensure that the website is effective and efficient and that marketing campaigns are properly targeted and deliver the desired results.
Of course, communication isn't always easy. Marketers and developers often speak different languages, which can make it difficult to understand each other's needs. But there are some ways to overcome these challenges:
Make sure everyone is on the same page from the start. Before starting any project, have a meeting with both the marketing (SEO) and development teams to discuss objectives, goals, and expectations. This will help ensure that everyone is on the same page from the beginning and avoid misunderstandings later on.
Establish clear lines of communication. It's important that both marketers and developers know who to go to with questions or concerns. Establishing clear lines of communication will help prevent delays or roadblocks in the project.
Use language that everyone can understand.
How to effectively communicate between the two groups
Technical SEO and marketing teams need to be in close communication in order to ensure that a website is optimised for search engine visibility. There are a few key things that both groups need to keep in mind in order to make this happen:
Define roles and responsibilities - each team should have a clear understanding of what the other does and how their work affects the website as a whole. This will help avoid duplication of effort and ensure that everyone is working towards the same goal.
Set up regular communication channels - whether it's weekly meetings, an intranet forum or simply emailing updates back and forth, establish some form of communication so that everyone is kept in the loop.
Be open to feedback - both groups should feel comfortable giving and receiving feedback so that any potential issues can be ironed out quickly.
Keep an eye on the bigger picture - while it's important to focus on individual tasks, it's also necessary to step back and look at how everything fits together occasionally. This will help prevent problems further down the line.
Some other ways marketers and developers can work together
There are a number of ways that marketers and developers can work together to improve technical SEO and business success. Here are some key areas to consider:
Site architecture: Marketers and developers should collaborate on website architecture to ensure that the site is easy to navigate and understand for both users and search engine crawlers.
URL structure: The URL structure of a website can be crucial for both usability and SEO. Marketers and developers should work together to ensure that URLs are short, descriptive, and easy to remember.
Content management: Collaboration between marketers and developers is essential for content management. Developers can build tools and systems that make it easier for marketers to create, manage, and publish high-quality content.
Tagging and metadata: Tagging and metadata help search engines understand the content of a website. Marketers and developers should work together to ensure that all content is properly tagged and that metadata is accurate and up-to-date.
By collaborating on these key areas, marketers and developers can greatly improve the technical SEO of a website and help businesses achieve success online.
Conclusion
Technical SEO is a process that can help your business website rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). By working with marketers and developers, you can ensure that your website is optimised for both users and search engines. By following the tips in this guide, you can start to improve your website's technical SEO and see real results for your business.
### How to link Google Analytics 4 to BigQuery? The ultimate guide.
Google Analytics (GA) has long been the leading website analytics software available, and with good reason. The program provides detailed information on your site visitors and their interactions, offers a range of interactive features that enables you to analyse and quickly identify traffic patterns, ensures that the data is accurate and complete, and even allows you to measure how well your marketing campaigns are performing!
Google Analytics can also be used to track conversions. This means that website owners can see not only how many people are visiting their site, but also how many of those visitors are taking the desired action (such as making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter). This information is indispensable for understanding whether or not a website is successful in achieving its goals.
Five Key Benefits of Google Analytics 4
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the latest version of Google Analytics, and it offers a number of benefits over the previous Universal Analytics version that can be extremely helpful for businesses.
Google Analytics 4 allows cross-domain tracking that does not rely on code adjustments.
GA4 allows you to track conversions more effectively.
It makes it easier to segment your audience.
It provides more options for customising reports.
Built-in GA4 and BigQuery integration
BigQuery and Google Analytics 4 integration
When it comes to Google and data, it's no mystery that the company has been at the forefront of cutting-edge technologies for over 20 years. One of those technologies that have taken off in recent years is Google BigQuery, a service built on their big data infrastructure that allows users to extract, store and explore large datasets with just a few clicks.
In the past BigQuery was only available to paying users but with the introduction of Google Analytics 4, it is now accessible for free. Even though there is a ceiling on the amount of data you can store and query via the free BigQuery sandbox, in my opinion, your business can do a lot with the monthly free data allowance - 10GB of free storage and free processing of up to 1TB of query data.
Connecting Google Analytics 4 to BigQuery – a step-by-step guide
Connecting your Google Analytics 4 property to BigQuery is easy and it allows you to gain a better understanding of your digital information and data. To connect GA4 to BigQuery you need to follow the 4 easy steps:
Step 1: Set up a Project in Google BigQuery
Step 2: Enable Google Analytics 4 BigQuery Linking
Step 3: Enable Google Cloud API
Step 4: Create a Service account
Step 1: Create a BigQuery Project
Start by going to https://console.cloud.google.com/bigquery and creating a new project. Click on 'Select a project" and then 'New project'.
Create a BigQuery Project
If you are not a paid user you are allowed to have up to 25 projects. Your project name will automatically create a project ID so choose something descriptive as a project ID cannot be changed once it has been set.
New Project BigQuery
After choosing your project ID click on 'Create' and your project will be created. Well done, you have now created your first Google BigQuery project and you should be able to see it in the top left window corner.
First BigQuery Project
Step 2: Link Google Analytics 4 to BigQuery
Login to your Google Analytics 4 property and navigate and click on the GA 4 Admin option button in the bottom-left corner of the window.
GA4 Admin BIgQuery Links
Clicking on the BigQuery button will open a screen which allows you to select your BigQuery project.
Find your BigQuery Project
To find your BigQuery project click on 'Link' and then 'Choose a BigQuery' project.
Chose a BIgQuery Project
Select the desired property ID and click Confirm to continue.
Confirm BigQuery Project
Now, select the Google Cloud region for your data from the drop-down menu and press 'Next'.
BigQuery Data Location
On the next screen, you have to configure which data streams and events to export. I wouldn't touch 'Include advertising identifiers for mobile app streams' unless you want to export advertiser identifiers to BigQuery.
BigQuery Data Events Export
Normally I would choose both Daily (once a day) or Streaming (continuous export) frequency of data import as I can always change these options at a later date.
Clicking on the 'Next' button will allow you to review the settings of your link to a BigQuery project and if you're happy with everything you see click on 'Submit to complete the process.
Good job! You have now successfully linked your Google Analytics 4 property to a BigQuery project. This should be confirmed on the screen below.
BigQuery Link
Quick review: you have created a BigQuery project and linked a GA4 property to it but they are still not connected. To accomplish that you need to create an API.
Step 3: Enable Google Cloud API
To start the process go to the Google Cloud Console and select ‘APIs & Services' followed by 'Library’.
APIS and Services Library
Make sure that the project that you want to link is selected in the top navigation.
API Library
Search for BiqQuery API and click on it. Make sure the BIgQuery API is enabled and click 'Manage'.
BigQuery API Manage
Now you gonna add the Service account by first clicking on 'Credentials' and then clicking on 'Create Credentials.
Create credentials BigQuery
Select 'Service Account' and you gonna see a window like that.
Create Service Account
In the 'Service account name' field, type this special email address firebase-measurement@system.gserviceaccount.com. The Service account will then be automatically generated for you.
Service Account Details
After describing your Service Account click on 'Create and Continue'. On the new window grant the editor access to the Service account and select 'Done'.
Service Account Role
Congratulations, now the whole process has been completed - you've created a project in Google BigQuery Project, linked your GA4 property to BigQuery, enabled the Google Cloud API and added a Service account.
Service Account
All you have to do now is wait (it may take up to 24 hours) for the first of your GA4 data to be exported to BigQuery.
Note: If you want to know the format and schema of the GA4 property data and the Google Analytics for Firebase data that is exported to BigQuery read [GA4] BigQuery Export schema.
Accessing your data in BigQuery
Once you have left your data to populate, come back to your BigQuery account using this link https://console.cloud.google.com/bigquery to check the data.
BigQuery Dataset
Click on your project name to reveal a list of datasets in your project. Here you can only see one dataset (in the example above analytics_251301421) as we are only sending the data from Google Analytics 4 into this project.
A dataset is a top-level container that’s used to organise and control access to your data. In simple terms, it’s a kind of folder in which your information is stored in the form of tables and views.
Within your dataset, you can see a list of tables:
Events_(number of days) - GA4 data from the previous day gets automatically exported from the property to BigQuery every day. To see the individual dates you have to click on the date filter next to 'Events'.
Events_intraday_ - Data from the GA4 property is automatically imported throughout the day and this will correspond with the ‘streaming’ frequency setting in Google Analytics 4.
To see the individual dates you have to click on the date filter next to 'Events'.
Clicking on any of the tables will show you the structure of that table.
Clicking on any of the tables will show you the structure of that table.
Clicking on the ‘Details’ tab will show you the size of the table, the number of rows and when the table was created. To analyse a table you can either run a query or by simply clicking on the 'Preview' tab you can inspect your data without the need to run a query. Needless to say, this is a good practice as it allows you to have a quick view of the data you have imported and the structure of your tables.
Clicking on any of the tables will show you the structure of that table.
If you do want to query a table click on the Query button at the top of the data table.
To query a table click on the Query button at the top of the data table.
The system will automatically write a sequel statement (SQL SELECT Statement) for you but you have to add '*' between SELECT and FROM in the query before clicking on 'Run'.
Add ‘*’ between SELECT and FROM in the query before clicking on ‘Run’.
SELECT
*
FROM
-- Replace with your table name.
`bigquery-public-data.ga4_obfuscated_sample_ecommerce.events_*`
LIMIT
10
Note: SQL keywords are NOT case sensitive: select is the same as SELECT. MySQL supports the LIMIT clause to select a limited number of records which can save you a lot of money when querying big websites.
Query results
I know that some of you may be instantly taken aback by the structure of the BigQuery tables so I feel like I have to try to explain what 'nested fields' mean.
BigQuery Nested Fields
Nested fields in BiQuery are fields that are linked together as a single entity, like a struct or an object.
Nested fields in BigQuery
In the previous version of Google Analytics, every row in the data set represented a single session. As you probably already know Google Analytics 4 is event-based so every row in our data set represents an event and every event can contain multiple event parameters and corresponding values.
Going back to the previous example after querying the table only rows 1,2, and 3 are 'real' and the other 'rows' are in fact nested fields (most of the time with NULL values).
To extract the nested values and essentially flatten the tables we must use the UNNEST function.
SELECT
DISTINCT (
SELECT
value.string_value
FROM
UNNEST(event_params)
WHERE
key = 'page_title' ) AS Page_Title
FROM
-- Replace with your table name.
`ga4-omi-sido.analytics_251301421.events_*`
ORDER BY
1
LIMIT
10
This code will give us the following result.
How to Flatten a BigQuery Table with UNNEST
To truly understand the UNNEST concept in detail visit this article by Todd Kerpelman.
BigQuery SQL Examples
Before wrapping up this article let me give you a few simple examples so you can get some practice using BigQuery with your Google Analytics 4 data. Copy and paste any of the SQL queries on this page into the BigQuery web console at https://console.cloud.google.com/bigquery but don't forget to replace the example table name with your table name.
Total user count v New users count
WITH
UserInfo AS (
SELECT
user_pseudo_id,
MAX(
IF
(event_name IN ('first_visit',
'first_open'),
1,
0)) AS is_new_user
-- Replace with your table name.
FROM
`ga4-omi-sido.analytics_251301421.events_*`
-- Replace with your date range.
WHERE
_TABLE_SUFFIX BETWEEN '20220519'
AND '20220524'
GROUP BY
1 )
SELECT
COUNT(*) AS user_count,
SUM(is_new_user) AS new_user_count
FROM
UserInfo;
This code will give you the following result:
Total Users v New Users BigQuery example
Most Viewed Pages by Page Title
SELECT
value.string_value as Page_Title,
COUNT(*) as Page_Views
FROM
`ga4-omi-sido.analytics_251301421.events_*`,
UNNEST(event_params)
WHERE
key = "page_title"
AND event_name = "page_view"
GROUP BY
1
ORDER BY
2 DESC
LIMIT 10
This code will give you the following result:
Most Viewed Pages by Page Title BigQuery Example
Top items added to shopping cart
SELECT
item_name AS Top_Products,
COUNT(DISTINCT user_pseudo_id) AS user_count
FROM
-- Replace with your table name.
`bigquery-public-data.ga4_obfuscated_sample_ecommerce.events_*`,
UNNEST(items)
WHERE
-- Replace with your date range.
_TABLE_SUFFIX BETWEEN '20201101'
AND '20220131'
AND event_name IN ('add_to_cart')
GROUP BY
1
ORDER BY
user_count DESC
LIMIT
15;
This code will give you the following result:
Top Items Added To Basket BigQuery Example
Notice that in the latter example I am using the [GA4] Google Analytics 4-property sample dataset for BigQuery which you can access using this link.
Another way to find and use the Google BigQuery public dataset is to search for public into your BigQuery console.
To find the Google BigQuery public dataset search for 'public'
Then click on 'Narrow search to pinned projects."
Narrow search to pinned projects.
When you see 'bigquery-public-data' pin it to your project so it's always there for you to explore.
bigquery-public-data
BigQuery E-commerce Product Analysis Report
Find out what products are being purchased, added to the cart, and viewed by customers through your website or app.
WITH
productData AS (
SELECT
item_name AS itemName,
event_name,
user_pseudo_id,
event_timestamp,
items.quantity,
item_revenue,
ecommerce.transaction_id
FROM
-- Replace with your table name.
`bigquery-public-data.ga4_obfuscated_sample_ecommerce.events_*`,
UNNEST(items) AS items
WHERE
_table_suffix BETWEEN '20210101'
AND '20210131' ),
ecommerceMetrics AS (
SELECT
itemName,
COUNT(CASE
WHEN event_name = 'view_item' THEN user_pseudo_id
ELSE
NULL
END
) AS itemViews,
COUNT(CASE
WHEN event_name = 'add_to_cart' THEN user_pseudo_id
ELSE
NULL
END
) AS addToCarts,
COUNT(DISTINCT
CASE
WHEN event_name = 'purchase' THEN transaction_id
ELSE
NULL
END
) AS ecommercePurchases,
SUM(CASE
WHEN event_name = 'purchase' THEN quantity
ELSE
NULL
END
) AS itemPurchaseQuantity,
SUM(item_revenue) AS itemRevenue
FROM
productData
GROUP BY
itemName )
SELECT
itemName,
itemViews,
addToCarts,
(CASE
WHEN itemViews = 0 THEN 0
ELSE
addToCarts / itemViews * 100
END
) AS cartToViewRate,
ecommercePurchases,
(CASE
WHEN itemViews = 0 THEN 0
ELSE
ecommercePurchases / itemViews * 100
END
) AS purchaseToViewRate,
itemPurchaseQuantity,
itemRevenue
FROM
ecommerceMetrics
WHERE
itemViews > 0
OR itemRevenue > 0
ORDER BY
itemViews DESC
This SQL query will give you the following result:
BigQuery E-commerce Product Analysis Report
The result of this analysis will provide online businesses with a comprehensive understanding of the products being viewed, added to baskets, and purchased. Additionally, it will highlight products that are simply viewed or added to baskets without being purchased, thus enabling companies to recognise potential areas for improvement in their website or app. By examining the data, companies can acquire valuable insights and make necessary modifications to enhance the customer experience and increase sales.
This post has gotten rather lengthy so I think it's time to wrap it up here, but as you can see, there is a lot to cover in the new Google Analytics 4.
I hope you've enjoyed this article and feel a bit more confident to utilise your own Google Analytics 4 data in Google BigQuery.
### Publishing Velocity and SEO
https://youtu.be/YmpFfwYjbeQ
What is Content Velocity?
Content velocity is the rate at which pages are created and published. The more original content you publish, the more likely your page will be seen as relevant by search engines.
Content velocity is based on the number of new pages that are published over a period of time. This metric is different from content's rank or the number of social shares because it's not just about the quantity of content - it also examines the quality of the content. New pages that are more relevant and better optimized than old ones will have a higher content velocity, translating to high rankings in Google searches.
What does content velocity have to do with SEO
Google’s ranking algorithm is heavily weighted in favour of fresh content. If you are looking to rank higher in search engine results pages you will need to publish new, quality content more often.
However, this is not an easy task for many small business SEOs who are unable to dedicate the time and resources needed to keep up with their competition. Luckily, there are a few tricks that will make it easier to generate new content on a regular basis.
8 Steps for Creating Web Content Faster
The challenge of writing content for your website can be daunting. From reading through all the research you've done to find a logical structure for your article, there are many steps involved in putting together a great piece of web content. That's why we're highlighting the simplicity and effectiveness of these 8 tips that will help you create web content faster and with less hassle.
How to write articles fast
The first step is to schedule your posts. You can do this by either setting up a calendar for yourself or scheduling them on social media sites like Facebook and Instagram. Once you have scheduled your posts, it is time to come up with ideas for content. You can use a notebook or voice recorder to brainstorm ideas and then go through the list every day to see what could work for that day's post.
Step 1: Content Concept: The first step of the process is to come up with a content concept. You want to do this upfront so that you know what you're going to be writing about and how much time and resources it will take. This will let you create an outline for your post before you start writing it.Step 2: Choosing Your Topic: Select a topic that is wide and deep, such as "social media", "what is SEO' etc. This will allow you to create more content on the subject over time.Step 3: Brainstorming for Content Ideas: Brainstorming is an excellent method for generating content ideas. The key here is to list as many different ideas as possible, without judging which idea is better than the other. It should also be noted that brainstorming doesn't require you to write anything down at first, but always end with a sentence or two about each idea that sums it up.Step 4: Generating Ideas For Headlines and Subheadings: Subheadings can be your best friend when you need to write web content in a hurry. They provide a framework for your article and help you to organize the information in a logical manner. If you find yourself struggling to come up with ideas, then look at similar articles that you've created or found on the Internet. The wording and organization of the headlines and subheadings will give you some great ideas for your own.Step 5: Writing The Content, One Section at A Time: Once you've completed a rough outline, decide on a page layout and divide your content into sections. For example, if you're doing an article on the benefits of eating healthy every day, you might have sections for "How eating healthy can help with weight loss," "6 easy ways to eat healthier," and "A list of 20 quick, healthy recipes."Step 6: Preparing To Write: Make sure that you have everything that you need to write. If you are writing an email, make sure that your email software is open and the recipient's address is filled in. If you are writing a blog post, make sure your data source is opened and search terms are highlighted.Step 7: Refining and Editing Your Written Content: This is the step you've been waiting for. It's time to go back and edit your content. Resist the urge to start this step until you've completed all the steps before it. Now, with all your content written out, you can come back and focus on each section individually. Make sure there are no typos in any of the text and check for consistency within each paragraph. Pay particular attention to headings and subheadings - ensure that they're formatted clearly and that there is a logical flow from one idea to another. If you followed these steps correctly, then editing should be quick and easy; if not, it will take a lot more time than necessary.Step 8: Proofreading Your Articles: Once you've completed your written piece, it's important to proofread it. At this stage, you should go through the content again, checking for any errors or missing pieces. You should also make sure that your grammar is correct and double-check your citations and references list.
Why is content velocity so important for SEO?
Google uses content velocity to determine how often your website is updated. It prefers sites with regular updates because it knows that these are websites that are more likely to have fresh content. Content velocity also helps Google discover new pages that are linked to your site. If you don't update your site regularly, chances are Google won't be able to find it in the search engine results pages.
Techniques to accomplish better content velocity
There's no one-size-fits-all strategy for achieving high content velocity. To increase your content velocity, first, you need to analyse the reasons why your website is not ranking well in Google. The higher you can rank, the more traffic you'll be able to achieve. Sometimes this comes down to producing better content. Other times it's about making sure that Google knows about all of the pages on your site, which means creating new content and/or sharing articles with other websites.
About this talk
In this talk, Dimitris Drakatos will go through a very interesting topic on how publishing velocity can contribute to SEO.
Publishing new, fresh content about your business is one of the best ways to increase your Google rankings and reach your target audience - but doing so too quickly without proper planning can actually hurt you.
How you can build a blog and a solid content plan from scratch and using extensive KW research and KW clustering, quick solutions (external & internal writers, stock images website & Canva for editing them) and drive 100,000+ organic visits per month in 7 months purely non-branded.
Using publishing velocity (delivering more than 200 articles per month) can close the big gap between your website and your main search competitors that have been doing this for years while at the same time you increase your search potential dramatically.
Who is Dimitris Drakatos
Formerly at UK fintech unicorn Revolut, since October 2020 Dimitris Drakatos has been leading all the SEO and ASO work at startup Peanut, an app for connecting like-minded women throughout fertility and motherhood.
A passionate digital marketer and SEO manager with more than eight years of experience across both inbound and digital marketing. He has worked for several successful companies, like Revolut, scaling their digital presence.
Dimitris Drakatos at BrightonSEO 2021
About BrightonSEO
BrightonSEO – is a major search marketing event in the UK. One of our favourite events of the year, This is a superb conference for search marketing professionals, novice or expert. BrightonSEO is a chance to learn from some of the best minds in search, and then rub shoulders with them at one of the friendliest, and largest, gatherings of Digital Marketers in Europe.
### Top SEO KPIs you should be tracking
https://youtu.be/TwULZbgqEUQ
Top SEO KPIs you should be tracking Alice Logan – Senior SEO Account Manager at ROAST – breaks down the most important KPIs that you need to know about and track so you have a better understanding of how your SEO strategy is working for you!
In today's digital age, search engine optimisation (SEO) is an essential component of any business strategy. SEO helps to improve the visibility and ranking of a website in search engine results pages (SERPs), ultimately driving more traffic and potential buyers.
However, optimising your website for search engines can be a daunting task, especially if you don't know where to start. This is where key performance indicators (KPIs) come in handy.
So allow me to explain what KPIs are and why they are important, and we'll explore some of the top SEO KPIs you should be tracking.
What are Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)?
KPIs are metrics that are used to measure the performance of a specific aspect of a business. KPIs are typically numerical and can be used to track progress over time. They are usually in the form of charts, graphs, and statistics.
KPIs can be applied to any aspect of a business, from finance and marketing to customer service and production. KPIs can be used to measure a wide range of metrics, such as revenue, traffic, conversion rates, engagement rates, and more. KPIs are often used by management teams to highlight effective areas of their company’s performance and take action when areas need improvement.
The Importance of KPIs
Why are KPIs important?
KPIs are important for a number of reasons.
Firstly, they provide insights into the functioning and well-being of your business, allowing you to make necessary modifications to your approach and achieve your long-term objectives. By tracking KPIs, business owners can identify areas that need improvement and make data-driven decisions to optimise performance.
Secondly, KPIs can help to align business goals with specific metrics. This ensures that everyone in the organisation is working towards the same objectives, which can improve communication and teamwork.
Finally, KPIs can help to measure the return on investment (ROI) of specific business strategies. By tracking KPIs, businesses can determine which strategies are working and which ones need to be adjusted.
Top SEO KPIs you should be tracking
When it comes to SEO, there are a number of KPIs that are important to track. These KPIs can help you to understand how your website is performing in terms of visibility, traffic, engagement, and conversion. Below, we'll explore the top SEO KPIs you should be tracking.
Organic traffic
Organic traffic refers to the number of visitors who arrive at your website via search engine results pages (SERPs). This KPI is important because it measures how visible your website is to search engine users. If your organic traffic is high, it means that your website is ranking well for relevant search terms, which can drive more leads and sales. To track organic traffic, you can use tools like Google Analytics, which provides insights into the number of visitors to your website and the sources of that traffic.
Keyword rankings
Keyword rankings refer to the position of your website in search engine results pages (SERPs) for specific keywords. This KPI is important because it measures how well your website is optimized for specific search terms. If your website is ranking well for relevant keywords, it can drive more organic traffic to your website. To track keyword rankings, you can use tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs, which provide insights into the position of your website in search engine results pages (SERPs) for specific keywords.
Click-through rate (CTR)
Click-through rate (CTR) refers to the percentage of search engine users who click on your website's link in search engine results pages (SERPs). This KPI is important because it measures how engaging your website's title and meta description are to search engine users. If your CTR is low, it may indicate that your website's title and meta description need to be improved to make them more compelling. To track CTR, you can use tools like Google Search Console, which provides insights into the number of clicks and impressions your website receives from search engine results pages (SERPs).
Bounce rate
Traditionally 'bounce rate' is described as the percentage of visitors who leave your website after viewing only one page. Since Google released Google Analytics 4 (GA4) bounce rate has a new definition which I like a lot more: the percentage of sessions that were not considered engaged. An engaged session in GA4 is a session that meets one or more of the following criteria: lasting longer than 10 seconds, having a conversion event, or containing at least 2 pageviews or screenviews.
This KPI is important because it measures how engaging your website is to visitors. If your bounce rate is high, it may indicate that your website's content is not engaging enough to keep visitors interested. To track bounce rate, you can use tools like Google Analytics, which provides insights into the number of visitors who leave your website after viewing only one page.
Conversion rate
Conversion rate refers to the percentage of visitors who take a desired action on your website, such as making a purchase, filling out a form, or subscribing to a newsletter. This KPI is important because it measures how effective your website is at converting visitors into customers or leads. If your conversion rate is low, it may indicate that your website's design or content needs to be improved to make it more persuasive. To track conversion rates, you can use tools like Google Analytics, which provides insights into the number of conversions your website receives.
Backlinks
Backlinks refer to links from other websites that point to your website. This KPI is important because it measures the authority and relevance of your website in the eyes of search engines. If your website has high-quality backlinks from authoritative websites, it can help to improve your website's ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs). To track backlinks, you can use tools like Ahrefs or Moz, which provide insights into the number and quality of backlinks pointing to your website.
Time on site
Time on site refers to the amount of time visitors spend on your website. This KPI is important because it measures how engaging your website's content is to visitors. If visitors are spending a long time on your website, it may indicate that your website's content is interesting and engaging. To track time on site, you can use tools like Google Analytics, which provides insights into the average time visitors spend on your website.
Pages per session
Pages per session refer to the average number of pages visitors view during a single visit to your website. This KPI is important because it measures how engaging your website's content is to visitors. If visitors are viewing multiple pages during a single visit, it may indicate that your website's content is interesting and engaging. To track pages per session, you can use tools like Google Analytics, which provides insights into the average number of pages visitors view during a single visit.
Conclusion
Tracking KPIs is an essential part of any SEO strategy. By tracking the right KPIs, you can gain valuable insights into how your website is performing in search engine results pages (SERPs), and identify areas that need improvement. The KPIs listed above are some of the most important to track for SEO, but it's important to remember that different businesses may have different KPIs depending on their goals and objectives.
By regularly tracking KPIs and using them to inform your SEO strategy, you can improve your website's organic visibility, traffic, engagement, and conversions, ultimately driving more leads and sales for your business.
Who is Alice Logan
Alice Logan creates SEO strategies for b2c and b2b clients and is currently leading on website migrations at ROAST. She launched her career client-side in a 360 communications role before gaining two years as an SEO generalist agency-side. This all helped grow that ‘bigger picture thinking’ part of her brain, which she applies to her current role at ROAST.
https://www.slideshare.net/AliceLogan1/what-kpis-should-seos-work-towards-bseo-september-2021
Jack of all trades or master of none? The KPIs SEOs should work to.
About BrightonSEO
BrightonSEO – is a major search marketing event in the UK. One of our favourite events of the year, This is a superb conference for search marketing professionals, novice or expert. BrightonSEO is a chance to learn from some of the best minds in search, and then rub shoulders with them at one of the friendliest, and largest, gatherings of Digital Marketers in Europe.
### Why do organizations win when they put users at the centre of product development?
Ever since the Industrial Revolution, it has been an unspoken truth that businesses need to create products and services that they believe will be of use to their customers. And in order to do so, they need to understand what their customers need and want.
Product teams strive to stay up to date with market trends and ensure they’re in tune with the customer for whom they’re building products. But as companies grow, they tend to become further removed from the customer, shifting focus to internal processes and technologies. To combat this, Wizeline’s cofounder, Wendy Johansson, argues that instead of exclusively seeking product managers with engineering backgrounds, Johansson believes that those with empathy and user research backgrounds can better keep organizations aligned with customers.
Nailing the ‘trifecta’
In a recent three-part interview, Johansson explains how her user experience background gives her a unique perspective. Instead of thinking “what is the problem in the system?” she has the mentality of "what is the problem for the user?" Framing the product strategy this way enables her team to better understand customers’ desired activities and goals, even as her own organization scales.
According to Wendy Johansson, product teams need to continuously track evolving customer activities while simultaneously supporting those activities with an evolving product. To do so, organizations should let a product owner, engineering lead, and UX lead collectively set the roadmap. She calls this the ideal ‘trifecta’ and asserts that such a blend of experts has led to the creation of better and more performant systems.
Keeping stakeholders aligned
Since product managers work across many different teams and levels within the organization, it’s often difficult to keep everyone aligned around the same mission and ideals. As Johansson describes, great product managers operate as the solvent that breaks down barriers between teams and, perhaps more importantly, between customers and the company.
As organizations grow, layers begin to form within them and each layer has different, and sometimes competing, goals. These layers become useful within an organization because they complement each other and ensure that value is actually being delivered back to the company. Johansson describes how product managers should navigate and leverage other teams to champion best practices and communicate customer trends. She illustrates one particular way that enables Wizeline to align their organization around long-term product goals:
"Our sales team will get on calls and chat with people and find out their needs and problems and be able to match that up with either existing features that are already on our roadmap in Wizeline, or go ahead and submit new requests."
Johansson’s team relies on this feedback loop to inform what features to prioritize on the roadmap.
Wendy Johansson: a global Product Experience leader and entrepreneur
Customer-informed roadmaps
Weekly product roadmap updates can inform key stakeholders whether or not you’re building the things they asked for, Johansson says. But it’s critical to explain and justify your decisions if you want to maintain rapport. She thinks sales teams, in particular, can help product managers do so. Product managers should educate sales teams on how to identify not just the immediate problem that customers face, but the set of activities and processes that define their overall workflows.
When defining customer-informed roadmaps, it’s important to maintain a balance between agility and reactivity. Without understanding the big picture and long-term vision for delivering customer value, product teams risk over-optimizing for the short-term by too quickly reacting to short-sighted market feedback.
The customer-centric approach is a shift in business management to focus on the needs of the customer. The old model of one-sided marketing has shifted to giving customers what they want in the channels they want it in.
### How do you deal with Crawl Budget?
https://youtu.be/ostCecacebM
What is Crawl Budget?
Crawl Budget is the total number of pages on your site that search engine crawlers can crawl and index in a given amount of time. The higher the crawl budget you have, the more content you can rank for in the search engine results pages (SERPs). Content-rich websites with lots of information will be able to take advantage of this, while sparsely populated websites will not be as successful.
In the world of search engine optimization (SEO) if the search engines are not able to crawl your content it won’t be indexed therefore it won’t appear in the Google SERPs. So if Google doesn't spend enough time to crawl your site, it's less likely that it will rank well for certain keywords.
Each time that your site is crawled, it takes up part of the crawl budget for that given day. The number of pages crawled per day is proportional to your site's importance to Google, and crawls are done in priority order so if your website is not very popular a search engine may not want to crawl your site very much.
Should I worry about my crawl budget?
If the Google bot crawls a lot of your pages on a daily basis you don't have to worry too much about your crawl budget. But if you have lots of pages not being crawled or updated as often as you’d like, you have to do something to make sure your site can support additional crawling and increase your site’s crawl demand.
To quickly check whether you have a crawl budget issue or not do the following:
Find out how many pages you have on your website - probably the easiest way to do that is to check your sitemap.
In your Google Search Console in the Crawl Stats report (go to 'Settings') determine how many pages are crawled on average every day.
Divide the number of your pages (point 1) by the number of average crawled pages per day (point 2). If you end up with a number higher than 10: yes you have a crawl budget problem. If you end up with a number lower than 3 you don't have to think about your crawl budget.
How to optimise your site for a better crawl budget
Crawl Budget is the amount of time Googlebot spends crawling your website. How much crawl budget you have will affect how quickly your site ranks for certain keywords. The more pages that are returned in the search engine's index, the higher you rank for those keywords.
The first thing to know about the crawl budget is that it's not something you can control. You can't pay for a higher crawl budget, and there's no way to ask Google for a specific number of crawls per day. That being said, it's important to understand that there are certain things that you can optimise in order to "force" the Googlebot to crawl more of your website pages.
Make sure all your important pages are crawlable and not blocked in your robotx.txt file. On the other side, block pages in your robots.txt file that shouldn’t be crawled thus wasting your crawl budget. The same goes for non-essential resources like gifs, videos, and images that take up a lot of memory, but are often used for decoration or entertainment and may not be important for understanding the content of the page. In your robots.txt file to disallow individual resources by name simply use: User-agent: * Disallow: /images/filename.jpg
Whenever possible build your pages using HTML only. Data heavy JavaScript websites use more of your budget crawl than plain HTML sites. If JavaScript is your thing if possible prerender your pages in static HTML that Google can easily see and read, taking up way less of your budget.
Always keep your Sitemap up to date: sitemaps help the search engines easily understand the structure of your website and which pages are meant to be indexed.
It goes without saying that reducing your redirect chains will greatly improve your crawl budget. 301 and 302 redirects are unavoidable but try to use them no more than twice in a row as some bots may even stop following redirects if they encounter an unreasonable number of 301 or 302 redirects in a row.
Increase your page speed as slow pages eat up valuable Googlebot time. The quicker your pages load the more of your pages will be visited and indexed by the Googlebot.
Link to all your important pages internally as the Googlebot prioritises pages that have lots of internal links pointing to them.
Last but not least avoid duplicate content as we all know that Google doesn’t want to waste time and resources by indexing multiple pages with the same content.
Who is Joanna Beech
Joanna Beech has almost ten years of experience working specifically in the arena of Digital Marketing with a strong focus on SEO. She has the insight of working both in-house and agency side, responsible for creating and launching SEO strategies across a broad range of industries and company sizes. Joanna has gained extensive hands-on experience in SEO whilst also incorporating all PPC channels, user experiences, online tracking, and online behaviour analysis.
In this talk, Joanna Beech (Digital Marketing Manager - SEO, Deloitte)
addresses the crawl budget issue for medium or larger websites that publish rapidly changing content and where new content is not being crawled or indexed. In this session, Joanna will give you a good explanation of what Crawl Budget is and techniques to ensure every crawl is optimised (to make the most of each).
Dixon Jones with Natalie Arney and Joanna Beech at BrightonSEO
About BrightonSEO
BrightonSEO – is a major search marketing event in the UK. One of our favourite events of the year, This is a superb conference for search marketing professionals, novice or expert. BrightonSEO is a chance to learn from some of the best minds in search, and then rub shoulders with them at one of the friendliest, and largest, gatherings of Digital Marketers in Europe.
### Search Data – the force behind decision-making not just optimisation
https://youtu.be/tpvQZo6JJ5E
Why it's important to be data-driven
Data is EVERYWHERE. You can collect it from your own site, get it from social networks, get it from other websites - there are limitless ways to find data to make informed decisions. But not everyone is tapping into the KEY benefits of data-driven decision making, so I'll spell out the main advantages of operating 'data-mindedly' for you.
What is Data Intelligence?
Data Intelligence is the ability to understand and use your data in such a way that it promotes better decision-making in the future. The data can be either structured or unstructured. Data intelligence deals with estimation, predictions, decision-making support, pattern discovery, better understanding historic behaviour and approximating the future using all of this data.
Why do we need to make decisions based on data?
Two words: big data. The more data we have, the better conclusions we can draw. As the saying goes, there is no knowledge that isn't power - especially in an ever-evolving digital world. Sometimes decision making may feel overwhelming and difficult, especially when you're considering a litany of information sources. A wise investor starts thinking about simplifying decisions by asking a few critical questions:
Is it going to impact revenue? Is it going to increase customer satisfaction? Is it going to be measurable?
And that's just for starters.
The advantages of making decisions based on data
Data is a powerful resource that is inexpensive and readily available for you to use in order to make smart decisions. You can’t make good business decisions unless you have the data to back them up. Think of it this way: while some businesses may operate based on intuition, data-driven companies are more likely to be successful because they have a better understanding of what their customers want.
In essence, making decisions based solely on your gut without any sort of data already predefined will not enable you to understand your customer fully and thus you will lack true success.
About this talk
In 2019 Alpha (nowadays Feedback Loop) asked 300 managers if they used data to make decisions – while 91% said they thought it was important only 22% used data on a regular basis.
From nailing seasonality to understanding your competition and opportunities for business expansion, search data is the neglected missing link.
In this session, Matthew Colebourne, CEO of Searchmetrics in the UK, shares the benefits of using search data to inform strategic decisions, enhance your marketing strategy and achieve your business goals.
Who is Matthew Colebourne
Matthew Colebourne is the CEO of Searchmetrics. He brings outstanding management ability as well as profound experiences from various senior leadership roles in the digital marketing area. Moreover, Matthew has an extensive track record of scaling technology businesses.
Before joining Searchmetrics in January 2020, Matthew served as EMEA Managing Director at Innovid, which he joined from Trinity Mirror, one of the UK’s leading regional publishers. Beforehand, he was the European VP International for DoubleClick. He also managed the turnaround to profitability of paid search company, eSpotting, before its sale to FindWhat. Matthew is internationally-minded and has worked in Europe, USA and Asia.
Matthew Colebourne at BrightonSEO 2021
About BrightonSEO
BrightonSEO – is a major search marketing event in the UK. One of our favourite events of the year, This is a superb conference for search marketing professionals, novice or expert. BrightonSEO is a chance to learn from some of the best minds in search, and then rub shoulders with them at one of the friendliest, and largest, gatherings of Digital Marketers in Europe.
"At the heart of good decision making is good data. Data can let you know when, where and how it happened. That means fewer guessing games and fewer incorrect assumptions, both of which lead to bad decisions in the long run."
The advantages of data-driven decision-making
### How Decisions Are Made
A Survey of 300+ Decision Makers
From mobile banking to artificial intelligence, the products and services that businesses and consumers have at their disposal are better than ever before. The pace of innovation, and the accompanying increase in consumer expectations, is only escalating. In this environment, conducting exhaustive research studies and planning sessions in an attempt to find the “perfect” course of action is no longer viable. The need for speed and iteration precludes outdated strategies. It’s now more important than ever for companies to adapt the way they work and make decisions.
How Decisions Are Made Key Findings
In March of 2019, Alpha, the first on-demand insights platform, surveyed over 300 decision-makers to discover their most significant challenges and most effective decision making processes. We discovered that the forces of change, both from the internal company organization and external market forces, have changed the nature of business decision making. 86.8% of respondents report that their work environment is in constant flux or lacking clear correct decisions, and 40% say that they’re motivated to change their decision-making process because of changing market conditions.
Many companies have made progress to adopt data-driven decision-making frameworks and launch new products and features faster. However, decision-makers now face an overabundance of data inputs while remaining obligated to numerous stakeholders. The difference between a good decision and a bad decision is less clear than ever before.
Faced with this increasingly challenging decision-making environment, it’s incumbent on companies to adapt if they want to gain and maintain market leadership. But adapting is not only important to Wall Street. 79.4% of respondents say that their ability to make good decisions is important or extremely important for their career advancement.
While much of the ink spilt on this topic since the beginning of the digital age has focused on buzz words such as “big data” and “agile”, our findings paint a more nuanced picture.
A central lesson that emerged from this report is that while having data is certainly necessary for good decision making, it’s by no means sufficient. There’s a striking gap between respondents wanting to use data to make decisions and actually using it. 91% say that it’s important or very important to make data-driven decisions, but only 57.4% often or almost always do so.
The gap could be partially attributed to the fact that while decision-makers are motivated to make data-driven decisions and run experiments, their organizations don’t actually support them doing so. Decision-makers are challenged by entrenched thinking, a lack of shared understanding of modern methodologies, and slow reactions to change.
In the digital age, good decision making entails taking more shots on goal and shortening iteration cycles. However, few decision-makers are rewarded for such an approach. 82.9% of respondents say that their companies measure the success of a decision by the outcome that is achieved while only 33.2% assess based on the process or methodology used to make the decision.
In addition, even though many leaders espouse the benefits of empowering those closest to the problem to make decisions, senior executives take control all too frequently. 46.8% of respondents say that decisions are primarily made from the top down. This helps explain why 62% say that the most significant challenge that their teams face when trying to make good decisions is too much deliberation or slow reaction to change.
While this report reveals the challenges and frustrations that decision-makers face today, it’s not a chronicle of doom and gloom. There is a reason for optimism. Over 60% of respondents say that user feedback or experimentation have contributed to their most successful projects, and 37.1% say that they’ve incorporated more experimentation into their decision-making process within the past twelve months.
Our findings indicate that decision-makers have less of a need for a larger amount of data. Rather, they need the right data, faster along with the appropriate team structure and company culture to perform at their best. With the right resources, methodologies, and tools, decision-makers can help their companies avoid the fate of companies how haven’t adapted to change, such as Toys R Us and Polaroid, and become the next Airbnb or Amazon.
About Our Respondents
310 decision-makers completed our survey. Respondents work in a variety of industries. The vast majority manage digital products.
Company size seniority
About two-thirds of respondents work in product roles. The remaining third is split amongst marketing, strategy, and innovation roles. Respondents make decisions about product, strategy, design, and human resources.
Our respondents make a wide range of business decisions on a weekly basis. Most commonly: product, strategy, and design.
Methodologies, Techniques and Tools
Decision-makers regularly rely on user feedback, cost-benefit analysis, and analytics to determine the best course of action. However, those techniques don’t quite match what they said contributed to their most successful projects. Respondents more often say that experimentation, or small-scale tests, contributed to their most successful projects.
Decision making techniques
The tools that respondents use most frequently include analytics tools, such as Google Analytics, and user insights tools, such as Alpha. The frequency at which they onboard new tools hasn’t changed significantly over the past twelve months.
What tools do you use to support decision making?
Good consultants and agencies can be an important driver of growth and innovation because of their ability to think, speak, and act independently. However, most respondents don’t regularly retain consultants to support decision making and those that don’t retain consultants who specialize in decision making. Rather, the consultants have functional or industry expertise. Our findings suggest that there’s a lack of dedicated resources for decision making.
Decision making consultants
In large organizations, there are many stakeholders whose opinions and needs need to be taken into consideration, and several different goals and priorities that need to be met. The most common criteria for determining if a decision or course of action is the best one is alignment with the company vision and strategy. This seems like a positive data point. However, the probability of success, also ranked highly, which indicates an aversion to risk and experimentation.
Determining the course of action
3. Data-Driven decision making
Respondents predominantly agree about the importance of using data to make decisions. However, they fail to capitalize on this practice. Only 21.9% always or almost always use data to make important decisions, while 42.6% analyze data haphazardly.
Importance of using data to make important decisions
There are now more sources of data than ever before. Respondents most frequently utilize user research, analytics, and experimentation to gather data.
Data collection methods
47.1% report having a sufficient amount of data. This ties with our finding that less than one-third of respondents say they lack data.
How much data do you have currently?
There’s a clear gap between wanting to use data and actually using data. Respondents say that a shared understanding of the methodology amongst stakeholders, and a faster or easier way to get data would best support their ability to close the gap.
What would support your ability to make data-driven decisions?
One user shared a story about how a lack of shared understanding about data-driven decision making contributed to an unsuccessful project:
Leadership wanted a certain feature in a product and assumed all users would want it. [A] round of user research [made] it clear that they didn’t want it. [The]product team was forced to put it in, citing the typical iPod Steve Jobs example. [The] product was updated, and users hated the feature and complained. Leadership had a hard lesson in realizing they’re not Steve Jobs.
4. Collaboration
While over a third of respondents say their companies decide with a mix of top-down and bottom-up processes, companies are more likely than not to be top-down (46.8%). 49.2% of respondents report that senior executives or vice presidents make major decisions. This suggests a preponderance of top-down management and decision making.
Decision making process in a company
Who in your company makes major decisions?
Respondents primarily have a balanced approach to collaborating with senior leadership, wherein respondents make recommendations and senior leadership has the final say.
Collaboration with senior leadership
Collaboration between junior and senior stakeholders can help bridge the gap between business needs and customer needs, as one respondent shared:
Our top stakeholders actually sit in and listen to our customer base to understand their needs. Once understood, there were better decisions made overall that combined their business intentions with what our users wanted.
However, collaboration can go awry when there isn’t a mutual understanding of how to make data-driven decisions. One respondent explained how this caused people to leave the company:
We presented options (with data) and management selected a third option (because they knew). Negative effects were seen and persist. The team was disillusioned and most [team members] left.
Decision-makers most often collaborate with teams in most major functions. However, they say that market research teams best support their ability to make good decisions.
Decision collaboration enablement
22.3% of respondents typically make decisions in teams of 6 to 10 people. However, only 8.4% of respondents say that teams of that size are best for decision making. People say teams of 2 to 5 people make for the best decision-making process. These findings lend proof to the 'two pizza teams' theory popularized by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos: no matter how large your company gets, individual teams shouldn’t be larger than what two pizzas can feed.
Two pizza teams
5. Evaluating Decisions
Making good decisions helps the company’s bottom line as well as your own. 79.4% say it is important or extremely important for their career advancement and their accountability for those decisions is increasing.
We reported above that one of the most important criteria for making a decision is that it has a high probability of success. 82.9% of decision-makers say that the outcome of the decision – the degree to which it achieved its intended goals – is the most important measure of a decision. For comparison, just 33.2% say that the process for making the decision is most important.
How do you measure the success of a decision?
If the result of months-long research is inconclusive, it can be hard for executives to justify further funding for those topics. Though best practices for innovation are to run – even though they don’t always work – decision-makers aren’t rewarded for good decisions that lead to bad outcomes.
Only 8.4% of respondents debrief one year or more after making a decision. Over one third don’t debrief at all. Important projects often take years to materialize. If companies don’t measure results over the long term, it might be hard to justify projects that take longer to show results.
How long after a decision is made do you debrief?
6. Challenges
Respondents find that decisions about company identity, strategy, and culture are the most difficult to make. Product and feature decisions are a close second.
The hardest decision
Decision-makers say that they are challenged by a cocktail of insufficient information, too much deliberation, entrenched thinking, and a lack of autonomy.
Lack of autonomy is a hurdle for making data-driven decisions.
One-third of respondents say that lack of quality data is a hurdle for making data-driven decisions. Most people are sitting on the data they need. Many frustrations arise from a lack of shared understanding of what the data is and how it should be understood. In other words, they have data but not the ability to craft a convincing narrative from it.
Lack of quality data is a hurdle for making data-driven decisions.
43.2% say they make decisions largely based on deadlines. While speed is critically important in the digital age, it’s critical to balance speed with precision. Lean decision-making techniques such as experimentation still take time, but they are much less costly than the alternative: wasting even more time on a project that doesn’t go anywhere.
Decisions making depends on deadlines
7. Making Change
In today’s fast-paced world, it’s rare for decision-makers to have complete certainty in their decisions. 86.8% report that their work environment is in constant flux or lacking certainty. Compared to people at small companies, people at large companies were more likely to describe their work environment as "Stable." However, they were about equally as likely to describe it as "chaotic."
Work environment is in constant flux or lacking certainty
People are generally confident in their decisions: 52.3% are quite certain, and an additional 38.6% are somewhat certain.
How certain are you in the decisions that you make?
Within the past twelve months, decision-makers have incorporated more experimentation and diverse perspectives.
Has your approach to decision making changed in the last 12 months
One respondent describes how their experience with a past project that didn’t meet expectations motivated their team to start experimenting:
In the past we made changes on our product based on assumptions and without data. Even after releasing it, we didn’t measure the impact. We changed this way of doing things because we didn’t generate impact. We moved to doing small tests and measuring the KPIs that were supposed to be affected. Working this way has let us increase our release frequency and improve our decision making process. Now every action has an impact and this lets us see if it’s worth it one path or another.
Decision-makers want their teams to have more autonomy and less hierarchy so that those closest to the problem are empowered to make decisions. In addition, even though respondents say they have incorporated experimentation into their decision-making process, they want to do even more.
What changes do you want to make in the next 12 months
Improving company culture and recruiting innovative talent is the most significant motivator for change. Changing market conditions and customer needs are also major factors.
What's your motivation for changing your decision making process?
Respondents said that more or better data, better techniques, and a team that’s more open to new ideas would most support their ability to make better decisions.
Make better decisions
This survey and report were produced by Alphahq.com.
### Dimensions and metrics in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
What is Google Analytics?
One of the most popular ways to analyze your website's performance is through Google Analytics. Google Analytics is a free tool that provides detailed statistics and reports about your website site's traffic.
You can track things like site visitors, page views, and average time on site. Google Analytics also provides information about which pages were most visited and where your traffic came from (e.g., organic search, social media).
You can set up goals to track conversions and define conversion types. For example, a conversion could be a purchase, a sign-up for a mailing list or an event. You can set up custom alerts to trigger notifications when a goal is reached or a conversion type is created.
Every report in Google Analytics is made up of dimensions and metrics so in this article I’ll walk you through how to use these insights to boost your online strategy.
What's a dimension in Google Analytics 4?
Let’s start with the basics as some readers of this article might be actually new to Google Analytics (GA).
Simply put, a dimension in Google Analytics 4 is a description, characteristic, parameter or attribute or of your data. It might be a feature of a user, website, product, event, etc. It helps us better describe and understand our data so it makes sense to look at it as a qualitative variable.
With that in mind, another way to describe a dimension in Google Analytics would be ' a qualitative variable (a variable that isn’t numerical) that describes data that fits into categories'.
If this does not sound clear, let me give you a couple of examples of metrics:
Source/Medium
Device
Language
Page
Age
Products
Notice that all dimensions comprise of words, not numbers and although some dimensions are expressed in numbers, like hours and dates they still describe the data that’s collected.
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) normally displays data in its reports in the form of a data table and you can see dimensions in the first column of your reports.
Dimensions in Google Analytics 4
Each dimension accepts different values. As an example, the dimension 'Operating System' shows the operating system that the visitor used and accepts as values Windows, Macintosh, Android, iOS etc. These values help you understand and sort the traffic between the different operating systems.
Operating System dimension in Google Analytics 4
Consider another example:
The 'Device Category' dimension gives us the type of device that the visitor has used when visiting our website and this dimension accepts mobile, desktop and tablet as its values.
It goes without saying that knowing what browsers and devices your website/app is accessed from can help you focus your testing on the devices and browsers that your customers are in fact using.
Device category in Google Analytics 4
What is a Secondary Dimension in Google Analytics 4?
Every report in GA4 comes with a pre-selected primary dimension that provides high-level insights into how the dimension performs in relation to a set of metrics. To make life more interesting Google also gives us the option to segment our dimension data further by adding a 'Secondary Dimension'. This gives us the opportunity to designate a primary dimension and then view the related data by a secondary dimension within the same table.
The whole process is as simple as clicking on the '+' button next to the primary dimension.
Secondary Dimension in Google Analytics 4
Using Device Category as a main dimension and Country as a second dimension we can review how people from different countries access our website properties.
In the example below, we can see that people from the United States visit the Google Merchandise Store primarily using desktop and although the difference between the total number of active users using desktop and mobile is not that big the 'desktop revenue' is significantly higher.
Secondary Dimension in Google Analytics 4
This is a good example of how a secondary dimension can give you the context you need to make informed decisions for your business.
How to apply more than two dimensions in Google Analytics 4
By default Google Analytics 4 only allows applying 2 dimensions to a report but if you want to apply more than two dimensions you can always build a custom report in the 'Explore' section of GA4 as I've shown you in the 'Landing page report in Google Analytics 4'.
What is a custom dimension in Google Analytics 4?
Similar to other analytics tools Google Analytics 4 was not built specifically for your business so it won't give you everything you need 'out of the box.' Although Google Analytics 4 gives us a lot of dimensions, as your business is unique you might find yourself wanting to work with a dimension that GA4 might not provide.
For example, I might want to track my website tags, categories or blog authors. WordPress category and tag pages can be an important source of organic traffic. This is why I might want to track them properly, so I can better understand their impact. This is where custom dimensions in Google Analytics 4 can be utilised.
How to create a custom dimension in Google Analytics 4?
In this article, I will not deep dive into custom dimensions in Google Analytics 4 but it's still worth mentioning that the session scope is no longer available in GA4 and your custom dimension scope will no longer be set to the hit level as it was in Universal Analytics (source).
In short, this means that every custom dimension in Google Analytics 4 is always describing the event that is sending it.
Creating a custom dimension in GA4 is as simple as:
Go to the 'Custom Definitions' report under 'Configure' and click on 'Create Custom Dimension.'
Name your dimension. (In my case, I call it 'OnSite Search Keywords' so later on I can show you how to find your custom dimension).
Define the scope of your custom dimension - 'Event' or 'User'.
In the 'Description' box write a description of your custom dimension that makes it understandable in the future what you are trying to track.
Finally, choose the 'Event Parameter' and then click 'Save'. (As I want to know what was searched on my website I have to select 'search_term')
Custom dimension in Google Analytics 4
Note: In Google Analytics 4 you can set up 50 custom dimensions and 50 custom metrics per property (source) and of course if you buy Google 360 you will be given a higher number. Also, Google is constantly changing the position of the 'Configure' tab. As of today, you can find it in the top left corner of your browser.
Configure Google Analytics 4
Where to find your custom dimension data?
To find your custom dimension data go to 'Events' under 'Engagement' and click on the event your custom dimension is based on. In our example, this is 'view_search_results'. Scrolling to the bottom of my dashboard I can now see the words my visitors are searching for when they arrive on https://omisido.com/.
Where to find your custom dimension data in Google Analytics 4?
Note: It takes about 24 hours until you can see your custom dimension data and during this time you may see a value of "not set" (source).
What are metrics in Google Analytics 4?
Now that we know what dimensions are, I believe it will be much easier to explain metrics. A metric in Google Analytics 4 is the quantitive measurement of data (time, %, number values etc.) that shows how our website is performing in a relation to a specific dimension.
For example, going back to the 'Device Category' dimension example above the number of 'Users' who came from 'desktop' is a metric to the Device Category dimension. Or the number of 'Conversions' and 'Total Revenue' are the metrics to the location dimension 'United States.'
Metrics in Google Analytics 4
Note: Metrics and dimensions are helpful for analysing your data, but they’re nonsensical without each other.
What is a custom metric in Google Analytics 4?
Similar to the dimension case, although Google gives us a lot of metrics in their analytical tool they simply can not cover every single scenario. So if we want to measure the characteristics of a dimension (predefined or custom) that do not come as default we have to create and use custom metrics.
If I have to be entirely honest with you 2-3 years ago I couldn't be bothered to learn how to set up my custom metrics but nowadays I'm implementing or analysing reports in search of insights based on custom metrics almost every single day. We all work with different business models so custom metrics are like Google Analytics on steroids.
Note: It's against the Google Analytics terms of services to send personally identifiable information to your GA4 as a custom metric (source). Example: address, phone number, national insurance number, etc.
How to create custom metrics in Google Analytics 4?
Similar to custom dimensions setting a custom metric in GA4 is super easy and intuitive. Custom metrics in GA4 always have an event scope (in Universal analytics the scope was either Hit or Product) meaning that the value of a custom metric is sent for each event. With that in mind, you can look at custom metrics in Google Analytics 4 as custom parameters. Each parameter can be an automatically collected parameter or a custom parameter.
Creating a custom metric in Google Analytics 4 using a default parameter
Go to the "Custom Definitions report under 'Configure' and click on 'Create Custom Metric.'
Name your metric. I will call mine 'Video watching time in minutes'. As usual, be as specific as possible as this name will appear in your Google Analytics reports.
You only have one option for scope and this is 'Event'
In the 'Description' box describe your custom metric so in the future you or your colleagues can easily understand what's been measured.
In the 'Event parameter' box enter the event parameter for your custom metric (in my case I simply copied video_progress from Google's GA4 Enhanced measurement page).
Finally, select the 'Unit measurement (compulsory) and hit 'Save'. Note that you can always change the unit of measurement at a later time.
New Custom Metric in Google Analytics 4
Note: There is a difference between custom metrics and calculated metrics in GA4. 'Custom metrics' serve to gather data that GA4 doesn't automatically collect, whereas 'Calculated metrics' are employed to collect/compute new data based on the existing data within GA4.
Where to find your custom metric data?
Similar to custom dimension it takes about 24 hours until you can see your custom metric data. You can find your data under the Events report. In my case, as I am tracking the average amount of playtime watched per video I have to click on the video_progress event which takes me to the video_progress event page and if I scroll down I can see the custom card named 'Video Progress'.
The data from this custom metric will now appear in every report where GA4 is passing the video_duration parameter together with the event.
Final thoughts
This is a quick overview of dimensions and metrics in Google Analytics 4 so don't stop here as there’s a lot more to find out about your website visitors, and with the new A.I. powered predictions and insights, customer-centric measurements and improved granular control.
Google Analytics 4 is a free powerful tool for understanding the performance of your website. You can use this data to gain insight into what content resonated most with your visitors, how far they scrolled down your page, which pop-ups are most effective, where people are abandoning the site, and more!
GA4 allows you to dig deeper like never before and get to know your visitors better, helping you improve your marketing decisions and get better ROI.
The importance of data
### Machine Learning is Revolutionising Digital Marketing
Machine Learning (ML) is a subset of Artificial Intelligence that focuses on the development of computer programs that learn from experience. These programs can be self-learning, meaning they start with no knowledge and improve their intelligence as they collect more data.
When it comes to digital marketing, Machine Learning is a term that has been buzzing around the digital marketing industry recently with marketers wondering how it will affect their day-to-day tasks. In this article, we explore what Machine Learning means to digital marketing and why so many marketers are eager to jump on board.
What is Machine Learning?
Machine learning is a subset of artificial intelligence (AI). It is a process where a software system automatically improves its performance with time, without being explicitly programmed to do so.
Machine Learning is a type of artificial intelligence that learns from experience and data.
Machine Learning is an area of computer science that deals with teaching computers how to learn without being explicitly programmed. It covers areas like artificial intelligence, deep learning, neural networks, and many others. Machine Learning can be applied in various industries for tasks like rapid prototyping or automated data sorting.
The goal of machine learning is to turn data into meaningful insights. In the digital marketing world, this means that as companies gather more information about their customers' behaviours and preferences, they can use this data to create personalised messages that will resonate with those customers.
Types of Machine Learning
Machine learning is a type of artificial intelligence that has been developed to complete tasks without human intervention. The three types of ML are supervised, unsupervised, and reinforced.
Supervised Machine Learning is where algorithms are given a set of data and the goal is to learn from this data and make predictions. Supervised learning is the most basic type of machine learning and the algorithm is trained on labelled data. When used in the right circumstances supervised machine learning is very powerful.
Unsupervised Machine Learning is where the algorithm is given a set of data and must learn to organise it into different categories on its own. The advantage of this type of machine learning is that unsupervised machine learning is able to work with unlabeled data meaning that no human labour is required to make the dataset machine-readable. This results in the algorithm finding on its own the relationship between any two data points, the so-called 'hidden structure.' These hidden structures are what allow the algorithm to be able to adapt to the data without a defined and set problem statement, making unsupervised machine learning versatile and offering a lot more post-deployment development than supervised machine learning.
Reinforced ML is where the algorithm learns from both success and failure and can be trained by changing what action occurs after performing an action (for example, if the desired output was not achieved, then change the input).
Advantages of Digital Marketing with Machine Learning
Probably the simplest usage of machine learning in Digital marketing is finding patterns in user activities on a website. This helps digital marketers predict the further behaviour of users and quickly optimise page content and advertising offers.
Talking about content, machine learning is making content creation exponentially easier. With AI-powered writing, content writers don't have to worry about writer's block because the text will be automatically generated. The best part is that you can target different audiences with 'content that connects' as based on data the algorithm knows what your potential customers are interested in and what they find relevant.
Machine learning is a powerful, low-cost and readily available technology. If you want to increase your sales and profitability, as part of your global marketing plan you must consider this technology as well. The objective of content production through machine learning is to automate the whole process of content creation - perform certain actions based on certain criteria in your databases without human intervention.
Other usages of Machine Learning in digital marketing:
Predictive analysis - using machine learning algorithms to predict the future of anything from sales trends to patterns in consumer engagement.
Bots and AI chats on a website - providing set replies to frequently asked questions and directing the conversation to a human agent if the question is too complex.
Dynamic pricing - setting the price of products o services dynamically depending on demand, availability and customer profiles.
Smart advertising on social media.
Disadvantages of using Machine Learning for Digital Marketing
Machine learning is an enormous industry with loads of potential to go, but it does have some disadvantages. One of the most significant is that your competitors will be using it too. Just because you use machine learning for digital marketing doesn’t mean that you get an automatic upper hand on everyone else in the game. On the other side if you try to avoid using machine learning you will get exterminated by your competitors.
Exterminate - Dalek - Doctor Who
Joking aside one of the biggest problems of using machine learning in business is data acquisition. Machine Learning algorithms require massive data sets to train on. In order to get good outputs, the data has to be inclusive/unbiased, and of good quality (garbage in, garbage out).
If you train your algorithms with data that is small and not inclusive you end up with biased predictions coming from a biased data training set.
So it goes without saying that one of the key strategic decisions that digital marketers have to make is how to build high-quality datasets to train their learning algorithms.
Unfortunately, most businesses often have limited or no labelled data in the beginning, a situation that precludes business owners from investing in machine learning technologies to aid their digital marketing efforts.
Machine learning is a powerful tool that's available, cheap, and accessible. If you're looking to really ramp up your marketing game and optimize your results, this technology should be part of your marketing plan.
The future of Machine Learning in Digital Marketing
As machine learning becomes an increasingly essential part of our lives, it will give marketers the ability to perfect every detail of their digital campaigns for increased conversion rates and customer engagement.
Today it seems that everything is powered by machine learning. Whether you are searching for a new pair of shoes on the Internet, scrolling through your Facebook feed, or playing a game on your phone, algorithms are at work.
They know your favourite colour, they know your favourite car, they know your favourite brand and by assessing billions of data points across thousands of dimensions online they know you better than you know yourself. They know your past and based on your past they can predict what you want to buy before you even think about it.
Machine learning is progressing at such a pace that our future won't just be changing, it will be transformed.
Talking about digital customer experience as of the end of 2021, there are over 1.7 billion websites on the internet, which is more than ever before. This means that companies are competing with each other to make their own website stand out. One new way to do this is by using machine learning to analyse data and optimise marketing campaigns based on what they find. It can be very difficult for small businesses to compete with big corporations like Facebook and Google, however machine learning could give them an edge over these large companies in the future.
How to use Machine Learning in Digital Marketing effectively
Machine Learning can help reach desired marketing outcomes by analysing your customer data and recommending the best course of action. It's not just about what you're targeting, but how you're targeting it. The more data you have on customer behaviour, the more easily Machine Learning will be able to provide recommendations.
Machine learning is a powerful and inexpensive resource that can be used to automate many of the more heavy-lifting tasks in the digital marketing world.
The first and most obvious way to use machine learning in digital marketing is to process large amounts of data on a variety of topics for your content marketing activities. This could be anything from natural language processing on tweets, sentiment analysis on posts, or customer service responses.
Machine learning also has some very valuable uses as an early warning system for anomalies such as sudden spikes in traffic or drop-offs in response rates.
Machine learning is not all about big data rollups, however. It can also be leveraged to power ad targeting by figuring out which ads are most likely to convert and serving those ads accordingly (and personalising the copy). As a result, you can target your audience more effectively and generate a higher conversion rate. In other words, machine learning helps you spend your ad budgets more efficiently, which directly translates to more dollars in the bank for your business.
The Tools: A good way to get started with Machine Learning is by taking advantage of readily available tools on the open web. If you're looking for a good starting point, IBM Watson is probably the most popular first option at the moment. While there are a number of machine learning and AI tools available, we’re going to limit our discussion to a few that we think will help you get the most bang for your buck.
10 Most popular Machine Learning Software tools for Business
ChatGPT is a chatbot (a natural language processing tool) developed by OpenAI and launched on November 30, 2022, and is designed to communicate with people using natural language. It is based on the Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3 (GPT-3) architecture, which is a type of deep learning model that is capable of generating text that is indistinguishable from text written by humans. ChatGPT has been trained on vast amounts of text data, which enables it to generate responses in a conversational way to a wide range of prompts (queries). It can understand and respond to questions, engage in natural conversations, and provide information on various topics including writing code like a developer and writing poems like a poet. ChatGPT's abilities are continuously improving as it learns from new data and interactions with users.
DeepSeek - DeepSeek is a Chinese artificial intelligence company that develops open-source large language models (LLMs). They recently (January 2025) gained attention for their DeepSeek-R1 model, which is said to rival OpenAI's ChatGPT and Meta's Llama 3.1, but was developed at a fraction of the cost.
IBM Watson - leading data science and machine learning solution that helps enterprises accelerate AI-powered digital transformation. It allows businesses to scale trustworthy AI and optimise decisions.
RapidMiner - one of the best tools we know for text mining and analytics. It's not only very powerful but also very intuitive and easy to use.
MATLAB - for making large data sets that are easier to analyse, sort and visualise.
Alteryx - probably one of the best data preparation tools that makes it easy to run complex queries seamlessly with an intuitive interface.
Tableau Server - one of the best tools for visualisation of data in multiple formats.
RStudio - good for solving complex client problems by utilising the multi-linear regression models and time-series forecasts available through RStudio.
Google Cloud AI Platform - easy to set up without the need for a lot of customisation and integrates well with Google BigQuery and Google PubSub making it easy to have a ready to use pipeline from data ingestion to analysis.
TensorFlow - an open-source library that's scalable with a vast library of functions for all kinds of tasks - Text, Images, Tabular, Video etc. - and good community support.
Qlik Sense - a great solution for building complex data models and dashboards very quickly.
Azure Machine Learning - a cloud-based service that can be used to automate building machine learning pipelines for classification, regression and forecasting tasks.
How can I apply it to my business?
Machine learning with AI is redefining how businesses are using technology to run their entire operations. This includes marketing teams who are looking for ways in which data can be analyzed in order to improve the effectiveness of marketing strategies.
Machine learning has been around for a while, but it's only recently that it's been integrated into the Internet of Things. This means that it can now analyze each customer's behaviour and make helpful suggestions. For example, it can recommend certain items based on what the customer has purchased in the past. Or you can use machine learning to segment your customers and deliver personalised content, or in other words, you can use it to create a personalized user experience for your customers. You will be able to analyze how different pieces of content perform and what changes you should make to the platform in order to get the best conversion rates possible.
Before investing heavily in machine learning remember that this technology needs a lot of data, so you'll need to be realistic about the amount of time and data you have available. It's also important to collect as much detailed information as possible - for example, if your team is going through customer feedback on social media, make sure they're taking screenshots of the messages and tagging them appropriately.
The best way to get started with machine learning is to use an existing algorithm. For example, you could start with Word2Vec, which only requires a couple of lines of code and is very fast. You don't need to understand the underlying algorithm to get started; rather, you can simply use it as a starting point, or an "off-the-shelf" solution. From there, you can easily build additional functionality on top of it. This is how most AI-based businesses are created in the real world - start by building on an existing solution, and then adapt it to solve your specific problem.
You don't need to understand the underlying algorithm to get started; rather, you can simply use it as a starting point.
Conclusion
In conclusion, machine learning is not just an emerging trend. It's a powerful technology that will become even more important as the world continues to evolve. With so many possibilities for its use, businesses must start incorporating machine learning into their marketing strategies or risk being left behind.
### You deleted how many pages? 130M! And here’s why.
https://youtu.be/SsUhSw-hpsA
Delete your pages and rank higher in search
For years I've been telling SEO that if you are looking for a way to optimise your website from a technical SEO point of view you should consider deleting some of your website pages.
I probably sound crazy to you! But hear me out.
Index Bloat and Crawl Budget
Index bloat and crawl budget are real SEO problems that prevent Google from finding and indexing our most valuable content. When we have an excess of (potentially indexable) pages - most of the time low-quality pages - we are not just wasting our crawl budget but also confusing the search engines on how to treat our pages and opening up avenues outside of our control in which the Googlebot can get easily trapped.
A good example would be poor internal linking, slow load speeds, a vast amount of orphan pages, deindexing of important pages, the list goes on and on. Believe it or not, most of these issues come as a result of having a large number of pages on your website. Believe it or not, most of these problems can be fixed by simply removing the clutter from your website.
Why do I have so many pages on my website?
Duplicate content. Unintentional internal duplicate content is one of the main reasons for having a large number of pages on your website. This is because technical SEO mistakes can generate a large number of URL variations that end up crawled and indexed by Google. For example, very often we see eCommerce websites using faceted navigation that creates billions of useless near-duplicate pages resulting in wasted crawl budget and indexation of low-quality junk pages.Thin content (technical SEO). Unintentional thin content is so easily preventable and yet we see so many websites are struggling with this 'SEO disease'. Let me give you a few examples: the search function on your website will generate thousands and thousands of thin content pages while helping your visitors to find your products. This is normal and desirable internal search behaviour but you shouldn't allow Google to index these pages. Fixing this issue is as easy as adding a Robots.txt disallow or a noindex directive. Another good example would be category pages that contain only one product. Recently I worked on a website that had more than a thousand category pages displaying only one product. How difficult is to canonicalise these 'emtpy' categories to its product page, e.g., if there are less than 2 products, then canonicalise to the displayed product. Job done. Pagination. Recently Google retired the rel=prev/rel=next for paginated pages so now the search giant is looking at every paginated page as a unique page resulting in pagination becoming one of the most common sources of index bloat. Pagination is a complex subject so if you want to learn how to deal with pagination I strongly recommend this article: Pagination for SEO: how to make your eCommerce site easier to crawl and index.
So now that we know how having a large number of pages affects our SEO let's talk about Brighton SEO and David Lewis' talk on optimising Trainline's SEO by deleting 130 million pages.
During this talk at BrightonSEO, David Lewis talks about:
In this talk, David Lewis will tell the story of Trainline’s multi-year crawlability project code-named Black Widow. Watch the video above and listen to the story of why millions and millions of Trainline pages were deleted, the results that followed and what we learnt along the way.
https://www.slideshare.net/DavidLewis93/you-deleted-how-many-pages-130m-and-heres-why-brightonseo-autumn-2021
Who is David Lewis
David Lewis has worked in SEO for 6 years, 3 of those at Trainline where he is the Senior Technical SEO Manager. During the years he has established himself as the in-house specialist on crawl optimisation, JavaScript SEO and landing page performance.
David works across the entire business from SEO and engineering through to growth marketing and platform operations to enable growth and drive performance. David is an advocate of personal development, loves working out in the gym, meditating and travelling the world.
David Lewis at BrightonSEO
About BrightonSEO
BrightonSEO – is a major search marketing event in the UK. One of our favourite events of the year, This is a superb conference for search marketing professionals, novice or expert. BrightonSEO is a chance to learn from some of the best minds in search, and then rub shoulders with them at one of the friendliest, and largest, gatherings of Digital Marketers in Europe.
### The Importance of Data for Business
Importance of data
Data is more than just a trend. Gathering and analyzing data has gone from being a way to improve your business to an absolute necessity for growth and success.
Data is a key part of Digital marketing (social media marketing, paid search, SEO, email, remarketing, display banners, etc...) The more you have, the better it is for your ability to reach out and engage with potential customers or clients.
In this article, we will explore why data is so crucial and how you can get your hands on it in order to make your marketing efforts more successful.
Note: Data v Information
Data is a set of raw facts. Information is data that has been processed and presented so it can be interpreted by humans or in other words information is insights analysed through the collected data.
Data is often composed of raw numbers and facts while information is often presented visually like graphs, charts, tables, or diagrams. Information should be presented in any way that helps people to understand it. Information is useful because it's processed or organized in a way that tells people something specific, something meaningful.
Companies are using data to gain insights into their business and operations, understand customer behaviour, optimise business processes, gain competitive advantage, and more. Data is becoming more valuable for businesses in order to attain a competitive advantage.
The Only Report You Need In Data Studio to Run a Successful Business
How Data Can Help You Stand Out
Data is powerful and there's more of it than ever before. If you want to be successful, you need to leverage this data as part of your marketing strategy. Data can make all the difference in knowing who your customer is and what they want. Companies like Amazon and Netflix use this knowledge to personalize their products and make the shopping or watching experience more relevant for people.
Talking about Amazon, this company gathers information from every single website visitor and every single action they perform on the Amazon websites. Apart from what you buy the company also monitors what you look at, how long you stay on a page, your reviews and even your shipping address so they can try to guess your income level based on where you live.
With a "360-degree view" of you as a human being (employed female between 30 and 45, living in a rented house in London with an income of over £40,000 who enjoys foreign films, for example) Amazon can take a surprisingly good guess at what you want to buy offering you products that people with similar profiles have purchased.
Personalising the customer experience: Driving differentiation in retail
Why Use Data to Make Better Business Decisions?
One of the most important reasons to use data for your business decisions is that it can help make better predictions. For example, if your product's sales are down and there is a change in customer behaviour, you might be able to figure out why and make some changes before it starts negatively impacting your business.
Data analysis can also identify opportunities that you never knew existed. For example, you might have been selling your products too cheaply because the data showed that consumers were willing to pay more for them.
Data in marketing is the new currency. The more data you have, the more precisely you can identify your target market and provide them with what they want when they want it. If you’re not leveraging your data to find out how people interact with your business, you’re doing yourself a huge disservice.
The Importance of Data in Your Marketing Strategy
Data is an incredibly powerful tool that can be inexpensive and accessible. If you want to truly improve your business profitability, you need to consider this technology as part of your overall marketing strategy. A company's data-driven marketing efforts is all about automating the creation of content based on certain criteria in their database without any human intervention.
How Important is it to Measure Data Quality?
Data quality is an often-overlooked metric, but it's just as important as assessing your Return on investment (ROI) or your Click-through rate (CTR). Without data quality, you're not getting the full story of what's happening on your site. If you're not measuring data quality, you can't guarantee that incoming data is answering questions or providing insights.
Data quality meets six dimensions:
accuracy
completeness
consistency
timeliness
validity
uniqueness
Benefits of Building Your Own Customer Database
If you're looking to build an incredibly successful business, then investing in creating your own customer database is the first thing you should do. It allows you to reach out to your customers on a more personal level, build stronger relationships with them and give them every reason to keep coming back
The customer database is essential for any company because it can boost sales, monitor customer behaviour, and generate reports. It is also a good way to maintain information about customers. If you are willing to invest the time and effort into building your own database, you will reap all of the benefits.
Building your own database of customers can provide you with the opportunity to communicate with them more easily. You'll have access to their personal information which can make it easier to find out what they want. You will also be able to automate the features of your business by updating customer info, subscriptions, payments, etc.
How to collect data?
Online Tracking
Interviews, questionnaires and surveys
Social media monitoring
Transactional data tracking
Documents and records
Focus groups
Oral histories
In-Store Traffic Monitoring
Conclusion
There is no way for any institution to survive in today's digital era without the help of data. This is why it is important for all businesses to make sure that they are able to collect, store, and analyse data. Data can be found almost anywhere, but you need to know how to spot it first.
Data is an invaluable resource but most companies that don't understand the importance of data for business are not utilizing it to its full potential. The more data we have, the better decisions we can make and it's time that we start investing heavily in data collection and storage!
https://youtu.be/6tP91-Lzmjc
Connected Data in Digital Marketing
### SEO Quality Assurance: Just How Needed Is It? 1,300 SEOs Respond
https://youtu.be/w_X5926RRM0
SEO Quality Assurance
When it comes to SEO Quality Assurance (QA) is a huge challenge, especially for big organisations. Critical problems can (and they often do) slip past even the most vigilant of us. In-house SEOs also frequently face the issue of well-meaning web developer teams not being completely au fait with SEO and thus inadvertently publishing changes that can destroy SEO.
So what’s a busy, over-stretched SEO to do?
Welcome to the Real-time SEO Auditing with ContentKing
Search engines never stop crawling and analyzing your website’s pages so whenever something goes wrong you need to know and act right away so you can fix the issues before your search engine rankings get tanked.
ContentKing gives you:
Intelligent auditing of your pages regardless of the size of your website. On top of that using beautiful data visualization, ContentKing will help you to quickly discover patterns and to tell compelling stories in your reporting.24/7 SEO monitoring tracking everything that's important and proactively notifying you.Smart alerting technology delivering actionable insights.SEO tracking of all website changes plus the ability to zoom in on any specific page and check its full historic record.Real-time dashboards with an always up-to-date view of everything that’s important.Integration with Slack, Google Analytics, Google Search Console, Google Data Studio and even Adobe Analytics. For the impatient SEO, there is a Chrome Extension allowing you to see metrics, metadata, tracked changes and issues directly in your browser.
SEO mistakes are made. Fix them before they impact your rankings and bottom-line.
Who is Steven van Vessum?
Steven van Vessum s the co-founder and VP of Community at ContentKing. His SEO career began in 2006 and since then, he’s been on every side of the industry from the client-side to the agency side, going all the way to the vendor side.
Steven van Vessum is a VIP Contributor at Search Engine Journal and a regular speaker at BrightonSEO, WebExpo, Digital Olympus, and meetups such as SearchNorwich, ReadingSEO Meetup, and BristolSEO.
P.S. Steven is very good at baking pancakes.
Steven van Vessum at BrightonSEO
During this talk at BrightonSEO, Steven van Vessum talks about:
Lots of SEOs are laser-focused on adding content and polishing their site's technical SEO while spending little time if any on SEO Quality Assurance. In his talk, Steven van Vessum shares the findings from 1,300 contributions to the research study ContentKing conducted, zooming in on how often technical issues are introduced and unwanted changes are made, and how long it takes to fix them.
Learn exactly how widespread, and costly, these issues are.
Here's the slide deck if you'd like to run through it in your own time!
https://www.slideshare.net/Stevenvvessum/seo-quality-assurance-just-how-needed-is-it-1300-seos-rerspond
About BrightonSEO
BrightonSEO – is a major search marketing event in the UK. One of our favourite events of the year, This is a superb conference for search marketing professionals, novice or expert. BrightonSEO is a chance to learn from some of the best minds in search, and then rub shoulders with them at one of the friendliest, and largest, gatherings of Digital Marketers in Europe.
### A Technical Solution To Content Duplication
What is duplicate content?
https://youtu.be/b_MbZZKqaiU
The so-called 'duplicate content' is a very popular term in the field of SEO (search engine optimization) used to describe content that appears on more than one web page on the same or different websites.
It can harm your rankings and many SEOs believe that extensive amounts of it can even lead to a penalty by Google. That’s not true of course as Google has never confirmed such a penalty, but nevertheless having loads of duplicate or copied content can get Google to influence your rankings negatively.
Who is Sophie Brannon?
Sophie Brannon is the Head of SEO at Absolute Digital Media and has been working in the SEO industry for the past 5 years. Her background in Journalism along with her experience in content marketing has enabled her to build results-driven strategies for a wide range of clients while sharing her knowledge as an industry speaker at various SEO conferences and online webinars.
Sophie Brannon at BrightonSEO
During this talk at BrightonSEO, Sophie Brannon talks about:
The impact of content duplication on websites and how this can be avoided and resolved technicallyDuplicate content won’t lead you into a penaltyContent duplication can significantly hurt your search rankingsUp to 29% of the internet is duplicate contentURL variations are one of the common causes of content duplicationHow to fix your content duplication issuesThere are a number of different solutions to consider but understanding the reason the issue exists will help you to find the best solution rather than a blanket fixAre your crawl stats suggesting Google’s wasting a lot of valuable time crawling your pages?
Here's the slide deck if you'd like to run through it in your own time!
https://www.slideshare.net/SophieBrannon/brightonseo-a-technical-solution-to-content-duplication
About BrightonSEO
BrightonSEO – is a major search marketing event in the UK. One of our favourite events of the year, This is a superb conference for search marketing professionals, novice or expert. BrightonSEO is a chance to learn from some of the best minds in search, and then rub shoulders with them at one of the friendliest, and largest, gatherings of Digital Marketers in Europe.
### Entity SEO
https://youtu.be/KP-3oT7LW-c
Understanding Entities For SEO
Search Engine Optimisation, or SEO, is an essential part of digital marketing. Its purpose is to improve a website's visibility and ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs) through various strategies, such as content optimisation, link building, and keyword research. One key factor in SEO is understanding entities, which are the people, places, things, and concepts that search engines use to organise and present information. In this article, we will discuss what entities are, why they matter for SEO, and how to optimise content to improve entity recognition.
What are entities?
Entities are the fundamental building blocks of information on the Internet. They are the things that people search for and the subjects of content. Entities can be anything, from a person's name to a company's address, to a product's brand name. Essentially, entities are anything that has a name, a type, and a unique identifier.
Entities are organised in a knowledge graph, which is a database that contains information about the relationship between different entities. A knowledge graph is similar to a web of information, where each entity is connected to other entities through a network of links.
Why do entities matter for SEO?
Entities matter for SEO because they are how search engines like Google and Bing organise and understand the content on the Internet. Search engines use a complex algorithm to analyse content and identify the entities that are being discussed. Once the entities are recognised, search engines can present the most relevant results to users.
By optimising content for entities, you can improve your website's ranking on search engine result pages. The more search engines understand the content on your website, the more likely it is that your website will appear as a relevant result when people search for related topics. It's as simple as that!
How to optimise content for entities
Now that you understand the importance of entities for SEO let's discuss how to optimise content for them.
Conduct entity research
The first step in optimising content for entities is to conduct research on the entities that are relevant to your industry or niche. The keyword here is 'relevant' (pun intended). This research will help you identify the most important entities and how they are related to each other.
One way to conduct entity research is to use tools such as Google Trends, Google Keyword Planner, and SEMrush. These tools can help you identify the most-searched-for entities in your niche and the keywords that are commonly associated with them.
SEMrush is a very popular SEO tool that can help you find entities relevant to your industry or niche. To find entities with SEMrush, start by selecting the 'Keyword Magic Tool' and entering a relevant keyword related to your industry or niche. Then, click on the 'Related Keywords' tab to view a list of related keywords and entities. You can also use the "Keyword Difficulty" metric to find high-value entities that are easy to rank for. Additionally, SEMrush's 'Topic Research' tool can help you find popular topics and entities related to your keyword, and the 'SEO Content Template' can suggest relevant entities to include in your content.
Use structured data (Schema markup)
Structured data is a way of organising information on your website in a way that is easy for search engines to understand. It involves using a specific markup language to tag entities and their properties.
By using structured data on your website, you can provide search engines with a clear understanding of the entities on your website. This can improve your website's visibility on search engine results pages and help you to rank for relevant keywords.
Note: When search engines acknowledge the significance and interconnections of entities on your website, they can provide enhanced outcomes in the SERPs, also known as rich results or rich snippets.
Use entity-specific keywords
Entity-specific keywords are keywords that are directly related to a specific entity. For example, if you were optimising content for a car dealership, entity-specific keywords would include the names of car models, car brands, and car-related terms.
By using entity-specific keywords in your content, you can help search engines like Google to understand the entities that you are discussing. This can improve your website's visibility on search engine results pages and help you to rank for relevant keywords.
The difference between entities and keywords
The primary difference between entities and keywords is that entities are concepts, people, places, and things, while keywords are specific words or phrases that are used to find information. Keywords are used to help search engines match user queries with relevant content, while entities are used to help search engines understand the context of a piece of content.
While keywords are still an important part of SEO, entities are becoming increasingly important for ranking on search engine result pages. By focusing on entities, you can create more relevant and high-quality content that connects with your target audience and improves your website's visibility on search engine results pages.
Create content that is relevant to entities
When creating content, it is important to keep in mind the entities that are relevant to your industry or niche. By creating content that is relevant to these entities, you can improve your website's relevance and authority on search engine results pages.
For example, if you are a car dealership, creating content that discusses car models, car brands, and car-related topics can help to improve your website's relevance for these entities. This can help you to rank higher on search engine result pages when people search for these entities.
Keep content up-to-date
Entities are constantly changing and evolving, and search engines are always updating their algorithms to keep up. To stay ahead of the curve, it's important to keep your content up-to-date and relevant to the latest entities in your industry or niche.
By regularly updating your content and keeping it relevant to the latest entities, you can improve your website's visibility and authority on search engine results pages.
Conclusion
Entities are a fundamental part of SEO, and understanding them is essential for improving your website's visibility and ranking on search engine results pages. By conducting entity research, using structured data, using entity-specific keywords, creating content that is relevant to entities, building high-quality backlinks, and keeping content up-to-date, you can optimise your website for entities and improve your SEO strategy.
Remember, SEO is an ongoing process, and it takes time and effort to see results. By focusing on entities and following the tips outlined in this article, you can improve your website's visibility and ranking on search engine result pages over time.
Entity-based SEO is a new subject with many possibilities, but reliable techniques have yet to be established.
Who is Dixon Jones?
Dixon Jones is one of the first SEOs (digital marketer) to make a name for himself. Name an SEO award and Dixon Jones has won it.
He has been UK Search Personality of the year (UK Search Awards), Outstanding Technology Individual of the Year (Silicon Canal Awards), he was awarded the first-ever UK Lifetime Achievement Award by the UK Search Awards, he has taken Majestic to Buckingham Palace as a Queens Award winner and even to the International Space Station, where they produced a 3D Printer visualization of the Internet (which returned to earth on SpaceX). He has won it all.
Dixon Jones has also been a keynote speaker at many international and UK conferences and universities, including Pubcon, Brighton SEO, SES & SMX. Last but not least he holds a degree in Maths and Management from Brunel University (where he was also the S.U. President) and an MBA with a specialism in Strategy from Aston University.
Dixon Jones with Natalie Arney and Joanna Beech at BrightonSEO
Why do entities make it feasible to implement a long-term SEO strategy, and how can they be utilised to boost website performance?
During this talk at BrightonSEO, Dixon Jones talks about: what an entity is, why an entity is important, examples of entities, and the difference between a keyword and an entity.
Here's the slide deck if you'd like to run through it in your own time!
https://www.slideshare.net/dixonhjones/entity-seo
Entity SEO
About BrightonSEO
BrightonSEO – is a major search marketing event in the UK. One of our favourite events of the year, This is a superb conference for search marketing professionals, novice or expert. BrightonSEO is a chance to learn from some of the best minds in search, and then rub shoulders with them at one of the friendliest, and largest, gatherings of Digital Marketers in Europe.
### The underrated powers of internal linking
https://youtu.be/NuUlou27WLo
Nearly every talk on internal linking strategies starts with a discussion of how complicated yet how important this part of SEO is. Everybody knows that internal linking is such a simple concept, and everyone should be doing it. But when it comes to the theory, the processes surrounding internal linking, and best practices suddenly the whole thing gets extraordinarily complex.
But regardless of how complex or basic you think it is, no one argues about this: It is super important.
Who is Natalie Arney?
Natalie Arney is a Freelance SEO Consultant, Digital Strategist, trainer and public speaker. Having worked both in house and agency side over the years she now helps businesses of a multitude of different sizes to grow through her SEO consultancy.
Natalie Arney with Dixon Jones and Joanna Beech at BrightonSEO
During this talk at BrightonSEO, Natalie talks about:
What are internal links and why are internal links beneficial for SEO success
Optimal website architecture
How to improve internal linking by solving issues that already exist
Tools & data for doing internal link audits
Finding internal linking opportunities
How to measure the impact of internal link changes
Small changes that make a big difference
Natalie's internal linking tips:
Monitor internal link changes by using site crawls
Make changes as soon as you can
Do not put all of your navigation links in the footer!
Ensure your anchor text isn’t spammy
Use business cases to get client/stakeholder buy-in
Work alongside other teams if needed
Don’t overdo it with on-page links
Use markup to enrich specific internal links (eg breadcrumb)
Keyword research and Google Analytics are invaluable resources that are often neglected with internal linking
When you acquire new links from Digital PR and link building, make sure that the link sources have internal links to relevant pages
Here's the slide deck if you'd like to run through it in your own time!
https://www.slideshare.net/NatalieArney/brightonseo-summer-2021-the-underrated-value-of-internal-links
About BrightonSEO
BrightonSEO is Europe's biggest (and best) search marketing conference and one of my favourite events of the year. This is a superb conference for search marketing professionals, novice or expert. BrightonSEO is a chance to learn from some of the best minds in search, and then rub shoulders with them at one of the friendliest, and largest, gatherings of Digital Marketers in the world.
### Why attend the SEMPRO Conference in Ukraine?
There’s a lot to be said for taking some time off from your day-to-day routine and embracing the change of pace that an SEO conference brings.
In our busy digital marketing world, we often forget the importance of being in a live face-to-face setting with others from the SEO community.
Being active in the SEO community can bring with it many benefits. There is so much power in being connected to other SEOs online who are active in your line of work, however, these live meetings might be just what you need to uncover new ways to grow your SEO knowledge and business.
Let's talk about one of my favourite SEO & Affiliate conferences called SEMPRO conference in Ukraine.
Why attend the SEMPRO conference in Ukraine?
1. To network
One of the main reasons for going to SEO conferences is to meet with like-minded digital marketers and industry peers. SEMPRO brings together people from all over the world with different backgrounds, experiences and especially ideas that you may not have thought of at your workplace.
Andy Wullmer and Nilu Yusupova at the SEMPRO conference
2. To expand your digital marketing knowledge and find solutions to unsolved problems
SEO is always changing. Because search algorithms change almost every day, SEO strategies that worked well a year ago, might not be so great today.
We go to conferences to hear about new techniques, new SEO software, unpublished data, or learn from thought-leaders that have a lot more experience than us.
SEMPRO gives you the opportunity to talk to these digital marketing gurus one-on-one about what they are working on, and you never know they may even give you advice on how to enhance your own work.
"Watching someone you truly admire speaking on stage, absolutely in their element, sharing their experience can only serve to inspire you to take action."
At SEMPRO at the end of every talk, you have the opportunity to ask presenters questions about their work and the rationale behind it, which you can’t do when reading journal articles.
Denis Narizhny at SEMPRO SEO & Affiliate conference
3. To showcase your ideas and work to others
One of the more obvious reasons for attending a conference is to present your work to people from similar, related and/or completely different areas of study. First sharing your work will make you more self-confident and positive about the work that you do. Also, it may give you a new perspective about your work as people may ask questions that make you think about your project differently.
At SEMPRO, you have the opportunity to get feedback on your work from people who have never seen it before and may provide new insight.
With Anna Ishchenko at the SEMPRO Conference Ukraine
4. For people to meet you
This may not be one of your important priorities but attending conferences is also a good way for people to meet you.
Regardless if you are the CEO of a digital agency or in the middle of your gap year, you may meet someone during the lunch break, in the exhibit hall or wherever and within a few minutes, you can link with someone that could dramatically impact your professional career. This is especially important when you are looking for collaborators or jobs ideas.
If fortunate enough to be invited as a speaker at SEMPRO you will get a chance to get your name and your work out there as you begin to establish yourself in your field of study.
If you gained knowledge, pass it on. It is never of any use to oneself.
5. The conference afterparty
After-parties and post-event receptions have become a common extension of many events, as well as an opportunity for brands to make a lasting impression on attendees. And trust me the SEMPRO afterparty is a special one.
In 2019 the main guest of the event “Potap” and his crazy team “Mozgi” brought the house down. Afterparties are about letting loose and having unscripted discussions and relaxing conversations with your peers.
Hint: don’t be shy; entertainment that might seem silly often turns out to be the hit of the night.
Sempro Conference Afterparty
Sempro Conference Afterparty
Sempro Conference Afterparty
Sempro Conference Afterparty
I know that we each have our own reasons for attending an SEO conference but my personal opinion is that attending digital marketing conferences dramatically amplifies both your professional and personal development, as well as providing you with tools and knowledge which you cannot be taught in-house or online.
If you have a desire to network with lots of like-minded people, acquire tons of new leads and discover some of the latest marketing trends, there are few better places to be than a marketing conference.
### Landing page report in Google Analytics 4
Recently Google announced a new version of Analytics called Google Analytics 4 (GA4) which now comes as the default option when we try to set up a new property. GA4 is an entirely new system that is not connected in any way to Universal Analytics and you can look at it as an expansion and rebranding of the App + Web property.
If you ever had a glimpse on GA4, you probably don’t really recognise anything - while this new version of GA is going to bring some great new features and a more mature tracking platform, there’s a learning curve - so in this short article, I'm going to show you how to report on your website's landing pages in Google Analytics 4 (GA4).
Landing pages report in Universal Analytics and Google Analytics 4
If you've been using Google Universal Analytics for a while, then it's easy to find your landing pages in your existing universal analytics property. Let's head to Google Analytics and have a quick look.
Landing Pages - Google Analytics
Looking at a universal analytics property it is really easy to report on landing pages as we just need to:
Click on 'Behaviour'
Then expand 'Site content'
Now click on 'Landing pages'
This lets us report on the first pages our visitors view in each session. It's as simple as that.
But there is nothing like a 'landing pages' report in the new Google Analytics 4 property so how do we know the first pages people view when landing on our website?
Let's have a look at my Demo GA 4 property. As usual, I am using the Google Demo account - a fully functional Google Analytics 4 account that is accessible to anybody who is already using Google Analytics.
If you have previously used the public Google Demo Account, now you also get access to the Google Merchandise Store properties for GA4 within that same account.
Start by selecting 'Engagement'. The engagement reports, let us understand what people are doing on our website by events, pages, and screens. So, let's select 'Pages and screens'.
Pages and screens report Google Analytics 4
We can now see the different pages people are engaging with but we have two problems: the report shows us our pages based on page title by default and it's also showing 'Views', which isn't the same as the landing pages report we looked at previously in our Universal Analytics property.
I guess most of us want to see URLs instead of Page titles so to fix that select 'Page title and screen class' and change this to 'Page path and screen class'.
Page path and screen class - Google Analytics 4
To change the 'Views' column scroll to the right and select 'All events' and 'Event count' and change this to 'session_ start'.
Session_start - Google Analytics 4
Now we are able to see the pages that people view as they start a session on our website - our landing pages.
Event Count - Session_start - Google Analytics 4
To reorder the report so top landing pages are reported first you just need to click on the heading for the column. If you want to know how your website’s traffic arrived at your site you have to change the medium.
View reports in Google Analytics 4 by Medium
Click the 'All users icon' at the top of the page
In the 'Build comparison' box on the thee right select 'User medium' as a dimension.
Select 'organic' as a dimention value. Now hit 'Ok' and 'Apply'.
Medium Google Analytics 4
Voila, we have our landing pages report, we can see the URLs, we can see our top landing pages first and we can also change the medium.
But we still have a slight problem. Every time we open our Analytics we have to repeat the steps above and in our Universal Analytics, this report was permanent. Plus I really don't like the scrolling left and right.
It's time to create our own landing pages report in Google Analytics 4.
Landing pages report in Google Analytics 4
In the previous version of Google Analytics, we had the option to create custom reports under the "Customisation' menu option. In GA4 the custom report is replaced by the 'Exploration report' representing the data in a dynamic table layout.
Custom Reports Google Analytics 4
To start building a 'custom report' in GA4 navigate to the 'Analysis' drop-down menu and then click 'Analysis hub'. You will see various analysis templates so start by selecting the option to create an exploration report.
Exploration Google Analytics 4
I hope you recognise most of the elements you see there so start by clicking the plus sign next to 'Dimensions' and enable the 'Page path + query string' dimension. Then replace the existing (Town/City) row with the 'Page path + query string' dimension.
Dimensions Google Analytics 4
Now, let's remove the device category from ‘Columns’ and add the 'Session' metric (the session_start event is triggered). Click the plus sign next to metrics, find and enable the 'Sessions metric' and add it to your report.
Sessions Google Analytics 4
(Is it me or this feels so much like Google Data Studio?)
You can now see your top landing pages and of course, if you like, you could customise this report further by including additional metrics like new users, engagement rate, conversions and so on.
Landing page report in Google Analytics 4
To reorder the report so top landing pages are reported first you just need to click on the heading for the column.
Don't forget to give this report a recognisable name - in this case 'Landing pages' - and you are good to go. From now on every time you click on the 'Analysis hub' you will see your Landing Pages report.
Analysis Hub Google Analytics 4
So that's how you can report on the landing pages for your website in GA4. Remember, you have the option of modifying the standard pages report or you can create your own landing pages report in the analysis hub.
Note: You will find that some of the metrics in your Google Analytics 4 property are different when comparing your Universal Analytics property. This is because of the different data models used between GA4 properties and Universal Analytics.
Previously Google Analytics was focusing on tracking pageviews whether the new model is trying to create a single tracking system that works across all platforms (web and mobile) and to do that GA4 relies on even-based tracking. Without going into details this means that Google Analytics 4 is getting all the data as an event, which is much more versatile than a pageview.
Have you checked how your landing pages are performing in Google Analytics 4? I'd love to know. Let me know in the comments below.
Data is everything. If you can't measure what happened in the past, your future will always be foggy.
### The Sunday Talk - Kindness
https://youtu.be/i4XjngwVXO0
Monday morning thoughts
Monday morning. It's four o'clock. And I can believe that I agreed to do this interview so early in the morning. I also can't believe that I am on actually let me doublecheck. Yes, I've done 80 miles this month. Twenty more to go. We will beat cancer together. Cheers.
Personal Branding
Is personal branding important in SEO and in general?Yes, of course.
When you consistently tell your story and share your personality online you will notice that more and more people are actively engaging, following, and sharing your content.
The more personality you can add to your business, the easier it will get to find your tribe.
Over time you will build this community of like-minded people who value your skills and sees you as an expert in your industry.
I don't know if you know David Amerland. Yes, he is half Australian. He talks al lot about the importance of finding your tribe and building trust with people that may've never seen you in real life.And also let's be honest: if I didn't promote myself online you would've never invited me to this interview.
By the way, you will notice over time that people will either love you or hate you, and that's okay! That's okay!
You wouldn't want someone who finds, who thinks that you have a rubbish personality or someone who constantly disagrees with you to be a part of your tribe.
The end goal of the 'personal brand exercise' is to find and build trust with people who matter!
Let go of the toxic people in your life before they destroy you
So for the people who know me, I have finally managed to clean my garage and turn it into a more useful space. By the way, this is asbestos and it's toxic. I have ordered new roof panels and despite being afraid of heights for the first time in my life I will perform a roof surgery.
Let go of the toxic people in your life before they destroy you
Talking about toxic let me tell you something. Sometimes in life in order to move forward, you have to let go of the toxic people that are holding you back. Letting go doesn't mean giving up but rather accepting that there are things in life that simply cannot be.
Sometimes in life in order to move forward, you have to let go of the toxic people that are holding you back.
Give, but give until it hurts.
"Give, but give until it hurts."― Mother Teresa
If I have to be honest I've got pain in every single muscle and joint in my body. Normally I do between 20 and 30 miles if that a month but this month I am going all the way to 100 miles.
A lot of my friends and family members are telling me 'Omi, you promised to raise £150. You've raised £300. You look tired, your knee is swollen. Maybe it's time to stop.
But then I am thinking people living with cancer don't have a day off. They don't. People living with cancer can't say today 'I can't be bothered'. So I will run 100 miles in this August and together we will beat cancer.
People living with cancer don't have a day off.
Everything seems impossible until it’s done
90 miles done. 10 miles to go. And it's true that at first everything seems impossible until it's done. And it's also true that if you truly believe in something one way or another you will find your way to the finish line. We will beat cancer together.
If you truly believe in something one way or another you will find your way to the finish line
SEO is part of Digital Marketing
Yes, I agree with you: many people don't understand SEO and as a result, many businesses fail to get it right. And one of the main reasons for that is the way we talk about SEO. We call it 'free organic traffic' but there is nothing free about SEO. You have to pay the SEO agency, you have to pay the developers, you have to pay the content writers.
There's nothing free when it comes to SEO apart from the fact that it brings free traffic from Google. And this is why small businesses are like 'wait a minute' - this is why small businesses are hiring cheap SEO agencies because they're like 'wait a minute why would I pay a lot of money for free traffic?' You understand the confusion, right? Why would I pay a lot of money for free traffic?
And very often when I go to a small client they are like 'Omi, can you SEO our website?' And they think that I'll go to the SERPS and I will do some voodoo black magic and they gonna get to #1 for every single keyword.
And the main reason people think like that is because they don't understand or they don't know that SEO is part of Digital Marketing. SEO is not a separate entity.
SEO is part of Digital Marketing. SEO is not a separate entity.
But you go to a conference and they call it 'SEO and digital marketing conference' or 'SEO and Digital Marketing webinar'.So people think 'okay, SEO and Digital Marketing must be 2 separate entities'.
So I'll go to a client - again going back to the small business, right - and I'll be like 'Okay I'm going to need some developers to change the structure of your website I'm going to need some content writers to write new content or to improve your current, existing content'. And they gonna be like 'wait a minute I hired an SEO, now, and I'm going to spend money on him or her or agency. I hired an SEO specialist. I'm gonna spend some money on this person. And now he's asking me to spend more money hiring more people.
But SEO is part of digital marketing. do my job without development, right. I can't do my job without content creation. I can't do my job without PR. Even social. Right?
The shortest description now for SEO is 'the practice of bringing 'targeted audience' to your website. And the keyword here is 'targeted', right.
SEO is not rocket science, you just need to use your head.
Cause you gonna spend money on SEO. By SEO I mean the agency. You gonna spend money on development. You gonna spend money on content creation. So SEO must bring something to the table. SEO must bring revenue to the table.
It's as simple as that.
SEO must bring revenue to the table.
Running 100 Miles in August for charity
100 miles run
It's Saturday morning and the big day has arrived. Today I will complete my 100 miles journey for teenagers with cancer. Oh my God, I am so sleepy and tired. Of course, I will be celebrating this achievement. You know me I am not a heavy drinker so I bought a few bottles or to be more precise 4 bottles of Glenfiddich, champagne, wine, gin, Martini, Malibu and Swedish cider. But if you really, really, really wanna be in a good mood I would strongly recommend Bulgarian Rakia. Trust me after one glass you will be spitting fire.
Yeah, I am in a good mood. But it's time to get ready for my final 5 miles.
Run 100 Mile in August challenge
### The Only Report You Need In Google Looker Studio (formerly Data Studio) to Run a Successful Business
I’ve been doing SEO (Digital Marketing) for clients for over 5 years and, without question, the most successful of them rely on data to help them run their online businesses. And I've noticed that people are always surprised when I tell hem what's the most useful Digital Marketing report.
It’s not the usual monthly ranking or visits report at the end of the month. For business owners, these reports are generally useless. They’re prepared months after the fact. What they give you is a snapshot from a historical period that is usually long past. And they don't have much connection to the real world for most business owners.
These reports are good for SEOs - they can look into the data and predict future trends. But monthly reports are not very useful to proactive business owners. Instead, they rely on another report. A daily report called The Flash.
The Flash Report
The best format for a business report is one that makes the data simple to grasp in a quick scan of the document, supports facts and claims with good reference notes and is presented in a simple, easy-to-understand format.
The Flash Report (personally I call this report 'Live Performance Report') is also a snapshot. Except it’s a daily snapshot. The Flash report is one page that contains all the critical information that a business owner needs to run his or her company. What kind of information you may ask? Well, that depends on your business.
Despite being only a one-pager the core numbers are always included in this report: new users, sessions, Facebook likes, Google Ads performance, revenue. Then there are the numbers that are specific for your business: red shoes sold to date, offline sales, support calls answered to name a few.
Knowing Your Numbers
You should always know your numbers. It's just as important to know your numbers in business as it was when you were in elementary school. And let me be clear with you: these are the numbers you need to know every morning so you know what's happening with your business. And if you can’t tell me what these numbers are right now, then consider this article a wake-up call.
Don't tell me that you know your business if you don't know your numbers!
Now Let's talk about the actual report. The Flash report should be simple. No graphs or charts. No complex systems. Most of my clients have expensive "business intelligence" or 'digital marketing' software and their digital marketers and accountants can deliver very detailed reports. But as a business owner, you need a summary in an easily digestible format. On a daily basis. And this is exactly what the Flash report does.
Where To Start
The first thing I want you to think about is your benchmarks. How do you know if your revenue is good unless you compare it to what you had the same time last year? How do you know your website visits are good or bad if you don't know what last year’s year-to-date visits were? I hope it's clear.
The only report you need in Google Looker Studio (formerly Data Studio)
So now that we know what The Flash report is let me show you my favourite SEO Flash report in my favourite visualisation tool Google Looker Studio (formerly Data Studio). I sincerely hope that you gonna take my Live Performance Looker Studio Dashboard (and use it as a template) and add the information that's important to your business.
To make this report relevant to all my Digital Marketing peers I've included all channels - Organic Search, Social, Display, Paid Search etc. - but by all means, add your offline channels if you have brick and mortar stores.
Know your numbers
### Calculated fields in Google Looker Studio (Data Studio)
What are Calculated fields in Google Looker Studio?
Calculated fields in Google Looker Studio are custom formulas that you can create using mathematical or logical operators, functions, and fields from your data source. These fields enable you to convert your data into a more useful format and perform intricate calculations that might not be achievable with your raw data.
Calculated fields are fashioned within the Data Source Editor and can be employed in any report that uses that data source. They can also be shared with other team members who possess access to the same data source. Calculated fields are a potent tool for creating custom metrics, aggregations, and dimensions, which can assist you in gaining profound insights into your data.
Why use calculated fields in google data studio?
Calculated fields can help you do the following operations with your data:
Basic arithmetic operations: addition, subtraction, division and multiplication.
Data Modification: Use a text function like TRIM to remove leading and trailing spaces or a function like UPPER to standardise text. The most common inconsistency is usually the use of different case, e.g. “email”, “Email”, and “EMAIL”. This is easily fixed by creating a new dimension, e.g. Medium (Lower) and then applying the formula Medium (Lower).
Mathematical calculations on your data: Use functions like MAX - MAX() - to return the maximum value from a set of numbers or SUM to return the sum of all values in a set of numbers. Another good example of an aggregating function will be the STDDEV function that returns the standard deviation for data that represents a sample.
Logical operation: use the CASE statement to crate custom groups using conditional logic. Since I originally wrote this article in 2020, Google has introduced the IF function. Now, users can test if a condition is true and return one value if true and another if false.
Here’s an overview of what we’ll cover:
How to create calculated fields in Google Looker Studio (Data Studio)?
When your data doesn’t give you enough information, it’s time to create a calculated field.
Navigate to 'Resources" and then click on 'Manage added data sources".
Select the Data source you’re using for your report. In this example, as I am using the Google Analytics sample dataset the Data Source is called 'Master View' so I click 'Edit'.
Under 'Actions' click 'Edit' (if you have more than one Data source you have to edit them separately).
Click "ADD A FIELD' and insert your formula in the provided window. Google will also give you a random Field ID but don't worry too much about it as the actual ID number is not important. If there is an error in the calculated field formula, Data Studio will show you a warning message, and you won't be able to save the field.
Manage Added Data Sources in Looker Studio
Note: Always name your custom fields with something descriptive so that you know which is which in your reports.
Top 10 Most Useful Calculated Fields and Functions in Looker Studio (Data Studio)
Now that we know what Calculated Fileds are in Google Looker Studio (Data Studio) and how to create one let's talk about some of the most common use cases.
Find all the examples by clicking on the picture below or the link beneath it. Copy the free Dashboard that I've built and utilise its various sections for your projects.
Calculated Fields in Google Looker Studio Dashboard
REGEXP_MATCH Function in Google Looker Studio
I find the REGEXP_MATCH Function to be very practical when aggregating data based on existing dimensions, including custom groupings of pages, geographic regions, or traffic sources.
Let’s say you are part of a sales team for an international company and you are in charge of Europe. And then imagine that the sales territories of your company are organised by West Europe and Eastern Europe.
Country Sessions in Google Looker Studio
Using the REGEXP_MATCH Function you can create a new dimension - let's call it 'Europe Sales Territories' that will help you to group the countries into West Europe and Eastern Europe.
CASE
WHEN REGEXP_MATCH(Country, "Germany|United Kingdom|Switzerland|Spain|France|Ireland|Italy|Sweden|Portugal|Denmark|Austria|Norway|Finland|Malta|Iceland|Luxembourg|Jersey|San Marino|Guernsey|Andorra|Liechtenstein|Faroe Islands|Gibraltar|Monaco|Åland Islands") THEN "West"
WHEN REGEXP_MATCH(Country, "Ukraine|Bulgaria|Greece|Romania|Belarus|Sweden|Slovakia|Croatia|Serbia|Russia|Poland|Czechia|Estonia|Latvia|North Macedonia|Moldova|Albania|Kosovo|Montenegro") THEN "Eastern Europe"
ELSE "Other"
END
By utilising the formula above, you will be able to observe the performance of these two parts of Europe in comparison to each other.
REGEXP_MATCH Function in Looker Studio
CONCAT function in Google Data Studio
The CONCAT function allows you to join various strings from your data together so you can end up with a more compact and more informative 'new' dimension. You can add as many dimensions as you want but make sure that the 'new' dimension is useful to you.
A good example of using the CONCAT function would be when you have multiple domains or sub-domains within your website and you want to see the full URL of the page in your Google Looker Studio Dashboards.
I will call this new dimension "Combined Dimensions 1" and the formula is:
CONCAT(Hostname, Page path)
And the result is:
CONCAT function in Google Looker Studio
Another good usage of the CONCAT function would be to build a new segment separating our visitors into segments based on their city and how the channels they used to find our pages.
I will call this new dimension "Combined Dimensions 2" and the formula is:
CONCAT(Town/City," (",Country,")"," - ",Session default channel grouping)
And the result is:
CONCAT function in Looker Studio (Default Channel Grouping)
REGEXP_REPLACE function in Google Looker Studio
The REGEXP_REPLACE function is often used when we want to strip the parameters of a landing page and only want to see the traffic to that page.
In the example below I used the following formula to strip everything after the '?".
REGEXP_REPLACE(Page path + query string, "(\\?).*", "")
I named the calculated field 'Removing Query Parameters".
And the result is:
REGEXP_REPLACE function in Google Looker Studio
As you can see in the second table by using the REGEXP_REPLACE function I can combine the traffic to the landing page (I removed the dimension "Page path + query string").
REGEXP_REPLACE function calculated fields
Note: To learn the basics of Regex go to this website https://regexone.com/.
Using the REGEXP_REPLACE function to consolidate values
Another good use of the REGEXP_REPLACE function would be consolidating a value when there is fragmented data due to inconsistent naming conventions.
Session source Looker Studio
In the following example, I used the formula below to consolidate all Facebook referral sources.
REGEXP_REPLACE(Session source, '(?i)((l|m|lm|business)\\.)?facebook\\.com', 'facebook')
In the same manner as the previous example, using only our 'new' dimension provides a 'clean' view in the second table of all visitors coming to our website with Facebook as the source.
REGEXP_REPLACE function in Google Looker Studio
CASE Function in Google Looker Studio
Last but not least is my favourite way of creating 'custom fields' in Google Looker Studio: Case Statements.
Before giving you some examples let's talk a little bit about the rules and limitations of using the Case Statements in Looker Studio.
The syntax of the CASE statement is pretty simple:
CASE
WHEN condition THEN result
WHEN condition THEN result
ELSE result
END
Rules and limitations of the CASE statement in Data Studio
You can only add CASE statements to your Data Studio if you are able to modify the data source on which it will be added.
When using Data Studio in different languages you may have to adapt some of the fields, e.g. COUNTRY will be PAYS in French.
You can't compare dimensions to dimensions or metrics to metrics. You can compare a dimension or metric only with a literal value.
calculated fields can't mix metrics (aggregated values) and dimensions (non-aggregated values)
Now that we know what the CASE Statement is and it's limitations let me show you some of my favourites CASE use cases (pun intended).
Annotations in Google Looker Studio using the CASE statement
If you ever wanted to annotate your charts so you can explain shifts (important events) in your data as of today the only way to do that in Google Looker Studio is to use the CASE function.
Start by creating a calculated field and naming it after the event you want to annotate. In my example, I named the event 'New Product Launch' (I was born on 12th April, so the name makes a lot of sense, lol).Use the following formula:
CASE
WHEN Date=DATE "2023-04-12" then 1
else 0
END
In simple words what we are doing here is specifying the date we want to annotate and giving it a value of 1. After creating the new metric go to the list of fields in your data and make sure the aggregation type is set to 'Sum'.
Looker Studio Aggregation Type
Finally before using the new metric go to the 'LAYOUT' setting and set the Series #2 data to display on the right axis, and display as a bar.
CASE Function - Annotations in Google Looker Studio
If you want to add more than one annotation simply duplicate this metric, adjust the dates and give it a new name.
Annotations in Google Looker Studio
Custom Content Grouping in Looker Studio
Custom content grouping allows you to allocate a set of pages to a logical grouping and then report on them as a collective. For example, all pages where the path contains /shop can be grouped as Shop and all pages that contain /article can be grouped as Articles.
Segmenting your URLs by type will allow you to:
group landing pages together by subfolder or URL, e.g. Product Pages, Category Pages, Blog Pages, etc.
Clearly see which segments are performing the best or the worst.
Display clicks, impressions and CTR by segment so you can make accurate segment over segment comparison.
Custom content grouping is very useful when assigning custom content segments to historical data (after website migration, category renaming etc.) as you can assign any past and current category to a custom segment, e.g. you can assign both old /red-shoes/ and new /leather-red-shoes/ categories to the same segment 'Leather Red Shoes'.
CASE
WHEN REGEXP_MATCH(Landing Page, "/red-shoes/") then "Leather Red Shoes"
WHEN REGEXP_MATCH(Landing Page, “.*/leather-red-shoes/.*”) then "Leather Red Shoes"
ELSE "Other"
End
In my dashboard, I used the following formula to apply custom content segmentation the Google Shop URLs.
CASE
When REGEXP_MATCH(Page path, ".*/.*Apparel.*|") then "Apparel"
When REGEXP_MATCH(Page path, ".*/.*Lifestyle.*|") then "Lifestyle"
When REGEXP_MATCH(Page path, ".*/.*Drinkware.*|") then "Drinkware"
When REGEXP_MATCH(Page path, ".*/.*Brand.*|") then "Brand"
When REGEXP_MATCH(Page path, ".*/.*Home.*") then "Home"
else "Others"
End
Using the formula above you can go from this
Page path Looker Studio
to that:
Custom Content Grouping in Google Looker Studio
Note:
.* is used in the REGEX to include everything before and after
| means "or" and is used to include more words to take into account
Revenue Targets using the Case Statement in Looker Studio
As you can see from the previous example knowing the revenue by category is a good thing but what if I wanted to know whether I am meeting my revenue targets or not. Or in other words, how to report against targets in Google Looker Studio.
From what we've already learnt about the CASE Function in Google Looker Studio completing this task is actually very easy. All we have to do is assign a value (expected revenue targets) to a previously made custom segment - in our case Apparel, Lifestyle, Brand etc. - using the following formula:
CASE
When REGEXP_MATCH(Page path + query string, ".*/.*Apparel.*|") then "Apparel"
When REGEXP_MATCH(Page path + query string, ".*/.*Lifestyle.*|") then "Lifestyle"
When REGEXP_MATCH(Page path + query string, ".*/.*Drinkware.*|") then "Drinkware"
When REGEXP_MATCH(Page path + query string, ".*/.*Brand.*|") then "Brand"
When REGEXP_MATCH(Page path + query string, ".*/.*Home.*") then "Home"
else "Others"
End
After creating our new field using a CASE statement, the default Type will be "Text". We need to change this to Currency.
Default Aggregation Google Looker Studio
We also have to change the ‘Default Aggregation’ to "Sum".
Using the newly created field in our Google Looker Studio reports will give us the following table.
CASE Function - Revenue Targets in Looker Studio
To make things a bit more visual I also applied Conditional Formatting to the table in order to highlight which categories achieved their targets, and which did not.
In the "STYLE' tab of this table under "Conditional formatting' I added two rules.
Conditional Formatting Rules in Google Looker Studio
The first rule sets any value in the 'Revenue' column greater than its corresponding value in the 'Revenue Targets' column as Green.
The second rule sets any value in the 'Revenue' column lower than its corresponding value in the 'Revenue Targets' column as Red.
Conditional format rules in Looker Studio
Now we can clearly see how our categories are performing against our revenue projection.
Monthly Revenue Targets using the Case Statement
When it comes to reporting, context matters.
I don't know about you but I normally do my reporting on a monthly basis. So applying the same logic I can assign revenue targets to every month and then compare them to the actual monthly revenue.
Or in simple words, we want to write a CASE statement that says when the month = x the target = y.
CASE
WHEN MONTH(Date) IN (1) THEN "2000"
WHEN MONTH(Date) IN (2) THEN "900"
WHEN MONTH(Date) IN (3) THEN "3000"
WHEN MONTH(Date) IN (4) THEN "1000"
WHEN MONTH(Date) IN (5) THEN "4500"
WHEN MONTH(Date) IN (6) THEN "4000"
WHEN MONTH(Date) IN (7) THEN "2700"
WHEN MONTH(Date) IN (8) THEN "800"
WHEN MONTH(Date) IN (9) THEN "1900"
WHEN MONTH(Date) IN (10) THEN "3400"
WHEN MONTH(Date) IN (11) THEN "3800"
WHEN MONTH(Date) IN (12) THEN "4200"
END
Again I've applied Conditional Formatting so my stakeholders can spot 'good' and 'bad' moths at first glance.
Monthly Revenue Targets using the Case Statement in Data Studio
Bonus Tip:
Practice makes perfect! Experiment with different CASE scenarios to solidify your understanding and unlock its full potential.
IF function in Google Looker Studio
What is the IF function?
Think of the IF function as a decision-maker. It evaluates a condition and based on the outcome which can be true or false, returns one of two values.
The basic syntax of the IF function in Looker Studio is as follows:
IF(condition, value_if_true, value_if_false)
condition: The logical expression that evaluates to true or false.
value_if_true: The result or value to return if the condition is true.
value_if_false: The result or value to return if the condition is false.
Why use the IF function in Google Looker Studio?
The IF function shines when you need to:
Segment your data: Sort customers into tiers based on spending, categorise website visitors by their source, or group products by popularity.
Apply custom logic: Calculate discounts based on specific criteria, highlight outliers in your data, or create dynamic labels based on values.
Simplify complex calculations: Break down intricate logic into smaller, easier-to-understand IF statements.
Simple IF statement
Let's consider a scenario where we have a sales dataset, and we want to categorise sales coming from different cities as 'Gold' if the amount is greater than $300, and 'Silver' otherwise.
IF (E-commerce purchases > 300, "Gold", "Silver")
In this example, the IF function assigns 'Gold' tier to cities with sales exceeding $300, and 'Silver' to cities with less than $300.
IF function in Google Looker Studio
Notice that I used the 'Combined Dimension 2' that we created earlier using the CONCAT function.
Nested IF Statements
The example above is very powerful but for more complex conditions we have to use nested IF statements. Suppose we want to categorise sales as 'Platinum', 'Gold' or 'Silver based on different threshold values then we have to nest IF statements within each other.
IF(E-commerce purchases > 300, 'Platinum', IF(E-commerce purchases > 200, 'Gold', 'Silver'))
The formula above will separate our cities into Platinum, Gold or Silver.
Nested IF function in Looker Studio
Another good example would be to use the IF function to analyse your traffic based on source.
IF (REGEXP_CONTAINS(Session source, "google|bing|yahoo|baidu|yandex"),
"Organic",
IF (REGEXP_CONTAINS(Session source, "youtube|linkedin.com|facebook|reddit|instagram|pinterest|tiktok"),
"Social Media",
IF (REGEXP_CONTAINS(Session source, "(adclick)"),
"Paid Search",
IF (REGEXP_CONTAINS(Session source, "(direct)"),
"Direct",
IF (REGEXP_CONTAINS(Session source, "(not set)"),
"Not Set",
IF (REGEXP_CONTAINS(Session source, "Newsletter|newsletter"),
"Email marketing",
"Referrals"))))))
Using the formula above you can go from this
Nested IF function - Traffic Source Analysis
to this
Nested IF function - Traffic Source Analysis
Remember:
Adapt these examples to your specific data and needs.
Use clear and concise variable names for better readability.
Test your calculations thoroughly to ensure accurate results.
Consider alternative functions like CASE or SWITCH for cleaner nested logic.
I hope these examples help you unlock the power of nested IFs in Google Looker Studio!
Add-on 18.02.2002
Operators
Arithmetic operators
Addition: +Subtraction: -Division: /Multiplication: *
Comparison operators
Addition: +Subtraction: -Division: /Multiplication: *
Phew.If you’re still with me, congratulations. I know the above steps weren’t easy. But if you followed my advice - and hopefully recreated all the tables above - you just made it very easy to create visual reports from your data for months and years to come.
The difficult part isn’t collecting data. The difficult part is finding insights in all those numbers.
### The future is ours. This is not the new normal.
Will we ever be able to forget this craziness around us? Like a scar, over time we’ll learn to accept it, treasure it and who knows maybe even celebrate it as every experience is an opportunity to learn and grow.
But
This is not the new normal. It’s a short-term period of time (struggle, and unhappiness) that will come to an end. We will end it together.
We can do it together.
Like so many times before if we continue to stick together, we will come through this crisis, too. If there is one thing we humans have definitely proved, throughout our history, it's that we have an endless capacity to adapt, innovate, and invent.
When you think about it
With or without Coronavirus the world was going in direction 'everything digital and everything online'.With or without this virus more and more people will be working from home in the future.With or without this awful disease a spike in labour-replacing automation and AI is inevitable.With or without this crisis the world is embracing global solidarity…
Well, you may say that COVID-19 sped up the process a little bit but the process was already in motion anyway.
Fear
The media (and some attention-seeking influencers online) is telling you "Be scared. Be very, very scared. Coronavirus will change our lives forever'. For the worst. Not for the better.
As usual, the media wants you to stay scared. But you don't have to give in. You don't have to let it control you.
And again
With or without Coronavirus, the media has always wanted to control your life. Nothing new here.With or without Coronavirus your government will always try to restrict your freedom. Nothing new here too.
So
Students will go back to their schools at the earliest possible moment: Most of them want to go. Their parents mostly want it even more strongly.We will use planes to explore the globe and spend time with people in places far from our homes: There is no substitute for travelling and exploring the world.We will go back to doing business with people in face-to-face meetings: Building personal relationships is essential to effective collaboration. Especially at the beginning of a project.
The past can’t be changed, but the future can.
Sometimes, a small emotional scar will remain, while other wounds will disappear completely.
The past can’t be changed - we know that - but the future can, and it’s in our hands to live the future in a different way, without being controlled by those negative memories.
### Developing an SEO friendly CMS from the Ground Up
https://youtu.be/NBc4ZXuW-04
Choosing the right CMS for your business is not an easy job. Furthermore choosing (and implementing) the right CMS is only the beginning of an SEO and business journey that can pay dividends – or cost you a lot – down the road.
3 tips on Choosing the Right CMS
Avoid heavy developer reliance. I wanna make it absolutely clear: your development speed should not dictate your business moves as from my experience this is always a recipe for disaster. Yout team should not spend time on managing the technology but rather the technology should enable your team to focus on implementing campaigns and strategies that increase web traffic and bring revenue. Make sure your CMS is scalable enough to grow with your business. Your new CMS should be able to grow with you and support the functionality you see your business using in the future. Your CMS is a long-term investment, right? So start making a list of all the features your website will need today, then all the features your website may need in the future, then work on prioritizing them. Create a bucket for must-haves, should-haves, could-haves and would-haves. Then work with your digital marketing team to define what features or requirements you are comfortable launching today, and which will need to be incorporated into the near future. With the right understanding of where your company is today and where it’s headed, you’ll be in a better position to make the right CMS choice.Personalization and analytics. The future of SEO and Digital Marketing lies in building personalised, relevant experiences for your clients, no matter how and when they choose to interact with you. To do this, you gonna need a CMS that can collect and process interaction data in real-time, and help your digital marketers interpret that data to truly understand where your website visitors are in their buying journey. With that information, you can then show them content that’s personalized to their situation.
Bonus tip
Visualize and organize your website correctly
One of the first things you should do when you are implementing a new CMS is to bring all of your stakeholders into the same room and gather their input. This cross-functional collaboration will enable a shared view of the customer with all stakeholders and create opportunities for efficiencies, improved workflows and even cost reductions.
Who is Fabrizio Ballarini?
Fabrizio Ballarini is the Organic Growth and SEO lead at TransferWise, a British online money transfer service.
Image by Aleyda Solis
Fabrizio's mission at TransferWise is to acquire customers online at minimal cost by building products, platforms and content that educate and solve customer problems.
Slideshare
https://www.slideshare.net/FabrizioBallarini/developing-a-seo-friendly-cms-from-the-ground-up-digital-elite-day-19
What is the Digital Elite Day?
Digital Elite Day is a one day of intensive SEO and CRO sessions designed to boost your knowledge, grow your network and scale up your skills for tomorrow.
Digital Elite Day joins together Search Elite and Conversion Elite. Two powerful tracks, one elite conference.
### SEO Tactics to Implement Tonight
https://youtu.be/GxjcgEfrH1M
Want more traffic from Google?
Then you’re in the right place.
Because in this talk at the Benchmark Search & Digital Conference, Lukasz Zelezny will show you how small and simple SEO changes can improve your traffic (and revenue) in no time.
Most people believe that SEO is hard and complicated but this is not true. Basic SEO configurations are very easy to implement and sometimes this is all you need to do to for maximum exposure on all major search engines.
It can be easy to get caught up in the latest SEO trends – mobile first, optimizing for voice search, using structured data – but you can’t take your eye off the ball.
In this talk, Lukasz will remind you of some of the important SEO basics that anyone can apply to help their site rank better in the search engine results (SERPs), many of which I bet you skip.
Key takeaways
Calculating traffic potential using tools such as SEMrush is a great way to elevate your SEO. To get quicker traffic gains, start targeting keywords that already rank ("low hanging fruit").By tracking brand mentions you easily gain valuable backlinks. Answer boxes can be a great way to get new, relevant traffic.There are a lot of Wordpress SEO plugins that can save time and massively increase your presence in the SERPs.Cloud hosting can elevate your website performance to another level.
Who is Lukasz Zelezny?
Lukasz Zelezny is an independent SEO Consultant and one of the Top 10 UK Social Media influencers.
Lukasz is a former director of organic performance at uSwitch/Zoopla.
who started his digital marketing career in 2005 and has since been responsible for the organic performance of a number of companies including HomeAway, Thomson Reuters, The Digital Property Group and Fleetway Travel.
With Lukasz Zelezny and François Goube at the Benchmark Search & Digital Conference
Lukasz is a frequent speaker at the Benchmark Search & Digital Conference and other top online marketing events like ClickZ Shanghai China, ClickZ Jakarta Indonesia, SiMGA Malta, SES London as well as Marketing Festival in Brno, BrightonSEO and UnGagged in London.
To get in touch with Lukasz visit https://zelezny.uk/ or https://seo.london/
https://www.slideshare.net/clickconsult/seo-tactics-to-implement-tonight-benchmark-search-digital-conference-2019
Video Transcript: SEO Tactics to Implement Tonight
Little correction former head of SEO.
Not anymore. Right now I'm sitting in my little bedroom in Dagenham. Not nice area but I'm just doing SEO for my bedroom and today I have a pleasure and honour to be in front of you for fifth time in Manchester.
And I wanted to share with you some tactics that you can take home and implement tonight or tomorrow or afternoon into your business, into your agency into the strategy of your clients you're working with. So, because I didn't know that I have 20 minutes, and I provide 77 slides, so get ready.
So the first tactic I'm using is a snapshot. Snapshot is like one of my pillar when I'm doing an audit for a customer and what snapshot is in a nutshell, it is like I'm trying to identify as much of the keywords that already are ranking and corresponding URLs and how can I push these things up.
So everyone knows Search Console, some of you may know also Data Studio. And I'm not using Search Console anymore natively. I'm always connecting search console to Data Studio. Why? Because through API I have much much deeper view much more data. And here is an example I'm just connecting my little websites Zelezny.uk through search console and Data Studio. Then obviously I need to give permission Data Studio is asking Search Console if I'm all right. Absolutely. And I can start juggling with lots of lots of data. If you will go after this presentation or at night to Search Console, you will frequently see that the maximum rows you can export from search console is 999. And very often, this is only a fraction of keywords that delivering traffic, or impressions. If you go through the Data Studio, you will see 5, 10, 20,000 depends, you know how many how powerful computer you have, then you can start processing that file.
And I'm just creating a simple Data Studio, just one table. And I have all the queries, landing pages corresponding with queries, impressions, clicks, and click through rate. So the metrics we know from from normal classic Search Console. And that's all I need because then the snapshot table is ready. And then I'm doing something which is 'tricky sort' I call this.
What is 'tricky sort'? 'Tricky sort' is that I'm sorting twice this data. First I'm sorting by landing page and then immediately I'm sorting by either on impressions or clicks or clicks. If there is very little traffic to the website is better to sort this by impressions and use impressions are kind of guideline. If there is enough traffic you can go with clicks. And why I'm doing this? Because I want to group, I want to group keywords and corresponding URLs.
And now I prepared this lovely anim gif. It took me three hours but you can see how a nicely sorted in this currently have impressions and they will be always going down to zero and Monday will hit zero new URL appear there and he's going to zero and then new URL and new URL and new URL. And then I'm doing something like I'm saying okay, right now, when I have this, I only want up to five keywords per URL, or 10 keywords.
I'm not going with 300 keywords per one URL and 200 keywords per second URL because I will never be able to start optimising one landing page for 300 keywords. I'm only using the creme de la creme, the five mess performing in terms of impressions or in terms of clicks.
And the holy grail of Excel pivot tables. I love them with passion.
And you can see that when I'm thinking about this, you're not thinking about keywords. I'm thinking about landing pages in the first place. And I have this pivot here. And first of all, this is very interesting article, 'Find the SEO clients'. And I have some traffic from keywords like 'how to get SEO clients without cold calling', or 'how to find the SEO clients'. I wrote that guide and this guy is ranking somewhere in Google. I'm getting some clicks. And you can see that maybe clicks are not that crazy high. But there is a good beginning and I can see that the 'how to get SEO clients without cold calling'.
Despite from the fact it's extremely long phrase lots of people is using it and the click through rate is 7.34. I can also see in this pivot that I have aggregation of that specific URL based on this specific five keywords is having 5200 impressions 51 clicks and average click through rate is 1.59 and I can start prioritising and I can say to myself, okay, every day I will be optimising 10 pages. Monday 10, Tuesday 10. After a week I have 50 pages optimised. After a month I have 40. And after a year, God knows how many. And and you know, like there is absolutely no chance that you will not get extra traffic. And here's another example, a snapshot method, a bit of inception. We just talked about this, SEO snapshot, metal SEO snapshot. You can see I have nine clicks 363. When I was doing this, this data it was some time ago. So the website was relatively new probably right now I would have a bit more.
And why am I doing this and how I can implement this and what is the outcome? I wanted to share with you an example. I wanted to be fully transparent. There is a website, which is called socialmedia.pl. I was born in Poland, as you can hear in my accent, but I'm trying I'm trying my best.
You know, socialmedia.pl is a very, very cool domain, I believe.
I haven't told my wife for three months that I bought this because it cost me a bit but I implemented during that time, these strategies and I was thinking like when I will show her charts, then she won't kill me. So, you know, we're talking about Polish market and obviously, I can use SEMrush, I can use Search Metrics, I can use other tools but local markets very often have local tools. One of the local tool that is for Polish market is called pseudo is kind of like SEMrush or Search Metrics or Sistrix but only for Polish market. They expanding right now, but they have like a relatively big database of keywords there.
And take a look the blue line is number of keywords that been ranking in Social Media PL and the orange line is my competitor. And you can see here was an acquisition when I was trying when I was thinking how I will tell my wife, then is content marketing. It was doing good doing quite all right. And then finally, snapshot. And you will see like, Yeah, but this is number of keywords that is ranking in top 10 conditionals traffic. No problem. I'm trying to be transparent. So this is organic traffic. You can see that right now I have a monthly around 10,000. Maybe not that crazy amount, because this is just a blog but this is 10,000 of visits I may have an or my I may not have so I'm getting some leads from this. And it's working quite well. And you have see you can also see the same kind of areas acquisition content marketing and snapshot. So as a conclusion, use keywords that already ranking quite well.
This is strategy for not not for a new websites. Its strategy for established website. For website with a bit of history.
I believe you have 12 months of the history. You leveraging quality traffic because you're looking, hey, Google, show me what I'm ranking already. And I will get this and try to push this by bulk up. Even if you will push hundred keywords by one position, when they've been in top 10 obviously, the impact in traffic is tremendous. And you playing Google game.
The tactic two: keyword magic tool. Who is using SEMrush? Raise your hand. Wow, great. So I love the keywordmagic tool. And before I will go into details, I wanted to go through this keywords by intent. Probably all of you saw that pyramids and you know, awareness, interest consideration. Yeah, yeah. You know, for me, it's like, you know what, this green part, this is where I am. And this is probably later when there is a retention and advocate. So I'm not slicing this deep often.
And then I was watching Simon Sinek presentation. Who knows Simon Sinek? Raise your hand. Great. And Simon Sinke have this presentation, and he's saying 'start with why' - Simon Sinek Golden Circle. And this is when you thinking about establishing a company. So you not thinking about 'what', 'how'. The 'why' is the core. Why are you creating this company? Why you would like to know why you would like to sort a problem? It's a bit of philosophical question.
Now, this is when you're establishing a company, but if you trying to put yourself into shoes of a customer, then the circle it looks completely different. I would never call this Lukasz Zelezny Golden Circle, but I call this SEO search volume Golden Circle. So that looks this way. And now, why is here what is here and how is here but the size of the circle represent a potential. The number of search the demand, and I was intentionally knowing that 'how' is this sweet spot of every strategy most of the strategies that I was implementing in recent years. But again, I know that someone would be able to stand up right now and say 'objection, you have no data to prove'. And I was thinking, How can I prove it? So start from 'how' and I took two websites that, in my opinion, have absolutely phenomenal content marketing. First website is HubSpot. And when I analysed 1 million, over 1 million keywords in this data set 149,000 so way over 10% being keywords with word 'how'.
And this is not a coincidence. They targeting these keywords because it's high click through rate. Because there is demand. Because when people are typing question with 'how' they very likely will not get answered through the through the meta description is much more than that. So they need to click and I was like, okay, so I know one.
Another example Shopify, another one website which has absolutely amazing content marketing and surprisingly they also ranked in in SEMrush because I took this data from SEMrush in around 1 million keyword-ish and 90,000 so close to 10 person is with 'how'. And then way way behind that 'what' and then finally at the end is 'why'. It's very rare that people are typing 'why' when they have a problem. So the customers rarely using 'why'. The entrepreneurs when they established a business they need to start from 'why' but customer frequently start from 'how'. And I'm building you are and and I can check in Polish language it's also the 'how' equivalent is that popular.
So knowing that I can go to keyword magic tool and I can for example type of keyword 'organize conference' and I can start going into this, which is. Wow.
I was thinking that this is the laser.
This is not.
So there is the 'Question' and 'All'. Yeah? You're going into the 'Question' and you can see lots of questions. So the SEMrush intelligently is splitting keywords from non question and questions.
And 'how to organise conference' 90 searches, 71 'Keyword Difficulty', not bad. Going deeper: London and you can also go with the keywords which contain word 'London' and some words that indicates that this is a question.
I was thinking like, okay, we have search volume, we have Keyword Difficulty, is there any keyword that is extremely popular? And nobody, nobody cares about this keyword, no one want to run. And I found. You know, what is this? How to Cook broccoli. So if you would like to start a website that will have quickly, lots of traffic, and you don't want to spend any money and then put an effort build a website about broccoli. I don't know how you will monetise this but that's another story.
And then you know, I was thinking also like my, my background is working in price comparison. I was working in uSwitch. And you know if someone would come to me and say like, Lukasz, you know what, I want to start price comparison website. I would be like in England in Britain? Yeah. From scratch? Yeah. Are you crazy? Was like no no do me a keyword research. Ok, I was like 'all right'.
So let's say this guy is going into credit cards is super competitive, but we could go to keyword magic tool and say like okay, maybe I can find some keywords that have relatively high search volume and relatively low Keyword Difficulty. And here is 'can you get cash back with credit card', 'how to pay off credit card'. So we wouldn't go immediately into 'balance transfer credit cards' or 'credit cards' or like 'best credit cards'. No chance to rank there. There is uSwitch, Compare the Market, Moneysupermarket, Go Compare, Money.co.uk and I could like go and this is only the first results Yeah, there is also the second page first and so on and so on.
But if we would go with this questions, we would potentially have a tiny chance to succeed. Can you pay taxes with credit card? I don't know. But you know, we could write an article. So keyword magic tool questions and start from 'how'.
Then finally tactic 3: brand brand mentions and links. And let me do one thing. My name is Lukasz Zelezny polish name, Czech surname living in Britain. What could go wrong?
Zelenski, Zelezny, Zelesznysz.
Everyone was spelling my name wrong. Even in Poland they were spelling this wrong. Yeah. So I was like, 'you know what, it's time to do something with this'. And no one could learn that. It's very simple. It's like Lukasz Grzegorz Zelezny. This is the pronunciation. So you know, like simple yeah?
And I was like enough. In 2007 I had this idea. I will change my name and surname and I will be like very unique name and very common surname, and I wanted to go with Archibald Smith.
But then I realised that actually Archie was alive in 19th century and he's still first with his Wikipedia page. So not bad SEO for someone who's dead for 100 years. I can see some similarities here. But, you know.
So I was like, no. And then I realised that oh my gosh, it's a blessing when you have a crazy name and surname. Then that probably is not other guys who have crazy name and surname, and you can put at least different name and surname into brand tracker. So let's see what people are writing about you. And I went into some research, and I went into what is available in the market: Talk Walker, Brand 24, Fresh Web Explorer and Google and that never works. But I couldn't afford Talk Walker.
So yeah, where is the camera? I couldn't afford Talk Walker, I will send this later, and the Brand 24 is really affordable. And this is very, very powerful. And I was like, Okay, let's do some test.
So, as a key word, I set up my name, with with space, without space, with some type of mistakes and so on and so on. And what I could see that Brand 24 started aggregating tweets, Facebook messages that been published for, for open public blogs near news and so on and so on. And take a look I had in in one month something like 52 mention and the reach was for 73,000. Most like oh my gosh, so that's great. What they can, what can I do with this? So then I created another project which was for uSwhich and then I started thinking 'what can I do for this?' with this because it's not only like oh great 52 mentions Wow, super. Cool. Cigarette. No, it's not like that. You need to do something. Yeah. So I was like 'link building'. I can do a link building so whenever I saw uSwitch, uswitch.com or Lukasz Zelezny, I was approaching these people and saying like 'Listen, thank you very much for mentioning me. That's very kind but you know, any chance that this this this brand could be a link to our website', most of the people will be absolutely fine to do this.
So this is one of the most effective link building, organic link building tactic I am using. And one day I was like that, because what I saw it really shocked me. I saw this and I was like what's going on here? What is this language? And then I realised that that must be Russian. I speak Russian but I don't read Russian. You probably know why. I'm more I have like neighbours who are Russians and more fluent on weekends when they sometimes inviting for a barbecue. So there is like a correlation between the amount of alcohol you have and how fluent you are.
At the end of the night, I'm completely fluid. But anyway, you can see that this is in Russian and then here is Lukasz Zelezny. And that wasn't written in Latin alphabet, so Brand 24 catch this, and here is actually the link but this link was pointing to LinkedIn. And you know, linked LinkedIn what a pun. The dead you know, like, I was like, you know, LinkedIn probably have enough links, maybe guys, you can you can repoint that link to my website. They will be like 'no problem'. So what they did they took my article without asking me, translated, posted this put my photo and link to my LinkedIn. I was like, almost perfect if you would link to my website that would be hundred percent happy. And they were like no problem. And then I was thinking like okay, so I can start using this tactic also to build links.
And that's next next part of the presentation very quickly: the links and social profiles. Very often you have a companies like let's say, like, like even like uSwitch for example, Compare the Market, Moneysupermarket, Zoopla, Rightmove, they have social profiles - Twitter, Facebook. And very often somehow other websites instead of linking to your website, they linking to your social profiles. So this is my other baby SEO.London - another domain I didn't told my wife I'm going to buy and then later when I build the website, I told and then I had no links.
And I was like 'hold on how my LinkedIn look like'? And I went to my LinkedIn and I found that there is lots of links from other websites pointing to this page. Again, nice, but I will not be serving as a free link builder to LinkedIn. And I would rather like this links to point to my website. So my idea was to repoint backlinks from my LinkedIn profile to my SEO.London website. And when I went to Majestic, and I put an URL of my LinkedIn profile, I saw that there is 20 domains and 141 links. I was like 'Oh my gosh' it's like a like, like, like a Klondike. I can like dig and dig and dig into that.
And you know, sometimes I have like a night I have a cup of coffee, and I'm just sending emails to everybody and saying, like, 'Hey, could you repoint that link? Could you repoint that link? So much fun. And, you know, here is like referring domains. So so you can see that. That's our domains, which been pointing before to my to my LinkedIn, including, for example, my own website. So I sent myself email and then I replied. And the you know you have here like like this one Remoters. This is a website own by Aleyda Solis. I think she was also here once a speaker and and I saw that okay he was a LinkedIn and I asked her if she could add more websites so she added website and she link to my website.
Then another one is AccuRanker: again he was Lukasz Zelezny and that was before so I had the Zelezny UK. I approached them and say like listen I have that now new website SEO.London. Maybe you can change the Zelezny UK to be a co.london. And then you see how the link started going up. This is very early stage I had 11 domains. If you would put SEO.London to Majestic right now there is hundred domains and about 30,000 backlinks.
So I was I just get addicted and I went into my Facebook. I saw that there is also a couple of links that they can repoint. And then finally I went to my Twitter and I almost get the heart attack. 164 domains. Oh my gosh! I just locked myself in the room as my wife 'don't talk to me for next week. I will be repointing domains. 37,000 domains, yeah. Again, like not ever, you will not get the hundred percent success ratio, but you will get there. And even if you will report 20% or 30%, that's valuable.
So again, like an one for another profile, and so on and so on. And then as a summary, how it works well? You mostly know, the social media profile owners. So it's not like you're pushing completely people out of blue. You probably know because they were doing a webinar with you or they were doing webinar with your brand, or they were somehow connected to your brand because of some reasons. It's easy to switch because you just approaching and he just need to change it like a little piece of code is not like you're approaching someone you've never heard about before and he was like 'Hey, could you link to me'? And it's kind of organic, kind of. You can save a lot of time. Yeah. So please, please try this.
Then the last one, I think or almost the last one is a merge. A very simple tactic and again, like an anecdote, merge the subdomains into subfolders. So I had a client who is who is actually from a not not not far away from from Manchester. And he had a situation that there was he came to me and there was a situation I don't know, do you have the website that he had a blog on subdomain. And I said like 'listen, we should move that blog from subdomain into subfolder'. May and he was like, Why? Because I was like, because your blog I have so many backlinks at the moment you have such an interesting articles. But Google somehow is treating this as separate separate instances. So he was like anything, it will help. I was like, yeah, and this is not simply like you move couple of thousand visits from subdomain to your subfolder there will be kind of a synergy. And then he was like, 'you know what, no, we will do something else. We will move everything into root folder'. I was like 'whow,okay'. So he wanted to move all the articles to the root folder. There will be no slash blog slash nothing like that. Everything is going to the root folder. So we did this, we move. And then we just couldn't, he just had to turn off PPC, literally because he couldn't process then that amount of leads.
So you can see where we started and how it started boosting. And knowing that I was like, Oh, my gosh, I have another client who have a forum. And the forum was on subdomain. And it was like, very old job, job, job offer portal. And we were doing everything. This website was so well optimised. And it still didn't give him traffic here couple of years ago. And I was like 'listen, we will move subdomain into subfolder. You have a forum there'. And he's like 'yeah, but I'm not interested'. I was like 'listen, trust me, and then take a look. He boosted immediately, then it little fall down, but it never get back to where he was.
So whenever you have a client, who have FAQ on subdomain, blog on subdomain, news on subdomain, anything on subdomain with very little number of exception, always move this into subfolder. Or if you are if you want go completely like a month, even to the root folder. There is only one client, I decided to go all the way around. She had booking or she had a booking for kids, like daily activities. And now website was on WordPress. And this booking engine was like highly modified WooCommerce. When I have Word highly modified and WooCommerce in one sentence, then I'm just freaking out. And that was always crashing. So I was like 'listen, let's create a duplicate of the WordPress, and that will be on the subdomain that will be on the booking engine. If that will crash, we will not get conversions, but your SEO will not be affected'.
So we decided to split this. But most of the time, 99% of the time, I'm moving everything into one domain. So the results. So I just wanted to get back to this customer that moved that subfolder subdomain to subfolder and take a look. That's him and his competitors. And that's him after migration. And I really want to see the competitors who are like 'wow, what, what's going on here? Why we are?
I am like 'call me'.
So thank you very, very much for being having me for a fifth time. My name is Lukasz Zelezny. And let's catch up on LinkedIn.
### CognitiveSEO Keyword Tool Review
As digital marketers, we are always on the look for good keyword research tools. Mastering SEO optimization can be hard, especially if you’re just starting out or you are not really into SEO like most copywriters or social media executives. And I think I found the tool that's very close to my dream keyword research tool by CognitiveSEO.
But first what is my dream SEO tool?
Easy to use and navigate for beginner-to-advanced digital marketers. I work with a lot of companies across the globe so training people how to do a 'keyword research' or how to write SEO optimised content is not something I can do a lot as I am extremely busy.
It gives you super in-depth information on each keyword. Yes, search volume is important and we all start with this metric but I also want to see things like a breakdown of the first-page competition, the Cost Per Click (CPC), the monthly searches trend and something that I find very useful questions people ask related to my focus keyword.
Saves me time. Whenever I am doing a home improvement project for my place, I end up working smartest and fastest when I have the right tools at my disposal. It’s amazing the difference a good SEO tool can make – and the extra time it takes to get work done without a helpful tool.
How can you work smarter and faster with SEO?
It starts with having the right tools.
So now that you know my 'dream come true' SEO keyword tool requirements let me show how the CognitiveSEO keyword tool can elevate your digital marketing efforts.
CognitiveSEO Content Optimizer & Keyword Tool
CognitiveSEO Content Optimiser & Keyword Tool
The beginning of the whole process is actually very simple. All you have to do is to input the keyword or topic you want to rank for in the search bar in the middle of the page. Straight away you will notice the location filter on the right side of the search bar so that you can get a more detailed account of the keyword in a certain country. What really excites me here is the online performance of a keyword in a particular city.
Content Optimizer &
Keyword Tool
When I arrived on the results page for the first time I was like 'wow, everything is so clear and easy to understand'. I wish more SEO tools understand how important UX is as at the end of the day all tools can provide you with data: it’s how you see/interpret the data and what you do with it will make the difference to your SEO efforts.
Data in SEO
The top part of the results page is a summary of the keyword that you searched for and it's dived in 3 sections.
Content difficulty - estimation of how hard it will be to rank with well-optimized content in the top 10 organic results for a given keyword in a given location.
Links difficulty - estimation of how hard it will be to rank in the top 10 organic results for a given keyword in a given location, based on the number & strength of the backlinks that are currently linking to the top URLs ranking for this keyword.
Monthly searches - the chart shows monthly keyword popularity, as reported by Google Trends. The highest point on the chart is the peak popularity for the keyword. Google search trends data can be very useful for marketers. For example, if you run a seasonal business (such as Tax Preparation or Snow Removal), you'll want to create content before the peak so you give Google enough time to find and rank your content.
The bottom part of the search page is divided into 3 tabs that contain the main features of this tool. I'm not gonna talk about the first tab - Keyword explorer - as the information in this tab is quite common across all keyword tools, but I just want to steer your attention to the 'Group by Topic' feature first because is super useful when researching for a topic and secondly because reminds me of why I started running 3 months ago (Lol).
Keywords vs. Search Queries: What's the Difference?
Joking aside let's jump to the 'Ranking Analysis' tab. The first thing I see for my focus keyword is the type of search query (Wow!). In my case, the tool is telling me that my keyword is transactional.
In the SEO world, we tend to talk more about keywords rather than search queries (let me give you a hint: they’re not quite the same thing). And to be honest with you this is bad for business. 'Keywords' are too ideal wheater 'Search queries' are the real-world terms that people use to find our pages through paid or organic search.
The 3 Types of Search Queries & How You Should Target Them
On the other side search queries fall into 3 categories:
Navigational search queries - queries entered with the intent of finding a particular website or webpage.
Informational search queries - queries that focus on the user getting more information about a product, place or topic.
Transactional search queries - a query that indicates making a purchase.
Knowing which type of search query to optimise for is very important and I am super impressed that this tool is able to give me a hint of what I am optimising for.
Below the search intent information, you will see the top webpages ranking for your keyword, the number of words on the page, the number of links to the particular page, the number of links to the whole domain, the date the page was published and what CognitiveSEO calls 'focus keywords'.
To make it clear the 'focus keywords' are basically the keywords that tend to be included in the content for the page to have a higher ranking. I can talk for hours about the so-called 'semantic search' but here in this article I just want to make it clear that in this case the 'focus keywords' are not synonyms but rather co-occurring words, e.g. running shoes and product type.
Answering questions is the new way to dominate the SERPS
CognitiveSEO Keyword Tool 'People Also Ask' Feature
At the bottom of the list, to my astonishment, you can see the 'People also ask' (Related Questions) feature which can give you some insight into Google’s understanding of any topic.
Currently, in the UK, almost half of the search queries performed on Google also include a People Also Ask questions box. Probably there is no need to tell you that information coming from the 'People also ask' can so many creative ways.
You can use the questions to build FAQ pages - there are the questions your targeting audience is asking. Give them the answers. Simple.
Using the information to inform the creation of new pages - the topics are related to your keyword so build these pages and give additional information to your users. Simple.
Exploring the 'People also ask' data is the best way to find related questions which may trigger featured snippets - in the majority of cases, Googling the questions from the 'People also ask' results will return a featured snippet. So in our case, if I google "What are the best mens running shoes?" I see the same piece of content as a featured snippet. Simple.
'People also ask' as a featured snippet
Below the 'People also ask' is another very helpful feature called 'Related searches'. See, it’s not enough anymore that you’re good with keywords and the various other SEO metrics. In all honesty, keywords still matter, but the context and intent behind a search now matter more than ever (think RankBrain and BERT). Related searches can help you learn more about both.
CognitiveSEO Related Searches
Using related searches, you can gain much sharper customer understanding so that you can create relevant and at the same time valuable content that your audience and Google love, thus boosting your SEO.
Going back to the search results, if you wanted to know how the 'focus keywords' are used on a specific page simply click on it and a box will appear on the right-hand side containing information like readability score, words on the page and the number of focused keywords used out of the maximum number of focused keywords for this particular SERP.
CognitiveSEO Keyword Tool Content Performance
The green circle next to some of the keywords indicates that these keywords are highly important and used in the content.
Content Assistant Tool
If you click on the 'Optimize this page' button you will be redirected to the third and probably my favourite tab called 'Content Assistant.
If you just look at the section on the right you know strig away that you have all the information you need to optimise this page from a content point of view.
Keywords you already use - as mention earlier the tool is showing you the important keyword that re already present in your copy. I can actually see these keywords used as an anchor text to link to other internal pages or external resources.
Keywords you should use - start your way from the top (keywords marked with yellow circle) and work your way down including as many of the words that you fell can naturally enrich your copy. The key here is 'naturally'.
Keywords you should use more often - these are taken from your already used keywords and in my opinion, you are given kind of a green light to use them more than once on your page.
Keywords stuffing - in short keyword stuffing is terrible for your SEO and if you happen to see keywords in this tab amend your copy straight away.
CognitiveSEO Content Tool Keyword Stuffing
It may sound funny but the real highlight of the CognitiveSEO Content Assistant editor is the 'Highlight Keywords' feature. It highlights all the keywords in the copy with colours matching the keyword suggestion dropdowns. That way, I can really see the spread of keywords on the page, devise a strategy around keyword placement (very useful and easy to explain to content creators) and by amending the copy and rechecking the score I can see the whole thing improving in front of my eyes.
CognitiveSEO Content Assistant editor
Last but not least the interface of the Content Assistant editor is clean, sharp and extremely well-thought-out and I simply can't think of a better way to deliver meaningful information.
Key Takeaway
Creating unique content that is helpful and has insights is not an easy thing to do. The keywords you choose to focus on for your SEO efforts are vital to the success of your website’s online visibility. Choosing the right keywords isn’t always easy or intuitive and you need a lot of data to know whether a given keyword will work for you.
If you are a Digital Marketer who is involved in content creation this tool can elevate your content creation efforts to another level.
### Content Marketing on a Gargantuan Scale
https://youtu.be/q9HV9QSCvfs
Content Marketing on a Gargantuan Scale
What is content marketing?
Content marketing is a digital marketing strategy in which businesses create honest, transparent, and educational content on a consistent basis for an ideal buyer persona. Another way to describe what content marketing is: content that gets your brand noticed online, helping to engage with your core audiences and deliver the results you want, whether it’s social shares, sales or increased brand exposure.
Content marketing positions your business to perform more strongly online, qualify sales-ready leads and amplify the metrics that matter most to your bottom line.
So what can you expect when committing to content?
The latest trends show increased sales, shorter sales cycles, stronger customer loyalty and greater cost efficiency.
In this talk - at Benchmark Search & Digital Conference - Dane Brookes, Head of Digital at Liverpool ONE discusses how Liverpool ONE's recent content marketing campaign increased footfall, first-time visitors and overall sales.
Slides
https://www.slideshare.net/clickconsult/content-marketing-on-a-gargantuan-scale-benchmark-search-digital-conference-2019
Who’s behind Benchmark SEO Conference?
Located in North West England, Click Consult - https://www.click.co.uk/ - is a multi-award-winning search marketing agency with a focus on organic (SEO) and paid search (PPC). With over 70 professionals employed and a portfolio of over 60 clients from across the UK, Click Consult works with businesses looking for a measurable return from their search marketing budget.
### How to start a link building campaign fast (without spamming)
https://youtu.be/JatJko7tErQ
How to start a link building campaign fast (without spamming)
Since I joined the SEO community 5-6 years ago, there's always been a heated debate around the benefit vs risk payoff of various link building tactics, but one thing that has remained pretty uncontested during this time is that links matter. Of course, back in day quantity often trumped quality and many websites got penalised by Google.
As we approach 2020, link building remains one of the most debatable and controversial issues in any modern SEO strategy and that’s because it's still very hard to scale without compromising or negatively affecting quality.
In this session, Joshua Hardwick - Ahrefs Head of Content - will show us how to kick off an outreach campaign in minutes using smart workflows and automation.
Slides
https://www.slideshare.net/clickconsult/how-to-start-a-link-building-campaign-in-15-minutes-without-spamming-benchmark-search-digital-conference-2019
Who is Joshua Hardwick?
Joshua Hardwick is an SEO specialist with over 8 years of experience in SEO. He’s also the Head of Content for Ahrefs, an industry-leading SEO tool. He specializes in white-hat link building and creating link-worthy content.
### Inclusive Marketing – Optimising Business and Life
https://youtu.be/0lLEn587_ss
What is Inclusive Marketing?
Inclusive marketing means creating content that truly reflects the diverse communities that your company serves.
As digital marketers, our responsibility is to relay our brands’ messages in a way that resonates with people from all backgrounds, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender identity, age, religion, ability, sexual orientation, or otherwise.
Very often diversity is seen as boxes to check for your company whereas inclusion is more indicative of the experience and equity the brand creates. Inclusive brands recognize and think about the impact their advertisements could have more so than just the intent behind them. Advertisements can easily misrepresent people, exclude individuals, and offend that is why inclusive marketing aims to proceed with mindfulness.
With more and more people around the globe becoming increasingly less tolerant to sexist, racist and homophobic material (the list goes on) , if digital marketers are unwilling to learn or think inclusively it could easily result in your company needing to spend a lot of money on damage control rather than changing your lens to better represent your brand ideals, increase your sensitivity, and include your customers.
Why Inclusive Marketing is Good for Business
Changing demographics
Due to country borders disappearing consumers are no longer homogenous sectors.
Let me give you an example with the city I live in London.
55% of the London population are from ethnic communities320 languages are spoken in London1/3 of businesses in London are owned and run by ethnicThe food sector is dominated by ethnic food and restaurants
Just look around and you will see that people of ethnic background are aspirational and value education and status highly, they seek careers such as Doctor, Pharmacist, IT professionals, Banking and Management.
More than 50% of the population is under 25 years old (youthful audiences).
I am sure the stats are very similar for the other main European cities.
Avoiding the demographic population shifts that are taking place in the UK consumer market will prevent corporate marketers from capitalising on the rapidly growing multicultural market segments. That inaction is a missed opportunity to build market share in an increasingly difficult and competitive economic climate.
Old Navy multicultural ad
Consumers want to see themselves in your ads
They say "Connection is the new currency".
When it comes to advertising, connection and believability make all the difference. By using real people in your marketing you can build an emotional connection with consumers and celebrate who they really are.
Diesel groundbreaking ad that placed model Winnie Harlow, who suffers vitiligo, in the spotlight. Harlow's recent ascent within the fashion industry - she is also the face of Desigual - has diversified cultural representations of beauty and challenged ideas of perfection commonly expected of models.
Inclusive marketing is more than a trending topic among industry leaders today. It’s an emerging style that not only makes good business sense but also good moral sense.
Inclusive marketing can help us drive change, communicate more effectively, become culturally competent, and much, much more.
It’s not a way of the future, but a way of life and business that just makes sense. Plain and simple.
### How to create Google Looker Studio Dashboards for SEO
https://youtu.be/ASU3-DTqZKY
"Data is the new oil" is a slogan that we hear almost every day in the modern digital world.
The data that we collect today could tell us when which user clicked on what, what flights they booked, what hotels they booked, where they are travelling to, and when they are going. Maybe we even have user profiles that contain demographic information: where users live, what age they are, and so on. We collect data about everybody and everything.
But communicating and presenting key metrics to clients or internal stakeholders who aren’t familiar with the data can be pretty complicated. Not everybody is a data scientist. Not everybody knows how to pull and combine data from different sources into one view or chart. And even if you are a data scientist shouldn't you be spending more time analysing the data rather than building dashboards.
Enter Google Looker Studio (formerly Google Data Studio).
In short Google Data Studio is an excellent tool that can be used to shrink the analytics process and make quick, beautiful, interactive dashboards with minimal effort.
Google Looker Studio helps you to make sense of your data.
Google Looker Studio (Data Studio) naturally collects data from Google Ads, Google Analytics, and YouTube. However, you can also import data from various third-party services like Facebook, Twitter, MailChimp, Salesforce, and MySQL, just to name a few. By consolidating all this information in one dashboard, digital marketers on one side and business owners on the other side are able to gain valuable insights into their operations, finances, and marketing campaigns.
Similar to other applications within Google Drive, Looker Studio makes collaboration with coworkers and clients nearly seamless. To share the reports that you build, all you have to do is send your coworkers, clients or stakeholders a link and give them permission to comment and edit the information. The best thing is they don't need to install local software on their computers.
Google Data Studio is fully cloud-based, meaning authorized users can access your reports from any approved internet browser.
"Data is the new oil' and I completely agree with this statement. But similar to oil if data it's unrefined it cannot really be used to power your digital marketing engine. It has to be changed into gas, plastic, chemicals, etc to create a valuable entity that drives profitable activity; so must data be broken down, analyzed for it to have value.
Nick Wilsdon at the Benchmark Search & Digital Conference 2019
Video Transcript: How to create Google Data Studio Dashboards for SEO
Hello everyone. You're waiting for dinner. So yeah, I will try and make it exciting.
So yeah. Firstly, who am I? Yeah, so I'm the SEO lead at Vodafone group so I manage 22 markets, 560 million mobile customers. I've been an SEO for 20 years. But I've developed complete love for Data Studio. And I know Omi has already talked to you about this so this is kind of slightly different spin on that which I think hopefully you'll find interesting.
And it's really based on this because SEO is a lot about execution. And this is something that Kevin said on Twitter and I hundred percent agree with him. These are great ideas. But how do you actually execute these? How do you get these working in your businesses? So we're going to try to do this talk is give you some of the business case about how we rolled out Data Studio across the organisation. And hopefully, you can take these tips and use them with your clients or within your companies.
So these were the challenges that we faced on data. Firstly, we needed a single report for multiple people. These are for senior stakeholders, these are for operational teams. We had lots of different people around the business that wanted data that wanted visibility on that data. So how could we come up with a strategy that met the needs for all of those people? The next challenge we had is 22 markets. So how do we kind of use this project to standardise a lot of the reporting that's going on around the business? Because this was a real opportunity to kind of up our game when it came to data and reporting and and we could use this as a vehicle to kind of standardise everything.
We needed to be data-driven. We've learned that SEO is got very complicated now. When I started twenty years ago, it was all about gut feeling and the occasional forum post. And now it really is data-driven. You need data to make these decisions. So how do we get hold of that data? How do you make that accessible to all the teams? And how do we automate everything, because, with the sheer amount of data, automation is an absolute must? If it's manually done, if it's manual reporting for 22 markets, you'll find that you're just reporting all the time. And this is very common. There's a lack of internal resource for doing this kind of data projects. There aren't enough data scientists out there and the ones that we have got an incredibly busy doing, you know, thousands of really top-level projects. So it's very hard to get their attention their resource on something like SEO. So and yeah, the very common problem that everybody has money. Yeah. How do you do this without a lot of money? What do you know? How do you do this without massive expense on a data team and data partners?
So what I did is I went looked around in the market and I very quickly decided that Data Studio was the way to go. There is this free tool from Google. How many people here are using Data Studio now? Quite a few of you. That's brilliant. So, and you'll know it when the reason I used it for the same reason you started using it. It already accessed common data sets, like Google data, Search Console, Google Sheets - we didn't have to do a lot of programming to make that work. It's got a lot of preset connectors. So you don't need to be technical to make Data Studio work. And I can't emphasise that enough, you really do not need to be technical to do Data Studio. It's got shared components, we can share between teams. Once we've established data sets we can then use on other reports other teams were accessing, and it's just easy to build. I'm not kidding, if you are left with Data Studio and you got two, three weeks, you're gonna be making something it's pretty good at the end of that two, three week period. So it's amazingly accessible. And Google obviously has designed it that way. And what it does, it allows you to pipeline data around your organisation. So all these tools up here, a lot of these will be familiar to you. They've all got data in them. They're all processing data in their own interesting ways. But how can we take that data or analytics data and put it into a sort of common visualisation layer, which is Data Studio, that's the power of it. It is pipelining.
So the first set we looked at, probably the first set everyone looks at Search Console. This is the best way to get into Data Studio. Everyone here has a Search Console account. It's completely accessible, the UI for Search Console isn't very good. So you can actually make something better in Data Studio then you actually have through the native Google Search Console interface. And that that's a big part of your business case, so you've actually added value. You're not just reproducing data And I'll show you how we did that. And it justifies getting new domain properties. How many people here have done domain properties in Search Console? Very few. This is a new way of registering your account, authorising your account with Google.
And the benefits of this is you have to do on the DNS level. But the benefits are that it will then hold all of your data. So you don't need to worry about your HTTP version, HTTPS version, your www version. And it will also hold all of your subdomain data and any future subdomain. That's incredibly useful for some of the tools that we've created on this, like a Subdomain Finder. Because you know, it's always someone in the PR department is launching a new subdomain. And we now have a very basic report that then pops it up on screen and says that a new subdomain has just appeared. So you can do some quite interesting things with that new form of authentication. So I'd definitely recommend you do that. And it only has to be done once.
Sam Marsden and we talked a lot about Data Studio, there's a lot of Data Studio geeking going out. And this is kind of basic stuff that you would have through Data Studio. You gonna have your site trends, it's a good place to start, you know, this is basically replicating Google Search Console data, the basic level. You can see your top-performing pages in search, your top-performing queries, you know, it's nothing too exciting, but yeah, it's good but it's probably not more than you're used to. And you can see your your biggest wins, big losses. I've put links in here and I'll share this deck. So this a good place to start, as you're kind of tutorials to getting into this. Follow Sam's instructions and just rebuild these screens. And the really cool thing about Data Studios, you can literally go and you'll find people are sharing these reports. So you can literally go and share, report, copy it, and then take these assets into your Data Studio instance. And again, you don't need to be technical. It is very, very non-technical.
You can filter performance down to brand a non-brand, which obviously is very useful for the SEO team, because in a lot of things in SEO, your, your brand performance is actually very, very, yes, a huge amount of volume. And you need to show as an SEO department that you're pushing your generic your non-brand, fully.
So this is my view of Search Console. And I've basically, you know, all the same things, got Google clicks. I've tried to use very easily understood titles. Because I don't want to make this overly complicated for people using it. You know, how many clicks, average position.
And this allows you to do more than you can do in the default Search Console screen because I can put in a single keyword, I can put in a date, I can put my mobile, and I can right click on any of these charts and download the data to Excel. You can't download that data by date, by specific date within the Search Console interface at the moment. So you've added new functionality, which is great. And that means a team are more likely to use this than to use Search Console directly.
And then once you've done the basics, then get into your third-party tools. And this is completely changed the way that I look at SEO tools. I only look now at the API's. I see what data can they give me. I treat them as a data partner, as a data processor. And that's very important because when you're trying to sign off SEO tools, there's only a few people in your SEO team who are using it and it's very hard to explain the value of that around the business.
If you start talking to them about an SEO tool as a data partner, someone who's processing data that makes the sign off much easier. An example of that is with SEOmonitor who've done a lot of work on this. Since 2013 Google hit the referrer. So we no longer knew the keyword that drove the search.
So the basic function that a lot of SEO tools do, but SEOmonitor does it very well, is to just deanonymise that data. So it tracks it back to the keyword level and associates a keyword with a landing page across your site. So that's the processing they're doing. So allowing me to understand what keywords are driving the traffic to which landing pages. And that gets interesting where you start to then understand orders. And you can then tie orders, to sets of keywords. So you're no longer thinking about a set of keywords that are just interesting to the business or, you know, your CEO thinks are important you then have a set of keywords that drive commercial value for your business. You know, we created a natural commercial case for SEO. The very basic, but we've tied money to keywords to activity.
And again in SEOmonitor, all this can be pulled through for free. So they don't charge for the API into your Data Studio instance. They will probably start charging for the API after I talked about this today.
So, but that's, that's not enough. We've done some basics once and what we can do with Data Studio, but if you're gonna get it working, especially in enterprise, you need to think larger than that. And the way you do that is through a framework. And this kind of dealt with my question of 'how do I deal with a report that serves different needs and different stakeholders through the organisation?' So I created a framework, very basic one, which revolved around performance, planning, control and action. These four icons, everyone likes icons, and you make very pretty reports with icons. So this clearly demark different parts of the report and showed who that part of the report was for.
And you'll see why in a second. So there's an ambition for SEO. And I think a lot of us are still reporting on keywords and visibility and rankings. But we really don't want to be doing that. We want to be moving that up. We want to make that more robust. We need to be reporting on traffic, orders, you know, CPA, revenue. This is where the SEO team needs to be. It's a much more robust place for the SEO team to be. And if you want to get resources for SEO, you need to be making this connection. So we had to deal with each reporting KPIs, we had to raise the game to this level. But we had to align with how reports were currently working. Because, because teams were still looking at rankings, and that's where it came into us incorporating those kind of idea of rankings against orders. So we still had some idea of rankings, but we had the commercial element of rankings.
So this is kind of how we fit it. I will give some examples of the KPIs that I put into each of these sections. The first one is performance. Terribly small, sorry about that. These are performance metrics, KPIs, and these around as you'd imagine track orders. You know, these are commercially viable metrics. And I divided this into two sections: lead and lag metrics. And the idea of that is, you'll often find senior leadership want to see, lag metrics. That's what they are used to. And if to explain what lead and lag metric was, if you had a building site, and you had a lot of accidents, accidents is your lag metric. And it doesn't really tell you a lot. It doesn't help you solve the problem of accidents on your building site. What helps you with your accidents at you building site is a lead metric, like how many people are wearing hard hats every day. These are the metrics that actually change your business. But senior leadership often want to see lag metrics. So lag metrics are largely confined to the performance section. But this this, then with this iconography told them these are the these are the charts they could look at. These are the ones that weren't open to interpretation. They were just cold, hard commercial metrics. And we put them all into one section. And this is an example. So got a performance up on the top right, you'll see that we got kind of buttons navigation. You can make Data Studio into an application. It's not a single report, you have pages in it, you can make links in it. So you don't think about it as one single page. Think about it as an entire application that you build. And this this has become the entire framework. Where each one of these is is, you know, 20 plus screens large now, and growing all the time.
We then looked at planning metrics. This is forecasting. SEOmonitor will give you SEO forecasting and sets of keywords. We bring in the development here. You can even, you can even look at holding an Excel sheet with your team holidays or your things that are happening across the SEO project for the next month or, or large, impactful changes that happen on technical SEO over that period. And then you can have that Excel sheet visualising the table in the screen. So anything that's going to help your team plan better. 'Search trends' is something else we put in there. 5g adoption in different markets. That again was something that seems really wanted to have on our fingertips. But this this section is for the teams. So everything outside the performance section is not allowed to be viewed by senior leadership. And what that's done is it's meant that we no longer deal with a lot of requests around 'why has this keyword changed position?' What does this mean? I've got a visibility graph from Sistrix. Why have we gone up, why we come down?
A lot of these metrics are very open to interpretation. So by clearly sectioning the report, we then stopped a lot of these queries coming our way.
We then had a control section. Increasingly, SEO can be controlled through automated checks. You got Little Warden out there, which is a great tool, which will check to see whether your redirects are working with the HTTP, your sitemap is valid. You know, there's a lot of automated checks. I'm pretty sure that Search Console is going to start integrating some of these checks and allow you to pull them out into Data Studio in the future version. So anything here that you can put will give you alerts. This is where you put them in the section.
And finally, the 'action section', which is an area I got really excited about, which was to build our community. It was a section where different teams could come up with new reports, put them in this area, and then share them. So this was our playground for SEO reports. Because there's always new data sources. Once you get into this, you'll find there is a 1000 different data sources, thousand different visualisations you can do.
This is an example, something that Sam came up with in terms of checking Fraggle performance. There's a good one that Hannah Butler has done in terms of cannibalisation. You can have a cannibalisation tool. So you kind of getting the picture now that this, this report is an application. It's actually your it's actually an SEO tool now. It's a base level SEO tool for each of the teams. It's not just a report, it's something that can actually have actions off the back of.
And we're doing that across international SEO. Here's an example for Page Speed with the Chrome experience report, which I know they're actually fixing for us. But this one allows you to see page performance against competitor. And again, this is a free API. I've given the the link there to set it up. Something you will set up in a few minutes. And you can have an idea of how fast your competitors are getting compared to you. Which is a much better argument for page performance, than naturally pointing at your own page performance. Pointing at how fast your competitors are.
So yeah, this is kind of become an actionable toolset now. And it's even more actionable by the fact that you can actually right click any of the charts and download the data to Excel. So a lot of the teams want to work in Excel. So they can take this data in, especially from third-party tools, where you have seat restrictions. So maybe you only allowed four people to log into your third party SEO tool. You bring that data into this, all the teams can right click and download and manipulate it. So you're massively using that API in a much more efficient way.
So what's the plan to take us the next level? Well, we talked about pipelining. So obviously, your pipeline in these these sources in but you'll realise - when really when you're working through this - that performance is an issue, and that you need to do more complicated calculations. So the next stage in this roadmap is to add a database layer. And most people kind of choose to go for Big Query. This, this allows you and it's a lot of advantages to this, I'll tell you. The the main advantages are you can do more with the data. Google Search Console only let you have the data for 16 months rolling. So by putting into a database, you then have all your data, you know, infinitely forever. So it's obviously a big advantage there. It allows you to improve performance, performance of the report itself, because you'll find a lot of these free API's, everyone is using them, everyone is hammering them. And their speeds are obviously suffering from that. So moving into BigQuery then allows you to have much, much faster reports.
And lastly, you can do kind of more complicated attribution models, because you're they're merging your data. And what you're effectively doing with the strategies you're building an SEO 'data lake'. That's what we're trying to do. We're trying to move all of our SEO data into one place. So we can start to do some much more insightful work on that data. We were never going to put all our data into every single SEO tool that lives out there. We never going to login to every tool that lives out there. So you bring it into a database, you then have access to all this data to answer some of those questions across the business that you really want to. Like, you know, what are the main landing pages that make a difference to us commercially? What are the journeys that people take on SEO then that matter? The SEO team 'which URL shouldn't be changed?' These kind of questions.
So yeah, so how do we deliver on our four challenges? Firstly, it was a framework, it wasn't just a report. This was more ambitious than that. It gave us the the flexibility to have different ports for different people in the organisation for them to use this in their own way. And it's also given us a roadmap to develop. Because people are developing new reports all the time to put into the action section. So I'm very, very happy that.
It's allowed us to make our commercial metrics much more robust because everybody wants to have this performance screen with we've actually got a revenue model that basis on the back of that performance model. And I actually I mean, you can fake it till you make it as well with Data Studio. If you want to put together a very simplistic data model in Google Sheets, you can do that. And you can get different teams to fill out different bits in Google Sheets to provide your revenue model. And you can put that into Data Studio. So you can almost give a feeling of automation, while you actually get these data sources pipelined and dealt with properly through organisation to get them to fill out different parts manually. But yeah, it's really kind of raised the standard. It saved us time because we're not doing manual reporting anymore.
We're trying to automate or reporting. And it's provided the business case for pipelining other data. And I can't emphasise how important that is. If I want to do a local SEO strategy, and I go to try and get footfall data if, I'm lucky, I'll get a snapshot of a certain week across the stores, how much footfall there was. What I need is I need that data to be pipelined you know, I need that lot to be a live feed. So I need that with part of the organisation to realise that they need to make that data live in order for me to actually carry out some more insightful research with it. But having the, having this framework in the first place provided that business case.
And it's allowed us to self serve. So we're not overly reliant on the data teams. We got, we got different members who are trying to learn this. I think I think to be honest, every SEO has to learn Data Studio. I'll go on a limb and say that.
So coming up the framework like this is really encouraged learning between in our community within Vodafone. So we have different teams talking about reports, sharing reports, you know, so it's very good not and I've seen that in the wider sense as well through the community through the SEO community. There's a lot of very good SEO reports and Data Studio reports that are available. You can literally copy and just learn from them. And this API approach - API led approach - has made it very cost-efficient on tools. Because we're looking we're looking at the API usage of these tools rather than individual seats. How many people here have Sistrix? Oh, sorry, Sistrix. Two.
Sistrix is a very good tool for working out visibility but they have restrictions within the programme that only lets you have a certain number of people logging in. Only lets you visualise say four competitors against each other. So, so using an API, first means that we can bring in all these competitors, all these different views into a Google Sheet and use that tool data much more efficiently. And you'll find that with all of your SEO tools. So start and start really hammering the API and see what you can get through the API, rather than the tool interface itself.
And I'll give you an extra tip here. If you are managing multiple markets, or or even kind of your multiple parts of business, you can actually stick Google Analytics into your Data Studio reports. And providing you've got a good way of naming your individual screens, you'll see the usage of each of those reports. So you can prove the usage across the organisation. Cause you see how many people logged in, how frequently they logged in, and how they're actually interacting and engaging with the reports that you're making?
So where do we go next? Next question.
Well, like I say we become a use case for data pipelining. SEO has become a use case for data pipelining. We're now getting access to data that we never got before. As I said, footfall data incredibly useful for local SEO. Cost per store visit this is a metric that Google's been pushing, where they can tie the cost per store visit to a certain keyword through paid paid search. So we're getting that data pipelined into the system. We're getting internal search, we're getting log files that we're now uploading. We put copies of Screaming Frog into Google Cloud. And you're then running crawls automatically and then importing that CSV information into your database to have information on your URL level. So you can start to bring in all kinds of data into this framework.
And we're using this framework in our tactical development in our tactics within SEO. So when I get a challenge around Page Speed, or Edge SEO, or something like this, I'm using this framework as the basis for these strategies. We're working out which reports we can create in the action section that will support the SEO PAC or activity we're going to do. And then we visualise again, so we're providing the data measuring right from the start. So it's really supporting this whole idea of kind of, you know, measure, test, learn, which is future-proofing and really advancing our SEO in the organisation.
So yeah, I hope that's interesting. If you got any questions and please grab me, I'll be more willing to talk to you about them. But thank you.
### What makes your SEO fail (and how to fix it)
BrightonSEO
https://youtu.be/OHcTyUT-8aM
In today’s competitive market, SEO marketing is more important than ever. Search engines serve millions of users per day looking for answers to their questions or for solutions to their problems.
On the other side, SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is rapidly changing from one year to the next, with new algorithms constantly emerging and Google frequently editing their webmaster guidelines. To give your website a competitive edge you have to adapt quickly. But very often we see the SEO strategy of many companies failing to deliver results.
Your SEO strategy
Here’s a newsflash for you: Your SEO strategy isn’t failing because Google’s got it out for you or because you’re suffering from some mysterious penalty.Though it can be tempting to explain away your website’s failure to advance in the organic SERPs as being caused by factors outside of your control, very often the truth is that you are failing because your SEO strategy is failing and not because there is a lack of knowledge.
https://www.slideshare.net/aleydasolis/what-makes-your-seo-fail-and-how-to-fix-it-brightonseo
What makes your SEO fail (and how to fix it) - Aleyda Solis at BrightonSEO
Aleyda Solis at BrightonSEO
In this session, Aleyda Solis will go through the main causes of SEO processes failure - from a lack of organic search growth, expectations mismatch, delayed technical implementation, non-existing content support, to communication challenges…she will go through the main scenarios that challenge the successful execution of the SEO process and provide actionable tips to fix them or avoid them.
Aleyda Solis and Omi Sido at BrightonSEO
What is BrightonSEO?
BrightonSEO is one of the most popular search marketing conferences among SEO specialists.This conference takes place twice a year and brings together some of the best speakers in the world of search, and definitely the best crowd.
Wheater you are completely new to the world of SEO or you are an SEO veteran attending the Brighton SEO conference is a fantastic way to be thrown in at the deep end.
### Women In Digital - The Industry | SearchLeeds 2019
https://youtu.be/yQCvXT4rHfM
Despite the UK’s tech sector growing almost three times faster than the rest of the economy and despite the fact that the UK ranks third in the world for total capital invested in tech companies only 17% of those working in the UK technology sector are female.
Why are there so few females in the industry?
The idea that the technology sector is not an industry for women is still wildly spread and it has kept many girls from even trying.
We have a duty to change this perception and make women feel welcome into the Digital World, regardless of whether it’s their first career choice coming out of university or if they’re transferring from a different industry.
We have a duty to give them the confidence to bravely step forward. Because let's face you have to be very brave to step into a male-dominated industry where old prejudices can still run rife. But without those brave individuals, nothing will change. And we can’t risk our technological future on that.
There’s no doubt that we need more women in tech. UK's future is digital and it is in our hands to make it inclusive. Women and girls cannot be left out of the digital transformation of our economy and our society.
In this talk hosted by Kristal Ireland, some of the UK industry’s biggest personalities share their experiences and discuss the peaks and troughs that come with the career of a Digital Marketer.
With Kristal Ireland at SearchLeeds 2019
What is SearchLeeds?
SearchLeeds is the biggest search conference in the North of England. A free one-day event created to bring together the brightest and best of search. No sales pitches – just actionable advice in the UK’s SEO capital.
### The State Of Pagination And Infinite Scroll On The Web
https://youtu.be/C1OHoGgpjCo
In March this year, Google announced that it had stopped supporting (for at least a couple of years!) the rel=prev/next markup that is used to indicate when a page is part of a larger set of pages in terms of pagination.
That's a bit strange as they have been advocating using it until very recently. This announcement substantially changes classic strategic considerations for e-commerce catalogues, multi-page articles and blog taxonomies – all page types that make up a considerable portion of the internet.
https://twitter.com/googlewmc/status/1108726443251519489
What do I need to do for SEO without rel=prev/next?
To be honest with you not a lot. In fact absolutely nothing. It makes sense that if the rel=prev/next markup had not been used as an indexing signal for some time then it hasn’t really affected you for the past few years.
The Search Giant's advice is to continue doing whatever you are currently doing with pagination, and if you aren’t currently having issues then you will be fine. You also do not need to go in and remove pagination.
Thinking about it while Google may have dropped this from their ranking algorithm, there are other search engines out there that use this as a signal. For example, although Bing doesn't use it to merge individual pages into one set, it does use it for discoverability and understanding the structure of a site.
Adam Gent at BrightonSEO 2019
In this talk, Adam Gent (DeepCrawl) dives deep into the current implementations of pagination and infinite scroll across the web and talks about how sites can achieve technical excellence when creating a paginated series on mobile and desktop websites.
https://twitter.com/Adoubleagent/status/1090575931612282880
https://www.slideshare.net/AdamGent3/the-state-of-the-web-pagination-and-infinite-scroll
### How To Bag Sexy AF SEO Revenue Growth with Your Discontinued Products
https://youtu.be/k6l5z63mvVI
It's inevitable that at one point products on e-commerce websites will have to be retired as they become temporarily or permanently unavailable. Despite the commonality of this event, it can be challenging to know what to do with product pages for which you don’t have any product to sell. After all, it’s not as straightforward as leaving a page untouched or simply deleting it. So without a doubt, online merchants have to proactively deal with the situation to preserve their e-commerce site’s SEO.
So what should be done with these pages to ensure SEO health and positive UX?
As with much in the world of SEO, there’s not necessarily one correct answer to the question of what to do with your discontinued product pages: similarly, the approach you take will depend on a number of variables, including (but not limited to):
Was the page actually getting organic traffic? Does the page have valuable backlinks? Or even how many backlinks?Is the product temporarily out of stock, or has been discontinued for good?Has the current product being replaced by an updated model or version of the product.
In this talk, Luke Carthy will take you through you some super-relevant examples showcasing what NOT to do with your discontinued products. He will also show you some real-world examples that achieved 20% SEO revenue growth in less than 60 days. Not just that but he will also provide you with actionable advice that you can take away and include straight away in your digital marketing strategy.
Luke Carthy and Omi Sido
BrightonSEO 2019
BrightonSEO – is a major search marketing event in the UK. One of our favourite events of the year, This is a superb conference for search marketing professionals, novice or expert. BrightonSEO is a chance to learn from some of the best minds in search, and then rub shoulders with them at one of the friendliest, and largest, gatherings of Digital Marketers in Europe.
### Cultivating Happiness - The Sunday Talk
https://youtu.be/PoGb14fHtcs
Sometimes on a Monday morning, you are thinking "Oh my God, this week gonna be so busy. I've got two online webinars, one round table and I have to go to France for a two-day OnCrawl training. I'm gonna be so tired at the end of this week. But then you are thinking " Wait a minute, one day I'm gonna be old. I'm not gonna have anything to do. and I'm not gonna have anything to remember if I don't do much now. So suddenly "I've got too much to do this week" becomes "Oh my God, I have to do more."
I need some coffee.
It's Monday afternoon and I am 'OnCrawl In Orbit' webinar ready. In about 10 minutes I'm gonna be talking to the amazing Alexis Sanders. I don't know her personally and I missed her talk last year at BrightonSEO. But what I know is she is an amazing Digital Marketer with a lot of experience. And as we know experience is a master teacher even when it's not our own.
New perspectives on duplicate content
New perspectives on duplicate content
Hi guys and welcome to the final episode of SEO in Orbit webinar series where OnCrawl will be sending Technical SEO tips in space.One small step for technical SEO - you know I'm gonna do that, right, you know that right. I have to.
One small step for technical SEO, one giant leap for mankind.
So today's webinar is called 'New perspectives on duplicate content' and if you have any questions during the webinar please use the question box in the webinar window, or use the #SEOinOrbit hashtag on Twitter
This year I've decided to change the way I look. For a very long time, I've been saying I wanna change this, I wanna change that but nothing ever happened cause I'm gonna be honest with you: if you want to change the impossible the change has to happen here. Not here and not here - by the way, this is a muscle too. The change has to happen here.
Cause if you can't change your mind you will never be able to change anything major in your life.
On my way to Bordeaux, France. In a way, it feels so unreal that I'm going from this weather - yeah, it's a bit sunny now but it's generally cold - to 40C. Hopefully, the wine gonna be good.
Bordeaux is a beautiful city in a picturesque setting on the River Garonne. It’s like a more laid back version of Paris with equally handsome limestone buildings that, given the right light, emanate a gorgeous golden glow.
My first day in Bordeaux, France. I've just woke up, ironed my shirt and my trousers and then I checked the temperature. It's gonna be like 40C and I am like screw that. Today I'm gonna be doing Craig Campbell. By the way, have you ever seen such a small and cute iron? Good luck ironing your XXL shirt.
Surround yourself with the right people
Oh my God, it's 7 o'clock. Last night, this morning I came back home at 5 o'clock. There was a problem with EasyJet. And in two hours I am meeting a client. But first I wanted to say, Oncrawl people thank you very much for inviting me to your event and giving me the opportunity to spend two days with people like Bill Hartzer, Señor Muñoz, Murat Yatagan, Serbay Ayzit, obviously Señor Muñoz, Miguel Pascual. Honestly people in two days, in two days these people gave me more ideas than all the conferences I've been to in the last two years. Or the way people say:
If you wanna be successful surround yourself with the right people.
Bill Hartzer
P.S. Bill Hartzer is one of the first people who agreed to be interviewed by me 3-4 years ago when nobody knew me. Bill, thank you very much, man. You can see my hair. Thank you very much, man. I am so happy that we managed to finally see each other face to face, share ideas and opinions. Thank you very much, man. I am forever grateful.
The Sunday Talk
We are constantly bombarded with messages about what makes us happy. Digital marketers like me tell you that happiness comes from owning and consuming their products. The media tells you that happiness comes from being famous and rich. The government tells you that happiness comes from growing the economy. But Omi Sido, yes Omi Sido tells you that:
Happiness comes from going to new places, meeting new people, trying new food.
Noticing, noticing the world around you.
Talking about happiness I am on my way to the pub to watch a game of cricket and make my cricket loving friends happy. But you do come back here next week cause you've got the questions and I've got the answers to your happiness. Peace.
### The Sunday Talk - SearchLeeds Happiness
https://youtu.be/sGKDyYUkFlQ
SearchLeeds 2019
It's Monday and I want to say something inspirational but then this week we are all going to SearchLeeds 2019. And what's more inspirational than meeting talented digital marketers like Samantha Noble, Jennifer Hoffman gonna be there, Arianne Donoghue gonna be there, Kristal Ireland gonna be there. Hey, Jon Myers gonna be there. This Monday instead of waiting for the weekend we are all waiting to go to SearchLeeds 2019.
You know what? I'm gonna call this week's Sunday Talk SearchLeeds Happiness. See you soon, guys.
On my way to SearchLeeds and I'm gonna be honest with you I hate waking up in the morning. I'm more like coffee and a muffin person.
The weather is so good today. Why don't you come out, do some pushups and then you can go back home and have some barbecue chicken and spare pork ribs. It's a win-win situation for all of us.
It's so cold. The next morning. I am super tired and my whole body is aching. Yesterday I woke up around 5 O'Clock to go all the way up to Leeds. Came back around 10 O'Clock in the evening after not eating and standing most of the time all day. I was editing Britney Muller's video till 1 O'Clock, answered some emails, well I went to bed around 3 O'Clock. 24 hours working day. Was it worth it? Man, Britney Muller, Jennifer Hoffman, Sam Noble delivered value. They made me so happy. SearchLeeds happiness. Now it's 7 O'Clock and I have to go to work.
I’ve always found that exercise is the one thing that makes me feel great, healthy and full of energy. I don’t feel as tired or lethargic when I exercise and it makes me happy and content in myself.
The Sunday Talk
Boom and just like that it's Sunday again. If I have to summarise this week: I saw a lot of you, I talked to a lot f you and I am happy. Next week, actually tomorrow, I am interviewing Alexis Sanders on duplicate content and then I am off to Bordeaux - France for a two-day OnCrawl training. But you do come back next week cause you've got the questions and I've got the answers. Peace.
### Machine learning for SEOs | SearchLeeds 2019
https://youtu.be/8n6YbiInJ7A
What is machine learning?
When it comes to Machine Learning (ML), everyone immediately thinks Artificial Intelligence and futuristic-type products like self-driving cars or Siri. So nowadays everybody is talking about it. Looking around only some really know how to do it. But everyone thinks everyone else is doing it so, everyone claims they’re doing it, too.
So what is Machine Learning really?
For a start Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are two separate entities that just so happen to complement each other and it's only fair to say that Machine Learning - similar to Deep Learning - is a subset of Artificial Intelligence.
While artificial intelligence (AI) aims to harness certain aspects of the “thinking” mind, Machine Learning focuses on the ability of machines to receive a set of data and learn for themselves, changing algorithms as they learn more about the information they’re processing.
How do we apply Machine Learning to Digital Marketing?
Machine Learning enables organisations to leverage large datasets to develop customer insights, incorporate external data sources such as competitive insights and weather data, analyse shopping histories, interpret and categorise behaviours and create actionable insights and customer-specific personalisation.
Or in simple words, ML can help you find hidden knowledge in available consumer data to streamline your digital marketing processes.
Machine learning tips for SEO
In this session by Britney Muller, you’ll understand Machine Learning basics, what ML can be used for, examples of ML solving SEO tasks and executable programs you can start using immediately.
https://www.slideshare.net/Muller-Marketing-Inc/machine-learning-for-seos-searchleeds-britney-muller
Who is Britney Muller?
Britney Muller - a Senior SEO Scientist at MOZ and a proud Minnesota native, graduated from the University Of Minnesota – Twin Cities with a major in Strategic Communications – Public Relations.
Britney Muller and Omi Sido at SearchLeeds
Data is Britney’s yellow brick road. She knows just how to optimise businesses online and offline conversion rates through in-depth geo-local target market and customer acquisition research. Britney Muller stays on top of her game by pivoting strategy month-by-month via google analytic evaluations, taking any new algorithmic changes into effect, dynamic targeting, A/B testing, eye tracking and multi-channel content evaluations.
Video Transcript: Machine Learning for SEOs
Search Leeds. How's everyone doing? Good, good, good. Good. I am so excited. We're gonna have so much fun. All right. So a lot of you have probably heard about Elon Musk. Right. Our last speaker just talked about Steve Jobs.
I'm going to say a little something about Elon.
So Musk started this company called Open AI. And the whole initiative of this company was basically to further the space of Machine Learning and AI. And so the idea was that they want to propel things forward a little quicker and open source everything. So they want to make this available to everyone. Didn't really go as planned. So just a couple months ago, they, unfortunately, unveiled that their text generator was too good, essentially too dangerous to release to the public. This came as a little bit shocking news, you know, based on their entire mission statement. And on one hand, some of you might be thinking, is this a PR stunt? You know? Are they full of shit? What's going on here? Or is this legitimate? And so, I took a closer look at this because they were able to reveal the basically boiled back version of this generator. And so I thought it might be kind of cool to show you all today what that looks like.
So in order to generate text, you have to start with a word or sentence or a paragraph, and the more you can feed it, the better. A lot of you have probably use smart compose in Gmail, right? Where it predicts what your next word or next few words might be based off of what you're emailing someone. Exact same principles here. And so when I put in 'Search Leeds is going to be the best SEO conference of all time, because' gives me this: because it is the only one where both experts and people who don't know what they're doing can learn. And they're getting lots of useful tips from experts. You can check this page to find the best websites with SEO, and the best resources for your site at this conference.
This goes on to explain that this event is there's a free event called SEO on-demand in every state in America. It gives you a date and a time and a link. And some of you might be wondering, what is that all about? And this link doesn't go to anywhere. This is literally just a Machine Learning model that is read so much SEO tax and so much text in general. They know that there's a call to action on most pages. And so they have automatically generated this stuff.
And it's just going to get better and better and better.
It's wild. What a time to be alive, people. This is crazy. If you take one thing away from this talk today, I hope it's this.
Machine Learning is becoming more and more accessible to all of us. And it's going to free us up to work on much higher level more strategic work. It's exciting, right? And there's a lot of chatter about the displacement of jobs. And I would like to argue that there should be a conversation around the displacement of jobs to people who use these tools. And so that's what I want to give each and every one of you today. Is how we can start to navigate these waters and what you can do with them. And I'm confident that by the end of this, every single one of you can use Machine Learning or put a model on your computer today. It's, it's easier than you think.
So we're going to go through some examples that I hope you enjoy. And then we're going to break down what is Machine Learning? Like what is this actual stuff? What's going on? And then I'm going to hand over all the tools and resources necessary to get you started. That sound good? Okay.
All right. So this is one great example of AI being able to read so much text and compress information, allowing, in this case, it was JP Morgan to work on higher-level things, right? They were able to automate the absorption of hours and hours of finance material. That's wild. You can do the same sort of thing for your topic, for your industry, for your space. It can also do things like predict what's in front of a camera. And sometimes it gets things right. Sometimes it gets things wrong, sometimes it's just funny. You know, it's really strange and interesting. And I actually brought this model today just to try out because I did this at a conference recently and I like to see what it thinks the audience is. So let's see. It says, wig my hair, isn't it? Spotlight spot? So might be a little too, bright? Does anyone want to come grab this so that you guys can pass it around the audience and just play with it a little bit? No. Okay. Really, no one wants to check this out. It's pretty hilarious. Okay, I'm just gonna leave it right here. If any of you start feeling crazy, come check it out. It's hilarious. You can do all sorts of weird stuff like that, right?
And I want to be very clear. I have absolutely no clue what I'm doing in the world of Machine Learning. This stuff is so complex and strange. And I sort of like to think of myself as just the best thief ever. Right? I come across these models and I see potential in other spaces. And so I will look at something that someone has already built and apply it to something completely different. And that's sort of what I want to challenge you to do today as I go through these examples. One example of this is I came across the Shakespeare model. And so this was released somewhat recently, and it looks at tonnes and tonnes of text of Shakespeare. And it creates entirely new stories, new characters, new drama, new, whatever, it's wild. And so the normal adult that I am, I was like 'well, what could I do with this?' Right? And I thought, what if I combined text from two different people, right, like Rand Fishkin and Beyoncé. What if I take articles of text that Rand has written about SEO and search and combine it with the entire Lemonade album? So that's what I did. And their first album isn't so great because I only trained it on 10 iterate iterations, those are called epochs. And at this point in the training, it's still making up words, it's still just kind of not doing so great. But once I got it up to around 100 epochs, they made some pretty cool wraps. This, you can find their entire album at that Bitly link. It's pretty ridiculous. And it's funny to see the output of this model. It knows how a song is laid out, right. And it even knows how to rhyme. And it will use different things that Rand has said, and it's hilarious. But these are the sort of things I want you all to think about. Because you are all the domain experts. You are all the ones that have very specific expertise in what it is that you do on a day to day basis. And these are the tools that can make your life so much easier that can automate some of those things and help all of us essentially level up.
So you're probably wondering, okay, that's great, but how can some of this stuff more aptly apply to SEO or digital marketing? So there's all sorts of tools already available. This one for content research was mentioned by Kameron Jenkins. I think you say it fozzy, frizzy, but it automates the research of shared content around a particular topic. It can even start to outline blog posts for you, and put together questions and answers. It's super, super powerful, again, just freeing you up to work on higher-level things.
Do you know that you can automate videos, literally automate the generation of videos? This is a tool called Lumen5. Shout out to Nikki Moser who told me about this. You basically put in a bunch of texts and you can use this for free and it will generate a media based on the text that you enter. So it's using natural language processing to understand what your text is about, and to find pictures and images to go with your video that suit the material. It's incredible stuff. And obviously, it's not going to be perfect, right? A lot. None of this stuff is going to be perfect. But it's going to get you a lot of the way there, most of the way there. Right. It's exciting.
Automate transcriptions. So lots of us probably listen to podcasts. Some of us in this room probably create podcasts. And the average podcast listener consumes seven episodes a week. That is wild. And the little SEO inside of me just dies a little bit thinking about that content, not being translated to search, right, aside from Google Now indexing them. But for you for your site. Why would you not want to transcribe the audio content to make it work better for you. And there's all sorts of material out there that is doing this really, really quickly and cost-effectively. My favourite go-to is Amazon transcribe. You can literally transcribe an hour's worth of audio within a couple minutes for pennies. And it also delineates person, one from person to all the way up to 10 people. Which is pretty incredible. There's going to be typos, and it's not going to be perfect. But again, it's going to get you most of the way there.
You can automate image optimisation. This stuff is really, really exciting, especially those of you that deal with really large websites with 10s of thousands of skews of images, right. Think of something like Macy's or a large department store. I came across this model years ago called TensorFlow for poets. It's available to all of you online and only takes about 15 minutes to do. And basically what it does is it trains a model to recognise and predict flower or pictures of flowers. So it will tell you what type of flower it is. Now, when you're playing around with these models, I challenge you to break the shit. Like that's what it's there for. And so what I did was I looked at, well how is it doing this. What's going on on my computer? And it was literally just a file system of folders of the specific types of flowers. And I thought, Okay, this is interesting. What if I add a folder myself.
And so this folder name 'pumpkin' is after my pet snake pumpkin, and I was able to source I think, maybe 50 images of Ball Pythons from the internet and I put them all in this folder. And then I uploaded a picture of my adorable little pumpkin and it, sure enough, predicts within 99.7% confidence that this is pumpkin. It's amazing. It wasn't that many images to get it to be this good. So just consider the fact that you can customise models like this to fit your needs to solve solutions that you're working on, and really to help scale image optimisation.
Pretty exciting stuff.
The ability to automate meta descriptions is incredible. So, again, for those of you that are working on really large sites, it's not viable to write meta descriptions for every single one of those pages. It's just not possible.
So in order to, you know, get something unique on all of those 10s or hundreds of thousands of pages, you can use different models like this, that basically take these algorithms that do content summarisation. And so this was a model I found on Algorithmia, which is a great tool. You can literally just plug and play different models to whatever you need them to do. And then we were able to plug it into AWS. And then into Google Sheets, and we have all the steps here for you.
So you need to find the lambda developer. Granted, this looks somewhat complicated, and it is, but it is getting easier. And I have an example at the very end that is a bit simpler than this.
But this would work too if you have, if you have the resources to someone that can implement this, or if you yourself could implement it. Pretty exciting stuff and shout out to Jared Oaks and Grayson Parks who you should definitely follow, who are really at the cutting edge of this stuff. They are building incredible applications in the world of data science and marketing, online marketing, and SEO. So this is just the tip of the iceberg. We could go on and on with these examples forever. I mean, it's really an exciting space. And this is just the very beginning. And so again, I challenge you all to consider the ways in which these different models can assist you and co-workers and the industry. And there's already people that are innovating in this space. Major shout out to Dan, who I think might be in here.
But he, yeah. I mean, Dan has took it upon himself to create a Google Sheet that basically automates the intense categorisation of keywords. That's incredible, right? There are really amazing people in our space and even geographically in this area, that are doing incredible things. So I highly, highly suggest, you know, following and supporting these people and you yourself helping to innovate all of us because, I mean, we all just level up which is so much fun. So big thanks to Dan.
So again, this Machine Learning it's going to free us up to work on higher-level strategy. That's what it's all about. So what is it? What heck is happening under the hood? And how can we talk intellectually or accurately about this type of stuff with clients and coworkers. So to break this down a little bit. Machine learning, it's a subset of AI. And for the record, anytime you hear the word AI 99.9999% of the time, it's Machine Learning. We have not yet reached AI.
But we'd love to use the word for some reason.
What exactly is Machine Learning?
So Machine Learning, it's a subset of AI. And it combines statistics and programming to give computers the ability to learn without explicitly being programmed. These things are able to identify patterns, and computation them at a level so far beyond the human mind, that it's just blowing different fields on the water. It's really, really exciting space.
And what a typical model, this is very general, but it looks something like this.
So it starts with tonnes and tonnes. Not it depends on how much data you, your model requires. But let's just say it starts with hundreds to hopefully thousands of labelled training data. So whatever it is you're trying to get this model to learn, you want to have clean labelled training data. Now you want to save a chunk of that data for the end. You can't train the entire model on all of your data. Otherwise, you don't know how well you did. So you have to train, you have to take a set of that and save it to test and see how well the model does once you've trained it.
And so how does it learn? How the heck does that work beyond that's the general flow. It learns through basic linear regression. And so it's able to identify when it's incorrect, how far off that is. It's also known as squared meaning or mean squared error or the loss function. And so that's a tries to get a lower and lower loss. That's the whole goal of these models. And what starts to happen is you might start out on the very left-hand side here, where your curve isn't fitting to any of the data points very well, like it's kind of around there. But you want a really nice smooth slope. What you don't want to do is the far right. You don't want to fit every single data point, because it doesn't allow for new instances of data.
And the best example of that, is this. Right? This is overfitting. It doesn't allow for new positions. It doesn't allow for anything in that space, which is crazy. So you want to be really careful to not overfit data. So if Machine Learning was a car, data would be the fuel. Most of Machine Learning is just all about training data. And it's all about cleaning data and finding data. That's why we see Google stealing stuff from us like this. Guess what they're doing. We are labelling training data for all of the large companies right now. We're doing it all the time. We don't even know it. Who here did the 10 year challenge? Guess what they're using that for? That's now being built into this beautiful age prediction model. Right, which can be really incredible for certain instances, like you think of kidnappings and predicting what they look like years from now. That's amazing. But it can also be used for really scary things.
So you want to be mindful that these things are happening. And we are openly feeding our data to these huge tech companies. I mean, I use the Google keyboard, and up there at IO this year in their keynote, they talk about how they are using the text that we are entering in the keyboard to be predictive of everyone else. They are literally iterating this Machine Learning model of text prediction, based on what we all say. It's crazy, right? This stuff is happening so quickly and so fast. But again, if we can use some of this stuff to our advantage and be mindful of the things we can use it for, it's going to help us do more strategic work.
All right, so what are the tools and stuff that you can walk away with today to help get you started?
I would like you all to think of this, as you know, it's going to get easier and easier. It's going to be more and more accessible. And just think of this stuff as plug and play things that you can use for the things that you do or for the services that you provide.
First and foremost, I highly suggest everyone check out Code Labs. Labs is a place to go on Google where they walk you through step by step implementation of Machine Learning. So go to Code Labs, I would suggest filtering this category. I believe it's by TensorFlow or Machine Learning. Either category will get you to some of those models. But this again is kind of what teaches you what goes into something like this. This is where I found that TensorFlow for poets model that you should definitely check out. And I, again, this takes you not even 20 minutes on your local computer. And you start to have an understanding of what is required to do some of this stuff.
Colab notebooks are incredibly powerful. There's any developers in the room or anyone that's worked with Jupiter notebooks. This is basically the online Google Drive version. And you can literally collaborate with others, which is pretty exciting. And Google's kind of dangling a carrot in front of our face on this one, because they're giving us free GPU. If you see that green connected, checkmark, that means that you're able to access free GPU power, meaning you can do these things so much faster than you could on your own and on your own local computer. Again, why? I'm, I'm sure they love checking out what people are working on. Right? They love getting additional training information. Wild. MonkeyLearn is a really good tool that has basically pre-baked models. They also have a Google Sheets add on, which is pretty powerful. And you can get to do all sorts of things right within Google Sheets. Algorithmia as I mentioned before, basically packages up models and these beautiful little packages that you can, again, plug and play it to do whatever it is that you might want for your work.
This is the craziest thing. So I will say, exploring in this space and having so much fun, just learning about Machine Learning and testing stuff out and digging around online I find stuff like this, that I feel like most SEOs and most marketers aren't even aware that it's available. Google's own natural language, like model, their API is available online. It's available in a way that you can just paste in your text and you can see what it categorises your content as. You can take this a step further, and you can put in your competitors and you can cross-compare, okay? How are they categorising my competitors contents that's ranking above me versus mine?
And then you can even look at that on an entity level. So if you literally just go to Google, if you google Natural Language API, and then you just scroll down, you get to this section. And you have all of these tabs available to look at sentiment, syntax categories, you name it. Really powerful stuff.
This came out a couple days ago and I want to squeeze it in because source lots of people have been saying that rev.com is the most accurate audio transcription tool available today, which is quite exciting. I haven't had a chance to check it out yet, but highly suggest you do. That's pretty cutting edge. If you need Transcription in real-time, Google has cloud speech to text. So this could literally be transcribing the things I'm saying right now, which is pretty exciting. Image net is the largest online source of labelled images. This is where I got those images of Ball Pythons. It's incredibly robust. I have a love-hate relationship with image net that maybe you can ask me about later if you want. But it's very interesting space. This g.co/teachablemachine. You can build a model like this without touching one line of code. So Google's trying to make this so so easy for you to play around with this stuff and make things happen just using your computer camera. So here I'm just doing different things that produce a specific type of animal. It's goofy.
Paul Shapiro is another one of the cutting edge individuals in this space who's applying data science and SEO. And he came out with this way to do automatic meta descriptions. A different way than what I had previously mentioned. I highly suggest you check that out and some of his other content. I swear to God, this guy is living in 2040. It's insane. Paul, also years ago, built something that basically can automate 301 redirects. Yes, 301 redirects. It crawls archive.org of your site from months previous, and it cross compares it to your current index pages. And if one is missing, it looks up like a similar syntactic page and automatically redirects it within your htaccess file.
How wild is that? Like this stuff is happening and has been happening and the more of us that are willing to explore it and to apply it. It's just going to help us level up and move forward. So really cool stuff highly suggest you check that out.
Kaggle is the largest platform for data science competitions. And it's most interesting to me to just keep an eye on what the heck is happening in the space. Who is, you know, putting up millions of dollars for specific tasks and what are they. So it's a little eerie to me that the TSA is has put up a bid on passenger screening, right, and you have to remember these models are only as good as their training data. So if this model is just the least bit biassed, if it's the least bit racist, the output will be too which is terrifying. So moving forward in the space, diversity is paramount to the success of this field. It's really, really critical that we start having more of these conversations because this is happening more and more. The technology to make this stuff possible is just getting better and better and better and cheaper.
We are now talking about disposable AI. There are many computers so cheap, it's a couple dollars. And you can put entire models on the cloud that can be pushed through these disposable AI. There's a conference recently where they had built a disposable AI for Uber and Lyft drivers to put in their vehicles. And it would notify them if a passenger left anything behind. And there's no security concerns because nothing is getting saved. Nothing is going to the server. It's all sitting on these machines and vanishing as soon as it happens, similar to the demo I showed.
So I take pride I never sell on stage. I think that's, that's like the most uncomfortable thing to watch and to be a part of, but I have to say just this one thing about our data science team at Moz. And it is that we are working on some incredible groundbreaking features for SEOs to help make your jobs easier and more effective. And I couldn't be more excited to release some of that stuff for you guys. So just want to let you know that. Some other material to get started. And you can all these slides online will make them available. Some advanced resources, some of the stuff is really, really fun, if you want to check it out.
And then finally, what did we learn? What what was all of this about? So we know that Machine learning it combines statistics and programming. And the models are only as good as the data. Each and every one of you. I am so so confident could create a model today, even on this next break. And if you want to do that, and if you're curious about that, please come see me. I'm happy to help talk to you about that. This is just, this is going to help us level up as an industry. This is going to help us evolve into the next phases of Digital Marketing and SEO and it's so so damn exciting. And again, diversity could not be more paramount in machine mearning. It's a good thing to be aware of.
So that's it for me. Thank you guys so much.
### Predicting the Impact of Technical SEO changes
https://youtu.be/MYI_4TFkgJc
Predicting the Impact of Technical SEO changes
Technical SEO is a vital component of any website's search engine optimisation efforts and digital strategy. It pertains to the technical elements of a website that influence its position in the search engine results pages (SERPs).
One of the significant challenges that digital marketers and SEOs face is predicting the impact of technical SEO changes on a website's performance. It's important to note that not all technical SEO changes have a positive impact, and some may even have a negative effect on a website's search engine visibility.
Technical SEO impact
To predict the impact of technical SEO changes accurately, it's crucial to consider the following factors:
The purpose of the technical SEO change: Every technical SEO change should have a specific objective. For example, you may implement a change to reduce your site's page load time, improve crawlability or indexing, or improve user experience. Understanding the intended purpose of the change is crucial in predicting its potential impact on the site.
The current state of the website: Before implementing any technical SEO changes, it's important to conduct a thorough analysis of the website's current state. This analysis should include assessing the website's current traffic using a tool like Google Analytics 4, rankings using a tool like SE Ranking, and the overall performance of the site. This analysis will provide a baseline for measuring the impact of the technical SEO changes.
The type of technical SEO change: There are various types of technical SEO changes, including changes to URL structure (website migration), meta tags, schema markup, canonical tags, and others. Each type of technical SEO change has a unique impact on the website. For example, changes to URL structure may impact crawlability and indexing, while changes to meta tags may impact click-through rates from the SERPs.
The magnitude of the technical SEO change: The magnitude of the technical SEO change also plays a significant role in predicting its impact on the website's performance. A minor change, such as updating a meta description, may have a negligible impact on the site's ranking. In contrast, a significant change, such as implementing HTTPS or changing the site's URL structure, may have a more significant (sometimes catastrophic) impact.
The competitive landscape: The competitive landscape of a website's industry and niche is also essential in predicting the impact of technical SEO changes. If the website is in a highly competitive industry, even small technical SEO changes may have a significant impact on its online visibility.
The search engine algorithm updates: The algorithms used by search engines, such as Google or Bing, are constantly evolving. Changes to search engine algorithms may impact a website's ranking with or without any technical SEO development, and it's important to keep up with these changes when predicting the impact of technical SEO changes.
In conclusion, predicting the impact of technical SEO changes is crucial to the success of any website's SEO efforts. It's essential to consider various factors, such as the purpose of the technical SEO change, the current state of the website, the type and magnitude of the change, the competitive landscape, and algorithm updates.
With this information, website owners and SEO professionals can make data-informed decisions about the technical SEO changes they implement and predict their potential impact on the site's performance.
Who is Francois Goube?
Francois Goube is a French entrepreneur and digital marketing expert. He is the founder and CEO of OnCrawl, an award-winning Technical SEO Platform (tool) that helps online businesses to improve their website performance and search engine visibility in order to drive increased ROI. Goube has over 15 years of experience in digital marketing and has worked with a range of clients, from small businesses to large corporations.
Francois Goube with Borislav Arapchev and Omi Sido at BrightonSEO
In addition to his work at OnCrawl, Francois Goube is also a frequent speaker at digital marketing conferences like BrightonSEO and We Love SEO and has published articles in a variety of industry publications. He is known for his expertise in technical SEO and his ability to develop innovative solutions to complex search engine optimisation challenges.
He is also known for In his weird passion for analysing Google’s patents in his free time.
Slides
https://www.slideshare.net/OnCrawl/predict-the-impact-of-technical-seo-changes-brightonseo
### Gamification: How to level up your link building
https://youtu.be/h6_c1ayHPdc
Gamification: How to level up your link building
Becky Simms will take you on a gamification journey, starting with context and why. This swiftly leads into the how and most importantly how this can have an impact for your SEO strategy.
Spoiler alert, although the title gave it away too, links are the key match between gamification and SEO. Becky Simms explains how to design a gamification campaign that has links at the heart of it and the steps you should follow to ensure the best results possible. Meaning after watching this video you should feel confident as to how you would approach a gamification campaign in your business.
Finally, Becky Simms will take you through some case studies to really put into perspective what is possible.
Who is Becky Simms?
Becky Simms has spent the last 10+ years working in digital marketing. In 2011 she established Reflect Digital, which 8 years later has resulted in an award-winning team of 24 based in Kent. As an agency Reflect Digital work with businesses and brands to fuel growth. Client’s range from household names to lesser known brands many of which still play a part in our every day lives.Becky has previously been awarded Young Entrepreneur of the year at the KEIBA’s and was runner up Digital Leader in the 2016 Wirehive Awards.
Becky Simms
With a keen eye on tangible impact, Becky leads her team to continually challenge the norm – pushing boundaries and always going over and above to deliver to a high standard.
Becky is heavily involved in inspiring students to consider a digital career, working with schools, colleges and universities. This culminated in putting on Aspiration Digital, a conference for over 200 students in November 2018. There are plans to continue to grow this to ensure Becky and the team are doing their bit to combat the ever-increasing skills gap in the digital marketplace.
What is the Digital Elite Day?
Digital Elite Day is a one day of intensive SEO and CRO sessions designed to boost your knowledge, grow your network and scale up your skills for tomorrow.
Digital Elite Day joins together Search Elite and Conversion Elite. Two powerful tracks, one elite conference.
### What makes us happy? - The Sunday Talk
https://youtu.be/w3iHpOoA9PY
Guys, this week gonna be great. Why do I think that? Well, because I am in a good mood. And when I am in a good mood I only have positive thoughts in my head. Think about it. Meanwhile, you are probably thinking, you are probably wondering "Omi, where on Earth are you? Is this a golf course? Are those people actually playing golf?"Yes, this is a golf course and the Canon building is over there. And I am on my break. Why on Earth would I be working in zone one? Why?
People see me online riding my bike every single day. So today I had a very strange question on LinkedIn. Omi, what is the best motorcycle jacket? To this question, I've got two answers.
What is the best motorcycle jacket for protection?
When I was young the best motorcycle jacket was the one that made me look cool. Like a gangster. I was the man on the road. Nowadays the best motorcycle jacket is the one that gives me a lot of protection. And the one that makes me visible. Very, very - shall I repeat this one again - very visible on the road.
We live and we learn.
So let me tell you what I think. People always want more: more money, more fame, a better car, more organic visits. But nobody, absolutely nobody is asking the fundamental question. Do I deserve more? What have a done recently to deserve more? So let me give you my 3 steps to success. Or shall I say 3 steps to be happy?
Step One: Define your dreams. What do you really, really, really, really want? And what do you really, really, really, really need? Step Two: What will it cost? Are you ready to pay the price? Are you ready to pay the price? Step Three: What actions are required to get you there? It's about time you get up and start moving your ass towards your goals.
Just had an interesting conversation with a client online and I realised that the 'curse of wanting too much' is absolutely everywhere.
We think that we need more food than we do so we overeat.We think that we need more money than we do so we overwork.And listen to this one. We think that we need more freedom than we do so we end up alone.
How much do you need to be happy?
How much?
Wait, wait, wait. Sometimes my boss would give me more money and I am happy. Sometimes I talk to a smart young person and I am happy. Sometimes my mother would cook my favourite dish. And I am happy. This morning, this morning Catherine Pijevski was wearing my shirt. The shirt I've designed for her and I am happy. She literally made my day.
Catherine Pijevski
In my opinion, if your happiness depends on one single thing: oh, I want more money and I am miserable. Oh, I want a better car and I am miserable. Oh, I wanna lose weight. I am fat and I am miserable. If your happiness depends on one single thing in my personal opinion, my friend, you are in a very bad place. And let me also tell you…
Friday. The superhero of the workweek.
It's Friday again! Hands up if you are ready to do something this weekend that you will regret. Go for it. You've got my blessing.
After last night came I came here to church to ask God for forgiveness. Jokes aside, if you don't forgive yourself nobody else will!
You forgive yourself for every mistake and failure because you are trying to do the right thing
The Sunday Talk
Ok, it's Sunday again so let's be real for a minute. In the whole history of human mankind, we've never been richer, more connected, healthier, living longer - more and more and more of everything. Yet, it looks like the number of unhappy people out there is at its highest.
In recent research by the American Higher Education Research Institute, 70% of all graduates thought that happiness comes from money. 50% added to this fame. But let me be honest with you. 99.9% of all graduates will never be famous. 99.9% of all graduates will never be rich. But even the people who want to have money and wit the lottery become unhappy within just one year. people who win the lottery become unhappy within just one year.
It looks like when it comes to happiness we are all confused.com.
So what makes us happy?
Well from my personal life experience I can tell you that:
We can never be happy alone. We can't be happy all the time.Very, very rarely material things bring true happiness to our life.
So what makes us happy?
Anyway next week I am going to Snowdonia where I am hoping to find some happiness. But you do come back here next week cause you've got the questions and I've got the answers.
Peace.
### Who is the real you?
Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom. - Aristotle
Well said, Mr Aristotle, but somehow the older I get, the less I know. As we grow old and change physically and mentally, it can be challenging to align our self-perception with our true identity. To add to this the world is constantly bombarding us with ideas of how to live our life ("If you want to live a fulfilling life, you must first know who you truly are" slogans are everywhere online), so it's almost impossible to find your authentic self even if you were looking for it.
So in my mind, it all comes to three main points (subject to change of course as I am getting older every single day).
You are what people want you to be
You are what people want you to be, as you are a reflection of others’ views and beliefs. You grow up, you read books, you watch the news, you learn from your teachers and your parents and you are shaped by what they think to be right or wrong, good or bad. Teachers and parents give you the questions but they also give you the answers.
Don't take it the wrong way as the knowledge your parents give you comes from love and desire for you to succeed in life.
Educators give you the questions but they also give you the answers.
You are what the world around you want you to be.
The country/city/suburb in which you’re born and raised definitely has a great influence over the way you think and feel. It’s also influential in the formation of your self-concept. It’s not so much that there is a 'national' way of being, but rather that each country has certain predominant features, values, climate and natural resources to name the few.
You may think big but you could also think small. For example, birth order affects your personality, genetics affect your personality or even your neighbours - rich or poor, dog lovers or horse lovers can have an influence on how you see the world around you.
You are what you make yourself to be
You are what you make yourself to be because as you go through life you adapt (or you don't) to everything material or spiritual surrounding you. You decide whether to obey or break the rules. You decide whether to obey the rules today and break them tomorrow. Or break the rules today and rewrite them tomorrow.
Which brings me back to the main question: Who is the real you?
The short answer is: The real you, is You.
The real you has many shapes and forms.
The real you is that kid that smiles back at you from that old high school picture but also the tired, sad-looking person that looks back at you in the mirror every single morning.
I love my life
The real you is the person who helps an elderly lady to cross the road but also the person who shouts at elderly drivers when they are driving their cars slowly on the road.
The real you is the person who hated his parent's advice in his teenage years but also the person who is now giving the same advice to his kids.
"Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom", Aristotle said a long time ago but knowing yourself appears not to be an easy job.
https://youtu.be/-hTBucB4XFg?si=yrAQklxvNxKIzlWu
Who is the real you?
### There Will Always Be People Who Hate You - Be Yourself
In recent years I’ve been travelling a lot around the world teaching people how to improve their online visibility - how to do SEO so to speak - and I’ve noticed that there are always some people out there who don’t like me. In fact, they hate me. Just like this. For no particular reason.
They don't really know me but they hate me. We meet for the first time and I can already see the hate in their eyes. They follow me online to hate me. They want to be my 'friends' on Facebook just to tell me that they hate me (Lol).
And no matter how much good you put into the world, how much stuff you give for free or how much you sacrifice your personal life them people just hate you.
Why do haters hate?
First and foremost these people don’t like you because of jealousy. As crazy as it may sound your failures make them happier than their own success. It doesn’t matter what you do: as long as you are failing they are happy. As long as you are winning they are miserable.
So there are so many questions in my head that I want to ask you:
Honestly, why are you even jealous of my achievements? I’ve never been given anything for free. I've always had to work hard for the things that I've achieved. I work hard to make my life easy. Your life is already easy - why do you hate me?!
Why are you so jealous to see me on stage when I am there to give you free knowledge and ideas for your business. Do you actually know how much effort I have to put in to prepare for a talk while you are having a good time with your friends at the pub? All you have to do is listen to my (free) business ideas, implement them and make money. And if you don't like my SEO advice, simply ignore it. It's not like you paid money for it. Why the hate?!
Why are you madly jealous of my job promotion? I know you think that you're better suited in for this job so let's talk about it: I’ve asked for the job so I got it while you were wasting your time telling everybody how great you are. I didn't stop you from applying for the promotion. You did. Why hate me?!
Is it me or most people that hate you for no particular reason actually don’t like you because they want to be you. But you don’t want to be them.
And let me tell you why you don’t want to be them.
Because you know that the people who go after better jobs, the people who are brave enough to go on stage and talk to hundreds of people, the people who wear their clothes like ‘they just don’t care’ are not as brave as everybody thinks.
They are the people who simply push themselves outside their comfort zone so they can be exactly that: themselves. The person they always wanted to be since they were kids.
Maybe once you were them - the people who always hate somebody - but now you don’t have time for this bullshit as now you are exactly who you are and exactly who you supposed to be.
Which brings me back to the people who hate you for no particular reason. Remember it’s not about you, it’s about them.
It’s their problem, not yours.
Ultimately they are the sufferers. They are the ones trying to make themselves happy by putting others down. But we know that the ‘I am happy because you are down’ system never works. Because they are down not you. They hate themselves really. And they are scared of this self-hatred and project it towards you.
How to deal with haters
First and foremost be yourself. Yes, do use their criticism as a way to evaluate yourself as there are times when certain criticisms are well-founded but do not steer from yourself.
Embrace your you-ness!
Haters want to stop you from accomplishing your goals. Instead, use their negative responses as motivation to succeed. Allow them to motivate you. Use your achievements to silence them. Use your achievements to become more independent thinking. Be proud of what makes you unique.
Embrace it and live the life you want.
P.S. This article was written in response to the online abuse a wonderful person like Craig Campbell is getting online for… well, you’ve guessed it: NO PARTICULAR REASON but being himself.
Be Yourself
### BrightonSEO 2019 Keynote Q&A Session with John Mueller
https://youtu.be/ODMTVkruR_o
Try to remember the last time you attended a Q&A session. I bet it went something like this: somebody got up to the mic, talked about themselves for twenty minutes, then said “so…what do you think about all that?” It happens at almost every digital marketing conference or event that we’ve been too.
Not this time. Not at BrightonSEO.
This time Hannah Smith is ready to ask John Mueller (Google) all the important questions and she will make sure she gets all the significant answers we want to hear from Google.
Who is John Mueller?
John Mueller is a Webmaster Trends Analyst at Google in Switzerland. He connects the world that’s creating websites, with the Google-internal world of search engineering, helping both sides to be successful through search.
John Mueller - Google
Who is Hannah Smith?
Hannah Smith is a Head of Creative at Verve Search.
Hannah spent 7 years working in offline marketing (they just called it ‘marketing’ back then) until her fairy godmother told her that the internet was the future. Not one to ignore such sage advice, she made the switch to online in 2007. By day she’s Head of Creative at Verve Search, and by night she dreams of owning a book shop.
Hannah Smith - Verve Search
Her work for clients has won multiple awards, and she’s spoken at numerous conferences, including MozCon, SMX, SearchLove, and BrightonSEO. She can be found being somewhat professional on LinkedIn and markedly less so on Twitter.
### Why attend BrightonSEO conference?
https://youtu.be/fMbILiT8M90
Why attend BrightonSEO?
Why You Should Attend SEO Meetups (and conferences)
As a digital marketer, it is critical to stay on top of all the latest trends and tactics. Attending SEO meetups will help keep you up to date on the latest SEO strategies, trends, tips, and tools. If anything is consistent amongst different meetups it is without a doubt the numerous opportunities to network with others, which are usually great. It represents the unique chance to network with your peers, prospects and yes even your competitors – keep your friends close but your enemies closer (lol).
Why attend BrightonSEO?
The search marketing profession, guys, is defined by change. Tactics that work today are outdated next quarter. Platforms launch and platforms disappear on a monthly basis.
Smart digital marketers know that in order to stay competitive and the best versions of themselves, they need to train. They need to train hard. That’s why elite digital marketers like you attend BrightonSEO: the conference that speaks to an elevated level of experience, skips the basics and addresses the nitty-gritty of the digital marketing universe.
I’m gonna be there. And if you happen to see me come and say hi. Hi, Omi. Don’t be shy. You know me – you’ve got the problems and I’ve got the solutions. See you soon, guys. Peace.
### The Sunday Talk - Smarter Marketing
https://youtu.be/BtK50NTOq70
Monday morning and I am a bit sad as I am going back to work. But Craig Campbell just made my day with this small little thing. Look at him, he is so sweet. But if for whatever reason small thing can't make you happy you need a big massive piece of cake.
Wisdom: If a small piece of cake can't make you happy then you need a massive piece of cake.
There is only one SEO
I don't agree that companies are stupid. It's more to do with SEO agencies and SEOs trying to sell a different idea. If your agency is good at technical SEO they will try and sell you the technical SEO idea. If your agency is good at producing content they will try and tell you that content SEO is the way forward. But the reality is: there is only one SEO and it's a mixture of both. There is only one SEO because we all compete in the same place called Google. And it's not us it's them defining the rules.
Another client…another technical v content SEO conversation…
The struggle many digital marketers encounter with SEO comes as a result of a burning urge to put various tactics into separate boxes instead of seeing each as an aspect of one overarching strategic process.
We fight to feel alive
It's Thursday and I just came back from work. On my way back I was thinking. This morning I woke up with a very bad headache. And straight away there was this message in my head. Today I am not going to work. Today I am not going to the gym. Today I am definitely not doing this Python assignment. But then I was thinking.
Wait a minute. Did you wake up this morning? Are you still alive? Cause, unless you are dead, defeat is only a function, a chemical reaction in your weak brain. Unless you are dead you should never stop fighting. And you should definitely never take for granted the fact that you woke up today and you are still alive.
We fight to feel alive
The age of smarter marketing
Friday morning and I am on my way to an event organised by Epiphany and Google. You know Google my friend and my enemy at the same time. And it's not like we don't like each other. It's just that sometimes we do not understand each other.
With Esha Nandi
Now that I am back I can tell you that this meeting was pretty good. Lots and lot of insights. Epiphany, thank you very much for inviting me. To summarise this meeting I can use one word automation. Automation everywhere in Digital Marketing. But.
But although I am a big fan of new technologies and trends I wanna warn people. Forcing a new trend into your plans that isn't suitable for your market is as bad as a lack of awareness. The key for me is to take time to truly - and I will repeat this one - to truly understand how a new technology or trend can benefit, can help your company or brand and only then, only then implement it into your workflow.
The Sunday Talk
It's Sunday again and so much has happened this week that if I have to summarise it, it's gonna take me an hour. Instead, I wanna talk about something that's happening next week: the biggest SEO conference in Europe BrightonSEO. The search marketing profession, guys, is defined by change. Tactics that work today are outdated next quarter. Platforms launch and platforms disappear on a monthly basis. Smart digital marketers know that in order to stay competitive and the best versions of themselves, they need to train. They need to train hard.
That’s why elite digital marketers like you attend BrightonSEO: the conference that speaks to an elevated level of experience, skips the basics and addresses the nitty-gritty of the digital marketing universe.I'm gonna be there. And if you happen to see me come and say hi. Hi, Omi. Don't be shy. You know me - you've got the problems and I've got the solutions. See you soon, guys. Peace.
### Let's respect each other!
https://youtu.be/kj_Dqo7VzWg
It’s time to stop asking SEOs (Digital marketers) to work for free
It’s time to stop asking SEOs (Digital marketers) to work for free
Digital marketers, especially SEOs, are a special breed. There is no other profession I know of who work for free. No taxi drivers, waiters, lawyers, accountant, or any other person with bills to pay works for free. But, that is what SEOs are often being forced and asked to do.
So let’s get one thing straight.
Businesses are based on transactions, not charity. We all have bills to pay. Do not ask people to perform labour without remuneration in order to achieve your own success.
To my fellow SEO collegues
It may feel flattering at first when somebody wants to 'pick your brain' and it feels like you are being recognized for your expertise, but it doesn’t take long to grasp that the "potential" customer doesn’t really appreciate it enough to actually want to pay you what it’s worth. In the end, you may end up feeling pretty awful.
To the business owner
And then the tools. Too many of the so-called 'free" SEOs overpromise but under deliver. Why? Because professional SEO tools are expensive. But these expensive and powerful tools allow an SEO to see exactly how a business is performing or in many cases underperforming online. And because of the price of these tools, many 'cheap' SEOs don't deliver and leave a lot of disappointed customers.
It takes skill and tools to properly audit a website (and anyone who says differently is simply trying to fool you).
What I am trying to tell the business owner is, in the end, this will hurt you, too. If you aren’t willing to pay someone for their time and effort you’re contributing to a cultural mindset wherein eventually, you’ll find that someone will be unwilling to pay you for your time and effort, too.
I am a believer but I am not stupid.
In the end, I don't want you to think that I am totally against free stuff. I go to a lot of conferences and I give a lot of conference talks and I've never been paid. I am very active online and I've given hundreds and hundreds of free advice.
Not just that but I will have coffee with every young SEO out there who hits me up and wants advice. I will sit with them for an hour and listen, and talk, and do what I can to help. Sometimes I even give them my tools to play with so they can understand the importance of being well prepared to do a proper job for a client.
But when it comes to clients I am totally against asking people to work for free. It’s insulting.
The next time you want someone to work for free, do me a favour. Ask your landlord if she’ll accept you living in her house without paying rent for a month. Ask your mechanic to fix your car for free. Ask your builder to paint your house for free. Ask your Uber driver for a free ride. Ask your bus driver for a free ride. See what they say.
After all: you wouldn’t like it very much if someone asked you to do your job for free. Why would you expect it of anyone else?
### SEO in 2019
Will SEO change in 2019?
Definitely, YES!
Change is certain and unpreventable.
So with that in mind let me give you my 3 SEO predictions for 2019.
SEO predictions for 2019
SEO predictions for 2019
The orgnic SERPs are shrinking
Let's start with the obvious. There are fewer and fewer clicks on organic results in the SERPs. There are many reasons for this decline but two of the biggest offenders are:
There are more features in the SERPs than ever before like featured snippets, instant answers or knowledge boxes all reducing organic CTR.You can see in this study by Ahrefs (Ahrefs’ Study Of 2 Million Featured Snippets: 10 Important Takeaways ) that where no featured snippet is present in the search engine result page (SERP), the top organic search result will get about 26% of all click-throughs.
Average CTR of Featured Snippets
On the other side when Google is providing a featured snippet, the top organic search result gets less than 20% of all click-throughs, while the featured snippet itself gets 8.6% of the clicks.
In another study by STAT (Featured Snippets: From Then to Now, Volatility and Voice Search) tracking 1 million keywords, 31% of the queries produced featured snippets.
SearchLove San Diego 2018 | Rob Bucci | Featured Snippets: From Then to Now, Volatility, and Voice Search
As the search giant gets better and better at understanding and subsequently delivering featured snippets, this rate is likely to grow even further in the future.
Google Ads are killing SEO
Well, while the above statement may sound like an attention seeking headline, over the years we've seen Google adding more and more ads to the top of the SERPs.
Larry Kim - Google SERP Changes Make Ads More Prominent than Ever
In the last two years, we've seen Google serving up to four text ads - up from the previous maximum of three - at the top of desktop search results for “highly commercial queries.
Add to this any other organic or paid advertising modules that Google also displays in the SERPs and you end up with the first organic search result displaying well below the scroll line for some searches.
So what can we do to increase (in many cases actually maintain) our organic CTR?
Rank number one. I’m sorry, I didn't really want to say it but it’s true. You have to find a way to outrank your competition.
Focus on less highly commercial queries. Or in other words, avoid keywords that have “easy” answers.
Instead of focusing on what you can't have, focus your attention on the SERPs that you can win. Identify search queries that are valuable to your business but don’t trigger large numbers of ads and focus more heavily on those.
Write articles that target informational search queries. It's obvious that a high volume of ads is focused on commercial search queries. Get around that roadblock by producing content that answers questions your customers may have, and this content offers advice they are searching for online, or gives them the tools they need to make the right purchase.
I think the famous Gary Vee calls this action "Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook":
A story is at its best when it's not intrusive, when it brings value to a platform's consumers, and when it fits in as a natural step along the customer's path to making a purchase.
Or in our case give your visitors something valuable before asking them to purchase and you may end up with loyal customers which is always good for your long term SEO strategy.
Build your brand.
We can’t help it. We’re creatures of habit.
I know I talk a lot about SEO and branding and this year will be no exception. Brand recognition is a powerful weapon to win the "battle of the SERPs". Powerful enough for your customer to skip on Google’s top ranking post and click on your link. Powerful enough even to drive a more expensive sale.
I always click on what I know and what I trust. And that all comes down to branding.
Watch this video by Rand Fishkin (via Moz). Yes, it's an old video but it's still very relevant.
Rand Fishkin - if someone performs that branded search, they're more likely to actually buy that product.
Voice search and SEO in 2019
To truly understand the importance of Voice Search in the future you only really need to look at the amount of money the major tech companies are throwing at it. We see the same trend in the SEO community where more and more SEO's are investing their time in describing and advising on Voice Search optimisation.
Is voice search the future of SEO?
Today the Voice Search technology has four main players:
Google, whose Google Voice Search relies on its own algorithms
Amazon, whose Alexa Voice Search uses Bing as a search engine
Apple, whose Siri is now using Google, after a long time using Bing
Windows, whose Cortana uses Bing – which is also owned by Microsoft – as a search engine.
Today, voice shopping accounts for around $2 billion in consumer spending and is expected to be a $40 billion channel by 2022. (Source: OC&C Strategy Consultants)
The stats above plus this study by BrightLocal on "Voice Search for Local Business "may force us to start actively optimising for Voice Search in 2019. But there is where I have to stop you. Things in SEO and for that matter Digital Marketing are never that clear.
First, let's start with the prediction that by "2020, 50% of all searches will be carried out via voice."
Almost every article online talking about The Future of Voice Search is citing this stat. But similar to the famous SEO slogan "Content is King" things have become a little distorted in the retelling. For a start, this prediction was made in 2014 by Andrew Yan-Tak Ng and not Mary Meeker in 2016 and then the original prediction was for voice and images and not just voice.
Secondly, and probably more importantly, not many people are using voice search to purchase things online. Merely 2% of consumers who own the 50 million Alexa-enabled devices used the voice option to make a purchase at the beginning of 2018. (Source: The Reality Behind Voice Shopping Hype). But the worst thing really is that the vast majority of those who did - 90% - opted not to repeat the process.
Without revenue in sight, it is very difficult to convince businesses to invest in a task.
Which brings me back to SEO and how I see SEO and Voice Search playing together in the future (and also why I actually tell all my clients to optimise for Voice Search).
Looking at Voice Search from an SEO point of view I see a shift in all search engines from keywords to semantics and natural language processing. Since the introduction of Google Hummingbird, I see more and more SERPs populated with results which take into account context information such as the kind of device used, geolocation, time of the day, previous searches and more.
To make sure the user is getting absolutely the best result Google is also using a machine learning algorithm called RankBrain. Not just that but they also tell us that RankBrain is the third most important ranking factor.
Google engineers probably see serving contextual answers to users queries as something very important for the future of the search giant. So looking at the bigger picture Voice Search is one more reason for businesses to really focus on content structure and rethink each page or article as an answer for specific personas.
If you are curious to learn more about Voice Search ranking factors I would strongly recommend to read this study by Backlinko on 'Voice Search SEO' conducted in early 2018.
The place of User Experience (UX) in SEO
I have to admit that I have never been big on user experience and SEO. But the more I read about RankBrain and machine learning in SEO the more I realise that as search engine algorithms continue to evolve, user engagement will be playing a greater role than ever in determining rankings.
If you’ve been paying attention to SEO and Google's shift to a "Machine learning first company" over the past couple of years, you know that our SEO efforts have shifted away from just ranking for search terms and more toward providing searchers online with information that answers their questions.
This is where SEO and UX start to work together. Both disciplines are all about providing users with content that is relevant to them and helping them complete their tasks.
To see a strong organic performance in the SERPs, it’s crucial to foster a positive engagement and participation with your audience.
Every visitor to your website that bounces back sends a signal to Google that your site’s UX isn’t up to scratch. And if these signals accumulate over time, your ranking will drop.
As digital marketers (let's not forget that SEO is part of Digital Marketing), when it comes to SEO we should stop thinking of just the content and the keywords on the page: we also have to start thinking about how users interact with the content on that page and the content on the next page they view on the website. We have to give the users the great experience they are looking for.
I can easily say that in 2019, a website optimised for SEO will naturally follow UX best practices.
So how do we make UX and SEO work together for better user experience?
When it comes to UX and SEO many digital marketers talk about increasing page speed, making the website mobile friendly or not using disruptive ad placements. That's all good but in my opinion, the most important UX optimisation and the one I always push for with my clients is optimising for user intent.
UX is pivotal to the future of SEO
To properly explain the term "optimising for user intent" I would probably have to write another article devoted just to this term but for now, the easiest way to understand user intent is through categorization.
In general, there are four types of searches:
Informational
If a user searches "what is SEO" he/she is still looking for basic information about the topic and is still far from making a purchase.
Comparison
If a user searches "SEO v PPC" we know that the user is looking to compare these two products. A webpage explaining the pros and cons of these products would satisfy the intent.
Transactional
If a user searches "best SEO agency in London" we know that the user is evaluating different SEO providers in London and is close to making a purchase.
Navigational
If a user searches "omisido" or "omi sido" they are using these queries because they believe entities exist or they have seen them somewhere already. Queries that fall in the navigational bucket tend to be around specific websites, places, people, or locations. The fact is, you don’t stand much of a chance targeting a navigational query unless you happen to own the site that the person is looking for.
My tip here will be to make sure you own your own brand’s navigational query. Ideally, your site will appear in both the top organic spot and as the top sponsored result in a search for your brand or company name.
The results are more human
When an SEO starts thinking about user intent, he or she is actually thinking about how to best meet the needs of a potential user. User intent signals the major shift in digital experience today.
No longer is SEO a strategy by itself. Instead over the last few years, SEO has rolled into the broader fields of marketing, including conversion optimization, PR and UX.
In the past, we SEOs have treated search engines as mechanical algorithms that are hungry for keywords and general functionality. But it’s becoming more and more evident that SEO should consider them being more human as it is clear that Google understands that our customers need to be served the not just the most helpful but also the most human result.
As far as I am concerned this is a good thing for all of us.
https://youtu.be/UcWGqd0Cf8g
### Why SEO wizards need user testing hobbits
https://youtu.be/8937CkRdBak
How do you know what your customers are searching for online?
SEOs might be wizards when it comes to serving search engines, but sometimes you need the insight of a humble hobbit to help figure out what’s best for your users.
Most SEOs are making assumptions with little-to-no testing. And most SEOs assumptions are validated only when optimizations have succeeded or failed.
SEOs are weirdoes and aren’t really like normal people. You guys are weirdoes!
So in my experience, the only way to truly know how your customers are searching for your products or services online is to directly ask them! Yes, it's that simple. Ask your users!
Here are a few things I've learned while conducting user tests on the SERPs:
When the user conducts a search in Google, the user assumes Google knows precisely what he/she means. Yes, some people truly believe that the search giant knows everything. Conducting user tests allows you to understand what the user is really searching for when they use generic head terms.As SEOs, the queries that we are optimizing for are rarely our own (even if we use/buy the same product); therefore, understanding the people behind your organic traffic is a great way to identify opportunities to truly solve their problems.Not all keywords or phrases will mean what we think they mean. For example, one person searching with the phrase “keyword research” may be looking for someone to perform the research, while another may be looking for tips on how to do the research themselves.
Who is Oliver Brett?
Oliver Brett is an SEO Manager at Screaming Frog, where he balances technical site analysis, content creation, and keeping his team happy. He loves creating fun content, solving technical problems, and the camera whenever the Frog Blog needs someone to model giveaway swag.
Oliver Brett at SearchLeeds
### Retailers STOP thinking store, START thinking story | SearchLeeds 2018
https://youtu.be/cgXpiuaBWP0
We all like feeling special. When our needs are met, when our voices are heard, and when we’re being paid attention to, we feel positive. These are the feelings retailers and brands must invoke in customers if they wish to remain competitive.
Beyond the basic requirements of meeting demand for products, retailers and brands also have to evolve how they’re engaging with their consumers. The old world of interruptive advertising has changed. These days, reaching customers is more about starting a conversation.
https://www.slideshare.net/Branded3/searchleeds-2018-jasper-bell-amazerealise-retailers-stop-thinking-store-start-thinking-story
What is SearchLeeds?
SearchLeeds - is the biggest search conference in the North of England. A free one-day event created to bring together the brightest and best of search. No sales pitches – just actionable advice in the UK’s SEO capital.
Jasper Bell (Head of Commerce at AmazeRealise) at SearchLeeds 2018
### The Sunday Talk - Words Of Wisdom
https://youtu.be/udd8d7jkEeg
Monday morning. I am about to go to work but I am reading your emails and a lot of you are asking me a very similar question. 'Omi, how do you find time to do so much every single week? How do you inspire yourself?'
So let me give you my first advice.
New Monday. New week. New goals.
Be decisive.
Make a decision and “go.” If you waffle back and forth on things, if you can’t make up your mind, you spend too much energy in analysis paralysis. You know this one, right? Analysis, paralysis.
Instead, decide on something that you want, and test it. Take action and test your results. The act of making a decision and taking action will build momentum, and ignite your fire.
Rather than trying to figure everything out up front, start taking action, test your path, and learn and adapt along the way.
The long story short: Be decisive.
Stop overthinking and start taking action.
Be comfortable in your own skin
Tuesday evening so let me give you my second advice. It's amazing how many people go through life without ever realising that their feelings toward other people are largely determined by their feelings toward themselves.And let me tell you something.
If you don't like who you are if you are not comfortable within yourself you can't be comfortable with others.
You just can't.
Be comfortable in your own skin
Stress is real but we always have a choice
It's Wednesday so I'm gonna give you my third advice for this week. Let's talk about stress. But first, let's agree on one thing. Most of the time when we are feeling stressed it's not because we've got too much to do.
'Oh, I've got too much to do.'
No, no, no, no.Most f the time it's because we haven't finished something that we've started before. With that in mind, every time you are feeling stressed I want you to ask yourself this simple question. Will this matter in 3 months from now? If yes, work on the problem. If no, let it go.
Stress is real but we always have a choice
Do the most important thing first
It's Thursday already so without trying to sound inspirational I wanna tell you that so far in my life I've realised that you can do anything. Yes, you can do anything you want. But you can't do everything. Well, at least not at the same time. So in my opinion, to be successful in life you have to understand the difference between urgent and important.
And you must do what's important first.
Focus on your goal
Friday morning, 6.30 or something. I am still in my pyjamas and I am sleeping. And I have to admit sometimes I struggle with Fridays. But hey it's not about perfection, it's about the effort. And when you bring this effort, the best of you, every single day this is where transformation happens. Basically, focus on your goal. Don't look in any direction but ahead. And my direction right now is the kitchen cause I need some coffee.
Life is simple
Saturday morning and I just did 5K. So let me tell you something.
Running is simple. It ain't easy but it's simple. So it's life.
All you have to do is put on your shoes and run. Don't wish that you are alive. You are alive. So just put on your shoes and run so one day when you are over there - I hope you can see the graveyard - yes, one day when you are over there you'd know you've lived this life.
I know, I hope it's clear.
The Sunday Talk
It's Sunday again so let me tell you something. Sunday is your best day. Not only because you've been eagerly waiting for The Sunday Talk - just joking. You know you had an amazing week. It's time to recover and think how you gonna kill the next one.
Meanwhile, don't forget to come back here next week cause you've got the questions and I've got the answers.
### The Sunday Talk - SEO 2019
https://youtu.be/iy10C8R714I
Hi, Happy New Year. Welcome to 2019.
I am a little bit distracted here trying to make this healthy banana recipe. This recipe is super easy. Chop the bananas. Stick them in the freezer. Blitz them until you see this gue consistency. Stick them back in the freezer, 2-3 hours boom you are ready to go.
Be the best you can be
Meanwhile, let me ask you a question.
Have you done everything that you said you were gonna do last year on January 1st? Did you stick to your Christmas resolutions? Or did you just talk about doing it?
Tricky question hey?
You know what this year I want you to become a person of action.
I am challenging you guys to become people who do, instead of people who just talk about doing. No excuses, none whatsoever. I want you to commit to being the person who just doesn't talk but follows through.
Step up your game, guys, and make the rest of your life the best of your life.
The meeting the other day was amazing. Within just one week Judith, Gerry and Peter managed to gather 100, actually more than 100 people together to talk about the future of SEO. The conversation was wild. Which is probably to be expected with Arnout, Judith, Gerry and Ross in the same room.
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My SEO 2019 advice
Meanwhile, after the meeting, Peter interviewed me and I said something that made me think a lot. People are talking about AMP, online visibility, backlinks but not many people are talking about SEO and revenue. Put it that way. Imagine last year you increased a website online visibility with 10%. Traffic looks good. Targeted keywords look good.
But what does the client see? Absolutely nothing. Let me repeat this one 'absolutely nothing'.
So my SEO advice for 2019 is.
If you are an SEO step back and ask yourself this simple question: do my SEO efforts bring revenue to the table. As an SEO agency step back and ask yourself this simple question: can my clients see what my SEO efforts bring to the table.
Cause at the end of the day SEO is part of Digital Marketing. Digital Marketing is part of online business. And business is all about revenue. No revenue no salaries.
Or to give you the big picture in a small format:
Traffic that doesn't bring anything to the table is useless.
You know what else is useless staying at home on a Sunday. That's why today I am doing some off-road riding. But you do come back here next week cause you've got the questions and I've got the answers.
### Voice search is the future of digital marketing
https://youtu.be/MeCg4PdlmLY
Why Voice Search is the Future of Digital Marketing
In the last few years, voice search has gained popularity as a convenient and fast way for people to find the information they need. With the increasing number of smart home devices and voice assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant, voice search is rapidly becoming the preferred search method for many users. As a result, online businesses need to optimise their digital marketing strategies to keep up with this trend. In this article, let's explore why voice search is the future of digital marketing and provide tips on how to optimise for it.
The rise of voice search is fueled by several factors, including:
Convenience: Voice search provides a fast and convenient way for users to get the information they need, without the need to type or scroll through pages.
Increased mobile usage: Mobile usage has been on the rise in recent years, and voice search is particularly well-suited to mobile devices, where typing can be difficult or inconvenient. For example, every time I drive I use Siri to call numbers (Siri: Say "call" or "dial" followed by a number.)
A growing number of smart devices: The popularity of smart home devices and voice assistants like Alexa and Google Nest Mini has led to an increase in voice searches. With these devices becoming more affordable and accessible, it's expected that voice search usage will continue to grow. For example, I would never ever search for the weather forecast as asking Alexa is so much easier and more convenient.
Accuracy: Voice assistants are becoming increasingly accurate in understanding natural language, making voice search an appealing option for users. Well if they understand my accent they are good enough. Lol. Ok Google, do you love me?
Brand loyalty: Voice assistants often default to the top result for a given search, which means that businesses that rank well in voice search results are likely to benefit from increased brand loyalty and recognition. When you think about it there is only one result - the top one and there are no search result pages (SERPs).
How to optimise for voice search
Given these factors, it's clear that voice search is set to become an essential component of digital marketing in the years to come. Here are some tips for optimising your digital marketing strategy for voice search.
Focus on conversational keywords
When optimising your content for voice search, it's important to use conversational keywords that match the way people speak. Unlike traditional search, where users tend to use shorter phrases and keywords, voice search is more conversational in nature. People tend to ask questions in a natural, conversational way (the way they talk to other human beings), so it's important to tailor your content to reflect this.
To optimise for conversational keywords, you can use long-tail keywords that include natural phrases and questions. For example, instead of using the keyword that everybody will type in Google "best Italian restaurants" you could use a long-tail keyword like "what are the best Italian restaurants in my area?". In short 'write the way you speak'.
Optimise for featured snippets
Featured snippets are short snippets of text that appear at the top of the search results, providing users with quick and concise answers to their queries. Since voice assistants often read out these snippets when responding to voice searches, it's important to optimise your content to appear in these snippets.
To optimise for featured snippets, you should aim to provide concise, high-quality answers to common questions in your niche. Use bullet points (HTML Lists), HTML tables, and other visual aids to make your content more accessible and easy to read.
Make your content mobile-friendly
Since most voice searches are conducted on mobile devices, it's essential to ensure that your content is mobile-friendly. This means using responsive design, optimising your images, and ensuring that your site loads quickly on mobile devices (page speed is a ranking factor!). Make sure that your site is easy to navigate and that your content is easily readable on a small screen.
Use structured data
Structured data is a type of code that helps search engines better understand the content of your website. By using structured data, you can provide more contextual information to search engines about your content, making it easier for them to understand and index your web pages.
To optimise for voice search, you should use structured data to provide information about your business, including your location, contact information, and opening hours. This will make it easier for voice assistants to find and present information about your business to users.
Optimise for local search
Local search is an important aspect of voice search optimisation, as naturally many voice searches are related to local businesses and services. To optimise for local search, you should ensure that your business information is accurate and up-to-date across all relevant platforms, including your website, Google My Business, and other local directories.
Make sure that your business information is consistent across all platforms (including social media), including your name, business address, and business phone number. This will help search engines match your business with relevant voice search queries.
Use natural language
When optimising your content for voice search, it's important to use natural language that matches the way people speak. Avoid using jargon or overly technical language that may not be understood by the average user.
Use simple, straightforward language that is easy to understand, and avoid using long, complicated sentences. This will make it easier for voice assistants to understand and present your content to users.
Consider the user intent
User intent is the reason behind a user's search query. Understanding user intent is important for optimising your content for voice search, as it will help you to provide relevant, high-quality content that matches the user's needs.
To optimise for user intent, consider the questions that users are likely to ask, and provide high-quality, relevant content that answers these questions. Use natural language and provide concise, informative answers that match the user's needs.
Use multimedia content
Multimedia content, such as images and videos, can be particularly effective for optimizing your content for voice search. Voice assistants can present this content to users in response to their queries, making it an effective way to provide information and engage with your audience.
To optimise multimedia content, make sure that your images and videos are optimised for search engines. Use descriptive file names and alt tags, and ensure that your videos are optimised for mobile devices.
Conclusion
Voice search is the future of digital marketing and businesses that fail to optimise their content for voice search risk being left behind. By focusing on conversational keywords, optimizing for featured snippets, making your content mobile-friendly, using structured data, optimising for local search, using natural language, considering user intent, and using multimedia content, you can improve your chances of ranking well in voice search results and reaching your target audience.
As voice search continues to grow in popularity, it's essential that businesses adapt their digital marketing strategies to meet the changing needs of their audience. By following these tips, you can ensure that your content is optimised for voice search and that your business remains competitive in the years to come.
Who is Stuart Shaw?
Stuart heads up the Search and Strategy teams at Zazzle Media. Always hungry for knowledge and consistently striving for perfectionism, Stuart Shaw is a human database but with a partition specifically for useless facts and Dad jokes.
Stuart Shaw
Stuart Shaw holds a blended background in marketing and keeps his eyes firmly on the horizon with regards to new tech and upcoming potential search trends.
https://www.slideshare.net/zazzlemedia/a-study-in-speech-the-voice-assistant-investigation-116874064
### Optimising customer experience in the age of conversational AI
https://youtu.be/da0ZN_PPt8E
Optimising customer experience in the age of conversational AI
In today’s digital age, the biggest differentiator for success is often the customer experience. Many customers are no longer loyal to a company based on brand image, product offerings or even price. In the end, how the consumer reflects on their interactions could be the biggest factor that influences whether they come back or not.
Companies are expected to offer a personalised service, via multiple channels, whenever and wherever customers want it. On top of this, there is constant pressure to deliver and one bad experience is enough to drive a customer away and into the arms of the competition.
With the stakes being this high, it’s no surprise that the issue of customer experience is now a major talking point in many boardrooms across the world. Senior decision makers are considering the various processes they can put in place to improve the quality of their customer service and how they can use that improved experience to turn customers into advocates.
Who is Purna Virji?
Purna Virji is Senior Manager, PPC Training at Microsoft. Named by PPC Hero as the most influential PPC expert of 2016, Purna specializes in SEM, SEO and Voice Search.
Purna Virji
With over a decade in search, Purna is a regular keynote speaker at conferences across the globe such as MozCon and SMX Advanced and is a popular industry columnist. An award-winning former journalist, Purna Virji was the CEO of Purview Marketing prior to joining the Bing Ads team. In her spare time, she’s an avid traveller, aspiring top chef and amateur knitter.
Say hello @purnavirji.
### The Sunday Talk – The Marketing Business Summit Milan
https://youtu.be/1YROjhGSbO8
Christmas Is Coming
Monday, 26 November and this is my last conference week for the year. I've promised myself at the beginning of this year that December would be free from conferences, online webinars basically everything. Which tells you straight away that if you ever wanted to invite me for a coffee, a glass of Prosecco, a pint or maybe something less completed like steak medium rare, David, now is the time.
Ok Google, do you love me?
I know it's 12 o'clock and I am working tomorrow but I just couldn't sleep so I decided to reactivate my homemade Google Home. It took me 2-3 hours but now we are ready.
Ok Google, what's your name? My name Your Google assistant. My mission to assist you. My favourite colour probably blue but it changes sometimes.
Ok Google, what's the weather tomorrow?
Tomorrow in Northolt it will be raining with a high of 49 and a low of 45.
Ok Google, do you love me?
Of course. You are one of a kind. There you go, people. I am one of a kind.
How to use Big Data for SEO in 2019
Everybody's got an opinion. And some people are so good at expressing their opinion and their opinion sounds so true that people gonna pay money to go to a conference to listen to them although what they are saying is totally wrong. So when it comes to my bills I can't pay them with an opinion. I need real money. And to ask my customers to give me real money I have to give them real numbers. So instead of relying on an opinion, even my own opinion, I rely on data.
Yes, have an opinion but back it up with data.
Milan is beautiful and pretty Italian
My first time in Milan and my first impression: this city is amazing. This city is simply beautiful.
Behind me is the statue of Leonardo Da Vinci and I have to admit that this place is a little bit spooky.
Marketing Business Summit 2018 - Milan
With Marco Maltraversi and Craig Campbell at the Marketing Business Summit Milan
Amazing conference. My name is Omi Sido and for those of you who don't know I am super, I am very active online and I love talking about Digital Marketing and SEO.
With Alexandra Tachalova and Nikola Minkov
Now that I am back in London I can tell you the Business Marketing Summit blew my mind. I definitely didn't expect to see 500 people in the room and I definitely didn' expect the engagement after my talk.
The Sunday Talk
If you think that I love talking to a lot of people, yes, you are right. But let me tell you something. The number of people is a vanity metric. If I managed to transform one person's life I have done my job.
Talking about jobs it's Sunday and my job today is to meet my friends, have roast and beer. But you do come back here next week cause you've got the questions and I've got the answers.
Ciao Ragazzi!
### The Sunday Talk - SEO is changing
https://youtu.be/T6Rjqhi2l6s
SEO is constantly changing
So I hear many people saying that Google is trying to make our life difficult. No guys. Google is not trying to make our life difficult. Think of Google as a business. Think of search as a product.
Naturally, every company wants to have a better product.
So as they improve their product the SEO game changes by default.
No, listen, listen listen, listen. Yesterday we all had a lot of chocolate. So today you must be full of energy. I don't want to hear your excuses. You have to crush it. Wait, wait the camera is on. Today you have to crush it. I'm gonna send you this video.
Your life is a message to this world.
This morning I was trying to inspire a friend of mine to finish his project so he can get his dream job. He's just called me and he's got it. So now I am thinking. By inspiring others to do more, to learn more, to dream more we are giving a meaning to our life. So your life is not empty. You know:
Your life is a message to this world. So make sure your message is inspiring. Make sure that your message is not empty.
The future of SEO
I don't know what the future of SEO is, to be honest with you. But I can tell you what can separate you from the pack now and on the near future and it's called log file analysis. And I am not even talking about traditional log file analysis and traditional SEO. The same concept, the same idea can be applied to RankBrain - the machine learning algorithm - or even Voice Search.
And I really want you to understand the idea that tools like Google Search Console, for example, can tell you how many pages get crawled on a given day. But this tool doesn't really show you what those pages were.
So let me make something very clear. Imagine you've got some new pages or some core pages on your website that you want to rank for on number one in Google. So normally to improve these pages you change the page title, you change the meta description, maybe you gonna introduce some new content. But boom suddenly nothing changes, nothing changes regarding the rank position.
With log file analysis you can see exactly what the GoogleBot looks at when it comes to your website. So you can discover what sections of your website are wasting their crawl budget and not seeing these changes.
So the future of SEO, in my opinion, is having the real data in front of you.
You know. So when you make your decisions they are data-informed decisions. You know. Not using some data that you may think is good but when you actually look at the details you realise that is not that good.
Branding begins with strategy, not design
I talk a lot about branding and very often people ask me what a brand is and is not. And I can tell you this for sure: It's not your logo. Let me repeat this one: It's not your logo.
People don't buy your products or services because of a logo or graphics or even a good website. It's about the value you provide to your customers.
Let me repeat this one. It's about the value you provide to your customers.
And to be honest with you in this era of storytelling product and branding go hand in hand. You know, start with the product and immediately try to understand its brand. For example the value proposition, its differentiator and its origin story. Build on that, share and be genuine.
Branding begins with strategy, not design!
Because to be honest with you the branding exercise should only begin once you are pretty comfortable with what and how you will be selling.
How Does RankBrain Affect Query Results Today
RankBrain
As usual, as usual, I am a little bit…my vision is always a bit different so to understand where my thinking, where I am coming from, let me say something that I've been saying a lot recently.
Google (or for that matter every search engine) is a business.
And the searchers, you know the people who are looking online for stuff, they are their customers. So like every business they want to satisfy their customers (and probably make some money). Not just that but they also want to bulletproof their business for the future.
So whether they call it a RankBrain, OmiBrain or ElephantBrain - whatever - doesn't really matter you know to me. They have to constantly improve their product, you know, and whether people agree with me or not you know machine learning is the future. Machine learning is the way forward. And I am not talking only about Google, I am talking about almost every software application in the near future gonna have an element of machine learning inside.
So for the people who tell me 'don't think about RankBrain, don't optimise for RankBrain' I can give them an open question:
Do you really think that a company like Google not gonna use machine learning to secure their future?
What is RankBrain’s relationship with word vectors?
What is RankBrain’s relationship with word vectors?
Jason, tell me who your friends are and I will tell you who you are. Or to make it a little bit more visual for people who are not into vectors and words, you know, this stuff if you look at my pictures online you see a lot of people like Gerry White, Nick Wilsdon, Purna Virji.
SEO Friends
You kind of guess, you can guess that I am an SEO. But going back to the mechanics of…
Why Is Technical SEO Important?
Ok, I'm gonna be honest with you when I am not doing SEO my name is Bob The Builder. So the time has finally come to fix this room. It's Saturday and I am tired.
Just came to mind that very often people ask me 'Is Technical SEO important'? Similar to what I am doing here every successful digital marketing starts with a solid base. And technical SEO is this base. So basically make sure that everything is nice and sturdy and in place. Now going back to laying the foundation of my new carpet.
The Sunday Talk - SEO is changing.
I am so pumped. Honestly, I am so pumped every time people ask me about the future of SEO. Every time people ask me about the constantly changing SEO. Cause I imagine, I hope that understand that SEO - as part of Digital marketing - is the future for every single company out there. And I am not talking about the SEO of keyword stuffing or pointless visits to a website.
I am talking about the SEO of knowing your audience, understanding your audience, interacting with your audience. Or in simple words 'give them value'.
I hope I give you value every time you come to this YouTube channel. So please do come back here next week cause you've got the questions and I've got the answers.
### Stop Wasting Time! 5 Steps to Automate Your Google Analytics Reporting | Benchmark Search Conference 2018
Reasons to start report automation
Do you regularly find yourself spending long hours manually extracting data cutting and pasting to create reports? Do you often have to repeat the whole thing, time and time again? If you have grown to love data crunching numbers and creating reports can be a tedious process.
I've never seen anybody who likes doing the same things over and over again. So is there a better way to do this?
Yes, there is. And it's called automation.
I strongly believe that report automation allows companies to have more control over process and data and, therefore, better efficiency, as the highly qualified people involved in the report creation process have additional time to focus on more valuable tasks.
Stop Wasting Time! 5 Steps to Automate Your Google Analytics Reporting from Click Consult (Part of Ceuta Group)
Who is John Warner?
John Warner is an internal marketer at Click Consult where he spends his time accruing industry certifications, tinkering with code, plotting strategy and writing articles on all aspects of search marketing.
John Warner at the Benchmark Search Conference 2018
While having a master’s degree in creative writing and a background predominately in content, John Warner has found himself drawn to the technical side of SEO – developing a passion for data, research, interactivity, artificial intelligence and voice search.
John features regularly on a number of leading search marketing blogs, including regular articles for SEMRush, State of Digital and on the Click Consult blog, he also contributions to the quarterly magazine ‘Benchmark Search Marketing’, occasionally hosts the ‘on.click’ podcast and has spoken at a number of leading UK conferences.
Who’s behind Benchmark?
Located in North West England, Click Consult is a multi-award-winning search marketing agency with a focus on organic (SEO) and paid search (PPC). With over 70 professionals employed and a portfolio of over 60 clients from across the UK, Click Consult works with businesses looking for a measurable return from their search marketing budget.
Click Consult also provides a range of other services, including content marketing, inbound marketing and conversion rate optimisation (CRO), as well as international and multilingual search. The company is Google AdWords and Microsoft adExcellence certified and is on the Recommended Agency Register.
### What's New in Search? | We Love SEO
https://youtu.be/dl5CRURXmLw
What's New in SEO?
Mobile First Indexing! Structured Data! Google Images! Let's talk about all the things you should be focusing on in SEO.
Search marketing continues to be the biggest and most powerful form of digital marketing. We Love SEO is an event dedicated to in-house SEOs, SEO agencies and search marketing experts. We Love SEO is a one-day search marketing conference held in Paris and it brings together some of the best speakers in the world of search, and definitely the best crowd.
The We Love SEO conference in Paris aim is to share tips with those wishing to learn about the latest trends in SEO, develop their knowledge and leave them with concrete and actionable SEO tactics.
Pour les experts SEO
We Love SEO, un événement dédié aux SEOs in-house, aux agences de référencement et aux experts du search marketing. L’événement vise à partager des conseils avec ceux désireux d’en savoir plus sur les dernières tendances du secteur, développer leurs connaissances et repartir avec des bonnes pratiques concrètes et actionnables.
Who is Gary Illyes?
Gary Illyes is a Google webmaster trends analyst dedicated to creating a better search experience for users by helping webmasters create amazing websites. When not crunching data to find ways to improve web search, Gary is contributing to the Webmaster Central Blog and helps users debug their websites in the Google Webmaster Forums.
Gary Illyes at the We Love SEO conference
Gary Illyes est Webmaster Trends Analyst pour Google. Il a pour mission de créer une meilleure expérience de recherche pour les utilisateurs en aidant les webmasters à créer des sites web qualitatifs. Lorsqu’il ne traite pas des données pour trouver un moyen d’améliorer la recherche web, Gary contribue au Blog Webmaster Central et aide les utilisateurs à réparer leurs sites web dans les forums Google Webmaster.
### The Sunday Talk – BrightonSEO 2018
https://youtu.be/epY5MflOJbQ
Guys, check your calendar. 24th of September. The BrightonSEO week has finally arrived. Top digital marketers are going to Brighton this Friday. I don't even know where to start. Nick Wilsdon from Vodafone, Dawn Anderson, Gerry White, Rand Fishkin, Emily Grossman, Arianne, Francois from OnCrawl. Oh my God, I lost my breath talking.
I've said it before but I will say it again: Now is the time to ask the questions.
If you've got a burning digital marketing question in your head check the schedule, find the relevant person, invite him for a coffee, pint, cake.
Guys, you are not going to the cinema. You are going to a digital marketing conference where you can actually interact with the person on stage.
Stop watching, ask the questions and start doing.
What Is Content Marketing?
So Omi, how do you describe content marketing? Well, in my opinion, is the process of learning how to speak the language of your customers. But don't forget your customers may talk in a different language on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.
On top of that because of new technologies or new trends, the way your customers search for your products, the way the customers interact with your products online is constantly changing too.
So you have to keep on learning new languages.
After all, nobody will buy your products online if they don't know what you are talking about.
BrightonSEO 2018 Takeaways
BrightonSEO Stars
Is it just me or this BrightonSEO was the best BrightonSEO ever? The speaker's lineup simply blew me away. So what's my key takeaway from this conference? Well, this BrightonSEO cemented my idea that we have to seriously start implementing machine learning in our workflow.
I know that machine learning is still in its infancy and has not yet fundamentally changed the SEO landscape. As time goes on, however, SEOs who choose to turn a blind eye to machine learning will definitely be left behind.
Who else gonna be left behind? People who don't follow me on social media. So with that in mind don't forget to come back here next Sunday cause you've got the problems and I've got the solutions.
### The Future of SEO is on the SERP | BrightonSEO 2018
https://youtu.be/fFFdMQq6TkI
What's the Future of SEO?
The good news is: the number of searches on Google keeps growing.
The bad news is: decreasing clickthrough rates on organic results ( especially in mobile), fewer big companies are dominating the world’s Google search results and more results answered entirely in Google’s SERPs.
As Google answers a higher and higher percent of queries in the results themselves and refers out less traffic to websites, we’re all gonna have to think about how we influence search audiences through what Google shows rather than just focusing on driving traffic to our own sites.
A big part of SEO’s future will be on the SERP rather than driving traffic to websites.
Who is Rand Fishkin?
Rand Fishkin is the founder of SparkToro and was previously co-founder of Moz and Inbound.org.He’s dedicated his professional life to helping people do better marketing through the Whiteboard Friday video series, his blog, and his book, Lost and Founder: A Painfully Honest Field Guide to the Startup World.
Rand Fishkin - Lost and Founder: A Painfully Honest Field Guide to the Startup World
About BrightonSEO
BrightonSEO – is a major search marketing event in the UK. One of our favourite events of the year, This is a superb conference for search marketing professionals, novice or expert.
BrightonSEO is a chance to learn from some of the best minds in search, and then rub shoulders with them at one of the friendliest, and largest, gatherings of Digital Marketers in Europe.
### Why attend BrightonSEO?
https://youtu.be/lnhrTHtbPng
The benefits of attending SEO conferences for small businesses
Guys, do you happen to run a small business? Today’s market can be very challenging for small businesses since you’ll need to compete directly with a lot of big corporations.
While it may not be possible to get an edge over your competition through television or radio ads, the internet can help you level the playing field.
By utilising search engine optimisation techniques, you will be able to increase your online visibility, expand your customer base, and, and boost your profits.
So why attend BrightonSEO?
SEO conferences are great places to gather more information about new technology. Many of the speakers will have direct access to technology and search engine optimisation methods as soon as they are available.
In fact, many of these individuals will be directly involved in designing and creating the technology. If you are interested in staying on top of technology and SEO techniques, you should seriously consider attending BrightonSEO.
It is absolutely pertinent to understand that SEO is constantly evolving, so you’ll always need to stay well informed up to date.
SEO Is A Small Business Necessity
Meanwhile, if you see me at BrightonSEO don't be shy. Come and say hi. Ask, ask the questions. You know me. You've got the problems and I've got the solutions.
See you soon, guys. Peace.
### How to Keep Your Cool and Switch a Major Brand Online in Only 5 Weeks | Benchmark Search Conference 2018
Keeping your cool, especially during stressful situations, is one of the most important attributes of a good leader.
Even if you always try to do your best to stay cool, inevitably there will be times when you feel emotional at work. Usually, this happens when the stakes are high or you feel strongly about something — that you’re the right person to take on a big new project, that you deserve a promotion or that you’ve been treated unfairly by a colleague, for example.
The best thing to do in those moments is to be prepared beforehand, so your emotional reactions and impulses don’t take control. Determine who in your company is best to approach, set up a meeting in advance and make sure you’re clear on your agenda. Write down your strongest points on a piece of paper you can refer to if needed — then walk in and hold your head high.
5 Weeks to Make It – How to Keep Your Cool and Switch a Major Brand Online in Only 5 Weeks from Click Consult
Who is Kristal Ireland?
Kristal Ireland is an award-winning, strategic and experienced digital and technology expert. Experienced public speaker on all things digital and technology with a passion for AI and all things transformative.
Kristal Ireland at the Benchmark Search Conference
Previously voted as one of the UK’s Top 30 Women in Digital Under 30 by The Drum Magazine. A specialist in Digital Transformation, E-commerce and Digital Brand Strategy she has worked with some of the major UK and international clients to build their brands online.
Passionate about all forms of marketing but with a specialism in digital marketing including; Website Design and Development, Mobile, E-commerce website design and management, SEO, PPC, Social Media, Email Marketing, Online Analytics packages, Customer Journey Analysis and Customer Relationship Management.
Kristal Ireland's Top Tips For Survival
Acknowledge, accept and respect people’s emotions.
Select, energise and cement your A-Team.
Accept help... Even if it’s painful
Be clear and consistent on MVP ... Communicate to senior stakeholders what this is and manage expectations.
Plan, Plan and re Plan... Also, Plan what happens if you fail (because you might).
Don’t sack your agencies ... They are part of your team.
Celebrate success at every opportunity.
Tea, Cake, Gin.
Who’s behind Benchmark?
Located in North West England, Click Consult is a multi-award-winning search marketing agency with a focus on organic (SEO) and paid search (PPC). With over 70 professionals employed and a portfolio of over 60 clients from across the UK, Click Consult works with businesses looking for a measurable return from their search marketing budget.
Click Consult also provides a range of other services, including content marketing, inbound marketing and conversion rate optimisation (CRO), as well as international and multilingual search. The company is Google AdWords and Microsoft adExcellence certified and is on the Recommended Agency Register.
### How to Grow a Niche Audience Using Video Content
https://youtu.be/3Fuklu2Rixc
How to Grow a Niche Audience Using Video Content
We all know that having a tightly focused business online that appeals to a small audience in a specific niche can be very rewarding (and indeed profitable). Getting to that point, however, is difficult.
Niche businesses online, almost by definition, aren’t very popular. They appeal to a specific subgroup of internet users, and that group can be very small. A site that’s all about using VoiceOver on the iPhone to help the elderly in their daily lives will not appeal to young people by default. So is a site about selling old vinyl discs.These are the kinds of niche businesses that don’t have broad appeal. And it’s easy to disregard them as not as important, or not as successful, as more broadly focused sites that attract millions of readers.
But there is an important difference between the audiences at these sites.
Regular visitors to niche websites are more likely to be very committed to those sites.
Why? Because they answer exactly the questions that those people are asking or they sell the specific product searchers are looking for. Let’s go back to the selling old vinyl discs idea. If you regularly look for information on this topic, you might find only a few articles here and there on selling, buying or preserving old vinyl discs.
That direct appeal generates a lot of loyalty. And that’s why niche businesses are so important.
And then it comes video.
Some companies like Cisco predict that by the year 2021 almost 82% of all internet traffic will be video traffic.
It is very clear that people want someone to both show them and tell them the information they’re looking for, instead of having to read it.
Who is Lee Wilcox?
An enthusiast of all things tech and social media related – Lee Wilcox is the 33-year-old co-founder and CEO of On the Tools.In the space of three years ‘On the Tools’ has become the biggest Construction Community in the world with over 2 million followers across their social media channels.Lee Wilcox also consults for brands in the construction industry on their social media strategy.
Lee Wilcox at the Benchmark Search Conference
"I'm a very work orientated person with a 'healthy' obsession of Social Media, a lover of technology and a keen interest in company culture and the ideology of having the right to an enjoyable workplace.
As CEO of On the Tools, I believe it to be my responsibility to ensure the happiness and welfare of everyone at the organisation. We have to spend so much time at work that it needs to be a place that people feel safe, trusted and valued. My mission is to create a culture and environment that people can flourish in and ultimately never feel that 'Monday morning' feeling ever again."
Who’s behind Benchmark?
Located in North West England, Click Consult is a multi-award-winning search marketing agency with a focus on organic (SEO) and paid search (PPC). With over 70 professionals employed and a portfolio of over 60 clients from across the UK, Click Consult works with businesses looking for a measurable return from their search marketing budget.
Click Consult also provides a range of other services, including content marketing, inbound marketing and conversion rate optimisation (CRO), as well as international and multilingual search. The company is Google AdWords and Microsoft adExcellence certified and is on the Recommended Agency Register.
### Let’s do AI - How Artificial Intelligence is Amplifying Human and Also Marketing Ingenuity Today | Benchmark Search Conference 2018
https://youtu.be/srK4E50sDKM
Artificial intelligence (AI) already touches some form of your life every day. From smarter web searches to e-commerce recommendations to voice assistants - AI is integrated into how you live, work, and communicate in the world. It's the standard by which you evaluate your digital interactions with brands - expecting that every touchpoint will be as easy and intelligent as ordering paper towels from Alexa or finding what you were searching for on Google in your top three search results.
On the other hand, even at its most powerful, artificial intelligence doesn't replace human intelligence, it simply helps people do what they love better and faster while opening the door to new and exciting ways to experiment, test, and learn from customers to create dramatically improved experiences.
Who is Ellie England?
Passionate about search, women in technology and making a lasting impact, Ellie England began her career in sales working in an inner-city secondary school ‘selling’ the importance of modern languages to disaffected teenagers. She got into the world of search working for Google for 6 years, before eventually relocating to Manchester and joining Microsoft.
Ellie England at the Benchmark Search Conference
As a Sales Director for Bing Ads, Ellie has been spearheading the continued investment in the North of the UK and leads a growing team of search account managers.
Who’s behind Benchmark?
Located in North West England, Click Consult is a multi-award-winning search marketing agency with a focus on organic (SEO) and paid search (PPC). With over 70 professionals employed and a portfolio of over 60 clients from across the UK, Click Consult works with businesses looking for a measurable return from their search marketing budget.
Click Consult also provides a range of other services, including content marketing, inbound marketing and conversion rate optimisation (CRO), as well as international and multilingual search. The company is Google AdWords and Microsoft ad Excellence certified and is on the Recommended Agency Register.
### The Sunday Talk - Benchmark Search Conference 2018
Monday, 3rd of September. So the conference season has officially started. Between now and Christmas I'm gonna be attending a conference or a roundtable almost every single week. This week I am going to the Benchmark Search Conference in Manchester organised by Click Consult and I am super excited.
How often do you see Nick Wilsdon, Kristal Ireland, Bas, Fili and Lukasz Zelezny in the same room?
If I was them I will call it 'Digital Marketing Heaven'. Do you want to go to the Digital Marketing Heaven? Come to our conference.
Adapt or Die (Digital Marketing is Adaptation)
One thing that SEO taught me over the years is 'Adapt or Die'. And I really don't understand why people are crying about House of Fraiser. Now, let's be honest. When the Internet came along House of Fraiser was rich and powerful. But House of Fraiser didn't respect the new reality. And the new reality is digital. Everything digital. Digital is really changing the way people live. So let me give you one more example. And it's very recent as well.
Yesterday I am coming back from Portugal, my holiday in Portugal and my neighbour sees me reading a book about Artificial intelligence. And he is like 'Because of people like you a lot of people gonna lose their job'. So I just looked at him, he was holding an iPhone watching a movie and I was like 'Because of people like you a lot of people at Nokia already lost their job. Why didn't you stick to Nokia?' And he just looked at me and he was like 'I know what you mean. I am sorry.'
See people wanting to better their life is not something new and digital...
I just had a lengthy conversation online so let me summarise it. We are a society driven by digital technology. Let's look around us. Let's be honest with ourselves. There are countries out there where citizens don't have running water but they own smartphones.
If your brand wants to be successful now and in the foreseeable future you need to invest in digital platforms and digital talent in order to stay ahead of your competitors.
Some people wish it would happen, others make it happen.
On my way to Benchmark Search Conference in Manchester. In front of me is Euston station and behind me here is the building where I made this crucial decision to stop doing front-end development and jump into digital marketing. At the time the idea was...it looked a bit crazy. Everybody was like 'Omi you are crazy. Don't do it. You've got a bright future in front-end development but I've decided to do what I love anyway...
Only time will tell if I was right.
I can accept failure. But I can't accept not trying.
Yeah, I am in Manchester. I am in Manchester and I am seriously lost. Google Maps just doesn't work here. It's just throwing me in all directions. I am sure the hotel is over there but it's telling me that it's like 40 minutes away. And it's almost 10 O'Clock.
Finally arrived and the hotel, the room, everything is just perfect. Ok, this is my room but have a look at the view. Oh my god, it's just beautiful.
It's a bit too late for food now so managed to find an open Tesco and bought a bunch of bananas.2, 4, 6 and a bottle of orange juice. Can't wait for my breakfast tomorrow.
Actually, I know it's 12 O'Clock but probably I should go and visit Dawn Anderson. Maybe she can give me some food.
Benchmark Search Conference
Benchmark Search Conference 2018
Ellie England, Sales Director, Bing Ads.
'Let’s do AI - How Artificial Intelligence is Amplifying Human and Also Marketing Ingenuity - Today.'
Passionate about search, women in technology and making a lasting impact, Ellie England began her career in sales working in an inner-city secondary school ‘selling’ the importance of modern languages to disaffected teenagers. She got into the world of search working for Google for 6 years, before eventually relocating to Manchester and joining Microsoft.
As a Sales Director for Bing Ads, Ellie England has been spearheading the continued investment in the North of the UK and leads a growing team of search account managers.
Kristal Ireland, Head of E-commerce and Retail Technology, London North Eastern Railway
'5 Weeks to Make It – How to Keep Your Cool and Switch a Major Brand Online in Only 5 Weeks'
Previously voted as one of the UK’s Top 30 Women in Digital Under 30. A specialist in Social Media and Digital Brand Strategy, Kristal Ireland is an award-winning, strategic and experienced digital marketing expert.
A regular digital conference speaker and industry commentator Kristal Ireland has worked in digital for over a decade developing digital solutions for some of the UK’s biggest brands.
Dave Karellen, Head of Paid Search, Click Consult
'Machine Learning: Friend or Foe?'
Dave Karellen has been with Click since 2011 and heads up the Paid Search (PPC) team as well as taking responsibility for key PPC accounts. Developing best practice, delivering PPC training and liaising directly with clients are also core elements of his role.
Dave’s extensive Excel knowledge has seen him develop a range of PPC optimisation and reporting tools. A further strength is high-level data analysis, developed while studying for a Master’s Degree in Mathematics.
Sabrina Garufi, Agency Development Manager, Google
'Marketing in the Age of Assistance'
Sabrina Garufi is currently an Agency Development Manager at Google, helping UK agencies on all aspects of their digital activity, with a particular emphasis on growth.
Prior to working with agencies, Sabrina Garufi was a Consultant for the specialised Global Expansions Team, helping Google’s largest advertisers craft and execute their international expansion strategies.
With a background in Finance, Sabrina Garufi began her career in banking, working for five years as a Corporate Cash Manager. A native of Montreal, she completed her MBA in Berlin before moving to Dublin to join Google.
Fili Wiese, SEO Expert, SearchBrothers.com
'Optimising for Search Bots'
Fili Wiese is a renowned technical SEO expert, ex-Google engineer and was a senior technical lead in the Google Search Quality team.
At SearchBrothers.com he offers SEO consulting services with SEO audits, SEO workshops and successfully recovers websites from Google penalties.
John Warner, Marketing and Content Executive, Click Consult
'Stop Wasting Time! 5 Steps to Automate Your Google Analytics Reporting'
John Warner is an internal marketer at Click Consult where he spends his time accruing industry certifications, tinkering with code, plotting strategy and writing articles on all aspects of search marketing.
While having a master’s degree in creative writing and a background predominately in content, John Warner has found himself drawn to the technical side of SEO – developing a passion for data, research, interactivity, artificial intelligence and voice search.
John Warner features regularly on a number of leading search marketing blogs, including regular articles for SEMRush, State of Digital and on the Click Consult blog, he also contributions to the quarterly magazine ‘Benchmark Search Marketing’, occasionally hosts the ‘on.click’ podcast and has spoken at a number of leading UK conferences.
Nick Wilsdon, Search Product Owner, Vodafone
'Understanding Alexa Skills: How to Add Amazon’s Market-Leading Device Into Your Current and Future Marketing Strategy'
Nick Wilsdon started his online career in 1998, giving his first SEO seminar two years later in Brighton. After moving to Moscow, he became an expert on Russian search, working with gaming clients across CIS markets. During this time he was involved in the Russian start-up community, working with Yandex, RF parliament members and the US State Department.
Since his return to the UK, Nick has held head of department roles at Arena Media, part of the Havas Media Group and within the Dentsu Aegis network. As the SEO lead at Vodafone Group, he is standardising and improving online performance across 22 markets and 55 partner markets. He is particularly interested in mobile SEO, cross-channel campaigns and joining up the dots in a logical way.
The Sunday Talk
Now that I am back in London I wanna tell you something. The Benchmark Search Conference is becoming one of my favourite conferences. On one side this conference is big enough to attract good, quality speakers. On the other side, it's not that big so people can still have this intimate, one-to-one connection with the speakers and the other attendees.
Talking about connections to everybody who sent me a private message on LinkedIn. I promise you I'm gonna answer your message. But saying that last time I checked I had 129 unanswered messages. So please, please be patient.
While you are waiting to talk to me don't forget to come back here next week cause you've got the problems and I've got the solutions.
### Structured Data Explained | Search Elite SEO Conference
https://youtu.be/FEggUq5kaWI
As a digital marketer, you might have heard about structured data, JSON-LD or Structured Data Testing Tool. But what is structured data and what do these terms mean exactly? What does structured data do? Why should you implement it and what does it have to do with SEO? For all of you who don’t know what structured data is: this video will make it clear to you!
This is a no-hype session focuses on SEO tips that will help you move the needle. No complex theory but highly actionable SEO tips.This session will have SEO tips for all levels of experience. Join ex-Google engineer Fili Wiese to learn all about structured data and how to make it work for you and avoid common pitfalls.
Fili Weise - SearchLeeds 2018 - Structured data explained from Branded3
Who is Fili Wiese?
Fili Wiese is a well-known technical SEO expert. Fili is an ex-Google engineer and was part of the Google Search Quality team. At SearchBrothers.com he offers SEO consulting services with SEO audits, SEO workshops and successfully recovers websites from Google penalties.
Fili Wiese
What is Search Elite?
Search marketing continues to be the biggest and most powerful form of digital marketing. Search Elite is a conference designed exclusively for experienced search marketers. All the sessions are fast-paced, Q&A-packed, always informative and delivering the most forward-thinking digital strategies and tactics.
### Hreflang Attribute - International SEO
Very often proud owners of multi-language websites come to me asking me the same question: Why Google can't correctly understand the geographic focus of my website pages? Why is my English page competing with my French page in Europe? Why is my American page outranking my English page in the UK?
The answer to these questions is always very simple. When it comes to international multi-language websites in order to help your language/regionally targeted content rank and also to avoid duplicate content you have to implement the hreflang link-attribute (the so-called rel=”alternate” hreflang=”x” link-attribute).
Hreflnag and SEO
Simply put, by using the hreflang attribute you can make sure that the Googlebot knows that the content on your pages is also available in other languages and that a URL with hreflang="fr" is for users in France and Google has to serve the French version instead of the English version.
Note: Do not specify a country code by itself as Google can't automatically establish the language from the country code. On the other side, you can only specify a language code by itself.
What is the Hreflang Attribute?
The Hreflang Tag is an HTML meta element that was first introduced by the Internet Engineering Task Force in 2010. The Hreflang Tag specifies language and regional targeting for documents online.
What does the hreflang tag look like?
Explaining this markup is easy. Rel=”alternate” simply tells Google that there is another URL with the same content but in a different language. The first two letters after the hreflang part of the markup specify the language. The last two letter specify the country and the URL indicates which page the tag applies to – in this case, the English homepage.
Straight away it's quite obvious that “en-GB” is the most important part of the code. This part tells Google that the page in question is in English (en) and it has to be served in the United Kingdom (GB).
Hreflang Attribute
In order for Google to understand your code, you have to use the ISO 639-1 format for language codes but you can also get more definitive by using the ISO 3166-1 Alpha 2 format to inform Google which region you're targeting.
Note: Looking at the example above tells you straight away that not all of the country codes are intuitive (the code for the UK is 'gb', not 'uk' as 'uk' is for Ukraine), so be very careful before implementing the wrong code all over your website.
Although using the Hreflang Attribute Tag is an essential part of any SEO geo-targeting strategy, it is not the 'magic bullet' for website internationalisation. Apart from the correct rel=”alternate” hreflang=”x” markup on the website, Google also takes other factors into account when trying to understand the language and the country for a website page.
The following elements ( in no particular order) are also used by Google in order to determine the geo-location target of a website:
Country code top-level domains (ccTLDs).
The language of the website.
Search Console geo-targeting settings.
Backlinks coming from specific geo-locations.
The server location of the website.
Currency and address formats displayed on the website.
How do I correctly implement Hreflang tags on my website?
For a start, there are three ways of implementing the Hreflang Tags?
In the of your page, e.g.
Hello! My name is Omi Sido
In the HTTP header of your documents, e.g.
Link: ; rel="alternate"; hreflang="en-gb",
; rel="alternate"; hreflang="en-au"
Note: Unless this is the only viable implementation method I normally don’t recommend implementing hreflang in the HTTP headers. When reviewing a page, many SEO/digital marketing tools will look at the source code but not the HTTP headers so this tag is significantly more likely to be overlooked.
In an XML sitemap, e.g.
https://example.com/en-gb/https://example.com/en-au/
The markup above is only for two URLs so you gonna need a lot of output to do this for a lot of URLs but on the other side using sitemaps for hreflang will help you to avoid bloating your HTML markup and HTTP headers.
Note: I would strongly recommend to choose only one of these methods, and to not mix implementations.
When to use the x-default Hreflang Tag?
Note: The x-default tag is optional. You will not break your hreflang tags implementation if the x-default is not there.
X-default hreflang example
With that in mind, the x-default hreflang tag is used to state the default version of your page for searches outside of your specified hreflang tags. For example, if you specify hreflang tags for en-gb and en-ca, but Google thinks your page is also relevant for an English query in Australia, specifying the x-default tag will inform Google which page version they should send searchers to.
Another way to explain the x-default hreflang tag is: a special hreflang tag that specifies where a searcher should be sent if none of the languages you’ve specified in your other hreflang links matches their browser settings.So in this example href="https://example.com/en/page/" hreflang="x-default", if a searcher is looking for your page in Macedonia and you don't have a 'Macedonian hreflang tag' on your page Google will server the English version of this page.
The Hreflang and rel=canonical brotherhood
From an SEO point of view, I am a big fan of the rel=”canonical” tag and it can and should be used with your Hreflang Tag markup. But "here's the catch. Every language should have a rel=”canonical” link pointing to itself.
So if we are on the home page (English) of our website the code should look like this:
And if we are on the 'UK homepage' the code should be:
Very often I see the mistake where people are setting the canonical on the en-gb page to http://example.com/en/ confused by the same language (especially if the homepage is simply http://example.com/).
Reciprocal Linking
If you have pages /us/en/, /uk/en/, /br/pt and simply /de/ all of these pages must contain your hreflang tagging. You simply can’t just put the hreflang tags on one of your pages. In order for Google to understand the hreflang tags, every single variation of your website must include hreflang tags.
Useful tools when implementing the Hreflang markup
In my opinion, you only need two tools to successfully start implementing hreflang. The first tool by Aleyda Solis called 'The hreflang Tags Generator' will help you correctly "generate the hreflang tags patterns to use in the different language and country versions of your pages".
Once you’ve added the hreflang markup to your pages, you’ll want to validate it and then it’s probably also a good idea to regularly audit your implementation to make sure it’s still set up correctly. To do that I strongly recommend the OnCrawl hreflang tool.
This tool can help you easily get a global view of your internationalization by giving you an overview of your hreflang tags so you can make sure everything is still in perfect working order by creating a custom hreflang dashboard.
OnCrawl hreflang tool
Other noticeable benefits of the OnCrawl Hreflang tool:
1. Identify non-indexable pages containing hreflang tags
The OnCrawl tool will give you a list of all non-indexable pages containing hreflang tags and as it's an SEO crawler it will also help you discover possible reasons why a page might not be indexed.
2. Find pages in language X without a translation in language Y
Probably the best feature of this tool is that it helps you identify pages you don’t have translations for yet. For example, the tool will let you find pages that already have an English and a French version, but not a German one.
Conclusion
Setting up hreflang is not a difficult process but first, you need to truly understand exactly how the hreflang attribute works. Although the process may look a bit too technical for some it is very much worth addressing especially if you already have sections of your website in different languages or for that matter in the same language but for different countries and the language on your pages is confusing your visitors.
As things in SEO are constantly evolving I will try and keep this guide up to date so next time you are implementing or troubleshooting your hreflang tags please check back.
### AI vs Human Translation in Localisation
https://youtu.be/5xBO75EhdrE
If your company is entering a new market where your potential customers speak a different language, one of the things at the top of your preparation agenda should be the language of your website.
Don't get lost in translation
In today's globalised world, businesses are looking to expand their reach and target customers from different countries. By far one of the most critical aspects of this expansion is localisation. Localisation involves adapting content to suit the language, cultural, and social norms of a particular country. It is an essential process for companies that want to establish their presence in different markets so they can reach a larger group of potential customers interested in their products or services.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has played a significant role in the localisation process, particularly in the area of translation. Machine translation (also known as MT software) has come a long way, and many businesses are now relying on AI for their translation (transcreation) needs. However, the question remains, can Artificial Intelligence match human translation when it comes to localisation? With that in mind let's explore the differences between AI and human translation in localisation.
AI Translation
Artificial Intelligence translation is the use of complex machine learning algorithms to translate text from one language to another. It involves the use of machine learning techniques that enable the algorithm to learn from large datasets of human translations and apply this knowledge to translate new text.
AI translation has come a long way in recent years, and the quality of translations has improved significantly. Amazon Translate is a good example of AI that delivers outstanding results in translation.
Naturally, AI translation has the advantage of being faster and more cost-effective than human translation. It is also suitable for handling large volumes of text, making it an ideal solution for international businesses that need to translate large amounts of content quickly.
The process of AI translation typically involves the following steps:
Data collection: The first step is to collect a large dataset of human translations in the source and target languages. This dataset is used to train the machine learning algorithm.
Preprocessing: The input data is preprocessed to remove any irrelevant or redundant information, such as punctuation and whitespace. This step is important to ensure that the algorithm is working with clean data.
Training the algorithm: The machine learning algorithm is trained on the preprocessed dataset of human translations. During this process, the algorithm learns to identify patterns and relationships between words and phrases in the source and target languages.
Testing and validation: Once the algorithm has been trained, it is tested and validated to ensure that it is producing accurate translations. This involves comparing the machine-generated translations to a set of reference translations.
Fine-tuning: The algorithm may need to be fine-tuned to improve its accuracy. This may involve adjusting the parameters of the algorithm, such as the learning rate or the number of layers in the neural network (generally, a neural network can have as few as one layer, i.e., a single layer perceptron or as many as hundreds or even thousands of layers, i.e., deep neural networks).
Deployment: Once the algorithm has been tested and validated, it can be deployed to translate text in real-world applications. The algorithm may be integrated into a translation platform or API, allowing users to translate text automatically.
Famous AI translation algorithms
There are several famous machine learning algorithms that are commonly used for translating text by various companies. Here are a few examples:
Google Translate: Google Translate uses a machine learning algorithm called Google Neural Machine Translation (GNMT), which was introduced in 2016. GNMT uses deep learning techniques to translate text, allowing it to produce more accurate translations than previous versions of Google Translate. As far as I know, GNMT is trained on large datasets of parallel text, which are pairs of texts in different languages that have the same meaning. People say that in 2004 Sergey Brin, one of the co-founders of Google, had a bad experience with a licensed translation program that translated a Korean email into the nonsensical phrase, "The sliced raw fish shoes it wishes. Google green onion thing!". This experience led Brin to conceive the idea of a more reliable and accurate machine translation service and Google Translate was born.
Microsoft Translator: Microsoft Translator uses a machine learning algorithm called Neural Machine Translation (NMT), which was introduced in 2017 by Microsoft Research, the company's research division. Neural Machine Translation is a machine translation approach utilising neural network techniques to predict the likelihood of words in sequence allowing it to produce more natural and fluent translations.
Amazon Translate: Amazon Translate uses a machine learning algorithm called Neural Machine Translation (NMT), which was also introduced in 2017. Despite the same name Amazon and Microsoft have their own neural machine translation (NMT) systems, which are not the same thing. What I like about Amazon NMT is that it allows you to train and customize your own NMT model using your own data, whereas Microsoft Translator does not currently offer this option.
OpenNMT: OpenNMT is an open-source machine learning toolkit for neural machine translation. It includes several machine learning algorithms, including convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and recurrent neural networks (RNNs), which can be used to translate text into multiple languages. OpenNMT is probably my favourite toolkit as its source code is available for anyone to access, modify, and distribute. This allows for greater flexibility and customization than a closed-source platform like Microsoft or Amazon NMT.
A suggestion I want to make here is to read this article Introducing the first AI model that translates 100 languages without relying on English.
Challenges of AI Translation in Localisation
While AI translation has come a long way, it still faces several challenges when it comes to localisation. One of the main challenges is the difficulty in understanding the nuances of language and culture. Languages are complex, and understanding the context and tone of a particular text can be difficult for a machine.
Another challenge is that the quality of the translation depends on the quality of the input data ('good data in, good data out' and unfortunately 'bad data in, bad data out'). Machine learning algorithms rely on large datasets of human translations to learn and improve their translations. If the input data is of poor quality, then the machine-generated translations will also be of poor quality.
Finally, there is a risk of bias (lack of conceptual equivalence, misunderstanding of language and misinterpretation of meaning) in machine-generated translations. Machine learning algorithms are trained on large datasets of human translations, which may contain biases and inaccuracies. If these biases are not identified and corrected, then they can be perpetuated in machine-generated translations.
Note: Bias in machine learning is a big topic that I will explore in another future article.
Human Translation
Human translation involves the use of professional translators to translate text from one language to another. Professional translators are highly skilled and experienced individuals who understand the nuances of language and culture (one of the main challenges of machine translation is that language is highly contextual).
Professional translators are able to take into account the context of the text and the intended audience (and audiences can be totally different even within the same country), ensuring that the translation accurately reflects the meaning and tone of the original text.
Human translation is a time-consuming and costly process. It requires a high level of skill and expertise, and as such, it is often more expensive than AI translation. However, the advantage of human translation is that it produces high-quality translations that are accurate and culturally appropriate (important!).
Note: All professional translators should have a deep understanding of the culture and social norms of the target language, ensuring that the translation is suitable for the intended audience.
Last but not least, human translation provides a level of quality control that is not possible with AI translation. Professional translators are able to check and correct any errors or inaccuracies in the translation, ensuring that the final product is of the highest quality.
The process of human translation is fairly simple and involves 3 stages: analysis, translation, and revision.
Analysis: The translator carefully analyses the source text, taking into account the context, tone, and intended audience.
Translation: The second step is to translate the text, ensuring that the translation accurately reflects the meaning and tone of the original text.
Revision: Finally, the translation is revised, with the translator checking and correcting any errors or inaccuracies.
AI vs Human Translation
When it comes to localisation, both AI and human translation have their advantages and disadvantages. AI translation is faster and more cost-effective than human translation, making it an ideal solution for businesses that need to translate large volumes of low priority content quickly. However as mentioned already AI translation can be less accurate than human translation, particularly when it comes to understanding the nuances of language and culture.
Human translation, on the other hand, produces high-quality translations that accurately reflect the meaning and tone of the original text. Professional translators understand the nuances of language and culture, ensuring that the translation is culturally appropriate and suitable for the intended audience. However, human translation is time-consuming and costly (simply put, machine translation costs less) making it less suitable for businesses that need to translate large volumes of content quickly.
The best approach to localisation depends on the specific needs of the business. For companies that need to translate large volumes of content quickly, AI translation may be the best solution. However, for businesses that require high-quality translations that accurately reflect the meaning and tone of the original text, human translation is the best option.
An example of companies that need to translate large volumes of content quickly would be media companies like publishers, broadcasters, and streaming services that may need to translate a high volume of content, such as articles, scripts, and subtitles, to cater to international audiences.
A good example of companies that require high-quality translations would be medical and pharmaceutical companies. Medical documents, such as clinical trial reports and regulatory submissions, require accurate translations to ensure that the information is communicated clearly and effectively. Inaccurate translations could lead to serious consequences for patients and regulatory issues.
It is also worth noting that the best approach to localisation may be a combination of AI and human translation. I actually strongly recommend this route. Artificial Intelligence translation can be used to translate large volumes of content quickly, while human translation can be used to refine and improve the translations, ensuring that they are accurate and culturally appropriate.
Conclusion
In conclusion, both AI and human translation have their advantages and disadvantages when it comes to localization. AI translation is faster and more cost-effective than human translation, making it an ideal solution for businesses that need to translate large volumes of content quickly. However, AI translation can be less accurate than human translation, particularly when it comes to understanding the nuances of language and culture.
Human translation, on the other hand, produces high-quality translations that accurately reflect the meaning and tone of the original text so probably the best way to go about translation is human supervised AI translation.
Who is Gianna Brachetti-Truskawa?
Gianna Brachetti-Truskawa is the Senior International SEO Manager at bold ventures GmbH. Her specialities are managing multilingual websites, hreflang implementation, schema.org, Rich Results and localisation (DE, EN, FR, IT).Her insatiable curiosity covers more topics than there are hours in a week, but her special passion is language in all its different quirks and features – and food of course.
Gianna Brachetti-Truskawa
What is Search Elite?
Search marketing continues to be the biggest and most powerful form of digital marketing. Search Elite is a conference designed exclusively for experienced search marketers. All the sessions are fast-paced, Q&A-packed, always informative and delivering the most forward-thinking digital strategies and tactics.
### The Sunday Talk - Be The Best You Can Be
This week's got a very interesting start. Natasha Woodford from ClockworkTalent invited me to The Tower Of London and see the famous Ceremony of the Keys.
Tower of London
The Beefeaters - I am not entirely sure why we call them Beefeaters. Probably like me, they like their steak rare. So the Beefeaters have been performing this ceremony for the last 700 years. Let me repeat this one: 700 years every single night. What a dedication. Nothing like me trying to go to the gym 2-3 times a week for the last 2-3 years.
You don't need much to be happy!
In all honesty, I've never been to this iconic building. Never. But as usual, I am not going there for the building or the ceremony. I am going there for the people. Some people are happy when they see an old and beautiful building. Some people are happy when they attend a famous ceremony. In all honesty, I am only happy when I see good, intelligent, funny people like David Iwanow, Lukasz Zelezny or Arriane from Epiphany. Man, I am excited.
David Iwanow with Dom Hodgson, Lukasz Zelezny and Arianne Donoghue
Becoming Who You Are
Meeting Natasha yesterday made me realise how much I've changed in the last 4-5 years. Natasha was the first one to interview me for an SEO position and then she sent me to 3 companies for an interview. But I didn't get the job. The jobs.
Omi Sido & Natasha Woodford
So Natasha was the first one to come back to me and tell me 'You are not good enough. Go and study more'. Now I can go all inspirational and be like 'She didn't believe in me. She was trying to put me down but look at me now'. But the simple truth is I didn't have enough knowledge to be a good SEO. See it doesn't matter how hard you think you work. It doesn't matter how smart you think you are. If you think you deserve more, you are wrong. Stop for a second.
Understand who you really are. Accept it so you can empower yourself and be a better version of yourself in the future.
Also, don't blame anybody for your failures. See life is very simple. Don't stop taking action until you become who you really want to be.
Who is Zara Altair?
Zara Altair is a Professional Ghostwriter and one of the best Semantic Writing and Marketing professionals out there.
Writer and educator Zara Altair work with website developers and business owners to create semantically oriented text.
The Sniper Mind: Eliminate Fear, Deal with Uncertainty, and Make Better DecisionsBook by Mr David Amerland
Find happiness in the misery
It's not easy saying something smart after Zara. So let me give you some of my thoughts. When it comes to being the best you can be there are two parts: the physical and the emotional. So for example, if I am trying to lose weight the emotional part is telling me all you have to do is stop eating the crap food you are eating every single day. Stop drinking. Start running. But then you go home, it's Friday evening, you are tired and you just can't resist this glass of red wine.
See a lot of inspirational speakers only talk about the emotional part. But from my experience, if you don't satisfy, if you don't feed both of them you not gonna succeed. So to use the same example if you are trying to lose weight and you are hungry and you are miserable because of that you not gonna do it.
In a way, you have to try and find happiness in the misery.
So it's like yes I am hungry, yes I am miserable, yes I am down but I am walking towards my goals.
Talking about goals today is a big day. The final of the Football World Cup and it doesn't get any bigger than that in any sport so - I don't have a watch - so it's about time for me to go and meet my friends. But you do come back here next Sunday. In fact do come back here every single day cause if you have questions and issues in Digital Marketing or in life I've got the answers.
Bye.
### How to fix the most common technical SEO issues | SearchLeeds 2018
https://youtu.be/tF-jKOymGR4
Who is Craig Campbell?
Craig Campbell is a UK based SEO consultant who has over 16 years in the industry. He runs a thriving consultancy business that helps others improve their visibility online.
Craig Campbell - www.craigcampbellseo.co.uk
Craig Campbell has been speaking at events for a number of years now offering tips and advice on a wide range of Digital Marketing subjects, helping others to avoid the many mistakes he has made over the years. SearchLeeds 2018 - Craig Campbell - How to fix the most common technical SEO issues from Branded3
https://www.slideshare.net/Branded3/searchleeds-2018-craig-campbell-how-to-fix-the-most-common-technical-seo-issues
What is SEMrush?
SEMrush is a powerful and versatile competitive intelligence suite for online marketing, from SEO and PPC to social media and video advertising research.
Why Technical SEO?
If there are technical SEO issues on your business website, your online presence can take a hit. Technical SEO will not only prepare your website for easier crawling by Google but it would also help your business get the much needed structural leverage. If Google can crawl your site easily then it means there are more chances for ranking higher which in turn brings more traffic to your site.
### Will robots destroy us all? Putting ethical debate back into the narrative about the future of AI | SearchLeeds 2018
https://youtu.be/zERbP_qxNMQ
Who is Kristal Ireland?
Kristal Ireland is an award-winning, strategic and experienced digital and technology expert. Experienced public speaker on all things digital and technology with a passion for AI and all things transformative.
Kristal Ireland
Previously voted as one of the UK's Top 30 Women in Digital Under 30 by The Drum Magazine. A specialist in Digital Transformation, E-commerce and Digital Brand Strategy she has worked with some of the major UK and international clients to build their brands online.
Kristal Ireland - Virgin Trains East Coast - Will robots destroy us all? Putting ethical debate back into the narrative about the future of AI from Branded3
Passionate about all forms of marketing but with a specialism in digital marketing including; Website Design and Development, Mobile, E-commerce website design and management, SEO, PPC, Social Media, Email Marketing, Online Analytics packages, Customer Journey Analysis and Customer Relationship Management.
What is AI?
Artificial intelligence or AI is the area of computer science that emphasizes the creation of intelligent machines that work and react like humans.In an essence, AI refers to the ability for machines to make complex decisions with the same sophistication as human beings - something which requires a high degree of skill to do, as it depends upon taking a huge number of variables into consideration and drawing upon a bank of accumulated knowledge and experience.
Despite AI being described as a gimmick by some critics around the world, it has the potential to be highly useful in the world of business, helping businesses become more automated, freeing up human workers' time to make the decisions only a human being can make.
What are some of the characteristics of artificial intelligence?
Access to a consistent knowledge source, e.g. our environment.Able to convert plausible responses into knowledgeable responses (this is the conversion of belief to knowledge which improves viability).Adaptability-the use of modelling (thought) to refine responses to improve viability (this can be thought of as a definition of the property “intelligence”).The ability to communicate (form a language - can be semiotic ie non-verbal).The ability to plan (think).Non-deterministic - with flexibility (adaptability) comes unpredictability of responses.The ability to interact with the source of knowledge, i.e. our environment.
### The Sunday Talk - What makes us happy?
https://youtu.be/cDGgbGemoKA
The perfect Summer day: the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing...and you are probably not in the UK.Joking aside, this week I want you to be so happy that when others look at you they become happy too.
Guys, can I say something. I am sorry for interrupting you but I have to say something. Before we start talking about creating powerful, impactful content you must understand something. It's not about the content. It's not. It's all about your audience.
First, you have to know your audience and then you start creating content.
In a way, you must know your audience even more than the subject. If the audience cannot connect to your content, if the audience can not relate to what you are saying, in my opinion, you are wasting your time and money.
Content is like a bridge between you and the customer.
If the bridge looks a little bit shaky the customer may not cross the bridge to give you the money.
Surround yourself with happiness
I am just about to go to Ealing to see a good friend of mine. So I am thinking. Is it me or every time I am surrounded by people I am happy. To add to this every time I am surrounded by happy people I am actually happier.
So to conclude: first try and be more social. Second, surround yourself with people who make you happy.
Life is far too short to be surrounded by miserable people.
On a side note, on a more serious note if you see a friend going from a happy to a miserable state and you think he may suffer from depression don't run away. Don't avoid him. Help him. Helping people definitely makes me happy.
Life is far too short to be surrounded by miserable people.
Instagram launches IGTV app for creators
It's early in the morning but one of the news in my news stream is super exciting. A new video app, yes you've heard me, a new video app from Instagram called IGTV. I assume Instagram TV. The first thing I've noticed videos should be vertical and they can be up to 10 minutes, yes you've heard me, 10 minutes long. I am super excited.
Why does this app exist?
On top of my head and before my first cup of coffee I can give you two main reasons. The first one is people like videos on Instagram. Despite starting as a photo app videos have taken over the platform. So now Instagram is just giving us a better and longer way to watch them.The second reason and probably the most important: Facebook has been trying to become a video platform for a very, very long time. Ads placed next to videos are significantly more expensive. Whatever the reason I am super excited.
One thing I forgot to tell you. How to watch videos on the new platform. All you have to do is download the new app and connect it to your Instagram profile. As long as you are following me on Instagram you will be able to see my videos straight away. You do follow me on Instagram, don't you?
Who is Zara Altair?
Internet entrepreneur helping people make money by creating content, capturing leads, and converting to sales.
Zara Altair
For years Zara has been helping screenwriters and fiction writers with their stories. If you want help with your story, give her a call at +1 503 468 7008.
Meanwhile, why not watch Mystery Monday.
No One But You Can Make You Happy
Life is short, and it is up to you to make it sweet.
I really wanted to end up this Sunday Talk on a high. I had an amazing week. Lots of fun. But this morning I woke up to the news that the brother of a friend of mine was killed here in Greenford yesterday morning. I really didn't know the guy well but what a loss.
If you haven't realised it yet life is very short. So it's entirely up to you to make it sweet.
### Entities, Search, and RankBrain: How it works and why it matters
https://youtu.be/nNyMZSRxPkA
Entities, SEO and RankBrain
In today's digital world, search engine optimisation (SEO) has become an essential component of any successful online business. SEO involves a variety of strategies to improve a website's visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs). One of the most important factors in modern SEO is the concept of entities and how they relate to RankBrain (an important part of Google's core algorithm which uses machine learning ).
Entities refer to specific, recognisable objects or concepts that can be categorised and connected to other entities in meaningful ways. For example, a person is an entity (Omi Sido is a good example of an entity), as is a company, a product, a location, and so on. In the world of SEO, entities are crucial because they help search engines understand the content on a website and how it relates to the broader web.
Understanding how entities work and how they relate to SEO is critical for any business or organisation looking to improve its online visibility. In this article, we'll explore the basics of entities, how they are used in SEO, and how Google's machine learning algorithm, RankBrain, plays a role in this process. To learn more about entities I will strongly recommend the book Entity SEO: moving from strings to things: moving search from strings to things by Dixon Jones.
What are Entities?
Entities can be thought of as "things" or "objects" that exist in the real world around us. They can be physical objects like cars, people, or buildings, or more abstract concepts like emotions, ideas, or relationships. In the world of SEO, entities are used to help search engines like Google or Bing understand the meaning behind a website's content and how it relates to other entities on the web.
Entities are typically defined by their unique characteristics, which can include their name, description, attributes, and relationships with other entities. For example, a company entity might have a name, a logo, a website, and relationships with other entities like its employees, customers, suppliers or other companies within the same niche.
This is what we see in the Google SERPs for the entity Kristine Schachinger:
The entity Kristine Schachinger in the SERPs
How are Entities Used in SEO?
Entities play a crucial role in modern SEO, as they help search engines better understand the meaning behind a website's content. By understanding the entities that are discussed on a website, search engines can better match that content with relevant search queries and deliver more relevant and useful results to searchers online.
There are several ways that entities are used in SEO. One common strategy is to optimise content for specific entities. This can involve using keywords and phrases that are associated with a particular entity or including relevant metadata like schema markup to help search engines better understand the entity's attributes and relationships.
Another good SEO strategy is to create content that is related to other entities in a meaningful way. For example, a website that sells outdoor gear might create content that includes information about specific locations where people might use that gear, like national parks or hiking trails. By including information about these locations, the website can create a stronger connection between its content and the entities that are associated with those locations. Sounds simple and it is.
Why RankBrain Matters
Google RankBrain has revolutionised how Google search works. It provides more relevant results against every search query.
Google's RankBrain is a machine learning algorithm that is designed to help the search engine better understand the meaning behind search queries. Rather than simply matching keywords and phrases, RankBrain tries to understand the intent behind the query and deliver results that are more relevant and useful to the person online looking for a specific answer.
Entities play a crucial role in how RankBrain works. By understanding the entities that are associated with specific search queries, RankBrain can deliver more accurate and relevant results to users ('relevant' here being the keyword to pay attention to). For example, if someone searches for "best hiking trails in California," RankBrain can understand that the query is related to two key entities: hiking trails and California. By identifying these entities, RankBrain can deliver results that are more likely to meet the user's needs, such as a list of the top hiking trails in California.
RankBrain is a machine learning system that allows Google's search algorithm to deliver more relevant results
RankBrain's ability to understand entities is made possible by the vast amount of data that Google has access to. Google's search index contains billions of web pages (apparently it is well over 100,000,000 gigabytes in size), each of which contains a wealth of information about entities and how they relate to each other.
RankBrain can identify patterns and relationships between entities and use that information to improve its understanding of search queries and the content on web pages.
In addition to understanding entities, RankBrain also uses a variety of other factors to determine search rankings. These can include things like the relevance of the content to the search query, the quality of the content, and the authority of the website.
Why Entities and RankBrain Matter for SEO
Entities and RankBrain are two key concepts in modern SEO, and understanding how they work is critical for any business or organisation looking to improve its online visibility and reach its marketing goals. By optimising content for relevant entities and creating content that is related to other entities in a meaningful (relevant, valid) way, businesses can improve their chances of appearing higher in search results and reaching a wider audience.
At the same time, it's important to remember that SEO is not just about optimising for search engines. Ultimately, the goal of SEO is to create a better user experience by delivering relevant, high-quality content that meets the needs of the user. By focusing on creating great content that is optimised for entities and relevant to the user's search query, businesses can improve their online visibility while also building trust and loyalty with their audience.
The goal of modern SEO is to create a good user experience by delivering relevant, high-quality content that meets the needs of the website visitor.
Conclusion
Entities, SEO, and RankBrain are all critical components of modern digital marketing. By understanding the role that entities play in SEO and how the part of Google's algorithm called RankBrain uses data to better understand search queries, businesses can create more effective online strategies that improve their visibility and reach.
At the same time, it's important to remember that the ultimate goal of SEO is to deliver value to the user, so businesses should focus on creating high-quality content that meets the needs of their audience. With the right approach, companies can succeed in today's competitive digital landscape and build long-term success online.
Who is Kristine Schachinger?
Kristine Schachinger has been working in the field of SEO, website creation, development, implementation, and maintenance for over 20 years. She has expertise in a wide range of areas, including government, academia, and e-commerce.
Her specialisations include Technical SEO, Site Recovery, Digital Marketing Strategies, Usability (UI/X), CRO, and 508/WCAG accessibility compliance, as well as social media advertising.
Kristine Schachinger with Juan González and Dawn Anderson
Kristine Schachinger has worked with various clients, including but not limited to Vice Media, USA.gov, Zappos, Top Ten Reviews, NYC Marathon, Salon.com, and Patch.
In addition to her professional work, Kristine Schachinger is an internationally renowned speaker and SEO author who has presented at numerous events such as Pubcon, SMX Advanced, SMX East/West, RIMC, Ungagged US/UK, Search Leeds, HITMC, and SXSWi.
Here’s the slide deck if you’d like to run through it in your own time!
https://www.slideshare.net/KristineSchachinger/search-leeds-talk-entities-search-and-rank-brain-how-it-works-and-why-it-matters-102627157
### The Sunday Talk - SearchLeeds SEO Conference
Monday morning.Smile. Send a thank-you email. Call just to see how they’re doing. Pick them flowers. Make them a cup of coffee. Give them a cherished book. Praise them publicly. Help them get ahead. Be proud of them.
How difficult is to make somebody happy?
New summer gloves from ARMR. Let me describe them to you: comfort. Very often when the customer can happily describe your product in one single word you are on the right path to success.Meanwhile Happy Monday everybody.
Intelligent search and intelligent assistants: Exploring the AI- Era of Search.
Purna Virji, Microsoft.
Purna Virji and Omi Sido
Who is Purna Virji?
Purna Virji is Senior Manager, PPC Training at Microsoft. Named by PPC Hero as the most influential PPC expert of 2016, Purna specializes in SEM, SEO and Voice Search. With over a decade in search, she is a regular keynote speaker at conferences across the globe such as MozCon and SMX Advanced and is a popular industry columnist. An award-winning former journalist, Purna was the CEO of Purview Marketing prior to joining the Bing Ads team.
Useless projects: Where AI meets human creativity
Rob McGowan, Edit
Who is Rob McGowan?
Rob is a Group Strategy Director at Edit - agency that specialities in customer, data, loyalty and insight strategy, customer engagement, insight-driven marketing, communications planning and execution.
Entities, Search, and Rank Brain: How it works and why it matters.
Kristine Schachinger, Sites Without Walls
Kristine Schachinger with Juan González and Dawn Anderson
Who is Kristine Schachinger?
Kristine Schachinger is the owner of SitesWithoutWalls.com and the CEO & Founder of The Vetters Agency. Kristine Schachinger has 17 years digital experience including a focus on website design and implementation, accessibility standards and all aspects of website visibility involving SEO, social media and strategic planning.
What lies beneath – 'The Iceberg Approach'.
Dawn Anderson, Move it Marketing
Dawn Anderson and Gerry White
Who is Dawn Anderson?
Dawn Anderson is an SEO & Search Digital Marketing Strategist focusing on technical, architectural and database-driven SEO. Dawn Anderson is the Managing Director of Move It Digital Marketing Agency, International SEO Consultant, Trainer, Lecturer and Speaker.
How to fix the most common technical SEO issues.
Craig Campbell, CraigCambellSEO
Who is Craig Campbell?
Craig Campbell is an SEO based in Glasgow in the UK who has over 16 years in the industry, starting out as a freelancer working from home to building up a successful digital marketing agency.
In recent years Craig’s focus has changed and is now providing consultancy and training services as well as speaking in any Digital Marketing events to help people learn from the experience Craig has made over the years.
The Mobile First Index: What, why and, more importantly, when!
Jon Myers, DeepCrawl
Jon Myers (DeepCrawl) at SearchLeeds
Who is Jon Myers?
Jon Myers is an experienced senior leader with over 19 years’ experience within the Digital Marketplace working for large corporate organisations to startups within the sector. Jon has a strong understanding of all sides of the market, very strong business and people connections across EMEA and recognised for his experience and thought leadership within the European online advertising industry. Having worked in Paid Search since its inception, with many years’ experience in SEO, Display and Paid Social as well
He is a regular speaker/moderator at conferences worldwide and frequently judges Awards in the Industry. Currently, Jon is the Chief Growth Officer at DeepCrawl.
Will robots destroy us all? Putting ethical debate back into the narrative about the future of AI.
Kristal Ireland, Virgin East Coast Trains
Kristal Ireland at SearchLeeds
Who is Kristal Ireland?
An experienced digital leader and digital transformation specialist, Kristal Ireland heads up the E-commerce and Retail team at Virgin Trains East Coast. With over a decade of experience in all facets of digital marketing and technology development, Kristal Ireland has worked with some of the UK’s biggest brands to define and deliver digital futures fit for the modern day consumer.
SearchLeeds Conference Review
Honestly, guys, I am absolutely knackered. But let's not talk about me. Let's talk about the conference. SearchLeeds is getting better and better and better every single year. This conference - and it's free - can compete on so many levels with so many paid conferences in the UK, in Europe and even in the United States.Stephen Kenwright, Branded3 team honestly guys: Well done!
At the beginning of this week, I asked you to make somebody happy. So today I am thinking: What makes us happy?
And I can't give you a definite answer as I am still exploring this subject but what I've realised so far is that the same thing can make us happy or unhappy at the same time.
Say I busted my knee yesterday. So today I could be like I can't go to the pub and watch the World Cup. I can't go and see my friends. I can't play football. So I am unhappy, I am sad, I am angry. At the same time, I could be like hmm yesterday I busted my knee so today I can stay at home, read my favourite book, learn something new or maybe talk more to my mother and I am happy.
What makes us happy. I will continue exploring this subject. So if you really wanna know I think about happiness please do come back here next Sunday cause maybe my videos make you happy. No. You've got the questions and I can give you the answers.
### The Sunday Talk - The Search Elite Conference
Hi Guys, I know I am pushing you every Monday to be happy, to work hard but let me also be very real with you: You are not going to fix your life in one single day or in one single week or even in a month.
On a macro level take it easy. On a micro level make one day perfect and then keep doing that every single day.
Happy Monday everybody.
Wednesday morning. On my way to the Search Elite conference. Special thanks to Sistrix for inviting me and giving me the chance to see some of my favourite speakers - Nichola Stott, Gerry White and of course Nick Wilsdon from Vodafone.
Nick's presentation - How to use voice devices within your marketing strategy
Voice devices have faster adoption rate than mobile phones. This year they have hit the mainstream and should now become part of your marketing mix. Beyond the statistics, Nick will explain how voice can work for your business. What you need to prepare for voice strategies, what are the common pitfalls and how to avoid them. What role should voice play and how can these platforms give you a competitive edge.
Gianna Brachetti-Truskawa's presentation - AI vs Human Translation in Localisation
Localisation is often misunderstood, or the resource requirements underestimated – we’ll show you what to expect when it comes to localisation and helps you decide why or when human translation might be a better fit.
Fili Wiese's presentation - Structured Data Explained
Want to know how and which structured data to implement on your website? This no-hype session focuses on SEO tips that will help you move the needle. No complex theory but highly actionable SEO tips. This session will have SEO tips for all levels of experience. Join ex-Google engineer Fili Wiese to learn all about structured data and how to make it work for you and avoid common pitfalls. Having programmed websites and Google internal tools, Fili Wiese is the go-to guy when it comes to technical and international SEO.
Check Nichola Stott's presentation here.
The Giant Speed Benchmark: Your Emotional Support Dog
We all know that mobile speed matters for user behaviour, conversion and is an important ranking factor; but what do we need to do? Which metrics really matter and how much time and effort should we assign to this?
Data without context is useless.
Because data without context is useless, in this session Nichola Stott gives you an introduction to speed and performance metrics for standard mobile configs, then she reviews the UK’s top 5,000 websites by sector, looking at the benchmark timings across key measurements (TTFB, RenderStart, VC, FL ). This will help give you the confidence and support required to understand “how fast is fast?”
Search Elite Conference Review
I'm gonna be totally honest with you. I am pleasantly surprised and I am eager to return to this conference next year. What started with a simple invite from Craig Rayner 'Omi, come on over mate. Tell us what you think about our conference' ended up with a conference that has a clear objective. We gonna show you how to significantly increase your online visibility and make more money from your online business through search marketing.
With Cristina Sturza - www.seomonitor.com
Do I have any suggestions for next? Yes. We need more of Jono Alderson. One hour of him is simply not enough.
SEO & CRO – No more Silos. The Panel Session
We are all focusing on platforms and technology and JavaScript. He (Bart Schutz) very much focuses on emotions, the behaviour of individual human beings and tries to optimise for that rather than the mechanics.
And then Tim who is a bit of anomaly...my words are going. Tim is an anomaly. What is it? Tim is an extraordinarily competent technical optimisation person and the jack of all trades similarly to Gerry.
Julia Logan, Jo Turnbull and Dawn Anderson
Stop Making Excuses!
I am about to go to the gym. I have to be honest with you I haven't been exercising a lot recently cause I've been very busy going to conferences, roundtables, travelling abroad. See finding excuses not to do something is the easiest thing on Earth. Let me repeat that statement.
Finding an excuse not to do something is the easiest thing on Earth.
Which reminds me of a saying: From the moment we are born, we begin to die. So when you think about it time is the most precious thing on earth. Not money, not fame not anything. Time. And the way we spent this time is entirely up to us. So like a CRO expert we have to start asking ourselves - Why?
Why am I spending time watching this pointless sitcom every single day? What's the ROI? Why am I spending time every single day browsing on my phone instead of reading a book and really learning something new?
Why do I make these excuses?
How do they prevent me from moving forward?
How do they cripple my ability to get what I want?
See to get the right answers you need to ask the right questions.
Talking about questions do come back here next Sunday cause you probably wanna see me losing some weight. No. Cause you've got questions and issues in digital marketing and I've got the solutions.
### The Giant Speed Benchmark: Your Emotional Support Dog | Search Elite 2018
We all know that mobile speed matters for user behaviour, conversion and is an important ranking factor; but what do we need to do? Which metrics really matter and how much time and effort should we assign to this?
Data without context is useless.
Because data without context is useless, in this session Nichola Stott gives you an introduction to speed and performance metrics for standard mobile configs, then she reviews the UK's top 5,000 websites by sector, looking at the benchmark timings across key measurements (TTFB, RenderStart, VC, FL ). This will help give you the confidence and support required to understand “how fast is fast?”
Slides:
5,000 UK Websites Mobile Sitespeed Comparison - Search Elite from Erudite
Who is Nichola Stott?
Nichola Stott is a go-to expert on all things SEO. Following a position as Head of UK Search Partners at Yahoo!, she founded her own agency called Erudite in 2010 and has since helped a plethora of cross-industry international clients increase their revenue through Search.
Nichola Stott at the Search Elite Conference 2018
Nichola’s professional recognition includes being named in the BIMA Hot 100 Digital People, winning Best Use of Search at both the UK Search Awards and Wirehive Awards and co-authoring books including Econsultancy’s SEO Best Practice Guide and Hit me! How to Get Your Small Business to Punch its Weight Online.
What is Search Elite?
Search marketing continues to be the biggest and most powerful form of digital marketing. Search Elite is a conference designed exclusively for experienced search marketers. All the sessions are fast-paced, Q&A-packed, always informative and delivering the most forward-thinking digital strategies and tactics.
### The Sunday Talk - Personal Branding
https://youtu.be/hCg0goxiyLM
Personal Branding
Today on my way back home I was hit by a car. I am ok, honestly, I am ok. The elbow is a bit swollen. It probably needs a bit of icing. So it makes you think. You can die in a blink of an eye. It also makes you think: What is my legacy? What am I actually leaving behind? Let me tell you something. Let your very identity be your legacy. Try an touch as many hearts as you can in your lifetime.
Being good to people is probably the greatest legacy you can leave behind.
I am sorry but I have to completely disagree with this statement. In my opinion, nowadays customers have a natural dislike for big corporations which are often seen a greedy, lying and faceless. On the other hand, yes, on the other hand, personal brands are individuals with unique personal qualities.
The more trustworthy they are the easier will be t generate trust among your shared user base. This can lead to more passionate followers and better initial customer relationships especially if you are trying to penetrate new markets.
Use different personal brands to cater to different audiences
My advice will be to use different personal brands to cater to different audiences. For example, you may want to develop two separate personal brands each of which becomes an expert in two opposite fields. For example, I may like mirrorless cameras. John may like DSLRs. This will greatly help you build niche expertise in separate areas without fully alienating the audience of your core corporate brand.
After talking for an hour about personal branding I realised that people will not listen to you if they don't like you. How to change that? Well, you have to promise and then you have to deliver.
The importance of your personal brand
www.davidamerland.com
Is personal branding important?
Well in a word yes. But in order to understand it completely, we need to talk about two things. We need to talk about Social Identity Theory and Brand Behavioural values. And those two things although they are separate they are actually connected and the moment we take everything online they converge upon the individual and we come to question we are trying to address now.I can talk about this pretty much all day and we don't have all day so I am going to be as succinct as possible. Social Identity Theory essentially says that we join groups and we then enhance those groups through a behaviour sharing activity, judgements, biases and so on. Because the more powerful the group and the more enhance it is they are better that reflects upon us.
Brand Behavioural values essentially say that brands behave in very specific ways which project very specific characteristics in a consistent manner which allows that brand to be recognisable.
So if we are working online or even if we are existing online which is an intentional activity we essentially engage in activities which are intended to both enhance us and the groups which we join by association which then reflects back on us and this is classic Social Identity Theory and we also engage upon activities designed to basically make us stand out from the crowd which are essentially copies of brand behavioural, brand behavioural elements.
So, in a nutshell, how do we, what do we do when we get online we use a conflation of those two to enchase our own identity and enchase the groups which we basically join and reflect well upon ourselves. And in a manner of speaking, we are creating personal brands.So there it is very quickly. I hope it helps.
Building an authentic personal brand
The first and the more important part of building a personal brand is to be authentic. Don't insult your follower's intelligence. People can spot a faker from a mile away no matter how convincing you think you are.
When it comes to building your personal brand online the biggest mistake I see is lack of clarity. So let me give you 3 powerful questions to help you a strategic, thoughtful approach to growth.
Who is your target audience?
The first question is 'Who is your target audience? Who are you trying to reach online? And the answer cannot be everybody cause it just doesn't work. I am sure you've seen this quote online a lot: If you are trying to reach everybody you end up reaching nobody.
What is your value proposition?
The second question is: What is your value proposition? Or in other words what type of content are you posting online and how often?
Who are you and how do you help people?
The third question is Who are you and how do you help people?
These 3 questions are critical to really standing out and getting noticed online.
One thing I wanna say here is:
Building your personal brand you should try and be as human as possible.
So for example, if you are an SEO like me yes you should be also talking about food, good movies, books but if I come to your online profile within 5 seconds I should be able to tell what your core, main value proposition is.
Talking about online profiles, don't forget to come here next Sunday so you can ask me the questions and I can give you the answers.
### Why We Can’t Teach SEO
https://youtu.be/sVhdet23hrY
Why We Can’t Teach SEO
Although universities can facilitate learning, nobody can teach you anything - they can only inspire you to teach yourself. That means if you want to learn search engine optimization (SEO), you'll have to take matters into your own hands.
Slides: https://www.slideshare.net/clickconsult/why-we-cant-teach-seo
David Edmundson-Bird
Who is David Edmundson-Bird
David Edmundson-Bird is Principal Lecturer in Digital Marketing & Enterprise at Manchester Metropolitan University, where he runs a number of digital communications programmes and is also the Associate Director for Digital Innovation.
David Edmundson-Bird with Tom Cheesewright and Nick Wilsdon
What is the Benchmark Search Conference?
The one-day event features world-class speakers that cover all of the need-to-know search marketing topics to develop and advance your brand’s search engine presence, including:
Organic search (SEO) – how to achieve and maintain your brand’s ranking in natural search engine results and ensure your customers can easily find you.
Paid search (PPC) – driving targeted traffic to your website by showing ads in search engine results when people search for related keywords.
Social media – enhancing brand awareness and advocacy to support your search visibility; your social authority is increasingly considered by Google as a ranking factor.
Content marketing – how to be smart with your content campaigns to build trust and credibility by returning relevant answers to search queries, and earning quality backlinks.
David Edmundson-Bird with Nick Wilsdon, Gerry White and John Warner
Who’s behind Benchmark?
Located in North West England, Click Consult is a multi-award-winning search marketing agency with a focus on organic (SEO) and paid search (PPC). With over 70 professionals employed and a portfolio of over 60 clients from across the UK, Click Consult works with businesses looking for a measurable return on their search marketing budget.
Click Consult also provides a range of other services, including content marketing, inbound marketing and conversion rate optimisation (CRO), as well as international and multilingual search.
The company is Google AdWords and Microsoft adExcellence certified and is on the Recommended Agency Register.
### Measuring Complex Customer Journeys
Why is Data Driven Attribution so important for eCommerce?
Nowadays shopping is a complex, non-linear event for consumers that happens at odd hours across multiple devices and channels - both in apps and on websites. Brands and retailers are struggling to measure the path to purchase because it can be difficult to follow consumers' touchpoints and track their journeys all the way to conversion.
Slides: https://www.slideshare.net/clickconsult/measuring-complex-customer-journeys
Who is Sabrina Garufi?
Sabrina is currently an Agency Development Manager at Google, helping UK agencies on all aspects of their digital activity, with a particular emphasis on growth. Prior to working with agencies, Sabrina was a Consultant for the specialised Global Expansions Team, helping Google’s largest advertisers craft and execute their international expansion strategies.
With a background in Finance, Sabrina began her career in banking, working for five years as a Corporate Cash Manager. A native of Montreal, she completed her MBA in Berlin before moving to Dublin to join Google.
Sabrina Garufi and Gerry White
What is the Benchmark Search Conference?
The one-day event features world-class speakers that cover all of the need-to-know search marketing topics to develop and advance your brand’s search engine presence, including:
Organic search (SEO) – how to achieve and maintain your brand’s ranking in natural search engine results and ensure your customers can easily find you.
Paid search (PPC) – driving targeted traffic to your website by showing ads in search engine results when people search for related keywords.
Social media – enhancing brand awareness and advocacy to support your search visibility; your social authority is increasingly considered by Google as a ranking factor.
Content marketing – how to be smart with your content campaigns to build trust and credibility by returning relevant answers to search queries, and earning quality backlinks.
Sabrina Garufi
Who’s behind Benchmark?
Located in North West England, Click Consult is a multi-award-winning search marketing agency with a focus on organic (SEO) and paid search (PPC). With over 70 professionals employed and a portfolio of over 60 clients from across the UK, Click Consult works with businesses looking for a measurable return on their search marketing budget.
Click Consult also provides a range of other services, including content marketing, inbound marketing and conversion rate optimisation (CRO), as well as international and multilingual search.
The company is Google AdWords and Microsoft adExcellence certified and is on the Recommended Agency Register.
### The Sunday Talk - Marketing Business Summit 2018 - Milan
What do you do when the weather is so nice? Well, you go to the beach.
What an amazing view.
It's Tuesday and I have to go to work after 3 days off. And then Alexa woke me up an hour earlier. What a life. But then I think this week gonna be great. Tomorrow I am going to the British Council where I'm gonna be talking about SEO and Digital Marketing. And then on Friday, I am going to another roundtable where I'm gonna be talking about well SEO and Digital Marketing. I think Churchill once said
'You make a living by what we earn, but you make a life by what you give.'
SEO and Digital Marketing roundtable
Wednesday morning and I am on my way to the British Council to teach them some proper SEO. Basically, we gonna be talking SEO and Digital Marketing trends in the UK. Meanwhile what a lovely weather. Honestly, people, I wish I was actually going to the beach.
Two hours later...
Ok, it's done now. I had an amazing time at the British Council. The conversation wen wild. We were talking about AMP, JSON-LD, artificial intelligence (AI) just name it. The thing is you are learning from me and I am learning from your questions.
Now that I am at home I'd like to say a big, massive 'Thank you' to Ann Hutchings for organising this meeting. I said it earlier today but I will say it again:
I love sharing my knowledge with others because they learn from me but I also learn from their questions.
So this morning I woke up I and so worried - Oh my God, am I gonna be able to give them enough value. Do they know more than me? Do I know more than them? Why do people invite me to these meetings? And then it hit me:
It's not about how much I know, it's about how much I care about their Digital Marketing problems and questions.
Marketing Business Summit - Milan 29-30 November 2018
Hi, guys. My name is Omi Sido. I am the senior technical SEO at Canon Europe and this November I will be speaking at the Marketing Business Summit in Milan. I will be talking about SEO and Machine Learning.
We all know that the machine learning revolution is affecting SEO and shaping the future of Digital Marketing so I'm gonna give you some insides and some tips on how to survive and how to succeed in a machine learning driven SEO environment. Guys, I know we gonna have a lot of fun so I hope to see you all there. Ciao.
Yes, yes I am going to Milan this Autumn and I will be talking about SEO and Machine Learning. Why do I talk so much about machine learning? Well, nobody wants to talk about it but at the same time, it affects us all not just in SEO and Digital Marketing but also in real life.
From Google Search to Google Maps to Netflix to Uber to PayPal. Well, Machine Learning is everywhere around us. With that in mind make sure that I am always around you so you can ask me the questions and I can give you the answers.
### HTTPS Migration Gone Wrong
The Homebase website was already dying....why kill it with a bad https migration?!
I am sure you’re wondering how a process that’s supposed to boost your site’s rankings could possibly send them plummeting instead.
Here are some observations:
First, we see pages that are being redirected 4 times - yes 4 times - before reaching their final destination, e.g. http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebaseuk/bathroom/bathroom-accessories/bathroom-essentials.
From my experience redirect chains do not affect small websites much. Unfortunately for Homebase, their website is big.
When it comes to big websites crawl budget is vitally important.
Every redirect wastes a little bit of a website's crawl budget. When a website has long redirect chains, i.e. a large number of 301 and 302 redirects in a row, the Googlebot may drop off before it reaches the desired destination page, which means that important business pages may not be indexed. When it comes to redirects have as few as possible on your website, and no more than two in a row.
How many redirects can you do at the same time? We follow up to 5 in a chain (please keep any redirect chain as short as possible), but you can redirect as many URLs on your site as you want at the same time. - JohnMueller, Google
If we deep dive into these redirects it is also quite noticeable that the redirects go from HTTP to HTTPS and then again to HTTP and then again to HTTPS. Not sure why an SEO would do that but at this point, it's very obvious that there was no HTTPS migration plan in place.
A successful website migration starts with planning - Omi Sido
Could this be the reason for their rankings going in the tank?
Yes and no (this is not the only reason).
Carefully looking at the same starting page http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebaseuk/bathroom/bathroom-accessories/bathroom-essentials you will probably notice that the original page is targeting the keyword 'bathroom accessories' with a search volume of 27 000
and the 'new' page is targeting a keyword with a search volume of 14,800.
At this point, I am laughing...
Who is advising these people?
Going into more detail, let’s have a look at the history of the keyword 'bathroom accessories' that for many years was always ranking in the top 3 positions for Homebase.
We can now see what is going on here:
Only a week after the HTTPS migration Homebase went from position 3 to position 21 in the SERPs and few months down the line Homebase is ranking in position 97 for the keyword "bathroom accessories".
It makes you think why they didn't redirect http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebaseuk/bathroom/bathroom-accessories/bathroom-essentials to https://www.homebase.co.uk/our-range/bathrooms-and-plumbing/bathroom-accessories-and-decor.
( It's not very clear from the picture above but at one point between December 2017 and February 2018, this page was indeed ranking for the keyword "bathroom accessories" in position 30)
As this is not enough another page (www.homebase.co.uk/en/static/bathroom-ideas) targeting the keyword 'bathroom ideas' with a search volume of 60,500 is now redirecting to the home page. Lol and LOL.
I explicitly told you last year - https://youtu.be/jtgZ5dxYbHM?t=782 - not to redirect pages to the Homepage when migrating your website.
Can these costly mistakes Be Fixed?
If your SEO or web developer mishandles your site migration, can the mistakes be rectified? Of course. In many cases of an HTTPS migration gone wrong, I've been working with clients for some time, and we’ve made significant progress.
The real issue is that the ranking destruction done by a website migration gone wrong is almost always a long-term issue.
Finding and repairing the problems isn’t particularly complicated. You just have to look at the stats and everything becomes clear very quickly.
But improving your site’s reputation (especially in a competitive market) with a search engine once’s it’s damaged can be a very slow process, and of course completely at their discretion.
Fixing the technical SEO issues that caused Google to lose trust in your website isn’t enough. A business needs to give Google a good reason to start trusting its content again but also let's not forget that while your pages were 'away on holiday' somebody else took your position in the SERPs.
### Why attend BrightonSEO?
https://youtu.be/v0jKTrsIwSs
This week it's all about the biggest search marketing conference in Europe called BrightonSEO. So let me answer a simple question. Why? Why are we so obsessed with this conference.
Well, when it comes to the SEO industry, it is very difficult to attend a University and get a formal degree in the field. Unfortunately, very often this leads to the misunderstanding that learning on your own is the only way to success.
While this can be done, many SEO veterans will tell you that coming to a conference like BrightonSEO and learning from those with experience is the best way to master the science and the art of SEO. The importance of ranking well on Google isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, so the quicker you learn, the better.
Meanwhile, if you see me at BrightonSEO don't be shy. Come and say hi. Ask, ask the questions. You know me. You've got the problems and I've got the solutions.
### What is mobile-first indexing?
Mobile-first indexing does exactly what it says on the tin! In short: the mobile version of your website becomes the starting point for what Google includes in their index.
The interesting part is - and the part that many people don't understand and freak about - that it's not a "mobile only" index and if for whatever reason you don't have a mobile-friendly version of your website in 2018, your desktop site would still be included in the index.
Needless to say, without a mobile-friendly version you are not going to rank well.
A good starting point to understand the Mobile-first indexing is this blog https://webmasters.googleblog.com/2016/11/mobile-first-indexing.html by Google or this blog https://www.oncrawl.com/oncrawl-seo-thoughts/get-ready-google-mobile-first-index/ by Emma Labrador and OnCrawl.
As usual, we have to continue to experiment with our websites and observer the SERPs closely in order to fully understand this new way of ranking websites.
Best practices for mobile-first indexing
If for whatever reason your website has a separate desktop and mobile version make sure you follow the technical guidelines below to prepare for mobile-first indexing:
It is absolutely necessary that your mobile site contains the same content as your desktop site.If in the past your mobile site had less content than your desktop site, you should make sure that your mobile site primary content is equivalent to your desktop site.
When it comes to structured data make sure it is present in both versions of your site. It is absolutely necessary that URLs in the structured data on the mobile versions are updated to the mobile URLs.
Metadata should be present and exactly the same on both versions of your website. Make sure that titles and meta descriptions are identical on both versions of your website.
Make sure you have the correct rel=canonical and rel=alternate link elements between your mobile and desktop versions in order to help the GoogleBot understand separate mobile URLs.
Top 5 technical SEO mobile-first indexing tips
Build a responsive website as soon as possible.
Switching to a single responsive site means consolidation of effort and therefore a more efficient use of resource and consistency of offering.
Flash is a total no-no.
You have to understand that the mobile Googlebot is crawling as a mobile visitors so it would see any issues with flash installation requests as a human visitor would and will realize Flash cannot be installed as mobile devices do not support Flash.
Google will treat all content on mobile equally – hidden or not.
In a mobile-first SEO landscape, the best way to present our content is changing and it makes a lot of sense to have hidden content in order to create a better mobile experience. Talking about content placement make sure that key messages are highly visible and above the traditional fold.
Mobile page load speed is a significant factor in the mobile user experience.
Not just that but page speed is a ranking factor in mobile search.Google knows that nobody wants to be waiting for an age whilst pages load, eating up their mobile data.
I don't even have to tell you that the best way to understand how quickly your site loads, what kind of mobile experience it offers you your users and most of all what you can do to improve this is to use Google’s own Mobile Speed and Usability tool.
It is not necessary anymore to block CSS, JavaScript, or images.
I remember when mobile design first burst onto the scene, it was absolutely obligatory to block certain resources including CSS, JavaScript, and images as some of these elements were often leading to slow loading as well as display issues. So it actually made a lot of sense to hide them from the GoogleBot on mobile.
Today, however, smartphones are in many cases more powerful than the computers owned by users. They have faster processors, more memory, and more capacity to deal with anything we throw at them.
On the other side, nowadays the Google’s mobile Bot can also handle all of these elements. So if the GoogleBot can handle it, make sure you show it everything. That way, Google can properly categorize your website content and rank it appropriately.
Conclusion
I've said it many times before but I would say it again: creating a mobile-first experience for your customers is more important now than ever before.
If you haven't realised it before your best bet is a responsive site. A responsive website approach would take care of both the desktop and mobile user experiences in a single move.
Last but not least focus on quality. Google is still prioritising indexing great content first. Even though the new mobile-first algorithm will prioritize for mobile devices, don't forget that quality should not suffer just because you are trying to appeal to your mobile customers.
### The Sunday Talk - Adapt or Die
Interview with OnCrawl
New week, new online interview. In about 10 minutes I'm gonna be talking to Emma Labrador about my favourite SEO crawler called OnCrawl. Before you ask me I'm gonna tell you. OnCrawl is a very visual, data-driven SEO tool that can help you build your SEO strategy with confidence. Link in the description.
I used to be a front-end developer and used to build a lot of websites for big companies like for example Vecton Mobile. At the time you know we are talking about 6-7 years ago, even yeah 6-7 years ago there was nothing like Digital Marketing. So very quickly I realised that Internet would be, you know would be big one day and traditional marketing has to evolve. With that in mind at the time, I was building those websites I was, I literally wanted them to be first findable and second be profitable.
And as you know I am still talking a lot about SEO being part of Digital Marketing and not a separate entity.
Or the way I call it "rankings to revenue."
So basically that's me Omi Sido. I normally talk about technical SEO, rankings and revenue.
Emma: That's a good start.
Yeah, I will try to be as serious as possible, ok?
Personal Branding
It's difficult to achieve success without hope and confidence - Omi Sido
Emma: And you really, how do you say, you really like to share best practices with the community.
Yes, I am always me. I am always Omi Sido. I am never, you know, I am not afraid to show my strengths and my weaknesses. Because people learn from me and I learn from them. Right? And don't be afraid to be vulnerable basically. Because we all have weaknesses. Let's be honest. This is why I said you have to really find your strengths, your weaknesses and you have to kind of make a, find a way to make them visible. When people see you as a human being online they like you.
Emma: That's true.
Omi: Sounds very serious.
Emma: What are you doing in your free time when you are not doing SEO?
Teamwork in Digital Marketing
No individual can win the Digital Marketing game by himself - Omi Sido
I know I don't talk a lot about it and it may seem online that I do everything on my own. But the truth is I am surrounded by a bunch of very good people. Teamwork is essential to success and growth. And I know there are a lot of people out there who think they can do it all on their own but the truth is they can't.
Having a good team of individuals around you not only helps you to stay grounded but it also enables you to think in different ways.
Tuesday evening. Eight o'clock. A lot of my mates went to the pub to watch the game, you know, Real Madrid PSG. But me no no no no no no. I am collecting my new drill.
You know you are getting old when you are excited about a new drill.
What is RankBrain?
Somebody just asked me online "Omi, can you describe RankBrain in one sentence? Describing RankBrain in one sentence is not an easy job. On the other side, if you can't describe something in one sentence you probably don't know it well. With that in mind, my answer would be.
RanBrain: give your audience the best content and work your hardest to get them to stay on your page.
How to Start a Career in Digital Marketing
Today I wanna give a big, massive shout out to Liam Fallen. "I've just started my first Technical SEO role today. Aiming to have a career like you mate!"
Liam, your words mean a lot to me. It feels so unreal that somebody actually wants to be like me. I've started my Digital Marketing journey because of a guy named David Amerland. And I still remember all the advice he gave me in the beginning. So today I'm gonna give you my advice.
From today hard work, numbers and creativity should be your best friends. In fact, they should be your only friends.
The best travel mug
Guys, have you seen my new coffee mug from Bodum? Such a great idea. You just put some coffee, you pour some hot water, you screw the lid, you wait for 3 minutes and you press. Freshly brewed coffee anywhere in the world. Meanwhile, something that I've noticed this morning. Time in New York and no search results. Google, thank you very much. How shall we call this new feature? Voice search in the SERPs.
What’s Hot in Digital in 2018?
This was Apple big update last year in about the third quarter. But going all the way through to being able actually to update your sit on a flight. To have that capability in a messaging App when we think about messaging kind of in our heads is a little bit more as text originally. We go from texting into basically an App.
Yes, it's messaging. Yes, you are talking to it but it's doing all the things that you used to do in an App. And actually, this is just what WeChat did 3-4 years ago now. I mean it's really we are copying WeChat where there were years ago. The other thing that Apple has launched...
All Toys R Us stores to close their doors
Unfortunately, this week the store that we all remember from our childhood Toys "R" Us decided to close all its stores across the UK and the USA forever.
I know a lot of people are mentioning a lot of reasons online for the collapse of the toy giant but let me tell you the real story. The real story is: Toys "R" Us never believed in the Internet.
First, in early 2000 they outsourced themselves to Amazon which literally forced everybody to start buying from Amazon rather than the Toys "R" Us network.
Second, the never really adapted to the new business online e-commerce reality.If Toys "R" Us the dominant niche retail leader in a multi-billion industry is dead what do you think it's gonna happen with your business in the next 5 years?
Or in short "Adapt or Die."
On a more happier note next week I am going to my favourite city Paris where I'm gonna be talking about Technical SEO. But you do come back here next Sunday cause you've got the problems and I've got the solutions.
### The Sunday Talk - I Do Technical SEO
https://youtu.be/iL2Zas8dsXY
It's all set and ready for my first ever SEO podcast with Click Consult - a top Digital Marketing agency based in the North of England. In about half an hour I'm gonna be talking to Chloie Brandrick about technical SEO. If you wanna know more about technical SEO you have to listen to my first ever SEO podcast.
Technical SEO
You've probably heard me many times saying that SEO should never live in isolation. And I see this a lot. I see a lot of blogs out there, a lot of the so-called SEO influencers talking about SEO like SEO is the only thing in Digital Marketing. You know. Which is so wrong. I've said it many times:
SEO should be the heart of every company but it's not the only thing that's gonna make you successful online.
The Google RankBrain Algorithm
Recently every time I come to central London I would be visiting my SEO agency. So naturally, my brother thinks that every time I come to central London I am visiting my SEO agency which is basically not true.
Now apply the same logic to RankBrain - a machine learning algorithm - and you get the following. If in your industry - and I will repeat this one - in your industry, a big percentage of your audience is interacting with short-form content than naturally, RankBrain would think that short-form content is the best for your industry. If a big percentage of your audience is interacting with a long-form content naturally RankBrain would think that long-form content is the best thing for your industry.
So if you want to be successful online you have to know your audience.
One of my followers on LinkedIn just asked me. Omi, when did you decide that your videos are good enough to upload online? Jeff, mate, I didn't decide anything. One day I just grabbed my camera and I started shooting.
Don't wait for perfection. Decide what you want. Make a plan and work on it every single day.
This camera costs me only £100. Look around me I don't even have a microphone. Cause it's not about the equipment. It's all about the story.
What is NAS (Network Attached Storage)?
No. No. I am not hiding from my momma. Although this morning I ate a whole jar of Nutella and I am not going to the gym. I am actually trying to. I am playing with my new toy. My new NAS box from Synology.
It seems to me that a lot of friends and a lot of colleagues don't' know what NAS is. NAS is a Network-attached storage.
Basically, you've got this small box that you can hide in the cupboard and it acts like a cloud service. So if in the year 2018 you are still paying for cloud services - Dropbox or you are paying money to Google Drive you are definitely doing it wrong.
You can access this thing from anywhere in the world. You can connect it to your mobile all the photos that you take are automatically uploaded on this device so basically, your storage here is always it's always good.
Vero has taken the social app world by storm
Hi Guys, today is a beautiful day. I know it's snowing outside and it's cold and it's miserable but there is this new social media App that is generating so much buzz. It's called Vero. Some people say that this App is the new Instagram. I don't think so. Some people say that this App will kill Instagram. I don't think so. But I like it. I like it a lot. I just love the idea of a social media app where the algorithm doesn't tell you what's good for you. Where everything just comes in a chronological order. And the pictures they look good in portrait or in landscape mode. It's free for the first one million users so go subscribe straight away.
As it's super cold outside I hope you can see my bike - it's covered in snow - let's do couch SEO.
What is data, and why it's so important?
Data is simply another word for information.
The best way to describe the word information is by its synonyms - intelligence, guidance, knowledge and last but not least direction. By examining large amounts of information, it is possible to uncover hidden patterns and correlations.So to answer the question above - data allows businesses to make informed/intelligent decisions about future projects or business directions.
What is technical SEO? And why is it important?
In the last two weeks, I've spent a lot of fo time talking about technical SEO. I've done a podcast on technical SEO. My first ever SEO podcast. I've done two webinars, two roundtables and I've written two articles on technical SEO. One may say that Omi is trying to push his agenda. Well, you know me better than that. As long as we are talking about SEO I am happy. But you must have an effective SEO strategy. An effective SEO strategy that leads to more organic visits, more qualified leads, better brand awareness and ultimately more revenue.
If your SEO program isn't providing all of these benefits you are probably allocating too much time to the wrong tasks.
So what is my favourite SEO framework? I am a big fan of the 80/20 framework. You should be spending 80% of your time doing engagement SEO and 20% of your time doing technical SEO. But when I say 20% I mean 20% of solid technical SEO. No ifs, no buts!Technical SEO is still the foundation of all SEO efforts. And only when you have a solid technical SEO foundation you should be shifting your focus to engagement SEO.
Guys, it's Sunday. My team is playing. I am going to the PUB to watch the game with my mates. And I am having an amazing day. And if I am having an amazing day you should be having an amazing day. With that in mind, do come back here next Sunday cause, cause I love spending time with you.
### Google Looker Studio - The complete guide
What is Google Looker Studio (formerly Google Data Studio)?
Google Looker Studio (Data Studio) is the Google Analytics 360 Suite’s data visualisation tool.
Capable of connecting to the other products in the 360 suite seamlessly.
Quick data visualisations due to click and drag interface.
The list of possible connections is constantly growing, including other areas of the Google stack and 3rd party data connections.
Quick integrations with other Google Products.
The flexibility of connections to Google Sheets, File Upload, Big Query and SQL.
Databases, in case the connector you’re looking for doesn’t exist yet.
Strengths and Limitations of Google Looker Studio
Strengths
Increasing list of bespoke Google and database connectors.The google ones are uniquely tailored to Google tools insteadof using APIs.
Dynamic controls that allow viewers to change what datathey’re looking at.
Click and drag interface allows for quick and professionallooking dashboards.
Customizable themes for branding.
The ability to add multiple data sources to a single report.
Google Analytics Segments integrated to the GA connector.
Custom fields feature that allows us to create our own metricsand dimensions.
Google sheets connector used with Supermetrics allow us topull in an even larger number of data sets.
We have built a chrome extension that allows users to maketheir reports real-time (if the data source itself is updated inreal-time).
“Unlimited” reports and data sources.
Limitations
No bespoke data source joining feature (yet).
Google Data studio functions are not yet as well-refined as thosefrom BigQuery.
Limited connectors (Community connectors added to help with this)
No rich media yet only images and links.
Attribution dashboards can be difficult to build (though not impossible)
Reports and Data Sources
Reports and Data Sources are two of the key cornerstones of what makes up Google Looker Studio. They are what visualise and pull the data respectively.
Reports in Google Looker Studio
Reports are where the configuration of your dashboard and the overall visualization is built/designed.
Reports can be easily shared with other users with either view or edit access.
Customizable themes and cosmetic features available.
It’s important to note that the reports themselves don’t hold the data, they just display it.
Creating Reports in Google Looke Studio
Creating a report In Google Data Studio is a really simple task.
Start by going to datastudio.google.com and sign in.
Go to the reports section using the left-hand navigation.
Just click on the blue plus symbol in the reports section.
You can also create a duplicate of an existing report by selecting the option under “File” once you’re in the report you wish to copy.
Copying Reports in Google Looker Studio
Select the data source(s) to use in the copy
If you have at least view access to the original data sources, you can use those.
If you copy a report that uses a data source that has not been shared with you, you must select a different data source to use.
The non-shared data sources appear as "Unknown" in the data source selection.
Create the copy of the report
Data Sources in Google Looker Studio
Data sources are the individual connections that are made from our data in other tools (e.g. Google Analytics, Search Console, Facebook etc.) to our reports.
By default, the data displayed in a report is viewable to anyone who has the link, by using the owner's credentials. However, this can be changed such that users need to have access to the data to add an extra layer to your data security should you need it.
Data Sources creating a report
Again creating a report is really simple.
Start by going to datastudio.google.com and sign in.
Go to the data sources section using the left-hand navigation.
Just click on the blue plus symbol in the reports section.
You can also create a data source when you first create a report. The first stage in building a dashboard in Google data studio is connecting a report to a data source.
Data Sources Connections
Once you start creating a data source you’ll be given a list of possible connections.
Your access to different sets of data is based on your access levels for that tool and is based on the same email address used to log into Data Studio.
You only need view level access to pull data from a connector.
Once you select a connector type drill down into the view or table of data that you want to connect to.
Click “connect” and you’ll be given a summary of all of the dimensions and metrics that you’re bringing into the data source. Click Create/Add to report and you’re done.
Note: You can have multiple data sources connect to the same report at any one time, meaning you can see your GA data alongside your AdWords, Big Query or any other connector’s data within the same report.
Community Connectors
If you can’t find the connector you’re looking for you may be able to find it in the community connectors list.
This list contains connectors for tools that sit outside of the Google stack and work by drawing data from the respective tools’ APIs
You can even create your own connectors with the use of Google Apps Script.
You can access your data from 500+ data sets from over 200 connectors including:
Facebook
SEMrush
PayPal
Twitter
Data Sources Credentials
By default, the data source will be set as “Using Owners Credentials”. This means that by using this data source in a report, anyone who views the report (perhaps via a shareable link which we’ll come onto later!) will be using the owner’s credentials (the person who created the data source) as opposed to their own.
Data source access in Google Data Studio
This is really handy if you want to share the report with people internally, without sharing the original data with them (e.g. access to GA or AdWords)
The other option is to use viewer’s credentials whereby the viewer has to have access to the original data set in order to view the data source.
This acts as another layer of security if you want to limit who can see your dashboard. You might want to use this if you only want colleagues who have access to BigQuery (or any other connector) to see your report.
Copying Data Sources in Google Looker Studio
Data sources can only be copied when edited via the DATA SOURCES Homepage.
Sign in to Google Data Studio.
On the left, click 'Data sources'.
Browse, or use the search box in the upper right, to locate the data source you wish to edit.
Click that data source.
In the upper right, click 'Make a copy of this data source' button.
In the confirmation dialogue box, click 'Copy data source' blue button.
If the Connectors panel appears, select the data set for the new data source, then click 'Reconnect'.
Limits of copying a data source
Copying a data source doesn't copy or validate the actual data. It only duplicates the data source schema.
If you connect the data source to a different data set from the original, it's possible that calculated fields may not return the same results as the original data source.
Editing Fields in Reports
You can change field names, aggregations, data types, and analytical functions at the chart level.
When you first create a chart or add new fields to an existing chart, the names, data types, and aggregations of the fields in the chart are the same as they are in the chart's data source.
For example, the sessions metric has a ‘number’ data type and an aggregation of Sum.
By default, the sessions field will appear the same in every chart in which it appears.
You can change the field characteristics in each widget.
This allows you to include different ways of viewing the same field within a single chart.For example, in a table, you can edit the sessions metric to show all of these…
Enabling Editing Fields in Reports
You can toggle the ability to edit fields in the data source settings.
Edit the data source(s) used in your reports.
Click the toggle button in the data source header labelled ‘Field Editing in Reports’.
Enabling Editing Fields in Reports in Google Data Studio
Editing Fields in Reports – What can be edited?
The field's name.- For example, you can rename Sessions to Visits. This lets you havemultiple instances of the same field in a chart.
The field's aggregation.- For example, you can recalculate Order Value from SUM to AVERAGE. Fields with an aggregation of ‘AUTO’ can't be changed.
The field's data type.- For example, you can convert a Number to a Percent, or Text to a URL.
For date fields, you can change the format.- For example, you can show a full date (YYYYMMDD) as year month(YYYYMM).
The field's analytical function.- For example, you can apply a Percentage of Total function to yourorders.
Any changes you make to a given field only apply to that instance of the field in that chart, it does not change the field in the data source.
Building a Report in Google Looker Studio
Building you Report – Tools
Once you’ve connected a data source to your new report, it’s time to start building out your data visualisation. The core tools at your disposal are available along the top toolbar.
Widgets
Here lie the options available to you with regards to data visualisation. Time series, bar charts and geo-maps to name but a few of the options available for visualising your data.
Cosmetics
These tools are available to assist you in making your report look more "on brand". Import images, text and shapes to make your report more visually pleasing.
Controls
These are really cool. Controls allow you to enable users to manipulate the data that they’re viewing, without changing the underlying data.
You can give them the option of changing date ranges or filtering the report by a specific dimension like traffic source for example.
Building you Report – Widgets
Creating reports is really simple in Google data studio, just click and drag once you’ve selected a tool from the toolbar to get started.
Elements that you draw move freely so you can always rearrange your report with ease.
Most widgets have features that can be split into two parts.
The Data section is what determines what part of the data source is used in your widget.
Data widgets in Google Looker Studio
Here you can:
Apply a different data source
Change the dimensions and metrics displayed
Apply sorting methods
Apply filters to the widget
As well as some widget-specific options (e.g. adding a breakdown dimension for a time series.)
The Style section is where you can start making your widget more in line with your brand.
Style widgets in Google Looker Studio
Here you can:
Use the Google colour pallet as a default or you can add custom colours and make use of the colour wheel.
Change the formatting of text.
Apply borders and backgrounds
As well as some widget-specific options (e.g. setting a scorecard to use compact numbers)
Building you Report – Arranging Widgets
You can move widgets freely in data studio but if you want to have stricter controls of a chart or set of charts those options are available too.
You can make a widget “Report Level” by selecting the option after right-clicking the widget. This will cause that widget (and any subsequent changes to it) to appear on all pages of your report. This is most useful when used on logos, header and controls, things that you would want appearing consistently throughout the report.
You can also select multiple widgets and have them align with one another by selecting multiple widgets (by either clicking and dragging a box around them or by using Shift+click).
Once selected got to Arrange on the top navigation options. From here you can choose how to align or distribute your data visualisations.
Options available are:
Order: Push an element into the background or move it forward.
Align: make the elements selected align vertically or horizontally.
Distribute: Spread the elements evenly between the two furthest widgets
Another powerful feature at your disposal is what’s called Grouping.
Grouping lets you group (Surprising) widgets together so that they move as one.
Not only that but they act much like a sub-report:
You can assign a different default data source to groups
Filters and controls that are used in a group only affect the elements in said group, meaning that you can split a page into two parts and have users control the data visualisations for each part independently of one another
You can group elements together by selecting them and using the option under the Arrange menu or by pressing Crtl+g (Ctrl+Shift+G to ungroup).
Building you Report – Report Settings
For more report wide changes go to: File>Report and Theme Settings
Layout: This lets you choose the orientation of the report as well as letting you choose where report level widgets get placed (Top or Bottom)
Theme: This acts much in the same way that the “style section does for widgets, letting you apply cosmetic changes at the report level.
Data: This acts much like the data section of widgets but at the report level, letting you apply a default data source and enable caching to make your report run faster when you first load it up.
Building you Report – Sharing
Sharing in Data Studio works in a similar way to Google Sheets. You can produce a shareable link or email users individually with access.
The share button can be found in the top right-hand corner.
An important point to note is that a created link can only have one of two settings applied.
View: Users who have the link can view but not edit the report’s configuration.
Edit: Users with the link can view and edit the report’s configuration.
This is important! If you send out a link with view access and then one with edit access both sets of links will have edit access. In this scenario, it’s better to use the email option instead.
Building a Report in Google Looker Studio – Advanced Examples
Pivot Tables in Google Data Studio
Pivot tables take the rows in a standard table and pivot them so they become columns. This lets you group and summarizes the data in ways a standard table can’t.
In terms of Google Analytics (GA) data, you can only pivot dimensions, not metrics.
Limitations
Pivot tables can process up to 50,000 rows of data and can degrade dashboard performance.
You may have only 1 pivot table per page in a report.
Pivot tables do not paginate, as do standard tables.
You can't apply metric filters to pivot tables.
Canvas Size in Google Looker Studio
Canvas size in Google Data Studio
The size of the canvas on which you create the dashboard can be changed. There are 4 standard options and a custom option:
US letter – 4:3 – Portrait
US letter – 4:3 – Landscape
Screen – 16:9 – Portrait
Screen – 16:9 – Landscape
Custom - You can specify the exact width and height you want in pixels
Better view Canvas Size
Colour In Reports
Colour in reports in Google Data Studio
You can choose how to colour the data in your reports:
Colour by Dimension Value, E.g. France will always be represented as Blue. This is the default behaviour.
Colour by order, the first series of data will be blue.
Use different shades of a single colour
Change behaviour for all charts
You can do apply the same behaviour, except apply it to all reports in a dashboard.
Edit Report.
Click on the report then select the theme panel.
Under the Colour by options, select the new default behaviour.
You can change the default theme of the report.
Change behaviour for all charts
Edit Report.
Click on the report then select the theme panel.
Under the Current theme, you can change the theme of the dashboard.
Only simple and simple dark available by default, but you can create your own in chart palette.
Embedding Reports in Google Looker Studio
You can embed a report using an HTML iframe in a page. The iframe contains a special link to the report. This link is generated by Data Studio when you enable embedding for the report.
You can embed public and private reports:
If the report is shared publicly, then anyone viewing your page can see the embedded report.
If the report is shared with specific users, groups, or domains, then only those folks can see the embedded report.
These viewers must be logged into a Google account.
Embedded reports appear in the iframe in view mode.
Embedded reports are fully functional, but users can't edit, copy, or share them, as there is no menu bar.
Viewers can't refresh the data in an embedded report. (The data will refresh as usual when the cache expires.)
Page navigation for multi-page reports appears in the bottom of the report.
Viewers have options in the bottom of the report
A link to see it in Data Studio
A button to view the report in fullscreen mode
Segments
Segments are a feature in Google analytics that allows you to groupusers and sessions based on a series of conditions. They are a greatway to gain insights into your data and now you can pull them intoData Studio.
You are only able to add a segment to a report if you have access to itin GA. Once a segment is added to the report, all othereditors/viewers of this report can use it (in a similar way to a Datasource).
GA segments will be kept synchronized with Data Studio when:
A user clicks the refresh data button.
Cache expires and is refreshed.
If Data Studio requests the data for some other reason.
This feature can be switched off by going to Resouces>Segments.
When you copy a widget or a report different things will happen to the segment depending on whether or not you have access.
Component
If you have access:
If you don’t have access
Report
If you have access
If you don’t have access
Segment Limitations:
You can only apply one segment per widget.
If you change the data source of a widget that has a segment on it Data Studio will keep the segmentapplied and won’t be able to intelligently tell you that the segment isn’t compatible with the new view sobe conscious of how you use it.
Google Data Studio Tips and Tricks
Tips and Tricks – Link Navigation
Make use of links in text widgets.
You can link to other pages in the report, building up your own contents list within the header of your page.
You could even have the first page be a contents page to separate reports with a “go back” feature on the rest of the pages.
Tips and Tricks – Keyboard Shortcuts
The same shortcuts that are available to you in Google sheets are available to you in Data Studio. The most helpful ones are:
Ctrl+c - Copy
Ctrl+v - Paste
Ctrl+x - Cut
Ctrl+a - Select all
Ctrl+z - Undo
Ctrl+y - Redo
This allows you to copy/paste entire page configurations, saving you time. There are however traditional options in the form of right-clicking a widget or selecting undo/redo in the main toolbar.
Tips and Tricks – Real-Time Reporting
Real-time reporting isn’t natively supported in Data Studio but fortunately, there is a chrome extension that can enable the functionality.
Just search for real-time data studio as a chrome extension.
Set how often you want the data source to refresh and if it should only apply to one report in particular
Make sure your data source is real-time otherwise this extension won’t work as expected.
Tips and Tricks - URL Field Type
When you create a data source, Data Studio will detect valid URLs in the data set and assign the URL field type to that dimension.
If the URLs are not detected automatically: You can set the field type to URL manually.
*URL fields display the full link in charts. In tables, this link is clickable.
Tips and Tricks – Calculated Fields
You can build your own calculated fields if you have edit access to the data source you want to add it to.
This can be used to create your own Metrics and Dimensions.
You may want to use this to build ROI metrics or your own custom channel groupings
Functions list can be found here: https://support.google.com/datastudio/table/6379764
Tips and Tricks - Data Control
Sometimes we might want to see what the dashboard and visualisations look like across different views or maybe you saw a good dashboard and you want to see it represent your own data.
Now with Data control, you can pick the data source you want, while the original added data source will remain as the default.
This saves you remaking the dashboard with the data you want as the data source.
There are 7 types of connectors to choose from:
Google Analytics (of course)
AdWords
Attribution 360 (TV Attribution)
DFP (DoubleClick for Publishers)
DoubleClick Campaign Manager
Search Console
YouTube
Tips and Tricks - Export data from a chart
To export data from a chart:
Data Export is available in View Mode.Only the data available in the chart isexported.
Any filters, date range controls, orGoogle Analytics segments currently inplace are also applied to the exporteddata.
Pagination has no effect on export. All of the table rows are exported.
Tips and Tricks - Export data from a chart – How to disable
By default, data export is enabled. In order to disable the option for the entire report:
Disable export data from a chart in Google Data Studio
Tips and Tricks – Definitions
If you’re planning on sharing this to a wider team it can be handy to have a definitions page or appendix at the end so users don’t bombard you with questions about what the different dimensions and metrics mean.
The Help tab in Google Data Studio
The Help tab at the top of the page contains a number of very useful features.
Help
Community Forum
Release Notes
Request a feature
Watch a tutorial
Legal help page
Request a feature & forum
You can view the community forum for FAQ’s or to ask your own questions. The community is very friendly and active.
“Request a feature” option, takes you to another page and asks if you would like to vote and comment on feature request already made, or to make a request of your own.
Release notes & Watch a tutorial
If you click the Release notes option, you will be brought to a page with all the new features and changes listed by date of release.
"Watch a tutorial" provides a number of YouTube videos on how to do some useful functions in Data Studio such as filter controls, share reports, calculated fields etc.
Help & Legal Help
The Help option brings up the pop-up of the data studio help centre(https://support.google.com/datastudio/?hl=en#topic=6267740)
The legal Help page is where you can report harmful, illegal or abusive content. Also where you can find privacy policies and copyright stuff!
Data Studio VS Google Analytics Dashboards
Google Data Studio Dashboards
Data Sources!
50 widgets per page (no page limit).
Tables can have up to 5 dimensions and 25metrics
Customizable themes and layouts
Filter and date range controls
Difficult to make real-time reports (Thoughdefinitely possible)
Custom fields
9 data visualizations
Open Sharing
Google Analytics Dashboards
GA Data Only
12 widgets per dashboard
Tables can have 1 dimension and 2 metrics
Weak customizable options
Only date range controls
Easy to make a real-time report
Custom Metrics
6 data visualizations
Requires GA access to share dashboards
### The Sunday Talk - It's All About Love
Alexa, what's the temperature today in London?
In London, there is a flood alert in effect. The current weather is 2 ºC with clear skies and sun. Throughout the day you can expect more of the same with a high of 6 ºC and a low of 1 ºC.
Hmm, I don't remember such a cold winter in recent years. Why am I talking to a...?
How to motivate yourself to reach your goals
Yes, emotion is very important. On the other side, rewards feel good. Penalties feel bad. And that's why they can both work well for motivating you and your team. With that in mind give your best friend or colleague £100 today. If you get a task done by 5 pm you get your £100 back. If you don't complete it you lose the £100. Yes, exactly. Suddenly your to-do list for today got very emotional.
Yoast SEO: the #1 WordPress SEO Plugin
Today I've been told that Jono Alderson is leaving Distilled behind to join team Yoast - yo, yo, yo - in their quest to make SEO available to everyone. Similar to me.
In all honesty Jono I've never used this plugin before but I promise you that from today Yoast is my favourite, my top SEO Wordpress plugin. Joking aside congratulations on your job mate. Well deserved. And good luck.
What is your favourite SEO tool?
What's my favourite SEO tool? Well, there is no one tool that I can call my favourite SEO tool. It's more like I've got a set of favourite SEO tools. So to answer your question directly: I can't think of an SEO tool that I am using every single day. But there is definitely a set of tools that I am using every single week. Becuase normally in SEO to perform a task you need more than one tool. And then I am gathering data from different sources so I always know what's really happening.
With that in mind when it comes to technical SEO audits my favourite tool is called OnCrawl. A French company called OnCrawl. But then all my agencies, all my SEO agencies are using DeepCrawl.
When it comes to keywords research my favourite tool is Sistrix. A German company called Sistirx. But then all my agencies are using SEMrush. So sometimes I'm gonna see problems or trends in Sistrix that they can not see in SEMrush and vice versa. Sometimes they would see problems or trends in SEMrush that I can not see in Sistrix.
So with that in mind using one tool is not just not advisable. It's actually dangerous.
After a long day and a long interview, Happy Valentine's to all the lovers out there. If you have something good keep it
and cherish it forever. Love you all, guys.
Surround yourself with the right people
At the end of the day, on the day of the week, everything comes down to love. If you surround yourself with love and the right people, anything, anything is possible. You know what: Alexa, I love you.
That's really nice. Thanks.
Meanwhile do come back here next Sunday cause you've got the problems and I've got the solutions.
### The Sunday Talk - The Best Bits of January
The way to survive the working week is to set up your expectation very very high on a Monday. If your Monday is tired. If your Monday is moody. If your Monday is complaining somehow the whole week gest tired and moody. Trust me, people, you've got enough days in a week to be negative.
So set your Mondays aside just to smile.
To all my favourite people have a beautiful week ahead. Gerry, be careful with those breakfasts mate. They require a lot of running.
Friday morning and I am standing in front of one of the most iconic buildings in England. Twickenham Stadium, the Home of England Rugby. I am here because at Canon we've decided to initiate all our digital marketing campaigns in this iconic building.
Monday morning. It's nine o'clock and I am supposed to be at work. But my bike just won't start. It's absolutely dead. What a bad start of the week.
Yesterday morning my motorbike broke down. And today I had a flat tyre. Sometimes we all go through tough times. That's life. So because I had a flat tyre I needed a mechanic. On the other side, another human being also had a bad day today so she too needed a mechanic.
And there you go. Today I pumped into a woman who needs digital marketing services. And I... I need another client. All I am trying to say is that to make life easier we should all learn how to see the positive in negative events.
To make life easier we should all learn how to see the positive in negative events.
Hey Nick, Happy Birthday, mate. I can't believe you are already 29. You don't look a day older than 25.
Work hard, don't forget your friends and your colleagues....and life is beautiful.
### Feelings
This week was rough. This picture was taken on Monday morning when my bike suddenly died and I couldn't go to work. The builder couldn't reach my house so I dint have water and as you can see from the picture my toilet was literally in my front yard. I was down, confused and angry. I was a mess.
Learning to embrace all our emotions and how to use them as tools for growth
Learning to embrace all our emotions and how to use them as tools for growth
As the age-old saying goes: 'It’s all in how you look at it.' Whether it’s a good or bad experience, it’s how you take it and what you do with it that really matters. We often forget that life isn’t just happy moments – even though they make us feel great – but it’s important to understand that there are other emotions too, such as sadness, loneliness, and shame. All these feelings come from our individual realities (real life) and experiences.
I see this all the time: when times are bad and we feel frustrated, ashamed, or helpless, it can be very hard to open up and accept the truth about our present circumstances. We tend to doubt ourselves and that in return makes us feel worse. But we shouldn't let self-doubt take over. Everyone and I mean absolutely every single person on planet Earth, has the right to feel pain, whether it’s physical or emotional. And although it is difficult - and I have to admit that sometimes life can be very difficult - we must allow ourselves to go through these tough situations if we are trying to become our best selves.
Accepting our flaws and recognising pain as a part of life
As human beings, we should learn to embrace all our emotions – even those we are not proud of – and use them as tools for growth. We can and should accept our flaws and recognise that pain is a part of life. Acknowledging our feelings can help us to understand why we feel the way we do. Only by understanding our own emotions, we will be able to control them.
We can then exchange the negative and destructive feelings we have for something more meaningful in life. Let's take pride in the lessons we learn along the way and use those experiences to become stronger and wiser. Let's focus on enjoying the present moment and the good moments that life brings. I truly believe that by understanding our feelings and taking ownership of our successes and struggles at the same time, we can genuinely become the best version of ourselves.
Setting goals to create a roadmap for our lives
Additionally, one of the most effective ways to use our emotions as tools for growth is by setting goals for ourselves. By setting goals, we create a roadmap for our lives and give ourselves a clear direction to follow. This can help us to focus on what’s truly important in life and avoid getting bogged down by negative emotions.
When setting goals, it's important and I can't stress enough how important is to be realistic and specific. We need to be crystal clear about what we want to achieve and set a timeline for ourselves. This will help us to stay focused and motivated (motivated is the name of the game) as we work towards our goals. We should also celebrate our successes along the way, no matter how small they may seem. This will help to build our confidence and keep up the momentum of us moving forward.
The importance of accepting painful emotions
It's important to recognise that painful emotions are an inevitable part of life. Whilst we may strive for constant happiness and joy, it's simply not possible to avoid negative feelings altogether. When we suppress or ignore our emotions, we risk experiencing stronger and more prolonged negative emotions in the future.
Accepting and experiencing our painful emotions allows us to better understand ourselves and our needs, and use these emotions as tools for growth. Seeking support from loved ones or professionals can also be helpful in managing and processing our emotions. By accepting and embracing all of our emotions, we can move towards a more fulfilling and authentic life.
Accepting and managing emotions
As humans, we experience a range of emotions, from joy and love to anger and sadness. Unfortunately, society has created an image of perfectionism where only positive emotions are accepted and displayed. This leads to a stigma around the negative emotions that can cause people to suppress them, making it more challenging to manage them when they arise. Accepting all emotions, regardless of their nature, is vital to personal growth.
One of the most critical aspects of emotional acceptance is learning to manage them effectively. Once you understand and accept that emotions are a natural and vital aspect of life, you can learn how to handle them positively. Self-awareness is the key to managing emotions. You must recognise when you are feeling a certain way, understand why you feel that way and acknowledge what caused the emotion.
Using emotions as tools for growth
Rather than suppressing negative emotions, it is essential to use them as tools for growth. Accepting and acknowledging our emotions helps us to work through them effectively, enabling us to grow and develop as individuals. Understanding our emotions can help us identify patterns, recognise triggers and take proactive steps to manage them.
Furthermore, by embracing our emotions, we can gain valuable insights into our thought processes and behaviours, helping us to improve our decision-making and responses to challenging situations. The struggles we face can be our most significant teachers, helping us to develop resilience and coping strategies to navigate difficult situations.
Finding meaning in painful experiences
Painful experiences, such as the loss of a loved one, the breakdown of a relationship or failure in a job, can leave us feeling lost, empty and hopeless. While these experiences are undoubtedly challenging, they can be a source of personal growth and development.
Finding meaning in painful experiences is about understanding that even negative events can have positive outcomes. We can use our pain as a motivator to push ourselves forward, to grow, and to learn from the experience. It is about reframing our pain and seeing it as an opportunity to become stronger and wiser.
Taking ownership of our experiences
Taking ownership of our experiences means accepting both our successes and struggles. Life is full of highs and lows, and it is essential to acknowledge and take responsibility for both. Owning our experiences means not blaming others or external factors for our emotions and experiences. Instead, it means taking responsibility for how we react and respond to good and bad situations in our life.
By taking ownership of our experiences, we truly empower ourselves to create change and take positive action in our lives. It is about recognising our mental power to choose how we respond to situations, rather than allowing ourselves to always be victims of circumstance. Taking ownership of our experiences enables us to be the architects of our lives, creating the path that leads us to where we want to be.
Final thoughts
Life is full of experiences, both positive and negative, and it is vital to embrace them all. Learning to accept and manage our emotions effectively, using them as tools for growth, finding meaning in painful experiences and taking ownership of our experiences are all key components of personal growth and development. By doing so, we can become the best version of ourselves and create a fulfilling and meaningful life.
### The Sunday Talk - Merry Christmas Everybody!
Monday morning and I am going to a one-day course on Google Analytics. For those of you who texted me after The Sunday Talk, yes, as an SEO I do Google Analytics. In fact, I think I know it pretty well. But given a learning opportunity, I never say 'No' as I never ever think that I know everything in a given subject. To achieve excellence one must always strive to learn more and to do better.
When it comes to Christmas Oxford Street is my favourite place here in central London. meanwhile, I am just coming back from the Sistrix training and it was amazing. Patrick gave us so much knowledge. Hey Juan, thank you very much for setting me up with this training, mate and Merry Christmas.
Saturday morning. Everything around me is frozen. But the day has arrived. I am finally moving into my new house. My old house is here. a house in a car. I've spent all my money buying the house so buying a cooker or fridge...buying food this Christmas will be very, very difficult. But then I am alive again.
You out some coffee inside. You pour over some hot boiling water. Two sugar and you wait for a process called sedimentation. Then you imagine that it tastes good and you drink. Mamma mia. Bellissimo.
The things that you find in old houses. A newspaper from 1981. And Tony Galvin: I never realised Spurs was such a big club. I am sorry to tell you that Tony but 36 years later Tottenham is still not there.
James, nobody, nobody ever asked me about Christmas SEO. Ok, but if I have to give you 3 tips. Ok.
The first one would be 'Add a Christmas logo to your website'. If nothing else it shows that your website is current, and up to date.
The second one would be - and ok not many people do it - 'Update your meta descriptions to be seasonal. Attract the clicks in the SERPs by standing out and being relevant. Yeah, I talk a lot about relevance. By the way, you need to do this sooner rather than later. Ok? As it could take Google a while to update. But don’t forget to change back once the holiday season is over!
Last but not least 'Email past buyers'. Yes, trust me on this one. Last minute shoppers are often 'repeat offenders' so gather a list of those who purchased last minute last year, yes, and surprise them with a tailored email campaign which will help them again this year!
How do I always come up with ideas like that? Well, you know me, James.
I love my job.
Patricia Martinez: Merry Christmas, guys! And do come back here next year.
Sunny Karwal: Merry Christmas, guys! Don’t forget to come back here next year. And have a great one. Cheers.
Alex Thurgood and Stephen Casey: Merry Christmas everybody. Don't forget to come back here next year.
Ibukub Sodipe and Esha Nandi: Merry Christmas, everyone! And don't forget to come back here next year.
Sandra Lokas: Merry Christmas everybody! And don't forget to come here next year.
Samar Mustafa: Merry Christmas, everybody! And don't forget to come here again.
Cecilia Montessoro and Karla Al-Hassan: Merry Christmas everyone! And don't forget to come back here.
It's Christmas Eve people! It's Christmas Eve and let me tell you something. Christmas is a miracle. On this day of the year, all of us smile a little bit more, give a little bit more. Love a little bit more.
And let me tell you something else. Christmas is the time to be the best version of yourselves. Cause you never know you may like it and you may continue doing it. So then this miracle will be with you throughout the whole year.
Meanwhile, I hope I managed to inspire you a little bit this year and if I made you smile once, just once please do come back here next year cause you've got the problems and I've got the solutions.
### The Sunday Talk - AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages)
https://youtu.be/V_6FyZE2pFo
Monday evening. Today was my first day at work after almost two weeks and everybody, absolutely everybody is talking about AMP - Accelerated Mobile Pages. Why? Well, simply because Google told us that from next year mobile will be their top priority.
Looking at the bigger picture and answering some of my critics from the beginning of this year it is no longer a case of asking wheater Mobile Marketing is important.
We all know it is.
Nowadays the task is to look at the stats and truly understand how our customers behave when using different mobile devices and what their preferences are.
Some of you were a little bit lazy this year with AMP and the whole Mobile Marketing thing. Do the same thing next year and you will be in big trouble.
Wednesday morning. 1:00 a.m. I know I couldn't sleep until I finish this project. I hope you remember my first voice recognition kit and this is absolutely the first moment we're gonna see if it's working or not.So far it's been making some noises nothing significant so now is the moment of truth. I hope you can hear my heart pounding.Ok Google, what's my name?Your name is Omi. I nearly broke my table.
Ok, Google. Ok, Google. Ok Google, what's the temperature outside?The present temperature in London is 41.Forty-one? Ok Google, what's the temperature outside in Celsius?In London, it's currently 5 degrees Celsius.Sweet victory. Ok Google, cheers. Cheers. Cheers
Hi, guys, my name is Omi Sido and I'm the technical SEO for Canon Europe. Today we're gonna be talking about AMP - Accelerated Mobile Pages.
First, before getting into the subject let's make one thing very clear. Whether we like it or we don't Google is shifting their attention to mobile first next year 2018.What does it mean? It means that websites gonna to be assessed and ranked based on their mobile structure and performance.Why is Google doing that? Well, for the first time this year more searches were completed on mobile devices then than desktop computers.What does it mean for publishers like us? Well, people are annoyed when their mobile experience is slow.Why is speed so important? Well, 40% of people abandon a website.
Good morning people. It's Friday. It's sunny and inspired by Gerry White I am wearing my Blue Glass hoody. You all know why.The thing I wanna say today is that I never had time in my life when I just said 'Thank God it's Friday' and I stopped working. But saying that weekends are special and I love escapism. So enjoy yourself as there should be no limit in having fun.
"Lasciatemi cantareCon la chitarra in manoLasciatemi cantareUna canzone piano pianoLasciatemi cantarePerché ne sono fieroSono un italianoUn italiano vero"
This week was anything but boring. But first, let me say a huge 'Congratulations' to Jon Myers (DeepCrawl) for winning the 'UK Search Personality of the Year'. Well-deserved.
John Myers - UK Search Personality of the Year
Actually, I met Jon two-three months ago in Manchester and he showed me how to eat pizza with pineapple.John, you've got a special place in my heart.
With Jon Myers, Gerry White and Matt Bullas at the Benchmark Search Conference
But talking about this week. Monday AMP presentation. Tuesday AMP presentation. Wednesday I didn't do an AMP presentation but I did an internal video talking about AMP.Thursday AMP presentation with a training of developers. Eight hours.Friday the AMP talk continued.
While preparing for these presentations I realized two things. First I do a lot of shopping online. And second 80% of my shopping is done here.Enough said.
Now next week will be anything but boring again. I've got one-day training on Google Analytics. I've got what three Christmas parties. And then I've got a whole day training at Sistrix on Wednesday.Is Sistrix the new kid on the block? Is Sistrix gonna replace SEMrush or Searchmetrics?If you wanna know the answer, do come back here next Sunday cause you've got the problems and the questions and I've got the solutions.
### The Sunday Talk - What is Intelligence?
A lot of you are asking me on LinkedIn "Omi, what did you actually study?" And the answer is Chemistry. I even have a Master degree in Chemistry. But chemistry is not my passion.
When it comes to Digital Marketing I am self-taught. And it was very, very, very difficult. For many, many years I used to study during the night and work during the day.
But I am not here to give you one of those inspirational stories as like so many of you when I was a teenager I didn't follow my passion.
So I struggled a lot later on in my life until I met this guy David Amerland who inspired me who gave me the permission to follow my passion.
With Teodora Petkova and Mr David Amerland
So today I am giving you the permission to follow your passion. But be smart. Passion alone won't pay the bills. While studying Digital Marketing I had many jobs. No shame in it.
Am I ever gonna be rich following my passion? Probably not. But then I absolutely love my job.
I am just coming back from central London where I had coffee - lots of coffee - with Nick Doudy and a long chat about machine learning. So on my way back home, a question hit me in my face.
What is intelligence?
When you think about it in many ways unintelligent machines are already far smarter than we are but we don't call the calculator on my mobile smart just because it can multiply massive numbers. We just say "it's correct".
Somehow we reserve the term 'intelligence' only for typical human capabilities like recognising a face or composing a symphony. But sooner or later we will teach the machines how to recognise a face or compose a symphony.
When it comes to intelligence why are we talking about knowledge and not emotions?
The question on intelligence is a strange one. Not just because it has been changing ever since we care to actually think about it. 100 years ago it would have been some kind of knowing some kind of language. Speaking some kind of language probably Greek and Latin.
These days mathematics and coding analytical skills and understanding but really these are not a true form of intelligence in a way that we can actually measure it in a general sense. So what is it really and it's changing all the time. It's morphing as we understand more about how to recreate aspects of intelligence in the artificial intelligence field.
So truly intelligence, when we think about it, is the ability of everything we know to interconnect and acquire meaning so basically it is what we know and how we know it and how that actually connects together.
It's a contextual or it can be most of the time but it is more a sense of awareness of the impact of the things that which we know, the moment we know them, how we know them and what they actually affect in terms of the other things that we know and remember.
So it is interconnectedness.
Simple. Well, try recreating that and yeah it becomes quite hard.
Trust me, people, I am so excited. I am so pumped up. I've just received my first Voice Kit by Google and I can't wait to build my first Google Home.
So let's see what's inside this box. And yes this is the first I'm gonna see the content of this box. Paper. We don't need the paper. The actual body. And then various cables and things. Microphone stereo board. The voice hat, a speaker and a button. This is all you need to build your Google Home.
I believe a lot of you should start playing with these toys as Voice Search is the future of SEO. Some people may even say
Voice Search is the future of Digital Marketing.
It only took me only 5 min to assemble my first Voice recognition device. Unfortunately, installing the Raspberry Pi operating system takes hours so we gonna see this device in action next week.
Now talking about next week oh my god the word 'busy' is not enough to describe it.
On Monday I am going to one of the top Digital marketing agencies in England called Periscopix, where I'm gonna, have an all-day training on Google Big Data Query.
Wednesday I am going to Paris, France for the SEO European Night organised by OnCrawl where I'm gonna be talking about SEO and Machine Learning.
In the end of the week, all my family is going to Sofia, Bulgaria, Eastern Europe where we gonna be celebrating the birthday of my mother.
So a very busy week is ahead of me but you, yes you do come back here next Sunday cause you wanna see this device in action, you've got questions and issues in Digital marketing and I've got the solutions.
### The Sunday Talk - Disrupt or Be Disrupted
These days it doesn't really matter if I filming in the morning or in the evening. I would leave my house early in the morning and I'd go back home late at night. So it's always dark anyway. It feels like I am constantly working. But then I guess if you are persistent you gonna get it and if you are consistent you gonna keep it.
I just woke up and I am so tired. last night I stayed till 3 o'clock in the morning trying to migrate Fat Eyes, Gina Fiedel's Fat Eyes website to https unsuccessfully. I guess I am like a Pitbull - once I bite I never let go.
So the wisdom for today is: In your career and especially in your Digital Marketing career you gonna have a lot of Ups and Downs. And you have to try and learn from your Ups and Downs as well.
Meanwhile, go and check Gina's blog cause there is so much wisdom coming out from her articles.
I know I only do SEO for you Sam but hear me out. Instead of creating a new product create a movement. Instead of creating a new product create a different product. I honestly believe. Yes, I am in a quote mode. I honestly believe that
the future of business is: disrupt or be disrupted.
Yes, ignite the movement by creating an experience that people are drawn toward. Aim for this emotional connection.
Hi guys. It's Friday. And as not everything in life is Digital marketing I wanna show you my favourite light dinner recipe so you can surprise your partner tonight. All you need is a piece of mozzarella, 2-3 slices of Parma ham, pesto, tomato and of course a bottle of nice wine.
Now that everything is done all you have to do is open this bottle of wine and enjoy your evening. Have a great weekend, guys.
Bellissimo!
This week I wanted to talk about persistence and working hard but coming back from a meeting there is one thing that came up again and again and again in our conversation: Disrupt or Be Disrupted.
In a few short years, much of what you build, sell, fix, advertise won’t mean much to anyone. In fact, there’s a pretty good chance that if you stay put doing whatever it is your company does right now – you’ll be out of business.
If you want to survive, let alone thrive, you must tap new trends and produce new ideas at an accelerating rate.
Machine learning and technology built on top of the Internet will continue to threaten the very fabric of what most business and jobs are set up to do today.
No one, absolutely no one was a social media manager or a drone operator only ten years ago. Nowadays there are 70,000 drone operators that make more money than most people who study medicine 10 years ago.
Is everything bad? No. not really. There is always a cure to the problem and it's called innovation.
Innovation is a strategy that must be central to your day to day planning.
Coming back to the real world not much gonna change next week and I will still be around with my camera filming my thoughts and trying to help you understand the Digital marketing world.
So you, yes you do come back here next Sunday cause you've got the problems and I've got the solutions.
### Benchmark Search Conference 2017 | Data and creativity in paid search
Nowadays there is so much room for creativity in PPC search. Not just that but creativity is often the key difference between success and failure of a campaign. A fun, innovative and well executed PPC campaign can work wonders for your business.
Slides: https://www.slideshare.net/clickconsult/data-and-creativity-in-paid-search
Who is Dave Karellen?
Dave Karellen has been with Click Consult since 2011 and heads up the Paid Search (PPC) team as well as taking responsibility for key PPC accounts. Developing best practice, delivering PPC training and liaising directly with clients are also core elements of his role.
Dave’s extensive Excel knowledge has seen him develop a range of PPC optimisation and reporting tools. A further strength is high-level data analysis, developed while studying for a Master’s Degree in Mathematics.
What is the Benchmark Search Conference?
The one-day event features world-class speakers that cover all of the need-to-know search marketing topics to develop and advance your brand’s search engine presence, including:
Organic search (SEO) – how to achieve and maintain your brand’s ranking in natural search engine results and ensure your customers can easily find you.
Paid search (PPC) – driving targeted traffic to your website by showing ads in search engine results when people search for related keywords.
Social media – enhancing brand awareness and advocacy to support your search visibility; your social authority is increasingly considered by Google as a ranking factor.
Content marketing – how to be smart with your content campaigns to build trust and credibility by returning relevant answers to search queries, and earning quality backlinks.
Who’s behind Benchmark?
Located in North West England, Click Consult is a multi-award-winning search marketing agency with a focus on organic (SEO) and paid search (PPC). With over 70 professionals employed and a portfolio of over 60 clients from across the UK, Click Consult works with businesses looking for a measurable return from their search marketing budget.
Click Consult also provides a range of other services, including content marketing, inbound marketing and conversion rate optimisation (CRO), as well as international and multilingual search.
The company is Google AdWords and Microsoft adExcellence certified and is on the Recommended Agency Register.
### The Sunday Talk - SearchLove London Conference
https://youtu.be/JvqrePqBqqA
I've never been at a conference on a Monday. But then I am so excited. My favourite Digital Marketing speaker Purna Virji is coming to town.
Jon Myers: Here at the bottom basically is the crossing point. In October 2016 we saw worldwide more mobile queries or usage queries than on a desktop computer. And obviously, at that point, they were just shy of obviously 51.5%. The number which I shared with you earlier on which is just a year on which is due today we are now at 60% which is 9% jump in favour of mobile.
Omi Sido with David Iwanow, Gerry White and Nick Wilsdon
Day two of the SearchLove conference. And what a day. Client meeting, client meeting, conference, client meeting. I'd be lucky if I come back home before 11 O'clock tonight.
Meanwhile yesterday Purna Virji, Jon Myers and Sam Noble literary smashed it. They gave us so many actionable insights.Hopefully today Emily Grossman will smash it as well.
No pressure.
Omi Sido: Hi. My name is Omi Sido, I work for Canon Europe and I honestly cannot live without DeepCrawl.
David Iwanow: And where are you Omi?
Omi Sido: I am at the SearchLove conference and I am joined by this beautiful lady.
Alyssa Ordu: Alyssa from DeepCrawl.
David Iwanow: And where can we follow you on Twitter?
Alyssa Ordu: @DeepCrawl
David Iwanow: And omi?
Omi Sido: @omisido of course.
David Iwanow: Ciao.
Omi Sido: Or just google me.
True that. Emily Grossman really inspired me to start learning a little bit more about progressive web apps. The truth is Jon not many people are talking about them, in fact not many people even know what a progressive app is. Yes. At least not here in the UK.
The wisdom, the eye-opener from this talk was that there is a big difference between a native app and a progressive web app.Yes, you can get access to the URLs and therefore they are indexable by search engines. Businesses can get crucial advantages from doing it. Yes, of course.
David Iwanow with Laura Crimmons and Samantha Noble
So let me summarise the SearchLove London conference.Two days of presentations, 1-2-1 meetings, roundtables, and plenty of quality networking opportunities.
This was my first time at this conference and I absolutely loved it.
Distilled managed to curate a great list of speakers in order to organise this conference by marketers for marketers which aims to provide a mixture of practical, hands-on, expert advice, and inspirational case studies from top Digital marketers across the UK and the world.
Guys, this week I've received more than 20 emails asking me about machine learning and Python. And I am so excited that so many of you have taken the 'learn something new' every week challenge.
Keep up the good work.
Meanwhile, don't forget to come back here next week cause you've got the problems and I've got the solutions.
### The Sunday Talk - Bold Digital Marketing
Hi guys! It's Monday again and I know a lot of you are down. So let me ask you a question. Do lions complain about Monday? No. they don't. They are up early, chasing, biting. Reminding everybody that they are lions.
Don't just dream about success.
New Monday. New week. New opportunities.
Inspired by my own words last week I've decided to spend an hour this week studying a bit of coding...python to be more precise. Why python? Well, when it comes to machine learning and you know I love talking about machine learning in SEO.
Today I am here to talk about RankBrain. I hope very quickly it becomes very obvious that I am not actually talking about RankBrain but the way you have to adjust to the new reality in SEO called machine learning. So let's start with the obvious. Last year Google or at least somebody from Google declared that RankBrain...
Python is probably the most popular language.
Meanwhile, let me show you my new socks. Boom. The Ted Rubin effect.
Last but not least the rise of video will make SEO marketers focus even more on visual content, but it will also force artists to create video with optimization in mind. In fact, it will probably give life to a new category of videographers who will specialize in SEO content, just as it happened with writers two-three years ago.
You should use every opportunity to remind your customers about your business or services.
Yes, even Friday the 13th. I know you are serious company but Friday the 13th and Halloween is probably your best chance to show the human side of your company. Yes, David Amerland is always talking about this one. The moment I get home I will email you all my ideas. Yes, and I will give you 13% discount.
Hi, my name is Omi Sido. I am not a robot, I am a human being so let me tell you something. Use every opportunity to remind your customers of your business.
Marketers around the world are facing a dilemma: they aren’t sure what’s working, they’re feeling underequipped to meet the challenges of digital, and they’re having a tough time keeping up with the pace of change in the industry. What’s worse, nobody hands you a playbook to show you how to make it all work.
But the opportunity for marketers is too great to let uncertainty slow you down.
If you are bold in your digital marketing efforts and investments if you are taking smart risks if you are educating all your teams to be 'digital ready' you are in a great position to capitalize on digital’s full promise in the future.
Guys next week I am going to the Search Love conference organised by Distilled where I'm gonna be meeting my favourite digital marketing speaker the amazing Purna Virji. But you do come back here next Sunday cause you've got the problems and I've got the solutions.
### The Sunday Talk - Learn as if you were to live forever
https://youtu.be/y14EVuV9v5o
Hi, guys. It's Monday again and I am so pumped up as this week I am going to the Take It Offline roundtable in Brighton organised by Tom, Andy and Gerry White. Learning from the best is always a good practice especially so in the universe of Digital Marketing where everything changes at light speed.
Learning should be part of your company culture.
Customers nowadays are transforming faster than we are. So if we don't catch up we gonna be in big, massive trouble.
Customers nowadays are transforming faster than we are. So if we don't catch up we gonna be in big, massive trouble.
Learning from the best is always a good practice. Especially so in the universe of Digital Marketing, where everything changes at light speed.Learning needs to be part of your culture. Consumers are transforming faster than we are, and if we don't catch up, we’re in trouble.
Yes, Steven. I can educate your SEO executives but tell me are they involved in the strategic planning. Probably not.I will tell you a secret now.In many small companies, there is no formal manager training. People do well, they get promoted. So he knows Adwords, he gets to manage the digital marketing team and before you know it he is defining your SEO strategy, your Social media strategy. And this is actually a good example. I'm not even gonna mention the digital marketing director does not even come from digital.Pro tip Steven.
Everybody in your organisation should know the basics of everything that is Digital Marketing.
Thursday morning. First I'm gonna go to work and then I'm gonna go to the Take It Offline roundtable in Brighton. I know it's gonna be very very good so if you happened to be in Brighton or somewhere around Brighton come say hello.
It's one thirty in the morning and I just came back from the Take It Offline event in Brighton. I am super tired but I am also super excited as I've learnt so much this evening.
The main thing: Social Media advertising can be extremely effective for many businesses but getting it right is not always straightforward. I guess it all comes down to you have to try and fail, try and fail until you find yourself in the right place at the right moment for success.
Friday morning. Seve o'clock. I've probably slept for two hours but I've just remembered that I'd forgot to say something yesterday. Andy, Gerry, Tom you rock guys. Your event is getting better and better every single time. Now I'm gonna go and do my first Facebook campaign. Gerry, I'd probably experiment with your video.
One of the best things about life is that we never have to stop learning. There are always new skills to learn and new techniques for us to adopt. When you look at the most successful people in the world, they understand this. Big and successful companies like Facebook or Google are heavily investing into their own employees. Or the way I normally say it:
Without doing something beyond of what you’ve already mastered, you will never grow.
Guys, next week let's all of us try and spend an hour learning something outside of our comfort zone. So if you are a developer learn a bit of SEO. If you are an SEO learn a little bit of PPC.Meanwhile, don't forget to come back here next Sunday cause you've got the problems and I've got the solutions.
### Benchmark Search Conference 2017 | The power of storytelling
Today, storytelling may seem like an old-fashioned tool - and it probably is. But this is exactly what makes it so powerful. Life happens in the narratives we tell one another. A story can go where quantitative analysis is denied admission: our hearts.
Slides: https://www.slideshare.net/basvandenbeld/the-power-of-storytelling-and-how-to-create-a-compelling-story
Who is Bas van den Beld?
Bas van den Beld is an award-winning consultant, trainer and professional speaker who has helped businesses worldwide adapt swiftly to the forever changing media landscape.
He is the founder of State of Digital, one of Europe’s largest online marketing and SEO learning platforms and has worked with big brands, like KLM and Viacom, to develop solid marketing strategies based on the innate understanding of the needs and behaviours of their customers.
Bas van den Beld and Omi Sido
What is the Benchmark Search Conference?
The one-day event features world-class speakers that cover all of the need-to-know search marketing topics to develop and advance your brand’s search engine presence, including:
Organic search (SEO) – how to achieve and maintain your brand’s ranking in natural search engine results and ensure your customers can easily find you.
Paid search (PPC) – driving targeted traffic to your website by showing ads in search engine results when people search for related keywords.
Social media – enhancing brand awareness and advocacy to support your search visibility; your social authority is increasingly considered by Google as a ranking factor.
Content marketing – how to be smart with your content campaigns to build trust and credibility by returning relevant answers to search queries, and earning quality backlinks.
Who’s behind Benchmark?
Located in North West England, Click Consult is a multi-award-winning search marketing agency with a focus on organic (SEO) and paid search (PPC). With over 70 professionals employed and a portfolio of over 60 clients from across the UK, Click Consult works with businesses looking for a measurable return from their search marketing budget.
Click Consult also provides a range of other services, including content marketing, inbound marketing and conversion rate optimisation (CRO), as well as international and multilingual search.
The company is Google AdWords and Microsoft adExcellence certified and is on the Recommended Agency Register.
### Benchmark Search Conference 2017 | Time to migrate to HTTPS
https://www.youtube.com/embed/5ppvjtJmyiA
HTTP to HTTPS Migration
HTTPS migration may not be on top of your technical SEO list but there are so many reasons to move to HTTPS. Migrating to HTTPS is not as difficult as you might think. It is a simple process that can be completed in just one day, and the benefits are well worth the time and effort: apart from the slight ranking boost, Google made it very clear that they really want us to protect our site and our users.
What is the difference between HTTP and HTTPS?
HTTP and HTTPS are the two main protocols for transferring data on the internet. HTTP is unsecured while HTTPS is secured. This means that HTTPS provides an extra layer of security by encrypting data before it is sent from a user's device to a website's server. This makes it much more difficult for someone to intercept and read the data, as they would need to decrypt it first.
HTTPS also verifies that the website you are sending data to is the legitimate website that it claims to be. This is done through a process called SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) or TLS (Transport Layer Security). When you visit a website over HTTPS, your browser will check to see if the website's SSL/TLS certificate is valid and trusted. If it is, you will see a green padlock in the address bar, which indicates that the connection between your browser and the website is secure.
So, in summary, HTTPS is more secure than HTTP because it uses encryption and verification to protect data as it travels between users and websites.
Data sent using HTTPS is secured via Transport Layer Security protocol (TLS), which provides three key layers of protection:
Encryption. Encrypting the exchanged data to keep it secure from eavesdroppers. That means that while the user is browsing a website, nobody can “listen” to their conversations, track their activities across multiple pages or steal their information.
Data integrity. Data cannot be modified or corrupted during transfer, intentionally or otherwise, without being detected.
Authentication. Proves that your users communicate with the intended website. It protects against man-in-the-middle attacks and builds user trust, which translates into other business benefits.
HTTPS migration
Websites that use the HTTPS protocol can offer significantly more security to their visitors by encrypting the connection between the website and the visitor's browser, making it harder for attackers to intercept sensitive information.
How to migrate from HTTP to HTTPS?
Migrating your website from HTTP to HTTPS can be a daunting task, but it's worth it in the long run. Here are some tips on how to make the transition:
Make sure your hosting provider supports HTTPS. If they don't, you'll need to switch to a new host.
Use a tool like Let's Encrypt to generate your SSL certificate. This is a free and easy way to get started with HTTPS.
Update your website's code to reflect the new HTTPS address. This includes changing any hard-coded URLs, as well as updating any third-party scripts or plugins that may be loading resources from your site.
Test everything thoroughly! Make sure all of your pages are loading correctly under the new HTTPS address before you make the switch live for everyone.
Finally, update your DNS records to point to the new HTTPS address for your site. Once that propagates, you're all set!
What are the risks and drawbacks of a HTTPS migration?
There are a few risks and drawbacks to migrating your website from HTTP to HTTPS. First, it's important to note that HTTPS is not a perfect solution. While it does provide some security benefits, it is not foolproof. There are still ways for hackers to intercept data being sent between your website and visitors' browsers.
Second, migrating your website from HTTP to HTTPS can be a bit of a technical challenge for you technical SEO team. You'll need to make sure your server is configured properly and that all of your website's assets are updated to https:// URLs. If you're not comfortable with making these changes yourself, you may need to hire a web developer or consultant to help you out.
Finally, there is the potential for negative SEO impact when migrating from HTTP to HTTPS. This is because Google treats https:// and http:// as two different websites. So, if you're not careful, your website's search engine rankings could take a hit after migrating to HTTPS. This is usually only a temporary issue, but it's something to be aware of nonetheless.
Who is Gerry White?
Gerry White is a technical marketing consultant working with Just Eat supporting SEO on the 14 sites they operate around the world, including apps, mobile, technical and outreach. Ensuring that the sites are organic leaders in the markets they operate in.
With a 17 year history in digital – Gerry has worked on sites from the BBC, McDonalds, Premier Inn and DirectGov in various roles from digital analyst, site search but usually in SEO, as well as spending a large part of his career agency side.
Gerry White also co-runs a digital roundtable conference called Take It Offline which aims to replicate the best of the post-pub conversations, typically in a pub.
What is the Benchmark Search Conference?
The one-day event features world-class speakers that cover all of the need-to-know search marketing topics to develop and advance your brand’s search engine presence, including:
Organic search (SEO) – how to achieve and maintain your brand’s ranking in natural search engine results and ensure your customers can easily find you.
Paid search (PPC) – driving targeted traffic to your website by showing ads in search engine results when people search for related keywords.
Social media – enhancing brand awareness and advocacy to support your search visibility; your social authority is increasingly considered by Google as a ranking factor.
Content marketing – how to be smart with your content campaigns to build trust and credibility by returning relevant answers to search queries, and earning quality backlinks.
Who’s behind Benchmark?
Located in North West England, Click Consult is a multi-award-winning search marketing agency with a focus on organic (SEO) and paid search (PPC). With over 70 professionals employed and a portfolio of over 60 clients from across the UK, Click Consult works with businesses looking for a measurable return from their search marketing budget.
Click Consult also provides a range of other services, including content marketing, inbound marketing and conversion rate optimisation (CRO), as well as international and multilingual search.
The company is Google AdWords and Microsoft adExcellence certified and is on the Recommended Agency Register.
### Generational Cruft in SEO. There is Never a ‘New Site’ When There's History | BrightonSEO 2017
Technical SEO solutions that make your site fly
Many big brands think that migrating to a new site or protocol means a new beginning for a website, but this is not so.
Search engines have a big memory and a lot of storage and they remember every single URL you ever created on any subdomain attached to your site.
How can you change the history associated with your site for better rankings and SEO? We’ll explore technical SEO solutions to make your site fly.
Who is Dawn Anderson?
Dawn Anderson is an International SEO consultant, founder and CEO of Move It Marketing Digital Marketing Agency and Associate - Lecturer on Search and Analytics at Manchester Metropolitan University.
https://www.slideshare.net/DawnFitton/technical-seo-generational-cruft-in-seo-there-is-never-a-new-site-when-theres-history-brighton-seo-concise-deck
About BrightonSEO
BrightonSEO - is a major search marketing event in the UK. One of our favourite events of the year, This is a superb conference for search marketing professionals, novice or expert.
BrightonSEO is a chance to learn from some of the best minds in search, and then rub shoulders with them at one of the friendliest, and largest, gatherings of Digital Marketers in Europe.
### Log File Analysis for Better SEO
Who is Omi Sido?
Omi Sido https://omisido.com/ is a seasoned international speaker and is known in the industry for his humour and ability to deliver actionable insights that audiences can immediately start using.
From SEO consulting with some of the world's largest telecommunications and travel companies to managing in-house SEO at Daily Mail and Canon, Omi loves diving into complex data and finding the bright spots.
Slides: https://www.slideshare.net/omisido/log-file-analysis-for-better-seo
Transcript:
Hi, guys. Thank you for coming here today. My name is Omi Sido and as most of you know I am very active online and I love talking about Digital Marketing and SEO.
Server logs analysis
Today I'm gonna be talking about Server logs analysis and how understanding what the Googlebot does and what the Googlebot sees on your website can massively boost your digital marketing efforts.
I'm gonna start with a short story. A few months ago - this is a real story by the way - a few months ago a guy came to me and asked me to teach him the basics of SEO so he can collaborate with his SEO team. Of course, I said yes. So I gave him some books and some blogs to read and we agreed to meet again in two weeks. Hi, David. So in two weeks, in two weeks we went to Costa and of course, I asked the guy him about his SEO knowledge. His answer: Content is king and currently he is reading a book about content creation and semantic search.
While he was talking I wrote a short poem, an SEO poem on a piece of paper and after he stopped talking paused I simply asked him: Can go and upload this poem to the Internet, on the Internet. He was like confused obviously: Omi what do you mean? And I was like: Well, you've just told me that content is king. So upload this poem on the Internet and make me famous. I wanna be the King of the Internet. Of course again confused And he said something like "But Omi I need a website". End of story.
A lot of people come to me. A lot of companies and tell me: Omi, our website is beautiful. Our pictures are amazing. We publish content on a regular basis but somehow we are not ranking well. Why?
I said it before and I would say it again: Yes, content is King. But every King needs a castle, a home to live in. Technical SEO is this castle and by analysing your server logs you basically know whether you've got a solid structure or not.
If every time when the Googlebot comes to your website it can't understand the structure of your website if every time when the Googlebot comes to your website and ignores strategic sections of your website your content counts for nothing. Shall I repeat this one? Your content counts for nothing.
Sorry, I can see a lot of fo people tagging me.
The only way for the Googlebot to understand what's on your website is to literary come and crawl all your pages. Now some of you may say 'But what is a log file?' This is a log file. I know it's a bit confusing but in all honesty, you don't have to be very technical unless you wanna be an SEO Geek to benefit from the data, from the information, from the wisdom coming from the server logs. From the server logs.
So to make all these very simple I will give you another story.
Six months ago a company came to me and asked me to analyse their website and give them some recommendations for improving their rankings.Obviously, I started crawling their website and the first thing I saw was half a million pages but only roughly 20 000 of them active pages. You all know this website. I'm not gonna mention the name because of the NDA but you've been there at least once for the last one month.Half a million pages but only twenty thousand of them active pages. By active pages, you know what I mean pages that get organic traffic.So I've started analysing their website, I've started crawling it and of course analysing the server logs so this is what I see. OnCrawl.
154 orphan pages. Yes, 154 000 orphan pages. Some websites don't even have 154 000 pages. Out of 154 000 pages only 3 000 of them active pages.
Now, what are orphan pages?
Chelsea: Omi, what's an active page? How do you qualify that?Getting organic visits.3 000, remember this number.
So what are orphan pages?
Orphan pages are pages that are not linked from anywhere in your website structure.
This is the definition you see online.
What is my definition for orphan pages? Omi Sido's definition for orphan pages. Stop hurting your SEO. Please.
How do we find Orphan pages?
The only way to find Orphan pages is to crawl, fully crawl a website. Take all the log file data, combine it together and analyse it. In this case out of 154 000 pages only 3 000 active pages. I had no choice but to literary delete all inactive pages. And I know it sounds a little bit harsh.Then I continued analysing this website and I find that the bot is spending a lot of time, literary stuck in a section full of non-complaint pages instead of crawling the sections with complaint pages. Remember my what I said earlier about the strategic crawling of your website. I had no choice but to delete another big chunk of this website.
And then what I call duplicate URL crawling. By analysing this website I realised that the bot is spending a lot of its resources crawling pages with parameters even although they were properly canonicalized.
We had to literally reshuffle the whole navigation and stuff like that.And now have a look at this picture. Yeah, this graph.Pages crawled and not crawled by depth against SEO visits distribution by depth.
As I told you earlier you don't have to be very technical to understand the importance of analysing your log files.Have a look at this section of the graph. Only 49% are crawled. Yet, this section gives the most SEO organic visits.
By the way, I don't like calling them organic. For me, they are just SEO visits.
But anyway.Very strange for this website page depth five is giving more organic visits than those two. So I had a lot of conversations basically the idea was what's gonna happen if I literary delete this group. What's gonna happen if I force the bot to crawl this section more often and index more pages? What's gonna happen if I actually combine those two without deleting this one or I combine those two? Notice this is only 19%. I hope you can see it from far. Nineteen percent.
You have to really think how you wanna spend your Crawl Budget.
We deleted, in all honesty, we've deleted more than 60% of this website went to the bin.
Just for clarity. These 60% any of these is unique content stuff like that. You are not suggesting
No, I am not suggesting that. Normally Orphan pages that are not visited by anybody even the bots are.
So ok. So to explain. Let's go a little bit to Oprpahn pages. Normally those are development mistakes, expired product pages. Do we agree on this one? Ok, thanks.
So we've deleted. It's ok. No, no of course yeah. The point I am trying to make and thank you very much because many people don't actually know what Orphan pages are. You are absolutely right.
We've deleted more than 60%. More than 60% of this website went to the bin. Yet, six months down the line this client sells more products than ever. I didn't say visits I said money. They sell more products than ever. Now that the bot is allowed to crawl the good pages more often resulting in more pages present in the SERPs and-and in a better position.
Some of you may say 'Omi, this is a big website. They had a literary room for deleting pages' and in fact, I have a lot of clients coming to me telling me 'Omi, I don't care about analysing log files because I only have 10-20 thousand pages'. So let me give you a quick example of a relatively small website.
This website was about to be migrated 6-7 months ago and I was asked to analyse it.
22 000 pages in the structure. 8 000 orphan pages. 8 thousand. After finding this one they nearly fired the whole Digital Marketing team. Thank God they didn't. I've got more followers on LInkedIn.23% are only bringing 3% of organic visits. Literary. Three percent of organic visits. Is it worth keeping those pages?On the other side in the previous example - sorry I can't find it now - in the previous example the Orphan pages were actually bringing 37% of organic visits. Why are you not linking to them?Internally linking to them first so your customers can find them when they come on your website and second you can improve their SEO value so they bring even more visits in the future.
Guys, I hope I gave you, I've given you a good idea of how to.
Girl: I have a question.
Omi: Of course.
Girl: Have you done any analysis of incoming backlinks to those pages that you.
Omi: Yes, you have to do that. You have to do that.
Girl: How to do that all feed into the whole process?
Omi: With the example, I gave you there were no literary no backlinks. But you have to do that, you know.
Guys, I hope I've given you enough information but by all means, ask questions.
### Benchmark Search Conference 2017 | SEO Lead, Global Channel Optimisation, Vodafone
Who is Nick Wilsdon?
Nick Wilsdon started his online career in 1998, giving his first SEO seminar two years later in Brighton. After moving to Moscow, he became an expert on Russian search, working with gaming clients across CIS markets. During this time he was involved in the Russian start-up community, working with Yandex, RF parliament members and the US State Department.
Since his return to the UK, Nick Wilsdon has held the 'head of department' roles at Arena Media, part of the Havas Media Group and within the Dentsu Aegis network.
As the SEO lead at Vodafone Group, he is standardising and improving online performance across 22 markets and 55 partner markets. He is particularly interested in mobile SEO, cross-channel campaigns and joining up the dots in a logical way.
What is the Benchmark Search Conference?
The one-day event features world-class speakers that cover all of the need-to-know search marketing topics to develop and advance your brand’s search engine presence, including:
Organic search (SEO) – how to achieve and maintain your brand’s ranking in natural search engine results and ensure your customers can easily find you.
Paid search (PPC) – driving targeted traffic to your website by showing ads in search engine results when people search for related keywords.
Social media – enhancing brand awareness and advocacy to support your search visibility; your social authority is increasingly considered by Google as a ranking factor.
Content marketing – how to be smart with your content campaigns to build trust and credibility by returning relevant answers to search queries, and earning quality backlinks.
Who’s behind Benchmark?
Located in North West England, Click Consult is a multi-award-winning search marketing agency with a focus on organic (SEO) and paid search (PPC). With over 70 professionals employed and a portfolio of over 60 clients from across the UK, Click Consult works with businesses looking for a measurable return from their search marketing budget.
Click Consult also provides a range of other services, including content marketing, inbound marketing and conversion rate optimisation (CRO), as well as international and multilingual search. The company is Google AdWords and Microsoft adExcellence certified and is on the Recommended Agency Register.
### Quick and Dirty Server-side tweaks to improve your SEO | Brighton 2017
https://youtu.be/xrQiHKdmEvI
Quick and Dirty Server-side tweaks to improve your SEO
Learn how a messy server can sabotage all your SEO efforts, how to check current server configuration and how to improve and get the maximum from them.
Who is Petar Nikolow?
Peter Nikolow does software development for his own company MobilioDevelopment. He built his first website in university in 1997 and since then has been involved in websites and applications. Now he thinks the “Less is more” principle needs to be applied to the current web too.
https://www.slideshare.net/mobilio/quick-and-dirty-serverside-tweaks-to-improve-your-seo-brighton-seo-september-2017
About BrightonSEO
BrightonSEO - is a major search marketing event in the UK. One of our favourite events of the year, This is a superb conference for search marketing professionals, novice or expert.
BrightonSEO is a chance to learn from some of the best minds in search, and then rub shoulders with them at one of the friendliest, and largest, gatherings of Digital Marketers in Europe.
### Understanding the Impact of Mobile-First Indexing | BrightonSEO 2017
https://youtu.be/8x0FoADifKg
Understanding the Impact of Mobile-First Indexing
I probably don't need to tell you that the world of search engine optimisation (SEO) is constantly evolving, with new updates and changes being made to search engine algorithms and best SEO practices. One of the more recent changes that have had a massive impact on SEO is the shift towards mobile-first indexing. So let's have a quick discussion about what mobile-first indexing is, why it is important to your business, and how you can optimise your website for it.
What is Mobile-first indexing?
Mobile-first indexing is exactly what it sounds like - it's an indexing system that prioritises the mobile version of your website over its desktop counterpart. In the past, search engines like Google would primarily crawl and index desktop versions of websites, and mobile versions were seen as secondary. However, with the rise of mobile usage and the fact that more people are accessing the Internet from their smartphones and tablets than ever before, it makes sense that search engines would want to prioritise mobile versions of websites.
Ultimately, Google wants to improve the user experience of their customers and to do that our websites should perform well on mobile devices.
Prepare for mobile-first indexing
So, what does this mean for website owners and SEO professionals? Essentially, it means that if your website isn't optimised for mobile, you're going to have a hard time ranking well in the search engine results pages (SERPs). This is because from now on Google (and other search engines) will prioritise websites that are mobile-friendly since they know that a majority of their users are accessing the Internet (your web pages) from their mobile devices.
How Google's Mobile-First index affects businesses
The impact of mobile-first indexing can be seen in several ways. Firstly, if your website isn't optimised for mobile, you may notice a decrease in your search engine rankings (a decrease in organic visibility). This is simply because search engines will assume that your website isn't user-friendly for mobile users and will, therefore, be less likely to display it to people searching on their phones or tablets.
Secondly, even if your website manages to rank well in SERPs, if it's not optimised for mobile, you may notice a decrease in traffic and conversions. This is because mobile users are less likely to stay on a website that isn't easy to navigate or read on a small screen. They are also less likely to buy from a website that isn't easy to navigate and I know that from my own experience.
How to optimise for Mobile-first indexing?
So, how can you optimise your website for mobile-first indexing? There are several best practices that you can follow to ensure that your website is mobile-friendly and optimised for search engines. Some of these include:
Use a responsive design: A responsive website design is one that adjusts to fit the screen size of the device it's being viewed on. This means that whether someone is accessing your website from a desktop computer or a smartphone, the website will automatically adjust to fit the screen size and provide a user-friendly experience. In other words, you have to adopt a web development approach that creates dynamic changes to the appearance of your website, depending on the screen size and orientation of the device being used to view it.
Optimise your images: Images are an essential part of any website, but they can be particularly problematic for mobile users if they're not optimised correctly. Make sure that your images are compressed and scaled appropriately for mobile devices so that they load quickly and don't take up too much space on the screen. Optimising your images will also help you a lot when it comes to page speed as a ranking factor. To measure the impact of images on mobile speed use tools like PageSpeed Insights and GTmetrix.
Simplify your navigation: Mobile users don't want to scroll through a long list of links to find what they're looking for. Ensure that your website's navigation is simple and easy to use, with clear menus and buttons that are easy to tap on a touchscreen.
Use mobile-friendly fonts and font sizes: Fonts that look great on a desktop computer may be difficult to read on a small mobile screen. Ensure that you're using fonts that are easy to read on a mobile device and that you're using font sizes that are appropriate for small screens. A widely accepted guideline for touch target size is a minimum of 44 pixels wide and 44 pixels tall.
Test (and test again) your website on multiple devices: Just because your website looks great on your phone or tablet doesn't mean it will look good on all mobile devices. Ensure that you test your website on a variety of devices to ensure that it's optimised for all screen sizes and resolutions. My starting point is always Am I Responsive?
Am I Responsive? - Show off how responsive design looks across different browsers easily with this 4 in 1 viewport tool.
In addition to these best practices, several tools and resources are available to help you optimise your website for mobile-first indexing. For example, Google's Mobile-Friendly Test is a free tool that allows you to test your website's mobile-friendliness and provides suggestions for improvement. You can also use Google Analytics 4 to track your website's mobile traffic and see how mobile users are interacting with your website. This data can help you identify areas for improvement and make changes to your website's design and content to better meet the needs of mobile users. After every change you make you should test again(!)
Mobile-first indexing is not the only ranking factor but it's an important one
It's also worth noting that while mobile-first indexing is an important consideration for SEO, it's not the only factor that search engines take into account when ranking websites (people say that Google ranks webpages using more than 200 ranking factors). Factors like the relevance and quality of your content, the number of backlinks pointing to your website, and the user experience (UX) on your website are also important considerations. However, with mobile usage continuing to increase (just look at the mobile usage statistics), it's essential to prioritise mobile optimisation to ensure that your website is as user-friendly as possible for all visitors.
In conclusion, mobile-first indexing is a significant shift in the world of SEO that website owners and SEO professionals need to pay attention to. By prioritising mobile optimisation and following SEO best practices for mobile-friendly design and content, you can ensure that your website is optimised for search engines and user-friendly for all visitors. With mobile usage continuing to rise, it's more important than ever to prioritise mobile optimisation and stay ahead of the curve when it comes to SEO best practices.
Who is Cindy Krum?
Cindy Krum is the Chief Executive Officer of MobileMoxie, LLC (Previously Rank-Mobile LLC). She brings fresh and creative ideas to her clients, speaking at national and international trade events about mobile web marketing, social network marketing and international SEO.
Cindy Krum also writes for industry publications, and has been published in Website Magazine, Advertising & Marketing Review, Search Engine Land, ODG Intelligence, and quoted by many respected publications including PC World, Internet Retailer, TechWorld, Direct Magazine and Search Marketing Standard.
https://www.slideshare.net/MobileMoxie/the-truth-about-mobilefirst-indexing-mozcon-2017
About BrightonSEO
BrightonSEO - is a major search marketing event in the UK. One of our favourite events of the year, This is a superb conference for search marketing professionals, novice or expert.
BrightonSEO is a chance to learn from some of the best minds in search, and then rub shoulders with them at one of the friendliest, and largest, gatherings of Digital Marketers in Europe.
### Setting Google AMP for Success
https://youtu.be/C21S67FYmuc
Mastering Google AMP: A Beginner's Guide to Creating Fast and Mobile-Friendly Web Pages
If you’ve been browsing the web on your mobile device recently, you may have noticed some websites are Mo loading much faster than others. These sites are likely using a technology called Google AMP, or Accelerated Mobile Pages.
But what exactly is Google AMP, and how does it work? In this quick and easy guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about this technology.
What is Google AMP?
Google AMP is an open-source framework for building mobile-friendly web pages that load quickly. The aim of the AMP project is to make mobile browsing faster (main object) and smoother, which is increasingly important as more and more people access the web from their mobile devices.
AMP pages are designed to load almost instantly, regardless of the user’s Internet speed or the device they’re using. To achieve that developers have to use a stripped-down version of HTML, JavaScript, and CSS that prioritises speed and simplicity over flashy design and advanced features.
Google AMP was first launched on October 7, 2015, as a joint project between Google and a number of other companies like Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn and WordPress in the tech and publishing industries. Since then, it has grown in popularity and is now used by thousands of websites across the globe. In 2017, Google announced that 900,000 web domains were publishing AMP pages which took everybody by surprise.
How does Google AMP work?
The basic idea behind Google AMP is to simplify web pages so they can load more quickly on mobile devices. To do this, AMP uses a number of techniques and features designed specifically for mobile browsing.
One of the key components of AMP is a pared-down version of HTML, called AMP HTML. This version of HTML includes a limited set of tags and components that are optimised for speed and mobile compatibility. For example, AMP HTML includes components for images and videos that can be loaded a lot more quickly than standard HTML components. AMP HTML uses the so-called AMPHTML Layout System that makes it super easy to implement responsive images that automatically adjust their size to the available space on a page.
AMP pages also use a streamlined version of CSS called AMP CSS. This version of CSS is designed to load more quickly than standard CSS by limiting the number of style rules that can be used.
Finally, AMP pages use a special JavaScript library called AMP JS. This library is designed to optimise the loading and rendering of AMP pages, and it includes a number of features that improve performance, such as preloading resources and minimising network requests.
I honestly wish we had something similar to AMP JS that we can use on 'normal' pages. And before you ask me, yes, you can use AMP JS on a 'normal web page but you would need to carefully consider how to integrate it with your existing code and content in order to prevent it from conflicting with any other scripts or styles. Additionally, using AMP JS on a non-AMP page may not provide the same performance benefits as using it on an AMP page.
What are the benefits of Google AMP?
There are a number of benefits to using Google AMP, both for website owners and users.
For website owners, one of the main benefits of AMP is faster page load times (page speed is a ranking factor). This can lead to lower bounce rates, as users are less likely to abandon a page that loads instantaneously. It can also improve search engine rankings, as Google has stated that AMP is a ranking factor for mobile search results (in 2021 Google announced that they will no longer be giving preference to AMP websites).
AMP pages also tend to use less data than traditional web pages (AMP pages are significantly lighter than traditional web pages), which can be a significant advantage for users with limited data plans or slow Internet connections. This also means less drain on your servers if you get a lot of mobile traffic.
Finally, AMP pages can be a useful tool for online publishers, as they can increase the visibility and distribution of their content. Google has integrated AMP pages into its search results and other products, which can make it easier for users to discover and access AMP content when browsing on their mobile devices.
What are the drawbacks of Google AMP?
While Google AMP has a number of benefits, like every technology in the world it also has some drawbacks and limitations that are worth considering before committing to this application.
One of the main drawbacks of AMP is that it can be difficult and time-consuming to implement and maintain. Creating AMP pages requires a different set of skills and even tools than creating traditional web pages, and there can be a steep learning curve for developers who are new to the platform. In reality, most companies have to run and maintain two versions of the same website (AMP is separate from your responsive mobile pages) which can cause all sorts of problems. In addition to all that companies also have to spend additional time configuring Google Analytics to track AMP content as the AMP cache content is not technically part of the main website. Last but not least if you haven't taken the time to ensure that your URL is properly displayed in AMP, others who share your content may inadvertently share a Google.com address instead of your own URL. This could result in missed opportunities to establish your brand and generate backlinks for SEO. As you've probably noticed by now implementation and maintenance of your AMP pages could be a massive headache.
Because of the stripped-down version of HTML AMP pages tend to be simpler and less feature-rich than traditional web pages. While this can be an advantage in terms of speed and performance, it can also severely limit the design and functionality of the page.
Finally, AMP pages can sometimes be less engaging for users, as they may lack some of the interactive features and design elements that are available on traditional web pages. This can be a trade-off for companies that prioritise speed and performance over engagement and design and a no-go zone for brands that express themselves through creativity.
Conclusion
Google AMP is a powerful tool for brands and digital marketers who want to create fast, mobile-friendly web pages. While it has some limitations and drawbacks, its benefits can make it well worth the investment of your time and resources.
If you’re interested in using Google AMP for your website, there are various resources and tools on the web available to help you get started. Google provides extensive documentation and tutorials on its AMP website, as well as a number of tools for testing, validating, and optimising AMP pages. If you want to learn how to code AMP I will strongly recommend you start with this Learn Google AMP tutorial.
What's more, there are several third-party plugins and tools available for popular content management systems like WordPress and Drupal that can simplify the process of creating AMP pages. I particularly like the official AMP WordPress plugin that I have used on this website.
Overall, Google AMP is a powerful technology that can help you create fast, mobile-friendly web pages that are optimised for both users and search engines. By taking advantage of this technology, you can improve the user experience on your site, increase engagement and conversions, and improve your search engine rankings.
Who is Aleyda Solis?
Aleyda Solis is an International SEO Consultant – a service that she provides with her boutique consultancy, Orainti – a blogger (Search Engine Land, State of Digital and Moz), speaker (with more than 70 conferences in 18 countries in English and Spanish) & author (of “SEO, Las Claves Esenciales”).
Included in Forbes as one of the 10 Digital Marketing specialists to follow in 2015 and in Entrepreneur as one of the 50 Online Marketing Influencers to follow in 2016, she has more than 8 years of experience doing Search Engine Optimization for European, American and Latin-American companies.
After working in different SEO roles at European and American companies, both from the agency as well as in the in-house side, she founded her own consultancy to help from startups in competitive industries to multinational companies with complex Web environments to grow their search visibility & achieve their SEO goals with strategic, technical & in-depth SEO consulting.
https://www.slideshare.net/aleydasolis/setting-amp-for-success-at-brightonseo
About BrightonSEO
BrightonSEO - is a major search marketing event in the UK. One of our favourite events of the year, This is a superb conference for search marketing professionals, novice or expert.
BrightonSEO is a chance to learn from some of the best minds in search, and then rub shoulders with them at one of the friendliest, and largest, gatherings of Digital Marketers in Europe.
### My top 3 BrightonSEO tips
One more time BrightonSEO is upon us. Top Digital Marketers from all over the world are coming our way. Now is the time to network. Saying that let me give you my top three BrightonSEO tips that came up in a conversation with Gerry White (Take It Offline).
Before the conference research, research, research. Research, follow and engage with every single BrightonSEO speaker you wanna talk to on Friday. Know what they are interested in but most of all study their subject. There is nothing easier than approaching a speaker/influencer knowing and talking about their subject.
During the conference follow the BrightonSEO Twitter hashtag and retweet everybody who is using it. DM the people you really want to talk to asking them for a quick chat, or a quick coffee or maybe joining them for lunch.
After the conference, go back to all your retweets and follow everybody who was using the #BrightonSEO Twitter hashtag. Engage with them, discuss BrightonSEO topics. Chances are next year when you come back to BrightonSEO all those people gonna know your name and gonna talk to you like a friend.
Last but not least if you see me at the conference don't be shy. Come say Hi. Ask the questions. You know me. You've got the problems and I've got the solutions.
Peace.
### Who are your two must see speakers at BrightonSEO?
The other day Gerry White asked me to about my two 'must see' speakers at the forthcoming BrightonSEO conference.
Now, choosing two out of twenty carefully selected by Kelvin Newman top SEO/ Digital Marketing speakers is not an easy job.
But to answer the question I would go with Aleyda Solis and Bill Slawski.
Now when it comes to Bill Slawski I believe that I've been reading his blog since the very beginning of my SEO career. I've learnt so much from Bill Slawski that I can easily call him my SEO father.
The main wisdom coming from his blog is that you really have to try and understand the basics before attempting to understand the complexity of what Google the search engine is.
When it comes to Aleyda Solis she is one of those speakers that I am always looking forward to because she is always talking about the hottest trend, the hottest subject in SEO. She is one of those speakers that induce a desire in me to learn more. To know everything about a given subject. Curiosity.
Who are your two 'must see' speakers at the forthcoming BrightonSEO?
### The Sunday Talk - Social Media Tips
https://youtu.be/lr0I2E3SBvA
Social Media Tips
I wanna make a statement. Waking up before 6 am should be illegal.
What do I think about Social Media?
Guys, it's not even 6 am in the UK.What I really think about social media is that for decades, large media companies have controlled the tools through which consumers and small business were told what to wear, what to eat, what to buy and what and how to think.Nowadays consumers and small business possess the same ability to produce, distribute and curate content and disperse brand engagement across vast distances. In my opinion,
Social media transformed the marketing industry forever.
Monday morning. Eight o'clock. One webinar done. Two more to go this week on social media. I think it's time for some social media tips.
Yes, in my opinion, all businesses should be on LinkedIn. I just don't get it. Nowadays LinkedIn is like Facebook for businesses.You’ve probably heard many, many times already, but I want to stress it one more time: LinkedIn is no longer optional, James, for any businesses, big or small. This social network provides you with a large network of professionals, sales opportunities, credibility.
Last but not least marketing platform for your business. And I will give you just one example. I've heard it recently that almost 70 percent of B2B buyers, B2B buyers prefer to work with recommendations from their professional network.
Yes, I've stopped the car. It's not always easy to drive and talk, you know. But to continue our conversation.Social media is meant to be interactive, you know. Don’t simply post and run. I will give you an example. The other day I saw a nice pair of shoes online and I was like 'Guys, I love your shoes. Where can I buy them?' It took them three days to answer. Three days. Exactly what I said don't simply post and run. Spend some time building relationships with your customers, you know. As well as other business owners.
If you are in the restaurant business and somebody downtown uploaded a nice chicken recipe online just say something. Say like 'nice recipe'. His followers will see your comment and they will definitely check your profile as well and probably follow you.So the conclusion is:
Re-post content you enjoy and take the time to answer questions or address concerns in an honest but professional manner.
Well it's Friday and you are probably fed up listening to my voice all week so let's ask Zara Altair one of the best American ghost writers about her top social media tip.
Zara Altair: My social media tip is Be yourself. So what that means is the basic essence of you, the basic essence of you. David Amerland in SEO help calls it 'your signal'. And it's essentially living your mission statement so that if you are doing short conversations that may be a long stream on Twitter or very involved conversations on Google Plus chatting with people on Facebook each one can be a little bit different but underneath is you. So that's my Social Media tip whatever your strategy for different Social Media platforms the most important thing is letting yourself shine.
We all know Omi. We all instantly know Omi and that's because he is giving us that sense of himself. And Omi is a great illustration.
So, Be Yourself!
If it's time to go back and rethink your mission statement for your business I highly recommend doing and SEO Help is a great way to get in touch with that. It's in questions section number 19 'From strings to things'. Anyway, that's my tip because you are always going to be real and that's the way people engage and connect with you.
Social Media is all about connection. It's not about broadcasting the great thing that you have whether is a product or service. Social media is about connecting with people in a real and honest way. So even when you are sharing articles which may illustrate your expertise or find the benefit of your product still you are going to be connecting to the people who respond to that. So you 'Be yourself'. That is my tip.
Fixing the old lady is never an easy job. It's very similar to your online reputation. Once it's damaged going back is not an easy job. Yous should constantly monitor your brand mentions online so you are in a position to respond to negative sentiment straight away.Now I am leaving you with Gerry White the founder of the Take It Offline movement in the UK.
Gerry White: Hi, so Omi was asking some tips for Social media and one of the biggest tips I can give anybody is basically about engagement. It's not a broadcast medium. If you are somebody who is just broadcasting on Social Media you are probably just broadcasting to other broadcasters. Nobody is gonna listen to somebody who just broadcast so engage, talk, discuss. You will learn more. You will find out stuff.
Social media is for engagement not just for broadcasting.
David Amerland: When it comes to Social Media the questions that we face and the problems which we actually have to deal with the challenges if you like are not dissimilar to the ones which we face in the offline world.So essentially they are problems which revolve around content, quality, quantity, identity, authenticity.
We ask ourselves all the time 'How do I manage to project the real values of me without oversharing? How do I become authentic when essentially I am creating layers of artificiality which allow me to connect with my audience. How do I manage to be human?In other words when everything which we do is very intent driven, very intentional and a lot of the times like this video in many ways clearly over thought.
Well, there is an easy solution to this and essentially the way out of this morass of complexity is to take the entire content creation approach in a very sustainable manner and make it part of the narrative of your identity. In other words do not be afraid to imbue what you do in the online world with all the interesting things which drive you, with all the things which essentially challenge you and project those touch points of humanity, those touch points of essentially the shared journey in the online world with a content which you create with your audience.
And if you do that, if you create the kind of narrative which becomes part of your identity which has to some degree vulnerability if you like but also manages to show evolution and some kind of development than you are bound to basically connect with people at a more human level. You are bound to find more of an audience in what you do and that audience will resonate more with your content. So you will avoid the pitfall of sounding too artificial, not human in other words and the audience will appreciate this. I hope this helps. Take care.
Saying something smart after Gerry, Zara and Mr David Amerland is not easy. So I will leave you with one of my favourite Omi Sido's Social Media quotes.
Selling on Social Media is for amateurs. Connecting is for pros.
Guys, next week I am going to the beautiful Spanish city called Valencia but you do come back here next Sunday cause you've got the problems and I've got the solutions.
### The Sunday Talk - People like people who are having fun doing what they love
Mondays are never easy for me. I have to keep on reminding myself that challenges are what make life interesting. And overcoming them is what makes meaningful. With that in mind, I want you to understand that anything is possible if you try.
I can't believe it. Yesterday I was talking about working hard and believing and today I woke up and what do you know. The first thing I see Dawn Anderson graduating.
She's been waiting for 49 years to put the academic hat on her head.
Dawn Anderson, you are officially the most inspirational person of the year. Now I am going to the gym and I am feeling so pumped up that I think I'm gonna eat the weights.
T-shirt and a small quite looking flask. Guys, I absolutely love you. And I am not making it up. This morning I woke up and I was looking for my old flask as tomorrow I am going all the way to Leeds for the Take It Offline event and I couldn't find it. And then I go to work and I find this little thing on my table. You absolutely made my day.
So I am ready to go to Leeds. Phone check. Camera obviously check. Cute little bottle - check.
I've just arrived in Leeds and I have to admit this city is gorgeous. This is my second time coming to this city in one month and I have to admit this is becoming one of my favourite spots in the UK.
Sitting here I am trying to capture the building behind me - I don't know if you can see it - which is absolutely amazing.
One o'clock in the morning and finally I am home. My God, it was a long day but it was totally worth it. The Take It Offline roundtable was amazing. We talked about almost everything that is SEO.
One thing that got stacked in my head was Malcome Slade saying that we took the bad code from desktop and with the help of CSS we turned it into responsive. I know a lot of you are very sceptical but there is a necessity for AMP in this mobile age.
I can summarise this week in 4 main points. Let's call them the formula for success.
Number one. Pay attention to everything that is happening in the world and especially digital as the digital world is moving fast. And it's gonna get even faster with the wider adoption of Artificial Intelligence and Voice Search.
Number two. Work hard. I know you are a smart person so now is time to start working harder as your smart head is continuously finding good excuses.
Number three. Experiment a lot. Try different approaches and don't get distracted if it doesn't work the first time around. Experiment a lot until you find the one that works for you.
While I am at it number four.
Keep trying until you get lucky.
Guys, I can see that the weather is not that good today but I've got my training gear on so I'm gonna go and put my body to stress and my mind to rest. But you do come back here next Sunday cause you've got the problems and I've got the solutions.
### The Sunday Talk - SEO Barcamp
Six months ago they said that the man will never win another Grand Slam. Six months ago they said that at his age he will never even compete again.
The man kept quiet. But the man kept believing. Because if you believe you can go a long way in your life.
If you believe you can go you know really far in your life and I think I did that and I am really happy. I kept on believing and dreaming and here I am today with the eight it's fantastic.
Is technical SEO important? Why don't you come to the SEO Barcamp tomorrow? And I will prove it to you. Not just that but I will show you that by ignoring technical SEO you are knowingly, deliberately sabotaging your digital marketing efforts.
Chelsea Blacker: We really like to search and understand ok what kind of content resonates with markets. So that doesn't mean we gonna do a survey of 3 000 people on a certain topic in order for them to have something press release relatable only. We will do a small survey of 200 people to prove to a client, to prove to the client the level of engagement the peace could get with a certain kind of market. We find that's a really good way to get people internally in-house that are more senior to commit to certain budgets in order to really do a proper campaign.
Lefto Chatziandreou: And then they are like: 'That's not normal. What happened?' Then you combine the logs as you've said. That's amazing. That's amazing. Because once you go to your system admin and you tell him 'You know what? I just need the logs of the last month. And he is asking you 'Are you sure?' Maybe I don't know. For that kind of website, it could be gigabytes. So big query over there you just throw everything in and you start playing around. But that's another thing. So what you see here in the forms is the total amount of....
What is my definition of orphan pages? The Omi Sido's definition of orphan pages. Stop hurting your SEO. Please.
How do we find orphan pages? The only way to find orphan pages is to crawl, fully crawl a website. Take all the all the log files data. Combine it together and analyse it.
Hitting those pages. So if nobody is hitting them for a year. You have to have something like a benchmark for your business. If nobody is coming to those pages for a very long time you have to really start questioning yourself 'Why do I have those pages in my website structure?'
But I am not talking about any pages. I am only talking about orphan pages really. Let's make it clear. because if you just start deleting pages from your website for no particular reason you gonna end up in a very bad place.
Chelsea Blacker: He will be at the bar.
Just coming back from the SEO Barcamp organised by BlueGlass and Adapt Worldwide and one thing became very apparent to me after the talks. If you are trying to grow your brand or a personal brand like me give people value. Give people value without expecting anything in return.
Thursday morning. Six o'clock and I am on my way to work. After speaking at the SEO Barcamp last night I came back home around twelve o'clock. Still, I have to be very alert today as I am moving some of our top properties to HTTPS. I said it before but I would say it again.
Digital marketing is not a job. Digital marketing is a way of life.
And I love the buzz. I love the excitement. But am I not tired from time to time? Yes, I am. But are you not tired of doing the same boring job every single day?
I am just coming back home. It's nine o'clock. And yes sometimes you have to those fifteen hours shifts. Sometimes there is no better way. Sometimes there is only the hard way. When I take on a project I believe in it hundred percent. I will put my heart into it.
Very often people ask me "Omi what does it take to become a successful digital marketer?' After today my answer is passion and dedication.
SEO is simple but people make it so complex. There is an enormous amount of information out there and this information can be conflicting, outdated or incorrect altogether.
Lefto from Trivago, Chelsea from BlueGlass, Omi from well Omi Sido. We all say the same thing.
SEO is not magic tricks. It’s work. It’s consistent useful content creation and careful attention to website structure.
Guys, next week I am going to the Take It Offline round table in Leeds organised by Gerry White and Tom Bourlet but you do come back here next Sunday cause you've got the problems and I've got the solutions.
### The Sunday Talk - Marketing Experiments
I love going to central London. The crowd is amazing. But have you noticed that no one bumps into anyone else? We are actually quite good at figuring our own path. We are actually quite good at being unique. If you are a one man band stop following them. The world doesn't need another Casey Neistat or Mark Zuckerberg.
The world needs another you.
If you are a big business - your customers are unique. So why isn't your web presence unique as well? Stop comparing yourself to everybody else and go out there and show your customers that your product is not just the best or the better one but the only one for them.
The goal for this week. Start experimenting with your digital marketing so you can differentiate yourself from the crowd.
Happy Monday everybody.
Today I am meeting Mark Preston - top SEO from Lancashire. There are so many people out there with so much SEO knowledge but there are no so many people out there who can actually teach SEO. Instead of giving you bullshit SEO theories Mark Preston will come to your company, he will analyse your website with your Digital Marketing team so the moment the training is finished your company will be set for success.
Guys, I've finally managed to meet Mark Preston top SEO from North England.
Mark Preston: Hello people. A real pleasure to meet this guy.
Sometimes the stupid guy will come to you and say 'Work smarter not harder'. Can you see the irony? Are you telling me that I am stupid or I don't work hard enough?
Yes, John. You have to consistently experiment with your page titles. My experiments have consistently proven that there is a significant difference between a page that uses a clever but incomplete thought as a headline and one that uses a value-infused headline.
The difference creates friction — enough friction to cause a gap in customers’ minds between value and cost. Listen no - in that momentary gap, instead of taking time to derive value from your headline, the customers clicks away from your offer…and lands onto the offer of your competitors.
Apparently, the mind can look after the body. The question is who's gonna look after the mind?
Arianne Donoghue: In my roles, the focus has often been on search, in general, trying to get the best from both worlds organic and paid. In my current role at icelolly.com, we run lots of tests to establish whether or not running the two channels together drives incremental value. Are there times that we should turn off brand or bit more on search generic terms while rankings may not be so good. What can we do to bring the best overall value for the business? In my client side roles, sorry, agency roles where I've been in client services I've been responsible for overall strategy which also included SEO. And that drove the conversation we gonna come to in a moment. I also love technology...
Hi, guys. Let's talk about HTTPS migrations and why we've decided here at Canon to migrate our websites to HTTPS.
Marketing experiments ensure that your branding, SEO, PPC or promotional messages are as effective as possible.
But before you get there you have to promise me one thing.
Always run marketing experiments with purpose.
To help you get started I've written down some questions to help you first track properly your marketing experiments but most of all you learn from them.
What are you testing?
This is a very simple question that will help you store your experiments in a way so you can reference them back in the future.
What is your aim/purpose?
What do you aim to accomplish with your experiments? If you have no purpose, then you probably shouldn’t be running those tests in the first place.
What is your hypothesis?
What do you really expect to happen during a test? On the other side if you find that your hypothesis fails time and time again, consider going back to the drawing board and asking questions with your customers. Intuition can be learned.
How do you measure success?
We all know metrics are important. They help report progress and guide our decision making. Used properly, metrics can provide key insights into our businesses that make the difference between success and failure. I strongly suggest using sales as a benchmark for your business. After all, in the end of the day, the goal of every business is to make money!
Last but not least.
What results did you see?
What really happened during your experiments? What did you learn?
By running experiments and...and keeping track of the results, you will become a more effective digital marketer.
Guys, next week I will be speaking at the SEO Barcamp 2017 organised by BlueGlass and Adapt Worldwide but you do come back here next Sunday cause you've got the problems and I've got the solutions.
### The Sunday Talk - Data Visualization
Mondays, Mondays, Mondays. If you hate your Mondays you are definitely in the wrong job. And what a nice day. Don't you think that when the weather is nice and sunny it feels like there are more colours out there in the world?
It's exactly the same with data. When you visualise your data it feels like there is more information coming your way. So the goal this week: take data and turn it into information. Information into Insights. Insights into actions. Let the week begin.
All I am trying to say is that you can't look at a set of numbers in isolation. Let me give you an example. Two three months ago a client of mine was absolutely convinced that the number of organic visits is a good KPI. But then the sales were going down. His content is good. Very educational so he was attracting a lot of organic visits. But then he was attracting the wrong crowd. And he didn't have a clear call to action. So what was good for the SEO team was not good for the overall business.
Let me make this example, let me make this one a little bit more visual for you with another example.
if you look out outside and you see it's raining all you know is that it's raining. But if I tell you that it's been raining for a whole month and the temperatures are close to zero you pretty much know season I am talking about.
Rob, instead of arguing about it why don't you look at the picture I sent you on your mobile. Yes, forget about the numbers. The blue colour is the number of pages that didn't have even one single organic visit for the last twelve months. And tell me what do you think about it. Do you really want to keep those pages?
Are you trying to tell me that I managed to convince you with the simplest form on Earth a circle? So I'm gonna come up with a quote straight away.
In SEO, presentations or speeches less is really more.
Last night I was watching a Hangout On Air with Mr David Amerland and believe it or not this morning I woke up with a quote in my head.
Creating content for your online brand or business has nothing to do with making more time or coming up with new ideas.
You simply have to start creating content.
I know a lot of you are worried that you are probably not good because you are at the beginning of the journey. So let me be honest with you. You are probably not good. But that's OK. The real failure is never starting in the first place.
David Amerland: Whatever reservations you may have overcome them quickly. The web is visual weather we like it or not. More than fifty percent of the content is consumed on devices. There are, usually, there are phones. They are notoriously difficult when it comes to reading a lot of text. They are very easy when it comes to actually watching video. So bare that in mind it's a massive audience out there. It's an easy way to connect with them.
As long as you are real. As long as you provide value they will find it appealing. And as Oleg said whatever reservations you may have well these are not the Oscars you are not going for a movie performance. You are trying to deliver value to an audience like you would to a person if you came up and met him face to face. So if you approach it that way you really can't go wrong.
On my way a team building event so I am quite pumped about it. Or like somebody said before
"The strength of the team is each member. The strength of each member is indeed the team."
Indeed. The problem was that your content team couldn't understand the numbers. So yes yesterday I sent them a graph SEO visits against page depth. If you look at the graph, yeah, it's quite obvious straight away that you shouldn't be publishing content beyond page depth five. If I was you I would even consider merging three and four.
On the other side, why do we even send numbers to your content team? Those are visual people, right? In fact, I emailed them yesterday, yes, I emailed them yesterday and today Peter came back to me with an email with only one sentence. I get it now.
We should always try and think about the people that are looking at the data we are trying to present.
Last night I was out till 3 o'clock but today Saturday morning I am coming to the gym. You don't demand respect you earn it.
Guys, I don't know about you but it feels like we all suffer from data overload. The problem: we are not all data analysts but in today's digital world we are all required to analyse numbers, find problems and come up with solutions.
The good news is there is a solution to the problem called data visualisation or in other words using our eyes more to see patterns and connections that matter.
Guys, I know it's Sunday but I have to go and see a client. But you do come back here next Sunday cause you've got the problems and I've got the solutions.
### The Sunday Talk - Meeting David Iwanow
https://youtu.be/MPpLxI6YDxQ
Mondays, Mondays, Mondays. Always believe that something beautiful gonna happen this week. Maybe you gonna win the lottery or you gonna come to The SEO Social tomorrow and you gonna meet me in person. Stay cool this week guys and don't forget
Nobody can stop you if you've got the passion and you work hard.
Unfortunately, the conference has been cancelled so I've got no choice but to sit down and write an article. You know my spiel:
Create content. Publish content. Amplify content. Repeat.
On my way to meet David Iwanow - one of the top SEOs in the UK. He is, well imagine Omi Sido times ten. So if you ever need a good SEO David Iwanow should be your first choice.
Wardrobe by SEMrush
Omi: Say something, David.
David Iwanow: Say something. Something, there you are. I am here with Omi. We are here in London. We are just in Oxford Circus.
Omi: we had an amazing medium rare steaks.
David: It wasn't as good as Flat Iron.
Omi: Ok, but the creme brulee was good.
David: Yes the creme brulee was amazing. It was very very good. We talked about the SEO industry. It was some of the recent topics aboutobviously, the discussion with Rand had about whether speakers need to produce unique decks each time they speak at conferences. So I guess we had a bit of a view on that. We had a few discussion. Just general about life. And guess what's happening next with me. Last couple of days at BlueGlass.
Omi: Ah, ok. David's got an announcement to make.
David: Afte a year working with Kevin Gibbons at BlueGlass I am moving onto a new project. It was great working with Kev. I'm gonna miss a lot of the team and definitely miss some of the clients cause we had very good clients. But yeah looking forward to the next exciting thing. Huge challenges ahead of me. Obviously, you've got your new job.
Omi: Yeah, I've got a new job as well.
David: Yes we've caught up with life at Canon. We had a good discussion. And we've got some awful music playing in the background.
Omi: I hope you gonna be able to hear stuff.
David: Yeah, you may not be able to hear anything because of the music. Thanks for tuning in and don't forget to subscribe to Omi's channel on YouTube. Is it like there?
Omi: Yeah, it's there.
David: And follow the people on Twitter. And have yourself an awesome Wednesday night.
Omi: Thanks, David.
David: Ciao everyone. Bye. See ya.
Meeting David yesterday was amazing. We had such a great time together. He gave me this crazy idea of connecting Deepcrawl to Tableau in order to make everything a little bit more visual.
Having data is power. Having data is knowledge.
But without the right framework for understanding it much of this knowledge may go unrecognised. Very often is data visualisation that allows your data to unleash its true impact.
So literally two seconds after closing my visor, I see this stone flying towards my head. Obviously, I had no time to move away so it hit me in the visor. Then I am going to work and all my colleagues are like 'Oh Omi, are you gonna give up riding bikes now because they are dangerous?' And I am like: well then I have to give up alcohol or chocolate. I am not sure Judith Lewis will agree with this statement.Jokes aside whatever happens in your life you have to ready to move on.I just came back home and I've got a massive headache. As advised by Gina I'm gonna have one of those and I am going to bed. On my way back home I was thinking.
Don't full yourself that you've got time. Live the life now.
Have a great weekend, guys. Peace.
Saturday morning. I've just woke up and I've got a stiff neck. Probably I will spend the day in bed. But then I saw this picture on my phone and I am a happy man. Thank you very much, guys, all of you for thinking of me.
Despite our increasingly digital world--or maybe because of it the power of face to face communications is now more valuable than ever. Sure, social media, e-mail, video chat can help you communicate to people across distances, but it's those face-to-face meetings that foster trust and can lead to solid relationships and partnerships in the future.
You may say video chats is a form of a face to face communication but I keep on seeing people involved in video conferences that are answering emails, texting or even answering their phone. I wouldn't do that if you were standing in front of me, right.
Guys, next week I'm gonna try and talk a little bit more about the power of visualising your data for your customers but you do come back here next Sunday cause you've got the problems and I've got the solutions.
### The Sunday Talk - The Jungle called Digital Marketing
Oh, Alexa stop!
This week is all about SearchLeeds PPC and SEO conference. Great speakers are going to the city of Leeds. Aleyda Solis gonna be there. Dawn Anderson gonna be there. Barry Adams gonna be there to name the few. The session I am really looking for - Arianne from icelolly.com 'PPC vs SEO & why you can't ignore either'.
Such an exciting week is ahead of us. Let the week begin.
Reading last week Sunday Talk comments made me think. Has digital made all traditional channels obsolete? You know I am all about digital so let me explain. The first thing I learnt as a marketer was that marketing is customer focused. So as marketers our main function is to understand our customers and work hard to develop products or services that suit their needs. To communicate and engage with our customers on platforms that suit them.
Did I just say platforms that suit them not you? So my first takeaway this week is: Don't go with the trend.
Go where your customers are.
Just arrived in Leeds. Eight o'clock in the morning. Woke up five o'clock in the morning, jumped on the train for two hours and a half. Amazing city as you can see so double satisfaction. My first time at the SearchLeeds SEO conference and first time in this amazing city.
Gemma Houghton: Today Webcertain TV is here at SearchLeeds. We've been asking delegates to tell us 'What is the biggest SEO trend of 2017'. Here is what they had to say.
The biggest SEO trend, in my opinion, is relevancy. It's all about relevancy. If your links, because everybody is talking about links, at this conference. If your links are not relevant to your content if your content is not relevant to why people are coming to your website then you are bound to lose in the long term.
Yes, I went all the way to Leeds. In one day. But trust me the conference was amazing. Yes, the PPC v SEO session - Arianne was spot on.
Arianne: I think we sometimes spent a little bit too much time kind of arguing over which is better. And the thing with search both organic and paid is we don't generate demand we only harness demand. What we should be doing is making friends with people who work in other channels. Thinking about how we driving that demand.
How do we start driving demand from the upper and mid funnels of marketing that we can then both capture through search and hopefully convert in the most effective way for our clients?
Dawn Anderson took it to another level.
Dawn Anderson: But as Monica said the problem is near duplicate content is more difficult to detect than exact. Because exact is literally check the fingerprint the same filter it immediately. When you start to have like bits of this, bits of that you know it becomes very very problematic.
And then Barry Adams absolutely smashed it. Believe me, man he absolutely smashed it.
Barry Adams: For me, too many SEOs don't understand these processes. Cause too many people use crawler and indexer in the same breath as it's the same system. And totally is not. Googlebot is the crawler and it's a very simple piece of software. Very fast. It just looks at the source code, follows links and sends everything it finds to the indexer.
The indexer does the interesting bit. That's why Google calls it the Caffeine infrastructure. The indexer actually tries to figure out what is that it's looking at. This is where the interesting analysis happen. This is where links get extracted. This is where javascript is executed. More on that later. and this is where the Search Console does the error.
Strangely enough two days after the conference I am still thinking about Will Critchlow's session. Yes, the guy from Distilled. The guy from Distilled. He is probably right. In this industry human beings are trying to compete with machines. Sooner or later, sooner or later somebody will come up with a let's call it the SEO robot to even the game. Because it is so true we just don't know what works and what doesn't.
Will Critchlow: Even Google themselves don't always know why something is ranking where it is and what it would take to move it up. And so we are finding that we having to actually test our hypothesis. Take out different things onto different areas of the site and perform that kind of a scientific end of split testing.
Sometimes it feels like we are concentrating too much on the delivery and not the recipient - the actual user of your products or services.
SEO v PPC. Bud do your customers even know the difference or they just click on whatever is on top if the SERPs. And with Voice Search around the corner don't you think that those two have to merge together into one single entity called probably Digital Marketing.
Mobile v Desktop. True, mobile is definitely taking over. But when I look at the data coming from my clients in seventy percent of the cases the transaction is still happening on a desktop.
To summarise this week. Google is trying to follow the 'human' trend. Byt us as digital marketers although we try and follow Google the feeling is we are going in a different direction.
Guys, next week I will continue exploring the jungle called Digital Marketing for you. But you do come back here next Sunday cause you've got the problems and I've got the solutions.
### The Sunday Talk - SEO is a part of Digital Marketing
https://youtu.be/VrR_iy1KDmE
The advice I wanna give you in this rainy morning is: You really have to get a place where you know what your company is about. I can improve your SEO. I can tell you how to improve your Digital Marketing but you not gonna be successful online if you are the only one who thinks that your product is good.
I am not very impressed by the British summer. Welcome to my world of traffic, rain and SEO.
Steven van Vessum: So we are working on a public API as well. And we gonna be integrating that in a Wordpress plugin so you can basically install the plugin and every time you make a change on your website we will send a signal to the Content King crawler.
Omi: So basically you gonna have a WordPress plugin that people can just download?
Steven van Vessum: Yes.
Omi: Ok, I get it. This is a good idea, you know? Because a lot of people use WordPress, right? I u
Steven: Yes, there is millions.
Omi: I use WordPress for my personal website omisido.com.
Steven: Yes, I know. We use it as well.
On my way to an SEO roundtable organised by Kevin Gibbons the CEO of Blue Glass - top digital marketing agency here in the UK. In the end of the day, nothing beats meeting people in real life.
Just coming back from the roundtable organised by Blue Glass and one thing is very obvious. Big companies have finally started to understand the core principles of SEO. Meanwhile what really surprised me was that so many people that were not technical were asking and talking about technical SEO.
Thursday and the big day has finally arrived. General Election 2017. Torres, SMP, Labour. But if you don't know who to vote for vote Digital Marketing.
As a member of the Digital Marketing Party, I can promise you better ROI - return on investment. better knowledge of your community. For once I can promise you: you gonna know who your community is.Vote for the future. Vote for Digital Marketing.
In about ten minutes I'm gonna be talking to David James - the CEO of businessgrowthdigitalmarketing.com and a top SEO from Australia.We gonna be talking about the basics of SEO and the importance of including SEO in your overall Digital Marketing Strategy.
I will try and be as short as possible, you know. Basically, if you think that you can do - I will be very very specific. If you think that you can do SEO without data whether is technical or content. Let's just say, let's concentrate on content. If you think that you can do content SEO without data you are literary in the wrong job. Everything nowadays is about data.If you don't understand how the customer is coming to your website, why the customer is coming to your website, who is that it's coming to your website, you know. Because it's not important
Because it's not important even to know the number, you know, you have to know the specifics. Telling me "3 thousand are coming to my website a day," tells me nothing. Absolutely nothing. Tells me straight away that you do not know what you are doing in SEO. SEO is all about data. Or the way I normally put it in front of, you know. let's call them the 'normal' people.
David James: I see what you did there.
In my opinion, SEO is 50% math and 50% imagination, creativity. Yeah, That's it.
David James: Spot on.
I had such a busy week. Three online webinars and one SEO roundtable. This week I've talked to so many people and I can see a trend emerging. Successful companies are those who successfully managed to all Digital marketing parts together.
SEO is one of those important Digital Marketing tools. Your SEO team should not only be part of development. Your SEO team should not work in a silo.
Your SEO team should be heavily involved in defining and delivering your Digital Marketing strategy.
Guys, next week I am going to the Search Leeds PPC and SEO conference organised by Branded3 where I'm gonna be learning from top marketers like Dawn Anderson, Aleyda Solis to name the few.But you do come back here next week cause you've got the problems and I've got the solutions.
### The Sunday Talk - Digital Marketing is Simple, but it's not Easy
I am having an amazing time here in Wales. If you've never been to this part of the UK I strongly recommend it.
What a view.
First Bath and then Bournemouth and then Pool. I think this is the one of the busiest Bank Holidays of my entire life.
Sadly the bank holiday is over and I have to go back to work. During this Bank Holiday, I went to the city of Bath and I can talk for hours about this amazing city. But for the purposes of our Sunday talk, I'm gonna talk about the people. Honestly, it felt like I landed on another planet. The people were so helpful. So kind. So real. And then it dawned on me.
To be successful on Social Media you have to be real.
It's not enough anymore just to pretend that you understand your customers. People can spot the fake from miles away.
Wednesday and I can't wait for tonight's online webinar as I'm gonna be talking to the legendary, the legendary SEO Ammon Johns.
SEO Surgery with David Bain and Nikolay Stoyanov - top SEO from Bulgaria.
David Bain: But first of all let's go back to Omi and in terms of the site that Omi is going to be sharing with us what I will do I will share my screen with you to show you the site wich is Mecum Auctions.
Omi: Recently I've been obsessed, literary obsessed with crawl budget. And to me you know a website having too many pages - actually I showed you that those pages got a lot of problems - means you are basically stopping the Google bot from crawling your let's call them 'good' pages. The pages that will rally bring qualified traffic to your website.
Nikolay: Speed is really easy to fix it if you know where to look. Sometimes is really just a couple of tweaks and it can do miracles.
Chris Countey: Show them why it matters. Show them the story. So figure out a better way to communicate the things that we understand on the technical level and get them to care about it as much as they care about other things that they are doing offline.
Yes, today somebody asked me on Social Media what is my biggest worry when it comes to Digital Marketing. This question is very similar to yours James so I'm gonna be honest with you. I see so many companies going trough the so-called Digital Transformation' but for a reason unknown to me they see 'Digital' as something non-human. They see 'Digital' as something not related to human behaviour.
James, it's so easy to get lost in the Digital Marketing world full of meaningless numbers and fake theories.
To make my vision clear I'm gonna give you an example straight away.
Six months ago I asked one of my clients to drastically reduce the number of their web pages. The first response was like "Omi, but how am I gonna justify the lower number of visits?"
See the question was not how am I gonna justify the lower number of engagements, or the lower number of people buying from us. Somehow this client saw the number of organic visits as a good, reliable KPI.
As I said earlier:you can easily get lost in the world of meaningless numbers in Digital marketing.
You can easily get lost in the world of meaningless numbers in Digital marketing.
Thank God the client decided to follow my advice so they reduced the number of their pages with almost 60%. as you can imagine the number of organic visits sunk.
But six months down the line they sell more stuff than ever before.
What happened was that after the page number reduction the Google bot now is able to crawl and index the 'good' pages more often so more pages are present in the SERPs and in a better position.
On the other side, now the visitor is able to find the desired product much quicker - as all the clutter is removed, right - wich leads to more sales.
Better SERPs positions and more sales - double win.
Somehow on Thursday, I can talk to my clients for hours. On the other side, I know it was a short week but I can't wait for Friday. I am super tired.
Guys, Digital marketing is simple, but it's not easy. Many companies, many people those two terms are synonyms. They are not.
Easy is a minimum amount of effort to produce a result. Easy is no involvement and no investment.
On the other side, simple is the removal of everything except what matters.
To give you an example from my world would be: if I take out my phone and start making random pictures at a party - this is easy.
Simple is learning how to take a picture that tells a story.
Guys, next week let's all of us try and do something simple that will increase the customer engagement in our businesses.
Meanwhile, don't forget to come here next Sunday cause you've got the problems and I've got the solutions.
### The Sunday Talk - The Joy of Being a Digital Marketer
I've just come back from my holiday in Bulgaria and look around me. What a weather. How am I supposed to go to work in this weather?
On the other side now is the time to say. The brakes you take from work pay you back many times when you return because you come back with a fresher mind and newer thinking. Some of your best ideas come when you are on vacation.
Monday evening. Well more like Tuesday morning and my first day of work has just finished. being a digital marketer equals never a dull moment in your life. Befoe going to bed I wanna say something. Successful digital marketers harness what would be considered 'stressed' by others and convert it into kinetic energy. We learn to not simply survive but thrive on our challenges.
There you go. I said it. Good night.
Woke up this morning to the news that 25 people were killed in Manchester. What a sad day. One of the saddest days of my life. Woke up with an idea to make a video about the joy of being a digital marketer. Instead, I am looking at pictures of innocent young people killed for nothing. Mr Terrorist you thin you are the man but you are just a miserable piece of shit. Stupid coward.
It's Thursday. I've just had sushi and I've got a confession to make. I hate the word 'hustle'. I hate it mostly because it's overused by marketers and personal brands who don't actually embody 'hustle'.
The word has lost significance in the echo chamber of self-help gurus and marketing ninjas. But I love 'hustle the action'. It's how we win at digital marketing.
We can't outspend, we can't out-network and in most cases, we can out-talent our competitors.
No matter how much money you spend, who you know and how smart you think you are eventually someone will come along with more money, more contacts and more brilliance.
But we can outwork them. It's the workers, the doers that win at digital marketing. Anyone that tells you different is trying to sell you something that won't work in the long game.
Sometimes I talk to people and they are like 'Oh, I am a digital marketer but I am not active on Social media'. Correct me if I am wrong but I can't think even of one formula one driver who doesn't have a driving licence.
Social media is a trend that you can not ignore if yo wanna stay close to your customers and in synch with the latest developments in digital marketing.
This week felt a bit short. After the terrorist attack on Tuesday, I kind of lost my mojo. But don't get me wrong I love my job. I love digital marketing.
I have a genuine interest in people and what triggers them to both buy and advocate for a brand.
To me, marketing is not about selling. To me, digital marketing is about cultivating an audience of passionate friends who both do business with and for you.
I also love making people smile. I will always try and find the craziest idea to prove my vision.
Once you've got a client's trust and make them smile, doing business with them is the easy part.
Today I am going to the beautiful city of Bath. I know, I've never been there before. It's strange.
But you do come back here next Sunday cause you've got the problems and I've got the solutions.
### The Sunday Talk - No hard work, no results
Monday Motivation
Whether you like it or you don't Mondays are part of our life.
So instead of moaning about them let's change the way we think about Mondays. Whatever you are trying to tell me I know that after the weekend you are full of energy. So why don't you go and crush it today so you don't have to do anything for the rest of the week.
Wouldn't you want to work only one day a week?
To achieve your goals in life you have to work hard
Just coming back from work and I had a conversation today with a young person. And there is one thing that really amazes me - their confidence.
Don't get me wrong - I am all about confidence. But just because you know how to operate a mobile phone doesn't make you an IT expert. Or just because you know how to drive a car on the Play Station doesn't make you Lewis Hamilton.
If you want to achieve your goals in life you have to work hard. Don't rely on the fact that everybody says 'Millennials are clever. Millennials are smarter.'
You are not everybody. You are you.
It takes a long time to understand the simplest things
I am just coming back from a meeting with a very difficult client so I have to spill my toughs on to you. SEO as a part of a properly crafted Digital marketing strategy is simple.
It's not easy but it's simple.
And if you managed to do the simple things you can be very successful online. The reason you are not successful online is because you are always looking for the most complicated way of doing things. You are always looking for the next Google algorithm, for the next Google update. You are always looking for the Secret. You are always looking for the thing that we know and you don't. And I am telling you now - that thing doesn't exist. The thing that you have to do is go out there and do it. Work hard and do it.
Doing it. That is the secret.
Stop blaming Google for your failures
Richard, you can't control Google or Twitter or Facebook. But you can control your content - the quality and the frequency. You can control the way you talk to your customers online. So it's about time - no offence - people stop blaming Google or the other social media platforms for their digital marketing not working as expected.
Google and the rest of the gang have been working hard for years so they are now in control of their game.
What you have to do Richard - I mean not you, your company - is to concentrate on your stuff. So by working hard - more and better content every single day, optimising your websites and campaigns, improving the way you interact with your customers online you can be in control of your game.
Just had a chat with a customer online. Not sure this camera managed to record everything. People keep on blaming Google because they are not good at SEO. Come on people. SEO is si pure. SEO is so straight forward. All Google wants to do is make their search engine deliver what people are looking for.
Those people are their customers. And they are just trying to improve their customer's experience.
All you have to do is serve your customers and deliver value.
This week I've given you some unseen footage so you can see that not everything out there is pink. So many of you are emailing me - thank you very much, guys - telling me that I inspire you.
But my job really is not to inspire you as I am not a motivational speaker. My job, my desire is to make you go out there and do it.
So many of you are doing digital marketing only because it's fashionable and not because you see its true value.
This has to stop. Mobile sales are growing trough the roof every single day. More people are visiting your website than your physical store. In a way, you don't have a choice - digital marketing is the future of business.
By now you are probably thinking 'Omi, why is is so sunny, why is so green around you. Like many of you know this week, I am visiting the country of Bulgaria but you do come back here next Sunday cause you've got the problems and I've got the solutions.
### The Sunday Talk - The Inbounder Conference
Monday. Bank Holiday and today I am planning to do absolutely nothing. Why can't we have 3 days off every single week?
On my way to The Inbounder. As usual, I am fashionably late. But then the weather is so nice. The summer is finally here.
Wednesday. The day after The Inbounder conference and before you ask me I'm gonna tell you. I truly and utterly enjoyed it. Great talks by great speakers like Gianluca Fiorelli. Olga Andrienko, Kirsty Hulse, Jono Alderson (watch his video here), Kelvin Newman was there. I will try and link all their slides in the description below.
You know there are those conferences where you go, you sit and you drink coffee all day. And there are those conferences like The Inbounder where in a very short amount of time you get so much knowledge. One common tip everybody was giving 'Know your customers. Understand your customers before starting optimising your website."
Before I forget Gianluca Fiorelli's talk alone was worth going to this event.
Friday, and I am a little bit ill. One of those moments when sickness grounds you to your bed but I am still working. Always do your best. Of course, your best gonna be different from moment to moment. It will be different from when you are healthy opposed to when you are sick. But under any circumstance do your best and you gonna avoid a lot of self-judgment and regret in the future.
In about ten minutes I'm gonna be talking to Mr François Goube - the CEO of OnCrawl. We gonna be talking about technical SEO and something that I really really want everybody to understand -
Orphan pages.
So orphan pages are pages that are outside your internal linking structure.
Exactly, exactly. This is what I always try to explain to people. So basically if they are not linked from anywhere they will definitely have an effect on our SEO. What do you think is the effect of orphan pages on SEO? Let's talk about it. Because this is the most important part of the understanding of what orphan pages are.
Yeah, you know we just talked about the crawl budget. And you ned to optimise and to get assured that Google is fetching your priority pages.
And you have priority pages - top priority pages - you want them to get a lot of link juice cause you want them to rank and you want the bot to crawl them very frequently. So you want Google to consider your money your most valuable pages. So this is very big - big issue to have orphan pages because you are wasting Google resources on pages that are obviously invaluable because if they are orphan there might be a good reason.
Just had a chat with François from OnCrawl and if I have to summarise our conversation: Not everybody is cut out to be a good web developer. Not everybody can write compelling copy. That being said content professionals have to understand that the success of their online projects is partially dependent on good technical execution. You have to gain a basic of technical SEO in order to avoid costly mistakes in the future.
Guys, what an exciting week. It started slow with a Bank Holiday and then just exploded with The Inbounder conference. Went down again - a little bit - as I was sick but then exploded again with online interviews and webinars.
Next week I'm gonna be temporarily redirected to Easter Europe as I am visiting the country of Bulgaria but you do subscribe to this channel and do come back here next Sunday cause you've got the problems and I've got the solutions.
The Inbounder London - links to all slides
Kirsty Hulse - Content Marketing: How to work less and win more
Nichola Stott - Nine Things we're Checking for a Mobile First Index
Tom Anthony - 3 New Techniques for the Modern Age of SEO
Olga Adrienko - User psychology and social media: triggers that drive conversions
Russell Mc Athy - Using Machine Learning To Forecast Future Sales, the SEO Way!
Jono Alderson - Accelerated Mobile - Beyond AMP!
Kelvin Newman - Why Podcasting Is the Missing Piece In Your Inbound Strategy & How to Excel in Audio Content
Hannah Smith - Going Down the Rabbit Hole - Chaos, Curiosity & Creativity
### The Sunday Talk – SEO is Not Dead
Monday morning. The coffee is brewing but there is one burning question hectic inside my head. If 50% of your website traffic comes trough organic search why do you keep on saying that SEO is dead?
Tuesday morning twenty-fifth of April and I am just getting ready to go to work. I just saw this story on the news “The Guardian is getting 60% of its Google mobile traffic from AMP.”
Shall I repeat this one? Sixty percent of its Google mobile traffic from AMP. In the same story, AMP pages are two percent more likely to be clicked and the click trough rates are eight percent higher than the non-AMP pages.
On the other side, last year The Daily Mail introduced AMP and their visits jumped with 14% a day.
I can talk for hours about the benefits, the SEO benefits of AMP but the point I am trying to make here is. If SEO is dead when was the last time you increased your click trough rates with 8% with something that’s not SEO?
I really wanna answer this question. All the agencies that are telling you that you don’t need SEO anymore are basically trying to deceive you. Let’s be adults for a moment. If you want your pages to appear in the SERPs the Google bot – something very very technical. Yes, I hope you don’t believe in the story that there is an army of Google dwarfs crawling the Internet and ranking pages. So the Google bot – something very very technical has to come to your website, has to crawl it, understand your structure and only then it can rank your pages. But imagine now there is a problem with your roboots.txt file. Or a problem with your canonical tags. Or a problem with your internal linking. The Google bot would come gets confused and leave straight away.
SEO is the foundation on which you can build your digital marketing strategy.
Richard, without proper SEO practices in place your company is bound to lose.
Back in the car. I am just coming back from breakfast with Phil Burgess – the new chief growth officer for iCrossing (top digital London agency).
Phil basically confirmed my recent thoughts that relevancy is indeed the new currency in SEO and Digital Marketing. We used to talk a lot about authority but nowadays relevancy is definitely taking over. Relevant keywords for the relevant audience at the relevant time on the relevant social media platform. Enough said.
Do you know that today is Thursday? Time for some sushi lunch.
Oh, my God. Of course, it’s Friday. I am so tired and I am kind of sleep driving. You Americans! You never care about our sensitive British soul. But anyway to answer your question:
What is SEO?
SEO is, in my opinion, SEO is this strange mix of psychology, art and math that so many businesses are avoiding and they are losing big time in a long run. To those people I say. If fifty percent of your website visits come from organic search than SEO should lie at the heart, at the centre of your business. I am not saying that SEO should be the driving part of your Digital Marketing but SEO is the part that can actually push your Digital Marketing forward.
It’s Friday. Good morning people. I just had a 40 minutes interview while driving to work. That’s what I call multitasking.
I know it’s Friday but be positive. Stay on your hustle.
You can’t fail until you quit.
Wow, what a fight. I was screaming. I was shouting. I was crying.
It may sound strange but I believe Digital Marketing and SEO are very similar to boxing. You throw a punch by introducing something new on your website and you knock down your competitors.
Next time your competitors throw a punch by introducing something new on their website and they knock down your website visits.
So only companies who are truly committed to marketing and SEO can win the online battle for customer’s attention.
Guys, next week I am going to The Inbounder SEO conference organised by Gianluca Fiorelli where I’m gonna be learning from top Digital marketers like Olga Andrienko, Kirsty Hulse. Jono gonna be there. Hannah Thorpe gonna be there. To name the few.
As usual, I’m gonna be passing my knowledge onto you so do subscribe to this channel and do come back here next Sunday.
Cause you’ve got the problems and I’ve got the solutions.
### The Sunday Talk - Social Media is Here to Stay
Every time I've got a new client I would ask them the same question.Exactly who are you targeting on Social Media?
Delivering constant quality across all social media platforms is the only way you can maintain and increase the number of your social media followers.
When it comes to Sushi Wasabi is always my only choice.The main aim of online marketing is to know and understand your customer so well that your product or service sells itself.
It's Friday. I am just coming back from work and I am a bit tired but I am thinking.In this DNA and age if you don't produce content like video, audio or text you are invisible. Your brand and your company are simply invisible.
So if you are too shy to do video go and do a podcast. Or if you are too shy to do a podcast go and do blog articles. But whatever you do produce content on a mass scale for all major social media platforms.
Saturday morning. I am still in bed drinking coffee and I am thinking 'Oh my God. When is this working week gonna finish for me?'I am going through my emails so I came up to this email from Ryan House (ZogDigital) - Ryan, thank you very much for your kind words - that basically says.
"Happy Monday. Just wanted to drop you a note and let you know I'm a huge fan of the articles and the content you've been publishing on LinkedIn."Four months ago I was the same guy. I had the same passion for SEO and Digital Marketing but nobody knew me. Four months ago I started intensively producing content LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook and the result is nowadays I've got a lot of people following me, emailing me, engaging with me. So I have to repeat my statement from last night.
If your company is not producing content for social media your brand, your company is invisible.
Social Media is the best way for you to connect to your targeted audience. Not only that it drives awareness and engage your audience but it also builds trust and long lasting loyalty through conversation.
I am just coming back from a breakfast with a client so my working week is officially over - Sunday 2 o'clock. After implementing some of my Social Media activities this client has seen 7% increase in sales for the last five months. Social Media is not the "new best thing". Social Media has been here for quite a long time now and it's here to stay.
Guys, I'm gonna go now a well-deserved pint of beer. But you do come back here next week cause you've got the problems and I've got the solutions.
### The Sunday Talk - Motivation
This week after BrightonSEO last Friday - the peak of my speaking career - my motivation is kind of down. It's normal in life that after reaching some of your goals your motivation may not be as high as you wanted it to be. But then in two-three weeks you gonna realise that there is another mountain to climb.
You are only really as good as your last success and trust me people's memory is very very short.
After last week presentation at Brighton SEO, many people realised that my everyday job is, in fact, technical SEO. So naturally or not a lot of people this week are asking me the same question: Omi, which one is better technical or content SEO? Where should e spend our time, money and effort?
So let me take you on a short journey.
Do you really think that when the google bot comes to your website it would stop and think? Ok, let me check their content SEO. Now let me check their technical SEO. Now I'm gonna rank their pages.
No. The Google bot looks at your website as a whole. Your technical - let's call it - your technical and your content SEO should be equally up to standard. So let me give you an example from the real world.
Imagine a fishmonger. And this fishmonger's got the best fish in town. And now imagine you are going to this imaginary fishmonger to buy some fish but the floor is dirty and there is a lot of bad smell hitting you in the face. Are you gonna buy from this fishmonger? Probably not. It's the same. It's exactly the same when it comes to the Google bot. The moment it smells something fishy it goes away to your competitors.
Before starting a conversation with your customer you need to have a message.
Guys, I am on my way to work. Thank you very much for all your wonderful birthday wishes on my timeline. Getting old is not a thing. You can be great at any time of your life.
Don't think about it as getting old. Think about it as living the life. leaving your legacy. Guys have a great day. Love you all. Peace.
Hmm, this is a very interesting question - speed or quality. You know what Steve if I have to choose I would definitely go with speed. Why? Because quality is something very very subjective. For example do you like this hoodie? No, you don't. I honestly love the colour of this hoodie. This week, only this week alone I've mentioned this hoodie at least fifty times online.
Imagine the guy who sent me this hoodie didn't like the font. So imagine he sent me this hoodie in three months. I may have a different state of mind.
Speed especially when you are new in the market is very very important. I think Mark Zuckerberg said ones 'Move fast and break things'. Once you've established yourself concentrate on the quality. But in the beginning, you have to move fast.
Guys, I am so excited. My favourite writer Mr David Amerland is realising a new book this November called 'The Sniper Mind'. Which reminds me that the SEO and the army thinking are not that far apart.
We both need a long term strategy. No war was ever won without a long-term thinking.
And then intelligence. Google Analytics is your FBI. Your James Bond is the SEMrush software. You have to know your competitors.
Last but not least no war was ever won without a solid army. So you have to include the other departments of your company in your SEO strategy especially the development team, the content team, the PR team.
Guys, I'm gonna go now and celebrate Easter. But you do come back here next Sunday because you've got the problems and I've got the solutions.
God bless you. Peace.
### Beyond the Basics of Website Migration: Tried, Tested & Successful Brighton SEO 2017
https://youtu.be/jtgZ5dxYbHM
Beyond the Basics of Website Migration: Tried, Tested & Successful
https://www.slideshare.net/omisido/omi-sidobeyondthebasicsofwebsitemigrationpptx-74627828
Hi, guys. Thank for coming here today. Kelvin thank you for inviting me to this wonderful conference.My name is Omi Sido and as most of you know I love talking about SEO and the way SEO can help you achieve your business goals.Today I'm gonna to be talking about website migration but as you can see from the title I'm not gonna talk about SEO checklists. You can google them. You can find online and you can follow them.
When SEOs and indeed a lot of SEO speakers talk about website migration normally they talk about disasters. Big fat juicy disasters.But this is not the way I think about SEO. In my opinion and experience, SEO is one of those rare moments in your SEO career when you can massively and I will repeat massively increase the SEO value of your website in one go. What do I mean by that? Stay with me and I'll take you on a short journey.
First, website migration is one of those rare moments where you can educate your whole SEO team on all aspects of SEO.A lot of SEOs are talking only about content and also I see a lot of SEO teams out there built with only content SEOs. To be honest with you yes 'Content is King' but if you follow me online you know what I normally say to this statement. Content is King but every King needs a castle home to live with his queen or a lover. You know the story.Website migration is also one of those rare moments where you can explain what SEO is to every single department of your company especially development and content so they can help you achieve your SEO goals in the future.
Saying that for successful website migration you need a cross-functional migration team. A lot of speakers - SEO speakers say the SEO guy should be in charge. But why would the SEO guy waste his time and effort with the development process or the content process? The SEO guy should concentrate on the SEO tasks.So you are an SEO - you are in charge. Your SEO plan should have minimum minimum 4 SEO sections. The SEO migration plan the thing that you all love the checklist. The content migration plan that you gonna build with your content team. The development migration plan that you gonna build with your development team and timelines.
Timelines are crucial especially for e-commerce websites as you have to make sure that your website is working properly at peak times when your business is making money. And then paying your salary.
But going back SEO guy and the SEO plan. Many SEOs many speakers talk about the SEO migration as a two-stage process. Your SEO plan should have minimum three stages. Let me just go back to the two-stage process. The two-stage process normally is the SEO checklist press the button disaster. Minimum three stages and in my opinion and my experience the more time you spend on the pre-migration stage the better your chances are of a successful website migration. Also in my experience ninety-nine percent of the time the SEO checks that you do in pre-migration stage, you should be doing anyway on a monthly basis. Welcome to the pre pre-migration stage of the website migration. If you don't have a name for this stage just call it the Omi Stage. Yeah, I am honest.
So I can't see the numbers there. Anyway.So this is a website that was migrated a few months ago. Literally, five six months ago and those are real numbers.Twenty thousand primary pages. Fourteen thousand pages with duplicate descriptions. Three thousand pages 301. Three thousand pages non-200. Do you really want to migrate those issues to the new platform? In my experience, those issues on the new platform will double triple quadruple. On the other side, your beautifully crafted content counts for nothing if the bot comes and goes into a loop or it's redirected to the pages that don't matter for your business. Ups, sorry.Something I want to say as it just came to mind now. Let's forget about the website migration for a second. As digital marketers I want you to go back to your jobs on Monday and ask the SEO guy. When was the last time you performed a full crawl of our website? Give me the number of 404s the reason and what we are doing about it. Give me the number 301s the reason and what we are doing about it.
Saying that there is one subject that not many SEOs are talking about - orphan pages. What are orphan pages? Orphan pages are pages on our website that are linked from nowhere. How do we find orphan pages? We perform a full crawl of our website. Then we take all the server logs. We combine the data and we analyze it. How many of you are doing on a monthly basis analysis of server logs? Raise your hands. Oh, yeah. It's about time. Honestly, I only saw three hands. It's about time you stop blaming Google that Google doesn't understand your website structure or it's not indexing your pages properly if you don't analyse the server logs of your website.
But going back to the website migration. Eight thousand pages - orphan pages. This is twenty-three percent - those are real numbers and this is the same website from the previous slide - 23% are bringing only three percent of organic visits. Do you really want to migrate those pages to the new platform? Of course, a lot of you don't know about them because your crawls are not finding those pages because they're not linked in your system.
On the other side image that this was not three percent. This was - I've seen this case as well where the orphan pages are bringing say 30% of organic visits. Why are you not linking to those orphan pages?Talking about similar to orphan pages 404 pages. My advice. If there are no links pointing at them please discard them. Now before the website migration takes place. Not on staging. Now.
On the other side, if a lot of good links are pointing at them now is the time to work with your content team to either reinstate them, improve the content. You should do something about it. Now. Not on staging and not after the migration has taken place.
So now we know everything about our website. We know from a technical point of view it's time to benchmark check and benchmark our rankings. This is the only way by benchmarking our rankings this is the only way to know how successful our migration was.But you have to do it now. Not on staging. And not after the migration has taken place.
Talking about rankings - sorry for going back and forwards - ninety percent of the cases parallel to your typical technical migration there is a content migration going on. Now is the time to work with your content team and either combine those pages/content create new sections.You are doing this now. Before you go on staging.
Now that we are on staging with or without a website migration it amazes me that in the year 2017 I can still see staging environments crawled and ranked by Google. Because you cannot be asked to do the simplest of technical SEO tasks. You are diluting your rankings and the only reason to do that or shall I say due to your laziness.
We are still on staging 301 mapping we all know this is one of the most important parts of the website migration. But I'm not gonna talk about that.I'm gonna talk about the fact that during your 301 mapping this is the best chance for you to clean your product offerings. Expired pages, pages that don't have equivalents on the new platform. Many developers not instructed properly by their SEO, the SEOs that are in charge will redirect pages to irrelevant sections on your website or God forbid the home page. The thing that I am saying now is with or without a website migration. Many SEOs are arguing online what's happening here and saying this is the best way to preserve your SEO juice. Hard earned SEO juice. You can't be more wrong. After some time Google will start treating those 301 redirects to relevant sections on your website as soft 404s and after some time it will deindex them. So you gonna lose all the hard-earned SEO juice.And to give you a good example. Last year royal.gov.uk was migrated to royal.uk.
Before we continue 'The home of the Royal Family.' What did I tell you ten minutes ago? Every King needs a castle, a home to live with his King...queen.
Website migration gone wrong
So the people. It's a funny story as well I know I was laughing when I found this website. So the people who were migrating the home/technical SEO of the Royal Family last year couldn't be bothered to redirect the expired pages, pages with no equivalents to the equivalent parts of the website so they ended up with roughly 80% of pages redirected to the home page. The result.Within one week those clever developers/SEOs destroyed completely the castle the home/technical SEO of the Royal Family. This website lost around 80% of its rankings in one single week. Go and check it out. Everything is still in place so you can actually learn from mistakes.
I can see Purna finding it very funny. It's not actually funny. Yeah, it's tragic.
We are still talking about 301 mapping and this is the time for you to clean your chain redirects. If you've been following me online you know I hate chain redirects. And it's very simple. If page A on the old system was 301 redirecting to page B now page A will 301 redirect to page C - this is the new platform and this page is equivalent to page B and page B will 301 redirect to page C. Simple and effective.Now is the time to make sure on staging that the tracking code is implemented is present literary on every single section on your website.Now that you managed to educate your whole SEO team. You've managed to educate your whole company of what SEO is. You are doing your full website crawls every month and you are analyzing the data you are ready to press the button.Guys, I did include some post-migration checks because they are very very important. But for now, thank you very much and hope to see you soon.
### A Letter to Client (What Is SEO, Really?)
The question was: What is SEO, really?
The answer.
I understand your confusion. I believe you are seeing SEO only as something IT. You can't be more wrong.
So let me take you on a journey. Imagine a fruit market 50 years ago. And let say you wanted to buy some apples. But not just any apples.
You want to find the best-tasting apples out there.
So you go to the market and instinctively you are drawn to the table with the best-looking apples - big, red juicy apples. Job done.
You are happy.
Would you be able to find those apples if they were hidden under a bag of potatoes underneath somebody's table? I don't think so.
This is what SEO is. Search engines are our eyes in the digital world so we can find the best apples online. But in order to find them, they must be positioned online in such a way (search engine optimized) so our eyes - the search engines - can see them.
Whatever your product is you need SEO for the people to find you online. It's called SEO - search engine optimization but in the real world, we are optimizing for the people.
Or in the words of David Amerland (as you've mentioned him earlier in our conversation),
"semantic search is the beginning of the convergence of traditional 'online' with 'offline' - the two will become one and the same, characterized by a different bandwidth and available functionality."
### The Sunday Talk - BrightonSEO
https://youtu.be/uHHzPtUhiyw
BrightonSEO and I am practising. I am so excited to have the chance to finally perform in front of you live. To finally being able to say 'Thank you' face to face. Love you guys. Stay cool.
Running with the herd is not always a good idea. Be unique and the links will come.
BrighnSEO - the big day is upon us. I'm just about to drive down to Brighton so camera check, big tripod check. It feels like I've got everything. Well, probably I should take a toothbrush or something.
Am I nervous? Yes, of course, I am. This is my first big SEO conference. And it's just happened to be the biggest SEO conference in Europe.
Am I scared? Well, a little bit. On the other side, I'm gonna be surrounded by so many friends I made along my digital marketing journey. Gerry White gonna be there. Purna Virji gonna be there. She is an amazing speaker. Dawn Anderson and Montse will be there. Haseeb will be there. Sunny will be there to name a few.
With Dawn Anderson and Montse Cano
Without friends, you are nobody in the real or digital world. Without people who trust you - you are nobody. But to earn their trust you have to work hard my friend. You have to work hard.
When it comes to trust there are no shortcuts.
Wish me luck tomorrow, people. Have a great week.
The day after BrightonSEO. Everything is so quiet now. But yesterday my head was pounding. My heart was beating like crazy. I was about to go on stage in front of six hundred people. And then I jumped on stage, I looked people in the eyes and I thought I love being here.
It's ok to be scared sometimes. It's ok. Being scared means you are about to do something very very brave.
### The Sunday Talk - Voice Search Is Here To Stay
Hi, guys. it's Monday 27 of March and I am on my way to work.
Nice weather so I am thinking: Every time people want to start something new they will do it on a Monday.
So this week I want you to start thinking about Voice Search and the effect it may have on your SEO/Digital Marketing in the future.
If you don't know what I am talking about, read this article by the amazing Purna Virji called "The Step-By-Step Guide to Testing Voice Search Via PPC".
Have a great week, guys. Love you. Peace.
Alexa, I am going to the shop. What's on my shopping list?
Alexa: You have five items on your shopping list.
Cheese. Dark Chocolate. Black olives. Whiskey. Wine.
Busted. The whiskey is for my neighbour. He loves whiskey.
Yes, Martin. I am so happy you are asking about Voice Search because your business is a prime target. Yes, a prime target of Voice Search.
I will give you some tips. Do you mind if I record them for my Sunday Talk? Don't worry - I'm not gonna mention your company.
So let me give you some tips.
The first thing you should think about is:
Your website should be mobile friendly and follows all Google mobile SEO best practices. All of them.
The second thing structured data. Yes, Purna Virji mentioned it in the video. You've seen the video. Good. Structured data is very important so Google can really understand your website.
You have to implement structured data. If you don't know I will give you some tips.
And then when it comes to content keep in mind the conversational nature of voice searches. People don't just say 'Bus'.
They say 'Alexa, when is the next bus coming?' or 'Where is the nearest bus stop?'
Develop questions that searchers may ask and make sure you have content that answers those questions. This includes adding Q&A content to your site.
And then something very important. Optimise local sources as mobile voice searches often involve “near me” questions.
You do it all the time (Asking "near me" questions).
Purna: Anyway, you can call Omi. Omi is one of the best technical SEO’s in the whole world, and I can truly vouch for that. So yeah, talk to Omi for any technical SEO questions. Make sure your citations are diverse if you have.
The third step is to go and do some keyword research, now I know the sort of intent people are coming from.
Omi: Can I just stop you here for a second? Because for the second time, you’ve mentioned citations. Are they really that important?
Purna: They are that important because people tend to just go and look and they may not even click through save all the information that people are seeing is on your citation and they don’t have a chance to go to your website to find the address, and then yes it going to be really important. Make sure your address is fine, the phone number is correct, hours are correct.
I’ll give you an example. It was Easter weekend, my mum and I wanted to go shopping, and we said okay is any store open? So I did a search for a large retailer here and I asked is he open? And he said yes open until 9 am to 9 pm so I’m like fabulous. We went. It was closed. It was so frustrating when I went out, I was like “I’m not going to this stupid store again”. I was so annoyed. And so we looked up another store.Yes, Easter hours, we are only open till 5 but we are open today. So that was good. That was helpful.
Reviews are also really important, especially If you are local. Make sure that reviews are what people see first and they may not click anymore to give you more chance to explain.
The first impression is all that is going to matter. So yes even if you are not a local business, sometimes citations just seem, just your reviews online are important.
The third one is: think about the intent and look at only a couple of different places. We’ve seen examples of companies that we’ve consulted with and who’ve started optimising for voice and the results that they’ve seen are lift in traffic and then engagements when they’ve optimised.
So the question is always where do I start? And it’s not that difficult. It’s like prioritise from your top 2 or 3 most profitable keywords – start from that – and look at the longer tail versions that could be most relevant to it. So rather than say Bahamas vacations, “what’s the best family vacation deal for the Bahamas?”.
That’s probably a good keyword longer tail that could be on voice search right? Bahamas vacations might be your number one keyword but like “what’s the best family vacation deal for the Bahamas?” is a really good voice search keyword. It gives you so much more information than just Bahamas vacation. It tells you that they are looking for a deal. It tells you that they are family and they probably have immediate purchase intent. So try to look at those type of queries and then you can think about how do I best optimise, do I have a page that answers that question? Do I have a page that talks about this family vacations? Do I have enough supporting content? And that’s all it is. It’s like think about the intent and the right actions that they are likely to take and optimise just for that.
Guys, whether you like it or you don't Voice Search is here to stay.
Not many people are talking about it but when it comes to voice search there is no competition for the SERPs positions a there is only one position THE MOST RELEVANT.
So if your company is not there yo gonna suffer big time in the future.
Many people are asking me 'Where should I start with Voice Search?'
Well, my video with Purna Virji is a good starting point.
But I will also ask you to go back in time and read the Google Semantic Search by Mr. David Amerland as relevancy is getting more and more important by the day.
Guys, next week I am going to the biggest SEO conference in Europe - Brighton SEO - where I will be presenting but you do come back here next Sunday because you've got the problems and I've got the solutions.
Love you. Peace.
### The Sunday Talk - Connect To Your Customers On A Human Level
Hi, guys. It's Monday again. It's raining again and after working for seven days last week I am a bit tired. But do you see me complaining about it?
Last week many of you started complaining about the new Google algorithm change called Fred or whatever. About the new Google algorithm rules but com on people - it's business for us and it's business for them. So if it doesn't work they will definitely change it.
On the other side, if you've been listening to me carefully by now you are heavily investing in your branding.
Because if you connect to your customers on a human level they will buy from you regardless whether you are number one, two or three in the SERPs.
I know branding is a long game but this is the only way forward.
Why do I always say 'connect to your customer on a human level'?
Let me give you an example. More like a story really.
Last week I went to Birmingham to shoot an inspirational video for a big corporation.
As I was walking around the NEC conference center suddenly I saw a woman dressed like a Wonder Woman. Yes, Wonder Woman.
I've never been interested in Superheros. But suddenly I wanted to know the reason behind the Superhero obsession. Her day to day job. Basically everything about her.
It's exactly the same when it comes to SEO and Social Media.
You have to create something truly unique that captures your customer's attention and imagination.
The potential client is going trough his boring facebook or Instagram feed and suddenly he sees your brand. And boom - he is inspired.
He wants to know more about your brand. He wants to know more about your products.
Trough his eyes you connected to his heart. Only now your call to action (CTA) will be really successful. And when it comes to you make him feel like a Superhero with your custom made tires.
So why is everybody calling me when I am driving? Is it because everybody wants me to lose six points from my driving license?
Anyway, I am listening.
So you are saying that the list article is bringing tons of traffic. Good.
So you've taken my advice on board. And your boss is happy. Nice one. But did you do the inspirational article as well? No, you haven't.
Oh, my God. So then you've only taken half of my advice on board.
The thing is I am happy because you are paying me money. Your boss is happy because you are satisfying his traffic ego. But your brand, your brand cannot be happy with just traffic. Your brand needs true followers.
I just had a chat with a company and one thing came to mind that I wanna make very very clear.
Our goal in creating content, in sharing content with the outside world is not blog traffic. Our goal is finding believers. People who're gonna keep on coming back to our company again and again and again. Because they truly believe in our products or services.
Wednesday evening. I just came back from work and there was a terrorist attack in central London. I am not afraid really. More like surprised that in the year 2017 some people still believe that they can change our way of life by killing a bunch of innocent people.
I don't know really. Shame on you people. Shame on you.
"Tomorrow morning, we will come together as normal. And we will all move forward together. Never giving in to terror. And never allowing the voices of hate and evil to drive us apart." - Theresa May, British Prime Minister
This Sunday I've decided to be very practical and talk about one of the building blocks of being successful online which is continuously monitoring the relationship between your business and your customers.
For a start, the process of defining your targeted audience/ideal customer has many stages.
First, you really have to try and understand what clicks with your targeted audience and makes them buy from you. Then you have to define who your targeted audience is.
Once you know those two you really have to try and understand the relationship between them. Not just that but you have to continuously monitor this relationship because as it happens in real life the first time around you probably didn't understand the reason behind the reason of your customers buying from you.
To understand my point let me give you a good example.
Two, three months ago a company that makes healthy chocolate bars came to me for help. They were like 'Omi, our healthy chocolate bars are well priced, unique but the competition is still doing better than us. Why?
So my first question was 'Have you found your ideal customer?'
And they were like 'Yes, women of certain age who want to live a healthy lifestyle.'
I started analyzing the data and very quickly it became very obvious that after finding their ideal customer like may other companies out there they went one directional. They started bombarding the customer with content and advertising and they stopped analyzing the data that was coming back to them. And the data was telling them that the women who buy their healthy chocolate bars were doing it because they wanted to stop their kids from having the unhealthy option.
So what the competition is doing is instead of wrapping their healthy chocolate bars all in green they will do half green and half a character from a comic or a cartoon.
So when those women take those healthy chocolate bars home their kids are naturally drawn to the product they can relate to.
Continuously monitoring the relationship between your business and your customers allows you to truly understand the emotional reason behind your customers buying your product.
Or in other words
Connect to your customer on a human level.
Guys, come back here next Sunday because you've got the problem and I've got the solutions.
### The Sunday Talk - Staying Human in a Digital World
Hi, guys.
It's Monday again and the first thing that comes to mind is. Monday is a good day to have a good day.
Jokes aside, you task for this week.
As digital marketers, you've got the power to publish epic content on Social Media. So this week I want you to act as publishers and not as digital marketers.
A guy just asked me on Social Media. Hey Omi, what's new with Digital Marketing in recent months?
My answer. EVERYTHING.
Yes, I stopped the car so I can talk to you. After last week's Sunday Talk - which by the way is crushing it online - see content does work. A lot of pf people are asking me the same question. Ort basically not even asking me and just telling me "I don't have anything to say online". I have to ask you this question. So you started a company from nothing. You started employing people. You've created a product from nothing. And now you are telling me I've got nothing to say online. I just can't believe you.
Anyway, say you really have nothing to say. Talk about your customers. And I will give you an example so you don't say "Oh, Omi is just giving advice but nothing practical."Buy a cheap microphone. Go to one of your stores and start interviewing people.And say a woman comes and she says I am a teacher. Just interview her. Don't even mention your company.
I never said your content should be only about your company.
Just interview her. If she says I am a teacher just ask her "What are the most comfortable shoes? Just ask her. Talk about her day. Don't even mention your company.So if today you interview fifty people I've just given you articles for the next 3 months.
Talk about your customers. Engage them.
Hi, guys. Just coming back from the gym so I am quite pumped up. But I wanna give you a quick advice for your content marketing.if you are good at something, do it. if you are not, outsource it.I will give you an example. A lot of you a producing very good videos for YouTube. But as you are not good with images or Photoshop your thumbnail are not attractive. So if you are lucky enough and I am subscribed to your channel I would click on your new video. But if you are not - if I don't know anything about you - I would just run away.
So if you are good at something, do it. If you are not, outsource it.
One thing I like about Saturday - I can wake up at 3 0'clock and I can jut go for coffee. One thing I hate about Saturday - I can wake up at 3 o'clock and the whole day is gone. Wasted.
But instead of complaining let me give you some ideas of how to write relevant and engaging content that your customers are probably talking about.Many brands forget that Twitter is the place where people gonna go and share their pain. Issues they may have with different products.So if you search for 'My phone this or that function is not working properly' or maybe 'My shoe soles are too hard' you gonna find the number of people tweeting about those issues and you can even search by location. You can even filter by location.
But say you are a shoe manufacturer and you did make those (shoe) soles hard on purpose. Now is the time to go and write an article about it. The reason you did it and probably the benefits of having soles that are hard.
On the other side, and this is the fun factor, you can go to Twitter and check all negative about your competitors. And again write articles about them. Say your competitor's shoe soles are too soft. Now is the time to write an article about the benefits of having hard shoe soles.I am not sure this is the best example but you get my drift.
Last but not least you can directly engage with people who are talking about your brand. And you can just say 'Hey sorry for your bad experience. What can I do to help you?'I wouldn't try and sell them new shoes or give them a discount or something like that.I would just simply say 'Sorry for your experience. What can I do to help you next time?'
Alexa, what is content marketing.
Alexa: Content marketing is a form of marketing focused on creating, publishing and distributing content for a targeted audience online.
Did she just say 'targeted? Because 'targeted' audience means you found them and you are communicating with them.
But how often do you really talk to your customers?
Because technology can show us the keywords they are using to come to our website. Technology can show us the devices they are using to come to our website. But technology cannot show us the emotional reason for them buying our product. And the emotional reason is the one that you have to capture in your advertising.The emotional reason is the one that you have to capture in your copy.Because at the end of the line there is always a human being.
Sorry, Alexa.
Guys, come back to this channel next week because you've got the problems and I've got the solutions.
### The Sunday Talk - The Human Factor in Digital Marketing
Hi, Guys. It's Monday and I guess you are all going to work today. So let me tell you something. It's easy to get comfortable with life, but when you get comfortable with the norm you don't harvest the greatest results.
So get a little bit uncomfortable this week with your Digital Marketing, with your SEO, with your life really. Take this risk that will get you to your next achievement.
"Those who fail to embrace disruption fail because of it." - Mr. David Amelrand
Too many businesses, too many people say 'Oh, SEO is not for me because SEO is too technical. SEO is too digital. To those people, I wanna say. Two-three years ago I had the same thoughts in my head. But suddenly I realized that SEO is not meta descriptions, SEO is not page titles or 301 redirects. SEO is our people, our customers in the digital world. So my wisdom for today is:
Stop optimizing for the search engines. Optimize for your people!
Somebody just asked me online: Is page speed still a ranking factor?
I honestly don't know. I know a lot of pages that are very slow and still ranking well. On the other side, I know a lot of pages that are very quick and still performing very badly in the SERPs.
The main question here is: Is your customer ready to wait for your pages to load for 20 seconds?
Think about it!
Quick presentation tonight about the importance of having a digital marketing strategy for your team. But there are three things I want to pinpoint.
What do you want to achieve?
Are your goals doable and measurable at the same time?
Who is your audience?
Think about it!
Mobile search. Voice search.
Guys, I'm gonna be honest with you. Customers are evolving. Customers are running quicker than we are - digital marketers and businesses. So innovation should be part of your company culture.
Because if you don't catch up with your customer's needs, with your customer's everyday life. If you don't catch up you gonna be in big trouble.
Last night I had a late presentation. So today - Saturday - I am still in bed drinking coffee and mentally preparing myself to go and do some running. There was a lot of cheering and clapping. Like I am telling people something new. Sometimes it feels like people don't understand it. Technology is evolving but we as human beings we are still the same. We are just trying to adapt to the new reality.
So a girl came to me after the presentation. She works in the fitness industry and she was like 'Omi, you're always talking about social media, YouTube, Instagram. We've got a lot of pictures on Instagram and videos but the ROI is not there.
So I'm like 'Pass the point that it takes time, let me have a look at your Instagram. And I am like sorry but this is boring.
And she is like 'What do you mean by that?'
And I am like 'all I see on your Instagram account is pictures of equipment and videos or pictures of big guys pushing fat ladies to their limit.
Are you in the business of selling fitness equipment? Because if you are not you have to understand why customers come to your gym. To any of your gyms.
I don't go to the gym because of the equipment. I expect it to be clean everywhere nowadays. I just do.
I go to the gym because I wanna be healthy. I wanna look good. This is the reason I go to the gym. So among your pictures of equipment and fat ladies, I should see pictures of people achieving their goal. The goal being fit, healthy, whatever is their goal.
Have you seen the latest apple watch add? Apple is not talking about the specs. Apple is not taking about how thick this watch is. Apple is just showing you a person swimming. Because I didn't buy this watch of the specs. I don't even know the specs of this watch.
I bought it because it solves a problem for me. The problem being I wanna wear it all the time. Even when I go to the shower. Even when I am swimming. Even when I am running in the rain.
So you should try and connect to your customers on a human level.
Forget about the specs. They are for the nerds. And this is a very small percentage of your customers.
Connect to your customers on a human level.
Show them what problem your product or services can solve.
It's that simple.
So instead of running, I am walking. But whatever you do just keep on moving forward.
And now for those who say that I don't give you enough numbers on this show. In a recent survey with more than 5 000 people, the Social Science of Video found that 46% of the participants made a purchase in 2016 after watching a branded video on Social Media.
This is the power of Social Media.
This is the power of video on Social Media.
This is also the power of you being where your customers are giving them what they are looking for.
This is the power of the human factor in Digital Marketing.
Guys, come back here next Sunday. Because you’ve got the problems I’ve got the solutions.
### Interview with Samar Mustafa - The Founder of TeamStack
https://youtu.be/dEQ3P32gQFw
Interview with Samar Mustafa - The Founder of TeamStack
Hi, guys. What's up? And welcome to the Omi Show again.
As CEOs or developers or digital marketers we all we always need a helping hand. Welcome to Team Stack. A community where developers and digital marketers can build their on-demand teams.
Today I am joined by Mr. Samara Mustafa the founder of TeamStack.
Samar: Hi, Omi.
Omi: Welcome to the show. Please introduce yourself.
Samar: Hi, guys. My name is Samara Mustafa. I am the founder of TeamStack.
Omi: So Samar tell us why do we need Teamstack?
Samar: Very good question. What we're trying to do is, we try to simplify the crowded freelance marketplace. Not for freelancers only but also for the companies as well. Or for startups as well who are looking for a developer or designer for their startup’s work.So are trying to create an invite only community where startups or companies or freelancers can join free and then they can pick - you know - different experts from the same platform.
The idea is we are trying to keep everybody together. The whole process is quite simple. We just want people to come and join and not just join but also try to secure the projects as well. So a team can secure a project but also somebody can hire you as well directly from the platform.
Omi: Ok so now that we know why we need TeamStack tell us how does it work?
Samar: Oh well, it is quite simple just three steps.
I think we need is we going to start obviously launching our beta version which we actually pre-selected about 200 users already. So what the mean is they come online and actually show their interest - signup with us and simply completing their usual expert profile.
If they are a developer, they just create their profile for a developer, where they worked and what their expertise are etc. After they complete the signup process, simply they can start finding the experts within the same environment.Means I set up my profile now I need two developers for my next project. So I will just find and collaborate with different experts. That means I am starting to create my own teams.
That means a developer can hire two designers and one social media expert and one project manager so they become kind of a team.
In a way, a freelancer is holding a team. Means they can start their own team and secure any project. And not just that, a freelancer can be hired by other teams as well.
Omi: Interesting. What digital service can an expert offer on Teamstack?
Samar: Pretty much exactly the same as the other freelance market work or agencies work. For example, let's take an example from the startup point of view. Startup wanted to build a platform for their service or for a product and they are looking for five full-stack developers.
Full-stack developers are easy to find if you go out and speak to people or different hiring platforms. So if they are registered then a full-stack developer can offer -you know - all the skills and all the services they usually do. The experts could be a designer offering their design service. So imagine we have a team of four people - one designer, a developer and a project manager and a full stack developer. Now every team member - every expert basically can contribute to a project or into a team so it all depends on why you building a team and why the project requires these many people in your team.So every expert will provide their service depends on their skill sets basically.
Omi: Ok I get it. Interesting. So the next question then would be how many members do you need to qualify as a team?
Samar: Yea, Ok. this is where....
Omi: Pay attention to this one, guys!
Samar: This is where we are very very kind of strict about it because we don’t want a freelance to come and create their team with a single person because it is not a team. Because we then not differentiating ourselves with other freelance crowded marketplaces. So what we asking is: if you want to create a team so join as a person - as an individual but if you like to create a team - you have at least two people. So it means you can hire or you can request a different designer or a developer or any expert to join you. That mean now you have two people and now you qualified as a team. And then you start promoting your team.
Omi: So literally two people?
Samar: Yes, literally two people.
Omi: Perfect.
Samar: Go and find one.
Omi: Go and find one. Yes, this is exactly what I am gonna do today.
Omi: Why can I not use other freelance marketplaces to find paid projects?
Samar: Yea, again, we are not replacing definitely the freelance marketplace. What we trying to do is, you actually join a marketplace - a freelance marketplace as an individual - what's next for you?The next step would be - why don’t you create your own team. So means, you’ve been working on your own projects for like say 5 year - 10 years whatever your experience as a freelancer or contractor or as a service provider. Now if you wanted to - from a freelance point of view - if you wanna have a team or experts that you wanted to have for your next project then you don’t need to go out and search any other marketplaces, you can just have everybody in your Teamstack platform.
If you see from the company side, company perspective - companies basically looking for different - you know - freelancer from the different platforms etc. But if they say from agency side if they are lacking social media experts. A client comes to them and they say - well we need a social media expert and they don’t have it. So in order to extend their services in the social media marketplace, they can come to Teamstack, create their profile and hire four or five social media experts and create their own social media team.
Now, this becomes their remote team. Extend team. So it means they have extended their services now. So any agency can extend their services by hiring same skills experts - different skills experts to expand their services and expand their resources.
Omi: Guys, I am loving this newly formed community. Samar thank you very much for coming today. To the Omi show. Bye, guys.
### The Sunday Talk - Collaboration
https://youtu.be/b7iqFBE_q3A
What a day! My car and my bike keyword at the same time.So I can't go to work. Not the worst thing in the world really.But then I don't have any coffee at home. So I have to run to the nearest shop. Run, Forrest, Run!
Now that the coffee is brewing I am thinking. You can't expect every marketing campaign to work well for you. Digital marketing and especially content marketing is very much a long-term game.Don't be distracted by short-term losses as your ultimate goal is not to win every single battle but to win the overall war for customer attention online.
A day without coffee! What a waste of time.
Yes, Digital marketing is not a funky word anymore. Digital marketing is a necessity. The keyword research I was talking about earlier. I don't want you to do keyword research so you can stuff your pages with words that gonna annoy your visitors. I want you to do keyword research so you can truly understand your customers.Also, I want you to do keyword research so you can understand your competitors as well. because let's be honest the more you know about your competitors, the more you know about your own business.
Omi: So Samar tell us what is TeamStack?
Samar: TeamStack a free online community of digital experts where you can create your own team but you can also join a team as well.
Omi: Guys, this is the future. Collaboration.
It's Friday and this week is coming to an end. So time for some wisdom. Analytics is knowledge. And as we all know knowledge is power. I keep on using the tool Gerry White showed me last week - the Google Data Studio. And I can confirm that for quick and visual - I will repeat visual reporting - this is by far the best tool out there.
Knowledge is power!
The other day I was listening to a podcast with Steven van Vessum - the co-founder of Content King - and I honestly felt in love with his description of what SEO is. SEO The Continuous Process.So let me give you my thoughts on the subject as this subject is so close to my current understanding of what SEO/Digital Marketing is.
For a start let me tweak the wording a little bit: The continuously evolving SEO. What do I mean by that?Instead of giving you a definition let me give you two examples: Content and Technical SEO.
A few years ago Google started talking about mobile, mobile optimization and a lot fo you answered the call - started producing mobile pages, started optimizing them and Google was in love with you.But today there is a new kid on the block called AMP - Accelerated Mobile Pages. A lot of you are rebelling. A lot of you are arguing about it online but while a lot of you are thinking about it others are seeing their visit numbers going up. You don't dictate the SERPs. Google does.The SERPs are always right (or at least they are hardly ever wrong)... and not your ego.
Not a long time ago Google and YOUR customers used were in love with blog articles. But nowadays as more and more content is consumed trough different mobile devices Google and YOUR customers are naturally directing their attention to video. It's just easier consuming content on a mobile device trough video and not reading a blog article.Again I am not saying stop writing articles. I am just asking you to evolve.
So if you are an SEO my advice is. Move on.Don't fall in love with an idea. Collaborate with Google so the search giant can better understand your website. Collaborate with other departments in your organization so they can finally understand what SEO is and finally start giving you a helping hand.Collaborate with your customers online so they can better understand your company.
Guys, come back here next Sunday. You've got the problems I've got the solutions.
### The Sunday Talk - Content Marketing
https://youtu.be/rGzcDHogzX0
I am cleaning my car and I am thinking: We never talk about old content clean up. Can old content hurt our SEO?Yes, it can. And I would give you an example. We all have some leftovers in containers somewhere in the back of our fridge. And those containers may get our attention one day because of the smell they produce. It's exactly the same when it comes to old content.
Old content can hurt our SEO without us even realizing where the smell comes from. And I would give you an example.Old content can waste our crawl budget.Old content could be thin content.Old content could be duplicate content.Old content can talk about things that are not relevant anymore to our company's current direction.
We should all go and clean up our old content before it tanks our SEO rankings. Pay attention to your old content, people.
By the way, I hate cleaning this car.
Google only finds you when everybody else is looking for you.
Saturday morning. it's almost nine o'clock. Early start of the day. In about five minutes I'm gonna have a chat with Gerry White about a new analytical tool - more visual but I am thinking now when it comes to Content Marketing there is something even better than visual data. And I know you are all asking about more visual data. But as I said when it comes to Content Marketing what's better than visual data is you actually visualizing how your customer is finding your content. Visualizing how your customer is interacting with your content. Visualizing how the visitor is interacting with your Call to Actions in your content.Yes, visual data is good but visualizing how a real human being is interacting with your content is even better.
Only you can change your life. I can't do it for you.
Just coming back from a small meeting with top CEOs in the UK - hence I look like a million bucks. A guy invited me so I can support him with any questions they may have about Technical SEO but the guy was actually talking about Content Marketing trying to convince them Content Marketing does work.But then everybody in the room was like 'We are not happy with the ROI (Return on Investment). Our content is a bit too boring because we work in a boring industry. People don't read our content.'Obviously, the guy was struggling.So at one point, I stood up and I asked everybody a very simple question. Is your content any different from your competition?
Suddenly there was a silence in the room.
I went to a guy and I said: According to the newspapers last year you spent 3 million pounds on your Christmas advertising. Three million pounds yet if I go to your website I can see a video on your homepage that costs probably not more than 5 thousand pounds.S instead of spending 3 million pounds on your Christmas campaign why don't you invest those 3 million pounds in your content team and then you can produce one video a week so you end up with 52 videos a year talking about your branding talking about your company. it's not worth it having 10% more visits in December instead of 10% more visits than the previous year.
Another guy was talking about an article they produced and he was like 'Hey Omi look at this article. The stats. It's so much different than anything else out there. The competition they never wrote anything like this. So I looked at the article and it was full of stats, numbers. But my question was: Ok this article is talking about rice in inflation next year. What's gonna be the price of bread? What's gonna be the price of petrol? What's gonna be the price of milk?
So you've got a good article but you forgot to connect it to your audience. You wrote this article for fellow bankers, not your customers. Yeah, it's a good article. So instead of starting with numbers - scaring people with numbers they don't understand why didn't you just go to your nearest branch - interview some people, show them the numbers, see their reaction, take this reaction and incorporate it in your article.
So the wisdom of this story is:
Content Marketing is all about connecting with your customers on a human level.
Have a good week, guys. And don't forget to come back to my Sunday Talk next week.You've got the problems. I've got the solutions.
### The Sunday Talk - Old marketing is dead. Long live marketing.
Hi, Guys! It's Monday. But you woke up, didn't you? So it means you are still alive. Go and kick some butt. Don't let Mondays bring you down.
Own them like a boss!
It's Thursday morning and I am on my way to work but I can't stop thinking about a video I saw yesterday by Matt Daley. Obviously, he is talking about sales but I can relate his vision to SEO and Social Media. It is becoming increasingly obvious that we have to connect to our customers in a meaningful way. I know a lot of people are talking about it so the point I am trying to make is that it's not out meaningful way anymore but what the customer determines to be a meaningful conversation. As a business, you cannot afford anymore not to know your customer.
Knowing your customer is of a paramount importance for future business success.
And now one of those midweek wisdoms (#wednesdaywisom).
People always ask me 'How do you grow in Social Media?' and I would extend this to business and life. And my answer is always very simple. Be prepared to do things that you are not entirely ready to do.
Surprise yourself, surprise your friends - the people around you. Surprise life. This is how you grow!
Digital Marketing is a commitment. Not a growth hacking strategy.
I love the way Amy Schmittauer hustled Gary Vee. But this is exactly why I'm reading her book. This girl gonna be very big one day. I'm gonna tweet about it.
Many people said so many things about a statement that I made this week that old rules of marketing no longer apply.
Let me be very clear about one thing. I don't think that old rules of marketing are dying. I strongly believe that they are dead.
Let me give you some examples.
1. Advertisements in the past were meant to appeal to the GENERAL public. Basically, old-school marketing tactics were aimed at a large group of nameless, faceless group of people that may or may not have been interested in the products or service in question.
Today, successful marketing campaigns that capture the minds, the hearts, and the wallets of customers are those that are strategically tailored to the consumer's unique interests, needs, lifestyles.
One-size-fits-all marketing is out. The sooner you understand it the better.
2. We all remember the time when advertising INTERRUPTED the audience with a one-way message. In a way, companies were pushing their message in front of audiences.
(In all honesty, this strategy did work for some time.)
Today instead of pushing your company should pull people towards your brand with relevant and engaging content.
You probably already know my 3 golden rules: Customer. Platform. Content.
3. Last but not least - Trust.
Let me quote here Mr. David Amerland.
"Trust is what monetizes the attention economy."
Let me explain this one to you.
Instant access to information (even when on the road using our mobile phones) has led to INCREASED demand for information. People EXPECT the marketers of a services or products to provide information that backs up their marketing claim.
Without solid information, you've got no credibility. No credibility means no TRUST. Without trust, there can be no sustainable business!
Have a nice week, guys. You've got the problems. I've got the solutions.
### The Sunday Talk - Technical SEO - Take Your Digital Marketing Strategy To The Next Level!
I am so pumped up about this week. I am going to Holland and as many of you know I just love this country. But first I am meeting Steven van Vessum - one of the founders of Content King.
Guys, if you are a small business and you want to avoid the hassle of checking your website manually on a daily basis this software is for you.
Omi: So Steven, tell us about your software.
Steven: So Content King is a website monitoring system which does continuous crawling of your website and whenever we find issues we alert you. And whenever we see changes we save them.
In doing so we try to make the life of SEOs and digital marketers a lot easier.
Omi: You heard the man. Your life easier.
Steven: Isn't that what we all want?
Omi: Exactly!
Steven: So remember Content King.
It's Thursday morning. It's 3 o'clock to be precise and I am on my way to Holland to teach local businessmen the benefits of having a solid technical SEO.
Not many people are talking about it but 68% of revenue (on average of course) across all markets and industries is still coming from organic visits.
Do you spend your time, money and effort towards the right channel
Think again!
"To be successful in SEO you need a well-defined SEO strategy." - Omi Sido
Very often described as a process of altering and strengthening a website’s online relevancy, an SEO Audit typically covers important components of a website such as content-related issues, site architecture, indexing, backlink analysis and social-media engagement.
Guys, understanding these components and how they work, is an important part of identifying the strength, weaknesses, and potentials a website has in natural search.
Work Hard Play Harder
Friday. The second day of my Dutch journey. Let's remind ourselves something. SEO is one of the most cost-effective marketing strategies because it targets users who are actively and I will repeat this one ACTIVELY looking for your products or services online.
When it comes to website and cars there are a lot of similarities. Both of them need to be well designed. Both of them need maintenance. and both of them need everything to be well connected inside in order for you to move forward.
By the way, I hate fixing cars.
### The Sunday Talk - The Social Sales Funnel
Good morning people. It's Monday and the weather is well disgustingly cold. So we've got no choice today but be AWSOME.
Go and kick some butt.
It's almost one o'clock and I just come back from the second Take It Offline event in Brighton organized by Gerry White. I literally finished work, jumped on the car and droved down to Brighton for an hour and a half.
Was it worth it? Well, I am loving the idea of a Digital Marketing event with no speakers and no set topics where everybody can share knowledge but also ask questions. I wish business owners can also join us from time to time. Join an event where everybody speaks digital.
And it's not like our Digital Marketing language is very difficult to understand.
You gather data and you translate it into human behavior. It's literally that simple: data - human behavior.
And you don't make business decisions based just on the data or the human behavior. Now you've got my recipe for success.
Omi: Hi Gerry. This is the second Take It Offline.
Gerry: Absolutely. It's going well so far hopefully.
Omi: Are you happy with the crowd? The talks?
Gerry: The crowd's amazing. Great people including the technical guy from the Daily Mail. It's pretty awesome.
Omi: Are you talking about me?
Gerry: Yes.
Omi: So what do you think you gonna achieve with this event? What are you trying to achieve?
Gerry: That's a great question. We are not really completely sure. We basically thought we will be a much smaller event the first time round. Turned into something slightly different.
And actually, I think it's kind of got a unique edge to it at the moment. And we should kind of see how it goes. We gonna do one up in Leeds on the very very technical mobile stuff. But the next two gonna be much more open - one on analytics and one on paid or social media or whatever we decide. But it's gonna be great.
Omi: So do you think that in the future you gonna compete with Brighton SEO?
Gerry: No. I think we are a very different thing at the moment. But I love Brighton SEO. Kelvin is a great guy. But you know what they started in a pub. But the difference is we don't have speakers - everybody is a speaker. Even Omi. So basically means that we are not concentrating on bringing in speakers. We are not worried about organizing stuff. We don't even worry too much about stuff like sponsorship or stuff like that.
What we kind of want to do is make sure that everybody can talk about what they want to. They can ask the questions they wanna get answered.
And actually, it means that people get that chance to really kind of go: I am doing this. Why is it working? What can I do with that? I think this is kind of great.
Omi: Thank you very much.
Gerry: Thanks, Omi.
Omi: Guys, I have to admit this is one of the best events in Brighton.
It's Friday. The morning after the Take It Offline event. And after sleeping for only 3 hours I am so tired. Anyway, Fridays are always the hardest. But then we are so close to freedom.
Have a great Friday, people, and don't forget to party like crazy this weekend.
I am going to the gym and one of my friends is like "Omi, I saw your video on the Internet. You only slept for 3 hours yesterday."
And I am like "Man, obstacles in life are not there to stop us from doing things. Obstacles in life are only there to make our life more interesting."
Many people have been asking me the same question recently. Basically, everybody wants to know why am I posting all my videos on all social media platforms. So let me give you my theory.
First, if you're a business you have to understand that each of those social media platforms is somewhere in your sales funnel. So a good understanding of where each social media platform is in your funnel will give you a good indication what your call to action should be. Needless to say, you may have to make a different video for each of the social media platforms that you are using.
For me personally I always represent one thing - Omi Sido - so I can have the same video everywhere. Here is the time to mention that many people forget about the good old website. Yes, you still need a website as social media platforms are coming and going away but you still need a place where you can always direct your customers to.
Imagine tomorrow YouTube or LinkedIn suddenly collapse and disappear from the face of the Earth. Your business or personal brand will be homeless and with no history. You don't want that so yes you should be present on all RELEVANT to your business Social Media platforms as this is where the party is nowadays but you should also have a home to go back to when the party is over.
### The Sunday Talk - Social Media is People
Your headline is the first impression to your content.
Make it count.
Sometimes people ask me. Hey Omi, how do you come with those clever thoughts of yours? Do you write them down? Do you remember everything that you say?
And I am like No. I don't do any of this stuff.
Most of the time I would talk to people. They may come back to me and they may say 'What did you mean by this or that?' And then I'm gonna be like 'If they think is clever, then it must t be clever.'
So I'm just gonna find an appropriate image, attach the quote and there you go. You've got your five minutes of fame.
Now an SEO joke. The British Army just called me. They've got problems with their rankings.
I am so happy. I've just preordered 'Vlog Like A Boss' by Amy Schmittauer. People like me have been waiting for a book like this for a very very long time.
Don't get me wrong as I don't consider myself being a vloger. But I do believe that vlogging and video, in general, are the future of Social Media and the way people and businesses communicate ith their customers.
I know many of you are very skeptical when it comes to vlogging and people and companies documenting their life but let me tell you a secret. Look at your Facebook stream. You are already doing it. You are just using pictures instead of video.
Mark Preston just asked me on LinkedIn: What's the measure of success?
I wanna make something very clear. Before start measuring success in your personal life or in business, we have to identify what success means to us personally. Not them. Us personally.
So then when we succeed we will know it.
I am just coming back from a small business meeting and I can't stop but notice that big companies are still struggling to connect to their customers.
Firstly, you cannot connect to your customers on an emotional level if you don't know them. This is very similar to meeting somebody on the bus for the first time. And I know that a lot of big companies have a lot of followers but I also know a lot of big companies are using this as a good excuse not to interact with their followers. The people who made the effort to connect to your business.
Last but not least a lot of big companies are governed by the so-called 'old school' marketers who are basically over-emphasizing the importance of the word 'digital'.
Yes, Social Media is digital as it only exists in the Digital World but deep down inside in its core Social Media is people.
Stop talking to your customers like they are digital robots. Talk to them the same way you talk to your friends or your family.
What customers think about a company or its products is a key aspect of business success.
### The Sunday Talk - The Power Of Social Media
Somebody was just asking me about good content writing. And I am like 'Stop writing about everything. So many companies and brands are trying to cover everything instead of finding one thing and becoming experts around it.
Find your niche and then go even more niche!'
I came up to the conclusion that success in whatever it is that you are doing is never an accident.
Wake up early. Work hard. Always stay positive.
"Being trusted is the single most sustainable way to grow your business." - Omi Sido
And if you think that I sound a little bit like Mr. David Amelrand, it is only because the guy is so so right.
Yesterday I met a bunch of local businessmen and one question kept on popping up. Why do I talk about Social Media so much? Why do I put so much emphasis on Social Media?
To understand my obsession with Social media I have to start from the very beginning.
The main goal of every organizational design is to ensure there is an efficient information flow - internally between different stakeholders, different departments, managers and externally with customers and suppliers - in order for a business to make a timely and informed decision for future products and services.
But now businesses that historically relied on top to down information flow are losing their competitive edge to smaller, more agile startups that are leveraging the power of the Social Media Brain in order to process information more efficiently.
Instead of relying on their limited knowledge pool they are diving into the sea of information that Social Media is creating.
So what's happening in real life is that in order to survive the so-called 'old companies' have to learn from the newcomers.
You can be one of those newcomers if you make the effort to leverage the power of Social Media.
### Data and Insights in Digital Marketing
Many people confuse data with insights.
What is the difference?
What Is Data?
Data is the information you acquire from users, such as demographic info, behavior, and activity.
What is Analytics?
Analytics is the discovery of patterns and trends obtained from your data.
What are Insights?
The ability to gain an accurate and deep understanding of someone or something through the use of analytics. In other words the deeper understanding of something or someone through analysing data.
As digital marketers, we are the bridge between the data and the people who have to make a decision based on the insights coming from this data. Our job is to take the data and transform it into a meaningful story that a business can truly understand in order to translate data into actionable insights.
The insights gained through analytics are incredibly powerful, and can be used to grow your business while identifying areas of opportunity.
Common mistakes
The noise is confusing the signals.
We are hardwired to see patterns even if they are not there. Make sure when analysing your data that you are not getting information based on ‘your needs’ so you see signals where’s there is just noise.
Don’t measure meaningless metrics.
Make sure that you only measure and draw conclusions from stuff that matters for your business.Is ‘email open rate’ giving you useful insights? The way I see it if someone opens an email it does not mean that they read it. You don’t even know for sure that they took interest in your content.Don’t you think that ‘Click-through rates’ actually tells you how effective your email content is and what content you should send next?
Confusing correlation with causation.
The best way to explain this one is by giving an example. People buy more clothes when the weather is cold not because they need more clothes to keep them warm but because Christmas is in December (Winter). So assuming that people buy more when the weather is cold (this may as well be the case for some particular businesses) is simply wrong. I may even argue that most people buy their ‘warm clothes’ during the summer months when they are heavily discounted.
Which leads me to the next point.
Not accounting for seasonal variations.
It is quite obvious to me now that customers behave differently according to the season and according to seasonal habits. There is always an increase of browse and spend during the Christmas period so the month over month growth figures in January are not the most accurate ones.
Ignoring Geography.
The all too often forgotten element. It doesn’t make sense to include international data in your analyses if you only sell locally. On the other side if you do sell internationally than it makes sense to separate your high priority markets from less important ones. A good example for disregarding Geography would be counting visits from Canada if you only sell in the UK.
Data can replace intuition (and vice versa).
Recently I was doing an SEO project for a company involved in baby products distribution. So the first thing I said to the CEO of this company was “I’d like to start with a little research so I can establish who your customers are”.He said, “I know who my customers are. They’re moms, females between 20 and 40 years old.” I said, “Wow, how do you know?” He looked at me like I was crazy. He said, “They’re my customers. I’ve been doing this for years. Don’t tell me you still use baby oil on your body”Now it was my time to look at him like he was crazy. “Yes, I do mate. Every time I shave my head. And I honestly don’t think I am a female and a mom.”
My intuition was telling me that I am not the only one using baby products.
In all honesty, he was not entirely wrong. A big chunk of his customer base was indeed moms in their 30s. But then he missed a big chunk of young ladies using baby oil for beauty purposes like makeup removal or conditioning and cleaning makeup brushes. And then a lot of men and women who use it like me as after-shave moisturiser.The craziest thing that came from our research was motorcyclists using it to polish their bikes in the winter. Go figure.
Average Value.
And now something a bit more technical. Misusing average value is one of them. Averages are a great way to get a quick overview of how your business is doing. For example, if the average order value is increasing over time than your company is going in the right direction. True that! Which does not mean that all your departments are doing well.
Average order value by a department will allow you to identify ‘weak’ links in your business and also give you the opportunity to allocate your marketing efforts throughout your business more efficiently.
Tip: Don’t you ever do a Pie Chart of the average order amount by a department. Pie charts should always represent a slice of the whole. You cannot have a slice of the average!
Another misuse of average would be the not so famous anymore ‘average time on page’. Apparently, Google thinks it’s so important that it even displays it as a prime metric. Clearly, it is better if a visitor spends longer on a page because it means they’re engaging with your content. Hmm, not really.
If I go to http://omisido.com/blog/, spent 5 seconds scrolling trough the articles, click on an article headline that I like and spend another 10 minutes reading the article and then close the tab. The average time on the blog page would be shown in my GA as 5 seconds. If I check the ‘average time on page’ shown for the article page it would be….hmm zero seconds.Surprise, surprise. Google knows that when I was on the first page I clicked on a link so it can easily calculate the time between the entrance and the click.Google cannot detect the tab closing so it records the ‘average time on page’ for the article as zero seconds.
Suddenly you realize that blindly applying statistics doesn’t explain what’s actually happening (and I know my example was a bit harsh but I hope you get the point).
Conclusion
In the vast ocean that is Digital Marketing, there is practically nothing you can’t measure. While this may seem like a big deal to you, it does have its drawbacks - the mere fact that you can measure everything doesn’t mean that you should. To really get the best of your data you should start looking past the raw numbers and begin seeing the big picture. The road to success is to have the ability to analyze on both the micro and macro scales.
### The Sunday Talk - If you want something new, you have to stop doing something old
https://youtu.be/tDYxUPRdxxw
The Sunday Talk - If you want something new, you have to stop doing something old
Today was my first day at work in 2017 so let's talk about 3 Digital Marketing lessons I learned in 2016.
Community.
The first one is a community. Building a community around an idea or industry takes a lot of time and effort. But once you lure them in you can sell anything in your niche. So say if I continue talking about SEO or Digital Marketing I can eventually sell SEO or indeed Digital Marketing services.
Newsletters.
The second one is newsletters. Following the steps of Gianluca Fiorelli, I started producing a daily newsletter (last year) talking about Digital Marketing and SEO. And to be honest with you I am overwhelmed with the results.(Anton Shulke knows everything about it)So in my opinion Newsletters should be part of your content delivery strategy.Tip: Keep them straight to the point. Look after your headlines.
Influencers.
The third tip - last but not least - is influencers. Influencers are essential for your Content Marketing success. I will give you an example.On a bad day, I can tweet about a nicely written article about SEO or Digital Marketing and I can have zero interactions within two days.
On another day I can just tweet a quote from an influencer like Mark Traphagen or David Amerland and I'm gonna have two hundred interactions within two hours.When it comes to influencers: find them, follow them, talk to them.Influencers can amplify your online presence. Or in other words, influencers can open the gates to your Content Marketing success.
I've never been good at fixing things. I'd rather to it the right way from the beginning.
Sunday gym and two weeks into the New Year's resolution cycle the parking lot behind me is empty. Coming to the gym on a Sunday is not a New Year's resolution. Coming to the gym on a Sunday is a state of mind. Or like some people say "If you want something new, you have to stop doing something old."
Adidas, Adidas, Adidas, Do they have the best materials? I don't know.Do they have the most comfortable gear? I don't know. What I do know is they've got their branding. While you were thinking that they were brainstorming about the cotton level in their materials they were actually researching, looking into the customer behaviour.
"When customers buy from you, they are not just buying a product. They are placing their trust in your company!"
Yours Truly,
Omi Sido
### The Sunday Talk - Focus on the Customer
Many of you know that I've been in Bulgaria for some time.
While on the plane started reading this book by Julia McCoy called 'So You Think You Can Write?' and to be honest with you I am very very impressed with this author.
The wisdom that comes from the very beginning of this book is Action. After reading this book you gonna have all the basic knowledge. The foundation that you need in order to become a successful content marketer.
Sound preparation is invaluable. Knowledge or shall I say the desire to have the knowledge (and constantly improve) is invaluable.
But knowledge and preparation are simply useless without Action.
Study your competitors. Study your customers. And through Action win the online battle for attention.
Omi: Is it fun working at SEMrush?
Sergey Doudy (Online Events Manager at SEMrush): So I am really enjoying myself at SEmrush. And I get to meet awesome Digital marketers. Awesome people like Omi yourself. Really happy to be here with you mate.
Omi: Like me.
Sergey Doudy: And it's great cause we get to meet up. Sit for a massive cup of coffee. Chat about cool subjects. Chat about video marketing. Chat about photography. Chat about Virtual Reality (VR). Chat about all the possibilities in the world of Digital marketing. It's an awesome time.
And it's good to chill and actually meet people in person. Again like yourself Omi.
Omi: Yes, like me.
Sergey Doudy: It's a pleasure, mate.
It's Friday morning. I am going to work and I am thinking.
Being a traditional marketer was easy. You just wack (together) some TV commercials and off you go. Your (Christmas) bonus is secure.
Nowadays you have to talk to your customers. You have to understand your customers. And let's not forget - you have to find your customers.
My advice: Forget about the numbers. Concentrate on the customer experience.
Christmas came early this year. I've just received my new camera Canon 80D. Let me open the box: Canon 80D.
I hear a lot of influencers on the NET talking about 'Equipment is not important. Concentrate on the story.' So let's put this statement to the test.
So let me ask you a simple question. If you are given a chance to go from point A to point B in a Ferrari or Fiat Punto would you go for the Fiat Punto just because it takes you from point A to point B anyway?
Or you gonna go for the excitement of the Ferrari? Well, it's a no-brainer.
And I am not saying that everybody should go and buy a two thousand dollars camera. Start according to your budget. But every time you've got a chance upgrade.
So I think that one of your New Year's resolutions should be to invest in your equipment.
Help your Digital Marketing deliver quicker and better results.
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
We all know the best marketing stunt from hundred and fifty years ago. So I will keep on telling you - connect to your customers on a personal level.
Not a long time ago somebody said 'People buy from people'.
But I have to add a little bit to this statement.
People buy from people they know. People buy from people they like.
And last but not least: people buy from people they trust.
Nowadays everyone is online, and yet, so very few individuals truly understand how digital technology works.
### The Sunday Talk - Take It Offline
Today after work I am going to Brighton for the 'Take It Offline" conference organized by Gerry White.
I've got the strange feeling that it's gonna be fun.
I am hoping to see there the one and only Mr. Ammon Johns. One of the best Digital marketers in England.
Well, if I call him a digital marketer he would say I am an SEO. If I call him an SEO he would say I am a Digital marketer.
Shut up Ammon - you are a legend. You are a Legend.
So (Tristan - Purple Smudge) just give us an idea why should we come to your event next time?
Tristan Jarman: You should come to the "Take It Offline" digital marketing roundtable meetup because if you've got something to say this is the platform for it. If you wanna learn something or consume information or knowledge this is also the place for it.
Come along, enjoy.
Knowledge sharing.
You've heard the man, right?
It's almost one o'clock and I just came back home. One hour and a half to go to Brighton and one hour and a half to come back. Bit it was worth it. We were talking about video. We were talking about voice search.
But you know what it's not about the ideas or the knowledge.
It's about the vision because ad digital marketers we work with a lot of numbers but behind the numbers, there are real human beings.
It's Black Friday and I'm gonna be doing some Black Friday SEO. This is really the only day I can use 'black' and 'SEO' in one sentence legally.
On the other side, my head is still buzzing from the event last night.
Some of the ideas just got stacked to my brain.
Gerry, we should do it again man. Soon.
And now an SEO joke. What do you call an SEO expert who sells vans?
Danny Sellavan.
After a long week, hard working week we all want to go home, have a glass of wine, relax. But you personal branding cannot take a break.
Or do you think that during weekends people go t0 Social Media less often?
I don't think so.
Have a good weekend, guys but keep on working.
### The Sunday Talk - You Never Get a Second Chance to Make a First Impression!
Today I am meeting one of the best digital marketers in the world - Purna Virji (@purnavirji), David Iwanow (@davidiwanow), Laura Crimmons (@lauracrimmons)and Maria Amelie (@Maria_Amelie).
We gonna be eating pizza (if I don't forget to order it). We gonna be drinking wine and eating chocolate. We may talk about Digital Marketing.
Many of you have noticed that I've been very active on Instagram recently. So let me give you my top 3 tips.
But first, the question 'Why?'. Why Instagram. Well, since I've joined Instagram I've been literally blown away by the number of people following me and engaging with me. I've been literary blown away by the number of people visiting my website coming from Instagram.
So my first tips would be:
So many people say 'don't put text on top of an image on Instagram'. And this is so wrong. If you are selling shoes or if you are selling mobile phones or maybe you are selling coffee and you've got a Christmas offer. Why not put "20% Off" on top of the image?
You've got very little time to grab people's attention. Not just on Instagram but on any Social Media (platform). So please use text on top of images when necessary.
Tip number two. One of the best ways to promote your business or online persona on Instagram is true the use of hashtags. I've never seen more hashtags used at one time than on Instagram. These tags will categorize your image and bring it up in more Instagram searches, thus increasing the exposure of your online persona or business.
My third tip - your Bio. Have you ever come across an Instagram profile and thought straight away: This is my homey. I'm gonna follow him right here on the spot. Yeah me too.
I can't stress enough how important is to make your biography unique on Instagram. A lot more important than Facebook or Twitter or LinkedIn.
Your Instagram Bio is one of the first things potential customers and visitors to your profile see.
First impressions matter. You have exactly seven seconds to make a good impression when meeting someone in person for the first time.
Now think online. It takes less than two-tenths of a second for an online visitor to form an impression of your brand.
First impressions matter.
People will have just one look at you and they will immediately decide how professional are you, how credible are you, how trustworthy are you. Remember, you never get a second chance to make a good first impression.
### The Sunday Talk - Do you know your customers?
US Elections 2016
Many people are asking me about Donald Trump, the election, the USA.
I can’t hide it I am a bit disappointed. But then let me tell you something: America is the biggest democracy in the World. One man cannot hurt it. We don’t live in the 60's. We live in 2016. With the Internet and Social Media, there are no borders anymore.
Augmented Reality
One thing is becoming quite obvious - you not gonna thrive in the future if you don’t understand that the Internet and Social Media are basically the future of business. Not just that. The Internet and Social Media are the future of humanity. Especially with the forthcoming Augmented Reality.
Don’t get fooled by Trump and his borders. In fact, don’t get fooled by any politician. Country borders are thing of the past.
Have you ever been in a fight where somebody was punching you in the face but you kept on going? Well doing SEO is like that. Google is constantly coming up with new updates. But you know what? Nobody ever told you it’s gonna be easy. It’s not about you, it’s about their business. So instead of concentrating on Google concentrate on your customers.
Successful SEO Strategy
Creating a successful SEO strategy means employing a thoughtful, adaptable approach that covers everything from technical SEO to your website’s infrastructure to the customer journey and the one very important to understand is targeted approaches to content marketing.
You need an SEO strategy that not only outlines your basic plans of action but also defines the goals you’re trying to achieve. And I am not just talking about your SEO goals but also your business/company goals.
Digital Marketing is the Future of Business
Are we bad marketers? No, we are not. We are just used to the old ways (of doing marketing). But there is a new kid in town. It’s called Digital Marketing. How do I define Digital Marketing? First find who your customers are. Second follow them and talk to them on every Social Media they spend their time online. It’s that simple.
Now go and read Infuse Your Business Identity With Personal Brand Power by Gina Fiedel.
Have you noticed the new design?
"I hope you’ve managed to make the right moral choices this week in your shopping which means that you are now considering all this from the midst of lakes of coffee and mountains of doughnuts, cookies, croissants and chocolate cake. Have an awesome Sunday wherever you are. " - Mr David Amerland
### The State of Digital with Purna Virji
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjxxM74v6XM
The State of Digital with Purna Virji
Purna Virji, Omi Sido and friends. Hangout on Air.
Live from London Paddington - Microsoft Office.
November 17, 18:00 UK time.
Get inspired by new ideas and different ways of thinking about marketing.
You may find it difficult to believe but soon it will be time to start preparing our digital marketing strategies for 2017.
Is video or podcasts a part of your 2017 plan?
In digital marketing, keeping ahead of the trends is especially important. Do you optimize your content for voice search?
What do you want out of you ad campaigns in 2017?
Ask any SEO/PPC/ Digital Marketing related question and we will give you the answer.
Who is Purna Virji?
Purna Virji
Named by PPC Hero as the #1 most influential PPC Expert in the world, Purna Virji specialises in SEM, SEO and Voice Search. With over a decade in search, she regularly speaks at conferences across the globe such as MozCon and SMX Advanced and is a columnist for Search Engine Land and Search Engine Watch.
An award-winning former journalist, Purna Virji was the CEO of Purview Marketing prior to joining the Bing Ads team. In her spare time, she’s an avid traveler, aspiring top chef and amateur knitter. Say hello @purnavirji
Who is Maria Amelie White?
Maria Amelie White
Maria works as a Brand Journalist and PR Specialist at Greenlight Digital and has been working in digital for nearly 10 years.
Maria specializes in SEO, Brand Journalism and PR Strategy and has worked on behalf of many high- profile clients (UK based as well as international) in sectors including automotive, travel, fashion, finance, small business and consumer technology. She has contributed to industry blogs in the UK, México, and Spain on subjects such as: The impact of language on search, brand journalism and PR, Optimisation for Spanglish in the USA, among other topics. She has also contributed as a political writer for El Universal and Excelsior in México. Say hello @Maria_Amelie
Who is Laura Crimmons?
Laura Crimmons
Laura is Branded3’s Communications Director, having started the PR team she now leads the PR and social media strategy across Branded3’s biggest client accounts.
With extensive SEO and social media knowledge and experience in both traditional and digital PR, Laura knows how to create and execute campaigns which deliver multiple online benefits.
In her own words: "I wouldn’t say that PR is necessarily the new link building for a few reasons, however, I do believe that PR is one of the best tactics for generating high quality, natural links."
Say hello @lauracrimmons
Who is David Iwanow?
David Iwanow
Davis is a Director of Strategy at BlueGlass London. Before joining BlueGlass, he was working with eBay classifieds group as SEO Product Manager for 3 years looking after Benelux region.
In his own words: "I play in the digital space and have been doing it since 1994 so I have a good understanding and interest in most topics so please engage with me and feel free to share and comment on anything I share via this channel.
I share a lot of content and ideas that drive me into rants but more often inspire or educate."
Say hello @davidiwanow
### The Sunday Talk (Anything is possible when you have the right people there to support you!)
I'm not one of those people that love working. I'd rather be in bed. But I just love what I am doing. The insights, the numbers, the psychology, the thrill of finding new stuff. Or the way the people say it "find a job that you love and you don't have to work for life."
What's your favourite blog?
Well, it has to be www.fateyes.com by Gina Fiedel. I find a lot of inspiration there.
Professionally probably the Moz Blog (with Rand Fishkin) or SEMrush. Not to forget https://www.davidamerland.com. David Amerland.com is one of my favourite websites ever.
What is your favourite SEO tool?
Well, it has to be SEMrush. Getting to know your customers is so important nowadays. You may think or you may say "I am the best" but then everybody says "I am the best".
(Using the semrush.com will allow you to stay on top of what you are doing and what others are doing around you. Don't walk blind in the online world. Also, beautiful people like Olga Andrienko and Kate Makulova work for this dynamic company. You like working with beautiful people, don't you?)
Yesterday I had this conversation with Anton Shulke about blogging, quality of blogging and SEO. I came up to the conclusion that it's not about the quality or the quantity. The frequency. The end goal is to make you talk to your customers. Show them the uniqueness of your business.
Talk to your customers.
I am quite happy as the big Social Media/SEO guru Mark Traphagen read one of my articles and gave me feedback. It was not all positive (I love his honesty). The truth is born when two honest individuals are having an honest conversation.
And now a joke. Heathrow Airport just called. They want me to add more landing pages.
Tuesday can be quite funny you know.
It's Wednesday and I am on the road again. Finally, last night managed to secure a Hangout (YouTube Live) with Zara Altair and Michael Stricker on the latest Google Penguin algorithm update.
Not many people are talking about it. Everybody is waiting for someone to say something so they can criticise it. Be strong my friend. Be strong.
This reminds me of the time when Google released the AMP project (The Accelerated Mobile Pages Project). I was the only one talking about it. Many people were criticising me. Well, I made a lot of mistakes (wrong assumptions really). But then I was the one who introduced it to Daily Mail. Our visits went 14% up a day.
Early adopters are always winners.
It's Friday and I'm gonna spend my time at a digital agency and they gonna teach me a little bit of PPC and Display Advertising.
You are never too old to learn something new.
Keep on bumping into people that think they know everything. Mate, I don't care if you've been doing marketing for the last 20 or 30 years. The marketing of yesterday is not the digital marketing of today.
Let's start talking about experience and not age.
Be strong my friend. Be strong.
### Google Penguin 4.0 is finally here. Let's talk about it!
https://www.youtube.com/embed/M0MTT1ioeMI
Google Penguin 4.0 is finally here.
Finally, the Google Penguin 4.0 has arrived. On September 23, Google made an official announcement that Penguin is now part of Google’s core ranking algorithm. And if this was not enough they also stated that now the algorithm is real-time so any changes will be made as soon as the affected page has been re-crawled and re-indexed.
But what does this mean for website owners and businesses? I’ve decided to find out by discussing the topic with Zara Altair, Michael Stricker and Bill Hartzer.
Who is Zara Altair?
Zara Altair is a Professional Ghostwriter and one of the best Semantic Writing and Marketing professionals out there.
Writer and educator Zara Altair work with website developers and business owners to create semantically oriented text.
Who is Michael Stricker?
Former U.S. Marketing Director for SEMrush (the leading research tool for Competitive Intelligence), Michael Stricker is well known for merging exhaustive research and statistical analysis with clear communications.
Michael has spoken at conferences like BrightonSEO, Pubcon, ClickZ Live, Etail, HERO Conference and SMX East, and contributes to various blogs such as CIO.com, B2Community, and SEMrush.com.
Who is Bill Hartzer?
Bill Hartzer is a successful website and search engine marketing expert. He's been practicing search engine optimization and website marketing since 1996.
Senior VP Agency Services at Advice Interactive. SEO & Domain Name (New gTLD) Expert. Bill Hartzer is a master of combining writing and online skills in order to create compelling and useful websites for businesses across the world.
Omi: Hello everybody and welcome to the Omi Show again. I’ll call it the Omi show from now on. Today I am joined by those three amazing and very knowledgeable digital marketers.I will start with Zara Altair - a Semantic Search writer.Michael Striker - in short, one of the best SEO and Digital Marketing speakers in the whole wide world.
Michael: Thank you.
Omi: And I mean, I don’t really know where to start with Michael Striker as he’s so famous.And the last but not the least is Bill Hartzer who is a very successful Website in Search Engine Marketing Expert. He’s been practicing SEO since 1996.Yeah, you heard me right - 1996.I was very, very young. I’m not going to do a full introduction of those three American dudes because they are way more famous and well known than me. You can just Google them if you don’t mind me, guys.
Michael: Not at all.
Omi: So today we are gathered to talk about the latest Google Algorithm update. So on September 22nd Google released their latest Penguin update called “Penguin 4.0”. We all know what the Penguin update is.Bill, can you turn off your microphone, please.
Michael: I’m going to mute myself for now.
Omi: Okay, perfect. Let’s start with Michael.Michael, like many SOEs, for example, I’m an SEO but I’ve never ever seen a Penguin penalty. I know what Penguin is but I’ve never experienced it. Can you give us a brief history of what the Google Penguin algorithm is, please.
Michael: It’s hard to believe that there are SEOs around who haven’t been through Google Penguin but it has been two years since their last update between Penguin 3.1 and 4.0 so, a lot of time has elapsed. Google Penguin can be thought as their Link Quality update. It has since evolved into part of the core algorithm search running all of the time and when it’s first was released by Google, the intention was that they were going to do what they could do to eliminate web spam and if you had a small website and you sold a particular item and you wanted it to be at the top of the SERPs, you could build a million links all across the web from other countries and from irrelevant websites and using sidebar links and footer links and widgets and all kinds of techniques that were engineered to deliver PageRank.
They weren’t engineered to deliver valuable traffic, they weren’t engineered to deliver relevance, they were just meant to make that targeting website rank better. And so Google realizing that there was actually a lot of push back in the search community among users dissatisfied with the results said we have to do something about it and thus Penguin was born. So, as you can imagine when they first released it, there was a lot of reliance on the tools. Like so you would use Ahrefs.com so you would use Majestic database of links and you could turn wherever you could Google Search Console or wherever you could to pull down the links to look at and try and figure out what among this Google might be looking at spams? What do they think was so bad that you lost traffic? Well, there were other things going on at the time as well, so people sometimes confuse Panda -which is largely content related - with Penguin. So you can’t confuse the two and you have to have a sense of what constitutes a low-quality link. This is what raised the conversation from quantity of links to quality of links and so you really had to think about that so.
Like so you would use Ahrefs.com so you would use Majestic database of links and you could turn wherever you could Google Search Console or wherever you could to pull down the links to look at and try and figure out what among this Google might be looking at spams? What do they think was so bad that you lost traffic? Well, there were other things going on at the time as well, so people sometimes confuse Panda -which is largely content related - with Penguin. So you can’t confuse the two and you have to have a sense of what constitutes a low-quality link. This is what raised the conversation from quantity of links to quality of links and so you really had to think about that so.
Omi: But let’s just make something very, very clear. Are links still important? Because since Google released the first basically Penguin 1.0, people started questioning: Are links important? Shall we link to other websites? Shall we allow other websites to link to us? This is a valid question? It’s freaking out a lot of small businesses.
Michael: During a recent hangout that Google does their webmaster hangouts and if you don’t have the time to put into sitting through them, people get to post their questions to Muller and Ilias and you know all these guys from Google and sometimes you get a pretty good, pretty clear answers. So Anton Shulke on his webinar series that you know very well, he had a gentleman, the Googler, he’s actually based in Ireland whose name escapes me now. But what he said during it was the clearest indication that I have heard in ages about what really is important to the algorithm. And he basically said that it is content, links, and RankBrain in no particular order, right?
So we know that links are among the top two signals out there. And still to this day so you know, here we are at the end of the time period where for the last 2/3 years everybody talks about content, content marketing all the time. Inbound marketing and links while everybody has been thoroughly beaten by Penguin. Anybody who really knew what was going on was struggling to detoxify their links and all of that. Here now at the conclusion of all this talk about content, I think that links may be and maybe Bill Hartzer has an insights on this I think that links have become an almost neglected tool in what people use to rank their websites better in Google.
Omi: Bill, do you want to add anything to this one about links?
Bill: Yea, you know it turns out that Google has as I believe it was Gerry for Google who just within the past week or two, they did say that it is still extremely difficult to rank well in Google without links. So, that is a primary factor. I mean it really is. Other than content, it is really still possible. It’s extremely difficult to rank without links. You have to have links from other websites, you know as far as the organic algorithm. Even in Google News and so forth, you got to have the links and when we are talking about the links, not just necessarily static links but from websites and blogs and trusted sites but we do need those social links as well. I mean every social tweet is considered a link.
Omi: So my clients and friends will normally ask me if you will have to rank them, which one will be more important. Content or links?Because as an SEO manager I have seen a lot of websites ranking just on links, backlinks and with let’s not call it bad content but a content that it’s not that good. Do you think that links are in a way a little bit more important than content? The same question to Michael and Zara.
Michael: But I think you are going into a kind of controversial territory in a way that you know you are comparing content with links and you might say you need both but when we think of this content nowadays seems to be some words extensive of maybe a thousand words (you know) text matter and some cases images but mainly things that can be easily crawled indexed understood by Google ripped apart and known for semantic core and all the rest of it and content is so much more than that.
So once Google has a sense like, let’s say we are talking about an e-commerce site and their content is very thin and sparse and if it was ranking on that alone, it will rank very poorly. Yet they have the right product names and brand names of products on their site that Google very clearly understands and has done a great job of indexing and Google is very happy to send traffic there because now, Google is probably,(people argue about this) people supplying user experience signals to the traffic, so they have great content but I have great products, people arrive on my site from search, they don’t bounce away, they don’t bounce back to search pull those sticking as Rand Fishkin likes to call it and stick around and the pages are clear, they are actionable and have some form of conversion right there that people use and Google is very happy to send traffic there. So, what’s more important, it has to be, I mean you can fall on either side. I say it has to be both but I think you need a very different understanding of what content is than what the way most people frame it in their minds.
Zara: Now, I totally agree with that because where content and user experience. I just work with a business owner and we pretty much together redesigned how the website would work according to his customer segments. He has several customer segments and then each of those segments they were segments. And links are really important. It’s all that stuff about (you know) content, content, when you talk about RankBrain and RanBrain, is learning all those associations within the text of the content. So if you are writing clearly, it doesn’t matter if it’s short or long. Google is understanding and the more it understands, the more it understands. Which I think is really exciting on that. Omi and I talked about RankBrain, when was that? Way back. Omi said ‘You don’t have to do anything, just keep doing everything that you have been doing that’s good’ and I have to agree with that but with links within content, I don’t think it’s either one, I think it’s both.
You know when you are creating content, you want to have links that are appropriate to what you are saying and have those links relate to what you are saying in each piece. And that the best way to do that is for each piece of content, there is one focus theme.
Omi: Yes, exactly.
Zara: And then those links are going to be supporting that theme, whatever it is that you are saying.So I don’t think it’s an either or-or situation because you are looking at those three Google ranking factors.
Omi: Before going into the next question, I just wanted to make a small announcement. Since I announced this Hangout on LinkedIn, my LinkedIn is full of so many questions. Looking at the list here more than fifty. So probably we are not going to be able to answer all of them in the 1hr we’ve got but I’m sure that if you contact me directly or Michael or Bill or Zara, they will be more than happy to answer your questions directly or in person. So, let’s go to the main thing, Michael.Tell us a little bit about this update that happened on 22nd September.
Michael: So, the long awaited release of Penguin 4.0 that Gerry Muller and Ilias Tacker and other people had grown tired of responding to questions about when is going to come and when is it not going to come and they kept saying before the end of the year and any day now and it finally arrived. So look quiet at first. First things that happened had to do with watching Penguin work on the latest update as if Google had crawled the information and was applying it in the old fashioned of applying an update and so actually, probably in the first couple of weeks, about the first week, there is probably more negative effect and things falling in the rankings of web pages falling, not the entire domains but batches of web pages that had particularly bad links.
Now Google is a zero sum game so, of course, if you are driving things down in ranking, other things are rising, ok! Maybe not as radically, though, maybe everything kind of shifts up by like a position or two and that’s it. But around the second weeks (2nd week of October) was when Google announced this after people noticed the effect and spoke about it. The positive effect started to occur and you see people like Glenn Gabe and Jennifer Slegg and people talking about and even showing images from whether it’s from SEMrush where from people’s Google analytics account that showed the resurgence in organic traffic from Google.
Now Google is a zero sum game so, of course, if you are driving things down in ranking, other things are rising, ok! Maybe not as radically, though, maybe everything kind of shifts up by like a position or two and that’s it. But around the second weeks (2nd week of October) was when Google announced this after people noticed the effect and spoke about it. The positive effect started to occur and you see people like Glenn Gabe and Jenifer Slag and people talking about and even showing images from whether it’s from SEMrush where from people’s Google analytics account that showed the resurgence in organic traffic from Google.
Now Google is a zero sum game so, of course, if you are driving things down in ranking, other things are rising, ok! Maybe not as radically, though, maybe everything kind of shifts up by like a position or two and that’s it. But around the second weeks (2nd week of October) was when Google announced this after people noticed the effect and spoke about it. The positive effect started to occur and you see people like Glenn Gabe and Jenifer Slag and people talking about and even showing images from whether it’s from SEMrush where from people’s Google analytics account that showed the resurgence in organic traffic from Google.
A stepwise and I'm looking at one here, in particular, starting about the 21st of October and by about the 25th, much of the recovery had occurred and in this case I was almost at 20% or 15-20% increase in the total number of keywords for which this particular website was ranking again and have been dropped out. So there are a lot of things that play into this and the original Penguin strike, you might have experienced any number of positions lost for a particular keyword and you could drop back to the second page, you could have dropped completely out of the top one hundred. So that’s it, to see these recoveries, to hear about them and make some casual increase from people that thank grace, I used to work with, we do lots of link profiling and a lots of recoveries and through a soul, every one of them says that their facts have been positive so that’s good to hear.
Omi: So, are you saying something like Google has to literally re-crawl the whole Internet so and only then we are going to see the positive or negative changes.
Michael: So yes, what I am saying is that disavow file that a lot of people created to recover from Penguin where you put the domains of all the sort of bad link sources that you had, your browsing directory, the ‘free for all links’ and the link schemes and all of that . The disavow files that you filed -and you may have done this up to two years ago or even further back - Google then had to go and check through them and crawl those domains and in some cases those precise URLs you may have entered in there in order to figure out.
Did those link sources still exist? They could have completely been taken down, abandoned, there is all kinds of things that could have happened and so that had to be verified and then in addition to that, there is this whole thing about incorporating Penguin into the core algorithm.
Omi: That would have been my next question because I can see here in the list. It’s one of my top questions, and many people asked me this: “What do they mean by the new algorithm is part of the core Google Algorithm?”There is another question from somebody else on LinkedIn where they were asking me “In a way if we say that the new algorithm is part of the core algorithm now, are we talking about an update or a completely new algorithm? I am just trying to combine two questions into one.
Michael: So you know, if I can just answer that then somebody else can jump in at it really is that in the past and this is why people had to wait two years, it was the update and the idea of an update is they have a specific crawl and then an action that they take on the database result that was Penguin; that’s when result occurred, they usually occurred in a compressed time frame after this specific crawl. Now, every time Google does its crawl and crawls your particular site, especially the sites that are linking to you, right? Now it’s going to take effect much more rapidly. If you are a big site and got lots of fresh content and Google is on your site crawling it several times a day, they could act that rapidly. If your site that’s a blog, maybe you get out a post every week or two and you only crawled like once a week well, that’s the frequency with which Penguin or any other of the core algorithms will act.
Omi: Ok I get it. So, Bill “How should we understand the ‘real time update’? Why are we talking about first real time update and then part of the core algorithm at the same time?
Bill: Well essentially, what Michael had said was that which is absolutely correct which is ‘that basically they have been running the regular algorithm update to figure out everything’ but then at a certain period of time they had to actually, manually start this filter which was Penguin that they applied to the main database or the main setup search results and so they previously had to do that manually, so but now...
Omi: Can you further explain what you mean by manually because I can’t really imagine them going to say a website like David Mail and checking every single link?
Bill: No, it’s essentially they have a separate filters and separate crawlers that are crawling all the links and they put them all in the database and figure out everything and then really just combine the two (Penguin with the current set of search results) which basically would as originally have whereas you would rank well with the core search results but then it applies this filters that say "Ok", if this site has bad links then essentially, you were ranking well before and they then can or you’ll be kind of just be dropped out.
What I am seeing now is that there are still, you’ve been since this real time which basically means that as they crawl the webinars, they discover a way to your website and as they cash the page in Google cash, that’s the time when they have the ability to apply that link, whether the good or bad link toward to your site. So from before, when they say manually; there is not any combining of the database basically, everything now happens essentially as they crawl the web and they evaluate ranks.
Zara: So I think the positive results of the changes that in the old ways that Penguin happened, if they were bad links on the site, that site was penalized. But now, it’s page by page so if you can have a page that Google says “Oops! Bad Link” but that doesn’t affect the entire site. It’s page by page now, so I think that a good sign for people and that as they check their links and fix those links, those pages can come back but the whole site isn’t penalized.
So I think it’s like breathing room for a lot of people who have experienced that in the past and that the results are more or less instant whereas before you have to wait and wait and wait and wait for the next Penguin to come around.
So it is especially beneficial for small businesses when this is their website and it was penalized and then it was a long, long time between the times they actually fix the problem and when they got back Google’s good graces as it were. So I think that’s a real benefit as that real time component is that the entire site is not penalized anymore.It’s page by page.
Bill: Yes, what I am actually seeing is that previously is an entire website was penalized. And so I’ve got clients who literally before real time Penguin, no matter what we did, it just didn’t matter to the site and fix the links and disavow and completely remove links, they still had this penalty. When real time kicked in, what I am seeing is there are still this core or a lot of core sites that whereas they are a lot of the links that they had built were very specific anchor text and their money keyword and their best and more supporting keyword in anchor text linking to the home page and so what I am seeing is still there are a lot of sites out there and I talk to site owners that say ‘ok, well actually their entire pages are a lot of those rankings and long term/tail phrases have come back in the search results because they don’t have as many anchor text links, they have links to enter your pages but they don’t have as many or they were not as aggressive before with linking but one of the bad links will point you to their home page.
So in fact, what’s happening is that sites have come back with the fair amount of traffic but still, we are not seen with real time Penguin, the sites home page in particular coming back and so when I am talking it to analyzing some sites with new clients that are come out in the past week or so. I have looked at sites and seeing they still have a lot of anchor text optimize anchor text from world quality sites and their home pages don’t come back but all the interior pages. So there has been a bump in traffic but not where we really want it to be and that really is a clue to the effect that you just talked about Zara, about the fact that it’s page by page.
Michael: Yea and it’s definitely a granularity to it and that’s great and it was another feature out that came out while Googler and I thinks it was Muller was talking about this in a Hangout that it’s really a demotion of the site or page to which the link points. It goes back to the origin, it goes back to the link source and so if that link source or method of linking is overly engineered, if its exact match anchor text like Bill was talking about, if it’s overly engineered linking with just playing old bad irrelevant linking then, it will no longer deliver value and this something I think a lot of SEOs and merchants struggle with all of the time. It’s not that it’s a penalty any longer, right?But being told that Penguin is really about just demolishing the value from the link so it no longer helps. A bad link is not going to help, a good link will help.
So part of my take away from this which I find very heartening but could be ruined overnight by venture of foolish SEOs is that you can build as many links as you want and as long as you don’t get way beyond the balance point where you’ve got really bad links then they are the majority of your links then you are fine.
You have the balance and you have some real relevant high authority useful links and you are bringing a lot of quality traffic but you could still be doing some not so best practice not so great link building. Just to swell the volume of links and ok so the threat there is no longer that your pages will sink, that your website will drop in rankings. The threat now is you are simply going to spend money on the effort that’s not going to deliver value anymore.
Well, that’s probably the part of the equation where it belongs, that’s where the robber hits the road. If you want to spend money on crappy links, go ahead, but it’s not going to help and I think that’s great, that kind of changes the equation
Omi: Guys, I just want you to…because you’ve already mentioned it and because one of the questions actually so the new update works basically on page level and there are some funny questions here so, a guy is asking me “Can I actually if the new algorithm update is working on a page level, Can I actually experiment with parts of my website and (I know it’s funny) if it’s not gonna sink the whole website, can I do an experiment on just one part of the website? What do you think Michael? It’s a valid question.
Michael: That’s a very good question, can I experiment? Yes, of course, you can experiment. It’s a client website. Just don’t experiment on like the most popular page that brings the most revenue. Right? if you have lots of more organic traffic and lots of conversions. Don’t work on that page. Pick another one but, there is a whole lot to mention to this and we ran into this really frequently while diagnosing websites that had declines in traffic, declines in organic traffic and trying to figure out what the issue was and you can still face this issue today.
So if you experiment too much and you get a bulk increase in bad links on particular pages, you could trigger a signal that says…. And literally, we would see this in a range where the volume of bad links to a particular URL was 55 to 65% of the inbound links. If we found that this majority of links, this point was reached, then it could trigger a manual penalty.
Somebody can come along and filter that page and once that’s begun, look out! Right? Because when somebody is manually looking at your web page and they are like in college or grad school and they are making $10 an hour and just said you know what like “Let me check out some of this other pages on this website”, so your experiment, if you do it and you are really overdoing it could bring some really bad attention to other pages on your site and you could trigger like the dOminance are falling, now bunch of my pages are being filtered and you are watching your traffic go down organically.
Bill: At the same time, we’ve got to keep in mind that if there are a lot of bad links pointing to one particular page other than your home page, you could actually remove that page on your site where all the links are pointing to. If you remove that page, then actually hopefully, it doesn’t work if it’s your home page but if all the links and all your bad links are pointing to one interior page, you remove that page on the site and make it a 404 error and you can actually be radically also help your site now on the contrary.
Michael: And it’s curious Bill like you have a lot of background and domain names, right? You are an expert and that’s very true. The whole thing about ending a penalty, I think triggers or It brings a lot on knowing the real penalty or the source of the penalty, you have to really do a good job of diagnosing because some of the things that I have heard especially with manual filters applied at the domain level, if you trigger that, you can remove all the pages practically, you can sell the domain name and the next owner might have a serious problem out at the gate so I don’t know has it been your experience.
Bill: It has been, I mean their links stay with the domain from you know, even if bad links were built to a domain 10 years ago and the domain has changed ownership, those links are still pointing to that domain so you can definitely inherit. So I will definitely do due diligence if I buy a domain.
Omi: Because we are talking about it and I’ve got this question directly for Bill. Let’s clarify. Is it true that all algorithms work on a page level and not just the new Penguin? Do you understand my question?
Michael: Zara, do you want to take that one?
Omi: This question is directly for Bill but you can answer it Michael.
Michael: I would say that what we know about Penguin especially is that it works not necessarily even at the page level which is something that’s Zara was talking about and it’s true because the link only points to one page at a time. Right?
Omi: It’s true.
Michael: But it works at the link level. Its individual links look at the quality of the link, the source of the link, the way it’s engineered and it says “Good or Bad link” “Pass Value or Not”. Boom, done.
So it’s even more granular at the page level in a sense. Now the question gets back to other algorithms and updates and are they applied at their domain level, at the page level.
Probably the majority of them are applied at the page level and it’s only in my experience when you get to a manual penalty that it starts to become really domain wide and that’s somebody’s judgment that you have been so nefarious in your practices that you do not deserve to be showing and (you know) the top ranks for literally anything.
But I mean it starts to look like domain problems like you get a Panda thing going and your content is all thin and shallow and you’ve scraped other sites or something and then it looks like every single page is sliding and then you are going down and it may not happen overnight. It may take time as Google revisits your site, it gets deeper and deeper and you see this long, slow and very sad six-month decline in you overall organic traffic But that’s another thing so it looks domain wide. You have analytics, right? So you have to look and you have to look at the individual page level and see what is sliding as part of your diagnostic.
Zara: Now, I think that’s a really important point is for people, not everyone is an SEO. I am not one, you know what I mean. But it is really important to pay attention to what’s happening with your site and use Google analytics and the Search Console to really get an understanding of what’s going on with your site because all that information helps you tune what you are doing on your site. And I think the really important thing for people who create content is being able to take a look at the Google analytics if you are writing regularly for a particular business or something.
To look at the Google Analytics, because there are also things that hurt like broken links and those can come from an array of things that happened and if you’ve been writing for a site for a while, you can discover that people that are quoted or articles that they refers to are not on the page anymore or they are just a number of ways that links could get broken and Google doesn’t like that either, so if you have a number of broken links, it really pays to go back and there are many reasons to go back and review your content on a regular basis but links are one of them because if over time you accumulate a number of broken links, Google is going to find out .
Michael: Yeah, you’ve hit on something really good there Zara. Even as a writer knowing that there are inbound links and outbound links that could be really useful. You are linking to something really higher authority. Outbound links have been proven to actually contribute to higher rank for pages. So when you are writing an article about some kind or form of commerce and you link to the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) or something, awesome. What could be more authoritative than that? So that’s one thing, you don’t want those links to break on your own site but the inbound links, I like the name we used to call it “link rot”.
So over time, the links will just decay and sites go down, or get removed or Bill you’ll sell your domain cause the domain name is more valuable than you are making from the site itself or something. There are all kinds of things that happened, so you are getting at link monitoring.
Zara: It is link monitoring. I mean I’ll give you a really good example; this week, I was checking some links and Eric Enge of all people you know from two years ago there were links to various articles that Eric had written lately. One of them was totally gone. He decides for whatever reason had removed that article so broken link.
Omi: Did you tell him?
Zara: So it really pays to monitor that especially as content accumulates.
Michael: Right in there Zara, there is a factor that is easy to see any tools about their value of the link, we are used to thinking about that. It’s the page authority of the page that’s sending the link or you can look at the domain in general and say domain authority is a very easy way of saying you know at back in the day we used to say pagerank with Google swears (you know Lol), They were (…42:57) PageRank, (don’t think about it, we are not going to give you that number anymore) but knowing that will tell you the value of the link looking at the traffic through a particular link can be helpful as well but even just in general knowing the value of a link says “Do I need to recreate that link?” If I am changing the URL’s on my site, I’m rewriting URL’s or I am moving sections of I’m moving sections of my site or I’m migrating my domain name or something like that “do I need to do what we call link reclamation?”
Well you might have 500,000 links “are you going to contact all of those link sources and say “Hey, by the way, rewrite my link for me.”Well, Good luck with that (you know, that might take a couple of years)
But, the most valuable links, right! If you find out what they are and it’s a couple of hundred, three hundred links or something. Yes, get on it! Because if you’ve got high domain authority links pointed to your blog, to your posts, to a particular items in your ECOM, do it!!Those are definitely the ones you want to invest some time in.
Zara: I want to explain to people that I am not what people think of as an SEO or I don’t mess with other people’s websites, Ok? But the reason I got involved in thinking about SEO was that I really believe it’s important for people who write content for other people to know this things and be aware of them.
Omi: Thank you very much, Zara.
Zara: These people are your clients, you don’t want to mess up their websites because you are writing a soft copy and it’s really important to have this overview of what’s going on behind the scenes with your content which gives the writer, it’s really an obligation to your client to be aware of these things and if you are including links and all those things in your content, then you are doing it knowledgeably.
Omi: Yes, I’ve just received an email. Another question but this one is directed to Michael. I have disavowed about 10% of my backlinks but the penalty is still in place. What did I do wrong?Michael: So we would expect that you would have done a great disavow and there are hosts already that are easy to find and like the three mistakes that you can make with your disavow file and maybe even Bill Hartzer might have written something like that.So it’s easy to diagnose pretty much what your issues might be.
Did you write the file correctly? Most of the time it’s useful to disavow entire domains rather than individual links. I mean you might struggle with things, if you are doing it as an agency, you clear up somebody’s Penguin issues. You might be forced by that client to work on individual links and yes, you can build those into your disavow files that you sent to Google.But your quickest action is going to be put entire lousy domains or sources of bad links into the disavow file and on mass, 60/600 bad links from that particular domain will no longer count against you in Google’s mind.
So go ahead and do that!! If you haven’t seen any positive result by now. We are into November now.If you haven’t seen a positive result consider that it’s really not a Penguin issue. That it’s not necessarily a link issue. So there is a lots of other sources of manual filters and if you’ve been suffering for two years, you could have started two years ago with assuming that it was Penguin and now maybe there were something else going on.
So was it a Panda issue? Was it part of some kind of a local kind of thing, there is a million different ways that Google is going to try and get everybody a total line. Build a quality website and only show good stuff and not try to spam the index.So in that case, you would want to have an expert, maybe Bill Hartzer, you know.
I might do it on SOE agency. Omi Sido, you can look at his site and say “What, here is your problem.”Reach out a little bit and go beyond. The greatest thing I think is probably would bury this out. The SEO community is a bunch of people united by the idea that organic traffic is very important and Google can be a friend, can deliver a lot of traffic. It’s not the only source but SEOs help each other out because nobody knows the algorithm. Nobody knows all the 200 other factors. Nobody knows that. So only when we talk to each other, that we help each other and I think a lot of SEOs really get that.
All of us are smarter than anyone of us. Reach out to other SEOs.
Bill: So make sure that we have disavow and so forth. But there is two factors order for a link, you can disavow a link. But in order for that to be counted, Google has to crawl that link again. So those 10% that he mentioned considering it could be that Google does not crawl those links again or they may not be allowed to crawl. So the site actually, the links could be there and Google could not be allowed to crawl because of the Robots.txt on the site that’s actually linking to you. They are not able to crawl so they can’t see weather the link is there or not.
Michael: Definitely, definitely.
Bill: Disavow is good but when it comes to a manual penalty, if it is a manual penalty, the person asking the question didn’t say whether it’s a manual penalty or not or it’s just a Penguin penalty, but the next step actually is disavow. Just go out and get the links removed completely and either manually do it, link up to who is the owner of the domain name and reach out to the site real owner. Just harass him by email until they tell you to go away or till they will remove the link or tell you that it’s going to cost $50 for you to get the link removed or just use remove or www.rmoov.com which I use a lot to get those links removed. So it’s not just disavow it, you have to get them removed.
Michael: So Google says - the reason why I am raising one of my fingers is not because I want to interrupt you - but that you said that very important thing which was part of the good link detoxification and was part of the good Penguin recovery was obeying Google’s wish and their desire that you first try to get the bad links removed.
So why? They don’t have to ever crawl that lousy link again. I mean that’s nice and tidy for them. So do it first but so many SEOs and so many web managers said “Why will I waste my time emailing somebody 3 times trying to get a link taken down only to have him turn around and tell me I’ll take that link down for $50.
Now I have to pay to have a link removed? I mean common, you built it for free, now I am over a barrel and you are going to charge me?” That was pretty bad but that happened a lot. So people said “well, I’m just not going to bother with that, I’ve discovered through experimentation that I can just build my disavow file, skip that first step which was to have the link removed and still getting effect from Google.
Well, Bill comes back to the point. There is a good reason why you kill the links if you can, there is a lot of outreach programs that will let you send the series of emails, each one more pleading and desperate than the last “please remove that link, you are killing me” and then finally to put it in disavow. And just to take this one step further, John Muller noted by www.seroundtable.com I believe it was, talked about the disavow file and when it’s ok to remove domains from your disavow file. So people who are more tidy than I am, people who are good plant Waterers and their plants don’t all die like mine do (Lols). People who will be ready to go back and clean up that disavow file and take things out that they don’t need any more.
So the question was “When can I take those links out of my disavow file? And so John Muller says “If you cleaned up the links and they have been reprocessed (in other words re-crawled) and they don’t exist anymore, they simply aren’t there then you can remove those URL’s from the disavow file, not until”.
So came back again and kind of emphasized that “if those links are still live, unnatural passing PageRank - he said PageRank - and you can’t remove them, keep them in the disavow file”.
Well, so I might look at this whole situation because I’m basically lazy and say “why the heck would I go and take anything out of a disavow file?” Live it in there forever and just add things to it when necessary. Don’t obsess over it. It’s kind a little nuts.
Omi: Thanks, Michael, this so insightful. So to go to the next question (oh my God, the time is flying).What is a low quality link? Because we are talking a lot about links. What is really a low quality link? And the question somewhere here was that the guy was saying “I was writing an article about my local community and all the local websites started linking to me but they are all small websites. Are they bad links or good links?
Michael: Bill, sure you want to take that one
Bill: I think it really comes down to the intent of the link. Yes, it’s a small web blogger who makes a link to you and it’s a local community website, they may not have too many links. It’s not necessarily a bad link, it’s more as somebody who cleans up links all the time and sees them. When I evaluate them, I am looking more for stuff that is really obvious that it’s web spam. That is link exchange networks, a one way links.com where you pay ex amount of dollars and they put your link to one network and all these other networks link to you.
It’s the article directories, it’s more of the traditional web spam. In a lot of cases, it is hard to spot but typically if you did the link or you paid for the link or you gave blog comment spam with exact marked anchor text. It’s difficult to look at and explain without actually saying “Ok, this is a good link or bad link” you probably would know it if you see it.
Michael: The list goes on and on, it has to do with the domain. So like Bill was saying, you see those lousy, lousy domain names are like linkfree.com or something like that, you will know as soon as you see them, you are like “I am killing all those links”.So the link sources are lousy, you know, those things are still out there. The directories where you would go and my company name starts with a “B” so, I go to the “B” part of this directory and I create a link to myself. Nobody goes to those sites, nobody uses those links, it’s a ghost town. Why would you even do that? So anything that’s like free for all directory, directory USA, whatever. That’s not going to help you. A lot of links are built through personal profiles and so even authors such as Zara, not Zara but such as Zara could be building out, you know there is a lot of websites where you can build out an author profile and you would build the link to yourself to your own website or to a client’s website or something and or dozens of clients websites and so profile links became devalued.
It was just like another source of spam. Now the better domains of course, still has value but there is a lot of junk out there. Links as Bill said “exact match anchor text” - bad placement of links.
So if your links are occurring on every single page of a domain, then that’s bad because every single page on their website can’t be relevant to what it’s linking to, it can’t be relevant to what it’s linking to. It can’t be relevant to you. So if you are a sidebar link on a blog and it keeps cOming back to your site then Google is going to say “no”. Maybe one of the links is valued but not all of them. If you have the links in the footer, they are cOming back to you, there is another source of bad link practice. There was an issue where design studios that both websites and even like people who had built Wordpress templates had links back to themselves to say “This template is by so and so.”
That web template “by so and so” link occurred on like 60,000 web pages across the web and part of the initial Penguin strike and they got it removed was to say this can’t be relevant not only that but it killed the template makers traffic completely.
So that was something that had to be taken back sort of by Google. So you know there is all kinds of different ways if you have a bolt on set of links, you started a contract, the contract to build you 5000 links on the 29th of every month. Google sees this and goes “Something is going on”. So whether it’s actually Penguin or a manual thing, that’s a big wide open signal and that brings up negative SEO and that’s another topic for another day but there are lots and lots of signals, lots of SEOs who have gone through this in the past who know what a lot of this signals are, look around, find out what they are? Find a veteran who has been through it and we can probably help.
Omi: Another question for Bill. Bill, can you hear me? How to run a Penguin audit? What is your favorite tool? And this same question goes to Michael, Zara if you are using any tools.
Bill: So what I like to do is to make sure that you just find all of the links. And just the nature of the web now and crawling is that to use Microsoft Excel and just use all of the tools available from explorer to SEMrush, from Majestic, from your own Google Search Console links essentially Ahrefs and combine them into one spreadsheet and then remove the duplicate and so forth. Yeah, you can crawl them yourself. You can use Screaming Frog or something like that and crawl to see which of those pages still exist and so forth.
But there are tools you can then take all those links and aggregate them into link research tools using LinkDetox.com you can literally just once you have that list in Microsoft Excel just go through the list. A lot of cases you can just look at the URL and say okay you know this is a good domain.
I was going through a list this morning a local business and anything that says yahoo.com I know it’s their local business listing on yahoo so it’s probably okay I don’t even need to look at the link. Other ones that says /link.html or any URL that says /resource2.html, some of these that you can typically spot the link by just working through the URL’s, which ones that are good and bad. But again there are some so it’s kind of a combination of getting all the links from all sort of different sources and then put them into one place where you can deal with them and start working to that.
Michael: Yea, manually filtering. That was a great list of tools definitely though I think it’s pretty much better than all the ones I’ve ever used. It kind of brings up another factor which is resolving link problems is one thing but link building seeking great link sources you might be looking at the same tools and there is this important thing that somebody brought to me - I am not the genius here - somebody said this to me at a show. Did you know let’s say Ahrefs has 10.6 trillion links in their database - it’s amazing - and the crawl them over and over which is like a mass of amount of crawling. But a lot of those links in their database that you are looking at may be for purposes of building links are already disavowed like other people and you have no way of knowing. So these links may have no value, you have to be able to evaluate this yourself before you go out reaching and trying to get links built. So a lot of like what Bill is saying ability to quickly manually - to use his word - visually filter that and figure out what’s a good link source or consider it this way.
You’ve got Majestic, you’ve got Ahrefs may be they are out there getting every single link on the web and throwing it into database disavowed or not. Or you’ve got somebody like an SEMrush who deliberately pulls the link sources only from what’s ranking well in Google.Now I’ve got a link source that data base that has value. Right now am not pushing SEMrush. Moz has its own link sources kind of does some of the same things? Deduped, cleaned up and all.
Omi: You used to work for the right?
Michael: Oh! Yea.
Omi: I’m just joking.
Michael: You know that’s the other side of all these. And I think that’s a good may be take away for people Don’t be afraid of the Penguin if you have a sense for what is useful for people and makes a good link and it’s likely to bring you useful eye balls, useful traffic, good visitors. Do it and don’t be afraid and you know you brought up local don’t be afraid because Pigeon update made those local links that you brought up even more important than they ever were.
Now in the past people chased N.A.P(name, address, phone) they try to clean up all your citations all across the web. Why? So that you would rank better locally. Which turns out that those local links are more important than ever before and just because they are local and they are from a small website is not at all anything about quality. I mean you know just it’s probably the bulk link building, the engineered link ,the link schemes, all those things that SEOs do at scale are probably the worst.
Omi: And because you mentioned it, I really want to ask this question. Because you’ve mentioned it somebody asked straight away: “Is replicating best backlinks from competitors a good idea?”Michael: Yeah replicating the links is going to dilute the link equity in the sense if you think of it the old way of link juice - however, you want to think of it - that page has a certain amount of authority or PageRank to deliver. The more links from that page to wherever else on the web, each page is going to get a fraction now of what could be delivered. That’s an oversimplified way of looking at it. What it won’t hurt is: it won’t hurt relevance. So if it’s relevant and you and it’s going to deliver good traffic and some of that traffic converts, yeah!! You go after it.
Omi: It must be relevant because they are competitors, right?
Michael: Yea, I mean right you hope that it’s relevant. So it’s not something that’s going to hurt but it’s not something that I would put at the top of my priority list. The great thing is to find/side step the competition and find the other link sources because if you are not finding the other stuff then you’ll probably not have tried you know. I mean there is so much stuff out there.
Bill: You know, what I would like to do, I do like to look at competitive links and see what links the competitor has. I mean as definitely because there are some good places where you know competitors would have links and you could get them. You are not going to get all of the links you know that your competitor has so there will be a few but I actually like to do is I like to crawl my competitor's site and get a list of the links that they are linking out to. Then get a link from where they are linking to because then your competitor links to another site and they are passing it over to you. So essentially your competitor is then linking to you.
Omi: Reverse engineering. I love it, honestly, I love it. Bill, there is a question directly for you. What is the correct way to outreach really? Because you know there are a lot of small website. They may have great content but people don’t normally link to them so they have to go and do an outreach. So what do you think is the correct way to ask for a link?
Bill: Basically a question really what I like to say in the way I can do It is the more personalized message you can to contact that person. You need to prove to that other website that you actually looked at their website. There are ways to write a generic email and ask a 100 website for their links but when it comes to the quality ones it is making a relationship and actually working and viewing their website. If it’s a blog then you are looking at a blog post, mentioning a blog post in particular, asking them a question. It’s more about the relationship and personalizing that message rather just sending out an 100 or even a 1000 outreach emails. It’s about building that relationship and if you keep that in mind when you are doing your outreach then that’s going to be long term.
I have had cases where one of my blogs I ran ahead and made some comments and started to build a relationship with another blogger and was able to - it turned into a little conversation couple emails later- and you know I offered to write a blog for his blog and he wrote an article for my blog. Outreach needs to happen with when it comes in the sense of relationships and not just by email but by connecting with people on Twitter, on Facebook, LinkedIn. Any other way to do that connection.So the old style like sending out a 1000 emails you know to the food bloggers to get them to write about your new restaurant is not as effective as saying you are actually inviting a food blogger in your city to come actually into your restaurant and write about it.
Omi: Okay guys we are running out of time but I really want to cover two questions very quickly.What about Social Media links? Can’t they be toxic?
Michael: So if I can take the first part of that, I have a friend who jumps down my throat every time I talk about social media because he swears that it has no direct value for purposes of SEO. That those links from the social networks are all “nofollow links” and therefore they don’t really drive PageRank.
And in that greatest sense of direct he is right. It’s not of direct value. But they have all those indirect values that has to do with bringing traffics, the traffics sticking around, building trust people come back and revisit your site. They go back to Google later. They look up your domain on Google and you get a navigational search on your brand name and people end up on your site and you get a good UX signals going back to Google.
There is a lot of great stuff. Could links from social be toxic on the other side of that? Directly again, no. Probably not. But.
Omi: But, what if they are not relevant? I mean the question was going into this way. Can people be picked up by Penguin or not?
Michael: You know social links being “nofollowed” are very unlikely to even be considered by Google and you know I have to go & I just have to say don’t sweat it. You probably or more likely to have reputation issues you know people saying bad things about you on social whatever then you’re to have issues with social links.
Bill: So I have actually, regards to the ‘nofollow, I have had seen one page ranked number 1 in Google for a really very competitive phrase and it only has links from Twitter. It has 16,000 retweets but there are “no follow”. But the same time it is ranking and it only has Tweeter ‘nofollow’ links to it. So I think there are times when Google ignores ‘nofollow; and there are times when they are very specific with it. So it just depends.
Michael: You have to say may be it’s a “quality deserves freshness” kind of thing. And everybody expects Social Traffic to be very spiky and quick on set and having to do with emerging trends and things like that and so sometimes they comes on strong and Google is very interested in delivering fresh news, sport, scores and prices and things like that you know these kind of stuffs.
Even though they’ll swear they are not paying attention of the social signals and it doesn’t affect ranking. It’s going to because who could ignore the 250,000 visit to something who can afford to do that? Google can’t afford to do that so, yes definitely part of it.
I did see it, that same test that you are talking about so, talking about links, talking about social links, talking about making sure that Google actually crawls something. I saw the experiment where a guy just tweeted about it. Built a new page and tweeted about it and sure enough didn’t get a crawl out of Google’s show up on that page. No other way, no links internally from the site - just that tweet. So, you know Google is paying some attention there just question about much I guess.
Omi: And this is going to be really my last question. Question coming from William Rock. We all know William rock. How do you think the new algorithm will affect companies in a long term? Is it going to affect companies in any way?
Michael: Why don’t we take this one in turns, don’t you want to start?
Omi: Yea, this is going to be my last question you know. Do you think that people are going to change their habits of building links? Do you think anything gonna change or they are just going to ignore it again?
Bill: No I think it’s positive. I think it gives us a lot more of tools to be able to actually be a more thorough yea you know what we do have links. Yea we can clean them up quickly and efficiently, you know there have been lots of frustration. I have had clients who kept really virtually given up after been penalized for two or three years and closed their businesses just because of Google Penguin. Now you know I think it does have a big impact and I think that finally getting to the point where we have real-time Penguin and in the core algorithm like they have, and I think we have a good point now.
Michael: Yeah, absolutely. I think that like so many things, having been through the experience of the first on slot of Penguin I would have to say that you know there is a reason why Penguin was invented by Google The fact that it has become part of the core algorithm makes faster action for people and so SEOs can experiment more and can correct issues you know using disavow so it becomes much more fluent.Thinking about that says to me, people like Page One Power and people who build their businesses on building links in the best possible way. Things could take off for them because I think a lot of the risk has gone out of it. Companies themselves, webmasters themselves , may be somebody runs her own e-come or something like that. You not waiting two years any more you know it’s going to happen all of the time.In the back of my mind, I’m saying two things.
There are people out there very eager to get ahead and make lots of money and build tons of links and so some of the old practices may come back, some new ones may be invented, there’s a lot of automation that can be done now. There’s lot of, I don’t want to say artificial intelligence but machine learning that can be applied in this. Like you know there’s this idea of injected attacks that are happening in Wordpress and other places, so there’s a lot of nefarious practices still. So one is I know people are going to try to abuse links because there are SEOs who always will and on the other side I’ll have to say that Google is going to continue even though Penguin is part of it. Yea may be Penguin has a little brother you know that comes along somewhere down the line.
Omi: Zara, any final thoughts? I like the idea about the little brother.
Zara: I like the little brother too. It’s just best practices is best practices you know? And the more that people use them the better those sites is going to be. And it pays to educate yourself and I would say this is especially too for small businesses.If you educate yourself about best practices you won’t be playing catch up later and asking guys like Bill and Michael to come in and rescue you. The better your practices the more your website is going to sound.Omi, thank you for inviting me here that’s the other thing.
Omi: You are welcome. On that positive note.
Michael: Thanks, Omi. It was great.
Omi: Thanks for answering all these questions. In all honesty looking at the list we did not even answer 10% of all the questions my follower sent me on LinkedIn but as I said in the beginning, guys if you have any question do email me, do email Bill or Michael or Zara even.And on that note, if you are a link spammer probably nervous now and for those of us who followed all the Google recommendations, have a great weekend. Bye.
Michael: I would just say Omi just one more thing.I mean this is a great content so you’ve got 50 questions. Share them with Bill, share them with myself. If there’s a post that can come out of this if you’ve got a home for it.
Omi: Definitely, there you go guys. And you gonna have an article soon. Bye!
Question from Petar Petrov on Google+:
Michael Stricker / Omi Sido What are the benefits from Penguin 4.0 - the new algorithm being part of the core algorithm and real-time?
Michael:You really should give it a listen, there are some nuances and a list of tools brought up by +Bill Hartzer. Listen while commuting!
1) Penguin 4.0 HAS already had the effect of recovering rank for many pages that disavowed "bad links".
2) Googlers verified that Penguin 4.0 removed the threat of ranking "demotion" due to engineered links. With this cautionary note, from Gary Illyes’ Pubcon keynote October 13, 2016:‘If Penguin sees signs of manipulation, it can decide to discount ALL the links, which can be pretty bad for a site.”
3) Googlers specified the effect of links, would be limited to “devaluation”, either boosting "PageRank" or not. Either the link helps, or does not, but there would be no punitive effect FROM PENGUIN. This does not mean that manual penalties and filters may not be imposed.
4) Incorporation of Penguin into the ‘core algorithm’ enables it to act to devalue links with each routine crawl of target and source. No more 2-year waits for an “update” to run. This may be called “real-time”, though it is not, strictly speaking.
5) For several years, marketing discussions and budgets have been more and more focused on Content Marketing, and that is only ONE of the TWO top ranking factors, according to Googler Andrey Lippatsev. Now, links will regain attention.
### SEO for Photographers
When people search online for images like yours, do your photos come up in the SERPS? Understanding how the search engines work is crucial for your online portfolio and subsequently the number of potential visitors to your website. So let me go through some steps of how to optimise your photography site and get your photos to rank better in Google.
Step 1: Start by investing in a quality web host and an SEO friendly CMS.
Relying on a free hosting solution is never a good idea for photographers. Slow performing servers do not directly impact SEO, but the uptime/downtime do affect the customer experience which is directly related to your income.
Without even knowing it choosing a reliable hosting would be the first step in optimising your page loading speed.The PageSpeed Insights tool (recommended by industry leaders like William Rock and David Sayce in the article Page Speed and SEO) is a great way to assesses your website’s speed and it also offers recommendations for speeding up your pages.
After finding a good hosting solution install an SEO friendly CMS like Wordpress. If you go for Wordpress install a responsive theme. Two years ago Google decided to start downgrading website that is not mobile-friendly. From experience, I can tell you that since Google introduced its Mobile Update non-mobile pages have dropped on average 5 places. Considering that the first 3 places take around 70% of the clicks you can do the math of how much you are losing in revenue by not having a mobile optimised website.
Step 2: Optimise your images for search.
I can talk about optimising images for ages. But let me give you an advice first. Whatever you do make sure your pictures look good. No SEO optimisation should be done at the expenses of image quality. You are in the image business so if your images don’t look good your SEO efforts would be pointless.
With that in mind let me give you my 7 image SEO optimisation tips.
Use descriptive filenames, for example, the model of the car you are shooting. So instead of DC32332 .jpg go for audi-blue-a4.jpg. Do not use special characters and replace spaces with dashes. To understand my point here think about it this way. When Google crawls your website, it can read your text but it can’t see what's on your images. The filename provides an information to the google bot about what’s in the image, so that Google can interpret it correctly.
When naming your images think about how customers search for your product on your website. Do they search for Indian wedding photography or Asian wedding photography? Establish the most common naming patterns they use, and apply that formula to your image naming strategy.Reduce file size by going from 300DPI to 72DPI. Most computer monitors won’t display more than 72dpi, so it becomes quite clear that anything bigger than that is making your file unnecessarily heavy.
Keep your image dimensions down. There is no point in using 3000px when 1000px will do.
Reduce file size by limiting image quality. Don't forget here to go 80% only if it doesn’t affect your image clarity.
Add a caption to each image. Make sure it’ unique.
Where possible have an images/media XML sitemap. An image sitemap can help the Googlebot to find information, that it may not otherwise find through normal crawling. Google explains more about image sitemaps here.
Last but not least add a descriptive and unique ALT tag to each image. The prime function of an ALT tag would be to describe an image to visually impaired visitors or if the picture simply doesn’t display correctly. On the other side, it provides a semantic description of images for search engines. I hope you would agree with me that attracting an additional traffic through Google image search can have a positive impact not only on your SEO visibility but also your bank account.
Best practises for images ALT text.
Make sure each ALT tag is unique.
Make sure an ALT tag naturally uses your target keywords. Do not over do it.
Keep it short. This one is related to the previous one. Long ALT descriptions look spammy. And before you ask me I can tell you that there is no official maximum length of an alt element. Unofficially 125 characters are what we SEOs normally quote. It’s got something to do with how screen readers see the alt element on a page. From experience, I can tell you that 16 words are the maximum number of words that a Googlebot will crawl in the alt text of any given image. But I would never advise you to go over 10 words.
Conclusion:
As a photographer, you need to constantly attract new leads and turn them into customers. A focused SEO campaign will help your photography business to take advantage of FREE traffic from search engines like Google and Bing. If you are working in the photography industry optimising your website for search engines is not a ‘good idea’ anymore.It's a necessity.
### Voice Search - Welcome to the Future
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZW2j-1lVx5M
Next week Amazon Echo is coming to the UK. Will it bring artificial intelligence into our homes much sooner than expected?
To tell us more about the continuing rise of Voice search and how you can adapt to it I will be chatting to Purna Virji - Senior Bing Ads PPC Training Manager at Microsoft.
On this episode, we gonna be talking about:
What is Voice search?
Who is using it and what for?
What search engine does Alexa use?
Is Voice search set to replace text search?
Is Amazon Echo powered by Bing?
How will Voice search affect SEO?
Is it true that Voice search will affect primarily local SEO?
What are the new SERPs?
What should we be doing now in order to prepare for Voice search in the future?
Omi: What is Voice search and why is everybody talking about it and freaking at the same time?
Purna: Firstly, people shouldn't freak out about it. I think there's a lot of amazing things about Voice search that we should look forward to.I just want to add that there have been a few really amazing people talking about Voice searches as well: Tom Anthony from Distilled is a really great voice on the subject.
So let me talk about what is Voice search. It's just a way of using a different interface to interact with the different search engines. You can use Alexa as you're showing it right now or you can even interact regularly with the search engines directly. Instead of typing which sometimes can be troublesome if you're doing something else like if you're driving you shouldn't really be typing on your phone but you may still need to find that information you need. It's just a new additive layer or interface to talk to the search engines.It can also be done via digital personal assistants like Alexa that you have but she will use Bing to run searches as well.Traditionally it’s just like regular searches except it’s been activated via voice and in that way it differs.
Omi: So Purna, tell us who is using it basically and what are the stats? Are people really using Voice search? I know many people we will have this one on their mobile device. I guess and I’ve seen the stats that a lot of people are buying this device (Amazon Echo) in America. So are people using Voice search?
Purna: Very much so. Voice search is being adopted at really increasingly rapid rates. If we look at the stats and even just about a year and a half ago we still found that about forty percent of people above 55 were using Voice search and a much larger percentage closer to sixty-eight percent of people are under 34 were really using Voice search a lot. This study didn't look at 18 and below but if you think about it now if we look at the people who were born using the voice or are familiar with it like my son who's almost ten and he uses Voice search almost all the time - it's just easier it's familiar - and so we see a large percentage of people already started using it like at the start of 2014. Since then much that the use cases have gone up.MindMeld did a study at the end of 2015 and they found that since the summer of last year about forty-two percent of people have just started using voice and I think that's the stats somewhere is now about forty-one percent of people on average across the board use Voice search regularly.
Omi: So from what you are saying is it true that Voice search is basically replacing the normal way we are interacting with our devices? For example, instead of typing on my phone I can just say “okay show me the nearest restaurant”. Do you think that Voice search will replace completely text search?
Purna: I don't think it will replace it completely. I think it is going to take a lot of the time when the traditional uses where we would have had to use text to use voice. So certainly it will take some of the share. But think about as new technology comes on. Like we had our computers before then we got desktop laptops then we got mobile then we got apps right? When you have your mobile you still use your desktop. Now we have apps but we still sometimes go back and use our desktops to do a traditional search. So we're just adding on new ways to interact and voice search may steal some market share but it never replaces traditional search completely. You will still use the old one.
Omi: So the next question then would be is this device, Alexa, powered by Bing? Maybe we should ask Alexa first. Alexa, do you use Bing?
Alexa: You can ask me a question and if I don't know the answer I will perform a Bing search in the Alexa App.
Purna: Alexa is an open platform but all of her searches anytime she needs to do a search she will use Bing. It's the same thing with both Siri and Spotlight for Apple. Siri will use Bing as her default search engine.
Omi: Many people actually don't know about Siri powering Apple. How comes? Is this like a secret of the trade?
Purna: It's certainly not a secret. It's just that it's not like shouted out from the rooftops. We're very open about it telling everybody that yes it's powered by Bing. Most people don't notice but if you say 'where is my nearest restaurant' she'll do a search and give it to you but there will be a sentence that says that it is power searched by Bing but I think people just don't read it because you only look at the searches. But once you notice it you will always notice it.
Omi: So the next question - and all my friends were asking me the same thing when I told them that I would be talking to Purna Virji - how on earth is this thing recognising my voice. Do you use an artificial intelligence of a kind of something like that?
Purna: Absolutely. So all these digital personal assistants Siri, Cortana even Google (OK Google) are all powered on the back end by artificial intelligence and machine learning. She's (Alexa) trying to essentially build a relationship with you. She wants to get to know you better so she can serve you better.
Omi: I have noticed that in the beginning, it (Amazon Alexa) was struggling with my accent a little bit. But somehow nowadays even if I make a mistake grammatical or whatever it will still understand me which is amazing.
Purna: She will and that's also a lot to do with the error rates in the technology. It used to be pretty high before like twenty-five percent two-and-a-half years ago. Now it's less than eight across the board and Microsoft just had a breakthrough at 6.3 percent which is very very low.
Omi: Because you mention mistakes and errors the next question naturally is: is this device (Amazon Echo) connected to your servers? Many people are freaking out - especially with the arrival of Alexa in England - because they think that if this device is constantly on than companies like Microsoft can tap into their private conversations?
Purna: I don't know and I can't comment on what Alexa does because I just don't know the technology behind. Does she listen all the time does she not. I don't know enough to comment on that. It wouldn't be my place to say that. But I don't think people should be really worrying. l would assume that the big companies have built-in safeguards and everything to respect privacy. And I believe when you sign up there's all the terms and conditions they explained it greatly.Now I don't read all the terms and conditions in detail because really who does that? We're just like check the box I want to go and use my device but I'm sure the answers are in there somewhere.
Omi: Of course you've answered my question but what I really wanted to know is: if I ask Siri or Alexa a question how do you know if I'm served the right answer, in a way how do you know the percentage of errors?
Purna: So basically everything gets saved in your account. You've probably noticed that you can go to Google and look at your list of queries. You can look at Alexa's app on your phone and you will have a list of everything you've asked her. They do save it and because you're signed in into your account she gets to know you better. The only goal of the digital personal assistant is to serve you and to make life more and more convenient for you. It is in its interests to get to know you better. So it will know if you've signed in with your Microsoft account, for example, it knows that you tend to search for particular types of things on Bing. So if you are looking for Java then Omi's been planning a trip to Indonesia and he's really not looking for the software. So she will understand you better. So if you say 'I need some info on Java right now she'll give you the country.
Omi: OK, so is it more like machine learning rather than artificial intelligence then?
Purna: It is both. Because if you think she's got IQ she's also got some level of EQ (Emotional quotient). Maybe you've noticed she's got the personality and she will show it to you.
Omi: This was actually my next question. And I am so happy you've mentioned it. What about personality? Do you think that with time this device will actually develop a personality talking to me?
Purna: She already does have a personality and that's an interesting question that the different companies are going to look at. In a way how much personality does your digital personal assistant need? So if I'm the conversation bot from your ATM machine at the bank she probably doesn't need to have much personality. She is just telling you: do you want to check your balance, do you want a receipt or do you want to withdraw money. But somebody like Alexa or Siri if you talk to them for a little while you'll notice that they have a personality. They are engaging.
I'll tell you this one simple example. My son will ask both Siri and Alexa to tell him jokes and then if he doesn't like the jokes sometimes he'll be like 'that was stupid'. So Alexa will say “Oh I'm sorry I'll do better next time’’.She would be very humble and she would be like “I'm sorry”. On the other side, Siri will yell at my son it would be like “that's not very nice”.
Omi: You’ve just reminded me that I can ask this device to tell me a joke. Alex, tells us a joke.
Alexa:“Q: What did one eye say to the other eye?A:Between you and me something smells.”
Purna: Speaking of the personality like that's also something that they're gonna want you to the need for personality so that you continue to engage with her. There is a difference when you call customer support of a company or if you go into a store and they make you feel welcome. You'd rather talk to somebody that makes you feel welcome and you can relate to. Compare this to banks where it will be more like :ok, here's your money and now you can go”. Devices like Alexa need to have a personality so you can engage with her more and she can continue to be more widely adopted.
Omi: Good, so on Monday I can tell all my friends that this thing would be “different to me and different to you”.
Purna: Maybe not that different but she should know what you like so I think she might tell you different kind of jokes or different kinds but her core personality will be the same. It’s like you would relate to maybe your boss slightly differently than you would relate to your friend but who you are is the same.Right?
Omi: You’ve touched a very sensitive spot!
Purna: Sorry I didn’t know.
Omi: No, I’m just joking honestly. So let me ask you the next question: How will Voice search affect SEO? And probably this is the question that a lot of people are asking.
Purna: I think it will impact SEO but in a couple of different ways. The first is just the way we search using voice tend to be different than the way we search using traditional text. So it is just your natural language type queries. It’s more action oriented, it’s more local oriented, so what we search for using voice and what we expect is different than a traditional text, so that’s one side.
The other side is how the search engines and how it will impact your branding. So very recently at SMX last week, I was on a panel of voice search and my fellow panelist Jane Slag who runs the SEM polls and talks very closely to people both at Bing as well as at Google and she was mentioning something about Google showing more snippets and more rich snippets when you do the voice search then you do the text search. Her research shows that rich snippets show over 43% of the time for text searches.
So that was interesting and also like Cortana doesn’t do this yet even though she’ll read answers to you if you ask her.When it comes to the Google App if you say something like “How do I make a paper plane?” it will say “according to XYZ website, this is what you need to do.” So she’ll mention the brand name which is interesting. Cortana won’t do it. We read out the answer but we won’t credit the sources visually.So that’s the second level is how the search engines will serve your results differently.
The third one is how people are going to expect to interact with your brand. See for example Alexa has all these different skills and you have seen Sky Scanner as well as Kayak, both have signed up to have different platforms with her. You can’t go all the way to the point of sale just yet with Kayak but you can ask Alexa“hey, where can I go for $300?” or “what’s the best restaurant in this area of Barcelona?” and she will go back and forth and converse with you. So that’s changing also purchase patterns because it's training us differently. So then as an SEO we have to think about:
If there is going to be fewer results showing up as with voice search you don’t get to see as many. How do you make sure with that?How do we make sure we are optimising so that we do show up when people are using voice in general and how the search engine showing us now and how can we expect people to buy from us and use voice?
So it’s much more convoluted than a simple like put this natural language keyword here and it will be ok. It’s more about overall action.
Omi: So because we are talking about SEO, my next question will be (and a lot of my SEO fellows or friends are asking me), is it true that voice search will primarily affect local SEO?For example: “where is the nearest restaurant? Can I buy something from the nearest Tesco?” Or is it going to affect the SEO as a whole?
Purna: It will impact both. Certainly local is big because mobile text is too local quite a lot. Just think of how to use your phone when you are asking about like I want to find my nearest thing. But it’s not only going to impact only local. It’s a big consideration but also it's going to impact everything else. It’s going to impact a lot of the higher up in the funnel. In a way, it’s going to be really good for the content marketing that will double upping. All of that. If it’s for informational content like “what’s the best way to apply liquid eyeliner” and if you have a video content from a makeup company then that can show up. Or it can be “can I ship this via Fedex?”Those type of question and answers, so you have a lot of the FAQ content on your site optimised, different stages of the funnel content, you should pay attention to that coz it will surface a lot more via voice.
Omi: Are you basically saying that in a way, we have to concentrate even more on delivering the right content. Recently I’ve been talking a lot about RankBrain. It has a similar approach to search like Voice search. We have to concentrate on branding, more content and then schema (markup). Are you saying that we have to produce even more laser focused content in order to satisfy Voice search?
Purna: It’s sort of a yes or no type of question. I know I’m sorry I hate it when the search engines are like “it depends”.
Omi: It’s a bit confusing for us the traditional SEO’s to understand how those things are going to affect our jobs and, basically our businesses.
Purna: Right and it’s a valid question to ask, but certainly it’s not gonna be too scary. The good thing is a lot of what you are doing already, like a lot of what we are doing already as SEO’s is very good and helpful for voice. Like, make sure you are following all the best practices like making sure you’ve got schema everywhere.Remember voice search needs a lot more practice; the more you talk to it, the better it’s going to get. So if I give it more information and I’m more helpful to the machine then the machine can just learn about me better and faster. So if you aren’t doing schema which you should have been doing anyway, and you are directly doing it now.
Omi: Listen to Purna, people. Schema.
Purna: Make sure your citations are absolutely perfect, your phone numbers are correct, your address is correct, your hours are correct.You don’t want to give people bad experiences coz we are seeing now ,Omi, and you’ve noticed this as well, we are seeing this huge rise in searches where people will just look at the SERP and they won’t click through to the website but all the information that they need is what they got. I may just want to find my number from my local B&Q or I just might want to check how late Sainsbury's is open.
Omi: Strangely enough, this thing (Alexa) can recognise your voice through the speakers better than mine.
Purna: What I found is when the commercial for Amazon Echo comes on my TV and they‘ll be like “Alexa do this” my Alexa will wake up and do that.So if they say “Alexa tell us the news”, my Alexa would talk. And I’m like shhh, she wasn’t talking to you. They are pretty sensitive because they’ve got good speakers.
I would say Omi, we should look at voice search as a different discipline. If you are thinking about Alexa and the Echo, you should think of her very differently than if you are thinking about Google Now or Cortana or Siri because they have different interactions.
Alexa is only audible - you can only talk to her you can only go back and forth vocally.On Google Now and Cortana, there is a visual interface as well.
Let’s talk about Google Now and Cortana: yes rich snippets your branding, your question keywords all your content marketing would show up, it would be good.
If you are looking at something like Alexa, you are only captive by what she can tell you and for her, you have to start thinking about your funnels and your transactions and your forms.
For example, if I wanted to subscribe to the Daily Mail, I will be like “okay Alexa, how much is this subscription for the Daily Mail or what’s your 6-month subscription or can I get 1 month free?”I will have those conversations but I won’t get to see anything else. There will be no chance to say like the Telegraph to post their ads or something else on the screen. It doesn’t apply. And that is interesting. So with those different disciplines, we will have to optimise differently for each.
Omi: This leads me to the next question basically, and this is something that a lot of SEOs are talking about.What are the new SERPs?
If I ask Alex a question, it will give me only one answer. So basically there are no SERPs.With more devices like this coming in the future if I ask a question there is only one single answer. There is no number 2 or 3 or whatever. If I go on to my mobile I’ve got a choice.So what are the new SERPs, because if we understand what the new SERPs are then we will know how to optimise for them.
Purna: I think this is going to be the biggest question.
Omi: Sorry I know the question is a bit strange.
Purna: It’s not strange.
Omi: Traditional SEOs always talk about the SERPs. There is position 1, 2, and 3. But with this thing (Amazon Echo) and with many other similar devices coming there is only one choice. You know in a way, we are even limited. To be honest we are limited because the answer I get here I may not like or may not be the best answer for me. Am I right?
Purna: Yes look that is the biggest question on the table today. Now you know who is the gatekeeper. The digital personal assistance is the gatekeeper between us advertisers and between the audience.There is a new layer that is coming behind so we need to go and appeal to this. Let’s take a step back and understand why there is this barrier and why they are showing fewer things for you and that will sort of answer a little bit more of what we should do.
Omi: We have to understand (the process) so we can adjust in the future.
Purna: Yes exactly. We have to adjust because we just going to have to play up more and more relevancy in order to get past this gatekeeper. What’s happening now is we have always seen this tradition in the SERPs when the web first came out there was like a million directories. So you look for your local plumber and there was like 5 million result and we thought that was awesome. We thought that was a really good thing. The search engine is so clever it knows 5 million results for my local plumber.
Omi: I’ve just remembered something: a big choice is not a choice.
Purna: It’s not a choice and this was why this was so frustrating. And then it became more like vertical search. And it became like the richer searches where we have images and videos and now we are going more like entities and action based and search is also going to different places so they understand us better. So now we can search on our phones, we can search on our cars, we can search on a device like Alexa. They get to know us better and this gives the search engine ultimately far more intelligence.
We know you better we can identify more patterns and the good about just richer and more data’s that you can start to see different patterns and get more predictive analytics from it. So now we are reaching the point where we are trying to know you better. It’s like now I know Omi really well and he doesn’t like Greek food very much and I know he doesn’t like very spicy food for example.
Omi: Basically I don’t like spicy food. I don’t like it at all.
Purna: Oh you see I predicted it.
Omi: I hope it’s not connected to the Alexa.
Purna: It was just a guess. If you are walking around Chinatown in San Francisco and there are some really good restaurant but some of it has spicy food and you are hungry and you ask Siri, Google or Cortana it would know you enough to say: let’s not give Omi this restaurant and let’s just find him like a good Greek restaurant. Or Omi has eaten Greek food like four times this week he is probably not going to want it again now. So maybe today you want to try an Italian restaurant for example. She will predict that.
You are going to fewer choices. Before if you said “show me restaurants around me” she would have shown you may be like the 15 restaurants around you. But that’s not the case anymore. She knows you now and she will show you the restaurant that she thinks you’ll like. So it's getting more and more personalised. That’s even fewer results and that’s going to be the problem for you and me sitting at home advertising to our audiences. We are going to each find that one spot of relevancy. So we may show up less often, but when we do it’s going to be far more effective.
And this is the question that we are all trying to deal with now. If I know that I only drink coffee from Costa then Starbucks will be “How do I get Purna to come to my store instead of going to Costa’s”. Those are going to be conundrums that we are all trying to figure out how do we get through the gatekeeper.
Omi: Because you mentioned advertising and because I'm just trying to bring up the subject of PPC the next question is: what's going to happen with our advertising? How are we going to advertise on devices like Amazon Echo?
Purna: So that's where I would say I would look at something like Echo more as a purchase funnel alternative as opposed to searching. Because if you think about how much time you're going to use the Alexa and the Echo she's great. She's also similar to your desktop which is more like a stationary device. She sits in one place in your house or if you have multiple (devices) she sits in one place.
Where will you use voice search far more often? Will be on your mobile phone - technology that is always with you. How often are you more than three feet away from your phone? That's what we should be thinking about. When it comes to Alexa I would think about her more from a purchase funnel standpoint. She has skills is what they call it. Like Domino’s (pizza) creates a skilful Alexa so you can say (I'm not going to name it) but “Echo go and order me a pizza and have it delivered now” and she'll know what you like. Or her Amazon has, of course, a major scale and interaction with her where you can tell her “hey, go and find me like the cheapest box of pens that have five-star reviews and send them to my house” and she can understand that. Or Kayak so with the problem that's going to be coming up is going to be not about serving ads on her which of course is going to be a case “do we want audible ads or how do we cut through?” It's more going to be the case of how do I just transfer my purchase funnel and make it ready for her.Whereas what we're gonna have to think about in terms of ads and all that is going to be on the SERPs. With Google, if you have an Android you can just do voice search from the homepage. I have the Google App or I have the Cortana App on my iPhone and I can just go to the app and I can do a voice search. Using the visual interface I'll still see results. And that's why I will still see my ads.
So for PPC I think it’s going to be - if I was to personally guess I don't have any indication from anybody higher up at Microsoft to tell me this - but my personal guess based on what I'm seeing is that probably shopping campaigns like visual is going to be first or local.It's gonna be one of these two that we're going to see the ads in there first.That is where your PPC team should pay attention.
Omi: I understand what you’re saying. It makes a lot of sense. What my colleague has asked me was - and it’s a valid question - are we going to be able to bet on answers. This is exactly what PPC people do, right?
Purna: Yes, of course, it is going to be exactly what people can do. I would say we should do baby steps because that's what we're seeing even with voice search and digital personal assistants that were being eased into it. Certainly, artificial intelligence is something that a lot of big companies are banking on. If you saw the news lately you can see that Microsoft formed a new 5,000 person AI team essentially and it's a big goal of Satya Nadella that he's announced that we're gonna tie AI into everything because it's so powerful.
So yes it would be interesting to see what happens with the Alexa. I think for PPC right now, I don’t know to be perfectly honest what can we do with Alexa. But I know that for the near future right now you should be paying attention to product listing ads. You should be paying attention to local ads, where the visual and vocal connection is very strong. You should be tying your ads to what we see people using voice search for right now. If you see what people are using it for right now, it’s for things like local; it’s when they are second screening. Like driving is the number one use of voice search that we’ve heard from Google. We’ve seen the indications of that here as well. We see it when people are busy and they can’t type, they tend to look for “how do I get here?” or how do I do this?”. Or maybe entertainments, like “what’s a good movie” or “who’s that actor”, things like that.It’s going more and more and we’ll start searching for “I need to buy this pair of shoes with high heels that are like this, from this brand”. In that case, the visual ads would be the perfect accompaniment. So if you can serve product listing ads, that would be excellent; if not focus on just local or surfing your content. SEO and PPC can get married here very well.
Omi: Finally.
Purna: So we get all of your content, the higher funnel content like “what’s the best way to deep clean my car?”. And then if you are like a car cleaning service, you would probably have content around this. So you can just maybe spend 50 pounds and run PPC ads for a long time, it’s not competitive, it would be cheap, you can still do things like that to promote coz you will come up with the higher funnel queries right now.
Omi: Ok I get it. So to summarise the whole conversation and this would be my last question. What should we be doing now in order to prepare for voice search in the future? Kind of to summarise everything that we’ve said today. Shall we concentrate on content or the technical SEO like we said or schema or stuff like that? What’s the secret to winning the SEPRs in the future?
Purna: It’s actually really simple because there is no competition, no one’s monetizing it right now, you are in a very good place to start now and I would highly recommend you start now. Let’s talk about just some easy steps.
Step one. Just to see how people interact with you using voice. You can do this either by asking you PPC team to give your search query report, or you can look at Bing Webmaster Tools or Google Search Console and find a list of keywords. Try to the sort them by what looks like the longer tail. What looks like it’s a question keyword. If it says “Hey Siri” or “OK Google”, you know for sure it’s voice because that’s initiating voice. But if it doesn’t and there is no clear analytic, try it on voice but if you can find something that’s more than like four keywords usually longer than that like four words and it’s a question, it’s quite likely that it came from voice maybe. So go and see what are people using voice for to search for you. And I look at a lot of different plans, a lot of different accounts, I see some people have it a lot and some people don’t.
Omi: So a quick question here… what’s really the most searched thing? Is it really “something near me”?
Purna: “Near me” is a lot but it’s not always the most and it varies by industry.
Omi: Coz a lot of people when I talk about voice search are telling me I’m not in the industry where people would ask about my business with the question “near me”. And I’m saying I’m not sure this is really the most asked question, I don’t know really.
Purna: It's high on the list but it’s not the only thing. I would say any businesses needs to be thinking about voice search and optimisation for voice search right now.Even if you do something B2B, if you are a medical device company, you should also be thinking about it because people are going to be researching you. So think about higher in the funnel queries, the more you can capture attention early on, you can keep them within your funnel and try to earn them.
AII’ve seen really great examples of home improvement companies that you can say “give me cheap kitchen renovation ideas that I can do for like under a thousand dollars” and there are companies that have served ads. You will talk this right? It’s easier to talk than type. I can talk 150 words per minute whereas I can type about 40. So you will say this, and if your content can show up either as SEO or as a PPC ad, to up your chances, you’re in. You can keep somebody then they go to your website then you can then pull them down to you conversion panel. So that’s why it’s important to know what are people using you for.
The second step run and do all your schema, run and get your technical site set up, coz that’s good for you.
Omi: You can call me people.
Purna: Anyway, you can call Omi. Omi is one of the best technical SEO’s in the whole world, and I can truly vouch for that. So yeah, talk to Omi for any technical SEO questions. Make sure your citations are diverse if you have.
The third step is to go and do some keyword research, now I know the sort of intent people are coming from.
Omi: Can I just stop you here for a second? Because for the second time, you’ve mentioned citations. Are they really that important?
Purna: They are that important because people tend to just go and look and they may not even click through save all the information that people are seeing is on your citation and they don’t have a chance to go to your website to find the address, and then yes it going to be really important. Make sure your address is fine, the phone number is correct, hours are correct.
I’ll give you an example. It was Easter weekend, my mum and I wanted to go shopping, and we said okay is any store open? So I did a search for a large retailer here and I asked is he open? And he said yes open until 9am to 9pm so I’m like fabulous. We went. It was closed. It was so frustrating, when I went out, I was like “I’m not going to this stupid store again”. I was so annoyed. And so we looked up another store.Yes, Easter hours, we are only open till 5 but we are open today. So that was good. That was helpful.
Reviews are also really important especially If you are local. Make sure that reviews are what people see first and they may not click anymore to give you more chance to explain.The first impression is all that is going to matter. So yes even if you are not a local business, sometimes citations just seem, just your reviews online are important.
The third one is: think about the intent and look at only a couple of different places. We’ve seen examples of companies that we’ve consulted with and who’ve started optimising for voice and the results that they’ve seen are lift in traffic and then engagements when they’ve optimised.
So the question is always where do I start? And it’s not that difficult. It’s like prioritise from your top 2 or 3 most profitable keywords - start from that - and look at the longer tail versions that could be most relevant to it. So rather than say Bahamas vacations, “what’s the best family vacation deal for the Bahamas?”.That’s probably a good keyword longer tail that could be on voice search right? Bahamas vacations might be your number one keyword but like “what’s the best family vacation deal for the Bahamas?” is a really good voice search keyword. It gives you so much more information than just Bahamas vacation. It tells you that they are looking for a deal. It tells you that they are family and they probably have immediate purchase intent. So try to look at those type of queries and then you can think about how do I best optimise, do I have a page that answers that question? Do I have a page that talks about this family vacations? Do I have enough supporting content? And that’s all it is. It’s like think about the intent and the right actions that they are likely to take and optimise just for that.
Omi: Oh my god this is like a content SEO lesson.
Purna: It’s simple but you do this already which keeps me more excited. Honestly, this is the first discipline where I think the PPC folks have to work harder than the SEO folks to optimise for voice. The good news is SEOs are all smart and they’ve already done a lot of these lessons whereas PPC’s we going have to be like “now I’m going to have to create this campaign, now I’m going to do this, now I’m going to think of that”. So you have an advantage so celebrate for once.
Omi: Yes, yes. It’s good to hear to be honest with you. It’s really good here something like this on a Saturday afternoon. As I told you earlier last night I went to bed at 2 O’clock, I am that busy (doing SEO optimisation) so it’s good to hear that it may pay off in the future.
Purna: It will. Just the fact that the intent is so clear is going to make your life a lot easier.
Omi: Yes. Thank you very much Purna. You gave me so much information that probably I had to come back to this and write down everything. So we shouldn’t be freaking out basically because this is how we started this conversation. Voice search is something that is just going to improve the customer experience. Am I right or wrong?
Purna: It is definitely just going to improve the customer experience. If we think about the mobile, before we had the desktop then we had the mobile, then we started getting apps and then remember everyone freak out like “oh my God, what shall I do about my app”, everybody go and write your own app. And now we are going to have like bots and conversations and it’s not that scary. We’ve done it before. We found a way to make it work every time.Voice search is even better because it’s giving us all of this intent and this insight into personalization so it’s not scary, it is exciting and as long as we start now when there is no pressure, we’ll figure things out as we go along and it will be very good.
Omi: Good to hear. So sadly we are coming to the end of my first interview with Purna. My first interview ever basically. Thank you so much for coming. Let’s her Alexa again before we go. Alexa, tell us a joke.
“I had a really great boomerang joke.
It will come back to me.”
Omi: Alexa goodbye.
Alexa: Goodbye.
Omi: Have you notice. She is so polite.
Purna:She’s very polite, unlike Siri. Siri is very nice, but she’s got a personality.
Omi: Thank you very much Purna. I’ll definitely see you next year at BrightonSEO.
Guys, thank you very much for joining us and basically keep it real. Voice search is coming.
Who is Purna Virji?
Purna Virji is a speaker and columnist on Voice search, PPC, SEO and Content Marketing.
For well over a decade Purna has been living, breathing and dreaming PPC and SEO. She regularly speaks at digital marketing conferences across the globe such as MozCon and SMX Advanced and is a columnist for Search Engine Land and Search Engine Watch.
An award-winning former journalist, Purna was the CEO of Purview Marketing prior to joining the Bing Ads team. In her spare time, she’s an avid traveller, aspiring top chef and amateur knitter. Say hello @purnavirji.
### Page Speed and SEO
One aspect of Technical SEO to never overlook is page-loading speed. Many owners of growing websites struggle with page load times. As traffic increase they see website performance degrade. Keeping a website well optimised requires true knowledge and understanding of how the Internet works.
On the other side, your website performance affects not just the visibility of your business in the SERPS but also the user experience of your customers.
The average attention span online is getting shorter than ever. The simple truth is that if your website doesn't load quickly, potential clients won’t hesitate to head to your competitors.
To help you start heading into direction 'better website performance' we asked three well experienced digital marketers to share their vision.
David Sayce is a digital marketing consultant who helps businesses develop and implement effective marketing strategies that get real results.Contact David to kick things off. This will be more fun than you think!
Q1. How do you describe your job in a few sentences for someone that knows nothing about SEO
I help businesses grow, using digital channels to increase sales and reach new customers. I help businesses to understand their (potential) customers and work out how best to be found by them within Google.
Q2. Why is website performance such a hot topic right now?
It's a competitive market! While website performance has always been important it has sometimes been overlooked for a 'flashy' website with little thought on how SEO works. For a rather high percentage of my clients, it can be the competitive advantage, with a well-optimised site raising their visibility across organic search (and helping the performance of PPC). Of course, the best part is a well-performing site is a pleasure for the visitor! You often only get one chance to make a great impression, make it count!
Q3. What are some of your favourite (best-loved) tools for checking load times & locating problems in a website’s performance?
First I dive in there myself and get a feel for what is going on, how the site appears, ease of navigation, is it clear what I am supposed to be doing. My first point of call is often GTMetrix, quick and easy, I will often run a site through this a number of times during the initial stage of a project. Google Page Insights is also good to view, the simple scoring can be a useful guide for a client to better understand what is happening on the site. After that, I will nnormallydig into Google Analytics & Search Console to see what I can find out from there.
Q4. Give us some of your tips of how to decrease page load time.
Old School - Keep It Simple! for so many websites it is often about getting rid of bloat and optimising. One of my favourites is still the client who had uploaded all of their images straight from the photographer and resized in the CMS, the average image size was around 10mb, ouch! Check those page sizes! It is equally vital to get a good developer onboard and make sure the foundations of the website are running lean.... and then there is hosting if after all of that your hosting is unreliable or slow it is time to upgrade or more likely find a new host.
Q5. What are we going to see happen in the next few years in terms of web performance?
Ah, what does the future hold....? Well, I always like Darwin's quote for this:
"It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change."
SEO has evolved so much in the last 20 years (it was all so easy in the late 90's). I think we are going to see smarter businesses become much more integrated, removing silos and dated ways of working. I think we are going to see Search Engines become much more relevant to personalised searches, perhaps to the point where they are guessing what we want next and offering suggestions. Perhaps the search engine of today will no longer exist and it will be more the omnipresent assistant (I like the idea of JARVIS from the Iron Man films).
Q6. Finally, is there something exciting that you or your company is working on in terms of web performance that you can tell us about?
Optimisation and integration are key to what I do, and that is what I continue to investigate, learn and test... no secret labs, or teams of MIT grads working on projects (unfortunately). Over the last 20 years, I have been trying to make the internet a little bit better and that is the plan for the next 20+. Always learning and passing on what I can.
My mission is to get your message out there to people and companies who need, want and are looking for what you have to offer. Massive fan of football and Chelsea FC.
Q1. How do you describe your job in a few sentences for someone that knows nothing about SEO
“Omi, so what exactly do you do?” This must be one of the most repeatedly asked questions I get. Very often I’d try and give a simple answer. Essentially find ways to increase your online presence on the web, help match your service/product to its correct market audience and be instrumental to improving lead volume or sales.Sometimes people don’t get it so I would just say ‘ my job is to make your website more visible to search engines’.
Q2. Why is website performance such a hot topic right now?
Have you ever spent a long time waiting for a page to load? Websites that load slowly are a major annoyance for users. Many studies are showing that potential clients tend to leave a website if it loads slowly. This is not ideal especially if you are running an e-commerce website.
And then there is Google. Google is obsessed with page speed. In a bold move in 2010, the search giant announced that page speed may be included in their search ranking algorithm.
Many people have asked me the same question “ do page speed really matter to Google and why’. There is a very simple answer: Yes it does. It creates a better user experience.
It’s true that some aspects of page speed – such as a user’s locale and their internet connection speed – can’t be controlled, but the rest is all up to us. So there is no excuse of not optimising your website for speed. Something I have noticed over the years is that when optimising for speed I also tend to find issues not directly related to speed so optimising for speed is a great place to start in understanding your overall website performance.
Q3. What are some of your favourite (best-loved) tools for checking load times & locating problems in a website’s performance?
Tools I recommend: Checking your website’s page load speed is a simple task. There are hundreds of free online tools that can load your pages from different geographic locations and tell you exactly how long it took to download.
My starting point is always the PageSpeed Insights tool. From render-blocking JavaScript files to CSS in above-the-fold content, this tool will pinpoint most of the factors preventing your page from loading quickly.
My second stop is normally the Web Page Test tool. The cool thing about this tool is the option to select the location from which to run your test. This can be cleverly used to track how your speeds vary across the world. Another cool feature is the way the test is run. It’s divided into a first view and a repeat view. This helps to diagnose and understand what maybe be a 1st time DNS lookup delay. It is very important to understand when running tools like these that a first time DNS lookup will usually be slower. In case you are comparing total load times for your web pages it is sometimes better (and somehow logical) to run a test multiple times and in the end take an average of the results.
Q4. Give us some of your tips of how to decrease page load time.
I cannot really rank them as they are all important but I normally start with prioritising ‘visible content’ on the page.
First, let me answer the question what is visible content (often called ‘above the fold’). In simple words, this is the portion of your website that visitors see before they start scrolling.
Very often websites that look very fast to load are as large as slow websites. Very often those websites have made the effort to optimise the visible part of their website thus giving the impression that the site is loading instantaneously.
Some may call it cheating, but users love pages that load quickly and so does Google. In my experience, this is the quickest and the most effective task you can do to speed up your pages.
As recommended by Google there are two main strategies to “prioritise visible content”.
Structure your HTML in a way that loads the critical, above-the-fold content first.Reduce the amount of data used by your resources.
I am going to translate those requirements into more understandable language.To understand the first requirement we should start from ‘ground zero’ and look at how a browser loads a page.
Browser finds your page and downloads the HTML.
Browser looks (parses) through the HTML code.
Browser runs into something it must load so browser stops parsing HTML
Browser loads the external source.
Browser goes back and continues parsing the HTML until it runs into another external source that needs loading.
The external source could be a Javascript file, an image or indeed a CSS file. It is quite obvious by now that for a page to load quickly all of those 3 elements should be modified. On the other side for the content above the fold to load quickly it should not rely on any external resources.
So for the three prime suspects my solution is:
HTML - make sure your content is loading before anything else even if you have to introduce separate divs just for the content ‘above the fold’.
CSS - either combine external CSS files or introduce an inline CSS block specific only to the loading page.
Javascript - postpone (defer) the loading of your Javascript files before the content is loaded. Note: This shouldn’t be done before some careful planning/thinking - as indeed the look of some elements on the page may depend on Javascript - but this is probably the best thing you can do to reduce your page load time.
Explaining the second requirement coming from Google is easy. To reduce the amount of data need to render your page you only have to minify your resources (HTML, Javascript, CSS). Minify is exactly what the name is suggesting - make your resources smaller. A tool I can recommend is the CSS Minifier.
The broader meaning of minifying your resources is deleting files that are not in use.
A good example would be a Wordpress Theme. Normally they come in different colours. But just because you’ve chosen the red background it does not mean that the CSS file responsible for the green background is not loading. And what if the theme has a bigger background colour choice. I hope you get my point.
Q5. What are we going to see happen in the next few years in terms of web performance?
As we all know web browsing is shifting to mobile. More than ever people are looking for your products and services on their handheld devices. I can see a lot of companies still struggling with the idea of mobile-friendly web pages.
On the other side, many people say page speed has nothing to do with SEO. They are probably right as firstly the official position of Google about page speed and rankings are quite unclear and secondly, we can’t really measure the impact page speed has on the SERPs. I also see heavily bloated websites still ranking pretty well.
So if we are to combine the two statements above we may conclude that web performance is somehow not important.Quite the opposite. Google started talking about mobile friendly pages being given a boost in the SERPs and if this was not enough they’ve also introduced the so-called AMP pages.
The AMP project is all about pages that load instantaneously. Although AMP is not yet a ranking factor I am expecting in the near future websites developed with AMP in mind to be given higher ranking than slower and unresponsive sites.Therefore, the faster your page, the higher you rank and the more your content gets seen by your potential customers. It’s a win-win situation.
Q6. Finally, is there something exciting that you or your company is working on in terms of web performance that you can tell us about?
I am currently working for Daily Mail - the most visited news website in the world - so page speed for us is of a paramount importance. We have just introduced AMP for our most visited sections - news and showbiz - so I cannot wait to start analysing the results.When it comes to news website Google is giving a special treatment to AMP pages by including them in the AMP news carousel on mobile. This is a massive change, as previously, all news stories were in a neat list. The images on these AMP headlines are more than four times larger than the other news article results. In short, the front page just got a lot tighter.
In my opinion if you care about mobile at all (and you should) it’s time to take the jump into AMP. There is a clear indication that Google is moving into direction faster web with AMP, so you need to get in now.
William Rock is a True Geek in every possible way. Having a vast skill set in digital marketing he is in the business of keeping companies SAFE ONLINE and helping them GROW their Internet Traffic into qualified leads.
Q1. How do you describe your job in a few sentences for someone that knows nothing about SEO
My Job Rocks, as I enjoy teaching those who wish to learn more about improving their business online and offline, and setup meetings every month to discuss the progress of the team as well improvements seen within analytics tools along with understanding the core of the company and helping to develop a voice for that business online ... No Fluff Marketing :)
Q2. Why is website performance such a hot topic right now?
Website Performance has been a big deal ever since we learned how to build sites, however, it is getting a ton of attention these days. Especially since Google has developed free tools helping webmasters better understand load time of simple things such as Image Size, to evaluating your CSS and JS scripts. Keeping in mind that in the last few years we have seen more searchers using their smartphones we need to be concerned with user experience (UX) even more if we want them to engage with the company.
Q3. What are some of your favourite (best-loved) tools for checking load times & locating problems in a website’s performance?
I like to use a combo of different tools such as GTmetrix as well within Google Analytics you can get a ton of details at https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/1205784?hl=en other tools I use would be SEMRush with a Site Audit looking to improve areas it also found to be problematic for user experience.
Q4. Give us some of your tips of how to decrease page load time.
Start with the basics first :) Rome was not built in a day, so starting with the easy stuff first such as looking at your images and finding out the file size .. Many websites use tools to insert images into the web page however if you don't start with a nice quality low file size you maybe increasing load time when not needed.
There are tools out there to help decrease the image size without losing too much quality and if you are going to use the image for a thumbnail resize it and save it as a thumbnail to upload vs. just uploading the larger image. Again this is just the basics, next run tools like GTmetrix and see what else you can improve :)
Q5. What are we going to see happen in the next few years in terms of web performance?
Technology is always improving, one thing will be more smartphones and depending on their data plans worldwide so if your website is full of large images and or takes to long to load, they may go repeat the query moving a possible interaction with them to a competitor. No one wants to eat up their data plan on your website :) Make it fast, and optimise for performance.
Q6. Finally, is there something exciting that you or your company is working on in terms of web performance that you can tell us about?
We have always focused on improving as technology evolves, however, some clients don't choose to always take the advice of us making those modifications since the tasks can involve a good amount of time and we have seen clients choose to do other improvements in content, video and or calls to action first then come back to the page speed topic again, all in all still getting the job done.
### Semrush Tea Time with Omi Sido - Personal Branding
1. What’s personal branding and why it’s become ‘a thing’?
In short, my understanding of personal branding is a storytelling.
Consistent storytelling.
I would like to start with a story. First, there was darkness. There was nothing. Then somebody created the Internet. And then Social Media. The idea about branding has long been connected to companies only, but nowadays almost every single person on planet Earth has a personal brand because of the Internet and Social Media.
The question is no longer IF you have a personal brand, but rather do you want to cultivate it or let it be defined by others.
Before continuing there something I need to make crystal clear.
Personal branding is the process of establishing a connection between you and an area of expertise.
Not you and things you may be interested in but an area of expertise. For example, my personal brand would be talking about Omi the SEO professional and not Omi the Chelsea football fan. By all means, I would not hide my sympathy towards this football club. I may write an article about keyword research and use Chelsea as an example and also mention that I am a big Chelsea fan. But I would try and steer people towards Omi the SEO rather than my love for football.
Once people know who you are and begin to identify you with a specific area of understanding or expertise, you'll be on your way to becoming the go-to person in your industry on a niche. It’s as simple as that.
Personal branding is not about you as an individual only but rather it’s about you and your area of expertise.
You shouldn't hide things that you like or that you do normally in your day-to-day life. For example, I love cooking. So I would be talking a lot about cooking online. But I want people to know that I am an SEO professional and not a chef.
Sergey: So let’s say I am just getting into marketing and I am starting from zero. Maybe in the past, I have participated in social media activities and I had some social media exposure. But I don't’ want all that to be associated with my personal brand. So Omi tell me:what are some personal branding no-no's that I should be aware of and I should not do when I start building my personal branding?
2. What are some personal branding no-no's that I should be aware of and I should not do when I start building my personal branding?
Let’s me start first with the things you should be doing (we can always look at those things from the other way - things you shouldn't be doing).
The place to start is: Determine your area of expertise. So a no-no thing should be going into building your personal brand not knowing what you are. Not to be confused with what you are in general. I am only talking about your area of expertise.
The second stage would be auditing your current and past online presence. Knowing your online persona is of vital importance.
So a no-no thing would be going into a personal brand building without considering your digital footprint.
Let me also give you some yes-yes thing you should do from the very beginning of your personal brand journey.
Start writing and publishing.
Light up your social media profiles.
Network, network, network.
3. Who needs to have a personal brand (what industries absolutely have to have them)?
This is a very good question and many people are asking me similar questions.
And the answer to this question is absolutely everybody!
As digital marketers, we think that we are the only ones that need to start building a personal brand. This is so fundamentally wrong.
I would start with a very obvious example in the face of Gordon Ramsay the chef. In a way his job is not ‘intellectual’ but he still needs his personal brand. Or another example would be Ronaldo the Portuguese football player. He is doing a lot of personal branding online. And he’s got nothing to do with digital marketing. So I will repeat this one: absolutely everybody on planet Earth needs to start working on his personal brand.
It comes to mind that nowadays it’s very rare that one person will stay in the same job forever. Every time you apply for a new job people would Google you. So going back to my introduction nowadays everybody has a personal brand whether he/she realises it or not. And it all comes down to the digital footprint we are leaving every time we go online.
4.What are the key metrics to assess the success of your brand and its impact on the company brand? And how do we measure it?
This is a very interesting question. The thing that everybody needs to understand is that your personal brand would not always have an impact on your company brand. A good example is me working for Daily Mail. I am all about SEO and Daily Mail is all about news. So straight away you understand that I wouldn't have any impact on the company’s brand image.
But saying all that a lot of people that know me started following Daily Mail because of me. A lot of SEOs started talking about Daily Mail because they know me.
On the other side, a lot of people started following me because I’d started working for Daily Mail. So although sometimes it’s very difficult to see personal and company brand can work together.
Before people get too excited I would like to remind them that I was an SEO before I joined Daily Mail. I’ve started working on my personal brand before I’ve started working for this famous company. A lot of people rely on companies they work for to build their personal brand. And this is very, very wrong. Your personal brand should not be dependable on the companies you are working for but solely on your area of expertise.
Conclusion:
Building a personal brand is vital for your future online presence. Start building your personal brand today regardless of what you currently doing for a living. Concentrate on your area of expertise and not companies you are working for.
#semrushteatime
### Can SEO and PR work together?
It was great meeting somebody I was working with in the past. The beer was cold, the pizza was tasty and the SEO talk never really dried up. But one thing kept on popping up - is there any difference really between SEO and PR (Public Relations)?
Nowadays a large portion of our focus is shifting towards attracting high-quality brand mentions by getting other websites to talk about you. Generating this buzz requires a PR approach so making PR part of our search engine optimisation strategy is of a paramount importance for success.
Don’t get me wrong, there are still some noticeable differences between SEO and online PR. One of those differences would be inbound marketing vs outbound marketing. SEO is more of an inbound marketing catering for the purposes of fulfilling existing demand, and PR is more of an outbound marketing as it creates new demand for products and services by generating awareness. That said there is a big overlap and combining the two strategies can only increase the end result of our marketing efforts.
How PR and SEO work together
One area of a big overlap is content. If you happen to be working in PR then you are probably producing content every single day, whether it’s a press release or an interview. Doesn’t that sound like exactly what we SEOs are currently doing day in day out? (Content is King, isn’t it?). Of course, we may have to consider some technical details that PR’s don’t, but then again we don’t have to think about spreading the word the way they do demographically.Good content can earn ‘good’ links. But in order for people to talk about it and link back to it, they have to know about it. Using a PR approach can amplify your social and influencer reach thus significantly increasing you exponential social growth, introducing your articles and brand to potential new customers and channels that could reward you with a link or brand mention.
I've mentioned links, yes, lovely juicy links we are all dreaming about. Links are still an integral part of the Google algorithm. But over the years Google started recognising (and punishing) all black hat techniques like link farms and fake blogs. Nowadays Google only favours links that are highly authoritative and this is where SEO and PR really come together.
Those in PR have the skills to gain exposure and build indispensable relationships that are a must-have in targeting media sites, government organisations and the highly valuable by Google education links such as .ac or .uk. As an SEO are you going to say no to a link coming from a .ac website?Didn’t think so.
Let me give you some ideas.
A typical media partnerships for PR campaigns can be an ‘open door’ to top notch links such as Newspaper and Radio sites.
Ask your PR team to negotiate speaking slots within your industry conferences where your can be portrayed and linked from highly relevant and very authoritative conference websites. The key is to target your niche.
PR stunts can not only gain some great newspaper coverage but also has the potential, with a carefully planned social media strategy, of course, to generate huge interest on the social networks. These types of campaigns (check this one by Hostelworld.com) can build enormous amounts of social shares (social signals also benefit your SEO) and increase the volume of ‘natural’ links too.
Conclusion:
The evolution of PR and SEO in recent years is bringing those - at first glance miles away - industries ever closer. SEO and PR can and should work closely together to build your brand’s credibility. The SEO and PR synergy can also vastly increase your search visibility through valuable and relevant content, which accrues quality links. Both SEO and PR professionals should embrace the idea of working together in order to build link authority for your website, improve rankings in the search results and grow brand awareness.
### The Evening SEO Talk with David Sayce
Traditional marketing techniques are still viable today - David said.
Both David and I are so into digital marketing but I also so agree with this statement. Unfortunately, there are many people out there who think that investing in digital marketing means leaving the tried and true traditional methods behind. And this is so wrong.
Applying a combination of traditional and digital marketing techniques to your marketing strategy is the most effective method of marketing, far more useful than using either on its own.
Let me give you some examples.
Yes, you know me so my first example will be Coca Cola’s ‘Share a Coke’ campaign. This campaign is allowing customers to find their names and the names of friends on bottles of their favourite drinks. The labels also include hashtags, which motivates customers to share pictures of those products and tag friends in their social media posts - ‘call to action’ of sorts. Twitter literally exploded with these posts this summer. And what about Instagram.Selena Gomez - the most-followed celebrity on this social media platform now has the most-liked photo. Just check this photo taken for the “Share a Coke and a Song” campaign. It has accumulated more than 5 million likes since June 25 (and counting).
Selena Gomez photo taken for the “Share a Coke and a Song” campaign and displayed on Instagram - 25 million likes and counting
Coca-Cola managed to actively capture their customer's attention through this marketing strategy, which combined aspects of traditional and digital media.
McDonald’s Pick n Play campaign. A fine example of traditional and digital marketing integration.The rules were very simple. If you last for 30 seconds, you’ll win a free meal at a nearby McDonald’s restaurant. As simple as that.I just love creative marketing ideas that engage customers rather than relying on traditional 2-dimensional print ads to bring the same message.
Conclusion:
Diversity is always a great asset to have in marketing. If you want your company to be as successful as possible, you must try and get the most out of what both traditional and digital marketing have to offer. In that matter, you should not ignore either channel.The most successful marketers magnify their traditional and digital marketing performance through a cohesive marketing plan while monitoring results and optimising throughout to drive the best performance.
### Maintaining SEO on Large, Complex Websites with Omi Sido
Clearly, the Daily Mail has a lot of content and a lot of new content coming onto the site regularly. So what are the main technical SEO challenges for handling a website like that?
One thing that always come to mind first when talking about large websites is the technology used.A lot of large websites have different parts of the website built using different technologies that don’t talk to each other. Imagine a large website built using PHP and ASP.Net. For a start, you probably have 2 teams as normally PHP developers are not good at writing ASP.Net code. So whatever SEO improvements you do in the PHP part of your website you have to make sure that the same improvements are done in the ASP.Net part. Explaining to more people means increased risk of mistakes and misunderstandings. Plus things are done differently in PHP and ASP.Net so a true understanding of both languages is a necessity.
The second most significant problem is old platforms. In my experience the bigger the website, the older the platform. For example, let’s look at Tesco. Their website was built 20 years ago. For 20 years they’ve been using the same back-end platform. But 20 years ago there was no ‘digital marketing, SEO and I doubt you can call their platform a CMS. Even for the most insignificant SEO change, there is a need of a developer.
The third most challenging issue when it comes to large websites would be dealing with stakeholders and managers. This may sound strange at first but there is a need for making a case for each and every SEO project regardless of the scale. Large websites usually have many parties involved, so sometimes it is really hard to get work done without making an ROI case for each and every project.The way get around it is to tell people stories about the importance of new development. One of them is AMP. To convince the Daily Mail management that we need this development we had to connect it to the business objectives.
How important are AMPs for news sites? Do you have any tips for successfully implementing them quickly and effectively?
The Google AMP project is getting a lot of attention recently. In short, Google wants to improve our mobile experience by making pages load faster. Many businesses don’t get it and they think it’s only for news websites. Yes, it’s true news website benefited a lot when they started implementing the AMP technology, but the truth is that there are benefits for all types of websites. eBay is using Google AMP – and you should too as browsing in AMP is the future.
Implementing AMP is in fact very easy. It’s the simplest (stripped down version) of HTML. Every developer knows the basics of HTML and the AMP HTML is exactly that: regular HTML tags with some of them replaced with specific AMP-tags. They are called AMP HTML components and they help common patterns to be implemented in an efficient way.
The real question when implementing AMP pages is how to integrate the AMP idea with the monetization strategy of your business. If your business relies heavily on advertising to generate revenue you should carefully consider whether to implement AMP until the standard catches up to your needs or suitable alternatives are identified.
One tip when implementing AMP pages on your website would be to make sure the code is 100% correct. Either using the Chrome extension (called AMP Validator) or the Browser Developer Console make sure your AMP pages validates with no errors. In my experience, even minor errors in the HTML code will exclude your pages from the AMP SERPs.
The same topics/people appear regularly in the news, how do you ensure the most relevant/recent content ranks in organic results?
We have started creating the so-called Hub/Topic Pages. Internal linking for news websites is very important. The risk of producing a lot of content around the same topic is that you can end up with multiple pages which have similar keywords which compete against each other in Google for the same search terms. The answer to this problem is to decide on a page that you want your site to rank for a given keyword or phrase, and concentrate on it. Then all article produced with the same topic should be linked to this page. In the case of Daily Mail, some of those articles are also displayed on this page.
What about schema? How important is it for SEOs to utilise structured data?
First, it is a feature that is gaining ground and Google officially stated that it may be something that will go into the ranking algorithm in the near future. So, besides taking advantage of the benefits described below, you also prepare your website for future SEO.
Second, structured data enhances your website’s presence on the SERPS with rich snippets which equals to better CTR (Click Through Rate).
Third, it’s a way to get into the Google knowledge graph and take advantage of the many benefits this feature offers to website owners.
Fourth, is great for Local SEO. With structured data, you can give search engines more information about your local business including address and contact information. In conjunction with a proper Google my business entry, it can boost your local SEO.
Fifth, it’s a requirement for running successful Shopping campaigns. When setting up shopping campaigns on AdWords, you need to have microdata on your product landing pages so that Google can verify the data submitted in your shopping feed.
Sixth, new technologies like the accelerated mobile pages rely heavily on structured data for some of their advanced features.Seven, it increases your chances of getting an entry in Google answers which can be a big boost to your traffic.
The Daily Mail has websites in several different markets – how do you manage the geo-targeting of the content?
For news website the task of geo-targeting is easy. Different news are coming from different part of the world so our job is just to make sure they appear on the appropriate geo page. Unfortunately, this can only be done manually but this is not something we worry about too much.I always tell people that geo-targeted content helps businesses acquire local customers. The local customer is a lot more likely to buy from you than the international one. Example: If I want to order pizza I don’t expect it to be delivered from Paris. Or if I am looking for a plumber I would have expected him to be able to get to my house in an hour or two and not in two weeks. Geo relevancy is very important especially when it comes to small business.
We always need to look ahead. So what do you think is the next thing to be thinking about SEO in order to bulletproof our future SEO efforts?
Because I’ve got a development background and also from experience I’d like to advise businesses to make sure that their websites are technically sound before thinking about content. Many people think only about content and this is fundamentally wrong.Having good content is good (and the right thing to do) but if your website has a lot of technical problems like too many pages returning 404 errors or too many redirects it actually stops search engines from discovering and indexing your website. If search engines can’t find or index your carefully crafted content than this content becomes useless.Yes, content is King, but Kings normally live in castles. So first you have to build the castle so you can give your King a place to live in.
### Traffic is useless unless those visitors become customers
Recently I have said something online that caused a bit of controversy.
"Traffic is useless unless those visitors become customers."
Although I wasn’t talking specifically about ‘money exchange’ I am starting to think that even experienced digital marketers have started developing ‘tunnel vision’ blinded by clever online articles or viral memes. I will repeat again so it’s clearly understood that I wasn’t really talking about ‘money exchange’ and it that matter the word ‘customers’ is probably not the most descriptive one, but I’d like to ask everybody who says conversion rate is not important a simple question:
What business can survive without income?
Heard it so many times “Omi, my site is highly optimised for the search engines and my rankings are great. I don’t understand why no one is buying.”I will tell you why. Because your SEO (agency or digital marketing guru) like so many SEO’s out there is focusing on ranking your website high thus reporting (blinding you) the good numbers in the end of the month.So many people nowadays think that SEO is pointless or a black magic. So many businesses don’t even have an SEO strategy because they feel like they are wasting their money.
And the sad truth is so many of them do.
Don’t get me wrong - they are not stupid. Many of them don’t know the true meaning of ‘digital marketing’ and us SEOs want to keep it that way. Bringing visitors is so much easier that making money online, trust me on this one. In fact, so many people that know nothing about SEO or digital marketing are making so much more money than the self-proclaimed ‘digital marketers’. I don’t have to give you examples - you know them.
The idea that once you have web traffic the rest would take care of itself is true only in the SEO world.
But don’t get me wrong. I am a huge fan of measuring website traffic and working to increase it. I measure and report traffic every single day. But I will be the first to tell you that you should start looking beyond traffic. Measuring subscribers and downloads is a good thing to do, but you should know why. Are downloads the end goal of your business (what business are you in? I wanna work for you.)? Can you pay your bills win ‘referrals’? Didn’t think so.
The talk about potential benefits in the future like referrals and downloads is good, but there is one problem. It can’t continue forever unless you earn enough to sustain your business. Don’t be scared (be stupid) to talk about SEO and money. SEO (and CRO) is a part of the big picture called ‘success’. You need traffic and you need sales. In other words, you need to be an integral part of your business and not something that looks alien to your business partners or superiors.
Let’s see what Bruce Clay thinks about it:
“Conversion optimisation and SEO are two pillars of an overall marketing strategy. Without conversions, there is only traffic, which is no bottom line at all.”
So let me tell you a secret. Conversion optimisation and SEO are not that different. They can and they should work together. Let me give you some examples:Single product pages. Who thinks that single product pages are not good for search engine optimisation? Single product pages optimised for a specific search term. But did you know that single product pages also vastly increase conversion rate too?
Create unique product descriptions. One of the biggest mistakes eCommerce websites make is using manufacturers’ product descriptions. First search engines may see this as duplicate content, but not indexing this content is probably the biggest worry. Product descriptions are your single opportunity to write distinctive copy in order to entice visitors to buy your products.The best way to differentiate your store from the various copycats out there. Specific product descriptions will also bring more traffic to your website. I can call it SEO and conversion synergy.
Why Is Understanding Your Target Audience So Important?
Know your target audience in order to bring ‘qualified’ traffic to your pages. Keyword research is still one of the most important pieces of the SEO puzzle. Choose the ‘wrong’ keywords and you get low-quality traffic and weak sales. Choosing the right keywords can help you attracting highly qualified consumers and achieving huge sales numbers. Tip: Aim for long-tail keywords - search phrases that contain two or more words. Consumers who search using a long-tail keyword typically know exactly what they’re looking to purchase, so a product page optimised for this has a higher likelihood of attracting and converting a customer who’s ready to buy.Last but not least unique, gripping and enthralling content. When it comes to SEO content gives you links and traffic. When it comes to conversion optimisation it wins you customers.
Conclusion:
Understanding how your SEO strategy connects to real-world business can give you the opportunity to gain more support and investment within your company. SEO is not a separate subject, but an integral part of the overall digital marketing world. Don’t alienate your SEO department by not talking about conversions and revenue. We all do what we do because we love it, but bills are paid with real money. Your business pays your salary so you should be actively supporting and improving the ‘money making’ process.
### On-Page SEO Optimisation in the fashion industry
First, it is important to work closely with the development team. Fashion sites need a clear HTML structure and the right set of Meta tags. This point is crucial for the fashion brands online since most of their content is mainly graphics. Moreover, luxury brands try to stand out and use a lot of flash or animated content. Such websites, however, are destructive for Search Engine Optimisation. Every fashion SEO manager should have a look at their blank HTML code to identify if there is enough data to read for the web crawlers or spiders.
Since fashion brands use a lot of images a proper ‘image strategy’ has to be put in place.
Main points to consider when optimising your images for SEO.
Start by giving your images descriptives file names thus giving Google a good idea about what your images are about. To make it clear red-dress-spring-collection.jpg is a lot more informative than DC12944.jpg. Don’t forget that if Google cannot find relevant text on the page, they will use the image filename as a snippet in the search results.Your second aim should be to ensure that everybody involved in the image upload understands the importance of good alt and title attributes for images.
What are alt and title tags?
The alt text describes what's on the image or in some cases the function of the image on a particular page. Each image on your pages should have an alt text. Google relies heavily on the alt text not just to determine what’s on the image but also to understand the topic of the surrounding text. But do not get carried away. You should not spam your keyword into every alt tag. You should have high quality and related images on your pages and it only makes sense to have the focus keywords in the alt text.
Tip: To make them easily found include both the full name and the product ID in the alt tag of your images.
You may ask: But what if an image does not have any purpose? Well, if you have images on your pages for purely design reasons they should be in your CSS and not in your HTML. If your development team can’t do anything about it give it an empty alt tag like this:
Don’t know if you’ve noticed earlier but in the first example above I gave you the same alt and title tags so you can just hover to see them. You may think that the alt text is quite long but in fact, this is what your alt text should look like.
Last but not least make sure all your images have width and height. Web browsers can begin to render a page even before all the images are downloaded provided they know the dimensions of the non-replicable elements. This can greatly improve your page speed and your customer experience - two very important elements from an SEO point of view.
One element that not many people are talking about when it comes to e-commerce website is facet navigation for increased conversion and better rankings.
What is faceted (or filtered) navigation?
Faceted navigation is a design element that allows visitors to your website to select and search for attributes that are important to them, in other words, to filter a list of products down to the ones that match their needs.
For many e-commerce sites, facet navigation is vital. By helping your visitors to find what they are looking for the facet navigation helps greatly increase your conversion rate. On the other side, many SEO managers are blocking the filtered category pages (after called facets) thus not having the specific pages required to rank for many mid-tail terms (the keywords your consumer is typically searching for when in the consideration phase of his purchase journey).
In my experience, I see many small websites outranking industry giants only because they have better technical set up. Whether the blocking of the ‘facets’ solves the over-indexation issue I see many big websites ranking for ‘ red dress’ but not ‘evening red dress by Gucci’. Search engines are allowed to access the ‘red dress’ page, but not the ‘evening red dress by Gucci’ page or ‘red dress size 18’ page.
I am not going to go into details of how to your facet navigation should work but I will just mention the need of a proper keyword research. You should be able to identify all of the keyword phrases your customers may use and build crawlable category pages for those search terms.
Tip: Make sure the content on every filtered category page is changing in order to reflect the facets that are selected: as a bare minimum, this means the page title, meta description, and H1.
If your facet navigation is not set up properly you may run into some duplicate content issues (other factors like pagination can also increase the possibility of you having duplicate content present on your website).Here are some best practices to fix them before they even happen.
Using Robots.txt to tackle duplicate content occurrences.
The robots.txt file gives you the power to control what pages search engine can access. Here is an example:
User-agent: *
Disallow: /*search
This wildcard will ask all search engines to ignore any URLs with the word ‘search’.
Tip: Look into your Google Analytics account to identify which version of the page receives the most traffic.
Parameter handling
Parameters are a very common cause of content duplication and they can be handed in the configuration section within Google Search Console. As parameters can get very complicated I would recommend consulting an expert before making any changes.
Canonical Tags.
The canonical tags are a line of code that tells search engines which page you would like to be indexed from a set of pages with identical content. They should be present on each version of the duplicated page and normally they look like:
Tip: To ensure there is no room for duplicate content on your website use a combination of the three methods mentioned above.
404 or 301 your old pages? Which is Best for SEO?
The question many website owners in the fashion industry ask me is ‘What to do when products run out of stock’.
For retailers in the fashion industry with constantly fluctuating inventory, it’s common to see tonnes of 404 euro pages for products or even product categories that are out of stock or no longer exist.On closer inspection, 404 redirects can cause short-term and long-term damage to your SEO. Unlike 301 redirects, 404 utilise a new URL and will eventually register as a broken link which will affect how helpful (and functional) your website is to search engines. The more broken links your website has the less attractive it will be as a search result.
In my opinion, the best way to maintain SEO and keep the customer confusion to a minimum is to maintain the page but install a widget telling the visitors that the product is out of stock. Even better if you know when the product will be back in stock you can include a product restocking date (you can even prompt the user for an email address and provide an automatic alert when the product is restocked). Another good idea is to insert a widget showing similar products in order to keep the visitor on the website.
If the product in question is obsolete either 301 redirect to the newest model or if this is not an option redirect to the parent category displaying similar items.
Tip: Reuse URLs if you sell products where model number and specifications are not important.
The importance of keyword research.
When it comes to keywords start by analysing the keywords used by your competitors, to get inspiration for your own brand. Do not use keywords that are not related to fashion.If you are in the fashion industry the most important thing to understand is that search engine's most significant aspect is topical relevance.To understand relevance please read Google Semantic Search by David Amerland or join the Google Semantic Search community where Teodora Petkova will bring you up to speed in no time.
### Starting a New Job
Starting a new job is never easy. Between meeting new colleagues and mastering new skills your first 4 weeks may leave you feeling tired and overloaded.To help ease some of this stress I’ve put together my top tips for your first 4 weeks.
Week one
Tips for your first day:
Don’t show up late.Dress professionally. ‘You are what you wear’ people say. Before your first day, you should talk to your future manager or HR to make sure you understand what constitute acceptable attire for your new workplace.Don’t make too many personal calls - remind your friends and family that you are starting a new job.Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Rather than making a mistake that will cost your company money (and could cost you your job), ask questions about everything you are not 100% sure.
This week is all about absorbing as much information as you can. One of your goals should be to listen 90% of the time and talk 10%. On the other side, those 10% should be asking questions.Always take notes but don’t worry about capturing everything.
Pro tip: assign names to your notes - the easiest way to get to know everybody.
At the end of the week take a real break and do something fun and de-stressing. Do not think about work but rather socialise with your friends or family. Go to the movies.
“Weekends don’t count unless you spend them doing something completely pointless.” - Bill Watterson
Week two
At the beginning of the second week ask your manager to set up some get-to-know-my-team meetings. Ask others what they think your job tasks are. This is the best way to learn what other expectations of you are.
Now that you know a bit about the job: be patient. Chances are your new boss didn’t hire you to fix the world in a day, but rather because of your abilities (and knowledge) to integrate yourself well before making a positive impact.
Week three
Start taking responsibility for your own professional progress and development. By now you should know about 90% of what your duties are.
Start looking for a mentor within your organisation. Whether at work or in your personal life everybody needs a mentor.Try and have a serious talk with your direct manager about all unwritten rules in your organisation. This is the week to start building reports and truly understand what your performance metrics will be.
Week four
By now you are shining in your job. Try and broaden your horizons. Try and understand what your colleagues are doing. Have you noticed a task that you or your colleagues are doing over and over again? Can it be automated or streamlined? Whatever you do try not to mess with somebody's else workflow and make sure you notify your manager of your ideas.
Try and arrange a three-month review with your direct manager. This review may not have the same make-or-break impact as your job interview but in my experience, it still has a huge impact on your future day to day activities, work assignments and most of all your salary. Better start preparing early.
Here you can find vacancies from all over the USA.
“It's difficult to achieve success without hope and confidence.’ - Omi Sido
### Say Thank You in a Video. Video Marketing and Your Business.
Everyone in the world wants to be acknowledged by sincere, honest ‘Thank you’. This small act of kindness is a powerful tool that is at our disposal at all times, so we have to start using it as often as we can. In all honesty, I don’t say ‘Thank you’ as often as I should and I am sure I am not the only one.
People don’t understand that even online when the person is not standing in front of us expressions of gratitude create strong, synergistic ties and pave the way for greater influence.
It’s true, saying ‘Thank you’ in the ‘real world’ is not just about expressing verbal gratitude, but also about using the right body language and selecting the right words!
So how can we transfer this online? The answer to this question is in fact very simple: video.
"I find myself constantly seeking new, more sincere, deeper ways to convey that sentiment, particularly here (online) where, as you say, we have no eye and body signaling." - Gina Fiedel comenting on 'Just Saying Thank You' by David Amerland.
After seeing it for the first time I was like: Wow, I’ve never thought about it.
And then it came to me. Expressing gratitude using video is in tune with where the internet is going - mobile.
People don’t want to read text on their small screens. Video is so much easier to digest. Not to mention that it so much more personal and fun.
Or in the words of the people from WireBuzz:
“The reason video is more persuasive than other types of content is the human brain requires emotional input to make decisions. And no technology is better at conveying emotion than video.
Video caters to the brain’s visual and auditory systems, picking up on cues like body language, facial expressions, imagery and music. This elicits an emotional bond that will influence a person’s choices and actions.”
It’s just an idea but try and send a video saying “thank you’ to your customer next time he purchases something from you and compare his reaction to a traditional (and boring) text email.
We are changing the game here.
Instead of satisfying every client, we WOW them.We shower them with so much love, friendliness and helpfulness, that they are blown away. So what is going to happen after that is they will tell everyone they know about you and your awesome service. All that in a 1-minute video. Not a very difficult task I believe.
Go and do it people and get back to me with the results.
### RankBrain & SEO Simplified
What is RankBrain?
Not a long time ago Google released their new secret weapon - RankBrain.
But what do we know about RankBrain? How does it work? How does it affect your business? And most of all how does it affect your SEO efforts?
As usual, Google is not telling us much. Everything we know about RankBrain is based on some sort of reverse engineering. We know it affects the SERPS. We know it's responsible for about 15 - 20 % of the results in the SERPS.
To explain RankBrain let’s start from the beginning.
RankBrain is part of the Hummingbird algorithm and to better understand Hummingbird think about a system that takes into consideration the meaning of the whole sentence, rather than particular words.
Example: 10 years ago the query ‘water pill’ would have probably sent AltaVista or Yahoo to look for a pill with water in it. Nowadays Google understands that this is a diuretic that causes a person to lose water from his body.
When it comes to RankBrain add to the mix a project called Word2Vec. Now I am not a googler and my understanding of this project is that the tool takes the text as an input and produces the word vectors as an output. To better understand the Word2Vec model think of it as a system that incorporates two parts:
One called 'continuous skip-gram' that tries to predict neighbouring words to a given word.
The other one called 'continuous bag of words (CBOW)' that tries to predict a word from neighbouring words.
By using those two methods/algorithms Rank Brain can understand or shall I say try to guess the meaning of a word it isn’t familiar with.
So now that we know how it works, or at least how we think it works let’s discuss the name. The first part ‘Rank’ implies that it has something to do with ranking. On top of that, Google said not a long time ago that it’s the third most important signal contributing to the result of a search query. So in a way, it does affect SEO. Saying that it does not affect rankings.
What is RankBrain and how is it Affecting your SEO?
If you are already ranking for term ‘used cars’ (because you sell second-hand cars) and you were number one before RankBrain was introduced, you will still be number one for ‘used cars’ today.
On the other hand, if before the new algorithm you were also ranking for used steering wheels because there is a topical connection with used cars now RankBrain may re-arrange the SERPs and only display companies that are in fact selling steering wheels and not used cars.
So in a way, your rankings haven’t changed but you are no longer present in the SERPs. If you check your favourite software like SEMrush or STATS your website will still be shown as number one for a particular search term but you will no longer appear in the SERPs for terms that are not relevant to your business.
It filters you out of the inappropriate and keeps you current in the appropriate (SERPS) - Zara Altair
A long time ago the way Google worked was that they will crawl your website, gather all the information and when the query comes they will display information based on the keywords in your copy. RankBrain is a shift towards understanding the query first before connecting it to the keywords in your copy. I hope that makes sense.
The second part of the name is Brain and many people are creating link bait articles connecting AI with RankBrain. Machine learning is part of the AI but it is not AI.
What is machine learning?
Machine learning uses statistics to develop self-learning algorithms. In that matter, Google is hoping that in the future RankBrain will be able to run the SERPs without human intervention. Whether this is gonna happen and when nobody can really say. One thing is for sure that the future is algorithms that cannot be gamed.
It is not an "artificial intelligence" as we don't have that yet. It is a machine learning algorithm. Such algorithms may become a component of any future AI, but they are not yet AI. - Mark Traphagen (Senior Director of Marketing at Stone Temple Consulting)
Why is so difficult to game RankBrain?
To give a concise answer to this question first we have to understand how the new algorithm works.
Historical search data is processed by RankBrain, which then establishes how to make predictions based on that data - so they take the data (the whole process is done offline), and if they think it’s good enough they will feed it into RankBrain. In a way, if your website is giving ‘crap’ information it would not be fed into the system and you will lose in the future.
Those predictions are tested and only then they go live.
This cycle is repeated each time there is a new search in the system.
So the above in simple words. The whole process is done offline, Google decides what the input would be and only after the forecast is approved it goes live so gaming is almost impossible.
As this is a webinar of the relations between Google RankBrain and SEO I will give you some tips to take on board and implement in your daily activities.
RankBrain: 4 SEO Tips You'll Need to Survive
When it comes to Google RankBrain my first tip would be would be to go and read again the Google Semantic Search book by David Amerland. By reading this book and implementing some of the tips given in the book you will not just improve your website authority on the web, but you will also be doing everything the right way in order to satisfy RankBrain.
My second tip would be to create laser-focused content on topics in your niche. Creating thoughtful and quality content is still just as critical to getting found online as it has always been.
Use keyword research to:
First, identify your audience - if you do not know your audience than clearly, you don't know who you're talking to. The only way to identify who your audience is is to perform a keyword research. Check what terms are popular, have big search volume, in your niche. Then check what keywords people are using to land on your website and try to connect them both.
Secondly, try and find what your audience is talking about and what your audience is looking for online. In simple words the questions they are asking. RankBrain is all about asking and answering questions. Especially questions that have never been asked before. Try and answer those questions.
Thirdly, create content that connects with your audience. If your audience likes sports cars and they are also talking about Formula One, buying tips or the British TV program ‘Top Gear’ include all these in your copy. Then the algorithm will think that you are an authority, I guess and hope that you are an authority already, and your information will be fed into the system.
Now more than ever, you’ve got to be focused on user intent, related intentions the user might have, and identifying gaps in your content, and how your quality compares to your competitors for the same query - Eric Enge ( Why Machine Learning Is Revolutionizing Search)
My third tip: As the main direction in the future for Google is voice recognition create content that sounds natural. Write copy that is descriptive and sounds like the reader is in front of you.
My fourth tip would be: do not forget links. Links provide external trust and applicability to your content. This is another way to show RankBrain that your website is an authority in your niche.
Many people say and try to convince us that Rankbrain is the future and would potentially replace all algorithms. This is simply not true. RankBrain would always be a part of a bigger algorithm whatever the name of this algorithm is in the future. RankBrain will always need links to determine relevancy. Links from other authoritative websites in your niche are basically telling the algorithm that you are an authority as well.
Q&A
Krystyn Dale: Schema and RankBrain correlation.
Omi Sido: Schema is the best way to show Google what your website is about. Everything started with Google trying to create this database of knowledge (Open Graph). With all the knowledge scraped from the web, Google already knows how the words are connected, how web sites are connected and how different niches are connected to each other. RankBrain is basically refining the search, making sure that all the knowledge Google had before and all the ‘new knowledge’ coming to Google is connected and understood. Marking up the content of your website with structured data is the best way to tell Google if your website is relevant.
Other opinions expressed during the conversation.
Vivekananda Baindoor Rao:
Artificial Intelligence has been in development for a long time but Machine Learning in my view is actually part of it. Artificial or natural intelligence comes once the "learning" has happened and the information is understood. Actually, the results or decisions that are taken based on the learning show the intelligence! So the AI research has been going on for a long time and only now we have successfully implemented machine learning which would take us closer to full AI.
Peter Hatherley:
Omi Sido Zara Altair - Actation Now! Personally, I have good reasons to think that RankBrain has a ranking effect ... quite apart from the obvious point i.e, the word rank being part of the branding.
In a way, it's like saying PageRank didn't have an effect on the rankings during the 00's. The reality is that it had a huge bearing on the SERPs results during that time and yet quite obviously both these algorithms have the word rank hidden in plain sight within their respective brandings.
I'm quite sure the marketing experts at Google wouldn't have gone as far as producing a misnomer to throw us off the track ':D) In fact, a lot of thought would have gone into naming the RankBrain algorithm to reflect its true meaning just like they did so aptly with PageRank.
Gina Fiedel:
Omi Sido, I really could listen to you for hours. You have a gift and a wonderful style for explaining complex concepts. It's especially valuable that you're highlighting the connections between how the semantic web and Hummingbird work and RankBrain's part in that. And how they are working to "see" connections and relevancy between words, entities, search intent- all that juicy stuff.(Love the pub example- that's such a great analogy for listening, being able to hear)
And of course, I love your repeated endorsement of our favourite books. ;o)Zara Altair, thanks for having Omi and for all your additions in the learning here.
### Don't you ever give up!
One day you will wake up and all your dreams will be a reality.The Powerhouse European SEO Gianluca Fiorelli opened his eyes on Thursday (May 19,2016) morning and his dream of a conference where knowledge flows like a river opened doors for the first time.Sleepless nights, cans of coffee and a sea of worries all came to an end.
The best ever European Digital Marketing Conference is a fact.
Organised by a man with a vision for legacy and entrepreneurship this conference surpassed all expectations.
Two days of intense learning with some of the best speakers from all over the world. You could see the wisdom flying in the air (unless of course those were hallucinations coming from the SEMrush drinks/girls. Olga Andrienko, Kate Makulova, thank you very much for you never ending smile and light refreshments). You could sense that a lot of rankings will be skyrocketing from now on fueled by the knowledge shared by the digital marketing elite at this conference.
Some of the best presentations:
Marcus Tandler - Welcome to RealityFernando Macià - Customer journey analysis and searchscenarios http://goo.gl/MjmIeKGemma Muñoz - Evolve or Die (all evolution is born fromdisobedience)Will Critchlow - Emerging Trends in Web MarketingWil Reynolds - Go where the users are, building a holisticSERP strategy http://goo.gl/UkrUr7Bas van den Beld - How to create the right content at the righttime to the right audience http://goo.gl/vTUfLeKieran Flanagan - Lessons Learnt from Building a Growth Teamfor Inbound Marketing http://goo.gl/5gTzV9Barbara Mackey - Onsite search: empathy in the fashion world http://goo.gl/2ZDZYsValentina Falcinelli - Content Design. How to winthe skimming test http://goo.gl/5gVgggSamantha Noble - Dominating the Paid Media Universe https://goo.gl/TcxXK6Lisa Myers - Go big or go home. Successful contentmarketing for SEO http://goo.gl/emcGYqNathalie Nahai - Web Psychology: The science of onlinepersuasionAleyda Solís - Competitive SEO Analysis: How to identifyopportunities and win your competitors.Gianluca Fiorelli - Deconstructing Google: practical insights ofits patents http://goo.gl/Yh31n6Rand Fishkin - Fight Back Against Back http://goo.gl/DTshml
Meanwhile, let’s not forget the crowd. I saw people like Dawn Anderson, Arnout Hellemans, Eddie Gonzales, Mark Scully - to name but a few - wandering around. Each one of those people could have been on the stage. Each of those people should probably be on the stage next year.
We all had an amazing time. We all gained so much knowledge and insights straight from the source. If you ever wanted to be somewhere close to the people currently shaping the digital fashion in the world this was your best chance.I hope you managed to talk to them. I hope you managed to have a selfie with them. And most of all I hope you managed to scribble all the tips they gave you.
Do we want more? Well, we are all human beings, and on top of that, we are marketers. Let’s push Gianluca for 3 days (Houston/Arnout Hellemans, we have a problem – there is not enough beer in town). Let’s add the rest of the digital marketing elite like David Amerland, Mark Traphagen and Eric Enge to the mix. Let’s have Google in the face of Gary Illyes or John Mueller answer some of our questions (of course, I am talking about Q&A sessions).Let’s extend the legacy of this wonderful idea.
Hasta la vista amigos! I know you all had a good time and you all coming back next year.
See you soon.
### The convergence of SEO and Branding with Omi Sido
Very often I see people online talking about SEO and branding, comparing them both and even arguing which one is better. So let’s be clear about one thing. SEO and branding are two completely different animals and they can and they should work together.
Today I’m gonna try and explain why.
But first thing first. To understand the importance of SEO for branding and branding for SEO we have to start from the bottom.
So the beginning is the understanding of the difference between branding and marketing.
Why do people always think that branding and marketing are the same things? You go and visit a client and he is like tweeting about their latest offer. And he thinks this is branding. He is re-posting on Facebook and he thinks this is branding. In general, he thinks that being on social media is branding.Google it and I bet you money the first 5 statements are wrong or at least not entirely clear….understand correct.
So let’s clarify this statement. First, there is an internal, the initial part, and then there is an external branding.
What is internal branding?
Internal branding is the drilling we put ourselves through to ask those very simple questions:
Why are we here?
What is our business about?
What is its value?
What is its unique value on the marketplace?
What do we bring to the table that nobody else has?
What’s our message?
What's the story, the journey we are taking the customers on?
That’s the internal branding. If try to skip this step you are bound for an online disaster.
“Companies that cannot successfully answer what they do fail to then understand how they can continue to do it in the face of change.” - David Amerland
Now let’s talk about the external branding.
What is external branding?
I would explain external branding with a cliche, but one that is spot on:Your branding is eventually what other people say about you, no matter what you think.Shall repeat this one slightly modified: Your brand is what other people are whispering about you when you are not in the room.
And that’s how you eventually judge and make predictions for your business.You get your branding in mind, you start creating the content that flows out of that brand and that brand image and that brand value.
And then you take that out in the social media world and share it, engage with it, use it to create things.
Your next step is to start listening. What are people saying back?
As people start to talk and interconnect with your business what they think you are is fundamentally what your brand really is.And it does not matter that you may shout and shout: “Hey people wait a minute. This is not me. You are getting it wrong”.It is not their fault. It is your fault. You are not conveying it right and you have to go back to the drawing boards and ask the question: What are we doing wrong that people are not apprehending who we are and what we really are?
Because this is a fundamental marketing truth that cannot be denied: Consumers build brands, not companies. Consumers are the ones that give value to the brands and businesses should enhance this value by striving to deliver a consistent brand experience that clients can trust.
And so the marketing part then is all the things that you do. And this gets down to the individual channels, what do we do differently on Linkedin. Shall we advertise on TV or Facebook? Are we gonna share our articles on Google Plus or LinkedIn?What do we do in terms of community involvement and events that we attend and participating? That's marketing (we can also call it brand marketing).
So now that we know the difference between branding and marketing let’s talk about SEO.
Nine out of ten times when I talk to companies and the so-called digital marketing directors there is always one issue coming up.
“Omi, we have an amazing brand, we know what we are trying to achieve, we know our unique business proposition. On the other hand, we have an amazing digital marketing team, but we still struggle online”.
And then nine out of ten times they did not connect their branding and marketing efforts together. Why?
There is a very simple answer: SEO. SEO is the missing link, the Yeti of the evolution from branding to digital marketing. SEO is part of the branding process, but SEO is also part of marketing.
Let’s start with the simple keyword research. All SEO’s do it on a daily basis. As an SEO, I may call it keyword research. As a marketer, you should probably call it defining my targeted audience. You will be surprised how many companies are trying to sell products and services online without doing the simplest of SEO tasks - keyword research.
Not defying your buyer's persona will always gonna end up in disaster.
Keywords are like a compass - they tell you where to go and whether not to go because is already overcrowded. Unless you like tight spaces of course.
Keyword research is the marketing of 21 century.
The so-called marketers don’t do it because it’s a pure SEO task. SEOs do it but only because they want to attract the google bots.The truth is keyword research can help you figure out the needs, the thinking and the desires of your targeted market. It can also help you to understand what the market is thinking about you. And you can use it to your advantage.
Let me give you a famous example. Actually not quite sure that it’s famous but for sure is spot on. A couple of years ago Yost realised that every time people are searching for their product they use the keywords Wordpress and Google Analytics in connection with their brand name.Not a very difficult research actually, just go to the Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush and type your brand name. If you don’t know the keyword planner ask your SEO.
So by putting 2 and 2 together Yost renamed their plugins to ‘Yost SEO’ from ‘Wordpress SEO’ and what was originally ‘Google Analytics Plugin’ became ‘Google Analytics by Yost’. Now I am sure you get the drift straight away. Their brand name is Yost, not Wordpress or Google Analytics but by combining them both they legally hijacked two keywords with a massive search volume to work for their benefit.Go on and type Wordpress SEO. What do you see appearing in the Google suggest box? Yoast SEO. SEO and branding at it best.
So it’s time for a power tip: In the ‘Alt’ tag of your images, and I know most of you don’t pay any attention to those, insert your brand name. Ask your SEO to crawl your website with Screaming Frog and give you the location of all your images.You don’t want any other brands popping up when somebody is looking for your brand in the picture search.
Note: I hope you understand that there is no point connecting your brand name and an image button.
Also connected to images give Google something that they really understand: schema. Even better combine logo schema with keyword rich alt tag for a better SEO impact.
My second power tip will be: Always put your brand name in your Page Title. I know there are so many arguments on the web about whether or not to do it. If you think that you cannot have a Page title accommodating 55 characters plus Brand Name include it anyway. Google will cut your page title off anyway so there is nothing to worry about. But Google will associate the keywords in your Page Title with your brand. I’ve even seen Google cutting off a page title in order to display brand name. Now you’ve got something to think about.
So far we’ve been talking about SEO helping branding.
But can your brand boost your SEO?
Will start with an example. I’ve seen many people complaining about Google giving a boost of famous brands in the SERPs. They are like: I can never fight with the big brands because Google loves them and they are always number one and two in the SERPs.
So let’s examine this statement from a consumer's point of view.The other day I was looking for new tyres for my motorbike.As usual, I sit in front of my Mac and I type ‘Motorcycle tyres’. Probably cheap motorcycle tyres. Imagine I see 4 websites appearing in position number one, two, three and four.
The first one is www.davidamelrandstyres.com. I don’t know about you but I would be very sceptical about buying motorbike tyres from a writer. I love my life you know.
Second comes www.fateyestyres.com They even say they are the best on the market. I know Gina, I like her a lot but I know her more as a writer. Her writing is good but I’d rather check URL number 3: www.altayrtyres.com (difficult to pronounce, I know).
As far as I know Zara Altair was a teacher. I should probably do my homework before buying from her.
So I am left with URL number 4. And this is Pirelli. See the first 3 websites are well optimised from an SEO point of view, from a semantic point of view even local SEO point of view. This is exactly why the Googlebots are ranking them high. The problem is I do not know those brands. So I click on URL number four.
Google has a well-defined brand identity: we give you the best possible result. So imagine the next day the way Google is thinking - well yesterday 5 000 million people were looking for motorbike tyres and 95% of them clicked on the URL coming in the fourth position. I believe you gonna agree with me that this is the URL that has to be so to speak unnaturally boosted by Google to position number one. And it’s not Google. The consumer boosted this URL by choosing one more recognised brand over another.
Now tell me there is no point in developing your brand name using SEO techniques. Or you do not understand the importance of developing a recognised brand name in order to boost your SEO. The end result - more qualified visits and money coming your way.
“Brand is a huge factor in SEO, as it affects click-thru, exemplifies 'trust' factors, and generally provides a sort of benchmark for all rivalry. Additionally, many searches that return huge amounts of information actually create doubt, uncertainty, and in such situations, most customers stick with what they know. Brands get business where doubt and uncertainty prevail” - Ammon Johns
### Top 10 On-Site SEO optimisation factors
What is on-page optimisation?
On-page optimisation is the process of improving individual web pages in order to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic in search engines. This involves optimising both the content and HTML source code of a page, as well as making technical improvements to improve user experience and search engine crawling.
Let's start with search engines?
Search engines assess web pages in a different way than human visitors. Naturally, search engines cannot see the design of a page or what you have to offer provides real value to your visitors. So a search engine can only judge a web page from a 'technical' point of view.
With this mind here is my take on what are the most 10 top important on-site SEO factors.
In no particular order.
The importance of mobile optimisation for SEO
Mobile optimisation is a crucial aspect of SEO, especially given the increasing number of mobile users (who doesn't have a mobile phone today). Mobile optimisation ensures that your website pages display correctly and are user-friendly on all mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets. This is important because Google and other search engines prioritise mobile-friendly websites in search results (mobile-first indexing), and without a doubt, mobile users are more likely to engage with websites that are easy to use and navigate on their mobile devices.
Mobile optimisation also improves the user experience, reducing bounce rates and improving the time users spend on your website. By prioritising mobile optimisation in your SEO strategy, you can improve your search engine visibility and drive more relevant traffic to your website.
To optimise your website for mobile devices, it's important to use responsive design (web pages that look good on all devices), which automatically adjusts the layout of your website based on the device being used to view it. This ensures that your website is optimised for a variety of screen sizes, and provides a consistent user experience across all devices. It's also important to reduce the size of your images and other media, which will improve page loading times on mobile devices and page speed is a ranking factor when it comes to Google.
By making sure your website is optimised for mobile devices, you can not only improve your SEO but also provide a better user experience for your mobile visitors, leading to increased engagement and potential conversions (revenue).
SEO-friendly URLs for better SEO
SEO-friendly URLs are an essential aspect of on-page search engine optimisation. URLs should be concise, descriptive, and contain relevant keywords that accurately reflect the content of the page. The URL should also be easy to read and remember, with a clear structure that indicates the hierarchy of the page. Using hyphens to separate words in the URL is also recommended, as this helps search engines understand the meaning of each word.
An SEO-friendly URL can improve your website's search engine visibility, making it easier for users to find your website and understand the content of your pages. Additionally, an SEO-friendly URL can improve the user experience, leading to increased engagement and potential conversions.
Example: Avoid what we call in the SEO world ‘ugly’ URLs like omisido.com/p=555 or very long URLs like omisido.com/oh-my-god-omi-is-such-a-nice-guy-and-i-like-hanging-with-him. Remembering http://omisido.com/omisido/ is so much easier than http://omisido.com/?author=1, isn't it?
Each page must have unique Page Title and Meta description.
It is crucial for every page on a website to have a unique page title and meta description. The page title is the main heading that appears at the top of a browser window and provides a brief and concise summary of the page's content. It also plays a significant role in determining a page's relevance and ranking in the search engine results (SERPs).
Similarly, the meta description is a brief summary that appears below the page title in search engine results and provides additional context to potential visitors. Ensuring that each page has a unique and descriptive title and meta description can improve a website's search engine rankings, attract more visitors, and increase the chances of visitors clicking through to the website (increased CTR).
When it comes to crafting effective page titles and meta descriptions, it's important to use relevant and targeted keywords that accurately reflect the content on the page. This will help Google understand what the page is about and ensure that it appears in search results for relevant queries. It's also important to keep the titles and descriptions short and concise, while still providing enough information to entice visitors to click through to the page.
Taking the time to create unique and compelling titles and descriptions for each page on a website can have a significant impact on its search engine performance, visitor engagement, and overall success.
Optimise your Header Tags for better SEO
Optimising your header tags is an essential part of on-page search engine optimisation (SEO). Header tags are used to structure your content and provide a hierarchy of information to search engines. The H1 tag is the most important, and it should be used to introduce the main topic of the page. I will recommend you use only one H1 tag per page (although HTML5 doesn't mind having more than one H1 on the page), and this H1 should contain relevant keywords to help search engines truly understand the page's content.
Additionally, using H2, and H3 (Google doesn't really care about anything past H3) can help break up content and improve readability, making it easier for users to scan and engage with your content. By optimising your header tags, you can improve your website's search engine visibility and user engagement.
In addition to using relevant keywords in your header tags, it's important to keep them concise and descriptive. This will help both search engines and people visiting your website pages quickly understand what the page is about thus reducing the bounce. It's also important to use header tags in a logical hierarchy that reflects the structure of the content on the page. This can help search engines better understand the relationships between different sections of your content and improve the relevance and authority of the page.
Overall, optimising your header tags is a simple but effective way to improve your website's on-page SEO, attract more organic traffic, and improve the user experience for your visitors.
Outbound links to authority sites for better SEO
Including outbound links to authority sites in your website's content can have a positive impact on your SEO. Outbound links to reputable and high-authority websites can help establish your website's credibility and authority, showing search engines that you are providing valuable content to your visitors.Linking to relevant and trustworthy sources also helps to increase the user's trust in your website (and your brand) by providing additional resources for the visitor to learn more about the topic.
In addition, outbound links can help improve your website's page authority, which can have a positive effect on your search engine rankings. By including outbound links to authority sites(the word 'authority' is important), you can improve the quality of your content and enhance your website's overall SEO and UX.
However, it's important to note that you should only include outbound links to relevant and high-quality sources. Linking to low-quality or irrelevant websites can harm your SEO, as search engines may view this as spammy or manipulative.In addition, too many outbound links can distract users from your own content and make it more difficult for search engines to determine the focus of your page. When including outbound links, make sure they add value to your content and enhance the user experience.
By incorporating outbound links to authority sites in a strategic and thoughtful manner, you can improve your website's overall SEO and provide your visitors with a more valuable and informative experience.
Duplicate content removal
The so-called "duplicate content penalty" can be described as a situation in which search engines, such as Google or Bing, penalise websites for having content that appears in multiple locations across the internet.
When multiple websites have identical or highly similar content, search engines may face difficulty in determining which version is the most authoritative and relevant to rank in the SERPs.
SEO always says something like 'your website will be penalised for duplicate content'. However, it is important to note that strictly speaking there is no such thing as a 'duplicate content penalty'. Whilst search engines do prefer unique and original content, they do not penalise websites for having duplicate content (you will never see a penalty notice in your Google Search Console account). Instead, they simply filter out or ignore pages with identical or highly similar content in their search results.
Therefore, having duplicate content on your website may not harm your search engine rankings, but it may reduce the visibility of your website's pages hence the term 'duplicate content penalty'.
Note: It is still important to create unique and original content to improve the user experience and increase the chances of search engines showing your pages in search results.
Boost your SEO by using Structured Markup
Using schema markup is a super effective way to enhance your website's search engine optimisation (SEO). Schema markup is a code that is added to your website to assist search engines in better comprehending the content on your pages. It provides additional information about the structure of your website's content, the types of content, and their relationships.
This extra information can aid search engines in better matching your website's content with user queries and enhance the visibility of your website in the SERPs. By utilising schema markup, you can improve your website's organic search engine traffic, boost click-through rates, and ultimately drive more traffic to your website [potentially resulting in more revenue.
Schema markup can also help your website appear in rich snippets in search results, which can provide users with additional information about your website's content, such as ratings, reviews, and other details. This can make your website stand out in search results and improve your click-through rates, leading to more traffic and potentially more conversions.
To take advantage of schema markup, you can use tools such as Google's Structured Data Markup Helper or hire a professional SEO expert to help you implement it on your website. Overall, incorporating schema markup into your SEO strategy can provide significant benefits and improve your website's search engine visibility and user engagement.
Analyse your backlink profile
Analysing your backlink profile is a critical aspect of any successful SEO strategy. Backlinks are links from other websites that direct users to your website, and they are a key ranking factor (unconfirmed but supported by so many examples) used by search engines like Google to determine the authority and relevance of a website.
By analysing your backlink profile, you can gain valuable insights into the quantity, quality, and relevance of the backlinks pointing to your website. This information can help you identify areas for improvement, such as low-quality or irrelevant backlinks that could be hurting your rankings. It can also help you develop a more effective link-building strategy to improve your search engine visibility and drive more traffic to your website.
Internal linking
Not everybody is talking about the importance of internal linking when it comes to SEO, but on the scale from one to ten your internal linking profile should probably get eight. The explanation is very simple: if your internal links are broken, if the bot crawling your website sees a lot of 404’s and 500 response codes it will not be able to index your pages. Your website should provide clear paths for spiders and for that matter human visitors to navigate your website and understand your content and website structure.
Proper internal linking is the only way to distribute page authority and ranking authority throughout your website. So do it wisely.
Let me give you some of the points I usually give to my clients:
First and most important - provide value for the visitor. Only use links that are natural to the reader.
Second use ‘follow’ links. I know some SEO’s recommend using ‘nofollow’ links in order to increase the link juice to a single page. This is a strategy of the past. In my opinion, when it comes to internal linking the link value should follow to and from internal pages and the idea of stopping it at one point is never good.
Last but not least try and find another relevant internal page rather than linking back to the Home page. Most home pages have lots of internal and external links pointing at them anyway so try and boost the PageRank of your internal pages.
SEO and semantic searches: the importance of relevancy
Search Engine Optimization has evolved significantly over the past 10 years, and one of the most important aspects of SEO in recent times is relevancy in response to people querying things in different ways, languages, and tones. With the advent of so-called semantic search (and machine learning), search engines are becoming way smarter and better able to understand the intent behind a user's search queries. This means that search engines are better able to deliver relevant results to users, which in turn improves the user experience.
As a result, it is becoming increasingly important for websites to create content that is not only optimised for keywords but also provides value to users and is relevant to their search queries. In other words, as SEOs, we have to help Google in order for the Search Giant to bring more visitors to our website properties. By focusing on relevancy, websites can improve their SEO and attract more targeted traffic to their site.
To learn more about Semantic Search either read Google Semantic Search by David Amerland or visit The Google Semantic Search Community where David Amerland himself with the help of Teodora Petkova will bring your knowledge up to speed in no time.
The importance of technical SEO
Conclusion
Despite the numerous Google updates in recent years, the on-site SEO optimisation hasn't changed much. It is still important and it still needs to be done. Yes, by all means ‘Content is King’ but even kings need to live in properly build castles and this is exactly what on-site SEO gives you. A properly build home for your content to live so it can attract and create more business for your company.
P.S. Elements that did not make it into my top 10 list but are still very important when it comes to on-site SEO optimisation: Server Speed, XML sitemap, custom 404 Page, Social Media Integration, CDN (Content Delivery Network) and last but not least page speed.
### The Complete Guide to Rich Snippets
Getting your website into the Google Knowledge Graph is not a wishful thinking anymore. It’s a necessity.
As we move away from the keyword-based search and enter the realm of semantic entity search, the game of SEO is transforming. Simply having good content on your website is no longer enough. The key to dominating the search results is to communicate with search engines using entities, which is like 'SEO on steroids'.
If you want to be a cut above the rest and secure your position in the Google Knowledge Graph, showcasing rich snippets for your search results is the quickest and most reliable method. This isn't just our opinion, but it's also what Google recommends, as evident from this inspiring video here: http://goo.gl/loE0ME. So, embrace the power of entities and enrich your search results with structured data to take your SEO game to the next level!
What are rich snippets?
Rich snippets (also called rich results) are any type of search listing in the Google SERPs that displays visual or interactive data. Unlike regular search results, rich snippets display more detailed and visual information, such as images, star ratings, reviews, product information, and more.
Rich snippets are designed to make search results more informative and engaging for users (resulting in more 'relevant' visits to our websites), helping them to quickly and easily find the information they are looking for. Rich snippets are generated by search engines using structured data markup on a website, which tells search engines what type of content is on the page and how it should be displayed in the SERPs.
The Google's Definition of Rich snippets:
Snippets - the few lines of text that appear under every search result - are designed to give users a sense for what’s on the page and why it’s relevant to their query.
Notice the word "relevant." Relevant is the foundation on which Google's semantic search engine is built. Traditional search algorithms match your search query with 'keywords' extracted from web pages and organize those results in order of relevance. On the other hand, semantic search tries to understand your query in more depth, showing you more meaningful and relevant results.
Looking at it from a different point of view, it is a way for webmasters to 'advertise' their pages and products better, giving us more information before we decide to click through to a website.
Can we see these results in the SERPs? Hell yeah. Just go to Google and search for 'music festivals in London'.
Event rich snippets
Now, take a look at the second result. See, even if I hadn't told you, you would have looked at the fourth result anyway. Although the first result is more relevant to your query (hence the first position in Google), your eyes are automatically drawn to the more organised and, in a way, more attractive second position.
Another example is searching for tomato soup: your eyes are automatically drawn to the picture, especially if you are hungry.
Rich Snippets in the SERPs
3 key benefits of Rich snippets
Not even intentionally we’ve already tapped in the main benefits of the rich snippets.
Make your content advertise itself. More visual, eye-catching results in the SERPs.
Increased Organic CTR. More visual and more relevant information will probably increase the CTR (Click Through Rate). Having a peek before visiting a page will definitely decrease the bounce rate of a particular page. Google says bounce rate is not considered when ranking a page, but I am not so sure. Since introducing Panda 4.0. we see increased organic visibility for pages based on the so-called 'user signals'. One of those signals is the so-called 'Return-to-SERP rate' - the proportion of searchers going back to the search engine results page after having clicked on a link – which suggests they did not find what they were searching for. Or in other words, less relevance means a higher bounce rate and potentially lower rankings. Do you see the benefit of allowing the searcher to know what to expect on your page?
Bring 'qualified traffic'. Rich snippets will not only increase your CTR, but they will also bring more 'qualified' traffic too. The people visiting your pages (especially e-commerce) are making an educated decision to click through to your website knowing your product, pricing and availability in advance. They wouldn't have clicked on your link if they didn’t want to make a purchase. Going even more backward they wouldn’t have been even online looking for your product-specific term.
Tip: Feels like I have to give you an advice here: know your customers.
Rich Snippets: How to Implement?
I will try to be as less geeky as possible and I also promise to show you the easiest method.
First let's clear up some terms/definitions before we go to the really technical part.
Rich snippets as we know them were introduced by Google in 2009. In a surprising move in year 2012 all major search engines came together (for a richer web: http://goo.gl/JevRHR) and announced a new initiative called schema.org. Schema.org main purpose is “to create and support a common vocabulary for structured data markup on web pages”. This initiative started with a small number of formats, but the idea to support a wider range of schemas over time.
Fast forward to 2014 and the official schema supported by Google is JSON-LD.
You have to understand that using JSON-LD, Microdata or RDFa produces exactly the same result. It’s just that JSON-LD is the preferred language by Google and although I never worked with Microdata and RDFa I believe I it is absolutely the easiest markup to implement in your applications.
To enable Rich Snippets for your content in search results, you need to add the appropriate markup to your pages. Currently, there are around 29 main categories and two additional markups for COVID-19 announcements and Speakable structured data. Below is a list of some of the most popular strucured data.
Course Info structured data - structured data markup that is used to describe educational courses in a way that is easily understandable for search engines.
Vehicle listing structured data - structured data markup that is used to give Google information about new car listings for improved visibility within the Google Search results.
Product structured data - Information about a product, including price, availability, and review ratings.
Recipe structured data - Recipes that can be displayed in web searches and Recipe View.
Review snippets - A review of an item such as a restaurant, movie, or store.
Event structured data - An organized event, such as musical concerts or art festivals, that people may attend at a particular time and place.
Software App structured data - Information about a software app, including its URL, review ratings, and price.
Video structured data - Information about description, thumbnail URL, upload date and duration. Google may decide to use your rich snippet markup to power ‘content carousel’.
Article structured data - You can provide details like a headline, images, publish date and description. If you are lucky enough “Google may use your rich snippet markup to power features like "In the news" and content carousels”.
After deciding which type is most appropriate to your content your very first stop should be The Google Structured Data Markup Helper. As JSON-LD is a new language to almost everybody (including many webmasters), not many people know and understand how to markup their webpages content correctly. Don’t be inventive.
The Structured Data Markup Helper is there to help you make the markup process easier so the search engines can read it correctly.
Structured Data Markup Helper
Start by selecting the data you are working with, then paste the URL (or the HTML) of the page you want to mark up. Click on the button “Start Tagging” and you are presented with a page like that:
Here you have got two options. One is to highlight the text that you want to mark and the other one (the less intuitive one) is to click on the Button “Add missing tags” and add all the tags piece by piece.
To make the first method a bit more clear have a look at the image below. I have highlighted the text that I’d like to have as a “Name” the article. Straight away I am given a drop down menu with options for tagging the selected text. All I have to do now is select the “Name” tag and you gonna see it displayed as “Name” in the right-hand side corner of the page.
Note: You don’t have to assign some value to every single tag if this tag doesn’t apply to your content. For example, you may not have a picture in your article or you may not need/use “Aggregate Rating” in your blog.
When you finish tagging all your content (if anything is missing just use the “Add missing tags” option) click on “Create HTML”. Now we are provided with the HTML source code with the markup of our choice- either Microdata or JSON-LD.
Have a look at both ways of marking up your pages. Don’t you find Microdata a bit confusing?
Click on JSON-LD and you are presented with “Structured data as JSON-LD Markup”.
Markup example: Event
As Google is suggesting “Add the script block below to the head section of your html”.
I have highlighted the elements that can be created dynamically by your back-end system but of course, you can tag all your web pages manually (not recommended - prone to mistakes).
Use the Rich Results Test to test and validate your structured data
Your next step should be going to the Rich Results Test Tool in order to validate the structured data markup code of your pages. According the Google the main features of this tool are:
Validation for all Google features powered by structured data
Support for markup in the JSON-LD syntax, including in dynamic HTML pages
Clean display of the structured data items on your page
Syntax highlighting of markup problems right in your HTML source code
In practise, all you have to do is paste a link or HTML code in order to validate your markup code.
Go and validate the code I have given you above. Did you notice the 'Missing field 'priceCurrency' (optional)' warning?
Rich Results Test
You have to agree with me that this is one very intuitive and easy to use tool from Google.
Tip: Come on, don’t be shy. Go and check out your competitor's' pages as well.
This article wouldn’t be complete without one of my favourite developments by Google.
Specify your social profiles to Google to display in Google Knowledge Graph
You can add your company’s (or personal) social profile information to your Google Knowledge Graph by using structured data markup on your official website. Make sure you fulfill these requirements:
Publish markup on a page on your official website
Pages with markup must not be blocked to the Googlebot by robots.txt
Include a Person or Organization record in your markup with:
"url" = the url of your official website
"sameAs" = the urls of your official social media profile pages
Note: "The SCRIPT block can be inserted anywhere on the page — either the head or body of the page".
Markup example: Person
PHP Redirect
JSP (Java) Redirect
<%
response.setStatus(301);
response.setHeader( "Location", "http://www.your-new-url.com" );
response.setHeader( "Connection", "close" );
%>
Old to New domain using .htaccess file
Create a .htaccess file with the code below:
Options +FollowSymLinks
RewriteEngine on
RewriteRule (.*) http://www.your-new-url.com/$1 [R=301,L]
This code will ensure that all your directories and pages of your old domain will get correctly redirected to your new domain.
The .htaccess file needs to be placed in the root directory of your old website (i.e the same directory where your index file is placed).
Note: Please REPLACE http://www.your-new-url.com in the above code with your actual new domain name. This .htaccess method of redirection works only on Linux servers having the Apache Mod-Rewrite moduled enabled.
Redirect to www using .htaccess file
Options +FollowSymlinks
RewriteEngine on
rewritecond %{http_host} ^domain.com [nc]
rewriterule ^(.*)$ http://www.your-new-url.com/$1 [r=301,nc]
Again this .htaccess file should be placed in your root directory and as above replace the http://www.your-new-url.com with your actual domain name.
Is it gonna be the same for the search engines - smooth and unnoticed?
Well not exactly. it will take some time for a search engine to find the new page through your 301 Redirect and index it. The good news - it will take the SEO rank assigned to the original page and assign it to the new one. But only when it sees 301 redirect.
But what about the rel=canonical attribute? My agency told me to use rel="canonical" for redirection.
Wrong.
Though it is very often used as a 301 redirection substitute rel=canonical is an entirely different animal. Many webmasters know it has something to do with SEO so they wrongly assume that it can be used as a 301 replacement. Well, apart of the fact that it is not physically sending the user to your new page its purpose is to solve duplicate content issues on your website.
There is a very good article by Google explaining all the usage of Use canonical URLs here: http://goo.gl/eaZb14. In this article I can see a good advice from Google: “The 301 status code means that a page has permanently moved to a new location.” Stick to Google thinking.... it does pays off in the long run.
So the wisdom from this whole article is that moving to a new domain (or moving pages within your current domain) should not waste the SEO value your links have gained over the years. It is search engines friendly and it will also stop your visitors from experiencing the “Page not found” nightmare.
Articles:
Help your SEO with a 301 redirect, by David Amerland
Use canonical URLs, Google Help
301 Redirects - Wikipedia, Wikipedia
### SEO Tip of the day (well more like 9 Killer SEO Tips)
If, like me, you're thinking that writing an article every day might be hard work, then it might just be a way to create a 'weekly article' which you can then use to summarize what’s happened in the last week and look at what you could be doing differently in your industry.
So there is a summary of what I have been thinking (and willing to improve in the future) this week.
Think content
Start a blog
Put the customer or reader first
Write content with a longer shelf life
Use Schema markup
Write your own product descriptions
Don't rely on search traffic
Track your keywords
Having reviewed my 'SEO week' there is one thing that comes to mind: Don't be afraid to experiment with your SEO (and social media strategy), but review and measure, and if it isn't working for you, then adjust the strategy.
PS People I am learning from every day (hence I have got my own ideas and theories now: David Amerland, Mark Traphagen, Eric Enge, Teodora Petkova, Aaron Bradley, Bill Slawski, Ana Hoffman, John Moore
Do not train a child to learn by force or harshness; but direct them to it by what amuses their minds
- Plato
### Dr Google
“Real search is about providing valuable information when it’s really needed to those who are actually looking for it.” - David Amerland
Last week Google started giving health related answers in the #KnowledgeGraph answer boxes. So from now on Google will start giving relevant medical facts right up front from the Google Knowledge Graph.But those facts are not coming from Wikipedia or other websites (official announcement here: goo.gl/jl1XC5).
Is there a reason behind this bold move by Google?
Well on average one out of 20 Google searches are seeking health-related information. The search giant now wants to show answers that were created especially for Google and not collected from the web. Here is how Google describes the creation of this content:
“We worked with a team of medical doctors (led by our own Dr. Kapil Parakh, M.D., MPH, Ph.D.) to carefully compile, curate, and review this information. All of the gathered facts represent real-life clinical knowledge from these doctors and high-quality medical sources across the web, and the information has been checked by medical doctors at Google and the Mayo Clinic for accuracy.”
Is this shift from information presenter to information creator the future of the search giant?
Well only the future will tell. For now all we have to do is structure and mark up our data to make it more appetizing as a data source for the Knowledge Graph (http://goo.gl/Pj4G47 by Aaron Bradley).
On the other side from a consumers point of view: Should you ever have more confidence in ‘Dr Google’ than your GP?
My opinion: I believe the thing with GPs is, obviously, being general practitioners their in depth knowledge of serious conditions is limited. Unfortunately with the state of the NHS in England you're looking at a 3 week wait to see the GP and a 3 month wait to see a specialist. Being able to seek advice from Google may give you an advantage and leap past a few rounds of 'let's try this treatment'. Many doctors (and I have seeing it with my own eyes) use Google too.In all cases it should be not very wise to ignore Google’s own advice:
“That doesn't mean these search results are intended as medical advice. We know that cases can vary in severity from person to person, and that there are bound to be exceptions. What we present is intended for informational purposes only—and you should always consult a healthcare professional if you have a medical concern. “
### YouTube Videos and Return on Investment (ROI)
"The majority of companies are not using video in any way that provides any real ROI. Just to clarify, simply knowing the number of people that clicked on your video is not a measurement of ROI. It’s just a measurement of the number of people who clicked the button to watch video. From that data, it isn't clear how much of the video they watched." - Jayson Duncan
Before sending you to this wonderful article on 'Using YouTube for Lead Generation' (http://goo.gl/Nb3t3t), I'd like to give you some of my tips on the subject. Well more like things to look at when creating your next 'video' campaign.
Return on investment (ROI) is an important concept when considering the success of online video marketing activity.
For me the first step to this success is looking at the demographics.
It is all about getting views from the right people, not just people. When you are scripting and filming your video, you are always thinking about a specific audience so demographics dimensions will help you understand if you have succeeded in your intentions. It may even give you new ideas for business development.
The second step should be length of plays vs completed plays.
Look at your view count and you can rapidly learn about the true quality of your videos. Thousands of views account for nothing if viewers clicked away after watching only 10 seconds of your 2 minute video.
YouTube Analytics is a free tool to help you with:
1. Discover how audiences find your videos
2. See what captivates viewers
3. Understand watch sessions
4. Learn about your subscribers
Learn more about YouTube Analytics here:http://goo.gl/VxPZdw
### The Power of Google Translate
Google Translate is an incredibly powerful tool that has transformed the way people communicate and access information across the globe. With its powerful translation capabilities, Google Translate has bridged the language barrier and made it possible for people to communicate with each other without the need for a common language. However, Google Translate has recently added a new feature called World Lens (an augmented reality translation application originally developed by a company named Quest Visual) that takes translation to a whole new level.
Bridging the Language Barrier with Google Translate with World Lens
World Lens is a feature within the Google Translate app that allows users to translate text in real time using their smartphone camera. The app uses augmented reality to overlay the translation onto the text in the real world, making it possible for users to understand and read text, signs, menus, and other written material in a number of foreign languages.
The Significance of Google Translate with World Lens for Travelers
The significance of World Lens cannot be overstated. It has the potential to revolutionise the way people travel, communicate, and access information anywhere in the world. With World Lens, travellers can navigate foreign cities with ease and understand the local language without the need for a tour guide or language classes. They can simply point their smartphone camera at signs or menus and instantly understand what they mean. This feature can be incredibly useful in countries where the traveller's language is not widely spoken, and signs and menus are in the local language.
Google Translate gets smarter with Word Lens - an augmented reality translation application.
The Benefits of Google Translate with World Lens for Businesses
World Lens can also be incredibly useful for businesses operating in foreign countries. It can help them communicate with local customers, understand local laws and regulations, and gain a better understanding of the local culture. For example, a restaurant operating in a foreign country can use World Lens to translate its menu and make it more accessible to local customers. I always struggle when local restaurants don't have English menus but now I can just point my mobile phone camera at the menu and Voilà I am ready to order.
Bringing People and Cultures Closer Together with Google Translate with World Lens
In addition to its practical applications, World Lens has the potential to bring people and cultures closer together. It can help break down cultural barriers and foster understanding between people from different countries and backgrounds. By allowing people to communicate in their native language, World Lens can help to create a more inclusive and diverse world.
Limitations of World Lens and Translation Tools
Before we all get super excited, it is important to note that World Lens, like all translation tools, is not perfect. It can struggle with complex sentences, idioms, and slang, and may not always provide a perfect translation. But even then I sometimes struggle with local slang and idioms so it's not reasonable to expect that a translation tool will know it all. It is important to keep this in mind and use World Lens as a tool to aid communication, rather than relying on it completely.
Conclusion: The Potential of Google Translate with World Lens
In conclusion, the significance of Google Translate with World Lens cannot be overstated. It has the potential to revolutionise the way we communicate, travels, and access information across the globe. It is an incredibly powerful tool that can help break down cultural barriers and bring people and cultures closer together. While it may not be perfect, World Lens is a step in the right direction towards creating a more inclusive and diverse world.
### Make Your Email Marketing Stand Out This Post-Holiday Season
Here comes the time of the year when all inboxes will be filled up with promotions, offers and coupons. In the months leading up to Christmas, most companies know pretty well how to talk and promote to their customers. But once January arrives even the the smartest of companies hit this email marketing vacuum where none of the holiday messages appear to work anymore.
Here are some tips of mine to improve your post-holiday email marketing strategy.
Do a “Best of 2014” list with your most popular services and products.
The post holiday period is the time when most people will look back in order to analyze and evaluate their favourite moments of the year. Your “Best of” will not push them to buy, but just associate their life activities with your company journey. You will be surprised how many people will visit your website driven by this nostalgic feeling.
And you gonna be waiting there for them with all sorts of “add-ons” to the products or services they’ve bought from you during the past year. Remember: no pushing, no up-selling but just a quiet showcase (reminder) of your best products.
It’s all about the subject line.
Everybody loves a good bargain nowadays, so emails with “limited offer”, “must have” and “huge discount” do good in the pre holiday period.
By the end of December people are so tired and bored by those words that it is so hard to make your business stand out when your subject lines mirror those of your competitors.
Instead of just “Save 50% throughout our stores this January” why don't you consider something like this: “You have earned it last year. This January is on us”. Or even “Lets us help you with this New Year’s Resolution. Talk to (join) us today.”
The post holiday period is all about emotions. People don't have to buy. But they will if you hit the right emotional note. Which leads me to my next tip.
Build brand loyalty.
The post holiday season is the best time of the year to make people know that you appreciate their support throughout the year. Creating brand loyalty is one of the main reasons behind using email marketing (and social media for that matter) in the first place.
Start by personalising your email messaging. Your customers are not all the same even if you are selling/offering only one product or service. Say you are owner of a electrical company and you work with big landlords and individual home owners. Well sending the same broad message to those two completely different types of customers may not be (and probably is not) as effective as sending each distinct/specific email that address their individual needs and worries.
Segmenting your list is a critical part of email marketing success. The more you know about your list members, from their likes and dislikes to where they live, the easier it will be to target them and gain their trust.
When you are happy with your segmentation just send a warm branded goodwill message simply thanking your clients for their support. No selling, promotions or coupons of any sort please.
Why is saying “Thank you” good for your branding? While there are a lot of qualities that you should strive to attach to you brand, one of the best qualities you can be known for is being gracious. Saying “Thank you” to all people or brands that impact your professional (or personal for that matter) life can do wonders for your reputation. Make sure you say thank you to customers who didn’t even buy from you last year - what a good and polite way to remind them of your brand.
Include social share buttons in all your emails.
If you didn't do it last year now is the time. From my own experience enabling your clients (email recipients) to share your emails (newsletters) can generate a 50% higher CTR (click-through-rate). According to research on marketing strategies in 2014 conducted by the digital asset management firm WebDAM this increase in click through rate can go all the way up to 150%.
And if the numbers cannot convince you I will give you a simple explanation.
If you send out 1000 emails, you have 1000 potential ambassadors - or shall we call them campaigners - of your brand that can help to create awareness for you and your products or services.
Think Mobile.
Again if you didn't do it last year now is the time to start thinking responsive email design in order to deliver the same viewing experience regardless of the device used. According to the statistics 53% of total email opens occurred on a mobile phone or tablet in Q3 2014.
Or in other words if you don’t think mobile when it comes to email marketing you are ignoring 50% of your customers.
I would even go a little bit further and say that responsive email design is no longer even optional. It’s a hardcore requirement since reading emails became one of the most common online activities for mobile device owners.
Recently I read somewhere that "87% of C-level executives check the majority of their email via mobile. This means that both B2B and B2C marketers must make their emails mobile friendly if they want to succeed".
Nowadays people use all sorts of devices: you need to respond to this trend by ensuring your email marketing campaign looks great on all of them.
And last but not least: “Because open rates increase when emails are responsive.”
Conclusion.
The post-holiday period is not the time to expect a high ROI, but rather paving the road to higher performance result later on in the year. Nevertheless it is not supposed to be taken lightly as increasing brand awareness, improving the look and the feel of your email marketing campaigns will make your subscribers more likely to read and act upon your content. The road to your shopping basket starts when the client opens your email. Make this journey nice and smooth.
### SEO Tips for Blog Writing
Post length isn't everything – but it helps, especially if you want your content to be referenced by others around the web. In my personal experience, short blog articles are not performing well in the SERPs.
When working for a major UK brand I did a research to establish the correlation between page ranking and a number of words present on the page and I've noticed that Google just doesn't like pages with short-form content. It almost felt like pages with not enough content are completely ignored by Google.With that being said there are of course exceptions like the Seth Godin's website but as we all know there are no rules set in stone when it comes to Google.
For the record: I would never criticise a business for publishing shorter articles as long as they are able to communicate their message in a short format.
Longer articles succeed not necessarily because of the number of words they contain, but the amount of insight, keywords, data and research they contain. Put simply, if you want people to link and retweet your blog articles, your content needs to be helpful – and a longer article gives you the space to go into detail.
Put simply, if you want people to link and retweet your blog articles, your content needs to be helpful – and a longer article gives you the space to go into detail.
Some points when writing an article:
Substance – What are you trying to say?
Audience - Do you know your audience? Your end goal is to create content your audience is going to read. Do not write for the search engines. Write for your future customers.
Frequency - if more frequent you can get away with shorter articles. Don’t ever sacrifice quality for frequency.
Images - The Internet nowadays is full of words. Trillions of them. However, it’s not the words that normally gets all your attention - it is usually the images. You can get the entire mood of something that you’re about to read just passing the preview image.
Before moving to the next one a bit of interesting statistic. "In an online store, customers think that the quality of a product's image is more important than product-specific information (63%), a long description (54%) and ratings and reviews (53%).:
The facts speak for themselves.
Format - The format of your articles has a massive impact on its readability. It is massively important to break your content with subheadings, images, and short paragraphs so people can scan it.
Your company blog is the perfect tool for providing your audience with a look at the “human” side of your organisation as well as showcasing the fun and cool things you do in the community.
Fine tune your headline. Your headline can literally make or break your blog article (and for that matter landing page or even email). To optimise your headline from an SEO point of view place the keyword as near to the front of the headline as possible. My formula for crafting headlines for list posts would be:
[number] [keyword] [curiosity/inquisitiveness capturing phrase]
You've got less than a second to capture your audience's attention in the SERPs. Make your headline structure count.
You've got no choice but to become your own PR agency. Once you hit the "Publish" button on your fresh article you should really tweet your heart out. Acting as your own PR agency start linking to your content from all over the internet - from comments on blogs linking back to your article to submitting your article on Medium or LinkedIn. Remember that publishing an article is only job half done. No one will come, tweet or share your masterpiece if they don't know about it. Social media management and web content writing go hand-in-hand so don't be shy and go out there and spread the word.
### 2015 SEO Predictions
Semantic Search is changing SEO forever.
It's all about optimising your content and everything you do online for your customers rather than just Google, and this is a radical shift in thinking.
SEO 2015 Workout: How To Gain Weight from SEMrush
Google wants us to be more human. Words like trust, authority, personality are fashionable again.
"Identity is key" said David Amerland once.
In a way whatever you do offline to impress the people around you, now you have to incorporate in your everyday online activities. Both personal and for your company/brand.A transition from corporate to human branding.
Is semantic search good for website owners?
I would shout loudly “Yes” and some of my main points are:
Semantic search is all about content, so writers with good knowledge of a particular subject will benefit even if they don't know much about SEO.
Semantic search is less complex than normal indexing algorithms. People will see search results based on synonyms rather than exact keywords. Looking for “car shipping” will also give you results for “auto” and “vehicle” shipping. Think about good content rather than keyword optimization (goodbye black hat seo). Or in simple words - "write for the people, they are your clients, not the search engines".
But what about “keywords”?
Well I am afraid Google is shifting towards more contextual search so focusing on keywords alone will be disastrous for any business. On the other hand contextual search is boosting small business web visibility immensely across the globe. Imagine a few years ago a small restaurant appearing on the first page of the search results for generic terms like “restaurant” or “pizza”.No more injustice just because you are small business. Local businesses can rank highly for those keywords within a certain context.
Which brings me to my last but not least vital 2015 SEO point.
Local and National/International Results.
Location is the most obvious contextual feature Google uses when catering for a search query. Even if you don’t know or don’t care about semantic search you must have noticed that for certain keywords Google is displaying only local businesses. Try searching Google for the keyword “plumber”. Even if you wanted to find the meaning of this word or a job description, you are presented with local plumbers. Based on your location Google decides whether the keyword used should provide local or national results. And honestly do you want to see national results for “petrol station” or “Indian restaurant”.On the other hand do you want to see local results when looking for something like a bank account or mortgage?Local search is boosting small/local businesses visibility so if you are small business this should be you main starting point.
Next year “expect SEO to be harder, better, faster, stronger”.
P.S. Article written as a comment to a post by David Amerland
### Hashtagging gone wrong. How Not to Do It
A hashtag can be detrimental in the wrong hands. Thanks to the rise of social media, particularly Twitter, the hashtag has become an important linguistic shortcut.
Hashtags connect your content with other people talking about the same thing or looking for information about something. This can potentially extend your brand content past your own audience.
Unfortunately like with all good things, hashtags are been rapidly hackneyed and demolished by social media "specialist" who don't understand how to properly use them. Not just that but they are actually hurting their own brands.
A recent study from Socialbakers showed that "posts that use one or two hashtags see more interactions per post (593) than those that incorporate more hashtags. Use 10 or more hashtags in a single post, and that number drops to 188 interactions."
Eric Enge (CEO at Stone Temple Consulting Corporation) twitted last year: “Using more than 2 hashtags can decrease engagement more than 17%”
The Internet may not have strictly defined rules, but we should at least try to show some manners and etiquette. Have a look at The Ritz-Carlton - what a mess....
Hashtag Rules by www.howtohashtag.com
1: DON'T OVERUSE - use a maximum of two hashtags in your tweets or Facebook posts. If you use too many your followers will think you are spamming them.
2: KEEP THEM SHORT — tweets are restricted to 140 characters you don’t want a hashtag taking up 50% of the letters in your tweet, there is however no limit to Facebook post length but keep them short to avoid annoying your fans/friends.
3: DEFINE YOUR TAG - in a tag directory such as http://tagdef.com, give your tag a meaning you can also search for the meaning of existing tags.
4: NO SPACES OR PUNCTUATION - make sure there are no spaces in the words preceding the hashtag or punctuation, as it will break the link.
### When Obama & +Barry Schwartz Became King Of The United States For The Day
Conversation with David Amerland and Peter Hatherley
"Why would Google show this answer when it is clearly wrong? Is it an Easter Egg? I strongly doubt it. But it does look to be a case where Google got it wrong when it comes to getting answers from third party sources." - Barry Schwartz
Peter Hatherley: Still semantically relevant of course Omi Sido. This is where context comes into it's own, I believe, and that remains a major part of the deep learning process that Google is currently engaged in ...
Omi Sido: Peter Hatherley I was about to say something similar, but I got stuck in the thinking of how this has happened.
Not a long time ago Google was talking about entity salience. As far as I know names are always salience entities. And the Knowledge Graph has a lot of background information about Barak Obama and the difference between a king and a president.
As you said yourself : The deep learning continues.
Peter Hatherley: Omi Sido the how of the incident is as much a part of the picture too. Appreciate you bringing it to our attention :)
David Amerland: Omi Sido this shows the weakness that exists, still, in the veracity component of semantic search.
Peter Hatherley: This is why contextual categorization is so important David Amerland. This is why a simple contextual system that isolates positive, neutral and negative elements could answer correctly. The analysis of the textual content obviously being related more clearly to entities and authority etc.
The truth is that king's and president's are intrinsically linked semantically yet there is no King of America.
This would be easily solved by matching these titles against countries as a boolean query.
David Amerland: Peter Hatherley agreed, it shows the complexity of the problem: i.e. what is semantically correct is incorrect at a human understanding level and in this particular example the issue is compounded further by the sourcing of the Barry Shwartz photograph to illustrate it. It shows that Google's social-mining component is not yet linked quite the same way, in the verification process.
Peter Hatherley: Yes quite true David Amerland it does expose that flaw. The point is that now that this has been activated will it remain part of his semantic profile for the future?
David Amerland: Peter Hatherley no, I suspect it will drop off quite quickly. The checks and controls are in place, though the speed we expect them to work at, is not. One unique element of the semantic web is that results are cached so that new calculations are made on top of new ones instead of starting from scratch each time like we had to with Boolean search. Thus, with time, veracity and the speed at which it is calculated will improve. What we are seeing here are the issues of a nascent technology that has not yet scaled adequately.
Peter Hatherley: Yes that makes perfect sense David Amerland eventually it will be far far more organic and serendipitous in nature
### Do you need to use "Gratitude" to be successful in business?
"Is there such a thing as too much Gratitude?". I believe somebody said before: "Gratitude is a currency that we can mint for ourselves, and spend without fear of bankruptcy."
As I am constantly working with small business I am persistently reminding them that gratitude is a tool that we have at our disposal and that very few of us choose to utilize it to its full potential.
If you think that retaining customers matters than incorporate gratitude into your business plan.
I’m sure each one of us bought from (worked with) companies which have clearly had the attitude: you don't matter to us. It may have been their customer service, the secretary, the cashier or even the guy who opened the door for you. Whatever was the reason you have chosen not to deal with them anymore it was not because of the product or service per se, but because of their attitude. Whichever way you look at it gratitude has a sound business case.
You always gonna go back to the grateful people, because this is the human nature. And not just that but you probably gonna recommend them to your friends cause you want them to have the same great experience.
Where to begin? Just say thank you...all the time. Somebody told me before to buy a box of thank you cards and immediately send a "handwritten" note to all my best customers thanking them for their support/services/purchase. For bigger companies why not type something on your company letterhead.
Whichever way you are doing it, first organize yourselves. A checklist is the simplest way to go.
You meet a sales prospect. Thank you card (email) straight away when going back to your office. Tick the box.
You present them with your job proposal. Thank you card. Tick.
They accept the proposal.....well you know the drill by now. Thank you card and tick the box :-).
It may sound a bit excessive at first, but trust me in a few months time it’s going to come so naturally to you that you gonna be like: “I have to thank Omi for this one….and send him a bottle of red wine cause he likes it”. And I promise I’m going to be grateful :-) lol
Not to go into details but please express gratitude everywhere: your business, at work, at home, in the supermarket to the guy who makes the bread every day, towards your social connections (+David Amerland - "Express gratitude when I should" - here: http://goo.gl/25YiHJ and +Teodora Petkova - "Cherish the bridges of that you build along the way" - here: http://goo.gl/4keaJJ).
In the end no theory is good without examples. The one I always give to people.
Last year went on Amazon to buy some running equipment. Had a lot of choices, so I randomly bought from the middle priced shop. What do you know. The guy went all the way checking my social media profiles and after noticing that I am a big motorbike lover he included a motorbike scarf and a thank you note with my running gear.It may have cost him £2/4$ but guess where all my gym mates are buying their gym equipment from? He had me at “Thank you” anyway.
PS Article inspired by a hangout organised by Network Round Table Small Biz Happy Hour HOA here: http://goo.gl/XvGthQ
### The Social Profile Links in the Google Knowledge Graph
Conversation with David Amerland, Aaron Bradley, Teodora Petkova and Eric Enge.
Aaron Bradley: Interesting example of harvesting entity-specific information from diverse data sources.
Google+ lists only his Google+ Page and website URLs. The verified website - www.barackobama.com - list ../OFA ("Organizing for Action") accounts for Facebook and Twitter rather than the listed personal accounts.
Freebase shakes out like this:
"Social media presence /common/topic/social_media_presence
Social media presence
http://www.twitter.com/BarackObama
http://www.facebook.com/barackobama
http://plus.google.com/110031535020051778989"
But somewhere there's a Googl Knowledge Graph URI that has the (correctly) extracted facts here.
Omi Sido: Aaron Bradley, a question is forming in my head: What if Barack Obama wanted people to see his professional and not his personal Twitter/Facebook accounts?
I know David Amerland said something like "Google essentially is forcing us to become more honest, more transparent", but from my personal point of view I don't think it would be beneficial to me if people were seeing my personal accounts.
The Barack Obama example is probably not the best one as I am guessing both his Twitter/Facebook accounts are run on his behalf by somebody else, but do you see a case in the future where people are not happy seeing their personal and business affairs mixed together. Would there be a way to separate them somehow?
It would be interesting to hear Teodora Petkova's and Eric Enge's (after his recent Dallas presentation on Semantic Search) opinion on this matter.
David Amerland: Omi Sido interesting question and I am not sure how this will develop but right now, from a purely trust dynamic your professional Twitter account (as an example) would be of zero value to me as a consumer - it would be marketing messages posted by who knows who of your team, following a carefully crafted script.
Your personal account on the other hand adds to my sense of trust in you as a person that produces, in turn, a halo effect in my trust on you as a marketer. Search, at the moment, follows a fairly similar dynamic in its rationale.
Aaron Bradley: Omi Sido Google is trying to provide the best match for its users, which may or may not be the social media accounts you'd prefer users to see.
"... from my personal point of view I don't think it would be beneficial to me if people were seeing my personal accounts."
Without going down too much of a rabbit hole, the concept of a "non-personal" accounts in the world of entities is problematic. A searcher querying "omi sido", a personal name, will want to see a personal account - that attached to the person Omi Sido - or rather the named personal entity Omi Sido.
So what's a "not-personal" account in this context? If you mean a business account under another name then that's a named corporate entity that's a poor match for "omi sido" (one of the reasons I always advise people not to conflate their personal and corporate accounts - e.g. a Twitter handle of @AcmeInc with "John Smith" mapped to the named field). If you mean another personal account reserved for business (e.g.@OmiSidoGREI rather than @OmniSido), then Google is going to struggle with that always because you've split your personal identity, though you're still the same person (a mistake that journalists, in particular, are prone to make) - it's the equivalent of keyword cannibalization for named personal entities. The Omi Sido that's interested in gardening (or whatever - sorry, I don't know your hobbies:) is one and the same person that writes code. Trying to maintain two or more personal identities in the entity-centric world that is Google 2014 is fraught with peril, and ultimately counter-productive IMO.
"The Barack Obama example is probably not the best one as I am guessing both his Twitter/Facebook accounts are run on his behalf by somebody else..."
Oh I think this is a fine example. Google neither knows nor cares whether these accounts are run by proxy - they link them to the person "barrack obama" using just the same logic as they link my social media accounts to the person "aaron bradley", based on a number of factors including (as per +David Amerland's point) the observed (trust-building) interactions between each account and other accounts, themselves linked to named personal entities.
And it's quite right that OFA - a named corporate entity - is not displayed in that social media account list. It's not appropriate, any more than it would be to have the Twitter account of the Global Real Estate Institute listed in your social media list.
"What if Barack Obama wanted people to see..."
Google badger don't care. Google badger is bad ass. Google badger shows what its users want to see.
Eric Enge: Omi Sido Google wants to know everything about you, public or "private". It feeds their ability to serve you better, which increases their ad revenue in the long run.
Teodora Petkova: Omi Sido first thanks for asking me :)
Then, as New Age as it may sound, I will risk it :) and say that I think that the clear demarcation between professional and personal in RL is now starting to get blurred and the better the Semantic Web reflects that change the sooner the H2H marketing will come. When I started working at +SEOM I had to have all the possible social profiles. However I was not ready to reveal who I was completely, as I thought social media and SM presence is too much about non essential things, noise, cats pictures etc. I was so to say SM illiterate. So I decided that I will have a professional profile and a personal one. It took me less than a week though to realise that:
1. This is super hard to maintain.
2. This is not sustainable and at a certain point your professional life cannot be separated from you personal one.
I am personally wondering why would you need two identities and what is more why would you want to be in a square - super defined and dynamic-less by your own limits (professional), e.g. powerless to change.
:)
And last but not least, I know a lot of people who have their several identities and are perfectly fine with this.
Aaron Bradley:
Well said Teodora Petkova.
In the days when Google Authorship rich snippets were still a thing, I often had difficulties in convincing people to link their Google+ accounts to their professional output.
For example, a journalist working for a Google News-indexed site on subject X, who insisted on creating a separate Plus profile for this site, as she fashioned herself as being a blogging authority on subject Y. But of course she was, and is, and always will be one person creating content in multiple topical realms online. Ironically, I think there was more of a possibility of users discovering her association with subject X because she split her identity in order to "protect" her association with subject Y.
Rinse and repeat, for many individuals.
At the end of the day I think what the determined identity splitters fail to think through are use-cases. That is, search engines, social networks and other data consumers will only surface topically relevant information linked to your identity when it's, well, topically relevant. So if you work blogging for Ford but your real passion is raising goldfish, you don't need to worry that your "Ford-ness" is going to surface in a "goldfish-ness" context. And if people really want to find out more about you, you're not going to be able to hide your "Fordness" unless you don't expose it anywhere.
Teodora Petkova: Aaron Bradley agree. I will be watching closely the identity splitters :))
### Topic Modelling and Semantic Connectivity in SEO
Topic Modelling & Semantic Connectivity By Rand Fishkin .
Search engine optimisation (SEO) is an important part of digital marketing, aimed at improving the online visibility and ranking of websites in search engine results pages (SERPs). Over the years, SEO has evolved significantly, driven by the need to provide more relevant and useful information to searchers online.
With Google's focus on delivering high-quality and relevant search results (think Google's algorithm updates, such as Panda, Penguin, Hummingbird, and more recently, BERT and Core updates), digital marketers must understand the importance of topic modelling and semantic connectivity in SEO so they can include them in their optimisation efforts.
Topic modelling and semantic connectivity are two concepts that are closely related to SEO. Topic modelling refers to the process of identifying topics or themes in a collection of documents (strictly speaking topic modelling is a statistical model used in statistics and natural language processing to identify the abstract "topics" present in a set of documents. It helps in discovering the underlying themes or patterns within the collection of documents.), while semantic connectivity involves understanding the relationships between words and concepts to improve search relevance. In this article, we will explore these concepts in more detail and examine how they can be used to enhance SEO.
Topic Modelling in SEO
Topic modelling is a statistical technique that involves identifying topics or themes in a collection of documents. The technique is often used in natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning to discover latent patterns or hidden structures in data. In SEO, topic modelling is used to analyse website content and identify the most relevant and popular topics in a particular industry or niche.
To perform topic modelling in SEO, you need to start by collecting a large corpus of text data from various sources, such as websites, blogs, social media, and forums. Next, you can use tools like Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) or Non-negative Matrix Factorization (NMF) to identify the most relevant topics in the text data. These tools use mathematical algorithms to cluster words that frequently appear together and identify the topics that these clusters represent.
For example, if you were analysing a collection of articles on digital marketing, you might identify topics such as "content marketing," "social media marketing," "SEO," and "email marketing." By analysing the frequency of words and phrases in the text data, you can identify the most relevant and popular topics in the industry.
Once you have identified the most relevant topics in your industry or niche, you can use this information to optimise your website content. By creating high-quality content that focuses on these topics, you can improve the relevance and authority of your website, which in return can help to improve your search engine visibility (rankings). Better visibility means potentially more people visiting your web pages and potentially more people buying your products.
Semantic Connectivity in SEO
Semantic connectivity is the concept of understanding the relationships between words and concepts to improve search relevance. In SEO, semantic connectivity involves identifying the different ways that people express the same idea or concept and using this information to optimise the content on website pages.
On the other side, Google's algorithm uses semantic connectivity to understand the meaning of a search query and to provide the most relevant search results. For example, if someone searches for "best coffee shops in New York" Google's algorithm will try to understand the different ways that people might express this idea, such as "top coffee shops in NYC" or "where to find the best coffee in New York."
To optimise your website content for semantic connectivity, you need to grasp the different ways that people in your niche search for the same product or service (the important word here is 'your niche'). This involves conducting comprehensive keyword research to identify the different words and phrases that people use when searching for information in your industry or niche.
By using these keywords in your website content, you can help Google's algorithm to understand the meaning of your content and improve your search rankings. Search engines actively build their own thesaurus and dictionary to help them determine how certain terms and topics are related and it's your job to convince them that your website should be visible in the SERPs when your potential customers are looking for your products and services.
Semantic connectivity is also important in link building, which is the process of acquiring links from other websites to improve your website's authority and relevance. When building links, it's important to focus on links from websites that are semantically relevant to your industry or niche. For example, if you have a website that focuses on fitness and nutrition, you should try to acquire links from websites that are also related to fitness and nutrition, such as health and wellness blogs, fitness magazines or gym companies.
Semantic search is the bridge that connects great content with those who seek it, and SEO is the vehicle that drives it forward.
Using Topic Modelling and Semantic Connectivity in SEO
Topic modelling and semantic connectivity are two powerful concepts that can be used together to enhance SEO. By using topic modelling to identify the most relevant and popular topics in your industry or niche, and semantic connectivity to optimize your website content and link-building efforts, you can improve the relevance and authority of your website and improve your search rankings.
Here are some practical tips on how to use topic modelling and semantic connectivity in your SEO efforts:
Conduct Keyword Research
Keyword research is an essential part of SEO, and it involves identifying the different words and phrases that people use when searching for information on your industry or niche. By conducting keyword research, you can identify the most relevant and popular topics in your industry and create high-quality content that focuses on these topics (always create valuable content that clearly fits the user’s search intent).
To conduct keyword research, you can use tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or SE Ranking. These tools will provide you with a list of relevant keywords and phrases that you can use to optimise your website content.
Analyse Your Competitors
Analysing your competitors is another important part of SEO, and it involves identifying the keywords and topics that they are targeting in their content and link-building efforts. By analysing your competitors (first, find out who your competitors are in the SERPs), you can identify gaps in the market and opportunities to differentiate your website from your competitors.
To analyse your competitors, you can use tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Moz. These tools will provide you with information on your competitors' keywords, backlinks, and content strategy.
Create High-Quality Content
It goes without saying that creating high-quality content is essential for SEO. You should always strive to create content that is informative, engaging, and relevant to your target audience. By using topic modelling to identify the most relevant and popular topics in your industry, you can create content that resonates with your target audience and helps to establish your website as an authority in your industry or niche.
When creating content, it's important to use keywords and phrases that are relevant to your topic and industry. You should also use subheadings, bullet points, and other formatting techniques to make your content easy to read and scan.
Build Quality Backlinks
Building quality backlinks is another essential part of SEO, and it involves acquiring links from other websites to improve your website's authority and relevance. By using semantic connectivity to identify websites that are semantically relevant to your industry or niche, you can build high-quality backlinks that can help to improve your search rankings.
When building backlinks, it's important to focus on websites that are authoritative and relevant to your industry. You should also use natural anchor text that is relevant to your content and industry.
Conclusion
Topic modelling and semantic connectivity are two powerful concepts that can be used to enhance SEO (content marketing). By using topic modelling to identify the most relevant and popular topics in your industry or niche, and semantic connectivity to optimize your website content and link-building efforts, you can improve the relevance and authority of your website and improve your search rankings.
To use these concepts effectively, it's important to conduct keyword research, analyse your competitors, create high-quality content, and build quality backlinks. By following these best practices, you can improve your SEO and drive more traffic to your website.
### Mobile Usability Feature in Webmaster Tools (or the new mobile reality)
Going mobile is not a wishful thinking anymore and everybody who does not optimize for mobile will suffer next year. A bold statement I have made recently in front of an audience that had seen their site traffic patterns leaping from 2% to 25% mobile just in the last 6 months of 2014.
Why was I so brave making this “mobile future” disclosure? Am I Nostradamus or do I have any relatives in Google. Neither. Earlier this year we saw mobile browsing/search experience overtaking desktop for the first time in the history of Internet. Now in the end of the year numbers are looking something like that:
Four out of five consumers are using their mobile phones when shopping.
75% of online searches lead to an action within an hour. My explanation to this one: When searching using your mobile you are looking for something specific. Few people are using their mobile devices just to browse the internet for fun compare to desktop. You see something in the newspaper, you notice an advert on the passing by truck, a colleague tells you about an offer on the High Street. What's your first reaction? Check it out on your 4.5 screen right there on the spot.
25% of smartphone owners ages 18–44 say they “can’t recall the last time their smartphone wasn't next to them.” (Fast Company).
Now the funny one. Another recent study claims that at least 70% of Americans take their phone to the bathroom. My verdict: If you are somehow involved in the toilet paper business it’s such a crappy time not to have a mobile friendly website.
189 million Facebook users are mobile only. This figure is something like one in five. If your visitors are coming to your website through articles or advertising on Facebook then they are more likely to be mobile visitors rather than desktop. There is just no point advertising on Facebook, a platform full of mobile users, if your website is not Mobile friendly. To cement this point look at the next statistic.
50% of people admit that they will never visit a website on their mobile if they had problems accessing it on their device. Staggering number.
“Addressing your mobile audience is a critical part of any digital marketing strategy. Less than 2 weeks ago I sat in meetings with one client that told us that 35% of their traffic comes from mobile devices today. This makes mobile readiness a necessity!” said Eric Enge when releasing the mobile friendly version of his company website in March this year.
In another statement David Amerland claims that “a website that is not mobile-friendly is not only missing out of a large slice of visitors but it is also setting itself up to receive a black mark in ranking in search.”
What is going on? Why is Google penalising us for not having a mobile friendly version of our site? According to Google own research “mobile-friendly websites provide a much better user experience for the mobile users. According to our studies, 61% of users are unlikely to return to a mobile site that they had trouble accessing from their phone. That includes sites that use fonts which are illegible on mobile, or sites where users have to zoom in or pan around excessively. Mobile is a very important area; the mobile device penetration is over 50% in the USA and most users use their device for browsing websites. Because at Google we are aiming to provide a great user experience on any device, we're making a big push to ensure the search results we deliver reflect this principle. We want users to be able to enjoy the web wherever they are.”So I am afraid folks it’s official. Google will penalise you if your website is not providing the necessary mobile user experience.
After saying everything above I was not at all surprised when 3 days ago Google introduced a new feature in Webmaster Tools called Mobile Usability. Main purpose of the new tool is to help marketers and website owners identify mobile usability issues across their websites. I like the Google definition of a proper implementation of a mobile friendly site: when reading visitor should only scroll up and down and at no point one should swipe from left to right in order to see content.
The Mobile Usability Report will show issues like:
Flash content - most mobile browsers do not recognise/render content created with Flash. Good time to say: Stop using Flash even for desktop. HTML5 has been around for so long that it is time for you to come to the 21 century.
Viewport not configured - start using the meta viewport tag. People are coming to your web page from different mobile devices, so specifying a viewport is critical for the mobile experience of your website.
Tiny fonts - if you see this one then after specifying a viewport set your font sizes to scale properly within the viewport.
Fixed-width viewports - some of you will define the viewport to a fixed pixel size in order to adjust a non responsive page to cater for different size mobile screens. I am afraid you have to adopt a more responsive approach and set the viewport scale accordingly.Quick tip:
Content not sized to viewport - as I said earlier Google vision for a mobile friendly website is one that does not require vertical scrolling. problems coming with absolute declarations in CSS and images not scaling. Quick tip: width: 100% instead of width:360px.
Touch elements too close - As visitors are not using the more traditional mouse cursor it is very difficult for them to press buttons and links densely packed. Ensure buttons and navigational links are correctly sized. Quick tip: The average adult finger pad size is about 10mm wide, and if you check the Android UI guidelines you gonna see that the recommend minimum tap target size is 7mm, or 48 CSS pixels on a site with a properly-set mobile viewport.
In Conclusion….
The Digital Marketing Landscape has dramatically changed in 2014. The number of customers using mobile while browsing the internet is on the rise, so a lot of people now are asking the question, and that is “What is my mobile strategy? Do I have one?” My advice is - do not panic as yet, but start moving towards a well defined and structured mobile strategy as soon as possible.
Your initial point should be the Google ideal for mobile friendly website.First it was Google's Page Speed Insights tool gaining mobile usability in it's tool and now Webmaster Tools. Mobile Usability MATTERS.
Your “middle ground” should be the ever evolving Semantic Web and Semantic Search. Because we live in the dawn of the Semantic web where a lot of mobile search queries are done by a voice recognition system, Google had to do something in order to cater for his mobile users. As we all know most of the mobile searches are so called “long tail” containing “entities” mentioned in them. To predict its customers queries Google have moved from a simple keyword search system to a lot more complicated one that uses “entities” to find relationships. Optimizing for Semantic search is crucial for your business.
Your end and ultimate goal should be the overall customer experience.
### The Master Formula to Grow Your Following on Any Social Network
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jf16jwRPC-c
Hangout on Air organised by Stone Temple Consulting and special guest Rebekah Radice.
The best parts:
Some basic principles for growing your social following are the same across networks. Understanding what these are, and then understanding the differences between each one can make things go much faster for you.
+Ben Fisher It is always a gamble to get heavily invested in a new network. You are spending you personal/professional equity and potentially losing out on opportunities. I think it all comes down to your strategy.+Mark Traphagen I would say early adoption is important. If you are responsible for advising others on social media. You have to at least be aware of what is up and coming.+Scott Scowcroft There's no better way to expand one's service area than to go online. Especially for a solopreneurs, quality trumps quantity in terms of followers every time.+Tim Longwell Social Media is not just about making money but making connections. To repeat a often stated phrase: "People buy from people (businesses) they like." The benefit of SM is that one can become that 'someone people like.'+Kristin Drysdale The hardest thing for me is to limit my responses with new people who have legitimate questions. I want to help everyone that I can. But there's just not time enough in the day (or night). How do you choose the people that you decide to give your teaching time to? +Gina Fiedel Seems helpful to always be on the lookout, remaining open to extending your awareness of what's going on around us. I can tend to be shy jumping in where I'm not known, but we can also tiptoe in gently and get to know new people. I've been reminding myself to do a little of that almost everyday and it's been very fruitful.+Bitingedge Elevating others is always a win-win+Carmen Rojas *Helpful is the new viral!* (Love this statement. As I said earlier it reminds me so much of +David Amerland and +Ana Hoffman)+Georg Buech It´s basic to find the network where your audience is.+Amelia Hoskins Everyone has paintings on their walls - anyone is a customer +Kristin Drysdale Communities are the heart of Google Plus.And some of the best answers:
+Omi Sido Is it all about the money when participating in a social network?
+Eric Enge It doesn't actually have to be only about the money. You can have other reasons for engaging in social media. But even then you probably gonna have some purpose.The purpose might be to network or to meet somebody in particular to meet some certain type of people. Maybe you are a music lover and you wanna share your passion for music. Even in those situations it’s not just about building a large following. You really want to be able to focus on what you do to meet your goals.It isn't necessarily just about the money, but there still should be a purpose to it. Even if it’s just serendipity and you just want to learn and discover new things. I think that’s a great way to think about things too. There could be people who want to do that with social media. You still want to use your time efficiently in my opinion and it isn't necessarily just about a large following, because you want to have conversations with people that you value. +Omi Sido How to keep branding consistent across all platforms while growing our presence there? Do we have to be consistent?
+Mark Traphagen Think about being a brand. And especially on social media where so many of us are doing it as ourselves. Recently we started, Stone Temple Consulting started, a new community on Google plus the “Thought Leadership & Personal Branding” community, because Eric and I certainly know the power, we know that Rebecca knows it, of the personal brand.If you can get out there you are representing your business as a real person. Become an expert, become known. You are sharing with people all those things that reflect back on your business. People at the end of the day want to do business with people. So having said that you need to think about it as building a brand. And what is a real brand do? You have a consistent look and feel. Use the same basic profile background on different social media networks. Same colour scheme, same logo, whatever you do for yourself on that. Try to go by the same name everywhere.Do just basics things that a brand does, because you want to be reinforcing everywhere to the people that see you that you are the same person. You want to get every opportunity to get into their mind. But there is a little more to it than that. You will be on those basic things of the look and feel of your personal brand and they have to be consistent with your message. The things that you are talking about, the things that you emphasise, how you talk about them so whenever people encounter you they get to know like “he is the guy...she is the girl” you want to talk to and go to about this or that. So there is a lot more we can say about that, but I think particularly if you are looking to build authoritative presence online for whatever- for business, for your cause whatever it may be, those kind of consistencies do become important. You do ultimately have to think like a brand thinks.+Eric Enge Consistency is critical. Brands really talk about what is their message, what they stand for and what is their mission. These all sound like artificial, maybe not very important things if you don’t understand what they actually do for larger companies. They really help you get a sense of focus. Your audience may be a little different on different social platforms, so you might tailor it a little bit and that may lead you to be talking some different topics on one social platform versus another, but it really shouldn't be fundamentally different. Should still be coming from the same same core area of expertise and I think that’s very important.
### Social Media Dashboard (or how do you measure success?)
Analyzing your data in Google Analytics shouldn't be a daunting job for marketers and website owners. Dashboards are exactly what you need to easily review, important data and show either your boss or your customers automatically generated reports that are not just full of useful numbers, but as usual for Google Analytics very visual.
If you need a more academic definition I would recommend reading an article by Stephen Few called Dashboard Confusion Revisited where he kindly gives us this clarification:
“A dashboard is a visual display of the most important information needed to achieve one or more objectives; consolidated and arranged on a single screen so the information can be monitored at a glance.”
Before going any further let me ask you to refresh your Dimensions and Metrics knowledge here: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/1033861. Will quote Google Analytics for a quick reminder: “A dimension is a descriptive attribute or characteristic of an object that can be given different values. For example, a geographic location could have dimensions called Latitude” and “Metrics are individual elements of a dimension which can be measured as a sum or a ratio. For example, the dimension City can be associated with a metrics like Population”. Surely you can find a lot of pre-built reports out there, but being able to modify them and adjust them to your business needs is becoming more and more important. A bit of customization always help in order to make matters simple...for you, for your boss or your business.
Before talking about one of the most important dashboards - The Social Media Dashboard - lets make sure we know how to Build a New dashboards from scratch. As with all Google products building one is extremely easy (not if you are not familiar with Dimensions and Metrics). Just go to your property and click on “Dashboards” which happens to be the first thing you see on your left hand side menu.
Did I say first?
Google knows that people may get lost when browsing through all the tabs, views and reports that Analytics provides, so Google is providing us with an easy way to get an overview of our accounts and their specific performance. Back to the Dashboard menu once you click on it you are presented with two options: a dashboard called “My Dashboard” or an option to create a new one. When creating your first dashboard in my opinion it will be easier if you start by just modifying the starter dashboard template. When confident enough be creative and start adding your own widgets in the Blank Canvas.
To learn more just visit Google Help here: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/1068218?hl=en-GB , or as usual contact me at omi.sido@gmail.com and I would be more than happy to get you started.
Now that we know everything about Google Analytics Dashboards we are ready to talk about a dashboard I have been recommending for a very long time called Social Media Dashboard. Social media is becoming an essential marketing channel for businesses. The brand awareness created by social media and measured by many in “likes”, “+1s” or “tweets” is precious but I am afraid not enough. To demonstrate the real value of social media to your business you have to measure the Return On Investment (ROI) social media brings to your business. No way you gonna convince you “sponsor” to invest money and human power into social media without connecting it to the broader financial goals of your business.
Everybody who uses social media to promote his website and drive traffic should be aware of the power of this simple and effective way of showing how social media activity is converting for your business called Social Media Dashboard.
To summarize the features of this dashboard: it contains 12 widgets and it will show you how much online and offline intercommunication your website gets from social media. It includes things like where your social traffic comes from, customers social loyalty, social media value to name the few. To show you the full picture I will briefly go through each widget and try to explain the main features.
Visits from social networks. The name is probably self explanatory as this widget basically shows visits from websites Google identifies as being social media sites. A quick overall of how your social media efforts are paying off.
Goal Value by Social Network. This widget shows the percentage of the total goal value each social media platform brings to your business. Why are those numbers so important. Because they give answers to some very important questions. Is there a point of spending money and human labour in a given social media platform if it doesn't monetise. Which social media platform brings most of the money. Which one is the weakest and needs rethinking.
Traffic from social Networks. Widget showing very clearly (visually) which social sources are driving the most traffic to your website. If it’s traffic that you are after this is the perfect widget to look at. In my experience though results from this widget have to be always compared to results from previous widget - Goal Value. Traffic is not always enough to determine the effectiveness of a social media platform.
Visits and Bounce Rate by Social Network. Driving traffic is one thing, but making people stay is a completely different game. This widget shows the stickiness of your page content and it’s somehow complementary to the widget above.
Data Hub Activities by Social Network. This widget basically shows how people engage and re-share your content on social networks. The information comes from the Social Data Hub.
Trackbacks is a term used by Google to describe links on other peoples website linking to your content. Quite useful if you want to build relationships with people/blogs regularly linking to your
To learn more about the free social data hub by Google please visit this link: https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/socialdata/socialOverview.
Data Hub Activities by Social Network - Visual. Some likes numbers some like graphics. This widget basically replicates the data from the widget above, but in a more visual way.
Data Hub Activities and Site Visits by URL. Knowing which page is shared the most is a valuable asset for every marketer. If you happen to be targeting specific pages in ad campaigns, you can see how well your ads are doing for those pages.
On Page Social Actions. This widget shows interactions with buttons like +1, Like or Twitter on your pages. Clear indication of whether visitors like your content and want to share it with others. Although highly debatable I do believe that social signals have an impact on organic search rankings. Whatever you SEO master is telling you, Google and Bing do take data from social platforms in order to rank your pages. Apart of that people do spend more time on social networks than search engines and one thing became clear from the early days: people are more likely to trust a friend than a search engine. So if people share your stuff, trust me their friends will visit your website.
Social Source Value. The perfect and the quickest way to compare the economic impact of different types of sources of traffic. How does social media compare and compete with other sources bringing visitors to your website. Be careful here as your boss may scrutinize you for the numbers shown. On the other side if the numbers are “good” don't be shy and point to this widget straight away.
Revenue by Social Network. Your natural direction after the widget above should be the value each social media platform is bringing to the business. A lot of people will look at those numbers and will realise that their money and effort and not going into the right platform. Finding the right social media network is the key to success.
Social visitors loyalty. How loyal are your visitors from social platforms? The pie chart you see in this widget will give you a clear picture of the “stickiness” of your articles.
Let me quote here David Amerland: “Brand loyalty is earned rather than bought and what earns it is engagement.”
A study by The social Habit shows that 53% of Americans (we see the same all over the world) who follow brand in social are more loyal to those brands. What does that mean to businesses. By taking time to build loyalty to your brand on social media platforms, you can significantly increase the ROI of each of your customers by giving them more reasons to come back to your brand and convert in the future.
Social visits from Mobile. By all means last but not least. According to David Amerland “More than half of the online traffic these days comes from mobile devices. A website that is not mobile-friendly is not only missing out of a large slice of visitors but it is also setting itself up to receive a black mark in ranking in search. “
To add to that a recent study by Social Media Examiner shows that “users are spending more time accessing social media from mobile devices compared to desktop computers.
How much more? Pinterest users are 92% mobile; Twitter users are 86% mobile; Facebook is 68% mobile; and Tumblr is 46% mobile.”
Have a good look at the numbers in this widget. Do you see a lot of visits from iPhone or Nexus 7. Is your website optimised for those mobile devices? Are there a lot of visits from Samsung Galaxy but short Average Time on Page? Spend some time carefully examining this widget results as customers are visiting your website more and more using their mobile devices.
In Conclusion...
When developing your (or your customers) social media marketing strategy you have to be able to demonstrate return of investments. You can be very active and create and share a lot of content by using your chosen media platform, but if you do not monitor your social media activities you can not control and measure their impact on potential clients. On the other side if you can’t control the social media impact you are creating then you most probably cannot control your online reputation as well. In a way you are left out of the conversation,but you want to be right there in the middle of it. In the end of the day more followers, more loyalty, more trustfulness means more awareness of what you’ve got to offer. No need to tell you that the latter ultimately means more financial benefits to your business.
Let me finish this article with a citation from a blog I've visited recently that explains everything I've said above in one simple sentence: “Thing-finding is connecting the dots in a new way and thus building unexpected bridges of understanding.”
Download the Social Media Template here: https://www.google.com/analytics/web/template?uid=QHSKYyplTzuXnAVfJ53NJA
### Mac Yosemite First Impressions
The dock is a disaster.
Everything feels smaller and somehow roomier - very positive first impression.. Yosemite does seem faster to navigate, zippier somehow, which is a massive bonus for anyone using a Mac that is more than 3 - 5 years old. We did expect a complete redesign as almost nothing was done going to Maverick. In two words Radically Different.A lot of people may complain about the new look - but nobody will be confused, lost bewildered in any way as all apps are in the the same places. My prediction: Apple's operating systems, iOS and OS X, will eventually evolve into a single operating system. Don't we see the same trend everywhere?! The new Notification Center in Yosemite is great. If I have to summarise it: Widgets are become functional/useful again. Wasn't surprised (my prediction earlier) to see that the "Today screen" works the same as it does on iOS. Good job done here as we can customise or add additional widgets. Great for developers as well as apparently Apple is going to let them sell those widgets in the App Store. Not just that but the widget framework works the same way on iOS 8 and Yosemite, so widgets will be available on both operating systems and sync with one another. Now is the time to mention integration with iPhone. What a marvellous idea. Answering calls, sending messages through your Mac. This is groundbreaking and Apple at its best. Actually when it comes to groundbreaking ideas we have to mention this new feature called MailDrop. Now that is something we've all been waiting for years. Sending files up to 5GB in size, without having to go through your mail server is an idea that is probably coming from Steve Jobs (wishful speculations lol) . Please tell me it is coming from a genius. I constantly find myself screaming and shouting at my DropBox, Google Drive and the rest. A typical scenario for a developer like me. No more. First it's free. Yes I will repeat it is free. Secondly if the receiving person doesn't have Yosemite (who's not going to have it?! lol), he gets a link-that downloads the file- which expires in 30 days. Long enough don't you think? Prepare for the best part: this feature is not limited to iCloud accounts - if you configured your Gmail or Yahoo in Mail you can still use this ingenious option. Suddenly we are all jumping from joy. I am so excited about it that I am also having a glass of wine to cool down while you are jumping :-).
One thing people may not notice straight away is the new Safari. Finally we see browsing in Private Mode. For those concerned about how much Google knows about them (and believe me Google knows a lot about you lol) this is a long awaited feature. Apart of the new look the latest Safari brings speed and performance improvements that may turn some hardcore Chrome users back to the Apple ecosystem. I am one of those and I found myself playing with new Safari attributes more than anything new in Yosemite this morning. Too many of them to discuss here, but have a look at the new searching, tab management or favourites. Yes Favorites are still here, but not displayed underneath the address bar - clean and neat. To select/see them simply click in the address bar or if you liked the old way just go to View > Show Favorites Bar.
Will leave you now (as the weekend parties are calling) to discover the rest of the new and exciting Yosemite's attributes yourself with the brilliant quote from T.S. Eliot"We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time."The dock is a disaster.P.S. For all the latest news and gossips head to +Ana Hoffman. That's what I do while having a steamy coffee in the morning :-)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38IqQpwPe7s
### Google updates Tag Manager with new set of tools
Yesterday Google launched a new set of tools for their Tag Manager. According to Google the new attributes will make the Tag Manager more powerful and accessible allowing marketers to streamline existing workflows.
Some of the new features:
New Google Tag Manager API. “Sometimes you just want things your own way. We understand!”. Once again Google is proving that it is open to suggestions coming from website owners and agencies and it’s willing to walk the extra mile in order to satisfy its customers. What I really like about this new API is the ability to do bulk tagging set ups for clients. Making our life easier is what Google does best. Christmas came early this year!
More 3rd-party templates in the tag creation flow. Not just that but if you don’t see the tag that you need you can add it instantly as a custom HTML tag. And if that wasn't enough you can also ask for a custom tag to be included in future releases.
At the moment Google has support for tags from the following companies: AdRoll, Marin, Comscore,Neustar, Clicktale, Distillery, Turn, VisualDNA, quantcast, Criteo,Bizo, Mediaplex. And more are coming.
A more intuitive interface. Now this is something we kind of expect from Google. Everything now is shaped much the same as in Google Analytics and Google Adwords. You may think it makes it easier for complete novices to start and it definitely does. But the point here is that again Google is trying to improve on the previous experience of its users by giving them the best possible solutions.
If you haven’t used Google Tag Manager before I strongly recommend checking it out now. The ability to drop a snippet and leave the marketing team to do the rest is just brilliant. A long awaited feature that is saving countless hours of implementation and customization to online businesses.
Some of the business benefits of using Google Tag Manager.
1. Implement faster. In the old times deploying was a daunting job. Every time you had to go to your web developers. If they were busy sometimes used to take days, weeks and even months. Not anymore. When Tag Manager came along: no heavy coding, no developers, just simple deployment via a web interface.
2.Faster websites. As you probably know tags add weight to your pages. With Google Tag Manager the loading is done independently of your page content, thus no effect on you website speed. Customers hate slow website. Search engines hate slow website as well. In many cases the problem is not even the current tags but the old ones sitting on your pages and making them bloated and slow. With the Google Tag Manager all your tags are held in one single container so removing (or modifying them) is just a click away.
3.Consistency. If a tag is not on a page, it’s just not gonna work. Be honest, how many times you didn't have the data because the tag on the page was missing. With the Google Tag Container you can deploy a tag across all pages of your website or few specific pages just by setting up some rules. Nobody physically has to go and update every single page. No more dependency when it comes to consistency from your analytics vendor. You concentrate on the business, not on the tag deployment.
Learn more about Google Tag Manager here: http://www.google.co.uk/tagmanager/faq.html.
Hopefully I managed to convince you that Google Tag Manager is the best solution for your business, but as usual if you've got any questions just drop me a line and I will help you get started.
Or in Google’s own words: “If you have questions, we have answers”. Need I say more?
### Customer Experience
For every organisation the customer experience should be a journey and not a destination. The experience that you deliver to your customers from social media every single day to the final transaction, either builds value for your brand or destroys it.
Think also beyond the traditional beginning and end of an interaction with the client. Very often companies define the customer cycle too narrowly. Look from the customer's point of view, not your organisation’s. For most companies the journey continues with after sales support - the best time to build relationships and faithfulness. When you think about it: this is a journey so it’s not just the sales experience that counts.
A good tip is to divide (map) the customer journey into different touch-points (Touchpoint Management). What exactly is a “touchpoint”? Touch-points are all the interactions your customers experience during their relationship lifecycle with your company. Website, TV ad or a salesperson in the store, touch-points are defining the customer’s perception of your brand. Be careful, as if you are outlining more than eight to ten major touch-points you are probably mapping your company organisational processes rather than the customer experience.
Often the best way to differentiate your company from your competitors is to look at each touchpoint and identify your “stamps of authenticity”. Those are the ones that emotionally engage your customers the most. In other words those are your “wow” factors separating you from your competitors. Now is the time to talk about brands that think that they have to make every single touchpoint a “wow” factor. Don’t. Unless you are brand name is Apple and you can overcharge your clients extensively, concentrate on those stamps of authenticity and invest all your resources there.
Your next step should be identifying what you want your customers to experience at each touchpoint and how do you want your consumers to interact with them. Knowing your customers behaviour is the only way to strategically deliver your brand promises. The brand characteristics will be peaking at the stamps of authenticity you have chosen earlier.
Last but not least is the implementation of your customer journey. Designing it is one thing, putting it into practise is something completely different. I’m not going to go through the implementing process into details, as I’d like to talk only about the beginning. Your starting point (is) should be your employees. Assuming that you are hiring the right people do not forget that employees experience comes first, before the customer experience. You must take care of your people: employees need to be trained at the same levels, to the same standards, on an ongoing basis. Employees must understand the customers experience before passing it on to your clients.
One final note. Be creative and bold. Do not let only your product engineers designing your customers experience. Everybody should be involved including your clients.
### Social Media Branding
Social media nowadays can either boost your product or kill it. Gone are the days that we treated customers like objects for advertising and education. With the rise of the social media network platforms customers nowadays are more interested in conversing rather than being spoken at.
Sometimes a company will build a brand over the years spending lots of money and manpower. Establishing a brand name the company will do everything possible to satisfy customers and critics. They may change the the logo, the size or the colour of their product just to fulfil everything they have promise and reinforce the customers belief that this is the right product for them. Now that the branding is in place they decide to launch a new product with the shiny promise: Bigger than bigger. You think: thats it, the’ve done it. Buzz. Wrong. Welcome to the world of social media.
Even the most admired company in the world can be killed. It can be done intentionally or mistakenly. Branding is a never ending process. You take it lightly and everything that you’ve built over the years is gone in a blink of an eye.
In this article I’m going to give only two advices. The basic of social media branding for the masses - transparency and engagement.
Transparency is a trend that's been coming in recent years and calls for a certain amount of accountability from brands when making mistakes. Companies must act when something is not right and they need to act in a way customers understand. Telling people: “iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus feature a precision-engineered unibody enclosure constructed from machining a custom grade of 6000 series anodised aluminium, which is tempered for extra strength.” is not going to prove that you didn’t make a mistake. You don't believe me, then watch the controversial iPhone 6 Plus Bend Test" video posted by Unbox Therapy, which now has over 35 million views. Social media nowadays spreads like a wildfire.
Did it start with this video? No. It started with reports across the web suggesting the iPhone 6 Plus is bendable. Lets be clear here: Yes, the iPhone 6 Plus can be bent. And, no, it is not bendable. If it was bendable, it would return to its original shape. But it doesn't and it wasn't meant to. Did Apple do anything to prove this statement wrong. No.They thought they are Bigger than bigger. Customers would buy the product and customer would appreciate its elegant design and sturdiness. Buzz. Wrong.
Consumers nowadays are not only aware, they are also armed with the tools to spread the message across the web encouraging others to criticise or boycott your brand. Nobody even noticed that all those bent iPhones don't have broken displays - a true testament to the flexibility and strength of the glass protecting the screen. They did improve something from iPhone 5 indeed, but not their attitude to social media. And here comes the engagement.
Nobody is prone to mistakes. Not even Apple. But iPhone 6 is not a mistake. It was mistakenly presented to the public. Ignorance is not the key. Engagement is. iPhone 6 was not meant to be an army phone. It was not meant to be bendable as well. All Apple had to do was to engage with the public and engage in a way the public understands. Every technological improvement brings winners and losers. For many years the consumers were demanding a bigger and thinner iPhone. And Apple did just that. All they had to do is to involve the people in the conversation. To make them feel that this product is coming from the people for the people. Hey you wanted a bigger phone. There you go. Your wish is my desire. Well it may bend a little bit if you are a big strong man, but have a look at the new, higher-resolution Retina HD display with higher contrast and wider viewing angles… something along those lines.
Social media is a very powerful platform that just cannot be ignored anymore even by the big players in the world. The future is for companies willing to transform from the celebrity status they’ve experienced over the years to the “one of us” standing. Social media platforms are defying a dynamic conversation between companies and consumers in which both sides are involved in building a brand. Failure to understand that could bring catastrophic results to business not willing to understand the new world of social media.
### How Google Works
September 25, 2014 is an exciting day for Google lovers. The long awaited “How Google Works” book is coming to town. A peek inside one of the most successful companies of the digital era we are living in. Is it worth buying? Let me give you a sneak preview:
"The only way for businesses to consistently succeed is to attract the best smart creatives and create an environment where they can thrive at scale."
"Businesses should be built on a strong set of strategic principles, not an MBA-style plan that’s bound to fail."
"When considering candidates for a role, favour the ones with a track record of learning new things over the ones with a track record in that particular role."
"It’s very hard to completely fail when you think big, since you can always salvage something of value from a project with big goals."
This is the definitive book for leaders and entrepreneurs who want to learn about managing a company and expectations in the "information economy". In this book Executive Chairman and ex-CEO Eric Schmidt and former SVP of Products Jonathan Rosenberg cover everything from hiring, goal setting, motivating, competing, and probably most of all mentoring.
The Google way of managing may not work for every type of organisation and you should probably follow the advice in this book and create your own strategic principles, but the book definitely explain why Google remains one of the most desirable places to work and how it will continue to be one of the most successful companies for years to come.
Available at Google Play Store
### Germany wants Google to reveal its search algorithm
Two days ago Germany announced that they want access to Google's search algorithm. To be honest with you I believe I deserve to have this access more than Germany. Mark Traphagen wants access as well. Thinking now everybody in Stone Temple Consulting wants this access plus half of the world. Yes not everybody, don't worry, just half of the world.
If you gonna give it to the German Justice Minister Heiko Maas, who by the way didn't even set up his Google Authorship, how can you deny my access to this treasure: the person who’s been fighting, researching and working with Google’s search algorithm forever. At least their BMW and Mercedes pages are always in a top position - my listings are not even appearing on the first page.
While at it why doesn't he ask for the Coca Cola Recipe as well someone suggested. They also control a big share of the market, they also have this elusive recipe that everybody (especially their competitors) wants to know.
Going back to Google I forgot to mention the spammers - very bad name for otherwise very self-driven and business oriented people. Their jobs (whole families struggling after the latest Panda) depend on this algorithm and suddenly Minister Heiko Maas wants it just for himself and his people (businesses more likely).
Is it gonna happen? On a more serious note: No. The whole Google business model is about this algorithm. This algorithm is the heart of Google wealth and popularity. Do you wanna search for the nearest restaurant and get a result for a car discount. Probably not. We all want Google to do well as we all want relevant information at our fingertips. Do we want Google to change some of its actions like constant algorithm changes and interfering with our private life? Yes. We want many changes in Google policies, but giving up its search algorithm to one single country is definitely not one of them.
### Benchmarking Report in Google Analytics
A new report in Google Analytics called “Benchmarking Report” is set to open our eyes for how well our website is doing compare to others in a given industry. Straight away this option provides us with valuable information about trends in our industry helping us to set fruitful targets for our online businesses.
Using a menu in Benchmarking report we gonna be able to choose from 1600 categories and not just that but further refine the data by geographic location and seven traffic size groupings.
On top of all these Google includes a heat map giving us clear view of areas for improvement and allocation of more marketing resources.
According to Google a company called Twiddy, a vacation rentals company (http://www.twiddy.com) - managed to completely revamp their email marketing campaign reaching average open rate of 48% and generated a 40 percent click through rate by just using the new tool. Not just that,but by just using Google Analytics they were able to choose the best selling headlines for their email campaigns. Not a bad advertising for a newly introduced report, don't you think.
Here is a a screen shot of the benchmark report Twiddy.com used:
Data from benchmarking report is available for every value of the following dimensions: all Default channel definitions, Location and Device.The following metrics can be used for comparison of your data against benchmarks: Sessions, % New Sessions, New Sessions, Pages / Session, Avg. Session Duration and Bounce Rate.
Enabling Benchmarking report is as easy as: Go to Admin, click Account Settings under Account and Select the “Anonymously with Google and others” checkbox. Save and your data now is included in benchmarks. It’s worth saying here that all shared data is anonymous including the account that this data is coming from.
To view the benchmarking report, go to Audience > Benchmarking. Straight away you are presented with three options to choose from:
Channels - compares your channel data to the benchmarks in each channel for all Default channel definitions.Location - compares your Country/Territory data to benchmarks for each Country/Territory you are receiving your data from.Devices - compares your Devices data to the benchmarks for desktop, mobile, and tablet traffic.
As you can see from the report that Twiddy has used, the value in each cell shows the percentage by which your property outperforms or underperforms the benchmark for each metric. It is very easy to understand that a positive value number (upward pointing arrow) indicates that your property outperforms the benchmark. On the other side a negative value indicates underperforming against the benchmark and an opportunity for improvement.
The new Benchmarking report is something that webmasters and marketers have been asking for a long time. This tool is indispensable in assessing your website performance against the competition. Now there is a clear picture of your site’s momentum. By comparing with others you are in full control of your website performance. The ideal place for setting future marketing goals and objectives.
### The End Of Google Authorship Markup - Mark Traphagen
Omi Sido asked: So, what were the benefits of Google authorship in the search results really? Thinking now, it was more of a disadvantage because people had the opportunity of clicking through to my Google plus page, rather than going to my actual website.Mark Traphagen: Omi, I saw the primary advantage for building my personal brand and reputation. If I was consistently writing valuable content in my subject area, and that content was attracting links and other good SEO signals, then people who searched that subject area would start to see my face and name more and more often. I think that helped reinforce my recognition and authority.
Although we have no stats on clicks on the Google+ links, my instinct is that they were minimal (which may be why they removed those links along with photos in June). Think about it, anyone clicking that link would have to be interested in learning more about you, something they were unlikely to do unless they's already seen your content and found you interesting.
Omi Sido asked: Does this sudden and unexpected change signify the acceleration of a trend by Google to sacrifice organic search visibility in favour of paid ads?Mark Traphagen: A number of people jumped to that conclusion. I think it's based on a faulty assumption that search features seriously rob click from ads. In addition, remember that the final removal decision was taken a month after they had removed photos. Do you seriously think the bylines were a threat to ad clicks?
### Data Density and Semantic Search - Hangout On Air with David Amerland and Mark Traphagen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_75BUIF92I
In this video David Amerland and Mark Traphagen talk about what's new in the Semantic World, what we are seeing and what needs to be done by web marketers and website owners in order to utilise the power of the emerging semantic technologies.
What is Semantic Search?
Semantic search is an advanced search technique that uses machine learning algorithms to understand the intent of the user's search query and provide more relevant results in the search result pages (SERPs).
How Semantic Search Works
The technology is designed to improve the accuracy and precision of search results by analysing the meaning of words, phrases, and concepts used in the query rather than just matching the keywords used by the user.
Example: If you look at the semantic search example below you will notice that Google not only provides an accurate answer but also offers a concise summary of the topic as well as the various details associated with it. It mimics two users engaging, rather than a search engine doing its job of simple data retrieval.
Semantic search in action
The basic concept of semantic search is to interpret the meaning of the search query and return results that match the intent of the search rather than just matching the keywords used in the query. It probably doesn't come as a surprise that search engines use artificial intelligence and natural language processing to understand the context of the query and provide results that are relevant to the user.
Traditional vs. Semantic Search
Traditional search engines rely on matching the keywords used in the query with the content on the web page. This approach has limitations, as it may not be able to identify the relevance of the content to the user's query.
For example, a search for 'apple' may return results related to the fruit, the company, or the technology. Semantic search, on the other hand, can identify the context of the query and provide more accurate results based on the user's intent so if the user wants to buy apples for a healthy gut he or she is not presented with the latest Apple iPhone in the SERPs.
Applications of Semantic Search
Semantic search technology uses machine learning algorithms and natural language processing to analyse the search query and the content of the web pages to understand the context and meaning of the words used in the query. Search engines Like Google and Bing can identify synonyms, related concepts, and contextually relevant information to provide more accurate and relevant search results.
Semantic search technology can be applied to a wide range of applications, including e-commerce, content management systems, and customer service applications like ChatBots. In e-commerce (for example on-site search engine on an e-commerce shop), semantic search can help users find products that match their search query, even if the product description does not use the same keywords used in the query.
In content management, semantic search can help to organise and categorise content more efficiently, making it easier for users to find the information they need. In customer service, semantic search can be used to contextually analyse customer queries and provide relevant responses that truly address the user's intent hence improving customer satisfaction.
Semantic search technology has become increasingly important with the growth of voice-based search queries. Naturally, voice-based queries tend to be longer and more conversational, making it more challenging for traditional search engines to understand the intent of the user's query. Semantic search technology can help to overcome these challenges by understanding the context of the query and providing more relevant results.
Benefits of Semantic Search
The benefits of semantic search are numerous. By providing more relevant and accurate search results, semantic search can improve the user experience, increase engagement, and drive more conversions. Semantic search can also help businesses to understand the intent of their customers, identify trends and patterns, and optimise their content to meet the needs of their audience (know your audience to meet their needs).
Know your audience to meet their needs.
Challenges of Implementing Semantic Search
Having said that, implementing semantic search technology can be challenging. It requires sophisticated machine learning algorithms and natural language processing capabilities, which can be expensive and time-consuming to develop. Additionally, semantic search technology requires large amounts of high-quality data to train the machine learning algorithms effectively.
Conclusion
In conclusion, semantic search is an advanced search technique that uses machine learning algorithms and natural language processing to understand the intent of the user's search query and provide more relevant and accurate results. Semantic search can improve the user experience, increase engagement, and drive more conversions.
However, implementing semantic search technology can be challenging, as it requires the creation of sophisticated machine-learning algorithms and the availability of high-quality data. Nevertheless, the benefits of semantic search make it a compelling technology for businesses looking to improve their search capabilities and better understand the intent of their customers.
David Amerland - Google Semantic Search
"Everything you do from now on "have to have meaning". There are no shortcuts and there are no longer any easy wins in term of rankings. Google now requires proof of concept before anything works for you. So if you say that you are absolutely the best in something and your website should be there, Google now needs additional proof beyond you saying this on your website.
And the way to do that is trough "relational connections" across the web. So if your website is actually really good at something and your business is great and you are winning in terms of quality and customer experience than is highly unlikely that your website is in the dark side and it's never mentioned anywhere on the web apart of your own website." - David Amerland -
### Enhanced Link Attribution
Not a long time ago Google introduced “Enhanced Link Attribution” in order to improve the In-Page Analytics experience. Long anticipated feature by a lot of SEO professionals which despite its obvious benefits is still not used by a large number of people.
What is Enhanced Link Attribution?
If on your Homepage you have got two links - say a button in your header and a text link in your footer - both linking to your About us page, then you see a separate click information for each one of them. “Is this important?” is not even the right question nowadays as the correct question is: What did you do before this update?
Enhanced Link Attribution allows us to comprehensively see how visitors are responding to our design and page structure. In the example above by looking at the different links results we know now if the users are responding better to a button in the header or a text link in the footer. And this is just a simple example.Imagine image from a slider, advertising in the sidebar, article in the middle of the page and a text link in the footer all linking to exactly the same page. Again: “What did you do before this update?” or maybe the question is now evolving into “Are you out of your mind not using it?”.
Other features of Enhanced Link Attribution: See when a page element - like your search box for example - has multiple destinations. Track buttons driven by a javascript.
How to implement?
Add this line in your Google Analytics tracking code:
ga('create', 'UA-XXXX-X');
ga('require', 'linkid', 'linkid.js');
ga('send', 'pageview');
To enable it into your reports go to Admin, then select the property you want Enhanced Link Attribution enabled and click Property Settings. Almost in the end of the page you will see a section:In-Page Analytics, Use enhanced link attribution. Click apply and you are set to go.
In the end a small drawback of this feature: due to increased details view your reports may generate a bit slower. But you can always turn it off…although I bet you won’t.
### Spider and Bots Filtering in Google Analytics
Again Google surprised us this month by introducing a new and this time quite useful filter called “Bot Filtering”. For a long time webmasters were asking the question of how much of traffic to their website comes from real human and how much traffic actually comes from spiders and bots. I can tell you now - when blocked you probably gonna see a significant drop in your monthly visits which in fact gonna give you a better understanding of your website visitors.
With more accurate numbers webmasters and marketers are now in position to adjust their campaigns to target real human being, as we all know web spiders and bots don't really deliver revenue.
In my opinion this is one of the most significant and important updates Google has done in recent months.
How to activate “Bot Filtering”.
As usual head to your Admin settings. Under View settings underneath the Currency setting just click the checkbox that reads: “Exclude all hits from known bots and spiders” and now you have all known spiders and bots filtered in your analytics results.
Simple and effective. Now start analysing the real numbers.
### In-Page Analytics Google Chrome Extension
Google has just released a new Chrome extension for in-page examination. It’s a very quick and convenient way to check how visitors interact with your pages thus allowing you to see detailed information as you surf them. One may ask “How is this page performing?”. With just a simple click of a button now all the analytics for this page are displayed for the webmaster to analyse.
Installing the extension is as easy as installing any other Chrome extension, but in order to use it you will need to have Google Analytics Permission of some sort- Manage Users, Edit, Collaborate or Read & Analyse.
Download the extension here: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/page-analytics-by-google/fnbdnhhicmebfgdgglcdacdapkcihcoh?hl=en and once ready just click on the google analytics icon in the top right corner. That's it, you are ready to go.
I’m not gonna go trough all features, but there is one I’d like you to pay a special attention to. It’s called “Segments” and it sits first in line - probably Google thinking that it should be the first one you should be looking at. Click on the drop down menu and you will find all the Segments you have created in your Google Analytics view.
Are Segments important in Google Analytics? Well when it comes to data analysis- segmentation is the place to start. Google gives us a huge amount of information. On the other side people come to your website to accomplish different goals. Without segmentation your data would not make any sense. And if you think it does that I urge you to rethink your analysis using Segments again.
In the end I’d like to think that this article will help you to find and analyze your data in a much faster way using The Page Analytics Chrome Extension.
Share your comments and thoughts below.
### Google Analytics App for iOS
Webmasters using iOS now have an official App to track their websites activities. While the Android app was released long time ago this is the first release for iOS.
This app is compatible with all iOS devices - iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch - although its optimised for iPhone 5 and requires iOS 6.0 or later.
First impression. Finally Google released the power of Google Analytics in the palm of our hands. All the standard features that we are used to including Real Time Reports - monitoring data as its happening - will definitely increase the productivity of our teams.
Its been a very productive month for Google - four apps for iOS this month:
YouTube channel management iOS app, YouTube creator Studio, AdWords Express and Google's Ingress global augmented reality game for iOS created by the amazing Niantic Labs.
Why this sudden rush for iOS apps from Google?!
### Twitter Now Supports Animated GIFs
Twitter has finally introduced animated GIFs to their platform.
Hip hip hooray.
The short message social network is now a different place forbranding and advertising. While several other social networks introduced GIFs long time ago it took a while for Twitter to come on board. As usual in recent years Facebook is slow to acclimate to the new social reality - people and brands do like animated GIFs and they are here to stay.
What makes animated GIFs so popular?
Apart of the ease of creating and sharing them everything comes down to science. Our brain processes images much faster than text. Images are usually easily understood at a glance - we look and see long before we learn how to speak and read. On the other hand movements grab our attention. Instinctively we are attentive to all subjects moving around since the day we are born. Combining all that we have the winning formula: If a pictures is worth a thousand words than an animated GIF is worth a million. They say a lot and capture attention with very little content. In this fast moving word if you don't grab your client’s attention within a few seconds, then you probably never will.
Tips: Use animated GIFs in your email campaigns. A recent study showed that emails with animated GIFs pulled 12% more revenue than their non-animated versions. Have a look at this Tiffany & Co email embracing all the novelty aspects of GIFs:
### History of he Google logo
Google logo history
Discover the evolution of the iconic Google logo over the years
Google, the world's most popular search engine, has a logo that is instantly recognisable everywhere in the world. Unless you have never used Google to find anything, you probably know the colour of the Google logo letters. The Google logo has gone through several changes since the company's establishment in 1998 (God, I am getting old), and each iteration has had its unique significance and meaning. In this article, we will explore the history of the Google logo and its significance.
The original Google logo
Google was founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin - they met at Stanford University while studying for PhD in computer science. They came up with the so-called Google PageRank algorithm and the rest is history. Initially, the Google logo was a simple wordmark, consisting of the word "Google" in black letters with a small blue "g" at the end (the name Google came from a mathematics word called googol).
Apparently, the original Google logo was designed by Sergey Brin using GIMP, an open-source image editing software. The first logo was simple, clean, and unassuming, reflecting the company's focus on providing an easy-to-use and intuitive search engine.
Over the years, the Google logo has undergone several changes, with each iteration reflecting the company's growth and evolution.
The Google logo was used from October 30, 1997 to May 30, 1999
The First Major Change
The first significant change to the Google logo occurred in 1999, just a year after the company's inception. The new logo featured a slightly different shade of blue and a more prominent "g." This change was made to give the logo a more modern and playful look.
This Google logo was used from May 31, 1999 to May 5, 2010.
The Second Major Change
The second significant change occurred in 2010 when Google introduced a new logo to commemorate its 12th anniversary. The new logo was more colourful and had a more modern look and feel. This change was made to reflect the company's ongoing commitment to innovation and technology - nobody can contest this commitment as nowadays Google is a multinational technology company focusing on online advertising, search engine technology, cloud computing, and computer software to name but a few.
The Google logo used from May 6, 2010 to September 18, 2013.
The New Google Logo
In the year 2015, Google made the most significant change to its logo since the company was founded. The 2015 logo was designed to be a lot more modern, playful, and flexible. The new logo featured a sans-serif typeface (Open Sans is a humanist sans-serif typeface designed by Steve Matteson) and a bright, bold colour palette.
The Google logo used since September 1, 2015
The new 2015 logo was designed to be more versatile and work across a variety of platforms, including mobile devices (that were on the rise in 2015) and of course social media. The company also introduced a new icon, known as the "Google dots" which was a series of four coloured dots - blue, red, yellow and green - that represented the company's four core values: innovation, simplicity, usefulness, and fun. The famous Google "G" favicon has been used since September 1, 2015
Evolving the Google Identity
The Significance of the Google Logo
The Google logo is more than just a simple design. It is a visual representation of the company's values, culture, and brand identity.
One of the key aspects of the Google logo is its use of colour. The bright, bold colour palette is intended to reflect the company's playful and innovative spirit (as of the writing of this article February 2023 Google has a total of 79965 patents globally, out of which 30212 have been granted. Wow). The use of primary colours also reflects the simplicity and accessibility of the company's search engine.
The sans-serif typeface used in the logo is also significant (notice that they didn't come up with their own typeface). The typeface is simple and modern, reflecting the company's focus on innovation, technology and the future of mankind. It is also highly readable, making it easy for users to identify and remember the Google brand.
The introduction of the "Google dots" was also significant. I literally see the "Google Dots" as a secondary logo, a conscious decision on their part to portray Google’s drive to think out of the box. I don't think that before the introduction of the "Google Dots" any graphic designer in the world believed that four dots can represent a company let alone a global multinational technology company.
The dot represents the company's four core values, which are at the heart of everything the company does. These values are reflected in the design of the logo and the company's overall brand identity.
Another important aspect of the Search Giant logo is its flexibility. The logo is designed to work across a variety of platforms, including mobile devices and social media. This flexibility reflects the company's commitment to providing an easy-to-use and intuitive search engine that can be accessed from anywhere in the world and on any device.
Finally, the Google logo is significant because it has become one of the most recognisable logos in the world. The simple, bold design is instantly recognisable, making it easy for users to identify and remember the Google brand.
Google’s Logo today (in use since September 1, 2015)
### Fetch and Render In Webmaster Tools
Google has just added a new feature to their Fetch as Google Tool called “Fetch and Render”. I’m not gonna go into details about the benefits of using this tool, but its worth mentioning the general idea: index your content faster whether new or old. Most webmasters will ensure that any new content is included in their sitemap, after that resubmit it to the search engines and after that just sit and wait. It may take days….it may take months. On the other hand submitting your link to Fetch as Google Tool is like pressing the magic SEO button. Google says that they will crawl the URL within a day, however I have seen pages showing up in the SERPs literally 10 minutes after submit. Have you ever had websites copying your content and after that outranking you? Well this will never happened again. And last but not least it will show you if your website is being hacked. Imagine your website appearing in search results for “Erotica” when you know for sure that you do not have this keyword in your page. Well you only have to use Fetch as Google to see what Googlebot is seeing and in our imaginary case the word “Erotica” and probably other spammy terms.
Two days ago I was pleasantly surprised to see a new button in my Crawl section of Google Webmaster Tools called Fetch and Render. Not just that but a clever drop down allowing me to choose what device I want to emulate the Fetch and Render with. Google may have taken a lot with the latest Panda update, but Google also gives. Instead of showing just a HTML code, now we’ve got a visual representation of what Googlebot actually sees. As we all know the way Googlebot renders a web page could be completely different from how modern browsers render the same page. For example this tool will show you if Googlebot is not rendering a H1 tag for your focus keyword. It will also show you if any of the resources on the page submitted (and the whole page for that matter)are being blocked from Googlebot’s crawl. I believe this tool is quite useful in identifying why a page is performing badly in search due to crawling errors. If Google can't render a page as you intend for Googlebot to see it then obviously this gonna have a negative effect on this page ranking in search results.
In the end I’m gonna say that this new tool is something webmasters have been waiting for a long time. Finally we see a little bit of transparency from Google. And finally we can see our websites through a Googleboot’s eye.
### Secondary Dimensions In Google Analytics
You Have Struck Gold By Using Google Analytics – Now Start Working Smarter!
One thing I find fascinating is a lot of people tend to overlook Secondary Dimensions in Google Analytics. This is rather unfortunate as Secondary Dimensions could be extremely valuable when trying to understand what the reports actually mean.The best way to do that is to put data in context - hence the beauty of Secondary Dimensions allowing us to compare a set of metrics in one dimension to a set of metrics in another dimension.
Let me be clear from the start. Secondary Dimensions don't need setting up. They are already there for you to use in every Prime report - no magic needed just experimenting (!). In this vast amount of information in Google Analytics every report can be customised to your business needs.
People always understand example more than anything else so lets give some.
We all know which channels are driving the most visitors to our websites, but which channels are driving the most page views to specific pages? Just go to Behavior and “All pages” report and select “Medium” as your Secondary Dimension. Boom (!) suddenly you see all the channels and page views in relation to your pages. You also see the different reaction they are having to your content. The wisdom here: use those differences to optimise and improve your landing pages. Go on have a quick look at this report and tell me what you see….
Now something a bit more complicated. Every paid search professional is running ad tests (at least I hope they do) with the most common being different ad headlines. Go to Acquisition and “AdWords Keywords” report selecting AdWords Keywords as you Second Dimension. Boom (!) now you see which headline/keywords are the most successful in your PPC account which will allow you to channel more impressions to those. Did I say “a bit more complicated”, but you see it as super easy. Yes, because it is very easy and clever.
When introducing Secondary Reports ,Google made sure they are very quick and intuitive. To use them all you have to do is click the "Secondary Dimension" drop down tab above the table of data, and input a dimension you want to compare the default dimension to. How do you back to your default view? Just click the(X) located by the Title of the Secondary Dimension and you will be back to default view of primary dimension. Quick and intuitive.
My top 3 dimensions for standard google analytics reports:
1. Content->Events->Top Events-> Event Category(primary dimension) + Event Action (secondary dimension): In my opinion the easiest way to see what specific events are working best, by showing both the category and event action. Most beneficial if you have a lot of event tracking or if you track outgoing links.
2. Traffic Sources->Search->Organic->Keyword(primary dimension) + Landing Page (secondary dimension): A good way to show top content/landing pages in terms of top organic keyword searches including (not provided) keywords.
3. And last but not least:Audience->Behavior->New vs Returning->Visitor Type (primary dimension) + City (secondary dimension): This shows top cities visitors are coming from in terms of new and returning visitor traffic, also shows the difference between various cities. Can explain potentially what new cities should be target markets. Very useful for companies (like the one I am currently working for) doing business all over the globe.
I hope that with this basic tutorial I have convinced you to have a good look into Second Dimensions. As they don't need any setting up and are easily accessible I encourage you to start playing with them to get deeper levels of insight of the Google Analytics Data.
### How to Know You Have a Good Startup Idea?
Omi Sido in conversation with ArtemK (Artem Kroupenev) - enthusiastic start-up entrepreneur with focus on the business side of a venture.
The simple answer is research that involves speaking to potential customers.
If you can find a substantial group of end users willing to use your product, and a substantial group of customers willing to pay for your product, your idea is good.
Start with the Internet and see if there's anything similar out there. Chances are, there probably is. Don't let this deter you; competition is a sign that there are people out there who may find your idea useful and pay for it. If you find that the market is dominated by large players, you should look for other industries where your idea could be applied, or see if you can make a substantial innovation upon existing practices. Otherwise, move on to a new idea.
If your preliminary look-up is promising, proceed to a down-up research methodology.
1- Segment the market
This will include a good amount of brainstorming and research of possible applications for your idea across industries, markets, market segments and finally - end users. Select 6-12 industries, 1-3 market segments for each industry, and 1-3 potential end users for each segment. How will your idea be applied by each of these potential end users?
2- Narrow the opportunity
Ask the following questions about each market segment (borrowed from MIT's Bill Aulet):
-Is the target customer well funded?
-Is the target customer readily accessible to your sales force?
-Does the target customer have a compelling reason to buy?
-Can you today, with the help of partners, deliver the whole product/solution?
-Is there entrenched competition that could block you?
-If you win this segment, can you leverage it to enter additional segments?
-Is the market consistent with the values, passions, and goals of the founding team?
3- Speak to potential end users
The next step will be to contact some of these potential end users and actually speak to them about your idea. Ask what they like about it, and why they think it wouldn't work. Listen to their pain points. Learn as much as possible regarding the 7 questions provided above. You will learn more from these conversations than from all the Internet research in the world. This process could take a few weeks, but it will be paramount for validating your idea. Pitch your idea often, but don't try to "sell it". Adjust your pitch as you get additional feedback from potential customers.
4- Select your "beachhead" market and estimate TAM
After speaking to potential end users, you will have a good feel of which market may be more attractive for your idea. Since startups usually have very limited resources, the key word is focus. You need to select only one market to test your assumption. The beachhead market should be comprized of a group of customers who buy similar products, expect similar value, and have "word of mouth". What's more, the market should be rather small to allow you to specialize quickly.
Next, estimate the size of your beachhead Total Addressable Market (TAM). TAM is calculated by multiplying the total number of end users in your market by the expected annual revenue per user. According to MIT's Bill Aulet, startups should avoid beachhead markets of under $5 million, and above $1 billion, with the sweet being spot around $100 million. I'm sure many seed stage investors would disagree, as they would like companies to go after larger markets and more substantial returns, but I think that there's a lot of merit in conquering small segments in order to expand.
5- Move to validation
If you have performed the above analysis, you are on the right track with validating your idea. The next steps will include creating a customer persona, and getting feedback on the actual solution you will try to provide.
Further validation will include MVP/prototype testing and variable testing of your value proposition with a larger group of potential end users.
……………..
A good methodology that will put your idea to a scientific test will help you stay focused and objective. Good luck with creating the next unicorn!
ArtemK (Artem Kroupenev) - enthusiastic start-up entrepreneur with focus on the business side of a venture. Founder of AssetLane – a startup company offering a revolutionary web-based financial platform, which will create new opportunities and paths to liquidity for international equity owners and investors.Founder of www.choozerjobs.com - Choozer is a platform that allows companies to hire better employees faster by combining incentive-based employee referral programs with the leverage of their employees’ social networks.
### Funny SEO Video
Funny video about what 'the man on the street' really thinks about SEO.As ironic as it may sound, the true triumph of SEO is the fact that very little people – if not no one – is aware of it and most of all how it works. But as a business owner or a SEO professional you cannot afford not to have this knowledge and you should use it to your advantage.
People do believe that if your business is in the first 5-6 in the list then your business is the best. Although we can all agree that there is a grey area in this regard, this video shows that SEO is more important than ever. Quality content, catchy Meta Description Tags(ready my previous article) and go make some bucks (money) people….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3sY7pRG2PI
Funny SEO Video
### The Importance of Meta Description Tag
What is a meta description?
Meta Description Tags are a great way for website owners to provide vital marketing information to client search queries. Yet so many people don't understand the importance and the impact they have and they are still widely misused.
Before getting into any details let me get one point very clear: Meta Description Tags do not affect search rankings in any way, but saying that they are very important in gaining a high click-through rate. In a way the best “organic ad text" you can get when people are inquiring about your product.
I said “organic ad text”, so let's stop and think about this one for a second because I’d really like you to understand the power of the meta description tags.Ad - write compelling and action-oriented meta descriptions for all your individual web pages. If you can't think of anything different do not duplicate your meta tags - leave this job to the search engine. Meta description tag created by the search engine is always better than a duplicate one. To make sure that your value proposition stands out check all your closest competitors page descriptions and then write a better one! Always, and I can not stress this one more, always write for the visitors and not the search engines. Putting together lots and lots of keywords and create awkward-sounding phrases won't get you very far in the search engine results page (SERP), even if you are ranking top 5 for a given keyword. And last but not least - incorporate a call to action!Organic - By using keywords you can increase the click-through rate of a given page. How? Well, keywords matching the user query will be displayed in bold by search engines, thus drawing attention to the eyes. Can not be more organic than that. People are coming to you because they see something they are looking for. But they only gonna come if they see it.
By now you should be getting the big picture. A well written and planned meta description can give you a huge advantage in search engine results page (SERP), resulting in more visitors to your website and more chances to convert them into leads or new customers.
Is there a case where it's better to leave the Meta Tag Description empty?
Well the logic above says that there should not be a page with empty description. But in all honestly in case of a multi-page catalogs, shopping carts or blogs with multiple entries that are targeting long tail keywords it is better to leave the search engine to create the meta description. The reason being is search engines always pull out the keywords, but also the surrounding phrases the user has searched for. When deciding whether or not you gonna leave a page without description (and those should never be your “main”pages) always consider the probability of this page being sheared on the social networks. No description in my experience means something random and inconsistent gonna be displayed, thus ruining the impression of your website. Social networking websites are very powerful tools for converting leads into customers,so you don't really want to present your business there with random words.
Recommended Length
The recommended length for meta descriptions is 155 characters including spaces, but Google may cut it shorter if it would exceed two lines based on pixels. Interesting post here on the subject: http://www.screamingfrog.co.uk/page-title-meta-description-lengths-by-pixel-width. Although I wouldn't worry too much about it and stick to the 155-160 characters, the wisdom here is: always to put your important keywords in the beginning rather than the end. For the very cautions its worth mentioning that for articles Google sometimes will display a date which will eat up some of your maximum characters allowance and the new limit is 139 characters including spaces. For most of you Twitters this “new” length should not be a problem I believe.
When it comes to capitalization use whatever case you want, but I’m still gonna give you some tips. If Google do use your meta descriptions unlike titles it will keep the case of your characters. Naturally capitalizing important words can draw attention. Never ever use only capital letters throughout the entire text. Same can be said about lowercase letters. And last but not least: don't capitalize every letter just because you can especially For Really Long Sentences, Because This Can Get In The Way Of Easy Readability and Quick Scanning From Searchers Who Are In A Hurry.
So to put everything together. Meta Description Tag gives you a lot of control of what people see before they arrive at your page. The truth is they will not arrive there at all if you don’t show something compelling, unique and attractive. Those are statistics, not an opinion. Now go on and give your SEO and click-through rate a boost. You can thank me later.
### Be A Hero - Create a Second View In Google Analytics
I am amazed at how many people nowadays don't have a second view in their Google Analytics (GA) account. It’s true I've never seen a proper GA tutorial about setting a second view and most of all the great importance of having one, but still, it's kind of logical don't you think?
Let’s call the default view created by GA “raw view" and let me write this down in capital letters: One day when you least expect it everything in your GA account gonna go nuts and the “raw view" gonna save your day from a data disaster. And you gonna be very thankful to Omi Sido. You may even pop in and buy me a beer.
Everything started a week ago when two non-related companies asked me to comment on some strange anomalies in their GA accounts after setting up some filters a while ago.
So my first question: Shall we compare the data to the “raw view". No “raw view" or “second” view is their answer. So my second question: “What?!”.
How the “raw view" gonna save your company from a data disaster.
The “raw view" is the one sitting quietly in the background of your GA account (never ever touched), collecting information and waiting to become a hero when the other views (did I say that some colleagues would even create a third view for some extreme situations) crash down.For example and in connection with the story above - you gonna need this view when setting up filters. Only by comparing to the “raw” view you are going to be able to check whether the difference is trustworthy and whether you have to re-do your filters. Quick logic here: How do you even know if your filters are working they way they are supposed to if you don't have two views?!
How to set up your “raw” and “second” view.
By default when you set up your GA account you are presented with the default view or in the words of GA - “one unfiltered view for every property in your account”. Never add or delete a filter to this default (“raw” as I call it) view. When you add a filter the data you exclude becomes unavailable for this view, hence only add the filters to the other views. Logically when you delete a view the historical data in this view disappears forever.
Although you should not set up filters in the “raw” view you can set up goals there. Despite not being harmful I wouldn't do that, as you probably don't want to have your goals in a view that you don't visit that often.One very important note here: It is not possible to import historical data into the new views.“Creating a new reporting view will provide you with unfiltered access to all data collected by the Tracking ID.” If you rather make a copy of existing view than all the goals are copied over to the new one. Again in both cases - no historical data(!).
The technical part of the process is rather simple. You just go to Admin, View and in the drop-down Create a new view. Give it a meaningful name and also for the sake of security rename the default view to something scary - “Raw View- Do not touch or I will kill you” - for example.What to do if you only have only one view now: for a start don't panic- you are already doing something right by reading this article, so the easiest thing to do is copy the existing view, rename it to using the “convention” above and clear it from all filters. The copy of the existing view, in my opinion, should have today's date in the name as like this you gonna know exactly when created. Don't forget all the goals and filters gonna be copied over so you don't have to worry about them at the moment.
Now enjoy the moment. You are a future hero.
### Don't Waste Your Time On Facebook
If you asked me 3 years ago “Is it worth creating a Facebook page to promote my website?” I would have given you a big “YES”.
Nowadays despite me promoting all social media interaction (in connection with SEO), my answer is categorical: Facebook is not worth the time and effort!.
The main problem lies in the number of people a page is able to reach organically. Pages have a much harder time making it into the Newsfeed because of Edgerank. Due to this mind blowing algorithm pages are only able to reach between 8 to 15% of their audience on any given post. Pretty low don't you think? Or shall I say - pretty depressing for the time and effort involved in creating a post?
See the Edgerank algorithm is not there to promote your page, it is there to make you pay Facebook to promote your posts. So in order to reach more audience, a business page is left with two options:
You get more likes, comments or shares on your posts.
You pay Facebook to promote your posts.
So let's talk about the first part: Facebook doesn't take into account the type of audience you have. If your audience is very active - say you are promoting a rock band, Rihanna or some Goth Erotica Clothes (the young generation, the short of money generation), then your posts/page will be more visible. If your audience is not that active you begin to see your reach gradually declining until your page is almost nonexistent to your followers. Facebook doesn't care about your brand - it's all about the way Facebook see things important. I've seen serious accounting firms posting “Like if you hate Monday” with the odd picture of a drunk employee just to get some likes/activity on their business page. In fact, I can tell you that promoting business through a Facebook profile in a way is a lot more rewarding, but that's another topic.
So don't waste any more time on Facebook and concentrate on the platforms that really give you value for the effort of your employees. By value, I mean: if the marketing email is good people gonna get back to you. If the Google+ post is informative, authoritative and relevant customers will stop and read it. Not to mention the searchability and the ripple effect. At my current company - Global Real Estate Institute - sometimes we invite our guests to be on the Podcast and within hours we are getting thousands of replies.
So to put all this together: whether or not potential customers read your articles depends on whether or not you are giving them something interesting or valuable enough to pay attention to. In the Facebook case, there is only one variable - The Edgerank algorithm.
Just before I finish this article I’d like to give you a good advice. Don't destroy your relationship with Facebook pages completely - just start auto posting your articles there. As in all social media if anybody replies make sure you respond and engage in a conversation. Direct all your work force power towards social media that gives you value for brain effort involved.
### Link Building, Online Marketing and Google Ranking
Nowadays Link Building is an important part of website marketing – in fact, perhaps THE most important. It is the most important factor considered by Google to rank your website high. Imagine each link like one vote, but for the vote to be legitimate the link should be of good relevance. If you don't understand the word “relevance” than you are in the wrong business - don't mind me as Google will be the judge penalising you in no time.
On the other side “Link Building” sounds like something you should go and do in no time- quickly, ruthlessly and in great amount. Sounds like something not very organic, but Google nowadays is all about “organic”. Think in any other way and your website quickly disappears from page one.
It may sounds like catch 22 until you realise that its not about just “Link Building”, its all about relationship building or shall I say authority building. See Google really likes backlinks to your website assuming that people are linking to you because they find your content informative, authoritative and relevant. If they link to you its because you give them value and Google is all about providing value for its customers. So in a way forget about Link Building and start building your authority website by offering people high valuable information (products, services etc.). Once the authority is in place no search engine will ignore you, but rather rank you high for its customers as now you/the search engine is giving them value for their search queries. Higher rank in search means more people can find you, but in our case also means more people want to link to your website. And suddenly it all becomes clear.
In the end let me put this all together by citing the head of Google’s Webspam team Matt Cutts: “The objective is not to “make your links appear natural”, the objective is that your links are natural”.
### How to remove 'Powered by Blogger' from your blog
Blogger is a very popular American online content management system (CMS) that allows users to create and publish their blogs for free. This blogging platform offers a range of features to customise the appearance of your blog, including adding a gadget to display attribution ("Powered by Blogger") for the blog's template.
While the attribution gadget can be helpful in giving credit to the template author, some users may prefer to remove it for aesthetic reasons or to make their blog appear more professional.
How to Remove "Powered by Blogger" from your blog footer
To remove 'Powered by Blogger' simply follow the steps below.
Log in to your Blogger account: The first step is to log in to your Blogger account (use your Blogger username and password). Once you have logged in, you will be directed to the Blogger dashboard (click on the arrow next to your name to open up the menu. Select "blogger dashboard").
Go to the Layout section: On the Blogger dashboard, click on the blog that you want to remove the attribution gadget from (yes, you can create or have not more than 100 blogs per account). Next, click on the "Layout" tab on the left-hand side of the screen.
Remove the attribution gadget: Once you are on the Layout page, you should be able to see a list of gadgets that are currently displayed on your blog. Look for the "Attribution" widget which is normally located at the bottom of the page and now you can see the removal option. Click on the "Remove" button located on the gadget. A pop-up window will appear with the option to edit or remove the gadget. To remove the attribution gadget, click on the "Remove" button. You may be asked to confirm your choice, so click on "Yes" to proceed.
Save changes: After removing the attribution gadget, click on the "Save" button located at the very top of the page. This will save the changes and update your blog's layout.
Preview your blog: To ensure that the attribution gadget has been successfully removed, preview your blog by clicking on the "Preview" button located at the top of the page. This will open a new tab in your browser that displays your blog as it appears to your readers.
How to remove 'Powered by Blogger'
Note: If the attribution gadget is still visible, you may need to repeat the above steps or clear your browser cache to see the changes.
Another popular way to remove "Powered by Blogger" is to target the CSS ID (the old-fashioned CSS) of the so-called attribution gadget and set the display property to none, effectively hiding it from view. To do that, simply add the code below to your blog's CSS by following these simple steps:
Log in to your Blogger account and go to the "Theme" section.
Click on "Customise" to open the Theme Designer.
Select "Advanced" from the left-hand menu.
Scroll down to the "Add CSS" section and click on it.
Paste the following code into the box:
The final step would be to click on the "Apply to Blog" button to save your changes.
Once you have added this code to your blog's CSS, the "Powered by Blogger" attribution should be hidden from view. Keep in mind that if your blog uses a different CSS ID for the attribution gadget, you will need to adjust the code accordingly.
As you can see, removing the blogger attribution widget is a straightforward process that can be completed in a few simple steps. By following the steps outlined above, you can customise the appearance of your blog to suit your preferences and enhance its professional look.
It is legal to remove the attribution gadget/widget "Powered by Blogger"?
It is perfectly legal to remove the attribution gadget in Blogger. However, some bloggers choose not to remove it as a way to show their appreciation for the platform. After all, Blogger offers a lot of free features to create and publish a blog (actually up to 10 blogs per account), so leaving the credit link in place is one way to acknowledge this.
Nevertheless, removing the attribution gadget is entirely up to the blogger's preference, and it is possible to do so without any legal repercussions.
### Google Universal Analytics is here to stay. Get used to it.
Google announced last week that Universal Analytics is out of beta and is now being rolled into primetime. People ask me: Is this really going to change anything?
If I have to be short, its gonna change everything.
Google Universal Analytics completely replaces the technical aspect of how online data is collected so there is a completely new way at how we track and analyze our customers. Instead of tracking the anatomy of a visit, now it tracks the behavior of visitors. Apart of tracking websites and mobile devices, GA can also track point-of-sale systems which means we can also get information form offline conversions. All of these mean now we've got access to a new wealth of information from which your business can make informed, data driven decisions. Let me repeat this one: informed, data driven decisions.
Shall we start using Universal Analytics now or later. Well I am afraid its not about "if", its more about "when" as eventually all of us will be forced to upgrade.
For those still not ready to retag their website Search Discovery has a free JavaScript tool called Airlock that will automatically convert your page tags for you. Airlock gives you the ability to start taking advantage of GA Universal Analytics while phasing in all the tags that will have to be upgraded.Still start thinking now- this is not just a good advice, this is a warning.
Google has fundamentally changed their concept - what's the reason? Essentially, the change to Universal Analytics tells us that the way user interact and the web in general have become a lot more sophisticated. No longer we can do our marketing without putting into account offline interactions. No longer we can relay on a visit-based tool as the psychology of the visit becomes more and more important. The old method does not fit the new model, so the old method has to go.
Universal Analytics is here to stay. Get used to it.
PS Some useful links:
Universal Analytics is out of beta: What the heck does that mean?About Universal AnalyticsUpgrade to Universal Analytics
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How Not to Do ItHistory of he Google logoHow Decisions Are MadeHow Google WorksHow to Install DeepSeek AI Locally on MacHow to Know You Have a Good Startup Idea?How to remove ‘Powered by Blogger’ from your blogHow to use podcasting as part of your SEO strategyIdentity is something you createInterview with Samar Mustafa – The Founder of TeamStackIs Google Authorship Making a Comeback?Let’s respect each other!Link Building, Online Marketing and Google RankingMac Yosemite First ImpressionsMachine Learning is Revolutionising Digital MarketingMake Your Email Marketing Stand Out This Post-Holiday SeasonSay Thank You in a Video. Video Marketing and Your Business.Semrush Tea Time with Omi Sido – Personal BrandingSocial Media and Your Marketing StrategySocial Media BrandingStarting a New JobThe End Of Google Authorship Markup – Mark TraphagenThe future is ours. This is not the new normal.The Importance of Data for BusinessThe main aim/purpose of marketing is to create a demand for your productThe Power of Google TranslateThe Social Profile Links in the Google Knowledge GraphThe State of Digital with Purna VirjiTwitter Now Supports Animated GIFsUtilize the Power of the Web for Your Small BusinessWhen Obama & +Barry Schwartz Became King Of The United States For The DayWhich is Better: Creating a Country-Specific Domain or Using an Existing Website?Who is the real you?Why attend the SEMPRO Conference in Ukraine?Why do organizations win when they put users at the centre of product development?YouTube Videos and Return on Investment (ROI)Google Analytics 4Analysing Google Search Console Data with BigQueryBe A Hero – Create a Second View In Google AnalyticsBenchmarking Report in Google AnalyticsBounce Rate in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)Calculated Metrics in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)Dimensions and metrics in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)Enhanced Link AttributionFunnel exploration in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)GA4 Migration and ImplementationGoogle Analytics App for iOSGoogle Universal Analytics is here to stay. 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Let’s talk about it!How Rich Content Affects Rankings and ConversionsHow to Fix Error 404 on AMP Pages After Deactivating the AMP PluginHow to Write High Quality Content for Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)Hreflang Attribute – International SEOLog File Analysis for Better SEOMaintaining SEO on Large, Complex Websites with Omi SidoMobile Usability Feature in Webmaster Tools (or the new mobile reality)On-Page SEO Optimisation in the fashion industryOrganization Structured Data: A Comprehensive GuidePage Speed and SEORankBrain & SEO SimplifiedSEO for PhotographersSEO in 2019SEO Tip of the day (well more like 9 Killer SEO Tips)SEO Tips for Blog WritingThe Complete Guide to Rich SnippetsThe convergence of SEO and Branding with Omi SidoThe Evening SEO Talk with David SayceThe Importance of Meta Description TagThere Will Always Be People Who Hate You – Be YourselfTop 10 On-Site SEO optimisation factorsTopic Modelling and Semantic Connectivity in SEOTraffic is useless unless those visitors become customersUnderstanding search intent: beyond the traditional funnelVacation rental (VacationRental) structured dataVehicle listing (Car) structured data: A guide for car dealershipsVoice Search – Welcome to the FutureWhat is mobile-first indexing?What makes visitors leave your website?Structured dataCourse Info (Course and CourseInstance) Structured Data: A Comprehensive GuideOrganization Structured Data: A Comprehensive GuideStructured Data Explained | Search Elite SEO ConferenceThe Complete Guide to Rich SnippetsVacation rental (VacationRental) structured dataVehicle listing (Car) structured data: A guide for car dealershipsThe Sunday TalkCultivating Happiness – The Sunday TalkFeelingsHTTPS Migration Gone WrongThe Sunday Talk – Adapt or DieThe Sunday Talk – AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages)The Sunday Talk – Be The Best You Can BeThe Sunday Talk – Benchmark Search Conference 2018The Sunday Talk – Bold Digital MarketingThe Sunday Talk – BrightonSEOThe Sunday Talk – CollaborationThe Sunday Talk – Connect To Your Customers On A Human LevelThe Sunday Talk – Content MarketingThe Sunday Talk – Data VisualizationThe Sunday Talk – Digital Marketing is Simple, but it’s not EasyThe Sunday Talk – Disrupt or Be DisruptedThe Sunday Talk – Do you know your customers?The Sunday Talk – Focus on the CustomerThe Sunday Talk – I Do Technical SEOThe Sunday Talk – If you want something new, you have to stop doing something oldThe Sunday Talk – It’s All About LoveThe Sunday Talk – KindnessThe Sunday Talk – Learn as if you were to live foreverThe Sunday Talk – Marketing Business Summit 2018 – MilanThe Sunday Talk – Marketing ExperimentsThe Sunday Talk – Meeting David IwanowThe Sunday Talk – Merry Christmas Everybody!The Sunday Talk – MotivationThe Sunday Talk – No hard work, no resultsThe Sunday Talk – Old marketing is dead. 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### About Omi Sido
Omi Sido is an accomplished professional with a wealth of experience in SEO and web development, having worked for over 8 years in the industry. He is well-versed in both traditional advertising and digital marketing, having successfully executed integrated campaigns for high-profile clients such as Vectone Mobile, Delight Mobile, The Global Real Estate Institute, and Daily Mail. Currently, Omi Sido holds the position of Senior Technical SEO at Canon Europe, where he is responsible for overseeing the search engine optimisation of Canon's website.
Discover how Omi Sido can help boost your website's visibility
As an SEO professional, Omi Sido's role is to ensure that a website is easily discoverable by users searching for information relevant to its content. He accomplishes this by employing a three-pronged approach to search engine optimisation.
The first component of Omi Sido's approach is to deliver the most useful content for any user performing a particular search. To achieve this, he analyses and segments user intent, differentiating between those who are seeking to make a purchase and those who are merely looking for general information. By understanding user intent, Omi Sido is able to tailor a website's content to meet the needs of each particular user, increasing the likelihood that they will find the site useful and engage with it further.
The second component of Omi Sido's approach is to maximise the visibility of a client's content by securing hyperlinks and mentions from relevant external web pages. This involves creating high-quality content that is valuable and shareable, and then reaching out to other websites to secure links and mentions. By doing so, Omi Sido is able to increase the visibility of a website, making it more likely that users will come across it in their search results.
The third and final component of Omi Sido's approach is to analyse long-term user behaviour signals. By tracking user behaviour, such as which search results are most frequently clicked on and how long users spend on a website, Omi Sido is able to make informed decisions about how to improve a site's performance over the long term. By continuously reducing bounce rates, Omi Sido is able to improve the user experience and increase the likelihood that users will return to the website in the future.
Overall, Omi Sido is committed to providing lasting results for his clients. Rather than relying on quick fixes that provide only temporary boosts in rankings, he is dedicated to implementing strategies that will provide ongoing benefits and help to increase a website's visibility over time.
If you are looking to increase your website's visibility and drive more traffic to your site, Omi Sido is an excellent resource. With his extensive experience in both SEO and web development, he is well-equipped to help you achieve your goals and build a strong online presence that will serve you well for years to come.
Omi Sido on the Web
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Contacting Omi Sido
E-mail is the best way to get in touch with me: omi.sido at gmail.com
This year I am speaking at the Benchmark Search Conference
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What are alt and title tags?
The alt text describes what's on the image or in some cases the function of the image on a particular page. Each image on your pages should have an alt text. Google relies heavily on the alt text not just to determine what’s on the image but also to understand the topic of the surrounding text. But do not get carried away. You should not spam your keyword into every alt tag. You should have high quality and related images on your pages and it only makes sense to have the focus keywords in the alt text.
Tip: To make them easily found include both the full name and the product ID in the alt tag of your images.
You may ask: But what if an image does not have any purpose? Well, if you have images on your pages for purely design reasons they should be in your CSS and not in your HTML. If your development team can’t do anything about it give it an empty alt tag like this:
Don’t know if you’ve noticed earlier but in the first example above I gave you the same alt and title tags so you can just hover to see them. You may think that the alt text is quite long but in fact, this is what your alt text should look like.
Last but not least make sure all your images have width and height. Web browsers can begin to render a page even before all the images are downloaded provided they know the dimensions of the non-replicable elements. This can greatly improve your page speed and your customer experience - two very important elements from an SEO point of view.
One element that not many people are talking about when it comes to e-commerce website is facet navigation for increased conversion and better rankings.
What is faceted (or filtered) navigation?
Faceted navigation is a design element that allows visitors to your website to select and search for attributes that are important to them, in other words, to filter a list of products down to the ones that match their needs.
For many e-commerce sites, facet navigation is vital. By helping your visitors to find what they are looking for the facet navigation helps greatly increase your conversion rate. On the other side, many SEO managers are blocking the filtered category pages (after called facets) thus not having the specific pages required to rank for many mid-tail terms (the keywords your consumer is typically searching for when in the consideration phase of his purchase journey).
In my experience, I see many small websites outranking industry giants only because they have better technical set up. Whether the blocking of the ‘facets’ solves the over-indexation issue I see many big websites ranking for ‘ red dress’ but not ‘evening red dress by Gucci’. Search engines are allowed to access the ‘red dress’ page, but not the ‘evening red dress by Gucci’ page or ‘red dress size 18’ page.
I am not going to go into details of how to your facet navigation should work but I will just mention the need of a proper keyword research. You should be able to identify all of the keyword phrases your customers may use and build crawlable category pages for those search terms.
Tip: Make sure the content on every filtered category page is changing in order to reflect the facets that are selected: as a bare minimum, this means the page title, meta description, and H1.
If your facet navigation is not set up properly you may run into some duplicate content issues (other factors like pagination can also increase the possibility of you having duplicate content present on your website).Here are some best practices to fix them before they even happen.
Using Robots.txt to tackle duplicate content occurrences.
The robots.txt file gives you the power to control what pages search engine can access. Here is an example:
User-agent: *
Disallow: /*search
This wildcard will ask all search engines to ignore any URLs with the word ‘search’.
Tip: Look into your Google Analytics account to identify which version of the page receives the most traffic.
Parameter handling
Parameters are a very common cause of content duplication and they can be handed in the configuration section within Google Search Console. As parameters can get very complicated I would recommend consulting an expert before making any changes.
Canonical Tags.
The canonical tags are a line of code that tells search engines which page you would like to be indexed from a set of pages with identical content. They should be present on each version of the duplicated page and normally they look like:
Tip: To ensure there is no room for duplicate content on your website use a combination of the three methods mentioned above.
404 or 301 your old pages? Which is Best for SEO?
The question many website owners in the fashion industry ask me is ‘What to do when products run out of stock’.
For retailers in the fashion industry with constantly fluctuating inventory, it’s common to see tonnes of 404 euro pages for products or even product categories that are out of stock or no longer exist.On closer inspection, 404 redirects can cause short-term and long-term damage to your SEO. Unlike 301 redirects, 404 utilise a new URL and will eventually register as a broken link which will affect how helpful (and functional) your website is to search engines. The more broken links your website has the less attractive it will be as a search result.
In my opinion, the best way to maintain SEO and keep the customer confusion to a minimum is to maintain the page but install a widget telling the visitors that the product is out of stock. Even better if you know when the product will be back in stock you can include a product restocking date (you can even prompt the user for an email address and provide an automatic alert when the product is restocked). Another good idea is to insert a widget showing similar products in order to keep the visitor on the website.
If the product in question is obsolete either 301 redirect to the newest model or if this is not an option redirect to the parent category displaying similar items.
Tip: Reuse URLs if you sell products where model number and specifications are not important.
The importance of keyword research.
When it comes to keywords start by analysing the keywords used by your competitors, to get inspiration for your own brand. Do not use keywords that are not related to fashion.If you are in the fashion industry the most important thing to understand is that search engine's most significant aspect is topical relevance.To understand relevance please read Google Semantic Search by David Amerland or join the Google Semantic Search community where Teodora Petkova will bring you up to speed in no time.
### Starting a New Job
Starting a new job is never easy. Between meeting new colleagues and mastering new skills your first 4 weeks may leave you feeling tired and overloaded.To help ease some of this stress I’ve put together my top tips for your first 4 weeks.
Week one
Tips for your first day:
Don’t show up late.Dress professionally. ‘You are what you wear’ people say. Before your first day, you should talk to your future manager or HR to make sure you understand what constitute acceptable attire for your new workplace.Don’t make too many personal calls - remind your friends and family that you are starting a new job.Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Rather than making a mistake that will cost your company money (and could cost you your job), ask questions about everything you are not 100% sure.
This week is all about absorbing as much information as you can. One of your goals should be to listen 90% of the time and talk 10%. On the other side, those 10% should be asking questions.Always take notes but don’t worry about capturing everything.
Pro tip: assign names to your notes - the easiest way to get to know everybody.
At the end of the week take a real break and do something fun and de-stressing. Do not think about work but rather socialise with your friends or family. Go to the movies.
“Weekends don’t count unless you spend them doing something completely pointless.” - Bill Watterson
Week two
At the beginning of the second week ask your manager to set up some get-to-know-my-team meetings. Ask others what they think your job tasks are. This is the best way to learn what other expectations of you are.
Now that you know a bit about the job: be patient. Chances are your new boss didn’t hire you to fix the world in a day, but rather because of your abilities (and knowledge) to integrate yourself well before making a positive impact.
Week three
Start taking responsibility for your own professional progress and development. By now you should know about 90% of what your duties are.
Start looking for a mentor within your organisation. Whether at work or in your personal life everybody needs a mentor.Try and have a serious talk with your direct manager about all unwritten rules in your organisation. This is the week to start building reports and truly understand what your performance metrics will be.
Week four
By now you are shining in your job. Try and broaden your horizons. Try and understand what your colleagues are doing. Have you noticed a task that you or your colleagues are doing over and over again? Can it be automated or streamlined? Whatever you do try not to mess with somebody's else workflow and make sure you notify your manager of your ideas.
Try and arrange a three-month review with your direct manager. This review may not have the same make-or-break impact as your job interview but in my experience, it still has a huge impact on your future day to day activities, work assignments and most of all your salary. Better start preparing early.
Here you can find vacancies from all over the USA.
“It's difficult to achieve success without hope and confidence.’ - Omi Sido
### Say Thank You in a Video. Video Marketing and Your Business.
Everyone in the world wants to be acknowledged by sincere, honest ‘Thank you’. This small act of kindness is a powerful tool that is at our disposal at all times, so we have to start using it as often as we can. In all honesty, I don’t say ‘Thank you’ as often as I should and I am sure I am not the only one.
People don’t understand that even online when the person is not standing in front of us expressions of gratitude create strong, synergistic ties and pave the way for greater influence.
It’s true, saying ‘Thank you’ in the ‘real world’ is not just about expressing verbal gratitude, but also about using the right body language and selecting the right words!
So how can we transfer this online? The answer to this question is in fact very simple: video.
"I find myself constantly seeking new, more sincere, deeper ways to convey that sentiment, particularly here (online) where, as you say, we have no eye and body signaling." - Gina Fiedel comenting on 'Just Saying Thank You' by David Amerland.
After seeing it for the first time I was like: Wow, I’ve never thought about it.
And then it came to me. Expressing gratitude using video is in tune with where the internet is going - mobile.
People don’t want to read text on their small screens. Video is so much easier to digest. Not to mention that it so much more personal and fun.
Or in the words of the people from WireBuzz:
“The reason video is more persuasive than other types of content is the human brain requires emotional input to make decisions. And no technology is better at conveying emotion than video.
Video caters to the brain’s visual and auditory systems, picking up on cues like body language, facial expressions, imagery and music. This elicits an emotional bond that will influence a person’s choices and actions.”
It’s just an idea but try and send a video saying “thank you’ to your customer next time he purchases something from you and compare his reaction to a traditional (and boring) text email.
We are changing the game here.
Instead of satisfying every client, we WOW them.We shower them with so much love, friendliness and helpfulness, that they are blown away. So what is going to happen after that is they will tell everyone they know about you and your awesome service. All that in a 1-minute video. Not a very difficult task I believe.
Go and do it people and get back to me with the results.
### RankBrain & SEO Simplified
What is RankBrain?
Not a long time ago Google released their new secret weapon - RankBrain.
But what do we know about RankBrain? How does it work? How does it affect your business? And most of all how does it affect your SEO efforts?
As usual, Google is not telling us much. Everything we know about RankBrain is based on some sort of reverse engineering. We know it affects the SERPS. We know it's responsible for about 15 - 20 % of the results in the SERPS.
To explain RankBrain let’s start from the beginning.
RankBrain is part of the Hummingbird algorithm and to better understand Hummingbird think about a system that takes into consideration the meaning of the whole sentence, rather than particular words.
Example: 10 years ago the query ‘water pill’ would have probably sent AltaVista or Yahoo to look for a pill with water in it. Nowadays Google understands that this is a diuretic that causes a person to lose water from his body.
When it comes to RankBrain add to the mix a project called Word2Vec. Now I am not a googler and my understanding of this project is that the tool takes the text as an input and produces the word vectors as an output. To better understand the Word2Vec model think of it as a system that incorporates two parts:
One called 'continuous skip-gram' that tries to predict neighbouring words to a given word.
The other one called 'continuous bag of words (CBOW)' that tries to predict a word from neighbouring words.
By using those two methods/algorithms Rank Brain can understand or shall I say try to guess the meaning of a word it isn’t familiar with.
So now that we know how it works, or at least how we think it works let’s discuss the name. The first part ‘Rank’ implies that it has something to do with ranking. On top of that, Google said not a long time ago that it’s the third most important signal contributing to the result of a search query. So in a way, it does affect SEO. Saying that it does not affect rankings.
What is RankBrain and how is it Affecting your SEO?
If you are already ranking for term ‘used cars’ (because you sell second-hand cars) and you were number one before RankBrain was introduced, you will still be number one for ‘used cars’ today.
On the other hand, if before the new algorithm you were also ranking for used steering wheels because there is a topical connection with used cars now RankBrain may re-arrange the SERPs and only display companies that are in fact selling steering wheels and not used cars.
So in a way, your rankings haven’t changed but you are no longer present in the SERPs. If you check your favourite software like SEMrush or STATS your website will still be shown as number one for a particular search term but you will no longer appear in the SERPs for terms that are not relevant to your business.
It filters you out of the inappropriate and keeps you current in the appropriate (SERPS) - Zara Altair
A long time ago the way Google worked was that they will crawl your website, gather all the information and when the query comes they will display information based on the keywords in your copy. RankBrain is a shift towards understanding the query first before connecting it to the keywords in your copy. I hope that makes sense.
The second part of the name is Brain and many people are creating link bait articles connecting AI with RankBrain. Machine learning is part of the AI but it is not AI.
What is machine learning?
Machine learning uses statistics to develop self-learning algorithms. In that matter, Google is hoping that in the future RankBrain will be able to run the SERPs without human intervention. Whether this is gonna happen and when nobody can really say. One thing is for sure that the future is algorithms that cannot be gamed.
It is not an "artificial intelligence" as we don't have that yet. It is a machine learning algorithm. Such algorithms may become a component of any future AI, but they are not yet AI. - Mark Traphagen (Senior Director of Marketing at Stone Temple Consulting)
Why is so difficult to game RankBrain?
To give a concise answer to this question first we have to understand how the new algorithm works.
Historical search data is processed by RankBrain, which then establishes how to make predictions based on that data - so they take the data (the whole process is done offline), and if they think it’s good enough they will feed it into RankBrain. In a way, if your website is giving ‘crap’ information it would not be fed into the system and you will lose in the future.
Those predictions are tested and only then they go live.
This cycle is repeated each time there is a new search in the system.
So the above in simple words. The whole process is done offline, Google decides what the input would be and only after the forecast is approved it goes live so gaming is almost impossible.
As this is a webinar of the relations between Google RankBrain and SEO I will give you some tips to take on board and implement in your daily activities.
RankBrain: 4 SEO Tips You'll Need to Survive
When it comes to Google RankBrain my first tip would be would be to go and read again the Google Semantic Search book by David Amerland. By reading this book and implementing some of the tips given in the book you will not just improve your website authority on the web, but you will also be doing everything the right way in order to satisfy RankBrain.
My second tip would be to create laser-focused content on topics in your niche. Creating thoughtful and quality content is still just as critical to getting found online as it has always been.
Use keyword research to:
First, identify your audience - if you do not know your audience than clearly, you don't know who you're talking to. The only way to identify who your audience is is to perform a keyword research. Check what terms are popular, have big search volume, in your niche. Then check what keywords people are using to land on your website and try to connect them both.
Secondly, try and find what your audience is talking about and what your audience is looking for online. In simple words the questions they are asking. RankBrain is all about asking and answering questions. Especially questions that have never been asked before. Try and answer those questions.
Thirdly, create content that connects with your audience. If your audience likes sports cars and they are also talking about Formula One, buying tips or the British TV program ‘Top Gear’ include all these in your copy. Then the algorithm will think that you are an authority, I guess and hope that you are an authority already, and your information will be fed into the system.
Now more than ever, you’ve got to be focused on user intent, related intentions the user might have, and identifying gaps in your content, and how your quality compares to your competitors for the same query - Eric Enge ( Why Machine Learning Is Revolutionizing Search)
My third tip: As the main direction in the future for Google is voice recognition create content that sounds natural. Write copy that is descriptive and sounds like the reader is in front of you.
My fourth tip would be: do not forget links. Links provide external trust and applicability to your content. This is another way to show RankBrain that your website is an authority in your niche.
Many people say and try to convince us that Rankbrain is the future and would potentially replace all algorithms. This is simply not true. RankBrain would always be a part of a bigger algorithm whatever the name of this algorithm is in the future. RankBrain will always need links to determine relevancy. Links from other authoritative websites in your niche are basically telling the algorithm that you are an authority as well.
Q&A
Krystyn Dale: Schema and RankBrain correlation.
Omi Sido: Schema is the best way to show Google what your website is about. Everything started with Google trying to create this database of knowledge (Open Graph). With all the knowledge scraped from the web, Google already knows how the words are connected, how web sites are connected and how different niches are connected to each other. RankBrain is basically refining the search, making sure that all the knowledge Google had before and all the ‘new knowledge’ coming to Google is connected and understood. Marking up the content of your website with structured data is the best way to tell Google if your website is relevant.
Other opinions expressed during the conversation.
Vivekananda Baindoor Rao:
Artificial Intelligence has been in development for a long time but Machine Learning in my view is actually part of it. Artificial or natural intelligence comes once the "learning" has happened and the information is understood. Actually, the results or decisions that are taken based on the learning show the intelligence! So the AI research has been going on for a long time and only now we have successfully implemented machine learning which would take us closer to full AI.
Peter Hatherley:
Omi Sido Zara Altair - Actation Now! Personally, I have good reasons to think that RankBrain has a ranking effect ... quite apart from the obvious point i.e, the word rank being part of the branding.
In a way, it's like saying PageRank didn't have an effect on the rankings during the 00's. The reality is that it had a huge bearing on the SERPs results during that time and yet quite obviously both these algorithms have the word rank hidden in plain sight within their respective brandings.
I'm quite sure the marketing experts at Google wouldn't have gone as far as producing a misnomer to throw us off the track ':D) In fact, a lot of thought would have gone into naming the RankBrain algorithm to reflect its true meaning just like they did so aptly with PageRank.
Gina Fiedel:
Omi Sido, I really could listen to you for hours. You have a gift and a wonderful style for explaining complex concepts. It's especially valuable that you're highlighting the connections between how the semantic web and Hummingbird work and RankBrain's part in that. And how they are working to "see" connections and relevancy between words, entities, search intent- all that juicy stuff.(Love the pub example- that's such a great analogy for listening, being able to hear)
And of course, I love your repeated endorsement of our favourite books. ;o)Zara Altair, thanks for having Omi and for all your additions in the learning here.
### Don't you ever give up!
One day you will wake up and all your dreams will be a reality.The Powerhouse European SEO Gianluca Fiorelli opened his eyes on Thursday (May 19,2016) morning and his dream of a conference where knowledge flows like a river opened doors for the first time.Sleepless nights, cans of coffee and a sea of worries all came to an end.
The best ever European Digital Marketing Conference is a fact.
Organised by a man with a vision for legacy and entrepreneurship this conference surpassed all expectations.
Two days of intense learning with some of the best speakers from all over the world. You could see the wisdom flying in the air (unless of course those were hallucinations coming from the SEMrush drinks/girls. Olga Andrienko, Kate Makulova, thank you very much for you never ending smile and light refreshments). You could sense that a lot of rankings will be skyrocketing from now on fueled by the knowledge shared by the digital marketing elite at this conference.
Some of the best presentations:
Marcus Tandler - Welcome to RealityFernando Macià - Customer journey analysis and searchscenarios http://goo.gl/MjmIeKGemma Muñoz - Evolve or Die (all evolution is born fromdisobedience)Will Critchlow - Emerging Trends in Web MarketingWil Reynolds - Go where the users are, building a holisticSERP strategy http://goo.gl/UkrUr7Bas van den Beld - How to create the right content at the righttime to the right audience http://goo.gl/vTUfLeKieran Flanagan - Lessons Learnt from Building a Growth Teamfor Inbound Marketing http://goo.gl/5gTzV9Barbara Mackey - Onsite search: empathy in the fashion world http://goo.gl/2ZDZYsValentina Falcinelli - Content Design. How to winthe skimming test http://goo.gl/5gVgggSamantha Noble - Dominating the Paid Media Universe https://goo.gl/TcxXK6Lisa Myers - Go big or go home. Successful contentmarketing for SEO http://goo.gl/emcGYqNathalie Nahai - Web Psychology: The science of onlinepersuasionAleyda Solís - Competitive SEO Analysis: How to identifyopportunities and win your competitors.Gianluca Fiorelli - Deconstructing Google: practical insights ofits patents http://goo.gl/Yh31n6Rand Fishkin - Fight Back Against Back http://goo.gl/DTshml
Meanwhile, let’s not forget the crowd. I saw people like Dawn Anderson, Arnout Hellemans, Eddie Gonzales, Mark Scully - to name but a few - wandering around. Each one of those people could have been on the stage. Each of those people should probably be on the stage next year.
We all had an amazing time. We all gained so much knowledge and insights straight from the source. If you ever wanted to be somewhere close to the people currently shaping the digital fashion in the world this was your best chance.I hope you managed to talk to them. I hope you managed to have a selfie with them. And most of all I hope you managed to scribble all the tips they gave you.
Do we want more? Well, we are all human beings, and on top of that, we are marketers. Let’s push Gianluca for 3 days (Houston/Arnout Hellemans, we have a problem – there is not enough beer in town). Let’s add the rest of the digital marketing elite like David Amerland, Mark Traphagen and Eric Enge to the mix. Let’s have Google in the face of Gary Illyes or John Mueller answer some of our questions (of course, I am talking about Q&A sessions).Let’s extend the legacy of this wonderful idea.
Hasta la vista amigos! I know you all had a good time and you all coming back next year.
See you soon.
### The convergence of SEO and Branding with Omi Sido
Very often I see people online talking about SEO and branding, comparing them both and even arguing which one is better. So let’s be clear about one thing. SEO and branding are two completely different animals and they can and they should work together.
Today I’m gonna try and explain why.
But first thing first. To understand the importance of SEO for branding and branding for SEO we have to start from the bottom.
So the beginning is the understanding of the difference between branding and marketing.
Why do people always think that branding and marketing are the same things? You go and visit a client and he is like tweeting about their latest offer. And he thinks this is branding. He is re-posting on Facebook and he thinks this is branding. In general, he thinks that being on social media is branding.Google it and I bet you money the first 5 statements are wrong or at least not entirely clear….understand correct.
So let’s clarify this statement. First, there is an internal, the initial part, and then there is an external branding.
What is internal branding?
Internal branding is the drilling we put ourselves through to ask those very simple questions:
Why are we here?
What is our business about?
What is its value?
What is its unique value on the marketplace?
What do we bring to the table that nobody else has?
What’s our message?
What's the story, the journey we are taking the customers on?
That’s the internal branding. If try to skip this step you are bound for an online disaster.
“Companies that cannot successfully answer what they do fail to then understand how they can continue to do it in the face of change.” - David Amerland
Now let’s talk about the external branding.
What is external branding?
I would explain external branding with a cliche, but one that is spot on:Your branding is eventually what other people say about you, no matter what you think.Shall repeat this one slightly modified: Your brand is what other people are whispering about you when you are not in the room.
And that’s how you eventually judge and make predictions for your business.You get your branding in mind, you start creating the content that flows out of that brand and that brand image and that brand value.
And then you take that out in the social media world and share it, engage with it, use it to create things.
Your next step is to start listening. What are people saying back?
As people start to talk and interconnect with your business what they think you are is fundamentally what your brand really is.And it does not matter that you may shout and shout: “Hey people wait a minute. This is not me. You are getting it wrong”.It is not their fault. It is your fault. You are not conveying it right and you have to go back to the drawing boards and ask the question: What are we doing wrong that people are not apprehending who we are and what we really are?
Because this is a fundamental marketing truth that cannot be denied: Consumers build brands, not companies. Consumers are the ones that give value to the brands and businesses should enhance this value by striving to deliver a consistent brand experience that clients can trust.
And so the marketing part then is all the things that you do. And this gets down to the individual channels, what do we do differently on Linkedin. Shall we advertise on TV or Facebook? Are we gonna share our articles on Google Plus or LinkedIn?What do we do in terms of community involvement and events that we attend and participating? That's marketing (we can also call it brand marketing).
So now that we know the difference between branding and marketing let’s talk about SEO.
Nine out of ten times when I talk to companies and the so-called digital marketing directors there is always one issue coming up.
“Omi, we have an amazing brand, we know what we are trying to achieve, we know our unique business proposition. On the other hand, we have an amazing digital marketing team, but we still struggle online”.
And then nine out of ten times they did not connect their branding and marketing efforts together. Why?
There is a very simple answer: SEO. SEO is the missing link, the Yeti of the evolution from branding to digital marketing. SEO is part of the branding process, but SEO is also part of marketing.
Let’s start with the simple keyword research. All SEO’s do it on a daily basis. As an SEO, I may call it keyword research. As a marketer, you should probably call it defining my targeted audience. You will be surprised how many companies are trying to sell products and services online without doing the simplest of SEO tasks - keyword research.
Not defying your buyer's persona will always gonna end up in disaster.
Keywords are like a compass - they tell you where to go and whether not to go because is already overcrowded. Unless you like tight spaces of course.
Keyword research is the marketing of 21 century.
The so-called marketers don’t do it because it’s a pure SEO task. SEOs do it but only because they want to attract the google bots.The truth is keyword research can help you figure out the needs, the thinking and the desires of your targeted market. It can also help you to understand what the market is thinking about you. And you can use it to your advantage.
Let me give you a famous example. Actually not quite sure that it’s famous but for sure is spot on. A couple of years ago Yost realised that every time people are searching for their product they use the keywords Wordpress and Google Analytics in connection with their brand name.Not a very difficult research actually, just go to the Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush and type your brand name. If you don’t know the keyword planner ask your SEO.
So by putting 2 and 2 together Yost renamed their plugins to ‘Yost SEO’ from ‘Wordpress SEO’ and what was originally ‘Google Analytics Plugin’ became ‘Google Analytics by Yost’. Now I am sure you get the drift straight away. Their brand name is Yost, not Wordpress or Google Analytics but by combining them both they legally hijacked two keywords with a massive search volume to work for their benefit.Go on and type Wordpress SEO. What do you see appearing in the Google suggest box? Yoast SEO. SEO and branding at it best.
So it’s time for a power tip: In the ‘Alt’ tag of your images, and I know most of you don’t pay any attention to those, insert your brand name. Ask your SEO to crawl your website with Screaming Frog and give you the location of all your images.You don’t want any other brands popping up when somebody is looking for your brand in the picture search.
Note: I hope you understand that there is no point connecting your brand name and an image button.
Also connected to images give Google something that they really understand: schema. Even better combine logo schema with keyword rich alt tag for a better SEO impact.
