Significant new feature will change clickthrough rates
This week, Google recently launched an update to its search results page (SERP) which allows visitors to preview a website within the results page before making the decision to click-through.
The update currently only affects Natural Search listings but it is a useful tool for Google users and reports from Google themselves are saying searchers are 5% more likely to be satisfied with the result they click after using the preview.
So our recommendation is to check out what happens when you press the magnifying button next to your listing for your brand search.
Here is an example from the excellent analysis by Simple Usability on the Impact of Google Instant Previews on user behaviour - a must read for all online marketers.
According to Google, if you get this right you could expect up to…
SEOMOZ Industry Report
Value: [rating=3]
Our commentary: I don't believe SEOMOZ will require much of an introduction these days but I felt there recently released Industry survey results deserved a quick mention. They're of particular interest to SEO specialists working for companies or agencies.
The survey covers the international market place and gives great insight into how people work within the search industry and budget investment in SEO.
Well worth a scan, checkout the results and great infographic:
Recommended link: SEO Industry Survey…
Google Algorithm Update?
Value: [rating=4] Our commentary: A vicious rumour or is Google preparing to launch an algorithm update during the festive season? It wouldn't be the first time Google has launched an update during one of the busiest times of the year. Reading between the lines of various search engine marketing forums and viewing clients analytics data something is definitely happening with the largest search engine in the world. Usually the type of fluctuations in traffic people have been seeing only occurs before large updates are rolled out. Google had until last year quite consistently launched algorithm update every Xmas the most famous update being the Florida update which caused widespread issues with lots of businesses online. We have obviously already had a large update this year when Google rolled out Caffeine which according to "experts" at the time was going to cause problems to lots of sites…
My thoughts on planning your Christmas/New Year marketing campaigns
Value: [rating=5]
Our commentary: I would imagine most of you are cursing me at this moment in time and I cannot say I blame you, I mean, blogging about Christmas in October!! It shouldn't be allowed!
Unfortunately as marketers we need to be focussing on Christmas and New Year activity & campaigns now.
Every year we see the number of online sales for businesses grow and despite Global recessions my current bet is that the online sales figure will do the same again this year!
Timely preparation is key, not only for Christmas sales but also to free up time during November / December for focus to be put towards the start of a new year without the distractions of Christmas campaigns. Below I have outlined a top level view on what you should start…
How will Google Instant affect SEO and Google Adwords
Value: [rating=5]
Our commentary: These brief comments on search are based on my initial comments in Twitter while listening to the announcement by Marissa Mayer Vice President of Search Product and User Experience at Google - before I went to get my tea!
For the full-analysis on search implications I always turn to Danny Sullivan at Search Engine Land which is the link below. Then the more technical SEO blogs.
When she promised "A fundamental shift in search" at the start of her talk I expected to be underwhelmed. When I initially hear about I thought, this is actually a fundamental shift, the most significant change since the 2007 Universal Search / Google Onebox incorporation of images/news/video into the SERPS. Having now seen it live, I think it's more important - it is a "game changer" for…
If you don't know it, Think Visibility, "#Thinkvis" is a great "unconference" set in Leeds which has grown from 80 to 250 attendees; not bad for a Saturday. I attended the first conference which I liveblogged and was back for the fourth over the weekend. Thanks to Dom Hodgson and the other organisers for putting together a great lineup of speakers which featured the SEO nitty-gritty you don't see at other conferences.
So straight onto the topics.
These are the sessions I've covered, I've included the slides where possible:
International / Multilingual SEO with Rob Kerry
Social media for SEO with Lisa Myers
Linkbuilding for SEO with Jaamit Duranni
How to gain market dominance in any sector" with Dave Naylor
1. International SEO with Rob Kerry
See speaker background
Rob works for an agency specialising in international SEO. To start with he covered the basics which I get asked often, so…
I was recently putting the digital world to rights with digital marketing consultant James Gurd (James on Linked In, James on Twitter). We were talking about the ongoing need for straightforward advice on SEO for small and medium businesses who are new to SEO. We both felt there is still too much complexity and too many myths. James finds that when talking to clients that many still want to get to grips with SEO essentials so they can can focus their investment working with their SEO agency on advanced strategy.
So I'm delighted that James has offered to share his approach to cutting through the complexity - I hope it provides useful frameworks and interesting reading for marketers grappling with the basic success factors for SEO and also for consultants and agencies grappling with explaining it.
[caption id="attachment_2960" align="aligncenter" width="504" caption="A five step SEO Strategy framework"]…
Like many I've switched to Chrome as my main browser this year for the speed and stability.
If you haven't made the switch yet, there's almost nothing to stop you now although I'm still missing the SEO Book plug-ins for Firefox, although SEO Quake is an adequate competitor.
I've found great interest in these new tools on my Advanced SEO course, so "due to popular demand" I've created a page of the ones I recommend. I've started with the simplest ones which marketers on the course might use, onto the more advanced ones for the SEOs.
1. PageRank Status
A simple tool for showing Google PageRank.
2. Nofollow checker
…
Question: A lot of your posts on SEO seem to be aimed at the expert, do you have something on the basics of SEO?
Answer: That's a fair comment, we have written our 7 Steps guide to SEO for Expert members to be easy to follow for marketers less familiar with SEO. Here's a round up of some of the best guides introducing the basics of SEO.
1. The Google SEO Starter Guide PDF
Best to go straight to the Horses Mouth - this is a great intro with examples, although published in 2008 and not updated since. It underemphasises the importance of backlinks - links from other sites.
Google also a short practical video to SEO for startups.
2. Google How It Works
This is a great visual guide which I've started using when talking to non-search specialists in training - definitely not for SEOs... Nice visuals though.
…
If you noticed significant changes to your organic traffic from Google through May this could be the result of a major algorithmic change in Google. It's reputed to impact longer tail queries, i.e. less popular searches typically of 3+ keywords in the search keyphrase often related to specific product queries in commercial sites. But the analysis of my site later in this post suggests it affects shorter terms too.
As always, Search Engine Land has a good backgrounder on the update and this is a useful agency perspective on implications for different site types.
I also recommend viewing this update from Google - they produce many videos for Webmaster Tools these days, but this is a must-watch for anyone involved in managing site traffic:
In the video, Google head…
