Value: [rating=4]
Commentary: No surprise here in these stats which show that in the Google rankings: 34% click on top spot, 16% click on #2, & 75% clicks in top 5.
Implication: You can use this information to model potential improvements from paid search if you can improve positions.
Value: [rating=4]
Commentary: This survey of 100 search marketers is mainly helpful to show search marketers and consultants how their services should evolve.
Implication: I would also recommend this if you are a client running a pitch for an SEM company since it shows the sort of questions you should be asking to get the best agency.
Value: [rating=4]
Commentary: I was at Emetrics / SMX this week and this was one of the most useful sessions. It's not specifically about Google Analytics custom reports, but it's a good summary of different presenters views. You may also want to check the SEO ranking factor summary.
Implication: The most useful ideas to prompt changes to the way you report are the 10 approaches recommended by Will Critchlow at the end of the post.
Value: [rating=4]
Commentary: This post by Bill Slawski who specialises in poring over the Google patents and then interpreting them for the SEO community.
Implication: This patent suggests how Google weights different types of links differently - so essential reading for linkbuilders and using SEO for internal links. The list shows the importance of using editorial links as suggested in this Google video.
Value: [rating=5]
Commentary: Google have introduced a new keyword match type: "modified broad match" intended to "help you get more clicks and conversions at an attractive ROI, especially if you mainly use exact and phrase match keywords today". Of course it's to help Google gain more revenue also.
Implication: Check out the example infographic which explains the principle well and then Ask your paid search provider to review the merits of this match type. I've been looking at the new Adwords feature in Google Analytics and this is useful for showing you the proportion of traffic against sales that phrase, exact and broad match are currently delivering.
Value: [rating=4]
Commentary: These were originally subtle requiring users to press on a "+" to expand, so Google has now surfaced them into the left sidebar to highlight more content types.
Implication: This new feature increases the importance of universal search so gives more opportunities for engaging searchers through news, images and video content. This in-depth guide to the new feature can help you as a searcher too by explaining the options.
Value: [rating=4]
Commentary: The new Caffeine version of Google indexing and results delivery isn't quite here for everyone yet, but this is a good summary of some of the issues to watch out for.
Implication: In Caffeine, issues which may affect SEO visibility and rankings include: site speed, blended search and most important backlink profile.
Value: [rating=4]
Commentary: More detailed information including day-parting and Match Types will be made available later in the month.
Implication: This will give client-side marketers who have access to Google Analytics more visibility on Google Adwords since detail on match types, etc was previously only available in reporting within Adwords. So keep an eye out for the changes and review how you can mine the additional detail.
Value: [rating=4]
Commentary: Matt explains the issues you should consider when selecting a blog platform from an SEO point of view.
Implication: Don't assume that because platforms like Blogger, MovableType and WordPress are popular that you won't struggle with SEO. They're better than they were, but this gives you an idea of what to consider - these factors also apply to CMS.
Value: [rating=5]
Commentary: Lack of integration between natural and paid search activities is a common problem for managing search marketing since different people are responsible for it.
Implication: The article describes the need for several types of integration, but the most important one is covered by this quote - this is one of the management challenges are Smart Insights software will address:
"Every organisation should regularly complete an opportunity-gap analysis to audit the difference between the volume of the searches performed by prospects against the number of visitors attracted for different search keyphrases.
When I perform this analysis for clients, it always shows keyphrases that are effective within paid search that are underperforming in natural search and vice versa.
There are also major discrepancies in bounce and conversion rates from reviewing web analytics data which suggests problems with traffic routing or the landing page quality.
Value: [rating=4]
Commentary: I find that many marketers who aren't closely involved with Adwords don't understand the importance of Quality Score (See my introduction to Google Quality Score).
Implication: This analysis shows all search marketers why you must care - the table shows that if you can increase your quality score from 7 to 10 for a keyword then your Cost Per Click will drop by 30%. So make sure you have a good method of reviewing and reporting quality score's regularly.
Value: [rating=4]
Commentary: Eric say's don't think linkbuilding and the tired techniques like directories, article-submission, link-buying even, but go back to the content.
Implication: SEO success isn't all about the link-building, it's all about the content's ability to attract links if you seed it right. It needs passion - as Eric says: "The Internet is about connecting passion with content with others with the same" Read these 3 articles by Eric or my article on "why most companies fail in their link-building" to get fresh ideas to energise your SEO.
Value: [rating=4]
Commentary: Our post explaining the features of the new Google Webmaster Tools queries feature
Implication: We give 8 implications for marketers in the post
Value: [rating=4]
Commentary: Google announced this week that it is using site load speed as a ranking factor for SEO. Richard Baxter's post has the announcement and shows that it's more important to look at load speed for bounce rate.
Implication: Jaamit at Fresh Egg did a good summary of the SEO implications - currently limited because it only affects the slowest 1% of sites. You can use Google Webmaster Tools to check whether you are within that slowest 1%
Value: [rating=4]
Commentary: A timely reminder of the importance of the long tail
Implication: Actually, the data shows the importance of identifying your target 'strategic keyphrases' as I call them since the search terms containing 1 to 3 terms still account for more than 50%. However, we recommend looking at common qualifiers to kephrases and including these within copy and backlinks.
Value: [rating=3]
Commentary: The SEO By the Sea blog does a great job of updating search specialists on the implications of the latest Google patents.
Implication: This significant patent shows the importance of focusing on keyphrases rather than keywords within your SEO analytics and copywriting. The original paper from Google on their algorithm referenced keywords and their proximity, rather than phrases which is why this is significant. If you review performance of phrases included in title tags you can see why phrases are so important.
Value: [rating=4]
Commentary: This is a How To of using this feature, to understand the principles click through to the Adwords blog
"For example, if you"€™re a search advertiser, you can use remarketing to create an integrated campaign strategy. After driving traffic to your site with search ads, you can then remarket to those users who reach your site by showing them tailored ads on sites throughout the Google Content Network".
Implication: The content network is often perceived as a source of poor quality traffic, but today there are many approaches to increase reach beyond the search network through more targeted approaches such as placement targeting. Another way to leverage it is retargeting to show messages to users after they have visited your sit - to prospects and customers.
Value: [rating=4]
Commentary:
Implication: Goal-setting and review of SEO against target are often less rigorous than for other channels, here are some ideas to improve - I particularly recommend the Visibility Index KPI (based on the Advanced Web Ranking Tool I recommend) and the use of models to review performance seasonally.
Value: [rating=5]
Commentary: Google Analytics and Adwords has traditionally been weak at helping marketers understand campaign attribution - the situation where purchasers take several visits to the site to buy. Instead it has used a last-click wins model. Now, with this feature (only available for .com and not in Google Analytics), you can see assists, where a keyword influences conversion to better understand ROI.
Implication: If you invest significant amounts in Adwords and haven't run a campaign attribution project, ask your agency or search specialists to review which keywords are giving "assists" and isolate keywords those that do and those that don't help in influencing conversion and then reallocate your budget accordingly.
Value: [rating=4]
Commentary: A test showing how Google interprets the first anchor link in pages. Although this is an advanced SEO technique I mention it since I find that many are unaware about how Google treats the first anchor link on the page to a site as most important - see this test on anchor text from the comments to understand this.
Implication:
Value: [rating=4]
Commentary: This was posted at the start of March and I've just taken a look. It shows how Google assesses their own sites - it's good to see they have the challenges of encouraging content editors and copywriters to include the right document meta data and meaningful headings as everyone else! It's also nice to see Google referring to "on-page optimisation" (the main focus of the report) - they are SEOs the same as us all...
Implication: I recommend downloading the PDF to see the criteria they use for their audit. Ask your agency or inhouse SEO how you stack up against this Google audit. And whether they are using Google Webmaster Tools to check for duplicate content with identical
Value: [rating=4]
Commentary: I didn't make Think Vis this year, although I attended the first event last year and did a write-up. Here is a round up from Dan Harrison of the tips he took away.
Implication: It's worth a quick scan to see what the latest commentators are saying.
Value: [rating=4]
Commentary: As the author states: "One often-ignored part of SEO is making invisible pages visible. When I say 'invisible', I mean pages that have received zero clicks from organic search results."
Implication: This is advanced use of Google Analytics, but it's worth auditing to see whether pages you would hope are generating traffic, for example category pages aren't doing so.
Value: [rating=3]
Commentary: This is an introductory piece about how your webmaster or agency should use Google Webmaster Tools to avoid errors and inefficiency.
Implication: Check the process your webmaster, agency or internal search person has for reviewing the link errors of your site.
Importance: [rating=2]
Commentary: A replacement for Search Wiki - can effectively now bookmark or personalise a common search query. I can't see this yet in my results, so check out Susan Hallam's post.
Implication: Limited for marketers since it can't be influenced and is likely to have a limited takeup by users similar to the Search Wiki?
Importance: [rating=2]
Commentary: Real-time search has been available since December when it featured Twitter, but it now includes Facebook.
Implication: If a searcher Google's your brand, comments from your customers or competitors! in Facebook it may be visible, so you should monitor this through social or buzz-monitoring tools or the Google Show Options tool - see example for BBC. Does anyone know whether this could be setup as an RSS feed rather than this page.
By Chris Soames
Chris Soames is a Smart Insights blogger and consultant, he has worked in digital marketing for over 6 years with the last few years managing international web strategies for a leading travel brand. Now the Commercial Director at First 10, an Integrated marketing agency, he helps clients get clarity on their marketing strategy and create campaigns engineered to engage with their consumers to help drive sell-through. Most of all, Chris enjoys working with talented people who want to create great (& commercial) things not just tick boxes.
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