Woya’s Expert Guide To Online Reputation Management & Repair

Woya’s Expert Guide To Online Reputation Management & Repair

Is your online brand image letting you down? It’s time to take back control and revive your online reputation! Woya’s Expert Guide to Online Reputation Management and Repair is here to help.

This guide offers an easy-to-follow roadmap of tips and tricks to get your online reputation management back on track. Don’t let the fear of what others think hold you back – start rebuilding your brand’s online reputation today!

This guide is for anyone who wants to make sure their brand online presence is working for them, not against them. We’ll provide practical advice and actionable insights on how to fix any mistakes you may have made in the past, and create a positive brand image that will serve you well in the future.

You don’t need any special skills or knowledge – this guide has everything you need to know about how to repair and maintain good online visibility and presence. Plus Woya Digital is available to help where you need specialist or speedy support for your businesses brand online reputation repair.

Woya’s Expert Guide isn’t just about fixing what went wrong before – it’s about taking control of your future.

With our guidance, you can learn how to build an effective online brand reputation profile that reflects the real you, so that employees and potential customers will see the best version of your business. So let’s get started on reviving your online brand image.

Understanding Online Reputation Management And Its Significance

It’s essential to understand why online reputation management is so important. Your online presence is often the first impression customers will have of you, and it can also affect your ability to recruit staff, amongst other things.

A bad online reputation can be hard to repair and can take a considerable amount of time and effort. The most common causes of a poor online reputation are negative reviews, inaccurate, outdated or negative content online.

It’s important to monitor your online presence regularly, as this helps you identify any issues that may be impacting your brand’s reputation. You should also consider setting up alerts for keywords related to your business or brand so that you’re aware if any negative press is posted about you or your company.

Repairing an online reputation takes time and is an ongoing process requiring a strategy. You must first address the issues causing the problem, then create positive content that will help improve your overall image. This could include things like responding positively to customer online reviews or creating blog posts that show off customer satisfaction and your expertise in the field.

Taking these steps will help restore trust with customers and build a positive image for yourself or your business over time.

Examining The Potential Damage To Your Online Reputation

As discussed, having an online presence is important, and understanding how to maintain a positive brand reputation is essential. However, it’s just as important to understand the potential damage that can be done to your online reputation if not managed properly.

The internet is vast and contains millions of users, many of whom are constantly sharing content. This means that any negative or false information posted can quickly spread across multiple platforms and reach a large audience.

This can lead to serious consequences for your brands’ reputation both online and offline. For example, a defamatory or derogatory statement made about you on social media could have lasting repercussions that follow you long after the incident has been resolved.

In addition to this, any negative review or public criticism of your business or services could also have a significant impact on your ability to attract new customers or partners. If there is a negative review posted about your organisation that contains incorrect information or harsh criticism, this can leave an indelible mark on potential employees and investors who may be searching for information about your business online.

On top of this, any negative comments left by former employees or clients may also discourage others from doing business with you in the future.

It’s clear then that examining the potential damage to your online reputation should not be taken lightly; it’s essential to be aware of how even seemingly small mistakes can have lasting effects on both personal and professional relationships.

Taking steps such as creating a comprehensive digital strategy and monitoring your online presence regularly will help ensure that any negative posts don’t go unchecked and help safeguard against further harm being done to your brand’s reputation.

Assessing Your Current Web Standing

The first step in reviving your online presence is to assess your current web standing. Start by doing an online search for yourself or your business online and taking note of the results.

Then, analyse the search results and content that appears and assess it based on how it reflects your business character and values. Ask yourself if the content paints a positive perception of your business, or if it needs improvement.

Next, take a look at any social media profiles you have. Make sure they accurately portray who you and your business are and what you’re about. Take time to update them regularly with social media posts, as this will help create an accurate picture, and present your business in a positive light online.

Finally, read online reviews from customers or employees on different review sites like Google, Yell, Yelp or Glassdoor. See what people are saying about your business, and make sure their comments match the image you want to project of your business online.

If there are negative reviews or comments, try to address them directly with an apology or explanation if appropriate.

Taking Proactive Steps To Sustain A Positive Image

Now that you have assessed your current web standing, it is time to take proactive steps to sustain a positive image. First and foremost, you must engage in a comprehensive digital audit.

This audit should assess the following:

    • Your social presence
    • The content associated with your business name
    • Any negative content related to your business name

At Woya, we engage specialist search software for our clients to find references to your company, directors and brands, looking for all positive and negative sentiment across the internet and social media.

By taking stock of this information, you can identify areas where improvements are needed and make necessary changes. For instance, if there are old social media posts or photos that could be detrimental to your reputation, they can be removed or hidden from public view.

Updating or adding new content such as blog posts or videos with fresh material will help to refresh your online presence. Engaging in active conversations on social media is also an effective way to build strong relationships with other users and their audiences.

The second step towards maintaining a positive online presence is to create an effective communication strategy for responding to any negative feedback about yourself or your brand. It is important to remember that not every person who responds negatively is necessarily trying to cause harm; some may just need clarification or more information before forming an opinion.

It is essential to remain professional and courteous when replying in order to maintain positive relationships. Responding quickly and accurately will help set the record straight and avoid further damage from spreading.

Finally, staying up-to-date on the latest trends in digital marketing will help you stay ahead of the curve when it comes to online reputation management. Knowing which platforms are most relevant for promoting yourself or business allows you focus your efforts on those strategies with the greatest potential for success.

Using analytic tools can provide valuable insights into how people perceive you online so that you know which types of content resonates best with them.

By taking all these steps into consideration, you will be better equipped for sustaining a positive reputation online in the long run.

Seeking Professional Help For Reputation Recovery

If your online reputation is in dire need of repair, the best option might be to seek professional help.

Professionals specialising in online reputation management are familiar with the methods and tools necessary for successful repair. They typically employ a variety of tactics to improve your online presence, such as content creation, search engine optimisation, digital PR and monitoring of social media accounts.

Woya Digital provides unparalleled online reputation management and repair services. Our expert team understands the significance of maintaining a positive online presence and works to help you regain control over your brand’s image. We employ cutting-edge strategies to address negative reviews, suppress damaging content, and reinforce your online presence with a proactive approach.

By partnering with Woya Digital, you’ll benefit from an agreed strategy, personalised solutions tailored to your unique needs, backed by years of experience and a proven track record of success. Don’t let your online reputation hold you back – trust Woya Digital to revitalise your brand and secure your path to long-term success.

Whoever you choose to work alongside, discuss your expectations and objectives so that they can customise their services to suit your needs and timescales. This will ensure that you get the most out of the relationship and that you are both on the same page when it comes to achieving desired outcomes.

Be sure to keep track of progress regularly and provide feedback where needed so that everyone is working towards the same goal.

Advantages Of Investing In Your Online Reputation Management For Long-Term Success

Hiring a professional to help you repair your online reputation can be an invaluable decision. From expert advice to advanced strategies, the advantages of investing in your online reputation management are far-reaching and long-term.

Here are just a few of the key benefits you’ll experience:

    • A comprehensive plan to target and neutralise negative information about you online
    • Improved online visibility that attracts more customers or employees
    • Increased trustworthiness among new customers or employees
    • The ability to own and manage what others say about you on the web
    • Lower risks associated with bad reviews, false information or accusations, or competitors’ smear campaigns

Not only will professionals help get rid of any unwanted information out there, but they can also provide guidance on how to protect yourself against future attacks.

By implementing proactive strategies such as maintaining a strong presence on social media, creating great content, and engaging with people who have had positive experiences with you, you can ensure that your online reputation is secure for years to come.

Additionally, having a well-crafted digital strategy in place helps showcase your best self and build trust among prospective customers.

Investing in your online reputation management does not end at just seeking out professional help. You must ensure that any negative content is addressed quickly and effectively, so it does not become entrenched in search results or linger in public view for too long.

It is also important to stay ahead of the curve by proactively monitoring what is being said about you online and taking steps to ensure that all content remains factually accurate and updated regularly.

With a committed effort focused on building up a positive image for yourself across multiple channels, your efforts will pay off in the long run.

Best Practices For Enhancing Your Online Presence

Enhancing online presence is essential in today’s digital world. To do so, there are a few best practices to follow.

First, it’s important to curate the content that appears on your website and other online profiles. High-quality images, videos, and text can help build trust with customers and create a more professional look for your brand.

Second, have an active social media presence on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Share content regularly and engage with followers to build relationships and establish yourself as an authority in your industry.

Finally, use search engine optimisation (SEO) techniques to increase visibility on search engine result pages (SERPs). This includes optimising titles, descriptions, keywords, and images for each post or web page you create so that your content shows up higher in online search results.

By following these best practices for enhancing one’s online presence, you can effectively repair any damage done to your reputation or establish a strong presence on the online world from the start.

Common Mistakes To Avoid When Managing Your Online Persona

When managing your online presence, it’s important to be conscious of the common mistakes that can cause long-term damage. Ignoring your online presence can be one of the most costly errors you make. It’s essential to invest time in researching and understanding how your digital footprint is perceived by others. Here are some of the most common mistakes people make when trying to maintain their online persona:

Posting without thinking twice: Before you post anything online, take a moment to think about how it might be interpreted. Make sure that what you share is appropriate, accurate and in line with who you want to be seen as.

Focusing too much on getting noticed: It’s natural to want attention and appreciation for our efforts, but having an excessive focus on recognition can lead to oversharing or misrepresenting yourself. Be mindful of how often you post and what content you put out there.

Not engaging with your followers: Building relationships with those who follow or interact with your posts is essential for creating a positive online persona. Responding to comments and messages shows that you value their opinions and care about them as individuals, which will help build trust in your brand or reputation.

Recognise And Respond To Negative Reviews Or Comments About Your Business

Now that you’re aware of the common mistakes to avoid when managing your online persona, it’s time to move on to how to recognise and respond to negative comments or reviews about you or your business.

This is a situation that no one wants to face but unfortunately, it does happen. Even if you’ve done everything right, there may still be some people who don’t like what you offer and leave negative comments or reviews. To handle these correctly, it’s important to stay level-headed and respond in a way that won’t do more damage.

The first step is recognising when someone has left negative comments or reviews. This could be anything from a blog post criticising your services to an angry tweet directed at your company. It’s important to monitor the different platforms where people interact with your business and have someone dedicated to respond quickly and appropriately whenever something negative arises.

Once you’ve identified the negative comment, take some time before responding. If the comment is particularly inflammatory, it may be best not to respond at all – especially if doing so could trigger an even angrier response from the person who left the comment or review. However, for most other cases, it’s important to address the issue head-on in a polite manner that shows respect for the commenter and sincerity in wanting to resolve their concerns.

Your goal should be not just defusing any potential anger but also convincing the poster that they can trust your business in spite of their negative customer experience. Doing this will show other customers that you take customer service seriously, which could go a long way towards restoring any damaged reputation.

Responding graciously is key when dealing with negative comments or reviews about yourself or your business – even if those criticisms are unfair or unfounded. With patience and practice, you’ll soon become adept at tackling these issues gracefully and turning them into opportunities for growth and improvement instead of PR nightmares.

If the comment is on a public forum, rather than social media, it could be time to invest in online reputation management and repair services. Often forum comments can rank in Google for your brand name and commenting will only raise the profile and ranking of the post, so a considered approach is needed.

Often we will look to suppress the forum in Google by outranking it with positive news about your brand. Speak to Woya, as online reputation management and repair specialists, we can help!

Strategies For Promoting Positive Content About Your Company 

The first step to reviving your online presence is to focus on promoting positive content about you or your company. This means actively seeking out ways to show off the best parts of who you are or what your business has achieved. You can do this through social media, blogs, digital press releases, and other forms of content marketing.

When creating content, make sure it’s well-written with engaging visuals and compelling stories that will draw readers in. Use keywords in titles and descriptions so that potential customers find them. And don’t forget to link back to your website or social profiles so people can easily connect with you.

Finally, once you have created some quality content, reach out to influencers and media outlets who might be interested in featuring it. Influencer marketing could help boost your visibility even further and give you an even better chance of improving your online reputation.

Tips To Monitor And Manage Social Media Accounts Effectively

When it comes to online reputation management and repair, monitoring and managing your social media pages is essential. The first step is to identify which accounts you need to be active on. If you’re a business, this likely includes Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and other platforms depending on your industry or field of expertise.

Once you have identified the accounts that need to be monitored, you’ll want to set up notifications for any updates or comments made on each platform. This will help ensure that you are kept aware of any potential issues or concerns being discussed about your brand or business.

Once notifications have been set up, it’s important to respond quickly and appropriately to any brand mentions or comments. This means responding in a courteous manner and addressing any issues raised in a timely fashion. Ignoring comments can lead to further damage if not addressed properly. Additionally, don’t forget to show appreciation for positive feedback; thanking customers not only helps build relationships but also demonstrates that their opinion matters to you.

Finally, it is important that all interactions with customers are professional yet friendly; following basic etiquette rules such as no swearing and avoiding controversial topics can help maintain a positive image of your company online. Remember that what you post on your social media platforms reflects directly on your company’s reputation so think twice before posting anything!

The Role Of Public Relations In Online Reputation Management

It’s important to understand the role of public relations when it comes to protecting and preserving your online reputation.

Public relations professionals help build and maintain a positive image for companies, organisations, or individuals by using media outlets to create and distribute content. This content can be used to influence public opinion, shape public discourse, and protect the reputation of their clients.

Digital PR strategies are essential in protecting your reputation online by leverage strategic messaging:

    • Develop positive press releases and content surrounding you/your brand
    • Positive social proof that can be shared on social media, on your website and internally.
    • Help secure key influencers who can spread the word about you/your brand in a positive way
    • Add more positive links to your company
    • Help with search rankings

Having a strong presence in the public sphere is essential for building trust between yourself or your business, and possible customers.

A good digital PR strategy will ensure that messages are crafted carefully so as not to damage your reputation in any way. When done correctly, digital PR can be an invaluable resource for improving both how people view you online as well as how they interact with you offline.

Benefits Of Engaging With Your Customers And Prospects Online

Engaging with your customers and prospects online is a great way to boost your online presence. By connecting with them, you can learn more about their needs, build relationships, and increase brand awareness.

It also allows you to craft responses quickly to customer inquiries and complaints. Not only will this help you address issues promptly, but it will also show that you care about their customer experience.

The best part about engaging with customers and prospects online is that it’s free. You can do it through social media, email campaigns, or even conversations. Plus, the data collected from these interactions can be used to create personalised experiences for your customers – from customised discounts and offers to tailored content recommendations.

This helps build loyalty and trust among your audience, which ultimately leads to more sales and referrals.

By engaging with customers and prospects online, you not only revive your presence but also gain valuable insights into how people perceive your business. You can use this information to improve customer service and better meet their needs – something that’ll pay dividends in the long run.

All it takes is a little bit of effort on your part to make sure you’re providing an exceptional customer experience every time they interact with your brand.

Strategies For Generating Positive User Online Reviews And Testimonials

Generating positive reviews and testimonials can help to rebuild an online reputation. There are a few simple strategies that can be used to help increase the number of positive online reviews and testimonials on your site.

The first strategy is to reach out to existing customers or clients who have had good experiences with your business. Ask them directly if they would be willing to write a review or provide a testimonial about their experience. You can also offer incentives such as discounts or free products for those who write reviews.

Another strategy is to ask satisfied customers if they would be willing to post their review on platforms, such as Google or Facebook. This will allow you to reach a much wider audience than just your website visitors.

Additionally, it is important to make sure that you respond quickly and positively to any negative reviews so that other potential customers know that you take customer feedback seriously and are committed to providing the best possible service.

Add positive reviews to your website, this can be managed automatically in many cases with linking software to keep things up to date.

Finally, it is essential that you monitor all of the online platforms and review sites where people are talking about your business, so that you can address any issues quickly and efficiently before they become major problems. This will also give you an opportunity to engage with people who may have negative opinions about your business and turn them into customers.

Guidelines For Developing An Effective Online Marketing Plan

An effective online marketing plan is essential for any business that wants to succeed in the current online landscape.

To create an effective plan, there are several key elements to consider. First and foremost, companies must identify their target audience and create content accordingly. This means understanding the demographics of their ideal customer and creating content tailored specifically to them.

Additionally, businesses should develop a comprehensive strategy for how they will distribute their content across multiple platforms, such as social media or email marketing campaigns.

Finally, it’s important to track the performance of each campaign in order to optimise future efforts. By ensuring that all these elements are taken into consideration while developing an online marketing plan, businesses can ensure they stay competitive in today’s digital world.

Online Reputation Management and Repair Roundup

It’s clear that having a good online reputation is crucial for any business. By taking proactive steps to ensure a positive image and engaging with customers and prospects online, you can create trust, strengthen relationships and fuel growth.

Professional help can also be beneficial if the damage to your reputation is too extensive, to maximise your success, develop an effective digital marketing plan and use strategies such as generating positive user reviews and testimonials.

With the right approach, you can revive your online presence and increase the potential of your business.

It’s important to remember that creating a strong online presence takes time and effort. You need to constantly monitor what’s being said about you on social media, websites, forums and other areas in order to maintain a good reputation.

We advise businesses to stay up-to-date with current trends in order to keep up with the competition.

If you have a reputational crisis for your business, it is important to reach out to a team that can help. The Woya Digital team is experienced in online reputation management and turnaround. Suppressing poor reviews, comments and news is key and we can act quickly to engage an agreed plan of action for improvement.

By managing your online presence effectively, you can ensure that your business stands out from the crowd. With dedication and commitment, you will be able to gain the trust of customers and prospects alike – paving the way for increased success!

Understanding Your SEO Analysis Report

Understanding Your SEO Analysis Report

SEO has almost become a buzzword acronym amongst some businesses, insisting that they’ve ‘done it’ and that because they can be relatively easily found online that their efforts have been fruitful. In truth, SEO is a constantly moving and shifting activity and one in which no business can not afford to stop investing time and effort into.

Without specific SEO expert support, the chances are high that a business’ online search ranking will suffer, and that competitors will benefit from this advantage.

Part of the service that the SEO agency or providers working with your business should be providing, is a regular SEO analysis report highlighting the work carried out, the changes and gains achieved by the consistent SEO work, and any issues to be addressed.

What SEO Is, and What Value Working with SEO Experts Brings

SEO is an acronym for Search Engine Optimisation: the practice of ensuring the content an organisation produces online can be easily read, understood and ‘filed’ by the search engines who crawl their website. The desired result is for a business to achieve the top listing on SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) related to queries made relevant to their products and/or services. Being ranked higher than competitors in search results gives distinct advantage as consumers are proven to click the top links first.

For many years, SEO efforts were focused around the basic usage of relevant keywords or terms in text content. This allowed search engine crawlers to easily and rapidly determine the topic of a site and organise its results rankings accordingly. However, as search engines have developed and grown, their algorithms are now considerably more intelligent and thorough – which has resulted in a wide range of factors contributing toward rankings. Indeed this is an ever-changing picture; with it now being estimated that Google makes at least minor changes to its algorithm twice a week.

It is clear, therefore, that businesses cannot afford to stagnate or stand still when it comes to their SEO work. This is why many find it beneficial to work with SEO specialists. SEO specialists not only keep abreast of all of the latest developments in search engine algorithm updates and best practice solutions, but also are able to provide detailed information on areas for improvement.

Why is a Regular SEO Analysis Report Important?

An SEO analysis report is a detailed document that should be issued on a regular basis in order to provide businesses with a snapshot of their current SEO position as well as any threats to this and any potential areas for improvement.

This report works to keep businesses informed on:

    • Their current rankings and any growth or decline in this position
    • The value and ROI of their SEO investment
    • Details of the SEO work or changes implemented since the last SEO Analysis Report was issued
    • The results of any such SEO work provided
    • The growth or benefit to the business receiving increased web traffic as a result of SEO

It is critical that in order to track and analyse ongoing SEO efforts, an SEO Analysis Report must be compiled and issued on a regular basis.

SEO Analysis Report Metrics

A decent SEO Analysis Report should include lots of helpful information for businesses to comprehend their position amongst competitors in search results and on areas in which their efforts could be improved.

Key areas in an SEO analysisrReport include:

Keyword Rankings

Keyword rankings refer to the position in which the business’ website or one of its online presences holds when a search engine user makes an enquiry including a keyword or phrase related to its products and/or services.

The keyword ranking portion of an SEO analysis report will include the keywords and current positioning alongside any growth/improvements and/or any drops in position.

SEO Visibility

SEO visibility demonstrates the level of a business’ online presence when related terms are searched. This will usually include details on organic traffic (non-paid traffic), the keywords most commonly being used to access the domain/s, the conversions being made once on the site, the amount of traffic to the site coming from social media channels (and any other related channels) and the CTR; Click-Through Rate.

SEO visibility gives a great overview of current user behaviour in both reaching the domain and activity once on it.

Traffic

Traffic information delves slightly deeper into the ways in which users access the website. This will usually include organic traffic, paid-for traffic (if appropriate), direct traffic (where a user types the URL directly into their browser search bar), social media referrals and traffic as a result of email contacts; as well as anything else that drives users to the site.

This can be broken down into an overview of current activity, as well as comparisons to year-on-year or relevant period-on-period activity.

Competitors

SEO efforts are made to gain competitive advantage above others. SEO specialists will analyse the top competitors in relation to the business’ website: which may include those the organisation already understands to be their competitors and others they hadn’t considered.

An SEO analysis report will detail the SEO visibility of these main competitors, their keyword ranking, the DA (Domain Authority) of their website and the prevalence/importance of any external links linking back to them.

Bounce Rate and Time On Site

On-site behavioural measurements such as bounce rates are important for not just SEO purposes but also the delivery of a good UX (User Experience). The time users spend on a site is indicative to search engines of the quality of the site’s content, with those who engage consumers for longer likely to rank higher than those who don’t: so businesses must aim to increase this time wherever possible.

The bounce rate of a site is given in percentage format and refers to the amount of users who leave (‘bounce’) from the site. Pages with high bounce rates are unlikely to be providing the perceived value that users are seeking.

Conversions and Conversion Rates

Once on a website, organisations must encourage users to take an action they want them to; such as making an online purchase, supplying their contact details, or registering their interest in a product/service.

These actions are known as ‘conversions’ and are the ultimate goal in having a user visit the domain. A conversion rate is the percentage of users to the site who then take that desired action – and the higher, the better. Businesses should always be looking to improve their conversion rate.

Domain Authority Ranking

The DA (Domain Authority) of a website is a score awarded that ranks how likely that site is to rank successfully on SERPs. Developed initially by marketing company Moz, these scores range from 0-100, with higher scores corresponding the greater likelihood of ranking well.

A DA score is based on a variety of data including the age of the domain, the accessibility of the site, the authority built from other sources mentioning/linking to it and the quality and variety of the content on it. While DA is by no means a prescriptive score, it is now a mainstream measurement that can be considered a good indicator of valid SEO efforts.

Digital PR

One factor often underestimated in its SEO impact is digital PR. This may refer to specifically orchestrated and enacted PR campaigns online that link to the business’ domain/s or the publication of guest posts/features elsewhere online to generate backlinks.

Where this activity has been carried out, details of it will be included in an SEO analysis report.

Do You Receive a Regular SEO Analysis Report from Your SEO Agency?

It is critical when working with SEO specialists that they are able to provide not just regular SEO Analysis Reports but also updates and open communication channels on shifting and changing best practices and algorithm standards.

Woya Digital employ a full-time team of SEO experts who are consistently at the forefront of developments in order to offer a seamless and unbeatable service to gain their clients constant competitive advantage. We create monthly SEO Analysis Reports for each client as standard, to keep them updated, nurturing and coaching them through the process rather than just publishing and presenting a report and not explaining it thoroughly. Get in touch today to understand more on what we can create for you!

What Is The Google Algorithm, and How Does It Work?

What Is The Google Algorithm, and How Does It Work?

Businesses worldwide are competing to rank highly on Google search and other search engines, and the internet is full of tips for ranking number one on SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages), SEO tips and tricks and ways to influence the Google search algorithm behind-the-scenes to do better without having to pay for traditional web advertising.

Indeed, much is said about the Google algorithm and how it works, but here we present the facts: in order to best help you strategise your SEO and plan it to benefit your digital presence.

What is the Google Search Algorithm?

The Google search algorithm is a complex system of programming and coding used to retrieve data from its search index which can then present the most appropriate search results for the search queries made by the search engine user.

Google’s ‘crawler’ bots index the internet and store the data on what it thinks each web page is about, what purpose it serves and who the appropriate audience for its content are. The Google algorithm then works through the index it has created to deliver web pages ranked by relevance on its SERPs. Google’s search algorithm prioritises and marks out relevant results it believes best suited to the user’s search intent to give them the answer, information or data they’re trying to find.

What is an Algorithm?

Algorithms are now referred to often as consumers better understand the internet and the presence they hold on it, and in many circles are seen as a mythical beast to be defeated in order to get more likes, gain more exposure, get more traffic, or be ranked above competitors in search query rankings.

While indeed it is true that only a very few senior coders at any tech company will know the exact details of a website’s algorithm and its calculations, much of what an algorithm follows can be worked on through common sense.

In general terms, an algorithm is a set of rules to be followed in calculations by a computer program. For example, the Google’s search algorithm is the program that calculates which webpages rank where for a specific user search query made. In the case of Instagram, the algorithm is the program that calculates which users are presented with which content. In the case of TikTok, the algorithm is the program that calculates what the user is interested in, and features videos related to this in their feed.

Every website or program that has a bespoke user ‘feed’ will have an algorithm operating behind it.

How Does Google’s Algorithm Work?

Google search algorithm works by referencing its search index and analyses the factors upon each page to determine its relevance for ranking. While we don’t know the exact weight that Google puts behind each of the many factors of a webpage, we do know what constitutes a priority for SEO purposes. This includes:

    • The exact search terms of the query made on the search engine
    • The domain age, authenticity and domain authority (DA)
    • The usability of the website including its loading speed, accessibility functions and security
    • The mobile responsiveness of the site’s performance and its ability to switch format to one appropriate to the device on which its being viewed
    • The keywords and topics used throughout the content on the site, and if there is relevant content
    • Other websites that link to the site and how trustworthy they are.

Considering all of these factors, the Google algorithm judges which website pages are most appropriate to be featured and in what order.

This means that the more concise, clear and usable a site is, the higher it will rank when a relevant search query is made.

Google Algorithm

What are Algorithm Updates?

Of course, as with all tech, the Google algorithm is constantly changing to improve the service it delivers. While there are a couple of major updates made every year which cause a considerable shift to the algorithm and its programming priorities, its estimated that smaller algorithm updates are made around once a week!

Where a major update does occur (referred to as a broad core algorithm update), Google announces this ahead of time and provides some basic details on it so that businesses are able to prepare and shift their online practices to meet the new ranking factor requirements.

Top Factors of the Google Algorithm

No one knows exactly what the exact formula is for Google top ranking factors, as this information remains confidential to all but a few senior execs within the company. However, we do know that the following ranking factors are amongst the most important:

    • High-quality content
    • A mobile-first experience
    • Page experience
    • Page loading speed
    • On-page optimisation
    • Internal links between pages
    • External links to and from other relevant sites.

Historically focus has been laid just on the usage of keywords and search query phrases but since Google’s technology has developed and improved, many more factors are now included and considered. While there are businesses who do continue just to rely on the same keywords and keyword repetition throughout their content, this can no longer form a comprehensive and strategic SEO approach.

Realistically, it doesn’t matter exactly which ranking factor is the most important, as all should be focused on with equal priority in order to develop a well-rounded user experience (UX).

What is the Latest of the Google Algorithm Updates?

The most recent minor Google updates were both in September 2022. One was a core algorithm update and the other focused on new product reviews. The latter didn’t offer any particular advice for site owners but the former was covered in an entry on the Google Search Central Blog. This advised that the update wasn’t anything for webmasters to worry about or that they should need to take direct action, but that high quality content was being uprated in its priority rating.

The most recent major Google broad core algorithm update was in August 2022 and was known as the Google Helpful Content Update. This focused on the concept of ‘people first content’. This update advised businesses to strive toward content creation for a target audience with their search intent and needs in mind, rather than the common approach of creating content simply for SEO purposes and because the business assumed that their website’s ranking would benefit from the repeated use of keywords and phrases.

While other small algorithm updates take place in Google weekly (if not daily), these do not require any specific action and businesses can consider their existing SEO efforts sufficient to weather such changes.

How Does the Google Algorithm Affect SEO?

The Google search algorithm is what businesses are speaking to when they enact their SEO strategies, and must ensure that relevant, accurate and clear information is conveyed throughout their site in order for the algorithm’s programming to best understand it.

This means that continuous improvement of all the website’s page factors must be made a digital marketing business priority, in order to rank as high as possible and ideally do so above competitors. While it may not prove productive for businesses to focus too much on the search algorithm and what it demands, it can make for a great foundation from which companies can understand what smart content creation and a positive UX means.

Get Support to Manage Your Business Google Ranking

Of course, not all businesses can hire a full-time SEO lead to work in-house. That’s why businesses choose to work with Woya Digital.

Our team of SEO specialists stay at the forefront of Google’s updates and best practices in order to ensure our clients gain competitive advantage and receive great exposure to both new and existing customers. Get in touch with our team to discuss how we can support you and to best understand what impact this could have on your bottom line.

What is Google Indexing in SEO?

What is Google Indexing in SEO?

Businesses simply can’t afford for their website to not be listed on Google. With the Google search giant processing over 99,000 searches every single second, the potential is extremely important.

But for Google search results to list a website or page, it must first know it exists and match it up to relevant search terms ‘behind-the-scenes’ using its algorithm programming. This is called Google indexing.

But how does this happen and what is its relevancy to an overall SEO strategy?

What is Google Indexing?

Search engine indexing (or Google indexing in the case of Google), is the automated process of a system collecting, parsing and storing data it finds online. This data is then stored in the Google search index database so that when a search engines user carries out a search, Google can reference this index for the appropriate information and indexed pages, rather than scouring the entirety of the internet every time.

Google indexing is a highly complex process and incorporates interdisciplinary concepts from computer science, cognitive psychology, mathematics and probabilities, informatics and even neuro-linguistic programming.

Why is Google Indexing Important?

Google is the world’s biggest search engine, with a market share of over 90% worldwide. This means that even if it isn’t the most popular search engine in a business’ target location, it is still simply too large to ignore when it comes to strategizing for digital marketing.

If Google doesn’t undertake crawling and indexing on your website, it won’t just not rank well on Google – it won’t rank at all on Google.

If businesses don’t ensure that their digital presence is listed on Google in some way, shape or form they will lose competitive advantage to brands who are listed, who will benefit from the massive traffic that ranking well on the Google search engine can bring.

While not all other sites rely on Google’s search index in particular for their search results, several other systems do, and so it should not be discounted even if it isn’t the primary target system.

How Does Google Indexing Work?

Google indexing takes place when Google’s ‘crawlers’ (that is, automated software programs) visit publicly accessible website’s pages and follow their links.

This helps them travel from page to page and store information on what the pages on your site are about, who they’re for and what they’re aiming to do. The Google algorithm also judges the the site/all of your pages on their User Experience (UX), performance, accessibility and content quality to ascertain how and for what the site should rank when users completes a relevant search.

Google indexing can only happen if a website is publicly available. If it requires a log-in, is in a test environment or is ‘hidden’ from public consumption, this will prevent Google’s ability to read the site and it will remain un-ranked. This allows businesses to present exclusive content to subscribers or members but does mean that anything they wish to include on search engine rankings must be prioritised for public pages.

How Do Search Engines Work

How to Tell Google to Index Your Site

If a website or page has yet to be indexed by Google, the webmaster can request that the crawlers navigate it on the next occasion they’re able to. To do this, a webmaster tells Google through the Google Search Console tool and the crawlers will index the page/s whenever possible.

Where webmasters or digital marketers wish to rank, they should prioritise Google indexing as once a site has been crawled it will be periodically re-visited, so can be ranked on search engine results pages even before the full site content has been populated.

How Long Does Google Indexing Take?

There’s no one-size-fits-all timeframe for Google to index a website, although generally it takes longer for larger sites with more content than it does individual pages with little or short-form content.

The amount of time it takes to get a site indexed is influenced by Google’s current workload (ie it will take longer during periods where a major update or change is being rolled out), but also how many websites are being submitted for indexing at any one time.

Anecdotally, webmasters and digital marketers state that it has taken anywhere from 4 days to 6 months to get their site indexed for the first time. However, this is almost always expedited by requesting indexing through the Google Search Console (as mentioned above), so this is recommended.

Duplicate content will harm the quality of your site and Google will penalise you for this.

How Does the Process of Google Indexing Relate to an Overall SEO Strategy?

Any digital marketer embarking on enacting an SEO strategy should prioritise Google ranking as an effective way to gain targeted organic traffic. In order to best ensure adequate and appropriate ranking for relevant searches, all websites should be subject to timely, consistent and pertinent new content upload as well as hosting a clear sitemap, offering mobile responsiveness and ensuring fast load times.

Google indexing can be considered the foundation for an SEO strategy. Once the site and all the pages have been indexed, a more thorough online presence can be built using target keywords and advertising, further new content creation and an increased focus on the overall User Experience.

How To Fix Indexing Issues

It is not enough for webmasters to create web pages and just expect them to be crawled and indexed by Google, instead there are a variety of best practices they should look to meet. If any of the following issues are experienced, they can be easily rectified by doing the below:

Site is not indexed because it’s too new – you can still request indexing through Google Search Console, but a newer domain is unlikely to get higher rankings than an older one as its authenticity and trustworthiness can’t yet be fully verified. As more website content is added and the site ages, it will be re-indexed and re-prioritised.

A recent redesign should have improved SEO, but hasn’t – it may simply be that Google hasn’t re-indexed the site since it has been improved. A request for re-indexing can be submitted through Google Search Console.

A sitemap wasn’t in place when the site was indexedall websites should have a sitemap somewhere in order for Google to easily crawl its pages. If, for whatever reason, this wasn’t the case when the indexing happened, the site map can be submitted directly to Google through the Google Search Console tool and then it’ll be re-read the next time the site is crawled.

Site isn’t mobile responsive – Google prioritises websites that provide a good User Experience over those that don’t, and so if a site isn’t mobile responsive, Google is very unlikely to favourably rank it. In this instance, the webmaster should seek out a redesign of the site to ensure better accessibility.

Where to Get More Help with Google Ranking

At Woya Digital we have a whole team of SEO specialists who work around-the-clock on keeping up with Google’s latest updates and developments.

We work not just for but also with our customers to ensure their SEO goals are met and that their online presence works perfectly to fit their needs and wants, as well as the idiosyncrasies of their business and target audience.

How Do Search Engines Work?

How Do Search Engines Work?

Just about the whole world now relies on online search engines to look up information, compare products and services, and search for … anything really!

To ‘Google’ has become a verb, the behaviour of looking something up online has become the norm for many in the quest for data and some 8.5 billion queries are made to Google every day.

But how do search engines work and how is best to take advantage of them to benefit your business?

What is a Search Engine?

When asked what a search engine actually is, many would simply respond with the name ‘Google’, but in fact there are many search engines and while all do slightly vary, their premise is the same.

A search engine is a software system designed to allow users to search the internet for specific information. This is usually done via a textual web search query, in which the user types keywords into the search engine and is presented with a line of results on a SERP (Search Engine Results Page). The results are usually provided ranked with the most likely to be accurate and useful for the user’s search queries.

While what we think of as search engines are often websites such as Google and Yahoo, such software also exists to search through the content of individual websites and databases.

How Do Search Engines Work

What Happens when a Search is Performed?

When a search is performed, the system reviews its index of web pages to find those it believes are relevant to the search. This judgment is carried out by a program known as a search engine algorithm, which identifies the most relevant results to the search query and then presents these search results on a SERP.

In most cases, the search engine will review its index of web pages regularly in order to ensure it is always presenting the most up-to-date content possible. It will also update its algorithm often in order to maintain current technology and continuously improve the results presented.

The time between the search query being input and the web page index being scoured for relevant results usually takes just seconds; and often just a fraction of a second.

What is a Search Engine Algorithm and What is its Purpose?

Lots is spoken about the algorithms used across search engines and social media but it seems that genuine understanding of them is very low.

A search engine algorithm is a computer program that runs on a collection of formulas to determine the quality and relevancy of a particular web page or advert to a keyword or phrase that may form part of a user’s search query.

The purpose of an algorithm is to provide the most appropriate search results possible for the user, which in turn result in the users being more likely to return to the search engine again and it being able to gain competitive advantage above others. For this reason, search engine algorithms are frequently updated and improved: with Google updating theirs an estimated twice a week minimum!

What are the Most Popular Search Engines?

Google holds over 92% of the world’s search engine market share, but there are other search engines that hold significant share in particular geographic locations. Bing, owned and operated by Microsoft, is considered the nearest competition to Google and holds around an 8% market share. Baidu is the third largest globally, but this is largely due to its dominance in China, where it holds around 73% of the total market. Generally speaking, any business looking to market in China or the surrounding territories needs to ensure they have tailored their search marketing practices to Baidu rather than Google.

Other major search engines include Yahoo, Yandex, Ask, DuckDuckGo, Naver, AOL and Seznam.

As a result of Google’s market dominance, most business’ search marketing and SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) efforts focus toward it and it’s considered the status quo in the western world to tailor search strategies exclusively for this, with other search engines not considered a priority.

How Do Search Engines Differ?

While all search engines do run on the same basic premise of indexing websites and then carrying out the analysis of these websites using an algorithm to present appropriate results, they do vary in the way in which they carry out this analysis.

Google’s algorithm has developed hugely over the last ten or so years and now lands its focus on matching up the intent behind the search being made and the results, whereas Bing continues to spotlight on the keywords being used as a baseline.

Yahoo has been powered by Bing since 2011 and so displays search results using much of the same criteria as it. Yahoo places more importance on domain age than Bing, but similarly focuses on keywords and meta data.

In China, Google and all Google products are banned; leaving Baidu as the most important search engine in the country. While Baidu’s algorithms can be considered not entirely dissimilar to Google’s (there is a large amount of AI and intent-based calculations utilised), the system behind Baidu actually analyses web content to a higher degree than Google and so can take a little longer to update initially. Baidu really only works well in simplified Chinese and prioritises those domains registered in China above anything not local to the country or its borders; and is very heavy on censorship.

How Do Search Engines Provide Search Results So Fast?

Search engines are able to scour millions of sources for analysis and ranking in a fraction of a second in order to present adequate and appropriate search results, and the key to this speed is all based around its ability to index.

When a search engine crawlers ‘crawl’ and index the web, they essentially create a database for that search engine to use. This negates the need for them to search the entire internet every time a query is made and instead provides their own resource to search through.

Consider being asked for a chow mein recipe, rather than go and take out every book in the library on Asian cuisine and leaf through them, you can grab the most appropriate title, skip to the index and look up ‘chow mein’ under C. With everything already well categorised, it’s considerably easier and quicker for the search algorithms behind-the-scenes to categorise and analyse the information at hand.

Google won’t comment on the exact size of its indexed internet records but has admitted that it’s over 100 million gigabytes in size, and realistically, it’s probably several times that. To give you an idea of how big that is, it’s 100,000,000,000,000,000,000 bytes! However, it’s worth noting that only a handful of people employed by Google have a true idea of the exact technology behind the Google index, and many of those working on search algorithms aren’t informed on how all areas of the business work together to produce the results they do.

How to Tell Search Engines to Crawl your Website

For a website to appear on a search engine, it must be included in the system’s ongoing list of indexed pages; or it is not able to analyse it for relevant content when a search query is made.

Firstly, any ‘noindex’ tags from the coding and programming of the website must be removed. These tags direct search engines to bypass the domain’s content and so don’t allow search engine bots to ‘crawl’ the pages and add it to their index. Businesses may wish to keep these tags in place until their website content is complete, but at this point should remove them entirely.

In order to optimise the way search engine algorithms are able to crawl a site, it should have a site map and a full robot.txt file.

For Google indexing, websites can be submitted directly to the search engine using the Google Search Console. Domain ownership will need to be verified.

For Bing indexing, websites can also be submitted directly through their Bing Webmaster Tools: and if a Google Search Console entry already exists, this can be copied straight across. Submissions to Bing automatically index to Yahoo, too.

DuckDuckGo automatically indexes the internet and so doesn’t require any formal submission, although it prioritises those results on Bing, and so if a Bing submission has been made, it will be picked up quicker than those not listed on that system.

To index a site to Baidu, a localised site in simplified Chinese with either a .com or .cn domain will need to be created. This can then be submitted directly through Baidu Webmaster Tools.

Where to Get Help with Search Engine Optimization

If you’re not sure which search engine is best to target your SEO and search marketing practices toward, or think that you may need to branch out a little with your efforts, get in touch with Woya Digital. Our in-house team of SEO experts can help advise, guide and draw up a strategy to maximise exposure and success online.

 

How to Create a Simple SEO Content Strategy

How to Create a Simple SEO Content Strategy

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is an ever-changing discipline that requires continued activity and effort in order for businesses to remain at its forefront. With over 3.8 million searches happening on Google per minute worldwide, businesses who need to gain and maintain competitive advantage above others need to ensure that SEO remains a digital marketing priority.

To centre SEO appropriately, it is critical that an SEO content strategy is put together and followed.

Why is SEO Important for Businesses Online?

Whether or not a business sells its products or services digitally is no longer a consideration when it comes to having an online presence – because no matter how an organisation operates, consumers will expect to be able to find information about them on the internet.

This means that even if a business’ web presence is minimal, it needs to have one, and such presence needs to include relevant details for their customer base. Never have marketplaces worldwide been so crowded, so in order to maintain (if not grow) an audience, all businesses must ensure they appear in the appropriate place digitally.

‘Googling’ is now a colloquial verb and consumers of all ages defer to looking for information they need online rather than through manual means. With some 5.6 billion searches happening every day on Google alone, search engines are now very much the data source of choice – and if businesses aren’t there, they will surely lose out to their competitors who are.

What is an SEO Content Strategy?

A key part of SEO is to produce and publish content online that is relevant to a brand’s products and services, appropriate and helpful for their audience and shareable for onward promotion. This usually includes the creation of blogs, press releases, infographics, data sheets, videos and other content for user consumption.

An SEO content strategy provides a coherent plan for businesses to follow with their content creation. This action plan can be used to ensure content is appropriate, regular and of a quality high enough for onward sharing and publication as an organic marketing tool.

Why an SEO Content Strategy is So Important

Working to a thorough SEO content strategy holds many benefits:

Free Search Rankings
Organic search, search result placements that have not been paid for, is heavily influenced by a website’s content and so a comprehensive SEO content strategy helps promote ranking success. While businesses can choose to pay for placements, organic search results are considered more powerful and are more likely to receive click-throughs and genuine conversions.

Guaranteed Quality Content
A proper SEO content strategy will allow a business to ensure that they are producing relevant, regular, high-quality content that is appropriate for their audience. Continued monitoring of content performance will allow for further content production two-fold: where there is a gap or shortfall in information available, and the re-purpose of content where it is already found to be useful and successful for its audience.

Maintained Relevancy
It is, unfortunately, quite common for businesses to begin to focus on SEO and get swept away in content creation that is only broadly related to their brand and not niched enough to be considered helpful by the target audience or segment, therefore resulting in a waste of time and resource for little tangible result. Following a comprehensive SEO content strategy helps ensure that all SEO activity is directly targeted and ‘on-message’ for the optimum chance of success.

The Main Elements of an SEO Content Strategy

A thorough SEO Content Strategy will comprise of several elements. These include:

Relevant Keywords
It is important for businesses to properly research which search terms their potential and existing customers are using in order to look up relevant products, services and brands. Once completed, keyword research will provide a list of targeted terms for each pillar of the business, and content can be crafted around these, giving users a higher chance of arriving on the business’s webpage for the term.

Matching Search Intent
It’s important to create content that matches the intent of the search being placed. For example, content to match a search query beginning ‘what is’ should be definitive and informational, content to match a search query ending ‘buy now’ should deliver basic purchase decisions and on-page transaction functionality, and content to match a search query including ‘inspiration’ should deliver ideas and musings.

On-page SEO Activity Enacted
While content may be king, it isn’t the only aspect of SEO that needs to be considered. On-page SEO elements such as meta tags, accessibility tools, URLs and descriptions, all need to be optimised to further reinforce the website’s relevancy and authority to the search engine algorithms that will judge its ranking.

Varied Content Production
Many businesses choose to add a blog section to their website, write up some articles based around key search terms, and never take any further action. However, in order to remain current in search engine rankings throughout an ever-changing digital landscape, content should be produced in different ways (for example; blogs, infographics, videos, audio files) and should be re-purposed, re-jigged and re-used for evergreen topics and the optimisation on onward sharing.

Get Support with Your SEO Content Strategy

Woya Digital are experts in crafting SEO Content Strategies, action plans and detailed analyses for businesses of all types and sizes. Get in touch today and let’s collaborate on researching into the best and most appropriate course of action to meet and exceed the needs of your target audience; boosting your competitive advantage, conversion rates and bottom line.