The Importance of SEO for Small Businesses

The Importance of SEO for Small Businesses

by | 31 Mar 2022 | SEO

Reading Time: 3 minutes
Search Engine Optimisation can seem like a daunting task for brands of all shapes, sizes and types. Big numbers and stupendous statistics often make a topic’s natural association reside with large, multinational corporations, but for SEO this is certainly not the case – it is important for even the smallest of business.

SEO is not just for Big Businesses

While the factors that impact how a business ranks on search engine results pages remain the same no matter the type of organisation or its size (in any terms), how it is practiced and its benefits can vary. SEO is by no means something that only large businesses should focus on, but something for any organisation that may have someone searching for it, or for a relevant product or service.

Of course, it is unlikely that many small businesses will have the same level of investment and resource to pour into their SEO management, but this doesn’t mean it should be any less effective. SEO for small businesses has unique benefits also in terms of location targeting, and can support higher ranking for relevant local users rather than larger companies who are unable to demonstrate the same localised focus.

Combined with a Google Business Profile (previously Google My Business) account, correct (and current) SEO improvement activity can gain easy organic ranking for geographically-appropriate users as well as a map entry, full business profile and even above-the-fold contact information and details. Local rankings are extremely effective as the map prominence really stands out amongst the usual text-only formatting. This can be hugely beneficial for those small businesses with bricks-and-mortar locations.

Although larger corporates are likely to have more budget, this isn’t to say that SEO for small businesses should just be a ‘DIY-when-we-have-time’ job. Instead, it should be delegated to a specialist agency for thorough and effective management.

Affordable SEO for Small Business

SEO for smaller businesses tends to be more finely focused and so can easily be managed on a budget that doesn’t impede on other marketing operations. Woya Digital offer pay monthly SEO packages designed to provide great value SEO for small businesses..

Any SEO agency that insists SEO requires vast amounts of money to be invested into it are chasing revenue and not results.

What does SEO ROI look like?

As with everything, what you get out is a reflection of what you put in – so it’s always worth working with specialists and heeding their advice in order to reap the most benefits.

The ROI of SEO for small businesses will translate into an improved bottom line and business growth over time, but further measures can be more easily identified over the short term. These include:

– higher levels of organic traffic to the brand’s website and any other online presence
– higher levels of visibility through more prominent rankings on SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) for related queries (key words or terms)
– higher levels of brand awareness
– more contact queries directed to the business.

SEO efforts should have a discernible impact that can be demonstrated in measured reports within months of their input. SEO is a marketing activity that happens within constantly moving goalposts, so although the journey may not be wholly fluid, it should be always in an upward curve and positive trend. Long term, good SEO will result in higher profits and business growth as well as competitive advantage above others.

Investing in SEO for Small Businesses

The power of SEO for small businesses is often underestimated, because it can seem daunting and complex, as well as considerably time-consuming for organisations who don’t have lots of marketing staff or tech experts to spare. However, as consumer behaviour shifts permanently to increasing online search on mobile devices, SEO cannot be ignored by any business looking to maintain a customer base and gain competitive advantage.

Working with a supportive specialist partner will allow small companies to continue with business-as-usual and rest assured that their online visibility is increasing and exposing their brand, products and services to new relevant audiences.

We take an entirely bespoke approach to every business, managing their SEO in line with their goals and requirements. Monthly reports feed back results achieved and help demonstrate the ‘bang for your buck’, entirely transparently to present value obtained and the ROI gained. Contact the Woya Digital team to discuss how tailored SEO for your small business could help grow your organisation.

 

Does Blogging Help SEO?

Does Blogging Help SEO?

by | 31 Mar 2022 | SEO

Reading Time: 4 minutes

The word blog is just 25 years old and the acronym SEO only a little less so – but both are now used daily by millions around the world as part of regular vernacular. Optimising content to best appeal to the programming algorithms behind search engines is a full-time job, and the approaches taken vary widely between businesses of all shapes, sizes and types.

Investing time in creating relevant content for a blog is a popular method of demonstrating expertise, positioning a brand as a thought leader and producing content for marketing online but does blogging help SEO or is it an unnecessary time investment?

Blogging: A Definition

The word blog is an abbreviation of the term ‘weblog’, which when launched back in the 1990s referred to a listing of text, images or other ‘objects’ arranged in a chronological order online and normally hosted on its own domain; not dissimilar to the social media feeds we’re all so au fait with nowadays.

Today, blogging refers to the creation of regular content – usually text and complemented with imagery, videos and other content. No longer just subject to a domain of its own, many blogs now sit within other websites. In the case of businesses, a blog is often used to produce and add content relevant to the brand’s product, service, industry or niche, to the brands website.

Why is Blogging Important?

Blogging has many benefits. And to answer the big question, YES – it does help SEO!

Blogs, when constructed properly with relevant content within, can help search engines identify the theme and intended/appropriate audience of the site and brand. This helps improve organic search engine ranking, but isn’t the only benefit to businesses blogging regularly. The opportunity for link building can reinforce authenticity to search engines; offering more potential for increasing traffic.

The algorithm behind Google and other search engines thrives on websites that produce regular fresh content as this indicates ongoing relevance, a willingness to work and a reinforcement of the purpose, theme and status of an online presence. As search engines ‘crawl’ and index websites, they work through internal link structures to further their understanding of the domain.

The creation of appropriate content through a blog allows brands to position themselves as experts in their field and to act as a thought leader, even where they’re a new or emerging business. This demonstration of expertise will appeal to potential and existing customers as well as other interested parties. The more opportunities that search engines have to understand what a website is about, who it’s for and how it operates, the more likely it is to rank more highly on SERPs (search engine results pages), the entire purpose of SEO activity.

Structuring and Optimising Blogs

One of the first cues that search engines use to comprehend relevance and theme is the written text on a site; from which the algorithm selects and analyses the language used. This means that the usage of language appropriate to the blog is critical for SEO. The inclusion of relevant keywords and key phrases are the most popular way for blog creators to demonstrate the topic of their site to a search engine – but there is a degree of science behind it.

Blog creators should carry out keyword research before they begin to write their blog content, and should structure their blogs according to search engine preferences, with relevant keyword usage in headers and body text. However – and perhaps most essential of all –  keywords should only be used in an organic and appropriate manner. If the use of keywords or related phrases simply mean that the text within doesn’t make sense, the search engines will pick up on this and penalise the blog’s SERP rating as a result. Professional blog writers and content creators will be able to work just about any keyword or phrase into their written copy; but this is very much an art and is not a skill held by everyone.

SEO considerations do not just refer to the text on a page, however. Sites must load quickly, be as accessible as possible, be built with responsive design to adapt to whichever browser they’re being viewed on and sit on a secure domain. While these factors may not necessarily sit under the responsibility of a blog creator per se, they should remain under the control of the brand and prioritised as part of their ongoing SEO work.

The Onward Promotion of Blogs

Blogs present the opportunity for marketing across a variety of channels, to reinforce a brand industry leader perception and, they direct users back to a business’ domain.

Links from social media networks, other relevant websites and news sites to blogs all help further demonstrate their use and authenticity to search engines – as well as providing some much needed (and often evergreen) content that can be used as a marketing tool or even lead magnet time and time again.

Regular blogging under a consistent strategy is hugely beneficial to businesses looking to improve their SEO and should not be underestimated in importance of building relationships with customers; both potential and existing. While blogging may seem to some a bit of a wishy-washy practice bound to age, it has lasted the test of time in the virtual world – and will remain a digital priority for anyone serious about ranking well for their audience whenever a relevant query is made through a search engine.

For more information on how our expert blogging team could nurture your brand, contact Woya Digital to discuss service packages and options.

How Many Words Should a Web Page Have for SEO

How Many Words Should a Web Page Have for SEO

by | 16 Mar 2022 | SEO, Webdesign

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Businesses must work hard to ensure that their web content and digital presence ranks in the right places online for those looking for relevant terms, products and services through search engines (which themselves are ever-evolving and increasingly crowding as more and more online content is published.)

The exact requirements for ranking on search engines in the appropriate results change all the time as the scope of their algorithm and programming develops and improves, but one crucial factor for SEO remains: copy content – the written text on a web page.

Writers, marketers and content creators frequently find themselves faced with briefs for increasingly long copywriting jobs in order to best stand out amongst digital competitors and meet best practice requirements for SEO – but does ‘the more the merrier’ rule really work for search engines, or does quality rule over quantity?

How SEO Works

Search engines work as simple matching machines for those typing in a query to them – matching up what it thinks is relevant content to the term/s entered. SEO, or Search Engine Optimisation, is the practice of optimising online content in order for the algorithms behind search engines to recognise it as appropriate and of a sufficient quality in order for it rank highly when a relevant search query is made.

There are three main parts to SEO: the optimisation of the content on websites (organic content), the improvement of the overall user experience of websites (technical) and the usage of paid-for advertising on search engines (ads).

When SEO is written or talked about, it is usually referred to in terms of optimising websites for the algorithm behind Google. As the world’s biggest search engine, it holds an almost 92% market share and so for many is the primary focus before other, more localised search engine services are investigated into.

Optimising Content for Search Engines

For content on a website to be best understood for SEO, it should be clear, held in good context and relevant to the product, service, brand or theme of the website. For most websites, this means hosting content all in one language/dialect, all on a theme or appropriate topic, and written with clear and correct spelling and grammar. Although the programming behind search engines is automated and is entirely computer-based, it is now more accurate than ever.

The latest Google update, BERT (the Bidirectional Encoder Representation) is based on neuro-linguistic programming practices and so is as currently close to human interpretation as possible – so although some common sense should be used in the creation of copy, if a human could understand it, chances are the machine now will too.

How Many Words Should a Web Page Have For Good SEO?

No one knows the exact sweet spot for perfect SEO ranking – and indeed given that indications show the algorithm is updated and tweaked daily, even if they did, it wouldn’t be sustainable or appropriate for long. It has long been suspected that word counts of 1000+ words are best placed to rank well on search engines as this amount gives plenty of context alongside a comprehensive explanation of the topic to those users reading it. This was reflected for many years as high-ranking pages tended to sway toward more longform content compared to shorter, more brief copy.

However, as the Google algorithms have developed and improved in their AI, so too have the requirements for SEO. Now, with smarter programming, search engines are able to comprehend and compute what a website is about and the quality of its content through a lower sample size.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that the requirement for good SEO drops from a 1000+ word count to 800+ or even 500+, but rather that the algorithm switches its focus from quantity to quality. Comparisons of content between high-ranking and low-ranking websites no longer evidence such disparity in the lengths of text provided, but rather in the quality of such text alongside several other ranking factors. This means that the best thing publishers of content online can do is ensure it is of high quality, relevant to the site’s topic and easy-to-read.

Keyword Optimisation

The easiest way to demonstrate the relevant of content to a search engine for SEO purposes is to include the use of appropriate keywords or key terms within it. Keywords and key terms are the words or related words typed into search engines by users when they make a query, meaning the query input is easily matched with a resultant page if their usage is consistent.

Keywords can be researched using a variety of keyword tools but their use within text on a page should be natural and appropriate. It is critical that their use makes sense within the context of the copy and that they remain appropriate to the topic being discussed. Keyword ‘stuffing’, that is, the practice of using as many keywords as possible in text without considering the appropriateness of them, will result in negative SEO and will see pages penalised and ranked down on search engine results pages.

Other SEO Factors

Although content is an important factor on websites, it is no longer the only feature on which a search engine will judge its relevance or prevalence. Webmasters must ensure that their sites are easy-to-navigate, accessible on a range of devices, fast-to-load and that they deliver an all-round positive user experience throughout in order to rank well in SEO terms. There are numerous technical aspects of a website that are taken into consideration alongside the relevance and quality of the text featured and so these too must be optimised.

For support with your business SEO, spanning organic content, technical management and advertising, get in touch with the Woya Digital team. We’re always on-hand to help advise and make recommendations for improvement to help gain competitive advantage and rank as high as possible throughout all relevant search engines.

The Benefits of an SEO Audit

The Benefits of an SEO Audit

by | 5 Mar 2022 | SEO

Reading Time: 3 minutes

What we know about Google’s search algorithm is that it changes almost daily, with up to 200 tweaks and amendments made every year. These constantly moving goalposts is why many businesses struggle to keep on top of their SEO – and why a regular SEO Audit is important.

Where to start with an SEO Strategy

Every business with an online presence should have a strategy in place to ensure that the content they’re producing and publishing digitally ranks where it should on search engines – making and maintaining visibility amongst desired target audiences when they search for related queries online.

Exactly how each brand chooses to approach their SEO will vary, but commonly focused activity tends to include:

    • Pages built and content produced for each relevant topic
    • The research into and onward usage of relevant keywords and phrases
    • A consistent content-producing and publishing schedule
    • A plan for link-building
    • A process for the development of new pages and sites that includes technical SEO
    • Regular updates on the latest ‘best practice’ for SEO updates and strategy.

A comprehensive business SEO strategy will allow content to be produced in a way that plays into the search engine algorithms to keep organic search traffic as high as possible; although often working alongside paid-for ads.

What is an SEO Audit?

An SEO Audit is a full analysis of a website’s features that help or hinder its rankings on search engine results pages (SERPs). This entails analysing its areas of success as well as highlighting any areas where improvements could be made, in accordance with current SEO best practice approaches. An SEO Audit should form the first step in creating a tangible workplan to maintain a healthy SEO approach and to consistently improve performance – so the purpose of it is to build a foundation from which to work.

An audit will uncover any issues within technical SEO, the website structure, on-page SEO, user experience, content gaps, content opportunities, off-site opportunities and competitive marketplace standing; clearly mapping out any areas where changes should or could be made.

Although a very basic check through of any website for SEO purposes can be carried out by anyone with the relevant knowhow, it is always recommended that businesses use an SEO specialist for a comprehensive site audit. This provides more technical expertise as well as ensuring the latest in SEO best practice is adhered to; particularly important when you consider the constantly changing Google algorithm.

Why is an SEO Audit important?

A common misconception amongst brands is that as long as your website contains plenty of relevant keywords, it will rank well on search engines. Whilst this may have been the case many years ago, the Google algorithm has long moved on from the simple search of appropriate words and terms. Instead, high SEO ranking now relies upon a vast variety of factors including technical aspects of a website, accessibility functions and links from other trusted and authentic sources – although exactly what combination of successful factors is paramount is unknown.

SEO Audits immediately and discreetly highlight any areas for improvement, so any broken links, missed keyword opportunities or small technical amendments can be fixed. The constant changes to websites combined with human error means that mistakes do happen; and an SEO Audit can ensure they are swiftly rectified with minimum disruption to the site’s rankings.

Regular SEO audits are an essential way to ensure that a website is being worked on in the most appropriate way to adhere to current best practice in an ever-changing environment.

How often should an SEO Audit be carried out?

SEO Audits should be carried out regularly but not so often that the business doesn’t have the chance to enact any required changes and see the difference they make. Ideally, a comprehensive review of the site managed by an expert will take place either every quarter or every six months; with actions taken from it to improve the SEO position as quickly as possible once delivered.

Even if a business is managing their own SEO requirements without the involvement of a specialist service, it is recommended that they invest in a professional SEO Audit at least twice a year to assert their position and reinforce that the actions being taken are correct.

Free SEO Auditing Services

If you are paying for SEO services and do not receive regular reports, or find that your business isn’t feeling the benefits of the service, you should absolutely have an independent SEO audit carried out by a separate SEO provider. This will show you if the services you are paying for are being carried out as they should. Every SEO provide should provide their clients month reports.

At Woya Digital, we offer a free SEO audit report service. Request yours now.

Google SEO Ranking Factors

Google SEO Ranking Factors

by | 2 Mar 2022 | Digital Marketing, SEO

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Search engines present what they deem to be relevant search results to users looking up various keywords and phrases, and to do this, their automated algorithm programs ‘crawl’ web content continuously.

These crawls pull up a variety of data and intelligence on websites, using this information to understand what a site is about, who its relevant for and what it offers. The elements of a website that are scanned and used by the search engine algorithms to determine where and how to rank them are known as SEO ranking factors.

It’s not known exactly how many webpages or websites are crawled by Google’s systems daily, but we do know that hundreds of billions of pages are scanned continuously; primarily based on previous searches made by search engine users. The crawlers work through site maps, paying attention to the usability and performance of the site overall, links to and from it, changes made to pages it has crawled before, and the content on the site itself.

Each of these SEO ranking factors are taken into account and this helps the system decide where to display a website on relevant SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages).

What are Google’s SEO Ranking Factors?

There is a common misconception that the only influence on search engine ranking is the written content within a website – and this has resulted in lots of websites being full of content that is stuffed with as many keywords and phrases as possible.

While this was effective in the early days of SEO, technology has moved on vastly since and this activity is now penalised by Google. There are now over 200 SEO ranking factors for Google alone.

Google’s SEO ranking factors change continuously and the algorithm changes and tweaks daily; so it’s nigh-on impossible to hit exactly the right spot for top organic SEO ranking all of the time. The 200+ SEO ranking factors that Google currently refers to includes, by is by no means limited to:

  • Domain factors – security, keywords in domain, domain history, geographic registration
  • Page-level factors – keyword usage, tags and meta data, content, page load speeds, image optimisation, responsiveness
  • Site-level factors – site architecture, site uptime, site navigation, Core Web Vitals
  • Backlink factors – links to and from the site and the authenticity of the sites linking
  • User interaction – user behaviour, content interaction, traffic, bookmarks
  • Algorithm rules – geo-targeting, safe search, shopping results, YouTube results, local results
  • Brand signals – branded text, branded searches, linked social media accounts
  • On-site webspam – pop-ups and ads, poor quality content, hidden links, on-site spamming
  • Off-site webspam – site hacking, unnatural links, fake links, fake likes, spam traffic.

This variety in ranking factors highlights just how much ongoing work there is to be done to demonstrate to Google how useful and genuine a business’ website is.

Ranking Factors for other search engines

Google has by far the highest market share of search engines. However, there are audiences using search engines other than just Google.

SEO ranking factors aren’t made entirely public for all search engines, but all of the algorithms operate along roughly the same lines. There are some differences that should be noted, though, including:

  • Bing have commented publicly that social media is a very influential factor in their SEO
  • Yahoo relies heavily on Bing’s search algorithm and so optimising for Bing will too optimise for Bing
  • DuckDuckGo does not track users and so results are never based on search history
  • Baidu hugely favours domains registered in China
  • Amazon essentially relies entirely on keywords.

Generally speaking, it is best to follow all of the principles of Google SEO in order to rank on other search engines too.

The Importance of Optimising SEO Ranking Factors

Google is an increasingly competitive search engine with 8.5 billion searches carried out daily, so there’s no shortage of traffic. If businesses are to gain competitive advantage over competitors, they must focus on SEO to ensure that they rank higher, are more likely to be found online.

The Most Important SEO Ranking Factors for Google

Not all SEO ranking factors are equal. Although there is no complete transparency over which are exactly the most influential in ranking score, the most important factors are more user-focused than content-focused.

Google prioritises site security, responsiveness and its overall customer experience as a very important SEO ranking factor. This also includes the crawlability of sites – because if it can’t be ‘crawled’, it can’t be assessed for ranking in SERPs.

Content does form an important part of SEO, and Google now considers high quality content more eminent than the presence of relevant keywords and phrases; although they too do influence.

SEO management involves a careful and curated balance of all elements of a website in order to provide the best and most relevant user experience possible – and this acts as an extension of the brand’s overall customer experience. This makes good business sense and cannot be underestimated in its contribution to the overarching brand perception.

The Importance of SEO Keywords

The Importance of SEO Keywords

by | 28 Feb 2022 | Digital Marketing, SEO

Reading Time: 4 minutes

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is the process of improving the quality of a website to make it rank higher in search engines, and be found by those searching particular terms or keywords. The higher the ranking on SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages), the more likely users are to see and click onto the website.

The first step in the SEO optimisation process is to ensure that SEO keywords are used sufficiently and appropriately. But what are these keywords, how can you identify the relevant ones for your business and how should they be used?

What are SEO Keywords?

SEO keywords are words and terms users type into a search engine as a search enquiry. These same keywords in website content help the algorithm programs behind search engines understand the theme or topic of the website: which they can then match up with the same enquiries being typed in by users to display the most appropriate search engine results.

In more traditional terms, keywords are the index terms of the internet. Index terms are the theme or essence of a topic in a document, making up a controlled vocabulary for use in bibliographic records. Libraries and informational retrieval services collect, organise and disseminate documents in this way – and the use of SEO keywords is simply the same practice, but digitally.

Why are Keywords important?

Search engines have become a way of life for all of us and to ‘Google’ something has entered the everyday lexicon. With over 8.5 billion searches on Google daily (and plenty others on other search engines), businesses need to ensure that they’re present and prominent in search engine results to gain and maintain competitive advantage.

Many people default to an online search when looking for a product, service, experience or brand – making it a crucial marketing tool. There are few very businesses who will never be searched for online and so it’s critical to show up as a solution where customers are seeking one.

Different types of SEO Keywords

While the use of such themes online is usually referred to as keywords, there are a variety of different types of vocabulary used and they’re often not just single words. There are four types of intentional SEO keywords; that is, those defined by the intent behind the searching of them. These are:

    • Informational keywords – used to find the answer to a specific question or general information
    • Navigational keywords – used to find a specific webpage or website
    • Commercial keywords – used to investigate brands, products or services
    • Transactional keywords – used to complete an action of purchase.

For the words or phrases themselves, there are eight different types of SEO keywords:

    • Short-tail SEO keywords – keywords made up of three words or less. The most popular type of keywords by search volume but also the most competitive
    • Long-tail SEO keywords – keywords made up of more than three words. More specific searches than short-tail, but less popular by volume and less competitive
    • Fresh SEO keywords – a short-term and current keyword or phrase; that is, something that will be searched for a lot at a certain time (ie. For a news story or film release), but then will drop in searches sharply thereafter
    • Long-term evergreen SEO keywords – keywords that are relevant all the time. Search volume may fluctuate but not extremely
    • Product defining SEO keywords – keywords that explain and describe products
    • Customer-defining SEO keywords – keywords that reflect the person searching them
    • Geo-targeting SEO keywords – keywords that specify a geographical location
    • LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing) SEO keywords – thematic keywords that are closely related to the main keyword used.

All SEO keywords need to be used and targeted adequately and appropriately to best ‘tap in’ to the search engine’s programming and rank well in results.

Finding the right Keywords for your business

It is imperative that businesses research properly into the keywords relevant for their brand, products and services in order to ensure that what they’re presenting matches up with what real customers are searching for.

This is achieved through the specific practice of SEO keyword research, which investigates and establishes exactly what is being searched and by whom.

There are a variety of keyword research tools available but their relevance and focus differs. Moz Keyword Explorer is considered a good ‘all-rounder’, and Semrush is favoured by SEO professionals. RankIQ focuses more on providing SEO-driven content and Jaaxy is a specialist service for affiliate marketers. Keyword Surfer is a newer tool that works as a browser extension for non-SEO professionals.

Keyword research needn’t be a lengthy process but it should be done properly to avoid the onward SEO strategy presenting incorrectly and resulting in little to no benefit. It is always best to consult with professionals before embarking on an SEO strategy to ensure that the keyword research has been done accurately and will inform the work positively.

Get support with Keywords and SEO Services

Woya Digital are always on-hand to help support with SEO services. We carry out a thorough SEO keyword research process before making any recommendations and will establish the target audience and ideal persona with customers before any work is initiated.

Our team work on a continuous learning cycle to keep abreast of all the latest Google updates and algorithm changes. SEO can be a tricky discipline to master but we thrive on the challenge!

On-Page and Technical SEO

On-Page and Technical SEO

by | 21 Feb 2022 | Digital Marketing, SEO

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Google processes over 8.5 billion searches every day. The rise of the internet as an everyday consumer tool has impacted hugely on business practices for firms of all shapes, sizes and types, and SEO is just one discipline that most simply cannot afford to ignore.

SEO forms a full-time role and profession itself, but for those who don’t have the time to invest into both the learning and practice of it, it can be a very confusing area.

The Definition of SEO

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation: the process of optimising a website so that the automated algorithms behind search engines are able to understand what they are, who they’re relevant for and where to feature them in SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages).

The exact process of SEO is an ongoing one that is completed continuously in line with all new content published and the updates made to algorithms. For the most part, SEO refers to the optimisation of business web presence for Google’s systems (after all, in most areas of the world Google holds the highest market share for search engines by a long way) but its practices do hold benefits for other search engines, too. For the purposes of this article we will be focusing on SEO for Google.

Two of the main types of SEO activity are on-page SEO and technical SEO.

Does SEO change over time?

Absolutely! Google makes tweaks to its algorithm constantly – and although there are no set public details around every system change, experts estimate there to be between 500-600 changes a year; which is almost two a day. While many of these changes don’t make significant differences to the way businesses should approach SEO, some do.

The sheer volume of change involved in the way Google works is why so many organisations invest in either hiring a full-time SEO specialist or working with an expert external team.

On-Page SEO

On-page SEO, also sometimes called on-site SEO, is the optimisation of web content through the inclusion and correct usage of specific keywords and phrases. All written content on a web page is scanned regularly by Google and so is constantly monitored for relevance and authenticity. On-page SEO not only makes clear to Google what a website is about and who it’s relevant for, but also helps the algorithm decide where to rank it on SERPs compared to other similar sites – which are likely those of a business’ competitors.

What does On-Page SEO involve?

On-page SEO is primarily the creation of written content featuring the keywords and phrases searched by those relevant to the business, as well as the alignment of page-specific elements such as title tags, headings, content, and links internally and externally to the site.

On-page SEO used to be primarily achieved by the input of as many mentions of keywords as possible in a practice known as ‘keyword stuffing’. This was believed to demonstrate relevance to the algorithm and is still fairly widely practiced. This practice however is now detrimental to SEO performance – the system has evolved a long way since its origins and will websites will be penalised for keyword stuffing and for the production of inauthentic and inorganic content, rather than relevant, high-quality content.

Technical SEO

Technical SEO is the optimisation of technical aspects of a website in order to increase the ranking of its pages on SERPs. The elements to be optimised here are still technically ‘on-page’ such as the written content, but these are pillars that aren’t in word format that still contribute to search ranking.

Technical SEO is a fairly new discipline and something that unfortunately many businesses still miss the mark on. The usability of a website now forms a core part of Google’s ‘Web Vitals’ which form criteria a website must meet to rank highly.

What does Technical SEO involve?

The technical elements of a website that can be optimised permit a search engine to ‘crawl’ it faster and more easily, and present opportunities for easier access by users. This includes optimising site load speed, responsive in format to the device on which it is being viewed, that all site content is unique and not duplicated, that all links work and that the site is held securely without presenting any safety risks to users. All of these aspects affect the overall user experience of the site, and contribute just as much to the potential search engine rankings.

How to successfully integrate all areas of SEO into your business

SEO is an important tool for digital marketing and will transform a business’ success online. Its potential is not to be underestimated, and neither should the ongoing effort and work required.

Hiring a specialist SEO agency or expert is a prudent decision and different levels of involvement and activity can be managed depending on budget and the website scale. Woya Digital are an expert SEO team who understand the evolving needs of successful SEO. Get in touch with us to discuss your online business growth.

Does Social Media Affect SEO?

Does Social Media Affect SEO?

by | 16 Feb 2022 | SEO, Social media

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Digital marketing is a cornerstone of all marketing activity for modern businesses – and social media perhaps even more so.  Social media forms a large part of most business’ online presence and if it doesn’t, it should.

Organisations don’t need to manage a presence on every social media platform, but should definitely do so on platforms whereby their target customer would be or would expect them to be. This will have an onward impact on the overall business’ visibility through search engines (their SEO ranking) and so can combine to help elevate their content online, to gain competitive advantage.

SEO Basics

SEO is an acronym for Search Engine Optimisation. These three letters refer to the process of optimising a website or other online content for search engines to help improve their ranking (how high up they appear) on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) in order to increase their chances of their online listings being clicked on.

In order to judge where content should be ranked in search result listings, websites are constantly ‘crawled’ by automated programs that judge a site on its:

    • Theme or niche
    • Quality of content
    • Target audience and relevant audience
    • Usability
    • Authenticity

These factors all help the algorithm determine an SEO ranking and judge where to feature the content in the search engine listings and who to show them to. This can then be further influenced by Google Ads and further digital marketing tactics.

Business SEO vs Business Social Media

SEO is a continuous activity carried out on a business’ website, made up by 3 focus areas:

    • On-page SEO
    • Off-site SEO
    • Technical SEO

On-page SEO refers to the production of high-quality relevant content that is appropriate for the business’ industry, sector, products and services. It is achieved in part by the use of suitable keywords and phrases; normally those that users would look up on the search engine if they wanted to find something related to the brand in question. This presents the relevance of the site.

Off-site SEO is the presence of links to the site from genuine and high-authority websites in order to demonstrate their trustworthiness and authenticity.

Technical SEO is the focus of maximising usability, accessibility and performance of the website to improve user experience.

Social media platforms enable users to create and share content with others; widely considered the digital form of socialising. Social media channels are important marketing and communication tools with which to link with both potential and existing customer bases.

How Social Media Supports SEO

While content published on social media sites is ‘crawled’ and read by search engines, it is done so in a different way and doesn’t act as a primary factor in SEO ranking (unless perhaps there is no other mention of the company online and no dedicated website).

Social media content for a business influences the company’s overall SEO ranking in several ways:

External links back to the main business website

While social media profiles linking back to a brand website aren’t considered ‘high authority’ links, they do help prove to the search engine algorithm that they’re an extension of the brand’s presence online (although this is different for comment or link on a brand by the social media company itself, which would be considered high-authority).

This proves to the algorithm that a brand is being talked about, and in some cases recommended, by others and so it is considered relevant to certain audiences.

Reinforcement of brand presence

A business being mentioned or linked to anywhere externally is a positive factor for SEO as it proves the perceived trustworthiness and niche (or sector) the business operates in, to the algorithm. This reinforces how and when a business should be displayed in search engine rankings.

An organisation that is mentioned in numerous places online is likely to hold a much higher SEO ranking than one which has its own website but has no further mention on the internet.

Reinforcement of authenticity

Social media acts as a fantastic discussion tool for communities and where a business is mentioned, this discussion further proves that it is relevant for an audience. Where reviews or ratings are set up this helps demonstrate to the algorithm that genuine customers for the business exist, and so reinforces its authenticity.

Where there is a constant brand interaction with members of a social media channel, this too reiterates the genuine connection of the business with customers.

Strategising Social Media and SEO Marketing

Social media and SEO are separate disciplines within digital marketing, and there are certainly specialists in both. However both should be approached with the same focus – to ensure that they are in sync and complement each other.

Woya Digital’s expert team are able to offer advice and SEO and social media support, and can help ensure that both on-site, off-site and social media content all combine to best boost your chances of appearing as high as possible on SERPs – even before any paid advertising is considered. Get in touch and let’s talk through your business’ online idiosyncrasies – there’s lots that can be done!

Things That Hurt Website Rankings

Things That Hurt Website Rankings

by | 14 Feb 2022 | SEO, Digital Marketing

Reading Time: 4 minutes

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is a digital discipline and an ever-evolving practice; forever at the mercy of Google’s daily changing algorithm and user’s shifting appetites and attitudes.

Ranking on Google isn’t a simple task nor is it a static one, and there are many reasons why a website may not appear as prominently on the search engine results pages (SERPs) as businesses may like.

If you find that your SEO efforts are letting you down and not working as well as you’d like, read on. There are many factors that impact website rankings on Google and not all of them are obvious.

Domain Authority

While it was for many years considered a vast disadvantage in SEO terms to buy a brand domain name and launch a new website, it is not necessarily the domain age that influences how Google ranks it in its listings; but rather, the authority.

When a new website launches, it will usually contain some relevant content but it is only over time that it accumulates a library of high-quality, appropriate content as well as backlinks from other websites. A website that is well populated with content and referred to (ie. linked to) by other sites is considered to have high authority by the Google algorithm.

This means that the search engine’s automated systems believe it to be a reliable source of information for its users and a trusted online presence. A domain with good authority will find itself with a higher ranking on Google than one without.

How to fix it

Domain authority takes time to build. Webmasters can improve their website’s authority through the continuous publishing of relevant, timely and high-quality content as well as through the build up of backlinks from other appropriate domains. This requires ongoing work as a cycle of improvement.

Unoptimised Site Technicalities

SEO is often misconceived as simply a case of publishing lots of written content with relevant keywords included, but ranking on Google now involves many more factors than just search terms.

On-site SEO is also required for a site to rank well, and this includes a whole host of technical aspects that sit ‘behind the scenes’ of a functional website. On-site SEO allows for the easy ‘crawl’ of the site by Google (that is, its automated programs to scan and compute it) as well as demonstrates how good a user experience the site provides.

On-site SEO includes relevant alt-text for images, working internal links between pages, fast page loading times and responsive display to the device on which it is being viewed. Ranking highly on Google highly is very difficult to achieve if a site hasn’t optimised its technicalities.

How to fix it

A ‘health check’ of a website can be undertaken to ensure that it is readable by Google’s bots and also that it works well for users. Every image should have appropriate alt-text, every page should load quickly, all links should work and every page should be created with responsive design to ensure correct formatting no matter the size of the screen being used. It is always worth consulting with a professional in regards to on-site SEO to ensure all aspects are covered.

Unoptimised Site Content

A primary factor influencing a site’s ranking on Google is its content. In order to decide how and where to list a website on its SERPs, Google must be able to understand the topic of the site and match this up with the search terms used by users to present them with the most relevant results.

If a site publishes content that is not clearly relevant to its business niche, is likely of too short a length to be helpful, or is of poor quality, it will not favour it.

How to fix it

Brands should look to position themselves as thought leaders in their fields with the continued publication of high-quality appropriate content. Thorough keyword research should be carried out to identify how users search for the brand, product/s and/or service/s, and content provided throughout, tailored to match.

Violation of Google Webmaster Guidelines

The Google Webmaster Guidelines are a set of rules that stipulate conditions to be met in order to be ranked on Google SERPs.

Many websites are inadvertently in breach of these guidelines because of the use of Black Hat SEO tactics. Black Hat SEO is the manipulation of search engine algorithms in order to rank higher than would otherwise be the case. This often includes the practice of ‘keyword stuffing’ (inclusion of multiple relevant terms even where the resulting text is nonsensical), paying for backlinks and/or paying for false traffic.

Violation of the Google Webmaster Guidelines can result in a website being removed entirely from Google (being ‘no-indexed), being ranked lower down than usual or being blocked from buying paid ads on SERPs.

How to fix it

Once a site has been ‘no-indexed’ or identified as being in breach of Google Webmaster Guidelines, it can be extremely difficult to rectify the situation and prove to Google that it is deserving of new trust. It is always best where mistakes have been made or guidelines breached to consult with a professional in order to strategise how best to work with SEO moving forward.

Woya Digital have a whole team of SEO experts on-hand who can advise and devise plans for recovering from poor SEO performance to rebuild authority, trust and a positive professional reputation. No matter what has been done in the past we are confident that we can help rectify the situation.

What is a Google Penalty?

What is a Google Penalty?

by | 20 Jan 2022 | Digital Marketing

Reading Time: 4 minutes

It’s very rare for a website not to be reliant on Google for traffic, and with 5.6 billion searches a day through the site, organic search is a critical channel for almost every domain on the internet.

This makes it imperative for those responsible for managing websites to ensure that they understand the latest Google updates and algorithm changes, and that they shift and shape their web presence to meet its needs. If they don’t, they may be hit with a Google Penalty – and this is to be avoided at all costs!

What is a Google Penalty?

A Google Penalty is a theoretical tag linked to a website that negatively impacts its SEO rankings. This means that its organic position on SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) is lowered from a previous position, or un-indexed entirely. The exact impact of the penalty varies and the combination of factors for this new position is unknown.

A Google Penalty is inflicted on a website when the algorithm picks up on an aspect of the site that doesn’t meet its preferences or terms and conditions. This may be the usage (or suspicion) of black-hat SEO tactics, loading speeds that don’t meet the algorithm’s preferences, or the publication of poor-quality content that doesn’t reach the minimum required standard.

Why Do Penalties Happen on Google?

Google’s mission is “to organise the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful” and to deliver users with the most appropriate and accurate search result for their query every time. It’s for this reason that they update their algorithm continually; to ensure that they’re able to provide the most relevant query at the top of every user’s search, integrating new smart-learning and tech into their programming to refine this.

Of course, few businesses operate entirely isolated from other competition or resources. So, on top of the accuracy of the content presented, Google also ranks on SEO factors such as security and speed to present sites that deliver a positive user experience as well as pertinent information. This acts as a differentiator for similar or competing websites and further refines the search results.

How to Identify a Google Penalty

Most website owners will recognise a Google Penalty when they spot a significant drop in their ranking positions or organic traffic levels amongst their analytics figures.

Traffic does fluctuate (in some industries more than others; particularly seasonally) and so it is unrealistic for businesses to assume this would be in a continually upward trend without significant intervention and work, but a decrease, providing there is no change in effort, often highlights an issue.

There are Google Penalty identification tools available online which can help diagnose where and when a website was hit with a penalty, but these tend to only focus on major algorithm updates – presenting the best possible estimation for when the penalty was installed. This provides an indication of which update is responsible for the change but is unlikely to identify exactly which one.

With Google implementing a change or two to its algorithms every week, it can be exceptionally difficult to find the exact issue. It is always recommended that websites owners work with SEO experts to properly understand whether their declining SERP position is a result of poor SEO practice, misdirected digital marketing efforts, or a full Google Penalty.

Why Does Google Issue Penalties?

In order for Google to achieve its mission, it needs to present the safest, most relevant websites with the best user experiences to its users.

Issuing Google Penalties allows for those it doesn’t believe to meet their standards to still be present on the SERPs but not to be presented as priority; not compromising on their conduct or quality but still allowing their users to make an informed decision as to which links to click and which websites to visit.

How To Correct a Google Penalty

The scope of every Google Penalty varies and an SEO specialist will be able to advise on the best course of action to take.

Generally speaking, remedial action should be taken immediately to remove or change the offending issue. If content has been stuffed with keywords, these should be deleted and replaced with high-quality genuine copy. If loading speeds are too slow, visual content should be reduced and speeds improved. Whatever the issue, it should be tackled directly as quickly as is possible – but not without compromising any residual quality that may remain on the site.

It is always better to take the time to do it right than it is to do it quickly and still not enhance the quality of the overall domain.

If black hat SEO tactics have been used, remedial action may be more difficult than a quick fix. In these instances, a fresh and comprehensive SEO strategy will need to be implemented over a long-term period with a specialist and continued focus.

Once the webmaster believes the issue to be fixed, a new indexing request can be made to Google using its Search Console facility and fetch and render tool. This requests that when the Google algorithm has capacity, it will re-crawl the site and judge it again to re-assess its ranking position. This should re-position the site if improvements have been made but if the Google Penalty is severe, further action may still be required.

Get Help with Google Penalties

Woya Digital employs a team of SEO specialists who make it their professional business to keep up-to-date with all of Google’s algorithm tweaks; be it a small change or a major full update. This ensures that the team are able to not just identify when and why a Google Penalty has occurred, but also how best to rectify the issue and continue on from a newly strengthened SEO position, presenting competitive advantage and increased business exposure.

For all your website support and SEO needs, get in touch with us!