home : chapter 1 : chapter 3 : chapter 4 : chapter 5 : chapter 6 : chapter 7 : chapter 8 : chapter 9
chapter 2 Search Engine Optimization
further reading ...
Note that I’ve included some articles that are a couple of years old ...
don't let their publication date put you off - they are still relevant now.
The most recent posts are at end of each section.
This book covers only the essentials – for links to wider coverage of the
subjects take a look at the web pages for Digital Marketing; a Practical Approach.
The sub-title of John Battelle’s book The Search explains why it should be read: How Google and its rivals rewrote the rules of business and transformed our culture. It's well worth a read.
Search data is a gold mine for marketing strategy doesn't really belong in any section of this section - but it's a considered analysis of the subject.
Google continues to be the most searched-for brand on the Internet [why do people search for Google ... on Google?] - but there's some other interesting stuff on The World’s Most Searched Consumer Brands. I think it also emphasizes how difficult it can be for new brands to build a search engine presence.
If you really want to get your head around how Google works, make yourself comfortable and read Google’s Search Quality Rating Guidelines.
These search commands for Google are useful for people searching on Google - but are included here as they can also help search engine optimizers in determining where keywords/search terms can be placed within a site.
Ignore the headline of Half Say Advertising is Important in the Buying Decision – top in the list of shopper’s important purchase information sources is search engines.
How Google Trends works is an interesting background on Google Search.
The Open Secret of Google Search is an interesting read on the search giant.
The issue of Why you should invest in branded keywords even if your company ranks #1 on Google has folk who argue for both side of the debate – this one is in favour.
Google exec suggests Instagram and TikTok are eating into Google’s core products search and maps made the rounds of SEO commentators when this news came out. One such response included some different types of search which might be used on social media, see - Nearly 40% of Gen Z prefers using TikTok and Instagram for search over Google. However, Millennials Are Increasingly Using Various Methods to Search for Things Online gives a wider, and more revealing. picture – note that there is no mention of ‘prefer’ as stated in the headline above.
Personal research into this matches findings by others – we’re talking about ‘lifestyle’ searches only [e.g. “lively bar near me” or “how to apply X brand of makeup"], and mainly female users. I can appreciate that watching a series of short videos of local bars might be easier than reading about them. So - message to bars attracting younger clientele … encourage customers to post videos on TitTok.
Google is trying to reinvent search — by being more than a search engine.
What is SEO & why it is important?
If you check the bio of the author of Comparing SEO to PPC you will see she is not new to search engine marketing - and so her opinion carries some weight. Note how the articles differentiates SEO from advertising on search engines ... just as I have done in this book - and as I have done since advertising on search engines started.
This article reinforces my contention that SEO is the foundation of much of online marketing. When you read 7 on-site SEO problems that hold back e-commerce sites note how all of the points raised are issues in subsequent chapters of this book i.e. good practice in SEO is good practice in other aspects of digital marketing ... and vice versa.
Another piece of research that supports my contention for SEO being the pivot for online marketing is the first section of this article titled: 87% of shoppers start their hunt for a new product on digital channels ... so if you sell a product that might be 'new' to your customers, being high on the SERP is essential.
It might be a little dated, but How SEO Impacts the Ecommerce Sales Funnel is still valid.
Just to confirm that social media hasn't taken over search ... People Are Finding Articles Through Google More Than Facebook and search engines still dominate over social media, even for millennials.
Boost your local SEO presence with Google Posts is worth reading if only for the statistic [from Google] that 82% of people turn to search engines to find local information and learn more about businesses in their area. However, Google Posts are worth considering for some local businesses. Note, however, that the posts last only a week - so these will only work for businesses with changes [eg in prices, special offers] to post and so this model must have a strategic approach if it is to be worth while. Google is constantly striving to help small/local businesses [and not doing itself any harm in the process] - here are some examples:
Google adds more discovery to Google Maps with ‘community feed’ and
Google expands local business message & map query analytics, Google officially displays years in business in local pack and
Google Hotel search showing free listings in results.
Bad news for some - but good news for marketers who know SEO ... Why Google’s algorithm is slowly making SEO agencies obsolete.
Anyone who doubts the power of search in driving users to websites should take a look at New Report Looks at the Top Website Traffic Drivers by Vertical.
I have included How Search Engines Shape Gaze Patterns During Information Seeking to show how SERPs have changed over the years.
Google's ‘Request a Quote’ in Search Results is a big deal for B2B traders - so much so that I wonder why Google didn't introduce it sooner. For anyone who's struggling with what 'lead generation' is [many students do] - if there is a 'request for quote' that is lead generation.
There is far more interesting SEO stuff in The High Cost of Ignoring SEO than its title would suggest.
There is nothing new in SEO Checklist: 65 Steps to Higher Google Rankings in 2020 and Beyond - in fact some of it is rather old - but it is well presented in an easy-to-read format.
I think the authors of Where should CMOs should be unlocking the strategic value of SEM? should consider the role SEs play in the marketing of products - but assuming that SEs are essential to the organization, this is a fair reflection of how it is perceived at the top.
Where do US consumers begin their product searches? is an interesting read, but note that it is [a] in the US where Amazon has greater slice of the online market, and [b] it refers to searches for products where the searcher intends to make an online purchase.
What I find particularly interesting about Even as more people shop online, searches for ‘available near me’ up over 100% vs. last year is that its authors do not seem to acknowledge this as also being a message that many folk might still prefer shopping in real stores to online.
Ignore the headline of Half Say Advertising is Important in the Buying Decision – top in the list of shopper’s important purchase information sources is search engines.
How search engines work
If you want to get your head around how Google works, make yourself comfortable and read Google’s Search Quality Rating Guidelines.
Sometimes it’s best to go to the horse’s mouth … Google's Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Starter Guide and How Search Works.
The 2020 Search Engine Land’s Guide To SEO.
DuckDuckGo (DDG) is an Internet search engine that emphasizes protecting searchers' privacy and avoiding the filter bubble of personalized search results. DDG distinguishes itself from other search engines by not profiling its users and by deliberately showing all users the same search results for a given search [Wikipedia.org]... see DuckDuckGo.
Ignore the date, these SEO ranking factors in 2018 have been pretty much the same since the birth of Google.
Rise of Mobile Users Alters SEO Tactics.
I've included Do SEOs agree on Google ranking factors? How much do links and keywords matter? And what has changed since 2009? simply because it reinforces what I say in the book :-) .
Is Google’s new BERT technology another nail in traditional SEO’s coffin?
As a reminder that Google changes its algorithm on a regular basis, Google’s December 2020 core update was big, even bigger than May 2020 [and there had already been one in January 2020]. Google June 2021 Core Update covers changes that month - and lists previous updates.
E-A-T, 14 ways Google may evaluate E-A-T is a good guide to what has become Google's latest 'big thing - E-A-T … but it also shows that SEO isn’t as easy – or quick – as some folk would have you believe. More on the subject … E-A-T auditing: How to level up your credibility game.
Barry Schwartz, one of the most knowledgeable experts in Google search features and algorithm updates, has produced his own list of what is NOT a Google search ranking factor.
Zero clicks
Relevant to the issue of zeros clicks are:
*
How Much of Google’s Search Traffic is Left for Anyone But Themselves?
* Google adds new mortgage feature box to search.
* 41% of Google’s First Page Contains Links to Google Products.
* Google now enables GMB profile edits from Search and Maps.
* How to get a Knowledge Panel for your brand, even without Wikipedia.
* How to optimize your Google local Knowledge Panel.
* Over half of Google searches now don’t lead to clicks and what it means for SEO.
* Google’s Product Knowledge Panels.
* In-SERP lead forms convert Google Ads users without a click-through is another – albeit small – percentage of searchers that will not leave the results page.
Also relevant to the zero click issue is that 43% of search queries now show a ‘people also ask [PAA] box’ and so this article considers how to rank in PAA boxes and if you should.
March 2021 saw a report that
Zero-click Google searches rose to nearly 65% in 2020 - but the search engine responded with
Google Search sends more traffic to the open web every year.
Another innovation from Google to keep you on Google - Google Maps adds new store location feature, Locator Plus, Reserve with Google integration, new analytics and more.
More on zero clicks - with Google search study: 25.6% of desktop, 17.3% of mobile are zero-click offering some very different stats to those listed in the book. That said, the research seems to be a bit different. One thing about this research, however, is that the CTR on ads is less than 2%. That seems very low to me.
Key words
Using data extracted from AdWords, You Say Law Firm, I Say Lawyer is an excellent case study on keyword selection and use. If you think it gets a bit complex, that is the point of me including the link here. It might not be rocket science, but it is more complex than some people would have you think. Note that this is a bit old - but still valid.
I'm note endorsing this service over others, just using it as an example of what's out there. When seeking help on identifying how keywords are used in search queries so that textual content can be developed that is SE friendly there are more online tools than you can shake a stick at - but I quite like answer the public. Note, however, that this free service is aimed at voice search terms - but I think you can use it for text searches also.
In the book I touch on the subject of matching keywords with the intent of the searcher [e.g. 'flooded bathroom']. Intent-based keyword research: Let Google be your guide addresses the issue by considering what can go wrong if searcher intent is ignored. Note that this issue is equally relevant to SE advertising. See also
How to understand searcher intent and use it to boost SEO rankings and
The importance of understanding intent for SEO.
Tips for optimizing content for voice search, virtual assistants.
Free Keyword Research in 3 Steps.
Hey Siri … why is voice search overhyped?
There is nothing new in Why Low Search Volume Keywords Are Good For SEO & The Web - but it is good background if you're new to the subject.
Search Intent - how to understand search queries and user intent follows the theme introduced in the book. Note how its author presents an adaptation of Broder’s three types of search [without referencing his work].
Keyword Research for Product Content.
The Search Before the Search: Keyword Foraging.
What do you think the Most Searched Consumer Brands in the world in 2022 are? I’m not surprised [I’ve been around a while] but the why still amazes me.
The case of the stealth Google-bomb is about the role of domain names in SEO. You should know most of it if you're to work in SEO. It also kind-of confirms the value of keywords.
On-site optimization
In the West we tend to get carried away with Google, but in China Baidu rules. Here's Seven on-page SEO tips for Baidu and here's a marketer's guide to Chinese search engines.
Funny how us old school SEOs go back to the sensible advice we dreamed up in the mid 1990s. In the case of the advice given in SEO: Store Locators Good for Bots, Good for Shoppers I simply copied the idea of effective website navigation from text books i.e. a contents list for chapters with each chapter divided into sections - it makes each subject easy to find. For example, the contents page of this book and the home page of its website are - effectively - the same.
I don't think you should take the claim of Targeted SEO: Here’s how to grow a page from 200 visits per month to 30,000 too seriously as the 'targeted' page is rather unique - however, the advice on how to achieve it is sound.
Don’t Make These SEO Mistakes concentrates on e-commerce sites - but the advice applies to all types of websites.
What Is SEO Writing? How to Be a Better SEO Writer is included in this section as its focus is SEO. However, although it is a reasonable guide to the practice, the article could also be in the section on developing website content and and content marketing. It also offers an insight into the skills, time and application required to get the job right.
I could have put How to attract your ideal customers with quality content in the later chapter on website development, but as it has a SEO focus, I’ve included it here.
Given the nature of much of this site [this page, for example] Outgoing links: Are they beneficial for your site or not? is something I've taken notice of over the years.
Off-site optimization
Here are a few articles on links that are a bit old - but they will tell you all you need to know. If you take the time to read them all you will come to appreciate that not only is serious link building a strategic concern, but it is very time consuming. However, on the strategic side of things, you will note that some of the suggestions go beyond link building eg developing a competition on your website to encourage links - the competition itself might be considered as a marketing tactic in its own right. In other words, SEO should be a key aspect of the organization's marketing strategy. 50+ More Things Every Link Builder Should Know, 4 Ways to Wash Away The Link Building Hate,
5 Pieces Of Content: 25 Link Ideas,
Link to my awesome content, please!, How To Attract Killer Links For E-Commerce Sites and 10 Questions To Ask When Creating A Link Building Campaign does answer some of the basic questions on the issue, and so is useful - however, some of it does seem just a bit creepy to me. Not sure it's the type of job I would enjoy doing every day :)
With regard to finding customers I have always been a fan of the rifle approach [one shot at a specific target] to the shotgun approach [fire a thousand small bullets into the air and hope they hit something] Here’s how to ‘expertly’ hit a link-building home run suggests a similar approach for link building. Note that it is very much strategic in nature.
There are a couple of good ideas in 4 Sales Lessons for SEO Link Building ... though I have to say that I was there - and so I disagree with the author's comment that 'SEO was easy' in 1996.
Do Businesses Really Use Google My Business Posts? A Case Study.
How to gain value from broken backlinks is perhaps for more serious SEO - but it shows that effective SEO is a full time occupation.
How to audit your site’s backlink profile. Auditing your backlinks is a process that should be part of your regular SEO routine. Here's a guide on how to do it.
Third party websites
I wasn't sure where to list A Small Business Guide to Google My Business ... but as it is about being found on Google, but on a site owned by someone else - albeit, Google - I decided this was the right section. I think there is a reasonable argument that for many small businesses, this could be their web presence.
Facebook demystifies its search platform, says searches performed off-site don’t factor suggests that if you want your business to appear in search results you must be [very] active on the platform.
I’m not sure which section
using the amazon search engine as marketing belongs in – but as Google may well pick up the Amazon listing, I’ve put it here. Obviously, it’s not for everyone, but for some it could be a really good idea.
