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Google Has Increased Meta Description Snippet Length: What It Means, Plus What to Do Next

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Google Has Increased Meta Description Snippet Length: What It Means, Plus What to Do Next

No, your eyes are not deceiving you. Meta descriptions in Google search results ARE longer. These descriptions show up right underneath the link to each search result. Google calls them “snippets,” and they’re a big deal. We’ll go more into defining how it’s a “big deal” soon, but here’s a look at the old length vs. the new: The change in meta length just happened across the last month of 2017 (less than a month ago). Here’s a chart from RankRanger showing the SERP changes: So, first, why do Google meta descriptions matter so much? They are instrumental in describing the page that’s linked. Reading the snippet can thus help searchers understand whether the search result is relevant to what they need. If the meta description is optimizing, clear on what to expect from the content, AND enticing (SEO, clarity, creativity), you’re more likely to click on it. The click-through on the organic ranking gets higher. That’s a lot to do in one meta. You can see why great meta descriptions are so important. Here at EW, we write meta descriptions all the time for our clients. It’s a fine art, because you have to cram the essence of what a page is about into a limited amount of characters. Then, you have to make it sound awesome. With the character limit increased, this gives us a little more room to be creative and really speak to the reader. In turn, this gives you a higher chance of getting clicks and conversions for your content. Let’s discuss the change, including exactly when it happened, and why this is great news for your business. Why Google Upped the Character Limit for Meta Description Snippets Search Engine Land was able to confirm the meta description change with Google in December. Here’s what Google said: “We recently made a change to provide more descriptive and useful snippets, to help people better understand how pages are relevant to their searches. This resulted in snippets becoming slightly longer, on average.” The snippets grew from around 160 characters to an average of 230 characters. The official maximum character count allowed is now 320. Why Does the Change Matter? When you’re trying to write a description of a page for the search results, double the amount of space makes a huge difference. Let’s be clear, though: The meta description has no effect on your page ranking. This was true before and it’s true now. Instead, this snippet of descriptive text is for users, for their benefit. As we said, the snippet could make a user want to click on your page in search results over a competing page. It may sound more tempting because it’s a better description, it’s persuasive, or both. That said, Google won’t always use your meta description in the snippet. Depending on the user’s search query, the search engine may instead pull snippets of content from your page. John Mueller goes into this in detail on a recording of a Google Hangout that streamed on December 12, soon after the changes occurred. This topic starts up at about the 29:41 mark: Here’s the tldr; – Meta descriptions are important to get right. They help describe your pages for users. Google will sometimes (but not always) pull your meta description to use in the snippet that shows up with your link in search results. Google will pull your meta description if they think it’s a more accurate or relevant summary than any text they could pull from your content. If your description is accurate, relevant, concise, and well-written, you may have a better chance of nabbing click-throughs. Most importantly, Google still recommends including a meta description on each page of your site. Google highlights the importance of high-quality descriptions, specifically: Besides the benefit to you when you create good descriptions for each of your web pages, it’s simply a good usability practice to follow. What to Do Moving Forward You get that you should be creating unique, high-quality meta descriptions for each of your pages on your site. But what about the descriptions you already have in place? Should you go back and lengthen them just because you can? Not necessarily. Don’t Lengthen Old Descriptions – Unless They’re Critical Pages According to Google, they’re still looking for relevance and conciseness when they consider text to use in snippets. Lengthening your meta descriptions won’t necessarily make them better in either of these areas. Instead, think of this change as a chance to make your meta descriptions going forward even better. You have a little more wiggle room for creativity and persuasiveness to sprinkle into a highly relevant summary of your page. One exception would be critical pages of your site – the most important content pieces, landing pages, etc. that get the most search traffic. Moz, in particular, recommends going back to these and reoptimizing the meta descriptions. Don’t just lengthen them though – rewrite them with the new limits in mind. You may come up with something completely different, but even better than before. What Are Best Practices for Meta Description Creation? For meta descriptions, striking the balance between appealing to users and still giving a great summary can be tricky. Because it can be an art form, here are some best practices to follow to help guide you: Always include the focus keyword and the top secondary keyword in the description. This helps establish relevance right off the bat. Use the focus keyword as early in the description as possible. Use action-oriented words to describe the benefits to users if they click on your page. For example, start with words like “discover,” “find,” or “explore” – i.e. “Discover how to write fantastic meta descriptions.” Of course, this is just a primer on writing meta descriptions. Great ones don’t always follow a formula, but they do accurately entice readers with hints about what’s waiting for them when they follow a link. Not a Meta Description Wizard? No Worries If creating snazzy meta descriptions … Read more

Google Fred: The Biggest SEO Update Affecting Content That Rolled Out in 2017 & How it Can Affect Your Content

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Google Fred: The Biggest SEO Update Affecting Content That Rolled Out in 2017 & How it Can Affect Your Content

Google has become increasingly cagey about its updates. If there is one, unless it’s gargantuan, you probably won’t hear about it from the search engine. Take a look at some of their communications on Twitter via their spokespeople, John Mueller and Gary Illyes: Yes, we make changes almost every day. — John ☆.o(≧▽≦)o.☆ (@JohnMu) March 9, 2017 we have 3 updates a day in average. I think it’s pretty safe to assume there was one recently… — Gary “鯨理” Illyes (@methode) March 9, 2017 It’s like it’s physically impossible for them to come out and say it. Because of this secrecy and caginess, marketers and webmasters have to play a game of detective whenever they notice changes to search. This “volatility,” as it’s commonly termed, shows up in their automated statistics, particularly those for SEO visibility. From there, they have to read the clues and compile data to come to any conclusions. The most recent Google update waves that rolled through the internet happened in March 2017. It’s now simply known as “Fred.” (Gary Illyes jokingly said all the updates should be called Fred, and it stuck for this one in particular.) There was no announcement, no forewarning. SEOs and webmasters noticed the “volatility” affecting their stats and their rankings. Then they compared notes, which all lined up. Here’s a good example from Glen Gabe, the marketer in front of G-Squared Interactive. He shared how Fred affected a site that had heavy advertising: Overnight, the site lost almost 60% of its organic traffic from Google. That’s a huge amount. Lots of other sites reported traffic losses just as deep, but Google kept mum about it. So, that begs these questions: What did Fred do? What kind of sites, exactly, did it affect? How do you stay on Google’s good side if they won’t offer guidance about their algorithm updates? And, perhaps most importantly, what does the biggest Google update in 2017 mean for you and your site? Let’s delve into this topic together. Grab a tea or a coffee, and join me! Google’s “Fred” Algorithm Update: The Shot Heard ‘Round the World This update sent shockwaves through the internet. Some marketers discovered their traffic had been hit hard (down anywhere from 50% to 90%). It was obvious that Google had done something big, but they wouldn’t cop to it outright. This tight-lipped response was nothing new, but it understandably rankled the SEO community, and not just because it was/is frustrating. Not just because it was/is frustrating, but also because Google’s zipped lips are no help in the face of huge chunks of organic traffic gone overnight. Kristine Schachinger for Search Engine Land summed up the frustration in her column: Here’s What Fred Tweaked So, we know that Fred was mainly a quality update – but what aspects of quality did it affect? SEOs analyzed the stats from hundreds of affected sites to figure out what it did. They found that this update mainly affected content sites whose goal was revenue (as opposed to providing value to users). Specifically, Barry Schwartz termed these sites as “ad heavy, low value.” These sites had features like: 1. Heavy Advertising One of the defining features of all sites badly hit: ads. Each and every one had heavy servings of advertising. Or, they had generous helpings of affiliate links sprinkled into their content. These ads were liberally integrated, pushy, and deceptive. Lots looked like on-site links but actually took you elsewhere. 2. Redundant or Non-Expert Information In most cases, sites that suffered an organic rankings dive also featured redundant, non-expert, or rehashed information. This was thin content – not well researched at all, stuff that merely skimmed the surface. 3. User Experience (UX) Interference The user experience is how easily a visitor can navigate your site, click around, and find what they need. This is a big factor for site quality because a poor UX can totally impede that information-gathering process. Here are some examples of roadblocks to a good UX. Glen Gabe calls these “low-quality user engagement problems”: Disruptive pop-ups that take over the whole screen Confusing navigation and site hierarchy Too much advertising – so much so that it drowns out the content Problems viewing the site on mobile 4. “Jacks-of-All-Trades, Masters of None” Content Another common feature was that most of the sites with traffic hits had a content format, like a blog. However, topics covered a wide range of information without any rhyme or reason. Some of these hit sites publicly shared their URLs. Here’s an example of a few posts from one of them: The content was not published to inform users; rather, it only served as a vehicle for advertising. In particular, the above blog featured useless information that Wikipedia or the “help” section of a product website already covered better. Here’s How to Keep Fred Happy Now that you understand what the Fred update did and who was affected, you can keep your own site compliant and Fred-friendly. This will be important for the future because Google is never going to stop throwing out updates. In fact, it’s pretty much a standard monthly thing these days. Here’s how to stay on Fred’s (and Google’s) good side to keep your chances of getting blindsided by any future update slimmer. 1. Recommit Yourself to Quality Content and Good SEO Practices If you’re already on top of your on-page SEO and content quality, good. Keep going. This commitment is one that builds on itself in terms of positive gains. The longer you stick with it, the better the results you’ll see. If you’ve cut corners, tried some “shortcuts,” or are just plain unsure about where you stand, you need to recommit yourself to quality. That means you should start making improvements to your site and content right this second. The sooner you start, the sooner you can get on your way to climbing the ranks, not falling into a black hole of Google penalties. 2. Pay Attention to UX UX … Read more

How Much Content Should You Create When You Have Closely Related Keyword Terms?

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How Much Content Should You Create When You Have Closely Related Keyword Terms?

Two keywords. Both alike in dignity, in fair content marketing, where we lay our scene. Dramatic Romeo and Juliet references aside, this is a scenario that will come up – if it already hasn’t – when you’re targeting keywords in your content. The question is, what do you do with closely related keyword terms? Do you keep them together? Or do you split them apart? These are common questions for the SEO content marketer, and rightly so. When you have two keyword terms that look very similar – either regarding wording or their underlying ideas – it can be hard to know what to do with them. Here are some of the specific details you may be wondering: “Should I create content for both keywords?” “Can I target both keywords in the same piece?” “How much content should I create for each keyword?” Before we jump into the answers to these questions, we need to decide if the keywords in question are about the same topic or two different topics. In other words, are they both Montagues? Or is one a Montague and one a Capulet? This has everything to do with whether you’ll target them both in one shot, or separate them with your targeting. Will you break up your two star-crossed keywords, or keep them together forever? For Closely Related Keyword Terms, Divide (or Add) by Topic Look at your keywords closely. You’re probably rolling your eyes, thinking “I’ve already done that – that’s the problem,” but bear with me. You need to do some research to determine whether they fall under the same topic. You can’t know this offhand; you need to go to the source to figure it out. Let us hence, as Shakespeare would say. Open up Google. We’re going to follow a great strategy from Orbit Media. [clickToTweet tweet=”How much content should you create when you have closely related keyword terms? @ExpWriters breaks it down!” quote=”How much content should you create when you have closely related keyword terms? @ExpWriters breaks it down!”] 1. Search for Both Keywords in Google and Compare the Results Since Google is the main search engine we’re writing for, we need to see what Google says about the keywords in question. If the related keywords are about the same topic, they will show similar results in Google. If they’re different, there won’t be much overlap at all. Orbit Media compares “deck addition value” with “how much value does a deck add.” For our purposes, we’ll look at the differences (or similarities) in Google for the terms “how to make spaghetti” and “spaghetti Bolognese recipe.” 2. Check for Similarities or Differences in Results and Key Terms Here are the results for “spaghetti Bolognese recipe”: And here are the results for “how to make spaghetti”: As you can see, although both key phrases have the same word in each, “spaghetti,” they have zero overlap in Google search results. These are two different topics, and we can create different content that targets each. Simple, right? But, what if your key phrases have lots of overlap? Take a look at this tweaked example using “how to make spaghetti” and “cook spaghetti.” The “how to make spaghetti” results don’t change. Here are the results from “cook spaghetti.” I’ve highlighted the overlap between each keyword’s results: There’s enough overlap to determine that Google sees these two keywords/phrases as belonging to similar topics. With this information, we can skip creating content for each phrase. Instead, we can target both keywords in the same piece of content. Here’s how. How to Target Two Different Keywords in the Same Content Piece We can create a blog or article that’s optimized for both “cook spaghetti” and “how to make spaghetti.” It’s a good strategy for killing two birds with one stone when you have two very closely related overlapping phrases about the same topic. Here are the steps to follow for targeting two different but related keywords: 1. Make Sure the Keywords Share a Few Words If the keywords share some main words, they’re perfect to target in the same content piece. In our example, “how to make spaghetti” and “cook spaghetti” share a word. If we wanted to make it even better, we could tweak the second keyword. “Cook spaghetti” could become “make spaghetti.” This way, we have two similar phrases representing broad and narrow ends of a spectrum. 2. Target Topics, Not Keywords You have your keywords, but you shouldn’t be worrying about keyword density. Instead, you should be aiming for a good overview of your topic. The keywords should come naturally and fit effortlessly into the flow of the text. If you’re doing it the other way around and counting keywords, you’re doing it wrong. [clickToTweet tweet=”Wondering how to target two different keywords in the same content piece? @ExpWriters has some advice!” quote=”Wondering how to target two different keywords in the same content piece? @ExpWriters has some advice!”] 3. Write Up Your Post with Good SEO Practices That’s not to say you shouldn’t use good SEO when you’re writing about your topic. Absolutely go ahead and use the great tips and tricks you know for boosting your content with search engine optimization. This should include strategic keyword placement in headers, the meta description, title tags, and in the body of your copy. Use a primary keyword in the main header, meta description, and H2s. Use your secondary keyword in H2s and H3s. I repeat: This is not about counting keywords. This is about the future of SEO, which is the semantic web. It’s about meaning, not about exact keyword-matching. How Much Content Should You Create for Related Keywords? Another great question about closely related keywords has to do with how much content you should produce for each (or either). The content creation question has been much-discussed in the industry, in general. A couple of basic rules to follow have emerged from the conversation. These definitely apply to your related keywords. 1. Quality Trumps Quantity Every. Single. … Read more

Why Keyword Search Volume Doesn’t Matter When You Choose Your Keywords (& What Does Matter)

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Why Keyword Search Volume Doesn't Matter When You Choose Your Keywords (& What Does Matter)

If I asked for a show of hands to see who researches their keywords by highest search volume, I’d see a pretty unanimous answer. If you’re a true nerd / geek / SEO’er, you might have even had dreams of climbing the search results to #1 by optimizing for those keywords. (Kind of like a new pop artist who hopes to crack the Billboard Top 100 with their first single.) When you pick a keyword, what do you go by? Are you using the best metrics? Every business wants to show up at the top of the SERPs (search engine result pages). But knowing how… that’s a skill that involves, at the core fundamental, knowing how to pick out a great keyword. And not everyone has that skill. Keep reading for an in-depth guide on what matters most when you’re choosing best opportunity, high-ROI keywords. (The answer, surprisingly, is decidedly not keyword search volume.) Keyword Search Volume: The Skinny Everyone wants that coveted top organic #1, #2, or #3 hit in Google. However, what you may not realize is top brands have already cornered those keywords. This includes multi-million-dollar corporations. These are brands you are not going to be able to compete with, especially if you’re a small business. What do those top-ranking keywords look like? Nine times out of 10, they’re broad keywords – short phrases that aren’t specific. For example: “cake,” “baking,” and “baking cakes.” If you’re a small-town baker and you try to rank for these terms, you’ll be out of luck. Instead, you may find yourself competing with the likes of Cooking Light, Food Network, and Epicurious. Let’s face it – you’re never going to win, here. So, what can you do, instead? What’s the smarter strategy? For good results for your particular business, you don’t need high traffic from high search volume keywords. Instead, you need the right traffic. Forget Search Volume – Get the Right Traffic with High-Converting Keywords Throw search volume out the window for now. Yes, it was once the be-all, end-all of keywords, but nothing in this world is static, right? I’m not saying search volume is completely irrelevant. But, I am urging you to look at other avenues for driving people to your site. Let’s start by defining what we mean when we talk about the “right” traffic. You’ll have an easier time converting customers if they’re in an ideal state of the buying process. This is the “right” traffic – the people who are looking for you, but don’t yet realize you exist. If they knew you existed, they would be ready to jump on board and fish for their wallets. Broad keywords do not drive this kind of traffic to your site. What will? Long tail keywords! Long tail Keywords: Specificity and Relevancy for Search Long tail keywords are just that: longer, more specific, and relevant to the customer’s needs. For instance, a person who needs a specific type of cake will not search for “cake.” Instead, they might search for “wedding cake chocolate swirl Rhode Island.” Or, “birthday cake yellow with sprinkles.” A search string that is becoming even more common might look like this: “Where can I get a yellow birthday cake with chocolate frosting in Rhode Island?” All of these have a few things in common, though they vary in subject matter. The people searching know what type of cake they want and where they want to get it. If you’re a baker and you optimize your site for long tail keywords like this, you’ll strike gold. Why? Because long tail keywords have less competition than their broad counterparts. You have a far better chance of ranking for “wedding cake chocolate swirl Rhode Island” than “cake.” Plus, customers use long tail keywords like this when they have a higher buying intent. They know what they’re looking for, what they need, or what they want. If you have it, there’s a very good chance you’ll close the deal. Basically, these keywords fall right into your sweet spot for driving traffic. Take a look at the brands who have successfully ranked for the above long tail keyword example. There’s only one multi-million-dollar corporation on this list (Ben & Jerry’s). The rest are small bakeries or boutique shops. That’s the power of the long tail keyword in action. How Do You Choose the Right Long Tail Keywords? According to Search Engine Journal (SEJ), one of the keys to driving conversions from search results is to engage people at the perfect time. It’s a two-way street. Their intent needs to match up with the keyword, and the keyword needs to be relative to their intent. This is that sweet spot we mentioned earlier. Hit it, and you’ll see ROI. Here are some other keys for choosing the best long tail keywords for you. They have to do with relevancy and uniqueness. 1. Relevancy, Relevancy, Relevancy When a keyword is relevant to you, it ties back to your particular brand. This includes what you do, who you are, where you’re located, or what you sell. The relevance of your keywords is the brunt of what makes long tail types work. If you’re not using relevant long tails, you won’t be taking advantage of their conversion power. 2. Use What Makes You Stand Out (Your Differentiation Factor) A highly unique keyword could net you a buyer every time someone searches for it. Wow! That’s a BIG deal. At the same time, that particular keyword could have next to no search volume because of its uniqueness. Fact: this is common for keywords with good opportunities. In other words, it’s not a problem because the conversion value is so high. The more unique your keyword, the more you’re targeting a specific buyer – the one looking to pull the trigger and make the purchase! These types of keywords don’t work well for everyone – but they work great for you. The opportunity is personal, and that’s a big bonus. Why Broad, Short Tail Keywords Are on the Way Out Short tail … Read more

What Attracts Readers to Your Content? 7 Facts You Need to Know About the Intent Behind User Search

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What Attracts Readers to Your Content? 7 Facts You Need to Know About the Intent Behind User Search

How do we rank at the top of search engines? And then, when we do that, how do we get people to actually read our content and share it with the world? And then, after we’ve achieved all that, how do we get the people that love our content to actually convert? Whew. Loaded questions… to say the least. Entire books have been written that attempt to answer these questions. Yet still, there are no universal answers about how to check all the boxes. But, at the end of the day, every part of the process, from ranking in search engines to converting users, comes down to focusing on people first. And fortunately for us, people are predictable. Their intent when they search follows a familiar path that, when understood, can be used to inspire our future content. Let’s discuss! 7 Facts You Need to Know Right Now About the Intent Behind People Searching for Your Content Let’s dive in and take a look at a few facts about user intent when utilizing search engines. 1. Users Follow Similar Principles When They Interact With Search Engines Understanding how the majority of people interact with search engines is absolutely vital to your success in content marketing. Moz outlines this perfectly in their detailed beginner’s guide to SEO. Creating great content that gets results can seem like an insurmountable challenge. As Moz shows, most people follow similar principles when they use a search engine. First and foremost, they’re there to find an answer, solution, or piece of information. They then formulate that need into a string of words (keywords) and type it into the search engine. Knowing these principles alone should serve as a guideline for every piece of content that you create. If your content isn’t answering a question, offering a solution, or providing useful information, it serves very little purpose to users. But you can’t just provide bland and unsubstantiated answers, solutions, and information. As you can see with the 7th principle, users will return to the search results if they’re unsatisfied with their initial results. Knowing this, your focus should be on identifying why users are finding your content and ensuring that you satisfy their needs when they get there. 2. How Users Search is Based on Their Stage of Awareness We’ve already identified that, when a user performs a search, they’re generally attempting to find an answer, solution, or piece of information. The one they search for is almost always determined by their current stage of awareness. For this reason, when you’re writing content, it’s always a good idea to think like a copywriter. You want to focus your efforts on determining the user’s current stage of awareness and use your content to walk them through to the next stage. Legendary copywriter Eugene Schwartz laid out the five levels of awareness like this: Let’s use the example of a 40-year-old man who lacks motivation. He understands that this is affecting his life and is currently in the problem aware stage. He decides to go to Google and find a solution, so he types in how to get motivated. The results look like this: He sees a few solid options, but the article about How to Get Motivated When You Don’t Feel Like It sticks out. He clicks on it and sees this: As he reads through the article, he begins to see that he isn’t alone in his lack of motivation and that there are solutions to his problem. So he’s now in the solution aware stage. The author understands this and, once the reader has finished the article, offers up an email opt-in that promises to help the unmotivated user even more. The man enters his email, receives the ebooks, and is now in the product aware stage as he knows that the author has also published books that he can purchase to help him even further. Since the initial content, and the ebooks, provided the solution he was looking for, he doesn’t return to Google to check out other potential solutions. The author begins sending content through emails that slowly works him into the most aware stage where he is ready to make a purchase. This example shows the power of understanding how users interact with search engines based on their stage of awareness. Use it to your advantage and optimize your content to work users to the most aware stage. 3. Your Users Want Landing Pages We know that users search based on their stage of awareness. But, if this is the case, why isn’t all of the content we create based on walking visitors through to the next stage of awareness? This is a great question, and one that many content marketers can’t answer. To solve this problem, Search Engine Land puts it in the most simple terms possible: businesses need to look at every page as a landing page. They advise that you ask yourself three questions when creating content. These are: As you answer these questions, you arm yourself with the necessary information to create content that gets visitors to say, “This is exactly what I need right now!” By doing this, your content doubles as a landing page and can directly contribute to conversions for your business. And isn’t the goal of content marketing to serve as an avenue to generate revenue? [clickToTweet tweet=”Wondering what attracts readers to your content? @ExpWriters is sharing seven facts on user intent you should know!” quote=”Wondering what attracts readers to your content? @ExpWriters is sharing seven facts on user intent you should know!”] 4. Long-Tail Keywords are Used in Searches More Often The data shows that about 70% of search traffic is through long-tail keywords. And, if you’ve been following along so far, this makes sense. After all, if a user is typically looking for an answer, solution, or information when they use a search engine, they’re generally not going to find what they’re looking for by using a single word. Let’s go back to … Read more

Google RankBrain, The Rise of Machine-Learning, and The Future of Search

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Google RankBrain, The Rise of Machine-Learning, and The Future of Search

The past six months have seen a spike in interest in artificial intelligence (AI). Most of this has been focused on the increasingly widespread application of the technology behind what makes AI work: machine-learning. While the impact of machine learning is being felt in industries all over the world, from manufacturing to advertising, where it affects all of us equally is in the realm of Google search. The web has become such a part of everyday existence that we barely question it. Google is supplying us not only with the answers to all kinds of queries, but also providing us a globally accessible portal for business and commerce. Google’s success can be summed up in one word: relevance. These algorithm updates are designed to help Google realize their mission to be the best search engine in the world: by being the most relevant. Of course, in order to achieve this, Google has to collect and collate data on virtually every topic imaginable, while scaling an ever-expanding Everest of information, and managing billions of requests for directions to extremely specific locations. A near impossible task for even the most skilled engineers. So, Google introduced RankBrain! But what exactly is the Google RankBrain algorithm update, how does it affect SEO, and what are the key things online content creators should know? Find out in today’s infographic on the topic. Did you learn anything, or have an extra point on the subject to make? Let us know in the comments. Don’t forget to share this infographic! [clickToTweet tweet=”#Infographic: Google & the rise of machine-learning, AI and #RankBrain” quote=”#Infographic: Google & the rise of machine-learning, AI and #RankBrain”] What is Google Rank Brain? Very simply, Google RankBrain a machine-leaning AI system that forms part of Google’s Hummingbird algorithm update. Hummingbird is all about semantic search, or in other words, contextual relevance. Google handles over 2 billion searches every day, of which 15% (or 450 million) the search engine has never seen before. RankBrain sorts these unique queries into contextual “entities,” chunks of language that have meaning, rather than simply returning results based on keywords. RankBrain translates unique queries, ambiguous sentences, and more obscure “long-tail” keyword phrases into mathematical vectors, which it then uses to search for patterns in the gigantic pool of data that is the web, in order to sort and return the most relevant pages and results for the searcher. It essentially searches for common queries and relates the more complex ones to them, based on context, and then refining its abilities to make similar connections in the future. It is this aspect of RankBrain that makes is so powerful. Each search is an opportunity for it to learn. After processing each query, the machine-learning engine makes slight adjustments to itself, essentially updating its part of the algorithm automatically as it makes connections and relates complex searches to data about similar or related searches it has collected in the past. It then revises search results based on this new information. RankBrain, then, is the part of Hummingbird that makes the algorithm so powerful and effective at fulfilling Google’s mission. Why Does It Matter? After the devastation the Panda and Penguin algorithm updates caused online marketers, SEOs (and their clients) in 2012-2013, the entire landscape of online marketing and business has been on edge about any major announcement coming from Google about their new algorithm updates. Part of why RankBrain caused such stir when it was announced in an article published by Bloomberg in 2015 is that it was revealed that out of the 200+ ranking signals Google currently uses to rank pages, RankBrain was named as the third-most important. (The first and second most important are links and content, in case you were wondering.) However, what is most significant about RankBrain is that it is not a ranking factor that can be “gamed” by SEOs. In fact, it encourages Google’s prime directive of extreme relevance by forcing best practices in content production and link-building. This is not to say that traditional SEO doesn’t matter anymore. In fact, RankBrain interacts dynamically with Google’s other ranking factors to return relevant answers – factors like social shares, bounce rate, time on site, etc. Part of what it does is read data from how other users interacted with a particular site related to a specific query, and uses that data to rank search results. So the reason RankBrain matters is because it is geared towards improving the overall user experience of Google search, by affecting search results. But hopefully for the better. How Google Rank Brain Affects SEO RankBrain is primarily designed to handle the 15% of Google searches that are uncommon, so the impact on SEO is minimal. What is crucial to understand, however, is that RankBrain represents a significant step forward in Google’s use of machine-learning and AI to sift, sort and filter search results. What this means in practice is that SEOs and marketers looking to rank highly in search results need to pay attention to where Google is going. In 2015, Rand Fishkin declared that Google is a “two algorithm world” and that the major impact of the future of Google on SEO was the fact that optimization had to account for ranking inputs for machines, as well as user outputs for humans. So as well as ranking factors like keyword targeting, quality and uniqueness of content, being spider friendly, having excellent UX, and multi-device optimization, user output factors like task completion success, relative CTR, and content gap fulfilment are now a much more significant piece of the SEO puzzle. This seems to be the very essence of RankBrain, which is the first major step toward the refinement of Google’s evolution into the realm of machine-learning. For now, however, what is important to know is, firstly, sticking to SEO best practices means that RankBrain won’t affect you too much. Secondly, instead of being concerned with the effects of an algorithm update on your SEO, you should focus on building your page and creating content for search … Read more

Why Keyword Research is Vital to a Strong Content Presence Online & Our Favorite Tools

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Why Keyword Research is Vital to a Strong Content Presence Online & Our Favorite Tools

Ongoing, consistent keyword research is critical to a strong online presence. While keyword research has seen its share of changes over the years, it remains a useful part of content creation. Why? Keyword research is online ROI.  Real, true, return-on-investment: find the right keywords, and you can create content with the potential for high Google rankings inside the next year (remember, content is a long-term investment). Using the right keywords allows you to use the direct terms of your customers and target audience. Keyword research is the tool you use to spread your message and stand out in your field. Every content developer worth his or her words knows it is a piece of the bigger picture when it comes to ranking and reaching. Understanding why, and how, will add vitality to your brand’s presence. Skimp here, and you’ll find yourself stuck in the same place with the same results. But there is a way to dive in, find the right keywords, and strengthen your online presence. Let’s discuss! Why Consistent Keyword Research Is Fundamental to a Strong Online Presence Let’s dive in with three big reasons why keyword research is vital to a strong presence. 1. Consistent keyword research helps you get to know and understand your ideal target persona. Focusing too much on specific keywords without a focus on the user behind the screen is a big mistake. Keywords are the words we are trying to rank for, but your buyer persona doesn’t really care about the “keyword” itself. What they care about is finding the best results for their search term. When you type something into a Google search, you have a purpose. Your goal is to find out more information about a new restaurant, read a news story, or look for a local service. This means that one simple change in a word can produce far different results. It’s all about intent. Example: When someone searches for “hire a gardener” on Google, the first results are fairly generic and include results from sites like Home Advisor, WikiHow, and Gardens Illustrated. These are general how-to guides aimed at anyone who wants to know how to plant a flower, when to weed, and what type of fertilizer works best. The results are not specific to location or service type. But change that search to “hire a gardener in Austin,” and the results are much different. With the addition of just a few more words, we see the best gardeners in the Austin area based on reviews from other customers. These are meant for those searchers who are far into the process and want real answers. There is intent behind this specific search. By understanding how a user will search, you can narrow your focus and dive deeper into keyword research, rather than just stringing words together. This will allow you to craft focused content, target your persona, and see results. Content creators often make the mistake of spending too much time on specific phrases and terms while neglecting to understand the user intent behind the words. Rather than try to guess what your audience means by a search query, keyword research helps you understand the intent behind the language. 2. Consistent keyword research keeps it natural. How we search on the web has changed significantly over the past few decades. The rise of voice search and advanced technology has contributed to the way we look for everything from pizza delivery to books on Amazon. Today, users are more likely to phrase a search as a question, as if they are talking to a friend, rather than searching with just two or three words. Or in some cases, they search online the same way they ask Alexa or Siri a question. It’s natural and less stuffy. A2: Always write with your audience in mind and use keywords in a way that’s natural, not forced. Keyword stuffing isn’t cool. #semrushchat — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) December 21, 2016 This trend toward more natural language is due to a few factors, including: Search engine capabilities: No one wants to sit and string together a bunch of keyword combinations, especially as they search through a mobile device. We are searching quickly, and we don’t have time to wait around for an answer. Search technology: Google welcomes complex questions, as explained in this blog post, and the search engine understands more specific queries. Technology is keeping pace, and the faster it answers, the faster the user expects it to be. Search through digital assistants: Ask Alex, Cortana, or your smartphone, and you’ll get an answer. Here is what Will Oremus from Slate had to say about the future of search in the wake of these popular devices: In the beginning, computers spoke only computer language, and a human seeking to interact with one was compelled to do the same. First came punch cards, then typed commands…the 1980s brought the mouse click and the graphical user interface to the masses; the 2000s, touch screens; the 2010s, gesture control and voice. It has all been leading, gradually and imperceptibly, to a world in which we no longer have to speak computer language, because computers will speak human language—not perfectly, but well enough to get by. And the implications…will be tremendous. (Slate) Using long-tail keywords in a natural way will reach your audience quicker as they search, which will make your communication more effective and specific.  3. Consistent keyword research brings relevancy and leaves an impression. When content creators take the time to find the most relevant and meaningful keywords for their target group – which happens when we understand our audience – it changes everything. Relevant, long-tail keywords contribute to successful SEO and more qualified traffic. Here is the truth: if someone is searching with a long-tail keyword in the form of a question, and you have optimized for shorter keywords that don’t hold meaning, your results will not be as relevant. We can challenge ourselves here to go even beyond just relevant content and strive to produce amazing content. Relevance combined with amazing equals results … Read more

Google Launches The Intrusive Interstitials Mobile Penalty This January: What It Means for Content Creators

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Google Launches The Intrusive Interstitials Mobile Penalty This January: What It Means for Content Creators

Ask just about any mobile user, and the answer will probably be the same. We could all do without those intrusive pop-ups that block content and ask us to click one of two choices that go a lot like, “Yes, I want to know more about…”, or “No, I don’t like free stuff.” And more recently developed in the marketing sphere, what about the pop-ups out there now that downright insult our intelligence, revenue and status? This screenshot of ad opt-out choices was pulled from a leading content marketer’s site: Sucky, that last choice! Back to the main point of pop-up ads as a whole. Overall, the truth is, no one likes to be interrupted. Most of us are taught from very early on to say “excuse me”, or at least wait our turn before speaking. So, why is it okay for us to be interrupted when we visit a mobile site? Turns out, it is NOT okay anymore. In mid-January, Google launched the intrusive interstitial-killing algorithm update, and it is going to have an impact on content marketing efforts and our attempts to reach our audience with relevant content. Read on for all the details. Intrusive Interstitials 101 Intrusive interstitials are a fancy way to describe pop-up ads, those page-covering, content-blocking images on mobile and desktop sites. These ads can be almost as annoying as a line-cutter on Black Friday (no one likes them). Intrusive interstitials block the intended destination, forcing Google searchers to go through a process before proceeding. Interstitials can cover an entire page, making it especially frustrating for mobile users. The poor experience can make content less accessible to a site visitors by: Covering a page with a popup Displaying an interstitial that must be dismissed before proceeding Delaying the show of content a user was originally trying to access Thanks to Google’s new algorithm, webpages where content is not easily accessible may now not rank as high. Google is currently only looking at those popup ads that appear when a user initially arrives at a mobile website; as announced during a Google+ hangout, the goal is to look for interstitials that show up between the time when a user searches and sees the intended content. The Good, the Bad, the Popups: What Won’t Be Penalized vs. What Will So, what does this mean for content creators? To put it simply, if it’s annoying, bothersome, or frustrating, it risks being de-ranked. This change may not impact those popups that are for more helpful purposes, like in the case of a live chat box. Here are examples-in-action to demonstrate the good vs. bad. The Good, Non-Penalized Pop-Ups: Defining & Example Obviously, having a user-friendly mobile site right from the beginning is the first step in appealing to the growing population of mobile-only web visitors (our EW team learned about this way back in November when they traveled to New York for the SEJ Summit). These types of pop-ups are permissible and will NOT be penalized: Banners that are easily dismissible and use up a reasonable amount of screen space. While what is “reasonable” may be open to interpretation, Search Engine Journal recommends keeping it at 15% or less. Interstitials that are used for legal reasons, like age verification. In cases where an interstitial is in place for ethical or legal reasons, no penalty will be dealt. Login dialogs on sites not publicly indexable, like in the case of email and other private sites. Here’s an example of a GOOD, effective ad we’re doing for our Content Shop. It’s a tiny banner at the top, meets the 15% or less rule (“Start your New Year with great content! On any of our services, check out with an instant 5% savings with code five 2017″), doesn’t block significant content on mobile (we tested, it works), and offers a code that customers can simply checkout with–no additional clicking, email signup, etc. needed. It works, too: 100% of the inbound leads that don’t need a sales call have been using it. The Bad Pop-up Examples We did turn off our live chat popups that blocked content on the lower-right hand corner of our site (no example to show: it’s gone). Irrelevant and uninteresting content that is preceded by intrusive pop-ups is a recipe for low conversion rates, not to mention those Google ghosts lurking around the corner. Never do the following types of ads with an opt-out phrase that insults intelligence or status. Just don’t. We love you Neil, but really? How do you know we don’t like our traffic stats as they sit? Are you some omnipotent presence instead of a mere marketer? Dear lord how insulting. No, I’d prefer my prospects convert today, thank you very much, and luckily for me, not you, they are. 😛 And last but my top favorite…a pop-up from MarketingProfs suggesting we read an article called “Your Pop-Up Ads are Annoying Your Prospects.” It’s so ironic, it’s funny. 😀 😀 3 Types of Intrusive Interstitials that Will Be Penalized Three interstitial types are currently at risk for being penalized by Google. Knowledge is power: 1. Regular Popups These windows block the content of a page and often dim everything else on the screen. They often look like this: 2. Full-screen interstitials Full-screen ads often stand alone and sit above the header of the website, forcing the user to scroll before viewing the intended content. 3. Standalone interstitials These full screens block all content with no opportunity for content preview. Remember, anything that covers over 15% of the page content, as an ad, is at risk of being penalized. While Google continues to focus on the user, the company also recognizes that corrections need to be made every so often in order to improve how sites perform. This includes smacking down on mobile pop-up ads and other algorithmic changes geared toward providing an optimal web experience. Are Pop-Up Ads Worth It? Pop-ups work, but only if you do them right. Companies continue to include them on sites because they have the potential to provide a certain level of effectiveness. Unless, of course, they shove their way in like … Read more

6 Top SEO Content Tactics to Use in 2017

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6 Top SEO Content Tactics to Use in 2017

Do you make New Year’s resolutions? We did, last week on the blog. Check out the resolutions a lot of us made way back in early 2016: According to Money, the top goal for Americans was to “enjoy life to the fullest”, and a close second was “live a healthier lifestyle”. Far down at the bottom was “pay off debt.” As a country, most of us are fairly realistic and stick to one goal. It’s good to make goals, even if we don’t always achieve them. Setting goals gives us a vision for the future and puts something in our sights that we can reach for. Personally, we aim for better health, more time with people we love, and a more financially stable lifestyle. On the content development and marketing side of things, setting goals and looking to the most useful SEO content tactics for the next year also gives us something to look toward. Quality content comes from using SEO as an effective tool, drawn from your supply of strategies and experience. Ready to dive into our most useful SEO content tactics to share for the New Year? Grab a latte and join me! SEO Roots: A Look Back at the Beginning Before We Look at the Future I was born in 1991, when the launch of the world’s first website happened. (I like to say it was fate bringing the internet and I together – since eight, I’ve had a natural affinity and love for our world wide web.) As the ‘net grew to include Google (1997) and Yahoo (1994), marketers took advantage of keyword stuffing and spammy backlinks in order to rank high on search results. The art of SEO, or search engine optimization, came along in the early 2000’s to help connect users with the information they needed to find local results. Since that time, user-focused SEO and changes to Google meant rankings had to be earned through relevant, quality content rather than an overuse of keywords. Today, relevant content and mobile optimization are required to rank at all, and must be backed by authority and expert links. Content no longer ranks high simply due to a large amount of spam or repetitive keywords throughout a piece of content: it ranks high based on a lot of factors, many of which are now human-based more than bot or algorithm based. (Check out my post all about how semantic search is the way of the future.) 6 SEO Content Tactics to Use in 2017 Search Engine Journal recently gathered the wisdom of 44 SEO experts to ask their views of what trends will define 2017. We gathered about 15-16 for our roundup in the last week of December 2016. While everyone has a different view of what the year will look like, there is one thing they all agree on: as we move forward, it becomes even more important to stay aware of the latest technology and how our strategies need to adapt, no matter what year it may be. Here are the SEO tactics we need to watch as we go into a new year, one still unwritten, yet full of possibility and growth. 1. AMP The Accelerated Mobile Pages Project (AMP) was integrated by Google early in 2016. The open initiative encourages publishers to create mobile-optimized content—pages load quickly on mobile devices for more efficient use. The goal with AMP is to deliver the best mobile experience to the average user, lessening the wait time for things like videos and graphics. Experts across the board believe that this new year will be the deciding factor in whether AMP stays or gets shelved. 2. Mobile experience Apps will continue to be a part of the user experience, which means indexing them will be important going forward. As the introduction of RankBrain has made its impact in the world of algorithms, so too has the continued focus on mobile. Google has already talked about making their index mobile-first and restructuring algorithms to first use the mobile version of a site’s content to rank pages. This will continue to be important in 2017, especially as 3 out of 4 Americans own a smartphone, up from 2015. Mobile activity will intersect with search engine optimization and ranking going into this next year. As Duane Forrester reminds us at SEJ, “the shift has already happened…if you’re still ‘thinking about mobile’, consumers won’t be thinking about you.” 3. Content optimization As industry experts point out, our focus needs to be on content optimization rather than keyword optimization. And while it remains important to a content marketer’s SEO strategy, there is the temptation to get trapped in the “content is king” cycle. With millions of articles published each month, there has to be something to make you stand out from all of the other voices who want the attention of your audience. Long-form content is a start in the right direction. 4. Machine learning Innovative technology and its capabilities will reveal previously unseen patterns of searcher behavior. Advanced machines like Google’s RankBrain and the rise of artificial intelligence will make it even more important to put forth the effort in order to rank with the best. The area of search engine optimization will move forward as a technical approach. The challenge may lie in not knowing why a piece of content ranks at a certain spot, as machine learning has an influence on the algorithm. 5. Voice search Billions of searches are done each year via voice commands, and the number is only expected to grow. This trend will have an impact on our keyword optimization since we don’t speak in the same way we write—think asking a question versus typing a statement into a search box. The move toward conversational search among a variety of devices will definitely have an impact on SEO, especially as we consider the “one correct answer” given by a device. This goes back to quality content and making sure you are providing the most thorough and most readable answer. 6. Quality links Well-organized … Read more

Your Guide to Subheaders in Content: What to Do with H1s, H2s, and H3s

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Your Guide to Subheaders in Content: What to Do with H1s, H2s, and H3s

When it comes to writing and formatting a blog post, there’s a lot to think about. If you’re publishing it onsite, you’ll need to consider keywords, SEO, content organization, image inclusion, and more. Up there high in priority to include in your content (and one that’s commonly tough to map out correctly), is the presence of great sub headers to optimize and visually format your content for the reader. Known by their tags, H1s, H2s, and H3s, while it may seem like article subheaders could be small beans that can be disregarded. But in the world of content and online writing, this simply isn’t true. In fact, how you choose to use header tags can have a major effect on how well your content performs. Use them wrong, and you may find your content suffering as a result. Here’s a guide to subheaders: what you need to know about these pesky, yet critical, little elements that should be placed in your content with care. Read on! See how we can help you by crafting expert blogs. First Things First in our Guide to Subheaders: Defining the Purpose of a Subheading Subheaders, subheads, or header tags all refer to what’s written inside of a bit of code known as H1, H2, H3. The code, placed in the text editor, tells the HTML that this is a bold subheading, and to present it visually that way. Like so: (Can you tell our First Things First in our Guide…, above, is an H2?) Used correctly in content, these little headings act like a small table of contents in your online content. If people read web pages word-for-word, like a book, headers might not be as critical as they currently are. Given the fact that people skim web pages more than they read them, header tags help people determine what they can expect to find in a given chunk of web content. They’re vital to a great web presence and content presentation. According to Slate.com, most visitors read only about 60% of content before bouncing off a page. 10% of people never even scroll at all! In light of the fact that peoples’ attention spans have gotten worse in recent years, it’s critical for content creators to toss their readers a bone by inserting relevant subheaders that provide a hint about what’s coming up next and why it matters. In addition to helping people locate the points of interest in a piece of content, these small, in-text guide posts can also go a long way toward helping search engines determine what your content is about and rank it accordingly. Your Guide to Subheaders: When to Use H1s, H2s, and H3s in Your Online Content Learning to use H1s, H2s and H3s in your written online content is essential. Here are some key tips for each of these tags. H1 Tags Some people use H1s as their subheaders tags. Don’t be swayed: this is a terrible idea. While H1s can help your rankings when they’re used correctly, you need to know that you should never use an H1 title in your WordPress blogs. Never. H1s should only ever be used in the HTML that starts a page. If you plug in an H1 in your WordPress blogs, the SERP robots will be confused about the topic of the page and may not rank it correctly. It’s a safe guideline to say that a H1 tag should virtually never be used by a writer. It may be used by the development team to input code into the page header, but it’s not commonly something a writer would touch. H2 Tags Header 2 Tags are much more common and necessary than header 1 tags. H2 and H3 tags are critical for formatting content correctly, and can play a massive role in how well content performs online. Here’s an example of how H2 tags should be featured in online content: Think of H2 tags as tiny table of contents pieces, showing your readers where to go and what they can expect to find in the given sections of your blog. What’s more, H2 tags must be optimized accordingly with your keyword phrases of choice since they help SERP crawler bots interpret your pages and rank them accordingly. H3 Tags Header 3 tags, like H2 tags, are critical for organizing your content. Used in conjunction with H2 tags, but always after H2 tags, they are important for organizing your content and helping to guide your readers through it. For an example of how H3s work, check out this mock paragraph: H3 tags are like the little siblings to H2 content, and should be used throughout your content to organize it more efficiently. 7 Little Tips and Tricks to Help You Create Awesome Subheaders Now that you know why headers are important, let’s talk about how to use them correctly in your content writing: 1. Think of subheaders as article titles, and write to impress your readers You know how hard you work on a blog title? Optimize your subheaders with the same care and attention! Think of each one as a winning title that could make or break your content (because, really, people scroll down dependent on how good your content *cough* subheads *cough* is). With today’s typical attention span being less than a goldfish (<12 seconds), you want to knock your reader’s socks off. Use tools like the Advanced Marketing Institute’s Headline Analyzer to help you analyze and create a winning header. 2. Keep them to five words or more Unless you have a client who specifies that he or she would like their subheaders longer or shorter, keep them to five words at least. This helps improve the subheaders’ SEO value and enhance your visibility online. It will also enhance the value of your individual headers and make them easier for readers to engage with. 3. The first subheader you write should be optimized with your focus keyword Give yourself an SEO boost by including your keyword phrase in the first subheader you write. … Read more

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