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Conflicting messages from Google re Page Rank

November 5, 2009 By freshwebz

I still hear a number of people talking about page rank, page rank, page rank, when discussing whether their website is doing well, or trying to assess the results of their search engine optimisation efforts. However, page rank became less relevant when Google removed PageRank values from their webmaster centre!

Here’s the statement Google made when they did it:

We’ve been telling people for a long time that they shouldn’t focus on PageRank so much; many site owners seem to think it’s the most important metric for them to track, which is simply not true. We removed it because we felt it was silly to tell people not to think about it, but then to show them the data, implying that they should look at it.

However, if this is Google’s position, then why bother updating their toolbar PageRank values? Doing so is only going to create a stir in the webmaster community & cause confusion as to it’s relevance. Surely it would’ve been much better to remove it from both webmaster tools and the Google toolbar at the same time.

It’s also important to remember that the toolbar Page Rank values can be a couple of month’s old, so they’re out of date even after the update & therefore not really relevant to your current ranking position. The recent PageRank update has left many webmasters confused with most reporting major decreases in their website’s ranking in the search results. But if Google’s statement is to be believed, should you really be concerned about it?

If you have a search engine friendly site, the most important issue for your Google search engine rankings are quality inbound links!

Use one of our link building or Google Ranking Boost packages to get guaranteed links for your site

Filed Under: Google, Link Building, News, Search Engine Optimisation, Search Engine Rankings, SEO

Microsoft and Yahoo finally complete their search deal!

July 30, 2009 By freshwebz

Yahoo and Microsoft have announced confirmation of a long-rumoured internet search deal that will help the two companies take on chief rival Google.

Microsoft’s Bing search engine will power the Yahoo website and Yahoo will in turn become the advertising sales team for Microsoft’s online offering.

Yahoo has been struggling to make profits in recent years, but last year it rebuffed several takeover bids from Microsoft in an attempt to go it alone.

Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer said the 10-year deal would provide Microsoft’s Bing search engine with the necessary scale to compete.

“Through this agreement with Yahoo, we will create more innovation in search, better value for advertisers, and real consumer choice in a market currently dominated by a single company,” said Mr Ballmer.

“Microsoft and Yahoo know there’s so much more that search could be. This agreement gives us the scale and resources to create the future of search,” he added.

In return for ceding control of its search engine, Yahoo will get to keep 88% of the revenue from all search ad sales on its site for the first five years of the deal, and have the right to sell adverts on some Microsoft sites.

‘New era’

Yahoo said the deal would benefit Yahoo’s users and advertisers.

“This agreement comes with boatloads of value for Yahoo, our users, and the industry. And I believe it establishes the foundation for a new era of internet innovation and development,” said Ms Bartz.

“Only a Yahoo outsider like Ms Bartz could do such a deal,” said Tim Weber, business editor of the BBC News website.

“She has no sentimental attachment to what was once the core of Yahoo, its search business. Microsoft was helped by the fact that at long last it managed to develop a search engine – Bing – that is a credible alternative to search giant Google.”

Technology analyst Rob Enderle said: “This move makes up for a lot of the stupid mistakes made by the preceding [Yahoo] administration”.

The tie-up will give Microsoft and Yahoo a combined market share in the US search ad market of about 30% with Google still the dominant force with a share of about 65%. In the UK, the Google share is even higher (around 85%).

The deal ends years of back-and-forth negotiations between the two companies.

Filed Under: bing, Google, Search Engine Rankings, Yahoo

Google ‘Vince’ Update – Ranking Plummet Mystery Solved

March 19, 2009 By freshwebz

I’ve been blogging recently about the complete disappearance of my site from Google SERPS, for most of my targeted keyphrases. As suspected, there has been a Google algorithm change which seems to be favouring big brand ranking on prime category keywords.

Google has confirmed the “change” to the their algorithm which is giving big brands a helping hand in their SEO efforts. The confirmation and explanation coming via a video from Matt Cutts.

Google aren’t promoting the algorithm tweak as an update, but rather just a change to enhance the value of ‘trust’ factors. As he says in the video:

“Inside of Google, at least inside the search ranking team, we don’t really think about brands. We think about words like ‘trust’ ‘authority’ ‘reputation’ ‘PageRank’ ‘high quality.”

And apparently it’s adjustments to these elements in the ranking process that are the basis of the ranking changes we’ve noted over the past few weeks. However Matt’s quick to assert that the changes are only visible on a relatively small number of queries(!!!!). Matt states, “there’s nothing in the algo change to radically impact your current SEO plans and strategies – just more the same fundamentals.”

Not from what I’ve experienced over the last few weeks Matt – the complete decimation of the last years SEO work, content writing & link building! And now I’m told to continue doing these things that seem to have been slapped down as not good enough, whilst the big brands get a helping hand. Google – on the side of the little guy!!!

Filed Under: Google, Opinion, Search Engine Rankings

The benefits of SEO in a downturn

February 1, 2009 By freshwebz

As the recession has now been officially confirmed & the squeeze is on for businesses, many will be looking at areas where they can cut costs and these are often made in marketing strategies.

For many, search engine optimisation (SEO) is often a cost that’s cut, as perhaps it’s perceived that the benefits take longer to realise and are less tangible. However, dumping SEO can mean missing out on a fantastic cheap growth opportunity!

If you’re one of the businesses re-evaluating the future of your marketing strategy, consider the following before making your decision:

1. Ongoing Returns.
The value of SEO continues well after the actual optimisation has finished. Unlike other marketing, (PPC) where the value diminishes quickly after a campaign, SEO continues to generate results, at no additional cost!

2. The traffic is “free”.
While we understand the allure of PPC (fast, guaranteed, qualified traffic), it does cost for each visitor you receive. If you stop paying, your traffic stops. SEO, on the other hand, provides free traffic so your costs are easier to control. Plus, Internet searchers PREFER the natural search listings – 65% of users click on natural results in preference to PPC.

3. Go against the trend
While other businesses might shy away from SEO, or fail to understand it’s importance or benefits, it’s a great chance for businesses to capitalise on marginally lower competition. It could help generate quicker results.

4. Untapped Opportunities
There are still many untapped niches in terms of SEO, especially within localised and specialist industry sectors. Again this offers great growth opportunities for smart business operators, who can quickly climb to the top of their niche market.

5. Leverage the money saving trends online
Consumers ARE being more frugal with their spending and the online space is where they’re doing their comparison shopping. It’s vital for your business to be visible to them, which is why SEO is critical. Google is where the comparison shopping begins and where you need to be found – specifically within the first 30 results!

Given the above benefits and the fact it’s much cheaper than other online marketing initiatives, it seems only logical that SEO should actually be the last option you cut in your marketing plans.

If you’re looking for help with promoting your website, FreshWebz can discuss your SEO options with you.

According to metrics and research firm ComScore, the internet population (users over the age of 15) has now reached 1,007,730,000 visitors. The first time it’s broken the 1 billion visitor mark; and in news that will surprise few, Google sites were the home of most of these internet visitors providing access to an astounding 77% of the market.

Filed Under: Advertising, Google, Search Engine Optimisation, Search Engine Rankings, SEO, Yahoo

How the bounce rate of your website can affect your Google rankings

December 18, 2008 By freshwebz

Does Google use the bounce rate of a web page to specify the position of that page in the search results? What does this mean for your website rankings and what can you do to get a lower bounce rate?

What is the bounce rate?

There are two definitions: the bounce rate of your website is the percentage of visitors who see just one page of your website or the percentage of visitors who stay on your site for a small amount of time (only a few seconds).

The bounce rate helps you to measure the quality of traffic that your website gets and it also helps you to find out where your web pages could be improved.

Does Google use the bounce rate as a ranking factor?

Google has the ability to collect the bounce rate with the Google toolbar and Google Analytics. In addition, Google can measure the time between visits to their search engine by the same user and they can use the Google Chrome browser to measure the complete surfing behaviour of users.

Last month, a webmaster performed a test that showed a significant ranking change as a result of a significant bounce rate change. The test is not very conclusive but chances are that Google really uses the bounce rate as a ranking factor.

The bounce rate alone might not be used by Google but combined with other factors, it could have an effect on the rankings. For example, Google could measure how many people start a new search for the same topic after visiting your web page. That would be an indicator that your website is not suitable for the chosen keyword.

What can you do to lower the bounce rate of your web pages?

A high bounce rate is usually a sign of a low quality web page. This means that your web page either doesn’t offer what the visitor is searching for or the usability of your web page isn’t good.

If you improved the contents and the usability of your web pages, you might lower your bounce rate from 75% to 65%. This would lead to a remarkable 40% increase in conversions (35 out of 100 visitors now stay on your website instead of 25 out of 100 visitors).

In addition to improving the usability of your web pages, you can lower your bounce rate by tailoring your landing pages to the keywords and ads that you run. If your landing pages offer the information that the searchers are looking for then you will get a lower bounce rate.

Lowering the bounce rate of your web pages has two major benefits: it’s likely that you will get more visitors from search engines and you will get a higher conversion rate. The only exceptions to the scenario above are one page websites and web pages that offer very compelling content on a single web page (for example Wikipedia pages).

Filed Under: Google, Search Engine Rankings

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FreshWebz Web Design Colchester

We are a web design company specialising in working with small to medium-sized businesses. We offer high quality website design, as well as a range of other online web services, for any individual, sole trader, small business, SME or UK company. Our services are geared to both new and established business owners requiring a professional, affordable website design solution with local on-going Colchester based support. Contact us for an informal chat, to see how we can improve your business' web presence!

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We are a Colchester Web Design company, specialising in creating Affordable Websites for Sole Traders, Start-Ups and Established Small Businesses in Colchester and surrounding areas. We provide Affordable Web Design, Mobile Friendly / Responsive Websites, CMS Websites and eCommerce Websites that are affordable, professional and easy to use. Visit our Web Services page to find out more about what we can offer your business.

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