Tag: SEO

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What Meta Tags Do Search Engines Use?

It is well known that all search engines no longer use the meta keyword tag, but what other tags are currently in use? I read an article recently that said Google was not even using the meta description tag, so what are search engines using?

First, it is true, the meta keywords tag is dead. Don’t bother loading in page keywords or adding that tag. I don’t think that it will come back either. Search engines are just too sophisticated now to be spoon fed your selected keywords. They will find their own in your content.

Second, in the Google Webmaster Help website, Google states that it understands the meta description tag, the title tag, the meta robot tag, Google site verification, and refresh tag. What they didn’t say was they were using them all. As of 10/14/11 Google was using my own meta description tag as my information in a Google.com search AND they were using my meta title tag.

Third, how about Bing.com? Bing is using my meta description tag, but not my meta title tag, they are creating their own from my content. In fact they are using one of my H1 tags verbatim, but not from the top of the page but rather from the middle of the page.

Another thing of note to mention at this time is that some browsers such as IE9 now don’t show the meta title of a page in the top chrome of the browser just above the address bar, they used to, but not anymore.

Things change on the Web. Over the years I’ve seen the meta description tag not used and then after a year or two used again by Google, but I don’t think that the keywords meta tag will come back. When you do a search for your own business, do you see your meta description tag?

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Keyword Density on Your Page Best Practices

It used to be for websites that needed to be competitively placed on search engines that we would strive for about a 7% keyword density of one or several search phrases per page, but now search engines are getting smarter. 7% density when you read it, is very repetitive. In fact for some clients simply unreadable and unacceptable, however at this point in time on Google it can still get results.

As I watch the Web, Google’s algorithm changes, and chatter from other webmasters, I feel that high keyword density website may be eventually filtered out by Google and maybe even this year based on the information Google is putting out on there various blogs. Over the last several years we have seen a direction less of strong keyword density to more readable text with good content and link building programs (typically the links will come from blogging on-domain.)

I recently reviewed an attorney’s website where I considered the content on his page bordering on excessive keyword density and to the level of keyword stuffing. He told me that his site had been dropping since the Google Panda/Farmer update had rolled out. As a savvy professional, I see the writing on the wall, it is time to review your content and start minimizing keyword dense content in advance of algorithm changes that will drop your organic placement.

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SEO is Out – Web Visibility is In

SEO as we have known it over the past ten years is dead. What has taken its place is Web Visibility.

No longer can a website focus on keyword density and keyword stuffing to get organic search placement using traditional SEO tactics; instead the approach to garner placement is about web visibility.

What exactly do I mean by web visibility?

The new approach for organic placement is multi-pronged. Now, what’s important and garners improved organic placement and protects your site from serious placement fluctuations in the SERPs is much more than code tweaking. Here’s what I think is important for websites interested in moving up in search placement and real world experience.

  1. Have great unique content on your website.
  2. Have a targeted home page that is more than pictures, but not all text.
  3. Cater to your audience based on trends you see in questions, sales, and buyer activity.
  4. Make sure you are using your meta title and meta description tag properly on each page.
  5. Make sure you are blogging on-domain not off-domain.
  6. Do a press release and send it out via PR Web every quarter.
  7. Get going on Twitter and make sure you have great content.
  8. If Facebook makes sense for your business get going and work to interact.
  9. Consider writing articles for Google Knoll and several other high profile content sites linking back to your website.
  10. Develop a content building program for your website based on traffic and bounce statistics.

The key is to not be static. Watch your website statistics, pay someone to analyze them if you don’t know how on a monthly or quarterly basis. Know what is happening on your website in regards to what readers are reading and where your sales are coming from. From what you find out take action to improve and build your online presence in a smart way.

Garnering organic placement is much more than keyword density it is about what you are doing as a strategy in many areas across the Web. That’s web visibility!

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With Facebook and Twitter, Do You Still Need Blogging?

Many clients are now investing time and money on keeping Twitter and Facebook updated so with all of that do you still need your blog updated? Absolutely!

If your blog is installed under your own domain and resides on your website server then adding to your blog benefits the organic placement of your website as you build blog content. Twitter and Facebook are important ways to engage customers, search engines are starting to look at your activity on these networks as part of their SocialRank scale which impacts organic placement, but activity on these platforms does not build website content like blogging does.

When it comes to choosing where your money is best spent to improve organic search placement I like blogging best, then Facebook and finally Twitter. I place Facebook above Twitter as Facebook is where your prospects are spending a significant part of their time and I feel it is important to engage them where they are active.

Although SocialRank does not carry the same weight in organic placement as PageRank, both Google and Bing are actively now monitoring SocialRank. I feel that over time the activity you have on Facebook and Twitter will become more important in affecting your organic placement and where you appear in personalized search results.

In fact for national businesses involvement and engagement on Facebook and Twitter may be key to mitigating the focus of localize search results in organic placement that Google and Bing are both pushing at this time. I say that as search results are now personalized and focus heavily on showing results in your geographic area, but also include a social component where personal connections and interconnections are a factor of the results you see as well.

We invite you to find our more about our services for blog writing, Facebook updates, and Twitter writing if you have a need.