Your Host: Jill Whalen [jill@highrankings.com]
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~~~IN TODAY'S ADVISOR~~~
*Search Engine Marketing Q&A:
----> Pages Indexed, Descriptions and Title Tags
----> Keywords, Traffic and Link Popularity
*High Rankings Offers:
----> High Rankings SEO Training
----> 20% Discount to PubCon Vegas, Baby!
*Stuff You Might Like:
----> Free Webinar on New Search Marketing Research Findings
*Advanced SEO Forum Thread of the Week:
----> 1 Site Plus 4 Subdomains
*Advisor Wrap-up:
----> Talking SEO in Person!
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~~~Introductory Comments~~~
Hey everyone!
I've got a bunch of interesting SEO questions (and answers of course) for you today. Plus, be sure to take note of the 20% discount for WebmasterWorld's PubCon, which is coming up in just a few weeks.
Let's get straight to it! – Jill
~~~Search Engine Marketing Issues~~~
++Pages Indexed, Descriptions and Title Tags++
Dear Jill,
How important is it to have a large number of indexed sites through Google? If so, how do we increase the number, and how do we edit what text appears under the link?
I've seen different requirements for the length of a Title tag. What is the most effective length? Also, is it important to list the name of your organization – and if so, should it be at the beginning or the end of the Title?
Also, how long does it take to see results of changes in your Title tags?
Thank you,
Katie O.
++Jill's Response++
Hi Katie,
Thanks for your questions; please see my answers below:
> How important is it to have a large number of indexed sites through Google?
> If so, how do we increase the number and how do we edit what text appears
> under the link?
Do you mean a large number of pages indexed? (As opposed to sites.) If so, no, it's only important to have as many pages as you need on your website to say what you need to say. In other words, if you're asking whether you should add pages to your site because you think the search engines like sites with more pages, then the answer would be no. Adding pages for search engines is never a good idea. Only add pages to your site if you feel it isn't providing all the information that it should be providing to the site visitors who read it.
That said, if you mean that you have a lot of pages on your site but many of them aren't getting indexed, then that's another story. You do want every page of your site to be indexed, so if they're not, it's important to figure out why. It may be a technical problem with your site design that is impeding the search engine spiders' ability to get to every page. Or it may be the site's lack of popularity on the Internet as a whole (as measured by the links that point to it). Once the website becomes more popular, the search engines should more deeply index it.
Regarding the text that appears under your link at the Google search results pages, that is search-query dependent. That means it will change depending on what words were used to find your page at Google. So, if you type in the name of your company, you will see one description, and if you type in a keyword phrase for which your page shows up, it will most likely show a different description. Sometimes these descriptions will be pulled from your Meta description tag – often if the keyword phrase the person used at Google happens to be in your Meta description – and sometimes it will be pulled from some content on the page where the keywords were used in the copy.
Please see my Meta description articles for more info on this: http://m1e.net/c?86763832-jUXjRBQd1cwxs%403705497-mcPfnQnU6SaZc
> I've seen different requirements for the length of a Title tag. What
> is the most effective length? Also, is it important to list the name
> of your organization – and if so, should it be at the beginning or the
> end of the Title?
There is no such thing as a "required length" for Title tags. I prefer them to be approximately 11-12 words. That provides me with enough space to use 3 keyword phrases and make it enticing for the searcher to click on in the search results pages. Those who suggest shorter Title tags usually do so because they don't like their tags appearing to be cut off in the search results.
As far as adding in the name of your organization, you definitely want it first in the Title tag of your home page. On inner pages, it depends on a few things: If your organization or company name is very short, or can be abbreviated into just one or two words, then I would recommend keeping it at the beginning. If it's a number of words, you may want to leave it out or put it at the end. But if you're a well-known brand, you may want to keep it at the front of every Title. If you can't or don't want it in the Title tag, then make sure you use it at the beginning of your Meta description tag.
> Also, how long does it take to see results of changes in your title tags?
Anywhere from as soon as the new Title is indexed, to never. I know that's not a very good answer, but it's the unfortunate truth. In general, if you're going to see any changes at all, it would probably be within a month or so. Still, it depends on how drastic your Title tag change was, how competitive the phrases are that are contained within it, and how well optimized the page is for the keyword phrases in question. If you're optimizing for a highly competitive phrase, simply putting it into the Title tag may have no effect whatsoever. On the other hand, if you've added some non-competitive phrases to the Title tag, you will probably see quick results (but not necessarily a traffic increase!).
Just remember that all SEO factors work together to bring more targeted traffic to your website, and doing only one thing in isolation may or may not make a difference.
Hope this helps!
Jill
Share your comments and thoughts here:
http://m1e.net/c?86763832-R4QqeGvvlTpBI%403705498-7pFuDNzqywEFg
(P.S. If anyone would like to republish the above Q&A article, please email me your request and where it will reside, and I'll send you a short bio you can use with it for your site.)
______________High Rankings SEO Training___________________
Register for the November 21, 2008 SEO Class Today!
_______________________________________________________
Looking for an SEO strategy to optimize your website for more
targeted Google traffic?
Join us for our last SEO class of 2008 – Class is limited to 6 students.
You will learn what SEO is and isn't, as well as what you need to do
to bring in more search engine visitors who are seeking out exactly
what you offer.
All our past classes have sold out, so don't delay!
http://m1e.net/c?86763832-ZQb7QFo1vKzE.%403705499-EFQ1CBkhk4h1c
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++Keywords, Traffic and Link Popularity++
Dear Jill,
I'd like to know your expert opinion on several issues.
The 1st one:
I performed a keyword analysis for one of my projects, picked several powerful "traffic juicy" keywords and optimized the landing pages for those keywords. My site went to the first page in the search engines, and yet we've got no more than 100 unique visitors per month. Have you any idea why?
The 2nd:
In order to increase link popularity for another project, I established a link-exchange campaign. You know all those sites where webmasters can find potential link partners. I wonder whether it can negatively influence my site? Perhaps it has already been marked with a red flag for the search engines?
Thanks in advance!
Julia
++Jill's Response++
Hi Julia,
In regard to your first question, I'd have to say that it's probably due to the gross inaccuracies of the numbers that most keyword research tools show you. This is why I tend to not look at the numbers as much as the relative position of the phrase as compared to other phrases.
Your traffic could also be low due to other factors. How does your listing look in the search results when you type that keyword phrase into Google? Does it show an accurate, interesting and enticing description? Is it clearly relevant to the keyword phrase that was searched upon? Also, you mentioned that you got to the first page of results, but you will see a lot fewer clicks on a number 10 listing than a number 1 listing, so that could have an effect. But even if your site is number one, it's very rare to see a similar number of visitors as the keyword research tool might have you believe. I suggest optimizing for many more keyword phrases throughout your site (if you're not already) so that you'll bring in even more targeted visitors.
As to your second question, I believe you're talking about using a link broker, and if so, I wouldn't recommend it as a way of increasing link popularity. Rather than explain why here, I'll direct you to a previous article I wrote, "Buying Text Links":
http://m1e.net/c?86763832-/c0DNvJYk6Fa6%403705500-GCli8BR7ojzl%2e
Good luck!
Jill
Share your comments and thoughts here:
http://m1e.net/c?86763832-4d5g5S2Wwjuss%403705501-.l5ZlYmQUrYHo
__________20% Discount to PubCon Vegas, Baby!___________
See Jill Whalen Teaching SEO at PubCon Nov. 11–14, 2008
____________________________________________________
Widely regarded as the most progressive and advanced
SEO/SEM/Webmaster conference in business today.
Learn more and register here:
http://m1e.net/c?86763832-wFKCw5D4SU45o%403705502-wVYhKhs9tfkbA
Save 20% when you register with the High Rankings discount
code: wh-89520
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~~~Stuff You Might Like~~~
++Free Webinar on New Search Marketing Research Findings++
I wanted to let you know about a free webinar that I'm doing with MarketingSherpa called "New Research Findings: Search Marketing Tips, Tactics and Trends."
It will be held on Tuesday, November 11, 2008, 2–3pm Eastern, 11–12pm Pacific, and it's open to everyone who registers.
Based on key findings from MarketingSherpa's all-new Search Marketing Benchmark Guide (2009 edition), this webinar will help you:
* Learn why flexible budgets are becoming more common for PPC
* Look at the quantifiable value of SEO
* See how hiring trends are changing for search marketing professionals
* Find out how the challenges and best practices for search analytics are changing
* Learn how mobile devices change search behavior
* Learn how Chinese searchers and Baidu differ with an Enquiro eyetracking study
If you're interested in this information, you can register for the webinar here:
http://m1e.net/c?86763832-4gBcpX92uF/Q.%403705503-rar.7Knbd7QWI
It should be very enlightening!
On a similar note, we have also scored a $100 discount on MarketingSherpa's 2009 Search Marketing Benchmark Guide (which the webinar will be based on). You can learn more about that here:
http://m1e.net/c?86763832-ORac8tqXeg7iQ%403705504-gRMKfPUbKUAfc
– Jill
~~~Advanced SEO Forum Thread of the Week~~~
++1 Site Plus 4 Subdomains++
Forum member "bobmeetin" explains how a business he's evaluating has a main website plus 4 subdomains and seems like one big organizational mess.
Read the entire thread and see other forum member responses here:
http://m1e.net/c?86763832-.JDrwNmOMttEA%403705505-wh4A/kT9GScmk
~~~Advisor Wrap-up~~~
That's all for today.
I have a busy schedule over the next few weeks. Along with our typical client consulting, we have our October SEO training class on Friday, then next week is our SEO Lunch and Learn, and the week after that is PubCon in Vegas. I have to say, it will be nice talking SEO in person for awhile instead of just here, on the forum and on Twitter!
We're still waiting to hear back about Corie's LSAT score. Keep your fingers crossed!
Catch you in 2 weeks! – Jill
Looking for SEO Services, Consulting or Training?
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