A couple of weeks ago, Google announced the completion of Caffeine, their new web indexing system. They’re pushing its speed, its comprehensive coverage of the web’s content, and – this is where it gets interesting – the improved “freshness” of search results.
It’s a reaction to the ever-increasing amount of content on the web. The official Google blog explains it like this:
Our old index had several layers, some of which were refreshed at a faster rate than others; the main layer would update every couple of weeks. To refresh a layer of the old index, we would analyze the entire web, which meant there was a significant delay between when we found a page and made it available to you.
With Caffeine, we analyze the web in small portions and update our search index on a continuous basis, globally. As we find new pages, or new information on existing pages, we can add these straight to the index.
What does this mean for potential developments in the SERPs that Caffeine will allow Google to develop? We’ve seen the inclusion of video and real time search. Is this going to lead to more complex SERPs, moving further away from Google’s original design simplicity?
By altering their SERP generation process to reflect the rate at which content is being published, Google have made it more important than ever – and easier than ever – to drive traffic to your site via updating your content.
At Moo we’re well aware of the results that can be achieved through well optimised, well written content. Caffeine isn’t going to massively revolutionise SEO; it’s a reflection of the importance that Google – and its users – place on “fresh” content. Quality and quantity aren’t mutually exclusive, and all SEO strategies need to be user-focussed; Caffeine consolidates the importance of good SEO content.
June 21st, 2010 - No Comments »
Posted in Search Engine Optimisation | Tags: content strategy, copywriting, google, seo, seo news
Writing search engine friendly text which is keyword-rich and actually readable can be a tricky thing. It’s helpful to take a step back from focussing on the technical side of SEO, and concentrating instead on the real reason you’re writing your copy: to communicate with website visitors. Don’t ignore opportunities for crafting a search engine friendly sentence, but remember that copywriting has been around for a lot longer than search engines, and the best copy has always been based on clear, persuasive communication.
Focus on what you want to say, and work out how you’re going to say it. If you’re struggling, there’s a treasure trove of advice on numerous blogs and websites dedicated to the business of SEO copywriting. They all agree on the basics…
Keep in mind your client’s needs, identify the correct tone for your copy, and be ready to edit and redraft.
It’s at this editing and redrafting stage that you should really focus on your keywords and keyphrases. Copy that fits your client’s needs should be easy to optimise. Exact match keywords (brand name, product name, etc) should be in place already. A review will throw up opportunities to balance keyword density, removing them from areas where they seem too numerous, and fitting them in where there’s the opportunity.
The kind of long-tail keyphrases that can significantly improve your search reach may not have appeared fully formed in your copy. Some research, however, should identify related words and common queries that existing/potential visitors are combining with your keywords when they search. Alter your existing copy to include these phrases; you should be able to identify opportunities for placing them in a way that benefits your copy. Keep it balanced, with the focus on communication, but don’t be shy about using your keywords.
Remember that when you’re using keywords and keyphrases, you’re communicating with your visitors using the same language they’ve used to find you. They expect to see your client’s name, the name of their product or service, and so on. It’s an SEO copywriter’s job to repeat without seeming repetitive; it’s every copywriter’s job to engage, persuade and communicate.
May 17th, 2010 - 1 Comment »
Posted in Search Engine Optimisation | Tags: content strategy, copywriting, seo
“Content Strategy”… Two words that are thrown around a lot at the moment. We’re big fans.
The need for content strategy comes from the changing ways in which people use the web. Visitors have come to expect more from your website than a simple storefront. Which means you need to be providing content that’ll engage and inform your visitors, at the same time as being as SEO friendly as possible.
It’s time to think about quality and quantity. Regularly updated content featuring relevant information as well as relevant keywords; that’s what’s going to win you links, retain visitors, drive conversions and get return on your investment. Tailoring content for the “long-tail” keywords and phrases that reflect the language your customers use allows you to engage them in a dialogue; you’re capturing them early in their buying cycle and building your brand at the same time.
Keep supplying that kind of content and not only are you more likely to get conversions from existing visitors, you’ll also increase your search engine ranking. That’ll bring more people to your site, who’ll engage with that content and pay you back in more links and more conversions.
Content strategy and SEO are a long-term investment; dedicate enough time to them and it should result in you being able to reassess your PPC campaigns and redistribute your advertising spend. Early content strategy and SEO work can be balanced by driving traffic with PPC. The quality content on your website will persuade visitors captured via PPC towards conversion, whilst simultaneously increasing your search engine listings.
Targeting and capitalising on exact term matches with PPC whilst optimising for broader terms in your content helps you to avoid common difficulties with on-page keyword density, and makes your content more readable. The quantifiable nature of PPC traffic, plus the amount of user experience data available through Web Analytics, can be used to tweak your content strategy; it’s all work towards the same goal, conversions and listings.
A well thought through content strategy, combined with a similarly targeted PPC campaign and supported by insightful Web Analytics is a pretty dangerous combination. By employing a content strategy you’ll generate awareness by upping your profile, actively bring in more customers at an earlier stage in their buying cycle, and optimise your website for product categories and keywords. And here’s the kicker: however your visitors get to your website, whether through PPC or natural search, high quality content is persuasive content.
Simultaneously optimising your website for the search engines, improving your visitors’ user experience, and managing your brand? Not to be sniffed at.
April 26th, 2010 - No Comments »
Posted in Search Engine Optimisation | Tags: content strategy, copywriting, ppc, roi, seo
For all of you out in blog land who are interested in search engine optimisation you will more than likely know of the pitfalls surrounding duplicate content. In a short and brief explanation duplicate content is exactly that, when a webmaster sees fit to copy your original content and use it on their website.
Not only is this a problem from the point of view of breach of any copyrights that may be in place duplicate content is deemed a ‘black hat’ search engine optimisation technique and as such penalties can be applied to websites who duplicate content.
I have just read a fantastic blog article regarding duplicate content (with some nice graphics) over on seomoz, which contains an awful lot of information, so rather than duplicate their blog on our site I urge you to please go and read theirs.
March 13th, 2007 - No Comments »
Posted in Search Engine Optimisation | Tags: content strategy, copywriting, seo, spam, website development
It is quite widely known and accepted in the search engine marketing world that duplicate content can have severe consequences in the search engines, but what does that mean?
Many people including a number of top search engine optimisation companies will tell you whatever you do, do not ever duplicate content. Well we strongly disagree, that statement is far too broad and not explained.
What’s Bad – If you go to someone’s website and copy a chunk of content and then paste it on your website and claim it as your own, you are breaking copyright laws. As such the search engines may penalise your website by applying a soft filter to lower your results or remove you from the listings entirely.
However, what if you want to quote a website? Copy that quote and on your website make sure you are making clear that text is a quote, use speech marks and more importantly after the text reference the website and author and maybe link to the website you copied the text from.
Do not be afraid of duplicating content within your own website, I once had one of the UKs top SEOs informing me how duplicating content on your own site is disastrous, however after I pointed out that on their own site the blog is duplicated about six times they realised they where mistaken. I can also back up this claim another way, take online shops for example usually you can get to the same content on numerous different physical / dynamic pages; do you see Google penalising the vast majority of online shops for duplicating their content?
The key thing to remember with website copy when it comes to search engine optimisation is make sure all your copy is well written and legible and more importantly written for the purpose of providing information to the websites end users (not the search engines).
October 10th, 2006 - No Comments »
Posted in Search Engine Optimisation | Tags: content strategy, copywriting, google, seo
