This week at SEOPartner, we’re sharing: SEO updates that can deliver significant impact to your results, exciting changes in the marketplace to watch out for, good-to-know studies and information, and tips to try based on recent findings on search, online marketing and more.
Google published a reminder against widgets, Facebook unleashed Mobilegeddon and billions of websites have been delisted from Google results so far due to copyright infringement. These and more are just some of the recent releases that are currently making the online marketing space abuzz.
Plus, a bonus: Now that you know, what’s next? Check out the recommended action step we included for each news item.
Google Issues Warning on Widget Links
Action Step: Audit your site widgets
In line with their stance against manipulative tactics to increase page rank, Google recently published a reminder about their policy on the use of “keyword-rich, hidden or low-quality links embedded in widgets.”
If Google finds widgets with unnaturally placed links on your site, you may be hit with a penalty and will receive a notification through Search Console. You may also receive a warning if Google discovers widgets on other sites that link back to your site.
Google offered the following examples of widgets that violate Webmaster Guidelines:
Do you use widgets on your site? Then you may want to:
– Check again if those widgets contain links that violate Google Webmaster Guidelines.
– Edit widgets to add a rel=”nofollow” attribute.
– Remove the links entirely.
Source: https://webmasters.googleblog.com/2016/09/a-reminder-about-widget-links.html
1.75B Websites Removed from Google Results Due to Copyright Requests
Action Step: Be on alert for instances of material infringement
At least 1.75 billion websites since Mar 10, 2011 have been removed from Google search results as a result of copyright requests. In the past, anyone who needs the data had to compile the information on their own. But now the running tally can be viewed via this nifty Google site.
If you’re the owner of an affected site: Take note that Google doesn’t go around hunting for copyright infringement incidents around the web. Site admins or owners need to submit a request to remove content that may infringe copyright. Google will process the request, and decide whether to de-list the content in question or not.
If your page has been taken down due to offending content as deemed by Google: A notification will be sent to you through Search Console. You may file a counter-notification which Google may review.
Source: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/1-75-billion-websites-removed-google-search-results/173419/
Facebook Unleashes Mobilegeddon
Action Step: Know more about mobile-optimized solutions on Facebook
On Facebook, mobile users rule. So if you’re an advertiser with a site that’s not fully optimized for mobile, don’t be surprised if you have a high abandon rate. Users don’t have the time and patience to wait for your page to load correctly on their handheld devices. After three seconds of delay, as much 40% of them will already give up trying to access your site.
To help brands address this problem, Facebook urged the use of existing ad solutions such as Canvas, Pages and in-app browsing capabilities, as well as shared tips on how to improve mobile site performance:
Facebook also recently introduced the following updates focused on creating better mobile experiences:
– Prefetching: Pre-loading mobile content in the Facebook in-app browser before a link is tapped, which can shorten mobile site load time by 8.5 seconds and therefore reduce site abandonment.
– Better ad matching (to be launched): Considering website performance and a person’s network connection in their advert auction and delivery system, to ensure the best advert experiences on mobile.
Source: https://searchenginewatch.com/2016/09/05/facebook-unleashes-its-very-own-mobilegeddon/
Calculating How Much to Spend on Paid Ads
Action Step: Use data to figure out your paid ads budget
Neil Patel recently shared his real-world tips on getting the most value out of paid ads. Some of the top takeaways include:
– The pay-per-click (PPC) pricing model is still one of the most popular advertising platforms out there, with brands spending over $500 billion yearly on it.
– For optimal visibility, use ads to target the keywords and searches with the best conversions for your site.
– To get the most bang for your buck, target customers using RLSA (remarketing lists for search ads).
– When marketing an expensive product or a brand with high retention rates, it’s fine to spend a bit more than the lifetime value (LTV) of a customer.
– A good rule of thumb for building a sustainable business model: your overall marketing budget should never exceed the lifetime ROI from customers.
Source: https://www.quicksprout.com/2016/08/26/how-much-should-you-spend-on-paid-ads-heres-my-data-driven-formula/
Must-Have Skills for Content Writers
Action Step: Make sure only top-notch web writers work on your content.
It’s long been proven: quality content is an essential component of an effective SEO strategy. To produce copy that gets results, online writers should have the following qualities:
– Exceptionally good writing skills relevant to web writing best practices
– Ability to tell compelling stories
– Social media know-how
– A knack for weaving wit and humor into the content
– Solid research skills
– Fundamental grasp of good SEO
– Understanding of the target audience
– Commitment to constantly learn and openness to change
Source: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/the-8-essential-skills-every-online-writer-must-have/170017/
SUMMING IT ALL UP
Here are the top takeaways from this week’s SEO news roundup:
