seo

New Google Analytics benchmarking newsletter vs previous standard benchmarking report

2011-07-03T10:32:00.005+02:00

Dear Google Analytics team,

I am very sorry that the comprehensive Google Analytics standard benchmarking report is replaced by the new restricted Google Analytics benchmarking newsletters.

Perhaps you understand why, but just in case:
- In contrast with the old standard benchmarking report, the new benchmarking newsletter prevents comparing sites of similar category in terms of visitor numbers
- In contrast with the old standard benchmarking report, the new benchmarking newsletter prevents comparing sites of similar category in terms of content
- In contrast with the old standard benchmarking report, the new benchmarking newsletter prevents to make comparisons over different periods
- I am not interested in receiving yet another newsletter
- My clients with access to Google Analytics reports are baffled and confused with your new benchmarking newsletters

Therefore, I have disabled sharing my Google Analytics data with other Google products/services and anonymously with Google and others for all my clients.

Sincerely,
--
SEO WAS

Google Analytics interpretation, a true story!

2010-10-16T16:34:00.018+02:00

Consider these statistics

Initial conclusions?

Wow, what a low bounce rate! And what a low % of search engine traffic! Lets seo (optimize the site to get more (organic) traffic from search engines):

1) replace the table based layout with css based template (through lack of a template, every little site-wide amendment had to be made seperately for every single page and the layout lacked consistancy)
2) make sure all pages without text are removed (most primary navigation buttons directed visitors to a page with secondary navigation but without any content. All those empty pages were also indexed by search engines)
3) redirect all old .html urls with a 301 to new corresponding .php urls.
4) optimize html emphasis (h1 tags were temporaly omitted for the sake of a quick re-launch); a keyword selection tool was used!
5) add personalized error pages (previously, error 404 not found used to appear without site layout thus no possibility of navigating through the domain)
6) 301 redirect non-www version to www domain

Consider these statistics from a week later after a complete re-design of the site

Initial reaction

WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE BOUNCE RATE AND DIRECT TRAFFIC!
I mean, direct traffic is supposed to come from:
1) people that directly enter the url in the browser address field,
2) people that have navigated to the site using their bookmarks.

I cannot believe that re-building the site may have caused a sudden drop for either of these two criteria of direct traffic NOR do I understand why the bounce rate has significantly increased, while the content has remained on the site practically unchanged.

It is implied that there may be other criteria for visits to be specified as "direct traffic" and for visits to be registered as bounces.
WAS THE SEO A MISTAKE?

Reconsideration

old scenario

Many visitors, including direct traffic, used to land on a page without content. In order to see their desired content, they gave the site one more chance and clicked through to a page either with or without content and may have left. They were counted as a visit, thus no bounce.

current scenario

In the new situation, visitors arrive directly on a page with content. If they leave now, they won't be counted as a visitor. Thus the increase of the bounce rate. And since direct traffic used to be the main source, it is most strongly effected by this seemingly declining statistic.

Final conclusions

SEO WAS SUCCESSFUL; organic search is now the leading traffic source!

The original low bounce rate was "artificially" created through the fact that most people landed on a page with only navigation, no content. They clicked once to find some content and were registered as a visitor, regardless any following actions like leaving the site in particular.

The "new" bounce rate is a much more realistic indication for the site's stickyness than the "old" one. It's also still very respectable!

The "no content" situation evidently caused misleading statistics.

Still, nice benchmarks.

Preventing/solving duplicate content: canonical link/URL vs 301 redirect

2010-05-21T16:12:00.017+02:00

Index

What is a canonical URL?
What is a 301 redirect?
What is duplicate content?
Duplicate content scenario I - www versus non-www
Duplicate content scenario II - index.php for home
Duplicate content scenario III - dynamic pages
Duplicate content scenario IV - uncontrolled extended URLs
Conclusions

What is a canonical URL?

In search engine lingo, the canonical URL (Uniform Resource Locator aka website address) of a website page is the preferred location of that page. Using the relatively new link element rel="canonical", the Google, Yahoo and Microsoft search engines may be informed as to what the preferred location of a page actually is.

According to Matt Cutts (currently the head of Google’s Webspam team) "this is much like a 301 permanent redirect that only flows within a site. . . the unpreferred URL will disappear from our index, but the anchortext/PageRank from the unpreferred URL will be transferred to the preferred URL".
Go back to index

What is a 301 redirect?

A 301 redirect is the permanent redirection of a web page executed by the hosting server. All traffic intended for the old URL is permanently routed to the new URL, and page ranking value for the old URL is also transferred to the new URL.
Though incomplete, this definition should be sufficient for the purposes of this article.
Go back to index

What is duplicate content?

Duplicate content is content (usually text) that is identical to the content of other web pages. These web pages may or may not be on different domains. However, this article is about duplicate content that is accidentally created on one and the same domain.

Regarding duplicate content, Google webmaster central mentions that " . . . the ranking of the site may suffer, or the site might be removed entirely from the Google index, in which case it will no longer appear in search results."
Go back to index

Duplicate content scenario I - www versus non-www

http://www.domainname.tld/ (tld stands for top level domain like com, au and nl) is the homepage with the intended/expected URL.
http://domainname.tld is the same page.

If your website receives links from other websites through a mix of both URLs, the potential benefit of valuable link popularity is split. Link popularity plays an important role when search engines determine the ranking of web pages.

Checking whether your domain is vulnerable to this kind of duplicate content is easy. Just type the undesired URL into the address bar of your browser (with disabled cache to prevent redirection by the browser!). If your browser is not redirected to the correct location, there may be a problem.

Aside from the duplicate content problem, this simple method may disclose other problems, including the following:
1) 404 error not found.
2) this domain is reserved.
3) promotional page from your webmaster.

The 301 redirect solution will solve these other problems as well and works for all "bots", while the canonical link solution will only solve the duplicate content problem and is, at present, restricted to Google, Yahoo and Microsoft search engines.

Scenario I solutions

301 redirect

The hosting server needs to be instructed to "301 redirect" all traffic to the desired domain.
The exact method depends on the hosting server and web development techniques.
Here, I will explain the technique favored by Wasseo (for apache servers) to redirect all requests to the www domain.

Create or edit the .htaccess file in your website’s root web folder to include the following:

RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} !^www.domainname.tld$ [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://www.domainname.tld/$1 [R=301,L]

canonical link

Specify the following in the head section of the source code of your homepage :
<link rel="canonical" href="http://www.domainname.tld/" />.
This tells search engines that the preferred location of the website page (the canonical URL, in search engine speak) is
http://www.domainname.tld/
instead of
http://domainname.tld/.
Go back to index

Duplicate content scenario II - index.php for home

http://www.domainname.tld/ is the homepage with the intended/expected URL.
http://www.domainname.tld/index.php is the same page. It is not uncommon that the indexation of this URL is the result of specifying this URL somewhere on the website as an internal link.
Again, the potential benefit of link popularity may be reduced.

Scenario II solutions

301 redirect

The hosting server needs to be instructed to "301 redirect"
http://www.domainname.tld/index.php
to
http://www.domainname.tld/
The exact method depends on the hosting server and web development techniques.
I'll show the technique favored by Wasseo (for apache servers).

Create or edit the .htaccess file in your website’s root web folder to include the following:

RewriteRule ^index\.php$ http://www.domainname.tld/ [R=301,L]

canonical link

Specify the following in the head section of the source code of your homepage :
<link rel="canonical" href="http://www.domainname.tld/" />.
This tells search engines that the preferred location is
http://www.domainname.tld/
instead of
http://www.domainname.tld/index.php.
Note that this is the same method as used for scenario I.
Go back to index

Duplicate content scenario III - dynamic pages

Dynamic website pages that are generated through scripts may display additional URLs like:
http://www.domainname.tld/categoryX/product001.php

Scenario III solution

Since it is not always evident to predict such URLs (consider sessionid), 301 redirection may not be a reasonable option.
While these URLs can still be blocked from being crawled by the search engines via the robots.txt file, Google webmaster central now recommends to implement the canonical link element.

canonical link

Specify the following in the head section of the source code of your product001 page :
<link rel="canonical" href="http://www.domainname.tld/product001.php" />.
This tells search engines that the preferred location of the website page (the canonical URL, in search engine speak) is
http://www.domainname.tld/product001.php
instead of
http://www.domainname.tld/categoryA/product001.php.
Note that this is the same method as used for scenarios I and II.
Go back to index

Duplicate content scenario IV - uncontrolled extended URLs

Depending on server configuration and web development techniques, it may be possible for other parties to create and link to undesired URLs simply by extending a URL with some parameters, e.g. ?param=value.
Go back to index

Scenario IV solution

Since it is impossible to predict such URLs, 301 redirection is not an option.
While these URLs can still be blocked from being crawled by the search engines via the robots.txt file, Google webmaster central now recommends to implement the canonical link element.

canonical link

Specify the following in the head section of the source code of your page :
<link rel="canonical" href="http://www.domainname.tld/page.php" />.
This tells search engines that the preferred location of the website page (the canonical URL, in search engine speak) is
http://www.domainname.tld/page.php
instead of
http://www.domainname.tld/page.php?param=value.
Note that this is the same method as used for scenarios I, II and III.

Conclusions

canonical link

easy to implement
singularly solves multiple duplicate content issues in one stroke, especially uncontrollable ones
is geared to some (leading) search engines only

301 redirect

more complicated to implement than canonical link
only solves the instance of a duplicate content url for which it is implemented
is geared to work for all webbots including search engine bots
may prevent/solve other issues like undesired website pages created by webmasters or hosting companies

Go back to index

Seo Definitions

2010-05-16T18:54:00.013+02:00

According to Wikipedia, SEO may refer to:

Search engine optimization, the process of improving ranking in search engine results

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the volume or quality of traffic to a web site or a web page (such as a blog) from search engines via "natural" or un-paid ("organic" or "algorithmic") search results as opposed to other forms of search engine marketing (SEM) which may deal with paid inclusion. The theory is that the earlier (or higher) a site appears in the search results list, the more visitors it will receive from the search engine. SEO may target different kinds of search, including image search, local search, video search and industry-specific vertical search engines. This gives a web site web presence.

As an Internet marketing strategy, SEO considers how search engines work and what people search for. Optimizing a website primarily involves editing its content and HTML and associated coding to both increase its relevance to specific keywords and to remove barriers to the indexing activities of search engines.

The acronym "SEO" can refer to "search engine optimizers," a term adopted by an industry of consultants who carry out optimization projects on behalf of clients, and by employees who perform SEO services in-house. Search engine optimizers may offer SEO as a stand-alone service or as a part of a broader marketing campaign. Because effective SEO may require changes to the HTML source code of a site, SEO tactics may be incorporated into web site development and design. The term "search engine friendly" may be used to describe web site designs, menus, content management systems, images, videos, shopping carts, and other elements that have been optimized for the purpose of search engine exposure.

Another class of techniques, known as black hat SEO or spamdexing, uses methods such as link farms, keyword stuffing and article spinning that degrade both the relevance of search results and the user-experience of search engines. Search engines look for sites that employ these techniques in order to remove them from their indices.

Seasoned equity offering, a new equity issue by a company after its initial public offering

A Seasoned equity offering or secondary equity offering (SEO) is a new equity issue by an already publicly-traded company. Secondary offerings may involve shares sold by existing shareholders (non-dilutive), new shares (dilutive) or both.

Séguéla Airport, Séguéla, Cote d'Ivoire (IATA code: SEO)

Seguela Airport is an airport serving Seguela in Côte d'Ivoire.

Seo (Korean name)

Seo, sometimes romanized Suh or So, is a common Korean family name. The Seo clan in Silla was founded by Kim Alcheon.

List of prominent Seos

Seo Bongsoo, professional Go player
Seo Do-young, actor
Seo Dong-Myung, football goalkeeper
Seo Ho-Jin, speed skater
Seo Hyo Rim, actress
Seo Hyuk-Su, football player
Seo In Young, singer
Seo Jae-pil, first naturalized Korean-American
Seo Jae Weong, baseball pitcher
Seo Ji Young, singer
Seo Joo-hyun, singer
Seo Jung-kwon,birth name of rapper Tiger JK.
Seo Jung-Won, football player and coach
Seo Mi-Jung, fencer
Seo Min-jeong, actress
Seo Moon Tak, singer
Seo Taiji, musician
Seo Yoon-hee, badminton player

Site enhancement oil

A site enhancement oil (SEO) is a liquid substance, usually a mixture of oils, used by some bodybuilders to increase the apparent size of some muscles. The effects of SEOs are purely cosmetic and there is no increase in muscular performance.

Usage and effects

SEOs work by filling the muscle up with an oil substance. It is site-injected, that is, it is injected directly into the muscle whose size is to be increased. SEO is usually used to 'top up' a muscle that is not quite up to standard with the rest of the body.

One of the more popular SEOs is Synthol, which was developed in the early 1990s by the German bodybuilder Christopher T. Clark as a replacement for Esiclene which went out of production at the time. [1] Synthol consists of 85 % medium-chain triglycerides, 7.5 % lidocaine and 7.5 % benzyl alcohol.[2]

A site enhancement oil is not an androgen and contains no steroids.

Risks

Many doctors advise that the use of SEOs is extremely dangerous, if not potentially fatal, as injection into a major blood vessel can cause embolism, leading to heart attacks, strokes, pulmonary embolism and/or permanent brain damage if SEO traces find their way into cerebral vessels. Yugoslavian IFBB bodybuilder Miloš Šarčev nearly died when he struck a vein in one of his triceps while injecting Synthol[3]. In some individuals, the use of SEOs can lead to chronic inflation of the treated muscle, which over time can result in deformation of the muscle.

Socio-Economic Objective

An Australian Standard Research Classification from the Australian Bureau of Statistics

Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC) is a set of three classifications developed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics to measure and analysis of research and development (R&D) undertaken in Australia and New Zealand. It replaced the Australian Standard Research Classification (ASRC) on 31 March 2008. The ANZSRC is released under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Australia license.

History

The first ASRC was released in 1993 [2] and was in use until 1998. It comprised three classification schemes; Type of Activity (TOA), Field of Research (FOR) and Socio-Economic Objective (SEO). In 1998, a second ASRC was released [3] with a revised Socio-Economic Objective classification that used a different numbering range, and a Research Field, Course and Discipline (RFCD) classification to replace FORs. This revised classification came into effect in the 2000 collection period, which was due on 31 August 2001.[4]

Classifications

Type Of Activity (TOA)

R&D activity is categorised according to the type of research effort:
* pure basic research
* strategic basic research
* applied research
* experimental development

Field of Research (FOR)

This classification allows both R&D activity and other activity within the higher education sector to be categorised. Prior to ASRC 1998, this information was collected using a different set of indicators called Field of Research. It was expanded in order that it can be used within the higher education sector to classify courses, units of study and teaching activity to field, and was renamed Research Field, Course and Discipline. The categories in the classification include recognised academic disciplines and related major sub-fields taught at universities or tertiary institutions, major fields of research investigated by national research institutions and organisations, and emerging areas of study. In the 2008 specification, this classification was again revised and it's prior name (Field of Research) was again used.

Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

This classification allows R&D to be categorised according to the purpose of the R&D as perceived by the researcher. It consists of discrete economic, social, technological or scientific domains for identifying the principal purpose of the R&D. The SEO classification uses a combination of processes, products, health, education and other social and environmental aspects of particular interest.

Spanish Ornithological Society

The Spanish Ornithological Society (Sociedad Española de Ornitología, SEO/BirdLife) is Spain’s main bird conservation charity. It was founded in 1954 and has 8,000 members and 50 staff. It is Spain’s representative in the BirdLife International partnership.

The SEO has campaigned to get the central government to have all areas currently designated as Important Bird Areas to be given Special Protection Area status. It also collects bird data and recently-published the Atlas of Breeding Birds of Spain, which covers the whole country and all breeding species recorded. This work took four years a year of writing and editing.

It has censused Eurasian Griffon Vultures, campaigned against illegal poisoning of raptors and other predators, and worked on sustainable agriculture in the Ebro Delta.

Since 1998, SEO/BirdLife has also implemented an international programme in a North Africa and Latin America. The main focus as of 2008 is Morocco, carrying out different projects, mainly in wetlands.[1] It is involved in monitoring the critically endangered Northern Bald Ibis in its Moroccan stronghold in the Souss-Massa National Park.

State Electoral Office

The Electoral Commission of South Australia (ECSA) in South Australia, a state of Australia, is an independent office which conducts parliamentary state elections every 4 years and is also responsible for the compulsory re-drawing of South Australian House of Assembly electoral districts before each election. The office is led by electoral commissioner Kay Mousley. The electoral commission was the first electoral administration in the world to utilise computer technology to produce an electoral roll, the first prototype roll scanner, and the development and use of cardboard ballot boxes and voting compartments.

In 1907 the then State Electoral Department was established to administer all South Australian parliamentary elections. Since that time more than 120 parliamentary elections, by-elections and referendums have been conducted by this Office. The State Electoral Commissioner was first empowered to conduct miscellaneous elections in 1980 and later in 1990 the Attorney-General gave approval for the Commissioner to be appointed Returning Officer for Local Government elections when requested. In 1999 the Electoral Commissioner was appointed Returning Officer for all Local Government elections.

DIY Seo Webinars: Monkey See, Monkey Do

2010-05-15T14:09:00.015+02:00

Seo definition (concise)

Seo (search engine optimization) really is the art of preparing websites for high positions in the search engine results pages, not the optimization of search engines themselves.

The problem with seo

Getting practical advice on how to become prominently visible on the internet or hiring an seo (search engine optimizer) is expensive. Try finding (online) seminars about seo that won’t set you back at least a couple of hundreds of dollars. Free resources do exist. However, usually those are glorified sales pitches taking hours to endure. With any luck, about 5 minutes of useful information is included. This is another obstacle for getting practical seo advice: presentations requiring extended periods of concentration.

Wasseo mission

Wasseo aims to remove some obstacles for business/website owners that wish to know how to receive more targeted website visitors through the presentation of DIY Seo Webinars: Monkey See, Monkey Do.

Wasseo webinars top unique selling point

Most (seo) webinars will tell you what you need (e.g. seo web development techniques, good content, seo copywriting, relevant inbound links) and why you need it. Next, you'll be advised to buy their services helping you to seo (search engine optimize).

Wasseo webinars, however, will show you step by step how to seo your site through live demonstrations.

More Wasseo advantages

1. Reduced cost – prices range from $10 to $25.
2. Reduced time – a live Wasseo webinar takes 10 to 25 minutes followed by a short Q&A session.
3. Better insight – instead of just reading or hearing about how to seo yourself, it is now possible to see and follow clear demonstrations on how it is done.
4. Selected subjects – the webinar titles provide clear indications on what to expect and more details on each webinar are available on Wasseo’s seo webinar website.

Currently available webinars per category

1. Link Building - post quality links.
2. Copy Writing - use html emphasis.
3. Web Development - redirect a domain to the www domain.
4. Website Statistics - install google analytics.
5. Website Conversion - create a prominent call to action.