Bradley H. Smith >

SEO SCREW UP #4

Over the past few years, the depth of online content (and Google’s smartypants) have evolved tags from an IT role well into marketing. Words matter.

HERE IS SCREW UP #4

Ah, tags don’t matter anymore.

When using meta description tags, it’s key to keep the description less than 160 characters, as search engines will not display more than that. Use multiple arrangements of keywords words and phrases, but don’t be repetitive. Also, make sure that each of your pages have a different description to ensure maximum visibility.

Meta keyword tags are rather moot today for SEO. Use them if you want for CTR, but no stuffing.  

The meta title tag is very important. Search engines algorithms read them, and certainly they are also the title of the page that will be visible in the SERP. Meta title tags must be 60 characters or less, and should be descriptive of what the site contains as well as engaging to draw in a reader.

SEO is a waste of time if the prospect does not click into your site. 

SEO SCREW UP #3

It’s all about me! My content is the best content ever and I am going to ignore the fact that other resources and influencers can actually reinforce MY value proposition. I am not trying to help people on their “buyer’s journey, I’m just want them to control them!

HERE IS SCREW UP #3

Don’t include links away from your content

This may seem old school and counter-intuitive to link to owned media that is NOT yours, thus pumping up their SEO strength, but it is an essential element of an SEO strategy. One important clarification: link to reliable and authoritative influencers’ websites - Google views those links as your content, which will demonstrate that your content is at par i.e. authoritative. Of course, link to your owned media (previous blog posts, etc.) when appropriate. Besides SEO, this emphasizes the importance of these pages / content and deepens engagement for visitors on your properties. From a general “good marketing” POV, monitor your content and double-check the 3^rd party links are not broken.

Get over it. Your prospects are going to leave your site in just a few minutes, anyway. You should guide their exit to a site that adds more color to your story.

SEO SCREW UP #2

Trying to fool Google and other search engines with SEO manipulation is like trying to fool your parents you were not drinking Genny Cream Ale with friends down by the lake.* You can fool them once, maybe. Twice if you’re lucky. 

HERE IS SCREW UP #2

Stuff your pages full of keywords 

Keywords are indispensably imperative in ensuring an effective SEO strategy – however, Google warns of overstuffing that bird with keywords or numbers in an attempt to manipulate a site's ranking in Google search results. Exactly like SEO SCREW UP #1, you don’t want to create content for search engine crawlers but for people in natural prose and vocabulary flow. Stuffing pages with keywords or numbers results in a negative user experience and will screw up your site's ranking.

Google offers this good example of a bad example. "We sell custom cigar humidors. Our custom cigar humidors are handmade. If you’re thinking of buying a custom cigar humidor, please contact our custom cigar humidor specialists at [email protected]" 

Rather than writing from the 1998 Department of Redundancy Department, focus on creating useful, information-rich content that uses keywords appropriately and in context.

*random example

SEO SCREW UP #1

SEO is a moving target, and executed poorly, it’s moot. You may as well just paste in Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr.

The algorithms that impact SEO change so much that from a raw “‘best practices” perspective, a what-NOT-to-do list is more stable than a to-do list.

HERE IS SCREW UP #1

Writing for “search engines” instead of people.

Search engines provide “searchers” relevant and engaging results. Some marketers try to improve their ranking through SEO tricks, (beer sex beer sex beer sex beer sec Justin Bieber beer sex beer sex) without actually publishing the meaningful content that a searcher would want to read.

Google’s AI is prevents these kinds of old school tactic and will punish you for using them. The only path to succeed with SEO is to create great content. Don’t write content designed to be consumed by search engine bots.

Write content for the audience you want to read it. You know, “people.”

Typos are not fatal to your brand. Unless you are in makreting.

Sorry if you are reading this guys, but you spammed a LinkedIn Group. No one is marketing is going to believe these folks know what they are doing. 

 

2005? Update it gents. This says "old content."

Forms are important for (traditional) lead generation, NOT for lead qualification!

This form truly angered me.  They used the email address field to PRE-qualify leads - and since I used my "gmail" address, they DIS-qualified me. For a whitepaper PDF download? Ridiculous and insultive. You never know where your NEXT client may come from. 

 

Many people are out of work and don't have access to a business domain address. 

 

 

Internal people will "get bored" with your website. Prospects will not.

It is very common for internal folks to "get itchy" to change the major theme of your site sooner than you would expect. They're on the site a lot. (especially if it’s good!)

Prospects are going there for the first… maybe second time. Be creative and flexible but hold to your strategic “first impression” plan for greeting new visitors.

 

I am the first to admit even I get a “little tired” of the auto-play video on my homepage. But I need NEW PEOPLE to hear it.

 

 

Reminder: iPads don't render Flash.

This is not an anti-Apple comment. It is a fact.

 

And there are elevenetykabazillion out there NOT reading your message. 

 

 

Hello... marketing? It is YOUR JOB to know your site. Every page, link, icon and form.

The content on this page was for crisis control for national headline news. Crisis over. Content deleted. Link remained.  

 

The only excuse for broken pages is "I'm lazy and don't care."

The three little words marketers like to hear are not "I Love You."

They are "Tell Me More." 

 

It's the common denominator for all conversations at all levels in any sales and marketing funnel. What will your website (or your sales people) say when asked that?

If you have a business website (and domain), don't use "aol.com" as your email address.

I am shocked at the number of OTC -listed companies whose CEOs have @AOL.com, @earthlink.com,  @gmail.com etc. as their professional email address. That throws the stability and credibility of your entire organiztion into doubt.  You want people to invest in your compnay and you cannot figure out how to get a domian-based email address?

AOL?  Pah-lease. This is not 1995.

Visit your own website every single day.

In fact, set your company home page as the default opening browser page. Tweak it. It's the web, not a brochure.

Cross pollinate your webform data with other departments.

This webform is on the investor relations website of a large corporation. The data ONLY feeds an automated news alert email engine for the IR department. For most compnaies, that is the data's only function. Eyeballs rarely look at the actual data. 

Now, imagine that whenever MEDIA is selected from the drop-down descriptor, the Public Relations department receives the sign-in data too. "DING!" A new media contact is born. Elegant solution for something your company is already doing. 

All companies have silos - it's unavaidbale and fairly real-world. But don't have bunkers.

If you're spending time, money and effort on an outreach campaign, use it on your site visually in an obvious manner.

Oh for pete’s sake, no one clicks on a "see our current ad" link.

For real cross-media message reinforcement (which you want...) integrate the visuals, even subtly. Continuity demonstrates an organized thought process which is a good B2B brand.

 

This campaign series I launched is still running. The clever web developer made the faces randomize on each visit.

Just because you're not a huge uber-important company that would be a LOGICAL target of some rat-bastards hackers from Turkey, doesn't mean you WON'T be a target of some rat-bastards hackers from Turkey.

Ahem. Double check your site security. Sigh.

 

Hey, at least it gave me a reason to build a new site. In two days.