When Google changes up: Should I abide every decision they make?
Last week, I wrote about Google’s decision to shorten the meta descriptions. Now, meta descriptions are about the same size as they were half a year ago. But for a couple of months, they were much longer. We got a lot of questions and quite a few people were pretty annoyed — understandably so. Is […]
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On Google’s related entities patent: Write awesome posts!
Perhaps you’ve read about the related entities patent which was recently granted to Google, or perhaps you haven’t yet. You should read Dave Davies post about it on Search Engine Land and find out more about it. The related entities patent gives us valuable insights into how Google identifies relationships between content. So, in this […]
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Google’s core algorithm update: Who benefited, who lost out, and what can we learn?
There’s been much talk recently about Google implementing a broad core algorithm update. Google has suggested that this update has nothing to do with the quality of content, and instead focuses on improving the quality of the SERPs. However, if Google wasn’t testing quality, what exactly were they testing? Who benefited from the update, and what can we learn from it?
Readability ranks!
Does it pay off to write a text that is nice and easy to read? Will readable content lead to higher rankings and more traffic? Is readability a ‘ranking factor’? At Yoast, we are strong believers in writing texts that are nice and easy to read. We’ve developed an entire tool to help people write […]
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Stop pleasing Google!
Over the last couple of months, I attended some events, for instance, our own YoastCon, which was awesome! The thing that kept echoing in my head was the vast misunderstanding a lot of people have about websites and Google. One of my firm beliefs is that Google is becoming more and more ‘human,’ and should […]
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Ranking your local business part 8: Behavioral Signals
This is the final post in an 8-part series on how to rank your business for local searches at Google. Previously, I’ve listed the most important aspects that influence your local ranking, discussed how to get the most out of Google My Business, covered best practices for on-site optimization. I’ve also given you some ideas for […]
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SEO basics: what are ranking signals?
Ranking signals or ranking factors are characteristics of a website that determine the position in the search engines. All ranking signals combined form the algorithm of a search engine. How this algorithm works is a secret. Nobody knows exactly which factors decide the order of the search results. Google’s algorithm isn’t static. It changes regularly. The […]
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What is Google’s Knowledge Graph?
Google’s Knowledge Graph is hard to find, but its results are not. Take for instance that big block of information that appears on the right-hand side of your desktop screen after entering a search term. This block – also known as the Knowledge Graph Card – contains relevant, context-specific information regarding your search, powered by […]
SEO basics: What is SEO?
SEO is the acronym for Search Engine Optimization. It’s the practice of optimizing websites to make them reach a high position in Google’s – or another search engine’s – search results. SEO focuses on rankings in the organic (non-paid) search results. In this post, I’ll answer the question “What is SEO?” and I’ll explain how […]
Interview with Maile Ohye (Google)
According to Maile Ohye of Google, “SEO is evolving into what Loren George McKechnie described as ‘search experience optimization’. It’s less about top ranking, and more about optimizing the searcher’s journey. It’s the intersection of content, UX, and as always, staying smart about search engines.” We had the chance to ask Maile a couple of questions, […]
SEO basics: What does Google do?
How does Google work? What does Google actually do? For many of you this will be fairly old news. But for all the SEO newbies: let me explain (in easy to understand prose) what Google actually does. Understanding Google could really help you create an SEO strategy that works! How does Google work? Search engines […]
Penguin 4.0: what does it mean for SEO practitioners?
As you’re no doubt aware, Google finally rolled out its Google 4.0 algorithm update at the end of last week.
Penguin 4.0 is finally here, Google confirms
After a couple of years waiting, and various algorithm fluctuations described as ‘normal turbulence’, Google has finally confirmed today that it’s Penguin algorithm update is rolling out in all languages.
Five most important search marketing news stories of the week
Welcome to our weekly round-up of all the latest news and research from around the world of search marketing and beyond.
Learnings From SMX London: The Impact Of Social On Search
SEOs and Social Marketers speculate on the impact that Social Media marketing has on how well their websites perform in search results. There has been much conjecture with many people interpreting an array of correlations as causation. Both Google’s Matt Cutts and Bing’s Duane Forrester…
Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.
Does Google’s Review Count Inflation Give Them An Unfair Advantage In Local Search?
We all know that monitoring online reviews is important for online marketing; but lately, it seems that not all reviews are created equal. In fact, Google+ Local reviews may have a greater impact than others on your online marketing effectiveness. According to Searchmetrics’ analysis of SEO…
Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.
5 SEO Tips To Boost Page Speed
Got 10 seconds? Probably. But I bet you won’t spend it waiting for a web page to spin, sputter and load. I hate that. You hate that. And search engines hate that, too. But if your site is lightning fast, everyone will love you. Why Page Speed Matters Not too worried about your slow site?…
Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.
Google Hummingbird & The Keyword: What You Need To Know To Stay Ahead
On September 26, Google told participants at its 15th anniversary event it had a new algorithm impacting more than 90 percent of searches worldwide. They called it “Hummingbird.” Google’s Amit Singhal later said it was perhaps the largest change to the algorithm since he joined…
Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.
Google Launches Fix To Stop Mugshot Sites From Ranking: Google’s MugShot Algorithm
On Thursday, Google released yet another algorithm update, no – not the Penguin update, but an algorithm to combat mugshot web sites from showing up highly in their search results. In February, Jonathan Hochman wrote a story here named Why Google Should Crack Down Harder On The Mugshot…
Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.
3 Principles Of Future-Focused, No-Surprise Link Building
Link building doesn’t really fit the mold with the rest of the online marketing world. It’s unique and always changing. Even after trying to understand it, most marketers still don’t get it, and many SEO agencies don’t even want to touch it. That’s because link building is a moving target…
Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.