Webmaster Discussions

Google Analytics is a very powerful tool that every website should have installed. Those who have browsed through their analytics report know how valuable the information can be for improving conversions and making informed business decisions. As a result, webmasters and marketers must make every effort to ensure their data is as accurate as possible.

To help accomplish this task, Google Analytics has given us the wonderful ability to filter data to our needs. And while there are many different filters you can use for a variety of reasons, there are two filters every webmaster should create upon first installing Google Analytics. These two filters are an absolute must, and failing to implement them may contaminate results and provide you with inaccurate information.

1. Exclude All Employee IP Addresses

The first filter you should create when installing Google Analytics is a filter excluding yours and your employees’ IP addresses.

Why It’s Important

Not only will your employees inflate the number of visitors to your website, but more importantly, they may skew more sensitive data such as the number of pageviews and the time on site, since their browsing habits may be very different than a customer’s.

How to Exclude a Single IP Address

Creating this filter is very straightforward. From your Analytics Settings page click “Edit� to the right of the domain you wish to add the filter to. This brings you to your Profile Settings Page where you click “Add a Filter�. Select “Predefined Filter� and add your IP address (as shown below).

How to Exclude Multiple IP Addresses

If you have a range of IP addresses to exclude, select “Custom Filter� and enter the IP range using regular expressions. I suggest using Google’s IP Regex tool to make sure you are entering the correct expression.

2. Include Only Your Hostname

Why It’s Important

Including your domain name and subdomains is an often overlooked but vital filter. Remember that the tracking code Google gave you to use on your website (the UA-XXXXX-X) isn’t a secret. Anybody can see it pretty easily by looking at the source code of your webpage. If somebody uses this same tracking code on their page it will contaminate your data.
You may think this is a rare occurrence, but unfortunately it is very common. Most of the time it is done on accident, when somebody scrapes your code. But it could also be done maliciously. To see if anyone is using your tracking code on their website simply check your analytics under Visitors Network Properties Hostnames. We did this for SEO.com and found more than 40 websites using our tracking code, including a hilarious example of a Chinese website that has scraped our code. Can you tell which one is the real SEO.com?

While this may not be that significant to a larger website like ours, it can really have an impact on small- and medium-sized websites by skewing metrics like bounce rates and average time spent on site. Furthermore, if somebody wanted to be malicious they could even include your code on a larger website, inflating visitors and making it harder to segment out traffic that is not yours.

How to Include Your Hostname

Including only your domain name is also pretty straightforward, although you will have to use a custom filter since there is no predefined filter available. To do this, select “Custom Filter� and “Include�. You then select “Hostname� from the drop down menu. To enter you domain name as a regular expression you simply need to add a “� before the .com: seo.com

Always Have an Unfiltered Profile

While these two filters are extremely helpful, you will still want an unfiltered profile with only raw data. This is considered best practice since once you create a filter you can never go back to see unfiltered data, even if you made a mistake.
To create an unfiltered profile click “Add new profileâ€? to the left of the domain name you want to add it to. Then enter a profile name such as “www.seo.com – unfilteredâ€?.
Taking these simple steps allows you to have more confidence in your data and make better informed business decisions.

SEO is the fastest growing marketing channel because of the incredible return on investment that can be obtained in a relatively short amount of time.

With the right strategy and implementation, website optimization can dramatically improve sales, branding and market share. In the last decade, the Internet has become a main resource for shoppers and searchers and it’s only growing. Obtaining great rankings for products or services should be a priority for your marketing team to take advantage of potential sales.

Because of the complicated nature of search engine optimization, there are many companies out there that offer a subpar product that only puts money into their pockets. I have heard too many SEO horror stories about companies paying up to $700 per month on an SEO campaign, only to find that it never pans out. An SEO campaign should pay for itself.

All SEO companies are different. They have their own processes, methods and strategies to make sure they achieve the results you’re looking for. There are SEO companies out there that take on clients knowing they cannot fulfill what they’ve promised. Why? Because they’re greedy and there are hoards of companies looking for great deals for their online marketing.

The same is true with other services. Whether you’re hiring a landscaper, painter or mechanic, if you hire somebody at a discounted rate, you’re going to get discounted service. Timelines will stretch, communication will be lazy and results WILL suffer.

Make Sure You’re Comparing Apples to Apples When Hiring an SEO Firm

Often, I have given a quote to a potential client only to hear that “Joe Blow SEO� down the street will do it for half the cost. Is it because my rates are too high? No. It’s because the level of service and results are truly worth the money!

When you hire a legitimate SEO company, you’re not just paying for results, you’re paying for:

• Intelligent, experienced employees
• Weekly or Bi-weekly communication
• Proof of performance
• Analytics, lead, keyword position and other reports
• Professionalism
• Accountability
• Education on SEO or online marketing
• Transparency in work performed

When you hire an SEO company that touts results without proof, goal setting or ongoing communication, you will likely end up cancelling and demanding a refund.

Before you hire an SEO company, make sure you ask the following questions:

1. How long has your company been providing SEO services? (hopefully at least a year)

2. What case studies do you have for me to view? (if none, hang up the phone)

3. How many companies does your firm work with? (less than 40 or more than 1000 could be a red flag, unless it’s a private individual)

4. How many accounts does my SEO manager currently handle? (more than 40 could be a red flag because of time constraints)

5. What are some of your link building methods? (if they only mention a couple, ask for more)

6. Will your company buy links on other websites? (if so, hang up the phone)

7. How often will we receive status updates? (at least every two weeks)

8. What reporting do you provide to show value? (analytics and rankings are a must, custom reports should also be gathered based on the situation)

9. During the campaign, can I pick up the phone at any time and speak with my SEO manager? (if not, this could be a red flag)

10. Can you give me an example of some keywords I can expect with my budget? (make sure these keywords will drive relevant traffic; also ask for traffic numbers)

11. What types of goals or benchmarks should we set up for the campaign? (if there are no KPIs, or ‘key performance indicators’, this is a red flag)

12. Can I speak with the SEO manager that will be handling my account before I begin services? (one may not have been assigned yet, but you should still be able to speak with one if you want to, if they won’t allow it, this could be a red flag)

Let me clear up some common SEO misconceptions:

1. SEO companies do not have contacts at Google, Bing or Yahoo that can actually influence your rankings. There are Google contacts for some Adwords accounts, but they can’t influence organic ranking position.

2. The number of links is important, but do not focus entirely on quantity. Keep in mind that it is very rare for an SEO firm to guarantee a certain amount of links per month. This number will always vary.

3. An exact date or month for when results will appear cannot be determined. However, a general timeframe for when results are to be expected should be given.

When searching around for an SEO company, there are only going to be a handful of legitimate firms that are going to give you a great SEO experience. Unfortunately, there are also bucket loads of scam companies. Generally, the companies I’ve seen charging less than $800 for a full-blown SEO campaign don’t end up provide real value. There is a good reason larger SEO companies and proven individuals cost more: the service, expertise and return is always better. It’s just more proof that “you get what you pay for.�

The longer I work in the industry, the more apparent it becomes to me that there are essentially two types of clients: those who want to be guided to higher rankings and those who want to be pushed to higher rankings. As SEOs we are capable of doing both, but the goal of this post is to explain the vast superiority of one method over the other.

The Client Who Wants To Be Pushed

Some clients come to SEO.com wanting to be pushed up the rankings. They view search engine optimization as a ticket to a bigger return on investment and need the whole process to take place pretty quickly. I’m not sure these clients really know what SEO is. They might have been told they need SEO to make more money on their website and called us because we are the first SEO company they saw in the rankings. To be honest, I don’t really know a lot about these clients because they don’t like to talk to us. They consider us their SEO company, nothing more and nothing less. We are in charge of getting them to the first page and they really don’t care how we do it.

More often than not we do achieve first page results for these clients (an accomplishment I am sure must confirm to them they don’t need to be involved to see results). Nevertheless, it can at times seem like an uphill battle, often taking longer than it should to see results. The main problem with a client like this is that they only care about one thing: rankings. If their rankings look good, we are met with praise. If they are taking longer than expected, we are scorned. Yes, we will work with you if you are a client like this, but there is a better way and I will show it to you.

The Client Who Wants To Be Guided

These are the clients we love and have the most fun with. These clients have three great things going for them.

1. A unique value proposition. They have a great business model combined with a great product or service. They know they deserve to be No. 1 for their keywords.
2. They have a great website. This isn’t to say their website is perfectly optimized, since we can work on that together. Instead, their website is well designed, has lots of great content and will convert once they start seeing traffic.
3. They view us as part of their marketing efforts and business strategy, not just SEO. These clients realize that SEO is much more than building links. They want us to work with them to achieve lasting results and increase brand awareness.

The main thing that sets this type of client apart is the level of involvement. Instead of a “set it and forget it� attitude, we become more of consultants, combining SEO best practices with their current marketing efforts.

What SEO Firms Can Do

Not every client will understand what a good SEO does. Let’s face it, there are many SEO companies that will take a client’s money and get them rankings through shady methods without the client ever needing to pick up the phone. But potential clients need to understand that a legitimate long-term SEO strategy will require a lot of work from both the SEO team and themselves. Without the ability to commit on this level there may be some frustrations in the campaign and results may take longer to achieve.

Finally, we as SEOs need to do a better job at setting expectations when taking on a new client. Too many clients have been conditioned through past SEO companies to count links and come with an expectation of a certain amount of links per dollar paid. To convert a client from one who expects to be pushed to one who wants to be guided means dispelling all past expectations they might have heard about the SEO industry and explaining to them what really works and what your vision is for their campaign. Failing to do this could lead to animosity and unmet expectations six months from now. On the other hand, doing this right will lead to rankings, ROI and a great relationship.

So I would like to hear from others, what tips do you have for setting realistic expectations and what myths do you make it a priority to dispel when taking on a new client?

Tags: Search Engine Optimization, SEO clients, SEO expectations

Today I am going to look at a process in nature that occurs all around us and compare it with an SEO process that is often overlooked. To truly appreciate both of these processes it requires looking at them from a broader perspective.

Bees are marvelous insects. The first thing that most people think of when talking about bees is honey, which is perfectly normal since bees make honey, hence the name “honey bee�. The other thing that we associate with bees is pollination. Bees are responsible for about 80 percent of all pollination. Fruit trees, flowers and all types of vegetation rely on pollination to grow, so besides making honey, the honey bee also has a very big impact on the ecosystem. Similar to the bee and pollination, optimization for one or many main keywords has a very big impact on many other keywords and the rankings of all other pages of the website.

Long Tail Keywords

At the start of an ongoing search engine optimization campaign there is normally a list of keywords chosen to optimize for based on the keyword research that was done. Rankings and return on investment can be tracked for these targeted search terms over the duration of the campaign. What is often not tracked is the related long tail keywords that also benefit from the SEO strategies used to improve rankings for the main targeted search terms. Because the keyword phrases are closely related and are often found in the content of the targeted landing page, the related long tail keywords also receive a boost in rankings. This boost will not be apparent in reports focused on the primary keywords alone because these terms are usually not tracked with the main targeted keyword phrases.

Example Main Search Term (Bees)

1. Related Long Tail Keyword (Honey Bees)
2. Related Long Tail Keyword (North American Honey Bees)

So then what should you do if after several months you are not seeing an ROI for your main targeted keywords? Look at the website traffic from a broader perspective. Look for long tail keywords that relate to the main targeted search terms and find revenue generated by those keyword phrases. That revenue is also part of the ROI for your SEO campaign.

Parent and Child Landing Pages

Similar to the process of researching and choosing main search terms to target, landing pages will also be chosen and have selected keywords mapped to them at the start of an SEO campaign. Progress of these pages can be tracked in ranking reports and through analytics. Over the course of the campaign the targeted landing pages will move up in the search engine results pages and traffic to the pages will increase. What’s typically not noted in these reports is the improvements in rankings and search traffic to the pages that are linked to from the targeted or parent landing page.  The linked, or child pages, receive a boost in page authority and rankings because the increase in page authority from the parent landing page gets passed through the links to the child pages. So even if I am not directly seeking out links for the child pages with my SEO strategies, with every link to the targeted landing page, additional page authority is also passed on to each of the linked landing pages.

Targeted Landing (Honey Bee) Page

1. Linked (Honey) Landing Page
2. Linked (Orchard Pollination) Landing Page
3. Linked (Alfalfa Pollination) Landing Page

As you monitor the progress of your SEO campaign, keep in mind the effect that SEO is having on the website optimization as a whole. Look at other pages that are linked to from your main landing pages and see what type of revenue they are generating. That revenue is also ROI that you are getting from the SEO strategies being implemented for your main landing page.

Remember that just like the honey bee affects many things directly and indirectly through pollination, SEO affects many keywords across the entire website. Your keyword focus may be on a specific set of chosen keywords that have been mapped out to specific landing pages, but SEO is going to have an impact on the entire website. Don’t get attached to those main keywords and ignore the full value that your SEO campaign is producing for you.

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Tags: bees, infographic, long tail keywords

The benefits of search engine optimization services are becoming well known by webmasters and marketers alike. Lured by a higher return on investment, more and more marketers are shifting resources away from traditional forms of marketing and reallocating money into search engine marketing.

At the end of 2010 we looked back on clients that have been with us for longer than 6 months and found that the average return on investment was 2,500 percent. That means for every $1 spent with SEO.com they averaged $25 in additional revenue.

While this statistic is exciting, this kind of ROI is not guaranteed. Your investment can be negatively impacted by not understanding a fundamental difference between traditional and Internet marketing with regard to keyword selection.

Outbound vs. Inbound Marketing

Outbound marketing is the traditional form of marketing and involves finding customers by creating brand awareness. The focus of inbound marketing is getting found by customers.

The two differ in that outbound marketing may be infinite in its reach while inbound is finite. For example, there is really no limit to how many advertisements a person can be exposed to. There are enough billboards, television commercials and newspaper ads to give every marketer a chance to reach the consumer.

However, this is not the case with inbound marketing and SEO. There are a limited number of results that can be found on the first page of the search engine results page. Considering that about 90 percent of searchers never go to the second page, not being in the top 10 makes it hard to be seen.

As a result, competition is fierce for these few positions, and unlike traditional marketing, targeting a competitive keyword can be expensive and take time, making it difficult to see an impressive ROI.

Luckily this can be avoided since there are many keywords an SEO campaign may target. Problems only arise when companies think that because a keyword performed well for them in print or on television, it is the only word on which they should build their SEO campaign.

The “Pet� Keyword

Consider a custom shoemaker who decides he wants to begin SEO. He would no doubt want to target the keyword “shoes.� He knows this is the keyword that will bring him the most traffic and increase his revenue (and he is probably correct). Perhaps he even had a lot of success from his “Shoes� newspaper ad campaign. Maybe it is personal, maybe “SHOES� is his customized license plate or he named his dog “Shoes.� Regardless of his reasoning or affinity for this keyword, it doesn’t mean it is the best keyword to begin an SEO campaign.

A custom SEO strategy is not focused on what keyword has the most search volume; it is focused on a group of keywords that will get you the biggest return. Most of the time this is not the keyword with the highest search volume; instead it is the keyword with the perfect combination of above-average search volume and below-average competition.

The main problem is that when you focus all efforts on a large volume keyword, you are missing a lot of low hanging fruit. It could take a long time to see any revenue from an extremely competitive keyword, but by ranking quickly for keywords with lower competition, you will be able to start realizing an ROI much sooner. In almost all cases it is better to be on the first page for lower volume keywords than on page three for a high volume keyword.

If you feel discouraged, don’t be. The good news is that with the revenue from less competitive keywords, and the authority of your website increasing every month, it may not be too long before that high volume keyword doesn’t seem so difficult anymore, and ranking for your pet keyword becomes a reality.

Tags: Keyword Research, Search Engine Optimization, SEO Tips