GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 26 - October 2013

has become on the content front. Anything from duplicated internal and/ or external content, weak and/or thin content, right through to spun content sets off Google’s alarm bells to different degrees. These days, anything automati- cally generated is likely to trip a filter, so simply avoid it. Duplicate issues can be underlying, unin- tentional in a lot of cases, but still just as damaging. To mitigate any risks a thor- ough audit is required, which, although time consuming, is worth making the ef- fort to do. Backlinks Everyone knows the story of links! Once the backdoor to high rankings opened it never really closed. In the early days it worked similarly to when content optimi- zation was discovered – more links, with keyword-focused anchor text, pointing to your target pages. After Google’s many link-targeted up- dates, this gradually shifted to lower quantities of links with less focus on key- word-specific anchor texts. Since the more aggressive link updates, known by most as Penguin, Google is scrutinizing links heavily, looking to only count “natural” links and punish those with “unnatural” links. This has changed the direction of link deployment, forc- ing websites to leverage links in a more natural manner, using a variety of strong, informative, creative and/or fun content. Additionally, building the strength of your overall domain is just as important as having strong pages. Social Signals Social is still evolving, but, as with links, this started out as a quantity game for some brands who acquired “likes” and “tweets” in bulk, typically via automated software or offshore service providers. It is debatable how much of a direct influ- ence the signals had or have on SEO, so, unlike links, manipulated activity is likely to be under less (if any) scrutiny. When it comes to the argument between SEO and social media, the best and most logical strategy is to couple the two to- gether, taking advantage of a multi-chan- nel approach. Use social to syndicate your content, amplify its reach and in turn improve SEO performance (typically by gaining more natural links) while benefit- ing from driving social visibility. Ultimately, use social the way it was in- tended – to seed and share valuable con- tent, communicate with your customer base and brand advocates – and a legiti- mate increase in signals should follow, provided you’re not syndicating junk. Dead or not working? If you’re of the opinion that SEO is dead, likely because recent activity hasn’t been having the desired impact, then the like- lihood is that you’ve been using or are still suffering from one or more historical issues/tactics. Taking into account a handful of consid- erations, the top-level advice would be: • Run your website legitimately but keep optimization in mind when creating new pages and content. Check for un- derlying technical issues – you might not know they even exist. • Thoroughly audit your content and make sure new content adds true value to your site. • Clean up historically engineered links and ensure your future strategy is compliant withGoogle’s current requirements. • Use social properly and ensure it is an integral part of your search and content strategies. Ultimately, make your website great for your users but try to think about the search engines when doing it. That being said, there are still a lot of simple mistakes which can impact your site’s performance, so keeping SEO in mind when making changes really is key. If you’re unsure about something then it’s highly recommended that you consult with an expert before taking any chances. The recent positional shift of numerous sites from high-ranking positions is evi- dence of the business impact that unin- formed or unsophisticated SEO strategies can bring. And remember, SEO is now a multi-dis- cipline channel. You can’t just focus on one thing and expect it all to work. It’s a lot like iGaming – you need to be all-in to win! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lee Allen is technical planning director (formerly search director) at international digital marketing agency Stickyeyes. With responsibility for the agency’s product and software development arm, Lee’s core remit involves planning and developing cutting-edge and proprietary technology to satisfy both client and internal needs. Through technology Stickyeyes’ internal teams and client base have access to unrivaled levels of marketing data and insights, ensuring all strategic decisions are driven by thorough data analysis. Lee’s 10 years’ experience in search marketing is integral to all Stickyeyes technology, making it pivotal throughout each client’s campaign, from strategy development and management right through to deployment and reporting. 27 Have you heard that SEO is dead?