We strive to monitor and maintain the optimal health of our SEO. The slightest slip in its performance can negatively impact ranking, traffic and conversion and the success of the campaign in general. With this, no digital marketing agency can be complacent enough. The mantra should be proactive and not reactive.

Doing SEO in 2018 will be more difficult, yes. Good thing there are SEO metrics that can help in tackling issues before they escalate into more alarming, bigger problems.

SEO Metrics

1. Organic traffic

Traffic is the single most critical determinant of the changes in SEO’s health. If organic traffic increases, the solution is simple. Just examine the activities that went right and do the same thing in other parts of the website. However, if it decreases, you need to look at other equally important things such as mobile device usage. Anyhow, look at the other health metrics to determine the real problem and act accordingly. Consider creating an Analytics alert to notify you of a 5% increase or decrease in organic traffic.

2. Direct traffic

Users find your website through organic search. However, since they come back to the site through a direct search, search traffic can also be considered as direct traffic in Analytics. If direct traffic decreases, examine the organic traffic. If both are dropping, check the mobile device usage. If the mobile usage falls, then there must be a problem with the marketing activities. Consider creating an Analytics alert to notify you of a 10% increase or decrease in direct traffic.

3. Referral traffic

Referral traffic measures the performance of the link profile, whether links are gained or lost and how valuable the earned links are. If it decreases, check the backlink profile. Check the referrers as well to determine whether the inbound links are intact. Lesser traffic from a particular link might mean changes on the side of the linking site. If referral traffic increases, check the linking sites and explore more linking opportunities from these sites.

4. Campaign traffic

Campaign traffic does not directly impact the SEO outcomes. However, it can give an in-depth insight into the changes that direct and branded traffic are experiencing.  Consider creating an Analytics alert to notify you of a 20% increase or decrease in campaign traffic.

5. Email traffic

Email traffic works in the same way as campaign traffic. Consider creating an annotation in Analytics with each time you email blast.

6. Session

In Analytics, a session means a visit. In a multi-screen world and with diversified marketing channels, it is a challenge to tie the users together. Nevertheless, measuring the overall growth and decline will determine whether the marketing is successful or not.

7. User behavior

The total number of users tell whether the overall performance is bringing in more traffic or not and whether the traffic is returning or not. Ultimately, it can give you a clearer idea if the traffic is becoming more engaged or not.

8. Mobile device usage

Analytics provides an overview of the devices used by the users as desktop, tablet and mobile. This tells you whether you are targeting the right devices for your contents or not. Consider setting up automated emails regarding users’ mobile device usage on a monthly basis.

9. Branded keyword impression

Checking impressions and clicks must be conducted after reviewing traffic data. Decreases in the total number of impressions and clicks mean diminished brand awareness.

10. Non-branded keyword impression

Decreases in ranking might indicate that the keywords you are targeting are not relevant to the users. This also means that the meta data is not as appealing as it should be.

11. Keyword ranking

A decrease in keyword ranking can potentially lead to less traffic. Consider adjusting or changing the keyword strategy.

12. Bounce rate

A high bounce rate indicates irrelevant keywords, irrelevant contents, slow website and poor UX. Consider setting up automated alerts when the bounce rate increases by 10%.

13. Page load speed

Page load speed affects usability and experience and thus conversion. Increase in page load speed signals the search engines negatively, and spiders will not crawl the site. The users will also get annoyed in the process. Consider setting up daily automated alerts when the load speed increases by over 10% or if it exceeds 5 seconds.

14. Download time

The total number of pages crawled daily and the time spent downloading a page is also indicative of website performance issues. The effects are detrimental if there is a decrease in page crawled daily and an increase in time spent downloading a page. Consider checking these bi-weekly.

15. Server response time

In some instances, site speed is affected by server speed and not necessarily page load speed. Consider setting up automated alerts when the server response time exceeds 1 minute.

16. Crawl error

Crawl errors indicate a bug and missing redirects that can affect user experience (UX), among others. A crawl error report can identify these issues as well whether bad URLs are present on the site.

17. Server error log

Server issues are difficult to detect, but they also affect usability, experience, and conversion nevertheless. Consider configuring alerts to notify you regarding major trends in server errors.

18. Manual action

Google Webmaster Tools now feature a manual actions tool. This tells whether the search engine acts on the site manually.  This can be either a right or wrong action that may ultimate include algorithmic penalties.

19. Security issues

Another useful tool is Security Issues tool which sends an alert upon detecting malware. Again, these issues can take a toll on how the site performs in general.

20. Index status

Another noteworthy tool is the Index Status tool which gives an insight on how the search giant treats websites on its index. An increase means new pages are added or is that bots crawl pages that shouldn’t be crawled. A decrease means the site is penalized, or some pages not crawlable. If you haven’t initiated any changes, check if a malware infects the site.

21. 404 error

Several frameworks append a query string telling the user that the requested URL causes a 404. This leads to the discovery of broken links that the bots otherwise access. Consider setting up automated emails notifying you of page views with 404 URL.

Checking SEO’s health is easy, that is, if you know where to start. Let this be your guide so that none of these issues will hurt the performance of your website.

The post Doing SEO in 2018: 21 Metrics to Use to Determine Your SEO’s Health appeared first on Optimind SEO Philippines | Quality SEO from the Philippines.

Every business, regardless of the size, aims to establish their brand name through the Google search engine. That means, penetrating the online industry is a step closer to successful marketing. However, if you’re aiming to get a high-quality traffic on your website, then understanding the importance of a good Search Engine Optimization (SEO) must be considered. Even a competitive business such as the SEO company are continuously striving to excel in the online world.

 
Following a good SEO can create a significant impact on how search engines rank websites. When done well, it can improve your site’s visibility in the search engine result pages. However, SEO nowadays can be a little bit tricky especially when it evolves every time. But to get you started, below are some list of questions on how to do SEO from the outset.

1. Will paying more and choosing a bigger agency to get me more ROI on SEO?

Yes. In fact, when you increased your investment then it generally comes with an increase in hours spent on your campaign. Whether you are up for producing content, doing an outreach program, or even building and leveraging assets, the hours you spent for these activities vary. In business, marketers should be upfront with their clients, telling you cannot work with them when their level of investment is not enough to compete in their market.

2. How do I decide whether SEO or PPC is better for me?

Doing both Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Pay-Per-Click (PPC) can be an advantage to your business. However, not all businesses can do both considering the budget. That is why marketers should understand each strategy. When it comes to generating the best Return On Investment (ROI) in the long term, then do the SEO. It is also going to deliver the lowest cost per acquisition. On the other hand, PPC is going to generate immediate results (most of the time). According to Andrew Raso, a Co-Founder of Online Marketing Gurus, he would recommend choosing SEO over PPC if you have investment for a minimum of 12 months.

3. If they rank for “SEO company my city,” does that mean they’re good at what they do?

Not necessary. Achieving a rank may not be difficult since the city-related terms are not that competitive. But just because they rank for a non-competitive term, that does not mean they can compete in the ranking with very competitive industries. Also, some businesses tend to manipulate the Google’s search engine for their website to rank. However, once the Google update is released, their site will not have longer rank.

4. Google discourages ranking guarantees. What should I expect instead from my SEO vendor?

The moment you start an SEO campaign, you need to have an outline of what exactly you will be doing for the investment every month, and ensure that you will deliver these promises to your target clients. Sometimes, there are SEO vendors who don’t show the work they are completing. Perhaps, it is either substandard or because they are trying to hide something from their clients. Markters should show their customers everything that you do – from the links and to the content that you produce. It is also a plus factor when you explain to them the process.

5. What would be a good length of time before I start expecting results from my SEO campaign?

It depends on the industry and client. Whether the client previously had SEO work done on their website or the client is doing other marketing works, or even whether their website has to be been penalized, these factors can significantly affect the results that you had expected. In SEO, the usual time allowed when generating transaction is within 4-6 months of starting a campaign. But then again, that depends on how fast and efficient you are when it comes to SEO strategies.

6. I don’t know how to choose from one of their packages. What should I do?

When you want to be successful with SEO, then marketers should build every strategy from the ground up and should be tailored to a particular campaign. Moreover, marketers should also have a scope of work that should be complete for that particular investment level for each month. When transacting business with your clients, explain to them how much you need to spend each month. It is for them to be aware of the business they are into.

7. Should I help them with keyword research?

That depends on how complex your industry is. For some companies, before they process with the campaign, they usually spend an ample amount of time understanding the scope of the client’s business. They make sure that they can talk with the client to obtain their approval. However, it is not necessary that clients do keyword research for the company. Keep in mind that SEO companies have plenty of tools available for them to use with the campaign.

8. My site has millions of pages. How many should I get them to optimize?

Most SEO experts would recommend targeting the most relevant pages with terms that your clients want to rank since this will help boost your site quickly. Also, when you have a team that is capable enough, then you can write a script that can pull a list of best practices for title tags, meta descriptions, etc. for your client’s website. However, if you are going to create compelling content, then you must do it manually, and it cannot be scripted. This is to ensure that your target audience will get interested on your website.

Final thoughts:

When it comes to business, there are times that the strategies used by the other companies are not applicable to yours. That means you should create your strategy that would fit your website’s needs. With that, you can ensure a growth on your website.

The post Getting SEO Right From the Start appeared first on Optimind SEO Philippines | Quality SEO from the Philippines.

No matter how appealing your website is, it would not go far if no one can find it online. When you are aiming to make your business big on the online world, then sooner or later you would encounter Search Engine Optimization (SEO). It is a crucial factor in generating high-quality traffic for your website to rank on the search engine. Even a competitive business such as the SEO Company takes this strategy seriously. That simply means, having a capable team is one crucial factor in generating and achieving high-quality traffic.

Finding the right person that specializes in different areas may be a bit challenging, especially if you do not have that expertise. However, building a team is essential if you want to succeed in your business. When selecting a member, here’s some components you need to consider to have a competent SEO team.

Component #1: SEO Manager/Director

SEO Manager is the head of the team and manages everyone else. Their job is to be concerned with the “bigger picture” they would face later on. Especially when dealing with strategies and tactics to use, an SEO manager should be able to determine what and what not to do when it comes to those matters. Additionally, a manager should understand the capabilities of his/her teammates. In that way, it would be easier for them to delegate the tasks based on their field of expertise, and of course,

Component #2: The Content Creator(s)

Content is King. That just means, your content is crucial when it comes to generating organic search traffic. It is the job a content creator to come up with a compelling content for their target audience.They make sure to create a relevant topic, where people would get interested and engage on your site. Also, they ensure that they write contents where their target audience can relate to. When a website does not have any content, then there is no reason for the people to be interested in your site. Although it may take a lot of time, optimizing your content will eventually pay off.

Component #3: Designers

Keep in mind that people prefer visuals over text. That is why designers in a SEO strategy also play a big role in generating high-quality traffic. They are the ones who create custom images of all of your content. They make sure that the content would be associated with images that are relevant to the topic. Also, the SEO manager must ensure that the content creators and designers are on the same track. Otherwise, it would end up not the way you expected it.

Component #4: PR and Link Builders

Although there may be some distinctions between PR and Link Builders, both aims to reach out to other people in the industry. They are most likely to look for other business and develop relationships that will be mutually beneficial. In SEO, PR has a broader term that surrounds within modern link building. There are even times when the connection between the two could be used for other opportunities beyond gaining a simple link. Most SEOs who specialize in link building are also expanding their niche and skill set that includes PR skills.

Component #5: Technical Experts

The content on your website is a crucial factor when it comes to getting high-quality traffic. However, SEO specialist should not mainly focus on creating content to the extent where the technical side of SEO is ignored. Keep in mind that the technical side is the foundation of all the other parts of SEO. Without it, your team might experience difficulties along the way. People who specialise on the technical part are called the SEO analyst. Their job is to analyze and understand the site architecture and can detect flaws. Also, they handle another technical aspect as checking the load time optimization, split testing, internal linking optimization, implementing rich snippets and “rel” tags and keyword optimization in content (if need)

Component #6: Developers

This is where the user’s experience is involved. A great user’s experience depends on how great your website’s developer is. That means the developers are responsible for optimizing and modifying your site – its feature and usability of a website. It does not matter whether the manager plans to hire a full-time or a freelancer, the developer must be skillful enough to make a user-friendly site.

Component #7: Account Manager

There are just times that the job of an SEO manager can get overwhelming. When the manager gets too much workload, this is when the account manager takes place. Their job is to assign a new set of responsibilities to a member of the SEO team. The account manager will also be the one who handles the most basic client communication post-sale and generates reports of their work and its results. When the SEO manager is busy, the account manager will be the one who will answer the client’s inquiries.

Component #8: Email And Social Media Marketers

When it comes to getting a high-quality traffic, you must consider email and social media marketing. It does not just increase your website’s traffic, but it also gives your business the return on investment (ROI). Depending on your team, email and social media can perform differently. However, to achieve a better output, both should have some input into the content marketing strategy since it will be promoted and used in other ways.

Component #9: Conversion Rate Optimizers

An SEO manager can decide whether to have a conversion rate optimizers on his team or not since it is just an optional role. However, if you aim to achieve a desirable outcome, then having them on your team can be a good option. They are responsible for their SEO work to clients or upper management. They also care about the results of your actual rankings: traffic, profit, revenue, and to a lesser extent.

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“The best thing you can do to help others take responsibility is to authentically practice the behaviours that you want others to practice.” – Dr. Michelle Reina

Being a leader is a lot of work. When executed correctly, then you would make a great team. But when a leader does not pay attention to the needs of his team, then the expect the opposite. Even a competitive business such as SEO Company, leaders make sure they know and understand what a team needs to establish trust and momentum. But then again, it is not that easy.

The job of a team leader is not just about understanding or helping his/her subordinates. But also, he/she must be reliable, credible, and committed to working hard for the team’s growth – that makes an effective leader. To give you more of it, we list down some ways on how to gain team trust and momentum.

1. Reward To Performers

“You have to create a culture where everybody has an opportunity to be recognized.” – John Mackey

You do know your team is working. They do the tasks you asked them to do and finish it on time. But the question is; which of them is dedicated enough to do his/her tasks well? Who is that certain person who would go beyond what you expect them to do? Who is that one person that makes sure that everything he/she does would excel? These people are worthy of a reward.

Acknowledgment for their hard work probably would do. But as a leader, don’t limit your reward. Think about what makes them happy, excited or feel motivated to do their work even harder. SALARY perhaps?

2. Protect Your Team’s Time

“Business is about people, and your reputation is built on how you treat people.” – Bruce Rauner

As a leader, you are well aware that time management is important. However, you may not realize that sometimes you have been using their time in an impractical way. For instance, you called them for a meeting, and yet your agenda is so simple that you can just inform them through an email. Think about how many minutes would it take for them to assemble in the conference room. Think about their feelings whenever you called a meeting. Not thinking about these things can ruin their productivity.

Additionally, if you want to call a meeting, make sure to create a timeline on the things you want to discuss – a new project perhaps. It is in this way where you can deliver all the important things that needed on a new task or project in an easier and faster way.

3. Encourage Efficiency and Communication

“I wouldn’t ask anyone to do anything I wouldn’t do myself.” – Indra Nooyi

Keep in mind that a successful business would depend on how you act or work as a team. However, you can never create a strong team when you lack efficiency and communication. Is your team competent enough? Do they have the ability to excel in their field of expertise? Are they effective enough to execute a certain task or project? Knowing and understanding their unique capabilities is crucial when you want to create a great team. But you cannot achieve a desirable outcome when you do not care to communicate.

It is in an effective communication where you can get to know more about your members. You may want to ask them on what part of the task do they find it easy or difficult. A simple question with a simple answer can create a big difference on the productivity of your team. That means, in everything you do, try to communicate and help each other succeed.

4. Provide Clear Role Definition and Project Direction

“When you’re surrounded by people who share a passionate commitment around a common purpose, anything is possible.” – Howard Schultz

No matter how competent your team is, if the members do not understand their respective task, then you are still bound to fail. That means, it is the job of the team leader to provide his/her members a clear definition of a specific task and project direction. Do not leave your members hanging and wondering what role should they take to achieve the right result. Keep in mind that your business or company is at stake. So, you better be serious in clearing up any misunderstandings and confusions.

Needless to say, having a clear role and project direction does not just save your business from any disasters, but also helping your teammates feel ownership of their work and responsibilities. Not to mention, the feeling of accomplishing a certain task that he/she excel.

5. Provide a learning environment, not just lecturing

“Your words and deed must match if you expect employees to trust in your leadership.” – Kevin Kruse

Sometimes, a leader should also try to put on the shoes of their subordinates. Think about how would they feel whenever you keep lecturing them about something all over again. Think about the things you sometimes do that irritates them. You probably not aware of it, but there are times your team may not be as productive as before considering these issues. Keep in mind that your team would also get tired of being told what to do. Why not try to create a learning environment? They do not just learn something you, you can also get an idea for your next project based on their opinions and suggestions.

An effective leader should cut the distance between his/her teammates. Work on and enjoy every task together. If there are any confusions about an individual process, then simplify it for them. If you learn something from reading or based on experience, then care to share it with your team. Or even do some team building to learn more and new stuff. It is in this way you can gain their trust and momentum that you certainly are the right leader for the team.

Final Thoughts:

Although being a team leader is a lot of work, it is not that hard to execute and be an effective leader. The effectiveness and productiveness of each team member would also depend on how you motivate them to work hard and excel in their respective task. Again, maintain a strong intra-team communication to achieve the desired outcome.

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“The essence of procrastination lies in not doing what you think you should be doing, a mental contortion that surely accounts for the great psychic toll the habit takes on people. This the perplexing thing about procrastination: although it seems to involve avoiding unpleasant tasks, indulging in it generally doesn’t make people happy.” – James Surowiecki

Procrastination is a common way to get us all stuck. And yet, we may not even realize we’re doing it. Whenever you want to avoid a task, we tend to create reasons in our head that supply us with enough logic so we can delay it. For instance, you need to beat a deadline, yet there you are fiddling with miscellaneous things such as checking your email, social media, watching videos, surfing blogs and forums, and the list can go on. You will know that you are already procrastinating when you slack off from your work.

Everyone is guilty of procrastination. Who aren’t, right? But just because everyone else is procrastinating, that does not mean you’re doing the same thing as well. Especially when you work in a competitive environment such as the SEO Company, overcoming procrastination is must-do! Here’s how:

1. Face your fear

“Procrastination is the fear of success. People procrastinate because they are afraid of the success that they will result if they move ahead now. Because success is heavy, carries a responsibility with it, it is much easier to procrastinate and live on the “someday I’ll” philosophy.” – Denis Waitley

Have you ever tried thinking about being afraid of something that you just want to avoid it? Perhaps, you’ve been feeling a bit pressured on your work assuming you might get more work than you usually do whenever you are done with it. Not to mention the fear you feel whenever you make mistakes, stumble and not avoid the pain. This might be too risky for you to get ahead thinking about what can happen to you in the long run. But did you know that not bravely facing your fears can lead you to regrets? You may find it difficult to cope with the challenges in life, but at the end of the day, you must know that for you to move forward, you need to beat your fears head-on.

2. Start with the hardest task of your day

“Do the hard jobs first. The easy jobs will take care of themselves.” – Dale Carnegie

Did you know that humans are productive in the morning than later in the afternoon? This is because your mind is in working condition willing to perform any task you have. That means, if you start your day doing the hardest task, then you may feel relieved afterward. Additionally, you will feel more relaxed and good about yourself for accomplishing the task you might hate the most. Keep in mind that your decision and action would break or make your day.

3. Stop thinking. Start doing.

“To think too long about doing a thing often becomes its undoing.” – Eva Young

There’s nothing wrong about planning ahead. In fact, it is one thing we need to do to complete our tasks more efficiently. However, when you tend to think and think and try to come p with “the perfect plan,” then this can eat up a lot of your time without accomplishing anything else. Coming up with that “perfect plan” may be impossible to achieve. When it comes to working, you need to start with some small steps and more small steps until you get to the point where you know what’s best for your task. It is a learning process. So, stop thinking too much and start doing it right now.

4. Don’t blow a task out of proportion

“If you want to make an easy job seem might hard, just keep putting off doing it.” – Olin Miller

“Putting off an easy thing makes it hard. Putting off hard things makes it impossible.” – George Claude Lorimer

There’s also a popular saying that goes, “Do not put off until tomorrow what you can do today.” – Benjamin Franklin

Let’s just say; you have a particular task that would be due on Friday. You think that it might be okay to put it off since it’s still Monday, later you’ll realize that days are passing so fast that you forget to do the necessary changes. Procrastinating would lead you to panic on what to do for you to get your task done, which naturally would also lead you to settle for less. Keep in mind that those who are okay with going for less are unproductive people. One thing is for sure; you do not want to be labeled as an unproductive person.

5. Just take the first step

“You don’ have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

There may be times that you feel like the pressure is on you since your tasks may seem impossible to accomplish. But keep in mind that no one is genius enough to get their work done perfectly on the first try. When it comes to working on your task, expect there would be some mistakes, some corrections, and some changes. Whenever you’re corrected, don’t take it too hard. You just have to be open-minded and keep it in mind. This is for you to grow mentally and emotionally. All you have to do is to take the first step and do whatever you can. You will eventually realize that you’ve finished your tasks already.

Final Thoughts:

Procrastination is the enemy of success. If you notice that you’ve been drag down to procrastinate, then force yourself to move in the other direction. Here’s a warning: There are a lot of temptations around you which lead you to procrastinate. Before you do, think again whether it is worth your time and effort. If it doesn’t, then avoid it as much as you can. It is in this way where you can learn how to discipline yourself and succeed whatever you are into doing. 

The post Breaking Away from Procrastination – How to Do it Right appeared first on Optimind SEO Philippines | Quality SEO from the Philippines.