We at the Honest Tech Group like to think that we can handle almost any challenge that comes our way, whether it be creative, technical or social.
But in the world of web design and development, the rules constantly change, the goalposts move – nowhere is this more apparent than in the Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) work we do for our clients.
In the early days, it used to be sufficient to have keywords and a good description hidden in the code of the website (META tags) – and that was all you had to do to ensure that the search engines (and, therefore, potential visitors or customers) could see you.
Now, it’s a totally different story…
The major player, Google, uses a huge amount of factors to determine the placement of your site for any given search term, including some you wouldn’t even think of.
From how long you’ve owned your domain, the country where your site is hosted, the readability (and authenticity) of your content, backlinks from other reputable sites and, of course, the design and build of the site itself – think mobile/tablet friendly!
The way a website functions and, yes, how it looks, can have a massive impact on how it performs on the search engines, and, ultimately, how you customers or clients will find you.
Rarely will a designer, being more concerned with the creative look, think about how that look (and how it has to be built) will affect search engine positioning.
We think this needs to change, which is why we have decided to send our designers on a course (or maybe two) to learn the intricacies of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).
This means that they will consider things like page load speed, font sizes, the page structure (placement of navigation, for example). Whilst there’s never such a thing as a perfect website, by encouraging our design staff to think about how your website will be used, by whom and on what device & keeping one eye on the ever-changing nuances of SEO, we can achieve a balance, which is as near to perfect as possible. By that we mean one that looks great and one the search engines will love.
For you, dear client, this creates a win-win situation.
You get a beautifully designed site that’s fast, robust, mobile and search-engine friendly right from the start, meaning that your site will start working for you from the day we publish it for you. It will be easier to maintain, meaning that you will continue to benefit from SEO long after that first day, provided you can create content that will keep your visitors coming back – if you lack the in-house capacity to produce fresh content for your site, we’d be delighted to help you using our own team of talented content writers and bloggers – all part of the Dorset Tech service.
SEO has changed and we've adapted – we pride ourselves on producing attractive, search-engine, mobile friendly sites that give great results – the Honest Tech Group way!
Why not call us today?
A term that you might have heard quite often if you have a business website is SEO. SEO, or search engine optimisation, is a simple term that can be difficult to understand and even more challenging to apply in the digital world. Many small business owners have tried to run their own SEO campaigns without very good results. This is where a Dorset SEO expert comes in. But before we get to that, let’s take a closer look at what SEO is and how it can benefit you.
What Is SEO?
SEO, or search engine optimisation, is what helps your business rank higher in the search engines. Studies show that 90% of online shoppers choose a business from the first page of the search results. This means that your business needs to be in the top 10 and that is where SEO comes in. If your business isn’t ranking on the first page, chances are, your marketing campaign won’t result in any additional sales.
If you are looking for ways to improve your search engine rankings, or you are unclear as to just what SEO is and what it can do for your website, contact a Dorset SEO agency and have them create an SEO campaign that is effective at ranking your business higher in the search engine results.
Why Does Your Business Need SEO?
More consumers shopping online- today, there are more consumers shopping online than ever before and they rely on the search engines to provide them with the search results they are looking for. By using search engine optimisation as an effective marketing tool, you can reach more online shoppers with a lot less effort.
SEO Is Cost-Effective- when compared to other online marketing strategies, SEO is more cost effective. Many online marketing campaigns can be expensive and there is no guarantee that you will see results. Search engine optimisation is an affordable solution that can help you focus on targeting your customer base more effectively.
SEO Or PPC?
Which is better for your business? SEO or PPC? For many business owners, this can be a challenging question and one that should be answered by a Dorset SEO professional. Both are very effective methods of increasing sales and growing your brand, but knowing when to use them is what will help you achieve success.
Contact Dorset Tech
To learn more about SEO and how it can benefit your business, contact Dorset Tech and let a website professional assist you and answer any questions you might have.
If you enjoyed this article, please feel free to share it on your favourite social media sites.
Capturing your website visitors’ interests can be difficult in 2019. According to a study from analytics service Chartbeat 55% of visitors spend 15 seconds or fewer on a webpage. With more than 3.5 billion Google searches every day, and roughly 350,000 tweets sent every minute, it has become so important to get your content found and then to engage the reader.
In this guide we share the ultimate guide to writing content for your website that will not only be ranked high by Google, but will boost your authority with visitors and increase conversion rates.
It sounds simple, but so many writers start their blog-writing without taking time to think about who it is they’re trying to reach. Before writing even a single line, ask yourself: Who is my primary audience? Do I have a secondary audience who can influence my primary audience? How will they find my website?
For example, say you’re creating a website for a legal firm in Dorset. Your primary target audience would be existing clients and prospects. However, your secondary target audience is much broader and would include other solicitors, law reporters, or anyone else in the wider area who might need your services in the future. You’ll need to make sure your content is both engaging and accessible to all of these audiences. What kind of questions might these groups be asking? What kind of information do they need?
Audiences find your website through many different paths; social media, links from other websites, email sharing, and search engine results. That last method is especially important when you write for the web. Text could be extremely well-written and informative, but if it’s not optimised for search engines, chances are few people will find it. Think of your audience again: what search terms would they type into Google? Make sure to include those terms in your H1 headline and H2 sub-headers.
Web readers have short attention spans - they’ll decide whether your site has the information they need in seconds. I mean I’m impressed that you made it this far! Structure your content like an upside-down pyramid or an ice-cream cone. The most important sentences at the top of the page. Then drill down to the more specific supporting information.
For example, say you’re creating a webpage about a conference. The most pertinent details - a description of the event, date, time and location would appear at the top of the page. Supporting details like speakers and their lecture topics would follow. The less important information such as event organisers, travel details, etc - would appear at the very bottom.
Long sentences are for Thomas Hardy! The short attention span of today’s reader demands sentences of 35 words or fewer. According to webpagefx.com the average adult reads at a 7th to 9th-grade level. So website content that’s accessible and easy to read will naturally reach a wider audience.
Focus on using nouns and verbs; use adverbs and adjectives sparingly. Don’t use words like “equanimity” or “obfuscate” when words like “calm” or “confuse” will do.
If you’re not sure what level you write at (like most of us!) then it’s useful to check how your texts score with readility tools. Most of the popular tools are based on the length of words and sentences in a text. Your text’s readability is then scored by a number, normally out of 10. If you use WordPress to power your website, then install the great Yoast SEO plugin – it’s free and will help you with an instant readability score.
Specific real-world examples to help readers visualise your messages. Consider these two descriptions:
This is the best dog toy money can buy.
Or
We made the “Tough Tugger” dog toy from durable 100% natural rubber, designed to resist punctures and tears from even the most dedicated of chewers.
Which version gives you a clearer picture of the type of dog toy you’re buying? Specific details in the second description show readers the dog bone rather than tell them about it.
To make things even better, more specific, descriptive product information helps improve your website’s SEO (Search Engine Optimisation).
Make sure information is understandable for the educated non-specialist. You may know what those acronyms mean, but your readers might not. Spell out acronyms on first reference and avoid insider language. Explain complex terms fully and link to other articles as needed.
Consider this sentence:
The journalist grabbed a SOT from the MOS, drove back to the station and put the story in the can.
Many of these terms are comprehensible only to broadcast journalists. A reader-friendly revision would be:
The journalist interviewed a bystander about the incident, and recorded her statement to include in the story.
This tip is especially important if you work in a technical industry, but want your website to attract non-expert customers. Remember that you need to write for your audience (see point #1) and not for your colleagues. Using accessible language will help you come across as approachable and open.
Words are like cookies—we all have our favourites (mine’s Awesome!). But when it comes to keeping your visitors interested, variety is key! Have you over-used a certain word? Type it into Thesaurus.com to find new synonyms to enhance your text.
Here’s the exception: repeat the key phrase that the particular page is focused on, multiple times. For example, if you’re a photographer and the page you are writing is to target the SEO phrase of “photoshoots” then use that phrase rather than “photography sessions”.
In addition to putting the most important information up top, make sure text is easy to skim. Most web readers will scan the page to find the specific piece of information they’re looking for - if they don’t find it easily then they’ll move on.
Don’t believe it? Try paying attention the next time you open a webpage you haven’t seen before. Are you reading every word beginning to end? Or is your eye jumping around, looking for the information you want?
Tips for improving “skimability":
These sub-headers not only help readers navigate the page, they’ll help search engines find your content. On your WordPress site, just select the text you want to edit, highlight your heading, then hover over the Style options to set your heading size. Use one large (H1) heading at the top of each page, use medium (H2) headings to separate your main content, and use small (H3) headings for any minor points.
Sometimes a picture really is worth a thousand words. Research shows that 90% of the information transmitted to the human brain is visual, and people process visual information 60,000 times faster than text. An easy-to-read chart or graph can also do a better job of explaining a complicated topic than text alone. If you’re not a graphic designer by trade, there are lots of ways to use visuals on your website and some great services out there to help you make graphics yourself like Canva.
Images also help break up text, making your page easier to read. We recommend having at least one image on each page of your website.
The great thing about a website is that it’s easy to direct readers from one page to another. Help readers find more great content by hyperlinking certain words or phrases to other relevant resources, especially those on your own website. This will help keep people engaged with your content and moving through your site.
For example, say this sentence appeared on your cooking website: Ratatouille is a low-fat dish that consists of seasonal ingredients like eggplant, squash, and tomatoes. You could hyperlink “low-fat dish” to a page with other blog posts on healthy eating.
Building these internal links within your own site also helps your SEO, but keep in mind that links should always be relevant and helpful. Visually, if you overload your text with links, people won’t know what to click on.
Good websites end each page with a strong call-to-action (or CTA for short). This strategy helps direct readers to other areas of your website and encourages them to promote your content to their friends and family.
Keep these calls-to-action succinct, and start them with action verbs like “Download,” “Share,” “Join,” “Sign Up,” “Learn More” or “Watch.” And of course, make sure to include a hyperlink that actually allows readers to fulfil the action you’re asking them to take.
Writing, in general, is hard work - writing content for your website, even more so. But remember, you don’t need to write perfect texts first time around! Once your content is live, you can do monthly website checks to monitor and optimise its performance. With these tips, you’re prepared to create effective content that resonates with even the most time-pressed of internet readers.
If all of this sounds too much like hard work – why not hire us to write your website content? Contact Us
Google has worked very hard over the years to become the search engine of choice and in our opinion, is the single most important website in the world! To keep it in its rightful place of market dominance, they must continue to improve search. Features such as contextual or predictive search help, but you can’t rule out just improving the results delivered. This is the reasoning behind their latest update.
In the quest to make the internet a better place, they have announced that they will start to penalise websites which are not mobile-friendly. These sites will be pushed down the search engine ranks and mobile friendly rivals, pushed up. This is a bold action as it’s estimated that over 75% of websites are not currently friendly. We agree with Google and in fact have a policy of only building mobile friendly sites. Even our entry level sites c. £500 are fully responsive, meaning they work on all screen sizes. The simple fact that across the sites we control over 50% of traffic is mobile/tablet and that figure is rising, means that we cannot have it any other way.
When can a website be called mobile-friendly?
A website is mobile-friendly when it can load on the mobile browser without losing its essence. This means that the settings of a website are such that they can easily adapt to whatever electronic device it is loading on. This will result in the website text and content to fit according to the screen size of the electronic device, the images are easily shown and the audio and video are played without increase in add-ins. All this is important if it results in improved user experience which is the top most aim of all mobile-friendly websites.
Responsive Design Vs Dedicated Mobile Site
There are 2 real methods of achieving a mobile friendly site. The traditional method was to build a separate mobile website to run alongside the desktop one. A more modern approach is to build one site, which adapts to the screen size. We call this responsive design.
We’ll cover the differences, pros and cons in a future blog post, but either of these methods (if implemented correctly!) will keep Google and your customers happy.
How will this affect corporate organisations?
This is both good news and bad news for businesses. Those businesses that don’t yet have a mobile-friendly layout will see a sharp drop in their traffic and ranking as Google will make mobile-friendly websites a priority and put it on the front. Businesses can use different tools by Google to check the “mobile-friendliness” of their websites.
How to check websites for mobile-friendly
Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test is one way of testing a site for the smartphone. Another important tool by Google is The Mobile Usability Report which shows whether a website is usable or not. Website ranking and traffic is often further affected so it’s best to check for minor details like website speed, unavailable video and audio, image blocking or redirecting to desktop layout of website.
Google’s PageSpeed Insights lets web designers see how fast a website downloads on a smartphone or an android. SEO is terribly affected if a website’s mobile version redirects to its desktop version.
Dorset Tech is up-to-date with all the latest trends in web design, app development, and software development. Our team of experts not only present solutions to our customers’ most difficult issues, but as a social enterprise, we ensure that good web development is affordable for both small and big companies alike. Why not request a free website audit and we’ll tell you exactly how Google’s changes effect you?
Useful Links:
Google Mobile Friendly Test: https://www.google.co.uk/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/
Web Master Tools Mobile Usability Report: https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-usability
Page Speed Insights: https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights/
Technology often moves quicker than we anticipate, so it’s important to keep all of our customers in the loop about the latest developments.
One of our primary concerns as digital marketing specialists is ensuring that we follow the latest Google updates and trends.
Google updates change how we work as SEO specialists and can transform our digital landscape at the drop of a hat.
With that in mind, let’s look at the most recent Google updates related to structured data.
In a nutshell, structured data helps Google understand the content of a webpage better.
Structured data is, in essence, code that is placed into your HTML page to help Google better display results related to that content.
For instance, a recipe page will use code that identifies all the different elements – recipe name, ingredients, instructions, cooking times and so forth.
This makes it easier for search users to find the right content – it creates a rich snippet that can be viewed on Google without having to even go onto your page.
Technically, yes, this is one of the biggest things about structured data.
Rich snippets will appear on Google Search and can provide information to customers without them clicking through to your page.
So, if you run an online book shop, instead of search users clicking through to your site, they can purchase directly from the Google search page.
Structured data has its benefits. It helps Google understand the content of your website better. This will improve your rankings.
That said, it also suggests that there is a risk that you won’t earn a site clickthrough. Search users are able to find relevant content without clicking through to a website. Web traffic could drop as a result.
Of course, like everything with Google, there is no promise your site will rank higher even if you do use structured data.
In May 2019, Google launched two new structured data updates.
The first is for Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and the second is for How-To content.
Both types of content are now supported by structured data, which allows rich snippets to appear on Google search and using Google Assistant.
This means you can now tell Google that content on a specific page is either ‘How-To’ content or a ‘FAQ’.
Here’s how “How-To” content will now appear on Google using structured data:
While this is how “FAQs” may appear on Google Search:
Simply put, it has become a lot easier to share your FAQs and How-To content with search users.
That helps Google rank your site better and make your content more accessible to those looking for answers.
At the same time, there is also a chance that search users won’t need to clickthrough to your website for that information now.
It’s a double-edge sword that’s worth being vigilant about.
Speak to Dorset Tech if you'd like to know more.
There are many ways that you can grow your business online but the two that are most effective and that provide the greatest ROI are SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and PPC (Pay Per Click). Both are just as effective as the other and which one you need depends largely on your business, your website, your industry and sometimes even the effectiveness of your web designer and web developer.
Many top Dorset web design professionals are often asked, ‘Which is better: SEO or PPC?’ While not an easy question to answer, we are going to explain the differences between the two and share some benefits that each one offers so you can come to your own conclusion and see which one meets the needs of your business best.
SEO vs PPC
The two main differences between SEO and PPC is that with SEO, organic traffic is free, while organic traffic with a PPC campaign costs money for each click. But that doesn’t mean to say that one is better, only that they are different. In fact, a good WordPress Developer will use both SEO and PPC together to create a strategic online campaign that can grow your business much more effectively and efficiently.
Visibility- SEO offers excellent visibility in the search engines and uses targeted keywords to get your business seen by potential customers.
Branding- SEO makes branding of your business much easier and can even target your specific search terms to your local area. That means that more people will see your brand locally and associate it with an authoritative voice in your industry.
Credibility- when potential customers see your business on the first page of the search results, there is a perceived credibility and trust that comes with it.
Website Traffic- SEO provides an increase in website traffic which means more opportunities to drive awareness of your brand and make a sale.
Cost- SEO is not completely free but it is more cost effective than other forms of digital marketing.
Sustainability- SEO offers sustainability that most other paid search marketing techniques can’t match.
Position On The Page- PPC gives you a guaranteed position on the search engine and your ad is usually seen before any other results.
Visual Product Ads- PPC lets you place visual product ads (PLAs) that give the user an idea of what they are clicking on.
Budget- PPC offers better control of your marketing budget because you know exactly how much you are spending per click and you can adjust that amount as needed.
Targeting- PPC gives you a targeted method of reaching potential customers based on search keywords, time of day, day of the week, geography, language, device and audiences.
Contact Dorset Tech
To learn more about the difference between SEO and PPC and how each one can benefit your business, contact Dorset Tech and let a website professional assist you and answer any questions you might have.
If you enjoyed this article, please feel free to share it on your favourite social media sites.
In the world of search engine optimisation, there are many very good SEO companies that can boost your search engine rankings and help your business succeed. But for every good SEO service, there are two (or more) scammers who are looking to take your money and leave with you with little to no actual results. In fact, this is becoming a growing problem in the industry prompting many UK business owners to seek the help of a Dorset Web Design professional to ensure they get the best web development and SEO services possible.
But the question remains, ‘Why are there so many scammers in the SEO industry?’ To answer that question, we have to understand the mindset of the small business owner as well as the scammer.
Business Owners Want Easy And Fast SEO
Many new business owners are looking for an easy to way to boost sales, increase online visibility and get their website to the front page of the Google search results. Not only do they want it to be easy, but they want it to now. They don’t want to wait months, or even years, to grow their search results organically and they want to use whatever methods are available to get the instant results they want.
SEO Scammers Prey On Business Owners
This is where the SEO scammer comes into play. Just like the small business owner, the SEO scammer wants to make money. He sees an opportunity and provides a service, albeit a worthless one. SEO scammers prey on business owners looking for the ‘pie in the sky’ internet dream and once they have found one, they make all sorts of promises, knowing that they cannot possibly keep them.
Of course, the small business owner hears what he has been waiting to hear and signs up with the scammer. He pays his money and waits. Then he waits and waits some more. Finally, after not seeing the results he was promised, he tries to complains to the SEO scammer who of course claims they did great work. They go their separate ways and the cycle restarts with the next SEO scammer! So now, the business owner is out both time and money because he was too eager to get those instant results that just aren’t realistic in today’s online world.
Indian SEO Agencies?
There are many reputable Indian SEO Agencies, but this is a category that is normally full of disappointment. In 16 years of webdesign I have yet to find an Indian SEO agency that will do the job to a suitable standard and some are a lot more expensive than UK providers! They will normally do what they say initially, but due to their English being below standard, what they do will be to a low standard. Beware of their on-going relationship too as after the first month very little activity will happen, but you will be charged the same amount each month. Do your own analysis on results as we've seen fake monthly rank tracking reports sent by Indian SEO agencies. They'll also try to track very long tail phrases for instance "Dorset WordPress Web Design Agency" to make it easier to report higher growth when there is no traffic on these terms.
Whose Fault Is It?
So, whose fault is it? Is it the fault of the overly eager business owner, or the SEO scammer? Depending on how you look at it, you could say both. You could also say that it is the fault of the industry. After all, we see success stories all of the time and we are told that we, too, could have that kind of success.
What should the small business owner do when they want an SEO campaign that gets results? They should talk to their Web developer. An experienced web developer understands how real SEO works and can show business owners how to get the organic traffic results that want the right way.
Contact Dorset Tech
To learn more about the difference between SEO and PPC and how each one can benefit your business, contact Dorset Tech and let a website professional assist you and answer any questions you might have.
If you enjoyed this article, please feel free to share it on your favourite social media sites.
