E-business Coach Advisories

Revisiting the Meta-Description - Good vs Bad

By Howard C. Gray
We've been helping a client with SEO and feeling a bit overwhelmed, they took a shortcut to their optimization.  They used page descriptions and copied and dropped them directly into the meta-descriptions. This “shortcut” is ill advised and does little to assist in  SEO/Search results page click-throughs.

Why is this?

• It’s wasting an opportunity to create a brief, powerful call-to-action statement that summarizes the page content in an easy to scan, easy to digest manner for the searcher on the search results page.
• Google prefers the Meta-description to be different than page content. To quote Google’s Webmaster Guidelines: ”...meta descriptions aren’t displayed in the pages the user sees…” Because of this, we believe the reverse is true.
• Since the meta-description is cut off at 165 characters, keyword opportunities that are buried further in the content are lost. The closer the all-important keyword is to the front of the HTML title and in the meta-description and on the page, the more likely the search engine will determine that keyword represents what the page is about. After all, they’re the first words it sees. And they’re the first words a searcher/visitor sees; clarifying to them they should click that link or are on the right page. It matches their query.
• If the page description is dropped into the meta-description, the search engine may look at the duplication of content on the front and back of the page and the following could occur:
  1. Trip a duplication of content filter
  2. Trip a spam filter

Neither of which is good…

What are filters?
Filters were created by search engines in the late 90’s and refined in the early oughts to weed out “black hat” SEO techniques Internet marketers were using to cheat high rankings. From Google’s Webmaster Guidelines: Filters are “scalable algorithms that recognize and block future spam attempts.” Once a filter is tripped the page is usually dropped from the index.

What is spam in reference to SEO?
Spam refers to packing meta-data, titles, and descriptions with one keyword or keyword phrase. This is why Google developed the “relevancy” factor. They have the best “relevancy” search engine in the world. Google is able to recognize, for example: kid, child, youth, children, toddler, etc as all meaning the same and are related. To quote Google again: ”...meta descriptions (and HTML titles) comprised of long strings of keywords don’t give users a clear idea of the page’s content, and are less likely to be displayed…”

This is why using variations of related words works so well with Google. And it makes for a more pleasant shopping experience. The copy reads better and creates mental “associations” for the visitor. Google wants to rank pages higher that give the searcher a good experience…so they’ll come back and use Google again. Obviously reading a statement in the search results that repeats a keyword over and over and over not only looks ridiculous, it looks desperate. 

Here’s a quick review of Meta-data best practices:

• Use short sentences. Get the point across. 
• Use benefit statements and words that speak to the shopper. Action verbs!
• Use related or relevant words in the titles and snippets. (Ex: kitty, cat, pet)
• Use variations of keywords (tri-fold, trifold)
• Use titles as “headlines.” A good headline in a newspaper makes you want to read it. Think about creating HTML titles as page “headlines.” Don’t just copy the display title. That’s a default feature in our software already, and we’re trying to avoid that.
• Avoid the “we, we” factor. We have this. We have that. Searchers don’t care. They want to know “what’s in it FOR ME?” What is the benefit I get from clicking on this link? Speak to them as a person. Ask them a question or offer a solution. Ex: “Your kid’s room a mess? You’ll be delighted with the wide selection of easy to stack toy storage boxes.”
• Include descriptive copy in the Alt tags of all images. Add a keyword or 2. Those who have disabilities such as poor vision will appreciate it. It also improves your ranking in Google Images.

Here’s perhaps one of the most important things to consider in regards to rankings. Since Google wants to serve a pleasant shopping/search experience, they reward sites that get clicked on from the results pages with better rankings over time. It’s speculated that they use data like time on site and bounce rates to rank pages. Why not? It’s another angle that serves the shopper with a more pleasant experience. Data is math and search engine’s are math based.

Clearly, it’s worth the time and effort to prioritize, and sit down and continue creating unique, benefit oriented, keyword related titles and meta-descriptions that aren’t filled with nonsense and spam. And the sooner this is done, the sooner Google will rank these pages. And if these pages look enticing from the results page, searchers will chose to click on you. To quote Google’s Webmaster Guidelines: ”...high-quality (meta)descriptions…can go a long way to improving the quality and quantity of your search traffic.”

For more information on creating good meta-descriptions, refer to Google’s Webmaster Guidelines at: http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?answer=35264&ctx=sibling

For more information on creating good HTML titles and Alt tags, refer to Google’s Webmaster Guidelines at: http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?answer=70928&ctx=sibling

Search Marketing Definitions

By Howard C. Gray

As experienced search marketers, we sometimes forget our clients may be new to Internet merchandising. We can be guilty of waxing-on using terms that could make anyone's head spin. Sometimes when we describe what we do to acquaintances on the street they tend to look at us like we're Aliens speaking in tongues. Here at e-businesscoach.com, we want to provide you with the best opportunity to learn all you can to create and operate a profitable online store. As is typical with many industries today, there is a flowering of bizarre and unusual acronyms and so forth. To provide you with the best service, we have created this handy guide to translating our lingo.

Algorithm    A mathematical formula applied to a software to search for pages in a Search Engine's database index.

Anxiety    The feeling of fear, insecurity, revulsion or confusion a visitor feels when they arrive at your site or landing page. Your goal is to reduce their anxiety.

Benchmarking    Measurement of comparison for one site with the industry.

Analytics   Website optimizing program designed to gather data and measure how people are using the site.

AOV    Average Order Value, the average value (revenue) of all orders on a website.

Bolding    Using bolding HTML to make a selected word or phrase pop off the page for users who scan web pages (most searchers do this first).

Bounce Pages / Bounce Rates    Bounce pages are pages on your website that visitors come to and then quickly leave. In other words, they don't "do anything" when they arrive. They don't navigate the page, they don't click on any links, they don't add to cart, etc. They leave. Pages with high bounce rates indicate a problem with the page. Visitors are either not seeing what they want right away, are confused they have opened the wrong page, or feel a high amount of anxiety, either from a prominent image, a lack of security logos, etc, so, they "bounce away."

Bot    A search engine software "robot" with mathematical programming formulas (see Spider)

Breadcrumbs    The linking navigation visible under the header as the visitor drills down showing where they are located in the site.

Cache    The index of a page as the search engine sees the page. Useful for quick examination of when a page was last crawled (Google) or to find programming or HTML errors on a web page. The Search Engine will show the errors you can't see with out the cache. Look for the Cashed link at the end of the  Search Engine results links.

Call-to-Action    Content or graphics that invites the searcher to do something: click on a link, click on a graphic, click on an image, etc.

Content    The copy you write for your web pages. Content should be written with keywords people use to search for your products or services. Content should be written with call to action benefits to the user incorporated. Content should be written to supply the visitor with all the information they seek. Content should be original and written with the basic rules of spelling and grammar in mind.

Conversions    The ability of a path...when a visitor from a landing page goes to add to cart for example, to accomplish a goal, whether that is to buy a product, sign up for an e-mail. etc.

Crawl    When a search engine spider passes through your website navigation and links.

Filters / Triggers    Mathematical formulas designed to find "spamming/spammy" pages and remove them from the search results. A page with the word kids repeated too many times would trigger a filter. Perhaps if the page reaches a certain density, this filter would then come into play.

Funnel   The path a visitor takes to get to a goal. Such as add to cart, proceed to checkout, fill out shipping address, billing address, purchase product. An abandoned funnel is one where the visitor has bailed out and not completed the goal.

Goals  Places to go or things to do on a website, such as add to cart or sign up for an email, often associated with a funnel.

Google Web Optimizer    A tool offered by Google to test different landing pages. Useful in refining the design of a web page and improving conversions.

Keyword Density    A mathematical formula designed to measure the number of times a keyword is repeated on a page in relation to the rest of the page's content. Useful for determining if a page is "over-optimized" for a particular keyword, which could cause a page to be ranked lower.

Landing page    A webpage designed for visitors to find, open and navigate. Frequently refers to where a paid Ad is directed. Often a category page that ranks naturally in the Search Engines.

Linking Architecture   How your site category and products are sorted and structured. Ideally you would want to place your most important products (the ones that sell the best and rank the best) at the top of your sorting list. By doing so, the search engines will determine that you have made this your most important category or product. This also allows the search engine spider to crawl your site in a drill down manner.

LSI    Latent Semantic Index(ing) - The special mathematic formula developed by document searchers to find information in a document or webpage that is related to the search query keyword. For example search query keyword is "car" but the word does not appear on the page. Instead "auto" appears on the page and the search result is returned regardless of exact keyword match. The system long thought to be used by Google to weed out search marketers attempting to rank in the  Search Engine's by using a keyword with certain frequency.

Meta-description    Or meta-tag description, meta-description="content" - the place in the Admin section of your website web pages that tells the search engine what the page or site is about. See Search Engine Guidelines for more information. This can be used to create free call to action advertising in 155 characters or less. DO NOT stuff with keywords, duplicate the same meta-description for all your pages or avoid leaving blank. Used properly, this can greatly affect your rankings, the # of visitors you get and improve your conversions.

Navigation    The linking "architecture" of your website. The path searchers take to find products on your website. Navigation should be simple and straightforward and always available. Popular websites like Amazon use a tabbed navigation in the header because tabbed navigation looks like a real file system. In other words, it's real obvious the purpose with a quick glance.

Nelson Norms    The enormous word association (or norms) database project developed at the University of S. Florida from 1973-1998 by Douglas Nelson and Cathy McEvoy from an original small norms project created in 1963. Our theory is that this database is thought to be used by Google to develop their LSI based Search Algorithm. The sheer size and that it's tied in with how humans perceive words. The mathematical matrixes are LSI based and are already in place. Despite the overwhelming monstrosity of the database, there are easy ways to use it to develop powerful call to action copy inherently designed to rank well in the Search Engine's and is very effective at creating higher conversion rates.

Organic or natural rankings    Positioning in the  Search Engine's index without the use of paid advertising.

Pageviews    The number of pages a visitor looked at while visiting the site.

Rankings    The position your website or webpage as in regards to a search query with a selected  keyword(s). The higher the ranking, the more visitors to your site. Rankings change with time and fresh content.

Referrals Sites or origins (such as emails) that send traffic to a website. Can be from links from other websites, directories, blogs, etc.

Scan     How most internet users "read" content.

SE    Search Engine

SEO    Search Engine Optimization. The process by which a website is analyzed, reviewed, researched and studied. Thereby a plan is created using searched-for lists of keywords to "optimize" a website to rank highly in the search engines. SEO can be a long and tedious task and requires a great deal of effort on both the part of e-businesscoach and our clients. The results however of such expense and time are well worth the effort.

SERPs    Search Engine Results Pages. The results a searcher sees when they type keywords they've chosen into a search engine. The SERPs pages are your best opportunity to create inviting results that speak to the searcher. Highly important.

Snippet   The subtitle that appears under the title in the SERPs. Search Engine guidelines recommend using your meta-description to describe the page. As with paid Ads, you can use it as an advertisement to draw searchers to your site.

Spamming / spammy    A technique used by search marketers to get a page to rank well by stuffing various aspects and facets of a page with keywords they want the page to rank well with. For example, cramming as many variations of the words "Britany Spears" into the title, meta-description, hidden content on the page, links and so forth simply to get a top ranking. Using an automatically generated script to insert keywords into facets of your web pages. Frowned on by Google.

Spider    A search engine software "robot" with mathematical programming formulas similar to advanced calculus and algebra designed to "crawl" or pass through a website, determine what the website is about, and index the pages of the website in the SE's database.

Traffic    Visitors  who come to a website.   

Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) and How Using Related Words in Content Brings Positive Ranking Results

By Howard C. Gray

"Google recently strongly integrated latent semantic indexing into their algorithm." SEO Book February 2007.

In breaking down the sentence of Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) we get the following. Latent: Hidden. Semantic: Meaning in language. Index(ing): a list, reference or indicator of something. Therefore the meaning becomes: A hidden meaning from language that is placed in a list or reference (database in this case). Basically this long-winded description and it's acronym refer to the analysis of a document using a mathematical/statistical technique for extracting and representing the similarity of meanings of words and passages by means of a matrix system.

This matrix system is based on mathematical formulas called algorithms that separate out common words and articles such as: the, a, and, and other unimportant words in the document. From there, it continues to use different planes of the matrix (usually 2 or 3 planes or angles) to continue to refine the meaning of the page, removing unnecessary words and regrouping others that appear related.

By cross-referencing these matrix's, a mathematical formula that is software driven can scan the page and find related words and thereby "determine" what a page is about. For example, if a page was written about Nuts but the word Nut(s) does not literally appear on the page, the matrix formulas look for synonyms that are similar to, or related to, the word Nuts. Pecans, walnuts, cashews and peanuts (though not a nut, actually a legume) are all defined as belonging to the category of Nuts.

Therefore if a searcher types in "Nuts" in the search box of a search engine, the incorporated LSI will find the page, determine it's about Nuts and rank the page in it's index. Essentially, think of LSI as a super Thesaurus capable of matching keywords with desired documents and web pages.

Because people use their memory to relate a word to another word, LSI is a very human approach to the very un-human Internet experience. It's also an excellent approach to acquiring strong rankings without ticking off the search engines or making your website look idiotic and/or over-optimized. We can use this technique to go after highly competitive keywords that are highly searched-for and obtain good rankings for those keywords (among others) without tripping filters designed to weed out overly optimized pages attempting to target these highly searched terms.

In addition, we can use this concept to create powerful call-to-action copy that appeals to a user's visualization. This is where we recommend using simple tools such as the WordNet Search Related Words Tool to determine new related (key)words. Even though they aren't used by searchers will still work to rank your page. 

Creating Call-To-Action Content Using Word Association

By Howard C. Gray

How Using Word Association Can Become a Powerful Invitation

Effective call-to-action content copy can also be written utilizing the word association technique. Word associations are like-words that come to people's minds when they are prompted a word.

Example: Travel. Words that come to mind are: discover, enjoy, excitement, experience, explore, wander, log, light, visit, away, jet, leave, fun, far. Including these words in the content of a category or product page for travel luggage is an excellent way to not only tell the search engine what the page is about (these are all relevant words to travel), but also to appeal to an emotional level. Since people tend to make decisions like purchasing based on emotions, you're appealing on a personal level. You've made an invitation. You've created a call-to-action that avoids hard sell and makes a link or page or graphic "clickable."

Ask around the office to help build visualization content. Ask an associate what comes to their mind when you mention your product. Example: "What comes to mind when you hear the words body pillow?" Reply: "Back and body support. Sleeping comfort. A better nights sleep. Hypoallergenic stuffing." With one question you now have some effective call-to-action content to add to your meta-description and your page content. And it's relevant.

Creating effective call-to-action content is easy. Open with a question that concerns your visitor. "Looking for a classy recliner that provides the best comfort around?" Ask what are the benefits of your product? Using bolding to highlight important points while a visitor scans your page is effective in drawing the eyes to read these words.

Use Bulleted lists for specifications. They are easy to scan. Focus on the benefits of the product's features. Include important sales points.

And finally, close your sale with an invitation to buy. Don't be pushy. Be gentle and reiterate the benefits a customer gains purchasing your product from you. For example: "Isn't it time you and your partner enjoyed the healthy benefits and relaxing comfort of a Lux Love Seat? Order your's today and receive free ground shipping. " You've asked them a question. You've stated the benefits again. And you have made an irresistible offer. This is why they named it "call-to-action."

Simple Steps to More Money with Visitors You Already Have - Part 2 Big vs Small Changes

By Howard C. Gray

Everybody hates tests. But on the Internet, testing is a wonderful thing. Especially when  you get to see results right away. So put away your "testing anxiety" and get ready for some big ideas on making big conversions with those tons of visitors you currently have. There are basically two approaches to testing.

1. Itty-bitty improvements.

2. Big and bold changes

One you can track for weeks and see equally itty-bitty changes in your conversion rates. The other you can watch happen pretty much right away. Almost instantaneous. So as they say, don't sweat the small stuff, we say, don't test the small stuff. And stop worrying about temporarily lowering your conversion rates. The great thing about a big test is, it's only for one day. If it's a success, well hey, happy retirement, happy employees, happy investors and obviously happy customers.

Where to start your "big changes?" Find the "weakest link" in your marketing. Does your homepage get tons of traffic for that coveted gold keyword but you don't sell squat of that product and your visitors are going boing? Are they adding to cart like mad and then baling with the frequency of a hay farmer? Do they check out your shipping page and then drop shipment? Does your information page with those requirements for spelunking with canaries in caves bring in lots of visitors but they don't spend a dime on rope? Look for the lowest conversion rates, identify which pages they are associated with and roll up your sleeves. This isn't someone else's problem. This is YOUR problem.

Test BIG, like your webpage product layout! There are 3 typical layouts. The most common are the single column and the gallery. Most platforms offer the flexibility of changing layouts at whim. Awesome for A / B, A / C, B / C testing on your site. Pick 2 product lines with similar conversion results and try this:

A single-column allows you control over the order in which your visitors view your products. Big dogs like ebay love the single column. You can apply variants as to how you want to present your product. Sort by price, etc. It works for ebay because they know searchers use things like search by price, timeliness, distance, etc. When a visitor sees your page, make sure the things they see first are the products/things you want them to see (ahem, THEY want to see!). This is the effectiveness of those long 1 column sales letters; they control the order in which you view the page; they can also be aggravating ...as in "GET TO THE POINT!"

At the other end of the spectrum, gallery pages can look great. Big dogs like Amazon have great success with the gallery layout. The eye scans over the thumbnails and quickly decides which product to take a closer look at. You can control the order as well, making the first product in the upper left hand corner your special deal or most important product. Gallery pages make it look like you’ve got enough products to make a choice without having to shop (or scroll) for more. They make it easier to place your products "above the fold."

Don't offer too many choices on one page. Usually 6 to 9 is preferred because the brain can only conceptualize 6-8 ideas at a glance, that’s why phone numbers and zip codes are 7 digits long. Studies have concluded too many choices causes people to fear they might make the wrong decision. Make the choices for them. You know your best products and your best sellers. Ever stood in the isle lately looking for a toothbrush? Whatever happened to soft, medium, firm and 2-3 brands? Now you have 10,000 different choices and they all claim to do the same thing! Too many choices mean lower conversions.

The third method of a page layout is real simple: one product smack dab in the middle of the page. Woot.com is a strong example of the power of one big image, one big buy button, and super entertaining copy! These guys got it down; they always sell-out their daily deal within hours of launching it! Now that's a 100% sell out! In the end, decide which lay-out works best for your site by. . . you guessed it – TESTING!

Simple Steps to More Money with Visitors You Already Have - Part 1 Conversion Testing

By Howard C. Gray

If you build it, they will come.

You built it, they're coming. One problem, they sure aren't staying or worse, buying. When you have two visitors and one of them gives you money, this is a conversion rate, and a darn good one at 50%! Conversion rate is the percentage of your visitors that reach a goal during their visit. Common goals include making a purchase, requesting a catalog, or signing up for a newsletter. Google analytics helps us track these conversions with the Goals Tools they provide as well as reviewing the conversions reports.   

Why do you need to increase your conversion rate? Simple, there are 2 reasons why you must make increasing conversion rates your number one priority right now:

   1. It can never be too good. Many websites are losing tons of opportunities for more money every day because they do an atrocious job of selling. Or worse, they do nothing, mistakenly thinking they are trundling along doing everything right!

   2. Pay-per-click (PPC advertising) is becoming more expensive. Obviously, increasing what you pay for your bids is not the answer. Stop gambling with PPC's.

Did you know a 10% conversion rate means that out of every 10 visitors, 9 leave with nothing. No product, no email newsletter, no catalog, nothing. Do you think that 9 out of 10 visitors to Wally World leave empty handed? Doubtful. When should you try to improve your conversion rate? RIGHT NOW! Perhaps you say you have no time. Poor excuse. This is the Internet, wait and you'll disappear...soon. Raising your conversion rate only a few percentage points goes a long way to doubling your profits.

The first thing to keep in mind during this process is that the Internet is a living and breathing beast. Changes you make can be tracked and monitored and are seen quickly. Better still, if a change does NOT give you what you wanted, you can change it back and recover where you were.

Here's how you jump hurdle number one. Everyone has an opinion. Stop right there. Nobody has an opinion! Only results have opinions. Statistics have opinions. Analytics reports have opinions. A/B Tests have opinions. Joe the janitor who searches the web while he's supposed to be mopping floors has an opinion. Ignore him, he's just a drop in the (mop) bucket. Your hot-shot web designer with Flash on his brain has an opinion. Ha, just ask him what usability is and watch him stutter and stumble (wait for the download).

Just because you think your site's color choices is stimulating to your target audience, guess what? How do you know this? Perhaps you love your catalog colors and have transferred them to your Website. Oops, print catalogs don't live and breath like the Internet. A flashy bright color in your catalog suddenly becomes an annoying stomach-churning eyesore and an anxiety trigger on your website!

What is customary in print is a different beast on the net. Indeed, traditional Internet colors like reds and greens  have evolved to mean very specific things on the net.  Surprisingly, they take us back to the original meaning, which could very well be instinctive - red means stop, danger; green means safe, go.

Review how you track your changes and create useful and informative conversion tests that can even go so far as to improve your rankings. Create a spread sheet with a list of changes in one column. Across the top list the dates the changes were made, then post your "starting" conversion rates from those pages (obtained from Analytics), then your revenue. In a couple weeks, check it again, post it again, then again in 2 more weeks. Keep monitoring your changes. Did changing the title of a landing page increase conversions? Did adding a meta-description that was call-to-action in nature change conversions? Did removing a lifestyle image Rosy at the front desk liked of her favorite parakeet breed suddenly increase conversions (because you now stopped insulting the crow owners that came to your site)?

Later, we'll talk about the 2 different approaches to testing for increased conversions and how one is better than the other. Then you can say "Let them eat Crow" to everybody with an opinion.

About Us - Blast your Conversion Rate Through the Roof AND Make New Friends

To paraphrase the caterpillar in Alice in Wonderland, "Whooo arrrre youuu?"
by Howard C. Gray

For many, the Internet is scary. Viruses, pop-ups, fraud, cookies, data collecting, spyware, all contributing factors. How can you, an Online Retailer, create credibility and help make visitors feel at home? Last summer, enthusiastic owners of EvoGear tried a radical experiment. They created an up close and personal About Us page that featured pictures, biographies, product recommendations and contact information of all the company's employees. Similar to About Us pages of the local Internet company printingforless.com (growing at 28%) here in Livingston.

EvoGear compared conversion rates (the number of visitors compared to the number of buyers) for visitors clicking their About Us page with the rest of their site. A whopping conversion rate of 30% - 25% higher than the site average, was measured from visits to the About Us page. The best part of About Us pages like this, besides increasing revenues, is that it works both ways; for the visitor, and for the company. And this is how:

• Establishes instant "credibility" - quality of being believable or trustworthy
• Makes your site "human" as opposed to a faceless page of links, images, etc.
• Contributes to the "online community"
• Builds pride in your employees (sense of belonging, contributing)
• Boosts company morale (happy employees increase productivity - people buy from upbeat people because they want a part of that)
• Increases conversions (30% - that's 1 out 3 visitors - industry average is 1-2% or 1 out of 100 visitors)
• Its FUN! - Fun to create, fun to read, fun to share
• Customers respect the availability and honesty of somebody to answer their questions
• Establishes a page to post company values - honesty, integrity, etc
• Establishes a page to post concern for the environment - a "green" oriented company
• Makes friends out of your customers
• Establishes your employees are product experts (recommendations)
• Builds repeat and new customers by world of mouth
• Shows you're a part of your community
• About Us pages like this have personality - they "live and breath"
• Many people don't always want the lowest price, they rebel against the big box store and it's faceless image
• Makes your store a trusted friend, a comfortable place to hang out (just like a real store)

Small family owned businesses would greatly benefit with an About Us page similar to this. It makes you instantly unique. Despite the ridiculous old school SEO tactics at EvoGear like "This Year's American Idol Finalists"...in their website title (good grief), the very fact that the number of employee bios posted on their About Us page has more than quadrupled since last summer is testament that they're growing rapidly.
.