No More Meta Keywords Tag, No More Meta Description Tag ... NOT!

Ok, so the news came out today over at Google about the fact that the Meta Keywords tag is not used for web rankings. Is that news? Not to those who have played a part in good SEO. Google hasn't really used the Meta Keywords tag for rankings for years now. Does this mean we should no longer worry about that tag and can even remove it from all our web pages? Absolutely NOT!

Check the video report from Matt Cutts on this topic:


You can find the write-up at Google's Webmaster Central: http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/2009/09/google-does-not-use-keywords-meta-tag.html

For years, my answer to the use of the Meta Keywords tag has always been:
"The keywords tag won't help with your Google rankings but it will help you with your web page information. It's a great tag to use to help remind you of your focus and the keywords you want to be sure to include on a particular page."

Stop using it? Why?!! It doesn't hurt anything but it may actually help YOU. That's the main take away for the Google report. And...there is still question on it's effectiveness in the other search engines such as Yahoo, MSN, Bing, so...!

I also strongly recommend that if you use the Meta Keywords tag that you use it appropriately. Here are the basic guidelines for the Meta Keywords tag that we've used for years and will continue to suggest to our clients.

Meta Keywords tag:

1. Length of content (36 + or – 12, repeat any word only 4 times).
2. Select keywords that are targeted for that specific page.
3. Put keywords in order from largest phrase to smallest, example: 3 word phrases, 2 word phrases, 1 words etc.
4. Again, if branding is important include the brand or website name as the last keyword.

All of the above items will remind you to not go crazy selecting keywords for a page, keep them focused, and be able to see how they may or may not fit together. The last one, on using your brand or website is also a reminder to not always say "We..." or something other than possibly your actual business name! - Again, all good reminders!!

Then, on top of this "news" on the Meta Keywords tag was a little blurb thrown in on the Meta Description tag. It was stated, "Even though we sometimes use the description meta tag for the snippets we show, we still don't use the description meta tag in our ranking."

Ok, there's some dispute on the Meta Description tag's ranking effects but that's mainly because we actually see the Meta Description as part of a search snippet. Again, I say, use it! But, use it appropriately and effectively. You know why? Because whether or not it affects rankings, it is can be seen in the SERPs. Someone searching will see these words if Google picks them up because they were used and setup appropriately by you. The Meta Description tag allows an awesome avenue to add additional info to help clarify why a page exists, how it relates to the search term used to find it and gives a great place for a call-to-action element. So...we say, USE IT!

Here are the basic guidelines for the Meta Description tag that we've used for years and will continue to suggest to our clients too:

Meta Description tag:

1. Length of content (18 + or – 6, repeat any word only twice).
2. Incorporate keywords from the Title tag, plus a few more.
3. Write the description using statements and keywords from the Title and Meta Keywords tag.
4. Make the description a statement about that web page and what the company does related to that page.
5. Use proper grammar as much as possible.
6. Consider incorporating some sort of call-to-action wording.


Use both of these tags, and others too. We've known for a long time that there are tons (Google says they have over 200 ranking factors) of things affecting Google's main core research of website pages and determination for rankings. And, it still remains that if you know your business, write about your business and represent it as it should be that you'll probably be ok. Don't stop doing something just because Google says they don't read or use it - there's no penalty or issue for using something Google doesn't. Just don't use or do things they specifically say you should not. All they said here today was that they don't read the Meta Keywords tag for ranking considerations and they want people to stop thinking about suing people over stupid things just because they don't get it!. You get it, right?! And if you aren't so sure, then, go get yourself a smart SEO! Then there's nothing to worry about and.... you'll be golden!

Online Branding – big brands vs. little brands vs. any brand

General Definition:
Brand = Trade Name; A Name given to a Product or Service

Google’s Definition (aka Matt Cutts):
Brand = x + Trust, Authority, Reputation, PR, High Quality
where x = whatever name/names given to a product or service (as above)
Synonym for Brand = Known in your Niche

Reading posts and listening to interviews on the Google “Vince” update/changes released about a month ago has me shaking my head at the concerns of supposed favoritism towards “Big Brands” in the Google search results.

I see and hear things about companies having significant ranking drops after this update. Really?? Why?? Who is doing your SEO??

And, what do you mean by brand? I give some definitions above, but, as examples, to me, Nike is a brand, so is Adidas. Starbucks, Arm & Hammer, Kleenex and Ford are also brand names. But, at the same time, Running Shoes, Coffee, Baking Soda, Facial Tissue, Cars and so on are not brands – these are generic terms otherwise known as broad keywords. If, for example, you are not Nike and you do not own the company, the name or the product, but you sell Nike Shoes, are you one of those that lost some rankings? Did you out-rank www.nike.com for the keyword “Nike Shoes”?

Maybe, just maybe, a few quick logical suggestions will clear the air for those sites that were affected by ranking drops and get them to work at doing what they should have been doing all along and/or correct their misleading rankings.

It seems that the “Big Brands” were not affected by the Google “Vince” changes but that the “Small Brands” were affected. Let’s consider why or why not a site might have had ranking changes related to a brand:

1) A “big brand” is probably a “smart brand” because we categorize them as a “big” brand! They wouldn’t be “big” if we had never heard of their name or brand, would they?! A “big brand” is a big brand because they are known in their niche.
2) A “big brand” needs to use their brand so we know that name. If they didn’t then why would we know of that brand?
3) A new brand name is probably going to be the first to use that “new” name before anyone else if they expect it to become that brand. If they don’t use it first then they may lose the opportunity to be that brand as someone else may take that name.
4) To “use” your brand online means you will need to have the text version of your name/brand somewhere online – sorry, graphics are still not actually seen without a text-based alt tag! A smart brand will use that name/brand on their site. If they don’t mention their brand on their site then it’s quite likely no one will know that they are that brand.
5) And if that brand is really smart, they’ll actually own the domain name that has their brand name in it. It might be difficult for a “big brand” to be considered a “big brand” if someone else owned the domain name of that brand!
6) If you do not own that brand but you sell that brand, are you really the authority for that brand? Should you be?
7) Wouldn’t it just be possible that when Google algorithmically sets up certain criteria that affect a page’s rankings that they might be looking at the age of the page, the Page Rank and inbound links referencing that site page by name, notice how many sites or viewers refer to the site page, and see the domain name, word use, and more across the website pages? Do you think Google needs a checklist of sites that should rank over others just because they are a big brand? Should Google have a checklist of all brands? When does a “small” brand cross over to become a “big” brand so they could get on this list? If you really think those are questions that should be answered or discussed then I strongly recommend you start doing a little more research on how rankings are achieved!

The Google “Vince” update/change did not apply to brands specifically. It applied to how you use your words, when you use them, the associations with those words, who points to you using them, and who started using them first. It has been tested time and time again that one can make up a word and rank #1 for that word. Why wouldn’t they, why shouldn’t they. So, start your own brand and see. But you will still need to work hard at developing your information if you want that brand associated with a generic term as well? That’s what trust, authority, reputation, PR, high quality is all about.

I will let you in on a little secret. I did get one client who signed up for SEO Services with me years ago. First thing I noticed is that they didn’t rank for their own name and, their partners, affiliates and resellers all out-ranked them for that name. Well, it wasn’t surprising, they didn’t once mention their own name on their website. They only ever referred to themselves as “we”. Their partners, affiliates and resellers all mentioned them by name. It didn’t take much to turn that one around. They rank #1 for their name and other keywords too now! So, use your name, use the product name you sell or service, use your brand along with the broad keywords describing your product or service, work at becoming an authority, develop the trust, reputation, etc. and you will get your just deserts with rankings and hopefully decent conversions too!! And… you won’t be affected by silly little tweaks made by Google. Also… stop thinking Google is out to play favorites with certain sites when they may not really be deserved! Take your time and get to work rather than complain or blame.

SEO and the Recession – Gaining with Search Visibility

I think the “recession” here might refer more appropriately to my “recessed” attention to this blog! I need to do better!

It can’t have been more than a few weeks ago that I was mentioning to a friend that I didn’t think that the SEO marketplace would hurt from the recession issues related to the economy. I explained that SEO services should be in even more demand based on the fact that website owners will need to expand more to cover more ground because of less spending. It isn’t that no one is spending. It is that there is a definite decline in spending. So if you have a website that ranks on the first page for, say, 10 keywords and now you have a 1/3 decline in spending based on those rankings then how about you cover twice as many keywords and get them to page one. You’ll end up with far more financial gain than loss! Then you can smile when the word “recession” comes up!

But, I must have been wrong with my thinking!! Suddenly one of my favorite clients is making cut-backs. Their investors are suffering so they are cutting back across the board. They are worried about the decrease in spending overall along with the upcoming holidays. Ok, yes, there will be a decrease for the current keywords we’ve gained rankings for but we have a lot more to do guys!!! I just don’t understand the rationale behind worrying that no one will spend when, by cutting back on SEO and marketing, you are making damned sure that no one will spend!! It’s a vicious cycle, it seems, with no one winning on any side.

Another interesting part of what I personally have seen and felt in the industry of SEO is by working with companies as both an internal and external SEO analyst. I work most of my time as an in-house SEO analyst (for the best company ever!) and as an external SEO consultant with the rest of my time! And by “in-house”, I am not actually in their house but in mine accessing their system through remote connection means. It’s great. Working both internally and externally has allowed me the privilege to see how the recession affects both groups. What I am seeing is that the external consultant will suffer more. Mainly because I believe their fees overall are higher. I know my fees are higher as a consultant than as an in-house analyst. But then, my fees are higher as a consultant because those clients don’t sign on for the long haul. They generally are with me anywhere for 3 months to a year. My in-house client signed me on for endless services! I do like that. I actually prefer that. My in-house client gets more out of me... and for less. I can trust that they’ll still pay me whether there are immediate ranking improvements or not. They truly understand the process of SEO, that’s why they’ve signed on to my services for the long term.

Ok so...I need to find more in-house clients to work my SEO magic!!
Although, honestly, those out there thinking of cutting back on SEO, consultant or not, you are just fueling your own recession. So stop that! If you have a website and you don’t have an SEO advisor of some kind, then, go get one. And...there is always Search Visible Websites! The more you reach out through increased rankings for your website, the more visitors you’ll get to your website.

The Silent SEO

Interestingly, I’ve been reading articles lately on Search Engine Optimization consultants, how to find them and what makes a good one. Today, there was an article by Rhea Drysdale, Death of SEO Transparency, that discusses that the best SEOs seem to keep their mouths shut and "secrets" safe.

Working for several years now as a top SEO (yeah, tooting my own horn here!), the one thing I noticed that makes a great SEO consultant is not the tips or tricks but how and when they use them! It’s a form of logic that is nearly impossible to describe or teach to someone else. It comes from “feeling” the search engines and “playing” with them day in and day out. It’s having each website and each individual industry act and react differently in the search engines because there are so many factors involved. So, telling all your “SEO secrets” will not give any one a real advantage over another if they don’t know how to use it anyway. – Does that make sense?!

I don’t believe in keeping quiet or holding back (ask anyone at Bruce Clay – hi guys!). Sharing information and a willingness to teach all that you know tells me you are secure with your knowledge, secure in what you can do with it and, I think, gains you a lot of respect in this or any other industry you are involved in.

The problem I have is that I spend more time working for my clients and getting their sites optimized for whatever keyword phrases we need than I have time for talking about SEO or blogging about it. I wish I had more time to work on my own website!! Look at it! Look at the Page Rank – yup! - not so optimized is it – not so search visible!!?!! Search Visible Websites site started about 4 months ago when I went solo with my SEO services. My first thoughts were “%@*&!!, Now I have to do my own keyword research, write all this content, I need to start blogging, write press releases, find any and every way to build links to my site, etc, etc.” Needless to say, I was not thrilled, mainly because there was no one to pay me for all that work! And you SEOs out there know it takes work! Lucky for me, enough people knew where I was and how to find me and things started from the get-go. That’s why I just don’t have time for all of this here!! (round and round we go!)

I hope and wish for continued openness and sharing of SEO tactics and ideas. The more we give the more the consumer can get a hold of and judge things so as to make informed, intelligent choices. Read my previous blog posting on How to Find a Decent SEO – Interviewing an SEO Consultant. This will help give those in the “not-know” a better idea on how to distinguish one SEO over another.

Hope this all helps!!

Maybe it's not a daily routine!

I know that I said day-to-day routines would be documented here but it seems that my day sometimes just gets too busy to write about SEO goings on rather than just doing the SEO work!

Anyway, since we last chatted, I had to try to get a client to understand that, even though his site had a great amount of content, we still needed to spend time on making that content "valuable". What I mean by that is that he never seemed to actually say what his site was really there for. There were lots of words on pages but he used more analogous wording than actual "real world" terms to understand and describe his business.

You know, I still love the example I use often to help others understand the use of certain terms and the lack of terms used in association for clarification. - Did that sentence make sense??? - The example is "IT". Problem is that "IT" is also "it" which can be considered a stop-word for the search engine spiders when reading website content. - I know IT is not making sense yet but IT will.

So, if I add some clarification terms like "computer" or even "professional" then we have "computer IT" or "IT professional". Now it makes sense! I still strongly recommend actually spelling it out, IT is Information Technology. Say it in your web pages if you use IT. Your readers really won't mind that you've spelled IT out and the search engine spiders will like that you know what you are talking about and your pages will benefit more, especially when you see them with better ranked listings in the indexes and/or with more keywords that your site starts coming up for. IT is a good thing!

... Oh, so much more to talk about but work has got to be done. Remind me to tell you about another issue with website ranking improvements but no real conversion increases. I got to put on my marketing cap for that one! Ok - au revoir for now!