CHAPTER 4   SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION

further reading ...

The following links take you to content that supplements and updates this chapter of the book. Note that

I’ve included some articles that are a few years old  ... don't let their publication date put you off - they are

still relevant now. The most recent posts are at end of each section.    

4.1 INTRODUCTION

If you check the bio of the author of Comparing SEO to PPC you will see she is not new to search engine marketing - and so her opinion carries some weight. Note how the articles differentiates SEO from advertising on search engines ... just as I have done in this book - and as I have done since advertising on search engines started.

If you really want to get your head around how Google works, make yourself comfortable and read Google’s Search Quality Rating Guidelines.

These search commands for Google are useful for people searching on Google - but are included here as they can also help search engine optimizers in determining where keywords/search terms can be placed within a site.

Ignore the headline of Half Say Advertising is Important in the Buying Decision – top in the list of shopper’s important purchase information sources is search engines.

If you’re serious about understanding SEO We’ve crawled the web for 32 years: What’s changed? is a must read. Its author, Mike Grehan, worked from the North East of England in the early years of the web and we shared the stage at numerous events telling owners and managers about the Internet and how it was going to change business. From the same author, and also well worth a read is The origins of E-A-T: Page content, hyperlink analysis and usage data.

How Google Trends works is an interesting background on Google Search. Similar in nature in that it offers a background in how search engines developed is What we can learn from past and present Google algorithm updates.

The Open Secret of Google Search is an interesting read on the search giant.

The issue of Why you should invest in branded keywords even if your company ranks #1 on Google has folk who argue for both side of the debate – this one is in favour.

Around the time that the book was going to print a story that Google exec suggests Instagram and TikTok are eating into Google’s core products search and maps made the rounds of SEO commentators. One such response included some different types of search which might be used on social media, see - Nearly 40% of Gen Z prefers using TikTok and Instagram for search over Google. However, Millennials Are Increasingly Using Various Methods to Search for Things Online gives a wider, and more revealing. picture – note that there is no mention of ‘prefer’ as stated in the headline above. Are 40% of Gen Z shunning Google for TikTok? Not exactly is an update [Jan 2024] on the concept.

Personal research into this matches findings by others – we’re talking about ‘lifestyle’ searches only [e.g. “lively bar near me” or “how to apply X brand of makeup"], and mainly female users. I can appreciate that watching a series of short videos of local bars might be easier than reading about them. So - message to bars attracting younger clientele ... encourage customers to post videos on TitTok.

Google is trying to reinvent search — by being more than a search engine.

Just to show that SEO is ongoing - Google helpful content system update rolling out now (December 2022 update).

Welcome to the age of social SEO: how to maximize visibility on TikTok searches.

Google ranking signals: A complete breakdown of all confirmed, rumored and false factors.

ChatGPT has some roles to play for the digital marketer - perhaps the most common/useful will be in SEO, so here's  An SEO’s guide to ChatGPT prompts and AI Chat and Keyword Research.

5 Website Performance Benchmarks from Q4 2022 offers some [slightly] different stats to the chart - on website traffic sources - shown in chapter 4, but the issues are generally the same. The 5 key issues are:

1. More Than 1 in Every 3 Sessions Encounters Friction

2. Page Load Speeds Impact Bounce Rates, Page Views

3. Mobile Widens Traffic Share Lead

4. Paid Search Traffic Converts Better Than Paid Social Traffic

5. Desktop Still Boasts Far Higher Conversion Rates Than Mobile

I've included Google releases March 2023 broad core update and Google removes several search ranking algorithm updates from its ranking systems page simply as a reminder that search engines change their algorithm on a regular basis.

Is click-through rate a valuable SEO metric?

I make it clear in the book that I consider SEO and PPC ads to be different things. SEO vs. PPC: Differences, pros, cons & an integrated approach offers a different view - although it also can be read as supporting my opinion.

Brand Visibility Is the New SEO ... caused by AI, apparently.

EXERCISE: Byron Sharp purports that ‘ ... paid search is not advertising (which has as its main job building mental availability). Search is like shelf space. It’s to improve purchase availability.’ Samuel Scott  offers more detail, saying that ‘Display on retailer, broker, and review sites is the same as paid search. Paid and organic search are forms of distribution, not parts of promotional marketing communications. Basically, you are getting your product put on Google, Amazon, and others' store shelves like when you pay a store to put your juice in the juice aisle. Same for getting listed on sites like G2. This is fulfilling existing demand and having physical availability. Advertising is about creating more demand and having mental availability.’ Going back in time, when I first got involved in the use of the Internet for business purposes [in 1996] I was frequently asked where the new communication medium sat with regard to the 4Ps ... and I said it was part of distribution. My opinion wasn’t supported by many – any, even – but it seems I may have had a point.

What's your opinion on the views of myself, Sharp and Scott?

50% of product searches start on Amazon includes stuff from this and other chapters - well worth a read. Note that it's from the US, so the stat in the title might not apply to you.

Organic search could be the moat your brand needs is a kind-of strategic view of SEO using quirky analogies - in general, I agree with its basic premise, not least because it syncs with my opinion.

I'm not a fan of SWOT analysis ... just use the issues raised in SEO SWOT analysis: How to optimize where it counts as a kind-of to-do list.

Another example of why SEO is a full time job is Google to fix link report in Search Console. And another... Google releases August 2023 broad core update.

Why are publishers losing traffic from Google? is about online news - but much of is relevant to other kinds of website.

To understand the present and the future - take a look at the past ... Google’s Florida update: 20 years since the SEO ‘volcanic eruption’.

The AI-powered Google apocalypse is heading for your brand is from December 2023 ... who knows how true it will turn out to be?

Google confirms a search ranking bug where sites disappear from search results over the weekend is an example of what is a fairly common problem - if your website relies on search engines for  visitors [and so, business] this can hit income.

The Periodic Table of SEO Elements has been around for a few years - this is the 2024 version.

A concern with using third parties - eg Google itself - for SEO purposes is that the third party can change its operating model ... Google is shutting down websites made with Business Profiles is one such example.

And the changes keep on coming ... Google releasing massive search quality enhancements in March 2024 core update and multiple spam updates.

Who Sends Traffic on the Web and How Much? New Research from Datos & SparkToro.

Consumers' online information sources - search remains top.

You can file Small review site lost 91% of its Google traffic to affiliate-focused SEO content under 'don't put all your eggs in one basket' - relying on Google is not a good strategy for a business.

6 unpopular SEO opinions you need to consider raises some interesting and accurate points. But here's a thing I allude to in the book. The first four points are much the same as I  - and others - were teaching [or is that 'preaching'] back around 1997 ... that's before the author of the article left school.

The end of May 2024 saw big news about Google's algorithm HUGE Google Search document leak reveals inner workings of ranking algorithm, here's Google's reply ... Google responds to leak: Documentation lacks context - and Unpacking Google’s massive search documentation leak is a review of the happenings. Only time will tell how big a story this was.

As I allude to in the book, I think that knowing what is being searched for in this research is vital to make it relevant ... the what might dictate where the search is started, Also, note above the article which states that 50% of product searches start on Amazon - where does that fit into Almost Half of Gen Zers Opt for Social over Google for Search?

Is The Google Maps pin scam: A new Google Business Profile threat common? I doubt it - but I've included this article because keeping track of scams like it is an example of why SEO is a full time occupation.

Which Topics Are Gen Zers Searching for on Social Media?

In all aspects of digital marketing new terms come and go.  I wonder GEO  will stay the course, or disappear like so many others? See What is generative engine optimization (GEO)?

Again, it never stops ... Google August 2024 core update rollout is now complete.

Google updates crawl budget docs for large sites with differing mobile and desktop pages and links ...Google said it is best practice to have all links present on both mobile and desktop versions. I would ask; why on earth would you have different differing mobile and desktop pages and links? Maybe another example of non-marketers in marketing? [see chapter 3]

ThatLong-tail keywords: Target lower-competition phrases and attract qualified visitors has been published by [one of] the world's major SEO websites suggests that some folk are not aware of the issue. I and others were writing about it 25 years ago. Ho hum.

I've included How to fix the ‘Page with redirect’ error in Google Search Console simply as an[other] example of some of the stuff that competent SEOs need to know.

Another reminder that SEO doesn't stand still ... Google quietly updated the News and Discover manual action policies.

Although Google’s search market share drops below 90% for first time since 2015,  it's still got 90% of the market so me talking about Google so much in the book is still valid.

Another example of the problem of [potentially] putting all your marketing eggs in one basket ... Google bug cause reviews to drop out of local listings.

59% of Americans click on brands they know in Google results: Survey ... also, nearly half of Americans trust organic results more than paid results and Google remains the most trusted source for information.

And again, again, it never stops ... Google March 2025 core update.

4.2 HOW SEARCH ENGINES WORK

In the book I mention the importance of E-A-T, 14 ways Google may evaluate E-A-T is a good guide … but it also shows that SEO isn’t as easy – or quick – as some folk would have you believe.

More on the subject ... E-A-T auditing: How to level up your credibility game

Naturally, just days after the book was published, this happened ... Google doubles up on E with updated search quality raters guidelines (E-E-A-T) - and here's another article, this one with more details ... How Google may identify and evaluate authors through E-E-A-T. And nearly a year later ... Debunking common Google E-E-A-T misconceptions.

The two parts of E-E-A-T Google hasn’t told you about.

Barry Schwartz's list of what is NOT a Google search ranking factor.

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ZERO-CLICK

[April 2023] There is a lot being said about AI-developed content and its impact on SEO - well here's my take. I think that impact will be on zero-click with searches producing more and more SE-developed content ... and that content will be produced by LLMs which will reproduce the content of websites. Furthermore, those websites' owners/publishers will not be compensated [via links] by the search engines. 

In the book I suggest that Google was holding the zero-click percentage at around 50% - welllllll, I missed later data from the same researcher that proposed that figure upped it to 65% - around two thirds. In 2020, Two Thirds of Google Searches Ended Without a Click – although note that the research on which this was based does not include the CTR paid links to Google sites.

Google isn’t the only guilty platform to see the value of this strategy; see; Zero-Click Content: The Counter-intuitive Way to Succeed in a Platform-Native World.

More on zero clicks - with Google search study: 25.6% of desktop, 17.3% of mobile are zero-click offering some very different stats to those listed in the book. That said, the research seems to be a bit different. One thing about this research, however, is that the CTR on ads is less than 2%. That seems very low to me.

Nearly 60% of Google searches end without a click in 2024.

As per my comment at the beginning of this section ... 75% of Google AI Overview links come from top 12 organic rankings.

Ex-Google exec: Giving traffic to publishers ‘a necessary evil’ is an article on zero clicks which doesn't use the term.

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Another innovation from Google to keep you on Google - Google Maps adds new store location feature, Locator Plus, Reserve with Google integration, new analytics and more.

A Small Business Guide to Google My Business ... I think there is a reasonable argument that for many small businesses, this could be their web presence.

I’ve included the biggest mystery of Google’s algorithm: Everything ever said about clicks, CTR and bounce rate here as an example of how no one really knows how the Google algorithm works. As if it counts ... I’ve always thought that CTR counted, making it easier to stay in the top spot on a SERP than get to it.

Another version of How Important is The Top Search Result on Google? to the chart shown in the book.

Nothing that's really new in 16 reasons why your page isn’t ranking on Google  but it's always good to have a list.

4.3 KEYWORD SELECTION

Keyword Research for Product Content

The Search Before the Search: Keyword Foraging.

I’ve put How to do a competitive analysis for local SEO in this section [where local search is covered] but it is relevant to other sections also.

What do you think the Most Searched Consumer Brands in the world in 2022 are? I’m not surprised [I’ve been around a while] but the why still amazes me.

The case of the stealth Google-bomb is about the role of domain names in SEO. You should know most of it if you're to work in SEO. It also kind-of confirms the value of keywords. Find out more about domain names.

YouTube SEO: How to find the best traffic-generating keywords.

Yes, SEO Keywords Remain Important.

SEO: Targeting the Long Tail for More Sales.

Here's a nice - and simply - tip SEO Signals from SERPs.

4.4 ON-SITE OPTIMIZATION

What Is SEO Writing? How to Be a Better SEO Writer  is included in this section as its focus is SEO. However, although it is a reasonable guide to the practice, the article could also be in the section on developing website content and also content marketing. It also offers an insight into the skills, time and application required to get the job  right.

I could have put How to attract your ideal customers with quality content in the later chapter on website development, but as it has a SEO focus, I’ve included it here.

Google doesn’t want your AI-generated SEO spam content.

Given the nature of much of this site [this page, for example] Outgoing links: Are they beneficial for your site or not? is something I've taken notice of over the years.

SEO content writing vs. content writing: The key difference.

An SEO’s guide to understanding large language models (LLMs).

This was true in 1996 ... seems it's still true now - 85% of titles feature keywords in Positions 1-5 of Google.

I think this issue - Does HTML structure matter for SEO? - is more important than many folk realise. One thing not covered in this article is that the search engines dislike pages that don't adapt for mobile devices. I found this out for this site and had to accept a PC format I didn't really to meet the mobile requiement. 

4.5 OFF-SITE OPTIMIZATION

How to audit your site’s backlink profile Auditing your backlinks is a process that should be part of your regular SEO routine. Here's a guide on how to do it.

I've included How to outsource link building: Benefits and tips to follow not just for the advice it contains, but as another example of the specialized jobs that are out there.

Links are not a top 3 Google Search ranking factor, says Gary Illyes ... 'I think they are important, but I think people overestimate the importance of links'.

Does guest blogging still work for SEO? Pros ... cons and best practices.

4.6 THIRD-PARTY SEARCH ENGINE RANKING

SNIPPET

Smile please - Colgate's oral health website

I’m not sure which section using the amazon search engine as marketing belongs in – but as Google may well pick up the Amazon listing, I’ve put it here. Obviously, it’s not for everyone, but for some it could be a really good idea.

Here are a few articles on links that are a bit old - but they will tell you all you need to know. If you take the time to read them all you will come to appreciate that not only is serious link building a strategic concern, but it is very time consuming. However, on the strategic side of things, you will note that some of the suggestions go beyond link building eg developing a competition on your website to encourage links - the competition itself might be considered as a marketing tactic in its own right. In other words, SEO should be a key aspect of the organization's marketing strategy. 50+ More Things Every Link Builder Should Know, 4 Ways to Wash Away The Link Building Hate, 5 Pieces Of Content: 25 Link Ideas, Link to my awesome content, please!, How To Attract Killer Links For E-Commerce Sites and 10 Questions To Ask When Creating A Link Building Campaign does answer some of the basic questions on the issue, and so is useful - however, some of it does seem just a bit creepy to me. Not sure it's the type of job I would enjoy doing every day :)

How to gain value from broken backlinks is perhaps for more serious SEO - but it shows that effective SEO is a full time occupation.

I have to say that I didn't realise this was so big a thing ...‘Link in bio’ platforms: Which is best for SEO? 

4.7 ENTERPRISE SEO 

GO ONLINE *page 91*

Two of the best SEO guides are Search Engine Land‘s Guide to SEO and Ahrefs’ The Beginner’s Guide to SEO. 

Enterprise SEO: Lessons from 20 years in the trenches

I’ve put 9 roadblocks to SEO success here rather than in earlier sections because, effectively, it is about strategic SEO.

How to manage and edit your Google Business Profile from Google search.

1 million URLs: How to pivot your SEO strategy when you reach enterprise level

11 enterprise SEO challenges and solutions

How to plan and budget for enterprise SEO

I didn’t mention Negative SEO in the book, but it deserves a mention. I’ve put it in this section as although all websites are susceptible to it, only major websites are likely to be victims. 6 types of negative SEO to watch out for explains what it’s all about and Negative SEO Disavow Lists lets you know the basics.

How one company’s rebrand and domain name change led to SEO disaster details how getting this wrong can mean the end of a business - but in this example the organization failed to follow advice and guides that have been around since the turn of the century.

How to choose an enterprise SEO platform - what you need to know in choosing the right enterprise SEO platform.

9 big risks of cheap SEO.

7 tips to turn Google’s Search Essentials into strategy covers the key issues.

I could have put SEO and website design: How to build search engine-friendly sites pretty much anywhere on this page - but it's most relevant here.

Beyond SEO: Embracing the future of organic search optimization.

10 simple steps to analyze your brand SERP and build an effective digital strategy is very good ... but remember it is for a brand name - not all key words [though some of the tips could apply to general keyword issues].

Cross-border SEO for Same-language Sites.

I've put How to fix a huge traffic drop after rebranding here as I think re-branding comes under 'enterprise SEO' ;-)