If you were a start-up would you consider search engine result implications when determing your company name? Most likely. Think about how many new companies use search keywords in their company name and web site address. But what if you were a public company with a $10b market cap? An article in today's Wall Street Journal may make you re-assess the power of Search Engine Optimization. CA Inc., probably better known to most of us Computer Associates, is undergoing another name change: "Computer Associates" to "CA Inc." and now to "CA Technologies".  Here is the part of the article that should make SEO providers proud of their industry, its importance, and its influence:

Direct from WSJ article:

"We are changing the image of who we are," said William E. McCracken, chief executive of CA Technologies.

Marianne Budnik, CA's chief marketing officer, said the old name "wasn't descriptive enough." The name also didn't play well on the Web. A Google search for the term CA turns up websites for the state of California and Cocaine Anonymous. "We were tired of that, and so were our customers," said CA spokesman Bill Hughes.

This is interesting. A search today for "CA" on Google returned www.ca.com in the #1 organic position. A few tests showed the same, however with personalized results its not always clear if #1 positions represent 100% coverage for all searchers. Also with CA being in the news today there is most likely search activity for CA resulting in positive CTR on CA.com and retention of those searchers which may help CA.com remain #1.

The bigger perspective however is that its so important for their company to be aligned with Search Activity that the company is changing their name, and it appears possibly not only for rankings but to influence even how their customers search for them, and how easily they find their web site. Someone searching for "CA" should realize that they don't want to click on the CA.gov site but rather CA.com, it would be interesting to know how many were clicking through to the #1 listing even when it was not CA.com just out of trust in Google that the #1 site is what they were looking for.

Just a thought- before they decided to change their company name did they ever think to revise the Title and Description Tags of their home page to incluence SERP branding?

Current SERP appearance:

IT Management software and solutions from CA

Learn how CA customers are maximizing the value of their mainframe...Maximize results

and improve the time-to-value of our investments in CA software...

The Title tag was written well from an objective of targeting "IT Management" keywords by placing them at the front of the Title tag, but if this was such a big issue maybe it would be justified to start the Title tag with their company name to avoid brand confusion, even if it was not an ideal 'by the book" SEO strategy.

Maybe a minor Title tag edit like this would have limited confusion:

CA Inc.- IT Management Software and Solutions

Learn how CA customers are maximizing the value of their mainframe...Maximize results

and improve the time-to-value of our investments in CA software...

Also the description is actually being pulled from two Image Alt Tags whereas the old site (new site is live today but Google hasn't changed the listing so cached version is available for analysis) did not have Meta Description tags. Don't ever let anyone tell you Meta Description tags are not important for SEO, if written correctly it is your chance to control the appearance of your listing- you work to optimize your paid search ad copy right? CA could have further influenced SERP appearance and minimized customer confusion with something like this:

CA Inc.- IT Management Software and Solutions

Learn how CA Inc., formerly Computer Associates, is helping companies maximize their

database and IT management processes for improved efficiency and performance.

Luckily their new site can be predicted to have much better SERP appearance, and most likely customer recognition, based off the new Title and Meta Description tags:

IT Management Solutions from CA Technologies

CA Technologies is an IT management software and solutions company with expertise

across all IT environments from mainframe an physical to virtual an cloud.

 

Obviously there was probably more involved strategically than SEO when they decided to change their name, but if you look at it purely from an SEO perspective it is a very interesting case study. Just goes to show how important Reputation Management is when it comes to how your listing appears on the Google search engine results page. Inexperienced SEOs may look at Title and Meta Tags purely from a keyword inclusion perspective, but advanced SEOs must look at the larger picture when developing on-site SEO strategies such as Title and Meta Description messaging.

 

 

 

 

What appears on the first page of Google when people search for your name or your company or organization's name? If you are not happy with the first 5 listings (above the fold) or even the first 10 listings then you have an "Reputation Management" (RM) issue. As more and more people "google" you your first impression can occur even before people click through to your web site.

Getting first page rankings on Google is hard enough as it is, never mind controlling the first 5 listings for a given search. Google will generally only reward one web site with a maximum of two listings on any search engine result page.

So your first thought may be how you get other sites removed from Google's listings. Unless they are doing something extremely unethical it is nearly impossible to remove someone else's listing. Your only chance is to bump them down the list. This also is no easy task. Google's "do no evil" motto seems to manifest in its fondness for such sites as the ripoffreport.com and quackwatch.com. Negatively positioned pages from these sites have been seen even when they are out of date and from an SEO perspective seem to lack strong on-page and link popularity ranking factors. However, Google does have a QDD (query deserves freshness) algorithm patent, which basically means Google feels some searches should provide multiple perspectives in the results. Factor in the QDD algorithm, the do no evil mantra, and then add the intrinsic fact that people with negative comments are more active online than happy customers, and you can begin to see why negative listings can be so prevalent.

Conquering the SEO Reputation Management issue is no small task. Congratulations to anyone who has successfully mitigated existing negative listings on Google. It may be hard, as with anything SEO related, but it doesn't mean you shouldn't try to fix your RM issue. The following are 10 SEO Reputation Management strategies and their pros and cons:

1. Create 5-10 new web sites: As discussed most sites only have a chance at one or maybe two listings on a search engine results page (SERP). So why not create 9 more web sites to round out the first page with sites you control. If it were only that easy. Brand new sites have a hard time achieving rankings because they lack history and authority. It takes time to get a new site ranked, never mind 9 sites for the same keyword. And remember, Google likes robust useful sites that contain large amounts of content and attract links, so churning out 5 page micro-sites isn't going to cut it. In theory this is the strategy to fix your RM issue. In reality though it's a long shot.

2. Create Social Media Profiles: If your RM issue pertains to people searching for your personal name then this strategy can be very helpful. If your issue is for a company name the success may not be as great. By creating public profile pages on social media sites you are basically optimizing many other web sites for your name, even if you don't own the web sites. The big 3 opportunities include Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Other considerations include MySpace, Flickr, and other profile sites.

3. Wikipedia Page: Google loves Wikipedia, it shows up in the organic listings all the time. Creating a corporate Wikipedia page can be tricky in that you have to write it, manage it, and monitor it. Those negative comments you are trying to suppress could just as easily find their way on to your Wikipedia page.

4. Local Search: A search for your company name should result in a Google Maps listing right on the SERP. Not only does this local listing generally take the #1 position, it also takes up as much room as about 3 normal organic listings. If you can get the map listing, then the number 2 listing for your company web site you are almost controlling all the above the fold space. This is an essential strategy- if you have not set up a Local Business Center account with Google yet do this immediately.

5. Secondary Search: Like Wikipedia and social media profiles there may be ways to promote other sites that you do not own. On the legal front FindLaw.com is a directory of lawyers that often shows up. In the SEO world SEOConsultants.com business profile pages often show up when you search for SEO companies by name. Find out what sites are ‘authorities' in your industry and make sure you are listed in them.

6. Press Releases & News: They may be short lived but news items and press releases will often show up in the organic results for branded searches. If you issue a press release and it gets picked up by a major news source it may show up when people search for your name. As the news gets old it may disappear but keep up an active press release and news strategy and you may be able to get some ‘positive' sites ranked on the first page. Take advantage of PRWeb or Marketwire for SEO friendly press release distribution services.

7. YouTube: Google also loves...owns...YouTube. Create a YouTube channel and/or individual videos on YouTube about your company, or about your industry. It is often hard to get videos to show up in the organic listings for ‘corporate' topics but its worth a shot.

8. Purchase Sponsored Ads for your name: You may show up #1 for your name organically. And hopefully there are no competitors successfully bidding on your company name. If there are no Sponsored Listings for your name then purchase an ad. A sponsored ad at the top of the page may help bump one more organic listing beneath the fold. And if you are a skilled PR expert you may take a shot at using your sponsored ad to address the items appearing in the negative listings.

9. Directories 2.0: Directory submissions aren't what they used to be. The benefits of Yahoo and DMOZ are even questionable. But there are a few business listing directories that seem to show up in Google results for branded searches such as MerchantCircle.com, Yelp.com, CitySearch.com, etc. Do a search for some competitors and see which directories may be showing up for their names and submit to those sites.

10. Set Realistic Expectations: Okay so this one may not be an actionable tip for controlling the SERP listings, but it is very important to realize that controlling a Reputation Management issue via SEO is a very difficult thing to do. You are not paying Google for organic listings, they owe you nothing. Make sure everyone in your organization (or your client for agencies) understands this is a very worthwhile effort but there is no guarantee of success. Think of it as a trip to the casino- you should expect to walk away empty handed, but try your best and you may just hit the jackpot.

Google Buzz and Social SEO

 

On February 9, 2010 Google announced their new product “Google Buzz”. Google Buzz is basically an integration of Facebook and Twitter type social media applications into your Gmail email account. Not only does this represent similar/competing features to Facebook and Twitter, but Google’s launch of Buzz is also indicative of a ‘potential’ shift in its search engine ranking algorithm.

 

Rand Fishkin of SEOMOZ posted an interesting video blog about Google Buzz and how Search may be changing. The following are some highlights and commentary based off his talk. In the past search algorithms were highly focused on keywords appearing in Title, Meta tags, and page copy (and still do). Then search engine algorithms factored in external link popularity and specifically keywords associated with those links (and still do). And finally Google has evaluated how fresh pages and links are (and still do). Now as more and more people use the internet for social networking Google is finding ways to factor in social media criteria when determining search rankings.

 

 

As Rand Fishkin describes, this represents a potential evolution from the “Link Graph” to the “Social Graph”. He also speaks of how it is debatable if the social graph will become more important than the link graph when determining organic search rankings.

 

Our expectation is that for most “product” or “service” based web sites on-site keyword focus and link popularity will continue to be the primary ranking influence, with social graph playing a much smaller role. For more social web sites such as “entertainment”, “news”, “blogs” etc. the Social Graph could play a much larger role in determining search rankings.

 

Where Link Popularity helped determine the best search results based on the entire web community’s preferences, new social algorithms will consider what sites your specific friends prefer. Google has been personalizing search results based on geography, click behavior, search behavior, etc. for years (both when logged into Google and without), you may just not have realized it. Now it may become more obvious as Google factors in your Google Buzz network’s activity.

 

So what do we need to know about Google Buzz and Social Graph influence on organic rankings and therefore our Search Engine Optimization strategies?

 

Personalized Results based on Conversation:

Even the Google Caffeine update was rumored to factor in social media ‘conversations’, meaning web sites and topics that were even talked about, regardless of linked to, may get some boost in rankings. Google Buzz takes this one step further. Google can now track, via your Gmail account, what you are talking about and your friends are talking about, and sharing. If everyone in your group is talking about Apolo Ohno’s speed skating event last night, then is it far reached to think that if you searched for “olympics” on Google you may see more results on speed skating than blobsledding? If you are logged in to Google this almost seems a no-brainer. But what if you are not logged in to Google? Let’s say not only your friends, but millions of Gmail users are discussing and sharing stories, pictures, and links of Apolo Ohno, this could still influence the results Google shows you. So how do you use this to your SEO advantage?

 

Yes you could talk about your web site and maybe your friends will see your site show up more often in the results, but those people probably know about you already. You could also create a huge spam network and spam them with comments and links to your web site. But as always we are always looking out for ethical ways to use new web features for long-term SEO benefit. As with traditional “link bait” you now need to think of “conversation bait”- what can you do to get people talking about your company or web site. And how do you get the conversation started. As with building links you must get your voice out there- utilize as many channels as possible, Facebook, Twitter, Press Release/News, Active Blogging, Promote Events/coupons/specials/new products, Conduct Surveys...etc. Also don’t forget your standard sharing tools like ShareThis, Digg, etc. and the all important ‘email this page to a friend’. It can’t be long before we see a Google Buzz chiclet (does anyone use that term any more?) button. If/when this occurs it will be essential to add this button to all your shareable web pages, especially blog and article pages!

 

Google Buzz Material Appearing in Google Search Results:

When searching for people or companies by name you will often see Facebook and other profile pages. For timely searches you will also see Twitter results updating in real time right in the organic search results. All the search engines are on a quest to deliver real-time search results. Google Buzz lets you comment on people’s status, emails, photos, and any other information they post. It may not be long before you see your friend’s comments on web sites appear attached to their listing on the search engine result page. This could be very powerful. Say you search for a restaurant on Google and you see not only the restaurant listing but your friend’s comments that the food was excellent, or the opposite.

 

It would seem the natural progression would be to show Google Buzz comments, and content, only from your network and only when you are logged in. However, in Google Buzz you can make your comments “private” or “public”. If people share or “like” these comments they could begin appearing in the search results. Again, if enough people are commenting then this could influence organic search results for the general public not just those logged in. The same SEO principles apply- find ways to get people talking about your company or web site. Organic Search Reputation Management is going to become even more important if Google Buzz material infiltrates listings for branded searches.

 

Google Buzz Mobile Implications:

Another feature of Google Buzz is the ability to use this service on your mobile phone. This in itself is not that exciting as you can use almost any web site on your phone at this point. But Google Buzz lets you share where you are with your friends, and any information you want to share as well. Let’s say you are stuck in traffic and post an update to your Buzz account, and hundreds of other people post similar comments, those comments could be valuable news for anyone conducting local search queries or using Google Maps.

 

If your site isn’t mobile friendly already then you are missing out on a larger trend than this discussion. But also make sure to cover all the Local SEO bases- make sure your company is listed in Google Maps. Comments already appear for business listings in Local Search results, Google Buzz will only increase this feature. Take advantage of building out your Local Business Profile with as much info as possible, including adding Google coupons if appropriate.

 

Conclusion:

Developments like this are what make SEO interesting and different for every company. As mentioned before Google Buzz may have minimal influence for some company’s SEO strategies. For others it may represent a huge opportunity. However the SEO Process in theory does not change. The first priorities in SEO are to optimize what you can control- tags, page copy, building out web assets, freshness, etc. This will never change. The next logical effort is to promote your site for link popularity...Google Buzz just is an extension of that effort. So not only are you now promoting your site for links you are promoting it for conversation. As far as how Google displays personalized results for each person, don’t lose your mind worrying about what you can’t control. With that said it will be important to monitor if/when Google Buzz material shows up in the general search results for those users not logged in to a Gmail account.

Redesigning your Site? Include SEO starting Day 1

Recently a partnering web development agency asked us for an outline of the role of the Web Designer and the role of the SEO in a new or re-design project so that we could better collaborate and plan potential projects. I realized that we address this question often but we did not have any documented outline of this symbiotic relationship.

In an ideal situation SEO will be part of the Web Development process from day one. And that is not just the perspective of an SEO agency looking for work. If you are going to address SEO for your web site why not incorporate it throughout the entire design process rather than launching the web site only to find a post-launch SEO audit tells you that you have to change your great new site design.

Including SEO early in the development process will benefit everyone involved:

· The SEO will be more successful

· The Web Designer will have fewer headaches

· The Client will save money…seriously

So how does SEO fit in with the web development process? Although every web design project has its own unique format the following are generally essential items in the process:

• Site Hierarchy: What pages will exist on the site. Do you come up with the page hierarchy based off your old site, based off competitor’s sites, based off the web designer’s assumptions? SEO Keyword Research can help you identify which pages MUST exist on your site. If you want a ranking for a keyword in reality you need a page that discusses it. Why not identify your target audience through keyword research and then build your site around what your customers are looking for rather than the other way around. We have found that this collaboration can be an eye opening experience.
• Site Navigation: So your main navigation will link to 5 pages. Okay, do those pages address keyword targets? Is there secondary navigation to ensure search engines can deep crawl your site? The main navigation is the directional interface for your users. Get this essential site feature correct before you launch rather than conducting and SEO analysis and having to change your whole look and feel later.
• Wireframes: Even though you don’t have specific content included at this point SEO review can help guide the foundation of your web site. The wireframe dictates the overall template that will be used throughout your site.  Sure you can optimize individual pages all you want, but why not ensure every page on your site has an SEO friendly layout to begin with.
• Design Comps: Ahh, all the text is embedded in images! There is nothing for a search engine to read. SEO Design recommendations are tough as the designer has specific skills and goals in mind and the SEO has specific goals. A good SEO understands a balance is needed and is skilled at adding complimentary SEO strategies without harming the excellent visual elements your designer is created. This is also a great opportunity to bring in a separate Usability expert!
• Content Development: So you are ready to write your content. Do you know what search engines look for? Send your content to your SEO and get edits and enhancements BEFORE you get final approval from management or even your legal department. This is the definition of efficiency- never submit content to legal, get it approved, then get SEO edits, and resubmit to legal.
• Implementation: At this point it will probably be up to the designers to implement the new web site. Why not provide the designers with all the SEO elements at the same time. They will thank you for it. Give them the SEO changes a week after the launch and they will not be happy.
• Launch: Ready to launch your site? Make sure your social media elements are in place and send out a press release announcing the site launch and start building those links!

Any successful SEO campaign will require a good working relationship between the Site Marketer, the Web Designer, and the Search Engine Optimizer. If everyone understands the goals and are on the same page form the beginning you’ve accomplished one of the major SEO challenges.

Google and BING have been waging a PR battle surrounding "Real Time Search". What does this mean? Basically their ability to index Twitter results and include them in the Search Engine Results (SERPs). In theory this sounds great. Something happens and in the past you would quickly turn on the news to get the latest information. But does this translate when it comes to internet search? Some of the most searched for terms in 2009 included things like "Michael Jackson", "Twighlight", "Megan Fox" etc. I did not search for these terms at all, I can show you my Google History to prove it. I'm not saying I am better, just not part of the online majority that searches for "entertainment" type searches. With that said these appear to be the high volume type of searches that will include real time search results.

Another non-entertainment / name example relevant to today is a search for "Haiti" as there was an earthquake there yesterday. This is a topic that I would be interested in seeing breaking news. So here it is- a screenshot from Google for the term "haiti":

So you can see the usual Google results, Wikipedia etc. Then half way down you see News and "Latest Results" which are the Twitter items. The scrolling nature of the Twitter results on Google is a nice feature showing this is an active topic that justifies up to the minute updates. In this case the Twitter results are powerful- see the American Red Cross promoting how to help people during this tragedy. So in this case there is true value in including Twitter results in the SERP. As long as search engines make a strong effort to evaluate what searches would benefit from Twitter results, and not just deliver them for every search because its the latest hot thing, then this could be a truly beneficial source of timely, relevant information. Let's hope we continue to see valuable contributors like the American Red Cross utilize Twitter and appear in search results and keep the entertainment and romur Twitter contributors out of the SERPs.