It has to be said, whilst there are a lot of cowboys out there flogging SEO, but it's your duty and obligation as a business owner to understand what's required and demand an explanation as to what the SEO experts have been doing in your business, and for them to provide documented evidence, such as before and after results via Google Analytics.
If you're new to this website, take a quick look at our SEO and SEM category for articles. There are various up-to-date articles you may need to know about before embarking on a new strategy.
Contents
- Introduction
- Who is Google's Customers
- How we are set up
- Website Menu & Navigation Structure
- Single Pages vs Category/Blog Pages
- Schema Structured Data
- Related Technology - SEO
- Related Technology - Site Performance
- Related Technology - Site Security
- Related Technology - SEO & Speed Testing
- FAQs
- Conclusion
Introduction
Back in the early days of the internet there were terms such as black-hat and white-hat SEO practices. Later guerrilla marketing and a mass of differing terms came out that described and explained what SEO was and wasn't.
Over time, this element of the internet has 'grown arms and legs'. More than ever it seems more complex and fraught with problems, leaving business owners wondering how on earth they can get exposure and traction through digital channels rather than having to revert to cold calling because of digital failure.
Who is Google's Customer?
Let's be clear, getting on the first page means Google believes your article or page is readable, it conforms to their prerequisites of length, format or construction, your use of images and so on. It does not mean you'll be a millionaire next year.
View getting on page one, two or three as getting a gold star from Google saying to you 'well done'!
Google presents relevant pages to its' own customers, they're not your customers! because Google wants those customers to keep coming back which means they can maintain their position as No.1 in the Search Engine business. It's not for your benefit! Like everything that's free, you're the product, or rather your data is.
It is essential your grasp the logic behind B2B Google search. If you demanded a member of staff jump over a house and they couldn't do it and they said to you, "why don't you do it" and your response was "that's what I pay you for" and then you fired them. It's no different than demanding to get on the first page of Google.
If your page ranks on page 3 and say position 25, it could be out of 40 million searches. Therefore, you MUST think of Google as a process of grading your written work. If Google highly rank you (page 1 to 5 my guess!), then you can rest assured that your customers will probably like and read your content too. Which means you can move on to another stage of digital selling and start advertising and driving traffic to your great content.
OK, so we're on page one #1 of Google for the search term 'digital selling uk', admittedly we're at the bottom and of those above us, mostly government pages and so on, but that's out of 4.5bn pages, presented in 0.59 seconds. So when you hear SEO experts tell you you've got to be on page one to get any business, my response is "really, are you sure about that?"
One final point; I have never heard of a business reviewing the top three or four Google Search Engine Results Pages (SERP's) and obtaining their contact details and calling those businesses in to quote for a new product.
There are links at the bottom, but you can click our link to Copywriting for Digital Selling and to get the exposure you're looking for, take a look at Adverts for Digital Selling.
How we are set up
There's no point talking hypothetically. I am simply going to explain how our SEO and related website elements are set up and you will then understand what you need to ask your people to ensure you have the same or better in your business. If your website is not set up in the same way as ours, you are 100% right to question your marketing team. In simple terms, if you haven't been getting the traffic or engagement you want or need, your people have been inadvertantly sabotaging your business. I am assuming you have a good product; but if too few people know about it and its not being communicated, then there is only one group of people responsible.
Our website uses Joomla! (www.joomla.org) as its 'base' engine, which is similar to Wordpress, Drupal and Magento, all are classified as CMS or Content Management Systems.
In addition, we use Yootheme Pro (www.yootheme.com) as the overlay template and page layout platform and Zoo 4.0, also by Yootheme, as the main document management for our content categories or blogs as they are typically known.
Our Page Hierachy
In the same way many SEO advisors recommend, we have a parallel strategy detailed below. Secondary content links to any primary page(s). Primary pages are grouped together and daisy-chained to each other. Once complete each of the grouped primary pages are linked to a single relevant Product or Top Level page and one link from that page linmk back to the primary page completing the series or group.
The reason to do this is to ensure the search engines can identify all associated keywords and understand the hierachy of the lower pages which support the main 'sales' page.
Product Content (Sales - Top Level Pages)
- The SYSTEM
- Digital Selling
- Face-to-Face Selling
- Live Streaming
- Podcasting
- Video
- Analytics & Tag Manager
- Copywriting
- Exposure
- Photography
- SEO | SEM
- Websites
Primary Content (Educational - Support Pages)
- Thought Leadership
- Guides
- Long Form Content Articles
- Educational - Explanations
- Whitepapers
- Downloads
- Business Case Analysis
Secondary Content (Informative - Resources Pages)
- Case Studies
- Podcasts
- Videos
- Live Stream Shows
- Social Proof
- How to Articles
- Infographics
General Content (Some Customers & Staff)
- Comments
- New Hires
- CSR
- Home
- Gallery
- About Us
- Seminars
- Exhibition Visits
- Short Blogs
- Guest Content
- Parties
- Events Attended
Services Content (Linked from Sales Pages)
- Consultancy
- Strategy
- Interim
- Workshops
- Speaking
- How to Buy
1. Website Menu & Navigation Structure
When it comes to the most basic element of a website, your navigation and naming convention is paramount. You’re in business to sell your products or services, so the acronym FAB comes in to play. Feature, Attribute, Benefit translates to; what it is, what it does and what it means.
In our case, applying F.A.B to salesXchange and looking at the above menu:
- F = What it is (that's salesXchange); Digital Selling - we facilitate strategies that include copywriting, seo, video etc.
- A = What it Does; Services – Consultancy, Audits, Workshops
- B = What it Means; Resources, the actual benefits to a business
Customer journey and experiences flow, based upon SEO, facilitated by Google Search, that drives traffic to the content provided within our Resources dropdown i.e., articles, videos, podcasts, live streams and downloads.
Embedded in each article, is a call-to-action advert that links the article to the relevant Digital Selling components and in turn, each Digital Selling component has a link to our Services pages which explains what we do. The call to action invites the browser to book a call with us.
Check to see if your website menu structure communicates your FAB and that the overall navigation makes sense to a potential buyer.
2. Single Pages vs Category Pages
Single pages have a menu link and description all to themselves. For example, on the Digital Selling menu dropdown above for Copywriting.
- The website menu is Digital Selling > Copywriting
- The URL is ‘salesXchange.co.uk/digital-selling/copywriting’
- The title name of the page is ‘B2B Copywriting for Digital Selling’
- The browser title name is ‘B2B storytelling & copywriting to enhance customer engagement’
- The keyword of ‘copywriting’ is in each of the above elements and is mentioned a number of times throughout the page.
Category pages or blogs pages are presented differently in terms of the menu and naming conventions. In this example, I’ll use the menu etc. for our Articles. Typically, category or blog structures are used for multiple articles about a particular subject(s) and are accessible via a secondary menu or cloud/tags. You can see our Article Categories as: Strategy, Sales, Marketing, Launch, General and Collaboration.
The same keyword principle applies to articles within Categories or Blogs. Our platform Zoo automatically places the whole blog title in the url and it is up to us to leave in what is important without superflous words. the same appplies to the naming convention for images. If you save your image with a relevant name, including the keyword, and not 19034748.jpg, the system will pick up the name of the image and populate the Alternative Text Tag field, ALT for short. Again, this is an area to ensure population of your keywords.
Your category structure would be as follows:
- The website menu is Resources > Articles > Strategy > Planning a Digital Content Marketing Strategy for B2B
- The URL is ‘salesXchange.co.uk/resources/articles/item/planning-digital-content’
- The title name of the page is ‘Planning a Digital Content Marketing Strategy for B2B’
- The browser title name is ‘Planning a Digital Content Marketing Strategy for B2B’
- The keyword(s) of ‘planning, digital content’ is in each of the above elements and is mentioned a number of times throughout the page.
The construction of pages within your CMS website must conform to the above and your page layout must conform the the illustration below.
3. Schema.org
Schema.org creates and promotes schemas for structured data on the Internet, on web pages and in email messages. Founded by Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and Yandex, Schema.org vocabularies are developed by an open community process that better describes a web page for improved search and presentation by search engines.
A result of Schema and Structured Data, it means search engine will understand what your web pages are and index them accordingly. No index = Your Business is Invisible! Structured data enables the search crawler to recognise certain elements in your web page and can create what is called a Rich Snippet and place the information at the top of a search engine results page (SERP) above any other pay-per-click adverts and above other organically presented SEO that does not have schema markup. This will include and video thumbnail accompanied by chapter markers for a video, an image and some text or a partial number extracted from your article.
As a result of implementing Structured Data, we have the following elements on our relevant page types. If you have Schema Structured Data on your web site, check your webpages to see what it actually looks like and compare to our examples below. If you're not sure, cut and paste your URL and go to www.schema.org and click on their validator as shown below for this page. The reason I suggest this is because I have found most websites with Schema are incorrectly set up - after I have tried to validate them on the platform:
- Company Logo
- Breadcrumbs (Internal navigation)
- Professional Service (What type of company/business we are)
- Person (Author)
- FAQs
- Articles
- Videos
- Podcasts
These three schema types (Article, NewsArticle, and BlogPosting) are all used to provide search engines with richer information about your web page content, but they each have distinct purposes:
Article (WebPage):
- Definition: This is the most general schema type. It simply indicates that the page contains some kind of written content but doesn't specify the nature of that content.
- Use Case: Use this schema if your webpage has a mix of content types (text, images, videos) and doesn't fall neatly into the categories of news or a blog post. Examples include product descriptions, landing pages, or informational guides.
- Benefits: While offering less specific information compared to other schema types, it still provides basic context for search engines.
NewsArticle:
- Definition: This schema is specifically designed for time-sensitive content that reports on current events. It provides details like publication date, author information, and keywords related to the news story.
- Use Case: Use this schema for webpages that publish breaking news, investigative journalism, or ongoing news coverage of a particular event.
- Benefits: NewsArticle schema can potentially improve your ranking and visibility in search results for news-related queries. It may also lead to richer snippets displayed in search results, highlighting the publication date, headlines, and other relevant information.
BlogPosting:
- Definition: This schema is used for informative or opinion-based content that is typically updated regularly. It can include details like author information, publication date, and relevant keywords.
- Use Case: Use this schema for blog posts, opinion pieces, tutorials, or informative articles that are not necessarily time-sensitive.
- Benefits: BlogPosting schema can help search engines understand the nature of your content and potentially improve your ranking for relevant search queries.
This is our schema for a BlogPosting.
Our schema for a Video Page. Do not confuse this with embedding a video in a blog post - I already made that mistake!
Our schema for a Podcast Episode.
Software Plugins or Components are available for most CMS platforms website platforms. We use Google Structured Data (GSD) by Tassos. Other Component’s are available from Yoast on Wordpress and so on, just ask your web developers.
Because the search engine knows what the page type is and how it should be categorised, it is able to extract more information and present it within a search.
4. Related Technology - SEO
Part of the commonly used approach for SEO is to use an add-on software element called a Component for a CMS platform. In our case we use JSitemap Pro which provides a variety of SEO functionality.
- SEO Spider – Control to ensure correct and unique page and naming structure
- SEO Metainfo – Control for character length & pixel width to conform to Google, including chatGPT Integration to write descriptions and titles
- SEO Indexing – Control for Page validity Codes: 200 OK, 404 Page Not Found & 301 Redirect
- Sitemap Creation for CMS HTML Page
- Sitemap XML - Confirms Google Search Robot Crawl Frequency
- Sitemap Mobile – Confirms Accessibility
- Sitemap Video – Confirms page Content – Presents to Google Video
- Sitemap Images – Confirms Page Content – Presents to Google Images
- Google Search Console API – Enables auto-upload of sitemaps to Google
- Google Search Integration – Enables immediate indexing by Google
- Google Page Speed – Analysis of page speed and contributing factors
There is a certain sequence that needs to be understood when it comes to sitemaps and manual/automatic submissions to Google via API's when using JSitemap.
New - Page/Document/Article
Once you have created or written your document, you will save it. When this is done, two things happen;
(1) JSitemap creates an entry in the sitemap page and is instantly updated. IT DOES NOT automatically forward the new XML sitemap to Google.
(2) JSitemap triggers the internal Google API and tells Google that a new document has been created, which instructs Google to visit your/our website to crawl and hopefully index the page. HOWEVER, at the instant you save your document and trigger the API, Google will look at its XML sitemap file it has on Google Search Console. At this point, assuming you have a well structured document, when Google crawls your page, you will get a respponse that allocates your URL to 'Indexed, Not Submitted on Sitemap'.
A common error with many websites is that either pages are created without sitemaps and businesses simply wait for Google to crawl their sites. Or they do not have a strategy to ensure that updated site maps are submitted to Google once new pages ARE created.
To ensure consistency, I recommend once the document has been saved and the entry made on the internal page, at that point the new XML sitemap is to be submitted to Google and then the author returns to the new document and does once last read-through and makes any necessary adjustments. Even if it does not need any - make some! This triggers the API again and tell Google to reindex the page based upon the last modification date that is automatically inserted by the website CMS software into the XML file.
Editing and Existing Page/Document/Article
CMS websites are designed in conjunction with Google, meaning that you are expected to imporove content. You might change the title, content, images, videos, who knows, but each time you make a change, the 'MOD' time and date is updated. This date is registered on the XML file, which corresponds to the exact file held on Google's Search Console.
When you make a change, it triggers the API. Google responds by adhering to your request. It also makes a 'Fetch' action whereby it returns periodically to your website to collect the updated XML file to see which files have been updated, at which time it will instruct the crawl 'bot' to take a look at the changes and re-index accordingly.
You have to bear in mind there is a thing called a crawl budget. Think of this as the processor cost of sending a robot to crawl and process what you've done on your website. It's all 'cost' in one form or another. This is why the use of an API is important to ensure timely updates are achieved at a low cost to get re-indexed.
The only way I can write about this is because I have gone through the frustration of figuring out what the techies say versus the actual business processes that need to be understood. Just because there is an API liking to Google does not mean that the XML sitemap will be updated at the same time. I tell you this so you're not waiting for something to happen that never will. So manually resubmit your sitemaps to Google Search Console if you're using JSitemap.
One final point. Google can often re-index immediately because you are requesting one URL at a time and not a whole website. However, it can take a few days before Google will update the Search Console pages, so don't be like me and think it's not working. I know, I'm impatient, but I did work it out in the end :) As with all things web related, there is some working out that's needed, but I have to say the support from JSitemap Pro is excellent, because we're not all experts right!
5. Related Technology - Site Performance
Google makes its money out of providing the most efficient search results. If your website is slow, Google knows its customer, whoever is entering the search, will not be happy if they’re served up a poorly structured, slow, badly written and messy web page. Therefore, you have no choice but to create best experience possible.
To help us with this, we use an add-on Component called JCH Optimize. This, whilst very easy to install enables us to compress and enhance multiple elements of our website. This includes:
- Javascript/CSS – Removes and re-orders code to make the pages load quicker
- Images – Compresses and inserts image dimensions to load quicker and reduce page shift
- Enabling a CDN – provides the functionality to use a Content Distribution Network which populates multiple servers around the world with your images for quicker loading
6. Related Technology - Site Security
The component we use is called Admin Tools by Akeeba and provides essential security and protection for our website and, through using a short script at the time of loading, tells servers how long images and website elements need to be kept before being deleted, what type of fonts can be referenced and so on. This has an impact on page speed.
They also provide a backup solution which can be activated manually or vi a cron job (automated). These two packages are key to maintaining a clean, safe and protected CMS.
7. Related Technology - SEO & Speed Testing
You might have the best web page in the world, but it takes forever to load, then your page will be penalised by Google. Google wants to keep its customers happy, which is why Page Speed plays a big part in Google Analytics and features in many of the website testing platforms with Google providing the backend technology from their platform Lighthouse.
There are a number of well-known free and paid platforms to help analyse and assess your website, the ones we use are as follows:
- Google Lighthouse - Tests multiple elements and tells you where the problem is. In our case we need to change host providers, which we're doing over Christmas 2021. As you can see, Accessibility, Best Practices and SEO and top scores.
- GTMetrix – Crawls all loading elements and identifies what needs to be done to increase speed
- Nibbler.com – Crawls all SEO page elements and provides clearly identifiable action points
- Screaming Frog SEO Spider Website Crawler – PC/Mac based software crawls your site and confirms all internal links and structure. Free up to 500 urls.
And that's it. I hope you're able to get something from this page. I can't stress enough how important it is to have a properly organised website and SEO strategy. It's not even as if it takes forever to get place on Google. I have written an article and got on the the first page of Google without simply searching on the whole extended title.
They key is to understand that you can create content and get to page one as long as your content and pages are structured properly and there are no 'blockages'.
Once you achieve the optimate website structure, that adheres to Google's conditions, then you can start concentrating on the content itself and the digital selling strategies that will help grow and develop your business.
FAQs
What is the purpose of Schema Structured Data on a website?
Schema Structured Data helps search engines understand the content on a website by providing additional information and context. It can lead to the creation of Rich Snippets, which appear at the top of search engine results pages (SERPs) and provide more detailed information to users.
What software plugins or components are available for implementing Schema Structured Data?
There are various software plugins or components available for different CMS platforms. Examples include Google Structured Data (GSD) by Tassos, Yoast SEO plugin for WordPress, and others. These plugins help in implementing Schema Structured Data and optimizing your website for search engines.
What is the importance of SEO-related technology for website optimization?
SEO-related technology, such as SEO plugins or components, plays a crucial role in optimizing a website for search engines. These technologies help in improving SEO metadata, indexing, sitemap creation, site performance, and site security. They ensure that your website adheres to SEO best practices and performs well in search engine rankings.
How can site performance impact search engine rankings?
Site performance, including factors like page speed and overall website optimization, can significantly impact search engine rankings. Search engines prioritize websites that offer a fast and seamless user experience. Optimizing site performance helps in improving user satisfaction, reducing bounce rates, and ultimately boosting search engine rankings.
How can site security be enhanced for a website?
Implementing a comprehensive site security solution, such as using a component like Admin Tools by Akeeba, helps protect your website from potential security threats. It provides essential security features, backups, and protection against vulnerabilities. Ensuring site security is crucial for maintaining the integrity of your website and protecting user data.
What are some tools for SEO and speed testing?
There are several tools available for SEO and speed testing, including Google Lighthouse, GTMetrix, Nibbler.com, and Screaming Frog SEO Spider Website Crawler. These tools analyze various aspects of your website, including page speed, SEO elements, accessibility, and more. They provide insights and recommendations for optimizing your website's performance and SEO.
Conclusion
In today's digital landscape, having a well-optimized website is essential for businesses to thrive and succeed online. The information presented here highlights the importance of various elements and technologies that contribute to website performance, user experience, and search engine visibility.
By implementing structured data using Schema.org, businesses can enhance their search engine presence and potentially obtain rich snippets that attract more attention and improve click-through rates. Additionally, employing SEO-related technologies and plugins can optimize metadata, improve indexing, enhance site performance, and bolster site security. These measures contribute to better search engine rankings, increased website visibility, and a positive user experience.
The emphasis on site performance and speed is crucial, as search engines prioritize websites that offer fast loading times and seamless navigation. With the availability of tools for SEO and speed testing, businesses can identify areas for improvement and take actionable steps to optimize their websites for better performance.
As a digital marketing professional, I have expertise in implementing these strategies and technologies to help businesses improve their online presence, attract more traffic, and drive conversions. By engaging my services, you can benefit from a well-structured website, enhanced search engine visibility, improved user experience, and ultimately, increased business growth.
Don't let the complexity of SEO and website optimization deter you. With my knowledge and experience, I can guide you through the process, ensure your website adheres to best practices, and help you achieve your digital marketing goals. Take the step towards a more optimized and successful online presence by partnering with me and let's drive your business towards digital success.
The author and founder of salesXchange, Nigel Maine is a B2B marketing and sales expert with a proven track record in scaling up growth for Technology, SaaS, and Professional Services organisations. With 30 years hands-on experience and unique approach, Nigel has developed an effective strategy that dramatically increases exposure and profitability for B2B organizations.
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