One important recent development that we covered in our September search engine workshop was Google Sitemaps. For those of you that are unaware, or struggling to get to grips with this important topic, please read on ...

Well constructed HTML sitemaps have always been good SEO practice in that they allow spiders to find each page on a site easily and with the anchor text of choice. They used to be constructed manually but assites have become bigger, software programs that create site maps automatically have gained in popularity.

A little while ago, Google further raised the profile of sitemaps when it introduced its XML sitemap feed program and it seems that at least some of the recent changes that many sites have experienced in their Google rankings are down to the increased importance Google is putting on a site having a site map.

One of our former Workshop students, Alison of Tectura Ltd, Microsoft Global Partner of the Year for ERP Software pointed us to a really useful tool for creating both HTML and XML sitemaps,Specifically designed to appeal to Google.

http://www.blocklayer.com/googlesitemap/Default.aspx

Although Google does offer its own sitemap generator, we found this one much easier to use.

Simply type in your website’s address and the Google Sitemap Generator will find every page on the site and build a sitemap, with sensible anchor text and descriptions. The sitemap can be built in either HTML or XML format. Simply upload the HTML sitemap to your site’s root directory, making sure you link to it from at least your index page (always use a simple HTML text link).

The XML format sitemap must be copied and pasted into a text editor (such as Notepad), saved as an XML file and then uploaded to your server. Finally it can be submitted to Google Sitemaps.

The Blocklayer sitemap generator can only handle up to 750 pages (but we wouldn’t recommend having a sitemap with more than this number of links anyway) but by using the filter it offers, multiple site maps can be generated. Simply filter out one or more sub folders for each sitemap to keep each one below 750 pages.

Google provides comprehensive information on its Sitemaps program at https://www.google.com/webmasters/sitemaps/docs/en/faq.html

Coming soon! – Using Press Releases to raise your online visibility!

http://www.searchengineworkshops.co.uk - SEO and SEM Training in the UK

A recent report (http://www.searchengineguide.com/hedger/005816.html)
showed that some 64% of companies that outsource their web promotion
work don't implement the recommendations of the seo companies that
they are employing. That got me thinking.


As all professional seo's will know, this is a perennial problem.
We have all explained to a client what action is needed to improve
visibility. Perhaps more content is required, adding new text links,
maybe just changing one or two words in the body text, but the client
either can't or won't allow the changes to be made.


Well this report makes it official. If you are an seo and have
recently felt your efforts are under appreciated then you are not
alone. Equally if you have found that you have not been able to
implement the advice you have been given, then again you are not
alone either.


What can be done about it, as after all it wastes the seo's time and
the client's money?


From the client perspective:


Make sure that you are able to make changes to all parts of your web
pages. This includes the title (of paramount importance), the link
text, the alt tags on images, the meta description tag, the headlines
within the page as well as the body text.


Don't let egos get in the way. However well the copy reads, if changing
it a little will get more traffic to the page, then it must be worth
doing. Also accept you must use the language of your customers even
if they don't use the phrases you would choose! One of my client sold
wigs but much preferred to call them hair pieces. It was not until he
allowed the word wig onto his pages that the traffic started flowing!


From the seo's perspective:


I now include a paragraph in all new proposals explaining that in
order to achieve any improvement in traffic levels (I never talk about
rankings!), then all the advice that I give must be implemented to have
any effect. I also talk through with the client what this is likely
to mean in practice.


With such a high proportion of clients wasting their seo's efforts, then
arranging to implement seo's advice could well be the single most
effective step the vast majority of companies could take in improving
their traffic levels and search engine visibility. A sobering thought!

We have just posted the dates for our next SEO Workshop and Web Analytics training event using ClickTracks for November 8th, 9th and 10th in Richmond upon Thames. More details can be found here:

http://www.searchengineworkshops.co.uk/dates.htm

The September Workshop sold out well in advance so don't delay and register now by calling Sally on 020-8255 7064.

Sally has written an article on The Role of Web Analytics in SEO which will give you an idea of the approach we take on our web analytics training event.

This article gives you a step by step introduction on how to approach monitoring the visitors to your web site in order to conduct strategic and effective SEO. This article is for those of you who aren't statistical geniuses, and I count myself in on
that! Web analytics doesn't have to be daunting - in fact, it's great fun and the information it can reveal can be truly mindblowing!

If you aren't monitoring your web site visitors effectively then you are missing out on what has become one of the most important components in effective search engine marketing and SEO. Certainly, if you are an internet marketing consultant taking on new clients,then analysing what is currently happening on their web site should be your first port of call so as to really know what approach will most benefit your client. It's almost definite that your competitors won't be doing this so you really will shine against them!

You can read the article here:

http://www.searchengineworkshops.co.uk/articles/seo_role.htm?blog1005

By the way, you can download a free evaluation of ClickTracks Analyzer here:

http://www.clicktracks.com/download.php?blog1005

If you would like to have a chat about either the Workshop or the clickTracks training event, please call Marie or Sally on 020-8255 7064.