Search Engines are programs that search an index of the world wide web for keywords and display the results in order. They find and rank web content matching a user’s search query.
Examples of popular search engines include Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo.
According to InternetLiveStats, Google receives an average of 5.5 billion searches a day. Or 63,000 searches per second. For every one of those queries, the search engine trawls through more than 130 trillion individual pages internet-wide and selects the fitting results in less than a second.
Behind those results lies a lot of groundwork. While Google, like other search engines, is notoriously secretive about the mechanisms behind search results, marketers benefit from knowing how search engines work. Understanding how search engines find, organize, and select results means you can better optimize your web pages to rank. Let’s get you informed.
A search engine is an interlinked network system that works together to identify pieces of web content, including images, videos, and website pages, based on the words you type into a search bar. Site owners use Search Engine Optimization to improve the chances that content on their site will show up in search results.
Search engines use three basic mechanisms:
From the outside, Search engines look simple. You type in a keyword, and you get a list of relevant pages. But that deceptively easy interchange requires a lot of computational heavy lifting backstage.
The hard work starts way before you make a search. Search engines work round-the-clock, gathering information from the ever-growing list of websites and organizing that information, so it’s easy to find. This is a three-step process of first crawling web pages, indexing them, then ranking them with search algorithms.
Search engines rely on crawlers to scour the web for information. Crawlers start out with a list of websites. Algorithms, sets of computational rules, automatically decide which of these sites to crawl. The algorithms also dictate how many pages to crawl and how frequently.
Crawlers visit each site on the list systematically, following links through tags to jump to internal or external pages. Over time, the crawlers build an ever-expanding map of interlinked pages. It is critical for you to make sure your site is easily accessible to crawlers. If your site is not accessible to Search engines, Technical SEO services from Clickslice are at your disposal to ensure that search engines can crawl your site. If bots can’t crawl it, they can’t index it, and that means your site won’t appear in search results.
If you’re not sure whether your site is accessible to crawlers, check it out on a Site Audit tool. The tool catches accessibility issues and advises on how to fix them.
After finding a page, a bot renders it similar to the way your browser does. That means the bot should see what you see, including images, videos, or other types of dynamic page content.
The bot organizes this content into categories, including images, HTML, text, and keywords. This process allows the crawler to understand what’s on the page, a necessary precursor to deciding for which keyword searches the page is relevant.
Search engines then store this information in an index, a giant database with a catalogue entry for every word seen on every webpage indexed. Google’s index, the Caffeine Index, takes up around 100,000,000 gigabytes and fills server farms. These farms are thousands of computers that never get turned off, around the globe.
If you want to know what crawlers see when they land on your site, use the URL Inspection Tool. You can also use the tool to find out why crawlers aren’t indexing the page or request that Google crawl it. Use a robots.txt file to control access by telling bots which pages they can crawl.
In the final step, search engines sort through indexed information and return the right results for each query. They do that with search algorithms, rules that analyze what a searcher is looking for and which results best answer the query.
Algorithms use numerous factors to define the quality of the pages in their index. Google leverages a whole series of algorithms to rank relevant results. Many of the ranking factors used in these algorithms analyze the general popularity of a piece of content and even the qualitative experience users have previously had when they land on the page
To make sure that the algorithms are doing their job properly, Google uses human Search Quality Raters to test and refine the algorithm. This is one of the few times when humans, and not programs, are involved in how search engines work.
Search engines understand that different results appeal to different people. That’s why they tailor their results for each user.
If you’ve ever searched for the same thing on multiple devices or browsers, you’ve probably seen the effects of this personalization. Results often show up in different positions depending on various factors.
It’s because of this personalization that if you’re doing SEO, it is better to use a dedicated rank tracking tool to track ranking positions. Your search results are personalized according to your:
Understanding how search engines work is the first step towards ranking higher in Google and getting more traffic. If search engines can’t find, crawl and index your pages, you’re dead in the water before you even start.
The best way is to begin by optimizing your website for SEO. Sending the right signals to search engines guarantees that your pages appear in results pages relevant to your business. Serving up to searchers, and search engines, the content they want is a step along the path to a successful online business.
A landing page is an essential part of any digital marketing campaign.
It is the place your customers are driven to allow them to purchase your product or service. Therefore, an eye-catching design, creative content, and a clear call to action are imperative to ensure this page converts viewers to customers.
A landing page is a stand-alone webpage that is created specifically to advertise a product or service.
As the name suggests, it is the page that the customer ‘lands’ on when they follow a link from your social media or email marketing campaign. Landing pages will have a clear call to action, encouraging visitors to purchase a product.
As mentioned, landing pages are generally developed as part of a marketing campaign. Therefore, providing that it aligns with your branding and social media marketing, an effective landing page will help improve your overall brand recognition.
Webpages do not always contain a compelling call to action. They allow readers to make their own choices, whether they would like to browse your products, explore your content, or read about the company history.
Whereas, a landing page tells visitors exactly what to do.
Your customers know precisely why they are here. You are not giving away tips, information, or guidance as you might be in your blog articles and category pages. Here, you are instead promoting a product on the back of your hard-earned brand integrity.
A crucial element of an SEO strategy is cohesive auditing. You need to learn what is working for your business, and what isn’t.
The metrics for landing pages are very clear, and analytics will quickly show whether your landing page is a success. Where it isn’t, you can implement changes to turn this around.
Technically, your home page is a landing page.
Many of your customers will arrive here through social media and web searches. However, a landing page is used to promote a specific offer, product, or service.
Your home page will struggle to convey this precise information.
The home page already has the job of highlighting your brand, the product or service you offer, and showing readers how to navigate the website. Adding the promotion of a specific deal to this list would be more than one page could handle. It would become cluttered and unclear, and the particular call to action required would become lost in the noise.
It needs to be abundantly clear to the reader exactly what this page is advertising, and therefore a minimalistic design is imperative.
Many business owners are nervous about using white space, unsure if the complete design will look somewhat ‘unfinished’. However, effectively using white space is the key to a bold and eye-catching landing page. Blank space draws attention towards your graphics and text, forcing readers to focus on what is genuinely important.
Concise headlines will also help simplify your design, allowing you to pack the most punch with the least words. Of course, your brand identity should be visible from this landing page, so ensure your company colours and typography flow naturally from your other marketing materials.
Your landing page will look very different to the other pages on your website, but this doesn’t mean SEO isn’t necessary.
The best way to develop an authoritative page is to have traffic from every source possible. So, if your social media and email marketing have control of those angles, allow on-page and off-page SEO to drive organic search engine traffic to your page.
Once on your landing page, the options for your readers should be limited. With too much choice, it is unlikely they will complete the desired action.
Your website should contain a detailed and well-structured navigation system, allowing customers to effortlessly access every corner of your site. However, your landing page should be the opposite of this.
Remove any navigation bars and distractions, forcing your user to focus on the sole purpose of this dedicated landing page.
A call to action is the most crucial element of your landing page. Put simply, this is a phrase or word that encourages the reader to take the desired action. A killer call to action will be the difference between a bounce and a customer conversion.
A call to action on a landing page may be used for a multitude of reasons. First and most obviously, to secure a sale. The push button will direct the reader to a sales page to input their details to complete the transaction.
However, calls to action can be used for other things, such as to add an email to a mailing list, to access free downloadable content, to enter giveaways or contests, or to receive a free trial of your service.
A simple ‘submit’ will not be enough to entice customers to click through. The text should be bold, bright, imperative language, tempting your reader to continue.
Unsurprisingly, over 50% of online shoppers read reviews before purchasing a product online. Whilst we wouldn’t encourage filling your seamless and minimalistic design with customer reviews, your landing page can be a great place to display any excellent press coverage.
This highlights why it is crucial to ask for feedback from any long-term clients, in turn, helping you reach a whole new pool of customers.
ClickSlice are SEO experts who specialise in getting your brand noticed online. We work with a vast spectrum of clients in various industries and are passionate about the power of an excellent online presence.
For a no-obligation chat about boosting your online visibility, contact our team today on 020 3287 3638 or hello@clickslice.co.uk.
Building a solid online presence is imperative in the digital age.
It’s where your customers are finding you. Even if your core service requires a brick-and-mortar establishment, individuals will turn to the internet to discover your company.
Here’s precisely why and how you should approach solidifying your brand’s online identity.
Put simply, if a business can be found anywhere on the internet, it has an online presence.
A robust online presence generally consists of an excellent website and fascinating social media accounts. Investing in your online branding in the early stages of your business can skyrocket your success.
More often than not, a business will have an online presence regardless of whether they are actively creating one.
Can your customers find you on Google Maps? Can they geotag on Instagram? Or leave a review on TripAdvisor? If any of these apply, then you already have the foundations of an online reputation.
Most businesses will struggle to achieve great success without an excellent online brand.
Because viewers convert to customers.
So, the most profitable businesses spend a great deal of time and money, developing an excellent website and engaging social media accounts. Providing customers with valuable information helps to build trust and shows readers that your product or service is the best around.
A strong online presence makes your business more credible, accessible, and helps to support the overall branding.
A flawless website is the fastest way to show the integrity of your brand.
First and most obviously, the website needs to look incredible and accurately represent your business. A website is a crucial building block in your overall branding, so the aesthetic must encompass your company identity.
Next, the website should function without fault. It should be fast to load and free of broken links. Customers will quickly leave a website that is full of glitches or slow to load.
Finally, your website must be discoverable. Unfortunately, most people never venture further than the first page of Google, with the majority clicking on one of the top three links. Therefore, you must implement a robust SEO strategy to enable potential customers to find your website.
Building a social media presence is the next building block for your online company.
However, especially in the early stages of your business, mastering all of the platforms is near impossible. The options include Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok, requiring written, image, and video content combinations. Attempting to provide your audience will value on each of these will undoubtedly be unsuccessful.
Spend time considering the content that fits your brand and focus on one or two platforms. For fun, snappy video content, opt for Instagram and Tik Tok. On the other hand, if words are more your vibe, Twitter or even LinkedIn may be preferable. Pinterest is perfect for infographics and beautiful imagery, and the platform is well known for excellent click-through rates.
One of the best, organic ways to reach whole new customer bases is to create shareable content. Essentially, your readers will then do the marketing for you, sharing your blogs or social media posts to their followings.
However, you should be aware that there is a very fine line between enticing content and clickbait. Whilst headlines may draw people in (especially on social media), only valuable, interesting content will lead to shares.
Infographics work exceptionally well and can be created easily as an addition to your long form work.
When building your brand online, it’s easy to get bogged down with the numbers.
Reaching 100 website page views per day, or 10,000 Twitter followers, can feel like the key to success. But this is not necessarily the case.
The trick is to engage genuine customers, who are likely to convert to sales. This can, however, be especially difficult for service-based businesses, where location is crucial. For example, a viewer in Edinburgh will not utilise a hairdresser offering their services in Manchester.
This is where local SEO becomes even more critical. When search engines precisely understand where you are based, they can show you to your ideal customer base.
Building a relationship with other businesses and social media influencers can be a great way to get yourself noticed online.
Social media users are wise to constant paid for advertisements, which can look try-hard at best, and tacky at worst. Also, affiliating your company with another brand that doesn’t align with your beliefs can have serious repercussions later down the line.
However, authentic relationships will hugely help with your online presence. You will undoubtedly notice a flurry of additional viewers if another company mentions and links to your website.
Ensure you are reciprocating and keeping open communication channels to allow these relationships to organically blossom.
You can build a mailing list by taking the email address of your customers (with their consent) and storing them in a database. This helps create a personable relationship between yourself and the customer, allowing them exclusive insights into new products and sales.
Every email sent to these customers increases the chance of them heading directly to your website and making a sale. Ensure there is a call to action on every email issued, and monitor the response from your customers to help figure out which tactics work best for your audience.
Here at ClickSlice, our expertise is getting brands noticed online. We are SEO fanatics, aiming to boost your search engine rankings, drive new readers to your site, and convert them into customers.
We pride ourselves on being consistent, using data-driven and reliable techniques that have proved successful time and time again.
For a no-obligation chat about building your online presence, contact our friendly team today on 020 3287 3638 or hello@clickslice.co.uk.
Deciding to work with an external SEO company is a big move for any business.
It can be a struggle to place your trust in another team, with many business owners believing that keeping optimisation in-house is the best move.
Of course, an in house SEO expert is hugely beneficial, but this article will explore the many advantages of outsourcing your SEO work to an agency.
The purpose of SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is to increase your brand’s online visibility.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to SEO, and a great agency will take a rounded approach that aligns with the company’s goals.
An SEO agency will look at the technical aspects of your website, including elements such as page speed and mobile usability. They will then look at your on-page SEO, optimising and developing content that helps your website rank above your competitors.
Depending on your company’s needs, you may also choose to explore international SEO, which can hugely benefit E-commerce companies looking to break into new markets.
At the outset of your relationship, you will discuss exactly what you are hoping to gain from the partnership with your chosen agency. From here, strategies can be developed, and results will be regularly provided.
Meaning, you will be able to see first-hand the immediate outcomes their techniques have created.
Of course, the goal of SEO is to drive organic traffic to your website. But, the whole purpose of this traffic spike is to increase the number of sales your company makes.
Put simply; excellent SEO implementation will improve your bottom line.
Auditing your website and the website of your competitors takes a significant number of tools and resources. Whilst some resources are free, the best are those that require annual memberships, which your chosen agency will undoubtedly have.
Alongside these tools to kickstart your SEO campaign, great agencies will have access to programmes that monitor your progress, checking you are on track to hitting those goals every step of the way.
Working with an SEO agency is a significant investment.
SEO is a holistic service that starts with a detailed website audit, analyses your competitors, and develops on-page and off-page optimisation strategies. These are highly skilled services, and therefore, agencies charge a premium.
However, the focus should always be on providing a significant return on your investment.
Consider the impact of your organic internet traffic multiplying by 500. The whole focus of SEO is to drive your genuine target market to your website, so these additional views will be by legitimate customers ready to purchase your products. In comparison to the monthly outlay for the SEO services, this extra income will be astronomical.
SEO agencies can be particularly beneficial for service-based, local companies.
Local SEO is the process of optimising your website to ensure your brand is visible to those in the vicinity. For example, if you’re a window cleaner based in Bournemouth, there is little point in a client in Newcastle discovering your services.
Local SEO is complex and requires implementation from many different angles to succeed.
SEO is a full-time job. However, taking on a staff member to cover these elements of your business might not be feasible for you at this current time.
While you may choose to invest in in-house training and courses, working with an agency will provide the rapid results that your company craves, using tried and tested methods.
Think about your biggest competitor. And now imagine ranking above them for every search in your niche.
This is not an easy task – especially if you are a relatively new business and they are an established company. However, through innovative research and robust strategies, there is no reason customers cannot find your website above the rest.
Once on your website, your excellent content will show them exactly why they should purchase your product or service.
Most businesses are aware of the enormous impact SEO can have.
It is often added to to-do lists and left there for months on end. Understandably, businesses have other elements to focus on, and Search Engine Optimisation falls by the wayside.
However, a dedicated agency will research, plan, and implement a strategy. Your monthly and yearly goals will be regularly revised, and analysis will be conducted periodically to check you are on track.
Most companies believe their website and social media presence is fantastic.
However, an agency will view your work objectively, removing the emotional connection you have with your brand.
This will allow the agency to revise every element of your website. From the framework that it sits upon to the content that your customers enjoy. They will use data to focus on the strategies that attract the greatest number of customers and eliminate the techniques that are not currently working for your company.
Outsourcing your SEO might not be the long-term plan for your company. However, working with an agency is a great way to kickstart your business growth and allows you to see the masters at work.
After witnessing the phenomenal results that excellent SEO can bring, you may decide to invest in an SEO course for your team. SEO training allows your team to replicate some techniques used by the agency and gives a solid understanding of why these strategies are so important.
When choosing an SEO agency, your goals must be clear from the outset. This way, agencies can explain the strategies they will implement to help you meet your targets.
Of course, you should choose an agency with a proven track record. They should provide clear examples of the methods they implement and how these make a difference to companies’ revenue. Testimonials are also great and give a personable insight into the effects of SEO.
At ClickSlice, we specialise in designing and implementing successful SEO campaigns, always focusing on providing a return on your investment. To find out how we can transform your business, contact us today on 020 3287 3638 or email us at hello@clickslice.co.uk.
The goal of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is to drive organic traffic to your website.
A robust SEO implementation considers both the technical aspects of the website and the content that the website produces.
However, if your website is being shown to users who cannot effortlessly access it, the whole SEO implementation is fundamentally flawed.
The content should be informative, well written, and easy to digest. In addition, the website itself should be easy to navigate and have fast load times.
An accessible website is a website that anyone can use. A vast range of disabilities should be considered throughout developing a website, and catering for those who are visually impaired is imperative.
But website accessibility goes far beyond building a website for those with sight problems. Accessibility should also consider those with physical, hearing, and cognitive disabilities.
An accessibile website is also imperative for those who are non-disabled.
For example, an accessible website is one that transfers seamlessly between devices. Meaning, a user can access the same level of service regardless of the device they choose.
Additionally, an accessible site functions perfectly during ‘situational limitations’. These include adjusting the contrast for those in exceptionally bright environments and considering those with slow or unstable internet connections.
There are an endless number of tweaks that can be applied to a website to increase its accessibility. Some are relatively quick fixes, and others require a more substantial overhaul.
Most people who are blind or partially sighted use screen readers to enjoy the content on your website. Screen readers rely heavily on a heading structure to navigate the articles.
Headings range from H1 – H6 and should be tagged accordingly to ensure these screen readers understand them.
You mustn’t style to text to look like a heading without appropriately marking it as one. Otherwise, the reading software will not register the heading, and the content will be challenging to comprehend for those with disabilities.
Each page should only contain one H1 tag, which will typically be for the article’s title. H2 – H6 tags are then used for various subheadings throughout the piece. Usually, there will be multiple H2 headings throughout the content, separating different sections of information. Under each of them, there will be a variety of H3-H6 headings, where appropriate.
Screen readers will use the alt text to describe your images to your reader. Without a cohesive description, your reader will have no idea what the image is.
Traditionally, website owners developed a bad habit of stuffing image tags with keywords as a sly way to incorporate them into the article. This was a nightmare for those who accessed the content through a screen reader. Search engines quickly became wise to this tactic, developing strategies to combat it.
Alt text also hugely helps with situational limitations. If a reader’s internet is running slowly and lacks the power to load the whole page, then the alt description will be displayed instead.
Videos that accompany articles and blog posts are becoming increasingly common.
Many readers prefer to consume their content visually, finding this to be a more engaging and entertaining experience. However, for those with disabilities, videos can be completely inaccessible.
Providing a transcript of your content is a relatively straightforward way to boost the accessibility of your site.
Additionally, many people simply do not have the time to watch an entire video. They would prefer to skim the transcript and jump straight to the content they are searching for.
Breadcrumbs are particularly useful for E-commerce websites, which generally have thousands of products across hundreds of different pages.
It refers to the secondary navigation scheme that shows users exactly where they are on the website. Breadcumbs may look something like this:
Home > Clothes > Men’s Clothes > Men’s Jeans
As well as accessibility, breadcrumbs are great for a well-rounded SEO strategy.
Many who are blind or partially sighted may not be able to use a mouse. Therefore, it is imperative that your website can be navigated with a keyboard alone.
Widgets, drop-down menus, and dialogue boxes should all be considered. This is a crucial element of your accessibility strategy that will help prevent segregating a large percentage of your potential audience.
The colours and contrast levels on your website will have a considerable impact on how accessible it is.
People with conditions such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy have a low contrast sensitivity, and therefore will struggle to read web pages where there is not enough differentiation between the colours.
For example, red text on a green background would be challenging to read. In comparison, black text on a yellow background will be much more prominent.
A successful SEO strategy is not one that merely ticks the boxes prescribed by search engines. Instead, it requires a holistic approach, looking at both the technical aspects of a website and the on-page content.
There is a significant overlap between optimising a website for SEO and optimising it for accessibility purposes.
As stated, an accessible website is likely to be one that search engines love. However, we would hope this is not your primary reason for building an accessible space.
You should be hoping to build a community with your product or service. A loyal group of customers who can enjoy your content and support your journey. Without an accessible website, you are immediately outcasting a significant percentage of the population.
Optimising a site, and its content, to make it accessible to the broadest audience can feel like a daunting task. But, it is never too late to implement an accessibility strategy.
For any queries relating to accessibility, or SEO in general, contact Click Slice on 020 3287 3638 or email us at hello@clickslice.co.uk.
An ‘about us’ page often ends up hidden in a website’s footer, added as a complete afterthought.
When businesses do this, they are missing a powerful marketing strategy.
If used correctly, your ‘about us’ page can become one of the most influential pieces of content across the whole site. Attracting readers and converting them into loyal customers.
An ‘about us’ page connects your users to your brand. It is a space for you to tell the reader your story, and solidify your brand identity.
This page is a dedicated space on your website to explain exactly what your company does, why you are unique, and why visitors should choose you.
The best ‘about us’ pages are goal orientated. They show the history of the company and the mission that you are working towards.
It is an ideal opportunity to showcase your personality. Whether this is serious, relaxed, or playful – it allows your customers a genuine insight into your business.
Companies really struggle to write effective ‘about us’ content.
Whether brands are embarrassed to show off their expertise or simply do not understand the purpose of the page, the space often becomes a jumbled, unstructured mess.
However, without a dedicated page, you will struggle to transform viewers into buyers. Customers care about where their product or service is coming from and want to buy from brands they can relate to.
Therefore, a relatively small amount of time and effort can have a dramatic impact.
The ‘about us’ page is often one of the most popular pages across many established websites.
Because humans are naturally curious.
You will struggle to create a product, service or concept that is unique. So, visitors want to know why they should choose you above your competition.
We know that no two businesses are the same, regardless of the product they are selling. But visitors want to understand what makes you different. They want a story, and to understand your beliefs and your ethos.
A great about us page solidifies your brand image. It ties together with other elements of your marketing, including your logo and packaging.
Your visitors do not want your whole life story, but a little insight into why you formed the company and how it has reached the point it is at today can make a considerable impression.
Highlight the gap in the market you spotted or the problem you solved. Including information about where the passion stemmed from is a great way to build a genuine relationship with your readers.
Your backstory does not have to come in the form of a vast block of text. Infographics work perfectly for this kind of information. Using a timeline to show your company history is fun, easy to read, and a great way to tie your branding into this page.
For example, you might be a clothing company looking to create a completely zero-waste product. This ties together your passion for environmentally friendly products, with a gap in the market for genuinely stylish, zero waste clothing items.
Your mission does not have to save the world. You might simply want to create the best tasting instant coffee there is.
But showing your readers how your beliefs, and your product or service tie together, is crucial.
Some businesses choose a dedicated page for this, but it works equally as well on your ‘about us’ section. It is best to introduce your team with a photograph, their name, their role, and an interesting fact about them.
This allows your visitors to get a great insight into your company and adds a personable touch to an otherwise faceless enterprise.
Your ‘about us’ page offers an excellent opportunity to show what is going on behind the scenes. It might be a chance for you to highlight any local initiatives you are involved with, including any charity work.
Rather than a page about your product or service, this space allows you the freedom to share your personality. These details help to build a connection with your audience and set your brand apart from the competition.
This page gives you the freedom to do a little bragging. Use solid facts and numbers to show exactly why you are the best.
Whether this explains the solution you have created or some facts and figures about the results you have proven – visitors will value your honesty.
You may even choose to include some client testimonials on there. Although we recommend having a separate page for those, a snippet can add credibility to the statements.
Although you will have a dedicated ‘contact us’ page, including contact details with your company overview is crucial.
For service-based companies, including a location map will instantly let viewers know if your content is relevant to them. Effectively implemented local SEO means that viewers finding this page should be local, relevant customers.
Of course, an email address and telephone number should also be included on this page, allowing readers to get in touch instantly.
Readers are not searching for a sales pitch. They want something that they can relate to.
With a real-life story, some clever copy, and interesting imagery, your ‘about us’ page can perfectly complement a solid company website. It will engage your audience and rocket your sales.
ClickSlice are experts in Search Engine Optimisation, focusing on providing every client with a strong return on their investment.
To learn more, contact ClickSlice today on 020 3287 3638 or hello@clickslice.co.uk.
A low bounce rate indicates a website that engages readers, encouraging them to explore rather than turn to the competition. Your website must reduce the bounce rate to increase user experience, drive organic traffic and feature highly on search engine results.
But what is a bounce rate, how is it calculated, and how can you improve the bounce rate of your site? This article will discuss these questions and give you proactive tips for improving your bounce rate.
A bounce rate is the percentage of visitors who leave a website after only viewing one page. The average bounce rate for a website is around 40-50%.
Several factors, such as poor design, irrelevant content, or slow loading times, can cause a high bounce rate (70-80%). A low bounce rate (20-30%) is usually a sign that a website provides relevant and engaging content.
The needs of popular search engines such as Google are constantly changing, but bounce rate appears to be a consistent factor considered when ranking websites. Websites that routinely rank on the first page of Google tend to have meagre bounce rates, indicating they’re providing quality, helpful content for their readers.
Perhaps even more significantly, a high bounce rate indicates that readers are leaving your page immediately and are not converting into genuine customers. Consider the goal of each page. It may be to drive customers to your shop, take them to a service page, or convince them to get in touch. If users are jumping directly from your site, you will not be reaping the rewards in sales and missing out on these potential leads as they go elsewhere.
Unfortunately, this question is entirely context-specific. While a bounce rate of 80% is adequate for some industries, this may be disastrous for others.
You should be aware that where the traffic comes from will dramatically impact your bounce rate. Traffic reaching your website from paid advertisements or social media posts tends to have a significantly higher bounce rate. This is a legitimate reason for a high bounce rate and should not cause concern.
A bounce rate of 50% tends to be a figure many websites aim for, but this should be taken with a pinch of salt. It is always best to focus on improving your statistics rather than on what others are doing.
Be wary of bounce rates that are too low. On the surface, bounce rates of 20% look exceptional. However, these are usually the result of wrongly implemented Google Analytics tools rather than an exceptionally performing website.
Firstly, you must consider whether your website’s content meets your readers’ needs. Think about how useful, interesting, and engaging your site’s substance is and how it will benefit your ideal visitor. Ensure that your design is modern, your images are slick, and your copy is exciting.
Users want to know that you are experts in the field and want to enjoy using your website. They do not wish to view vast blocks of text, which will immediately make them click away.
Short, snappy sentences work better.
Give the users the information they require without all the fluff surrounding it. Use infographics and photography to break up the text blocks, but ensure these graphics are relevant.
Videos are also a great way to engage users, keeping them on your website longer and helping reduce your bounce rate.
Whilst this might sound obvious, many websites fail to implement a user-friendly navigation system.
A concise, helpful menu that gives simple directions is essential for any great website. Users need it abundantly clear where to click to find the information they require. Additionally, having a search bar visible from every page on your site will encourage readers to remain rather than revert to their search engine.
This is especially true with WordPress sites, where many users purchase a template and stick with it. Ensure your WordPress set-up covers the basics, like a customised 404 Error page, add related or popular posts and include a WordPress search bar. Check for the basics, like no-follow links, meta titles and descriptions, and correct image formatting. These little changes on WordPress will make a big difference to the navigation.
Hiring an SEO agency for WordPress websites can help you find these errors and correct them.
A website that loads quickly is crucial to excellent SEO and hugely benefits your website’s bounce rate.
Users are not willing to wait for buffering pages. The average internet user will click away in less than three seconds. Readers clicking away before the page has even finished loading will be catastrophic for your bounce rate.
If you are a service-based company, your website’s primary aim is to sell that service to your readers. Therefore, it is likely that you need to drive them to a contact page or, failing that, a newsletter subscription to keep them updated on your business.
Users probably find your website through a helpful blog post you uploaded rather than directly on your home page. Therefore, they might not even be aware of your company and the service you offer.
A call to action on every page will help drive them to another screen, converting them to genuine customers and keeping them on your website for longer. A successful CTA tells the reader what to do and leads them to do it immediately. Remember, readers won’t go hunting on your site to contact you – they’ll want it to be easy.
We all know the importance of internal links for your website ranking. It allows search engines to crawl your website and promote it for the most relevant user queries. However, it can also drastically improve your bounce rate.
Users are much more likely to continue reading when intuitive, sensible links are included.
This is where the best-researched websites shine above the rest.
Besides specific keyword research, you should conduct a regular, thorough investigation into your target audience. Your website may not be reaching a readership that is converting into a genuine market.
This is where your bounce rate and an excellent overall SEO strategy tie together. You should look more widely at your SEO strategy, considering both your organic and paid-for advertising.
Optimised content will reach the best audience, which will keep them on your site and which will, in turn, reduce your bounce rate.
Regularly updating your blog with fresh, relevant content will hugely help to reduce your bounce rate.
Returning users will steadily begin to outweigh new visitors when readers begin to trust your posts and appreciate your content’s value. Returning users who come to your site directly are much more likely to browse for longer, helping to bring down the bounce rate.
ClickSlice is an award-winning London SEO agency offering SEO strategies for businesses like yours that deliver results. We specialise in boosting the search engine rankings of company websites. We take an individualistic approach to SEO and work with businesses to develop a plan that works best for their specific situation.
For more information on how we transform businesses through the power of organic internet traffic, contact ClickSlice today at 020 3287 3638 or email us at hello@clickslice.co.uk.
Search engines use a variety of tools to assess your website. They need to understand what the content is about to accurately supply their users with the best response to their queries.
Search engines will consider the content itself, the titles and subheadings and the internal links used.
But they will also look directly at the URL. This is an element of SEO that is often overlooked yet can dramatically impact your ability to rank on the first page of search engine results
A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is a website address. One element of the URL is the domain, which signifies the website that the page is attached to. The remainder of the URL represents the specific page or post that this unique link is pointing towards.
Think of the domain as the postcode, showing the area in which the page sits. https://www.clickslice.co.uk/seo/.
Whereas the slug would be considered the front door number. Highlighting to the user the exact location they are currently accessing. https://www.clickslice.co.uk/seo/.
An SEO optimised URL is designed to work for both search engines and users. The best will generally be very short, include smart keywords, and always be secure.
A holistic approach to SEO does not focus on one particular element but instead considers a rounded approach. An SEO friendly URL is imperative to complete this and should always be considered when looking at both on-page and technical SEO strategies.
An SSL certificate provides your users and customers with the reassurance they need that your website is secure. When the SSL certificate is installed, the URL will look something like this: https://www.clickslice.co.uk/seo/.
Enabling an SSL certificate means that an encrypted connection will be established every time a browser contacts your website. So, your user’s information cannot be stolen, and their activity cannot be tracked.
Having a secure website verifies your identity to search engines. It legitimises your website, and therefore your company. Search engines see HTTPS as a site with integrity, so it is a crucial ranking factor, integral to solid SEO.
Short links, consisting of 2-4 easy to read words, are generally more attractive than those longer. Additionally, your URL should be no longer than 60 characters.
A consistent URL structure must be implemented throughout your website. This is not only for the benefit of search engines, but it will significantly improve user experience.
Stop words are words that do not provide any context or information to search engines. Stop words include terms such as ’a, the, an, but, what’.
Although it is thought that stop words make up around 25% of content on the internet today, they need to be used carefully when complying with the general rules of SEO.
Using stop words in your URL requires a careful balancing act.
On the one hand, the URL slug should be as concise as possible. It does not need to be grammatically perfect but should include the relevant keywords. A URL packed with stop words is going to be longer and more complicated.
However, the use of stop words will not cause search engines to downgrade your page. In fact, search engines such as Google pretty much ignore stop words. Often it will be the case that your URL will not be readable without the stop words. In this case, you should not omit.
So, wherever possible, remove the stop words. However, please do not remove them at the sacrifice of the slug making sense.
Your URL should contain at least one keyword that you want the webpage to rank for.
Although the requirements for excellent search engine rankings are ever-changing, consistent use of keywords when structuring the URL will only complement your SEO strategy.
However, be sure not to repeat keywords. It is tempting to believe that including the same word twice will boost your chances of ranking for this query. But this will not work.
The easier the URL is to read by humans, the easier it is for search engines.
The URL doesn’t need to match the page title exactly – it will generally be significantly shorter. However, make sure it represents the phrase you are trying to convey.
It is essential always to consider readability when choosing your keywords. It should be apparent to any person when they read your URL what the webpage is likely to contain. Hyphens should separate each word.
Some content management systems automatically generate a URL. If the user does not alter this, it will often consist of a random bunch of letters and numbers. Not only is this extremely damaging for the website rankings, but it also does not encourage users to click.
Your ideal URL will be simple yet compelling, accurately summarising the content that the reader should expect.
Special characters can also cause severe URL problems and often cause links to break – wherever possible, they should be removed.
As with all things SEO, the topic of case sensitivity is much debated.
In some instances, it has been shown that case sensitivity is not relevant for URLs. However, using standardised lowercase text is considered the best practice. It is simpler for the user and machines to read.
Using all lowercase text will also massively help with preventing broken links. Both internal and external links are vital for excellent SEO on a website, and frequent 404 errors will cause massive problems for the relationship between your website and popular search engines.
Finally, using a mixture of upper and lower case has been shown to cause search engines to recognise two separate pages. Although this can be rectified, it means that your work will be viewed as duplicate content; even just for a short period. Search engines will then be reluctant to rank the page highly, preventing readers from accessing your valuable content.
ClickSlice is an SEO consultancy, that specialise in boosting the search engine rankings of company websites. We take an individualistic approach to SEO and work with businesses to develop a plan that works best for their specific situation.
For more information on how we transform businesses through the power of organic internet traffic, contact ClickSlice today on 020 3287 3638 or email us at hello@clickslice.co.uk.
There are currently over two billion websites on the internet, and it is estimated that thirty thousand of those are hacked every day.
An unsafe website impacts everyone. Not only can it be hugely detrimental to your company, but it will make your users and customers vulnerable. An unsecured website will make their data and personal information easily accessible to cybercriminals.
The reality of an unsafe website is hugely daunting. But, you can take clear and relatively inexpensive steps to elevate your website quickly and allow your users to browse with the utmost confidence.
For anyone looking to create an online presence through a website, choosing the right web hosting company is integral to their success.
To choose the best company to work with, you will need first to determine the level of support you require. Hosting levels can broadly be separated into three distinct categories.
Shared hosting is great for small to medium businesses. It allows multiple websites to utilise the same server, making this option much more affordable. However, once your company begins to grow, you may notice some severe performance issues.
When your business requires a little extra, consider upgrading to a VPS. A virtual private server provides a happy middle ground, simulating a dedicated server’s experience whilst sharing the hardware costs with other businesses.
Once your company begins experiencing large volumes of traffic and processing a substantial number of financial transactions; a private server will likely be required. This option provides you with complete control over your website and allows you to implement customisations that meet your business’s demands. The most robust option, which comes with the most substantial price tag.
Alternatively, hosting in the cloud may be a more suitable environment for your business.
An SSL is a secure sockets layer.
It sends a message that your website is safe, enabling your customers to browse and shop on your website securely.
For E-commerce sites, an SSL certificate is essential. It is entirely unethical to allow users to input their bank details without assuring that their information will be kept private. Additionally, it can be logistically impossible to accept many bank accounts without an SSL in place.
An SSL certificate cements your identity on the internet and gives your users peace of mind. It protects users data and allows people to enjoy your site with confidence. Additionally, search engines have made clear it is a crucial factor considered when ranking websites.
A website backup is essentially an identical copy of your website data, which might include content, media, and databases.
Suppose your website becomes compromised and is hacked, having a backup means that you can be back online in no time.
Backups need to be regular as if the worst does happen; you need the most up to date version of your site. Consider investigating automatic backups which will ensure you have regular copies of your site.
Many web hosting services offer backups as part of their service. However, the storage on these can be limited, so may only be useful for part of your site.
Alternatively, you may choose to invest in a specific backup service, which sits independently of your website hosting. Finally, various plugins are available across many content management services that can help back up your site.
Whether you have one, or one thousand people who access and update your website; strong passwords are essential.
Stay away from your birthday, your dog’s name, or worse, 123456.
First and foremost, do not store passwords in your browser. Although it makes life infinitely more simple, it is just another way for hackers to attempt to steal your information.
The most robust passwords are long yet memorable. Choose something that is over eight characters, using a combination of letters, numbers, and special symbols. Try to use a phrase unique to you, such as a nickname or term that only you would know.
Do not write your passwords down, and do not use the same password for multiple accounts.
Content management systems, such as WordPress, offer a vast array of plugins for your website. Some of these can add extra functionality to your site, whereas others simply increase aesthetics.
Whilst all plugins purchased from WordPress will be vetted independently, every addition to your website presents a chance for hackers to access your site. Keep potential risks to an absolute minimum by carefully and strategically adding plugins to your website.
WordPress comes with a set of security measures in place by default and offers a range of plugins to increase your website’s security, click here to see what those plugins are.
Thorough SEO is essential for a website that gets noticed. However, once the traffic starts rolling in, it is vital that you closely monitor it.
It is estimated that close to half of all internet traffic is bots. Whilst some bots are harmless, others can be catastrophic for your business and your customers.
For example, web scraping bots will crawl your website, copying the entire contents identically. This can then fool users into believing their site is legitimate, enabling them to trick visitors into handing over their personal information.
If you have a WAF (Web Application Firewall) installed, monitoring for ‘bad’ traffic will be less of an issue. Without one, however, you need to ensure that manual monitoring is conducted regularly.
You will need to select a tool to monitor your website. Google Analytics is generally the favourite and provides a comprehensive overview of your site, providing you with information regarding the viewers’ location, how long they spend on your site, and their behaviour once on the site.
What to look out for:
There has been a rumour circulating for some time now; that blogging is dead.
This could not be further from the truth.
Blogs are everywhere, with over 150 million on the internet today. Ranging from tech to gardening through to learning languages, there has never been a better opportunity to secure revenue through blogging.
Blogs drive traffic to your website, ensuring your reader receives valuable information as well as being introduced to your company, services, or products.
However, this does not mean it is easy. Building a relationship with your audience is vital to boost your engagement rate and create a community of people who regularly read, share and enjoy your work. An engaged and enthusiastic audience will also help promote your products and services, reducing the amount of paid marketing that is necessary.
This is where microblogging begins to shine.
Most businesses and blogs are already microblogging without even realising it.
Microblogging was coined in 2005 when popular social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook burst onto the scene. Many websites give elaborate, over-complicated descriptions of what microblogging actually is.
Put simply,
Microblogging is the process of creating short, concise ‘articles’ often accompanied by images or infographics. Microblogging is typically done to engage your audience.
Twitter, the founder of microblogging, is perfect for drumming up a conversation. Twitter limits character length at 280. Meaning, you have to convey your thoughts, opinions, ideas, and information in a way that is easily digestible for your readers.
LinkedIn users often produce articles which would be considered microblogs. While they will not contain as much information as a long-form article, they will give the reader a wealth of knowledge and drive them to where the author wants them to land.
Microblogs work well when accompanied by long-form articles and can be used to encourage attention around upcoming content. Additionally, they facilitate a discussion and conversation which allows your customers to feel closer to your company.
For effective content digital marketing, you need to be consistent. There will inevitably be times where you may not have the time, budget, or access to multiple long-form articles per week.
Microblogging allows you to put out valuable, informative content but in a fraction of the time.
This keeps your brand visible and helps you to beat social media algorithms.
Your brand wants to be at the forefront of current affairs – and creating long-form content is not always achievable, or necessary. It allows your company to visibly show they are aware of trending topics without spending too much time or energy on each one.
Microblogging allows you to give your audience an insight into your personality without the need for a detailed article, particularly useful for small businesses or bloggers.
Writing a long-form blog post, that is SEO optimised, and formatted perfectly takes time. Yes, blog posts can be extremely profitable, but those with low views will not lead to a strong return on your investment.
Microblogging allows you to see what topics your audience are interested in, and what draws in chatter from elsewhere. Tweets with no replies, mentions, or retweets show that this topic does not resonate with your audience.
A great, and relatively inexpensive way to conduct market research.
You can microblog on pretty much any social media platform.
They each have advantages and disadvantages, and all work better in different niches.
Do not try to master them all. Spreading yourself too thin will mean your content is weak.
People will not comment; they will not be engaged. For example, Instagram works great for travel. Beautiful pictures grab your readers, and your captions will engage and convert them to your site if that is the goal. Pinterest is great for infographics.
Take your time to experiment with platforms, considering what works for your business and audience. Then put your energy into one or two platforms, where you can share regular, valuable content.
In short, you should be doing both.
Microblogging allows you to quickly catch your readers, maybe over their morning coffee or on the train home from work. Times they might not necessarily be sitting down to read a full post.
Microblogging helps build your reputation and lets your audience understand what your brand is all about.
People do not post because of what it says about you; they post because of what it says about them.
Have you ever logged onto Instagram and seen that every person you follow is posting the same story? It is because they want to show they are in the know, they want to look great.
A viral micro-blog on Instagram must not only be saying something of value, but it must be aesthetic enough for others to re-share it.
Microblogging allows for more significant mobile interaction.
Around half of all web searches are now done on mobile. Your readers may find it difficult to interact with long-form blogs on mobile, but enjoy accessing the content via social media.
If you or your business wants to gain traction through microblogging, then work with your chosen platforms. Features like ‘live’ videos on Instagram work wonders to boost your engagement, which breeds further comments, follows and eventually sales.
Leverage hashtags to your advantage. And most of all, be consistent. Whether consistent for you is posting daily, weekly, or monthly. Make a schedule and stick to it.
Blogging boils down to what you want to achieve from it.
If you are all about engagement, then microblogging on social media is fantastic. Readers love receiving bite-sized pieces of information and connecting with the writer immediately. It opens up conversations, questions, and allows your audience to interact with each other.
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