Shock, Horror! Did you know that the aim of SEO is not (just) to rank well in Google and Co?!

There’s no point to appearing on the front page of Google – unless when users are searching online and scanning the results, the item they click on is YOURS.

But even that’s not the true indicator of the success of your SEO!

What you really want is for that visitor to stick around and actually convert (ie sign up, follow you on social media, call you, book an appointment, fill out your contact form, or buy the thing).

How to Increase Dwell Time – and Why it’s Important

Once you’ve actually got someone on your website, you have only a few seconds to capture their attention or they will move on!

The duration of a website visit is known as “dwell time”, and there is a lot of debate among SEO professionals about whether a longer dwell time is a positive ranking signal to Google.

One of the other search engines (though nowhere near as popular) – Bing – has said in the past that dwell time does help them to understand which content is worth promoting.

Regardless, the longer somebody is on your website, the more they are interested in what you have to offer – and the more likely they are to convert.

So how do you get them to linger longer?

Here are three ways to make your website ‘stickier’:

1 – Does your website have a search bar?

There is nothing more frustrating than a site that doesn’t have a search bar!

Ideally, it should be on every page or, at a minimum, on your home page.

If a visitor to your website can’t find the information they are looking for easily, then they will very quickly click on to the next website.

A search bar allows them to more easily pinpoint the information they want, so they can then click through to the relevant pages on your website – increasing their dwell time.

Visitors are also more likely to return to your website if they find it useful. Remember, a positive experience is always the name of the game.

2 – Create a Custom 404 page

A 404 page is what your visitors see when they try to access a page on your website that doesn’t actually exist. This can sometimes happen if you remove a page, or if your visitor mistypes an address. Usually, they will see a generic 404 page that says “Oops! That page can’t be found” or something equally boring!

However, if you create a custom 404 page, it gives you a chance to keep your visitor’s attention a little longer. Your custom page could include:

• A sincere sorry message explaining that the page either no longer exists or has been moved;
• A suggestion of two or three (hyperlinked) pages that the visitor could go to instead;
• Your search bar, along with a suggestion to try searching the site for what they need.

3 – Internal links

An internal link is when you link to another page of content within your own website – and these are great for boosting your SEO. This is because internal links:

• Help Google understand the structure of your website and which pages you think are the most important;
• Help your visitors navigate your website and keep them there for longer, because relevant information is just a click away.

If you are on WordPress, you could consider installing a ‘related pages’ plugin, which will automatically allow you to show related content at the bottom of your page – yet another way to encourage your visitors to digest more of your content.

These are just a few of the ways to increase dwell time, and improve the chances of your website ranking more highly in Google and Co –  however we are really only touching the tip of the iceberg!

If you think that these ideas might be of benefit to your business, but aren’t really sure how to get started, then why not contact us at Front Page SEO for a free chat and we can get you heading up the rankings to SEO (and business) success.

So you’ve heard the buzz: when it comes to marketing your business, SEO is the way to go!

(What is SEO? – click through for a simple explanation.)

It’s the marketing method of the future. That’s because people are living in the online world more and more each day – reading, playing, chatting, banking, researching and shopping.

Naturally, you want your website to be the one they find when they are researching and shopping for your product or service – and not those of your competitors! This is where SEO comes into play.

However, there’s both good news and bad news.

The Bad News

The bad news first: SEO is a long term strategy.

To quote the old shampoo ad: it won’t happen overnight, but it will happen. It usually takes about 8-12 weeks for any SEO strategies (eg new web content) to gain traction on Google; 6-12 months for it to reach its full potential.

(Sidenote: We often report on improvements from our SEO Boost packages by the time we send out the final report, just 6 weeks after commencing!) 

But anything good is worth waiting for, right?!

The Good News

And now for the good news: SEO is a long term strategy.

The benefits last far beyond what you can achieve with other forms of marketing and promotion – long after:

• Your newspaper ad has become wrapping for fish and chips;
• Your letterbox drop has been tossed into the recycling bin;
• Your radio spot has gone silent;
• Your 5 minutes of TV fame have passed.

The beauty of SEO is that it keeps on working for you for months, even years to come. It’s a marathon, not a sprint; while it might be a slow starter, it really goes the distance!

Don’t believe it? Check out some examples of SEO success stories here, and see for yourself the difference it has made.

At Front Page SEO, we love helping small business owners with their SEO. Don’t be fooled into thinking only giant companies and corporations can win at this game – you too can enjoyed a steady stream of both clicks and clients!

Interested in finding out more? We offer a complimentary review (we call it an SEO Snapshot) of your site, which includes a free 30 minute Zoom chat to go through the findings with you. Click here to book your free SEO Snapshot and Zoom session today!.

If you have a website for your business, you have probably heard about SEO (Search Engine Optimisation).

And for good reason! SEO (search engine optimisation) is crucial if you want your website to generate leads for your business: more clicks means more clients, and ultimately, more sales.

These days, it seems that most website builders and digital marketing agencies include SEO in their service offerings.

But not everyone is an SEO specialist.

Why an SEO Specialist?

Imagine for a moment that you need heart surgery.

Would you want your GP to perform the operation – or a specialist?

It could mean the difference between life or death, so of course you will choose the specialist!

It’s the same with SEO.

You might not think that getting your SEO right is a matter of life or death – but it is for your business!

While a website builder might set you up with an SEO friendly website, it isn’t their area of strength.

A digital agency may offer a range of services – from social media marketing to Google Ads campaigns, and yes, even SEO – but they may not be SEO specialists.

What Sets an SEO Specialist apart?

Anybody can call themselves an SEO expert, as the industry is unregulated.

So here are some tips on what to look for when somebody makes this claim:

Experience

It’s said that it takes 10 000 hours of deliberate practice to become an expert – which equates to roughly ten years of spending approximately four hours each work day immersed in the field.

Achievements

A specialist has a strong track record for achieving excellent results in their field – check out their case studies and testimonials to see if this is the case.

Certifications

There’s no university degree in SEO (at this stage) but there are certifications offered by reputable institutions such as SEMrush and Hubspot.

Awards

Have they been officially recognised for their skills in relevant awards programs?

Teaching

One sign of an expert is that they share their knowledge and skills with others. This might be through conducting training, or creating books and other resources.

Well-Resourced

They have invested in the best tools in the trade, and they know where to find the answers for the things they don’t know.

Ongoing Learning

What! Aren’t they supposed to know everything?!

A specialist realises that they will never know everything about their area of expertise. However, they are constantly reading and trying to improve their knowledge.

SEO Specialists Brisbane

Factoring in all of the above – at Front Page SEO, we are proud to call ourselves SEO specialists and we love helping our clients to flourish!

We invite you to click to book a free SEO checkup with one of our SEO specialists today, or call 0421 757 424.

White hat, black hat … it sounds like a line from Dr Seuss, but the term “white hat and black hat SEO” refers to different methods of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). 

And as you have probably already figured out: white hat is the “good” version, while black hat is bad – very bad and could end up doing your business considerable damage.

Google’s Number One Priority

When it comes to Search Engine Optimisation, you want to stay in Google’s good books. Why? Because Google is “top cat” of the search engines – so they get to set the rules.

And this is what Google wants to achieve with these rules:

They want to give users the best possible experience, and the information they need, so they keep coming back to Google.

It’s important to understand this before we drill down to what white hat and black hat SEO techniques actually are.

Black Hat SEO

In the early days of the internet, marketers and website owners quickly figured out that getting backlinks was a great way to make their site look more important to Google, and therefore do better in search engine results.

So they started paying other website owners for backlinks, to manipulate search engine results.

Google however soon became aware of this practice and clamped down heavily. It’s not very fair when you think about it: big business can afford to buy lots of links from other websites. It doesn’t mean that their website content is any better, or that they are experts in their industry, or even giving searchers the information they need (remember Google’s Number One Priority). It just means they have more money!

There are a number of other underhanded black hat techniques used by some SEO agencies, such as:

• cloaking – having lots of invisible text on a page that the reader can’t see, but Google can. Why is this bad? Again, back to Google’s Number One Priority – it doesn’t improve the user experience.
• keyword stuffing – while a page stuffed with keywords like the example below might signal to the Google machine (bot) that it should rank high in search engine results – it’s not useful for the human reader (Google’s Number One Priority).

So why do so many SEO agencies STILL use these black hat techniques?

In the past, black hat techniques did work – until Google got wise to them.

Today, black hat SEO may still generate quick results BUT it’s extremely risky. Rest assured, Google WILL find and punish sites utilising black hat techniques. Not only could you lose your high ranking in the search engines (and therefore most of your traffic), but you could even disappear from search engine results altogether. Disastrous for your business!

White Hat SEO

White Hat refers to an ethical, above board, approach to SEO, which takes time and effort – it’s not a get rick quick scheme.

Yes, backlinks are still important, but Google much prefers that website owners earn them, rather than pay for them.

The good news is, Google hasn’t left website owners in the dark; they offer heaps of handy resources. Here are just two which in our opinion, are essential reading:

• Steps to a Google Friendly Site
• Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) Starter Guide

White hat techniques rely on things like:

• keyword research – figuring out which keywords are most popular and generate the most searches, and looking at competitors’ websites which are already ranking for them (so you can do a better job!); and
• website content – providing fresh, quality content which meets the user’s needs.

If you’d like to find out if your website has been subject to risky black hat SEO strategies in the past – contact us today to request your free SEO Snapshot and Zoom chat with an SEO specialist.

We get asked all sorts of weird and wonderful questions here at Front Page SEO – like “Does dwell time on your site help improve your Google ranking?” or “Does social media affect SEO (search engine optimisation)”?

It’s the latter question that we’re going to look at today.

While at Front Page SEO we do encourage our clients to create an account for their brand on the various social media platforms (and include their URL in their profile) – the simple answer is: not directly.

According to Matt Cutts when he worked for Google, the search engine giant treats Facebook and Twitter the same as any other webpage. Your popularity (ie number of followers) on social media is not a ranking factor.

Indirectly however is another story – which is why you will now find Front Page SEO on Instagram, as well as Facebook (click the links to follow us on social media!).

How Social Media and SEO Work Together

If you want to boost your business online, a combination of social media and SEO offers some great advantages:

• Promote your content. Sharing your latest blog post on your Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter account is a great way to drive traffic to your website. And the more visits to your site – the more Google sees that people like the content you have there, which is a ranking signal for SEO.

• Dominate the front page of search engine results. These days, if you search for a name or organisation, Google is likely to show not just their website, but the links to their social media profiles as well. Imagine your business dominating the front page of search results! Not only could your website appear on the front page of Google, but also your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Youtube, Linked In and other social media accounts … leaving little room for the competition.

Don’t forget too that some social media platforms – like Pinterest, Youtube, and Linked In – are also search engines!

At the end of the day, both social media and SEO are great ways to boost your business online – and like any collaboration, there is much to be gained from working together.

At Front Page SEO, we find it extremely rewarding to help small businesses with their Search Engine Optimisation, while our good friends at Brisbane social media agency, Jayne Media, can help you to launch, establish and grow your social media platforms. Contact us today to find out more.

If you are looking for small business SEO training, please get in touch – we’d love to chat with you!

30.04.24 – STOP PRESS!!!! Check out our latest offering “Making the Most of your Google Business Profile“, an online training module that will show you HOW to get your business rising up to the top of Google!

When you talk to an SEO consultant or agency, one of the first things they will do is check your website’s Domain Authority (DA).

This “DA” is a number from 1 to 100, with 100 being the best. Sites with a DA  of 100 are practically non-existent – even hugely popular sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Wikipedia rank around the 95 mark.

Every website URL starts out with a Domain Authority of just 1.

Why is Domain Authority Important?

Domain Authority is the best predictor we have, of how well a website is likely to perform in the search engines.

So a site with a DA of 45 is much more likely to be on the front page of search engine results for a keyword (search term), than a site with a DA of 25.

It’s not linear either; the higher your Domain Authority, the harder it is to get to the next level.

If you want to find out your site’s Domain Authority, head to the Moz website and enter your URL for a free domain analysis. You might be asked to set up an account, but don’t worry – there’s a free version.

And if you’re really intrigued, you can download the Moz Bar extension from the Google Chrome store so you can see the Domain Authority of each and every site you visit!

What Sort of Domain Authority Do We Need?

A few years ago I attended a workshop conducted by Sharon from Digital Nomad Wannabe, where she suggested that a DA over 30 is when things really start to happen – ie your site starts getting a good flow of traffic from Google and other search engines. She was mostly referring to “niche” or “affiliate” sites – websites that were created to target a very specific niche, and then generate income from sales they refer to their advertisers.

With almost a decade of SEO experience, I can say with confidence that it doesn’t have to be that high, particularly here in Australia. Of course it depends very much on the industry, but I’ve seen great results from sites with a DA of 10 or over.

Back in the day, Moz updated Domain Authority scores only once every month or so, and those in the SEO or blogging industries would await the results anxiously; nowadays, it is constantly updated.

Case Study: Our Own Domain Authority?

The Domain Authority of this website was 24, when this article was first published back in 2016.

At the moment it’s a lot lower than that, mainly as a consequence of re-branding from Front Page SEO to Front Page SEO at the beginning of 2021 (the joys of change!). Although we knew this would happen, it was a case of doing it strategically so we can recover our DA as soon as possible.

The good news however is that we’re off the starting blocks, and have jumped from a Domain Authority of 1, to 3 in just one month … watch this space!

There are many ways to improve your DA, and your chances of ranking in Google.

However it’s important to remember that the goal of SEO is NOT boosting your Domain Authority. Rather, it’s about:

• making sure your website ranks for relevant keywords;
• preferably on the front page of search results because 99% of users will click through to a website listed there;
• so you get website traffic that is interested in what you have to offer!

Knowing your Domain Authority is a great place to start when assessing your site’s SEO; the next step is to contact us to arrange your free SEO Snapshot (audit) and complimentary Zoom session!

“I’m changing web hosts / my website design / my business name / location – will this affect my SEO?!”

At this time of year in particular, businesses across the country are taking stock – and often, improvements to their virtual or physical locations are high on the priority list.

Here at Front Page Web Writing we understand – after all, we’re in the process of changing our business name to one that more accurately reflects our services:

Front Page SEO! 

Businesses change, as our own example proves.

They move or add a new location, or have their website redesigned, or redefine their target market.

Some of the most common questions we get asked here at Front Page SEO revolve around changes to the business – for example, a new website design, website hosting, or even their physical address – and whether they will have a negative impact on their visibility in search engine results. Will they lose those precious clicks and clients?!

How Is Change Likely to Affect your SEO?

So let’s look at each of these common scenarios in turn.

I’m changing website hosts – will this affect my SEO?

As a general rule, no, it won’t.

However having said that, some website hosts do make your site load speed a lot faster – and it’s not just people that vastly prefer a speedy website, Google does too. So if you’re changing to a faster provider, it could actually even help to improve your site’s ranking in the search engines!

I’m getting a new website / changing the design of my website – will this have a negative impact on my SEO?

It could – so approach these changes with caution and get specific advice from an SEO specialist for your particular situation.

The main thing to be careful of is to try and keep the same URLs (link addresses) for each page, or at the very least forward redundant ones to your home page. Otherwise you will lose all the history and hard work associated with that URL, which can be quite valuable – including the backlinks that particular webpage has received in the past.

If you do choose to use new URLs, make sure each old one is redirected to the new one so that visitors to your website don’t arrive on that dreaded 404 error message – a dead end. However, it’s much better if you don’t change the URLs in the first place, as redirects can slow down website speed and get confusing, neither of which is great for your SEO.

My business has moved – or we’ve added a new location – how’s that going to affect my SEO?

There will be some impact, but there are things you can do to minimise the disruption to your rankings that can occur with a new location/physical address.

While you will likely remember to update your website, email signature and printed stationery with your new address, it’s absolutely critical that you also update your Google My Business listing and any other online listings for your business.

Apart from anything else, it just makes sense!

If  you are relocating from Sydney to Brisbane, and only provide products and services to your local area, you won’t WANT to get found by Sydney internet searchers anymore. You’ll want to come up for Brisbane browsers instead, and your SEO strategy needs to be updated (with appropriate keyword research), to reflect that.

Top Tip: Search online for every mention of your business NAP (name, address, phone number) and politely ask if they can be changed to your new contact details.

The copy on our website is terrible and we are getting it redone – will that affect our SEO?

While quality copy is definitely perceived more favourably by Google (and your website visitors), again, approach a project like this with caution or you could lose the website traffic that’s been coming your way via the search engines.

By working with an SEO copywriter or an SEO specialist, you can ensure that important keywords are still an integral part of your new website copy.

In summary – if you are considering changes to your business address, website hosting, or website design, it’s worth taking into account the potential impacts on your SEO, so you can minimise any disruption to your visibility in the search engines.

Worried about how a change to your business might affect the flow of clicks and clients to your website? Book your free SEO chat online now! 

If you’ve ever wondered: Why does SEO take so long?! – take heart, you’re not alone!

After all, these days we can nuke a meal in the microwave in a couple of minutes; take a photo and see it instantly on our smartphones; and send an email across the globe with a reply pinging back in seconds! As a society, we are used to things happening straight away, so it can seem hard to understand why SEO can be a bit of a slow-burn.

6 Reasons SEO can be Slow

Wonder no more, here are just a few reasons why!

1. The search engine “spiders” have to find and crawl any new web content before they can index it. It’s only once it’s been added to their “library” that they can retrieve it, to display to internet users in their search results. You can speed things up a little if it’s your own site (through Google Search Console for example), but if you have content on another site, you’ll just have to be patient.

   And according to one study by Ahrefs, only 5% of newly published pages will make it to the top 10 (or “front page”) of Google within a year.

2. If you have a new website, many SEO specialists have a theory that they are placed in a “sandbox” for the first couple of months, before Google is willing to list them in search engine results. It’s not confirmed, but we think the best way around this is to get stuck into building your backlinks quickly – the more pointing back to your newbie site, the more quickly Google will sit up and take notice. This is one of the reasons we offer one-off boost packages, not just monthly arrangements.
3. How quickly other sites are linking to your site. Some free internet directories, for example, can take months to check your listing and publish it.
4. Longevity is a ranking factor. As a general rule, the longer your site/content has been around, the more likely it is to rank well in search engine results (the main exception is for more time-critical content eg news or current affairs items).
5. Your website is not optimised. We have seen many sites that have a healthy Domain Authority and by rights, should be ranking well in search engine results – but they’re not. Upon closer investigation, it’s because they haven’t done the foundation work of researching and optimising their website for any (or the right) keywords.
6. Even once you are appearing in search engine results, your ranking can bounce around a bit until Google can work out exactly the best place to put your site. I’ve seen some webpages ranking on the front page of Google within a couple of weeks of being published. They may not stay there though; other times, they start life ranking at #96 but over time they make their way up to page 1.

While SEO is a long term strategy (with long term results), one thing we know is that with one of our SEO Starter Packages you should see results within three months – which is why we provide a complementary SEO review  at that time. It’s incredibly rewarding and gratifying to show our clients just what we’ve been able to achieve, even in this comparatively short space of time.

Get in touch today to request your free SEO Snapshot (review) from Australia’s #1 SEO specialists, and take the first step towards putting your website to work. Remember, the sooner you get started, the sooner you’ll see results!