Welcome to the Q&A Forum

Hi EGOL,

Answering your question: Yes, it is a great option, especially due to sharing an URL is not time consuming at all.

So far, from time to time I include the link of an article. Although, I only focus on having a free glass window for some of my work.
Linked to my website, which by the way I let dropped down due to it was to much time consuming.
Like in almost all professions I have practically no time for my own stuff, fully dedicated to my clients.          That is more than enough if I wish a life for myself.

Mª Verónica

Hi Ajaz,

From SEO point, yes it's worth!
You already stated that helps for faster indexing just by sharing your content there, pasting an URL from your website´s articles.
Those links, as you said, do not pass ranking due to all of those are "nofollow". Although, the algorithms of the search engines read those signals anyway.
Every good SEO signal counts.

Perhaps you might consider to share posts of fellow SEOs from overseas, who have similar topics although no direct competitors, of course.
Also some nice comments, from time to time, work like magic for social engagement.

By the way, G+ is one of the options of having up to 3 mentions into a single page of results; the triple pack, a page of your website that anwers the query and an organic result from your Google+ that answers the query too. Good luck!

Mª Verónica

Hi Ryan,

Hope this clarifies the issue.

I conduct SEO Audits, I check the work done by other SEO practitioners. Therefore, I understand that many websites' owners or managers do not differentiate a dofollow from a nofollow link nor a low spam score link from a high spam score link. That's why some link builders show/deliver those useless links to their clients, and clients are very happy at first.

Also, there are plugins for remove the nofollow in WP comments and replace it for dofollow as well as some hackers can change that, you do not notice it, unless you check for an odd plugin and/or changes in the code.

Mª Verónica

Hi,

Sadly, today the spam score is 49!

First, you have to probe to Google that you are a new owner and that you will keep the new website into the Google best practices.

The first thing that you have to do is include the website into Google Search Console and upload the sitemap. https://search.google.com/search-console/about
Hope this helps and put your website in the right path. Good luck.

Mª Verónica

Hi Nickington,

Good question!

The FAQs are for better UX.
Also, thinking on mobile UX it is great to have a list and quickly find out the option that I really need.
Browseo's amazing tool might help you to kow out what are the signasl that the algorithms can read about a page of your website.

Said that, I think that your FAQs page is doing great.
Although you might consider to check the Moz SEO Guide on regard the Meta Keywords. Good luck!

Mª Verónica

myths-and-misconceptions-about-search-engines

Hi Ajaz,

Sorry, all the time I was assuming that you set your Google+ profile as public.

If it is public, it will be indexed by Google. In that case, if you have content that answers a query done in the search box, your Google+ might appear in the organic search results. If you have a local business, open to the public, you might appear with your Google My Business' page too. As well as a page of your website that might be answering the query.

Basically three options for answer a query and be in the organic results simultaneously, into one page of organic results.

Therefore not limited to only one: if Google My Business and Google+ are coherents with your website's NAP and content.

Attached image shows a triple pack.

NN2WY2

Hi Ryan,

Congrats on your great link!

Hope this clarifies your doubts.

Did you use the Google Search Console tool "inspect any URL in..." ?

Did you search for the page - Google search box - that has the link, and then follow the link to your website?

Regarding on how the link will improve the DA, it is hard to say. In my experience, can be from 2 up to 12. Why? it dependes on many factors like the PA of the page, if the page is highly related to the content into your website, if that content is "clear" for Google due to your meta tags are also related to the subject, it is within the best practices and so.
Cyrus Shepard en-lights the subject here: https://moz.com/blog/20-illustrations-on-search-engines-valuation-of-links

Good luck! and please update us with the results. Happy New Year!

Mª Verónica

Hi Ronell,

I noticed that Penguin 4, by devaluing some inbound links/page - though not the whole website - now shows other pages of the same website to the same query and the most important; with the same SERP position that the devaluated page had.

Hi Liz,
Sorry to hear about the drop. It seems a new update happened yesterday as it is shown in the MozCast Although it is no possible to say if it was Penguin or other, with so little data.

Hi Ben,

I assume that you published the page, before the SF attempt.

Regarding your exact question, if there is no meta description established, Google will pick up from the content in your page. Let´s say it is much better if you use that huge opportunity to rank in SERPs as well as to engage the Google visitors to became visitors to your website, by creating a wonderful appealing meta-description. Yes, normally it will affect due to Google algorithms might chose from your content not the most appealing meta description for attract your desired visitors.

Is the noodp Meta Robot Tag in place?

Mª Verónica B.

I updated a few home pages and some landing pages, so far so good!

Although, I wish to know about other experiences, before continue updating. Thanks for your comments!

Hi Sarah,

• I can see a few issues. First, if you check in Google
  " site:homefarmlogs.co.uk " the website is there, but not the homepage.

• Did you include the new website, i. e. after the migration from http to https into Google Search Console? Also, check into the GSC if you have a manual penalisation.

• I can see multiple meta descriptions. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Vvsh9BdiG5NsOZaXY0tgdSgvUa1KQ_04/view?usp=sharing

• Maybe, you might use the Yoast plugin for write down the meta tags and the images alt tags.

• The website appears located in Roumania, you might need to contact your host provider.

• The speed of the homepage is over 3 sec. Into Google Search Console you will find accurate data on that regard.

Hope these helps. Good luck!

Mª Verónica

Hi Miriam,

Thanks for your good wishes and thoughts of hope!

Starting this 2018 full of hope.
When it comes to Local SEO and Google, some headaches do not go away.
It comes to my mind a client with only 11 though honest reviews in Google.
Trying to achieve some success, though his main competitor who bought over 1.000 self/fake reviews, is top listed everywhere.
This is the moment when it is hard to tell a client: "your competitor is clearly cheating. Please, do not do the same".
It is the right thing to do, hopefully will be rewarded some day, but when!.
In the meantime, he is losting a hugh of potential sales.
Clients/visitors truly believe that over 1,000 reviews are for real.

Hope a new algorithms update soon, I mean if a list has more than 1,000% reviews on regard its ecosystem, at least a double check should be in place.

Happy New Year 2018!

Hi,

Sorry, no good news. I checked from here (South America). It is not working for download. Although if you have an old installation, it is working smoothly. I think, due to the holiday, you will have to wait till tomorrow.

If you need to verify something urgently I can do it for you.   

Mª Verónica

Hi Randy,

A first glance - not an SEO audit - there is none consistency between the NAP of the homepage and the NAP in Google My Business. That is extremely important.

https://moz.com/local/search

Also, there is room for improve the Page title of the homepage, to reinforce the service already mentioned in the Google My Business; a more direct and clear message to the crawlers and for the people looking for video editors.

I am not completely sure; by using the postal code in the page title, you might be limiting Google algorithms to show your website, only for searchers/customers in your vicinity, a quite narrow area.

Mª Verónica B.

It seems so. Although I must confess, I am not absolutely sure if it was a Penguin 4 catch or/and the Unnamed  algorithm update occurred last month; as a fellow SEO practitioner, had suggested also.  
By the way, due to that is a change not affecting the SERP position; I will not move, till we get more data.

Hi Moz fans,

I face an issue with Google for Jobs, Dublin, Ireland market.
My client, a local job agency lose rank, his posts appear mediated by other big job companies who have high DA, over 60, client has less than 30 DA.
Any ideas?
Thanks in advance.

Mª Verónica

Hi,

As you already noticed on regard SEO, it is not water which passed under the bridge, since 2004, it was a whole flood!

Said that, I strongly recommend that you update the SEO of your old domain before consider a migration or a redirect.
Nowadays, Google knows a lot about the owner of any domain. That is a factor too.

All succesfull migrations bring almost all the SEO rank, whether is a good or a bad one. If your website is now having a penalization due to old back links, link schemes from the past that you might have forgotten or you do not know about, lack of h1: the best option is to fix up all the SEO issues, accordingly to SEO 2018 best practices, before the migration or redirect.

Sadly, Google has long term excelent memory and great data bank. Good luck and Happy New Year!

Mª Verónica

Hi Sainath,

What at first seems to be inexplicable, appear possible causes.
First a pop up, which Google penalizes since last February.
Secondly, despite the chain of redirects, the second page has better PA and mR.
Hope this helps. Good luck!

Mª Verónica

1aev1fHi68aZ-PHbm13yEOkPnvdicy7LC?usp=sharing

Hi Radi,
I think that is because the competitor has more accurate title tags and meta descriptions on regard the query - hand therapy Sydney - despite they do not have  inbound links pointing those pages. They answer the query accurately. It is not all about links. Content - answering the query - first and above all. On top of that, they are first in Google local listings. https://moz.com/blog/why-listing-accuracy-is-important-whiteboard-friday
All the best,

Mª Verónica B.

Hi Miriam,

Thank you so much for taking time to answer this.

So far, officially Google Jobs is not working in Ireland, but in fact we see these results for almost all best keywords.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hqi8nt2A_up9R0UZgxyjq-VXjg3O7HRl/view

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OFH-qreM4lKlfJ_-RLYBNh1Kcw_j8k1Y/view

Big jobs companies, pull jobs data and publish it "mediated" by them.
Therefore, my client's website from rank an average of #9 two months ago, now it has an average of #11.

That is one result. Of course, the big companies publish the jobs, which are published first in my client's website. Those companies do not offer a link to my client's website, instead the URL without a link, the same with the contact email.

Truly, I can advise him to improve the structured data for jobs, but with those overwhelming DAs, I am not sure if it might work at all.

I am fully aware that it is imposible to compete with companies with over 100,000 back-links, despite my client has a 21 years old recruiter company with great reputation.
Any ideas?
Thanks in advance for any help and/or thinking about the issue.

Hi,
I am so sorry that a general advice was offensive for you.
You know best what caused what.
I apologize too, on regard a quote I did not translate properly for you.

view?usp=sharing

Hi IcarusSEO,

As Alick has said, you do not need to write it into the meta description. Although, if you have a local business you might consider include it into your NAP (name, address, phone) if it is necesary as part of your business name.

On regard the meta descriptions, Google now allows up to 320 characteres, although best SEOs recommend about 290 characters. Therefore plenty of room for write compelling meta descriptions. Good luck.

Mª Verónica

googles-longer-snippets

Hi,

It seems that the website has a similar situation as the one that I shared before.
Although, I had to take immediate action due to it was creating a very serious problem by sending malicious signals to all the crawlers.
Also, I discovered the issue by using the same Moz feature.
Thanks Moz!

https://moz.com/community/q/more-than-450-pages-created-by-a-hacker

In my experience, by sending all those pages to a new hidden page, using a 301 and the noindex and nofollow directives. It is, somehow, sending the right signals to the crawlers of Google and the other search engines.
Let's say strongly informing all the crawlers, that those spam pages/404 are not relevant nor interesting for your website.
Andy's response agrees that is the best solution. Also, he recommends the Wordfence plugin for WordPress as a preventive measure to avoid further issues.
Good luck!

Hi Miriam,

Thank you! for taking the time to give me such a complete analysis of the problem here.

You are absolutely right, we have to deal with the encroachment of Google into this space, "our piece of cheese is even smaller as time goes by."

Of course, I will focus on the recommendations and tips you gave me. Really, a very good road map. Thanks again. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Mª Verónica

Hi Randy,

Hope this clarifies the Google My Business report features.

Although Google My Business belongs to Google as well, GA and GMB are different tools/platforms.

Therefore, the reports of GMB are related to the interactions of the searchers with your Google My Business listing and/or your Google Maps listing, i.e. people that saw your Google My Business or Google Maps and if they called you, or went from there to visit your website. https://www.google.com/intl/en/business/

On the other hand, Google Analytics counts all the traffic that actually went into your website. That includes, organic traffic, direct traffic, social traffic, referral traffic, etc.

Let me know if this is clear enough. All the best,

Mª Verónica

Hi Jim,

Did you upload a "disavow all" file?
No
Great

Did you add the new property - https - to the Google Search Console?
how to add https to Google Search Console? Should we do it or not?

Yes you ought to!
You have to add all versions of the website (if you did not add the http versions in the past to Google Search Console, formerly known as Google Webmasters).

Where?:
https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/

How to do it?:
https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/6332964?

What properties?:
http://infohub.com/
https:/infohub.com/
http://www.infohub.com/
https://www.infohub.com/

After all those were done:
Into this property only: https://www.infohub.com/
veryfy the robot texts
upload a site map
fetch as google
You will see data starts to be shown and index within a few days.

Did you inadverted deleted the Google Analytics code?
Don't think so. We still see site traffic stats in our GA account. That means the GA code is in place, right?
Yes.

Good luck!

Mª Verónica

Hi David,

Good question!.
Best to use the nearest Server location of your major target market or the NAP location?
I think, the best is the Server location of the target market, hopefully with an equal IP and NAP.

"Server in Sydney, IP & NAP in Melbourne (no issue with Possum), the inbound links (no issues with Penguin) might come from all over the world, if strictly related to the business. Example, your client sells handmade bags imported from NZ, it is fine to have some inbound links from the bag industry in NZ,"

In this case will be Server in Sydney, IP & NAP in Melbourne for the major target market Sydney?

Your client might have a deliver service to Sydney. If having a second NAP in Sydney will be optimal.

Set up the Google My Business for 999 kilometres around the NAP in Melbourne.

In that case is advisable to have inbound links from Sidney to reinforce the interests there, as well as customers reviews in Google, whom have IP in Sydney.

Not so local and having more customers with the same resources!

Hi Alice,

Here are the metrics that I pulled from MozBar
PA: 46
mR: 5.63
mT: 5.76
3,804 links from
69 Root Domains
DA: 35
DmR: 5.05
DmT: 5.07
221,118 links from
455 Root Domains
Subdomain:
221,111 links from
453 Root Domains
Spam
Score:
2/17
Assuming that the content of that website is highly related to your niche, it looks fine. Though I strongly recommend that you check the local reviews.

Mª Verónica B.

Hi John,

Good question. Local website optimisation is part of a whole. If LWO is done properly and there is consistency of the NAP all over the internet, as well as by having good reviews. Therefore, it will attract more visitors and as a good secondary effect, the website performance in SERPs - if it is technically correct, no Penguin nor UX issues, - yes it might help to boost the rank of the homepage. Although, you might should consider to optimise the homepage as well. The best guide by Miriam Ellis.

Mª Verónica B.

Hi Mike,

Great! Do not worry, I know about the issues with the Spanish accents.

You are absolutely right. Your answer is very complete, with all the options available.
I have only mentioned, the cross linking, assuming that all the other options were already tried. Which might be not be true nor the best option as a start. Specially if the practitioner does not have experience enough.

Mª Verónica

You are most welcome! Ruled out the spam score, although it is important to keep an eye on them due to spam score changes over time.

A second consideration: are those inbound links damaging your website?, are they relevant to your site business/interests? For example, your website is a Corporate Bank having a lot of inbound links from gambling sites which have spam score 1, that is not a good signal, not due to the spam score, but as a bad signal for trust.

Or your website serves a community, with pizza delivery service in Canada, if having a bunch of inbound links from shoe stores in Australia, those are not relevant nor a good signal either. At the time somebody looks for a pizza, Google algorithms might decide to show other pizza delivery, instead the one with that bizarre signals related to interests and locations.

If neither of those issues are in place, as a general rule no action is necessary.

Mª Verónica B.

Hello,

Hope this might help.
As you can imagine, there is not unique pattern for overcome an older well ranked website.
The thing is that the website's authority counts a lot, as well as the brand itself.

Said that, I would recommend to improve the content, check that all the keywords used by the product maker are there. Of course, you have to rewrite it, do not copy and past!.

Into Google Search Console, check the sitemap and all the reports that Google shows nowadays, speed report also. Fix any issue shown there.

Create, if you can, a video, a podcast and/or a PDF. In sum, make your website greater and utmost for the visitors. Work on getting good local inbound links (high DA low spam score and related to the business' subject).
Good luck,

Mª Verónica

Hi,

You have to pay attention to the Google Search Console reports. For example, you can see how many pages got indexed, if there are mistakes, check the speed report, etc. Any issue that appears there, fix it up asap.

Also, you might wish to consider to apply structured data and/or schema markup.
Last but not less important, content, perhaps you can include more data on each page, like the history of the musicians, the musical instruments, the recording company and or a blog dedicated to the subject, as example.

Let's say "content is the king" and you have to differentiate your website from others that publish those same lyrics, otherwise you have duplicate content.
Good luck!

Mª Verónica

Hi Colin,

Not exactly!
We are not talking about backlinks. Backlinks come from other websites, therefore we cannot control them, except upload a disavow file for Google.
That is quite different.

We are talking about the hundred of "ghosts" of deleted pages - we deleted them, because our website was hacked.  
At the time we deleted all those, that is not enough.
Crawlers will "see" 330 or more pages with 404 status!
That is awful for SEO, due to the crawlers/Google "understands" that you do not care about user experience, means you have so many erased pages that if somebody goes there, there will be nothing.

1.- Moz Top Pages to find out all the spam pages and then Google, of course to be sure.
2.- A new page, not completely empty. Should say something like
"We are truly sorry...   Thanks."
This is for the crawlers, it is supposed no human knows about those spam pages. Except the one that hacked your website.
3.- Redirect all spam pages in the list, with a 301 - a permanent redirect  to the noindex/nofollow page you just created.
4:- Verify, copy and past from the list into the navigator and check if goes to the new page, also verify the page status with Moz bar.

Thanks. Good luck,

Mª Verónica

Hi Colin,

If the backlinks/inbound links are spam, yes upload a disavow file, only related to those.
If multiple ghost pages in WordPress due to erased hacked pages, yes the new hidden page with all the above instructions, only related to the spam pages.
All the best,

Mª Verónica B.

Hi Sarah,

Related to the hosting provider. It is not a very useful answer, but if the price is great... The important thing here is that you are fully aware of the issue now.

Due to your website is a - co.uk - somehow it "compensates" the hosting provider issue.

Regarding the Moz tool that I used - the greatest SEO tool for quick check - is the MozBar for Chrome. https://moz.com/products/pro/seo-toolbar
You have to be logged in and set up; choosing the "dark" option.

Some WP themes offer advice on how to deal with the glitches. You can use the WP website for contact, close to the review option.

About SEO Consultancy, yes, I do.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Mª Verónica

Note: Dec 23.

Did you set up your Google My Business profile?  https://support.google.com/business/answer/2911778/    Miariam's article is a great guide for this:  https://moz.com/blog/rank-beyond-location