Archive SEO UpdatesCorona Virus and Google TrendsMarch 11, 2020GeneralThe coronavirus outbreak from Wuhan, China has created massive threat across thee globe as many industires worldwide feel the impact. Update as of 11th March 2020 On December 31 last year, China alerted WHO to several cases of unusual pneumonia in Wuhan, a port city of 11 million people in the central Hubei province. The virus was unknown. Several of those infected worked at the city’s Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, which was shut down on January 1. As health experts worked to identify the virus amid growing alarm, the number of infections exceeded 40. Google Trends shows a spike, after the January 20, China reported a third death and more than 200 infections, with cases also reported outside Hubei province including in the capital Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen. And the drop is after the February 11, the WHO announced that the new coronavirus would be called “COVID-19“. Again the sudden spike after, February 22, South Korea saw its largest spike in a single day with 229 new cases of the virus. Italy reported its first two deaths, while Iran confirmed a fifth death among 10 new infections. A sixth death was later confirmed, though it was not clear whether this case was included in the country’s 28 confirmed cases. In mainland China, the number of new infections fell significantly with 397 cases reported.... Read more...Google January 2020 Core UpdateJanuary 15, 2020Google / Rankings / Search Engine Optimisation / SEO / Web Traffic14th January 2020 was just an ordinary day for most of us as we went about with our regular work, but not so for Google. On the 13th Google tweeted about releasing a broad core algorithm update called January 2020 Core Update. Google explained their Algorithm updates in the best possible way as referenced below. “One way to think of how a core update operates is to imagine you made a list of the top 100 movies in 2015. A few years later in 2019, you refresh the list. It’s going to naturally change. Some new and wonderful movies that never existed before will now be candidates for inclusion. You might also reassess some films and realize they deserved a higher place on the list than they had before.”Google Webmaster Central Blog An Algorithm changes tracking tool Cognitive SEO also was able to track the fluctuations on keywords ranking changes. Our Client’s keywords ranking change after the 2020 core Algorithm update We were able to notice massive improvements on our clients keyword rankings after the algorithm update. We have always deployed the best practice when it comes to providing SEO services to our valuable clients. Some chatter about the Algorithm update from the SEO community Two hours After the update went live, we began dropping for dozens of keywords one after the other. The effects from our end/datacenters were visible quite fast. We are also losing rich snippets stars for every phrase, after years of having them being visible in the SERPs. We are religiously dropping for everything across the board, including for fresh and expert written content. But I guess if a site has issues that would drag it down, it’s a site wide effect during an update. We’re definitely experiencing that right now. I guess we didn’t do enough work to improve our site and user experience. If I’m being honest and objective with respect to our site, in theory, I can see why it’s dropping. Unpleasant but it’s the reality. Need to work harder. For us, it’s been horrible since the second week of November. I don’t ever recall Google’s traffic being this bad. The quantity is there, but the quality went right down the toilet. Let’s hope what is apparently rolling out now will dramatically improve traffic quality. Here’s what I’m looking at for this month:Users: +9.8%Revenue: -40.6%Conversion Rate: -38.2%Almost a 10% increase in traffic and conversions fall off the cliff? Really?Keep in mind this is on top of what turned out to be a terrible November and December. Google’s traffic has gotten really, really bad. And just when you think the quality of traffic coming from Google can’t get any worse, it does! Have you been affected by the recent algorithm update? Has your website seen significant changes in the keywords rankings, drop in organic traffic, not many inquiries etc. Get in touch me and I’m happy to analyse your website along with you in identifying and fixing the issue.... Read more...Advantages of an effective ecommerce web development service in Sri LankaNovember 7, 2019Online Marketing / search engine optimization / SEO / Web Design / Web Development / Web TrafficWith the increasing popularity of online stores the demand for E-commerce web development services are increasing as well. Since the invention of online shops people are switching from visiting shops or department stores to purchasing goods and services online. At the time of introducing online shopping no one expected a huge growth in online shops. However E-Commerce web development services in Sri Lanka has made online business popular and has reduced the number of customers physically visiting stores to do business. You can now be at the comfort of your home and purchase your favorite product online. An effective E-Commerce web development service will provide you with the following advantages. We as a Sri Lankan E-Commerce web development services provider will assist you with a well organised design that will have a deep impact over visitors compared to other E-Commerce websites such as Daraz, Ikman.lk etc. At the early stages of E-Commerce websites, they used to attract a lot of visitors but with the growth of E-Commerce it is becoming hard to attract enough visitors to the sites. This is mainly due to all online shops being filled with the same type of design and information which led the online customers into confusion. There was no distinguished difference between the sites. Our Sri Lankan E-Commerce web development service can provide you with a bespoke design with search engine optimized (SEO) content that will make your E-Commerce site stand out from your competitors. An effective E-commerce web design will include necessary information about products in a detailed description. It will also have a customized design that will leave a deep impact on the visitor. As in any web application you will have to be concerned about the security of your E-Commerce website. Our web development service will ensure that your customer’s online transactions are direct through a secure payment gateway and will ensure that the monetary data of the customer cannot be hacked by a third party.Our E-Commerce web developers will design your E-commerce website in a way that, it would be easy to navigate and attract visitors repeatedly. It will help you to increase traffic to your website. Since it would carry the required information about your products it will also provide proper navigation in your site for the visitor. These features will enable you to attract and increase traffic to your E-Commerce website. Increased traffic will definitely increase more revenue. If your E-Commerce website is designed to manipulate your customers in purchasing more and more products online it will definitely bring in more revenue to your business. This will enable to achieve your ultimate goal in day to day business. Therefore make sure that you hire a Sri Lankan E-Commerce web development service to achieve the same.... Read more...Earnings at risk – Google AdsenseApril 2, 2018AdSense / GoogleDid you get a red alert on your Google Adsense account which says “Earnings at risk – One or more of your ads.txt files doesn’t contain your AdSense publisher ID. Fix this now to avoid severe impact to your revenue.” As most of us in Sri Lanka also use AdSense on various interesting blogs and website’s it’s import to make sure the revenue is not impacted. You’re having a “Publisher ID missing from ads.txt files” issue which is an easy fix. All you need is to declare who is authorized to sell your inventory with ads.txt Here’s how to fix it Create your own ads.txt file for AdSense Here’s how to create an ads.txt file to publicly declare that Google is authorized to sell your ad inventory: Create a text (.txt) file. Include the following line: google.com, pub-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 Important: Make sure you replace pub-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx with your own publisher ID. Host your ads.txt on your root domain (for example, https://farhanonline.com/ads.txt). Here, “root domain” is defined as one level down from the public suffix list. For example, “srilanka.com” would be considered a root domain as “.com” is on the public suffix list but “seo.srilanka.com” would not be considered a root domain.... Read more...SEO in 2018 Trends & ChallengesDecember 30, 2017Link Building / Mobile / Online Marketing / Rankings / Search Engine Optimisation / search engine optimization / SEOSEO in 2018… Are you prepared for the new challenges in SEO? Below are a some of the crucial factors that you should be mindful when it comes to optimizing your website in 2018. Search Snippets Are you supposing a #1 organic and natural ranking is the best way to get just as much traffic as you possibly can? Think again. Significantly, SERP features (local packages, Knowledge panels, highlighted snippets and so forth) are stealing searchers’ attention and clicks from organic and natural listings. Keywords Optimization We have to know how to find the keywords and phrases that searchers are in reality using to resolve or even to get answers to the queries they are having. Those should be issues that your company, your website is in fact attempting to solve, that your website’s content including blog posts, articles can help them to resolve. What you should have is a main keyword and ideally a couple of related supplementary keywords that show the searcher’s purpose. So the intention behind of most of these queries and phrases ought to be the same so the same content can provide it. After you do that, we will have a main and a secondary group of keywords that we can target with our keywords optimization efforts. Link Building Link building is not likely to fade away in 2018, but it’ll be more important than ever before to make a strategy that looks for out quality links. There is no need to shoot for new links if indeed they don’t add value and help you build an power in your concentrate on niche. This won’t always imply that the best backlinks result from typically the most popular sites, but it’s still essential to seek coverage from sites that are highly relevant to your industry. Recommendation traffic can still donate to your site’s organic and natural search rankings, although it is also useful to get started on thinking of link constructing as a long-term process. An effective SEO strategy in 2018 will move towards relevance building, helping a brand name develop powerful connections and links which will be beneficial in the longer term. Meta Titles and Descriptions Indeed, Google still uses the meta depiction every now and again. I know it appears like now and then they don’t. In any case, truth be told, there’s a high percent of the time when the actual meta data from the page is utilized. There’s a considerably higher rate where the title is used. The URL, while Google some of the time truncates those, utilized as a part of the snippets and different components. How Google shows your page on the SERPs decides if individuals want to click on your page or somebody else’s. It’s very important to have descriptive and clean meta titles & descriptions that create that urge to a user to click. User Experience User experience for SEO will become even more vital in 2018. Google has made it very clear that the main focus is on the user and this could create many websites deliver a desired user experience for all website visitors. Mobile-first index Google is rolled out another mobile-first index. This implies Google will make and rank its search results based on the mobile version of content, even for listings that are shown to desktop users.... Read more...Benefits of having a mobile websiteDecember 10, 2017Mobile / Online Marketing / search engine optimization / SEO / Web DevelopmentLong gone are the days when people used to sit in front of their computers to find whatever they needed on the internet. Now, searches for shops, restaurants and hotels happen while users are on the move. A mobile website is the best way to make sure that you don’t miss out on this particularly lucrative audience. Here are 4 of the top reasons to consider when creating a mobile version of your website. 1. Mobile searches are continuing to increase People are using mobile phones more and more for their searches. Most of the time, these searches are for the nearest restaurants or stores. Unless your website offers a mobile version, you will miss a large number of local searches with a greater chance of making sales. Even if you are not targeting a local audience, mobile searches are still valuable sources of traffic. According to recent studies, mobile audiences are expected to increase in the future. 2. Mobile websites are more appealing than apps Apps are great, most people love them. However, when someone is in a rush to make a purchase or to find information about a product, the last thing they want to do is physically download an app. Needless to say, apps are more expensive as they have to be built for different platforms. In comparison, mobile websites are affordable and easily accessible to your audience. 3. Not all websites look their best on mobile phone screens Unless you have a mobile version of your site, the font may be too small; users will have to scroll a lot to find what they need and also the pages would load slower. With a mobile website, the information is presented in a concise manner, thus eliminating the need to zoom or scroll. Since mobile websites are becoming more popular, there is a very high possibility of losing users due to your website not being optimized for mobile phones. 4. Websites that are mobile optimized have a better chance at higher ranks Search engines are striving to provide websites that are relevant to what their users are seeking. In addition, they try hard to push the sites that offer easy navigation. As for mobile websites, the increased traffic from mobile users is a great way to give your website a ranking boost.... Read more...How to stay on budget while creating a great websiteApril 5, 2017SEO / Sri Lanka / Web Design / Web DevelopmentA great website is much more than something that looks pretty. In reality, a website has to be pleasing to the eyes while being functional and also capable of generating valuable leads. This is why website owners have to pay special attention into how their website budget is utilized. Ideally, a tight budget should not be a problem to create a website with all the right features. 1. Choose a simple design Complicated designs are expensive for many reasons. If you intend to create a graphic rich site with videos and animations, it’s most likely that your budget will be considerably stretched. In addition, busy designs with too much graphics are not always friendly towards slower internet connections. Therefore, it’s best to settle on simple designs that aren’t overcrowded with too many graphics. They are cheaper to design while being friendly to generating traffic. 2. Choose the right platform With a massive choice for website platforms, you can make your pick without much hassle. However, the difficult part is to pick a platform that you are comfortable with using. Not every one of us is a web developer and it’s important to settle on a platform that allows you to make changes without having to write code. Platforms such as WordPress is well known to allow website owners to update blogs, images and content on other pages without having to rely on a developer. 3. Optimise your site before completion What most website owners neglect at the website design stage is search engine optimisation. Unless a website is properly optimised from the start, it could be rather costly to make changes later on. Most SEO services providers will request you to add more content to a website, add Alt tags to images as well as to add keyword rich titles and descriptions. This is why you need to do bit of research and to add SEO friendly elements at the designing stage. You don’t necessarily have to skimp on any important elements on your website to stick to the budget. Instead, you can simply omit the unnecessary elements to create a fully functional website with all the right features and facilities. Choosing an affordable website design company who will also offer a great website with on page SEO setup will help you get established faster and cheaper.... Read more...$45 worth advertising freeDecember 9, 2016Adwords / Online Marketing / PPCAre you a business in Sri Lanka looking for leads and business opportunities? Here’s an ideal opportunity to unleash your potential, Google Adwords is a perfect platform to reach out to your potential clients. Using Google Adwords you can show your Ads to users who use Google to look for products or services related to yours. Having a very well optimized Ad and landing page can convert those users into paying customers. Yes, We offer $45 worth advertising free when you sign up with us for Google Adwords campaign. So why wait, contact us now. *This is a limited offer ... Read more...Tips to build an eCommerce websiteDecember 6, 2016Web Design / Web DevelopmentBuilding an eCommerce website Building an eCommerce website is considerably different in comparison to other websites. You have to think about the ‘store’ aspect of the website among other things. However, there is a lot that you can learn from the latest trends for websites as well as the practices employed by websites that are successful online shops. Below are some crucial tips to build a great eCommerce website: 1. Choose a simple design The design of the site is crucial to its success. Choose colors that reflect your brand and a design that is simple yet functional. Ecommerce website design is all about functionality. Choosing the right colors and placement of content, advertisements and links all have to be done with your users’ convenience in mind. The idea is to not overwhelm a potential customer with graphics and animations while letting them find what they need fast. 2. Make searching easier As an example eBay offers you the opportunity to refine your search by adding filters to find what you need among thousands of options. While a small business may not need something so elaborate, you may need to take the necessary measures to allow people to find products they need with ease and convenience. 3. Easy navigation Make navigation as easy as possible within your website. Consider offering a breadcrumb navigation process to allow customers to make changes on their previous steps as they proceed to check out. The last thing a shopper would want is a slow and messy checkout process. With a streamlined navigation process, it will be much easier for them to make their purchases and encourage them to revisit your website more. 4. Be transparent with your charges Another thing a shopper would dislike is to find hidden charges from shopping at your website. It is best to show whatever charges involved with each purchase so that customers are well aware of the amount they are spending before they authorize it.Hidden charges will only cause you to lose the customer forever along with any referrals. 5. Choose the right payment options People have different preferences over online payment options. Unless your website is equipped to handle at least a few of the most popular choices, your customers are more likely to get discouraged from making a purchase. In addition, make sure that the gateways are chosen for their reputation as well as popularity. The last thing you would want is a checkout process ending with an ill-reputed payment gateway which could lead to abandoned shopping carts and a bad reputation.... Read more...7 Tips for Writing Your Home PageSeptember 25, 2016Online Marketing / Search Engine Marketing / search engine optimization / SEO / Web Design / Web DevelopmentMore people will see your website than will ever see your office. Since the first page most of your visitors will see is your home page, it’s also the most important page. Your home page has only 3 to 5 seconds to capture people attention before they will bounce to another site. Your page must have the right amount of text with the right graphics to grab the visitor’s attention. They are searching for products or service websites because they have a need or a want. Help them find the information quickly and easily to determine if you can provide them a solution. Here are some tips for ensuring your home page is effective: 1. Keep it concise. People don’t read websites. They quickly scan to determine if the information they want might be available. Provide the most important information first without a lot of facts and details. Make your content concise and focused. Provide links to inner pages for in-depth coverage. 2. Use keywords. Use the right keywords that people use to search for related products or service. Content is still king for search engines determining what sites to rank on the first page of Google. Using the right keywords and providing fresh content is vital. 3. Write copy from the reader’s viewpoint. Visitors don’t care about you. They care about themselves. You are important because you can help them solve their problem. Count how many times you start a paragraph with “I” or “we.” If it is more than one it’s too many. 4. Easy to Use. Your visitors should be able to instantly determine where to click on your site to locate the information they want. Hyperlinks should be easy to find. Use good descriptive phrases for labeling buttons. 5. Personalize. Online videos and logos that show awards, memberships etc. allow people to know how you can help. 6. Use headlines and bulletins. Long paragraphs of text turn readers off. Provide informative headlines to guide visitors and the search engines to the most important keywords. Bullets break up long-winded paragraphs and guide the reader. Bullets allow people to quickly scan information to find the information they need. Hypertext links can be added to allow visitors to find more in depth information. 7. Proofread your copy. Errors in grammar, spelling and punctuation detract from your professionalism. Proofread your work, and ask others to do it too. An extra set of eyes may catch mistakes you miss.... Read more...
