Links have always been an important factor in Google’s algorithm. One of Google’s original innovations, which distinguished it from other search engines in the 1990s, was associating the text of a link with both the page the link is on and the page to which it links. The relationship between the two pages was unique at the time; most search engines only associated the text of the link with the page it was on.
Read MoreSep 16
Authorship Dropped from Google Search Results
Webmaster trends analyst John Mueller announced in an August 28 Google+ post that Google search results will no longer display page authorship, also known as rel=author markup.
Mueller stated that Google tests found that taking authorship away did not reduce traffic to websites or increase clicks on ads.
Regarding the display of authorship information, Mueller wrote, “Unfortunately, we’ve also observed that this information isn’t as useful to our users as we’d hoped, and…
Read MoreSep 5
Google drops authorship from search results: what should your firm do?
Google’s Authorship project has officially ended. Last week webmaster trends analyst John Mueller announced in a Google+ post that Google will no longer show authorship information in search results. After three years of use, Google has stopped supporting authorship markup and removed all authorship capabilities from webmaster tools.
A read of the post’s comments eliminates any doubt about the decision. Mueller repeatedly stated that Google is not processing any authorship data — this is not “just a…
Read MoreAug 29
6 ways to optimize your client intake process
Marketing is just the first step in the conversion process. Once someone makes the decision to call your firm, his or her experience communicating with you is equally important. Are all prospects treated consistently? Is the experience positive? You do not want to lose people after they have already expressed an interest in your firm. In order to ensure everyone who contacts your firm receives equally good treatment, you should establish a solid lead intake system.
Lead intake encompasses…
Read MoreAug 26
Google Pigeon to reshape local listings
On July 24, Google released a new algorithm, nicknamed Pigeon by Search Engine Land (SEL), which alters the way local search results are generated in Google Maps and Google Web. The Pigeon update is designed to make the local search results more accurate and relevant.
Google told SEL that the new algorithm relies more heavily on their hundreds of traditional web search ranking signals. It also draws on features like spelling…
Read MoreAug 20
Be useful: How to design a website experience that solves real clients’ problems
Attorney websites have progressed significantly over the past three to five years, with blogs, regularly updated content and rich media replacing static brochure-style pages. Improvements in design and interactivity help attorneys communicate with visitors and help potential clients better understand what they can expect when working with the firms they are reviewing.
Moving away from pointless, search-engine driven content is just the first step. Too may attorney websites still fail to place enough of an emphasis on the user. Website…
Read MoreAug 19
Where did the map go?
Google released an update to its local search engine algorithm, dubbed the Pigeon update by Search Engine Land (SEL). The update was complex, including a number of changes designed to improve the relevancy and accuracy of local search results.
The biggest impact of Google’s Pigeon algorithm update has been seen in the local “7-pack” results, the groups of two to seven pinned, local results that appear on some local…
Read MoreAug 15
What Google’s Pigeon update means for law firm local results
At the end of July, Google quietly rolled out a change to its local ranking algorithm. In the absence of an official title for the update, Search Engine Land (SEL) dubbed it Pigeon, and the name has stuck. Some industries, particularly food, beverage and hospitality, have noticed dramatic changes in the way results are displayed for local search queries. Law firms should be aware of the changes associated with Pigeon and be prepared for a shake-up in local results…
Read MoreAug 11
Google Author Removes Your Picture, Retains Author Credit
Those photos of you and your staff that once displayed next to your search engine listings has been removed. Google has removed everyone’s pictures with the author still retaining credit for their work, although some author photos may still appear on Google+ based on relevancy and level of interaction with others.
This move caught many lawyers by surprise as no one foresaw Google completely removing pictures from their Google Authorship program….
Read MoreAug 6
Links still matter: top takeaways from the Link Building Survey 2014
Skyrocket SEO released the results of its Link Building Survey 2014 in July and have published the data on the Moz blog. Over 300 consultants, marketers, business owners and SEO managers answered questions about link building budgets, challenges and tactics. The results show that link building is still an integral part of most search marketing budgets, even if the process is becoming more demanding.
What is link building?
Link building is the process of actively…
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