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Category: SEO Marketing Page 1 of 24

Google To Penalize Sites That Have App Download Pop-Ups

September 10, 2015

In order to take users’ search experience to yet another level, Google recently announced a major change that it is going to implement in mobile search results. It stated that the mobile websites which use pop-up ads to prompt the users to download apps will be penalized in the form of lower rankings. The latest move by the company can prove to be a major setback for the advertizers, app developers and web publishers.

According to the post published on Google Webmaster Central Blog, “After November 1, mobile websites having an app interstitial that hides majority of the web page content will no longer be considered mobile friendly.” Adding further, it specified, “Our analysis shows that it can be frustrating for the users when the content that they expect to see on a web page is blocked by an undesired interstitial.” The update has been released following the company’s internal survey that showed 69 percent of the people abandoned a website after being encountered with such pop-ups while only 9 percent actually downloaded the app.

As a replication to this announcement, Google has also updated its mobile friendly test to warn sites that have large app download interstitials during users’ transition from search pages. The mobile usability report in search console will display the number of web pages where the issue has been found. Google also stated that it will penalize only those interstitials that cover a significant amount of relevant content on any web page. Also, the company has advised websites to present app download interstitials in a more user friendly manner. Instead of using the obstructive pop-ups, smaller and less intrusive banners can be placed at the top of a web page. It will provide a more convenient way of promoting an app while allowing the users to manage their browsing experience.

Google has always strived to provide quality and relevant search results to the ever increasing number of mobile users. Once the new update is live and you still have large pop-ups on your website, you are bound to witness a considerable drop in your mobile search rankings. In order to avoid being penalized, you should make sure you do not prompt your visitors to download your app. You should keep user experience as your top priority while designing your website in order to increase traffic and reduce bounce rate.

Common SEO Mistakes Made By Ecommerce Portals

June 20, 2015

There are thousands of ecommerce websites offering innumerable line of products, thus, making it extremely difficult to gain prominence in search engine results. By having several web pages listing different items, SEO for an online shopping portal becomes far more challenging than it is for other business websites. Owing to this, there are some common mistakes that most ecommerce companies are likely to make in their SEO campaign. Some of these are discussed below:

  • Not providing product descriptions: While high definition images are essential to drive users’ attention, not accompanying them with product descriptions is the biggest mistake most companies make. Search engine crawlers use the content of these descriptions to index your website for that specific product. Make sure you include proper description giving complete details about the product to increase your web presence.
  • Duplicating content from manufacturers’ website: Most ecommerce portals use descriptions exactly as given on the manufacturer’s website. While you may be providing accurate information about the product, you may get penalized by Google due to duplicacy of content. To avoid this, you must write informative and unique content that help your customers make the purchase decision.
  • Not including product reviews: Not providing product reviews is also a major mistake made by ecommerce websites. These are equally important as descriptions to achieve a higher conversion rate. Majority of customers usually read the reviews posted by previous buyers to decide if they should buy a specific product or not. Positive reviews will help to make your site look credible and boost profits.
  • Duplicating title tags: Another SEO mistake made by ecommerce companies is using the same title tags on all landing pages. Ideally, only the home page should have your brand name in the title tag, as opposed to all inner pages. In order to maximize your SEO potential, try to create unique key phrases relevant to the product listed on the page.
  • Not optimizing URLs: Even if you have a well-designed website and unique product descriptions, you might be losing out on web traffic in the absence of an optimized URL. To avoid making this mistake, ensure that your website has a clean and descriptive URL instead of being a jumbled mix of random letters or numbers. You should also try to include relevant keywords in the URL.

We, at Centex Technologies, provide comprehensive SEO solutions for ecommerce companies. For more information, you can call us at (855) 375 – 9654.

Importance Of Keeping Local Citations Consistent

May 11, 2015

Local citations are a critical component through which search engines like Google, Yahoo, Bing etc., determine the location based ranking for a business. In addition to having citations on credible and well-indexed websites such as Yellow Pages, Yelp, BBB, Foursquare etc., it is equally important to have business listings on service specific portals.

How Do Local Citations Work?

While determining your ranking for local search results, Google crawls through various sources on the web to search for “mentions” of your business. Search engine spiders look out for information like business address, phone number, website URL etc. and compare this data with the information provided on your website and Google+ page to verify its legitimacy. Generating local citations is particularly important for small businesses as they can benefit from high local search engine ranks and can compete with major players in the industry.

Why Is It Important To Keep Citations Consistent?

One of the major factors determining your website’s ranking in search results is the consistency of information provided in local citations. This includes business’ name, address and phone number (NAP), across all the citations. Besides basic business information, operating hours, modes of payment accepted, website URL should also be kept consistent. Any incorrect information is likely to reduce your potential customers, either through the wrong contact details or Google suspecting your business’ reliability and giving it a lower rank. The wrongly entered information may also spread quickly over the internet by robots and crawlers, thus, multiplying the effects of the error.

Tips For Maintaining Consistency In Local Citations

  • Decide on your exact business name and use it throughout all references over the internet.
  • Use a single phone number as your business’ primary contact. If you have a toll free number, use it as a secondary option. If there is only one option, always provide the local number.
  • Make sure to enter your complete address, including correct suite or unit number (if applicable), city as well as zip code.
  • Confirm that all abbreviations are in the same format for all business listings. For instance, Ltd should not be replaced with Limited.

Having real and consistent local citations can result in scoring huge points and achieve a higher ranking in local search results.

Google To Rank Mobile Friendly Websites Higher In Search Engine Ranks

March 9, 2015

Google has recently announced a major alteration in its search algorithms in order to yield better results for the mobile users. Starting from April 21 this year, mobile friendly websites will be given a higher ranking in Google’s search results. Keeping in line with the increasing use of mobile devices, these changes are expected to be certainly significant for businesses and entrepreneurs. In addition to this, Google is also focusing on making indexed apps feature more prominently in the search results. Hence, if you are signed in from a mobile device, you will see content relevant to the apps already installed on your device.

According to the statement quoted at Google Webmaster’s official blog, “In reference to the mobile searches, it is important that the users get the most appropriate and relevant results. It does not matter if the information is sought from the mobile websites or the apps. As more and more people are using the internet from these small screen devices, we had to bring changes in our search algorithms.

The company also stated that they will not be making the changes immediately as they want to give enough time to the internet marketers and business owners to be prepared. During this time, they can make the necessary changes to their websites to rank higher in mobile searches.

Given here are some of the tips that can help you make your website mobile friendly and more responsive:

  • Optimize The Layout: Mobile users usually look for the contact information, business hours and directions to your office. Make sure you provide all these information at the top corner of your website, along with a link to Google Maps.
  • Limit The Use Of Images: Inserting too many or high definition images in your website increases its loading time on mobile devices. Therefore, try to limit images and if necessary, use smaller ones or compress them so that they load quickly.
  • Design For Touchscreen: Ensure that all the links and buttons are easy to be clicked. Also, the buttons that are to be used more frequently should be provided at the bottom right corner of the website.
  • Limit Content: Mobile users do not want to read a lengthy content to know about your company. Simplify the website content so that your key products and services can catch their attention immediately.

We at Centex Technologies provide complete SEO and Web Development/ Designing solutions. To create a mobile friendly version of your website, feel free to contact us at – (855) 375-9654.

Online Marketing Tips For Christmas 2014

December 10, 2014

With Christmas fast approaching, online businesses are gearing up for boom in sales and number of visitors. While most of the businesses are planning to woo their customers by giving out attractive deals, it is equally important to target new customers through a well-planned marketing approach.

Here are some of the marketing tips that must be followed by the online businesses to capitalize during the Christmas season in 2014:

  • Give a Christmas makeover to your website: As Christmas denotes happiness and holidays, your website should not look boring and unadorned in this merry season. Give a complete makeover to it by using different colors and Christmas based design/ banners. You can also go for a customized theme that perfectly describes your website’s focus for this Christmas.
  • Make your website responsive: Majority of people use mobile phones to access the internet. Thus, it is extremely important for online businesses to opt for a responsive website design that can automatically adjust itself to any screen size. This will make it easier for the users to browse and view the products even on a smaller device.
  • De-clutter your home page: Your website’s home page is the first thing that a viewer sees and it can either attract or repel the users. Make sure that you replace all the expired offers and sold out products with fresh and attractive Christmas gifts and goodies. Give your website a neat layout with simple paths to the products and offers. Add categories and sub-categories so that the visitors can easily search for what they want.
  • Use Social Media: Facebook, Twitter and Google+ are some of the most effective online marketing tools. Many consumers turn to these social networking websites to look for recommendations and reviews of other people. You should make sure that you maintain an active business page that promotes your unique products, discounts, coupons and offers that attracts buyers.
  • SEO: You must modify your SEO plan according to the searches relevant to Christmas. For instance, consider using keyword like ‘Christmas deals’, ‘cheap Christmas gifts’, ‘Xmas gifts for him/her’ in your website content. Optimize your website content as well as product descriptions according to the targeted keywords. This will help you get a higher ranking of your website for Christmas related search terms.

Using the above given tips can definitely help you increase you return on investment (ROI) this Christmas.

We at Centex Technologies provide complete Online Marketing solutions for businesses. For more information on our customized SEO and Internet Marketing plans, please call us at – (855) 375-9654

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