Freelance SEO Consultant for UK Sole Traders, SME’s and Small Business. Learn SEO basics.
Google page 1 is always the aim of Search Engine Optimisation, however there is no indication of timescales and no predictions or promises can be made from any SEO company with regards to predictions of keyword rankings.
There is no way to manipulate Google, only to ensure your website is compliant with recommended practices as laid out in the Google Webmaster Tools Blog.
SEO Consultant UK Freelancer – 50% Increase In Website Traffic
My latest client and I had only been working together for 12 weeks and here’s a snapshot of the improvement in website traffic. This example is from regional geographically targeted in multiple locations spanning several counties.
Skyscraper SEO Blogs – Articles That Are Google Food
How did I do this? Quite simply, blogging. WordPress and Shopify are both globally renowned platform with superior SEO capabilities, using a combination of Skyscraper Content (more on that below) with keyword rich tags and categories and full use of the ALT tags on site, a huge 57% performance has been demonstrated as you can see from the screenshot above.
I’ve been teaching SEO since 2008 so that’s decades’ worth of experience that I’ve built up, every SEO consultation is unique as every website is unique.
My methods evolve as Google’s algorithm changes frequently. Back in 2008 backlinks were a sure fire way of ranking a website high to page 1 and in a very short space of time. Here and now, “Content Is King” remains the same, repeated phrase that was well known when I was a baby girl SEO.
Skyscraper Content? What’s That Then?
Skyscraper SEO Content is described as being 1,000 words, see my 1,500 word blog article on SEO Rome which is Google page 1 UK Internationally (I think) for “SEO Rome”.
When the a game changer Skyscraper Content evolved, SEO’s found it funny. There’s an inside joke whereby you write skyscraper content about writing skyscraper content, otherwise it wouldn’t rank. What, exactly, are you reading right now?
Say Hello
How Many Words Content Do I Need Per Page for Google Ranking?
Years ago, Google indicated 400-500 words content for the homepage and equally as much for blog posts would be sufficients to rank a website.
I’ve ranked hundreds if not a thousand websites with 400/500 words a page, now we are in a new era, “Quality Content Is King” so you can’t just write a blog, or words in an article, you need page sculpting. Bloggers are quite happy thinking that 500 words are OK for SEO, more savvy bloggers know about 1,000 words but don’t know it’s called ‘skyscraper content’.
Then there’s the SEO: We can spend a 60 minute Zoom consultation together and we would set off to write 1,000 words and I bet you both of my cats we would not achieve more than 200 words. When I’m teaching a newbie, previous knowledge is irrlevent, all you need to know is that you know nothing and come to me with an open mind. Forget the dozens of articles you’ve read online, or met Fred from down the pub who built his own WIX website, forget all of those.
The individual that you need to talk to is a time served old and grey SEO. Skyscraper content is a new-ish term compared to classics such as “Black Hat” and “Content Is King” which I doubt will ever fade. As I write this article it’s almost 9pm and I’m so passionate about it, I’m writing 1,000 words as easy as a rat up a jennel.
You need someone with a mind which spins slightly off kilter, with a way to problem solve to the side, as queue up front is taking it’s time. The SEO content writer will be able to mimic (as close as possible) to the company voice in your head.
unafraid self identity
These three words really made me pause, what do they really mean to me? I’m a reader of this website, and here I am, a self confessed harsh critique of most websites, yet a company that offers genital piercing doesn’t phase me at all. Suddenly, mentally, I’m in their gang. I feel inclusive; I feel accepted and emotionally invested in this brand. I think I’m falling in love. That’s what Skyscraper content should always try to achieve, not blogging for blogging sake. Oooh, look at me thinking “I just hit 1,000 words, thank my lucky stars that’s over, wow how tedius”
SEO Tip – Merge 3 or 4 short blogs to one skyscraper article
Last year I was working on a Glastonbury Glamping website and the client had provided a humongous 2,500 word article which was outstanding Google Food Skyscraper Content as a result of publishing the blog on the website the rankings jumped up 5 places from Google page 2 up to Google page 1
SEO Tip – Use Google Search Console URL Inspection
All new content, whether newly written content, or amended content bought up to date with changes – always remember to login to Google Search Console and ask for a URL Inspection which takes about 90 seconds but for URLs with a slow load speed it can take a minute, maybe longer.
SEO Tip - HTTPS means you have 5 domain residences
But you only need to verify one – the domain itself.
I suffer terribly with a fictional afflication affectionally dubbed #SEOOCD because I didn’t delete the properties over the years from the transition from http to https, then to domain verification in Search Console. I just keen un-associating and re-associating every time I was able. When Google was called Webmaster Tools, there was a blog post released at the time that adding all 4 residencies of your domain would increase layers of security.
If anyone wishes to volunteer their domain as a guinea pig for this domain verification case study Get In Touch Now.
As I have got the utterly ridiculous and completely ficticious SEO OCD, I also verified my domain with the HTML tag and just to make sure, the Google file upload. So my domain is verified with Google 7 times over.
I have no case study or documented research to say that this has helped me retain my rankings so don’t paddle down this stream unless you have already spent £5k on SEO and you have a couple of hours free on the Friday before you break up for the bank holiday.
SEO Thought Of The Day “Most enquiries come on a Monday” in my experience. Any other day is just skim reading.
Blog Page Sculpting in Ten Steps
- The page title – and the URL https://www.seolady.co.uk/seo-expert-uk-google-consultant/ This is referred to as an SEO-friendly URL with the most important keywords first
- Best practices say a Meta Title should start with your target search phrase and be around 70 characters
- Your H1 should feature your target search phrase at the beginning – Google takes more notice of keywords at the beginning of page titles, URLs and Headings
- Your meta description is between 150 and 160 characters in length which can be manually added in Yoast if you are a WordPress user
- Your meta description should be written in an exciting and enticing manner, ending in a sales call to action (your phone number, free shipping, a promotion etc) after all, this is what people read in SERPs before they even click on to your website
- A headline and sub headers – H1, H2, and more, again, start with your target search phrase
- Use Alt tags on images – you’ve guessed it, begin with your target search phrase
- Alt tags should have keywords first and brand name last – in order of importance and this bit is really important: You have a lot of characters here, 125 characters – or 16 keywords (do not repeat your keywords)
- Keyword rich text – Content is King, write for readers, not Google, avoid repeating keywords/ Blog posts can have skyscraper content of thousands of words as previously stated
- Add your keywords in Tags and Categories. Go to town.
Backlinks – Good for Google?
Yes of course, but paying for backlinks to be adding 50 at a time is a massive indicator to Google you are trying to skew results and manipulate rankings.
You can check your current backlinks with the FREE AHREFS BACKLINK CHECKER online (their services are mostly paid for so this is a handy resource).
SEO Consultations – Answer these 5 questions below:
- How old is the domain and when was the website first launched?
- Have you had any previous SEO work carried out?
- When people use Google what search phrases would you like clients to use to find your website?
- Do you rank in Google already for any of these search phrases?
- What top 3 geographical areas are you wanting to target?
Google Business Pomotional Posts – Not Everyone Knows This Trick
- Google search for SEO LADY on desktop
- On the right hand side is my Google Business Profile
- Scroll down to read my reviews, underneath there is my latest promotional post and then there’s a link to my website to learn more
- Google search for your brand name
- Do you see your reviews and posts? If not, this is an opportunity to promote your company on Google+ Business that not many people know about
- Here’s my SEO Freelancer UK Nina Payne Google Business Page
SEO TIP – The Importance of Alt Tags
Alt tags are often overlooked, I often say to my clients wo have booked an SEO Consultation with me to “Go to town” with the keywords in an alt tag. Don’t repeat things like ‘SEO freelancer SEO Consultant SEO Lessons’ and duplicating the keyword ‘SEO’ – just once is enough.
Write down your target search phrase – using my example of “SEO Tips” then add extra keywords after this, use CTRL+C to copy the line of words and insert the phrase by copying and pasting throughout your WordPress library in half a second. You can optimise 100 images in your media library in a matter of minutes.
SEO Tip – Link Google Analytics to Google Search Console for Data Reporting
In Google Analytics you may see that you have 200 visits a day, when in reality 100 clicks maybe yourself (and your staff).
You need to generate accurate visitor data to learn about behaviour, bounce rate, time on site, if you are on your website your bounce rate will be false and low (say 15%)
Dirty Google Analytics Results – Clean Up Your Data – Block Your Own IP Address
Here’s how to get accurate data blocking your clicks and known bots from dirtying your results.
TO BEGIN: Log in to Google Analytics and go to Admin > 3rd menu on the right hand side > All Website Data > View Settings
Here you can check the radio box to block known bots from registering as visits
Also block your own visits in Google Analytics, again, Admin > All Website Data > Filters
Open a new tab and search online for “What’s my IP” and copy that
Back to GA and click the red button ‘Add filter’
Create a new filter and give it a name e.g. Home or Office etc
There’s 3 drop down menus and 4 steps:
- Exclude
- [Select source or destination] ‘From the IP address’
- Exact Match (unless you are on a dynamic IP instead choose ‘That begin with’)
- Save
SEO Tip – How To Write a Blog Post
BEFORE you start writing your blog post you must decide what search phrase you are targeting, otherwise you are blogging blindly.
Let’s say I am writing a blog post on “SEO Tips” then I would use these keywords in:
- Page meta title
- The beginning of the page URL
- The start of my H1 Header
- Contained within H2 Headers lower down
