Those short blurbs you see on the SERP (Search Engine Results Page) below the page title is called a meta description. It's used to let searchers know what the page is about so they can decide whether to visit that page or not.
Keeping up with Google can sometimes be tricky—the search engine giant is constantly updating in an effort to improve searcher experience. They are not always forthcoming about what sorts of changes are in the works, nor do they give away any behind-the-scenes info that illuminates why or how they evaluate any one specific thing. Instead, we get the occasional blog post about core updates or changes to Ads, in addition to Q&A sessions with people like John Mueller, Google's Search Advocate, or Danny Sullivan, Search Liaison. Rarely is anything concrete, and sometimes info feels contradictory to best practices or what SEOs actually see in their work.
With more than 2 billion websites in the world and 2 trillion searches a year, Google has its work cut out for them when it comes to connecting users to the information they need. How does it manage all of that? With a complex set of algorithms, of course.
Here's what you need to know about Google's search algorithms and how they impact SEO.
Whether a sudden or slow drop over time, when your website traffic dips, it can be frustrating. It can be especially frustrating when you can’t figure out why. The truth is, there are many reasons why web traffic can take a dive, and it can take a little detective work to understand what’s happening. While the answer may not always be clear, there are some things you can research to see if you can make a diagnosis.
If you've had your website for a while, chances are you have a significant amount of old content. For many sites, this means blog posts from the early days of your site until now. It's likely that some of that content is outdated, or that older posts are not even getting any traffic.
One thing that is often overlooked by companies after their site has gone live is checking the website for broken links. Broken links on your site are links that lead to pages that don’t exist—you know, those 404 errors that you get when you’re trying to navigate somewhere.
Google Search Console (GSC) is one of the best free tools out there for SEO. In fact, if you only use one tool, let it be this one. That's because Google Search Console is all about organic search. GSC offers insights into impressions and traffic, and it's where you'll see issues Google has identified regarding page speed, AMP, or indexing. And, if you've received a manual penalty, you'll find that out here.
If anyone can write on any topic and post it on the internet, how can readers be assured that what they're reading is true, correct, and/or safe? If someone finds the post via a Google search, there's a good chance the search engine has made sure it's quality content.
You already know by now that the content on your website is one of the most -- if not the most -- important components of search engine optimization (SEO). Google heavily relies on fresh, interesting content that responds to user intent and fits their definitions of E-A-T (expertise, authority, and trustworthiness).
The tools you use for web marketing and website management are important, and there are so many of them out there for you to use. Most people find a few that become favorites and typically end up paying for at least one. However, Google offers a variety of tools for free that you should absolutely check out.
