What to do when Google snubs you?

Sudden drop for “SEO Copywriter”

I check the Google rankings of my clients and my own sites on an almost daily basis. So I was alarmed during a routine check to find that I had suddenly dropped from a ranking of 3 or 4 on “SEO Copywriter” to 9. And when I looked at the pages listed on the Search Engine Result Page (SERP), neither of them were the “SEO Copywriter” page. How weird.

Google wasn’t indexing the “SEO Copywriter” page

When I checked what Google was indexing (in a Google search field enter site:yourdomain.com), the “SEO Copywriter” page was missing. Yet it was indexing two child pages off that parent – “What is SEO” and “SEO Tools”. Why?

Why isn’t Google indexing my page?

Google can be capricious. It can not index your page for a bunch of reasons. But generally it’s because it doesn’t think that this page adds anything to the world’s collective knowledge. It could form this high and mighty opinion because …

• your page title is the same as other page titles
• your meta tags are the same as other pages
• your h1 tag is the same as other pages
• your page’s content is too similar to other pages

However, in my case, this wasn’t true. The page was unique for my site in every regard. So what else could it be?

Was it something I said?

If Google doesn’t like an inbound link to your site, it will mark you down, but again this was unlikely. So I looked at the content and found that on this page I had made a couple of references that Google might not have liked. Without wanting to repeat the content exactly, I made a reference to Spamming and to a certain landmark event in the way Google ranked pages. Could this have been the problem? I wasn’t taking any chances. I revised the content. But how to get Google to re-index the page?

Getting Google to index the SEO Copywriter page

Apart from getting rid of content that I thought Google might have found offensive, I revised the first paragraph to make it distinctly different to other pages. I also found a 301 Redirect I’d set up from /seo-sydney/ to /seo-copywriter-sydney/ wasn’t working and fixed that. But how long would it take Google to get back to look at this site? I wasn’t going to sit on my hands waiting.

In-bound links to the missing page

I have the Web Copywriter site listed on a few reputable online business indexes. In order to get Google to take notice of the SEO Copywriter page, I changed the URLs on a couple of these sites from the home page to the SEO Copywriter page. I asked one of my clients to alter the link as well, but then this morning I got some good news.

SEO Copywriter is back

When I checked which pages were indexed this morning, the SEO Copywriter was back. And so was my ranking. I am now back at 4 for SEO Copywriter and 2 for SEO Copywriter Sydney. Tellingly, the pages listed on the SERP now include the SEO Copywriter page. What made the difference?

Try an inbound link to cure a Google indexing problem

Who knows. It could have been the removal of the Google references. It might have been making the content more different. It might have been fixing the 301 Redirect. But my money is on the inbound-links. If pages on reputable sites are linking to a page that Google hasn’t deemed worthy of indexing, it is surely going to give it cause to think again. The unease I was feeling while I was being blanked by Google has now dissipated. Now I can get back to worrying about other stuff.

“There are no easy-beats in the ‘SEO copywriter’ category – no Carltons of the pre-Chris Judd era.”

Good Search Engine Optimisation is still surprisingly rare

I’m amazed to find that sites in many business sectors are still not search engine optimised. These companies will spend a fortune on general marketing, hundreds of thousands on a website, and not shell out a few grand on something that could deliver them a huge increase in web traffic and online sales. Unfortunately, “SEO Copywriter” is not one of these sectors.

“SEO Copywriter” is the Parramatta Rd of search categories

“SEO Copywriter” is the Parramatta Rd of search categories. You’re trying to sell in a crowded sector, against people who really know how to sell. There are no cheap wins to be had in this competition – no Carltons of the pre-Chris Judd era. So when I set up The Web Copywriter site, the possibility existed that I could use perfect search engine optimisation and still not trouble the Google scorers. But, to my delight, that’s not what happened.

Lifting the Google ranking of one of my favourite clients: me

I was surprised and delighted to find that my site moved very quickly through the rankings and was very soon on Google’s first page of Search Results in all my primary keywords. Here’s where it currently stands:

• web copywriter sydney – #1
• seo copywriter – #3
• website copywriting – #3
• website copywriter – #3
• web writer sydney – #5
• web copywriter Australia – #6

I knew that reaching the first SERP (Search Engine Results Page) of “web copywriter” – ironically – would be tough. But by listing with a good business index, I made it. I’m at #7. So clearly – given the importance of history in Google’s ranking – not all of these SEO guys are all that cluey.

What’s my SEO secret?

I can honestly say that I haven’t done anything in terms of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) on my site that I don’t do for all my clients.

• Good keyword analysis
• Good domain name
• Good page URLs
• Good page titles
• Good meta tags
• Good highlighting
• Judicious link building

And constantly refreshing the content through this website copywriting blog. You can’t rest on your SEO laurels. You need to be constantly reminding Google that your site is the authority in your category. Particularly in this god-forsaken category.

Has my investment in SEO been worth it?

Obviously I get my SEO at very good rates. But there is still an opportunity cost – instead of writing this post I could be making phone calls to prospects. (If it wasn’t 6.30 am). But my own investment in SEO has been good business for me. This bank client alone has made it all worthwhile. If you’re at all cluey, you’ll get a good SEO Copywriter to take a look at your site. I know someone I can recommend.

Before you go getting any Tom, Dick or Harry.com to link to your site …

Everyone says Link Building is important but you really wish it wasn’t because it’s such a tedious process. Here’s the motivation you’ve been looking for. In a recent survey of SEO experts, they identified the top 10 contributors to a website’s Google Search Ranking – and 7 out of 10 involved links!

Survey of SEO experts on factors affecting Google Search Ranking

In the States, seomoz conducted a survey of 37 leading experts on organic Search Engine Optimisation. They asked them to rank the importance of a huge range of factors. What helped your Google Search Ranking? What hurt your Google Search Ranking? They then compiled the collective wisdom and came up with a list of the top ten positive SEO factors – and the top 5 negative SEO factors.

What is the most important SEO factor?

So what was the sophisticated SEO technique identified by these experts as the most important factor contributing to your site’s Google search ranking? The humble Meta Page Title. Those 60 characters that are available to you across the top of the web browser. The bit of your site that might currently say “Home”. As Christine Churchill said, “If you have time to do only one SEO action on your site, take the time to create good titles”.

How important is link building to your Google Search Ranking?

According to this group, link building is VERY important to your site’s ranking. In fact, of the top ten factors they identified, a whacking 7 of them involved links.

Top 10 Positive SEO Factors

1. Keyword Use in Title Tag
2. Anchor Text of Inbound Link
3. Global Link Popularity of Site
4. Age of Site
5. Link Popularity within the Site’s internal structure
6. Topical Relevance of Inbound Links to site
7. Link Popularity of Site in Topical Community
8. Keyword Use in Body Text
9. Global Link Popularity of Linking Site
10. Topical Relationship of Linking Page

So, go build some links, huh? Simple. Well, maybe not.

How important is GOOD link building to your Google search ranking

Before you go getting any Tom, Dick or Harry.com to link to your site, there is some more sobering information for you to digest. Of the Top 5 Negative Factors influencing your Google Search Ranking, 2 of them involved links.

Top 5 Negative SEO Factors

1. Server is Often Inaccessible to Search Engine Bots
2. Content is Very Similar or Duplicate of Existing Content in the Index
3. External Links to Low Quality/Spam Sites
4. Participation in Link Schemes or actively selling links
5. Duplicate Title/Meta Tags on many pages

So, you need links but you need quality links. Motivated? I sure am.

For the full article on SEO factors affecting Google Search ranking, click here.