From Google Insights, a new service that tracks popularity of certain search phrases over time. See the chart here.
From Google Insights, a new service that tracks popularity of certain search phrases over time. See the chart here.
!>http://aycu07.webshots.com/image/16606/2001600235028037539_rs.jpg! A possible addition to my page of “odd search phrases”:https://www.quakerranter.org/its_light_that_makes_me_uncomfortable_and_other_googlisms.php that bring people to my site is this one from early this afternoon:
“Why Men Shouldn’t be Allowed to Buy Clothes for Children”:http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Why%20Men%20Shouldn%27t%20be%20Allowed%20to%20Buy%20Clothes%20for%20Children&btnG=Search
There’s QuakerRanter.org at number eleven. Oh the shame of it! I’m going to run to W*LM*RT right now, well I would if only I kind of knew the kid’s sizes, ummm… I could call Julie at work and ask her I guess…
Every web designer under the sun talks about search engine optimization (SEO), but it amazes me to see how often basic principles are ignored. I’m in-between jobs right now, which means I’m spending a lot of time looking at potential employers’ websites. I’ve decided to start a series of posts on SEO myths and realities that will talk about designing for maximum visibility.
I’m not going to focus on any of the underhanded tricks to fool search engines into listing an inappropriate page. Google hates this kind of tactic and so do I. You get visits for having good content. Good search rankings are based on good content and the best way to boost your content is to present your page in a way that lets both humans and search engines find the content they want. Part one is on website analysis and tracking.
Don’t assume that your website is easy to navigate. One of the neatest things about the web is that we have instant feedback on use. With just a little tracking we can see what pages people are looking at, how they’re finding our site and what they’re doing once they’re here.
My most advanced sites are currently using four different tracking methods. Most utilize javascript “bugs,” tiny snippets of code that send individual results to an advanced software tracking system. I put the code inside a Moveable Type “Modules Template” which is automatically imported to all pages. Installing a new system is as easy as cutting-and-pasting the javascript into the Template and rebuilding the site.
HitTail
This service watches search-engine links and makes recommendations for new keywords. I wrote about this service yesterday in Blogging for the Long Tail.
Reeferss.com
This is a simple simple bit of software. Like every other tracking system it keeps track of referrers: search engines and websites that bring traffic to your site. But unlike the others that’s all it does. Why care then? It provides a real-time RSS feed of these visitors. I bring the feed into my “Netvibes” page (a customized start page, see below) and scan the results multiple times a day.
Google Analytics
The internet’s gatekeeper bought the Urchin analytics company in April 2005 and relaunched the product as Google Analytics shortly thereafter. This is becoming an essential tracker. It’s free and it’s powerful, though I haven’t been as impressed by it as others have. See its Wiki page for more.
It’s easy to find out what people are saying about you online.
Google Blog Search
Google can also let you follow blog references or keyword mentions on the blogs. Google will also track beyond blogs of course. Type “site:www.yourdomain.com” into the main Google search page and you’ll see who’s linking to your site (or to the competition). There are lots of other services that track blogs and mentions – Sphere, Bloglines, etc. They all have different strengths so try them and see what you think.
Feedburner
The best RSS massager has always focused on ways to track your RSS feed. They’ve recently introduced page tracking software too. It looks great but I just installed it this week. I still have to see if it’s as good as Feedburner’s other offerings.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all of this information. Most of the tracking services provide RSS feeds (See The Wonders of RSS Feeds for an intro). I use Netvibes, a customized start page, to pull these all together into a single page that I can scan every morning. Here’s a screenshot of part of my Netvibes tracking page – the full page currently shows fourteen tracking feeds on one screen:
With tracking you find out what people are looking for on the internet. This helps you create pages and services that people will want to find. You might be surprised to see what they’re already finding on your site. Some examples:
Analyzing one site, I noticed that few pages I thought were obscure were bringing in high Google traffic. I looked at these pages again and realized they did a good job of describing the company’s mission. I consequently redesigned the site homepage to feature them and I made sure that those pages contained direct links to its most important services.
When I started work for another client I looked at their site and suspected that they’re most important articles were not being seen – visitors had to click through about four times to get to them. Six months of tracking confirmed my hunch and gave me the hard data to convince the executive director that we made some small modifications to the design. Having this strong content linked right off the homepage helped bring in Google traffic.
I think it’s fair to say that internet search engines have changed how many of us explore social and religious movements. There is now easy access to information on wonderfully quirky subjects. Let the Superbowl viewers have their overproduced commercials and calculated controversy: the net generation doesn’t need them. TV viewership among young adults is dropping rapidly. People with websites and blogs are sharing their stories and the search engines are finding them. Here is a taste of the search phrases people are using to find Martin Kelley Quaker Ranter.