Identifying, dealing with and managing SEO - the good and the not so good!

1. How to identify bad SEO Techniques
How to deal with them
How to prevent them
Free

2. Executive Summary

3. Who should you share this with ?
Business Consultants
State Bodies
Business Owners
Financial Controllers
Marketing Managers
Website Agencies
Internet Consultants
SEO Consultants

4. Please note that the discovery or identification of any of issues,
symptoms or problems described herein do not necessarily
indicate a direct failure or problem with your SEO strategy. It’s a
high level document designed to help website owners, webmasters
and others to discuss and learn about SEO and to create more
understanding. If you have concerns, then discuss them with your
web team and with some other SEO’s.
It’s also worth noting that in an experience-led profession, it may
be helpful to have more than one person create, manage and
implement your overall SEO and Search Strategies.

5. Some background education
• SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation
• SEO is process or set of activities designed to
help search engines discover, understand,
index and rank websites
• Google supports users,
designers and marketers with
free information, guidelines
and tools to help them

6. Making it clear
• Google has a strong set of DO’s and DONT’s
that constitute it’s Terms of Service (TOS).
• Violating the TOS can result in a range of
penalties, including being dropped or
removed from Google’s Search Index
• Google constantly expands this list to ensure
that it easy to understand and implement

7. Could
TIME something
that’s
supposed to
be good for
you, be bad
for you?

8. Defining “bad” SEO
Any activity, techniques or strategies that
could result in being listed = Blackhat

9. Defining “bad” SEO
Any activity, techniques or strategies that
could result in being listed = Blackhat
Any strategy or activity that doesn’t work or
takes too long = opportunity loss

10. Defining “bad” SEO
Any activity, techniques or strategies that
could result in being listed = Blackhat
Any strategy or activity that doesn’t work or
takes too long = opportunity loss
Any strategy or activity that
damages you, your brand or your
business through bad publicity or
misrepresentation

11. Avoid Spam. At all costs.
Many spammers, particularly those based overseas, don’t
even know that they are spamming.

12. Avoid Spam. At all costs.
Many spammers, particularly those based overseas, don’t
even know that they are spamming.
It’s not enough to ask – get a contract that includes a NO-
SPAM clause. If the vendor breaks it, they are in breech of
contract or guilty of fraud if they planned to use spam at
the outset

13. Discovering “Bad SEO”
Top clues to watch out for

14. Avoid Guarantees.
Avoid any company who has any form of guaranteed or
pre-secured placements. They don’t exist.
Especially avoid any company that suggests that they have
a special relationship with Google. Google’s Ranking
system is not only closed, it’s possible to directly benefit or
promote a website within it.

15. Be careful of Sales Centres
Many SEO Websites don’t have a real base and are just a
front for an overseas company.
Whoever you employ, you need to know the people that
will be designing, implementing and measuring your SEO
campaign.
Always ask for referees that are relevant, and speak to
them.

16. Some practices to watch for
You get e-mails from people who complain your company
is spamming their blog
Blog spam is a first sign of bad practice SEO. Having
someone leave spam comments on other blogs is a no-no.
This practice is a sign of either laziness or badly managed
SEO. It’s short sighted and doesn’t work. There isn’t really
any excuse: if your SEO is aware of – or worse, condones -
this practice, then they could get you into a lot of trouble

17. Do the math....
Check the hourly rate you’re being charged or the pro rata
rate if paying a retainer... If its too good to be true,....
Any two companies are free to choose a contract rate that
is mutually agreeable but if you’re paying less than the
average industrial rate or even minimum wage, then
something could be wrong.
This is quite common and signals either that the hours are
manufactured or that the company is off-shoring. This isn’t
bad per se but they should be upfront. If you’re paying less
than €10 per hour and the minimum wage is higher – then
something doesn’t add up.

18. Working with just a small set of keywords
Your SEO limits you to a small set of keywords (phrases)
There shouldn’t be a number limit. There are natural limits
due to competition but focusing on groups such as 10, 15
or 20 don’t really make sense. They include long tail and
permutations too.
This is very common where the SEO company is buying
links from spam-ware services which typically group
keywords either by single digits or groups like 5 and 10.

19. Is your site being used for free self promotion?
Your SEO Agency puts a link to themselves on your site
In my opinion, there is nothing worse – using a collection
of client sites for free advertising.
This is a terrible practice – it does nothing for your own
site except alert competitors to who you’re using. There’s
no reason for this for you – insist on having it removed.

20. About Google Webmaster tools
Tools like the Index tool, Robots Access Control, Site
settings and others are very precise and powerful tools. It’s
very easy to get these wrong or to forget to adjust them.
Incorrect settings can cause dramatic effects quite quickly.
For example, blocking a site via the Robots control file or
setting a wrong country.
In most cases, however, these are reasonably easy to undo
and the site will return to normal within a few days or
weeks.

21. Getting Penalised
• Most penalties aren’t penalties at all
• You can check to see if your site is blocked
• Get in touch with your webmaster and other
industry professionals to get their opinion
• How to check for a complete ban/delisting:
• Google [Site:mydomain.com]
• If the site isn’t returned, it means that it may
be delisted.

22. What to do next
• Find out what you may have done to be
penalised
• Have the site checked with Google Webmaster
tools
– There may be messages or notes from Google that
may tell you what is wrong
– Test the Fetch as Googlebot tool to make sure its
accessible
• Get some professional help

23. Resolution
• Google User Support Forums
• Webmaster Forums
• Repair the site and make sure it meets
Google’s Guidelines
• Request a review of your site and outline what
happened and what you’ve done to rectify it

24. Common Issues
• Cloaking (accidental and intentional)
• Robots file blocking access to part or all of the
site
• Incorrect Geo Setting
• Badly structured site – no user sitemap for
example
• HTML that Google can’t parse. A good example is
having two title tags for example
• Bad 404 handlers, especially pages that are
malformed or content cloners

26. Some good advice...
• Seek more than one opinion
– Talk to different SEO’s and Website owners
• Discuss your options
• Look for transparency
• Arrange to meet regularly
• Always have a list of actions
• Doing it? Then measure it!

27. How to deal with the end stage
• If you have been banned or are at significant
risk
– Discuss this with your existing vendor
– See what they offer in terms of rectifying the
situation
– If they propose to “fix” it, do you trust their
workmanship?

28. Moving on
• Find a reputable company with good clients
and strong industry recommendations
• Talk to Enterprise Ireland if you’re a client
– Or talk to your County Enterprise Board
• Talk to your business associates
• Google SEO, in your county, city or country
– A good SEO should have a rank of somesort

29. http://twitter.com/primaryposition
About the http://primaryposition.blogspot.com
author http://www.davidquaidseo.com
http://www.primaryposition.com
https://plus.google.com/107621971639703099
487
David Quaid is the founder
of Primaryposition.com
and has been working in
SEO since 2001. He is the
111th tallest person in
Ireland. He lives with his
wife and drives an eco
friendly Toyota powered
by organically recycled
dinosaurs.