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SearchReturn Discussion List
"Understanding Internet Search Technology"
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Moderator: Published by:
Disa Johnson SearchReturn
http://www.searchreturn.com
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November 20, 2007 SearchReturn Issue #138
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.....IN THIS DIGEST.....
// -- SEARCHRETURN -- //
"Featured Post"
~ Da' Tmeister (Terry Van Horne)
"Ranking Reports"
~ David Temple
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// -- FEATURED POST -- //
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==> Ranking Reports Continued
From: Terry Van Horne
Hi All!
The advice for new SE marketers in the last SearchReturn is some
of the best advice I've seen in a while. I quit doing rank
reports when the second version of WebPosition was released which
I believe was before 1999. Originally it was because I saw WP as
a chronic abuser of SE resources and ranking reports just too
time consuming to prepare manually. It was likely the best
decision I ever made because that decision forced me to focus on
conversion and what I can personally act on with guaranteed, and
more importantly, measurable results with tangible value.
IMO, the post though excellent, missed an important negative
factor in using ranking as a measure of success for your
campaign. Rankings are not the same for everyone. There are at
least three factors which are ranking variables which would
result in the client and SEO receiving different results:
Sorry for the Google slant on this but...
1. With Personalization of results #1 for Joe is not #1 for Mary
(for many reasons and deserving of a post itself).
2. Personal settings - my preference setting is google.com, all
of my Canadian clients seem to start on google.ca. When I use
another machine and enter google.com in the browser I am
redirected to google.ca.
3. Location can be a variable especially if Google is testing a
new feature
Sorry, if you are using rankings to measure campaign success
you're measuring stick is flawed!
IMO, spending the time you spent analyzing ranking reports on
analytics and log/traffic analysis is much better because these
provide actionable data that can be used to improve ROI and
website usability and content. They show you how to make changes
that are measurable, controllable and go straight to the bottom
line.
When you raise positions but don't convert all you've really done
is disappoint more vistors then you did previously! Eventually
that results in a client with a high position questioning the
effectiveness of SEO. Ranking reports don't provide a solution
to a problem the report indicates, whereas, traffic analysis
often does that and more!
One of the last articles I wrote for SeoPros was on the value of
rank reports and anylitics/traffic analysis.
http://www.seopros.org/Processing/News/rank-reports.asp
IMO, many clients would be wise to understand the real difference
between traffic analysis and rank reports.
Best Regards,
Da' Tmeister
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==> Ranking Reports Continued
From: David Temple
You're absolutely right. I would tell my clients that looking at
rankings to determine their success in search marketing is like
looking at a race car's tires at the end of the race to determine
the winner. The goal is to cross the finish line first, not to
have the best looking tires at the end.
Sure the tires are very important in helping you win the race but
they are just a part of the process.
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