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GOOGLE FEATURED SNIPPET UPDATE – POSITION 0 IS DEAD, MIGHT HAVE SERIOUS REPERCUSSIONS

August 3, 2021 by Cindy Wieting

We thought we would share this article written by Alex Miranda on Google!

The January 2020 Google algorithm update set out to reduce clutter by no longer duplicating the search result from the Featured Snippet into the ten results shown on the page. But in reducing clutter, the whole concept of position 0 is now dead, and the impact of Featured Snippets may not be what it used to be.

Previously, when a website earned the coveted Featured Snippet position on Google, that result was duplicated below in the results. More often than not, it was one of the top results. With the January 2020 update, this is no longer the case.

Another part of the January 2020 update was the announcement that right sidebar Featured Snippets on desktop would be folded into the main results. That makes for one less space for websites to target for getting their information higher in search results.

On the surface, this might sound like it’s not such a bad thing, but as businesses who own the Featured Snippet space begin to dig into website metrics, it appears to be detrimental to website traffic. The reason for this decline in traffic may be because searchers are finding the information they need right from the results page via the Featured Snippet. Now, they have no motivation to click through to the results.

Or, searchers may have been skipping the Featured Snippet entirely as if it were an ad and jumping down to the results listing. At this point, it’s difficult to say how searchers were using the Featured Snippet and its effects on each company’s search results.

In light of the changes, there are some practical steps you should be taking to ensure you protect your website traffic and maximize your SEO strategy.

Evaluate the impact

The first step in deciding whether or not to continue targeting the Featured Snippet is to evaluate the effect of the January 2020 Google algorithm change on your website traffic. Sadly, this isn’t super simple because Google Search Console does not provide a way of seeing traffic from the Featured Snippet versus traffic from regular search results. That traffic listing is also not available within Google Analytics.

Instead, you’ll have to go off of the total traffic reaching that page before Jan. 22, 2020, and after to see the impact of the algorithm change. And be sure not to be too hasty. For a couple of weeks after the algorithm change, some businesses might have seen a brief change to their traffic as the algorithm kicked in. Look at a full month’s view comparison to make an informed decision about targeting the Featured Snippet placement.

Remember that the only metric you’re concerned with for this evaluation is organic results. Fluctuations in website traffic from other sources can occur for a variety of reasons, such as going viral on social media or being featured in an email newsletter.

Analyze each page individually

Different content might have different results within the Featured Snippet. While some pages might give the searcher everything they need to know without clicking through, others might be what entices a user to click.

Dig deep into your analytics for each page to decide whether or not you need to revise your content in light of the change. For some pages, you might want to keep your Featured Snippet ranking because it has no adverse effect on click-through rates. On other pages, it might benefit you to add a no snippet tag to show in the overall search results.

Decide the goal of your pages

It might sound like silly advice, but consider whether or not each page of your website is designed to drive traffic. You might have pages that showcase your expertise and build awareness for your business. And in those cases, it isn’t so bad to have a low click-through rate but be showing in the Featured Snippet. On these pages, you can be showcasing your expertise to build credibility for your entire website.

Other pages that are designed to generate sales, email signups, or contact us requests might need revamped to make sure people are actually reaching your website and not just seeing you in the Featured Snippet.

Test adding the “nosnippet” meta tag to your content

Once you’ve determined that the Featured Snippet listing is indeed hurting instead of helping to drive organic results, revise your content to add the “nosnippet” meta tag. You have options when using the nosnippet tag to prevent Featured Snippets or regular snippets. And, you can add the tag to specific parts of your content to avoid having that be featured in the snippets but allow other sections of that same article to be featured.

But don’t forget to keep evaluating your website traffic to decide if this was the right choice for you. What you might find after revising your content to avoid the Featured Snippet is that it did not have as large of an impact as you thought. Once you earn the top results on the general page, you can see what that does to your traffic and compare it to your traffic as a Featured Snippet following the new algorithm.

Continue evaluating on an ongoing basis

SEO is a long game of testing and retesting content formats to see what resonates with your audience and delivers the results that you’re working to achieve. On some webpages, that might mean allowing Google to make it a Featured Snippet. On others, it might mean avoiding the Featured Snippet at all costs.

One final thing you might find as you dig into your analytics following this newest algorithm change is that you lost the Featured Snippet position. So make sure that as you evaluate your organic traffic that there are no changes or minimal changes to your rankings during the comparison periods. Those changes could be what is affecting the fluctuation and not just whether or not having a Featured Snippet is right for your content.

If you need help evaluating your website traffic or optimizing your website, contact us. We’ll provide the insights and expertise you need to increase your organic traffic and drive results.

Wieting Design offers Graphic Design, Website Design, Search Engine Marketing, Video Production and Logo Design in Fairfield County CT. Contact us for more information on the specialties we bring to your business!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Google, Google SEO algorithims, SEO Connecticut Business

SEO For Your Connecticut, New York And New Jersey business

January 27, 2020 by Cindy Wieting

We thought it was time to do a blog on our great team members at Wieting Design, LLC.  The people who make it possible!! The ones who work hard and the ones who take pride in their work.

First up is our SEO Specialist Alex. 

 

Wieting Design works with New York, Connecticut and New Jersey businesses to improve their search engine ranking and website traffic. When you type your company’s offerings and location into Google, which businesses show up? If you’re not in the top results then your competitors are. While you may be the best solution for the searcher, if your business isn’t listed on the first page then there’s a big chance the potential client won’t even see you.

Through search engine optimization (SEO) best practices, your business can be found when clients turn to search engines for answers. Almost everyone’s online and to remain competitive in your industry, you need a successful online presence for your Fairfield County CT business. SEO is an ongoing process and if you’re not moving forward to stay on top of your position, you’re losing ground to a competitor who is.

Meet Alex our SEO Specialist

Meet Alex who spends his days helping businesses of all sizes rank in search results. He also loves helping small business owners in New Jersey, Connecticut and New York with SEO who have a small marketing budget. Alex is a Google Partner which is a marketing program for advertising agencies or third-parties that manage Google Ads accounts on behalf of other brands or businesses. Any company that achieves Google Partner status has employees with Google Adwords certifications managing their clients’ accounts. Google ensures that these certifications are current and that the company or agency meets Google’s standards for account management best practices.

He is an expert in WordPress SEO and Pay-Per-Click advertising. Alex has been an SEO professional since 1995. As a Certified Google AdWords professional and Google Partner, he delivers his PPC clients incredible returns on investments. His passion for perfecting his WordPress & SEO skills is what makes him an asset to our customers. He simply gets results! 

Alex has spoken at universities, conferences, corporate workshops and WordCamp. His “Google Loves WordPress” presentation was voted at WordCamp NYC as the ‘Top 10’ by WPMU.org.

Our agency specializes in small business SEO, WordPress SEO, SEO WordPress Training, PPC Adwords Management and YouTube SEO.  We pride ourselves on being the low-cost alternative for small businesses in New Jersey, Connecticut and New York who cannot afford to pay thousands of dollars for SEO.

Why is SEO important?

Why do you want to rank at the top of search results? The answer is simple.

75% of people don’t look past the first page of first results. This means that if you want more customers to find and contact your business, you need to rank in top search results for keywords and phrases related to your business.

Research shows that the first page of organic search results has a 76% click through rate, while pages two and three have a combined CTR of only 6%.

So, that being said the higher you rank in search results, the more people will find and visit your site. This means that you can reach more customers and earn more revenue for your business, but be sure your website is up to date, working properly, easy to navigate, and “looks just as good as your competitors”. You don’t want an outdated non-working website representing your business!

Interested in receiving custom SEO pricing? Call us at 203-414-9692 or email us.

Wieting Design | SEO | Connecticut

Wieting Design is a full-service, graphic and website design agency based in Fairfield County, CT and serving all of Connecticut (CT). We are committed to sharing our experience and expertise in website design, graphic design, social media marketing, search engine marketing (SEM & SEO), and video production to help build powerful tools and campaigns that work for your Connecticut business. Whether your objective is to grow your reputation, create client loyalty, drive traffic to your website, or set up a marketing strategy, we will adapt our approach to get you the results you need with the services we provide.

 

 

 

Filed Under: How SEO Can Be Helpful For Small Business Tagged With: Ad Words Fairfield County CT, SEO Connecticut Business, SEO Fairfield County CT, SEO Hartford

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