Most companies typically go through a major website redesign initiative every 2-3 years. Larger corporations sometimes every 1-2 years. MediaPost’s Search Insider Blog has outlined some very relevant advice to ensure that a redesign does not destroy current search engine rankings, but hopefully leads to a lift in organic rankings.
Team Collaboration
Below are some of Search Insider’s primary suggestions by Rob Garner:
- Use site language and messaging that is consistent with the user’s perception of your product or service.
Keywords are the language of your users in search engines. Be sure that your copy not only connects well to the users but also search engines. Writing in the language of the customer will most likely match up to what search engines are looking for, but don’t forget to do some keyword research to reinforce key concepts and consequent keywords to best optimize content relevancy.
- Read your log files (and/or review analytics reports)
Often overlooked by in-house or contract web designers, website analytic reports can provide excellent insight into what pages are garnering the highest levels and/or best converting of search engine traffic for your website. Do not forsake the elements of these top entry pages with web design, but preserve their characteristics so rankings are not lost when a new site is launched.
- Ensure that Rich Internet Technologies are both crawlable and indexable by search engines
New designs will often times seek to incorporate technology (such as Flash or Ajax) that is often times invisible to search engines. While these elements can increase the user experience, they should be intergrated into well structured, search engine friendly pages to preserve the balance of giving the user and search engine crawlers what they want. There are often alternatives to a functionality so do your research so that existing and new pages can be found and thrive in search engines.
- Avoid the creation of URL canonicalization issues
When pages are going to be replaced by new or existing pages at different URL locations, it is imperative that you let the search engines know where that old content has been permanently moved. This is accomplished through the execution of a 301 redirect. A page should only have one URL, not duplicates. Many eCommerce sites have a problem of serving multiple URLs for the same page leading to duplicate content problems and confusion with search engine crawlers. Do your research and make sure canonicalization does not compromise your site’s ability to rank for important landing and product pages.
- Set up a redirection plan
Following up on the previous recommendation, mapping out old URL’s and new URL’s is critical when executing redirects. If a page has moved, it should almost always be redirected by a 301 header response. If it no longer exists, then a custom 404. Plan your work and work your plan with redirects — this should be executed in parallel to the site launch.
- Don’t remove content that supports coveted rankings without assessing risks first
Completely deleting content or old products is the equivalent of throwing away hard work. This is often a mistake we see with online retailers. When products are no longer in inventory or are replaced by newer models, as opposed to completely deleting the page and serving a 404, utilize a 301 redirect to a parent page. This will preserve the page rank and link value a page has established as opposed to completely throwing it away. Otherwise, removing or deleting content that ranks well will decrease traffic and market share; forcing the site to start over in attaining previously secured positions.
- Include search as both a business and technical requirement before planning has even started
Search engine optimization should be a primary discussion point when the website redesign discussion begins, not after. Website owners who evaluate the impact of redesign on search engine rankings, early and often, will not only cover the basics but also address the advanced design, coding and architecture strategies that will influence rank order.
- Ensure that there is a voice for search within the Web site team structure
To champion this cause, there needs to be an advocate with a voice, credibility and peer respect amongst those members of your web design team. This ensures a system of checks and balances and leads to a well planned, well executed website redesign that will help and not hurt your organic search engine rankings. This advocate can be an in-house employee, independent contract, or professional SEO team.
To learn more about challenges your company could face with website redesign and its impact on your future search engine rankings, feel free to contact TDM for information about our SEO Audit services. Not only can this customized road map identify key impediments and gaps in your current SEO efforts, but it can also ensure that you protect your rankings during a website redesign project — our team can have the needed expertise and authoritative search voice to compliment your design team.
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A recent InternetRetailer survey gathered information from more than 90 online retailers, in an effort to identify their primary objectives going into 2009. The surveys focus was on web design, site content and rich media. An overwhelming majority of respondents (73%) indicated that the top priority with website design was better search engine optimization. This can be attributed to not only the reach, but cost effectiveness and ROI associated with strong SEO efforts, especially during an economic downturn when consumer spending is down and marketing budgets trimmed.
Below is a recap of the primary goals associated with online retailer website design & the percentage of respondents:
- 73% – Better SEO
- 62% – Better organized & updated home, category & product pages
- 49% – Clear site navigation
- 47% – Speedier and more intuitive website
What’s interesting with these findings is that most of these goals can be accomplished when an effective and thorought SEO Audit is conducted on a web business. Such a process can be conducted internally or with the help of experienced professionals and is often one of the most cost-effective options available to retailers. A SEO Audit should not only examine, critique and solve key SEO challenges but also prioritize most important factors for a website which can lead to a custom road map for client-side or agency execution.
Other key findings in the IR survey found:
- 43% of retailers plan to add Video or Streaming Media to their websites
- 40% will add Personalized Product Recommendations
- 37% will add Customer Reviews & Ratings
- 32% will add a Blog or Forum
For more information about New Media Marketing services and how you can better SEO, leverage online video and effectively incorporate product reviews (both on-site and off site), please contact Triangle Direct Media for a free consultation!
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A Deloitte media usage survey has found that 70% of American consumers, in all age groups, are watching user-generated video on the Internet. The suvey titled “State of the Media Democracy” polled more than 2,000 Americans, of which 40% said they would download even more user videos if broadband connections were faster. Here are a couple of key highlights:
- 14-25 year olds (Millenials) are the least interested in TV and traditional print media, with the majority of their time on multi-media devices including computers and cell phones
- 26-42 year olds (Gen X) is the most connected age group to computers, spending the most time online. They are receptive online marketing.
- 43-61 year olds (Baby Boomers) are the most influential consumer spenders and are pushing the adoption of new media, computers and cell phones to their own peers and parents (Matures)
- “Since 2007, consumers have been spending more than a third of their time online at sites consisting of mostly user-generated content.”
This trend should continue especially with the ongoing adoption of Baby Boomers to Internet Media, online video and consequently User Generated Video. This spells tremendous opportunity for online retailers! Not only do your customers want to watch user video, but search engines like Google want to promote them as well (aka Universal Search) within their search results. Online Marketers who can effectively leverage video, product reviews, and other engagement marketing vehicles will better capture market share, gain competitive advantages and boost consumer loyalty. A holistic approach to new media marketing is a must for today’s online marketer and their ability to leverage user generated video reviews through their own customer base can spell big success for 2009 and in the future.
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Online Retail Sales
According to comScore, several online categories outperformed overall consumer spending and often times offline spending, in the same comparison categories. This is good news for online retailers looking ahead in 2009 and any potential economic rebound from the economy as a whole. Some online holiday shopping highlights include the following:
- Apparel & Accessories sales were up 4 percent online, while overall category sales declined by 20%
- Consumer Electronics declined 5% online, compared to the previous year, while the overall category sales in Electronics/Appliances declined 26%
A couple of online shopping categories saw double-digit growth in spending: Sports & Fitness (up 18% year-over-yeaer) and Video Games, Consoles & Accessories (up 14%, respectively). Consumer emphasis on improved health & fitness supported by shoppers becoming more confident with big ticket internet purchases (plus great deals) led to increased sales on products such as treadmills and elliptical machines. The growth in the video game category can be attributed to popular adoption of the Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360 & Playstation 3. Most notably, sales for the Nintendo Wii seem to have skyrocketed this holiday season — just ask your friends and family members who got a Wii for Christmas? You’ll probably be surprised!
In total, online shopping declined 3% year over year with some bright spots by category and demographic. Those households with annual income exceeding $100,000 spent 7% more this holiday season, compared to 2007.
Retailers looking ahead in 2009 should be planning out strategies now for incentivized offers and ways to better engage consumers. Hopefully the 2008 (relative) stability of online sales will be a trend for the entire 2009 calendar year as consumers search for better deals online, now that most are confident in the transaction experience.
Some ideas for better consumer engagement and competitive advantages include customer testimonials, consumer product reviews, better use of video, strong search engine optimization, useful email/newsletter marketing and of course — excellent offers to the customer. Free shipping, Promotions, Coupons, Discounts, Surveys, Contest Marketing, etc can all be great ways to entice online consumer spending.
Good Luck to All in 2009!!
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