International Search Engine Marketing Blog

A common question when a company is selecting a list of keyword phrases for an SEO campaign is whether or not it is required to add both the singular and plural variations of the words . I recently took a look at a Fidelity newsletter by Donald Dion that showed up number one in Google for the plural version of the underlined phrase, but number two for  the singular version of the same phrase. The takeaway is that even the slightest variations of words can make a difference on where a website appears in the local and international search engines.

Using the site http://www.fidelityadviser.com/ as an example, searchers can see in the image below that it currently appears number two for the phrase “fidelity newsletter”. However, when conducting a search for the plural version the sites appears #1 in Google.

Now there are many reasons why this can occur, but lets take a look at the two most basic aspects that determine a website’s rankings in the search engines results pages: 1.) The on-page content and 2.) References that point to the website. Generally, the keyword density of a page is a vastly overused term that has little meaning. However, in this particular case the Fidelity Independent Adviser uses the singular phrase, Fidelity newsletter, only one time. When attempting to reach the top of the search results for a particular phrase it is generally advisable to include that phrase at least once within the text of the page. The other and much more meaningful component is the number of references pointing to the site that use Fidelity newsletter. The top listing has multiple outside sources and other websites that utilize this phrase, whereas Don Dion’s newsletter has a relatively smaller number. Essentially, the more references a website has from trusted resources with the targeted phrase than the more likely it will appear for that phrase. Thus this case study in and of itself might alter the site’s positioning in the SERPS.

To learn more about how keyword variations can impact your website and the tactics that professionals employ, please continue browsing our Blog or share this post with a friend. There is a wealth of information available on the internet and if you still have questions then please feel free to give us a call at 1-877-SEO-1169.

I know that many people are currently wondering as to why a website suddenly shifts in the Google search results; especially as of late. This is true whether an individual manages their own SEM efforts or hires an outside company. There are many reasons why this can occur, but for the purposes of this post, we will assume that it is not the result of a webmaster employing practices that violate Google’s TOS.

Constant Flux

There Google SERPS are changing constantly. However, at certain points in time they change more dramatically than others for all websites or a particular website. The reasons can vary dramatically, but typically there are a few common rules that cause any particularly site to fluctuate in the search engine rankings, while other websites appear untouched.

The Website is Newer

Oftentimes a website will change position more frequently during its first two years of existing on the internet. This is not the same as the Google Sandbox, but it is fairly typical to see. The primary reason driving this is that newer websites tend to undergo a larger percentage of changes than existing website. Links originally purchased to help a website might loose some of their value. Since a newer website often has fewer links than a long standing one these changes tend to have a larger impact.

Many Recent Changes

Multiple changes to a website either on the page itself or recent addition of links can cause a change in the search engine rankings. Again this tends to be more prominent with newer sites for the reasons listed earlier, but still impacts even older sites if enough changes are made. Sometimes this is simply unavoidable. However, the best method to minimize such impacts is to rollout changes in phases.

Unexplained Jumps or Declines in the SERPS

Google and the other major search engines are not perfect. When investing time and money in an SEO campaign it is important to realize this. Temporary abnormalities will occur regardless of anything done. The best and hardest thing to do in this situation is just sit tight and keep on the same path as before. Wait a couple weeks; I realize this can result in lost sales now, but dramatically changing a strategy will generally result in a larger number of lost sales in the long run.

Increased SEO Competition

No matter how much work is done on your own site. A company cannot control what other business owners decide to do with theirs. If a topic becomes more popular and profitable then one should expect more players to enter the market and an overall increase in the competitiveness of obtaining and maintaining top search engines rankings. There is nothing you can do to prevent this, but you can take steps to ensure more resources are allocated as needed.

It Will All Work Out

The best single piece of advice I can give anyone is that it will all work out positively if your company follows Google’s TOS. Treat these terms as the bible and do not anger the Google gods. If a website’s SEM efforts follow the guidelines listed under best practices then over the long haul your company will reap the rewards. This is true whether focusing on a regional, national, or international audience.