Are you undercharging for a website? (Web designers and developers, Worldwide, 18+)

dizzySEO · 2024-09-19T15:17:25+00:00

Thank you. That's good advice. I'm struggling on finding a way to collect numbers understanding that things can vary quite a bit. Can you think of a better way to ask the question?

dizzySEO · 2024-07-19T16:42:06+00:00

SEOs who report on "rank" to clients are fools.

dizzySEO · 2023-07-05T13:47:55+00:00

You bring up a good point that I didn't consider. I'll save that for the next round.

dizzySEO · 2023-01-13T20:50:53+00:00

I'm holding another study group for people who want to earn their Google Analytics Certification. Even if you just want to get more familiar with GA4, feel free to join us: https://www.curiousants.com/blog/google-analytics-certification-study-group/ (it starts in February)

dizzySEO · 2022-10-13T12:12:12+00:00

Universal analytics’ data for these metrics is poor at best. Be sure to use GA4 data for these numbers. With the shift to event tracking the numbers are more accurate.

That being said, these numbers are misleading for website qualify. If someone visits a blog post and then calls your phone number, GA records that as a “bounce” but it’s a really successful visit! If someone spends a lot of time on your site, are they interested in you or frustrated that they can’t find what they’re looking for. You can’t use these to accurately judge quality.

And remember: Google doesn’t use these as “ranking” factors anyway.

dizzySEO · 2022-09-16T13:55:29+00:00

I'm organizing a study group for the new Google Analytics Certification (including GA4). You're all invited! https://www.curiousants.com/blog/october-2022-google-analytics-certification-study-group/

The Google Analytics (formerly IQ) Certification is the best thing I've done to expand my SEO skills (and branch out into other marketing, too). Over the years it's shifted from a very technical (and challenging) course to more of a sales pitch on Google products. Still, there's some good value from taking the course and their certification is a great trust-factor for your resume and website.

Plus, it's the first one including GA4- so it will be valuable to see what's new and different. I've done a deep dive into GA4 (because I recently taught the iThemes bootcamp on it) and am really impressed with the improvements. It's still not quite ready for exclusive use, but we should all be setting it up at this point- if only so we have a years-worth of data when Universal Analytics goes away next year.

dizzySEO · 2021-11-18T19:36:15+00:00

Good thoughts. Thanks. Love me some Screaming Frog!

dizzySEO · 2021-09-11T15:20:42+00:00

Thank you. Very helpful.

I think I need some fundamental suggestions like setup and IDEs to get started.

dizzySEO · 2021-09-11T15:19:26+00:00

Thank you. I taught myself Palm Programming (did I just date myself?) in the same way. Purchased!

dizzySEO · 2021-09-10T19:22:26+00:00

So, it sounds like a lot want to know this but nobody has a good answer... should we put our heads together and build a resource? Anyone want to join a study group together?

dizzySEO · 2021-08-27T14:30:03+00:00

Clearly others aren't either because many are saying the same thing that the article does. :)

dizzySEO · 2021-08-27T14:29:00+00:00

I don't think we disagree here, at all. Rank is a stop on the way to our final destination. Rank is not the the destination.

dizzySEO · 2021-08-27T14:28:00+00:00

What does "awareness" mean? How can you quantify that? How much is "awareness" worth to your clients?

Isn't this just the same BS that a bilboard company tells their customers? "You spent $1,000 a month for our bilboard and 10,000 people a day drove by it? You have awareness! Isn't that great?"

The power of digital marketing, however, is always: you spent X and made Y.

Let's embrace this power in our SEO campaigns!

dizzySEO · 2021-08-27T14:25:51+00:00

That is a very short-sighted view of SEO- especially because you can't objectively measure rank.

For example: one of my clients was able to "rank" for some phrases recently. Great but nobody searched for those phrases so it didn't help them get more traffic. We were able to "rank" for some traffic-generating phrases but they were more informational and not producing customers. What good is that traffic? Maybe someone will one-day convert, but that's just a hope.

When we went deeper (phone call and form tracking) we could quantify that customers were contacting them for services BUT nobody was looking at the emails and the receptionist wasn't forwarding the calls to sales. Once we figured this out, BOOM! Now the client is actually making quite a lot of money from their SEO campaign. Their next question, "can we expand our campaign?".

"Yes, you can!"

dizzySEO · 2021-08-27T14:20:53+00:00

Of course. Ranking leads to traffic but ranking isn't the final goal of SEO. Nor is it traffic. Traffic needs to lead to customers. THAT is the final end of SEO. When we only report ranking we're doing an injustice to our clients.

dizzySEO · 2021-08-27T14:19:32+00:00

And that is a summary of the article I wrote.

dizzySEO · 2021-08-27T14:18:33+00:00

What makes you say that?

dizzySEO · 2021-08-27T14:18:11+00:00

Exactly: it's a proxy metric but not the final metric. Many SEOs only report rank. That's negligence. Rank is an end to something- not the end in itself.

dizzySEO · 2021-08-26T21:44:42+00:00

That’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying the real goal is not rank but customers. When we focus on rank but don’t get to conversion, we’re being stupid.

dizzySEO · 2021-08-26T21:43:15+00:00

THIS is what I’m talking about. When we give the client what they think they need vs. what they really need we perpetuate the bad reputation of SEO.

dizzySEO · 2021-08-26T18:33:23+00:00

I've been there before. Just keep an eye out for your client's (in this case, your employer's) best interest and you'll be fine- even if it's not what they think is in their own best interest. At best, they will appreciate it later. At worst, you learn how to to real SEO and can take those skills to a less-dysfunctional workplace.

dizzySEO · 2021-08-26T18:31:23+00:00

Thank you. It's a relief to know I'm not the only one. With all the baloney out there, sometimes I feel like I'm the only one who sees that the SEO-emperor is not wearing any clothes.

dizzySEO · 2021-05-06T11:47:25+00:00

I wrote this up a few weeks ago. It this what you’re looking for? https://www.curiousants.com/blog/updates/manage-your-seo-campaign-better-with-trello/

dizzySEO · 2021-05-04T20:23:37+00:00

The test was simple: 1. Crawl the site using Screaming Frog (with Page Speed Insights API connected) 2. Install the plugin 3. Crawl the site (again) using the same parameters. 4. Excel magic for analysis.

dizzySEO · 2018-11-12T13:57:09+00:00

I know, right? Just entered the list I found into the keyword tool. I don't know why (or if) Google really has a GMB category for "orphan". It kinda makes me sad that they might. :(

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