BACK to BASICS: Take Action on Data from the SEOToolSet
by Virginia Nussey, August 24, 2012
At Bruce Clay, Inc., we're proud of our role as a leader in education and resource provision. The SEOToolSet's suite of diagnostic SEO tools is one of our esteemed assets; one that we prioritize because of the support it gives those doing SEO day in and day out. The SEOToolSet is made up of about 12 tools, plus a few different views and variants. The data and reports generated by these tools can be used to inform SEO strategy and tactics in myriad ways. Toward the goal of improving overall on-site quality, the SEOToolSet can contribute by: 1. Optimizing Meta data For each of these objectives, use the SEOToolSet to give you info to make educated decisions about strategy, focus and next steps. Here are the tools you can use and how to use them during each of these critical on-page SEO tasks. Optimizing Meta DataAnalyze a page's Meta data using the Single Page Analyzer. This tool will analyze any URL for a number of factors, including the formatting of Meta tags and an evaluation of the Meta tags' conformance to best practice guidelines.
Using TraderJoes.com's cheese landing page as an example, the Single Page Analyzer evaluates the page's Meta tags, providing recommendations for each. The Tag Information of the analysis also evaluates image ALT attributes and anchor text. Click for a larger image of the SEOToolSet Single Page Analyzer Tag Information. Optimizing Body ContentIt's the Single Page Analyzer we'll turn to again to evaluate the opportunities for improvement within a given page's body content. The body content is, of course, the bulk of the page, which will weigh most heavily in a search engine's analysis of on-page content quality. With access to data about readibility, word counts, keyword usage, etc., the Single Page Analyzer is the go-to tool for optimizing an individual page. Aaron Landerkin, manager of Web development, explains why the data provided by the Single Page Analyzer is an advantage to the SEO process.
The Prominent & Optimized Keywords section and the Word Phrases section gives SEOs a snapshot of the keywords and phrases present on the page. It also reports keyword inclusion in key tags and the important first-200 words of the body content. Click for a larger image of the SEOToolSet Single Page Analyzer Word Phrases analysis. The Single Page Analyzer parses the text content of the page and locates its best match analysis for keyword phrases, phrases that appear prominently throughout the text. Keyword phrases are listed in order of length, from four-word phrases to one-word keywords. Inclusion in high-value areas of the page including Meta tags, Headings, ALT tags and the first 200 words is marked as a percentage of overall words. Click for a larger image of the SEOToolSet Single Page Analyzer Prominent & Optimized Keywords analysis. See a visualization of the prominent keywords and phrases used on the page along with the search volume activity of those words. The higher the Activity number, the more the keyword is searched for. The pie chart illustrates the word or phrases frequency of use on the page, telling you whether or not the page might be deemed relevant for the keyword. Click for a larger image of the SEOToolSet Single Page Analyzer Word Metrics analysis. The Single Page Analyzer evaluates the body content of a page based on readability indicators. There are several scales for measuring readability, each varying slightly in favor of certain qualities. See this explanation of content readability measurements; your audience should be able to understand the message and be compelled and comforted by its tone and quality. The first 200 words of body content are weighted more heavily by search engines in terms of relevance to a searcher's query; for this reason, it's important for targeted keywords to be present within the beginning of the page content. Optimizing New Text ContentThe final piece of the on-page SEO puzzle is new content. Your new content may outshine the competition by doing some advanced research. The two-fold approach to research includes finding new keywords and analyzing the competition. I asked Aaron for his advice to SEOs looking to develop more content for their site. Which tools would you have them use to find new keyword phrases? And how can they find less-competitive/untapped keyword spaces?
The Suggest Keywords tool is free to use and available on our free SEO tools page. Once you've run this tool, you'll also want to look at the listed metrics for the suggestions. Understanding how competitive a keyword is can help you discover untapped keyword spaces — ideally locating a sweet spot of high search volume and low competition. Aaron explains:
With your data in tow, you can create and structure the text content of a new page in optimal fashion. Some helpful guidelines on the placement of primary keywords, clarification words and strategies for outbound links and engaging media can be found on the SEO copywriting checklist. Keep in mind best practices for Meta tag optimization, including the best character length and how to improve the odds that your important keywords show up in the SERP description. Data EverywhereWhile we're in the data and tools state of mind, here are some additional resources we hope will assist you in your SEO endeavors. Page Analyzer: Here's another free tool from Bruce Clay, Inc. that you can use to keep tabs on your competition. Run a URL through the tool and you'll get an abridged version of the Single Page Analyzer — a solid, free alternative to the latter — including the most frequently used keywords on the page. What, Why and How of 3 SEO Power Tools: This post explains why you'd need and how to use three of the work-horses of the SEOToolSet: the Search Engine Ranking Monitor, the Check Server tool and the Single Page Keyword Density Analyzer. Try the SEOToolSet for 30 days free with the code B2BTRIAL105. Sign-up now and start simplifying your SEO. |
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