Grant Access Google Tag Manager

Granting someone access to your Google Tag Manager account is a straightforward process that ensures your marketing agency can collaborate on managing tags, triggers, and other configuration settings. Follow these simple steps to add a new user to your GTM account.

Step 1: Log into Google Tag Manager

  1. Access Your GTM Account
    Open your web browser and go to Google Tag Manager.
    Log in using your Google credentials associated with your GTM account.

Step 2: Navigate to Account Settings

  1. Select Your Account
    Once logged in, you’ll see a list of your GTM containers. From here, select the account for which you want to grant access.
  2. Access Admin Settings
    In the left sidebar, click on the Admin tab. This will open the admin settings for the account you selected.
Grant Access Google Tag Manager

Step 3: Add a New User

  1. Go to User Management
    In the Admin section, under the Account column, click on User Management. This will open the User Management page for your GTM account.
  2. Click on the “+” Button
    At the top right of the User Management page, you’ll see a blue button with a + icon. Click on it to add a new user.
Grant Access Google Tag Manager

Step 4: Enter User Information

  1. Add the User’s Email Address
    A pop-up will appear where you can enter the new user’s email address. Ensure the email address is associated with a Google account, as that’s required to grant access.
  2. Select Permissions
    Decide what level of access the user will have. You can choose from:
    • No Access – The user will not have access to the account.
    • Read – The user can view tags, triggers, and configurations but cannot make changes.
    • Approve – The user can make changes but needs approval before they go live.
    • Publish – The user can make changes and publish them immediately.
    You can select multiple permission types based on the user’s role.
Grant Access Google Tag Manager
Grant Access Google Tag Manager

Step 5: Review and Grant Access

  1. Confirm the Details
    Review the permissions and ensure everything is correct. Once satisfied, click Invite.

Step 6: User Notification

  1. User Notification
    The user will receive an email notification with instructions on how to access the GTM account. They can accept the invitation, and the process is complete.

Step 7: Manage User Permissions (Optional)

  1. Modify or Revoke Access
    If you need to change or revoke the user’s access in the future, return to the User Management section and click the three dots next to their name. From there, you can modify permissions or remove their access entirely.

We hope you found this useful.

Google Ads Costs South Africa & PPC Management Pricing

Navigating the realm of Google Ads can be a daunting task, especially for newcomers venturing into the digital marketing landscape. Google Ads is a powerful tool that businesses in South Africa, and around the world, rely on to boost their online presence. However, it is essential to have a clear understanding of its cost structure and management fees in order to fully utilise its potential without depleting your marketing budget.

Google Ads Costs In South Africa & PPC Management Fee Pricing

Understanding Google Ads Cost

Google Ads costs vary depending on various factors. It operates on a pay-per-click (PPC) model, so you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. This option offers flexibility and cost-effectiveness, making it suitable for businesses of any size. However, there are several factors that can impact the cost:

  1. Competition in Keywords: Keywords that face intense competition, often linked to greater search volumes and user intent, usually come with a higher price tag. Optimising keyword selection involves considering factors such as relevance, competition, and budget.
  2. Ad Quality and Relevance: Google values ads that are carefully crafted and directly related to the user’s query. Having higher quality scores can result in reduced costs per click and improved ad placements.
  3. Bidding Strategy: You have the option to choose automated bidding strategies that can adjust your bids to achieve specific goals, such as maximising clicks or conversions. Alternatively, you can set manual bids for more control over your bidding process.

PPC Management Fees & Pricing

When it comes to managing Google Ads, businesses often seek assistance from agencies or consultants to enhance their campaigns. The fees charged by service providers can differ significantly depending on their level of expertise, the complexity of your campaigns, and the level of service you need. In most cases, fees can be structured as:

  1. Percentage of Ad Spend: A popular approach where the fee is calculated as a percentage of your overall ad spend, usually falling between 10% and 20%.
  2. Flat Fees: Certain providers offer services for a fixed monthly fee, which can be attractive for businesses with a steady ad spend.
  3. Performance-Based Fees: These fees are not as common, but there are some agencies that offer them. They are based on the performance of the campaigns, which means that their success is directly tied to yours.
Google Ads Costs In South Africa & PPC Management Fee Pricing

Get The Most Out of Your Investment

To maximise the effectiveness and efficiency of your investment in Google Ads, it is important to implement the following strategies:

  1. Consistent Improvement: Regularly analyse and fine-tune your campaigns using performance data. I am responsible for fine-tuning keywords, ad copy, and targeting settings.
  2. Enhance Your Ads with Extensions: Take advantage of ad extensions to add extra information to your ads, such as location, contact details, or product highlights, without any additional cost.
  3. Emphasise Quality Score: Enhancing the relevance of your ad and optimising the landing page experience can lead to cost reductions and higher ad placements.
  4. Understand Your Audience: Gain a thorough understanding of your target audience’s behaviour and preferences. Customise your ads and landing pages to cater to their specific needs and boost conversion rates.

Benefits Of Using A PPC Ads Manager For Your Campaigns:

Although Google makes it very easy for any business owner to open a Google Ads account and start running ads for their business, there are a number of pitfalls waiting for an unknowing marketer. With the ease of running ads, it is very easy to spend a lot of money on Google Ads without seeing much return.

We suggest that most businesses would see a benefit in using a PPC management company to run their Google Ads account.

Some of those advantages are:

  1. Expertise in Targeting: It is important to understand how people use Google to search for your product or service as well as effective techniques to target them.
  2. Optimised Ad Spend: Ensures your budget is used efficiently for maximum return on investment.
  3. Up-to-Date with Trends: PPC managers understand the latest developments on the Google platforms which are changing all the time.
  4. Time-Saving: Manages all aspects of your PPC campaigns, saving you valuable time and money.
  5. Performance Monitoring: Regularly tracks and adjusts campaigns for optimal performance.
  6. Conversion Tracking: The real power of PPC ads comes from conversion tracking on your website. Not many businesses know how to track conversions effectively not heir website. Even some PPC managers do not know how to set this up correctly. It is really important that you choose an agency that sets up tracking for your website.
  7. Excessive Automation: When running Google Ads as a business owner Google automates many of the settings, as well as providing limited features for your ad accounts. This often leads to wasted ads budget as ads run on unrelated keywords or for services and products you do not offer. A PPC manager takes the time to understand your business and then uses their knowledge of PPC ads to run the most effective campaigns.
  8. Avoid Common Pitfalls: Helps navigate the complexities of PPC advertising to avoid costly mistakes.
  9. Strategic Planning: Provides strategic guidance to align your PPC efforts with your business goals.

When it comes to diving into the world of Google Ads in South Africa, it’s crucial to have a deep understanding of the cost structure and the art of campaign management. Navigating the intricate landscape can be challenging, but the potential benefits of heightened visibility and business expansion are significant. Whether you’re a small local business or a large corporation, having a strategic approach to Google Ads can give you a significant advantage in the competitive digital arena.

Keep in mind that achieving success with Google Ads depends not only on the amount you spend, but also on how strategically you allocate each Rand. By adopting a strategic mindset and focusing on optimisation, your Google Ads campaigns can deliver impressive results while staying within your budget.

How To Set Up Google Tag Manager (GTM) On A Squarespace 1

Squarespace makes it quite simple to add your Google Analytics tracking code to your website, but sometimes you want more information on how people are exploring your website. For example you might want to know how many people click on your phone number or email address on your website or submit your contact form.

In order to do that you first need to add Google Tag Manager to your Squarespace website and send that information to Google Analytics.

Add Google Tag Manager On Squarespace In 5 Easy Steps

  1. Create Your Google Tag Manager Account
  2. Link Google Tag Manager To Your Squarespace Site
  3. Start Tracking Google Analytics Data With Google Tag Manager ( GTM )
  4. Disconnect Google Analytics From Your Squarespace Site
  5. Test & Publish Your Tag

By using Google Tag Manager (GTM) you will be sending your page view data to google Analytics via GTM rather than a Google Analytics code.

Step 1 – Create A Google Tag Manager Account

Log into your Google account using the appropriate gmail/google email account and password. Then go to the Google Tag Manager website – https://tagmanager.google.com. Click create new account and fill out your companies/websites details.

How To Set Up Google Tag Manager (GTM) On A Squarespace Website

Think of each account in your Google Tag manager account as your business, and then you can have multiple properties or containers for each of your websites in a similar way to Google Analytics.

Add your

  • Company name
  • Select your country
  • Paste your website address under the container name. Do this without any http:// or https://
  • Select the appropriate platform – usually Web
  • Then accept the Terms & Conditions
How To Set Up Google Tag Manager (GTM) On A Squarespace Website - New Account

A window will pop up which contains the code you will need to add to your Squarespace website. It will look like the image below.

if you have already set up your Google tag manager account then click Admin -> Install Google Tag Manager in your GTM account page.

How To Set Up Google Tag Manager (GTM) On A Squarespace - Code
This is the code you will use to paste into your Squarespace site.

Step 2 – Link Google Tag Manager To Your Squarespace Site

Open another tab onto your Squarespace backend account view.

In Squarespace go to your base/config page. Click on Settings -> Advanced -> Code Injection

How To Set Up Google Tag Manager (GTM) On A Squarespace - Menus

Now copy and paste the code given to you by GTM into the following locations. You can use the icon to automatically copy the complete code.

  1. Copy the <head> code and paste it into the first code input field labeled “HEADER” on the Code Injection page on Squarespace.
  2. Copy the <body> code and paste it into the second code input field labeled “FOOTER” on the Code Injection page on Squarespace.

Hit “Save” to update the changes you have made.

How To Set Up Google Tag Manager (GTM) On A Squarespace - Code Injection

Step 3 – Start Tracking Google Analytics Data With Google Tag Manager ( GTM )

You are now going to set up Google Tag manager to send your page view information to your Google Analytics account. ( We have assumed you already have a Google analytics account )

On your Google Tag Manager account click on Workspace in the top left corner of the page.

How To Set Up Google Tag Manager (GTM) On A Squarespace - Workspace

Once there click on “New Tag” and configure your Tag

  • Tag Type – Select “Google analytics – Universal Analytics”
  • Track Type – “Page View” ( leave as is )
  • Set up the Google Analytics Settings on a “new variable”
    • Click on the dropdown arrow
    • Click on “new variable”
    • A new window will slide out from the right.
    • Name your variable ( Top left ) – Eg Google Analytics Settings
    • Paste your Google Analytics tracking ID code into the “Tracking ID” field
    • Leave the “Cookie Domain” as auto
    • Click “Save”
  • Now click on the Triggering section below the configuration section
  • Select “All Pages” as the Firing Triggers
  • Name Your Tag ( Top Left Again ) Eg Google Analytics Page View Tag
  • Click “Save” ( Top Right )
How To Set Up Google Tag Manager (GTM) On A Squarespace - New Tag 1
How To Set Up Google Tag Manager (GTM) On A Squarespace - New Tag 2

Step 4 – Disconnect Google Analytics From Your Squarespace Site

You do not want Google Analytics to double count the people coming to your website, so you want to remove your Google Analytics Tracking ID from the usual place you enter it in Squarespace. If you have not linked your Google Analytics account before you can skip this step.

In your Squarespace backend click -> Settings -> Advanced -> External API Keys

How To Set Up Google Tag Manager (GTM) On A Squarespace - Remove GA Code

Then remove/erase the code in the “Google Analytics Account Number” field.

How To Set Up Google Tag Manager (GTM) On A Squarespace - Remove GA Code 2

Step 5 – Test & Publish Your Tag

In order to see your changes and send the data to Google Analytics you need to publish your changes.

  • In the far right hand corner click “Submit”
  • Add a version name – eg a date or code that you can continue to use for each update.

Once this is done you can see if your changes are working and if information is being sent to GA. There are a few different ways to do this. The easiest way is to go to your Google Analytics account.

  • Click on the appropriate property
  • Click on “Real Time” view, then “overview”
  • In another tab or browser go to your website
  • leave that tab open and go back to your Google Analytics tab and you should see some activity.
How To Set Up Google Tag Manager (GTM) On A Squarespace - Real Time View

Congratulations you have set it up correctly. If you have any issues please comment in the post below.

The next step is add some advanced tracking tags to your Squarespace site. This blog post explains it beautifully. read how to add tags to track your Squarespace forms.

How Do I Add Google Tag Manager To My Squarespace Website

1. Create Your Google Tag Manager Account
2. Link Google Tag Manager To Your Squarespace Site
3. Start Tracking Google Analytics Data With Google Tag Manager ( GTM )
4. Disconnect Google Analytics From Your Squarespace Site
5. Test & Publish Your Tag

Where Do I Put My Google Tag Manager Code In Squarespace

In your Squarespace backend go to your home/config page. Click on Settings -> Advanced -> Code Injection

Now copy and paste the code given to you by GTM into the following locations. You can use the icon to automatically copy the complete code.

Copy the <head> code and paste it into the first code input field labeled “HEADER” on the Code Injection page on Squarespace.
Copy the <body> code and paste it into the second code input field labeled “FOOTER” on the Code Injection page on Squarespace.

Hit “Save” to update the changes you have made. How To Set Up Google Tag Manager (GTM) On A Squarespace - Code Injection

Why Should I Use Google Tag Manager Instead Of Google Analytics On My Squarespace Website?

Squarespace allows limited coding ability on your website so it is not easy to create click events to track in GA. The best way to track button clicks, phone call and email clicks as well as contact form submissions is to use Google Tag Manager and send that data to your Google Analytics account so that you can then link that information with your Google Ads, other PPC account or social media advertising account.

Once you’ve created your Google Analytics account, you can add extra users to access your information. This way multiple users can view your data. You can also create specific permissions per user, ranging from only viewing the data, to editing it.

If you want to only share information about your Google Analytics, it’s best to rather grant access to someone, instead of sharing your login details.

Step 1: Open the Settings in Google Analytics

After you have signed into your Google Analytics account, choose the site to which you want to grant access.

Google Analtyics Grant User Access Choose Account 1

 

Next, click on the Admin option. This is the gear icon in the bottom left of your screen.

 

There are three types of access levels under the User Management option. Account, Property and View.

Account:this allows a user to add more users, extra websites, as well as link AdSense and AdWords data.

Property:this allows a user access to the tracking code. The user can also adjust the retargeting code and settings on a specific website.

View:this allows a user to view reports, add new goals and content groupings.

Google Analtyics Grant User Access User Management

Step 2: Grant Access to a User

To add a new user, you will need to make sure that the person has either a gmail account, or that their email is registered in Google Accounts. You have to decide on which level you want to grant access (account, property or view).

Click on the “+” icon on the column you want to add the user to (account, property or view)

Google Analtyics Grant User Access Add New User

From the drop-down menu, click on “add new users”

Different types of permission can be assigned to a new user. You can choose between manage users, collaborate, edit or just read and analyze.

Manage Users: a user can add or delete users and assign permissions. This permission does not include the option to Edit or Collaborate.

Edit: access to administrative as well as report-related functions. This includes adding/editing/deleting accounts; access to properties, filters, views and goals. But it does not include managing users. A user with this permission can also see report data. This permission is required at the account level in order to create filters, and at the view level to be able to apply filters. It also includes Collaborate.

Collaborate: with this permission a user can create, edit, delete, as well as share personal assets. The shared personal assets include: dashboards, segments, conversion segments, attribution models, channel groupings, custom reports, and unsampled reports. The user can also collaborate on shared assets and it includes the Read & Analyze permissions.

Read & Analyze: the user can view report and configuration data. The data can also be manipulated within reports for instance to create a segment, add a secondary dimension, or filter a table. The permission allows the user to see shared assets, create personal assets, and share them. But it does not allow Collaboration on shared assets.

Google Analtyics Grant User Access Add New Users Email Address

Enter the email of the user you want to add. You can send a notification email to the new user. Finally, click on add.

How to Modify the Permissions of an Existing User

Once you have created a user, you can modify the permissions assigned to the user at any time.

After you have signed into Google Analytics account, choose the site to which you want to change access. Next, click on the Admin option.

Choose the column of the level you want to change and click on User Management.

You can search for the user you want to change in the search box located at the top of the user list. Type in part of the email address or the full address.

Click on the user name, and then you can add or change permissions.

Remember to click Save.

How to Delete A User

After signing in to your Google Analytics, click on Admin and choose the account you want to change.

Click on User Management in the column you want to edit (account, property, or view)

Search for the user you want to change in the search box.

Check the box next to the user you want to delete.

Click Remove.

How To Get More Google Reviews

You’ve created your free Google business listing, now the next question pops up: how do you get people to review your business? The quick answer, you can send people a direct link to review it. But let’s investigate the step by step process and learn all the little secret tricks.

Google My Business

How to Get Reviews on Your Listing

We all know the power of the internet, over 90% of consumers do an internet search before deciding which company they will become loyal to.  Creating a Google listing should be a part of your reputation management strategy.

The easiest way to get people to review your business, is to make it as straightforward as possible. After you’ve completed a project or delivered your goods, contact the customer directly, thanking them for the business and request a review.

By including a direct link to the review, you ensure that the customer doesn’t lose interest or become frustrated because it is too complicated to figure out the reviewing process. Although there are various search engines out there, Google is by far the most popular and powerful.

Did you know? More than 80% of online queries are performed on Google

Reviews on your Google My Business listing is completely transparent to the public. Potential customers can form an independent opinion of your business, not through what you want to tell them about your product or service on your website, but through real customer reviews.

How Important Are the Reviews?

These reviews should not be taken lightly, studies show that 84% of people give the Google reviews as much authority as a personal referral from a friend or family member. The reviews also serve the purpose of adding oomph to your Google ranking on search page results.

After your first five reviews, you will start seeing organic search engine traffic results for your business. This means your listing will appear more frequently on the first page of search results. It might be tempting to try and create your own reviews, but this tactic will backfire in the long run. Google’s main aim is to provide relevant and useful information for its users.

Create A Prefilled 5-Star Review for Your Customers

How To Get More Google Reviews 2

Although you don’t want to tamper with the review results, you can use a technique of creating a link with the 5-stars automatically filled in for customers to use. The aim of a review is to get both a star ranking as well as personal feedback from your satisfied customers.

To create this link, you will need a mobile phone. Once created, it will be functional for reviewing from any device. It will take a bit of effort to set this up, but it’s highly recommended to invest the time to prepare it.

To start the process, verify your address once you’ve created a Google My Business page. Next, open an incognito page on Google Chrome from your phone. Go to your company’s listing on Google My Business. You will see a Knowledge Graph with your company’s details.

Find the section called “Review and Rate”. On the right you can tap the 5 stars. Click on the “Leave a Review” page. You can now copy the address from the URL bar with the automated 5-star review into an email. Use a URL shortener to create a sleeker URL to send to your customers. Before sending it to a customer, first test it out on your own phone and computer.

Note: if you struggle with this technique, contact one of our Cape Town SEO specialists to assist you with the process. Click here for help.

You can also consider adding the review option onto your website, with a specific page dedicated to reviews. Use the automated review link and change it in your website backend to something more relevant, such as https://www.companyname.com/review. This can be done through a 301 redirect link.

Next, you can create a message to request a review from a customer. Remember, the point of the reviews is to receive honest feedback. Once you’ve sent the link to the review, the response is out of your hands. If you believe the review violates the Google listing policies, you can flag it for removal.

Create a message thanking the customer/client for their business. Request a short, honest review for your Google My Business listing, including the link you’ve created. Remember that the customer is under no obligation to leave you a review, so you need to choose your words carefully to not make the request seem forced.

If you were using other communication methods such as SMS or WhatsApp, you can consider using this. But it will depend on your level of relationship with the customer. Emails are generally seen as a less intrusive method.

Your customer needs to have a Google account to create a review. Add a note in the review request email to explain this to the customer, to avoid frustration when the link doesn’t work. Many people have Gmail accounts, but you most likely were communicating with a client via their official work email.

Google Accounts are also linked to YouTube, Android phones, Blogger and more. It is also linked to other Google services such as Google+, Drive, Analytics, AdWords, Search Console, Calendar and more.

The reason Google decided to add this security method, is to prevent anonymous reviews, that can promote dishonesty and malicious attacks. If your customer doesn’t have a Google account, you can alternatively request a review on your Facebook page.

Alternative Method to Create A Review Link

If you feel uncomfortable with the above suggestion of preselecting 5-stars for the review, you can create a link from a Google Search. Use your computer to create a more accurate link. Firstly, search for your business on Google. Locate the listing on the right, scroll down and click “write a review”. Next, copy the URL in the address bar. Use the URL shortener to create a more professional link. You can use a link building service such as bitly.com to track and optimise your links.

Three Key Changes to Google Review Guidelines

These changes affect the Google algorithm’s filtering process. The guidelines aim to specifically deal with review spamming. Another big change is that the criteria is now part of the Google Maps content policy.

Mostly the guidelines are straightforward no-go’s that make logical sense. It deals with major issues such as no adult content, no hate speech, no confidential info, no copyrighted or illegal content, and more.

#1 Former/Current Employees Cannot Leave Reviews

Previously this was a grey area and sometimes Google did not want to comply with deleting a horrible review. Now the system is on your side and you can rest assured that a disgruntled employee can’t publicly badmouth you on your business listing.

#2 Do Not Request Reviews in Bulk

This change is a bit tricky, as the criteria for “bulk” is very ambiguous. An easy rule of thumb to use, is to not get trigger happy with sending out hundreds of emails to customers every day and getting more than 10 reviews in a day.

As always, the Google algorithm is a mystery. Does a link used too frequently trigger the system? If this is the case, is it the click on the link or the actual review that sets off the bulk sensor? Google tracks links in emails, so the system alert could possibly pop up after the same link has been sent out multiple times in a day.

The volume of reviews linked to the historical trends could also potentially be a trigger. This sometimes happens after a listing had been dormant for a while and suddenly the owner decides to start requesting reviews from customers.

Rather start slowly and build up your reviews in a more organic way. As you finish a project, send out the review request, as mentioned above. And spread out the review invitations to older customers across a few weeks.

#3 Missing: Mention of Kiosks

In the previous set of guidelines, it was clearly stated that you should not set up a review kiosk or station at your business. Although the new guidelines do not explicitly mention the use of review stations, you should read between the lines with this one.

It’s mentioned on Google’s Get Reviews page that you should inform your customers that it’s very easy to leave a review from a phone or computer. It’s been proven that Google tracks the devices from where the reviews are generated. So, if numerous reviews appear from the same device, Google will most likely filter them out.

Please Note: it’s against the Google Review Guidelines to incentivise people to leave a review.

Spam Alert

Local guides are encouraged and incentivised to create longer reviews with photos. Keep an eye on the frequency of reviews on your listing. If you notice a suspicious increase in reviews, check the source of the review. There is a photo spam on the rise from fake LG profiles.

Let Storyteller Design Assist You with Your Google Business Listing

Creating a professional business listing can boost your online presence in many ways. Potential customers can get a better idea of your business identity. Also, with a well-written “about us” section and good choice of photos, your business listing can be effectively turned into a virtual brand ambassador. The choice of words in the description can also be used to boost your SEO ranking on the search result pages.

Contact us now for a free evaluation. Let us help you harness the power of the Google Business listing!

google-mobile-first-update

We all suspect that mobile phones are taking over the world. But do you know just how big the mobile movement really is? A few stats that Neil Patel has gathered:

There were close to 150 billion mobile app downloads worldwide in 2016. If this trend persists, statistics predict that in 2021 the mobile app downloads will be over 350 billion. BrightEdge reported recently that their web traffic was 57% mobile generated, versus the traditional desktop computer generated traffic.

What Is the Google Mobile First Update Impact On SEO?

The mobile usage trend is huge. So, it’s no surprise that Google has finally implemented the mobile-first search index criteria. There has been rumours about it for a while now. You might wonder why this is something to take notice of.

The Google Webmasters blog shed some light on how this will affect your website. The Google algorithms will systematically work towards eventually using only the mobile version of your website’s content to rank pages, evaluate structured data, and to display page snippets in the search results. Google’s search index will remain a single index of both websites and apps, but soon the mobile movement will completely take over.

These changes can either help or hinder you. If your website is not currently mobile-friendly, any attempts at a good SEO strategy will be futile. But if you respond swiftly to the algorithm updates, you can beat out the competitors in your industry that are lagging behind.

Related: The value of being in the first page of search results.

google-mobile-first-seo

When Will the Google Mobile First Update Be Implement?

Unfortunately, Google is currently keeping everyone in the dark, not committing to a specific date. Gary Illyes mentioned at the March 2017 SMX West conference that it would happen as soon as Google views results as “quality-neutral”. They are monitoring the search results to remain close to a status-quo level, or a little above it.

Luckily there are a few basic steps that you can follow to ensure that your website survives the Google mobile first update. Firstly, let’s look at what exactly mobile-first indexing is. Till recently Google used only a desktop-oriented page ranking method.

Related: desktop indexing vs. mobile indexing

Back in the day, everybody used desktops to conduct searches. Desktops won’t disappear any time soon, but Google knows that it must pay attention to the mobile movement. Mobile traffic will constantly keep increasing.

The ranking requirements vary between desktop and mobile, but the indexing system remains the same. What it does mean, is that Google will be using your website’s mobile version as the primary means of ranking. Your desktop site version won’t be completely ignored, but Google will focus first on the mobile site.

Guide to The Google Mobile First Update

In the end, the main aim of the Google mobile first update, is to provide users with the most relevant and accurate search results, regardless of the device used for the search. Quite a few years ago mobile users exceeded desktop users, but desktops are not yet completely out of the running. The mobile movement does not point to a mobile-only shift, only a steady increase in mobile usage.

This increase offers you a great opportunity to tap into a different online market. Research shows that 78% of internet users have discovered a new business they were unaware of when browsing on their phone.

The Google mobile first update does not mean that Google will completely disregard desktop searchers. You need to keep both your desktop and mobile site up to date. This change will not be drastic, it simply means that Google is taking the mobile movement into consideration when determining site and page ranking. If your site is genuinely relevant to search criteria, Google will rank you near the top, regardless of where the search request is coming from.

For instance, if the search criteria were “best five star hotel in Cape Town” and you are one of the most prominent hotels in town, you will appear at the top whether someone is searching from their desktop computer or Smartphone.

Follow the Google Mobile First Update Rules

The trick is to make sure that whether the searcher is landing on your desktop or mobile site, they are still having an effective browsing experience. If your mobile version would frustrate even a five-year-old trying to navigate around your website, Google will start penalising you.

Google doesn’t like ranking sites that are frustrating to use. You don’t have to go overboard and completely redirect your SEO strategy, but it’s important to have an optimised mobile site. One of the most important reasons, is to ensure your competitors don’t outrank you.

Tip: use Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool to make sure your data is optimised for Google to index your website correctly.

Step One: Test Your Mobile Site

Before you start making changes, determine the current mobile-friendly rating of your website. Google has set up a test to assess the quality of your site. Go to search.google.com/test/mobile-friendly.

It’s very simple to use, simply enter the URL you want to test and click “Run test”. The system will analyse your website. The results will offer you feedback about your website. If there are any existing problems, it will be clearly listed for you to investigate the issues. Click on the “Page loading issues” link at the top for a more detailed explanation of errors that were detected. You can also view more tips on the “Fix your WordPress page” link.

google-mobile-test-tool

One of the most important elements to keep in mind with a mobile version, is how the user will engage with your content. Make sure that it loads quickly, and that the navigation is very simple to follow.

Related: basic checklist for a good mobile site

Step Two: Check your Content

If your site is listed on an “m” subdomain or if the mobile version uses adaptive/dynamic serving for content sending. The tricky part with a mobile website is that there are a few display limitations. You need to prioritize the most important elements, keeping the user’s experience of your website in mind.

This includes both text and visual elements. Ask yourself with each element how it fits into the visitor’s interaction with your company. Rather stick to the bare basics, than adding too much clutter that could be confusing.

Try doing a few random Google searches on your phone, click through to the websites, and take note of your first impression of the site’s mobile version. What did you enjoy about engaging with the content and what frustrated you?

Step Three: Check Site Responsiveness

google-seo-responsive-design

Designing for a desktop experience is very different to mobile. Firstly, when browsing on your desktop computer, the little mouse cursor is doing all the clicking work for you. On the mobile version, you need to design for easy finger touch.

By focusing on creating good “tap targets”, you will ensure that users will not become frustrated with engaging with your site. For most of the browsers 16px is the best default font size. For design elements, it is advisable to have at least 44 pixels of whitespace around a clickable element.

Together with the actual design, another important element is loading time. Users will simply click back to the search results page if your site loads too slow. Research shows that 53% of users will click the back button if the page takes longer than 3 seconds to load.

Telephone numbers need to be in the correct format to be tappable. If a user needs to copy and paste a number to get hold of you, chances are you’ve already lost the potential lead. Same principle for your email address.

Tip: activated browser caching for user convenience

If you want to create an advance mobile site experience, use a site builder that will detect the device from which the user is browsing. This way your site will be automatically adjusted to display in an optimised format.

Step Four: Streamline the Coding

The speedier the mobile site, the better. There’s a few coding tricks you can use to make sure that your mobile version responds quickly, and the navigation is efficient. Try to decrease the HTTP requests as much as possible. You can achieve this by reducing images, or completely removing them if they are redundant to the browsing experience.

google-seo-mobile-first

The next tweak won’t increase the speed of your mobile site, but it will increase the chances of searchers clicking through to your website. Also, on a Smartphone there’s less space for the meta titles and page descriptions. So, choose your words carefully.

Also, make sure your social metadata has been optimised to entice people to click on the link when someone shares your content on a social media platform. Each platform has its own system for creating engaging links to share. From Twitter Cards, to Pinterest Rich Pins – invest time in creating correct meta tags to entice people to share your content. Or you can use the Open Graph meta tags across all platforms.

Related: how to create effective social meta tags

Check that your media sitemaps and XML are set up correctly. Also pay attention to your linking structure. Finally, consider using the Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) plugin. It’s a separate format, used by Google to cache your site, increasing the page loading speed. It won’t affect the search ranking of your website. But as mentioned before, it’s crucial for a mobile site to be extremely responsive, ensuring a good user experience.

Let Storyteller Design Help You Optimise Your Mobile Site

The Google mobile first update is a huge shift in the way that websites will be ranked from now on. There’s no denying that the mobile movement will only grow stronger. A mobile-friendly site is extremely important if you don’t want to be left behind with the mobile movement.

If your head is spinning from all the information in this post, not to fear. As a Cape Town SEO company, Storyteller Design we make it our mission to stay on top of the latest trends. We can assist you to tweak your existing website to adhere to the Google mobile first update criteria.

Take our SEO help survey now to give us a better idea of the health of your website.

google-mobile-first-seo-search-engine-optimisation

SEO Strategy 2018 South Africa

Why should you bother with using the best SEO tactics for your website? Consider the following SEO travel company example: You’ve finally saved up enough money for that dream holiday in Europe. The dreaming phase now moves into planning. But how do you plan a trip to the other side of the globe, to a place you’ve never visited before? You use Google.

Same scenario if you want to find the closest Indian restaurant to your house after relocating to a new city. Or if you want to research the best new running shoes on the market. When you don’t know something, you Google it.

Top 5 Benefits of the Best SEO Tactics

There are a variety of search engines out there, but Google has managed to become the top household name. People use it like a verb to describe a hunt for information. As a company, you cannot afford to not have an online presence. While there are other search engines as well, we advise that you allocate the biggest portion of your advertising budget to ensure a high ranking on Google.

Google Analytics and SEO 2018

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is a way that you can leverage the behind the scenes system of search engines to climb the ranks of the search results. Google Analytics is a highly sophisticated system that offers statistics about how users interact with your website.

You can also opt to activate Google AdWords to make sure that your website is featured at the top of search result pages. But an effective organic SEO strategy can help you achieve more sustained success. What can SEO do for your website?

Increase Traffic to Your Website

This is one of the biggest reasons why you should invest in a SEO strategy. Ask yourself how many times you’ve clicked through to the second page of the search results. Chances are, you usually click on one of the first five pages that appear.

Potential customers will be able to interact with your company much quicker after your SEO strategy kicks in and your website consistently ranks high on search results. If your website appears at the top of the search results page, people will assume you’re the best at what you do. Whether it’s true or not, being at the top of Google search results create industry authority.

Return on Investment (ROI)

With the help of software like Google Analytics, you can monitor every little step of your SEO strategy, ensuring that you are heading in the right direction. If you notice your website is not gaining any traction online, you simply adjust the strategy. Aspects that can be monitored include increase in traffic and search results ranking, as well as sales conversions. A SEO streamlined website will also attract more high quality clients looking for your specific product/service.

Cost Effectiveness 

Setting up a good marketing campaign oftentimes feels like a hit and miss undertaking. For example traditional methods such as cold-calling or flyer distribution can be very pricey, with a very low impact. Investing time in creating a dynamic website with a solid SEO foundation can yield much better returns. It’s also a more targeted marketing approach.

The digital marketing trend is on the rise in South Africa. You want to remain at the forefront. By optimising your website with the best SEO tactics, you can quickly move up in the rankings and not get left behind. There are still many industries that don’t have competitive online campaigns. You can be the first company to move to the top in your specific industry. Once you’re at the top, it will be much harder for your competitors to catch up.

Increase Your Website’s Usability

There’s nothing more annoying, than landing on a website that has nothing to do with the search criteria you put in! You want to attract users that are interested in your unique product/service. And by adding the correct SEO keywords, you can access potential customers that are keen to do business with you.

Increase Brand Awareness

This lines up with the idea that you automatically gain credibility with potential customers when they see that you are at the top of the search results page. People trust the information provided by Google. By adding small little tweaks, such as an accurate meta description (the short piece of information below the website link) you can access the customers that will become passionate brand followers.

Why SEO Optimisation Is Important

SEO optimisation is all about showcasing your company effectively on search engines, with Google being the most popular one. You want people to click on your website link because they find your product/service most useful. This way you will attract potential customers that can benefit from interacting with your company, instead of having to sift through endless amounts of useless leads.

Search Engines Are Acquiring More Market Share

Stats show that between 80 to 90% of people first research a product/service online before deciding which company they prefer using. If you don’t optimize your website with the best SEO tactics, your competitors will snatch up the market share.

SEO 2018 South Africa

Local Search Optimization Is On the Rise

You need to make sure your website is mobile-friendly, displaying correctly on Smartphones. Mobile web users have steadily increased the last few years. It opens up a whole new aspect of SEO tactics, you can effectively target potential customers in your specific area.

A Bad Content Profile Can Damage Your Brand  

Creating a website once-off and leaving it static for years, will get you penalized on Google. The search algorithm also takes other online platforms into consideration when ranking you, such as Facebook and LinkedIn. You need to be consistently active online, on various platforms. Sporadic social media posts, or blog posts once in a blue moon, is not enough. Google wants to know that you are actively engaged with your brand followers. Creating an SEO strategy that reaches across online platforms will be the best way of staying at the top of search result pages.

Your Competitors Are Definitely Using It 

Search engine optimisation remains a never-ending process. You need to tweak your SEO strategy on an ongoing basis. Depending on your industry, keyword competition can be fierce. By thinking a little bit outside the box and using unique long tailed keywords, you can steadily inch ahead of your competitors.

Internet Usage in Africa vs The World

The Miniwatts Marketing Group estimated in June 2017 that Africa makes up 10% of the world’s internet users. In 2000 the South African population was roughly 44,900,000. On 31 December 2000, there were an estimated 2,400,000 internet users in the country. In 2017 the South African population was roughly 55,400,000. The latest estimate on 30 June 2017 of internet users was 29,935,634. This is a 1,147.3% increase in internet growth between 2000 and 2017.

Currently the internet researches about 54.0% of the South African population. And on 30 June 2017 it was estimated that 16,000,000 South Africans were using Facebook. For more African internet statistics, visit internetworldstats.com.

Storyteller Design Loves a Good SEO Challenge

If you created your website before SEO tactics became a crucial element of digital marketing, you don’t have to recreate your site to jump on the bandwagon. All you need to do, is assess your content and optimize it to include relevant SEO keywords to almost instantly push up your Google ranking..

At Storyteller Design we stay on top of all the new SEO trends, ensuring that our client websites consistently hit the first page of search results. We can assess your website and inform you of changes needed.

To continue with the SEO travel company example, people research and plan their trips online. They might use websites such as TripAdvisor or Airbnb, but they are most likely to enter very specific keyword phrases. By using a combination of an organic SEO strategy and an AdWords campaign, you can effectively target a niche market of potential customers.

Click here for a free SEO audit of your website.

Local Map SEO

How is local SEO different to traditional SEO?

Traditional SEO focuses on ranking websites whenever a certain keyword is used to direct the search. However local SEO try to rank a website whenever a keyword is used within a certain geographical area.

For example:

yourbusiness + city/area
yourservice + city/area

The geographical area can either be based on what was directly entered into the search bar or it can use the geographical location of the searcher themselves.

Any business with a physical location or that services customers within a specific geographical location absolutely needs to be using Local SEO.

It connects your business to people searching for your products and services in your area. Local searches are less competitive than international or national searches as there are less companies vying for the same space.

But how can I rank my website well for local SEO?

Search Engine Optimization is difficult because Google keeps changing the rules it uses to decide where to rank websites. Below you will find a quick summary of Google’s last few changes and how they changed the rules.

  1. Panda Update: Penalized Bad Content
  2. Penguin Update: Penalized Bad Links
  3. Hummingbird Update: Semantic Search – which means Google were trying to understand what the users are looking for rather than just the words in the search bar.
  4. Pigeon Update: Local Search ( July )

Googles’s Pigeon update is the update that most affected the local search results, which we are discussing. The update brought local search results more in line with traditional website ranking factors.

What changes came with the Pigeon update?

  • The geographical search radius shown was reduced.
  • Different search radius’s are also applied for different types of searches.
  • Favors directory websites. Look for our upcoming post on Barnacle SEO.
  • New local map pack – called “snack pack” with only 3 results instead of 7.

So what influences local search rankings and how have they changed?

Moz-2014-Local-Search-Ranking-Factors

The local search ranking factors have changed substantially in 2015.

Moz-2015-Local-Search-Ranking-Factors

On-Page Signals: ( down to 20.3% ):

1. Quality content is now more important than ever, it is more valuable to have fewer high quality posts rather than lots of average content going up on your website. Once you have quality content then optimise it for your local targets.

Area to optimise:

  • City in the title tag
  • City in the H1 heading tag
  • City in content
  • City in image alt text
  • City in URL
  • City in metadescription

2. Embed Google Map from Google My Business not Google Maps.

3. NAP – Name, Address, Phone Number

4. Use a local phone number

5. Blog regularly

Link Signals ( Up to 20.03% ):

  1. Quality links are important, not just quantity.
  2. Local sites with high authority carry a lot of weight.

Citation Signals ( Down to 13.55% ):

Citations are mentions of your website and NAP on other websites and directories around the internet. The listings will usually include you name, address and phone number along with a link to your website.

  1. Make sure your citations are consistent.
  2. Get citations your competitors are not paying attention to.
  3. If you have ever moved or changed phone numbers? Then citation clean up is your number 1 priority.

Google My Business ( Up to 14.72% ):

  1. Claim your Google My Business (GMB) location.
  2. If you are having problems use phone support.
  3. Customers are 38% more likely to visit and 29% more likely to buy from a business that has a complete GMB profile and page.
  4. Optimise your GMB page:
    • Use a long description with formatting and links
    • Choose the correct categories
    • Upload lots of photos
    • Use a local phone number
    • Use your own profile and cover images.

Review Signals ( Down to 8.39% ):

88% of customers trust online reviews as much as reviews from friends and family. People will decide not to buy from you if you have bad reviews. Definitely do not fake reviews, rather care about your customer and let their reviews shine through.

  1. Make it easy to leave reviews
  2. Don’t forget to ask for reviews.
  3. Set up a review page on your website domain.com/reviews ( Link this to your GMB page )
  4. Hand out post cards with a link to your reviews page.
  5. Follow up with emails asking for reviews.
  6. Google reviews are the most powerful.
  7. Have at least 10 reviews on Google before targeting 3rd party review sites.
  8. Most importantly have more reviews than your competitors.
  9. Reply to all your negative reviews.

Seem like a lot to take in and not sure where to start. The best place to start is with a local SEO audit of your site. Get one for free below.

Scan your website’s local SEO for FREE.

[contact-form-7 id=”299″ title=”SEO Free Audit Form”]

 

If you have any questions please email us at [email protected]. Information sources for this post include Moz.com and Greg Gillford’s Local SEO – A Seriously Awesome Blueprint.

Local Map SEO

Rocket-Launch SEO Speed Test

Rocket-Launch SEO Speed Test

The best way to test your website for its load time and how Google views it is to use Google’s own page speed insights. Since we want it to help us rank higher in the Google website and search rankings, it is important to take into account how Google views your load time, and what they think needs to be fixed or improved.

To test your website using Google Page Insights.

1.Click here and enter your website address or URL.

2.Click Analyse

3.Read through the results and see what needs to be changed or upgraded.

Do not get scared if you find the results too technical for your understanding, send us an email at [email protected] along with your website address and we can test your websites speed and let you know what needs to be fixed and improved, what is critical and what should not be changed.

What can slow your page speed down?

  • Your host or server: As the saying goes, you usually get what you paid for. In the long run, a cheap hosting account can damage your page speed. Pick the right host best fits your business size.
  • Large images: Images which are very large are heavy to load and can really slow your website down. It is often due to extra data included in the comments or to a lack of compression.
  • External embedded media: External media like videos are highly valuable but can seriously lower you load time. To gain some load time, host the videos on a sharing platform like youtube or vimeo.
  • Unoptimized browser, plugins and app: You should test your website on all browsers since they do not all load your website in the same way. Applications like Flash can also slow your site down considerably.
  • Too many ads: Besides irritating you visitors, ads can cost you page speed depending on how they are set up and how many you have.
  • Your theme: Some highly designed themes containing a lot of effects and fancy functionality can penalize your load time.
  • Widgets: Some social buttons or comment areas can have an impact of your page speed.
  • Double-barreled code: If your HTML/CSS is not efficient or too dense, it will lower your page speed.

Alternatives for testing your load time and your websites speed are:

Pingdom or Web Page Test

It is always good to have a number of sources when trying to speed up our website.