Bad content is still the same on mobile or desktop

Google gave a lot of notice back in November 2014 that they were going to be changing their search algorithms to put more emphasis on the mobile side of things. They even provided a quick little tool to check how mobile friendly your website is.

In February 2015 they stated, "Starting April 21, we will be expanding our use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal. This change will affect mobile searches in all languages worldwide and will have a significant impact in our search results. Consequently, users will find it easier to get relevant, high quality search results that are optimized for their devices."

[Quick update: And, by pure coincidence, just hours after this blog post, Bing announced they too now have their own mobile-friendly algorithm change.]

So, that begs the obvious question: does your site look great on a mobile device? Smartphone ... laptop (come on, it's portable) ... tablet ... phablet (hate that name!)

Do your website users have to squint to read the content, or pinch the screen in a clumsy way to zoom in and out? If so, you're making them work for it.

Optimize your website, and then ... run a content audit.

Most people have a short attention span. If they don't find the information they want very quickly, they're either taking another step of using your search function (not bad, at least they're still a potential customer) or heading off to a competitor's site (worst case scenario).

Check the new and improved mobile version of your website and be tough. Do you really need all that content now? Is it a little bloated?

In the "good old days" most journalists and writers only had so much space to play with on a printed page. They had to be very tight on their word count, or make the Copy Editor their best friend. (It usually takes a third party objective set of eyes to chop lovingly crafted copy. I know, been there, done that. It hurts!)

Pretend there's no scroll bar on your web page. Or, two screen lengths, top. Make your content fit that size, and it will also be a reasonable length on a mobile view.

Get your call to action in there, make it easy and clear what the navigation leads to and help your website user out.

Herb Communications is optimized for mobile. Resize your browser window and try it out. We can help enhance your content if need be. Just give us a shout.

John.

Google seems to love blogs

Herb Communications launched its website yesterday, and I was pleasantly surprised to see it on the first page of Google already ... albeit position #9. I'll take that!

What's interesting from an SEO standpoint is that it's not the Welcome (home page) that's featured, but the Blog page. I'm reasoning that it's easier and more flexible to pepper blog posts on a more regular basis with keywords, rather than the other main navigation pages that are "set" or don't change very often.

As I write more blog posts on issues of interest over the coming weeks, I'll be experimenting with keywords to see if they affect the rankings and tweak as necessary. I'll also be keeping an eye on the analytics.

I built three separate analytics tools into this website for the purpose of cross-referencing the stats to look for common patterns. Every analytics tool has its own nuances, and because there's always (roughly) a +/- 10% margin of error, I want to ensure they're as accurate as possible.

In my experience of doing this, it's not an overnight success ... but there are ways to speed things along and I'll be implementing those. My aim is to reach the coveted #1 spot on Google's first page of results.

Stay tuned!

John.

Herb Communications is open for business

It's a very sunny Saturday -- May 9, 2015 to be precise -- and I have spent the last three weeks getting Herb Communications up and out the door. A lot of running around Toronto signing paperwork, speaking to small business experts and generally getting all my ducks in a row.

I've been wanting to do this for a while = start my own business. Take the reins, be accountable, make decisions, plan and adapt, network ... and help organizations to enhance their brand by offering a range of services.

After 20 years of working in the media -- nearly 30 years of earning a crust if you count my very first job in 1986! -- I want to create something of my own. Herb Communications is that something.

Suffice to say it's very exciting for me personally. I've done freelancing in the past, a lot of side projects of my own to keep me interested and so on. But this is more of a formal step. It's up to me how well Herb Communications performs for others, and I take that very seriously.

Those who know me or have worked with me have seen my integrity, honesty, transparency and willingness to sometimes deliver the bad news that most people don't want to hear. But I sincerely believe that if you don't stick your neck above the trenches and say how it is, then things can't be fixed and improved.

It's not personal! It's just because I believe in doing the best work I can and delivering the best results possible.

I hope that Herb Communications will be able to gain your trust over the coming months and that, if we work with you and you're happy with the service that you receive, that you'll refer us to colleagues.

Many thanks for reading.

John.