Does Organic CTR Impact Google Rankings?

Organic CTR Impact on Google Rankings

Does organic click-through rate (CTR) data impact google rankings? This has been a huge topic of debate for years within the search industry.

Several tests seem to have shown that the click-through rate Influence the Google Organic Ranking. A new test seems to show the opposite. Who to believe?

According to Rand, Click-through rate is a Ranking Factor


Rand Fishkin ( co-founder of Moz.com ), has several times used moz's large subscribers (mainly via social networks) to carry out SEO Tests. A test in July 2015 seems to have shown that the Organic CTR (Click-through rate) Improve Google Search Ranking, and that a better CTR led to a better position in search.

But be careful, his test was biased, like all tests, and the CTR was not the only variable. He talked about this again in a video referring to a patent you should read. He had already been interested in this in 2014.

According to Bartosz Góralewicz, Google no Longer Uses CTR in Their Ranking Algorithm


Bartosz Góralewicz conducted a test in March 2015 to try to prove the same, but he came to the opposite conclusion! According to Bartosz, Google no longer take into account CTR in their Organic Ranking Algorithm. You can read hiss explanations on Search Engine Land (as well as in more detail on its own site ).

In summary, Bartosz used click bots, which simulate users doing Google searches and clicking on results. He explains that he had trouble getting there, but after weeks of work he could simulate visits that Google apparently did not identify as Bot user. To prove this, He shows that the visits were recorded in Google Analytics and Google Search Console (which is not easy for simple clickbots ). And most importantly, he was able to influence Google Trends and Google Ad Planner. In his conclusion, he believes that it is finally safe to tell that that Google has abandoned CTR from their core algorithm, because this metric can be easily manipulated.

According to Google, CTR is not a Ranking Factor


Besides, Gary Illyes ( Webmaster Trends Analyst at Google ) said in 2015 that Google do not use CTR as a Ranking Factor.

My Personal Opinion


Well then, if Google does not use CTR as a Ranking Signal, why other tests have positively shown Organic CTR Does Improve Google Ranking? And why do we read That Higher Organic CTR Lead to Higher Position on Search Engine?

Here are some thoughts I would like to share with you about tests I Mentioned Earlier:

  • Rand's Test Conducted By Real Human Users: Real Human Google Visitors, with Browsers cookies enable. Conversely, the experiments of Bartosz were made with software. Although he ensured that google were unable identify this as artificial visit, But it does not prove that Google's algorithm has not "decided" to ignore these types of queries and clicks. In reality, it seems probable that Google checks if the CTR increases for people not connected to their Google account as for others (Ditto for many other things such as the type of desktop / mobile device, Operating system, browser, etc.).
  • It is also possible to surmise that the actions performed by human visitors at Rand's test to increase the CTR have involved other criteria which may also influence the search ranking.
  • Bartosz conducted the test for a short amount of time (2 weeks if I understood correctly). In my opinion, to improve the CTR results in improved positioning, it takes a much longer period. And if one day there is a peak of traffic (it can happen, buzz or other), the CTR must keep high after that, otherwise it does not confirm the interest of Internet users.

What is Your Opinion About Organic CTR Impact on Google Ranking?

How to Remove 404 Errors in Google Search Console

Fix Crawl Errors in Google Search Console
If you having issue with 404 Error in Google Search Console, this tutorial is for you! Follow the Steps to Improve your Website Usability and Organic SEO.

The Framework is as Follows: Despite your efforts, Google lists 404 errors (And other types of HTTP Errors) in the "Crawl Errors" report in your website Search Console Account.

Is 404 Error Bad For My Website?

How to correct them and make HTTP Errors disappear from GSC?

Do 404 Errors Bad For My Website SEO?


Here are the explanations provided by Google:
In general, 404 errors do not adversely affect your site's performance in search results, but they can help improve the user experience.
In the help, you will find additional tips:

They often occur as a result of typos or configuration errors, for example in the case of links generated automatically by a content management system. They can also be the result of the growing development of our services to detect and explore links in integrated content such as JavaScript.

This last sentence is not very clear, but basically we understand that Google sometimes seeks to access URLs that simply do not exist, but its interpretation of JavaScript codes makes Google believe that these URLs may exist.

I End with the latest tips from Google about 404 error:
It is quite normal, even desirable in some cases, to encounter 404 error codes on the Web. You will probably never be able to control all links that redirect to your site or resolve any 404 errors that appear in the Search Console. Focus on the most important issues, solve the problems you can, then move on to another step.

So? The purpose of my article is precisely to help you understand 404 error impact on organic seo and how to fix them.

My Point of View:

  • If a user land 404 page by clicking search engine organic result then you should fix the link ASAP. Because this 404 error (404 or other) will negatively impact your website search ranking.
  • If a page is in error 404 because of a link coming from other website, you can do nothing and it does not degrade your SEO performance. But if the link is coming from quality site, as long as it landing in a broken page, you're not getting any seo advantage of this link, so you should correct the link.
  • If you have too many 404 errors in your internal links, it degrades the user experience so you should fix them to improve user experience.

Steps to Fix 404 Errors


In your place, I would follow these steps.

Step 1- Fix 404 Errors Generated by Internal Links


If 404 errors are caused by internal links, they must be corrected because:

  • These errors degrade the user experience
  • These errors interfere with your SEO since a page does not receive the link you had planned to make
  • It's easy to detect and correct :-)
  • It will do a first cleaning of the list of errors 404 indicated in Search Console

Step 2- Fix 404 Errors Generated by Sitemaps


Use an HTTP header checker tool to check that each and every URL in your Sitemap actually returns a 200 status code (which means everything is OK). There should be no redirection.

If you are lost in all these codes: see the list of HTTP codes .

Step 3- Fix 404 Errors Generated by backlinks


Some 404 errors may be linked to backlinks, that is, links from other sites, pointing to a wrong URL on your site. To identify them, use your favorite backlinks analysis tool (Majestic, Ahrefs or Moz) and retrieve the list of backlinks pointing to a 404 error. Majestic has published an article on this topic, it's up to you to exploit it for your own Site instead of that of a competitor. If you do not arrive at all, and you ask me kindly , it is possible that I will do it for free ;-)

If the one who made the link was slightly mistaken in the URL, it is a pity and it must be corrected:

  • Contact the webmaster of the site that makes you the link in error to ask him to correct it. Introduce him in a positive way by explaining that he has a broken link on his site ...
  • If it does not respond, set up a 301 redirect from the wrong URL to the right one

Step 4- Fix other HTTP Errors


Once you have validated the previous steps, wait 1 or 2 weeks for Google to update your Search Console account. Next, see the Crawl Errors report, click the "Not Found" tab in the "URL-level Errors" sub-section.

Google lists Errors in Order of Priority, so enjoy.


If it's easier for you to manage the list in Excel, simply download the table in CSV format (or Google Docs). In the case of CSV, here are the columns that you will retrieve:
  • URLs
  • Response code: 404 for pages not found
  • Google News error: only applies to sites in Google News
  • Detected: date of first detection by Googlebot (the robot of Google)
  • Category: error type (here "not found")
  • Platform: Googlebot version encountered error (computer, smartphone or multimedia phone)
  • Last exploration: date of last crawl by Googlebot

Depending on the different cases that remain listed, you may need to repeat one of the previous steps. To see more clearly, you can check the box in front of the URL processed and click on the button "Mark as correct".

Tip : If you have a lot of errors, you may get to the limit set by Google, which is 1000 URLs. To circumvent it, simply declare a subpart of your site as a new property in Search Console. This technique works only if you have directories at the root, for example / blog /. In this case, you can declare http://www.example.com/blog/ as a new property; It will be validated immediately and you will be able to consult the list of errors 404 concerning only this directory. Convenient !

Redirect to the Reception: bad solution!


I still regularly encounter badly configured sites, on which in case of page not found we are redirected to the homepage. Do not do that!

Indeed Google's online help confirms that a web server must return a 404 code when a resource can not be found:
It is quite normal, even desirable in some cases, to encounter 404 error codes on the Web.

You may have configured a custom 404 error page (that's fine). However, check that the HTTP returned is a 404 code, and not 302 (temporary redirection). Use an HTTP code test tool on a non-existent URL on your site. If you have a 302 redirect, you may have specified an entire URL in your .htaccess file for the custom error page.

How often should you check for 404 errors?


You should be checking your 404s at least once every month and on a bigger site, every week. It doesn’t really depend on how much visitors you have but much more on how much content you have and create and how much can go wrong because of that. The first time you start looking into and trying to fix your 404 error pages you might find out that there are a lot of them and it can take quite a bit of time. Try to make it a habit so you’ll at least find the important ones quickly.

Need Help?


If you do not get there or something is not clear enough for you, feel free to ask the question in the comments

13 Errors to Avoid with Canonical URL

Tags:
Canonical URL SEO

The canonical URL is used to tell the engines what is the official URL of a page; This is useful in some cases to resolve duplicate content issues. But beware: misused, canonical URL can hurt your SEO!

Why is it necessary to monitor the canonical URL?


Since the time I do audits (2003!), I have encountered many kinds of errors with the canonical URL. I will summarize them here, which will save you from doing them too ...

Maybe you do not realize the large number of instances where a site contains errors at the canonical URL (which is not necessarily indicated via a URL, by the way).

13 Errors to Avoid with Canonical URL:


  1. The same URL is indicated as canonical for a very large number of pages on the site (yet having different contents)
  2. Several canonical URLs are indicated in string (A indicates B, which indicates C, etc.)
  3. A indicates B as canonical, but B redirects to A
  4. No canonical URL is specified for a page that is called with different URL parameters (eg utm_source and utm_medium, or "sort", "orderby", etc.)
  5. No canonical URL is specified on a non-responsive mobile site (for example, with m.example.com)
  6. A indicates B as the canonical URL, but B is in error 404 or forbids crawl (disallow in robots.txt) or indexing (meta robots noindex)
  7. The actual URL and the canonical URL indicated differ by a slash at the end (present or absent)
  8. The canonical URL is indicated in relative and not in absolute (begins with http), which is not a problem in itself, but sometimes the reconstructed URL is different or wrong
  9. The actual URL uses one or more uppercase letters but not the canonical URL (or vice versa)
  10. The actual URL uses URL rewriting but not the canonical URL (or the reverse)
  11. The canonical URL always corresponds to the URL consulted, without verification, whatever is added in the URL
  12. A indicates B as canonical, and B indicates A as canonical
  13. In case of pagination, on each URL (page 2, page 3, page 4 ...) one finds as canonical URL that of page 1

It does not look like anything, but by force it can really hurt your SEO, not only on Google for that matter.

Both check and correct if necessary! And do you know of other errors with the canonical URL?


The Ad Experience Report in Google Search Console

Google ad experience report
Google Ad Experience Report

Do you have too many ads on your site? Or ads degrading the user experience? Since June 2017, a report tells you in your Search Console account. Knowing that these ads will be blocked in 2018, get ready!

Google Search Console Ad Experience Report


What is the purpose of this "Ad Experience" report?


As of January 1, 2018, certain ads will be automatically blocked in Google Chrome, without the user having anything to install ( source ). In other words, Chrome will include an ad blocker!

This report will help you identify your pages that display advertisements that may be blocked by Chrome. If your site is concerned, you will see screenshots and even videos of ads that are problematic.

It's worth taking a look at, is not it?

Where can I find the advertising experience report?


Go to https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/ad-experience and choose the property you want to test. The drop-down menu is on the top right on a fixed computer, it lists the properties to which you have access.

You can also click on "Web Tools" in the left margin, once connected to your Search Console account, for the site of your choice.

Then click on "Computer" or "Mobile" to access the results.

Here is what it gives in image:
Google ad experience report
Google Ad Experience Report


Note: it is possible that your site has not yet been analyzed, in this case you will only receive the message "Status: not examined". So we will have to wait and consult the report another day ...

Definition of the Advertising Experience


The advertising experience is defined by several elements:
  • The presentation of the site
  • The behavior of the site
  • The content and ads your users are exposed to

It can be a direct result of trafficking (creating and displaying) creatives on your pages (for example, automatic video ad play with sound).

It may also depend on how ads are embedded in your site (eg, high ad density on mobile devices).

Inventory of the Advertising Experience on your Site


Google conducts reviews to verify that ad experiences are likely to cause inconvenience to your users.

If they are found several times, they will be listed in this report.

Reports are grouped by root domain, including all subdomains and directories. If your root domain is example.com, the report contains the ad experiences of www.example.com, actualites.example.com, example.com/finances, and so on.

To review the ad experiences on your site, Google takes into account your main region of broadcast. This region corresponds to the geographical area from which the majority of visitors come. Internet users in each country may have their own preferences for advertising experience. However, the data suggest that there are groups of countries with similar preferences. Each major dissemination region has one or more countries assumed to have similar preferences in terms of advertising experience. For now there are 2 regions:

  • Region A: United States and Canada
  • Region B: Europe

How do I know if my Ads will be Blocked by Chrome?


Look at the filtering status of the ads on your site, it may correspond to the following values:

  1. Disabled : Chrome does not filter ads on your site.
  2. Enabled : Regardless of the region in which they are located, users browsing your pages with the Chrome browser do not see the ads that are showing. You must resolve non-compliance issues and submit your site for review.
  3. Paused : Ad filtering in Chrome is paused during review of your site.
  4. Pending : The status of your site is "Failed". Ad filtering will take place in the future. We will send an e-mail to users and registered site owners at least 30 calendar days before the start of ad filtering. To avoid this filtering, troubleshoot non-compliance issues and submit your site for review.

Google Warns Before Blocking Ads?


Yes Fortunately !
  1. Initially, no ads are blocked.
  2. If you identify bad advertising experience on your site, Google will send you a warning . The ads are not yet blocked.
  3. If 30 days after the notification your site is not corrected, Google considers it a failure and Chrome will start blocking your ads.

How do I Request a Review of the Site?


If you think you have corrected the issue, please visit this support page for Google .

Which Pubs are Deemed Immediately Harmful?


Adverse advertising experiences are particularly misleading or abusive.

Definition: An advertising experience is considered harmful if it meets one of the following conditions ( source ):

  1. It uses malicious or unwanted software that can be installed on the user's computer.
  2. It leads to a phishing attempt.
  3. It aims to trick the user into inciting him to download software (malicious or not), or to install malicious or unwanted software.
  4. It causes an automatic redirection without intervention of the user.
  5. It involves components that are confusing (such as a close button that does not close the ad, but clicks on it or returns to another content).
  6. It has deceptive content intended to trap the Internet user. For example, the ad may appear to be a system message, such as an update button.

Which Ads Annoy the most Users?


According to the Coalition for Better Ads study, respondents indicated the following 3 types of ads:

  • Advertisements that interrupt : When you arrive on a press article, an announcement forces you to wait ten seconds before you can read it. Advertisements that disrupt the flow of information - especially on mobile devices - are generally considered the most boring by consumers. The study shows that 74% of mobile users find that ads that interrupt access to content (such as pop-ups) are extremely or very annoying.
  • Advertisements that distract : It only takes a few seconds for people to decide if your site is worth their time. Flashing animations and commercials that automatically play a sound distract people during these first critical seconds. In the end, these ads could cause them to abandon your site. These experiments are extremely disruptive on both fixed and mobile computers.
  • Disruptive ads : When a page is cluttered with commercials, it takes more time to load, making it more difficult for people to find what they are looking for. On mobile, a high density display slows down strongly, which degrades the user experience.

Advertisements to Avoid on Mobile


Mobile browsing is a matter of speed and convenience. To avoid annoying or even irritating mobile users, avoid anything that can hinder or deconcentrate the consultation of the content. Especially that the screen is not that big!

Ads to Avoid on Computer


On desktops, users like to control their experience, so the obstacles that prevent them from controlling the flow of information at their own pace are unacceptable.

3 Golden Rules for a Better user Experience:


  1. Be immediate : people are more likely to engage when ads are quick and do not slow down content. For example, using the system GPA , advertisements AMP offer a more effective way to build, serve and measure adaptable ads ( responsive ). With ads loaded 6 times faster, Time Inc. measured 13% greater visibility and increased eCPM and CTR .
  2. Be immersive : Advertising experiences that blend perfectly with a user's content experience are less likely to bother them. Native advertising offers the ability to show ads that match the form and function of your site's content. The responsive native ads can even adapt to all types of devices and screens. The New York Times measured a CTR multiplied by 6 and visibility impressions multiplied by 4 with native ads compared to comparable standard banners.
  3. Be relevant : programmatic technology allows advertisers and publishers to publish more relevant ads based on consumer interests, which helps them stay more committed to your site.

What's Your Opinion About Google Ad Experience Report?

Google My Business Released Website Builder To All Countries

GMB Website Builder

Google Business Websites are currently being rolled out globally by Google My Business. The new Google business websites are completely free and available to all businesses that have a verified Google business page. The Google business website is a single page, mobile friendly site with business information being extracted directly from the Google business listing to the website.

Available for Google My Business users, this new feature will provide templated, editable websites for SMBs created from their data and photos on Google Maps. The tech giant makes use of small businesses listing to build the website, taking care of the design and makes sure that their website is easily found in Search and Maps.

According to Google, the websites created with ‘Website With Google My Business’ tool will help businesses connect more easily with their customers and guide them on what exactly they want them to do next, like maybe call their business, book an appointment, or even sign up for mailing list to remain updated on all the latest products/services that the business comes up with.

As part of the website builder tool, Google even gifts the businesses their own free domain or they also have the option of buying a domain of their own choice with Google Domains right from ‘Google My Business’.

What is Google Business Websites?


Google Business websites are free single page, mobile friendly websites for businesses. A Google business website is only available to businesses that have a Google business page. If you do not have a Google business listing you can start here. If your business has an unclaimed listing, you will need to claim the business listing to gain access.

You will be eligible for the website as soon as you have created the business listing, even whilst waiting for verification, however if the listing gets suspended, then the website will be 404’d.

What Google My Business Website Builder Offer You?

  • Custom domain name
  • It's mobile friendly
  • Drives calls and visits
  • Automatically updates
  • You can manage it on your mobile phone
  • You can easily place ads on them

How to Create a Business Website with Google My Business Website Builder?


Your Google business website can be up and running is seven pain free steps. The main parts of the site are auto populated based on information already available in the Google business page, with the only real functionality being Images, Headline, Subheading and Body Copy.
  • Log into your Google My Business Dashboard
  • Manage Location
  • Select Website in Main Menu
  • Select Theme
  • Header Image Extracted from Owner Photos
  • Text Edit – Headline, Description, Summary Header, Summary Body
  • Add Photos for Footer Images
  • Settings – Create Domain Name
  • Publish

Is Google Business Websites SEO Friendly?


The Free Google Website builder for GMB does not offer any real “SEO” optimization features at the moment. The intention behind the Google My Business website was to allow small businesses in developing countries the chance to create a simple, single page, mobile friendly website, that users could find out more about the business then the Google business page provided.

Depending on how this new google tool received by businesses globally, will depend on how Google develops their My Business Website builder.

Connect To Job Seekers With Google Search

Connect To Job Seekers With Google Search

At Google I/O this year, Google announced Google for Jobs, a new company-wide initiative focused on helping both job seekers and employers, through collaboration with the job matching industry. One major part of this effort is launching an improved experience for job seekers on Google Search. We’re happy to announce this new experience is now open for all developers and site owners.

For queries with clear intent like [head of catering jobs in nyc] or [entry level jobs in DC], we’ll show a job listings preview, and each job can expand to display comprehensive details about the listing:
Connect To Job Seekers With Google Search

For employers or site owners with job content, this feature brings many benefits:

  • Prominent place in Search results: your postings are eligible to be displayed in the in the new job search feature on Google, featuring your logo, reviews, ratings, and job details.
  • More, motivated applicants: job seekers can filter by various criteria like location or job title, meaning you’re more likely to get applicants who are looking exactly for that job.
  • Increased chances of discovery and conversion: job seekers will have a new avenue to interact with your postings and click through to your site.

Get Your Job Listings on Google

Implementation involves two steps:
  1. Mark up your job listings with Job Posting structured data.
  2. Submit a sitemap (or an RSS or Atom feed) with a <lastmod> date for each listing.

If you have more than 100,000 job postings or more than 10,000 changes per day, you can express interest to use the High Change Rate feature.

If you already publish your job openings on another site like LinkedIn, Monster, DirectEmployers, CareerBuilder, Glassdoor, and Facebook, they are eligible to appear in the feature as well.

Job search is an enriched search experience. Google created a dedicated guide to help you understand how Google ranking works for enriched search and practices for improving your presence

Keep Track of How You’re Doing and Fix Issues


There’s a suite of tools to help you with the implementation:

In the coming weeks, Google will add new job listings filters in the Search Analytics report in Search Console, so you can track clicks and impressions for your listings.

Google spoke to hundreds of people before launching this search vertical.

“I’m personally enthusiastic for this initiative because it addresses an important need and taps our core capabilities as a company from searching and organizing information to A.I. and machine learning,” said Sundar Pichai Chief Executive Officer of Google.

Why Should You Attend This June's Local Business Marketing Summit?

local business marketing summit 2017


All Digital Marketers and Local Business Owners are invited to participate in a free two-day Online Local Business Marketing Summit being sponsored by the Colorado-based Local Marketing Institute.
On June 27-28, 2017, the Local Business Marketing Summit will kick off – it’s a FREE two-day online event designed specifically for local businesses who want to jump start their marketing efforts.

Scheduled presenters include more than a dozen digital-marketing experts who have been regular contributors to “Forbes” magazine, Google My Business, Moz, Search Engine Land, Social Media Examiner, SMX and “The Wall Street Journal,” according to a press release.

Speakers For The June 27-28 Local Business Marketing Summit

  1. Eric Shanfelt
    Founder and CEO of Local Marketing Institute
  2. Myles Anderson
    CEO of BrightLocal, Search Engine Land Contributor
  3. Bernadette Coleman
    CEO of Advice Local, Contributor to Search Engine Land, Forbes
  4. Sean Daily
    Founder / Lead Strategist at Social Media Ninjas
  5. Chris Davis
    Director of Education for ActiveCampaign, Former Head of Mkt Automation at Leadpages
  6. Lissa Duty
    Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of Rocks Digital, Social Media Trainer and Author
  7. Joy Hawkins
    President of Sterling Sky, Google My Business Top Contributor, SMX , Search Engine Land
  8. Collin Holmes
    CEO of Chatmeter, Former VP of Product Management and Marketing for V-ENABLE
  9. Laurie Macomber
    President of Blue Skies Marketing, Local, SEO, and Content Marketing Expert
  10. Marcus Miller
    Digital Strategist at BowlerHat, Moz and Search Engine Land Contributor
  11. Phil Rozek
    Owner of Local Visibility System, Local Search Ranking Factors Contributor
  12. Conrad Saam
    GM of Mockingbird Marketing, Former Director of Marketing for both UrbanSpoon and Avvo
  13. Dennis Yu
    Chief Technology Officer of BlitzMetrics, Contributor for WSJ and Social Media Examiner
  14. Phil Nicolosi


The Local Business Marketing Summit takes place Tuesday and Wednesday, June 27-28, and will feature 18 video sessions from some of the most well-respected local marketing experts in the world. The subject matter of the sessions will be centered around six themes: social media; local search engine optimization; online ratings and reviews; your website; email marketing; and online advertising.

The Local Marketing Institute was founded by CEO Eric Shanfelt, who has more than 25 years experience in digital marketing. His background includes serving as senior vice president of digital for Penton Media and HarperCollins. The goal of his company, he says, is to teach businesses, marketers and developers how to successfully market a local business online.

The two-day summit would normally be nearly $500, but Shanfelt is extending a special offer to Sign & Digital Graphics readers to enjoy all 18 video sessions free of charge. Click HERE to get your free pass.

What You'll Learn From Local Business Marketing Summit?

  • The Local SEO Checklist 2017
  • How To Get the Most from Your Google My Business Listing
  • Social Media Tactics That Actually Work
  • Digital Advertising 101 for Local Businesses
  • A Complete Local Business Digital Marketing Strategy
  • Tips and Tricks to Build Email List
  • Marketing Automation
  • About Paid Local Listing Service
  • Content that Works Well for Web, Email and Social Media
  • Anatomy of a Well-Designed Local Business Website
  • How to Get the Most From Your Local Business Facebook Page
  • Which Local Business Review Sites Work Best for You?
  • Keys to Successful Facebook Local Advertising
  • How to Get More Reviews for Your Local Business?
  • Keys to Successful Google Local Advertising