Waverley Borough Councillors face formal investigations following 14 complaints against local politicians

An independent investigator has been called in to look into three of the 14 allegations

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/waverley-borough-councillors-face-formal-14222712

Missing Guildford teenager Britney Garman found 'safe and well'

The 17-year-old went missing on January 24 and was known to have travelled to the Fareham area of Hampshire

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/missing-guildford-teenager-britney-garman-14229728

Farnborough Airport drugs bust: British brothers appear in court accused of plotting to import £50 million worth of cocaine to UK

Border Force officials intercepted the 500kg, £50 million stash at Farnborough Airport on Monday, believed to be one of the largest seizures in British history

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/hampshire-news/farnborough-airport-drugs-bust-british-14229617

Super blue blood moon: Our guide to how and when it will be best to see the lunar spectacle

A blue moon, super moon and blood moon will all coincide on Wednesday (January 31) for the first time since 1866

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/super-blue-blood-moon-supermoon-14225528

Weather forecast: Met Office ice alert warns of dangerous driving conditions ahead of prolonged period of cold weather

The forecaster has issued a yellow warning for ice across affecting Surrey which comes into force at 6pm on Wednesday (January 31)

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/weather-forecast-met-office-ice-14228693

Surrey street lights: £18.5m plan to convert 89,000 street lights to LED inspires alternative ideas to light our streets

The move could reduce carbon impact by 6,200 tonnes and save £2 million per year in energy costs

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/surrey-street-lights-185m-plan-14228679

Woking church mourns death of parish priest 'Father Frank'

Canon Francis "Frank" Harrington died at home in Woking on Thursday (January 25) aged 74

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/woking-church-mourns-death-parish-14218024

Our guide to how and when it will be best to see the super blue blood moon

A blue moon, super moon and blood moon will all coincide on Wednesday (January 31) for the first time since 1866

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/guide-how-best-see-super-14225528

Body found at Chelsea Embankment believed to be that of man swept away after getting into River Thames near Hampton Court Bridge more than three weeks ago

The man is believed to have been swept away when he got in the Thames near Hampton Court Bridge during the early hours of January 5

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/body-found-chelsea-embankment-believed-14229085

Seven Hills Road: Plans to resurface pothole-ridden road to be considered by council in February

The Elmbridge road's potholes and poor surface have been an ongoing issue for motorists and residents

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/seven-hills-road-plans-resurface-14227436

Woking smokers fined nearly £7,000 in six months as more people pay penalty for littering

Smokers paid £1,000 more in fines in the second half of 2017 than in the previous six months

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/woking-smokers-fined-nearly-7000-14226858

Farnborough murder investigation: Five men charged over fatal stabbing of 25-year-old Richard Hardy make first appearance in crown court

Mr Hardy was stabbed to death in Farnborough on January 26 and tributes have been left at the scene in his memory

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/hampshire-news/farnborough-murder-investigation-five-men-14228584

Redhill Premier League referee Paul Alcock who Paulo Di Canio famously pushed over when playing for Sheffield Wednesday has died

Tributes have been made to the former manager of Redhill F.C's youth team and The Belfry Shopping Centre

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/redhill-premier-league-referee-paul-14224232

Scarlet fever in Surrey: Guildford experiences highest number of reported cases in county

The latest figures from Public Health England (PHE) reveal the number of reported scarlet fever cases doubled compared with the same period last year

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/scarlet-fever-surrey-guildford-experiences-14228265

Guildford fight: Man and teenager left needing hospital treatment after Bedford Road brawl

The incident took place at around 5pm on Monday (January 29)

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/guildford-fight-man-teenager-left-14223671

'Cube of Truth' demonstration held in Guildford High Street to show cruelty in meat, dairy and egg production industries

Did you spot these masked individuals at the weekend?

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/guildford-high-street-vegan-demonstration-14218420

Coming soon: Multilingual SEO training

February 7, 2018, marks the release of a brand new course in the Yoast Academy: Multilingual SEO. The Multilingual SEO training is for every site owner, developer or SEO who targets people in various locales and languages. The time-limited introductory price will be $169. After a week, it will go to its regular price of $199. Don’t miss this great Multilingual SEO course!

Loads of sites target consumers from other countries. Sometimes these consumers even speak another language. Targeting these customers with a well-thought-out SEO strategy takes some work, and many sites fail to deliver. Wouldn’t it be great to get some help reaching those customers in other countries? We know it can be a struggle setting everything up correctly so we’d like to help you. That’s why, on February 7, we’re launching the Multilingual SEO course.

Sign up for our newsletter and we’ll let you know when it’s available! »

According to Yoast founder and CEO Joost de Valk, many sites make mistakes when implementing the hreflang standard. The new Multilingual SEO training by Yoast makes hreflang easy to grasp and gives a step-by-step guide to implement hreflang correctly.

We’ll also teach you how to set up and maintain a multilingual keyword research strategy. Also, users get practical tips to transfer original content from one language to the next and to pick the domain name that fits their goals best.

The Multilingual SEO course will have an introductory price of $169. The regular price will be $199.

The Multilingual SEO training has over 2 hours of video, loads of reading material and interactive quizzes to educate users on every major issue surrounding multilingual and multiregional SEO. It will take about 12 hours to complete the full training program.

What will you learn in the Multilingual SEO training?

• How to make sure you use the keywords that your audience is searching for in a specific language.
• To write and adapt SEO optimized copy for various languages.
• How to target specific audiences in specific regions and countries
• To pick the optimal domain structure for your situation
• Tell Google what variation of a page people from which country should be directed to.

Who is the Multilingual SEO course for?

• Everyone who is operating – or looking to operate – a multilingual site
• You maintain sites, blogs or online shops for clients or you have your own
• You have a technical background, or you don’t – doesn’t matter!
• It also doesn’t matter if you use WordPress or another CMS

And here’s a brief overview of the contents:

1. Introduction

• What does Google do
• Holistic SEO

2. Keywords and content

• Keyword research, international keyword research.
• Copywriting, multilingual copywriting, transcreating content

3. Domain structure

• TLDs
• Subdirectories and subdomains
• Targeting multiple languages within a country

4. Hreflang

• Hreflang basics
• Implementation elements converning hreflang
• Hreflang implementation choices
• Hreflang risks & maintenance

The Multilingual SEO training will be launched on February 7, 2018. Sign up for our newsletter and receive a message when it is available to buy.

Sign up for our newsletter and we’ll let you know when it’s available! »

The post Coming soon: Multilingual SEO training appeared first on Yoast.

from Yoast • SEO for everyone https://yoast.com/coming-soon-multilingual-seo-training/

Shane Stacey search: Missing Farnborough boy found 'safe and well'

Shane Stacey, 12, was found "safe and well" in Yateley after disappearing from school on Monday

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/hampshire-news/shane-stacey-search-missing-farnborough-14226834

Whitmoor Common Guildford: 'Number of reports' after man exposes himself to dog walker

Surrey Police said the incident happened at Whitmoor Common on Sunday (January 28)

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/whitmoor-common-guildford-number-reports-14225234

Shane Stacey search: Officers conducting a 'number of enquiries' in search for missing Farnborough schoolboy

Shane Stacey, 12, was reported to have disappeared from school at around midday on Monday (January 29)

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/hampshire-news/shane-stacey-search-officers-conducting-14225419

Sean Benton inquest: Deepcut Sergeant hid in dead soldier's coffin and jumped out for a joke - 'It was disgusting and disrespectful'

Sean Benton, 20, was the first of four young soldiers to die of gunshot wounds at Deepcut between 1995 and 2002

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/sean-benton-inquest-deepcut-sergeant-14223965

Farnborough Airport drugs bust: Two Brits charged with importing £50 million worth of cocaine named by National Crime Agency

A total of five people will appear in court on Wednesday (January 31)

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/hampshire-news/farnborough-airport-drugs-bust-two-14225377

Kingston murder trial: Accused builder told uncover officer 'girls deserve rape', court hears

Jurors at the Old Bailey heard on Tuesday (January 30) how Mujahid Arshid exchanged explicit messages with an uncover officer

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/kingston-murder-trial-accused-builder-14223779

Homelessness in Surrey: Four differing viewpoints on giving money to beggars

A charity boss and the council leader are among those to offer their opinion on the pressing issue of homelessness in parts of the county

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/homelessness-surrey-four-differing-viewpoints-14177596

New CCTV footage issued following serious sex assault in Woking

A woman in her 20s was assaulted in October, police have said, and now the force is looking to trace a further three men in connection with the attack

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/new-cctv-footage-issued-following-14223907

Shane Stacey search: 12-year-old Farnborough boy missing after 'running away from school' prompting massive Facebook campaign

Shane Stacey was last seen at around midday on Monday (January 29) said his stepmother Nicky Stacey in a Facebook appeal for sightings

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/hampshire-news/shane-stacey-search-12-year-14224058

Farnborough Airport cocaine seizure: Look back at some of Britain's other big drugs busts

Some other notable drugs seizures including cocaine stashed on a Tanzanian tugboat and a massive cannabis factory hidden inside an abandoned Cold War nuclear bunker

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/farnborough-airport-cocaine-seizure-look-14222641

Surrey council tax: County council recommends 5.99% hike with final decision due next month

Once again, the county council has railed against another recent "sharp decline" in central government funding

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/surrey-council-tax-county-council-14223717

County council leader says NHS 'can cope with what it's got' - and makes plea for more social care funding

David Hodge's comments come after the boss of NHS England said improvements in mental health and cancer care may not materialise due to lack of funding

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/county-council-leader-says-nhs-14223091

Air ambulance called and man taken to hospital after car which 'came off the road' crashes in Horley

The helicopter landed in a nearby field to assist the injured man

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/air-ambulance-called-man-taken-14222850

'Despicable thieves' steal charity collection box from Gatwick Airport

It is not known how much money was stolen

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/despicable-thieves-steal-charity-collection-14223532

Teenage drug dealers jailed for supplying cocaine and heroin in Dorking after being caught red-handed

The pair face a combined sentence of seven year behind bars

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/teenage-drug-dealers-jailed-supplying-14223559

This is why the cost of your child's passport could soon rise by almost 30%

The proposed changes are expected to raise £50 million in a single year for HM Passport Office

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/cost-your-childs-passport-could-14221338

Earlswood's two defunct gasholders will be demolished this year - but will you miss them?

A year-long project to dismantle the structures in Hooley Lane will start in September

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/earlswoods-two-defunct-gasholders-demolished-14215522

Missing Britney Garman search: Guildford teenager's last known movements revealed in new CCTV stills

Britney Garman was last seen on Friday (January 26) at Fareham station and a major search operation is under way to trace her

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/missing-britney-garman-search-guildford-14222625

Farnborough Airport drugs bust: Border officers' swoop on £50 million cocaine stash will 'save UK communities from untold misery'

The enormous 500kg haul was discovered neatly packed into 15 suitcases aboard a private jet that arrived at Farnborough Airport from Colombia

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/hampshire-news/farnborough-airport-drugs-bust-border-14222610

South Western Railway and Southern among nation's worst train operators for passenger satisfaction

SWR said it was "disappointed but not surprised" by the outcome of the survey

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/south-western-railway-southern-among-14220786

Farnborough murder investigation: Five men appear in court charged over death of 25-year-old Richard Hardy

Mr Hardy's family paid emotional tribute to their loved one two days after his death

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/hampshire-news/farnborough-murder-investigation-five-men-14222455

Redhill taxi driver assaulted passenger 'after being asked to drive to cashpoint'

Mikey Dixon says he will no longer get into a taxi alone after the assault in May last year

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/redhill-taxi-driver-assaulted-passenger-14219310

Man rushed to hospital after collapsing in Old Oxted pub The George Inn

The man hurt his head and his arm when he fell

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/man-rushed-hospital-after-collapsing-14222704

Former teacher David Allison jailed for three years after police found hundreds of thousands of indecent images of children on his computer

More than 500,000 images showing children of a variety of ages were recovered from David Allison's computer equipment

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/former-teacher-david-allison-jailed-14217736

What is multilingual SEO?

If your online business is doing well in your country, you might consider expanding to international markets. To be successful in new markets requires some extra investments in SEO though. You’d better start thinking about multilingual SEO, if you want to be sure your website will be found and used well in other countries! Here, I’ll explain what multilingual SEO is, why it’s important and which elements it consists of.

What is multilingual SEO?

Multilingual SEO deals with offering optimized content for multiple languages or multiple locations. Let’s explain this with an example. Imagine you have an online shop: you sell WordPress plugins in many countries. To increase your sales in Germany, you’ve decided to translate your content into German and create a German site. Now, you have two variations of the same page: an English and German version. Pretty straight-forward, you’d say? Well, there’s more.

Especially if you want to target countries with similar languages or countries where multiple languages are used, this will pose some challenges. Let’s explore the situation displayed in the image below. This is a simplified example; there are obviously many more potential audiences than we’ve included, like British users.

Multilingual SEO scenario: targeting audiences with German and English content

Obviously, you want people who search in German to be directed to the German site. Maybe you even want to have a specific site for German speakers in Switzerland. It would be even better to have a French alternative for speakers of French in Switzerland as well, of course. Let’s assume for now that you don’t have the required resources for that, though. In that case, it’s probably best to send users from Switzerland who speak French to the English site. On top of that, you need to make sure that you send all other users to your English site, as they are more likely to speak English than German. In a scenario like this, you need to set up and implement a multilingual SEO strategy.

Because it’s not easy to get the right website ranking in the right market we decided to set up a Multilingual SEO training, which will be available soon! In this course we’ll guide you step by step through all important multilingual SEO elements. Don’t miss the launch, subscribe to our newsletter now!

Why is multilingual SEO a thing?

You want your website to be found with Google. In a standard SEO strategy, you optimize your content for one language: the language your website is written in.  Sometimes, however, you want to target audiences in multiple countries and regions. These audiences are probably similar, but there are always differences. This presents you with an opportunity. By targeting your audiences specifically, it is easier to address their needs. One of these differences is the language they speak. When you make your site available in several languages and target specific regions, you achieve two things:

• You expand your potential audience;
• You improve your chances of ranking for a specific region and in several languages.

Let’s revisit the example we discussed before in light of this. By making a German variation of your original English site, you’ve made it possible for users searching in German to find your product. In the end, multilingual SEO is all about addressing the needs of your users.

It all sounds rather clear-cut, but multilingual SEO can be hard. A lot can go wrong, and a bad multilingual implementation can hurt your rankings. This means that you need to know what you’re doing.

One of the biggest risks of multilingual SEO is duplicate content. If you present very similar content on your website on multiple pages, Google won’t know which content to show in the search engines. Duplicate pages compete with each other, so the individual rankings of the pages will go down. You can avoid this particular issue with hreflang, an element of your multilingual SEO strategy. But there’s more to multilingual SEO. Let’s discuss the main aspects below.

Multilingual SEO: content, domains and hreflang

Content for international sites

Content is a very important aspect of your multilingual SEO strategy. If you want to write content in different languages, you’ll need to adapt existing content or create new content. Adapting your content while maintaining good SEO can be a challenge.

Your content strategy should always start with keyword research for the region and language you’re targeting. You can’t just translate your keywords using Google Translate. You’ll have to get inside the heads of your new audience. You need to know which words they are using. Same words can have different meanings in languages used in multiple countries, as my colleague Jesse explained before.

Translating content is a challenge as well. Take into account the cultural differences that exist between countries. Otherwise, your copy won’t be appealing to your new audience. If possible, you should have native speakers translate or at least check your translated content to prevent your from making awkward mistakes. If you want a complete list of what to consider when translating content read Marieke’s post on how to create SEO-friendly copy in a foreign language.

Domain structure for international sites

To successfully target your audiences, you need to consider which pages you want them to land on. There are several options as to what domain structure you’re going to use. Do you need to get the ccTLD (country code Top Level Domain) like example.de for Germany? Or could you create subdirectories for countries like example.com/de? Or, will you use a subdomain like de.example.com? And what about countries where multiple languages are spoken? How do you set up a domain structure for those countries?

There’s a lot you have to consider to take these decisions. This is where domain authority, but also the size of your business and marketing capacities in your target countries come into play. If you want to really dive into this, you should check out our Multilingual SEO training, that we’ll launch February 7!

Hreflang

Hreflang is the technical implementation you’ll need to put in place if you’re offering your content in multiple languages. Simply put, you’ll tell Google which result to show to whom in the search engines. It’s not as easy as it might sound though and this is something that often goes wrong, even on the big sites. Joost wrote an extensive post on how to implement hreflang the right way.

International ambitions? Get your multilingual SEO right!

Multilingual SEO focuses on optimizing content for different languages for the search engines. With a proper multilingual SEO strategy, people in different countries will be able to find your website for their market, in their native language. Multilingual SEO can be hard though and you need to know what you’re doing. It touches on a lot of different aspects of website optimization. If you really want to get it right, take our Multilingual SEO training!

Read more: ‘How to create SEO friendly copy in a foreign language’ »

 

The post What is multilingual SEO? appeared first on Yoast.

from Yoast • SEO for everyone https://yoast.com/what-is-multilingual-seo/

Greggs to host Valentine's Day 'fine dining experience' complete with candles, a bottle of fizz and table service

The four-course candlelit dinner complete with wine and table service will set you back just £15 - but you need to be a real pastry fan

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink-news/greggs-host-valentines-day-fine-14220436

Farnborough Airport drugs bust: Massive 500kg cocaine haul worth staggering £50 MILLION seized after private jet arrives from Colombia

At 500kg, it is believed to be one of the largest drug busts of its kind in the UK

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/hampshire-news/farnborough-airport-drugs-bust-massive-14221615

There's now a Harry Potter book night coming to Woking too

Attention Potterheads! This sesh will also feature a Fantastic Beasts costume competition

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/theres-now-harry-potter-book-14194021

Is the value of public opinion diminishing as local government continues to bury its head in the sand?

A children's respite care centre was forced to close despite an overwhelming negative response to a public consultation

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/value-public-opinion-diminishing-local-14217705

George Clooney's favourite coffee brand Nespresso is coming to Guildford's Tunsgate Quarter

Nespresso is the latest name confirmed at the town's new-look Tunsgate Quarter

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink-news/george-clooneys-favourite-coffee-brand-14220940

Farnborough Airport drugs bust: National Crime Agency and Border Force investigation after 'large' amount of cocaine arrives on private charter plane from Colombia

An investigation is under way after the drugs bust on Monday (January 29)

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/hampshire-news/farnborough-airport-drugs-bust-national-14220798

Brooklands Museum Vintage Sports-Car Club: Watch classic motors put through their paces

More than 60 pre-war cars took to the track to compete in a series of courses throughout the day

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/brooklands-museum-vintage-sports-car-14216147

Surrey named pothole capital of the UK with almost twice as many road craters reported than any other county

The data has been compiled by website Fill That Hole, run by Cycling UK

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/potholes-in-surrey-worst-country-14217463

Lingfield restaurants Tarana, Thai Lounge and Bengal Village to have licences reviewed after a Home Office raid uncovered six illegal workers

Six men were arrested in an immigration raid and the council is now considering whether to impose any sanctions

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/lingfield-restaurants-tarana-thai-lounge-14219233

Farnborough murder investigation: Five men charged with murder following death of 25-year-old Richard Hardy

Mr Hardy, 25, was pronounced dead at the scene in Farnborough on Friday afternoon (January 26)

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/hampshire-news/farnborough-murder-investigation-five-men-14219518

Hambledon House fire: Crowd fund set up for victim of 'vicious' house fire who lost 'all of her belongings and cash'

A friend has set up a JustGiving page to help the woman after she lost everything in the devastating fire on January 24

from getsurrey - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/hambledon-house-fire-crowd-fund-14218959

An Introduction to Google Tag Manager

Posted by Angela_Petteys

Digital marketing thrives on data. No matter what type of site you have, whether it’s a large e-commerce site, a personal website, or a site for a small business, it’s essential to understand how people interact with your site. Google Analytics can provide a lot of the important insights you’re looking for, but when used alone, it does have its limitations. But by tagging your site and using Google Tag Manager in conjunction with Google Analytics, you’re able to collect much more data than you can otherwise.

Tags are snippets of code which are added to a site to collect information and send it to third parties. You can use tags for all sorts of purposes, including scroll tracking, monitoring form submissions, conducting surveys, generating heat maps, remarketing, or tracking how people arrive at your site. They’re also used to monitor specific events like file downloads, clicks on certain links, or items being removed from a shopping cart.

Sites commonly use several different tags and the amount of code needed to create them all can be pretty overwhelming, especially if you’re trying to add or edit tags by going directly into the site’s source code. Google Tag Manager is a tool with a user-friendly, web-based interface that simplifies the process of working with tags. With GTM, you’re able to add, edit, and disable tags without having to touch the source code.

While GTM is, obviously, a Google product, it’s hardly limited to just working with tags for other Google services like AdWords or Analytics. You can use it to manage many different third-party tags, including Twitter, Bing Ads, Crazy Egg, and Hotjar, just to name a few. If there’s another tag which doesn’t have a template in GTM, you can add your own custom code. There are only a few types of tags GTM doesn’t work well with.

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The pros and cons of GTM

Lessens reliance on web devs

By far, the biggest benefit to Google Tag Manager is that it makes it easier for marketers to implement tags without having to rely on web developers to do it for them. Developers are usually busy with other high-priority projects, so tagging often ends up on the back burner. But since Google Tag Manager helps you avoid touching the source code, marketers can quickly add and make changes to tags on their own. This is a big advantage if, for example, you only need to use a tag to collect data for a very brief amount of time. Without GTM, there’s a good chance that it would take longer for the tag to be added than it would actually be live for.

Still requires some technical implementation

Although GTM helps reduce the reliance on developers, it doesn’t completely eliminate it. You’ll still need someone to add the container code to each page of your site. And while GTM has plenty of tag templates to choose from which are easy enough for a non-developer to work with, more complex customized tags will likely require the help of someone who really understands coding. If you have existing tags that were manually added to your site’s source code, those will need to be removed first so that you don’t end up with duplicate data.

Most businesses can benefit from using it

Businesses of any size can potentially benefit from GTM. Since GTM makes it so much easier to add and edit tags without a developer, it’s great for smaller businesses that might have limited access to technical support. And since sites for enterprise-level businesses can easily use dozens of tags, GTM makes it easier to manage them all and improves site speed by helping them load more efficiently.

Tags can slow down site speed if fired synchronously

One issue with traditional tracking tags is that if they fire synchronously, they can slow down site speeds. When tags fire synchronously, one tag being slow to load slows down all the other tags that are waiting on it. And the longer a site takes to load, the more likely it is that people will leave without converting. But tags created in GTM load asynchronously by default, meaning each tag can fire anytime it’s ready to. If you need to control the order in which your tags are fired, there is tag sequencing and firing priority functionality to let you do that.

Can be used for AMP sites and mobile apps, as well

You’re not even limited to just using GTM with standard websites. GTM can also be used to manage tags for AMP sites and mobile apps. In the case of mobile apps, GTM can be a huge help since it lets you add and edit your tags without having to issue an updated version of your app, which users might not be quick to actually download. In some respects, using GTM for AMP sites or mobile apps is pretty similar to using it for a regular website, but they do have their differences. In this guide, we’re going to focus on using GTM for web.

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Components of tags & GTM

On the surface, tags and tag managers are pretty straightforward. But before you can start working with them, there are a few main concepts you’ll need to know about.

Containers

When you start working with GTM, the first thing you’ll need to do is create a container. A container essentially “holds” all the tags for your site.

After creating a new container, GTM gives you some code to add to your site. This is your container code and it will need to be added to the source code so it displays on each page of your site. Some CMSes, such as WordPress, have plugins to help add the container code for you, but you may need to contact your web developer to have it added. Once you’ve done that, you’ll be able to add, edit, disable, or remove your tags as needed through GTM.

Triggers

Each tag on a site needs to serve a specific purpose. Maybe you want to have a tag send information when someone downloads a file, when an outbound link is clicked, or when a form is submitted. These sorts of events are known as triggers and all tags need to have at least one trigger assigned to it; otherwise, it’s not going to do anything.

Triggers can be broken down into two main components: events and filters. When you go to configure a trigger in GTM, you’ll be given a long list of types of triggers to choose from. These are your events. Once you choose an event, you’ll be able to set up your filter.

Filters can be divided further down into three parts: variables, operators, and values. We’ll talk more about variables in just a minute, but in this case, it refers to the type of variable involved. The operator tells the tag whether an event needs to equal (or if it should be greater or less than a certain value, contain a certain value, etc.) And of course, the value is the condition which needs to be met. Even though the word “value” is typically used in reference to numbers and prices, remember that in this case, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a numerical value. In many cases, your value will be something like a URL or a keyword.

For example, let’s say I wanted to see how many people were reading the blog content on my site in depth. I could create a tag with a Scroll Depth event trigger that should fire when the vertical scroll depth reaches 75%. If I wanted this to fire on every page of my site, I could leave the “All Pages” option selected in the trigger configuration box and I wouldn’t have to create any further filters. But since I’m focusing on blog content, I’d choose “Some Pages” and create the filter “Page URL” “Contains” “fakewebsitename.com/blog.”

There might also be some circumstances when you don’t want a tag to fire. In this case, you can create a blocking trigger to prevent it from firing on those occasions. GTM prioritizes blocking triggers over other types of triggers, so if you have a blocking trigger that contradicts a condition set by another trigger, Google Tag Manager will follow what’s specified by the blocking trigger. For instance, if you have a tag that’s set to fire on all of your pages, but there are a few pages you’d like to have excluded from that, you can just use a blocking trigger to prevent it from firing on those few pages.

Variables & constants

While tags depend on triggers, triggers depend on variables. Variables contain the value a trigger needs to evaluate to know whether or not it should fire. The tag compares the value of the variable to the value defined in the trigger and if the variable meets the conditions of the trigger, the tag will fire.

Tags also use variables to collect information that can be passed onto the data layer as a user interacts with the site. A common example of this would be if a tag was set to fire when a person adds a certain amount of products to their shopping cart.

Variables can often be reused between tags. One of the most popular tips for using GTM is to create constant variables with the ID numbers or tracking codes you’ll need to use more than once. For example, if you’ll need to use your Google Analytics property ID number in multiple tags, you could just create a constant string variable with the value being your ID number. That way, instead of repeatedly having to look up and enter your ID number, you could just select the variable name.

When using GTM, you’ll be working with two different types of variables: built-in variables and user-defined variables. Built-in variables are some of the most commonly used types of variables, so Google went ahead and made them easy to access in GTM.

Once you select a built-in variable, you’ll be able to configure its settings however you’d like. Note that these are just a few of the built-in variables for regular web containers. You can find more built-in variables by clicking the “Configure” button. If you’re using GTM for AMP sites or mobile apps, you may see different options to choose from.

If you need another type of variable that’s not included as a built-in variable, you can create a user-defined variable. When you go to add a user-defined variable, you’ll be given a list of types of variables to choose from. For more information on each type of variables, Simo Ahava has a very helpful guide to different variable types.

Variables can be created from the GTM dashboard by clicking on the “Variable” option on the left side menu. You can also create them while you’re creating a tag by clicking on the button next to the field that looks like a Lego block with a plus sign on it.

Data layers

Tags need information to know whether or not they should fire, but how (or where) do they get that information? One way they could find it is by checking the page’s HTML structure, but that’s really not an ideal solution. When tags need to search through HTML to find what they’re looking for, it can take longer for them to fire. And if the site’s HTML structure changes over time, tags can break. Besides, there are certain types of information a tag might need which won’t be found in a page’s HTML, like a transaction total.

A data layer is a JavaScript object which keeps the information tags need separate from the rest of your site’s code. Since tags don’t have to spend time searching through the HTML to find the information they need, this is another way GTM can help improve site speed. Instead, everything they’re looking for can be found in one place and it’s readily available when the page loads.

Technically, data layers are optional. You don’t have to specifically define one yourself; GTM can initiate one for you. But if you want to use GTM to track specific events, you’ll need to have a data layer.

To start off with, a new data layer object will look like this:

When adding a data layer, the object needs to be placed before the GTM container code. If the data layer object is placed after the container code, GTM won’t be able to access the information in it and the data layer will basically reset after loading.

Once the data layer object has been added to a page’s code, the brackets in the second line can be populated with information, variables, and events. Some types of information can be written directly into the data layer, but other types of information can be pushed into the data layer dynamically as a user interacts with your site, such as if someone downloads a file or if they add a certain amount of products to their shopping cart.

---

Working with GTM

Creating accounts and containers

To get started, go to tagmanager.google.com and create an account. Under “Setup Account,” enter the name of the company whose site is being managed and hit “Continue.”

Next, you’ll set up your container. Enter your domain name as the container name, choose which type of page or app it will be used on, and click “Create.” If you choose iOS or Android, you’ll also have to specify whether you’re using Firebase SDK or a legacy SDK.

Note that I specifically said to use the company name as the account name and the site’s domain for the container name. In theory, you can name these anything you want. This is just how Google recommends naming them as a best practice. Generally speaking, one of the best things you can do when working with GTM is make sure everything is named very clearly. Otherwise, it’s very easy for mistakes to be made.

Multiple GTM accounts can be managed within a single GTM account, but Google advises creating one container per domain. You don’t have to create separate containers for each individual tag or for every individual page on a site; all tags can all be placed within one container.

For most companies and organizations, one container is all they’ll need. But in the case of a company that has subsidiaries or owns separate businesses, the website for each subsidiary/business should get its own container and all the containers can be managed from one main GTM account. If a site has a subdomain that is treated separately from the main domain, the subdomain should also be given its own container.

When a marketing agency is managing tags on behalf of a company, Google recommends that the company create their own GTM account, then add the agency’s Google account as a user. This way, the agency can access GTM, but it’s easy for the company to revoke access should they decide to change agencies.

After creating your container, accept the GTM terms of service and you’ll be given your container code.

Once the container code has been added, you’re able to start creating tags. But before you get started, it’s a good idea to take some time to figure out exactly which tags you want to add. Even though there aren’t any limits to the amount of tags you can put in a container, for best performance, Google advises keeping the amount of tags you use to a minimum. If you’re migrating your tags to GTM from another tag manager or are making the switch from tags coded in your source code, this is a good time to review the tags currently on your site. In many cases, sites have tags that are associated with services they’re no longer using or were used to track things that aren’t being monitored anymore, so this is a good opportunity to "clean house," so to speak.

Creating a tag

When you create or select a container, the first thing you’ll see is the GTM dashboard. We’ll eventually get around to talking about almost everything you see here, but let’s begin by creating a tag. Click “Add a New Tag” to open up a window where you’ll be able to name and configure your tag.

Before we go any further into the process of creating tags, remember to name your tags very clearly. Since sites often use several different tags, you won’t want there to be any confusion about which tag does what. Google’s recommended tag naming convention is: Tag Type - Detail - Location. For example, a Google Analytics tag that tracks form submissions on a Contact Us page would be named “GA - Form Submission - Contact Us.” Including the location of a tag in its name is a good idea because it helps distinguish it from similar tags on other pages. So if I had other GA form submission tags on my site, specifying that this one is on the Contact Us page would help me avoid editing the wrong one by mistake.

Putting the tag type at the beginning of a tag name also helps keep your tags organized. GTM lists tags alphabetically, so if you’re creating multiple tags for the same service or tool, all of those tags will all be grouped together and easy to find.

Now, back to creating a tag. When you click “Add a new tag” on the dashboard, this is the window you’ll see. Choose “Tag Configuration” and you’ll be given a long list of tag templates, which includes many of the most commonly used types of tags. If any of these are what you’re looking for, click on it and enter the information requested. If you don’t see the type of tag you want to create listed, choose “Custom HTML” to add your own code.

Since the exact information you’ll need to provide will vary depending on which type of tag you’re working with, I can’t possibly go into how to make every single type of tag. But as an example, let’s say I wanted to notify Google Analytics anytime someone views my pricing page. After choosing Universal Analytics, this is what I’d see:

All I would need to do is choose “Page View” from the “Track Type” dropdown menu, then enter the variable with my Google Analytics account information. If I hadn’t created that variable ahead of time, I could make one now by clicking the dropdown menu under “Google Analytics Settings” and choosing “New Variable.”

If I wanted to make changes to the tag firing sequence or create a firing schedule, I could do that by clicking on the “Advanced Settings” option. Click outside the tag configuration window to go back to the previous screen.

Next, you’ll need to create at least one trigger. Click the “Triggering” box underneath “Tag Configuration” to get started. If you don’t have a previously created trigger to choose from in the list that opens up, click the + sign in the upper right corner of the window. This will bring up a new window where you’ll be asked to name your new trigger. Do that and click on the “Tag Configuration” box so see a list of trigger types. In my case, I’d choose “Page View.”

Since I only want my tag to fire on one page, I’d choose “Some Page Views,” then create a filter specifying that the page URL needs to equal the URL of my pricing page. If I had another filter to add, I could click the plus (+) button next to the filter to set one up. If I had created multiple filters for this tag and later decided to get rid of one of them, all I’d have to do is hit the subtract (–) button next to the filter in question. When you’re done, click outside the window to exit.

Once your tag and trigger have been configured, save it and you can either keep working by creating more tags or you can preview your tag and make sure it’s working correctly before publishing it.

---

Previewing, debugging, and publishing tags

GTM’s “Preview & Debug” mode lets you test tags before publication so that you can make sure everything is working correctly and that you won’t have any errors throwing off your data.

To enter “Preview & Debug,” click the “Preview” button in the upper right corner of the GTM dashboard and you’ll see an orange banner notifying you that you are now in “Preview” mode. Next, open the site you’re tagging. If you already have your site open in another tab, refresh the page and you should see a “Debug” panel at the bottom of your screen. (Don’t worry, visitors to your site won’t be able to see it.)

The “Debug” panel shows all sorts of detailed information about your tags, triggers, and data layer. On the left side of the panel is an event timeline summary, which outlines all the events that occur in the data layer. At a minimum, you should be seeing at least three events listed here: Page View, DOM Ready, and Window Loaded. It’s OK to see more than three events, but if any of those three are missing, there’s a problem that needs to be fixed.

When you click on any of the events in your timeline, you’ll see all the tags which are set to fire when that event occurs. Click on any of the tags to see more detailed information about its triggers, properties, and if there are any blocking triggers associated with it.

As you work in “Preview & Debug” mode, you’re the only one who can see the information about your tags. But let’s say you’re working as part of a team on a tagging project and you find an issue you want to bring to another person’s attention. There is a way to do that. Switch back over to your GTM dashboard and look at the orange banner. On the right, there’s a “Share Preview” button. Click on it and you’ll bring up a box where you can enter the URL of the page in question. This will generate a preview link you can use to send to another person.

If you’re having a hard time getting “Preview & Debug” to work correctly, Analytics Mania has a great guide to solving some of the most common reasons why this happens.

Even after a tag has been published, Google still makes it easy to go back and check to make sure there aren’t any problems. Google Tag Assistant is a free Chrome extension and once it’s installed, you can visit any page on your site and it will tell you if your tags are firing correctly or if there are any improvements that could be made. GTA uses a three color system to indicate its findings: green, blue, and red. Green means all of your tags are working, blue means GTA has suggestions for how a tag could be improved, and red means it’s not working.

Once it appears that all of your tags are firing correctly, you can go ahead and publish them. From the GTM dashboard, hit the “Submit” button in the upper right corner and you’ll be asked to review your changes. If everything looks OK, enter a name and description for your new container version and publish it.

When you publish changes in GTM, it creates a new version of your container. If there’s ever a problem and you have to revert to an earlier version of your container, all you have to do is click the “Versions” button at the top of the GTM dashboard, choose the version you’d like to revert to from the list, click “Action,” then “Publish.”

If you’re migrating your tags from another tag manager or from hard-coded tags on your site, Google advises setting up all of your tags in GTM, then removing your old tags all at once and publishing the GTM container with your new tags as quickly as possible. You might have a very small gap in your data collection, but there shouldn’t be any more issues after your new tags are live.

---

Workspaces, workspace changes, and activity history

If you have multiple people working on a tagging project at the same time, workspaces can help make life a little easier. Even if you’re not collaborating with others, sometimes having the option to create separate workspaces can still be very helpful.

In older versions of GTM, all edits had to be made in a common container draft. If one person or team finished adding tags before another person/team, they couldn’t publish their new tags without also publishing the other team’s tags-in-progress. But with workspaces, multiple users can work on tagging at the same time without interfering with each other’s work.

Each workspace uses the current published container version as a basis, but tags in each workspace can be edited, previewed, debugged, and even published independently from the tags in other workspaces. If you’re working with the free version of GTM, you can have up to three different workspaces, one default workspace and two others, but if you use Google Tag Manager 360, you can create an unlimited amount of workspaces.

When one workspace is published, it creates a new version of the container. If there are any other workspaces with unpublished changes saved in them, the user(s) working in those spaces will see a notice saying that they need to update the workspace. Updating the workspace syncs the changes in the container to their workspace. While it’s not required to do so to continue working, it’s generally best to stay on top of updates so that you’re not working with an outdated version of the container.

After syncing changes in a workspace, you’ll be notified if there are any conflicts which need to be resolved. If any conflicts exist, you’ll be asked to review them and either ignore the conflict or copy the change. When you copy the change, the field in question in your workspace will be overwritten with the information from the latest container version.

If necessary, you can set user permissions on workspaces to prevent users from making unwanted changes. For example, if you had a developer working on some really complicated custom tags, the developer might want to create a separate workspace to work in and limit the user permissions so that only they can make changes to it. This way, marketers will be able to go in and make changes without accidentally making changes to the custom tags.

Another great thing about GTM, particularly if you have more than one person working on tagging, is that it lets you see which changes were made, when they were made, and who made them. On the dashboard, you’ll see a Workspace Changes section, which outlines some of the most recent changes that have been made to tags and triggers. If mistakes any mistakes have been made, you can use the “Abandon Change” option to delete those changes. Beneath Workspace Changes, there’s Activity History, which shows all activity on a GTM account.

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Additional resources

Google Tag Manager has a lot to offer, but learning how to use it in depth can be pretty overwhelming. This guide helped introduce you to the tool, but there’s still a lot more to learn if you want to use GTM to its full potential. LunaMetrics and Simo Ahava have written about GTM very extensively, so they’re excellent places to start if you have any questions or want to learn more. Of course, Google also has a lot of helpful information. Even if you’re not a developer, Google’s Tag Manager Guide for Developers is worth taking a look at since it does a great job of explaining some of the concepts related to GTM and has a lot of good information about how to use it. With all these resources, you should have all the information you need to get the most out of GTM.

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Google Questions and Answers: A Case Study

Posted by MiriamEllis

Ever since Google rolled out Questions and Answers in mid-2017, I’ve been trying to get a sense of its reception by consumers and brands. Initially restricted to Android Google Maps, this fascinating feature which enables local business owners and the public to answer consumer questions made it to desktop displays this past December, adding yet another data layer to knowledge panels and local finders.

As someone who has worked in Q&A forums for the majority of my digital marketing life, I took an immediate shine to the idea of Google Questions and Answers. Here’s a chance, I thought, for consumers and brands to take meaningful communication to a whole new level, exchanging requests, advice, and help so effortlessly. Here’s an opportunity for businesses to place answers to FAQs right upfront in the SERPs, while also capturing new data about consumer needs and desires. So cool!

But, so far, we seem to be getting off to a slow start. According to a recent, wide-scale GetFiveStars study, 25% of businesses now have questions waiting for them. I decided to hone in on San Francisco and look at 20 busy industries in that city to find out not just how many questions were being asked, but also how many answers were being given, and who was doing the answering. I broke down responders into three groups: Local Guides (LGs), random users (RUs), and owners (Os). I looked at the top 10 businesses ranking in the local finder for each industry:

Industry	Number of Questions	Number of Answers	LGs	RUs	Os
Dentists	1	0	0	0	0
Plumbers	2	0	-	-	-
Chiropractors	0	-	-	-	-
Mexican Restaurants	10	23	22	1	-
Italian Restaurants	15	20	19	1	-
Chinese Restaurants	16	53	49	4	-
Car Dealers	4	5	3	2	-
Supermarkets	7	27	24	3	-
Clothing Stores	4	1	1	-	-
Florists	1	0	-	-	-
Hotels	44	142	114	28	-
Real Estate Agencies	0	-	-	-	-
General Contractors	1	0	-	-	-
Cell Phone Stores	14	3	3	-	-
Yoga Studios	1	0	-	-	-
Banks	1	0	-	-	-
Carpet Cleaning	0	-	-	-	-
Hair Salons	1	0	-	-	-
Locksmiths	1	0	-	-	-
Jewelry Stores	0	-	-	-	-

---

Takeaways from the case study

Here are some patterns and oddities I noticed from looking at 123 questions and 274 answers:

1. There are more than twice as many answers as questions. While many questions received no answers, others received five, ten, or more.
2. The Owners column is completely blank. The local businesses I looked at in San Francisco are investing zero effort in answering Google Questions and Answers.
3. Local Guides are doing the majority of the answering. Of the 274 answers provided, 232 came from users who have been qualified as Local Guides by Google. Why so lopsided? I suspect the answer lies in the fact that Google sends alerts to this group of users when questions get asked, and that they can earn 3 points per answer they give. Acquiring enough points gets you perks like 3 free months of Google Play Music and a 75% discount off Google Play Movies.
   
   Unfortunately, what I’m seeing in Google Questions and Answers is that incentivizing replies is leading to a knowledge base of questionable quality. How helpful is it when a consumer asks a hotel if they have in-room hair dryers and 10 local guides jump on the bandwagon with “yep”? Worse yet, I saw quite a few local guides replying “I don’t know,” “maybe,” and even “you should call the business and ask.” Here and there, I saw genuinely helpful answers from the Local Guides, but my overall impression didn’t leave me feeling like I’d stumbled upon a new Google resource of matchless expertise.
4. Some members of the public seem to be confused about the use of this feature. I noticed people using the answer portion to thank people who replied to their query, rather than simply using the thumbs up widget.
   
   Additionally, I saw people leaving reviews/statements, instead of questions: And with a touch of exasperated irony: And to rant:
5. Some industries are clearly generating far more questions than others. Given how people love to talk about hotels and restaurants, I wasn’t surprised to see them topping the charts in sheer volume of questions and answers. What did surprise me was not seeing more questions being asked of businesses like yoga studios, florists, and hair salons; before I actually did the searches, I might have guessed that pleasant, “chatty” places like these would be receiving lots of queries.

---

Big brands everywhere are leaving Google Questions and Answers unanswered

I chose San Francisco for my case study because of its general reputation for being hip to new tech, but just in case my limited focus was presenting a false picture of how local businesses are managing this feature, I did some random searches for big brands around the state and around the country.

I found questions lacking owner answers for Whole Foods, Sephora, Taco Bell, Macy’s, Denny’s, Cracker Barrel, Target, and T-Mobile. As I looked around the nation, I noted that Walmart has cumulatively garnered thousands of questions with no brand responses.

But the hands-down winner for a single location lacking official answers is Google in Mountain View. 103 questions as of my lookup and nary an owner answer in sight. Alphabet might want to consider setting a more inspiring example with their own product… unless I’m misunderstanding their vision of how Google Questions and Answers is destined to be used.

---

Just what is the vision for Google Questions and Answers, I wonder?

As I said at the beginning of this post, it’s early days yet to predict ultimate outcomes. Yet, the current lay of the land for this feature has left me with more questions than answers:

• Does Google actually intend questions to be answered by brands, or by the public? From what I’ve seen, owners are largely unaware of or choosing to ignore this feature many months post-launch. As of writing this, businesses are only alerted about incoming questions if they open the Google Maps app on an Android phone or tablet. There is no desktop GMB dashboard section for the feature. It’s not a recipe for wide adoption. Google has always been a fan of a crowdsourcing approach to their data, so they may not be concerned, but that doesn’t mean your business shouldn’t be.
• What are the real-time expectations for this feature? I see many users asking questions that needed fast answers, like “are you open now?” while others might support lengthier response times, as in, “I’m planning a trip and want to know what I can walk to from your hotel.” For time-sensitive queries, how does Questions and Answers fit in with Google’s actual chat feature, Google Messaging, also rolled out last summer? Does Google envision different use cases for both features? I wonder if one of the two products will win out over time, while the other gets sunsetted.
• What are the real, current risks to brands of non-management? I applauded Mike Blumenthal’s smart suggestion of companies proactively populating the feature with known FAQs and providing expert answers, and I can also see the obvious potential for reputation damage if rants or spam are ignored. That being said, my limited exploration of San Francisco has left me wondering just how many people (companies or consumers) are actually paying attention in most industries. Google Knowledge Panels and the Local Finder pop-ups are nearing an information bloat point. Do you want to book something, look at reviews, live chat, see menus, find deals, get driving directions, make a call? Websites are built with multiple pages to cover all of these possible actions. Sticking them all in a 1” box may not equal the best UX I’ve ever seen, if discovery of features is our goal.
• What is the motivation for consumers to use the product? Personally, I’d be more inclined to just pick up the phone to ask any question to which I need a fast answer. I don’t have the confidence that if I queried Whole Foods in the AM as to whether they’ve gotten in organic avocados from California, there’d be a knowledge panel answer in time for my lunch. Further, some of the questions I’ve asked have received useless answers from the public, which seems like a waste of time for all parties. Maybe if the feature picks up momentum, this will change.
• Will increasing rates of questions = increasing rates of business responses? According to the GetFiveStars study linked to above, total numbers of questions for the 1700 locations they investigated nearly doubled between November–December of 2017. From my microscopic view of San Francisco, it doesn’t appear to me that the doubling effect also happened for owner answers. Time will tell, but for now, what I’m looking for is question volume reaching such a boiling point that owners feel obligated to jump into management, as they have with reviews. We’re not there yet, but if this feature is a Google keeper, we could get there.

---

So what should you be doing about Google Questions and Answers?

I’m a fan of early adoption where it makes sense. Speculatively, having an active Questions and Answers presence could end up as a ranking signal. We’ve already seen it theorized that use of another Google asset, Google Posts, may impact local pack rankings. Unquestionably, leaving it up to the public to answer questions about your business with varying degrees of accuracy carries the risk of losing leads and muddying your online presence to the detriment of reputation. If a customer asks if your location has wheelchair access and an unmotivated third party says “I don’t know,” when, in fact, your business is fully ADA-compliant, your lack of an answer becomes negative customer service. Because of this, ignoring the feature isn’t really an option. And, while I wouldn’t prioritize management of Questions and Answers over traditional Google-based reviews at this point, I would suggest:

1. Do a branded search today and look at your knowledge panel to see if you’ve received any questions. If so, answer them in your best style, as helpfully as possible
2. Spend half an hour this week translating your company’s 5 most common FAQs into Google Questions and Answers queries and then answering them. Be sure you’re logged into your company’s Google account when you reply, so that your message will be officially stamped with the word “owner.” Whether you proactively post your FAQs while logged into your business’ account is up to you. I think it’s more transparent to do so.
3. If you’re finding this part of your Knowledge Panel isn’t getting any questions, checking it once a week is likely going to be enough for the present.
4. If you happen to be marketing a business that is seeing some good Questions and Answers activity, and you have the bandwidth, I’d add checking this to the daily social media rounds you make for the purpose of reputation management. I would predict that if Google determines this feature is a keeper, they’ll eventually start sending email alerts when new queries come in, as they’re now doing with reviews, which should make things easier and minimize the risk of losing a customer with an immediate need. Need to go pro on management right now due to question volume? GetFiveStars just launched an incredibly useful Google Q&A monitoring feature, included in some of their ORM software packages. Looks like a winner!
5. Do be on the lookout for spam inquiries and responses, and report them if they arise.

If you’re totally new to Google Questions and Answers, this simple infographic will get you going in a flash:

For further tips on using Google Questions and Answers like a pro, I recommend following GetFiveStars’ 3-part series on this topic.

---

My questions, your answers

My case study is small. Can you help expand our industry’s knowledge base by answering a few questions in the comments to add to the picture of the current rate of adoption/usefulness of Google’s Questions and Answers? Please, let me know:

1. Have you asked a question using this feature?
2. Did you receive an answer and was it helpful?
3. Who answered? The business, a random user, a Local Guide?
4. Have you come across any examples of business owners doing a good job answering questions?
5. What are your thoughts on Google Questions and Answers? Is it a winner? Worth your time? Any tips?

Sign up for The Moz Top 10, a semimonthly mailer updating you on the top ten hottest pieces of SEO news, tips, and rad links uncovered by the Moz team. Think of it as your exclusive digest of stuff you don't have time to hunt down but want to read!

from The Moz Blog https://moz.com/blog/google-questions-and-answers-case-study

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Ask Yoast: Switching the TLD of your website

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Why It Can Pay to Get Links from Domains that Don't Always Rank Highly - Whiteboard Friday

Posted by randfish

Contrary to popular belief, the top ranking pages aren't always the best targets for your link building efforts. There are good reasons to chase those links, sure, but there are also drawbacks — as well as some hidden alternatives you may not have considered trying. This Whiteboard Friday delves into the pros and cons of targeting high-ranking sites for links and why you should consider a link intersect strategy, targeting sites that rank for broader topics, and earning links from publications ranking beyond page one of the SERPs.

Click on the whiteboard image above to open a high-resolution version in a new tab!

Video Transcription

Howdy, Moz fans, and welcome to another edition of Whiteboard Friday. This week we're chatting about why it may not actually pay to get links expressly or exclusively from the websites and pages that are ranking highly for your keywords. There's a bunch of reasons why behind this. There's a corollary to it, which is high-ranking websites may not always be the best link targets.

Are these the *best* links you can get to rank for "target keyword(s)"?

So okay, let's start with this question of when you're trying to rank for a target keyword, let's say you're trying to rank for "stylish sofas." You've decided you want to replace your couch, and you want something stylish. So you search for "stylish sofas." The results that come up, we're not talking about the paid results. That would be a mistake to try and get links from those. They're pretty commercially focused. They probably don't want to link to you, and I'm not sure it's all that valuable, necessarily, at least from an SEO perspective. But are these links, the ones that rank in the organic results top five, are they necessarily the best links you could possibly get? There are some reasons for and some reasons against.

In favor:

Let's talk about in favor of why these are good link targets. The first one is pretty simple and pretty obvious.

A. These pages get lots of real visitors interested in this topic who may click on/visit your site (if it's linked-to here)

These pages get a lot of search volume, get a lot of search visits from this query. If you're somewhere in this page, if my website is linked to here, that's actually a really nice thing. Maybe someone will click on the top result and then they'll find me and they'll click on it and they'll go to my page instead. That would be great. So if it's linked to there, you could get direct traffic from those pages, so nice link to have.

B. Google has put some trust/indication of authority in these pages and sites

Google has put some sort of trust and a signal of authority for this keyword by ranking it here. It's saying, "Hey, you know what? This top result and these top results are all highly relevant and authoritative for this particular query."

So those are absolutely true things, but I think they bias SEOs and link builders to think in terms of, oh, if I want to rank well for this, these are the only things I should be looking at or the first things I should be looking at or the best places to get links from.

Against:

Here's why that's not necessarily the case, so some points against.

A. Ranking is not actually an explicit signal from Google that these are the best quality links

By putting a page here, in the top of the results, Google is saying, "We, Google, believe that this page will do a great job of solving the searcher's query," not, "We, Google, know that if you get a link from here, you have a very good chance to rank for this keyword." That's not explicitly or implicitly said. It's not an implication. Google has never stated that publicly. I don't think it's necessarily the smartest thing to do in their ranking algorithm to have this recursive system that looks at who that already ranks is linking to someone else and replace them. That would be poor for Google's own user experience for a bunch of reasons.

B. Google and searchers expect that these pages that rank here are going to solve the searcher's query themselves (not force another click)

Not they're going to link to something that's going to solve the searcher's query, at least certainly not necessarily, and definitely that they're not going to force you to make another click. Google wants to rank pages here that solve the searcher's problem directly. So saying, "Oh, well, I don't think they do that and maybe they should link to me to solve this aspect of the problem," this is a spurious connection.

C. Of course, earning links from these pages, incredibly difficult

These people, especially if they're ranking for a commercial, non-branded query, like "stylish sofas," they really, really don't want to link to one of their competitors, to someone who's trying to actively outrank them. That would be pretty challenging.

I recognize that many times when link builders go about this, they look at, okay, this page is ranking. Let me see if I can find another page from this domain from which I can get a link. That's not terrible logic. That's a totally reasonable way to go about link building. But whether it's the best or the only one is what I'm going to challenge here. I don't think it is necessarily the best or only way that you should go about doing your link building for all these reasons we've just talked about.

Alternatively, links like these may be more achievable and provide more ranking value:

Now, what are the alternatives? You might be asking yourself, "Well, Rand, show me where should I be doing this if not from here?" I'm going to present a few alternatives. There's obviously an infinite number of link building tactics you could pursue, but I think some of the smarter ones would be to think about some alternatives like...

1. Sites and pages that link to multiple high-ranking targets

For example, if one and three and four are all linked to by SiteA.com, SiteA.com seems to carry, not necessarily for sure, it could be correlation and not causation, but it's certainly worth looking at as to whether Site A is relevant and provides high-quality links and could conceptually link to you and whether that's a good resource. I think that link intersect concept is a really good one to start with. In fact, I think, from a logic perspective, it makes more sense that sites and pages that tend to link to these top results probably provide more potential power to your ranking authority than just the pages that are already ranking.

2. Sites and pages that rank well for what I'd call broader keywords/broader topics related to the space you're in

So if it's "stylish sofas," you might look at keywords like, well, who's ranking for "interior design" or "interior design magazines" or "interior design events" or perhaps it's "decoration ideas." If I can find the people who are ranking for those sorts of things, that probably is going to say those are the types of places that will link out to other resources that have more specific targeting, like targeting "stylish sofas," and probably provide a lot of value there.

3. Influential publications and resources in the topic space that may not be doing good keyword targeting or SEO

I like going and trying to find influential publications and resources, that are in the topic space, that might not actually be doing good keyword targeting or good SEO, which means it's hard to use Google to find them. You may find them ranking on page two, page three, or page four. You may need to do some other types of research, like look on Instagram and see what companies or what publications are using these hashtags and have lots of followers in this interior design or decoration or furniture space.

From there, that will lead you to influential publications in the space that maybe have lots of readership, lots of engagement on social channels or on their website, but haven't done a particularly great job in Google. Those influential publications, I think Google is doing a very good job of identifying, "Hey, wait a minute. Here's a bunch of publications that are in important in space X and they are all linking to this website, which is doing a good job of targeting these keywords. So, therefore, that's who we should potentially rank."

So hopefully, this Whiteboard Friday will help you to expand your link building opportunities and also to recognize why the top ranking pages might not always be and certainly aren't necessarily the best link targets.

Thanks everyone. We'll see you again next week for another edition of Whiteboard Friday. Take care.

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from The Moz Blog https://moz.com/blog/links-from-low-ranking-domains