Eliminated Google Penalties on Nairametrics After Japanese Spam Hack
Restored the site traffic to 3M Views Per Month
- Client Nairametrics
- Service Provided Negative SEO Resolution
- Category SEO
From crafting content strategies that connect with your audience to executing complex growth experiments, I thrive on finding creative solutions to tough marketing challenges. Whether it's boosting your site’s visibility through keyword research, link building, and Core Web Vitals optimization, or integrating Martech stacks for seamless operations, I’m here to bring a unique blend of technical skills and audience insights to the table
Restored the site traffic to 3M Views Per Month
Nairametrics had been hit by Japanese SEO spam along with a DDOS attack that coincided with Googlebot’s crawl schedule
I eventually eliminating these Google penalties on Nairametrics and restoring the site to 3M Page Views Per Month. This was achieved by a series of interventions
a) Setting strict canonicalization rules to avoid PageRank dilution
b) Spam URL removals in search console,
c) Fixed keyword cannibalization by consolidating closely related pages
d) Addressed Index bloat issues and counteracted PageRank decay by raising the internal link density on the site
e) Pruned out low-performing pages to reduce crawl demand
f) Achieved a Knowledge panel reconstruction in the SERPs (to send stronger E.A.T signals)
Within 30 days of completing these technical fixes, the site regained impressions on google news & google discover. This led to a 130K daily page views performance – View Results Here
.
Kern Hill wanted to sell high ticket furniture products from their Online store. However the prices were on the high side and due to buying inertia, their online store was not generating sales at the desired level, leading to vast wastages across their marketing funnel
To improve conversion rates, I introduced a Buy Now – Pay Later integration which helped to reduce the buying inertia and consideration time before a purchase
On the PPC side, I ran two main campaign types
With just $648 in ad spend, we generated 36 conversions at an ROAS of 12.30
This was accomplished by conducting a Vanwesterndorp price sensitivity analysis which uncovered not just the range of acceptable prices, but our target market’s indifference price points across all product categories
Client provided a platform for the granular customization of sports and cheer leading uniforms but all principal keywords were plagued by seasonal search volume trends. The result was a situation in which the client was struggling with undulations in traffic and revenue and wanted to understand how to cope with this development.
Their business costs (hosting, plugin subscriptions, product warehousing, taxes etc.) were going up but revenue was undulating cyclically across sharp dips and troughs leading to extreme growth constraints
On observing the most significant keywords in the clients industry some striking seasonality insights came into view.
Difficulty Score: 4
Search Volume: 14K
Observations: This is a keyword that the client was ranking on the first page for, however they lost over 1K in traffic despite retaining their position 1 rankings on the SERPs. This keyword was part of the larger trend of seasonality that impacts the industry and accounts for the traffic and revenue patterns the site had observed around key sporting events.
As seen in the image below, this keyword’s search activity had recorded 3 key spikes over the last 2 years (demand driving developments external to any website was likely responsible) with the volume trending downwards between April and May 2024
The same effect was observed around related keywords like
Difficulty Score: 5
Search Volume: 5.5K
The search activity for this industry-relevant term also showed distinct troughs interjected by peaks of a smaller time duration. This indicated the inevitability of search traffic undulation regardless of the keyword position that had been captured for this term. This is because the search volume numbers swung widely from a 10K peak in october 2023 to 4.7K in April 2024 representing a 53% decline in demand as reflected in by the changes in search activity
We Initiated a research-driven pricing plan redesign which gave the client a growth advantage despite the seasonality effects associated with the major keywords in their industry. This was accomplished by first conducting a Vanwesterndorp Price Sensitivity analysis.
Across all of the client’s product categories, the goal of our analysis was to establish:
The analysis took the form of a survey with questions that are as follows
The range of answers and price points were then plotted to produce a graph like the one shown below
As seen in the image above, the range of pricing-related responses intersect along four points.
The intersection points of the four lines produced all key metrics (VW metrics) necessary for price setting.
See what line intersections indicated to us as we juxtaposed the graph and table below.
This then allowed us to price products at the IPP (Indifference price point) such that the margin between the optimal price point and the indifference price point became the client’s growth advantage and buffer across all seasonal demand undulations.
Achieved a 96% drop in cost per click to improve budget utilization and overall campaign profitability
Overview: The Client was a Men’s Urology Clinic in Canada that offers Prostate treatments, Vasectomies and caters to Male Sexual health issues
Problem: The client was unable to run ads due to health policy restrictions. This was an issue that made it difficult for the client to scale their ad performance because Google did not approve of the terms on treatment pages of the site
I decided to run click to call ads to bypass the restrictions that derived from the restricted health terms present on the landing page.
I also decided to create new landing pages that could bypass Google’s policy restrictions. To achieve this I scraped off all words and replaced them with images so that the words will be embedded in an image, thus making it inaccessible to Google’s HTML crawlers. i.e. I created Image-only landing pages so as to avoid the text form of restricted terminology (which could have led to a suspension of the ads and the entire account) e.g. “Penile Enhancement”
The new Landing pages passed the policy restrictions, thus allowing the previously disapproved ads to run. The result was a spike in lead volume from 9 leads and a $105 cost per conversion in March to 61 leads at a $30 cost per conversion in April. In summary, within 30 days, we were able to
Myuz Artistry wanted a return on Ad spend that’s greater than 5.0
I identified 55 related websites which were used to build out custom intent audiences to guide the shopping campaigns
We used feed rules in Merchant center to adjust product titles, embed GTINs, and setup granular google product category identifiers across the main and supplementary feeds, to help them better align with the major search terms for the site’s products)
The client was City Looks, a boutique specializing in medical-grade wigs for cancer patients. The client aimed to boost online sales and raise awareness about their products.
Problem: The client’s website was not getting sufficient traffic, the product had a narrow, niche market, and the target keywords had a high potential for irrelevant traffic i.e. (Lots of irrelevant traffic for fashion-oriented wig buyers had been recorded even though ideal customer would need a special wig for cancer or alopecia conditions). This was the core of the client’s challenge
We developed a comprehensive PPC strategy that included:
Within the campaign period, we achieved remarkable results leading to
Developed a python script to facilitate bulk indexation requests via Search console’s indexing API
Organic Tea* needed more US traffic, high intent visitors and a high ecommerce conversion rate in order to scale their business
A technical audit revealed an issue with the site’s crawl budget rank which had caused many products and blog pages to linger for weeks without getting indexed. There were also lots of conflicting canonical settings and faceted navigation URLs that were indexed and cannibalizing traffic from pillar pages
We developed a python script that can be used to achieve bulk indexation via Search console’s indexing API, while at the same time streamlining the canonical directives in favor of the money pages
After bulk indexing requests, the previous investment into the site’s copy started paying off resulting in a steady incline in impression and click trends
Prairie Trail Physio was looking to increase their online visibility and patient bookings.
The clinic struggled to attract new patients through their website. The cost per clicks were high and the cost per conversion metrics was trending below the profitability threshold since a 1 hour session was priced at $125
Our PPC strategy for Prairie Physio included
Over the course of the campaign, we achieved substantial improvements:
Utilized PPC Strategies to Achieve a 148% Surge in Quote Requests for Apex Surety Bonds
Challenge: The Apex Surety, a provider of Commercial Surety Bonds, was struggling to expand its clientele among businesses seeking surety guarantees for high cost projects. Their existing PPC campaigns were underperforming, resulting in a high cost per lead.
We executed a data-driven PPC strategy to maximize lead generation within a defined budget. Our approach involved Google Ads and targeted display campaigns. To pinpoint the most promising leads, we employed advanced audience segmentation:
The results were remarkable. The CPC decreased to $1.74 per click, and the conversion rate for surety applications surged by 37%. This not only reduced the cost per conversion to $4.60 but also increased the quality of leads received by the Surety Firm
BeCBD faced significant challenges in promoting its products due to restrictions on advertising platforms such as Google and Facebook, as well as limitations on creating a Google My Business (GMB) profile. These restrictions were primarily due to the sensitive nature of the CBD product category, which posed hurdles in reaching potential customers through conventional marketing channels.
To overcome these obstacles, we devised a strategic approach focusing on content optimization and leveraging Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to enhance visibility and relevance. Our team implemented BERT (Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers) score optimized content for both the product and blog pages on Be CBD’s website. Additionally, we strategically utilized FAQs to populate category pages, aiming to address common queries and align with target keywords.
Through our concerted efforts, BeCBD experienced remarkable growth within a span of just six months. The optimized content and strategic FAQ integration resulted in a significant surge in website traffic, quadrupling the initial figures. This surge in traffic translated into tangible results, with Be CBD generating an impressive $12,000 in CBD product sales. The success of this approach not only showcased the effectiveness of content optimization strategies but also underscored the importance of leveraging FAQs to enhance relevance and visibility in a competitive market landscape.
JCouple, a small card game company, faced the challenge of selling more of their products through Google. Despite offering high-quality card games, they struggled to gain visibility online due to a low authority website. This low authority was affecting the performance of their articles in search results, hindering their ability to reach potential customers effectively.
JCouple’s website had several issues contributing to its low authority. These issues included content duplication, misconfigured canonical settings, and a low crawl budget. These factors prevented search engines from properly indexing their product and category pages, limiting their visibility in search results.
To address these challenges, we implemented a comprehensive strategy to improve JCouple’s website authority and search engine visibility. Key elements of our solution included:
The implementation of these strategies resulted in a steady uplift in traffic and conversions for JCouple over the past 16 months. By improving their website authority, addressing technical issues, and optimizing content for search, JCouple was able to increase their visibility on Google and drive more sales of their card games.
Using Opportunity-to-add-value calculations as derived from the Importance vs satisfaction framework, developed a conceptual improvement for Dating App Users.
The Product hypothesis was validated via 53K waitlist submissions prior to launch and fund raising
SUMMARY
Boo ‘n’ Bae is a revolutionary dating platform designed to address the unmet needs in the online dating space by prioritizing meaningful connections over superficial interactions. By integrating AI-driven conversation enablers and a compatibility scoring engine, Boo ‘n’ Bae aims to foster deeper relationships that go beyond appearance-based pairings.
ROLE
Market Research | Persona Development | Value Proposition & Positioning | UX Design | Concept Validation
TOOLS
Surveys | Focus Groups | User Interviews | Competitive Analysis | Storyboarding
DELIVERABLES
Market Research Reports | Personas | Positioning Statements | User Stories | Competitive Analysis | Storyboards | User Testing Results
PROBLEM
Despite the abundance of dating apps, the quality of relationships formed through these platforms remains questionable. Rising divorce rates, delayed marriages, and increasing mental health issues such as loneliness and depression indicate that existing apps are not effectively facilitating meaningful connections. All of this indicates the failure of online dating to deliver better relationship outcomes than methods that involve less social interaction between prospective couples (e.g. the arranged marriage system).
The problem lies in the heavy emphasis on looks and appearance-based selection, which often leads to shallow interactions and wasted efforts.
SOLUTION
Introducing Boo ‘n’ Bae, an audio-first dating platform that redefines the online dating experience. With an AI-driven conversation enabler, a compatibility scoring engine, and a matchmaking system, Boo ‘n’ Bae focuses on connecting individuals based on deeper qualities of mind, character, and intellect.
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
USER RESEARCH
The R&D phase aimed to validate the concept of a more meaningful and context-driven dating platform. Through a combination of surveys, interviews, and focus groups, we identified the key pain points of current dating app users and developed a solution that could better meet their needs.
From our research pool, we found that users are frustrated with the time wasted on superficial interactions that do not lead to meaningful dates. They expressed a desire for a platform that would allow them to connect on a deeper level, with better guidance on how to engage in meaningful conversations.
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
To determine Boo ‘n’ Bae’s positioning in the market, I conducted a competitive analysis of popular dating apps like Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge, evaluating their user flows, onboarding processes, and features. While many apps focused on visual appeal and quick matches, none provided a holistic solution that encouraged meaningful conversations from the outset. While these platforms excel in providing a large pool of potential matches, they fall short in fostering meaningful connections that lead to long-term relationships.
For Boo ‘n’ Bae to stand out, it needed to be intuitive and focused on depth, offering users a more engaging and substantive experience that went beyond looks to include personality and compatibility. Boo ‘n’ Bae’s unique value proposition lies in its focus on audio-based interactions and compatibility-driven matchmaking, setting it apart from competitors who primarily emphasize visual appeal.
POSITIONING STATEMENT
Geoff Moore (In Crossing the Chasm) offered this syntax for a positioning statement: For (target customer) who (statement of the need or opportunity), the (product name) is a (product category) that (statement of key benefit – that is, compelling reason to buy). Unlike (primary alternative), our product (statement of primary differentiation).
For singles who are seeking deeper, more meaningful connections, Boo ‘n’ Bae is an audio-first dating platform that leverages AI to facilitate meaningful conversations and compatibility-based matchmaking. Unlike traditional dating apps that prioritize appearance, Boo ‘n’ Bae fosters genuine connections by focusing on the qualities that truly matter in a relationship.
PERSONA DEVELOPMENT
We were able to derive a number of personas that possess attributes that are consistent with an ideal Boo ‘n’ Bae user
Based on insights from user research and social media analysis, we developed a primary persona that represents the most strained segment of dating app users—those who are frustrated with the lack of meaningful connections. This persona guided the development of screening questions for future user testing and validation.
We then transitioned to the storyboarding phase, where we created user stories to guide the design of Boo ‘n’ Bae. These stories focused on scenarios where users would benefit from the platform’s unique features, such as AI-driven conversation starters and compatibility-based matchmaking.
CONCEPT VALIDATION
The product hypothesis was validated through 53K waitlist submissions prior to launch, demonstrating significant market interest. Ongoing fundraising efforts are in place to bring Boo ‘n’ Bae to life and continue refining the platform based on user
VISUAL DESIGN
BRANDING With a deep understanding of our target users and their challenges, I embarked on the branding process for Boo ‘n’ Bae. The goal was to create a brand that would resonate with users looking for meaningful relationships in an era dominated by superficial dating apps.
I began by creating a mind map—who does Boo ‘n’ Bae serve? How can we empower users to form deeper connections while making the platform engaging and trustworthy?
Drawing on empathy for users’ frustrations with existing dating apps, I envisioned Boo ‘n’ Bae as an approachable and human-centric brand. It would be a safe space, free from the pressures of appearance-based judgments, and focused on genuine connections. The brand needed to feel warm, reliable, and supportive, encouraging users to feel hopeful and confident in their search for a meaningful relationship.
The style guide for Boo ‘n’ Bae reflects these principles, emphasizing a calm and inviting aesthetic that aligns with our mission to foster deep, meaningful connections.
PROTOTYPING, TESTING, + VALIDATION
For the initial prototype, I used Figma to create low-fidelity wireframes, which were then refined and transferred to InVision for the first round of user testing. The low-fidelity prototype can be viewed [here].
The primary goal of the first testing phase was to identify which elements of the user interface were intuitive and which were not. Based on user feedback, I decided to remove the “personalized icebreaker” feature for the MVP. While users appreciated the concept, they found it too complex and suggested that it might be better introduced after the MVP was established. Additionally, users felt that the onboarding process needed to be simplified.
The recurring theme throughout the usability tests was “keep it simple”—this became my guiding principle for subsequent iterations.
After implementing changes based on user feedback, I conducted preference tests to refine the visual design and user experience further.
In the second round of usability testing, the process went smoothly. Users found the interface intuitive and easy to navigate, and many expressed that Boo ‘n’ Bae was a platform they would eagerly recommend to friends.
The final high-fidelity prototype can be viewed [here].
CONCLUSION
WHAT WORKED WELL? Users loved the brand’s voice and personality, which made the platform feel inviting and unique. The simplicity and focus on meaningful interactions resonated strongly with the user base.
WHAT DIDN’T WORK SO WELL? The “personalized icebreaker” feature was too complex for an MVP and required further development and testing beyond the project’s timeline.
LESSONS LEARNED Prioritize user testing early and often, even with low-fidelity sketches. It’s easy to fall in love with an idea, but without testing, you risk creating a product that doesn’t meet users’ needs. Early feedback is invaluable for refining concepts and ensuring that the product aligns with user expectations.
Moving forward, I plan to start user testing earlier, incorporating rapid prototyping methods such as paper sketches to gather insights even before digital prototypes are developed.
Situation:
Diabetes Goods Retailer faced a significant challenge when they experienced a massive ranking drop following the Google Helpful Content Update. This decline was primarily due to numerous thin product pages that failed to provide substantial value. The site’s representation did not meet the stringent standards required for a Your Money or Your Life (YMYL) website in the health industry, leading to decreased visibility and traffic.
Task:
The task was to address the issues hindering the site’s performance, focusing on eliminating thin content, improving product representation, and optimizing the site for better rankings in the Google Shopping tab. Additionally, we needed to resolve keyword cannibalization caused by multiple URLs for product variants that were incorrectly self-referencing in their canonical directives.
Action:
To overcome these challenges, we implemented a targeted optimization strategy that included:
Result:
These strategic optimizations led to remarkable outcomes, including a staggering 3,439% increase in revenue. The enhancements not only revitalized the site’s search rankings but also significantly improved their visibility in the Google Shopping tab, driving higher traffic and sales.
Understanding who your ideal customers are can be challenging, leading to ineffective marketing strategies and wasted resources. Let me develop detailed Customer Profiles (ICPs) and Economic Buyer Personas (ECPs) to ensure your marketing efforts are precisely targeted
Developing an effective SEO strategy can be complex and overwhelming. Let's craft a comprehensive SEO strategy that improves your website’s search engine rankings, enhances online visibility, and drives organic traffic
Many businesses struggle with pricings that fail to reflect market value or customer expectations. Let's audit your current pricing plans, and refine them to align with both market demand and your customer's value perceptions
Many businesses struggle with managing PPC campaigns effectively, resulting in wasted ad spend I will conduct thorough research and develop a strategic PPC plan tailored to your business objectives, optimizing ad performance and maximizing ROI.
Crafting compelling and coherent positioning and messaging materials can be complex, often resulting in unclear or inconsistent brand communication. Let's create engaging and persuasive materials that clearly articulate your brand’s unique value proposition and positioning, ensuring consistent and impactful messaging across all channels.
Let's turn your website into a precise tracking machine that generates the data you need to surpass your competitors. Develop the appropriate measurement plan that resonates with your unique business situation
Conduct A/B tests and other conversion yield experiments. Be it lead generation, downloads or ecommerce sales, CRO & UX testing would amplify your conversions and make your business more profitable
Get a ranking boost by enhancing your core web vitals and site speed Minify your tracking codes, enable Gzip compression and reduce render blocking resources
Analyze the results pages for your most relevant keywords so as to determine the content quality benchmarks required to reach the top of the rankings
An electronic game of memory skill. It was designed with an algorithm that generates a seemingly random sequence of lights and sounds which must be recalled by the player. With increasing levels of difficultly, the algorithm can vary the sequences with which the lights and sounds are created
Designed a 3 x 3 tic tac toe game. I developed an algorithm that allows automated, yet intelligent computer responses to the moves made by a human player.
Designed a digital clock that incorporates the pomodoro technique of time management. The clock divides time into 25 minute segments called pomodoros. This helps to enhance productive time management.
Built a Random quote machine that generates inspirational quotes just with the click of a button
Built a digital calculator with scientific functions using just HTML, CSS and JavaScript
A web application that utilizes the Wikipedia API to allow users to rapidly search and access aggregated Wikipedia content. It also incorporates an algorithm that generates random digits through which seemingly random content can be pulled from Wikipedia
Gained a comprehensive skill set spanning Growth, Acquisition, Activation, Retention, and Monetization Strategy. From crafting growth loops and refining product strategies to executing A/B tests and analyzing activation metrics, I have been equipped with the tools needed to identify and overcome growth bottlenecks. With a deep understanding of product monetization metrics and customer acquisition costs, I am primed to develop innovative approaches that enhance user experience and drive revenue growth in any business context.
95 hours 21 mins of learning from the World's top 1% marketers about how to instrument rapid cycles of ideation & experimentation
90+ hours of comprehensive training in conversion optimization, the neuroscience of sales, user experience and digital analytics
My scientific background has equipped me with the ability to approach marketing challenges with precision and attention to detail. Leveraging my chemistry expertise, I employ a methodical approach to analyze data, identify trends, and optimize marketing strategies for maximum impact. This unique combination of scientific training and marketing acumen allows me to drive growth and innovation in dynamic business environments
In my current role, I conduct deep algorithmic research to isolate the content vectors required to improve the organic ranking of sites in the SaaS and e-commerce industry. Developed and executed personalized targeting strategies based on user segmentation, leading to a 17% increase in cart-to-checkout progression among targeted customer segments for sites in the Jewelry Industry
Guided trajectory of marketing messaging and the overall product evolution by developing user narratives, customer rediscovery, channel testing and cohort value analysis
Increased page views from 40K to 150K (~375% growth) due to backlink reclamations on broken dofollows, shifting from keywords to a focus on entity salience, and by using of DMCA requests to mitigate content duplication on spammy sites.
Designed Ad copywriting frameworks to assist writers in circumventing policy and language restrictions for Health, Supplements and Real Estate Ads. Developed campaign optimization workflows to guide the auditing sequences and routines required to scale with PPC across various Industries
The CRO Analysis for GP was the best CRO Analysis I've ever had an SEO Tech do for one of my clients! It highlighted very compelling improvements and additions to make to the site to address the specific painpoints the client has, as opposed to just being broad, generalized recommendations. It was extremely thoughtful and full of great ideas. I very much appreciate you putting the time and effort in to create a list of such high-value action items for this client that really pinpoint their specific problem areas and what will be most effective to focus on for increasing their conversion rate. I'm extremely confident in our ability to see conversion rate improvements for GP in the coming months as we implement the ideas. I've even started incorporating the tasks into other ecommerce clients' strategies and I'm sure I will continue to do so in the future. Thank you!!
Absolutely phenomenal input on the AB strategy, Emmanuel! Thanks so much for that. Your approach was super thoughtful regarding what would most move the needle for where the client is today, conservative with regard to hours usage requirements, and also very thoughtful theme name selections to go with each month's strategic focus and goal. Bravo!!
Discussions with Emmanuel is always enriching and the way he thinks about his clients is pretty commendable. I am glad that he worked on some new ideas for single product clients and share with me. Additionally he helped to add key points in the accountability review report for Eyewear. Clients Your help and your hardwork is highly appreciated, keep this up!
Entity salience offers a peek into the way Google’s AI appraises content in order to create an objective score for web pages.
Whenever we type in a search, as humans we can easily decide which piece of content is best suited to our needs. On the other hand, Google has to process 2.4 million searches per minute, while matching them to content across a web whose size is tending towards infinity i.e. The web contains trillions of pages, while Google’s index contains only about 50 billion of these pages. So at the speed of thought, Google has to decide which site offers the best content for multiple queries (15% of these searches are unique)
How on earth does Google manage to do this? How can Google manage to consistently serve good results faster than most websites or mobile apps can load content?
We would never really know, however Google gave us a glimpse through the entity salience scores offered in their NLP demo. In this article I will attempt to guide SEO content writers on entity salience as a concept and how to optimize articles against this metric.
An entity is the noun or set of nouns contained in a text. Anything that has a name in your blog or article is therefore an entity. They are nouns and noun phrases that the AI can identify as a distinct object. Google’s entity categories include people, locations, organizations, numbers, consumer goods and more
The noun “salience” derives from the Latin word saliens – ‘leaping, or bounding’. In modern usage it means “Prominent”, “stand out”.
Entity salience therefore refers to the degree of prominence that’s ascribed to a named object within a piece of text.
The salience score for an entity provides information about the importance or centrality of that entity to the entire document. Below is an example
Scores closer to 0 are less salient, while scores closer to 1.0 are highly salient.
Since salience scores are more important than simplistic keyword stuffing, every writer needs to know how these scores are calculated in order to produce content that can rank
Based on Google research papers, there are certain textual attributes that determine the scores assigned to each named object within a sentence. The factors are;
One of the most basic elements of salience is text position. In general, beginnings are the most prominent positions in a text. Therefore, entities placed closer to the beginning of the text and, to a lesser extent, each paragraph and sentence, are seen as more salient. The end of a sentence is also slightly more prominent than the middle.
Advice To Writers: Position the target keyword towards the start of the text, paragraphs and sentences.
The grammatical role of the entity is usually contingent on its subject or object relationship with the rest of the text.
The subject (the entity that is doing something) of a sentence is more prominent than the object (the entity to which something is being done).
In the first sentence, “Messi” has a score of 0.7, whereas “goal” has a score of 0.3. In the second sentence, “goal” is more salient, with 0.69, whereas “Messi” has a score of 0.31.
Advice to writers: Reword your write ups to ensure that the target keyword is the subject of the sentence wherever possible.
If you use the Syntax tab in Google’s API demo, you’ll actually see a sentence-by-sentence breakdown of which words link to each other, along with a grammatical label.
I plugged this sample sentence in – “France held Argentina to penalties but could not have done it without Mbappe’s hattrick”
We can see how the entity “France” links to so many parts of the sentence through the verb “Held”.
An Entity does not need to be repeated artificially in every clause for it to be seen as prominent. It is more important that the other clauses and entities in the sentence depend on the target keyword for their meaning. This is how the linguistic dependency factors into the entity salience score
Advice for writers: When using target keywords in longer sentences, structure the sentence so that its clauses and other entities depend on your target keyword for sense.
Google’s NLP tool is good at recognising entities but it’s not perfect. For example, it’s not great at recognising two entities as the same when their capitalisation, pluralisation or acronym changes.
Writers should also be wary of how switching between acronyms and full phrases (“SEO” vs “search engine optimization”) can impact salience scores
Advice To Writers: Refer to your target keyword consistently throughout the text if it is a multi-word phrase.
The frequency with which an entity is mentioned in your text is a straightforward but crucial aspect of salience scoring. However, resist the urge to veer into archaic, spammy writing techniques. Increased mentions of your focus entities shouldn’t ever be used as a cover for keyword stuffing.
Note: Google has the ability to recognise different references to the same thing e.g.
Advice To Writers: Increase mentions of your focus entities by using a mixture of named, nominal and pronominal references, don’t just repeat the named phrase every time it comes up.
The natural language processing API demo is best used for product pages, short service, category pages, meta descriptions and ad copy. However, for long form content, its usefulness diminishes the longer the text you input. There is no way for it to process all the signals given across multiple sections of text.
Hence for longer pages, you may want to analyze single sections bit by bit rather than at once.
Google’s natural language API demo gives content writers a tool to help them craft their writing in a more structured way. If you are a writer and are looking to improve your SEO skillset, then you should integrate entity salience analytics into your practice.
As you can see, all the top ranking pages in this sheet have a BERT score that’s above the 80th percentile for the query
Note: the BERT score of a page shows the mathematically derived match between the context and intent of the page in relation to the search query
I believe that BERT score optimization, combined with Higher Entity Salience Scores, can help SEO content writers to achieve first page ranking for their articles
Here is a python script you can use to scrape the web and compare how competitor sites score against yours for various queries.
Here are the steps for running the script
(1) Install the Dependencies in Google Colab
(2) Choose Your Query or Keyword against which the top Websites will be scored
(3) Scrape Google to extract web pages, their ranking position, and the search date
The above is a clear guide on how to calculate BERT scores by yourself. But what are BERT scores, what’s their significance and if you know how an article measures against this metric, how can you improve the scores
As search engines become more sophisticated in understanding natural language, traditional metrics for evaluating content are evolving. One such metric that has gained prominence is the BERT Score.
BERT (Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers) Score measures the relevance and quality of content based on contextual understanding.
In this blog post, we will provide a step-by-step guide on how to calculate BERT Scores and leverage this metric to improve your content’s performance.
BERT Score evaluates how well your content matches the context and intent of search queries. Unlike traditional metrics that focus on keyword density or backlinks, BERT Score emphasizes natural language processing and semantic relevance. It takes into account the fine-grained nuances of user queries, enabling search engines to provide more accurate and relevant search results.
Here’s how BERT takes a look at the context of the sentence or search query as a whole:
(a) Enhancing Search Relevance: One of the primary ways Google utilizes BERT Scores is by improving search relevance. BERT allows Google to better comprehend the nuances and context of search queries, enabling it to deliver more accurate search results. By considering the BERT Score, Google can identify content that aligns closely with the user’s intent, resulting in a more satisfying search experience.
(b) Understanding User Intent: BERT Scores help Google understand user intent more effectively. With the ability to interpret complex search queries, Google can decipher the true meaning behind the words used by users. This allows the search engine to provide more precise answers and relevant content, even when the user’s query is not phrased explicitly.
(c) Contextual Understanding: BERT Scores take into account the context in which words are used. Google’s algorithm analyzes the surrounding words and phrases to grasp the meaning and context of the query. This contextual understanding enables Google to present search results that match the user’s intent, even when keywords alone may not capture the full meaning.
(d) Semantic Relevance: Semantic relevance is another crucial aspect that BERT Scores consider. Instead of relying solely on individual keywords, BERT focuses on the overall meaning and semantics of the content. By understanding the relationships between words, BERT helps Google identify content that provides the most accurate and valuable information to users.
(e) Natural Language Processing: BERT Scores leverage the power of natural language processing (NLP) to enhance search results. With NLP, Google can interpret and process human language more effectively, taking into account factors such as sentence structure, grammar, and context. This enables Google to deliver search results that better match the natural language used by users.
BERT Scores play a significant role in determining search rankings. Websites that optimize their content to align with BERT’s contextual understanding and semantic relevance have a higher chance of ranking well in search results. By creating content that aligns with the user’s intent and addresses their queries comprehensively, website owners can improve their BERT Scores and increase their visibility on search engine results pages.
(1) Optimize for Featured Snippets: Featured snippets are highly visible and can significantly boost organic traffic. Content writers should aim to provide concise and direct answers to commonly asked questions related to their target keywords. Structuring content in a way that makes it easy for search engines to extract relevant information increases the chances of obtaining a featured snippet.
Featured Snippet Rules For Content Teams
(2) Enhance Your Content Structure: Organizing your content with clear headings and subheadings helps search engines understand the structure and hierarchy of information. Proper use of H1, H2, and H3 tags signals the importance of specific sections. Aim for a logical flow and readability, incorporating keywords naturally throughout the content.
(3) Focus On Contextual Relevance: Understanding the user’s intent behind search queries is crucial for creating relevant content. Tailor your content to match user expectations, addressing specific pain points and providing valuable solutions. Analyzing search engine result pages (SERPs) can provide insights into the context surrounding the topic.
(4) Optimal Content Length: Long-form content tends to perform better in terms of BERT Score. Aim for comprehensive and in-depth content that covers the topic thoroughly. Strive to strike a balance between quality and quantity, ensuring that each word adds value. Don’t hesitate to update and refresh existing content to maintain relevance.
(5) Prioritize Language and Style: Simplicity and clarity should be the guiding principles of your content. Use plain language and avoid excessive jargon that might confuse readers and search engines alike. Craft clear and concise sentences in active voice, incorporating LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing) keywords to demonstrate a deeper understanding of the topic.
(6) Readability and User Experience: Enhancing the readability and user experience of your content is vital for optimizing BERT Score. Break up the text with bullet points, lists, and subheadings for easy scanning. Keep paragraphs concise and consider incorporating multimedia elements like images and videos where relevant. Ensure your content is mobile-friendly and responsive.
(7) User Engagement Signals: User engagement signals, such as dwell time and click-through rates (CTR), are closely related to BERT Score. Encourage user interaction by enabling comments and social sharing. Craft engaging headlines and meta descriptions that entice users to click through. Engage your audience with high-quality content that encourages them to spend more time on your page.
(9) Monitoring and Optimization: Regularly monitor your content’s BERT Score using SEO tools to track its performance. Continuously review and update your content to keep it fresh and relevant. Pay attention to user feedback and adjust your content accordingly. Stay informed about search engine algorithm changes that may impact your content’s visibility.
Calculating BERT Scores allows you to measure the relevance and quality of your content in alignment with user queries and intent. By leveraging the power of BERT models and following the steps outlined in this guide, you can gain valuable insights into how well your content matches user expectations. Remember to keep refining and optimizing your content based on the BERT Scores to enhance its visibility and drive organic traffic to your website.
In the ever-evolving landscape of SEO and content optimization, understanding and utilizing metrics like BERT Score is crucial to staying ahead of the competition and delivering valuable content to your audience.
If you had a site that was doing well but suddenly, things just went downhill, it could be worth exploring to see if you have been a victim of a negative SEO attack. Negative SEO attacks are in many forms and each type has a different degree of impact on a website. Of all the negative SEO attacks I’ve experienced, one of the most devastating is a Domain squatting attack. These types of attacks exist in various forms which are:
This is a family of negative SEO techniques which are deployed in order to harvest web credentials, steal direct traffic, harm an organization’s reputation, achieve affiliate marketing monetization, install adware, transmit malware or to achieve other malicious objectives.
These groups of attacks are initiated by registering a variation of a legitimate domain and building a mirror website of that domain. This enables the attacker to deceive people into mistaking the fake domain as the legitimate URL of the website they were trying to visit (which could be a bank, a fintech solutions provider, or an online store)
When this happens, visitors will interact with the fake domain by clicking through or trying to login. This is what enables the attackers to achieve whatever objective they had in mind. The techniques vary which will be discussed individually under their respective classes which are:
a. Typo squatting attacks: An attacker registers a domain similar to the target domain in spelling. They do this based on the likely keyboard typos that can occur whenever the target domain is being typed into a search bar. They also pick variations of the target domain based on TLD’s (replacing abc.com with abc.ng) with the goal of stealing traffic that people accidentally direct to the target domain. For example, the attacker could replace ab.cd.com with abcd.com or biz.com with biiz.com.
b. IDN homograph attacks: The International Domain Name protocol allows for the display of Tamil, Arabic, Chinese, Amharic, etc. characters in domain names. Some characters, like the Greek “p” (meaning Rho in their language) appear identical to the English “p”, and can resolve to entirely different servers.
This is what attackers exploit when initiating a homograph attack. For example, websites like “picnic.com” could be registered such that the p in picnic is actually not an English but a Greek or German letter. This will allow two domains called “picnic.com” to be registered for two different but identical sites (one fake and one legitimate) on two different servers.
Any domain can be squatted and this is what makes these types of attacks very common and effective. To protect your website, you might consider the proactive registering of similar variations of your domain name. This is usually an expensive option but if you can snatch of the most similar versions of your site, you can reduce the likelihood of a successful domain squatting attack ever being initiated against you. You can also consider other mitigative measures such as: