The SEOs Diners Club - Issue #4 - Weekly SEO Tips & News

Here are the weekly SEO insights for the SEOs Diners Club members. In addition, you can join our free The SEOs Diners Club network to ask questions and share your thoughts on these topics and more.

Google Makes Switching to GA4 Mandatory on July 1, 2023

Although the SEO industry is trying to change this decision taken by Google this week, Google does not seem to leave much open door on this issue.

Many SEO experts, myself included, do not find GA4 functional in SEO work. Universal Analytics, which is Google Analytics as we know it, and GA4 have very different measurement methods.

This week, a statement from Google fell on the schedule like a bomb. The fact that GA4 will be available as the only option from July 1, 2023, has everyone worried. The worst part is that there is no such thing as transferring the data so far to GA4. If you want to collect historical data, you must have switched to GA4 today. I had this confirmed by Google Analytics spokesperson Krista Seiden in a Twitter discussion I was involved in.

If you want to continue using Google Analytics, it's good to start getting used to GA4 little by little and start tracking your site with GA4 right away.

The following resource will help you:

Are you setting up a GA4 property for the first time? Here are my top 10 must-haves for getting your new GA4 property up and running fast and with settings

Google Search Results and Synonyms

John Mueller from Google explained the effect of synonyms on search results.

John Mueller answered why a site ranking for a keyword phrase could not rank for a search query that is a synonym for the same query. John responded to the question in general terms, explaining that the search query context is crucial.

John Mueller then explained through an example what it might mean when a user uses a search query and whether it is appropriate to expand the search query with a synonym.

For example, when we examine two concepts that are close to each other, such as "video editing" (edit video) and "video editor" (video editor), we see that user expectations are different.

Although these two search queries seem very close, one of the two users searching for them may want to edit a video, while another may want to download a video editor.

According to John Mueller, it's perfectly consistent and logical that Google shows different results in two search queries.

For a detailed explanation, you can read the following blog post:

Google's John Mueller discusses synonyms and search results and explains how context of the whole query is important

14 Ways Google May Evaluate E-A-T

Learn about some of the potential signals Google can use to gauge whether your content and brand have strong E-A-T.

We know that Google wants to reward content and assets (such as organizations and brands) that demonstrate expertise, authority, and trust (EAT). We also know that Google recommends that we familiarize ourselves with the quality evaluator guidelines, especially when it comes to core algorithm updates.

We don't know how Google converts EA-T, which is not a direct ranking factor but an important concept, into signals that the search engine can evaluate to rank search results.

The below article has compiled 14 possible on- and off-page factors that Google can use algorithmically for EAT evaluation. It may be helpful for you to review it and use it routinely as a checklist.

Learn about some potential signals Google may be using to gauge whether your content and brand has strong E-A-T.

Is Passive Voice Problematic for SEO or Is It an Acceptable Writing Style?

Could using Passive Voice sentences while producing English content negatively affect SEO performance?

We have been providing English content production services for the last few years with our Contentevergreen.com brand. During this time, we have gained a lot of experience producing SEO-friendly content. In addition, we witnessed the emergence of many revolutionary tools supported by artificial intelligence in content production.

We create content that remains relevant regardless of the season or the time frame. Learn More

We observed a phenomenon in all these tools and in the articles we read; going too far in using English Passive Voice sentence patterns could create a negative situation in terms of SEO.

Passive sentence patterns can make it difficult for the reader and the search engine to perceive the described content. However, there are some situations where using this structure is suitable for the normal flow of life. Therefore, there is no harm in using passive sentences without going overboard.

The Semrush blog has covered the subject in greater detail; You can read it by clicking the link below:

Does using passive or active voice in the content impact SEO? Discover our expert quotes and guidelines for writing SEO-friendly content.

Are Internal Links In Header and Footer Treated Differently?

Does Google treat internal links differently based on location on a page? John Mueller clarified this issue.

John Mueller answered a question posed to him on this subject. First of all, let's consider the concept of internal linking to clarify the issue.

Internal links are links within a website that go to another web page on the same website. 

Examples of internal links are navigation links, which are usually in the header, and links to essential parts of a site, such as the about us page and the contact page, which are often in the footer of a website.

Mueller notes that links are not treated differently because of where they are located on a web page.

You can read John Mueller's explanation in the article below:

Does Google treat internal links differently based on location on a page? Are header and footer internal links less important?

Brighton SEO 2022 Will Be Online & Free On 21–22 April

Thanks to the pandemic, we have the chance to attend this event online and for free, perhaps for the last time. So I think you should not miss it.

One of the events shaping the SEO industry, Brighton SEO, is held online and free of charge on April 21-22.

The event has such a busy schedule that if you are going to attend, I recommend keeping your calendar empty on April 21-22. For example, just the agenda for Thursday 21 April looks like this:

You can click on the link below to register for the event for free:

Tickets for brightonSEO including details of our free ballot, conference and training workshops. Register online for the world's largest search conference.

WordPress Released An Official New Performance Plugin

If you have a WordPress site and want to improve its performance, you can try this new WordPress-approved plugin.

WordPress has announced the release of the Performance Lab plugin. The plugin was developed by the WordPress performance team, created to help speed up WordPress sites.

The plugin allows publishers to use new improvements before they are incorporated into the core of WordPress. The WordPress performance team of WordPress core developers developed the plugin to receive feedback on new features being developed for inclusion in a future version of WordPress core.

Performance Lab Add-on Modules

WebP Uploads:  

It converts newly uploaded JPEG files to WebP format faster. Functionality depends on server support for WebP.

WebP Support: 

This site health module checks if the server supports WebP and displays a warning if WebP is not supported.

Persistent Object Cache Health Check: 

It recommends the use of object caching. Object caching is a way to speed up the time it takes for the site to respond, helps reduce database load, and speeds up the website for site visitors.

Check Queued Entities (experimental) 

It provides an audit of queued CSS and JavaScript files on the main page. In addition, it helps identify unnecessary CSS and JavaScrip files that can slow down a website.

You can find more information in the article below:

WordPress announced an official plugin that helps speed up websites. Publishers can test the new beta features and offer feedback

How To Dominate SERPs By Focusing On Topics Instead Of Keywords

Learn how to take a topic-focused approach to content and site structure to dominate search results post-BERT and MUM.

Over the last few years, Google has made several changes to how their crawlers understand how content answers queries.

These updates help Google better understand how people are searching for topics and what type of content the user is looking for to meet the needs of their query, then how pieces of content across a site can best match those needs.

With this in mind, it is even more important to focus on creating a topic structure that meets the needs of a user’s various stages of the buyer’s journey.

Read this article to learn more about topics:

Learn how to take advantage of a topic-focused approach to content and site structure to dominate search results post-BERT and MUM.

8 Free Courses For Writers & Content Marketers

There are so many free online courses to help improve your content. Here are a few author favorites.

Increasing online competition and advancements in search technologies mean that writing content is about more than just having a solid grasp of the English language.

Great content that performs well considers various marketing factors that not even the most seasoned writers are necessarily familiar with.

Here you may find 8 free courses for writers and content marketers:

There are tons of free online courses out there to help improve your content. Here are a few author favorites.

Book of The Week: Product-Led SEO: The Why Behind Building Your Organic Growth Strategy

This book is for all marketers who see SEO as a sales channel rather than just a channel that generates organic traffic.

I have quoted the following words from the back cover of the book and put my signature under it.

When it comes to SEO, success often depends not on what you do but on how you do it. That is why Product-Led SEO digs deep into the logic and theory of SEO instead of offering step-by-step guidelines and techniques. You will learn to develop your own best practices and see where most SEO strategies go astray. If your main goal is driving traffic, you leave sales on the table.

Product-Led SEO: The Why Behind Building Your Organic Growth Strategy [Schwartz, Eli] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Product-Led SEO: The Why Behind Building Your Organic Growth Strategy

I hope you enjoyed my weekly SEO insights. Hope to see you next Sunday in the new episode. I wish you all a great week.

Best,

Mert Erkal