Here is the story. I was doing competition analysis for ‘video surveillance’ keyword which one of my clients wanted to optimize their site for. When I was searching Google.com, I found a *very*strange listing ranking at position 23. The listing was for a site ipvideomarket.info (The site is now ranking at position 19 at the time of writing this post). The listing drew my attention as the page title and meta description were totally irrelevant to the search term. Normally, you would expect mention of the search term (’video surveillance’ in this case) either in page title, meta description (or both) or in snippet from the page showing the searched term in bold. But not in this case. What drew my attention was that while Google was showing URL as ipvideomarket.info in search listings but page title and meta description talked about bevitalia.it. In fact, the page title and meta description for ipvideomarket.info’ s listing in Google came from this page on Alexa which is a statistics page for bevitalia.it.

What I saw in Google SERP and the actual title and meta description from the site are given below.

Screwed up page title as shown in Google.com results:

“bevitalia.it – Traffic Details from Alexa”

Actual page title on the site:

“IP Video Surveillance News and Reviews | IPVideoMarket.info”

Screwed up meta description:

“bevitalia.it is ranked number 4526881 in the world according to the Alexa Traffic Rank”

Actual meta description on the site:

“IPVideoMarket.info is one of the most comprehensive sources for information on video surveillance. We’ve presented video surveillance information in the easiest, most user-friendly way to discover the best information on video surveillance across the web.”

Given below is the screenshot of the Google SERP taken soon after the listing was noticed:

(Click the image above to enlarge it)

After seeing the site’s listing in Google SERPs, I visited the site (ipvideomarket.info) to see what actually was appearing on the site. As you guessed, the site was showing page title and meta description, which were relevant with the site’s theme and the keyword ‘video surveillance’ and nowhere close to what Google was showing in its SERP.

I kept checking the Google SERP to see how long the problem lasted. After about six hours, the problem disappeared and Google started showing the actual page title and meta description from the site. However, post-correction, the site’s ranking didn’t change and it kept ranking at position 23 where it was ranking before the correction was made by Google.

Though I saw something like this first time, I am probably not the first person (and probably not the last either) to see it.

So, what’s going on here? Any thoughts?

Though it may seem to be a one-off case, it’s important to investigate. Why? Imagine running a successful ecommerce site ranking at position 1 in Google and Google shows page title and meta description from some porn, Viagra, or gambling site.  OK, I am exaggerating but it’s possible. Isn’t it?

I will make a post on the topic to share my thoughts on what possibly could have caused the problem. In the meantime, I invite you to share your insights on the issue. Let’s hope someone from Google reads the post and lets the webmaster community know how this could have happened and what webmasters can do (if they can do anything at all) to prevent it from happening for their sites.

This is a “do-follow” blog but only useful comments that are relevant and contribute meaningfully will be approved. Thank you all for your time.

]]> http://www.seoindia.net/blog/google-screws-up-page-title-and-meta-description-of-a-site/feed/ 0 http://www.seoindia.net/blog/pros-and-cons-of-hiring-seo-companies-in-india http://www.seoindia.net/blog/pros-and-cons-of-hiring-seo-companies-in-india#comments Thu, 17 Sep 2009 11:03:55 +0000 Vivek Srivastava http://www.seoindia.net/blog/?p=1 If you plan to start a new website or business venture, then you are sure to be thinking in terms of generating traffic to it. But without the in-depth knowledge or desired expertise, this task is sure to be an uphill climb. That is why hiring somebody to optimize your website is a great idea. Using the services of an offshore search engine optimization or SEO company will deliver the results and the impact that you are looking for. However, for those looking to hire an SEO company in India, it may also be a good idea to understand the pros and cons of doing business with them.

What is Search Engine Optimization?

Every business is keen to see an increase their sales. In order to achieve this, a good website that ranks at the top of search engine results is of paramount importance. The procedure of taking your website right on the top of non-paid search engine results is called search engine optimization.

Search engine optimization, popularly referred to as SEO, is essentially a marketing tool to generate traffic to your website through organic search engine results. Generating a steady and continuous flow of hi-quality traffic may result in increased business and increased profits for your business. The entire process of optimizing your website has to be carried out keeping in mind the ethical methods of search engine optimization.

Companies that help you optimise your website are called search engine optimization companies or SEO companies, and the services provided by them are called SEO services. SEO companies use of a variety of methods and tools to get their clients’ websites rank high in search engines. With their virtually indispensable efforts, you can make your website and therefore business visible in search engines.

In-house SEO Vs SEO Outsourcing

Why should we hire a search engine optimization company when we can do most of the work in-house?  That‘s the common question most businesses ask before hiring SEO companies. After all, with an in-house initiative, you can achieve the same results as an offshore company, right?

Here are a few statistics that will put things in the right perspective. A study conducted by the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization found that experience in search engine marketing carries a high price tag.  If you were to hire someone in the US or Canada with more than five years of experience in search engine optimization, you should expect to spend between $100,000 and $200,000 per year, while somebody with lesser experience would come with a price tag of $60,000 to $1,00,000 per year. It should also be noted that these figures do not include the additional costs associated with hiring – training, benefits, and the like. Therefore, if someone made you believe that search engine optimization is something easy that could be done by an employee with limited, or worse still, no experience, better think again.

If you were to hire the services of an experienced and reputed SEO company in the USA, it would cost you less than $50,000 a year (though the spending would depend a lot on your industry, competition, and the campaign size). In addition to the lower costs associated with hiring an SEO company, another advantage is that an expert search engine optimization company will have a broad range of sites from which to gain expertise, while your in-house professional is likely to have experience with a handful of sites. When an SEO company can provide you the same or better quality work for less money, then hiring them definitely makes sound business sense.

Pros of Outsourcing SEO Work to Search Engine Optimization Companies in India

Now if you are convinced that outsourcing SEO work to a search engine optimization company makes sense, the next question that comes to mind is: whether you should hire an Indian SEO company and which SEO company is your best bet for website promotion in search engines?

Cost Effectiveness

We have all heard about outsourcing to India and SEO companies in India give you more bang for your buck. It is believed that you can save as much as 60 to 80% by outsourcing your SEO projects to India.

Many Choices

Rapid growth in SEO industry in India has ensured that there are enough companies capable of executing projects of any size. A little bit of research and productive communication can help you find a capable SEO company in India to suite your budget and requirement both.

Customized Solutions

Most Indian SEO companies are facilitative towards customers and customize their plans and packages to suite their clients’ requirements.

One-stop Solutions

Many Indian SEO companies provide web site designing and development services providing one-stop solutions for all your online promotion needs. They have the amazing ability to handle a wide array of projects, both large and small, at the same time. Many of these companies have earned the reputation of satisfying their clients’ needs and demands with immense ease, and at affordable rates.

Looking at the benefits above, it’s no wonder that for businesses in the United States, UK, Australia, Canada and many EU countries, India has become a popular destination for all their SEO outsourcing requirements.

But There Are Some Limitations Too

A fleeting glance at the Internet and you are sure to be absolutely horrified at the stories about unpredictable, unreliable, and unscrupulous SEO professionals (not only in India but anywhere in the world) waiting to take you for a ride. It’s definitely easy to get victimized, and sometimes the cultural differences may prove to be a roadblock. Many believe that when you outsource SEO work to India, there’s always some amount of doubt about their functioning in a transparent and ethical manner.

Is hiring an Indian SEO company fraught with risks? Is there a way to avoid the traps and get expert advice? Sure, SEO outsourcing has it benefits but there are certain risks as well, but with careful and diligent research, the chances of getting scammed can be reduced significantly.

Six Tips So That You Don’t Hit a Wrong Note When Hiring an SEO Company in India

Do a thorough background check. Find out how long the SEO company been in business, which will be an eye opener about the experience they possess. Before finalizing the terms with the company, ask them to send you samples of the projects they’ve worked on in the past. Several SEO companies also provide current ranking statistics for many of their clients. This shows where they stand and how effectively they have optimized their previous clients’ websites.

Don’t fall prey to the guiles of SEO companies in India (or anywhere else for that matter) that promise you instant success. While it may not be true in real life (?), as far as SEO is concerned, slow and steady win the race in the long term.

Inquire about the qualification of the staff involved in execution of your SEO project. Only a qualified and trained SEO professional can do justice with your assignments. Generally, to beat their competition in India and other developing countries, many SEO companies in India hire not-so-qualified workers.

Never buy SEO services on price. If you receive an unbelievably inexpensive quote for SEO work, just toss the quote out. Remember, if you pay peanuts, you will get only monkeys (SEO monkeys?) to work for you!

If you are going to outsource SEO work to an Indian SEO company, make sure the company adheres to your terms and conditions. Also, make sure they have complete understanding of intellectual property laws.

If you have narrowed down your search to 2-3 SEO companies in India, it’s now to time to choose the one that suits your requirements the best. Make a list of the pros and cons for each company.

Once you have made a choice, decide on a suitable time to communicate with each other. This is recommended in order to keep each other updated and informed on a regular basis. It also gives both sides a clear impression of what to expect in terms of scope of work and deadlines.

Remember, you must take the time and effort to select a SEO company based in India (or anywhere else) carefully and judiciously. Only then can you look forward to a rewarding and productive search engine optimization of your website.

Share Your Experience

I invite you to share your share good and/or bad experiences, if you have ever outsourced your SEO project(s) to India. Post a comment below and let everybody know. All comments are “do-follow” but only useful comments will be approved.