The Wordtracker Academy > Mark Nunney

Mark Nunney has been a successful professional SEO since 2000. He is CEO of The Website Marketing Company and he publishes Leadership & Management Review from ThinkingManagers.com, the business management website.

Mark wrote SEO for Profit, Wordtracker Masterclass: Keyword Research book and co-wrote Wordtracker Masterclass: Link Building with Ken McGaffin. He is also the founder and project manager of Wordtracker Strategizer.

You can follow Mark Nunney's SEO on Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ and read a Q&A here.

Articles by Mark Nunney

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  Google Panda update survival guide Posted by Mark Nunney on 22 May 2013

  As of 24th Feb 2011, a major update by Google on how it ranks sites has affected 12% of search results and halved many sites’ visitor numbers. Named the Farmer or Panda Update it’s only affecting US Google results as I write but if you’re outside the US it is coming to you soon. Here’s how to find out if you have already been hit, are going to be and what to do about it.

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  62 steps to the definitive link building campaign Posted by Mark Nunney on 18 October 2012

  Successful search engine optimization (SEO) requires inbound links from quality relevant websites. Using extracts from their book "The Definitive Guide to Link Building (2013 edition)", Ken McGaffin and Mark Nunney here outline the definitive steps in a successful, long term link building campaign ...

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  How to discover and grow your cash cow keywords Posted by Mark Nunney on 26 September 2012

  Choosing which keywords to target is the heart of SEO and PPC. Of the thousands you might target, some will make you more money than others. Now, with Wordtracker Strategizer, it takes minutes to sort through all available data to find the groups of keywords that are going to make you the most money, in the shortest possible time.

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  SEO for new sites Posted by Mark Nunney on 11 July 2012

  Where to start with SEO'ing your brand new site? Here's a simple SEO process for planning that site and finding appropriate keyword niches to target.

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  How to optimize URLs for search engines and people (Technical SEO for Profit, part 1) Posted by Mark Nunney on 05 July 2012

  Both search engines and people prefer websites to have consistent, easy-to-read URLs. Here, Mark Nunney explains how to optimize your website’s URLs for search engines and humans alike.

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  How to get your pages found by search engines and preserve their link power (Technical SEO for Profit, part 2) Posted by Mark Nunney on 04 July 2012

  Your first technical job as an SEO is to make sure search engines find and index the pages you want them to. Mark Nunney explains how to optimize, getting the right pages indexed and then keeping them that way through inevitable URL changes and broken links.

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  How to optimize your code for search engines (Technical SEO for Profit, part 3) Posted by Mark Nunney on 03 July 2012

  You can’t see it but your pages’ coding determines how search engines index and rank them (with speed becoming an increasingly important factor). Mark Nunney shows you how to make sure your code helps your pages and all their content get indexed fast.

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  Tracking response for SEO (Technical SEO for Profit, part 4) Posted by Mark Nunney on 02 July 2012

  Whatever your site’s objectives, you need to measure its response rates if you want to know which keywords your SEO should target. Mark Nunney introduces how to use Google Analytics to monitor response and make sure you track response and get the best possible return on investment.

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  Technical SEO checklist Posted by Mark Nunney on 01 July 2012

  Here is a technical SEO check list – based on a series of articles taken from Wordtracker's best-selling e-book, SEO for Profit e-book - that will help you make sure your site is free from SEO gremlins.

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  Best of Wordtracker 2011 Posted by Mark Nunney on 21 December 2011

  Use the following best articles (and videos) of 2011 to save time and money on SEO in 2012. You’ll learn about both the established basics of SEO like choosing the right target keywords, quality content and link building; and the visitor behavior-centered SEO of the future.

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  The Rules of SEO for Profit Posted by Mark Nunney on 15 December 2011

  If you don’t have time to read Mark Nunney’s new book, SEO for Profit, then at least make sure you learn the rules.

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  How to be an expert SEO Posted by Mark Nunney on 01 December 2011

  An expert SEO leaves set processes behind, works fast, intuitively, delivers great results and can reap great rewards. In an edited extract from his new book, SEO for Profit Mark Nunney explains how you can become an expert SEO.

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  The New SEO Posted by Mark Nunney on 12 November 2011

  Although the use of keywords on website pages and in the anchor text of inbound links remains important for SEO, search engines are increasingly using a site’s branding, visitor behavior and social data. This is The New SEO, introduced here by Mark Nunney in an edited extract from his new book, SEO for Profit.

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  Keyword tracking reports for search engine success Posted by Mark Nunney on 18 October 2011

  Tracking your site’s ranks on Google for your target keywords is an important part of search engine optimization (SEO). It allows you to report results, discover the cause of traffic gains and losses; and spot the seeds of future success. Mark Nunney explains why to do it and how.

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  Why Google Panda slapped quality sites Posted by Mark Nunney on 26 August 2011

  Google’s Panda update is aimed at low quality sites like content farms. So why is it hurting so many established high quality content sites? Mark Nunney explains why he thinks this happening, what to do about it and what we can all learn from it.

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  How to get things done in SEO Posted by Mark Nunney on 25 August 2011

  Most business is as simple as trying to get the obvious done by people who’s job it is to do it. Yet it’s still difficult. SEO is more difficult still because you need to get the not-so-obvious done by people who have other jobs to do already. Mark Nunney considers the problem of implementation and has some suggestions to help you get things done in SEO.

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  Optimizing the new Google sitelinks (and controlling your brand’s Google SERPs) Posted by Mark Nunney on 17 August 2011

  From today you have a new opportunity to get more visits and response to your site from searches with your brand name. This is because Google has changed how ‘sitelinks’ are shown on its results pages. Mark Nunney explains and shows you how to optimize this opportunity.

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  Link building for editors, journalists and writers Posted by Mark Nunney on 21 July 2011

  In part one of SEO for editorial teams, journalists and writers, we looked at how quality editorial is at the heart of building the links SEO requires. In part two, Mark Nunney looks at how they can help promote their quality content to make sure it gets the precious links it deserves and needs for search engines success.

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  Automatic SEO ecommerce case study: Tahoe Mountain Sports Posted by Mark Nunney on 07 July 2011

  Smart SEO can make your online business more successful by focusing your efforts on the searches (keywords) your buyers are making. This case study shows how Wordtracker Strategizer can save you days of research trying to find those keywords, planning the actions required to target them and reporting your results.

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  What use is a show for SEO? Posted by Mark Nunney on 25 April 2011

  @marknunney and @mald from the @wordtracker team will be at SMX London. To make sure he is spending his time wisely, Mark Nunney challenged show organizer, journalist and SEO practitioner Chris Sherman with the question: What use is a show for SEO? If you like his answers as much as we do then we'll see you at London SMX on 16-17 May.

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  Introduction to Google Analytics Posted by Mark Nunney on 08 April 2011

  Google Analytics (GA) has become an essential tool for many SEOs. Here Mark Nunney introduces some basics of using GA for SEO.

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  A guide to SEO for editorial teams and journalists Posted by Mark Nunney on 01 April 2011

  In this first of a two-part guide to SEO for editorial teams and journalists, Mark Nunney introduces editors to the basics of SEO and gives a step-by-step process that puts editorial at the heart of your SEO.

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  How to go beyond the limits of traditional keyword research Posted by Mark Nunney on 17 February 2011

  Although keyword research is a wonderful thing, it’s not perfect. Mark Nunney looks at the limits of traditional keyword research and how you can go beyond those restrictions to a reliable scientific process.

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  The wonder of keyword research (an introduction) Posted by Mark Nunney on 10 February 2011

  Mark Nunney introduces us to the wonder of keyword research in an extract from his book, Wordtracker Masterclass: Keyword Research - How to deliver visits, response and profits to your website in which he gives a detailed step-by-step guide to a practical keyword research process for new and established sites.

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  Are Google’s local results costing your site traffic? Posted by Mark Nunney on 07 January 2011

  Google now integrates local results (Google Places) into ‘standard’ organic results and it’s going to push your site down and off the page. That means less traffic and response unless you do something about it. Mark Nunney investigates and shows you how to fight back.

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  Best Wordtracker Academy articles of 2010 Posted by Mark Nunney on 21 December 2010

  Prepare your site for the opportunities of 2011 with these outstanding 17 articles from the Wordtracker Academy in 2010 ...

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  Really really really easy SEO Posted by Mark Nunney on 16 December 2010

  More traffic and response with really really really easy SEO (search engine optimization) works by building on your current success - the keywords that already bring response to your site. These keywords are your low-hanging fruit and getting more results from them is child’s play. Mark Nunney explains how to do it.

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  How to successfully optimize a page for over 10,000 keywords Posted by Mark Nunney on 24 September 2010

  How many keywords do each of your website’s pages target? One? Two? With the help of our old friend, the long tail of keywords, Mark Nunney shows how you can optimize a single page for over 10,000 keywords if you ‘target the head and exploit the tail’.

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  How to plan your site structure with keyword research Posted by Mark Nunney on 17 September 2010

  Keyword research can do more than find you profitable keywords to target. With Wordtracker's Keywords Tool you can also plan a site structure optimized for search engines. Mark Nunney explains how.

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  Wordtracker + Google + SEO = Win Posted by Mark Nunney on 10 September 2010

  Google keyword research data is impressive, powerful and now available on Wordtracker Keywords Tool. But make sure you verify its search estimates with alternative sources like Wordtracker’s own. Most importantly, use a keyword research process that ensures you find your site’s most profitable keywords. Mark Nunney explains how Wordtracker can help you.

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  How to make every page a marketing page (and why you should) Posted by Mark Nunney on 23 July 2010

  By adding irresistible offers to unmissable positions on (almost) every page, ThinkingManagers.com more than doubled its response rate. Following his previous article Does your marketing stop when your content starts?, Mark Nunney here shows us how to make every page a marketing page.

  This article is an edited version of a chapter of Wordtracker’s The Website Content Recipe Book – 21 irresistible content ideas to wow visitors and boost your search engine optimization.

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  Does your marketing stop when your content starts? Posted by Mark Nunney on 15 July 2010

  Your website’s content will get noticed, get read and get customers if you use your headline and first paragraph to let readers know what is in it for them. Here I’ll introduce you to some techniques you can use to make that happen.

  This article is an edited version of a chapter of Wordtracker’s The Website Content Recipe Book – 21 irresistible content ideas to wow visitors and boost your search engine optimization.

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  Find your website’s target markets Posted by Mark Nunney on 09 July 2010

  Mark Nunney shows how to start your keyword research for a new site by first finding and then prioritizing your target markets and the keywords associated with them.

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  Keyword Research - how to deliver visits, response and profits to your website Posted by Mark Nunney on 01 July 2010

  Let me introduce you to a practical keyword research process you can use to make your search engine optimization (SEO) and pay per click (PPC) advertising profitable.

• 99 takeaways and top tips from SES London 2010 Posted by Mark Nunney on 20 April 2010

  The Search Engine Strategies (SES) conference in London was once again a great success and I've collected no less than 99 tips, ideas, statistics and memorable quotes from various speakers, panelists and a man in the bar.

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  How to SEO at scale with keyword niches Posted by Mark Nunney on 09 April 2010

  So single keywords are for losers. And a shift in perspective to 'keyword niches' allows you to work at the scale required to maximize profit. In this article, Mark Nunney pins down the definition of a keyword niche with a look at some real life examples that show how single keywords miss the big picture and keyword niches reveal it.

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  Adventures in (long tail keyword) Wonderland Posted by Mark Nunney on 11 March 2010

  How can a small site with few resources benefit from targeting long tail keywords? And won't such strategies and subsequent tactics get in the way of response?

  These questions were raised in comments following our investigation into the long tail of keyword research (and why single keywords are for losers) and I thought I’d use the comments to introduce some practical advice on how to target long tail keywords.

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  Use Google Social Search results to get top rankings for impossibly competitive keywords Posted by Mark Nunney on 11 March 2010

  Ian Howie’s name and company appear on page one of Google’s search results for searches with Google, AdWords, PPC, Wordtracker, Google website optimizer, Yahoo and SEO. They are organic listings with wonderful copy and they’re free. Let’s find out how he does that...

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  The long tail of keyword research (and why single keywords are for losers) Posted by Mark Nunney on 04 March 2010

  In one month, a small website about management and leadership received 95,036 visits from search engines via 44,655 thousand different keywords. That’s a lot of keywords for a little site; and it’s a glimpse into the long tail of keyword research. For most websites, how to make a profit from the long tail is the same as how to make a profit.

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  How to maximize profits by becoming an analysis ninja Posted by Mark Nunney on 28 January 2010

  Web analytics guru, Avinash Kaushik, can teach you how to use data analysis to change the way you make decisions about your website. Ahead of Kaushik's keynote speeches at the Search Engine Strategies (SES) conferences in London and New York, Mark Nunney looks at his vision for Web Analytics 2.0.

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  Are your Superman Pages trapped in a basement full of kryptonite? Posted by Mark Nunney on 30 October 2009

  Your Superman Pages are your most important for search engine optimization (SEO) - the ones you want to perform best on search engines. Get your site's navigation wrong and your Superman Pages will be trapped in a basement full of kryptonite. Here I show how to optimize your website's navigation for search engines and set Superman free.

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  How to beat Wikipedia to the top of Google...and CNN, the BBC, USA Today, ABC News... Posted by Mark Nunney on 26 August 2009

  With permanent search engine optimization (SEO) you can secure and defend the keywords you are successful for and find new keyword niches to target. Mark Nunney explains why SEO never stops and how you can use this to beat the toughest of competition.

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  Interview: Guy Kawasaki learns about keyword research Posted by Mark Nunney on 06 March 2009

  Ahead of his keynote speech at Search Engine Strategies New York, Guy Kawasaki - the man who could have been king of Yahoo - talks with Mark Nunney about Twitter and his site, Alltop. Guy reveals he doesn't do keyword research (so Mark does some SEO and keyword research for Alltop).

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  Say hello at SES London & New York Posted by Mark Nunney on 13 February 2009

  If you're attending the Search Engine Strategies Conference (SES) at London or New York then say hello to myself and Shahid Awan, Wordtracker's new search evangelist.

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  How to Twitter Posted by Mark Nunney on 02 February 2009

  Twitter is a powerful (micro)blogging site you can use to spread your message around the globe.

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  The SEO pro's secret path Posted by Mark Nunney on 18 November 2008

  Your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) should focus on achieving success for the keywords that will deliver the most profit. That seems obvious but how do you find and prioritize those keywords? SEO pro Mark Nunney introduces the process so you can apply it to your own site.

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  Why SEO for profit must target groups of keywords Posted by Mark Nunney on 17 October 2008

  You know targeting keywords is important, but targeting single keywords with your SEO is unlikely to be profitable – SEO for profit must target groups of keywords. Here we’ll tell you why and explain how.

• What is Google Page Rank and how do I measure it? Posted by Mark Nunney on 15 August 2007

  Google PageRank is a rough guide from Google to the popularity of your site's pages according to its inbound links. Although quick, it’s crude and often gives the wrong impression so use alongside other metrics. Here's how to find out your site's Google Page Ranks.

• Website structure optimized for search engines Posted by Mark Nunney on 15 August 2007

  A website with ambitions to support even a modest business will need to plan for hundreds, soon thousands of pages, and all that content has to be organized for users and search engines or it might be lost to them both.

• Tracking your site visitor statistics Posted by Mark Nunney on 15 August 2007

  Use site statistics analysis software to monitor your site’s visitors, referrers, sales and other ‘wanted actions’ like newsletter sign-ups etc.

• Using Alexa Rank to measure your site's performance Posted by Mark Nunney on 15 August 2007

  Alexa Rank ranks your site's popularity in visitor numbers as measured by those who have used Alexa’s toolbar. It's also great for spying on competitors' sites.

• How to monitor your SERPs rankings Posted by Mark Nunney on 15 August 2007

  To get visitors from search engines, your website's pages need to be listed and seen on page one of Search Engines' Results Pages (SERPs). That means you need to track your sites' SERPs for target keywords. Here’s how.

• How to find out how many pages on your site are indexed by Google Posted by Mark Nunney on 15 August 2007

  Every site owner needs to know that Google has indexed all their site's pages. Here's how to find out.

• How to count your site's inbound links Posted by Mark Nunney on 15 August 2007

  Inbound links are links from other sites to yours, and they are crucial in all but the least competitive of markets (and even in those you need some links). You therefore need to know how many inbound links your site has.