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What can you do about old website URLs that are still indexed by Google? I received this question recently:
I was just contacting you to ask you about some of the links from my original website. When I put my name into a search engine quite a few pages from my original website come up like the news page etc and when you click on these it does take you to my new site with a page not found message. I was wondering what I should do about this, is there a way to stop these results showing? It isn’t too bad as someone could still go to the links and get to active pages but I was a little worried that it could send people away. I am hoping you may be able to help?
I’ve just spent an interesting evening attending a meetup / webinar called “Let’s Talk Content Design,” hosted by the UX Glasgow Meetup group.
Defining Content Design
Several speakers talked about this quote from Sarah Winters, defining content design:
Content design is a way of thinking… It’s about using data and evidence to give the audience what they need, at the time they need it, and in a way they expect.
I’ve been having fun with Google Analytics this week😃.
Yesterday, I needed to add statistical tracking to our Digital Education Team blogs on the University’s hosted version of WordPress. This has previously been no problem (eg with this blog), but with the new blogs, it didn’t work.
I created a new Google account for the team with our non-Gmail address, and that turned out to be fine.
I set up a Google Analytics account for the team, and that all seemed to work too.
But when I tried to connect my Analytics account to the Beehive Pro statistics plugin in the blog, it couldn’t find the website listed in my account. It said there wasn’t a ViewID. I was able to authenticate the Google account with the plugin, but the plugin couldn’t find anything in my Analytics account to associate with it.
Here is a summary of the Google Analytics account structure:
Organizations: An organization is an optional way to represent a company, which lets you access your company’s product accounts (e.g., Analytics, Tag Manager, Optimize), and manage product users, permissions, and cross-product integrations.
Accounts: You need at least one account so you can have access to Analytics, and so you can identify the properties you want to track. An account can be used to manage one or more properties.
Properties: A property is a website, mobile application, or device. When you add a property to an account, Analytics generates the tracking code that you use to collect data from that property. The tracking code contains a unique ID that identifies the data from that property, and identifies it in your reports.
Views: a View is (or was) a defined view of data from a property. Users are given access to a view so they can see the reports based on that view’s data. Analytics creates one unfiltered view for each property you add, and allows you to create more defined views using filters.
So, what could have gone wrong?
The first thing I checked was the Analytics account permissions, in case my plugin, although authenticated with Google, wasn’t actually authorised to do anything. But these all appeared to be correct: I had granted the default permission set of "Edit, Collaborate, Read & Analyse, Manage Users", so all the required permissions were there.
However, looking in the Analytics account, many things did look different from the various help and instructions available. They also looked different from my own personal account:
The Tracking info option wasn’t listed under Admin > Property.
There were no Views listed in the Admin panel, and I couldn’t see any way of adding one.
I noticed that the tracking code for my web property began with 'G-' instead of the usual 'UA-'.
There were a lot more interactions available for tracking
US President Donald Trump: He’s hacked, but is he fired?
I have no idea how the election will go, and I don’t want to comment on politics here, but I’ve just read a very interesting article about the Trump campaign site being hacked.
Today I attended a very interesting training session on Accessibility Statement Writing, run by some of the Disability Officers.
One point they stressed several times was to get an accessibility statement started and published, which could then be improved upon. They suggested using automated tools as a good place to start, although they wouldn’t catch every potential issue.
The Station Hotel in Perth: a very nice place to spend a day, with nice coffee and lovely chocolate orange cake!
I had a very interesting trip to Perth yesterday, to attend the Scottish Unitarian Churches’ Social Media and Communications Workshop. (I have a small side job updating the website and doing some of the social media posting for my church).
It was a great opportunity to network with people in similar roles at other Scottish churches, and to hear the latest communications-related news, tips and advice from Dr Rory Castle Jones, the Unitarians UK Communications Officer.
Communications: Traditional and Modern
Rory started off by comparing Traditional and Modern Communications channels.
Traditional channels of communication would include:
Leaflets
Posters
Press releases
Newsletters
Modern channels of communication would include:
Websites
Social media
Blogs
Email lists
So, Why should Churches use Social Media?
The UK has 45 million social media users, who on average use social media for 1 hr 50 minutes per day.
Here are some of the things churches can use social media for:
Publicising services
Publicising events
Connecting with the community
Explaining your faith
It seems very appropriate to include a tweet from Rory, showing the workshop getting started:
Scottish Unitarians’ Communications workshop getting underway in Perth, with inspiring opening by Rev Rob Whiteman on communications in a time of #coronavirus fear & confusion @UKUnitarianspic.twitter.com/kyawdhaqyI
