Grant Simmons

Seasoned fractional SEO/GEO strategist/consultant, husband, father, sailor, speaker & Ambassador for @Waikay_X | Available for *interesting* projects 🇬🇧🇺🇸

[Grant Simmons @simmonet]

@GorgeousJords 🤣🤣🤣

[Grant Simmons @simmonet]

"Context is King"

[Cyrus Maxx @CyrusShepard]

Can you leverage "Anchor Context" for SEO?

Google tells us to place <links> in relevant context, but most folks don't realize how Google can use those signals to evaluate links and ultimately rank webpages.

A patent by Anna Patterson and Paul Haahr (two titans of Google search), "Ranking based on reference contexts" explains how Google can utilize RARE words before and after the anchor text to determine context

Google can then use this context as a *distinct* ranking factor

Google’s API leak documents attributes that measure this exact thing: fullLeftContext, fullRightContext, and context2 — defined as “a hash of terms near the anchor.”

Patterson and Haahr explain that Google can rank pages “based on the number of different contexts associated with the links”

More diverse + relevant contexts = good.

On the other hand, if a lot of "contexts" look suspiciously similar, Google could label the links as spam

Importantly, Google talks about finding the "rare" words around the anchor text - words found with greater frequency than the rest of the page.

Most people—and link-building platforms—focus on anchor text and stop there. But context can be important!

[Cyrus Maxx @CyrusShepard]

Can you leverage "Anchor Context" for SEO?

Google tells us to place <links> in relevant context, but most folks don't realize how Google can use those signals to evaluate links and ultimately rank webpages.

A patent by Anna Patterson and Paul Haahr (two titans of Google search), "Ranking based on reference contexts" explains how Google can utilize RARE words before and after the anchor text to determine context

Google can then use this context as a *distinct* ranking factor

Google’s API leak documents attributes that measure this exact thing: fullLeftContext, fullRightContext, and context2 — defined as “a hash of terms near the anchor.”

Patterson and Haahr explain that Google can rank pages “based on the number of different contexts associated with the links”

More diverse + relevant contexts = good.

On the other hand, if a lot of "contexts" look suspiciously similar, Google could label the links as spam

Importantly, Google talks about finding the "rare" words around the anchor text - words found with greater frequency than the rest of the page.

Most people—and link-building platforms—focus on anchor text and stop there. But context can be important!

[Grant Simmons @simmonet]

If you can add value to qn HTML sitemap (relevant categories and descriptions etc) they can actually have some value, and often used as a bandaid for poor site IA.

Good short-term option when dev is slow.

BUT… there's more juice from the squeeze on mid to larger sites by spending the time to fix the IA problem, as opposed to bandaid it and 🤞

[Grant Simmons @simmonet]

@Hobo_Web It's not GEO or SEO, its “relevance engineering” 😂

[Grant Simmons @simmonet]

@wilreynolds This would have saved me a few gray hairs and client comms. Nicely done.

[Grant Simmons @simmonet]

@CyrusShepard Kind of most of what @Waikay_X does :-)

[Grant Simmons @simmonet]

@Hobo_Web “Research paper” 🤣

[Grant Simmons @simmonet]

@Hobo_Web 💯

[Grant Simmons @simmonet]

@MarkPreston1969 Luv’ly

[Advanced Web Ranking @awebranking]

Think of Google as the world’s biggest library. If your website is the equivalent of books scattered across the floor, search engines will struggle to understand what matters.

@simmonet explains why site architecture and internal linking are essential for making content easier to understand and discover. 👇

[Grant Simmons @simmonet]

@MordyOberstein @brightonseo @SERanking No socks

[Grant Simmons @simmonet]

@RemcoTensen @OmiSido @gramm_football @aibloodmoon @MalharBarai @DavidAmerland @MontseCano @AndyBeard @GrowMap @essentialskill @moniscope @eYordanov @bhartzer @googleadviseur @cyberandy @searchrook @blueglass @dawnieando @marc_laclear @RicRodriguez_UK @seoconspiracy @JeffGapinski @Ronaldosbornebc @zigojacko @kristileilani @JarnoVanDriel @Netanel @darth_na @robinlmay @JohnMu @terryvanhorne @SEOJoBlogs @rustybrick @micahfk @IAmJoseNieves @chippy @JudithLewis @jennyhalasz @dergal @searchmartin @MalteLandwehr @JonDMyers @AntonShulkeNT @smx @Waikay_X @DigitalSummits @Ryanair @brightonseo Never let the British way define you 😁

[Grant Simmons @simmonet]

@OmiSido @gramm_football @aibloodmoon @RemcoTensen @MalharBarai @DavidAmerland @MontseCano @AndyBeard @GrowMap @essentialskill @moniscope @eYordanov @bhartzer @googleadviseur @cyberandy @searchrook @blueglass @dawnieando @marc_laclear @RicRodriguez_UK @seoconspiracy @JeffGapinski @Ronaldosbornebc @zigojacko @kristileilani @JarnoVanDriel @Netanel @darth_na @robinlmay @JohnMu @terryvanhorne @SEOJoBlogs @rustybrick @micahfk @IAmJoseNieves @chippy @JudithLewis @jennyhalasz @dergal @searchmartin @MalteLandwehr @JonDMyers @AntonShulkeNT @smx @Waikay_X @DigitalSummits @Ryanair @brightonseo @grok Flight delays = missed lunch

[Braver Angels @braverangels]

🚨 Happening tonight!

A moderated peer group meeting to discuss challenging situations

Join fellow Braver Angels members in a small group setting to discuss challenging situations you've encountered. Share your experiences, reflect together, and strengthen your Braver Angels skills through peer learning.The event is carefully and kindly moderated. This is a space for personal reflection and supportive connection—not for giving advice to others.

[Grant Simmons @simmonet]

@seosmarty Hat tip to @Hobo_Web 🧢
Surfaced this from Google leak docs a few years ago. 🐐

[Grant Simmons @simmonet]

“Based on my tweets as [my handle] and the attached photo can you please create a vintage 1960’s movie poster of me?”

Think it did pretty good, captured my ‘esprit de vie’ nicely, though I did have to upload a picture of me as well to actually get it to look anything like me.

[Grant Simmons @simmonet]

@OmiSido @brightonseo @JudithLewis Moi. Not speaking. But always up for a chat. 😁

[Grant Simmons @simmonet]

@RyanJones @SERP_recon Congrats Mr Jones