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- 25 Oct
Why Meta Titles and Descriptions Are So Critically Important For SEO
- Oct 25, 2019
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Digital Media Trends, Search Engine Optimization, SEO
If you’ve ever tried optimizing your website for search engines, you may have come across things such as Meta Titles and Meta Descriptions. These two are central to any SEO strategy. And they must to be considered and edited before publishing a piece of content or allowing a website to go live.
What is SEO and Why is it Important?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. And it is critically important because of how search engines work.
When someone begins a search on an engine, they type what they are looking for into the search bar. This ‘request’ then uses the search platform’s algorithm to find the information. And in order to do this, the algorithm searches things such as matching words in the content, images that could potentially correlate with the query. But importantly, it looks for it’s top clues in the Meta Titles and Meta Descriptions.
But if you’ve never even touched the SEO side of your website, this article by Konstantin Rabin on Jeff Bullas’ Blog will certainly convince you that it’s an absolute must to have if you want your business to succeed.
Read the full article on Jeff Bullas’ Blog.
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- 05 Aug
How to Use Topic Clusters to Drive SEO Performance
- Aug 05, 2019
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Content Marketing, Keyword Strategies, SEO
Today, it’s no longer enough to do keyword research. While this has served as the basis of the vast majority of SEO strategies over the last decade-plus when creating content, it is beginning to drift into the fog of history. Now, we need to think more holistically about our content.
And That Means Using “Topic Clusters.” But, What are Topic Clusters?
Topic clusters are a relatively new way to think about how to write and organize content. From now on, no blog post, article, or other digital content should exist only to include the odd long-tail keyword phrase. When you write, you must think about where your content fits into the bigger picture – a picture that a topic cluster content model builds for you.
But, why are content marketers and strategists using them? And how can you start using them yourself? Let’s examine the topic and see if it’s a good fit for what you want to accomplish in this article by Eric Goldschein on Jeffbullas’s Blog.
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- 16 Jul
SEO is More Than Just Keywords and Links
- Jul 16, 2019
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Content Marketing, Digital Marketing, SEO
The traditional ways of using keywords and links to build SEO rank is changing. As search has moved towards artificial intelligence, and now seeks to determine intent, the dynamics of what was good SEO have evolved. Now, instead of relying specifically on keywords we need to focus on new factors.
Ch, Ch, Ch, Changes . . .
Admittedly, the traditional SEO practices are not dead. But they are becoming more and more outdated. Today, there are a range of other factors that can affect your ranking results. Chief among them are your critical digital assests, your content and web pages.
And if you see that SEO and the performance of your digital assets is is important, then you need ot understand that SEO can be a full time job. And keeping up with the latest trends is difficult as the space becomes more complex. So to help, here are some general SEO tips to think about when writing content and building out your pages on the Heinz Marketing Blog.
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- 08 Jun
Bing PPC Ads: How They Work and How It Compares to Google Ads
- Jun 08, 2019
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Bing, Google, Pay-Per-Click, Search Engine Marketing
For most of us in marketing, when we talk about Pay-Per-Click, we usuall think of Google. Alternatives to the search giant are either not considered or relegated to a minor role. But, Bing, the search engine is powered by Microsoft, strives to outdo Google at every turn. And it has some value that we may not have considered before.
Bing, Working to be The Giant Killer
It’s an ambitious goal. But, there is one place where Bing differentiates itself is through its Pay Per Click ads or PPC. While Google Ads offers a popular PPC feature, Bing’s has unique advantages that distinguish itself from the search engine giant. And, if you’re the cost-conscious owner of a small- to medium-sized business, you may be more interested in Bing’s PPC benefits than Google’s.
To find out why and to see a break down how Bing PPC ads work, as well as how they compare to Google Ads, read the full article at HubSpot.com
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- 22 Apr
Three Actionable SEO Techniques to Improve Your Website Right Now
- Apr 22, 2019
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Digital Marketing, Keyword Strategies, Search Engine Marketing
by Matt Bassos
We have been told over and over by digital marketers that you need to be serious about SEO. Now, businesses that rely on organic search visibility for sales and conversions know the importance of SEO.
And ranking for keywords is becoming harder and more time-consuming. The complexity is increasing with each iteration of Google, Bing and Yahoo as they mold their algorithms to create a better search experience for their users.
But you can still take steps to improve your organic-search visibility. It all comes down to building the authority of your business and brand across the Web. In this article by Matt Bassos, he gives us three actions to take to ensure better SEO results, particularly if yours is a relatively new business.
So, to learn what they are and how to use them, read the full article at MarketingProfs.com
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- 09 Apr
How User Intent Affects Your SEO Performance: Intent-Based Keyword Research
- Apr 09, 2019
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Search Engine Marketing, SEO, Website Conversion Strategies
by Inna Yatsyna
Early in the ‘era of search’ keyword research was quite a simple thing. All that was needed was to collect a wide range of all the words somehow connected with your content. And then, it would rank high. At the time, search engines’ algorithms were mechanical and robotic. So, looking for the pages relevant to queries, they relied on the number of similar keywords.
Times, They are a Ch, Ch, Ch, Changing . . .
Some of the newer technologies of machine learning now allow search engines to provide users with high-quality and relevant results based on their intent, not just on the words they use. That’s why building your SEO strategy around high-volume keywords doesn’t work anymore. Today there are loads of factors which matter for your website ranking and for traffic it drives. And user intent is one that matters significantly.
Well, what actually is user intent? And how can you use it? In this article, Inna Yatsyna takes a look at what user intent is, and how it should affect your keyword research. So to better understand it, and equip you to be able to develop your SEO and improve your content strategy, read the full article at Jeff Bullas’s Blog.
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- 07 Mar
The Local Search Factors That Matter Most
- Mar 07, 2019
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Local SEO, Localization Strategies, Search Engine Marketing
by Ayaz Nanji
Marketers say succeeding on local search often simply comes down to a business’s location. And this opinion is backed up by recent research from Moz.
Think Local . . . Easy to Say. Hard to Do
How to use a tool that has a global presence and is built to span the globe, for a local business, has challenged marketers since the inception of the Worldwide Web. So Moz took a deeper look into this issue. They wanted to understand how some marketers are addressing this dilemma. They went about this through a survey of more than 1,400 local marketers. And these were people who work either in-house for businesses or for agencies specific to localization.
Some of their findings may come as a surprise. But, for the most part, they found that for some, proximity to the searcher is the top factor determining ranking in Google’s Local Pack. To see more of the data and insights as well as a chance to download the original report, read the full article at MarketingProfs
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- 17 Oct
Top 10 Ways to Improve Your Local SEO Right Now
- Oct 17, 2018
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Google AdWords, Lcoal SEO, Search Engine Marketing
Local SEO is essential to smaller businesses. They operate on a regional, as opposed to a national, level. So, while national SEO focuses more on ranking in searches across the country, local SEO prioritizes appearing on SERPs in a specific location. And, this strategy relies on marketing your products and services to local leads.
Doesn’t it Just Make Sense to Go Where Your Customers Are?
Optimizing your local SEO means more website traffic, leads, and conversions. And this is because the strategy is more relevant to your base of local customers. Think of this focused strategy as a way to help you compete more effectively against larger national brands. They have unlimited resources to spend. You don’t And by focusing on specific local-SEO to-dos, you can neutralize their advantage.
After all, 35% of all search traffic is local according to an estimate in a 2017 ReviewTrackers’ study. So, without local SEO, your business could be losing out on a significant amount of traffic. So to help you begin to “Go Local,” here are the top 10 ways you can make your local SEO successful.
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- 08 Aug
How to Do Keyword Research for SEO: A Beginner’s Guide
- Aug 08, 2018
- admin
- 0
- Google, Search Engine Marketing, SEO
by Rachel Leist
Google always manages to keep us on our toes with all the algorithm updates they keep rollin’ out. But, one thing has stayed pretty consistent for inbound marketers looking to optimize their websites for search: keyword research.
Yep, the need to do keyword research has stayed the same. But, how you actually do it hasn’t. With all of the changes Google has thrown at us and the added techniques and tools that came with those changes means that finding those golden ticket keywords has changed as well.
So, if you are wondering How to Research Keywords for Your SEO Strategy, then read the full article at HubSpot.com
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- 16 Jul
Google Responsive Search Ads: 13 Facts & Best Practices You Need to Know
- Jul 16, 2018
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Google, Google AdWords, Paid Search Marketing
by Mark Irvine
Google never disappoints at their annual Google Marketing Live event. And this year was no exception. Among the many new ad features and tools they announced, one in particular stuck out as a real potential game-changer – Responsive Search Ads.
Google Newest, Largest, Most Flexible Search Ad Format
Responsive Search Ads are potentially the most revolutionary change coming to your search campaigns since 2016, when Google first released Expanded Search Ads.
So, what exactly is changing? Here are 13 things advertisers need to know about Responsive Search Ads at WordStream.com
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- 14 Jul
11 Big Changes Coming to Google Ads: What You Need to Know
- Jul 14, 2018
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Google, Google AdWords, Search Engine Marketing
by Allen Finn
Recently, at Google’s Marketing Live event a whole host of changes were announced. And any one of those changes can have a huge impact on your digital marketing efforts.
During the event, Google Senior VP of Ads, Sridhar Ramaswamy noted that today we operate in a world packed with more curious consumers. Those consumers are far more demanding. And they are way more impatient.
But, People Aren’t Stupid
And that means that today, our prospects expect us to deliver in our ads. They expect ads that offer personalized, hyper-relevant solutions, not generalizations. They want answers yesterday. And they want to save money. Put more eloquently Sridhar said that, “People don’t see value in advertising if they don’t feel valued by advertising.”
So, to see the 11 most interesting features and changes announced at Google Marketing Live, read the full article at WordStream.com
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- 11 Jul
The Only Off-Page SEO Walkthrough You’ll Ever Need
- Jul 11, 2018
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Digital Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, SEO
When it comes to SEO, there are two approaches you can take to increase the search rankings of your website. They are on- and off-page SEO. On-page deals with what you can do on your own site to increase your rankings. While off-page deals with what you can do outside your site (on other sites, hence, off-page) to raise your rankings.
Both are equally vital to making sure that your site gets found in search
Optimizing your site for off-page SEO means you’ll have to improve the way that both users and search engines see your site in terms of credibility, authority, popularity and relevance, just to name a few factors. A broad simplification of this is that other sites on the web (ideally, respectable ones) will link to your content to essentially promote or vouch for it. Which, circling back now, has major benefits for your site’s reputation.
But, how can you make it really work for you? And why should you worry about it? Find out by reading the entire article at WordStream.com
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- 05 Jul
Goodbye, AdWords. Hello Google Ads
- Jul 05, 2018
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Google, Google AdWords, Search Engine Marketing
by Allen Finn
Google has made the executive decision. They are going to consolidate its overwhelming abundance of ad products under three brand new umbrellas. this will include their Google Ads, Google Marketing Platform, and Google Ads Manager. And, in fact, in the process, we are saying goodbye to the digital marketing world’s favorite: AdWords.
You Didn’t Misread That
Google is in fact sunsetting AdWords, but in name alone. This and a slew of other shakeups (more consolidation! Smart Campaigns!) were announced by Google’s Senior VP of Ads and Commerce, Sridhar Ramaswamy.
If you are wonder what this all means and why this rebrand is happening now. Or if you would like to understand what Google Ads means for the future of keywords, then read the full article at WordStream.com
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- 02 Jul
The Easy Guide to Optimizing Your Google My Business Listing
- Jul 02, 2018
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Lead Generation, Marketing for Small Business, SEO
It’s always been a challenge to see any real success of local SEO. From link building to on-page and technical SEO, you still have to get the fundamentals of SEO absolutely right.
Google My Business – The Linchpin of Local SEO Success
One area to pay extra-close attention to is Google My Business. Without a well-optimized GMB listing you won’t get noticed. In fact, your chances of appearing in Google features like the Local Pack and Maps are going to be slim. With 97% of consumers looking online for local businesses in 2017, you need to do everything you can to be as visible as possible in front of this local audience.
Google My Business Now Offers a Whole New Slate of Features
With a whole host of new features for you to take advantage of, there’s plenty you can do to ensure this linchpin of local SEO is fully optimized. Not only that, it’ll encourage users to get in touch with you and convert, right from the listing itself. So, let’s take a look at some of the most useful features, and how you can use them to boost your local SEO on WordStream.com
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- 05 Jun
8 Ways to Cross-Sell/Upsell Customers with Search & Social Ads
- Jun 05, 2018
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Loyalty Marketing, Search Engine Marketing, Social Media Marketing
Did you know that 32% of customers order again from the same company. And they tend to do that within their first year of becoming a customer?
The best – and cheapest – opportunities are the ones you already have
Running efficient advertising campaigns to re-convert past customers can a gold mine. Now, while it might seem counter-intuitive to re-invest in the same individuals, running paid campaigns for cross-sell/upsell has high value. But, experience shows that it can increase each customer’s lifetime value. Plus, it can boost the over all average order value of that customer. And that means increasing your revenue within your existing customer base.
So, to see how you can do this through search and social ads, read the full article at WordStream.com
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- 18 May
Five Ways to Use Social for SEO and Vice Versa
- May 18, 2018
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- SEO, Social Media, Website Conversion Strategies
Sure, your tweets may show up in certain Google searches. But we know that social media links don’t figure in SEO link-building (or we’d all rank for everything). Plus, unless someone is searching specifically for your Twitter profile or Facebook page, those social SERP results typically don’t convert leads into customers. We also know that SEO efforts don’t have the same effect on social algorithms as they do on search engines.
Social media and SEO are often viewed as mutually exclusive marketing practices.
There are inherent issues in treating social like SEO and SEO like social. So what’s the point in SEO marketers working with social media and community managers and vice versa? Though it seems they’re on two ends of the marketing spectrum, there is quite a bit of overlap that can benefit both sides.
Here are five ways that SEO marketers and social media/community managers can work together to improve their respective practices at MarketingProfs.com
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- 12 Apr
Get Web Traffic Without Relying on Google – or Spending a Dime
- Apr 12, 2018
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Google, Google AdWords, Marketing for Small Business, Search Engine Marketing
by Neil Patel
As of this month, Google had almost 75% of the search engine market share. And that means that far more people are looking for information on Google than on any other search engine. So, if you have a new website, you should be putting most of your energy into ranking on Google, right?
That May Not be the Best Way
There’s no doubt that Google is a big player when it comes to generating web traffic and that AdWords can help you get where you want to go – fast. But not everyone who is just starting out can afford to go all in on AdWords.
So, how do you get website traffic without relying on Google? Believe it or not, it’s possible. And you can even do it for free. And to learn how, read the full article at KISSmetrics.com
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- 12 Feb
What Impact Does Google AMP Have On SEO? Here’s Everything You Need To Know
- Feb 12, 2018
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Digital Marketing, Google, Search Engine Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, SEO, Website Conversion Strategies
Accelerated Mobile Pages (aka Google AMP), is an open source initiative backed by Google. It helps publishers design mobile-friendly pages that load instantly on mobile devices. And on February of 2016, Google officially integrated Accelerated Mobile Page results into its mobile search results.
This new algorithm has given priority to speed on mobile devices
The net result of this is that now marketers need to be acutely aware of the affects that Google AMP will have. And, they need to know how this is impacting their website, content and all the other areas of their marketing efforts.
The more you understand about the impact that AMP can have on your business the better
Speed appears to be an area that ranks high with users. And Google is looking to maximize this fact with the creation of AMP. However, there are key things that all marketers should be aware of that go well beyond this when it comes to Google AMP. And to learn what they are, read the full article at Jeffbullas’s Blog.
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- 05 Feb
What Google’s New Ad Settings Mean for Your Remarketing Campaigns
- Feb 05, 2018
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Facebook, Facebook Marketing, Google, Search Engine Marketing
by Allen Finn
Changes are coming fresh on the heels of Facebook announcing a major overhaul of how its News Feed delivers content to users. Google has decided to get in on the user experience party now. Per an announcement from Jon Krafcik, Google’s Group Product Manager of Data Privacy and Transparency, Facebook is changing things up. The search juggernaut is building on the “Mute this Ad” feature it rolled out in 2012.
Why? And how will this affect your remarketing campaigns?
In short, Google is giving prospects more ways to avoid our attempts at wooing them with remarketing ads. But how is this going to impact your business? Great question. Now, read the answers at WordStream.com
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- 02 Dec
When Is SEM Right for Your Company?
- Dec 02, 2017
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Bing, Google, Lead Generation, Search Engine Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, SEO, Website Conversion Strategies, Yahoo!
You’ve probably heard a lot about search engine marketing. But depending on your goals and budget, it might not be right for your small business.
SEO? SEM? Which is Which?
Many business owners struggle with how, when, or if to use search engine optimization (SEO). And many are unsure of if they really need search engine marketing (SEM). While both tactics are beneficial, several factors need to go into the decision-making process—depending on each business owner’s goals and budget.
To find out if SEM is right for your company, read the full article at Manta.com