You’re not just optimizing for search engines; you’re creating an engaging user experience that drives conversions. With GEO, you can stay ahead of the competition by continuously producing relevant, valuable content. Ready to revolutionize your digital strategy? Let’s dive into the world of generative engine optimization.

What is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)?

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) represents a shift from traditional SEO. By leveraging advanced algorithms, GEO creates tailored content that meets audience needs. This method prioritizes producing engaging, high-quality material over simply focusing on keywords and backlinks.

GEO integrates machine learning to analyze user behavior. It identifies trends, preferences, and patterns to generate content that resonates with your audience. Consequently, this approach leads to improved search engine rankings and user engagement.

GEO also optimizes content creation efficiency. Automated systems produce relevant material, reducing time and resource expenditure. This efficiency allows businesses to maintain a consistent content schedule and adapt rapidly to market changes.

In essence, what is generative engine optimization? It’s an innovative method that enhances digital presence by focusing on content quality and user experience. By adopting GEO, you can stay competitive in the evolving digital landscape.

Why is Generative Engine Optimization Important?

Generative engine optimization (GEO) holds significant importance in the digital landscape for several reasons:

Enhanced Content Quality: GEO utilizes advanced algorithms to create high-quality content tailored to your audience’s preferences. This ensures the content is both relevant and engaging, which is crucial for retaining visitors.

Improved User Experience: By analyzing user behavior and trends, GEO generates content that meets the specific interests of your audience. A better user experience can lead to higher engagement rates and more prolonged site visits.

Higher Conversion Rates: GEO’s ability to produce audience-specific content can drive higher conversion rates. Engaged users are more likely to take desired actions, whether it’s making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter.

Operational Efficiency: GEO automates content creation, allowing you to maintain a consistent content schedule. This efficiency helps in quickly adapting to market changes and staying ahead of the competition.

Competitive Advantage: Implementing GEO provides a competitive edge by focusing on quality content and user experience. In an evolving digital market, these factors are critical for maintaining and growing your online presence.

GEO is not just about improving search engine rankings; it’s about creating a comprehensive strategy that enhances every aspect of your digital engagement.

What are the Benefits of Generative Engine Optimization?

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) offers numerous advantages for digital content strategies. Enhanced content quality stands out as a primary benefit. By using advanced algorithms, GEO ensures that the content it generates is relevant and engaging. For instance, user behavior analysis allows GEO to tailor content to specific audience preferences, fostering higher engagement rates.

Improved user experience is another significant benefit. GEO’s capability to align content with user interests leads to longer site visits and higher interaction levels. For example, when users find content that resonates with their needs, they tend to explore further and spend more time on the site.

Higher conversion rates result from GEO’s ability to produce audience-specific content. Engaged users, who interact with tailored content, are more likely to take desired actions, such as making a purchase or subscribing to a newsletter. This targeted approach increases the likelihood of conversions.

GEO also boosts operational efficiency in content creation. Automated systems streamline the process, enabling businesses to maintain a consistent content schedule. This efficiency is critical in adapting quickly to market changes, giving you a competitive edge. Businesses can focus on producing high-quality content while the automated GEO systems handle content generation and optimization.

Understanding how GEO works can provide deeper insights into these benefits. For example, leveraging machine learning and data analysis to create tailored content for different audience segments. Knowing how to do generative engine optimization effectively ensures that the content remains relevant and engaging across various touchpoints.

Overall, adopting GEO can significantly enhance your digital presence by improving content quality, user experience, and operational efficiency. By focusing on these benefits, you ensure that your content strategy remains effective and competitive in an ever-evolving digital landscape.

The Differences Between Search Engine Optimization vs. Generative Engine Optimization?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) serve different functions in digital marketing. While both aim to improve website visibility, their approaches and tools differ significantly.

Focus and Methodology

SEO emphasizes optimizing website elements like keywords, meta tags, and backlinks to enhance search engine rankings. It uses established strategies to align with search engine algorithms. Examples include keyword research, on-page optimization, and link-building.

GEO, on the other hand, leverages advanced algorithms to generate high-quality content automatically. This content is tailored to your audience’s preferences, thus improving user engagement and conversion rates. Understanding how GEO works, including its use of machine learning to analyze user behavior, is crucial for any effective digital strategy.

Content Creation

SEO requires manual content creation and updates, making it labor-intensive. It focuses on incorporating specific keywords to target search queries. For instance, identifying high-volume keywords and integrating them into blog posts or landing pages.

GEO automates content creation, making it more efficient. By analyzing user data, GEO generates content that resonates with your audience, ensuring relevance and engagement. This automated approach allows for a consistent content schedule, adapting quickly to market changes.

User Experience

SEO aims to bring users to your site through optimized search engine results. However, maintaining user engagement requires ongoing content updates and manual optimizations.

GEO excels in creating a personalized user experience by delivering content tailored to individual preferences. This results in longer site visits and higher interaction levels, fostering a more engaging online environment.

Efficiency and Adaptability

SEO involves continuous monitoring and updating of strategies to maintain or improve rankings. This can be time-consuming and requires regular attention to algorithm updates.

GEO streamlines the content creation process, enabling faster adaptation to market trends. By producing high-quality content efficiently, GEO allows businesses to maintain operational efficiency without compromising content relevance.

Conversion Rates

SEO aims to attract traffic through search engine rankings. While it can lead to conversions, the process is often slower and relies heavily on manual updates and optimizations.

GEO focuses on generating content that drives user actions, such as making a purchase or subscribing to a newsletter. By aligning content with user interests, GEO significantly boosts conversion rates, making it a valuable tool for achieving business goals.

Incorporating keywords such as “how to do GEO” into your content strategy can help answer common queries and enhance your digital presence.

How To Do Generative Engine Optimization

To implement generative engine optimization (GEO), you must follow a systematic approach to optimize content creation. Here’s a step-by-step guide to doing GEO effectively:

Analyze Data

Collect user data to understand their behavior and preferences. Use analytics tools like Google Analytics and heatmaps to gather insights. This data will inform your content generation strategy.

Define Goals

Set clear, measurable goals for your GEO efforts. Whether it’s increasing site traffic, improving user engagement, or boosting conversions, having specific targets helps align your strategy with business objectives.

Leverage Machine Learning

Incorporate machine learning algorithms to analyze the collected data. Tools like TensorFlow or IBM Watson can help. These algorithms identify trends and patterns, enabling the creation of audience-specific content.

Generate Content

Utilize advanced algorithms to automate content creation. Platforms like GPT-3 and Jasper AI produce high-quality content tailored to user preferences. Ensure the content is relevant and engaging to resonate with your audience.

Optimize Regularly

Regularly update and optimize the generated content based on new data and changing user behavior. Machine learning models can adapt to these changes, ensuring that your content remains relevant.

Monitor Performance

Track the performance of your GEO efforts using KPIs like bounce rate, time on site, and conversion rates. Use these metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of your strategy and make necessary adjustments.

Maintain Consistency

Ensure a consistent content schedule by automating the publishing process. This consistency strengthens your digital presence and keeps your audience engaged.

Using these steps, you can effectively leverage generative engine optimization to enhance your content strategy and achieve your business goals.

Frequently Asked Questions About Generative Engine Optimization

Generative engine optimization (GEO) offers numerous benefits for businesses looking to enhance their online presence. Below, you’ll find answers to some common questions about GEO.

Will Generative Engine Optimization Drive More Traffic To My Website?

Yes, generative engine optimization can drive more traffic to your website. Unlike traditional SEO, GEO creates audience-specific content that resonates well, improving user engagement and increasing search engine rankings. By analyzing user behavior and preferences, GEO tailors content to attract relevant visitors, ultimately boosting overall site traffic.

How Can I Measure The Success Of My Generative Engine Optimization Efforts?

To measure GEO success, monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) such as engagement rates, user retention, and conversion rates. Analyze site metrics like time on page, bounce rate, and organic traffic. Ensure that your GEO strategy aligns with your business goals, whether it’s increasing sales or gaining more newsletter subscribers. Regularly reviewing these KPIs helps assess how GEO is contributing to your objectives.

What Tools Will Help Me With Generative Engine Optimization?

Several tools can assist with GEO. Machine learning platforms like TensorFlow and Google Cloud AI provide insights into user behavior and preferences. Content generation tools such as Jasper.ai and Copy.ai automate the creation of high-quality, audience-specific content. Analytics tools like Google Analytics and SEMrush help track performance and optimize ongoing GEO strategies based on data.

What Are Some Generative Engine Ranking Factors?

Key ranking factors for GEO include content relevance, user engagement, and behavioral data. High-quality, unique content that addresses user intent ranks better in search results. Engaged users who spend more time on your site and interact with your content positively impact your rankings. Machine learning algorithms analyze these behaviors, continuously optimizing content for better performance.

Will Generative Engine Optimization Replace SEO in the Future?

Generative engine optimization complements traditional SEO rather than replacing it. While GEO focuses on automating content creation and personalizing user experiences, SEO remains essential for optimizing website elements like keywords, meta tags, and backlinks. Together, they create a comprehensive strategy to drive traffic and conversions.

How Can I Learn More About Generative Engine Optimization?

To learn more about GEO, explore online courses and resources that cover machine learning, data analysis, and content optimization. Platforms like Coursera and Udemy offer relevant courses. Industry blogs, webinars, and whitepapers from leading digital marketing experts provide additional insights into best practices for implementing GEO effectively.

Get Help Generative Engine Optimization From Web Services CT Today!

Embracing generative engine optimization (GEO) can significantly elevate your digital marketing strategy. By leveraging advanced algorithms and machine learning, you can create high-quality content tailored to your audience’s preferences. This not only enhances user experience but also drives higher conversion rates.

Implementing GEO effectively requires a systematic approach. Analyzing user data and defining clear goals are crucial steps. Utilizing machine learning and automated systems streamlines content creation, ensuring consistency and adaptability in a fast-changing market.

For businesses looking to integrate GEO into their strategies, Web Services CT offers expert guidance and tools. Our team can help you harness the power of GEO to improve engagement and achieve your marketing objectives. Ready to transform your content strategy? Contact Web Services CT today and start your journey toward a more personalized and effective digital presence.

Imagine having the ability to analyze keywords, track backlinks, and audit your site’s performance without ever leaving your browser. With the right extensions, you can streamline your SEO efforts, save time, and achieve better results. Ready to transform your SEO game? Let’s dive into the best SEO Chrome extensions that can help you dominate the search engine rankings.

What Are Chrome Extensions For SEO?

SEO Chrome extensions are tools integrated into your browser to streamline various search engine optimization tasks. They assist you in analyzing keywords, monitoring backlinks, and auditing website performance without leaving the browser. With extensions like Chrome SEO plugins, you gain real-time, actionable insights.

SEO Chrome extension tools often offer features like keyword density analysis, page speed tests, and mobile-friendliness checks. Using these, you can quickly identify areas for improvement on your site. Chrome SEO toolbars also provide easy access to metrics like domain authority, page authority, and backlink counts, helping you make informed decisions.

For instance, an SEO Chrome plugin might allow you to highlight all the on-page keywords on a webpage, evaluate its overall SEO health, or check for broken links. Using such extensions reduces the complexity and time involved in traditional SEO tasks by integrating them directly into your browsing experience, making your SEO efforts more efficient and effective.

Where To Download SEO Chrome Extensions

You can download SEO Chrome extensions from the Chrome Web Store. This platform offers a wide range of SEO tools like keyword analysis, page speed tests, and backlink checkers. To find and install these tools, follow these steps:

1. Visit Chrome Web Store: Open your Chrome browser and go to the Chrome Web Store.
2. Search for Extensions: Type terms like “SEO Chrome extensions” or “Chrome SEO plugins” into the search bar to see a list of available tools.
3. Select and Install: Click on an extension that meets your needs, such as a Chrome SEO toolbar. Select “Add to Chrome” to install the extension.

Always read reviews and check ratings to ensure you’re installing reputable extensions.

What Are the Best SEO Chrome Extensions?

When optimizing your website’s SEO efforts, using the right tools can make a significant difference. Here are some of the best SEO Chrome extensions to consider:

SEOQuake Chrome Extension

SEOQuake provides a comprehensive SEO audit, offering metrics like keyword density, internal and external links, and social metrics. Use this extension to compare URLs and get an instant SEO snapshot of your webpage. It’s widely popular for its extensive features and ease of use.

Link Grabber Chrome Extension

Link Grabber helps you extract all links on a webpage, which is useful for analyzing competitors’ link structures. This tool simplifies the process of discovering link-building opportunities, making it easier to enhance your site’s backlink profile.

MozBar Chrome Extension

MozBar offers on-page access to key SEO metrics like domain authority and page authority. Analyze pages quickly and easily with this extension. It also provides link metrics and allows you to export SERP analysis data for in-depth research.

SEO Minion Chrome Extension

SEO Minion assists with daily SEO tasks such as analyzing on-page SEO, checking broken links, and previewing SERP results. Use it to perform a thorough analysis of your website and ensure all SEO elements are optimized.

Detailed SEO Chrome Extension

Detailed SEO offers quick on-page SEO analysis, providing insights into meta tags, headings, and schema. This extension is ideal for web developers and marketers who need detailed SEO information fast.

Keywords Everywhere Chrome Extension

Keywords Everywhere shows keyword metrics directly in your browser, displaying search volume, CPC, and competition data. This useful extension helps you identify valuable keywords for your content strategy and PPC campaigns.

Wappalyzer Chrome Extension

Wappalyzer identifies the technologies used on websites, offering insights into your competitors’ tech stack. Use this tool to understand their setup which can help in forming strategies to optimize your own site.

Ahrefs SEO Toolbar Chrome Extenion

Ahrefs SEO Toolbar provides an in-depth analysis of backlinks and keyword rankings. It offers crucial data such as domain rating and URL rating directly within your browser, helping you improve your site’s SEO performance.

SEOTesting Chrome Extension

SEOTesting helps track and log SEO changes on your website, monitoring their impact on rankings. Utilize this extension to experiment with SEO strategies and identify what works best for your site.

Grammarly Chrome Extension

Grammarly checks written content for grammar, punctuation, and style errors, ensuring your SEO content is high quality. Use it to refine your content, making it more readable and effective.

View Rendered Source Chrome Extension

View Rendered Source lets you see how your browser renders your site’s HTML after JavaScript execution. This is essential for understanding the final structure of dynamically generated content and ensuring it’s SEO-friendly.

Web Vitals Chrome Extension

Web Vitals provides Core Web Vitals metrics such as LCP, FID, and CLS, helping optimize user experience. Use this extension to track and improve your site’s performance on critical user-centric metrics.

Agital GSC Calculations Chrome Extension

Agital GSC Calculations simplifies data analysis from Google Search Console by offering advanced calculations like CTR and position trends. Use it to gain deeper insights into your site’s performance with minimal effort.

Try Out New SEO Chrome Extensions Today!

SEO Chrome extensions offer a powerful way to enhance your website’s visibility and performance. By integrating these tools into your browsing experience you can streamline your SEO tasks and access crucial data with ease. Whether you’re analyzing keywords tracking backlinks or auditing site performance these extensions provide the insights you need to make informed decisions.

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to boost your SEO strategy. Explore the Chrome Web Store and find the extensions that best suit your needs. With tools like MozBar SEOquake and Keywords Everywhere at your fingertips, you can take your SEO efforts to the next level.

Entry-level digital marketing jobs offer a fantastic opportunity to gain hands-on experience and build a solid foundation. From social media management to SEO, these roles let you explore various aspects of digital marketing, helping you discover your niche. Whether you’re fresh out of college or looking to switch careers, there’s a place for you in digital marketing.

What Is An Entry-Level Digital Marketing Job?

An entry-level digital marketing job involves executing foundational tasks across various online channels to help businesses achieve their marketing goals. You’ll engage in activities such as social media management, search engine optimization (SEO), and content creation. These roles often require familiarity with digital tools like Google Analytics, Hootsuite, and basic HTML.

Candidates for entry-level jobs in digital marketing usually need a basic understanding of marketing principles and digital platforms. You might create and schedule posts, analyze performance metrics, or assist in email marketing campaigns. Employers often look for individuals with strong communication skills and a passion for learning.

Responsibilities in entry-level digital marketing careers often include tasks like keyword research, crafting engaging content, and monitoring online trends. These duties help businesses stay competitive in a fast-paced digital environment. You may work closely with other marketing team members to support larger campaigns and initiatives.

Most entry level digital marketing jobs would place you in scenarios requiring adaptability and a willingness to stay updated on new industry trends and tools. As you gain more experience, there are opportunities to specialize in areas such as PPC advertising, influencer marketing, or advanced SEO techniques.

What Types Of Entry-Level Digital Marketing Jobs Are Available?

You can find a variety of entry-level digital marketing jobs that cater to different interests and skills. Each role provides a unique opportunity to gain experience and develop expertise in the digital marketing field.

• Social Media Coordinator: Manage and create content for social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Your tasks include scheduling posts, engaging with followers, and analyzing performance metrics.
• SEO Specialist: Focus on improving a website’s visibility in search engine results. This role involves keyword research, optimizing content, and monitoring website analytics to enhance search rankings.
• Content Creator: Develop engaging content such as blog posts, videos, and infographics. In an entry-level digital marketing career, you might also manage content calendars and collaborate with other teams to ensure consistency in branding and messaging.
• Email Marketing Assistant: Help design, create, and send email campaigns. Your responsibilities include managing email lists, segmenting audiences, and analyzing campaign performance.
• PPC Advertising Associate: Oversee pay-per-click advertising campaigns on platforms like Google Ads and Bing Ads. You’ll create ad copies, select keywords, and monitor the effectiveness of the campaigns to optimize ROI.
• Digital Marketing Assistant: Support various digital marketing activities, from updating websites to coordinating marketing events. This role often provides a broad overview of digital marketing functions, making it ideal for gaining comprehensive experience.
• Analytics Coordinator: Track and report on the performance of digital marketing campaigns. Use tools like Google Analytics to gather data and translate it into actionable insights for future strategies.

These entry-level jobs in digital marketing offer diverse opportunities to grow your skills and explore different facets of the industry.

Where Can I Find Entry-Level Digital Marketing Jobs?

Job search platforms such as LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and Indeed list numerous entry-level digital marketing jobs. These sites allow you to filter by job type, location, and experience level, making the search process efficient. You’ll find a range of positions including Social Media Coordinator, SEO Specialist, and Content Creator.

Company career pages are another valuable resource. Many businesses prefer to post job openings on their own websites. For instance, tech companies, advertising agencies, and media firms frequently have dedicated sections listing entry-level digital marketing careers. Regularly checking these pages can help you catch new listings early.

Networking events and industry conferences provide excellent opportunities to discover entry-level digital marketing jobs. Attend events like Digital Marketing Summit, Search Marketing Expo, and industry meetups. You can make connections with professionals and learn about openings that may not be widely advertised.

Career fairs, especially those focusing on marketing and technology, are also worth attending. Many recruiters actively seek out candidates for entry-level digital marketing positions. Prepare your resume and be ready to discuss your skills and experiences.

Freelance platforms like Upwork and Fiverr occasionally list entry-level jobs in digital marketing. Although these might start as short-term projects, freelancers can build their portfolio and potentially secure long-term contracts.

University career services often collaborate with companies to offer internships and entry-level digital marketing job placements for recent graduates. Utilize these resources to find exclusive opportunities and gain a foothold in the industry.

Professional associations, such as the American Marketing Association (AMA) and the Digital Marketing Institute (DMI), have job boards that list entry-level digital marketing positions. Membership often grants access to these exclusive listings.

To stay competitive, regularly update your LinkedIn profile and resume, showcasing your skills and relevant experiences. Joining digital marketing groups on social media can also provide insider information on job openings.

What Should I Expect From An Entry-Level Digital Marketing Job Interview?

Preparing for an entry-level digital marketing job interview involves understanding the key areas you’ll be working in. Expect questions about your knowledge of social media platforms, SEO principles, and content creation. Employers will likely ask about your experience with tools like Google Analytics and your ability to track and interpret data.

Be ready to discuss any previous projects or internships that showcase your skills. Highlight your adaptability and eagerness to learn, as these are crucial traits in the rapidly evolving digital marketing landscape. Demonstrating your passion for the field and your willingness to stay updated on industry trends can set you apart from other candidates.

It’s also beneficial to prepare for behavioral questions that assess your problem-solving abilities and teamwork skills. Remember, showing a proactive attitude and a genuine interest in the company’s goals can leave a lasting impression on potential employers.

In the weeks before Christmas, Google unrolled a series of “minor changes” that impacted SEO across the web. Many sites reported losing 20-30% of their traffic, leading to a flurry of analysis trying to figure out exactly what the Google update did. Now that the dust has settled, we have a better idea of what the Google Maccabees update changed and how websites should respond.

The Key Takeaways

Here’s the core of what you need to know about the Maccabees update:

• A round of Google updates impacted online traffic around December 12, 2017
• The updates seem to be targeting websites with lots of keyword permutations, redundant landing pages, and dense affiliate content.
• Websites that took a hit on traffic can respond by condensing similar landing pages into one and by following the golden rule of website design: make your pages reader-friendly.

What Exactly Is the Maccabees Algorithm Update?

Google makes almost continuous small changes to its algorithm throughout the year, but the Maccabees update appears to be a change to the core algorithm. Core algorithm updates do thingd such as:

• Changing how a web page is judged to be relevant to a search engine query
• Changing how different kinds of links affect ranking
• Changing how the type of page content (for example, informational vs. commercial) is scored

So what exactly did Maccabees change? Google doesn’t reveal details about their algorithm, so it’s impossible to say for sure. About a week after the first changes, Google’s spokeperson for search, Danny Sullivan, confirmed that there was an update, but downplayed its importance, stating, “We released several minor improvements during this timeframe, part of our regular and routine efforts to improve relevancy.”

In the weeks following the update (or updates), websites such as Search Engine Roundtable, G-Squared Interactive, and Search Engine Land analyzed the kind of sites being affected and looked for patterns. That’s how we have a basic idea of what the Maccabees update targeted.

Who Does the Update Affect?

A few key patterns have emerged from the analyses of the Maccabees update:

• The changes weren’t exclusive to one kind of website. E-commerce, travel, blog, and affiliate sites were all affected.
• The largest pattern is that Maccabees seemed to target sites with excessive keyword permutations. These are sites that have many landing pages for similar content, but with slightly different titles and keywords. For example, a travel website might have separate landing pages for “Cheap Caribbean Vacations,” “Affordable Caribbean Vacations,” “Cheap Holidays in the Caribbean,” and so on. These sites took the most consistent hit in traffic.
• Pages with thin content and lots of ads and affiliate links were also hit.
• G-Squared Interactive noticed a drop in traffic to official celebrity sites, with higher search engine rankings going to larger sites like Wikipedia, Twitter, IMDb, and Instagram instead.

In essence, the Maccabees update contributes to Google’s consistent goal of promoting websites that are high in quality and readability. For websites and SEO professionals, the biggest challenge is likely to be adjusting strategies that replicated keywords and landing pages in order to maximize “long tail” keyword SEO.

What Steps You Can Take

It’s not a productive SEO strategy to respond to every change to Google’s algorithm, but Maccabees appears to be a significant change that may have a long-lasting impact. It’s also in line with general guidelines for good content: focusing on high-quality information and prioritizing readability. Following these guidelines will make your site engaging for an audience and mitigate any negative impact your site has seen since December.

The main change that some websites will need to make is overstuffing their site with keywords and landing pages. This may be a reversal if you’ve committed to a long tail SEO strategy. If you’ve previously created many landing pages for essentially the same content, now is the time to condense. Instead of producing as many keywords as possible, focus your energies on researching the best couple of keywords. And of course, put your energy into creating high-quality, relevant content.

Instead of multiplying landing pages, include multiple keywords within one content-rich page. But again, make sure that you avoid excessive keyword-stuffing. You want your page to read naturally. Google’s algorithm is getting smarter and smarter at detecting the overuse of keywords to try to boost SEO, and websites are being penalized for it. Your human readers will also thank you for content that’s easy to read. So try to keep website pages to no more than three or four main keywords.

This should go without saying, but your site will also be penalized for aggressive ad content. Ads all over a page, particularly when they’re featured above the main content and deceptive ads that try to pass for content are going to put you on Google’s naughty list. Excessive monetization through tons of affiliate links is also likely to hurt your SEO rankings.

The main takeaway is simple: create content that humans will enjoy reading, and Google’s algorithm will probably like it too.

Sources

Want to read more about the Maccabees update and how you can respond? Check out these articles for further reading:

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-confirms-maccabees-algorithm-update/228901/
https://searchengineland.com/google-confirms-mid-december-search-ranking-algorithm-update-288682
https://www.seroundtable.com/google-maccabees-update-analysis-24951.html
https://fatjoe.co/google-maccabees-update/
https://webjuice.ie/google-maccabees-update/
https://www.gsqi.com/marketing-blog/december-2017-google-algorithm-updates/
https://www.piranha-solutions.com/blog/google-maccabees-update/

SEO: the word on everyone’s lips. No longer are marketers the only parties worrying about Search Engine Optimization. From the smallest of startups to the vastest of powerhouses, we all need to use SEO to get in front of the people that matter.

Out of all the social networks that pepper the planet, Pinterest has emerged as one of the most profitable channels for savvy marketers. If you’re not on it, you’re missing out on one of the most rapidly-growing social networks on the face of the Earth. If you’re searching for Pinterest SEO help, you’re reading the right article.

Numbers don’t lie:

• With more than 150 million monthly users, Pinterest is clearly a prime source to target your audience of preference.
• 2 billion + searches occur each month
• 97% of Pinterest searches weren’t branded (2016)
• 80% of the site’s traffic is mobile
• Visual searches account for 250 million+ of all monthly searches

Unfortunately, many marketers in the SEO industry aren’t tapping into the potential of this goldmine. Sure, it seems distanced from typical Google-focused efforts. However, this is a difference to be taken advantage of; providing marketers with the opportunity to get creative and turn their brand into a contagious story.

Pinterest is also known as a discovery platform. “Pinners” spend their days searching for new ideas. How do they find these ideas? Through keywords. However, it’s important to note that Pinterest SEO is not like Google or Bing. While it’s powered by a search engine, the site’s ranking factors revolve more around engagement metrics and social shares, as opposed to backlinks and technical SEO.

To make things easier for you, we’ve compiled five top Pinterest SEO tips guaranteed to set you up for Pinterest SEO success…

5 Pinterest SEO Tips

1. Nail the Basics

…But first, life-admin. You’ll need to get going by creating a business account. When you do so, be sure to pick an SEO friendly username that relates to what users may be searching for. Optimize your profile by including relevant details about your business (the ones your customers would want to know…put yourself in their shoes…) and don’t forget a logo. As high-resolution as possible.

2. A rose by any other name…would NOT smell as sweet

In the Pinterest world, Board Names are everything. This, essentially, is a title tag; and the keyword you want to rank for MUST be in it. A surefire way to win with Pinterest SEO is to find a long-tail keyword that doesn’t have much competition. Let’s say you offer shoe-shining. You could say: Cheap Shoe-Shining That Will Knock Your Socks Off. #Winning.

3. Prep and Verify your Site

Just like with Facebook, Twitter and the rest of the world’s top social media sites, you can extract data from your website to underpin more targeted Pinterest campaigns. Why not also redirect people to your website to make a purchase/transaction? Making your Pinterest page and website work in harmony is vital. Simply add the Pinterest tag and save button, and you’re ready to rock and rule. Don’t forget to verify your site with that little check mark that helps you stand out in search results.

4. Keywords for Image Alt Tags

Alt tags for images are key for keywords. Any SEO pro knows this. If someone pins your page, Pinterest will automatically place the tag as the pin’s description. It also links your site to a certain keyword, which really seals the deal.

5. Goals, goals, goals

If you’ve been using purely Google or Facebook up until now, Pinterest’s lead times can seem a lot longer. However, the site has proven itself as an invaluable lead-generation tool, with 93% of pinners saying they use Pinterest to plan purchases. 87% claim to have purchased something BECAUSE of Pinterest. It’s important to understand what Pinterest SEO means for your business, setting realistic goals accordingly.

At the end of the day, it’s clear that Pinterest is the rising star of SEO for businesses of all shapes and sizes. Use our Pinterest SEO Checklist to start identifying the keywords Pinterest ranks for. By doing so, you can optimize your pins and boards to be as profitable as humanly possible. The result? More value, more customers, and more sales. Simple. Pinterest is a wonderful social network, giving you the opportunity to reach a wider audience. With the right strategy in place, anything is possible – especially when there are more than 150 million people right in the palm of your hand. We hope our Pinterest SEO tips helped – good luck!

If you haven’t heard webmasters and SEOs somewhat losing their shiz about this big new thing called mobile-first index, you haven’t been paying attention.

It’s kind of a big deal. Let’s talk about why (and when its big deal-ness is going to hit us full on in the face), what it means for us, and what we can do to prepare. (Hint: it’s not curl up in a ball and cry in a corner, shouting OKAY TECHNOLOGY YOU CAN STOP CHANGING NOW.)

Right after we explain just what the heck this thing is.

What Is a Mobile-First Index?

I guess this thing we hold in our hands is God now. From crealytics.com.

I understand I might be speaking to a room full of SEOs here, but we’re going to take it one simple step at a time just to make sure even the least experienced among us gets the gist.

Okay, so. You know how Google indexes, or kind of catalogues, every webpage on the internet? (Meaning, they crawl every site for info on what’s on it so they can display it in the most helpful order to search engine users.)

Well, currently, and since pretty much the beginning of search, Google uses the desktop versions of websites for this indexing process. This means 2 important things:

• You can do these fancy things to help boost mobile SEO, and you can do these fancy things to help boost regular ole desktop SEO, but for the most part, it’s the SEO of the whole shebang of your website (the home base, the desktop version) that dictates where you’ll end up on SERPs first.
• You could have an absolute shitstorm of a mobile site, but a superbly optimized desktop site, and end up higher than on mobile SERPs than others just because, overall, your desktop SEO game is good enough to keep you afloat.

See how that’s not quite fair? Someone with killer mobile SEO game could be outranked on a mobile SERP by someone with lackluster mobile SEO game just because their desktop SEO is so good, and that’s the version of the site Google is using to make the calls first.

It’s not quite fair to the site owner with the nicely optimized mobile site, but you know who it’s the worst for? Probably the customer. The web result that will give them more information, and is more optimized to help them, gets pushed down simply because someone else was better at making a website that looks good on some other device in who-gives-a-crap land.

SO. You see how Google might be a little, “Hmmm, that’s a sticky situation,” about all of this. That’s why they’ll be rolling out the mobile-first index soon.

It’s just like I described it above with the index thing, about how Google crawls sites so they can decide where to place them on SERPs. Except the big, huge difference is that Google will crawl mobile sites first instead of the desktop ones. Meaning mobile SEO will carry much greater weight than it does now. Meaning that they’re not screwing around when they say they want their users’ mobile experiences to be efficient.

To put it simply, Google is currently crawling desktop versions of site first and the mobile versions second. Fancy algorithms will mush these 2 gauges of “how good of a search result are you” into one spot onto an SERP.

And to put the change we’re looking at now, simply: they’re switching those 2 processes around. Mobile first. Desktop, second. Yowza, that’s a big one.

Here’s What Else We Know About Google’s Mobile-First Index

Gary Illyes at Search Engine Land’s SMX Advanced Conference in Seattle, June 2017. From searchengineland.com.

Gary Illyes from Google has been chattin’ up a storm about mobile-first at conferences and to reporters and such. But when Gary was most recently asked (in April) when this thing was actually going to, you know, roll out, and is it possible we’ll see the switch by the end of 2017? He just kind of shrugged his shoulders and was like, “Hmm, prolly not.”

The team doesn’t have any hard timelines, and it sounds like they’re more focused on getting it right than getting it rolled out ASAP.

There’s not a ton of info on the switch right now, but it’s safe to say we’ll see it sometime in 2018. It sounds like, if anything, the team leading the charge might roll out a beta version before the end of the year. But the normies like us won’t see the likes of it until months later.

So that’s our when—if you can call a 365-day-long window a when. (Detective Tim, at your service.)

What about the why?

Above all, Google wants to organize the world’s information for the best search experience there is. And to make money doing it, obviously.

So when, 2 years ago, mobile search outnumbered desktop searches for the first time ever, Google was probably like, hmm, that seems important.

After all, if most people are searching on their phones, why give them SERPs full of results mostly based on how well the sites have been optimized…on a totally different device?

When mobile SERPs are dictated this way, the searcher is most likely stuck with a stripped-down version of the site they’re looking for, possibly less equipped to meet their needs than a site that fell to the next page just because its desktop SEO wasn’t as good.

What It Means For You

Okay, so that’s great and all for the searcher, I guess. I mean GOD, it’s like we do everything for them.

What about us? Let’s try to predict what will change and how we can straddle these changes and use ‘em to make it easier for our dream customers to find us.

What Will Change?

Everything. It’s all going to fall apart. We should all just get out of the game now.

Just kidding—it really will be fine. Here are some of my predictions on how this big change will impact us.

It will only affect your rankings if your web and mobile site versions are super different.

Google is mostly concerned with websites adhering to the “bare minimum” of mobile friendliness, and chances are—if you’ve given even an ounce of a crap about your mobile strategy in your SEO strategy—you’ll be just fine.

This is just another move in Google’s big over-arching strategy to make mobile as user-friendly as possible—and there will be more.

It falls in step with past initiatives like AMPs and penalization for intrusive interstitials: it’s all about making browsing on the small screen easier.

Don’t get too comfy, and don’t expect this to be Google’s last big change towards mobile accessibility. Stuff like this will keep happening, so keep your eyes, ears, and mind open.

And, speaking of intrusive interstitials…

Penalization for big, loud, and clunky ads on mobile will only get worse.

If your ads are making it tough for the mobile visitor to your site, fix it now. Don’t wait for Google’s penalizations to get worse; don’t wait until you fall 2 pages in the SERPs.

There’s a classy way to do mobile ads, and Google is becoming less and less tolerant of the classless.

Overall, what I’m saying is this: we can argue over Google’s intentions and implementations, and we can complain that they’re creating more work for us and making it harder to rank.

Or we can just nod our heads, say, “I guess I see where you’re coming from,” and just do the damn thing—make the changes we need to make to ensure we’re still getting found by the right people.

How to Prepare

Here are some changes I recommend you make—some checks to do to see whether or not mobile-first will affect you. (Google has their own helpful advice here.)

Content

Not having all the content available to your mobile users that you have to your desktop users is no bueno. If you’ve shed your content in your quest to keep mobile simple, you’re going to have to rethink your strategy. If you continue to leave your content (blog posts, inventory, videos) out of your mobile site, you will be penalized by the new mobile-first structure.

Even if you have to put it behind a “Read more” button or find some other tucked-away approach to do it, get that content in there.

Structured Data

You know, schema markup? The stuff that tells search engines what’s what? (It’s the thing that tells search engines that you have a star rating, or a brick-and-mortar address, or a meta description of what your site’s all about.)

You’re going to want to make sure that’s on your mobile site, too. Google is helpful enough to provide their own structured data markup helper; hopefully they’ll enable this tool for mobile by the time the switch is made.

Site Navigation

Look, I get it. You have a lot of stuff in your menu bar. Drop-downs and such.

And maybe you don’t want to put all of that on your mobile site’s homepage because it looks a bit…cluttery.

But now, you kind of have to. Unless you want your SEO to suffer.

There’s clean ways to do it, like having a menu tab that toggles open and shut from the side or putting the main menu sections at the top while including the less important subsections at the bottom. You might have to get creative, but you’d do well to figure it out now instead of waiting until mobile-first makes it a must.

Zappos’s desktop site has a ton of menu items. And we’re like, oh no, how will they do it? From zappos.com.

Ah, yes—they’ve got it figured out nicely. Their (assumedly) top grossing departments are still listed at the top (pane 1), and the rest of the menu continues on under the body section of the home page (panes 2 and 3). From m.zappos.com.

Page Speed

Page speed is always important, but it might become even more important after the mobile-index switch. After all, aren’t Google’s algorithms designed to reward those sites who provide the most efficient and enjoyable experience for their users?

So be fast, on desktop and especially on mobile. Try Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool.

How NOT to Prepare for Google Mobile-First Index

Basically, don’t freak out. We have time. (Remember that super helpful 365-day window I gave earlier?)

We can’t say we didn’t have plenty of warning on this one and plenty of time to prepare. And Google’s even offering us advice on what to do (see it again here) because they want to see us succeed. When we do, they do, and customers have a nice time, too, and everyone’s just happy.

Personally, I think it’s great that Google is rewarding those who do the most to make their customers’ experiences enjoyable. So let’s try to remember: this is a good thing. Even if it’s making us do a bit more up-front work. Let’s get to writing that “Prepping for Mobile-First” to-do list and start checking things off, one by one.

Here’s one of my biggest pieces of advice for small business owners doing their own marketing: learn local link building.

And, I’ll be honest, I often get groans at that.

I can’t blame them, though. I know it sounds like link building for local SEO is this big, abstract thing, is hard to do, and is not something you want to spend your Friday morning working on.

But just trust me. There’s a reason nearly 50% of SEOers spent more than 25% of their marketing budgets on building links in 2016: it works.

What Is Link Building?

The first part of tackling the giant is peeking behind the intimidating exterior and taking it for what it is. Let’s tackle link building first by getting on the same page about exactly what we’re talking about here.

Moz.com says it perfectly:

“Link building is the process of acquiring hyperlinks from other websites to your own.”

Which means if you didn’t create the link yourself on your own website—if you had a friend from another website put a link to your website on one of their own web pages—at its purest form, that’s link building.

It’s really that simple. It’s not necessarily always easy to do, but it is simple.

Why Link Building for Small Business?

Basically, having lots of inbound links to your website from other websites bodes well for your search engine rankings. Any link in any other place other than your own website that points back to your site is just good for business.

Truth is, link building for small business has been a huge factor in the SEO world for over 10 years now and it doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. Search engines love sites with lots of inbound links because it shows the site has authority around the web.

And since search engines love backlinks (or “inbound links”, which are the result of link building), we have to learn to love them too.

6 Simple Link Building Techniques For Small Business

The great news for beginners in local link building is that there are a jillion tactics out there for you to choose from, ranging from basic to extremely expert-level-back-linker complicated. We’re going to dive in to the worst and most intimidating first.

Just kidding, that’d be awful. Let’s start with 6 simple ways you can start building links yourself this week. No sobbing in frustration necessary.

Local Partnerships

Forming a local partnership for link building is essentially like saying, “Hey, neighbor. Did you know backlinks are a thing? How about you build some of my links into your site and I’ll build some of your links into mine.”

And you both win. (Which is why I don’t recommend trying this with direct competitors—best to stick with relevant businesses that aren’t trying to rank higher than you in the same SERPs.)

There are genuine and classy ways to do this, like:

• Becoming a recommended resource for a local business
  • e. If you’re a local home builder, you can partner up with a local paint company and recommend each other’s services

The Food and Beverage Connections site gets super generous with backlinking by having a whole section on recommended partners.

• Trade blog posts writing gigs with a local business
  • so you’ll both have an opportunity to write something in a new venue that’ll send readers back to your own website
  • which is technically guest posting, and we’ll get more into that below
• Trade testimonials with business partners and make sure the testimonial gets a link back to your site
  • did you get contract work done recently by a local business?
  • have you ever used caterers/photographers?
  • what about your landlord, janitorial/landscaping staff, or suppliers?
  • get in touch with these folks and leave reviews of their services

My favorite thing about this one: it’s essentially local networking in disguise.

Local Scholarships & Discounts

Get involved with the community by dishing out some dough for good causes.

Find out if there are any local bargain curating publications/websites and ask the publisher to feature your discount to its readers.

That’s one site (or a handful of sites) down. Where else can we spread the word about these discounts and sales?

If it’s a student or alumni discount, try .edu sites. If it’s a military discount, try .gov sites. Get in touch with these webmasters and let them know you’ve got a bargain their readers should know about.

Same goes for scholarships—if you can shell out even a couple hundred dollars for local young adults and their education, do it. Local news about the scholarship and links to the scholarship application means loads and loads of backlinks.

There are tons of websites like these that collect scholarship info for students. The more you can submit your scholarship to, the better.

Event Sponsorships

Kind of like the discount and scholarship thing, only what we’re promoting here is an actual event.

How about a 5k? Or a free class? You don’t even have to throw your own event—you can volunteer to help at someone else’s. As long as you get a link on the event’s webpage and links on local news sites, you’re golden.

Contests & Giveaways

Though it doesn’t have to be anything huge and expensive, the bigger and more exciting the prize, the better.

Host a contest or giveaway and incentivize social shares by giving users one contest entry per share. Marketing app Gleam makes this super easy.

Here’s a Gleam demo giveaway. You get to choose what incentives you’ll offer in exchange for raffle entries, so be sure to include lots of options that’ll result in backlinks.

Let local news outlets know about your contest or giveaway and encourage shares by participants and you’ll got tons of backlinks and buzz in the process.

Content Creation

Content marketing is just overall good marketing practice, but it’s also a huge deal for link building.

Here’s how it works. You create content, say, a blog post on the top 5 local attractions in your city. Write a genuinely helpful resource like this that people will use and share and you’ve got backlinks from readers spreading the word on your post.

That’s just one example of the kind of content you can offer—a balanced mixture of local-specific content and industry-related content is ideal. And if you can also score guest posting gigs on other people’s sites writing the same kind of content? Even better.

Not sure what to write about or where to even begin finding blog post ideas? Try the skyscraper technique.

Here’s what my byline on my blog post for searchenginepeople.com looks like. See the link that says “Web Services CT”, which directs readers to my own SEO consulting site? Backlink gold.

Newsworthy Buzz

Are you the first business in your town to use a certain marketing technique? Or do you have a hot take on a local issue, or something you’d like to help spread awareness about? Has your company help changed the life of a local for the better?

Coming at your business from a newsworthy angle is a bit more advanced—but very lucrative—link building tactic. Find out what’s going on in your community right now and brainstorm how you can help, participate, or stand out.

What’s your company’s role in this issue or event? That’s where you’ll find your link building gold—getting online news outlets to pick up your story because it tells an actual story and isn’t just an advertisement.

Link Building Isn’t Going Anywhere

Link building for local SEO still is—and might very well always be—a key piece in effective SEO campaigning. It takes time, yes. And it is work, for sure.

But the great thing about link building? Compounded returns. Most of the time, backlinks are permanent, so the more you accumulate, the better return you’ll get in the form of search engine rankings over time.

So start now. Just start somewhere. Pick any one of these 6 strategies and build them into your schedule this week. The SERPs will reward you for it.

Google seems to be changing its algorithms on a regular basis which can be frustrating as a website owner and SEO. Recent updates include ‘Google Penguin 4.0’ and ‘Google Possum.’ This article takes a look at both of these updates and what you need to know to make the most out of these updates. This will ensure that your websites and blogs are successful online and comply with Google’s policies.

Google Penguin 4.0

Google algorithms rely on signals or clues. These signals include words phrases that appear on a site, your region, fresh content, and PageRank. One specific algorithm signal is called Penguin, which recently received an update. It was launched in 2012.

The key changes that you’ll see in Penguin is that it’s now in real-time. Since the data is now in real-time, the changes will be visible quickly and typically will appear after a re-index or a re-crawl of the site. Penguin will now devalue spam and adjust the page rank on spam signals which will not impact the ranking of the entire website. In the past, you may have changed your site and removed spam, but had a hard time getting back onto Google which would have impacted your business in big way. Since Penguin is in real-time now, your site will be added back to the index rather quickly once Google determines that the spam is gone. There won’t be the months or years wait time that was the case before so your site will be back in the index. The Penguin filter will assess your site again and if everything looks ok, you’ll get ranked.

You’ll still need to use the disavow file to recover from a Penguin issue if you have had one, so the bad links are removed. You want to work to ensure that there’s no spam coming to your website in any way, but the new Penguin update will make it a lot easier to get your site back into the Google index after a spam issue does occur. You can help Google with your website spam issues if you use the disavow file so it’s still a good option to use it for that purpose. The spam links will be devalued or ignored by the new filter and your page rank will be adjusted as a result of this.
As a webmaster this will mean less headaches for you as you won’t have to hunt down spam as much on your site, the new Penguin algorithm will work with you to help remove spam and keep your page rank at the same time. Google will recognize spam attacks against your site and you’re not going to lose the page rank that you worked so hard to achieve.

Key Things to Keep in Mind

• Ensure your website always has high quality content
• Use Google disavow if you have bad links
• Make sure you link to high quality websites

Google Possum

On September 1, 2016 Google rolled out the local algorithm update called Google Possum. Many business owners may think that there listing is gone from the Google My Business listings, but they are not gone at all they are now filtered or in other words, “playing possum.”

The Update

The evidence is that this update only impacts Local Finder and 3-pack results, or the local results (Google Map results). There are also others that say another update right after impacted the organic results as well. The main purpose of this update was to diversify the local results and to prevent spam from being ranked as well. This is the biggest update since the 2014 Pigeon update occurred.

In local SEO searches there’s often a problem for businesses that fall just outside of the physical city limits. They have a hard time ranking for the city keyword. Once this update occurred these businesses saw a big increase in their local ranking. For example, take the case of the company Direct Inspections which is a business in Sarasota. This company wanted to rank for the keywords “home inspector Sarasota,” but they fall just outside the city limits of Sarasota.

On August 6th, they ranked #31 for a local search which is quite low for the keywords “home Inspector Sarasota.” Many companies have tried to change things around for years and still don’t rank well for keywords such as the example above. After the update, this company jumped an amazing 21 positions to number 10. Many other businesses which were tracked had the same results.

Google Now Filters on Affiliation and Address

There’s now a local filter on addresses and affiliation. So if your company shares a similar domain or phone number aiming users, ranking may be more difficult for all users in different ways. For example, you might have a business where there’s three separate listings for three workers who work in various locations and then one listing for the actual business. The three profiles all link to the same website and use the same phone number. Since all workers are working for the same business, several will show up in local results and the others are filtered. This works fine if you’re searching for a particular business in one location and want to filter out those that work in other areas as this isn’t relevant to your search criteria. Google will filter out the results from farther away so you find what you need in the local area.

The downside is that business that work in the same area, but have these same workers may have a harder time getting everyone ranked. Several of them will be filtered as “duplicate content,” even though they all work in the same relative area. You can use the zoom local finder to find these similar workers in the same area such as lawyers all working for the same law firm with same address and phone number. The algorithm should change in the future so improve upon this feature as some businesses aren’t being properly filtered yet. For example, you may have several businesses that use the same office building, but all get filtered because they work in the same area. There clearly needs to be a bit of improvement here.

Things to Keep in Mind

• Better searches and rank if you’re business lies “outside” of a site area
• More difficulty getting ranked if you have several employees working for the same company with same address and phone number in the same area. (not all will be ranked)
• If you search from far way from the business you’re looking for the results won’t be what you want
• Keep keywords as close as possible to what you want (makes it easier to find the businesses you’re looking for)
• Use local finder to zoom local finder to find similar results (same company, different local locations)

Conclusion

Google will continue to update its algorithms over time. There may be both low and high point sin between these updates. It’s important for blog owners and webmasters to keep abreast of these changes as they can impact your business in a big way.

SEO Statistics Infographic Details:

1. According to a story on Search Engine Land, Google handles trillions of searches per year.

But just how many trillions? It’s hard to say–Google hasn’t released an exact number but has only claimed that yearly searches are up in the “trillions”. So it’s safe to say that number of yearly searches falls somewhere between 2 trillion and–well, a quadrillion. That’s quite a spread.

What does that mean for you as a digital marketer?[1]  In one word: opportunity. Sticking out from the crowd hasn’t gotten any easier, but you can’t deny that the opportunity’s there. With trillions of Google searches a year, you’re bound to hit your inbound marketing goals if you’re willing to commit to the SEO best practices that’ll shoot you to the top of the results pages.

2. A Study in Backlinko has shown that the average Google first page result contained 1,890 words.

This intensive study proved that pages with longer content significantly outrank pages with shorter content. Is it because long form content tends to get more shares? Or is it simply that Google’s search algorithms are designed to favor longer content? SEO experts don’t know for sure, but one thing’s certain: long form content consistently performs better on Google results pages.

What type of content do you have on your site? Is it time to change your content production strategy? Remember–it’s not just about long form content, it’s about content that provides value. Simply upping your word counts won’t get the results you’re looking for–it’s all about creating content that matters.

3. In addition to desktop site page speed being a ranking factor, Gary Illves of Google stated that page speed for mobile sites will soon be a ranking factor.

Remember when page speed became a ranking factor in 2010? Well it’s not just about desktop page speed anymore–now you’ve got to be on the ball about your mobile page speed, too. Mobile loading time never hurt your Google rankings before, but if you don’t whip your mobile strategy into shape, they certainly could now.

Time to revisit that mobile web design strategy of yours. Whatever you have to do to get that mobile loading time down–hire a web developer, give your developer a raise, or hit the books and learn to do it yourself–your inbound marketing numbers will thank you.

4. Google’s Sundar Pichai has revealed that 20% of mobile search queries are actually voice queries.

Hey Siri, how do we use this information to tweak our SEO strategy?

Since the release of voice assistants like Siri, Cortana, and Google Now, it’s no  surprise that a near quarter of all Google searches are actually voice queries.

It’s such a brand new phenomena that SEO experts aren’t quite sure what to do with this information yet. How do we take advantage of this trend and ensure our sites are as voice query friendly as possible, especially when Google doesn’t even differentiate voice queries in Search Analytics yet? Hopefully time–and the SEO experts on the forefront of innovation–will tell, but it couldn’t hurt to bounce around a few ideas on voice query strategy in the meantime.

5. A July 2015 study by Moz and BuzzSumo analyzed the shares and links of over 1 million articles and found that long form content of over 1,000 words consistently receives more shares and links than shorter form content.

Remember statistic #2 above? The one that talked about how it tends to be long form content pages that rank highest in Google? One might venture to say that it’s because long form content consistently receives more shares and links than shorter form content. We can’t deny the power of sharing.

While Moz and BuzzSumo’s study gave a bit more information on exactly what kind of content performs better than short form content, here’s a few hard and fast rules: 1) content format does matter, 2) research-backed or opinion-forming long form content is the real king, 3) and lists, or listicles, still rule the content world.

6. Andrey Lipattsev, Search Quality Senior Strategist at Google, confirmed that content and links are the most important ranking signals.

If you thought we were done talking about just how important content is to your search rankings, then boy, are you mistaken. They weren’t kidding when they said that content is king.

What does this statistic mean for you? It means you’re totally justified when you push your boss for a bigger content production budget. Whoever it is making the marketing decisions–your boss, the marketing department, or even you–make sure they know that great content means great rankings.

7. In a survey from BrightLocal, 61% of consumers said that they are more likely to contact a local business if they have a mobile optimized site.

Ignoring responsive web capability in your online strategy just isn’t an option anymore. Not only are customers more likely to contact a local business if they have a responsive website, but they’re also more impressed when they can find a physical address and a map of the business’s location with a quick Google search.

Where do you even get started with responsive web design–or web design that works well on not only desktop browsers but mobile and tablet ones, too? Learn a few key principles yourself or hire a digital marketing specialist/web designer to do it for you. Either way, the study links above proves that it’s worth your time and money.

8. Organic search drives 51% of all visitors to business-to-business and business-to-consumer web sites, whereas paid search drives 10% and social 5[2] %.

BrightEdge’s study on what type of search has the most impact on online business  shows that organic search trumps them all: “paid search, social, display, email and referred…fail to keep up with the impact from organic search.”

But that doesn’t mean paid search isn’t worth your while. Together, paid search and organic search–backed by a solid content marketing strategy–can work as the backbone you need to keep your search rankings healthy this year.

9. Research by Backlinko has shown that despite Google’s many Penguin updates, exact match anchor text appears to have a strong influence on rankings.

But Backlinko reports that Google has recently cracked down on linkbuilding with exact match anchor text. It’s all about anchor text diversity and link relevancy, so use this information wisely when you think about how you’ll adjust your SEO strategy.

10. Prominence, referring to how well-known a business is, is one of the latest local search ranking factors.

Get the best advice on how to improve your local search rankings straight from the source. Google’s help guide on local search tells us the best way to be found by locals is to enter as much data as you can, keep your data current, add photos, and interact with customers online.

But this new Prominence feature throws a new dynamic into the mix. Prominence attempts to take into account how well known your business is on and offline–so if you’re well-known around town, chances are you can expect to reap the rewards from your physical presence in the online world, too.

11. According to Quick Sprout’s Neil Patel, social signals impact search rankings.

You shouldn’t try to get more followers just because you’ll have more followers. Google’s been paying attention to the impact social media has on an online presence for the last few years, which means you should also be trying to get more followers because it’ll improve your search rankings.

Every new share, retweet, like, and +1 makes a positive impact on your search rankings, so it’s not a bad idea to brush up on those social media marketing techniques.

12. Gary Illyes from Google revealed the next big thing for 2016 will be AMP –or Accelerated Mobile Pages.

AMP is Google’s answer to the fast-loading article content we’ve seen from Facebook and Apple News lately. This might affect you–or it might not–but if you’re a big content publisher that relies on fast-loading article content to keep your customers happy, AMP is worth a look.

Like Virginia Nussey and Robert Ramirez report on bruceclay.com, AMP won’t be for everybody. But if you and your business are an ideal candidate for using accelerated mobile pages to speed up loading time, it could be a game-changer.

13. In May 2016, Google increased the width of the search results section by 17%.

Did you notice? It may not seem like a big change, but Google recently increased the length of the results container by over 50 pixels.

Now don’t go adding on characters to all your title tags just yet–there’s a few things to consider before we start changing our minds on what the ideal character limit might be. Dr. Meyers points out that while the extra 50 pixels will give us more length in our title tags, it’s not as much as we might think.

So what do we do with this information, you might ask? Let’s sit on it. As Google’s still tweaking and testing their formatting for search results across all devices, it’s best not to get too comfortable with one title tag strategy and stay on our toes when it comes to SEO strategy.

SOURCES:

1. http://searchengineland.com/google-now-handles-2-999-trillion-searches-per-year-250247
2. http://backlinko.com/search-engine-ranking
3. http://searchengineland.com/google-says-page-speed-ranking-factor-use-mobile-page-speed-mobile-sites-upcoming-months-250874
4. http://www.thesempost.com/20-of-googles-mobile-search-queries-are-now-voice-queries/
5. https://moz.com/blog/content-shares-and-links-insights-from-analyzing-1-million-articles
6. https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-names-top-three-ranking-signals/160444/
7. https://www.brightlocal.com/2015/05/13/61-of-mobile-users-more-likely-to-contact-a-local-business-with-a-mobile-site/
8. http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/233459/organic-search-drives-51-of-traffic-paid-search.html
9. http://backlinko.com/search-engine-ranking
10. https://support.google.com/business/answer/7091?hl=en
11. https://www.quicksprout.com/2014/01/31/how-social-signals-impact-search-engine-rankings/
12. http://www.bruceclay.com/blog/google-amp-accelerated-mobile-pages-for-seo/
13. https://moz.com/blog/title-tag-length-guidelines-2016-edition

The introduction of local search listings was a huge change to Google’s search algorithm and finally gave small, local businesses the ability to beat out their huge, multi-national competitors. It was one of a few changes that put the emphasis of the search results on a searcher’s local area, making the results more functional for those searchers and boosted the rankings of local businesses. SEO professionals are always looking out for changes to how this mechanism works, so they can help their clients improve their rankings, and a big change was just made: a new ranking signal was introduced.

Maybe it’s not entirely new—we already knew that your reputation could seriously affect your search rankings. The emphasis on prominence, however, is new and it is going to change how we optimize for local search results. In conjunction with relevance and distance (the two other factors that Google uses to largely determine who is going to rank where in the local search results), prominence demands a certain level of brand awareness. That means that if people have heard of you, more people are going to hear of you, because you will be higher in local search results.

The Factors

Relevance is obvious—if you are not relevant to the search, your business is not going to be listed along with those results that are relevant. Adding as much information as possible to your listing is the best way to make sure that you are seen as relevant when you actually are relevant. Distance is something that you cannot control, unless you have multiple locations. All it does is measure your listed location and its approximate distance from the searcher. Businesses that are, for example, within twenty miles of the searcher are going to get a much better ranking than businesses that are fifty miles away.

But exactly does prominence mean? According to Google’s own page about local search listings, prominence “refers to how well-known a business is.” For example, some businesses might be very well known offline but have virtually no online presence. If they have prominence offline, Google would now try to quantify this prominence and provide their listings with a higher slot. For example, museums, landmarks, and well-known local stores would be given a boost in their prominence rankings, because though they might not be the most aggressive search engine optimizers online, they are well-known in the community and are therefore valuable search results.

How does Google quantify prominence? From information about that business found all around the web. This means links to that business’s website, articles written about it, directories in which it is listed. It will review these mentions, score them, and given a higher search ranking to businesses that are more prominent. Keep in mind that the number of reviews a business has (and how many of those ratings are positive), will also signal that a business is prominent.

Improve Local SEO Rankings from Google:

The Evolution of Local Search

Local search has its inception in 2005. This is when Google Maps was introduced and people began to be able to find local businesses online, simply by looking at the map. Thought businesses could not create their own listings until 2007, the ability to use an interactive map, on the internet was revolutionary.

In 2009, the three-pack became a ten-pack. Instead of displaying only three local businesses at the top of search results, Google began to display seven. In 2010, the business center became Google Place Pages. In 2012, a massive update arrived, including the merging of Google + Business and Google + Local. In 2014, Pigeon, one of the biggest updates to the local search algorithm came, along with the creation of Google My Business. It was this final update that really changed how most local businesses rank themselves online, simply because it started to put an emphasis on the distance a searcher was from the businesses being listed. It also gave a boost to directory listings. So, for example, if you had a listing on Yelp, that Yelp listing might be above the link to your actual website in the same set of results.

Some industries profited from this change. Hospitality, education, and food were all improved because of Pigeon. And this makes sense. When people are looking for hospitality, education, and food, they probably want to find it as close to their current location as possible. There were other industries that did not benefit. For example, real estate took a hit. As did the movie industry, and even insurance and jobs.

In 2014, the three most important aspects of a webpage were having the city and state in the title of the landing page, the authority of the website’s domain, and the page authority of the landing page URL. Today, the three most important ranking factors for local businesses are the authority of the domain, the quality of inbound links (this is where prominence factors in), and having the city and state in the landing page title. In order to rank well, you have to be talked about online. And not just that—you have to have positive things said about you online. This is an instance where “any press is good press” might not be true.

Why were these changes made? Largely because how people search was beginning to change. More and more people were searching from mobile devices. They were searching on the go, wanting real time results that were immediately relevant. For example, if they were looking for somewhere to eat, they wanted to know where they could eat in their vicinity—they didn’t just want a list of restaurants in their city, but a list of which restaurants were immediately available.

According to a study done by Google about mobile searchers, 80% of them use their search engines to look for information about their local area. When searchers do look for local businesses, more of these searches result in purchases. About a third of searchers would prefer to buy something from a physical store, if they are close to that store, than to buy something online. More than half of all users look for local information at least once a week.

This is why mobile search has so heavily affected local search and why the inclusion of prominence as a ranking factor is becoming such a big deal.

What Do I Need to Do?

If you already have a profile of strong, inbound links, you likely do not have to do very much to keep your local listing in its spot in the local search pack. If you want to improve your ranking, now is the time to pounce on prominence. That means making sure that people are talking about your business. If they are talking about your business offline, get those same people to talk about it online, whether they write blog posts, leave you reviews (preferably on your business’s Google listing), post news stories about you, etc.

Local SEO is only going to continue to change and shift. Yelp and Amazon are teaming up to make sure that’s the case. Monitor your listing and make sure that you are optimizing for the right factors.