Keyword research is the basis of all search marketing. It is the art of explaining what you do in the language that people use, and thus it should probably be the basis of all your marketing activities, both on and off the web. Without discounting the value of links and …

Excessive link exchange (Link to me and I'll link to you) or partner pages exclusively for the sake of cross-linking will negatively impact a website's ranking in search results. All of these strategies can be rolled up into a single artifact: the SEO plan. With the popularity of this service …

SEO is only beginning to be taught in university courses and part of degree level courses and even there it's difficult for them to keep up with all the changes that are happening. If I've convinced you of the importance of SEO, you're probably starting to wondering how you perform …

These days, directory links are unlikely to generate a torrent of traffic but they're a good way to build external links to your site. Additionally, links from specialized directories in your niche will bring in a steady stream of targeted visitors and help reinforce the topic of your site with …

Some pages can be short, but make sure the overall ratio of pages doesn't fall too heavily in the less than 300 words category. That figure has risen by 4% over the past few months alone, and it continues to grow on an almost daily basis. If you want to …

As Google has become quicker in catching webmasters who use unethical SEO practices and has implemented harsher punishments for offenders (lower rankings or banning of websites, etc.). Some companies desperate for improved search rankings have found ways to hack into the websites of competitors and implement some nasty strategies on …

I mean, most websites outsource their SEO to an agency - it's just not cool ripping down someone's online presence for actions they did not take. Meta Tags are a very important in terms of SEO, but using them incorrectly could result in dire consequences. From Google's point of view, it …

In fact, it is worth noting that more and more customers are asking full and specific questions rather than searching for a generalised topic. To improve the content, backlinks, and keyword optimization of your website, a good SEO strategy plan starts with keyword research. When the Web first gained popularity …

Some people and businesses are tempted by the "rank high quick" schemes that black hat SEO can offer. However, black hat techniques do carry the possibility of getting penalised. Most content writers agree that using passive voice is one of several deadly copywriting sins; it makes your copy wordy and …

It's the one thing, and monumental task, that stands in the way of your pretty new website going live. For many of our clients writing content becomes the project bottleneck, the roadblock, and the ultimate showstopper. The hierarchy of effects model features similarities with theories regarding attitudes and attitudinal change …

content, backlinks, and keywords. But what is low quality, thin content? The difference between 10 years ago and now is Google puts a value on links and where they come from more than ever before. They measure the v?alue of links by the domains they come from and the …

Broad-based objectives are more useful for making decisions, however, when you define them clearly so you can add the appropriate supporting details later. Mobile SEO is a challenge for digital marketers. The screen being small and of low resolution hinders searches from scrolling down to the bottom of a page …

If your site had a stable flow of traffic and then it began to bounce in an instant, it's obvious something suspicious is going on. Luckily, Google Search Console can help you notice a sudden spike or drop in search traffic so make sure you use it. The Google algorithm …

Conversions come purely from building trust with the people sitting on the other end of the inter-tubes. This is especially important with search forms, which should be visible on all your pages. When optimizing your Google My Business page, remember to upload your business logo and photos of your business …

A good reliable host is extremely important for any website. Site's load speed is just one of the factors; consider security, uptime, and overall user experience. But it didn't happen. Understanding which ranking factors are relevant to your industry is key to becoming an authoritative domain - especially in the competitive …

In this case, having 5 pages about that lollipop is actually weaker than having just one with a decent amount of content. The world has gone mobile. People are gradually shifting from desktop computers to mobile smartphones and tablets. Thus, to ensure great user experience Google started ranking responsive or …

As the brand becomes accepted and sales build, a lower percentage of advertising dollars will be required in order to maintain a target growth. In fact, three out of four local results included websites who had "seo" in their URL. This can give you a jump start when launching your …

An SEO specialist should know how long content needs to be and to avoid keyword stuffing. The advent of Global economy nearly makes every business have an online presence. PageRank (PR) is an old Google ranking system that was publicly visible. You could see what the PR of a page …

Other times, companies will hire specialists to help them with their SEO needs. Mobile devices incorporate tracking features through a GPS, beacon, or NFC (near field communication) technologies designed to pinpoint a person's geographic location. The ideal situation for many businesses is the hope that one of their Tweets will …

How are you going to ensure that your site stands out, that it's set apart from all of the other existing sites? This is the key to building decent backlinks in order to rank highly in search engines. The order that websites are ranked in is a very complex and …

In organic search, you don't have to continually pay to be seen, and once you've reached the first page of Google (and you have quality content and a trustworthy site), you'll often stick there for a long period of time (depending on the amount of competition). Budgets for online advertising …

That information alone will tell you a lot about what you need to do for your site. Most people resent spam, and response rates are extremely low, in addition to damaging the brand's reputation. Individuals do not have to type a reply or send a video - they can simply talk …

One day it's perfectly OK to work in a certain way, the next day a search engine algorithm change destroys your rankings. Luckily it's usually possible to recover your visibility, or at least some of it, whether it's a matter of asking for a reconsideration or changing your site so …

Every SERP is unique, even for search queries performed on the same search engine using the same keywords or search queries. This is because virtually all search engines customize the experience for their users by presenting results based on a wide range of factors beyond their search terms. Internal linking …

Successful SEO services, unlike web advertising or PPC (Pay Per Click), can bring the right customers to your website authentically and less expensively, therefore making it a more sustainable long term approach. Create landing pages for your chosen key search terms. They must be relevant to users and contain the …

Simple amnesia? The solution that this site implemented was to add internal canonical tags to all the pages. If you command authority in your specific niche, Google will always see you as an important asset. You certainly don't want to see your visitors land on your home page and immediately …

What happens when you search for information? Most people approach SEO with a preconception - or prejudice - about what their best keywords are. They are normally either wholly or partly wrong. Comparative ads often capture the consumer's attention. Many times people set unrealistic expectations for themselves. They think generating content for …

Those individuals involved in designing a communications campaign must thoroughly understand the product being sold and the consumers (or businesses) who are potential buyers. Search engines want to show the best content based on context relevance, authority of the site, trustworthiness based on how other sites and people engage with …

Search engines decide rankings on what is called the results page. You will sometimes see me use the term SERP, which is the acronym for Search Engine Results Page. In a Google search, the search engine makes its decisions based on signals from websites and the person searching. Do not …

But if you're waiting for an SEO signal, there are two factors that can help nudge you in the right direction. In the world of SEO, there is speculation that Google's indexer will only give a certain document credit for having a given word in its title if that word …

If you lose direction, you'll end up wasting money. More important, learning can occur. Evaluating keywords for relative opportunities is still very tough. However, the phrases 'organic coffee beans' and 'best coffee shops' offer plenty of information about the kind of searcher and what content they are looking for.

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Predicting future viral success online is a craft possessed by a select few and sometimes their success is also based on luck. Many small business owners balk at video marketing because they think that their business isn't "video worthy". But if lawyers and instant coffee brands can have a YouTube …

This is usually enough to get the link removed. Crowdsourcing of creative work involves fans and can generate considerable buzz for a brand. High-quality, timeless content performs better in search engines than short-lived articles. SEOs have a weird way to describe this voting process; they call it "link juice." If …

Let's say it's a perfect world. You're ranking high for your target keyword and have great copy on display... If you're an SEO-newbie you'll probably hear lots of new and complicated terms. During information retrieval, searchers often change focus to different aspects of their tasks. Don't presume that the redirection …

Back in 2011, you could use blog commenting to get 200 backlinks and quickly skyrocket your rankings on search engines. But, in today's algorithm for search engines, the focus is on quality over quantity. Bear in mind that your keyword or phrase should be the most frequently used term in …

Writing solid website content is challenging, but not impossible. With planning, focus, and proper resource allocation you can create excellent content that entices readers and engages website visitors. As SEOs we always want to understand the impact of site changes. Yet analyzing the data is challenging, especially in an enterprise …

In many cases, paid search is much faster for testing user flow or usability. Search Engine Optimization is the process of optimizing a site for search engines, so search engines are able to rank your site accordingly and therefore drive more traffic to your site, when users are searching (via …

Google learned that when people search for the term "SEO," they were more likely to click on information over a list of services. So, eventually, the algorithm changed to incorporate this behavior, and now it delivers the types of results it believes the keyword is really asking for. Always keep …

All websites stand to benefit from SEO. Or does the web visitor click on another internal webpage?Grammar and spelling errors send a clear message to Google that your site contains content that is of poor editorial quality. You can get started with Google sitemaps and other webmaster tools by …

Internal search result pages are produced when someone conducts a search using an eCommerce website's internal search feature. However, going down the path of skipping on-page optimization is a difficult one and no longer an option when trying to achieve top rankings. The Penguin Update in April 2012 introduced a …