Paddy Morgan says, “Building the types of links that help grow your online business and organic search traffic is getting harder. It used to be fairly straightforward, back before Google worked out how to treat links with different levels of quality and trust. However, the fact that it’s getting harder doesn’t mean that it’s dead. What does the future hold? I’m going to talk about links, but the truth is, the future isn’t really about the links. It is far bigger than that”. The Future of Link Building MOZ Blog  [...]

Erik Devaney says, “You might remember analyzing that oft-quotedRomeo & Juliet line in high school English class. And I’m guessing you thought it was actually, “What’s in a name?” (Common mistake; I won’t hold it against you.) Contrary to what actual Shakespearean scholars will tell you, this quote is not about arguing that names have no inherent bearing on the true essence or quality of a person or thing (a reference, of course, to the feuding Montague and Capulet families and the strain these names are putting on Romeo and Juliet’s budding romance). Nope.... [...]

Russ Jones says, “I wish I didn’t have to say this. I wish I could look in the eyes of every victim of the last Panda 4.1 update and tell them it was something new, something unforeseeable, something out of their control. I wish I could tell them that Google pulled a fast one that no one saw coming. But I can’t. Like many in the industry, I have been studying Panda closely since its inception. Google gave us a rare glimpse behind the curtain by providing us with the very guidelines they set in place to build their massive machine-learned algorithm which came to be known as Panda.... [...]

Pete Prestipino says, “Just how important is it that your website appear atop the search results? Digital marketing and integrated advertising company Mediative recently published a new eye-tracking study which shows the new areas of the Google SERPs which are attracting the attention of users. Researchers at Mediative, who conducted a similar study back in 2005, identified how the “scanning” behavior of users has changed in the past decade as Google’s own search results pages have changed. The current study explores where on the SERP users look and click the most, providing... [...]

Allison Howen says, “Humans are highly visual creatures. In fact, a large part of our brain is devoted to visual processing, and scientific research abounds about how visual imagery helps us cut through the information clutter and process data more efficiently. Armed with this knowledge, it’s no wonder that Web designers and digital marketers make ample use of visuals on websites. The power of visual imagery has a downside, however, that is often overlooked: Photos can kill conversions”. Improve Images to Improve Conversions Website Magazine  [...]

Yael Grauer says, “You may have read our posts praising the virtues of creating engaging content, and heard us extol the importance of responding to reader or customer feedback and making appropriate adjustments. You may also know a bit about quality backlinks and using the correct header tags, sourcing images legally, and creating compelling headlines. Today we’re going to take a look at five thing your business should stop doing if you want to make sure you have killer Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Take a look at our list of faux pas and make sure to steer clear of these big mistakes. 1.... [...]

Rand Fishkin says, “It’s been 10 amazing years since Rand started the blog that would turn into SEOmoz and then Moz, and we never could have come this far without you all. You’ll find letters of appreciation from Rand and Sarah in this post (along with a super-cool video retrospective!), and from all of us at Moz, thank you!”. Thank You for 10 Incredible Years MOZ Blog  [...]

Paul Cheney says, “Marketing talking heads love to spout out call-to-action best practices: Keep it easy to find Put it above the fold Make it a big button But all of these “rules” miss a fundamental shift in the way we need to be thinking about CTAs. There’s something wrong with the word “call-to-action” that focuses us (as marketers) on ourselves and not on the needs of our customers. This manner of thinking treats the audience as if they’re a mass of mindless peons, just waiting for us to command them what to do next. Simply put, I think a call-to-action should be an act of customer... [...]

Ayaz Nanji says, “The way people engage with Google search engine result pages (SERPs) has changed significantly over the past decade, according to a recent report from Mediative. The report was based on data from an eye-tracking study of 53 participants who were asked to complete 43 common search tasks, such as looking for an apartment to rent in a particular neighborhood. All searches were conducted on desktop computers in Canada using the Google search engine. A similar study conducted by Mediative in 2005  found that users tended to focus their gaze on the “Golden Triangle”—the... [...]

Dana DiTomaso says, “Metrics are really only effective markers of business success if they’re measuring your progress toward your organization’s goals. How, though, do we make the leap from goals to reportable metrics? In today’s Whiteboard Friday, Dana DiTomaso (a partner at Kick Point and a MozCon 2014 speaker!) walks us through that process”. How to Convert a Client’s Goals into Reportable Metrics MOZ Blog  [...]