Paddy Morgan says, “In my last post on Moz a few weeks ago, I talked about the idea of paying to promote your content using social channels. Today I actually want to go a step backwards in the process and talk about content creation. 1. How to verify you have a good idea I could write a whole post on this one topic, but maybe that’s for another day! For now, I want to share a few ways you can make sure you’re on the right track and increasing the likelihood that you have a content idea that is going to be well received”. 5 Hacks for Creating and Promoting the Right Content MOZ... [...]

Simon Penson says, “I’m not so sure it’s correct to say—as is so common lately—that today’s SEO is a new one, especially with regard to on-site SEO. Many of the things that are necessary today were also necessary in the past: a well-designed information architecture, a great navigation structure, good internal linking, etc. We should talk instead of a new emphasis we must give to some factors as old as SEO itself”. Teach Google About Your Entities by Using Topical Hubs – Whiteboard Friday MOZ Blog  [...]

Ben Barrass says, “Benchmarking, for those that were in the know, was once a fantastic feature of Google Analytics. Discontinued in 2011, and then followed by the removal of Adplanner the following year, meant it became a lot harder to contextualise the great work marketers were doing and get valuable market information. Alternatives for benchmarking have always been available, based on toolbar tracking or proprietary stats vendors for example, but those that used Google Analytics benchmarking reports loved the feature for its simplicity, the fact that it was perceived to be well informed, and... [...]

Graham Charlton says, “Here’s an example which highlights the importance of internal linking and the creation of hub pages.  To demonstrate this, I’ll look at the Guardian and Mail Online’sSEO and internal linking strategy, and the marked contrast between the two. We’re looking at publishers here, but the principles apply equally to any website. In the run up to the tournament, most major news sites created World Cup hub pages for the term, which is likely to be the most popular of 2014”. Why internal links and hub pages are the key to SEO success ‘Econsultancy’... [...]

Jonathan Long says, “You probably know what SEO is and how it can help your business become more successful, but do you know how to create a search engine optimization campaign that works? Building an effective strategy is where most of the questions come into play, so use these five tips to help build a SEO plan that delivers results. 1. Identify Your Target Audience SEO is designed to position your website in front of prospects that are actively seeking for your products or service. You need to define your target customer before moving forward“. 5 Tips to Create a SEO Campaign That Works Business2Community.com  [...]

Cyrus Shepard says, “It’s rare when Google reveals any of its actual ranking factors, so it came as a big surprise when representatives announced they would reward sites using HTTPS encryption with a boost in search results. HTTPS isn’t like other ranking factors. Implementing it requires complexity, risks, and costs. Webmasters balance this out with benefits that include increased security, better referral data, and a possible boost in rankings”. The Big List of SEO Tips and Tricks for Using HTTPS on Your Website MOZ Blog  [...]

Tim Allen says, “Diving into Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) for the first time can be a challenge. You are faced with a whole armoury of new tools, each containing a huge variety of features. Optimizely is one of those tools you will quickly encounter and through this post I’m going to cover 6 features I wish I had known from day one that have helped improve test performance/debugging and the ability to track results accurately. 1. You don’t have to use the editor The editor within Optimizely is a useful tool if you don’t have much experience working with code. The editor... [...]

Rand Fishkin says, “Whatever the motives behind Google’s recent removal of exact-match keyword targeting from AdWords, the resulting uncertainty makes keyword research that much more difficult. In today’s Whiteboard Friday, Rand talks about the implications of the change, and offers tips for the most effective research going forward”. Keyword Research and Targeting Without Exact Match – Whiteboard Friday MOZ Blog  [...]

Andy Curry says, “This month’s article will address how to build links to our website. This is one of the most critical aspects of search engine optimization and one of the most difficult to get right. Why Backlinks? The first point is to address why link building (also called “backlinking” or “backlinks”) is so important. Google first launched in the late 1990s with the premise that websites having lots of links from other websites is an indicator of popularity — and, therefore, a website people should see when they’re looking for that very thing”. Do-it-yourself SEO:... [...]

Miriam Ellis says, “If you work in Local SEO, chances are you’ve been fielding tons of questions from clients since Google rolled out the Pigeon update in late July. Need a little extra support providing sound advice in what are still the early days of this development that has caused both organic and local ranking shakeups? Here’s your chance to learn what six of the finest Local SEOs on the map are telling their own clients and readers about Pigeon, followed up by a checklist aimed at helping you Pigeon-proof your local presence. Read closely, and I believe you’ll find... [...]