Myles Anderson says, “Is selling SEO services getting harder, or are SEOs just not that good at it? I ask this question this because I’ve recently had a number of conversations with SEOs — freelance and at agencies — and almost all complained about difficulties in pitching and converting SMBs. It’s well-documented that business owners get bombarded with calls and emails from SEOs trying to convince them that they need their services and that they can deliver the moon-on-a-stick. From our 2014 SMB internet marketing survey, we found that 35 percent of SMBs are contacted every day by... [...]

Aleh Barysevich says, “In our fast-paced, digital world, few things help small businesses the way a local search engine optimization (SEO) strategy can. Search engines keep getting smarter, but that doesn’t mean SEO is no longer necessary. Your business will lose out to competitors if you’re not working to keep it in the public eye. Although all SEO hinges on great content and a responsive website, local SEO has its own practices and requirements that influence how you rank locally. There are literally hundreds of local SEO ranking factors to consider, but what I’ve detailed... [...]

MOZ team says, “As SEOs, we often find ourselves facing new changes implemented by search engines that impact how our clients’ websites perform in the SERPs. With each change, it’s important that we look beyond its immediate impact and think about its future implications so that we can try to answer this question: “If I were Google, why would I do that?” Recently, Google implemented a series of manual penalties that affected sites deemed to have unnatural outbound links. Webmasters of affected sites received messages like this in Google Search Console: Google Outbound... [...]

MOZ team says, “The long tail of search can be a mysterious place to explore, often lacking the volume data that we usually rely on to guide us. But the keyword phrases you can uncover there are worth their weight in gold, often driving highly valuable traffic to your site. In this edition of Whiteboard Friday, Rand delves into core strategies you can use to make long tail keywords work in your favor, from niche-specific SEO to a bigger content strategy that catches many long tail searches in its net”. Long Tail SEO: When & How to Target Low-Volume Keywords MOZ  [...]

Craig McConnel says, “SEO is a critical consideration for any entity that wants to manage a strong web presence. Anyone that takes SEO seriously understands there’s more to it than selecting a list of keywords and throwing them into content. SEO is research and everything from compelling content to back linking and smart videos. It’s also a task better handled by a team of professionals with an understanding of your goals, industry and search engine optimization. But just how important is it in terms of your budget? It has been estimated that 93 percent of online interaction of... [...]

Lindsay Kolowich says, “SEO can sometimes feel like it stands for “Something Extremely Obscure.” As marketers, we’re responsible for staying on top of what can feel like endless Google algorithm updates. And if we fail to do so, we run the risk of not showing up in search for important target keywords. But keeping pace with all of those changes isn’t easy. Thankfully, when it comes to achieving SEO success on your website, there’s one rule of thumb that remains a tried-and-tested technique: optimizing your website with relevant and targeted keywords. By having... [...]

Jason Decker says, “Local search marketing is a complicated system. Standard SEO techniques such as keyword-rich content, well-optimized meta tags and a strong backlink profile are always important. For multi-location franchises, add the complications of Name, Address and Phone Number (NAP) accuracy, maintenance and distribution of local business listings, proactive management of Google My Business data and citation development, and you have a real challenge, especially for large franchises in competitive markets. This article addresses three significant opportunities that are often overlooked... [...]

Ian Bowden says, “Ranking signal studies and anecdotal feedback point toward the growing importance of user signals in search results. Historically, the link graph has been the primary mechanism for Google and other search engines to determine what content is best and most worthy of returning to users. However, the link graph does heavily favor desktop experiences, as a lot fewer people link to mobile sites. With more people browsing on mobile devices and quality mobile listings growing in importance, Google has to reduce its dependency on the link graph. If the mobile webpage is not as strong... [...]

Jayson DeMers says, “Few types of online business can benefit from SEO more than e-commerce websites that allow for direct consumer transactions. Not only can you secure more web traffic (and a larger stream of revenue), you can also optimize specific product pages to funnel traffic to your most profitable or popular pages. But SEO (and e-commerce in general) is always evolving. New technologies, new insights and new best practices emerge on a regular basis, and the best e-commerce webmasters are jumping on these changes to stay ahead of the competition. Below, I’ve compiled a list of seven... [...]

Marcus Miller says, “Local SEO is getting more difficult for many businesses. Google’s move from seven to three listings in the local pack, and the threat of various ads in the local space, has created a fiercely competitive environment for local businesses. Suffice it to say, if you wish to rank in that three pack in 2016 and beyond, your local SEO has to be 100 percent on point. In this article, I want to take a look at the primary local SEO ranking factors, along with the major competitive difference-makers and negative ranking factors. I will break down each of these to ensure that... [...]