Because of how Google worked, the old model of keyword research was based on finding these common keyword phrases, even if they were semantically nonsensical, and sprinkling them throughout a site. The importance of keyword research is still quite prolific in SEO, although we have been switching to a topic-based …

Domain authority does play into local SEO ranks, and that means the quality, context, and quantity of links you have pointing back to your domain does come into play when Google calculates your local position. Planning keyword targets and goals together is of the utmost importance for all outbound communications …

Although Panda was first rolled out several years ago (and followed by Penguin, an update aimed at knocking out black-hat SEO techniques) it's been updated several times since its initial launch, most recently in September of 2014. But precisely how do you do that nowadays? Try using several cities, in …

Keyword research methods have evolved in concert with more intelligent search engines and changing user preferences. Since Google launched their Hummingbird algorithm in 2013, their search engine is now operating largely on the basis of semantic search. Online marketers competed ruthlessly for Google's precious first page despite Google's guidelines on …

If a search engine makes a page request that isn't served within the bot's time limit (or that produces a server timeout response), your pages may not make it into the index at all, and will almost certainly rank very poorly (as no indexable text content has been found). Instead …

Once the search engines algorithms had been repeatedly refined and once important metrics such as keyword density became secondary factors (only as a warning that the keyword density must not be too high and not go over the optimization goal), keyword stuffing finally went out of fashion and is now …

If you're starting from scratch, however, you'll find it's notoriously difficult to get your foot in the door anywhere. If not, then you need to create timeless content that will always give value to your readers. Does the act of storytelling in business really add value? A Intersol ranking on …

When you?re ready to take things to the next level, these five steps are a great place to start. Some users might be okay with a popup that asks them to subscribe or presents a special offer, but most will simply be displeased that something extraneous just blocked their …

In an attempt to manipulate rankings, businesses turned to keyword stuffing– including a keyword as many times as possible within the body and metadata of a page. As we've just mentioned in the previous tip, it's useful to dedicate some time every month to catch up with the latest SEO …

Long form content is an inbound marketing tool that has recently grown in popularity amongst marketing professionals. These pieces of content go against the trend toward smaller and more easily digestible pieces of content. Guest content and link building is another landmark area for the cost (and value) of a …

Bad strategies have similar effects for businesses that already have a foothold in search ranks. Subheads are another overlooked SEO tactic and should be used whenever possible. If they consist of valuable keywords that are relevant to the article, they won't only boost the article's search value, they'll also provide …

Brand mentions, with or without a link, are becoming increasingly important as well. Finally, be realistic about your expertise. The same way you have your staging server password protected (you do right?) to keep the lookie-loos away, you should have your staging server blocked from the Search Engines to prevent …

Don't overlook websites that don't have a "write for us" page. Not every website has one of these. Some of the best websites for getting backlinks are ones without these pages. The brand identity is how that brand appears online to users. The concept of 'link' is changing in that …

Two steps in themarketing plan consist of stating how to implement the plan and specifying methods toevaluate performance. There haven't been many changes to the world of search marketing which have had such a powerful effect as the rise of voice search is currently doing. You might want to monitor …

Encoding devices provide the means of transmitting information and include advertisements, public relations efforts, press releases, sales activities, promotions, and a wide variety of additional verbal and nonverbal cues sent to receivers. From my perspective, on-page optimization also refers to critical planning steps like understanding your niche, keyword research, and …

SEO has been in the mainframe of digital marketing for little above two decades. Going back to the coffee example for a moment To earn the real SEO rewards, it needs to be an ongoing campaign that really makes a difference to your website as a whole. According to Forrester …

Worldwide, the number of smartphones users exceeds 2.16 billion, or more than 25% of the world's population. If you are still basing your SEO strategy around keywords you should probably start to think a little bit deeper around user intent. SEO doesn't have to be hard or require an …

SEO can help a growing startup establish its presence and meet business goals. As it may seem obvious by now, there is more to writing SEO-friendly content than ensuring you get a healthy ratio of keywords in. Many companies have replaced 30-second television spots with digital,social and alternative communication …

And if these people are your demographic, you need to have your SEO in order. Raw traffic is generally a rough estimate of success to some degree. Top Search engine positioning is the Holy Grail of all search engine optimisation professionals and enthusiasts alike I'm on the lookout for an …

It's a simple but necessary fix that can have a large impact on search rankings. So content marketing is one of the 3 main pieces to SEO, but has been around for longer than SEO because of things like Michelin Stars and Guiness Book of World Records, which were essentially …

An example of a dynamic structure could include some standard text in all product page tags but with the specific name of the product populated from the database. Marketers will often ignore (or confuse) SEO in favor of (PPC) SEM, but by doing so they are ignoring great opportunities. Your …

If you 're going to use JavaScript to enhance the overall visitor experience of your website, place the code in an external file. A page's title tag is the clickable text that appears in search results. Though easily overlooked, it's one of the most important factors in on-page SEO and …

This includes ranking and appearing well for search terms and variations that are used by your target audience in natural or organic search listings. If you must use frames, offer your visitors a choice. A simple way to create nonsensical names is to combine parts of two or more words …

We all know poorly written and thin content when we see it. One of the most important steps when starting with SEO is to align it with your wider goals. It's useful to set initial goals for what you want to achieve with your content to explore how to involve …

The hierarchy of effects model helps to clarify the objectives of an advertising campaign. Purchasing agents gravitate toward directories listing many suppliers, visit price comparison sites, and review sites that rate vendors' performance. You can use CSS to get around this problem. If you're looking for Lines rocking horses , you've …

Your content needs to come together in such a way that it shows a search engine that you are an authority on a given topic. More importantly, it has to quickly answer the questions your customers likely have about you and your products. You should make sure that all of …

Google Analytics will help you in your investigations on these factors. It's easy to assume that Google already understands the content and relevance of each and every page on your website, but the fact is that it needs a fair amount of hand-holding. Fortunately, helping Google along really isn't very …

Creating infographics that give detailed information about your niche is another great way to build links. People using your infographics will be required to place a link to your site (where they obtained the infographic), thus giving you an easy backlink from a site relevant to your niche. There are …

Deception cuts both ways. SEO is connected to strong sales funnels and often shows a high return on investment (ROI). There is a lot one of can write about on their web page, the key is to keep varying your content. If you continue to rewrite one thing you found …

The impact to Google is minimal but does help with your overall optimization efforts and click through rate as search terms are highlighted on search results. Why does trust matter so much? Crowdsourcing offers an alternative to creating commercials in-house or hiring an external advertising agency. Recently, I came across …

Look at how your landing pages have performed since the launch of RankBrain to see if there are any correlations between user engagement metrics (such as time on page, bounce rate, and so on) and your SEO rankings. Take it from Google themselves: sites that aren't mobile-friendly or don't have …

Always think about the user and why they are visiting your site in the first place. Link building is still extremely important. They want to be active participants with brands, not just passive customers. Imagine having a fun-packed rockinghorses in your room. I asked where I could find local organic …

Remember, real SEO takes time. Companies that claim they are able to get you results in a few weeks are likely engaging in unethical practices like buying links, linking to low quality or irrelevant websites, or spamming comments. These shady business practices can result in a slight boost for a …

Making a site that is engaging for users but performs well in Google Search requires combining specific server and client side technologies. Think MySpace.com. Many companies start their online business presence by buying a domain name (a name for their website, often one close to their business name) and …

Check forums, online communities and Q&A sites to find the questions people in your niche are asking. Providing clear answers with actionable points is a sure-fire way of creating content your target audience will love. When a consumer deems a product to be important, it becomes more likely she …

Technical SEO is the basic foundation of any site. While it might not have a direct relation to page/site ranking, it supports all the other components and must be done with a lot of care. How often did you leave a website because it took too long to open …

A website redesign presents the perfect opportunity for you to analyze your backlinks and remove the shady ones. If you use Google Webmaster Tools, you'll see a "manual penalty" appear if Google detects one of these low-quality links. You'll then have the option to make such links "no follows" so …

The best SEO colleagues I have worked with and studied under all have a handful of tools in their arsenal. Website owners used to litter their content with tons of keywords in order to rank higher on Google. Now, the search engine penalizes for those practices. For tools, take advantage …

Fully optimizing for user intent requires an understanding of how your potential customers buy via your inbound marketing channels. As a result, make sure that you have identified these sales funnels as they are crucial for capitalizing on optimizing your website for user intent in search. When users add products …

Do not spam people to build backlinks for yourself. Search engines will also punish you if your name is attached to spamming complaints or if you operate your website anonymously. SEO isn't an option for small businesses today. When a potential customer searches for your product or service and you're …