Category: Search Engine Optimization

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Blogging Still Has a Place in Your Marketing Plan

yes - notepad & pen
Time to get blogging!

As a blog content provider, I’ve seen this market sector zoom up in popularity and then crash this past year as clients move budget dollars into paid advertising or stop blogging services all together based on costs without clearly understanding the big picture benefits.

Blogging is still one of the very best ways to keep your website content fresh, website sticky, and build quality content over time that readers and search engines like.

Of most value is the ability of blogs to slowly and naturally add links to your online portfolio in a non-spammy way.

Here is just one example of how blogging actually helps to slowly build links:

As of today in Google Webmaster tools client one who does not blog and has a mature website and does a monthly newsletter has 833 inbound links.

In comparison in Google Webmaster tools client two who does blog three days a week and has a mature website and does not do a monthly newsletter has 22,541 inbound links.

To further illustrate, in Google Webmaster tools client three who does blog three days a week and has a mature website and does not do a monthly newsletter has 4,744 inbound links.

Pretty big differences in link numbers! There is no better way to naturally build link numbers that help you with organic placement than to have a well-written blog that is regularly updated. If you are looking for premium quality writing that is shareable, I invite you to visit our blog writing service page for samples and pricing.

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Blurring the Lines Between Paid and Organic

Check your vision that may be an ad you're looking at
Check your vision that may be an ad you’re looking at.

In 2013, I feel that Google has actively worked to blur the lines between paid and organic. With algorithms that forced businesses aggressively into Google AdWords, advertising that nearly blends in at the top of the page with organic results, Google+ Local ads that look like regular listings, and now Google Shopping ads that are scheduled to appear within the organic search results, paid ads are becoming the new “organic” way to drive traffic.

Just ask any consumer of your services, “how did you find me?” Nearly all will say “on Google”. But probe further and the consumer really does not know if they saw and organic link or a paid link.

With Google testing new ad layouts and new ad products they are pushing the envelop to move search placement almost into a fully paid arena. Although today on Google.com the ads at the top of the page sit inside a pink box, earlier this year they have sat in a very, very light blue or gray box, to being in a white box that matches the page with a small goldenrod box in front.

But Google’s not alone Bing is additionally testing some of these same exact formats. I believe that we will see even further blurring between paid and organic this next year with more emphasis on paid placement programs than paying firms to place your website content in the organic results.

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The Shift in the Google SERPs to Value Legitimacy

Businesswoman Crossing the Finish Line Ahead of Businessmen
Win the SEO race with a unique authoritative voice in your content.

Legitimacy is what the new Google algorithm Hummingbird is all about. Legitimacy of who you are, the authority of your voice, and the legitimate value of your blog and website content. Your legitimacy is verified by Google through co-citation (mention on other website without even links), mention and links in social media, and activity and engagement with your content in Google+ and Google.com.

That’s the new world of SEO for Google in a quick synopsis. This legitimacy of voice and authority cannot be created by scheming, spamming, or spewing content. When you really evaluate what Google is valuing and placing highly in the organic search results with the new Hummingbird algorithm, it is all about relevancy to a user’s search query and providing an answer to a long tail question or implied request. Google understands what the user wants to see based on their own unique search history and history of time, place, and engagement activity.

So how can you leverage your own business/website in this new world of Google? I say it in one word – Content. If you have quality content, that provides value to readers, answers questions, helps a reader to further understand a topic in your niche, and that content is shared by others, you will be rewarded with a higher search position as you improve your own relevancy.

The beauty of this new Google algorithm is that anyone can do it. You don’t need to buy links, hire an SEO firm to spin content or list you at directories you’ve never heard of, you just need to focus on being unique, transparent, and provide information of value.

If you need help moving your website forward with this type of focus, we may be a good match for your need. I invite you to find out more by visiting our website for more information on what we do.

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What’s Google Got in Store for 2014? Part Three

Screen shot showing location specificity and map on the right.
Screen shot showing location specificity and map on the right.

This post is the last in the series of three this week. Here are some of the things Google is testing that appear to be in store for rollout in 2014 both on mobile and desktop. Make sure to read this excellent article by by Dr. Peter Myers for the Moz Blog in an article titled “Future SERP: a Glimpse at Google 2014“. This is a must read for all website owners.

6. Utilization of personalized search and information from your Google+ activity. We’ve been seeing this for almost a year now, but take a look at the image at the top of the page to see how far Google has come on personalized search results and the final layout. With maps and links as well as references to the number of followers from your Google+ page, Google is integrating Google+ Local and your Google+ personal information; delivering content that is truly customized to your past search history and is predictive based on what you have searched for previously based on a deeper understanding of your search query. The key here is relevancy.

This focus on relevancy is the keyword for 2014 in regards to all changes Google is testing and making. By making their search results and ad results more relevant, you will continue to preferentially search on your smartphone and other devices using Google properties.

One of the key takeaways on this is now to review your own website content. Are you addressing relevancy and helping customers to understand you and what you do? Is your entire internet focus on creating authority and relevancy for the customer plus feeding Google the information to classify you and your content appropriately? Are you monitoring your website bounce rate to help Google rate your customer engagement by striving for a low bounce rate as Google will evaluate this to determine your relevancy to search queries?

If you need a consultant to assist you with a strategic plan to review and then update your online presence, I invite you to visit our website to find out how we can help you position yourself for 2014.