Tag: SEO

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Google’s Mobile First Becomes Your Top Priority

Nancy McCord
“Just Nancy” – My Point of View for Today.

Just this last week Google announced that it’s mobile search index would become its primary index and that it would be spinning off its tablet and desktop index into a separate index. Additionally Google stated that it would not be updating the desktop and tablet index with the same frequency as that of the mobile index.

For some, this statement did not register as important, but for those in my industry, this was very important news.

How so?

Business owners must take heed when Google makes statements like this. If your website is not mobile-friendly, you have an old website that looks like your desktop on the small screen of mobile devices, and you are not using a workaround like DudaMobile, you may be in trouble. What kind of trouble? You may drop placement organically, pages you add may not be indexed frequently, and Google may even not show your website in the mobile index. With mobile searches driving over 60% of the traffic on Google.com that’s a big drop for you.

Google is focused on speed for mobile, are you?

The next big hurdle if your site is mobile friendly is to try to speed up the delivery of your pages. Google is boosting the Accelerated Mobile Page (AMP) initiatives to deliver AMP’ed up content to mobile devices nearly instantaneously. Be prepared for keeping an eye on this. Google has mentioned that it likes AMP pages and has tested even saying it may provide better placement for pages and sites that are AMP’ed.

For now the key is to assure that your site can be considered by Google as mobile-friendly and mobile-fast.

We have options when it comes to mobile, from a DudaMobile script “Bandaid” to a new mobile responsive site or WordPress site with mobile responsive theme. Just ask us for help!

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Placing Organically for More Than Your Business Name

Solutions for your business that make sense.
Solutions for your business that make sense.

If you only place for your own business name, (which is totally not difficult as that is the name plastered all over your website), it is time to get busy!

First – find out what you should be placing on
Do some keyword research. If you are using Google AdWords, the tools found there are a great place to start to see what Google says is popular. Also check out your Google Analytics statistics. If what you see at Analytics is still not what you personally feel you should be placing on, put on your thinking hat. Sit on Google.com for 15 minutes and do a reality check. What would you enter on Google to find what you are selling in your own business and in your own area.

Second – get strategic about the terms you want to own
Don’t go hog wild crazy trying to place on one and two word terms or for that matter forty keyword phrases. Start with two or three phrases that contain three or four words each and preferably that contain a location specific word. If you don’t place now for just about anything but your name, start small. Try first to place on terms with your city name within your placement phrase.

Third – start building out or buying unique content using your selected terms
I like website page creation plus blogging on your on-domain blog to try to build some keyword density in a smart way. Google will penalize you if you try to stuff keywords into the content, so go easy on how many times you use your new keyword phrases and strive to keep your content natural and readable.

Make sure to check back on Wednesday for more tips on what you can do to start placing organically on search terms other than your business name.

If you need help, give me a call at (540) 693-0385 to set up a free teleconference to discuss ways we can help your business place better.

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Google My Business Can Bring You New Local Clients

Image of a Google Maps exposure on Google.com.
Image of a Google My Business exposure on Google.com.

Yes I know, Google My Business is tied to a Google+ Page and no one seems to like Google+, but I have to say that there is a place for Google My Business and the reviews that are done there.

I recently moved to the Fredericksburg area which is in central Virginia. I need all new doctors, a new beauty salon, a new dentist – well new everything! How have I, an experience web marketer found new businesses to trade with and doctors to go to? From Google My Business!

As Google showcases Google My Business listings in the search results preferentially and returns them based on your own location, the results are catered to you personally. Click a result and you do not go to a website, but rather a larger map view with all local listings at the side and a plethora of reviews.

Which listings did I take time to review – those with reviews. Who did I not even bother to look at – anyone with no reviews or those with poor reviews and a low number of stars.

I never even went to any websites but the last two selections I made and then to only get the phone number and check out the faces of people who I would be trading with.

That’s the new way Google is forcing us to use their search engine. Clicking into a business website is secondary to getting the information you need fast right from Google AND this is where the Google My Business page is so important, as this is now the landing page before a client even gets to your website.

If you are smart and work the Google system, you will start now by setting up your Google My Business page and then aggressively working to add reviews to that page. Remember, Google is wanting people to stay on THEIR site to serve ads and to not even need to click into your website for information.

If you need savvy solutions to help with your website visibility visit us at McCordWeb.com – there’s no SEO “snake oil” here!

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Site Prominence and Local Organic Placement

Mobile exposure in AdWords is key.
Does your website show up prominently in mobile searches for your location?

Organic placement in the local results is important for many businesses, but the big question is how can you get there other than paying your way onto the page with Google AdWords?

If you are a service provider that looks to sell your services in your hometown, placing with your location is key to growing your business.

Here are my top tips to getting local placement for smartphone and desktop searches.

  1. Make sure that your phone number is in text at the top of your website page and not in an image.

2. Make sure that you have your full address and phone number in the footer of all of your pages.

3. Put your phone number and city location in the meta title tag of your home page.

4. Make sure that you have your city location in your h1 and h2 tags on your page.

5. Start working on great customer service and start building reviews. If you have reviews on your website, make sure they are coded for Google using Rich Snippets.

6. When you blog, blog with purpose and cater to your local market with city or state names positioned prominently.

7. Hire a savvy expert who will assist you in crafting a content strategy to boost local positioning. At McCord Web Services we provide consulting to help you position your website to place in your geographic location.

Don’t flounder around anymore, get the help you need to start placing locally in your city and state.