Proliferation

Nov 16
0

4 SEO Practices That Are Doomed to Fail In the Not-So-Distant Future

By | SEO | No Comments

Shockingly, there are still a handful of old-school marketers out there who view the field of SEO as little more than some sort of complex pseudoscience.

While you and I might now that it’s not, in order to help the reluctant get onboard with our craft of choice, it’s imperative that a conscience effort be made to stay up-to-date with what’s most effective for building rapport with the Internet’s largest, most influential search engines.

In need of some help? Here’s what you absolutely, without a doubt can’t bank on in the coming months and years:

1) Focusing Purely On Google

Yes, Google is clearly the focal point for most SEO specialists. There’s nothing wrong with that. However, in the near future, Google can’t be the only focus. We know this because of what’s currently taking place with widespread search trends.

Obviously, Google still takes the cakes as the easiest way for Web users to get what they want. Yet, people are now also using personal digital assistants like Siri and Cortana for getting the information they so desperately crave.

Additionally, believe it or not, Google users are on the decline. Bing and Yahoo? Not so much. Though nothing’s skyrocketing, usership is on the rise.

2) Producing Little More Than Written Content

What’s most crazy about all of this is that, for years now, studies have shown that multimedia content performs better with search engines than that of a more editorial nature. Nevertheless, most content marketing agencies still focus entirely on writing.

Sure, written content isn’t going anywhere and still works well, but there are simply more effective ways of doing things. New platforms, features and demographic-driven data now call for images, video and other interactive elements to be used by both SEO and content marketing specialists.

3) Desktop Optimization

For the longest time, desktop optimization was considered the standard of sound SEO practice.

While there wasn’t anything innately wrong with that, mobile optimization has become the bigger need as users have shifted from using traditional computers to smartphones when surfing the Internet.

In fact, says Jason DeMers in an article written for Forbes, “Now, with mobile traffic surpassing and outpacing desktop traffic in growth and Google far more concerned with a sufficient mobile experience, that standard way of thinking is becoming irrelevant. As long as your site is sufficiently optimized for mobile, soon it won’t matter much how it looks on a desktop.”

4) Building Backlinks In Droves

There’s always been a series of strong dividing lines between SEO, content marketing and public relations. With the passage of time, those lines are blurring.

Think about it—up until this point, more than likely, you’ve been posting links to your domain on blogs, forums, Q&A outlets or Web 2.0 sites. Why? Well, it’s super easy. There’s no editorial review whatsoever, so why wouldn’t you?

While not horribly effective, there’s still a measurable SEO benefit from such a tactic. However, don’t get too excited—Penguin revisions are pegged to all but destroy this strategy.

Yup, this means that you and your team are going to need to place even more importance on building industry-specific relationships, guest posting on authoritative sites and quality content.

Simply put, there’s no getting around it—SEO is an ever-changing industry. Instead of looking at the situation as an obstacle that needs to be overcome, view it as a way to further distance yourself from your competitors by way of awesome results.

By so doing, when all is said and done, both you and your clients will be pleased with what’s taken place.

Nov 16
0

5 Timeless SEO Practices That Will Never Lose Their Widespread Efficacy

By | SEO | No Comments

Ask any SEO expert and he or she will tell you the exact same thing—organic search is by far the best source of traffic to the world’s most influential websites. Recently, in fact, a study was carried about by Conductor that sought to prove the importance of organic search for digital marketers.

The results determined that 64 percent of website traffic comes from organic roots. Shockingly, a mere two percent of generated Web traffic came from social media. So, if you’e an SEO specialist looking to make a name for yourself, there’s good news: you’ll always have a job.

However, as is the case with just about everything in the complex world of SEO, things change at a rapid rate, and Google’s algorithm doesn’t plan to sit around and wait for you to catch up. That said, there are a few SEO-driven constants that appear to be standing the test of time:

1) Keep Content Continuously Flowing

Content marketing has taken off as an advertorial trend for a reason—it’s super important for SEO. More than just about anything else, if you can keep a steady stream of content flowing from the brains and fingers of your savvy team of content marketers, you’ll appeal to both digital audiences and search engines.

Furthermore, keep in mind that digital content isn’t limited to articles or the occasional blog post; moreover, it includes highly engaging content types such as videos, SlideShare presentations, infographics and podcasts.

2) Make Social Media a Real Priority

Yes, it was previously pointed out that social media’s impact on driven Web traffic is minimal, at best. Hold the phone—there’s more to it.

While there’s been a great deal of debate as to whether or not social signals have an impact on SEO, recent research and indicated that there is a causative relationship between the two entities.

Just how active should you be? Well, seeing as how Twitter’s stream of tweets is presently used by Google to index content, it’s probably the best place to start.

Reports Lori Wagoner of DazeInfo.com, “While the optimum frequency will vary from case to case, on an average, you need at least two tweets a day every single day of the week to gain even 30 percent organic reach on Twitter.”

On the other hand, Facebook’s organic reach isn’t nearly as impressive as it used to be. Beyond paid social, the outlet isn’t nearly as effective or lucrative as Twitter.

3) Update Your Keywords

Ah, keywords—the stuff of real SEO genius. Truthfully, you’re right, but only to a certain extent. The need for keywords is still highly relevant and doesn’t appear to be going anywhere anytime soon. But, it’s necessary that they be updated form time to time. Just as Google changes, so too does user search behavior.

Lastly, even though your site’s already been built, it’s never a bad idea to go back and check each piece of content you create to ensure that everything contains keywords that are highly relevant to your brand’s niche.

4) Focus On Customer Reviews

This one’s often forgotten, but user-generated content works wonders for building rapport with each of the Internet’s leading search engines. Though this section’s heading hones in on reviews, this kind of content also includes blog comments and product or service ratings.

Sure, these will help you and your brand build a solid SEO foundation, but even better, these reviews will help in the ways of customer conversion. Regardless of your marketing team’s various points of emphasis, positive reviews are important to have present on a site.

5) Look to Industry Leaders for Direction

Lost as to what your industry’s most common SEO tactics are? No need to fret. The best way to get some direction with your SEO is to frequent the sites of your competitors.

Look for specific keywords they’re using well and identify the authoritative sites from which they’re getting invaluable backlinks.

Additionally, do a bit of snooping and look into the various content types your rivals are using to strengthen their ties with potential clients on social media or elsewhere out on the World Wide Web. Simply put, if it’s working for them, it can work for you.

When all is said and done, much is needed to drive Web surfers to your website. That said, stick close to the aforementioned practices. By so doing, your bound to develop the habits that will serve you well in the dynamic field of SEO for years to come.

Nov 09
0

Inside Google’s RankBrain Algorithm Update

By | SEO | No Comments

Google certainly loves to scare the marketers who spend their time researching the best SEO tactics, and the search engine giant has done it again with the recent announcement of its new “RankBrain” system. But what is RankBrain, and how is it going to affect the way Google ranks websites? While some of the details are still sparse, there are a few important facts that have come to light.

What is it?

First of all, RankBrain is not a replacement for Google’s Hummingbird search algorithm—but it is an important facet that will contribute to how Hummingbird will rank websites. Search Engine Land explains that RankBrain is “a machine-learning artificial intelligence system that’s used to help process its search results.”

Sounds fancy and confusing, right? In layman’s terms, RankBrain is a program that can basically learn new SEO-related information as it has more experience with online search. As more Web searches are conducted, RankBrain can gather data on the words and phrases that are used to make connections so that it can better deal with new searches that haven’t been conducted before.

According to Bloomberg, Google has since reported that RankBrain has become the “third-most important signal contributing to the result of a search query.” And the implementation of this AI has apparently proven effective. In the Bloomberg article, Google researchers explained that turning off RankBrain significantly decreased the quality of search results, damaging the overall user experience. Since RankBrain is able to learn and make new connections between even the most complex of searches, it can deliver better, more usable results to Web users.

RankBrain’s ability to refine results for never-before-done queries is especially important when one considers just how many searches are conducted every day. With literally billions of searches conducted each day, and an estimated 15 percent of said searches being completely new, there are hundreds of millions of new searches each day—which could certainly prove difficult for an SEO ranking algorithm to handle without a tool such as RankBrain.

Why Does it Matter?

Of course, the biggest question on every SEO guru’s mind is how the introduction of RankBrain will impact the effectiveness of their strategies. The truth of the matter is that RankBrain has been impacting online searches since earlier this year—but Google chose not to unveil news about this ranking signal until the end of October (possibly due to the widespread panic that came about when the company announced it’s “mobile-friendly” algorithm update).

In other words, this isn’t something like the “mobile-friendly” update where SEO experts have time to make changes to their Web design and content before the algorithm change starts affecting their search rankings—it’s already taking effect. However, since RankBrain is a learning machine that will continue to adapt the ranking signals it sends to Hummingbird, marketers can be sure that its importance will keep growing.

Of course, since Google hasn’t said much about what RankBrain actually looks for in determining what sites should be highly ranked for a particular search, it’s hard to know for certain what (if any) practices need to change in your SEO strategy.

A good rule of thumb is to continue with the adage “content is king.” Google has stated in the past that it would be putting an increased emphasis on delivering high-quality, relevant content in its search results—and since RankBrain also seems to be focused on delivering extremely relevant and useful results, it stands to reason that the better your content is, the more likely it will get ranked highly for a wide variety of search queries.

Another useful step would be to examine the results of your SEO strategy over the last few months. Since RankBrain was introduced earlier this year, it stands to reason that it will have been affecting your search rankings as well. If your standings in search results have been regressing in recent months, it’s probably a good idea to take a closer look at what your SEO strategy entails and double down on making sure all content you produce—both on-site and for third-party content marketing purposes—is of the highest quality possible.

In a perfect world, Google would not only reveal exactly how RankBrain works, but also what the two other most influential ranking factors are. But since that’s unlikely to happen anytime soon, we’ll simply keep watching the latest marketing trends and adjusting our strategies accordingly.

Sep 25
0

SEO: Then & Now

By | SEO | No Comments

Whether you went to Brigham Young University or the University of Utah, there’s a reason that your past course listings never included a class on SEO: change. Truthfully, the industry is developing at such an alarming rate that academia can’t keep up. What once worked to help build credibility with Google and Bing five or six months ago, more than likely, couldn’t be less effective in our current day and age. 

Needless to say, it can be difficult to stay up to date with the latest trends of the industry. In order to better understand where the world of SEO is headed, it’s beneficial to take a closer look at where it’s been.

Sep 25
0

4 Clever Ways to Implement Awkward Keywords

By | SEO | No Comments

Both here in Utah and all over the country, the fields of SEO and content marketing are joined at the hip. Working together, not only can a reputation of thought leadership be developed with industry rivals and potential consumers, but also with the World Wide Web’s most reputable search engines. While the debate as to which SEO tactics are the most effective for bringing about digital success will most assuredly rage on for years to come, one thing is for certain: the demand for editorial content is always present.

With strategically embedded links, top-tier publication outlets and, you guessed it, keywords being of the utmost importance, not just any writer with a laptop can work SEO magic. In fact, one of the more difficult tasks comes with having to work awkward geo-qualifiers into written text. Though difficult, they can be both strategically and successfully implemented.

Aug 21
0

Play It Safe: Organic SEO

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To be honest, coming to fully understand Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is difficult enough as it is without having to take worry about the differences between white-hat and black-hat SEO techniques. That being said, there’s a reason for which the distinctions between the two are of the utmost importance: Google’s lead search algorithm.

Both here in Utah and elsewhere, if confidence is to digitally be built with the Wide World Web’s top search engines—namely Google, truthfully—Organic SEO tactics will need to be used. As is the case with most things in life, corners can’t be cut if real SEO results are to be produced. With all of this in mind, what is Organic SEO and how can it help you and your brand? Fortunately, we’ve got just the infographic to help:

Fusion 360 - Play It Safe: Organic SEO (Fusion 360 SEO)

Aug 19
0

A Digital Treasure Trove: Long-Tail SEO

By | SEO | No Comments

These days, from Utah to the most remote of locations out on America’s East Coast, there are few digital marketing trends as big as SEO. While the practice might be seen as a bit of a pseudoscience by those of a more traditional marketing background, SEO is here to stay. Simply put, as long as search engine continue to be used by consumers, the industry promises to remain a constant for professional product and service pushers.

However, seeing as how the Internet is an ever-changing changing entity, so too must the SEO practices with which experts arm themselves. Currently, long-tail SEO takes the proverbial cake as being of the utmost importance for brands hoping to build rapport with Google’s mysterious search algorithm.

At a loss for what long-tail SEO is and how you can use it? Take a look at the infographic below to better understand what your company desperately needs for complete and total dominance out on the World Wide Web:

Fusion 360 - A Digital Treasure Trove - Long-Tail SEO (Fusion 360 SEO

Jul 29
0

Building Blocks of SEO: Construct Your Website With Tools for Optimization

By | SEO | No Comments

Search engine optimization (SEO) can seem like a foreign language, especially to those who are first diving into building a website. The trick is to get down the basics of SEO construction. Once all the right foundation blocks are in place, the rest can quickly be built from there.

There are two separate types of SEO to understand before attempting to optimize a website.  The first are on-page factors. These will be the content or keywords that are built into the website and are under the direct control of the publisher.

Once that is established, the off-page factors come next. Those are the elements that are influenced by other readers, visitors and publishers from around the world. Smaller building blocks within these two structures will ultimately build a site that is SEO ready.

On-Page: Content

The first place where SEO can be built in for maximum optimization is the content. This may seem obvious, but there are certain elements that must be included for content to be successful. The pages must all be full of quality content—things that will interest the right audience.

Once you’re sure that the content has purpose and intrigue, use research to find keywords that will most likely be searched by your target audience. Google AdWords is a great tool that can make this process quick and easy.

Make sure the researched keywords match up with the words you hope  your website will be searched for. They must match up with the purpose of the website. If not, the keywords will be obvious and out of place.

From there, tweak content to make it engaging, in line with trending topics and full of actual substance. No one wants to read something they already know about. Don’t forget to also minimize ads, especially “above the fold” where most viewers hang out on the webpage.

On-Page: HTML

Once content is created, HTML comes next to display it all on the website. However, don’t just develop HTML without considering how SEO can play a part. Use geo-qualifiers with your HTML to draw in locals, or use other words that will seek out larger target audiences. Make sure to include these types of keywords in the title, description and headers on your webpage. That being said, beware of keyword stuffing. When keywords are used in abundance, it’s likely that a digital penalty be issued. As a result, PageRank suffers.

Finally, make sure the pages are structured in a way with data that will enhance listings. Incorporate all of these techniques into your HTML, and you will find that the site’s ranking significantly goes up.

On-Page: Architecture

Everything that is built needs some sort of architecture. It is the mechanics that make a house—or in this instance, a website—function.  Although the audience can’t see it, they will notice if the architecture is lagging.

Incorporate SEO into this architecture to make sure viewers are unaware of any “bugs.” The first way to do this is by ensuring that search engines can easily crawl pages on your site. Most people, regardless of where they come from, use search engines for andy and all web browsing.

Duplicate content can also be a common issue. How does the site manage this duplicate content? Make sure it is optimized for a quick fix. It is also important to make sure the site loads quickly—on mobile devices and computers. Viewers will not stick around past three seconds, so this aspect of SEO is vital.

Steer clear of “cloaking” pages to show up differently to search engines and humans. People want what they think they are going to get. Finally, make sure URLs are short and include keywords. This will take architecture to the next level.

Off-Page: Links

On the flip side, off-page factors are still important, although they may not be directly influenced by the publisher. Start by making sure links are from trusted sources. This will persuade more viewers to trust enough to give your link a click. Don’t forget to include in the text of links important SEO keywords for optimization. Also, it is a good idea to ensure links on other websites point back to yours.

Off-Page: Trust

Dive down deeper into the trust aspect of  your links. People want to know they can trust what they read. Only use links that have authority or a good history already established. That way being associated with that source will enhance your site’s own authority.

Take it a step farther and use sources that can stamp your site with a trusted identity. Meanwhile, keep in mind that being flagged for piracy will never reflect well for your SEO optimization. Keep it honest and trusted with legitimate links.

Off-Page: Social

Never forget to incorporate social media into your SEO strategy. This is extremely important nowadays with millennials who spend most of their days on such sites. Use social media influencers within your target audience’s social circle to promote your site. It is also a good idea to engage with your audience on social media to influence more shares and spread the word faster about your site.

Off-Page: Personal

After a website is built with the aforementioned foundational blocks, circle back with analytics. Find out who is visiting your site and learn more about your target audience to increase their viewership. Consider things like where in audience is coming from, if users have visited the site before and if you are tapping into their influencers for help. SEO should never be left out of website development.

Needless to say, using these building blocks can take an unsuccessful attempt at constructing a website and transform it into an easy way to spread the word about your product or service. Don’t take any chances—incorporate SEO.

Fusion 360 - Build Your Website With an SEO Foundation (Fusion 360 SEO)

Jul 08
0

7 Ways to Make Your Online Content More Readable

By | SEO | No Comments

Whether you make your living as a web developer, copywriter or SEO specialist here in Utah or elsewhere, it’s imperative that any and all digital content be made available for mass consumption in a presentable fashion. Unfortunately, we’ve all had the displeasure of visiting websites that were riddled with complex interfaces, poor site navigability and—perhaps most troublesome—indigestible content, regardless of whether it be editorial or visual.

In order to make a website work for you, your respective clients and the World Wide Web’s most influential search engines, take the necessary time to make certain that content—particularly of a written nature—be readable, enjoyable and provide something of concrete value for site visitors. Still confused? The following infographic promises to simplify the tricky endeavor:

Fusion 360 - 7 Ways to Make Your Online Content More Readable (Fusion 360 SEO)

Jun 18
0

4 Thriving SEO Content Types Which Guarantee Driven Traffic

By | SEO | No Comments

There’s no need to talk with an SEO specialist about the importance of quality content and the strategic sharing of thereof. They already know all about it and, more than likely, have the software in place to help them figure out not only when a specific bit of information should be published, but where it should be made available for the digital masses to consume.

Oftentimes, the tricky part comes from determining exactly what kind of content should be produced. Think about it. From hysterical lists and memes to informative product reviews and e-books, the type of material that’s created can very much influence the level of rapport that’s built with Google or Bing. Needless to say, certain content types promise to perform better than others:

1) Blog Posts

Truthfully, it almost seems like the term “blogging” has become a buzzword in recent years. While you might have already grown tired of maintaining your own personal blog, it’s unlikely that the editorial practice go away any time soon. As traditional journalism rides off into the proverbial sunset, typical people—with little to no marketing or SEO need—have taken over and are now gaining the attention of millions of eager eyes each and every day.

Currently, blogs come in as the fifth most trusted source for digital information amongst active Web users. You read that correctly, right? Good, because this is where you—the SEO or content marketing guru—come into play. Business blogging isn’t like traditional blogging; it’s not an option. To more fully establish yourself as an industry leader with colleagues, potential clients and search engines, blogging is key.

In fact, studies have show that those who regularly blog are 13 times more likely to produce a positive ROI for either themselves or their respective clients. On average, companies that blog receive 97 percent more links to their sites than those who bypass the booming SEO practice. Don’t be on the outside looking in. The only thing that an active blog costs you is time; clearly, it’s well worth the investment.

2) Infographics

Though blog posts are splendid and can contain a wide variety of valuable data for site visitors to enjoy, generally speaking, they are lengthy and can’t be read in a handful of minutes. With audiences constantly being bombarded with digital distractions, you and your client need to provide content that’s both helpful and succinct.

It’s for this reason that, in the past few years, infographics—presenting complex data or information in a visual, easy-to-read way—have burst onto the Internet marketing scene and have become a secret weapon of sorts for SEO marketers. Even the science behind the eye-popping tool indicates to leaders of the SEO industry that infographics are here to stay.

For example, 50 percent of the human brain is involved in visual processing. Furthermore, research has found that colorful visuals increase piece readability by upwards of 80 percent. With that in mind, it’s no surprise that people remember over 80 percent of what they both see and do. Infographics play off of that innate tendency and, as a result, are liked and shared through social media up to three times more often than generic content.

While it’s preferred that a graphic designer within your professional network take on the responsibility of infographic production, the Internet does offer a number of do-it-yourself programs for those with smaller budgets.

3) Videos

As the desired attention spans of consumers become more and more difficult to attract and maintain, the importance of video skyrockets. Whatever your video centers on, it’s imperative that the communicated message be powerful in a memorable way. When crafted ingeniously, the SEO value of video is off the charts.

Does your client offer a groundbreaking new product or service? Consider a tutorial video to bring to light the brilliance of the money-making entity you represent. Seriously, 64 percent of people are more likely to invest in a product after viewing a video about it.

That being said, if things are being done at the ad agency or marketing firm level, implement a creative video or two to give on office tour or to show the lighter side of how things work down at the office. Internet users that voluntarily watch videos on a website—even if they’re of a commercial nature—spend 88 percent more time on said site.

Shockingly, using video as a means of SEO promotion, content marketing and social prowess is a relatively uncharted endeavor. Only 24 percent of brands use online videos to market themselves. Yes, it’s somewhat of a trying endeavor, but the payout is huge.

4) Podcasts

A few years back, podcasts were all the rage. Wrongfully, in today’s day and age, it seems that marketers and SEO experts have practically abandoned the homegrown media outlet altogether. Podcasts aren’t only for sportscasters and long-winded politicians, they’re for anyone with a message worth promoting.

In reality, podcasts are a great form of content. Seeing as how iTunes houses well over 250,000 podcasts, the medium is clearly still relevant. Not only do podcasts allow for the mobile ingestion of intelligence, but they’re easy to make, entirely free and allow producers to share a message with a broad audience. It’s that very level of accessibility that has over 46 million Americans over the age of 12 downloading them on a monthly basis.

As a helpful tip, when used for marketing purposes, it’s a good idea to combine one of the aforementioned content genres with your podcast to build intrigue and generate discussion. Additionally, publish the podcast’s transcript on your website to add even more SEO value to the effort.

Whatever level of SEO or digital marketing experience you have, knowledge is best obtained through experience. If you have yet to experiment with a certain content type, give it a whirl. When all is said and done, the product- or service-pushing magic you work on the World Wide Web—with an SEO twist, of course—will be heavily linked to the different kinds of content you manufacture and present for all to see.