Russ Jones says, “Let’s start with the happy ending, which is actually a happy beginning, too. Moz Keyword Explorer has utilized clickstream-derived keyword data in a novel manner since day 1, allowing us to provide consistent keyword volumes despite Google Keyword Planner’s dramatic shifts in data availability and reporting. You probably haven’t noticed any changes in our keyword volume, and you probably won’t notice any going forward, which is just how we built it to begin with: resilient, evolving, and trustworthy. That being said, the truth is that keyword data... [...]

Aleh Barysevich says, “Have you taken the plunge with your mobile content strategy and optimized for Google AMP and Facebook Instant Articles? Only 23% of SEO professionals have taken concrete actions to implement the Google AMP protocol, which suggests that the uptake is still relatively low. Should you optimize for these mobile-focused initiatives? Let’s look at both the pros and cons of optimizing for both Google AMP and Facebook Instant Articles, and the three tools you should use to ensure that your web content is living well in a mobile-friendly world”. Should You Optimize Content... [...]

Jayson DeMers says, “It’s almost impossible to see any meaningful search engine optimization (SEO) results without spending some time building and honing your inbound link profile. Of the two main deciding factors for site rankings (relevance and authority), one (authority) is largely dependent on the quantity and quality of links pointing to a given page or domain. As most people know, Google’s undergone some major overhauls in the past decade, changing its SERP layout, offering advanced voice-search functionality and significantly revising its ranking processes. But even though its... [...]

Jayson DeMers says, “It’s almost impossible to see any meaningful search engine optimization (SEO) results without spending some time building and honing your inbound link profile. Of the two main deciding factors for site rankings (relevance and authority), one (authority) is largely dependent on the quantity and quality of links pointing to a given page or domain. As most people know, Google’s undergone some major overhauls in the past decade, changing its SERP layout, offering advanced voice-search functionality and significantly revising its ranking processes. But even though its... [...]

Greg Finn says, “Fan of Google’s Remarketing lists for search ads (aka RLSAs)? Good news, the popular retargeting option is now available for Google Search Partners. RLSAs allow marketers to customize their search campaigns to people who have previously visited their site. This targeting can allow advertisers to leverage non-traditional keywords by hitting a specific Audience familiar with the brand. To turn this feature on, head to the campaign settings tab, and be sure to click on “Include search partners”: Once it’s turned on, you’ll cast a wider retargeting net, potentially... [...]

Andy Taylor says, “Just a few years ago, the paid search landscape could adequately be summed up as “text ads on desktop computers.” This simplicity meant analyzing performance didn’t require too much slicing and dicing to get meaningful takeaways from paid search data, and often a simple brand vs. non-brand look would do the trick. With the rise of additional ad formats and devices, however, understanding search performance requires that PPC managers and analysts dissect their data in several specific ways before coming to any conclusions. Here, we delve into the most important of... [...]

JR Oakes says, “Machine learning is quickly becoming an indispensable tool for many large companies. Everyone has, for sure, heard about Google’s AI algorithm beating the World Champion in Go, as well as technologies like RankBrain, but machine learning does not have to be a mystical subject relegated to the domain of math researchers. There are many approachable libraries and technologies that show promise of being very useful to any industry that has data to play with. Machine learning also has the ability to turn traditional website marketing and SEO on its head. Late last year, my colleagues... [...]

SBT team says, “There is a tendency within the digital sphere to uphold a future-oriented mindset. From social media to SEO, from algorithms to user experience, our approach and practices maintain a forecasting nature. Trends and methods are always observed and developed with the next step in mind and the future in sight, the end goal being to evolve with complexity and instinct matching that of users. How is search behavior changing? What will users respond to? How can we improve the digital practices that already exist? In what direction is search moving, and how can we stay ahead of the... [...]

Dr. Peter J. Meyers says, “It’s been almost two years (August 2014) since Google announced that HTTPS was a ranking signal. Speculation ran rampant, as usual, with some suggesting there was little or no benefit to switching (and possibly significant risk) while others rushed to sell customers on making the HTTPS switch. Two years later, I believe the data speaks for itself — Google is fighting, and winning, a long war. What’s happened since? If you only consider the impact of Google’s original HTTPS update, I understand your skepticism. Prior to the update, our 10,000-keyword... [...]

Ginny Marvin says, “Google announced it will be adjusting how Dynamic Search Ads are triggered over the next few months. The goal is to improve ad relevance on queries. From the announcement: For example, ads that point to a landing page about iced coffee makers will be less likely to show for less relevant searches like “iced coffee.” As the updates roll out, performance may fluctuate, says Google. You’ll want to keep an eye on the search terms report even more vigilantly than usual with DSA campaigns during the transition period to see how query matching is affected”. Google... [...]