Frederick Vallaeys says, “Some account managers like to use the same keyword in multiple match types in their accounts to get better bid control or to show more relevant ads for queries that are closer to the keyword. To execute the strategy properly, bids for each match type need to be kept at a certain level relative to the other match types. For example, if the exact match keyword’s max CPC is $1.00, the advertiser may want to bid 80 percent (or $0.80) for phrase match and 60 percent (or $0.60) for broad or modified broad match. This is called “tiered bidding” or “stacked bidding.”... [...]

Felicia Crawford says, “Back in 2015, we had an epiphany. Every day, via every channel, you — our readers, subscribers, community members, and social followers — would ask us really good questions. (You’re an incredibly intelligent, friendly, inquisitive bunch, you know that? It’s humbling.) A lot of those questions were about how to accomplish your SEO goals, and it got us thinking. Moz is an educational resource, it’s true, but we also offer a suite of tools (both free and paid) that can help you achieve those goals. Why not provide a space for those two things to... [...]

Beth Hayden says, “Keyword research is always a hot topic in content marketing circles. It’s one of those subjects that never goes out of style — because wise content marketers know that using the right words in their content will give them a big edge over their competition. Wondering how to find the “right” words to optimize your business’s content? Here are three quick tips for solid keyword research. 1. Discover the language your prospects use when they talk about your topic My friend Shawn, whose company Clear Harmonies creates custom a cappella arrangements for vocal groups,... [...]

MOZ team says, “Trying to target a small, specific region with your keywords can prove frustrating. While reaching a high-intent local audience is incredibly valuable, without volume data to inform your keyword research, you’ll find yourself hitting a wall. In this Whiteboard Friday, Rand shares how to uncover powerful, laser-focused keywords that will reach exactly the right people”. 3 Tactics for Hyperlocal Keywords – Whiteboard Friday MOZ  [...]

Casie Gillette says, “If you’ve been working with one client or one site for a long time, you know it can be challenging to keep things fresh, both from an idea perspective and also an interest perspective. After all, it’s no secret that one of the common reasons people love this industry is the constant change. That being said, while change keeps us on our toes, there’s also an element of consistency I love. Yes, the search results change and strategies evolve, but at the end of the day, search really comes down to creating something that’s accessible, useful and important to your... [...]

Casie Gillette says, “If you’ve been working with one client or one site for a long time, you know it can be challenging to keep things fresh, both from an idea perspective and also an interest perspective. After all, it’s no secret that one of the common reasons people love this industry is the constant change. That being said, while change keeps us on our toes, there’s also an element of consistency I love. Yes, the search results change and strategies evolve, but at the end of the day, search really comes down to creating something that’s accessible, useful and important to your... [...]

Wesley Parker says, “Long tail keywords are widely considered to be fundamental to search marketing success due to the low-cost traffic that they generate, however should this still be the case in 2017? This article is going to analyze data from case studies conducted by Clicteq and PPC Hero that suggests that long tail keywords are now almost obsolete when it comes to AdWords. For the sake of this article we are going to classify long tail keywords as being four-words-long or more, though there is some debate with people arguing that keywords that are three or more words long should be... [...]

Ginny Marvin says, “High keyword rankings are the most sought-after achievement in the world of search engine optimization (SEO). Small businesses and brands alike strive to obtain the first organic listing in search results because of the lucrative traffic and lead opportunities that are associated with this position. But with the evolution of paid advertising and expansion of universal search, as well as Google’s continuous efforts to provide consumers with content that resolves their demands directly in search results, the opportunities attached to traditional keyword rankings are... [...]

David Zimmerman says, “Did you sigh when you heard Google is revoking free full access to its Keyword Planner? Your first reaction was probably like mine: Google is sticking it to SEOs, once again. What are we going to do? Of course, we could invest in a third-party tool. Some of those tools might help fill the gap, but they are expensive and only as good as their sample size. And that got me thinking: If I would have to pay for a keyword research tool anyway, why not use pay-per-click (PPC) advertising for my keyword research? If I create a small PPC campaign, I can get keyword data and... [...]

Dr. Peter J. Meyers says, “This story starts long before RankBrain, but the action really kicked in around May of 2013, when Google announced conversational search for desktop. At the time, voice search on desktop may have seemed like a gimmick, but in hindsight it was a signal that Google was taking natural language search seriously. Just a few months later the Hummingbird update rewrote Google’s core engine, and much of that rewrite was dedicated to dealing with natural language searches. Why should you care about voice? For most sites, voice is still a relatively small percentage... [...]