Marcus Miller says, “We work with hundreds of local businesses — from hyperlocal, single-location businesses to nationwide, multi-location companies — at the company I run, Bowler Hat. One pattern we often see is that larger and seemingly more authoritative businesses don’t perform as well in local search as they should. There are many reasons for this, and having multiple locations amplifies the need for solid local SEO foundations. A common issue we come across is the lack of a well-optimized and well-performing landing page for local businesses. In this post, we aim to illustrate... [...]

Jeremy Gottlieb says, “Working in SEO, I always find myself poring over data and looking for ways to expedite the analysis process. Analyzing data can often be tedious, mind-numbing, and boring work, so anything that can be done to speed up finding that needle in the haystack is almost always a good idea. A few months ago, I began using a formula in Excel to categorize data and I’m constantly finding new ways to use it. It took a little bit of time and practice to remember the formula, to understand how it works and how to troubleshoot it if it breaks, but the time and energy put into... [...]

MOZ team says, “We don’t live in a world where we have the luxury of thinking about just user experience or just SEO. The two share many of the same spaces online, working in tandem and sometimes even clashing. In today’s Whiteboard Friday, Rand details the considerations and compromises that must be made for UX & SEO to coexist in harmony”. Managing the Tensions & Tradeoffs Between UX & SEO MOZ  [...]

Ronell Smith says, “The gentleman sitting across the table from me at a crowded lunch spot has what he sees as a workable business idea for a local business, a sound plan to get it off the ground, enough funds to weather the ups and downs of the current business climate in his area, and the determination to stick around long enough to be successful. However, what he doesn’t have are the answers to three questions pertaining to content marketing for his small business: – “What should I write about?” – “How do I [rank higher in local SERPs?]” –... [...]

Alexander Kesler says, “There’s an ongoing trend that’s undermining companies’ digital and search engine marketing efforts, regardless of the industries they’re in. They start out with good intentions and a strong strategy, putting large amounts of time and effort into building up their profile with search engines. Usually, doing so provides positive results: They’ll start ranking well for some competitive keywords, and a good share of traffic starts coming from organic search results. When that happens, many companies get optimistic and start dedicating even... [...]

Brian Patterson says, “It was my first day at my new gig as a federal government IT consultant in Washington, D.C. I was slogging through the typical onboarding paperwork when a senior partner dropped by, introduced himself, and handed me a paperback book. “Read and implement this,” he said. The cover read The Trusted Advisor by David H. Maister, a book with a sole focus on “the ability to earn the trust and confidence of clients.” “Client management must be important,” I thought. This encounter occurred more than 10 years ago, in my previous profession. Before doing search marketing... [...]

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... [...]

Rebecca Lieb says, “A few weeks ago, I gave a presentation on a SEO-centric content marketing program that members of our team have been engaged in across a two-plus-year run. The presentation outlined preparation and research, steps in execution, performance measurement and communication to teams. Our goals have been aggressive, requiring a high level of organizational effort, analysis and internal motivation to remain focused. SEO Content Marketing Goals Take note of the last goal we set out for the program: 250 content marketing assets. A mix of emotions ran across the audience member’s... [...]

MOZ team says, “SEOs and executives speak different languages. It’s a simple fact, but it’s one that often acts as a blocker for getting your ideas and investments approved. A simple change in how you communicate your marketing goals, triumphs, and challenges could be what’s standing between you and getting the C-suite buy-in that’s integral to your success. In today’s Whiteboard Friday, Rand helps you translate your marketing jargon into financial metrics and data that the folks in charge will actually care about”. How to Tie Marketing Metrics to the Data... [...]

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... [...]