Links have always been an important factor in Google’s algorithm. One of Google’s original innovations, which distinguished it from other search engines in the 1990s, was associating the text of a link with both the page the link is on and the page to which it links. The relationship between the two pages was unique at the time; most search engines only associated the text of the link with the page it was on.
Read MoreAug 6
Links still matter: top takeaways from the Link Building Survey 2014
Skyrocket SEO released the results of its Link Building Survey 2014 in July and have published the data on the Moz blog. Over 300 consultants, marketers, business owners and SEO managers answered questions about link building budgets, challenges and tactics. The results show that link building is still an integral part of most search marketing budgets, even if the process is becoming more demanding.
What is link building?
Link building is the process of actively…
Read MoreJun 25
How to market to changing client expectations
Prospective clients have long been freed from relying on phone books or TV commercials to find an attorney. People have the ability to research your marketing claims and make comparisons among competing firms. They will come to meetings with questions about your process and your billing. Searchers have seen an explosion of options, from DIY legal kits, to small niche practices, to large nationwide and multi-national firms. And in the midst of this cacophony of information — some accurate…
Read MoreMay 7
4 sustainable marketing strategies to displace old SEO myths
The search marketing landscape is constantly changing. Google will continue to strive to stay one step ahead of companies trying to find an easy trick for achieving page-one rankings — and it will continue to succeed. Google is very open about what its algorithm is looking for in a quality site. It is also very willing to share what tactics it considers to be spammy and what can earn your site a penalty. Regardless, some old SEO habits are…
Read MoreApr 9
Study shows inaccurate local listings erode customer trust
Local profiles and directory listings have become increasingly important factors in determining a firm’s placement in search results. Search engines look to profile information to help display results that are relevant to each searcher’s unique location.
Mobile device use is also driving a push toward smarter search results. According to BIA/Kelsey, mobile local search will overtake desktop local search by 2015. With the proliferation of mobile search and the availability of location-related data, where you exist physically…
Read MoreJan 9
Old fashioned branding is the new SEO
For many years, it was easy for a search engine optimization company to con unsuspecting clients by claiming to have a magic bullet – a secret method that would propel any website straight to a page one ranking. Search was shrouded in a cloud of mystique upon which unethical companies could capitalize.
Since being ranked highly translates to profitability, businesses had an obvious incentive to try to game the system. Small companies in particular saw an easy way…
Read MoreSep 18
Google+ Adds Automatic Authorship and Post Embedding
Google Authorship is a method for attaching a specific author to online content so that the author can be associated with his or her work across the Internet, no matter where it is published. Google advertises Authorship as a good way to validate content, help get discovered and attract more readers.
The little pictures you see next to some search results are displayed because of Authorship. If you see those…
Read MoreSep 6
Google Looking to Review Under-Performing Small Business Websites
Google is giving small business owners a chance to have their sites personally reviewed by engineers on Google’s webspam team. If you have a smaller site that you think should be ranking better against your larger competitors, this is your chance to plead you case.
Distinguished Engineer Matt Cutts put out the call on Twitter for owners of smaller websites to submit their information via a simple…
Read MoreAug 21
Branding is more than a buzzword, it could influence your search ranking
Google has had an active summer, much to the chagrin of many, from a high-profile Penguin update to changes to its link scheme guidelines. But, as Eric Enge pointed out in an article about Google’s quality control process, the search giant doesn’t really care whether it ranks your site accurately. Google is interested in increasing overall search quality, not in small, individual cases. The best way to…
Aug 14
Four Ways Gmail Inbox Tabs Could Be a Positive Development for Email Marketing
Those who use Gmail have, by this point, probably started to see their inboxes organized into tabs. Google began rolling out the new tabbed layout on May 29, and users have, over the past several months, been logging in to find the new filtering system in place for them.
Gmail now divides emails into three categories: Primary, Social and Promotions. Two additional tabs, Updates and Forums, can be added using…
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