SEO/PPC

Over the last few weeks, I’ve spent a lot of time looking at keywords. So much time that I’ve found myself dreaming in spreadsheets. It’s just one of those situations where, suddenly, all the keyword research is due for all sorts of projects. For sitemaps, for audits, for on-page optimization, the list goes on. The thing is, SEO and optimizing for keywords isn’t the same as it used to be. I’m not generating a list of phrases where the rule is “you must insert these phrases, verbatim, onto your page.”…

On Friday, February 19, Google confirmed rumors  that had begun flooding Twitter. After a long period of testing, sidebar ads were officially going away, with additional ad space pushed to the bottom of search results and a fourth ad placement standardized at the top of results. Google’s announcement spurred further speculation over time as to the potential impact (or lack thereof) on AdWords advertisers, as well as Google’s motivations behind the change. With all the breakneck feedback on #AdWords‘s elim of right rail ads, surprising how few have pondered whether it’s…

Last month, an article on Skift.com included the comments of several moguls in the online travel booking industry. Within it, the CEO of Priceline.com joined a long line of prognosticators [here, I googled that for you, readers – Lisa] to proclaim the “death of SEO.” While Dennis Schaal is certainly not the first (see: here, here, and here, just to name a few), nor will he be the last, to make this assessment of the future of search engine optimization, there’s a lot more at play in SEO than just…

I’m not a surgeon. I don’t cut people for a living. However, even having never done it, I imagine being a surgeon is pretty difficult. I probably couldn’t read a few blog posts on the topic, or even binge watch a season of House, and then burst into the operating room ready to save your life. If I tried, you would die on the table (sorry). Lots of people would be sad. I’m not a contractor. Regardless of how many Saturdays I spend locked into HGTV, I can’t fix your…

The rankings, they are a’changin’! As you’ve no doubt heard, Google has announced plans to change its algorithm to award higher search rankings to mobile-optimized websites. This will essentially downrank those who continue to act as if having a mobile-optimized site is a luxury, not a necessity. The update will go into effect on April 21, 2015. Obviously, the news got the industry talking. Digital marketers began blogging (and blogging and blogging) about it, while web development firms started shooting out emails telling their clients to start making their websites mobile-friendly…

“In general, I’d try to avoid that.” Avoid what, you ask? Linkbuilding. That was the advice Friday morning from Google’s John Mueller when asked, “Is link building in any way good?” (you can find the complete transcript here). “We do use links as part of our algorithm but we use lots and lots of other factors as well. So only focusing on links is probably going to cause more problems for your web site that actually helps.”  Google’s John Mueller is probably having a good chuckle at this one: http://t.co/OF7v70RQb7…

As 2015 begins to move along, we continue to see technology change and users adapt. In turn, businesses need to adapt their websites and online marketing tactics to the changes that come from users. Let’s review three major trends that will increasingly be a part of today’s online world. Mobile Growth (Still) Skyrocketing Rising mobile traffic is certainly not a new topic. Every “year in review” post for the past four years has proclaimed the growth of mobile ad nauseam. But within the past year, we’ve seen mobile and tablet…

In any digital marketing agency, you’ll inevitably run into clients well-versed in traditional marketing tactics but cautious about the web. A CEO who has built a company from the ground up may prefer to keep a budget for TV ads, paper brochures and direct mail campaigns, but his head of marketing wants to invest in an AdWords campaign and has come to you for help. Your job is to convince the CEO of the need to invest in digital marketing. Are you ready? Are you confident? Let’s address three common…

As a marketer involved in online advertising, the majority of your spend will go to Google AdWords. No one is denying this and, with Google claiming nearly 68 percent of U.S. search engine market share, this makes a lot of business sense. However, as effective as AdWords can be, you should always be open to using other ad platforms, as well. Spreading your paid marketing spend can help you diversify your traffic and reach new customers. For example, Bing Ads and Facebook Advertising have both proven effective for many marketers….

Maybe you run a small business. Or you’re part of a small team. Either way, search engine optimization is often the thing that falls to the wayside first when you’re a little fish. And I get that. You’re busy doing what you love, serving your customers and trying to grow your business. But proper attention to SEO is how you’ll grow that business and earn your visibility in your market. So don’t ignore SEO, create a plan for it. From the very beginning. As an SMB, how do you get started…