Top 5 Trends that Shaped SEO in 2019

Business

SEO made a big impact in 2019 with new trends.

These trends helped shape SEO to where it is today. If you haven’t been applying these trends to your website, better jump on board now!

1)    Understanding your audience

One of the biggest trends of the year was learning what your audience wants to see from you. Do they prefer text? Or do they want to see more visuals such as images and videos?

Figuring out what your audience is wanting to see from you will help your rankings.

Even if you have stellar content that is correctly optimizing, you won’t see any benefits if it is geared toward the wrong audience.

2)    Exceptional content!

With all that said about catering to the perfect audience, you still need to provide exceptional content.

Especially with Google’s new algorithm BERT, you will want to create conversational and natural content for high rankings.

Since Google is constantly adding and changing their algorithms, good content is more important than ever. To rank higher, you want to provide clear answers to what people are searching for in the form of high-quality content.

The better quality content, the better the chance of acquiring links, which can improve your ranking on Google.

3)    Technical SEO

In the past year, more companies have put a major focus on technical SEO.

Did you know that the faster your site is, the higher Google ranks it? Because of this, more sites have become faster. If you haven’t improved the speed or simplicity of your website yet, don’t get behind in the game and check this off your to-do list.

Google and other search engines also cater to JavaScript-driven websites. Meaning if you don’t already have a JavaScript-driven website, you should work with an SEO  firm that is familiar with JavaScript to get this done.

4)    On-page Optimization

Yes, on-page optimization has ALWAYS been important, but it definitely became more relevant in 2019.

Aim for content that answers common questions in easy to read and short conversational pieces.

You may even want to consider chatbots. Now, not EVERYONE is a fan of chatbots, but for users, it is a very helpful tool that can improve your on-site SEO.

Don’t forget the simple stuff like websites that are appealing and easy to navigate.

5)    Machine Learning

2019 was the year for machine learning. With Google consistently releasing algorithms, this was the year to crack down and figure them out.

By testing new strategies, companies have been able to successfully optimize for these new algorithms.

It sometimes takes time to figure out if implementing new changes help you rank higher due to new algorithms, but while doing this, you are creating unique content. Which in the end, will improve your SEO.

Remember, there is no harm in trying new things to see if it help you rank higher. If it does end up working, it is well worth the effort.

Want to stay ahead of the game for 2020? Consider working with a Phoenix SEO agency to optimize your website in the new year.

Continue Reading

Search Marketing Should be a Top Online Marketing Priority for Your Company

Business Entrepreneurship Tech

Because the competition for customers is so fierce today companies need to do all they can to get themselves in front of perspective clients. The Internet has created great opportunities to do this but there are so many choices it can get confusing and difficult to determine which option to select. Leading options include email marketing, social media marketing and search marketing. Each can be effective when used properly, and companies with tight budgets must often select one in which to place their efforts. A case can certainly be made for each option but there is little doubt that search engine marketing should be the first choice.

What is Search Marketing?

Search marketing is an umbrella term for Search Engine Optimization and (SEO) which creates traffic to your website utilizing unpaid or free listings and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) which consists of purchasing traffic utilizing paid search listing. The combination of the two create a powerful marketing strategy for attracting customers to your website.

SEO

SEO is the process of utilizing a set of constantly evolving strategies that help a company position its website high on the top internet search engines. The goal of every company is to be on the first page of a Google search. SEO is the right way to do it.

SEM

Search Engine Marketing refers to using paid search to position your company on a search engine. A company can purchase paid listings that will appear at the top and in other strategic places on a search page. SEM will include: the following:

  • Paid Search Advertising
  • Pay Per Click (PPC)
  • Pay Per Call
  • Cost Per Click (CPC)
  • Cost per Thousand (CPM) SEM For Beginners

Combining SEO and SEM provides companies with a complete strategy for optimizing search marketing. Too often companies will only invest time and resources in SEO and bypass SEM, however top Search Marketing firms like Click Consult can demonstrate why a strategy that includes the two disciplines is the smartest way to go. .

When done correctly search marketing is extremely effective, sending a steady stream of customers to a company’s website and providing the company with data that is key to making its online marketing more effective.

Continue Reading

How To Use The Internet To Grow Your Local Business

Business

Ensuring your business is successful no doubt takes up most of your time. Your business is your lifeline; its success affects your quality and way of life, on top of providing you the cash you need to pay the bills, put a roof over the family’s head and pay for food. Making sure your company survives and grows means having a great product or service on offer, offering high-value prices, boasting excellent customer service and standing out in the crowd.

In this increasingly competitive economy, marketing your business is arguably more important than ever. Small businesses may not be looking to get themselves on prime-time TV, but they should be looking to market their business effectively if they want the maximum potential return on investment. Even small, local operations can find themselves increasing profits through online trade and often find a great website can transform a small operation into a national one.

Local Internet Marketing

Utilising internet marketing, in all its forms, should be a top priority for local businesses in the UK. Customers are searching for all types of businesses and when they’re looking to buy, local searches are commonly used. By this, we mean people are searching for specific businesses in specific areas, and that’s why Thomson Local is the go-to place for local business advertising. This company is used by millions of customers in the UK, and they generate millions of online referrals and deliver millions of directories to households and businesses. Thomson’s goal is the same as what yours should be; to attract business from as many potential customers as possible.

Using the Internet to Get Found By Customers

Getting your business onto online directories is a no brainer, but to unlock online sales to the maximum potential and really watch your business boom, you should be utilising numerous channels of internet marketing. If you get to grips with what you need to do and, in time, master the art, internet marketing can be extremely cheap – oftentimes free – but you should always seek advice where you’re not sure to get the maximum return on your efforts.

  • Social Media Marketing – You might be a traditional family-run business that’s been operating just fine for decades, and you might not be an avid user of Facebook yourself, but these days everybody is using social media, including your customers. Many people spend hours browsing through the social media feeds and millions of people check their feeds periodically through the day. If you attract followers to your page, you can share news about products and promotions that will be read by potential customers. Plus, they may share this news to others. You can respond to queries and complaints instantly to bolster your customer service, and if your campaign is a success, you can watch your customer base grow.
  • Having a Good Website – When people are searching for your business online, it’s important that you have a website for them to find. Online directories can help your business get found by local customers, but nowadays, they’ll want to find more than just a phone number and a location on a map – though both of those are completely necessary. They’ll want to take a look at your website and get a first impression of how professional your business looks. They’ll likely want to be able to look at products or have a general read of what your business is about. It’s also extremely likely that many of them will want to buy products from you online. Most of your competitors will be doing it, so having a website nowadays is crucial to staying in the marketplace.
  • Search Engine Optimisation – Just making a website is like putting a drop into the ocean. The internet is flooded with existing websites and new ones are created in abundance on a daily basis. Standing out in the crowd is what will bring your website success, and this is achieved via good search engine optimisation. Google among other search engines have a very complex system of deciding which websites are most relevant to user searches, but you can help your website reach the first page and attract more viewers by publishing content regularly, bearing in mind keywords your customers may search for and making sure they are featured in your text, building relationships with other businesses who can help spread the word of your website, and –as aforementioned – being featured on online directories and running successful social media campaigns.
  • Content Marketing – Many people are now immune to the hard sell. People don’t want salesman knocking on their doors and they don’t want to read articles on a website that focus solely on attracting their custom. People browse the internet at their own leisure, and as such, would prefer to read a more engaging article with useful information. Guest blogging and placing blogs on your own website, which explain things or provide a solution to a problem, can help build trust with potential customers and lead to future sales. Many businesses find success attracting new followers to their social media profiles by sharing related industry news and not always focusing on advertising themselves.

All of the above may be hard to master for new or inexperienced users, which is the reason so many businesses are around to help you market your business locally using the internet. Investing in one of these companies could be a good idea, but getting your business on Thomson Local really is a must. This company’s purpose is to get you found and it works with many partners to do just that, but it’s still important to remember other vital ways to attract new business using the internet. Social media marketing, having a great website that is search engine optimised and producing high quality content will all help you take your business into the future.

Continue Reading