Displaying items by tag: Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

For years, Google My Business (GMB) has been a no-brainer among business owners. As a platform created by and expressly endorsed by Google, GMB plays an obvious role in bolstering search engine visibility. In fact, having a GMB profile is crucial for maintaining a presence in local searches, including the Google Local Pack. GMB is an easy platform to operate and makes it simple for even SEO novices to enhance their online presence. Best of all, the service is free. Or at least, it always has been. But now, that may be changing. Google recently sent out a survey to GMB managers asking their thoughts on some pay-to-play options within the platform. It’s the first serious sign that Google may be putting at least parts of the GMB service behind a paywall, and it’s created a bit of a stir within the SEO community.

It’s easy to be overwhelmed by search engine optimization (SEO). It seems like every day there are articles about new trends and techniques—and the fear that your brand is missing out, being left in the dust by competitors, can be very real. While it’s an exaggeration to say that there are new SEO methodologies every day, it’s true that the Google algorithms are constantly changing—and it takes a lot of effort just to keep up.

Much ink is spilled on the topic of search engine optimization—but at the end of the day, there’s one perspective that matters the most. Of course, that perspective is Google’s.

To that end, Google has reported that roughly two thirds of smartphone users are likely to purchase from companies that take the time to localize their online presence—that is, tailoring their online information to the end user’s geographic location.

To put it differently, consumers are using Google to locate businesses near them—and the companies that accommodate are the ones who will win those consumer dollars. How, though, can your business ensure a properly optimized, properly localized presence?

Search engine optimization (SEO) is many things—but simple isn’t one of them. Effective SEO requires you to keep many balls in the air, including both on-site and off-site elements. What’s more, the rules are changing all the time: While Google’s basic principles remain static, the specific algorithmic formulas evolve and adapt all the time. Indeed, SEO professionals can count on at least one or two big, disruptive algorithmic updates each year.

At enCOMPASS Agency, we’re proponents of integrative digital marketing. What that means, in a nutshell, is that there are many channels for effectively marketing your company, ranging from SEO and PPC to social media and video. These channels work best when they work together in tandem; indeed, the most efficient way to market your company is to combine different digital channels, aligned to a common goal and a comprehensive strategy.

When marketers talk about search engine optimization (SEO), it’s often assumed that they have Google in mind. It’s true that Google is the world’s biggest search engine, but #2 on that list might surprise you. It’s YouTube—and as video content becomes increasingly popular, it’s never been more beneficial to master video SEO, ensuring your company’s videos are highly visible and easily discovered on the world’s second most important search engine.

Google’s search algorithms are constantly evolving—yet the main function of the search algorithms remains the same. Google wants to provide its users with the best experience possible; it wants to facilitate the fast and easy retrieval of helpful and relevant information, period. All of its algorithmic updates are in service of this goal—and, for marketing professionals to ensure that their SEO efforts remain Google compliant, maintaining an ultimate focus on user experience is crucial.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is never static. It’s changing all the time, partly because technology itself evolves, but also because consumer behavior shifts and adapts. Part of the marketer’s job is forecasting the latest trends, and building strategies that accommodate them. As we head into 2018, here are a handful of SEO trends we can predict with some confidence; all of them are potentially impactful for your company’s ongoing marketing approach.

There is an ongoing misconception that search engine optimization (SEO) is primarily a concern for digitally-based businesses—that brick and mortar stores don’t have the same need to establish search engine visibility. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Even if your company doesn’t conduct transactions online, consumers use search engines to find local companies—and if your business isn’t present in local searches, you’ll miss out on significant foot traffic.

Generally speaking, the size of a business website is proportional to the size of the business itself. If you have a small enterprise that only sells one or two products, there’s simply no need for an exhaustive site with hundreds of sub-pages. Likewise, for a highly specialized consultancy or a boutique firm, keeping the website small and streamlined is often what makes the most sense.