Search Marketing
Understanding Google Algorithm Updates in 2018 [Infographic]
In order to improve your search rankings, it’s important to completely understand Google algorithm updates and how they impact search rankings.
It’s Google’s world and we’re just living in it. While that might be a bit of an exaggeration, when it comes to search, that statement holds true. Marketers are all desperate to improve search rankings, and to do that, we need to carefully study and understand Google algorithm updates. Thanks to Miller Media Management, that task has been rendered pretty simple with the help of this infographic outlining what most of the major updates do to your rankings. Have a look and improve your understanding of Google algorithm updates as we head into 2018!
5 of the Best SEO Tools Marketers Should Know About
The marketplace for SEO tools is no smaller than any other, and there are plenty of great ones.
Just as there has been a proliferation of marketing, social media and management tools, there has been a growth in the number of SEO tools on the market. How to choose?
While there are several tools that offer some great features and assistance when it comes to search, these five are among the best SEO tools on the market that every marketer should know about.
1. Moz
For anyone who has researched SEO tools in the past, it should come as no surprise that Moz sits on top of the list. Long-heralded as one of the best search softwares on the market, a brief overview makes it easy to see why.
When it comes to keyword research and link building, few tools are stronger than Moz. The software also provides a thorough competitive analysis and a series of additional tools (with the pro version) to help any search marketer find success.
The only drawback is found when looking into volume. While some other tools on this list allow for a fairly extensive number of keywords to be researched, programs to be tracked and social accounts to be analyzed, Moz doesn’t offer quite as many. But that doesn’t take away from its excellent value-added.
2. Raven Tools
Another powerful search software, Raven Tools, with a series of tools that will help any marketer – from newbie to experienced search pro – optimize a campaign or website.
Track up to 20 social accounts (more than Moz), receive extensive competitive analyses and conduct thorough keyword research with Raven Tools. There is also an extensive analytics dashboard, which any marketer loves to have.
Support is also outstanding, and the only drawback is the keyword research depth that is offered with the tool. While services like Web CEO Online offer 500 keywords for analysis, Raven only offers 100.
3. Web CEO Online
Web CEO Online offers tons of keywords for analysis and is a dream for the multi-faceted product search marketer.
There is also a keyword generator, a link-building tool, competitive analysis and plenty of reporting. Again, this service offers info and recommendations related to social (as any good tool will) and top-of-the-line reporting.
The online/cloud version of this service is not quite as robust as the desktop version, but if you’re willing to go pick it up at the store or order it online, it is well worth it.
4. SEMrush
With features like a phrase matching tool and up to 500 keywords that can be researched by a user, SEMrush is great tool-based service.
If you’re looking for help tracking competitors, SEMrush is also going to be one of your go-to services. While it is not quite as robust as its cohorts mentioned above when it comes to things like campaigns and social, it does give you plenty of insights into what is happening with your industry when it comes to search.
5. UpCity
While we are certainly grateful that UpCity included one of the t2 eBooks as one of the best on the web, we can assure you that their inclusion here is based on the fact that UpCity really is one of the top search tools on the market.
Now while UpCity is more of an online marketing solution, it does offer an SEO toolkit that can prove to be extremely useful to small businesses looking for all-in-one solutions. There is not quite as much depth in terms of keywords and reporting, but there is a suite of tools that will help you along the way when you are getting started with SEO.
It is particularly useful for smaller enterprises that need some assistance with every aspect of their online marketing initiatives and not just SEO.
Conclusion
There are plenty of SEO tools on the market today, and each one has its own value depending on what it is you are trying to achieve. Be sure to conduct proper research when deciding on a tool and outline your goals and necessities clearly in order to be certain that you are making the right choice.
We would love to know more about your favorite SEO tools! Tell us about them in the comments below or on Twitter!
Link Building Tips to Keep Your Brand Above Board
Google just updated Penguin for the first time in a while, and these link building tips will help keep your brand from being hit by any potential penalties.
When it comes to boosting your rankings on Google, link building is among the most viable strategies – assuming, of course, that it’s being done properly. With Google’s latest update to Penguin 3.0, these are a few link building tips to keep in mind in order to avoid any unwanted penalties to your SERPs.
Avoid the Manipulation of Shares
Social signals have long been touted as among the strongest ways to improve your discoverability on Google. The idea of ‘viral’ is on every marketers mind. But with virality comes an organic component.
Manipulating shares through purchases or sponsorships is not the best way to boost your search rankings. One of the major changes that Google has been slowly implementing and expanding upon is the rewarding of, for lack of a better term, naturally occurring content. If a website is known for sharing sponsored articles and links for payment, Google will find out about it and your effort to build links through paid shares won’t go quite as far.
Transparency is the Best Policy
Hiding embedded links and coercing visitors to share your links is another practice you’ll want to avoid when it comes to improving your search rankings.
If people are going to be sharing your content or images, it should be clear that they will be sharing a specific link. Don’t secretly embed backlinks to your website on someone else’s infographics on Pinterest, for example. People should be willingly sharing links to your site.
Don’t Get Too Meta
Self-referencing is fine here and there, especially if you have a relevant article that might provide additional benefit to your readers. But filling your posts and your guest posts with links to your own website is a practice that should be engaged in with moderation.
Of course, when you can share links in anchor text to your website in an article you’re writing, you’ll want to do that. But filling an article with links to any and all bits of content purely for the purpose of building links isn’t going to help anyone. And Google won’t take too kindly to that either.
Conclusion
It remains to be seen what the latest update to Penguin might mean for some websites, but when it comes to link building, these are a few practices you’ll want to keep in mind. Link building is a valuable asset to any website, but only if it is done correctly. After all, these updates are put in place to ensure of just that.
What has been your most successful link building strategy? Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!
How to Track Goals in Google Analytics [VIDEO]
Ever wonder how you can track goals in Google Analytics?
Google Analytics is an outstanding tool. With the right filters, goals, segments and understanding, it can be as powerful as many enterprise level softwares when it comes to tracking the success of your digital and social marketing.
But in order to get to that point, you need to know how to set the system up. Unlike many enterprise level analytics systems, Google Analytics requires quite a bit of manual labor.
While entire blogs can be (and have been) written about the intricacies of Google Analytics, this short video simply explains how to go about creating and tracking simple goals in Google Analytics. Have a watch and try setting some up on your account to see how they work.
Hint: It is best to create a separate view in Google Analytics when testing different functions in order to prevent any permanent changes or losses to your data.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xc5kpNHG0tU&feature=youtu.be
10 Great Resources to be Reading Over the Holidays
If you have some down time, have a look at these ten excellent resources that every digital marketer should be reading over the holidays.
1. Mashable
It’s no secret that we love Mashable. There is a ton of great content constantly being uploaded to inform marketers about updates to networks, as well as how-to guides and industry news. It is definitely a resource to check out periodically over the holiday season. We have even included it in a list of great resources for sourcing blog content.
2. Hubspot
Another blog that every marketer should be reading over the holidays (and during business-as-usual) is the Hubspot blog. The largest inbound services provider is always sharing great information that can be used by a marketer in any field.
3. Social Media Today
If your looking for a great set of content being shared by social media industry experts, then Social Media Today has you covered. With articles being published regularly, you can expect to find some brand new content over the holiday season.
4. Search Engine Journal
If you want to know about search, then Search Engine Journal should be one of your top stops. There is always a selection of great content to choose from covering everything from organic SEO to paid search tactics.
5. Alltop
Guy Kawasaki’s content curation site is always pulling in some of the best content from around the web. While it is not limited to industry content, you can easily filter your searches to include only results in search or social.
6. Moz
The Moz blog is a little more technical, but highly informative. Though the core discussions of the blog are primarily search-based, you can expect to find a lot of information about social as well.
7. Social Media Examiner
At this point, most social marketers know about Social Media Examiner. The website won’t miss a beat over the holiday season, continuing to share great content every day that marketers can really use.
8. Occam’s Razor
Although Avinash Kaushik’s blog is not updated on a daily basis, there is plenty of content (relaying information at a very high level) that marketers can use. Why is this a good resource for reading over the holidays? Well, simply put, articles are not easy reads. There is a ton of information here, but with this down time it is a perfect opportunity to absorb what he has to say.
9. Jeff Bullas
Again, Jeff Bullas is not publishing new content every day, but what is available is years of published content with a ton of great information. Jeff Bullas focuses primarily on lists and statistics, and what you can find on his blog can lead you to more great content all over the web.
10. Top Rank Blog
Lee Odden’s blog is another great resource being updated regularly over the course of the holidays. Be sure to stop by to see what great new information he has to share.
And there you have it. Ten great resources that you should be reading over the holidays. We hope you are relaxing and getting some much deserved R&R. Enjoy!
