But it’s also important to manage the program well. When done right, you can keep stakeholders feeling confident and team members working together on progress.

In this article, I’ll cover:

• Creating a plan
• Onboarding (for consultants)
• The launch meeting
• SEO education for stakeholders
• Being a leader
• Reporting best practices
• FAQ: How can I create and implement an effective SEO program to improve my website’s visibility and search engine rankings?

1. Creating a Plan

It was Benjamin Franklin who said, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.”

The amount of work that goes into crafting a successful SEO program cannot be underestimated. The first and most important step is initial research. This is before you even create a plan.

Here are some steps to consider:

In-Depth Meeting

This is where you’ll get a basic understanding of the business and their goals, where they are at in their SEO or marketing programs and uncover any specific requirements for their SEO campaigns.

Access to Accounts

Of course, you’ll get all the logins and credentials you need to do additional research. This includes the website(s), social media accounts, analytics accounts, PPC accounts and any other relevant platforms.

Baseline Research

Doing a bit of baseline research helps to inform the initial kick-off meetings for the project and the SEO plan.

There will be much more in-depth research to come. This is simply to get a bird’s eye view so you can make recommendations on the program.

Some of the things you can do include:

• A light website audit (a more in-depth one comes later) to see how well the site is currently optimized and performing.
• Review the entire digital footprint of the brand, including social and PPC.
• Target audience research, including quantitative and qualitative research (AYTM is one service you might explore) – this serves as a basis for things like keyword research, content creation and more.

Program Recommendations

Armed with initial data, you are ready to put together a custom strategy that addresses the client’s weaknesses, supports their strengths and creates a roadmap for a thorough SEO program.

Outline overall recommendations for what to do and when including:

• Project milestones
• Deliverables
• Goals
• Key performance indicators (KPIs)
• Priorities, in order of what will move the needle most

As for what you include in your program, some elements of a good SEO program include:

• Analytics set up and configuration like GA4 and Google Search Console. Even if they are already set up, make sure these tools are optimized and working for you to get the data you need. Some businesses outsource this step to vendors that specialize in it. (For more on making the switch to GA4, see: Google Analytics 4 – What It Is and How to Get Started.)
• An in-depth site audit. This is a technical deep dive with expert analysis, not just a report run by SEO tools. You can learn more about what types of audits I believe are best in my article on SEO audits and tools.
• Keyword research. It’s a disservice to hurry this step. It takes time and wisdom to not only uncover the search queries that your target audience uses but also pinpoint the queries that are the most relevant and present the biggest opportunities now and in the future.
• Competitor research. Another big step that takes effort, competitor analysis helps in many ways to shape the SEO program further. I talk about this more in how to do competitor research for SEO.
• Content development. Every good SEO program will lead with quality content. With AI becoming more in fashion these days, it’s important to take the right approach when using these tools. In this step, you’ll present what type of content you will need to compete in the search results (by using a whole-SERP approach) and also how you will make the content helpful and “people first” as Google would say. There’s a lot to unpack here, I would start by reviewing some of my insights on Google’s March 2024 updates.
• Optimization. Present a plan for how you will optimize the site’s pages, based on the research you have conducted on the site, the competitors and priorities. Putting together an SEO checklist for types of webpages across the site can be helpful.
• Linking. A good SEO program looks at all aspects of internal, inbound and outbound links. Strategies include SEO siloing (more on that next), link-earning programs, ongoing backlink management and internal links. Check out my jam-packed guide on internal linking for SEO for more on this step.
• SEO siloing. A great website has a great structure, including its navigation and how the content is organized for users and search engines to make it more relevant. A lot of websites fail to do this step right. When done well, though, it can help create a website that performs better all around. See Five Times When SEO Siloing Can Make or Break Your Search Engine Rankings.
• Technical SEO. This is an area where many brands decide that they need some outside help. Of course, you have crawling tools that can help identify issues with the site, but getting the necessary fixes implemented can be a big hurdle. And some technical SEO projects are big, like improving mobile friendliness, site speed and other core web vitals.

A final note: It’s helpful to share anecdotes of how your recommendations have helped in the past or present case studies from similar websites and support your recommendations with Google’s advice.

2. Onboarding (for Consultants)

If you’re an in-house SEO, you can skip this section. SEO consultants: A quality onboarding process is the foundation of a good working relationship.

With it, there is clarity, and expectations are better established. This means better teamwork.

via GIPHY

Onboarding:

• Integrates clients into the consultancy and vice-versa.
• Helps the client get to know your processes and methodology.
• Establishes communication preferences and channels.
• Takes care of all the admin work, including paperwork, account setups, etc.

See my article at Search Engine Land on how to onboard the right way for more ideas on how to make onboarding an efficient process.

3. The Launch Meeting

The launch meeting is where stakeholders will come together to review the SEO strategy. This is an important meeting to set the tone and get buy-in.

Executives spend almost 23 hours a week in meetings, and 71% of them say they are unproductive and inefficient.

If you run a meeting well, people will remember.

Here are some tips on making the process go smoother:

• You want all the stakeholders to join and sometimes that can be challenging. Waiting for the right date and time to ensure everyone is there is important and ensures no one is left in the dark.
• Create the agenda ahead of time and send it to everyone with plenty of time to review it before the meeting. Specifically, ask them to review it and come armed with questions.
• Allow everyone at the meeting to introduce themselves, what they do and how they will be involved in the SEO program.
• Discuss the program recommendations in a way that everyone (including executives, IT and anyone with no clue about SEO) can understand.
• Open up the floor for questions – you will likely have already anticipated some of the big questions that come up often at the outset of any SEO program.
• Discuss how you will manage the project, including the communication channels you’ll be using and how often you’ll meet.

And for more tips, see my article on six practical ways to get buy-in for SEO. You can also catch my on-demand webinar on the same topic.

4. SEO Education for Stakeholders

Initial and ongoing SEO education for stakeholders can be a game-changer. Why? Because it helps them understand the value of your recommendations.

Research shows that continuing education fosters things like commitment and work performance, and leads to changes in attitudes, behaviors and practices.

This may be something you spearhead or offer, or perhaps you outsource your SEO training elsewhere.

(By the way, you can check out our SEO classes and our SEO training membership site if you’re curious about in-person or virtual SEO training.)

Here at our agency, we put all our clients through our SEO training so they understand SEO best practices and can have more informed conversations with us.

If outsourcing SEO training isn’t feasible, consider building SEO education into your regularly scheduled SEO program meetings, or have “lunch & learns” either in person or on Zooms where you educate on SEO best practices.

Other ways you can build SEO education into the organization include monthly or quarterly SEO news updates. The industry moves fast, and this is a way to keep stakeholders up to date.

Put together an email with relevant news and links to resources to learn more, along with your expert takeaways.

5. Being a Leader

Building your personal brand as an SEO expert requires careful attention to your interactions with stakeholders and colleagues.

Here is some food for thought:

• Make time to provide assistance and guidance for any SEO issues or questions that come up. You might set up a specific day/time during the week and/or a specific communication channel for this initiative, like a Slack channel for SEO advice.
• Set expectations of how long it takes to get back to people when they have questions outside of the regularly scheduled progress meetings.
• Work with team members to problem-solve issues together as they arise, so you can keep the project moving forward and show that you are a team player.
• Always tailor your advice based on the person’s goals, the SEO program’s goals and/or the business goals.
• Record and store everything related to the project (in an organized manner!), so that anyone can refer back to your communications as needed. People forget, and this can save you a lot of headaches.

6. Reporting Best Practices

Make sure to have regular intervals of reporting on KPIs and program progress including any wins big or small. This can help keep stakeholders energized about the program.

Some things you might include in your reporting process:

• An executive summary that summarizes key findings
• Easy-to-understand, visually appealing charts, graphs and numbers
• Data analysis with your expert insights
• Key metrics that track KPIs

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re an in-house SEO or a consultant, the key to a successful SEO program lies in crafting an approach that not only meets but exceeds expectations. Follow the steps in this article to be an SEO champion for your employer or client.

Our SEO experts can work with you to build a successful SEO program that gets real results. Contact us today for a free consultation and let’s discuss how we can help.

FAQ: How can I create and implement an effective SEO program to improve my website’s visibility and search engine rankings?

A well-optimized website is critical for attracting organic traffic and increasing your online presence. Implementing a successful SEO program requires careful planning, strategic execution and continuous monitoring.

Let’s explore some key topics to help you improve your website’s visibility and search engine rankings:

The Importance of SEO: Understand why SEO is essential for your website’s success and how it can impact your overall online visibility.

Conducting Keyword Research: Learn how to identify relevant keywords and phrases that your target audience is using to search for products or services similar to yours.

On-Page Optimization: Discover the fundamental elements that need to be optimized on your website, including title tags, meta descriptions and heading tags.

Content Optimization: Explore techniques to create high-quality and engaging content that not only satisfies user intent but also aligns with search engine algorithms.

Technical SEO: Gain insights into technical aspects such as website speed, mobile-friendliness, site structure and indexing that can significantly impact your SEO performance.

Building High-Quality Backlinks: Learn the importance of acquiring authoritative and relevant backlinks to improve your website’s credibility and rankings.

Local SEO Strategies: Understand the significance of local SEO and discover tactics to optimize your business for local searches and drive local traffic.

Monitoring and Analytics: Explore tools and methods to track your website’s performance, measure SEO success and make data-driven decisions for continuous improvement.

Incorporating these topics will help you build a successful SEO program that lays a solid foundation for improving your website’s visibility and search engine rankings. Remember, SEO is an ongoing process that requires dedication, adaptability and staying updated with the latest trends and algorithm changes.

Step-by-Step Procedure:

1. Clearly outline your objectives and goals for your SEO program, such as increasing organic traffic, improving conversion rates, or boosting sales.
2. Evaluate your website’s current SEO status by auditing its technical aspects, on-page elements, content quality and backlink profile.
3. Use keyword research tools to identify high-potential keywords and long-tail phrases relevant to your industry and audience.
4. Craft compelling title tags, meta descriptions, URLs and heading tags that incorporate your target keywords and accurately describe your content.
5. Develop informative and engaging content that caters to your target audience’s needs, while incorporating your target keywords organically.
6. Focus on acquiring high-quality backlinks from authoritative websites through outreach, guest posting and content partnerships.
7. Optimize your website’s loading time and ensure it is mobile responsive to provide a seamless user experience.
8. Optimize your website for local searches by creating a Google Business Profile, gaining local citations and encouraging customer reviews.
9. Utilize tools like Google Analytics to track your website’s organic traffic, rankings and user engagement metrics.
10. Regularly analyze your SEO performance, identify areas for improvement and make data-driven adjustments to your strategy.
11. Keep an eye on search engine algorithm updates and adapt your SEO techniques to align with the latest best practices.
12. Maintain a consistent content creation and promotion strategy to attract new visitors and retain existing ones.
13. Foster relationships with your audience through social media, email marketing and customer engagement to build loyalty and brand awareness.
14. Seek opportunities to collaborate with influencers or industry experts to gain exposure and enhance your website’s credibility.
15. Continuously monitor your website’s performance, evaluate your SEO efforts and make necessary adjustments to ensure continuous improvement.
16. If you find SEO overwhelming or lack the time and expertise, consider hiring a reputable SEO company to guide you through the process.

By following these steps, you can create and implement an effective SEO program that drives organic traffic, improves visibility and boosts your website’s search engine rankings.

The post What Makes an SEO Program Successful? appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

So, let’s dive in and answer the question, “How can I improve my website rankings through SEO?”

• Why SEO?
• Understanding search engine algorithms and E-E-A-T
• Importance of keyword research
• On-page optimization techniques
• Technical SEO tactics
• The power of content marketing
• Link earning for SEO success
• Dominating the local market with local SEO
• Monitoring performance and analytics
• FAQ: How can I optimize my website for better search engine rankings using SEO?

Why SEO?

SEO is the key to unlocking the potential of your website. By optimizing your web pages and content, you help search engines understand your website’s relevance to user queries.

This translates to higher rankings on search engine result pages to reach your target audience and drive more organic search traffic.

Studies show that the majority of traffic goes to sites that rank in the first three positions in the search results.

Understanding Search Engine Algorithms and E-E-A-T

Understanding how search engine algorithms work is essential for effective SEO.

For example, knowing how Google’s Search Quality Rater Guidelines work as a feedback loop for the algorithm is helpful.

These guidelines outline principles such as E-E-A-T (experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trust), which help guide a sustainable and successful SEO strategy.

At the end of the day, no matter what SEO strategies you apply, ethical SEO practices are critical for long-term success.

By working within the guidelines of the search engines and focusing on the end user, you build trust with your target audience and the search engines. This results in becoming more relevant for a searcher’s query and ranking higher in the search results.

Read more: The Complete Guide to the Basics of E-E-A-T

Importance of Keyword Research

Keyword research is one of the first steps in a successful SEO strategy.

By identifying and analyzing the keywords your target audience is using, you lay a strong foundation for your content strategy so that you deliver the right content the moment your customers are looking for it.

Advanced AI tools can even predict future keyword relevance, giving you a competitive edge in the digital landscape.

Read more: What Are Keywords? Why Are Keywords Important to SEO? And How Do You Do Keyword Research?

On-Page Optimization Techniques

There are countless variables in Google’s ranking algorithm, and those variables change based on the page that Google is evaluating.

So investing in the on-page techniques that matter to your website (driven by factors like the top-ranked competition and best practices) can significantly boost your rankings.

Read more: The Always Up-to-Date SEO Checklist

Technical SEO Tactics

Technical SEO works to make sure the website runs smoothly behind the scenes for both users and search engines.

This includes things like mobile optimization, page speed and performance, robots.txt, XML sitemaps, content architecture through SEO siloing and more. This step cannot be overlooked to compete in the search results.

Read more: Technical SEO vs. On-Page SEO – The Differences

The Power of Content Marketing

Every good SEO strategy has a powerful content program behind it. With high-quality, relevant content, you can attract and engage your target audience.

And, when combined with effective SEO, it can propel your website to new heights. Search engines will recognize those sites that put effort into their content.

Read more: 5 Steps To Help Writers Create Expert Content for SEO

Link Earning for SEO Success

Though links play less of a role today than they once did, earning links through quality content and other acceptable methods can help boost your website’s authority.

What matters is quality over quantity. Sites with fewer but higher quality links can outpace their competition in the search results.

Read more: The New Link Building Manifesto: A Complete Guide to Earning Links That Count

Dominating the Local Market with Local SEO

Ninety-eight percent (98%) of consumers used the Internet to find information about local businesses in 2023. (That number is likely to remain unchanged in 2024.) If you’re a local business looking to attract more customers, local SEO is your solution.

Read more: Checklist for Local SEO

Monitoring Performance and Analytics

Keeping track of your website’s performance is vital as you implement SEO strategies.

Monitoring your rankings and organic traffic, understanding SEO performance through analytics and keeping an eye on your competitors will help you refine your strategies and stay ahead.

Read more: The Top SEO Software That Experts Use Every Day

If you’re struggling to improve your website rankings, our SEO experts can help. Schedule a free consultation today to talk about how we can get you more qualified traffic, higher search ranking and increased revenue.

FAQ: How can I optimize my website for better search engine rankings using SEO?

Search engine optimization (SEO) plays an essential role in driving organic traffic to your website. By implementing effective SEO strategies, you can enhance your website’s visibility on search engine result pages (SERPs) and attract more potential customers.

Here are some key insights and tips to help you optimize your website for better search engine rankings using SEO:

Understand the Importance of Keywords: Keywords act as the foundation of SEO. Research and identify relevant keywords that align with your website’s content and target audience. Utilize keyword tools to determine search volume and competition, aiming for a balance between highly searched terms and reasonable competition levels.

On-Page Optimization Techniques: Implementing on-page SEO techniques will improve your website’s visibility to search engines. This includes optimizing title tags, meta descriptions, headers and URL structures with relevant keywords. Ensure your content is compelling, informative and unique to engage both users and search engines.

Create High-Quality and Engaging Content: Publishing high-quality content is vital for SEO success. Write informative articles, blog posts and other valuable content that answers user queries and addresses their pain points. Incorporate relevant keywords naturally within your content and strive for a balance between readability and keyword optimization.

Build a Solid Backlink Profile: Backlinks from authoritative websites significantly impact search engine rankings. Develop a comprehensive link-building strategy to acquire high-quality backlinks. Reach out to relevant industry influencers or websites for guest blogging opportunities or collaborations. Producing exceptional content will naturally attract backlinks.

Enhance Website Speed and Mobile Responsiveness: Website performance is a crucial aspect of SEO. Optimize your website speed by minimizing file sizes, leveraging browser caching and utilizing content delivery networks (CDNs). Additionally, ensure your website is mobile-friendly, as mobile optimization is essential for ranking well on search engines.

Utilize Local SEO Techniques: For businesses targeting a specific geographic area, local SEO is vital. Claim and optimize your Google My Business listing, ensuring accurate business information, customer reviews and consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) details across all platforms.

Leverage Social Media: Social media engagement indirectly impacts SEO. Promote your content on popular social media platforms to attract a wider audience and encourage social signals (likes, shares, comments) that can positively influence search engine rankings.

Monitor Performance and Adapt: SEO efforts are not a one-time task; ongoing monitoring and adjustments are necessary for optimal results. Regularly analyze your website’s performance using tools like Google Analytics and Search Console. Continuously monitor keyword rankings, traffic sources and user behavior to identify improvement areas.

Remember, SEO is an ever-evolving field, so stay informed about recent trends and algorithm updates to maintain your website’s search visibility.

Step-by-Step Procedure:

1. Perform comprehensive keyword research using tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, or SEOToolSet®.
2. Analyze competitor keywords and identify opportunities for optimization.
3. Develop a content strategy based on target keywords and user intent.
4. Optimize meta tags, headers and URLs with relevant keywords.
5. Implement schema markup to enhance search engine visibility.
6. Monitor website performance using Google Analytics and Search Console.
7. Identify and fix technical SEO issues such as broken links and redirects.
8. Utilize local SEO tactics if targeting a specific geographic location.
9. Create high-quality, shareable content to attract natural backlinks.
10. Engage with your audience through social media and encourage user-generated content.
11. Regularly audit and update your SEO strategy to adapt to algorithm changes.
12. Implement structured data markup for rich snippet appearance in search results.
13. Collaborate with influencers or industry experts for content promotion.
14. Conduct A/B testing to optimize website conversion rates.
15. Implement HTTPS security protocol to build trust with users and search engines.
16. Monitor and analyze SEO performance metrics to track progress and make data-driven decisions.
17. Implement advanced link building tactics such as guest posting and resource link building.
18. Optimize images and multimedia elements for faster loading times.
19. Utilize Google My Business for local SEO optimization and increased visibility.
20. Generate and submit an XML sitemap to search engines for better crawling and indexing.
21. Implement responsive web design for seamless user experience across devices.
22. Use alt tags for images to improve accessibility and keyword relevancy.
23. Integrate social share buttons to encourage content sharing and enhance visibility.
24. Stay updated on the latest SEO trends and algorithm updates to maintain a competitive edge.

Follow these steps to fully optimize your website for better search engine rankings, drive more organic traffic and attract potential customers to your online presence.

The post How Can I Improve My Website Rankings Through SEO? appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

I’ve observed a massive evolution in my 28 years of experience in SEO. I’ve seen how it can positively impact not just websites, but the businesses and people who run them.

In this article, I’ll go over an introduction to SEO, including basic concepts:

• What is SEO?
• What’s involved in SEO?
• What you need to know about SEO
• FAQ: What are the best SEO practices for a successful digital marketing strategy?

What Is SEO?

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a strategic marketing discipline that increases a website’s visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs).

SEO is crucial because higher visibility in search results typically leads to more traffic and potential customers for a business.

What’s Involved in SEO?

SEO encompasses a wide range of practices and techniques. These include:

Research and Strategy

Effective SEO requires comprehensive market research, detailed competitor analyses and alignment with clearly defined business objectives (whether it’s increasing traffic, driving sales or boosting brand visibility).

A solid SEO program begins with a deep dive into a website and the business. Understanding the unique needs and challenges of your target audience is critical.

Then, an in-depth technical SEO audit is the first best step, as it gives essential insights into what’s hindering search engine success.

Keyword research uncovers the queries your audience is using when searching for what you have to offer.

And competitive analysis comes next to get a clearer picture of what’s needed to succeed in the search results based on the competition.

Technical SEO

This aspect of SEO focuses on creating a website that is easy for users and search engines to navigate.

It includes ensuring fast load times, mobile responsiveness, secure connections, content architecture, internal linking and more.

Anything that has to do with the performance of a website falls under technical SEO.

Content Development

Content is the backbone of any good SEO strategy.

Creating high-quality content means ensuring the content is engaging, relevant and aligned with what users and search engines are looking for.

Content for SEO must be helpful, backed by first-hand expertise and answer the intent of the query completely.

On-Page SEO

On-page SEO involves optimizing webpages and their content for search performance and ease of reading, crafting compelling meta tags, optimizing images for search, using heading tags properly and much more.

Off-Site SEO

This aspect of SEO involves building credibility and authority in other ways.

Key activities include earning and managing high-quality backlinks and using brand marketing techniques, public relations and social media as complementary tools for SEO success.

What You Need to Know About SEO

There are three things you need to know about SEO to create your SEO “mindset:”

1. SEO isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution.
2. SEO is not static; it’s an ongoing process.
3. SEO requires a constant finger on the pulse.

SEO Isn’t a “One Size Fits All”

Different types of SEO, like local SEO and national or global SEO, cater to varying business needs.

Local SEO focuses on optimizing your online presence to attract local customers, while broader SEO strategies aim for a wider, perhaps international reach.

Crafting a successful SEO strategy requires customization based on comprehensive market research, an in-depth understanding of the competitive landscape and a keen grasp of the target audience’s needs and pain points.

A tailored approach is key, whether it’s to enhance visibility in local search results or to achieve a dominant position on a national level.

SEO Is Not Static; It’s an Ongoing Process

Search engines continually update their algorithms to provide more accurate and relevant results to users.

New competitors enter the market. The economy fluctuates, and current events impact society.

Therefore, SEO strategies must evolve and adapt to these changes to maintain or improve a website’s search ranking.

SEO is not and will never be a one-and-done thing.

SEO Requires a Constant Finger on the Pulse

To stay ahead in SEO, continuous learning and innovation are crucial. The field is dynamic; staying still means falling behind.

This involves keeping abreast of industry trends, algorithm changes and emerging technologies.

Regular research, strategic planning, consistent content creation, testing, performance monitoring and program evaluations are essential.

Final Thoughts

Creating an effective SEO program is like planning a grand adventure. It starts with setting clear, measurable roadmaps and being flexible to adapt to changes.

SEO is also a field that demands commitment. Embracing SEO’s dynamic nature is the key to sustained success. It’s a continuous process rather than a one-time task.

While it can be challenging, the payoff is big: traffic, customers, revenue and a positive impact on your livelihood and the livelihoods of those you employ.

We’ve helped thousands of companies succeed at SEO for over 28 years. If you’re in need of more website traffic, leads, sales, customers and revenue, reach out to us today for a free consultation.

FAQ: What are the best SEO practices for a successful digital marketing strategy?

An effective SEO strategy is critical for the success of any digital marketing campaign. So, what are the best SEO practices to ensure your digital marketing strategy yields great results? Let’s dive into the key aspects you need to focus on:

Keyword Research: Start by identifying relevant keywords and phrases that your target audience uses when searching for products or services like yours. This will guide your content creation and optimization efforts.

On-Page Optimization: Optimize your website’s meta tags, headings, URLs and content with the identified keywords to improve its visibility in search engine rankings.

High-Quality Content: Creating exceptional content is vital for SEO success. Craft informative, engaging and relevant content that caters to your audience’s needs, incorporates keywords naturally and encourages social sharing.

Link Building: Build a strong backlink profile by earning high-quality links from reputable websites. Seek partnerships, guest posting opportunities and shareable content to enhance your online presence.

Mobile Optimization: With the increasing use of mobile devices, ensure your website is mobile-friendly, loads quickly and provides a seamless user experience across different screen sizes.

User Experience: Focus on delivering an exceptional user experience by improving website navigation, reducing bounce rates and addressing user queries effectively. Satisfied users are more likely to convert and engage with your brand.

Social Media Integration: Leverage the power of social media to amplify your content, engage with your audience and attract organic traffic to your website.

Local SEO: If you have a brick-and-mortar business, optimize your website for local searches by including location-specific keywords, creating Google My Business listings and securing positive reviews.

Implement these best SEO practices to create a strong foundation for a successful digital marketing strategy. Remember to analyze your efforts regularly, adapt to changing search algorithms and stay current with the latest SEO trends for continued success.

Step-by-Step Procedure:

1. Start by conducting thorough keyword research to identify relevant keywords for your industry.
2. Optimize your website’s meta tags, headings, URLs and content by incorporating the identified keywords.
3. Create high-quality content that is informative, engaging and shareable.
4. Build a strong backlink profile by earning links from reputable websites.
5. Ensure your website is mobile-friendly and offers a seamless user experience.
6. Improve website navigation and address user queries effectively.
7. Leverage social media platforms to amplify your content and engage with your audience.
8. Optimize your website for local searches if you have a physical location.
9. Regularly analyze your SEO efforts and adapt to changing algorithms.
10. Stay up to date with the latest SEO trends and best practices.
11. Continuously monitor and measure your digital marketing strategy’s performance.
12. Adapt your strategy based on the results obtained.
13. Utilize analytics tools to gain insights into user behavior and preferences.
14. Keep refining and improving your content to stay relevant and authoritative.
15. Engage with your audience through commenting, responding to reviews and interacting on social media.
16. Collaborate with influencers in your industry to expand your reach and credibility.
17. Stay connected with the SEO community to learn from experts and exchange knowledge.
18. Conduct competitor analysis to identify opportunities and stay ahead in the market.
19. Regularly perform SEO audits to identify and fix any issues that might be hindering your strategy’s success.
20. Embrace a continuous learning mindset and adapt accordingly to drive ongoing success.

The post What Is SEO? appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

Driving traffic to your website is one thing. Retaining that traffic is quite another. Your bounce rate is important because bounce rate tells you how much traffic going to your site does not leave quickly.

In other words, it is a measure of the traffic that you are retaining for any given webpage or marketing initiative.

In this article, I will cover common FAQs about bounce rate and what you can do to improve it.

• What is Bounce Rate?
• Why Is Bounce Rate Important to SEO?
• Bounce Rate vs. Exit Rate
• What Is a Good Bounce Rate?
• How to Improve Bounce Rate
• FAQ: What strategies can I implement to reduce the bounce rate and boost engagement on my webpages?

What Is Bounce Rate?

Bounce rate is a metric in web analytics tools that measures the percentage of people who leave a webpage / the website quickly if not immediately after visiting it. This exit usually happens within seconds and represents people who do not visit any other page on the site from there.

Google’s official definition of a bounce rate is as follows:

“A bounce is a single-page session on your site. In Analytics, a bounce is calculated specifically as a session that triggers only a single request to the Analytics server, such as when a user opens a single page on your site and then exits without triggering any other requests to the Analytics server during that session.

Bounce rate is single-page sessions divided by all sessions, or the percentage of all sessions on your site in which users viewed only a single page and triggered only a single request to the Analytics server.

These single-page sessions have a session duration of 0 seconds since there are no subsequent hits after the first one that would let Analytics calculate the length of the session.”

Some analytics tools may calculate bounce rate differently from one another, so it’s worth understanding how the analytics you are using defines and calculates your website’s bounce rate.

Why Is Bounce Rate Important to SEO?

If you have a higher-than-normal bounce rate on your site and its webpages, you are wasting opportunity and money.

As it relates to SEO in particular, SEO drives traffic to a website. What you are able to do with that traffic comes next. Bounce rate is an indicator that your website is either not providing a good user experience or not delivering on the intent of the search that brought a visitor there.

When your webpages and their content grab the visitor, give them what they want and then offer them more ways to engage with things they might like, you increase your chances of retaining that traffic and getting conversions.

To put bounce rate into perspective:

• If the bounce rate is 80 percent, that means you retain 20 percent of your traffic to a webpage.
• If the bounce rate is 70 percent, that means you retain 30 percent of your traffic to a webpage.
• A 10% reduction in bounce rate could mean a 50% increase in conversions, so minimizing bounce rate is critical.

Related: It’s Not the Job of SEO to Make a Pig Fly

Bounce Rate vs. Exit Rate

Exit rate calculates the percentage of people that left a particular webpage after visiting more than one page a website.

For example, if someone visits the website on Webpage A and leaves right away, that would be considered a bounce. But, if someone views Webpage A, then goes to Webpage B and leaves the website on Webpage B, the exit rate would measure the people who left on Webpage B.

Webpage A > Exit = Bounce rate measured on Webpage A
Webpage A > Webpage B > Exit = Exit rate measured on Webpage B

Of course, it is slightly more complicated than this, and you can get into the details of how Google Analytics calculates exit rate versus bounce rate by checking out their explanation here.

What Is a Good Bounce Rate?

Bounce rate can vary by industry, channel, type of webpage/content, device and more. Industry research can give us averages, but each website will be different.

For example, data from CXL gives the following insights on bounce rate by website type:

By industry:

And by channel/industry:

Rather than relying on industry data, though, get a benchmark of bounce rates on your website and then make incremental improvements to the pages to try and get the bounce rate lower.

In Google Analytics 4, you can drill down into the data to show bounce rate for different scenarios, which can be helpful for solving specific problems.

You’ll most likely need to customize each report to add the bounce rate metric. To do that, go to a report like Traffic Acquisition: Life cycle > Acquisition > Traffic Acquisition.

Click the “Customize report” icon in the upper right section.

Under Report Data, click Metrics. If you don’t see “Bounce rate” in the list, you can add it by scrolling down to the bottom of the list, clicking into the “Add metric” field and typing in “bounce rate.” Select the option, then click the blue Apply button to add it to your report.

To see the bounce rate per source/medium pair, click the Session primary…Channel Group dropdown just below the search bar and select Session source/medium.

You can also see the bounce rate in your Audience report: User > User attributes > Audiences

And you can check bounce rates for individual pages: Life cycle > Engagement > Pages and screens

How to Improve Bounce Rate

The best way to improve the bounce rate of any given webpage is to start figuring out the possible causes of a high bounce rate. Each webpage will have a different set of circumstances.

You will need to look at the whole picture, analyze how people are getting to the page and what they are getting when they land on it. Analytics tools can give you more data on the webpage as available to help rule out other problems, for example, speed issues.

Other than that, study the content and the layout of the webpage — is it delivering on the intent of the place where the visitor came from (i.e. an email campaign, the organic search results, paid search, etc.)?

Is it offering a good and easy user experience? Can people easily complete a task or find what they are looking for?

You should also go through an SEO checklist to make sure the webpage is properly optimized in a way that keeps people on the page.

Are bounces affecting your conversions? Our SEO experts can help solve the problem. Schedule a free consultation today.

FAQ: What strategies can I implement to reduce the bounce rate and boost engagement on my webpages?

High bounce rates can lead to low engagement and lost opportunities. To help you overcome this challenge, here are some strategies to help you retain visitors and encourage them to actively engage with your content.

Compelling and Relevant Content: To keep visitors engaged, provide high-quality content that captivates their interest. Ensure your content is relevant, informative and engaging to increase the chances of users staying longer on your webpages.

Visual Appeal: Utilize visually appealing elements such as eye-catching images, videos, infographics and well-designed layouts. This will enhance the user experience and make your content more enticing.

Streamlined Website Design: A cluttered and confusing website can lead to high bounce rates. Optimize your website’s design to ensure it is user-friendly, intuitive and easy to navigate. Simplify your menus and incorporate clear calls-to-action.

Faster Load Times: Slow-loading pages can frustrate visitors and cause them to leave. Optimize your website’s speed by compressing images, minimizing plugins and using caching techniques. This will create a seamless browsing experience for your users.

Mobile-Friendly Design: With the majority of internet users accessing content on mobile devices, it is essential to have a responsive website design. Ensure your webpages are mobile-friendly and provide a seamless experience across different devices.

Enhance Readability: Make your content easy to read by using clear headings, subheadings, bullet points and short paragraphs. Additionally, choose fonts and colors that are visually appealing and optimize text size for easy reading.

Internal Linking: Strategically add internal links within your content to guide users to related articles or pages on your website. This encourages them to explore more of your content, reducing bounce rates.

Engage with your Audience: Encourage comments, feedback and social media sharing to foster a sense of community and interaction. Respond promptly to comments and engage with your audience to build trust and encourage return visits.

These strategies will ensure users stay on your website, increasing the chances of converting them. Remember to monitor and analyze website metrics regularly to identify areas for improvement.

Step-by-Step Procedure:

1. Create compelling and relevant content that captivates your audience’s interest.
2. Utilize visually appealing elements like images, videos and infographics to enhance the user experience.
3. Simplify your website’s design, making it easy for users to navigate.
4. Optimize your website’s speed by compressing images, minimizing plugins and using caching techniques.
5. Ensure your webpages are mobile-friendly and responsive.
6. Use clear headings, subheadings, bullet points and short paragraphs for improved readability.
7. Strategically add internal links to guide users to related content.
8. Foster community engagement by encouraging comments, feedback and social media sharing.

The post What Is Bounce Rate? A Quick Primer appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

Should you get married or stay single? Have a child or not? Invest in SEO or PPC? Yes, that last question is right up there with many of life’s tough decisions — at least as far as your business is concerned.

I’m here to help you better understand both sides so you can figure out how to dominate your digital marketing strategy. In this article:

• What is SEO
• Why do SEO?
• What is PPC
• Why do PPC?
• How to use SEO and PPC together
• FAQ: How can I effectively choose between SEO and PPC for my digital marketing strategy? 

What Is SEO?

Search engine optimization aims to improve a website so that it performs better in the search engine results pages, generates earned traffic and makes more money for the site owner or brand.

Quality SEO works in conjunction with the search engines, not against them. That means upholding the webmaster guidelines set forth by Google and Bing.

Search engines care about SEO because they want websites to improve so that they offer a better user experience. Websites that do so are rewarded with more visibility in the organic areas of the search engine results page (SERP), as shown below.

In general, SEO is a long-term strategy that builds a site’s visibility and traffic over time.

To show up in the organic search results over your competition, you want to invest in SEO.

Why do SEO?

Consider that Google’s search engine processes more than 2 trillion searches per year. People all over the world turn to search engines for key moments in their lives, whether it’s learning more about a topic, researching potential goods and services, finding local businesses, or buying via e-commerce.

Keep in mind that the indexed web contains billions of web pages. Search engines like Google have to sift through these billions of pages to find the best of the best websites to feature on the first page of their search results.

So if you think you have a chance of showing up at the top of the search results for the searches your audience is doing without any type of SEO, you’re sorely mistaken.

SEO offers many advantages to websites: More visibility in the search results, more traffic, more leads and more sales.

In fact, research has shown that the organic search channel is responsible for approximately 53% of traffic to a website on average and higher in some cases. It’s also responsible for up to 59% of revenue over other channels for some industries.

Moreover, SEO offers longevity. The fruits of your SEO labor will continue to pay off in the form of organic listings on the search results page.

This is different from ad campaigns, which stop generating traffic as soon as you stop paying for an ad. And this brings us to our next topic …

What Is PPC?

PPC, or pay-per-click, is a method of online advertising in which advertisers pay for website traffic. PPC ads can show up on the search engine results page, across websites, or on social networks.

Pay-per-click ads make up 80% of Google’s revenue and an astonishing 99% of Facebook’s revenue.

Why Do PPC?

If you want a targeted way to reach an important audience fast, then PPC is the way to go.

PPC can offer a great return on your investment — and quickly. In fact, 74% of brands say PPC is a huge driver for their business.

And Google reported that businesses generally make an average of $8 in revenue for every $1 they spend on Google Ads. (Take that statistic with a grain of salt.)

It makes sense when you consider how people interact with pay-per-click ads.

For example:

• Seventy-five percent of people say paid search ads help them find the information they’re searching for on a website or search engine. And 33% click a paid search ad because it directly answers their search query.
• About 65% of people click on Google Ads when they are looking to buy an item online.
• Fifty-seven percent report that social media influences their shopping decisions, and that number rises to over 80% when you’re talking about GenZers.

Especially when it comes to social media PPC, the targeting options are unparalleled.

Want to offer organic coffee to moms between the ages of 35 and 50 who live in Oregon and are interested in holistic living? There are ad filters for that.

Or want to use ads to remarket to people who’ve visited your website before? Facebook and other social media ad platforms make it easy to do.

On search engines, PPC offers a way to be placed above other search engine results. Remember, though, paying for PPC ads does not affect your SEO organic rankings in the least, no matter what anyone says.

Many businesses use PPC as a fast way to get visibility, traffic, leads and sales. It offers control over the messaging and placement, plus additional data you might not get from other digital marketing channels on what converts.

PPC + SEO = The Whole-SERP Strategy

In reality, the question is not whether you should do PPC or SEO. A good digital marketing and advertising program will have both.

Since SEO and PPC perform in different ways, it’s appropriate to use these channels in a complementary manner with the goal of more visibility, traffic, leads, and sales.

A whole-SERP strategy is all about maximizing visibility in the search results. It’s about understanding your audience’s intent when they search for something in a search engine, and then ensuring your business shows up with ads and/or organic listings.

In summary, PPC can offer instant gratification, while SEO is a long-term strategy.

If done correctly, the decision to invest in both PPC and SEO will strengthen your digital marketing strategy. So when pondering life’s big question of PPC versus SEO, don’t just choose one — choose both!

Ready to dominate your digital presence? Blend the power of SEO and PPC for ultimate visibility, leads and sales—optimize your strategy now. Contact us. 

FAQ: How can I effectively choose between SEO and PPC for my digital marketing strategy?

Your marketing success may depend heavily on which method you select between PPC and SEO, so it’s crucial to fully comprehend both before making an informed decision. It is also vital to gain an understanding of their advantages and nuances so as to make an educated choice.

Understanding Objectives

Before diving into the SEO vs. PPC debate, clarify your marketing objectives. Are you aiming for long-term visibility (SEO) or immediate results (PPC)?

Assessing Budget and Time

Evaluate your available resources. SEO often demands time and patience, while PPC requires a financial investment for quicker outcomes.

Analyzing Buyer Intent

Identify buyer intent search terms relevant to your business. SEO targets informational queries, while PPC caters to transactional searches.

Keyword Analysis

Explore keywords relevant to your industry. SEO focuses on organic keyword optimization, whereas PPC involves bidding on targeted keywords.

Target Audience Insights

Understand your audience’s behavior. SEO caters to broader audiences, while PPC allows precise targeting based on demographics and interests.

Evaluating Competition

Analyze competitors’ strategies. SEO aims for organic ranking superiority, while PPC offers a chance to outbid rivals for ad placements.

Testing and Monitoring

Implement small-scale PPC campaigns or SEO strategies to test their effectiveness. Analyze data to refine your approach.

Integrated Strategy

Consider a hybrid approach. Leveraging both SEO and PPC can amplify visibility and maximize results.

Step-by-Step Procedure: How to Effectively Choose Between SEO and PPC

1. Define marketing objectives clearly.
2. Assess available budget and time resources realistically.
3. Identify buyer intent search terms relevant to your niche.
4. Perform comprehensive keyword research for both SEO and PPC.
5. Develop audience personas for targeted insights.
6. Conduct competitor analysis for SEO and PPC landscapes.
7. Initiate small-scale PPC campaigns or SEO strategies for testing.
8. Analyze performance metrics and adjust strategies accordingly.
9. Explore the hybrid approach for integrated benefits.

Navigating the realm of SEO and PPC involves a strategic blend of understanding buyer intent, thorough analysis and the agility to adapt. The synergy between these two approaches paves the way for an impactful digital marketing strategy, allowing businesses to thrive in the competitive online sphere.

The post SEO vs. PPC: How To Choose appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

An SEO Perspective on Algo Fluctuations

The only thing that’s constant in search engine optimization is change. In one year (2020), for example, Google reported running 600,000+ experiments that resulted in more than 4,500 improvements to Search. That’s a lot of volatility, folks.

Here is our running list of the notable confirmed and major unconfirmed algorithm updates of all time. Below the list, we also explain how to watch for algorithm updates and what to do if you think your site has been impacted.

Main TOC:

• Algorithm updates by year
• Panda updates in detail
• Penguin updates in detail
• How to watch for algorithm changes
• What to do after an update
• Why you don’t need to beat the algorithm
• FAQ: What steps should I take if my site’s ranking is impacted after an update?

The following are the major updates, in our view, of all time — the ones that have shaped the face of search and SEO. These links will take you to the most important Google updates in our opinion:

• Page Experience Update – June to September 2021
• BERT – October 2019
• June 2019 Core Update & Site Diversity Update
• March 2019 Core Update
• Medic – August 2018
• Fred – March 2017
• Possum – September 2016
• RankBrain – October 2015
• Mobile-Friendly Update – April 2015
• Pigeon – July 2014
• Hummingbird – August 2013
• Penguin – April 2012
• Panda – February 2011

If you want to jump to a particular year, be my guest:
2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | Pre-2009

Google Algorithm Updates by Year

2023 ALGORITHM UPDATES

November 2023 – Core Update

In a rare development, Google announced its second major core update in as many months on November 2. The rollout is still ongoing and expected to be completed within the next few weeks.

October 2023 – Core Update

Google completed the third core update of the year on October 19.

October 2023 – Spam Update

The spam update began October 4 and ended October 19. This update addressed the increase in spam being reported by users when searching in their native languages.

September 2023 – Helpful Content System Update

The helpful content system update finished rollout on September 28. Google updated its guidance on AI-generated content, shifting its attitude to be consistent with generating helpful content. Google also revised guidelines on hosting third-party content. It now recommends blocking this content from being indexed if it is unrelated to the website’s main purpose. Learn more about the helpful content system here.

August 2023 – Core Update

The second core update of 2023 began on August 22 and completed September 7. See how it compared to previous updates.

May 2023 – Topic Authority System

Google announced its topic authority system as a way to “better surface relevant, expert, and knowledgeable content” in news queries. This system is not new — Google has been using it for several years, but they are discussing it now to bring more transparency into how ranking works.

April 2023 – Reviews Update

Google updated the name of this update from “product reviews” to just “reviews.” It now evaluates reviews of services, businesses, media — any topic that is reviewable. Google revised the language in its guidance documentation to apply to reviews of all kinds. This update was completed April 25. Learn more here.

March 2023 – Core Update

Google rolled out this update on March 15. It was the first of 2023 and finished rolling out March 28. This update caused more volatility than previous ones.

February 2023 – Product Reviews Update

Google’s product reviews update promotes review content that is of higher quality than the typical standard review information found online. The goal of this update is to “provide users with content that provides insightful analysis and original research, content written by experts or enthusiasts who know the topic well,” according to Google. This update added several new languages including English, Spanish, German, French and Italian among others. Google completed the rollout on March 7.

2022 ALGORITHM UPDATES

December 2022 – Link Spam Update

Hot off the heels of the helpful content system update, Google launched a link spam update on December 14. Google is targeting spammy links with SpamBrain, their AI-based spam-prevention system. Learn more about this update here.

December 2022 – Helpful Content System Update

This is the first update to Google’s helpful content system since its launch in August 2022. It began rolling out December 6, adding new signals and updating it worldwide to include all languages.

October 2022 – Spam Update

On October 19, Google quietly rolled out a spam update to improve detection of search spam. The update finished on October 21. Read more about Google’s spam update here.

September 2022 – Product Reviews Update

Google completed its second product reviews update of 2022 on September 26. Like the first update in July, this update rewards review-based content that is helpful and informative to shoppers.

September 2022 – Core Update

Google began rolling out its second core update of the year on September 12. It was completed two weeks later on September 26. This update appeared to have less of an impact than previous core updates.

August 2022 – Helpful Content Update

Google announced the helpful content update on August 18. This new signal rewards content that Google believes is helpful and informative, rather than content that is purely meant to rank well in search engines. The update rolled out August 25 and was completed on September 9.

Check out our video What to know about the Helpful Content Update to get Bruce’s take on the new signal.

June 2022 – Product Reviews Update

The Product Reviews Update was announced on July 27. While it was expected to take several weeks to roll out, it only took six days, fully rolling out on August 2. This update promotes quality review content to help shoppers learn more about products before purchasing. See Google’s help document on how to write high quality product reviews.

May 2022 – Core Update

This algo update acknowledged by Google caused some noticeable ranking fluctuations, more than some other recent core updates. It rolled out starting May 25 and finished June 9, 2022.

February 2022 – Page Experience Update for Desktop

Core Web Vitals and the page experience ranking factor applied to desktop as well as mobile as of this update, which finished rolling out on March 3, 2022.

2021 ALGORITHM UPDATES

June 2021 – Page Experience Update

Rolled out between mid-June and early September 2021, this update had less impact on rankings than Google’s core updates. Yet despite the fact that the update was somewhat downplayed in the SEO community, Google’s John Mueller confirmed it was more than simply a “tie-breaker” when ranking webpages. He also stated that when webmasters downplay the update, it may also mean that they downplay the impact that the ranking factors have on users.

What it did was create a new page experience ranking factor combining at least six signals related to how a webpage performs for mobile users. (Note that though it initially applied to mobile ranking only, Google rolled out the page experience update for desktop as well in February 2022.)

Core Web Vitals are three new performance metrics introduced with this update. Websites that meet certain performance thresholds can gain some competitive advantage and also improve their site’s user experience.

While improving page experience factors is often technical back-end work, top sites continue to improve their scores. So especially if you’re in a competitive industry, I highly recommend you check your site and get started.

For more details, see our comprehensive e-book Google’s Page Experience Update: A Complete Guide and these resources:

• What’s the Page Experience Update?
• Core Web Vitals Overview
• What is LCP (Largest Contentful Paint)
• What is FID (First Input Delay)
• What is CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift)
• Webinar (on demand and in depth): Three Expert Tips to Improve Core Web Vitals

June 2021 – Core Update

In June 2021, Google released a core update and announced another one would be coming the following month in July.

Google told Search Engine Land that the reason the rollout was broken into two phases was that not all of the planned improvements for the June 2021 update were ready. So Google decided to release the parts that were ready and push out the rest the following month.

Many in the industry felt that this was a big update, according to a roundup of data published at Search Engine Land. Subsequently, many felt like the link spam update in July–August 2021 did not have as big of an impact, which is why we aren’t listing it separately here.

Was the June core update related to “your money or your life” webpages? Some thought so.

Google released a blog post that coincided with the June core update, stating that: “core updates are designed to increase the overall relevancy of our search results. In terms of traffic, we send, it’s largely a net exchange. Some content might do less well, but other content gains.”

February 2021 – Passage Ranking

On February 11, Google announced it had launched passage ranking for U.S. queries in English.

Passage ranking helps Google Search better choose and rank the most relevant webpages with passages (like blocks of text) that answer very specific queries.

Whereas before, the search engine may have ranked articles that give general information on the query; now, Google can find and rank articles that answer the query the best, even if it’s only within a block of text on the webpage.

Google said this about passage ranking:

Very specific searches can be the hardest to get right, since sometimes the single sentence that answers your question might be buried deep in a web page. We’ve recently made a breakthrough in ranking and are now able to better understand the relevancy of specific passages. By understanding passages in addition to the relevancy of the overall page, we can find that needle-in-a-haystack information you’re looking for.

Google stated that when it is fully rolled out globally, it will impact 7% of search queries.

2020 ALGORITHM UPDATES

December 2020 – Core Update

In early December 2020, Google released a new broad core update. Many industry commentators stated it was a big core update — one of the largest yet — with many sites seeing extreme traffic gains and losses.

As with previous broad core updates, there was no specific ranking factor targeted; rather, broad core updates are an update to how sites are evaluated.

While many webmasters were anticipating this update as a way to recover from losses from the May 2020 update, many were also concerned about the timing of this update, as it occurred during the holiday period.

You can check out an analysis of this core update at Search Engine Land: “Google’s December 2020 core update was big, even bigger than May 2020, say data providers.”

November 2020 – Subtopics Ranking

Some websites may have experienced ranking changes on or around mid-November, and the subtopics ranking change may have been the reason.

Google did not announce this algorithm update (but did discuss it back in October). Google’s Danny Sullivan later confirmed in 2021 that the ranking change went live in November 2020.

It’s worth noting that subtopics ranking is a new feature of the algorithm, as opposed to an update of existing processes.

Google discussed subtopics ranking in October 2020, saying the following:

We’ve applied neural nets to understand subtopics around an interest, which helps deliver a greater diversity of content when you search for something broad. As an example, if you search for “home exercise equipment,” we can now understand relevant subtopics, such as budget equipment, premium picks, or small space ideas, and show a wider range of content for you on the search results page. We’ll start rolling this out by the end of this year.

In other words, the subtopics ranking feature is designed to help Google understand how subtopics relate to a query.

As another example, if someone were to search for “SEO,” Google can now understand relevant subtopics such as agencies, conferences, tools, and Google algorithm updates. With this information, it can then show wider-ranging content in the search engine results pages.

For more, see the Search Engine Land article: “Google launched subtopics ranking in mid-November.”

May 2020 Core Update

Google announced a broad core update via Twitter. This update took approximately two weeks to fully roll out.

Many felt that the May update was significant, even for a core update, with many sites seeing significant losses or gains in traffic. Many algorithm-tracking tools registered extreme volatility.

A core update, according to Google, is a broad algorithm update that does not target specific types of queries or pages. Instead, the update is about improving how the search engine assesses content overall to make results more relevant. We are told to compare a core update to refreshing a list of top 100 movies that you made a few years back. Naturally, new items would appear in your list today, and other titles on your list would shift up or down.

Consequently, Google says that “pages that drop after a core update don’t have anything wrong to fix.” And some pages that were “previously under-rewarded” will rank higher.

Moz gives an analysis of the winners and losers of this core update here.

January 2020 – Featured Snippets Update

Google confirmed that results shown in featured snippets would no longer be repeated on the first page of search results. Previously, a featured snippet could be found in “Position 0” as well as one of the top organic listings on the page.

2019 ALGORITHM UPDATES

October 2019 – BERT

Google announced BERT — its deep learning algorithm also known internally at Google as DeepRank — on October 25, 2019. BERT impacts conversational search queries by helping Google to better understand context, including how words like “for” and “to” change the meaning of a search. Google later confirmed there was nothing specific to optimize for, and that BERT affects nearly every search performed.

September 2019 Core Update

Google announced this broad core algorithm update ahead of time. The industry weighed in after it rolled out, and many hypothesized it targeted link spam.

June 2019 Core Update & Site Diversity Update

Google pre-announced this update, which seemed to focus on correcting the way the algorithm evaluated links. It put more weight on the domain authority and trustworthiness of a site’s incoming links.

In my opinion, the “trustworthiness” component of the E-A-T factors rose in importance. And it overflowed SEO to include a fix for detecting sentiment. Note that this firmly places the issue with a ranking loss on marketing in general … No wonder Google has said that there is nothing sites can do specifically to “fix” their rankings after a core update runs. Mess with user sentiment, link sentiment, and quality, and prepare to die.

The search engine simultaneously released a separate site diversity update. The stated goal was to make search results more diverse. For most queries, users no longer see a domain appear more than twice in the top-ranked results, making it harder for a site to “saturate” a topic organically.

Hazards: Sites with too low a percentage of backlinks from trusted websites may have dropped. Those that used to have many pages ranking for a single query also lost some SERP real estate.

Winners: Pages may have risen that were previously under-rewarded. (Aren’t we all?)

March 2019 Core Update

Google confirmed this update, which seemed to fine-tune broad core algorithm changes of the past. Data showed the majority of the websites that were impacted were also impacted by the March 2018 core update and the August 2018 “Medic” update. To prevent naming confusion, Google tweeted the update’s name the same day it was released.

However, the losers weren’t impacted as much as the winners. Research found that sites whose search traffic increased experienced higher rankings site-wide, with no increase in the number of keywords ranked.

On the flip side, the update hurt many sites that provide a poor user experience (due to excessive pop-ups, poor navigation, over-optimization, and so forth).

And, of course, trust was a significant signal. Sites dealing with YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) topics took ranking hits if they were participating in untrusted activities.

Hazards: Google’s March 2019 Core Update behaved like an evolution of previous algorithms, negatively affecting sites that were over-optimized.

Winners: Reputable sites ranking for queries related to particularly sensitive topics, like those about health questions, benefited. According to SearchMetrics, “websites with a strong brand profile and a broad topical focus” also advanced. See, trust matters.

2018 ALGORITHM UPDATES

September 2018 – Small Update

Google confirmed there was a small update made, and reiterated that it wasn’t anything major.

August 2018 Core Update – Medic

Google announced the release of this broad core algorithm update, coined by the industry as “Medic.” Google’s advice? Be more relevant for searches — and not just page by page, but as a whole site. More advice stated that small tweaks to content may not suffice and that holistic changes to the site may be required.

I believe the Medic update was a significant step focused on trust (part of Google’s “E-A-T” quality factors). In my opinion, trusted sites that were interlinked with untrusted sites were penalized.

Learn more:

• SEO siloing for website and content relevance through linking
• Complete Guide to E-A-T Fundamentals
• English Google Webmaster Central Office-Hours Hangout (starting at 10:10)
• English/తెలుగు Webmaster Central Office-Hours Hangout (starting at 32:02)

July 2018 – Speed Update

Fast performance creates a better user experience for searchers clicking on results. After alerting website owners months in advance, Google announced its Speed Update on July 9, 2018. Previously, page load speed factored into only desktop search results. Since this update, slow performance on mobile devices can hurt a site’s optimization.

April 2018 – Broad Core Update

Google confirmed this broad core update. As is the case with all broad core updates, Google indicates that there’s nothing specific to do. However, as indicated in a later confirmation of the March core update (below), it may have been around relevance.

March 2018 – Broad Core Update

Google confirmed this broad core update and reminded webmasters to continue building great content. Later, Google explained that most of its updates are around relevance, not how good or bad a site is.

2017 ALGORITHM UPDATES

December 2017 – Several Updates

Google reacted to the SEO community that dubbed fluctuations in December as “Maccabees.” The search engine said it wasn’t a single update but several minor improvements and that there weren’t any major changes as a result.

March 2017 – Fred

Google confirmed a string of updates with the caveat that they make three updates per day on average. When asked if the updates had a name, Google jokingly said all updates would be called Fred, and the name stuck. These updates seemed to be related to quality, and some impacted were sites using aggressive monetization tactics that provided a bad user experience, and that had poor-quality links. Fred was wide-reaching and focused on quality across a variety of factors, not just a single process.

One specific target was sites using aggressive monetization tactics that provided a bad user experience. Poor-quality links were also targeted by Fred. Link to an untrusted site, and it lowers your trust … and rankings.

Hazards: Sites with thin, affiliate-heavy, or ad-centered content were targeted.

Winners: Many websites featuring quality, high-value content with minimal ads benefited.

January 2017 – Interstitial Updates

Google preannounced that it would make updates in January 2017 that would impact sites with pop-ups on their pages that created a poor user experience. It confirmed this algorithm updates on January 10, 2017.

2016 ALGORITHM UPDATES

September 2016 – Penguin Integrated into Core Algorithm

Google confirmed that its webspam algorithm dubbed “Penguin” was rolled into the core algorithm. That meant that instead of manual refreshes, it would now work in real-time. Penguin would now devalue spam links instead of demoting whole sites. It also became more granular in how it worked.

Rather than demoting a site for having bad inbound links, the new Penguin tried to just do away with link spam.

Now, if a site has inbound links from known spam sites, Google just devalues (ignores) the links.

However, if a site’s backlink profile is too bad, Google may still apply a manual action for unnatural links to your website. Also, John Mueller said earlier this year that a software-induced penalty can still occur if a site has “a bunch of really bad links” (h/t Marie Haynes).

Friendlier Penguin has not proven to be 100% effective. As a result, many businesses still need help cleaning up their link profile to restore lost rankings. Google has said that you should not need to disavow files, yet also welcomes them. To me, that is a very clear signal that we should not rely on the algorithm alone when it comes to backlinks.

Hazards: Sites that had purchased links were targets, as well as those with spammy or irrelevant links, or incoming links with over-optimized anchor text.

Winners: Sites with mostly natural inbound links from relevant webpages got to rise in the SERPs.

See the detailed history of Penguin in the Penguin Algorithm Updates section.

September 1, 2016 – Possum

Possum is an unconfirmed yet widely documented Google algorithm update. This update targeted the local pack. Unlike confirmed updates, the details of the Possum update are a bit less clear. SEOs believe it sought to bring more variety into local SERPs and help increase the visibility of local companies.

With this update, Google seemed to change how it filtered duplicate listings. Before Possum, Google omitted results as duplicates if they shared the same phone number or website. With Possum, Google filtered listings that shared the same address. This created intense competition between neighboring or location-sharing businesses.

Hazards: Businesses with intense competition in their target location could be pushed out of the local results.

Winners: Businesses outside physical city limits had a chance to appear in local listings.

May 2016 – Mobile Update

Google announced ahead of time that it would increase the mobile-friendliness ranking signal in May. Google confirmed the rollout was completed on May 12.

Learn more: Mobile Friendly SEO Ranking Boost Gets Boosted in May

January 2016 – Panda Integrated into Core Algorithm

Google revealed that the Panda algorithm targeting quality was a part of the core algorithm. It was not clear when this happened exactly. Google also confirmed that even though it was part of the core algorithm, it did not operate in real-time.

This significant update is detailed below in the Panda Updates section.

Learn more: Google Explains What It Means To Be Part Of The “Core” Algorithm

2015 ALGORITHM UPDATES

October 2015 – RankBrain

Google revealed to Bloomberg that RankBrain — Google’s artificial intelligence system — was one of its top three ranking signals. Reportedly, 15 percent of queries per day have never been seen by Google before. Initially, RankBrain helped interpret those queries, but it may now be involved in every query. It’s also possible with RankBrain that searchers’ engagement with the search results is a factor in how it determines the relevancy of a result.

According to Google’s Gary Illyes on Reddit,

RankBrain is a PR-sexy machine learning ranking component that uses historical search data to predict what would a user most likely click on for a previously unseen query. It is a really cool piece of engineering that saved our butts countless times whenever traditional algos were like, e.g. “oh look a “not” in the query string! let’s ignore the hell out of it!”, but it’s generally just relying on (sometimes) months old data about what happened on the results page itself, not on the landing page. Dwell time, CTR, … those are generally made up crap. Search is much more simple than people think.

OK, if it changes the target, then it is always right. If you change the results to match a user-intent profile, then in the future, all clicks would match that profile since that is all there is. Are all searches for a particular keyword always informational? RankBrain may think so and push out ecommerce sites from the results. Fortunately, it is often correct.

Hazards: No specific losers, although sites won’t be found relevant that have shallow content, poor UX, or unfocused subject matter.

Winners: Sites creating niche content and focusing on keyword intent have a better chance of ranking.

Learn more:

• The REAL Impact of RankBrain on Web Traffic
• Google Q&A+ (around 30 mins.)
• How Google is Remaking Itself as a “Machine Learning First” Company
• Google: Here’s How to Optimize for Google’s RankBrain

July 2015 – Panda Update 4.2

For more information on this update, please see the Panda section below.

May 2015 – Quality Update to Core Algorithm

Google confirmed a change to its algorithm (although not right away) on how it processed quality signals. Google stated that the update wasn’t intended to target any particular sites or class of sites, but was an update to the overall ranking algorithm itself.

April 2015 – Mobile-Friendly Update (“Mobilegeddon”)

Google announced ahead of time in February and then confirmed in April its mobile-friendly update was rolling out that would boost the rankings of mobile-friendly pages. This update laid the foundation for Google’s mobile-first search mechanism.
The update underlined mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal and laid the foundation for the way Google’s mobile-first search mechanism works today. It was fun watching ecommerce sites try to fit 700 navigation links into a mobile menu. (Side note: There are better ways to handle mobile navigation.)

Hazards: Sites without a mobile-friendly version of the page, or with poor mobile usability, suffered.

Winners: Responsive sites and pages with an existing mobile-friendly version benefited.

2014 ALGORITHM UPDATES

October 2014 – Penguin Update 3.0

For more information on this update, please see the Penguin section below.

September 2014 – Panda Update 4.1

For more information on this update, please see the Panda section below.

July 2014 – “Pigeon” Local Search Algorithm Update

The update dubbed Pigeon shook up the local organic results in Google Web and Map searches.

Google told Search Engine Land that it had made an update to its local ranking signals to provide better results for users. Dubbed “Pigeon,” these updates improved distance and location ranking parameters (“near me”), and incorporated more of the ranking signals used in Google’s main web search algorithms. Google said it probably wouldn’t detail any more changes to the local search algorithm in the future.

Hazards: Local businesses with poor on- and off-page SEO suffered.

Winners: Local companies with accurate NAP information and other SEO factors in place gained rankings.

Learn more: How Do I Rank Higher in Google Local Search? Bruce Clay’s Checklist for Local SEOs

June 2014 – Payday Loan Algorithm Update (3.0)

Google confirmed that the third iteration of the “Payday Loan” algorithm that targets heavily spammed queries was rolling out.

May 2014 – Payday Loan Algorithm Update (2.0)

Google confirmed the second iteration of the “Payday Loan” algorithm, impacting about 0.2% of English queries.

May 2014 – Panda Update 4.0

For more information on this update, please see the Panda section below.

February 2014 – Page Layout Algorithm Refresh

Google announced a refresh of its page layout algorithm. Its impact was not given.

2013 ALGORITHM UPDATES

October 2013 – Penguin Update 2.1

For more information on this update, please see the Penguin Update section below.

August 2013 – Hummingbird

Hummingbird was announced in September (although it had been live since August). Hummingbird was essentially a complete overhaul of its algorithm (not an added-on update) and was the beginning of semantic search as we know it today.

Google needed a way to better understand the user intent behind a search query. Search terms that were similar but different, for example, often generated less-than-desirable results. Take the word “hammer” as an example. Is the searcher looking for the musician, the museum, or a tool to pound nails with?

Google’s Knowledge Graph was a first step. Released the year before Hummingbird, the Knowledge Graph mapped the relationships between different pieces of information about “entities.” It helped the search engine connect the dots and improve the logic of search results.

Hummingbird used semantic search to provide better results that matched the searcher’s intent. It helped Google understand conversational language, such as long-tail queries formed as questions. It impacted an estimated 90% of searches and introduced things like conversational language queries, voice search, and more.

Hazards: Pages with keyword stuffing or low-quality content couldn’t fool Google anymore.

Winners: Pages with natural-sounding, conversational writing and Q&A-style content benefited.

Learn more: Google Hummingbird & The Keyword: What You Need To Know

July 2013 – Panda Update – Recovery

For more information on this update, please see the Panda section below.

June 2013 – Payday Loan Algorithm Update

Google announced a new algorithm to address the quality of results for heavily spammed queries such as “payday loans,” “viagra” and pornography-related keywords. Sites impacted tended to be those involved in link schemes, webspam, and often illegal activities.

Learn more: What You Need to Know About the Google Payday Loan Algorithm Update

May 2013 – Penguin Update 2.0

For more information on this update, please see the Penguin section below.

March 2013 – Panda Update #25

For more information on this update, please see the Panda section below.

January 2013 – Panda Update #24

For more information on this update, please see the Panda section below.

2012 ALGORITHM UPDATES

December 2012 – Panda Update #23

For more information on this update, please see the Panda section below.

November 21, 2012 – Panda Update #22

For more information on this update, please see the Panda section below.

November 5, 2012 – Panda Update #21

For more information on this update, please see the Panda section below.

October 2012 – Penguin Update 1.2

For more information on this update, please see the Penguin section below.

October 2012 – Page Layout Algorithm Update #2

Google announced an update to its page layout algorithm update and confirmed it impacted about 0.7% of English queries.

September 27, 2012 – Panda Update #20

See the Panda section below for more details.

September 18, 2012 – Panda Update 3.9.2

See the Panda section below for more details.

September 2012 – Exact-Match Domain Algorithm Update

Google announced an algorithm update dubbed “Exact-Match Domain” that aimed to reduce low-quality exact-match domains in the search results.

Learn more: The EMD Update: Like Panda & Penguin, Expect Further Refreshes To Come

August 2012 – Panda Update 3.9.1

See the Panda section below for more details.

July 2012 – Panda Update 3.9

See the Panda section below for more details.

June 25, 2012 – Panda Update 3.8

See the Panda section below for more details.

June 8, 2012 – Panda Update 3.7

See the Panda section below for more details.

May 2012 – Penguin Update 1.1

For more information on this update, see the Penguin Updates section below.

May 2012 – Knowledge Graph Release

In what Google described as a “critical first step towards building the next generation of search,” it began rolling out the Knowledge Graph. This is basically a knowledge base designed to match keywords to real-world entities.

April 27, 2012 – Panda Update 3.6

See the Panda section below for more details.

April 19, 2012 – Panda Update 3.5

See the Panda section below for more details.

April 2012 – Webspam Update (Penguin)

Google announced an algorithm designed to target sites that were directly violating its quality guidelines. With “Penguin,” link spam became the target of Google’s efforts. This significant update is detailed below in the Penguin Updates section.

March 2012 – Panda Update 3.4

See the Panda section below for more details.

February 27, 2012 – Venice Update

Google announced improvements to ranking for local search results. Dubbed “Venice,” this update to local search took into account the user’s physical location or IP address. This was a major change to how local search worked.

February 2012 – Panda Update 3.3

See the Panda section below for more details.

January 19, 2012 – Page Layout Algorithm Update

Google confirmed that it would be updating its page layout algorithm to penalize sites with overly aggressive “above-the-fold” ads.

January 2012 – Panda Update 3.2

See the Panda section below for more details.

2011 ALGORITHM UPDATES

November 2011 – Panda Update 3.1

See the Panda section below for more details.

November 2011 – Freshness Update

To give users the freshest, most recent search results, Google announced that it would be improving its ranking algorithm to prioritize freshness for certain queries. Google said it “noticeably impacts six to 10 percent of searches, depending on the language and domain you’re searching on.”

October 2011 – Panda Update 3.0

See the Panda section below for more details.

September 2011 – Panda Update 2.5

See the Panda section below for more details.

August 2011 – Panda Update 2.4

See the Panda section below for more details.

July 2011 – Panda Update 2.3

See the Panda section below for more details.

June 2011 – Panda Update 2.2

See the Panda section below for more details.

May 2011 – Panda Update 2.1

See the Panda section below for more details.

April 2011 – Panda Update 2.0

See the Panda section below for more details.

February 2011 – Panda Quality Update

Google announced on its official blog that a new update to reduce rankings for low-quality content had been introduced. Dubbed “Panda,” it took particular aim at content produced by so-called “content farms.”

The initial rollout impacted about 12% of English queries. (You’ll find detailed history in the Panda Algorithm Update section below.)

Hazards: Websites lost rankings if they had duplicate, plagiarized or thin content; user-generated spam; keyword stuffing.

Winners: Original, high-quality, high-relevance content often gained rankings.

January 2011 – Attribution Update

In an effort to reduce spam, Google updated its algorithm to better detect scrapers. Matt Cutts, Google’s head of webspam at the time, revealed the change on his personal blog, saying it was a “pretty targeted launch: slightly over 2% of queries change in some way, but less than half a percent of search results change enough that someone might really notice.”

2010 ALGORITHM UPDATES

June 2010 – Caffeine

Google completed a significant new web indexing system named Caffeine (originally announced in 2009). It enabled Google to speed up its search engine, as well as provide users with fresher content.

Learn more:

• Google Caffeine 2 in 2010
• Google Caffeine 1 in 2009

May 2010 – Mayday Update

Search Engine Land reported that at an industry event, Google had confirmed the so-called Mayday update. This update significantly reduced long-tail traffic for some sites.

Learn more:

• Can You Give Us an Update on Rankings for Long-Tail Searches?
• Google Caffeine vs. Google Mayday

2009 ALGORITHM UPDATES

December 2009 – Real-Time Search Launch

Google announced the release of real-time search, a “dynamic stream of real-time content” that allowed users to see the most recent and relevant tweets, news stories, and more.

Pre-2009 ALGORITHM UPDATES

December 2005 – “Big Daddy”

This infrastructure update worked to improve the quality of search results. It was visible in December and 100% live by March of 2006, as reported by Google’s then-head of webspam, Matt Cutts.

Learn more: Was Big Daddy Too Much for Google to Handle?

September 2005 – “Jagger” Updates Begin

In a series of three updates (September, October, and November), “Jagger” was meant to deal with the increasing amount of webspam in the search results.

Learn more:

• Update Jagger: Contacting Google
• Jagger 2 Update Info

November 2003 – Webspam Update (Florida)

The update called “Florida” targeting webspam was the first major update coming from Google that put the kibosh on tactics used in previous years to manipulate rankings.

Learn more: What Happened to My Site on Google?

A Note on Algorithm Changes Pre-”Florida”
Between 2000 and 2003, PageRank would usually be updated monthly, and rankings would fluctuate. Webmasters would often post their findings on Webmaster World (before the days of confirmations or announcements from Google).

Learn more: A Brief History of SEO

Panda Algorithm Update

Panda was rolled out in February of 2011, aimed at placing a higher emphasis on quality content. The update reduced the amount of thin and inexpert material in the search results. The Panda filter took particular aim at content produced by so-called “content farms.”

With Panda, Google also introduced a quality classification for pages that became a ranking factor. This classification took its structure from human-generated quality ratings (as documented in its Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines).

Websites that dropped in the SERPs after each iteration of Panda were forced to improve their content in order to recover. Panda was rolled into Google’s core algorithm in January 2016.

History of Panda Updates

From 2011 to 2016, Panda had many data refreshes and updates before being rolled into the core algorithm.

• Core Algorithm Integration – January 2016: Google revealed through SEM Post and later confirmed that Panda was integrated into the core algorithm.
• Update 4.2 – July 2015: Google revealed to Search Engine Land that it pushed out a slow rollout. This refresh affected 2 to 3 percent of English queries, and gave a second chance to those penalized by Panda in the previous refresh.
• Update 4.1 – September 2014: Google’s announced that this refresh was meant to further “help Panda identify low-quality content more precisely.” The refresh impacted 3-5 percent of queries.
• Update 4.0 – May 2014: Google announced a major update that impacted 7.5% of English queries.
• “Recovery” – July 2013: Google confirmed to Search Engine Land that this refresh was “more finely targeted” than previous ones.
• Update No. 25 – March 2013: Search Engine Land reported that Google’s Matt Cutts announced a Panda update for March 15, 2013, during the SMX West panel. Tests suggest it happened, though Google never confirmed.
• Update No. 24 – January 2013: Google announced a refresh that would affect 1.2% of English queries.
• Update No. 23 – December 2012: Google announced a refresh that would affect 1.3% of English queries.
• Update No. 22 – November 21, 2012: Google confirmed this update to Search Engine Land and said that 0.8% of English queries were impacted.
• Update No. 21 – November 5, 2012: Google confirmed to Search Engine Land that an update took place. This refresh affected 0.4 percent of queries worldwide and 1.1% of English queries in the U.S.
• Panda 20 – September 27, 2012: Google confirmed to Search Engine Land this relatively major update (more than a data refresh) that took more than a week to roll out. The update impacted 2.4% of English queries. Panda 20 marked a change in the naming convention of the update.
• Update 3.9.2 – September 18, 2012: Google announced a refresh that “noticeably” affected less than 0.7%. They also said to “expect some flux over the next few days.”
• Update 3.9.1 – August 2012: Google confirmed a refresh that impacted about 1% of queries.
• Update 3.9 – July 2012: Google announced a refresh that impacted about 1% of search results.
• Update 3.8 – June 25, 2012: Google announced a refresh that “noticeably” affected about 1% of queries worldwide.
• Update 3.7 – June 8, 2012: Google belatedly confirmed this refresh. Less than 1 percent of queries were noticeably impacted in the U.S. and 1% of queries were impacted worldwide. Ranking tools have suggested that this refresh was heavier hitting than others.
• Update 3.6 – April 27, 2012: Google confirmed to Search Engine Land that it pushed out a refresh on this day, and said it affected very few sites.
• Update 3.5 – April 19, 2012: Google confirmed that a refresh happened. Search Engine Land published a list of the “winners and losers.”
• Update 3.4 – March 2012: Google announced a refresh that affected about 1.6% of queries.
• Update 3.3 – February 2012: Google announced the refresh on its Inside Search blog, saying it would make Panda “more accurate and more sensitive to changes on the web.”
• Update 3.2 – January 2012: Google confirmed to Search Engine Land that a data refresh had taken place.
• Update 3.1 – November 2011: Google confirmed that a minor update went out and impacted less than 1% of searches.
• Update 3.0 – October 2011: Google announced that people should “expect Panda-related flux in the next few weeks,” but that it would have less impact than previous updates at about 2 percent. The update included new signals in the Panda algorithm and a recalculation of how the algorithm affected websites.
• Update 2.5 – September 2011: Google confirmed to WebProNews that a refresh happened, though declined to share details about the sites impacted by it.
• Update 2.4 – August 2011: Google announced on its Webmaster Central blog that the Panda update had been rolled out internationally to English-speaking and non-English-speaking countries (except for Japan, Korea, and China). The update impacted 6 to 9 percent of queries in most languages.
• Update 2.3 – July 2011: Google confirmed to Search Engine Land that it implemented a small data refresh.
• Update 2.2 – June 2011: Google confirmed to Search Engine Land that a data refresh occurred.
• Update 2.1 – May 2011: The industry first thought this was a much larger update and could be Panda 3.0, but Google clarified that it was only a small data refresh.
• Update 2.0 – April 2011: Google announced the first core Panda update, which incorporated additional signals and rolled the algorithm out to all English-speaking Google users worldwide. Only about 2% of U.S. queries were affected.
• Update 1.0 – February 2011: Google announced on its official that a new update to reduce rankings for low-quality sites had been introduced, impacting about 12% of English queries.

Learn more: Understanding Google Panda: Definitive Algo Guide for SEOs

Penguin Algorithm Update

The Penguin update worked to target link spam.

Before rolling out Penguin, Google paid close attention to page link volume while crawling webpages. This made it possible for low-quality pages to rank more prominently than they should have if they had a lot of incoming links.

Penguin helped with the mission to make valuable search results as visible as possible by penalizing low-quality content and link spam. Many sites cleaned up their links. But they could stay in Penguin jail for months, unable to regain their lost rankings until Google ran the next update.

Google made Penguin part of its real-time algorithm in September 2016, and a friendlier version emerged.

History of Penguin Updates

From 2012 to 2016, Penguin had several data refreshes and updates before rolling into the core algorithm.

• Update 4.0 – September 2016: Google announced on its Webmaster Central blog that Penguin was now part of the core algorithm. This meant Penguin worked in real-time and was also more granular.
• Update 3.0 – October 2014: Google confirmed to Search Engine Land that a data refresh had occurred. Google later said that the update impacted less than 1 percent of English queries.
• Update 2.1 – October 2013: Google confirmed a data refresh happened. About 1 percent of searches were noticeably affected.
• Update 2.0 – May 2013: Google’s Matt Cutts confirmed on “This Week in Google” that a significant update took place and impacted 2.3% of English queries.
• Update 1.2 – October 2012: Google announced that a small refresh was happening. Only 0.3% of English queries would be affected.
• Update 1.1 – May 2012: Google announced that the first Penguin data refresh had occurred. Less than 0.1% of English searches were impacted.
• Update 1.0 – April 2012: Google announced on its Inside Search and Webmaster Central blogs that the Penguin update was launched and designed to catch spammers and those going against publisher guidelines. The update would impact about 3% of search queries.

How to Watch for Google Algorithm Changes

With the exception of recent broad core updates, Google rarely announces its algorithm updates. And when it does, it is usually only after others discover them.

With so many tweaks going on daily, it is possible that Google doesn’t know that some changes will be significant enough to mention.

Often the first indication you have is your own website. If your search traffic suddenly jumps or dives, chances are good that Google made an algo update that affected your search rankings.

Where can you go for information when your online world gets rocked? Here’s what I recommend …

Have a “seismograph” in place on your website.

To detect search traffic fluctuations on your own website, you need analytics software. If you haven’t already, install Google Analytics and Google Search Console on your website. They’re free, and they’re indispensable for SEO.

Watch the SERP weather reports.

Various websites and tools monitor ranking changes across categories and search markets and report on SERP volatility. Here are places you can check for early warning signs of a search ranking algorithm update:

• MozCast
• SEMrush Sensor
• CognitiveSEO
• SERPMetrics
• Algoroo
• Advanced Web Rankings
• Accuranker
• RankRanger

Follow industry resources.

I’m always reading as an SEO. For the latest Google news, I recommend that you:

• Read the Google Webmaster Central Blog and the official Google Search Blog. Google often uses these blogs to announce upcoming moves and explain algorithm updates after they’ve rolled out.
• Follow Danny Sullivan on Twitter, who is a search liaison for Google.
• Check search-industry sites like Search Engine Land, Search Engine Roundtable and Search Engine Journal for SEO news.

What To Do After a Google Update

Think that an algorithm update has penalized your site?

Don’t panic. Remember — nobody truly understands the algorithm. Whatever you’re experiencing may or may not be due to a Google fluctuation. And Google may “fix” it tomorrow, or next week.

With this in mind, get intentional. And stay calm. Decide whether you need to act before you do.

Here’s a plan to follow after an algorithm update …

1. Stay calm.
2. Get into puzzle-solving mode. Do NOT react or make changes hastily. Instead, gather data. Determine whether your site was impacted by the change and not something else, such as a technical SEO issue. Or it could be that your rankings dived because your competitors moved up in the SERPs. Depending on the cause, you need to do something different in response.
3. Learn about the update from several sources (see my suggested resources above). Find out what other SEO experts are saying and experiencing.
4. Adjust your SEO strategy accordingly.
5. Remember that Google’s ranking algorithms change all the time. What impacts your site today could reverse itself in a month.
6. Change what makes sense on your website.
7. Re-evaluate your impact.
8. If no results have changed, now you can panic.
9. Call us.

Last Thoughts: You Don’t Need to Beat the Algorithm

Google’s algorithm updates are constant, often unverified, and difficult to anticipate. That doesn’t mean you have to be afraid.

Don’t spend your time trying to figure out a way to beat the algorithm. You’ll waste hours chasing your tail and missing the things that truly matter, like creating a high-quality website that is worthy of ranking.

I like to tell a story to illustrate this …

Imagine you’re out camping with a friend, and a bear shows up. You both take off running, the bear in hot pursuit.

In this situation, do you have to be an Olympic runner to survive?

No — you just have to be faster than your buddy.

In the world of SEO, your mission is to be better than your competition. You don’t need to beat the bear.

So don’t let algorithm updates cause you to make knee-jerk decisions. Instead, be strategic about how and when, but stay informed so you can make these decisions properly.

If you found this helpful, please subscribe to our blog. If you’d like assistance with your website SEO, contact us for a free quote.

FAQ: What steps should I take if my site’s ranking is impacted after an update?

Search engine algorithm updates can significantly impact a website’s ranking, leading to fluctuations in search results. If your site’s ranking has been affected after a recent update, there are crucial steps to take for recovery and reclaiming lost visibility.

Understanding the Impact

The first step is to carefully assess the extent of the ranking drop and identify the specific pages or keywords affected. Analyze the timing of the decline with recent algorithm updates. By understanding the impact and the changes made in the update, you can develop a targeted plan for recovery.

Site Audit and Optimization

Conduct a comprehensive site audit to identify any technical issues or violations of search engine guidelines that may have caused the ranking drop. Focus on factors like page load speed, mobile-friendliness, and broken links. Optimize your website’s content by incorporating relevant keywords naturally and ensuring high-quality, valuable content that aligns with user intent.

Link Profile Analysis

Evaluate your website’s backlink profile to check for suspicious or low-quality links that might have triggered a penalty. Disavow toxic links, and work on acquiring high-quality backlinks from reputable sources to improve your site’s authority.

User Experience Enhancement

A positive user experience is crucial for ranking well in search results. Ensure your website is visually appealing, easy to navigate, and features clear calls to action to improve its overall user experience. Doing this will encourage more visitors to remain on your site for extended periods.

Engaging Content Strategy

Craft a content strategy that provides valuable, engaging, and informative content for your audience. Regularly update your website with fresh posts in order to establish authority in your niche area and demonstrate expertise.

Step-by-Step Procedure: How to Recover Lost Rankings After an Update

1. Evaluate the Ranking Drop
2. Identify the Affected Pages or Keywords
3. Understand the Algorithm Update
4. Plan a Targeted Recovery Strategy
5. Conduct a Comprehensive Site Audit
6. Address Technical Issues and Violations
7. Optimize Website Content
8. Focus on Mobile-Friendliness
9. Improve Page Load Speed
10. Fix Broken Links
11. Analyze the Backlink Profile
12. Disavow Toxic Links
13. Acquire High-Quality Backlinks
14. Enhance User Experience
15. Optimize Site Navigation
16. Create Clear Calls-to-Action
17. Ensure a Visually Appealing Design
18. Implement an Engaging Content Strategy
19. Publish Valuable and Informative Content
20. Monitor and Analyze Progress

By following these expert strategies and taking appropriate action, you can navigate through algorithm updates and recover lost rankings effectively. Remember to continually monitor your website’s performance and adapt your SEO efforts to stay resilient in the ever-changing landscape of search engine optimization.

The post An Up-to-Date History of Google Algorithm Updates appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

Understanding long-tail keywords is the key to enhancing your search performance and matching the needs of your target audience.

Long-tail keywords are specific, highly focused phrases that may have lower search volumes but can bring in more qualified and engaged traffic.

In this blog, we will delve into how to find long-tail keywords and why they are a valuable asset in your online strategy.

• Understanding Long-Tail Keywords
• Benefits of Long-Tail Keywords
• Using Tools for Keyword Research
• Analyzing User Intent 
• Mining Your Existing Content
• FAQ: What is the best long-tail keyword strategy for your business? 

Understanding Long-Tail Keywords

Long-tail keywords are extended and precise search queries that users enter into search engines. Unlike short-tail keywords, which are more generic and competitive, long-tail keywords cater to a niche audience. For instance, while “shoes” is a short-tail keyword, “comfortable running shoes for flat feet” is a long-tail keyword.

When dealing with long-tail queries, it’s important to be discerning in your selection. Avoid generating content for the sake of quantity — opt for subjects closely aligned with your expertise or product offerings and remain within your core business objectives. The content you produce must be relevant, helpful and valuable to your audience.

Benefits of Long-Tail Keywords

Did you know that most US search queries get less than 10 searches per month? Long-tail keywords offer a specificity that attracts fewer people but leads to higher conversion rates for those people. A long-tail keyword approach is perfect for establishing a foothold in a fresh market.

When launching a new website or delving into a new subject, concentrating on long-tail keyword phrases in your content can enhance your visibility among the intended audience. Due to their unique and infrequent search nature, long-tail keywords attract users with precise intentions.

Producing high-quality content that meets these specific queries cultivates your reputation with the right individuals. It also serves as an effective SEO strategy for launching your endeavors and advancing your rankings in areas pertinent to your niche.

It’s true that each singular long-tail keyword may not inundate your website with a surge of traffic. Nevertheless, as you target an increasing number of these keywords, the cumulative search traffic will gradually amass into a substantial flow.

Moreover, considering the abundance of long-tail keywords across virtually every industry, the likelihood of running out of them is pretty remote.

Using Tools for Keyword Research

There are various approaches available for discovering long-tail keywords. Some may be more laborious than others, some could be considered somewhat “unconventional,” and a few are simply inaccurate.

Certain SEO specialists recommend obtaining long-tail keywords through Google Autosuggest. This involves inputting your primary keyword along with various alphabet letters. Google Autosuggest tends to provide predominantly popular search queries rather than the sought-after long-tail variations. Many of the suggested keywords are likely to be well-known and competitive.

To find long-tail keywords, consider utilizing keyword research tools such as Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, Ahrefs, or even our own SEOToolSet®. These tools provide data on search volume, competition and related keywords, helping you identify valuable long-tail opportunities.

Analyzing User Intent

Put yourself in the shoes of your target audience and think about the specific questions or problems they might have. Crafting keywords around these pain points can yield fruitful results.

Analyzing user intent requires a deep dive into the mindset of your potential visitors. To do this effectively, consider conducting surveys and user interviews or using analytics tools to gain insights into your audience’s questions, needs and desires. This first-hand data can be invaluable in crafting long-tail keywords that directly address your audience’s challenges.

Another key aspect of user intent analysis is recognizing the different stages of the customer journey. Users searching for information or solutions may be at various stages, from the awareness stage (where they are just identifying a problem) to the decision stage (where they are ready to purchase or take action).

Tailoring your long-tail keywords to match these different stages can help you capture users’ attention at the right time and guide them through the entire journey. This means creating content that provides informative answers and gradually nudges them toward conversion or engagement.

In essence, user intent analysis empowers you to create a holistic long-tail keyword strategy that aligns with your audience’s needs at every stage of their journey.

Mining Your Existing Content

One of the most efficient ways to uncover long-tail keyword opportunities is to mine your existing content. Examine your current content for phrases relevant to your niche that may have yet to be fully optimized, then revise and update your content accordingly to include these keywords. This process saves time and maximizes the value of the content you’ve already invested in.

Start by conducting a content audit and reviewing your blog posts, articles and other pages for underutilized long-tail keyword options. You may find sections of your content where long-tail keywords could be naturally incorporated. Enhancing these sections with the right keywords will improve the visibility and relevance of your content.

Consider repurposing and expanding existing content to target specific long-tail keyword variations. If you identify a cluster of closely related long-tail keywords, you can create a comprehensive, in-depth guide or resource that covers the topic comprehensively. This provides valuable information to your audience and boosts your authority in the niche. Remember to update the publication date and promote these refreshed pieces to ensure they gain the attention they deserve.

Mining your existing content can yield significant gains in your long-tail keyword strategy by breathing new life into your previous work and aligning it with current search trends and user needs.

Long-tail keywords are invaluable tools in your SEO and content strategy arsenal. By catering to specific user needs and optimizing your content accordingly, you can tap into a niche audience that is more likely to convert.

Our SEO experts can help you identify long-tail keywords and incorporate them into your content strategy to improve relevance, visibility and authority. Contact us for a free consultation.

FAQ: What is the best long-tail keyword strategy for your business?

The best long-tail keyword strategy for your business depends on various factors, including your industry, target audience and the specific goals you aim to achieve.

One practical approach is to focus on informational long-tail keywords. These keywords are centered around answering questions, solving problems, or providing valuable insights to your audience.

By creating content that addresses these specific user needs, you can position your business as a reliable source of information, attract qualified traffic and build authority in your niche. This strategy is especially beneficial for businesses seeking to establish themselves as experts and nurture long-term relationships with their audience.

Another powerful long-tail keyword strategy involves targeting transactional keywords. These keywords are often used by users closer to making a purchase decision.

By optimizing your product or service pages with transactional long-tail keywords, you can attract potential customers who are actively seeking to buy.

This strategy is ideal for e-commerce businesses or service providers looking to boost conversions and drive revenue. It’s important to conduct thorough keyword research to identify transactional long-tail keywords that align with your offerings and create compelling content to convince users to take action.

To determine the best long-tail keyword strategy for your business, you must strategically combine both informational and transactional approaches. This entails providing valuable information through content while seamlessly guiding users toward conversion points.

You can effectively nurture leads and transform them into loyal customers by striking a balance between educating your audience and offering solutions that meet their specific needs. Your choice of long-tail keywords should align with your business objectives and the preferences of your target audience.

Continuously monitor the performance of your keywords and be ready to adapt your strategy to stay in sync with evolving search trends and user behavior.

Step-by-Step Procedure:

1. Understanding the role long-tail keyword phrases play in SEO is critical.
2. Identify your target audience and their specific needs or pain points.
3. Utilize keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, Ahrefs, or SEOToolSet®.
4. Conduct keyword research to discover potential long-tail keywords relevant to your niche.
5. Analyze search volume and competition for each keyword.
6. Focus on keywords with lower competition and higher relevance to your content.
7. Consider user intent when crafting long-tail keyword phrases.
8. Create content that addresses the specific queries or problems associated with your chosen keywords.
9. Optimize your existing content by incorporating relevant long-tail keywords.
10. Ensure that your content provides valuable information to users.
11. Monitor the performance of your content using analytics tools.
12. Adjust your strategy based on the performance data.
13. Continuously update and refine your content to stay competitive.
14. Build backlinks to your content to improve its visibility.
15. Engage with your audience through comments and social media.
16. Track your rankings in search engine results pages (SERPs).
17. Measure the conversion rate and ROI of your long-tail keyword strategy.
18. Adapt and evolve your keyword strategy as search trends change.
19. Stay abreast of the latest algorithmic updates and SEO best practices.
20. Reap the benefits of targeted, high-converting traffic generated by long-tail keywords.

The post How Can I Find Long-Tail Keywords and Why Are They Valuable? appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

Consumers today are increasingly self–sufficient — they want to soak up as much information about your business as possible before making the decision to buy.

So, where do they go for their research? Your website. That means businesses must focus on generating traffic in order to compete and make money.

In this blog, we will cover actionable ways to increase traffic to your website and land more sales:

1. Search Engine Optimization
2. Content Marketing
3. Social Media Marketing
4. Public Relations
5. Email Marketing
6. Targeted Online Advertising
7. Analysis and Adaptation

FAQ: How can SEO increase traffic?

1. Search Engine Optimization

This one is a no-brainer. The goal of search engine optimization (SEO) is to drive traffic to your website. SEO improves websites so they can rank higher in search results. And when you rank higher, you yield more traffic to your website.

SEO comprises different approaches, including technical SEO, on-page SEO and off-page SEO. Some of the tactics include:

• Conducting thorough keyword research
• Developing a high-quality SEO content strategy
• Doing thorough competitive research to inform your SEO program
• Optimizing the performance of your website
• Monitoring and fixing technical issues
• Creating a clear website structure to benefit visitors and search engines
• Optimizing each critical webpage with SEO best practices

When you look at your brand in a popular search engine such as Google, you want to review what searchers will see. How well does the description of your site match what you do and who you are? What pages show up under your main page when you search for your brand? As an example, you can see how “Bruce Clay” appears in Google when searched. It’s clear that Bruce Clay is an SEO company that offers search marketing services worldwide.

As you work to increase website traffic for your business, you also want to ensure that people see what you want them to see with that increased traffic.

2. Content Marketing

“Content marketing is like a first date. If you only talk about yourself, there won’t be a second one.” – David Beebe, branded content producer.

Content is critical for ranking in the search results and providing value to your target audience.

But today, content is held to extremely high standards by Google. The content you create must provide value and must be helpful.

To rank well in search engines, your content must demonstrate experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trust, otherwise known as E-E-A-T. For some subjects, direct experience is critical.

Providing helpful information along the customer journey will lead visitors to your website when they’re ready to purchase.

For more, see:

• The Complete Guide to the Basics of Google’s E-E-A-T
• What is Content Optimization?
• SEO Content Rules To Live By
• How SEO Supports the Customer 
• What Makes a Webpage Quality

3. Social Media Marketing

Social media can be an incredibly effective tool for increasing traffic to your site.

Establish yourself as an authority on platforms relevant to your target market and regularly post engaging updates that pique followers’ interest.

In addition, you need to manage your presence in the social media communities by interacting with followers and utilizing paid promotional campaigns to broaden your reach and bring in additional visitors to your website.

It’s important to remember that social media marketing extends beyond providing updates and information about your products or services. Of course, you want to establish your brand, but you also need to interact with your followers. Building an audience on social media includes engaging with the people who show up to your account.

As your audience grows, we recommend hiring a community manager who specifically focuses on engaging with your followers. Building a brand relationship with people interested in your brand is one of the best ways to increase conversion rates.

4. Public Relations

Gaining mentions and publications on influential websites in your niche or high-profile media outlets can significantly enhance your brand while driving traffic back to your website.

In the context of SEO, there are some rules to follow regarding public relations, specifically press releases. To learn more about that, see Why Press Releases Still Matter to SEO and How to Write a Press Release That Entices Media.

5. Email Marketing

Email marketing is a very effective strategy for reaching your audience and bringing traffic to your site. It also gives you a high return on investment — research shows that email marketing ROI yields $36 for every $1 spent.

Emailing your subscribers keeps them informed with news, updates, information, or special promotions, and it ensures they will likely become repeat visitors to your website or customers of your products.

Email marketing is a complex strategy that involves different messaging for different audiences, so be sure that anything you send is helpful and relevant to the people receiving it.

6. Targeted Online Advertising

Google estimates that for every $1 you spend on Google Ads, you get $8 in return.

Digital advertising like Google Ads or social media ads lets you focus on targeting a specific audience to deliver uber-relevant ads.

Ad platforms allow advertisers to target potential customers based on demographics, interests and behavioral characteristics, creating highly effective digital campaigns.

This, in turn, allows you to drive targeted traffic to your site.

7. Analysis and Adaptation

Regularly monitoring website traffic with tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console can help identify patterns, trends and areas ripe for optimization.

Studying visitor behaviors and the performance of your webpages gives you insights to adapt strategies accordingly.

Remember: Digital marketing is never done – it only evolves.

Increasing website traffic requires time and dedication, so be patient while staying aware of current digital trends.

Our SEO experts can help you increase website traffic, leads, conversions, sales and revenue. Reach out to us for a free consultation and let’s discuss how we can improve your SEO.

FAQ: How can SEO increase traffic?

SEO is a popular strategy to increase traffic to your website and convert this traffic into customers. Hence, all the most successful businesses take SEO very seriously, as it helps them grow to where they are now.

SEO is crucial because it involves optimizing content and website structure to increase your brand’s visibility in search engines. With the right SEO plan rooted in the proper techniques, traffic and conversions can grow significantly.

Search engines use complex algorithms to evaluate websites. By aligning your website with these search engines, your chances of appearing higher in search results increase, leading to more people seeing and clicking on your website.

The first part of SEO is keyword research. Keywords are words or phrases people type into search engines when seeking information. By identifying relevant keywords related to your website content and including them in titles, headings and content for optimization purposes, you can help search engines understand what the site is about while increasing its visibility through relevant searches.

Content creation is another critical SEO tactic, with search engines favoring websites offering visitors valuable and pertinent information. By regularly adding fresh and engaging content, you can bring in more visitors while increasing the time they stay on your website; both will improve search rankings while simultaneously building up a loyal following for future campaigns.

Alongside optimizing your site’s content, you must prioritize building high-quality backlinks from other reputable websites pointing back to it. When other trustworthy sites link back to your website, this signals to search engines that your content is trustworthy and valuable, improving rankings and driving more organic traffic to your business.

As with all SEO-related activities, monitoring and assessing efforts requires constant evaluation. Tools like Google Analytics are practical tools for measuring website performance by tracking metrics such as visitor count, bounce rate and conversion rates, giving insight into improvement areas while fine-tuning SEO strategies.

By implementing these SEO techniques and staying abreast of current trends and best practices, you can drive more visitors to your website while increasing its presence in search engine results. Remember, SEO is an ongoing process; continue refining and optimizing strategies until long-term success has been reached.

Step-by-step Procedure for Optimizing Content on Websites:

1. Research keywords to uncover relevant phrases and words for your website.
2. Be sure to include these keywords throughout the content on your website, from title tags and meta descriptions to headings and subheadings.
3. Ensure that the content provided to visitors is helpful, well-organized and intuitive for them to access.
4. Building an authoritative network with high-quality links in your field is key to long-term business success.
5. Consider writing guest blog posts on reliable sites and engaging your target market via social media and online communities.
6. Analytical tools provide an invaluable way to monitor and analyze the performance of your website. Monitor who is visiting, their behaviors and any traffic sources resulting from visits.
7. Data analytics allows analysts to quickly recognize trends and user preferences by using collected information to perform data analyses on it.
8. Adopt a data-driven approach to optimizing your SEO strategy.
9. Optimize your content based on feedback from visitors.
10. Stay current on the search engine algorithm changes and SEO best practices.
11. Optimize your Core Web Vitals page speed to enhance user experience and SEO rankings.
12. Use social media to spread information about your website content.
13. Utilize email marketing to inform your target audience about your website to increase traffic.
14. Stay ahead of your competitors by performing regular analyses to pinpoint areas for improvement.
15. Put different SEO techniques through their paces and observe how they impact website traffic.
16. Tweak meta tags and descriptions on your website to improve click-through rates, increasing clicks-per-visits.
17. Employ structured data markups to elevate your website in search engine result pages and boost its rank.
18. Continually review, analyze and adapt SEO strategies to maintain and expand visibility and traffic. for long-term and sustainable traffic growth.

The post 7 Proven Strategies To Increase Website Traffic for Your Business appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

Want to re-invigorate your SEO program? Look no further than this list of 10 SEO areas you can start working on right now:

1. E-E-A-T
2. Keyword Optimization
3. Content Formatting
4. Image SEO
5. Technical SEO
6. Internal Links
7. Inbound Links
8. Outbound Links
9. Content Maintenance
10. Getting Help

FAQ: What are the key components of effective SEO program revitalization?

1. E-E-A-T

Experience, expertise, authority and trust (E-E-A-T) are the underpinnings of a quality webpage, according to Google. We know this from Google’s Search Quality Rater Guidelines (SQRG).

These guidelines show us the things that Google’s search engine algorithm is looking for when ranking pages.

At the center of E-E-A-T is trust – because, as the SQRG says, “Untrustworthy pages have low E-E-A-T no matter how Experienced, Expert, or Authoritative they may seem.” Trust measures the accuracy and reliability of a webpage, among other things.

Expertise is a newer factor, introduced in late 2022, and has to do with the content creator’s first-hand experience on the topic. So, for example, product reviews should require some level of personal experience with the product.

Authority, on the other hand, is about being a go-to resource on a topic, while expertise is having extensive knowledge or skill on a topic. The SQRG asks: “Which would you trust: home electrical rewiring advice from a skilled electrician or from an antique homes enthusiast who has no knowledge of electrical wiring?”

As you can probably see, these concepts are interconnected, and the degree to which each is needed will vary based on the topic at hand.

Goal: Think about the level of experience or expertise needed for your content to stand out so that you can work to become a trusted authority.

Recommended reading:

• The Complete Guide to the Basics of Google’s E-E-A-T
• AI-Generated Content Is a Tool, Not a Solution

2. Keyword Optimization

Do keywords still matter? I say yes. The role of a keyword has always been to clarify the meaning of the content so that the search engines better understand the page.

Of course, Google’s search engine has come leaps and bounds since we used to be able to change a keyword on a page and immediately rank for it some 20 years ago.

In other words: Google can better understand what a page is about today without us having to do a lot of extra work.

That said, the search engine is not perfect, and it still needs help. We need to get our webpages into the best shape possible so it can do its job better.

Yes, I know that you naturally optimize a page when you write well. So, this is not about keyword stuffing. It’s about tweaking so that you are least imperfect compared to the competition.

Consider this: Which webpage do you think might seem more relevant, all else equal? A page that had missing content in its meta tags and no keywords in the header tags, or a page that had the topic’s keywords in those places?

Goal: Write the content well, then think about the target keywords – how can you work those into the page?

Recommended reading:

• What Are Keywords and Why Are They Important to SEO?
• What Are Meta Tags and Why Are They Important to SEO?
• SEO Should Beat the Competition, Not the Algorithm

3. Content Formatting

Yet another way to help search engines understand what a page is about is the way you format the page.

This includes things like:

• Heading tags
• Structured data
• Other types of content formatting

Heading Tags

Heading tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) distinguish the different sections of a page.

You can think of the heading tags as a sort of table of contents for a page (and in fact, some people use the heading tags to create an introductory table of contents at the top of their articles).

When a search engine bot crawls a page, it can better understand what the page is about by scanning the table of contents.

Goal: Use heading tags properly on every page.

Recommended reading:

• What Are Heading Tags and Why Are They Important to SEO?

Structured Data

Structured data helps to clarify to the search engines what type of information you’re presenting.

Using schema markup, you can further explain elements on a webpage. In turn, you can enhance that page’s listing in the search results.

Google gives an example of how a recipe page can be marked up to generate a carousel listing in the search results, including image, author, and other details:

Goal: When possible, implement structured data on a page to clarify the information, be more relevant for a search and entice users to click through with enhanced search listings.

Recommended reading:

• What Is Structured Data and Why Is It Important for SEO?

Other Types of Content Formatting

You can format your page further to improve readability by both search engines and visitors.

This includes things like:

• HTML tables
• Bulleted lists
• Ordered lists
• Breadcrumb navigation
• Table of contents at the top (especially with anchor links)
• Headings that contain a key term or question, followed by the answer in body text
• TL;DR (“too long, didn’t read”) summary near the top of your article

This type of formatting can lead to the page being chosen for a coveted featured snippet, a.k .a. “position zero” on the search results page.

Goal: Take a look at the final product before you hit publish – what other formatting tweaks would make it more user-friendly?

Recommended reading:

• 3 Surprising On-Page SEO Techniques You May Not Know About (see No. 2 on the list)

4. Image SEO

Images present another way to drive traffic to your website. Someone may click through to your website when they see your image via:

• Google Search: Images are commonly displayed for search queries – more than 36% of searches contain images.
• Google Images: A search vertical used just for searching images on the web.
• Google Discover: A personalized feed with content for people to explore. Here’s how to get on Discover.

Google has said in the past that it has a ranking system for images, which weighs things like:

• Context of the search
• Authority of the webpage
• Freshness of the content
• Position on a page

Google’s AI-powered technology, Google Lens, means that images can bring even more traffic to a website but in different ways.

Goal: Be as thoughtful about your image selection and optimization as you are with the rest of your SEO strategy. Before you publish a new page, think about how the images might drive more traffic.

Recommended reading:

• How to Improve Google Image Search Ranking
• A CMO’s Guide to Google Image Search in Less Than 5 Minutes

5. Technical SEO

A website needs to run like a well-oiled machine. Technical SEO is about making the behind-the-scenes back end of a website perform so that search engines and visitors have a good user experience.

Without it, your rankings can suffer. And because Google rolled out an algorithm all about user experience, these things are more important than ever.

Just some of the things to consider include:

• The hosting your website is on
• Server errors
• Page load performance, responsiveness and visual stability
• Sitemaps
• Mobile-friendliness
• HTTPS
• No interstitial pop-ups

Goal: Invest just as much effort into your technical SEO as you do your on-page SEO. It will pay dividends.

Recommended reading:

• 5 Unusual Technical SEO Best Practices
• Technical SEO vs. On-Page SEO

6. Internal Links

How you structure the content and links within your website can have a big impact on SEO and user experience. An internal link is simply one that points from one webpage on a website to another webpage on the same website.

Some examples of internal links include:

• The main navigation
• Footer links
• Contextual links embedded within the content
• “Related-content” links that suggest other content on the website
• Links within a webpage like “fragment” or anchor links

Some benefits of internal links include:

• Helping people find content on a website
• Communicating to the search engines what the website is about
• Allowing search engines to discover more pages on a website
• Passing link equity from one webpage to another in a site

One of the best strategies for internal links with regard to SEO is SEO siloing – a concept we invented back in 2000. SEO siloing groups like topics together in a way that builds subject relevance and authority.

Goal: Implement SEO siloing as a foundational best practice. It will take work. But it pays off: We’ve seen sites boost their traffic significantly with SEO siloing.

Recommended reading:

• What Are Internal Links and Why Are They Important to SEO?
• A Jam-Packed Guide on Internal Linking for SEO

7. Inbound Links

If your links are not trusted, then neither is your website. So, inbound links matter – but link building is a thing of the past.

Today, it’s about creating content that earns links naturally (versus reaching out and asking for links). Of course, you will still promote your content to get exposure. And there are many ways to do that.

You will want to earn links from high-quality, relevant sources. And remember that it’s not necessarily a numbers game anymore. We have seen sites with fewer high-quality links outrank others with more links of lower quality.

As you build a backlink profile, you will continuously monitor it and tweak it if necessary.

Goal: Focus first and foremost on creating content people will want to link to, then make sure to publicize it once you publish.

Recommended reading:

• 50 Ways to Get Quality Links
• [E-book] The New Link Building Manifesto: A Complete Guide to Earning Links That Count

8. Outbound Links

Outbound links are important because they can impact user experience and SEO.

The user experience factor is self-explanatory; you want to direct your users to quality resources from your page to another website.

Google supports this concept:

Recommended reading:

• What Are Outbound Links, and Why Are They Important to SEO?

9. Content Maintenance

Once you have created content, you cannot set it and forget it. Part of a successful SEO strategy is the upkeep of all your content to make sure it’s still relevant.

The great thing about quality webpages is that they can continue to build value and drive more traffic over time – but they do need to be up to date. Google may not trust a site where the majority of content is old, especially if your competitors are refreshing those topics.

I recommend spending 50% of the time writing new content and the other half maintaining old content. You will want to build content refreshes into your editorial calendar as a thing you do regularly.

Goal: Do a content audit and prioritize refreshing content on pages one and two of the search results, then devise a plan for the rest (302 redirect? Refresh? Optimization only?).

Recommended reading:

• Creating New Content vs. Optimizing Old Webpages: Which Is Better for SEO (Search Engine Land)
• What’s the Best Way to Revive Dead Content and Get New ROI?
• AI-Generated Content Is a Tool, Not a Solution

10. Getting Help

One of the best ways to push past your current state of SEO is to hire expert help. SEO experts can identify what’s hindering your search engine rankings, find quick wins and offer recommendations on the latest strategies.

Goal: Consider diverting some of your marketing budget to hiring help. With the right SEO team on your side, you won’t regret it.

Recommended reading:

• 10 Expert Skills of an SEO Agency
• How To Hire an SEO Company the Right Way
• The One and Only Thing You Need in an SEO Agency
• What Is an SEO Audit?
• SEO Audits and Tools: The Good, The Better, and The Best
• You Have an SEO Emergency – Who Do You Call?

Looking to improve your SEO? Our SEO experts can help you win more traffic, leads, conversions and revenue. Schedule a free consultation with us today.

FAQ: What are the key components of effective SEO program revitalization?

Staying ahead of the curve is essential to maintaining and improving the visibility of your website. Search engine optimization (SEO) is the linchpin of online success, but strategies that worked yesterday may not suffice today. Therefore, the question arises: What are the key components of effective SEO program revitalization?

Comprehensive Audit and Analysis

The first step in revitalizing your SEO program is to conduct a comprehensive audit. This entails evaluating your website’s performance, identifying weaknesses and assessing your competitors. Analyze your keywords, backlinks and technical aspects like site speed and mobile-friendliness. This step provides a solid foundation for your revitalization efforts.

Content Optimization and Freshness

High-quality content is the lifeblood of SEO. Refresh existing content by updating information, improving readability and ensuring it aligns with current trends and user intent. Additionally, create new, relevant content that addresses your audience’s needs and interests. Fresh, engaging content appeals to users and captures search engine attention.

Backlink Strategy

Backlinks remain a critical SEO factor. Revitalize your backlink profile by identifying toxic or irrelevant links and disavowing them. Simultaneously, focus on acquiring high-quality, authoritative backlinks from reputable sources within your industry. A robust backlink strategy enhances your website’s authority and visibility.

Technical SEO Optimization

Ensure your website is technically sound. Optimize for mobile devices, enhance page loading speed and fix broken links or errors. Implement structured data to improve your site’s appearance in search results and enhance user experience.

Keyword Research and Optimization

Keyword trends evolve, and it’s essential to stay updated. Conduct thorough keyword research to identify trending and relevant keywords for your industry. Implement these keywords strategically within your content, meta tags and headings.

User Experience Enhancement

A positive user experience is paramount. Revamp your website’s design, navigation and layout to be user-friendly and visually appealing. Ensuring a seamless user journey can reduce bounce rates and improve search engine rankings.

Analytics and Monitoring

Implement robust analytics tools to monitor the performance of your SEO efforts. Track key metrics like organic traffic, conversion rates and keyword rankings. Regularly review these metrics to fine-tune your strategy and adapt to changing algorithms.

The key components of an effective SEO program revitalization involve a holistic approach encompassing technical, content and user-focused strategies. By conducting a comprehensive audit, optimizing content, managing backlinks, addressing technical issues, researching keywords, enhancing user experience and closely monitoring performance, you can breathe new life into your SEO program and maintain a competitive edge in the digital landscape.

Step-by-Step Procedure for Effective SEO Program Revitalization

1. Begin with a comprehensive audit of your website’s current SEO performance.
2. Analyze your keywords, backlinks and technical aspects.
3. Identify weaknesses and assess your competitors.
4. Optimize existing content by updating information and improving readability.
5. Create fresh, relevant content aligned with current trends and user intent.
6. Evaluate your backlink profile, disavow toxic links and focus on acquiring high-quality backlinks.
7. Ensure your website is technically sound, optimizing for mobile and fixing errors.
8. Implement structured data to enhance the appearance of search results.
9. Conduct keyword research to identify trending and relevant keywords.
10. Implement keywords strategically within your content, meta tags and headings.
11. Enhance the user experience through design, navigation and layout improvements.
12. Implement robust analytics tools to monitor performance.
13. Track key metrics, including organic traffic, conversion rates and keyword rankings.
14. Regularly review metrics to fine-tune your strategy.
15. Adapt to changing algorithms and industry trends.
16. Continuously update and refresh your content to stay relevant.
17. Engage with your audience through social media and other channels.
18. Seek out industry partnerships and collaborations for backlinks.
19. Stay informed about SEO best practices and algorithm updates.
20. Adjust your strategy to maintain and improve your website’s visibility and ranking.

The post 10 Ways To Improve Your SEO, Starting Now appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

Life has a lot of lessons to offer. And so does your content. If you want to improve your content and have a more productive SEO strategy, here are five rules to live by:

1. ABO: always be optimizing
2. Know what your readers want or be irrelevant
3. Know what your competitors are up to so you can maintain your edge
4. Always make each and every webpage quality
5. Aim for a good balance of quality and quantity 

FAQ: How can I create an effective SEO content strategy that improves search engine rankings and drives organic traffic?

1. ABO: Always Be Optimizing

Content without optimization is like peanut butter without jelly. Sure, you can eat a peanut butter sandwich without jelly, but why would you?

Just like jelly gives peanut butter that finishing touch, optimizing your webpages puts the final touches on your content.

You can have the most incredible content in the world, but if your page is too slow to load or you have duplicate meta data, your content performance can fall short.

To make sure the content will perform for you, there is a lot to consider outside the words you’ve written or the video you’ve created.

That’s why optimized content and webpages are a cornerstone of SEO.

Read:

• What is Content Optimization?
• The Always-Up-to-Date SEO Checklist

2. Know What Your Readers Want or Be Irrelevant

Many people have asked, “Who am I?” at some point in their lives. When it comes to SEO content, however, you want to ask: Who are they?

In other words, do you know who reads your content? Do you know the unique challenges they face, their deepest desires, and what matters most to them? If not, then your content may fail to strike a chord.

Make a better connection with your audience by defining who they are. This is where creating audience personas can be key. Then, map your content topics to each persona.

Keyword research can be a great complement to this exercise. It will show you the types of queries your target audience uses when they look for what you have to offer.

Take those keywords and marry them with your personas. You’ll then have the foundation for content that can reach them at the moment they need it with what they need.

Read:

• Web Personas: Creating Jane
• What Are Keywords? 
• 7 Keyword Suggestion and Research Tools

3. Know What Your Competitors Are Up to So You Can Maintain Your Edge

All those research studies that come out telling you that content performs better if it is X, Y and Z is much too generic to follow.

In SEO, beating your competition is the name of the game. And you can’t beat your competition without first studying them.

And that means knowing who shows up on Page 1 of the search results for your target keywords and analyzing their webpages.

How are they presenting the topic and how can you stand out? What is the average length of the articles for the top-ranked webpages? What about the sweet spot for the meta data?

If you rely on general benchmarks, you will never truly embrace the uniqueness of your own SEO content strategy.

Read:

• Competitor Research for SEO: What, Why, How
• How to Do Competitor Research for SEO
• Want Customized SEO Advice Per Keyword? There’s an App for That!

4. Always Make Each and Every Webpage Quality

Any job worth doing in life is worth doing well. And when it comes to your SEO content, don’t skimp.

Quality content contributes to so many key aspects of SEO. Remember that experience, expertise, authority and trust are all factors in how Google assesses content and website quality.

This is important because you want to be able to compete in the search results. And demonstrating E-E-A-T can make your webpages more relevant to Google for a given search.

And don’t forget: If you have quality content, people will want to read and share it, which can help you earn links correctly.

Read:

• What Makes a Webpage Quality?
• The Complete Guide to the Basics of Google’s E-E-A-T
• The New Link Building Manifesto: A Complete Guide to Earning Links That Count

5. Aim for a Good Balance of Quality and Quantity

Over the years, the SEO perspective on content has changed.

At one point, it was that cranking out as much content as possible was the thing. Then Google stepped in and put its foot down; there were just too many subpar webpages out there.

So quality became a primary focus of the search engine. SEOs took a step back, played it cautiously, and adopted a quality-over-quantity approach.

But just like you need balance in life, you need balance in your SEO content.

It is true that you always want each piece to be quality, but does that mean you only publish once every couple of weeks? It depends on how fast you want to see results.

The fact is, if you want to see your website and blog drive more traffic, publishing more frequently can do just that.

To give you a real world example, we increased blog publishing frequency on our own Bruce Clay Blog beginning in early June 2023. You’ll notice in the image below that direct traffic to our blog sharply increased during that time. Our frequency increased even more in mid-July, and so did our traffic.

The Journey Begins with One Step

Every SEO content strategy is unique, but we can all learn from the wisdom of years of content creation and good SEO performance. Follow these five rules on your content journey and find out for yourself how they can improve your SEO content.

Our SEO experts can help you improve your SEO content strategy. Schedule a free 1:1 consultation here.

FAQ: How can I create an effective SEO content strategy that improves search engine rankings and drives organic traffic?

To start, thoroughly research your target audience and their needs. Understanding their preferences and pain points enables you to create content that resonates deeply.

Begin by conducting thorough keyword research. Identify relevant keywords and phrases that align with your industry and audience. A mix of short-tail and long-tail keywords will provide a balanced approach. Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush and other tools can provide invaluable insight into search volume and competition.

Quality content is non-negotiable. Crafting informative, engaging and original content is essential for retaining visitors and attracting organic backlinks. Leverage your expertise to provide value and establish credibility within your niche. Regularly update your content to reflect industry trends and address emerging topics.

Strategic content organization plays a vital role. Structure your articles with clear headings, subheadings, and concise paragraphs. This not only enhances readability but also improves search engine crawlers’ understanding of your content’s hierarchy and relevance.

Harness the power of on-page SEO elements. Optimize meta titles, descriptions and headers with your target keywords. Ensure your website is responsive and loads quickly across devices. Mobile-friendliness is a key ranking factor that directly impacts user experience.

Promote your content across various channels. Utilize social media, email newsletters, and online communities to amplify your reach. Encourage social sharing and engagement to broaden your content’s visibility and foster a loyal readership.

Step-by-Step Procedure: Creating an Effective SEO Content Strategy

1. Research your target audience’s preferences, pain points and search behavior.
2. Identify a mix of short-tail and long-tail keywords using tools like Google Keyword Planner and SEMrush.
3. Create an editorial calendar outlining topics, keywords and publication dates.
4. Develop high-quality, original content that addresses your audience’s needs.
5. Incorporate target keywords naturally within your content while maintaining readability.
6. Organize your content with clear headings, subheadings and concise paragraphs.
7. Optimize meta titles, descriptions and headers with relevant keywords.
8. Ensure your website is mobile-responsive and optimized for fast loading speeds.
9. Implement a solid internal linking structure to guide users through related content.
10. Leverage high-quality images, infographics and videos to enhance user engagement.
11. Regularly update and refresh existing content to reflect current trends and information.
12. Promote your content across social media platforms and relevant online communities.
13. Encourage social sharing and engagement to expand your content’s reach.
14. Build relationships with influencers and collaborate for mutual content promotion.
15. Monitor your content’s performance using analytics tools to track traffic, engagement and conversions.
16. Continuously refine your content strategy based on data insights and user feedback.
17. Adapt to evolving SEO trends and algorithm changes to maintain your competitive edge.
18. Focus on providing value and relevance to your audience through every piece of content.
19. Stay patient and persistent; SEO results take time to manifest fully.
20. Review and adjust your strategy periodically to align with shifting market dynamics.

The post SEO Content Rules To Live By appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..