If you have been impacted by the update or left wondering why you weren’t, here’s what you should know.

About Google’s October 2023 Core Update 

On October 5, 2023, Google’s October 2023 core algorithm update was initiated, and it took a total of two weeks (14 days) to complete. These updates are designed to simplify online search for users by providing more relevant search results. This update was released with the intention to:   

• Reward high-quality online content
• Reduce the amount of low-quality, spammy search results 
• Enhance the overall user experience 

As Google’s third core algorithm update, it is safe to say that they aren’t a new concept. Once you’ve learned the history of them, you’ll be able to understand just how much these updates have evolved throughout the years.

History of Algorithm Updates 

Google’s algorithm updates are designed to enhance the user experience and provide users with the most accurate results for their search queries. As of 2020, Google began to classify its algorithm updates into these six categories:  

1. Core Updates

Core updates refer to all elements that result in connecting users with more relevant content during their searches. Google generally rolls out core updates several times a year. 

2. Helpful Content Updates 

This update is all about rewarding quality content and implementing ways to weed it out from published content that Google may not consider to be helpful. 

3. Link Spam Updates

In late 2022, Google began to develop link spam updates, which focus on mitigating deceptive link-building practices that add spammy links to gain more online visibility. Updates like these were created to help reduce the likelihood of spammy links appearing in Google search results.    

4. Page Experience Updates

The page experience update focuses on the page experience. It considers factors, such as a website’s security, mobile-friendliness, and other Core Web Vitals. The first page experience updates were released in June 2023 and it was exclusively for mobile devices. In February of 2022, Google also launched a page experience update for desktops. 

5. Product Reviews Updates 

The product reviews update impacts online reviews on products ,services, and other potential user investments. It is designed to favor insightful and informative reviews to help users make the best purchasing decisions. 

6. Spam Updates 

Similar to link spam updates, spam updates aim to combat deceitful spamming practices. However, this algorithm update type focuses on reducing the amount of spam sites that may appear in search results.   

Exploring Google Algorithm Ranking Factors

• Query words. 8.5 billion+ Google searches are performed daily; this occurs when users input relevant words or phrases into search engines.
• Relevance. 1,000 words+ of quality content can naturally include more long-tail keywords, boosting its relevance in Google search engines. 
• Usability of pages. 60% of online users say website usability matters.
• Expertise of sources. 5 to 10 quality links for every 2,000 words are recommended. 
• Location. 55% of users rely on Google Maps to discover relevant businesses in their area; searches performed closest to you have a greater chance of appearing in Maps.    
• Settings – Each user’s preferred settings may vary. 

Note: The value of each factor will vary based on your query type. 

For more information, here’s what Google has to say about its ranking factors and how they operate. 

Will Core Algorithm Updates Impact My SEO?

If you’re wondering if algorithm updates can have an impact on your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts, the answer is yes. One of the reasons this may take place is because when these updates occur, it can change the value of a ranking factor, or the ranking factors that are considered, overall.  

Impacted by a Core Algorithm Update? Here’s How You Can Recover

Google search engines can be cruel after an algorithm update. If you felt the wrath of Google’s latest core update and you’re unsure of how to get back in the game, here are the ABCs of finding your way back to the top of page one. 

• Analyze existing content and update (with E-E-A-T in mind). In March of 2014, Google added E-A-T to its guidelines. Some of several ways this concept suggests for you to update your content is by expanding the word count, adding more internal links, including an FAQ section that answers users’ most common questions, and more.  
• Boost your website’s page speed. Page speed is an integral part of the user experience. Studies show the average page loading speed for results that appear on the first page is 1.65 seconds. 
• Conduct a thorough content audit. The quality of the content on your website can make or break your ability to survive a core algorithm update.  By performing a content audit, you can identify poor quality content, and use it as a roadmap to develop new, quality content. 

Need additional assistance? Let the SEO experts at Dagmar Marketing help. Reach out to us today and learn how we can help you bounce back from a core algorithm update now! 

The post Google’s October 2023 Core Algorithm Update: What You Should Know appeared first on DAGMAR.

We’re sure you’ve heard the term SEO before, but do you really know what it means and how it can benefit your business? In this article, we’ve compiled a list of helpful SEO stats that are so convincing you may want to start implementing this technique into your strategy today. 

What is SEO?

Search engine optimization, also known as SEO, refers to a series of techniques that aim to improve the visibility of your website in search engines. There are hundreds of ranking factors that contribute to where your website will be placed in search results. SEO rewards businesses that adhere to its ranking factors with higher placement in search engines. 

Why is SEO important?

SEO gives businesses the power to improve their online presence by using a series of website optimization techniques. It helps build customer trust, improves the user experience, and it can ultimately boost your search engine ranking. Without SEO, these opportunities would not be possible.

• 75 percent of users never scroll past the first page of search results (Entrepreneur)
• 53 percent of all website traffic comes from organic searches (Search Engine Land)
• 66 percent of people perform some type of online research before making a purchase online (SemRush)

How effective is SEO?

If done correctly, SEO can be highly effective. Not to mention, SEO is a cost-effective solution that can increase your company’s online visibility and build your authority in a specific industry.    

There are over 160 search engines in the world. Google holds the highest market share of them all at over 90 percent. According to Ahrefs, a majority of web traffic comes from Google’s organic search results, which are powered by SEO. While 57.80 percent of web traffic generally comes from Google’s organic search results, only 3.70 percent of traffic comes from search engines like Bing.

View the chart below to compare and contrast how much web traffic you can receive from each platform.    

• It is predicted that Google processes approximately 63,000 search queries every second (HubSpot)
• 70 percent of marketing experts believe that SEO yields better results than PPC (SERPWATCH)
• 49 percent of respondents say that organic search has the highest return on investment (ROI) of any marketing channel (Search Engine Journal)

SEO Keywords

SEO keywords are phrases or queries that help identify what your web page will be about. When a user performs a keyword search by entering those keywords into a search engine, it can connect online users to your are entered into search engines your website will be easy to find online. 

Why do SEO keywords and search queries matter? 

• 50 percent of search queries contain four or more words (WordStream)
• 16 percent to 20 percent of daily Google searches are queries that have never been raised before (Internet Live Stats)
• 91.8 percent of search terms on Google are long-tail keywords (Backlinko)

How do SEO keywords improve your online visibility?

• Pages in Google’s top 10 results contain 65 percent to 85 percent of the keywords that they’re ranking for in the title tag (Backlinko)
• 79 percent of keywords and 47 percent of keywords in positions 1-20 rank differently on mobile and desktop (BrightEdge)
• Over 25 percent of online users click the first Google search result (Search Engine Journal)

Can SEO help generate leads for my business?

• 14.6 percent of SEO-generated leads are converted into sales (Business 2 Community)
• 61 percent of B2B marketers stated that SEO and organic traffic generate more leads than any other marketing initiative (Entrepreneur) 
• Organic SEO results receive 94 percent more clicks than paid ads displayed in search results (MonsterInsights)

Mobile SEO

Mobile SEO refers to how well your website has been optimized for compatibility with mobile. Mobile search engine optimization isn’t limited to just smartphones, it can also refer to tablets and other similar digital devices. 

Is mobile SEO effective?

• 56 percent of all online consumers in the United States have searched for local businesses on a mobile device (Statista)

• 82 percent of consumers shopping from a smartphone conduct “near me” searches (Uberall)
• 61 percent of mobile users say they are more likely to contact a local business if it has a mobile-friendly website (BrightLocal)

Local SEO

Local SEO refers to online tactics that aim to help your business increase its visibility in Google’s local search results.  

How effective is local SEO?

• 46 percent of all searches on Google are for a local business or a local service (Search Engine Roundtable)
• 76 percent of people who conduct a local search on their smartphone visit a physical place within 24 hours and 28 percent of those searches result in a purchase (Think with Google)
• 86 percent of users use Google Maps to look up the location of a business (Korona POS)

Google’s Algorithm

Google’s algorithm is a major factor that determines how your website will rank in search engines. These updates are made continually and failure to keep up with its latest requirements can cause your website to rise or fall off the first page of search results.  

What is a Google algorithm?

Google’s algorithm, also known as a Google search algorithm, is a methodology that enables Google’s web crawlers to better discover, rank, and list relevant web pages in search results for relevant keyword searches. Google’s algorithm takes several factors into consideration, such as the user experience of a page, relevance, website security, and more.   

How does Google’s algorithm work with SEO?  

• Google uses over 200 factors in its algorithm for ranking websites (Backlinko)
• Google introduces 500 to 600 changes to its search algorithms every year (Search Engine Land)
• There have been eight major Google algorithm updates (Search Engine Land) 

Backlinks

Backlinks are an integral part of every winning SEO strategy. Not only are backlinks the core of your off-page SEO strategy, but they are also considered by Google to measure the value of your web page.   

What are backlinks? 

Backlinks, also referred to as inbound links, refer to links from another web page that have been added to your website. The best backlinks come from a trusted and authoritative source and if implemented correctly, a solid backlink strategy has the power to help boost your company’s online authority.    

How effective are backlinks?

• Web pages that rank number one in search engines often have 35,000 backlinks or more (Backlinko)
• Results that rank number one in Google SERPs have approximately 279 referring domains (Backlinko)
• 99 percent of the websites ranking in the top results of Google have at least one external link (Forbes)

SEO & Marketing Agency

What should I know before working with a marketing & SEO agency? 

• For SEO agencies that charge ​​per-project, $501-$1,000 is the most common price range (Ahrefs)
• 65 percent of companies stated that they’ve worked with several different SEO providers. 25 percent have worked with three or more providers (Backlinko)
• Businesses in the United States spend around $79 billion on SEO each year (Statista)  

References

The post 30 Important SEO Statistics (2023) appeared first on DAGMAR.

Now that you are aware of just how closely link building is related to your law firm’s online visibility, keep reading to discover how it works, which strategies could be the most effective, and how it can help improve your SEO.

What is link building?

All of the best law firm sites on the web employ a link-building strategy. Link building is the process of strategically placing links onto your website that can boost your law firm’s search engine ranking.

Whether you are working on ways to get other websites to link to your website, or selecting links from other websites, it’s important to be strategic. Depending on the relevance of links, quality of your links, and link equity associated with each URL, this technique can help lawyers remain competitive in search engines.

What are backlinks?

A report by Ahrefs revealed that 55.24 percent of pages don’t have a single backlink. Backlinks in SEO are an important component that can help build your law firm’s ranking power in search engines. These links can be described as any link on your website from a domain that is different from yours.

There are two types of backlinks:

• No-follow links – These backlinks have a tag that indicates to search engines that the link should not be considered in the website’s link profile. As a result, these links can increase website traffic, but they have no impact on your law firm’s SEO and rankings.
• Do-follow links – Unlike no-follow links, these backlinks allow search engines to crawl the web page. These links carry link equity, so they have the power to positively impact your search engine ranking. Typically, no action is required to create a do-follow link. A do-follow is almost always preferable to a no-follow link.

Why would you disavow links?

A disavow is a list of links a website owner is asking search engines to ignore. The links are generally unnecessary, irrelevant links that search engines wouldn’t want to consider when crawling your website. Google may disregard several of them on its own, however, in the event that it cannot, you may need to create a disavow list.

It’s generally not necessary to create a disavow list and submit it to Google. But there are times when it may be worthwhile. It should only be created if there are a multitude of low-quality links directing to your website and or these links can be reported as spam and may result in removal.

How to create a disavow list

• Create a list of links that you would like to disavow
• Upload your list to the disavow links tool page
• Remove all disavowal from a property

Making the decision to create a disavow list or not can be a complicated one for someone who is not very familiar with assessing the quality of backlinks. As a result, we highly recommend that you only proceed with this step once you’ve consulted with a trusted SEO expert. Once a disavow link has been removed, it cannot be reversed and this can have a negative impact on your law firm’s SEO.

Types of Links

Your law firm’s link-building strategies and tactics will consist of two types of links; internal and external links. According to Databox, 50 percent of experts include at least 2-3 internal links and 36 percent believe 3-5 links should be included on your website pages. Although internal links both can be very valuable components to your lawyer SEO.

Learn the difference between these two link types below:

Internal links

Internal links are hyperlinks that direct from one page of your website to another. These types of links are used to create an information hierarchy for your law firm’s website. There are four types of internal links:

1. Contextual links – These types of hyperlinks direct users to relevant content from your website. This also helps build authority

2. Navigation links – Popular internal links on your website, such as the links that appear in a website’s main navigation, are an example of navigation links. These signal to search engines which pages on your website are the most popular.

3. Footer links – Also known as sitewide links, footer links are located at the bottom of your law firm’s website. These links help build link authority to non-navigational pages. Although footer links boost the user experience by improving navigation for its users, Google views the footer as an area humans hardly interact with, which is why it tends to devalue links in this particular space.

4. Image links – These types of hyperlinks use clickable images to engage users. Call-to-action buttons, image advertisements, and infographics are all good examples of what an image link is and how it works.

External links

External links, also known as inbound links, are links that have been added to your website from a domain that is different from your website. Incorporating them into your link-building strategy can help your law firm improve the credibility of its website. According to a study conducted by Backlinko, 94 percent of the world’s content receives zero external links. Given only 6 percent of websites are implementing external links, this could give your law firm a competitive advantage.

About Your Anchor Text Profile

All of your law firm website’s links will live in what is called an anchor text profile, or anchor text portfolio. Every website has a backlink portfolio. This sums up all of the backlinks on your website and the anchor text that is linked to them. Websites with links that are diverse in nature appear more credible to search engines than those that are not.

How does link building help SEO?

Link building helps attorneys certify themselves as experts in their respective field. The more backlinks a page has, the more organic search traffic it can receive from search engines. This will likely result in search engines increasing your search engine ranking, and more.

If done correctly, there are many link building benefits your law firm can experience as a result.

What are the best link-building strategies?

There are several link-building strategies available, but all of them will not produce the same results for your law firm. That’s why it helps to know which methods the experts are using to experience link-building success.

When SemRush surveyed 850 SEO experts on the most effective link-building strategies, they recommended the strategies below.

Best Link-Building Strategies for Law Firms

Graph data from SemRush.

Start Guest Posting

With 53 percent of SEO experts recommending guest posts, it is the most popular link-building strategy. During this process, an attorney can be featured as a guest blogger to increase the visibility of their own site. In exchange for your contribution, a link will be placed onto your blog that links back to your law firm’s website.

Duplicate Competitor Backlinks

Search engines don’t care which website did it first, they care about which one did it right. That’s why 46.77 percent of SEO experts recommend duplicating competitor backlinks as a top link-building strategy. This process is self-explanatory–you will use backlink checking software (like SpyFu, SemRush, or Moz) that can provide your law firm with backlink profiles of its competitors. This will allow you to continue to track their backlink strategy. Next, you can set up outreach campaigns targeting webmasters that are linking to your competitors and ask if they can link to your website, as well.

Use Resources & Links List Pages

43.55% of SEO experts recommend the resources & links list pages method. This strategy entails researching websites that have resource pages or a list of other helpful links to various legal websites, such as the Florida Bar Association. Next your law firm can ask for a link to a resource article on your website.

If you’re interested in seeing a great example, take a look at this legal resource page from Harrell & Harrell.

Unbreak Broken Backlinks

Broken links on your law firm’s website can have a negative impact on your SEO. That’s why 38.71 percent of SEO experts recommend detecting broken links on your website as early as possible, then either replacing it or reporting it to Google webmasters,

Optimize Business Directories and Local Listings

38.71 percent of SEO experts recommended the optimize business directories and local listing strategy. This strategy will require your law firm to be listed in the top relevant online directories, which usually include a no-follow link to your website. Since many law firms are looking to provide their services to local prospects, this strategy would be ideal for attorneys.

Incorporate Social Media Backlinks

When it comes to sharing your website on social media, sharing is caring. That’s why 38.70 percent of SEO experts recommended incorporating social media backlinks in your link-building strategy. Social media backlinks occur when another account shares a link to your law firm’s content with its social media network.

Although social sharing has no direct correlation to our search engine ranking, it can have an impact on your branded SERPs.

Submit Public Release and Content Submission

For law firms that would like to promote a particular product or service, this could be a very effective method. 35.48 percent of SEO experts have submitted press releases, guides, or other content to platforms and they highly recommend this strategy.

Link Unlinked Mentions

Unlinked Mentions – 35.48%

Any time a website mentions your law firm and fails to link to your website, it’s a missed opportunity for your SEO. That’s why 35.48 percent of SEO experts feel like it may be worth it to reach out to these publishers and ask them to link to your website.

Partner With Opinion Leaders

22.58 percent of SEO experts have had success by partnering with opinion leaders. Whether they used brand advocates or conducted interviews with industry leaders, this option can provide both the brand visibility and the backlinks law firms need to remain visible in search engines.

Add Blog & Forum Comments

Blog & Forum Comments – 22.58%

22.58 percent of SEO experts recommend the blog & forum comment option. This process is similar to the adding a URL technique, except, it focuses exclusively on adding links into comment boxes on relevant blogs and forums.

Try the Skyscraper Technique

14.52 percent of experts recommended the skyscraper technique. This is a white hat SEO strategy that will require you to perform in-depth research on the topic you will be writing about. This includes looking through existing content from competitors that are performing very well in search engines. After taking inventory, this method will require you to write new content that improves upon the existing content, then ask the original publisher if they can replace one of the backlinks on their webpage with yours.

Include Reciprocal Links

The reciprocal link method can provide unpredictable results, which is why only 9.68 percent of SEO experts have recommended this method. Reciprocal linking requires linking to another website, while that website will also link to yours. Since Google prefers an assortment of external links, continuously linking to the same site may not always be able to provide you with the results you wanted.

Optimize Your Link-Building Strategy

Busy law firms like yours must find a balance between being results-driven and effective. Link-building for attorneys helps bridge the gap–it provides the competitiveness that lawyers want and the visibility that they need to run a seamless and successful law firm.

Frequently Asked Questions on Link Building for Law Firms

Why is link building important for law firms?

In the legal industry, your reputation is everything. The more reputable a law firm is, the more trustworthy it may appear to prospects. Since Google search engines favor high authority sites with strong link profiles, this can positively boost SEO marketing for lawyers. In fact, one of the most important ways a website can establish its authority online is through its link-building strategy. This is one of many reasons that law firms should be placing a heavy emphasis on link building.

How long does it take to see results of link building?

Between the time it will take to add links to your website, to the amount of time it will take for Google’s web crawlers to detect it, the process can take anywhere from 3-6 months. According to a survey from Aira, 51 percent of individuals reported that it took about 1-3 months to see the impact of their link-building efforts.

Is link building still relevant in 2022?

Link building is very relevant and will continue to be an integral component that Google will consider when ranking your law firm web pages. As long as Google’s algorithm continues to place an emphasis on links to build online authority, link building will remain an important part of lawyer SEO.

The post Link Building for Law Firms and Attorneys appeared first on DAGMAR.

According to Search Engine Watch, pages with schema markup can rank four positions higher in search engines. Despite this remarkable discovery, less than 1 percent of companies have incorporated schema markup into their website–automatically providing those that do with a serious advantage.

What is schema markup?

Schema markup, or schema tags, is a semantic vocabulary of code (or microdata) added to the HTML within the pages on your site. Once added, it shares important information with search engines like Google, allowing it to match search intent and enhance the appearance of your page on SERPs by making rich snippets more appealing. In fact, Google shows results containing rich snippets for more than 36 percent of keyword queries examined.

Rich Snippets Explored

While there is no evidence to prove that rich snippets or schema markup itself has a direct impact on search engine rankings, there are several obvious indirect benefits, such as:

More Relevant Results

The easier it is for Google to read your website’s content, the more relevant search queries your law firm can show up for.

Greater Visibility

Placement at the top of Google search results can mean more brand recognition for your law firm.

An Eye-Catching Display

A superior user experience can be beneficial to your lawyer SEO and your bottom line.

What does schema markup do?

The microdata used in schema markup labels large blocks of similar content, allowing search engines to grasp your law firm’s website information faster and easier. As a result of knowing a website’s content better, Google can display it better in SERPs. This makes search engine optimization for lawyers more effective and helps keep law firms competitive online.    

Is schema right for my law firm?

You’re probably wondering if schema markup could be a great edition to your local SEO for law firms strategy. If you are interested in possibly implementing schema, before getting started, check and see if your law firm meets the criteria below: 

• Your law firm’s website pages are already ranking well
• Your law firm’s content meets the requirements for rich results (view the full list of guidelines here)
• You’ve already developed a strong digital presence for your law firm

What is schema markup used for?

There are hundreds of schema categories and they have several uses. Commonly, schema markup is used for:

• Local Businesses
• Reviews
• Products
• People 
• Organizations 
• Products
• Articles

Typically, search engines struggle to differentiate the price of a product from a 5-star review. Schema markup makes it easier for search engines to differentiate the two and in turn, it can provide users with the information they are looking for in any category.

Schema markup vs. structured data

Schema markup or structured data, which one can boost my lawyer SEO the most? With a simple Google search, you will see how the two are often used interchangeably, however, a little research will reveal that there’s a slight difference between the two terms.

Structured data

The term structured data applies to code within your site’s HTML that provides information about a webpage and the entity responsible for managing it. Structured data helps interpret this language and depending on how this information is encoded, it can take some effort for search engines to decode this data and relay it to search engines.

Schema markup

Schema markup is the result of Schema.org, a joint effort between Google, Bing, Yahoo, and Yandex, which can be defined as a form of structured data that uses a standardized set of defined values and classes to categorize on-page content. The easier it is for search engines to read and understand your content, the more likely search engines like Google will reward you by ranking your website on the first page for relevant searches.

How can schema improve lawyer SEO?

Get Into Google’s Knowledge Graph

Google is the authority in search engines, which can only mean results that appear in its knowledge graph can receive a great deal of visibility. A knowledge graph may appear as a large listing to the right of your search results, or at the top of the search results page and this placement can help naturally increase traffic to your law firm’s website. While schema markup does not guarantee that your page will appear in the knowledge graph, it is one of few factors that Google looks for to determine its eligibility. 

Improve Your Click-Through Rate

With an increase in visibility, an improved click-through rate is sure to follow. High click-through rates are a good indication that users are finding your website and the content is relevant. Since Google considers the click-through rate as a factor in its algorithm, the more clicks your law firm’s website receives, the higher up it can propel in search engines.

Enhance the User Experience

Since schema markup considers intent, the results displayed enable users to make more informed decisions. In fact, 2 in 5 adults use voice search at least once a day and results for search queries conducted by voice are powered by schema markup. In addition to having a seamless law firm website design, little details like these that help shape the user experience is one of several ways your law firm can get the most out of schema markup.

How do I add schema to my law firm website?

Are you completely sold on the idea of using schema markup, but still unsure on how to add it? We’ve got you covered. There are a variety of methods you can use to add schema markup to your law firm’s website:

1. Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper – This is a great tool to help guide you on how to create schema markup for your website. Get started by selecting your schema type of choice and proceed by adding your website’s URL.
2. WordPress plugins – If you have a WordPress website, there are several plugins available that can help you add schema markup. Some of the most popular options are Schema Pro, WP Review Pro, and Schema App Structured Data.
3. Coding manually – Schema markup can be added manually to both, an HTML website and a WordPress website.

Before the page goes live, don’t forget to check your work using a schema markup testing tool.

Common Schema Markup Terms You Should Know

Knowledge graph – It is a knowledge base of entities and the relationships between them. It allows users to get more relevant search results, and enables SEO to generate more traffic to relevant, optimized content. A knowledge graph enables search engines like Google to better understand search intent, accommodate voice searches, generate more brand visibility and authority.

Microdata – Microdata is a set of tags embedded within an HTML code that works to analyze web pages and makes annotating HTML elements with machine-readable tags much easier.

Organic search results – There are listings on search engine results pages that appear because of their relevance to the search terms, as opposed to their being advertisements.

Rich snippets – These are the extra bits of information that appear next to results on a search page. This can include reviews, prices, related links, location information, an embedded Wikipedia article, etc.

SERPs – Search engine results page, also known as (“SERPs” or “SERP”), are Google’s response to a user’s search query. SERPs commonly include organic search results, paid Google Ads results, Featured Snippets, Knowledge Graphs and video results.

Structured data – Schema markup is a form of structured data. It is a standardized way to provide information about a web page and helps search engines like Google to better understand what your content is about. There are three main formats you can use to structure data: JSON-LD, Microdata, or RDFa.

Web crawlers – This is defined as a program designed to crawl and index content on the web. Google and other search engines use Crawlers to create a library of pages on the internet which can then be sorted using search queries.

The post Schema Markup for Attorneys appeared first on DAGMAR.

Learn how exceptional law firm website design, Core Web Vitals, and some of the best SEO services for lawyers money can buy all work in tandem to improve the user experience on your website.

Why is the User Experience Important?

• 75 percent of users form an opinion about a website based on its aesthetics
• 74 percent of users are likely to return to a website if it is optimized for mobile  
• 52 percent of users say that a bad mobile experience will make them lose faith in the company

What are Core Web Vitals?

Core Web Vitals (CWV) are specific metrics that can signal to Google how a website is performing. These components specifically relate to the user experience. This data comes directly from the Chrome User Experience Report (CrUX), which collects this data from Chrome users that have opted-in.

Now that Google’s algorithm considers this to be a major ranking factor, it’s critical for law firm SEO strategies to not only include Core Web Vitals, but also become very familiar with how each factor will be measured.

Core Web Vitals are made up of three specific metrics – Large Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS). Learn more about how these factors are scored below.

LCD

Largest Contentful Paint

Measures the loading time of a law firm’s webpage and other components such as images.

An LCP occurring within the first 2.5 seconds is a sign of a good user experience.

FID

First Input Delay

Measure the amount of time it takes for a website user to interact with a law firm’s webpage.

An FID of less than 100 milliseconds from your website typically a sign of a good user experience.

CLS

Cumulative Layout Shift

Measures the visual stability and intuitiveness of your law firm’s website design.

A CLS score of less than 0.1 from your website is typically a sign of a good user experience.

How Do Core Web Vitals Impact Lawyer SEO?

To put it simply, the traditional and best SEO for law firms practices are no longer enough to sustain your law firm’s discoverability in search engines. With Core Web Vitals, SEO services for lawyers can now also measure the user experience of a law firm’s website. 

Yes, common legal SEO techniques such as backlink strategies, keyword research, and content optimization still have a small impact on your score. 

However, now there are other components such as page loading time, law firm website design, and interaction that better measure the user experience and will also require priority in your legal SEO strategy. 

Incorporate Core Web Vitals Into Your Law Firm’s Strategy 

Search engine optimization for lawyers can be challenging. But with the right tools, use of the best techniques, stellar attorney SEO, and a killer law firm website design, SEO for solicitors can be a simple and rather rewarding experience for your law firm.

When it comes to attorney SEO services, understanding the industry and the unique needs of a law firm is key. At Dagmar Marketing, every service is customized and we have countless years of experience working with some of the leading law firms in the country.

With no long-term contracts and 100 percent transparency, we make SEO and Core Web Vitals for attorneys a smooth and frictionless experience.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for Core Web Vitals

How Does My Law Firm Website Design Impact Core Web Vitals?

The expectations of web browsers are getting higher and higher. With so many websites to choose from, an intrusive pop-up or something as simple as the intuitiveness of your law firm’s website design can scare new prospects away.

In fact, 38 percent of users said they will stop engaging with a website if the content or layout is unattractive.

In addition to aesthetics, speed is another factor that may be affecting your Core Web Vitals score and the entire user experience, in general. The average mobile web page takes 15.3 seconds to load.

Once this load time has exceeded, studies have shown that conversion rates can drop by an average of 4.42 percent with each additional second of load time.

What Does Core Web Vitals Mean for Law Firm SEO?

Core Web Vitals offers an opportunity to measure your website’s user experience, so it can be improved upon, which can boost your law firm’s search engine ranking. The implementation of Core Web Vitals into your SEO strategy simply means that your law firm values its users and is taking the necessary precautions to make it better and better.

It’s important to remember that your Core Web Vitals scores may change over time. About every 28 days, Google will collect Core Web Vitals data and update your score.

Solicitor SEO is a constant effort and once your efforts have discontinued, you can expect to see a drop in your law firm’s SERPs.

Are Core Web Vitals Separate From My Law Firm SEO Services?

There are over 200 ranking factors and now that Core Web Vitals have become one of them, your attorney SEO services should include the observing and monitoring of these scores. Core Web Vitals should not be seen as separate from law firm SEO services, but more so, an addition to your law firm SEO. 

Since Core Web Vitals are now an official ranking factor, the ability to improve your user experience on your website correlates directly with the results from your law firm’s SEO efforts. This means the two will go hand-in-hand in your marketing strategy.

The post Core Web Vitals for Attorneys appeared first on DAGMAR.

Continue reading to learn why many are already calling Google Analytics 4 the future of Google Analytics.

What is Google Analytics 4?

Google Analytics 4, also known as GA4 (previously known as “App + Web”), is the latest generation of Google Analytics. Unlike Universal Analytics, Google Analytics 4, this web analytics platform enables marketers to analyze and measure data from both a website and an app.

How is Google Analytics 4 Different?

While Google Analytics (Universal Analytics) was designed to collect, measure, and organize web data, the release of Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is offering marketers a fresh new perspective that considers all of the recent changes that have been taking place in digital marketing. Universal Analytics has established itself as the standard of tracking, so it is here to stay, but the shiny new enhancements added to Google Analytics 4 were designed to help simplify the process of retrieving valuable analytics that marketers need to navigate with ease in today’s ever changing digital world.

What has changed?

A New Interface

The new and improved interface on Google Analytics 4 offers marketers peace of mind in knowing that all of their most valuable data is now stored and accessible in one place. Another exciting feature you probably noticed is the search bar. Unlike the Universal Analytics dashboard, Google Analytics 4 includes a search bar that enables users to perform an ad-hoc analysis of data, look up reports, and get immediate answers to their questions.

Analysis Hub is Now Available

In the past, the Analysis Hub feature was exclusively available to Google Analytics 360 customers. Now anyone who makes the switch to Google Analytics 4 can enjoy the benefits of delving deeper into their analytics and customer insights.

It’s All About Events

Instead of focusing on hits, pageviews, and sessions, Google Analytics 4 measures events. This makes setting up goals and tracking conversions on GA4 easier than ever before. An event refers to any interaction a user has with your website or app. These event parameters can be identified as anything from page scrolls, site search, outbound links, file downloads, and even video engagement.

In Google Analytics 4, events are separated into four categories:

• Automatically connected events are instantaneously collected by Google Analytics 4 platform.
• Recommended events are events you can manually enforce on your own and they require additional factors to understand their value. As a result, they are not automatically activated.
• Enhanced measurement events are pre-established events exclusively collected from websites that can be switched and off as desired.
• Custom events are unique in a sense, because they are only recommended for use if the events listed above will not suffice.

NOTE: Both automatically connected events and enhanced measurement events are automatically collected and do not require a code to be placed onto your website or app.

Event Tracking Has Its Limitations

One of the downsides to event tracking on Google’s latest web analytics platform is that there are a few limitations. For starters, you can only mark up to 30 events per property as conversions. Also, only 25 event parameters per event can be collected. Last but not least, event parameter names cannot exceed 40 characters.

Click here for a full list of collection and configuration limitations

Robust User Tracking

One of the most convenient additions made to Google Analytics 4 is its ability to track user behavior across devices. As we prepare for an online environment free of third-party cookies, the enhanced machine learning packed into Google Analytics 4 will make it possible for marketers to continue to pinpoint which users are visiting your website on different devices, browsers, and on different occasions, even after third party cookies are completely phased out.

Mobile Tracking Made Easier

Now that Google has taken on a mobile-first mentality, Google Analytics 4’s cross-device tracking is a godsend. In the past, it would require several different versions of Google Analytics to track multiple devices—Google Analytics for Apps, Firebase Analytics and Google Analytics for Firebase. With Google Analytics, you can seamlessly track users across devices and analyze their journey on one simple interface.

Should I Switch to Google Analytics 4?

If you’re completely sold on Google Analytics 4, but haven’t had the opportunity to familiarize yourself with it just yet, making the switch immediately could be rather overwhelming. You might be tempted to push that “Upgrade” button in Universal Analytics, but once you do, there’s no turning back. At first, Google Analytics 4 may look rather intimidating, but once you get the opportunity to familiarize yourself with how it works, it can become second nature.

So before fully upgrading to Google Analytics 4, below is a quick list of things you can do for a smoother transition into the future of Google Analytics:

• Create a new property for GA4 and allow it to run in tandem with Universal Analytics
• Familiarize yourself with Google Tag Manager and Google Data Studio
• Slowly start replicating all of the important information you need from Universal Analytics into Google Analytics 4

Conclusion

Google is continuing to move the goalpost, so marketers can thrive–no matter what trends our digital landscape may throw our way.

To put it simply, Universal Analytics was developed to satisfy the demands of the past, while Google Analytics 4 is positioning us to succeed in the future by providing all of the tools needed to analyze and understand the trends that matter most to your bottom line.

For the latest updates on Google Analytics 4, subscribe to our blog below.

The post How Marketers Can Thrive Using Google Analytics (GA4) appeared first on DAGMAR.

Did you know that 88 percent of users are less likely to return to a website after a bad user experience? Google knows, which explains why its highly-anticipated core update will be centered around it. Starting in mid-June 2021, Google’s algorithm will be updated to include Core Web Vitals, which will now consider page experience as a ranking factor.

Are you new to the world of Google Core Web Vitals? If you’re wondering how it works and how it could impact your website’s visibility, don’t worry, our ultimate guide will be here to guide you every step of the way.  

What are Google Core Web Vitals?

Quality or quantity? With the new core update from Google, users will no longer have to choose between great content and easy website navigation. Core Web Vitals (also called CWV) consist of integral page speed metrics that factor into a website’s performance. This initiative was created by Google in an effort to reward sites that provide both optimized content and superior user experiences with higher SERP rankings.

How can I measure Core Web Vitals?

Core Web Vitals are made up of three specific metrics that contribute to the user experience. When measuring these Web Vitals, the following will either be classified as good, needs improvement, or poor:

1. Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) – This measures a page’s loading time (including images). For a superior user experience, Google recommends that each page of your site have an LCP occur within the first 2.5 seconds.  
2. First Input Delay (FID) – This measures how long it takes for a user to interact with your webpage. As a best practice, Google suggests to strive for an FID of less than 100 milliseconds.
3. Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) – This measures the visual stability of your website. According to Google, ideal user experiences come from sites with a CLS score of less than 0.1.

4 Tools You Can Use to Measure Core Web Vitals

The best way to determine how well your website is performing is by measuring it. Given only 24.81% of origins have passed Core Web Vitals overall, it’s completely normal to produce low scores on the very first try. When it comes to Core Web Vitals, it isn’t about which score you start out with, but how the valuable insight you receive can help you boost your score and continue to inform you in your ongoing SEO process.

To gets started, Google Chrome has several tools available that will allow you to effectively measure the quality of your site and the performance of your Core Web Vitals:

1. Chrome User Experience Report (Chrome UX Report) – This report provides real user data for how Chrome users are experiencing your website.
2. Web Vitals Javascript Library – This report is powered by standard web API and is one of the easiest methods to use. In addition, this method enables you to send and post your results to Google Analytics.  
3. The Lighthouse Report – This report is available in Google’s F12 developer tools. Once a URL is provided, Lighthouse will audit the page, then develop a report on its performance. All of its scores are based on a scale of 1 to 100.
4. Google Search Console –  A new page experience report has replaced the old speed report in Google Search Console. This report is categorized into five factors critical for measuring a webpage’s overall user experience–core web vitals, mobile usability, security issues, HTTPS, and ad experience.  

How will core web vitals impact Google’s algorithm?

Move over search engine optimization! An SEO optimized site is no longer enough to rank high in organic search engine results. Google’s algorithm will now prioritize sites offering a superior user experience. In addition to making it easier for users to engage with your content, below are a few other critical components included in Google’s new algorithm that are too important to be neglected.

Other Google Ranking Signals to Consider

• Mobile-friendly website – Google Search favors sites that are mobile-compatible. Since 61 percent of website traffic comes from users on mobile devices, sites optimized for mobile contribute to streamlining the user experience across devices.  
• Safe browsing – Your website should be free of malware, spam, or any other deceptive content that will prevent a user from properly viewing your website.
• Secure website (HTTPS) – An SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate validates your website as trustworthy and ensures users that their information will be safe from hackers.
• No intrusive interstitials – Content that is difficult to access can hinder the user experience, especially if they are browsing on a mobile phone. As a result of Google’s 100% mobile-first indexing, mobile pages containing intrusive interstitials (like a pop-up or an advertisement that can prevent users from viewing your content) will automatically be devalued in its search engines.

How do I pass the Core Web Vitals assessment?

Passing the Core Web Vitals assessment won’t be a walk in the park, but it will be well worth the effort. The challenge consists of scoring “good” for all Core Web Vital metrics–Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS). Due to the assortment of factors that can impact a Largest Contentful Paint score, many have found this to be one of the most difficult Core Web Vitals to improve. This explains why less than 15 percent of existing sites are optimized well enough to pass the assessment.

If you received low scores in any or all of the critical metrics listed above, below are a few helpful tips you can use to improve your Core Web Vitals and receive a passing score across the board.

How to Improve Core Web Vitals

1. Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) – A low Largest Contentful Paint score could indicate that the server response time, loading time for fonts, images, or CSS needs to be optimized.
2. First Input Delay (FID) – A low First Input Delay score is a sign that the JavaScript runtime, a third-party code, or server performance needs to be evaluated.
3. Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) – A low Cumulative Layout Shift score means you should look into the size of images and videos on your site and preloaded elements. It can also help improve your CLS score if you reserve space in your website’s structure for advertising.

Conclusion

2021 has been filled with surprises, and now your website’s performance doesn’t have to be one of them. With Google’s Core Web Vitals update, rest assured that you will be equipped with all of the valuable metrics you’ll need to craft an unforgettable user experience.  

FAQ

Are core web vitals important?

Yes. Although content is still king and intent still plays a critical role in search engine results pages, Core Web Vitals focus on measuring another component that’s very important to Google–a website’s overall user experience.  

How often will the Core Web Vitals ranking factor be calculated?

Data for Core Web Vitals will be collected every 28 days. As a result, your Google ranking and the scores reported in your measurement tool of choice will reflect the most updated information available.

Why are there differences in scores between mobile and desktop?

Although separate desktop and mobile scores are displayed, Google’s recent transition to 100% mobile-first indexing means it will only be considering mobile to rank pages.

My page is fast. Why are there warnings on my Search Console Core Web Vitals report?

Several factors contribute to how fast a page will load for each user. We recommend viewing the Search Console Core Web Vitals report for more information on user visits, thresholds, and other information that you may find to be relevant to your page’s performance.

Can sessions that don’t report FID be considered “bounced” sessions?

No. Since FID doesn’t consider scrolls, the Bounce Rate and Abandonment Rate are not factored into Core Web Vital metrics.

The post Ultimate Guide: Exploring the Google Core Web Vitals Update appeared first on DAGMAR.

The truth is that most SEO providers don’t emphasize the importance of website loading time to pest control companies, but they should. If your website doesn’t load in under three seconds, then your SEO is likely suffering due to a slow website loading problem.

In this article, we will provide some tips on how to improve page speed for better SEO for your pest control company and a better user experience.

The Basics of Increasing Page Speed

So, what is page speed and why does it matter? Page speed is often confused with website speed. This refers to the amount of time it takes for a website to load. Page speed refers to “page load time” or how long it takes for a browser to display the content on the page, such as text, images, and video.

Increasing page speed can have a measurable impact on:

• How long visitors stay on your site
• Your organic search rankings
• Conversion rates
• Revenue

If you have noticed a decrease in page speed by a second or two, you might not think this is a big deal. However, a decrease in page speed from one second to three seconds can increase bounce rates by up to 32 percent!

How to Improve Page Speed

The most common culprits of page speed problems include too many files, heavy images, and page redirects. Here are some tips for combating these issues and increasing page speed:

1. Compress files. If your site has a lot of files, such as images, video, text, PDF downloads, or other coding files, then this can seriously affect your page speed performance. However, before you go in and start deleting files from the back end, one of the easiest ways to combat this issue is to enable compression.

There are many applications available that you can download, install, and run in the back end of your website to help compress or reduce any CSS, HTML, or JavaScript files. A good rule of thumb is to compress any files over 150 bytes.

2. Optimize images. Similar to the point above, if your website is very image-heavy, and your images are various sizes and formats, your page speed could be reduced.

The best approach is to go through all the images and ensure they are all the right sizes and file types (without sacrificing quality, of course). For example, PNG and JPEG files are usually best for images. Remember, the smaller the image file, the easier it is for them to load.

3. Reduce page redirects. If you have multiple page redirects set up, then this can increase the amount of time visitors wait for a page to load. Each redirect decreases page speed and website loading time.

4. Clear browser cache. Browsers cache a lot of information, such as stylesheets, images, JavaScript files, and more. Browsers do this to store or “remember” certain information so that when a visitor comes back to your site, the browser doesn’t have to reload the entire page.

Over time, however, browsers can get blocked up with a lot of extra “stuff”. Think of this as a closet in your home that become packed with stuff that you needed at one point or another. By occasionally clearing the browser cache, you can increase page speed.

Why is Page Speed So Important?

At its most basic function, a website should be easy for visitors to navigate and find what they are looking for. If pages load quickly and also provide quality content, then users will remain on your site longer and visit other pages. The longer they spend on your website, the higher chance they will convert.

Which is the Best Page Speed Tool?

Google offers a number of tools, including Google Analytics, Google Page Speed Tools, and even a Chrome browser extension that are all great for testing page speed and also provide some recommendations for improving it. There’s also other 3rd party tools and web apps that will let you test your website page speed.

How Do I Test My Website Speed?

If you are curious about what your page speed time looks like on your website, you can do a website performance test. Here are some of the easiest and most popular page speed tools you can try:

Google Analytics — Site Speed/Page Timings

Google Chrome (Inspect Element) — right click anywhere on the page –> inspect element –> Lighthouse

Google Page Speed Tools

GTmetrix

Pingdom

Does Page Speed Affect My Rank?

Although Google says engagement metrics don’t directly impact rank, there is a clear correlation between higher engagement metrics and higher rankings.

That said, Google does say site speed (and therefore page speed) is part of their algorithm and a signal they use to determine search engine rankings. So even if engagement metrics such as click through rate, and time on page theoretically do not impact rankings, site speed and page speed do. And we’ve shown, page speed affects how visitors interact with your site.

Improving Your Website Page Speed

Increasing page speed should be at the top of your priority list when measuring SEO performance. The faster your website and pages load, the more likely visitors will stay on your site rather than jumping over to a competitor’s site that is faster!

Now that you are armed with some information and knowledge about website performance, you can do your own website performance test to see where you currently rank and what you can do to improve it.

Any good SEO company will provide a list of action items centered on these areas. If you have questions or need help, then give us a call or contact us! We’d love the chance to help you.

The post Pest Control Marketing Tips: How to Improve Your Website’s Page Speed appeared first on DAGMAR.

Although there are a number of elements that go into a top-performing pest control local SEO marketing campaign, keywords top the priority list.

Here we’re going to provide some tips on how to do keyword research to help boost SEO for pest control companies.

How to Discover Keywords

Are you using the right keywords?

Are they generating the right amount of traffic, or is it time to discover some new keywords? Is your company entering a new season?

What keywords are your competitors using?

If it’s time to discover new keywords, and optimize your existing content, then there are some free or affordable professional keyword research tools you can try:

• Ahrefs
• Google Keyword Planner (may require an attached PPC account for good info)
• KWFinder
• SEMrush
• Ubersuggest
• SpyFu
• Moz

Which Keywords Are Relevant?

Let’s say you’ve discovered some new keywords to use in your campaign. How do you know if they are actually good keywords? How do you know if they are relevant? One of the best ways to do this is to focus on “search intent”.

What is “Search Intent”?

Search intent refers to understanding what users are searching for and why. This could be questions, phrases, product names or services, or even products or services in a specific location.

Not only is search intent important for determining which keywords are relevant for your campaigns, but it is also for Google. Optimizing your existing content for search intent will also help you boost SEO.

Ultimately, your keywords should have the following:

• Research intent – Searchers who are trying to solve a problem. These keywords often begin with “why” or “how”.
• Transactional intent – The “buy” intent. Searchers are looking for specific products or services. Transactional intent keywords typically convert at a higher rate.
• Commercial intent – these searchers are ‘warm’, they’re almost ready to convert but still need more information. These can be “X product vs Y product” type searches, reviews, or price comparisons. 
• Educational intent – Searchers are interested in learning more about a specific topic.

Pest control companies can use a blend of these keywords, but for different purposes and stages in the buyer journey. For example, pest control companies can use research intent keywords or educational intent keywords as blog topics, such as “How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs”, “How to Protect Children From Mosquitos”, or “Why Are Ants in My House?”

Why Location Keywords Are Important for Pest Control Companies

Since pest control companies serve local customers, location keywords are important to build into your content. Most searchers will enter the following keywords, or similar key phrase into Google or another search engine: “Denver pest control”, “pest control company Denver, CO”, or “best pest control companies Phoenix, AZ”.

If you optimize your existing content with these types of local keywords, then you boost your chances of ranking on the first page of Google, which will also help your pest control company beat the competition.

Furthermore, seasonality is important to consider when researching keywords. Most pest control companies experience different seasons throughout the year when some keywords are more relevant than others. For example, the keyword “Jacksonville mosquito control” keyword is more popular between the summer months than the winter.

What Keywords Are Your Competitors Using?

By using some of the tools above, such as Ahrefs and Moz, you can see what the monthly search volume is for keywords related to your industry and niche as well as what keywords your competitors rank for.

Another way to see what keywords your competitors are using is to simply type in a keyword into Google, such as “pest control companies Austin, TX” and see what comes up in the search results.

It’s important to periodically review your keyword research to make sure you are using the right keywords and phrases to attract the right audiences and to also keep up with the competition. Some pest control companies do this monthly, quarterly, or even annually. Find out what works best for you, and be sure to weave this step into your regular SEO audit.

Common Questions about Keyword Research 

What is the Best Free Keyword Research Tool?

Many pest control companies might worry that webapps and software for research will cost them a fortune. The truth is there are a number of keyword research tools available that you can use for free, without sacrificing quality.

As mentioned above, some of the best free keyword research tools include Moz, Ahrefs, KWFinder, and more. These services will give you plenty of information for free, but may limit the amount of keywords you can find. But using their information and your own intuition about the industry should help you generate plenty of keywords you can use to boost pest control SEO.

What Pest Control Keywords Should I Use?

Before you can determine the best pest control keywords to use in any campaign, you first must consider the nature of your business, what you offer, your location, and season. As mentioned above, seasonality and location are two of the most important factors to consider when researching keywords.

Using a blend of keywords such as “Denver pest control”, “pest control company Denver, CO”, or “best pest control companies Phoenix, AZ”, or even “mosquito control AZ”, are all good examples to start with.

Boost Your Pest Control Marketing

It can be overwhelming to develop effective online marketing campaigns. However, now that you are armed with some great tips and great keyword research tools to use, you should now have a better understanding of what you need to do to boost your pest control SEO—and how to do that without breaking the bank.

If you still have questions about how to do keyword research or how to make sure you find the best pest control keywords for your company, then give us a call. We would love to help manage your pest control digital marketing and SEO campaigns!

The post Pest Control Marketing Tips: How to Do Keyword Research appeared first on DAGMAR.

2019 SEO Predictions to Help You Spend Your Marketing Money Wisely

https://dagmarmarketing.com/blog/seo-predictions-2019/

We always try to be ready for whatever comes next in the online marketing industry. That’s why we analyze the industry landscape and make educated guesses on what trends we (and our clients) need to be prepared for. We kicked off 2019 with our SEO predictions and looking back, I think we were pretty much spot on.

We’re not trying to chase the next shiny object in the SEO world. Instead, we focus on marketing efforts that should stand the test of time. Two of those included longer content and a heavy focus on Google’s rater guidelines. In addition, we predicted content marketing would overtake direct link building and that technical SEO would be a big factor—and we saw this with many client sites—especially regarding PageSpeed.

How To Use Content Marketing for Your Local Business

https://dagmarmarketing.com/blog/how-to-use-content-marketing-promote-local-business/

We created this piece to give owners of small and medium-sized local businesses advice on how to use content as a promotional tool. This guide outlines the best ways to create content that will help improve your local visibility.

The “3 R’s of PPC” — AKA The Last PPC Audit Guide You’ll Ever Need

https://dagmarmarketing.com/blog/last-ppc-audit-guide-you-need/

This post got a lot of traffic, so we hope it offered some valuable insights. We broke down how we perform PPC audits and shared how to use this approach to get your paid search campaigns under control. We also provided specific to-dos for an audit process that will result in better performance from your PPC budget.

BERT Update from Google: What You Need to Know Now

https://dagmarmarketing.com/blog/google-bert-update/

One of the biggest updates Google released this past year was the BERT update. The big takeaway with the BERT update is that it seeks to improve the ways Google processes natural language, including the context associated with keywords. Many see this as a way for machines to learn the nuances of language and understand the underlying meaning when we type/speak queries into their search engine.

The Real Cost of Cheap SEO

https://dagmarmarketing.com/blog/the-real-cost-of-cheap-seo/

We revisited and updated this long-running and popular post. As there was when we first published this post, there’s a cottage industry of extremely cheap SEO services. The problem with cheap SEO is you get what you pay for. SEO is a time-consuming and intensive process—anyone offering extremely low-cost services is probably using outdated (and likely shady) tactics that will cost you much more in the long run than you would have paid using reputable services.

Some of our Favorite Posts from Other Marketers:

We are constantly reading, learning, and increasing our marketing knowledge. Digital marketing changes almost daily, so we look to our industry peers to help us keep up.

Here’s some of our favorite blog posts from other marketers this past year.

Using Strong Internal Links for SEO

https://www.iqseo.org/building-internal-links-for-seo-wins/

Internal linking for SEO purposes provides a wide range of benefits for both users and Google (as well as other search engines). In this post Andy at IQSEO explains, in-depth, how to best use internal linking for the best results.

At DAGMAR we’re focused on creating stellar content and making sure that content is structured in a relevant, hierarchical format. Internal links is a key part of that strategy, that’s why this post was so great to find.

Google Ranking Factors 2019: Opinions from 1,500+ Professional SEOs

https://sparktoro.com/blog/resources/google-ranking-factors-2019/

SparkToro is Rand Fishkin’s (of Moz fame) new startup. This was a great survey they ran in August of 2019. They had 1,584 professionals in the SEO field take a survey sharing their opinions on the relative use and merit of various inputs in Google’s algorithm and ranking systems. This report shared the aggregated knowledge and assumptions gleaned from that survey.

Best takeaway from this post:

For the first time, content > links & keywords: In the early days of the survey, keywords were the top-voted ranking factors, then, for nearly a decade, links did. Now, content relevance and quality dominate. I think this perception is generally correct (though links are still a powerful #2), and it reflects the great strides Google’s made in understanding content that satisfies searcher intent.

From Zero to Local Ranking Hero – MozCon 2019

https://whitespark.ca/blog/from-zero-to-local-ranking-hero-mozcon-2019/

I have to tell you, my favorite types of posts are ones that give a step-by-step overview of some process. Here Darren Shaw gives a great inside look into the process, strategies, and tactics that were implemented to take a business from zero web presence to ranking hyper-locally in 8 months. This was the culmination of a case study he did after offering to work pro-bono for a business with no internet presence whatsoever.

Takeaways from the case study:

1. Track from multiple zip codes/areas around the client’s city/location.
2. You won’t get the full value of citations unless they’re indexed—so work on getting them indexed
3. Setting a ‘service area’ in your GMB does not guarantee rankings in that service area
4. Create a Google review strategy—reviews have an impact on your rankings
5. The first few links the business got seemed to have the biggest impact
6. Any strategy will have a point of diminishing returns (this was most obvious in the building of more links where the additional links had little, or no, impact).
7. A fully functioning website is better than the GMB website builder.
8. No one specific activity leads to results, rather it’s the sum total of all your activities.

Five Things We Discovered Analyzing 45,000 Google My Business Listings

https://www.brightlocal.com/blog/five-things-we-discovered-analyzing-45000-google-my-business-listings/

For local SEO/marketers, Brightlocal’s blog runs some great studies and surveys throughout the year. This study was based on analysis of 45,000 GMB listings. The study a lot of insights about how businesses and consumers use Google My Business. The full study is definitely worth reading, but if you’re more of a visual person or just short on time, they created video to go with the post detailing the best findings:

Takeaways:

1. A business definitely needs a website. Of all the customer actions measured in GMB Insights, website clicks came out on top. This was backed up by a separate study in which 76% of customers surveyed say they click through to a website at least half the time when they are researching a business.
2. More images are correlated with more customer interaction. “Listings with over 100 images get 20 times more website clicks than the average listing…”
3. Make sure your optimizing your GMB for the right categories as this will help with being found in discovery searches (i.e., not Branded searches looking directly for your business).
4. Customer interaction with GMB is increasing.
5. The leading industry for GMB optimizations is…the car dealership industry — which I will admit was a bit shocking. This isn’t exactly an industry you’re likely to look for on a regular or constant basis, but they apparently do a great job in optimizing for GMB search.

The post Our Favorite Blog Posts of 2019 appeared first on DAGMAR.