An SEO Audit – Why You Need an SEO Audit
The most likely time you’ll need an SEO audit is when you notice a change in website performance like a sudden drop in visitors or leads or sales. Another common time is when you engage with a new Digital Marketing Agency. The first thing any SEO professional will want to do is perform an audit of your site to reveal strengths and weaknesses. If done right, you’ll able to clearly see what parts of your SEO strategy are working and what parts are suffering. An SEO audit is the first step in a roadmap to improving organic search performance. The SEO Audit Process Doing a routine SEO audit when things are going well for your site is also okay. Sites get updated. Developers make changes behind the scenes. Content management systems release updates. Things just naturally break. You never know what you might find. What Is an SEO Audit? An SEO audit gives you a detailed analysis of how your website is performing in organic search. There are many different types of approaches. But ultimately, whoever does the audit will use a variety of tools to gather data and present it in a report with analysis and recommendations. What does an SEO Audit Cover? Technical SEO: An SEO audit usually starts with addressing technical SEO. These kinds of problems are often hidden but have devasting effects. Keywords: You’ll see what keywords would work best and what keyword gaps exist between you and competitors. The audit will likely use Google Search Console and other third-party tools and should reveal a list of opportunity keywords that you can start targeting. Content: With an SEO audit, you’ll be able to identify what types of content is working well and learn what poor-performing content needs to be addressed. What pages represent think content? Should they be removed? Or improved. Meta Data: Do your title tags contain the right keywords? Are meta descriptions for key pages generating click-throughs? Is the structured data correct? Usability: What a user experiences on your site can be tricky to measure but is becoming more important to search engines. Think mobile friendliness, Core Web Vitals, site speed, and all sorts of design elements. Backlinks: Any SEO audit will show you what your backlink profile looks like an attempt to score the value of links that are pointing to your site. Higher-quality backlinks may be one reason your competitors outrank you. The above is just a quick rundown but expect many other elements to be called out in a good SEO audit. Why You Need an SEO Audit An SEO audit is essential for many reasons. When it’s over, you may identify some hidden opportunities, or you may just find that your site is working well with few changes needed. Growth is another reason to run an SEO audit. If you care about growing your business, you are going to want to see your site the way Google sees it. A beautifully designed site can still have critical search issues languishing under the hood, even if it’s built on a search engine-friendly platform like WordPress. SEO audits are known for finding low-hanging fruit. It may be more than just keyword opportunities to integrate into your content strategy. Sometimes you discover design or usability enhancements from competitors that you want to emulate. The way ahead The SEO audit tells the story of what’s going well and what’s going wrong with your site. It’s information, only. It’s up to you to decide how, what or if you want to implement changes. Contact Direct Submit today for a Free Website SEO Audit!
Guide to Writing Blogs for the Internet
Writing for blogs for the internet is a skill that is becoming increasingly important in today’s digital age. With more and more people turning to the internet as their primary source of information, there has been a surge in the number of blogs available online. These blogs cover a wide range of topics, from lifestyle and travel to technology and politics. Writing for blogs is different from other forms of writing, such as academic writing or creative writing. The purpose of a blog is to inform, entertain, or persuade readers on a particular topic, rather than to demonstrate knowledge or create a work of art. Blog posts are typically shorter in length than other forms of writing, ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand words. If you are interested in writing for blogs on the internet, there are several things that you should keep in mind. In this article, we will explore some of the key elements of successful blog writing, including finding your niche, understanding your audience, crafting a compelling headline, creating engaging content, and promoting your blog. Finding Your Niche One of the first steps in writing for blogs on the internet is to find your niche. A niche is a specific topic or area of interest that you are knowledgeable about and passionate about. Choosing a niche is important because it allows you to focus your writing and develop a unique voice that stands out from other bloggers. To find your niche, start by brainstorming topics that interest you. Think about your hobbies, your job, your education, and your life experiences. What do you know a lot about? What do you enjoy talking about? What do you think other people would be interested in reading about? Once you have a list of potential topics, research them to see if there is already a lot of content available online. You want to choose a niche that is not too crowded but still has an audience. Look for gaps in the market where you can offer unique insights or perspectives. Understanding Your Audience Another important aspect of writing for blogs on the internet is understanding your audience. Who are you writing for? What are their interests, needs, and concerns? What do they want to read about? To understand your audience, you need to do some research. Look at other blogs in your niche and see what types of content are popular. Read comments and engage with your audience on social media to get a sense of what they are looking for. Crafting a Compelling Headline Once you have found your niche and understand your audience, the next step is to craft a compelling headline. Your headline is the first thing that readers will see when they come across your blog post, so it needs to grab their attention and entice them to read on. A good headline should be clear, concise, and specific. It should tell readers what the blog post is about and why they should read it. Use keywords that your audience is searching for and try to evoke emotion or curiosity. Creating Engaging Content After you have crafted a compelling headline, the next step is to create engaging content. Your content should be informative, entertaining, or persuasive, depending on the purpose of your blog post. When creating content, keep in mind that readers have short attention spans and are easily distracted. Break up your content into short paragraphs, use subheadings to guide readers, and include images or videos to break up the text. Use a conversational tone and avoid jargon or technical language that might alienate your readers. Try to make your content relatable and personal by sharing your own experiences or opinions. Promoting Your Blog Finally, once you have created your blog post, the next step is to promote it. Promotion is important because it allows you to reach a wider audience and drive traffic to your blog. Here are some tips to promote your blog: Optimize your blog for search engines: Make sure your blog is optimized for search engines by using relevant keywords, creating quality content, and building backlinks. Utilize social media: Share your blog posts on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to reach a wider audience. Engage with your audience: Respond to comments and engage with your readers to build a community around your blog. Guest posting: Reach out to other bloggers and websites in your niche and offer to write guest posts for them. This will help you reach a new audience and drive traffic to your blog. Join blogging communities: Join blogging communities on social media platforms and forums to connect with other bloggers in your niche and promote your blog. Use email marketing: Build an email list and send newsletters to your subscribers with links to your latest blog posts. Participate in online discussions: Join online discussions and forums related to your niche and share your expertise and knowledge. This will help you establish yourself as an authority in your field and drive traffic to your blog. Remember, promoting your blog takes time and effort. Be patient and consistent in your efforts, and you will see results over time.
Develop Your Business with Effective SEO
When you have a website that you want to do well, and you want to make sure it is going to act as a reliable beacon for your business, you need to think about an effective SEO campaign. This stands for Search Engine Optimisation, and essentially it covers a series of tasks that can be carried out to ensure your website gets higher up in the Search Engines Results Pages (SERPs). That’s vital for driving traffic, and growing your business, and with our help, you can ensure that your SEO is strong and effective at all times. Nowadays, businesses need to have an online presence to survive and thrive. Having a website is just the first step; it’s crucial to make sure that potential customers can find it. This is where search engine optimisation (SEO) comes into play. SEO is the process of optimising your website to increase its visibility and ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs). Here are some of the fundamental steps every online business should consider to help promote their services. Step 1: Keyword Research Keyword research is the foundation of any successful SEO strategy. It involves identifying the words and phrases that your potential customers use to search for products or services similar to yours. There are several tools available, both free and paid, that can help you with keyword research. Google Keyword Planner is one of the most popular tools used for this purpose. It allows you to identify relevant keywords and estimate their search volume, competition, and potential cost per click (CPC) for advertising purposes. Once you have identified your target keywords, you need to optimise your website’s content around them. This means including them in your website’s meta tags, headings, subheadings, and body text. However, it’s important to use keywords naturally and not stuff them into your content. Keyword stuffing can result in a penalty from search engines, which will harm your ranking instead of helping it. Step 2: On-page Optimisation On-page optimisation refers to the optimisation of individual web pages to improve their ranking on SERPs. This includes optimising the content, meta tags, headings, images, and URLs. On-page optimisation also involves ensuring that your website is mobile-friendly, loads quickly, and has a clear and intuitive navigation structure. Optimising your website’s content involves more than just using target keywords. You also need to ensure that your content is high-quality, informative, and engaging. This will increase the chances of your website being linked to by other websites, which is an important factor in SEO. Google values backlinks from reputable website’s as a sign of your website’s authority and relevance. Meta tags, such as the title tag and meta description, provide search engines with a brief summary of what your web page is about. They also appear in search results, so it’s important to write them in a way that entices users to click through to your website. The title tag should include your target keyword and be no longer than 60 characters. The meta description should be no longer than 160 characters and include a call-to-action. Headings, such as H1 and H2, help search engines understand the structure of your web page’s content. They also make it easier for users to read and navigate your content. Including target keywords in your headings can also help with SEO, but, as with content, it’s important to use them naturally and not overdo it. Images are an important element of website design, but they can also slow down your website’s loading speed if they’re not optimised. Make sure to compress images to reduce their file size without compromising their quality. Also, include target keywords in the image’s filename, alt text, and caption. Finally, ensure that your website’s URLs are descriptive and easy to read. Avoid using long, convoluted URLs with numbers and symbols. Instead, use short, descriptive URLs that include your target keyword. Step 3: Off-page Optimisation The primary goal of off-page optimisation is to increase the authority and credibility of a website in the eyes of search engines. This is accomplished by building links from other high-quality website’s to the target website, as well as creating a strong social media presence and engaging in other online activities that increase brand awareness and visibility. Some common off-page optimisation techniques include: Link building: This involves acquiring high-quality backlinks from other reputable website’s that are relevant to your niche. Social media marketing: This involves creating and maintaining an active social media presence on platforms such as Face book, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Influencer marketing: This involves partnering with influential people in your industry to promote your brand and drive traffic to your website. Guest blogging: This involves writing high-quality articles for other website’s in your niche in exchange for a backlinks to your website. Online reputation management: This involves monitoring and managing your online reputation to ensure that your brand is viewed in a positive light by search engines and potential customers. Needs Some Help With Your Online Marketing? If you are looking to conquer your industry, SEO is the route for you. Get the people looking for your services to your website by ensuring that they have the best user experience possible with our SEO services. So, how can you be sure that you can really trust us with your SEO? We are truly a leading SEO Agency, with over 18 years of experience and an experienced team who know everything there is to know about SEO and Digital Marketing. We deliver, Search Engine Optimisation, Built Around Your Business. Call us today on 01207 283878 or visit our Digital Marketing Services website.
Structuring Your Website for SEO – Good Practice
Search engine optimisation (SEO) is an important aspect of any website design, development, and marketing strategy. It is the process of optimising a website to rank higher on search engine results pages (SERPs) for specific keywords and phrases. A well-structured website with SEO in mind can help you to attract more organic traffic, generate leads, and increase revenue. In this post, we will look at some of the key elements of structuring a website for SEO. Define your website’s purpose and audience Before you start building your website, it’s important to define your website’s purpose and audience. Knowing the purpose of your website will help you create a clear message and determine what type of content you should create. Understanding your target audience will help you to create content that is relevant to their interests, problems, and needs. You can use tools like Google Analytics to gather information about your audience, including their demographics, interests, and behavior on your website. This information will help you to identify the types of content that resonate with your audience and create a website structure that meets their needs. Conduct keyword research Keyword research is the process of identifying the phrases and words that people use to search for information on search engines. It is important to conduct keyword research to identify the terms that your target audience is searching for, and optimise your website to rank for those terms. You can use tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMRush, or Ahrefs to conduct keyword research. These tools will help you to identify high-volume keywords, the competition for those keywords, and potential long-tail keywords that are less competitive. Once you have identified your target keywords, you can optimise your website by using those keywords in your content, meta descriptions, and URLs. Create a clear website structure A clear website structure is essential for SEO because it helps search engine crawlers to navigate your website and understand its content. A clear website structure also helps your visitors to find the information they need quickly and easily. The most common website structure is the hierarchical structure, where the homepage is at the top, followed by category pages, subcategory pages, and product pages. This structure allows you to organise your content in a logical way that is easy for visitors and search engines to understand. When designing your website structure, make sure to use descriptive and relevant URLs, use headings to break up your content, and include a sitemap that outlines the structure of your website. Optimise your homepage Your homepage is the most important page on your website because it is the first page that visitors see. It is also the page that search engines consider to be the most important because it typically has the most links and the highest page authority. To optimise your homepage, you should include your primary keywords in the page title, meta description, and H1 tag. You should also include clear and concise descriptions of your products or services, and links to your most important pages. Optimise your content Content is the most important element of your website because it is what your visitors and search engines use to understand your business and its offerings. To optimise your content, you should create high-quality, relevant, and engaging content that answers your visitors’ questions and addresses their problems. When creating content, make sure to include your target keywords in the title, headings, and body of the text. Use subheadings to break up your content into sections, and use bullet points or numbered lists to make your content easy to read. Use internal linking Internal linking is the process of linking to other pages on your website from within your content. Internal linking is important for SEO because it helps search engines to navigate your website and understand the relationship between your pages. Internal linking is an important aspect of SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). It refers to linking pages of your website to other pages within the same website. Internal linking helps search engines to understand the structure of your website, and it also helps to distribute link equity throughout your website. Need Some Help With Your SEO? If you are a business in the North East or the wider UK, our SEO services can help you gain exposure to your potential customers. As a leading Digital Marketing and SEO Agency, we have an expert team available to help your business today and help you get to the first page of Google. We’ve helped loads of businesses across the North East and the UK improve their search ranking positions and we’d love to see if we can help you too. Call Direct Submit today on 01207 283878 or use the onsite contact form.
Attracting New Business with A Proactive Digital Marketing Campaign
The business world is rapidly changing, and digital marketing has become an essential part of any successful marketing campaign. The rise of social media, mobile devices, and search engines has made it easier for businesses to reach potential customers. However, attracting new business requires more than just having a website or social media presence. A proactive digital marketing campaign is essential to ensure that businesses reach their target audience and stand out from the competition. In this article, we will discuss the steps businesses can take to create a proactive digital marketing campaign that attracts new business. Step 1: Define Your Target Audience The first step in creating a proactive digital marketing campaign is to define your target audience. Who are the people that you want to reach? What are their interests, values, and pain points? By understanding your target audience, you can create content that resonates with them and speaks directly to their needs. There are many ways to define your target audience, including: >>> Conducting market research >>> Analysing your existing customer base >>> Creating buyer personas Market research involves gathering information about your industry, competitors, and potential customers. This can be done through surveys, focus groups, and online research. Analysing your existing customer base can also provide valuable insights into the demographics, interests, and behaviours of your target audience. Finally, creating buyer personas involves creating fictional characters that represent your ideal customer. This can help you better understand their needs, motivations, and pain points. Step 2: Develop a Strong Brand Identity The next step in creating a proactive digital marketing campaign is to develop a strong brand identity. A strong brand identity helps businesses stand out from the competition and build trust with potential customers. Your brand identity should be consistent across all channels, including your website, social media, and advertising. To develop a strong brand identity, businesses should consider the following: >>> Defining your brand voice and tone >>> Creating a brand style guide >>> Developing a unique visual identity Your brand voice and tone should reflect your company’s personality and values. This can be formal, informal, humorous, or serious, depending on your target audience and industry. Creating a brand style guide can help ensure consistency in your branding, including your logo, colours, typography, and imagery. Developing a unique visual identity can also help your brand stand out and create a memorable impression with potential customers. Step 3: Create Engaging Content Creating engaging content is essential to attract new business and build brand awareness. Content can take many forms, including blog posts, videos, social media posts, and email marketing campaigns. To create engaging content, businesses should consider the following: >>> Creating content that addresses your target audience’s pain points >>> Using a variety of content formats >>> Incorporating visual elements, such as images and videos Creating content that addresses your target audience’s pain points is essential to attract their attention and provide value. Using a variety of content formats can also help keep your content fresh and engaging. Finally, incorporating visual elements can help make your content more engaging and memorable. Step 4: Optimise Your Website for Search Engines Search engine optimisation (SEO) is the process of optimising your website to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). Optimising your website for SEO is essential to attract new business and increase your online visibility. To optimise your website for SEO, businesses should consider the following: >>> Conducting keyword research >>> Creating high-quality content >>> Optimising your website’s structure and navigation Keyword research involves identifying the keywords and phrases that potential customers are searching for related to your products or services. Creating high-quality content that incorporates these keywords can help improve your website’s ranking in SERPs. Optimising your website’s structure and navigation can also help search engines better. Step 5: Utilise Social Media Social media is a powerful tool for businesses to reach their target audience and promote their brand. There are many social media platforms available, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. To effectively utilise social media, businesses should consider the following: >>> Choosing the right social media platforms for their target audience >>> Creating a social media content calendar >>> Engaging with their audience through comments and messages Choosing the right social media platforms for your target audience is essential to ensure that your content reaches the right people. Creating a social media content calendar can help you plan and schedule your content in advance, ensuring that you post consistently and effectively. Engaging with your audience through comments and messages can also help build relationships and trust with potential customers. Step 6: Run Paid Advertising Campaigns Paid advertising campaigns, such as pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, can be an effective way to reach potential customers and increase website traffic. To run successful paid advertising campaigns, businesses should consider the following: >>> Choosing the right platform and ad format >>> Targeting the right audience >>> Creating compelling ad copy and visuals Choosing the right platform and ad format depends on your target audience and marketing goals. For example, Facebook ads may be more effective for B2C businesses, while LinkedIn ads may be more effective for B2B businesses. Targeting the right audience is essential to ensure that your ads reach the right people. Creating compelling ad copy and visuals can help increase click-through rates and conversions. Step 7: Measure and Analyse Results Measuring and analysing the results of your digital marketing campaign is essential to understand what’s working and what’s not. To effectively measure and analyse your results, businesses should consider the following: >>> Setting clear goals and KPIs (key performance indicators) >>> Using analytics tools to track website traffic and engagement >>> Analysing the data and adjusting the campaign accordingly Setting clear goals and KPIs can help you track the success of your campaign and make data-driven decisions. Using analytics tools, such as Google Analytics, can help you track website traffic, engagement, and conversions. Analysing the data and adjusting the campaign accordingly can help you optimise
Why Quality Content is Key to SEO Success
In today’s digital age, having a website is not enough to ensure online success. With millions of websites competing for attention, it’s essential to have a solid SEO strategy that will help your website stand out in search engine results pages (SERPs). And while there are many factors that go into creating an effective SEO strategy, one of the most important is quality content. In this article, we’ll explore why quality content is key to SEO success and provide tips for creating it. Why Quality Content is Key to SEO Success Google rewards quality content Google’s mission is to provide users with the most relevant and high-quality content possible. This means that the search engine giant rewards websites that publish quality content with higher rankings in search results. When you create quality content, you’re not only providing value to your audience but also signalling to Google that your website is authoritative and trustworthy. Quality content attracts backlinks Backlinks are a crucial factor in SEO success, as they signal to search engines that other websites consider your content valuable and authoritative. When you create quality content, other websites are more likely to link to it, which can significantly boost your website’s search engine rankings. Quality content increases user engagement User engagement is another important factor in SEO success. When users spend more time on your website and engage with your content, it signals to Google that your website is providing value to your audience. This can result in higher rankings in search results and increased visibility for your website. Quality content helps you stand out in a crowded market With millions of websites vying for attention, it can be challenging to stand out in a crowded market. However, when you create quality content that provides value to your audience, you set yourself apart from the competition. This can help you build a loyal following and establish your website as an authoritative source in your industry. Quality content leads to more conversions Ultimately, the goal of SEO is to drive conversions and increase revenue. Quality content can help you achieve this by providing your audience with the information they need to make informed decisions. When you create content that is informative, engaging, and relevant to your audience, you’re more likely to convert visitors into customers. How to Create Quality Content for SEO Success Conduct keyword research Before you start creating content, it’s essential to conduct keyword research to identify the keywords and phrases that your target audience is searching for. This will help you create content that is relevant to their interests and needs and improve your chances of ranking for those keywords in search results. Focus on user intent When creating content, it’s crucial to focus on user intent. This means understanding the questions and needs that your target audience has and creating content that addresses those needs. By focusing on user intent, you’ll create content that is more likely to attract and engage your target audience, leading to higher search engine rankings and more conversions. Create unique and valuable content To stand out in a crowded market, your content needs to be unique and provide value to your audience. Avoid creating generic or duplicate content, as this can harm your search engine rankings and turn off your audience. Instead, focus on creating content that provides new insights, solutions to problems, or a unique perspective on a topic. Use a variety of content formats Creating content in a variety of formats can help you attract a broader audience and keep them engaged with your website. Consider using a mix of blog posts, videos, infographics, podcasts, and other formats to create a diverse range of content that appeals to different learning styles. Optimise your content for search engines Quality, authoritative content is the number one driver of your search engine rankings and there is no substitute for great content—this is especially true when doing SEO marketing. Quality content created specifically for your intended user increases site traffic, which improves your site’s authority and relevance. Search engines make frequent updates. Business goals can change quickly too. But it can take an average of three to six months for a post to rank on Google. Without a strategy, you might find yourself investing in your blog but not seeing a boost in SEO. Set up specifically to assist small to medium business owners achieve their digital marketing ambitions, we have been established since 2002, and have been successfully meeting and exceeding our customer’s expectations since then. One size SEO doesn’t fit all Our approach to SEO recognises that one size does not fit all and every client is different. Our aim is to work within your budget and provide complete transparency. This approach delivers greater value for both parties and typically fosters long term partnerships. Our Search Engine Optimisation services include: Organic Search, On-Page SEO, Link Building, Keyword Research, and SEO Activity Reports. They offer an affordable & effective service leading to an increase in sales, website traffic, and customer acquisition for your business. Remember, people are searching for your products and services every day. A strong campaign with our Search Engine Optimisation Services will lead to new business growth. When it comes to a typical small business online marketing campaign, Local SEO is arguably the most important component. This is a great way to work your way up in the search engine rankings, and stay there. When people search for the products and services you offer, you’ll be the first name they see and the first click, call or contact they make. Around 86% of customers use Search Engines to discover a businesses, demonstrating the importance of connecting with these customers. Our Local SEO experts will ensure that your business is seen by more of your local target audience, helping you achieve more local traffic than ever before. If you are looking to conquer your Local market, then Local SEO is the route for you. Get the people looking for your services
LinkedIn Introduces SEO Tools For Articles
Discover how to optimise your LinkedIn presence with new SEO tools, content display options, and newsletter features. LinkedIn is releasing new tools to help make your content stand out and reach more people. Among the updates is a way to customize how your LinkedIn articles appear in search engines. Now, you can change the SEO title and description of LinkedIn articles to make them easier to find. Additionally, LinkedIn is giving you new ways to show off the best work on your profile and acquire more newsletter subscribers. Here are all the details about LinkedIn’s latest updates. You can now change the SEO titles and descriptions of your LinkedIn articles. To do that, go to any of your articles and click on the “Publishing” menu. Then, click “Settings.” Now you should see text boxes where you can change the article’s SEO title and description. This feature will make it easier to optimize your content and get found for specific keywords. You can now prominently display different types of content in the Activity section of your profile. This update lets you highlight images, videos, newsletters, or documents in the same section. You can choose which content to display first, so put your best work front and center! LinkedIn is adding a central location for analytics and creation tools, allowing you to create content and measure performance in one place. To access this new feature, turn on creator mode and select “Analytics & tools” at the top of your profile via mobile or desktop. Scheduled newsletters and articles are now possible on LinkedIn, making it easier to plan your content and share it at the best times. To utilize this feature, tap the “schedule” button on the share box and select the date and time to go live. Additionally, to help newsletter authors find the right audience, LinkedIn has created a one-click subscribe URL and an embeddable button. This enables existing and potential readers to subscribe to newsletters directly from LinkedIn or other channels. Lastly, LinkedIn is enhancing newsletter discovery by making them more visible in search results. Users searching for newsletter authors will see their newsletter under their name in the search results. LinkedIn’s new tools aim to help you stand out and reach a wider audience. With the ability to customise the SEO title and description of LinkedIn articles, you can optimise your content and improve its visibility in search engines. The updated Activity section of the profile allows you to showcase different types of content, including images, videos, newsletters, and documents. With the added feature of scheduled newsletters and articles, you can plan and share your content on LinkedIn at the best times. The new central location for analytics and creation tools allows you to do more in one place. Finally, LinkedIn is making newsletters more visible in search results and has created a one-click subscribe URL and an embeddable button. These updates to LinkedIn provide valuable new ways to create, share, and promote your content on the platform.
Support Local Business with Local SEO
In today’s world, consumers are becoming more and more conscious of where they spend their money. One trend that has gained popularity in recent years is the support of local businesses. Local SEO, or search engine optimisation, is an essential tool for local businesses to reach and connect with their customers. Here are 1000 words on why local businesses should invest in local SEO and how it can help them grow. What is Local SEO? Local SEO is a digital marketing strategy that focuses on increasing the visibility of a business to local customers. It involves optimizing a business’s website and other online assets to rank higher in local search results. Local SEO includes tactics such as claiming and optimizing a Google My Business listing, building local citations and creating localised content. Why is Local SEO important for Local Businesses? Increased visibility to local customers Local SEO helps local businesses to appear in the search results of customers who are searching for businesses in their local area. This makes it easier for potential customers to find and connect with the business, leading to increased visibility and foot traffic. Improved search engine rankings By optimizing their website and other online assets for local search, local businesses can improve their search engine rankings. This means that they will appear higher in search results for relevant local queries, making it more likely that potential customers will click through to their website. Enhanced user experience Local SEO also focuses on improving the user experience for local customers. This includes making sure that the business’s website is mobile-friendly and easy to navigate, as well as providing accurate and up-to-date information about the business’s location, hours, and services. Increased customer trust and loyalty When a local business appears in local search results, it can help to build trust and loyalty with local customers. This is because local customers are more likely to trust and support businesses that are part of their community and have a physical presence in their area. How can Local Businesses improve their Local SEO? Claim and optimize your Google My Business listing Google My Business is a free tool that allows businesses to manage their online presence on Google. By claiming and optimizing your Google My Business listing, you can provide accurate and up-to-date information about your business to potential customers, including your location, hours, and services. Build local citations A local citation is a mention of your business’s name, address, and phone number (NAP) on other websites, such as directories, social media platforms, and review sites. Building local citations can help to improve your business’s visibility in local search results and also helps to build trust and credibility with potential customers. Create localized content Creating localized content, such as blog posts or landing pages, can help to improve your business’s visibility in local search results. This is because search engines prioritize content that is relevant to the user’s search query and location. Localized content can also help to build trust and loyalty with local customers by demonstrating your knowledge of and connection to the local community. Get customer reviews Customer reviews are an important factor in local SEO, as they can help to improve your business’s visibility and reputation in local search results. Encourage your customers to leave reviews on your Google My Business listing, as well as on other review sites such as Yelp and TripAdvisor. Use local keywords Using local keywords, such as your city or neighborhood name, can help to improve your business’s visibility in local search results. Make sure to include local keywords in your website content, meta descriptions, and other online assets. The Way Ahead Investing in local SEO is an essential tool for local businesses to connect with and grow their customer base. By improving their visibility in local search results, local businesses can increase foot traffic and build trust and loyalty with local customers. Around 86% of customers use search engines to discover local businesses, demonstrating the importance of connecting with these customers. Our local SEO experts will ensure that your business is seen by more of your local target audience through our local SEO services. Whether you’re a small-medium independent business, a new business or an established company, you can achieve successful business growth using effective local SEO strategies.
Microsoft Announces ChatGPT Capabilities Coming To Bing
Microsoft has announced that it is bringing cutting-edge AI capabilities to its Bing search engine, with the addition of a new ChatGPT-like feature. It revealed its plans for integrating ChatGPT at a private event held at its Redmond headquarters today, which centered around its partnership with OpenAI. Unlike recent virtual events, this particular press conference was held in person and not broadcast online. Microsoft Integrating ChatGPT During the event, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella highlighted the significance of this new feature and how it will revolutionise the way people interact with search engines. “I think this technology is going to reshape pretty much every software category,” says Nadella. Nadella proclaimed, “The race starts today,” and Microsoft is going to “move and move fast.” The event attendees were given a sneak peek at the latest search experience, which Microsoft refers to as “your AI-powered copilot for the web.” This new experience combines the all-new Bing search engine and Edge web browser, which are designed to complement each other. Nadella explained that the new Bing would provide direct answers to questions and encourage users to be more creative. He also stated that the current search experience is not working as efficiently as it should be, as 40% of the time, people click on search links and then immediately click back. This clearly indicates that the search experience needs to be updated and improved. Nadella claims that the search engine user experience hasn’t changed in 20 years, and it’s time for Microsoft to adapt. The New Bing The new Bing is powered by a next-generation language model from OpenAI, which has been specifically customized for search purposes. It’s even more powerful than the ChatGPT model. Microsoft has implemented a new way of working with OpenAI called the “prometheus model,” which enhances the relevancy of answers, annotates them, keeps them up to date, and more. The search index has also been improved by applying the AI model to the core search algorithm, which Nadella calls the largest jump in relevance ever. It runs on a new user experience with an expanded search box that accepts up to 1,000 characters. Examples shared during the event look exactly like recent leaks. The new Bing includes a chatbot that behaves similarly to ChatGPT, allowing users to interact with Bing in a natural language. Bing’s new ChatGPT-like feature will take it a step further by allowing users to have an actual conversation with the search engine, with the ability to follow up on previous questions and provide more context for their search. The new Bing is now available for a limited preview on desktop, and anyone can try it out by visiting Bing.com and performing sample searches. You can also sign up to be notified when it becomes more widely available. The preview will be expanded to millions of users in the near future, and a mobile version will be available soon. The New Edge Browser The chat interface Microsoft demonstrated in Bing is available as a sidebar feature in Edge, allowing users to access it without navigating to the Bing website. The interface can run alongside any webpage and interact with it. During a demonstration, the AI assistant in Edge could summarize a 15-page PDF with one click and even translate a code snippet from Stack Overflow into another programming language. Another benefit of the Edge browser’s “AI co-pilot” is having it complete tasks for you, such as filling out forms and writing emails. Microsoft has made a substantial leap in search engine technology by integrating a ChatGPT-like feature in its Bing search engine. The new Bing is powered by a next-generation language model from OpenAI, which takes key learnings and advancements from ChatGPT and GPT-3.5. Bing with the AI co-pilot is now available for a limited preview on desktop, and a mobile version will be available soon. Additionally, the chat interface will be available as a sidebar feature in the new Edge browser, which has the ability to summarize information, translate code, and even complete tasks. Source: Microsoft
Google Ads Rolling Out Account Level Negative Keywords
Google has announced that account-level negative keywords were now being rolled out globally. The feature was first announced last year and has been in testing for some months. Advertisers can use negative keywords to prevent their ads appearing for irrelevant terms or alongside unsuitable content. Having the account-level feature means you will be able to create a single account-level list and have the negative keywords applied across all Search and Shopping campaigns and the Search and Shopping portion of Performance Max for brand safety. Source: Twitter It will be a time-saver for advertisers running multiple campaigns, as it removes the need to add negative keywords separately to each individual campaign. Any changes made will be applied across all relevant campaigns. “When you create your account-level list of negative keywords, it will automatically apply to all search and shopping inventory in relevant campaign types. These include all search and shopping inventory in Search, Performance Max, Shopping, Smart Shopping, Smart and Local campaigns.” Excluding terms through the use of negative keywords helps your ads reach the most relevant audience, that is people interested in your products and services, and so can result in better conversion rates. Google gives the following example: “You own a sporting goods store and you sell workout clothes. In this case, you can create a list of negative keywords for query intent that includes terms such as ‘dress trousers’ or ‘blouses’.” Negative keywords can help save on ad spend by stopping your ads from showing to irrelevant audiences who aren’t interested in your offering. It also gives advertisers more control over where their ads appear. See Google’s announcement for more details about managing account-level negative keywords.