How does SEO work?
How does SEO work? Let’s break down the way this works, starting with Technical SEO. Search engines have three main functions when it comes to web searching, which are crawling, indexing and ranking. Crawling:the discovery process in which search engines send out a team of robots (known as crawlers or spiders) to find new and updated content. Indexing:the process of organising the content found while crawling, allowing your site to be included in the search results displayed. Ranking: the process of ordering the content included in search results by most relevant to least relevant. Technical SEO strategies include algorithms that optimise every aspect of your website to make sure search engine crawlers index and rank your company’s website correctly. Next is a technique referred to as On-Page SEO, which includes content building and web design to enhance a site’s user experience. Building your website, with content and visuals that are appealing to customers, is another key component of SEO that turns viewers into sales. Content is key. Without quality on-page content that includes relevant key words, search engines will not pick up your website’s URL. When your content matches the searcher’s interest, it creates credibility. This is achieved through SEO copywriting and content writing that is sure to catch not only the viewer’s attention but also the search engine’s algorithms. Effective web design is how to make your content visually appealing through dynamic graphics, blog posts, and visuals that encourage visitors to explore your webpage further. Make sure your site’s appearance clearly appeals to your intended users. Another way to increase credibility is through backlinks to your website, or Off-Page SEO. When your content is relevant and informative, other sites are more likely to link your to your site resulting in third-party credibility building. So Why Is SEO Important for My Business? The first page of search results + increased visibility and viewers = more sales! As a growing business, increasing your visibility on the web is absolutely key. Today, search engines drive the majority of online traffic. The higher up on a search engine results page that your site appears, the more credible you are to customers and the more valuable, organic online traffic your website will receive. Did you know that Google receives over 63,000 searches per second, each day? We live in a technology-driven world, in which people want the best, as fast as possible. When searching a subject, product, or service, customers don’t want to spend hours combing through results. With so many searches per day, Google knows exactly how to index sources to ensure customers are seeing the most reliable results, at the fastest pace. This makes the world of SEO marketing a competitive one. The algorithm of SEO is a simple one, but ensuring that SEO strategies are implemented efficiently, correctly and with innovation, takes expertise. At Direct Submit we have experts that understand how each individual component of the SEO strategy impacts overall ranking. We address site structure and site architecture first to ensure the proper navigation is in place to maximise each pages ability to compete in the search results. From there we test and monitor the on-page optimisation of each page within your website on an ongoing basis and adjust accordingly. We have experts in on site usage who will help improve CTR to your pages and measure user engagement to continue to improve organic rank over time. Direct Submit is an SEO marketing and digital agency based with offices in Newcastle and Durham. We specialise in ROI-focused digital marketing, bespoke web design & development and digital design. With a focus on building long-term relationships with our clients, we deliver services including SEO, PPC, content marketing, social media marketing, web design and e-commerce websites. Call us today on 0845 272 2350 or visit our Digital Marketing Services website.
Bing is Different from Google – Why it Matters?
Bing is Different from Google – Why it Matters? There are certain things that Bing does better than Google. For example, doing an image search using Bing is preferable due to the higher quality results. You can search for different layouts and see licensing information for each image without having to figure out where to look. Bing also pioneered infinite scrolling for image search results, though it’s no longer unique. Google now offers this feature, too. Video search is also more hassle-free with Bing, despite YouTube being a Google brand. When you search for a video on Bing, the results come up as a thumbnail grid. You can then watch the videos without leaving the SERP. You will often find that optimising for Bing SEO is much like optimising for Google SEO. Both search engines use the BERT algorithm, which means keyword stuffing, manipulative link-building schemes, and other questionable tactics won’t work. Why Bing Matters? > Bing isn’t the search engine with the largest market share, but it still serves millions of users every day. > One-third of U.S. online queries are powered by Bing, most notably in terms of voice-assisted searches. > A Bing SEO vs Google SEO mindset is not productive, especially since both search engines use the BERT algorithm. > Many optimisations initiatives meant for Bing also work for Google, and vice versa. An Influential Search Engine Bing, the second most influential search engine in the world, can be a very lucrative channel. You shouldn’t ignore opportunities for increased reach and growth. Besides, Bing SEO tips may often coincide with what you’re already doing for Google SEO. It’s not a good idea to think of optimising your online presence in terms of Bing SEO vs. Google SEO. As we’ve touched on consistently throughout this post, Bing is more similar to Google that many realize. Their algorithms may not be the same, but with delicate balancing, it’s not difficult to come up with a strategy that satisfies both Bing and Google. Despite the low percentage of people using Bing and Yahoo!, you’re still looking at a potential audience numbering in the millions. So well worth optimising for.
Effective & Affordable Digital Marketing
Effective & Affordable Digital Marketing. Direct Submit SEO Services began with an idea that Search Engine Optimisation services should be affordable to everyone in the small business marketplace, but also be able to handle medium to large firms as well. We are an in-house Digital Marketing agency that specialises in Search Engine Optimisation. Our SEO specialists focus on delivering revenue producing results to our clients. Digital Marketing or Search Engine Optimisation Our 20-year journey of adjusting and tweaking our proprietary SEO strategy as made us leaders in our industry. Our vision has always been to provide effective and affordable digital marketing solutions to everyone, whatever their business or organisation. We strive to build long-term customer and partner relationships, always giving 100% of our abilities, deliver consistent high-quality work, and ALWAYS be at service for our clients. After signing up for one of our Digital Marketing or Search Engine Optimisation, just leave the rest to us. We’ll get to work and free you up to spend your time where it’s needed most… running your business! With offices in Durham and Newcastle, we pride ourselves on delivering top-quality results that are based on proven techniques and an intimate, dynamic knowledge of ethical search marketing practices. Remember, you’re just one phone call away from starting on the road to success.
Key Steps of an SEO Implementation Process
Key Steps of an SEO Implementation Process. Almost every business wants their business to be found on the first page of the major search engines. Your business has to earn that right to get these results using an effective SEO process. The Search Engines, most notably Google, are continuously changing and updating how they rank for search results. To ensure your website remains successful within the search engines, you need time, expertise and energy to focus on recognising these changes. Here are a number of recognised steps for any successful SEO campaign: 1. Website Audit If you have a website for your business, the first step is to run an SEO audit on it. The audit will check your website for keyword ranking, content, current SEO level, inbound/outbound links, social media presence and how you rank against your competition. 2. Keyword Analysis Performing keyword research is not always a straightforward process. Some keywords, obviously relevant to your business and product, can be highly competitive, making it futile to use them for ranking. There are tools that you can use to analyse and research what keywords and phrases might work best, but sometimes it takes plain old logic to determine the best ones. For example, what will my target audience use in their search queries to find my product? And if they find your website using certain keywords, will they like what the results are; i.e., does your website answer their questions and fulfill their needs? Will the traffic those keywords bring result in a conversion to a sale or monetary gain? 3. Website Analysis Reviewing the details and underpinnings of your website design can reveal some areas that need modifications to improve SEO. Looking at page titles, meta descriptions and internal/external links are some areas that need review. Developing a content-to-keyword map helps as well. 4. Backlink Analysis Backlinks are links between websites; a backlink points back to another website. Backlinks are crucial to successful SEO, because they represent trust and confidence. Backlinks to your website are a signal to search engines that others vouch for your content. In this step of the SEO implementation process, your website’s backlink profile is analysed and a plan created for building quality links. 5. Content Optimisation This is where content is reviewed on your website, social media channels, blogs and wherever your brand name is mentioned under your control. A blogging calendar should be set up, to include dates and topics to be published. The keyword analysis results will be used to develop calls to action and other marketing opportunities. 6. Directories and Citations Claiming your business listing in Google My Business can boost your SEO considerably, so it’s important to do so. There are dozens of directories and review sites where you should list and claim your business. Search engines love these, and it will definitely work in your favour as long as they are relevant to your business. You’ll also need to make sure your Name, Address and Phone (NAP) is consistent throughout your listings and with your website. 7. Ongoing Reports, Reviews and Maintenance Reports showing status of your SEO progress will help determine if the strategy is working well or if it needs some tweaks. Periodic keyword review and analysis should be conducted to ensure they are still working to your advantage. SEO Is a Journey Even if you’re lucky enough to achieve the coveted first page of Google results, you can’t rest on your laurels and hope that it stays there. Competition is fierce and you need to stay on top of the game to keep up. Direct Submit SEO Services can help you create and implement a comprehensive SEO implementation process. Start by getting your free SEO audit report. Once you know where you stand, we can help you maximize your online presence.
How important is local SEO?
How important is local SEO? When a potential customer conducts a search, they may (or may not) type in their location. Whether or not they do this hardly matters anymore. Often that same searcher will have enabled Google to pinpoint their location. Because of this, local businesses will show up on top. This can be at the top of the search results or in a dedicated list of nearby business profiles. Still not convinced about the importance of local SEO in making sure you end up on the first page? These local SEO statistics might just change your mind: > If customers search for something local, 72% of them will visit the store within five miles of where they are. > Stores that used location-based, in-store mobile coupons saw a 9,916% increase in their sales. That means they found you online, you rewarded them with a coupon at checkout, and they became a customer. > Mobile-friendly sites make customers want to connect. 61% of customers who find you on a mobile phone will contact you. > Local SEO statistics include the 70 to 80% of people who completely ignore paid advertisements in favour of the first five organic search results (i.e., your local business). > Google changes its search ranking algorithm between 500 and 600 times a year, making local search (the kind that specifies a location) even more effective. > 87% of people with a smartphone use it to search at least once a day. > Combine #6 with the fact that a new study found that people in the U.S. look at their phones an average of 80 times a day when they go on vacation, with some people virtually glued to the screen (around 300 times a day). Chances are good they are searching more than once a day, and on vacation they are looking for local businesses. Like yours. > Google Maps is utilised by 86% of people to look up a local business. > Once they find you, almost 80% of location-based searches culminate in a purchase at the business’s brick-and-mortar location. > Location-based searches turn into same-day sales 18% of the time. > Google reports a 900% increase in the use of “near me/close by” searches. These two search terms are prime real estate for local SEO. > There’s also a 500% increase in “near me” searches that also include the words “can I buy” or “buy.” According to Google search statistics, 2019 means your customers are actually looking for you right now. > Of all of the three and a half billion daily Google searches, 46% of them are local. > If the first position of a local listing gets 30% of the clicks (or just a little less, depending on your source), local listings that come after the sixth ranking get less than 2% of clicks. And, that’s for search results that are still on the first page. > There is good news for local listings who highlight their reviews: 97% of consumers are influenced by reviews, with 88% trusting online reviews to make a purchase or contact a service. > For smartphone users who want ads, 67% of them want them customized to their zip code and city. > 61% of people open to ads want them to be even more specific – to their pinpointed location. > Why so much ado about mobile devices? Mobile devices now account for over half of all searches online. So while your website needs to be optimised, your mobile site must be fast and responsive, too. > Whether on a smartphone or a desktop, Google’s local pack often appears in the top three search results when a location is specified. > Mobile searches want the world, and they want it now. Searches using the term “now” or “today” have increased by 150%. > By 2020, it’s predicted that 50% of all searches will be voice-activated. Whether searchers are on a smartphone or using voice search, optimising for both can point locals to your shop or practice without even lifting a finger. “Where to buy” searches have grown by 85% since 2015. This local SEO stat means you have customers right down the street who want to walk in the store and buy your product (instead of just ordering online). > 67% of customers prefer businesses that tailor ads and content to their location. > Almost the same number (66%) of customers actually purchase from a business that targets their location. Local SEO statistics don’t mean much if you have no idea where to start. If need a company that has real-world experience using data-driven strategies to improve your company’s online presence, get in touch with Boost Medical today. Our SEO managers will use their expert knowledge, industry insight and range of tools to understand your company from a local business perspective. They will analyse the competitive landscape, capture accurate baseline information about the performance of your current marketing strategies, evaluate your website & local online presence, and formulate a strategy to increase your SEO performance.
Search Engine Optimisation for Online Businesses
Search Engine Optimisation for Online Businesses. Why is search engine optimisation important for online businesses today? Imagine your target audience performing a Google search for information relevant to your business. They do the search and find plenty of results for other brands to fit their needs. But because your company’s Internet marketing content was not optimised in the best way to not only capture the attention of your audience, but also the search engine algorithm, your online content is now not seeing the best results it could. “97% of consumers use the Internet when researching local products/services” Source: BIA/Kelsey As a top North East based SEO company, we recognise this gap, and provide the most effective seo solutions to companies in need. If you’re online content is not hitting your desired business goals, then it may be time to take a closer look at your current seo techniques and partner with real seo experts like Direct Submit! Making Your Website Visible The way your website generates traffic is by becoming visible on search engine results pages. The results that are populated higher on SERPs are seen as the most relevant pages. Therefore, these pages receive more clicks and higher traffic. These pages are your competition and you don’t want them to keep getting that valuable traffic your business could be receiving. The solution: our marketing agency has designed a highly successful local and UK wide search engine optimisation service that is both ethical and result-driven. We use the latest tools, strategies, and trends to help you move up in the search engine results for the right keywords to get noticed by the right audience. You’ve heard about it and how it can help grow your business. Is it a good fit for your business? Regardless of what type of business you own, SEO should be a part of your digital marketing strategy. Is SEO something that you can do on your own? Sure, going the DIY route is a viable option for SEO marketing. However, keep in mind that SEO has many working parts, they’re ever-changing and the process requires a lot of hard work. To succeed in SEO, it Needs to be Done Right If you want to make the most out of your SEO marketing budget, you should consider partnering with an SEO company. Direct Submit Digital Marketing is a leading North East SEO services agency that you can count on. We’ll help you target the audience that will likely convert on your website. Any marketing agency can claim that they’re all about results. At Direct Submit, we’re positively obsessed. We carry this commitment to delivering data-driven strategies and bottom-line results from start to finish, helping you ignite growth through customised search engine marketing solutions. For more than a decade, we’ve partnered with many local and National businesses – from start-up companies to well established businesses, helping these organisations strengthen their brand and broaden their reach. Direct Submit is an SEO marketing and digital agency based with offices in Newcastle and Durham who specialise in ROI-focused digital marketing, bespoke web design & development and digital design. Call us today on 0845 272 2350 for more information or ask about our FREE SEO AUDIT service.
Looking at the SEO Rules for 2020
Looking at the SEO Rules for 2020. While a lot of people still think of SEO as some kind of hocus-pocus, those, who properly work SEO into their online marketing strategy, enjoy such benefits of SEO for business as increase in traffic and conversions, visibility, credibility, brand awareness and a better understanding of the customer behavior. So what should you look for in 2020 to consolidate you SEO? According to Forbes, the following should help. Looking at the SEO Rules for 2020 1. Backlinks are out; dynamic content is in. Google’s search team realised a lot of people were using shady SEO tactics and building tons of backlinks from huge websites, so it fought back. You’d think a backlink from Forbes, one of the most trafficked sites in the world, would shoot you to the top of the ranks, but it doesn’t. Google now ranks sites by category, and news outlets, among others, have lost a ton of SEO credibility and rankability. Now Google’s algorithm focuses more on the richness of your content, much like Instagram. This means the worth, depth and differentiation of your content are more important than the sites that link to you. Things like the use of images with alt tags, visual aesthetics and depth of writing are all measured by the algorithm and can set you apart. So make sure to include keywords, along with images and video. Think of your new SEO-rich blog posts more like infographics and less like essays or articles. 2. SEO never goes away. As ad platforms rise in cost, SEO continues to be the backbone. Don’t underrate the value of having an SEO presence. Ads go away as soon as you stop spending, but SEO lasts forever, and the longer you have your domain, the more your domain authority rises. Google rewards longevity, and once you rank for a top keyword in your niche, you’ll always have that content and footprint until you delete your site or remove the content. Google now shows more ads on the search results page than ever, but SEO still matters because some consumers still actively avoid ads, and those ads cost you more. 3. Find and leverage trending content. The best way to develop SEO content is by using Google’s keyword tool to find high-volume, low-competition keywords and draft content around them, or by using the skyscraper technique. However, there are a couple of other tactics as well: • Ego Bait Strategy. Content creation that includes information provided by your target audience can be extremely valuable, and if they have put in a little effort to be part of the article then there is a much higher chance they will share the article once it goes live. One way to improve your conversion numbers when reaching out to the people you would like to take part in the article is to let them know that a leading influencer in their industry is also taking part. That way they will be much more likely to want to take part themselves and more aggressively share the content with their audience. • Evergreen Keyword Targets. When creating content for a website, you need to ensure that there is a primary keyword target that receives a reasonable amount of search each and every month or large spikes throughout particular times of the year, such as seasonal changes or on specific dates, such as Christmas. Targeting these terms will ensure you are creating content around topics people are genuinely interested in, and as long as they are in a closely related vertical, the organic traffic they bring to your site will help with your overall authority. This will provide the chance for on-site conversions and can also be used to build low-cost remarketing audiences. That said, your content needs to be 100% original. Don’t even think about reposting someone else’s content. Google will find you and slap you on the wrist. After all, Google indexes every single website out there. However, you can repost content by giving credit to the originator using Google’s reposting tool. Looking at the SEO Rules for 2020 Keep in mind that SEO fits into a larger strategy. You can’t just do SEO. It’ll take you years to become profitable. However, SEO in addition to brand recognition raises your overall conversion rate in ads, so the two complement each other. This is precisely why when you ask a marketer, “What should I be doing for marketing?” they will never give you a straight answer: They can’t without knowing your goals and current situation.
An Effective Approach to SEO
An Effective Approach to SEO. SEO is a fundamental part of any online marketing strategy. However, it is a long-term strategy, which requires a good deal of time and investment. But with that said, this time and investment is well worth the rewards of success. SEO allows you to target specific keywords relating to your business, that users are actively searching for. Making sure you are found when users are actively searching for your product or service. Simply put, our approach to SEO typically will is built around: » Key Phrase Research » Website Analysis & Compliance » SEO Promotion & Marketing » Linking Strategy » Ongoing Monitoring & Maintenance Our team of SEO specialists have been working in SEO since 2001 and since then, have helped many local businesses just like yours expand in the Newcastle and North East region and beyond. Ranking higher on Google is tough and you should expect to be involved in SEO for the long term. However, through careful planning, link building, content optimisation and works we carry out to your website each month, we are sure to see your position improve online. Direct Submit are a leading SEO & Digital Marketing Agency who have a reputation for delivering tangible results and excellent customer service. We help our clients get more customers from search. With offices in Durham and Newcastle, we pride ourselves on delivering top-quality results and a proven effective approach to SEO and digital marketing. You’re just one phone call away from starting on the road to success. Call us today on 0845 2722350 and get your website working harder for your business.
Google Launches Search Tips to Help with Relevancy
You may see a new message in Google search that reads “it looks like there aren’t any great matches for your search”. Google today announced it is launching a new feature that tries to help you rephrase your query when the search engine cannot find relevant results on the web. Google said it is rolling out in the U.S. today “a new message that lets you know when Google hasn’t been able to find anything that matches your search particularly well.” Who will see this. Google said you are unlikely to see this message because for most queries, Google does hope to give you great search results. But for a “fairly small proportion of queries,” a Google spokesperson told us, you may see this message come up. The message will give you advice on how to change your query to find better results. What it looks like. Here is a screenshot of the message, which reads “it looks like there aren’t any great matches for your search.” It then gives you tips and advice on how to retry your search: More results. Google did test this last November, but in those tests, Google made you click to see more search results. In the launched version of this feature, Google will show you search results — although not great results — below this box. “While you can still go through the results to see for yourself if they’re helpful, the message is a signal that we probably haven’t found what you’re looking for,” Google said. COVID-19 help. This may turn out to be helpful for the spike in COVID-19-related searches. As information and advice around COVID-19 is changing all the time, search results may not be available. That is one of the reasons Google expanded the question hub to the U.S. Now, here is another feature that can help searchers find better results for COVID-19-related queries. Why we care. If you see this box come up for any of your customers’ keyword phrases, in their analytics, in their performance reports and in their keyword lists, you may want to rethink your strategy for those keyword research. Maybe you need to build out more content around the query, maybe you need to see if those searching for those keywords are converting on your site. There may be opportunities for you here as SEOs.
SEO will be a Primary Focus for Marketers
SEO will be a primary focus for marketers during the downturn, says a survey. Respondents said SEO was their top-performing channel last year and is more likely to be maintained going forward. A new survey validates the importance of maintaining your SEO efforts through the coming downturn. The survey, by Conductor, had 317 respondents drawn from Conductor’s extended network across a range of industries, including B2B (24%), Retail (12%), Healthcare (11%), Media (10%) and others (travel and hospitality, consumer technology, financial services, insurance, automotive, e-commerce and manufacturing). Budgets down, but goals the same or up. Like the most other marketer surveys right now, the Conductor study shows that budgets are being adversely impacted by the outbreak. However, the majority of these survey respondents — most of whom are hands-on practitioners — said their budgets were only decreasing slightly or remaining the same. Only 20% were seeing budgets “decrease greatly.” Despite this, 68% said that their goals would remain the same (32%) or increase (36%). Accordingly, 86% said that their marketing goals would be more difficult to achieve this year given reduced budgets and other circumstances. Asked “Will SEO be more or less important during this time?,” 63% said SEO would gain in importance either slightly (34%) or steeply (29%). Only 5% responded that SEO would decrease in importance. Organic Search the Top Channel Organic search was seen by 66% as these marketers’ top-performing channel last year, followed by paid search (50%) and email (50%). Social media was named as the top-performing channel by just 14%. These perceptions will drive future marketing decisions in a downturn. Confronted with a global recession, these marketers say they would, lower budgets, invest more in SEO and raise the ROI threshold for marketing decisions. Only a minority (25%) said they would issue layoffs. Data and images Source: The Impact of COVID-19 on Marketing (2020)