May 29, 2023No Comments

A Beginner’s Guide to Creating SEO-Optimized Product Pages

Having a strong online presence is crucial for the success of any business, especially those operating in the e-commerce space. Search engine optimization (SEO) plays a vital role in driving organic traffic to your website and increasing brand awareness by potential customers.

Whether you have a long-time e-commerce business or a new online store, understanding the fundamentals of SEO and how to optimize your product pages can make a significant difference in your online visibility and sales. This beginner's guide to SEO will provide you with essential insights and step-by-step instructions on creating product pages that are visually appealing and optimized for search engines.

We will walk you through various aspects of product page optimization, from choosing the right primary keyword to crafting compelling product descriptions. You will learn how to optimize title tags and meta descriptions to increase click-through rates and the importance of internal linking for higher rankings. Additionally, we'll explore the power of a rich snippets product and schema markup in enhancing the visibility of your products in search engine results.

So, whether you're selling fashion apparel, electronics, or handmade crafts, optimizing your product pages for SEO is essential to attract targeted traffic, improve your search engine rankings, and ultimately drive more conversions. It’s time to dive into the world of an e-commerce SEO strategy and unlock the potential of your e-commerce business.

Develop Focus Pages for Your SEO Strategy

Focus pages are more important than you think when creating and executing an effective SEO strategy. A focus page is a specific web page optimized to target a particular keyword or topic.

This central page collects all the relevant content and information related to that keyword or topic on your website. By strategically optimizing focus pages, you can significantly improve your search engine rankings and attract more organic traffic to your site.

One concept that can guide the creation of focus pages is the Pareto principle, also known as the 80/20 rule. This principle states that roughly 80% of the results come from 20% of your creations. When applied to SEO, it means that a significant portion of your website's traffic and conversions will come from a small percentage of your web pages.

Optimizing category pages is essential because they are the foundation of your product offerings. These more general pages often target broader keywords that attract a large volume of searches. By carefully selecting relevant keywords and optimizing the category page content, meta tags, and headings, you can increase the visibility of your category pages in search engine results and attract more potential customers to explore your product offerings.

Work to optimize product titles, descriptions, images, and user-generated reviews to provide comprehensive and persuasive information to potential buyers.

What should a focus page include? Aim to answer common questions, provide in-depth information, and offer unique insights that set you apart from competitors. This will improve your chances of ranking higher in search results and increase your credibility as a reliable and authoritative website.

Remember to track the performance of your focus pages using analytics tools. Take note of key metrics such as organic traffic, keyword rankings, conversion rates, and user engagement to assess the effectiveness of your optimization efforts. Use this data to update and revamp your SEO strategy, continually making data-driven decisions to build better SEO-optimized product pages.

When it comes to optimizing product pages, there are several key factors to consider. Let's explore the best practices for creating SEO-optimized product pages.

Choose the Right Primary Keyword

To begin, aligning the product name with the primary keyword is essential. Consider search queries that are commonly used by your target audience, such as brand name, color, size, and SKU. By incorporating these keywords strategically, you can enhance the visibility of your product page. Let's take an example to illustrate this concept further.

Imagine you're selling a comfortable mattress. The primary keyword could be "best mattress 2023." In addition to the primary keyword, you can include related terms like "luxurious mattress," "cooling technology," and other relevant descriptors. Remember to hone in on what makes your product unique compared to others in the industry.

Title Tag Optimization

The title tag plays a vital role in attracting clicks and improving click-through rates (CTR). It's important to optimize the title tag by including the primary keyword and brand name. Consider the optimal length of the title tag, ensuring it is concise yet descriptive. Let's continue with our mattress example:

Title Tag: "Best Mattress 2023 - XYZ Brand | Premium Comfort"

In this one tag, you provide all the information the customer needs. They can stop their search because they know clicking on your website will provide an answer to their search query.

Meta Description Optimization

The meta description also influences CTR. Craft a compelling meta description that includes the product's unique selling points. Keep the length within the recommended limits and consider incorporating the primary keyword naturally. Here's an example using our mattress:

Meta Description: "Discover the best mattress of 2023 - XYZ Brand. Experience a restful night in luxury and comfort with our premium mattresses. Order now and sign up for a future of sweet dreams."

Write Intriguing Product Descriptions

Optimizing the product description is crucial for SEO and providing customers with valuable information. Researching the search engine results pages (SERPs) can help identify whether users seek more descriptive product pages. Tailor the product description accordingly, highlighting key features, benefits, and unique selling points. Let's continue with our mattress example:

Product Description: "Experience the next level of sleeping soundly with the XYZ Brand mattress. This premium mattress is made from organic cotton, eco-friendly padding, and a lush pillowtop and offers customizable firmness. Get the best night’s sleep with our premium mattresses."

Internal Linking Strategy Development

Internal linking plays a significant role in SEO, particularly for product pages. It helps establish the importance of specific products to search engines, helping with higher rankings.

Implement a comprehensive internal linking strategy by including links from the home page, pre-footer, navigation, related products, and top-selling products. Connect all pages within your site so that you do not have any orphan pages that cannot be reached through other pages on your website.

Beware of Cannibalization

Cannibalization occurs when multiple internal pages compete for the same keyword or topic. You do not want to compete with your own page. This can lead to confusion for search engines. To address this, utilize canonical tags to flag the preferred version of a page. For example, if you have multiple variations of the same mattress, such as the "plush mattress" in different colors, you can use canonical tags to avoid cannibalization issues.

Schema Markup Optimization

Schema markup is a powerful tool that allows search engines to understand the content and context of your web pages better. By implementing schema markup, you can increase your website's visibility in search engine results. When you google rich snippets products, you will find products that provide valuable information without having to click through.

Here are some key benefits of schema markup:

image from ahrefs.com

Product Snippets for Enhanced CTR

By adding product snippets to your e-commerce website, you can provide users with informative details about your products in search engine results. Improve click-through rates (CTR) and drive more targeted traffic to your product pages with product snippets.

For example, if you're selling a mattress, the schema product snippet can display essential details such as price, availability, and customer ratings. Make sure to include high-quality images to capture users' attention.

FAQs for Better UX and CTR

Including frequently asked questions (FAQs) snippets on your product pages can help address common user queries and provide valuable information upfront. This not only improves the user experience but also increases the likelihood of users clicking on your link.

For instance, if you're selling a fitness tracker, adding FAQ snippets can cover topics like battery life, waterproof capabilities, and compatibility with different devices. Remember to include relevant images alongside the FAQs for better engagement.

Breadcrumb Snippets for Better UX

Breadcrumb snippets display the categorized structure of your website's pages, making it easier for users to understand the whole picture of your website without missing anything. By implementing breadcrumb snippets, you enhance user experience and improve the likelihood of users exploring other pages on your website. For instance, if you're selling clothing, adding breadcrumb snippets can show the user's path from the homepage to the specific product category.

Structured Data Testing Tool for Error-free Implementation

To ensure the accurate implementation of the schema for e-commerce markup, it's essential to use a structured data testing tool. This tool validates your markup and identifies any errors or issues that may adversely impact search results. These tests will help you determine what to tweak in your strategy to yield even better results.

Encourage Users to Find Additional Products

In addition to optimizing individual product pages, it's important to provide users with opportunities to discover related or complementary products. By implementing features such as "People also viewed," "Similar products," "Related products," "Customer favorites," or "New arrivals" sections on your product pages, you can spark interest in your potential customer. From an SEO perspective, this can lead to higher engagement metrics and improved rankings.

URL Optimization

URL optimization is a crucial aspect of SEO that can significantly impact your click-through rates (CTR) and overall search engine visibility. When it comes to product pages, having a well-optimized URL structure can improve the user experience, make your pages more relevant to search queries, and ultimately drive more organic traffic to your website.

An optimized URL should be concise, descriptive, and include relevant keywords that accurately represent the page’s content. Let's take an example of a product: a hiking backpack called "AdventurePro 5000."

An ineffective URL for this product could be something like:

www.examplestore.com/product?id=12345

This URL does not provide any meaningful information about the product, making it less likely to attract clicks from users who are searching for hiking backpacks. On the other hand, an optimized URL for the same product could look like this:

www.examplestore.com/hiking-backpacks/adventurepro-5000

In this example, the URL includes relevant keywords such as "hiking backpacks" and the product name "adventurepro-5000." When someone clicks on this descriptive link, they know what to expect.

To optimize your URLs for product pages, consider the following tips:

1. Use descriptive keywords: Include relevant keywords to describe the product or category in the URL. This helps search engines understand the context of the page and improves its visibility in search results.

2. Keep it short: Aim for shorter URLs that make sense and are easy to remember. Avoid using complicated characters or numbers in the URL structure.

3. Use hyphens to separate words: Hyphens are preferred over underscores or spaces to separate words in the URL. This improves readability for both search engines and users.

4. Avoid using dynamic parameters: Instead, opt for static URLs that are more search engine-friendly and easier to index.

5. Implement canonical tags: As mentioned above, use canonical tags to specify the preferred URL for similar pages. This ensures that search engines understand which version to prioritize in their rankings.

By optimizing your product page URLs, you increase the chances of attracting relevant organic traffic and improve the overall user experience. Remember, search engines and users appreciate clear, keyword-rich URLs that accurately represent the content they can expect to find on your website.

High-Quality Images for Better Conversion Rates

Images are a huge part of enhancing the user experience and can have a positive impact on SEO. Optimizing images on your website not only improves page load times but also helps search engines understand the relevance and context of your content. Here are some key aspects to consider when it comes to image optimization for SEO.

Firstly, the file size of your images impacts page loading speed. Large image files can slow down your website, leading to a poor user experience and lower search engine rankings. It's essential to compress and resize your images without compromising their quality. Image compression tools or plugins can help reduce file sizes while maintaining visual integrity.

Secondly, alt tags (alternative text) are crucial for SEO. Alt tags provide a text description of the image content not only for search engines but also for visually impaired users. Descriptive and relevant keywords in your alt tags can help search engines understand the context and improve your image's visibility in search results.

Another important aspect is choosing the right file name for your images. Instead of generic names like "IMG_001.jpg," use descriptive file names that include your keywords. For example, if you have an image of a red hiking backpack, a suitable file name could be "red-hiking-backpack.jpg." This increases the chances of your image showing up in search results.

Additionally, the placement of images within your content can impact SEO. Place images near the relevant text to enhance user experience and engagement. It's also beneficial to use responsive design techniques to ensure images display correctly on various devices and screen sizes.

Lastly, optimizing the image's alt text, title, and caption fields can provide additional context and improve SEO. While these elements may not directly impact search engine rankings, they contribute to the user experience.

Web Page Speed for Enhanced User Experience

Web page speed is a critical factor that affects user experience and plays a significant role in SEO rankings. Page speed is a ranking factor because search engines want to return fast and efficient results. A slow-loading website can also result in quick exits from your site and lower user engagement, negatively impacting your online visibility and conversions. Therefore, optimizing your web page speed is essential for both SEO and user satisfaction.

As a general guideline, it is recommended to aim for a page load time of under three seconds. Research shows that users tend to exit websites that take longer to load, so optimizing your website for speed is crucial.

Use a page speed tool to identify your website weaknesses when it comes to loading speed. To optimize web page speed, beginners can start by minifying and compressing JavaScript and CSS files. Minifying involves removing unnecessary characters and spaces from the code, reducing file sizes, and improving load times. You can also compress these files to further decrease their size without compromising functionality.

Another effective technique is browser caching, which allows web browsers to store certain elements of your website locally on a user's device. This eliminates the need to reload all the resources when a user revisits the site, resulting in faster page loading times. Implementing caching mechanisms, such as setting appropriate cache headers or using caching plugins, can significantly improve web page speed.

Optimizing images, as mentioned before, is crucial for web page speed. Compress images without sacrificing quality.

How much does it matter? Understanding the intricacies of loading speed optimization and its relationship with SEO can help you create a better strategy and deliver improved results.

Sitemap File Update

A sitemap is a file that serves as a roadmap for search engines, providing valuable information about your website's structure and organization. It lists all the pages on your website and helps search engines understand the relationships between them. Providing an updated and well-organized sitemap is crucial for ensuring that search engines can easily index your web pages.

Whenever you publish new product pages or make significant updates to existing ones, you must update your sitemap accordingly. Then search engines will know about the new or modified pages, increasing the chances of them being crawled and indexed promptly.

Organizing your sitemap in the best possible way helps search engines navigate and understand your website more efficiently. Here are some best practices for organizing your sitemap file:

1. Use XML Format: Sitemaps are typically created in XML format, which is easily readable by search engines. This format lets you provide essential details about each page, such as the URL, last modification date, and priority.

2. Group Similar Pages: Group similar pages together in your sitemap to indicate their relationship and hierarchy. For example, you can group product pages under a "Products" category and blog posts under a "Blog" category. This helps search engines understand the content structure of your website.

3. Follow a Logical Structure: Arrange your sitemap in a logical order that reflects the organization of your website. Start with the main categories or sections. Then list the individual pages within each category.

4. Include Metadata: Provide additional metadata for each page in your sitemap, such as the page's priority and change frequency. The priority indicates the relative importance of a page compared to other pages on your site, while the change frequency indicates how often the page is expected to be updated.

5. Update Frequency: Set the update frequency attribute for each page in your sitemap based on how often the content of the page changes. This information helps search engines determine how frequently they should revisit the page for indexing.

6. Submit to Search Engines: Once you have updated and organized your sitemap file, submit it to search engines through their respective webmaster tools. This ensures that search engines are aware of your sitemap and can efficiently crawl and index your web pages.

Regularly updating and organizing your sitemap is essential to maintaining a crawlable website. By keeping your sitemap up to date, you help search engines discover your new and updated content, improving its visibility in search engine results. Additionally, an organized sitemap enables search engines to understand the structure of your website, improving the overall indexing process.

Conclusion

In conclusion, SEO-optimized product pages are essential to increasing your online visibility and attracting organic traffic to your e-commerce website.

While reading this rich snippets article, learn how to implement rich snippets and schema markup to help enhance the appearance of your product pages in search engine results, inviting users to click through to your website. Take advantage of structured data and incorporate elements like product snippets, FAQs, and breadcrumb snippets to make your pages more engaging and informative.

Remember that SEO is an ongoing process, and staying updated about the latest trends and algorithm changes is essential. Continuously refine your SEO strategies, adapt to evolving search engine guidelines, and keep improving the user experience on your product pages to stay competitive in the industry.

Consider Hiring an SEO Agency

If you're feeling overwhelmed or unsure about implementing e-commerce SEO strategies for your website, you may consider hiring an SEO agency. We can provide valuable expertise and guidance to help you navigate the complex world of SEO for products. Before hiring an agency, consider the track record, client reviews, and the specific expertise you need. Our team at Loupe & Blade comprises a trusted SEO agency that can teach you the e-commerce SEO best practices. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help your business thrive online.

By implementing these e-commerce SEO tips and strategies, you can optimize your SEO for e-commerce product pages for better visibility, increased traffic, and higher conversions. Stay consistent, monitor your performance, and adapt to changes in search engine algorithms to maintain a competitive edge in the online marketplace. Loupe & Blade can help.

May 22, 2023No Comments

Your Cheat Sheet for Picking the Right Keywords for Your Business

Are you struggling with how to choose keywords SEO for your business? You’re not the only one. SEO keyword selection is a critical aspect of search engine optimization (SEO) for improving your website's visibility and success.

You might be able to list keywords for your company in dozens, but which ones will rank well in the search results? When considering how to come up with SEO keywords, tailor the keywords to specific goals. Create a content marketing plan that all flows together to achieve your business goals.
In this guide, you’ll receive valuable insights and strategies for selecting the right keywords for your business. Let’s get started and find keywords to maximize your online presence.

Understanding Keyword Types

When finding SEO keywords, it's important to understand the difference between short-tail and long-tail keywords. Short-tail keywords are brief and more general, consisting of one to three words. They usually are common in search queries, but your company can easily get lost among the competition.

On the other hand, long-tail keywords are more specific and descriptive, often containing three or more words. With a lower search volume, they are less competitive and have higher conversion rates.

For example, if you own an online shoe company, a short-tail keyword might be “shoes.” Imagine all the businesses that come up when someone types in “shoes.” But if you narrow down the search with a descriptive long-tail keyword like “women’s running shoes in bright colors,” you may have a chance at showing up in the results and targeting a more specific audience that is more likely to convert.

If you wonder how to determine the best keywords for SEO, combining short- and long-tail keywords will help you reach a broad audience while also narrowing in on your target customers.

Understanding Keyword Intent

Keyword intent refers to the purpose or motivation behind a user's search query. Getting inside the head of your potential customers is crucial for building and optimizing your website effectively.

There are four main types of keyword intent: informational, navigational, investigational, and transactional.
• Informational keywords are used when users seek information or answers to their questions. For instance, typing “how to repair a hole in the wall” is an informational keyword.
• Navigational keywords are used to find a specific website or brand. “Shoe company that uses recycled plastic” is a good example of a user looking for a specific brand.
• Investigational keywords are used to research a product or service before making a decision. An example is when a user types, “Is retinol cream harmful to use long-term?”
• Transactional keywords signal that users are ready to make a purchase. A user may search “best rain boots under $75,” which usually means they are ready to buy the product if the price is right.

Tailor your content and identify keywords that match the intent of your target audience to attract qualified traffic and improve user engagement on your website.

Best Keyword Research Tools


To conduct effective keyword research, you need the right tools at your disposal. Some of the best keyword research tools in the market include Ahrefs, SEMRush, AnswerThePublic, and AlsoAsked. These tools will provide insights into search volumes, competition levels, and related keyword suggestions.
Ahrefs offers comprehensive keyword analysis, backlink research, and competitive analysis.
SEMRush is valuable for extensive keyword data, domain analytics, and content optimization suggestions.
AnswerThePublic produces content ideas by brainstorming the questions users ask about a specific topic.
AlsoAsked provides a list of related questions people search, sparking more ideas for your content.

Use these tools and more to uncover hidden keyword opportunities and bring more users to your website.

Researching relevant topics is a crucial step in developing an effective SEO strategy. Start by researching industry blogs, forums, and social media discussions. Pay attention to the questions asked by your target audience.

Stay up to date with industry trends by consulting Google trends and social media hashtags. When you are in the know with the latest on-brand topics, you will be able to attract more relevant customers.

Keyword Selection

Now that you have a better understanding of the different types of keywords and how to research relevant topics, let's dive into the process of selecting the right keywords for your business.

Step 1: Choose a Primary Keyword to Target
Choose a primary keyword that captures the main idea of your product or service. For example, if you have a website with recipe ideas for healthy breakfasts, the primary keyword should be “healthy breakfast recipes.”

Step 2: Compile a List of Secondary Keywords
Provide a list of supporting keywords to serve as secondary keywords. You can use short- and long-tail keywords in the list. For your breakfast recipe website, you may choose “high-protein breakfast” or “vegan breakfast ideas that taste good.” Use keyword research tools to help compile your list.

Step 3: Identify Search Volume
How many times did someone use your keyword in a search? The search volume will answer that question within a specified timeframe. You can use this information to identify the keyword’s popularity and potential to reach your target audience.

If a search volume is high, you must also consider the competition associated with the keywords. Will your business get lost in a sea of competition? Use Ahrefs and SEMRush to provide volume data and help you choose related keywords that may not be as saturated.

Step 4: Perform Benchmarking

photo from www.ahrefs.academy

Conduct competitor research by performing benchmarking. Analyze competitors’ keywords to identify new keywords and find what is working for them that may also work for you. Ahrefs is a tool that will analyze your competitors’ keyword rankings.
Pinpoint keywords relevant to your company, but set you apart from competitors. Then you will narrow in on an audience more likely to convert.

Step 5: Discover Keywords with Low Competition
Targeting keywords with low competition can be a game-changer for your website's visibility. These keywords may have lower search volumes but a higher chance of ranking well in search engine results.

Finding less competitive keywords and using them can attract quality traffic by weeding out all the competition. You can maximize the benefits of keyword research tools when you identify relevant keywords with lower competition and decent search volumes.

Keyword Mapping


Now it’s time to learn how to do keyword mapping. Is each page of your website optimized for search engine results? A good keyword mapping template will help you achieve that.

What Is Keyword Mapping

Keyword mapping is the strategic process of matching keywords to specific pages on your website to ensure that each page has an excellent SEO presence. It helps search engines recognize the relevance and purpose of each page, improving ranks in search results.

How to Do Keyword Mapping?

Start by creating a list of your target keywords and the pages you want to optimize for those keywords. Assign each keyword to a specific page based on the content on the page and the intent. Ensure that the keyword appears in the page's title, headings, meta description, and within the content itself. This makes it clear to search engines what can be found on the page, increasing the chances of showing up in search engine results.

E-commerce Keyword Mapping Template

For e-commerce websites, keyword mapping is especially important. The E-commerce Keyword Mapping Template helps you organize and map your keywords effectively.

(https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12JAa1LtimcB9-ExhJHOgFjaD4jwOn_zqrkdGXea2m8g/edit?usp=sharing – our table

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1E1fgit8sVy7I9c8DOWz7bq8gcjB3ai4Q4zu0UZhGFeE/view - competitor's table) They may want a screenshot from one of these

This keyword map template allows you to track the target keyword, the corresponding page URL, and the metadata. You can get a full vision of your website, including all the pages, to ensure they have been optimized with intentional and researched SEO keywords.

Find Success by Choosing High-Performing Keywords

Choosing the right keywords for your business will increase your website's visibility and drive targeted traffic. You can expect improved SEO results by understanding the different types of keywords, conducting thorough keyword research, and implementing keyword mapping strategies.

Choosing the right keywords is not a one-and-done process. You should continually review each keyword’s performance and stay competitive in the industry. When you are armed with researched and high-performing keywords, you'll be able to achieve your SEO goals and further the success of your business.

Got questions or need personalized advice on keyword selection and SEO strategies for your business? Contact us today, and our team of experts will be happy to assist you in optimizing your online presence.

May 16, 2023No Comments

How to Write SEO Titles with Examples (2023)

How much thought do you put into writing a title for your web pages? If your website comes up at the top of the search results but never receives a click, it’s possible your website has an underperforming title.

How can you grab a consumer’s attention with limited words? Include SEO titles in your SEO strategy to maximize your search result rankings. Let’s discuss the aspects of a good SEO title and provide good website title examples.

What Is an SEO Title Tag?

The first step to writing successful SEO titles is learning what is a SEO title. Page titles for SEO are the writing that shows up in blue underlined print at the top of each search result.

The clickable content is one line that gets right to the point. Will this page offer the consumer an answer to their question? The SEO title should deliver this message.

What is SEO title? It differs from the title of your article – it should be short, contain the primary keyword, and grab attention.

What’s the Optimal Length of a Title Tag?

The SEO title length should be between 55 and 60 characters. If your SEO title is too long, Google will cut it off, and the abrupt cut-off may not be in your favor. Avoid a Google-generated title by following the correct character count. Get creative with what information you can fit into a short title.

Keep the title concise and engaging. For example, if you search “healthy cat food,” you will find examples of good SEO titles:

  • The Healthiest Cat Food to Dish Out on a Budget
  • How to buy the best cat food, according to veterinarians
  • 15 of the Very Best Cat Foods

Scroll down to see an SEO Title Tag that is too long:

Include SEO Title Tags in your strategy that shorten the webpage title to a complete thought. Perhaps a better title would be “A Guide to Healthy Cat Food: Ingredients to Seek Out.”

Without the dangling ellipses, consumers will know what they are getting into when they click on your website. It will also give the first impression that your page is put-together and well-planned.

What Is CTR, and How Does It Affect Your Conversion Rate?

CTR is the click-through rate. If your website shows up on the first page of Google consistently but never receives a click, this is a bad CTR. Impressions are the amounts of time your website shows up on a Google search.

CTR is measured by the number of clicks per every 100 impressions. Even if you have a sound SEO strategy that delivers your website to the first page of Google, it doesn’t matter if no one ever clicks on the page.

You will also have a poor conversion rate if you have a bad CTR. If no one ever makes it to your website, they will never make a purchase.

On the flip side, if you have an excellent CTR of 20% or more, you will drive more traffic to your site and increase your conversion rate. The more visitors to the website, the more overall sales.

How to Write SEO-Friendly Title?

Let’s talk about good strategies for writing successful SEO titles. Look through each SEO title example and consider revamping the titles of each page on your website.

Find Your Primary Keyword

Perform keyword research to find the best primary keyword for your product or service. Tools like Google Keyword Planner and Ahrefs are valuable tools for finding which keywords are oversaturated and which will tap into a new audience.

Use long-tail keywords to discover a market that fits your product. Page title SEO best practices include long-tail keywords to find your target audience. The more specific you can get, the better your chances of bringing customers to your site with the intent to make a purchase.

For example, instead of choosing “cleaning services,” you can narrow down your clientele by including “green cleaning services” or “sustainable cleaning services” as your primary keyword.

Make the keyword even more specific and intriguing by adding “affordable green cleaning services.” Test keywords to find short and long-tail keywords that will engage your target audience while remaining specific to your services.

Where Should You Put Your Keyword in the Title Tag?

*image from Ahrefs

SEO-friendly headlines should include the primary keyword at the beginning of the title. Users immediately see the answer to their question when they read:

  • 5 Streak-Free Window Cleaning Tips
  • Non-Invasive Orthopedic Treatments for Bad Knees
  • Wildflower Photography: Families or Individual Portraits

Minimize the user’s effort by grabbing their attention immediately with the primary keyword. They may skip past your listing if the keyword does not stand out to them.

Should Your Brand Appear in the SEO Title?

Yes, include your brand name in the SEO title. You will always benefit from consumers seeing your name over and over again. If your brand name is short, including it in each SEO title is even easier.

For well-known brands, lead with the brand name in the SEO title so that people see your company and know they can trust the website. Otherwise, tag the brand name at the end of the Title Tag.

Here are some examples of strong SEO titles that include the brand name:

  • Fabletics: Activewear, Fitness & Workout Clothing
  • Home Chef: Meal Delivery Service – Fresh Weekly Meal Kit
  • How to Unclog a Toilet Without a Plunger | HowStuffWorks

Get your brand name out there, especially if it is unknown. If you offer blog articles and guides, let the user become familiar with your reputation by increasing brand awareness in SEO titles.

Use Your Unique Selling Point (USP)

Highlight what users should expect from visiting your webpage that may differentiate your site from competitors. Proving that your company offers a better deal than competitors is always a good idea. Specify the following:

  • In-Depth Guide: Many consumers want a one-stop solution. If you can offer an all-inclusive guide, communicate that in your SEO title.
  • Quick and Easy Solution: Fast, easy, no-nonsense solutions are just what people may seek in their searches. Tell them about it!
  • Affordable: If you have a leg up on the industry and can offer lower prices than competitors, be sure to include that in your Title Tag.
  • Listicle Article with Numbers: Grab attention with a number of tips or suggestions so that readers know they can click on your article and skim it for what they need.
  • Current and Up to Date: Consumers love to know they are reading the latest and greatest. Use dates in your SEO titles to highlight that the article is modern. For example, “Interior Design Trends for 2023” or “Summer 2023 Pool Party Ideas” will entice readers to click and learn more.

What do you offer that competitors may not? Emphasize those differences in your SEO title. Your USP is essential to utilizing long-tail keywords to deliver better search rankings.

Use Punctuation to Stand Out

add an image(s) from SERP that directly shows the difference.

SEO titles can incorporate punctuation to eliminate connecting words and pique the reader’s interest. Instead of writing complete sentences, segment keywords and brand information using creative punctuation techniques.

Here are some examples:

  • Go Nuts (but just a little!)
  • A Good Night’s Sleep | National Institution on Aging
  • About IV Nutrition | Fast, Safe, and Effective

Fit in more words, get straight to the point, and make the title skimmable with the use of punctuation in your SEO Title Tags. Draw the user’s eyes to your creative SEO title.

Use Catchy Words

When you use words that make the reader excited about clicking on your link, you will see an increased CTR. Capture their attention with words like:

  • Free
  • Low-cost
  • Trusted
  • Expert
  • Tried-and-True
  • Supreme
  • Favorite
  • Popular
  • Trendy

Speak to the consumer in a way that you would share exciting news with a friend. Use words to get them hyped with you. Here are some excellent examples of SEO titles with powerful words.

  • 55 Chic Home-Decorating Ideas
  • Unique & Cool Electronics & Tech Gadgets
  • 4 Easy Ways to Fix Your Oven

Do you see how dynamic language can draw you in and give you the desire to learn more? Implement these power words into your SEO title strategy.

Optimize Your CTR Using Google Search Console Reports

If you are unsure about an SEO title, use Google Search Console to test it. Run a report to find a title that will attract more clicks. Continually using Google Search Console will help you see the metrics needing improvement.

An SEO title is not permanent. You always have the chance to change it to render better results. No SEO strategy is a one-and-done process. Create an SEO strategy that works by being open to changes as the metrics roll in.

What If Google Doesn’t Use My SEO Title?

After 2021, Google released new details for generating titles. They want to reflect the content that the user will see when they arrive on the webpage.

Google generates titles based on the main header information and even adds the website name to the title when applicable. Here are some circumstances that may lead to Google generating a title for your webpage:

  • The current title is too long.
  • The current title is stuffed with keywords that do not make sense.
  • There is no current title, or it is too generic.

Make your own SEO titles for your website pages by adhering to the rules for character length, dynamic wording, and proper branding. Follow the tips we discussed in this article to create an SEO title that will really stand out.

Conclusion paragraph

If you’ve learned anything from this article, it should be that the SEO title for each page on your website is an essential part of your SEO strategy. You can do everything right but have a huge miss in your Title Tag that negates every other step in the plan.

Do not let a page pass by without a dynamic, informative, and brand-inclusive title. Conduct an SEO title audit to ensure all your pages have intentional SEO titles to increase your search rankings.

Lean on the experts to get the job done right. Hire an experienced SEO team to ensure all aspects of your strategy fire on all cylinders.

Have questions about optimizing your SEO titles? Need expert advice on improving your search rankings? Contact us today to speak with our experienced team and elevate your website's performance!

May 16, 2023No Comments

What Are the Best SEO Tools for Content Marketers?

When building an SEO strategy, you can access essential content marketing tools to help you achieve the best possible search engine results. Use tools for keyword research, measuring web traffic, and calculating click-through rates.

Find out if your SEO implementation needs tweaking by utilizing top content marketing tools. Once you can measure the success of your SEO strategy, you’ll also be able to identify weaknesses and improve SEO for your business.

Why Do You Need SEO Tools?

Use SEO tools to learn about the success of your chosen keywords, identify duplicate content, and eliminate error pages from your website. The best content marketing tools will help you increase the quality of your content and publish engaging, professional content in your brand voice.

Create a content marketing plan with the help of SEO tools for your website. Content is king, and your website will never survive if you can drive traffic to your site, but consumers never stick around long enough to make a purchase.

Harness the Full Potential of TF-IDF with SEOLyze

TF-IDF is The Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency, which describes the quality of a keyword based on how often it is used in other high-quality articles. Google crawls web pages using your keyword to determine a baseline score. Then you can use TF-IDF stats to determine your keyword’s value and identify missing keywords in your content.

SEOLyze is one of many tools for content marketing that helps you identify the value of your keyword and also suggests keywords to add to your website that will increase the SEO. Take advantage of the tool to implement relevant, unique keywords that never came up in your research. Visit SEOLyze to learn more about this essential SEO tool.

From Invisible to Top Rankings with Sistrix 

Sistrix will allow you to evaluate and track your website rankings. Watch your website climb from nearly invisible on the last page of search results to one of the top rankings. Use free content marketing tools like Sistrix to maximize your SEO efforts.

Sistrix will not only track keywords on Google, but it will also extend to Amazon, social media, and other formats that will bring your product or service to a consumer’s attention. If you have on-page issues on your website, Sistrix will identify the problems and suggest methods for fixing them.

Sistrix will also analyze your competitors to identify what you’re missing on your site. How can you surpass other websites in the industry to reach the top? Sistrix will help.

Find, Research, and Validate Content Ideas with BuzzSumo

BuzzSumo will search your website to find, research, and validate new content ideas. The tool identifies a hole in the industry that you can capitalize on. Bring unique users to your site to increase your leads and conversions.

Rise at Seven used BuzzSumo to find the most engaging articles across the industry. The articles are shared across social media sites and elicit an emotional response from the user. The award-winning SEO and content marketing agency experienced faster, more meaningful results.

Consequently, Rise at Seven was able to scale at a competitive rate because of BuzzSumo. Now they not only have more bandwidth to focus on other aspects of their business, but they also won a $400K pitch that will bring even more business.

“Ahrefs simply rocks your SEO and reveals tons of marketing opportunities in a few clicks!”

As you can see, customers are blown away by what Ahrefs can do for your SEO strategy. Ahrefs is a widely used SEO tool that helps you identify what you need to rank higher in search results. Find out what your target audience is searching in Google. Analyze competitors. Conduct a full website audit to detect content that needs editing. And find more opportunities to backlink.

Learn about the users that enter your website. Where do they live? Which keywords brought them there? And how can you improve their experience? Ahrefs will also show your mobile ranking to see if your website is mobile-friendly.

This all-in-one SEO tool will help you increase your rankings and track your improvements over time. Visit Ahrefs to learn more.

Customers agree that Semrush combines the best of Google Trends, Moz, Hootsuite, and other SEO tools to bring you convenience in one tool. Get metrics for PPC and social media marketing, search rankings, keyword performance, and competitor research by using Semrush.

Find out which competitors have a corner on the market of a specific keyword. Check competitors’ backlinks to see where improvements can be made to keep up. Which keywords are ranking well for your business that you never knew about? And how can you get a well-performing page at the top of the search results with just a few changes? Semrush will guide you through the steps.

As one of the most versatile content marketing planning tools, Semrush can identify keywords specific to your company and drive more traffic to your website.

Keyword Clustering with KeywordInsights AI

What do you know about keyword clustering? KeywordInsights AI is one of the best content marketing research tools because of its advanced keyword research technology. Companies like Land of Rugs find success by driving users to the website through blog content. Land of Rugs used Keyword Insights to input a cluster of keywords they needed to target. The AI software immediately created a list of content ideas to include on the website. Keyword Insights also suggested a list of titles for the content.

Before using Keyword Insights, the Land of Rugs blog received about 7,000 views per blog. After implementing suggestions from the SEO tool, the blog views went up to almost 16,000 per page. With more than double an increase, sales have skyrocketed for Land of Rugs. They have Keyword Insights to thank.

Use Keyword Insights for keyword research, title and meta description suggestions, content ideas, and keyword clustering. You will be sure to include each keyword in your content and target your ideal audience with the help of Keyword Insights.

Expand Your Thinking in Terms of Content Creation with AlsoAsked

Use data from other searches to find out what others in the industry are asking. Whether you are conducting keyword research, looking for content ideas, or improving current content, you can gain an edge over competitors by using AlsoAsked.

What do other businesses ask about keywords in the salon industry? Can you tap into a keyword or subject that is prominent in your industry that you didn’t know about? AlsoAsked will reveal keywords and content ideas that your website is missing.

See for yourself at AlsoAsked. Once you type a question, click around to see if a similar question may result in more valuable results for your business.

Know What Your Ideal Client Is Asking with AnswerThePublic

What if you learned what people were searching for straight from your target audience? AnswerThePublic collects search queries conducted by consumers every day to help you identify niche keywords that you did not know were on consumers’ minds. One AnswerThePublic user states, “It uncovers rich, less crowded, and sometimes surprising areas of search demand we wouldn’t otherwise reach.”

By using AnswerThePublic as an SEO tool for content marketing, you will pinpoint keywords and content ideas that will bring unique users to your website. These users may be searching for your exact product without knowing it, and now you can deliver them a solution.

AnswerThePublic offers more than just keyword research. Use the tool to keep up with changing trends. Be the first to know why a consumer is looking for your product due to a TikTok video or YouTube tutorial. Get into your ideal customer’s psyche by learning about their ever-changing search queries.

Conclusion paragraph

Even if you have excellent expertise in content marketing and creating quality content, you will always benefit from using SEO tools for content marketing. Choose these tools when you need specific keywords, content ideas, and metrics for tracking success. You will always improve your SEO when you actively search for improvements for your website.

Stay competitive with SEO tools for content marketing. If competitors in the industry use these tools, you need to up your game and use them also. And if they aren’t using them yet, gain an edge by being the first on board.

The best thing you can do for your business is increase search result rankings to bring organic traffic to your website. A piece of content that you publish today may consistently bring in sales as it ranks at the top of search results for years to come. Use SEO tools to identify the content that will garner the greatest gains.

If you have any questions or need assistance with your SEO strategy, feel free to reach out to us. Our team is here to help you optimize your content and improve your website's search engine performance.

May 9, 2023No Comments

7 Quick SEO Tips for Your Business

Sometimes businesses can get caught up in the weeds of SEO implementations, feeling overwhelmed with figuring out where to start. SEO does not have to be complicated. Even the smallest changes can get your website on the first pages of search results so that more and more consumers learn about your business and offerings.

So what can you do to increase your business’s visibility on search results? Learn about SEO and quick tips to increase your website’s rankings.

What Is SEO?

Search engine optimization means optimizing your website to appear on the first page of a Google search. This means identifying keywords that users may search to find your product and including those keywords on your website.

SEO is an organic way to bring new users to your site. You do not have to pay for sponsored ads when your website automatically shows up toward the top. With SEO, an article published two years ago can bring in new sales and conversions each day. So how can you implement SEO for your business?

7 Quick SEO Tips

While SEO is an ongoing process that does not produce immediate results, there are some things you can do now to get the ball rolling. Is your website optimized to handle an influx of users? Does your content make a good impression on first-time visitors?

Take a look at these tips to see what you can do to improve your company’s SEO strategy.

1. Conduct Keyword Research

There are many keyword research tools to identify available keywords in your industry. Ahrefs is an excellent example of a keyword tool that will suggest related keywords that may not be as competitive as other main keywords for your company. If you use a keyword that does not set your company apart, your website will get lost in search results.

In addition, you can track your keyword results to detect the keywords that perform well and eliminate the keywords that are not ranking.

2. Set Up Google Search Console

Take advantage of Google Search Console. The tool will help you track rankings and identify weaknesses in your website, including 404 error pages, broken links, and unacceptable backlinks.

Google will crawl your site and highlight the areas that need improvement. Which pages are performing better than others? How can you find the same success on your other pages? If Google does not index your site, Google Search Console will tell you why so that you can fix the issue and be back in action.

3. Track Metrics with Google Analytics

Google Analytics will collect data from your website to bring you insights into what you can improve. Find out how many people visit your site, what led them to your site, their geographic location, keywords that drive traffic, and real-time conversions.

Easily access reports to watch your progress on rankings or keyword success. Use Google Analytics to work hand-in-hand with Google Ads, Google Search Console, and more. When you measure the success of your SEO strategy with real metrics, you can improve on your weak points to create even better results.

4. Create Your Google Business Profile

Google Business Profiles are free to create. Fill out your business name and information, including a place to leave reviews. Then your company will organically show up when people search for “hair salon near me” or “dog grooming services.”

Google Maps pulls up your Google Business Profile, where people can learn more about your business, visit your website, and read reviews. Be sure to respond to all negative and positive reviews to prove yourself a trustworthy business that cares about the customer experience.

Optimize your profile with pictures, contact information, and a steady flow of reviews. Incentivize your current customers to leave reviews to build up your reputation.

5. Analyze Competitors

Part of building a successful SEO strategy is learning about your competitors. How do they rank on Google? How can you learn from your high-ranking counterparts to find success along with them?

Semrush is an excellent tool for analyzing competitors. Learn why a keyword ranks well for one competitor but not for you. Do they have high-quality content? Are they strategic about creating Titles and Meta Descriptions with keyword optimization? What about the quality of their pictures and website load speed?

So many factors go into why one website ranks over another website. But you will never know how to improve without evaluating the competition.

6. Conduct a Website Audit

A full website audit is necessary for improving your SEO. Remove any poor-quality pictures, grammatical errors, or graphics that are too busy and slowing down your site. One lousy impression is enough for a user to X out of your site.

Are all the links working? Are the pages skimmable and engaging? Does each page have optimized content with relevant keywords? All of these aspects of a good website can be reviewed when you audit your website. Use Google Search Console to detect significant problems and prioritize fixing them first.

7. Create Ongoing Content

High-quality, engaging content is essential for your website. Welcome the visitors to each page and answer their questions immediately. Publish a weekly blog or guide to give visitors insight into industry-related topics. Sometimes people get to your page by Googling “kid-safe cleaning products,” and your list of natural products is how you introduce your brand and build trust with your audience.

In Conclusion

Each business has a chance to fight for the first page of search engine results when a consumer searches for “natural shampoo” or “does life coaching work?” What are you going to do to drive brand awareness and build a loyal brand community? It starts with getting your name out there.

The more your name appears on Google searches, the more people will become familiar with your company and what you offer. Then when a need arises, they will remember your business as a reputable and trustworthy source.

Improve SEO for Your Business

It’s never too late to get into the SEO game. Begin with minor website changes, and watch your rankings climb.  Do you need help with SEO strategies and managing all the metrics? Hire SEO experts to take over your strategy and increase organic visitors to your website. The more visitors, the more conversions to sales. What more could you want? Contact Loupe & Blade with your SEO strategy ideas and questions.  

April 21, 2023No Comments

Best On-Page SEO Analysis Tools You’ll Ever Need [2023]

A vital part of building an SEO strategy is implementing ongoing analysis. What is on-page SEO analysis? Once your website is live and infused with proper keyword placement, backlinks, and quality content, you can use an SEO audit tool to check for errors or areas of improvement.
It’s okay if you do not get everything right the first time when you have access to tools for website audit. Use free SEO auditing tools to identify links that do not work, 404 error pages, and duplicate content. Read more to learn how to do an on-page SEO analysis and stay at the top of your SEO game.

What Is an On-Page SEO Analysis?

On-page SEO analysis means you are constantly checking to see if your SEO strategy is panning out for you. If you put so much work into building SEO for your business, you want to make sure each aspect of your SEO strategy is firing on all cylinders. Find the best SEO audit tools to complete your on-page SEO analysis.

With one click, you can find out the following specs: 

  • Page speed
  • Keyword ranking
  • Broken links
  • Error pages
  • Duplicate content
  • Duplicate tags
  • Page rankings
  • Page title optimization

Each of these metrics will tell you what to do next. Is your strategy going well? What do you need to change? When you identify your website's weaknesses, you can fix them and build a stronger website. 

Why Is On-Page SEO Analysis So Important?

It’s easy to see why on-page SEO is important. Don’t you want to know where your strategy is thriving and lacking? Your company’s SEO affects all aspects of the business. More visitors come to your site if your page ranks well on a Google search. More website traffic means more conversions and ultimately increased profits. 

Use on-page SEO analysis to gain insights into your current SEO strategy. It can feel like a full-time job to track your website performance. You do not have to handle it alone. Hiring an SEO agency is always a good idea to let them do what they do best – track your SEO metrics and make necessary improvements. 

Choose an SEO agency with proven experience and expertise. Ask to see the portfolio of their clients. Do the research yourself – do their long-term clients consistently come up on page one in the search results? Let a reputable SEO agency take over your on-page SEO analysis and take your SEO implementation to the next level.

How to Do On-Page SEO Analysis?

Hyperlink “SEO Audit Checklist” with the link of a blog post that needs to be written (“The Ultimate SEO Audit Checklist” blog post) 

Use content audit tools and other on-page SEO tools to conduct a full SEO analysis of your website. Are your keywords performing the way you thought? Are your backlinks helping or hurting your SEO results? 

Come up with an SEO audit checklist that includes vital SEO metrics, including page speed, page ranking, keyword performance, title optimization, and more. 

List of 5 Best On-Page SEO Analysis Tools [2023]

If you are ready to implement an SEO analysis tool, you better get up-to-speed on the best tools out there. Here are a few on-page and off-page SEO tools to help you complete your ongoing SEO analysis. Start with the top 5, and you won’t even need to continue with the top 10 SEO tools for your website. 

1. Sistrix

2. SERanking

3. Ahrefs

4. Screaming Frog

5. SEMRush

Keep reading to review these technical SEO audit tools in detail. 

Sistrix

Overview

Use Sistrix to improve your website by tracking your competitors and finding the needed improvements in your SEO strategy. 

Features & Benefits

Sistrix offers metrics on visibility compared to competitors in your industry. Learn about keywords, links, and social media statistics that will help you improve your website. Analyze your website traffic, including age, location, and pathways the users took to get there. 

Pricing Model

Starting at 99 euros per month, which is equivalent to $108.71 US dollars, you can gain access to Sistrix to track your SEO performance. If you choose a large enterprise business plan, the subscription increases, with 599 euros ($658.15) being the most expensive. 

SERanking

Overview

This on-page SEO tool tracks your page rankings as well as other metrics that contribute to the ranking. SERanking will give real-time updates about your website performance and show you where you need improvements.

Features & Benefits

Use SERanking to identify technical errors and analyze images, content, titles, meta descriptions, index status, keyword density, and more. Using this tool, you can increase your SEO rankings and drive more traffic to your website. 

Pricing Model

Freelancer subscriptions start at $49 per month, with discounts offered if you sign up for the year. In addition, the price goes up to $109 per month for small agencies and teams and $239 per month for big businesses. SERanking also offers a free trial to get a feel for the software before signing up. 

Ahrefs

Overview

Ahrefs is one of the most popular SEO audit report tools, and for good reasons. Explore Ahrefs to discover the ins and outs of your existing SEO strategy. Identify the weaknesses and build out a new plan to increase your rankings. 

Features & Benefits

The site audit feature gives your website an overall health score, breaking down each page and how it performs. The keywords research tool is vital to pinpointing keywords that are not oversaturated. Instead, you can use related words with less competition, ensuring a higher ranking for your website. 

Pricing Model

Ahrefs pricing model starts at $99 per month for the Lite plan. Standard is $179, Advanced is $399, and Agency is $999 per month. You can enjoy a 7-day trial for $7 to see if you like the software and what it can do for your business. 

Screaming Frog

Overview

Screaming Frog is a popular SEO tool. Many users say that Screaming Frog offers insights faster than competitors, so you can start making changes and improving your SEO implementation sooner. 

Features & Benefits

Screaming Frog will identify incorrect redirections, duplicate material, and link-building weaknesses. Their SEO Spider tool will crawl your website and let you know what is bringing your rankings down. Then you can implement the proper fixes to increase your rankings in the end. 

Pricing Model

Screaming Frog offers the SEO Spider tool for free to identify broken links, generate XML sitemaps, and analyze titles and metadata. The crawl limit is 500 URLs. Upgrade to the paid version for $259 per year for further features. This includes unlimited URLs, Google Analytics integration, Search Console integration, free technical support, and other more advanced features. 

SEMRush

Overview

Track your rankings, perform page audits, and identify errors before they hurt your SEO results. Daily ranking reports give you a clear picture of how you can improve your website. 

Features & Benefits

SEMRush is a tool for keyword research, content marketing, social media advertising, competitor research, and more. This all-in-one tool is all you need to improve your website ranking results. 

Pricing Model

SEMRUsh gives you access to SEO, PPC, and social tools for $119.95 per month for newcomers and small teams, $229.95 for medium-sized businesses, and $449.95 for big businesses. The business plan includes free migration of third-party tools, API access, PLI analytics, and more.

Conclusion Paragraph

Using an on-page SEO tool will help you optimize your website and use ongoing metrics to improve it. As you learn about errors, page rankings, and keyword optimization, you will be better equipped to create an SEO strategy that delivers first-page search results. 

Need help implementing these SEO analysis tools or optimizing your website for better search rankings? Contact us today for expert guidance and support tailored to your business needs.

April 10, 2023No Comments

Common SEO Myths and What Really Works

The digital marketing industry is alive with chatter about SEO strategies and what to do to get your website to rank well among thousands of search results. How can you weed out the bad information and get to the good tips? We have you covered.

We are going to review common SEO myths and how to spot them. Then, you can disregard myths about SEO and create an SEO strategy that works!

Why Are There So Many SEO Myths?

There isn’t one best way to practice SEO for your business. Google uses 200 ranking signals, each with 50 variations, for a total of 10,000 ranking signals. It’s your job to tap into those signals. How can you get Google to recognize your website as relevant and reputable?

Because there are so many ways to create an SEO strategy that works, it comes with false claims. Why are there so many SEO myths? Let’s find out.

Profit

Many people on the internet claim to be SEO gurus, copying and pasting strategies on Linkedin and Fiverr. Without anything to add to your SEO plan, they try to use limited knowledge to gain the most profit.

Recognize posers for what they are. If they have nothing to add to your SEO strategy, scroll past their “expert” claims. Each company should be able to prove tried-and-true SEO results that show the validity of its strategy. In addition, you can always test their techniques to see if you are dealing with myths about SEO or the real deal.

The Evolution of SEO

SEO changes with time. Google is constantly changing its criteria for crawling websites. The algorithms used to rank search results are ever-changing. Methods that used to work are no longer valid. Are you prepared to pivot your SEO strategy when you find something no longer works?

For example, do you know about Google Penalties? Google will remove your website from rankings if you have too many error pages or false information. Learn about your website and its penalties from Google Search Console. One of the myths about SEO is that Google penalizes websites with duplicate content.

Unless your website is a full copy of another website, Google knows that duplicate content is going to come up. They just choose the original source to show up first on the search results. This is not necessarily a penalty, but the way to algorithm works. Find out about real penalties and areas to improve your website by following SEO guidelines.

Clearing up SEO Misconceptions

What are some popular SEO myths that do not hold true? Let’s clear up some misconceptions so that you can create an SEO strategy that delivers. Track your click-through and conversion rates to prove that SEO boosts your business.

SEO Is a One-Time Job

Unfortunately, an SEO strategy is not a one-and-done implementation. SEO is a continual process to stay competitive with your website content, backlinks, and keywords. You may rewrite your website pages to optimize them for keywords to discover that your keywords are oversaturated and getting lost among competitors.

Once you run a fresh keyword report, you can start implementing new keywords that will highlight what sets your company apart from others in the industry. This will increase the likelihood of your website showing up on the first few pages of search results.

SEO is not a one-time service – it is an ongoing process. Work with a trusted SEO team to implement continual SEO tips. Once you find an SEO flow, you will start to notice the increase in traffic to your site.

Keyword Stuffing Is an Effective SEO Strategy

Google uses TF-IDF (term frequency-inverse document frequency) to determine if a keyword is coming up too often on a website. Most search engines boost websites with natural language patterns. If your website plugs in a keyword every few words to boost rankings, it will not work. The language must be smooth and checked for readability.

In addition, Google has improved its algorithm for recognizing synonyms and variations of the same word. You cannot trick Google by adding an -s or -ing at the end of the keyword. Be creative with your keyword placement, knowing that Google always watches for inauthentic stuffing.

Keep it natural when using keywords in your writing. One of the myths about SEO is that you must repeat the keyword x amount of time per page. The truth is that if the keyword is repeated in a natural, conversational way, that is more than enough to be recognized and represented in a Google search.

SEO Is All About Ranking First on Google

A common SEO myth is that you only need a #1 Google rating to gain business success. Yes, SEO is used to get your website to appear on the first page of a Google search. But what if your website is number one and never gets a click?

You not only need a great SEO strategy, but you need to present your product as a solution to a problem. You also need a strong meta description and website branding. Something is wrong if someone clicks on your site and immediately closes the page. Test your website for:

  • User-friendly navigation
  • Fast load time
  • On-brand graphics
  • Professional and error-free content
  • Short paragraphs and scannable headings
  • CTAs that lead to a different page on the site or the place to make a purchase

SEO is not the only answer to business success. Make sure your SEO strategy works hand-in-hand with other smart business practices. Build business credibility not only for Google but for your consumers to garner repeat customers and brand loyalty.

Google gives more credence to your website when you use backlinks from reputable websites. Be careful not to stock your website with .edu websites that do not match your content to try to build up your backlink game. Instead, keep things natural with backlinks to websites that are verified and helpful to your readers.

Some backlinks are considered toxic by Google and negatively affect your website. For example, backlinks that redirect to fake websites built solely for the purpose of backlinking are considered toxic. Or if the backlink is not relevant and is only in place to build SEO, Google will move you further down in the search results.

Run a thorough backlink audit to ensure that no links on your site are considered toxic. If you find toxic links, remove them from your website. Perhaps you thought a website was legitimate when it was solely created for backlinking credit. Redeem your mistake and remove the link.

In the same way that you can link to other websites to build your SEO, random websites can also link to your site. The quality of these websites plays into your search engine ranking. If you find a poor-quality or false website that links to your site, use a disavow file to disallow the link. Then it will no longer negatively affect your rankings.

SEO Can Guarantee Immediate Results and Instant Success

As mentioned above, SEO is an ongoing process that does not garner immediate results. You must track statistics before you learn if your SEO strategy works. Each time you measure success, lean into the areas that are working and tweak the weak aspects of your plan.

Measure SEO success by comparing Google rankings for each keyword, tracking click-through and conversion rates, and measuring consumer engagement by how long they spend on your website or sign up for your email newsletter.

Continually improve your SEO strategy as time goes on, refreshing the plan with the ever-changing algorithm and continuing to bring organic visitors to your website. A company that can pivot and identify what Google values will always come out on top.

SEO Is Dead

It’s easy to mark this as an SEO Myth. SEO is not dead. You may believe it no longer works if you are still practicing outdated SEO practices. But if you practice current SEO tips, you will see an increase in organic visitors to your site, which leads to more conversions.

SEO is more effective than paid ads because a consumer can come across a blog post from 3 years ago and decide to make a purchase with your company. SEO provides a long-term ROI of 275% or more that is built in as your business grows and continues SEO implementations.

With over 943 billion Google searches per year, 67% of consumers click on one of the first five search results in the list. How many times do you search Google daily to find a solution to your problem? Each website on the first page of your search uses SEO strategies. SEO is certainly not dead.

Having More Pages on Your Website Guarantees a Higher Ranking

Consider this SEO myth similar to the keyword stuffing myth. Google likes a website with multiple pages, but they cannot be filler pages. Each page on your website should serve a purpose in the client’s journey.

Create product, service, and location pages. Tell about your company through an About Us page. Always include a page where a potential customer can fill out an interest form or find a way to contact you. Reply to all inquiries, comments, and reviews to show gratitude for their interest in your business.

Relevant, helpful pages on your website will increase your Google ranking. It’s all about quality over quantity. Create a client pathway as you link them from page to page within your website. They will get to know your product and connect with you as they dive into your brand story.

Content with More Length on the Page Holds More Value in Comparison to Shorter Content

Did you find a competitor’s page with a number-one ranking on Google and want to match their word count to improve your rating? It’s not always about increasing the word count on pages.

What is the consumer looking for? If they are looking for quick tips to find their way to your product, write a short listicle blog. If consumers want a comprehensive guide with a table of contents, they will click on a long-form article of 1500+ words.

Create targeted content with informative articles that include organic keyword placement. Remember, Google uses TF-IDF to determine if the keywords are natural and relevant. And if you choose to publish long-form guides, make them scannable. Include subheadings, short paragraphs, and bullet point lists.

Conclusion paragraph

SEO is alive and well. Consider the various myths we have debunked as you plan your modern and thriving SEO strategy. When you hear the myth repeated from competitors, have confidence in knowing the real truth about SEO.

It is never too late to implement SEO for your business. Get started by performing a content audit on your site to update the current content—research unique keywords to highlight your company’s strengths. Then develop a regular publishing strategy to bring new content and keyword opportunities to your website.

Review these myths about SEO regularly to ensure you stay on the right track with an authentic, current SEO strategy. When you learn the ins and outs of Google and how it ranks pages, you will find the most success with your company’s SEO.

Consider Hiring an SEO Agency

You may feel overwhelmed with all things SEO. Hiring experts to get the job done right is always an excellent idea. Our team lives and breathes SEO, ready to grow your business using foolproof SEO practices. Focus on what you do best and leave SEO to us.

Be sure to hire a company you can trust. Read our blog post, Considerations When Hiring an SEO Agency, for tips to recognize a high-quality SEO partner.

You can always meet with our team to see what we have in mind for your specific company. Finding a company that is a good fit will increase your SEO success.

FAQs

Is SEO important indeed?

SEO myths aside, SEO is an essential part of your business. Take advantage of the tried-and-true ROI on first-page Google rankings. Consider the number of consumers who search Google daily. With 3.7 billion searches per day, how can you maximize the times your company shows up in a search? Through SEO.

You may want to dip your toe in SEO by stuffing your website with keywords. In this case, your results will reflect your minimal effort. Instead, go all in by updating your content, including backlinks, researching keywords, and tracking SEO stats and success rates.

How does SEO actually work?

SEO works! Each time you add quality content to your website with relevant, unsaturated keywords, you have the opportunity to reach new consumers through Google searches. The more users click on your website, the more conversions to sales!

If you can build a website that will organically appear in search results for years to come, why not maximize it for SEO and reach as many people as possible? You can track your SEO stats and see how many consumers you reach through Google searches alone. You may be shocked to find that SEO brings in more than PPC and social media marketing once implemented correctly.

How to SEO Optimize My Website Without SEO Agency?

Do you have the bandwidth to implement SEO practices in your business? Are you ready to track results and pivot with the changing algorithm? If digital marketing is your strength, learn the best practices for managing SEO without an agency.

Get started now with an SEO strategy to reach your target audience and increase sales.

March 29, 2023No Comments

Ultimate Guide: How to Use Google Search Console for SEO

Marketing your business requires running ads on various platforms to get your name out there. But what if you could optimize your website to appear at the top of the Google search? What if people find your product by simply asking Google a question in which your product is the solution?

When you break down how to search using Google, people often type quick phrases like “nail salon near me” or “how to fix ice machine.” If your product is at the top, your website ranks well for Search Engine Optimization or SEO. What if your website does not appear toward the top? Then users will never see your website or know your product exists. That’s where Google Search Console for SEO comes in.

What is Google Search Console, and how can it help maximize your website’s SEO? Use the Google Search Console tool to determine why your website performs poorly in search results. Search queries, crawling errors, and overall visibility of your website. Then learn how to fix the issues to increase SEO.

In this article, we will demonstrate how to set up Google Search Console and how to use Google Search Console for SEO. Once you know what Google wants from your website, you can implement the changes and climb the rankings.

What Is Google Search Console?

Google Search Console is a web service offered by Google that allows website developers and business owners to identify problems with your website. Google likes and dislikes specific aspects of a website. And if your website meets all the parameters, it is more likely to rank higher in Google searches.

Google Search Console identifies areas you can improve your website to increase SEO. What does Google Search Console do? It collects data about your website in a Google Search Console dashboard so that you can clearly identify the weaknesses of your website’s SEO.

Google Search Console is an essential tool for any SEO strategy. Use it to discover the following:

  • How your website performs on Google searches
  • Which pages Google can index on your site
  • Crawling errors
  • The benefits of submitting multiple URLs
  • Technical SEO errors

When you use Google Search Console, you do not have to guess what your website needs to improve SEO. Instead, Google will point you in the right direction to finding SEO success.

How to Add a Website to Google Search Console

Until 2015, Google Search Console was called Google Webmaster Tools.

Please note that you must prove ownership of your website before it is accepted into Google Search Console.

First, sign into Google Search Console with your Google account. You will be met with a pop-up to add a new property or website to the dashboard.

Enter your website domain and follow the steps to verify your ownership of the website.

How to Verify Google Search Console

Add a new property to Google Search Console and choose a method of verification. Here are some ways that you can verify your website ownership:

  • Upload an HTML file.
  • Input an HTML tag into the source code.
  • Provide your Google Analytics tracking code.
  • Provide Google Tag Manager snippet.
  • Follow directions for Google Sites, Blogger, or Domains accounts.
  • Search by the domain name provider in the verification wizard.

Once you are a verified owner of your website, you will receive a verification token. This does not happen immediately and can take up to 48 hours to hear back.

The token is valid as long as the verification information is current and valid. Google Search Console will notify you if your verification is no longer confirmed and allow you to remedy the issue. After a grace period, your Google Search Console access will expire.

Choose the URL Version You Prefer

Each domain name represents a different server. Enter the URL that you would like Google to crawl and index. Your website has a variety of pages within it. Each URL should be entered into Google Search Console to receive statistics and metrics on each page, helping you identify the weak-performing pages and giving you a chance to improve them.

When you have new content that you would like Google to explore, you can enter a new URL. Check if the URL can be indexed by clicking the “Test Live URL” button. Later in this article, you will understand the importance of indexable pages.

Use 301 redirection codes to notify Google that a page has been permanently moved to a new location. This will resolve any error pages that may come up in Google. 404 errors can be used as a demerit against your website rankings, so it is best to resolve them immediately to stay in good standing with Google.

Managing Users, Owners, and Permissions in GSC

Explore the different types of owners and users, along with their specific permissions on Google Search Console:

  • Verified Owners: The person who owns the website and completes the verification process is a verified owner. The owner goes through a verification process to receive a verification token from Google.
  • Delegated Owners: A delegated owner is someone the verified owner granted GSC access to by sharing the verification token.
  • Full User: Users have more limited access than owners. A full user has view rights to all data and is allowed to take specific actions.
  • Restricted User: A restricted user may not be able to view all the data in the account. They have partial access to the dashboard. All of these permissions can be customized.
  • Associate:  An associate may be able to complete certain tasks without having access to the dashboard to see data. This is helpful if you want someone to check periodically for 404 errors or enter a new URL.

When you find out how to add someone to Google Search Console, you will be able to assign restrictions and accesses to the account. One company can have a dozen users on one account with varying levels of access. Google Search Console is valuable to SEO experts, digital marketing, developers, and more.

For additional information, read about users and permissions from Google Search Console.

Understanding Metrics and Dimensions for Better GSC Analysis

If Google Search Console provides you with data for your website, you better learn how to analyze the data. Let’s walk through each metric to understand how to improve your SEO strategy.

Query

The dashboard will show the top keywords or questions and the number of clicks associated with each query. These are the words that users type into Google. How many see your website come up in the search results?

Click

The number of clicks represents the number of times someone clicks on your website when they come across it during a Google search. If they see your website and the short description, does it catch enough attention to warrant a click?

Impression

Google Search Console impressions represent the number of times your website appears during a Google search. Even if the user does not scroll down far enough to see your website on the results page, it still counts as an impression. Did the query initiate Google to crawl your website and bring it up in the results?

Average Position

What does average position mean in Google Search Console? The average position is the average ranking of your website in the list of results after a Google search. If your website has an average position between 1-10, it appears on the first page of Google search results. This is the goal. Lower rankings indicate that you need a better SEO plan for your website.

CTR (Click-through Rate)

The click-through rate is the percentage of times someone clicks on your website after seeing it in the search results. The rate will indicate that it is showing up in the results but may or may not garner any clicks.

How to Filter Data in Google Search Console?

All the data can feel overwhelming. Take a moment to hone in on what you want to learn in that instance to filter the information

Search Type

Indicate the search type that you would like to see data. For example, choose web, image, or video. If your website comes up mostly during a web search, you do not have to worry much about image or video searches.

Date Range

Choose a date range for your search from the list of pre-set time periods, or create a custom date range. You can get a broad view of the data or identify a period just after a website relaunch or content audit.

Queries, Page, Country, Device, and Search Appearance

Provide an image explanation Click “New” next to your date range to add up to five more search specifications, including queries, device, page, country, and search appearance. This filtered search allows you to pinpoint the data that you need without sifting through the comprehensive dashboard information.

Index Coverage Report (Page Indexing)

The index coverage report will identify all pages within your domain indexed with Google, including the errors and excluded pages.

If you wonder how to “index my site on Google,” this is a good place to start. If the page is not indexed, you will see an error, meaning the page does not qualify. Other pages that are not approved could be marked with a warning, indicating the page is indexed, but there is something that needs fixing. Or it could be labeled excluded, meaning there is too much duplicate information on the page to be indexed as an original page on Google.

All of these identifiers help you to understand your next steps. When you index a website, Google Search Console allows you to troubleshoot and fix any mistakes needed to complete the job correctly. The more pages you have indexed from your site, the higher the site’s position in a Google search.

Purpose of Sitemap File

Provide a sitemap file so that Google can better crawl your site. A sitemap describes the pages and videos on your website and how they relate to one another.

Give Google the best chance of validating your site by providing a sitemap.

Understanding Website Search Performance with GSC

Google Search Console is a tool for monitoring your website and collecting data to make it better. What can you find out about your website with GSC? Understand the inner workings of your website and areas of improvement to roll out better metrics and increase your SEO. 

Monitor Your Pages

Google Search Console will reveal metrics for each page of your website to determine which pages are performing well and which pages need extra care. Use the following metrics to monitor the pages on your website and identify any issues early.

Which Pages Have the Highest Traffic?

Pages with the highest traffic indicate the pages that have the most visitors or eyes on them. Identify which pages people click on the most. Once you know which pages have the highest traffic, you can model other pages after successful ones.

Find the pages with the highest traffic by following these steps:

  1. Click Performance.
  2. Click on the tab that says, Page. You will find it next to Queries.
  3. Change the date range to the period of time you are looking for, whether it be 30 days or a full 12 months.
  4. Select Total Clicks.
  5. Next to clicks, select the option to sort from highest to lowest.

Once you receive your answer, what will you do with the information to improve your website? If the page with the highest traffic is your landing page that immediately converts clicks to sales, you are doing well.

But if the page is an information page that is not producing conversions, you have some work to do. Increasing traffic to all pages on your site will ultimately convert to higher sales.

Which Pages Have the Highest Ranking?

Discover which pages appear in Google in the highest position. If you have pages appearing in the first-page rankings on Google, you know your SEO is on-point for those specific pages. On the other hand, pages that show up on page three or four may never get eyes on them.

  1. Click Performance.
  2. Select the Page tab.
  3. Change the date range to the most recent weeks to get a current update.
  4. Select Average Position.
  5. Click the small up arrow next to Position and sort from smallest to highest. With rankings, the smallest number is the best position on a Google search.

While this information is valuable, keep in mind that one keyword may result in the page receiving a greater position on Google. In contrast, another keyword does not provide the same results. That’s why it is an average position. Use this information to identify successful pages, but understand that it is not the only metric to measure a page’s success.

Which Pages Have the Lowest Ranking?

Do you have webpages that consistently perform low in a Google search? Use this tool to identify those pages:

  1. Click Performance.
  2. Choose the Page tab.
  3. Change the date range to a current range to get up-to-date results.
  4. Choose Average Position.
  5. Click the small up arrow next to Position and sort from highest to smallest – the highest rank being the worst in Google.

You can focus your attention on those pages when you identify those that get the lowest number of visitors. Does the content need to be rewritten? Do you need more keywords on that page? Use Google Search Console and a top-notch SEO strategy to plan your next steps.

Which Pages Have Increasing or Decreasing Rankings?

Do you have a page that used to rank well and is decreasing in rankings? What changed? Is the page outdated, or is the industry more competitive? Learning about the ups and downs of page rankings is essential to an ever-changing industry.

  1. Click Performance.
  2. Choose the Query tab.
  3. Choose your desired date range, then click the Compare tab.
  4. Select two of the same time periods and click Apply.

Look at how page rankings are changing over time. How can you use this information to your benefit?

Monitor Your CTR

The click-through rate information is essential to tweaking your SEO strategy. Do people leave the search results to go to your page? Here’s how you can find out with Google Search Console.

Which Queries Have the Highest CTR?

Find out which keywords result in the highest click-through rates. Then you can increase the keyword implementation to get even better results!

  1. Select Performance.
  2. Choose the Queries tab.
  3. Change the date range to see the full scope of the past year.
  4. Select Average CTR.
  5. Sort from highest to lowest.

Feel free to change the date range to get more specific results. And then use the information to your advantage and make your website even better.

Which Queries Have the Lowest CTR?

Are there keywords that you have implemented that result in the lowest click-through rate? Change your SEO plan to no longer invest in those keywords.

  1. Select Performance.
  2. Choose the Queries tab.
  3. Change the date range to see the full scope of the past year.
  4. Select Average CTR.
  5. Sort from lowest to highest.

Use Google Search Console to get a better picture of your keyword performance. You may find that a keyword you thought would bring the most traffic to your site returns the least click-throughs.

What Is the Average CTR?

As trends change, identify a change in keywords as you look at the average CTR. You may find that the query results ebb and flow, and the keyword is worth keeping.

  1. Click Performance.
  2. Select your desired date range.
  3. Look at the Average CTR.

This metric is nice to view, but you should make SEO decisions based on several metrics.

Monitor Your Indexability

When Google indexes your pages, they can appear on Google search results. Ensure your pages are indexable to drive more organic traffic to your website.

How Many Pages Are Currently Indexed?

Find out which pages have been indexed by Google.

  1. Click on Overview.
  2. Scroll to the index coverage report.
  3. Look at how many pages are included in Valid Pages.

This means that the pages are indexed and do not present any errors. The number of indexed pages on your site should increase as you publish new blogs and content and as you fix existing indexing errors.

Which Pages Have Not Been Indexed and Why?

Identify the pages that have not been indexed. Can you figure out the issue?

  1. Go to the Index Coverage summary.
  2. Select Excluded in the search box.
  3. Look into the pages that have not been indexed

Are There Any Indexing Errors Present?

If there are errors on indexed pages, learn about how to fix the errors to get the page recategorized and ready to appear in a Google search.

  1. Access the Index Coverage summary.
  2. Select Error and Valid with Warnings to see the list of pages that need indexing attention.

Use this information to make your website indexable so that Google can easily crawl the website during a search. Catch these errors early to avoid wondering why a page is not performing well.

Monitor Mobile Usability

Mobile usability is integral to making sure your website is indexed. Google uses mobile-first indexing, assuming many users conduct a Google search from their phones. Your website should be just as mobile-friendly as it is desktop-friendly.

Make sure your website is performing well across all devices.

  1. Click Performances.
  2. Selected the Devices tab.
  3. Click on the desired metrics, such as Total Clicks, Average CTR, and Impressions
  4. Compare the statistics across mobile, tablet, and desktop.

You will see any inefficiencies or errors in your mobile usability if the metrics are not the same across the board. Keep in mind that 63% of Google searches are from a mobile device. You do not want to leave those searches on the table.

Backlinks are links on other sites that direct to your site. If you have other websites referring to your page, it builds up your credibility with Google.

Internal links are also important because they make your site easier to navigate for users, clicking links to jump from page to page. In addition, internal links are a way to self-promote your site and embed an internal link on a high-performing page to a lesser-known page or, better yet, to the sales page.

As your website grows, you should work to increase backlinks by collaborating with other companies. Write guest posts. Publish guides and tutorials on your website that will prove valuable to outsiders.

  • Click Links on the sidebar.

The total number of external links will come up. As this number rises, you can see how many other domains are directing traffic to your site.

Then you can find out which pages are performing the best regarding backlinks.

  1. Click Links on the sidebar.
  2. Select External Links.

Which pages on your site offer the most valuable information for other companies? Publish similar pages to continue increasing your SEO.

Which Sites Are Linking to Your Site the Most?

Under the same External Links heading, you can view the sites that link to your website. Which ones are followed by the most users? This helps you understand why collaboration is essential. 

If you know how the websites found you, wonderful! If big websites start linking to your page, it will only increase both of your sales.

Lead website visitors on a journey as they link from page to page within the site.

  1. Click Links on the sidebar.
  2. Select Internal Links.

Are there pages on your site that have more internal links than others? Plan for a site audit to implement more internal links and boost the internal promotion of other pages on your website.

Choose Links on the sidebar to see the total number of internal links on your website. When you work to increase the number of internal links, do you see an increase in other metrics?

Identify Google Penalties

Learn if you have any Google penalties that mark your site as spam. If you see a decrease in your rankings and page visits, you may have an error on your site that would lead to Google removing your website from search results.

Check manual review penalties by clicking on Search Traffic. Then click Manual Actions. You will also receive an email if you have a Google penalty, after which you must take swift action to repair the error.

Identify 404 errors

404 error pages can happen by mistake if you were to change the web address of one of your pages or move content from one page to another. You should always keep the number of 404 errors on your website to a minimum.

  1. Click Settings.
  2. Select Crawling Stats.
  3. Click By Response.
  4. Select Not Found 404.

Use Google Search Console to identify error pages before they become infuriating to your users and negatively affect your Google rankings.

Conclusion Paragraph

Use Google Search Console to learn about the inner workings of your website. What are your website strengths, and what areas need improvements? Use the metrics to identify if your SEO strategy includes aspects to improve your website’s search rankings.

Google Search Console is also a great tool to identify issues before they affect your business. Why is there a sudden change in page visits? How can you fix a 404 error page before users stop visiting your website?

Use Google Search Console as an SEO tool to learn how to make a better, high-performing website that converts visitors to sales. A powerful and comprehensive SEO strategy will bring organic visitors to your website for years to come.

Hire an SEO Consultant

Loupe & Blade is an SEO consulting firm you can trust. You can rely on our team to deliver if you are overwhelmed with creating an SEO strategy and staying updated with digital marketing trends. Send a message to contact@loupeandblade.com to start a conversation about your SEO needs.

FAQs

Before becoming familiar with Google Search Console, you may wonder why you must verify your website with the webmaster tool. Here are some common questions that demonstrate how useful the tool can be.

How do I check the performance of my website on Google?

With Google Search Console, you will be able to find out if your website is showing up in Google searches. Find out the average ranking, traffic to your website, and keyword success when you register with Google Search Console.

How do I check for keyword performance in Google Search Console?

Access the Google Search Console dashboard to see the performance ratings of each query. The tool will provide common keywords associated with your website and which have the highest click-through rates.

What is the best use of Google Search Console?

You can use Google Search Console to confirm or deny whether your SEO strategy is successful. Are users flowing to your website as you make changes with keyword placement, internal links, and high-quality content?

In addition, are there mistakes on your website that disqualify it from showing up in search results? Google Search Console has your answer.

How accurate is Google Search Console?

Google Search Console visually represents how easily Google can crawl your website during an everyday search. You do not have to guess why your SEO implementation is not working when you have Google Search Console to check the facts. If a keyword does not perform well, the statistics are right in front of you to show the changes over a period of time.

Take out the guesswork when you use Google Search Console to see real-time click-through rates, impressions, and keyword success.

Does Google Search Console affect SEO?

Google Search Console not only affects SEO but is also essential to SEO. When you have access to a tool created by the most-used search engine in the world, you better use it. Learn about your average search rankings and watch them increase when implementing a new SEO approach.

In addition, keep in Google’s good graces by seeing what SEO trends appeal to Google more. You will never fall behind the curve when you have Google Search Console to monitor your SEO statistics and keep you up-to-date with emerging techniques.

For any further inquiries or assistance regarding optimizing your website with Google Search Console for SEO, feel free to reach out to our team. We're here to help you guide the complexities of search engine optimization and maximize your online presence.

January 27, 2023No Comments

How to Build Trust In Your SEO Content

How do you know what to trust on the internet? It's a complicated question that gets more complicated by the second. Good news for you is that with SEO there are some guidelines and best practices. Remember, trust is subjective overall but what we need to care about most as we’re creating content is effort. How hard are you working to show your audience that what you’re putting out is helpful and trustworthy? So we’ll go over several factors to building trust in your content. Some we’ll get right from the Google Quality Rater Guidelines and others we’ll just get from plain ole common sense. 

Let’s start by pointing out that the QRG are largely about Your Money Your Life topics which is broad but doesn’t include everything. So you can think about it plainly and simply as health and financial advice (again, not limited to that but we can use that as a basis). However, everything they lay out can be considered a best practice when writing about anything that you have a subject matter expertise about. 

KNOW YOUR SUBJECT MATTER

Don’t write what you don’t know. I’m not an expert at gardening. So building trust in that subject matter would be a large task, probably larger than I could accomplish. You need to have true knowledge in a subject to build trust. And if you are faking it, the audience is going to know. We’ve all been on a blog where we hoped the article would provide quality information and it become clear that the author didn’t understand the subject. So if you want to build trust stick to places where you believe readers can trust you in the first place. 

STAY TRUE TO YOUR HEADLINE 

Google says this in it’s quality rater guideline under consideration(p.20):

The Title of the Page

The title of the page is considered part of the MC. Descriptive MC titles that

 summarize the page allow people to make informed decisions about what

 pages to visit.

And: 

Quality of the MC

Consider the extent to which the MC is satisfying and helps the page achieve

 its purpose.

What this is saying is your headline should let the reader know accurately what the page offers. If your page title is about how to fix a pool pump then you should consider what the reader would want to see in the MC(main content) of the page. Do they want to hear about the history of the pool pump? Why you should upgrade to a variable speed pool pump? Probably not. 

This might seem like obvious stuff but I’ve run into so many people and websites that don’t do this. They promise one thing but deliver an experience that isn’t that. The most important thing you can do is give the reader what they want and in a way they’d be happiest to get it. 

SHOW EFFORT 

Google talks about this on P.21

Consider the extent to which a human being actively worked to create satisfying content. Effort may be direct, such as a person translating a poem from one language to another. Effort may go into designing page functionality or building systems that power a webpage, such as the creation of a page that offers machine translation as a service to users. On the other hand, the automatic creation of thousands of pages by running existing freely available content through existing translation software without any oversight, manual curation, etc., would not be considered to have human effort.

While I don’t hold the opinion that your content has to be a certain length to satisfy the algorithm I do believe that your content should satisfy the query completely. If you were to talk about how to fix a pool pump and you simply had 5 steps that totaled 50 words that’s not great effort. If your competitor has a blog post that’s 1000 words that gives detail on how to do it, and includes areas where you might run into trouble, the effort is there so the experience is better. Which would you rank higher? 

Taking the time to write a better piece of content will almost always yield better results. Usually content wins if it’s first, best or different. It’s unlikely you’ll be first so focus on being best or different. 

SHOW YOUR REPUTATION 

On Page 22 of the guidelines they discuss reputation for the author: 

An important part of PQ rating is understanding the reputation of the website. If the website is not the primary creator of the MC, it’s important to research the reputation of the content creator as well. Reputation research should be performed according to the topic of the page. For example, if the page contains medical information, research the reputation of the website and content creator for providing medical information. It's possible for a website to be a go-to source for one type of content (e.g., humorous videos), but an untrustworthy source for a different type of content (e.g., financial information).

So this can be tricky. Not every gardener has a degree in it or has won awards. We know a doctor has different certifications and professional accreditation but for the rest of us there’s a couple things to consider.

  1. Is your website about the subject matter? If your site is a general blog about anything and everything it’ll be hard to make the case that you’re an expert in one specific area so be sure that your site reflects your expertise everywhere. 
  2. What can you tell the reader about your own experience? I like to have author bio pages and bios at the bottom of blogs when possible to show the user that you aren’t a person who just picked up this subject matter today. If you are a gardener, how long have you been doing it for? Where do you work? What in the gardening realm is your particular expertise? 

The more you can promote your own reputation the easier it’s going to be. 

GET PERSONAL

On Page 26 they mention experience, which is a new addition to the guidelines: 

Experience : Consider the extent to which the content creator has the necessary first-hand or life experience for the topic. Many types of pages are trustworthy and achieve their purpose well when created by people with a wealth of personal experience. For example, which would you trust: a product review from someone who has personally used the product or a "review" by someone who has not?

The guidelines make a good point: it’s easier to take advice from someone who has been there and done that. So if you’re a professional talk about your experience. If you’re walking someone through fixing a pool pump let them know that you’ve fixed them before. Let them know about a time you encountered a problem in fixing the pool pump. Get personal. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

Building trust isn’t honestly complicated. If you can get specific about what you know and create content that shows real effort and insight then you’re going to be okay. I think we often spread ourselves too thin as content creators and it ends up hurting us in the long run. Just drill down and focus. The readers will find you.

Have questions about building trust in your SEO content? Contact us for expert advice and guidance. We're here to help you create content that resonates with your audience and boosts your online credibility.

January 24, 2023No Comments

3 Reasons Why You Need SEO for Your Small Business

If you own a small business, staying competitive in the ever-evolving online marketplace can be challenging. Investing in SEO can be an effective way to ensure your business stands out from the competition and maintains visibility online. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization and is the practice of optimizing your website for higher rankings in search engine results. SEO can help your business attract more qualified leads, increase website traffic, and grow its online presence. Read on to discover the top three reasons why you need SEO for your small business.

What is SEO?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. When people interact with Google or other search engines to find information, they are essentially conducting a conversation with a computer. The computer responds to these search queries by producing a list of results, or an “organic” page one result might be your website. SEO is the process of optimizing your website so it ranks higher among these search engine results.

Benefits of SEO for Small Businesses

If your small business website is well-optimized, it can appear high in search results and generate more leads. This can help you achieve two goals with one marketing effort: increase leads and reduce marketing costs. Here are just a few ways that SEO can benefit your small business. - Increased Website Traffic - The more people who visit your website, the more likely they are to make a purchase. By increasing your website traffic, you can boost sales and improve your brand’s reputation. - Improved Conversion Rates - The goal of every small business is to turn website visitors into customers. With a highly optimized website, you can boost conversion rates by up to 80%. - Higher Brand Visibility - When people are looking for the products or services that your business offers, it’s critical that they find you. SEO can help you stand out from your competitors by increasing your brand visibility. Let’s explore a bit more deeply. 

Reduce Marketing Costs 

Buying ads on Google and Facebook are costly. We’ve seen brands spend hundreds of thousands of dollars a month on ads and unless you start building great word of mouth or more organic pathways into leads and customers those costs are only going to go up..even if you have the most talented performance marketing agency. 

Buying into SEO now builds customers starting in as little as six months. The content you create today can bring in leads for years and allow you to reduce your ad spend as you mature. So many companies wait for SEO only to regret it later. Your business is young and even if you can’t spend all your marketing on SEO, it’s best to put a few dollars every month toward optimizing your pages and creating new pages that will perform well on Google. 

It Builds A Relationship 

Stop thinking of SEO as some four-letter word. That’s shortsighted. SEO is most often an opportunity to answer the questions your audience is asking. They are seeking help, information, counsel, whatever you’d like to call it. The content you create allows you the opportunity to start a conversation with them. 

Imagine you’re looking to get into running after years of not doing enough exercise. You google “how much running should a beginner start with?” And you come across an article that is all about running for beginners. Aside from the normal disclaimer of talking to your doctor first (which you should) they create an incredibly helpful picture of what you should do. They have charts and a sample 2 week training plan. They teach you about heart rate training and cadence as you’re running. They help you with ideas for the best running shoes for your body. 

Is that someone you might come back to the next time you have a question about running? Probably. That blog just turned you from a passive searcher into a friend. Now they can keep providing value. 

ITS MORE RELIABLE THAN ORGANIC SOCIAL 

Ads are the most reliable way to meet a customer. If you have the money, Google, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok will find someone to look at your ad. But we know that on social engagement can be wildly inaccurate. You see accounts get “shadowbanned” and you see accounts get reported and suspended over tiny infractions (some deserve to be flagged but others were more or less a victim). One day you’re up and the next day you’re down. 

SEO has those swings but usually they aren’t as wild and when Google finds you to be a quality results for the queries related to your business it’s likely they are going to keep you near the top of the search results. So many companies that get “dinged” by Google have some issues in there past they are paying for now. Companies that do it right in the first place can see big wins that last for a long time. 

As a small business you have a lot to consider but don’t let SEO fall by the wayside while you figure out your social media strategy. Do both and keep SEO as a priority and it’s going to pay dividends down the road. 

Our comprehensive SEO services are tailored to meet the specific needs of small businesses, helping them increase online visibility, attract more qualified leads, and achieve sustainable growth in the digital marketplace.

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