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Website optimization for search engines is foundational for online success. It helps enhance a website's visibility and accessibility to potential visitors. With billions of web searches happening daily, staying on the first page of search engine results pages can significantly impact your website's traffic and credibility.

 

In today’s blog post, we will provide you with a how-to guide on web design specifically tailored to maximize SEO benefits.

 

There is a delicate relationship between design elements and search engine optimization techniques, that allow a business’ website to rank their online presence higher.

 

At REM Web Solutions, we thrive on helping our customers grow their businesses in tangible and impactful ways. If you need support with your digital marketing efforts or website design and development, don’t hesitate to reach out. Our skilled team is always here to support you in navigating the digital landscape. 

 

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What is SEO?

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the practice of optimizing a website to improve its visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs). It is essential for websites because it helps attract organic (non-paid) traffic and increases the likelihood of reaching the target audience.

 

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Key SEO Components

 

On-Page SEO

On-page SEO focuses on optimizing individual web pages to rank higher in search results. On-page SEO elements directly affect how search engines perceive and rank a page.

 

Meta Tags: Title tags and meta descriptions serve as concise summaries of webpage content that appear in search engine results, encouraging users to click on your link by providing a clear idea of what they can expect when visiting your page.

 

Keyword Optimization: Keyword optimization is essential because it helps search engines understand the context and relevance of your content, improving your chances of ranking for specific search queries while providing valuable information to your audience in a natural and reader-friendly way.

 

Content Quality: Incorporating high-quality, informative, and engaging content is crucial because it not only aligns with users' search intent but also promotes user satisfaction, encourages longer time spent on your website, and ultimately enhances your site's authority and search engine ranking.

 

Off-Page SEO

Off-page SEO involves external factors that influence a website's search engine rankings. Off-page factors, including backlinks and social signals, are important in a website's search engine optimization (SEO) strategy.

 

Backlinks: they are links from other websites to your own, and are considered endorsements of your content's quality and relevance. Building high-quality backlinks from reputable sources not only drives direct referral traffic but also signals to search engines that your website is a valuable and trustworthy resource. Search engines view these backlinks as a vote of confidence from other web entities, and as you accumulate them, your site's authority and credibility increase in their eyes. This elevated authority, in turn, can positively impact your search engine rankings, helping your web pages climb higher in search results for relevant keywords.

 

Social signals: these refer to social media engagement metrics like likes, shares, and comments on your content. While they may not have a direct impact on search rankings, strong social signals can enhance your content's visibility and reach, potentially leading to more backlinks and, ultimately, improved SEO performance.

 

Technical SEO

Technical SEO focuses on the backend aspects of a website that impact its search engine performance.

 

Site Speed: Faster loading times enhance user experience by reducing waiting times and bounce rates, while also positively influencing SEO rankings as search engines prioritize websites that deliver quicker and more efficient user experiences.

 

Mobile Optimization: Responsive design and mobile-friendly websites are crucial because they ensure that users on various devices have a seamless and satisfying experience, ultimately impacting SEO rankings as search engines prioritize mobile-friendly sites in their algorithms.

 

Schema Markup: enhances search results by providing search engines with structured data, allowing them to display rich snippets that offer more information to users, improving click-through rates and visibility.

 

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Website Design and SEO

A mobile-friendly design is very important as mobile users constitute a significant portion of web traffic.

 

Responsive web design ensures that your website adapts gracefully to different devices and screen sizes, eliminating the need for separate mobile and desktop versions. This not only enhances user experience by providing consistent and user-friendly navigation but also positively influences SEO rankings, as search engines prioritize mobile-friendly websites in their search results to cater to the growing mobile user base.

 

Google's mobile-first indexing means that it predominantly uses the mobile version of a website's content to rank and index pages.

 

SEO-friendly URLs

URL structure plays a role in search engine optimization.

 

SEO-friendly URLs are web addresses that are specifically optimized for search engine optimization (SEO) purposes.

 

These URLs are concise, descriptive, and incorporate relevant keywords related to the content they lead to, making it easier for both users and search engines to understand the page's topic and purpose.

 

Navigation and User Experience (UX)

Effective site navigation and UX are essential for user satisfaction and retention.

 

User-friendly navigation is a critical component of SEO that can significantly impact a website's performance and rankings by reducing bounce rates and increasing dwell time. Clear menus, organized content, and logical user pathways are important in achieving this:

• Reducing Bounce Rates: Intuitive navigation helps visitors quickly find the information they seek, reducing the likelihood of immediately leaving the site.
• Increasing Dwell Time: When users can easily navigate a website and access relevant content, they tend to stay longer, increasing dwell time, which is a positive signal to search engines.
• Clear Menus: Well-structured menus and navigation bars make it effortless for users to explore a site, find pages of interest, and understand the site's hierarchy.
• Organized Content: Content should be logically organized into categories or sections, making it easier for users to access related information without confusion.
• Logical User Pathways: A user's journey through the website should follow a logical path, guiding them from one piece of content to the next in a way that aligns with their interests and needs.

 

Site Speed Optimization

Faster-loading pages are instrumental in enhancing user satisfaction and reducing bounce rates, which, in turn, positively impact SEO:

• Improved User Satisfaction: Faster page load times provide users with a more pleasant and efficient browsing experience, leading to higher satisfaction levels.
• Reduced Bounce Rates: When pages load quickly, users are less likely to abandon the site prematurely, leading to lower bounce rates and increased engagement.

 

To optimize site speed, consider implementing the following techniques:

• Compress Images: Compressing images reduces file sizes without compromising quality, resulting in faster load times.
• Browser Caching: Caching stores static resources locally on a user's device, reducing the need for repeated downloads and speeding up subsequent page loads.
• Minimize Server Response Times: Reducing server response times by optimizing code, database queries, and server configurations helps pages load more swiftly, especially for dynamic content.

 

Schema Markup

Schema markup is a powerful tool for enriching search engine results by providing structured data that helps search engines better understand and present information from web pages. This leads to the display of rich snippets, which offer users additional context and visual elements right in the search results.

 

For example, a recipe schema can include cooking time and ratings, an event schema can showcase dates and venues, and a review schema can display star ratings and reviewer comments.

 

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Content Optimization

 

High-Quality Content

Creating valuable, informative, and original content that aligns with the needs and interests of your target audience is important for successful SEO and user engagement.

 

High-quality content not only captures visitors' attention but also entices them to explore your site further, reducing bounce rates and signaling to search engines that your content is relevant and valuable.

 

Regularly updating your content ensures that it remains timely and authoritative, reinforcing your website's relevance in search results and enhancing its credibility in the eyes of both users and search engines.

 

Keyword Research

Keyword research is a fundamental step in SEO that involves several key aspects:

 

Identifying Relevant Keywords: Start by brainstorming and listing potential keywords related to your niche or topic.

 

Keyword Research Tools: Utilize keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs to discover valuable keywords based on search volume, competition, and relevance.

 

Short-Tail vs. Long-Tail Keywords: Recognize the importance of using a mix of short-tail (broad) and long-tail (specific) keywords to cater to various search queries and user intent.

 

Placement within Content: Strategically integrate selected keywords into content elements such as titles, headings (H1, H2, etc.), and body text while maintaining a natural and reader-friendly flow.

 

Content Optimization: Optimize content for both users and search engines by focusing on the informational value and relevance of the content while incorporating keywords judiciously.

 

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Link Building

 

Internal Links

Significance of Internal Links: Internal linking involves connecting pages within your website, and it plays a pivotal role in SEO. It helps distribute link equity (ranking power) throughout your site and spreads authority from high-ranking to lower-ranking pages.

• Search Engine Discovery: Internal links assist search engines in discovering and indexing content. By providing clear pathways from one page to another, search engine crawlers can easily navigate and understand your website's structure and hierarchy.
• Anchor Text Importance: The anchor text used in internal links is crucial. It provides context to both users and search engines about the linked page's topic or relevance. Descriptive anchor text that includes relevant keywords helps search engines comprehend the content better.
• User-Friendly Structure: Creating a logical and user-friendly internal linking structure enhances navigation for visitors. Ensure that your internal links make sense within the context of your content and provide additional value to readers.

 

External Links

 

Benefits of High-Quality Backlinks

External links, or backlinks, are essential for SEO because they act as "votes of confidence" from other websites. When reputable and authoritative sites link to your content, it signals trust and authority to search engines, potentially boosting your own site's credibility.

 

Quality Over Quantity

Quality is paramount in backlinks. A few high-quality, relevant backlinks carry more weight than numerous low-quality ones. Spammy or irrelevant backlinks can harm your SEO efforts and potentially lead to penalties.

 

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Website Audit and Optimization Checklists

Keep these lists handy for your next website audit or optimization.

 

Conducting a Website Audit

• Crawl your website using SEO auditing tools like Screaming Frog or SEMrush.
• Check for broken links and fix them.
• Review title tags, meta descriptions, and header tags for optimization.
• Ensure all images have descriptive alt text.
• Verify that your website has an XML sitemap.
• Test loading times for key pages using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights.
• Optimize images and enable browser caching.
• Minimize server response times and reduce unnecessary scripts.
• Use Google's Mobile-Friendly Test to confirm your site's mobile responsiveness.
• Ensure content and images are properly scaled for mobile devices.
• Scan for duplicate content and canonicalization errors.
• Verify proper URL redirects (301, 302, etc.).
• Ensure HTTPS is enabled for secure browsing.
• Evaluate the hierarchy of your website's pages and ensure a logical flow.
• Test internal links for accuracy and relevance.
• Check for 404 error pages and provide custom error pages or redirects.
• Confirm that content is up-to-date and aligned with your target audience's needs.
• Assess keyword usage and optimization throughout your content.

 

Optimization Checklist

• Conduct keyword research to identify relevant keywords for each page.
• Integrate keywords naturally into titles, headings, and body content.
• Use long-tail keywords to target specific search queries.
• Craft compelling and descriptive title tags for each page, including target keywords.
• Write unique meta descriptions that encourage click-throughs and summarize page content.
• Create informative, engaging, and valuable content for users.
• Use headers (H1, H2, H3) to structure content and improve readability.
• Implement multimedia elements (images, videos) where relevant.
• Establish a logical internal linking structure to improve navigation.
• Use descriptive anchor text for internal links.
• Ensure links lead to relevant and valuable content.
• Prioritize mobile-friendly design and responsive layouts.
• Test website functionality and appearance on various mobile devices.
• Develop a strategy to earn high-quality backlinks from reputable websites.
• Avoid spammy or low-quality link-building tactics.
• Implement schema markup to enhance search results with rich snippets.
• Choose appropriate schema types based on your content and industry.
• Continuously monitor your website's performance, rankings, and traffic.
• Make adjustments and improvements based on data and SEO trends.

 

 

 

 

Our digital world demands that small businesses master the art of content marketing and SEO to thrive. Content marketing involves creating valuable and consistent content, while SEO optimizes online visibility. In this post, we explore how to combine these two forces and provide content strategies, tailored for small businesses.

 

For small businesses, an online presence is essential for reaching their target audience.

 

This is where content marketing and SEO shine.

 

Despite limited budgets, these tactics allow small businesses to compete with larger industry players, establishing credibility and authority in their niche.

 

The key here is creating content that strikes a balance between search algorithm appeal and human engagement. Engaging content not only pleases search engines but also captivates readers, reducing bounce rates and encouraging sharing—critical factors in search rankings.

 

At REM Web Solutions, we thrive on helping our customers connect with their audiences in genuine and impactful ways. If you need support with your digital marketing efforts, don’t hesitate to reach out. Our skilled team is always here to support you in navigating the digital landscape.

 

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At The Intersection of Content Marketing and SEO

Content marketing and SEO work harmoniously to enhance a business's online presence.

 

Content marketing involves creating valuable and engaging content for a target audience, acting as a bridge between businesses and potential customers. SEO optimizes this content for higher search engine rankings. The two strategies are interdependent, as compelling content provides substance for SEO to leverage, while optimized SEO strategies guide content to its intended audience.

 

Good content keeps readers interested and makes them stay on the page longer, which tells search engines that the content is valuable. SEO helps people find your content by using specific words and strategies to guide them. It's really important that content appeals to both people and search engines.

 

Balancing informative content with good optimization ensures that people find your content easily and it ranks well in search results. This approach not only boosts search rankings but also builds real connections with readers, showing how content marketing and SEO work together.

 

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Researching Target Audience and Keywords

Understanding your target audience and conducting thorough keyword research are pivotal steps in the process of crafting effective content marketing strategies that align with SEO goals.

 

How Well Do You Understand Your Audience?

To resonate with your audience, it's imperative to research their needs, preferences, pain points, and aspirations.

 

Recognizing their demographics, behaviours, and interests enables you to tailor content that not only educates and entertains but also addresses their specific challenges. This audience-centric approach establishes a connection that fosters trust and engagement.

 

Mastering Keyword Research

Keyword research is the compass guiding your content in the digital landscape. By identifying the terms and phrases your audience uses to search for information, you can optimize your content to match their queries.

 

Start with industry-specific terms and gradually expand into long-tail keywords that capture specific intents.

 

Utilize tools such as Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Moz's Keyword Explorer to unearth relevant keywords, gauge search volume, and analyze keyword competitiveness. For small business niches, long-tail keywords can be especially valuable, as they capture more targeted, intent-driven searches. These keywords might have lower search volume, but they often yield higher conversion rates due to their specificity.

 

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Crafting Compelling and Relevant Content

Creating content that captivates readers while aligning with SEO principles demands a skillful blend of creativity and strategy.

 

Write Attention-Grabbing Headlines

The headline is your content's first impression. Craft headlines that not only spark curiosity but also seamlessly integrate your target keywords. A well-crafted headline not only captures readers' attention but also signals search engines about the content's relevance.

 

Structure for Readability

Attention spans are fleeting. Did you know most people only spend 9 seconds on a website page?

Structuring your content for easy consumption is paramount. Break up content using subheadings to provide visual breaks and convey the hierarchy of information. Incorporate bullet points and short paragraphs to ensure skimming readers can grasp the key points. This approach enhances readability and encourages visitors to stay on the page longer—a factor that search engines consider when ranking content.

 

Prioritize Storytelling

Stories are powerful tools that engage emotions and create connections. Incorporating relatable anecdotes, case studies, or real-life examples not only adds depth but also maintains reader interest. Personal narratives humanize your content and make it relatable, fostering a sense of connection. Readers are more likely to remain engaged when they can visualize themselves in the scenarios you describe.

 

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SEO Techniques for Small Business Content

Elevating your small business's online visibility requires a solid grasp of SEO techniques that optimize your content for search engines without compromising its quality.

 

Optimize Title Tags, Meta Descriptions, and Headers

Title tags and meta descriptions are digital signposts that guide both search engines and users to your content. Craft concise, descriptive title tags that include target keywords to accurately represent your content's topic.

 

Write meta descriptions that offer a compelling snippet of what readers can expect, encouraging click-throughs. Utilize header tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) to organize your content hierarchically. Place keywords in headers to signal content relevance to search engines and improve readability for users.

 

Use Strategic Keywords

Incorporate target keywords naturally within your content, including in the introduction, subheadings, and throughout the body. However, avoid overstuffing—aim for a seamless, engaging flow that caters to both readers and search engines. Remember that search engines appreciate semantic relevance, so include variations and synonyms of your main keywords.

 

Leverage Visual Appeal and SEO

Visual elements are crucial for engagement and SEO. High-quality images, infographics, and multimedia not only break up text but also enhance user experience. Optimize images with descriptive file names and alt text that includes keywords, contributing to better image search rankings. Compress images to maintain fast page loading times, this is also a factor search engines consider. Infographics provide a concise way to convey complex information, making your content shareable and link-worthy.

 

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Content Promotion and Distribution

Creating exceptional content is only half the battle. To maximize its impact, you must effectively promote and distribute it across various platforms.

 

Utilize Social Media and Online Communities

Leverage the power of social media platforms to share your content with a wider audience. Tailor your content for each platform, utilizing appropriate hashtags and engaging visuals. Engage with your audience through comments, responding to their queries, and encouraging discussions. Additionally, participate in relevant online communities, such as forums or industry-specific groups, where your content can provide value and spark conversations.

 

Build Backlinks Through Outreach

Backlinks, or inbound links from other websites to yours, are a cornerstone of SEO. Reach out to relevant websites, bloggers, and industry influencers, asking them to link to your valuable content. Provide a compelling reason why your content is beneficial to their audience. Building these organic backlinks not only boosts your content's authority but also drives referral traffic from other websites.

 

Benefit From Guest Posting and Influencer Collaboration

Consider guest posting on authoritative websites within your industry. This not only establishes you as an expert but also exposes your content to new audiences. Collaborate with influencers by mentioning them in your content or co-creating content together. Influencers can amplify your reach through their established follower base, enhancing both your content's visibility and your credibility.

 

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Measuring and Analyzing Content Performance

Evaluating the effectiveness of your content marketing efforts is crucial for refining your strategies and achieving long-term success.

 

Analytics tools provide invaluable insights into how your content resonates with your audience. Google Analytics is a foundational tool that tracks various metrics related to user behaviour on your website. It offers data on page views, user demographics, referral sources, and more. Other tools, like Google Search Console, provide insights into your website's performance in search results.

 

Identify Key Metrics

Key metrics offer a comprehensive view of your content's impact. Organic traffic reveals how well your content ranks in search engine results. The bounce rate indicates the percentage of visitors who navigate away from your site after viewing only one page. Time on page measures how long users engage with your content, reflecting its quality and relevance. Conversion rates reveal how effectively your content drives desired actions, such as signing up for a newsletter or making a purchase.

 

Adjust Strategies Based on Insights

Data-driven insights empower you to refine your content strategies. If a high bounce rate is detected, consider optimizing your content's relevance and engagement to keep visitors on your site. If organic traffic is low for certain keywords, adjust your content to align better with those search terms. If conversion rates are lacking, reevaluate your call-to-action strategies.

 

Continuously monitor these metrics and adjust your content creation and promotion strategies based on what the data reveals.

 

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Final Thoughts

At REM Web Solutions, we thrive on helping our customers connect with their audiences in genuine and impactful ways. If you need support with your digital marketing efforts, don’t hesitate to reach out. Our skilled team is always here to support you in navigating the digital landscape.

 

 

 

 

Are you ever stuck, staring at the screen, not knowing what to write for your product description? Or maybe you're having trouble figuring out what kind of information would make someone go from just browsing to becoming a loyal customer? You're not the only one.

 

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but in the world of ecommerce, using the right words strategically can make a big difference in the success of a business. The average person only spends about eight seconds on a website page, so it's really important for a business to be able to write short, clear, and helpful product descriptions that can convince customers to “add to cart”.

 

Strong product descriptions serve as the bridge between your digital storefront and the delivered products, providing customers with essential information about the items they're considering.

 

Product descriptions are powerful sales tools that can captivate, inform, and compel potential buyers. They have a direct impact on conversion rates, influencing customers to make purchasing decisions, while also encouraging customer engagement and loyalty.

 

In this blog post, we will further explore the importance of effective product descriptions in ecommerce, understand how to write compelling copy, as well as understand their significant impact on conversion rates and SEO strategies.

 

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Why Are Product Descriptions Important?

 

They Increase Your Revenue

Product descriptions have a direct impact on increasing sales and revenue for online businesses. When customers visit an ecommerce website, they rely heavily on product descriptions to understand the products they are wanting to buy. A well-written product description goes beyond providing basic information. It creates an immersive experience that engages customers and highlights the unique features, benefits, and value of the product.

 

They build connection and trust

Compelling descriptions can evoke emotions, address customer pain points, and showcase the product's benefits in a way that resonates with the target audience.

 

Detailed and accurate product descriptions instill confidence and trust in customers. Being transparent and clear helps a business gain trust from customers and makes it less likely for them to give up on their purchase because they're unsure.

 

They enhance the user experience

Product descriptions contribute significantly to enhancing the user experience for online shoppers. When a customer visits your online store, they are looking for detailed information about the products but also a seamless and enjoyable shopping experience. Here are some ways product descriptions can accomplish this:

 

• Clear and Concise Information: A well-written product description ensures that users can quickly and easily find the information they need. By presenting key details, such as product specifications, dimensions, materials, and usage instructions, in a clear and concise manner, businesses enable users to make informed decisions without having to search further.
• Addressing Customer Concerns: Product descriptions address potential customer questions and concerns by providing comprehensive information right off the bat, avoiding customer hesitation.
• Engaging and Informative Content: Product descriptions can be used to evoke emotions, create a connection with the user, and help them visualize how the product can enhance their lives.
• Consistency in Brand Voice and Messaging: Well-written product descriptions align with the overall brand voice and messaging, creating a cohesive and consistent user experience. This consistency helps build brand recognition and reinforces the brand's values, making users feel more confident and familiar with the brand.
• Supporting Visual Elements: Paired with the right visuals, product descriptions become strong tools for generating revenue. While images provide a visual representation of the product, descriptions offer a deeper understanding. Effective descriptions complement visual elements by highlighting key features, providing usage examples, or explaining product benefits that may not be obvious from the visuals alone.

 

They help build trust

In the online world of ecommerce, trust plays a crucial role because customers can't physically interact with products before buying them. That's why well-written product descriptions are important for building trust and credibility.

 

When product descriptions are transparent and accurate, they give customers the information they need to make informed decisions. By clearly presenting details like specifications, features, dimensions, and other relevant information, businesses show that they are committed to providing accurate and reliable information.

 

They help build brand credibility

An effective way to establish credibility is by including social proof, such as customer reviews and testimonials, in product descriptions. Positive reviews and testimonials from satisfied customers validate the claims made in the descriptions and give potential buyers reassurance. When ratings, reviews, and testimonials are included with the product descriptions, it builds trust by showing that others have had positive experiences with the product.

 

Taking the time to write a well-crafted product description is worthwhile. A poorly written or generic description can undermine trust and credibility while well-written, error-free, and engaging descriptions demonstrate attention to detail and a commitment to quality.

 

They help your online business stand out from the competition

Writing effective product descriptions is a valuable way to make your business stand out in the competitive world of online shopping. Since there are many other stores offering similar products, it's crucial to grab the attention of potential customers and leave a lasting impression.

 

Well-written descriptions play a key role in communicating what makes your product special, highlighting its unique qualities compared to competitors. By emphasizing the benefits and advantages your product offers, you can showcase its value. By incorporating storytelling techniques and a distinctive tone of voice that reflects your brand's personality, you can create an emotional connection with customers and set your brand apart.

 

Developing a unique language and writing style further establishes a memorable and recognizable brand identity. By using these strategies, you can differentiate your business, attract customers who resonate with your brand, and provide a remarkable and distinct shopping experience that sets you apart from the competition.

 

They boost search engine visibility (SEO)

Well-written product descriptions go beyond engaging and informing potential customers – they also play a crucial role in boosting search engine visibility and ecommerce SEO. Here's how:

 

• Keyword Optimization: By strategically incorporating relevant keywords and phrases into your product descriptions, you can enhance the SEO value of your pages. Optimizing descriptions with targeted keywords helps search engines understand the relevance of your products and display them in relevant search results.
• Unique and Original Content: Creating distinct and original product descriptions sets you apart from competitors and improves your chances of ranking higher in search results. Unique content demonstrates to search engines that your website provides valuable and credible information.
• Increased Page Relevance: Well-written descriptions improve the relevance of your product pages to specific search queries. Accurately describing the features and benefits of your products helps search engines match your pages to relevant user searches.
• Longer Time on Page and Lower Bounce Rates: Engaging and informative descriptions can keep visitors on your product pages longer, indicating to search engines that your content is valuable. This can potentially improve your website's ranking in search results. 
• Backlink Opportunities: Compelling descriptions can attract backlinks from other websites, further boosting your website's SEO. When other sites link to your product pages, it enhances your website's authority and credibility in the eyes of search engines.

 

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How To Write Powerful Product Descriptions

Writing powerful product descriptions is essential for capturing the attention of potential customers and persuading them to make a purchase. Here are key strategies to consider:

 

• Understand your target audience by researching their needs, preferences, and pain points. Tailor your descriptions to address their unique concerns and desires.
• Highlight key product features and benefits, showcasing how your product solves problems or fulfills specific needs. Emphasize what sets your product apart from competitors.
• Use persuasive language and storytelling techniques to engage your audience emotionally and create a connection. Paint a vivid picture of how your product can positively impact their lives.
• Incorporate relevant SEO keywords throughout your descriptions to improve search engine visibility and attract organic traffic.
• Format and structure your descriptions for readability, using bullet points, subheadings, and short paragraphs. Highlight important information and key features.
• Leverage social proof by including customer reviews and testimonials. Positive ratings and endorsements build trust and credibility.

 

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SEO Strategies for Ecommerce Product Descriptions

To enhance the visibility of your ecommerce product descriptions and attract organic traffic, it's crucial to implement effective SEO strategies. Here are key tactics to optimize your descriptions for search engines:

 

• Improve visibility and click-through rates by optimizing product titles and meta descriptions with descriptive and keyword-rich content.
• Enhance search results and generate rich snippets with additional information by implementing schema markup, which provides structured data.
• Improve website navigation, user experience, and establish credibility by incorporating internal and external linking.
• Track important metrics and identify areas for improvement by utilizing analytics tools to monitor and analyze the performance of your product descriptions.

 

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The Takeaway

We’ve learned that well-written product descriptions are a powerful tool for driving online businesses towards success in the world of ecommerce. A strong product description can be the bridge between a casual browser and a loyal customer. The average individual spends roughly eight seconds on a website page, so it’s vital to a businesses’ success in their ability to convert a customer to write short, succinct and powerful product descriptions.

 

At REM Web Solutions, we understand the value of a well-written piece of brand collateral and encourage our clients to pay special attention to the messaging they share with their customers and audiences. Get in touch with us and let’s explore ways in which you could leverage your content writing to align with your business goals.

 

 

Owning and operating a small business has many fulfilling aspects ­— connecting with your customers in a meaningful way, being able to keep a finger on the pulse of everyday activity and providing a personalized product or service. That being said, if you’re looking to grow and scale your business, taking advantage of digital tools such as Google Business Profile can help you optimize your local SEO presence and appeal to a larger pool of prospective customers.

 

In today's digital age, having a strong online presence is crucial for the success of small businesses. Google Business Profile allows business owners to utilize Google’s power as the most popular search engine to broaden their local reach.

 

This powerful tool not only allows you to create and manage your business listing but also plays a significant role in improving your local SEO performance.

 

In this blog post, we will explore the importance of Google Business Profile and provide an overview of key terms that will help you optimize your local SEO presence. By understanding these concepts and implementing effective strategies, you can enhance your online visibility, attract local customers, and gain a competitive edge in the digital marketplace.

 

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Let's dive in and explore how Google Business Profile can benefit your small business.

 

Google Business Profile Insights – How Does It Work?

Google Business Profile Insights is a powerful analytics tool provided by Google that offers valuable data and metrics about your business listing's performance on Google Search and Google Maps. It provides you with key insights into how customers are finding your business, interacting with your listing, and engaging with your brand.

 

Why is this a tool worth your time? By analyzing this data, you can gain a deeper understanding of your target audience and make informed decisions to optimize your local SEO presence.

 

Accessing your Google Business Profile Insights is simple.

 

• Log in to your Google Business Profile account and navigate to the "Insights" section. Here, you'll find a wealth of data presented in an easy-to-understand format. The insights are categorized into different sections, including visibility, engagement, and audience.
• In the visibility section, you'll discover how customers discovered your business listing, whether through direct searches, discovery searches, or through Google Maps.
• Engagement insights provide valuable information on how customers interacted with your listing, such as the number of clicks, calls, and website visits.
• The audience section provides demographic information about your audience, including age, gender, and location.

Interpreting the insights data requires a holistic approach. Look for patterns and trends in the data over time. Identify which areas are performing well and which need improvement. For example, if you notice that a significant number of customers are discovering your business through direct searches, it indicates a strong brand presence. On the other hand, if engagement metrics are low, you might need to optimize your listing to encourage more interactions.

 

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Understanding Local Presence in Google Search Results

Local presence refers to the visibility and prominence of a business in local search results on Google. When users search for products or services with local intent, such as "restaurants near me" or "plumbers in [city name]," Google provides the most relevant and geographically appropriate results. Local presence ensures that your business appears in these relevant local search results, increasing the chances of attracting local customers.

 

Google utilizes various factors to determine local relevance and presents results on its search engine results page (SERP) accordingly. Several key factors influence local search rankings. They include:

 

• Google Business Profile Listing: A well-optimized and up-to-date Google Business Profile listing is vital. This includes accurate business information, proper categorization, and a compelling description.
• Relevance: Google assesses the relevance of a business to a particular search query. It considers factors such as matching keywords, category selection, and content relevance across your website, Google Business Profile listing, and online citations.
• Distance: Proximity between the searcher and the business location is a crucial factor. Google considers the physical distance of the business from the searcher's location or the location specified in the search query.
• Prominence: The prominence and reputation of a business play a role in local search rankings. Factors such as the number and quality of customer reviews, online ratings, backlinks, and citations from authoritative sources contribute to prominence.
• Website Quality and SEO: The overall quality, relevance, and optimization of your website also influence local search rankings. Factors like mobile-friendliness, page load speed, structured data markup, and relevant content contribute to a better ranking.

 

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Enhance Your Local Presence in Google Search Results

To enhance your local presence in Google search results, consider implementing the following strategies:

 

• Optimize Google Business Profile: Create a complete and accurate Google Business Profile listing. Ensure that your business information is consistent across all platforms, select relevant categories, and regularly update your listing with photos, posts, and offers.
• Localize Your Website: Optimize your website for local SEO by incorporating location-specific keywords, creating location-based landing pages, and including your NAP (Name, Address, Phone) information on every page.
• Online Reviews and Reputation Management: Encourage customers to leave reviews on your Google Business Profile listing. Monitor and respond to reviews promptly, addressing both positive and negative feedback. A positive online reputation enhances your local presence.
• Local Citations and Directory Listings: Ensure consistent NAP information across online directories, industry-specific listings, and citation sources. This helps Google associate your business with specific locations and improves local relevance.
• Content Localization: Create high-quality, locally-focused content on your website and blog. Incorporate local keywords, showcase local events or partnerships, and highlight your involvement in the local community.
• Earn Backlinks: Build relationships with local influencers, bloggers, and community organizations to earn backlinks to your website. Quality backlinks from local sources help establish credibility and enhance local search rankings.

 

Remember that local SEO is an ongoing process, and consistency is key. Regularly monitor your performance, adapt your strategies based on insights and algorithm updates, and continue to provide excellent products or services to your local customers. By focusing on local presence in Google search, you can effectively target and attract customers in your area.

 

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Optimizing NAP Consistency for Better Local SEO Performance

Maintaining consistent NAP information across all online listings is crucial for better local SEO performance. Inconsistent or inaccurate NAP information can confuse search engines and customers, leading to a loss of trust and lower search rankings. To optimize NAP consistency:

 

• Audit Existing Listings: Conduct a thorough audit of your current online listings. Identify any inconsistencies or outdated information that needs to be corrected.
• Standardize Format: Use a standardized format for your business name, address, and phone number across all listings. Avoid using abbreviations, variations, or alternate phone numbers.
• Update Citations and Directories: Ensure that your NAP information is consistent across online directories, review sites, social media platforms, and other citation sources. Update or claim your listings to make necessary corrections.
• Monitor and Correct Inconsistencies: Regularly monitor your listings and correct any inconsistencies or inaccuracies as soon as possible. Utilize automated tools or services that can help identify and manage your online citations.

 

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Local Marketing and Customer Engagement

Local marketing refers to the strategies and tactics businesses use to promote their products or services to a specific local audience. It focuses on targeting customers within a specific geographical area, typically within a certain radius around the business location. Some key local marketing techniques include:

 

• Location-Based Targeting: Utilizing location-based advertising platforms and tools to target customers within a specific area through online ads, social media campaigns, or geotargeted search ads.
• Community Involvement: Engaging with the local community through sponsorships, partnerships, and participation in local events, fundraisers, or charity initiatives. This helps build brand awareness and establishes a positive reputation.
• Local SEO: Optimizing your website and online presence to rank higher in local search results. This includes using location-based keywords, creating location-specific landing pages, and building citations and backlinks from local sources.
• Local Content Marketing: Creating and promoting content that is relevant to the local audience. This can include blog posts, videos, or social media content that highlights local events, news, or customer stories.

 

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Engaging with Local Customers and Managing Customer Reviews

Engaging with local customers and managing customer reviews is crucial for building a strong local reputation and fostering customer loyalty. It has several benefits, including:

 

• Trust and Credibility: Engaging with customers and responding to their inquiries or feedback demonstrates that you value their opinions and are committed to providing excellent service. This builds trust and credibility for your business in the local community.
• Positive Online Reputation: Actively managing customer reviews allows you to address any negative feedback promptly and professionally. By resolving issues and showcasing exceptional customer service, you can enhance your online reputation and attract more customers.
• Word-of-Mouth Marketing: Satisfied customers who have positive experiences are more likely to recommend your business to others. By engaging with them and providing excellent service, you increase the chances of generating positive word-of-mouth referrals.
• Competitive Advantage: Local businesses that actively engage with customers and manage their online reputation stand out from competitors. By leveraging platforms like Google Business Profile for customer engagement, you can gain a competitive edge in the local market.

 

Remember to respond to customer reviews in a timely manner, whether they are positive or negative. Express gratitude for positive reviews and address any concerns or issues raised in negative reviews professionally and constructively. By actively engaging with local customers and managing their reviews, you can foster a positive brand image, build strong relationships, and attract more local customers to your business.

 

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Leveraging Online Business Directories

Online business directories play a significant role in local SEO by providing businesses with additional online visibility and increasing their chances of appearing in local search results. These directories act as online platforms that list businesses in specific categories and locations, making it easier for potential customers to find relevant products or services in their area. Search engines often consider information from these directories when determining local search rankings, making them an essential part of a local SEO strategy.

To effectively list businesses in relevant online directories, consider the following strategies:

 

• Research and Identify Relevant Directories: Start by researching and identifying online directories that are specific to your industry or location. Focus on directories that are popular and trusted by your target audience.
• Optimize Business Information: When listing your business, ensure that you provide accurate and consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) information. Optimize your business description by including relevant keywords and highlighting unique selling points.
• Choose the Right Categories: Select the most appropriate categories for your business listing within each directory. This helps ensure that your business appears in relevant search results and increases its visibility to potential customers.
• Include High-Quality Visuals: Enhance your listing by including high-quality images that showcase your products, services, or premises. Visuals can attract attention and make your listing more appealing to potential customers.
• Monitor and Update Listings: Regularly monitor your listings in online directories to ensure the - information remains accurate and up to date. Update any changes to your business details promptly to maintain consistency across all directories.

 

Owning and operating a small business requires you to juggle many tasks, often dream big and execute said dreams at the same time. As a business owner, you have plenty to do in your day to day. Leverage digital tools like Google Business Profile to do some of the heavy lifting for you while you focus on providing your customers with the attention and care they deserve.

 

If you’re unsure on where to get started, reach out to our Digital Marketing team at REM Web Solutions and let’s figure out a way to optimize your Google Business Profile page to reach more local prospective customers.

 

 

Have you ever navigated a website, looking for a way to reach out to a company, clicking on every tab available with no luck? This interaction likely left you feeling frustrated and not confident in the company’s ability to create an easy path of communication.

 

Now you understand why creating effective call-to-action (CTA) buttons is an integral element in your website design and function.

 

Websites are powerful tools that, when well-designed, have the ability to convert casual browsers into loyal customers. But in a digital landscape that is experiencing a landslide of content, how do we do that? How do we attract someone’s attention and empower them to take an action on a website?

 

Simple. We draw them in with the use of a well-designed and easy to access CTA button.

 

Essential for any successful business website, CTA buttons serve as a powerful tool that guide visitors towards desired actions, whether it's making a purchase, subscribing to a newsletter, or signing up for a service.

 

In the world of web design, CTA buttons play a pivotal role in driving conversions and achieving business goals. Their strategic placement, compelling design, and persuasive copy have a direct impact on user engagement and conversion rates. In this blog post, we'll further explore their importance in web design, better understand their significance for conversion optimization, and outline key principles for designing effective CTA buttons.

 

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What are Call-to-Action (CTA) Buttons?

CTA buttons are interactive elements on a website that prompt users to take a specific action. They are typically designed as buttons, links, or clickable graphics, and their purpose is to guide visitors towards a desired conversion or engagement goal.

 

CTAs can include actions like "Buy Now," "Sign Up," "Download," "Learn More," or "Contact Us." These buttons serve as clear and direct invitations for users to perform an intended action, ultimately helping businesses achieve their objectives, such as generating leads, making sales, or increasing subscriptions.

 

How important is website design, really? The short answer: very.

Website design plays a crucial role in maximizing the effectiveness of CTA buttons. The way CTAs are designed and integrated into the overall website layout significantly impacts user engagement and conversion rates.

 

Effective website design elements, such as layout, colors, typography, and visual hierarchy, can draw attention to CTAs and create a seamless user experience. Well-designed CTAs that align with the website's branding and visual style enhance user trust and credibility, making users more likely to click on them.

 

At the crossroads of website design and user experience

The effectiveness of call-to-action buttons on a website is closely connected to how easy the website is to use and how enjoyable the user's experience is. Website usability refers to how simple and user-friendly a website is, making sure that users can easily find and interact with the things they want. User experience (UX), on the other hand, is about the overall experience a user has while using a website, including how they feel and how satisfied they are. When it comes to call-to-action buttons, both website usability and UX are important to consider.

 

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How to Design Effective CTA Buttons

 

Consider button placement

When designing CTA buttons for websites, it's important to consider where to place them. Button placement means putting them in spots where people can easily see and use them. By understanding how people look at a webpage and where their attention goes, we can put the buttons in noticeable spots. It's a good idea to place buttons near the top and on the left side of the page because that's where people usually look first. This helps grab their attention.

 

Button placement also helps guide people's eyes to the buttons we want them to click. We should make sure the buttons are easy to find and use, so people don't have to search or scroll too much. It's also important to place buttons where they make sense based on what the webpage is about.

 

Lastly, we need to consider how the buttons will work on different devices, like phones or tablets. We want to ensure they're easy to tap with a thumb and don't cause any problems.

 

Consider colour psychology

Button colour psychology plays a significant role in creating effective CTA buttons in web design. Colours have the power to evoke emotions, influence behaviour, and convey messages.

 

Different colors carry specific associations and meanings that can influence how users perceive and interact with CTAs. For example:

 

• Red: Often associated with urgency, excitement, and importance, making it suitable for encouraging immediate actions like "Buy Now" or "Sign Up."

• Green: Symbolizes growth, freshness, and harmony, commonly used for positive actions like "Go" or "Start."

• Blue: Conveys trust, reliability, and calmness, making it suitable for actions related to trust-building or informative choices.

• Orange: Represents enthusiasm, energy, and creativity, often used for CTAs that promote engagement or encourage exploration.

 

Contrast and Visibility: High contrast between the button colour and the background helps CTAs stand out and increases their visibility. It's essential to select colours that contrast well to ensure that the buttons catch users' attention and are easily distinguishable on the webpage.

 

Brand Consistency: Consider incorporating brand colours into the CTA design to maintain visual consistency. When users associate specific colours with a brand, using those colours in CTAs can strengthen brand recognition and reinforce the trust and familiarity users have with the brand.

 

Cultural Considerations: Keep in mind that colour associations can vary across cultures. It's important to research and understand the cultural meanings and interpretations of colours in your target audience's demographic and adapt your colour choices accordingly to ensure they resonate positively.

 

Consider button shape and size

Button size and shape are critical considerations when designing CTA buttons. Optimizing these elements is essential for ensuring clickable and creating touch-friendly interfaces, particularly on mobile devices. Here are some things to keep in mind:

 

• Clickable: The primary goal of a CTA button is to encourage users to click or tap on it. To achieve this, the button should be large enough and have a size that allows users to easily interact with it. Smaller buttons may lead to accidental clicks or difficulty in accurately targeting the button, resulting in frustration and potential loss of conversions.

• Touch-Friendly Interfaces: With the prevalence of touchscreen devices, it's crucial to consider touch-friendly design for CTA buttons. This requires buttons to be sized appropriately to accommodate touch input. A small or cramped button may lead to accidental taps or difficulty in accurately tapping the button, leading to a poor user experience.

• Responsiveness: CTA buttons should be responsive to different screen sizes and devices. In a responsive web design, the buttons should adapt to various screen resolutions, ensuring that they remain easily clickable and accessible on different devices. This includes considering different orientations (portrait and landscape) and accommodating users with varying screen sizes, from large desktop monitors to smaller smartphone screens.

• Shape: The shape of a CTA button can also impact how clickable and touch-friendliness. Rectangular or square-shaped buttons are commonly used due to their simplicity and familiarity. These shapes provide clear boundaries and make it easier for users to tap accurately. However, other shapes can be explored, such as rounded corners or circular buttons, depending on the design style and overall visual aesthetics.

• Consideration of Accessibility: Button size and shape are particularly crucial for accessibility purposes. Users with motor impairments or visual impairments rely on assistive technologies or alternative input methods, such as screen readers or switch devices. Ensuring that buttons are sufficiently large and distinct helps improve accessibility, making it easier for these users to interact with CTAs and navigate through the website.

 

 

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Testing CTA Buttons for Optimal Performance

 

A/B Testing

A/B testing is a helpful method for making CTA buttons better. Designers create different versions of CTAs with different designs or words to compare how well they work. A/B testing lets them analyze the results and make decisions based on data. It shows which design elements or words users like more and which ones lead to more people taking action. By testing different CTAs, designers can keep making them better and more effective over time.

 

Analyzing the data

To understand how CTAs are performing, it's important to look at click-through rates (CTR) and conversion metrics. CTR measures the percentage of users who click on a CTA compared to the total number of users who see it. It shows how interested and engaged users are with the CTA.

 

Conversion metrics track how many users complete a specific action, like making a purchase or filling out a form, after clicking on a CTA. By keeping a close eye on these metrics, designers can learn how effective their CTAs are and find areas to improve. Analyzing CTR and conversion data helps identify patterns, trends, and any issues that might affect how well CTAs work.

 

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Final Thoughts

After learning more about CTA buttons and their performance abilities, you can better understand why at REM Web Solutions we’re highly passionate about designing and developing websites that are intuitive and cover all key design principles to convert individuals from casual browsers into loyal customers. Sometimes, it’s as simple as a strategically-placed CTA button to form that connection.

 

If you’re interested in having your website audited for CTA performance or would like assistance with designing a website that will draw your customers’ attention, reach out to us and we’d be happy to start that conversation.

 

 

Marketing has been around for centuries since people began to sell and trades goods with one another. It is a way of getting the word out about what you are selling and for how much. As the times have changed so has the way we market. When the radio was invented people began to use radio ads. When the TV began appearing in every household, TV ads and commercials became a thing. And when the internet became mainstream in the 1990’s the invention of digital marketing came about.

 

Digital marketing is the new way to spread the word. Rather than having to flip through the pages of a newspaper, people can simply open Google or go on Facebook to find ads. It can be a great way to reach a wider audience and cut down on a lot of traditional marketing costs. Digital marketing is bringing us into the future of marketing as more and more is being added to the internet every day. Here is what digital marketing is and the role it plays.

 

Digital Marketing Explained

First and foremost, what is digital marketing? Digital marketing is just as it seems, marketing on a digital platform. This means rather than having print, radio, or TV ads you have virtual ads on the internet. This can be anything from a pop up on another website, a column on the side of a website, an ad at the top of a search page like Google, or an integrated ad on Facebook. As long as it is online, it is digital marketing.

 

Digital marketing isn’t just for young people who are chronically online, it is used by everyone. Since the pandemic, more and more people have shifted to using the internet more, which means they are online at least once a day if not more. People with smartphones are online even more than that.

 

Digital Marketing V.S. Traditional Marketing

Now you may be asking, but what is the difference between digital marketing and traditional marketing? The main difference is that digital marketing reaches a wider audience. Print, radio, and TV ads are all focused on a local audience. With digital marketing you aren’t restricted to certain areas that will support your radio station or newspaper. Digital marketing can reach everyone in the entire world, if they are interested in what you are selling.

 

The next big difference is the fact that most people no longer use traditional media anymore. very few people still buy the paper or read flyers, instead they get them online. Rather than watching cable with ads, people use streaming services like Netflix. And rather than listening to the radio people use Spotify. Digital marketing is now often the only marketing people see or look at.

 

Importance of Digital Marketing

Now that you know what digital marketing is, you may be asking, why do I need it? You may be thinking, I already have a website, why do I still need to advertise online? Well, it is very simple. Without advertising no one will find your company or website, or at least very few people will. Just because you have a website doesn't mean people will find it. Or even if you use traditional ads, digital ads as well can spread the word even more. Digital marketing is just as important today as traditional marketing was 50 years ago. Without marketing you have no sales.

 

Digital Marketing Channels

When you think of digital marketing channels your mind might go to Google ads, or Facebook pop ups. But there is so much more you can do in the world of digital advertising. These are the most common and useful digital marketing channels to help you get started.

 

Email Marketing

Email marketing is one of the oldest and best ways to market online. It is so popular as it allows you so many different marketing options in one easy package. You can use it to email your newsletter to subscribers. Reach out to people with ads for your company. Advertise to existing customers by sending out promotions. There are so many ways you can use emails to market to new and old customers. It is also very easy to use as most people have been using email since the 1980’s. It can be a great way to ease into digital marketing or a more cost-effective option for small businesses.

 

Social Media

Social media marketing has begun to become mainstream in the past decade. Now a days when you open Facebook or Instagram you can find ads disguised as posts hidden within your feed. Encouraging you to buy a product because someone you follow uses it. Social media has become such an important part of everyday life for people, so why not take the opportunity to use it for your gain.

 

These days Millennials and Gen Z live on social media. Checking it multiple times a day, posting regularly, and using it to find new products to buy and places to shop. So, it would only make sense to take advantage and begin using it to advertise. There is also way more than just Facebook and Instagram that you can use. It is all up to you though which platform you want to use.

 

Creating a social media page for your company is also a great way to advertise without having to pay for an ad. You simply make the account and post about your company. You can post product photos, promotions, or just what it’s like to hang out in the office. It is all up to you as long as post regularly.

 

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Search engine optimization or SEO is a great way to digitally market without having to create ads. SEO for those that do not know, is optimizing your website to appear within search engines, such as Google. This means when someone searches for a product or service you sell, your website will appear close to the top of the page. You can have good SEO by including and repeating keywords that you want the search engine to flag. This can be anything if it relates to your company or product.

 

For example, if you sell water bottles, you can include words and phrases like, “water”, “bottles”, “water bottles”, “easy to carry water bottles”, “hiking water bottles”, etc. Essentially anything you want the search engine to reroute back to your website.

 

This can be a cost-effective way to market online. It doesn’t require you to pay extra to a company to feature your ad on their page, design an ad, or monitor an ad. Instead, you simply include the keywords you wish the search engine to flag for each page.

 

Content Marketing

Content marketing can also be a great way to advertise right from your website. Content marketing includes blogs, newsletters, promotions, a products page, etc. It is essentially advertising through the content on your website. Including a promotional banner on your home page can be a great way to advertise an ongoing deal or new product. A products page allows you to show off what your company sells.

 

Blogs can be a great way to bring attention to stuff your company does, specializes in, focuses on, features, or cares about. It can honestly be about anything if it relates to your company. It can also be a great way to drum up attention for an upcoming event or promotion. For example, if your company makes and sells chocolate, a blog about Easter or one published right before, can be a great way to get more people to buy before the Holiday.

 

Newsletters are very similar to blogs as they allow your customers to learn a little bit more about the company and its products. However, they can often be a better way to spread word about promotions. Having a subscription newsletter that gets emailed to people every month, is an easy way to get people to buy more during promotions or Holidays.

 

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is not a new concept; however, it is just now being done within the digital marketing world. Affiliate marketing is when you pay or get paid to advertise a company. It can also be done in exchange for other things, such as free products, mutual advertising, or company exposer. For example, if you are a bake shop, you could pay a florist to advertise for you during wedding season. They get business and then send the same business your way.

 

If you already partner with another company for products or services, you can also advertise for one another. If you use a company’s packaging, you can include a note or message like “packaged with X company”. It can be a great way to build relationships within the community, while also advertising for your company.

 

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We hope this has been helpful in introducing you to the world of digital marketing. Whether you are a small business, entrepreneur, non-profit, local business, or professionals, digital marketing matters and should be used. For more website content or further information about advertising, check out the rest of our blog page.

 

If you are interested in beginning digital marketing for your company, we here at REM Web Solutions would be happy to help, give us a call, email, or come into the office today.

 

 

What is Local SEO?

Local SEO (Search Engine Optimization) refers to the practice of optimizing a website to increase traffic, visibility, and brand awareness from local searches. Local searches could include certain geographical keywords or phrases, such as the name of a city or a neighborhood. For example, "best coffee shop in Brooklyn" or "plumbers near me".

 

Local SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a subset of the broader SEO practices focused on improving a website's visibility in overall search results. Local SEO is particularly crucial for businesses that operate in specific geographical locations or serve customers in a specific area.

 

The search engines can tell when queries and content are local to the user who is making the search. Search engines like Google are sophisticated enough to understand when a user is performing a search with local intent, even if it's not explicitly stated in the search query.

 

For example, if someone searches for "coffee shop," Google will likely show results of coffee shops in the user's area, despite the query not specifying a location. This is because Google infers that the user is probably looking for a coffee shop nearby based on the nature of the search.

 

Furthermore, Google will also scan your website's content to understand if it's relevant to local search queries. So, if your website clearly indicates that you operate in a particular area, Google is more likely to show your website for searches relevant to that area.

 

By optimizing your website for local search, you make it easier for Google to understand where your business is located and what areas you serve. As a result, Google can better match your website with relevant local search queries, increasing your visibility among local customers.

Before we jump into the criteria for optimising your website for local SEO, let’s take a quick look at why local SEO is important for your website.

 

Why is Local SEO Important for Small Business?

Optimization of local SEO can help your small business maximize its marketing efforts, improve your visibility, drive more traffic, and ultimately increase your sales. This makes local SEO a crucial aspect of digital marketing for any business with a physical location or a local service area. Here are some of the key benefits:

 

Increased Visibility

Local SEO helps to boost your visibility in the local area. When your business shows up in local search results, you have more opportunities to reach potential customers and clients who are in the vicinity of your business.

 

Location-Based Searches

The advent of mobile technology has changed the way people search. More people are searching "on the go" using their mobile devices, and Google takes location into account. Even if a location qualifier isn't used in a search query, Google might still serve local results that are relevant.

 

Increased Traffic and Sales

Effective local SEO can help to drive more traffic to both your website and your physical location. People searching locally are typically looking to find an immediate solution, which often translates to an in-store visit. According to Google, 76% of people who conduct a local search on their smartphone visit a physical place within 24 hours and 28% of those searches result in a purchase.

 

Beat the Competition

Many small businesses have not yet recognized the importance of local SEO, so it's a chance to get ahead. If your business shows up in Google's local three-pack or in top local search results, you have a competitive edge over your rivals.

 

Google My Business

One of the key tools for managing your local SEO is Google My Business. By optimizing your Google My Business listing, you can improve your chances of showing up in Google's Local Pack, Local Finder, Google Maps, and organic rankings in general.

 

Cost-Effective

Unlike paid advertising, local SEO is organic, making it cost-effective. The only cost is the time and effort it takes to optimize your online presence.

 

Online Reviews

Online reviews are a big part of local SEO. The quantity and quality of your business reviews on Google is one of the most important ranking factors for local SEO.

 

Businesses with numerous high-quality reviews often rank higher in local search results. These reviews also enhance a business's trustworthiness and authority from a user's perspective, improving the click-through rate and indirectly boosting rankings.

 

Additionally, reviews provide fresh user-generated content, often incorporating relevant keywords and local references that enhance local SEO efforts. Specifically, reviews on a business's Google My Business page can help the business appear in the prominent "local pack" of search results.

 

Lastly, positive reviews can boost conversion rates, indirectly benefiting overall SEO by attracting more site visits and potentially generating additional reviews.

 

Now that you know what local SEO is and how it benefits your business, let’s review the criteria for how you should determine if your company needs local SEO.

 

How do I Know if My Business Needs Local SEO?

There are four main criteria you should consider before investing in local SEO for your business:

 

1. Physical Location

Your business has a physical location where it serves customers, or you go to clients in a specified service area. This can include businesses like restaurants, retail stores, law firms, medical practices, and more. Even if you serve a larger area, optimizing for the city where your office is located can help build brand awareness locally.

 

2. You Depend on Local Customers

If a significant portion of your customer base is from a particular locality, city, or region, then local SEO can help increase your visibility among this target audience.

 

3. You Have Local Competition

If you're vying for customers with other similar businesses in your local area, local SEO can help give you a competitive edge and ensure your business shows up in local search results.

 

4. Your Business Serves Multiple Locations

If your business has multiple locations or serves multiple areas, you'll want to optimize for each of those locations to reach as many potential customers as possible.

 

Does your business meet one or more of the above criteria? If so, you should speak to your marketing team to make sure they are optimising for local SEO. If you don’t have someone working on your digital marketing, reach out to our digital marketing team here at REM and we can help!

 

Before we finish, and you speak with us about getting local SEO started for your business, let’s look at how Google (and other search engines) determines if you are local or not?

 

How does a Search Engine Determine if you are Local?

For a search engine to consider a business as local, it examines the information available about your business online, such as:

 

NAP Consistency

NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone number. Search engines like Google use this information to determine where your business is located. It's crucial that your NAP information is consistent across all platforms and listings.

 

Google My Business Listing

Your Google My Business listing is a key factor in your local SEO. This listing provides Google with information about your business, including your address, service area, business category, and more.

 

Local Keywords

If your website content includes location-specific keywords (such as the name of your city or neighborhood), search engines can use these clues to understand where your business is located.

 

Local Links and Citations

Links to your website from other local businesses, or mentions of your business on local websites, can help signal to search engines that your business is part of a specific local community.

 

Customer Reviews

Reviews on Google, Yelp, and other platforms not only provide user-generated content with potential local keywords, but also signal to search engines that your business is operational and serving customers in the location.

 

Social Media Signals

Information and engagement on your social media profiles can also provide search engines with information about your location and the area you serve.

 

Keep in mind that any business with a physical location or that serves a specific geographic area can benefit from local SEO. It's all about making sure you're visible and attractive to your potential customers who are searching for your product or services locally.

 

In Conclusion

Local SEO is a fundamental strategy for any business with a physical location or servicing a particular geographic area. It aims to optimize your online presence to attract more business from relevant local searches on Google and other search engines.

 

By optimizing your website and Google My Business listing, incorporating location-specific keywords, securing local links and citations, and fostering a robust collection of online reviews, you can increase your business's visibility, traffic, and sales from customers in your area.

More than just boosting your rankings in search results, local SEO builds your business's credibility and authority, setting you apart in a competitive market. With the significant role of mobile technology, Local SEO has become even more critical, as more people are conducting location-based searches "on the go."

 

While local SEO is cost-effective, it does require a dedicated effort. If your business meets the criteria for needing local SEO and you're ready to reap its benefits, it's advisable to engage with an expert digital marketing team, like the one at REM Web Solutions. With professional help, you can efficiently navigate the nuances of local SEO and unlock its full potential for your business's success.

 

 

What are internal links?

Internal links are hyperlinks inside your website that lead to a page inside your website. External links are links that link to webpages outside of your website. Internal links are normally used to point to important information on your site, especially content that might be relevant to the visitor.

 

There are different types of internal links. Along with the links on your homepage, post feed, menu, etc., you can include internal links in your content. These links are known as contextual links. Contextual links are useful, and point website users to engaging and interesting content. Additionally, they help search engines find which content on your website is related and help the search engine determine its value from there.

 

The more links an important page receives, the more crucial it will seem to various search engines. This means that well-used internal links are incredibly useful to your SEO.

 

Internal vs. external links

All websites, even online storefronts, consist of internal and external links. While internal links connect posts and pages within your website, external links connect pages to different websites.

 

Why are internal links important?

Internal links are useful and important to use if you’re managing a website. Three reasons why you should be using internal links include:

 

• Helping users navigate a website more easily.

• Assisting with establishing information hierarchy for a website.

• Helping to spread ranking power – link equity – around websites.

 

Best internal link strategy

 

1. Figure out the best structure for your website

A good practice for website structure is to imagine it being organized like a pyramid. At the top of the pyramid is your homepage, then below that you would have grouped content divided into key categories. The further down you go, the more you will find individual pages that are not parts of the main content categories, but still might be important. If done properly, your website’s menu should reflect this structure.

 

It can really help to visualize your website structure if you write each page of your site on a post-it notes and then place them on a large table or wall so you can rearrange them as needed. Does that article on how to return your product belong in the Support section? Or maybe the Frequently Asked Questions page? Or perhaps you need links from both areas?

 

2. Determine what your most important content is

It’s necessary to determine what your most important website content is – your cornerstone content. To put it simply, this is your best and most complete content, and serves as the core of your business. These are the posts you want people to discover when searching for products or topics that you specialize in.

 

If you want to let Google know that this is your most important content, you should be adding multiple links from different pages on your site. That’s where contextual links come in.

 

3. Include contextual links

When you’ve accumulated multiple articles that you’ve written about a specific topic, they should be linked to each other. This will demonstrate to search engines and your users that these articles are topically related. This can be done by linking directly from sentences in your own copy or by adding links at the end of the post, or even better, from both locations.

 

4. Think about adding a related post section

Consider adding a related post section to your website. There are countless add-ons and plugins which can add complete related post sections to your posts. This can be an effective way to expand your post reach to more visitors. Think about testing it out is you use one, however. You want to make sure the related posts are actually related posts

 

If you’re unsure, then link to posts manually and put the link to that post at the bottom of the article.

 

5. Add links for hierarchical pages

If your website includes hierarchical pages, try linking parent pages to their child pages and vice versa. Also, don’t forget to link sibling pages to each other. These specific pages should be related to one another on a well-organized website, which is why connecting them makes the most sense.

 

6. Include links to your most recent posts

It’s a great habit to make sure that every time you publish a new piece of content on your site, you add links to the new content from older pages. Remember to try to make sure that when you do this, the pages that you are linking from are topically related to the new content. Google prefers if the contextual links are relevant to the topic the visitor is reading.

 

Adding internal links to your most recent content is a great way to ensure that search engine crawlers find the new content and index it when they follow the links from other pages on your website.

 

7. Add navigational links

If you want to make your cornerstone more authoritative, add links to it from the homepage or the top navigation menu. This method should be done with the pages that are the most imperative to your business. This is going to give the posts or pages on your site more value.

 

8. Insert links to your taxonomies

Taxonomies, such as tags and categories, assist in organizing a website and helping users and Google understand what your posted content is about. For example, if you have a blog, it could be helpful to add internal links to the taxonomies that post belongs to.

 

9. Input links to your most popular posts

Inputting links to your site’s most popular posts or pages is another important point to consider. You should be creating these sections in the sidebar or the footer of your website so that they show up on all pages and posts.

 

10. Anchor text

After you decide which links should be included on a page and which ones should be granted link value, it’s necessary that you incorporate the proper anchor text.

 

Your anchor text should look natural when used in your copy and you should avoid using generic terms like ‘click here’ or ‘read more’.  Generic anchor text doesn’t tell Google, or the reader, where the link is taking them. Using descriptive anchor text means that your reader knows where the link is going, and you can even include keywords to boost the value of the link with Google.

 

An example of great anchor text would be: “Let REM help you with a new business website” vs. “REM makes great websites. Click here to learn more.”

 

11. Orphaned Content and Internal Linking

Orphaned content are pages on your website that do not have any internal links connecting them. This makes it difficult for users to find, and harder for search engines to crawl. In this process, you need to determine what pages you want to be found, deleted, or optimized for search engines.

 

Conclusion:

Utilizing internal links correctly is incredibly important in optimizing the success of your website and boosting your content through search engines. If you follow the strategies and tips outlined above with the implementation of internal links, your SEO and users will thank you.

 

REM offers a robust Search Engine Optimization service that can help your site rank higher in Google Search Results. Our expert team of digital marketers will make sure that your site has the correct SEO setup and meets all of Google’s requirements. We even take care of fixing your internal links for you!

 

Speak with our Marketing Director to see if REM can help you get noticed online.

 

 

Your website is a critical part of your organization’s story, marketing efforts and digital presence in the big bad online world. You spend time and money creating an online experience that would attract and drive certain behaviors from your target audiences. But somehow your site has a high “bounce rate.” So, what exactly does that mean?

 

Well, a bounce, in simple terms, means people are coming to one of your web pages and leaving without staying for less than 10 seconds. While they are there, they are not clicking on any links, your Call to Action (CTA), or another page.

 

The bounce rate is the percentage of visitors who do this versus those who interact with your site. The average bounce rate falls between 41% and 55% and the ideal is 26% to 40%. Anything above and even below could mean your site has a problem and is not performing to the best of its ability.

 

To find out your site’s bounce rate look at the individual channels and pages in the behavior column of Google Analytics. If you are scoring above 55%, “Houston we have a problem,” or even worse, we have several problems. It could mean bad content, misleading descriptions, a poor navigation experience or design. Most importantly it’s a sign that users are not doing what you want them to do on your site; they aren’t converting. And this can have an impact on your SEO rankings. In fact, one industry study found a strong relationship between time on site and rankings.

 

Sometimes a website can have a naturally high bounce rate. Therefore, it can be very important to check with a digital marketing specialist who can determine the cause. For example, what if your website has a name that is very similar or identical to another company in a different industry. ‘ABC cleaners’ could be a dry-cleaning company or a window washing company.

 

Another reason for a naturally high bounce rate would be if your city or street has the same name as another place. Websites in Cambridge, Ontario will sometimes get visitors from Cambridge, Massachusetts or Cambridge, England. Those visitors will naturally bounce once they realize they are on the same page.

 

Let’s get down to business and explore some of the top reasons your site could be failing to engage your audience and causing a legitimate bounce rate issue.

 

Three words: content, content, content

With so much information on the web it’s a rare thing for someone to accidently end up on your site. People use google to search for information and visit the sites they think have it. If your content doesn’t measure up, they’re leaving. Content must meet the users’ expectations, or they will bounce to another site.

 

Following a few basic rules can help:

 

1. Create content that matches with your visitors’ search intentions. Your website should focus on the reasons and problems a visitor may have and try to address them.
2. Keep your phrases short. Writing for the web is quite different than writing for a printed publication. Sentences should be short and include key words to improve your SEO rankings, especially in your headings.
3. Think about the user journey and improve internal linking. Where do you want them to go and what do you want them to do while they are on your site?
4. Invite visitors to your call-to-actions. Make it simple and easy.
5. Keep educating! Tell them about related blog content on your site and keep them longer.
6. Follow good design principles. Make your page scannable with easy-to-read headers. Break up your content with engaging images. Make sure your important information is loaded and visible within 3 seconds of the page coming up.

 

Look around for an honest opinion from a colleague, a professional copywriter or even a loyal customer to review your content and adjust accordingly. You may also consider hiring a writer or a good content strategist.

 

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REM offers content marketing and blog writing as some of our digital marketing services. Our professional writers produce content that is engaging, and you don’t have to do anything, just review it once before we post it online. Speak to your REM representative or contact our Marketing Director for a free, no-obligation conversation about how we can help.

 

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Slow Load

Studies show the average online attention span is about 8 seconds. And on top of that, most people will leave if your site doesn’t load in less than 3.9 seconds! You don’t want your visitors to spend those precious seconds of their attention watching a throbber (the loading icon), or they’re going to bounce. There are millions of other web pages. Patience is not an online virtue.

 

Rethink whether you want that big video file to automatically play and take a closer look at those scripts. Take advice from the Google and run a Page Speed Insights test to find out their recommendations. Other tools include Lighthouse reports, Pingdom or GTmetrix. If your page is taking longer than a few seconds you need to fix it.

 

Keeping it Real

Real titles and real descriptions matter. Your title tag and meta descriptions play a key role in setting visitor expectations. When your content doesn’t line up, people bounce. Nobody likes to be misled, nor do they have time for it. Accurate titles and descriptions are necessary; consider these your first impression. If you falsely advertise, they will simply return to the search engine and go to the next best page.

 

Good meta descriptions do the following:

 

1. Explain the organization or the purpose of the page - Provide information a user is looking for like the product or services offered, the location and operating hours.
2. Pull direct content - Think of using a quote or perhaps the first couple of sentences that summarize the content of the page. Chances are a lot of your key words are found there.
3. Summarize - If you primarily sharing information, Google suggests summarizing the entire page. This will give search engines more opportunities to find your page.
4. Share differentiators - If your site is supporting a specific product, share what makes it the best in your description.

 

The lesson here is to be accurate and be descriptive. This will bring the right visitors to your site and encourage them to stay.

 

Navigation

Nothing is more frustrating than landing on a page and not being able to find the menu, the next step or good grief, the link to buy to your product. Poor design creates problems for users who want to browse your site resulting in, you guessed it, the bounce!

 

If your content is good, your titles and descriptions on point maybe it’s time to hire a designer to identify potential issues. Work with them to ensure the menu, links and any CTAs are self-explanatory and easily accessible. This will improve your user experience and your bounce rate.

 

Be friendly to the phone

Global web traffic on mobile phones has surged in recent years and as of November 2022, 60.28 percent of all web traffic came through mobile phones. If your website is not mobile friendly you are doing your organization a huge disservice.

 

Consider these common mistakes of unfriendly websites:

 

• Content is too wide, going past the screen
• Links are too close making them inaccessible on small screens
• Text is too small, meaning your users are spending too much time trying to accommodate your content

 

Websites that are not optimized for mobile do not look good on mobile devices AND they probably don’t load very fast, either. Take the time to explore the site from your own mobile device or to find out how your site measures up by trying Google's mobile friendly test. Alienating the majority of web traffic is only going to increase your site’s bounce rates.

 

REM designs beautiful, user-friendly websites for businesses who want a great user-experience and a fast-loading website design.

 

Error 404

We’ve all been there and usually we give it our best effort and click that link a few times just to be sure. If your bounce rate is really, really high, with visitors only spending a few seconds on the page, chances are they’ve hit a blank page or 404 error message.

To replicate a user’s experience try looking at the page from popular browsers, Safari on desktop and Chrome on mobile. Then find the time or expertise to help you fix broken links, errors, and ensure those blank pages stop your visitors from bouncing.

 

Don’t ask for the kitchen sink

Only ask for what you really need. If you try to collect too much information from your visitors,’ they will bounce! Requesting maiden names, social security numbers and financial information will deter people from staying on the site. People are wary and they have the right to be with the number of online phishing scams out there. The SlashNext State of Phishing report found over 255 million attacks in over six months in 2022 alone! 

 

Take the time to build trust and inform your users. If they stay and learn, your bounce rate will go down and your SEO rankings will go up.

 

Never ignore your bounce rate

How long someone stays on a page can help you determine the success or failure of a website. SEO isn’t just about key words, titles and tagging. It’s about strategic content and design, navigation, and most importantly engagement. Just think about how much time, energy and money went into building your site. Start with those critical pages and try a few improvements. Check back in a few weeks and see if they’re making a difference.

 

You want to know that those efforts are paying off and you’re living up to your visitors’ expectations. Monitoring your bounce rate can be a simple and effective way to take your site to the next level!

 

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If you don’t have the time to do this yourself, or in-house, speak to your REM representative or our Marketing Director so our expert team can help take this off your plate. You can then focus on running your business and helping clients, while we take care of making sure people can find you online.

 

 

Everyone needs Search Engine Optimization.

 

Search engine optimization is a constantly evolving area of expertise. Even before the rapid changes brought on by the pandemic, we would see daily or weekly updates on SEO strategy.

 

Every business owner knows that showing up on the first page of Google is important to getting traffic and therefore customers to their website. Google has held the dominant search engine position for years, still accounting for over 85% of all searches done online.

 

Avoiding search engine optimization and relying on word of mouth or print advertising is no longer a feasible option for reaching new generations of consumers who make most of their buying decisions online.

 

Trust REM to help you with your SEO

At REM, we help our customers to get noticed online. Part of that process, after building you a beautifully designed website, is optimising your site to show up in search results. We work hard for each of our clients to improve their PageRank on a steady basis.

 

To keep up with the constantly changing world of SEO, our team must be constantly learning from the SEO community. The process is even more difficult because the main companies, like Google, don’t give out their ‘trademarked’ information.

 

When Google releases an update to their search algorithms, the entire SEO community braces for the impact. Then the SEO managers start to discuss the changes and see what affects the updates have had on their sites.

 

There have been multiple times where SEO updates have completely changed a sites PageRank, but when you look at the official update, there won’t be anything that should affect the site. We do wonder sometimes if Google tries to sneak out unofficial updates, this is always a hot topic of discussion in SEO groups.

 

So how do we do it?

First, our team is fully trained on all the basics of SEO. Having a complete and thorough grasp of the fundamentals is important to start playing around with the nuances of SEO.

 

If you need to brush up on specific topics relating to the world of SEO, we can’t recommend the site Search Engine Journal enough. Anyone doing digital marketing should read the SEO articles on this site.  The main link to the site is: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/

 

However, beginners should start by reading their SEO Basics eBook:

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/seo-guide/?itm_source=site-search&itm_medium=site-search&itm_campaign=site-search

 

Follow that with this post on the basics for a successful SEO campaign. This post will also start to bring all the basic concepts into focus and show you how to apply them to your site:

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/seo-basics-to-be-successful/343811/?itm_source=site-search&itm_medium=site-search&itm_campaign=site-search

 

Once you have the basics down

Okay, you’ve read through all the basics. Now it’s time to start to narrow down your knowledge to the area that is going to help your site the most.

 

Ask yourself what your site needs first. Should you focus on Mobile SEO because all your clients visit your site on their mobile devices? Or perhaps Local SEO should be your focus as most of your customers live within your immediate vicinity?

 

Here are some examples of the menu options on Search Engine Journal’s site:

• ENTERPRISE SEO
• GOOGLE ALGORITHM UPDATES
• INTERNATIONAL SEO
• LINK BUILDING
• LOCAL SEO
• MOBILE SEO
• ON-PAGE SEO
• TECHNICAL SEO
• VERTICAL SEO

 

Obviously, if you have the time and inclination, you should try to read all these sections as they can be very helpful to your overall understanding of SEO best practices.

 

Google algorithm updates

This is a quick list of sites we read just specifically for Google Algorithm updates. Each time a new update comes out, you might need to adjust your SEO strategy or update your site to meet new requirements. If you don’t, you could suddenly lose all the SEO work you’ve done.

 

• https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-algorithm-history/
• https://searchengineland.com/google-seo-news-google-algorithm-updates
• https://www.seroundtable.com/category/google-updates

 

Daily blogs for the latest updates

Here is a list of the websites that we visit each day for the latest information. Some sites don’t update daily, so it’s good to have a large list of favourite sites, and then you should have some new information everyday.

 

If it does seem quiet, don’t get complacent, the next Google update could result in hundreds of posts that you need to read. So, if it’s quiet, use that time to hone up on fundamentals or explore new areas of interest in the SEO field.

 

Search Engine Journal

“Search Engine Journal is dedicated to producing the latest search news, the best guides and how-to’s for the SEO and marketer community.”

 

This is easily one of our favourite resources. The articles are well organized and easy to read and understand. In fact, this is the first site I give to our marketing team. If you can’t grasp the concepts on this blog, you’re really going to struggle with SEO overall. Remember that REM can help do your SEO for you if you are already frustrated by this point.

 

Semrush Blog

“Semrush's digital marketing blog is an innovative resource for content strategy, content marketing, SEO, SEM, PPC, social media and more.”

 

Semrush is best known for its suite of SEO tools that can help you to do keyword research, site audits, and other key SEO tasks. The Semrush blog has a huge amount of very helpful SEO knowledge which you can learn from even if you don’t use their software. They do a good job of giving general advice which isn’t specific to just their tools.

 

Search Engine Land

“Breaking news, updates, insights, analysis and guides covering SEO, PPC and all things search from the Search Engine Land team and subject matter experts.”

 

A top site for getting the latest trends, breaking stories, and cutting-edge news in the SEO world. We highly recommend following the site or their newsletter so that you get notifications as soon as new content is available.

 

The Ahrefs Blog

“The Ahrefs Blog. Expand your SEO and marketing knowledge with detailed tutorials and case studies. The benefits are obvious: free, passive traffic to your website, month after month.”

 

A highly popular SEO blog, Ahrefs has been around since 2011. The author, Tim Soulo, has written top SEO content for years. He has created some of the most shared content and some of his posts can generate thousands of links, comments, and shares. If you want to learn about SEO, you need to be reading this blog because your competitor probably is.

 

The Moz Blog

“The industry's top wizards, doctors, and other experts offer their best advice, research, how-tos, and insights—all in the name of helping you level-up your SEO and online marketing skills.”

 

The Moz blog has been around since 2004, but it welcomed new management around 2014. The site has evolved into a top resource on the web for anything related to online marketing. The main focus of the site is definitely SEO, and it is the home to the largest online SEO community. This is a great blog and community if you want to be an SEO superstar.

 

Search Engine Watch

“Search Engine Watch provides news and information about search engines and search engine marketing. Search Engine Watch was started by Danny Sullivan in 1996.”

 

Search Engine Roundtable

“A well-rounded view on search engines and search engine marketing from five segments of the Web population represented by senior members of the major SEO/SEM forums on the Internet.”

 

This blog does a great job of keeping you up to date on the conversations and news happening behind the scenes in the world of SEO. The site curates the most interesting threads (conversations) taking place in SEM (search engine marketing) forums on the web. They bring in experts to summarize the threads and provide even more detail.

 

Neil Patel’s Blog

“Your #1 resource for digital marketing tips, trends, and strategy to help you build a successful online business.”

 

If you work in the field of SEO, marketing, or blogging, then you have probably already heard of Neil Patel. His articles are very easy to read, and he breaks down complicated process into easy-to-digest nuggets of SEO goodness. We highly recommend reading and watching as much of his content as you possibly can to up your SEO game.

 

Yoast SEO

“Yoast helps you with your website optimization, whether it be through our widely used SEO software or our online SEO courses: we're here to help.”

 

Yoast is a very popular SEO plug-in for WordPress websites. If your website is built on WordPress, there is a high probability that you are using Yoast for your SEO. REM uses a CMS called WebWiz@rd which let’s you do SEO optimization without an additional plug-in, but for WordPress users this is the best option available. Luckily, the blog covers all SEO issues and trends and not just ones specific to WordPress. It is still definitely worth the read.

 

Backlinko Blog

“Backlinko is an SEO blog that focuses on actionable SEO tips, strategies and case studies.”

 

This blog used to have more regular posts until it was recently bought out by a larger competitor. The blog has a wealth of knowledge in the past articles, including some of the best blog posts on how to optimise and write content for SEO.

 

Raven

“The #1 Source for Internet Marketing Agencies. We write tips for digital marketers and we create beginner through advanced guides for search engine optimization.”

 

Searchmetrics

“In our blog we write about current issues in the areas of online marketing and SEO and show interesting statistics and trends.”

 

Cognitive SEO

“We have written and optimized - for our own blog or other pages - thousands of articles and SEO friendly blog posts in the last 10 years.”

 

Google Search Central Blog

“The Google Search Central Blog is where you can find official Google Search core algorithm updates, announcements of new Google Search features, and SEO best practices. Subscribe to our RSS feed and get the latest updates in your favorite feed reader.”

 

In Conclusion

We hope this article has helped give you a viable resource of blogs to follow as you work on your SEO journey. The sheer volume of content and the constantly changing best practices mean that you need to know most of these tactics to be competitive with other sites.

 

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the weight of how much work this could be, remember that REM can help you by doing your site’s SEO for you. Our costs are designed to fit most budgets and the SEO work is completely hands-off so you can focus on selling or other important areas of your growth.

 

Speak to your REM Sales rep today, or use our contact form to speak to our Marketing Director to get started on how to get your site noticed online.