[70] Whenever someone shares your website on a Social Media account, these platforms automatically pull the content of your page and displays
information such as URL, title, description and image.
These tags are called og (short for open graph) tags and are determined by your SEO plugin.
Make sure you double check what kind of information is shown when someone shares your content on social networks and if needed, tweak it so it matches
your content.
[71] Per definition, Dwell Time is “the amount of time that a Google searcher spends on a page from the search results before returning back to the SERPs.”
Dwell time deserves attention as it is considered a main ranking factor
Here are a couple ideas on how to improve it:
● try to match search intent
● produce outstanding content
● avoid “fluff” and get to the point in the first paragraph of your article
● add visuals and media (e.g. embed a video or an audio such as a podcast)
[72] While this might be the first time you hear about so-called “Featured Snippets” you have most likely seen them a million times already. Featured
Snippets are a way for Google to provide you with instant and concise answers to certain search queries without you having to click on an article. You will
typically find the at the very top of the result pages. Although this is a very useful feature if you are looking at it from a user’s perspective, it also means that
people will land on your website less often since they might already find their answers in the Featured Snippets. Therefore, your goal should always be do
beat them – here are a couple tips on how to do that:
● Featured snippet URLs often feature
● Ensure that one article answers multiple similar questions
● Include images in your posts and name them appropriately
● Ensure that your article ranks on the 1st page of Google SERPs
Here is an article by Ahrefs that goes more in-depth on this topic.
[73] You might now ask “How is this even possible?” or “Why is this a bad thing?” Search engine over-optimization, however, is a thing: It basically
describes the phenomenon that too many SEO adjustments can cause your ranking to drop.
How does this happen? Here’s how over-optimization occurs:
● Through content: Stuffing your article, or in other words, overusing your keywords and variations of it might sound logical – however, Google is not as
simple as it used to be and won’t simply react to the number of keyword mentionings. Actually, the opposite happens: Your article will be significantly less
fun to read which negatively impacts the user experience. And as we learned before, user experience is essential for your ranking!
● When you try to “stuff” keywords in the footer or sidebar to increase the number of mentionings without any serious value-add
● When your website does not look natural! If your page has a high dofollow/nofollow ratio when it comes to external backlinks that’s not ideal. While it’s
right that “dofollow” links are beneficial try to include both types of links to appear natural
[74] Whenever it comes to SEO we know that one of the most crucial factors determining “rank worthiness” is the number of backlinks pointing to a site. It is
hence crucial to have a link building strategy in place instead of just hoping for the best.
The ultimate goal of each link building strategy is to create and publish content that people will share organically with further ado. However, this sounds
easier than it is – creating outstanding content that earns links on its own is very hard to do.
But no worries, we put together a series of suggestions on how to proactively build links ethically:
● start with creating the foundational links (more on that in the next paragraph)
● try to create outstanding content that earns backlinks on its own
● proactively reach out to industry related sites to place links on meaningful pages (trade links, get featured, etc.)
● proactively reach out to people you’ve been collaborating in the past to get featured
● repurpose the content of your site and update/improve older publishments
Keep in mind that link building is a long-term and continuous process that requires strategic effort over time. If you try to build links within a week then
forgetting about it you won’t be successful. You have to be consistent to see results. Also, when building links, don’t forget that it’s crucial to keep your link
profile natural.
[75] The first thing that should be on your agenda when you build up a new website should be to build foundational links. What are foundational links?
Just think of it like a house – you will always need to build a solid base before working on the actual building. Equivalent to that foundational links can be
seen as the supporting framework for your organic growth. These links include:
● Social networks: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Vimeo, YouTube, etc.
● High-authority directories: Yelp, BBB, YellowPages, Expertise, etc.
● Niche-specific directories: TheKnot, WeddingWire, FearlessPhotographers, etc.
Make sure that you have a business name, address and contact details in place before working on these links – many of these refer to your business without
much content to it so you will have to be consistent with the fundamental information before setting up profiles and spreading the word.
[76] Normally, social networks have a section for you to add links to other social platforms. Always make sure to use these sections and to interlink your
different profiles as this will help search engine spiders to reach your website more often and quicker.
On top, the authority of your social pages will go up as well which means they will rank higher. Hence, when someone searches for your brand name, the
first result page will be a mix of your website and your social accounts. This is great as it increases the trust of your brand.
[76] Normally, social networks have a section for you to add links to other social platforms. Always make sure to use these sections and to interlink your
different profiles as this will help search engine spiders to reach your website more often and quicker.
On top, the authority of your social pages will go up as well which means they will rank higher. Hence, when someone searches for your brand name, the
first result page will be a mix of your website and your social accounts. This is great as it increases the trust of your brand.
[77] Guest posting has always been (and still is!) one of the most effective ways to increase any website’s authority, trust and in return, its ranking.
As mentioned before and to maximize the effect, guest posts should be part of a long-term strategy.
Here are a few tips to consider when planning a guest post:
● do your homework – make sure you research and choose blogs which are strongly related to your own niche and are read by your target group
● before proposing a topic, connect with the site owner to understand which topics they are genuinely interested in featuring. The reason for this is that
many people simply use a template to apply – and site owners are tired of these “blind” applications. Our tip: Connect with them on social media first,
exchange some messages and build a loose relationship. After building this foundation you can ask for a guest post – and trust us, the chances of them
saying yes will be a lot higher
● pick a winning topic to write about – once again ,do your research first and pick a topic that strategically fits the blog you are targeting
● create high-quality content, format it correctly and make it look appealing for example by adding images and links to both your site and other useful
resources
● let people know who you are by including your bio. This also is another opportunity to place a link to your website as well as to your social media
accounts.
[78] The success of this approach highly depends on your niche. If you have worked with people in the past, you already have a great base for placing a
backlink.
Here is an example:
● Let’s say you’re a wedding photographer. At each wedding there are usually many other people and vendors involved: Florists, bakers, hairdressers,
make up artists, DJs, wedding planners and so on.
● Now find your former co-vendors and check out their websites
● Now reach out and send them a couple of the shots with their work on it (for example the wedding cake or the bride’s make up) and ask them to add these
pictures to their portfolio – but not without linking back to your website. Or you ask to do a guest post on their wedding blog. You see – there are many ideas
out there!
[79] What is a brand mention? It’s simple: A brand mention means that your brand is mentioned somewhere in plain text – however, without a backlink to
your website. They pose a perfect backlink opportunity so your goal should be to find and to convert them!
There are several tools which can help you here:
● Ahrefs – they also have a great step-by-step guide on the topic
● Brand24
● BrandMentions
The success of this tactic, however, depends on how established your brand is. If you are just getting started with your business, your brand is probably not
well-known yet and your online footprint is most likely rather small. In return means that you won’t find many brand mentions – yet. In return if you have been
out there for quite a while, these brand mentions are low hanging “backlink fruits” that can be converted with little efforts.
● Brand24
● BrandMentions
The success of this tactic, however, depends on how established your brand is. If you are just getting started with your business, your brand is probably not
well-known yet and your online footprint is most likely rather small. In return means that you won’t find many brand mentions – yet. In return if you have been
out there for quite a while, these brand mentions are low hanging “backlink fruits” that can be converted with little efforts.
[80] According to the tech company Bigcommerce, “social signals refer to a webpage’s collective shares, likes and overall social media visibility as
perceived by search engines. These activities contribute to a page’s organic search ranking and are seen as another form of citation, similar to backlinks.”
This means that these so-called Social Signals, aka shares or likes are perceived by search engines which means they have a positive impact on your
ranking.
What does that mean for you? Basically, it means to push your social interactions by posting and promoting your new pages on social media.
[81] Posting regularly and promoting your content on social media requires a steady posting rhythm and can be costly in terms of time.
However, there is no need to set the alarm at a certain time every day – there are various tools and programs out there that allow you to plan and schedule
all your postings in advance:
● Missinglettr – this tool transforms your blog posts into social media campaigns for an entire year
● Buffer – this tool lets you create, schedule and publish your content for social media in advance
● Coschedule – this is a full toolbox covering various parts of automated marketing
● NelioContent – this is WordPress plugin which serves as an editorial calendar as well as a social automation tool
[82] Google offers a special feature called “Google My Business” (GMB) and it’s highly recommended to claim your listing there. Why?
Because Google uses these listings for local search queries. Result pages for local search queries such as “Pharmacies near me” follow a completely
different ranking national, global or general ones as they usually come with a different user intent. Let’s say someone googles “Pharmacies near me” in New
York, it would not at all make sense to show them results from San Francisco. On top Google currently only shows the top results “near me” on the first
page, often referred to as the 3-Map Pack or Local Pack.
So how do you get into these top 3 results? Well, you can’t simply target a search query like that with keywords so you will have to try and claim a spot in
the local search results by listing your business!
How do you claim your GMB Listing on Google?
If you’re an established business, you probably already claimed your listing. If not, simply follow the Google wizard to apply – or check out this tutorial.
The process is very simple:
Claim your listing
Set-up your profile
Get verified (either via phone, SMS or e-mail)
[83] While Google is undoubtedly the most dominant player in the local space there are a bunch of other directories out there that can boost your local
success. Your goal should be to be listed on as many trusted sites as possible. One of the most prevalent directories is Yelp, and once again, it’s really
simple to claim your listing:
Sign up for an account
Set up your listing
Get the listing verified
(Yelp will call the phone number you provided so make sure you are reachable)
[83] While Google is undoubtedly the most dominant player in the local space there are a bunch of other directories out there that can boost your local
success. Your goal should be to be listed on as many trusted sites as possible. One of the most prevalent directories is Yelp, and once again, it’s really
simple to claim your listing:
Sign up for an account
Set up your listing
Get the listing verified
(Yelp will call the phone number you provided so make sure you are reachable)
[84] Right after Google, the Microsoft-owned search engine “Bing” is one of the biggest players in the market. Bing is not only the default search engine in
Microsoft’s Software – millions of people use it for their search queries on a daily basis. Hence, a Bing listing should be on your to-do list!
The process is pretty much the same as with Google: After you set up your listing, Google verifies you and you’re all set!
[85] Setting up your listings is the first step – but you’re not done just yet! Claiming them alone is not sufficient to show up in the map pack (remember,
Google only shows the top three local results). You will have to optimize to stand a chance!
There are 3 factors Google takes into consideration when determining the local ranking:
Relevance – according to Google, relevance measures how well a local listing matches the searcher intent. Tip: Make sure to include detailed information
about your business to help Google understand and categorize it better.
Distance – this one is rather self-explanatory and refers to how far each potential search result is from the searcher’s location.
Prominence – Prominence refers to how well-known a business is. In order to determine the prominence of a business, the search engine also factors in:
Information it finds on the web such as links, articles, and directories.
Google’s review count and score: More reviews and positive ratings will likely improve a business’s local ranking
Your overall position in web results
So, how do you optimize your listings? No worries, we got you covered: The next section consists of several tips specifically referring to the Google My
Business profile. While the exact ranking factors might vary between search engines these tips will help you no matter the channel. Keep in mind that these
tips mainly form a base of optimizing your listings: This guide will cover more advanced tips in the subsequent sections.
How do you optimize your “Google My Business” location?
● Make sure you have a complete and accurate business information profile in place. This profile should include your business name, address, phone
number, website, category, description, photos, working hours, FAQs and so on. Cover each aspect you can possibly think of!
● Make sure you are listed in the right category. If you aren’t sure what category your business is in, simply look up your main service and see what
category the top results are in.
● Make sure to complement your profile with high-quality, highly descriptive pictures. Research has shown that a business with more images tends to rank
higher in the map pack. So make sure to upload at least:
○ 3 interior pics
○ 3 exterior pics
○ Pictures of your work, products or services
○ Pictures of your staff, ideally showing a typical work day setting
● Google lets you add a 750-character description to your listing – make sure you use the full potential and include keywords related to your business.
● Put together a FAQ section. The more content you have on your listing, the better it is for your ranking. This is also a great way of answering common
questions of potential customers!
● Make sure you claim the short URL for your listing. This is a way nicer link to post on social networks – for you and for everyone else.
Alright – now you have a good overview about the basics of any listing optimization. If you optimize your listings according to these tips, you most likely
already beat around 80% of businesses GMBs.
○ Pictures of your work, products or services
○ Pictures of your staff, ideally showing a typical work day setting
● Google lets you add a 750-character description to your listing – make sure you use the full potential and include keywords related to your business.
● Put together a FAQ section. The more content you have on your listing, the better it is for your ranking. This is also a great way of answering common
questions of potential customers!
● Make sure you claim the short URL for your listing. This is a way nicer link to post on social networks – for you and for everyone else.
Alright – now you have a good overview about the basics of any listing optimization. If you optimize your listings according to these tips, you most likely
already beat around 80% of businesses GMBs.
[86] As described above, general directories are a great way to put some foundational links in place. However, our tip is to be selective and only publish on
directories that are relevant rather than wasting time trying to be listed on every single directory out there.
Make sure you understand what’s important here: When it comes to general directories you should not just try to be listed for the purpose of backlinking –
see it as an opportunity to generate traffic and trust. Whenever you vet a directory ask yourself the following two questions:
● Is the website trustworthy and reputable?
● Is the website likely to be read by your target audience?
If the answer to both questions is yes it makes sense for you to list your business there. If not, it’s better to skip it as it likely causes more harm than good in
the long run.
[87] When it comes to directories it is always better to target niche-specific ones instead of general ones. Also, there’s more to it than just a backlink:
● They are more relevant to your business
● They are your tailored to your target customers and hence attract the right crowd
● Your competitors are probably listed on the sites already – don’t fall behind
● You can promote yourself on these sites
● They serve as niche search engines
[88] Apart from the listings, Google also factors in how many reviews a page has and how positive these reviews are. On top these reviews will also boost
trust among potential future customers and hence will increase website traffic and sales.
So if your listing lacks reviews, proactively reach out to previous customers and ask them to write one!
This is a great article with a more detailed guide on how to do this.
[89] Google also encourages business owners to actively reply to reviews they got on local listings. If Google says do it, do it – and kill two birds with one
stone by pleasing the algorithm AND developing a trusting relationship with your customer.
Also, at the end of the day, more content related to your posting means more potential to increase the spectrum of keywords related to your business. This
in return further boosts the relevance of your listing.
[90] Google posts are great – however, often overlooked features of GMB. It is another lever that allows you to actively approach your target group.
[91] NAP stands for Name – Address – Phone Number. Google sees it as your “signature”, clearly identifying your local business. It is recommended to
include your NAP details on every page of your site, usually in the header or in the footer.
[91] NAP stands for Name – Address – Phone Number. Google sees it as your “signature”, clearly identifying your local business. It is recommended to
include your NAP details on every page of your site, usually in the header or in the footer.
[92] As mentioned in the section before, NAP is basically your signature. Hence it needs to fulfill two criteria: Being unique and consistent.
Hence you should ensure that the Name, Address and Phone number are properly formatted and consistent across your website. While this sounds logical,
mistakes happen quickly: Make sure to not use abbreviations on some pages and the full name somewhere else.
[93] While it is not a big challenge to keep your NAP consistent across your website, it can be a lot harder to do so in all social networks and directories.
Sometimes, people forget to add the full address, state varying phone numbers or use a short version of your business name. This is one of the biggest and
most common mistakes when it comes to local listings optimization.
However, looking at it from the other side – if you have a consistent NAP all across the web in place, this will quickly put you into the top 10% of local listings.
Easy!
[94] We have learned before that two of the top SEO ranking factors are relevance and authority. To make sure you have both of them in place it is highly
recommended to have a content strategy for both your products and services as well as for your location in place.
Sounds abstract? Here is an example:
Let’s say you’re a wedding photographer in San Francisco. While the content strategy about your service would cover topics such as the right time of the
day and poses, your content strategy referring to your location could include the best local picture spots or venues.
Consistently publishing content in a certain niche will increase your authority in this certain area, thus leading to a higher ranking in the search results. So
what are you waiting for?
[95] As we have learned before, brand mentions pose a relatively easy way to score a backlink. This also applies for your local business! Especially if you
have running your local business it is likely that your brand has been mentioned here and there. Find these mentionings and convert them into backlinks!
In case you have no or only a few mentionings you could also do some research about your competitors and figure out where they are featured. You could
then approach the respective local publications and try to get a link to your own site a well.
Not only will this add to your authority – it will also increase people’s trust in your brand which is especially important on a local level.
[96] First of all, what is a schema markup?
A “schema markup”, also known as structured data or structured markup data is basically the language of search engines. The purpose behind schema is to
provide support for a prevailing group of tags that can be used by search engines to better understand and ultimately represent the underlying data.
Before translating your page content into a schema markup, you first need to answer the following question “What is this site all about?”
What’s in it for you?
According to Google, schema markup can…
● …help Google to better understand the content and purpose of your website
● … increase the ranking of your site in search results
● … help you gain more site traffic as the content is better formatted in search results (snippets, sitelinks, etc.)
What’s in it for you?
According to Google, schema markup can…
● …help Google to better understand the content and purpose of your website
● … increase the ranking of your site in search results
● … help you gain more site traffic as the content is better formatted in search results (snippets, sitelinks, etc.)
[97] Geotagging photos is essentially leaving a piece of meta description within your photo that indicates where the photo was taken. When you take photos
with your iPhone, for example, it is automatically geotagging your photos with latitude and longitude coordinates, which then is useful information to find
photos taken on your last trip or a certain location.
To geotag your images for Google My Business, you can use the website https://tool.geoimgr.com/.