Fundamental Steps for Search Engine Optimization

To have an edge in today’s market, no matter what products or services you sell, you must understand and apply fundamental search engine optimization (SEO) steps. They are vital to building a successful Internet business. Search engine optimization is the processes used to bring a website as high on a search engine (Google) as possible for that website’s niche keywords. The higher a site is on Google for your niche, the more potential customers and, therefore, the more potential sales. There’s no doubt that optimizing your website or blog for successful search engine results takes time. However, follow these fundamental steps for an SEO plan for the site.

Present a Physically Attractive Site

Before you get started with the SEO meat of your site, you need to ensure that you have a physically attractive place. What is your brand? What is your niche? What colors go well with what you are selling? For example, let’s say you’re selling various kinds of chocolate cupcakes. The color of your site could be multiple shades of brown with white lettering. Get your target audience thinking about chocolate cupcakes the moment they hit your site.

Include a Sitemap

Your website design should include a sitemap. A sitemap is a map that appears on the cover of your website that directs your visitors where to go. For example, your site will have a “Home” page, but it may also have an “About Us” page, a “Blog,” an “F.A.Q.” page, and a “Buy Now” page. Visitors who come to your page and who want to learn more about your company’s history, for example, can do that through your “About Us” page and should be able to get there quickly. Read more about effective sitemaps: https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/183668?hl=en

Include Original, Well-Written Content

You’ve got an attractive site, and you’ve got a sitemap. You must also have original, well-written content. This means that the content you provide for your website should not be repeated and it must never be plagiarized. The grammar and punctuation of the material need to be well-edited, as well. With all of that in place, it must also be engaging and keep a potential customer’s attention. This is the content that will hold a potential customer on your website instead of them clicking out of it to go to some other site. The longer you can keep a potential customer on your website, the greater chance you have to make a sale.

Include Keyword Phrases

In that quality-well written content, you’ll also need keyword phrases. These are important and help you place high on Google. A keyword phrase is a phrase that matches your niche and is a phrase that potential customers will type into Google’s search bar to find what they need. For example, using the chocolate cupcakes example, if you sell chocolate cupcakes in Denver, a keyword phrase could be “Chocolate Cupcakes Denver.” To target it even more, you could include a neighborhood of Denver. Keep in mind that your content must never be keyword stuffed. Using too many keywords reduces the quality of your content and is frowned upon by Google.

These are just some of the tips you should use for an for an SEO Plan for Website. SEO is not an easy process. Therefore, it’s highly recommended that you hire a search engine optimization specialist for help.

Mobile SEO Marketing Trends

The number of consumers who are accessing the web via mobile devices outweighs desktop users. Even Google announced this in 2015. Google released their latest algorithm update called “Mobile-First.” This update aims to rank mobile-friendly websites ahead of websites that do not have a mobile-friendly theme on Google SERPs. This is one of the main reasons why you need to invest in effective mobile SEO marketing for 2019. If you do not, you will likely lose a lot of money in the long run.

You need to confirm that your website is responsive; which means the site should adjust to the viewer’s device. This guarantees your ranking on Google and ensures you don’t lose your valuable customers due to reduced functionality of your site. The next step is to identify the critical mobile SEO keyword searches in your niche. You should know the keywords that your customers are typing into their mobile devices to find your product or services. Make sure you target these to get the best results from mobile SEO marketing.

Furthermore, today the majority of consumers are more comfortable making mobile payments than they have ever been before. Mobile payments have become much more secure compared to a few years ago. The payment process should be secured with an SSL certificate, short, and hassle-free. The buyer will not like to go through numerous steps to make a purchase. Hence, the process should include a maximum of 2-3 steps and be securely encrypted so that the customer can buy without any problem. You’ll attract more clients over time and take your business to the next level by following these steps.

According to the Gallup poll, More than 72% of Americans check their mobile devices at least once every hour. More than 90% of these people are using mobile apps so it may be a great idea to start developing a mobile app for your business. An app increases the way in which your business can connect and engage with your target audience to generate maximum brand awareness over time.

Social platforms are a critical part of mobile SEO marketing these days and should not be ignored. You need to monitor your social channels that are generating the most buzz on a regular basis to derive the best benefits of the strategy. Connect with your followers by posting quality content, images, and videos. Don’t display the same content across all platforms at the same time. These are important things to keep in mind when devising an effective mobile strategy for your business. It will help improve the conversions and brand awareness of your business in the long run.

In conclusion, mobile search has already overtaken desktop search. Google introduced the mobile-first update to rank mobile-friendly websites higher in their SERPs. Invest in a powerful and effective mobile SEO marketing campaign for your small business to reap the benefits of the everchanging digital landscape.

Local SEO Statistics

Finding the best SEO company to help implement successful SEO strategies into your marketing mix can be a crucial ingredient to having success within your industry. Search engines are being used more than ever nowadays. Being able to maximize exposure and increase traffic via search engines is a critical element of running a successful business. In this article, we will highlight some of the reasons why hiring a reputable and experienced local SEO company can improve your business.

Reasons To Hire A Local SEO Company:

1. Getting Local SEO Statistics

Being able to get all kinds of detailed local SEO statistics is one of the biggest reasons you should be hiring a local SEO company. A local company that does a thorough analysis can give you a good insight into a variety of data that can improve your marketing efforts. You will be able to refine your SEO efforts significantly by hiring a local company that is experts in their respective field. They will even be able to supply you with the right keywords to target within your content.

2. Maximize Organic Traffic

You are going to be able to generate more organic traffic when you decide to hire a local SEO consultant. They are going to know exactly what you should be doing to maximize your organic traffic. This is going to allow you to compete much more effectively in the local marketplace among your competition. Being able to maximize organic traffic is crucial no matter what business you are in.

3. Your Competition Is Doing It

Another major reason you’re going to want to hire a local SEO company is that your competition is already doing it. You want to hire a local company that is going to allow you to compete within the marketplace properly. Without having an expert on your side handling the SEO for your marketing mix, you will be putting your company at a significant competitive disadvantage because you are going to be competing against experts in the field. Not allowing your competitors to get too far ahead of you is key to keeping up with them concerning market share. If they are already investing in professional SEO help, you are going to need to do the same. Learn more about how to understand you local competition here: https://www.infoentrepreneurs.org/en/guides/understand-your-competitors/

4. Lower Your Marketing Costs

One of the best things that you are going to be able to gain from hiring local experts in SEO is the ability to lower your marketing costs effectively. Because you are going to have someone that knows exactly what they are doing handling your SEO efforts, it is going to help you minimize any mistakes that you would have typically made. Along with this, they are going to have the local SEO statistics that you need to effectively lower your marketing costs. The consultant will be able to tell you exactly what works and what doesn’t work to enhance your local marketing efforts and to minimize unnecessary costs.

Overall, there are overwhelming benefits that you are going to be able to get when you decide to hire a local SEO company to handle your SEO implementation. Not only are they going to be able to optimize your entire marketing mix, but professionals can help you overtake your competition depending on your level of investment. Having professionals guiding you will allow you to maximize results and minimize the mistakes that you make when it comes to SEO execution and implementation within your industry.

2,000 Immigrant Children Separated from Family

2,000 Immigrant Children Separated from Family

During a six week span the Trump administration has separated more than 2,000 children from their parents at the border, according to the Department of Homeland Security.  There is intense backlash over the handling of the asylum seekers coming to the southern border.  The current policy is to prosecute as many people as possible and that results in splitting children from their parents.

Policy of Separation

The Trump administration has adopted a “zero tolerance” policy against illegal border crossings where families who are apprehended crossing the border without authorization are being separated so the adults can face prosecution.  The President has claimed that the separation of families is not his fault but rather that of the Democrats who enacted the law under President Obama.

The Department of Justice has stated that the number of prosecutions has more than doubled since Attorney Jeff Sessions announced the changes to the policy back in May.  However they are still far from the goal of universal prosecutions.  Now family members won’t be exempted from facing criminal charges and separations along the border is going to continue.  Here is a closer look at the crackdown at the border.

Facing Criticism

The Trump administration has faced a fury of criticism over the zero tolerance policy including from child care advocates and health care professionals.  The US Commission on Civil Rights has issued a statement asking both the Secretary of Homeland Security and Attorney General Jeff Sessions to stop the policy of separation.  They claim the policy raises concerns about coercive tactics and due process that may be used to pressure immigrants from applying for asylum.

What is the Law

Technically there is no law in place that requires the separation of families at the border.  Illegal entry is a crime but previous administrations have avoided prosecuting adults who cross with their children.  That doesn’t mean they won’t face future deportation but the family remains together.  The policy is meant to deter other immigrants from illegal crossings and to gain some positioning with the democrats.

There are even Republicans in Congress who have opposed the separations, but they don’t offer a real solution to the migrant crisis happening at the southern border.  Thus far the White House has blamed the Democrats for the violence that has come from illegal immigrants in the US.  Hopefully there is a solution both parties can agree on that doesn’t leave thousand of children torn away from their mothers.

College Student Award $350,000 After Girlfriend Ruins Scholarship

Eric Abramovitz was an accomplished clarinet player studying music at the University of McGill in Montreal.  Abramovitz applied to finish his degree at the Colburn Conservatory of Music in Los Angeles.  Wanting to study with a world renowned clarinet teacher, Yehuda Gilad.   Abramovitz practiced for years trying to earn a scholarship to the prestigious school.

The scholarship, worth more than $50,000 per year included the tuition along with room and board.  Graduates from Colburn play with some of the most prestigious orchestras in the world, straight out of the program.  Only 2 students each year are selected to the program and these scholarships can make an entire career.  Abramovitz was a winner until his then girlfriend intervened.

Betrayal

Abramovitz was actually the winner of the highly coveted scholarship, but he never actually got to read or even hear the good news.  Back in 2014 when the email informing him that he had won the scholarship was intercepted by his then girlfriend Jennifer Lee.  Lee deleted the email and managed to fake a rejection letter from the school.  It would be a mistake that would end up costing Lee $350,000CAD.

When interviewed about the incident, Abramovitz said initially after receiving the rejection letter that “It was a disappointing feeling,” and that he had had high hopes for winning the scholarship.  Abramovitz was justifiably devastated after discovering what Lee had done.  He told on reporter that “It was really devastating to feel that incredible betrayal, and it made me think of our whole relationship and it made me feel like everything might have been a lie.”

The Court Case

Lee did more than just intercept an email, she contacted the school pretending to be Abramovitz to turn down the scholarship saying that he planned to “be elsewhere” during the school year.  She deleted the original acceptance letter and created an email address for the teacher Yehuda Gilad to create a fake rejection letter.

The Canadian Court agreed that this was indeed a betrayal and awarded Abramovitz $350,000 CAD in damages which included loss of educational opportunity, loss of reputation, potential income and part of the settlement was added because of Lee’s “despicable interference”.

Lee and Abramovitz broke up shortly after the incident for different reasons.  Abramovitz went on to complete is music degree at McGill University in Montreal.  In wasn’t until 2016 that the whole email scandal was discovered by Abramovitz and he decided to pursue legal action.