When I started doing SEO back in the day, rankings were the only thing that mattered. I’m ashamed to admit it, but in my very earliest days, my optimization practices constituted getting the keyword on the page as many times as possible without ruining the visitor’s on-page experience. It’s…

Reduced link graphs are a way that search engines can identify high quality websites and remove low quality spam sites from the link ranking calculation. Published research demonstrates that reduced link graphs are an effective way to rank links. This article discusses research and patents that…

Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: 7 easy ways to multiply your conversions Jul 27, 2018 by Digital Marketing Depot Ask marketers what their goals are, and one of the first things they will say is…

Getting involved in your local community brings with it lots of potential to boost your business’ local SEO. Contributor Matthew Murray explains how your link profile, local rankings, sales opportunities, and personal profile can be supercharged by becoming more well-known in your local area. At…

Industry Sign up for our daily recaps of the ever-changing search marketing landscape. Note: By submitting this form, you agree to Third Door Media's terms . We respect your privacy . on July 20, 2018 at 4:19 pm More Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from…

On the heels of Google being fined a record-breaking $5 billion by the EU for antitrust violations, search engine DuckDuckGo has voiced its concerns over Google’s search practices. In a series of tweets from the company’s official Twitter account, DuckDuckGo voiced its support for the EU cracking…

Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Webinar: Close the Online/Offline Data Gap with AI-driven Call Intelligence Jul 13, 2018 by Digital Marketing Depot With mobile search and voice interactions on…

When thinking about the rise of machine learning as it relates to SEO , we can be faced with a frightening scenario, depending on the type of SEO professional you are. SEO pros, like myself, who are logic-based and have historically worked relying on an understanding of the signals at play and how…

With many businesses facing increased competition and difficult trading conditions, reputation is more important than ever. It’s not just the fact that the majority of consumers trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation either. According to Yell Business , reviews can also help…

Consumer Sign up for our daily recaps of the ever-changing search marketing landscape. Note: By submitting this form, you agree to Third Door Media's terms . We respect your privacy . Dr. Rodríguez Trías advocacy work earned her the Presidential Citizen Medal in 2001. on July 7, 2018 at 10:40 am…

Every year it seems Google gives us a new ranking factor. In 2014, HTTPS became a ranking signal. In 2015, mobile usability became a ranking signal. Then, 2016 shifted content development as RankBrain came onto the scene. And, in 2017, there was a more significant push for more HTTPS websites. Now,…

Google updates its search algorithm thousands of times a year. Some of Google’s algorithms are quite well known – some have almost taken on legendary status (e.g., Florida , Panda , Penguin , RankBrain ) and have had a major impact on the history of SEO and the rankings (and revenue) of websites.…

Bing Ads has integrated with LiveRamp, a provider of identity resolution services, to deliver “people-based search capabilities” in Bing Ads Custom Audiences. This integration will allow Bing Ads Custom Audiences to target or retarget search ads at the individual level. In plain English, what this…

I’m a strong believer in the potential of blockchain technologies. The concept of providing trust using a distributed network rather than a central authority is compelling, and has the potential to bring benefits to finance, digital rights management, voting systems, supply chain management, and…

The Hilltop Algorithm is an important search engine algorithm that was adopted by Google in 2003. The Hilltop Algorithm influenced how SEO was practiced in 2004 and the influence continues today. As a web professional, it’s important to understand how the Hilltop Algorithm influenced SEO in order to…

There is 24/7 support and at the end of the day, there are large potential savings. Like any do-it-yourself service, you will need to be prepared to take some responsibility for the outcome. Not all operators deal extensively with consumers so may not be trained to work with a novice, who might not…

Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Community Corner: Spotlight on Search Engine Land Award Winners Brainlabs & Trimark Digital Mar 2, 2018 by Amy Gesenhues An interview series highlighting 2017’s…

Very few strategies are mutually exclusive in the SEO industry, but that doesn’t mean doing both is always the best of both worlds. Investing more in one strategy usually means investing less in another, at least in the short term, and choosing the path straight down the middle isn’t going to be the…

Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Google Assistant to get multiple new languages, distribution and skills Feb 23, 2018 by Greg Sterling The Assistant will soon speak 30 languages and be able to…

YouTube content creators will soon notice that their YouTube Analytics demographics report contains less data . Changes are being made, the company says, to further protect the privacy of viewers. However, not all demographics data is being removed. Here is a summary of the upcoming changes:…

Many agencies continue to believe that SEO writing revolves around one process: inserting keywords into page tags and the body of text itself. This belief remains strong, although it’s 2018 and the quality and relevance of content have more proverbial weight than a few keywords in the title or…

In ruling on a motion for summary judgment in federal court in New York, Judge Katherine Forrest found that embedding a tweet containing a copyrighted photo (of Tom Brady) could create liability for copyright infringement. The case, Goldman vs. Breitbart , is still in process and cannot be appealed…

Google is marking the start of this year’s Winter Olympic Games — and officially kicked off its own Doodle Snow Games — with an animated Winter Olympics doodle featuring a cast of athletic animals. “Welcome to the opening day of the Doodle Snow Games!” writes Google on the Google Doodle blog. “On…

Facebook is making two updates to Page Insights, one of which will affect the way organic reach is calculated. Traditionally, reach for page posts has been calculated based on how many times a post has been loaded in the news feed. If a post was delivered in the news feed it would count as a view,…

Top 50 Local Citation Sites for USA, UK, Canada & Australia 204 Author Last updated on February 8, 2018 Posted on February 8, 2018 Filed under CitationBurst , Citations Top 50 Citation Sites – Updated 2018 We originally published this list of top local citation sites in 2013. In February 2018 we…

Fans of MLK on Twitter have been particularly unforgiving. The King Center quickly tweeted a disavowal of the ad. The irony of using the speech they did is that a portion of the very same speech decried the practice of spending too much on a vehicle. Cause-oriented leaders will be tempted to use…

Keep the cash flowing. Although Orriols hires freelancers to help him, he still does freelance web design projects he finds through freelance platforms in the evenings and on weekends, in part so he has the cash reserves to hire the right freelancers to go after big projects elsewhere. “Right now…

This week brings a warm hello and a fond goodbye within the Search Engine Land team, along with another channel to stay up to date on Google search info, the Search Engine Land Awards and more honors for the search marketing community. Search Engine Land staff changes Good night and good luck, Jess…

Google is implementing stricter criteria for YouTube users to meet before they’re eligible to run ads on videos. YouTube’s Partner Program allows content creators to make money by placing ads alongside their videos. To qualify for the partner program, YouTube users had to meet a previous threshold…

Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Google adds keyword functionality to the AdWords app Jan 18, 2018 by Ginny Marvin Advertisers can make more on-the-go changes. The unique selling proposition: A…

Happy new year! If, like me, you’re just getting caught up on industry news and announcements, I’ll share a couple of noteworthy items you may have missed over the past two weeks: We shared the top 10 columns published in 2017 . Cheers to our talented contributors Sherry Bonelli , Joy Hawkins , Dan…

There are almost always risks involved when optimizing a website. Say you’re planning on re-platforming your website with a new site design and URL structure change; you risk the rankings that you currently have. They could plummet, or maybe not — it’s a risk you have to weigh. But the risk of…

Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: New test prominently showcases Google Express in mobile search results Dec 29, 2017 by Ginny Marvin A test includes a new callout and ad treatment for the shopping…

Editor’s note: This is a chapter from Search Engine Journal’s new e-book, SEO 101: Learn the Basics of Search Engine Optimization . Want to read the full guide? Download your copy of SEO 101 now! Search engine optimization (SEO) is essential because organic search is arguably the most valuable…

A report earlier this month revealed that an easily searched database of 1.4 billion password credentials has been leaked and made available in dark web communities. These passwords can be used to automate the search for admin level server and CMS access to websites, regardless of platform. Earlier…

As we head into the slow holiday stretch, the news likewise takes a breather. Of course Google did surprise the search community this week by confirming some algo updates , starting a new webmaster video series , and moving Eric Schmidt into a non-Executive Chairman of the Board position. Elsewhere…

Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: European press agencies push for licensing fees for their content from Google, Facebook Dec 15, 2017 by Greg Sterling It remains to be seen whether European…

2017 was a relatively calm year, at least in terms of major Google algorithm updates. In 2016, we saw the advent of Penguin 4.0, Possum, a major Mobile-Friendliness update, and big changes to AdWords, to name a few. This year, Google’s been relatively quiet since the “Fred” update dropped in March.…

Search engine optimization (SEO) can be a powerful marketing channel for any industry. But SEO can be especially powerful for industries where the buying cycle tends to be longer and more complex, like with new home construction. That’s because in cases like this, SEO provides so many additional…

Using company or personnel online profiles to generate links is a tricky subject. Some people think it is spammy or misleading, especially when someone creates profiles for the sole purpose of getting links. However, even though there are shady marketers out there that intend to twist the purpose of…