We are still expanding our team! We are excited to welcome Casey Hansen and Kayla Haskin!
Casey is the new Executive Assistant to our CEO, Jenny Stradling. She also is a Jr. Graphic Designer and has been developing the social creatives for Eminent SEO and Eminent Social Media as well as several clients. Learn More About Casey
Kayla is part of our Fulfillment Team and is helping manage the inventory, fulfill organic marketing orders and develop strategic website plans. Learn More About Kayla
Good To Know In SEO: What Is Happening With #Mobilegeddon
Last month we notified you about one of THE biggest Google algorithm updates in years: #Mobilegeddon. So, now that it has officially rolled out how is it impacting search and mobile marketing?
Despite all of the buzz and speculation, the mobile friendly algorithm update has not been as significant as most of us expected. Google confirmed the algorithm update did indeed roll out on April 21st, 2015 and some noticed changes to their mobile rankings and traffic as early as the next day. However, most are saying that the shifts were really not notably different.
In this Search Engine Land post Danny Sullivan reviews the winners and losers of Mobilegeddon. This preliminary list identifies Reddit as the top loser, obviously they took a hit because the site doesn’t test as mobile friendly (what were they thinking?).
The good news for any “losers” is that there’s a pretty good chance you can regain your lost rankings within a few days if you just make your website mobile friendly. We know it’s not THAT easy – but, don’t say you weren’t warned!
April Eminent SEO Social Media Roundup
We’ve been having a lot of fun with Max and Meg. Check out some of our favorite social posts from the last month. Which one do you like best?
April Blog Roundup
Each month we like to roundup our favorite posts from the Eminent family of sites. Below are the top posts from April 2015. As always, check out our blog for the latest website and marketing news, tips and how-to’s.
The Google Mobile-Friendly Algorithm Update Is Coming April 21st
Google announced its mobile-friendly algorithm update and gave the internet plenty of time to make their websites mobile responsive. Did you prepare your site? Still not sure what needs to be done? Check out this post to learn everything you need to know about Mobilegeddon.
How Seasonal Search Plays a Role in Your SEO and PPC Campaigns
Does your business have peak times during the year where sales are a lot higher? It’s important to understand seasonal search when developing out any SEO or PPC strategy because users are going to search a lot more during your peak times, so you want to make sure your business is visible. This could lead to adjusting campaign budgets and more. Learn more about seasonal search and how this plays a role in your campaigns.
Facebook Launches Scrapbook Feature
Yesterday Facebook started rolling out a new feature called “Scrapbook”. The feature serves as a handy tool for organizing all those baby (or pet!) photos and storing them in a dedicated, easy-to-access place. Awesome, right? Read our blog to get all the details!
How To Get The Most Out Of Your LinkedIn Profile
Are you happy with the way you are using LinkedIn? With more than 347 million users, LinkedIn is the most popular social network for professionals as well as one of the top social networks overall. However, without the right knowledge, it becomes just another time-sucking social network.
See Ya Online!
Don’t forget, it’s not too late to turn that outdated, non-mobile friendly website into a fully responsive site. We can re-design and/or re-develop your website so that it meets all of Google’s requirements and also enhances your user experience for higher conversions. Just call us for a quote: 800.871.4130.
CEO, Business Consultant, Researcher and Marketing Strategist
Jenny Weatherall is the co-owner and CEO of Eminent SEO, a design and marketing agency founded in 2009. She has worked in the industry since 2005, when she fell in love with digital marketing… and her now husband and partner, Chris. Together they have 6 children and 3 granddaughters.
Jenny has a passion for learning and sharing what she learns. She has researched, written and published hundreds of articles on a wide variety of topics, including: SEO, design, marketing, ethics, business management, sustainability, inclusion, behavioral health, wellness and work-life balance.
We are growing! Right now we are looking for 2-3 new additions to our ever growing team! Are you a good fit? Know someone who might be? Check out the two job listings on LinkedIn and feel free to spread the word!
The Google Mobile-Friendly Algorithm Update is Coming Soon!
A major new Google Algorithm update is coming April 21st, 2015. There is no official name for it yet, so the SEO community is calling it the Mobile-Friendly update. It is going to have a direct impact on a website’s ability to rank in the organic search queries from mobile devices. We highly recommend you read ALL about this update here: The Google Mobile-Friendly Algorithm Update Is Coming April 21st
Google silently released a new algorithm update in the middle of March that is targeting those spammy keyword or city-focused landing pages and microsites. Did you notice a change in your organic traffic? If so, your site may have been impacted by this update. Learn more about this update, and why you need to kiss your old manipulative SEO techniques goodbye.
Website SEO audits can be done on the fly if you are using the right tools and know what to look for. By performing these quick SEO audits for leads or clients, you can justify why they need a custom SEO strategy to build their campaign and further the growth of their business. Learn how to do one in under 10 minutes.
Get to know yet another amazing Eminent SEO team member, Lacey. Not only is she a frequent blogger on Eminent SEO, but she also develops out custom SEO strategies for our new clients and leads. Smart, creative, and fun – get to know more about her outside of work in this fun post.
Facebook is going to start removing the “likes” and comments from people who are no longer active. Find out why this is a good change for your business!
Facebook’s IM service isn’t just for messages and emoji’s anymore! You can now use messenger to send funds instantly to your Facebook friends. Get the scoop!
LIVE NOW apps are on the rise! Have you heard of Meerkat or Periscope? Read more about these hot new live streaming video apps.
Have a topic you want us to research and write about? Let us know in the comments and we will happily feature your topic in an April post!
See Ya Online!
We hope you enjoyed this month’s Eminent SEO team newsletter. We are busy this month helping new client’s convert their outdated websites to mobile-friendly, responsive designs. If you need help with your website, please give us a call. We can evaluate your existing site and make custom recommendations.
Thanks for reading! Until next time, see ya online!
CEO, Business Consultant, Researcher and Marketing Strategist
Jenny Weatherall is the co-owner and CEO of Eminent SEO, a design and marketing agency founded in 2009. She has worked in the industry since 2005, when she fell in love with digital marketing… and her now husband and partner, Chris. Together they have 6 children and 3 granddaughters.
Jenny has a passion for learning and sharing what she learns. She has researched, written and published hundreds of articles on a wide variety of topics, including: SEO, design, marketing, ethics, business management, sustainability, inclusion, behavioral health, wellness and work-life balance.
Every year Google updates their algorithm 100’s of times. Last year there were over 500 updates. Yes, many of them are simple data refreshes, but there were also quite a few significant algorithm updates. You might be familiar with some of the bigger ones over the last few years, such as Panda, Penguin and Pigeon. So, what’s next?
Enter the Mobile-Friendly Algorithm Update
There is no official name for this algorithm update yet, so marketers are calling it the “mobile-friendly” update. Hopefully they won’t taint the name of another cute, small animal that starts with a “P” (what could it be the Piggy update? Pheasant? Pale Fox? I digress…). Google did announce the specific date, however, so we can confirm that it will begin rolling out on April 21st, 2015.
So, what is going to happen come April 21st?
I am not a psychic, so please know that some of this is speculation since the update is yet to roll out. However, I have done quite a bit of research on the subject, so this post is an attempt to bring you real information collected from the online marketing community.
It appears this update is going to impact:
Mobile App Indexablility and Rankability in Mobile Search
The Rankability of Websites with a Mobile App Available
Website Rankings on Mobile Search
Since most of the questions I get from our clients are related to their website’s ability to rank and how they will be impacted by this algorithm update, that is where I am going to focus. If you are more technical and want to read more about the subject, I highly suggest this post on the Moz Community blog from Cindy Krum: 9 Things You Need to Know About Google’s Mobile-Friendly Update.
Your Mobile Website Questions Answered
Is mobile search really that big?
Many online marketers were predicting mobile search would overtake desktop search by the year 2014 and they were right. A recent report from comScore shows mobile search actually overtook desktop within the last year:
This means that there is a good chance that a lot of your website traffic is coming from mobile search. In our client pool we see anywhere from 30%-60% of total web traffic is coming from mobile queries on average, sometimes more.
Other Mobile Stats:
80% of internet users own a smartphone
Popular devices used to search the internet:
Desktop/Laptop: 91%
Smartphone: 80%
Tablet: 47%
Game Consoles: 37%
Smart TV’s: 34%
40% of mobile searches are local
81% of mobile conversions happen within 5 hours of the search
85% of mobile users prefer to use an app over a website
Do I need a mobile or responsive website?
YES! Did you read the statistics above? Mobile search has already taken over desktop search and the numbers will only continue to increase this year. More and more people are using their mobile devices to search and buy, so if your website isn’t mobile-friendly you are overlooking an important part of your user experience.
Also, come April 21st there is a good chance your website will lose its ability to rank well in the mobile search results. Why? Because Google wants to serve their mobile users the sites that are formatted well for mobile devices. Google is always aiming to provide it’s users with the best websites and information available. They understand that users are going to be frustrated with the results of their query if they land on pages that aren’t mobile-friendly. How frustrated are you when you search for something from your phone and the result you click on produces itty-bitty content that is impossible to read? Or navigation you can’t even click on? No thank you.
What is the difference between a mobile website and a responsive website?
When mobile search first started to become popular, many website owners and website designers/developers believed you needed a separate mobile site or landing page. This resulted in thousands of sub-domain sites (think m.yourdomain.com) and standalone mobile pages, designed specifically for use on smartphones.
Typically a mobile site is a scaled back version of the desktop website, which can include limited content, images and pages. It also is coded so that anytime a smartphone user visits your website the code will recognize the device and provide them with the mobile version automatically.
A responsive design is a website developed to scale to any size and type of device – desktop, tablet or mobile phone. Unlike mobile sites, it’s NOT a separate site, but rather a code that adjusts the design to fit the screen dimensions of the browsing device:
All things considered, a responsive site is a better solution long term than a mobile site. Why? For starters, a responsive design is better for SEO. Mobile sites are developed on sub-domains and responsive sites host mobile code on a single domain.
Another huge added value is the consistency it provides to your user experience. If I visit your website from my desktop and later I decide to visit your website from my smartphone, I want to see the same information. If you hide information from me because I am on my phone, I am going to become frustrated. A responsive design ensures that repeat visitors can access all of the content and information your site has to offer, regardless of which device they are searching from.
How do I know if my site is mobile-friendly?
There are actually quite a few free tools on the market that will check for mobile or responsive design and even show you a preview of your site, per device. I’ve used http://www.responsinator.com/ but it isn’t perfect and only gives you a preview – it doesn’t give you any real data:
Instead, Google rolled out a new Mobile-Friendly testing tool, which will analyze a URL and give you a report back on if that page has a mobile-friendly design:
Keep in mind, however, this is just a tool and therefore doesn’t replace the need to manually review your site to ensure the user experience is the very best it can be. I always advise clients to also Google their site from their smartphones if they want to see what a user sees. Naturally each type of phone is slightly different, so if you want to really evaluate your site design manually, ask a friend with a different device to look it up for you – be sure to check your site on an iPhone AND an Android device.
It’s also important to note that there are other tools you should also use to determine how mobile-friendly your website is. The Google mobile-friendly tool above gives you a “yes” or “no” and a quick screenshot of your site as Google sees it on a mobile phone:
They also give you specific recommendations for areas you should fix to make your site mobile-friendly.
But, you should also use these two other tools if you really want to know how mobile ready your site is:
Google’s PageSpeed Insights Test Tool – This tool gives you insights into your website loading times, including your mobile page speed. It also gives you other recommendations on things you should fix. You should note that unlike the mobile-friendly tool which looks at the page like a Googlebot would, the PageSpeed tool fetches the page as a user would. Very different, which is why you should use both tools.
Lastly, you should also use the Mobile Usability Report option in your Google Webmaster Tools account. Simply log in and navigate to the Mobile Usability Report. Once you run the report you will be provided with specific details on which pages are pulling a usability error. Example:
Google has also been sending out notifications through Google Webmaster Tools to sites that don’t meet the new mobile-friendly requirements. If you haven’t received an email you likely have a mobile-friendly site. However, you can confirm by checking your messages in Webmaster Tools.
Do tablets count as mobile devices?
No. Surprised? I was at first too. However, according to this post on Search Engine Round Table by Barry Schwartz: Google Mobile-Friendly Algorithm Will Not Impact Tablet Searches “the algorithm will only impact searches done on smartphones – only. This does not impact desktop searches and it does not impact tablet searches.”
This is good to know, but doesn’t change the fact that a significant amount of search traffic is coming from smartphones specifically. So, the potential loss in traffic is still significant.
Will I lose traffic on April 21st if my site isn’t mobile-friendly?
Yes. Unlike other major algorithm updates, Google has actually provided the public with an advanced warning on this one, giving you plenty of time to fix your site:
“Starting April 21, we will be expanding our use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal. This change will affect mobile searches in all languages worldwide and will have a significant impact in our search results. Consequently, users will find it easier to get relevant, high quality search results that are optimized for their devices.”
To be clear – this is specific to mobile search. So, if you have great keyword rankings and traffic from desktop searches, those should NOT be impacted at this time. However, as mentioned above, if you are getting 30% or more of your traffic from mobile search queries (which is typical) than if your site is not mobile-friendly, you WILL DEFINITELY LOSE TRAFFIC.
The Nutshell
If your website isn’t mobile-friendly you will likely lose a significant amount of traffic come April 21st. Even if that number is low right now, keep in mind that mobile search is still on the rise and will only continue to grow over the next few years. If you own a website and you are planning for the future, now is the time to integrate a solid strategy for creating a great mobile experience for your site users.
If you need help developing a mobile website and marketing strategy, give us a call: 800.871.4130.
CEO, Business Consultant, Researcher and Marketing Strategist
Jenny Weatherall is the co-owner and CEO of Eminent SEO, a design and marketing agency founded in 2009. She has worked in the industry since 2005, when she fell in love with digital marketing… and her now husband and partner, Chris. Together they have 6 children and 3 granddaughters.
Jenny has a passion for learning and sharing what she learns. She has researched, written and published hundreds of articles on a wide variety of topics, including: SEO, design, marketing, ethics, business management, sustainability, inclusion, behavioral health, wellness and work-life balance.
A few days ago Search Engine Roundtable announced that Google did a silent algorithm update targeting doorway pages. Google decided to sweep their search results and remove any keyword-targeted, or city targeted microsites and landing pages that were ranking high and added no value to the end user.
First, let’s define what a doorway page really is. In Google’s Quality Guidelines, it states that these pages or websites are created solely to rank for specific keyword phrases and capture visitors with generic phrases. Examples of doorway pages may include:
Multiple keyword or city-focused domain names that funnel users to different pages or websites.
Dedicated landing pages on the site with sole purpose of capturing users with a target keyword phrase or city that may funnel them to another page on the site.
How to Identify These Landing Pages and Microsites
In order to prevent your website from being penalized by Google or losing a massive amount of organic traffic, you have to make sure these websites and landing pages add value to the end user. Google’s primary goal is to create a better user experience for their users, and when your website is trying manipulate that experience for their customers, they’re going to penalize you.
If you have multiple zip code pages, city pages, or broad keyword pages on your site that contain duplicate or thin content, chances are these aren’t providing a valuable experience to your users. Ask yourself this: Is this page or website valuable because my users need this information or is it only created to rank in the search results? Is the landing page only created to focus on keyword strategy or does the user need to know this information to purchase my product or service? You can easily tell if these pages or websites are valuable or if they are manipulative, grey-hat SEO techniques.
Why You Should Get Rid of Thin Content Immediately
This technique is outdated. Google is constantly updating their algorithms to target websites that are “trying to get away with something”, so if it’s working now, don’t expect that last much longer.
If the pages do start to rank it is only going to cause Google to manually review your site.. When Google does a manual review of your site and finds thin content pages, don’t be surprised when they penalize you and you have to remove them anyways.
City or keyword stuffed domain microsites are one of the most obvious grey-hat link building tactic. Remember that huge update that happened a couple years ago called Penguin? Your site will immediately be banned when Google sees this and could be banned from their index indefinitely. This isn’t a matter of if, but when.
This could cause you to lose leads. Since these pages and websites have no value to the user experience, your visitors may just click off the page or website immediately. Especially if it looks spammy and the content isn’t very good with no call to action. You will definitely lose leads this way.
These websites and landing pages can cause duplicate content. When you’re writing about the same service or product across 30 pages or multiple sites, it can be difficult to not accidentally write the same exact thing. A lot of times these pages are just duplicated with the SEO swapped out per page, but the body of the content is exactly the same. Again, this is going to cause Google to manually review your website and you could lose all of that organic traffic you were so excited about getting.
Closing Thoughts
When your primary intent is to manipulate Google using thin content with these spammy websites and landing pages, there is no doubt it will catch up with you eventually. Don’t think you’re smarter than Google because you thought you won with a high ranking landing page, this is only going to cause Google to look at your site manually if it passed the algorithm update.
Our advice to business owners and other SEO companies is to always think about the user, just like Google is. You can’t go wrong when you are constantly thinking about user experience rather than how you can manipulate search engines into ranking your pages higher. SEO is meant to be a long-term investment, not a short-term win. Any short-term win will result in a penalty that costs more to fix than just investing in your website by doing things the right way the FIRST time.
Was your website negatively impacted by this algorithm update? We can help. Just give us a call. Experts are standing by: 800-871-4130
Eminent SEO provides strategic SEO campaigns with measurable results along with expert website design, development, pay per click, content and social media and organic website marketing. 800.871.4130.
Are Your Marketing Strategies Aligned for The Trends in 2015?
January is always a favorite time of year for us at Eminent SEO. It’s always the beginning of a crazy season as clients and partners review the previous year’s strategies and determine their marketing budgets for the new year. 2015 has been no different. We’ve been performing website audits, reworking existing marketing campaigns and sending out proposals to freshen up old website designs.
Have you reviewed your 2014 campaigns and built new strategies for 2015? No? Not Yet? It might be time for you to go back and review our projected 2015 Digital Marketing Trends and prepare a forward thinking strategy for your website and on-line marketing campaigns. It’s not too late to make 2015 your most profitable year ever!
Good To Know in SEO: Recent Google Algorithm Update
We always like to check out the news and forum chatter updates on Search Engine Round Table for Google algorithm updates. On January 26th Barry Schwartz said that the WebmasterWorld forums were buzzing about unusual fluctuations in the SERPs. He also said that Mozcast was showing some higher than normal weather patterns – check out what they are showing for the last 30 days:
Whoa! Something is definitely going on right now…
A more recent post explains that the fluctuations were part of a major update but Google confirmed the changes were NOT related to Penguin or Panda.
So, we know there was a change (and we know it was not Penguin or Panda) but everything else at this point appears to be speculation. However, most webmasters are saying they are pretty sure this was NOT related to mobile.
What do you think it was related to? Better content? Bad links? Local ranking indicators? Did you see any changes?
January Eminent SEO Social Media Roundup
As always, here are a few of our favorite social media shares from the last month. We like sharing things that lift you up and help motivate you. What inspires you?
“Always remember: You are braver than you believe, stronger that you seem and smarter than you think.”
Surround yourself with people who lift you up (you are worth it).
The future is a choice, make yours beautiful.
Start now.
You create your own opportunities.
January Marketing Blog Roundup
Getting to Know Team Eminent SEO: Cherry McCarthy
Meet Cherry: “I love series and reality shows. I never miss GG2D (Girlfriends Guide to Divorce), Teen Mom, Ray Donovan, House of Lies, World of Jenks or Catfish.”
A dynamic, smart and really fun personality; you’ll see why she is such an asset to our team.
6 Reasons You Need Website Marketing Services for Your Small Business
Looking for an affordable way to grow your small business? Have you thought about website marketing services, but are hesitant? Don’t be. Instead, check out these 6 reasons why you should invest in website marketing today.
Facebook Limits Organic Reach: What Does That Mean for Marketers?
Did you know that Facebook is now limiting the amount of fan page content in news feeds even MORE? It may be harder to get in front of your potential clients without buying ads, but there are still ways. Here are a few ideas you can try!
Getting to Know Team Eminent SEO: Amanda Greenwood
Meet Amanda: When asked about the best part of working at Eminent SEO, this was her response:
“The team that I work with – we’re all friends outside of work too which I think makes it easier to work with someone. There’s a higher level of trust and respect for each person and their area of expertise. I know I can count on them to get the job done right so our clients can achieve the highest ROI. ”
You’ll soon see how she helps us stay organized and operating so smoothly.
Why Uber and Google Will Become Big Rivals
Google and Uber are considering building out big delivery networks other providers can plug into, leading to a new platform war with big significance for tech.
It’s clear that Google plans to continue to adjust their algorithms this year, so marketers and website owners all need to pay attention, remain flexible and be prepared to adjust strategies. Digital marketing is no longer set it and forget it! We are now in a time where things change so fast that yesterday’s strategies may not apply to tomorrow. It’s hard work… thank goodness we love this stuff! If you need help juggling all of the changes, give us a ring: 800.871.4130.
CEO, Business Consultant, Researcher and Marketing Strategist
Jenny Weatherall is the co-owner and CEO of Eminent SEO, a design and marketing agency founded in 2009. She has worked in the industry since 2005, when she fell in love with digital marketing… and her now husband and partner, Chris. Together they have 6 children and 3 granddaughters.
Jenny has a passion for learning and sharing what she learns. She has researched, written and published hundreds of articles on a wide variety of topics, including: SEO, design, marketing, ethics, business management, sustainability, inclusion, behavioral health, wellness and work-life balance.
Here in Arizona it’s been a little chilly… but nothing like you East Coasters! We hope you are staying nice and warm by the fire!
The end of the year is always a lot of fun, but this year December was especially exciting. Here’s what we’ve been up to:
Annual Company “Ugly Sweater” Holiday Party
This year we found a super cool spot in downtown Phoenix called The Duce for our holiday party. The place is fun and eclectic – offering everything from unique drinks and food to shopping, dancing and even a boxing ring! We all enjoyed each other’s company and laughed at the ugly sweaters everyone was wearing:
Secret Santa Gift Exchange
Of course we also had our annual Secret Santa gift exchange. Shopping for a co-worker with a $20.00 budget cap is harder than it looks! It’s a fun challenge though and between the thoughtful gifts and homemade potluck we all had a great time.
A Member of Team Eminent SEO Got Married
As of November 15th our long-time team Eminent SEO member Amanda Sisk is now officially Amanda Greenwood! Congratulations Amanda and Jesse! Their wedding was beautiful and so sweet. It’s so fun to celebrate these special times with our team family!
Good to Know in SEO (RIGHT NOW)
If you are in the industry you already know that 2014 brought a LOT of Google algorithm changes and updates. With so many updates it’s hard to keep up! So, we thought we would recap the year in updates for you. Here it is:
Confirmed Google Algorithm Updates in 2014 – A Complete List
Page Layout #3 – February 2014
A refresh to Google’s page layout algorithm, some people call it “top heavy”. Penalizes sites with too many ads above the fold.
Payday Loan 2.0 — May 2014
Targets especially spammy queries.
Panda 4.0 #26 — May 2014
The update targeted sites with low quality content.
Payday Loan 3.0 — June 2014
Official statements suggested that 2.0 targeted specific sites, while 3.0 targeted spammy queries.
Authorship Photo Drop — June 2014
Google announced they would be dropping all authorship photos from SERPs.
Pigeon — July 2014
An update that drastically changed which factors Google uses to determine local rankings.
HTTP/SSL Update – August 2014
Google announced they will now give preference to secured sites and that adding encryption will provide a “lightweight” boost.
Authorship Removed — August 2014
First Google removed authorship photos, come August 28th they announce they would also be removing authorship markup. By the next morning all authorship disappeared from the SERPs.
Panda 4.1 — September 2014
A Panda update, with an algorithmic component.
“In The News” Box – October 2014
A display change to News-box results that resulted in an expanded news site SERP presence.
Penguin 3.0 — October 2014 with continuing changes until December 6, 2014
A slow moving update came with the release of the new Penguin. This update was probably data-only.
Pirate 2.0 — October 2014
This one was to fight the media piracy. Obviously targeted and affected only a small set of sites.
WHEW! That is a lot of Google updates to keep up with! Were you impacted by any of the algorithm or SERP changes this year?
December Eminent SEO Social Media Roundup
December brings with it a bit of fun and whimsy. Enjoy our monthly social media roundup. Which post was your favorite?
“If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.” – Henry Ford
It was a rainy day today, but the rain did not take the sunshine from our team!
We might not get snow here in Mesa, Arizona, but we can pretend, right? What’s in your Winterland?
Words do matter. Choose them wisely.
Where you invest your love, you invest your life.
December Marketing Blog Roundup
What does 2015 have in store for your website and marketing strategies? These helpful blogs will guide you into a successful new year. Read on!
You, your business, your website, your products and services, your budget and your team are unique! Shouldn’t your website marketing strategies ALSO be unique? Here are 5 BIG reasons why your website needs a custom marketing strategy.
How To Use Google’s Display Campaigns To Build Your Brand
Need a quick way to build exposure for a new product? With Google’s Display Network, you can quickly reach your target audience and tell a story with your ads. Here’s how.
As the New Year approaches, a lot of us are thinking of ways we can improve ourselves as individuals. As marketers, we should be thinking of ways we can improve our digital marketing campaigns for our clients. Here are some New Year’s resolution ideas for your campaigns.
See Ya Online!
It’s official, 2015 is here and we are already ROCKIN! While everyone else is laying low for the holidays we were busy developing new strategies and kicking off new campaigns. It’s not too late for you to do the same! If you’re ready for a new approach to marketing your business in 2015, just give us a ring at 800.871.4130 and let us create a killer plan for your business this year!
CEO, Business Consultant, Researcher and Marketing Strategist
Jenny Weatherall is the co-owner and CEO of Eminent SEO, a design and marketing agency founded in 2009. She has worked in the industry since 2005, when she fell in love with digital marketing… and her now husband and partner, Chris. Together they have 6 children and 3 granddaughters.
Jenny has a passion for learning and sharing what she learns. She has researched, written and published hundreds of articles on a wide variety of topics, including: SEO, design, marketing, ethics, business management, sustainability, inclusion, behavioral health, wellness and work-life balance.
Can you believe another year has already passed us by? It’s hard to believe in less than a month it will be 2015! This year was a big one for Eminent SEO. We celebrated 5 years of business, launched a new website, expanded our client list and grew our team.
Now that December is here we are excited for the holidays. This year our team is having our annual Ugly Sweater Holiday Party again. Check out last year’s December newsletter for fun pictures of the ESEO team in our ugly sweaters here. Do you have an annual company holiday party? What do you do to celebrate with your team?
Good to Know in SEO (RIGHT NOW)
Google Penguin Updated… Again:
Just a few days ago SE Roundtable posted a blog stating that Google Penguin updated, again! Although the update is still unconfirmed by Google, many webmasters are commenting about changes to their rankings – in a good way.
From Barry Schwartz on December 5th: “On Thanksgiving day, Google started to reverse Penguin penalties (I know Google doesn’t call them penalties). This was a good thing and Google actually confirmed this was part of the Penguin 3.0 rollout. Then on Thursday, those gains were rolled back for many. When John Mueller of Google was asked about it, he didn’t seem to know what was going on. Now this morning, the reversals seem to have been reversed and now sites hit are Penguin free, or at least some.”
What’s interesting is the webmasters are mainly talking about recoveries – saying things such as:
“Since yesterday I notice sites (more than a few) that were slapped between 10 and 20 October (rankings fall 200+) are now completely regaining their rankings… So, did Penguin devalued certain links (and thus slapped all these sites) and now it’s backtracking (or whatever it’s called) and as such releasing all these sites?”
What do you think? Have you seen fluctuations or what appear to be recoveries? Let us know in the comments!
November Eminent SEO Social Media Roundup
Here it is: your monthly roundup of some of our favorite Eminent SEO social media posts from November. Enjoy!
“Be genius!”
“These little reminders will add color to your life. Go for it, add them, what are you waiting for?”
“T. E. A. M. = Together Everyone Achieves More.”
“$100 Million: Estimated amount that Samsung spends on Facebook advertising per year, making the creator of the Galaxy phone the largest advertiser on Facebook.”
2015 Digital Marketing Trends
The 2015 digital marketing trends are out. Mobile, content and technology is in. Are you prepared for next year?
Why Your Website Needs a Custom Marketing Strategy
You, your business, your website, your products and services, your budget and your team are unique! Shouldn’t your website marketing strategies ALSO be unique? Here are 5 BIG reasons why your website needs a custom marketing strategy.
Why Your SEO Campaign Needs Social Media
Social media and SEO go together kind of like peanut butter and jelly. When you you’re missing one, you’re missing out on that extra boost in reaching your target audience. Here are some reasons why your SEO campaign needs social media.
How To Use Social Media To Build Your Brand
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See Ya Online!
So long 2014… You’ve been so good to us! We are wishing you and yours a spectacular holiday season and a prosperous 2015!
Are you looking forward to 2015? What do you have planned for the new year? Share in the comments with us.
CEO, Business Consultant, Researcher and Marketing Strategist
Jenny Weatherall is the co-owner and CEO of Eminent SEO, a design and marketing agency founded in 2009. She has worked in the industry since 2005, when she fell in love with digital marketing… and her now husband and partner, Chris. Together they have 6 children and 3 granddaughters.
Jenny has a passion for learning and sharing what she learns. She has researched, written and published hundreds of articles on a wide variety of topics, including: SEO, design, marketing, ethics, business management, sustainability, inclusion, behavioral health, wellness and work-life balance.
As 2014 comes to a close I am reflecting on yet another exciting year for Eminent SEO. It’s hard to believe that October 2014 marked 5 years since Eminent SEO started officially doing business. I won’t write another lengthy personal journey story like I did last time. This time will share with you our shining moments and exciting news.
What 2014 Brought for Eminent SEO:
New Employees:
Every company loses some employee’s and this last year was no different for us. Of course we were sad to lose some of our favorite people, but not only did we hire some new team members to replace those that we lost, but we actually grew our team as well! We are super excited to be in growth mode as we go into 2015.
The idea of a new site was discussed long ago… but client work was always the top priority so we put off the daunting task for years. In 2014 we (finally) made it happen and we are so proud to have our new and improved site.
Max, our brand mascot, has been a symbol of the Eminent SEO brand since the beginning. He can be found on our website, our social platforms and even on our business cards. So many people took interest in him that we decided to turn him into his own product line we are calling “Max Swag”. You can find him on coffee mugs, t-shirts, cell phone cases and much more. As part of the new website launch we also made Max Swag available for purchase in our online stores. Who doesn’t want a cute sweatshirt with Max on it for the cold winter months?
Meet Camden Weatherall, the newest member to the Eminent SEO family. Born September 8th 2014 he is now almost 2 months old. It was a fun time, having the baby and enjoying my maternity leave with him. I am now back to work and enjoying my team again. A big thank you to all of our clients and the team for supporting us during this time. It’s not easy for the CEO AND the President to both leave for any amount of time, so we really did lean on the team a lot to make sure everything ran smoothly.
You guys ROCK!
Good to Know in SEO (RIGHT NOW)
Google Penguin 3.0 is Confirmed:
The on-going battle to rid the web of “bad links” continues. Penguin originally rolled out in April of 2012. Since the launch of the Google algorithm update there has been several updates, some smaller but some major changes. Penguin 3.0 rolled out on October 17th, 2014 and marks the next big refresh to the algorithm.
Although Google announced the roll-out in October, over 2 weeks later we are still seeing the impact the update has had on the web. It appears to be slowly rolling out which means how many sites have been or will be impacted is still to be determined. This is even more difficult to determine since Panda 4.1 is also still slowly rolling out as well as the Pirate update, creating overlapping algorithm updates.
If you’ve been following us you know how much we love social media. In fact, we love it so much we even have a whole site dedicated to it! (check it out here: Eminent Social Media)
Here is the latest social media roundup so you can relive October, because didn’t it go by too fast anyways?
“Every thought is a seed, if you plant crab apples, don’t plan on harvesting golden delicious.”
“Content – The text, video, sound and graphics that make up a web page. Content is anything a website user can read, see or do.”
“Autumn the year’s last, loveliest smile. Are you enjoying the changing colors and cooler temperatures?”
“Clothes make a statement…Costumes tell a story!” Happy Halloween from Team Eminent SEO!
There were TONS of fun posts this month, too many to share. So, if you want more, check us out on your favorite social platform, or follow us on Instagram here!
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See Ya Online!
Bye bye October. We are sad to see you go… but we are looking forward to the rest of the end of year holidays, decorating, parties and shopping! What does your family or business have in store for the final two months of 2014? Share with us in the comments below.
CEO, Business Consultant, Researcher and Marketing Strategist
Jenny Weatherall is the co-owner and CEO of Eminent SEO, a design and marketing agency founded in 2009. She has worked in the industry since 2005, when she fell in love with digital marketing… and her now husband and partner, Chris. Together they have 6 children and 3 granddaughters.
Jenny has a passion for learning and sharing what she learns. She has researched, written and published hundreds of articles on a wide variety of topics, including: SEO, design, marketing, ethics, business management, sustainability, inclusion, behavioral health, wellness and work-life balance.
Last Friday, Penguin 3.0 began impacting sites worldwide. Google has confirmed that this update is steadily rolling out, but has not confirmed how long it’s going to be before it’s complete. It will most likely take a few weeks to fully roll out. So far, impacting about 1% of US search queries according to SEO Roundtable.
What Does this Mean for Website Owners?
Since this update isn’t completely done rolling out yet, it’s too early to tell who all has been impacted. If your website has a history of manipulating search engines with low quality links, and you haven’t seen a drop in organic traffic now, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re in the clear. We believe this is the first of many refreshes to come in the near future. Here’s some more information on how you can prevent being penalized by Penguin.
If you’re a website owner that was negatively affected by one of the previous Penguin updates and gone through the process of removing bad links, you will most likely have a positive impact from this. When a website is hit with an algorithmic penalty, the website won’t necessarily gain much organic traction until a new update or refresh of that algorithm rolls out again. Which is why a positive impact is expected for those website owners.
What We Know About Penguin 3.0 So Far
Pierre Far from Google stated on Google+ that this is not a full update, but actually a refresh. Here’s what else we know about Penguin 3.0:
Currently affecting less than 1% of US search queries
This refresh will help sites that have already cleaned up bad backlinks and web spam
Will negatively impact sites that contain any web spam
Worldwide refresh
Slow rollout that began Friday, October 17, 2014
What Does This Mean for Websites That Didn’t Get Helped?
Like mentioned earlier, this is believed to be the first of many refreshes of Penguin. If you have any bad links, make sure they are removed or disavowed. Then, continue to play by Google’s rules on quality link building. Always think quality. Never quantity. Instead of thinking link building, think of link earning. What are some methods you can do to earn quality links? Who are some top influencers and bloggers in your website’s niche? Reach out to them.
Closing Thoughts
As we learn more about this update, we will keep you in the loop. For now, continue to analyze your website’s organic traffic increases/decreases as well as keyword rankings to know if your website has been impacted by this. If you need help reviving your website from Penguin 3.0, give us a shout. We have experts standing by: 800-871-4130
Eminent SEO provides strategic SEO campaigns with measurable results along with expert website design, development, pay per click, content and social media and organic website marketing. 800.871.4130.
When Penguin 2.0 rolled out about a year ago, it affected 2.3% of English search queries. Penguin was one of the largest updates and left many businesses at a standstill. Webmasters reported a decrease in traffic of up to 90%…. that’s enough to make any business go under if your primary conversion source is Google.
With Penguin 3.0 set to launch any time before the end of the year, it’s best to know how to you can prevent your website from being crushed by this update.
What Penguin 3.0 Will Most Likely Target
When Penguin 2.0 was released, its primary target was search spam and manipulative, low quality backlinks. With Penguin 3.0, we don’t think it’s going to be much different other than the fact that the penalties may be more severe and more noticeable.
From Matt Cutts (Head of Google’s Search Spam team): “…expect that the next few Penguin updates will take longer, incorporate additional signals, and as a result will have more noticeable impact. It’s not the case that people should just expect data refreshes for Penguin…”
Here’s what we think will be most impacted:
Optimized anchor texts of any kind: Keyword exact match anchor texts are a strategy of the past. It’s only going to hurt you moving forward if you continue to place them. Our suggestion is to stick with brand only anchor texts which would include: company name, company URL, and variations of your company URL.
Low quality backlinks: If you have any low quality backlinks, you have a high risk of being hit by this new update. Google is well aware of what a low quality link is, and Penguin will be able to trigger when a site has a massive quantity of low quality links.
Link schemes: Not only are low quality links detected, but link schemes. If you’re guilty or have been guilty in the past of purchasing backlinks, Penguin will be able to better detect this. Google’s been working hard to find all guest blogging networks and the sites associated with them. It won’t be a good outcome if your website is associated with any blogging networks.
The Potential Positive and Negative Outcomes of Penguin 3.0
Just like any algorithm update, there are going to be good and bad side effects for sites across the web.
The Good
For those who were hit by Penguin 2.0, you know exactly what needs to be done to make your backlink profile nothing less than stellar. You’ve gone and removed/disavowed links of all types. You’ve requested a reconsideration in Google. Maybe even more than once. You’ve began building relationships and receiving high authoritative links. This is what Google wants to see. But why haven’t you seen an increase in organic traffic yet?
The good news is that if you’ve done everything to make your backlink profile flawless, this update will be a good thing for you. Google will reward sites like yours with higher rankings. It’s what you’ve been waiting for! Google will have the right tools to determine if your website should be reconsidered from Penguin.
The Bad
From what we’ve learned from the past Penguin updates is that it’s not an easy algorithmic penalty to recover from. Ten months later, websites still aren’t where they used to be in terms of Google organic traffic, compared to before Penguin 2.0 was released. With Penguin 3.0, things aren’t going to be better if you’re still participating in bad practices. In fact, they will be worse than before. If you snuck passed Penguin 2.0, chances are you won’t sly passed 3.0. Your website will be penalized and who knows when your rankings and organic traffic will be back up to where they used to be. Even after you go through the hassle of removing and disavowing links. Google isn’t going to take web spam lightly.
How to Protect Your Website from Penguin 3.0
First things first, you want to check to see if you’ve already been hit with Penguin penalty. The Penguin Penalty Analysis Tool will help you to determine this.
With the right tools you can determine any links that could negatively impact your website. Make sure every single backlink meets Google’s quality guidelines.
Remove Any Links That Have Exact Match Anchor Texts
Don’t risk being penalized from over-optimization. Any backlinks that have keyword optimized anchor texts will be targeted. With your audit, you will be able to determine which links contain these.
Remove Purchased Links from Blogging or Link Networks
Any links that are still linked to your website from a blogging or link network will be targeted with Penguin 3.0. Remove all links that are associated with these.
Remove Irrelevant and Low Quality Links
If you still have low quality directory links, remove them. Google knows the sole purpose of these directories is to gain backlinks. Especially if these directories aren’t even relevant to your industry. That will definitely raise a red flag.
Carefully Analyze Your Guest Blog Posts
If you were writing guest blogs for the sole purpose of search engine rankings, we recommend going back through and analyzing each one. If any seem skeptical either remove it completely, or slap a no-follow on the link. Make sure the content is high in quality and the links aren’t exact match anchor texts. Also, look at the overall quality score of the blog itself. Do the blog have consistent posts with topics in your industry? Or does it only have outbound links to other sites? You want a blog that’s going to always post high quality content with a small amount of outbound links.
Closing Thoughts
Battling any Google algorithm penalty is difficult to conquer. That’s why we always suggest a constant audit of your backlinks as well as constantly building relationships with the right webmasters. If you find anything harmful linking to you, it’s best to clean it up. It may cause a brief fluctuation in rankings, but it’s better than a long-term algorithmic penalty.
If you need help auditing your backlinks to prepare for Penguin 3.0, don’t hesitate to give us a call. We’ll help your website get back on track to become Penguin-friendly. 800.871.4130
Eminent SEO provides strategic SEO campaigns with measurable results along with expert website design, development, pay per click, content and social media and organic website marketing. 800.871.4130.
We are growing! Right now we are looking for 2-3 new additions to our ever growing team! Are you a good fit? Know someone who might be? Check out the two job listings on LinkedIn and feel free to spread the word!
Can you believe another year has already passed us by? It’s hard to believe in less than a month it will be 2015! This year was a big one for Eminent SEO. We celebrated 5 years of business, launched a new website, expanded our client list and grew our team.
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