SEO Archives

December 1, 2024October 4, 2024

Website Code

Adding website code to your site can accomplish many things for you. However, they might not always be the things you were hoping for!

As a website designer, I am taken back by how many clients ask for erroneous code to be placed on their site. I have had clients tell me how they randomly found it on the internet and want it added. They may have no idea what it does but wants it added, etc. Frankly, it is depressing and frustrating.

While good code can be amazing for your site… bad code is the polar opposite. So much so, that it can have a catastrophic impact on your website. If fact, bad code will keep search engines away from you. It can have a wildly negative impact on your ability to show up in searches on Google, Bing, Duck Duck Go, and the list goes on.

Furthermore, often code found on the internet can be contaminated and allow hackers access to your website. Thus, creating even more issues for you and your website.

So why do so many jump at the chance to add code to their site that they don’t have real knowledge about? It is the never ending desire to rank higher.

Many website owners are constantly looking for ways to improve their search engine rankings. They want to drive more traffic to their site. They may see adding code as a quick and easy solution. Hopefully, to boost their SEO efforts. However, without fully understanding the potential consequences, it is dangerous.

However, it is important to remember that search engines like Google value quality content and user experience above all else. Adding random or unnecessary website code to your site can actually harm your SEO in the long run by making your site slower, less user-friendly, and potentially triggering penalties from search engines.

Instead of focusing on quick fixes or shortcuts, it is important to prioritize creating high-quality, relevant content that provides value to your audience. This will not only improve your SEO over time but also help you build a strong and sustainable online presence.

If you would like assistance with your website, don’t hesitate to contact me. I look forward to helping you!

September 1, 2024September 5, 2024

Google Monopoly

The Google Monopoly – On August 5th, 2024, Judge Amit Mehta deemed that Google has been acting as a monopoly when it comes to SEO.

If you have contacted me about SEO and specifically running ads on Google, you know that I have been stating this for ages. Frankly, it is about time someone has done something about it. In fact, 35 US states chimed in stating that it is time for this monopoly to end. Judge Mehta pointed out that it is a violation of the Sherman Act. And it is a huge win for anyone trying to make a dent in the world of SEO. Specifically on Google.

This ruling comes as a relief to many in the SEO industry. Many who have long felt frustrated by Google’s dominance and control over search results. With this decision, it is hoped that competition in the SEO market will increase. Thus, allowing for a more level playing field for businesses of all sizes.

Google’s monopoly power has had a significant impact on many businesses. Particularly, with smaller companies struggling to compete against larger corporations. Larger entities can afford to pay for top placement in search results. This decision signals a shift towards greater fairness and competition in the digital marketplace.

There is no doubt that Google will appeal this ruling. However, it will be interesting to see what changes they may be forced to make, in order to comply with antitrust laws. But for now, many in the SEO industry are celebrating this landmark decision. It is a step in the right direction towards a more equitable and competitive online landscape.

We are a long way from a win, but it is a start. Google endless pockets ensures this road won’t be short. However, it is a starting place. Especially for small business owners. For now, I hope you will join me in raising a glass to Judge Mehta for the ruling and to the 35 states that lead the charge. There is indeed hope on the SEO horizon.

February 1, 2024May 9, 2024

Blogging

Blogging is a great way to connect with a wide audience and share your ideas, thoughts, experiences, products, and services. Blogging can help improve your writing skills and allow you to express yourself creatively.

When it comes to blogging, it’s important to keep a few things in mind:

Choose a niche: Decide on a specific topic or niche that you’re passionate about and knowledgeable in. This will help you target a specific audience and stand out in that community.

Write quality content: Focus on creating valuable and engaging content. Be sure to proofread your posts for grammar and spelling errors, as well as readability. Use concise and clear language to get your message across effectively.

Use a conversational tone: Blogging is a more casual and interactive form of writing. Write in a conversational tone to make your readers feel engaged and connected to you. Use personal anecdotes and stories to add depth to your posts. When it comes to products and services, give inside experience and tips.

Interact with your readers: Respond to comments and engage with your readers. This will create a sense of community on your blog and encourage readers to come back for more. Thus, building your following.

Learn from others: Follow and read other blogs to learn from their successes. Pay attention to their writing style, formatting, and topics to get inspiration for your own blog.

Be consistent: Post regularly to keep your readers interested and build a loyal following. Create a content schedule and stick to it. This will help you establish credibility and make your blog a reliable source of information for your audience.

Evolve

Experiment and evolve: Don’t be afraid to try new things and evolve your blogging style over time. Experiment with different types of posts, formats, and topics to keep your blog fresh and interesting.

Remember, blogging is a continuous process, often filled with learning curves. Don’t be discouraged by initial difficulties and keep practicing to improve your writing skills. Furthermore, enjoy the process and have fun with your blog!

Lastly, if you just don’t have it in you, contact me. My professional blogging services can help you establish your online reputation in a positive way.

January 1, 2024May 9, 2024

Cons of Google Ads

Cons of Google Ads

When searching for a quick way to get business Google Ads are one of the first things people think of. Is it the golden goose you are looking for to propel your small business to the top? Let’s find out.

Cost: Google Ads can be expensive, especially for small businesses with limited budgets. The cost of bidding on popular keywords can quickly add up, and it may not always guarantee a high return on investment.

Complex Interface: Google Ads has a steep learning curve and can be overwhelming for newcomers. The platform offers many options and features, making it challenging for users to optimize their ad campaigns effectively.

Expertise: It’s important to note that Google Ads can be complex and time-consuming to set up and manage. It requires ongoing monitoring, testing, and optimization to ensure your ads are performing well. If you lack the necessary knowledge or resources, you might do more harm than good.

Click Fraud: Click fraud is a significant concern with Google Ads. Competitors or malicious individuals can intentionally click on ads without any intention of making a purchase, leading to wasted ad spend and reduced campaign effectiveness.

Increased Competition: As Google Ads becomes more popular, competition for keywords and ad placements intensifies. This increased competition can drive up costs, making it harder for smaller businesses to compete against larger brands.

Ad Blindness: Users have become increasingly adept at ignoring online ads, leading to ad blindness. This means that even if your ads are displayed, viewers may simply overlook them, reducing their effectiveness.

Limited Targeting: While Google Ads offers various targeting options, such as location-based targeting and audience targeting, it does have limitations. It may not always accurately target a specific demographic or target audience, leading to less efficient ad campaigns.

Ad Blocking: Ad blockers are becoming more common, and many internet users regularly use them to block ads altogether. This can significantly impact the visibility and reach of Google Ads, reducing their effectiveness.

Lack of Control over Ad Placement: Google Ads may display your ads on websites that are irrelevant or of poor quality. This lack of control over ad placement can negatively impact your brand image and waste ad spend on low-quality placements.

Limited Ad Format: While Google Ads offers various ad formats, such as search ads, display ads, and video ads, it may not cater to all businesses and industries. Certain industries may require more specific ad formats that Google Ads may not readily provide.

Overemphasis on Clicks: Google Ads places a significant emphasis on click-through rates as a measure of success. This focus on clicks may overlook the importance of other metrics, such as conversions and actual revenue generated, leading to misleading campaign performance analysis.

Website Design: If your website design is poor and not properly optimized, Google Ads will work less efficiently for you. Thus, making your advertising dollars work harder than they need to and causing you to pay more for less.

Navigating the current advertising arena is challenging. Contact me to flawlessly execute your advertising goals.

December 1, 2023May 9, 2024

Do Google Ads Work

Do Google Ads Work? The answer can be rather complex so, I will make this a two-part blog that will continue next month. Let’s dive in!

Google Ads can be an effective marketing tool for small and large businesses, if used properly. Here are some factors to consider when deciding whether to use Google Ads for your small business:

Targeted reach: Google Ads allows you to reach potential customers who are actively searching for products or services related to your business. By targeting specific keywords and demographics, you can ensure your ads are shown to relevant users.

Cost-effective: Google Ads operates on a pay-per-click (PPC) model, where you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. This helps control costs and ensures you’re getting value for your advertising budget.

Measurable results: Google Ads provides detailed analytics, allowing you to track the performance of your campaigns. You can see the number of clicks, impressions, conversions, and other relevant metrics, enabling you to make data-driven decisions.

Flexibility and control: With Google Ads, you have control over your budget, ad copy, targeting options, and campaign settings. This allows you to adjust your strategy as needed and optimize your ad campaigns to achieve the best results.

The decision to use Google Ads should be based on your business goals, target audience, budget, and available resources. It’s advisable to conduct proper research and consider seeking assistance from a professional in order to make the most of your advertising budget.

Check back next month when I expand on the question, “do Google ads work”? Where I’ll follow up with the “cons” of Google ads.

As always, simply contact me to achieve and exceed your advertising goals.

October 1, 2023May 9, 2024

WordPress Website

A WordPress website is one of the best formats available in the website arena. WordPress is a popular content management system (CMS) that allows the creation and management of websites, easily. With WordPress, you can create a wide variety of website styles, including blogs, e-commerce stores, portfolios, business websites, and much more.

To create a WordPress website, you’ll first need a domain name and web hosting. Many web hosts offer one-click WordPress installation to make the process even easier. Once you have WordPress installed, you can choose from thousands of free and premium themes to give your website a unique look and feel. To a novice web designer, it can be overwhelming. While advanced designers welcome the variety we can offer our clients.

Website Options

WordPress also has a vast library of plugins that allow you to add functionality to your website. Whether you want to add a contact form, social sharing buttons, or an e-commerce store, there’s a plugin available to help you achieve it. This is why I encourage my clients to discuss their needs with me. The better I understand what will help your website function better for you, the sooner I can implement what you need.

The WordPress dashboard provides an intuitive interface for managing website’s content. You can easily create and edit pages, write blog posts, upload media, and manage comments. While I toss around the word “easily”, it takes practice to properly manage a WordPress website. Improperly managed sites often are the victim of hackers and this can be fatal for any website.

Built-in SEO

The platform also has built-in SEO (search engine optimization) features to help your website rank higher in search engine results. This is one of the main reasons I prefer working on WordPress websites over any other platform. Proper SEO is crucial for a website to show in search engines like Google. Improper SEO techniques can have adverse effects to a website. That is why working with a proven professional web designer is key.

WordPress is not just a website builder, but a comprehensive platform that caters to the needs of a wide range of users and designers. Whether you are a beginner looking to create a simple blog or a professional developer looking to build complex websites, WordPress has got you covered. Its interface makes it accessible to quickly set up a website.

However, what sets WordPress apart is its advanced customization options. Developers and designers can dig into the platform’s codebase to modify and extend its functionalities to meet the specific requirements of any project. With a vast array of plugins and themes available in the WordPress ecosystem, developers can effortlessly enhance the functionality and appearance of their websites. From creating custom post types and taxonomies to integrating third-party APIs, the possibilities are endless with WordPress.

Website Scalability

Additionally, WordPress offers unparalleled scalability, allowing your website to grow along with your business. Whether you start with a small blog or a simple business website, you can easily expand and add new features as your needs evolve. With its robust and constantly updated core, WordPress ensures that your site remains secure and optimized for performance.

In conclusion, regardless of the complexity of your project, WordPress provides a powerful and flexible platform to create websites of all types. Its vast features make it a favorite choice for designers, while the advanced customization options and scalability attract professionals. With its constant evolution, WordPress continues to be the go-to solution for individuals and businesses looking to establish a solid online presence.

Contact me for all of your website needs. Not only do I work on WordPress websites, but I also work on most other platforms. Let’s talk about your needs. I can help you navigate the current advertising landscape with ease!

Visit my YouTube Channel to see more examples of my work.

August 1, 2023May 9, 2024

SEO Services

When deciding where to spend your advertising dollars, there are several things to consider. First and foremost, is budget. Your budget will dictate how much you can spend on advertising. Generally, we are all restricted by budget at some point.

So what should you handle on your own and what should you hire an expert for?

Here are some key reasons to consider using a professionally trained SEO expert:

1. Knowledge and expertise: A professionally trained SEO expert has in-depth knowledge of search engine algorithms, industry best practices, and the latest trends in the SEO field. This allows them to develop effective strategies and tactics to improve a website’s search engine rankings.

2. Customized approach: A professional SEO expert can analyze your business, target audience, and competition to create a customized SEO plan that aligns with your goals. They can identify the most valuable keywords, optimize your website’s structure and content, and implement other optimization techniques specific to your industry.

3. Time and cost-efficiency: SEO requires continuous effort and monitoring. By outsourcing SEO tasks to an expert, you can save time and ensure that the work is done efficiently. This allows you and your team to focus on other important aspects of your business.

SEO Services & Algorithms

4. Stay up-to-date with algorithm changes: Search engine algorithms are constantly evolving, and it’s crucial to stay updated with the latest changes to maintain and improve search rankings. A professionally trained SEO expert will stay on top of algorithm updates, industry news, and emerging trends to ensure that your website remains optimized.

5. Results-driven approach: SEO experts use various analytics tools and techniques to measure the success of their strategies. They can provide detailed reports and insights on the performance of your website, keyword rankings, user engagement, and more. This data-driven approach helps in making informed decisions to optimize your SEO efforts further.

6. Long-term benefits: A professionally trained SEO expert understands the importance of long-term sustainability and ethical practices. They focus on building a strong foundation for your website and implementing strategies that can yield lasting results. This approach ensures that your website remains competitive in the long run and helps you achieve sustainable growth.

Contact me for your SEO Services. My team and I look forward to assisting you!

July 15, 2023May 9, 2024

What is Content Marketing?

Content marketing can help businesses establish themselves as industry experts and thought leaders, providing value to their target audience. By consistently creating and sharing relevant and informative content, businesses can attract and engage potential customers, build trust, and establish credibility.

One of the key benefits of content marketing is its ability to increase brand awareness. By regularly publishing high-quality content, businesses can increase their visibility and reach a wider audience. This can lead to increased website traffic, social media followers, and overall brand recognition.

Another important aspect of content marketing is its ability to enhance customer loyalty. By providing valuable content that addresses the needs and pain points of the target audience, businesses can build stronger relationships with customers. This can result in increased customer satisfaction and loyalty, leading to higher levels of customer retention and repeat business.

Additionally, this type of marketing can drive profitable customer action. By delivering valuable and informative content, businesses can educate their audience about their products or services, and influence their purchasing decisions. This can lead to increased conversions, sales, and ultimately, revenue.

Content marketing also has the advantage of being adaptable and cost-effective. It can be tailored to different platforms and formats, allowing businesses to reach their audience through various channels. Moreover, compared to traditional advertising methods, content marketing is often more affordable and can provide a higher return on investment.

In conclusion, this is a strategic and effective marketing approach that focuses on creating and distributing valuable content to attract, engage, and retain a target audience. By providing useful and informative content, businesses can build brand awareness, enhance customer loyalty, and drive profitable customer action.

Contact me to create a custom marketing plan for your business. Small or large, my team and I help business owners reach their advertising goals. What are you waiting for? I look forward to assisting you.

June 28, 2023May 9, 2024

Will Blogs Boost Sales?

Blogs have the potential to boost sales for a business. When utilized correctly, blogs can help increase brand awareness, and drive traffic to a website. Additionally, they can establish credibility and trust, and ultimately convert readers into customers.

Boosting Sales with Blogs

Here are a few ways blogs can contribute to sales growth:

1. Increased visibility: Blogs provide an opportunity to optimize content with relevant keywords, making it more discoverable on search engines. As more people find and engage with the blog content, it can lead to higher website traffic, brand exposure, and potential sales.

2. Thought leadership: By consistently publishing high-quality and valuable content, businesses can position themselves as knowledgeable experts in their industry. This can build trust and credibility among target customers, making them more likely to consider the business’s products or services when making a purchase decision.

3. Conversion opportunities: Blogs can include calls-to-action (CTAs) that encourage readers to take specific actions. These can include actions such as subscribing to a newsletter, downloading a free resource, or making a purchase. These CTAs, when strategically placed and relevant to the blog content, provide opportunities to convert interested readers into sales leads or customers.

4. Relationship building: Engaging blog content that educates, entertains, or solves problems can foster a sense of connection and trust with readers. By consistently providing valuable information, businesses can nurture relationships with their audience. Which can ultimately lead to increased sales and customer loyalty.

However, it’s important to note that success with blogging requires a well-planned and executed strategy. Consistency, quality content, understanding target audience needs, proper promotion, and effective optimization are all key factors that can contribute to the success of a blog in boosting sales. To answer the question, “Will blogs boost sales?”, yes, they will if you follow these guidelines:

Blogging Best Practices

Consistency: It’s crucial to have a consistent schedule for publishing new blog posts. This helps to keep readers engaged and lets search engines know that your blog is regularly updated.

Quality content: Providing valuable and relevant content is essential for attracting and retaining readers. This increases your blog’s credibility. It also encourages readers to share your content, which can lead to more visibility and potential sales.

Understanding target audience needs: Identifying your target audience and understanding their needs, preferences, and pain points is vital. This allows you to create content that resonates with them, addresses their challenges, and provides solutions. When your blog offers helpful information and guidance, it becomes a valuable resource for potential customers.

Proper promotion: Creating great content is just the first step. You also need to promote your blog effectively to reach your target audience. Sharing your posts on social media, engaging with relevant communities and forums, collaborating with other bloggers and influencers, and utilizing email marketing can all help to increase the visibility and reach of your blog.

Effective optimization: Optimizing your blog for search engines is crucial for driving organic traffic. This includes conducting keyword research, optimizing your blog posts with relevant keywords, optimizing meta tags and descriptions, improving site speed, and ensuring your blog is mobile-friendly. Higher search engine rankings can lead to more visibility, traffic, and potential sales.

Blogging Final Thoughts

In conclusion, blogging can be a powerful tool for boosting sales, but it requires careful planning and execution. By consistently providing quality content that meets the needs of your target audience, promoting your blog effectively, and optimizing it for search engines, you can increase visibility, attract more traffic, and ultimately drive sales for your business.

Laura Gunn Marketing offers Blog Services for as low as $45. Contact us for your marketing needs!