SEO Salman's Blog

We conclude our year-in-review series by calling out our most popular columns of 2017, which covered subjects ranging from technical SEO tips to local search updates and more. The post A year in review: Search Engine Land’s top 10 columns of 2017 appeared first on Search Engine Land . from Channel: SEO – Search Engine Land https://selnd.com/2q0srV1 via SEO In Mumbai

How can you set and achieve aggressive yet realistic SEO goals in 2018? Columnist Marcus Miller explains what SMART goals are and how to apply them to your SEO campaigns. The post SMART goals for SEO appeared first on Search Engine Land . from Channel: SEO – Search Engine Land https://selnd.com/2EcDb5n via SEO In Mumbai

Posted by randfish It's hard enough as it is to explain to non-SEOs how to rank a webpage. In an increasingly complicated field, to do well you've got to have a good handle on a wide variety of detailed subjects. This edition of Whiteboard Friday covers a nine-point checklist of the major items you've got to cross off to rank in the new year — and maybe get some hints on how to explain it to others, too. Click on the whiteboard image above to open a high-resolution version in a new tab! Video Transcription Howdy, Moz fans, and welcome to a special New Year's edition of Whiteboard Friday. This week we're going to run through how to rank in 2018 in a brief checklist format. So I know that many of you sometimes wonder, "Gosh, it feels overwhelming to try and explain to someone outside the SEO profession how to get a web page ranked." Well, you know what? Let's explore that a little bit this week on Whiteboard Friday. I sent out a tweet asking folk...

Search engine optimization saw another eventful year as readers consumed content on everything from video optimization tips to research on the latest ranking factors. Read on for Search Engine Land's top 10 SEO columns of the year! The post Going organic: Our top SEO columns of 2017 appeared first on Search Engine Land . from Channel: SEO – Search Engine Land https://selnd.com/2BPy5uf via SEO In Mumbai

Algorithm updates got you down? You're not alone. Columnist Jamie Pitman shares highlights from a BrightLocal survey seeking to understand the ways that algorithm updates impact SEO practitioners' jobs. The post From algo to aggro: How SEOs really feel about Google algorithm updates appeared first on Search Engine Land . from Channel: SEO – Search Engine Land https://selnd.com/2BZbLTn via SEO In Mumbai

Google is at it again, now testing a new way for searchers to expand their queries in image search on mobile. The post Google image search results tests new related searches box appeared first on Search Engine Land . from Channel: SEO – Search Engine Land https://selnd.com/2CdzWMQ via SEO In Mumbai

Trends and interests change from one market to another, so why do so many advertisers apply the same approach across markets? Columnist Brendan McGonigle shares Yandex's top search trends of 2017. The post Unique international trends require a unique marketing approach appeared first on Search Engine Land . from Channel: SEO – Search Engine Land https://selnd.com/2la2P26 via SEO In Mumbai

How can you improve your performance in the new year? Columnist Adam Dorfman recommends thinking more like a product manager, focusing on activities that provide measurable impact to your company’s most important goals. The post Embrace a product manager mindset to improve 2018 SEO KPIs appeared first on Search Engine Land . from Channel: SEO – Search Engine Land https://selnd.com/2l08LLW via SEO In Mumbai

Posted by FeliciaCrawford As the long holiday weekend draws to a close and we prepare to welcome a brand-new year, we at Moz just want to thank you all for a wonderful, fulfilling year on the blog. Your colorful commentary, delightful debates, thrilling thumbs-up, and vivacious visits have made the past twelve months sparkle and shine (and with that, I'll bid the alliteration adieu). Our "card" features a cameo from a little Moz Dog you may recognize: the inimitable Lettie Pickles ! At the Moz HQ, we practice a multitude of holiday traditions. Whether it's Mozzers gathering in the common room (affectionately named "Roger") to light candles on the menorah during Hanukkah, trading and stealing gifts for the company-wide White Elephant exchange (someone won a bonafide Commodore 64 this year!), or getting our boogie and our board gaming on at the Moz holiday party, we try to honor this special season with a healthy mix of reverence and good old-fashioned fu...

Columnist Jim Yu shares advice for how to effectively engage with the leaders of your organization and help them understand the value of organic search. The post The enterprise business of SEO: Communicating to the C-suite appeared first on Search Engine Land . from Channel: SEO – Search Engine Land https://selnd.com/2kFEvG2 via SEO In Mumbai

Google told us, "We constantly experiment with new search formats and experiences to deliver the best experience for our users." The post Google tests ‘more results’ mobile search interface and new search refinement buttons appeared first on Search Engine Land . from Channel: SEO – Search Engine Land https://selnd.com/2BXOFvu via SEO In Mumbai

The new series will address frequently raised issues in the webmaster forums. The post ‘SEO Snippets’ — new Google video series to help webmasters & SEOs appeared first on Search Engine Land . from Channel: SEO – Search Engine Land https://selnd.com/2p85ej6 via SEO In Mumbai

Columnist Jeremy Knauff shares his vision for how to improve the SEO industry through transparency, knowledge-sharing and stronger relationships with clients. The post 4 things SEO professionals should do consistently appeared first on Search Engine Land . from Channel: SEO – Search Engine Land https://selnd.com/2Bhcmv9 via SEO In Mumbai

Posted by adamf We have exciting news to share with you about our Twitter analytics tool, Followerwonk ! For a while now we’ve been looking for a new home for the tool. We’re very pleased to announce that Marc Mims, one of the tool's original developers, formed a company to acquire it and will continue to operate the popular service under the Followerwonk brand. A little history In August 2016, we announced our intention to sell Followerwonk. It’s a useful and powerful application, but since acquiring it in 2012, we discovered that the overlap between users of Followerwonk and users of our core SEO products was smaller than we anticipated. To address that problem, in 2015 we offered it as a separate subscription — part of a larger strategy to extend our services beyond SEO. Last year we made some hard choices , ultimately deciding to refocus our efforts on our SEO core. It was then that we decided to seek a better home for our Twitter analytics tool. Marc and Followerwonk go wa...

As the update continues to roll out, early indications suggest disruptions in mobile SERPs, sites with no schema data & those relying on doorway pages being most impacted The post Google confirms mid-December search ranking algorithm update appeared first on Search Engine Land . from Channel: SEO – Search Engine Land https://selnd.com/2z6OWXC via SEO In Mumbai

Posted by Alex-T The chances that your company invests in a content marketing strategy are very high. Content Marketing Institute revealed that 89% of B2B and 86% of B2C marketers use content marketing, while the money spent on this activity ranges between 26% to 30% of an entire marketing budget. I believe that spending up to 50% of your overall budget on content marketing needs isn’t too much, if you know how to take advantage of it. Not only will it benefit your brand’s awareness, but it will also help you generate traffic, leads, and sales. My personal experience working with digital businesses has shown that only a few are successful in finding a strategic approach to their content plan. Sadly, most companies practice throwing spaghetti on the wall to see if a piece of content gets any readers. In this post, you'll learn how to ensure that every piece of content you create drives traffic, attracts leads, and generates sales. I’ll give you ready-to-use solutions on how you...

Posted by Dr-Pete Summary: The end of November saw a spike in the average length of SERP snippets. Across 10K keywords (90K results), we found a definite increase but many oddities, such as video snippets. Our data suggests that many snippets are exceeding 300 characters, and going into 2018 we recommend a new meta description limit of 300 characters. Back in spring of 2015, we reported that Google search snippets seemed to be breaking the 155-character limit , but our data suggested that these cases were fairly rare. At the end of November, RankRanger's tools reported a sizable jump in the average search snippet length (to around 230 characters). Anecdotally, we're seeing many long snippets in the wild, such as this 386-character one on a search for "non compete agreement": Search Engine Land was able to get confirmation from Google of a change to how they handle search snippets, although we don't have specifics or official numbers. Is it time to revisit o...

In addition to the new testing tool, Google is grouping all the names for these types of search results into the name "Rich Results." The post Google launches new Rich Results testing tool with some rebranding appeared first on Search Engine Land . from Channel: SEO – Search Engine Land https://selnd.com/2BJSOTz via SEO In Mumbai

The AMP filter, specifically for AMP non-rich results impressions and clicks, may show incorrect data for your site. The post Data bug with Google Search Console’s Search Analytics report appeared first on Search Engine Land . from Channel: SEO – Search Engine Land https://selnd.com/2kjNyvR via SEO In Mumbai

Check your log files to see if you see an increase in smartphone Googlebot activity, it may be a sign your site is now in the Google mobile first index. The post Google offers advice on how to get ready for the mobile-first index appeared first on Search Engine Land . from Channel: SEO – Search Engine Land https://selnd.com/2oIdo1A via SEO In Mumbai

Posted by BritneyMuller Image link building is a delicate art. There are some distinct considerations from traditional link building, and doing it successfully requires a balance of creativity, curiosity, and having the right tools on hand. In today's Whiteboard Friday, Moz's own SEO and link building aficionado Britney Muller offers up concrete advice for successfully building links via images. Click on the whiteboard image above to open a high-resolution version in a new tab! <span id="selection-marker-1" class="redactor-selection-marker"></span> Video Transcription Hey, Moz fans, welcome to another edition of Whiteboard Friday. Today we're going to go over all things image link building, which is sort of an art. I'm so excited to dig into this with you. Know your link targets So first and foremost, you need to know ...

Google has grown smarter at recognizing variant spellings of the same entity, but columnist Paul Shapiro observes that it's not perfect yet. The post Optimizing for Hanukkah: Sometimes it’s still strings, not things appeared first on Search Engine Land . from Channel: SEO – Search Engine Land https://selnd.com/2zfylEh via SEO In Mumbai

Links are a crucial element of search engine optimization, and columnist Kevin Rowe believes that long-term SEO success relies on building links that drive real traffic. The post How to generate links that drive traffic, not just ranking appeared first on Search Engine Land . from Channel: SEO – Search Engine Land https://selnd.com/2j6vJPS via SEO In Mumbai

Google has officially commented about what webmasters should focus on when writing meta descriptions after Google extended their search result snippets. The post Google: Fundamentals of writing meta descriptions don’t change with longer search snippets appeared first on Search Engine Land . from Channel: SEO – Search Engine Land https://selnd.com/2kuR2LF via SEO In Mumbai

None of the features or changes is disruptive, but they collectively point to the fact that search evolution is accelerating. The post Bing announces AI-powered new ‘intelligent search’ features appeared first on Search Engine Land . from Channel: SEO – Search Engine Land https://selnd.com/2zbTuin via SEO In Mumbai

The move comes against the backdrop of accelerating virtual assistant usage and intensifying competition. The post Google bringing the Assistant to tablets and Lollipop Android phones appeared first on Search Engine Land . from Channel: SEO – Search Engine Land https://selnd.com/2yofcfv via SEO In Mumbai

Posted by Dr-Pete On the morning of Friday, November 10, we woke up to the news that John Lewis had launched an ad campaign called "Moz the Monster ". If you're from the UK, John Lewis needs no introduction, but for our American audience, they're a high-end retail chain that's gained a reputation for a decade of amazing Christmas ads. It's estimated that John Lewis spent upwards of £7m on this campaign (roughly $9.4M). It quickly became clear that they had organized a multi-channel effort, including a #mozthemonster Twitter campaign. From a consumer perspective, Moz was just a lovable blue monster. From the perspective of a company that has spent years building a brand, John Lewis was potentially going to rewrite what "Moz" meant to the broader world. From a search perspective, we were facing a rare possibility of competing for our own brand on Google results if this campaign went viral (and John Lewis has a solid history of viral campaigns). St...

After a few years of promises, Google is finally providing longer-term data in Google Search Console -- well, the beta version of Search Console. The post Google Search Console beta adds 12+ months of data to performance reports appeared first on Search Engine Land . from Channel: SEO – Search Engine Land https://selnd.com/2C0iUhu via SEO In Mumbai

Making big changes to your website structure? Columnist Dave Davies shares a data visualization method that can help you predict what effect your proposed site structure changes will have on SEO performance. The post Visualizing your site structure in advance of a major change appeared first on Search Engine Land . from Channel: SEO – Search Engine Land https://selnd.com/2ASiryB via SEO In Mumbai

Posted by BritneyMuller 100% of statisticians would say this is a terrible method for predicting elections. However, in the case of 2016’s presidential election, analyzing the geographic search volume of a few telling keywords “predicted” the outcome more accurately than Nate Silver himself. The 2016 US Presidential Election was a nail-biter, and many of us followed along with the famed statistician’s predictions in real time on FiveThirtyEight.com . Silver’s predictions, though more accurate than many, were still disrupted by the election results. In an effort to better understand our country (and current political chaos), I dove into keyword research state-by-state searching for insights. Keywords can be powerful indicators of intent, thought, and behavior. What keyword searches might indicate a personal political opinion? Might there be a common denominator search among people with the same political beliefs? It’s generally agreed that Fox News leans to the right and CNN leans t...

SEO software comes in many shapes and sizes, from rank-checking tools and keyword research toolsets to full-service solutions that manage keywords, links, competitive intelligence, international rankings, social signal integration and workflow rights and roles. How do you decide which one is right for your organization? MarTech Today’s “Enterprise SEO Platforms: A Marketer’s Guide” examines the […] The post Compare 13 leading SEO platforms appeared first on Search Engine Land . from Channel: SEO – Search Engine Land https://selnd.com/2iWpw96 via SEO In Mumbai

This is the first update of the SEO starter guide in several years. The post Google revamps its SEO Starter Guide appeared first on Search Engine Land . from Channel: SEO – Search Engine Land https://selnd.com/2AwXOLq via SEO In Mumbai

SEOs have access to massive amounts of data, and columnist Ryan Shelley asserts that we must learn how to overcome information overload and focus on what drives results. The post A balanced approach to data-driven SEO appeared first on Search Engine Land . from Channel: SEO – Search Engine Land https://selnd.com/2APYFDZ via SEO In Mumbai

Posted by MiriamEllis It’s never fun being the bearer of bad news. You’re on the phone with an amazing prospect. Let’s say it’s a growing appliance sales and repair provider with 75 locations in the western US. Your agency would absolutely love to onboard this client, and the contact is telling you, with some pride, that they’re already ranking pretty well for about half of their locations. With the right strategy, getting them the rest of the way there should be no problem at all. But then you notice something, and your end of the phone conversation falls a little quiet as you click through from one of their Google My Business listings in Visalia to Streetview and see… not a commercial building, but a house. Uh-oh . In answer to your delicately worded question, you find out that 45 of this brand’s listings have been built around the private homes of their repairmen — an egregious violation of Google’s guidelines . “I hate to tell you this…,” you clear your throat, and then you de...