SEO Predictions for 2017

As we already into the new year, business owners and digital marketers might be wondering if search engine optimization is officially a thing of the past.

The short answer: "No."

And the slightly longer answer: "Heck no!"

Sure, certain SEO practices are obsolete thanks to Google's ever-changing search algorithms. In many ways, though, this is a good thing. Stuffing blogs and websites with keywords, links and junk content never truly helped customers or merchants. On the other hand, today's best SEO practices - and the SEO practices of tomorrow - are based on making search results and websites more relevant to people's needs. The end result is a win for everyone.

Not only is SEO not dying, but this crucial form of online marketing is as alive and well as ever. Social media marketing might seem easier and more accessible, but there's far too much opportunity through search engine marketing to turn your back on SEO.

Don't buy into the hype that SEO has run its course. Instead, keep on reading and learn about SEO trends that are likely to pay off big-time in 2017.

 

Accelerated Mobile Pages

Have you seen that carousel of content that appears above the organic results? These are Accelerated Mobile Pages, also known as AMP. Webpages coded with AMP HTML tags load in mobile Web browsers with simplified formatting, making pages load up to eight times faster than normal.

Simplifying these pages doesn't make them static, though; AMP pages can still be coded with audio, video, social buttons and more. Between the high search engine results page placements, the fast load times and the rich content possibilities, webpages coded with AMP tags can be great for engaging Web users.

However, the AMP concept is still being worked out. Currently, webpages displayed with AMP coding can't display Web forms, rendering them useless for generating leads or email signups. Also, this technology is only really relevant to webpages with long-form articles and blog posts. AMP pages shared on social media might not help your domain authority, either.

That said, Google's message is clear: User experience comes first. Look for Google to expand on AMP coding and similar technologies in 2017.

Social Signals and SEO

Google officials have repeatedly stated that likes, shares and other social media signals don't directly impact search engine rankings - but will they?

That's a big question heading into 2017, with social media marketing continuing to rise in importance. History indicates that Google will eventually find ways to work social signals into its algorithms. Think about it - Google is obsessed with using the most relevant digital cues to determine which websites are the most relevant and credible. How people interact with websites and content on social media is an important measure of trust and value.

Regardless of what Google officials say, it's hard to ignore the popularity of Facebook. Chances are your target prospects are using Facebook regularly so social media is certainly an opportunity to reach them. Plus, researchers have found clear correlations between social media signals and SERP rankings.

The bottom line is that social media is here to stay, and favorable social signals already correlate with stronger SEO. This symbiotic relationship will only grow stronger through the upcoming year and beyond.

Mobile SEO

What makes people more excited nowadays - a new laptop computer or a latest-generation smartphone? The answer illustrates why the shift from desktop to mobile SEO is so critical in digital marketing.

Most people you see on the street are carrying powerful, portable computers in their pockets, and these folks surf the Web from anywhere and everywhere. People who use search engines via their smartphones have completely different behaviors than those who are seated at their desktops. SEO practices changed to accommodate those new behaviors.

Going into 2017, marketers should continue investing in mobile SEO. Especially with Google's announcement that they will soon be using a "mobile-first" index.

That means making sure your website resolves properly when viewed through the Android, Apple and Windows mobile operating systems. It means creating hyper-local content that might rank well in searches from people who are walking, dining, shopping or working nearby. It means using long-tailed, conversational keywords that people are likely to speak into their phones.

Smartphones aren't going anywhere, and neither is mobile SEO. This must be a top priority if you hope to be competitive in SEO.

Machine Learning

What if Google's algorithm could evaluate how people react with search rankings in real-time and adjust itself accordingly? That's the ultimate, big-picture implication of machine learning, a technology in which machines effectively learn based on a wide range of signals and parameters.

Google doesn't use machine learning in its live algorithm, and officials within the company say they don't plan on starting. However, Google definitely uses machine learning to test out changes to its algorithms. That's a big deal considering that Google has voiced concerns about transferring such responsibilities from human programmers to computers.

Going into 2017, SEO experts need to always be thinking about raising the quality of their websites - not for Google's algorithm, but for actual human visitors. Machine learning has significantly enhanced Google's abilities to craft an algorithm that scores sites from a more human perspective. Finding new ways to engage your visitors is the best way to prepare for algorithm changes inspired by machine learning.

Conclusion

SEO isn't dead. However, finding SEO success in 2017 will require a different approach than the blunt-force tactics of yesteryear.

The name of the game in 2017 is to make your approach to SEO as human as possible. Do that, and good things will happen. It's the start of a new era in search engine optimization.

[SEO Case Study] 317% ROI for Asphalt Paving Company

Search engine optimization (SEO) is an important area to focus on in your marketing, and it's important to make sure your efforts are paying off. In today's article we’re sharing a case study about how we helped one of our clients generate a strong return on investment (ROI). SEO Case Study About Return On Investment (ROI) Are you wondering if SEO can really generate ROI for your business? Today I’m going to walk through an SEO case study for one of my clients that will answer this important question.

Background In early 2014 our client, an asphalt paving company, contacted us and expressed frustration that his competitors were ranking high in Google and he was nowhere to be found. He knew he was missing out on new business every year simply because prospective customers were choosing his competitors that ranked on the first page of Google. Prospective customers are searching “paving contractors”, “asphalt paving”, and “asphalt crack repair” every single day and my client was losing that business. The problem was clear. The solution was not so obvious… What We Did The first step we took was to complete what we call the SEO Tune-Up. The SEO Tune-Up includes the following: Keyword and competitor research to identify the best search opportunities Edits to core pages of the website Creation of new core pages to target additional “buying-intent” keywords Creation of new informational pages to target “research-intent” keywords Fix all technical issues like site speed, mobile optimized pages, broken links, missing schema, duplicate pages Set up and verify Google My Business profile Set up Google Analytics and Search Console to track performance In other words, we cleaned up the on-page SEO. On-page SEO is everything on your website that affects your rankings. Since you’re in full control over your on-page SEO, this is usually your biggest leverage point. Next, we switched our focus from on-page SEO over to off-page SEO. Off-page SEO is everything off of your website that affects your rankings. For example, you’ve probably already heard that citations and links on other websites can boost your search engine rankings. Those are both examples of off-page SEO factors. Since our client was focused on local customers, we focused a lot of our efforts initially on building relevant citations, or mentions of our client’s name, address and phone number online. We did this by creating accounts on all the relevant industry and geographic business directories we could find. Plus, we also launched a 2-pronged content marketing strategy: We created content on our client’s website targeting research-intent keywords with the goal of ranking in Google. We created content and posted on other people’s websites that could rank in Google and also provide a link back to our client (aka guest posts). Was all this worth it? Let’s look at the results… The Results Below is a Google Analytics report showing the website traffic, as well as the leads generated directly from SEO. A goal completion for this client is a quote request form submission on the website.

As you can see, the traffic has increased from a steady 90-100 visitors per month in 2014 to a new high of 279 in May 2016 (179% increase). More importantly, the leads from SEO increased from a high of 6 in October 2014 to a new high of 20 in April 2016 (233% increase). (Two Important Notes: 1. This is a very seasonal industry because you do not pave driveways in the winter where our client is located. That’s why there is a decline in traffic and leads between November to February each year. 2. The graph above does not include phone calls generated from SEO) OK, this sounds nice, but what’s the ROI? To get to that number let’s look at the monthly change in leads from 2014 to 2016: 30 leads from SEO in 2014 122 leads from SEO in 2015 92 more leads from SEO year over year (307% increase) Next, we need to know the average fee per sale and the lead to sale conversion rate. With a little research, you’ll find that the average fee for paving a driveway is around $5,000. It obviously depends on the size of the driveway and the complexity of the job, but on average it’s about $5,000. SEO lead to sale conversion rates is a bit harder to research. If we assume a modest 5% conversion rate, then the 92 additional leads would generate about 5 more customers, or $25,000. Lastly, we need to compare sales to the cost of the SEO work. This particular client was investing in a custom SEO package for $500/month so the ROI calculation looks like this: ($25,000 – $6,000) / $6,000 = 317% ROI. Again, it’s important to note that this calculation does not take into account the phone call leads and sales so the ROI number is a low estimate. But the ROI between 2014 to 2015 is not what’s most impressive here. If you look at the graph above you can see that 2016 outperformed 2015. That brings us to the big takeaway from this case study… SEO Is a Growing Asset When done right, SEO is a growing asset that will generate a better and better ROI each year. That’s the beauty of this marketing investment. Rather than renting ad space that disappears as soon as you stop paying the ad network, you’re building an asset that will grow over time!

6 Adwords Tips to Maximize Your Campaigns for 2017

This month I've heard a lot about New Year's resolutions and goals for 2017. For businesses using Google AdWords, those resolutions include something about maximizing their ad budgets to ensure a strong ROI.

Here are 6 tips from our AdWords analysts to maximize your campaigns this year. 

Tip #1: Say No to Broad Matching

According to Google, Broad Match "lets a keyword trigger your ad to show whenever someone searches for that phrase, similar phrases, singular or plural forms, misspellings, synonyms, stemmings (such as floor and flooring), related searches, and other relevant variations." While using broad match may enable your ad campaign to show up for more keywords, they may not be the keywords that really convert for your business.

Jane recommends only using Broad Match Modified if you are experienced and have tested your target keywords well.

AdWords provides multiple keyword match types: Exact, Phrase and Broad Match. You should always use Exact and Phrase match in your AdWords account. To get more reach, use Broad Match Modified (not Broad Match). Broad Match Modified can be identified by the + sign in your account.

Here are examples of the different keyword match types:

• Exact Match looks like this: [Adwords ROI]
• Phrase Match looks like this: "Adwords ROI"
• Broad Match looks like this: Adwords ROI
• Broad Match Modified looks like this: +Adwords +ROI

Staying away from Broad Match allows you to conserve budget until you are sure which terms convert well for your business.

Tip #2: Give Top Keywords Ample Budget

Once you have an idea of what keywords convert best for your business, it's important to make sure that your budget is being spent to support those keywords.

While you want to leave some budget to be spent on testing new keywords, it's a good idea to manage your top converting keywords by putting them in their own campaign. Then, you can dedicate the majority of your budget to flow to that campaign so you're investing in what works. This will ensure your ad spend is directed at the keywords that will perform best for your business.

Tip #3: Separate Search and Display Campaigns

Although AdWords offers the option to combine both (search network with display select), it's usually best to run these tactics separately.

There is a lot of variation between search and display performance for most accounts, so by keeping them separate you can better control budgets. When you set up a new campaign, based on what you're trying to target, make sure you choose "search network only" or "display network only."

Tip #4: Always Use Negative Keywords

Adding keywords that are irrelevant to your business as negatives can be just as beneficial as the keywords you're bidding on.

Negative keywords help reduce the amount of times your ad is served on irrelevant queries. For instance, if you run a dental practice that offers root canals, and you're bidding on keywords related to root canals, you don't want your ad to show for someone searching for "root canal malpractice".

Negatives are particularly important when running Phrase, Broad, and Broad Modified match types. You can always see the actual searches that trigger your ads by going to your keywords tab and clicking on the "search terms" button. If any searches show up in that report that you don't want to be advertising on, then add them to the negative keyword list.

Tip #5: Include Ad Extensions to Your Campaigns

Aside from the benefit of adding relevant information about your business, ad extensions work to improve overall metrics. Adding extensions can increase your click through rate, improve your quality score and even make your ads stand out from the crowd.

According to Google, accounts that include at least one ad extension see an average of 10-15% increase in click-through-rate.

You can manually add extensions like sitelinks and click-to-message to improve relevance and lead submissions. Sometimes, Google will include automatic extensions to your ad based on the information it pulls from your AdWords account.

Tip #6: Run Responsive Display Ads

Google recently introduced responsive display ads to replace regular display ads. The main difference between the two is that you no longer need several image ads (or banners ads) to set up a display or remarketing campaign. Instead, you just need to upload an image, a headline, and your destination URL.

The image will automatically adjust its size, appearance, and format to fit any available ad space. This means, your ad can show in a native, dynamic text or image format in any size, on any website with ad space. This new ad format most importantly increases your reach and saves you time with setup.