Vertical Web Podcast – Vertical Web Hosting, Design Marketing: Recent Episodes

Beth Guide

We Make The Web Work

View Details

This how-to guide goes through the use of AI tools for content, YouTube, local SEO, social posts, and reviews without sapping creativity or hurting rankings. The emphasis is on keeping human expertise at the center while letting AI handle structure, cleanup, and speed.

It is expected that by the end of the course, individuals will be able to:

What AI Is Good For-And Where It Trips People UpThere’s a difference between using AI as an assistant versus letting AI do the authoring. When the AI writes the entire page, it is normally safe but bland and forgettable. But when the humans retain control of the ideas and voice, and the AI helps to outline, polish and format, then the content remains original and useful.

Three tools complement most workflows:

  • ChatGPT (paid): Reliable daily driver with strong iterative refinement and helpful features to save time.
  • Claude: Naturally clear, concise, and excellent with long context and bullet-point structure.
  • Gemini: Useful as an “answer engine” for synthesis and a second opinion.

None of these tools should be treated as authors. Think of them like paralegals—great at drafting, summarizing, and formatting—while the human expert delivers the argument.

Although there is a little more variation in placement now compared with the original line-up, most of the starting players have remained consistent.

The Transcript-First Workflow That Actually Saves TimeFor teams who have a hard time “sounding like themselves” in writing, a transcript-first workflow has resulted in authentic prose:

  1. Speak first. Record a simple explanation of the concept as if you were teaching a client.
  2. Transcribe it immediately. Using noise reduction and live transcription means there will be a transcript ready as soon as the recording ends.
  3. Transcript-to-asset creation:
    • A YouTube description with a clear summary and timestamps.
    • A blog post drafted from the transcript, so the base language is genuinely original.
    • Show notes, email blurbs, and social captions.
  4. Run a “reverse humanizer” pass. In place of adding flowery filler, remove it. Cut clichés (“in conclusion,” “moreover,” “delve into”), trim adverbs, and strip phrases no real person would say. The result preserves authentic voice and reduces AI “tells.”

Because the source is a human speaking naturally, detection tools generally grade the language as largely original, even when AI helps frame it.

Ensuring True OriginalityOriginality comes from ideas and examples, not just paraphrasing. If a page merely blends the top search results, it won’t rank or convert.

  • Anchor to real expertise. Utilize actual cases, results, and city-specific information.
  • Avoid AI tells. Watch out for generic transitions, perfectly symmetrical paragraphs, and fabricated quotes.
  • Fact-check anomalies. AI can make up places, specifications, and statistics. Edit every output with a critical eye.

Introduction to Habits That Prevent SEO CannibalizationPoor prompting will create ten posts that compete for the same keyword. Good prompting places constraints on this and targets coverage, not duplication.

Example solution:

  • Suggest non-overlapping topic ideas from what is currently active—this requires a list of topics or sites already covered.
  • Include localization requirements, like having separate content tuned for Sugar Land and The Woodlands.
  • Focus on search intent and zero-click scenarios, along with supporting topics of citations—Chamber, BBB, associations, and how they support E-E-A-T for local service companies.
  • Structured output requested—table with title, target query, intent, notes—to create an editorial map.

This process delivers net-new topics aligned to specific local intents while building topical authority, as opposed to internal competition.

Building Local Authority the Boring, Effective WaySearch engines still respond to real-world trust signals:

  • Citations from Chambers of Commerce, Better Business Bureau, and credible associations with steady NAP (Name, Address, Phone).
  • Reviews, which for multi-location businesses are separated by location, then shown on the corresponding location page.
  • Media mentions, talks and community involvement. Real-world presence informs online trust. The part everyone skips—showing up—remains the part algorithms reward.

A Brilliant Spanish Language ApproachA well-considered bilingual approach can unlock growth in markets with Spanish-speaking audiences.

  • Create a dedicated /es/ site section for the search engines to recognize Spanish counterparts.
  • Use human-reviewed translations for accuracy, tone, and local terms.
  • Maintain parity on core service pages; add Spanish-first content for questions unique to the community.

This isn’t just about accessibility, it’s a real revenue stream if done right.

Where Search Console Fits (The Free Gold Mine)Before drafting new content, check Google Search Console:

  • The “almost there” set includes queries in positions 6–15. Publish one supportive post for each query.
  • Compare top pages vs. rising pages. Strengthen rising pages with internal links and an FAQ block answering the exact queries driving impressions.
  • Use impression trends as a guide for new content. If you have a high-volume, local query with strong impressions, but weak average position, build topical clustering, and shore up local signals (reviews, citations, location pages).

AI can assist with outlining and drafting, but the data chooses the target.

YouTube + Blog: A High-Leverage Content EngineVideo forces clarity and doubles as a source for written content.

  • Write a clean YouTube description with search-aligned keywords.
  • Add timestamps, resources, and a brief summary.
  • Expand those notes into a blog post—with real examples, screenshots, and step-by-step instructions—for readers who prefer text.

One recording becomes a video, a blog posting, an email, and multiple social posts—a repeatable system.

Using AI for Ads and Social Without Sounding RoboticAI can accelerate ad and social copy, especially when fatigue sets in. Two guardrails keep it natural:

  1. Be specific about audience. For example, “Write five captions for homeowners in Kingwood comparing quotes for composite decking,” outperforms “Write five captions about decks.”
  2. Ban clichés. Ban the use of words like “unleash,” “transform,” and “discover.” If it sounds like every other SaaS landing page, rewrite or remove it.

Claude excels at clean bulleting; ChatGPT is strong in iterative tone control (“less hype, more helpful”).

Authority Isn’t a Buzzword—It’s the ModelSearch engines and customers alike are trying to find what’s real. Consistent signals win:

  • Time in market and proven track records.
  • Demonstrated expertise—tutorials, screenshots, and process walk-throughs with results.
  • Consistency over time, even with seasonal slowdowns.
  • Network effects from chambers, associations, and community presence.

Knowledge panels, speaking invites, and organic mentions tend to follow an established offline reputation supported by a coherent online footprint.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid* Publishing 100% AI-created pages and expecting durable rankings or conversions. * Copying unverified “facts.” Even one wrong price or address erodes trust. * Displaying fake reviews or “as seen in” logos. This all backfires and can be easily exposed. * Creating “summaries of the top results” as if that equates to expertise. It doesn’t—and seldom ranks.

A One-Week Action Plan Day 1: Record a 10-minute explainer of the most-asked customer question. Transcribe it. * Day 2: Convert the transcript into a YouTube description and a 900–1,200-word blog post. Eliminate fluff. Insert local examples. * Day 3: Open Search Console. Select three queries at positions 6–15. Add a short FAQ to the new post, making sure to answer those very questions. * Day 4: Request two reviews from recent clients. Publish them to the correct location pages. * Day 5: Using AI, draft five social posts to promote the blog and video that are cliché-free, value-forward. * Day 6: Identify ten citation opportunities (Chamber, associations, high-quality directories). Start submissions with consistent NAP everywhere. * Day 7: If applicable, scope an /es/* version of the top two service pages with human-reviewed translation.

Repeat this cycle weekly. It’s not glamorous—but it compounds.

ConclusionAI is leverage. Used carelessly, it produces generic content that blends into the background. Used deliberately, it speeds up research, drafting, and formatting while preserving human voice and experience. The winning approach looks like this:

  1. Record it. Speak naturally to capture authentic language and expertise.
  2. Transcribe it. Get usable text fast.
  3. Humanize it (by trimming fluff). Keep the voice; lose the filler.
  4. Publish it. Turn one talk into multiple assets.
  5. Verify with data. Let Search Console guide the next steps.

Do this over the course of a year, and a website’s topical depth and authority signals will increase, along with local visibility, without ever sounding robotic.

Related posts:1. How An Internet Marketing Campaign Helps A Business 2. The Right Tools for the Job: How to Get WordPress Set Up for Business Websites 3. Achieve Real Results With Online Marketing Companies

View Details

As a small business owner, we all understand the plight of too much to do, not enough hours in a day and how we can cover more ground in less time. So enter AI. As alluring as it is and as helpful as it can be, when it comes to a website design and SEO, it can be toxic to your sites overall health if its not leveraged properly. So, before you let an AI tool write your next blog post or launch your entire website, let’s take a moment to pause and ask: Is this actually helping your business—or hurting it?

I had the opporutnity to break it all down for business owenrs, explaining how AI can be a powerful ally in your digital marketing strategy—if you know how to use it wisely.

How to Use AI the Right Way in Your Digital Marketing StrategyArtificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the way we approach digital marketing, but for many small business owners, it’s a confusing and often overwhelming space. With countless tools and conflicting advice, it’s easy to fall into traps that could actually harm your online presence rather than help it.

In the attached video, Beth Guide of Vertical Web offers some much-needed clarity. She provides small business owners with practical, experience-based strategies to integrate AI into their marketing efforts without losing authenticity, search visibility, or customer trust.

Here’s what you need to know about using AI effectively and ethically in your digital marketing strategy.

The Big Misunderstanding: Google and AI ContentOne of the first misconceptions Beth addresses is that AI-generated content is a shortcut to better SEO. It’s not.

In fact, Google does not favor AI-written content—especially if it lacks originality. AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude scrape and summarize existing content across the internet. When you use these tools to create blog posts without adding your own voice or ideas, you’re essentially recycling what’s already out there. Google sees this as “thin content” that adds no value to users.

“Google wants content that makes the internet a better place,” Beth says. That means original, insightful, and experience-based material—something only you can provide.

You Are the Expert—AI is Just the AssistantBeth emphasizes that small business owners need to recognize their own value. If you run a business, chances are you’re an expert in your industry. That expert knowledge is what sets your content apart.

AI should not be your ghostwriter—it should be your brainstorming partner. It can help organize your thoughts, generate ideas, or even identify topics you might not have considered. But the core ideas must come from you.

“Be the source that others quote,” Beth advises. “Don’t be the one quoting others.”

How Do You Effectively Use AI in Your Content Marketing StrategyAI can be incredibly useful if you know how to use it correctly. We talked through how to be effective and some of the steps you can use to use AI to support your efforts but not replace you or your knowlegde. AI is about saving time, not just to repeat what someone else has said.

  1. Start with Keyword ResearchUse AI to generate a list of relevant keywords for your business. Tools like ChatGPT or Claude can help, but you must be specific in your prompts. For example, instead of asking “What are good HOA management keywords?”, ask “What are people searching when they want to hire a homeowners association management company?”

This level of specificity matters—vague prompts will lead to vague answers.

  1. Generate Content Topics from KeywordsOnce you have a list of keywords, ask the AI to generate blog topics based on them. This can help you build a content calendar and eliminate writer’s block.

  2. Write Content Based on Your ExpertiseUse your own experiences and unique perspective to flesh out each topic. You can ask AI to help organize sections, identify talking points, or summarize research—but you need to provide the core message and tone.

Don’t ask AI to write the blog post for you. Instead, use it to structure and support what you want to say.

How Can You Use Video to Supercharge Your Content Creation Strategy?Not a writer? No problem. Beth suggests an alternative content creation method that works just as well—and sometimes even better: video.

Here’s how she recommends doing it:

  1. Record Yourself Talking
    Use your phone or Zoom to record a video of yourself explaining a topic you know well. For example, if you’re an HOA manager, explain the importance of a reserve study or how to engage with residents effectively.
  2. Transcribe the Video
    Use tools like YouTube, Otter.ai, or Zoom to get a written transcript of the video.
  3. Feed the Transcript to AI for Summarization
    Ask the AI to summarize the transcript. This summary will serve as the foundation for a blog post, which you can then revise and personalize further.
  4. Repurpose the Content
    From one video, you can create:
    • A blog post (from the AI summary and your edits)
    • A podcast (by extracting the audio)
    • A YouTube upload (the original video)
  5. Combine All Formats on One Page
    Create a single web page that includes the blog post, video, and audio. This allows you to cater to different types of learners:
    • Readers (written blog)
    • Watchers (video)
    • Listeners (podcast)

Platform Matters: Skip the ShortcutsBeth also warns against relying on drag-and-drop platforms like Wix, Weebly, or Squarespace, especially if you’re serious about SEO. While these tools may offer convenience and AI-powered site builders, they often fall short in terms of performance, customization, and long-term growth.

Even WordPress, which is more SEO-friendly, now offers AI content features that may tempt users to shortcut the writing process. Don’t fall into that trap.

“If your website doesn’t offer anything unique, there’s no reason for Google—or your customers—to engage with it.”

Avoiding Common AI MistakesBeth highlights a few common missteps to avoid when using AI:

  • Poor Prompting: The quality of your prompt directly impacts the quality of the AI’s output. Be specific.
  • Overloading a Chat Thread: If the AI starts giving unrelated or confusing answers, start a new chat. Past context can distort future results.
  • Blind Copy/Paste: Never copy and paste AI-generated content directly to your site. It lacks your voice and could harm your rankings.
  • Thinking AI is Smarter Than You: It’s not. AI doesn’t know your audience or your business better than you do. Use it as a tool, not a replacement.

Build Value, Not Just ContentAt the end of the day, AI should help you bring your expertise to life online. Whether you’re creating blog posts, videos, or podcasts, your voice and originality are what will make your business stand out.

“If you’re not making the internet a better place, Google doesn’t want your content.”

So yes, leverage AI—but do it with intention, with creativity, and with a clear sense of what makes your business unique. Remember, AI is a tool—not a replacement. When used wisely, it can help you generate ideas, save time, and structure your thoughts. But it can’t replace your experience, your personality, or your expertise. So next time you sit down to create content, remember: Let AI support your voice—not speak for you.

Related posts:1. Basic SEO Maintenance: Five Simple Things Site Owners Can Do to Improve SEO 2. Effective Strategies for Holiday Marketing: Web, E-mail and Social Media 3. The Right Tools for the Job: How to Get WordPress Set Up for Business Websites

View Details

As digital marketing continues to evolve, artificial intelligence has emerged as a powerful tool for website development and SEO optimization. In today’s video, we talk about how AI can streamline website creation, support SEO strategies, and save time on content generation.

WordPress: The Foundation for SEO SuccessBefore diving into AI applications, we need to establish a fundamental point: platform choice matters significantly for SEO success. While many businesses are tempted by the simplicity of platforms like Wix, Weebly, Squarespace, or Shopify, these options often fall short of gaining solid SERPs.

“I’m very much about how we get traffic for people,” Beth explained, highlighting that WordPress (specifically wordpress.org, not wordpress.com) remains the superior choice for businesses serious about their online presence. This is particularly important for e-commerce sites, where Beth recommends WooCommerce over Shopify for better SEO performance. And although Shopify can be mofidified to perform, it us usually cost prohibitive to do so.

AI-Assisted Website DevelopmentOne of the most impressive demonstrations showed how AI can dramatically accelerate the website creation process. Using WordPress with the Astra theme and Spectra page builder, Beth demonstrated a near-complete dentist website built in roughly 20 minutes.

The process followed these steps:

  1. Install WordPress with the Astra theme
  2. Add Spectra as the page builder
  3. Use the AI Builder feature to define the business type (dentist)
  4. Provide a business description (generated through Claude AI)
  5. Select images and design preferences
  6. Let the AI generate the website framework

This approach doesn’t eliminate the need for customization but creates a solid foundation that would typically take hours to build manually. As Beth notes, this is particularly valuable for those who find WordPress intimidating but need a professional-looking site with good SEO potential.

Determining Website Structure with AIPerhaps the most valuable application of AI demonstrated was using it to determine optimal website structure and content strategy. Beth showed how asking Claude AI targeted questions about specific business types yields comprehensive outlines of recommended pages and services.

For example, when asked what pages a dentist in Kingwood should include for SEO purposes, Claude generated a detailed list including:

  • Homepage
  • About Us
  • Services page (with specific dental services)
  • Patient information
  • Before and after gallery
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact information and map

The AI didn’t stop there – it provided a breakdown of specific services that should be featured, essentially creating a content roadmap for the entire site. This same approach worked for other business types, including commercial real estate and translation services, demonstrating its versatility.

The Critical Role of Keyword ValidationWhile Beth showcased AI’s power, she repeatedly emphasized a crucial point: “AI is thought-provoking, not thought-replacing.” This became particularly evident when examining keyword suggestions.

Using the “Keywords Everywhere” tool (a Chrome extension that shows monthly search volumes), Beth demonstrated how some AI-suggested terms have zero monthly searches, making them ineffective SEO targets. For instance, while Claude might suggest “property acquisition and sales” for a commercial real estate website, keyword research revealed that potential clients actually search for “buy commercial real estate” (10,000 monthly searches) or “sell commercial real estate” (1,600 monthly searches).

This validation process is essential for transforming AI suggestions into effective SEO strategy. As Beth explained, “I don’t want to see you go down an AI road and just give the AI answer just because it’s giving you the answer… It’s not smarter than you are.”

Creating Content Depth Through Page HierarchyOne particularly valuable insight involved using AI-generated service lists to create content depth. Rather than simply listing services on a single page, Beth recommended creating:

  1. A main services overview page listing all offerings
  2. Individual pages for each service category
  3. Specific pages for sub-services within each category

This approach creates natural keyword targeting opportunities while providing the content depth that search engines reward. For the dentist example, this strategy could generate 24+ pages of relevant content without straining for topics.

Practical Application for Different BusinessesTo demonstrate the versatility of this approach, Beth applied the same methodology to a translation and interpreting business. The AI immediately identified:

  • Core service categories (certified translations, business translations, technical translations, website/software localization)
  • Interpretation services (consecutive, simultaneous, phone/video)
  • Industry-specific translation needs (oil and gas, healthcare, legal)
  • Priority languages for the Houston market (Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, Arabic, Hindi, French)

This real-world example showed how even business owners knowledgeable about their services can gain valuable insights about market demands and content organization through AI prompting.

Best Practices for AI IntegrationThroughout the workshop, several best practices emerged for effectively integrating AI into website development and SEO:

  1. Use AI for framework generation: Let AI create the initial structure and content outline to save time.
  2. Verify keyword relevance: Always check AI-suggested terms against actual search data.
  3. Apply human expertise: Refine AI suggestions based on your industry knowledge and business goals.
  4. Create content depth: Use AI-generated outlines to develop comprehensive content hierarchies.
  5. Be conversational with AI: Using polite, clear prompts tends to yield better results from AI tools.

The Future of AI in Digital Marketing AI’s potential for website development and SEO is still evolving. The key is finding the right balance between AI efficiency and human expertise.

The most successful implementation is using AI to handle repetitive, time-consuming tasks while applying human judgment to strategic decisions. This approach allows business owners to focus on what they do best while leveraging technology to enhance their digital presence.

For those looking to integrate AI into their website development and SEO strategy, Beth’s approach provides a practical framework: use AI to generate ideas and structure, validate with keyword research, apply industry knowledge to refine, and build content depth through strategic page hierarchy.

By following these principles, businesses of all sizes can harness the power of AI to improve their digital presence without sacrificing the personal expertise that makes their business unique.

Related posts:1. Basic SEO Maintenance: Five Simple Things Site Owners Can Do to Improve SEO 2. Why Choosing a Web Design Company that Understands SEO is Important 3. Ultimate Guide to Recovering from Google Algorithm Updates and Penalties

View Details

Navigating the Future of SEO: Key Trends and Strategies for 2025The digital marketing landscape is perpetually evolving, with SEO at the forefront of this transformation. As we approach 2025, it becomes imperative for marketers and business owners to understand and adapt to the latest SEO trends to maintain and enhance their online visibility. This post delves into the significant shifts expected in the SEO realm, offering actionable strategies to help you stay ahead in a competitive digital world.

The Rising Impact of AI on SEOArtificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly influencing how search engines operate and how content is ranked. AI-driven algorithms are becoming more sophisticated in understanding and processing user queries, making it crucial for SEO strategies to align with these advancements. AI doesn’t just affect search outcomes; it’s also reshaping how SEO should be approached. For instance, AI can analyze user behavior, predict trends, and personalize content, making it essential for businesses to leverage AI in optimizing their SEO practices.

Diversifying Your Marketing to Go Beyond GoogleWhile Google remains the titan of search engines, new players like ChatGPT are emerging, challenging the status quo. These platforms are developing their own ecosystems and driving significant traffic to compliant websites. This shift underscores the necessity of optimizing content for multiple search platforms, not just Google. Ensuring that your SEO strategy is adaptable and broad enough to encompass these new platforms will be crucial in tapping into diverse traffic sources and expanding your digital footprint.

The Value of High-Quality Content – Content is STILL KingContent is king – a mantra that continues to hold true into 2025. The demand for high-quality, authoritative, and engaging content is higher than ever. Search engines are favoring content that provides real value to users, incorporating metrics that measure user engagement and satisfaction. This means businesses must focus on creating content that is not only informative and relevant but also tailored to meet the specific needs and interests of their target audience.

Link Building with a Focus on QualityThe significance of link building remains, but the focus has shifted towards the quality of links rather than sheer quantity. High-quality backlinks from reputable and relevant sources are critical in boosting a site’s authority and ranking. Effective link-building strategies now require a more thoughtful approach, where links from industry leaders, chambers of commerce, and influential publications can dramatically enhance your SEO performance.

Adapting to New Verification Processes for Local SEOSearch engines are placing a greater emphasis on authenticity and verification. Google, for example, has introduced video verification for business locations to ensure that listed businesses are legitimate and accurately represented. This move is likely to affect local SEO significantly, making compliance with these verification processes a critical factor in maintaining or improving search rankings.

Preparing for Technical SEO AdvancesAs search algorithms become more complex, the technical aspects of SEO cannot be ignored. This includes site architecture, mobile optimization, page speed, and structured data. Websites that quickly adapt to technical SEO requirements will perform better in search rankings. Ensuring that your website is technically optimized for both desktop and mobile users is more crucial than ever.

Leveraging SEO for Voice Search and IoTThe proliferation of voice-activated devices and the Internet of Things (IoT) has introduced new SEO challenges and opportunities. Optimizing for voice search requires understanding natural language queries and focusing on long-tail keywords. Additionally, as more devices become interconnected, there will be new avenues for optimizing content across different platforms and devices, further complicating the SEO landscape.

Sustainability and Ethical SEOAs consumers become more environmentally and ethically conscious, they expect the same from the brands they interact with online. Sustainable practices and ethical SEO strategies will become factors in brand preference and loyalty. This includes transparent marketing practices, sustainable digital operations, and ethical use of AI and data.

SEO Requires Continuous Learning and AdaptationSEO is not static; continuous learning and adaptation are required to stay relevant. The digital marketing field is fast-paced, with frequent updates to algorithms and best practices. Staying informed through credible SEO resources, ongoing training, and industry conferences will help you keep up with the latest trends and techniques.

Looking ahead to 2025, SEO is set to become more integrated with AI, more diversified across new search platforms, and more dependent on high-quality content and ethical practices. By understanding these trends and preparing with effective strategies, businesses can not only adapt to these changes but also thrive in the evolving digital landscape. Implementing these forward-thinking SEO strategies will ensure that your online presence is robust, resilient, and ready to meet the future head-on.

Related posts:1. Ultimate Guide to Recovering from Google Algorithm Updates and Penalties 2. Looking For A Search Engine Optimisation Company 3. Looking Into A Search Engine Optimization Cost

View Details

Auditing Website Basics: The Rules Every Business Website Should FollowDeveloping a business website is difficult work. To be frank, it’s a job that most small business owners aren’t prepared to handle on their own. The job is only getting tougher, too, as Google is constantly raising the bar on what constitutes a high quality, trustworthy site. And every business owner should want a website that Google considers trustworthy because those are the sites that secure top ranking spots.

If your site isn’t performing as well as it should, the problem (or problems) may be basic. With so many elements to optimize on modern websites, it’s practically impossible for small business owners to catch everything. That’s why we’ve put together this quick guide to business site basics. Follow these rules, and your site will be off to a good start.

First, a word of caution about website builder platformsBefore diving into those rules, though, we need to address a question that comes up all the time:

“Can I build a business site with Wix, Squarespace, Shopify, etc.?”

The answer is yes, you could, but business owners should avoid doing so at all costs. Site builder platforms are easy to use and inexpensive, but the website they crank out are impossible to market and optimize. That’s a deal breaker for any business owner that plans on using their site as a lead and sales generator.

Websites build on one of the above platforms are essentially invisible to Google. They spit out bloated code that Google has trouble recognizing and interpreting. They give site owners insufficient latitude to make major technical changes. They do not allow site owners to choose their own host and you’re trapped inside the platform’s ecosystem. If the platform goes under, so does your website, permanently.

Given all of this, we cannot in good conscious recommend site builders. What we do recommend is WordPress – the standalone version, not WP’s own platform and hosting service. WordPress remains the gold standard for marketability, customizability and performance, so every business owner’s first choice should be WordPress.

That out of the way, on to the rules:

Rule 1 – Make sure your title tag and headers are formatted properlyEvery page should be paired with a title tag – it’s the single most important element in helping Google understand what the page’s content is about. This title is identified using a title tag – something you may hear referred to as an H1. H1 (or H2, H3, H4 and so on) tags are designated in the page’s HTML code and are used to identify a title or header. Titles and header are important for Google and users, and generally for the same reason – they help the reader understand what the page’s content is about. This is obviously important for users, as their decision to consume the content or move on has to do with the content’s title.

It’s also crucial for SEO purposes because Google isn’t going to rank a page that it doesn’t understand or isn’t properly titled. Properly-formatted and written headers help Google with this. Proper format means using the right H tag – only one title tag (H1) per page, and headers should be organized in a hierarchical format. That means using an H1 with the top header, H2s for content section headers, H3s for subheads inside those content sections and so on down the line.

Rule 2 – Feature your services and products in high-importance navigation elementsIf Google doesn’t know what your business sells, it will probably not rank the page. At best, your site will be improperly categorized in the wrong product or service area. The result of this? Users ending up on your site after searching for something completely unrelated to your business. That’s exactly the kind of traffic business owners don’t want.

To ensure Google places your site in the right category and serves it to the right users, reinforce what your company does in the site’s most important navigation elements. Specifically, this means placing your top-level product and service categories up in the top nav menu. One of the first elements Google checks when crawling a page is the navigation. Put your product and service categories up here – don’t be afraid to get rid of generic nav entries like “about us” – and your site is far more likely to be served to the right users.

Rule 3 – Make sure your content helps Google understand what your business is aboutFor Google to properly categorize and locate your company – important for local businesses – the search engine will use content clues to determine where to place you. For obvious reasons, it’s important that Google identify what your business does and where it’s located as precisely as possible. If search engines have this information, they’ll be more likely to list your website on local search results pages relevant to your area. In other words, it will be easier for potential customers in your service area to find your business.

Again, content clues are key here. The writing and photos on your website should address what your business does and where it operates, as directly as possible. Google has difficulty discerning between certain terms (a painter, for example, could be a house painter or an artist – Google can confuse them), so don’t be clever or coy with what your business does. No long-winded personal story about what inspired you, the business owner, to start the company. No personal anecdotes or attempts at humor. Just keep it direct and professional.

This approach extends to the use of location-specific keywords.

Rule 4 – Find and fix anything that would make your brand look amateurish or untrustworthyDepending on its size and function, your website may have hundreds or thousands of pages and URLs – with thousands of links connecting all of it together. That’s a lot of online infrastructure to maintain, and it’s common for the occasional technical issue to emerge – like a broken link, a bad redirect, a missing piece of content, a duplicate page and so on.

Each of these issues has the potential to damage your brand online. It’s like walking into a brick-and-mortar business and finding out the restroom is out of order. While it may not have a direct impact on the business’s operation, it’s a bad look all the same.

The same is true online. If users click on a product page but are instead taken to a generic 404 page, there’s a good chance they’ll leave the site altogether – removing your chances of converting them into a customer and dinging your user experience metrics in the process.

The goal, then, is to identify and resolve the myriad, minor technical glitches that can impact how users respond to your site. You may need to bring in a web development or digital marketing expert to address this, as it may involve running various technical audits (targeting indexing errors, duplicate pages and the like), diagnosing the offending issues and correcting them.

Nailing down the basics is the first step to website successEvery business website is a custom-built, complex piece of software that serves multiple purposes. It’s a lead generator, a 24/7 salesperson, a brand ambassador and a showcase for your company’s knowledge and expertise.

That’s several important roles your website must fill for it to be an effective investment. And with online competition as fierce as ever, there’s no room for basic mistakes.

Hopefully, this guide revealed some of the most common, fundamental problems that small business owners run into with their sites. If any of the above apply to your site, an experienced web development and digital marketing firm can help correct them and get your site back on the right track.

View Details

For anyone who has been around the Internet Marketing Clinic for a while, knows we always try to stay ahead of where the road goes. AI tools have turned 2023 on its ear, and it is not even March. In this episode of the IMCH, we are taking an in-depth look at how to balance AI tools like ChatGPT and your website, content or SEO efforts. There is a lot of very dangerous misguided implementations ideas so we wanted try and stay ahead of it and let you know what we think you should be doing and how to used this very powerful tool, but do it in a manner that you don’t blow yourself up.

Do not copy AI-generated content and paste it into a websiteBefore you run off to ChatGPT and generate your entire website from scratch – stop. In our practice, we’ve already seen business owners attempt this with disastrous results. And that is what I keep seeing and hearing. It feels like, right or wrong everyone things they found the secret to creating mass pages to place on their website and that is just not true.

Google has upped the useful content penalty possibly taking aim at cut-and-paste AI-generated content, and the search engine is getting better and better at detecting it. There are hundreds of AI writers out there, but it’s unlikely that any of them could evade Google’s AI detection for long.

Why is Google seeking and destroying AI-generated pages? Because AI can’t produce a page that’s as well-written, organized and detailed as a human expert-created page. At least for now, human experts provide more value with their writing than ChatGPT or other AI tools.

This is because AI content generators work by scraping and distilling what’s already on the internet. Google doesn’t want a web full of copycat content – it wants originality. And it wants original thinking because that’s what users want. From Google’s perspective, AI content generators have the potential to pollute the internet with identical pages and damage the user experience.

On the other hand Google also is okay with AI content if they add to the web. If there is solid new information it more than likely won’t get dinged. But you have to committed to making sure the information is not just spun and put out on the website.

There are a few more problems with AI content generation, that you need to be aware of to avoid a penalty.

  • Superficial reasoning and knowledgebase – ChatGPT and AI writers can spit out tons of information with every prompt, but because this information is sourced from thousands of sites – many of them low quality – the information tends to be superficial. This problem is more pronounced for niche topics and industries, where there are fewer inputs for AI to work with.
  • Confusing conceptual linking and writing flow – AI also has trouble determining which pieces of information link together and how they should link together. Us humans do this naturally when we speak, because our communication is predicated on exchanging and responding to information provided by other people.That’s why AI writers tend to go off-track with topics or repeat themselves throughout an article. You won’t find an AI linking an insightful first-hand experience with the topic at hand. That kind of web-like conceptual thinking is still beyond the reach of AI.
  • Difficulty with proper punctuation and grammar – Curiously, AI writers also seem to have the occasional issue with word order, sentence structure or punctuation. The longer the content, the more likely these mistakes are to emerge in a piece of AI content.

It may not be long before these kinks are hammered out, but for now, the above should give business owners pause before they go all-in on AI. Doing so could wipe out your traffic now or in the future, when Google retroactively applies penalties for AI content-generation methods.

All of this is subject to change as Google implements GoogleBard, its own AI ToolEverything in this article could become obsolete overnight – thus is the nature of AI development. The technology is evolving extremely fast and no one (not even industry experts) knows how Google intends to leverage AI for search ranking purposes.

What we do know is that Google has its own AI in development named Bard, and it’s planned for release “soon.” In Google parlance, “soon” could mean months from now or minutes from now. When it is released, it will likely shake up the digital marketing industry even more.

What can AI tools like ChatGPT paired with Jasper AI and then paired with a Human do for content marketing?Okay, now that we’ve laid out the risks of AI content, we’ll address how to minimize those risks and make the technology work for business owners. After all, while Google doesn’t want AI cut-and-paste jobs, it has admitted that it’s okay with AI content, as long as it provides value and meets the search engine’s content standards.

Getting AI content up to that standard, though, that’s the trick.

We’ve experimented a bit with ChatGPT and AI content writers like Jasper, and there’s an opportunity here to create high quality, expert level content using both. Specifically, ChatGPT can be used to develop outlines for your content pages, while Jasper can do some of the actual writing. The emphasis is on the word “some,” however. At this point, we recommend an 80/20 mix between human-created and AI-created writing on any particular page.

A recommended step-by-step guide on using AI to generate content for your website So there’s room for AI in your content generation processes, but you’ll need to be careful. First, we’ll create an article outline in ChatGPT. Here’s how to do that:

  • Go to the OpenAI website, where ChatGPT is the featured piece of software.
  • Create a free account – there is a premium account option, but it only provides faster answers from the chat bot.
  • Now, you should be in the chat app and ready to provide ChatGPT with a prompt. First, ask it to list the keyword you’ll need for your page. For example, “tell me the keywords I need for a page about small business accounting services.” ChatGPT will instantly spit out the high value words to place in your content.
  • You’ve got the keywords, now you need the outline. Ask ChatGPT what topics should be included in your article. For example “what should be included in an article about small business accounting services?” ChatGPT will list the high-level ideas that should be addressed in your article.
  • You can continue this process to go further in depth. Once ChatGPT suggests the high-level topics that should be in your article, you can ask follow-up questions to dive deeper into those ideas. For example “compare accrual accounting and cash-based accounting for small businesses.” By asking more and more detailed questions, you’ll be able to create a more focused, thorough outline.

Once you have this outline in hand, you can stop here with the AI and start writing your page. For many, the outline is the tough part, and just getting that worked out can speed things along. However, if you want, you can take this outline and develop it into content.=

You’ll need a high quality AI writing tool to begin with. We recommend Jasper because it’s the best we’ve found, but it can be expensive for small business owners. If you do invest in Jasper, you can use it like ChatGPT by entering a prompt.

Using the example from above, you could enter “write about the differences between accrual account and cash-based accounting.” Jasper will immediately generate an answer, which could be several paragraphs long.

Don’t take this copy and paste it into your website!

Your job, as the subject matter expert, is to review the content and do the following:

  • Identify and correct any errors – and there will likely be some
  • Update any outdated information – and there will likely be some
  • “Humanize” the content and add your own original experiences and insights
  • Reorder and link the content sections, if necessary
  • Fix any grammatical or punctuation errors and there will be plenty

My page on Google Penalty Repair is a great example of how to mix the balance or mix mentioned above, and we recommend starting and ending the page with from-scratch content that you write. In effect, you’re “massaging” the content so that it doesn’t read like an AI wrote it, or flow like an AI thought it up. Your voice as the writer and expert should still clearly come through. The article I produced was 80/20 in favor of human touch despite using AI to build the entire page.

AI will be the focus for digital marketers in 2023, so stay up to date here on any developments All of this is still developing in real time, and it’s possible that this article will be completely off the mark by the end of the year. For now, though, the above practices are what we consider to be the best practices for using AI in your content marketing.

If the AI picture changes, and boy will it, we’ll record our findings and report them here. Check in with us throughout the year to ensure your content remains in lockstep with Google’s standards.

View Details

Looking back at 2022 - a year of major Google updatesAnother year, another slate of algorithm updates from the world’s leading search engine. Google making changes to its ranking algorithm is nothing new – it’s always going on, actually – but 2022 saw a couple of impactful changes that website owners should be aware of. Ideally, you will have already made some of the necessary adjustments, but if not, we’ve got a quick recap here you can use to get up to speed.

Table of ContentsAdd a header to begin generating the table of contentsTechnical PerformanceWhile Google’s 2022 updates would eventually target content guidelines, the search engine started the year by making technical performance the focus. In a way, this was a continuation of Google’s Core Vitals update, which was pushed over during the summer of 2021.

Specifically, Google wants websites to run faster and more reliably than ever. It’s easy to understand why. A site’s user experience (UX) remains a primary consideration for Google, because search engines don’t exist to promote businesses. They exist to connect users (the people entering queries into Google search) with the best possible answer to their search.

A website’s UX describes how user-friendly the experience is on a particular page. If users are leaving the page before it loads or as soon as it loads, that lets Google know that the page is offering a poor UX. Search engines will always send traffic to a site with good UX metrics if given the opportunity. That means your site should also be optimized for UX.

A major part of UX is a page’s technical performance. Does it load important content quickly? Does it respond to user interaction quickly? Does it remain visually stable while loading? These are critical performance metrics roped into Google’s Core Vitals update.

The search engine is still raising the bar in terms of technical performance, so slow, unreliable sites are having added trouble in ranking well.

Stay away from “cookie cutter” website builders If you’re building a website, Wix, Weebly, Squarespace, Shopify and others offer convenience. They don’t offer anything else, though, including technical performance or improved conversion rates.

In today’s world of digital marketing, nothing beats WordPress. With unmatched Google integration, unmatched versatility and unmatched support, WordPress websites are far easier to rank on Google and other search engines. If you’re building a new site, start with WordPress. If you have a website in a site-builder like Shopify, consider your options in moving the site to WordPress.

Content was always important, but helpful, expert content is now necessary Content has always been a top ranking factor for Google and other search engines, but what exactly that content should look like has changed over the years. And this year, Google made one of its most meaningful content updates in its history.

Termed the helpful content update, Google is now prioritizing high quality, expert level content that provides value to the user. But what does value mean when it comes to an online blog?

Users go to Google to answer questions. Google returns the best possible answer to their questions. As a site owner, your job is to get Google to pick your answer first. That means you’ll need to generate content that offers the following:

  • Expertise –Google places a lot of weight on expertise. It does not want to rank a non-expert highly on any of its SERPs, as this reflects poorly on its own ability to spot valuable information. This is especially true if the question has to do with an expert industry like medicine, legal or accounting.

Expert content answers a relevant query fully, from every angle possible. It may take 1,000, 2,000, 5,000 words to provide a complete answer, but Google prefers longer, more thorough content that short content that offers nothing new. * Authority – Authority is closely related to expertise, obviously, but in an SEO content, authority refers to how well-researched your content is. If you cite respected authorities in answering a query, if you’re linked to by respected authorities or if you have a history of expert content, you’re more likely to be considered an authority on your chosen subject. * Clarity – Helpful content is easy to read and understand. It should be free of typos, grammatical errors, euphemisms, extended analogies and the like. Be direct and clear with what you’re talking about.

All of your site’s content should meet the above guidelines, as fuzzy as they may seem. The point is this – lead with your area of expertise. Answer industry-specific questions in your blog the same way you would if you were having a conversation with a potential client.

AI content tools have emerged, but Google is heavily penalizing their usage

AI-based content generating tools are the next frontier in black hat content marketing tactics. These tools claim to spin up dozens of pages of content in a short time, using data fed into the content generator. Sounds like a shortcut to success, right?

More likely, it will run your website into a ditch. Google has not trouble spotting AI-generated content, even if the typical user on your site would never know the difference. And because Google considers AI content to be non-expert by definition, it will heavily penalize any site that it catches with AI content. Stay away.

Push your content out through multiple channels to pick up and drive trafficHaving trouble coming up with more and more content? Make every content idea pull double, triple or quadruple duty by pushing it out through additional channels. For example, with a single content idea, you could:

  • Write a blog post or article on the subject
  • Record a video of you talking about it
  • Record a podcast discussing the subject
  • Craft a social media post that links to the content
  • Put together an image or graphic about the subject

The more ways you can present your content, the more traffic you’ll pick up through all those channels. Google can also associate this content together, so it will be more likely to present your content pages and Youtube videos on the same SERP if you place multiple types of content on your pages.

Here’s the take-home message for 2022: You need to be an expert in your fieldWe’re at the end of 2022, and in the end, this year was about the value of expertise. Google is no longer promoting websites that aren’t striving to be leaders in their industry. It wants the most knowledgeable, best communicators speaking for every industry. To achieve online success, then, the primary goal is to become a thought leader for your field, and to communicate this insight on your website.

View Details

If you’re running an e-commerce website, then you’ve got competition. At last count, there were more than 20 million e-commerce sites in operation around the globe. Every one of those websites has the same goal – stand out, attract traffic and pick up conversions in the process. With millions of sites crowding the online picture, … Episode 216: E-commerce for Businessowners Read More »

View Details

Digital marketing is a huge field, encompassing several fields of study and changing all the time. And like with any technically-heavy field, digital marketing comes with its own lingo that’s used among industry members. Here we’ll start delving into those terms and what they mean to digital marketing professionals. That way, when someone starts spitting … Episode 212: The Ultimate Glossary of SEO Terms Explained Read More »

View Details

When a user does a search, Google determines if they are looking for something that is either close to them in proximity, or something that is further away. But with the passage of time, more searches are being pushed into a local space, and to be successful in that space, website owners have to understand … Local SEO Tips for Getting on Google Maps Read More »

View Details

This is the second part of our SEO for Beginners podcast. Because this section is vital for the success of any website when it comes to Google, I felt it best to put this section together all on its own. In SEO for Beginners Part I.  I touched on some of the external decisions you … What is SEO? A Beginners Guide Part II. (Technical SEO) Read More »

View Details

We finally got to kick off 2022 with our partner Houston Community College’s Center for Entrepreneurship. In tonight’s class I picked several points that will be the key items for ranking well in Google for 2022. Web Hosting There has been a dramatic focus put on Core Vitals. Because I have a long track record … Episode 206: Fine Tuning for ’22 Read More »

View Details

When it comes to search engine optimization, people often overlook the value of basic SEO in their website and digital marketing operations. And some honestly may not even understand what to do or how to get started. It is never too late to make basic SEO an integral part of the website. As the owner … Episode 205 -A Beginners Guide to SEO: What is SEO? Read More »

View Details

New Year’s Day always brings with it resolutions. As business owners, we often have a set of business resolutions for an upcoming year. But do you include your marketing, and specifically your Digital Marketing?  Wherever you are in your digital marketing journey, start it or strengthen it by making sure you have the fundamentals in … 5 New Year Resolutions for Digital Marketing Success in 2022 Read More »

View Details

I often hear what I do is voodoo or some kind of magic. Simply that is not true. Optimizing for SEO has everything to do with math and common sense more than it will ever be about magic. So we have some basic steps that we need to follow to do optimization for each page. … How to Optimize Content for SEO Read More »

View Details

There is a lot of confusion about how to handle blogs in 2021. From should I be running a blog down to how should I be running it. As a business owner, your website (notice I said website) needs to have a blog. That is not really optional anymore. And the blog needs to be … Blogging vs Podcasting Episode 124 Read More »

View Details

I hear a lot of different opinions on keywords and how relevant they are. I even had someone tell me that Google says there is not published keyword density and if Google says it we know it’s the truth. While it is true there is no published keyword density, the density of the keyword presence … Keyword: Why They Are STILL Important Today! Read More »