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Whether you’re a small business owner, entrepreneur, or digital marketer, understanding the fundamentals of SEO can help you gain visibility, attract leads, and grow your business.

What is SEO and Why is it Important?SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the practice of improving a website’s visibility on search engines like Google. The goal is to rank higher in search results, making it easier for potential customers to find your business.

Why SEO Matters for Businesses Increases website traffic – Higher rankings lead to more clicks and visitors. * Generates quality leads – SEO attracts users actively searching for your products or services. * Builds credibility and trust – A well-optimized website enhances user experience and authority. * Cost-effective marketing* – Unlike paid ads, organic SEO provides long-term benefits with sustained effort.

If you’re relying solely on social media or paid ads, you’re missing out on a powerful organic traffic source that can continuously drive potential customers to your site. SEO has been around since the early 2000s. While the digital landscape has evolved, it fundamentally remains the same: helping search engines understand and rank websites based on relevance and quality.

How an Optimized Website Can Transform Your BusinessA well-optimized website is more than just an online brochure—it’s your best salesperson, working 24/7 to attract new leads and customers.

Case Study: The Power of SEOBeth Guide shared her personal experience with SEO:

• Before SEO, her company received 7 orders per week.
• After optimizing for search engines, that number jumped to 20-30 orders per day!
• Today, her business reaches 10,000+ customers on average.

This is an example of how ranking higher on Google can dramatically increase traffic, sales, but most importantly, business growth.

Choosing the Right Website Platform: WordPress.org vs. WordPress.comYour website platform plays a crucial role in SEO success. Beth strongly recommends using WordPress.org over WordPress.com.

Why WordPress.org is Better for SEO Full Control – Unlike WordPress.com, which limits customization, WordPress.org allows complete website control.
SEO-Friendly – Built-in tools and plugins (like Yoast SEO) make optimization easier.
Scalability – Easily expand your website with new pages, features, and content.
Better Performance – Faster loading speeds and better security for improved rankings.

Because you need maximum control, WordPress.org is the way to go. Vertical Web offers WordPress hosting plans that are prebuilt with the right tools that lead to SEO success.

The Importance of Content: Why Your Website Needs 100+ PagesMany businesses fail to rank because they don’t provide enough quality content for Google to take them seriously.

How Content Affects SEO* Google prioritizes websites with substantial, high-quality content. * A well-structured blog and service pages help establish authority. * More pages mean more opportunities to rank for different keywords.

Common SEO Mistakes That Hurt RankingsMany businesses struggle with SEO because they unknowingly make critical mistakes that prevent them from ranking higher.

Avoid These Costly SEO Mistakes Poor Website Structure – Confusing navigation and lack of internal linking can harm rankings.
Low-Quality Content – Thin or AI-generated content lacks value and engagement.
Ignoring Title Tags & Meta Descriptions – Missing or generic metadata reduces click-through rates.
Not Using H1s & Subheadings Properly – Headings help Google understand page structure and relevance.
Neglecting Local SEO – If you’re a local business, optimizing for local searches is crucial.

If you’re investing in SEO, make sure you’re doing it the right way to see actual results.

The Truth About AI & SEOWith the rise of AI-generated content, many wonder: Is AI good for SEO?

Google’s Stance on AI Content Google accepts AI-generated content IF it provides new and valuable insights.
However, repetitive or regurgitated content won’t rank well. Paraphrasing someone else’s work does not add to the betterment of the internet.
AI should be used as a tool for assistance, not a replacement for human-written content. Even this blog post you are reading is a summary of the video lecture I gave on this topic and is 100% unique. So, even though I used AI to generate this, it is a summary of my lecture.

Tip: Use AI to streamline research and outlines, but always add unique insights and expertise!

Does Google Ads Improve SEO Rankings?A common question is whether paying for Google Ads helps with organic rankings. I am one of the few people that has always said the two are intertwined. Although Google vehemently denies they are related, there has always been some benefit.

The Reality Google claims ads don’t influence rankings, but…
Higher click-through rates (CTR) from ads may indirectly help boost your website’s credibility.
Focus on SEO first, and use Google Ads to supplement your organic efforts.

SEO is a long-term strategy, while ads provide short-term visibility. A combination of both can yield the best results.

How Much Does SEO Cost?SEO pricing varies based on competition, industry and location.

SEO Pricing Breakdown Local SEO: Starts at $500/month for small businesses.
Competitive Niches (Lawyers, Dentists): Can range from $5,000 – $8,000/month.
Enterprise SEO: May exceed $20,000+/month for national rankings.

Cheap SEO services often cause more harm than good, leading to wasted money, poor results and possible long-term damage to the website or brand.

Keyword Research: The Foundation of SEO SuccessWithout the right keywords, your SEO efforts may fall flat. Remember to watch our Video on Keywords if you need more help on the topic

How to Find the Best Keywords Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ahrefs.
Focus on long-tail keywords (e.g., “best web designer in Houston”).
Look at competitor rankings and identify gaps.

Tip: Use a mix of high-volume and niche keywords for a balanced SEO strategy!

Building a Strong SEO Strategy TodaySEO is an ongoing process, but by following these best practices, you can increase rankings, drive traffic, and grow your business.

Key Takeaways SEO is essential for long-term business success.
WordPress.org is the best platform for SEO optimization.
Content is king – Aim for 100+ pages of valuable information.
Avoid common mistakes that can hurt rankings.
AI is a helpful tool but shouldn’t replace human expertise.
SEO is an investment – Choose a provider that knows what they’re doing.

Ready to improve your website’s SEO? Visit VerticalWeb.com for expert SEO services and training!

Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more SEO insights! And sign up for our Internet Marketing Clinic newsletter to receive our monthly class schedule and notifications of when we release new videos.

SEO #DigitalMarketing #BethGuide #VerticalWeb #SearchEngineOptimization #WordPressSEO #GoogleRanking #SmallBusinessSEO

Related posts:1. September 2019 Google Core Update Has Rolled Out! 2. Ultimate Guide to Recovering from Google Algorithm Updates and Penalties 3. Effective Strategies for Holiday Marketing: Web, E-mail and Social Media

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Keywords have been at the core of search engine optimization (SEO) since the early days of the Internet. Despite evolving algorithms, they remain crucial for ranking on Google. This guide explores the history, best practices, and strategies for using keywords effectively in 2024.

The Evolution of Keywords in SEOEarly Search Engines and Keyword UsageIn the late 1990s, search engines like Lycos, AltaVista, and AOL used simple Boolean searches. Web pages were ranked based on keyword frequency, leading to the rise of keyword stuffing. Websites repeated targeted phrases excessively, sometimes even hiding them in the background by matching the text color to the page’s background. These manipulative tactics initially worked but soon led to poor search results.

Google’s Algorithm ChangesAs search engines evolved, Google implemented more intelligent algorithms that penalized keyword stuffing and rewarded content with natural language and contextual relevance. Instead of focusing on exact matches, Google now looks for keyword variations and related terms to determine page relevance. Updates such as Google Panda, Penguin, and Hummingbird refined how keywords were evaluated, emphasizing content quality over manipulation.

Understanding Modern Keyword OptimizationThe Role of Keywords TodayDespite algorithm changes, keywords remain essential. However, they must be used strategically with supporting context. Simply repeating a phrase like “Houston movers” is not enough—Google expects additional context, such as “packing services” or “moving company reviews.” Using a natural language approach that aligns with user intent is now the key to effective keyword optimization.

Finding the Right Keywords for Your WebsiteOne of the most crucial steps in SEO is identifying the right keywords for your content. A good exercise is to create a list of 50 relevant words related to your business and organize them into groups. This helps structure content efficiently and target multiple search queries.

Essential Keyword Research ToolsKeywords EverywhereThis browser extension helps users

keyword search volume, competition, and variations. It also helps them discover which terms are most valuable for ranking in search results. The tool provides real-time data, making keyword research accessible and efficient.Google Keyword PlannerGoogle’s free keyword tool offers insights into search volume, competition, and related search terms. It allows businesses to refine their keyword strategy based on search trends and user behavior.

Using Excel for Keyword ManagementOrganizing keywords in an Excel spreadsheet allows for better analysis and strategy development. Keywords should be grouped logically to improve content structuring. Website owners can tailor content by categorizing terms based on intent—informational, navigational, or transactional—accordingly.

On-Page Optimization for KeywordsKeyword Placement and DensityGoogle’s algorithm considers more than just keyword frequency. Proper header placement (H1 to H6), meta descriptions, and body text are critical. The ideal page length for ranking well is around 1,700 words, ensuring the content is comprehensive and informative.

The Importance of Related TermsGoogle assesses content using an interrelation of words. Instead of focusing solely on a single keyword, including related terms helps improve page relevance and search visibility. For example, a page targeting “home health care services” should also incorporate phrases like “senior home care,” “skilled nursing,” and “in-home medical care.”

Using Header Tags EffectivelyHeader tags (H1, H2, H3) should logically contain keywords and structure content. Breaking content into readable sections improves user experience and search engine crawling. Google prioritizes well-structured content with precise topic segmentation.

Standard SEO Mistakes to AvoidLack of Contact InformationWebsites without a phone number, address, or precise business details can appear less credible to users and search engines. Contact information signals legitimacy and improves local SEO rankings.

Using Overly Broad KeywordsTargeting general terms like “shoes” is ineffective due to high competition. Instead, focus on more specific keywords that reflect user intent, such as “best running shoes for flat feet.” This approach reduces competition and increases conversion rates.

Neglecting Content DepthThin content with insufficient keyword coverage fails to rank well. Each page should provide detailed information that comprehensively answers user queries. Adding FAQ sections, bullet points, and related topics enhances content value.

Content Strategy for Better RankingsWriting High-Quality, SEO-Friendly ContentA well-structured blog post or landing page should include keyword-rich headings, FAQs, and a natural writing style. Content should be informative and address user needs rather than simply inserting keywords. Google values pages that provide actual value over those that try to rank for specific phrases.

Crafting Keyword-Rich Blog PostsFor businesses like home health care services, an article titled “Essential Home Care for Seniors: Tips for Living Comfortably” can rank well by incorporating related keywords like “in-home nursing,” “senior care,” and “skilled nursing facilities.” Structuring content around commonly searched questions improves visibility and user engagement.

The Role of Internal LinkingInternal linking helps distribute page authority and improves site navigation. Linking to relevant blog posts or service pages enhances keyword relevance and keeps users engaged on the website longer. For example, linking a blog post about “home health care services” to a service page detailing in-home care offerings strengthens keyword associations.

Using Schema MarkupSchema markup provides additional context to search engines, helping pages appear in rich snippets. Adding structured data for services, reviews, and business details increases search visibility and click-through rates.

Keywords Remain ImportantKeywords are still fundamental in SEO, but their usage has evolved. To rank effectively in 2024, website owners must focus on keyword relevance, strategic placement, and high-quality content. Businesses can improve their search engine rankings and drive more organic traffic by utilizing keyword research tools, structuring content logically, and avoiding common mistakes. With a strong keyword strategy, SEO success is within reach.

Related posts:1. What Is Technical SEO and Why You Should Care 2. Basic SEO Maintenance: Five Simple Things Site Owners Can Do to Improve SEO 3. The Right Tools for the Job: How to Get WordPress Set Up for Business Websites

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Unexpectedly, the SEO community was gifted a leak. Just as everyone was wringing their hands and lamenting SEO is dead (it’s not), here came a blueprint for SEOs.

I have just begun soaking in all the information contained in this document. By way of background, Rand Fiskin, founder of MOZ, was contacted about the Google API being accidentally uploaded. But as I read through this, in many ways, it’s not telling me things I didn’t already know, but I feel very vindicated because it backs a lot of what I think but could never prove.

From the Desk of an SEO Expert – A Look BackSo why should you trust my insights as an SEO Expert? The Google leak, in many ways, validates things I’ve been saying for years. I’ve always maintained that Google lies and misleads SEO companies, and this leak seems to confirm that. But let me define why I am an SEO expert so you can evaluate the podcast, video, and this post. I have 28 years of experience in SEO. My company was formed seven months before Google. Since my very first client, I have been navigating the ever-changing landscape of SERPs.

Back in those days, it was easy. How much keyword stuffing is needed? How many pop culture references can I add to my title tag? Or, best of all, I could type in the same color of the background and feed the search engine but not making apparent to the visitor. There were a lot of these ‘tricks’ back in the day. Do them now and do so at your peril. This is not a thing anymore and hasn’t been for many years.

Our SEO journey began when the search was still rudimentary before there were 14,000 data points. As the industry evolved, we adapted and built our knowledge. In a nutshell, we have been a part of every change Google has ever made, giving us a unique skill set and vantage point. While there are others like me, we are few and far between. Some, like Danny Sullivan, have even gone to work for Google. But others, like myself or Bill Hartzer, continue to fight the good (Google) fight in the trenches.

It’s all about the Algorithm. So What is the Google Algorithm Anyway?It all starts with the algorithm and the quest to understand it. The Google algorithm has always been as complex as it is simple. For those who don’t know for sure what an algorithm is, let me define it for you. An algorithm is a set of mathematical computations that solve a problem. In the case of Google, it’s the equivalent of a scoring system ‘grades’ web pages (and websites) and then putting them in numerical order, with the best page being listed in the first position. For years, I said there were 29,000 ‘things’ we had to know to get a page to work/rank within the Google algorithm. The number is 14,040. But what’s a few thousand data points between friends?

What we don’t know is the value of each of the items we are going to discuss below. What is the amount each item adds or subtracts from the score? Some may argue that predicting the outcome without those values is hard. But this is where the SEO expert part comes in. I believe I can tell with pretty good accuracy what is more important than other things. It is probably a companion piece I need to write that puts them in order and assigns the BG (Beth Guide) scale of Google Values to them.

So, what IS the Google Algorithm based on?

What have we learned from this Google data leak? Learned is subjective in this application. Me, I haven’t learned much. It’s all the stuff I already knew. For me, I used the word validated and vindicated. The first thing I’ve long said is that it is my opinion that Google lies to and tries to mislead SEO companies. I mean, why would they tell everyone how to game their system? It makes perfect sense. I have to say that I laugh when people tell me about the Google raters guidelines as if they are gospel. I have long said follow it to the letter and see how far you get.

Google Misdirection #1 – Page RankIt’s 2024, and I’m about to type the word Page Rank for those of you who have not been around for the last decade. When Google first arrived, it had a delimiter called page rank. It lived in the Google toolbar, and you could always see how Google ranked your website. From my SEO perspective, it was always time for a party when you increased page rank. How do you move up in page rank? Links links and more links. For several years now, coming out of Google links were no longer relevant. Surprise! They are still relevant. Color me shocked. At least up until the time of this leak, which is arguably as early as Sept 2023 and could be as late as March 2024, links are important. (10:34)

So what is a small business to do? Links really are important. Well, some of these things your business should be doing already. You should be participating in your community. You should be helping others. And you should learn how to identify situations that may gain you a link. There are other reasons to do this, and I’ll talk about branding and authorship in a minute. But for now, you have to learn how to identify an opportunity. (18:56)

Google Misdirection #2 – Chrome Data is Not Part of the AlgorithmEvery year, the expression is that there is nothing free in this life. As you know, everything about Google is accessible to the end user. Chrome and Gmail, to name a few. Why is that? Is Google possibly using that data to scrap and feed into their algorithm? Gmail helps with trends and what people are talking about. It’s not that it says anything specific about Gmail in the code anywhere. What it does say, however, is it talks about what is a good click and what is a bad click. I feel compelled to insert a pithy WOZ reference here, but I won’t. However, it could be argued that Glenda and Google sound somewhat similar.

Part of the page you are reading is one of the ways we send signals to Google. I don’t know if you are reading down this far or started watching the video but in either case you have had to be on this page for a while, making this into a good click. People stay on the pages associated with the Houston Internet Marketing Clinic Class. So, I am, in effect, sending a signal to Google. And I am not forcibly holding you back from the page, which is good.

Google Misdirection #3 – What is Spam Anyway?We all know what spam is. Nigerian Princes, Russian Brides. But Google is ever vigilant against spam. They define pages that could be better written, not well sources and sometimes just keywords stuffed and stuffed. Now I agree that keyword stuffing and the pages written over and over again just to simply say the same thing in hopes of moving a needle on a secondary keyword. But are all things spam? Or is the person just not a good writer? Is there the use of AI content?

The absolute truth is to act as an expert in your field, so yes, I am an SEO expert. I am a local SEO Expert. I would put my knowledge up against anyone out there and feel confident. Yes, I have my own opinions, and I’ve also been fortunate enough to grow up in this industry, so on-page and technical SEO to me are the same thing in many, many ways. I can fix technical SEO issues. I can fix semantic SEO issues. I know how to gain natural links for my website rather than resorting to buying them, as many others do.

But most of all, Google knows that I do not spam because when they see my name, I have built my name as part of our brand, and they know it’s a name that can be trusted. Just as when they see my company name they know it too can be trusted. They know I have been involved in SEO and Web Design for nearly three decades now. In addition, they see my involvement with organizations like SCORE, HCC, and the SBDC as a validation of my credibility. These relationships are extremely important to your overall success. So, what are you doing to increase your credibility? In a nutshell, they are grading my website based on my relationships and affiliations.

So How do Small Company’s Keep Up with SEO

The tenants of all of this are still the same. Good quality content will always win the day and is the fundamental building block. But how does a small business owner keep up or even get these ideas? Every time I open my email there is a treasure trove of content ideas. For example, how do you decide to use medical device or medical plastics. What is the right term, and what are the steps necessary to determine which is correct? What do you need to tell someone to get an SEO quote? (0:35)

Google Misdirection #4 – There is no SandboxIs there a Google Sandbox? So, this one is interesting because, in 2024, the answer is No-ish. In the truest sense of the word and using the historical application, no, not really. There was a hardcore sandbox back in the early 2000s. I don’t care what you did with a new domain; it was not going to rank for at least a year. But in the modern era, it’s not as arduous, but domains that are newly registered will usually sit for a year or two with low traffic. You will get some traffic. But not a lot. Now, most businesses won’t notice this because they will have localized traffic and weren’t expecting much. But if you are looking for SERP wins, and your domain is new, you have a distinct problem.

So what is the remedy to this? There are domains that are after-market, and those domains seem to be impervious to any restriction unless the domain has been completely banned (yes, they ban domains). My experience tells me that there are a few break points in this, meaning the older the domain the less issues you will have. In my opinion any domain that has maintained a continuous since the early 2000 is much less likely to be sandboxed. I’m not going to see it. I’ve never seen an old site have trouble, but I think I can count it on two fingers over the last 28 years. (40:46).

SEO Isn’t Magical Voodoo

I can’t tell you how often I’ve heard the terms voodoo or magic when describing SEO. It really is not. We now know that 14,000+ data points are strung together to help derive the best possible answer. I’m not a magician; I just understand how Google thinks. Doing that makes your site far more likely to rank on a given term. I can see the mistakes people make with their own sites, but most of all, I feel vindicated by this data dump because up until this all came out, everything we always said was theoretical.

Related Posts* Basic SEO Maintenance: Five Simple Things Site Owners Can Do to Improve SEO * How To Get Started in SEO: A Small Business Survival Guide * SEO Hacks: Easy Ways to Win at SEO * Ultimate Guide to Recovering from Google Algorithm Updates and Penalties

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SEO Hacks: Ways to win at SEO SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a crucial aspect of digital marketing, and understanding how to navigate it can significantly impact the online visibility of your business. In this class we will explore the basics of SEO so that you can compete in this world and understand the do’s and don’ts and if you’re paying someone you can understand that they’re doing what they need to do.

Google and SEO: Two Sides of the Same CoinGoogle’s relationship with SEO is constant and ever-changing so it’s important to stay on top of their updates and requirements as they roll out. Since September of 2023 Google started the “Helpful Content Update” and has been aggressively rolling out new fixes in an attempt to combat the use of AI for content creation. In March of 2024, the latest roll out will alleviate 40% of the content that is currently sitting on the internet, because google reads it as written with AI. This is also designed to go after marketers using tactics to gain Google’s System.

What does this mean for business owners? For business owners and content writers, this update means that they will have to ensure that no content used is created with any AI tool. Content must be written by a human, as organically as possible, and with as much helpful information as possible. If you’re not being helpful, they’re not ranking your website.

No mixed signals with SEOGetting fancy with your words has its uses in marketing, but when it comes to your website and its content the messaging must be clear and concise. Google operates on a set of signals that help it understand the content and relevance of web pages. These signals are crucial for ensuring that your website ranks well in search results. One important aspect to note is that Google is literal and specific, how you communicate information on your website needs to align with how Google interprets it. Using the right keywords and structuring your content effectively are essential for signaling to Google what your website is about. A reoccurring issue with some websites and their signals, is that a website will change, which causes the signal to break.

The Role of Keywords for Great SEOKeywords play a pivotal role in SEO as they help Google identify the relevance of your content to user queries. It is significant to understand your business’s keywords and how to find them and use them effectively. Using plug in tools like Keywords Everywhere can provide valuable insights into search volume, competition, and the potential value of specific keywords. The search volume of a keyword is how many people are looking up this or adjacent terms. The competition is how many other people are attempting to rank using that same keyword. Remember, higher competition keywords may be harder to rank for, so it’s essential to prioritize and strategize accordingly. The potential value of the term is how much it would be for you to purchase specific search terms, but this won’t be necessary to start.

Local SEO and the “Near Me” TrendAn interesting trend highlighted is the growing importance of local SEO, especially with terms like “near me.” Google’s algorithms are increasingly favoring localized search results, making it crucial for businesses to optimize their online presence for local searches. Incorporating location-specific keywords and ensuring consistency across online directories and platforms can greatly improve your visibility to local customers.

In some instances, your business name can be a keyword, but often the business name is a more abstract concept than what your business does, so it’s good to ensure your support keywords are strong enough. For example, if your business name is “TreeCutting.com”, Tree Cutting would be a keyword because it would be something someone googles. But if you’re business name is something abstract like “Jose’sCutters.com” you would then have to set up a good amount of keywords in your website like “tree cutters” and variations such as “tree cutting” “landscaping” and many more.

Using the suggested tools you can verify the value of these keywords and in turn find other keywords that may be more valuable than what you may already be using. Remember it is important to be specific and clear but not so specific that you become too niche and not easily found.

SEO Success: Takeaways and StrategiesSEO is essential for improving online visibility for your business. With the basics provided in this class and understanding Google’s updates and staying on top of them, there is a great starting point to begin implementing these improvements.

Remember, it is essential that the messaging remains clear and concise, with effective keyword usage for Google to pick it up and rank. Use the available tools, like Keywords Everywhere, to optimize your strategy by identifying valuable keywords.

By applying these principles and techniques, you can enhance your website’s visibility and drive more traffic, ensuring your content meets both user needs and search engine criteria.

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How to Write a Better BlogBlogging, it’s not why most people get into business, but written communication remains an important part of customer acquisition. And online, that means writing high quality blogs, articles and landing page content to help send the signals to Google that will equal long term SEO success.

With today’s tech-based, always-online economy, the value of good writing may not be obvious. That’s where we’ll start before addressing how to write a more effective piece of website content.

A 24/7 Salesman: The value of an expert blogWithout a website, companies are passing up on 30 percent of their potential business. Even when no one is at the office or manning the phones, the company’s website is there representing the brand. In this way, an effective website is like a salesman who never takes a break. Publishing high quality content is like giving that salesman the best possible sales pitch – with it, they’ll represent your company well and earn more customers as a result.

In the end, as the company’s owner and resident expert, you have complete control over your brand’s messaging through the power of blogging.

Every business owner is an expert, so put that expertise to good useThe first hurdle for business owners to get over is a psychological one. “I can’t write,” said just about every business owner ever, but as an expert in your industry, your insight has value to Google and to users. That’s true even if you can’t write like Shakespeare.

If you’re willing to practice writing and get better, you’ll eventually develop your spoken voice into an effective written voice. For many niche subjects, all that’s needed is clear, direct writing with some expert insight or examples sprinkled in.

One easy way to come up with blog topics – listen to the customerLooking for a good blog angle? Pay attention to what customers are concerned about. These could be your customers or a competitor’s customers, wherever they provide feedback. This could be a question asked in an e-mail, a comment in a product review or a complaint on social media. Whatever it is, there’s probably a blog angle in there somewhere, as long as you’re looking for it.

Google wants original, expert ideas, so be careful with AI writers like ChatGPTAlthough some of the ChatGPT mania has died down, there is still plenty of conversation regarding what it, and other AI writers, can do for website owners.

ChatGPT can help with some writing-related tasks, but it cannot replace the expertise needed for the content writing itself. It’s not a cut-and-paste job. You’ll have to do some extra work to get the page to a publishable level.

Google is on the record saying that it’s okay with some AI content as long as it meets the search engine’s quality standards. Unfortunately, AI content doesn’t. When AI “writes,” it’s actually scraping content from tons of existing pages, pulling out information and reordering it to create the semblance of an original article.

But nothing in the AI page is original – just an amalgamation of the pages it pulled from. Google doesn’t like that because users don’t like that. Users don’t want an internet full of same-sounding, no-value junk, and so Google doesn’t want to fill its SERPs with same-sounding, no-value junk.

As such, search engines will penalize sites that rely too much on AI for their blogging and website content. And yes, Google can easily detect AI writing.

There’s room for AI to fill a role, though, so here’s how to use itTo summarize so far – don’t take what the AI writer gives you, then turn around and publish it on your website. That’s a no-can-do, but what can you do with ChatGPT and similar AI generators?

• Generate a pool of subject-relevant keywords – Every blog should be optimized with high-value, subject-relevant keywords. These provide Google with the signals it needs to understand the page’s content and properly categorize it for its search results pages.

And you can ask ChatGPT to provide those keywords. Writing a page about what to look for during a home inspection?

“Hey ChatGPT, give me a set of keywords for an article about home inspections.”

And the AI will immediately spit out the terms to include in your page, for SEO purposes. Simple.

• Create a quick list of potential blog topics – Not sure what to write about? What AI does well is generate a ton of low-resolution, high-level topics related to anything you prompt it with. Run a sports equipment shop?

“Hey ChatGPT, give me 10 article ideas related to choosing or maintaining sports equipment.”

That’s just one example, but no matter what the overarching topic is, if you ask for blog ideas for it, ChatGPT will provide several potential starting spots. Many won’t be good enough to make the first cut, but they can at least provide inspiration to get going.

• Develop an outline for a blog post – Once you have your blog topic settled on, ChatGPT can provide an outline for that topic. Let’s say you’ve decided to write about the most important features to look for in a family vehicle.

“Hey ChatGPT, what should be included in a blog about important family vehicle features?”

This can be used with any topic idea and will give you an idea about what to cover in your blog post. It’s likely that ChatGPT will list out its suggestions – each one can serve as a subsection on your page, so using this approach, writers can flesh out a proper outline that descends in hierarchy as each section is expanded on.

If you need to go deeper into a particular section, you can ask ChatGPT to expand on its “thinking.” For example, ChatGPT may list additional airbags as an important safety feature for family vehicles. In response, you could ask ChatGPT to list the kinds of airbags that might be included in a family vehicle. This information can be included in a section dedicated to “airbags” or “safety features.”

As this example illustrates, there’s no limit to how deep you can go with an outline using ChatGPT in this way.

• Generate a (very) rough draft to get started – At this point, the only thing left to do is write the blog. It’s the hardest step, of course, but ChatGPT can provide a rough first pass at the page.

“ChatGPT, write a blog about how to prepare a home for the winter. It should be about 2,000 words long and include tips on how to reduce heating costs.”

Again, just another example, but any topic and important details can be included in your prompt.

Again, you cannot take this rough draft and publish it as original content. If you do, Google will eventually penalize your site. Instead, take the draft, ensure it is factually correct, add in relevant expertise and examples, remove any unusual transitions or turns of phrase (AI parrots a lot of cliches and unprofessional sounding language in its copy) and format it so that it reads well for users. Now, and only now, is the blog worth considering for publication.

Google is constantly raising the content bar, so site owners need better blogs to compete onlineAny successful business owner knows that communication is key to winning new customers. Online, that communication is managed through blogs, articles and other forms of written content.

And the better that written content, the more effective your website will be at earning better search engine rankings and more customers. ChatGPT and similar AI writers can be of assistance here, but they cannot replace a human writer entirely – especially one with expert-level insight and experience.

That means site owners now need to write better blogs (which can be done with ChatGPT’s help) or, at the least, bring in someone who can write to Google’s increasing content quality standards.

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If you’ve just launched a business website – or are about to launch one – your work is just beginning as the site’s owner. With millions of e-commerce and professional sites already online, it’s a real fight to get new websites noticed. In fact, it’s impossible to gain traction online without an effective SEO plan in place. That’s because search engines are picky when determining which pages to rank – those with better SEO fundamentals are much more likely to snag those coveted top spots.

But that only raises another question – how can business owners get started with effective SEO? That’s what we’re addressing this time. With these following tips, any business owner in any industry can get a competitive start with SEO and build a steady stream of traffic.

The right engine means everything when starting a website, and that means WordPressIf you already have a website, it is hopefully built in WordPress. If it’s not, we’ve got some bad news – you’ll likely need to migrate it to WP. That includes sites built in Squarespace, Wix, Weebly and other stripped-down website builders. If you haven’t built a site yet, WordPress is the engine of choice.

Why? Compared to site building platforms, WP’s backend is far more compatible with Google’s site discovery and indexing process. In other words, Google understands WordPress sites better than others, so it’s more likely to fully crawl, index and properly categorize a website. In general, the more confused Google’s spiders are when crawling a website, the less likely that site will rank. WP ensures minimal confusion between the website and Google.

Make your title tag count – with high impact keywordsEvery page on your website has to explain itself to Google, and title tags and headers are an important part of that mission. Each page gets one title tag (an H1), and you should treat it like a proper title – it should explain the content’s primary focus. And for Google, every title tag should also include relevant keywords that send the right content signals to search engines. These keywords are essentially clues that tell Google how to judge, locate and categorize the content.

It is extremely important to locate the most relevant keywords (i.e., the product you’re selling) as high up on each page as possible. This will maximize the chances that Google’s spiders will find them.

Additional headers are used with content subsections, and they act just like title tags. Each section header should describe what’s in the following section while including high-relevance keywords for Google.

Localize your headers, copy and images for your business’s service areaMost small businesses have a tight service area that’s near their operating facilities. It’s this area that your SEO should be targeted toward.

Local SEO is the branch of digital marketing focused on targeting users in a particular service area, and it’s a slightly different game than general, national SEO. When users punch in a local search query (“Houston Mexican restaurants,” for example), Google returns a local SERP in response. This local SERP includes additional high-value spots like the map pack, so engaging local SEO comes with additional rewards.

But local SEO also takes a slightly different approach. One part of this approach is to localize the content on your site’s pages, so Google understands where your business is located and what areas it serves.

In practice, that means mentioning where the company is located in titles, headers and inside the body copy. The city it’s located in, the neighborhoods or regions it services, the names of nearby landmarks and major roads – these are all useful clues for Google.

It goes further than that, too. Every image published on your website has metadata associated with it. This metadata includes where the photo was taken, so consider taking your own photos and publishing them with that metadata intact. It will be yet another signal for Google to utilize.

Silo and support your main content pages with secondary feeder pagesHow your site’s content is organized is also of interest to Google, and therefore an SEO consideration. Ideally, it’s organized in a hierarchical fashion, with major content sections coming off the home page, and content subsections coming off of those, all the way down to your individual product pages. If you were to visualize this structure, it would like a cascade flow chart, with the home page at the top and the product pages at the bottom.

Each one of these content sections can act like a standalone site within your primary website. For example, if your site sells clothing, then each content section could be dedicated to “winter clothing,” “summer clothing,” “shoes,” “accessories” and so on. Each of these sections has a top level content page that links right off the home page and includes links to all of the subsections that are categorized below it.

This approach offers two major advantages to site owners. One, it helps Google interpret the site’s structure and navigation, so it can better understand where to place each page – and your site in general. Two, by reinforcing the primary content pages in each section, Google is more likely to rank those pages for relevant queries. When a user clicks on one of those listings, instead of being taken to your home page (which may be too far away from where the user wants to be), they’re linked directly to the right sections on your website. It’s far easier to convert users into customers if they don’t have to push through your website to find what they’re looking for.

Establish a blog on your site that’s regularly updatedEvery business, no matter its industry or size, should have a blog on its website. Blogs are a primary means of publishing fresh content, and Google will look at what’s published on your blog (and how often) as part of its crawling and indexing process.

As an irreplaceable content marketing tool, your blog cannot be neglected. It should link right off the home page, should be featured in the top navigation menu and should be updated at least once every couple weeks, though once a week is better.

To optimize your site’s success, you’ll need to optimize it for search enginesGone are the days of launching a website and waiting for customers to roll in. That just doesn’t happen in today’s hyper competitive world of e-commerce. The most successful online businesses tend to be the ones most invested in their digital marketing initiatives, but doesn’t always mean capital investment.

Time is also a valuable resource in this regard. The more time you spend on creating high quality content and organizing the site’s structure, the better your site’s SEO impact will be. And that’s the not-so-secret secret to online success – the more effort you put into digital marketing and content creation, the more visibility your site is likely to attain.

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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.

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Buckle up 2023 is going to be one for the ages. Every year brings a new set of challenges for the digital marketing industry, but 2023 may bring more upheaval than normal. Multiple content-related updates in late 2022 appear to be targeted at identifying and deranking pages with low quality (potentially AI) content. Google has also made recent updates to its Search Rater Quality Guidelines – with added emphasis on communicating expertise and experience in content.

Additionally both Google and Bing are rolling out chat modules for search that have the potential to upend digital marketing, especially for small businesses. Over this year as this rolls out we will address and work to find strategies that will work inside that framework. It may be a big deal. It may be a fad, no one knows yet. It’s in part why I have been running these classes since 2007.

Google is clearly raising the bar on what constitutes a high-ranking website. Quality content, quality performance, quality navigation and linking – there’s no more cutting corners for business website owners.

That’s why we’re focusing on cleanup this week. The little things matter more than ever for digital marketing, and so we’re addressing some of the little things you can do to improve your standing on Google.

Optimize your online presence with the right platform, plugins and patches First, if your site isn’t on WordPress, move it to the WP ecosystem. More than 40 percent of the internet is built on WordPress, so Google thoroughly understands it – and prefers it. If your site is built on any other platform – Wix, Squarespace, Shopify, etc. – then you’re at a major SEO disadvantage from the start.

Assuming your site is built on WP, there is a plenty of plugin available. Many of these are useful for optimization purposes, whether performance or search engine optimization.

A favorite of ours is Rank Math. Rank Math is an SEO plugin for WordPress that provides broad functionality. It offers deep insights, like tracking your position history for a particular keyword. It also integrates seamlessly with Google Analytics 4 and offers centralized control over many SEO functions, like configuring headers or metadata.

And if you’re wondering just how entangled Google and WordPress are – Google has an official WP plugin called Google Site Kit. With Site Kit, your Google Analytics are available through your WP backend and through a single dashboard.

Verify that your business is properly listed online Google uses your company’s location for local SEO purposes, which can be a problem if your actual location doesn’t match Google’s own data. It’s a problem that a lot of businesses have.

If your company’s address or phone number have ever changed, there’s a good chance that your older addresses or numbers are listed somewhere on the internet. If there are many such outdated NAP citations out there, Google may place your business in a different market.

The goal is to monitor your NAP citations and correct any that are inaccurate. Our clients have a tool to make these easy – one available through Yext. With Yext’s Optimize Location tool, business owners can get a status update on all of their NAP citations scattered around the web. This includes Google itself, along with Yahoo, Facebook, Twitter, Bing, Yelp and a score of directory sites. If there are any NAP inaccuracies, it’s made obvious here, so website owners can correct the citation.

To do that, you’ll need access to the account associated with the citing website. Businesses are in a constant state of flux, so it’s common for brands to lose control of certain accounts as employees are turned over and changes are made. If you do lose access to a citing account, you may able to correct the citation by submitting your company’s information to a major data aggregator like Acxiom or Localeze.

Set up Google Analytics 4 so there’s no interruption in data tracking Google is overhauling its analytics platform and releasing a new version in July. Termed Google Analytics 4 – or GA4 – the new platform will use AI to provide advanced reporting. For example, GA4 will notice when certain products are in greater demand, or predict when a customer is likely to churn. This is another example of Google’s reliance on machine learning. Over time, the platform will “learn” customer behavior based on previous actions.

That’s a major departure from the current system, which will be sunset in July. If you haven’t migrated to GA4 or integrated it into your website, now is the time. We recommend you run Google Universal Analytics until it’s discontinued, but bring on GA4 now so you can start building data for your website. If you wait until Universal is shut down, you’ll have zero recent historical data to make digital marketing decisions from. You’ll be in the dark for months regarding your site’s performance.

Get to know your online competitors, so you can produce better content than them Before your site can grow in a productive direction, you’ll first need your bearings. In other words, how does your company compare with its competitors online? This is a critical piece of information, because if you target the right competitors, you can leapfrog them with better content. If you target the wrong competitors, you’ll either grow your business slower or not at all.

One way to do this is through Semrush. Semrush has a deep digital marketing toolkit, including a helpful organic research tool that can be used to analyze potential competitors. Using Semrush’s organic research tool, you can reference a company’s website and get a list of all the keywords they rank for and where they rank.

You can use this tool to determine which of your competitors are positioned better on Google. The ones that are just ahead of you in important keywords – those are your targets. Once you have your competitors sized up, you can visit their content pages and determine how you could make a better version of what they’ve produced.

That doesn’t mean copying and pasting. It means taking their blog topic and writing it in your own words, using your own expertise. Write longer on the subject, with additional examples and discussion that reveals your authority on the matter. This is what Google is looking for with its push for helpful content – an internet that’s constantly producing (better and better) answers to every possible query. If you take on this mission by producing content in your own niche, Google will be more likely to rank your site higher for more valuable keywords.

Business owners are in for a wild ride this year, so ensure your fundamentals are in place There are a lot of digital marketing unknowns as we head deeper into 2023. To what extent will Google roll out additional AI functionality? Just how high is the content bar going to go this year? How will business owners prepare for the changes to come?

We’re have answers soon enough, but one thing that business owners can do now is lock down their site’s fundamentals. NAP citations, updating WordPress, integrating useful plugins and getting ready for GA4 – all of these little things add up to a more effective online presence.

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Google has always prioritized content in its rankings, but in the second half of 2022 and into 2023, the search engine giant has gone all-in on content updates. In the past several months, Google has pushed over at least three significant content updates, and its latest includes major work to its search engine content guidelines.

We’ll take a closer look at this latest update and what website owners will need to do in response.

A few notable changes in Google’s newest content update The bulk of the newest update concerns Google’s E-E-A-T (formerly E-A-T) standard. Before we dive into that, though, here’s a couple other notable changes from the update:

• Google is placing additional emphasis on the content’s author – One of the changes was to Section 2.5, a section that concerns the website’s operator and content creator. This change is actually an addition – a guide that helps quality raters determine a web page’s author.Why is this important to website owners? Because Google is clearly factoring in the content creator’s credibility for ranking purposes. That means business owners will need to invest in building this credibility. That’s where quality content and other page elements – like an author box and bio – come into play.
• YMYL pages are going to get scrutinized extra hard – Google has also added to Section 3.0, a section dedicated to defining quality content. One of the additions asks quality raters to assess whether a page concerns a Your-Money-or-Your-Life (YMYL) subject.YMYL subjects include medical, legal and accounting – subjects where wrong information or advice could do a great deal of harm to the reader. The content quality standards on these pages are higher, given the stakes involved. If you operate in a YMYL industry, it’s extra important that you develop expert-level content that conveys your expertise. It’s also important to remain on top and avoid introducing any topics outside of your field.

Many more changes to the content quality guidelines were made, but the above are of relevance to business website owners. And another major update to be aware of is E-E-A-T, which we’ll address next.

Meet E-E-A-T, Google’s guidelines for creating expert content While the above changes are noteworthy, it’s the E-A-T rework that’s getting the most attention. E-A-T has been around for years as a guide for quality content, and there’s an extra E to account for now. What was E-A-T (expertise, authoritativeness and trust) is now E-E-A-T (experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trust).

Google developed E-E-A-T to define what end users (the page’s visitors) are looking for when assessing content. As it turns out, users prioritize experience, expertise and authoritativeness when consuming content.

As the website’s owner, it’s your job to ensure your experience, expertise and authoritativeness come through in your site’s content. This is what generates the most important letter in the E-E-A-T acronym – trust.

How can site owners do that? Here’s how Google defines each part of the E-E-A-T formula:

Experience: Does the content creator have direct experience with the subject?

Experience is the new addition to E-A-T, and at first glance, it’s unclear where the line between experience and expertise exists.

Regarding experience, Google wants to know if the content’s author has first-hand experience with what they’re writing about. For many topics, first-hand experience is the most valuable thing the writer bring to the page. Here are some examples:

• A restaurant review: Did the writer eat at the restaurant they’re reviewing?
• Comparing laptops: Did the writer try out both laptops they’re comparing?
• Offering travel advice: Did the writer travel to the place they’re talking about?

As you can see, there isn’t expertise involved here – these are subjects anyone could write on without special knowledge. What’s important is experience.

Expertise: Does the content creator have education, knowledge or skill regarding the subject? Some topics require years of industry experience, education, training or skill to competently discuss. Technical, scientific, legal, medical, financial, industrial – if you need some kind of professional background to speak on it, then expertise is important.

To develop expertise, your content should go deeper than the typical article written on your subject. It should be specific with technical details and definitions. It should offer original context that non-experts wouldn’t include.

Examples of pages that require high levels of expertise include:

• Technical how-to articles and videos: Is the author a licensed plumber or electrician, or just a DIYer?
• Medical advice columns: Is the author a licensed physician or someone offering their personal experience with an illness or medication?
• Selling a house: Is the author a licensed real estate agent or just someone who sold a house?

With the above examples, you can see the division between expertise and experience.

Authoritativeness: Does the content creator have an established reputation on the subject?Authoritativeness is expertise, experience and communication all rolled into one. If the content creator has an established professional reputation in the topic they’re writing about, Google is more likely to consider them an authority.

What are some ways to add authority to your website?

• Address expert-level topics on your site
• Add deep, original insight into your content
• Speak from your personal experiences in the industry, across time
• Develop your professional network and become a thought leader in your space
• Answer questions that other people in your field aren’t answering
• Be upfront with your credentials and spotlight them in an author box/bio

If you stick to the above, you’ll build authority over time, especially if you can earn backlinks to your content. Google considers backlinks as markers of trust. Speaking of which:

Trust: Is the content creator someone you can do business with? Developing trust – from Google and from customers – is a top goal of any business owner. Your content should convince potential customers that your business can be trusted to do what it says.

Google attempts to capture this sentiment by prioritizing certain things on your site. It pays close attention to what’s on your About Us page and any company profile pages. It looks for any evidence on your site that backs your company’s claims (testimonials, case studies, white papers, etc.). The search engine also pays attention to what others are saying about your business, through customer reviews and by assessing your backlink profile.

Why is Google focusing so much on content quality?

With so many content-centric updates and additions, the question is – why? Why is the search engine double and tripling down?

It’s possible that Google is putting in guardrails against AI-generated content. With the emergence of chatbots and AI generated content, there’s a concern that AI users could flood the internet with low quality information. As sophisticated as AI is becoming, it cannot replace an expert human in terms of developing contextually-appropriate content. AI writing has trouble staying on topic, in other words.

Google’s AI-detection methods are superior and the search engine has little trouble flagging AI content when it spots it. You could think of these new content guidelines as a warning, then, against using AI to spin up content pages.

Google is defining its vision for the future of content – can your site keep up?

The SEO game has always relied on content first and Google is reinforcing that message with several recent updates. If you’ve already made expert content a priority for your website, you’re on the right track. If you haven’t prioritized content quality, it will become increasingly difficult to get that first page rank on Google

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Search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the primary components of digital marketing and is foundational to a successful website. Proper SEO gives your website the best possible chance at securing favorable search engine listings, and those top listings are valuable. In fact, the top 3 organic listings in Google gets an estimated 80 percent … Episode 217: SEO Basics Read More »

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Each month I sit down to pick topics that are most relevant to the Digital Marketing landscape. Or, I am asked questions from clients that really can be a strong class topic. That is exactly what happened here. I had two different clients ask us to help them understand an SEO report. So out of … Episode 213: How To Read an SEO Report Read More »

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It seems like everyone is a web designer or an SEO expert these days. After all the years in this industry you learn to spot trends.  When the economy is poor, the web designers come out of the woodwork. Everyone suddenly knows how to build a site and knows SEO.  I am here to say … How to Build a Website or How to Hire Someone Who Can Read More »

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Their back! Well I think they never went away. What I’m talking about is content silos, or as ahref called them a topic cluster.  On a side note, recently there was a post on twitter about how people rename things and then go Eureka, I found something new. This Eureka, whether called content hub, topic … Episode 209: All about Content Read More »

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Table of Contents Add a header to begin generating the table of contents One of the biggest mistakes I see small businesses make is underutilizing Local SEO practices. If you want your local business to rank better in Google searches, Local SEO is a necessity because it reveals things about your specific location that could … Episode 204: Local SEO for 2022 Read More »

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I was invited to give a talk on SEO for the Houston West Chamber of Commerce and decided to talk this and make a bonus podcast out of it. This is a quick sprint though core vitals and how to use and interpret Web.dev. It is important to have a strong web hosting company to … Quick Primer on Core Vitals and Technical SEO Read More »

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As many know I have always been a big proponent of creating a comprehensive marketing strategy where the digital part, is just that apart.  So in this week’s podcast, we go through and unpack what that should look like and what you should be focusing on to set up a long-term sustainable strategy. What Business … Digital Marketing Strategies for 2022 Read More »

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As we all know goals are important. At the start of the year, they seem to be front and center. Digital Marketing for your business is no different. There is no time like the present to get started with it. Two Sides of the Content Coin Content discussions have been going on since the start … Digital Marketing Goals for 2022 Read More »