Category: Search Everywhere Optimization

We are in the age of search defragmentation, so you have to optimize your content for every kind of search, be it AI, Search Engine, or Social search.

Keeping up with SEO updates

Your finest SEO efforts might fail at any time. The search engine rankings you anticipated may not occur. Your top rankings abruptly decline or vanish. You must be cautious, so you turn to the most recent information regarding what Google demands. You examine the SEO updates and search engine’s helpful content upgrade that launched.

Even though many algorithm changes are minor and sometimes go unnoticed, the well-publicized upgrade to useful content earlier this fall will prove significant.

On the Google Search Central Blog, it was suggested that content marketers that are SEO-focused consider the following questions:

  • Do you use a lot of automation to create content across various topics?
  • Are you primarily summarizing other people’s arguments without really contributing anything?
  • Do people who read your material feel like they need to recheck their sources for more accurate information?

If you answered yes to any of these, Google would not be happy with you.

Quality is at the core of the latest seo updates.

Google has always highlighted the need for websites to provide a pleasant user experience with timely, pertinent content that loads quickly. The search giant,  has consistently emphasized content quality since the Panda update, which was launched more than 10 years ago and targeted pages with little to no substance.

Google Search AI is a complex code created for a very complex content environment. Because of the sophistication of the technology, websites now frequently rank for terms that aren’t even in their content. All of these developments have been gradual. With little fanfare, Google quietly updates its search engine algorithms, making over 4,000 changes in 2021 alone.

Code Complexity

One of the aspects of the complexity of the code, looks at the authority of a site in its space. When last year I was telling everyone to avoid duplicating their show names from one season to the next, I was repeating the Google’s mantra. But, as I quickly found out, the rules didn’t apply to the customers that were leading authority in their space, and for example, an Aladdin show for 2022 was indexed even though it had Aladdin indexed twice before showing under the identical name, with near identical content.

Summary

For us mere mortals, the rules will apply. However, if you are building your site authority then there is flexibility to this September’s announcement. So, what should you do if you are not one of the sites of authority?

  • Ensure quality, relevant content is on all pages
  • FAQ about your programming, your stage, your product, or service should be added wherever possible
  • Make sure you have your program book, press release or e-book, or product manual attached in PDF and HTML versions if possible.
  • Use a lot of videos but be sure to include transcripts and captions
  • Pay attention to WCAG for accessibility

ARTdynamix® is keeping up with the changes

The impact of this is not yet clear but applying these will help SEO and it never hurts to prepare. By the way, if you are an ARTdynamix® customer, you already have the tools needed to make the above points reality. In fact, the tools have been available for your use since 2013. The latest version of ARTdynamix® has built in Voice search and “Near Me” search optimization capability.

Often when we inform folks that ARTdynamix® has a Press Release module, an FAQ builder, a program-book uploader, etc. that can be attached to their shows or content on demand, that is met with excitement because of the efficiency changes but it also substantial for SEO and authority. Here’s the impact: Google has been hinting at this change for a decade (especially if you can read between the lines), and now Google has made it a standard.

As a reminder, in February 2022, Google has already made the schema a mandatory of their SERP (search engine results page) rules, and now followed by the above noted content update

Dream Warrior Group, a Los Angeles SEO Company, provides the needed solutions for your online marketing needs. Our expertise includes Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Social Media Marketing & Google PPC campaigns. Call us now at 818.610.3316 or click here.

How do I select keywords

So many factors go into keyword selection – the first being: Do I need keywords? Many folks will tell you keywords are no longer relevant, but that only tells part of the story. Indeed, it would help if you considered keyword strings or key phrases (approximately 3 – 5 words). And while it is correct, keywords don’t have the same impact on search bots. They are essential in these ways:

How do you pick the right keywords? First, remember that this, like all marketing, is some trial and error — that’s OK as long as you learn from it.

  • The first thing I do is think. Who and why do I want folks to land on this page? So, for example, if my desired audience is tourists, I might use the term “Jazz Event Calendar for New York” or “Jazz in Los Angeles .”If trying to capture a local market, I might use “Live Jazz performances near me” or “Jazz concert schedule for New York City.”
  • Map out the pages on your site and select the strings that match the content — context is essential and strategic.

Recently Google published information about Key Word and search trends:

Top 2021 Trends per Google

(be sure to read #2 about evolving entertainment)

-near me with outdoor seating +150%

-stadium seating +600%

-in a theater near me, +500%

-live music near me +40%

Search Trends

‘Cheap’ searches

Sorting and selecting your keywords is as simple as knowing your clients and what is trending.

Dream Warrior Group, a Los Angeles SEO Company, provides the needed solutions for your online marketing needs. Our expertise includes Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Social Media Marketing & Google PPC campaigns. Call us now at 818.610.3316 or click here.

Mobile First…and Primary

DWG has been building and spreading the word on mobile first for a long time…remember “.mobi?”  Times have changed since then and at some point the emphasis flipped from a mobile site as an accessory to your desktop version to mobile primary. This concept is so important that we thought a refresher may be helpful. The idea is simple – the site needs to respond to the visitor and visitors are on their devices.

A few reasons:

  • It is now often your first impression.  Where do you open your emails and click links?  So do your visitors
  • Google – This isn’t a surprise or a secret especially if  you keep up on Google various email channels. If your site does not have mobile friendly interface, you will be downgraded.  Google considers mobile primary — they are not wrong.
  • Why not?  At the end of the day, all of your versions should be well-designed and fully functional.

Your visitors use your mobile first, so it should be primary to your design.

 

What Is Semantic Search and What is the Context in Today’s SEO?

Search engine technology has progressed substantially and will continue to do so. Semantic (context-based) search has become increasingly important for SEO. It is important and can work for you.

SEO is transitioning from multitudes of backlinks and keywords to high quality backlinks and from long tail keyword and search queries to fast websites with semantic search.

The Search Algorithms have added, replaced or modified many of the variables that are used for placement/ranking. Previously, the focus has been on speed, cohesive content and congruity, The focus since early summer 2021 has been on understanding intent and action, as well as the context (semantics) that surrounds them.

Optimization has changed. The days of reverse-engineering content to improve rankings are gone and just discovering keywords is no longer sufficient.

You must provide rich information that provides context surrounding the long-tail keywords and have a strong grasp on the user’s purpose. This combination is essential for SEO, since AI and NLP (natural language processing) are being embedded in to search engines in order to better understand the context and users of search. So, in short, semantic search is a search engine’s attempt to produce the most accurate results possible based on the end users’ intent, query context, and word relationships. In another word, semantic search, tries to process and understand natural language in the same manner as a human would.

Semantic search on the web extends nearly two decades. Whether it was Powerset or SHOE in the 2000’s or the google knowledge graph in 2010 which eventually led to Hummingbird, RankBrain and BERT. All these engines are attempting to create the Semantic Web where intent and query is matched as closely as possible with the provided content.

How do you succeed with semantic search?

Most of you who know me (Nami), know that I have been a strong advocate of structured data. Going back to 2013, DWG first advised our clients that they need to create structured data to inform search engines of their shows, events, products, content, and location.

Well, don’t be surprised then if I tell you the structured data is more important than ever. But structured data by itself, especially if not used properly can prove to be detrimental.

First as always, is your content. The age of keywords alone has long passed, so look through your pages and give your audience, a comprehensive answer and include long-tail (4 – 5 words). Before digging into more technical information, provide content that answers a typical inquiry simply and concisely at the top of the page.

Consider providing “comprehensive guidance” and more complete resources that your readers will find useful instead of dozens of small, disjointed pages, each with its own topic. Think of big themes in your field that you can go into detail about. By focusing on people’s intentions, you can build a comprehensive, creative, and high-quality content strategy.

This strategy will focus on a list of subjects for content generation that focuses on the searches that bring users to your or your competitor’s website. Focus on the real question that is being answered and not the individual keywords.

Now that you have these pages, circle back and recheck the basics:

  1. Long Tail keywords, Nice URLs, Meta tags, H1, and H2 Tags
  2. Authoritative Backlinks
  3. Use Schema.org (structured data) to help the search engines present your information in more ways
  4. Accessibility and WCAG audit – Even though it is intended for accessibility testing, this will help you find many of possible short falls of your SEO and even help your SEO in places.
  5. Site Speed – getting your site speed up is essential – Minify resources, compress images, use caching, and if possible, use a CDN.
  6. Information Design – Create a logical Information structure for your site and make sure there is a logical relationship between your content for a better user experience.

–Nami

Breaking up or Together Forever?

I (LaMae) have probably advised you on vendors, set-ups or other miscellaneous curiosities.  I’m always happy to chat and advocate for you.

One of the things we talk about most often is how to determine vendors and whether to use a vendor with packaged services or purchase the services individually.  My answer still remains -keep them separate.  But when you consider how to make that decision, think about control, integration, and cost.  I’ll offer some examples that may help.

Credit Card Processing:  As you know, you will need a Merchant Account, a Gateway, Bank Account, and a form/cart/shopping tool.  You have the option to use an integrated service such as Stripe and quickly add your bank account and that can work great.  Or you can put things together on your own, work a bit more upfront and pay less over time.  I have selected our gateway provider and merchant processor separately and then linked them together.  Why?  So if one doesn’t work out, I can quickly find a replacement to connect in and I have not lost a minute.  If I purchase everything together, I feel a bit at the other’s mercy.  If an all-in processor turns out not to work as expected,  you have to start all over.

Domains:   Always own and keep access to your own domain — end of the story.  (I’ve spent hours and hours helping folks untangle domain ownership)

So with these examples in mind, here are my general guidelines

  • Make sure control is key — you should own what is yours and have an understanding of what an exit path may be.
  • How much work is it to change…both from figuring it out and the actual changes needed.
  • Read reviews
  • Ask an expert

And for the cost decision — that will probably become clear when you review the above items.  Technology is becoming more flexible, interchangeable, and cost-effective.

Compare apples to apples and do your homework.