Blog

Jul '18

7 Social Media Stats For Small Business Owners

Social media is constantly evolving, and small business owners in Dallas – Fort Worth must learn how to leverage this medium to enhance their marketing campaigns. Since social media marketing is available toe everyone, it is one of the easiest and least expensive ways to grow your local business online. But before delving into the most recent social media data for businesses, we first must concede that social media as a marketing platform is free-flowing, and therefore, ways to best utilize it are constantly evolving. Before examining the statistics, let’s take a look at the top social media platforms of 2018:

% of U.S. adults who use the following platforms as of 2018:

Facebook: 68%

Instagram: 35%

LinkedIn: 25%

Pinterest: 29%

SnapChat: 27%

Twitter: 24%

YouTube: 73%

WhatsApp: 22%

1. Of the U.S adults who use Facebook, 75% of them access their profile on a daily basis

Analysis – This data is hard to apply because of Facebook’s recent shift in algorithm which all but eliminates the organic reach of business posts. Facebook has focused on peer to peer interaction rather than business to consumer. Still, with the amount of users continuing to access their Facebook profile each day, companies must still devote an appropriate amount of resources to their FB business page. While organic reach is no longer a path to lead generation, the presence of a well optimized business page remains important for brand awareness

2. Instagram’s usage among U.S adults has grown by 7% in only 2 years, an increase unrivaled by any other social network

Analysis – Instagram is unquestionably the fastest growing social network, and this is a trend we can expect to continue its ascendance for the foreseeable future. IG business pages are now fully supported by the platform, making it easier than ever before for small businesses to join and market on the network. Business profiles are free, and unlike Facebook, your content has a decent chance to reach your followers, assuming that you are able to grow a base of followers in the first place. It’s best to recalibrate your resources to account for Instagram’s growing base.

3. Of Americans with a college degree, 50% use LinkedIn, as opposed to the 9% non-graduate Americans who use the platform

Analysis – Since LinkedIn is an employment based networking platform, some might read these numbers as an indictment against the non-graduate. These numbers don’t imply that non-graduates aren’t looking for employment, they are just looking through other channels. But since small businesses are part of LinkedIn’s target audience, it makes all the sense to brand your company on the network. Building business to business relationships, as well as finding highly qualified employees, can only help your bottom line.

4. 41% of women use Pinterest as opposed to only 16% of men, highlighting the largest gender gap of any prominent social media platform

Analysis – Small businesses should study their audience demographics, including gender. Who’s most likely to contact your service, is it a male or female, and what is their age? These are all questions every business should be asking, and supporting via tracked data. If your business does in fact often receive inquiries from women, it’s a good idea to establish a brand on Pinterest, even if you wouldn’t otherwise think to use the platform for business purposes. Every percentage you can earn above your competitor, brings you closer to the level of success for which your marketing campaign aims.

5. 49% of SnapChat users access their account more than once per day

Analysis – Nothing to see here for most small businesses. Since the network’s demographic leans exceedingly young, only companies whose target consumer is within the 18-24 age range should distribute resources to the platform. The general consensus among industry experts is that SnapChat is a community made up predominantly of tennagers, which eliminates many small businesses from the equation. There are however outliers that of course have a younger demographic, and therefore should go with the data takes them.

6. 73% of Twitter users say they also use Instagram

Analysis – Target these users on Instagram, instead of Twitter. All the engagement research says the same thing. Twitter is a network for celebrity engagement, while Instagram empowers the individual and in this case, the small business. That’s not to say you should ignore Twitter entirely, there’s just considerable limitations to your organic reach on this network. Much like Facebook, reaching followers organically through business posts is unlikely. Besides, tweets are published so frequently, that they become old news within minutes. Use Twitter to brand your company and to syndicate announcements made on other platforms.

7. YouTube, on mobile alone, reaches more 18-49 year olds than any cable network in the U.S.

Analysis – This data is astounding, and points to the new normal for video marketing. You don’t have to be a major brand to get video content in front of viewers in 2018, because it can be done easily with YouTube uploads. Of course, because so many users engage with the platform, the competition is fierce. To really create engagement on your YouTube channel it’s going to take time and dedication, along with a consistent effort to produce high-quality content. With advancements in smartphones, recording videos is easier than ever before, and several free apps also support the editing and branding of videos.

Social Media Marketing For DFW Businesses

If any of these stats make you wonder about your own company’s social media strategy, you should get in contact with Dallas – Fort Worth SEO today. We provide social media marketing services to small businesses throughout the Metroplex. As a forward-thinking service, we’ve crafted adaptable social media strategies to many businesses over the past decade. Utilizing Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube, we’ve helped companies connect with their consumers on their preferred mediums.

Aside from social media marketing, DFW SEO also provides social media advertising, specifically on Facebook. Because of the network’s shift in philosophy, reaching consumers organically through brand posts has become all but impossible. One solution is to invest resources in Facebook advertising, which makes sure your business and its services are being seen by Facebook’s massive user base. Call 800.231.4871 for social media marketing or advertising service in Dallas, Fort Worth, TX and the surrounding area.

Jun '18

Google AdWords is Now Google Ads

AdWords Will Be Shortened To “Ads” From Now On

Google announced today that AdWords has been rebranded to Google Ads. This seemingly minor name alteration is part of the company’s large-scale efforts to simplify brands and facilitate solutions for advertisers and publishers. Google cites several driving factors that prompted this decision:

Advertising Opportunities: There’s simply more opportunities to advertise than their were 18 years ago, and users alternate dynamically between browsing, search, and video
Consumer Engagement: The buying journey has grown more complex in recent years, and Google aims to facilitate engagement at every point
Mobile Usage: During AdWords initial onset, mobile web browsing was virtually non-existent, and today, it represents the overwhelming majority

The change from AdWords to Ads is not the only branding adjustment announced by Google. They will also introduce Google Marketing Platform which will consolidate DoubleClick advertising products and Google Analytics 360 Suite. Additionally, DoubleClick for Publishers and DoubleClick Ad Exchange will be unified as Google Ad Manager.

Google Ads

Adwords is a widely recognized brand, and so its renaming to Google Ads is notable. The new brand will represent Google’s advertising capability in its entirety, including apps and partner sites that were generally not considered part of the AdWords brand. In its newest iteration, Google Ads aims to reach users through the following mediums

Google Maps
Google Play
Google Search
YouTube
Web Browsers

As part of the rebrand, a new campaign edition will be made available to small businesses. The objective is to eliminate some of the more complicated aspects of campaign management for businesses with less resources. Google is expected to expound on its details in their July 10th Google Marketing Live stream.

Google Marketing Platform

DoubleClick and Analytics 360 Suite are exclusive entities no more. With Google’s bombshell announcement, the two programs will merge together to form a more perfect union of advertising and analytics. This new concoction will be known as Google Marketing Platform. The tool will expand on pre-existing integrations between the former DoubleClick and Analytics 360 Suite, respectively. GMP will empower digital marketers to:

Buy
Measure
Plan
Optimize

As an add-on to GMP, yet another program known as “Display & Video 360” will be added to the mix, and its purpose is to help businesses consolidate their campaign efforts. Features present in DoubleClick Audience Center, Bid Manager, and Campaign Manager Studio, will be integrated into Display & Video 360, a tool which we should learn more about at Google Marketing Live.

Google Ad Manager

The third and final brand announced by Google is Google Ad Manager which will combine the features of DoubleClick Ad Exchange and DoubleClick for Publishers. The tool will focus on the new generation of content, including:

Mobile Apps
Multi-Platform Video
And More

GAM is designed to assist Google Partners in more effectively monetizing content distribution and corresponding platforms. From on-demand videos across multiple screen sizes, to mobile-based game apps on both phone and tablet, advertisements must be able to adapt dynamically. Google Ad Manager will help companies execute this adaptation more seamlessly.

What Does This Mean For Dallas – Fort Worth Businesses?

Small business owners throughout the DFW Metroplex should be undeterred by this branding announcement. The functions of Google Ads (Formerly AdWords) will remain effective, and likely become simpler to execute. Similarly, the mergers of several DoubleClick programs along with Google Analytics 360 Suite, will empower DFW business owners to monetize every checkpoint on a consumer’s buying journey. If you require assistance with any aspect of internet marketing, call DFW SEO at 800.231.4871.

Jun '18

How Voice Search Might Impact Dallas SEO

Dallas SEO Experts Optimize for Voice Search

Voice Searches Will Fundamentally Alter Search Marketing

The emergence of virtual assistants such as Amazon Echo and Google Assistant will change how we approach search engine optimization. While SEO is no stranger to fluidity, prior landscape-shifters, such as the mobile revolution, were less fundamental. Although access level and medium changed drastically, the user’s objective remained consistent. Voice search’s influence is more uncertain and the industry is still learning how users interact with these devices, and what it should mean for search engine marketing strategy. Factors will include:

Actions on Google / Amazon Skills
Content Marketing
Featured Snippets

The question for Dallas-based small businesses is; how will virtual assistants impact search engine optimization? Based on projections, the answer is; significantly. From Google’s knowledge graphs and local 3-pack, to schema.org and structured data markup, digital marketers should prepare to embark on a philosophical shift from SEO as we know it. Here’s what to consider at the mid-point of 2018:

Actions on Google / Amazon Skills

Since virtual assistants’ usage expands further beyond search queries, the phrase “voice search” is somewhat limiting. Consumers are using these devices for everything from commands to conversations, which widens the volume of digital interactions. Both Amazon and Google have empowered businesses to develop signature applications to interact with consumers. Through Actions on Google, companies can:

1. Design a Conversation
2. Define Actions
3. Build & Deploy Fulfillment
4. Publish Custom App (Pending Approval)

The process for Amazon’s “Alexa Skills” is similar to Actions on Google’s, and includes a direct avenue for profit with Amazon Pay. For small businesses in Dallas – Fort Worth, investing marketing dollars into voice recognition apps could prove a worthwhile resource allocation. With voice searches expected to eclipse 50% of all searches by 2020, the time to stake your claim is now.

Content Marketing

Voice queries should impact content marketing strategies. Adding conversational content to each website section helps improve voice search visibility. One aspect of content marketing that has become increasingly important is the featured snippet which we will detail in greater length below. Rethinking how we market content will be important in seizing the opportunity voice search presents. Behaviors once considered commonplace will be rendered obsolete, which should influence various components, including:

Information: Most content should be informational in nature, which increases the likelihood of being pulled by an assistant
Keywords: Content should move away from exact keywords since voice queries will be posed with more conversational language
Navigation: Content should facilitate a voice user’s journey from consumer to customer

“Alexa, find me a Dallas SEO company” is how a dialogue might begin. Once our service is pulled by Amazon from Google, the next question might be “Alexa, what kind of SEO do they do?” and our content will be expected to provide that answer efficiently. As you might imagine, failure to fulfill a user’s request at any point throughout the buying journey can result in a lost conversion.

Featured Snippets

An estimated 41% of voice queries come from featured snippets. For those unfamiliar with the concept, a featured snippet is a block of text pulled by Google from a website, and highlighted for display atop a search engine results page. Featured snippets are most often displayed on informational queries like “how, who, what, where, when, why, etc.” There is no way to designate content as a featured snippet since text blocks are chosen programmatically by Google. There are however steps one can take to give their content the best chance to be featured:

Answer Questions: Ask a question in an H1 or H2, and answer it in the subsequent paragraph
Fulfill Needs: Ask yourself what consumers need from your website, and provide it through content
Organize Information: Make it simple for Google to identify important pieces of content, such as contact information

Featured snippets hold value exclusive from voice search because their presence functions as a de facto #1 Google ranking from a traditional SEO perspective. Their inclusion in many voice results multiplies that value exponentially and transforms them from a point of consideration, to the top priority. Organizing your website with FAQ sections helps generate plenty of questions and answers that address potential user queries and increases search visibility moving forward.

How DFW SEO Can Help

If you run a small business in the Dallas – Fort Worth Metroplex, DFW SEO can help you transition into the next phase of search engine optimization. From content marketing, to structured data markup, we combine innovation and skill to produce the ultimate internet marketing strategy for 2018. Furthermore, you can count on us to continue to monitor trends and keep your business ahead of competitors in every area of digital marketing.

Day-to-day operations consume most business owner’s regular schedule. Performing digital marketing tasks is a challenge in of itself, not to mention staying up-to-date on the latest trends. Outsourcing your online presence to DFW SEO alleviates much of the burden and keeps you involved with the approach and vision of your marketing campaign. Call 800.231.4871 for search engine optimization services in Dallas, TX and the surrounding area.

May '18

Google’s Mobile Revolution

More than 3 years ago, on April 21, 2015, Google began to roll out its mobile-friendly update. Marketers throughout the blogosphere referred to the event as Mobilegeddon, anticipating its impact on defiant websites. Google was exceptionally transparent in what the update would entail, whom it would effect, and what could be done to adapt to it. Citing their Mobile-Friendly Test as a point of reference, the search engine’s objective was not to punish companies slow to conform to an increasingly popular medium, but instead to enhance the experience of its users, who were migrating to mobile search in massive numbers. The update cited 3 points of emphasis:

Affects Only Search Rankings on Mobile Devices
Affects Search Results in All Languages Globally
Applies To Individual Pages, Not Entire Websites

While the update’s application was algorithmic in nature, its impact was cultural and philosophical. Still, a misconception exists about whether Google was setting a trend, or reacting to one. On May 5, 2015, less than a month after the update’s initial roll out, Google publicly stated that more searches take place on mobile devices than on computers. This declaration illustrated that Google’s shift in philosophy was reactive rather than proactive, conflicting what many of its detractors initially suspected. The revelation cemented Google’s priority of enhancing user experience which would be the source of each of its subsequent mobile initiatives.

Impact of Mobilegeddon

Because Google issued a warning about its mobile-friendly update, more than 2 months before the April 21 roll out, web developers had time to prepare for its implementation. More importantly however, tech companies and bloggers had time to catastrophize the update’s impact, and anticipate the worst possible outcomes. While the name “Mobilegeddon” turned out to be inappropriate, seeing that ranking’s were not exceedingly influenced, its imprint on digital culture set the stage for the search engine’s continued emphasis on mobile usability. There’s reason to believe the update’s roll out, and its anticipation, played out exactly how Google intendend, and here’s why:

It Initiated Change: Incentive was given for web developers to adapt to user’s evolving needs
It Managed Crisis: It’s relatively tame actualization prevented intense blowback
It Stuck To Principles: The basis of its inspiration was undeterred

The update served as the groundwork for a larger institutional shift, and one that would be less resisted when applied gradually. By prompting web developers and companies to address mobile usability, the foundation was set for subsequent improvement of the mobile experience. The foresight of Google to manage resistance while remaining on task speaks to their level of influence on digital marketing. As the world’s top search engine, and source of leads for businesses across the globe, its platform can influence change like few others. The lesson from “Mobilegeddon” is that the change doesn’t have to occur all at once, and is actually better suited to be instituted incrementally.

An Ongoing Initiative

Google’s first mobile-friendly update was the beginning of an ongoing initiative to improve the experience of mobile users. In March of 2016, a little bit more than a year after the first roll out, Google announced that it would boost its mobile-friendly ranking signal. It stressed that websites who had already established mobile usability would not be affected by this second update. It once again offered assistance to web developers yet to incorporate mobile design into their online presence. Since more than a year had passed since Google’s initial roll out, websites impacted by the signal boost had willfully ignored warnings to improve the following:

Mobile Navigation: User’s ability to simply navigate the website via mobile device
Mobile Presentation: The site’s view from the perspective of the mobile user
Mobile Site Speed: The expediency with which the website loads once clicked

Response the the 2nd update was less pronounced and less panicked than it was to its predecessor. By this time, most web developers understood the importance of mobile design, and that consumer’s increased mobile usage dictated a necessary reaction. With the initial roll out starting more than a year prior, and a warning of its immanency published even earlier, a failure to take steps toward mobile website usability represented either willful ignorance or dissension. As it stands, the implementation of Google’s mobile-friendly update is one of their premier accomplishments, and was handled as well as anyone could expect.

Accelerated Mobile Pages

Around the time Google boosted its mobile-friendly ranking signal (Q1 2016), the search engine was introducing a new project known as Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP). The idea was to speed up web pages, in general, to more effectively meet the needs of mobile users. The AMP project established HTML code regulations, recommending users develop web pages using stripped-down code, in which certain obtrusive elements were disallowed. The result was mobile pages that appeared to load instantly, which while was not literally true, was effective nonetheless. Despite its skeptics, the general consensus is that it works as intended, which means specifically:

It Enhances User Experience: The standard by which Google unwaveringly grades itself
It’s Really Fast: As stated previously, AMP’s appear to load instantly, even if it’s an optical illusion
It’s Truly Open Source: The difference between not having a walled garden and “come to my walled garden,” as articulated by Google VP of news Richard Gingras

Detractors of the project cite Google’s ambiguous financial motives as reason to pause. Although it is open source, and especially so, as articulated by vice president of news Richard Gingras, Google’s stake in the technology itself claims profit from any advertising revenue generated with its use. It’s the digital equivalent to trademarking property regulations. If a company like Google could profit from each property built in adherence to its set of guidelines, its royalties alone would be enviable. It’s not possible to know Google’s motives beyond a reasonable doubt, and therefore reaching conclusions based on beliefs or opinions proves nothing.

Quantifying Financial Implications

Search engine marketing thrives on a user base that overlaps seamlessly with consumer economics. In February of 2018, Google introduced tools to compare your mobile site speed with its Mobile Speed Scorecard and Impact Calculator, which reveal the financial incentive to faster mobile websites. The Speed Scorecard compares multiple websites’ loading times, empowering companies to gauge their mobile speed relative to competitors. The Impact Calculator offers revenue projection for speed improvement, dynamically displaying numerical values based on each second eliminated from a site’s current speed. As the most recent inventions of Google’s development team, the tools appeal to businesses in their pockets.

For Internet Marketing Services, Call DFW SEO at 800.231.4871

May '18

SEO Audit Fundamentals

What is an SEO Audit?

An SEO audit is the process of evaluating a website or webpage for characteristics that influence search rankings. The goal of an SEO audit is to highlight areas that require improvement in order to increase ranking position on search engine results pages (SERPs). Audit’s can be performed for both specific pages, and entire websites.

The SEO Auditing Process

The first step in a search engine optimization audit is ensuring proper indexing for the page or website in question. Search engines index each page as an individual entity, so digital marketers should act accordingly. A simple way to gauge a page’s index is to perform a search query of the root domain as verbatim text. For this website, a search of dallasfortworthseo on Google, confirms that the website’s homepage has been indexed:

What If My Page is Not Indexed?

If a query of your brand name fails to produce its home page, it’s possible it has not been indexed. The most common cause of failed indexing is misuse of the robots.txt file. There are also cases where the meta tag of an individual page instructs search engines NOT to index it. Google Webmasters offers a free robots.txt test tool which allows web developers to note errors within the txt file, as well as pages it disallows Google web crawlers from indexing. While the robots.txt file is a macro level instruction for search engines, robot meta tags work on the individual page level, as the inclusion of “noindex” can notify web crawlers NOT to index the page.

How Do I Index My Page?

The most efficient way to ensure page indexing is with XML sitemaps. This file is meant to be submitted to Google, so that it can be notified of new pages that require indexing. You can learn more about how to build and submit a sitemap to Google, by reading through their Search Console help page. Depending on the industry your website represents, new pages may be added frequently, semi frequently, or infrequently. Regardless, it’s best SEO protocol to help Google interpret and index pages as they are published.

More SEO Auditing Fundamentals

Making sure your pages are indexed is an important first step to an SEO audit, but it is still just that; a first step. A company with formidable credentials will extend their evaluation to other aspects of your website, and its ability, or lack thereof, to rank prominently for relevant keywords. Dallas – Fort Worth SEO has auditors on staff ready to analyze your website and its respective pages on a case by case basis, paying close attention to detail and reporting on findings, and conclusions drawn from them. Other aspects of SEO that should be evaluated in an audit include:

Crawl / Page Errors: 404’s, broken links, or any error that would disturb the crawling process
Image Optimization: The compression of photos, along with the presence of alt text, and proper file names / types
Link Profile: The inclusion of helpful internal links, as well as relevant outbound links
Mobile Usability: The presence of a mobile friendly display, as well as simple navigation
Site Speed: The assessment of page loading times, and preventive culprits
Site Structure: The evaluation of the site’s hierarchical structure, including URL slugs

Dallas – Fort Worth SEO

For a a full SEO audit, contact Dallas – Fort Worth SEO. We have experts on staff that specialize not only in search engine optimization, but in website design, content marketing, and social media management. Unlike auditors who can merely report their findings, our team can both diagnose and fix problems with your website’s optimization. We have the range of skills necessary to improve every aspect of your company’s search visibility, and can have you ranking towards the top of SERPs for relevant keywords. To set up an SEO audit from DFW SEO, give us a call today at 800.231.4871.

Apr '18

4 Social Media Advertising Tips

The days of organic reach through social media have come to an apparent standstill. Though some platforms like YouTube and LinkedIn still offer some organic value, if properly utilized, other networks like Twitter, and Facebook, provide most of their value in the form of paid advertisements. Facebook’s latest initiative of bringing people closer together inspired them to change their news feed algorithm to prioritize non-branded content — all but eliminating the usefulness of Facebook business posts. Organic tweets are similarly low in value because they disappear from a user’s timeline almost instantaneously. Reallocating your social media resources towards paid advertising is the best course of action in 2018 and below are some tips to help you along the way:

1) Diversify Your Ad Portfolio

Platform(s): Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube

All the cliche sayings about resource allocation ring true for social media ads. It’s best to diversify your advertising portfolio for a variety of reasons in which we will list below. To be clear, diversification, in this case, does not mean cross-platform diversity (i.e. Facebook and Twitter and Instagram), it means creating multiple ads for each platform. Benefits of this method include:

Analytics: More ads = more measurable data
Branding: Establish your company’s identity over and again
Coverage: Reach a wider span of consumers

2) Make Use of Buttons

Platform(s): Facebook

Facebook ads are a top commodity for businesses. Since Facebook remains the most active social media platform, the amount of eyes that could potentially see your ad is substantial. Facebook provides advertisers with the option to include 1 of 7 buttons within their ad. Research shows these buttons to increase engagement. Examples include:

Contact Us
Learn More
Sign Up

3) Optimize Your Landing Page

Platform(s): Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube

If you’ve ever participated in a PPC campaign, you understand that a landing page can make or break an advertisement. The same is true of social media. An ad on Facebook, Twitter, or another platform can only be as impactful as its corresponding landing page. In most cases, it is on the landing page where the lead will be officially generated. Landing page optimization techniques include:

Call To Action: A measurable action on your web page (i.e. clicking a phone number link)
SEO: Follows standard optimization protocol
Urgency: Declares incentive for completing the aforementioned call to action, right away

4) Covertly Blend With Organic Content

Platform(s): Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube

Another concept we can take from pay per click advertising is the idea of blending in seamlessly with organic content. You’ll notice in a common Google search that the top results are ads, but also that they closely resemble the subsequent organic results. The savvy consumer will always know the difference, but not everyone is savvy. Blending in with organic content promotes the following:

Aesthetics: Consumers don’t like their web experience disturbed with an intrusive ad, making blended content more conducive to lead generation
Empowerment: Users want to feel in control of their online decisions, and the appearance of organicness creates this illusion
Trust: Nobody likes to be swindled, especially online, and organic-looking ads look more legitimate (and often times are)

DFW SEO

Do you have a company handling your social media advertising? If not, the time is now to start. If you have traditionally gotten by on organic reach alone, and plan on sticking with that, you’re in for a rough 2018. Advertising will dominate social media reach this year and companies who recognize this trend early will reap the rewards. If you are a business owner in the Dallas – Fort Worth, TX area, we are the perfect internet marketing solution for you.

Our services expand beyond social media advertising. They also include; search engine optimization, PPC management, content marketing, and website design. As a full-spectrum online marketing company, we make sure your online presence is expansive and engaging. To get started with social media advertising, or any of our other services, give us a call today at 800.231.4871.

Mar '18

Choosing A Mobile SEO Company

Elements Of a Mobile SEO Company Search Engine Optimization is a fluid concept. This is especially true when referring to optimization that takes place on mobile devices, a practice often referred to as mobile SEO. There can never be set-in-stone rules for mobile optimization, as the term itself references a dependent strategy. As Google algorithms get more sophisticated, the means of ranking on their search results adapt accordingly. In general, Dallas – Fort Worth businesses should look for the following in a mobile SEO company:

Adaptability

If you’re not getting better in the optimization world, you’re getting worse. By the time this post is published, search optimization will have evolved in some way, even if it is seemingly insignificant. These constantly improving algorithms require an adaptable mobile SEO strategy. Any company in charge of your mobile marketing should be aware of:

Algorithms: Updates and / or changes to the Google algorithm
Design: Methods of mobile web design, including r
Trends: Indicative patterns drawn from behavioral data

Creativity

Data is as valuable as its subsequent use. In other words, knowledge of market trends only goes as far as a company can take it. A mobile SEO company worth investing in will be creative enough to implement data driven information into a tangible result. But what does creativity look like for mobile search optimization?

Graphic Design: Mobile graphics are a niche skill, and one that should be properly marketed
Interaction: Inquire about interactive methods and how users are presented with information
User Interface: Ask for samples of mobile website designs, paying extra close attention to UX

Familiarity

Any mobile SEO company worth their weight will be up-to-date on the latest mobile marketing standards. Google has recently introduced both the Mobile Scorecard and Impact Calculator as predictive tools for how a mobile website will perform online. To be certain that a company is invested in modern standards, ensure they are familiar with:

Impact Calculator: A projection of lost conversion revenue based on site speed
Mobile-Friendly Test: A intuitive testing tool that measures various aspects of mobile usability
Mobile Scorecard: A comparative analysis tool that focuses on site speed
Test My Site (Mobile Speed Test): A raw measurement of a mobile site’s speed

Measurement

In 2018, all marketing campaigns should be data-driven and analytically sound. With tools like Google Analytics, it’s easier than ever to measure user behavior. A good mobile optimization company will be able to present measurable data that reveals user behavior and interaction with your mobile website. Examples of metrics include:

Bounce Rate: The rate at which users exit your website upon entrance
Conversion Rate: The rate at which mobile users complete a desired digital action
Site Speed: The speed at which your mobile website loads

The #1 Dallas SEO Company

Looking for a mobile SEO company in Dallas – Fort Worth, TX? If so, you have come to the right place. Dallas – Fort Worth SEO is the leader in search engine optimization throughout the DFW metroplex. Our services focus specifically on mobile design, a trend that we project to ascend upward in 2018. By partnering with us, your website is assured to be mobile-friendly, fast, and optimized for search. To learn more about mobile search engine optimization, or to inquire about price, give us a call at 800.231.4871.

Feb '18

Content Distribution Tips for Small Businesses

75% of Adult Americans Report Watching YouTube On Their Mobile Devices

For DFW businesses, starting a blog and creating social media profiles is not enough to attract a meaningful audience. Though content marketing is a useful business strategy, it is also oversaturated. As of 2018, almost every small business has a website, blog, and social media profile. With that in mind, content distribution is where companies can separate themselves. Pressing publish on your WordPress blog will not produce the audience you are looking for. You must take the initiative to encourage relevant users to visit your website.

But where can you find these people in order to tell them where to go? That’s where knowledge of distribution channels really comes in handy. Deep dives into social media communities can produce a goldmine of target customers. The same is true of internet forums and websites like Reddit. These are where your prospective customers are most frequently discussing your company, and companies like yours, among themselves. But how can you appeal to these demographics? Consider some of the content distribution concepts below:

Make Content Visual

Internet users want visual content. Text will no longer suffice on its own. Instead of writing 2,000 word blog posts, shortening the word count in exchange for more ocular content can really bost engagement numbers on your blog, website, and everywhere your company distributes content. If you are wondering what exactly constitutes “visual elements” consider some of the following examples:

Images: Though regular website images are the least dynamic of visual content available in today’s marketing sphere, they still serve an important purpose, particularly with the emergence of Instagram as a social media phenomenon
Infographics: We’ve all heard the phrase “show don’t tell” and with the new era of consumers being comprised of young people who have spent much of their lives learning through visualization, they will want to continue that trend as they search for information online
Videos: The ultimate visual content medium is video which in 2018 can be accessed throughout all corners of the web. YouTube is not just limited to young people. 3 in 4 adults report watching YouTube on their mobile devices

It’s possible to go as far as repurposing your entire post as a visual presentation. Instead of text being broken up by images and videos, use text as the transition element in your post. The demand for visual elements is so great, pages based mostly on text will be limited to niche communities and gradually become obsolete. This is not a trend that will reverse course either. If anything, new visual mediums will emerge, and businesses will have to incorporate them into their content distribution strategy.

Find New Distribution Channels

The depth of the internet is so great that deciphering which information is worthwhile can seem daunting. With that said, users are getting better at ignoring mindless spam and focusing on content that will actually provide value. For small businesses in Dallas – Fort Worth, one objective is clear; engage your audience. But what are some of the ways to do that while avoiding spam?

Podcasting: One clear and evident boom for content marketing is the emergence of podcasts into the daily activity of most Americans. If your business wants to reach a broad range of customers, investing in, or starting your own podcast can certainly help you gain traction
Reddit AMA: The popular online community Reddit has a discussion group for just about every topic imaginable, one way to get your website or blog on the map is by hosting an AMA (Ask Me Anything) which allows members of the community to ask you question to which you will answer and in turn promote your brand digitally
Social Engagement: It has become easy for social media users to identify spam, so much so that Facebook has changed their algorithm to discourage the abundance of shameless brand promotion that had begun to flood the social network. Instead of spamming links to your blog, try engaging with users in real-time so that their experience with your company seems more personal

The days of posting your blog to Facebook and Twitter and calling it a day are long gone. Like any other marketplace, the internet evolves as consumers grow accustomed to behaviors and tendencies. The difference in 2018 is that everything happens faster. Consumers are getting smarter more quickly and are more aware than ever of default content distribution tactics. It is the job of businesses to find new channels, and uses of them, to reach customers.

Win Influencers and Friend People

Regardless of which industry your company belongs to, it has influencers that help shape the marketplace and how consumers behave within it. Influencer marketing has become increasingly popular in recent years and has produced mixed reactions. While businesses should tread softly, there are a plethora of advantages that can be gained through influence:

Credibility: Influencer marketing serves the same conceptual purpose as a celebrity starring in a product commercial. If someone who influences people endorses your content, it will by virtue of human behavior, make that content appear more credible
Reach: We talked previously about how social media users have become smarter in how they consume content. To reach a wide audience, posting your blog on Facebook will no longer do the trick. But what if someone with a relationship to your industry and very popular on Facebook were to post that same piece of content? The blog would ended up reaching a much wider audience than would have otherwise been the case
Trust: For someone to be considered an influencer online, they must have a large community of followers that trust them, their judgement, and their ethics. With those boxes already checked, distribution of your content via their channel will allow your brand to inherit the established trust as your own

On one hand, having a reputable company re-tweet, re-post, or share, your content can curate your brand to a valuable group of consumers. On the other hand, the world of influencer marketing is inherently prone to manipulation. In the same way modern communication has made once profitable infomercials the punchline of jokes and internet memes, clearly manipulative influencer marketing will fail to reflect well on your company and its brand.

DFW SEO Content Distribution Services

Businesses finding it hard to keep pace with the constant changing digital marketplace need not stress any longer. Dallas – Fort Worth SEO offers content distribution services to help get your company on the digital map, and keep it there. As you run your day to day business operation, we ensure that your brand is being established online and is growing consistently to reach more prospective customers.

Our team at DFW SEO is constantly evaluating ways to improve our clients standing online. Partnering with us will make you an instant player in the digital marketplace, allowing you to focus on your day to day operations while seeing your brand grow exponentially online. If you’ve been putting off your internet marketing plans for too long, the time is now to invest in your company long-term and place your trust in Dallas – Fort Worth SEO. Call 800.231.4871 or more information.

Jan '18

SEO Tips for Blog Posts

Check Out DFW SEO’s Search Engine Optimization Tips for Blog Posts

Dallas, TX businesses likely know the importance of blogging as part of a digital marketing campaign. Some probably have even written engaging and informative posts that cater to user experience. If you’ve done those things and still can’t find your post on the first page of Google SERPs for the targeted keyword, you are probably overlooking some important aspects of SEO. As much as Google waxes poetic about rewarding great content, they still have some improvements to make in their algorithms. For the time being, consider these SEO tips for blog posts:

Tip #1: Focus on Long Tail Keywords

If you are trying to rank for a keyword like “bathroom remodeling tips” good luck. Without the proper resources (corporate support and connections), Hemingway couldn’t pull it off. So how can you amend that keyword to reach a more niche audience but actually rank on the first page of Google SERPs? Consider the process below as we expand our keyword to make it long tail:

Version 1: Bathroom remodeling tips
Version 2: Tips for bathroom remodels in City,ST

As you can see the second version is longer and more specific. You’ll want to use keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMRush, or MOZ Keyword Explorer to analyze metrics like search volume, keyword difficulty, and other insightful measurements. You shouldn’t focus on more than two long tail keywords per post.

Tip #2: Disperse Keywords Throughout Your Post

Choosing the right keyword is a good start but if you don’t know how to implement it into the post, it won’t matter. Often times bloggers make the mistake of “stuffing” their posts with keywords. This is considered black hat SEO and will not give you the best chance to rank on page one of Google SERPs. Instead, you should place keywords sporadically throughout:

Body Content: The cream of the crop of your blog post
Header Tags: The H1, H2, and H3 of your post
Meta Description: The description that appears under links on SERPs
Title Tag: The title of your blog post

You should really only use the keyword once or twice in each instance. For example, once in the title tag, once in the H1 tag, once in the meta description, and possibly twice in the body content. That’s all you’ll really need to include, even in long blog posts that are over 1000 words. Using MOZ On Page Grader, you’ll find that posts with minimal uses of keywords will outrank pages that are stuffed with them.

Tip #3: Use Internal Links Throughout Your Post

One major advantage to websites that use WordPress is the internal blog feature. Basically, with WordPress, your blog is an extension of your website. This makes it incredibly easy to link text on your blog post to pages on your website. It can all be done within WordPress’s incredibly intuitive text editor. When creating links within your blog post, make sure they are:

Intentional: Each internal link should be intended to enhance user experience, as opposed to randomly inserting links
Navigable: You want your entire website experience to cater to user experience and navigation
Relevant: Use exact match keywords if possible (i.e. the text tile roof repair links directly to the page named tile roof repair)
Selective: You don’t want a ton of internal links, so only choose text that really corresponds to helpful links

Internal blogging also helps SEO by producing fresh content for your website. Google crawls and indexes new blog posts as if they were pages on your website providing you with better representation on Google SERPs. It also keeps your website current as you can blog about trends going on within your industry and how your company can evaluate them.

Tip #4: Syndicate Your Blog Posts

A blog post can rank on its own accord, but it has a better chance if it is syndicated through multiple channels. Not only does that create new indexing opportunities, but it diversifies the avenues through which the post can be accessed. The goal is to distribute the post to as many relevant users as possible. Possible syndication channels include:

Facebook: Link posts on your business page
LinkedIn: Engage other professionals by linking posts on LinkedIn
Reddit: Share your posts on appropriate reddit channels
Twitter: Share your blog posts with Twitter followers

By putting your blog post in front of more eyes, you increase your pool of potential customers who will navigate from your post to other parts of your website. That’s why relevant blog posts are imperative because they attract visitors who have potential interest in your services. It’s also important that your posts are shared in an effective way. Use hashtags and tags to increase social media visibility.

Blogging for DFW Businesses

We understand that small businesses in Dallas / Fort Worth don’t always have the time or resources to produce consistent blog posts. DFW SEO offers blogging services for businesses just like yours. We post blogs regularly on your main website so that Google can continually crawl and index your domain. Our staff of content writers produce unique content that is optimized for search engines.

A blog is a medium to engage with customers in a different light. While main website pages are more serious in nature, blog posts can be less formal and open up new avenues through which to reach prospective customers. DFW SEO has a team of content writers and SEO experts who will help get your website on the first page of Google results for relevant keywords. If you are interested in blogging services, give us a call at 800.231.4871.

Jan '18

In House Vs. Outsourced SEO

In House vs Outsourced SEO Depends on The Size, Scope, and Need of Your DFW Business

For small businesses in Dallas / Fort Worth, the idea of SEO can seem overwhelming. Should you hire an SEO company to handle your online optimization? Or perhaps, you should do it yourself and assign in-house employees to SEO duty. Many of these answers will depend on the size, scope, and needs of your business. Consider some of the questions below to help you determine the next step for your DFW business and its online marketing campaign:

What Are My Internet Marketing Needs?

Depending on your industry, the specific needs of your online marketing campaign will vary. An Ecommerce website will look significantly different from a plumbing company website, and the SEO factors will be tailored to individual situations. Some aspects of internet marketing to consider are:

On Page SEO: Optimization that includes content marketing, link building, and keyword placement
Off Site SEO: Optimization that includes directory listings, review management, etc.
Social Media: Optimization of social profiles including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube
Web Design / Maintenance: Technical SEO aspects that relate to web design and functionality

What is My Online Marketing Budget?

It is important to treat SEO as any other business operation. You should have a budget, and an expected ROI. Regardless of whether you outsource your SEO to a firm, or assign employees in-house, you will have to set measurable goals and determine the value of the process. Measurements should include:

Conversion Rate: The rate at which website visitors become leads
Cost Per Conversion: The cost of online marketing divided by the number of conversions
Net ROI: The revenue earned from internet marketing minus the cost
Revenue Per Conversion: The amount of revenue earned per converted user

How Important is Internet Marketing to My Company?

In 2018, internet marketing is an integral part of most businesses. With that said, Ecommerce websites will require even more SEO attention than a plumbing company website. Still, home service websites will still require an optimized website that targets local search users. Other components to consider include:

Scope: How many cities, counties, states, and countries does your website market to?
Size: How many website pages do you currently have, and how many do you need?
Leads: Where do the majority of your leads come from?
Networking: How heavily does your business rely on networking?

Dallas / Fort Worth SEO

If you decide your business needs a professional SEO company to assist you, look no further than Dallas / Fort Worth SEO. We are a full service internet marketing company that will handle every aspect of your search engine optimization. In addition to SEO, our services include; web design, pay per click advertising, social media marketing, local search marketing, and more. Call 800.231.4871 to speak with an SEO expert now.