How Do I Build Links?

Links can be built internally, by linking two of your own pages together, or externally, by connecting links with content from other websites. Of the two, external link building is decidedly more complex but can result in better domain authority. To build internal links, all someone needs to do is include the URL of one page in either the site’s menu or within the content of a page. This allows users, as well as Google, to understand the relationship between different pages on a site. As for external link building, look for authoritative figures in related industries who would benefit from linking your content on their website, and inquire about building a connection of links.

How is SEO Different from Paid Ads?

SEO, or organic results, differs from paid ads, or Pay-Per-Click, in two main ways. First, the position of organic results differs from ad results on a search engine results page (SERP). Ad results always appear at the very top and very bottom of the SERP. On average, around 2-3 will populate in these spots depending on the search. Organic results appear in between the paid ads. The second biggest difference is the cost of visitor traffic. PPC ads have a pre-determined cost that the site owner must pay Google each time a user clicks on one of their ads. Organic traffic, on the other hand, has no direct costs associated with the number of visitors that click on their site.

Why Does a 404 or Technical Error Affect Rankings?

404’s and other technical errors are a common and unavoidable occurrence on the internet. Typically, having a few 404 errors will not impact a site’s rankings in any significant way. However, if a site has too many 404 errors, search engines may develop a negative impression of the site and stop indexing this site’s pages. This can result in two serious issues: loss of traffic volume and dead links. Visitor traffic is one important factor in SERP rankings, and a considerable decrease can drop a site’s rankings by a large amount. 404 pages also do not pass on backlink authority, so any quality links from a page that 404’s will no longer contribute to the site’s authority and hurt rankings as well.

Does Social Media Affect SEO Actual Rankings?

Social media can affect SEO actual rankings but not directly. Google has stated in 2014 that direct social signals, such as likes and shares through social media platforms, does not affect actual rankings on the search engine results page (SERP). What social media can do, however, is be an amplifier for other important SEO factors, such as backlinks, click-through rate (CTR) and content quality and authority. Producing high-quality, consistent content that receives attention through the various social media platforms allows for better online visibility for your brand, and subsequently, your website. This helps create more backlinks if your content is being shared, and more visits to your website directly from a social post.

Google News Archives

Google Search Still Leads as News Source

With the introduction and rise of various social media platforms and search engines over the decades, how people obtain their news has shifted. However, according to a recent survey conducted by Morning Consult, Google Search is still the leading news...

Google’s Featured Snippet Now Includes Blue Highlighted Text

Last month, Google rolled out a new update to featured snippets: blue highlighted text containing the specific information that answers the search query. Additionally, the font size of the featured snippets with the highlighted text is larger than those without...

Has Google’s Continuous Scroll Update Impacted Rankings?

In late 2022, Google made a substantial update to how searchers scroll on desktop devices. Previously, Google search engine results pages, or SERPs for short, showed roughly 10 results per page. This meant users would need to manually hit the...

Google’s March 2023 Broad Core Update Rollout Has Completed

As of March 28, 2023, the Google March 2023 broad core update, which was the first core update of the year, has officially finished its rollout. This update launched on March 15 and took 13 days to complete. Why These...

Google Bard Opens Limited Access Waitlist For Select Users

Google has opened up limited access to Bard, its version of ChatGPT and other AI chatbots, to the public. While prospective users in the US and UK can now sign up to join the waitlist at https://bard.google.com/, Google has stated...

Google Reiterates Guidance on AI-Generated Content

There has been quite a buzz on AI-generated content, with some players in the SEO industry speculating that Google could limit the reach of content generated through AI. However, in early February 2023, Google reiterated its objectives in evaluating content....

Google Asks Employees to Help Improve Its AI chatbot, Bard

After the release of its newest AI chatbot, Bard, Google asked its employees to help improve the bot by fixing and rewriting its bad responses. This comes after the chatbot received negative feedback from industry leaders and the general public...

Google Experimenting with AI Integrated Search Design

Recently, news broke that Google has been toying with a new search design. This new design would incorporate Google’s new artificial intelligence into the layout of Google searches. The new AI feature “Bard” is expected to roll out sometime in...

Disappearing Google Reviews Bug

Remember back in October when Google Business Profile users were experiencing the suspension bug, in which the slightest activity triggered your GBP into suspension? A few weeks later, in November, another bug came to do its disservice within GBPs. What...

Google to Unveil Chatbot Feature Bard in Search

According to a recent update from Google, a new chatbot called “Bard” is expected to release sometime in the near future this year. This comes shortly after OpenAI and Microsoft announced the implementation of some ChatGPT features in Bing Search....