SEO BLOG

Get strategic about search, ranking factors, and digital marketing initiatives that put organic first.

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Monthly knowledge drop - what you need to know about Google updates and more.

cowboy in a black hat cubism style

5 min read

The Dark Side of SEO - Black Hat Tactics

In the ever-evolving world of SEO, there are strategies that propel websites to the forefront of search engine rankings, and then there are those that lurk in the shadows, promising shortcuts but leading to dire consequences.

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3 min read

Unraveling Spun Content

In SEO, not all content is created equal.

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4 min read

Plagiarism, SEO, and How to Safeguard Your Website

In SEO, originality and quality reign supreme. Plagiarism in SEO involves copying content from other sources without proper attribution or consent....

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twins cubism style

2 min read

SEO Challenges: Addressing Duplicate Content, Canonicals, and Pagination

In the ever-evolving landscape of search engine optimization (SEO), website owners and marketers often encounter challenges that can impact their...

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3 min read

Google Tag Manager: Make Your Life Easy

In the ever-expanding digital landscape, data-driven decision-making is vital for businesses to succeed.

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2 min read

Google Analytics 4: The Technical Stuff

Welcome, GA4 user, to this in-depth technical exploration of Google Analytics 4 (GA4). In this blog post, we will provide step-by-step instructions...

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hospital bed cubism style

2 min read

Core Web Vitals Readiness: A Step-by-Step Guide

As search engines continue to prioritize user experience, Core Web Vitals have become a crucial factor in determining website rankings. Google's Core...

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2 min read

SEO for Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)

As mobile usage continues to dominate internet traffic, Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) have emerged as a game-changer in the world of web development.

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2 min read

Unlocking YouTube SEO

YouTube, as the second-largest search engine in the world (and owned by Google), has become an invaluable platform for businesses seeking to enhance...

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2 min read

Site Indexing Errors: A Silent SEO Killer

You probably understand the significance of having your web pages indexed by search engines.

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2 min read

Decoding Google's Ranking Factors

Google's search algorithm is a complex and ever-evolving system that determines the ranking of websites in search engine results pages (SERPs).

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4 min read

Mastering High-Quality Niche Edits

In the ever-evolving world of search engine optimization (SEO), acquiring backlinks remains a cornerstone for boosting website rankings and organic...

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2 min read

The Role of UX and SEO

In the digital age, user experience (UX) and search engine optimization (SEO) are two critical components that play a vital role in a business's...

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5 min read

SEO and Branding

SEO is a unique animal. It can be hard to connect the dots between search engine marketing and search engine optimization and the rest of branding or...

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clock cubism style

3 min read

How long does it take for SEO to show results?

In the changing world, SEO remains a powerful tool for businesses looking to enhance their online presence and attract valuable organic traffic.

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2 min read

A Comprehensive Guide to User Intent

Understanding user intent is the key to search engine optimization (SEO), allowing brands to go beyond simply chasing after consumers and instead...

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Enhancing SEO Reports With Narrative Explanation

3 min read

Enhancing SEO Reports With Narrative Explanation

If you've watched many of my SEO trainings, you know that I am extremely passionate about providing our clients with SEO transparency. I want them to...

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An Overview of Google SGE

3 min read

An Overview of Google SGE

Google is making great strides when it comes to incorporating AI in the search experience. Recently, the company launched Google Search Labs which...

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Outlining With ChatGPT

4 min read

Outlining With ChatGPT

One of the ways that content AI systems are useful to content strategists and writers is outlining. It uses the same sources we use (i.e., the...

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Managing Your Crawl Budget

2 min read

Managing Your Crawl Budget

Let’s talk about small vs. large website SEO.

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Mastering Search: Understanding Page Experience and Helpful Content

2 min read

Mastering Search: Understanding Page Experience and Helpful Content

While you’ll find plenty of SEO tips and tricks to get in the top results for a search, what Google really wants from writers is what they call...

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A Guide to Power Googling

4 min read

How to Google: A Guide to Power Googling

Oh, Google. What would we do without you?

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Trends in Your SEO Data

3 min read

Identifying Trends in Your SEO Data

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a long-term marketing strategy. Rather than paying for advertisements on Google or social media platforms to...

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AI for SEO Content: Yes, No, Maybe So?

7 min read

AI for SEO Content: Yes, No, Maybe So?

When it comes to SEO content, the conversation is rising: can’t we just use AI? Can ChatGPT help me rank in Google? What about Jasper? Or one of the...

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Going, Going, Gone–Migrating from Universal Analytics to GA4

5 min read

Going, Going, Gone–Migrating from Universal Analytics to GA4

Universal Analytics is going away–poof, gone, see ya never! But don’t worry, it’s being replaced by the newer, shinier, more robust GA4 which...

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Introduction to GA4

3 min read

Introduction to GA4

By now, most digital marketing professionals know that Google is sunsetting Universal Analytics on July 1, 2023. If you haven’t started the process...

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Semi-Automated SEO Auditing and Reporting

2 min read

Semi-Automated SEO Auditing and Reporting

SEO agencies conduct their audits in a specific way. Some rely on automated reporting through sites like SEMrush or Brightedge, while others have a...

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Google Trends Data for SEO

3 min read

Google Trends Data for SEO

Google Trends recently released the Year in Search 2022. The report shows the top searches, news, people, games, movies, and more, based on Google’s...

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How to do an SEO Audit

9 min read

How to do an SEO Audit

Most SEO writers know how to create search-friendly content. But really, the foundation of any SEO strategy has to be a level set. An SEO audit...

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Putting Together an SEO Topic Cluster

4 min read

Putting Together an SEO Topic Cluster

An SEO topic cluster is a sophisticated on-page SEO strategy. Most SEO experts would agree it’s a pretty reliable way to get results.

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Metadata and HTML Tags for SEO

3 min read

Metadata and HTML Tags for SEO

As you may have seen in our previous post - What is Search Engine Optimization? - SEO includes more than just writing. The technical side covers...

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What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?

10 min read

What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?

You can Google. A BUNCH of stuff. Or you can read this and get the full picture of everything SEO-related.

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Why Topic Cluster Strategies Fail or Succeed

5 min read

Why Topic Cluster Strategies Fail or Succeed

About the author Stacy is a self-described marketing nerd:

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Which Website Pages Should You Build Backlinks To?

4 min read

Which Website Pages Should You Build Backlinks To?

There’s all this talk about how to get backlinks, but no one seems to know where those links should point to on your website.

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Anchor Text for Backlinks: Types and Strategies

4 min read

Anchor Text for Backlinks: Types and Strategies

So-called SEO gurus love to talk about backlinks, but when you ask them about anchor text, they clam up.

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6 Link Building Strategies That Actually Work

4 min read

6 Link Building Strategies That Actually Work

Guest posting on paid guest post sites can get you in trouble with Google. Blog and forum comments don’t work. Sifting the internet for broken links...

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What is Domain Authority?

3 min read

What is Domain Authority?

If you’re trying to beef up your backlink profile, you’re going to encounter the term “domain authority” sooner or later. But what is domain...

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Pinterest SEO: 4 Simple Strategies for Searchable Pins

3 min read

Pinterest SEO: 4 Simple Strategies for Searchable Pins

Pinterest can be a fantastic tool for marketing your business and driving organic traffic to your website, but only if you know how to use it...

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SEO on a Budget: How to Rank When You Can’t Afford a Big SEO Contract

3 min read

SEO on a Budget: How to Rank When You Can’t Afford a Big SEO Contract

Here’s the problem: Pretty much all businesses with websites could benefit from SEO, but not all businesses can afford it. Perhaps surprisingly to...

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Does AI Content Work for SEO?

4 min read

Does AI Content Work for SEO?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is already turning all kinds of industries upside-down. Is SEO next?

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Linking Intent: The Backlink-Generating Search Intent Target

4 min read

Linking Intent: The Backlink-Generating Search Intent Target

Spend enough time learning about SEO, and you will almost certainly stumble across some practitioner of the dark SEO arts telling you that you need...

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Technical SEO

3 min read

Technical SEO

There are a few technical SEO components that impact organic search for your site, and are not related to words (or on-page SEO factors).

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Content, Credibility & SEO: Building Trust with Readers and Robots

4 min read

Content, Credibility & SEO: Building Trust with Readers and Robots

As of March of 2022, the internet is home to just under 2 billion websites. And probably less than 1% of them are worth visiting. How do you make...

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Writing for Search Intent: Capturing the ‘Why’ Instead of the ‘Who’

4 min read

Writing for Search Intent: Capturing the ‘Why’ Instead of the ‘Who’

Think about the last Google search you did. What did you type? Whether you typed “sushi near me,” “how to fix a leaky faucet” or basically anything...

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SEO FAQs

5 min read

SEO FAQs

There’s no shortage of questions in SEO, but answers you can trust? Those are in short supply.

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SEO Content vs. Creative Copy: 4 Tips for Fresh Optimizations

3 min read

SEO Content vs. Creative Copy: 4 Tips for Fresh Optimizations

Occasionally, a headline will reference how SEO killed creative copy (among other things). For writers who’ve never produced content without...

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The Importance of Content Writing in SEO

5 min read

The Importance of Content Writing in SEO

SEO once existed in a vacuum. You could set out to improve the SEO of your site and barely touch the content. But those days have been over for a...

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5 Ways to Use Google Search Console to Improve SEO

5 min read

5 Ways to Use Google Search Console to Improve SEO

Unless you’re really lucky or working with an experienced SEO copywriter, you won’t publish a new blog post on your website and see it skyrocket to...

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What the H1? A Full Breakdown of H-Tags for SEO

4 min read

What the H1? A Full Breakdown of H-Tags for SEO

Good writing is good writing, for SEO purposes and otherwise. That’s the rule. But there are a ton of little factors and recommendations that, when...

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Best Word Count for SEO? There Isn’t One

3 min read

Best Word Count for SEO? There Isn’t One

This blog post is 950 words. Is that the best word count for SEO purposes? Nope.

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Does Duplicate Content Affect SEO

5 min read

Does Duplicate Content Affect SEO?

When you have a blog post, landing page, product description or other piece of web content that is working well for you, the temptation to use the...

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How to Find Keywords for Your Real Estate Business Blog

5 min read

How to Find Keywords for Your Real Estate Business Blog

For real estate businesses, getting more clients is the only way to grow. You can get clients in a number of ways in this industry, but one of the...

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Writing an SEO Blog

6 min read

Writing an SEO Blog

The more I work with teams of writers - including content people, web developers and marketers - the more I realize that a lot of teams really don't...

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3 Things an SEO Specialist Should Do

3 min read

3 Things an SEO Specialist Should Do

As I’ve mentioned before, “SEO” is a term that’s thrown around a lot with like a 7% understanding of what it means. That’s not meant to be snarky,...

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Create an SEO Keyword List

4 min read

Create an SEO Keyword List

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How to Write an SEO Blog

4 min read

How to Write an SEO Blog

If you want to know how to write an SEO blog, read on.

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Writing for Humans

4 min read

Writing for Humans

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SEO: An Introduction

3 min read

SEO: An Introduction

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Write an SEO Blog

3 min read

Write an SEO Blog: Live Demo

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How to Find SEO Blog Topics

2 min read

How to Find SEO Blog Topics

Blogging is great. But a blog is way more than an online editorial, info hub or brand positioning opportunity. Writing a blog is a huge opportunity...

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