What is Needed for Local SEO in 2015?

What is Needed for Local SEO in 2015?

Local SEO has evolved over the last several years from a fairly simple proposition to one that is a little more involved. While that may look "harder" on the surface, what it actually represents is a lot of opportunity for those who are willing to do what's necessary to get their sites to rank well locally.
There are several best practices that can help with this, and we've endeavored to list a lot of them here. Above all, be consistent, and do not stop! Several of these you might be familiar with, but others may be new.

2015 Local SEO Best Practices

1. Site speed - Make your site a speed demon: it matters as a Google ranking signal.
2. Mobile - If you're wanting to lose out on half the traffic on the Web these days, go ahead and forget about making a responsive mobile design of your site.
3. Do you on-page SEO - While it can be dead boring and tedious to do this, your title tags, descriptions, internal links and website schema are vital cogs when it comes to ranking your pages.
4. Reviews and Citations - Still important for 2015, with solid reviews becoming more so.
5. Quality inbound links - Get more high quality links preferably on account of your content, and whatever you do don't buy links.
6. Give your content a local flavor - As much for visitors as for anything, making sure your content appeals to the local audience is a good idea.
7. Geotag your images - Geo-tagging your images with local geographic information tells Google what it needs to know, and greatly enhances your chances of showing up accurately in Maps.
8. Encourage social signals - Besides likely being a search engine signal, social media can become a far-reaching evangelist for your brand.
9. NAP data - As always, making sure your business information is consistent across ALL your platforms is critical. You should probably start right here!

Local SEO in 2015 may be a tad bit more involved than in years past, but the rewards for getting it right are also greater. Don't let it wait another day!

Need help with your SEO plan and implementation go here to get your free site evaluation. Awareness is the key to change and what you don't know can kill your chances for online success.

Check Out These 4 Productivity Tools to Free You Up

Check Out These 4 Productivity Tools to Free You Up

Most of us really enjoy tools, particularly when they save you a lot of time and money. That's the best and highest use of these tools, to give us the information we need to make changes that can have a real difference in our businesses.
There are a lot of great tools available, and it can a little overwhelming just figuring out what you need. Not only that, many are hard to use, and involve a huge learning curve.
Every year there are incredible tools that can save you a lot of heartache and time, and you would be wise to save as many hours of manual labor as possible with the use of a couple of them. Here are 4 tools that can help with productivity, in no special order of importance.

4 Tools to improve productivity in your business

Canva - Not quite the Photoshop expert you want to be and don't have the time or resources to learn it? Don't worry, there's a free solution you can make use of called Canva. Canva helps you create awesome graphics using a simple interface anyone can use. No learning curve, and like I said, it's free!
SproutSocial - If you've ever seen this site, you know what a analytics wonderland it is, and how much you can use the intelligence it gives you. Not just an analytics tool, you can also use SproutSocial to post and engage with your audience right from the platform. Very cool tool suite.
Moz - Long a favorite among people needing to learn more about their site's SEO, Moz continues to offer great tools to gather data about your site, keywords, you're your competition in a comprehensive fashion. There's not a whole lot this suite of tools can't do in this realm.
Mention - Would like to know what people are saying when it comes to you and your brand? You can track keywords, brand mentions and more from nearly any device, as well as discover the sentiment of the mention, so as to save you time and reputation.
This is just four of the many tools you can get to help with productivity. Employ these or others to help you get some of your time back, which I'm, positive you can find a use for!

Learn What Social Proof is and How It Can Best Be Used

Learn What Social Proof is and How It Can Best Be Used

Once social media became the immense resource it is now, it was simply a matter of time before the concept of social proof, which is the tacit approval and conformation to a particular point of view or taste because many of their compatriots do, became an important commodity.
The ability to influence large groups of people with a notion totally supported by the crowd is a heady idea. There are many types of social proof out there, and they can bet put to use in the form of testimonials, expert endorsements, sheer numbers and more.
There are lots of ways to use social proof, for the time being let's consider 5 different types, and let you begin to grasp how you might use them in your business.

5 Powerful types of social proof

1. Celebrity social proof - You've seen this one a million times, as the latest, hottest celebrities tout products they like. Now I'm sure Peyton Manning eats pizza, but that's not why it works. It works because people LIKE Peyton, and trust him. Papa John is smiling all the way to the bank.
2. Scarcity ploy - In this consumer-driven society we live in we all live with the fear of missing out. This is because you or someone else has just informed them that they really need this right now, just like dozens others just like them have gone for this limited time, one-time only offer.
3. Expert social proof - There's something about placing your trust in someone who has been there, or is viewed as an authority or expert on the subject that conveys just enough trust to get people to buy into the offer. This is where the term "influencer" comes from, and is a powerful technique in sales these days.
4. User generated - Having your customers provide unsolicited reviews is something that happens often. (And much more often if you encourage the practice!) It's what you do with these that counts. Visitors to your page often see this as the tipping point because these unbidden "testimonials" carry an air of authenticity that a paid endorsement and other social proof only wish it had.
5. Peer pressure - The power of social media can extend into the personal lives of users, when they are recommending things to their friends. There is an unwritten obligation to take this more seriously, and maybe give it a chance, based solely on their friends recommendation. I guess the lesson here is be careful who your friends are!

Are You Making Any of These SEO Blunders?

Are You Making Any of These SEO Blunders?

Getting ranked well in the search engines is not an easy task, so to shoot yourself in the foot by making costly SEO mistakes is, well; not advised.
Many times it's unintentional, and other times it merely misguided. However it occurs you can be sure the results are the same: lost rankings, penalties and lost revenue.
So in the spirit of helping you avoid these expensive and foolish mistakes, let's take a peek at 5 common SEO goofs that can cost you big!

5 SEO Blunders to avoid at all costs!

Poor On-Page SEO - Simply put, Google has more than 200 ranking factors that it uses to properly categorize and rank your website. Much of this can be found in the on-page SEO that is done, not done, or done badly. Make sure each page has a proper title tag and description, images are properly tagged, and make sure page load times are good.
Not diversifying your keywords - The days of stuffing your pages with the keyword you wished to rank for are gone. You still need keywords, but make an effort not to hit visitors over the head with them, and be sure to include relevant verbiage throughout the page as well.
Duplicate content pages on your site - An easy way to get penalized by Google is having duplicate content on your site. It appears to them as though you are trying to get more pages ranked for the same keywords by using the same content. Whether or not it's your intention, it will cost you. Try looking in your Google Webmaster Tools account to tell if they find any issues with this.
Bad link profile - If you are in the practice of buying links for your sites, your days are numbered as far as rankings in Google are concerned. The algorithm is getting better and better at ferreting out bad links and imposing penalties on the sites that are using them. A word to the wise…
Indexability issues - If Google can't find or read your pages, you might have a problem. (You WILL have a problem!) There are a number of ways this can happen, from broken links to faulty redirects, too much flash and even blocking the search engines entirely. Hopefully this one you'll not fall victim too!

5 E-Commerce Solutions You May Want to Look Into

5 E-Commerce Solutions You May Want to Look Into

How many of us are born knowing how to setup and implement an e-Commerce system? I thought so. But really, choosing and setting up an e-Commerce solution for your small business doesn't need to be such a challenging endeavor. All it takes is finding the right system, and we're going to take a look at several of those right here, right now.
When comparing solutions make sure you keep your own needs front of mind, as it is super easy to opt for a solution that is a lot more than you really need. That said, let's look at 5 e-Commerce solutions that are excellent for startups.

5 Terrific E-Commerce Solutions for startups

Volusion - Volusion is a good spot to get your feet wet. Very economical at just $15 a month and no transaction fees, they have lots of of templates, a powerful website builder, along with numerous other features including SEO built right in, and a shopping cart, as well as 24/7 support.
Square Market - This choice provides you with a way to get your storefront up in minutes, with a wealth of features including personalized store logo and images, flexible promotional codes, adjustable tax rates, size and color options, social media links, online marketing tools, mobile-ready storefronts and more. There's also no monthly fees, and merchants are charged 2.75% per sale.
Shopify - Another entry-level solution that gives a 14-day free trial, and charges $14 a month with no transaction fees. With more than 100 templates to choose from, Shopify is drop-dead easy to set up, and Shopify Mobile (Shopify's own mobile credit card reader) and Shopify POS (Shopify's iPad point-of-sale system) can make selling anywhere a reality.
WooCommerce - For the WordPress users among us, and there are many, WooCommerce is a top choice. Seamless integration into your existing WordPress install, and the additional benefits of the countless plugins WordPress has to offer.
BigCommerce - One of the first and now serving the mid-level market and over 55,000 websites, BigCommerce has a whole lot more features, but can also be a tad more complex. Primarily intended for mid to high volume businesses. Prices start at $29.95 with a 1.5% transaction fee.

Take a Look at Website Design Trends for Small Business in 2015

Take a Look at Website Design Trends for Small Business in 2015

As 2015 is now fully upon us, we thought it useful to look at several web design trends taking hold for small business sites. Many of these you may have seen before, but were unacquainted with the reason for them or the usefulness they may provide. Others may not work for you.
Some have come about due to advances in technology, and others are merely cosmetic or related to user experience. Still, judge each with an eye open as to their best uses for your particular site, and not necessarily for any buzz or good press. Even though infinite scrolling may work for Facebook doesn't mean it's suitable for your site.
So let's jump right in and see what's trending now in web design for small business in 2015.

5 Trends in small business web design

Employing Infinite scrolling - Infinite scrolling has become all the rage over the last year or so. The ability to keep the reader engaged over one long stream of content can work for some, like Facebook for instance, and not for others. Make sure it serves your ultimate visitor goals before you use this.
Responsive design - Undeniably, a responsive site is no longer an option for 2015. With more than half the Web traffic originating from a mobile device, it's crucial that your site show up well on all platforms.
A clean spare look - Lots of white space and lean blocks of text are what readers want these days, and the extra space gives your pages an uncluttered, relaxed feel. This works with the mantra of keeping things simple and direct, and leaving your visitors with fewer distractions and choices.
Play with fonts and color - Don't feel totally constrained in regards to fonts and color. Make a statement and paint your web canvas with the look and feel of the message you want to convey. This doesn't mean making large textual sections in a stylish, hard to read font, but selective use of creative fonts and colors can spice things up quite nicely.
Make social media prominent - We operate in a social Web, and you need to facilitate this on your site. Employ obvious and easy to use social media buttons on your pages, and encourage their use!

What to Do When Your Site Loses Ranking

What to Do When Your Site Loses Ranking

Maybe this has happened to you: you awaken one morning to find your site has disappeared from the search engine universe, nowhere to be found. Even though it's only dropped a few pages, it might as well be a thousand.
Before doing anything radical and reactionary, we would like to offer you some sensible steps to take that can minimize the freefall your pages may be in.
Search engine shifts happen, and while you can't control Google, you can take action to minimize the effects such a shuffle in your ranking has on your business. To help with this we've come up with 5 ways you can make the best of a bad situation.

5 Strategies to minimize a drop in rankings

1. Have a site and rankings monitor in place - It's a very good idea to have your site's search engine position monitored, so you can not only see when there is a huge problem, but also the trends that are taking place over time with your rankings. There is no substitute for this kind of intelligence.
2. Plug into social media more - There is a vast audience out there you can turn to for help with traffic and links, and this is social media. Although it may be harder in some ways to convert this traffic, the mere fact that's coming is a sign that your pages are still relevant, and this matters to Google.
3. Look at your Google Webmaster Tools - This is a valuable resource that can help you spot penalties and SEO issues very quickly. If you are not signed up for this, avail yourself of it immediately. It is free and is packed with useful assistance.
4. Look into your SEO - when there are ranking problems, it's always wise to look in the mirror first. See what if any SEO issues you can find with your pages, such as missing title tags, descriptions, alt tags, flash and some of the other 200 or so ranking factors. Like it or not, these issues are part of how Google ranks you pages.
5. Produce more content and links - Make it your mission to carry on and create good content and incoming backlinks. It might be a smart idea to expand your topic and keyword profile at this point, while still remaining relevant, to see if these pages begin to rank well.