Reliable Methods Tested by 411Locals

Google Keyword Planner is an essential tool and it is important to know how to use it. However, you have other options to find new phrases and synonyms for your SEO campaign apart from its basic function. Here are some of the suggestions offered by 411Locals:

Competition Research

Just open a competitor’s site and explore what kind of keywords he has used in his copy (text). Look in the headings, the beginning of the paragraphs, as well as in image titles. You can also check the source of the web page (Ctrl+U). There you can look for “keyword” tag (use Ctrl+F) and check what they have entered. Bear in mind – not everyone is putting their keywords there. Then you can copy/paste those words in Google Keyword Planner (GKP). Do you remember that “Your landing page” section just under the field where you enter the words? Paste the competitor’s URL there. Use the filters and you can get some really neat suggestions.

Google Suggest

Simply type your keyword in Google Search. At the bottom, you will find a few suggestions from the engine. When you find something relevant, go one step forward. There you will find even more synonyms. Then you can check each one of them in GKP to see if the words have value. (more…)

Welcome back to the summary of the most important changes in SEO by the end of September. This part will introduce you to the social media aspects of the latest updates. 411Locals will also give you some insights concerning the current SEO and online marketing trends.

New Rules: Getting a Verified Profile on Facebook

Facebook has implemented new rules for branded content. Evidently, the verification of your FB business page is becoming more important than ever. Verified celebrities, public figures, and easily recognizable brands have blue badges. On the other hand, companies and businesses, especially local ones, receive gray badges. Verifying your FB business page is a smart move since it boosts your rankings and your trust metrics,  as well as widens your audience. Basically, businesses have two options for verification: over the phone or via documentation. The latter takes time since you need to upload business documentation, and confirming your business’ legitimacy is also time-consuming. (more…)

The most popular search engine removed more than 1.75 billion sites from its index and the number is growing. It is a huge purge, happening after a 53% increase in the copyright requests. Another major change is the AdWords Quality score improvement, which is deadly to keywords with insufficient data, new keywords, or keywords with sparse recent history – all of them now getting a zero number. And this is only the tip of the iceberg. 411Locals will summarize all important factors since the latest changes rolled out. You need to know the following in order to survive in the SEO environment for the end of the month:

Copyright Requests Might Get Your Website Hit

With virtually absent pending requests at the moment, it appears that the copyright section of Google is quick at responding requests. The search engine is not the active part in the lookout for copyright infringements – the owners send the copyright takedown requests. The guilty URL will be taken down from the search results after a notification, so beware of such messages when checking Search Console. (more…)

Are you trying to successfully incorporate social content into your blog? Even experienced content marketers like 411 Locals face challenges and struggles when creating content that is meant to engage their audiences. The key factors behind successful sharing of social media content are those that make the art of developing social content. But how to create content that is both educational and touching the emotional side of your readers? Here are some innovative ideas about how to expand your content marketing strategy and make it work for your social media goals.

Customer Spotlights Work Better Than Long And Boring Case Studies

A good part of the content marketing gurus love to point out complicated case studies. In fact, this method of being persuasive has been used so often that it became more of a nuisance than an actual attention-grabbing tool. It is kind of hard to get involved when you see a wall of text that explains the step-by-step struggles of someone you’re not familiar with as a reader. So that’s why the customer spotlight can enrich the reader’s experience with the use of feedback and emotion. It is a more direct approach to prospects – to make them see what your happy customers have to say. With customer spotlights, you’re telling success stories coming directly from the source. (more…)

Years ago, using Facebook for SEO was kinda simple – you’re writing a killer article, post it in a high PR directory, share the link on Facebook, and then here comes the profit. Nowadays, even the profound understanding of FB rules and regulations regarding brands and publishers leaves the concept of sharing vague and uncertain. July 2016 marked the beginning of a friends-and-family oriented change of the algorithm. So what about SEO? What’s in it for me? And how to make the audience share my content? Those are the most frequently asked questions lately, and here are some hints based on the recent 411 Locals practice.

Lighthearted Jokes Trigger Shares

A significant part of the FB users regard the social media as a slightly more diverse version of 9GAG. These people are here to like and share memes, cats, fun stuff, something positive in the form of videos, gifs or some other content that is suitable for a good laugh. The fun-loving users make up for almost half of our sharing audience. (more…)

You almost got the principles of making a successful social media marketing strategy by using LinkedIn and now they are absorbed by the Microsoft empire? Shall we worry about that? What’s the big deal? What you need to change now? 411Locals watches closely the recent thoughts and speculations. Here are some insights from the latest news:

It Is Final: Microsoft Owns LinkedIn

Microsoft paid $26.2 billion (cash) to purchase LinkedIn along with the latter’s 433 million members. Sure, only 105 million of them can be designated as active and millions of the rest are paid subscribers, but…And for now, there will be no change of the LinkedIn HQ – Jeff Weiner will keep his title.

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