Google delivers updates and advice about Search
Two notable things happened this week in the world of Google. First – and most notably – the company hosted their virtual Search On 2020 event.
Second (and somewhat less notably, but still interesting), the latest SEO lightning talk video dropped on YouTube, with advice on SEO for single page apps.
And as an honorable mention for notable Google news this week, John Mueller talked at Pubcon Pro Virtual 2020 about the future of SEO.
That’s a lot – let’s break it down:
- From the Search On 2020 Event: Improvements to Google Search and Maps are on the way. A new spelling algorithm, along with various other AI advancements, will help Google get better at understanding web pages. Live ‘busyness’ information in Maps will be expanding significantly as well.
- From Martin Splitt’s lightning talk on YouTube: Make your single page app as index-friendly as possible. Assigning a separate URL to each ‘view’ in your single page and giving each view its own title and description can help Google understand the page better.
- From John Mueller’s appearance at Pubcon Pro Virtual 2020: SEO will evolve and traditional techniques might get crowded. But, he said, small and medium businesses have the ability to pivot and try new SEO strategies faster than big businesses. Plus, avenues like Discover offer alternatives to traditional ranking on Search.
The Crew’s take: There’s plenty to take in from Google’s busy week. And, on the whole, Google’s doing what Google normally does – optimizing its systems and evolving with the times.
If you’re in SEO, it might be time to start thinking about creative ways you can outsmart your competitors. If you’re having the SEO version of writers’ block, try checking out John Mueller’s predictions for the future of SEO.
Online communities are more valuable now than ever
The global pandemic has changed a lot of things about the way we do life. And it’s got nothing to do with your newly-acquired skill of going MIA on Zoom calls or your possible lack of a social life in the past months, but Facebook just published some data on how online communities have changed during the pandemic.
We’ll let the data do the talking:
- 77% percent of people surveyed said that the most important group they are part of now operates online. The statistic demonstrates the importance of online communities – and how people have come to rely on them in our new normal.
- It’s not a community without leaders. More than half of respondents (58%) agreed that having effective leaders makes online communities significantly more effective.
- People are willing to open up. Of the respondents surveyed, 33% said they were more comfortable sharing their feelings in an online community than with their friends or family.
There are plenty of conclusions you can draw from this data (so go for it). But, whether you’re running a business or you’re trying to build your personal brand online, creating a group where people feel welcomed is more important than it’s ever been.
Facebook Groups – and other communities – can be a great source of inspiration, customer feedback, and even sales if done right. Go create that community for your business!
SEO
Are you actually focusing on the right SEO tasks?
This post won’t be about how to execute actionable SEO tasks and improve your ranking.
It’s a strategic post!
Chances are, you know what it takes to bring a website from the last page of Google (does it even exist?) to the first one.
And it’s probably a huge list of tasks.
The problem Geoff Kennedy is trying to solve with this post instead is: What tasks should you prioritize?
What are the improvements that are most likely to help you hit your target?
They change for every business, industry, website, and more factors are taken into account.
This is how to figure out which SEO tasks to prioritize:
+ Don’t get lost in the perfection trap: For every website you audit, you’ll probably come out with an infinite list of tasks to implement. However, getting that list done right away isn’t realistic. Therefore, focus on the most important areas.
+ How to prioritize which factors you should consider: There are some factors that have a bigger impact than others. However, Geoff Kennedy here lists four key layers of consideration:
- Business: Every company is different, therefore, every business will require a different SEO strategy.
- SEO fundamentals: Some factors are essential for every kind of business.
- Current search landscape: The goalposts for ranking well in the SERPs change frequently. Therefore, stay up to date (by reading Stacked Marketer, of course).
- Industry: Every business has different needs, but there are big differences at the industry level too.
+ What are you trying to achieve: Consider the end goal of ranking higher on Google – is it to get more users on your email list? To draw attention to middle or bottom-of-funnel content? Figuring this out will help you prioritize your SEO tasks.
+ Prioritize factors that benefit the business: “If you’re working with an e-commerce website, and they’re only able to update their blog every couple of months – disregard that section of the website, it’s not a priority.”
+ How to prioritize your recommendations: Use the following factors to understand which tasks require priority:
- Risk – The risk of not implementing.
- Opportunity – The potential benefit of implementing.
- Resource – The resource required to implement, in both money and time.
- Likelihood – The likelihood of it actually getting implemented.
When you deliver your recommendations to your devs or whoever will implement the tasks, highlight areas of priority and give ~3 key recommendations.
ROUNDING UP THE STACK
SNAPCHAT: We got an interesting update yesterday from SnapTok – no, sorry, we mean Snapchat – which will allow users to add music and audio clips to their videos. Sound familiar?
BIG TECH: An article about Hunter Biden was the subject of some controversy yesterday, ultimately culminating in the news that the U.S. government will be taking a look at Section 230, a law that protects social media companies from being liable for content on their platforms.
WORDPRESS: This new article from WPBeginner serves as a handy guide for fixing oEmbed issues on Facebook and Instagram.
E-COMMERCE: Holiday shopping will be taking place earlier than ever this year, says Aaron Orendorff from Common Thread Co.
CONTENT MARKETING: Struggling with setting the right KPIs for your content marketing campaigns? Derek Gleason provides some answers.
SEO: Image packs – a sneaky type of ranking that could be the reason your CTRs are lower than what you’re expecting.
BRAIN TEASER
How do you make the number 7 even without addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division?
You can find the solution here.
POOLSIDE CHAT
Cool tech, (funny) business, lifestyle and all the other things marketers like to chat about while sipping cocktails by the pool.
Machu Picchu is back open – for one person
Machu Picchu is one of the most iconic spots in Latin America. And, for that reason, it’s usually packed with tourists.
But since the pandemic hit, it’s been closed down for safety precautions. Until yesterday, that is, when Japanese tourist Jesse Takayama was permitted entry with the head of the park.
There’s probably nothing cooler on the planet than visiting Machu Picchu with nobody else around – but get this: Jesse waited in Peru for seven months before he was able to get in.
That’s one long vacation.