понеделник, 14 януари 2019 г.
сряда, 19 декември 2018 г.
вторник, 18 декември 2018 г.
четвъртък, 13 декември 2018 г.
понеделник, 29 октомври 2018 г.
Welcome To.. the End of Google+ — a Short Look at What Happened
It all started a little over seven years ago when Google launched its very own social network platform called Google+. Its goal was to serve as Google’s very own Facebook, and in its first few years of operation, it seemed to be doing the trick. However, as some (arguably) good things must come to an end, Google announced it would be shutting down the platform for consumers due to low engagement and a data breach. Users will have until August 2019 to download and migrate their information from Google+ as it will become inactive after that point. In today’s 411 Locals blog, we will provide a short rundown of the whys related to Google’s decision and does it affect you in any way.
Promising Beginnings
Google+ was the company’s fourth attempt at creating a social network that could stand the test of time and changing consumer needs. Its previous attempts include Orkut (2004 – 2014), Google Friend Connect (2008 – 2012), and Google Buzz (2010 – 2011). Unlike its previous counterparts, Google+ quickly gained a following, and it was all seemingly going upwards until 2015 when the platform underwent a redesign procedure under its then-new executive, Bradley Horowitz.
What Went Wrong?
Earlier this year, in March, Google discovered a privacy bug in the API for Google+ which allows third-party developers to access the personal data of over 500,000 users without authorized permission. Of course, none of this was made public until The Wall Street Journal covered the story in a post. This drove Google to admit the privacy breach and do what was expected — shut down the platform.
What Does It Mean for SEO Professionals
Although Google+ has never been an official ranking factor, it still proved efficient in building online authority, especially for niche industries. Social media and SEO make great allies which is why Google+ used to help businesses boost their SEO performance by creating social buzz around them — a useful ranking signal.
If the end of Google+ has you confused as to the SEO strategy of your own business, you are in the right place because if you make us your SEO company of choice, we will do our best to boost your online presence and take it to new heights.
понеделник, 22 октомври 2018 г.
411 Locals: It’s Been a While Since We Talked About Content — Page Title Optimization
People are visual creatures. This is why it is still strange that page titles are still one of the most overlooked aspects of SEO. Webmasters focus primarily on the technical bits, failing to realize that what they are crafting is not for search engines alone, it is for people above anything else. And people like to see interesting titles, not clickbaits of course, but engaging and enticing texts that make them stick around and see what you have to offer them. No matter if you want to improve the SEO of your website, enhance your content marketing strategy, or show off your optimization skills, titles are an important factor. Stick around and read some of the best practices that our team at 411 Locals has to share about page title optimization below.
Size Does Matter
Google displays around 50-60 characters of a page title, so your best shot is to aim for titles of around 55 characters or less, including spaces. The length of your title will affect how it appears in SERPs. If it’s too long, it will be cut off, and if it’s too short, Google might not deem it important enough to display at all. A good page title could have the following structure: main keyword, secondary keyword, company/brand name. It is important to have your primary keyword at the beginning of your title, so it does not get truncated.
Have Unique Titles on Every Page
Every page on your website is unique in its own way as it serves a specific purpose. Treat it as such. Aim to have a specific, descriptive title for each section on your site. It may sound like a difficult task given that there are hundreds of thousands of pages similar to yours, but fortunately for you, there are many CMS and code-based templates that allow you to create data-driven and unique titles for the most important pages on your website.
Don’t Forget to Use Your Target Keyword
Google uses the title of a page as one of the main ways to determine what that page is about and how relevant it may be to a search query. Therefore, having your target keyword in your title will help you appear in more SERPs. Do not try to trick the system by stuffing your title with keywords because Google can easily penalize you for spam.
There is a lot more to the perfect page title optimization strategy than what we discussed above, but there are still some trade secrets which we, at 411 Locals, keep to ourselves and our valued clients. If you wish to be one of them, let our SEO company help you reach new heights with your business!
неделя, 7 октомври 2018 г.
How to Craft a Homepage That Sells
How many times have you found yourself bouncing back from a page just because it didn’t seem to meet your standards, answer your questions, and grab your attention? If you are a web designer, an SEO specialist, or a business owner, you must master the art of homepages that convert, because after landing pages homepages are often where your audience meets you for the first time. Stick around to see the vital tips we, at 411 Locals, have to offer!
Your Layout is Everything — Aim for the Ultimate User Experience
Your homepage should be easy to navigate and have a certain order that makes sense given your business. This includes your calls to action, pop-ups, email marketing sign-ups, and more. When visitors can’t easily find what they are looking for, they will exit your site.
Answer All Your Visitor’s Main Questions
You should always start with the assumption that when people visit your website, it is probably their first time learning about you and they know absolutely nothing about your business. Your homepage should, therefore, be able to answer the following questions:
- Who are you?
- What do you do?
- What is your product or service?
- Is your product or service going to meet their needs/solve their problems?
- How can they reach you?
Don’t Forget About Mobile Devices
Keep in mind that the majority of people today use their phones to browse local providers, stores, shops, restaurants, hotels, etc. it is therefore important to have a responsive web design, so your site automatically adjusts its screen size and design depending on the device used.
Consider Page Speed — Keep Your Site Lean
You have about two seconds before people get impatient and decide your site is not worth waiting to load. Take measures to keep your site coding lean, optimize your images, and use a content delivery network (CDN) to keep your content coming to users from the closest possible server. These are just a few ways to achieve greater page speed.
Always Use Split-Testing
It’s always hard to tell which design elements resonate with users, and split-testing will help you find the most engaging site setup that will lead to higher conversion rates. Bear in mind you need to test only one element at a time!
As you can see, building the perfect homepage is not an easy task at all. Fortunately for you, our SEO company can help! At 411 Locals, we take care of businesses’ online presence and take great pride in building homepages that convert.
Stay tuned for our next topic!
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