Results before positioning

The client in question runs an online store where he sells sockets, switches, cables, wires, extension cords, installation boxes, insulating tapes and other products used in electrical works. He signed a SEO contract with us in June 2019, opting for a budget of $ 1,400 per month. When we started SEO activities, the client’s website appeared in 18 phrases in TOP3 and 145 phrases in TOP10, while in TOP50 there were less than 1000 phrases. So it cannot be said that we started from scratch – the website was visible in the search engine and also had organic traffic. However, the audit showed us that the website has the potential to generate even more search engine hits and gain better places for industry phrases.

The first year of cooperation

During the audit, we noticed that the client’s website is available at two addresses, which would be a significant difficulty in positioning, among others due to duplicate content. At the beginning of the cooperation, permanent redirects to one of the addresses were introduced, thanks to which the problem was quickly removed and opened the way to new activities.

In the next stage, we focused on the most urgent issue, i.e. optimizing the pages of the most important product categories by adding comprehensive descriptions. We chose the best key phrases for each of them and placed them in the texts to increase the probability that the page will be high in the search results for these keywords. We have also determined the optimal H1 headings and meta titles, and we took care of the appropriate length of the text for each subpage. This brought the first signs of increased visibility, which showed that the chosen positioning strategy was working. The website appeared on 38 phrases in TOP3, 387 phrases in TOP10 and 1795 phrases in TOP50.

Second year of cooperation

After a year of cooperation, the client decided to extend the SEO contract and additionally increase the budget to $ 1,800 a month. As the most urgent changes have already been implemented, we focused on increasing website traffic with blog articles. We focused on extensive, valuable texts containing phrases loosely related to the client’s activity, which we could not implement in the category descriptions. This resulted in a significant increase in the number of phrases in top positions, and thus an increase in the visibility of the customer’s website, which translated into greater brand recognition. The client also agreed to expand the website with detailed categories that were optimized for long tail phrases. Thanks to this, we were able to fight the competition for even more keywords relevant in the industry.

The strategy based on extending the website with high-quality texts brought particularly noticeable effects in May this year, when the Google algorithm was updated. Our observations show that as a result, pages with a large amount of unique content recorded increases, and sites with little text or duplicate content fell in the ranking (e.g. product descriptions taken from manufacturers’ websites). This change confirmed our predictions about the future of positioning, and although it did not echo widely in the industry, it had a significant impact on a large number of websites, especially online stores. This is shown by the results achieved by our client:
– TOP3 – 218 phrases,
– TOP10 – 1099 phrases,
– TOP50 – 4656 phrases.

What is the conclusion of this? Positioning requires not only knowledge and experience, but also tracking trends so that updating algorithms, instead of destroying the effects of work, help to climb higher and higher positions.

Internet Marketing allows you to advertise on the web through multiple channels. The key to achieving goals is combining them skillfully, but before that happens, at least basic knowledge about each of them is necessary. What are the most popular ways of reaching the customer?

Google Ads is one of the most popular advertising channels on the Internet. Its potential is used by thousands of companies from hundreds of different industries and allows you to increase profits and improve brand exposure on the Web.

The most common option advertisers use is text ads on the search network. Thanks to them, the advertisement can be placed above the results, ahead of “normal” pages on Google – placing a link in such a place is characterized by a high likelihood of a click, and thus redirecting the user to the advertiser’s website.

Although Google Ads ads are often identified only with the above-described display of sponsored links in the search results, this system offers much more possibilities. In addition to text ads, Google allows you to advertise your company on YouTube and – thanks to the Google Display Network (GDN) – on millions of different pages. GDN is one of the components that make up Google Ads. It includes micro websites and personal blogs, as well as big websites with a multi-million audience. These are both expert websites, comprehensively describing specialist topics, as well as websites with show business gossip or sports news. Advertising on YouTube can also be extremely profitable – YT is after all the second largest search engine in terms of traffic. Another interesting option may be to use the Display & Video 360 service, which allows, among others, finding and renting space in the largest VOD (Video on Demand) streaming services.

For online stores, the Google Shopping system is also important, thanks to which, after entering a specific phrase – for example “adidas predator sports shoes” above the search results (as well as over “classic” sponsored links), product suggestions will appear. Such a panel contains a photo of the item, the name of the store, price and a link redirecting to the product page in a given store.

Ads in Google Ads are billed in the CPC (cost per click) system. This means that we only pay when the user clicks on the ad and goes to the page being promoted. The mere display of an ad is completely free. There are no lower or upper spending limits in Google Ads – it all depends on the industry, business competition, and even the time of day.

SEO

In a nutshell, SEO (Search Engine Optimization), also known as page positioning (wrongly because SEO is one of the elements of positioning), deals with increasing the visibility of the website in search engines. After entering a specific phrase into the search engine, the engine usually returns to us an ordered list of several thousand pages. The essence of positioning is to get a specific page at the top of the ranking – and if not, at least high enough to successfully generate entries and attract potential customers. The vast majority of users do not look at the second page of the search results, or even the items at the bottom of the first page. For this reason, the presence in the “top” of the results is of enormous importance and the thought about which marketing channels to choose usually starts with the positioning of the pages.

The position of the page is determined by the search engine’s algorithm on the basis of over 200 factors of different “strength”. Web bots analyze the content on the website, the technical aspects of building the website, as well as the links leading to the website. Due to the constant updates of the algorithm and the fact that a large part of the aforementioned factors has never been officially disclosed by Google, effective positioning requires a lot of experience and constant experiments at the same time.

We divide SEO activities into:

A. On-site SEO
This term defines the actions that we can perform on the website – often increase the amount of content and refine its quality, adjust the content to keywords, and also take care of reducing the loading time of the site, compression of graphics, implementation of the SSL certificate or correct display on various resolutions and devices ( this is very important – most of the traffic today is via smartphones).

B. Off-site SEO
This SEO department gathers links that lead to a positioned page. Google assumes that users share links to websites they consider valuable – regardless of whether it is an online store with interesting promotions or a website with study aids for students. Therefore, an important factor in determining the ranking of pages after entering a given phrase is the profile of links from external websites leading to the website. Of course, each link has a different value – some do not affect the “strength” of the site, while others will be important. The goal is to collect links that have a real impact on the position of the site – moreover, it must be done as naturally as possible, according to Google’s “social proof of rightness”.

What else should you know about SEO at the beginning? First of all, it’s important to remember that positioning takes time. In the case of campaigns implemented with the use of the Google Ads or Facebook Ads system, the increase in traffic occurs almost immediately. SEO usually brings results only after a few months – PPC campaigns are often compared to a sprint, and positioning activities to a marathon. On the other hand, SEO as a long-term activity is, in the end, the cheapest way to increase website traffic and attract new customers.

It is worth remembering that positioning works not only for companies operating on a national scale. On the Web, we also look for facilities, services or products in our immediate vicinity, and due to the increasing popularity of smartphones and services based on GPS technology, many companies can change their Internet presence thanks to local positioning.

Social Media

Over the years, social media has become an inseparable part of life, and thus also of business. In most industries, running profiles on various websites – for example Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and increasingly also TikTok and others – has become a necessity. With the help of such profiles, we can attract customers, make contact with those already present, get feedback and present not only our products, but also the company as such – its approach to business, values or a team of employees.

Advertising in social media has come a long way. While just a few years ago it was enough to have a profile and run it “smartly”, today Facebook and other portals often limit the organic reach, so that the published post will be shown in extreme cases to only a fraction of subscribers. PPC ads come in handy, as they operate in a similar way as Google Ads, they reach a large number of users and help in acquiring customers or increasing brand awareness. In the vast majority of cases, in 2021 it is no longer possible to promote in social media without investing in advertising.

The key to efficient communication in social media is to adjust the communication code to the customs and users prevailing on a given platform. On Instagram, the main medium is graphics, and text – especially content longer than 2-3 sentences – is of little importance. LinkedIn brings together professionals and although it has long been more than just an “online CV”, work-related content is still the most important there (which means that it is worth looking for B2B clients there). Teens and young adults are the dominant group on TikTok, but due to the dynamic growth, more and more older users can also be found there. Facebook, on the other hand, is still the largest social platform with great potential for brand owners, but has long since lost the sympathy of the youngest users. This does not mean that they cannot be found there, but in the collective consciousness Facebook is slowly becoming “booming”.

This shows how vigorous social media changes are, and nothing is given forever. Due to the number of users, companies and brands present on various portals, building recognition based on adjusting to trends becomes the key. Therefore, marketing channels require constant tracking and adapting messages to the current social situation.

What is local SEO?

Local SEO is defined as a series of onsite and offsite activities aimed at increasing the visibility of a selected set of keywords, but only within a specific area, e.g. a city or district. The essence of this solution is based on displaying information to the potential customer about the place where he is currently located.

For example: imagine that at the moment you are in a strange city, but you need to use the service of a hairdresser. In the past, you would ask local people and based on the first or most common answers you would choose the best provider. Nowadays, in a much shorter time, using a search engine, you can find a specialist in a given industry in the closest area and read opinions about it. So, as you can easily guess, an effectively conducted local positioning process combined with a good-quality product or service can bring a number of benefits for regional businesses.

What are the benefits of local SEO?

A well-planned and conducted SEO strategy at the local level brings unquestionable benefits for the business. First of all, it is worth realizing that competing with the competition on the domestic or global market is much more difficult, and also requires spending more time. On the other hand, positioning at the level of a specific region or city is not such a complicated process, and at the same time brings the intended results much faster (both in terms of a higher position in the rankings and financial profits associated with it – potential consumers are located nearby and are usually ready to take advantage of the offer on the same day).

Additionally, a less complex SEO process usually requires less money, especially in areas with low competition. This is also supported by the fact that optimization activities within local websites or catalogs are much cheaper. Local positioning of your website can also bring much better results if you also decide to implement a Google Ads advertising campaign or promote in selected social media.

Who should benefit from local SEO?

As you can easily guess, local website positioning works well for companies that operate in a certain area, e.g. in a given city or province. Very often, this solution is used by gastronomic establishments (restaurants, cafes, etc.) and health and fitness centers (private doctors, gyms, etc.). Local positioning is also used by companies that provide their services at the clients’ homes (e.g. hydraulic emergency, repair crews, locksmiths, etc.), as well as by premises where customers have to drive themselves (e.g. hairdresser, law firm, car service, etc.).

Of course, this method can be used by companies from various industries, so it does not have to be limited to the examples mentioned. However, those who opted for this solution should be aware that most local searches are done via smartphones. Their websites must therefore be responsive, and therefore adapted to users of mobile devices.

Geolocation and the impact on SEO

Geolocation, which allows to determine the geographic location of a given website user, is a very important factor affecting the search results. Previously, the displayed results were also dependent on the national search engine domain. This means that by entering a given phrase via google.com, you were getting exactly the same page ranking, no matter where you checked it. Currently, the results are localized to make it easier to find information from the user’s perspective. Of course, he does not have to fully rely on the search engine and he can specify the area for which he wants to receive information. It is enough to use the so-called Geolocated such request. “New York pizza.” Regardless of whether the user is currently in Boston or another city, Google should present a ranking of this type of restaurant from New York.

It is worth adding, however, that the geolocation performed by the search engine is so precise that in large agglomerations it may show websites of companies located in a specific district. The fact that many Internet users still enter the phrase + area in place of the bar may result from their habituation or earlier planning of their stay in another city. Nevertheless, this type of personalization of results is a very important SEO factor over which the person responsible for positioning a given page does not have much control.

As a website owner, however, it is mandatory to create a Google My Business listing and thus ensure visibility on Google Maps. Additionally, apart from XML sitemaps, you also need to equip yourself with a KML file (so-called geositemapa), which is used, among others, by by the Google Earth app. Thanks to it, you have a guarantee that your company or premises will be properly located in the search results. In addition, you also need to take care of local positioning through other activities: internal (proper website and content optimization), as well as external activities (acquiring links and encouraging customers to add opinions).

How to create a business card in the Google My Business service?

As it was emphasized above: setting up a business card in the Google My Business service is an absolute must if you care about local positioning of your company. Such action not only enables the company to be displayed in standard search results and maps, but also increases the credibility of your business from the point of view of Google.

Setting up a business card is not a complicated process, but it requires verification with a special PIN (in most cases sent via post in order to check the real address). When this stage is successful, you will have your own Google ID, where users will be able to check the address, phone number, opening hours, as well as see available photos and previous customer reviews.

When providing contact details (and therefore all information that can be used by your clients to contact a representative of the company), you must also be consistent. It is worth that the same address, telephone number or e-mail name should appear on the “contact” subpage, in the appendix with the regulations, and in all external sources. Then the algorithms will easily associate contact details with your business, which ultimately has a positive effect on local search results.

Customers opinion

A very important factor influencing the ranking of local search results are opinions about the company. This should not come as a surprise since Google always puts the well-being of the search engine user first. In turn, the opinions of existing consumers about a given service provider provide a lot of valuable information about his offer and customer service, and thus often help an undecided internet user to make a decision. Therefore, positive reviews about your company are read favorably by both Google robots and potential consumers.

For this reason, you need to ensure that your customers share their opinions (especially on the Google My Business listing, but also elsewhere), as their quantity and average are valuable guidelines for robots when determining local ranking. Additionally, it happens that Google displays selected ratings and reviews as part of presenting your business in search results. Thus, unflattering comments may result in your offer being quickly excluded by users.

Correct optimization of the website for local positioning

Of course, if you want to achieve a high position in local rankings, you shouldn’t forget to optimize your website properly. It includes a number of the same actions as in the case of SEO for general phrases, i.e. correct website structure and internal navigation or unique content. Website optimization for local positioning, however, provides for several additional, mandatory actions:

– placing a Google map (indicating the company’s seat) in the “contact” tab,
– company name, address and telephone number in the “contact” tab and in the footer,
– describing contact information using structured data,
– natural placement of the name of a given area in the website content, headers and meta descriptions.

Additionally, you cannot forget about external links to the website, which play a very important role in both general and local positioning. In the second case, it is worth taking care of links from local websites, e.g. regional advertising portals or local newspapers.

Local SEO can bring a number of benefits to your business in a short time. However, it requires the site owner to meet several conditions, including correct website optimization, effective link building or encouraging customers to leave ratings and opinions. There is no doubt, however, that such an action may result in reaching a wide group of customers in the area, and thus quickly monetizing the effects.