SEO Blogging: What is Google Looking For?

There are a few concepts that are central to content marketing. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and blogging are right at the top of that list. SEO is an important blogging practice, and blogging is likewise important to effective SEO, even in a time of ever-evolving search algorithms and indexing criteria. So how can you make the most of SEO blogging? By knowing what Google looks for, of course! Below, we have broken down the most important content marketing and SEO blogging practices so you can implement a winning SEO strategy.

Update Your Blog (and Everything Else)

Frequent updates tell Google that your site is alive and kicking, and that your business is still around. But it’s not enough to add new blog posts every once in a blue moon.

SEO Blogging

The blog on your website should be updated at least weekly with fresh articles. Likewise, any outdated or irrelevant articles should be updated or pruned to keep your blog healthy and active in the eyes of Google. This could mean updating expired source or attribution links, changing keywords, or culling seasonal content whose time has passed and republishing with a fresh spin when it comes around again.

Website SEO

It’s not just your blog that needs refreshing to remind Google you’re still out there. It’s your pages, your metadata, and your site functionality, too. Google indexes frequently-updated sites more often, which means more traffic, more leads, and more sales. Your copy and static page content have to be optimized in the same way you would optimize a blog post, including monitoring for keyword shifts and any performance issues with Google’s tools (and a professional SEO audit to help you focus your efforts).

KLIQ Up Dust

There are four primary ingredients to creating and maintaining content that will make Google swoon (or, at least, send tons of traffic your way): Keywords, Links, Images, and Quality.

Keywords

Keywords are the bread and butter of SEO blogging. These frequently-searched terms and phrases (a keyword can be – and often is – more than one word) are what search engines like Google look for in your content. They should accurately reflect your target audience’s pain points (like “tips for buying a home” or “Idaho real estate”, for example) and they should be all over your content (title, slug, metadata, headings, image subtext, etc.).

Links

SEO blogging is about more than just making your voice heard. Linking to sources in your text is a surefire way to bolster your credibility with readers, and Google knows it. It also pays attention to how many times your site is linked to, including in your own posts. Linking to relevant blogs and multiple pages in a post is both a subtle (and effective) marketing technique and an SEO blogging staple.

Images

Google’s Image Search isn’t the only thing looking for pictures. It’s search algorithms and indexing crawls are designed to optimize the user experience, and Google knows that people like pictures. Including at least a featured image, and ideally, a couple more, are excellent ways to make your content more appealing to visitors, be it in a blog or on your “About Us” page. Plus, the HTML image subtext is a great place to strategically insert a targeted keyword.

Quality

There is a reason that keyword-rich, but poorly-written, content doesn’t rank very high for very long. Google doesn’t just look for certain words, it looks at all of them. Don’t fall into the trap of sticking in keywords and backlinks where they don’t belong just for the sake of density (or using a generator to spin content into unique, but nonsensical, gibberish). Unique content and keyword density are important, but quality content is what people, and Google, are really looking for.

If this seems like just too much to keep track of on your own, you’re in good company. Many small and medium business owners – from real estate agents to breweries to manufacturing startups – need an experienced SEO blogging guru on their team to turn so-so copy and lackluster blogs into traffic and ranking superstars. That’s why content marketing firms like Little Egg Solutions exist: to leverage our expertise for your financial benefit. Contact us today to find out more about our SEO blogging services!

Little Egg Solutions $500 College Scholarship

Little Egg Solutions is an SEO and Social Media Marketing firm located in Boise, Idaho. We help businesses achieve their online marketing goals through customized campaigns.

Scholarship Instructions

Students who are currently enrolled or enrolling in the 2019 spring semester at a college, university, or trade school in the US will personally write a 500 - 1,000 word essay on their ideas on how to combat online bullying.

Please attach the essay in an email to info@littlegg.solutions with the subject line “Little Egg Solutions Scholarship.” In order for the essay to be considered you must include your full name, age, phone number, address, and the name of the school you are currently enrolled in or plan to be enrolled in. By completing these steps you give Little Egg Solutions permission to contact your school to verify enrollment.

Important Dates

Applications will be accepted for the 2019 Little Egg Solutions Scholarship until December 15th, 2018. No essays will be accepted after December 15th, 2018.

We will review all applicants and announce the winner by January 5th, 2019. The winner will be contacted by the email used to submit the essay and the $500 scholarship award will be mailed via check directly to the winner.

Disclaimer

By submitting an essay to Little Egg Solutions you certify that all the information you have provided is accurate and complete. You agree to transfer all rights and ownership of your essay and all submitted information to Little Egg Solutions. You also agree that your name, essay, and award amount may be used on our website, through announcements, or articles (i.e. social media, newsletter, etc) issued by Little Egg Solutions. You may remain anonymous if requested in your original submission. The winner of the essay scholarship is completely at the discretion of Little Egg Solutions.

SEO Audits: Wellness Check for Your Website

We’ve talked a little bit about SEO audits before, and how an SEO professional can help you make the most of your web presence. But how important are SEO audits to small business success? Very. Think of an SEO audit like a well-check visit or a check-up with your doctor. Even if you’re not sick, it’s important to have regular check-ups to catch problems before they get serious and to measure your overall health. An SEO audit does the same thing for your website: catches problems early and measures the overall rank-ability of your site.

Via Sonny Abesamis | Flickr

How does an SEO audit work?

An SEO audit looks for potential and existing problems with the functionality, UI, layout, and content of a website in terms of what search engines look for when ranking results. By comparing the website to known SEO criteria, the auditor can determine how friendly the site would be considered by search engines and what areas need improvement or replacement.

An SEO audit can be performed manually by you or an SEO professional, or it can be done using one of the many SEO auditing tools available online. Manual audits are the most effective, as they give feedback specifically about your site, rather than the generalized advice provided by the auditing algorithms of the tools.

What kinds of problems do SEO audits find?

An SEO auditor will look at several factors to determine which areas of your website need improvement to give you the best possible results. Many of these are content-related (i.e. page titles, URLs, meta descriptions, and unique – and properly keyword-infused – page content). Poorly grouped or formatted content, including text, ads, and images, can cause serious rank reductions in search engines. Hidden text plays a major role in high-ranking SEO, so the HTML and subtext of your content and site will be examined for any issues, such as missing or inappropriate subtext or broken scripts.

One of the major factors in SERP ranking is user friendliness and load time. These will be evaluated, as well as a search for broken or outdated links, which can damage your rankings and frustrate users. Missing or broken pages, like a lack of an about page or privacy policy, can also be detrimental to the health of your website. There are dozens of potential issues that an SEO audit can catch early so you avoid Google penalization.

How often should an SEO audit be performed?

On-site SEO audits should be performed at least quarterly, especially if you (wisely) employ a strategic linking strategy and regularly update your content. Small errors in code, formatting, and broken or redirected links can pop up when you least expect them, and it’s much easier to fix these issues early than to repair the damage to your rankings they will have. And, as you become more well-versed in correcting SEO mistakes, you’ll make fewer of them in the future. Regular professional SEO audits also inform you of any new criteria for SERP ranking so that you can adjust your approach as needed.

Via Josh MacDonald | Flickr

The doctor is in.

If you were due for a well-check visit, would you have your friend look you over to save a few bucks, or use WebMD and Google to diagnose yourself? Of course not; you’d make an appointment with a medical professional. Shouldn’t you give the health of your business the same consideration? The SEO experts at Little Egg Solutions have worked hard to understand SEO ranking factors and to learn to identify potential problems. Contact us today to find out how we can help keep your site (and thus, your profits) in tip-top shape.

Imminent Domain (Name): Why You Need Your Own Website

The world-wide web is a big (and, frankly, sometimes-scary) place. At Little Egg Solutions, we are a small firm specializing in web-based marketing strategies for other small and medium businesses, so we know how vast that ocean can seem to a little fish used to a much smaller pond. For entrepreneurs who are just beginning to branch out into the digital marketplace, it may be tempting to take shelter under the eaves of a larger conglomerate site. Many parent organizations and agency associations have shiny, professional sites that their partners and agents can use, like a real estate company who lists all of its agents, to get their name on the net without all the hassle of purchasing a domain name, building a site, formatting HTML, et cetera.

Don’t do that. (At least, don’t only do that.)

We know, we know; it seems like a logical way to find the eyes of potential clients. After all, why would they be on the site if they weren’t interested in the services provided? Plus, you’ll be benefiting from all the traffic these major sites receive while they do the marketing legwork, right?

Wrong. Yes, those sites get tons of traffic. Yes, those visitors are probably in the market to buy what you’re selling. But that doesn’t mean they’ll be buying it from you. Huge conglomerate sites are complex: built with pages upon menus upon more pages. For your prospects, finding your name in the (admittedly smaller) sea of service providers contained therein is almost like finding a needle in a stack of needles.

Besides, what if you leave the brokerage or agency that’s featuring your page?

Your web presence disappears, that’s what happens. You need a separate, distinct island in the Internet Ocean with a bridge back to the mega-site (in the form of links) to set you apart and truly reap the benefits of your association with the organization’s web presence. Personal branding is important for business success in today’s world. People want to buy from (and sell through) people, not faceless corporations.

Also, people like to buy from people who have experience, and the more positive, professional, helpful information they can find in their search for someone who can help them, the better. By building a separate site for your business, you get your name on the web on your own terms and dictate the content and character of your personal professional brand. Your presence online is not reliant on the favor of any other organization, but you can still link back to the organization’s provided page for increased credibility. It’s a win-win.

But I don’t know how to make a website!

You can use any number of hosting sites, like WordPress, to create a simple, professional website with their templates. Or, even better, you can hire someone to do it for you, and remove the headache completely. At Little Egg Solutions, we can build a perfect, personal website for your individual business needs. Contact us today to find out how we can add a little distance and distinction from the herd to your web presence!

Small Business Saturday Success Through Social Media Marketing

Here at Little Egg Solutions, we have made it our mission to help small and medium businesses compete against big names in their niches through social media and content marketing. When it comes to going head-to-head with household brands, there’s no better day than Small Business Saturday, the mom-and-pop shop follow-up to Black Friday. Social media marketing is the key to success on the biggest small business shopping day of the year, and these are our top tips for spreading the word, making more sales, and how to maximize your social media impact.

Via Mike Licht | Flickr

Spreading Awareness

One key obstacle to Small Business Saturday success is simply making people aware (or reminding them) that it exists. Traditional media channels and print advertising are saturated with “Black Friday” ads for big business, making it harder for small and medium businesses to reach audiences through them. That’s where social media comes in. From Facebook scrolling to perusing Twitter, your audience is already on social platforms multiple times per day; why not market to them where their attention already is instead of trying to redirect their attention on another platform? Small businesses can use informative, personal posts to remind buyers to patronize SMBs on Saturday and boost their personal branding connection with their clients.

Boost Your Sales

Many of the everyday social media marketing tactics you use to boost your reach and your engagement can be repurposed to boost your sales on Small Business Saturday. Soft-selling tactics and personal branding are the key to reaching potential customers on social channels and making a personal connection with them. More and more, people want to buy from people, so show them your behind-the-scenes as you prepare, share deals and info, tag your posts with unifying hashtags like #shopsmall or #smallbusinesssaturday2017, and speak directly to your followers with direct messaging, reposts or replies. Engage with them on a personal level, and your audience will be flocking to your doors to help their friends, neighbors, and community leaders to succeed.

Maximum Impact

To get the most out of your social media marketing strategy, it’s important to maximize your reach. This calls for a cross-platform approach that makes use of each platform’s unique features and audience demographics. Customize your copy with best-practices that utilize the strengths of each channel in your marketing arsenal. By making platform-specific posts, you’ll maximize your reach and your marketing impact (and you’ll see more sales on the big day – and every other day).

Via Automotive Social | Flickr

In a market saturated with big-name brands, it’s crucial for small and medium businesses to find whatever edge they can to thrive. Social media marketing, in its nearly-infinite and cost-effective capacity to reach the masses in the Digital Age, can be precisely that edge – especially on the biggest small-business shopping day of the year. If you’re not sure how to channel the power of social media marketing into Small Business Saturday success, the SMM experts at Little Egg Solutions can help! Contact us today to find out how!  

Benefits for Benefits Brokers: Social Media for Open Enrollment

In the first installment of our Benefits for Benefits Brokers blog series, we talked about the importance of integrating social media into your healthcare marketing strategy. This time, the social media experts here at Little Egg are tackling one of the most underrated – and important – benefits of social media for brokers and your clients: open enrollment. Social media can be used to distribute information to employees and other potential clients about benefits and enrollment, communicate deadlines and eligibility requirements, resolve questions and concerns, and even start the enrollment process. Many healthcare brokers and their clients overlook this cost-effective and easy-to-implement strategy, and they’re missing out.

Via Blogtrepreneur | Flickr

Communication

Do you still use paper pamphlets and printed flyers to disseminate information about open enrollment? What if there was a way to keep your marketing materials in a place that your entire target audience could see it, save it for when they have more time, come back to it when they can, and never lose it or toss it away? A blog, Twitter, and Facebook are all fantastic ways to get your content in front of the eyes of people who need to see it. You can engage with your target audience directly and communicate important dates, eligibility information, benefits and plan options, and the enrollment process in a manner that they already use.

Customer Service

Social media is also an excellent customer service solution. You can host Q&A sessions, provide an FAQ and give  personal service through email and instant messaging. Most social platforms allow commentary on content, and potential clients can provide feedback as well as ask questions. Engagement broadens your reach to their network as well, allowing you to attract more clients beyond your original target audience.

Digital Enrollment

For digital enrollment, social media is an excellent tool, both for initiating the process and for marketing links. Your reach is expanded, and you can quickly and easily distribute materials to both your target and their network. With social media use becoming more universal and integrated into society every day, they’ll be exposed to your content more often, reminding them and providing a convenient solution for employees and entities alike.

Instead of relying on wasteful paper communications, go digital with your open-enrollment strategy in 2018. The people you’re trying to reach are online already; why not reach them where they are with a post, a blog, or a Q&A session that won’t get lost or accidentally thrown away? Little Egg Solutions is staffed by experts in digital communications and engaging your audience; we can help you get started with a winning strategy and quality content. Contact us today to learn more!

Event Marketing on Social Media 101

Events, workshops, conventions, and webinars: what do they all have in common? They’re social gatherings of like-minded leads. What better way to promote a social gathering than by harnessing the power of social media marketing in your approach – from hashtags to event pages to sneak peeks and exclusive content? At Little Egg Solutions, we understand how integral social media marketing is to a successful event marketing campaign in the modern world. Here are our top three tips for leveraging your social presence to bring more people to your event door.

Via Techndu | Flickr

Twitter

Hashtags are the most direct benefit of promoting an event on Twitter. The hashtag allows for instant unification of your event-related posts, and it gives you a way to track the success of your marketing strategy so far – you can tell who is talking about your event and what they’re saying with a simple search. Start here, and start early; you want to have an idea for your hashtag before your promotion kicks off.

Short, simple tags are best. The fewer characters you need for the tag, the more you can use to promote your event with superb content. If your event is annual, like a convention, include the year in your tag to avoid confusion. Check to make sure the tag is unique (it should produce no results in search) and use it in everything related to your event – even your mailing list content and printed promotion materials. This hashtag can be used on other social media sites to tie the campaign together, and – unless you’re running a contest or promotion for extra engagement – there should only be one tag for your event to avoid confusion.

Facebook

Promoting an event on Facebook is even easier with the native Event feature. Create an event, complete with helpful information, guides for registration (lead-capture, anyone?), and stunning photos. Then invite everyone and their brother to attend. As your followers’ friends notice they’re attending, they’ll be more inclined to take a look for themselves, and your list will grow organically.

Alternately, you can create a separate page dedicated to your event. This approach is more in-depth – with more detailed information and the opportunity to use the built-in lead-capture tab, but the expanded capabilities will allow for more discussion, engagement, and promotion than simply creating an event on your main page. Regular posting to the event page with relevant, engaging content will help build anticipation and get people talking about your workshop, seminar, or convention. Be sure to use your Twitter hashtags on posts to tie everything together, and don’t forget to link back to your business page from the event page.

Instagram

People love sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes exclusives, so use your Instagram to give those attending your event – or even those who are just interested – a look behind the curtain. Use your already-established hashtags to tie all of your photos and videos together, and invite people to share their own. Engage your followers (and call for more) by prompting them to respond, or to follow for more exclusive content.

You can also create a separate hashtag just for follower engagement. For example, encourage followers who are interested in your event to participate with a photo contest or collection. Having a workshop on marketing success? Ask for photos that represent success for your followers and unite them with a hashtag (#mysuccessstory, for example).

Via Flickr

As important as each individual strategy is, they work best when integrated into a comprehensive social media marketing campaign that goes beyond the event and connects with your target audience. If you already have hundreds of followers, word-of-mouth spreads that much faster when an event rolls around that people can get excited about. That’s where content marketing and a strong social media presence becomes your biggest online asset – but it’s tough. Little Egg Solutions is here to help, and our team of expert content creators, marketing specialists, and consultants can put together the right plan for growing and promoting your small or medium business. Contact us today to find out how!