Zenergy Works began working with this client in November of 2015 and in the last 5 years that we’ve worked together we’ve:
This particular client is an Auto Body Shop with one location in Santa Rosa, California. (The client’s name will remain anonymous for strategic purposes). When we first connect with this client, we did an exhaustive debrief of the client’s marketing strategy, their ideal customer, as well as the types of services they prefer to provide and are most profitable. The initial diagnostic was this:
We made significant gains for this particular client by employing a geo-focused SEO campaign that allowed them to be found in search and build relevant website traffic quickly. We emphasized our core values (ie. OEM parts) using Google Text Ads to augment organic search positioning. We began using blog posts and social media to give relevant tips on auto maintenance, OEM parts v. aftermarket parts, and how to evaluate if a body shop has the proper certifications to return a vehicle to factory specifications.
Overall, the marketing strategy and tactics we’ve implemented for our client has led to dramatic increases in sales. Additionally, our targeting has allowed them to focus on the type of business that they prefer to complete and clients they wish to work with.
Here is a quote from our client about our services:
If you would like to find out more about how Zenergy Works can help your business to grow, please contact us. Your initial consultation is free. The client outlined here is available to discuss how their business has been changed by our marketing efforts.
Zenergy Works began working with this client in November of 2016 and in the last 36 months we’ve worked together we’ve:
This particular client is a Printed Circuit Board Manufacturer with locations in Silicon Valley, Connecticut, Texas and Southern California (The clients name will remain anonymous for strategic purposes). When we first connect with this client, we did an exhaustive debrief of the client’s marketing strategy, digital presence, their ideal customer, as well the types of services their prefer to provide and are most profitable. The initiation diagnostic was this:
We made significant gains for this particular client by employing a geo-focused SEO campaign that allowed them to be found in search and build relevant website traffic quickly. We helped in national expansion by strategically using Google Text Ads to augment organic search positioning and Google Display Ads to increase brand recognition.
By making marketing a priority, and getting constant input and assistance from the client, by the end of September 2020, we have been able to accomplish the following:
Overall, the marketing strategy and tactics we’ve implemented for our client has led to dramatic increases in sales. Additionally, our targeting has allowed them to focus of the type of business that they prefer to complete and clients they wish to work with.
If you would like to find out more about how Zenergy Works can help your business to grow, please contact us. Your initial consultation is free. The client outlined here is available to discuss how their business has been changed by our marketing efforts.
AI, Rankbrain, BERT, Content Creation, and others are all parts of the list of Google Algorithms that determine the placement of websites in search. Many of these algorithms are so complex that little or nothing can be done to directly optimize for the algorithm. There are, however, a few general tactics that can be done to optimize your site for Google search. I have listed and explained a few of these in this post. I know, sounds boring, but the results you will achieve from understanding and following these guidelines will likely be worth it.
It is not enough anymore to create unique content around a keyword that you wish to rank in search. You must also analyze the “intent” of the search query for that keyword. Does someone searching for “Best SEO Company” want a sales statement about how your firm is the best, or are they looking for case studies, examples of success, positive customer reviews and at least a hint at what tactics are used to gain placement for your clients? I think that the latter outline is what most searching for that term have in mind, and that is the information that one should provide.
There are four types of search queries according to Google:
The best indicator of what needs to be on your page to move up in rankings is to review what Google has on the SERP (Search Engine Results Page) for your search terms. If there are images in the search results, then images with optimized alt tags are important. Featured Snippets on the SERP? Be sure to use the proper schema data to highlight your content. If you are in local search, your Google My Business listing is critical. Optimize with posts, photos and correct NAP (name, address, phone number) info.
Page speed is an important factor of the User Experience (UX) of your site. It is also a ranking factor. You may assess your load speed by using Google’s Pagespeed Insights for load speed and Google Search Console to identify mobile and desktop usage issues and 404s (broken links) and other site structure issues. Google is using mobile first indexing almost universally now, so page load speed and UX are key to gaining rankings.
E-A-T stands for expertise, authority, and trustworthiness. It is difficult to say if optimizing this is going to improve rankings, but it should improve conversion knowing that the person or people behind the ideas being presented in the website are experts in their field. Be sure that you have contact info on your site, and that you have a profile page explaining who you are and outlining your experience and training.
The most important things about backlinks (links to your site from other sites) is that you want them to be from a variety of sites and that they be links that a human being would actually follow. Ahrefs.com and SEM Rush both have link building tools that will help to identify sites that link to competitors or have information relevant to your site.
There are so many things in SEO that are outside of our control The factors that we can influence are vulnerable to constant change. It is important to focus on strategies that are able to be improved, and trust that creating a website that has unique, relevant and valuable content that is presented in a fashion that allows a user to gain the answers to the questions they ask (keyword searches) will be valued not only by those who visit, but by Google Algorithms. The above list represents a few improvements that can be made to help a site to rank in SERP.
Mobile-first Indexing was one of the biggest changes that Google has brought forth in the past year. Google is correct to acknowledge the explosion in mobile search queries and the need to force website owners to optimize for mobile search. As time has gone by, the practical methods of optimizing a website for mobile-first indexing. I will list a few that have worked for us in the past:
have changed because of voice search and search habits of those looking for goods and services “near me”. Some of the searches that are now being emphasized are long-tail queries (ie. Best tire store for Goodyear tires), informational queries (ie. What is a mud and snow rated tire?), how do I searches (ie. How do I put snow chains on my car?), and local search (ie. Best tire store near me). According to Google, the fastest-growing types of queries are personal search (ie. How do I know when my car needs new tires?), and conversational search (ie. Can I buy tires online?). Personal search and conversational searches are growing because of the continued use of handheld devices to help us navigate our lives. No doubt, this trend will continue and is a vital need for websites to remain relevant moving ahead.
has always been the key to successful SEO. Content that is unique and valuable and addresses the needs of those searching for the keywords that you wish to feature is the key to being prominently featured in Google search results. The change in search queries has necessitated a different keyword research and content approach. Focus is now directed to the intent of search queries, understanding that intent, and fulfilling the need. Google has become much better at gauging whether or not website content fulfills the intent of the search. It is vitally important to watch the performance of website content on different devices. Searches vary depending on the type of device that is used for search. Mobile-first indexing does not mean that the search terms that are more relevant for desktop search should be eliminated, but rather that the content and search terms that apply best to mobile search should be added and constantly evaluated.
in the context of mobile-first indexing has become far more complex. The use of machine learning in search algorithms is designed to evaluate page performance and the level of engagement with searchers who find and use the page. With mobile search growing, the demands of having site content fulfill the needs of different searches on different devices with different intent become daunting. The practical solution seems to be a combination of identifying and prioritizing what searches are the most relevant to the core business of the company, and (taking a page from the paid marketing handbook) creating more landing pages to be certain to address the exact intent of the visitor to the page.
is the same: to deliver the best content that matches the intent of online searchers and remain relevant in an era of increased competition for the online space from internet giants like Amazon and Facebook. A close evaluation of recent algorithm changes is true to this original intent. The practical part of this is that SEO is now more complex and requires consideration of the intent and keyword use of different users on different devices. The key is to decide what is relevant to you. The intent of a typically older audience may be more or less relevant depending on the product offered and the positioning of that product. The technical aspects of SEO should not cause online marketers to lose sight of their target audience and the search intent of that audience. Most goods and services that are offered have a unique selling proposition, and taking the time to understand how search queries are designed to find this uniqueness is a key to SEO success in the new mobile-first search environment.
Looked at a certain way, it could be said that Google’s desire to show users what they want to see has remained consistent. What has changed is the users’ age, what they desire, when they desire it and what device they desire it on. So the intent of Google’s algorithm likely remains the same.
The mobile-first index can be seen as a logical response to how users have changed. It’s backward to think of it as Google forcing web publishers to adapt to Google.What’s happening is that web publishers must adapt to how their users have changed.
Ultimately that is the best way to think of the mobile-first index. Not as a response to what Google wants but to approach the problem as a response to the evolving needs of the user.
Google+ launched in 2011 as Google’s attempt at a social media platform. Originally conceived to take market share from social media juggernaut Facebook, it never achieved its goal. Other than some hardcore fans, Google+ by 2018 has become largely a has-been. So when news broke that there had a been a data breach of user information at G+, it was not a huge surprise that the corporation announced it would be shutting down operations over the coming months.
The end of Google+ has seemed inevitable for a while. The question is, now that Google has officially announced the end, what impact will it have on SEO?
When it first launched, Google hinted that Google plus and +1 buttons would be a factor in search rankings. They did show up in searches over the years. Google also offered Search Plus Your World, a personalized search that showed results based on what your Google plus friends searched for and clicked on. Google actively tried to drive conversation on its social network by recommending people take their search to Google+, including highlighting Google+ content in search results and in Google News and showing users what was trending on Google plus. There was also an in-depth local search integration between Google Local and Google plus results.
Ultimately, all these attempts to promote Google+ failed. Over the years, Google stopped the heavy promotion of G+. Features and integrations with other Google products slowly faded. At this point, G+ does not play a large role in Google search. Although it has affected search in the past, it has been inactive for a while now.
When Google+ is shut down for consumer use in August 2019, I expect no impact to SEO. This has been a long time coming, Google just made it official.
It sounds easy to get PPC and SEO to work together, but creating an effective joint strategy can be challenging. I will outline some proven strategies on how these two platforms can work together.
1. Keyword Research. We have great tools, but many companies effectively use their PPC campaigns to test and perfect new keyword streams and approaches before writing SEO copy and implementing new SEO pages on their websites.
2. Effective PPC Ads = Better Meta Descriptions. Meta descriptions can be tricky to write and have a major effect on click-throughs from effective SEO placement. Using copy techniques from PPC ads that enjoy high click through ratios in meta descriptions is a proven technique to improve search traffic.
3. Browser Device Variations. It has become a challenge to track search results through all browser and device variations. PPC allows results to be more consistent and ensure top placement across the board for the most important Keyword Streams. Many online marketers tend to pause keyword streams that enjoy top 3 rankings on the first page of organic results, but the consistency of top page results makes this challenging.
4. SEO Pages Make Great PPC Landing Pages. Copy that is added for vital SEO Keywords on your website make great PPC landing pages. In theory, SEO pages should be designed for maximum conversion and should naturally improve quality scores for PPC keyword targets. This will not work in all instances but is a solid strategy for most clients, especially small and medium-sized businesses with limited online marketing resources.
5. Branded Results. Showing up #1 in search for your company name is a given, but does that justify turning off branded search in PPC? Maybe not, especially if you have a generic search term as your business name, ie. Quality Auto Repair. Do not let a competitor sneak into primary position for your customers just looking for your phone number. Many clients are concerned about maintaining top of page position for mobile search users. In that case, simply turn off desktop search in your campaign.
6. Organic v. PPC Rankings/Conversion. Despite the concerns voiced in #3 above, I would recommend using tools like SEM Rush to find placement reports for organic v. paid search. If organics are not ranking for paid search terms that are converting for you, it indicates that more effort should be placed into organic placement for these terms. In contrast, consideration should be given to pausing or constricting results by designating “exact match” for paid search terms that are not converting where organic placement is strong. You will want to search a sampling of the rankings found by automated services with manual search to ensure that placement is accurate.
The key is balancing your paid spend and efforts to gain organic placement to ensure that you have placement in the searches that will drive qualified customers to your business. Using paid and organic search strategies together will improve relevant search traffic and optimize online marketing investment.
Eric Van Cleave is Managing Partner of Zenergy Works, a Santa Rosa California based online marketing firm.
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It’s Spring cleaning time for your website! It can be challenging to select the right fit for your web redesign efforts. Frequently, your needs aren’t met due to lack of research and background information on the agency you choose. Before selecting an agency, use these steps to guide you to the right decision for you and your business.
When choosing an agency to work with:
What Do You Need?
Admittedly a simple question, but it is vital in selecting the right agency. It’s tough for an agency to improve your web design if you don’t know what you need. Making a hierarchy list of your needs can help narrow the search. Some agencies specialize in different web design aspects. Knowing what you need is a great start.
The Proposal
Ah yes, the official proposal. This is a very helpful tool for assessing agencies. Many agencies display their prior work in their proposals. If the web design team has worked in your industry before, it’s a great sign for you. Check out their prior work to ensure that they are compatible with your web design vision.
The Development Team & Their Experience
The people working on your website are just as important as the website itself. If the company is local, go for a visit and meet with their team. If that’s not an option, rely on their previous work. High quality work usually implies a larger, experienced team. An experienced team can provide insight into the latest trends and techniques in web development.
How It All Works
Asking about the agency’s plan of attack is a great starting point. Any good agency has a set and direct process for how they work. The process may vary between projects, but the foundation should remain consistent. Asking about the process could provide helpful insight into the agency’s structure.
Cash Money
Now for the awkward part: the budget. This can be very helpful for you when comparing budgets and agencies. Does the quality fit the price? Does the timeline fit the price? These are all things to consider when deciding on a final budget.
Zenergy Works is always here for your SEO, online marketing, and web design projects. We aim to please! Feel free to contact us here.
Schema data has become a central piece of the local SEO puzzle. On the morning of May 13, Google announced that they now have added additional schema support for business information. Specifically, they now handle several types of helpful business data that enhances user experience, explained in more detail below.
Pierre Far, one of the Googlers involved in this project, said on Google+ the specific schema data supported for the rich snippets include:
There is an ongoing forum discussion at Google+.
Bottom Line: Google continues to strive to improve the search experience. SEO was previously a bag of tricks to make Google “think” your website was the most relevant search result to gain rankings. Now, the trick is to actually make your site the most relevant result to searches for the keywords that are being optimized. A lot more work, but a lot more fun, in my opinion.
Eric Van Cleave is a Partner in Zenergy Works, a Santa Rosa, California based SEO, SEM, Web Design and Website Development firm.
