March 2016 - DigitalParc

The Google RankBrain Algorithm: What You Need to Know

Posted on March 28, 2016 by dpadmin

RankBrain – a new algorithm released by Google – is a much more complex update than previous updates like Panda and Penguin. According to Google, RankBrain is now the third most important factor when determining what results are provided for specific search requisites. Google RankBrain algorithm can impact your business in a number of ways. That is why it is critical that business owners figure out how it works and how to utilize it to improve SEO.

Google RankBrain Algorithm

RankBrain works by processing large amounts of search queries through a new element in order to gain a better understanding of user queries. It then provides more appropriate results at a much faster rate. In other words, RankBrain has allowed Google to incorporate artificial intelligence into their most recent update.

The goal here, of course, is to gain a better understanding of user interests, needs and habits, and what users are looking for when conducting search queries. Acquiring such information allows Google to provide users with the most relevant content related to their specific search queries, so that they can spend less time browsing through unhelpful information and more time getting the results they want.

How RankBrain May Impact Your Business

RankBrain can impact your business in a number of ways. The first and primary way in which the new update will influence business traffic is by eliminating the focus on keywords. RankBrain provides search query results based on context and not simply on keyword matches. This means that companies will have to start thinking more about what are people searching for to land on a website site and less about what keywords should be used to optimize search results? Business owners will need to gain a more comprehensive understanding of their target audience, as well as the triggers that prompt them to visit their websites in order to make the most of this new technology, which is revolutionizing the SEO and digital marketing industry.

Evaluate your SEO

With every new algorithm that comes out, you should take a good hard look at your SEO to see if your site’s pages are optimized, and that you’re conducting your optimization in a way that Google won’t penalize. As time goes on, Google is only going to get better at crawling your site, so you can’t afford to try to game the system. Remember that SEO is a process, and it takes a lot of effort to get where you want to be.

How to Create an Effective URL for SEO

Posted on March 21, 2016 by dpadmin

How easily search engine users find the information contained on your specific website depends largely on your internal link structure. Although necessary, URLs can be confusing and read more like gibberish than viable information. A confusing URL structure can also result in a lot of useful information or content going unnoticed, leaving you with only a few web page results that are either vague or completely off topic. Duplication, in which several URLs all point to the same page, may also cause your search optimization to be lacking, causing you to lose out on potential customers.

While all if this may sound complicated, making a website more SEO-friendly is not difficult. SEO-friendly sites, or links, are more easily accessible by search engines when they are properly indexed during development. Here are some tips on how to create an effective URL for SEO purposes you should consider using for your website.

How To Create an Effective URL for SEO Purposes

There are several key elements web designers use to make your site’s URL optimal for web-based SEO searches. These include:

Simple/Straightforward.

Your site’s URL should be written in a way that is simple and straightforward so that it is easy to read and comprehend. Using keywords related to the site helps to optimize your search results.

Using the Right URL.

Tour website must be indexed so that it is easily accessible and not hidden from popular search engines.

Consolidate your ‘www’ and ‘non-www’ domains.

Tour website’s domain link structures must also be consolidated, so as to avoid backlinks going to one domain over another, and vice-versa.

Avoid dynamic and relative URLs.

Relative URLs can create infinite loops that can trap search engines and negatively affect your URL search optimization; relative URLs are also dependent on context, which can change overtime, so using an absolute URL is definitely the way to go.

Create an XML sitemap.

Unlike HTML sitemaps, XML assist search engines in finding your site with relative ease; that said, you should only include the web pages that show up in your results for SEO reasons/optimization.

Conceal irrelevant context.

Pages that do not contain any of your target keywords should be concealed in order to optimize your search; session IDs also pose the risk of duplicating existing URLs, which can confuse your site visitors and make web searches all the more difficult. Instructions must, therefore, be sent to the search engines in order to avoid pages that you don’t want indexed or crawled showing up in the search results.

Use tags to specify canonical URLs.

A canonical URL is the URL that you want visitors to see; canonical tags can, therefore, be applied to assist search engines in more easily locating your site.

Follow These Image Optimization Tips to Enhance SEO

Posted on March 7, 2016 by dpadmin

Let’s say you are a wedding photographer in Minnesota. When search engine users search for “wedding photographers in Minnesota”, what steps must be taken to ensure that your photography website shows up on page one?One element of SEO that is often overlooked is the proper optimization of images. Using images and setting them up properly can significantly enhance your SEO efforts. If you have already mastered keyword optimization and want to take your SEO to the next level, learning to optimize images should be your next step. The list below outlines comprehensive yet detailed image optimization tips that yield stronger search engine rankings.

Image Optimization Tips

ALT Tags.

An alt tag is a snippet of text that search engines read to understand the images on your site. An ALT tag tells Google, for example, what the image portrays. Keep ALT tags short, using one sentence or less.

File Size.

We live in an impatient world. That is why the images used on your site should always be high in quality yet small in file size.

File Title.

If you search for an image, the results you get from the search engine will always feature the keywords you typed in their file names. Therefore, to improve your image SEO efforts, always pick a descriptive name title for your images before uploading them. SEO experts suggest very exact file names such as Minnesota-photographer.jpg.

Context.

The contents of the images on your site should always be relevant to the context of your webpage content. Not only does this increase your credibility as an authority in your niche; it also increases your chances of getting better search engine rankings.

Captions.

Although there is no direct correlation between captions and SEO, captions provide a convenient way of grabbing the attention of a search engine crawler when it visits through your site.

While many people think of website images as simple eye candy, photos can be used to generate massive traffic. Why should you spend endless hours crafting the perfect onsite content only to miss out on a major SEO opportunity due to poor image optimization? Not only will image optimization benefit your online visibility; it only takes a few a minutes to set up properly.

How to Build a Profitable Opt In List

Posted on March 4, 2016 by dpadmin

The unfortunate truth is that many online marketers are not making any profits, and as more individuals and big companies join the fray, the competition is becoming more cutthroat and novices are finding it harder to stay afloat. Nevertheless, there is a wealth of information on how to succeed in online marketing. If you are constantly searching for new ideas, you may have learned about “opt in” lists. An opt in list is a list of prospects and customers who have joined your email list by signing up using their names or email addresses. If you don’t know how to build a profitable opt in list, however, you won’t be generating nearly as many leads as you could be.

When you build up your subscriber list, you stand a better chance of generating more revenue. Here are four proven methods on how to build a profitable opt in list:

Aim at getting your customers to trust you first.

Simply launching an opt-in list will not suddenly make you a believable seller. You will need to do more. To start, publish articles and other content before you begin building your opt-in list. Write about a topic that you are knowledgeable with. You could begin by publishing your work in online forums to gauge the needs and wants of your customers. Then target those specific areas.

Focus on providing expert advice and recommendations.

Once you feel that you can earn the trust of users, create an opt-in list option and build a base on the forum users. Invite them to join your list. Do not neglect your friends. They can be your first customers, so meet with as many of them face-to-face and tell them what your business is about. Remember that you will only start seeing returns if customers and subscribers trust you.

Create useful products, not just hype.

There is a misconception that online marketing is primarily about creating hype. While this may work at times, your most important responsibility is to make sure that your customers will find your product or service useful. You need to conduct research on the preferences of buyers so that you can tailor your goods to address these needs. This way, you will be build trust. It is not about what you think will be interesting to your potential customers. Let your production be guided by qualitative research.

Build relationships with other opt-in list users.

Find online marketers who have been successful doing this and learn from them. Why repeat the mistakes that have been made by others? Experience is the best teacher, but you do not have to make mistakes to learn.

Nothing is more important than getting a firsthand account from someone you can trust. Experienced opt-in users will advise you on what to do and how to navigate various obstacles. This can be very helpful, especially when you are starting out.