SEO News Update – Week of February 20 2021

Google Changes, Updates & More

Google’s forced SSL search page, encrypted.google.com, is shutting down

Back in 2010, Google launched encrypted.google.com, a search page that supported SSL encryption. There were a few other privacy features as well, like limited query info for advertisements, but SSL was the main improvement. In October 2011, the main Google site switched to SSL, so there wasn’t much of a need for the encrypted site anymore.

Google: Focused Search Updates Daily & Core Updates Every Other Month

When Google confirmed the Google update from the weekend, Danny Sullivan explained that it was a “core update” that happens only several times per year, versus the Google statement around Google doing updates several times per day. Those daily updates are called “focused updates.”

Google confirms core search ranking algorithm update

Google has confirmed that they ran a “broad core algorithm update” last week that has impacted the appearance and rankings of some websites in the search results.

Google search results page displays answer without any search results

Google is now showing answers without any additional search results for some queries. For example, if you search for [time in los angeles] or [time in new zealand], Google will show the answer, then show a button below the answer to load the search results.

Google Sets Aggressive Limits On Request Indexing Fetch Tool

As many of you know, Google has set new quotas for the Fetch as Google submit to index feature because of spam and abuse. But it still seems there is a cat and mouse game going on between Google and spammers with that tool.

BACK TO THE FUTURE: GOOGLE ROLLING OUT BUSINESS DESCRIPTIONS IN GMB DASHBOARD

Google, in going way back to the future, appears to be rolling out the ability of a business to enter a business description that appears in their Knowledge Panel.

Google Images update: Captions added to images, pulled from the page title tag

Google Images search results continue to evolve — from the rollout of badges last summer to the related searches box this past December and the removal of the “view image” and “search by image” buttons last month. Google has been rapidly expanding visual search features.

Stop! Think twice before using nofollow attributes on your website

Using page-level nofollow attributes? Just stop, says Contributor Patrick Stox. Instead, use nofollow on specific links if you have to use them at all.

Get your #SMXInsights here! Tastiest takeaways from SMX West 2018

Relive the magic of SMX West (and catch up if you couldn’t make it to the show) with the most valuable #SMXinsights.

 

Tutorials, Analysis & SEO Budgeting

4 concrete ways to use images to build links

Every picture tells a story and also may help you build links. Contributor Pratik Dholakiya shares four solid ways to use images to attract links.

User-Friendly Links Are The Future of SEO

You have several links under your belt, and you’re getting more responses to your outreach emails. You’re finding relevant target sites and not overusing the same anchor text over and over again. But If you want to step it up your game even more, consider the intersection of user experience and link building.

How to Build Links Like a Business Networker

Looking for unique link-building strategies? You’re not alone. Marketers are taking outreach to the next level with some stupid-crazy stunts. Case in point: My buddy runs an agency, and his idea of outreach is beyond eccentric. They are buying 50 mannequin arms, and snail-mailing them out with a hand-written message about “reaching out”. Outreach just got literal. They are going as far as to have temporary tattoos of each prospect’s logo printed and placed on the hands to personalize things even further. As crazy as it may be, he’s on to something. When’s the last time you were excited about getting another guest post request via email?

Everything You Need to Know About Interactive Content for SEO

For years, writing articles was the best way to create meaningful content and improve your site’s rankings in search engines. Today, content is still king–but the type of content required to see the best results is starting to change.

5 Ways to Use Retail SEO to Improve Local Rankings

Local SEO doesn’t just increase your Google ranking, it can also supercharge your foot traffic. Here are five retail SEO strategies every store owner needs.

Here Are 7 Killer Steps on How to Win at Local SEO

After years of trial and error, and failing to succeed at getting top keyword rankings and building backlinks from sites with a high domain authority, finally it all came together for us – and voila! We achieved victory.

What’s different about digital marketing in the cannabis industry?

Contributor Brett Middleton explores the current challenges and opportunities facing this budding industry, given the differences in local, state and federal regulations across the US.

How to Diagnose Decline in Rankings (Craziest SEO Issue We’ve Seen)

Nobody ever wants to experience that dreaded feeling you get when you realize your site is no longer ranking or you’re suddenly seeing a dip in traffic. You instantly go into what we call “SEO panic mode” and start frantically searching for a solution. 😨 Unfortunately, there is a multitude of different factors that could cause this to happen, such as low-quality content, a Google penalty, technical on-site issues, an algorithm update, or perhaps your competition is just beating you.

 

Social Media Marketing

How to Use a Content Scorecard to Publish Better Blog Posts

Want to replicate the success of your best-performing blog content? Wondering how to review and rate content for quality and value? In this article, you’ll learn how to develop and use a content scorecard to ensure the content you publish consistently meets your quality standards.

How to Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile for Better Visibility

Want to optimize your LinkedIn profile for visibility? Wondering which sections of your profile are most important? In this article, you’ll discover how to use your LinkedIn profile to make a strong first impression with prospects and connections.

LinkedIn Refreshes Its Profile Views Section, Bringing Back Older Functionality

Here’s a quick one – LinkedIn has given its profile views section an update, bringing back some older functionality to provide more insights into how your profile views are tracking.

How to Build a Facebook Ad Funnel

Do you want more conversions from your Facebook ads? Wondering how funnels can help? To explore how you can build Facebook ad funnels that improve conversions, I interview Susan Wenograd.

How to Analyze Instagram Stories With Instagram Insights

Are you using Instagram Stories in your marketing? Wondering where to find metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) for Instagram Stories? In this article, you’ll discover how to use Instagram Insights for Stories.

8 Old School Marketing Tactics That Work for Social Media

Okay, so it’s hard to imagine Don Draper meeting with Bethlehem Steel execs in Sterling Cooper’s top floor Madison Avenue boardroom, telling them to get on Snapchat. But even though we no longer think of typewriters as “technology” or describe TVs as “radios with pictures,” there are plenty of solid ideas from the Mad Men-era of advertising that translate to social media.

The Ultimate Email Marketing Personalization Checklist [Infographic]

So how do you personalize your messaging to each person, at scale? The team from Campaign Monitor have put together a checklist of key steps in this infographic. Hopefully these tips will help optimize your email process.

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