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About admin

Weston Riesche is the Marketing Manager at SEO Solutions Inc. Weston is a Graduate of Roosevelt University and holds two Bachelors in Integrated Marketing Communications and Economics. He has been an integral part of the SEO Solutions management team, developing insights into the world of Search Engine Optimization. Social Media and Internet Marketing. Weston works closely with clients to engage their companies with unique, effective and exhaustive Internet Marketing campaigns that leads them to the top of the major search engines.

The Full Version of The New Google Search Console is Here

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Google launched a beta version of the new Search Console at the beginning of this year. Since then, they have added a lot of features to it and it’s now out of Beta. Here’s a list of features you need to know.

More Data

Index coverage report that shows a concise view of your website content.
Access to 16 months of search analytics data.
Links report to view all the links pointing to your site.
URL inspection tool to get information about the indexed version of a specific page.

Automatic Alerts and Other Fixes

Get automatic alerts. Also, you will now be able to see the pages affected by indexing, AMP, crawling or other issues.
Now you can see the HTML code (If any fix is required) directly from the reports.
A more convenient way to share information within your organization to quickly fix any issue.
After fixing an issue, notify the Google and they will review your page and get back to you. Here’s how you can file a reconsideration request.
Manual action report has gotten a new look and it also shows any manual action that is pending.

Simplified Account Settings Management

Now you can submit sitemaps and help Google better understand your site structure.
You can submit the URLs of individual pages.
You can now effortlessly add a new site to your account & manage users with ease.

Be informed that not every feature is available in the new search console. Here’s what Google has to say:

“While the old Search Console still has some features that are not yet available in the new one, we believe that the most common use cases are supported, in an improved way, in the new Search Console. When an equivalent feature exists in both old and new Search Console, our messages will point users to the new version. We’ll also add a reminder link in the old report. After a reasonable period, we will remove the old report.”

If you are having a problem migrating to the new search console, head straight to their help center.

Contact us for more information on the latest features and updates to Google Search Console!

Sign up for The SEO Solutions Newsletter to read up on all the latest updates!

A Gentle Reminder That You Don’t Own Your Google My Business Listing

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The main aim of having and maintaining your Google My Business listing is to spread awareness about your business. But in case you forget to fill the Service area then you will face something that’s rather strange.

Many users have reported that, when they forgot to fill the service area, a third party lead generation company’s link called “singleplatform.com” appeared in front of the service section.

Upon clicking on the link, it takes you to a page that is dedicated to the business. And the weirdest part is, it doesn’t open in a new window, but rather navigate you out of Google.

Sometimes it shows “Get a Quote” option, not from the business that you have searched for, but from the businesses that have paid on singleplatform.com to get listed.

When you click on the “Claim this Menu”, it will show you a service cost that ranges from $99 to $149 a month. Although we didn’t investigate further, Google forcing business owners to opt for a paid option is a wakeup call for those who think that they “OWN” their Google My Business listing.

Although the above encounters were mostly from the home service industry & were limited to the cities which have Google local services active.

The only way we can see to protect yourself from this is to fill out your services menu within Google My Business. We recommend you do this regardless of your industry. Just because Google is focused on the home services industry doesn’t mean they won’t turn to your industry next.

For more in-depth insights into the most vital features of Google My Business, Download The SEO Solutions 2018 Guide to Google My Business to learn more!

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3 More Features Shifted to New Google Search Console

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Google has shifted some popular reports to new search console with upgrades. Here’s a look:

1. Links Report

The new links report combines the functionality of “Links to your site” & “Internal link” reports & not provides the following information:

Top linking domains (Which sites link to me the most?)
Top linked pages (Which are my top linked pages from other sites?)
Which are my top linked pages from a specific site?
Top linking text (What link text points to my site?)
What are the links from a specific site to my page?
What are the top sites linking to my page?
Top linked pages (Which of my pages is linked the most from within my own site?)
Which of my pages links to my page?

2. Mobile Usability Report

Now you can not only see the issues but can also fix it by submitting a reindexing request. Google said that they know how important mobile usability is for the site owners and allowing them to request a fix directly from the report will be super convenient.

Be informed that the features are the same, the upgrade is that you can now select the error and click “Validate Fix Button” & Google will promptly Re-crawl the error.

3. Site and User Management

You can now add & verify new sites and manage your property’s users & permissions using the newly added settings page. Although we encountered some bugs while using it, we are sure that Google will fix it very soon.

Takeaway: All the new features and upgrades provide invaluable data. Take your time to explore the new search console and you will be able to figure out what feature and tools are most useful for you and how to use them to your benefit.

For more information on the latest updates to Google Search Console, feel free to reach out to us.

Sign up for The SEO Solutions Newsletter to read up on all the latest updates!

Three New Types of Google Searches Are On The Way!

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Google is soon going to roll out three new types of searches: Q&A, FAQ & How To content. It will be pulled directly from the pages & will appear on the search engine result page for enquires that falls under the above mentioned three categories.

Here’s a snapshot of Google’s developer manager, Stacey Chan unveiling the new search types at Google Dance in Singapore.

The sites that are using structured data properly can expect to benefit from it. The three categories are as follows:

1. Q&A Schema — Use this to markup a page with Q&A or FAQs

2. Questions Schema — It works in conjunction with the above schema

3. How To Schema — Use this to markup step by step instructions (How to) As of now, the above schema types are not included in their featured schema guides. In order to locate it, go to Google Developer’s page, click on the Left menu > Structured data > Feature guides.

If you want to see the Q&A structured data in action then head straight to StackOverflow.com. They are appearing on the top of the Google search results for the Q&A from quite some time. The best answers are displayed first, which is really convenient for the users.

Some people might argue that this is good for the users and Google but bad for the site, since users will get the entire answer in the SERP itself and they will not bother to enter the website. Most of the Q&A, FAQS & How To answers are short. So displaying the entire answer will not do any good. But, it will give you exposure and will also send visitors to the site since most of them would like to know more about it, but before entering into the website, they would want to confirm that the site is worth their time and actually offers genuine answers.

To stay on top of latest structured data, one can not rely on plugins since they are not up to date and often take time to catch up to the latest version. But there are some plugins that can help you leverage structured data. If you are using WordPress, the SOGO & Kansas City SEO’s plugin will come in handy.

Contact us For more information on all of Google’s latest updates.

Sign up for The SEO Solutions Newsletter to read up on all the latest updates!

All About Google’s Latest Medic Update

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Google released a core algorithm update in August. Some industries were hit harder than others. Basically, the health and medical industry, and “Your Money Your Life (YMYL)” sites were affected the most. Webmasters were quick to call it the “Medic update”. In case you don’t know about “Your Money Your Life (YMYL)” sites, Google defines them as sites that can potentially impact the future health, happiness and financial stability or safety of the users.

Google also released a statement after the update launch and gave a generic answer which was along the lines of — “There’s no specific fix for this update or any update. If you notice that your site has been affected, just work on providing the best possible user experience and you will start seeing improvements because ultimately, our every update is for the same purpose.”

Google did take the time to announce the algorithm update via Twitter:

Google has also updated the Search Quality Rater Guidelines and has put a lot of emphasis on Reputation. The guideline is rather comprehensive, and it’s worth the read. It tells you about how Google views the websites, pages, and content, so you can use this valuable information to your advantage.

Here are some highlights:

Build strong links with the influencers & experts of your industry. And then persuade them to write content for your site or write content promoting your business on a reputed website.
Find out how your brand looks like on the search engine result pages and is this how you want your business to appear? If not, then you can make changes.
It’s important that you have a well drawn out plan to promote your business.
Reputation is everything when it comes to business, be it online or offline. Getting positive reviews for your business is vital to managing your online reputation. Our dashboard helps you manage your reputation as well as get more positive reviews in Google and Yelp.
When it comes to content, quality beat quantity by a large margin. Don’t post content just for the sake of it. You are not fooling anyone.
Have you put efforts to define your brand? What your brands stand for?
Interview the business owners for ideas and insights into what makes their business unique over other businesses. We do this as a part of our SEO deliverables.
Your About Us page is very important. Use it to show your achievements, what makes you stand out and why people should consider your business over others. However, make sure that you don’t exaggerate, because Google double checks it with reliable independent sources. And if what you have to say about your company doesn’t match with independent sources, then Google will take words of the independent sources for obvious reasons.

Contact us For more information on all of Google’s latest updates.

Sign up for The SEO Solutions Newsletter to read up on all the latest updates!

You Can Now See Your Competitors’ Facebook Ads

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Facebook has been facing a lot of heat lately for mishandling the data of its users. There were allegations that Russians have used Facebook to subconsciously manipulate US citizens duringthe elections. So in order to bring more transparency & to whitewash the bad rep, Facebook has released a new feature that allows you to see the ads run by any page.

It will not only help the users to see if they are being manipulated, but it can also prove to be a boon for the business owners who like to keep a tab on their competitor’s ad campaigns. Knowing what your competitors are running can be extremely beneficial, especially before kick-starting your own campaign.

If you want to see the ads run by any company, person or political party, simply go to their page and click the “Info & Ads” Tab. It will show you all the ads run by that page, including the location.

Although this feature was not launched exclusively for this purpose, it’s definitely the best utilization. But be sure not to copy your competitor’s ads, as it will do more harm than good. Take ideas and then develop original concepts that click with your targeted audience.

For more information on the latest updates to Facebook, feel free to reach out to us.

Sign up for The SEO Solutions Newsletter to read up on all the latest updates!

Here’s How You Can Increase Sales With Google My Business Posts

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Google posts have the immense power to boost the bottom line of your business. Those who

know how to utilize it to the fullest have seen a huge boost in sales. Ex-Googler & SEO expert

Joel Headley increased booking by 11% for his client using Google posts alone. He also shared

some great tips on how you can fully utilize the Google posts. A compelling background image

with a call to action can help you increase the conversion rate, he added.

Google is very excited about the posts and also want the same enthusiasm level among the

business owners too. So they keep adding new features & the latest addition to the Google

post is VIDEO. Now you can upload videos of your business or any topic that revolves around it.

It’s already proven that Video marketing is extremely beneficial for your business, now the

ability to upload it to Google posts further enhances the overall benefits.

Google posts also allow you to schedule your post in advance because they know that

sometimes it gets hard to remember.

For those new to it:

You can access Google Posts by logging into your Google My Business account.
Now you will see the “Posts” option right below the Home.
Click on it and upload the type of content you want to share.
After uploading, you will have the option to preview it and once you are satisfied, hit the Publish button.
After publishing, actively monitor the conversions and see how your targeted audience is responding.

The best way to find out which type of content work best for you is to TEST. Analyse your audience reaction to different content and then you will be able to figure out what type of content really clicks with your targeted audience.

For more information on how to better utilize Google My Business posts to increase sales, feel free to reach out to us. Sign up for The SEO Solutions Newsletter to read up on all the latest updates!

The Mobile Speed Update Is LIVE

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As promised, in July, Google officially made the page speed a ranking factor within mobile

search. Google has said that it will not be highly noticeable, as it will only affect a small

percentage of queries.

“The “Speed Update,” as we’re calling it, will only affect pages that deliver the slowest

experience to users and will only affect a small percentage of queries. It applies the

same standard to all pages, regardless of the technology used to build the page. The

intent of the search query is still a very strong signal, so a slow page may still rank highly if

it has great, relevant content.”

It’s been some time since the speed update has been rolled out and we can hardly notice any

changes in the search results. Search experts recently conducted an in-depth study &

detected no changes in the rankings of major sites.

But, it’s advised that you still optimize your pages for maximum speed because Google has a

habit of updating algorithms. So although you won’t notice any changes when they first roll out

the algorithm, it becomes quite noticeable after a few “updates”. And as they say. It’s always

better to be safe than sorry. So why not speed up the website and not only remain safe from

the speed update but also provide a good user experience.

But how fast is fast enough? Turns out, a page should be fully loaded and ready to use within

10 seconds. You can take the speed test here.

Meanwhile, Google has also released a mobile speed score that helps advertisers to know

which pages need a speed boost. Few points to remember:

1. You will NOT get a notice on Google Search Console if your site gets affected.

2. This update is just for Mobile. This will NOT affect desktop search results.

3. AMP & non-AMP pages will be treated equally.

If you have any further questions about this update, please feel free to reach out to us for assistance. Sign up for the SEO Solutions Newsletter and read up on all the latest updates!

Google AdWords Updates for July 2018

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Here are the latest Google AdWords updates as of July 2018.

LinkedIn has redesigned the reporting feature in campaign manager.
Find out what SKAGs are and when to use them.
Instagram has introduced shopping ads to stories. It was very much expected since the
active users on Instagram is growing exponentially.
Google expanding store visitation and local conversion reporting.

BIG changes coming to Google ads.

Here’s what you need to know about July 2018 Google AdWords updates.

Google will soon add “Hotel ads” as a new campaign type within the GoogleAds
dashboard.
Using redirects can cost you quality score in AdWords. Here’s why.
Although In-market audience has been around since 2014, Google is NOW allowing this
kind of targeting in search ads. Find out if it’s beneficial for you.
Google’s new responsive search ads seem pretty effective.
Not getting any fresh ideas for your next Facebook/Insta campaign? Take inspiration
from these ad campaigns.
6 Best Practices for Responsive Ads on the Google Display Network.
Bing Ads have made it easy for you to try their ad platforms by introducing Automatic
imports.
Paid branded search does matter. Here’s a case study of a company that learned it the
hard way.

Pinterest Marketing Takeaways for 2018

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Here are some of the most important Pinterest marketing takeaways to implement for your business in 2018.

There is no longer a PIN limit to business profiles on Pinterest.
The order of the keywords does not matter.
You can now add as many Pins as you want.
Pins from your domains will be more fruitful as compared to repins.
Recommended pins must be at – least 600×900 & can be up to 600X1200.
Pinterest will no longer warn you for having long pins.
To be considered active by the Pinterest bot, you have to create new pin at least once a week.
Don’t measure the success of your account from the number of followers, but rather from the number of views you get on a monthly basis.
Just like every other platform, original content is the king.
There is no hard rule on how much text you can use in images.
Adding URLs on pins translates to poor user experience. So try to avoid it.

If you’d like to learn more about Pinterest marketing takeaways and tools, sign up for the SEO Solutions Newsletter and read up on all the latest updates!