SEO

It’s easy to get caught up in aesthetics and functionality when planning a new website, leaving SEO considerations such as keyword research and implementation for after the site has been built. The fact is, in order to build the most SEO-friendly website possible, keyword research should be one of the first actions you take as part of that planning process.

[Read more…] about Why You Should Do Keyword Research Before Building Your Site

A website redesign is a significant inflection point in the lifecycle of a domain. As you begin planning for a redesign, it is going to be essential to have an SEO expert ‘in the room’ to ensure that SEO is at the forefront throughout the entire redesign process. The UpBuild team has been through countless site redesigns, being brought in at the start of the planning process for some and the final weeks before launch during others. We can say that hands down, the former option is far more ideal and efficient, eliminating the need for dreaded rework and inevitable launch delays.

Q: In an ideal world, when should you bring on an SEO partner for your new site redesign project?

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Google’s announcement a few weeks ago that they’re phasing out the Structured Data Testing Tool in favor of a new, totally insular successor called the Rich Results Test definitely didn’t add any smiles to my summer.

The key difference between the tools is that this new one will not validate any structured data entities unless and until those entities drive rich results in Google Search. In other words, Google is deprecating a standards-based tool in favor of a results-based one, a change which, despite their predictable efforts to frame it as an “upgrade” (🥳), carries the message that structured data shouldn’t matter to you unless they generate rich results for your website in Google Search — that is, unless your search traffic can benefit directly from them today (and with all due thanks to Google, of course). Ask not what you can do for the semantic web; ask what the semantic web can do for you.

[Read more…] about Rich Results, Poor Test

Location-based redirection, also known as geo-based redirection or geolocation, is a commonly used solution for websites serving an international audience. Websites employing this tactic send users from various regions or languages to a local version of the page they’re trying to access, based on their IP address. Many international brands (including Google itself) rely on geolocation to speak to international audiences in their native tongues. Geolocation can even be used domestically on a state or city level to speak more directly to your users.

While location-based redirects provide the advantage of reaching users in other locales, failure to implement technical SEO best practices can result in some costly setbacks. Keep reading to learn more about how to use geolocation without wrecking your site’s SEO.

[Read more…] about Technical SEO for Websites Using Geolocation

Keyword research is the foundation of any good SEO strategy: strategically mapping terms and phrases to pages on your website can help bring in more traffic, more leads, and increased brand awareness. However, when it comes to finding the right keywords for your website, it can be easy to fall in the trap of choosing highly trafficked terms instead of lower-traffic but highly relevant keywords. Let’s take a look at why prioritizing search intent is important for your keyword research strategy.

[Read more…] about Optimizing for Search Intent