Posts

Links and Brand as Ranking Factors: 2021 Correlation Study

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It’s been a long time since Moz last published an in-house ranking factor study, and also a long time since I last published one prior to joining Moz. In my case, this is partly due to my long-standing skepticism and caution around how studies like these are typically very loudly misinterpreted or misrepresented. There’s also the complexity and difficulty of quantifying on-page factors within Google’s increasingly nuanced and sophisticated interpretation of relevance (although, yes, we’re working on it!). Nonetheless, I think there’s value in a narrower study (or studies), for a few reasons. Firstly, it can be useful to set a comparison point that we might revisit — perhaps if we notice a change in Google’s algorithm, or if we think a given industry or set of keywords might be untypical. Secondly, we might still wish to compare narrower sets of metrics — such as link vs. domain level linking factors, follow vs. dofollow links, or branded search volume vs. Domain Authority — and this, ...

5 Simple Tips for SEO + Email Marketing Flywheels

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If you haven't been using email marketing tactics to support your SEO efforts, now is the time to start . In today’s episode of Whiteboard Friday, Cyrus explains how to use the complementary powers of these strategies over and over again, so that each becomes bigger and more powerful the more you do it. Click on the whiteboard image above to open a larger version in a new tab! Video Transcription Howdy, Moz fans. Welcome to another edition of Whiteboard Friday. I'm Cyrus Shepard. I hope you're enjoying this video no matter which day of the week you're watching it on. Today I want to talk about SEO and email marketing, specifically five simple tips for SEO and email marketing flywheels. What is a flywheel? So when I talk about SEO and email marketing flywheels, what do we mean by flywheel? Well, that's where we're using the power of SEO to grow our email marketing list and conversely using our email marketing list to grow our SEO for more website tr...

Should You Pay for Local Listings Management? Double-Digit Lifts and Customers Say: Yes!

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Image credit: Loren Javier It’s a whale of a question: Does citation management still matter in the grand scheme of local SEO? Our industry has been trying to gauge which way the wind is blowing on this subject for years now, and I’ve been professionally frustrated by a lack of large-scale studies to inform my own take. SEOs live through ongoing cycles of one formerly-favorite tactic or another being proclaimed “dead”, whether that’s link building, guest posting, or search engine optimization, itself. The reality, we come to realize, is much more nuanced than the headlines. I wanted more than my own anecdotal opinion as to how location data distribution and management correlate with shifts in visibility and engagement, and was gratified when discussions with Uberall helped spark a major study with real numbers. Today, I’ll share the results of this study which interested me most in hopes of offering a data-based answer as to whether citations still matter, as well as whether the ...

Why SEOs Need to Invest More in Long-Form Content (and How to Do It)

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Long-form content can often be overshadowed by other forms of execution that may be “shinier” or more visually engaging. We see it all the time in blog posts, case studies, conference decks, and on Twitter: the big, flashy content is often what our attention is drawn towards. Of course, with the right expertise and resources, you can do both . But it’s hard for many of us to execute at this level over and over again. The truth is that the value of long-form content shouldn’t be overlooked because it can do so many things for a brand: Drive traffic Build authority and credibility Add value to a website as a whole Generate links and brand awareness The final point is one that was recently reinforced in our survey , which asked digital marketers what they felt the best form of execution was for a link building campaign: When it comes to the execution of your idea, which of the following do you find to be the most effective in generating links? These results were a littl...

Sarah's Goodbye

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Hello, Moz friends…I’m signing off on the blog after a wonderfully wild, 14-year ride at Moz. It’s time for me to move on and make space for new voices, new leaders. I am so grateful for the way you have cheered — and challenged — me and Moz over the years. Your lively engagement helped us become the company we are today. I’m going to take the winter off to reflect, rest, and cherish my loved ones. I don’t know what the future holds for me, but I know it will be a grand adventure. I feel good knowing that I’m leaving Moz, and all of you, in good hands. It’s just the beginning of an exciting new chapter — if you haven’t seen our latest Performance Metrics and True Competitor releases, you should check them out — you’re in for a real SEO treat. I will keep rooting for all of you, and of course for Moz. I wish you joy, courage, success, and love on your journeys. Thank you for the opportunity of a lifetime to learn and grow alongside you. Best Wishes, Sarah

How to Invest in SEO

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Testing out a new paid marketing channel is relatively easy. You can assign someone in-house, allocate some test budget, and pretty quickly quantify the return on your investment. Testing out SEO can be quite a bit trickier: Results often take time (more than six months) If results do materialize, they’re often hard to quantify or attribute to any one project It’s more than just a financial investment — you'll usually need product resources as well There are exceptions but most companies can’t say: "let's spend $10K on SEO over the next few months and see if there's potential there". You have to take a leap of faith, and weighing that leap of faith against very quantifiable, much more immediate projects isn't always easy. I've seen this issue firsthand, first as a consultant at Distilled, then working in-house on SEO at Etsy, SeatGeek, and now Course Hero. So, here's my attempt at a framework for investing in SEO: Should you invest in ...

Daily SEO Fix: SEO Reporting Basics

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A crucial aspect of improving your SEO performance is reporting. By reporting on what you’ve done, you can analyze the data you’ve collected, and learn from it.  In this Daily Fix series, we’ll show you how to create clear, insightful reports that you can easily share with relevant stakeholders. These reports cover all of the key elements of SEO, and can be customized to suit your needs.  If you’d like further assistance with creating custom reports, you can book a one-on-one walkthrough with a member of our Onboarding Team. We’ll guide you through how to create a personalized report that looks exactly like you want it to. Book a walkthrough How do I set up a custom report? Custom reports allow you to effectively communicate the SEO work you’ve been doing to clients, colleagues, or other stakeholders on a consistent basis. In this Daily Fix video, Kerry will show you how to set one up when tracking your site in Moz Pro. Reporting on rankings changes monthly Keeping...