February 24, 2025

Last Updated on April 19, 2025 Social bookmarking has been a buzzword in SEO and digital marketing for decades. At its core, social bookmarking refers to saving and categorizing web pages on platforms that allow users to share these bookmarks with others. Popular platforms like Delicious, Digg, Reddit, and StumbleUpon (now Mix) played significant roles in the early days of this practice. But is it still relevant in today’s SEO and link-building strategies? Let’s dive deep into understanding social bookmarking, its historical significance, and its current status in the SEO landscape. What is Social Bookmarking? Social bookmarking platforms act as online repositories where users can save and organize web pages for future reference. Unlike traditional bookmarks saved in a web browser, these are accessible from anywhere with an internet connection and can often be shared with a community of users. Key Features of Social Bookmarking Platforms: Read more: What Symbol Would You Use to Add a Negative Keyword? The Role of Social Bookmarking in Early SEO In the early days of SEO, social bookmarking was a powerful tool for link-building and driving traffic. Here’s why: Use my free link velocity calculator for your SEO Analysis. Evolution of Social Bookmarking and Its Decline As SEO evolved, so did Google’s algorithm. Practices that once yielded significant results became less effective or, in some cases, harmful. Social bookmarking is one such practice that has fallen out of favor. Let’s explore why: 1. Rise of Spam and Low-Quality Links As the popularity of social bookmarking grew, so did its misuse. Marketers flooded these platforms with low-quality, spammy links, hoping to game the system. This led to: Read more on: Will AI Kill SEO? Predictions in 2025 2. Algorithm Updates Google’s algorithm updates targeted manipulative link-building practices, particularly the 2012 Penguin update and subsequent iterations. Links from social bookmarking sites were flagged as unnatural in many cases, resulting in penalties for websites that relied heavily on this strategy. 3. Shift to Content Quality and Relevance The SEO landscape shifted towards valuing high-quality, relevant content over the sheer quantity of backlinks. Social bookmarking, often criticized for prioritizing quantity over quality, struggled to keep pace with this shift. 4. Emergence of Better Alternatives As digital marketing strategies evolved, new methods, such as content marketing, influencer outreach, and guest posting, gained prominence. These methods offered a better return on investment (ROI) and aligned with Google’s emphasis on user experience. Read More: Backlinks vs Referring Domains in Link-Building Social Bookmarking in Today’s World In 2025, social bookmarking will no longer be considered a viable SEO or link-building strategy. Here’s why: However, this doesn’t mean social bookmarking is entirely useless. It can still serve limited purposes: Benefits of Social Bookmarking in SEO Although social bookmarking is no longer a dominant ranking factor, it offers a range of indirect yet valuable SEO benefits, mainly when used strategically as part of a broader link-building and content promotion strategy. Here are the key advantages explained in detail: 1. Faster Indexing of New Content Search engines like Google prioritize discoverable content through backlinks and social signals. When you bookmark a newly published page or blog post on popular bookmarking platforms, you create a public, crawlable link that search engine bots can follow. These platforms often have high domain authority, which means search engines frequently crawl them. As a result, bookmarking your content here can help get it indexed faster than relying solely on your sitemap or internal linking. Example: A blog post shared on Reddit or Scoop.it may appear in Google’s index within a few hours, especially if the post gains engagement. Targeted Referral Traffic Social bookmarking is not just about backlinks—it’s about visibility. When users search or browse bookmarking sites like Mix, Flipboard, or Pocket, they actively look for content by topic. If your bookmarked page is relevant and well-presented, it can attract clicks from a highly interested audience. This type of referral traffic is often more engaged and, depending on the quality of your landing page, can lower your bounce rate or even contribute to conversions. Pro Tip: Use an eye-catching title and a clear, curiosity-driven description when bookmarking. That’s your chance to stand out. Natural Link Profile & Authority Building Although most social bookmarking links are marked as no-follow, they still serve a crucial SEO purpose. Google values a diverse link profile, and social bookmarks offer that variety. You add to your website’s credibility and visibility by consistently sharing content on trustworthy bookmarking sites. While these links don’t directly pass PageRank, they signal that your content is being referenced, contributing to brand trust and may even result in natural (do-follow) backlinks from journalists, bloggers, or curators who discover your content on those platforms. Example: A high-performing Flipboard story or Reddit thread could catch the attention of bloggers in your niche, resulting in high-quality, organic backlinks. Increased Content Reach & Visibility Every piece of content you create needs promotion. Social bookmarking can help amplify your content’s initial reach, bringing it to a broader audience beyond your website or email list. These platforms function like micro-content networks, where others can save, share, or even reshare your content. The more visibility your content gains, the more chances it has to be picked up by other websites or influencers, generating backlinks and mentions over time. Bonus: Many bookmarking sites rank well on Google themselves. Your bookmark might appear on search results independently of your main site. Supports Social Signals & Engagement While social signals are not official ranking factors, they still indirectly affect SEO. Shares, saves, upvotes, or likes on bookmarking sites can indicate that your content is relevant and engaging. This user interaction increases credibility in the eyes of both users and algorithms. Think of it as a soft SEO signal—it doesn’t impact rankings directly, but it improves trust, brand presence, and engagement metrics. Current Relevance and Effectiveness of Social Bookmarking in SEO It’s true that social bookmarking no longer holds the same direct SEO weight it once did, especially after Google’s algorithm updates that

Last Updated on April 19, 2025 Search engine optimization (SEO) is crucial for businesses to enhance their online visibility and increase organic website traffic. Webmaster tools are one of the most valuable resources for achieving these goals. In this article, we’ll explore the use of webmaster tools in SEO, how they can enhance site performance, and why every SEO strategy should incorporate them. What Are Webmaster Tools? Webmaster tools, often provided by search engines such as Google and Bing, enable website owners to analyze, monitor, and optimize their sites. The most well-known is Google Search Console (formerly Google Webmaster Tools), but Bing Webmaster Tools also provides valuable insights. These free tools offer direct communication between website owners and search engines, enabling them to understand how search engines and visitors perceive their sites. Key Benefits of Webmaster Tools for SEO Understanding the use of webmaster tools in SEO begins with recognizing their core benefits. Here are some of the essential ways these tools can elevate a website’s search engine performance: 1. Monitoring Website Health and Performance Webmaster tools provide valuable insights into a site’s health, identifying issues such as crawl errors, broken links, and server errors that can impact its ranking. For example, Google Search Console notifies site owners of indexing issues or security issues, allowing them to address these quickly. These tools help maintain optimal performance in search engine results pages (SERPs) by keeping a site healthy. A technical SEO site audit is your next step if you spot index coverage errors in GSC. Example benefits: Read more on: Will AI Kill SEO? Predictions in 2025 2. Keyword Insights and Search Analytics One of the most valuable features of Webmaster Tools is its search analytics data, which shows which keywords bring users to your site. This data is invaluable for SEO strategy, as it reveals which terms and phrases are most effective at attracting organic traffic. Webmaster tools help answer questions like: Analyzing this data, you can refine your SEO strategy to target the most critical terms better, ultimately increasing your site’s relevance and visibility. Read more: What Symbol Would You Use to Add a Negative Keyword? 3. Enhancing Mobile Usability With mobile usage surpassing desktop traffic, Google and other search engines prioritize mobile-friendly sites. Webmaster tools provide insights into mobile usability issues, enabling site owners to understand and address factors that impact mobile users’ experiences. These tools can identify areas for improvement, ranging from loading issues to layout problems, ensuring your site meets the mobile-first requirements of search engines. Common mobile usability issues addressed by webmaster tools include: 4. Monitoring Backlinks and Disavowing Toxic Links Backlinks remain crucial in SEO, representing the “votes of confidence” other websites give your content. Webmaster tools help you monitor the backlinks pointing to your site, allowing you to assess their quality and identify any potentially harmful links. If your site has links from spammy or low-quality sites, you can use tools like Google’s disavow tool to instruct Google to disregard these links, thereby safeguarding your site from penalties. Benefits of backlink monitoring: Read More: Backlinks vs Referring Domains in Link-Building 5. Enhancing Structured Data with Schema Markup Structured data, often in the form of schema markup, helps search engines understand your site’s content in greater detail, enabling rich snippets to make your site stand out in search results. Webmaster tools, especially Google Search Console, provide tools to test and validate structured data. You can verify that your schema markup is implemented correctly and identify any errors that require correction. Correctly using structured data can lead to enhanced listings that attract more clicks, such as displaying product ratings, event details, and other relevant information in search results. Examples of schema markup benefits include: Step-by-step SEO strategy for clinic websites 6. Sitemap and URL Submission When launching a new website or adding new pages, it is essential to ensure that search engines can find and index them. Webmaster tools enable you to submit sitemaps and individual URLs, thereby accelerating the search engines’ discovery process. This feature is handy for new content or sites undergoing structural changes. Benefits of sitemap submission: How to Get Started with Webmaster Tools If you’re new to webmaster tools and want to know what is the use of webmaster tools in SEO in a practical sense, here are the basic steps to get started: Why Webmaster Tools are Essential for Every SEO Strategy Utilizing webmaster tools in SEO primarily focuses on visibility, control, and optimization. Webmaster tools empower site owners to monitor and enhance their website’s health, identify opportunities for keyword optimization, improve mobile usability, and manage backlinks effectively. Ultimately, webmaster tools serve as a foundation for diagnosing and resolving issues, as well as a means to refine and continually adapt your SEO strategy for optimal performance. Read More: Cheap Search Engine Optimization vs. Expensive SEORead More: When Optimizing a Website for Search, What Impact Do Meta and Title Tags Have on the Search Engine? Read More: Manual Outreach Link-Building – Links That Google LovesRead more on: Semantic Keyword Grouping in Content StrategyRead more: SEO PowerSuite vs Ahrefs: Don’t Pick Wrong

Last Updated on April 19, 2025 Slack has evolved beyond just a workplace communication tool—it’s now a powerhouse for networking and collaboration, especially in the SEO world. If you’re serious about scaling your link-building efforts, joining the right Slack communities can open doors to valuable connections, guest post opportunities, and backlink collaborations. Link-building is the backbone of any successful SEO strategy. It’s not just about acquiring backlinks—it’s about building meaningful relationships that lead to long-term growth.  Slack link-building communities are collaborative spaces where SEO professionals, digital marketers, link builders, guest bloggers, website owners, and other industry enthusiasts come together to share ideas and exchange backlinks. These communities provide a unique environment for growing your backlink profile while fostering meaningful relationships that can enhance your SEO efforts. What You Can Do in Slack Link-Building Groups Here’s what makes these communities valuable and how they can power your link-building strategy: Exchange Backlinks: Connect with other professionals looking for mutually beneficial backlink exchanges. Guest Posting Opportunities: Share your guest post offers or find guest bloggers to contribute high-quality content to your site. Build Relationships: Establish connections with fellow members that can lead to long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships. Job Postings for Link Building: Stay updated on link-building job opportunities and gigs within the community. Expert Guidance: Chat with industry leaders and SEO experts who can help you fine-tune your link-building strategy. Content Ideas: Discover new ideas and angles to fuel your content marketing campaigns. In this blog, I’ll introduce you to the 4 Slack communities where I engage daily to acquire links for my brands and clients. 1. Marketing Lad Slack I use this link-building Slack channel a lot, as I am the founder of this community. I might be biased about its value, but don’t just take my word for it. Here’s what some community members have to say: Shahid has done a wonderful job fostering a powerful and reliable community of like-minded link builders who want to collaborate and share SEO best practices! – Dan Pointer I found excellent contacts for cooperation in this community. – Yulia Marketing Lad Slack is one of the best communities for SEO and link-building collaborations. Shahid is doing a fabulous job keeping it a healthy and safe place to get PR mentions. I highly recommend joining this community if you are looking to get the maximum out of your SEO efforts. Kudos for a great job. – Aabhas Vijay The community has been a key part of my daily SEO routine, helping me discover valuable opportunities and build long-term partnerships that fuel my link-building efforts. Overview:With over 900 genuine members, Marketing Lad Slack has become a go-to hub for SEO professionals and content marketers. The community promotes knowledge sharing, collaboration, and innovative strategies to stay ahead of search engine trends. What Makes It Unique: How It Helps with Link-Building: Join Here: https://marketinglad.io/slack-form/ Read more on: Will AI Kill SEO? 2. CRO Growth Hacks This was my first Slack community when I started my link-building journey in 2019. It remains one of my favorite communities today, as it remains active across various marketing areas. Although there’s just one dedicated channel—link-share-guest-bloggers—it’s full of genuine collaborators.  You’ll find great people here, eager to exchange ideas, swap links, and collaborate on guest posts.  The quality of the connections I’ve built in this community is unmatched, making it an essential part of my link-building toolkit. Overview:CRO Growth Hacks is a vibrant community focused on Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) and growth marketing strategies. It brings together digital marketers, SEO professionals, and growth hackers who collaborate to optimize website performance and achieve better business results. What Makes It Unique: How It Helps with Link-Building: Join Here: https://www.ometrics.com/cro-growth-hacks/ 3. Backlinks Slack I use this Slack community frequently because it has a large number of members solely focused on link-building, making it an ideal place to find potential collaborators. However, be cautious—since members are not verified, many scammers lurk in the community. It’s essential to play it safe when engaging with new connections. That said, if you navigate the space wisely, you’ll discover some great partners for collaborations, and these connections can significantly enhance your SEO efforts. The key is building genuine relationships and staying focused on finding the right people. Use my free link velocity calculator for your SEO Analysis. Overview:Backlinks Slack is a community dedicated entirely to backlink strategies and outreach collaboration. It’s a hub where SEO professionals discuss link-building, from acquiring new backlinks to recovering lost ones. What Makes It Unique: How It Helps with Link-Building: Join Here: https://www.brainspin.com/backlinks-slack-group/ 4. Rank Tracker Slack Community This is an open Slack community, meaning anyone can join, which makes it a great place to find new collaborators. I use this community frequently because it’s filled with members focused on link-building, offering plenty of potential partnerships. However, the community’s openness also comes with some risks. Like with Backlinks Slack, be cautious—scammers also lurk here. That said, if you take the time to connect with the right people, you can find genuine deals and build strong partnerships that will significantly enhance your SEO efforts. Overview:The Rank Tracker Slack Community is built around the RankTracker SEO platform. It is a space where SEO professionals and marketers discuss performance tracking, keyword analysis, and link-building strategies. What Makes It Unique: How It Helps with Link-Building: To join this community, write an email to felix[at]ranktracker.com Benefits of Joining Link-Building Slack Communities Why bother with Slack when there are many SEO forums and Facebook groups? Here’s why: Tips for Maximizing Value from These Communities Simply joining a Slack group won’t get you backlinks. You need to put in the effort. Here’s how: Step-by-step SEO strategy for clinic websites Etiquette and Best Practices No one likes spammers. Here’s how to stay on the right side of these communities: Success Stories Want proof that Slack works for link-building? Here’s a quick example: Read More: Backlinks vs Referring Domains in Link-Building Conclusion Regularly engaging with these four Slack communities offers numerous benefits, including actionable insights, networking

Last Updated on April 9, 2025 Welcome to my platform! I’m excited that you’re interested in contributing to ShahidShahmiri.com. I’ve compiled some editorial guidelines to ensure my content remains valuable, insightful, and aligned with the brand. Please take the time to read through them before submitting your guest post request. About Shahid Shahmiri Shahid Shahmiri is a personal brand powered by Marketing Lad that offers SEO consulting, digital marketing strategies, and actionable industry insights. My audience includes SEO professionals, digital marketers, and business owners eager to stay ahead of the latest trends in online marketing. My Audience The primary readers on this platform include: Content I’m Looking For I accept high-quality, original content related to: What I Don’t Accept Writing Guidelines Submission Process Promotion Once your article is published, I’ll share it across my social media channels and newsletters. I encourage you to share the post within your network as well. Thank You Thank you for considering ShahidShahmiri.com as a platform to share your expertise. I look forward to seeing the unique insights and value your content brings my readers. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need clarification. Happy writing!Shahid Shahmiri

Last Updated on April 19, 2025 Content creation is the foundation of effective communication and digital marketing. However, as demand for fresh, high-quality content increases, creators and marketers often struggle to keep pace. That’s where generative AI is changing the game. The primary advantage of using generative AI in content creation is its ability to rapidly scale high-quality, diverse content across platforms with minimal manual effort. From automating routine writing tasks to generating tailored content for different audiences, generative AI is revolutionizing how I approach blogging, social media, SEO copy, and email marketing. It’s not just about saving time. It’s about working smarter and producing more with fewer resources. As businesses and individuals strive to produce high-quality content consistently, the demand for innovative tools to streamline the process has skyrocketed.  In this blog, I’ll explain how generative AI enhances the content creation process, the core benefits I’ve experienced, and where I believe the future is headed. What is Generative AI? Generative AI is a subset of artificial intelligence that focuses on creating new content, whether text, images, music, or code. These models learn patterns, structures, and styles from vast data and then generate original content that adheres to those learned parameters. At the heart of generative AI are algorithms such as Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) and transformer models like GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer).  These algorithms enable AI to understand context, style, and nuances in data, making it capable of generating content that is not only coherent but also contextually relevant. Examples of Popular Generative AI Tools in Content Creation Several generative AI tools have gained prominence in recent years, each serving different aspects of content creation: “I believe the primary advantage of generative AI in content creation lies in its ability to boost productivity while significantly maintaining high-quality output. Automating routine tasks, generative AI empowers creators to focus more on innovation and strategy, ultimately driving better results and enabling us to meet the ever-growing demands of the digital landscape.” – Harsh Savani, Founder Aegis Sofftech Historical Context The journey of AI in content creation began with simple, rule-based systems focused on automating repetitive tasks, such as spell-checking and grammar correction.  As machine learning and natural language processing (NLP) advanced, AI’s role expanded to generate structured content based on predefined templates, such as news articles and financial reports.  The real turning point came with the development of deep learning algorithms and the availability of large datasets, enabling AI to learn complex patterns and produce accurate, creative, and engaging content.  Today, generative AI stands at the forefront of content creation, offering powerful tools that enhance productivity and push creative boundaries, making it an indispensable asset in the digital age. Read more on: Will AI Kill SEO? 3 Primary Advantages of Using Generative AI in Content Creation From my experience, here are the three standout benefits of generative AI that have completely transformed how I create content: 1. Scalable Content Production One of the most potent advantages of generative AI is the ability to produce content at scale. Whether it’s blog posts, ad copy, social captions, or product descriptions, I can now generate dozens of high-quality drafts in a fraction of the time it used to take. This scalability is particularly useful for SEO-driven campaigns, where the frequency of publishing and keyword coverage are crucial. 2. Consistent Brand Messaging Maintaining a consistent tone and voice across platforms was a real challenge. With AI tools trained on brand style guidelines or previous content, I can ensure that every piece, from social media posts to long-form blog articles, reflects the same consistent message and style. This builds brand trust and improves engagement across channels. 3. Data-Driven Personalization AI doesn’t just generate content—it adapts it. Based on audience data and behavior patterns, I can tailor messaging for different segments with ease. Whether rewriting an email headline for a B2B audience or adapting a blog introduction for a younger demographic, generative AI enables real-time personalization at scale. ❝ Generative AI isn’t just a productivity tool, it’s a creative accelerator. It helps me go from idea to execution in minutes, while keeping quality intact. That’s a game-changer for modern content creators. ❞— Shahid Shahmiri, SEO Strategist The Core Advantage: Enhanced Productivity Automation of Repetitive Tasks One of the most significant advantages of generative AI in content creation is its ability to automate repetitive tasks, such as drafting, editing, and formatting.  These tasks, which traditionally consume considerable time, can now be handled swiftly and efficiently by AI, freeing creators to focus on more strategic and creative aspects of their work.  For instance, AI can draft initial versions of articles, edit for grammar and style consistency, and format content according to specific guidelines, reducing the manual effort required and allowing creators to allocate their time to higher-value activities. Read more on: What is the Use of Webmaster Tools in SEO? Speed and Efficiency Generative AI produces content quickly, and it is a game-changer for meeting tight deadlines and handling large-scale projects.  Whether generating a blog post, creating social media content, or drafting a detailed report, AI can accomplish these tasks in a fraction of the time it would take a human to do so.  This speed accelerates content creation, allowing for faster iteration and refinement, and enables projects to move from concept to completion with unprecedented efficiency.  The result is a quicker turnaround time on content, which is particularly valuable in industries where timely delivery is crucial. Consistency in Content Output Maintaining a consistent tone and style across multiple pieces of content can be challenging, particularly when working with a large volume of work or various contributors.  Generative AI addresses this by adhering to predefined guidelines and learning from previous content, ensuring that each piece it generates aligns with the desired voice and style.  This consistency is crucial for brands seeking to maintain a cohesive identity across various platforms and channels.  Learn how SEO helps doctors get more appointments Case Studies and Examples Real-World Applications Generative AI has already made

Last Updated on April 19, 2025 The importance of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) cannot be overstated. As businesses increasingly rely on online presence to reach and engage customers, SEO has become critical to any successful digital marketing strategy.  The crucial areas of managing SEO are: Without a well-structured plan and clear goals, even the most well-intentioned SEO efforts can fall short, leading to wasted resources and missed opportunities. This blog is designed to provide SEO professionals, digital marketers, and business owners with a comprehensive guide to managing SEO projects effectively.  Let’s Understand The Overall SEO Scope. SEO projects can be broadly categorized into three types: on-page, off-page, and technical SEO.  On-page SEO optimizes individual web pages to improve search engine rankings and user experience. This includes keyword research, content creation, and optimizing HTML elements, such as meta tags and headers.  For instance, updating blog posts with targeted keywords and improving internal linking can help to improve the website’s visibility.  On the other hand, off-page SEO involves activities outside the website to enhance its authority and reputation. This includes link building, social media marketing, and influencer outreach.  A successful off-page strategy may involve securing backlinks from reputable industry blogs, which can drive referral traffic and enhance a website’s domain authority.  Technical SEO focuses on a website’s backend aspects, ensuring that search engines can crawl and index it efficiently. This includes improving site speed, enhancing mobile friendliness, and implementing structured data.  An example of a technical SEO task is optimizing the website’s architecture to ensure faster load times and a better user experience. Read more on: Will AI Kill SEO? Goals and KPIs Setting clear and measurable goals is crucial for the success of any SEO project. These goals should align with broader business objectives to ensure SEO efforts contribute to the company’s growth.  For instance, if the business aims to increase online sales, an SEO goal could be to improve the rankings of product pages for high-intent keywords.  Another example could be increasing brand awareness by ranking higher for industry-related terms.  KPIs include;  Organic traffic – which measures the number of visitors coming from search engines. Keyword rankings track the position of target keywords in search engine results.  Domain Authority – which assesses the overall strength and credibility of your website in the eyes of search engines. Search impression – which indicates how often your site appears in search results. Conversions could be sales, sign-ups, or any other desired user actions.  Essential Elements for On-Page SEO Project Management SEO project management involves integrating various processes to ensure the effectiveness of your SEO efforts. Here are some key initiatives that SEO professionals should consider: Topic Research Start by conducting keyword research to identify content topics and themes that align with key keywords relevant to your business. This will help you identify gaps for new content creation or opportunities to update existing content to enhance your rankings. During the research phase, constantly analyze what keywords the target site ranks for, especially when building competitor matrices. Read more on: Semantic Keyword Grouping in Content Strategy Content Calendar  Analyze the popularity and seasonal trends of keywords to determine the optimal times to publish or refresh content. This strategic timing can maximize visibility and engagement. Traffic Forecast Using keyword research and recommendations, estimate potential organic traffic based on monthly search volume (MSV) and projected rankings. While these estimates are primarily for organic traffic, they indicate user interest and can drive additional traffic through content shares and email clicks. Review Ensure that the copy aligns with keyword research to support SEO efforts. This involves using the right keywords to match search intent without overloading the content with business jargon or niche terms that may not be familiar to the audience. Effective copy review helps your content resonate with searchers on the search engine results page (SERP). Publication For new content to be discoverable by search engines, ensure proper SEO implementation: Proper setup maximizes the content’s potential to drive organic traffic and avoid findability issues. Reporting Demonstrate the value of SEO efforts through detailed reporting. Track how targeted keywords improve your rankings and content visibility on SERPs. Key metrics to report include: These metrics collectively highlight the significance of SEO and justify its inclusion in project management. Optimization Ongoing SEO efforts should focus on both new and existing content to ensure comprehensive coverage. Instead of constantly creating new content, leverage SEO insights to optimize existing content, bringing it up to date with relevant language, topics, and themes. This helps maintain and enhance your site’s authority and relevance. When Google recrawls content, updated content can gain new visibility and higher rankings, contributing to sustained SEO success. Planning Your SEO Project Setting clear objectives is crucial for the success of any SEO project. By defining specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals, you create a roadmap that guides your efforts and measures your progress. SMART goals help ensure that your objectives are clear and reachable, providing a sense of direction and accountability. Specific: Clearly define what you want to achieve. For example, “Increase organic traffic by 20% in six months.” Measurable: Establish criteria to track your progress. Tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console can be used to monitor traffic increases. Read more on: What is the Use of Webmaster Tools in SEO? Achievable: Set realistic goals that are within your reach. Consider your resources and constraints when setting these goals. Relevant: Ensure your goals align with your broader business objectives. For example, increasing organic traffic should support overall sales targets. Time-bound: Set a deadline to achieve your goals. This creates a sense of urgency and helps keep your team focused. Conducting an SEO Audit An SEO audit is a critical step in planning your SEO project. It helps identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) of your current SEO strategy. Technical audits are also crucial in early project phases. Here’s how to conduct a comprehensive SEO audit: Technical Analysis: Check the technical health of your website. Ensure that

Last Updated on April 19, 2025 The recent updates this March have sparked widespread discussion on AI content, bringing fresh challenges and opportunities for SEOs. Focusing on quality and keeping users in mind is crucial to staying ahead.  Google’s March 2024 update encourages websites to eliminate low-quality content and focus on creating more genuine and helpful content for users. If your website was affected by this update, bouncing back might seem harsh, but it’s also a chance to improve it and discover new ways to grow. For example, look at juliangoldie.com. This website used to get a lot of traffic—around 7,000 visitors—but it dropped to almost none after the update. Additionally, where it once had hundreds of pages showing up on Google, only 10 are now indexed. This significant drop illustrates the substantial impact the update can have and underscores the importance of creating high-quality content that effectively answers users’ questions.  I’ve added my thoughts to decode these changes and contacted a few SEO professionals for their insights and forecasts. Impact on Content Strategy after the March 2024 SEO Update The March 2024 SEO update has significantly changed how content strategies are formulated and executed.  With the advent of AI-driven overviews (SGE), it’s more imperative than ever to focus on content further down the funnel.  So instead of asking, “What type of litter box is best for cats?” try “Open vs. closed litter box: which is best?” Peter Rota, SEO Specialist.  Here’s a closer look at the key impacts: 1. Quality Over Quantity One of the most prominent shifts is the heightened emphasis on content quality. The update prioritizes well-researched, insightful, and engaging content over sheer volume. Producing numerous low-quality articles is no longer a viable strategy. Instead, content creators must focus on delivering value through comprehensive, accurate, and reader-centric pieces. 2. E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)  The E-A-T principles have become even more critical. Google’s algorithm now more accurately evaluates the expertise and authoritativeness of content and its creators. Websites that consistently demonstrate high knowledge and credibility are rewarded with better rankings. This necessitates collaboration with industry experts and ensuring content is authored by recognized professionals. Read more on: Will AI Kill SEO? 3. User Experience (UX) With the new update, user experience has taken center stage. Content that enhances the user experience (UX) through straightforward navigation, fast loading times, and mobile optimization is favored. Interactive elements such as videos, infographics, and interactive polls that engage users are now essential to an effective content strategy. 4. Intent-Based Content Creation Understanding and aligning with user intent has become crucial. The update enhances Google’s ability to understand the purpose behind search queries, underscoring the importance of content that directly addresses specific user needs and queries. This shift encourages content creators to delve deeper into keyword research and develop content that matches various stages of the buyer journey. 5. Local and Niche Content Gains Importance Local and niche-specific content has gained increased importance. The update enhances the algorithm’s ability to deliver highly relevant local search results, making it crucial for businesses to prioritize local SEO practices. Creating highly specialized content for niche markets catering to a specific audience can increase visibility and engagement. 6. Multimedia and Visual Content The update has also underscored the significance of multimedia and visual content. Integrating high-quality images, videos, and other visual elements can enhance user engagement and dwell time, ultimately positively influencing search engine rankings. Content strategies now need to include a robust plan for multimedia integration to captivate and retain audience interest. 7. Focus on Content Refresh and Updates The update has placed a renewed focus on the freshness of content. Regularly updating existing content to keep it relevant and accurate is now more critical than ever. This practice not only improves rankings but also maintains audience trust and engagement. Download my on-page SEO checklist for the best results: https://shahidshahmiri.com/on-page-seo-checklist Technical SEO Adjustments The March 2024 SEO update has underscored the importance of technical SEO, prompting website owners to make crucial adjustments.  One of the first steps is to focus on Core Web Vitals, which measure your site’s loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability performance. Using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights and Lighthouse can help identify areas for improvement.  Read more on: What is the Use of Webmaster Tools in SEO? Optimizing images, minimizing JavaScript, and leveraging browser caching, you can ensure a faster and smoother user experience, which is now more crucial than ever for achieving a high Google ranking. Mobile optimization is another critical area to address. With Google’s continued emphasis on mobile-first indexing, your site must perform exceptionally well on mobile devices.  Ensure your site is responsive, loads quickly, and provides an intuitive user experience on all screen sizes.  Tools like Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test can help spot issues and guide necessary adjustments. Implementing Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) can enhance loading speeds and performance, aligning your site with Google’s mobile standards. Lastly, strengthening your site’s security and optimizing technical elements, such as structured data, sitemaps, and error handling, is vital.  Regularly check and update your XML sitemaps and robots.txt files to ensure efficient indexing. Managing 404 errors and setting up 301 redirects where necessary can preserve link equity and enhance user experience, contributing to better rankings and smoother navigation. Read more on How to manage SEO projects? SEO for Mobile and Local The March 2024 Google Core Update aims to reduce low-quality, unoriginal content and display more valuable and relevant content in search results.  With 63% of Google searches in the U.S. occurring on mobile devices, optimizing for mobile and local search has never been more crucial.  This update includes enhancements to the core ranking systems to improve the quality of search results, with a focus on explicitly targeting clickbait content and spammy practices.  To align with these changes, ensure your website is optimized for mobile devices. This means prioritizing responsive design, fast load times, and a user-friendly mobile experience.  Content must be concise, easy to read, and free of intrusive pop-ups, catering to

Last Updated on April 19, 2025 To all those business owners and entrepreneurs! Let’s think for a minute. Regardless of the business you run, the products you sell, or the services and information you share, an online presence is essential. If not, all your efforts, time, and resources are wasted on a local audience. Just think about it! Where do people go first when they need a product or service? You got it, the great Google. They are no longer looking through the Yellow Pages or walking around town. No, they’re conducting a quick web search and clicking on the first few results. That’s where SEO comes into play. SEO is all about optimizing your website to appear higher in search results, increasing its visibility and chances of being seen by the customers you want. However, here’s the problem: hiring a top-tier SEO agency with the latest tools and features can be expensive. Not every business has the same amount of money to spend, especially if you’re just a starter. Depending on your company’s budget and marketing requirements, hiring an affordable SEO company is a wise move. Now, the responsibility lies in selecting an affordable SEO service provider who understands your objectives and is willing to go above and beyond to achieve the desired results. That is why I am here to give some insider information about affordable SEO services for businesses. Let’s get started! What is SEO and what is its importance for small businesses? Okay, SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation. It is simply about making your web pages rank higher in search engine result pages. The intent is to appear higher in search results when users browse for your business’s items or services. Now, why is this important, particularly for small businesses? Consider how you find things online these days. You open Google and enter your search term. Whether it’s “plumber near me” or “best pizza delivery,” the first five results appearing on the first page tend to receive the majority of clicks and attention. If your company’s website is buried on pages 2,3 and so on of the search results, it is almost invisible to most people. It’s like owning a storefront on an abandoned side street that no one ever visits. So, what exactly does an SEO do? It improves the visibility and relevance of your website by optimizing its content, structure, and other elements. Key factors include using relevant keywords, creating a mobile-friendly design, and acquiring high-quality backlinks from reputable referring domains. Use my free link velocity calculator for your SEO Analysis. Despite this, many other factors make SEO essential for a small business. Check them out below. Increased Organic Traffic As a small business owner, you may not want to spend large amounts of money to generate leads for your company. SEO is the most cost-effective strategy. SEO helps drive more organic traffic to your small business. Increased organic traffic translates into more leads and conversions. Read more on: What is the Use of Webmaster Tools in SEO? Enhanced Brand Awareness It would help if you familiarised your brand with your intended audience. That way, you can reach new prospects and grow your business over time. SEO helps boost your search engine rankings for relevant keyword searches and increases your website’s online visibility. Read more on: Semantic Keyword Grouping in Content Strategy Higher search engine rankings and higher online exposure for your website lead to increased brand recognition among potential clients. Increased Business ROI SEO enhances your small business’s organic traffic rate, resulting in increased leads. Customized SEO marketing can ensure that customers are attracted and guided through the sales funnel, ultimately becoming valued clients. Translating more leads into new clients eventually increases your company’s ROI. Increased Competitiveness Every day, new competitors enter the market regardless of the industry you work in. However, SEO prevents you from losing your SERP position to competitors in your sector and gives your website the competitive advantage it needs to outrank your industry rivals. Types of Affordable SEO Services for Small Businesses and Startups When it comes to SEO, there is no single answer, especially for startups with limited resources. However, don’t worry; many low-cost options can significantly boost your web visibility without straining your budget. Let’s begin with some basics. On-page SEO Optimization This relates to all the small changes and modifications you can make to your website to improve its search engine friendliness, such as optimizing title tags, meta descriptions, header tags, image alt text, and internal linking. Use my practical on-page SEO checklist. While you can perform part of this yourself, cost-effective companies can conduct a comprehensive on-page assessment and optimization at a reasonable cost. Local Seo What about local organic search results? After analyzing user behavior across billions of searches, Google found that customers seeking specific types of companies prefer results from their local area. That’s why Google’s local search algorithm includes a proximity factor, which means Google considers your location when you search for a local phrase (a query with local intent). Local SEO is necessary for small businesses serving a specific geographic area. We’re talking about optimizing your Google Business Profile, increasing your citations in online directories, acquiring local backlinks and reviews, and ensuring that your NAP (name, address, phone) information is consistent across the web. Little things significantly improve your chances of appearing in those coveted local “near me” searches. Significant aspects of local SEO Content Marketing and Creation SEO-optimized site content can significantly boost your business’s marketing ROI. When SEO is incorporated into marketing strategies, your content marketing efforts will yield more effective results. SEO techniques are safe ways for visitors to find your company online. Read more on: Will AI Kill SEO? Predictions in 2025 This gives you a competitive advantage over others fighting for site rankings online. The more in-depth SEO you perform, the greater your company’s online visibility will reach, allowing it to connect with more potential customers. Additionally, incorporating interactive elements such as blog posts, marketing advertisements, rich media, or other visual content