Saba Digital Marketing

Which SEO Tool Should You Choose for Your Business?

You probably know the importance of search engine optimization (SEO) for your business. However, when it comes to analyzing keywords, checking up on your competitors, and determining what you can do to get better results, you’ll find there are a lot of tools to choose from. Just because a tool has the potential to serve a useful purpose doesn’t mean it is right for you. San Diego search engine optimization experts share a few important tips on choosing the right SEO tool.

Free SEO Tools

A lot of the free tools available will give you more than enough SEO info. You can track several things related to your optimization with free tools, including how visible you are online and where you need to focus your attention to get better results.

Google Search Console

Google Search Console is a must-have SEO tool. In addition to diagnosing optimization problems, you can directly tell Google what actions you’ve taken to correct any issues. It gives you 90 days of search traffic data, but there are other tools you can use if you need to go back further. Search Console features will allow you to:

  • View backlink data
  • Analyze keyword performance
  • Identify crawl errors and view crawl statistics
  • Submit your URL to view the content/code users and search engine crawlers see
  • Assess mobile usability to identify web pages that aren’t mobile-friendly
  • View search traffic reports to get data on things like clicks, impressions, and average ranking position

Other Google SEO Tools

Google AdWords Keyword Planner is a must-have tool for keyword selection for your paid ads. Google Analytics gives you an equally impressive amount of info. Plus, you can customize your reports and incorporate data from your social media platforms and other sources.

Bing Webmaster Tools

With Bing, you’ll get an assortment of SEO tools to obtain information on things like your site maps, keywords, search traffic, and links. Bing goes a little more in-depth with SEO than Google and offers additional recommendations you can use to enhance your performance.

Screaming Frog

Screaming Frog will also give you a great deal of SEO data. You’ll be able to do a thorough technical audit of your website to identify details about duplicate content, title tags, server errors, and meta descriptions. A paid version is also available.

Soovle

This free tool allows you to see related search terms after you type in a search query. The results are in real time and can be used to generate some keyword suggestions based on data from several sources.

Paid SEO Tools

As your business grows, you may reach a point where you need SEO data that’s even more insightful and useful than what you can get from free sources. Choose tools that address your individual SEO needs better and differently than free tools so you don’t end up paying for the same data you can get for free. Some of the most recommended paid SEO tools include:

  • Moz Analytics: Available data includes mentions of your brand and social media engagement. You can also get an SEO grade for each of your landing pages to see where you need to make improvements.
  • Searchmetrics: This tool provides a lot of detailed technical SEO and content optimization info. It also does an on-page analysis and offers recommendations. Its Traffic Insight tool allows you to view and reconstruct “not-provided” data for your pages.
  • Majestic: For serious link-building, this is a paid source worth considering. You also get a detailed links report and details about various links-related topics.

If you haven’t done so already, make a list of your SEO goals and pick and choose tools to help you select and track keywords, analyze your online traffic patterns from paid and organic search, and see what your competitors are doing with optimization. Start with the free tools and free versions of paid tools (or free trial periods) to get an idea of what will work for you. If you need more detailed stats, consider adding a few paid tools to your SEO toolbox.

For customized and high-quality search engine optimization services, turn to Saba SEO, one of the most renowned SEO companies San Diego has to offer. For over a decade, we have designed effective SEO strategies and created budget-friendly digital marketing plans for a wide variety of businesses. We rely on a range of white hat tactics to boost our clients’ online ranking and increase conversions. Talk to one of our SEO professionals at 858-951-1717 to outline a preliminary SEO plan for your business.

Major SEO Trends in 2017

Although the basic rules of SEO tend to stay the same, Google’s trends change every year. In 2017, the increased use of mobile searching and browsing has had a huge impact on Google’s SEO trends. This change should affect how SEO experts optimize their sites for search engines. Experts at a leading San Diego SEO firm discuss some of the major search engine optimization trends in 2017.

Mobile-First Indexing

Google’s mobile-first indexing began in 2017, which encouraged web designers and SEO experts to prioritize their mobile websites. The vast majority of industries receive most of their site traffic from mobile users, and the percentage of desktop users is decreasing. For SEO success, website creators should make sure their mobile site has as much content and information as their desktop website.

Natural Language Comprehension

Search engine optimization tends to be all about keywords. However, Google is becoming more and more focused on natural language in queries and on web pages. Using language that naturally includes a variety of keywords is a much better strategy than awkwardly fitting one or two keywords into a site as many times as possible.

The focus on natural language has partially come about because of the increase in vocal search on mobile devices. With vocal search, more queries use plain and natural language. Google is now interested in gaining a better understanding of what users are searching for and what web documents are truly about.

Image Comprehension

In previous years, Google image search hasn’t typically been useful for attracting visitors to a site. However, in 2017, Google has become more advanced at recognizing and classifying images. Many people take photos of products when shopping and then search online for a better deal for the same products. To help with these types of searches, image recognition has become much more effective.

To benefit from the ever-changing SEO rules, it’s important to consult a reliable digital marketing company. When it comes to SEO and search engine marketing, San Diego companies and businesses all over the globe rely on Saba SEO. Our experts use several white hat tactics to help our clients boost their online ranking. We stay up to date with all the changes in search engine regulations and offer continual support and customized SEO plans for a variety of businesses. To schedule an appointment with one of our SEO professionals, call us at 858-951-1717 today.

Tips on Performing a Basic Local Business Competitive Audit

In a perfect world, all businesses would be equally appealing to customers. In reality, there are competitors that will likely rank higher than your business in Google’s local pack. Knowing why a competitor is outranking your business could help you make some adjustments to online engagement efforts. Experts at a leading San Diego SEO provider share a few tips on performing a basic local business competitive audit.

Make a Comparison Chart

Create a comparison chart of your business and its competitors in the same area. Use local pack rankings as a guide since this is what searchers see when looking for local businesses on Google. Focus on the following basic details as you get started:

  • NAP (business name, address, phone number)
  • Google My Business landing page URL
  • Local pack rank
  • Organic rank
  • Organic rank among business-owned sites

Identify Anything Out of the Ordinary

Dive a little further into your stats and look for anything out of the ordinary about your competitors. For instance, a business may have a second website for the same location that’s ranking organically, or a local competitor may be redirecting visitors from another site. This doesn’t mean you have to do the same thing, but it does show you where a competitor’s traffic is coming from.

Consider Google My Business (GMB) Listing Details

Take a closer look at your competitors’ GMB listing details to get a better idea of why they achieved their ranking. Pay attention to things like the number of reviews, the average review rating, how long it’s been since a review was added, and the age of their GMB listing. Also consider:

  • Keywords used in a competitor’s GMB name
  • If they have their business hours in their listing
  • Whether or not photos are used with the listing
  • Proximity to what Google considers the centroid (center of a particular industry hub within a city)

Assess Competitors’ Websites

Get stats about your competitor’s website. Details you’ll want to know for your audit include the age of the domain, the domain authority and the GMB domain authority, links to their domain, how well their website has been optimized for search engines, and if the NAP on their site matches what they use in their GMB listing. Also take a look at the following details about a competitor’s website:

  • How mobile-friendly is it?
  • What is the user experience like with things such as navigation, ability to find contact info, and the call to action?
  • How would you describe the overall design of their website?

With the information you’ll get from your audit, make adjustments to your keywords and website content and design if necessary, identify things your competitors aren’t yet doing to attract the attention of local searchers, and take a cue from competitors who may be doing some things more effectively than you are. Finally, see who your competitors are within your preferred geographic area since it’s always possible for the local dynamics to change over time.

Competitive audit can be one of the most challenging aspects of SEO optimization. In San Diego and several other cities and countries, businesses rely on Saba SEO for all their online marketing needs. Whether you need a responsive web design or a content audit, we can help you boost your online rankings and increase conversions and click-through rates. To learn about our premier digital marketing services, talk to one of our experts at 858-951-1717 today.

Tools for Tracking Your Existing Backlinks

Backlinks are one of the most important elements of SEO. Generating good backlinks takes time and effort, but it can have a big influence on your ranking. If one of your backlinks disappears, it will have an effect on your site’s SEO. Monitoring your backlinks will make you aware of any changes to your backlink situation, which can help you strategize.

Bad links from spam niches that aren’t related to your business could damage your search engine rankings and harm your brand’s reputation. Google penalizes bad backlinks, so it’s important to be informed about all of your links. Backlink monitoring tools inform you whenever you get a new link, so you can make sure it’s helpful and not damaging.

Experts at a leading search engine marketing agency in San Diego discuss a few online tools that can track backlinks.

SE Ranking’s Backlinks Monitoring

SE Ranking’s Backlinks Monitoring will show you whether your links are good or bad. The tool analyzes backlinks based on Moz Domain Authority, Alexa rating, anchors, and a number of other parameters. It also includes a Search Console, which gives you information about the growth and parameters of all your backlinks. You can mark links you want Google to disregard before the search engine penalizes you for bad links.

Backlink Watch

This is a free and easy tool to track your backlinks. It will return up to 1,000 links with the anchor text. You also have the option to use Ahrefs API, which provides valuable information about your backlinks.

Monitor Backlinks

Monitor Backlinks is one of the most popular tools for keeping track of your links. You can view 10 results without registering, but the paid tool provides more results. You can see the anchor text, keyword rankings, and SEO metrics of a domain. The tool also lets you disavow spammy or low-quality links that could hurt your search engine rankings.

Monitoring backlinks is one of the most important aspects of search engine optimization. If you need a reliable and high-quality San Diego SEO services, turn to Saba SEO. From responsive web design to backlinks monitoring, we provide a range of services to help our clients boost their search engine rankings, acquire high-quality leads, and increase conversions and click-through rates. Whether you need tips on successful digital marketing or a comprehensive SEO strategy, call us at 858-951-1717 to schedule an appointment.

Google Posts: How to Use Google’s New Feature for Local SEO

Initially launched in 2016 for use in the presidential campaign, Google Posts allows consumers and businesses to connect when using the popular search engine. Free for anyone with a verified Google My Business (GMB) account, the tool can be an effective way to increase online engagement. Whether developing an in-house SEO plan or consulting an internet marketing company, San Diego business owners and organizations all over the globe should know how to use Google Posts for local SEO.

Choose a Purpose for Your Post

You get up to 300 words with your post, so limit it to one purpose. You can use Google Posts for just about anything related to your business. You also get to add call-to-action buttons. After you log in to your GMB account, click “Shop” in your account’s list view, and choose “Create Post.” You can create a post to:

  • Market a particular product or service
  • Announce something specific to your business
  • Promote an event
  • Draw attention to an article related to your business

Write a Description and Upload a Photo/Image

Your description can be up to 1,500 characters, but avoid filler words and keep it as concise as possible for maximum readability. If you are promoting a local event, choose “Make This Post an Event” and create a title for it with at least one local keyword to attract the right searchers. Include a high-resolution (minimum resolution is 720×720 pixels) photo or image to make your post more appealing to searchers.

Pick Your Call to Action(CTA)

You get a list of CTAs to choose from that includes things like “sign up” and “learn more.” Select the CTA that best fits your post.

Preview and Publish Your Post

Preview your post to make sure there aren’t any spelling, factual, or grammatical errors. If you like what you see, publish it. The post will be displayed within your GMB Knowledge Graph for a week. If you need more time, republish it when the seven days are up.

Use the Google Insights dashboard (accessible from your GMB account) to measure results you’re getting with your Google Posts. You’ll be able to see details such as how many searches your business is showing up in. View your results in your Google Analytics reports by creating a tracking URL. Finally, enhance your local SEO efforts by using location-specific keywords in your posts when it makes sense to do so.

Careful planning is the key to successful search engine optimization. San Diego SEO professionals at Saba SEO work tirelessly to help businesses boost their online ranking. Our team can create a customized SEO strategy for your organization and offer continual support to ensure your business enjoys a higher search engine ranking. Whether you need a few tips on SEO or a comprehensive digital marketing plan, give us a call at 858-951-1717 today.

How to Determine ROI from Local SEO

With nearly half of all Google searches having local intent, local SEO is no longer optional for most businesses. Business owners who are going to put time, effort, and part of their marketing budget into local searches understandably want to track their return on investment (ROI). Here are a few ways to determine ROI from local SEO, brought to you by experts from the best SEO company San Diego has to offer.

Go Beyond Automated Google Analytics Reports

Google Analytics (GA) provides a lot of useful information. However, using monthly GA reports to gauge ROI can be a challenging task. It’s important to know things like click-through rates and bounce rates, but this is only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to figuring out ROI.

Focus on Conversions

Most small-to-medium business owners equate ROI with revenue, which means putting the main focus on conversions generated with local SEO tactics. Conversions can be tracked based on website traffic and results from paid ads, organic search, links in social media posts, and much more.

Use Call Tracking Metrics

Local businesses often depend on phone calls for leads, clients, and customers. With call tracking, sources of incoming calls and subsequent conversions can be tracked, and this info can be included in GA reports for convenient viewing. For instance, the results can show whether or not a redesigned website is generating more calls than the old site. Results can also be tracked from retargeting, PPC, organic SEO, and offline ads.

Calculate Estimated Revenue

To calculate estimated revenue, a customer’s lifetime value is needed. This value is based on factors such as whether or not products and services will likely be purchased regularly, less frequently, or only one time. Estimated revenue is calculated by multiplying the lifetime value of a customer by the ratio of how many efforts, or sales pitches, it typically takes to make a conversion (closing ratio). This figure is then multiplied by the number of actual conversions.

Measuring ROI from local SEO becomes easier when there are clear strategies to target searchers within a specific geographic area. This means knowing what types of customers are being targeted, what they are likely looking for when searching for local businesses, and what a business hopes to achieve with its online engagement efforts.

If you need help measuring ROI from your local SEO strategies, turn to Saba SEO. As a leading San Diego search engine optimization agency, we rely on a variety of techniques to boost our clients’ search engine rankings. We offer customized online marketing plans and continual support to ensure your website attracts high-quality leads and your business benefits from increased conversions and click-through rates. To learn about our SEO plans and packages, speak with one of our experts at 858-951-1717.

Maintaining a Balance Between SEO and PPC

Effective search engine optimization strategies help businesses increase their online visibility and attract more customers. However, without modern SEO techniques and professional San Diego SEO consultant services, it can take several months to achieve a good search engine ranking.

Investing in pay-per-click (PPC) marketing can bring you some immediate results while you wait for your SEO efforts to pay off. However, it’s important to find a balance between PPC and SEO to drive traffic in the present and achieve SEO results in the future.

Using a combination of long-tail and short-tail keywords can help you generate the most traffic. Short-tail keywords are searched more frequently, so a higher ranking will bring you more traffic. However, there’s also more competition for short-tail keywords. Long-tail keywords have less competition, so it will be easier for you to increase your online ranking. People who search for your long-tail keywords will also likely find your content to be relevant, which is helpful for conversion purposes.

Content creation is also essential for strong SEO. Long-form content tends to rank better than shorter blog posts or articles. Most of your articles should have at least 1,800 words, which will give you plenty of opportunities to include relevant keywords and add helpful information for your visitors.

While you wait for your search engine rankings to increase, your PPC strategy will bring in some traffic immediately. Dynamic Search Ads are your best option for attracting customers to your site. Google automatically creates these ads to promote your site’s content. Your content and headlines will be matched up to relevant keyword searches, and Google will create ads to promote your site. You can start a Dynamic Search Ad campaign through your Google AdWords dashboard.

To be successful with search engine marketing, you must use a balance of SEO and PPC strategies. This will help you drive traffic to your site in the present and the future.

At Saba SEO, our team can create the perfect mix of SEO and PPC for your business. As one of the leading San Diego PPC management companies, we have created several online ads that have yielded exceedingly positive results for a wide variety of businesses. Whether you need a creative and compelling online ad for your business or a long-term SEO strategy, we are here to help. Call us at 858-951-1717 to speak to one of our PPC professionals and learn about our premier digital marketing services.

Tips for Choosing the Perfect Domain for Your Website

Your domain name is one of the most important components of your website. It’s one of the first things your visitors will see, and it will affect your search visibility. Choosing the perfect domain name can be difficult, especially with there being so many choices available. Experts at one of the leading San Diego marketing companies share a few tips on selecting the perfect domain name for your website.

Focus on Keywords

Come up with three to five keywords that are the most important and relevant for your business. Your domain name should include at least one of those keywords, but you can try mixing them together to come up with different ideas.

Be Unique and Creative

Your domain name should stand out from your competitors and represent your brand. It shouldn’t sound too similar to another popular brand, and it should be easy to remember. However, getting too creative with spelling can be risky. If you use an alternative spelling of a common word or phrase, you may lose traffic from people searching for your domain with the standard spelling of the word.

Make Sure It’s Easy to Type

Your URL shouldn’t be too long, and it shouldn’t be difficult to spell or remember. If potential visitors have difficulty typing out your domain name, they’ll probably give up. Short URLs are easy to remember and type, and they fit better on business cards as well.

Meet Expectations

Determine what you want people to think of when they hear your domain name, which should be what type of business you are or what you’re offering to your customers. Run some of your ideas by people who aren’t familiar with your business to see if they have the correct expectations. If they don’t understand what your business is by hearing the domain name, it’s not a good option.

Whether you need to select a domain or design a complete website from scratch, turn to Saba SEO, a web design company in San Diego you can rely on. Our web developers can create a responsive website for your business that connects well with your target audience and leads to increased sales. We offer continual support to ensure your website enjoys a higher ranking across different search engines. Call 858-951-1717 to speak to one of our web designers and learn about our customized and budget-friendly web development services.

How to Review Your Ad Copy to Boost PPC Performance

The U.S. spends over $80 billion on digital advertising every year, but the vast majority of online ads are ineffective. To avoid wasting money on ads, it’s important to test your ad copy frequently. San Diego AdWords experts share a few tips on how you can test your ad copy to boost your PPC performance.

Include Numerical Abbreviations and Full Values

Including numbers in your ad quantifies the information and grabs your viewers’ attention. The numbers make a solid, factual claim that viewers can trust. However, abbreviating the number might impact your ad’s success. For example, including “10K” in your ad may bring different results than including the figure “10,000.”

Add or Remove the Price

Some businesses benefit from including prices in their ads, and others see their PPC negatively impacted when their ad copy includes a price. On one hand, prices give viewers important information. On the other hand, including the price reminds viewers that they’ll need to spend money on your product or service, especially if your price isn’t the lowest. Testing both options shows you which option is better for your ad.

Be Careful with Punctuation

Many people don’t think much about the importance of punctuation in an ad. However, it can have a huge impact on your PPC performance. One study found that over 40 percent of top performing ads used exclamation points, but only a small fraction used question marks and dollar signs. While an exclamation point might be successful for many businesses, testing multiple types of punctuation can help you find the best option.

Focus on Call to Action

The wording of your call to action, especially the first word, can make a big difference in your viewers’ reactions to your ad. “Call us” and “contact us” might have two very different success rates for your ad. “Order now” and “buy today” might also cause two different reactions.

If you want to create a compelling online ad copy for your business, turn to Saba SEO. As a reputed San Diego SEO internet marketing company, we offer comprehensive and quality-assured pay-per-click management services to a wide variety of industries. Our experts utilize several PPC strategies to create high-converting ads that appeal to your customers and help you boost your ranking. To create a customized and budget-friendly PPC plan for your business, call one of our AdWords managers at 858-951-1717 today.

Mobile Devices Now Contribute Significantly Toward Online Traffic

In 2015, Google announced that mobile searches had overtaken desktop searches. In over 10 countries, including the United States, more searches now take place on mobile devices than on desktops. This includes searches from Google’s app and from mobile browsers. The increase in mobile searches has had a profound impact on the dynamics of internet marketing. San Diego SEO experts discuss how mobile devices contribute significantly toward online traffic.

Google hasn’t provided another update about the amount of mobile searches compared to desktop searches. However, mobile searches seem to become more common every year. At a press event earlier in 2017, one Google speaker mentioned that the vast majority of searches are now on mobile devices. This hasn’t been confirmed by any Google officials, but many people are interested in knowing the exact percentages of mobile searches and desktop searches.

Several third-party sites have provided statements about mobile searches and mobile traffic compared to desktop searches. BrightEdge announced that, according to their research, 57 percent of online traffic is now on mobile devices and tablets. StatCounter also reports that mobile searching has overtaken desktop searching, stating that 54 percent of internet traffic is on mobile devices.

Some industries see even higher numbers of mobile traffic. For example, the restaurant industry has a mobile search volume of over 70 percent. Other categories like banking and travel see less mobile traffic. The amount of mobile users also varies depending on age. Younger searchers are much more likely to use mobile devices than older individuals. However, mobile searching is increasing across all industries and demographics.

BrightEdge also discovered that mobile and desktop searches produce different results about 80 percent of the time. This is likely because of location-based results, which will vary when someone searches on their phone while out and about. BrightEdge recommends that businesses optimize their sites separately for desktop and mobile. There are still many users searching on desktops, so optimizing for both platforms will maximize their reach.

If you need a responsive website for your business, turn to Saba SEO, a San Diego search engine optimization company you can trust. For over 10 years, we have designed customized and budget-friendly online marketing strategies for a variety of businesses. Our experts stay up to date with the latest trends in SEO and digital marketing and offer comprehensive support to help you boost your online ranking. To learn about our mobile SEO and other internet marketing plans, call us at 858-951-1717 today.

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