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Companion article to the Internet Marketing Clinic, September 30, 2026. Presented by Beth Guide of Vertical Web with the Houston City College Center for Entrepreneurship and SCORE. Everybody wants to know how to get their business into the AI answers. ChatGPT, Google’s AI Overviews, Claude and the rest of the “ask engines” are where a growing share of your customers start their search. They assume those answers are curated and neutral. Here is the part most people miss. The AI engines are reading your website. If your website is not built right, you are not in the answer. At our September clinic, we skipped the hype and went straight to the foundation: site structure. It is the least glamorous part of SEO. It is also the part that decides whether anything else you do will work. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Key takeaways Technical SEO, and site structure in particular, is what wins in the AI era. Start with a mind map of your whole business, built against the biggest competitors in your space. Group related pages into hubs (silos): a parent, its children and their grandchildren, all linked to each other. Use descriptive anchor text, correct title tags, clean header tags, breadcrumbs, FAQs and the right schema for your business type. A five-page website will not compete. Plan for depth. Build on self-hosted WordPress so you control the structure. Why Website Structure Matters More Than Ever Back in the early days of search, a small shop in Houston selling Christmas ornaments could rank right next to the national giants. Search was a great equalizer. There was no need to buy ads to be seen. AI search is opening that door again. If you get your website into the AI answers, you are in front of buyers who never scroll a list of blue links. How you get there is your website. Links matter. Authority matters. But solid technical SEO principles will carry you most of the way, and structure is where technical SEO begins. When we say “technical SEO,” it sounds complicated. It is not. It is how your website is organized, how your content is organized, and how all of it fits together from start to finish. If you can write a basic outline, you can do this. Step 1: Build a Mind Map of Your Website The very first thing you should do is make a mind map of your website. It is the most important planning step you will take. For years, students in our in-person classes got a big sheet of paper and a pencil and drew their websites out by hand. That still works. Today, an AI assistant can help you build a far more complete map in a fraction of the time. Beth uses Claude Cowork, which runs on your desktop and works through a problem step by step, rather than a basic chatbot. ChatGPT will also work for this exercise. The tool matters less than the method. Start with your highest-level services Ask yourself: what are the biggest categories of what I sell? Vertical Web has three: SEO services, web design services and web hosting services. They could almost be three separate companies. An accounting firm might have the same pattern with accounting, tax preparation and bookkeeping. Those top-level services become the top of your map. Compare your site to the biggest players Next, find two or three websites whose structure you want to match. Do not pick a competitor with a five-page website. Pick the biggest, best-organized company you can find in your space, even if it is not a direct local competitor. If you sell continuing education classes, look at the large national education providers. For our own map, we studied a large national agency and a well-structured regional firm. Interestingly, several of the big Houston agencies on par with us did not have their navigation set up well. They ranked for web design but not SEO, or the other way around. Then give the AI your site and theirs, and ask it a simple set of questions: What pages do they have? What pages do we have? What pages are we missing? What should each missing page’s URL be, and what belongs on it? Ask it to add a notes column so you can tell it what you want, and to mark pages complete as you build them. You can even photograph a hand-drawn sketch, upload it and say “add this to the map.” When Beth ran this for Vertical Web’s web design section, it found 11 design pages still to build and flagged a legacy “responsive web design” page that no longer matched how people search. That page is now being rebuilt around “mobile first.” Let the map find what you forgot On industries, Beth started with a list of 12 industries we serve. The AI compared it against our actual client work and came back with 27. Twenty of those pages are built now. It also catches mistakes. The first draft of our automotive page was written for car dealerships. We do not build dealer inventory sites. We build for auto repair shops, body shops, parts stores, detailers, truck customizers and fleet companies. Being specific in your instructions fixed it. One business, one website. Should you run separate domains for separate services? Vertical Web did that for years, with separate sites for hosting, design and SEO. In 2022 we folded everything into one site. Three sites meant three times the work, three times the expense and a third of the strength. Keep related services together on one domain, and skip subdomains. The services do need to be related, though. Grant consulting and online fundraising fit together. Add promotional products to that and you are diluting the story. Step 2: Organize Pages into Hubs (Silos) Once you have the map, group related pages into clusters. We call these silos or hubs. Think of a family tree: Level Example on verticalweb.com Role Parent Areas We Serve The main topic page Child Galleria and Inner Loop A major subtopic that supports the parent Grandchild The Galleria, Uptown, Midtown, The Heights, EaDo, Medical Center Specific pages that support the child and each other Every child points back to its parent. Every grandchild points back to its child and links across to its siblings. All the children point to the parent and push the parent up. Beth’s favorite way to explain it: picture the houses in Galveston that sit up on blocks. The higher you want the house, the more blocks you put underneath it. Every supporting page is another block lifting your main page. A good hub could stand on its own A well-built hub is a miniature website. It has its own “home page” at the top and a complete set of supporting pages underneath. You could lift that section out, drop it on its own domain, and it would still make sense. Is it okay to have children without grandchildren? Yes. You can have a parent with a set of children and stop there. But if a topic has room for grandchildren, add them. They only make the children stronger. Watch for near-duplicate pages Clusters invite repetition. When we audited our 60-plus location pages, about 40% of the ideas overlapped from page to page. The goal is closer to 3% or 4%. Each page in a cluster needs its own reason to exist. A Real-World Example: A Real Estate Site Built from Scratch Our own site shows the method on an older website. A real estate website we launched for a Kingwood-based broker shows what happens when you build it right from day one. The site launched on July 1, 2026 on WordPress. The top-level structure is simple: residential, commercial, land, services and resources. Under that, each county has a hub (Harris, Montgomery, Fort Bend and more). Each community has a hub under its county. Each subdivision sits under its community and links back up. What it has done so far, by the numbers: More than 700 ranking keywords in roughly its first 8 weeks More than 1,500 keywords showing in Google Search Console at about 3 months About 50 to 60 users a day 27 AI listings picked up since the end of July Several solid phone inquiries, with 4 strong prospects The section that ranked in a week In early summer, the broker asked about the new Terafab development area north of Houston. We built the whole section at once: hub pages for Madison, Grimes and Brazos counties, pages for Madisonville, Navasota, Bryan, Todd Mission, Plantersville and the surrounding towns, plus pages on what property there is worth and why an owner needs an agent. Within one week, that section held a number one spot and was showing up in AI answers, outranking news outlets on the topic. The key was publishing the full cluster at the same time, not one page here and one page there. Uniqueness earns links Structure gets you found. Uniqueness gets you linked. This site includes: School district guides, built one at a time, because relocating buyers always ask about schools and those pages attract links A guide to MUD taxes, written from notes by a local tax expert, for buyers moving from states without them A property tax protest guide for Harris and Montgomery counties that answers “is protesting my taxes worth it?” A plain-English explainer on how a federal law affects home sales, which came straight from the broker’s own experience. She now sends it to clients. It also has its own video. Corporate relocation pages for the companies moving into the Houston area Several of these pages were drafted with AI. What makes them original is the human idea, the local knowledge and the extras like video that nobody else has. Step 3: Send the Right Signals on Every Page Structure is the skeleton. These on-page signals tell the AI engines what each part of the skeleton is for. Use anchor text that says something A link that says “Learn More” tells the search engine nothing. A link that says “luxury homes” or “office space for sale” tells it exactly what the next page is about. On the real estate homepage, four core offerings sit in H3 tags: luxury homes, relocation, office space and investment property. Each should link to its matching page using th

This how-to guide goes through the use of AI tools for content, YouTube, local SEO, social posts, and reviews without sapping creativity or hurting rankings. The emphasis is on keeping human expertise at the center while letting AI handle structure, cleanup, and speed. It is expected that by the end of the course, individuals will be able to: What AI Is Good For-And Where It Trips People Up There’s a difference between using AI as an assistant versus letting AI do the authoring. When the AI writes the entire page, it is normally safe but bland and forgettable. But when the humans retain control of the ideas and voice, and the AI helps to outline, polish and format, then the content remains original and useful. Three tools complement most workflows: ChatGPT (paid): Reliable daily driver with strong iterative refinement and helpful features to save time. Claude: Naturally clear, concise, and excellent with long context and bullet-point structure. Gemini: Useful as an “answer engine” for synthesis and a second opinion. None of these tools should be treated as authors. Think of them like paralegals—great at drafting, summarizing, and formatting—while the human expert delivers the argument. Although there is a little more variation in placement now compared with the original line-up, most of the starting players have remained consistent. The Transcript-First Workflow That Actually Saves Time For teams who have a hard time “sounding like themselves” in writing, a transcript-first workflow has resulted in authentic prose: Speak first. Record a simple explanation of the concept as if you were teaching a client. Transcribe it immediately. Using noise reduction and live transcription means there will be a transcript ready as soon as the recording ends. Transcript-to-asset creation: A YouTube description with a clear summary and timestamps. A blog post drafted from the transcript, so the base language is genuinely original. Show notes, email blurbs, and social captions. Run a “reverse humanizer” pass. In place of adding flowery filler, remove it. Cut clichés (“in conclusion,” “moreover,” “delve into”), trim adverbs, and strip phrases no real person would say. The result preserves authentic voice and reduces AI “tells.” Because the source is a human speaking naturally, detection tools generally grade the language as largely original, even when AI helps frame it. Ensuring True Originality Originality comes from ideas and examples, not just paraphrasing. If a page merely blends the top search results, it won’t rank or convert. Anchor to real expertise. Utilize actual cases, results, and city-specific information. Avoid AI tells. Watch out for generic transitions, perfectly symmetrical paragraphs, and fabricated quotes. Fact-check anomalies. AI can make up places, specifications, and statistics. Edit every output with a critical eye. Introduction to Habits That Prevent SEO Cannibalization Poor prompting will create ten posts that compete for the same keyword. Good prompting places constraints on this and targets coverage, not duplication. Example solution: Suggest non-overlapping topic ideas from what is currently active—this requires a list of topics or sites already covered. Include localization requirements, like having separate content tuned for Sugar Land and The Woodlands. Focus on search intent and zero-click scenarios, along with supporting topics of citations—Chamber, BBB, associations, and how they support E-E-A-T for local service companies. Structured output requested—table with title, target query, intent, notes—to create an editorial map. This process delivers net-new topics aligned to specific local intents while building topical authority, as opposed to internal competition. Building Local Authority the Boring, Effective Way Search engines still respond to real-world trust signals: Citations from Chambers of Commerce, Better Business Bureau, and credible associations with steady NAP (Name, Address, Phone). Reviews, which for multi-location businesses are separated by location, then shown on the corresponding location page. Media mentions, talks and community involvement. Real-world presence informs online trust. The part everyone skips—showing up—remains the part algorithms reward. A Brilliant Spanish Language Approach A well-considered bilingual approach can unlock growth in markets with Spanish-speaking audiences. Create a dedicated /es/ site section for the search engines to recognize Spanish counterparts. Use human-reviewed translations for accuracy, tone, and local terms. Maintain parity on core service pages; add Spanish-first content for questions unique to the community. This isn’t just about accessibility, it’s a real revenue stream if done right. Where Search Console Fits (The Free Gold Mine) Before drafting new content, check Google Search Console: The “almost there” set includes queries in positions 6–15. Publish one supportive post for each query. Compare top pages vs. rising pages. Strengthen rising pages with internal links and an FAQ block answering the exact queries driving impressions. Use impression trends as a guide for new content. If you have a high-volume, local query with strong impressions, but weak average position, build topical clustering, and shore up local signals (reviews, citations, location pages). AI can assist with outlining and drafting, but the data chooses the target. YouTube + Blog: A High-Leverage Content Engine Video forces clarity and doubles as a source for written content. Write a clean YouTube description with search-aligned keywords. Add timestamps, resources, and a brief summary. Expand those notes into a blog post—with real examples, screenshots, and step-by-step instructions—for readers who prefer text. One recording becomes a video, a blog posting, an email, and multiple social posts—a repeatable system. Using AI for Ads and Social Without Sounding Robotic AI can accelerate ad and social copy, especially when fatigue sets in. Two guardrails keep it natural: Be specific about audience. For example, “Write five captions for homeowners in Kingwood comparing quotes for composite decking,” outperforms “Write five captions about decks.” Ban clichés. Ban the use of words like “unleash,” “transform,” and “discover.” If it sounds like every other SaaS landing page, rewrite or remove it. Claude excels at clean bulleting; ChatGPT is strong in iterative tone control (“less hype, more helpful”). Authority Isn’t a Buzzword—It’s the Model Search engines and customers alike are trying to find what’s real. Consistent signals win: Time in market and proven track records. Demonstrated expertise—tutorials, screenshots, and process walk-throughs with results. Consistency over time, even with seasonal slowdowns. Network effects from chambers, associations, and community presence. Knowledge panels, speaking invites, and organic mentions tend to follow an established offline reputation supported by a coherent online footprint. Common Pitfalls to Avoid Publishing 100% AI-created pages and expecting durable rankings or conversions. Copying unverified “facts.” Even one wrong price or address erodes trust. Displaying fake reviews or “as seen in” logos. This all backfires and can be easily exposed. Creating “summaries of the top results” as if that equates to expertise. It doesn’t—and seldom ranks. A One-Week Action Plan Day 1: Record a 10-minute explainer of the most-asked customer question. Transcribe it. Day 2: Convert the transcript into a YouTube description and a 900–1,200-word blog post. Eliminate fluff. Insert local examples. Day 3: Open Search Console. Select three queries at positions 6–15. Add a short FAQ to the new post, making sure to answer those very questions. Day 4: Request two reviews from recent clients. Publish them to the correct location pages. Day 5: Using AI, draft five social posts to promote the blog and video that are cliché-free, value-forward. Day 6: Identify ten citation opportunities (Chamber, associations, high-quality directories). Start submissions with consistent NAP everywhere. Day 7: If applicable, scope an /es/ version of the top two service pages with human-reviewed translation. Repeat this cycle weekly. It’s not glamorous—but it compounds. Conclusion AI is leverage. Used carelessly, it produces generic content that blends into the background. Used deliberately, it speeds up research, drafting, and formatting while preserving human voice and experience. The winning approach looks like this: Record it. Speak naturally to capture authentic language and expertise. Transcribe it. Get usable text fast. Humanize it (by trimming fluff). Keep the voice; lose the filler. Publish it. Turn one talk into multiple assets. Verify with data. Let Search Console guide the next steps. Do this over the course of a year, and a website’s topical depth and authority signals will increase, along with local visibility, without ever sounding robotic.

[powerplay] For years, SEO professionals and website owners have been playing a guessing game with Google’s algorithm. We’ve analyzed rankings, tested theories, and tried to reverse-engineer what the search giant actually wants from our websites. But what if I told you that Google has actually been telling us exactly what they want all along—we just haven’t been looking in the right place? Thanks to leaked internal documents and Google’s own AI tools, we now have unprecedented insight into the actual ranking factors that determine your website’s success. This isn’t speculation or theory—this is direct intelligence from Google’s own systems about what really matters for SEO in 2025. The Whistleblower Documents That Changed Everything About a year ago, a whistleblower released internal Google documents that outlined the company’s true ranking strategy. These weren’t marketing materials or public statements—these were the actual internal guidelines that Google uses to evaluate websites. The revelation was stunning: many of the things Google has publicly denied caring about are actually among their most important ranking factors. Think of it like getting the secret recipe for Kentucky Fried Chicken’s 11 herbs and spices, except instead of chicken seasoning, we’re talking about the ingredients that make websites rank on the world’s most important search engine. Google’s Hidden Content Grading Tool: Vertex AI Perhaps the most shocking discovery is that Google has made their content evaluation system partially available to the public through Vertex AI. This tool, accessible through Google Cloud, will analyze any webpage and provide detailed feedback on what Google wants to see for better rankings. When you input a webpage URL and tell Vertex AI to “evaluate this text,” something remarkable happens. The system provides a comprehensive breakdown of: Core keywords the page should target Long-tail keyword opportunities Competitor analysis recommendations Technical SEO requirements Content structure suggestions This isn’t a third-party tool making educated guesses—this is Google’s own language model telling you exactly what their algorithm is looking for. The Great Keyword Deception For years, Google has insisted that keywords don’t matter anymore. SEO experts have been told to focus on “user intent” and “semantic search” rather than specific keyword targeting. The leaked documents and Vertex AI analysis reveal this to be one of the biggest head fakes in digital marketing history. When you analyze a webpage about Italy tours using Google’s own tool, it immediately provides a list of essential keywords: “Italy tours,” “Italy travel packages,” “Italy vacations,” “luxury tours,” and “custom tours.” Cross-reference these suggestions with keyword research tools, and you’ll find they correspond to search terms with thousands of monthly searches. The pattern is clear: Google not only still uses keywords but considers them fundamental to understanding what your page is about. If you’re talking about Italy tours but your content starts discussing Zimbabwe vacations or moon rocket rides, Google’s algorithm gets confused and essentially throws your page out of consideration. The Critical Importance of Website Hierarchy One of the most actionable insights from Google’s internal guidance is the emphasis on clear, logical website hierarchy. This goes far beyond having a simple navigation menu—Google wants to see a sophisticated taxonomical structure that demonstrates expertise and comprehensive coverage of your topic. Most websites fail this test miserably. They have generic navigation items like “Home,” “About,” “Services,” and “Contact.” But Google’s algorithm is looking for something much more detailed and specific. For example, a dental practice shouldn’t just have a “Services” page. They should have distinct category pages for: General Dentistry (with subcategories for cleanings, fillings, extractions) Cosmetic Dentistry (with subcategories for whitening, veneers, smile makeovers) Laser Dentistry (with specific procedures and benefits) Each category page should then link to relevant subcategory pages, creating what SEO professionals call “silos”—organized content clusters that help Google understand the relationship between different topics on your site. The Portfolio of Poor SEO: What Not to Do The presenter shared examples of websites that look visually appealing but fail completely from an SEO perspective. These sites typically have: Minimal navigation structures Vague service descriptions Generic page titles like “Learn More” No clear hierarchy or content organization One particularly telling example was an event planning website that listed services like “designed by Jenny” without any indication of what Jenny actually designs. From Google’s perspective, this could mean anything from wedding dresses to coffins—the algorithm has no way to understand the business’s actual focus. The Internal Linking Revolution Google’s leaked documents reveal that internal linking strategy is far more important than most website owners realize. It’s not enough to simply link between pages—the anchor text and context of those links send crucial signals to Google about what each page is actually about. When you link from a page about “local SEO” to another page using the anchor text “search engine optimization,” you’re telling Google that the destination page is related to SEO topics. But if you link from a page about buying shoes to a page about local SEO, Google gets confused about the topical relevance. This is why successful websites create content silos where related pages link to each other using relevant anchor text, creating a web of topical authority that Google can easily understand and reward. Technical SEO: The Foundation That Can’t Be Ignored The Google documents also emphasize technical SEO elements that many business owners overlook: Title tags and H1 headers that accurately describe page content URL structure that reflects the site’s hierarchy Image file names that are descriptive rather than generic (avoid “image123.jpg”) Mobile optimization and fast page loading speeds Schema markup and structured data These aren’t nice-to-have features—they’re fundamental requirements for ranking in 2025. The User Engagement Signal Revolution Perhaps the most significant revelation is that Google tracks user engagement signals much more extensively than previously known. The algorithm monitors: How long visitors stay on your pages Whether they bounce back to search results immediately How they interact with your content Whether they engage with embedded media This explains why smart website owners are now embedding videos, podcasts, and interactive elements at the top of their pages. The moment someone starts playing a video or audio file, it registers as meaningful engagement with Google’s algorithm. Quality Backlinks: The Ranking Factor That Never Died Despite years of Google downplaying the importance of backlinks, the leaked documents reveal that link building remains one of the most crucial ranking factors. Google essentially maintained an internal PageRank system even after removing the public toolbar that displayed these scores. The algorithm still heavily weights: The number of quality websites linking to your content The authority and relevance of those linking domains The context and anchor text of those links The AI Revolution: Becoming Source Material An unexpected benefit of following Google’s internal guidelines is that well-structured websites are becoming source material for AI engines like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity. When your site has proper hierarchy, clear categories, and comprehensive content coverage, AI systems identify it as an authoritative source. This creates a new traffic channel beyond traditional Google search. Businesses are now receiving leads from people who found them through AI-powered searches rather than conventional search engine results. Practical Implementation: Your Next Steps Based on these revelations, here’s what every website owner should do immediately: Audit your site structure using Google’s Vertex AI tool to understand what the algorithm sees Create a comprehensive hierarchy with detailed category and subcategory pages Optimize your internal linking to create clear topical silos Implement engagement elements like videos and podcasts to increase time on page Focus on technical SEO fundamentals including proper title tags, URLs, and page speed Develop a strategic approach to earning quality backlinks from relevant, authoritative websites The Competitive Advantage The most exciting aspect of these revelations is that most businesses haven’t implemented these strategies yet. While your competitors are still guessing about what Google wants, you now have access to the actual playbook. The businesses that act on this intelligence quickly will have a significant advantage in search rankings, user engagement, and even AI-driven traffic sources. This isn’t just about SEO anymore—it’s about positioning your website as an authoritative source that both search engines and AI systems recognize and recommend. The age of guessing what Google wants is over. The question now is: will you use this knowledge to transform your website’s performance, or will you continue playing the old guessing game while your smarter competitors leave you behind? FAQ   Is it okay to use AI to generate content for my website? No. we strongly advises against using AI to write full web content because AI tools aggregate and rephrase existing information, making the content unoriginal. However, AI can be used to edit and improve human-written content.   What is Vertex AI, and how can I use it for SEO

As a small business owner, we all understand the plight of too much to do, not enough hours in a day and how we can cover more ground in less time. So enter AI. As alluring as it is and as helpful as it can be, when it comes to a website design and SEO, it can be toxic to your sites overall health if its not leveraged properly. So, before you let an AI tool write your next blog post or launch your entire website, let’s take a moment to pause and ask: Is this actually helping your business—or hurting it? I had the opporutnity to break it all down for business owenrs, explaining how AI can be a powerful ally in your digital marketing strategy—if you know how to use it wisely. How to Use AI the Right Way in Your Digital Marketing Strategy Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the way we approach digital marketing, but for many small business owners, it’s a confusing and often overwhelming space. With countless tools and conflicting advice, it’s easy to fall into traps that could actually harm your online presence rather than help it. In the attached video, Beth Guide of Vertical Web offers some much-needed clarity. She provides small business owners with practical, experience-based strategies to integrate AI into their marketing efforts without losing authenticity, search visibility, or customer trust. Here’s what you need to know about using AI effectively and ethically in your digital marketing strategy. The Big Misunderstanding: Google and AI Content One of the first misconceptions Beth addresses is that AI-generated content is a shortcut to better SEO. It’s not. In fact, Google does not favor AI-written content—especially if it lacks originality. AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude scrape and summarize existing content across the internet. When you use these tools to create blog posts without adding your own voice or ideas, you’re essentially recycling what’s already out there. Google sees this as “thin content” that adds no value to users. “Google wants content that makes the internet a better place,” Beth says. That means original, insightful, and experience-based material—something only you can provide. You Are the Expert—AI is Just the Assistant Beth emphasizes that small business owners need to recognize their own value. If you run a business, chances are you’re an expert in your industry. That expert knowledge is what sets your content apart. AI should not be your ghostwriter—it should be your brainstorming partner. It can help organize your thoughts, generate ideas, or even identify topics you might not have considered. But the core ideas must come from you. “Be the source that others quote,” Beth advises. “Don’t be the one quoting others.” How Do You Effectively Use AI in Your Content Marketing Strategy AI can be incredibly useful if you know how to use it correctly. We talked through how to be effective and some of the steps you can use to use AI to support your efforts but not replace you or your knowlegde. AI is about saving time, not just to repeat what someone else has said. 1. Start with Keyword Research Use AI to generate a list of relevant keywords for your business. Tools like ChatGPT or Claude can help, but you must be specific in your prompts. For example, instead of asking “What are good HOA management keywords?”, ask “What are people searching when they want to hire a homeowners association management company?” This level of specificity matters—vague prompts will lead to vague answers. 2. Generate Content Topics from Keywords Once you have a list of keywords, ask the AI to generate blog topics based on them. This can help you build a content calendar and eliminate writer’s block. 3. Write Content Based on Your Expertise Use your own experiences and unique perspective to flesh out each topic. You can ask AI to help organize sections, identify talking points, or summarize research—but you need to provide the core message and tone. Don’t ask AI to write the blog post for you. Instead, use it to structure and support what you want to say. How Can You Use Video to Supercharge Your Content Creation Strategy? Not a writer? No problem. Beth suggests an alternative content creation method that works just as well—and sometimes even better: video. Here’s how she recommends doing it: Record Yourself Talking Use your phone or Zoom to record a video of yourself explaining a topic you know well. For example, if you’re an HOA manager, explain the importance of a reserve study or how to engage with residents effectively. Transcribe the Video Use tools like YouTube, Otter.ai, or Zoom to get a written transcript of the video. Feed the Transcript to AI for Summarization Ask the AI to summarize the transcript. This summary will serve as the foundation for a blog post, which you can then revise and personalize further. Repurpose the Content From one video, you can create: A blog post (from the AI summary and your edits) A podcast (by extracting the audio) A YouTube upload (the original video) Combine All Formats on One Page Create a single web page that includes the blog post, video, and audio. This allows you to cater to different types of learners: Readers (written blog) Watchers (video) Listeners (podcast) Platform Matters: Skip the Shortcuts Beth also warns against relying on drag-and-drop platforms like Wix, Weebly, or Squarespace, especially if you’re serious about SEO. While these tools may offer convenience and AI-powered site builders, they often fall short in terms of performance, customization, and long-term growth. Even WordPress, which is more SEO-friendly, now offers AI content features that may tempt users to shortcut the writing process. Don’t fall into that trap. “If your website doesn’t offer anything unique, there’s no reason for Google—or your customers—to engage with it.” Avoiding Common AI Mistakes Beth highlights a few common missteps to avoid when using AI: Poor Prompting: The quality of your prompt directly impacts the quality of the AI’s output. Be specific. Overloading a Chat Thread: If the AI starts giving unrelated or confusing answers, start a new chat. Past context can distort future results. Blind Copy/Paste: Never copy and paste AI-generated content directly to your site. It lacks your voice and could harm your rankings. Thinking AI is Smarter Than You: It’s not. AI doesn’t know your audience or your business better than you do. Use it as a tool, not a replacement. Build Value, Not Just Content At the end of the day, AI should help you bring your expertise to life online. Whether you’re creating blog posts, videos, or podcasts, your voice and originality are what will make your business stand out. “If you’re not making the internet a better place, Google doesn’t want your content.” So yes, leverage AI—but do it with intention, with creativity, and with a clear sense of what makes your business unique. Remember, AI is a tool—not a replacement. When used wisely, it can help you generate ideas, save time, and structure your thoughts. But it can’t replace your experience, your personality, or your expertise. So next time you sit down to create content, remember: Let AI support your voice—not speak for you.

As digital marketing continues to evolve, artificial intelligence has emerged as a powerful tool for website development and SEO optimization. In today’s video, we talk about how AI can streamline website creation, support SEO strategies, and save time on content generation. WordPress: The Foundation for SEO Success Before diving into AI applications, we need to establish a fundamental point: platform choice matters significantly for SEO success. While many businesses are tempted by the  simplicity of platforms like Wix, Weebly, Squarespace, or Shopify, these options often fall short of gaining solid SERPs. “I’m very much about how we get traffic for people,” Beth explained, highlighting that WordPress (specifically wordpress.org, not wordpress.com) remains the superior choice for businesses serious about their online presence. This is particularly important for e-commerce sites, where Beth recommends WooCommerce over Shopify for better SEO performance. And although Shopify can be mofidified to perform, it us usually cost prohibitive to do so. AI-Assisted Website Development One of the most impressive demonstrations showed how AI can dramatically accelerate the website creation process. Using WordPress with the Astra theme and Spectra page builder, Beth demonstrated a near-complete dentist website built in roughly 20 minutes. The process followed these steps: Install WordPress with the Astra theme Add Spectra as the page builder Use the AI Builder feature to define the business type (dentist) Provide a business description (generated through Claude AI) Select images and design preferences Let the AI generate the website framework This approach doesn’t eliminate the need for customization but creates a solid foundation that would typically take hours to build manually. As Beth notes, this is particularly valuable for those who find WordPress intimidating but need a professional-looking site with good SEO potential. Determining Website Structure with AI Perhaps the most valuable application of AI demonstrated was using it to determine optimal website structure and content strategy. Beth showed how asking Claude AI targeted questions about specific business types yields comprehensive outlines of recommended pages and services. For example, when asked what pages a dentist in Kingwood should include for SEO purposes, Claude generated a detailed list including: Homepage About Us Services page (with specific dental services) Patient information Before and after gallery Testimonials Blog Contact information and map The AI didn’t stop there – it provided a breakdown of specific services that should be featured, essentially creating a content roadmap for the entire site. This same approach worked for other business types, including commercial real estate and translation services, demonstrating its versatility. The Critical Role of Keyword Validation While Beth showcased AI’s power, she repeatedly emphasized a crucial point: “AI is thought-provoking, not thought-replacing.” This became particularly evident when examining keyword suggestions. Using the “Keywords Everywhere” tool (a Chrome extension that shows monthly search volumes), Beth demonstrated how some AI-suggested terms have zero monthly searches, making them ineffective SEO targets. For instance, while Claude might suggest “property acquisition and sales” for a commercial real estate website, keyword research revealed that potential clients actually search for “buy commercial real estate” (10,000 monthly searches) or “sell commercial real estate” (1,600 monthly searches). This validation process is essential for transforming AI suggestions into effective SEO strategy. As Beth explained, “I don’t want to see you go down an AI road and just give the AI answer just because it’s giving you the answer… It’s not smarter than you are.” Creating Content Depth Through Page Hierarchy One particularly valuable insight involved using AI-generated service lists to create content depth. Rather than simply listing services on a single page, Beth recommended creating: A main services overview page listing all offerings Individual pages for each service category Specific pages for sub-services within each category This approach creates natural keyword targeting opportunities while providing the content depth that search engines reward. For the dentist example, this strategy could generate 24+ pages of relevant content without straining for topics. Practical Application for Different Businesses To demonstrate the versatility of this approach, Beth applied the same methodology to a translation and interpreting business. The AI immediately identified: Core service categories (certified translations, business translations, technical translations, website/software localization) Interpretation services (consecutive, simultaneous, phone/video) Industry-specific translation needs (oil and gas, healthcare, legal) Priority languages for the Houston market (Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, Arabic, Hindi, French) This real-world example showed how even business owners knowledgeable about their services can gain valuable insights about market demands and content organization through AI prompting. Best Practices for AI Integration Throughout the workshop, several best practices emerged for effectively integrating AI into website development and SEO: Use AI for framework generation: Let AI create the initial structure and content outline to save time. Verify keyword relevance: Always check AI-suggested terms against actual search data. Apply human expertise: Refine AI suggestions based on your industry knowledge and business goals. Create content depth: Use AI-generated outlines to develop comprehensive content hierarchies. Be conversational with AI: Using polite, clear prompts tends to yield better results from AI tools. The Future of AI in Digital Marketing  AI’s potential for website development and SEO is still evolving. The key is finding the right balance between AI efficiency and human expertise. The most successful implementation is using AI to handle repetitive, time-consuming tasks while applying human judgment to strategic decisions. This approach allows business owners to focus on what they do best while leveraging technology to enhance their digital presence. For those looking to integrate AI into their website development and SEO strategy, Beth’s approach provides a practical framework: use AI to generate ideas and structure, validate with keyword research, apply industry knowledge to refine, and build content depth through strategic page hierarchy. By following these principles, businesses of all sizes can harness the power of AI to improve their digital presence without sacrificing the personal expertise that makes their business unique.

Maximizing Website ROI with Google Analytics 4: Essential Insights for Business Owners In today’s digital landscape, having a website is the first step but should not be the last step. Understanding how that website performs and contributes to your business goals is what separates successful online ventures from those that struggle to gain traction. At Vertical Web, we frequently encounter business owners who have invested thousands in web design, SEO services, or SEM campaigns but have no idea whether that investment generates returns. This week’s Internet Marketing Clinic focused on implementing Google Analytics 4 (GA4) correctly and using it to determine your website’s true ROI. The Foundation: Choosing the Right Platform Before diving into analytics, we need to address a critical decision that affects everything else: your website platform. While builders like Wix, Squarespace, and Shopify offer convenience, they often limit your ability to optimize for search engines and implement proper tracking. WordPress remains our recommended solution for most businesses. Despite what some may perceive as a steeper learning curve, WordPress provides: Superior customization options Better search engine visibility More robust analytics implementation Greater control over your digital assets As we often say at our clinics, “You can’t fix what you can’t measure,” and many website builders simply don’t allow for proper measurement. Setting Up Google Analytics 4 Correctly Google Analytics 4 represents a significant shift from previous versions, focusing more on user journeys and engagement rather than simple pageviews. Proper setup involves two critical components: Google Analytics 4 code – This needs to be added to your website header Google Tag Manager – No longer optional, this must be implemented alongside GA4 The Site Kit plugin, made by Google,  significantly simplifies this process for WordPress users. However, it’s essential to verify that both components are working correctly after installation. Many businesses we’ve worked with had Analytics installed but were missing Tag Manager, resulting in incomplete data collection. Understanding Engagement Metrics vs. Vanity Metrics One of the most powerful insights from GA4 is the distinction between engaged users and total users. In our clinic, we demonstrated this using Vertical Web’s own analytics data: According to our metrics, approximately half of our traffic consisted of engaged users—those who visited multiple pages during their session. This engagement metric has become increasingly important for two reasons: Google’s ranking algorithms now prioritize sites that keep users engaged Engaged users are significantly more likely to convert into customers When we analyze client websites, we often find they’re focused on total traffic numbers (a vanity metric) rather than engagement metrics (actionable data). A website with 1,000 monthly visitors and a 5% engagement rate is performing worse than one with 500 visitors and a 20% engagement rate. The Value of Search Console Insights Another invaluable tool we demonstrated was Google Search Console, which reveals exactly which search queries bring visitors to your site. Using Vertical Web as an example, we analyzed search impressions and clicks for various keywords: “Web development services” generated 7,000 impressions “Unlimited web hosting” showed 3,879 impressions with click-throughs despite being ranked 30th This data provides actionable intelligence about what potential customers are searching for and where you have opportunities to improve your visibility. It helps answer crucial questions like: Which keywords are actually bringing in business? Where are we visible but not getting clicks? What content should we create to capture more relevant traffic? Tracking Actual Conversions, Not Just Traffic The most significant insight from our clinic was the importance of tracking conversions—the actions that translate into actual business revenue. For e-commerce sites, this is relatively straightforward: you can track purchases and their value. For service businesses, tracking becomes more nuanced, focusing on: Form submissions Phone calls (using call tracking) Chat interactions PDF downloads Time spent on key pages During our session, we shared a revealing anecdote about a business that discovered 90% of their conversions came from a single keyword (“web hosting”) despite spreading their efforts across dozens of terms. This insight allowed them to reallocate resources more effectively and significantly increase their ROI. The Direct Traffic Advantage An often-overlooked metric is direct traffic—users who type your URL directly or have bookmarked your site. In our analytics review, we found that direct traffic often indicates: Brand recognition and strength Repeat customers Word-of-mouth referrals While organic search traffic typically represents new potential customers, direct traffic often indicates existing relationships. Both are valuable, but direct traffic is usually more likely to convert and costs less to acquire. Building a business that generates substantial direct traffic takes time but creates a significant competitive advantage. As we demonstrated with Vertical Web’s own metrics, a substantial portion of our new business comes from direct traffic—people who know us by reputation or referral—which has taken years to develop but now provides a steady stream of qualified leads. Evaluating Web Designers One of the most practical segments of our clinic focused on how to evaluate web designers and SEO professionals before hiring them. The simple approach: ask to see websites they’ve worked on, then examine: Do title tags include relevant keywords (not just “Services” or generic terms)? Is the content naturally written for humans while still being SEO-friendly? Does the site structure make logical sense for both users and search engines? Many business owners come to us after spending thousands on websites that were built without SEO considerations, requiring complete rebuilds. By examining a designer’s past work through this lens, you can avoid this costly mistake. The ROI Bottom Line At the end of the day, website ROI comes down to a simple calculation: ROI = (Revenue Generated – Cost of Website) / Cost of Website The challenge lies in tracking that first number accurately. By implementing GA4 properly and focusing on the metrics that matter, you can: Identify which keywords and content drive actual business Understand user journeys that lead to conversions Allocate marketing resources more effectively Measure improvements over time Next Steps for Your Business If you’re not currently tracking your website’s ROI effectively, here’s what we recommend: Ensure both Google Analytics 4 and Google Tag Manager are properly installed Connect Google Search Console to your analytics Set up conversion tracking for important actions (forms, calls, etc.) Begin regularly reviewing engagement metrics rather than just total traffic Test different approaches and measure their impact on actual conversions At Vertical Web, we’ve helped hundreds of businesses transform their websites from expenses into revenue-generating assets through proper analytics implementation and data-driven optimization. The insights from this approach don’t just improve your website—they can reshape your entire marketing strategy. Remember, the most beautiful website in the world is worthless if it doesn’t contribute to your bottom line. Start measuring what matters today. Want to learn more about maximizing your website’s ROI? Join our weekly Internet Marketing Clinic every Wednesday at 1 PM. Subscribe to our channel to get notifications when we go live!

Navigating the Future of SEO: Key Trends and Strategies for 2025 The digital marketing landscape is perpetually evolving, with SEO at the forefront of this transformation. As we approach 2025, it becomes imperative for marketers and business owners to understand and adapt to the latest SEO trends to maintain and enhance their online visibility. This post delves into the significant shifts expected in the SEO realm, offering actionable strategies to help you stay ahead in a competitive digital world. The Rising Impact of AI on SEO Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly influencing how search engines operate and how content is ranked. AI-driven algorithms are becoming more sophisticated in understanding and processing user queries, making it crucial for SEO strategies to align with these advancements. AI doesn’t just affect search outcomes; it’s also reshaping how SEO should be approached. For instance, AI can analyze user behavior, predict trends, and personalize content, making it essential for businesses to leverage AI in optimizing their SEO practices. Diversifying Your Marketing to Go Beyond Google While Google remains the titan of search engines, new players like ChatGPT are emerging, challenging the status quo. These platforms are developing their own ecosystems and driving significant traffic to compliant websites. This shift underscores the necessity of optimizing content for multiple search platforms, not just Google. Ensuring that your SEO strategy is adaptable and broad enough to encompass these new platforms will be crucial in tapping into diverse traffic sources and expanding your digital footprint. The Value of High-Quality Content – Content is STILL King Content is king – a mantra that continues to hold true into 2025. The demand for high-quality, authoritative, and engaging content is higher than ever. Search engines are favoring content that provides real value to users, incorporating metrics that measure user engagement and satisfaction. This means businesses must focus on creating content that is not only informative and relevant but also tailored to meet the specific needs and interests of their target audience. Link Building with a Focus on Quality The significance of link building remains, but the focus has shifted towards the quality of links rather than sheer quantity. High-quality backlinks from reputable and relevant sources are critical in boosting a site’s authority and ranking. Effective link-building strategies now require a more thoughtful approach, where links from industry leaders, chambers of commerce, and influential publications can dramatically enhance your SEO performance. Adapting to New Verification Processes for Local SEO Search engines are placing a greater emphasis on authenticity and verification. Google, for example, has introduced video verification for business locations to ensure that listed businesses are legitimate and accurately represented. This move is likely to affect local SEO significantly, making compliance with these verification processes a critical factor in maintaining or improving search rankings. Preparing for Technical SEO Advances As search algorithms become more complex, the technical aspects of SEO cannot be ignored. This includes site architecture, mobile optimization, page speed, and structured data. Websites that quickly adapt to technical SEO requirements will perform better in search rankings. Ensuring that your website is technically optimized for both desktop and mobile users is more crucial than ever. Leveraging SEO for Voice Search and IoT The proliferation of voice-activated devices and the Internet of Things (IoT) has introduced new SEO challenges and opportunities. Optimizing for voice search requires understanding natural language queries and focusing on long-tail keywords. Additionally, as more devices become interconnected, there will be new avenues for optimizing content across different platforms and devices, further complicating the SEO landscape. Sustainability and Ethical SEO As consumers become more environmentally and ethically conscious, they expect the same from the brands they interact with online. Sustainable practices and ethical SEO strategies will become factors in brand preference and loyalty. This includes transparent marketing practices, sustainable digital operations, and ethical use of AI and data. SEO Requires Continuous Learning and Adaptation SEO is not static; continuous learning and adaptation are required to stay relevant. The digital marketing field is fast-paced, with frequent updates to algorithms and best practices. Staying informed through credible SEO resources, ongoing training, and industry conferences will help you keep up with the latest trends and techniques. Looking ahead to 2025, SEO is set to become more integrated with AI, more diversified across new search platforms, and more dependent on high-quality content and ethical practices. By understanding these trends and preparing with effective strategies, businesses can not only adapt to these changes but also thrive in the evolving digital landscape. Implementing these forward-thinking SEO strategies will ensure that your online presence is robust, resilient, and ready to meet the future head-on.

Whether you’re a small business owner, entrepreneur, or digital marketer, understanding the fundamentals of SEO can help you gain visibility, attract leads, and grow your business. What is SEO and Why is it Important? SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the practice of improving a website’s visibility on search engines like Google. The goal is to rank higher in search results, making it easier for potential customers to find your business. Why SEO Matters for Businesses Increases website traffic – Higher rankings lead to more clicks and visitors. Generates quality leads – SEO attracts users actively searching for your products or services. Builds credibility and trust – A well-optimized website enhances user experience and authority. Cost-effective marketing – Unlike paid ads, organic SEO provides long-term benefits with sustained effort. If you’re relying solely on social media or paid ads, you’re missing out on a powerful organic traffic source that can continuously drive potential customers to your site. SEO has been around since the early 2000s. While the digital landscape has evolved, it fundamentally remains the same: helping search engines understand and rank websites based on relevance and quality. How an Optimized Website Can Transform Your Business A well-optimized website is more than just an online brochure—it’s your best salesperson, working 24/7 to attract new leads and customers. Case Study: The Power of SEO Beth Guide shared her personal experience with SEO: Before SEO, her company received 7 orders per week. After optimizing for search engines, that number jumped to 20-30 orders per day! Today, her business reaches 10,000+ customers on average. This is an example of how ranking higher on Google can dramatically increase traffic, sales, but most importantly, business growth. Choosing the Right Website Platform: WordPress.org vs. WordPress.com Your website platform plays a crucial role in SEO success. Beth strongly recommends using WordPress.org over WordPress.com. Why WordPress.org is Better for SEO ✅ Full Control – Unlike WordPress.com, which limits customization, WordPress.org allows complete website control. ✅ SEO-Friendly – Built-in tools and plugins (like Yoast SEO) make optimization easier. ✅ Scalability – Easily expand your website with new pages, features, and content. ✅ Better Performance – Faster loading speeds and better security for improved rankings. Because you need maximum control, WordPress.org is the way to go.  Vertical Web offers WordPress hosting plans that are prebuilt with the right tools that lead to SEO success. The Importance of Content: Why Your Website Needs 100+ Pages Many businesses fail to rank because they don’t provide enough quality content for Google to take them seriously. How Content Affects SEO Google prioritizes websites with substantial, high-quality content. A well-structured blog and service pages help establish authority. More pages mean more opportunities to rank for different keywords. Common SEO Mistakes That Hurt Rankings Many businesses struggle with SEO because they unknowingly make critical mistakes that prevent them from ranking higher. Avoid These Costly SEO Mistakes 🚫 Poor Website Structure – Confusing navigation and lack of internal linking can harm rankings. 🚫 Low-Quality Content – Thin or AI-generated content lacks value and engagement. 🚫 Ignoring Title Tags & Meta Descriptions – Missing or generic metadata reduces click-through rates. 🚫 Not Using H1s & Subheadings Properly – Headings help Google understand page structure and relevance. 🚫 Neglecting Local SEO – If you’re a local business, optimizing for local searches is crucial. If you’re investing in SEO, make sure you’re doing it the right way to see actual results. The Truth About AI & SEO With the rise of AI-generated content, many wonder: Is AI good for SEO? Google’s Stance on AI Content 🔹 Google accepts AI-generated content IF it provides new and valuable insights. 🔹 However, repetitive or regurgitated content won’t rank well. Paraphrasing someone else’s work does not add to the betterment of the internet. 🔹 AI should be used as a tool for assistance, not a replacement for human-written content. Even this blog post you are reading is a summary of the video lecture I gave on this topic and is 100% unique. So, even though I used AI to generate this, it is a summary of my lecture. Tip: Use AI to streamline research and outlines, but always add unique insights and expertise! Does Google Ads Improve SEO Rankings? A common question is whether paying for Google Ads helps with organic rankings. I am one of the few people that has always said the two are intertwined. Although Google vehemently denies they are related, there has always been some benefit. The Reality 💰 Google claims ads don’t influence rankings, but… 📈 Higher click-through rates (CTR) from ads may indirectly help boost your website’s credibility. 💡 Focus on SEO first, and use Google Ads to supplement your organic efforts. SEO is a long-term strategy, while ads provide short-term visibility. A combination of both can yield the best results. How Much Does SEO Cost? SEO pricing varies based on competition, industry and location. SEO Pricing Breakdown 💲 Local SEO: Starts at $500/month for small businesses. 💲 Competitive Niches (Lawyers, Dentists): Can range from $5,000 – $8,000/month. 💲 Enterprise SEO: May exceed $20,000+/month for national rankings. Cheap SEO services often cause more harm than good, leading to wasted money, poor results and possible long-term damage to the website or brand. Keyword Research: The Foundation of SEO Success Without the right keywords, your SEO efforts may fall flat.  Remember to watch our Video on Keywords if you need more help on the topic How to Find the Best Keywords 🔹 Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ahrefs. 🔹 Focus on long-tail keywords (e.g., “best web designer in Houston”). 🔹 Look at competitor rankings and identify gaps. Tip: Use a mix of high-volume and niche keywords for a balanced SEO strategy! Building a Strong SEO Strategy Today SEO is an ongoing process, but by following these best practices, you can increase rankings, drive traffic, and grow your business. Key Takeaways ✔ SEO is essential for long-term business success. ✔ WordPress.org is the best platform for SEO optimization. ✔ Content is king – Aim for 100+ pages of valuable information. ✔ Avoid common mistakes that can hurt rankings. ✔ AI is a helpful tool but shouldn’t replace human expertise. ✔ SEO is an investment – Choose a provider that knows what they’re doing. Ready to improve your website’s SEO? Visit VerticalWeb.com for expert SEO services and training! 📢 Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more SEO insights! 🚀 And sign up for our Internet Marketing Clinic newsletter to receive our monthly class schedule and notifications of when we release new videos. #SEO #DigitalMarketing #BethGuide #VerticalWeb #SearchEngineOptimization #WordPressSEO #GoogleRanking #SmallBusinessSEO

Keywords have been at the core of search engine optimization (SEO) since the early days of the Internet. Despite evolving algorithms, they remain crucial for ranking on Google. This guide explores the history, best practices, and strategies for using keywords effectively in 2024. The Evolution of Keywords in SEO Early Search Engines and Keyword Usage In the late 1990s, search engines like Lycos, AltaVista, and AOL used simple Boolean searches. Web pages were ranked based on keyword frequency, leading to the rise of keyword stuffing. Websites repeated targeted phrases excessively, sometimes even hiding them in the background by matching the text color to the page’s background. These manipulative tactics initially worked but soon led to poor search results. Google’s Algorithm Changes As search engines evolved, Google implemented more intelligent algorithms that penalized keyword stuffing and rewarded content with natural language and contextual relevance. Instead of focusing on exact matches, Google now looks for keyword variations and related terms to determine page relevance. Updates such as Google Panda, Penguin, and Hummingbird refined how keywords were evaluated, emphasizing content quality over manipulation. Understanding Modern Keyword Optimization The Role of Keywords Today Despite algorithm changes, keywords remain essential. However, they must be used strategically with supporting context. Simply repeating a phrase like “Houston movers” is not enough—Google expects additional context, such as “packing services” or “moving company reviews.” Using a natural language approach that aligns with user intent is now the key to effective keyword optimization. Finding the Right Keywords for Your Website One of the most crucial steps in SEO is identifying the right keywords for your content. A good exercise is to create a list of 50 relevant words related to your business and organize them into groups. This helps structure content efficiently and target multiple search queries. Essential Keyword Research Tools Keywords Everywhere This browser extension helps users keyword search volume, competition, and variations. It also helps them discover which terms are most valuable for ranking in search results. The tool provides real-time data, making keyword research accessible and efficient. Google Keyword Planner Google’s free keyword tool offers insights into search volume, competition, and related search terms. It allows businesses to refine their keyword strategy based on search trends and user behavior. Using Excel for Keyword Management Organizing keywords in an Excel spreadsheet allows for better analysis and strategy development. Keywords should be grouped logically to improve content structuring. Website owners can tailor content by categorizing terms based on intent—informational, navigational, or transactional—accordingly. On-Page Optimization for Keywords Keyword Placement and Density Google’s algorithm considers more than just keyword frequency. Proper header placement (H1 to H6), meta descriptions, and body text are critical. The ideal page length for ranking well is around 1,700 words, ensuring the content is comprehensive and informative. The Importance of Related Terms Google assesses content using an interrelation of words. Instead of focusing solely on a single keyword, including related terms helps improve page relevance and search visibility. For example, a page targeting “home health care services” should also incorporate phrases like “senior home care,” “skilled nursing,” and “in-home medical care.” Using Header Tags Effectively Header tags (H1, H2, H3) should logically contain keywords and structure content. Breaking content into readable sections improves user experience and search engine crawling. Google prioritizes well-structured content with precise topic segmentation. Standard SEO Mistakes to Avoid Lack of Contact Information Websites without a phone number, address, or precise business details can appear less credible to users and search engines. Contact information signals legitimacy and improves local SEO rankings. Using Overly Broad Keywords Targeting general terms like “shoes” is ineffective due to high competition. Instead, focus on more specific keywords that reflect user intent, such as “best running shoes for flat feet.” This approach reduces competition and increases conversion rates. Neglecting Content Depth Thin content with insufficient keyword coverage fails to rank well. Each page should provide detailed information that comprehensively answers user queries. Adding FAQ sections, bullet points, and related topics enhances content value. Content Strategy for Better Rankings Writing High-Quality, SEO-Friendly Content A well-structured blog post or landing page should include keyword-rich headings, FAQs, and a natural writing style. Content should be informative and address user needs rather than simply inserting keywords. Google values pages that provide actual value over those that try to rank for specific phrases. Crafting Keyword-Rich Blog Posts For businesses like home health care services, an article titled “Essential Home Care for Seniors: Tips for Living Comfortably” can rank well by incorporating related keywords like “in-home nursing,” “senior care,” and “skilled nursing facilities.” Structuring content around commonly searched questions improves visibility and user engagement. The Role of Internal Linking Internal linking helps distribute page authority and improves site navigation. Linking to relevant blog posts or service pages enhances keyword relevance and keeps users engaged on the website longer. For example, linking a blog post about “home health care services” to a service page detailing in-home care offerings strengthens keyword associations. Using Schema Markup Schema markup provides additional context to search engines, helping pages appear in rich snippets. Adding structured data for services, reviews, and business details increases search visibility and click-through rates. Keywords Remain Important Keywords are still fundamental in SEO, but their usage has evolved. To rank effectively in 2024, website owners must focus on keyword relevance, strategic placement, and high-quality content. Businesses can improve their search engine rankings and drive more organic traffic by utilizing keyword research tools, structuring content logically, and avoiding common mistakes. With a strong keyword strategy, SEO success is within reach.

Unexpectedly, the SEO community was gifted a leak. Just as everyone was wringing their hands and lamenting SEO is dead (it’s not), here came a blueprint for SEOs. I have just begun soaking in all the information contained in this document. By way of background, Rand Fiskin, founder of MOZ, was contacted about the Google API being accidentally uploaded. But as I read through this, in many ways, it’s not telling me things I didn’t already know, but I feel very vindicated because it backs a lot of what I think but could never prove. From the Desk of an SEO Expert – A Look Back So why should you trust my insights as an SEO Expert? The Google leak, in many ways, validates things I’ve been saying for years. I’ve always maintained that Google lies and misleads SEO companies, and this leak seems to confirm that. But let me define why I am an SEO expert so you can evaluate the podcast, video, and this post. I have 28 years of experience in SEO. My company was formed seven months before Google. Since my very first client, I have been navigating the ever-changing landscape of SERPs. Back in those days, it was easy. How much keyword stuffing is needed? How many pop culture references can I add to my title tag?  Or, best of all, I could type in the same color of the background and feed the search engine but not making apparent to the visitor. There were a lot of these ‘tricks’ back in the day. Do them now and do so at your peril. This is not a thing anymore and hasn’t been for many years. Our SEO journey began when the search was still rudimentary before there were 14,000 data points. As the industry evolved, we adapted and built our knowledge. In a nutshell, we have been a part of every change Google has ever made, giving us a unique skill set and vantage point. While there are others like me, we are few and far between. Some, like Danny Sullivan, have even gone to work for Google. But others, like myself or Bill Hartzer, continue to fight the good (Google) fight in the trenches. It’s all about the Algorithm. So What is the Google Algorithm Anyway? It all starts with the algorithm and the quest to understand it. The Google algorithm has always been as complex as it is simple. For those who don’t know for sure what an algorithm is, let me define it for you. An algorithm is a set of mathematical computations that solve a problem. In the case of Google, it’s the equivalent of a scoring system ‘grades’ web pages (and websites) and then putting them in numerical order, with the best page being listed in the first position. For years, I said there were 29,000 ‘things’ we had to know to get a page to work/rank within the Google algorithm. The number is 14,040.  But what’s a few thousand data points between friends? What we don’t know is the value of each of the items we are going to discuss below. What is the amount each item adds or subtracts from the score? Some may argue that predicting the outcome without those values is hard. But this is where the SEO expert part comes in. I believe I can tell with pretty good accuracy what is more important than other things. It is probably a companion piece I need to write that puts them in order and assigns the BG (Beth Guide) scale of Google Values to them. So, what IS the Google Algorithm based on? What have we learned from this Google data leak? Learned is subjective in this application. Me, I haven’t learned much. It’s all the stuff I already knew. For me, I used the word validated and vindicated. The first thing I’ve long said is that it is my opinion that Google lies to and tries to mislead SEO companies. I mean, why would they tell everyone how to game their system? It makes perfect sense. I have to say that I laugh when people tell me about the Google raters guidelines as if they are gospel. I have long said follow it to the letter and see how far you get. Google Misdirection #1 – Page Rank It’s 2024, and I’m about to type the word Page Rank for those of you who have not been around for the last decade. When Google first arrived, it had a delimiter called page rank. It lived in the Google toolbar, and you could always see how Google ranked your website. From my SEO perspective, it was always time for a party when you increased page rank. How do you move up in page rank? Links links and more links. For several years now, coming out of Google links were no longer relevant.  Surprise!  They are still relevant. Color me shocked. At least up until the time of this leak, which is arguably as early as Sept 2023 and could be as late as March 2024, links are important. (10:34) So what is a small business to do? Links really are important. Well, some of these things your business should be doing already. You should be participating in your community. You should be helping others. And you should learn how to identify situations that may gain you a link. There are other reasons to do this, and I’ll talk about branding and authorship in a minute. But for now, you have to learn how to identify an opportunity.  (18:56) Google Misdirection #2 – Chrome Data is Not Part of the Algorithm Every year, the expression is that there is nothing free in this life. As you know, everything about Google is accessible to the end user. Chrome and Gmail, to name a few. Why is that? Is Google possibly using that data to scrap and feed into their algorithm? Gmail helps with trends and what people are talking about. It’s not that it says anything specific about Gmail in the code anywhere. What it does say, however, is it talks about what is a good click and what is a bad click. I feel compelled to insert a pithy WOZ reference here, but I won’t. However, it could be argued that Glenda and Google sound somewhat similar. Part of the page you are reading is one of the ways we send signals to Google. I don’t know if you are reading down this far or started watching the video but in either case you have had to be on this page for a while, making this into a good click. People stay on the pages associated with the Houston Internet Marketing Clinic Class. So, I am, in effect, sending a signal to Google. And I am not forcibly holding you back from the page, which is good. Google Misdirection #3 – What is Spam Anyway? We all know what spam is. Nigerian Princes, Russian Brides. But Google is ever vigilant against spam. They define pages that could be better written, not well sources and sometimes just keywords stuffed and stuffed. Now I agree that keyword stuffing and the pages written over and over again just to simply say the same thing in hopes of moving a needle on a secondary keyword. But are all things spam? Or is the person just not a good writer? Is there the use of AI content? The absolute truth is to act as an expert in your field, so yes, I am an SEO expert. I am a local SEO Expert. I would put my knowledge up against anyone out there and feel confident. Yes, I have my own opinions, and I’ve also been fortunate enough to grow up in this industry, so on-page and technical SEO to me are the same thing in many, many ways. I can fix technical SEO issues. I can fix semantic SEO issues. I know how to gain natural links for my website rather than resorting to buying them, as many others do. But most of all, Google knows that I do not spam because when they see my name, I have built my name as part of our brand, and they know it’s a name that can be trusted. Just as when they see my company name they know it too can be trusted. They know I have been involved in SEO and Web Design for nearly three decades now. In addition, they see my involvement with organizations like SCORE, HCC, and the SBDC as a validation of my credibility. These relationships are extremely important to your overall success.  So, what are you doing to increase your credibility?  In a nutshell, they are grading my website based on my relationships and affiliations. So How do Small Company’s Keep Up with SEO The tenants of all of this are still the same. Good quality content will always win the day and is the fundamental building block. But how does a small business owner keep up or even get these ideas? Every time I open my email there is a treasure trove of content ideas. For example, how do you decide to use medical device or medical plastics. What is the right term, and what are the steps necessary to determine which is correct? What do you need to tell someone to get an SEO quote?  (0:35) Google Misdirection #4 – There is no Sandbox Is there a Google Sandbox? So, this one is interesting because, in 2024, the answer is No-ish. In the truest sense of the word and using the historical application, no, not really. There was a hardcore sandbox back in the early 2000s. I don’t care what you did with a new domain; it was not going to rank for at least a year. But in the modern era, it’s not as arduous, but domains that are newly registered will usually sit for a year or two with low traffic. You will get some traffic. But not a lot. Now, most businesses won’t notice this because they will have localized traffic and weren’t expecting much. But if you are looking for SERP wins, and your domain is new, you have a distinct problem. So what is the remedy to this? There are domains that are after-market, and those domains seem to be impervious to any restriction unless the domain has been completely banned (yes, they ban domains). My experience tells me that there are a few break points in this, meaning the older the domain the less issues you will have. In my opinion any domain that has maintained a continuous since the early 2000 is much less likely to be sandboxed.  I’m not going to see it. I’ve never seen an old site have trouble, but I think I can count it on two fingers over the last 28 years. (40:46). SEO Isn’t Magical Voodoo I can’t tell you how often I’ve heard the terms voodoo or magic when describing SEO. It really is not. We no

SEO Hacks: Ways to win at SEO  SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a crucial aspect of digital marketing, and understanding how to navigate it can significantly impact the online visibility of your business. In this class we will explore the basics of SEO so that you can compete in this world and understand the do’s and don’ts and if you’re paying someone you can understand that they’re doing what they need to do. Google and SEO: Two Sides of the Same Coin Google’s relationship with SEO is constant and ever-changing so it’s important to stay on top of their updates and requirements as they roll out. Since September of 2023 Google started the “Helpful Content Update” and has been aggressively rolling out new fixes in an attempt to combat the use of AI for content creation. In March of 2024, the latest roll out will alleviate 40% of the content that is currently sitting on the internet, because google reads it as written with AI. This is also designed to go after marketers using tactics to gain Google’s System. What does this mean for business owners? For business owners and content writers, this update means that they will have to ensure that no content used is created with any AI tool. Content must be written by a human, as organically as possible, and with as much helpful information as possible. If you’re not being helpful, they’re not ranking your website. No mixed signals with SEO Getting fancy with your words has its uses in marketing, but when it comes to your website and its content the messaging must be clear and concise. Google operates on a set of signals that help it understand the content and relevance of web pages. These signals are crucial for ensuring that your website ranks well in search results. One important aspect to note is that Google is literal and specific, how you communicate information on your website needs to align with how Google interprets it.  Using the right keywords and structuring your content effectively are essential for signaling to Google what your website is about. A reoccurring issue with some websites and their signals, is that a website will change, which causes the signal to break. The Role of Keywords for Great SEO Keywords play a pivotal role in SEO as they help Google identify the relevance of your content to user queries. It is significant to understand your business's keywords and how to find them and use them effectively. Using plug in tools like Keywords Everywhere can provide valuable insights into search volume, competition, and the potential value of specific keywords. The search volume of a keyword is how many people are looking up this or adjacent terms. The competition is how many other people are attempting to rank using that same keyword. Remember, higher competition keywords may be harder to rank for, so it's essential to prioritize and strategize accordingly. The potential value of the term is how much it would be for you to purchase specific search terms, but this won’t be necessary to start. Local SEO and the "Near Me" Trend An interesting trend highlighted is the growing importance of local SEO, especially with terms like "near me." Google's algorithms are increasingly favoring localized search results, making it crucial for businesses to optimize their online presence for local searches. Incorporating location-specific keywords and ensuring consistency across online directories and platforms can greatly improve your visibility to local customers. In some instances, your business name can be a keyword, but often the business name is a more abstract concept than what your business does, so it’s good to ensure your support keywords are strong enough. For example, if your business name is “TreeCutting.com”, Tree Cutting would be a keyword because it would be something someone googles. But if you’re business name is something abstract like “Jose’sCutters.com” you would then have to set up a good amount of keywords in your website like “tree cutters” and variations such as “tree cutting” “landscaping” and many more. Using the suggested tools you can verify the value of these keywords and in turn find other keywords that may be more valuable than what you may already be using. Remember it is important to be specific and clear but not so specific that you become too niche and not easily found. SEO Success: Takeaways and Strategies SEO is essential for improving online visibility for your business. With the basics provided in this class and understanding Google’s updates and staying on top of them, there is a great starting point to begin implementing these improvements. Remember, it is essential that the messaging remains clear and concise, with effective keyword usage for Google to pick it up and rank. Use the available tools, like Keywords Everywhere, to optimize your strategy by identifying valuable keywords. By applying these principles and techniques, you can enhance your website's visibility and drive more traffic, ensuring your content meets both user needs and search engine criteria.

Fall is upon us, which means the holidays are soon to follow. For business owners, this time of the year is filled with opportunity - opportunities to develop your brand and capture a new wave of customers in the process. Of course, the competition is fierce during the holidays, especially as we near Black Friday and Christmas. That means SMB owners and online retailers must be ready to optimize their web presence to the extent they can. By strengthening your website, ad marketing, e-mail marketing and social media marketing channels, you’ll give your business a fighting chance to rise above the holiday noise this year. Here, we’ll address how to do just that. First, start by optimizing your Google Business Profile and integrating analytics Whether your business operates globally or locally, optimizing your Google Business Profile (GBP) is a strong - and simple - first step. For local SMBs, it’s unavoidable - your company needs a locally optimized GBP to garner traction with Google. Start by making sure your company’s name and address are accurate. Put up a photo of your company’s building. Fill out as much of your profile as you can - posts, reviews, events - all of these signals add up to let Google know where your business is located. And ensuring your business is properly geolocated by Google is a must-do to achieve any degree of local SEO success. Use geo-specific keywords in your company’s description and posts. Publish photos and videos (that you or someone within the company has taken) regularly. Just make sure that the company’s profile is active and frequently updated. Take a few minutes and integrate Google Analytics (widely termed GA4) into the website, too. It’s quick and easy to do so, and it provides valuable insight into how your site is performing from a traffic and lead-capturing standpoint. Users, sessions, page views, conversions, bounce rate, engagement time - there’s a lot of data here, but you don’t need to be a digital marketing expert to extract value out of it. Create more customer touch points through e-mail and social media As the holiday season approaches, consumers start gearing up to buy. That means it’s time to get your brand in front of them. With so much online noise competing for our attention these days, consistent (but not obnoxious) touch points are needed to drive leads to your company. A proven way to do this is with e-mail marketing - Mailchimp is our preferred tech for automating many e-mail marketing functions, but you’ll need to provide the content. Ideally, this content will provide valuable information that’s designed to “hook” the user toward your website. At the least, taking a spot in their inbox will bring your brand to the front of their mind - the first step toward making a conversion. Don’t be afraid to regularly send out these e-mail blasts - a couple times a week is considered optimal - and make an effort to capture user e-mails when they visit your site or make a purchase through your business. It’s easier to sell to current customers than new ones, and that means you’ll need an updated e-mail list. E-mail marketing can also be used to pick up additional customer reviews Customer reviews are weighted heavily by Google for SEO purposes. They are, therefore, a high-value target for brands. E-mail marketing can also support this goal by (politely) reminding users to leave a review. Many buyers have no problem doing this, they just need to be asked. Don’t overthink it. A week after a customer buys something from your site, automate your e-mail marketing platform to send out a review request/reminder. It’s a no-risk, high-reward approach to building your brand’s reputation. The Google Display Network provides a brand awareness boost for pennies on the dollar Chances are, you’ve seen plenty of small ads served through Google’s Display Network (GDN). The GDN is one of Google’s many, and often confusing, advertising platforms that allow companies to reach customers wherever they go. You’ll find GDN ads everywhere - on search engine results pages, e-commerce pages, forums, blogs and so on. Brands have some control over where their GDN ads are published, but the real advantage here is the sheer volume of impressions companies can capture through GDN ads. There are millions of websites participating in the network, so your ads could potentially be seen by many, many people. It’s also inexpensive for the potential return, so for SMBs that need to drum up some quick brand awareness, it’s a no-brainer for the holiday season. Act like an expert and write like an expert - with a little help from AI Let’s introduce artificial intelligence into this conversation. AI writing tools - ChatGPT best known among them - have added another dimension to content creation. At first glance, AI looks like a perfect way to quickly develop a ton of content, saving business owners the time and challenge that often comes with writing. But while AI can help support better and more efficient writing, it’s no replacement for a true, human expert. That’s because Google wants unique, expert level content, not just keyword-rich and topic-relevant content. AI can generate a ton of words, but those words are “scraped” from the internet. Put another way, AI writes by pulling from existing content all over the web. It’s fast and achieves a base level of competence, but AI cannot insert unique experiences or bits of expert insight that only an industry veteran can offer. Unfortunately, Google is adept at tracking this, so it can identify websites filled with AI content. And though the search engine juggernaut’s opinion on AI content is still in flux - Google is developing its own AI search assistant, after all - sites that depend on AI are being penalized on the SERPs. Here’s how to make AI work for your content writing The best approach for business owners is to take on a subject matter expert (SME) role within their industry. If you own a business in the field, you’re an expert in the field. And as an industry expert, you are capable of bringing that uniqueness to your site’s content. Currently, we draw the AI writing line at blogs and permanent website content (landing page stuff, mainly). These should be heavily human-written given their critical importance to the site’s SEO and user experience. Product pages, sales letters, social media posts - these are better suited to ChatGPT and similar tools. If you’re starting off on a blog or piece of site content, here’s one way to bring in ChatGPT as your AI assistant: Generate a list of relevant keywords - Keywords are terms that Google uses to understand what the surrounding content is about. These terms are typically search queries themselves or encapsulated inside a search query. Though Google’s crawlers have become much more sophisticated in their ability to understand content, keywords still play an important role. ChatGPT, if asked, can provide a list of keyword terms to include in your writing. Doing so will help Google interpret and categorize your content for better SERP placement. Develop a list of content angles - You can also ask ChatGPT to provide a list of ideas for your particular topic. If prompted, AI will generate a list of suggestions that could go in your blog. Not all of them will be a fit for your blog, but you may find an idea or two that you hadn’t considered and would make a good addition. This may also help with creating follow-up content and a longer term strategy for tackling the topic. Form the general structure of the page - ChatGPT can tweak its output by length, tone, target audience and more, as long as you ask it to. If you’re writing a blog and aiming for 1,500 words and targeted toward younger consumers, ask it to include those filters and you’ll get a slightly different piece of content. This can be used as a kind of bird’s eye view of how the content should read and how it should be structured. At this point, you’ve got the skeleton of a page, content ideas that you can use to help develop it further and a list of high-value terms that will help Google understand what the content is about. As the SME, you’ll need to ensure the content’s accuracy (AI will confidently generate the occasional error), “humanize” it with unique turns of phrase and sentence structure, and add important pieces of industry expertise to charge it with value. With the holidays upon us, tis the season to boost your digital marketing   We’re mere weeks away from peak purchasing season among consumers, so it’s time for business owners to tighten up their online marketing. If you have a website, but don’t know where to begin with optimizing it for search engines, the above steps will give your brand an extra push - and some extra customers, likely. If you'd like to further your impact, contracting a firm experienced in digital marketing can be the best decision for your business success.

Auditing Website Basics: The Rules Every Business Website Should Follow Developing a business website is difficult work. To be frank, it’s a job that most small business owners aren’t prepared to handle on their own. The job is only getting tougher, too, as Google is constantly raising the bar on what constitutes a high quality, trustworthy site. And every business owner should want a website that Google considers trustworthy because those are the sites that secure top ranking spots. If your site isn’t performing as well as it should, the problem (or problems) may be basic. With so many elements to optimize on modern websites, it’s practically impossible for small business owners to catch everything. That’s why we’ve put together this quick guide to business site basics. Follow these rules, and your site will be off to a good start. First, a word of caution about website builder platforms Before diving into those rules, though, we need to address a question that comes up all the time: “Can I build a business site with Wix, Squarespace, Shopify, etc.?” The answer is yes, you could, but business owners should avoid doing so at all costs. Site builder platforms are easy to use and inexpensive, but the website they crank out are impossible to market and optimize. That’s a deal breaker for any business owner that plans on using their site as a lead and sales generator. Websites build on one of the above platforms are essentially invisible to Google. They spit out bloated code that Google has trouble recognizing and interpreting. They give site owners insufficient latitude to make major technical changes. They do not allow site owners to choose their own host and you’re trapped inside the platform’s ecosystem. If the platform goes under, so does your website, permanently. Given all of this, we cannot in good conscious recommend site builders. What we do recommend is WordPress - the standalone version, not WP’s own platform and hosting service. WordPress remains the gold standard for marketability, customizability and performance, so every business owner’s first choice should be WordPress. That out of the way, on to the rules: Rule 1 - Make sure your title tag and headers are formatted properly Every page should be paired with a title tag - it’s the single most important element in helping Google understand what the page’s content is about. This title is identified using a title tag - something you may hear referred to as an H1. H1 (or H2, H3, H4 and so on) tags are designated in the page’s HTML code and are used to identify a title or header. Titles and header are important for Google and users, and generally for the same reason - they help the reader understand what the page’s content is about. This is obviously important for users, as their decision to consume the content or move on has to do with the content’s title. It’s also crucial for SEO purposes because Google isn’t going to rank a page that it doesn’t understand or isn’t properly titled. Properly-formatted and written headers help Google with this. Proper format means using the right H tag - only one title tag (H1) per page, and headers should be organized in a hierarchical format. That means using an H1 with the top header, H2s for content section headers, H3s for subheads inside those content sections and so on down the line.  Rule 2 - Feature your services and products in high-importance navigation elements If Google doesn’t know what your business sells, it will probably not rank the page. At best, your site will be improperly categorized in the wrong product or service area. The result of this? Users ending up on your site after searching for something completely unrelated to your business. That’s exactly the kind of traffic business owners don’t want. To ensure Google places your site in the right category and serves it to the right users, reinforce what your company does in the site’s most important navigation elements. Specifically, this means placing your top-level product and service categories up in the top nav menu. One of the first elements Google checks when crawling a page is the navigation. Put your product and service categories up here - don’t be afraid to get rid of generic nav entries like “about us” - and your site is far more likely to be served to the right users. Rule 3 - Make sure your content helps Google understand what your business is about For Google to properly categorize and locate your company - important for local businesses - the search engine will use content clues to determine where to place you. For obvious reasons, it’s important that Google identify what your business does and where it’s located as precisely as possible. If search engines have this information, they’ll be more likely to list your website on local search results pages relevant to your area. In other words, it will be easier for potential customers in your service area to find your business. Again, content clues are key here. The writing and photos on your website should address what your business does and where it operates, as directly as possible. Google has difficulty discerning between certain terms (a painter, for example, could be a house painter or an artist - Google can confuse them), so don’t be clever or coy with what your business does. No long-winded personal story about what inspired you, the business owner, to start the company. No personal anecdotes or attempts at humor. Just keep it direct and professional. This approach extends to the use of location-specific keywords. Rule 4 - Find and fix anything that would make your brand look amateurish or untrustworthy Depending on its size and function, your website may have hundreds or thousands of pages and URLs - with thousands of links connecting all of it together. That’s a lot of online infrastructure to maintain, and it’s common for the occasional technical issue to emerge - like a broken link, a bad redirect, a missing piece of content, a duplicate page and so on. Each of these issues has the potential to damage your brand online. It’s like walking into a brick-and-mortar business and finding out the restroom is out of order. While it may not have a direct impact on the business’s operation, it’s a bad look all the same. The same is true online. If users click on a product page but are instead taken to a generic 404 page, there’s a good chance they’ll leave the site altogether - removing your chances of converting them into a customer and dinging your user experience metrics in the process. The goal, then, is to identify and resolve the myriad, minor technical glitches that can impact how users respond to your site. You may need to bring in a web development or digital marketing expert to address this, as it may involve running various technical audits (targeting indexing errors, duplicate pages and the like), diagnosing the offending issues and correcting them. Nailing down the basics is the first step to website success Every business website is a custom-built, complex piece of software that serves multiple purposes. It’s a lead generator, a 24/7 salesperson, a brand ambassador and a showcase for your company’s knowledge and expertise. That’s several important roles your website must fill for it to be an effective investment. And with online competition as fierce as ever, there’s no room for basic mistakes. Hopefully, this guide revealed some of the most common, fundamental problems that small business owners run into with their sites. If any of the above apply to your site, an experienced web development and digital marketing firm can help correct them and get your site back on the right track.

Wordpress is one of the internet's most powerful engines, as something like 40 percent of all sites run on WP. Millions of those sites are professional or e-commerce in nature, and from the get-go, they must be configured properly to succeed. That means integrating the right tools into Wordpress during and following the initial WP install. If you're partnered with a reputable web hosting company, these tools may be included with your install package - a major convenience for site owners who don't know where to begin. Here, we've got a list of every important tool to consider for site owners just getting started with WordPress, along with some helpful information about WP management fundamentals. For SEO purposes, it's Wordpress or bust - stay away from site building platforms If you haven't launched a site yet, build it in WordPress. If you've already launched a site that's not in WordPress, prepare to move it to WP. And if you've already launched a WordPress site, congratulations - you're on the right track. The truth is, there's no good reason whatsoever for business owners to pick anything other than Wordpress for their online presence. WP is the gold standard for several reasons, including: Google prefers WordPress websites (better SEO) - The downside with site builder platforms is that they're built using bloated code that search engines cannot interpret well. Wix, Weebly, Squarespace and other drag-and-drop builders may be easy to use, but that simplicity means sloppy code on the backend. If you're serious about ranking on Google, this bloated code is a fatal problem. WP is well-supported by an active, open source community - WP is an open-source engine, so anyone can access the codebase and contribute to it. The benefit of an open source engine is that it's constantly being improved upon by the community, so WordPress users are always coming up with new and better tools. There are hundreds of thousands of plugins that can expand WP's functionality - Speaking of tools, there's an endless list of additional features and plugins to choose from. Each one adds to the site's capabilities, so if there's something that your site needs to do, but currently can't, there's a good chance that a solution already exists. It just needs to be installed on the site. Wordpress allows people to maintain ownership of their domain and assets - If the site is created through a standalone installation (Wordpress.org), you'll have complete ownership over all the site's assets and domain. With site builders like Wix and others, the site is contained inside the builder's ecosystem. That means if the platform goes down, so does your site. Further, if you want to move or make major changes to the site, that may be impossible if it's hosted on a platform. In short, WP's feature-rich, SEO-compatible code makes it the undisputed leader among site creation engines. Wordpress.com or Wordpress.org? Here's the difference The first hurdle business owners may run into when getting started with WordPress is whether to publish through Wordpress.com or Wordpress.org. We strongly recommend going with Wordpress.org, but here's a quick guide to both: com - Wordpress.com is WP's version of the site builder. While it utilizes the same WP dashboard and publishing process, the site itself is hosted on WP's own servers and is therefore functionally identical to sticking the site on another self-contained platform. Further, by opting for WP's own platform, site owners may be responsible for additional fees related to "premium plugins" and other features. org - Wordpress.org is the standalone version of WP that we recommend. With wordpress.org, site owners have access to all of the software's base files and user-friendly dashboard. In addition, owners have complete freedom to host the site with the hosting company of their choosing, and may make any changes they wish without interference. ​Now that the site's installation is underway, it's time to establish its layout and general design. Once the site's install is complete, the first thing to do is pick a theme With a fresh WP installation in place, site owners have the equivalent of a blank canvas to work with. From here, the first step is to select a theme, as this will set the course for the site's design and layout. Themes are available through the WP dashboard, along with thousands of other plugins and tools. There are plenty of themes to pick from, but we recommend (and include) Astra for every new install. Astra is a versatile, lightweight option that provides a superior combination of usability and performance. Whether it's Astra or another theme, users can customize the theme's universal settings (such as typeface and top image) to quickly establish a consistent style across all pages. Next, pick a design template to work from Ah, but we're not done selecting the top-level design details. Inside every theme are dozens, sometimes hundreds of design templates to choose from. Each one is like a pre-built website with the layout and blocks (text and image elements) already placed. We recommend picking a template that's close to what you're looking for design-wise and working from there. Most have filler text and images already included, and these can be easily switched out for your own content. Don't be afraid to experiment and see which one inspires. Wordpress pages and posts - what site owners need to know about both Wordpress was originally developed to be a blogging platform, and so the distinction between "pages" and "posts" remains. When publishing a new piece of content, users can choose to publish it as a page or post. Here's the difference: Pages - Pages are like the "evergreen" content on a website. They're the permanent pages on the site that aren't date or category-defined. They still require proper SEO practices to perform well, however, so relevant keywords, internal links, navigation elements are a must. Posts - Posts go on the site's blog, so this content is categorized by date and topic. As a blog's primary feature is timeliness, all posts are eventually cycled out and replaced with fresh content. This content must be SEO optimized to output the right signals to Google - help Google better crawl and index the site, in other words.Every business or professional website should have an active blog, if only to remain relevant to Google and other search engines. A well-written, regularly updated blog, though, can establish a voice for the brand and build trust in potential customers - a powerful advantage when attempting to earn conversions. Ready to build a page? Elementor provides everything people need to create a page quickly and with best SEO practices WordPress makes it pretty simple to start building a new page, and Elementor makes the actual designing even simpler. Over the years, multiple WP page builders have had their time in the sun. For example, WP Bakery was a popular page layout plugin for a long time, but when Google pushed over its Core Vitals update about 18 months ago - a performance-based update - sites built in WP Bakery were no longer fast enough for Google. Elementor is the new king of WordPress page design, partly because it works well with Google, partly because it creates pages that perform quickly, and partly because it's easy to use. It's also a block-based, drag-and-drop builder that requires no coding knowledge to fully utilize. Users can start from scratch or from their chosen template. And in both cases, Elementor allows people to make detailed, quick adjustments, so they can nail that perfect look without spending hours on a single page. 20 more plugins that your web host should be providing with your Wordpress install Some site owners think of web hosting like it's a commodity, but it's absolutely not. A reputable web host works hard to remain in good standing with search engines. Further, the quality of your web host will influence the site's reliability and performance, so choose wisely. And if your web hosting service has experience with business clients, they may assist with installing WordPress and providing a "starter kit" with important plugins included. This head start can save site owners a lot of time and confusion. What should a site starter kit include? Here's 20 plugins your web host should include in their hosting packages: Advanced Editor Tools The default page and post editing box on WordPress's backend is threadbare and lacks some of the common features we've all come to expect from a word processing function. The Advanced Editor Tools plugin corrects this and adds in the standard word processing features (text attributes, formatting, etc.) that you would find in a Word-like piece of software. Akismet Anti-Spam: Spam Protection Without some form of spam protection on your website, it won't be long before random spam comments start piling up. Akismet Anti-Spam protects against this, as it can detect spam comments as they are submitted and block them. It wasn't too long ago that sites benefitted from any activity - including spam comments - on their pages and posts. Unsurprisingly, the internet took advantage of this and spawned an army of spambots. Now, those spam comments will damage a site's ranking, so an anti-spam plugin is recommended. BackupBuddy BackupBuddy makes it simple for site owners to back up their site's content and quickly restore everything should something disastrous happen. Ideally, your site is backed up in multiple locations (another advantage to picking a reputable web host), including a physical backup on your computer. If the site isn't backed up and it's lost, you'll have to build it all over again. BackupBuddy prevents this from happening and is extremely user friendly, as well. Better Search Replace Every now and then, you'll need to update or replace a term on the site....

How to Write a Better Blog Blogging, it’s not why most people get into business, but written communication remains an important part of customer acquisition. And online, that means writing high quality blogs, articles and landing page content to help send the signals to Google that will equal long term SEO success. With today’s tech-based, always-online economy, the value of good writing may not be obvious. That’s where we’ll start before addressing how to write a more effective piece of website content. A 24/7 Salesman: The value of an expert blog Without a website, companies are passing up on 30 percent of their potential business. Even when no one is at the office or manning the phones, the company’s website is there representing the brand. In this way, an effective website is like a salesman who never takes a break. Publishing high quality content is like giving that salesman the best possible sales pitch - with it, they’ll represent your company well and earn more customers as a result. In the end, as the company’s owner and resident expert, you have complete control over your brand’s messaging through the power of blogging. Every business owner is an expert, so put that expertise to good use The first hurdle for business owners to get over is a psychological one. “I can’t write,” said just about every business owner ever, but as an expert in your industry, your insight has value to Google and to users. That’s true even if you can’t write like Shakespeare. If you’re willing to practice writing and get better, you’ll eventually develop your spoken voice into an effective written voice. For many niche subjects, all that’s needed is clear, direct writing with some expert insight or examples sprinkled in. One easy way to come up with blog topics - listen to the customer Looking for a good blog angle? Pay attention to what customers are concerned about. These could be your customers or a competitor’s customers, wherever they provide feedback. This could be a question asked in an e-mail, a comment in a product review or a complaint on social media. Whatever it is, there’s probably a blog angle in there somewhere, as long as you’re looking for it. Google wants original, expert ideas, so be careful with AI writers like ChatGPT Although some of the ChatGPT mania has died down, there is still plenty of conversation regarding what it, and other AI writers, can do for website owners. ChatGPT can help with some writing-related tasks, but it cannot replace the expertise needed for the content writing itself. It’s not a cut-and-paste job. You’ll have to do some extra work to get the page to a publishable level. Google is on the record saying that it’s okay with some AI content as long as it meets the search engine’s quality standards. Unfortunately, AI content doesn’t. When AI “writes,” it’s actually scraping content from tons of existing pages, pulling out information and reordering it to create the semblance of an original article. But nothing in the AI page is original - just an amalgamation of the pages it pulled from. Google doesn’t like that because users don’t like that. Users don’t want an internet full of same-sounding, no-value junk, and so Google doesn’t want to fill its SERPs with same-sounding, no-value junk. As such, search engines will penalize sites that rely too much on AI for their blogging and website content. And yes, Google can easily detect AI writing. There’s room for AI to fill a role, though, so here’s how to use it To summarize so far - don’t take what the AI writer gives you, then turn around and publish it on your website. That’s a no-can-do, but what can you do with ChatGPT and similar AI generators? Generate a pool of subject-relevant keywords - Every blog should be optimized with high-value, subject-relevant keywords. These provide Google with the signals it needs to understand the page’s content and properly categorize it for its search results pages. And you can ask ChatGPT to provide those keywords. Writing a page about what to look for during a home inspection? “Hey ChatGPT, give me a set of keywords for an article about home inspections.” And the AI will immediately spit out the terms to include in your page, for SEO purposes. Simple. Create a quick list of potential blog topics - Not sure what to write about? What AI does well is generate a ton of low-resolution, high-level topics related to anything you prompt it with. Run a sports equipment shop? “Hey ChatGPT, give me 10 article ideas related to choosing or maintaining sports equipment.” That’s just one example, but no matter what the overarching topic is, if you ask for blog ideas for it, ChatGPT will provide several potential starting spots. Many won’t be good enough to make the first cut, but they can at least provide inspiration to get going. Develop an outline for a blog post - Once you have your blog topic settled on, ChatGPT can provide an outline for that topic. Let’s say you’ve decided to write about the most important features to look for in a family vehicle. “Hey ChatGPT, what should be included in a blog about important family vehicle features?” This can be used with any topic idea and will give you an idea about what to cover in your blog post. It’s likely that ChatGPT will list out its suggestions - each one can serve as a subsection on your page, so using this approach, writers can flesh out a proper outline that descends in hierarchy as each section is expanded on. If you need to go deeper into a particular section, you can ask ChatGPT to expand on its “thinking.” For example, ChatGPT may list additional airbags as an important safety feature for family vehicles. In response, you could ask ChatGPT to list the kinds of airbags that might be included in a family vehicle. This information can be included in a section dedicated to “airbags” or “safety features.” As this example illustrates, there’s no limit to how deep you can go with an outline using ChatGPT in this way. Generate a (very) rough draft to get started - At this point, the only thing left to do is write the blog. It’s the hardest step, of course, but ChatGPT can provide a rough first pass at the page. “ChatGPT, write a blog about how to prepare a home for the winter. It should be about 2,000 words long and include tips on how to reduce heating costs.” Again, just another example, but any topic and important details can be included in your prompt. Again, you cannot take this rough draft and publish it as original content. If you do, Google will eventually penalize your site. Instead, take the draft, ensure it is factually correct, add in relevant expertise and examples, remove any unusual transitions or turns of phrase (AI parrots a lot of cliches and unprofessional sounding language in its copy) and format it so that it reads well for users. Now, and only now, is the blog worth considering for publication. Google is constantly raising the content bar, so site owners need better blogs to compete online Any successful business owner knows that communication is key to winning new customers. Online, that communication is managed through blogs, articles and other forms of written content. And the better that written content, the more effective your website will be at earning better search engine rankings and more customers. ChatGPT and similar AI writers can be of assistance here, but they cannot replace a human writer entirely - especially one with expert-level insight and experience. That means site owners now need to write better blogs (which can be done with ChatGPT’s help) or, at the least, bring in someone who can write to Google’s increasing content quality standards.