The DWG Blog

Google Business Profile

How to Leverage Google Business Profile

Google dominates the search engine landscape, controlling a staggering 92% of the market. To better tap into the potential of Google Search and Maps for attracting new clientele, it’s imperative to set up a Google Business Profile (GBP), previously recognized as Google My Business (GMB).

Understanding GBP

Google Business Profile is a complimentary business listing service provided by Google. It’s a platform where businesses can share detailed information and visuals about their offerings, including their location, range of services, and products. By establishing this free profile, businesses can significantly amplify their visibility across various Google platforms. The information from your Google Business Profile can seamlessly integrate and appear in Google Search, Google Maps, and even Google Shopping.

However, it’s essential to understand that Google Business Profile is tailored for businesses that have direct interactions with customers. This encompasses entities with a physical presence, like restaurants or retail stores, and service providers who engage face-to-face with clients, such as consultants or plumbers. If your business operates solely online, you’d benefit more from other Google utilities like Google Ads and Google Analytics.

The Significance of Having a GMB Account

- - Boost Visibility on Google and Google Maps: Google stands unrivaled as the premier search referrer, directing both online and foot traffic. A well-optimized Google Business Profile ensures that when potential customers search for services or products akin to yours, your business emerges prominently. Especially on Google Maps, a local business listing significantly enhances the chances of discovery.
  - Command Your Online Business Narrative: With GMB, you’re in the driver’s seat. Update contact details, operational hours, and other pivotal data as and when required. If there are changes in your service offerings, temporary halts, or resumptions, you can promptly communicate this to your audience. Given the potent local SEO capabilities of Google Business Profiles, the information you provide takes precedence, overshadowing outdated data on other websites.
  - Foster Trust Through Authentic Reviews: Reviews are the bedrock of credibility in today’s digital age. Google’s review system, which amalgamates star ratings with room for detailed feedback, offers customers a platform to share their genuine experiences. This transparency aids potential customers in making informed decisions about which businesses to patronize and which products to invest in.

While the prospect of public reviews might seem daunting, especially given the inability to filter which ones appear, there’s a silver lining. Google asserts that a blend of positive and negative feedback appears more authentic and trustworthy than a barrage of exclusively glowing reviews.

Harness the power of Google My Business and watch your business thrive in the digital landscape.

Dream Warrior Group, a Los Angeles Based web design and digital marketing Company, providing solutions for your online marketing needs. Our expertise includes Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Social Media Posts & Marketing & Google PPC campaigns. Call us now at 818.610.3316 or click here.

E-E-A-T

Improving SEO with E-E-A-T

In the world of SEO, the concept of E-A-T (Experience, Authority, Trust), now expanded to E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust), plays a crucial role in determining website rankings on search engine results pages (SERPs). E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.

In this article, we will delve into the significance of E-E-A-T, how Google evaluates websites based on these factors, and practical strategies to improve your website’s E-E-A-T for better SEO performance.

Stanford Guidelines for Web Credibility explains how to boost your web site’s credibility:

Make it easy to verify the accuracy of the information on your site.
Show that there’s a real organization behind your site.
Highlight the expertise in your organization and in the content and services you provide.
Show that honest and trustworthy people stand behind your site.
Make it easy to contact you.
Design your site so it looks professional (or is appropriate for your purpose).
Make your site easy to use — and useful.
Update your site’s content often (at least show it’s been reviewed recently).
Use restraint with any promotional content (e.g., ads, offers).
Avoid errors of all types, no matter how small they seem.

The ultimate goal of these 10 actions can have an enormous effect in demonstrating your experience, expertise, authority, and trustworthiness.

First E in E-E-A-T: Demonstrating Real-World Knowledge

Google introduced the “E” for Experience in E-A-T to emphasize the importance of content creators who have firsthand experience and expertise related to the topic they cover. For example, content about hiking in Scotland should ideally come from someone with actual experience in hiking in that region.

Sharing Personal Experiences

Content creators can boost the “Experience” aspect of EEAT by incorporating personal experiences, anecdotes, tips, and observations related to the subject matter. This adds authenticity and credibility to the content.

Utilizing Technical Language and Keywords

Using technical language and industry-specific keywords relevant to your content further demonstrates expertise and firsthand knowledge in the field.

Second E in E-E-A-T: Establishing Credibility

The Importance of Expertise

Google evaluates the credibility of content creators when assessing expertise. Established professionals or recognized authorities in their respective fields are more likely to rank higher.

Supporting Claims with Credible Sources

Content should be backed by credible sources, such as research papers, studies, and authoritative websites, to support claims and provide valuable information. This always helps in creating an expert image.

Meeting User Intent

Understanding user intent through keyword research and providing valuable content that addresses users’ needs can further strengthen your website’s expertise.

A in E-E-A-T: Building Site Authority

The Significance of Authority

Building site authority is crucial for EEAT. It is determined, in part, by the number of relevant and authoritative websites that link back to your content, signaling to search engines that your website is a trusted resource.

The Power of Backlinks

Acquiring quality backlinks from reputable sources can significantly impact your website’s authority and, in turn, its search engine rankings.

Leveraging Social Media

Audience engagement on social media platforms and sharing valuable content can enhance your brand’s authority and attract more traffic to your site.

T in E-E-A-T: Gaining User Confidence

The Role of Trustworthiness

A secure and trustworthy website is vital for user confidence. Websites with HTTPS protocol and positive customer reviews are considered more trustworthy by search engines.

Encouraging Customer Reviews

Providing encouragement for satisfied customers to leave positive reviews can contribute to building trustworthiness and validating your EEAT.

Addressing Negative Reviews

Formulating and implementing a response policy for negative reviews promptly and resolving customer issues is a positive step toward displaying a commitment to customer service and can mitigate the impact of negative feedback on trustworthiness.

Understanding and optimizing your website’s EEAT is essential for SEO success. By incorporating

real-world experiences
establishing expertise through credible sources
building site authority with backlinks
gaining user trust through positive reviews and secure practices

You can enhance your website’s overall performance and visibility on search engine results pages. Investing in your EEAT will not only improve your website’s rankings but also build user confidence and credibility in your brand.

Understanding SEO

The quest for visibility and relevance is a continuous journey in the digital world. One of the most critical tools in this journey is Search Engine Optimization (SEO). However, a common question arises: “How long does SEO take to work?”

Based on insights from SEMrush, this article aims to shed light on this question and more. Many use the comparison between the tai-chi movement and a fast-paced world to describe the pace of SEO versus other forms of promotion. It’s not an instant solution but a strategic process that requires patience and persistence. The timeframe for SEO results can vary, but generally, it takes several months up to a year to see measurable outcomes. Both research and industry consensus support this timeframe.

Understanding SEO Results

Before diving into the timeframe, it’s essential to understand what SEO ‘results’ mean. The primary metric for measuring Optimization success is relevant organic traffic. A significant uptick in organic traffic is often the first indicator of a successful Optimization program. If a substantial increase in bounce rate accompanies this, the success is far less credible. The best ways to compare the increase in organic traffic are:

Increase in engaged traffic = (Traffic after SEO campaign x (1-Bounce Rate))- (Traffic before SEO campaign x (1-Bounce Rate))

Increase in goal Completion = Goals completion after SEO Campaign – Goal Completion before SEO Campaign

The ratio of Converted Engagements = Increase in goal Completion / Increase in engaged traffic

A great SEO campaign will give you improved overall traffic, improved increase in engaged traffic, improved increase in goal completion, and improvement in the ratio of converted engagements.

If you only see your traffic increase without a lift in other areas, it may be time to question the quality of key phrases used for your site optimization.

Traffic increases from Search Engine Optimization – Real World Exampales

To provide a clearer picture, let’s look at some real-world examples. An e-commerce toy business that lost significant search rankings and traffic after launching a redesigned website managed to rank 37 priority key phrases back onto Page 1 within five months. Within six months, they saw a return to previous traffic levels. It took an additional year to ensure that the additional 25 keywords aimed at mid funnel were in the first page thus improving all the results.

A niche ad agency’s website that suffered from lost rankings in relevant keywords despite the increase in organic search traffic started to see an increase in relevant traffic results after seven months of implementing recommended improvements. Within nine months, they received record levels of relevant organic traffic, and within two years, they saw a 200% increase in goal completion (phone calls and form completions for purchase of their products and services).

Factors Impacting SEO Timeframes

Several factors can influence the timeframe for SEO results. Three of the most important are your actions, the website’s condition, and the competition. The “SEO results” clock starts ticking once you implement the program, not when you hire someone or when strategies are being formulated.

If your website has a lot of technical issues, received a manual action from Google, or was negatively impacted by a Google core update, it might take longer to see results. On the other hand, quick fixes like resolving a robots.txt file blocking search engines can produce fast SEO results.

Competition also plays a significant role. The competition can be challenging depending on the industry and the resources your competitors have. However, it’s possible to beat the competition with a nimble and creative approach.

Accelerating SEO Results

While you can’t drastically speed up SEO results, there are ways to streamline the process. An in-depth, technical SEO audit can pinpoint how to fix your site and beat the competition. Enlisting the help of an expert SEO consultant or agency can also make a significant difference.

In conclusion, SEO is a long-term investment. The results you see within several months to a year are just the beginning. With a solid SEO strategy, you can expect better results as time goes on. Remember, in the world of SEO, patience and persistence are key.

AI in Marketing Automation

Artificial intelligence (AI), which has already impacted several disciplines, including technology, is permeating every aspect of our life. It is transforming how we do business, boosting engineering productivity, improving customer service with customized chatbots, helping product managers with customer interview questions, and even assessing the clarity of marketing messages. Although the speed at which AI realizes its promise can be intimidating, it also forces a radical rethinking of issues and how firms might develop more quickly.

The Role of AI in Marketing Automation

Leading manufacturers of marketing automation software have acknowledged the revolutionary potential of AI. Automation, marketing, and sales are three areas of our business where AI has the potential to have a significant influence. The marketing environment has already seen substantial changes as a result of AI. It supports the creation of content, research, customer support, and personalization.

For example, you may utilize AI technologies like ChatGPT to improve the clarity of your email newsletters, come up with ideas for a blog or social media piece, or even make product recommendations more enticing. AI can be programmed to comprehend typical consumer inquiries and offer support via chatbots or tickets.

By summarizing information from calls or notes and tailoring communications, AI can help sales representatives. AI can detect future customers or provide pertinent recommendations and content when given customer data. However, incorporating AI into your marketing tools can take time and effort. For example, you may need to export data to get insights before acting or frequently upload a great deal of data for your system to pick up any knowledge.

AI Efficiencies

Through detailed segmentation, automated branching, and personalized content, marketing automation uses AI to power 1:1 encounters. Many marketing automation services have created tools that assist sales representatives in determining a prospect’s mood based on received messages and estimating the likelihood that a deal will be closed based on prospect interaction and deal activity.

At Dream Warrior, we want to ensure that our clients are using their time in ways that will positively affect their businesses. We are constantly looking for methods to make the crucial daily chores that our clients must complete more effective and efficient.

How can you quickly produce ideas and iterate while producing content without disrupting your flow? We’re identifying needs and combining tools that will enable you to simplify your process. For example, you can create text content using straightforward prompts, receive comments on the prompt’s tone, length, or improvements, translate content into other languages, and create effective SMS content.

Most Marketing Automation services are investigating the possibility of building full campaigns from a single prompt, complete with a subject line, preheader, template, content, and call-to-action (CTA). These capabilities go beyond marketing and into sales, where AI may support salespeople in time-consuming chores like reviewing notes and determining the next steps. AI can also assist in creating compelling sales messaging.

Editing is usually simpler than beginning fresh. Those customers utilizing Marketing Automation customize a beginning framework daily using automation recipes while we work on improving our automation recipes with AI to provide our customers with the best place to start with whatever they need to automate.

The Future of AI in Marketing Automation

At Dream Warrior, we have always prioritized opening sophisticated capabilities to all of our clients. AI accelerates our goal of democratizing marketing automation. AI can swiftly build brand-new consumer experiences across channels, audiences, and messages from a single directive or objective. What motivates us is the possibility for our customers to quickly discover targeted segments, build outbound sequences and drip campaigns, add complicated branching, and add personalized content. We are thrilled to be a part of this adventure with our Marketing Automation partners since the future of AI and automation is promising.

Sitemaps

News about Sitemaps Ping Endpoint Deprecation

On Monday, June 26th, Google made a significant announcement regarding the Sitemaps Protocol, a tool that has been assisting search engines in discovering new URLs and scheduling crawls of already known URLs since 2005. The announcement revealed that the sitemaps “ping” endpoint, a feature of this widely utilized protocol, will be deprecated within the next six months.

What are Sitemaps

To repeat some of our previous posts, Google defines a sitemap as “a file where you provide information about the pages, videos, and other files on your site, as well as the relationships between them.” (Google: Find out more about sitemaps.)

When you submit a sitemap, search engines may crawl your site more efficiently.

A sitemap will offer search engines crucial information such as:

When was a URL last updated?
How frequently are modifications made to a page?
The importance of a page in relation to other pages on your website.

This data assists search engines in finding, crawling, and indexing the web pages on your site. Sitemaps can be generated in an XML file, the most often used method. Some content management systems have capabilities that make it simple to create sitemaps.

Below is an example of a simple sitemap with all possible elements sourced from Dream Warrior Group‘s site.

<urlset xmlns=”http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9″>
<url>
<loc>https://dreamwarrior.com/</loc>
<lastmod>2023-06-28T00:00:00-07:00</lastmod>
<changefreq>daily</changefreq>
<priority>0.8</priority>
</url>
</urlset>

Understanding the Sitemap Ping

The sitemap protocol provides an unauthenticated REST method for sending sitemaps to search engines. However, subsequent internal Google and other search engine research have revealed that these unauthenticated sitemap submissions are no longer helpful. In the instance of Google Search, most of these submissions have been detected as spam. As a result, Google has chosen to remove sitemaps ping support. The deprecated REST API will stop working in six months, and any pings to it will result in a 404 error, and using the endpoint will no longer be useful.

The end of the sitemap pinging doesn’t mean that your sitemaps are useless; if you are utilizing robots.txt or regularly pushing your sitemap to the Google search console, you should experience no issues.

The Role of the Lastmod Element

The utility of the last mod feature, which indicates the latest modification date of a webpage, has fluctuated throughout time. However, it has recently become more impactful in a variety of situations, and Google now uses it as a signal for scheduling crawls to previously identified URLs.

To serve its purpose, the last mod element must be in a supported date format, as stated on sitemaps.org. Once you upload your sitemap, Google’s Search Console will alert you if it is not. Furthermore, it should accurately reflect the actual modification dates: if a page was last amended seven years ago, but the last mod element indicates that it was modified yesterday, Google will eventually discard the last mod dates provided.

You can apply the last mod element to all or just a subset of the pages in your sitemap. Because these sites frequently aggregate content from other pages on the site, some site software may need help to detect the last modification date of the homepage or a category page. In such circumstances, omitting the last model for these pages is appropriate.

It is critical to understand that “last modification” refers to “last significant modification.” Minor changes, such as changing the text in the sidebar or footer, do not warrant an update to the last mod value. Only if there are significant modifications to the primary text, structured data, or links you should change the last mod value.

Changefreq and Priority Elements

Google does not utilize the change freq or priority elements. The change freq element overlaps conceptually with last mod, while the priority element, a highly subjective field, often fails to accurately represent the actual priority of a page relative to other pages on a site based on Google’s internal studies. For further information on sitemaps, please review SITEMAP.ORG.