Month: January 2023

The Role of Structured Data Markup in SERP Rankings

Structured data is an organised format to provide information about a page. It helps search engines like Google to understand the content of the page and gather information to improve your business search result listings. It is coded directly to page’s HTML markup.

Google uses these structured data and generates rich snippets. These snippets are small pieces of information that appear in search results. It is basically the extra information provided along with the main information. Like the search for a particular coffee shop in the area will not only list its name but also show details of its location, hours, pricing and ratings etc.

Most structured data searches use schema.org vocabulary, but the documentation on developers.Google.com is recommended for Google search behaviour.

While creating these mark-ups, you must include all the properties for an object to make it suitable for an appearance in Google search. You can test your structured data using the Structured Data Testing tool during its progress, and the Search Console Structured Data report after deployment, to assess the fitness of your pages

Structured Data Markup Helper by Google is one of the most beneficial free tools to help you get going with the structured data. Not only this markup tool enhances the Google’s understanding of your page, but this content may also be incorporated into knowledge graph panels to increase your business’s reach online.

Google’s official stance says that it does not use markup for the ranking purposes currently. But a study conducted by Searchmetrics.com showed that “domains having schema integrated do in fact rank great by an average of 4 positions when compared to domains without them.” So, it can be said that sites with embedded Schema tags are better optimized than sites without Schema tags. If your site is ranked four positions higher than your competitor, this could mean a higher sale prospect and in turn a higher revenue over the competitor.

Though schema is currently not a ranking factor, clearly there may be some impact of having structured markup data. It might be due to actual Google’s algorithm or an overall effect of a better-optimised site. Although Schema doesn’t imply an increased ranking directly, it is a good practice overall. It also does convey that you should put in efforts to add schema markup your page.

Having snippets in your site’s result implies that you are going to take up better space in SERPs than your competitors. This can greatly increase your click-through rate. An increase in traffic because of a better CTR will have an impact on your SERP rankings. If you have Rich snippets in the search results can directly turn into conversion, as the users already have enough information to purchase your product/service before they even land on your website.

So structured data will help you communicate to search engines what your content is about and that is beneficial for you, the visitor as well as Google. The ability to effectively use structured data into the page does impact indirectly the site’s ranking in search engines. Therefore embedding structured markup data into the page is highly recommended.

Using Google AdSense For Extra Income!

I have been using the Google AdSense Program to generate extra income online for some time now. I have gained a lot of experience from using the program. I feel it’s become necessary to share the pros and cons of the program with those that may be considering using it in this article. But first, I need to explain a bit what the program is.

What is Google AdSense?

Google AdSense is an affiliate marketing program. In Google AdSense, Google acts as the intermediary between the affiliates and the merchants. The merchant, or the advertiser, would simply sign up with Google and provide the latter with text ads pertaining to their products. These ads, which is actually a link to the advertiser’s website, would then appear on Google searches as well as on the websites owned by the affiliates, or by those webmasters who have signed up with the Google AdSense program.

In Google AdSense, all the webmaster has to do is place a code on his website and Google takes care of the rest. The ads that Google would place on your site would generally be relevant to the content of your site. This would be advantageous both for you and for the advertiser, as the visitors of your site would more or less be actually interested with the products being advertised.

The Google AdSense program compensates the affiliate in a pay-per-click basis. The advertisers would pay Google a certain amount each time their ad on your site is clicked and Google would then forward this amount to you through checks, although only after Google have deducted their share of the amount. Google AdSense checks are usually delivered monthly if you earning reaches $100.00. Also, the Google AdSense program provides webmasters with a tracking tool that allows them to monitor the earnings they actually get from a certain ad.

Now that you understand what Google AdSense is, here are the pros:

1. They are great for webmasters creating content websites. It used to be these webmasters worried about how to cover the expenses of running their websites. With Google AdSense, these worries became a thing of the past. All they have to do now is write their content and add AdSense to it and make money.

2. Google AdSense makes the internet better for the users. Webmasters can now concentrate on publishing quality content. Quality content makes the internet better for the users.

3. Once a webmaster creates quality content, it can generate income for years to come. All the webmaster has to do is update the content from time to time and the income will keep coming in.

4. If a webmaster has the time, the webmaster can publish multiple websites. You can use one Google AdSense account on multiple websites. You don’t have to go through the hassle of applying for another account with Google.

Below are the cons of the Google AdSense program:

1. The AdSense account can be closed by Google at any time. There are horror stories of webmasters waking up and seeing their account closed. They all of a sudden lose their source of income.

Usually, one of the reasons that makes Google close an account is click fraud. The problem is that the click fraud my not be committed by the webmaster.

2. The Google AdSense program does not provide residual income. So, you can’t continue to reap the reward of your hard work over and over as you do with residual income programs.

3. Most content websites depend on search engines for traffic. When the search engines shuffle their ranking algorithms, the traffic may drop. This drop will result in less traffic and income.

4. Creating content can be hard work. You’ll need to keep adding content to keep your website interesting. Without this, you visitors may dry up, which will decrease your income.

There you have it! You now know the pros and cons of the Google AdSense program. It’s up to you to decide if you want to use it to earn extra income.

Expert Tips To Optimize Your Google My Business Listing

So do you want to optimize your Google My Business listing? Do you know what it is, how does it actually work for your business and why do you need it? Well, if you are a master in SEO, probably you are aware of the term but if you are new to it and don’t have sufficient knowledge about it, so, this article is for you. Basically, Google My Business Listing is submitting the website within Google’s search engine to improve ranking and it is very much important in all manners. This directory displays your business working hours and provides directions to reach you through Google Map and allowed the clients to give reviews about your products, services and their overall experience with you.

It is extremely helpful for your business as it allowed the visitor to read your reviews, so, they can make their decision whether to work with you or not. And now when you understand its importance and benefits for your business, so, it’s high-time to start optimizing it to get the great outcomes. The following expert tips and tricks help to boost up your profile, which drives a huge traffic and increase your conversion. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s get started.

  • Fill In Your Complete Information: In an order to make it more attractive for the searchers, it is highly recommended to fill in the complete details about your company. And make sure you keep it updated if there is some change in the future. To guide the right direction for the visitor, you should provide complete details, including your company name, website URL, hours of operations, contact numbers, address and a short description of your company.
  • Pick A Proper Business Category: Moving to the next tip that helps you optimize My Google Business Listing is the right niche for your business to enable a search engine to understand on what products and services you deal in. It clarifies the search results and helps you get the right traffic locally to your page or website.
  • Write A Meaningful Description: Your customers will come to know about your products and services through your bio. So, make sure you write a meaningful and detailed description about your company, which pull in visitor and turn them to be your customer.
  • Encourage Customer Reviews: No doubt, people look for the reviews before getting connected with your company. So, make sure you encourage your existing customers to give their feedback about their experience with your company, which further help to win the faith of the new customer.

What’s Better For My Business, QuickBooks Online Plus Or QuickBooks Pro Using Remote Access?

The purpose of this article is to help a typical small business owner understand the differences between using the remote access capabilities with QuickBooks Pro and QuickBooks Online Plus. A less expensive QuickBooks Online version is also available, however that software is not considered for this analysis. I did consider a more robust version called, QuickBooks Online Plus. Before we address the differences, its first important to understand the term remote access. The term remote access has been with us for a long time and has emerged to mean, according to Wikipedia, a form of communication with a data processing facility from a remote location or facility through a data link. One of the more common methods of providing this type of remote access is using a virtual private network(VPN). The definition is further enhanced by the term remote desktop, which also according to Wikipedia refers to a software or an operating system feature allowing graphical applications to be run remotely on a server, while being displayed locally. Remote desktop applications have varying features. Some allow attaching to an existing user’s session (i.e. a running desktop) and “remote controlling” it in front of the user’s eyes. Whereas, according to a Google definition, online accounting relates to accounting that can be done on the World Wide Web. I agree with both definitions, however there are important differences that an owner or accountant for a small business or even a midsize business needs to consider and they are addressed below.

Generally speaking, QuickBooks Pro with remote access gives you access to your desktop QuickBooks Pro accounting program and data while the QuickBooks Pro and data resides on your server in your office or your local hard drive. Whereas QuickBooks Online Plus is a web enabled accounting package with some advantages and some disadvantages, specifically less functionality for one of the most important parts of a business namely, no inventory capabilities. To some of you this could be important and to others not so important. Simply said, the benefits and drawbacks with a general ranking of each benefit or limitation of “online accounting” with QuickBooks Online Plus as compared to QuickBooks Pro is analyzed below.

Some of the major benefits are summarized and ranked by level of importance as follows:

1. No wired network required – you can connect with WIFI from anywhere in the world that has internet access and you can connect different department or offices in multiple locations.

2. Includes up to 3 simultaneous users plus your accountant. The cost to add another 25 users is a little more than $3 per month per user.

3. Offsite daily backup at Intuit servers

4. Automatic software updates and support included in cost

5. Quicker and simpler sign in – Just press your Web shortcut key

Some of the major drawbacks are summarized and ranked by level of importance as follows:

1. Does not handle inventory and purchase orders, this rules out retail, manufacturing and distribution type companies

2. Lacks multi-currency functionality

3. Unable to open multiple QuickBooks windows in QuickBooks

4. No Company snapshot/dashboard in one desktop view

In summary, the importance of having simultaneous access from any location, allows employers, employees, owners, investors to collaborate, share and make informed and timely decisions because everyone gets the same information in real time, by simply using a typical web based sign-on. There is no time learning the remote access interface for sign on, for use with the remote software. Furthermore, your accountants can review your financials, journals, general ledgers, from their own office and answer your questions or even correct mistakes in real time. Further, you can easily outsource some of your accounting functions with QuickBooks Online Plus, as long as you set up a system to review the work product of the outsourced employee.

I am very impressed with the above mentioned benefits and for these reasons if there is not a need to account for inventories or multi-currencies then my inclination is for QuickBooks Online Plus to handle a typical small businesses accounting needs. A more detailed analysis of the functionality and data entry capabilities and performance processing will be the subject of another blog topic. Even if such analysis existed, I would recommend that you consult with an accounting professional who can best evaluate whether the QuickBooks Online Plus or remote access platform is best suited for your particular situation. When evaluating this software, its also important to determine how your employees will use the software in their to day to day activities and during a test period you should evaluate the speed in which the employees are able to enter the data and the computer/web processing(performance) speed of each relevant accounting process i.e. paying vendor bills, customer invoicing, record deposits, etc.

Make Money Online Forums Review – Help Or Hype?

Are make money online forums truly as beneficial as they claim to be, or are they just a place for folks to flagrantly advertise their own online businesses? Well, perhaps it’s a bit of both. What I’ve discovered in my investigation is that there are some online business forums that appear to be more like a classified ad site and some that truly offer valuable information and the place and chance to get your home based business questions answered quickly and by a large group of people working in the same industry as you are.

So how does this affect you, and what kinds of information can you find on make money online forums? Glad you asked. I have to admit that I was pretty skeptical in the beginning, and some of the forums I researched confirmed my reservations about the ulterior motives of the various home based MLM business forums and affiliate marketing forums. Come sign up in my program and get rich, or just come advertise your program, build my Google ranking, and let me generate money off of Google ads and ClickBank products. Not a bad little operation they’ve got going for themselves, eh? But not much in it for you, actually, except possibly some bank links to your blog or site to benefit your own ranking (and hey, be sure to take advantage of that!)

Nevertheless, I did find some make money online forums that actually do have a lot of valuable information to offer, and provide a great spot for you to get technical, social and marketing help and support from those in the know. Plus, they also provide places in their forums for those with affiliate programs and those with a home based MLM business or investment opportunity to share their specific opportunity and provide links back to their sites or blogs or sales pages, but these are maintained in their proper places and are not the main focus of the forum.

So what type of information and help can you expect to find on some of these “good” make money online forums? Boy, you’re just full of helpful questions, aren’t you? Well a useful question deserves a helpful answer, so here ya go. One forum in particular has forum categories on the following: social media, ways to earn online, affiliate programs, MLM opportunities, affiliate and internet marketing, blogs, SEO (search engine optimization), how to build a website, scam alerts, self development, and a Newbies Lounge for those just getting started. In some of their categories you are strictly restricted from including personal links, referral links of any kind or any kind of advertising whatsoever.

Have you ever had any questions related to any of these categories? I think it’s really kind of cool to have a make money online forum to go to filled with like-minded individuals who are attempting to accomplish basically the same things you are and who get that what goes around, comes around, or put another way, by blessing others, you receive a blessing yourself. Oh, and they should also offer a free membership, even if they have a paid one too, or I’d be concerned about the type of home based MLM forum they truly were.

So final analysis on this make money online forums review? My investigation revealed to me that there are definitely online forums that offer tremendous value and there are additionally forums that are more or less scams, or at best, more like an online classified ad site. So as always, do your research, use your common sense, and discover the one that best fits your requirements and your business model.

As always, keep it real, and keep taking action!

The Value of Google Places for Local Business and Map Ranking Factors

So as search engine marketers, we all know the value of Google’s local 10 pack, 7 pack, 3 pack, whatever you want to call it. But just how valuable is it and what are the factors that search engines use to determine local ranking? This is all what we will talk about in today’s entry.

For those of you who may not know me yet, my name is Matt Parks. I’m an online marketing consultant who helps small, medium and even global companies build appropriate online marketing strategies and enhance their brand awareness through competitive traditional and non-traditional advertising techniques.

Now for what you’ve been waiting for… the good stuff…

So, you may ask… Just how valuable are the local map results for my company? Well there is no simple answer to that question. Each company should have a custom built strategy. For instance, if you own a local Thai restaurant and want to increase your daily foot traffic, local listings will greatly help your efforts. On the other hand, you own a specialty shoe store that does 100% of your business online, local listings are just not for you. Google and other search engines developed their local results pages to assist users in finding small business owners with brick and mortar shops, retail stores or restaurants, and get quick information about them – such as hours, short reviews and even menu items and sale dates.

So, we’ve whittled a few of you out of the mix now. What’s next? How do I get premium ranking with these listings?

Ahhhhh. So you want to know the magic trick huh? Well, first you need to have a listing. You can create one by logging into your Google account if you have one, and selecting the local business center icon under your settings. If you don’t have one there, just type into Google: “local business center” and follow the easy to use, step by step listing creation wizard. When creating your listing, it is very important to make sure all the information you provide is correct, including phone number and address as before you finish, you will be required to verify by telephone or snail mail that in fact the listing is yours. Now on to the pot of gold. Lets go over the top ten ranking factors for local listings…

1: GENERAL IMPORTANCE OF CLAIMING LOCAL BUSINESS LISTING – You have to have a listing first.

2: LOCAL BUSINESS LISTING ADDRESS IN CITY OF SEARCH – The closer you are to the IP, the better.

3: ASSOCIATING LOCAL BUSINESS LISTING WITH PROPER CATEGORIES – This is a must, create new categories if you need to, just don’t try and keyword stuff.

4: PRODUCT / SERVICE KEYWORD IN LOCAL BUSINESS LISTING TITLE – Use your correct full name, but add a keyword if it fits right. ie: Garden Palace – Chinese Restaurant

5: PROXIMITY OF ADDRESS TO CITY CENTROID – Don’t use a fake address, but if you are corporate, a UPS box (no P.O. box, only physical address) near the middle of town couldn’t hurt

6: PRODUCT/SERVICE KEYWORDS IN LOCAL BUSINESS LISTING DESCRIPTION – Keep it short and sweet.. Remember, you are trying to appeal to the user/searcher.

7: LOCATION KEYWORD IN LOCAL BUSINESS LISTING TITLE/DESCRIPTION – Garden Palace of Nashville – Chinese Restaurant

8: ASSOCIATING PHOTOS/VIDEOS WITH THE LOCAL BUSINESS LISTING – Not as important, but try and at least upload a logo.

9: PRODUCT / SERVICE IN LOCAL BUSINESS LISTING CUSTOM FIELDS – Undetermined how much this helps, but they are provided, so use them… But don’t OVERUSE them and stuff em’ full of keywords.

10: ASSOCIATING LOCAL AREA CODE AS PRIMARY LOCAL BUSINESS LISTING NUMBER – Local numbers perform much better, may not help with ranking, but it does with consumer trust.

An extra bonus: Make sure information in your listing is consistent across the board.. ie: YellowPages.com, CitySearch.com, etc. as Google uses these Data Sources to add trustworthiness to your listing and gives you ranking bonuses due to it being more “relevant”.

Well that’s about it.

Benefits of Opening a Google AdWords My Client Center

For those that have run an AdWords account in the past for their own websites, the mention of a separate, more advanced account for those who work as consultants might seem a little foreign. But it is important to find out more about Google’s “My Client Center” as it is a vital part of the process required to take the AdWords Professional Exam and become certified by Google.

My Client Center is essentially the tool that Google provides to advanced AdWords users who currently manage more than one account at a time. It allows larger advertisers who either run multiple accounts for their own business or who work as consultants for multiple companies to keep track of every AdWords account they have open from one simple interface.

It is an ideal tool for search engine marketers and optimizers, as well as bidding managers who only keep track of advertising accounts. Think of it as a master program that compiles all of the data from every one of your AdWords accounts to speed up the process of going through each of them.

Within the My Client Center interface, you can do multiple things. You can view and work within multiple accounts, even other My Client Center accounts, directly through the interface you are provided. Additionally, you can run reports for a single account or for all of your accounts, across the board with the My Client Center report feature. You can assign a single login name for your account and quickly and easily create new AdWords accounts or link existing accounts together through this interface.

Your regular AdWords interface will still work as well when you start a My Client Center account if you only need to access one account at a time, but with so many integrated features at your finger tips it is rare you will ever need to do so.

It is important, even if you do not currently need a My Client Center account, to both understand what it is for and how it operates. You will be tested on it and need to have an operational account when you try to get your Google AdWords certification. Additionally, you will be permitted minimal leniency on questions regarding this part of AdWords. The interface, how it works with each account, how you start a new account, and how you can communicate with clients or profiles through it are all important aspects that you will need to know.

For anyone that has multiple AdWords accounts or who has thought about considering the starting a career in AdWords consultation, it is vital that you start your My Client Center profile right away. You will need to acclimate yourself with the features, how to use it, and what you will be required to do when you want to perform a specific function now instead of trying to figure it out later when a client’s livelihood relies on it, and in turn your own livelihood.

How to Put Your Business in Google Maps

Marketing is an important part of business. The broader audience you can reach the better. There is basically a number of ways to do so, but not all of them are as effective as you thought they would be. For both online and offline businesses, marketing is fairly a challenge and it all comes down to what is being delivered, to who it is being delivered and how it is delivered.

People have become more dependent on the internet to find what they need.This applies on almost anything : from products, services, information, people, everything and anything. This would pretty much include finding companies and what they offer. And through the internet, marketing has reached levels and market niche that seemed to be impossible years back.

Different search engines and websites have developed and are now applying different methods to better serve both entrepreneurs and customers. Different online applications have made these methods of marketing and searching a very effective way of attracting new clients and returning customers.

One of the best and free options available is Google Maps. There are more people searching for businesses online than anywhere else and through Google Maps your business will be able to reach millions of Google Maps users, quickly and for free, specifically with Local Business Center. So it’s important to make sure your business listing can be easily found on Google and Google Maps. With the use of Local Business Center, it is easy to create a great listing; all it takes is just a few minutes and it doesn’t cost a thing.

With Local Business Center, you can control your listing and speak for yourself. If you already have a website, your business probably already appears on Google, but even if it does, you should still claim your listing and check to make sure its details are accurate and thorough. Your improvements will start appearing as soon as you verify them through the Local Business Center.

By doing so you can be sure that your business is properly represented and at the same time extends to markets which used to be beyond your reach. This article will help you in broadening your marketing with the use of Google Maps.

First, go to google.com. Then key in the type of business you are under or would want to be classified in. Sample would be typing in carpet cleaning St. Marys Georgia. The Google Maps Listing for this search will come up. And you can see that there are several businesses under this type listed ranked from one to 10 for the first page. This is where your business information will appear after getting it listed in Google Maps.  Note that the Google Maps listing comes up on the first page, often as the #1 LOCAL listing in Google.  This is like getting on the first page of your local yellow pages, for free!

Getting started, you can either go to the search area of Google and key in local business center. Click on the link that appears for this. Or you could go directly to the URL space and type in http://www.google.com/localbusinesscenter.

You can sign in with your Google Account if you already have one. If you don’t have a Google Account yet, start by creating your personal Google Account. Once you have provided your email and password and logged in click on Add new listing or business. From here a form should be filled up with your basic business details as you would like them to appear in the listing.

Upon doing so the map on the left will zoom into your location as you type in your address. You can move the marker if you like if Google’s best guess isn’t quite spot-on or not exactly where you think it should be.

After filling in the location details make sure to fill in your main phone number. Google will contact you through this number for verification. If you have a website address, key it in with http:// at the beginning. Then you should write a business description that emphasizes what your business is all about making your business unique or better than your competitors. This is a means by which you could be distinguished from the others and easily be found through specific keywords. Details of what your company provides, where the service area is and where it is close to or any landmarks that they could take note of would be very could inputs for the description. Then click next. On the following step select the listing or category that you want to claim (make sure it’s the most similar to your business). When done, click on the category of your choice. You can also add another category if you think that it could be part of another.

If your business is not on the listing or doesn’t match any listings, click the Add Category button at the bottom to create a new listing. Note: In the list of close matches, if the business name on a given listing is wrong but the address is right, click the Claim Listing or Category button and Google Maps will use your preferred name. However, if the address is wrong and you can’t receive mail sent to that address, you will not be able to verify your claim. In that case, you should click Add Category at the bottom of the list to create a new listing for your business.

Next step, include your hours of operation and payment options. This information is useful for both repeat and potential customers. Then you should add more details to make your business stand out. You can also add relevant information that doesn’t fit anywhere else. Information such as delivery zone, house specialties, return policy, or anything else that you would like to share. In marketing, you would want to catch the attention of as many potential customers as you can.

You can also add an image to help your listings stand out in Google Maps search results. You can use snapshots, logos and images. If you have videos on YouTube, you can place them directly in your listing as well.

Finally, verify your listing, if possible do it by phone. If you have easy access to the phone number on your listing, choose phone verification. You can either choose to be called now or in 5 minutes. Google will call you, and once you enter a Personal Identification Number (PIN), your listing will be immediately verified. A Thank You notice will appear in the window

If you are not near the phone or have a voicemail system, you should choose postcard verification. Google will send you a card with a PIN for you to enter before mailing it back. But it will take a coupe of weeks to complete.

You’ve successfully completed your Google Maps listing.

How Do I Get My Small Business Name to Rank #1?

This is a very common question I get all the time and if I was an SEO specialist looking to make a fast buck and not build valuable long lasting relationships, this avenue could quickly be taking advantage of. Watch out small business owners for SEO’s trying to win your business doing this very method! Making your small business name #1 in Google and other search engines is very easy to do unless your business name just happens to have a competitive term in it like, “Computer Store”. Most sites in the small business world have little to no competition in the search engines for their business name which makes it very simple to rank for. As a result of little to no competition in search engines, making some simple adjustments to your websites title tags, and scoring a local backlink or two will do the trick. Actually, most of the small business sites just need to adjust their title tag to make their business name show up #1.

I also want to stress that there is much more value in SEO then ranking #1 for your business name. Actually your business name will only be searched for by people looking for your business specifically. What brings additional value is when people search for industry related terms without your brand name in them and then that brings them to your website. That is search engine optimization.

The best return on your investment with search engine optimization is in finding a specialist that can see the whole picture and will focus on driving traffic to your site from your target audience with converting them to a sale in mind.

Getting your business name listed out on the web is important for brand awareness, but the question to ask is; other then the value of brand awareness, how much traffic and sales did getting my business name #1, drive to my website?

Quick tip: Although Google Local Listings is not organic in the context I am talking about here. I suggesting your company sign up for a Google Account and list your business name in Google Local Listings for additional search value.

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