“We’re at a turning point,” declared Matt Mullenweg, co-founder of WordPress, and founder/CEO of Automattic just three months ago.
“2017 will be the year we will see features in WordPress requiring hosts to have HTTPS available.”
Google now considers SSL as a ranking factor. But recently has gone even further. As of January 2017, Google is marking “HTTP pages that collect passwords or credit cards as non-secure.” [Read more…] about 4 Reasons Your Small Business Website Needs An SSL Certificate
J&M Group WordPress Blog
SEO Tools Automatic with StudioPress Sites
Can a saavy web maestro like you imagine building a website with all of the SEO power tools automatically built in?
Well, now you can … only with StudioPress Sites where every site includes SEO functionality. No more wasting time seeking optimization tools all over the Internet.
Here are nine reasons I know you’ll love the the Sites SEO package:
Superior Uptime and Speed
Sites uses a minimalist hosting stack that is specifically configured for the unique hosting demands of WordPress combined with the Genesis Framework. That adds up to world-class performance.
And search engines like it when your pages load faster — because you’re delivering a superior experience to your visitors.
Convenient Keyword Research
Sites comes fully loaded with a built-in keyword research tool that you use right from WordPress. This enables you to uncover the language your target audience actually uses (the search data doesn’t lie), which is exactly the language you need to be using in your content.
Using the language of your audience creates audience engagement, which in turn sends signals to Google that your content can be trusted and ranked well.
Patented Content and Site Analyzer
You know you need to optimize your site for humans first. But beyond that, there are some technical factors that can make an important difference. How do you know if your website and your individual pages are on the right track?
Sites has patented, built-in analyzers that give you a page and site score, as well as smart suggestions right there on the screen for changes you can make immediately.
Don’t wait, and don’t guess. The SEO tools in Sites take the guesswork out of technical optimization.
Mobile-Responsive Design
You’re already aware that mobile-friendliness is a must-have, not a nice-to-have. Search engines are unlikely to even give your site a second look if your design isn’t optimized for a pleasant and intuitive mobile experience.
This is why all 20 Genesis theme designs included with Sites are mobile-responsive, meaning they adapt to whatever device the visitor is using. Your page looks just as good — if not better — on a smartphone as it does on a desktop.
Built-in Influencer Outreach Tools
Getting backlinks from authoritative websites remains one of the best ways to improve your search rankings, but it’s not easy to do. You have to identify the right websites and establish the right relationships — a research process that can be lengthy.
Sites reduces the headache by helping you discover who else has the audience you want to reach, and by helping you identify relevant social media conversations — all from your dashboard. This way you can focus more on the outreach, and the benefits of outreach, than the painstaking research legwork.
Enhanced Security Defenses
Every website is under a constant threat of being hacked. Such is the world we live in these days. And it can be scary. But the last thing you want to do is bury your head in the sand — because you can lose the trust of visitors and search engines
if your site gets hacked.
We use a four-tiered defense strategy that delivers a rock-solid frontline defense designed to maximize security without negatively impacting performance. You need both elements built into your site if you want peace of mind and strong long-term SEO, and Sites delivers.
Support from Real Online Publishers
Sites was created by internet entrepreneurs, professional bloggers, revolutionary designers, and maniacal WordPress and Linux gearheads of Rainmaker Digital. They eat, sleep, and breathe web traffic.
This highly experienced team can help you with any questions you may have regarding your site’s SEO — usually based on first-hand experience. You won’t find a support system like this anywhere else. If you find yourself struggling with SEO, the team is at the ready.
Learn more about StudioPress Sites here
YouTube Marketing On A Shoestring Budget
There isn’t any question that YouTube is a powerful medium for effective video marketing. Whether you’re a small or large business, you need video to capture a wide range of audiences.
Plus, you have to continually come up with ways to get your products and services in front of as many people as possible without ruining your budget. [Read more…] about YouTube Marketing On A Shoestring Budget
How to Teach Yourself the Secret Elixir of SEO
Search engine optimization is complicated.
For many, it’s considered a dark art, peppered with unknowns and uncertainties. And while some marketers consider it an exciting challenge, others back away from it for fear that they’ll simply never get it right.
Still others hire crappy SEO consultants. As Rebecca Gil tells it in her “Beginner’s Guide to Search Engine Optimization”, a PDF download below: “Good SEO consultants are hard to locate and they are even harder to hire. This is because there aren’t a lot of high-quality SEO consultants available for hire. There are lots and lots of bad SEO consultants or young entrepreneurs who think they know SEO.” are hard to locate and they are even harder to hire. This is because there aren’t a lot of high-quality SEO consultants available for hire. There are lots and lots of bad SEO consultants or young entrepreneurs who think they know SEO.”
But, the truth is … if you are doing any kind of online marketing, having even a basic understanding of SEO can help you deliver more successful strategies and campaigns.
What to do?
Time to do it yourself.
“SEO is not simple and it is not easy. It is part art, part science, and part instinct. But know this once you get it, you get it and it becomes common sense. What I will promise you is that anyone and everyone can learn SEO,” states Rebecca.
“If you can’t make the long-term commitment needed, consider spending your money on pay per click ads,” she adds.
Rebecca Gill is the founder of Web Savvy Marketing and the SEO instructor at DIYSEOcourses.com. She explains why SEO is a powerhouse for all businesses and why it requires a plan. In my years as a web designer, I’ve found Rebecca to be the only person who makes sense while keeping everything simple. This is no small feat in the world of SEO! The guarantees, the gobbledygook. They are everywhere. Thank you, Rebecca!
Download The Beginner’s Guide to Search Engine Optimization.
MORE DIY RESOURCES
Easy WordPress SEO. Yoast Complete Solution
How to Learn SEO: 10 of the Best Resources to Bookmark – These days, it seems all marketing requires at least a basic knowledge of search engine optimization. But many of us aren’t sure where to begin. That is due to the deluge of information available on SEO.
How to Teach Yourself SEO in 30 Days – A comprehensive article with videos, tutorials, and downloadable SEO template and more
5 Small Business Tips For Better SEO In 2017
Search Engine Optimization Basics – Effective SEO Advice and Tips from Rank Fishkin. Rand Fishkin is the CEO and Co-Founder of the web’s most popular SEO software provider: SEOmoz.
Website Backup and Restore. Critical for Small Business.
I am a ten-year customer and fan of Bluehost famous for simple and easy WordPress hosting. WordPress installs and updates are a snap and the price is right! Over many years, I can also report that the support has been consistently OK to great.
Another reason: Bluehost makes it easy to do automated backups and file-level restores.
The feature is called Site Backup & Restore. [Read more…] about Website Backup and Restore. Critical for Small Business.