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Google Leads the Push for Mobile-Friendly Sites

When something changes on the internet, there is usually a familiar name leading the charge, facilitating the movement, or assisting in the process. That name is almost always Google. When it comes to the push for mobile-friendly websites, it should come as no surprise that Google has decided to lend a helping hand. Google Developers and Mobile-Friendly Sites Google understands that internet usage is becoming increasingly interconnected with mobile devices. While desktops…

3 Ways to Prepare Your Website for Black Friday

Whether you’re selling a product online or driving traffic to your brick and mortar store, it’s essential to prepare your business website for Black Friday. Why, you ask? For starters, your holiday marketing efforts will provide a larger return. In 2013, Black Friday sales neared $2 billion, and prepared brands reaped the most sales. Discover why you need to prepare your website and how to do it by reviewing the following tips.…

2014 Year End Social Marketing Trends

Online social marketing is a marketing branch that’s constantly in flux, so it’s not wise to base a social media strategy on trends from the beginning of 2014. With the year coming to a close and holiday season in full gear, it’s a great time to take a look over the most prominent social marketing points that are currently trending with the masses. Here are some pointers for making your holiday social…

Alex From Target: The Newest Internet Marketing Sensation?

A new meme appeared on the Internet within the last two weeks and went viral in a way that rivals some of the most popular viral sensations to date. A photo of a young Target employee named Alex LeBeouf was taken by a shopper while Alex was bagging her purchases, and that photo was uploaded to the internet. The photo was then shared via Twitter and Facebook with the hashtag #alexfromtarget. Teenage…

SEO and Online Marketing Trends: 2014 Edition

Every year, the internet changes the way we look up information, find services and products, and connect with businesses in our area. Companies with strong SEO and good marketing policies can push themselves to the front of the pack. Here are some of this year’s top marketing headlines and popular efforts: Google. The great search algorithm mystery continues as Google applies approximately two tweaks to their algorithm every day. That’s over 700…

Google’s New “Non-Mobile Friendly” Icon: A Modern Scarlet Letter

Building upon our blog post from last week, back in February 2014, estimates indicated that mobile traffic was responsible for up to 30% of site visits and 15% of purchases. Fast forward four months later and mobile devices are now responsible for more than 50% of site visits, according to comScore. Although the demand for mobile-friendly sites has been underway for quite some time, Google gave it a marked shove when new…

Google Testing Icons to Highlight Mobile-Friendly and Unfriendly Sites

Today, people are using phones more and computers less when it comes to accessing the internet. Unfortunately for some websites, this could mean a serious downgrade in the search rankings. Google is currently testing icons that alert users to “unfriendly” websites – sites that do not load correctly, or at all, on mobile devices. Google’s icons will alert users to unfriendly sites via a picture of a smartphone with a slash through…

Panda 4.1: Is Your Website Affected?

Ranked 27th in a long line of updates, Panda 4.1 rolled out at the end of September, inciting fear in some SEOs and inspiring praise from others. Affecting 3-5% of search engine queries, Google slowly rolled out Panda 4.1 over a period of weeks. Though some webmasters are picking up the broken pieces of their SEO strategy, small and medium-sized websites stocked with useful content are beginning to receive well-deserved visibility. Panda…

YouTube Decal

Web Design Trends in 2014 Promise to Stay

Web design is a constantly changing field. To keep ahead of your competitors, it’s important to stay tuned to the latest trends in web design, regardless of your industry. Some web design trends will undoubtedly fall by the wayside as we move into the New Year. However, some trends are here to stay. If you’re looking to create a strong web presence for your business, these trends are likely to stick around…

Facebook vs. Google: Who Will Win the Fight for Search Engine Supremacy?

Mark Zuckerberg isn’t slowing down any time soon. Recently, a handful of mobile users have had the opportunity to search through old statuses, posts from friends, and other items in their Facebook past. While the giant social media platform hasn’t officially entered the competitive world of search engines, Zuckerberg is hinting at an upcoming process moving the company towards this future. Early Testing is Happening Now The mobile testing gave users an…

A Brief Update on Penguin Progress-What Does the Future Hold for Rankings?

Almost a year ago, Google implemented a new round of algorithm updates negatively impacting a large portion of their users. The update brought unwanted search engine demise that couldn’t be fixed by typical SEO practices for many businesses. Even with meticulously planned links and content, the normal fixes didn’t help these companies fight the slow-to-refresh Penguin 2.1. Good News for the Weary! There is no guarantee of precisely when Google plans to…

Why You Need SEO

For some business owners, SEO is a myth with little to base on real results. However, making a website SEO compatible (along with all related social media outlets) creates huge strides in web ranking and audience conversion. Statistically, SEO techniques are necessary for companies to keep up with the advanced algorithms being used by most big name search engines. Let’s take a look at the numbers and analyze the impact SEO has…