Feb 5 2025
Up-To-Date Trends, AI-Driven Workflows, and Smarter Data Strategies for Q2 via @sejournal, @CallRail

In the fast-paced world of PPC advertising, marketers are constantly seeking ways to streamline their workflows and improve performance.

Managing PPC campaigns efficiently requires a delicate balancing act of multiple tasks:

  • Analyzing data.
  • Optimizing bid strategies.
  • Testing creatives.
  • Reporting performance.
  • And so much more.

While AI and machine learning have been around in PPC for years, a new wave of AI tools for streamlining productivity and workflows has made its way into the PPC scene.

Whether it’s automating repetitive tasks, enhancing audience targeting, or analyzing vast datasets, AI tools are reshaping how PPC professionals work.

Who doesn’t want to save time doing repetitive, busy work tasks?

In this article, we’ll explore several unconventional ways AI tools can help PPC marketers save time, increase efficiency, and make smarter decisions.

Using AI To Automate Data Interpretation And Trend Insights

PPC campaigns can generate enormous amounts of data that need to be consistently analyzed and interpreted.

AI tools outside of the standard Google and Microsoft Ads platforms can help streamline this process by helping with tasks like:

  • Quickly summarizing key trends.
  • Look for patterns in performance data.
  • Identify any data anomalies for further analysis.

These insights can enable marketers to move from data to action faster.

Using AI Tools For Trend Identification And Insights

If you’d rather not manually sift through reports identifying changes in performance metrics changes, you can actually feed campaign data into ChatGPT (or similar AI tools) to receive summaries that highlight performance trends.

For example, they can help identify seasonal changes in performance or pinpoint potential issues, such as a sudden dip in conversion rate.

Say you run 20 different campaigns in Google Ads and start to see a significant drop in conversion rates from the platform. It can be daunting to immediately pinpoint the cause of the issue.

By processing raw performance data from your campaigns, these AI tools can quickly analyze the data and provide insight into not only where the problem(s) can lie, but also glean insights as to why performance has shifted, like:

  • Ad fatigue.
  • Increased competition.
  • A shift in consumer behavior.

Using AI tools in this capacity helps marketers cut down on analysis time while helping to identify core issues faster, allowing for quicker optimization.

This automation saves hours of manual work, enabling you to focus on more strategic decision-making instead of spending time analyzing large datasets.

Enhancing Competitor Analysis And Strategy Development

Keeping up with competitors is crucial in the PPC landscape, but the task at hand can be time-consuming and complex.

AI tools simplify this process by providing insights into competitors’ strategies, allowing you to stay one step ahead.

There are plenty of tools to help drive competitor insights, whether in the Google Ads platform, third-party tools, or AI tools.

If you’re looking to take the analysis a step further, you can input reports from other competitive analysis tools into ChatGPT (or a similar tool) to receive a quick summary that highlights a competitor’s recent actions.

For example, this could include information like:

  • Shifts in bidding strategies.
  • Introduction of new ad copies.
  • Keywords being targeted.

Based on this data, the AI tools can suggest ways to adjust your own campaigns or suggest counter-strategies to stay competitive.

By automating competitor analysis tasks, you can gain valuable insights faster, which allows for quicker, more informed decision-making and strategic actions.

Simplifying Multi-Account And Cross-Platform Reporting

Managing campaigns across multiple platforms – whether it’s Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, Meta, or others – means compiling huge data sets from different sources.

Trying to put together a compelling, holistic story about your marketing campaigns can take up a lot of time as you navigate from platform to platform.

This is where the power of AI tools can come in to help aggregate reports and create cohesive summaries.

Streamlining Cross-Platform Reporting

Multi-channel reporting is often a daunting task, especially when managing accounts across Google, Microsoft, and social platforms.

By inputting performance data from these platforms into ChatGPT, marketers can receive a single, unified report that summarizes key performance indicators (KPIs) across channels.

For example, say you manage several campaigns across Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, and Meta Ads.

Instead of switching between dashboards and manually pulling data, you can input the performance metrics from each platform into your AI tool of choice.

The tool can summarize the top-performing platforms, highlight underperforming campaigns, and suggest where to reallocate budgets to maximize ROI.

AI’s ability to consolidate multi-channel data helps reduce reporting time, enabling marketers to spend more time optimizing campaigns and less time on administrative tasks.

Keyword Research And Expansion With AI

Keyword research is at the core of every PPC strategy, and expanding keyword lists can be labor-intensive.

AI tools can make the process more efficient by identifying relevant keywords, negative keywords, and keyword variations that are often missed in traditional tools.

While tools like the Google Keyword Planner are great at providing keyword recommendations, AI tools can take it a step further.

They can generate items like long-tail keyword variations and help identify opportunities for new targeting strategies.

Additionally, they can analyze an existing keyword list and suggest related keywords that reflect user intent or emerging trends.

For example, say you manage PPC campaigns for an ecommerce retailer. You input a list of current top-performing keywords with your latest KPI performance data into your AI tool of choice.

From there, the tool can generate suggestions for new long-tail keywords that may have lower volume, but higher intent to purchase.

Additionally, you can ask the tool to suggest negative keywords to eliminate irrelevant traffic, which improves both relevance and cost efficiency.

To really kick this into high gear, you can then ask the tool to format these new keywords and negative keywords into a format that allows you to upload them into Google Ads Editor, saving you hours of manual work adding each one individually.

Using AI tools beyond the ad platforms can help marketers discover new opportunities faster, ensuring more comprehensive targeting with minimal manual effort.

AI-Assisted Testing And Creative Optimization

There’s no debate that A/B testing is critical to campaign optimization, but interpreting results and making decisions about the next steps is where most people fall flat.

Using AI tools to streamline this process can aid you in analyzing test data and suggest optimizations based on performance.

Say you want to test two different versions of a headline in a PPC campaign. You can upload your test performance data into an AI tool for analysis.

Not only will it summarize which headline performed better, but it goes a step further to help answer why one headline outperformed the other.

By providing insights into which elements contributed to success, it can save you time in the long run and help keep those driving factors top of mind for the next test.

AI For PPC Budget Allocation And Forecasting

Effective budget management is essential for optimizing PPC performance.

The ad platforms are great at automating tasks like changing daily budgets based on scripts, but what about strategic budget allocation decisions?

Using AI tools to assist budget allocation across campaigns or platforms by forecasting potential outcomes based on past performance data can streamline the process of deciding where to invest – and when.

For example, a retail client has an upcoming holiday sale and they want to know if they can expect a higher return than last year’s sale.

Inputting last year’s campaign performance into AI tools like ChatGPT can help analyze performance, while also taking into consideration current market trends.

The output could be to suggest how much of the budget should be allocated to high-performing keywords or certain product categories.

It can also provide a forecast of expected returns based on historical data, current CPC trends, and consumer behavior trends to help you make informed budget decisions ahead of time.

AI-driven budget forecasting helps ensure that resources are allocated to the right areas, reducing wasted spend and improving overall campaign performance.

Automating Market Trend Exploration And Forecasting

Market trends can shift quickly, and staying ahead of these changes is key to successful PPC campaigns.

AI tools can analyze search trends, consumer behavior, and historical campaign data to predict future shifts in demand and help marketers prepare.

For instance, AI tools can identify trends in consumer searches in real time, helping you adjust your campaign strategies proactively.

For example, you manage Google Ads campaigns for a fitness brand, and you’re noticing a seasonal uptick in searches for [home workout equipment].

By using AI tools to analyze Google Trends data, you can forecast how that demand will continue to rise or fall in the coming months, and even if certain geographical areas are driving the high demand.

This allows you to adjust bids based on location, increase overall budgets if necessary to help capture demand, and create relevant ad copy that speaks directly to the emerging trend.

Conclusion

AI is revolutionizing PPC workflows, allowing marketers to work smarter, not harder.

Whether you’re leveraging Google Ads’ AI capabilities, like Gemini’s conversational ad creation or integrating third-party tools for deeper insights, AI is becoming indispensable in managing and optimizing PPC campaigns.

From automating bid management and audience targeting to optimizing ad creatives and providing actionable insights, AI offers opportunities to boost efficiency without sacrificing effectiveness.

As AI tools continue to evolve, those who embrace these technologies will find themselves better equipped to deliver superior results, whether managing in-house campaigns or serving clients.

By integrating both Google’s AI features and powerful third-party tools, you can unlock new levels of performance, save time on manual tasks, and focus on strategy and innovation.

More resources:

Featured Image: 3rdtimeluckystudio/Shutterstock

Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments
Feb 4 2025
5 New SEO Ranking Challenges You’re Facing Right Now [& A Fix] via @sejournal, @bright_data

This post was sponsored by Bright Data. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own.

Struggling to adapt your SEO strategy to ever-changing AI-driven SERPs?

Have the most recent Google updates left your rank-tracking methods outdated?

What happens when you can no longer deliver key information on traffic sources?

Generative AI (GenAI) technologies like Google Gemini and Bard are reshaping search results.

This is creating unprecedented challenges, especially when it comes to the elephant in the room: “The New Position 0.”

In this article, we’ll help tackle the key ways to:

The Latest Google Updates & What They Mean For You

Just this week, Google rolled out unexpected changes to SERP structures, causing widespread disruptions for many SEO strategies that rely on SERP rankings.

These updates led to outages and inaccurate data across the industry, forcing many businesses to quickly adapt to avoid prolonged disruptions.

“The disruptions caused by Google’s latest SERP changes left many platforms unable to deliver accurate data to their users. Our clients, however, were unaffected thanks to our immediate response and robust infrastructure. If not for the media and search community, they wouldn’t have known there were any changes.” – Ariel Shulman, VP Product at Bright Data

Generative AI has fundamentally altered how search engines deliver results.

Classic SERP features have become central to understanding user intent and the user journey.

Until now.

The SERP layout we know and love has changed.

These overall changes present challenges for rank-tracking platforms tasked with capturing and analyzing SERPs:

  • Dynamic Content: AI-generated answers often feature multimedia, conversational snippets, or interactive elements, making parsing and analyzing data increasingly complex.
  • Personalization: Search results now adjust based on user history, geography, and device type, requiring platforms to capture nuanced, context-specific data.
  • Position-Zero Dominance: The growing prominence of position zero highlights the need for precise tracking and optimization insights tailored to this feature.

The challenge for rank-tracking platforms is clear: adapt to these AI-driven shifts or risk leaving users without the insights they need to thrive.

What Is Position 0 On Google?

Position 0 on Google refers to any of the featured snippets that appear at the very top of the search engine results page (SERP), above all organic search results.

It’s a special box that highlights concise information in response to a query, often in the form of a paragraph, list, or table.

For example, if you search for “How to tie a tie,” the featured snippet might display step-by-step instructions directly at the top. Being in Position 0 can boost your SEO strategy significantly since it’s considered premium real estate in search rankings.

The featured snippet is designed to provide users with quick answers to their questions without requiring them to click on a website. It’s highly coveted by website owners because it significantly increases visibility and click-through rates.

However, it’s becoming more difficult to track what is ranking in position 0 due to 5 different issues that baffle the current MarTech stack.

So, let’s dive deeper: What did Google change that you’ll need to change?

1. New Changes To SERP Layout Makes Ranking & Organic Clicks More Difficult

As we’re seeing in real-time, AI technologies like Google Gemini (previously Bard) and Microsoft’s Bing AI are reshaping SERP layouts.

So far, SERP structures are evolving rapidly with AI updates.

Elements like conversational answers or rich media snippets appear inconsistently, requiring you to constantly adapt your SEO strategy and data collection methods.

SERP - web scraping with AIO

The New Order Of Search Results

Instead of seeing Google Ads placements, featured snippets, positions 1-3, and People Also Ask, we’ll now be seeing:

  1. Google Ads take up more space, with up to 4 results that could also contain additional expanded site links.
  2. Google AI Overviews (AIO) now dominate the SERP above the fold, pushing positions 1-10 below interactive snippets.
  3. Featured Snippets take the space where positions 1-3 used to live, pushing position 1 down further.
  4. People Also Ask also comes before position 1.
  5. Position 1 starts here.

However, this is not its final state. The new layout of SERPs is dynamic; it will continue to change, and you have to be ready.

Position 1 No Longer Dominates

With position 1 pushed down at least 3 scroll lengths, this is no longer the top clicked result.

Additionally, the layout of a searcher’s query will also vary based on new advances in SERP personalization.

Now, clicks are possible in many new locations on the SERP, such as in a cited link for Google’s AI Overview (AIO).

These are not as easily trackable nor attributable.

SEO analysts and SEO strategists will see a massive impact on their traffic data and how they optimize their content to display above the fold.

Google’s AI Overview (AIO) Steals Top Clicks

Finally, position 1 on Google SERPs has seen its decline from providing at least 33% of organic search clicks to just 11% as of January 2025 depending on the search term.

Organic CTR declined ~70% when an AIO was present on the SERP.

AIO not only makes it difficult to obtain clicks, but one final change has made it nearly impossible to attribute clicks to positions.

In short:

  • You will lose traffic.
  • You will lose visibility into where your traffic is coming from.
  • You will lose the ability to strategize your content for visibility on SERPs.

What does this mean?

Google AIO and other dynamic SERP features are the new Position Zero.

2. Dynamic & Lazy-Loading SERP Content Hides Key SEO Data

Many SERP elements, especially those influenced by AI, load dynamically based on user interaction.

As we know from past SEO knowledge, dynamic and lazy-loading content cannot be seen by bots and scrapers until something triggers the content to load.

Therefore, to retrieve all the necessary data, you’ll need to simulate interactions like clicks and scrolls, which adds complexity and latency.

3. Google’s Anti-Bot Measures Removes Your Visibility To Rankings

As you can see so far, dynamic and personalized search results are more prominent.

Your favorite SEO keyword research and rank-tracking tools rely on bots to crawl the web for key data to help you build your SEO strategy.

However, Google has removed a large piece that makes that data scraping possible: bots.

Google’s evolving anti-bot measures further complicate real-time data collection, pushing platforms to the brink of what their systems can handle.

Sophisticated anti-bot defenses, such as CAPTCHA challenges, IP-based blocking, and JavaScript obfuscation, make real-time data collection a significant hurdle. Many traditional scraping tools cannot meet these challenges.

4. Personalized & Regionalized SERPs Removes Control Data

Control data is something that remains the same from one experiment to another. It enables you to have direct comparisons to build conclusions from when you’re building your SEO strategy.

The old SERP’s control data was the standardized layout. SERP layouts and results were similar enough for the same search query, meaning you could compare multiple searches for the same query to create conclusions that drove your strategy.

Now, user-specific factors like location, language, and device type create unique SERP views with vastly different orders of results.

It’s no longer simple to look at SERP data for [What is a 5-star hotel?] and know which link was clicked from which position:

  • User 1 could have been served your link in an AIO, which would not show up in classic SEO tools.
  • User 2 could have clicked on your link in position 1, which would show up in classic SEO tools.

Capturing this variability at scale while maintaining accuracy is critical yet immensely difficult.

5. Evolving Answer Content & Embracing Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)

AI-generated responses are constantly updated, with position-zero content shifting based on new data and context.

These AI-generated responses are part of an evolution of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) called Answer Engine Optimization (AEO).

You’ll need tools that have been updated to extract data from Answer Engines in real-time.

How To Gain Traffic From Position 0 & Regain Organic Traffic from SERPs

To regain your lost traffic, you’ll need to refer to more sophisticated tools to gain access to new SERP data streams to inform your organic traffic strategy.

Tools that previously helped you understand your position on SERPs are now outdated.

Rank-tracking platforms that have upgraded should be ready and able to collect data using more modern sources that align with the roadblocks above.

These tools don’t just need to collect data, they need to deliver actionable insights to help their users optimize for “The New Position 0” based on the data and AIO’s best practices. By extracting the right data and presenting it clearly, platforms empower users to improve their strategies effectively.

Here’s how platforms are leveraging Data from GenAI results:

1. Emphasizing Content Designed for AEO

Platforms will need insights into which content types (e.g., FAQs, schema markup, and structured data) are prioritized by AI-driven search engines. This will help their users create concise, authoritative content that aligns with SERP preferences, improving visibility and relevance in position zero.

2. Focusing on Position Zero Metrics

They will need metrics such as click-through rates (CTR), impressions, and engagement specific to position zero. These metrics will help their users monitor performance and refine their strategies to maintain or improve their rankings.

3. Supporting Regional and Device-Specific Insights

Platforms will need geo-targeted and device-specific data to provide segmented insights. This will help their users tailor their optimization efforts to specific regions, languages, or devices, ensuring their strategies are more precise and effective.

4. Adjusting to Conversational Queries

They will need data on conversational and intent-driven search queries. This will help their users align their content with how large language models prioritize conversational patterns, resulting in higher engagement and relevance.

SEO tools using Bright Data’s toolkit have access to all this data in real-time and at scale. That’s why the leading SEO tools choose Bright Data as their go-to data provider. Platforms leveraging these insights position themselves as indispensable tools for helping their users dominate “The New Position 0.”

Conclusion

As “The New Position 0” continues to redefine search, rank-tracking platforms face mounting challenges in delivering accurate, actionable data. Choosing the right data collection partner is no longer optional, it’s the key to staying ahead. Platforms leveraging Bright Data’s SERP API are equipped to meet these challenges, empowering their users to succeed in an AI-driven search landscape.

Bright Data’s proactive approach meant their clients experienced uninterrupted services during the disruptions that affected many in the industry. SEO tools leveraging Bright Data’s SERP API maintained seamless operations, continuing to deliver accurate, real-time insights to their users without issue.

Integrating your platform with Bright Data’s SERP API is quick and straightforward. Want to see what it’s all about? Check out the documentation here or test it out in the SERP API playground to see if it’s the perfect match for your SEO tool. When data matters, companies choose Bright Data.

This article has been sponsored by Bright Data, and the views presented herein represent the sponsor’s perspective.

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Image Credits

Featured Image: Image by Bright Data. Used with permission.

Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments
Dec 19 2024
18 Essential Accessibility Changes To Drive Increased Website Growth via @sejournal, @skynet_lv

This post was sponsored by “Skynet Technologies USA LLC”.

Did you know that 1 billion people have not reached you or your customers’ websites yet.

1 billion potential customers are waiting for businesses to step up and do what’s right.

Find out if your website is accessible to 1 billion people >>>

Accessibility isn’t just a compliance checkbox anymore – it’s a growth strategy.

The demand for scalable, innovative accessibility solutions has skyrocketed.

And your competition is already making these improvements.

For agencies, this means an unprecedented opportunity to meet clients’ needs while driving revenue.

Learn how you can generate additional revenue and boost your clients’ SERP ranking by gaining access to:

Ready to get started?

How Accessibility Improvements Can Increase Growth

The digital economy thrives on inclusion.

There is a large market of individuals who are not included in modern website usability.

With over a billion people globally living with disabilities, accessible digital experiences open doors to untapped markets.

Do Websites Need To Be Accessible?

The short answer is yes.

How Does An Accessible Website Drive Traffic?

Traffic comes from people who have needs. Of course, everyone has needs, including people with disabilities.

Accessible websites and tools cater to all users, expanding reach to a diverse and often overlooked customer base.

Global Potential & Unlocking New Audiences

From a global perspective, the global community of people with disabilities is a market estimated to hold a staggering $13 trillion in spending power.

By removing barriers and ensuring inclusive digital experiences, you can tap into this 1 billion-person market and drive substantial economic growth.

Digital accessibility helps to increase employment opportunities, education options, and simple access to various banking and financial services for everybody.

Boosts User Experience & Engagement 

Accessibility improvements run parallel with SEO improvements.

In fact, they often enhance overall website performance, which leads to:

  • Better user experience.
  • Higher rankings.
  • Increased traffic.
  • Higher conversion rates.

Ensures Your Websites Are Compliant

Increasing lawsuits against businesses that fail to comply with accessibility regulations have imposed pressure on them to implement accessibility in their digital assets.

Compliance with ADA, WCAG 2.0, 2.1, 2.2, Section 508, Australian DDA, European EAA EN 301 549, UK Equality Act (EA), Indian RPD Act, Israeli Standard 5568, California Unruh, Ontario AODA, Canada ACA, German BITV, Brazilian Inclusion Law (LBI 13.146/2015), Spain UNE 139803:2012, France RGAA standards, JIS X 8341 (Japan), Italian Stanca Act, Switzerland DDA, Austrian Web Accessibility Act (WZG) guidelines aren’t optional. Accessibility solution partnerships ensure to stay ahead of potential lawsuits while fostering goodwill.

6 Steps To Boost Your Growth With Accessibility

  1. To drive growth, your agency should prioritize digital accessibility by following WCAG standards, regularly testing with tools like AXE, WAVE, or Skynet Technologies Website Accessibility Checker, and addressing accessibility gaps. Build accessible design frameworks with high-contrast colors, scalable text, and clear navigation.
  2. Integrate assistive technologies such as keyboard navigation, screen reader compatibility, and video accessibility. Focus on responsive design, accessible forms, and inclusive content strategies like descriptive link text, simplified language, and alternative formats.
  3. Providing accessibility training and creating inclusive marketing materials will further support compliance and growth.
  4. To ensure the website thrives, prioritize mobile-first design for responsiveness across all devices, adhere to WCAG accessibility standards, and incorporate keyboard-friendly navigation and alt text for media.
  5. Optimize page speed and core web vitals while using an intuitive interface with clear navigation and effective call-to-action buttons, and use SEO-friendly content with proper keyword optimization and schema markups to boost visibility.
  6. Ensure security with SSL certificates, clear cookie consent banners, and compliance with privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA. Finally, implement analytics and conversion tracking tools to gather insights and drive long-term growth.

We know this is a lot.

If this sounds good to you, let us help you get set up.

How Can Digital Accessibility Partnerships Supercharge Your Clients’ SEO?

Partnering for digital accessibility isn’t just about inclusivity — it’s a game-changer for SEO, too!

Accessible websites are built with cleaner code, smarter structures, and user-friendly features like alt text and clear headings that search engines love.

Plus, faster load times, mobile-friendly designs, and seamless navigation keep users engaged, reducing bounce rates and boosting rankings. When you focus on making a site accessible to everyone, you’re not just widening your audience—you’re signaling to search engines that the website is high-quality and relevant. It’s a win-win for accessibility and SEO!

12 Essential Factors To Consider For Successful Accessibility Partnerships

  1. Expertise: Look for a provider with a proven track record in digital accessibility, including knowledge of relevant global website accessibility standards and best practices.
  2. Experience: Consider their experience working with similar industries or organizations.
  3. Tools and technologies: Evaluate their use of automated and manual testing tools to identify and remediate accessibility issues.
  4. Price Flexibility: Explore pricing models that align with both the budget and project requirements. Whether for a single site or multiple sites, the service should be compatible and scalable to meet the needs.
  5. Platform Compatibility: Ensure seamless accessibility integration across various platforms, providing a consistent and accessible experience for all users, regardless of the website environment.
  6. Multi-language support: Enhance user experience with global language support, making websites more inclusive and accessible to a global audience.
  7. Regular check-ins: Schedule regular meetings to discuss project progress, address any issues, and make necessary adjustments.
  8. Clear communication channels: Establish clear communication channels (for example: email, and project management tools) to facilitate efficient collaboration.
  9. Transparent reporting: Request detailed reports on the progress of accessibility testing, remediation efforts, and overall project status.
  10. KPIs to measure success: Review the partner’s historical data, especially those similar projects in terms of scale, complexity, and industry.
  11. Evaluate technical expertise: Assess their proficiency in using various accessibility testing tools and ability to integrate different APIs.
  12. Long-term partnership strategy: Compare previous data with the current one for improvement and optimization process. It is crucial for a long-term partnership that there is a specific interval of review and improvements.

    Scaling Accessibility With Smart Partnerships

    All in One Accessibility®: Simplicity meets efficiency!

    The All in One Accessibility® is an AI-powered accessibility tool that helps organizations to enhance their website accessibility level for ADA, WCAG 2.0, 2.1, 2.2, Section 508, Australian DDA, European EAA EN 301 549, UK Equality Act (EA), Indian RPD Act, Israeli Standard 5568, California Unruh, Ontario AODA, Canada ACA, German BITV, Brazilian Inclusion Law (LBI 13.146/2015), Spain UNE 139803:2012, France RGAA standards, JIS X 8341 (Japan), Italian Stanca Act, Switzerland DDA, Austrian Web Accessibility Act (WZG), and more.

    It is available with features like sign language LIBRAS (Brazilian Portuguese Only) integration, 140+ multilingual support, screen reader, voice navigation, smart language auto-detection and voice customization, talk & type, Google and Adobe Analytics tracking, along with premium add-ons including white label and custom branding, VPAT/ACR reports, manual accessibility audit and remediation, PDF remediation, and many more.

    • Quick Setup: Install the widget to any site with ease—no advanced coding required.
    • Feature-Rich Design: From text resizing and color contrast adjustments to screen reader support, it’s packed with tools that elevate the user experience.
    • Revenue Opportunities: Agencies can resell the solution to clients, adding a high-value service to their offerings while earning attractive commissions through the affiliate program.
    • Reduced development costs: Minimizes the financial impact of accessibility remediation by implementing best practices and quick tools.

    Agency Partnership: Scaling accessibility with ease!

    • Extended Service Offerings: The All in One Accessibility® Agency Partnership allows agencies to offer a powerful accessibility widget – quick accessibility solution into their services, enabling them that are in high demand.
    • White Label: As an agency partner, you can offer All in One Accessibility® under their own brand name.
    • Centralized Management: It simplifies oversight by consolidating accessibility data and reporting, allowing enterprises to manage multiple websites seamlessly.
    • Attractive Revenue Streams: Agencies can resell the widget to clients, earning significant revenue through competitive pricing structures and repeat business opportunities.
    • Boost Client Retention: By addressing accessibility needs proactively, agencies build stronger relationships with clients, fostering long-term loyalty and recurring contracts.
    • Increase Market Reach: Partnering with All in One Accessibility® positions agencies as leaders in inclusivity, attracting businesses looking for reliable accessibility solutions.
    • NO Investment, High Return: With no setup costs, scalable features, and up to 30% commission, the partnership enables agencies to maximize profitability with their clients.

    Affiliate Partnership: A revenue opportunity for everyone!

    The All in One Accessibility® Affiliate Partnership program is for content creators, marketers, accessibility advocates, web professionals, 501 (c) organizations (non-profit), and law firms.

    • Revenue Growth through Referrals: The All in One Accessibility® affiliate partnership allows affiliates to earn competitive commissions by promoting a high-demand accessibility solution, turning referrals into consistent revenue.
    • Expanding Market Reach: Affiliates can tap into a diverse audience of businesses seeking ADA and WCAG compliance, scaling both revenue and the adoption of accessibility solutions.
    • Fostering Accessibility Awareness: By promoting the All in One Accessibility® widget, affiliates play a pivotal role in driving inclusivity, helping more websites become accessible to users with disabilities.
    • Leveraging Trusted Branding: Affiliates benefit from partnering with a reliable and recognized quick accessibility improvement tool, boosting their credibility and marketing impact.
    • Scaling with Zero Investment: With user-friendly promotional resources and a seamless onboarding process, affiliates can maximize returns without any costs.

    Use Accessibility As A Growth Engine

    Endeavoring for strategic partnerships with accessibility solution providers is a win-win for agencies aiming to meet the diverse needs of their clients. These partnerships not only enhance the accessibility of digital assets but also create opportunities for growth, and loyalty, top search engine rankings, boost revenue, improve compliance with legal standards, and make you to contribute into digital accessibility world.

    With Skynet Technologies USA LLC, Transform accessibility from a challenge into a revenue-driving partnership. Let inclusivity power the success.

    Ready to get started? Embarking on a digital accessibility journey is simpler than you think! Take the first step by evaluating the website’s current WCAG compliance with a manual accessibility audit.

    For more information, Reach out hello@skynettechnologies.com.

    Learn More

    Image Credits

    Featured Image: Image by Skynet Technologies. Used with permission.

    Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments
    Dec 18 2024
    10 Hosting Trends Agencies Should Watch In 2025

    This post was sponsored by Bluehost. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own.

    Which hosting service is best for agencies?

    How do I uncover what will be best for my clients in 2025?

    What features should my hosting service have in 2025?

    Hosting has evolved well beyond keeping websites online.

    Hosting providers must align their services to meet clients’ technological needs and keep up with constantly changing technological advances.

    Today, quality hosting companies must focus on speed, security, and scalability. Staying ahead of hosting trends is critical to maintaining competitive offerings, optimizing workflows, and meeting client demands.

    So, what should you watch for in 2025?

    The next 12 months promise significant shifts in hosting technologies, with advancements in AI, automation, security, and sustainability leading the way.

    Understanding and leveraging these trends enables agencies and professionals to provide better client experiences, streamline operations, and reduce the negative effects of future industry changes.

    Trend 1: Enhanced AI & Automation Implemented In Hosting

    AI and automation are already transforming hosting, making it smarter and more efficient for service providers, agencies, brands, and end-point customers alike.

    Hosting providers now leverage AI to optimize server performance, predict maintenance needs, and even supplement customer support with AI-driven features like chatbots.

    As a result, automating routine tasks such as backups, updates, and resource scaling reduces downtime and the need for manual intervention. These innovations are game-changing for those managing multiple client sites and will become increasingly important in 2025.

    It only makes sense.

    Automated systems free up valuable time, allowing you more time to focus on strategic growth instead of tedious maintenance tasks. AI-powered insights can also identify performance bottlenecks, enabling you to address issues before they impact your website or those of your clients.

    Agencies that adopt these technologies this year will not only deliver exceptional service but also be able to position themselves as forward-thinking.

    Bluehost embraces automation with features like automated backups, one-click updates, and a centralized dashboard for easy site management. These tools streamline workflows, enabling agencies and professionals to manage multiple sites with minimal effort while ensuring optimal performance.

    Trend 2: Multi-Cloud & Hybrid Cloud Solutions Are Now Essential

    In 2025, as businesses demand more flexibility and reliability from their online infrastructure, multi-cloud and hybrid cloud solutions will become essential in the hosting world.

    These approaches offer the best of both worlds:

    • The ability to leverage multiple cloud providers for redundancy and performance.
    • The option to combine public and private cloud environments for greater control and customization.

    For agencies managing diverse client needs, multi-cloud and hybrid cloud strategies provide the scalability and adaptability required to meet modern demands. Multi-cloud solutions allow agencies to distribute their clients’ workloads across multiple cloud providers, ensuring that no single point of failure disrupts their operations.

    This feature is particularly valuable for agencies with high-traffic websites, where downtime or slow performance can have a significant impact on revenue and user experience. Hybrid cloud solutions, on the other hand, let agencies blend the scalability of public clouds with the security and control of private cloud environments.

    This service is ideal for clients with sensitive data or compliance requirements, such as ecommerce or healthcare businesses.

    Bluehost Cloud provides scalable infrastructure and tools that enable agencies to customize hosting solutions to fit their clients’ unique requirements. Our cloud hosting solution’s elastic architecture ensures that websites can handle sudden traffic spikes without compromising speed or reliability.

    Additionally, our intuitive management dashboard allows agencies to easily monitor and allocate resources across their client portfolio, making it simple to implement tailored solutions for varying workloads.

    By adopting multi-cloud and hybrid cloud strategies, agencies can offer their clients enhanced performance, improved redundancy, and greater control over their hosting environments.

    With our scalable solutions and robust toolset, agencies can confidently deliver hosting that grows with their clients’ businesses while maintaining consistent quality and reliability. This flexibility not only meets today’s hosting demands but also helps position your agency for long-term success in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

    Trend 3: Edge Computing & CDNs Replace AMP For Improving Website Speed

    As online audiences grow, the demand for faster, more responsive websites has never been higher. Edge computing and Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) are at the forefront of this evolution, enabling websites to reduce latency significantly. For agencies managing clients with diverse and international audiences, these technologies are crucial for improving user experience and ensuring website performance remains competitive.

    Edge computing brings data processing closer to the end user by leveraging servers located at the “edge” of a network, reducing the time it takes for information to travel.

    Combined with CDNs that cache website content on servers worldwide, these technologies ensure faster load times, smoother navigation, and better performance metrics.

    These features are especially beneficial for media-heavy or high-traffic websites, where even a slight delay can impact engagement and conversions.

    Bluehost integrates with leading CDN solutions to deliver content quickly and efficiently to users across the globe. By leveraging a CDN, Bluehost ensures that websites load faster regardless of a visitor’s location, enhancing user experience and SEO performance.

    This integration simplifies the optimization of site speed for agencies with multiple clients. By adopting edge computing and CDN technology, you can help your clients achieve faster load times, improved site stability, and higher customer satisfaction.

    Bluehost’s seamless CDN integration enables you to deliver a hosting solution that meets the expectations of a modern, global audience while building trust and loyalty with your clients.

    Trend 4: Core Web Vitals & SEO Hosting Features Make Or Break Websites

    Core Web Vitals play an important role in today’s SEO, as Google is increasingly emphasizing website performance and user experience in its ranking algorithms. Today, loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability impact a site’s ability to rank well in search results and keep visitors engaged.

    That means optimizing Core Web Vitals isn’t just an SEO task for agencies managing client websites. Fast load times and responsive design are critical parts of delivering a high-quality digital experience. For example, metrics like Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), which measures how quickly a page’s main content loads, depend heavily on hosting infrastructure.

    Agencies need hosting solutions optimized for these metrics to ensure their clients’ sites stay competitive in the SERPs.

    Bluehost offers a WordPress-optimized hosting environment with features specifically designed to improve load times and server response speeds. From advanced caching technology to robust server architecture, Bluehost ensures that sites meet Core Web Vitals standards with ease.

    Additionally, our hosting solutions include tools for monitoring site performance, allowing agencies to proactively address any issues that could impact rankings or user experience.

    By prioritizing Core Web Vitals and leveraging SEO-focused hosting features, agencies can enhance their clients’ visibility, engagement, and overall online success. With Bluehost’s optimized hosting solutions, you’ll have the tools and infrastructure needed to deliver fast, stable, and high-performing websites that delight users and search engines.

    Trend 5: Sustainable Hosting Practices Help Reduce Energy Consumption

    Sustainability is no longer just a buzzword. It’s a key consideration for businesses and agencies alike. As 2025 progresses, more clients will prioritize environmentally conscious practices, and hosting providers will step up to offer greener solutions, such as energy-efficient data centers and carbon offset programs.

    Migrating to a sustainable hosting provider not only supports client values but also demonstrates a commitment to responsible business practices, which will resonate more with consumers in 2025 than ever before.

    Efficient hosting practices reduce energy consumption and create a more sustainable digital ecosystem. It will also allow you to help clients meet their environmental goals without compromising on performance.

    These benefits are especially valuable for clients with higher energy and performance demands, such as those in ecommerce, media-heavy, or high-traffic industries.

    Bluehost has long been recognized as a trusted hosting provider that operates with efficiency in mind.

    Our robust, energy-efficient infrastructure already aligns with the sustainability goals of environmentally conscious clients.

    In addition, our long-standing reputation, proven history with WordPress, and demonstrable reliability enhance your clients’ sustainability objectives, ensuring they can operate responsibly and confidently.

    By choosing sustainable hosting practices and partners like Bluehost, you can contribute to a greener digital future while reinforcing your clients’ environmental commitments and strengthening client relationships by aligning with their values.

    Trend 6: Security Must Be A Core Offering

    Security is a non-negotiable priority for any website. Cyber threats like data breaches, malware, and DDoS attacks are on the rise, and the consequences of a breach, including lost revenue, damaged reputations, and potential legal issues, can devastate clients. As a result, offering secure hosting solutions with proactive security measures is essential to safeguarding clients’ businesses and building trust.

    These key features include SSL certificates, which protect sensitive data while boosting SEO rankings and user trust, and regular malware scans to prevent vulnerabilities.

    They should also include automated backups that enable quick restoration in the event of a crash or attack and provide comprehensive protection and peace of mind. Essential security features are standard in Bluehost hosting plans, including SSL certificates, daily automated backups, and proactive malware scanning.

    These built-in tools eliminate the need for additional solutions, added complexity, or costs. For agencies, our security features reduce risks for your clients and provide peace of mind.

    By choosing a hosting provider like Bluehost, you can prioritize client security, reinforce client trust, and minimize emergencies, allowing you to avoid spending time and resources addressing threats or repairing damage.

    In short, by partnering with Bluehost, security becomes a core part of your agency’s value proposition.

    Trend 7: Hosting Optimized For AI & Machine Learning Is Key To High Visibility On SERPs

    As artificial intelligence and machine learning become increasingly integrated with websites and applications in 2025, hosting providers must keep pace with the increasing demands these technologies place on infrastructure.

    AI-driven tools like chatbots, recommendation engines, and predictive analytics require significant computational power and seamless data processing.

    AI and machine learning applications often involve handling large datasets, running resource-intensive algorithms, and maintaining real-time responsiveness. Hosting optimized for these needs ensures that websites can perform reliably under heavy workloads, reducing latency and downtime and delivering consistent performance.

    If you plan to be successful, you’ll also require scalable scalable hosting solutions. These solutions allow resources to expand dynamically with demand, accommodate growth, and handle traffic surges.

    Bluehost’s scalable hosting is built to support advanced tools and applications, making it an ideal choice for agencies working on AI-driven projects. Our robust infrastructure delivers consistent performance, and flexibility allows you to scale easily as your client’s needs evolve. By leveraging Bluehost, agencies can confidently deliver AI-integrated websites that meet modern performance demands.

    Trend 8: Managed Hosting Helps You Focus More On Profits

    In 2025, websites will become increasingly complex. Businesses will require higher performance and reliability, and everyone will be looking to operate as lean and efficiently as possible. These trends mean managed hosting will become the go-to solution for agencies and their clients.

    Managed hosting shifts time-intensive technical maintenance away from agencies and business owners by including features such as automatic updates, performance monitoring, and enhanced security. In short, managed hosting enables you to simplify workflows, save time, and deliver consistent quality to your clients.

    These hosting services are particularly valuable for WordPress websites, where regular updates, plugin compatibility checks, and security enhancements occur frequently but are essential to maintaining optimal performance.

    Managed hosting also typically includes tools like staging environments, which allow agencies to test changes and updates without risking disruptions to live sites and ensure you can deliver a seamless experience to clients.

    Bluehost offers managed WordPress hosting that includes automatic updates, staging environments, and 24/7 expert support. These features allow you to handle technical details efficiently while focusing on delivering results for your clients without added stress or time.

    Trend 9: The Shift Toward Decentralized Hosting Boosts Your Brand’s Longevity

    In 2025, expect to see decentralized hosting gain attention as a futuristic approach to web hosting. Like Bitcoin and similar advancements, the technology leverages blockchain technology and peer-to-peer networks to create hosting environments that prioritize privacy, resilience, and independence from centralized control.

    While this model appears to provide exciting new opportunities, it’s still in the early stages. It faces challenges in scalability, user-friendliness, and widespread adoption, which agencies can’t typically rely on for client sites.

    Decentralized hosting may become a viable option for specific use cases, such as privacy-focused projects or highly distributed systems. However, centralized hosting providers still offer the best balance of reliability, scalability, and accessibility for most businesses and agencies today.

    For these reasons, agencies managing client websites will continue to focus on proven, reliable hosting solutions that deliver consistent performance and robust support.

    So, while decentralized hosting may gain traction this year, Bluehost will continue to provide a trustworthy hosting environment designed to meet the needs of modern websites. With a strong emphasis on reliability, scalability, and user-friendly management tools, we offer a proven solution agencies can depend on to deliver exceptional client results.

    Trend 10: Scalable Hosting For High-Growth Websites Is Key For Growth

    As businesses grow, their websites will experience increasing traffic and resource demands. High-growth websites, such as e-commerce platforms, content-heavy blogs, or viral marketing campaigns, require hosting solutions that can scale instantly. And scalable hosting is critical to delivering consistent user experiences and avoiding downtime during peak periods.

    Scalable hosting like Bluehost ensures your clients’ websites can easily adjust resources like bandwidth, storage, and processing power to meet fluctuating demands. Our scalable hosting solutions are designed for high-growth websites. Our unmetered bandwidth and infrastructure were built to handle traffic surges, ensuring websites remain fast and accessible.

    These features make us the ideal choice for agencies looking to future-proof their clients’ hosting needs.

    As the digital landscape continues to evolve in 2025, keeping up with the latest trends in hosting is essential for agencies to provide top-tier service, drive client satisfaction, and maintain a competitive edge. From AI and automation to scalability and security, the future of hosting demands flexible, efficient solutions tailored to modern needs.

    By understanding and leveraging these trends, you can position your agency as a trusted partner and deliver exceptional results to your clients, whether by adopting managed hosting or integrating CDNs.

    Bluehost hosting will meet today’s demands while helping to prepare agencies like yours for tomorrow. With features like 100% uptime guaranteed through our Service Level Agreement (SLA), 24/7 priority support, and built-in tools like SSL certificates, automated backups, and advanced caching, Bluehost offers a robust and reliable hosting environment.

    Additionally, Bluehost Cloud makes switching easy and cost-effective with $0 migration costs and credit for remaining contracts, giving you the flexibility to transition seamlessly without the high cost.

    Take your agency’s hosting strategy to the next level with Bluehost. Discover how our comprehensive hosting solutions can support your growth, enhance client satisfaction, and keep your business ahead of the curve.

    GET STARTED TODAY

    Image Credits

    Featured Image: Image by Bluehost. Used with permission.

    Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments
    Dec 3 2024
    Maximize SEO Efforts: How To Fix Website Issues That Drain Time, Money & Performance

    This post was sponsored by Bluehost. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own.

    Your website’s hosting is more than a technical decision.

    It’s a cornerstone of your business’s online success that impacts everything from site speed and uptime to customer trust and overall branding.

    Yet, many businesses stick with subpar hosting providers, often unaware of how much it’s costing them in time, money, and lost opportunities.

    The reality is that bad hosting doesn’t just frustrate you. It frustrates your customers, hurts conversions, and can even damage your brand reputation.

    The good news?

    Choosing the right host can turn hosting into an investment that works for you, not against you.

    Let’s explore how hosting affects your bottom line, identify common problems, and discuss what features you should look for to maximize your return on investment.

    1. Start By Auditing Your Website’s Hosting Provider

    The wrong hosting provider can quickly eat away at your time & efficiency.

    In fact, time is the biggest cost of an insufficient hosting provider.

    To start out, ask yourself:

    • Is Your Bounce Rate High?
    • Are Customers Not Converting?
    • Is Revenue Down?

    If you answered yes to any of those questions, and no amount of on-page optimization seems to make a difference, it may be time to audit your website host.

    Why Audit Your Web Host?

    Frequent downtime, poor support, and slow server response times can disrupt workflows and create frustration for both your team and your visitors.

    From an SEO & marketing perspective, a sluggish website often leads to:

    • Increased bounce rates.
    • Missed customer opportunities.
    • Wasted time troubleshooting technical issues.

    Could you find workarounds for some of these problems? Sure. But they take time and money, too.

    The more dashboards and tools you use, the more time you spend managing it all, and the more opportunities you’ll miss out on.

    For example, hosts offering integrated domain and hosting management make overseeing your website easier and reduce administrative hassles.

    Bluehost’s integrated domain services simplify website management by bringing all your hosting and domain tools into one intuitive platform.

    2. Check If Your Hosting Provider Is Causing Slow Site Load Speeds

    Your website is often the first interaction a customer has with your brand.

    A fast, reliable website reflects professionalism and trustworthiness.

    Customers associate smooth experiences with strong brands, while frequent glitches or outages send a message that you’re not dependable.

    Your hosting provider should enhance your brand’s reputation, not detract from it.

    How To Identify & Measure Slow Page Load Speeds

    Identifying and measuring slow site and page loading speeds starts with using tools designed to analyze performance, such as Google PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix, or Lighthouse.

    These tools provide metrics like First Contentful Paint (FCP) and Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), which help you see how quickly key elements of your page load.

    Pay attention to your site’s Time to First Byte (TTFB), a critical indicator of how fast your server responds to requests.

    Regularly test your site’s performance across different devices, browsers, and internet connections to identify bottlenecks. High bounce rates or short average session durations in analytics reports can also hint at speed issues.

    Bandwidth limitations can create bottlenecks for growing websites, especially during traffic spikes.

    How To Find A Fast Hosting Provider

    Opt for hosting providers that offer unmetered or scalable bandwidth to ensure seamless performance even during periods of high demand.

    Cloud hosting is designed to deliver exceptional site and page load speeds, ensuring a seamless experience for your visitors and boosting your site’s SEO.

    With advanced caching technology and optimized server configurations, Bluehost Cloud accelerates content delivery to provide fast, reliable performance even during high-traffic periods.

    Its scalable infrastructure ensures your website maintains consistent speeds as your business grows, while a global Content Delivery Network (CDN) helps reduce latency for users around the world.

    With Bluehost Cloud, you can trust that your site will load quickly and keep your audience engaged.

    3. Check If Your Site Has Frequent Or Prolonged Downtime

    Measuring and identifying downtime starts with having the right tools and a clear understanding of your site’s performance.

    Tools like uptime monitoring services can track when your site is accessible and alert you to outages in real time.

    You should also look at patterns.

    Frequent interruptions or prolonged periods of unavailability are red flags. Check your server logs for error codes and timestamps that indicate when the site was down.

    Tracking how quickly your hosting provider responds and resolves issues is also helpful, as slow resolutions can compound the problem.

    Remember, even a few minutes of downtime during peak traffic hours can lead to lost revenue and customer trust, so understanding and monitoring downtime is critical for keeping your site reliable.

    No matter how feature-packed your hosting provider is, unreliable uptime or poor support can undermine its value. These two factors are critical for ensuring a high-performing, efficient website.

    What Your Hosting Server Should Have For Guaranteed Uptime

    A Service Level Agreement (SLA) guarantees uptime, response time, and resolution time, ensuring that your site remains online and functional. Look for hosting providers that back their promises with a 100% uptime SLA.

    Bluehost Cloud offers a 100% uptime SLA and 24/7 priority support, giving you peace of mind that your website will remain operational and any issues will be addressed promptly.

    Our team of WordPress experts ensures quick resolutions to technical challenges, reducing downtime and optimizing your hosting ROI.

    4. Check Your Host For Security Efficacy

    Strong security measures protect your customers and show them you value their privacy and trust.

    A single security breach can ruin your brand’s image, especially if customer data is compromised.

    Hosts that lack built-in security features like SSL certificates, malware scanning, and regular backups leave your site vulnerable.

    How Hosting Impacts Security

    Security breaches don’t just affect your website. They affect your customers.

    Whether it’s stolen data, phishing attacks, or malware, these breaches can erode trust and cause long-term damage to your business.

    Recovering from a security breach is expensive and time-consuming. It often involves hiring specialists, paying fines, and repairing the damage to your reputation.

    Is Your Hosting Provider Lacking Proactive Security Measures?

    Assessing and measuring security vulnerabilities or a lack of proactive protection measures begins with a thorough evaluation of your hosting provider’s features and practices.

    1. Review Included Security Tools

    Start by reviewing whether your provider includes essential security tools such as SSL certificates, malware scanning, firewalls, and automated backups in their standard offerings.

    If these are missing or come as costly add-ons, your site may already be at risk.

    1. Leverage Brute Force Tools To Check For Vulnerabilities

    Next, use website vulnerability scanning tools like Sucuri, Qualys SSL Labs, or SiteLock to identify potential weaknesses, such as outdated software, unpatched plugins, or misconfigured settings.

    These tools can flag issues like weak encryption, exposed directories, or malware infections.

    Monitor your site for unusual activity, such as unexpected traffic spikes or changes to critical files, which could signal a breach.

    1. Make Sure The Host Also Routinely Scans For & Eliminates Threats

    It’s also crucial to evaluate how your hosting provider handles updates and threat prevention.

    • Do they offer automatic updates to patch vulnerabilities?
    • Do they monitor for emerging threats and take steps to block them proactively?

    A good hosting provider takes a proactive approach to security, offering built-in protections that reduce your risks.

    Look for hosting providers that include automatic SSL encryption, regular malware scans, and daily backups. These features not only protect your site but also give you peace of mind.

    Bluehost offers robust security tools as part of its standard WordPress hosting package, ensuring your site stays protected without extra costs. With built-in SSL certificates and daily backups, Bluehost Cloud keeps your site secure and your customers’ trust intact.

    5. Audit Your WordPress Hosting Provider’s Customer Support

    Is your host delivering limited or inconsistent customer support?

    Limited or inconsistent customer support can turn minor issues into major roadblocks. When hosting providers fail to offer timely, knowledgeable assistance, you’re left scrambling to resolve problems that could have been easily fixed.

    Delayed responses or unhelpful support can lead to prolonged downtime, slower page speeds, and unresolved security concerns, all of which impact your business and reputation.

    Reliable hosting providers should offer 24/7 priority support through multiple channels, such as chat and phone, so you can get expert help whenever you need it.

    Consistent, high-quality support is essential for keeping your website running smoothly and minimizing disruptions.

    Bluehost takes customer service to the next level with 24/7 priority support available via phone, chat, and email. Our team of knowledgeable experts specializes in WordPress, providing quick and effective solutions to keep your site running smoothly.

    Whether you’re troubleshooting an issue, setting up your site, or optimizing performance, Bluehost’s dedicated support ensures you’re never left navigating challenges alone.

    Bonus: Check Your Host For Hidden Costs For Essential Hosting Features

    Hidden costs for essential hosting features like:

    • Backups.
    • SSL certificates.
    • Additional bandwidth can quickly erode the value of a seemingly affordable hosting plan.

    What Does This Look Like?

    For example, daily backups, which are vital for recovery after data loss or cyberattacks, may come with an unexpected monthly fee.

    Similarly, SSL certificates, which are essential for encrypting data and maintaining trust with visitors, are often sold as expensive add-ons.

    If your site experiences traffic spikes, additional bandwidth charges can catch you off guard, adding to your monthly costs.

    Many providers, as you likely have seen, lure customers in with low entry prices, only to charge extra for services that are critical to your website’s functionality and security.

    These hidden expenses not only strain your budget but also create unnecessary complexity in managing your site.

    A reliable hosting provider includes these features as part of their standard offering, ensuring you have the tools you need without the surprise bills.

    Which Hosting Provider Does Not Charge For Essential Features?

    Bluehost is a great option, as their pricing is upfront.

    Bluehost includes crucial tools like daily automated backups, SSL certificates, and unmetered bandwidth in their standard plans.

    This means you won’t face surprise fees for the basic functionalities your website needs to operate securely and effectively.

    Whether you’re safeguarding your site from potential data loss or ensuring encrypted, trustworthy connections for your visitors, or need unmetered bandwidth to ensure your site can handle traffic surges without penalty, you’ll gain the flexibility to scale without worrying about extra charges.

    We even give WordPress users the option to bundle premium plugins together to help you save even more.

    By including these features upfront, Bluehost simplifies your WordPress hosting experience and helps you maintain a predictable budget, freeing you to focus on growing your business instead of worrying about unexpected hosting costs.

    Transitioning To A Better Hosting Solution: What To Consider

    Switching hosting providers might seem daunting, but the right provider can make the process simple and cost-effective. Here are key considerations for transitioning to a better hosting solution:

    Migration Challenges

    Migrating your site to a new host can involve technical hurdles, including transferring content, preserving configurations, and minimizing downtime. A hosting provider with dedicated migration support can make this process seamless.

    Cost of Switching Providers

    Many businesses hesitate to switch hosts due to the cost of ending a contract early. To offset these expenses, search for hosting providers that offer migration incentives, such as contract buyouts or credit for remaining fees.

    Why Bluehost Cloud Stands Out

    Bluehost Cloud provides comprehensive migration support, handling every detail of the transfer to ensure a smooth transition.

    Plus, our migration promotion includes $0 switching costs and credit for remaining contracts, making the move to Bluehost not only hassle-free but also financially advantageous.

    Your hosting provider plays a pivotal role in the success of your WordPress site. By addressing performance issues, integrating essential features, and offering reliable support, you can maximize your hosting ROI and create a foundation for long-term success.

    If your current hosting provider is falling short, it’s time to evaluate your options. Bluehost Cloud delivers performance-focused features, 100% uptime, premium support, and cost-effective migration services, ensuring your WordPress site runs smoothly and efficiently.

    In addition, Bluehost has been a trusted partner of WordPress since 2005, working closely to create a hosting platform tailored to the unique needs of WordPress websites.

    Beyond hosting, Bluehost empowers users through education, offering webinars, masterclasses, and resources like the WordPress Academy to help you maximize your WordPress experience and build successful websites.

    Take control of your website’s performance and ROI. Visit the Bluehost Migration Page to learn how Bluehost Cloud can elevate your hosting experience.

    This article has been sponsored by Bluehost, and the views presented herein represent the sponsor’s perspective.

    Learn more about Bluehost’s latest migration promotion

    Image Credits

    Featured Image: Image by Bluehost. Used with permission.

    Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments
    Nov 19 2024
    7 Things To Look For In An SEO-Friendly WordPress Host

    This post was sponsored by Bluehost. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own.

    When trying to improve your WordPress site’s search rankings, hosting might not be the first thing on your mind.

    But your choice of hosting provider can significantly impact your SEO efforts.

    A poor hosting setup can slow down your site, compromise its stability and security, and drain valuable time and resources.

    The answer? Choosing the right WordPress hosting provider.

    Here are seven essential features to look for in an SEO-friendly WordPress host that will help you:

    1. Reliable Uptime & Speed for Consistent Performance

    A website’s uptime and speed can significantly influence your site’s rankings and the success of your SEO strategies.

    Users don’t like sites that suffer from significant downtime or sluggish load speeds. Not only are these sites inconvenient, but they also reflect negatively on the brand and their products and services, making them appear less trustworthy and of lower quality.

    For these reasons, Google values websites that load quickly and reliably. So, if your site suffers from significant downtime or sluggish load times, it can negatively affect your site’s position in search results as well as frustrate users.

    Reliable hosting with minimal downtime and fast server response times helps ensure that both users and search engines can access your content seamlessly.

    Performance-focused infrastructure, optimized for fast server responses, is essential for delivering a smooth and engaging user experience.

    When evaluating hosting providers, look for high uptime guarantees through a robust Service Level Agreement (SLA), which assures site availability and speed.

    Bluehost Cloud, for instance, offers a 100% SLA for uptime, response time, and resolution time.

    Built specifically with WordPress users in mind, Bluehost Cloud leverages an infrastructure optimized to deliver the speed and reliability that WordPress sites require, enhancing both SEO performance and user satisfaction. This guarantee provides you with peace of mind.

    Your site will remain accessible and perform optimally around the clock, and you’ll spend less time troubleshooting and dealing with your host’s support team trying to get your site back online.

    2. Data Center Locations & CDN Options For Global Reach

    Fast load times are crucial not only for providing a better user experience but also for reducing bounce rates and boosting SEO rankings.

    Since Google prioritizes websites that load quickly for users everywhere, having data centers in multiple locations and Content Delivery Network (CDN) integration is essential for WordPress sites with a global audience.

    To ensure your site loads quickly for all users, no matter where they are, choose a WordPress host with a distributed network of data centers and CDN support. Consider whether it offers CDN options and data center locations that align with your audience’s geographic distribution

    This setup allows your content to reach users swiftly across different regions, enhancing both user satisfaction and search engine performance.

    Bluehost Cloud integrates with a CDN to accelerate content delivery across the globe. This means that whether your visitors are in North America, Europe, or Asia, they’ll experience faster load times.

    By leveraging global data centers and a CDN, Bluehost Cloud ensures your site’s SEO remains strong, delivering a consistent experience for users around the world.

    3. Built-In Security Features To Protect From SEO-Damaging Attacks

    Security is essential for your brand, your SEO, and overall site health.

    Websites that experience security breaches, malware, or frequent hacking attempts can be penalized by search engines, potentially suffering from ranking drops or even removal from search indexes.

    Therefore, it’s critical to select a host that offers strong built-in security features to safeguard your website and its SEO performance.

    When evaluating hosting providers, look for options that include additional security features.

    Bluehost Cloud, for example, offers comprehensive security features designed to protect WordPress sites, including free SSL certificates to encrypt data, automated daily backups, and regular malware scans.

    These features help maintain a secure environment, preventing security issues from impacting your potential customers, your site’s SEO, and ultimately, your bottom line.

    With Bluehost Cloud, your site’s visitors, data, and search engine rankings remain secure, providing you with peace of mind and a safe foundation for SEO success.

    4. Optimized Database & File Management For Fast Site Performance

    A poorly managed database can slow down site performance, which affects load times and visitor experience. Therefore, efficient data handling and optimized file management are essential for fast site performance.

    Choose a host with advanced database and file management tools, as well as caching solutions that enhance site speed. Bluehost Cloud supports WordPress sites with advanced database optimization, ensuring quick, efficient data handling even as your site grows.

    With features like server-level caching and optimized databases, Bluehost Cloud is built to handle WordPress’ unique requirements, enabling your site to perform smoothly without additional plugins or manual adjustments.

    Bluehost Cloud contributes to a better user experience and a stronger SEO foundation by keeping your WordPress site fast and efficient.

    5. SEO-Friendly, Scalable Bandwidth For Growing Sites

    As your site’s popularity grows, so does its bandwidth requirements. Scalable or unmetered bandwidth is vital to handle traffic spikes without slowing down your site and impacting your SERP performance.

    High-growth websites, in particular, benefit from hosting providers that offer flexible bandwidth options, ensuring consistent speed and availability even during peak traffic.

    To avoid disaster, select a hosting provider that offers scalable or unmetered bandwidth as part of their package. Bluehost Cloud’s unmetered bandwidth, for instance, is designed to accommodate high-traffic sites without affecting load times or user experience.

    This ensures that your site remains responsive and accessible during high-traffic periods, supporting your growth and helping you maintain your SEO rankings.

    For websites anticipating growth, unmetered bandwidth with Bluehost Cloud provides a reliable, flexible solution to ensure long-term performance.

    6. WordPress-Specific Support & SEO Optimization Tools

    WordPress has unique needs when it comes to SEO, making specialized hosting support essential.

    Hosts that cater specifically to WordPress provide an added advantage by offering tools and configurations such as staging environments and one-click installations specifically for WordPress.

    WordPress-specific hosting providers also have an entire team of knowledgeable support and technical experts who can help you significantly improve your WordPress site’s performance.

    Bluehost Cloud is a WordPress-focused hosting solution that offers priority, 24/7 support from WordPress experts, ensuring any issue you encounter is dealt with effectively.

    Additionally, Bluehost’s staging environments enable you to test changes and updates before going live, reducing the risk of SEO-impacting errors.

    Switching to Bluehost is easy, affordable, and stress-free, too.

    Bluehost offers a seamless migration service designed to make switching hosts simple and stress-free. Our dedicated migration support team handles the entire transfer process, ensuring your WordPress site’s content, settings, and configurations are moved safely and accurately.

    Currently, Bluehost also covers all migration costs, so you can make the switch with zero out-of-pocket expenses. We’ll credit the remaining cost of your existing contract, making the transition financially advantageous.

    You can actually save money or even gain credit by switching

    7. Integrated Domain & Site Management For Simplified SEO Administration

    SEO often involves managing domain settings, redirects, DNS configurations, and SSL updates, which can become complicated without centralized management.

    An integrated hosting provider that allows you to manage your domain and hosting in one place simplifies these SEO tasks and makes it easier to maintain a strong SEO foundation.

    When selecting a host, look for providers that integrate domain management with hosting. Bluehost offers a streamlined experience, allowing you to manage both domains and hosting from a single dashboard.

    SEO-related site administration becomes more manageable, and you can focus on the things you do best: growth and optimization.

    Find A SEO-Friendly WordPress Host

    Choosing an SEO-friendly WordPress host can have a significant impact on your website’s search engine performance, user experience, and long-term growth.

    By focusing on uptime, global data distribution, robust security, optimized database management, scalable bandwidth, WordPress-specific support, and integrated domain management, you create a solid foundation that supports both SEO and usability.

    Ready to make the switch?

    As a trusted WordPress partner with over 20 years of experience, Bluehost offers a hosting solution designed to meet the unique demands of WordPress sites big and small.

    Our dedicated migration support team handles every detail of your transfer, ensuring your site’s content, settings, and configurations are moved accurately and securely.

    Plus, we offer eligible customers a credit toward their remaining contracts, making the transition to Bluehost not only seamless but also cost-effective.

    Learn how Bluehost Cloud can elevate your WordPress site. Visit us today to get started.

    LEARN MORE

    Image Credits

    Featured Image: Image by Bluehost. Used with permission.

    In-Post Image: Images by Bluehost. Used with permission.

    Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments
    Nov 13 2024
    [Losing Traffic?] 4 Easy Steps To See How Google’s AIO Is Affecting Your SEO

    SE Ranking sponsored this post. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own.

    Wondering how AI is affecting your traffic?

    Want to learn how to get into the AI Overview at the top of SERPs?

    Miss the days when you could appear as the top result on a SERP?

    It’s possible to relive those SEO glory days by learning how tuned in your website is to AI.

    What Is An AIO In SEO?

    AI Overviews, or AIOs, are one of Google’s newest search features to grace the SERPs.

    AI Overviews provide users with AI-generated answers and topic summaries, and they are gaining momentum. Google launched it as an experiment in May 2023, and since then changed the traditional search to kick off a new era of SEO.

    Now the focus for SEO is on optimizing websites for AI Overviews.

    According to SE Ranking’s studies, this feature is often observed for longer, mainly informational queries. These queries are common in niches like Relationships, Food and Beverage, Business, and more. While AI Overviews were initially only available in the US, they have recently expanded to six countries, where they can now hold top positions in search results.

    No doubt, this is only the beginning of the rise of AI Overviews. To stay ahead in SEO, start tracking the impact of AIOs on your sites now. Let’s look at how to do this quickly and easily!

    Step 1. Find Out Which Target Keywords Trigger AIOs

    Begin by finding out which of your keywords trigger AIOs and which ones you can optimize your content for.

    This will help you attract more traffic through the new search.

    Doing this manually can take a long time, especially if you have a large project with thousands of keywords.

    To automate this process, use SE Ranking’s Competitive Research tool. This tool contains 22 million AIO-triggering keywords in the US region and 2.2 million in the UK region.

    1. Go to the Organic Traffic Research section.
    2. Filter keywords by the AI Overviews feature, as shown in the screenshot below.
    3. The table will now only display keywords that trigger AIOs.
    4. Export the entire list.

    Pro tip:

    Explore the intent, search volume, position, and difficulty of all keywords triggering AIOs. This will help you prioritize content optimization for AIOs. For example, if a keyword is likely to bring in very little traffic, don’t focus too much on monitoring and optimizing content around it.

    Step 2. Add Keywords To An AI Tracker To Monitor Them

    The next step is to streamline how you monitor your presence in AIOs. Keeping track of every keyword manually is difficult and time-consuming, so having an automated tool is a must.

    We suggest using the handy AI Tracker because it lets you add and monitor up to 1,500 keywords.

    The AI Tracker is available to all users during the 14-day trial of SE Ranking. Access this tool and our complete SEO suite to outperform competitors and boost traffic.

    To get started:

    1. Create a project in SE Ranking.
    2. Add all the keywords exported during the previous step.
    3. Head to the AI Tracker tool.
    4. Click Select keywords.
    5. Choose the ones to track for AI Overviews.

    Once you’ve added the keywords, the tool will check their positions in AIOs daily. This makes it easy to monitor changes in AI results and your presence in them.

    Step 3. Check Your Site’s Visibility On AIOs

    Of course, many SEO specialists are concerned most about whether their site is included in the AI Overviews source list.

    Consider using the AI Overview Presence graph in SE Ranking’s AI Tracker to understand the situation clearly and see how visible your site is in AIOs. This tool shows how many of your added keywords triggered AIOs and how many AIOs feature your site in Google’s list of resources.

    Look at the table below to see which keywords triggered AIOs and which didn’t. If the icon has a gray strike-through, there are no AIOs for that keyword. If the icon is gray, there are AIOs present, but your site is not included. If the icon is purple, your site is featured in AIOs.

    What do these numbers mean? If there are 100 AIOs but your site appears in only 10 of them, you’re likely losing traffic. When AIOs appear in search results, users often won’t scroll past them to find your site. This still holds even if it ranks first in regular results. Recent research from SE Ranking confirms this, stating that featured snippets show up alongside AI Overviews 45.39% of the time, while ads appear with AI Overviews a staggering 87% of the time.

    This data helps you identify which keywords to focus on. You can then track how your new AIO strategy performs over time. If you take steps to get into AI snippets, each graph will show a rising curve.

    But remember: AI Overviews are constantly shifting. AIOs might appear one day for a query and then disappear the next. You might even see your site in an AI snippet at the top one day only for it to disappear completely the next. Moreover, Google is constantly changing the appearance of its AI snippets.

    When it was first released, the snippet looked like this:

    Now, it looks like this:

    There are currently fewer links, with Google shifting them to the right to give them less importance. This ensures they don’t distract users from the main AI-generated information. It’s important to keep an eye on AIOs in case other changes occur. You’ll need to understand what to expect and whether you’ll still be visible in AIOs, even if you’re included in them.

    In these cases, the tool stores cached copies of every SERP it crawls. This allows you to see how the appearance of AIOs has changed over time. You can easily check if your website links were prominently displayed in the AIOs or if they were hidden behind a button.

    Step 4. Learn Which Sites Are Chosen Over Yours As AIO Sources

    Another important step is to monitor the sites that appear in AIOs where your site is missing. Why is this useful? It helps you identify gaps in your content and allows you to optimize it. This increases its chance of being included in AIOs.

    You can use the Organic-AI Overlap graph to check how many sites from the top 20 are currently featured in AIOs for your keywords.

    Use the AI SERP Competitors section to fully analyze this data. It will show you:

    • Which sites are included in the AI snippet
    • How the top 20 results for that keyword look

    If you notice that the AI snippet includes many sites outside the top 20, focus on what these sites are doing to be cited by Google. Conversely, if Google favors the top 20 sites for certain keywords, continue optimizing your site. It may eventually reach the top and greatly increase your chances of being featured in AIOs.

    AIOs may also disappear, so aiming for top rankings is always a winning strategy.

    Track Your AI Overview Efforts With SE Ranking

    The entire digital world is entering a new era of AI-driven search. What we are seeing now is just the beginning. While the future is a mystery and holds more changes, one thing is certain: AI is here to stay, and we must adapt to work with it.

    Monitoring AIOs is an essential part of this new strategy. Setting up this process correctly will undoubtedly give you results.

    Try SE Ranking’s AI Tracker for free for 14 days with a trial subscription to give your SEO strategy the boost it needs!

    This article has been sponsored by SE Ranking, and the views presented herein represent the sponsor’s perspective.

    Ready to start optimizing your website? Sign up for SE Ranking and get the data you need to deliver great user experiences.

    Image Credits

    Featured Image: Image by SE Ranking. Used with permission.

    Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments
    Nov 12 2024
    4 New Techniques To Speed Up Your Website & Fix Core Web Vitals via @sejournal, @DebugBear

    This post was sponsored by DebugBear. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own.

    Want to make your website fast?

    Luckily, many techniques and guides exist to help you speed up your website.

    In fact, just in the last year, several new browser features have been released that offer:

    • New ways to optimize your website.
    • New ways to identify causes of slow performance.

    All within your browser.

    So, this article looks at these new browser SEO features and how you can use them to pass Google’s Core Web Vitals assessment.

    Why Website Performance Is Key For User Experience & SEO

    Having a fast website will make your users happier and increase conversion rates.

    But performance is also a Google ranking factor.

    Google has defined three user experience metrics, called the Core Web Vitals:

    • Largest Contentful Paint: how quickly does page content appear?
    • Cumulative Layout Shift: does content move around after loading?
    • Interaction to Next Paint: how responsive is the page to user input?

    For each of these metrics there’s a maximum threshold that shouldn’t be exceeded to pass the web vitals assessment.

    Metric thresholds for Google Core Web Vitals, October 2024

    1. Add Instant Navigation With “Speculation Rules”

    New Key Definitions:

    When websites are slow to load that’s usually because various resources have to be loaded from the website server. But what if there was a way to achieve instant navigations, where visitors don’t have to wait?

    This year Chrome launched a new feature called speculation rules, which can achieve just that. After loading the initial page on a website, other pages can be preloaded in the background. Then, when the visitor clicks on a link, the new page appears instantly.

    Best of all, this feature is easy to implement just by adding a

    Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments
    Oct 31 2024
    Turning Insights into Action: Benchmarking & Strategic SEO via @sejournal, @Conductor

    SEO is not just about optimizing for search engine rankings. It’s also about understanding your audience’s needs and providing solutions through your website or landing page.

    Google alone processes over 100 billion searches a month. So, if you get your strategy right, the potential to reach new customers through search is immense.

    But here’s the catch: Search algorithms are always changing. The recent introduction of generative AI directly in search has shaken up how users interact with search engines.

    What that means for SEO is that you can’t just set it and forget it – your SEO strategy needs to adapt to these changes to stay competitive.

    You need to regularly analyze and course-correct to ensure you’re taking advantage of the latest best practices and strategies.

    In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps for creating an effective SEO strategy that aligns with both search engine algorithms and user expectations.

    1. Align SEO With Business Goals & Define KPIs

    It’s crucial to align your SEO strategy with your overall business goals and define the key performance indicators (KPIs) that will help you measure success.

    Knowing where you want to go and how you’ll measure progress ensures that your SEO efforts are focused and effective.

    Your SEO goals should support your business objectives, whether that’s increasing brand awareness, driving more traffic, generating leads, or boosting sales.

    During this planning phase, you’ll want to define your KPIs.

    This is how you’ll measure the success of your implementations and figure out what’s working for you and where you need to make adjustments.

    Some of the SEO KPIs you should be tracking are:

    • Visibility in search (segmented by search features such as AI Overviews, featured snippets, Local Packs, etc.).
    • Traffic from search (organic traffic).
    • Keyword rankings.
    • Branded searches.
    • Quality backlinks.
    • New and returning users.
    • Leads and conversions.
    • ROI from organic channel.
    • Pages per session.
    • Average engagement time on page and bounce rate. (Bounce rate is not a universal metric for everyone, but is 100% dependent upon the events you set up).
    • Core Web Vitals.
    • Crawl errors.

    Keep in mind that these are internal SEO KPIs that you can track in analytics.

    Higher-level executives may be more interested in overall business impact, such as SEO-supported attribution and how SEO contributes to the customer journey.

    It’s also important to convey that SEO is a long-term strategy that may take time to show significant results.

    2. Set Realistic Expectations

    One of the most common mistakes people unfamiliar with SEO make is expecting overnight results.

    SEO is not a direct response style of marketing, and not all SEO strategies result in an immediate outcome.

    Because of the variables involved with competition, inbound links, and the content itself, it’s nearly impossible to provide a definite timeframe.

    You need to go into the process with an understanding that SEO takes time, and the more competitive the keywords you’re going after, the longer it will take to climb to the top.

    This needs to be conveyed to stakeholders from the start to ensure expectations are realistic and to establish consistent, accurate data that earns trust.

    SEO can be part of the entire customer journey.

    Someone might find your site via organic search, then later see a paid ad, and finally make a purchase. Or they might see an ad first, then search for your brand and find you organically.

    This is where multi-touch attribution comes into play. Using multi-touch attribution tracking tools like Triple Whale can help you understand how different channels contribute to conversions.

    3. Conduct SEO Audit

    Now that you’ve aligned your SEO strategy with your business goals and set the right expectations, it’s time to understand where you currently stand.

    You’ll want to begin by performing an SEO audit.

    An SEO audit serves as the roadmap that will guide you throughout the entire optimization process and allows you to benchmark against your current site.

    You need to examine a variety of aspects, including:

    • Domain name, age, history, etc.
    • On-page SEO factors like headlines, keyword & topical targeting, and user engagement.
    • Content organization, content quality, and the quality of your images (no one trusts stock photography).
    • Duplicate content.
    • Backlink profile quality.
    • Website architecture.
    • Technical SEO factors like sitemaps, image optimization, and robots.txt.
    • Implementation of hreflang tags for multilingual sites.

    For a step-by-step guide on how to perform this audit, we have an excellent series that will guide you through it.

    Once you have a clear understanding of your current SEO status, it’s time to plan your timeframe and allocate budgets and resources.

    This is yet another area of life where you get what you pay for. If you’re looking for fast and cheap, you’re not going to get the results you would by investing more time and money.

    Obviously, your budget and timeframe will depend on your company’s unique situation, but if you want good results, be prepared to invest accordingly.

    For an idea of how much you should be spending, consult this article.

    4. Perform Keyword Research

    Search engine rankings are determined by an algorithm that evaluates a variety of factors to decide how well a website answers a particular search query. And a huge part of that is the use of keywords.

    From single words to complex phrases, keywords tell search engines what your content is about. But adding keywords isn’t quite as simple as just plugging in the name of the product or service you want to sell.

    You need to do research to ensure keyword optimization and avoid cannibalization, and that means considering the following:

    Search Intent

    Words often have multiple meanings, which makes it crucial to consider search intent, so you don’t attract an audience that was searching for something else.

    For example, if you sell hats, ranking highly for ‘bowler’ will attract users looking for 10-pin bowling in the U.S., or in the UK about cricket and not someone shopping for a bowler hat.

    Relevant Keywords

    Once you’ve identified the search intent of your target audience, you can determine which keywords are relevant to them.

    By aligning your keywords with search intent, you can produce relevant content and increase your chances of ranking higher in SERPs. Besides ranking high, it will also improve user satisfaction and increase conversion rate.

    Keyword Research Tools

    The brainstorming process is a great place to start keyword research, but to ensure you’re attracting the right audience and proving your value to search engines, you should utilize a research tool.

    They can provide valuable data, such as search volume and competition level, and suggest related keywords you might not have considered.

    Search Volume

    By using keyword research tools, one of the most important metrics to look for is the search volume.

    Ideally, you should target relevant keywords with the highest search volumes. However, it is important to assess the competition around that search term.

    If you are going to compete with large and well-established brands and you are just starting, perhaps it is a better idea to choose long-tail keywords with less search volume but less competition.

    Long-Tail Keywords

    These are specific search terms consisting of more than one word.

    They tend to be longer and are more likely to be used by people with specific stages in the conversion funnel, helping you reach users who are ready to convert.

    An example of this would be [vegetarian restaurants in San Antonio], which would most likely be used by someone with a craving for a plant-based meal.

    Lastly, remember that tools provide aggregate data of the same search terms with measurable search volumes, which they obtain from different data providers.

    Often, there are long-tail searches that users perform, which are the same but formulated differently, and tools may report them as zero search volume due to negligible search volumes.

    This phenomenon is likely to increase as highly intelligent AI assistants are integrated into mobile phones, and users are more likely to perform unique voice searches on the same issue.

    If a certain problem is relevant to your specific industry and you know it, but tools report zero search volume, it is worth covering it and offering a solution.

    You may find you have decent and highly targeted traffic that converts.

    5. Define Your Most Valuable Pages

    Every team needs an MVP, and in the case of your website, that’s your most valuable pages.

    These pages are the ones that do the bulk of the heavy lifting for you.

    For non-ecommerce sites, these are usually things like your home page, your services pages, or any pages with demos or other offers.

    These pages are also likely MVPs for ecommerce sites, but will also be joined by category and/or product-level pages.

    To find which pages are your site’s most important ones, you should consider what your organization is known for.

    What verticals do you compete in? What pain points do you solve? Define these or add more based on the high-level keywords you came up with in the previous step.

    Once you’ve identified the category and product pages that bring in the most visitors, you’ll be able to focus your strategy on improving them and increasing your organic traffic.

    Read more about how to find your MVPs here.

    6. Keep Content Up To Date

    Your MVP pages become stale over time while search engines aim to surface for users the most relevant and up-to-date content.

    Content decay is a natural process; you should set up a process to keep content up to date constantly.

    Here is an example from one of the websites I work on, showing how it looks and highlighting the importance of updating outdated content.

    An example of content decay: updating content helped regain organic traffic.An example of content decay: updating content helped regain organic traffic.

    Please note that you should refrain from using automatic updates with AI chatbots, as it is one of the most dangerous, spammy SEO tactics that can result in a complete loss of organic traffic.

    Read our guide to learn content decay strategies you can implement to keep your organic traffic growing.

    7. Optimize For User Experience

    Don’t overlook the importance of how your site is structured, both technically and in terms of how users interface with it.

    The best content and keyword strategy in the world won’t lead to a single sale if your site is constantly broken or is so frustrating to use that people close your page in disappointment.

    You should carefully consider your site’s architecture and user experiences to ensure people are taking the desired actions.

    With mobile traffic being 62.15% of total web traffic (and 77% of retail website traffic), optimizing for mobile is even more critical.

    Read our guide UX & SEO Guide to learn more.

    8. Conduct A Competitive Analysis

    If you didn’t have any competition, there would be no need for SEO. But as long as other companies are manufacturing refrigerators, Frigidaire needs to find ways to differentiate itself.

    You need to have an idea of what others in your industry are doing so you can position yourself for the best results.

    You need to figure out where you’re being outranked and find ways to turn the tables.

    You should know which keywords are most competitive and where you have opportunities by performing content gap analysis.

    You should understand your competitor’s backlinking and site structure so that you can optimize your own site for the best possible search ranking.

    And remember, AI chatbots are your competitor, too, where users can get answers directly without visiting a website.

    This means that some of the traffic you might have received in the past could now be staying in the chatbot.

    To compete, you need to offer something AI can’t: unique insights, personal experiences, and authoritative content that stands out.

    Consider how AI presents information and find ways to differentiate your content. Focus on building your brand authority and providing value that AI chatbots can’t replicate.

    Learn more about how to perform this analysis and develop a template for it by reading this piece.

    9. Establishing Brand Authority And Link Building

    All the points we covered so far are essential for success in SEO, but they are not enough.

    You can achieve success by merely improving your website, and if you aim for your brand to exist only in Google Search, you will likely not be able to rank and achieve success.

    That is why you need to work on your brand marketing tirelessly in order to build your brand authority, which, in turn, helps you earn natural backlinks as a recognized and trustworthy source.

    It’s not such an easy thing to get right, and that is where most companies struggle and why SEO is hard.

    To build brand authority, you need the following steps:

    • Build an email newsletter list.
    • Share valuable research and insights others want to link to.
    • Attend conferences relevant to your field and sponsor them if you have enough resources.
    • Seek opportunities for interviews or speak at conferences.
    • Host webinars or live sessions to share knowledge and interact with your audience in real time.
    • Participate in online discussions with your industry community on different platforms such as Linkedin, Twitter, Reddit, or other platforms specific to your industry.
    • Collaborate with experts in your industry to contribute to your content.
    • Invite influencers to try your products or services and share their experiences.
    • Offer effective support to your customers.

    Even if you get unlinked brand mentions, it is a step forward in building brand awareness.

    Think of for a moment if one reads your unlinked brand mention on a reputable website (or on a TV show) and performs a Google search to find your brand.

    That could be considered as a branded search which is a ranking factor. It is important to note unlinked mentions are not a ranking factor as there is much misinformation out there, but when one performs a branded search on Google.

    Of course, you can go ahead and try to convert an unlinked mention to a link, and it is always one of the natural ways to build a link.

    However, in the age of AI, another benefit of unlinked brand mentions is that chatbots – which are trained on content across the web – may surface your brand name to users when they perform tasks or research.

    10. Integrate SEO Into Your Workflows

    SEO doesn’t exist in a vacuum – it impacts many other parts of your organization, including marketing, sales, and IT.

    If you’re looking for the budget to perform SEO, you may find some of your employees are already well-qualified to help.

    For example, your sales team probably knows which products people are most interested in.

    Enlisting them in your SEO strategy development will help with lead generation and finding new targets who are already qualified.

    Similarly, SEO can tell your marketing team what types of content resonate best, so they can fine-tune their campaigns. And your copywriters and graphic designers can develop the type of content that will help you shoot up the rankings.

    Your IT team probably already has control over your website.

    Your SEO strategy should be designed around their expertise, to ensure website design and structure, development cycles, data structure, and core principles are all aligned.

    Evaluate your existing software, technology, and personnel, as there’s a good chance you have some of the pieces already in place.

    If you need to scale production up, you may find the budget already in place in existing departments.

    These are just a few ways to integrate SEO into your existing workflows.

    If you’re an external SEO agency or consultant, it’s crucial to establish strong communication channels with the company’s personnel who are responsible for implementing SEO recommendations and making decisions.

    Read our guide on best practices for establishing effective communication between SEO teams in enterprise companies.

    11. Align Your SEO Strategy With Your Customer Funnel

    At the end of the day, sales are the name of the game. Without customers, there’s no revenue, and that means no business.

    To aid in the sales process, your SEO strategy should align with your customer funnel.

    Sometimes described as the customer journey, your sales funnel is a summation of the touchpoints customers have with your company as they go from awareness to post-purchase.

    SEO fits neatly with every stage of this cycle:

    • Awareness: In the modern world, many customers first hear about your business online through a Google search, for example. Well-written blog posts are a great way to increase your awareness and increase your brand recognition.
    • Interest: This is where customers start doing research. And what better place to do research than your website? In-depth guides and ebooks will be a great match for satisfying users’ interests.
    • Decision: The customer wants to buy and is deciding between you and the competition. Case studies or testimonials could be the thing that sways them.
    • Purchase: Having a search engine-optimized point of sale makes it easy for people to buy, and optimized product pages are what can move the needle.
    • Post-purchase: Once you’ve acquired customers, think of ways to retain them by publishing support articles or offering loyalty programs.

    12. Report And Measure

    Finally, you need to define what success looks like for each KPI measure and report the progress you’re making.

    There are a variety of both paid and free tools available that you can use to measure and track conversions, and compare them weekly, monthly, or by another timeframe of your choosing.

    Simply find one that works for your budget and needs.

    For a guide on how to create impactful reports that generate quality insights, read our guide here.

    Conclusion

    No one ever said SEO was easy, at least not anyone who has done it. But it’s a vital part of any modern organization’s business plan.

    However, with a solid strategy, a willingness to learn, and a little old-fashioned elbow grease, even a complete beginner can send their website to the top of the SERP.

    In this piece, we’ve given you 12 steps to take to get your SEO strategy off the ground. But of course, this is just the start.

    You need a unique plan that will work for your industry and your needs.

    Luckily, Search Engine Journal can help with this, too.

    Download our ebook on SEO strategy with a full-year blueprint for an easy-to-follow 12-month plan you can use to develop a solid strategy, track your progress, and adjust to changing situations.

    More resources:

    Featured Image: Ingenious buddy/Shutterstock

    Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments
    Oct 30 2024
    The SEO Agency Guide To Efficient WordPress Hosting & Management via @sejournal, @kinsta

    This post was sponsored by Kinsta. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own.

    Managing client sites can quickly become costly in terms of time, money, and expertise, especially as your agency grows.

    You’re constantly busy fixing slow WordPress performance, handling downtime, or regularly updating and backing up ecommerce sites and small blogs.

    The solution to these challenges might lie in fully managed hosting for WordPress sites.

    Opting for a fully managed hosting provider that specializes in WordPress and understands agency needs can save you both time and money. By making the switch, you can focus on what truly matters: serving your current clients and driving new business into your sales funnel.

    WordPress Worries & How To Keep Clients Happy

    For SEO agencies managing multiple client sites, ensuring consistently fast performance across the board is essential. Websites with poor performance metrics are more likely to see a dip in traffic, increased bounce rates, and lost conversion opportunities.

    Managed hosting, especially hosting that specializes and is optimized for WordPress, offers agencies a way to deliver high-speed, well-performing sites without constantly battling technical issues.

    Clients expect seamless performance, but handling these technical requirements for numerous websites can be a time-consuming process. While WordPress is versatile and user-friendly, it does come with performance challenges.

    SEO agencies must deal with frequent updates, plugin management, security vulnerabilities, and optimization issues.

    Challenges like bloated themes, inefficient plugins, and poor hosting infrastructure can lead to slow load times. You also need to ensure that client WordPress sites are secured against malware and hackers, which requires regular monitoring and updates.

    With managed hosting, many of these tasks are automated, significantly reducing the workload on your team.

    Managed hosting for WordPress simplifies the process by providing a full suite of performance, security, and maintenance services.

    Instead of spending valuable time on manual updates, backups, and troubleshooting, you can rely on your hosting provider to handle these tasks automatically, resulting in reduced downtime, improved site performance, and a more efficient use of resources.

    Ultimately, you can focus your energy on SEO strategies that drive results for your clients.

    Basics Of Managed Hosting For WordPress

    Managed hosting providers like Kinsta take care of all the technical aspects of running WordPress websites, including performance optimization, security, updates, backups, and server management.

    We take over the responsibilities ensure the platform runs smoothly and securely without the constant need for manual intervention.

    Kinsta also eliminates common performance bottlenecks in WordPress include slow-loading themes, outdated plugins, inefficient database queries, and suboptimal server configurations.

    Key Benefits Of Efficient Managed Hosting For SEO

    1. Performance & Speed

    Core Web Vitals, Google’s user experience metrics, play a significant role in determining search rankings. Managed hosting improves metrics like LCP, FID, and CLS by offering high-performance servers and built-in caching solutions.

    CDNs reduce latency by serving your website’s static files from servers closest to the user, significantly improving load times.

    Kinsta, for example, uses Google Cloud’s premium tier network and C2 virtual machines, ensuring the fastest possible load times for WordPress sites. We also provide integrated CDN services, along with advanced caching configurations, which ensure that even resource-heavy WordPress sites load quickly.

    And the benefits are instantly noticeable.

    Before the switch, Torro Media faced performance issues, frequent downtimes, and difficulties scaling their websites to handle traffic growth. These issues negatively affected their clients’ user experience and SEO results.

    After migrating to Kinsta, Torro Media saw noteable improvements:

    • Faster website performance – Site load times significantly improved, contributing to better SEO rankings and overall user experience.
    • Reduced downtime – Kinsta’s reliable infrastructure ensured that Torro Media’s websites experienced minimal downtime, keeping client websites accessible.
    • Expert support – Our support team helped Torro Media resolve technical issues efficiently, allowing the agency to focus on growth rather than troubleshooting.

    As a result, Torro was able to scale its operations and deliver better results for its clients.

    2. WP-Specific Security

    Security is a critical component of managed hosting. Platforms like Kinsta offer automatic security patches, malware scanning, and firewalls tailored specifically for WordPress.

    These features are vital to protecting your clients’ sites from cyber threats, which, if left unchecked, can lead to ranking drops due to blacklisting by search engines.

    Downtime and security breaches negatively impact SEO. Google devalues sites that experience frequent downtime or security vulnerabilities.

    Managed hosting providers minimize these risks by maintaining secure, stable environments with 24/7 monitoring, helping ensure that your clients’ sites remain online and safe from attacks.

    3. Automatic Backups & Recovery

    Automatic daily backups are a standard feature of managed hosting, protecting against data loss due to server crashes or website errors. For agencies, this means peace of mind, knowing that they can restore their clients’ sites quickly in case of a problem. The ability to quickly recover from an issue helps maintain SEO rankings, as prolonged downtime can hurt search performance.

    Managed hosting providers often include advanced tools such as one-click restore points and robust disaster recovery systems. Additionally, having specialized support means that you have access to experts who understand WordPress and can help troubleshoot complex issues that affect performance and SEO.

    Importance Of An Agency-Focused Managed WordPress Hosting Provider

    For SEO agencies, uptime guarantees are essential to maintaining site availability. Managed hosting providers, like Kinsta, who specialize in serving agencies, offer a 99.9% uptime SLA and multiple data center locations, ensuring that websites remain accessible to users across the globe.

    Scalability and flexibility matter, too. As your agency grows, your clients’ hosting needs may evolve. Managed hosting platforms designed for agencies offer scalability, allowing you to easily add resources as your client portfolio expands.

    With scalable solutions, you can handle traffic surges without worrying about site downtime or slowdowns.

    Agency Dashboard - Managed Hosting for WordPress

    1. The Right Dashboards

    A user-friendly dashboard is crucial for managing multiple client sites efficiently. Kinsta’s MyKinsta dashboard, for example, allows agencies to monitor performance, uptime, and traffic across all sites in one centralized location, providing full visibility into each client’s website performance.

    Hosting dashboards like Kinsta’s MyKinsta provide real-time insights into key performance metrics such as server response times, resource usage, and traffic spikes. These metrics are essential for ensuring that sites remain optimized for SEO.

    2. Balance Costs With Performance Benefits

    For agencies, managing hosting costs is always a consideration. While managed hosting may come with a higher price tag than traditional shared hosting, the benefits, such as faster performance, reduced downtime, and enhanced security, translate into better client results and long-term cost savings.

    Kinsta offers flexible pricing based on traffic, resources, and features, making it easier for agencies to align their hosting solutions with client budgets.

    By automating tasks like backups, updates, and security management, managed hosting allows agencies to significantly reduce the time and resources spent on day-to-day maintenance. This frees up your team to focus on delivering SEO results, ultimately improving efficiency and client satisfaction.

    Don’t think it makes that big of a difference? Think again.

    After migrating to Kinsta, 5Tales experienced:

    • Improved site speed – Load times dropped by over 50%, which enhanced user experience and SEO performance.
    • Better support – Kinsta’s specialized support team helped troubleshoot issues quickly and provided expert-level advice.
    • Streamlined management – With our user-friendly dashboard and automated features, 5Tales reduced the time spent on maintenance and troubleshooting.

    Overall, 5Tales saw an increase in both client satisfaction and SEO rankings after moving to Kinsta.

    3. Managed Hosting & Page Speed Optimization

    Tools like Kinsta’s Application Performance Monitoring (APM) provide detailed insights into website performance, helping agencies identify slow-loading elements and optimize them. This level of transparency enables faster troubleshooting and more precise optimization efforts, which are critical for maintaining fast page speeds.

    It’s also easy to integrate managed hosting platforms with your existing tech stack. Kinsta works seamlessly with SEO tools like Google Analytics, DebugBear, and others, allowing agencies to track site performance, analyze traffic patterns, and ensure sites are running at peak efficiency.

    Conclusion

    Managed hosting is not just a convenience. It’s a critical component of success for SEO agencies managing WordPress sites.

    By leveraging the performance, security, and time-saving benefits of a managed hosting provider like Kinsta, agencies can improve client results, enhance their relationships, and streamline their operations.

    When it comes to SEO, every second counts. A fast, secure, and well-maintained website will always perform better in search rankings. For agencies looking to deliver maximum value to their clients, investing in managed hosting is a smart, long-term decision.

    Ready to make the switch?

    Kinsta offers a guarantee of no-shared hosting, 99.99% uptime guarantee, and 24/7/365 support, so we’re here when you need us. Plus, we makes it easy, effortless, and free to move to Kinsta.

    Our team of migration experts have experience switching from all web hosts. And when you make the switch to Kinsta, we’ll give you up to $10,000 in free hosting to ensure you avoid paying double hosting bills.

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    Image Credits

    Featured Image: Image by Kinsta. Used with permission.

    In-Post Image: Images by Kinsta. Used with permission.

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