The year’s almost over. Did you accomplish all of your SEO goals?

If you want to make one last big move before we ring in the next year, this roundup is your guide. It features loads of advice that you can convert directly into optimization action plans.

First, dive into the month’s most interesting data experiments. You’ll get to peek behind the veil of the recent core updates, discover how snippets change across devices and gain SEO insights from HTML trends.

Next, hone your competitive edge with the month’s most important guides. Learn about the latest techniques for ranking an eCommerce store, the linkable assets that you should be building and how to speed up stubborn URL migrations.

Finally, there’s a lot of news out that could mean big things for you and your clients. If you like to be prepared, don’t miss these messages from Google, one journalist’s warning about BERT mania and some big predictions for SEO in 2020.

Let’s start with a recent 2019 update, and what we know now. read more…

What was that slight chill down your spine? Was it the first cool wind of fall? The spooky vibes of October? Or, are you just scared that you’re going to miss out on the next big trend in SEO?

Fear not. It’s all treats and no tricks in this month’s roundup of all the most important case studies, guides and news items.

The case studies of the month are going to reveal what a survey of thousands of SEOs says about the future of the industry, whether you really know the best length for meta titles and what 3.25 billion data points say about where niches get their traffic.

Then, the guides are going to hit you with a new outreach technique that gets insane results, suggest reasons your CTR data may be flawed, how to adapt to Google’s quality standards, and why you need to go the extra mile to verify your local rank.

Finally, it’s the news. We’ll hit you with the biggest SEO headlines including the changes to “no-follow” (we’ve even got some new tests for you), the need-to-know details from the small September update, and how you’ll soon be able to control your own search snippet.

Let’s jump into the first item and learn what 1000+ SEOs have to say about which ranking factors really matter. read more…

The dog days of summer are upon us—that special time from July to about Mid-August marked by the most sweltering days of the year.

Well, if you’ve been focusing on your online business to escape the heat, you’re out of luck. It’s rising in here, too. But if you’re reading this, you can take the heat. So, let’s get to the advice that will keep you cooking.

First, check out these data-laden case studies to make sense of recent changes. We’ll start by looking at whether CTR is a ranking factor, some tests into the best backlink checker and, what’s working for SEO in 2019. Then, I have a case study for you built off my link service.

After that, I’ll take you through the guides that will show you how to drive traffic to your site, analyze your competitors, and cheaply boost content linkability like a pro. After my choice of guides, I’ll show you the ones Cyrus Shephard considers the best for SEO this year.

Finally, the month’s big news and lively discussions. If you’ve been wondering what’s causing rule-abiding sites to lose traffic or why some GMB reviews are missing—your answers are a few scrolls away.

Your answer as to whether CTR is a ranking factor? Let’s start by looking at what Dan Taylor has to say. read more…