The StepForth Web Marketing Blog
Informing on SEO, SEM, and PPC since 2001Maintain Your Search Engine Rankings After a Redesign
Redesigning a website can boost branding and usability, but it is also one of the riskiest moments for your search rankings if you do not plan carefully. With the right technical and content strategies in place before, during, and after launch, you can preserve and...
Fake Review Extortion and What To Do If It Happens To You
A disturbing new trend has emerged in the world of online business: scammers are weaponizing Google reviews to extort money from small businesses. This latest scheme represents a particularly vicious attack on vulnerable business owners who depend on their online...
The Evolving Role of an SEO in the AI Era
More and more, I'm seeing fundamental changes in the role of an SEO and what we need to provide to our clients… and it isn't getting any easier for them or us. More specifically, I'm going to focus on SEO consulting (including regular hands-on optimization), since...
Redirects: Permanent 301 vs. Temporary 302
These days, as more and more companies come to the conclusion that their 1990's built websites with the animated gifs, static backgrounds, and auto-playing midi files have seen their prime, they begin to enter into a world of redesign. While creating these new...
Google Phases Out Chat and Call History from Business Profiles
Google announced it will be removing the chat and call history functionalities within Google Business Profiles, prompting business owners and marketers to adapt and find alternative solutions. The Announcement On May 29, 2024, Google emailed its Business Profile users...
Screaming Frog Returning 200 and 404 Status for Single URL
When working on a client site recently I encountered a strange issue that had me scratching my head. I took to Google and was unable to find a solution. I eventually sorted things out, solved my problem, and all was right in the world again. I want to share this issue...
Google’s “People Also Ask” Suggests Buying Reviews
Google does an admirable job of providing a variety of search result data by injecting images, video, and related questions that "People also ask". Unfortunately, Google's algorithms are only so good and mistakes are made. The following mistake (highlighting added for...
Apple Business Connect: A Rival of Google Business Profile
Apple introduced Business Connect on January 11, 2023. It’s an improved version of Apple Maps Connect released in October 2014 and a free tool allowing small and large businesses to customize the information that appears across Apple apps. Images Source: Apple Let’s...
Google Page Experience Update Applies to Mobile Only
In May 2021 Google will launch the Google Page Experience update and at that time a variety of factors will come into play that may drastically impact your organic rankings. Until recently most SEO’s had assumed that this would be a blanked update affecting most...
Blog Post Indexing Issue with WIX – Solved
Ask an SEO about what content management systems they find challenging to work with and almost undoubtedly they will mention WIX. There are many aspects of the WIX CMS that can present SEO challenges that simply do not exist when using other platforms. This article is...
How To Write The Perfect Blog Post!
Writing high-quality content plays an important role in marketing your business; however, the design and layout are just as important to leave a lasting impression online. There is no secret formula to creating a fully packaged article, but here are several tips on...
BC Business Creates COVID-19 Websites to Make a Difference
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a soul-wringing experience for many around the world and to some extent, that has included me. You see, my wife works on the front-lines in our local Jubilee Hospital Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and I've been privy to just how terrifying...
COVID-19: Innovative Ways Businesses Are Staying Afloat
The COVID-19 pandemic is a difficult time for everyone, but businesses are the ones that are hurting the most. Stores, restaurants, and services closed down their physical businesses due to the recommendations for social isolation. While essential businesses like...
How to Add Your Business’s COVID-19 Alert to Google My Business
Although Google My Business has been curtailing its services during the COVID-19 pandemic, they have finally provided business owners with a way to announce their special hours and operating circumstances using a new post-type in Google Posts. Up until now, companies...
The Importance of HTTPS and Website Security with the Newest Updates In Google Chrome
On October 03, Google posted a notification about an important upcoming update to Google Chrome. In their Google Security Blog, they announced a security update that will impact websites that have not correctly converted their sites to HTTPS. Google and the rest of...
Content Marketing: How to Leverage Your Medical Practice
In this digital age, you may have heard it countless times: Content is king. It sounds almost like a cliche, but it still holds water. And this saying applies to brands and businesses across various industries, including healthcare. Without content it's impossible to...
Instagram Marketing: 10 Best Tips to Get Instagram Followers in 2019
Many companies and brands recognize the power of Instagram as a marketing tool. Given this platform’s immense popularity, both individual users and businesses find ways to get Instagram followers to boost their branding and marketing efforts. But while it’s easy for...
Should You Chat with a Google Ads Representative? Here’s What to Know
When you own a business whether it is based out of your garage or an office building, you have to think about advertising. Promoting your product or service is how you get more customers in the books and grow your business. There are countless advertising strategies...