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Keeping up with SEO and Social Media: September Roundup 

Keeping up with SEO and Social Media

Following last month’s Google update that reduced the local 7-pack to just 3, September featured a number of articles addressing what the new Google local search display means for small and midsize businesses. The bottom line seems to be that organic rankings will be more competitive than ever and some firms may need to add additional advertising in order to compensate for the inevitable decrease in phone calls.

Fortunately, not everything is doom and gloom. An article from Search Engine Watch explaining the “Google 3 Pack Shake Up” encourages businesses not to panic. As one SEO expert explains:

“While there certainly will be a loss in visibility and phone calls from those businesses that were in positions four through seven in the previous local packs, the truth is, those listings weren’t generating much activity anyhow. It is likely that this is one reason why Google removed them.”

Adding to that, Search Engine Land published an article explaining why organic search is still the best way to deliver relevant traffic to your business. That’s not to say you shouldn’t diversify. In fact, it’s highly encouraged. It’s simply a reminder that you shouldn’t let getting bumped from position 4 through 7 in Google’s local search results discourage you from continuing to focus on organic search.

On the social media, content, and general marketing side of things, here’s what else was being written about during the past month:

When it comes to prioritizing SEO, chances are you wouldn’t be reading this article if it wasn’t already on your radar. However, a duo of articles from Search Engine Watch looked at how SMBs don’t prioritize SEO and also asked how much time does SEO really take? Even though the answer to the latter is “it depends” the first article highlights how simply developing a solid SEO strategy and then sticking with it can help set you apart from the firms that aren’t making it a priority.

Shifting to content, Search Engine Land offered up the 8 most common but simple missed opportunities in optimizing content. This one’s a bit more technical, but still worth the read. Similarly, another article discussed 5 mistakes SEOs still make with links and content. Hopefully you’re immune to error, but in the unlikely event you’re not, there might be some tips worth implementing.

Struggling with running an AdWords campaign? Search Engine Land’s article detailing 10 common mistakes when setting up audiences in AdWords might be of assistance. And, jumping away from AdWords and over to keywords, Moz’s post about how to optimize keywords throughout your marketing strategy is also worth checking out.

Lastly, on the client acquisition front, an article from Avvo’s Lawyernomics blog showed how lawyers get found in 2015. Despite all the energy being poured into SEO and building a strong online presence, there’s still no substitute for old-fashioned relationships. At the end of the day, the clients you’ve already served are likely going to be your best source for future clients.

That’s it for this month. As usual, if there’s anything that got missed, please let me know in the comments section.

About the Author: Jason Arango is the Director of Marketing for GJEL Accident Attorneys. He’s been involved in online marketing since 2007, and has worked with companies such as Village Voice Media and Clear Channel Communications.