If you haven’t heard the news, as of July 2018, Google is now requiring all websites to migrate from HTTP to HTTPS. In fact, if the change isn’t made, many reports say that all sites that have not migrated to HTTPS will be labeled as “not secure,” according to Search Engine Land.

Do you relate to one of these scenarios?

1. I’m not receiving as much brand awareness, leads or sales from my website as preferred.
         
2. I have no idea why users are not filling out our request-a-quote form.
         
3. I’m going crazy over not being able to understand how visitors utilize my website.

If you’re looking for a quick fix when it comes to ranking on the first page of Google search results, this article is not for you. After all, appearing within the top 10 search engine results takes time and patience, and the harsh truth is there’s no exact formula for making your way to the top.

You enjoy surfing the web. You like finding a quick answer to those random questions you have (Example: How tall is the tallest mountain?). You expect to easily find the top-rated restaurants near you. You assume a site ranking on the first search engine results page will be related to your search.

Search engine optimization (SEO) and paid search (PPC) have a lot in common, considering each product's goal is to rank well within the search engine results page. SEO is all about providing the content and resources users are looking for while abiding by search engine algorithms, whereas paid search is advertising within the sponsored listings of a search engine and paying each time the ad is clicked. Each product is unique in its own way, yet complement each other when they’re working together! Here, we’ll highlight the benefits that occur when these products are integrated. You'll see that SEO to paid search is like the peanut butter to your jelly, the yin to your yang or the gin to your tonic, if you will.

When Sara Naatz moved from Chicago to Kansas City, she was at the height of her junior high awkward phase. The frizzy hair and glasses didn’t make for the easiest start in a new city, but as she looks back on that time, she realizes it was the beginning of a new chapter.

Since the 2016 presidential election, it seems journalists, digital gurus and the general public as a whole can’t stop discussing fake news and the role it played in public opinion on both sides of the aisle.

Algorithm – a set of steps that are followed in order to solve a mathematical problem or to complete a computer process.

Content marketing isn’t going away. That’s because content is not a stand-alone service or strategy. And in the digital sphere, content combines all other aspects of digital marketing into one cohesive strategy — a way to embrace the digital environment in all its complexity.

You should always optimize your website for search engines first, your users second.

Search engines are the ones that will be purchasing your products, so optimizing your site for these crawlers makes more sense.

Don’t get stuck with Panda, roll with it. Apparently this is Google’s method.

Contributing Author: Melanie Heser