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Key Topics:
- 02:27 - Brilliant Directories Mobile App
- 03:36 - DESIGN SETTINGS:
- 04:12 - Font weight control for main menu options
- 05:00 - Setting for more modern footer social links (no background color)
- 06:11 - Outline option for homepage button links
- 07:09 - Vertical position option for hero homepage image
- 07:57 - BUILDER: Filter options added to web page builder
- 10:02 - SEO BOOST: Schema markup on all search results pages
- 12:09 - ENHANCED HOSTING: Allow AI to crawl and index your website
- 13:03 - SPEED: Updates to move the needle on Google PageSpeed
- 14:29 - MAPS: Minimize Google Maps API calls (soon)
- 14:57 - AI DESIGN: Automatically create newsletters and landing pages (soon)
- 21:56 - Enhanced Hosting Bundle
- 23:19 - Ultimate SEO Guide – Intro
- 24:09 - On-Page SEO Essentials
- 29:53 - Google & Bing Setup Basics
- 32:10 - Two Great Resources
- 33:58 - Website Review #1
- 47:42 - Website Review #2
- 53:35 - Website Review #3
- 58:20 - Website Review #4
- 1:01:40 - Website Review #5
- 1:09:21 - Website Review #6
- 1:15:00 - Where is the new Schema situated?
- 1:16:38 - Website Review #7
Announcements
New & Upcoming Features
Tip of the Week
AI-Generated Transcript – Please excuse any inaccuracies
Brilliant Directories Mobile App (00:02:27)
- For users with a Brilliant Directories site, it is recommended to download the Brilliant Directories app, which can be found in the Apple or Android store, allowing users to stay connected with their site on the go (00:02:27).
- The webinar Wednesday is an opportunity to share updates released into the Brilliant Directories platform, which are pushed out week after week, and it covers topics that can help users grow their community, increase traffic, and identify revenue opportunities (00:02:52).
- In the current webinar, the topics of discussion include SEO and Google rankings, and users are encouraged to type their questions into the comments for answers, with the option to request an SEO review of their website by leaving their URL in the comments (00:03:09).
- To request an SEO review, users can leave their website URL in the comments, and the review will check if the website is set up properly for Google, with the goal of saving time for as many SEO reviews as possible during the webinar (00:03:21).
DESIGN SETTINGS (00:03:36)
- New design settings are available in the design settings section of the admin area, which includes options such as customizing social links in the footer with Facebook and other platforms, and choosing no background color to give them a more modern and cleaner appearance (00:03:36).
- The design settings also allow for the selection of an outline design for buttons on the homepage, providing a more modern aesthetic (00:03:59).
- Additionally, there is a new setting for the homepage hero background image that enables a parallax effect, where the background image stays in place (00:04:07).
Font weight control for main menu options (00:04:12)
- Font weight controls are now available for main menu options, allowing users to bold their main menu links for a high-impact effect (00:04:12).
- The admin area provides examples of these font weight controls in action, including bolded main menu links on the homepage, which can also be displayed unbolded for a different aesthetic (00:04:24).
- Additional design options are available, such as using button links on the homepage with an outline option, to provide a more modern look (00:04:37).
- The footer area also has design options, including the ability to set a background image that stays in place when scrolling, creating a modern touch that may depend on the background image used (00:04:49).
Setting for more modern footer social links (no background color) (00:05:01)
- The social links and menu links have been modified to remove the background color, creating a more modern look by matching the footer background color (00:05:01).
- The design settings for the main menu can be found in the main menu design section, where a new setting called "Menu font weight" is available, allowing for adjustments such as setting it to extra bold (00:05:26).
- The menu font weight setting can be adjusted to suit individual preferences, and it is recommended to keep the main menu links bold while using normal or light font weight for drop-down links (00:05:39).
- In the footer design section, new options are available for customizing the social icons background, including the social icon style, and there is also an option to display or not display social icons in the footer (00:05:52).
- The option to display or not display social icons in the footer can be useful for websites that do not want to emphasize their social presence, providing flexibility in design choices (00:06:06).
Outline option for homepage button links (00:06:13)
- The homepage button is a key element, particularly when the search box is not being used, and it allows visitors to choose between two paths, which can help minimize bounce rates and provide a simple user experience (00:06:13).
- A search function on the homepage can be effective when there is a decent amount of content to search, but it may not be suitable for sites with sparse content, and button links can be a good alternative (00:06:26).
- The button links on the homepage can have multiple options, including solid fill or outline, and in this case, the outline option is used for the default button color, creating an effect where only a border is visible around the button (00:06:57).
- The outline option for button links provides a visually distinct effect, with the button having a border around it, and this can be achieved by selecting the outline option instead of the solid fill option (00:07:03).
Vertical position option for hero homepage image (00:07:12)
- The background image settings include options for movement, such as scrolling, where the image moves with the user, and fixed, where the image stays in place as the user scrolls (00:07:12).
- When the scroll option is chosen, it is possible to select the starting position of the background image, allowing for more control over how the image is displayed, particularly if the image features a subject like a person's face or an item (00:07:33).
- The ability to control the starting position of the background image provides more granular control over its display, and these design settings are part of a larger set of options, with more settings to be introduced in the future (00:07:45).
BUILDER: Filter options added to web page builder (00:07:58)
- The web page builder now has filter options to make it easier to find and sort web pages, which is considered a quality of life update (00:07:58).
- The filter options include "filter by type", which allows users to look for specific types of pages, such as the homepage, single web page, or post search results pages that have been turned into static pages (00:08:06).
- Users can turn dynamic pages, like blog search results or coupon search results pages, into static pages to add SEO content, and these pages will be available in the web page builder (00:08:22).
- The "filter by type" option also includes custom widget as web page, which allows non-developers to create custom pages, and developers can replace standard static pages with custom widget code (00:08:41).
- Other filter options include password retrieval page and unsubscribe page, and the "filter by access" option allows users to filter pages based on membership plan or digital product purchase (00:09:03).
- The "filter by access" option is particularly useful for users with the membersonly add-on or digital products add-on, as it enables them to restrict access to certain web pages and generate revenue by putting paywalls in front of premium content (00:09:29).
- The filter options provide a convenient way to quickly sort and find specific web pages, making it easier to manage and organize content (00:09:50).
SEO BOOST: Schema markup on all search results pages (00:10:04)
- Sites have received an SEO boost with the addition of schema markup for item lists on all search results pages, which is becoming increasingly important, especially with AI bots that scan websites for structured data and information about the content (00:10:04).
- Schema markup is structured data that provides information about what a web page contains, and almost 90% of all websites include some sort of schema markup, with some having more specific schema markup as needed, although it does not directly add to Google SEO, it helps create structured data and aids with AI SEO (00:10:19).
- Having schema markup is beneficial for AI SEO, which is becoming more prominent, as people are using AI tools like ChatGPT or Gemini to search for information, and it helps with providing results, making it essential to optimize for both Google SEO and AI SEO (00:10:39).
- The Google Rich Snippet Tester tool can be used to check the schema markup on a website, and it provides detailed information about the items detected on a search results page, including the organization, carousel, and list items, which is useful for understanding how schema markup is organized and implemented (00:11:06).
- The schema markup on a search results page can include detailed information about each item, such as the item list, which represents the search results themselves, and within each list result, there is detailed information about what each item contains, making it good for AI SEO, Google, and overall best practices (00:11:51).
ENHANCED HOSTING: Allow AI to crawl and index your website (00:12:11)
- Enhanced hosting is now available, which was a highly requested feature, particularly in the Facebook group, where users wanted AI bots to crawl their sites, but the aggressive and resource-intensive nature of these bots required a balanced solution (00:12:11).
- The enhanced hosting bundle includes additional perks and allows AI crawlers and AI bots to crawl a website, which helps with AI SEO (00:12:37).
- The ability of AI bots to crawl a website increases the chances of the site being recommended by AI tools when people search for related topics, potentially improving the site's visibility (00:12:44).
- The enhanced hosting bundle is designed to balance the needs of users who want AI bots to crawl their sites without overloading the network, and it provides a solution to this problem (00:12:25).
- The enhanced hosting bundle is an elegant solution that enables AI bots to crawl websites, and more information about the bundle will be shared later (00:12:31).
SPEED: Updates to move the needle on Google PageSpeed (00:13:04)
- Improvements have been made to increase Google PageSpeed scores across all BD sites, which is a good indication of a site's layout and how elements and assets are loaded on the page (00:13:04).
- A BD site with a good layout, including list pictures and six members on the homepage, has achieved a high PageSpeed score of 100% on mobile and 99% on desktop, with anything 80 or over considered good (00:13:25).
- The goal is to start with a high PageSpeed score, so even when adding assets like embed codes, YouTube videos, or live chat bots, the score will not be significantly weighed down, with the site starting at almost a perfect score when possible (00:13:48).
- PageSpeed scores may vary, but a score of 80 or above is considered fair and decent compared to the rest of the internet, with the tested site being in a "vacuum perfect situation" achieving scores of 99 and 98 on desktop (00:14:01).
- Two new features are coming soon, although the details of these features are not specified in the given text (00:14:20).
MAPS: Minimize Google Maps API calls (soon) (00:14:30)
- An optimization to the Google Maps API is being introduced to help reduce the total amount of API calls, which will be beneficial in minimizing costs (00:14:30).
- Google has started reducing the amount of credits granted monthly, making this optimization particularly helpful for high-traffic websites that incur a bill for Google Maps (00:14:43).
- The reduction in API calls is expected to help decrease the costs associated with Google Maps, especially for websites with very high traffic where the Google Maps bill is a significant concern (00:14:49).
AI DESIGN: Automatically create newsletters and landing pages (soon) (00:14:57)
- An AI tool is available to help create posts on a site, including blog articles, events, and coupon posts, and will soon be able to create newsletters and landing pages, with the newsletter feature expected to be released in the next week or so (00:15:04).
- The AI tool for newsletters will allow users to start from a blank template, select an existing template, or use an AI-generated newsletter, and will be able to include links, images, and other features, with the goal of making it easier to create and send newsletters to members (00:15:16).
- The AI-generated newsletter feature will allow users to input their goals and desired content for the newsletter, such as upcoming events, new members, and general news, and will generate a draft newsletter that can be customized and sent to members (00:16:05).
- The AI tool will also allow users to choose the tone, audience, and length of the newsletter, as well as select from various color schemes and stock photos, making it easier to create a professional-looking newsletter (00:17:17).
- The AI-generated newsletter feature is expected to be useful for assisting users in creating newsletters and communicating with their community more frequently, and will be able to help users develop a newsletter from scratch by providing a draft that can be customized and sent to members (00:18:11).
- The AI tool will take into account the user's input and goals for the newsletter, and will generate a draft that includes placeholders for upcoming events and other content that can be swapped out with the user's own content (00:18:40).
- The AI newsletter builder is a tool that can create a subject line, header, and call to action, and it also allows for the creation of surveys or application forms using a wizard form builder, which will be released soon (00:18:53).
- The tool can generate a simple layout for a newsletter, including a header, upcoming events, news, and a call to action, and it also allows for customization of the layout and design, such as changing the color scheme and adding images (00:19:12).
- The AI newsletter builder can search for stock photos based on keywords and add them to the newsletter, and it can also generate buttons with Facebook and YouTube links, using the respective colors of these platforms (00:20:40).
- The tool allows for flexibility in the layout of the newsletter, with each section being draggable and droppable, enabling users to customize the design and arrangement of the content (00:21:21).
- The developers are working on building in AI into more areas of the tool, including SEO content, landing pages, and workflows, with the goal of releasing these updates by the end of the year (00:21:50).
- Users can request a review of their website's SEO by sharing a link to their site in the comments, and the team will try to provide feedback on how to improve the homepage and website SEO (00:20:25).
Enhanced Hosting Bundle (00:21:57)
- The enhanced hosting bundle was released to address the issue of AI crawlers being resource-intensive and aggressive with websites, eating up a lot of bandwidth and server resources, allowing these AI bot crawlers to crawl websites and index information for their own purposes (00:22:09).
- The bundle enables AI crawlers to index website information, which can then be used by chatbots like ChatGPT to provide information to users, and includes additional benefits such as extra bandwidth to offset the extra load placed on the website by aggressive crawlers (00:22:24).
- The enhanced hosting bundle also includes SSL security, and is suitable for websites that require maximum visibility across the internet, particularly those that are growing and want to ensure visibility to people searching for their type of site or market (00:22:50).
- The bundle is not necessary for websites that do not require SEO, such as those with a private network that do not want to be found, but is beneficial for websites that want to increase their online presence and reach a wider audience (00:23:03).
- The enhanced hosting bundle is designed to provide a happy medium for websites to handle AI crawlers, allowing them to index information while also providing additional benefits to offset the extra load and ensure website security (00:22:17).
Ultimate SEO Guide - Intro (00:23:19)
- The discussion will cover simple and quick tips for SEO improvement, which may be basic for some, but will also include live SEO audits of shared sites to identify potential areas for improvement (00:23:19).
- The focus will be on both on-page SEO, which involves making changes directly on the website, and other tips related to Google and Bing's webmaster tools (00:23:40).
- Previous webinars have provided valuable information on SEO, and links to these past tips will be shared for later viewing (00:24:01).
- After covering the basic pointers, the session will proceed to review shared sites live, providing an opportunity for live SEO audits (00:24:06).
On-Page SEO Essentials (00:24:10)
- On-page SEO essentials include ensuring a website is not in staging mode, as this prevents search engines like Google and Microsoft Bing from indexing the site, and this setting is typically disabled by default, but it's crucial to verify it (00:24:10).
- Adding a page intro to the homepage and other important pages is recommended, as it provides context to search engines about the website's purpose and content, and should include primary keywords in a natural and non-keyword-stuffed manner, typically consisting of two to five sentences (00:25:17).
- Optimizing page headlines is also important, as the BD system automatically adds H1 tags to primary headlines, but it's still necessary to include primary keywords in the headline, especially for landing pages, to help search engines understand the page's content and purpose (00:27:07).
- Providing context to search engines through page intros and headlines is crucial, as it helps them understand the website's purpose, target audience, and content, giving it a better chance to rank against competitors (00:26:33).
- It's essential to remember that search engines are robots that need context to understand a website's purpose and content, and the more context provided, the better they'll comprehend the website, which can improve its ranking (00:26:45).
- To optimize a webpage for search engines, it is essential to include the main keyword in the headline, such as "find trusted attorneys in Los Angeles" or "top ranked attorneys," and consider including the type of attorneys to be more specific and targeted with the keywords (00:27:41).
- Page meta tags, including title and meta descriptions, should be set for each page, allowing for the opportunity to narrow down the keyword search phrases that the page should rank for, with titles aiming for a 60 character range and including keywords and locations (00:28:17).
- The meta descriptions can be a bit longer, summarizing the page's content in a couple of hundred characters, and while keyword stuffing should be avoided, primary keywords and locations should be included to help the page rank (00:28:54).
- Internal linking, which involves linking to other pages on the website, is crucial as it helps search engines like Google and Microsoft Bing understand the site's structure and pass ranking power to the linked pages, making it important to link to relevant pages, such as categories or registration pages (00:29:14).
- By linking to other pages on the site, the search engines are informed that those pages are important for users, and therefore, they should be considered important as well, which can improve the site's overall ranking and visibility (00:29:45).
Google & Bing Setup Basics (00:29:54)
- Registering a site with Google and Bing is essential, as it raises awareness of the website's existence and prompts these search engines to start crawling, indexing, and adding it to search results (00:30:05).
- Submitting a sitemap to Google and Bing is very helpful, as it preemptively informs them of all the web pages on the domain, although having a large number of web pages does not guarantee that all of them will be indexed (00:30:23).
- Google and Microsoft Bing tend to index pages with good, unique, and meaningful content, and not duplicate or similar content found on other pages of the internet or the site itself (00:30:36).
- Keeping a site fresh with new content is crucial, but updating existing content, such as rearranging paragraphs or adding new ones, can also be an effective way to show Google that the site has fresh content (00:30:54).
- Connecting Google Analytics is a great way to monitor traffic insights, track popular pages, and identify trends, allowing for data-driven decisions instead of making guesses or unnecessary changes (00:31:26).
- Using data from Google Analytics can help identify areas for improvement and optimize the use of time when making updates to the site, rather than relying on intuition or endless tinkering (00:31:48).
Two Great Resources (00:32:11)
- Two previous tips of the week were shared, one for optimizing a BD website, which covers every possible optimization for the homepage, and another for adding custom content to search results pages (00:32:11).
- The search results page, such as the member directory, can be optimized by adding custom SEO content, including an H1 title, and this can be done for individual search results pages, like a search for London (00:32:31).
- Custom content can be added to search results pages to bolster efforts and provide rich content that search engines and AI bots prefer, and this can be done for various locations and categories (00:32:50).
- The BD site dynamically creates thousands of search results pages based on locations, categories, and variations, allowing users to pick and choose which pages to optimize and create a routine for doing so (00:33:06).
- To optimize search results pages, users can create a system, use AI prompts, and share some prompts to make the process easier, and it is recommended to put in regular effort and care to see good results over time (00:33:25).
- Users can decide to optimize a few search results pages at a time, such as three pages per week, and use AI prompts to make the process more efficient (00:33:43).
Website Review #1 (00:33:58)
- The website Christian Church Search was reviewed, and a search for its name was conducted to see what comes up, with competitors such as Churchfinder and Faith Street appearing in the results, but the site itself was not initially found, possibly due to being recently launched, (00:34:15).
- The site was eventually found, and Google's overall impression of it was positive, with the search engine showing more than just the domain and indexing multiple pages, which can be checked by using the "site:" operator followed by the domain name, (00:35:07).
- The website has a significant number of pages indexed by Google, with over 19,000 results, and the homepage features a welcoming message, but lacks explicit keywords such as "church" or "find a church", which could be improved by adding them to the H1 tag and other areas of the site, (00:36:28).
- The H1 tag on the site currently says "Welcome to our community" and "Find your spiritual home today", but could be improved by adding more descriptive language, such as "Search for churches" or "Find a church near you", to give search engines more context about the site's purpose, (00:37:07).
- The website's design features a hero divider, which is a default element on some website builders, and this element was inspected and modified to include more descriptive language, such as "Find churches" and "Search churches by name", (00:37:45).
- The website has a directory that can be improved with more context, such as adding "church" to the "browse the directory" and "join the directory" sections to make it clearer what the directory is for (00:38:00).
- To enhance the website's content, it is suggested to add two or three lines of text to provide more information, such as "find local churches in your area to do X, Y, and Z" and "list your Christian Church and connect with more visitors" (00:38:29).
- The website's design is commended for its use of negative space and professional look, and it is suggested to add a title to the "latest articles and news" section that includes the keyword, such as "Christian news" (00:39:04).
- The "want to join" section can be improved by changing it to "want to list your church" to make it clearer who is being asked to join (00:39:20).
- A Google doc was created to help with SEO content, which includes a prompt that can be copied and edited to add focus and keywords, as well as internal links to pages such as the join page, search results page, and contact page (00:39:45).
- The focus of the website is to find churches and places of worship, and it is suggested to use internal links such as "church news", "upcoming church events", and "church finder directory" to improve the website's content (00:40:45).
- The AI tool can be used to generate HTML content for the website, and it includes tweaks to avoid AI detection, and the generated content can be copied and put on the site (00:42:01).
- To improve SEO, it is recommended to have valuable content higher up on the page, such as a shorter blurb at the top, and to replace the hero divider with a centered blob of text, for example, three sentences, to provide context and make the page more valuable (00:42:43).
- The design settings can be accessed to add a new section to the homepage, allowing for the addition of custom content, such as text generated by AI, to enhance the page's SEO (00:42:56).
- When using AI-generated content, it is essential to edit and refine it to make it more SEO-friendly, such as updating prompts and saving the changes to improve the page's visibility (00:43:50).
- The AI-generated content may not be visually appealing, but it provides a starting point for SEO improvement, and it can be refined and reduced to make it more effective, such as reducing eight sections to four (00:44:13).
- The content should include essential information, such as "who we are," "what we do," "why use us," and "how to join," to provide a comprehensive overview of the website's purpose and benefits (00:44:20).
- Meta tags, including the metatitle and meta description, play a crucial role in SEO, as they are displayed in Google search results, and should be created and optimized to accurately represent the website's content and purpose (00:45:16).
- The metatitle and meta description can be accessed and edited in the SEO settings tab, where they can be pasted and saved to improve the website's visibility and search engine ranking (00:46:25).
- The current metatitle for the Christian directory website is "Christian directory find Christians Christianarch.com", which may be unclear as it could be referring to either finding individual people or churches, and a stronger metatitle has been suggested as "Explore thousands of Christian churches and places of worship" (00:46:34).
- The website's description is "Search the most complete Christian directory. Find Christians", which is considered too broad and it is recommended to make it more specific to improve search engine optimization (00:47:00).
- To improve the website's search engine ranking, it is suggested to use more specific keywords, as using broad terms like "find Christians" may not be enough to stand out among competitors, and examples of more specific titles used by competitor sites include "Churches near Orange County" and "find a congregation" (00:47:18).
- Analyzing the competitor sites that come up when searching for "Christian Church search" can provide useful tips for improving the website's title and description, such as using location-based keywords like "churches in Orange County" (00:47:25).
Website Review #2 (00:47:43)
- The website StorageContractors.com is being reviewed, and a Google search for "storage contractors" shows that people are advertising against this term, indicating its popularity (00:47:50).
- The website is a WordPress site that appears to be doing SEO, with a two-word domain name that is considered a positive aspect, and Google has indexed at least 60 pages of the website (00:49:05).
- The website seems to be a directory for self-storage contractors and service providers, but the context is not immediately clear, and it might be implied that people know what the website does, but more context is needed in the H1 tag (00:49:42).
- The H1 tag could be improved by adding more context, including the word "contractor" and explaining the problem that the website solves, such as "Find self-storage pros to repair your self-storage unit" (00:50:07).
- The website has a tag cloud, which is great for internal linking, but it might be better to limit it to four or five top categories instead of a large list, and the search function is also available (00:50:34).
- The website's purpose is not immediately clear, and it seems to be a site for general contractors, but it also mentions self-storage pros, ADA remodels, and other services, causing confusion (00:51:09).
- The website's owner, Bert, explains that the site is a directory for customers who have storage facility owners and contractors, and that it sells self-storage hardware supplies, which should be clearly stated on the homepage for better SEO (00:52:44).
- The website's homepage could be improved by adding more literal and clear explanations of its purpose, such as "This is a directory for our customers who have storage facility owners and contractors to find self-storage hardware supplies and repair services" (00:53:04).
- The featured members section on the homepage could be improved by using more descriptive language, such as "featured contractors" or "featured service providers", instead of just "members" (00:52:16).
Website Review #3 (00:53:35)
- The website being reviewed is Memorial Connect, which allows users to book singers for funerals or memorial events, and it has been previously discussed in a webinar (00:53:35).
- A site search on Google shows that the website has three pages indexed, including the homepage, FAQ page, and search results page, which are all important pages (00:54:11).
- A search for the keyword "book singers for funerals" reveals that other websites, such as Gig Salad, use keywords like "funeral musicians" and "funeral music", which could be useful for Memorial Connect to include (00:54:25).
- The website's current title tag is "Memorial Connect - book singers and musicians for funerals", but it is suggested to switch the order and make it longer to include more keywords like "funeral live music" (00:57:01).
- The character limit for meta titles is typically 60-80 characters, but having longer titles with good keywords up to 120 characters can still be beneficial for SEO (00:57:30).
- It is recommended to prioritize the focus of the site in the title tag and put the name of the site at the end, and to add more SEO content and get backlinks from other websites to improve the site's visibility (00:58:02).
- The website has made significant improvements since the previous review, and it is now easier to understand what the website does from a human standpoint, with features like quickly finding singers and musicians for memorials (00:55:49).
- Submitting the site to Google Search Console and Microsoft Bing Webmaster Tools is also important, and the links to do so can be shared (00:56:22).
Website Review #4 (00:58:20)
- The website familyfriendly.com.au is being reviewed, and it is noted that Google is indexing around 40 pages of the site, which could be improved for a directory site (00:58:42).
- The site's title, "Holiday guide for families with kids", is considered too generic and could be improved by including the location, as the site is focused on Australia (00:59:10).
- The site has 152 listings, which is a good sign, but each listing lacks detailed information, only including a name and a city (00:59:33).
- The homepage lacks substantial content, making it unclear what the site owner hopes Google will rank the site for, with only basic categories such as dining, accommodations, and activities (01:00:10).
- The site has a mascot, Outback Grand Adventures, and links to pages such as "Australia members" and "familyfriendly recommended venues by location", but these pages also lack sufficient content and SEO optimization (01:00:25).
- To improve the site's SEO, it is suggested to add more content, including information on what the site is about, its benefits, and why users should use it, as well as incorporating relevant keywords and phrases (01:01:10).
- The site owner, Terry, is advised to consider what they want their site to rank for in Google searches and ensure that the site includes the relevant keywords and related phrases (01:01:23).
Website Review #5 (01:01:40)
- The website "Go Local Arizona" is assessed, and it is found that Google has added site links to the website, indicating that Google sees it as a seasoned site with over 10 pages, and the site has a lot of indexing, which means Google trusts the site (01:01:55).
- New sites are put into a sandbox period by Google, and it is recommended to submit the site to Google as soon as possible, even if it is not fully ready, to avoid being behind on SEO, and to add a blurb of SEO content to the staging page (01:02:13).
- The website's H1 tag says "Find and support local Arizona businesses", and a search for "find local Arizona businesses" on Google shows that the website is on the first page of the results, above sponsored ones and with more real estate than other results (01:02:55).
- The metatitle of the website is assessed, and it is recommended to switch it to put the name of the site at the end and to make it more literal, such as "Find local Arizona businesses - Go Local Arizona", to give it a boost (01:03:45).
- The description of the website is also assessed, and it is recommended to start with "Find local Arizona businesses" and then add the slogan, and to add an H2 tag to include the purpose of the website and what it can do (01:04:27).
- It is recommended to add more content to the homepage, such as searching for businesses by name or location, to give more context to both search engines and visitors, and to make it aesthetically pleasing (01:04:59).
- The "newest members" section is also assessed, and it is recommended to throw some keywords in to improve the website's SEO (01:05:19).
- The website in question is focused on Arizona businesses, and its benefit lies in its specificity, making it easier for prospective members to connect with the site, as the riches are often found in niches, and the more specific the site is, the more it can connect with its target audience (01:05:47).
- Having a website that resonates with a specific profession or location, such as a Los Angeles attorney directory, can make it easier for professionals to decide to get listed, as it clearly explains that the site serves their type of business (01:06:20).
- Using broad categories, such as home service providers or legal services, can help the site rank for specific searches, like Arizona attorneys, and can be further narrowed down to major cities (01:07:11).
- Utilizing custom blocks to create quick links to major cities, such as Scottsdale or Phoenix, can help navigate users and create a hierarchy for the site, making it easier for users to find what they are looking for (01:07:37).
- The site's strategy of not having a main menu on the homepage, but adding it once the user is inside the site, is effective in focusing the user on the site's main purpose, which is conducting a search for local Arizona businesses (01:08:35).
- Adding a feature to check if a business is listed can create a sense of fear of missing out and encourage businesses to ensure they are listed, which can be a useful angle for business directories (01:08:56).
- The site's branding colors, such as purple and green, are notable, and overall, the site has been well-designed, with some suggestions for further improvement (01:09:12).
Website Review #6 (01:09:21)
- The website review is for howtohelp.au, and the first step is to identify the keywords the site is trying to rank for, which is not immediately clear without more information from the site owner, Stacy (01:09:27).
- The site has around 80 pages indexed by Google, including search results pages, and it seems to be ranking for some of these pages, but the ranking position is not specified, and the content on some pages is minimal (01:09:50).
- The title tag of the site is "Charities, not for-profit, and social enterprise directory", which could be improved to be more literal and include keywords like "nonprofit" and "charity directory" to better reflect the site's content (01:10:18).
- The site's design and layout could be improved, including making the dropdown menus full-width to give more breathing room, and the category system could be simplified to focus on a smaller number of categories, such as 10, to make the site more manageable and improve marketing efforts (01:11:30).
- The site's content could be improved by adding more keyword variation, such as using both "database" and "directory" to describe the site's search function, and by making sure the keywords are included in the site's headings and subheadings, such as the H1 tag (01:13:41).
- The site's purpose and SEO content are good, but could be improved by being more literal and including the target keywords, such as "charity finder" and "Australian charity directory", and by moving the keywords higher up on the page to increase their SEO value (01:14:02).
- The site mentions the keywords "charity" and "nonprofit" several times, which is good, but it would be better to move these mentions higher up on the page and to include them in the site's headings and subheadings to improve SEO (01:14:36).
Where is the new Schema situated? (01:15:00)
- The new schema is situated in two places: the page loop in the first div for all different post types, and outside of this loop to set up the meta prop for the item list, with the code starting with "item prop" (01:15:47).
- To find the new schema, one can go to the edit post settings, without touching customized code on the user site, as the benefits of BD include being able to customize pretty much anything if you know where to go in the admin (01:15:21).
- The search results page has one widget that was edited, which wraps the loop for all post types, specifically the bootstrapping things single post page widget (01:16:13).
- If the code has been customized, it is possible to compare it with the difference checker and add what is needed, with the new schema being added to the loop of the post type and the edited widget (01:15:59).
- The new schema was added to provide schema markup for search results, and it is situated in the backend, with the exact locations being the page loop and the edited widget (01:15:00).
Website Review #7 (01:16:38)
- The website review is for Michael's site, stageands.live, which appears to be a platform for freelance stage hands to connect with event producers and clients, and the primary keyword Michael is trying to rank for is not specified (01:16:38).
- The site's homepage is too broad, asking users to log in without providing clear benefits or context, and the call-to-action "join now" is not specific enough, making it difficult for search engines to understand the site's purpose (01:17:06).
- The site has different membership plans, including standard, pro, and premium, but the benefits and differences between these plans are not clearly explained, and it is suggested that the plans be renamed to be more literal and descriptive (01:17:47).
- The site has a frequently asked questions section that explains what Stage Hands is and how it works, but this information is not on the homepage, and it is recommended that some of this content be moved to the homepage to provide more context (01:18:08).
- The site has been indexed by Google, with at least 80 pages, including profiles and PDFs, but some of these pages are not accessible from the homepage, and it is suggested that the site's structure and internal linking be improved (01:19:07).
- The website review provides suggestions for improvement, including providing more context and clarity on the homepage, renaming membership plans, and improving the site's structure and internal linking, and it is recommended that these suggestions be followed to improve the site's search engine optimization (01:19:50).
