by Stephanie Wallace for Search Engine Land A/B testing for SEO is different than typical UX/CRO testing. Despite how quickly search evolves and best practices change, some changes must be tested before rolling out. Testing can help justify further investment or help prevent a potentially negative impact. Why we need to test SEO strategies Testing and proving a strategy is more important than ever as companies are looking really closely at the ROI of marketing in general and especially SEO. Decision-makers are looking for ways to justify their spend. When it comes to SEO, ROI is fairly ambiguous. Whether we’re trying to forecast…
How to identify and rank for ‘hidden gems’ in SEO
by Adam Tanguay for Search Engine Land The rollout of Search Generative Experience (SGE) will change Google SERPs – that’s pretty much indisputable. Whether AI will dominate the SERPs altogether is up for debate. If you’re reading a few strategically placed Google hints, you know there’s an alternative that makes it clear Google will still respect first-party perspectives and E-E-A-T-rich content. I’m talking about “hidden gems.” This article examines what hidden gems are, how we know Google’s committed to them as part of their future SERP strategy and your options for filling the SERPs with hidden gems that build positive exposure for your…
LinkedIn now allows brands to sponsor any organic post
by Nicola Agius for Search Engine Land LinkedIn is now allowing businesses to promote content from any user on the app, not just their own employees, expanding its Thought Leader ads into a form of branded content promotion. Previously, brands could use Thought Leader ads to turn posts from verified employees into promotions. Now, businesses have the option to promote posts from non-employees too. Why we care. Sharing insights and experiences from people not on your payroll could help enhance your brand’s reputation, credibility and trustworthiness, potentially leading to more conversions. How it works. A brand can set up a Thought Leader…
A guide to the wedge marketing strategy
by MKT1 Newsletter It’s time to get specific. Broad and horizontal approaches to marketing no longer work. Maybe they never really did?! With modern martech (AI, automation, no code tools), your audience now expects personalized, high-value marketing that feels custom built for them. Meaning, early-stage marketing strategies that don’t focus on an acute pain for a specific audience segment will definitely fall flat in 2024. Given this, we recommend using a wedge marketing approach in the early days, and expanding from this initial niche over time—whether you have a horizontal or vertical product. This newsletter breaks down: 🧀 How to…
The Psychology of Persuasion: Understanding Customer Behavior in Marketing
by Sam Bowman for MarketingProfs The entire study of customer behavior is dedicated to examining the factors and motives that form purchase decisions, as well as the emotional, mental, and behavioral responses and influences these decisions have. Customers are motivated by factors such as economics and finances, perception and market pressures, and their attitudes and beliefs—all while making a single purchasing decision. Considering the various factors affecting a purchasing decision, understanding how to directly influence customer behavior is a marketing priority. Learning about the psychological tool of persuasion—and how best to use it in your marketing materials—can serve as a…
3 underutilized Google Search Console reports for diagnosing traffic drops
by Tom Demers for Search Engine Land As Google continues to roll out massive updates, you may be looking to diagnose drops in organic traffic. A great tool to start with here (particularly if you’re in the NeverGA4 crowd or your GA4 reports just aren’t adding up) is Google Search Console. Google’s released a surprisingly useful guide of their own on this topic with some good high-level approaches to this diagnosis. The guide does dive into some of the most obvious Search Console reports for diagnosing drops: Date-based comparisons. Search types (web, images, video, news). Average position trends. Page reports. They mention looking at…
Child Labor Continues to Be a Significant Problem in 2024
By Savanna L. Shuntich for HR Daily Advisor According to the Department of Labor (DOL), recent years have seen an enormous increase in the amount of child labor violations within the United States. For example, the DOL found child labor violations affecting 5,792 children in fiscal year (FY) 2023, up from 3,876 in FY 2022. In response, Congress, the Biden administration, and the press have turned their focus to the issue. Though the high-profile cases were in manufacturing facilities and food production, all employers must be diligent about combatting child labor. The DOL has made it clear that it intends…
How to Assess Candidate Integrity in Interviews
By Paul Bramson for HR Daily Advisor In the hiring or recruiting process, evaluating candidate integrity is integral to ensure you are bringing in the right person for the organization. Beyond skills and experience, integrity is the indicator for trustworthiness, accountability, and principles — indispensable qualities for a principled workplace. Interviews are the time to delve into candidate values to gauge alignment with company standards. Thoughtful questions can illuminate candidates exhibiting sincerity, honesty, and ethos that support an ethical and positive environment. The Importance of Measuring Candidate Integrity Integrity signals how individuals navigate challenging or murky scenarios without direct supervision.…
The Impact of Excessive Screen Time and How to Support Better Working Habits
By Dr. Ronald Benner for HR Daily Advisor It’s no surprise people are spending more time on screens. In fact, millions of Americans are exposed to excessive screen time every day (7+ hours), particularly those who work in office jobs. While technology has many benefits, spending prolonged periods on computers and other digital devices requires the eyes to work harder up close, and this “heavy lifting” can cause vision problems in the long run–problems that may affect workers’ performance and ability to do all the things they need to do online. As little as two hours of screen exposure per…
The ‘Deep’ Habits That Power B2B Sales Success [Infographic]
by Ayaz Nanji for MarketingProfs What makes B2B salespeople highly successful? To find out, LinkedIn and Ipsos examined the behaviors of 2,000 sellers globally. An infographic (below) covers highlights from the research. It looks at the habits associated with "deep" (high-performing) sellers as well as what B2B buyers say they want from salespeople. Check out the infographic: