@Elizabeth Wilson It takes a LONG time to see the results of SEO (especially if it is a brand new site). I would look at how well your key words are ranking and look into your google analytics to see website traffic patterns. It is really hard to quantify how well your SEO is doing because there is so much complexity in google algorithms but hopefully looking into key word rankings and traffic will help you gauge a bit.
Again, no actual research is done here. PBN simply means Private Blog Network. If you own let's say 2 blogs (like me) and it is hosted on a private domain, and you link the sites it IS a PBN.
Is it wrong to have 2 blogs? Of course not! Can you link them together? OF COURSE!! Then why do you think PBN automatically is wrong?
If you are using the term "PBN" to refer to two blogs you own linking to each other, that is *not* how PBN is used in the industry.
"PBNs" - as marketed to investors - are multi-site networks of low quality, low content sites that provide no value to anyone (as you specifically say, the key here being to provide value to searchers).
Your idea is great! Hosting a blog you put time into, and linking to your investing site, is a fantastic strategy.
But that is NOT what most investors are doing, nor is it what anyone is talking about when they debate what "PBN" means, or whether or not PBNs are like to be penalized by Google.
Also - things change. You linked me a video from 2013 - here's an article from 2014:
Again - is YOUR strategy, as detailed in your last post, going to be affected? No!
But please do understand that when you tell other, less savvy investors, that "PBNs are awesome, don't listen to the warnings against them," everyone is thinking something VERY different.
P.S. Your site is great! The detailed about us page in particular is fantastic.
I never said PBN's are awesome.
I said they are awesome, if you use them right.
THings change indeed, IF you do SEO to please google. That was my point.
I dont do SEO for Google.
I do it for the users.
The fact I linked my flipping blog to my seo for investors blog together will NEVER be penalized because it is legitimate whitehat SEO.
I genuinely put amazing content on these blogs and users get value of out these links. It is not wrong to link 2 blogs together. It is wrong to manipulate the rankings.
But I have to take back what I said.
You do have solid knowledge of SEO, I just think you focus too much on google. Don't fear google. Just do genuine SEO work.
That is why I said what people actually MEAN with PBN, is they buy up old domains with residual ranking and put thin content on them, and use that to link to other sites either for money or whatever to manipulate ranks.
That is not what PBN literally means. It is just how people USE it.
Very true. I may be a bit jumpy - someone in the space pushes low quality PBNs hard, and I view it as taking advantage of folks with very little knowledge of SEO or what all of that entails.
But yes, as someone who looks at ten iterations of the same carrot site every day, yours is great. People really underestimate the work involved in this stuff.
Dude, we need to connect. I think together we can really come up with awesome strategies to get a lot out of SEO.
Not often does anyone challenge me with my SEO skills.
@Elizabeth Wilson KPI's I look for are work history. I look at previous sites they have ranked, DA and PA from beginning to end and how new the site was at beginning of SEO. I also look at their techniques (white hat only) and I go into it understanding that really good SEO generally takes 3 - 6 months to rank well. It's a process but unlike PPC it lasts forever. If you are trying to rank in more competitive markets than it can take longer. Companies spend fortunes to claim top spots on 1st page of Google along with SEM, PPC, SMM and SMO which also help with SEO. Content is key along with other factors. Take BP for example, they have been online for many years and there is a lot of valuable content on this site which is what search engines look for. I would have to see your site to know for sure but that's my two cents.
@Jerryll Noorden and @Dan Barrett - Wow! Many thanks to you both for taking the time to share all of that. It truly is amazing how much information about SEO is out there and what we as REI need, should and/or want to do to generate quality leads.
I would ask more detailed questions after I digest some of the info that you all shared.
@Alex Price - Great ideas. I'll definitely have to check that and learn those metrics. But again, I really don't care how my site ranks (love what @Dan Barrett about focusing on a vanity metric!). I want to be able to see that my ROI for SEO effort/money are worth it. Happy to spend as much as I need to in order to have the ROI we want.
@Alex Price - Great ideas. I'll definitely have to check that and learn those metrics. But again, I really don't care how my site ranks (love what @Dan Barrett about focusing on a vanity metric!). I want to be able to see that my ROI for SEO effort/money are worth it. Happy to spend as much as I need to in order to have the ROI we want.
Am I correct to assume your focus is lead generation? If so, the reason I talk about rankings is because users rarely go past first page. So if your site is on page 3 it will not get the same amount of leads as it does on 1st page. I've ranked sites myself as well as I've helped others. If the focus is lead generation which will convert to more business then the focus of any SEO should be to rank as high as possible in your niche.
@Alex Price - I totally agree with you. My question/concern is that I really don't care if I rank #1 for certain keywords in and if itself; what I care about is getting organic leads/deals. If it takes X amount of money/time to get X dollars in deals (for example, an ROI in direct mail), I can track that and see what it is worth. If it is simply ranking high for a set of key words with no direct paying result, I have a hard time focusing finances or time on it.
I'm trying to learn what (if any) KPI folks use to determine their ROI on SEO besides direct keyword rankings?
I'm going to check out @Dan Barrett suggestions. I haven't used the tools available on the Google Search Console. That may be the solution that I'm looking to find.
If you just created a new site that will take long long time...... I suggest at least your site(s) have been well established and have some traffic. The gurus based in the US wants $70 to $90 an hour to develop the site. They also want arm and a leg retainers fee for SEO and frankly the results are disappointing. Most small business have been using India or PI sources, some will even answer inquiries for you with your local phone number. If you really want to be out there just buy ADWORD you instantly get clicks. Then you can optimize turning it off at night or days not operational. ActiveRain.com is a realtor, investor, loan blog sites just focus on marketing for capturing clients. Last, you have to have a product to sell.
@Account Closed - what I meant with the @question is that in your posts, my name is not being highlighted and I’m not being notified with you write @elizabeth wilson . Wanted you to know that.
To say you are good at SEO is to say you can handle all of the updates for all industries for all ranking factors.
No business should promise that. No client should accept that guarantee.
If you wanted to measure 2 SEO indicators that would help you grow your business it would be
1) Domain Authority (Slow Moving indicator)
2) Link Velocity
If you understand how you rank compared to your competitors in these two factors you will easily move to the front of Google. For each industry/location/medium Google will change the rank of the ranking factors AND their Artificial intelligence tools will rank you differently based on what it learns over time.
If you are going to hire someone for SEO make sure the specialize in your industry and make sure they are aligned with your success.
You were able to work out a deal with your SEO company to only pay them for qualified leads? Makes sense; I just haven't seen any company offer that as an option.