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A Know Agency 2020 Blog Reading List

A Know Agency 2020 Blog Reading List

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Some of our blog favorites and a video worth watching

It’s a busy time of the year. You’ve got unread emails, too many open web browser tabs, and a to do list that makes you shudder.

So instead of a long blog post about SEO best practices or how to create a 2021 SEO and digital marketing plan, we’ve got a different type of blog for you.

Here is a list of seven blogs that stood out for us in 2020 – blogs that contain useful advice about SEO, search, content, and Google:

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COVID-19 Has Changed Everything But Your Customers Still Need You

COVID-19 Has Changed Everything But Your Customers Still Need You

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How to adjust your social media, content, and marketing strategy to support your customers

It is not business as usual. It is not life as normal. This makes for a confusing and frankly scary time. There are no words that can make things better. All we can do right now is do our best to adjust to this new normal.

This is what I want to help you do with this blog. Together with the Know Agency team, we’ve put our heads together, done a lot of research, and had many conversations about how we can support our clients and readers. How can we help make this new normal feel less chaotic and confusing?

And, we know that a lot has already been written and shared about this. We don’t want to overwhelm and crowd your inbox or RSS feeds with more of the same. With my team, I’ve put together some lists of suggestions, resources, ideas, and things to think about when trying to keep moving forward.

Above all else, we need to remember the power of community. Community has changed a lot in the last few days – but people are still out there. It’s more important than ever to put conscious effort into connecting, talking, listening, and helping.

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SEO for B2B: Does It Matter?

SEO for B2B: Does It Matter?

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Yes, SEO does matter for B2B sales, marketing, and relationship-building. Remember, companies don’t use Google – people use Google. And this is exactly why SEO matters for B2B.

Smart SEO allows you to build direct connections with the people who want what you have. Strategies such as understanding user intent, knowing your demographic, creating content that resonates with the buyer’s journey, and doing keyword research allows you to demonstrate your expertise and value to customers.

Just like someone shopping online for a new pair of sneakers, the person looking for a new manufacturing partner or third-party supplier is using a search engine to find what they need and want. 

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What Is Happening with Google+?

What Is Happening with Google+?

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The dust has finally settled on the Google+ news from early October. The news that Google was shuttering its social network Google+ was a surprise but not a shock.

Think of how often you visited Google+ compared to the frequency with which you check Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. While Google+ was launched in June 2011 as a competitor to Facebook, the social network did not gain the traction or addiction level of its rival.

In fact, in the Google blog post announcing the Google+ shutdown, Ben Smith, VP of Engineering at Google said, “…This review crystallized what we’ve known for a while: that while our engineering teams have put a lot of effort and dedication into building Google+ over the years, it has not achieved broad consumer or developer adoption, and has seen limited user interaction with apps.”

“The consumer version of Google+ currently has low usage and engagement: 90 percent of Google+ user sessions are less than five seconds.”

Security flaw notwithstanding, it’s clear that Google+ was not doing for the company what was initially hoped. As a result, Google+ will be fully closed down for consumers in August 2019. However, Google+ will continue with some tweaks and updates for the enterprise sector. Read more

What Is Vertical Search Optimization?

Which Vertical Search Engines Matter?

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Quick, open a webpage and in the URL field, type SEO, and click Enter. Magically, you get a long list of Google search engine results about SEO. Now, take a look at the headings below the search box: All, News, Images, Videos, Maps, More: Shopping, Books, Flights, Finance, and Personal. Do us a favor and click More -> Books – now you’ve got a narrowed down list of search engine results about SEO books.

Congratulations – you’ve just completed a vertical search. See what you did here – you started with a broad topic (horizontal) and narrowed it down to a specific area or niche (vertical).

Now, don’t worry if this is the first time you’ve heard about vertical search and vertical search optimization. You’re not alone. Most Internet users, website owners, and companies don’t know anything about vertical search. This isn’t your fault. It all comes down to how we learned how to search for information on the Internet. Read more