SEO Horror Stories

Halloween has come and gone, but these SEO horror stories are nonetheless scary.

If you are familiar with the world of SEO, then you know that things do not always go to plan, and when they go wrong… it can be disastrous. The thing is, there are plenty of resources online on how to correctly approach SEO, and what you should do, which is great! But there are not all that many resources showing the dark side of SEO, and how it can go wrong.

The sad thing is that most of the time, these SEO malpractices are not purposeful. Rather, they are often the result of people optimizing their websites poorly without actually realizing they are making a mistake (or doing something they can get penalized for). Here are some textbook examples of how not to approach SEO.

SEORick YoungNovember 2, 2020Rizzo Young Marketing LLCGoogle

SEO and PPC Data for Better Results

At a surface level, SEO and PPC data may seem to be at opposite ends of the marketing spectrum. SEO is a long term game focused on nuanced strategies; PPC is a faster-paced approach with potential for immediate results.

SEO, Digital AdvertisingRick YoungSeptember 21, 2020Rizzo Young Marketing LLCSEO, PPC

SEO for Google’s Algorithm

For those who post content online, it may seem like there’s cause for concern every time Google releases a new algorithm update. Oftentimes, new updates make us wonder whether or not our content will still be relevant and perform optimally in search engine result pages.

SEORick YoungSeptember 7, 2020Rizzo Young Marketing LLCSEO

Squarespace Appointment Scheduling

Squarespace recently announced its first major industry move with the purchase of Acuity Scheduling. Acuity is an appointment scheduling system for businesses to automate and manage leads and meetings online.

Squarespace was looking into releasing their own software, but they already had a partnership with Acuity. They decided to purchase the company and fully integrate their services into Squarespace’s hub.

If you have not already integrated an appointment scheduling system for your business, now is the time, especially with how easy Squarespace has now made it.

How To Utilize SEO During the Coronavirus

These are uncertain times for many small businesses. If you are a business with an online presence, you might be wondering how to manage your SEO projects amid the uncertainty.

SEORick YoungJune 22, 2020Rizzo Young Marketing LLCSEO, NewStrategy, CustomerRelatability

Improving SEO Through Keywords

Online retailing and marketing are highly dependent on search engine optimization (SEO). Because of this, it has become vital for businesses to focus on improving SEO strategies whenever they can if they want to stay in the sights of customers.

SEO, Digital AdvertisingRick YoungMay 18, 2020Rizzo Young Marketing LLCKeywords, SEO, Strategy

Using SEO to Drive Business

As soon as you open your business, you have entered the world of SEO marketing.

Whether you were aware of it or not, search engines have already begun scanning and indexing your company’s and employee’s digital properties to see how well they should rank.

Similar to any other form of marketing, SEO, also known as search engine optimization, can be enhanced over time. While every business is unique, there are overlapping SEO strategies that can provide better results in your online marketing leading to faster business growth and brand recognition.

SEORick YoungMarch 9, 2020Rizzo Young Marketing LLCGoogle My Business, Google

How to Build a Link Circle for SEO

SEO is a common factor that separates good websites from great ones. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of driving traffic to your website organically by creating a website with proper strategies that work with algorithms used by search engines, such as Google.

A very common tactic involved in SEO is link building. There are many different types of ways that links can be used to boost traffic to your website. One of these ways is called a link circle.

SEORick YoungFebruary 10, 2020Rizzo Young Marketing LLCBacklinks, Link Circles

Google Reviews: Dominate Local Business

Stop wasting your time with Yelp.

Social Media Marketing, SEORick YoungDecember 9, 2019Rizzo Young Marketing LLCGoogle

Website SEO Factors

The question that has been stirring nearly all business owners has been how to top the rankings on Google search engine results pages (SERPs). Has this been on your mind too?

Though Google doesn't precisely show its cards for the algorithm behind rankings, there are still methods for creating effective strategies for breaking down the walls. Let’s have a peek into some influential SEO trends.

SEORick YoungNovember 11, 2019Rizzo Young Marketing LLCMetadata, Google, Geotags, Domain

The Art of SEO: More is More

One of the questions we always get is “Do you do SEO?” It’s usually asked as if it was a buzzword picked up casually in conversation, something that closer resembles a Holy Grail than a marketing discipline.

In short, the answer is yes, we do SEO.

SEO, Social Media MarketingRick YoungNovember 2, 2019Rizzo Young Marketing LLCSnapchat, TikTok, Marketing 101

Business: A Story of Humans

For the past several years, I haven’t gone a single month without saying something along the lines of “Your customers aren’t buying from a business, they’re buying from you.”

This sentiment that I often share with clients, prospects, and colleagues is all too often lost in the modern-day world. For the vast majority of our clients, they fall in the small or medium-sized business bucket. These are individuals who are going out there each and every day, sharing their experiences, telling their story, and connecting with others on a more intimate level.

Blogging: New, Relevant Content

Everything we do is done to establish a brand for our clientele, regardless of whether they have a brand new business or have been around for years. For those who have been in operation for some time, we’ve noticed over the past five months that their reach tends to generally be limited to tight-nit communities.

Content Marketing, SEORick YoungNovember 2, 2019Rizzo Young Marketing LLCBlogging, Marketing 101

Marrying Marketing & Sales

Often, we find that when we speak with a potential client, they’ll frequently say something along the lines of “I don’t need marketing. I need sales!” If we had a nickel for every time we heard that one.

But the truth is that there’s a reason why every successful Fortune 500 company has a distinct department for both (and sub-departments within those departments). So, today we’d like to talk about why it’s important to marry marketing and sales together.

Building a Brand

When I was in college, one of the first marketing concepts I learned was about the power of a brand. “A brand is a promise,” my professor would say. “It’s a promise to your customers to uphold certain values that represent how you want to do business and be seen by the rest of the world.”

These values can range from creating the expectation of excellent customer service to following a code of ethics with each transaction. The important thing is that those values are consistent throughout a business’ life.

How I Beat Anthony Rizzo

Our marketing agency is based in Chicago, a town shared with extremely popular World Series champion, Anthony Rizzo. And articles on the champ dominated search results.

When we first formalized our company at the beginning of April, Rizzo Young Marketing’s SEO was virtually nonexistent. Being a new company, this makes perfect sense.

But with our combined backgrounds, Maria and I knew exactly where to start: Organic Content. We created social media profiles across every mainstream platform, created a secure, mobile-friendly website, and set up our Google My Business listing. But there was one major issue.

SEO, Social Media Marketing, Content MarketingRick YoungNovember 2, 2019Rizzo Young Marketing LLCGoogle

5 More SMM Tips

Standing out on social media isn't easy for a small business. Naturally, small businesses don't have the capital nor the brand awareness that a Fortune 500 company has. However, there are several steps that you can take to ensure that you're conveying a professional and credible tone across all of your social media channels.

Back in June, we shared five key tips for social media marketing. For those just starting to up their social media game, here are five more tips to get you going.