• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Adam Riemer Marketing

  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact Me
Home » SEO

SEO

January 18, 2021 By adamriemer Leave a Comment

Case Study – A Small Business Beats Big Brands in SEO on Shopify

how to optimize a shopify website for Google SEO

In this case study you will learn some of the common SEO issues that come with a Shopify store and how we addressed them to help our client rank.  It is full of actionable items with some massive bonus tips.

The client in the screen shots below is a smaller brand without many backlinks and has a two person marketing team with no developer.

The company is in a highly competitive retail niche and competing for big brand terms (think phrases like “t-shirt” or “clothing” where you’re up against Macy’s, Calvin Klein and Hanes).  Unlike tshirt, the terms here have lower search volumes.  This makes it even more competitive.

Here’s how we helped them beat the big brands.

Note: This is year two on the project and I’m comparing year two to year 1.  SEO is not a quick one and done or lets fix it and hope it sticks channel.  

How to do SEO for Shopify sites:

  1. Fix the Shopify SEO issues
  2. Add content
    1. PDP
    2. Categories
    3. Internal links
  3.  Find ambassadors
  4. Tech SEO

shopify SEO strategy and optimization

Fix the Shopify SEO Issues

Shopify is currently my recommended shopping cart for ecommerce stores.  The app store makes it affordable to have the whistles and bells of big brands without the big budget.

When combined with the reasonably good checkout process and excessive amount of affordable developers, you can build an awesome store as a small or mid-size company with ease.

But just because it is a good shopping cart platform does not mean it is marketing or SEO friendly.  The good news is the majority of Shopify SEO issues are known and can be remedied.

The biggest issue is that you don’t get access to your own code base making it really hard to speed up your site and optimize it. But don’t let that deter you, having Shopify host your ecommerce store has benefits like accessing their security systems and having them watch so that your servers and your store stays online.

Here are the big known Shopify SEO issues:

[Read more…] about Case Study – A Small Business Beats Big Brands in SEO on Shopify

Filed Under: SEO

January 11, 2021 By adamriemer Leave a Comment

SEO Case Study – Small Business Beats International Corporation

how small business and companies can beat large companies in SEO

If you’re a small business and you think you cannot compete with the big corporations in SEO, think again!

The case study below is a project I did for a friend’s company which is a small and local business in a very competitive niche with national and multi-national players. This company is not local to me and I won’t say which market or markets they are in.  This is at their request.

The traffic in the screen shot below might not be massive, but this company is up against a Google algorithm specific to high trust and authority (not E-A-T, E-A-T is a concept and not an algorithm with factors and signals).

Each conversion is worth $20,000 to $200,000 in revenue annually, and the users normally stay for multiple years. This makes it high value and really expensive to advertise for.

Needless to say all channels are saturated and there is big money involved making it really hard for small and local businesses to compete.

So how did we beat the big players?

  1. I scrapped the entire site
  2. We deleted more than 3,000 pages of copy
  3. The company used their resources like friends to build trust
  4. No backlinks were built, we did PR work
  5. Schema and site structure were added
  6. We kept each other accountable even when there was no time

So here’s the results YOY for 2019 and 2020.  Remember, they are a local company in one or a couple markets and they are competing with the big players.  There is also a limited amount of customers and users that exist in each market.

small business SEO case study

Please note that:

  • Only the old lead form path is listed here for conversions.
  • There are multiple new lead options based on the theme of the page the incoming traffic hits.
  • The bounce rate started lowering later in the year when we upgraded the PHP and speed up the site.
  • The pages per session lowering is a good thing. We added in lead forms and CTAs to the more important pages making it easier for leads to contact us. Less searching the site for contact information means easier conversions and more money, even if there are less pageviews.

Step 1 – Scrap the Entire Site

The very first thing I did was delete the entire site (after backing up all of the copy and pages of course).  The old site was built with outdated code, it lacked structure and had no solid calls to action. Only a button that leads the visitor to a form and a phone number to call.  It also featured giant rotating hero images.  This was the first thing to go!

Pro-tip: Giant hero images on the homepage kill conversions and can be incredibly bad for SEO.  If you have these on [Read more…] about SEO Case Study – Small Business Beats International Corporation

Filed Under: SEO

November 16, 2020 By adamriemer Leave a Comment

How to Create a Gift Guide With SEO, Marketing & Monetization Tips.

gift guides

Ready to create a gift guide for your blog, YouTube channel or a newsletter?  Then I’m ready to help!

The post below is something I sent to the partners for some of the companies that hired me as their affiliate manager to help them grow their traffic and make money. Instead of keeping the strategies private for our partners, I wanted to share them with you because everyone can benefit.

But before we jump in I’d like to note that gift guides are not just for the holidays. People search year round for gift ideas and this type of content is the perfect way to get that traffic.

Below you will learn how to create high quality gift guides, discover themes you can use (with their current estimated monthly search volumes), and talking points for how to pick the right modifiers for SEO.

I’ve also included some bonus tips like in the “Christmas Gifts for Wife” where I share good examples of how modifiers can make a difference in both traffic and conversions and “Yoga Gifts” where I share a big hint as to how to find better themes for your gift guides.

The post has three sections:

  1. Marketing Tips and Strategies
  2. SEO Tips
  3. Gift Guide Examples & How to Build Them

Gift Guide Marketing Tips and Strategies

There’s a ton of competition out there so you need to stand out.  Here are some marketing tips to keep in mind while creating your gift guide.

Please remember I share some of the best gift guide marketing tips in the theme sections below, so make sure you reach through each.

  • Use an odd number in your title tag. Odd numbers normally stand out better than even numbers.
    • If everyone showing up in Google already uses a 7, 11 or 15, try 33 or something larger. The goal is to look unique and attract attention.
  • Change the wording for your H1 tag so that it is for a blog reader and not a search engine searcher.  Title tags and H1 tags serve different purposes.
    • Title tags show up in search engines and are designed to get someone to click to your website.
    • H1 tags are visible on the page itself and should be written to get the user to engage with the content below it.
  • Set the list to be reverse order (ascending). This entices your reader to scroll to find the number 1 gift because it may be assumed that number 1 will be the best.
  • Look at the top ten results in Google for the gift guide theme you are writing about. Next write down the adjectives and numbers being used in title tags and meta descriptions. Now come up with a better adjective and wording mix that is not being used and incorporate these words into your title tag, open graph, rich pins and meta descriptions.
  • Open your guide with unique copy about the benefits to the end user (not just about why you like the gifts). This lets the visitor know they have found a place that lists the gift ideas they are looking for.
    • Bonus tip – Remember, the gift guide is to help them find a gift for someone else, not about you and why you want or like something. The opening is about their needs, the product descriptions are for the person they are buying a gift for!
  • Define why you are the authority on this subject matter in the opening of your guide. This helps build trust with your visitor. Talk about your experience in a situation, any degrees or certifications you have, and other accolades.
  • The Big One!!!  In your copy, talk about how the recipient will enjoy the gift that your reader will purchase. Don’t focus why you personally like the gift. The goal is to get the person to shop for someone else. By helping your reader picture the moment the person receiving the gift opens it, you have pre-sold why the gifts you recommend are the right choice.

Gift Guide SEO Tips

But marketing alone isn’t enough. You need to get people to your gift guide.  SEO and social media optimizations are perfect for this.  Here are some ways to optimize your gift guides to get more traffic!

  • Use proper header tags (H1, H2, H3) for sections and subsections. Header tags tell search engines and users what each section is specifically about.
  • Use UL and OL tags to define that this is a list for the search engines.
  • Make sure all the items on the guide are set in LI tags.
  • Use proper schema on the page when necessary.
  • Add a “best of section” to the top of larger lists that has two links. This helps users quickly locate your top gift recommendations.
    • Make one link your affiliate link so the person can shop and the other an anchor link to read more about the gift idea.
  • Find topics with at least 1,000 estimated monthly searches for the topic. This helps make sure there are people searching for gift ideas in your niche. If there aren’t people searching then you have to build the audience for it which is much harder to do.
  • Use a proper advertising disclosure at the top of your guide and also use proper attributes like “sponsored” and “nofollow” on your links when needed.
  • Write a unique description for every product included in your gift guide. Do not copy and paste from the store’s website or from another website.
  • Create a featured image that is properly named for SEO and has a clear message about the gifts “The 25 best motorcycle gifts for Grandmas in 2020”.
  • Make sure to use proper meta data for the social networks and intent.
    • Facebook has people being entertained and blocks clickbait so creating something engaging that is worth interrupting their fun.
      • Facebook images are also landscape rectangles or squares so make sure to consider this and upload something unique.
    • Pinterest images are vertical and people are specifically looking for ideas and lists.  You’ll want to choose titles and wording that is relevant to these queries vs. being interruptive like on Facebook and use Pinterests ad platform to find high search volumes.
  • Big Bonus Tip – SEO modifiers for gift guides are not just prices, people and occasions.  Think about international delivery and shipping speeds. This is a perfect opportunity for you to stand out and get a conversion.
    • i.e. 25 Birthday Gifts for 5 Year Olds that Ship Free & Overnight.

Now that you have some gift guide marketing tips, lets jump into some example themes with their estimated keyword search volumes. [Read more…] about How to Create a Gift Guide With SEO, Marketing & Monetization Tips.

Filed Under: Affiliate Marketing, Blogging, Monetizing Your Site, SEO

April 9, 2020 By adamriemer 3 Comments

SEO Keywords & Conversions – How an ‘ or – Can Make You Seven Figures!

seo keyword research for conversions

There’s a big difference in following proper English and grammar guidelines, and creating a proper experience for your end users.

A professional writer will write a word to follow guidelines created many years ago.  That is the issue.  There is a set structure which is not updated to meet current usage and regular standards.

Using common spoken versions instead of the “technically correct” versions is one of the ways I help my clients bring in more traffic and increase conversions, but only when it is appropriate.

Google does tend to prefer proper grammar and english, but it isn’t always the best experience for your user base (customers, readers, subscribers, leads, etc…).  That is why situationally we break from branding and corporate guidelines and do what is right for the end users.  By doing this in these situations we can increase traffic and increase conversions.

Finding the right balance should be your goal as a business owner, marketer and content creator.

Below are a few examples with explanations of these.

You can find these same terms and phrases using Google keyword tools as well as your own site search depending on how much traffic your website has.  I have the advantage of having some high volume websites as clients.  These are all based on campaigns and niches I have worked on for various clients in the past, but not the actual data or examples.

(please note I’m not comparing specific apples to specific apples in each example.  But I am keeping it in the family like a red delicious vs. a golden delicious, or a granny smith to a honeycrisp.  They are each to demonstrate a specific technique or SEO and conversion tactic).  

Example 1: Mother’s Day vs. Mothers Day

Mother’s Day is only 31 days away so I’ll start with this.  Browser’s and many writing tools will autocorrect Mothers Day to have an ” ‘ ” symbol before the “s”.  But if you look up the search volumes, the non apostrophe version has more traffic.

If you’re a blogger or content creator who does not have to deal with a branding team, this is an opportunity to capitalize where big brands cannot.

Bonus tip – One thing I’ve also seen in different niches is that the ‘s version can lead to different themes and topics.  Instead of a shopping page or review, a listcicle could be the better experience.  Checkout the double bonus tip in the next section for an even better one!  

Group 1: without the apostrophe

Keyword Volume
mothers day gifts 201000
mothers day gift 74000
mothers day gift ideas 60500
best mothers day gifts 12100
good mothers day gifts 9900

You’ll see “best mothers day gifts” above has 12,100 searches but “best mother’s day gifts” has 6,600.  That’s a big difference in traffic and sales!

Group 2: with the apostrophe

Keyword Volume
best mother’s day gifts 6600
last minute mother’s day gifts 4400
top 10 mother’s day gift ideas 4400
mother’s day delivery gifts 2900

Example 2: Microneedling vs. Micro-needling vs. Micro Needling

The spelling here and also capitalization make a difference.  If your audience uses two words and capitalizes both, using this on your website could make it more relatable to them.  But it might not follow brand standards or trademarks.  The added benefit here is that you’re speaking your customers’ language. [Read more…] about SEO Keywords & Conversions – How an ‘ or – Can Make You Seven Figures!

Filed Under: SEO

August 8, 2019 By adamriemer Leave a Comment

How to Find Keywords & Content Topics That Convert Into Sales

find seo keywords that turn into salesOne of the most common obstacles that cause stagnation with content, SEO, affiliate earnings, and PPC teams is that there are “no more keywords, modifiers or topics to go after”.  A lesser known, but common issue, is that SEOs and Affiliate Managers get blocked from having access to PPC accounts.  That is why I’m writing this step-by-step guide on locating new keywords for SEO that drive sales.

Below you’ll find a new way to discover keywords phrases that can convert into revenue, because they are based on data, not assumptions, and you’ll have a solid reason why you need PPC account access to give to your boss or clients.

After I show you how to locate these keywords and phrases, you’ll learn when, why and how to incorporate them into:

  • Product and category pages
  • Location pages
  • Blog posts

Let’s start by figuring out how to find the keywords that have volume and also drive sales.  This is important for ecommerce stores, lead gen companies, service providers, and affiliates.

  1. Log into your adwords account – if you don’t have one, create one and launch campaigns with conversion tracking on.
  2. Set the date range to at least 3 or 4 months, the shopping season you’re building content for (Valentine’s, Back to School, Engagement, etc…), or the year to date if you have a solid amount of data.
  3. Click on Campaigns > Select an Ad Group > Click the “Search Terms” tab on the keywords page
  4. Modify the columns so you have these five showing:
    1. Search term
    2. Match type
    3. Impressions
    4. Clicks
    5. Conversions
  5. Now export to a spreadsheet or sort by match type.
  6. Delete or exclude all rows that have zero conversions from your spreadsheet or ignore them within the interface.

finding topics and keywords that convert into revenue

This is your gold mine. As long as you do not have “broad match” for everything, [Read more…] about How to Find Keywords & Content Topics That Convert Into Sales

Filed Under: SEO

July 30, 2019 By adamriemer 3 Comments

SEO Case Study – How Your .htaccess Can Increase SEO Rankings

how htaccess impacts SEO

Your .htaccess is kind of like the front door in your home or the directory you see once entering an office building.  It helps you find the right path to the room you’re looking for, a direct route to the person you are visiting, or to navigate to the nearest restroom if you have to go.  However, in many cases when it comes to SEO, .htaccess is more like the attic.

It’s where you store items you use once a year like holiday decor, things you don’t want to throw out, and all the junk which could land you a runner-up position on the show hoarders.  When you have to open your .htaccess (much like an attic), you remember all of the things you’re supposed to do, but you put it off and let the clutter continue to pile up.  That is where you run into a lot of SEO issues that can prevent your rankings from growing.

By not having a clean and direct .htaccess, you make search engines have to work to find the right pages and versions of your website.  Think about showing up to an interview and being 10 minutes late because the directory was wrong, and the security desk kept giving you wrong instructions to find the HR team, then the administrative assistant sent you back downstairs to start over again.  Now that you know what the .htaccess does for SEO, here is how we used this to increase a client’s positions from the lower part of page 1 in Google to the upper.

Our team is working with a client on SEO, and they have tons of content and backlinks, but their positions had plateaued and they couldn’t figure out why.  It turned out to be a tech SEO issue with one of the big fixes being .htaccess.

During the first round of cleanup, we reduced the file by more than 1,100 redirects and instructions.  We also reset other directives to properly point to the correct pages, or versions of the pages.  From there we reduced redirect chains by stripping them out, and reset the options that needed to remain.  This was only round one.

After this round of cleaning, the results helped the client to remove the stagnant positions, and get them to climb higher on page one.  Often times your SEO will say you need content or backlinks, but that often isn’t true when you already have them, and the content is good.

In the screenshots below you’ll see current ranking positions in the columns (Google, Yahoo, Bing), and then the search volume for the keyword phrases.  I pulled the report on 7/29/2019 with a comparison to the previous 30 days because I want to show the climb that happened once the pages and files were reindexed.  The green number next to the ranking position is the amount of spaces it moved up.  I used this tool to track, just like I do all clients.  If you’re wondering why there are some with 0’s across, we haven’t launched those sections or the content yet.  I add the tracking first so we can watch as it appears and properly monitor.

The niche is fairly competitive with lots of big money players.  The goal was to move from the lower part of the first page to the upper, and this is the way we started the progress.  Keep reading below to learn more about how .htaccess impacts SEO (without all of the other things it does).  BTW, if you’re a programmer and yelling about the explanation above, don’t continue down.  This post isn’t for you.  It is for people like me in marketing, so I changed it to be non-techie for marketing teams.

how htaccess impacts seo results

seo gains from htaccess cleaning

How .htaccess Impacts SEO

Your .htaccess file is going to be big, scary, and complex.  This is especially true for older sites which have had numerous designs, URL structures, and developers working on it.  Knowing how to properly implement, test, and then retest is an art form rather than a science.

.htaccess files require a lot of patience and frustration, so if you’re going through a clean up, get ready.  Here are some of the things that the programmer will be doing, looking at, and trying to fix. [Read more…] about SEO Case Study – How Your .htaccess Can Increase SEO Rankings

Filed Under: SEO

  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Go to page 3
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 18
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Advertising Disclosure

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Recent Posts

  • Case Study – A Small Business Beats Big Brands in SEO on Shopify
  • SEO Case Study – Small Business Beats International Corporation
  • Something to Remember When You’re a Consultant
  • How to Create a Gift Guide With SEO, Marketing & Monetization Tips.
  • Which Influencers Are More Valuable For Long Term Growth – Infographic

Contact Me

Contact Us
First
Last

Categories

  • Affiliate Marketing
    • Adware
    • Affiliate Programs
  • Affiliate Program Management
  • Blogging
    • monetization
  • Monetizing Your Site
  • Other
  • PPC
  • Press Room
    • Clients with Affiliate Programs
      • Bachelorette.com
      • Beau-coup & Swoozies
      • BulletSafe
      • GiftBasketsOverseas.com
      • HipsandCurves.com
      • NationalAutismResources.com
      • ProSource Fitness
  • SEO
  • Social Media
  • Uncategorized

Footer

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contact

Copyright © 2021 · AdamRiemer.me

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it or click OK to accept and dismiss this notice.OkNoRead more