{"id":142247,"date":"2020-10-20T15:56:48","date_gmt":"2020-10-20T15:56:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.searchenginewatch.com\/?p=142247"},"modified":"2020-10-20T15:56:48","modified_gmt":"2020-10-20T15:56:48","slug":"ceos-take-on-emerging-industry-trends-and-strategies-qa-with-mozs-sarah-bird","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2020\/10\/20\/ceos-take-on-emerging-industry-trends-and-strategies-qa-with-mozs-sarah-bird\/","title":{"rendered":"CEO\u2019s take on emerging industry trends and strategies: Q&#038;A with Moz\u2019s Sarah Bird"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"well\">\n<h3>30-second summary:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hyperlocal SEO will help struggling communities salvage their local businesses.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Moz surveyed over 1,400 local business marketers and more than half said they plan to implement Google\u2019s new features to support COVID-19 affected businesses.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Five under-rated yet crucial parameters marketers need to stay on top of.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sarah Bird\u2019s special tips to optimize audience engagement at various marketing touchpoints.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The best things you can do for landing pages is\u2026.?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dive in for these golden nuggets and a lot more.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2020 has hit the reset button for the world in many ways adding more wheels to digital marketers\u2019 and brands\u2019 \u201ccar of struggles\u201d for success. SEO is somewhat looked at as a game of Russian roulette where you win some and you lose some, and COVID-19 hasn\u2019t made this any easier.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To help you hit bull\u2019s eye and add an extra push to your digital strategies, we caught up with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/sarahbird\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Moz\u2019s CEO<\/a>, Sarah Bird to uncover emerging trends in the search scape, SEO, audience behaviors, and more!<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"  data-width=\"728\" data-height=\"485\" data-url=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/2018-Sarah-Bird-headshot_0.jpg\" style=\"max-width: 310px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-142248 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/2018-Sarah-Bird-headshot_0-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Sarah Bird Q&amp;A on emerging SEO and industry trends 2020\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/2018-Sarah-Bird-headshot_0-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/2018-Sarah-Bird-headshot_0.jpg 728w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sarah Bird, CEO of Moz<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><b>Q. What technologies, tools, and audience behaviors do you see shape up as 2020 progresses. If you were to draw a line between the temporary and ones that are here to stay, what would it be?\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Sarah Bird:<\/strong> Hyperlocal search has been important for years. 2020 has only increased its merit.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">COVID-19 has made active local business listings management more vital than ever before. Communities struggling to keep themselves supplied and cared for in changed conditions must depend on the internet as a crucial resource, and when business listings can quickly communicate to them what\u2019s available, where, when, and how, that\u2019s truly important. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/business\/answer\/9773423?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Google rolling out new features<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that allow business owners to share updates about curbside pickup, home delivery, or special hours for vulnerable populations directly on their listings, customers can access convenient information with a simple search. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/moz.com\/white-papers\/the-state-of-local-seo-industry-report-2020?utm_source=referral&amp;utm_medium=press-release&amp;utm_campaign=2020-local-search-report\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We surveyed over 1,400 local business marketers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and more than half said they plan to implement such services permanently. Aside from being absolutely necessary this year, businesses recognize that the investment in <a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2020\/06\/24\/nine-tips-to-increase-the-average-order-value-aov-of-your-ecommerce-store\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ecommerce<\/a> should not simply be for the short-term, but should be able to accommodate their business and customers in the long-term.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Q. If you were to pick the hero of Moz\u2019s local and international SEO strategy for the rest of 2020, what would it be?\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Sarah Bird:<\/strong> Reputation management will be crucial for local SEO strategy during 2020. We offer <a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2020\/01\/09\/role-of-seo-in-online-reputation-management\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">reputation management<\/a> features through Moz Local that we urge users to leverage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some of the most valuable features of Moz Local at this time are review alerts that allow you to quickly facilitate complaint resolution and response rating for quality control. During hectic times, customers are more emotional \u2014 this can either work for or against you. Should you receive a poor review during this time, it&#8217;s imperative that you respond quickly and empathetically.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Moz Local also offers a sentiment analysis feature that shows the most commonly used words for each of your star ratings. This can be useful in deciphering exactly what customers are finding important during this time.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Q. What five under-rated yet crucial parameters do marketers need to stay on top of to ensure that their brand has positively influenced their customers\/target audiences?<\/b><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Keywords:<\/strong> Understanding your own <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/moz.com\/beginners-guide-to-seo\/keyword-research\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">keywords<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and those of your competitors ensures marketers have a plan in place to secure visibility on a brand\u2019s offerings or content.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/moz.com\/learn\/seo\/external-link#:~:text=An%20external%20link%20is%20a,them%20as%20third%2Dparty%20votes.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>External links<\/strong><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>:<\/strong> These are an important source of ranking power in a SERP.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Differentiation:<\/strong> Framing content correctly is key to reaching target audiences. Sometimes that means presenting contrarian ideas, as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/moz.com\/blog\/how-to-stay-creative-seo-content-strategy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">described by Caroline Forsey<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of HubSpot.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Omnichannel communication:<\/strong> Not all of your readers are going to read and engage via laptop or mobile, but be sure to consider how SEO is involved in your <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/160-seo-social-honing-skills-needed-for-modern-marketer\/id955352073?i=1000475238899\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">social media strategy<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Outcome alignment:<\/strong> SEO goals don&#8217;t always have to focus on clicks. Ensure your marketing team is aligned on how content or a topic should be engaged, as it could mean that your ideal outcome is answering your customer&#8217;s question directly within the SERP.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><b>Q. What are the best ways to use entities that can leverage BERT, add more dimensions to keyword strategy, content, and the overall digital presence?\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Sarah Bird:<\/strong> I don\u2019t encourage SEOs or marketers to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/moz.com\/blog\/what-is-bert\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">optimize for BERT<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. There are too many variables to develop an effective strategy toward this model.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instead, marketers should continue the focus on the overarching goal of creating excellent content that holistically understands and meets the intent of users. This is no small feat and requires an intense understanding of your business, your audience, and how the two intertwine. Creating world-class content that&#8217;s data-driven, timely, and empathetic to the audience will prove to be far more effective than focusing on this specific component of an algorithmic change from Google.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Q. Tips to optimize audience engagement at marketing touchpoints like emails, landing pages, and social media?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Sarah Bird:<\/strong> Each of these touchpoints are important for a business\u2019s SEO strategy. These aren\u2019t tactics that can be tacked on \u2014 they all have a powerful impact.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Email marketing delivers some of the highest ROI, generating <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/marketing\/email-marketing-stats\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">$38 for every $1 spent<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. When it comes to emails, call-to-actions must be clear. Consider which landing pages you&#8217;re sending people to and whether they&#8217;re appropriate to improve bounce rates.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Social shares of a brand\u2019s content have a high correlation to ranking (as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/160-seo-social-honing-skills-needed-for-modern-marketer\/id955352073?i=1000475238899\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">described by our own Cyrus Shepard<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.) As with everything in SEO, a focus should be put on the keywords used as well as the medium of the content being put out and whether or not it&#8217;s optimized.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High-converting landing pages may lead to high bounce rates, which could negatively impact SEO. Rand Fishkin actually addressed this exact issue in a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/moz.com\/blog\/landing-page-seo-conversion-or-both-whiteboard-friday\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whiteboard Friday<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The best things you can do for landing pages is &#8211; focus on high-conversion long-tail keywords and to provide keyword-based content.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Feel free to share your thoughts on our interview and the emerging trends, drop a comment!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We caught up with Moz\u2019s CEO, Sarah Bird to uncover emerging trends in the search scape, SEO, audience behaviors, and a lot more!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":688,"featured_media":142248,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,5],"tags":[27942,27758,75,27813,27859,1379,53,37,27396,362,137,231,27768,22,536,32,657,1119],"content_type":[],"class_list":["post-142247","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry","category-seo","tag-audience-engagement","tag-bert","tag-content-2","tag-covid-19","tag-covid-19-and-digital-marketing","tag-customer-engagement","tag-digital-marketing","tag-google","tag-hyperlocal-seo","tag-international-seo","tag-local-seo","tag-moz","tag-online-reputation-management-orm","tag-seo","tag-seo-strategy","tag-serps","tag-social-media-and-seo","tag-strategy"],"acf":{"tad_independentcommercial":false,"tad_content_format":false},"post_info":{"name":"Kamaljeet Kalsi","title":"","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/2018-Sarah-Bird-headshot_0.jpg","category":"Industry","timeago":"5y"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142247","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/688"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=142247"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142247\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/142248"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=142247"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=142247"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=142247"},{"taxonomy":"content_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content_type?post=142247"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}