Before Google arrived in a blaze of algorithms and social smoke there was the Yahoo Directory. This system served as a gateway to the Internet, cobbled together with user-compiled content and niche categories, stitched with endless links and affiliations.

It was revolutionary. It was dynamic.

Now... it’s gone.

In December 2014 the once venerable Yahoo Directory closed, leaving some to wonder if this would impact their SEO strategies. Would losing this index harm the optimization process?

The answer is simple: no.

While the Yahoo Directory was a nostalgic choice for users and SEO companies alike, it offered little value in the creation of responsive brands. Its non-crawling format made it difficult to gain traction, and the need to pay for prime directory spots wreaked havoc on business budgets (as well as undermined organic tactics).

The Yahoo Directory was never a cornerstone of SEO. Its closing - while unfortunate - had no lasting impact, therefore, on sites or SERPS.

Webstager now looks to the future of engines (such as Google and Bing) to better define optimization and achieve higher sales. To learn more about our services contact us today.

Bigger isn’t always better.

Too often do small businesses think themselves ill-prepared for SEO, unable to devote the time (or the budget) that larger companies can. Their marketing plans are less grand in scale, and they assume they can never measure up to their competitors.

The value of SEO, however, is that a little bit of planning can go a very long way - especially when that planning includes grassroots campaigns.

Small businesses can now optimize their sites for success. How? They can rely on grassroots SEO. These organic methods - which include social media marketing, local business indexing, real-time blogging, meta tagging and keyword analytics - can have significant impacts. They directly affect SERPs, optimizing content so that it appeals to spiders and readers alike; and they strengthen the viability of each page, with engines more willing to index information (rather than cite it for black-hat tactics). They legitimize companies online.

And, of course, grassroots SEO demands far less than paid advertisements or affiliations. The budget won’t break with these natural placement techniques. They're as effective as they are cost efficient - and this is imperative for those with only a few dollars to spare.

Learn more about grassroots SEO by contacting Webstager. We’ll be happy to explain the process and create a campaign that works for your small business. 

A series of kingdoms shapes the online world. Powerful networks - led by Google, Facebook, Twitter and other titans - carve out large chunks of territory, leaving companies scrambling to stake their brand banners on the few acres that remain.

What these companies discover, however, is that this is no easy task - and their efforts are often as futile as they are frustrating.

Webstager understands the difficulty in achieving top SERPs (we’ve worked hard to propel our clients through the engine maze, utilizing exceptional content creation and automated strategies for consistent results). Throughout our journey, however, we’ve realized a simple truth: niche networks often prove more accessible.

Niche networks are small social hubs dedicated to a specific service or product. They streamline the search process, offering limited - but relevant - information; and this is essential when creating an optimization strategy.

Don’t ignore these networks. Embrace them. Take advantage of localized searches and targeted keywords to reach readers. Instead of battling countless other companies in major engines, build a domain within a less used (but more viable) index or directory. This will ensure success.

Webstager would never discount the importance of Google, Bing and other favorites. Niche networking is not to be forgotten, however, and we will find our clients the alternative engines they need.

Contact us to learn more.

Google prides itself on innovation. It’s forever trying to streamline the search process... and it often succeeds, propelling sites forward with precise algorithms and white-hat rewards. Recent developments with its Direct Answer program, however, has caused many Vancouver SEO companies to worry.

The Direct Answer program allows users to enter specific queries and receive fast replies. Data is presented in a small box, with up to 200 characters detailing weather forecasts, definitions, calculations and other general knowledge entries. This is intended to expedite searches, allowing users to more efficiently find information.

Many fear, however, that this could negatively impact SEO - limiting content quality and reducing the need for sites.

Webstager wishes to allay those fears: Direct Answer will not be the end of SEO.

This program will only provide basic (concentrated) data. It will not explore topics or provide in-depth explanations. Optimized information is still needed and indexed sites will not suffer. This is merely a tool to help readers answer simple questions - and to entice them to continue their research. Overall content and SERPs will not be affected.

SEO is not losing its value. Instead it will pair with Direct Answer to provide consumer-friendly results.

To learn more about the Direct Answer program contact us today.

Innovative products, unique services, local branding: Vancouver businesses blend these components together to achieve online success. Without a proper grounding in customer-oriented SEO, however, that success will be short-lived.

SEO is the process of increasing a site’s visibility. Webstager understands, however, that this process must be tempered to consumers, adapting all content and social media marketing to their needs. 

How is this accomplished? Study customer data.

Analytics

First take note of real-time traffic patterns. Understand when customers are visiting each page, which information attracts the most attention and which search methods provide the greatest results (engines, media networks shares, video channels, etc.). Analyze how content performs within key demographics.

Sales

Study the sales of each month. See which products or services most appeal and create strategies that highlight these. Launch content campaigns, branding banners, responsive web pages and more.

Communication

Start a dialogue with consumers. Create contact forms, respond to social media posts and send out mass emails. Gain information from these conversations, learning what issues most affect users and their buying habits.

By implementing these elements companies can better understand their key demographics - and adapt their SEO strategies accordingly.

Customer satisfaction is the cornerstone of success. Contact Webstager to learn more.

Every page can be indexed. Not every page, however, can be organically popular.

Search engines carefully study every site, rewarding quality content and punishing black-hat techniques (such as hidden text, back-gated pages, keyword stuffing or link farming). Algorithms assess every score and adjust page ranks accordingly, propelling a lucky few to the top spots.

Why is this important?

Because organic traffic is directly influenced by a site’s SERP.

According to a recent study by Marketing Land, 71.33% of users rely on sites with first page positions for their searches. Comparatively, only 5.59% of users visit sites found on the second and third pages. Organic traffic drops dramatically after the elusive Top Ten (and sales, of course, drop as well).

This is a startling difference - and one that proves the importance of high page rankings. Without organic traffic sites will fail: unable to generate the necessary brand recognition, consumer reviews and profit margins. Not even exceptional products will spare them from low-volume clicks.

Webstager can keep this from happening, launching our customers to front of both major and niche engines. Our automated platform helps to ensure faster indexing, while our content strategies (including real-time event coverage, cross-channel marketing and responsive design) promises white-hat success. We deliver organic results.

And there’s nothing more crucial than that.

To learn more contact us today.

SEO is an oft-used phrase but a rarely understood idea. Readers assume that it’s just a collection of keywords and meta tags, with a few clever links tucked between.

It’s not.

It’s instead a complex process that requires time, patience and deliberate audience targeting.

The point of SEO is to connect sites and consumers. By targeting key readers companies can achieve online success, earning higher SERPs, stronger sales and increased brand recognition. Accomplishing this is no simple task, however. It involves:

One: Understanding Customers

Every consumer is different: defined by age, financial background, geography and more. Companies must try to reconcile these differences with their targeting strategies. Decide who will most likely buy a product, how much they’ll be willing to spend and how to best attract them. Examine demographics to launch an effective SEO campaign.

Two: Understanding Search Methods

The online world is vast, with its borders stretched across computers, tablets and smartphones. Target audiences on all three, creating SEO campaigns that offer responsive designs and adaptable language. This ensures greater accessibility and greater engine recognition.

Three: Understanding Promotion

Optimizing a website is not enough. Cross-channel promotions are instead needed for strong SEO. Create multi-faceted strategies, blending social media, local business indexes, niche networks and even video channels. Never underestimate the power of a layered campaign.

Finding the right audience with SEO is possible - but it’s also challenging. Let Webstager simplify the process. We help our clients connect with crucial demographics, and we do this through automated content and creative branding strategies.

Contact us to learn more.

You wake to a world gone mad: your site has been flagged for manipulative practices; your content has been duplicated, passed from blog to blog; and your reviews have plummeted. You don’t understand. How could this have happened?

Webstager is sad to report that you’ve been the victim of negative SEO.

Negative SEO is the process of deliberately undermining a site through black-hat tactics, such as: pasting unindexed content across the web, writing a series of bad reviews and even creating extensive spammy back-links. These elements hurt a company’s overall SERP position.

They can be combated, however, with help from Webstager.

The best way to defend against negative SEO is to have a strong domain authority. We provide that. Our consistent content and extensive page building ensures better engine recognition. The text and images we create are indexed extensively through Google, Bing and beyond: which builds a level of trust between our clients and search crawlers.

And with that trust comes security, with engines less likely to flag your site for black-hat practices and more likely instead to delete all supposed offenses. We make your content a tangible - and reliable - part of the Internet.

Negative SEO is not a common practice. It does, however, occur and must be guarded against. Webstager will provide you with the tools needed to protect your company and your reputation.

Contact us today to learn more.

Google is forever redefining the online world - and its new snippet application will continue that tradition.

Google Snippets is a program that embraces information. It begins by locating high SERP sites, using web crawlers to scan the content found within them (including meta headings, alt tags and landing links). This data is then condensed into 156 characters, delivering brief - but relevant - descriptions to readers.

This is undeniably convenient. It’s also undeniably powerful.

With the launch of Google Snippets site-owners can now fully utilize their meta descriptions, stuffing them with keyword-rich content that inspires rapid indexing. This program will help to better optimize pages and increase overall visibility - but only if used correctly.

Creating proper meta descriptions is no easy task. Many site-owners may find themselves stumbling through information, showcasing too many services and overextending the snippet tool. They will build clumsy tags and make poor first impressions.

Webstager can keep this from happening.

Let us navigate the world of Google for you, bringing powerful (but succinct) information to this new format. We’ll provide snippets that appeal to readers and web-crawlers alike.

And what could be better than that?

Contact us today to learn more.

In 2012 the boundaries of SERPs and SEO collided. Google - the undisputed emperor of engines - released its Penguin algorithm, forever shaping the future of Vancouver companies.

The original Penguin was a unique program, created specifically to redefine SERP rankings. It wielded mighty wings, brushing away sites that relied on black-hat techniques and stripping them of their page positions. It battled keyword stuffing, back-links and hidden content; and it transformed SEO for every BC business.

Webstager celebrated this application on its release. Our social strategies have always embraced white-hat sensibilities, building rankings through exceptional content and automated platforms. Penguin was - to us - a reward.

And now we’re pleased to announce that this reward will continue in 2015.

A new Penguin algorithm will soon be revealed, with early reports promising daily web crawlers and increased indexing activity. This will define the SEO strategies of all companies, forcing them to deliver better content and organic results.

We’ll simply continue to do what we’ve always done.

The next generation of Penguin is coming... and Webstager is ready for it. Contact us today to learn more.