Google Launches A HUGE Local SEO Update
The SEOForLunch issue #260 covers a big local update and tips for SEOs and developers to play nice.
Hi Lunch Buddies!
Who else was super excited for a weekend of fantasy playoff football games? I sure was until nearly every single player across my team underperformed. Even with dismal performances one of my three playoff teams advanced to the next round.
On a much better note, we took the kids on a drive-thru Christmas light show. All the lights were synced to the radio in our car. It was a great experience and the kids had a blast. 10/10.
I hope everyone enjoys their holiday week. One more week until 2022!
-Nick
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Official Search Engine Updates
Tweet:
Google: “Our Local Search Update Has Concluded” [12/8]
What's Important:
Google’s Search Central Twitter account announced that a local search update occurred on November 30th and was fully released on December 8th.
Nick's Take:
Many in the industry have commented on this being one of the larger local-related updates that have been released. In fact, check out the first link in the “top resources” section below to read one post on this being the biggest update in FIVE years!
Video:
SEOs & Web Develops: Friends or Foes?
What's Important:
Google’s Martin and Surma kick off a new video series focusing on development and SEO. Mobile, load times, UX — do SEOs only make dev work harder? How can SEOs be helpful to devs? This video has some great advice.
Nick's Take:
I’ve never had a successful SEO campaign without the buy-in of the dev team. So while some devs can straight up make life miserable, it’s a necessary evil. Take the time to understand their pain points and if/once you can help solve those you’ll find that they will be more inclined to help with solving your issues.
Ho-Ho-Ho Santa Wants Cookies & Content Briefs!
[#SEOForLunch Partner]
Think of a content brief as Santa’s good/naughty list for your SEO content strategy. Find out exactly what to write (good kiddos) and what to ignore (naughty kiddos) in one document.
I’ve yet to meet a writer who doesn’t appreciate the data points and direction that I’m able to provide with this tool. I’m convinced that SEO briefs are critical to creating content that ranks well.
You can test out Content Harmony too. Get 10 briefs for $10.00 today.
Top SEO Resources From Last Week
Google Confirms Biggest Local Search Algo Update in 5 Years
Alix Coe, Brightlocal
This post sums up the impact of the Google update that headlined this week’s #SEOForLunch. Alix shares data that demonstrates this update being significant and potentially the biggest since the Possum update back in ‘16.
Free SEO Templates from the SEO Community
Tory Gray, Begum Kaya, TheGray.company
Reports can be such a pain in the butt. However, a good report can be worth its weight in gold. Sometimes recreating the wheel simply isn’t needed. This article outlines some really good templates that you can use for your projects.
Agency SEO Careers in a Commoditized Market
Tom Critchlow, TheSEOMBA
Wow. This is a gut punch that was needed. Tom’s callout of “results-oriented” SEO agencies has been everything wrong with my 10+ years of agency experience and even my own freelance experience. This post has me re-thinking how I position my services and reputation into 2022+
Top 11 Tips for Effective Project Management for SEO Agencies
Pulkit Agrawal, SEMRush
A bad project manager causes a lot of harm but a GOOD PM is an amazing resource that can help you scale your work immensely. This topic doesn’t get discussed enough and everyone agency (or even in-house) should be prioritizing in 2022+.
Learnings From 30 Months of Building a Community
Areej AbuAli, Areejabuali.com
Areej is the founder of Women in Tech SEO which has over 4,000 members. It’s a fantastic community that allows women to safely and securely ask questions and grow from one another. I find what Areej does admirable and her takeaway and learnings are motivation to keep doing bigger better and what’s right for the industry.
You Made It To The Bottom. You’re AWESOME!
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Learn More About The Guy Behind The #SEOForLunch: Nick LeRoy
Nick LeRoy is a professional SEO Consultant specializing in technical SEO, content strategy, and website migrations.
Nick is also the author of two SEO-focused newsletters: #SEOForLunch and The SEO Freelancer.
You can connect with Nick online through Twitter and LinkedIn.