First Impressions of Google's December Core Update (2020)

It was a little later than expected, but Google has officially rolled out their December Core update for 2020. 

While Google is always making small and marginal changes to their search algorithm on an ongoing basis, they also tend to have a few large rollouts once or twice a year. These are either new modules for sorting (like Panda, Penguin, and some of the other "independent" algorithms) or major updates to the functionality of the core web algorithm.

This latest update has been confirmed as a core update and Google has some notes on what, exactly, that means:

https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2019/08/core-updates

Several times a year, we make significant, broad changes to our search algorithms and systems. We refer to these as "core updates." They’re designed to ensure that overall, we’re delivering on our mission to present relevant and authoritative content to searchers. These core updates may also affect Google Discover.

We confirm broad core updates because they typically produce some widely notable effects. Some sites may note drops or gains during them. We know those with sites that experience drops will be looking for a fix, and we want to ensure they don’t try to fix the wrong things. Moreover, there might not be anything to fix at all.

Google also suggests a number of on-page and technical improvements that may assist webmasters who see negative results during a major algo update. They also note that a drop in traffic after a major update doesn't even necessarily mean that your website has done anything wrong. It may just mean that some links you have used to carry more weight than they do now. 

December Core Changes 

While it can take two or three weeks for a Google algo update to fully go live, many webmasters are already seeing major changes. So far, none of my own websites seem to be performing much differently than before.

The sites around them in the SERPs do appear to be moving rapidly, however. 

Here are some trends I've observed (non-scientifically):

• Sites with a large number of referring domains and questionable backlinks dropped momentarily before recovering
• Sites with a lower number of referring domains but just as many questionable backlinks dropped all the way off the board
• Sites that have focused on on-page and technical SEO have fared well
• Places that rank well on Google maps may be tied to websites that rank poorly 

In short, bad backlinks CAN hurt your ranking - and the December Core update seems to have reinforced this point. On the other hand, some domains still seem able to "power through this with an overwhelming amount of new links. It's almost as if they're able to "outrun" any penalties by picking up more new links before the old ones can be discounted. 

Another interesting detail is that while a few of these sites I'm watching have completely vanished from the top 200 results, their local "places" page is still ranking at the top. This seems to indicate that while the place and the website can influence each other, their fates aren't necessarily tied. 

The other clear winner is among sites that employ a strategy that focused on content depth and completeness. Long form pages continue to do well, especially on domains with clean backlink profiles and minimal SEO issues. 

As always, keep an eye on Google Search Console for warnings about your on page and technical SEO, and keep on publishing that content! 

Advantages of hiring a local SEO

Some people may prefer to hire a local SEO because they want to support their community and area businesses. This is a great goal but it shouldn't be assumed that hiring a local SEO is just an act of charity. 

Local search and marketing firms have unique insights to the local markets: they're probably already familiar with your company and your competitors, and they know exactly what it's going to take to get your website to the top. 

Here are some advantages a local SEO can have over a national marketing firm:

• Knowledge of local markets and competition
• Knowledge of local consumers and trends
• Access to local media contacts 
• Familiarity with local websites and networks
• Availability for on-site issues

Local markets and competition

Each local market has a unique business situation. Whether we're talking about the major car dealerships, lawyers, restaurants, or bars, there are certain brands that everyone in town knows of. You'll need to understand why these companies are successful if you'll want to match them.

Local consumer trends

Each community has its own culture, too. What plays well in New York City might not be so popular here in Jacksonville. We've got certain tastes and expectations, and trying to apply a national campaign to local values may ultimately clash in a way that's unproductive and wastes your marketing budget. 

Local media contacts

Connections to the local community also means connections with the local media. National media placements can be extremely costly, and pointless if you're not intending to be a national brand. Your local lawn service or towing company doesn't need national recognition - it needs local attention and local customers! 

Knowledge of local websites

Website marketing usually involves promoting your website on other peoples' websites. A local SEO should know exactly which local websites and communities are available for promotion - and what standards are applied to determine whether or not self-promotion is welcomed.

On-site availability

SEO and web development can largely be done offline, but many clients also prefer the ability to meet in person. Many SEOs provide additional technology services like computer and network repair, training, and software development. In the course of doing business with a technology consultant and service provider, it's often useful to be close by and show up at the office from time to time. 

Jacksonville gets back to business

While the pandemic itself is far from over, we've learned a lot about how to avoid infection and even how to treat people who do catch the illness. We're also starting to see that people are sick of being stuck inside all day, and the urge to get out is growing!

And while economic indicators suggest that households have done well with rationing and budgeting during the economic downturn, people are also motivated to find jobs, start new businesses, and apply what they've learned this year to achieve greater economic gains. 

Jacksonville has fared relatively well - both in terms of minimizing the pandemic and also in terms of economic resilience. We never really cashed in on tourism like the rest of the state has, but that serves us well in downturns when the tourist economy slows down. Jacksonville has a lot of heavy industry, commerce, logistics, and financial services - and those are things that tend to keep on ticking even in the worst economic conditions. 

The future is here

It's likely that we'll look back on 2020 as a major turning point in this country. 

Remote work became common and digital accelerated its conquest of brick and mortar retail. While stocks in general performed extremely well in the recovery, gains were almost exclusively led by technology firms listed in the NASDAQ. Politically, things are likely to calm down again as people adjust to the new normal of social equality and non-discrimination. Jacksonville's Human Rights Ordinance has finally passed, and while a few throwbacks may call for a return to the past, that isn't something that is likely to happen. 

The only ingredient missing for a massive economic boom is disposable income, and we've even seen some hints that that might on the way up, too. Stimulus checks and increased unemployment benefits went a long way toward increasing household incomes, and people have gotten a little taste of what economic security is like. They won't want to give it up! So we're likely to see increased taxes on the wealthiest, but instead of investing that in corporate subsidies like we've done for so long, that money is likely to be spent reducing costs like healthcare - which leaves more money in workers' pockets. 

Things might still seem dark, but remember that it is always darkest immediately before the dawn. 

The future is online

As much as Jacksonville and its residents are ready to get outside and get back to business (and football!) as usual, there are going to be some big changes. The biggest of all is probably going to continue to be the increased role of technology and the internet in business. 

JacksonvilleSEO.net is ready to help you out in that transition to a new, online future. Whether you need a website, need it redesigned, or just need it to make you more money, we have the consulting services that can help make technology work for you. We specialize in developing content that attracts visitors and converts traffic in to sales. We know what makes Jacksonville tick, and we've got the experience and skills to help ensure your business remains an important part of Jacksonville's bright future. 

Winner's & Losers in Jacksonville's RNC Cancelation

Last week, many in the city breathed a huge sigh of relief to hear that the Republican National Convention was canceled. Many had worried that such an influx of travelers congregating in the enclosed spaces of the Veteran's Memorial Arena would only hasten the spread of the virus. Others were concerned that the arrival of such an unpopular president could instigate larger and more violent protests.

On the other hand, many local businesses had invested heavily in what they had hoped to be a great week for sales.Restaurants, in particular, had scheduled larger than usual orders. Hotels that had virtually closed down scrambled to find new temporary staff. It's suspected - but not confirmed - that a lot of speculators also have dozens to hundreds of hotel reservations they thought they could easily resell at a profit.

One's personal politics can also play a part in whether or not this looks like a victory or a defeat. For those who support Trump and the Republican party, it's got to be at least a little frustrating to watch these plans evaporate. Those who favor a Democratic victory in November are probably glad that the GOP won't have this platform.

With that out of the way, let's check the roundup:

Winners

• The city - While it doesn't look good that we were one of the only cities who agreed to take on such a dangerous and controversial convention, we will at least be spared the embarrassment of actually having to go through with it. People in other states and cities will be a little bit more aware of the local resistance to the event, and we won't be subject to hours of coverage in the national media. Between the lack of hotels and amenities downtown, the general economic slowdown caused by the pandemic, and the partisan nature of the event, it was likely to generate a lot of negative publicity that can now be avoided.
• Jacksonville residents - The news is also a big win for Jacksonville residents who were worried about public health and safety. There won't be thousands of people visiting from out of town that week, and we won't be encouraging an escalation to the protests. We've seen just a little bit of chaos from Jacksonville's largest wave of protests in recent history, but for the most part they've been peaceful and orderly. Trump's controversial visit could have been fuel to light a much larger fire, and the proposal to limit protests to a small fenced section of downtown away from the event was already enraging local activists. Again, all of that will now be avoided.
• Taxpayers -  Yes, the Mayor promised that this would be a huge economic benefit for the city of Jacksonville, but at this point it's pretty clear that his numbers and estimates weren't really based on anything. He was the guy who thought this was a good idea, after all. The reality is that the Charlotte committee wasn't releasing any funds to Jacksonville. There would also be significant costs for police overtime budgets and other security costs. There was always a good chance that this event was going to be a massive waste of money, and the taxpayers would've ultimately been on the hook for that.  

Losers

• Donald Trump - President Trump really wanted his big event. He wanted the roar of the crowd and he didn't want it interrupted with things like social distancing and masks. He wanted a place where he could play out his fantasy of being a popular president in a strong and healthy America, but reality caught up with him quicker than the plan could be enacted. The greatest irony here is that if Trump had taken the virus seriously back in February or March, he probably could have that fantasy match the reality. 
• Mayor Curry - Out of the local political class, Mayor Lenny Curry seems to have invested the most heavily in the RNC. He promised big economic dividends and a national spotlight, but he got ridicule instead. With the clock running out on his final term, he's likely to be remembered for the things he destroyed (the RNC, the Landing, Metro Park, etc...) and his possibly criminal attempt to sell off JEA. Any hope of a positive legacy or future political career is probably about zero right now, although there may be a part time gig on Fox News available. 
• Businesses who bet on the GOP - Leadership matters, and Jacksonville businesses who were following the lead of the GOP are likely to see their bets come up short. It's terrible that so many local businesses have been impacted by the pandemic and resulting recession, but this convention debacle just doubled down on a losing hand. Local Republicans might need some time to rebuild trust and leadership within the local business community. 

The easy way out

The other irony here is that the losers might have lost twice as bad if the convention hadn't been canceled. Trump was likely to be greeted by a sparse crowd, and in the aftermath he'd be blamed for any increased transmission or Covid or any attendees who were later found to be infected. Curry would also shoulder additional blame if attendance and economic impact failed to meet expectations. Businesses that were already burned by inflated sales estimates might be hit twice as hard without the opportunity to cancel orders and reschedule shifts in advance. 

When all is said and done, it's likely that this particular issue won't even last too long in the minds of voters and the local public. The economic losses might be pretty long term, or even permanent, for those businesses and individual speculators who bet big, but most people will probably go on with their lives without too much lingering thought to the convention that could have been. 

For the losers in this deal, that's probably mostly good news because they already had big problems before this convention was added to them. Trump's facing historic unpopularity and polls suggesting Biden could get a landslide victory. Curry is facing multiple investigations in to his role in the attempted JEA sale, and local businesses are already reeling from the effects of the pandemic. 

Now they can get back to their regularly scheduled crises! 

Florida's reopening is officially a disaster

Just a few short weeks after bars and restaurants in Florida were allowed to reopen for business, new cases of coronavirus have utterly shattered all previous records.

Undaunted, the governor has refused to back down, causing many observers to audibly wonder: "What the hell?"

Here in Jacksonville, coronavirus hotspots have been identified at just about every single bar or restaurant that opened back up at the beaches. Lynch’s Irish Pub, The Wreck Tiki Lounge, and The Tavern have all temporarily shuttered for deep cleaning since after reopening. Why? Because customers and employees are getting sick from the highly contagious and deadly virus that everyone has been trying to warn us about for almost half a year now.

The mayor of Jacksonville is also doubling down his bet on Trump's RNC convention speech. Up to 15,000 individuals will be packs in to the Veteran's Memorial Arena in late August, and they're likely to refuse to wear any kind of masks or take any kinds of precautions against the illness. Despite overwhelming public opinion against this event, it continues to move ahead at full speed. In fact, the best hope we have in Jacksonville right now is that the speech will be as much of a bust as the recent Tulsa rally.

Long term consequences coming in to focus

When this outbreak started, there was good reason to be concerned for a short term disruption in business and economic activity.

As the outbreak drags on and spreads without resistance throughout the United States, we should probably start to worry about larger and more long term economic damage.

The world can no longer look toward the United States for leadership in a crisis. We no longer demonstrate characteristics that people want to emulate, and we no longer look like a safe destination for skilled immigrants or investment funds.

Instead of leading the world toward a new era of cooperation, we find ourselves increasingly isolated - cut off from travel to more and more destinations across the globe. Europe doesn't want visitors from the U.S., and China doesn't want to import our chickens or other agricultural products.

Simply put, the world sees any physical interaction with an American as a growing and needless risk.

Can you blame them?

COVID cases rise as Florida attempts reopening

June 6th, marked the 4th consecutive day of 1,000 or more positive coronavirus diagnoses in Florida. That's about two weeks from Memorial Day, and that's the turnaround time we should expect from the time of infection to the positive diagnosis.

One June 16th, we hit a new record: 2783 cases confirmed in a single day.

While we did manage to "bend the curve" we never did stamp the virus out. All of the efforts we put in from March to June merely stabilized the rate of spread. Without those actions, the number of new cases per day would continue to grow until approximately 60 to 70% of the population has been infected.

So why are we declaring victory? The risk today is just as real as it was in March when we tried to bend that curve flatter.

Frankly, the economy (and maybe the fragile American psyche) just can't handle that much effort for someone else's benefit. This impatience and self-centered attitude has been multiplied by incompetent leadership that has not been able to leverage our efforts at a higher level with things like:

• Case tracing
• Quarantine
• Masks
• Avoiding indoor spaces

So don't get too excited about the economy and world going back to normal. We still have work to do before we can declare victory - and the people in charge show no interest in getting started, so we're going to be here for a while.

Trump's Jacksonville speech - economic opportunity or disaster?

Do you own a hotel? A bar? No? Then let's cut to the chase: it's going to be a disaster.

Mayor Curry and the Republican party are hailing Trump's late August visit as a great economic opportunity, but it's more like a worst case scenario for most Jacksonville residents.

Not only does Donald Trump have a long and verified record of not paying his bills for rallies like this one, Mayor Curry didn't even bother to get any sort of agreement in writing. To avoid mandatory reporting of public records under the state's Sunshine Laws, all discussions and deals were made in person or over the phone. This will only make it easier for Trump to avoid paying for any costs associated with his Jacksonville event.

Beyond that, coronavirus rates are already rising rapidly - not just in Jacksonville, but nationwide. One of Trump's biggest demands for this rally was that he be able to fill up an indoor arena without any of the "pesky" markers of pandemic, like masks.

So what happens when you take people from around the country and put them in one arena with no social distancing or personal protective equipment? The virus spreads. Not only will it spread throughout the event, it will also spread to the hotels and restaurants that visitors are coming to eat at. Two weeks after the rally, Jacksonville is likely to look like ground zero for new infections.

The final piece of this disaster that Curry seems to be ignoring is the inevitable protest. The city is already on edge from the deaths of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery, and yet Trump is going ahead with a major event on the anniversary of an infamous white riot. That's right: Trump's visit coincides with Ax Handle Saturday - a dark day in Jacksonville history marked by Klansmen violently rioting downtown.

What's the upside? Well, a handful of hotels might have one good night of business. There may even be a bar or restaurant that's still open to enjoy two nights of good sales.

Their staffs will be directly exposed to the risk of illness, and the resulting fear of the virus will probably do more damage to their earnings in the long run than the short term boost provides.

Why video matters

Police brutality is not a new problem, but many Americans - especially white ones - are experiencing it for the first time this week.

Many police departments and local news outlets are still trying to deny such a thing exists, but public opinion is rapidly shifting.

Why? Because video can capture a perspective that people might not otherwise see.

This lawyer from North Carolina has been compiling evidence of police misconduct on Twitter, and it gives us some insight as to how changing media environments can also change the societies they operate in.

For the first time in human history, almost every person has a camera and video recorder in their pocket. In a matter of moments, these videos and pictures can be transferred wirelessly to web servers and distributed to viewers across the globe.

By the time officers and PR managers have cooked up a story, the truth has already been documented for the public to see.

So keep those cameras rolling, you never know when video content might just change the world.

Making local SEO work in Jacksonville

While the competition to be the top SEO firm in Jacksonville remains fierce, most local businesses won't need that level of SEO investment to come out on top for their keywords. A focus on the basic and essential aspects of your website may be all that is necessary to boost your organic search rankings and organic traffic from highly motivated potential customers.

Keys to Local SEO Success in Jacksonville

So you want more web traffic for your local business? The good news is that the basics are often good enough. Here are some of the classic keys for success when it comes to ranking through local SEO.

• Improve loading speed
• Fix or remove missing files and assets
• Register with Google Businesses
• Produce fresh, unique content
• Review existing content for updates

When it comes to the technical side of SEO, it is critical that web pages load quickly and without any missing files or 404 errors. Slow pages lead to high bounce rates and low user engagement, so even if it wasn't effecting your search engine result position (SERP) it is still effecting your conversion rates.

Visitors will appreciate the quick response of your server, and so will Google. If you can find a local web host or one nearby, you'll get even better speeds due to geographic proximity.

It's also important to verify your business with Google's business listings. This will help put you on the map, both literally and figuratively. Verified businesses are eligible to show up in Google's map results box - although you're not guaranteed a prominent listing just for existing.

And this brings us to the big secret that isn't really much of a secret: content is the most important part of any SEO campaign. Once the website is working well on the server side, the most critical step is the development of fresh and unique content that is structured so that users and search bots alike can discern exactly what it's all about. Pictures are good and video is better, but each post should have an absolute minimum of 300 words attached to explain what the other media is about.

500 words is better and 1,000 better still, but that doesn't mean to ramble on about irrelevant things or repeat yourself. Get to the point as much as possible while striving to be comprehensive. Stay on topic, but don't be afraid to branch out a little bit toward related concepts. Take advantage of internal linking opportunities and make sure all of those related posts and pages are connected through hyperlinks.

Then once your content is in place, don't forget about it! Facts become obsolete and details change - your content should also be updated to stay relevant even if it was published long ago. It's also important to ensure that existing content doesn't violate the standards for good content set out above: watch out for keyword stuffing, unnatural link profiles, and scraped content. These "shortcuts" can end up costing a lot more than they save, in the long run.

What's Missing? 

The obsession with backlinks. Don't get me wrong: backlinks are great and they're powerful, but most people who set out to "build" them just end up with junk links and/or unnatural link exchanges.

Editorial links are the strongest signal by far, and you can really only earn those with high quality content published with a regular and consistent frequency.

Based on my experience, a combination of technical SEO auditing and a commitment to new content is all it takes to dominate the local search results. So what are you waiting for? The traffic is out there, you just have to claim your share!

Don't bet on business as usual

With the state of Florida eager to reopen, many small business owners and sole proprietors are looking to get back to business as normal. Unfortunately, wanting it won't be enough to make it happen.

As posted previously, this attempt to move on beyond the pandemic is based largely on hope and hasn't fully addressed the underlying problem that has caused so much disruption so far.

Yes, we'd like to go out. Yes, we'd like to see our friends and acquaintances again.

But there's still an incredibly infectious virus that has a much higher fatality rate than most of the bugs that spread this quickly.

As it stands, we've successfully managed to slow down the pandemic. Early projections would've had every hospital in the country overflowing by now if we hadn't done anything.

But that doesn't mean we've done enough. The virus continues to spread and people are continuing to avoid unnecessary travel and social events. They'll continue to, too, until the virus is entirely stamped out.

So if you're trying to get your Jacksonville area business back to operation - what do you do?

It can be tempting to bet big on this coming reopening, but it might be a safer idea to bet on trying to survive the lull a little longer. We've got some time to position our SEO strategies for long term growth, so don't bet the farm on a short term return to normal!

Give us a call at Jacksonville SEO today! We're here to help your business maximize its online presence through a combination of search engine optimization, online marketing, social media, and conversion optimization. We look forward to helping you build a new normal - one that's even better than what came before!

Jacksonville begins to re-open

Many local companies in Jacksonville have been decimated by the coronavirus pandemic, and they're eager to open up shop and get back to business.

Unfortunately, there are also many indications that the spread of the virus has not been fully stopped, so any attempts at a resumption of economic activity may incidentally backfire and produce unintended effects.

The Hope

A best case scenario would look something like this:

• Business begins to reopen
• Social activity returns with maintained distancing and sanitation
• Customers and sales return to local Jacksonville businesses
• At-risk populations remain at home, safely

The goal here would be to slowly build up herd immunity while protecting the most vulnerable individuals (elderly, pre-existing conditions, etc...)

Infection rates would continue to climb - but slowly. Hospital admissions related to COVID-19 would continue to be treated, but the hope would be to keep the rates low enough so that the new patients do not overwhelm the medical system.

The Risk

A worst-case scenario could also develop:

• Business reopens, but a vast majority of customers stay home
• A false sense of victory diminishes social distancing and other precautions
• Infection is spread to at-risk populations through grocery stores and other essential retail
• Economic stagnation lasts for years until herd immunity or a vaccine is achieved

Rushing out to declare victory may very well be the worst option available right now. While six weeks of central quarantine with test & trace is enough to completely eliminate endemic infections, six weeks of casual social distancing and half-enforced stay at home orders hasn't done much but bend the curve.

If we extend the slowdown anyway, we may be on our way to the economic worst-case scenario. Is your business and SEO strategy ready for that? We are. Call us today to find out how Jacksonville SEO can help your business adapt to the challenges of the 21st century. 

The beaches are back - for now

Jacksonville made global news today by announcing that the beaches would re-open just a few short weeks after they were shut down. It happened to be that the opening was on the same day that the state of Florida announced its highest daily positive test number. That's right: More than 1,400 Floridians tested positive on the same day our Mayor, Lenny Curry, decided to reduce restrictions and increase public gatherings.

For now, officials have attached a laundry list of arbitrary and confusing restrictions to the right to be at the beach, so we can assume that the rules will also be enforced through the arbitrary feelings of whatever officer happens to be around at the moment.

The mayor has reserved the right to cancel this order and re-close the beaches if and when he deems necessary, so at least he's left himself an out if it becomes too obvious that this was a bad move.

Unfortunately, as mentioned above, this move has caught the attention of national and international journalists alike. While people in other states and nations look on at our slow response, high infection rates, and high mortality rates with horror, they're not waiting to see if this was a bad decision or not.

Even if individuals at the beach can show some restraint and follow the guidelines for social distancing, it's likely that this will be one of the negative facts that Jacksonville is known for outside of North Florida. It certainly won't be helping our image for tourist business, and it may even cause Duval natives to be viewed suspiciously if they try to travel abroad.

Hopefully the fallout is minimal and Friday's numbers stay at the top of the record books for a long time.

Things won't be back to normal soon

While stay at home orders have increasingly impacted the ability of local Jacksonville businesses to make money, they're unlikely to be lifted any time soon. Some are hoping for a swift resolution and quick return to normal, but this type of unfounded optimism can be dangerous if it fails to prepare you for the reality that is coming.

Estimates from the United Kingdom's top colleges suggest that waves of infection outbreak will continue for as much as the next two years. Our best hope for a quicker resolution will require a vaccine is rapidly developed, and the soonest we can realistically hope for that will be in about 18 months from now. At worst, we'll probably be close to herd immunity in two years - but that means a lot of people will be dead, too.

How will your business survive? It is clear now that many of them won't. The economy we have on the other side of this will be radically different from the economy we started with. Small and medium sized firms of all types will be radically disrupted and many partners, suppliers, and customers won't be there anymore when the dust settles. Even if your business does survive, the ecosystem it existed in will be forever altered.

One tactic for retaining sales figures is to increase the focus on online conversions. After all, if your customers are anywhere right now, it's probably online. Increased internet sales may help to offset a reduction in sales at a physical location, but it will still be subject to the pressures caused by reduced consumer spending, lost wages, and general economic uncertainty.

Not all businesses can adjust to an online presence as the primary form of sales, but those that do so successfully will have a huge edge against those local Jacksonville businesses that don't.

And if your business absolutely cannot adapt to a new world of social distancing and intermittent stay at home orders, it might be time to think about shifting gears and setting up a new spin off that does.

While we won't be locked up inside our own homes forever, there's no old normal to go back to.

Jacksonville and Florida under stay at home orders

As the coronavirus spreads throughout the globe, we've found ourselves in a unique situation here on the first coast. For the first time since perhaps World War 2, extreme government orders have reduced and eliminated all economic activity and travel that isn't deemed essential to our vary survival.

Businesses across Jacksonville are reeling - but none have been as hard hit as those that rely on tourism and social events. Schools in Jacksonville also remain closed, so parents have reduced their travel and aren't stopping off for random purchases on the way to drop off and pick up their kids.

The internet is still open for business

Just because life as usual has been disrupted doesn't mean people don't still need things from each other. While normal modes of business aren't as practical as they used to be, the internet is relatively unaffected by social distancing and stay at home orders. Websites can easily be updated from home and shipping channels remain open for trade.

SEO can be an important investment for businesses that are transitioning from walk in and word of mouth toward online sales. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization - and it refers to the process of maximizing the amount of organic traffic that websites receive on a regular basis. SEO can be achieved through a combination of increased content output, analyzing the structure and readability of existing content, and optimizing the promotion of the content through social media and other earned media channels. 

Business across Jacksonville can benefit from putting their SEO strategy in to overdrive right now - largely because there isn't anything else going on in the economy right now. Many firms and corporations are likely to fail, but those who adapt will thrive!

The economic outlook is grim, but your customers are online if they're anywhere

While foot traffic is essentially down to zero, there are still plenty of companies operating online and plenty of customers making their purchases there.

Forget about the fancy new signage or locating to a hipper part of town, that's all budget that can and should be going toward online marketing and social media outreach. From targeted ads, to search engine optimization (SEO), to social marketing, online advertising provides a variety of methods to reach your customers. Depending on the type of goods or services you offer, each may offer a slightly different return on investment (ROI) but a well managed campaign will easily be profitable in the long run.

Targeted Advertising and SEO approaches both seek to understand the search behavior of potential customers. By anticipating the questions buyers ask and the types of information they seek out on Google, you can work to earn their traffic and optimize your site to make the sale. Targeted advertising can create nearly immediate effects, but it is also prone to diminishing returns and competition can quickly run the profit margins down to zero.

The SEO approach is a little bit slower to get started, but pays out much better in the long run. By building up authoritative content and creating a more usable website experience, you'll increase both the organic traffic coming to your site as well as the percentage of visits that convert to sales. SEO focuses on building up your website as the greatest source of information available on your topic, and that value lasts for a long time.

Social media outreach is also an important component of virtually any online advertising campaign. As people increasingly use the internet to keep in touch and learn about new things, it's only natural that they'd like to follow along with companies and organizations that provide goods and services related to their hobbies and interests. Social media can provide powerful connections - as well as valuable feedback from real people.

The future is uncertain, but one thing we do know is that the customers are online these days - if they're anywhere at all!

Jacksonville Schools Remain Closed for Coronavirus Pandemic

As Jacksonville and the world reacts to the deadly spread of coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), schools have been one of the first essential institutions to shut down. While younger individuals and children are not at particular risk for death or consequences, they can still help to spread the infection to those older folks who are most at risk of complications and fatality. 

Duval County Public Schools Shut Down Schedule

As of March 19, 2020, the Duval County Public Schools are observing the following updates to the academic schedule:

• Spring break will continue as scheduled through this week
• All classes will be moved to home-based instruction until April 15 at the earliest
• New student registration continues as normal

Students who rely on school lunches will be able to pick them up from the school. Buses will also be delivering academic supplies for students to work on while schools remain closed, and students/parents can also pick up school lunches at this time from the normal bus stop location.

How Parents Can Help

Right now, the most important thing for parents is to stay calm and practice social distancing for the family. Children should be kept mostly indoors, although some outdoor activities can be enjoyed in open spaces.

Parents are also asked to complete the online technology survey to help the administrators at DCPS understand what resources are available for students at home. 

Also: stay tuned! This is a rapidly evolving situation and the people who run the schools are also still trying to figure out exactly what's going on and how they can best continue to educate our kids in the face of pandemic and crisis. 

Uncertainty Remains

Governor DeSantis has implied that schools may possibly remain closed for the entire duration of the current academic year. Final standardized testing has already been canceled, and parents will have the option of keeping their students in the same grade during next year's enrollment. It is yet to be seen how quickly the state's school districts can adapt to online learning modes, and it is yet to be seen how successful we will be in mitigating the spread of coronavirus. 

Online opportunities for Jacksonville business in 2020

While the effects of corona-virus COVID-19 appear to be devastating to the global economy, there is also a gold rush happening in the pursuit of online and technological solutions to the infection. There are many ways that Jacksonville businesses can adapt to reduce the negative impact this pandemic has on the bottom line.

Increase remote and work from home output

Many employers have resisted remote and work from home job arrangements because they fear remote workers will be inefficient or unable to communicate well with their coworkers. For many professional positions, the evidence consistently shows the opposite. 

Technical tasks and detailed administrative work requires focus and concentration that can be hard to achieve in an office environment. Firms that were once afraid to let employees work remotely found that their output and efficiency only increased when they tested it out. Communication and collaboration is facilitated through a suite of software and apps provided by Microsoft and Google, so teams are connected with the latest versions of organization and audio-visual interaction. 

While the competition stays at home under quarantine and worrying about backlog, your teams can connect online using technology that wasn't even available just a few years ago. 

Reach a global customer base 

As social distancing and limited live events take a toll on business revenues, there are opportunities to think beyond the local market to make ends meet. 

If your business relies on people dropping in to say hi, you're probably going to hate the next few years. On the other hand, you can act quickly and decisively to go beyond those geographical limitations. Around the world, customers are turning to their computers to do business they had once done locally. Those customers can be yours, with the right amount of online awareness and creative thinking. 

Initiative will also matter! Any new opportunities will be quickly identified and capitalized upon. Established firms will be harder to displace, so those who act quickest will seize the largest part of the new, shifted customer base. 

Coronovirus impact on Jacksonville business

As people reduce travel and spend more time at home, the economy is slowing. How much? It is hard to say, but coronovirus has clearly had an impact on the global economy, already.

Jacksonville won't be entirely immune from the effects of this pandemic, either. Although we haven't had any cases confirmed yet in Duval county, it is certainly just a matter of time before someone here becomes infected.

And in the best case scenario that no one gets infected, it means that we were successful in isolating ourselves and reducing travel around town. No big gatherings, no lingering around the local shops.

Most Jacksonville residents have probably already spent the last week preparing a kit of supplies not too different than what we stock up each year for hurricane season. We're ready to deal with disruptions like this, and we kind of know exactly what to expect. This virus is obviously different than a hurricane, but if we're stuck inside for a few days or even weeks we sort of know the score.

Businesses will surely be disrupted. If possible, it's a good time to send employees to work remotely, from home. Any job functions that can be performed online should be done online, and meetings can be arranged with video conferencing software and other connectivity apps that are available in 2020.

Conferences and exhibitions are already starting to cancel and postpone major events, as well.

But how does SEO help you, the Jacksonville business in times like these?

Well the important thing is to have regularly updated content that is relevant to your user's questions. Are you open? Have your hours changed? Is anything out of stock?

The more you can communicate your availability and business status to your customers, the more satisfied they'll be - and the more sales you'll ultimately close.

SEO can also help you stay safe by pointing you toward authoritative and relevant sources for the latest news. Search engines know how to direct these queries in a way that (hopefully) spreads knowledge and awareness, rather than just sensationalism and panic.

Until next time, stay healthy Jacksonville! We hope you and your loved ones are spared the worst of the coronavirus - and that your business efforts aren't too disrupted, either.

Content builds authority

The local Jacksonville SEO market is unique in that it is still relatively young.

For many economic sectors and interest groups, the potential remains for first page rankings without a single backlink. Simply building engaging content and updating periodically is often sufficient for outpacing the competition with their static websites and legacy platforms.

One quick content management system and a dedicated content production system is often all it takes to rise up above the rest in the Jacksonville SEO scene. If your competitors are bogged down with inflexible and inefficient content production procedures, you can quickly ramp right past with high definition photos of your process and finished product.

In some cases, competition is already fierce and established players have hundreds, if not thousands of backlinks.

Don't worry! In many cases, those low-quality backlinks from link and content farms can be more of a liability than they are an asset. We aim to create a large volume of engaging content long before we think about adding more backlinks to the queue. If someone finds it is useful, they can add and tag it themselves! We're just putting it out there, ya know? ;)

Jacksonville Businesses can Benefit from SEO

These days, when customers are searching for a product or service provider, they don't turn to the phone book. They go to their computers - or grab their phones - and Google the thing they're searching for.

In many cases, they'll even make their purchases right there on the phone or computer or tablet. Most physical products can be delivered in a few days, and many service firms also allow you to schedule and pay directly from their website (or app).

If your Jacksonville based business isn't getting quality leads from the internet, you're probably missing out on a lot of your potential customers.

While Search Engine Optimization usually refers to the specific goals of increasing organic rankings in Google, Yahoo, or Bing, it can also be expanded to include a full online marketing strategy:

• Paid Search (Adwords)
• Google Shopping
• Google Map / Locations
• Content Marketing
• Social Media Marketing
• Site optimization
• Outreach & promotion

A steady investment in your website and SEO can have a big impact - especially on local market businesses that provide services directly in Jacksonville. Showing up in the Google Maps can be essential for customers who might not even know what's in the shops at the block over from the ones they usually go to. 

While Jacksonville has the feel of being many small towns put together, it also has the advantage of having that critical mass of population that allows niche stores to thrive. While most people won't travel across town for their favorite grocery store, they probably will if it means getting a specific product for their hobby - or a chance to share some time and company with those who share that obscure interest. 

So if someone's looking for the goods or services you provide, you want to be sure they can find you online! It's also important to spread the word actively, because sometimes your potential customers won't even realize your goods exist in the first place. If you run a specific type of shop that specializing in hobbies or collectibles, the residents of Jacksonville may not even realize we've got those types of shops in town. Maybe you've even created a unique type of service that has no competition - but are people looking to buy if they don't know it exists? 

The internet provides a diverse array of powerful marketing channels, and just about every local business in Jacksonville would benefit from having some sort of online marketing and SEO strategy. 

What's old is new again - 2020 in SEO

It's been a long time since I've posted to this blog, but the fundamentals of SEO haven't changed. Sure there are some details here and there, but the same old lesson has never gone away: provide good content and a good user experience!

The primary reason for this used to solely be as link bait, but these days Google itself knows what a good piece of content looks like.

Structure of Good SEO Content

Machines reading content can attempt to analyze the words and structure of a page to understand if it is thorough, readable, and providing useful information. Here are some of the technical elements that a machine reader may evaluate while trying to study the quality of a given web page:

• Use of headers (h2, h3, etc..)
• Lists (ordered or unordered)
• Length of content
• Inclusion of pictures, video, and/or other media
• Correct grammar and spelling
• Varied sentence structure

Checking the boxes won't necessarily make boring content in to something that generates user enthusiasm, however, and links are still very important for a successful SEO campaign!

If you research your market and your keywords and provide a great user experience, you won't have to worry all that much about the SEO.

The Jacksonville SEO Market is Small.. and Strange

It's been a long time since I've posted to this blog, but 2020 has brought big changes and new priorities back in to focus.

While I've remained involved in SEO and web publishing more generally, I never ended up following through with building a local SEO firm in Jacksonville. I have, however, kept an eye on it - and I've worked on some local business websites either as a personal owner or as a favor to a friend.

SEO Companies and Marketing Firms that Offer SEO in Jacksonville

Dagmar Marketing and Thrive Internet Marketing are probably the two largest SEO firms in Jacksonville that actually have top organic results for Jacksonville SEO & related keywords. Since that's what they're selling, they're probably the ones you can trust the most.

Beyond that, there appears to be a significant number of small-time operations run out of someone's home. Now, there's nothing wrong with that - because that's all it takes to get results! In fact, some of those sole proprietorships seem to be outranking the big firms.

The State of Organic Search Results

Digging a little deeper in to the smaller sites that rank well tells an interesting story. The current top spots are held by sites using decidedly grey to black hat SEO tactics. While I'd normally argue for pure white hat techniques, it's also hard to argue against what works.

The niche doesn't look like a free for all, either, after all.

Several large firms have been kicked down 100 or 200 spots for what I would presume are search penalties. It's possible they tried to copy what appeared to be working, but flew just a little too close to the sun.

What do you think? Have you had any particularly positive or negative experiences with a Jacksonville SEO company that you've hired for a local or national or even global job? Let us know in the comments: Your advice could save someone a headache and help their business, too!