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Patrick Stox's latest articles
SMX Advanced session recap: Mobile-first and AMP
Contributor Patrick Stox recaps an advanced SEO session where speakers shared how to perform audits in a mobile-first world and tactics to maximize the effectiveness of your AMP content.
Google changed the way it works, and no one really noticed
If you missed the changes Google made late last year on labeling country services, you're not alone. Contributor Patrick Stox goes through the update and explains why you're seeing a better experience for local users.
4 hreflang tag errors Google corrects for you
Can we fix it? Yes we can! Do we need to? Contributor Patrick Stox says it may not be worth your time to fix hreflang tags since Google is probably fixing them for you.
Stop! Think twice before using nofollow on your website
Using page-level nofollow attributes? Just stop, says Contributor Patrick Stox. Instead, use nofollow on specific links if you have to use them at all.
What people get wrong about keyword cannibalization
Columnist Patrick Stox suggests SEOs should reconsider how they think about keyword cannibalization and look at it as an opportunity, not an issue.
What’s next for technical SEO?
As web technologies continue to grow and evolve, interest in technical SEO is growing along with it. Columnist Patrick Stox looks ahead to see what advancements are on the horizon and how these may impact technical SEO.
How to keep your staging or development site out of the index
You generally wouldn't want your staging site appearing in search results, so how can you prevent Google from indexing this content? Columnist Patrick Stox offers some tips.
Tips to troubleshoot your technical SEO
Stumped by a technical SEO issue? Columnist Patrick Stox has some tips and tricks to help you diagnose and solve some common problems.
Canonical tags gone wild
What happens when canonical tags get out of control and how can you rein them in? Columnist Patrick Stox shares his findings and insights.
20 of Google’s limits you may not know exist
Don't get caught off guard by limitations you weren't aware of! Columnist Patrick Stox shares 20 Google limitations that may impact SEO efforts.
Designing content for the mobile-first index
Your mobile pages will soon become the default versions used in Google search rankings. How can you make sure they provide good content that's easy to read on a smaller screen? Columnist Patrick Stox has some ideas.
The AMP is a lie
Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) are a hot topic right now, but are they really the answer to your mobile page speed issues? Columnist Patrick Stox weighs in.
What you need to know about Referrer Policy
Seeing some confusing referrer data in your analytics program? It might be the result of an issue with 'noreferrer.' Columnist Patrick Stox explains Referrer Policy, which lets webmasters define the value of the referrer header in outbound links.
Canonical tags are easy, right? What’s the worst that could happen?
Columnist Patrick Stox outlines when to use the canonical tag, as well as some common problems that occur during implementation.
1,000 ways to redirect
What's in a redirect? Columnist Patrick Stox provides a primer on redirects, showing why this critical technical SEO task can often trip up even the most experienced SEO experts.
Easy visualizations of PageRank and Page Groups with Gephi
Contributor Patrick Stox walks us through how to use a cluster analysis tool to visualize websites and identify opportunities for improving their link structure.
Broken link building made easy
Broken link building is a great tactic, but prospecting for broken links in your niche can be time-consuming and inefficient. Luckily, columnist Patrick Stox has a handy method for identifying relevant broken linking opportunities.
Fun with robots.txt
Columnist Patrick Stox provides some dos and don'ts for creating your robots.txt file -- along with examples of companies who have gotten creative with their files.
It’s scary how many ways SEO can go wrong
In search engine optimization, sometimes even small errors can have a large and costly impact. Columnist Patrick Stox shares his SEO horror stories so that you can be spared this fate.
The myth of the duplicate content penalty
There is a lot of confusion surrounding how Google handles duplicate content, but columnist Patrick Stox aims to clear it up once and for all.
Fixing historical redirects using Wayback Machine APIs
Columnist Patrick Stox believes that fixing historical redirects is often an easy way to achieve some quick wins, and this column shows you how to do just that using the Wayback Machine CDX Server API.
How to get the old Google Keyword Planner volume data
Search volume estimates from the Google Keyword Planner have been off recently due to close variants. Columnist Patrick Stox shows how to get this data back.
SEO is as dirty as ever
Search engine optimization has built credibility over the years, but spammers and black-hat practitioners still give it a bad name. Columnist Patrick Stox shares his SEO horror stories.
The true value of technical SEOs
While many view technical SEO as a simple matter of implementing best practices on a website, columnist Patrick Stox argues that the best practitioners are doing cutting-edge work that will shape the industry's future.
HTTP to HTTPS: An SEO’s guide to securing a website
Despite the numerous benefits of switching to HTTPS, many SEOs and website owners have not done so. For those feeling intimidated by the prospect of switching to HTTPS, columnist Patrick Stox breaks down the process.
Why real-time search algorithm updates may be bad news
With real-time algorithm updates becoming the norm in place of manual releases, what issues might arise? Columnist Patrick Stox examines some potential effects of faster algorithm updates.
Everything Should Not Be A Blog Post: Start Using Silos
Having trouble deciding how content should be organized on your website? Rather than put everything on your blog, columnist Patrick Stox recommends a silo structure.
Not Another Post About The Future Of SEO In 2016
Don't get stuck in an SEO rut in 2016. Columnist Patrick Stox urges you to leap into the unknown and learn something new in order to understand the big picture.
Dear Santa: An SEO Wish List
'Twas the day before Christmas, and here on the site, Patrick Stox reveals what SEOs want from Santa tonight!
Why Everyone Should Be Moving To HTTP/2
A Google spokesperson recently revealed that GoogleBot will soon support HTTP/2. Columnist Patrick Stox explains what this is and what it means for SEOs.
The Most Important Thing SEOs Overlook: Internal Links
Most search engine optimization practitioners are familiar with the benefits of internal linking, but columnist Patrick Stox insists that we should be working a little harder to maximize their value.
Competitive Link Building Analysis For Your Industry
Contributor Patrick Stox argues that the death of link building has been greatly exaggerated and shares a process to analyze a given industry's links in advance of performing outreach.
Checklist For Transitioning To A New Digital Agency
Do you have a client that's switching to you from another SEO agency or consultant? If so, columnist Patrick Stox has put together a handy checklist to make the transition as smooth as possible.
Planting The Seeds For An Evergreen Content Strategy
Columnist Patrick Stox explains how to create an evergreen content strategy based on keyword insights to capture searchers at various points in the conversion funnel.
Take Back Your Lost Links
Lost traffic after a website relaunch? Columnist Patrick Stox provides a handy guide on how to reclaim your lost links with redirects.