SEO
A guide to machine learning in search: Key terms, concepts and algorithms
Want to understand how machine learning impacts search? Learn how Google uses machine learning models and algorithms in search.
Dave Davies is the Lead SEO for the Machine Learning Operations company Weights & Biases. He got his start in SEO in the early 2000s and in 2004 co-founded Beanstalk Internet Marketing with his wife Mary, who still runs its day-to-day operations. He hosts a weekly podcast, speaks regularly at the industry's leading conferences, and is proud to be a regular contributor right here on Search Engine Land.
Commerce
SEO for holiday shoppers
Here are a few tips to add to your SEO strategy to generate short-term wins during this holiday season.
Link Building
Case study: The tale of two internal link tweaks
Contributor Dave Davies shares a case study that shows how smart internal link building and targeted SEO can have a significant impact on rankings and traffic.
SEO
How to increase your PageSpeed in WordPress
With over 59% of websites using WordPress as a CMS, optimizing them to load quickly is a good idea. Contributor Dave Davies walks through key steps and shows how to optimize a WordPress site for Google PageSpeed.
Predicting the value of a search engine ranking signal
Contributor Dave Davies deconstructs a new Google patent that covers how machine learning can predict a ranking signal value when the value is unknown.
What do Google and a toddler have in common? Both need to learn good listening skills.
Contributor and patent explorer Dave Davies reviews a recently-presented paper that suggests Google is grouping entities and using their relationships to listen for better answers to multipart questions.
SEO
Searcher intent: The secret ingredient behind successful content development
Contributor Dave Davies takes the guesswork out of determining what type of content will resonate with an audience by creating Excel formulas to help determine what a searcher may be looking for.
Google patent on related entities and what it means for SEO
Contributor Dave Davies pulls key points from a newly awarded Google patent on related entities and points out the ranking benefits of strengthening entity associations in your SEO and link-building efforts.
Optimize for voice search by keeping it short and to the point
Contributor Dave Davies explains the many layers and aspects of Google Voice Search and how to optimize your content for it.
Amazon
Looking back at 2018 in search: A time traveler’s year in review
What does 2018 have in store for search marketers? Columnist (and time-traveler) Dave Davies pays a visit from the future to share what this year's major search developments will be.
Amazon Advertising
Visualizing your site structure in advance of a major change
Making big changes to your website structure? Columnist Dave Davies shares a data visualization method that can help you predict what effect your proposed site structure changes will have on SEO performance.
Amazon Advertising
Visually understanding your site structure and external link weight impact
Looking for insights not easily gleaned through spreadsheets and raw data? Columnist Dave Davies explains how to use Gephi, a data visualization tool, to create a visual representation of your site structure with regard to inbound link strength.
Google Business Profile
4 local SEO tips for restaurants
While general SEO wisdom is applicable if you're running a restaurant website, contributor Dave Davies digs into the details of the options available especially for this business category.
Amazon
Surviving and thriving at an SEO conference
Hitting the search conference circuit this year? Columnist Dave Davies has tips and advice for making the most of the experience.
The battleground of entities & reviews
How might Google utilize reviews to improve their understanding of entities -- and produce more personalized search results? Columnist Dave Davies explores current trends and makes predictions about where the future is headed.
SEO
3 logical myths about rankings that can destroy a business
Even the most intelligent people can make decisions based on incorrect assumptions. Columnist Dave Davies breaks down three SEO myths that even rational people believe.
Content
Patent 2 of 2: How Google learns to guide purchasing decisions
In a follow-up to his last article, columnist Dave Davies explores a Google patent on guided purchasing, which describes how smartphone behaviors and user data could be used to predict and direct purchase behavior.
Patent 1 of 2: How Google learns to influence and control users
Columnist Dave Davies does a deep dive into a recently granted Google patent that describes how your data and context could be used to influence your future actions.
Google Algorithm Updates
A technical argument for quality content
What defines quality content, and how can its value be quantified? Columnist Dave Davies reviews studies done on this topic and presents his conclusions.
Amazon
It’s time to get ready for the holidays (Yes, really!)
It's February, and you know what that means -- the holidays are just around the corner! Okay, maybe not, but columnist Dave Davies explains why now is actually the ideal time for SEOs to start preparing for holiday season 2017.