Search Results

Not all keywords  are created equal. While SEO  keywords are responsible for informing search engines and guiding users to the right content, each type of keyword plays a unique role in achieving this goal. A robust keyword strategy  not only utilizes a range of SEO keyword types, but it uses them each in the right ways .  The 9 Types of Keywords and How to Use Them 1. Seed Keywords Seed keywords are broad, foundational terms that define your industry or niche. While not usually the ideal keywords to drive direct traffic themselves, seed keywords are excellent starting points for keyword research to generate more specific variations.  These keywords can guide content themes, category pages, and overall site structure. Monitoring these terms over time also helps businesses stay ahead of industry trends (which is great for ongoing SEO ! ). For instance, a business like Absolutely Spotless Cleaning  might use something like “home cleaning” as its seed keyword. This, in turn, can lead to more specific keywords like “eco-friendly home cleaning” or “home cleaning in Hamilton,” helping them to attract qualified leads. 2. Focus Keywords A focus keyword is the primary term a piece of content is optimized for. It should align with search intent and clearly define what the page is all about. Include focus keywords in page titles, meta descriptions , and throughout the content in a natural way. Avoid keyword stuffing —search engines prioritize readability and user experience above all.  Take a look at the The Brand Brew ® blog Spoiler Alert: Your Website Copy Isn’t About You . It’s all about website copy (and it’s good stuff!)—if you look closely, you’ll see the focus keyword “website copy” in the title, the URL , the copy (especially the first 100 words), and sprinkled throughout the headings. That’s no accident! 3. Informational Keywords Informational keywords target users looking for answers rather than making a purchase. These are often phrased as questions or how-to searches. These types of keywords are best in educational content like blog posts, FAQs, and guides that answer common industry questions. Structuring content with clear, concise answers can improve the chances of appearing in featured snippets  or voice search results. Consider our blog post, What Is a Website Audit?  Phrased as a direct, concise question, this blog utilizes an informational keyword to provide pertinent information that our audience is looking for. 4. Transactional Keywords Transactional keywords indicate a strong intent to take action, such as buying a product, signing up for a service, or requesting a quote. This SEO keyword type is crucial for conversion-focused pages. Optimize landing pages, product descriptions, and calls to action with transactional keywords. They should be paired with persuasive messaging that encourages immediate action. Ensuring these pages load quickly and work well on mobile devices  can also boost conversions. The call-to-action buttons on Aspid RDZ's home page  provide excellent examples. From “shop now!” to “subscribe today,” these transactional keywords are direct and focused on prompting action. 5. Long-Tail Keywords Long-tail keywords are highly specific search phrases that typically have lower competition but higher intent. They cater to niche audiences looking for precise information. Incorporate long-tail keywords into blog posts, service pages, and FAQ sections. To see these in action, explore Evolve OMS’s procedures page —it’s rife with ultra-specific, long-tail keywords that suit their audience to a T. 6. Niche Keywords Niche keywords are specialized terms that appeal to a targeted audience within a specific industry or field. They attract users with very particular needs or interests. Use niche keywords in in-depth content that speaks directly to a specialized audience. These are ideal for businesses that serve a specific market segment and can be used effectively in blog posts, case studies, and landing pages. Consider the Farley Foundation , for instance. The keyword “subsidize veterinary care for Ontario families” is extremely specific, which means it’s perfect for attracting its exact user base. 7. Branded Keywords Branded keywords include a company or product name. They are essential for brand recognition  and protecting search rankings from competitors bidding on your name. Optimize homepage content, product pages, and company descriptions with branded keywords. Silverbirch’s about page  is a prime example of branded keywords utilized strategically, without interrupting the content’s flow or readability. 8. Secondary Keywords Secondary keywords support the primary focus keyword by adding context and reinforcing relevance. Despite being called “secondary,” they’re still important! They help diversify content and improve SEO rankings without repetition. Naturally integrate secondary keywords throughout content, including in subheadings, image alt text, and meta descriptions . Ensuring these keywords align with the primary keyword topic can strengthen overall search visibility. Take this blog, for example (now that’s meta!). While our main keyword target is “types of keywords,” you’ll notice the secondary keyword “SEO keyword type(s)” sprinkled throughout. 9. Location-Specific Keywords Location-specific keywords help businesses attract nearby customers by including geographic terms in their content. These are essential for local SEO . Optimize Google Business Profile listings , service pages, and meta descriptions with city, neighborhood, or region-based keywords.  Scott Home Company  is a pro when it comes to location-specific keywords. By integrating regional terms with other types of keywords, they’re able to fine-tune their online presence and attract interested buyers in their area. Strengthen Your Website with Diverse SEO Keyword Types Keyword strategy has more than meets the eye. In fact, business owners have a whole arsenal of SEO keyword types to juggle and employ to enhance their website’s performance. If your keyword game could use some tweaking, The Brand Brew ® is in your corner. Explore our SEO Keyword Strategy  service and book a call  to craft an SEO website that can’t be beat.

Blogging is an essential part of building a brand . Now, we’re witnessing a thrilling content marketing battle royale. In one corner, we have the reigning champ, your website’s blog. And entering the ring comes an exciting rising star: LinkedIn Articles. Whose arm will be thrust into the air, victorious, when it’s all said and done? Which fighter should you place your bets on? Let’s break down what LinkedIn Articles have to offer and how they stack up against the long-time favourite. LinkedIn Article Pros: SEO Strengths That Pack a Punch In the SEO ring , LinkedIn Articles  come in swinging with some serious advantages. High Domain Authority One huge plus for LinkedIn Articles is that when LinkedIn walks into the ring, not a soul wonders who he is—search engines included. Since LinkedIn is a well-established platform, its content has a better chance of ranking in search engines than a brand-new blog post on your website. If you’re looking for quick visibility in search results, this is a serious plus for LinkedIn Articles. Built-In Discoverability While a fighter just starting out often struggles to draw a crowd, LinkedIn Articles have no trouble filling seats.  LinkedIn has a built-in audience, with articles appearing in users’ feeds, notifications, and even email digests. This means your content doesn’t just sit in the corner waiting to be found—it gets pushed into the spotlight automatically. While your blog may be a crowd favourite or still struggling for an audience, LinkedIn brings with it a packed venue. Engagement and Virality While a blog post might need months of SEO work to gain traction, a LinkedIn Article  can go viral overnight.  Shares, likes, and comments boost its reach, getting your content in front of new audiences without needing extra SEO tactics—and especially nothing shady  (that means no ear biting).  If you’re looking to make a splash in your industry, LinkedIn’s engagement potential can turn your article into a crowd-pleaser. Backlinks and Referral Traffic While LinkedIn keeps readers on its platform, a well-placed link inside your article can direct traffic back to your site .  If your content gets noticed, it may even earn backlinks from other websites, giving your own domain a much-needed SEO boost.  LinkedIn Article Cons: SEO Blows That Hit Hard Even the strongest fighters have weak spots, and LinkedIn Articles are no exception. Lack of Content Control Here’s the thing: When you’re playing in LinkedIn’s ring, you don’t own the arena. LinkedIn does.  The platform controls who sees your content, how it’s displayed, and when it fades into obscurity. You’re playing by someone else’s rules, and it’s important to understand that algorithm changes could knock your articles out of the fight at any time. No Direct SEO Benefit While LinkedIn’s domain ranks well, your website doesn’t get the SEO win .  Since the article lives on LinkedIn, it won’t contribute to your domain’s authority or help your blog rank higher in search engines.  It’s a bit like training hard for a fight but letting someone else take the trophy home. Limited Internal Linking A strong SEO strategy includes internal links  that keep visitors on your site longer, but LinkedIn doesn’t allow this kind of strategic linking. While you can drop a link or two to your website, you can’t create a full ecosystem of interconnected content like you can on your blog. In short, LinkedIn articles put your internal linking strategy in a chokehold. Audience Dependence If your content strategy relies too heavily on LinkedIn, you risk building an audience that’s tied to the platform instead of your own website. If LinkedIn changes its algorithm or your account gets restricted, you could lose your reach overnight.  Your blog, on the other hand, gives you full ownership of your audience and long-term visibility without being stuck in LinkedIn’s arena. The Winning Strategy: Combining LinkedIn and Your Blog for Maximum Impact To dominate the SEO ring, you don’t have to choose just one contender—LinkedIn and your blog can work together like the ultimate tag team, each playing to its strengths for a winning content strategy. When to Use LinkedIn Articles LinkedIn Articles  are ideal for thought leadership, brand awareness, and networking.  If you want to establish authority in your industry and reach a professional audience quickly, LinkedIn delivers a strong opening move. When to Prioritize Your Blog Your blog is the foundation of your content strategy. It strengthens your domain authority, reinforces your brand’s online presence, and ensures you have full ownership of your content. If your goal is sustainable SEO growth and lead generation, your blog should remain the main event. Repurpose Content for a Winning Tag-Team Strategy A winning content strategy doesn’t have to choose one fighter over the other—it can use both strategically.  Publish on your blog first, then repurpose key points into a LinkedIn Article  with a call-to-action linking back to your site. This way, you get the best of both worlds: LinkedIn’s visibility and your blog’s SEO strength. Take Home the Belt with The Brand Brew ® in Your Corner So, who wins the SEO Smackdown—LinkedIn articles or your blog? LinkedIn Articles  offer quick visibility and engagement, but your blog is the long-term SEO and lead generation champion. No throwing in the towel—a balanced approach ensures you benefit from both. From Social Media Strategy  development on LinkedIn to Copywriting for Blogs , let The Brand Brew ® step into the ring with you. Book a call  with us today to land that SEO knockout.

Being in front of the camera can make us feel like that gawky, braces-clad 13-year-old at school picture day all over again. Although those days are behind us, that awkwardness never seems to go away, does it? But YOU can crush your branding photography session!  This time around, you have control, and there are steps you can take that will make you feel calm and confident in front of the lens during your branding photography session. We’ve got the skills to help you relax so the true you can shine out from behind all those yucky  nerves. Together, we’ll punch those awkward vibes  in the face and produce stunning shots that capture you and your brand!  We’ve put together a few tips (7 to be exact) to consider when preparing for your branding session that will make all the difference in your photos. Choosing what to wear will be the hardest part, we promise! 1. Plan for a Variety of Looks Coming prepared with multiple outfits will add choice to your photoshoot and longevity to your images. This also helps communicate your style in different settings (i.e. meeting a client, working in the studio, or even delivering a TED Talk!). We recommend bringing 3-5 outfits, depending on the length of your branding session. The goal is to create content for a vast number of marketing purposes that can span across channels like your website and social media. Bringing multiple outfits (and extra tops in particular) gives you variety in your looks and a wider range of uses for your final photo collection. It doesn’t have to be complicated! Adding a layer to a simple shirt or changing accessories is a great way to include diversity – effortlessly. 2. Wear Classic Styles That Extend the Season Your photographs are going to be seen year-round, so keep that in mind as you choose your outfits. If we’re shooting in the fall or winter, intentionally mix in some pieces that you’d also wear in the spring and summer, like a figure-flattering dress and a blazer with pants or a skirt. A statement top or a killer pair of pumps will surely catch your audience’s eye and make them stop scrolling. You’re putting effort into your branding session, so it’s important to make sure that the photographs have longevity and flexibility. That means avoiding seasonal clothing, both with regard to weather and fashion trends. Think “classic” and “timeless” as you choose your colours, fabrics, and silhouettes, and you’ll surely wind up with great photos that stand the test of time. 3. Choose Pieces That Match Your Brand Aesthetic You are an extension of your brand, and vice-versa. Ask yourself what words come to mind when you think of your brand. Modern? Fun? Free-spirited? Casual? Sophisticated? Your clothing should evoke those same concepts. Think about what you communicate to potential clients through fashion, and consider what emotions you want to express through your images. Colour is a huge part of a brand’s story. This doesn’t mean you can’t wear anything outside of your brand colour scheme, but it should be a guiding force for your palette. If you keep your brand colours in mind, the images will visually fit on your website and help give your social media a cohesive feel. If your brand colour is a bold, bright pink, for example, but you feel most confident in neutrals, add that pop of colour with an accessory or a prop instead of going all in with your threads. 4. Shop Your Closet Before Hitting the Mall Before you buy anything new for your brand shoot, shop your existing collection! There are so many ways you can refresh pieces from your wardrobe for the current season and beyond. Plus, chances are your closet is home to pieces that make you feel comfortable and authentically you. We always recommend working with a professional stylist if you have the budget. The Sustainable Stylist  in Hamilton, Ontario, is an excellent choice if you're local. Stylist Shannon knows how to bring new life to items from your closet while creating brand-new outfits you never thought were possible. She considers what works best with your undertones, body shape, and brand style. If a trip to the mall is necessary to fill in the blanks, Shannon can assist with personal shopping, too! 5. Wear Clothes That Fit Well and Make You Feel Confident Being in front of the camera can feel daunting; there’s no question about it. By wearing an outfit that makes you feel incredible, you’re setting yourself up for success! Choose pieces that fit you well and complement your shape without being too loose or too tight. Plan ahead and always try on outfits in advance; if you find yourself tugging or re-adjusting a lot, move on. The goal of a branding session is to show the REAL you, after all. If you are uncomfortable during the photoshoot, it will show in the images. The proper fit can transform a less-than-stellar article of clothing into an elegant and flattering staple. You’ll be amazed at how a custom-tailored piece, strategically worn shapewear, or a properly fitted bra can complement your frame in just the right way and make you feel like a whole new person. 6. Don’t Forget Your Hair and Your Hands If you have long hair, wear it down for the shoot. It opens up so many possibilities regarding angles and adding movement to your images. If you have straight hair, think of adding loose waves. If you have curly hair, embrace it. If you have short hair, work it! Note: Avoid making any drastic aesthetic changes shortly before your photoshoot (that means no spontaneous bangs, please!). Stick to subtle changes only so you’re looking your best and feeling comfortable in your skin. Don’t disregard those digits, either. We're looking at you, hand-talkers! Unmanicured nails look unkempt. A manicure is a must-do! If you decide to wear open-toe shoes, pamper yourself with a pedicure. In terms of polish, anything goes. Choosing a neutral or natural colour or one that matches or complements your brand palette will produce a professional look. 7. Embrace Your Personality! We’re not going to do that thing where we tell you to smile. If that’s not who you are, then don’t force it. The best thing you could ever do is let your warmth come through naturally. Remember, what you show through your expression is WAY more powerful than any item of clothing you could ever wear! The Brand Brew ®️ offers day-of hair and makeup applications, on-site pose guidance, as well as pre-shoot prop and shot planning as part of all Photography Branding Session packages to ensure you are confident in front of the camera. Get ready to step out of your comfort zone, invest in the growth of your brand, and enjoy picture-perfect images that are bound to impress!

If you’ve seen Glengarry Glen Ross ,  you’ll remember Alec Baldwin preaching “ABC: Always Be Closing.” Coffee is for closers, and branding is for The Brand Brew. But here’s the tea—there’s a new mantra in town! The true wisdom lies in ABB: Always Be Branding.  Because let’s face it— sales and branding  are a match made in heaven, like a shot of espresso on a Monday morning. Yet, branding remains an enigma  for many business owners, whether you’re launching a startup or refining an existing brand. That’s why we’re here to lay out the facts with answers to these five frequently asked small business branding questions. 1. Does Branding Matter for Small Businesses? In short, yes! Branding isn’t just for global giants like Nike or Microsoft—it’s just as critical, if not more so, for small businesses and startups. A strong brand shapes how customers perceive, trust, and remember your business, influencing their decision to choose you over a competitor .  It’s what sets you apart in a crowded market, making your business instantly recognizable and creating a memorable brand experience for customers. Branding provides a clear identity and purpose, guiding how you communicate with your target audience  and shaping the customer experience . It fosters loyalty and creates an emotional connection that keeps people coming back.  A great product or service isn’t enough if no one remembers your business. Branding is what keeps you top of mind when customers are ready to buy—and that’s exactly where you want to be. 2. What Does Branding Have to Do with Getting More Customers? Branding and sales go hand in hand . A strong brand attracts the right customers before you even start selling, making the sales process smoother and more effective. When done well, branding builds trust, credibility, and emotional connections that drive purchasing decisions.  Customers don’t just buy products; they buy into stories, experiences, and values. This is why people are drawn to brands like Apple—not just because they need a phone, but because they identify with innovation, sleek design, and a premium experience.  A well-positioned brand creates demand by making customers feel like they are choosing something more than just a product—because, really, they are.  Laying the groundwork with a strong brand identity and strategy  gives direction to your marketing and eliminates the need for aggressive sales tactics. Rather than constantly chasing sales, effective small business branding helps the sales come to you! 3. Can I Just Get a Logo and Be Done With It? A logo is just a logo. A brand  is much more powerful. While visuals are important, they’re merely the tip of the branding iceberg . The strategy underneath the surface is much more impactful! A successful brand is built on values, vision, visuals, and voice  (note that visuals are merely one part of the equation!). Without these elements working together, a logo is just decoration—nice to look at but lacking substance.  Customers don’t connect with logos; they connect with brands that have clear messaging, strong positioning, and a consistent identity.  Think of it this way: a brand without strategy is like a book with a great cover, but nothing written on the pages. To create lasting customer relationships, your brand needs more than just a logo—it needs a narrative to give it meaning and power. 4. How Do I Know When It's Time to Rebrand? Your brand should evolve as your business grows. If it no longer reflects who you are, what you offer, or who you serve, it may be time for a refresh .  A rebrand is a chance to realign your business, sharpen your positioning, and create a brand that genuinely fits where—and who—you are now. If your brand feels off, outdated, or out of sync with your growth, a rebrand is likely in order.  Here are a few signs that change is overdue: You have outdated or inconsistent visuals that no longer feel aligned with your business. You experience a shift in your audience—if your customers have changed, but your brand hasn’t, there’s a disconnect that ought to be addressed. You find yourself blending in with competitors instead of standing out. Then of course, there’s The Frankenstein Effect —when your brand feels like a mix of mismatched elements, from conflicting messaging to inconsistent design. Often, this is the result of a brand that’s been pieced together over time rather than strategically crafted with intention and cohesion. If your branding feels scattered or disjointed, a refresh can help refine your identity and create a clear brand that truly represents your business. 5. What’s the First Step in Branding My Business? Start with brand discovery by defining what makes your business unique and why customers should care. Pinpointing your brand archetype  can help with this. From there, focus on positioning—who your audience is, what you offer, and how you stand out from competitors. Once that’s clear, develop your messaging and visuals to ensure consistency across everything from your website to social media.  A brand board  can help bring it all together, serving as a visual and strategic reference to keep your branding aligned.  Without these fundamentals, branding becomes a guessing game—and do you really want to roll the dice when it comes to your business? Always Be Branding with The Brand Brew ® These 5 small business branding FAQs are critical, but the information doesn’t stop there—not even close. Small business branding in Hamilton, ON, requires strategy, clarity, and consistency. Take advantage of The Brand Brew ®’s Brand Development  solution to craft a matcha-memorable, defined brand that reflects who you are and connects with your audience.  Book a call  to start brewing the brand your business deserves.

Responsive web design is the best way to ensure no buyer gets left behind. Regardless of a user’s device —widescreen desktop monitor, tablet, latest smartphone, or so on—you want to provide the best possible experience to anyone who clicks through to your website. Responsive design allows you to do just that. What is Responsive Web Design? Responsive web design (RWD) is a methodology that adapts web content fluidly to different screen sizes. Instead of creating separate static layouts for each device, a responsive site dynamically rearranges itself based on the detected screen size and resolution.  In good ol’ plain English, for example, a responsive site might adjust its navigation bar, resize images, or reformat text automatically to maintain usability and visual appeal on both small and large screens. You can think of responsive web design as your favourite tea. A teapot can pour into teacups of all shapes and sizes, delivering exactly the same flavour every time. Adaptive web design, however… What is Adaptive Web Design? Unlike RWD, adaptive web design (AWD) involves creating fixed layouts tailored to specific devices. When a visitor accesses a site, the server delivers the layout designed for the closest match to their device type.  Think of this as a shot of espresso. While an espresso machine is configured to produce a short and a long shot very well, it’s not fluid in the way that a teapot is—if you try to fill a range of different cups, you’ll find yourself coming up short or even spilling over the edge. Wix users take note: while Wix Studio uses responsive web design, the classic Wix Editor relies on adaptive design . To boost your website with a fully responsive experience that turns browsers into buyers, Switch Your Site to Studio  with The Brand Brew ®! 4 Benefits of Responsive Web Design Switching to responsive web design can transform your website’s performance and user experience.  Here’s why it’s the smarter choice:  1. Boosted SEO Performance SEO is always a priority , and responsive web design doesn’t disappoint. Google prioritizes mobile-friendly websites , meaning that your site’s mobile version is the baseline for how Google will determine its ranking.  RWD ensures that your site provides an optimal mobile experience. This satisfies Google’s mobile-friendly ranking requirement and improves your SEO strategy. Still, it’s also essential to your user experience, considering more than half of global web traffic comes from mobile devices ! By optimizing content for all devices, responsive web design ensures a consistent, user-friendly experience and improves load speed, enhancing SEO while reducing bounce rates.   SEO doesn’t stop there—optimized content is essential for an optimized website. Everything from keywords  to copywriting  and photography  work together to boost your site’s rankings, and The Brand Brew ® is your one-stop-SEO-shop. 2. Optimized User Experience A site that looks and works flawlessly on all devices keeps visitors engaged and encourages them to take action. On the other hand, slow-loading pages with laggy appearing images are sure to drive potential buyers away. With Wix Editor’s adaptive design, you are limited to building using two primary breakpoints: a fixed desktop viewport size of 1280 px wide and a fixed mobile viewport of 320 px wide. On the other hand, responsive sites adjust seamlessly to any device so visitors get a consistently enjoyable experience, whether on a phone or a widescreen desktop. Not only does this boost load time and overall user experience, but it enhances your website’s accessibility, too. Responsive design allows for improved readability and simpler navigation, helping you to meet web accessibility standards (and Wix Studio takes it a step further with a built-in Accessibility Wizard !). 3. Efficient Design and Maintenance Managing one responsive site is far simpler than developing and maintaining separate desktop and mobile versions, as adaptive design requires. Instead, responsive website design allows you to manage a single site that serves all platforms, reducing both effort and long-term costs . Why work harder when you can work smarter? Wix Editor’s adaptive design offers limited layout control for mobile. You can hide elements but can’t replace or add different optimized images to improve load speeds or enhance the mobile-first experience. Scaling text for larger screens is also not possible. In contrast, Wix Studio’s editor applies changes across all breakpoints automatically. Whether updating text, adding images, or overhauling the design, updates reflect on every viewport. This simplifies management and ensures all users, including those on less common devices, enjoy a seamless experience. 4. Future-Proofing New devices are launching at record speed, and there’s no slowing down in sight. With that in mind, a website that can seamlessly adapt to all devices and screen sizes is a significant asset. Adaptive web design creates multiple predefined layouts or breakpoints that adapt to specific screen sizes or device types. However, as tech advances and new devices with new dimensions hit the market, adaptive design will surely fall short. Adaptive website builders (like Wix Editor) are further hindered by their limited breakpoint design offerings.  In comparison, RWD principles are designed to accommodate technological changes without missing a beat, no matter what exciting new tech awaits.  Fill Every Cup with Responsive Web Design Responsive web design is the foundation of a modern, high-performing website, and Wix Studio delivers RWD in all its glory. Here at The Brand Brew ®, we build responsive websites that automatically adjust to any screen size, improving user experience, load speed, and SEO rankings.  Enjoy a fully responsive site crafted from scratch with our Website Design  solution, or rebuild your existing Wix website with Wix Studio thanks to our Switch to Studio  service. Book a call  today and start sipping the sweet taste of responsive design!

We'll cut right to the chase: yes, it is a really BIG deal. That's why we're here to spill the tea on what exactly SEO is and how you can use it to benefit your business. What the heck is SEO? SEO stands for search engine optimization. Search engines (like Google) exist to serve the user – they take whatever the user types or dictates into the search bar and scour the internet to produce the most accurate, relevant results for that particular query. SEO refers to the techniques employed to increase visibility within search engines, aiming to earn more organic (a.k.a. unpaid) traffic. It's a set of processes that businesses can use so that Google (or any search engine) considers their website a valuable search result when users search for target keywords in their industry. To earn one of those top spots, it's essential that your website produces relevant, high-quality content and provides the best possible user experience. Why Bother with SEO? Think about the sort of things you type into Google (or, if you're brave, take a stroll through your browser history). We can make the most niche, outlandish, barely comprehensible requests, and yet, somehow, Google always delivers. Its ability to determine what a user is looking for and then serve it up on a silver platter is remarkable, and it all comes down to SEO. Billions (yes, billions) of searches are conducted daily as users seek products and information. Knowing this, it's no surprise that successful websites receive large volumes of organic traffic! The key to achieving that success and harnessing the potential of this abundant traffic source lies in SEO practices, which propels your website to the top search results for your specific keywords. At its core, it’s very simple: higher rankings correlate directly to more traffic. Those top three organic search result spots ( affectionately known as the Map Pack , 3 Pack or Local Pack) hold the most power by a substantial margin, receiving over half of all clicks. This makes sense – when searching for something on Google, how often do you reach the bottom of the page before you find what you're looking for? SEO plays an integral role in a website's ranking. Strong SEO practices result in better rankings, which in turn result in higher traffic. This traffic ultimately leads to new customers and increased brand awareness. To put it bluntly, SEO is not something to be ignored. It is the most direct and reliable route to one of a business's most important traffic channels, and neglecting SEO leaves the door wide open for competitors to swoop in and take that traffic for themselves. How the Heck Do Search Engines Work? While there is a range of search engines for users to choose from, Google is by far the most popular choice (but all search engines function in generally the same way). To effectively locate and rank content, Google employs the following technique: Crawling: Using advanced computer programs (commonly referred to as "bots" or "spiders"), Google scans the web and looks for web pages. Indexing: After crawling and locating those pages, Google uses analysis tools to determine each page's content. This information is stored in Google's database, the Google Index. Serving Results: When producing results to respond to a user's query, Google considers the quality of a page and the relevance of its content to determine which results are best for that particular query. Those results are then ranked in Google's search engine results pages (SERP). SEO Best Practices At The Brand Brew ®, one of our jobs as your website strategist is to help search engines crawl and index all the pages on your site that you want them to and none that you don't. Through several actions and best practices commonly called technical SEO, we can ensure your pages' crawlability and indexability. 1. Keyword Strategy Any strong SEO strategy hinges on keywords . Keywords help you identify the topics your audience is searching for so you can target them with relevant content. Determining the relevant keywords for your business is a crucial first step, but it's just that—a first step. Here at The Brand Brew ®, we offer an SEO Keyword Strategy Report so that you have the right keywords in hand and the strategy necessary to leverage those keywords and place your website, blog, social media, or entire online presence in front of your target audience . 2. Content Creation Once you know your keywords, the next step is to craft unique content that engages your reader and contributes to your rankings. Creating and optimizing strong website content is integral to an effective SEO strategy! When Google produces results for a user's search query, it displays ten results per page. Consider the last time you searched through the second or third pages of Google results… if ever. That's why ranking among the top ten results is crucial for SEO and driving organic traffic. Essentially, your content needs to be among the ten best on a particular topic. When you think about the immense quantity of content on the internet, creating something within the top ten pieces sounds daunting. That's why investing in professional copywriting from experienced website strategists (like The Brand Brew ®!) is recommended to ensure that your SEO efforts produce the results you deserve. Interested in learning more about content creation for SEO? Read all about how to create copy that converts . 3. Usability Usability plays a role in a website's ranking as well. Building a user-friendly site comes down to a few key considerations: Is your site secure?  Ensure that your website meets  standard security criteria , including secure cookies (if applicable to your region) and a site-wide SSL certificate. How quickly do your pages load?: The quicker they load, the more user-friendly they are. The more user-friendly they are, the higher Google ranks them! Does your site function on mobile devices?: An element of Google's ranking criteria includes "mobile-first indexing." If mobile users can view your pages and consume your content without issue, Google will reward you with a higher ranking. Is your website generally easy to use?: A website that's easy to navigate and intuitive by design will not only improve your SEO ranking but will also hugely impact your ability to connect with your consumers and turn browsers into buyers. 4. Link Building A website's link-building strategy directly impacts how that website will rank. Link building includes both backlinking and internal linking . Backlinks are links from other websites that bring users to your site, and internal links are links within your content that bring users to another page. Backlinks When other websites link to your site, you gain authority (both within your industry and in Google's rankings). Backlinks are essentially the act of other (reputable) websites pointing toward your website and saying, "Hey, look, this stuff is good too!" When Google sees that other high-quality sites endorse your website, you gain authority in the search engine's eyes. Think of it as word-of-mouth referrals from trustworthy sources. If your circle of trusted confidants all recommend the same business, you're more likely to choose that business versus one that you've never heard of before, right? Note that the key here is high-quality links . Just like you'd trust recommendations from respectable friends, you might disregard recommendations from those who don't share your taste or worldview. Backlinks which come from spam sites or generally low-quality websites don’t hold nearly as much authority as those coming from high-quality and relevant sites in (or related to) your industry. Think about it this way: if your website is about health and wellness, would you trust a link from your neighbour's hobby blog more than the Canadian Institute for Health Information? Probably not. Be sure to look at the domains of the sites linking to yours, too. Backlinks coming from a range of sources do wonders for proving your credibility! High-quality backlinks can help Google find new pages and send referral traffic to your site. Internal Links In the same way that links from external pages can pass authority to your site, the same is true when you link from one page of your website to another. Remember your business's main goals as you create internal links , and add links in a way that is conducive to those objectives. For example, if your website aims to generate more business leads, you want multiple internal links pointing toward your "contact" page. This will bring more users to the "contact" page and signal to Google that it's important, both of which contribute to helping you reach your goal of generating more leads. What About Paid Ads? A common question surrounding SEO efforts is, "Why not just pay for ads and appear above the organic search results?" The answer is simply that most users scroll past those ads and instead choose organic results. This isn’t to say that paid advertising isn’t worthwhile – it is, and it should be used in tandem with organic SEO practices. Search engines produce two kinds of results: organic results, where you must earn your ranking through SEO, and paid results, where you must purchase your place through pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. Those paid results are valuable to a business, and PPC advertising is an important channel. It's just different! PPC and SEO should not be competing efforts but rather two elements of an overarching strategy which work together to produce the best overall results. It's true that an SEO strategy takes time and effort to produce results. However, your traffic will soar once you get the ball rolling and start ranking for your target keywords. Traffic is passive, and it won't disappear if you choose to stop paying! The Brand Brew ® is a full-service strategic branding studio for small to mid-sized businesses. We're all about getting your business in front of your target audience, so it's only natural that SEO is our cup of tea! Reach out to us today to discuss how we can help.

The short answer is that it’s complicated. The long answer is, well, this blog post! Let’s start with the basics. Wix If Wix has been on your radar for quite some time, it’s likely the classic Editor  you’re familiar with. Wix uses a drag-and-drop interface that enables users to create attractive and functional websites without coding knowledge. Its most attractive quality is its simplicity and ease of use. However, that simplicity comes with certain limitations.  Wix does not allow for advanced customization, making it difficult to achieve design precision and one-of-a-kind solutions. It also falls short in adapting to various screen sizes, which is far from ideal given today’s impressive array of devices. Wix Studio Unveiled in August 2023, Wix Studio  is Wix's latest and greatest offering. Wix Studio comes with a whole bunch of benefits (and we’ll get to those in a second!) but the most important aspects are responsive design  and control.  When we say control, we’re referring to flexibility and customization. The advanced platform enables users to incorporate custom code and design layouts, create and integrate applications, and fine-tune resource management, just to name a few. Studio is designed for users who want more control over their website's design and features, still without needing extensive coding knowledge. As for responsive design… Responsive Design As the name suggests, responsive web designs respond  to changes in device display sizes. So when you view a website on a smartphone, you’ll be looking at different dimensions than if you were viewing it on your tablet, laptop, or widescreen TV, for example. Imagine you have one cup’s worth of your warm beverage of choice. Whether you pour it into a china teacup or a classic coffee mug, the contents form perfectly to the shape of the container, without losing any of the flavour.  That’s exactly what responsive design does. Whether it’s a smartphone or a flat panel TV, a Wix Studio site forms to the user’s device to deliver the same engaging, on-brand content every time. Not only does this help you attract a wider audience, but it also makes tweaking your site much more efficient. With responsive design, any change made to a site’s content or design is seamlessly carried over to every possible rendition, desktop to mobile, and every viewport in between. Plus, enhanced mobile-friendliness is a big plus for SEO, too! Choosing Between Wix and Wix Studio Choosing the right website platform for your business  can be easier said than done. With all sorts of factors to consider, like the cost of a website , functionality, customer support, and more, it can get complicated quickly! If you’re juggling between Wix and Wix Studio, here’s everything you need to know. Customization and Code Integrations If you’re after ultimate creative control by extending functionality with custom code, Wix Studio takes the cake with responsive design flexibility and custom pixel-perfect breakpoints—meaning you can have a website that looks dynamite on any device.  Wix Editor limits design adjustment in certain areas not limited in Wix Studio. For instance, when it comes to customizing your site design to fit various screen sizes. Imagine pouring your favourite cuppa into a new mug in our beverage analogy, only to have it spill out onto the floor—or worse, completely shatter. Wix Studio’s responsive design ensures that not a single drop is ever out of place. Wix Studio also offers custom database integration. This feature allows you to create and manage databases directly within the platform, enabling the building of complex websites with features like user accounts, product catalogues, and content management systems ( CMS ). Take The Brand Brew ®’s Showcase , for example. We’ve used a custom database and CMS to display our portfolio of strategically-brewed brands, and well, we think it’s pretty nifty! This capability is invaluable for all sorts of businesses, from builders with projects to show off  to online stores with a wide selection of products to sell. Scott Home website built on Wix Studio While Wix is known for its no-code platform, Wix Studio is open to custom code integration, such as HTML, CSS , and JavaScript, to create unique functionalities and designs that are impossible to achieve with the standard drag-and-drop editor alone. Not to mention, Wix Studio allows users to connect with hundreds of APIs and powerful web applications, as well as integration with external systems like a CRM to make business management a breeze. Conversions Conversions are the name of the game, and when it comes to converting, user experience is a big deal. Poorly designed or unintuitive websites turn people away more than anything else , and it all but guarantees you’ll be unable to turn those browsers into buyers. To be clear, both Wix and Wix Studio are excellent tools for building effective websites that convert. However, with a particular focus on tailored and fully responsive design (compared to Wix Editor’s adaptive design approach), Wix Studio comes out ahead. Wix Studio is the superior choice for prioritizing user experience regardless of device or screen size. The flexible, full-canvas design space, enables Studio websites to achieve a more dynamic and immersive experience compared to the rigid gridlines and limited device previews (desktop and mobile only) in Wix Editor. This flexibility not only enhances user experience but also drives higher conversions. Collaboration While Wix Studio incorporates more advanced features, and that does bring with it a slightly steeper learning curve, both Wix and Wix Studio employ an intuitive drag-and-drop, no-code interface.  However, the best websites are rarely a one-man show, and Wix Studio facilitates seamless collaboration like none other. Collaborative tools streamline the process and make it easier for multiple users to work on a project simultaneously, like a well-oiled machine. Team members can leave comments, suggest changes, and track progress in real-time, enhancing the workflow and elevating productivity to new heights. Value Wix and Wix Studio are extremely competitive price-wise, with a difference of only a dollar or two between the equivalent CDN-priced subscriptions* offered by each platform. So, the question then becomes: which option gives you more bang for your buck? Firstly, its responsive design capabilities greatly elevate Wix Studio’s value and resulting return on investment. When you add to that the advanced customization, app integration, and collaborative features, the choice is a cakewalk. SEO & Performance Wix Editor sites deliver solid performance across all devices, handling hosting and scaling infrastructure to ensure that websites load swiftly and remain accessible an average of 99.98% of the time (psst—100% uptime is never guaranteed). However, its simplified code base and shared hosting environment can sometimes lead to slower performance, particularly for highly content-rich sites. And that can cause problems from an SEO perspective. On the other hand, Wix Studio’s responsive design approach offers optimization options that users can tweak to strike a balance between aesthetics and performance. Users have more control over resource management, which, when executed well, enhances overall performance—especially for sites experiencing high traffic or heavy multimedia content. From fine-tuning a website’s loading speed and managing caching to optimizing images for faster performance, Wix Studio is an SEO-er’s dream. Advanced SEO settings allow for greater control over metadata , schema markup , and URL structures , helping your site rank better in search engines. Evolution Your business will undoubtedly grow and evolve, so it’s crucial that your website can, too. Wix Studio is particularly focused on flexibility, allowing users to expand alongside industry trends and keep up with any technological advancements that may come our way.  API capabilities allow Wix Studio sites to go one step further and integrate with all kinds of external systems and services, from native apps for bookings and payments to custom-built apps for, well, anything your heart desires!  Wix Studio stands out with advanced security features, account-level analytics, and custom permissions to future-proof your business.  *Note: All features and pricing information mentioned are current as of November 2024. Get Your Wix Fix with The Brand Brew ® Choosing between Wix and Wix Studio comes down to your preferences and your needs from a website platform. Choosing to work with The Brand Brew ®, on the other hand, is a no-brainer. The brew crew  navigates Wix Studio with ease and efficiency. If you like what Studio offers but fear you lack the skills and time to tie it all together, that’s what we do best!  We leverage our Wix expertise to fuse functionality with creativity, producing an SEO-driven, user-focused, immersive, on-brand Website Design  solution that will give your business the digital credibility it deserves, whether you’re looking to elevate an existing site or starting from scratch.  Already have a Wix website, but hear Wix Studio calling your name? Switch Your Site to Studio  and take the leap to future-proof your business with a fully customizable and scalable website. Book a call  with us today to throw some Wix in the mix with a brand-new website or a Wix Studio relaunch. *This is not a paid promotion. The opinions and recommendations in this article are solely based on The Brand Brew ® ’s experiences, and we are not a representative or affiliated with Wix.com , Inc. in any way.

Today there are many ways your brand is introduced to the world. Social media channels, your website, and even your business card are an extension of your brand identity (and yes, a business card is still relevant!). This is why having a one-size-fits-all logo design just doesn't cut it for the multitude of marketing applications. Brand Board developed for Free2Be Wellness To create a cohesive and streamlined brand identity you need more than one single asset to represent your business. Think of your brand strategy and by extension, your brand's identity as an ecosystem that brings together your values, vision, voice, and visuals to create a well-rounded brand that consumers connect with across all channels. When developing a brand identity, one of the most important components of the design process is your brand board. But What Exactly is a Brand Board? A brand board is a visual reference tool that compiles all of your identity elements at a glance, from logos and colours to patterns and typography. Think of it as your identity cheat sheet — a single-page resource for you to refer back to when creating any kind of marketing piece, whether online or offline. How Does a Brand Board Differ From a Brand Style Guide? A brand style guide, brand guidelines, or what we here at The Brand Brew ® affectionately refer to as your Brand Bible , is a more in-depth version of your brand board. The 12-page carefully-designed manual includes a comprehensive list of your brand identity rules and regulations, such as primary and secondary logos, colour palette reference and use, complete font systems, brand patterns, in-use renderings, and, where applicable, reference to your mood board and brand photography. What is a mood board, you ask? It’s a fluid visualization of your brand compared to a brand board, used earlier in the strategic process to inspire creativity and kickstart your brand identity brainstorming. Read all about mood boards and how they contribute to The Brand Brew ® branding process! How the Brand Board Benefits Your Business A brand board saves you the time, energy, and people-power necessary to sustain brand consistency (and consistency is key, after all!). You should only be using these strategically selected colours, fonts, and graphic elements in order to establish brand authority and recognition. Otherwise, your brand might look like a jumbled hot mess and confuse your audience. No, thank you! When onboarding a new team member or hiring a marketing agency (like The Brand Brew ®), a brand board will keep all stakeholders on track by removing the guesswork and providing a clear guide for which elements, logos, colours, and fonts to use when developing marketing materials. Anatomy Of Your Brand Board It’s common for a brand identity to have several “lock-ups,” or official arrangements of the logo and brand elements . This way, the right brand asset can be used to fill the available space. A website header might be a good place for your primary logo if it's a long, horizontal lock-up. Maybe your secondary logo is a stacked, centred version that fits effortlessly on a vertical banner at a trade show. Often, the proportion between the symbol and the wordmark changes to create a harmonious, balanced grouping. Let’s break down each component and its possible uses so you can use every element of your brand’s visual identity with confidence. Primary Logo Your primary logo is your preferred asset. When space allows, this is your go-to logomark. This logo can be displayed on everything that represents your business, including but not limited to your website, business cards, letterhead, packaging, promotional products, and merchandise. Secondary (Variation) Logo A secondary logo is a variation of your primary logo. This mark takes a different format (ie: stacked if your primary is horizontal or vice versa) yet maintains the same important elements. This logo will be used whenever the primary logo does not fit. Some of our favourite applications are your website, email signature, and merchandise. Brand Mark The brand mark should be highly versatile and simplistic. This icon-based asset is ideal for small spaces where your primary or secondary logos would become unrecognizable, for instance as a favicon, app icon, or social media profile image. Wordmark This text-based logo is another variation to use when space cannot accommodate the brand's primary logo. The wordmark allows you to show the brand's name alone without including the brand mark or tagline. We often use the wordmark on social media assets, website footers, and various printed goods to add variety and avoid duplication. Submark A submark has a more simplistic design with somewhat proportionate dimensions, making it ideal to use on social media as a watermark or stamp. This asset might include the brand name, initials, tagline, and/or brand mark. Colour Palette Formed based on your brand personality, target market, and colour theory, the palette consists of five (5) coordinating hues or tints to make up your brand’s primary and secondary colours. Colour-matching is easy between your print and digital marketing materials as each hue is provided as a Pantone, CMYK breakdown, and HEX value. Typography We aim for three (3) typesets, including a hero font for headings, a highly legible font for large areas of copy (like paragraphs) and an accent font for subheads or quotes. These fonts should not be altered, except to be used in italics or bolded for certain emphases within designs. Patterns & Textures Some, but not all, visual identities include patterns and textures that are rich, sensory, and tileable to reinforce the mood and theme of the other brand elements. These assets make great backgrounds for business cards, letterhead, presentation folders, social media posts, or website sections, to name a few. Social & Web Signatures These brand assets are recognizable and stylistic elements that embody a company's social @handle and website URL. Common applications are used on business cards, stationery, social media, and in your email signature. In-Use Renderings The Brand Brew ® brand board includes a collection of key branded mock-ups tailored to your niche to help you understand how the strong strategy and visual identity will live out in the world, across multiple mediums. Cohesive brand visuals are key to getting noticed and recognized across all channels, ultimately strengthening your brand credibility and building trust and rapport with your audience. If you just have a single logo or no brand identity at all, The Brand Brew ® Brand Development strengthens your company's presence in a competitive market with a comprehensive brand strategy and asset toolkit, including primary and variation logos, brand mark, submark, colour palette, typography, and online signatures, all delivered on the essential brand board.

Anything worth doing is worth doing right. SEO  included! But what happens when it’s done wrong?  Black Hat SEO refers to unethical strategies used to manipulate search engine rankings. While these tactics may offer short-term gains, they often result in penalties, de-indexing, or permanent damage to a website’s credibility and domain authority.  However, like most things in life, things in the SEO world aren’t always so black and white.  The Three Hats of SEO White Hat SEO This is the good stuff. White hat SEO follows search engine rules and prioritizes user experience.  This includes all aspects of a website’s SEO strategy , from high-quality content and proper keyword usage  to ethical link-building . Black Hat SEO This is where things get iffy (to say the least). Black hat SEO engages in a range of deceptive tactics to manipulate search rankings. These practices can lead to penalties or bans from search results, ultimately harming your ongoing SEO strategy . Grey Hat SEO When you mix white and black, you get grey. Grey hat SEO uses strategies that fall somewhere between ethical and manipulative. These tactics, such as excessive guest blogging for backlinks, may not violate guidelines directly but still carry a risk of Google penalties. 7 Black Hat SEO Tactics to Steer Clear Of 1. Keyword Stuffing Strategic keywords  can greatly enhance your SEO performance, but they’re best in moderation.  Excessively repeating target keywords in content in an attempt to manipulate rankings not only disrupts readability and user experience, but unnatural keyword density can be picked up by Google’s algorithms and penalized. Psst—this is especially problematic among AI-generated content ! 2. Paid Links When it comes to backlinking , quality beats quantity. Purchasing backlinks to increase domain authority is against Google's guidelines. Backlinks work because they enhance your site’s credibility, after all.  It’s only natural that search engines prioritize natural, high-quality links earned from trustworthy sources.  3. Cloaking High-quality content caters to readers and search engines alike . However, this is achieved through strategic copywriting , rather than what’s known as cloaking. Cloaking is a deceptive technique where a website presents different content to search engines than what users actually see. This tactic misleads search engines into ranking a page for keywords that may not be relevant to its real content.  Many have tried and failed, including even world-renowned brands. Back in 2006, BMW was temporarily blacklisted from Google  when they tried to boost rankings through cloaking. Want to avoid getting blacklisted? Avoid black hat SEO! 4. Abusing Structured Data Rich results  help your website content take centre stage at the top of Google’s search results. Structured data  is a key component to earning those rich results. However, it’s essential to come by them honestly. Manipulating this schema markup to mislead both search engines and users, for example, by adding fake five-star reviews without real customer feedback or falsely claiming a webpage is an FAQ to gain extra visibility, is a black hat tactic.  Google actively monitors for structured data abuse and can issue manual penalties or remove rich results from search results. 5. Link Farms Link farming falls into the same general category as paid links, where a business falsifies its linking strategy to gain traffic and boost its SEO. A link farm is a network of websites that link to each other solely to enhance rankings, without providing any real value to users. When Google recognizes that a group of low-quality websites engages in interlinking without real, substantial connections, the search engine will de-index those sites and render their links useless. Watch out for private blog networks as well, another shady link farming tactic wherein several small blogs exist solely to link back to a company’s main website. 6. Blog Comment Spam Speaking of blogs, be careful not to use spammy blog comments as a means to point visitors toward your website. Blog comment spam is done primarily through automated bots, but manual spam is a black hat SEO move as well. Not only does flooding blog comments with irrelevant links do nothing to increase your link authority (particularly since Google’s “nofollow” attribute  was introduced), but it can result in penalties as well.  In fact, Mozilla was penalized  for precisely this back in 2013, so beware! 7. Sneaky Redirects When you make updates to your website ( and you should! ), be extra careful when it comes to redirects. While a proper redirect will guide users to the correct webpage after a URL change , a sneaky redirect is exactly that—sneaky. It appears to lead to a relevant page, but instead sends users someplace entirely different. Imagine a website ranking for an informational article, but automatically redirecting visitors to a sales page instead. Sneaky, right? Google thinks so, too, and they actively penalize websites engaging in misleading redirects, sometimes de-indexing entire domains as punishment. Avoid Black Hat SEO with The Brand Brew ® You can easily steer clear of black hat SEO (and the grey hat danger zone) by following search engine guidelines  and creating high-quality, user-first content. Build backlinks organically through genuine partnerships and avoid manipulative tactics like paid links or link farms. The Brand Brew ® SEO Website Audit  can help you scour your site for any potential problem areas, neutralizing issues before they result in penalties. Or, for an entirely white hat website right out of the gate, our Website Design  service prioritizes ethical SEO practices that stand the test of time. Book a call  today to make sure you’re doing SEO above board and in style. Hats off to you for doing SEO the right way!

What Exactly is a URL? Think of a URL (or, in long form, a Uniform Resource Locator) as the aromatic blend you need to navigate the web. It's akin to the recipe you type into your browser to find your favourite online hangouts.  So, why does a website's page URL matter? Keep reading; we're spilling the beans here—a URLs structure can make a big difference in how many people consume your content. A URL has five key ingredients: the scheme, subdomain, second-level domain, top-level domain, and path. Understanding how to blend these parts is crucial for brewing a winning SEO and user experience strategy for your brand and online presence. A URL is like the brewing process for your favourite coffee cup—different elements combine to create the best experience! Let's Breakdown the Parts of a URL Structure: Scheme First, we have the scheme, which is like the recipe for your brew. It tells your browser how to access the page—whether through the conventional HTTP protocol or HTTPS (the "s" is for secure), just like adding an extra shot of espresso for safety! Subdomain Subdomains help organize content on your website, like dividing your coffee shop into cozy corners for different vibes. And here's the fun part—you can get creative with your subdomain name, just like mixing in different syrups for your brew! The subdomain comes before the root domain, the website's main folder, where all the other files are stored.  It is the topmost part of a website's address and represents the ground level of the site’s identity. For example, in the URL: " https://thebrandbrew.ca/post/url-structure ," the root domain is the combination of the second-level domain (SLD) and top-level domain (TLD) — " thebrandbrew.ca " Second-Level Domain Next, we've got the second-level domain (SLD), which is your website's name, often your brand name. It's the unique address where your website lives. Top-Level Domain Then comes the top-level domain (TLD), the suffix that follows the website's name, often referred to as a domain extension, adding the finishing touch to your website's address. TLDs are a vital part of the internet's infrastructure, helping to organize and identify websites and their associated content and impacting visibility and credibility in search engines and with users. There are two main types of TLDs: • Generic TLDs (gTLDs):  are extensions like .com, .org, .net, .info, and .biz. • Country Code TLDs (ccTLDs): are associated with a specific country or geographic region and include extensions like .ca (Canada), .uk (United Kingdom), .jp (Japan), and .au (Australia), among others. Canadians love Canadian websites—big time! Whether you chalk it up to patriotism or just some good ol' true north love, according to 2022 research conducted by the Strategic Council, 84% of Canadian shoppers prefer to buy from .ca websites.  Having a .ca domain can increase trust among Canadian consumers and offer other awesome benefits , making it a wise decision for any business operating in Canada. The Path Last but not least, we have the path that refers to your website's specific page, post, or file, making it easy for visitors to find exactly what they're looking for, just like locating that go-to spot for your perfect morning brew. So there you have it, the perfect recipe for brewing an easy-to-navigate URL structure! But Why is URL Structure  SO Important for SEO? Your URL structure is like the brewing process of your website's content—the secret sauce connecting your content with your audience. But why does it matter? Let's pour over the two primary reasons: 1. Enhancing User Experience Think of your URL structure as the aroma that draws visitors towards your business. A well-organized URL with clear hierarchies makes navigating your website as smooth as sipping on a perfectly brewed cup of coffee.   By serving content intuitively, you're keeping your visitors happy and giving those sneaky web crawlers something to rave about. So, brew up a logical URL structure and watch as your website becomes the go-to spot for humans and search engines! You'll want to make your website as easy to browse as possible so visitors can confidently navigate it without chaos because confusion is the enemy of website conversion . When building your website, consider your URLs the secret ingredient in your perfect brew. Instead of a confusing mishmash of characters, aim for URLs that act like friendly guides, leading visitors straight to the good stuff. Just imagine you're pursuing the ultimate cup of coffee. Wouldn't you prefer a link like " https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/how-to-brew " that spells it out rather than a head-scratcher like " https://www.example.com/index.php?id_w==7&clc "?  We're guessing you'd go for the clear and concise option—and we couldn't agree more. So, sprinkle in some descriptive keywords, like adding just the right amount of coffee grounds to your filter, and voila! Your URLs will be inviting and easy to understand. Keep it simple and friendly, and prepare to brew up some online marketing magic! 2. Brewing Up Preferred Page Rank URL structures aren't just about directing traffic—they're similar to the secret ingredients telling Google about your website's pages and how they connect. And just like adding the perfect blend of beans to your brew, an internal linking strategy (links to pages within your site)  helps Google understand your content better. When you craft your URLs with humans in mind, you also serve a tasty treat for search engine web crawlers. By making them easy to navigate, you invite these bots to read and index your website, ensuring your content is fresh and relevant for searchers. Let's discuss the buzz around URL optimization. PageRank   is Google's way of measuring the value and relevance of your web pages. While root domains typically hold the most rank, sprinkling keywords into your other pages and blog post URLs can give your rankings an extra kick. But you want to stay moderate with the keywords. Keep it balanced and only include what truly adds value. Pro Tip:  After your website goes live or whenever you make changes to your page URLs, remember to (re)submit your sitemap in Google Search Console . This ensures that the search engine more effectively crawls and indexes your pages, keeping your spot on the SERPs fresh and hot like your morning brew! Enhance Your SEO Strategy with an Effective URL Structure If you're ready to boost your SEO efforts but aren't sure where to begin, focusing on optimizing your URL structure can be a great starting point. By organizing your URLs effectively, you can enhance your website's visibility and attract more organic traffic, ultimately leading to improved rankings and increased exposure for your business. At The Brand Brew ® , we optimize URL structures to maximize SEO benefits as part of our Website Development . Contact us today to take the first step towards improving your website's performance and more effectively reaching your target audience.

Have you ever sought an expert opinion? Scrolled through a restaurant’s Google reviews? Asked a trusted friend for advice? If so, you understand the value of a vote of confidence from a reputable source. In the world of websites and SEO, that’s precisely what backlinking is for! Backlinks  are simply links from one website to another. They act as a way to vouch for another website, showing to search engines and readers alike that its content is valuable or relevant.  Why Bother with Backlinks? We’ll get into how  to implement a backlinking strategy in just a minute, but first—why go to all the fuss? Credibility Matters The market is filled with businesses, and the internet is overflowing with websites. How do you stand out?  Credibility. Buyers don’t want just any business—they want one they can count on.  When another website links to your content, it’s a small way of saying “Hey, they know what they’re talking about!” When a lot of websites link to your content, it has a profoundly positive impact on your reputation. Backlinking is crucial for credibility, one of the key steps to building a strong and recognizable brand . Strengthen SEO Effective search engine optimization requires a continuous, holistic approach , and that includes backlinking! Search engines rely on backlinks as a way to measure a website’s authority, which directly impacts rankings. While it’s certainly not the only factor— structured data , keywords , and a whole host of other components also go into the equation—backlinks are another way to enhance your domain authority (DA), boost your rankings, and complement all the other efforts you’re pouring into your SEO strategy . You can think of backlinking as going hand-in-hand with your internal linking strategy , only, you know, external. Unclear on how your current SEO strategy is performing? Find out with The Brand Brew ®’s SEO Website Audit ! Expand Your Audience There are all sorts of ways to direct traffic to your website, from social media and blogging  to rich results  and Google Sitelinks . And, well, all of those things are a lot of work! One of the beautiful things about backlinks is that you can piggyback on the SEO success of other reputable websites and instantly gain exposure to their audience. Building your backlinking strategy allows you to reach brand-new buyers, with only a fraction of the effort! Which Type of Backlinking is Right for You? Imagine you’re at a party, looking to make friends (which, in this analogy, are other websites that will link back to you).  There are a few different ways you could go about it: Natural Backlinks: Let Them Come to You Natural backlinking is the equivalent of being an excellent conversationalist. It’s when you tell a story so intriguing and so eloquently that other partygoers are just dying to join in the conversation. This refers to backlinks that you earn without needing to request a link. It happens when others find your content valuable, and it’s most common with highly shareable content—think detailed guides, insightful studies, and influential opinions. Manual Backlinks: Put Yourself Out There! In contrast, manual backlinks are acquired through direct outreach. This can be done through guest blogging, partnerships, or any other sort of collaboration. The idea here is to form relationships with other reputable brands related to your niche so everyone grows together.  If, for instance, you specialize in branding in Hamilton, ON , you might consider forming relationships with other organizations in the Hamilton area who share your values. In our party analogy, this is the equivalent of bravely striking up a conversation with a stranger—or rather, a future friend. Self-Created Backlinks: Be Your Own Biggest Fan Self-created backlinking is an option, achieved by submitting your website to directories or leaving comments on blogs that direct back to your site.  However, we advise you to be cautious. Just like constantly boasting about yourself at a party might not be the greatest strategy for a flourishing social life, self-created backlinks are not always viewed highly by search engines. When overdone, it can be considered spammy and actually harm your site’s ranking. It’s important to remember that quality  backlinks are the true goal here. Just like making new friends, there’s no singular right way to generate backlinks. There are, however, some techniques to keep in mind: 1. Quality Content Quality content  leads to quality backlinks.  Content like in-depth guides, case studies, and visually engaging infographics often naturally attracts backlinks, as readers find it valuable and worth sharing or referencing. 2. Guest Posting and Collaborations Writing guest posts for reputable sites in your niche can earn high-quality backlinks, provided the content is relevant and informative.  And hey, collaborating with other thought leaders in your industry is a great way to build backlinks and  form friendships! Neat, huh? 3. Outreach and Networking Identify sites with similar audiences  to your own, then reach out with content proposals or partnership ideas.  Focusing on quality and relevance in these connections is key—a single link from a high-traffic, reputable site holds more value than several links from less relevant sources. 4. Strengthen Your Site Just like you wouldn’t publish a link to a not-so-great website, your own site needs to be high-quality in order to earn backlinks from others. Design a Website Worth Talking About with The Brand Brew ®  A well-built website enhances user experience, improves credibility and leads to more backlinks from other quality sites. Book a call  today to boost your backlinking and strengthen your site’s appeal with The Brand Brew ®’s Website Design service !

Are you intimidated by the term Search Engine Optimization (SEO)? Does it make you feel overwhelmed or anxious? Let's change that perception. SEO is a powerful tool for business growth, and contrary to common belief, it's more manageable than it may seem. To illustrate, we'll categorize SEO into four types: on-page, off-page, technical, and local. Each contributes uniquely to your website's rankings and traffic. This guide will delve into each category, offering insights to help you succeed in your SEO endeavours. But First, What Exactly is SEO? In basic terms, SEO involves enhancing your website to make it more visible online when people search for terms related to your brand, business, or industry. Specifically, organic SEO offers a cost-effective approach, attracting relevant visitors without paying for online ads.  For a more detailed explanation of SEO, check out our post on ' What the Heck is SEO? ' Striking an SEO Balance: Quantity with Quality Many business owners prioritize increasing website traffic in their SEO strategy, focusing solely on quantity. However, it's also vital to consider the quality of that traffic. Doubling visitor numbers is only beneficial if it aligns with your target audience.  If you're unsure who your ideal customers are, be sure to read our post on identifying your brand's target audience  before embarking on any SEO efforts. A Comprehensive Guide: 4 Types of SEO Now, let's explore the four SEO types essential for an effective digital marketing strategy. 1. On-Page SEO On-page SEO refers to the content that tells search engines (and readers!) what your website is about. You have the most control over on-page SEO because it involves everything on your site. On-page SEO encompasses doing the following things: Performing Keyword Research: Developing a keyword strategy involves identifying the specific words and phrases that your target audience uses when searching for information related t o your industry and business.   Creating Curated Content:  Craft compelling copy highlighting customers' benefits  while maintaining high quality, relevance, and engagement. Incorporate targeted SEO keywords naturally into your copy, when appropriate.  Pro Tip:  For best results, dedicate one (1) primary keyword to each web page, including blog posts, and strive for a keyword density of 1-3% (1-3 instances per every 100 words of content). Strategize URL Structure : Ensure page URLs are concise, relevant, and contain keywords to improve search engine visibility and the user experience.  Mastering Metadata: In addition to integrating keywords into your URLs and website copy, enhance page titles and descriptions  with relevant keywords and persuasive calls to action to boost click-through rates. Implementing Header Tags: Structuring content with header tags (H1, H2, H3, H4) to improve readability and emphasize essential sections and topics. Developing Internal Links:  The goal is to create a linking strategy from one page to other relevant pages on your website (and blog) to improve navigation and the user experience. 2. Off-Page SEO Once you've grasped on-page SEO, it's time to incorporate off-page SEO, which tells search engines how popular and valuable your website pages are through votes of confidence.  Effectively implementing off-page SEO entails: Acquiring Backlinks:   Also known as links from other websites to yours, backlinks signal your website's credibility to search engines . However, the quality of backlinks is crucial; having numerous spammy websites linking to yours can harm your site's reputation. Conversely, obtaining links from authoritative sites like Forbes or Entrepreneur can significantly boost your website's credibility. Building Social Media Profiles: Creating and maintaining a solid social media presence and engagement. Gaining Online Reviews: Building and managing online reviews and reputation on third-party platforms, such as Google, Facebook, and Yelp, among others. Discover the 7 SEO Truths : Clear the fog, dispel doubts, and master SEO for success! 3. Technical SEO Technical SEO is also within your control, but it's a bit trickier to master since it's less intuitive. It involves ensuring that search engines can easily crawl and index your site. Many website platforms  automatically handle the more challenging aspects of technical SEO. If you've collaborated with a website professional to build your site, you'll have an advantage here, as they should understand how to structure a website effectively. However, the larger, older, and more complex your website is, the more effort may be needed to enhance your technical SEO. In such cases, hiring a digital marketing agency, like The Brand Brew ®, to build and manage your SEO strategy could be a worthwhile investment. Some Technical SEO factors are: Gaining Website Speed and Performance: Optimizes page load times, reduces server response time and compresses image sizes. Taking a Mobile-First Approach: Involves   ensuring your website is optimized for smaller screen devices, with a responsive design and mobile-friendly content. Optimizing Website Security: Implement SSL encryption, use secure passwords, and protect against malware and hacking. Planning Site Architecture:  Optimizing website architecture and navigation to make it easy for search engines to crawl and index the site. Strategizing Structured Data: Implementing markup that helps search engines understand your content and display it prominently in search results. 4. Local SEO Finally, local SEO focuses on boosting your website's visibility in search results within your geographic area. If your business involves in-person interactions or primarily caters to local customers, local SEO becomes particularly crucial, potentially even more so than on-page SEO endeavours. Even if your business operates virtually with customers worldwide, dedicating some effort to local SEO is prudent. These factors can improve local SEO: Optimizing your Google Business Profile  (GBP): Be sure to provide accurate business contact details along with your primary and secondary categories, attributes, reviews, and frequently asked questions (FAQs) to conquer The Map Pack.  If you need clarification on what we're referring to, head over to our Local SEO series to meet The Map Pack . Curating Citations:  To improve visibility in local search results, build online citations on local directories such as Yelp, Yellow Pages, and TripAdvisor. Ensure your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) are consistent and accurate across all online listings. Getting Rave Reviews:  Encouraging and managing online reviews on sites like Google, Yelp, and Facebook to improve online reputation and increase visibility in local search results. Local SEO strategies can help small businesses  attract more customers searching for products or services in their area, leading to increased visibility. Stronger Together: Integrating 4 SEO Types Understanding the interconnectedness of on-page, off-page, technical, and local SEO is crucial for enhancing your website's search engine ranking and online visibility. On-page factors like keyword research and quality content forms the foundation, while technical optimization—like site speed and mobile responsiveness—are essential for visibility. Off-page efforts such as link building and social media presence bolster authority, while local optimization targets specific audiences. Partner with The Brand Brew for Expert SEO Help A comprehensive strategy integrates all four SEO types, ensuring thorough keyword research, high-quality content, technical accessibility, and off-page credibility. However, it takes skill, is time-consuming, and requires ongoing maintenance. Remember, "set it and forget it" is not a viable SEO strategy. Enter The Brand Brew ®; not only are we pros regarding SEO best practices, but our   Website Design  is just what you need to breathe new life into your business and propel your SEO ranking into those top spots. Contact us today  if you're interested in brewing your business's online marketing strategy!