How to use Google to find the currently most-used search queries for a business

Google does its best to deliver the most relevant results possible to every search query. But there has to be a certain amount of guesswork involved if the phrasing of the way you describe your offers differs from the phrasing of queries made by searchers looking for what you're selling.

For instance: if your website calls your business an "RV resort" and most people are searching for "campgrounds," you're going to miss out on some qualified web traffic, and ultimately on some bookings.

Google organic search returns provide an easy way to find out what people are currently searching for on any topic. You can use this free information to improve the relevance of your website content and/or AdWords campaigns.

All you need is a Web browser, and something like MS Excel to organize the data you'll be collecting.

Example:

Pretend for the moment that you're responsible for the official State of Maine tourist board.

Your website contains all kinds of information about tourist attractions, lodging, dining, transportation, local tours, outdoor recreation, and everything else of possible interest to people who are considering Maine as a leisure-travel destination.

The two most important resources with which you have to work are your website content, and your AdWords ads and keywords. How can you make those consistent with language people are using when seeking information about Maine?

That may sound like an insurmountable obstacle, given the vast diversity, on so many dimensions, of people searching: stage of the buying process, age, sex, location, social status, household income, ethnic heritage, interests, past experience, etc., etc. There's no way you can produce and maintain dedicated content for all those individual segments.

However: what you can do is eavesdrop on all the search queries that have been used very recently by people interested in visiting Maine.

And you can do that using Google to search for Maine tourism information, and capturing the language being used in "Related Searches" - something Google will give you for any query of yours.

Start with the single very most basic term for what you’re selling. In our example, I’m going to use visit maine.

That query at Google produces - along with links to various other people’s websites - at the bottom of the page a list of 8 Related Searches:

maine points of interest

maine destinations

maine tourism

visitmaine com attractions

portland maine

bar harbor maine

maine vacations packages

things to do in maine

(Just for speed and simplicity, in our example I’m going to pick my choice of the most relevant three of these suggestions to pursue further. You should follow all relevant leads, to see where they take you.)

My pick of 3 are:

maine destinations

maine tourism

things to do in maine

Note that these search terms are live hyperlinks in the Google page - with just a mouse click you can expand any of them to find more related searches.

Expanding each of these produces 8 more Related Searches, on and on ad infinitum.

Here’s where Excel or a similar spreadsheet program comes in: you need a way to organize all these data as you continue to identify search queries that are being phrased in language used by real, live people looking for stuff like yours to buy.

Next steps:

1. Incorporate the language used in these search queries into the content of your site.
2. Incorporate the same language into your AdWords ads and keywords, for a frictionless consumer journey from Google search to whatever conversion event we want to occur.

TIP: In the real world, this process works best when done in manageable chunks - do one product at a time, get that marketing funnel working well, then go on to another product.

Go here for more in depth about keyword research for Google Ads and SEO.

Effective SEO Strategies for Law Firms

In today's digital age, having a robust online presence is crucial for law firms looking to attract new clients. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a powerful tool that can help law firms improve their visibility in search engine results and drive more traffic to their websites. In this article, we'll explore some effective SEO strategies specifically tailored for law firms.

First, it's essential to understand what SEO is and how it works. SEO is the art and science of fine-tuning your website for relevant queries put into search engines by users. This increased visibility can lead to more website visitors and, ultimately, more clients.

SEO involves several ways of increasing a website's visibility in search engines, including:

• optimizing content
• improving site architecture
• acquiring quality backlinks.

Law firms face unique challenges when it comes to marketing. The legal industry is highly competitive, and potential clients often turn to search engines to find legal services. By implementing effective SEO strategies, law firms can improve their chances of being found by individuals seeking legal advice.

SEO is a continuous process requiring regular updates and use of best practices to maintain and improve search rankings.

Keyword research is the foundation of any successful SEO strategy. It's crucial to identify the words and phrases that potential clients are using to search for legal services. These keywords need to be be strategically incorporated into your website's content.

The first step is to identify relevant words and phrases that align with your services.

Long-tail keywords are specific phrases that potential clients might use when searching for legal services. These keywords are less competitive and can result in higher conversion rates because they target users further along in the decision-making process.

On-page SEO involves optimizing individual web pages to improve their search engine rankings. Key elements of on-page SEO include:

Title tags and meta descriptions: These HTML elements provide a brief overview of your page's content to search engines and users. Make sure they include relevant keywords and are compelling enough to encourage clicks.

Header tags (H1, H2, H3) are essential for structuring your content and making it more readable for both users and search engines. They help break down complex information into digestible sections.

Incorporate your target keywords naturally throughout your content, but avoid keyword stuffing, which can harm your rankings.

Linking to other relevant pages within your website improves navigation and keeps visitors engaged. It also helps distribute page authority throughout your site, which can enhance rankings.

High-quality content is vital for SEO success. Not only does it engage your audience, but it also signals to search engines that your website is a valuable resource. Create informative blog posts, articles, and guides that address common legal questions and concerns.

Content relevance and quality are crucial for engaging users and improving SEO. Focus on creating content that answers potential clients' questions and addresses their concerns. High-quality content establishes your firm as an authority and builds trust with your audience.

Utilize diverse content formats to reach a broader audience. Consider incorporating videos, infographics, and podcasts to present information in engaging ways.

Regularly updating and refreshing your content keeps it relevant and can improve SEO performance. Search engines favor fresh content, so revisiting older posts and updating information can boost rankings. Continually refining your content ensures it remains valuable to users.

Blogging is an excellent way to showcase your expertise and attract potential clients. Write about legal topics that are relevant to your practice areas and address common questions your clients may have.

Selecting the right blog topics is crucial for engaging your audience. Consider trending legal issues, common client questions, and changes in legislation. Addressing these topics can position your firm as a thought leader and attract interested readers.

Consistency in blogging is vital for maintaining audience engagement and improving SEO. Develop a content calendar to schedule regular posts and ensure timely publication. Consistent blogging keeps your site active and signals to search engines that your content is fresh and relevant.

Promoting your blog content extends its reach and maximizes its impact. Share your posts on social media, in newsletters, and through collaborations with other legal professionals. Effective promotion can drive traffic to your site and enhance your SEO efforts.

Backlinks are links from other websites to your own. They indicate that your website is a reputable source of information. When it comes to backlinks, quality is more important than quantity. Focus on building high-quality backlinks from authoritative sites relevant to the legal industry. High-quality backlinks signal to search engines that your site is trustworthy, and can significantly improve your rankings.

Toxic backlinks from spammy or low-quality sites can harm your SEO efforts. Regularly monitor your backlink profile and disavow any harmful links. Maintaining a clean backlink profile ensures your site remains in good standing with search engines.

For law firms, local SEO is particularly important. Many clients search for legal services in their specific geographic area.

To improve your local SEO:

• Create and optimize a Google Business Profile with accurate contact information, business hours, and client reviews. This profile enhances your visibility in local searches and helps potential clients find your firm. Regularly updating your profile keeps it relevant and effective.
• Ensure your firm is listed in local directories with consistent Name, Address, and Phone number information. Local citations are vital for attracting clients within your geographic area.
• Encourage satisfied clients to leave positive reviews on platforms like Google and Yelp to enhance your firm's reputation. Positive reviews build trust with potential clients and can improve your local SEO.
• With more people using mobile devices to search for legal services, it's crucial to ensure your website is mobile-friendly. A responsive design that adapts to different screen sizes can improve user experience and search rankings. Consider mobile-specific SEO strategies, such as optimizing for voice search and implementing AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages). These techniques cater to mobile users and can improve your site's performance in mobile search results.

Page load speed is another critical factor for SEO. Slow-loading pages can lead to high bounce rates and lower rankings. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify and address performance issues.

Optimize images and scripts to reduce load times, improve site speed and deliver a better user experience. Compress images without sacrificing quality and minify CSS and JavaScript files. These optimizations lead to faster page loading.

Leverage browser caching to store static files locally on users' devices, to reduce load times for returning visitors and enhance overall site speed.

A secure website (HTTPS) is essential for building trust with visitors and search engines. Ensure your website has an SSL certificate to encrypt data and provide a secure browsing experience. HTTPS is a ranking factor that search engines prioritize. Implementing HTTPS is crucial for maintaining a competitive edge in search rankings.

To determine the effectiveness of your SEO efforts, it's essential to track key performance metrics. Tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console can provide valuable insights into your website's traffic, user behavior, and search performance. Monitor metrics such as organic traffic, keyword rankings, and conversion rates to assess your SEO strategy's success.

Establishing clear SEO goals is the first step in measuring success. Define what you want to achieve. Clear goals guide your strategy and provide a benchmark for evaluating performance.

Use Google Analytics to analyze your site's traffic and user behavior. Monitor metrics like page views, bounce rates, and average session duration to understand user engagement. This analysis helps identify areas for improvement and optimize your SEO strategy.

Track keyword performance using tools like Google Search Console. Monitor changes in rankings and impressions for your target keywords. Evaluating keyword performance provides insights into the effectiveness of your SEO efforts and guides future optimizations.

Implementing effective SEO strategies is essential for law firms looking to thrive in the digital age. Remember, SEO is an ongoing process. By committing to these best practices, law firms can position themselves for sustained growth and competitiveness in the digital landscape. Go here for much more in depth about SEO.

Also I recommend you take a look at this article on Google Ads for Lawyers because in terms of bottom-line results, synergies make Google Ads plus SEO greater than the sum of the parts.

Get a Free Online Marketing Audit from a Certified Google Profesional. Because in today's digital age, potential clients searching for legal services rely heavily on the internet to research legal services.

My FREE Digital Marketing Audit will enable you to evaluate your current website and online marketing efforts in order to make informed decisions about how to boost your overall online presence and increase client engagement.

Ready to grow your practice? Let's talk.

Google encourages us to use structured data to help it understand what our pages are about, by providing clues in a structured format that it can easily interpret.

Structured data is coded using in-page JavaScript markup that describes the content of the page.

Google provides the following suggestions/warnings for using structured data markup for SEO purposes:

• Although most structured data for search uses schema.org vocabulary, follow the documentation on developers.google.com as definitive for Google Search behavior, rather than the schema.org documentation.
• Always test your structured data markup using the Structured Data Testing tool before it goes live.
• For your content to be eligible for enhanced display on Google, you must include all the required properties for an object.
• Defining more recommended features can make it more likely that your information can appear in Search results with enhanced display, but it's better to supply fewer but complete and accurate properties vs. more properties that are less complete or accurate.

Although a number of different structured-data markup systems exist, and Google recognizes several of them, the simplest and most-used is JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data) - say "Jason LD" - which uses arrays of attribute-value pairs (like "@type NewsArticle").

Google recognizes a number of applications for structured data - AMP and non-AMP pages, articles, videos, recipes, etc. For simplicity, in the following example I'm going to demonstrate the easiest case: how to do structured-data markup for a non-AMP article or blog post.

To begin, I created a simple webpage containing an article, here: https://www.davidhboggs.com/demos/article.htm which looks like this:

Then using the example here https://search.google.com/structured-data/testing-tool I created the following JSON-LD script and pasted it into the <HEAD> of article.htm:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "http://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"mainEntityOfPage": {
"@type": "WebPage",
"@id": "https://www.davidhboggs.com/article.htm"
},
"headline": "Transformation of Search Summit scheduled for 19 October 2018 in NYC",
"image": [
"https://www.davidhboggs.com/images/david_round_150.jpg",
"https://www.davidhboggs.com/images/newsletter.png",
"https://www.davidhboggs.com/images/transformation-of-search.png"
],
"datePublished": "2018-08-08T12:51:51+00:00",
"dateModified": "2018-08-08T12:51:51+00:00",
"author": {
"@type": "Person",
"name": "David Boggs"
},
"publisher": {
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "ACRO Global",
"logo": {
"@type": "ImageObject",
"url": "https://www.acroglobal.com/images/header2017_300.png"
}
},
"description": "Conference organized by ClickZ with Search Engine Watch and Catalyst will be addressing latest trends in search: platforms and technologies, organic and paid."
}
</script>

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here's where all that came from, line by line:

"http://schema.org" is used in every script.

The various @types for non-AMP pages are here: developers.google.com/sear...data-types/article#non-amp

"NewsArticle" and "WebPage" were obvious fits for my content.

"@id" is the URL of the page: https://www.davidhboggs.com/article.htm

"headline" comes from the <h1> tag of the page.

Then come the "image" URLs, one for each image on the page: head shot, Newsletter icon, conference icon. Include all your important images.

Next are "datePublished" and 'dateModified" in iso 8601 format, which you can get here: http://www.timestampgenerator.com/

Then come "author" data, with @type=person, name=David Boggs

Followed by "publisher" data: @type=Organization, name=ACRO Global

Then "logo" with the data pair @type: "Image Object" and the URL of the ACRO Global logo

Finally "description" from the <META description> tag of the page

Saved the page, uploaded it to DavidHBoggs.com and ran the Google Structured Data Testing Tool on the page URL from here: https://search.google.com/structured-data/testing-tool

which produced this result:

No errors, no warnings. Great!

But had I messed up, Google would have given me a (more or less) helpful error message.

If this were a "serious" page - not an example - I'd next add it to my XML sitemap, upload that ad run it by Google Search Console for re-indexing.

And go here for more on Maine search engine optimization.

What's the catch? To get full use of the Keyword Planner, you must have a Google account, and have set up at least one Google Ads campaign. That's a fair trade.

To begin, log in to your Google account and go to Google Ads, where you should see a page header similar to this:

Click on the Tools icon to get the list of tools:

Then click on Keyword Planner, which will send you here:

Click on Find Keywords, and in the screen that opens, enter 5 "seed keywords" - the most basic terms that describe your product. In the example, I'm assuming our product is a Cape Cod bed and breakfast, and the 5 seed keywords I've picked are cape cod, bed and breakfast, lodging, vacation and beach. To proceed from there, click Get Started.

That should send you to a screen like the one below:

If the keyword column is too narrow - cuts off parts of the keywords - just grab the column divider and pull it farther open:

Take a moment to take in an overview of all the information that's provided in that screen, such as:

• Starting from our 5 seed keywords, Keyword Planner has generated 2360 suggested keywords, based on actual Google searches.
• Total numbers of searches, and numbers of searches done on mobile devices, by month for the past 12 months.
• For each of these 2360 keywords:
  • The average number of monthly searches
  • Trend line of search numbers by month
  • Level of competition
  • High and low Google Ads bid needed for top position over the past 12 months

Now some thinking on our part is required. Because some of these suggested keywords are much too broad - optimizing a page for "beach" or "lodging" will get us nowhere - and others (not shown in the screencap) like "bed and breakfast UK" are irrelevant. We need to pick and choose.

The 2360 keywords are presented in groups of 500. We need to go down the list of 1 to 500 and click the checkboxes beside the most relevant-looking ones, like this:

At the left end of the header, Google will keep count of the keywords we've selected.

Important: When you get to the end of the first group of 500 keywords, before going on to the next 500, click the Add to Plan link (as in screencap below) in the header. If you don't, the system will "forget" your picks from the first 500 and reset to 0 selected.

When you've clicked Add to plan, you should see the In Plan indicator at lower right, like this:

Click the right-arrow to move to the next group of 500 keywords.

Repeat for each group of 500 keywords.

When that process has been completed successfully, Google will create a Plan and save it as a draft. You may have to back-arrow to get to a screen that displays this:

Click RESUME PLAN to open the Plan Overview screen:

As you can see, Google has figured out that using Google Ads we can get 4600 incremental site visits for "only" $6400. And it tells us that most clicks will come from mobile devices, and 97% from within Massachusetts - all equally useful information for purposes of SEO for organic search.

Click the DOWNLOAD PLAN link at top right, and Google will create a spreadsheet in CSV format that we can download and open in Excel. As created by Google, the interesting parts of this CSV file will look like this:

The Keyword column contains my picks from the 2360 that Google generated. Beside each are Google's estimates of monthly clicks, impressions, click charges, clickthrough rate and cost per click for each keyword when used in a Google Ads campaign with the aforementioned $6400 click budget.

But for organic SEO purposes, what we most want to know is: what keywords do we most need to weave into our pages to interest the most prospects? Those with the highest estimated cost per click, of course, because those CPC data come from real-life Google Ads data and reflect the level of competition among suppliers. So, with a bit of Excel manipulation, we can get this rank-ordered list of keywords, starting with the most valuable:

Thanks for your free help, Google!

Go here for more in depth about keyword research for Google Ads and SEO.

And go here for more on Maine search engine optimization.

Make It Easy for Google to Verify Your Phone Number

On 1 August 2025 Google will update the "unverified phone number" part of its Google Ads Destination Policy to include newly-created message assets along with call-only ads, call assets and location assets.

Enforcement on existing message assets will begin 1 September.

Per Google:

"Message assets will not serve if the associated phone number does not comply with this policy and cannot be properly verified."

The relevant section of the Ads Destination Policy says:

Google requires that the phone numbers appearing in the ad assets listed above must be:

• In service in the country targeted, and
• Related to the advertised business.

But the there's more to it than that: Google will consider unacceptable numbers that are:

• inaccurate
• inactive
• irrelevant
• not connected to the business advertised
• fax numbers
• requiring an additional charge to complete a call (e.g., 1-900 numbers)
• vanity numbers with letters replacing digits
• not local or domestic to the targeted country
• virtual or personal
• without active voicemail

Also Google "may occasionally call" and record results of the numbers included in your ads to check on you.

Google goes on to say that phone numbers that haven't been verified by Google will lead to disapproval of ads.

If that happens to you, here are 2 ways Google says you can verify your phone number:

1. Display - in text not an image - on at least one page of your site the number that appears in your ad. The verification URL must have the same domain as the ad's display URL; or
2. Prove your ownership of the domain in your ad's display URL by (a) linking your Search Console and Ads accounts or (b) adding your unique Ads conversion tracking tag or remarketing tag to your site.

If Google disapproves your ad for a reason related to the phone number, you will need to change the number to a compliant one, save your ad or asset, and submit it for review. Google will check to see that you have removed the offending number from your ad/asset and landing page, and if so approve the ad so you can resume running it.

Here are some things you can do to make it easier for Google to check and verify the phone numbers in your ads/assets, and avoid disapproval:

• Put phone numbers on landing pages that get a lot of traffic, to increase likelihood of crawling/indexing by Google
• Display phone numbers on your pages in the normal format used in your country, but use the E.164 format (which Google likes) in your source code.

A phone number in the E.164 format consists of "+" "country code""subscriber number" (with no quotes or spaces.

US country code is 1.

So my US number 207-579-1555 becomes +12075797555 and a click-to-call link is coded:

<a href="tel:+12075791555">207-579-1555</a>

(The things we do for Google!)

Most Popular How-To Posts:

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Go here for more about using Google Ads.