How To Use Google Maps Marketing Strategy To Increase Sales And Customers

Posted on May 14, 2021 by Universal Creator Posted in General, Content Marketing, Responsive Web Design, SEO, Social Media, Technical, Video Content Marketing, Web Design

How To Use Google Maps Marketing Strategy To Increase Sales And Customers

There is no surprise or you may not be shocked that – out of all the mapping apps out there like MapQuest, Apple Maps and others – Google Maps remains supreme and not just by a small margin but a majority landslide.

With so much popularity – you would be wise to think about how Google Maps marketing strategy could help your business grow by increasing sales and customers.

In a stiff competition like this – you will also need to give some thought to the best ways to achieve maximum visibility in your local search results.

To assist you on both fronts – we have written this article to help you with your Google Maps marketing strategy.

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Below are the content on How To Use Google Maps Marketing Strategy To Increase Sales And Customers.

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What is Google My Business – GMB?

Google My Business – GMB is a free tool for business owners or managers to manage and optimise their business’ profiles on Google Maps.

A Google My Business profile typically includes your business’ name, location, and hours of operation. The image below is an example of a typical Google My Business profile.

When you claim your business using a Google My Business profile, you can optimise your Google Maps presence by ensuring that customers have access to the most relevant and up-to-date information.

You can also use your profile to interact with customers when they leave reviews, ask any questions and track Google Maps Ads insights to understand how customers interact with your profile.

Google Maps Ads

Although marketing on Google Maps is free – using local search ads can boost your business’ visibility in Google Maps search results.

Using these ads will bring your business listing to the top of search queries for keywords relevant to your business.

Google Maps ads use location targeting so they will only show up for location-relevant searches. These ads usually appear in desktop and mobile searches.

When you create ads for your business – you can track their performance to get a sense of how customers respond to your ads and take further actions like using your address to get Google Maps directions or click on the listed phone number to call you.

Further Reading: How to Write a Good Meta Description for SEO

How Can Google Maps Marketing Strategy Serve Your Business?

At the core of this form of marketing is Google My Business – GMB. By creating and strategically strengthen up this online business profile – you can enjoy several benefits which include:

Additional visibility if you rank well in Google Maps results or even better in Google’s Local 3-Pack which shows potential customers the three most relevant local businesses and it is free advertising.
The potential for more sales since you will have more visibility on your business.
Differentiation from competitors if your profile ranks above theirs then it has a higher rating from customers and is more polished and professional.
More engagement with potential customers via more visits to your website, inquiries, etc..
Increased trust and credibility since it is clear at a glance that you care about your online reputation and more importantly about the experiences customers have with you.

In simple words – your Google My Business profile is like a 24/7 marketing and salesperson for your business but for it to be a good – there are some things you have to do.

The Basics of a Google Maps Marketing Strategy

To have any chance of ranking higher in Google Maps results – you must adhere to the following important criteria.

They are all equally important to ensure you get the best chance of ranking in Google Maps:

1. Claim Your Business In Google My Business Profile

Whether you already have a GMB profile or are planning to create one then be sure that you claim and verify your listing.

Verification is a simple process and can be done by mail, phone or various other methods.

No matter how you choose to do it – it will give you maximum control over your profile and the results it gets for your business.

Further Reading: Get Traffic to Your Website Fast

2. Add Your Location Data

In Google My Business there are two types of location data you need to add. The first is your exact physical location such as a full postal service approved address.

If you do not have a physical location where customers can visit you – you can easily hide your address from the public whilst still making the information available to Google so you are eligible to be shown in search results.

The second type of location data encompasses the areas you serve – always specify the cities, counties and/or countries you service customers in to boost your chances of being shown to people in those areas.

3. Provide Key Business Information

Besides your address and services areas – you also want to provide other crucial information such as your full business name, phone number, website, and up-to-date business hours.

This is a good idea when you are trying to rank better in search results and it is also a great foundation for good user experience – UX.

And good UX is absolutely essential if you want to tip the scales in your favour and motivate more potential customers to contact your business that will lead to more queries, communication and sales.

Further Reading:Create Engaging Content for Social Media

4. Select the Most Relevant Categories

Categorising your business gives you more contexts to what you have to offer. This way when consumers search for a local business like yours – Google will understands that your profile is relevant and is more likely to display it to potential customers.

When choosing from Google’s list of categories – just be sure to select only those that are closely related to what you do otherwise you may find that your GMB profile gets views but not much action because it is not what people are looking for. It is important that your profile gets seen by the right people.

More Opportunities To Stand Out In Search With Google Maps Marketing Strategy

Up to now, we have covered the basics and must-dos for any Google Maps marketing strategy.

The following methods are just as important for your strategy as the previous four since these will provide opportunities to stand out from your competition.

Further Reading: How to Write Good Title Tags for SEO

1. Eye- Catching Introduction

The introduction of your GMB profile is simply an opportunity to explain what you offer but in reality it is much more. It is your opportunity to:

Make a memorable first impression since Google Maps only shows a short snippet of the introduction in its results and this snippet has to be eye-catching enough to get people to click to learn more about your business.
Highlight the value of what you provide instead of just listing what you provide.
Show case what makes your business different and offer better than your competitors.

If you can do all of the above then you will automatically have an advantage over your competitor by providing what potential customers want to know.

2. Get Reviews From Your Customers

Both the number of customer reviews you have on Google and your overall rating can impact your business’s visibility in Google search results.

Therefore always encourage your customers to leave ratings and reviews even if you have to make this request an official part of your process.

As the positive reviews flow in – the chances of dominating Google Maps and enjoying all the benefits that come with it will also rise.

Having negative reviews should not hinder your business since if you can respond calmly and positively to your customers then Google will see it that you are a business that care about your customers and may even increase your ranking.

Note: Never ever resort to paying for 5-star reviews or any other shady tactics to make your business look better in the eyes of Google and potential customers.

This is not ethical and professional since it will always come back to bite you later which will result in undoing the positive results from your Google Maps marketing efforts.

Further Reading: How To Optimise Images for SEO

3. Add Photos, Photos & More Photos

Google reported that businesses with photos added to GMB profiles get 42% more requests for directions on Google Maps and 35% more visits to their websites than those with no pictures. Those statistics speak for themselves.

If you hope to get meaningful results then sharing photos of your products or services, past projects, team and physical location is a must.

And it is also great to encourage customers to submit their photos as well since this will build credibility and trust with potential customers for your business.

4. Build High Quality Links

Another key factor that determines your position in search results is prominence which encompasses all the information available about your business online and how well you are doing in terms of search engine optimisation.

Building high-quality links and citations from relevant websites to yours is a top way to boost your Google Maps rankings and even earn a shot at being featured in Google’s Local 3-Pack.

So look out and create opportunities to earn mentions and backlinks to your site from:

Local websites and blogs.
Sites those are relevant to your industry specifically.
Popular online directories such as Foursquare.
Business directories specific to your location, service areas and/or your industry.

This will help you progress, build authority and signal relevance to Google which can lead to more visibility in local search results thus leading to increase in sales and customers.

Further Reading: How to Increase Conversion Rate and Reduce Bounce Rate on Website

5. Spend Some Cash on Google Maps Ads

Although it can be a slow start but earning a good ranking in Google Maps results is purely through organic efforts and is often an attainable goal.

However if you have money to spend then you may want to couple your organic efforts with paid Google Maps ads. This will position your business front and centre in search results for keywords relating to your business and location.

It can provide a quick boost of visibility and traffic while you implement the other methods above and wait for them to start taking effect.

Google Maps: A Prime Tool for Local Marketing

When it comes to online marketing presence, using local marketing tools can make a measurable difference for your business especially for Google My Business and Google Maps.

You can get your business in front of potential target audience, encourage and enjoy more interactions with your audience which means more sales opportunities and increase customer base.

To enjoy these benefits – you will need to claim and optimise your profile, making sure to include all relevant business information like name, address and phone number – NAP, a captivating introduction to your business and high quality photos.

And also encourage and reply to customer reviews, building quality links to your website and investing in paid Google Maps ads when you have the budget to do so.

If you do these things then you will be well on your way to gaining more visibility, credibility and accountability in Google Maps search results.

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How To Use Google Maps Marketing Strategy To Increase Sales And Customers.

How To Optimise Your Video SEO Strategy

Posted on March 29, 2021 by Universal Creator Posted in General, Content Marketing, Responsive Web Design, SEO, Social Media, Video Content Marketing, Web Design

How To Optimise Your Video SEO Strategy

While more consumers are embracing video content, research shows that marketers are struggling to keep up. In fact – 59% of marketers still consider video content creation the most challenging content to make.

So how do you optimise your videos for search engines quickly and effectively? Video SEO is constantly evolving and staying current on video optimisation best practices is absolutely essential.

Today – YouTube’s algorithm tries to match each viewer to the videos he or she is most likely to watch and enjoy. With more than 500 hours of video content uploaded every minute, this is quite a challenge.

In this post – you will learn how YouTube’s algorithm works and find actionable advice on video SEO best practices in order to give you a step-by-step guide to optimise your videos SEO strategy.

Table of Content

Below are the content on How To Optimise Your Video SEO Strategy?

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How Does YouTube’s Search Algorithm Work?

YouTube’s search and discovery systems tackle this task by sorting through loads of videos to find the most relevant and useful results to a user’s search query.

YouTube’s algorithm then follows the audience by paying attention to things like:

What they watch.
What they do not watch.
How much time they spend watching.
Their likes and dislikes.
Not interested feedback.

Stop using the old tips, tools and tricks that you learned some time back and get up-to-date in your understanding of how YouTube’s search and discovery system works?

These are in no order or importance since all of them are equally important in your video SEO optimisation strategy.

1. Choosing The Right Hosting Platform

Choosing the right hosting platform for your videos matters more than you may think. When you base your SEO strategy around video content marketing, each video acts as an anchor that draws in search engine traffic.

If your website goes offline then it could be disastrous for your revenue since the average unplanned website outage costs businesses between £4,327 and £6,429.

Therefore you should choose your host carefully. The right hosting platform for your business will depend on two main things:

the length and size of your video and
your website host since not all hosts support embedded videos from all platforms.

For the best results always use a widely adopted hosting platform like YouTube, Vimeo, Wistia or Daily Motion.

If your video is small then you may opt to host it in-house but make sure you test it before pushing publish to ensure it loads quickly.

2. YouTube Search

Like Google’s search engine – searches on YouTube strive to surface the most relevant results according to specific keyword definition queries.

Videos are ranked based on a variety of factors including how well the title, description and video content match the viewer’s query.

Beyond this – YouTube also look at which videos that have received the most watch time and engagement for a particular query.

Want to know which keywords and search terms to target for video SEO? In simple words – YouTube search results are not a list of the most-viewed videos for a given query.

Keyword search tools can give you lots of options but you need to select just a small subset of them for your newest video and your selection should help your target audience find the videos they want to watch and also maximise their long-term engagement and video satisfaction.

Further Reading: How to Write a Good Meta Description for SEO

3. Titles and Thumbnails

Titles and thumbnails on a video are usually the first things viewers see when browsing on YouTube. They help viewers decide whether to watch your videos and build anticipation – if they accurately represent what is in your video.

YouTube will know if viewers are enjoying your content if they click on your video and stay to watch most or all the way through.

However if your video titles and thumbnails do not deliver on their promise then viewers will leave immediately and this can limit your discoverability on YouTube.

The longer you can keep people watching your content on YouTube – the more your content may get surfaced.

Here are some tips for optimising your video titles:

Write titles that spark curiosity and include keywords.
Keep titles concise up to 60 characters – with the most important information upfront.
Save episode numbers and branding towards the end.
Check that your titles do not get cut off in suggested videos, search results and mobile.

Thumbnails are usually the first thing viewers see when they find one of your videos and 90% of the best-performing videos on YouTube have custom thumbnails.

When you customise your thumbnails – be sure you have a strong, vibrant image that looks great large and small and conveys key information about your video.

You can always apply the rule of thirds – to compose interesting and dynamic images then overlay them with your branding and/or descriptive text.

Always make sure to use a font that is easy to read on screen when adding text and think about how it can be eye-catching and age-appropriate for your target audience.

Here are some guides for optimising your thumbnails:

Think about your thumbnail before you shoot so you can capture several options.
Align any text to the left since YouTube put buttons on the right-hand side
Use bright colours to grab viewer’s attention
Make a high resolution thumbnail and keep it under the 2MB limit.
Specifications: 1280 x 720 pixels – 16:9 ratio as a .JPG, .GIF, .BMP or .PNG.
Zoom in and out of your thumbnail to see if it looks good small and large.
See if your thumbnail would stand out among other thumbnails.

4. Suggested Videos

Suggested videos are a personalised collection of videos that an individual viewer may be interested in watching next, based on his or her prior activity.

These videos are shown to viewers on the right side of the watch page under Up next below the video on the mobile app and as the next video in auto play.

YouTube researchers have found viewers tend to watch more videos when they see recommendations from a variety of channels hence the Suggested Videos. Recommendations are ranked to maximise engagement for the viewer.

Signals that contribute to these recommendations include:

Videos that viewers watch along with the current video or videos that are related topically. These could be videos from the same channel or from a different channel.
Videos from a viewer’s past watch history.

You can see which videos bring viewers to your channel from Suggested Videos in the Traffic sources report in YouTube Analytics by clicking on the Suggested videos box.

Here are some tips for optimising your videos for Suggested Videos:

Make strong calls to action to encourage viewers to watch another video in your series.
Long endings may delay viewers from watching more so be mindful of how your videos end.
Use playlists, links, cards and end screens to suggest the next video to watch.
Develop a series of videos that are connected organically.
Make videos relating to popular formats on YouTube such as challenges or lists.

Last but not least – you can expect Google to roll out Related Topics for Videos on YouTube fairly soon.

Further Reading: Get Traffic to Your Website Fast

5. Front Page Or Home

Front Page or Home is what viewers see first when they visit YouTube.com or open the YouTube app. It is their personal primetime destination – a place where viewers can discover the most relevant, personalised recommendations.

It is a great place for your videos to be found by non-subscribers since over 200 million different videos appear on Front Page or Home each day for viewers around the world.

When a viewer visits Front Page or Home – YouTube displays videos from their subscriptions, videos watched by similar viewers and new videos.

The selections of videos are based on:

Performance: How well the video has engaged and satisfied similar viewers among other factors.
The viewer’s watch and search history: How often the viewer watches a channel or topic and how many times YouTube has already shown each video to the viewer.

It is worth noting that subscribers watch more from their subscriptions via Home than through the Subscriptions tab.

Here are some tips for optimising your videos for YouTube’s Home Screen:

Upload new videos on a consistent basis to give your target audience an expectation of what is coming as new content.
Keep viewers engaged for longer and encourage them to come back for more via a long video or several short ones. The longer you keep viewers watching the more your content is likely to get surfaced.
Consistency – when you create something that is working for your target audience then do it again. YouTube surfaces more content that your viewers like so do not be afraid to experiment but be mindful. Observe feedback from your target audience and give them time to adjust.
By going to your YouTube Analytics Traffic Sources report – you can see how often your channel appears on Home –globally by clicking the Browse features box and looking at the stats for Home.

6. Cards and End Screens

Cards and end screens encourage your viewers to take an action. Cards are preformatted notifications that you can set up to promote your brand and other videos on your channel.

Once they are set up – a small teaser or rectangular box will appear in the top right corner of the video to give your viewers a preview of the message.

If fans tap or click the teaser – the card associated with the video appears below the player on mobile devices in portrait mode or along the right side of your video on desktops. If they do not – it disappears from their view.

Cards work well when they are:-

in conjunction with scripted call to action or
relevant to your video content.

So if you mention a specific video or a piece of product then you could try adding a card at that exact moment.

Here are some tips for optimising your cards:

Use cards and scripted calls to action to link to other videos, playlists, associated websites, to prompt your audience to buy a product or support your crowdfunding campaign.
Use cards in older videos to highlight your most recent uploads or to promote product or fundraising campaigns.
Use up to five cards per video.
Use cards to cross-promote other creators and credit collaborators in your video.

End screens are also a powerful tool that can help extend watch time on your channel by directing viewers to something next at the end of your videos.

You can add them to the last 5-20 seconds of a video and they appear on both desktop and mobile.

Here are some tips for optimising end screens:

Use end screens to promote up to four different elements: a video or playlist, encourage viewers to subscribe, cross-promote another channel and link to approved websites.
Consider leaving space at the end of your video for your end screen elements to sit.
Do not use card teasers and branding watermarks during an end screen because both are suppressed.

7. Include Video Transcripts And/Or Closed Captions – CC

Did you know that 83% of consumers watch videos on mute and it is true. Research from Verizon shows that 80% of people are more likely to watch a video in full if it has captions.

Therefore if you want to keep this traffic then you will need to add closed captions to your video and should also include something else like a video transcription.

Adding a video transcription and a closed caption to your video will help your web page rank better as Google’s crawlers will scan the text for keywords and rank the page accordingly.

They will also help you attract more voice search traffic and make your content accessible to people who cannot listen to videos.

To add a transcript and closed captions to a video – simply use a transcription tool or manually insert them yourself.

Further Reading:Create Engaging Content for Social Media

8. Video Likes and Dislikes

Likes and dislikes are among the hundreds of signals that YouTube considers for ranking. Their recommendation system learns from whether or not viewers are choosing to watch a video.

The system learns how much of the video the viewer watches and if they are satisfied. Your overall video performance is decided by a combination of these factors.

Typical Audience Retention Data learns how YouTube Analytics now reports key moments in audience retention to help you understand what is working and what is not.

You now understand why many YouTube creators ask viewers to like their video, post comments, share the video on their social networks and subscribe to their channel.

All of these are forms of viewer engagement and satisfaction – they are all signals that YouTube considers for ranking.

9. Supplement Your Video With Good Website SEO

While video SEO is an excellent strategy in itself, search engines would not rank your videos unless the rest of your website is search-engine friendly which means that you need to optimise your website by:

Checking your website is not blocking crawlers with a robots.txt file
Using keywords in your web page title tags and meta descriptions so search engines can understand the page contents
Optimising your images so search engines can index them correctly via naming your images – social media strategy rather than IMG392848.
Ensure your website loads in three seconds or less as faster websites rank better
Launching a sitemap
Minimising page redirects
Installing an SSL certificate
Using a mobile-friendly theme
Targeting keywords relevant to your niche

If you want to ensure your website’s SEO follows best practices then you should also double-check that you are not making any technical SEO mistakes.

10. Video Uploads and Playlists

Regular publishing schedule can draw viewers back to your channel to watch more videos and by using playlists – this can help them easily find more of what they like on your channel.

To stay on top of viewers’ minds – many creators find that setting a routine publishing schedule will help viewers know when to expect their next release. It is like anticipating when the next episode of your favourite show is coming out next.

Subscribers can find your new uploads in their subscriptions feed and can opt-in to mobile or email notifications based on their interests.

Further Reading: How to Write Good Title Tags for SEO

11. Measure Your Performance

If you want to succeed with video SEO strategy long-term then you will need to measure the performance of your videos so you can adjust your strategy accordingly. This means you will need to track metrics like:

Watch time – the total amount of time people spend watching your video.
Average view duration – how long the average viewer spends on your video.
Viewer demographics – what gender your viewers are and where they live.
Conversion rate – how many people buy your product or service after watching your video by using link tracking software.
Bounce rate – how many people leave your website after only viewing a single video or page.

Stay Ahead of Video Optimisation Developments

Video SEO has changed dramatically over the years hence use these guides to optimise your videos for search and discovery as quickly as possible.

Marketers have forecasted that millions of YouTube viewers will watch the platform’s content on connected TV – CTV devices in the near future.

Now YouTube viewers have pivoted to TV screens as their method of choice for watching content – a trend that is experiencing significant growth during the height of the pandemic.

Using a TV clicker to tap out each letter of your target term on your CTV can be long winded and painful.

Maybe the integration of voice search will make this easier in the future or maybe getting found on Home or Suggested Videos and Related Topics will make YouTube Search a relic of the past.

Watch this space!!!

Further Reading: How To Optimise Images for SEO

Get Started with Video SEO Strategy Now

If there was ever a time to add videos to your digital marketing strategy – that time is now. Research shows that online videos will account for 82% of internet traffic in the future and rising.

If you want to win some of that traffic then you will need to start producing videos now with our Video SEO services.

Now that you have learned how to use video SEO to your advantage – there is only one question left to answer: how can we help you incorporate video into your video SEO strategy?

At Best-Digital Marketing, we utilise video SEO best practices and techniques to get you the results you want so call us today on 07794 113 607 or for a customised video SEO plan pricing.

For full Video Production Services and functionality

and select the package that suits your business needs.

If you prefer to discuss your requirements first just

or fill your details with a message of your requirements at

Further Reading: How to Increase Conversion Rate and Reduce Bounce Rate on Website

For more information about our Video Production Services and how we can help you with your Business needs:-

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Why Is Website Content Important For Business?

Posted on March 5, 2021 by Universal Creator Posted in General, Content Marketing, Responsive Web Design, SEO, Social Media, Video Content Marketing, Web Design

Why Is Website Content Important For Business?

Can you imagine showing up to a website that had little to no information or descriptions of the company’s services? Most people would instantly click away and go looking for a more reliable source of information.

This is why website content is important for business to find success online.

As you create your website – the words, texts, visual, audio and media on each page plays a pivotal role in converting each visitor into a lead or a paying customer.

Learn why website content is important for your business and how you can create it easily and effectively. There are in no order of importance since all of them are equally important.

Table of Content

Below are the content on Why Is Website Content Important For Business?

Click on any of them to get directly to your preferred section or you can scroll down slowly and read from the start.

1. Give Target Audience Valuable Information

Arguably the most important reason to have highly engaging content on a website is to educate, explain and inform target audience on your website.

Without high engaging content – no one will know what your business is all about, what you stand for and how they can benefit from what you have to offer?

Regardless of the types of content you decide to share – always ensure the content is highly-engaging and gives audience a clear picture of your business or brand.

Make sure to take the time to write down all the details about your products or services on landing pages and other parts of your website. As long as the information you share is readable, clear and straightforward – it will provide value to anyone who views it.

2. Engaging Content is Important to Google

While it is vital to have high-quality content on your website, only a few people will ever see it if you do not focus on getting it indexed by search engines.

This is done through the proper practice of search engine optimisation – SEO strategy optimisation which is why content is crucial on a any website.

Google loves all forms of interesting high engaging content and it favours video as well as clearly written blogs.

The better your website is able to use SEO best practices and techniques – the more likely it is that people will find your content and be able to learn more about your business or brand.

Further Reading: How to Write a Good Meta Description for SEO

3. Focus on Keywords, Phrases or Terms

One of the most important aspects of content for SEO is the usage of keyword search, phrases and/or terms. These are search terms that highlight everything from your products and services to items that are directly related to your offerings.

Keyword search tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush are popular resources for conducting keyword research which will give you a better understanding of what to write about.

They will also give you an idea of topics you can focus on when creating video content, infographics ideas and different types of engaging content.

4. Key Is Content Marketing Effort

The importance of content for marketing purposes cannot be overstated. In fact – the term content marketing encompasses all forms of digital advertising including blog articles, case studies, E-books, videos, case studies, white papers and beyond.

The more you can integrate all these types of engaging content marketing into your daily, weekly and monthly efforts – the higher your chances of reaching consumers whom will become paying customers.

Further Reading: Get Traffic to Your Website Fast

5. Sharable Content Could Go Viral

There are no clear defined steps when it comes to making a highly engaging shareable video content or creative blog post to go viral.

But when creating content for your website – always focus on providing engaging value with your target audience to have a better chance.

Especially when making video content, there are steps you can follow to improve the likelihood of it reaching more people.

Avoid producing content with the goal of going viral instead create content that is catered to specific demographics that will naturally lead individuals to share it with their family, friends and acquaintances.

6. Conversion from Social Media

Sites like Facebook and Instagram have long been used to attract potential customers from social media to landing pages. Good website content is important to keep these audiences on the website for a longer period of time.

If you can hook them from the beginning then your odds of getting a sale from that person will dramatically increase.

Ensure your website has content that is engaging and captivating as anything you are sharing on social media to increase conversion rates.

Further Reading:Create Engaging Content for Social Media

7. Index Webpages on Google

When you create more engaging content and more pages for each of the products and services you offer – you are informing Google, Bing, Yahoo and other search engines what your business is all about.

Whether you are a plumber, electrician, roofing contractor or a website design company – you want to be found when audience are searching for what you offer.

Creating great content webpages that target a search, explain what you do, and have an effective call to action are vital for an effective web design strategy presence.

If Google is unable to analyse what your business is all about or does not think that it matches what the audience is looking for then they will not show your business at all. To do this is by indexing you webpages once you have created and published them on your website.

8. Internal Links for Website Navigation

An additional benefit of having high quality content on your website is the ability it gives you to use internal linking strategies. A website is like a pathway that consumers should be able to follow from page to page, leading them on a journey to their final destination.

The ultimate goal is to use internal links in an effort to send people to the next stage of your content marketing funnel.

Successful linking makes your website more user-friendly and makes it much more likely that visitors will end up visiting other products, pages or information posts that you offer and potentially leading to more leads and sales.

Further Reading: How to Write Good Title Tags for SEO

9. Evergreen Content for Long Term

When planning out your website content strategy, it is important to craft ideas for pieces that will remain relevant for longer periods of time.

Known as evergreen content – this concept has SEO benefits and gives you more authority with Google and other search engines.

The best way to do this is by looking closely at your industry and determining what will and will not be changing over the next few years.

If there are current trends you feel will stay around for the long haul then create evergreen content surrounding that subject and promote it heavily right out of the gate. You will earn credibility and establish yourself as a trusted source in your field as an industry expert.

10. Encourage Viewers with Call to Action

The last factor for any good piece of engaging content is to include a powerful call to action – CTA that will urge viewers to take the next step in the buying process. It is important to realise that a CTA is not always meant to get someone to make a purchase.

They can be an invitation for an individual to download an app or pdf document, subscribe to a newsletter or view another piece of content and more.

11. Get More Leads, Sales and Revenue

Unless you are able to rapidly develop massive amounts of followers through word of mouth – it is important to have good engaging content on your website to build your sales funnel.

While it can take some time and energy to get off the ground but you will be happy that you put in the effort.

Teach consumers by writing blog articles, explain your services with videos and show customer testimonials with case studies.

Quality website content optimisation is certainly the most effective way to get more leads and sales which then gives you a stronger customer base that will buy your product and/or services.

Further Reading: How To Optimise Images for SEO

This is Why Website Content is Important for Business

As you work on your website – content is the most important aspect to plan out and create. Whether you are designing a brand new website or revamping your old one – make sure to take the time to research and strategize the types of content that is most effective.

Now that you know the importance of good content on your website, why not work with a reputable content marketing agency that knows how to do both?

Best-Digital Marketing Services is a great rated web design company that also offers content creation services. Get in touch with us today by calling – 07794 113 607 or complete our online contact form for more information.

We look forward to working together on your existing or future projects in the near future.

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Further Reading: How to Increase Conversion Rate and Reduce Bounce Rate on Website

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Why Is Website Content Important For Business?

What Is Website Content

Posted on February 10, 2021 by Universal Creator Posted in General, Content Marketing, SEO, Video Content Marketing, Web Design

What Is Website Content?

Google receives more than 3 billion searches each day and studies estimate that over 25% of searchers click on the first search result page. What are these viewers clicking on?

Yes – you are absolutely correct – they are clicking on website content. Website Content is the text, visual or audio content that is made available online and users encounters them as part of the online usage and experience on a website.

It may include text, images, sounds and audio, online videos, among other items placed within web pages.

Businesses and brands are potentially missing out on a huge number of website visitors by lacking the kind of website content that ranks well on Google and responses to the questions people are searching for.

We will explore what is website content writing, the different types of content and what is good website content that will either make or break a website.

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What is Website Content Writing?

Website content writing is any writing on a website. If that sounds broad then it is so because it is.

Let us explore the types of content writing that are generally found on a website. These are in no order of importance since all of them are equally important.

Blogs: No longer just for writing about your feelings or the day – blogs are an important component of any websites content marketing strategy. Blog posts are often short—around 750 words and are designed to inform, entertain and delight your readers.
Sometimes blogs can be long – in this instance it could be something very important and needs to be elaborated in such a way that it takes up space but it is usually informative, objective and highlights meaningful solutions.
Checklists: Often downloadable. Checklists are fantastic pieces of lead generation content – content that is aimed to attract potential new clients. Templates should offer concise, actionable steps for readers. If the content is downloadable, businesses should also ensure their branding is present on the piece.
E-books: This is another type of lead generation content – e-books are long-form writing packaged into a book usually in PDF format. E-books are an opportunity for brands to provide thought leadership on a given topic thus strengthening their authority on a given topic.
Case Studies: Businesses and brands can use case studies to illustrate their value proposition by writing about how their product or services have helped a customer or client. Case studies are specific to a brand and should provide in-depth details or data around results.
Website Copy: Content that appears on pages of your website like a homepage, landing page, about page or Frequently Asked Questions – FAQ. Copy on your website should explain your brand, sell your product or service and lead readers throughout your site.
White Papers: These are usually shorter than e-books. These pieces of content generally focus on one specific topic or problem and offer solutions or data to solve that issue. White papers are another excellent lead generation technique.

Content writing is not the only type of content for a website though. Web content can and should also include audio and visual elements to provide additional elements for your audience to interact with.

Audio and visual content for your website may include recordings, podcasts, videos, infographics, images and photos.

Further Reading: How to Write a Good Meta Description for SEO

What is Good Website Content?

From a content marketing strategy point of view, good website content is content that has been optimised for search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo and more. Search engine optimisation – SEO drives traffic to websites through organic search results on search engines.

SEO involves understanding what your target audience is searching for—including the specific terms or keywords they are searching for and using theses unique keywords or phrases strategically to increase your ranking within search results.

However SEO is not the only hallmark of good website content. If you are asking – How do you write content for a website? Then use the following elements to guide your writing in your website content writing strategy.

Understand Your Target Audience: Understanding who your audience are, what they are looking for and what are their needs are crucial key questions in content writing. Many businesses create buyer personas to better understand the key characteristics of their audience.

Further Reading: Get Traffic to Your Website Fast

Educate Your Website Visitors: Generally – website visitors want to learn and they do not want to be sold to. By providing educational content and product information to their problems – you can set yourself apart as a trusted leader and expert rather than a salesperson.
Create Clear White Space: Break your text up by using lists, small paragraphs, and informative headings. This will help readers scan your website content for exactly what they are looking for.
Be Clear, Easy and Concise: Poetic language has a time and a place for certain brands. Make sure your content is easily understood by your target audience and it is important to make it clear, easy and concise.

Further Reading:Create Engaging Content for Social Media

Be Accessible: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines -WCAG are provided to help website owners ensure their website and their content should be accessible to people with disabilities.
Clear Call to Action – CTA: What actions do you want your visitors to take on your website? Is it completing a purchase, filling out a form or donating money?

Whatever your actions or desire – make it obvious to your website visitors with a clear Call to Action – CTA. If they do not know what they are supposed to do then chances are they may not do it.

Your CTAs should focus on one action at a time. Do not ask someone to do three different things all from the same popup since they will never remember everything and will be driven away by the volume of your requests.

When writing a good CTA – always keep in mind these 3 important points – make it concise, clear and actionable.

Further Reading: How to Write Good Title Tags for SEO

Optimise SEO On Website: Good website content is SEO optimised. That means it is written in a way that is attractive to search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo and humans.

Search engines are in the business of getting people the information they are seeking — quickly, efficiently and accurately. This is indicated by a bounce rate either high – which is not good or low – which is good.

To write SEO optimised content, do some research around keywords.

If you know what your desired or target audience is searching for then you know what words, phrases and terms to include in your website content. That should give you a little boost in search engine results.

Further Reading: How To Optimise Images for SEO

Get Started With Creative Website Content Optimisation

Developing website content does not have to be stressful, overwhelming and demanding. You can write faster and rank better with Best-Digital Marketing Services.

Our platform assembles the world’s data about topics, trends, best practices and keywords to tell you exactly what content to write, what keywords to include, what videos to produce and much more via our website content strategy and content writing description.

You will know exactly what content to write, create outlines and content calendars quickly and efficiently. If you are ready to create content that ranks on the first page then get started today.

For full Content Marketing package and functionality

and select the package that suits your business needs.

If you prefer to discuss your requirements first just

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Further Reading: How to Increase Conversion Rate and Reduce Bounce Rate on Website

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What Is Website Content, Types of Content and What Is Good Website Content?

What Are the Benefits of Local SEO?

Posted on January 11, 2021 by Universal Creator Posted in General, Content Marketing, SEO, Web Design

What Are the Benefits of Local SEO?

Whether you are a hair salon in Somerset, a small Italian restaurant in Oxford or a local contractor in Liverpool – local search engine optimisation – SEO can do wonders when it comes to generating traffic, leads and attracting potential new customers.

Although it may seem like an impossible task to take on your larger, more established competitors – the truth is that local SEO can give any business a fighting chance in terms of ranking high in the Google search results page – SERP.

And the benefits of local SEO do not stop with Google rankings – you can expect greater brand visibility, more website visitors, better leads, enquiries and so much more.

Nearly 48% of Google searches consisting of localised searches and you cannot afford to miss out on this type of traffic.

Let’s learn more about – what are the benefits of local SEO and how to use it to grow your local business.

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What Is Local SEO?

Local SEO is a type of search engine marketing that involves optimising your business website and online profiles for local search.

It is the pulse of any online business. Without proper local SEO – your business would not thrive.

It is a method for ranking your website for geo-specific searches so your site gets found by users searching for local businesses like yours.

Local SEO which is also referred as Map SEO is the branch of SEO that helps small and medium-size businesses to grow. It is a unique type of SEO that has gained popularity in recent years.

Further Reading: How to Write a Good Meta Description for SEO

Why Is Local SEO Important?

With the help of local SEO, you are targeting the public in your area. For instance – if you are a hair salonist in Somerset and a user searches for “Hair Salon near me” – you want to rank for this keyword in the Google search results so you can grab this user’s attention and eventually turn them into a new client.

But ranking in local search does not always happen naturally. You need a local SEO strategy that is based on what your target audience is looking for, which keywords seem like the best fit for your site and what methods your competitors are using to outrank you.

Once you are aware of the above then you can employ a variety of local SEO methods and techniques to rise above your competitors and attract new local customers to you.

It is effortless to optimise. All you have to do is back link to local events sites and using location-specific phrases in keywords that can help you gain a bigger footprint based on your region. When nearby visitors browse for your service or product – this will increase your ranking position and will also lead to more foot traffic to your business.

Further Reading: Get Traffic to Your Website Fast

The Benefits of Local SEO

The most obvious benefit to search engine optimisation in general is the ability to increase your rankings in Google search and other search engines. All businesses whether local or otherwise are craving that No.1 spot because then they can have the best chances of attracting new website visitors.

There are many other benefits to local SEO:

Higher rankings in Google search mean more direct traffic to your business.
Local SEO help increase online visibility so you get noticed by potential new customers.
Google Maps and Google My Business optimisation can generate more direct calls, leads, enquiries and sales.
Optimising your website for localised terms means you attract targeted traffic and better leads.
Citation building increases website authority and rankings for a local SEO practice.
Reputation management can increase brand awareness and attract new business opportunities.
Content marketing and blogging can attract more website visitors and build brand trust.
Website optimisation can improve your conversion rate, turning more visitors into paying customers.

These benefits of local SEO can make a huge difference when it comes to your business’s online visibility – attracting new customers in-person and through your website.

And the good news is that you can tap into this potential by implementing local SEO best practices.

Let’s take a look at these key benefits of local SEO in more detail to find out how you can attract more traffic, leads, enquiries and customers from local search.

Further Reading:Create Engaging Content for Social Media

1. More Enhanced Traffic

Did you know that local information is the subject of nearly 48% of all Google searches? Every business shines on traffic.

Whether you are the owner of a big company or running a salon down the corner – you will stay long upon traffic if you have registered your business digitally.

Local SEO allows enhancing your traffic. When you focus on local potential customers – you are encouraging individuals to visit your website who could come to see you.

When you use a sophisticated SEO strategy for a local business – you risk getting slow traffic and you do not want that. Targeting local people will redirect local traffic to your website which eventually results in sales.

Further Reading: How to Write Good Title Tags for SEO

2. Less Advertising Costs

Local businesses flourish on a local audience. That is why they invest more in advertising channels such as banners, pamphlets, local TV advertisements, hoarding and all.

This all costs a lot of time and money. But what if we say you can save a whole lot of money by just optimising your local SEO. It has been proven that over 80% of smartphone users select the near me choice when looking for a particular type of company.

Therefore you can reduce or lessen up all advertisement costs by improving your local SEO.

Further Reading: How to Clear Cache On Laptop Browsers

3. Better Conversion Rates

One of the benefits of local SEO is – it drives potential customers to your site and improves conversion rate. According to search media statistics – 28% of the local searches result in sales.

Hence there is no denying that local SEO results in better conversion rate thus increasing traffic flow and sales.

Presenting yourself as an expert in your region when local clients are ready to buy can enhance your odds of becoming the anchoring spot for your sales.

Most local searchers like to understand local business rather than searching for companies miles away or making a random purchase online.

Further Reading: How Much Does Video SEO Cost

4. Long Lasting Rankings

If one would ask you the advantage of having SEO over old marketing – what answer would you give?

You would reply that doing a one-time thing has a long-lasting effect compared to traditional marketing strategy – where you waste a lot of money every week to increase sales.

One of the main benefits of local SEO Services is you will get the long lasting rankings.

Further Reading: Choosing The Right Type OF SSL

5. Continuous Business Growth

Local SEO initiatives always focus on increasing traffic whilst boosting search engine results which results in an increase in sales and marketing potential customers.

More sales means more interested consumers – resulting in a conscious business growing period. As such – if you need to develop your local company or business – spending resources and time on local SEO strategy is a critical success indicator.

Further Reading: Best Video Length For Social Media Platforms

6. Gain More Local Reviews

According to recent research, 88% of users read online reviews before making a purchase through local businesses. If you are offering good service then customers will love to give honest reviews which will help you generate more clients.

But this will not be possible if you do not have your business optimised for local SEO therefore by executing local SEO – you can attain more customer reviews.

Responding to feedback provided by the customer will help you rank higher on the search engines since Google sees it as a sign of better customer experience and service.

Getting local reviews can benefit your business in many other significant ways too.

Further Reading: How To Increase Engagement With Video Content Marketing

7. Get links with Neighbouring Business

Having healthy competition is how business works these days but local SEO provides you with an opportunity to build up a relationship with your competitor.

You must be wondering how?

By cross-promoting products and services, you will get links from your neighbouring business and it is a win-win situation for both as this will help both businesses to get the recognition they are looking for. This will also increase your online visibility.

Further Reading: How To Do Keyword Search For SEO

8. Bypass Competition

Having local SEO – benefits you over your competitor who relies on traditional ways.

For instance – if different companies are selling the same thing but one focuses on local SEO while others use traditional methods then consumers will redirect towards a business that is ranking higher on SERP results because as a buyer you want to explore their products or services.

A search engine is where we carry out our entire search so without any second guessing we would pick the solution which appears on the search result.

Practical SEO efforts enable your company to gain a long-term competitive edge that propels you far ahead of your competition.

Further Reading: How To Find And Fix Broken Links In WordPress

9. Get Enlist in Google’s 3 Pack

Another benefit of local SEO is it can help you appear in Google’s 3 pack. Appearing in Google’s 3-Pack is a great deal because it simply means showing up on the first three results of local searches of a keyword.

Google’s 3-pack goes to the top of 93% of queries with regional intention. If you are already using local SEO then you can test how your business is doing online.

The three-pack is different from the seven-pack as it displays more information about a business or company such as business hours, business description, business address and much more. So appearing in Google’s 3-Pack is crucial for local businesses.

Further Reading: How To Boost Conversion Rates In E-Commerce

10. Building A Community

Building a strong community is an advantage local businesses have. Many individuals love to support the local community by shopping locally.

This kind of behaviour encourages local business owners which results in building the community. It would be helpful if you let potential customers know that you are destined within easy reach of them.

11. Mobile Optimisation

Mobile devices contribute to many online purchases as consumers find it – as a more convenient way to shop these days. It is absolutely crucial and important for businesses to optimise their sites for mobile and tablet.

The goal of mobile optimisation is to make the navigating process on a website simple, clear and easy. If a user would be satisfied with your website then she/he is more likely to make a purchase.

Further Reading: How To Optimise Images for SEO

Experience the Benefits of Local SEO for Your Business

Now we have mentioned all about the benefits of local SEO for any business. We are in the digital era and it is essential to make an online presence irrespective of where you are from or how big or small your business is?

If you want to experience the benefits of local SEO for your own local business then the time to start is now. Implement the local SEO best practices above to improve your local rankings, attract traffic, leads and land more customers.

Every other person is using a smartphone and is familiar with Google. Before paying a visit to your store – they love to do online searches so having an online appearance is a must.

We know that being a newbie or rookie in the digital world can be an uncomfortable task for you. In that case – you can consult our local SEO services that can look after your online presence while you manage your store physically.

We would be happy to discuss your options and create a customised local SEO strategy to help you dominate the local search results in your market.

For full Local SEO Services package and functionality

and select the package that suits your business needs.

If you prefer to discuss your requirements first just

or fill your details with a message of your requirements at

Further Reading: How to Increase Conversion Rate and Reduce Bounce Rate on Website

For more information about our Local SEO Services and how we can help your Business to achieve RESULTS:-

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What Are The Benefits Of Local SEO?

Choosing the Right Type of SSL Certificate for Your Website

Posted on October 22, 2020 by Universal Creator Posted in Content Marketing, General, Responsive Web Design, SEO, Video Content Marketing, Web Design

The Right Type of SSL Certificate for Your Website

A website secured with a SSL certificate confirms to your visitors that it is safe. It also compounds the approval of search engines, confirming that your site is safe for browsing. Therefore you must get a valid SSL certificate for your website.

SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer and it is a security protocol used to encrypt and authenticate the data sent between an application -like your browser and a web server. SSL certificate secures the connection between your site and your visitors from malicious affiliations.

SSL is closely tied to another acronym – TLS. TLS is short for Transport Layer Security – is the successor and more up-to-date version of the original SSL protocol. SSL and TLS are often referred to as a group – e.g. SSL/TLS and used interchangeably.

In this guide, we will dive deep into the different types of SSL certificates to help you make the right decision.

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When & Why You Need SSL Certificate

Whether you run an E-Commerce store or a blog post, SSL is becoming absolutely crucial for every website as wearing a seatbelt before driving.

Here are the three main reasons why you will need SSL certificate for your website:

1. Data Protection and Visitor Trust

The primary purpose of SSL certificate is to ensure that the data exchanged between the user and the webserver is encrypted and protected from cyber threats like hackers, phishing and identity theft.

You do not want your visitors to get the – your connection is not private warning when they visit your website. A valid SSL certificate will help you avoid such errors and more.

SSL is an indicator to your visitors that they can safely share sensitive information such as credit card details, IDs, email addresses and passwords on your website. Therefore SSL strengthens the trust between you and your customers or visitors.

2. Authentication and Integrity

When you visit a website – how do you make sure that it is genuine and not a scam to steal your information? Identity verification is essential when it comes to web security and this is where SSL comes in. SSL/TLS verifies the authenticity of the web server’s identity.

To install an SSL certificate you must go through an identity verification process. In simple terms SSL is proof that your website is indeed your site and not a scam or a fake company, making it an effective barrier against phishing sites. See how you can verify your SSL certificate.

Data integrity is another critical benefit of SSL/TLS. Using a message authentication code – MAC, SSL/TLS ensures the data transmitted is not lost or changed in any way. The messages sent are received as they are.

Further Reading: How to Improve SEO Rankings

3. Improves Search Engine Ranking

Search engines like Google have cracked down on insecure websites and made it clear that they prefer SSL encrypted sites to make web browsing a safer place for all — HTTPS instead of HTTP. SSL turns Hypertext Transfer Protocol – HTTP to Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure – HTTPS.

Therefore if you want your website to be on the first page of Google then having a valid SSL certificate is one of the must-haves. SSL is now part of SEO ranking signal.

A website secured with an SSL certificate informs customers or visitors that it is safe and wins the approval of search engines.

How SSL Certificates Work

We have established that SSL encrypts and secures the connection between the hosting server and your customer’s web browser or app.

Assuming that your website is secured with an SSL certificate so when a person visits your website, their browser will request your website’s hosting server to identify itself.

The server will respond by sending the browser a copy of its SSL certificate. The browser will also do some validation checks to verify that the SSL certificate is trusted and sends a signal to the server.

In return, the server will digitally respond in acknowledgment to begin an SSL encrypted session between your website and the visitor’s browser.

Further Reading: How to Increase Website Traffic Using SEO

Types of SSL Certificates

There are two different categories in differentiating the types of SSL certificates — the number of domains and subdomains and the level of validation of the certificate.

By definition there are four different SSL certificate types:

1. Single Domain SSL Certificates

As the name suggests this type of certificate secures a single domain and all the pages on that domain. It will not secure any associated subdomains.

For example, if you have an SSL certificate for the domain www.mysite.com. It will also cover all the pages related to this domain such as www.mysite.com/web-features/ but it will not cover any subdomains such as www.support.mysite.com.

Further Reading: Get Traffic to Your Website Fast

2. Wildcard SSL Certificates

Like the single-domain SSL certificate, the Wildcard SSL certificate only secures a single domain. However it also covers unlimited number of subdomains relating to that single domain. A single Wildcard SSL certificate protects them all.

3. Multi-Domain SSL Certificates

Multi-domain SSL certificates provide security for several different domains with just one certificate by using the SAN extension.

These certificates are usually called SAN certificates for this very reason.

With multi-domain SSL certificates, you can combine many different hostnames regardless of whether they are from the same domain or not.

This SSL certificate’s purpose is the complete opposite of the Wildcard SSL certificate as it secures multiple domains but does not secure any related subdomains. It is also known as Subject Alternative Name – SAN and Unified Communication Certificate – UCC.

Further Reading: What is SEO Friendly URL Structure

4. Multi-Domain Wildcard SSL Certificates

The multi-domain Wildcard SSL certificate combines the features of both the multi-domain and the Wildcard SSL certificates.

In other words, with a single certificate, you are able to secure multiple domains as well as all their related subdomains.

SSL Validation Levels

Validation level refers to how the Certificate Authority – CA confirms the identity of the company and person/s who are applying to obtain the certificate.

There are three main types of certificates: Domain Validated – DV, Organisation Validated – OV and Extended Validation – EV.

When a security certificate is not trusted, users will receive the following notification:

An authentic authority must obtain the certificate so that users will not see this message. Any certificate will provide the same level of protection no matter the type of validation.

But some authorities might require a specific level of validation to use certain services. For example – a payment system requires much more validation than a plain domain certificate.

This is because it is important to verify that the organisation collecting funds legally exists as a registered business.

Now let’s take a look at domain validated SSL certificates first.

Further Reading:Create Engaging Content for Social Media

1. Domain Validation (DV) SSL Certificates

Domain Validated SSL certificates show that a domain is registered and that a site administrator is running the URL.

The certificate authority can validate this through an email, DNS or HTTP.

When validating via email – the certificate authority will send an email to the administrator who maybe the owner or manager of the site. He/she will need to click a link in the email requesting the certificate to verify.

With DNS verification, the owner or manager will validate that they own or manage the site through a DNS record that is attached to the website domain.

A DNS record is a text file showing which IP addresses each domain is associated with.

HTTP validation includes the owner proving ownership by creating and saving a text file in the public web root of their domain.

Once a certificate is valid and the authority signs it, web browsers will show that there is now a secure HTTPS connection.

Domain validated certificates are encryption certificates only. All you have to do to obtain one is prove your ownership of the site.

Because they are so easy to obtain there are several advantages and disadvantages of domain validated SSL certificates.

Advantages of domain validated SSL certificates

✅ They are reasonably cheap. The process for obtaining a domain validated SSL certificate is normally via automation making it cost less than other SSL certificates.

✅ It does not take long to obtain one. You can get an SSL in just a few minutes and you do not have to send extra documents to verify your business.

Disadvantages of domain validated certificates

> They are not as secure as other SSL certificates. Any hacker can obtain a domain validated SSL certificate and then hide their identity. That is true for your site if they attack your DNS servers. There’s no way to verify identities for sure when it comes to domain validated certificates.

> Because of this, visitors might not trust your site as much as they would if you had a certificate that forced you to validate your company.

> Potential buyers might not feel comfortable handing their payment information over with this kind of certificate.

DV is the simplest form of SSL certificate validation and only applies to domain ownership verification.

It is usually done through email verification and does not require any further investigations from the CA. It is the cheapest and fastest way to acquire an SSL certificate.

Further Reading: What Is Video Marketing?

2. Organisation Validation (OV) SSL Certificates

The organisation validated SSL certificate shows that you own a domain while also verifying that you own a business in a particular country, state and city.

The process for obtaining one of these certificates is exactly like getting a domain validated certificate but you need to take some extra steps to verify your company’s identity.

It does not take too long to obtain this kind of certificate – anywhere from a few hours to a few days.

These kinds of certificates also show your company’s information in the certificate details.

Having this extra information might seem a bit more legitimate for consumers – leading them to make a purchase. These certificates are considered very reliable.

3. Extended Validation (EV) SSL Certificates

The extended validation SSL certificate requires businesses to provide even more records to prove their ownership of a company.

This certificate gives you the same kind of validation as both domain and organisation validated certificates and it also proves that you have legally registered your company as a business.

In addition, it also shows that a business is aware of the request for an SSL certificate and approves it.

This validation can take days or weeks depending on what the certificate authority requires. This one requires you to provide documents certifying your company’s identity as well as some other bits of information.

You can easily identify these kinds of certificates by the green bar in your web browser that contains the company’s name.

The certificate authorities only grant these kinds of certificates after they have received documents that prove two things:

the operational existence and location of a company and
the consistency between those records.

After this, the certificate authority that issues the certificate will issue the proper authorisation to the company and the website. This is the most secure type of SSL certificate when it comes to validation level.

EV SSL is typical among business websites and offers the highest level of trust and reliability. It involves a full background check of your business. Acquiring this certificate involves a strict vetting process by the CA.

On some browsers, the business names with EV SSL certificates are displayed prominently. They will be shown in green beside the domain name when accessing their website.

SSL Certificate Type	Validation Level
Single Domain	DV or OV
Wildcard	DV or OV
Multi Domain	EV
Multi Domain Wildcard	EV

Further Reading: Ways To Create Quality Backlinks

Benefits & Drawbacks of Different SSL Certificates

In terms of security, protecting your website with an SSL certificate does not carry any disadvantages. However each type of certificate has its strengths and weaknesses thus making each one suitable for a different purpose or needs.

Let’s look at the benefits and drawbacks of the different SSL certificates that we discussed above.

Starting with the single-domain SSL certificate, the main significant advantage is that it is an affordable certificate type and covers all the pages related to the domain. The only setback is that it does not secure any subdomains.

A Wildcard SSL certificate is more expensive but it covers a single domain -all its related pages and an unlimited number of subdomains at the first level. Unfortunately, it does not cover any subdomains at the second level.

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Multi-domain SSL certificates cover multiple domains at the same time. Even though they seem expensive, you only acquire one that covers all your domains instead of obtaining an SSL certificate for each domain thus making it more cost-effective.

The multi-domain Wildcard SSL Certificate has the advantage of both types – covering up to 100 domains and unlimited subdomains at the first level. The only disadvantage is it can be very expensive however like the multi-domain SSL certificate, the Wildcard SSL is very cost-effective for large websites or businesses.

Further Reading: How to Write Good Title Tags for SEO

How to Choose the Right SSL Certificate

As mentioned earlier, SSL certificates come in different variation. If you want your website to look legitimate and be trusted by your visitors but not sure which SSL certificate will meet your needs, we will help you make the right choice.

For a small or personal website with a single domain then the single-domain SSL certificate is more suitable for you as it is affordable and does the job.

If your business website has a single domain with multiple subdomains then the Wildcard SSL certificate is the way to go and will be much cheaper than acquiring a separate SSL certificate for each subdomain.

For larger websites or businesses with more than one domain such as a company that owns multiple brands, each with its own domain then multi-domain SSL certificate is a wise choice. This will cover all your domains and is cheaper than getting an SSL certificate for each domain.

If your business or organisation wants to save both time and money, the multi-domain Wildcard SSL is ideal for securing multiple domains as well as an unlimited number of subdomains.

For your simplicity reference, here is a quick table outlining the benefits of each SSL certificate type:

Single Domain

Wildcard

Multi Domain

Multi Domain Wildcard

Single Domain

Wildcard

Multi Domain

Multi Domain Wildcard

Further Reading: How To Increase Conversion Using Video Content Marketing

How Do Visitors Know If Your Website Is Secure and Safe?

Your visitors will easily know if your website is safe and secure or whether your SSL certificate is valid or not. We will show you how.

Look at the address bar of the website homepage and you will see a small padlock which means that your website is SSL secured.

If you are using the Google Chrome browser then click on the padlock sign and select Certificate. You will be able to view all the details you need to know about the SSL certificate installed on your website: who issued it, to whom it belongs and its validity date.

In addition to the small padlock sign, you will notice that the URL in the address bar starts with HTTPS.

HTTPS indicates that the connection on our website is safe, secure and that it has an authorised SSL certificate.

Further Reading:How to Set Up a Facebook Business Page – A Comprehensive Guide

Cost of SSL Certificates

The cost of SSL certificates varies from pinch of salt to buying a Bentley per se depending on the type of certificate, validation level and where you are purchasing it from.

For example, Let’s Encrypt is an open Certificate Authority – CA that offers free SSL/TLS certificates. You can get free SSL hosting powered by Let’s Encrypt integration for all your WordPress sites from Best-Digital Marketing.

When investing in a premium or paid SSL certificate, the cost of DV and single-domain SSL certificates is the most affordable.

As your business demand grows and you take higher steps up the SSL ladder, you will find that Wildcard SSL certificates come at a higher cost. In contrast, OV and EV SSL certificates are the most expensive and provide the highest encryption for organisations and enterprises.

Struggling to choose the right SSL certificate for your business?

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Category: Web Design

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Choosing the Right Type of SSL Certificate for Your Website