Thanks for sharing Matt - we did a similar test and found improved SERP results with a full address/G map on the contact page above the fold.

Snap! So many of our new clients have been penalised through paid link building.

I was asking if you have any "new"clients who have been hit by penguin as a result of acquiring poor paid links.

Thanks for sharing Jane.

Just stick to one site Berner.

The SEO company you employ "should" also be responsible for researching new key word opportunities within your industry (no just you helping them), and "should" assess the kind of traffic you "may" achieve as your project progresses. Assess competition is crucial, or you could be wasting your time.

Different pages on your site can be specifically targeted for certain industry "key words" and "geographical locations."; some competitive and some may not so.

All this depends on the strategy your guys employ..

For example, go create a page on your site specifically for individual case studies. What did you do? Where was it? What was the outcome? How does this benefit new customers? All these questions can help achieve great content for your customers, which is great for SEO.

Thanks Jane. How about you?

Do you use "paid directories?”

Do you have any clients coming to you with "Penguin" battle wounds?

I'm a firm believer that businesses should invest money in developing interesting/educational content as part of their marketing strategy. If it is good enough, applied and shared correctly, it will create the foundations for success.

I'm just against paying for directory links that "could" cause harm a website, and may "never" become searched.

Most directories are not worth being listed on and certainly not worth the money in my opinion! Who uses directories anymore? Maybe some folk's still do, but like Eduardo says, make sure it's a "no-follow." Surely your money could be better spent elsewhere?

"Do paid directory links violate Google guidelines?" I'm going to have to say, yes! And I'm saying yes to "no-follow" links to - why? Purely on the basis that your practically throwing money away!

Any links intended to manipulate page rank or a site's ranking in Google search results may be considered part of a link scheme and a violation of Google’s guidelines.

You can find further information here.

https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/66356?hl=en

Hope this helps?

Gary