Make it stand out.
What Is (SEO) Search Engine Optimization Best Practices 202_?
Adding alt text, or image description is not an issue.
So, here’s how I got into the groove of helping local businesses tap into SEO job opportunities "Near Me," whether it’s with firms in bustling New York or those tucked away near the Chicago area. Even from my base in Orange County Goshen, I’ve made it my mission to connect local demand with the finest SEO expertise. By really digging into the unique needs of each area and understanding the hurdles that small businesses face, I can steer them toward the right gigs and tools to boost their digital footprint and connect with the audience they’re after.
Attract more visitors to our location:
Hey there! So, you're thinking about becoming an SEO strategist in the U.S., right? Even with that impressive 15+ years of international experience under your belt, it's all about blending your SEO wisdom with the latest tools, platforms, and what clients are craving nowadays. Building a strong local SEO portfolio is key—think optimizing for those all-important location-based keywords, nailing meta titles, descriptions, and URL structures. Plus, get out there! Join local events or hackathons to soak up what regional businesses are all about. Make sure to get cozy with platforms like WordPress, Squarespace, and Wix, and don't forget about SEO plugins like RankMath or Yoast. Marrying these skills with strategic planning—stuff like keyword analysis and competitive audits—will give you that edge.
You'll be the go-to expert, crafting strategies that aren't just about doing SEO, but about driving growth specifically for local clients. How cool is that?
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Absolutely—it's super cool, and it’s this very approach that gets you noticed quickly. If you present yourself not just as “an SEO specialist,” but as a growth strategist who harnesses SEO among other tools to achieve significant results, you'll instantly stand out from those who focus solely on keyword rankings.
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My 15+ years of SEO experience in Russia definitely lays a solid groundwork, but diving into a new market can feel like a whole different ballgame in practice.
While the core principles of SEO remain universal — search intent, keyword targeting, site structure, and content optimization — the **differences often come from market expectations, platform preferences, and audience behavior**.
For example:
**Local search behavior** – Users in your new market may search differently, use different slang, or prioritize different types of results.
**Competition structure** – Competitors may be smaller local businesses, or much larger and more digitally advanced, changing how you position your strategies.
**Technology and platforms** – In Russia, you may have worked heavily with Yandex, certain CMSs, or marketing tools common there. In your new market, the standard could be Google-focused with a stronger leaning toward platforms like WordPress, Squarespace, or Shopify.
**Client expectations** – In some markets, clients expect a strategist to also act as a project manager and educator, while in others, they value highly specialized execution.
Squarespace vs WordPress blog posts SEO
Unlocking the Key Differences: Squarespace vs. WordPress
Hey there, let's talk about the nitty-gritty of SEO-friendly blogs and how WordPress and Squarespace handle them differently. You've got your SEO mojo going, but it's worth noting how title tags and the structural nuances between Squarespace and WordPress can shake things up.
When it comes to SEO, understanding the differences between platforms like Squarespace and WordPress is crucial for optimizing your content effectively. Here’s a quick breakdown:
Title Tags and Meta Descriptions
Squarespace: Offers limited customization for title tags and meta descriptions. Often, the page title doubles as the title tag, and while you can add a meta description, it’s not as flexible as WordPress. The platform is designed for simplicity, which can sometimes limit detailed SEO adjustments.
WordPress: Provides extensive customization options. With plugins like Yoast SEO or RankMath, you can fine-tune your title tags, meta descriptions, and overall SEO strategy. These plugins guide you with suggestions and checks to ensure your blog is optimized for search engines.
URL Structures
Squarespace: Automatically generates URLs based on the page title. While you can edit these, they tend to be less flexible, especially if you’re looking to implement a more detailed URL structure for SEO purposes.
WordPress: Allows complete control over your URL slugs. This flexibility is beneficial when trying to include keywords in your URLs, making them more search-engine-friendly.
SEO Plugins and Tools
Squarespace: Has built-in SEO tools but lacks the extensive plugin ecosystem of WordPress. While adequate for straightforward SEO needs, it may not support complex strategies as effectively.
WordPress: The plethora of available plugins enhances its SEO capabilities, offering tools for everything from responsive design checks to integrating Google Analytics.
Blogging Capabilities
Squarespace: Known for its visually appealing templates, it’s ideal for users prioritizing aesthetics. However, its blogging interface is less robust compared to WordPress.
WordPress: Versatile and powerful, WordPress reigns supreme in the blogging arena. Its robust content management capabilities and plugin support make it a top choice for serious bloggers.
Making the Right Choice
Selecting between Squarespace and WordPress largely depends on your SEO goals and technical prowess. If you prioritize ease of use and stunning visuals for your projects, Squarespace can be an excellent choice. Conversely, if you need granular control over SEO settings and are comfortable with more technical setups, WordPress offers unmatched flexibility and power.
By understanding these key distinctions, you can better position your content to achieve higher visibility and engagement on search engines.
What's the Strategist Story?
Even though I was an owner of the design and SEO studio for more than 15 years, how to become an SEO strategist, here?
That's how based on strategist meaning I start my job search; to start with, my job experience in this field started more than 15 years ago in Russia, do you think it was really different?
In some way really it is, I can say it was not so, complicated that job hears, in New York, state.
Belew me, just think about, not a long time ago people are dreamed about b/w tv, and now we have virtual reality, and 3d movie theatre, but we still think we are specialists in something. 6-8 years ago I dreamed about Nokia 3310 and thought it is “connected people” and now kids do not appreciate with last iPhone.
“Reviewing and executing the changes” in search engine results, and the site itself in order to optimize it “for the search engine” that was my work.”
— Smirnov Ruslan based on: https://staenz.com › SEO
What's the Strategist role?
Everything based on strategy and basis of advertising is a strategy too, just think about my readers:
For example, social media strategy or we are always keeping track. What do you think is the basis of advertising, do we need it at all? Believe not, but it does not meeter, it is everywhere already.
Just remember my childhood nobody even thought about, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter ... Something changed, and boom now it’s aware.
That is the part of SEO expert job to understand how local near me, results could benefit my job search strategy?
What is an SEO strategy near me speaking about? For example, some ideas were described by Yulia Ovchinnikova and team members during the first UX hackathon at Mount Saint Mary College.
How Might we express the social media SEO job description?
SEO analyst - what is this job about, what is the difference between it and strategist definition?
What Google Are Saying:
“That's what I thought as Strategist. The Strategist job description: this person could be “responsible for the implementation of marketing strategies”
— based on https://www.celarity.com/job-description/marketing-strategist/
“Based on Google SEPT, the strategist means: as a military Strategist, “I should be: a person skilled in planning action or policy, especially in war or politics.”
— based on Definitions from Oxford Languages
Even my job has nothing to do with war and politics, what similarity of my job if I work with SEO data using keyword magic tools, as well as keyword difficulty, and UX competitive analysis template? To be truthful during these times I thought I will be good as a UX designer, these were the reason I search for user experience designer jobs
How optimize titles for my Squarespase portfolio for SEO ?
Which Sitebuilder better for SEO/ Portfolio site, Wix or Squarespace?
Drive for Results for Hackathon 2021 as SEO Strategist
NYC vs Kavkaz to Gary- Driving Distance
Memorable trip of local SEO strategist
Squarespace SEO audit of Learning2LiveLiving2Learn
SEO for web designers
MY Ways To Be A Strategist, if Not A Tactician:
Is it not too colorful Reality?
Let’s think together with my users I will use affinity mapping in this question data: for example, you come to a fancy Indian restaurant;
I guess you are Muslim or as an example vegetarian, let’s think together what’s options do you have here?
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Of course in those days, I have no idea that social media, was the same as affinity diagramming. I have not worked a lot with sticky notes, but I talk a lot with my users.
As soon realize what is this business about I research every day and try new solutions, we later will speak about. Now I work in NYC, how I become an SEO specialist here, even I have more than 15 years of international experience of owning search engine optimization and design company, how might you think my users, am I knew a lot of local SEO near me?
What is SEO about and how it actually works, let me express a real client example: who is this client at its local UX hackathon in New York state?
Especially for me, SEO specialist, from Russia: “I can never, even guess what is NYC about?” Ruslan Smirnov
I thought I was lost at this place, like The "Litle Prince" in the world of concrete Manhattan jungle. Of course, I am, grown-ups never understand how I could be lost in a world of tech recruiters and too many choices. This story is actually based not only on my favorite story about, a boy, which has never been too little prince NYC but altho about UX design competitive analysis methods, as well as the UI UX hackathon near my experience.
SEO strategy of hackathon near me
How Might we express the ideas of the Tech Fest event near me, what it’s the goal about?
Urgent vs Remote SEO specialist:
What is SEO for you and your business? It is a Search Engine Optimization system that promotes your company, attracts more visitors to your site, and will bring your company to the top of the Google search. When people find your company on Google, Facebook, Instagram, it means SEO works.
I just remember how I started applying for SEO professionals' work, right after a local Hackathon, that's how I started my research for the HV tech festival site in Newburgh, Hudson Valley.
So what is the local Hudson Valley Hackathon for me as an SEO expert? First I thought it was a possibility to start one of the SEO specialist jobs, later I use this knowledge on my own portfolio site.
For now, remote SEO jobs are popular professions, but during that time we met at meetup events.
Based on Wikipedia and Google Definition, Google defines the search engine optimization process as - “(SEO) is the process of increasing the quality and quantity of website traffic by increasing the visibility of a website or a web page to users of a web search engine. This definition I based on when I start work with website builders, designing my Squarespace website, portfolio. As a content management system, I chose Squarespace. I thought I will be one of Squarespace's employees, that was only the first step of my job search and local SEO strategy.
Users about my SEO strategy:
Typical client's problem: I want to SEO my One-page HVTechFest site on google.
What are the goals o your strategy, it is not only about bringing traffic to Your Website? The question what is this Traffic about?
“Yesterday I got an email: “Are you available to work on it this year?”Julia Ovchinnikova invited me to a zoom meeting to talk about this. For me, it looks like a new opportunity, and life is reality.”
— Ruslan Smirnov
New research of Hackathon looks exciting to me, that is the place where I can show SEO best practices. Besides I start designing my own portfolio sites using Squarespace altho I start designing my own WordPress website.
Wix, Squarespace SEO vs. WordPress Mager Difference:
Lastly at the Circle forum of Squarespace people are talking about the Squarespace SEO plugin which people are using to work with complicated SEO; that was the part where I started understanding what a Strategist job in the USA is about. My goal for now accomplished:
As a WordPress user, I stat using RankMath and Elementor Pro plugins, as well as Elementor hello theme. Compering Squarespace templates with the WordPress themes in my portfolio I realized what benefits each has.
Now I am using social media and SEO in my Strategist work.
Compare on page optimization:
But during that time my goal was to understand why WordPress users spend more time with Yoast SEO plugin, even Squarespace does not need plugins at all? That is what I understand, Squarespace or WordPress I am using at clients' sites or what SEO plugins, doesn't matter, what I need to understand what users need for this product.
Most clients site WIX sites, so my job as a strategist optimizes URL slugs as well as meta descriptions, and title formats. Am I right? Of course, I can do it if I understand the benefits of Wix and WordPress.
What is a graphic design and how does it affect site position?
Web design, as well as key-words research by itself, does affect site position.
What are these people from open hab, and LinkedIn:
User interviews and affinity diagramming is a research technique that I used to find a solution to potential users' problems.