So you’ve read “20 Tips for SEO in 2020” and “Marketing Tends to Adopt in the New Year”, but is any of that advice really sound? Is it best practice? Let’s break down the best ways to make some real progress in the new year.
What We're Reading
This isn't really a blog.
Every week we get together as a team and share articles we’ve been reading for our own enrichment. Topics include challenges our clients are facing, new industry developments, awesome work by others, or just pieces too funny NOT to share.
Below you’ll find those articles, plus a few of our own, that we’ve put together based on insights we’ve gained throughout our time in the industry.
Tech Crunch 
Google wants to phase out support for third-party cookies in Chrome within two years
Why it’s worth checking out:
Every client we have is different, and this article is directly relevant to the handful of folks we work with who use third-party cookies. We speculate this means Google is developing a new way to track users – but we guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
Modern CSS Solutions 
Modern CSS Solutions for Old CSS Problems
Why it’s worth checking out:
This one truly lives up to its name. Compiled by a frontend developer, this series of posts examines modern CSS solutions to age-old problems. Get the author’s personal insights, professional opinions, and see what she’s talking about in action by running Code Pen to try out new skills as you read.
Diana Smith 
Gaze
Why it’s worth checking out:
This is so much more than just a beautiful image. Its all hand-coded HTML & CSS – meaning everything you see is made up of styled chunks of code. We highly recommend inspecting the page and then deleting elements to your heart’s content (we know we did). Talk about skills. We’re in awe.
SEO: Not a Job Title, but a Thing We Do
SEO: is it something someone does as a “Search Engine Optimizer”? Or a strategy these types of people employ while working? Learn why this loaded term doesn’t adequately describe what this specialized field of Web strategy is all about.
Gill Andrews' blog 
Minimum Viable Conversation: What It Is and Why You Need It on Your Homepage
Why it’s worth checking out:
A Minimum Viable Conversation is a great measure of how much (and what kind) of copy you present to your audience before you offer them a CTA or a link to a new page. This article is a fresh take on a familiar topic – with lots of examples included to drive the point home.
Link Building – Keep the Process Human
By being an effective communicator, giving out links, and fostering new human connections, you will quickly and easily enhance your link building. See a few tips and tricks we use here at a(m).
Three Fundamental Tools for Starting Development
This article highlights some of the development tools we use regularly here at a(m) and why. In this installment, we discuss three of the fundamental ones we utilize at the onset of a development project.
Is Your Online Payment Provider Right for You?
There’s a lot of speculation about what online payment provider is best. So we did some investigating. Check out our evaluations of Authorize.Net, Stripe, PayPal and PayPal Pro based on customization, security, cost, customer service, and user interface.
3 Ways to Use Paid Search Prior To SEO
SEO is a top priority in making a website an integral cog in your business success. But, it’s also critical to step back and check the temperature before diving in. Check out these tips for using paid search prior to SEO.
Yoast 
Image SEO: Optimizing images for search engines
Why it’s worth checking out:
As an industry-recognized leader in this area, Yoast’s tips, advice, and examples prove to be great overall instructions for those who have yet to focus on this specific SEO aspect. But, even if you already do image SEO, we bet the resources provided in this article will introduce you to a new tool or two!
Best B2C Social Channels to Use (and Why)
Social media is a great tool for businesses of all sizes. However, if you’re a B2C business, you may be focusing your efforts on platforms that generate little engagement. Check out the preferred channels and why to use them.