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Content Marketing and PPC

by Rolando Herrera
written by Rolando Herrera

Digital marketers who utilize pay-per-click advertising generally tend to focus their efforts on improving click-through rates and quality scores. Optimizing account structures and proper use of negative keywords round out the basics of implementing effective PPC campaigns. One crucial aspect that can drastically improve the effectiveness of PPC campaigns is by providing great content to link from PPC ads. While great content is not always included when talking about the elements of successful PPC campaign plans, they work together to provide positive results from PPC ad investments.

Content marketing can (and should) be used as a way to improve PPC ad campaign performance and vice versa. Ways to get the most of out of both PPC campaigns and great content include:

PPC Campaigns Drive Traffic to Sites Fast

With millions of blogs being posted online every day, getting exposure without an established SEO strategy is less likely to drive users to your site. If you are still working to build your site’s organic rankings, PPC ads are a quick and effective way to drive traffic to your site and be seen on search engines.

Driving the kind of traffic PPC ad campaigns are designed to draw can provide necessary brand exposure in the early stages of your digital marketing plan. Focusing on PPC and content marketing simultaneously uses your content to inform, while paid ads can be used as a valuable conversion tool.

PPC Ads Create Brand Recognition

Viewing paid ads will help users remember your brand and increase organic listings. Having both a PPC ad and an organic listing on the same page improves click-through rates increases brand recognition and creates a bias to your brand, even if users are not readily aware of the connection.

Your brand appears as more of an authority and will increase click-through rates of returning visitors, as well, and marketing research has consistently shown that retaining a customer is far less expensive than acquiring a new one.

Link Ads to an Actionable Landing Page

Successful user navigation through a conversion funnel must include quality landing page content that is compelling, intriguing, and original.

Users who click on PPC ads will likely browse your website before making a purchase or performing other acts of conversion. Actionable, compelling content throughout your website can affect the buyer’s journey to conversion.

Keep in mind that decisions are not always made during the initial web session that came from a PPC ad. However, a PPC ad that links to quality content increases the chances of conversion when it comes time for potential customers to make a purchase decision.

PPC Keyword Data Provides Valuable Content Insights

Pay-per-click keyword research and data can be leveraged to drive high traffic to produce increased revenue. Ad copy that performs well can be applied to organic content with similar effects.

Branded keywords tend to have greater CTR success than other standard keywords.

Organic and paid keyword strategies grouped together can deliver successes that can be applied to either or both campaigns. A/B testing will help to determine the keywords which will perform best in each campaign.

Doubling Up SERP Real Estate

Two links are better than one. Having both paid ads and organic links show up on the first search page will increase traffic.

Grabbing up SERP real estate is even more critical in mobile applications where users are more likely to click through on paid ads and top organic results. Multiple links will also serve to increase your brand’s identity and authority.

4 Actionable Tips to Increase the Effectiveness of Content Marketing through PPC Campaigns

Understanding the benefits of using PPC ads and content marketing to increase click-through and conversion rates is the first step to a successful campaign. Some common sense ways to maximize the relationship between PPC and great content include:

Use Facebook ads to promote great content: Facebook’s Audience Insights feature can be used to segment audiences and target ads to relevant users in the conversion funnel. Paid ads created within Facebook Ads Manager can be used to reach relevant users or customers spanning a variety of interests and demographics.

Clickable headlines: Leverage industry keywords and topic groupings that have gone viral to create a compelling and relevant headline to grab user attention. Engaging and unique headlines can entice users who don’t generally click on paid ads. A/B testing can help to determine the headlines that will produce the highest click rates and conversions. Note: When writing compelling headlines, caution must be made to avoid turning clickable headlines into clickbait that are not relevant to the content people are being directed to.

Mobile-first mentality: Every day, the number of mobile searches across all platforms and devices is rising. Images, infographics, and other forms of visual content will help conversion rates from paid ads seen on mobile devices. Landing page content that is optimized for mobile devices is created with a slightly different perspective. Some guidelines to help improve the conversion of PPC ad campaigns for mobile include:

  • Short headlines
  • Concise paragraphs
  • No pop-up ads
  • Mobile-optimized image sizes
  • Prominent, clear calls to action

Proper CTA placements convert more users: Landing pages linked from PPC ads need to have several clear calls to action prominently placed throughout the content for more accessible user conversions. CTAs may include an on-page contact information form or pop-up CTA that help transform leads from PPC ads to conversions and sales.

Different marketing philosophies suggest CTAs either above the fold or at the bottom of the article. Either way, prominent and user-friendly calls to action are a must for paid promotion campaign landing pages.

Austin, Texas Content Marketing and PPC Ads

Content marketing and PPC ads are integral parts of an overall marketing strategy. The experienced team at Insignia SEO can help you create actionable, compelling content and effective PPC ads, yielding high returns for your business. Contact a member of our team today and let us know how we can help you achieve your business goals.

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Content MarketingContent WritingSEO

Does Word Count Impact your SEO Success?

by Christopher Petersen
written by Christopher Petersen

SEO can easily feel like a moving target. Every month – or even every week – a new strategy for optimizing your search results is touted as the one true way. Searching for a solid answer as to what is an ideal word count for web copy produces several contradictory answers. Is it true that short attention spans are rising, meaning everything should be shorter? Or will people only share and connect with substantive articles? Does it matter how many words your blog post has? And if so, which way to skew the results: more or less? The answer, like anything complicated, is: it depends.

Is Bigger Better?

One easily overturned myth is that the longer the article, the higher the ranking it will receive. This is not necessarily the case. In short, bigger is not necessarily better. But the longer the article (and the more substantive), the more likely it will be backlinked, and backlinks are always good for raising your ranking. One 2018 study found that the content length for Google search results showing up on the first page never dipped below 2000 words.  And another study showed that longer content gets shared more than shorter, which makes sense. Are you going to repost a 250-word blog post that has one item of data you want to share? Or at that point, would you rewrite it in your own words? A larger body of content – good content – requires sharing. You wouldn’t retell the story of ‘Moby Dick’ to a friend; you’d lend them the book. 

How Much is Enough?

Still, some sites explicitly state that longer is better.  Shorter (roughly 300 words) posts get labeled as “thin” content, meaning they have little or no added value. This is misleading, though, as a 300-word post that gives the user precisely the information they need has a very high user intent success. And even Google says that word count alone does not indicate quality content. 

Padding the Numbers

But not unlike the last-minute effort by a mediocre high school student, merely stuffing your article with extraneous words to get your word count up doesn’t work. In addition to making your article potentially unreadable, Google is good at sorting out the wheat from the chaff. They easily counteract obvious tricks like copying text verbatim. Readers also remember when a website doesn’t offer useful information. One padded page in a search result can ensure that the reader won’t come back, which reduces shares, which lowers backlinking, and so on.

So how long should your text be? Simply, as long as it needs to be. Content that needs 2000 words to be said is going to do better in users’ searches than 50 words of substance in a 2000 word bag. And this makes sense: a user searching for a single piece of information doesn’t want to comb through an essay to get there. Understanding user intent is crucial.  If your goal is to connect with as many users as possible, offer the most information they need, and the world will find you.

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Blog PostsBrandingContent MarketingConversionsEngagementGoogleLocal SEOPay Per ClickSEOSEO NewsSERPSite OptimizationSocial MediaVoice SearchWebsite TrafficWriting

Winning SEO Content Strategies for the Remainder of 2019

by Nishad Jiwa
written by Nishad Jiwa

2019 has been a banner year for search engine optimization (SEO) campaigns. In fact, many webmasters and brands adopted best-practices to produce measurable results this year. While SEO trends continue to evolve, the emphasis on streamlined content remains pivotal in achieving higher visibility across Google. Similarly, many companies are investing in digital campaigns geared towards positive user experiences. With six months left to go, there are still ways to attract and engage new clients to your products and services.

Here are the most important facets of SEO so far this year:

  • Great user experiences across multiple platforms and networks.
  • High-quality content that is centralized, thought-provoking, and gives folks something to take away with.
  • Mobile optimized websites, blogs, and online stores with faster page/download speeds.
  • Acquiring natural – organic links that accentuate any pay-per-click (PPC) advertising campaigns.
  • Not rely on social media to build brand visibility and awareness. Instead, many brands are churning out content that is industry-specific, relevant, and insightful for their readers and users.

Google Marketing in 2019

While Google remains the most popular search engine in the world, it continues to update its algorithms to correlate with the current trends. With this in mind, Google has called on all brands to produce in-depth content that answers questions and serves the needs of your users. No longer is creating content for the sake of content acceptable across Google’s SEO services. Instead, your content must now meet the following in order to remain or become competitively viable:

  • Create pages for users and not search engines. Remember, reader engagements drive web traffic, lead generation, and potential revenue for your brands.
  • Don’t deceive your clients, customers, and new users. Always provide precise, concise, and truthful content that meets the needs of your bases across the web.
  • Always abide by Google’s White Hat criteria to secure higher page rankings and visibility on Google. Avoid tricks of Black Hat techniques (misleading titles and click-bait) to improve search engine rankings – this can get your site and pages permanently banned from Google and other search engines.
  • Use your own photos of products and brands within the content. Try to avoid common stock imagery which may be in use by competitors and other brands.
  • Develop content that is unique, enticing, and engaging across the board. Make your website stand out from others within your field, sector, or niche.

Set aside some funds to invest in a sound and effective SEO campaign. This can help your brand grow and flourish – especially if you are pressed for time. Your local advertising agency has the tools and expertise to help your company catch up in 2019. It’s as simple as reaching out to them to discuss your online marketing and brand expansion goals.

Best Practices for Content in 2019

If your brands are struggling this year, you may want to rethink your existing strategies. Again, the valuable context within the content is everything in 2019. No truer is this than when it comes to meeting Google’s quality standards. In order to build better user engagements and experiences, here are some content essentials that continue to soar in popularity:

Long-Form Content

Long-form content is once again the norm in the world of SEO marketing. You should aim to produce 1,500-2000 word posts that are engaging and full of substance. Add relevant social media links as well as strategic keywords to boost site traffic and increase conversion rates. Your content needs to establish your brands as helpful resources in the industries they serve. Similarly, it must evoke emotions while inspiring thoughts and questions. This can only lead to longer stays on your pages which help reduce bounce rates and increase visibility. Here are a few more things to keep in mind when developing brand content:

  • Provide solid recommendations for your readers. Give them helpful links, resources, and links back to your products and services.
  • Make sure your content is unique and different with each post. This will set you apart from competitors and help users cut through the clutter.
  • Stay abreast of all the current SEO trends and developments. This will give you and your brands the edge on promoting content to core, niche, geo-specific or mass audiences.
  • Scale your content plan if targeting smaller audiences. However, you can increase promotions via paid ads, e-mail automation, and especially social – mobile media platforms.
  • Make sure to match your content to user intent. This gives validity to keywords while ensuring your information is valuable to those that demand and need it to the most.

Snippet Content Optimization

Featured snippets are now what most SEO plans strive to achieve. This, of course, is rank #0 or enhanced results on top of organic results. In the past, most brands fought to reach the number one spot in the SERPs. This is no longer the case due to snippets providing detailed information like titles, descriptions, bullet lists, and content that differs or aligns with brand intent.

Snippets are essentially teasers that entice users to click through the content. This lets them access information without ever leaving Google. The best part is that snippets appear in voice search results as well. This gives users substantial information and timely answers to their queries and concerns. Therefore, it is important to optimize your content with snippets in mind to increase user engagements. Here are some ways to try and secure the coveted zero ranking spot on Google:

Be Direct in your Content

High bounce rates occur when your content is too lengthy or does not entail valuable information. While long-form content is important these days, you still have to get to the point. In fact, avoid writing long, wordy introductions before you address the topics in the titles of your posts. Give your readers precise information right away – this will keep them on your pages longer and may increase conversion rates and clicks.

Always perform keyword research to see which words your competitors are not using. With keyword optimization, you can stay ahead of the pack and get featured snippets. It’s also important to break down your content with bullet lists for better accuracy and flow. Google loves including lists within featured snippets; makes it easier for users to scan and digest content. You can even use FAQs to provide answers to stock or common questions. Featured snippets tend to pick up FAQs if they are in an easy form and able to capture within the boxes.

These are some of the ways to enhance your SEO content for the remainder of 2019. Again, let a professional agency take care of these content enhancements if you simply do not have the time.

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Content MarketingGoogleMarketingQuoraSEO

What is Quora & Why Is It Important?

by Emily Triplett
written by Emily Triplett

Google and other search engines are wonderful tools users can turn to when they need answers fast. Questions such as “What are the top tips for homeowners in flood zones?”, “Where can I buy a new car near me?”, and “How many seasons are in The Office?” will provide users with the information they need without having to go beyond the first page of results. However, users are not always searching for simple questions. Some of the thoughts crossing their mind may include “What services do digital marketing professionals consider to be the most effective for promoting my business in my local area?”, “Who are the best home contractors for decks and porches?”, and “What is the best social networking site to use for advertising my business?” among many others that relate to personal questions and opinions. Search engines can assist users in finding the answers they desire, but users may be required to do a bit more digging. 

Luckily, users are not required to only use search engines to search for information. Quora is a social networking platform that is built to work like a search engine. Users can follow topics they are interested in, ask questions, and provide answers in their areas of expertise. Launched in 2009, Quora has slowly grown to a network with millions of active users who are looking for expert answers from real people. Businesses who use the platform can attain name and brand recognition. Better still, traffic, leads, and ad revenue can all be garnered from Quora. If you aren’t utilizing their platform, you could be missing out on your next big sale. 

To learn more about what Quora is and why this platform should be on your radar, read on. 

It’s About Questions & Answers

Quora provides its users a platform that facilitates conversations. Unlike other social networking sites, Quora doesn’t focus on pictures and videos. It focuses on user-generated content. There are a wide variety of topics that can be followed, from business ideas to personal thoughts. Users are encouraged to ask questions under topic feeds where anyone can provide their thoughts and solutions. In order to gain popularity, the answers should be accurate and fully cover what was asked. 

When answering questions, there is no hard and fast rule about the length of the response. However, it is imperative to provide enough detail to answer the question fully without using fluff words. Treating the response like a blog post tends to provide the most success. Answers can receive upvotes or downvotes. Upvotes indicate users like the response while downvotes mean users do not agree with the response. The more upvotes users accumulate on all of their responses across the platform, the higher their profile will rank. The higher a profile ranks, the more followers and views a user can expect to receive. Having great responses and a high ranking profile can drive traffic to your website and help you garner leads. 

While answering questions is important, asking questions is necessary to maintain a high ranking profile. Quora is designed to have two-way engagement between its users. While you may be an expert in a subject, you should still ask questions to facilitate conversations with other experts. If Quora notices you answer a lot of questions without asking any questions, your profile may suffer consequences. Along with two-way communication, if you post a viral question, you can drive a large amount of traffic to your site. The questions must be clear and interesting in order to encourage users to provide their thoughts and opinions. 

While establishing yourself as an authority, you can use Quora to effectively learn what your target audience is researching. The questions you see will contain the keywords users correlate with your business, product, and/or service. You can take these keywords and incorporate them into your content marketing strategy in order to reach a larger audience outside the Quora platform. 

Google & Quora

Google and other search engines are used daily to find answers to hundreds of personal and professional questions. Employing SEO strategies on your own website is incredibly important because it allows your website to rank highly in search engine results. When you appear often in results, users will consider you an authority on the subject matter they are researching.

It is not uncommon to see Quora results on search engine results pages. When used correctly, you can have high ranking answers appear on Google. This means you have an opportunity to take advantage of double exposure in search engine results pages. Quora is important because rising in popularity, so you must provide the same time and attention to your answers as you would to the content and blog posts on your own website. 

Simple, Optimized Profiles 

Quora allows users to create a profile that highlights their expertise with a simple design. Other than a profile picture, no other media is available in the profile. A headline field is the perfect space to establish yourself as an authority and capture your readers’ attention. Avoid overuse of the vertical bar, but be sure to use impactful, powerful words. You also have a summary field where you can sell your business. You can add your website, social media handles, and credentials. If you have a powerful testimonial, be sure to include that. Your summary should include keywords that your target audience uses to search for your business.

Your readers will be driven to your profile if you develop strong questions and answers, so be sure to spend the necessary amount of time to create a profile that sells who you are, why you are an expert, and what you can do for them. If you lack strong content in your profile, you may miss out on the increased traffic and leads.

Garner More Traffic and Leads with Quora 

Quora is an important social platform that should be part of your marketing strategy if it isn’t already. The value of the platform lies in the keyword research and blog content ideas available. You can also establish yourself as an authority, which will help you gain name and brand recognition. When people trust you, they are more likely to turn your business. If you provide expert answers, users will be driven to your profile where they can easily access your website. If you are interested in increasing your number of leads, turn to Quora!

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Content MarketingSEOSocial MediaWriting

Adding More Context to Your Social Media Content

by Nishad Jiwa
written by Nishad Jiwa

For the first time in a long time, social media engagement is hovering below 0.1%. In fact, organic social visibility continues to decline at rapid rates across multiple platforms. Despite these networks showcasing more business ads than ever before – it appears that social media marketing is no longer as lucrative as it once was. This is primarily due to saturated and dull content that is turning clicks and views into digital passing lanes.

Still, many customers are using social media to interact with new and established brands. Similarly, these social pages are influencing their purchasing interests and decisions.

What Does this Mean?

While social media’s impact may be declining, global user bases are still growing. This is a strong signal that many customers still rely on social platforms to connect with businesses and find information. With this in mind, it is time to reach customers across social landscapes in different ways. One of the top methods continues to be the context within the content.

How can we add more relevance to content that grabs audience interest levels? Similarly, is there a way to engage users with high-quality information that gives them something to take away? Here are some of the answers to these growing questions in the world of social media uncertainty.

Go Beyond the Headlines

Sharing post headlines is no longer sufficient enough to drive interest and clicks. While copying post titles and throwing them into social updates is easy, are they effectively selling your posts? According to industry experts, you need to beef up your posts with relevant and industry-specific content. Consider the following for adding true context to your content:

Cite Statistics within Posts

Nothing speaks volumes more than actual statistics that reinforce ideas. Statistics attract and entice users with intriguing information and numbers. Consider adding some statistics to your social updates for content relevance and possible lead generation.

Add Quotes for Relevance

Adding quotes that reassert your ideas is a great way to capture user attention. Try adding shared quotes within sentences or posts to grab viewers or credit sources for stronger context.

Give Solutions to Problems

Google Updates consistently call for high-quality; relevant content that answers questions and solves problems. Use this formula to promote your content as resources for audiences facing similar challenges. Give them solutions to their problems – even if it’s based on your ideas or the current trends. This is a great way to generate leads, responses, and especially clicks and interaction.

Give Takeaways for Readers

Give your followers and readers something they can walk away with. In fact, calling out important points is a great way to generate thought and responses. This content tactic is ideal for long-form content since you have more room to discuss the essentials of your piece. When it comes to social updates, always keep your readers in mind and what they will get out of your posts.

Use Better Images for Attention

Image optimization continues to be all the rage with new SEO efforts. However, using crisp and attractive images in social is equally as important. Most users tend to remember images over words – especially those with vibrant and visually-aesthetic colors. As a result, you need to put some time in your image selection for social updates. Here are some ways to enhance this technique:

  • Try avoiding stock images and use your own photos if possible. Amazon states that over 48% of customers rely on images from other customers for product, brand and service reviews.
  • Use color images instead of black and white photos. Again, colored imagery tends to stand out and grab more attention.
  • Use your words or shared quotes in images. It’s not hard to add some text to photos for catching people’s attention.
  • Motion creates emotion. Think about this when choosing the right images that trigger actionable responses. Photos with motion are more eye-catching than just standard, flat images.

These are some crucial steps in adding more contexts to your social media content. Remember, quality over quantity still plays a pivotal role in brand visibility, awareness, and especially user engagements.

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BrandingBusinessContent MarketingGoogle My BusinessMarketingMobileSEOSocial Media

50% of Small Businesses Do Not Have Marketing Plans

by Nishad Jiwa
written by Nishad Jiwa

A new study unveiled that many small business owners across the US are functioning without sound marketing plans. The study was conducted by Outbound Engine and surveyed 350 small to medium-size (SMB) about their online marketing campaigns. Sadly, 50% of SMB owners stated they are operating without any type of marketing.

The study also highlighted the problems business owners are facing – namely lack of effective marketing tools and revenue growth. Similarly, the surveys discussed business owner goals and the obstacles that are preventing them from growing and expanding.

Here are some key points from the survey:

  • Most SMB owners are stressed and have limited budgets. They are also pressed for time and simply overwhelmed with daily business processes and protocols.
  • 62% of SMB owners are more stressed about their brands this year than last year.
  • Many business owners that were surveyed have somewhat given up on their marketing efforts due to the daily grind.
  • Several business owners simply do not have the time or knowledge for DIY marketing, nor the expenses for hiring in-house advertising teams.

Can SMB Owners Rebound?

While many small business owners are dealing with problems across the country – there are ways to rebound and get your marketing back on track. In fact, hiring a seasoned and reputable SEO agency is still the best way to put your advertising plans to fruition. From website development and content marketing to social media integration, SMB owners must get back to the basics in order to re-establish brand visibility and awareness.

Here are some more highlights of the survey that show why many SMB owners are in marketing peril:

  • 25% of business owners surveyed stated they were unsure on how to grow their businesses in 2019.
  • 55% of business owners surveyed spend less than 5% of yearly revenue on marketing.
  • Over 58% of SMB owners spend five hours or less on marketing each week.
  • 86% of respondents stated they would rather spend time on their businesses than on marketing.

Get the Marketing you Need

Business owners who feel overwhelmed still have cost-effective ways to get the marketing they need. In fact, the study also reported that SMB owners do not have to spend significantly more money or time to achieve desired results. Here are some crucial findings of the survey that SMB owners should pay close attention to:

  • SMBs saw more revenue growth in 2018 with small marketing investments.
  • Data compiled showed that investments as low as 5 percent was sufficient for influencing lead and profit generation.
  • 81% of SMBs surveyed invested between 5% – 10% of annual revenue in marketing for 2018. This helped their respective brands grow and expand – with plans for more investments in 2019.
  • Only 50% of respondents who invested less than 5% of yearly revenue into marketing saw some traction and growth.

The last figure should speak volumes about online and digital marketing in general. Essentially, you will get back what you put in for optimal or maximum ROI. Therefore, spending too little may or may not furnish the results you need. In contrast, investing at least 5% of your annual revenue is enough to tap into the current and burgeoning marketing – SEO trends.

If you still struggle with brand validity, visibility, or lack of market share, the solution is simple. SEO companies have the tools and expertise to propel your brands to new heights in any industry or niche. They also monitor your brands’ reputation online, as well as handle content, social media, and mobile optimization so you can concentrate on running your business.

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Content MarketingGoogleSEOSite Optimization

SEO tactics that will get you into trouble

by Ellan Dineen
written by Ellan Dineen

Taking advantage of search engine optimization (SEO) is perhaps the best way to distinguish your brand from the hundreds or thousands of companies within your same sector. When websites perform well within the search results, they’ll receive an increase in website traffic that will undoubtedly lead to greater exposure, better leads, and a huge influx in sales. But elevating your business to the first pages of the search engine results pages (SERPS) is a delicate balance and a difficult task. With so many companies competing for the coveted positions, you’ll want to ensure you’re doing everything you can to increase your chances of ranking well. Additionally, you’ll want to be sure you’re avoiding anything that can work against you, or get you penalized by the search engines. The following post covers some of the main things you should stay clear of when optimizing your website for SEO.

The Google mechanism
When it comes to SEO, Google uses certain algorithms to crawl websites and determine which ones deserve to be in the top rankings, and which ones are doing something wrong. While Google’s major “core” updates usually occur once a year or so, Google’s basic filters are constantly evolving, even on a day-to-day basis. Crawler’s work exhaustively to audit websites and reward those that adhere to Google’s rules, while penalizing those that don’t.

SEO tactics to avoid: It’s essential that every business remain aware of the dos and don’ts of SEO, and update their websites as needed. Even one small mistake could make a site’s rankings drop significantly overnight! The following list includes some of the SEO mistakes you’ll want to steer clear of.

Broken links: Broken links are links that lead to nowhere. They’re links that send visitors on your site to a page that’s no longer there. If you’ve ever gotten a 404 error message or the like, you’ll know how frustrating these broken links can be. Not only are broken links bad from a user experience point of view, they will serve to get you actively punished by Google’s algorithms. Not to mention, these look very unprofessional! Scan for broken links regularly to ensure your site doesn’t fall prey to this major no-no. There are plenty of free link-checking software out there, so there’s never an excuse to have 404 pages as part of your site.

Keyword stuffing: Keyword stuffing is a common mistake many businesses make. Keyword stuffing is exactly what it sounds like— filling your content with keywords in a manner that’s unnatural, just to get them in. Using the right keywords is probably the best thing you can do to increase your ranking, but if they’re not implemented correctly they can end up working against you. Such is the case when you use too many of them. More is not always better— and if you use more keywords than is necessary, you’ll find yourself getting less of the results you want. Don’t write content with the soul intention of getting keywords in. Instead, write content that first and foremost focuses on the things your audience will need and want.

A missing sitemap: A sitemap is a file that lists the various URLs that go into making up a site. These maps allow Google and other search engines to crawl sites more efficiently, and therefore it’s important that you have one. These guides also make it easier for other visitors to navigate your site. Site maps can be created in a variety of formats, and then submitted to Google.

Bad anchor text: Anchor text is the text on a page that’s used to insert the hyperlink to either an internal or external link. Anchor text is used to give visitors and crawlers alike a brief description of what the link is regarding. It was previously a good idea to include as many keywords as possible in anchor text, however that has since changed. Now, the best practices for anchor texts is to ensure its to-the-point and relevant to the link in question, not generic, and not too keyword-heavy (it should flow naturally).

Cloaking: Cloaking occurs when words are disguised on the page, either intentionally or unintentionally. This is usually done when words and phrases are written in the same color as the background, making them blend in and become unnoticeable to visitor’s eyes. Cloaking used to be popular when it wasn’t outright penalized to do so, and developers would use it as a means to include as many keywords as possible. However, these days, even if these hidden words aren’t visible to the naked eye, they are discoverable by the crawlers, and they will result in hefty penalties against your rankings.

Plagiarizing content: It’s never a good idea to be a copycat, but unfortunately not everyone learns their lesson in school. Plagiarizing content will not only reflect very badly for your brand, but it will also harm your standing within the SERPS. In this context, plagiarizing means the act of taking some other website’s content and passing it off as your own. Duplicate content is also a big no-no when it comes to SEO. While this content may not be plagiarized and may be originally written by you or someone within your company, if you use it on your site more than once you’re likely to get penalized. Some may attempt to use duplicate content as a means to bulk up their on-site keywords, but Google will detect this mistake and punish your business accordingly.

A non-responsive site: Responsive web design means creating a website that is operational across all devices. Responsive websites “respond” to the device they’re visited on, and are configured to whatever specifications will best serve that device. If you visit a website on your smartphone that hasn’t been optimized for mobile— you’ll know it! Responsive web design means never having to worry that your visitors will have trouble using your site based on the browser and device they’re using. With over half of internet users browsing mainly from a mobile device, responsive web design has never been more essential— and will only continue to increase in importance. It’s not just individuals that will recognize if your website isn’t responsive— Google knows too, and they’ll make sure you’re punished for not having a site that’s functional across all devices.

While following SEO best practices will get you rewarded, failing to pay attention to them will work against you. Staying away from the above mistakes will help you stay on Google’s good side, and help your website increase in the rankings.

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Content MarketingLink Building

Click Here! Use These 4 Proven Tips Today to Receive Top Tier Links!

by Brandon Lee
written by Brandon Lee

Theoretically, content is king! If you create great content, then millions of people will flood your website and you’ll receive top-tier links for it.

Unfortunately, this type of success is elusive to many businesses who feel that they’re writing and posting amazing content. This is because you have to everything the right way to get links on relevant, quality sites.

Although link-building isn’t easy, you can succeed in it just by putting in some hard work to perfect your content creation strategy.

Lucky for you, this simple guide will show you how to always create content that becomes a magnet for high-quality links.

Step #1: Research

Before you begin the brainstorming process, have you researched other pieces of content that have performed well online, attracted a lot of links, and received mainstream coverage?

If not, you’ve made a crucial mistake. It may sound pretty simplistic, but observing what is already successful can help you create an effective content marketing strategy.

However, this is only half the battle. It’s also important to observe all types of content in your niche, whether it’s successful or not. For example, if you operate in the travel niche, you can search Google News, WordPress Reader, social media, and various other content hubs to get a feel for what’s working and what’s not.

Step #2: Ideation

Now that your research is done, you can now begin to consider what your twist will be.

How will you apply your new idea to your own brand?

The key is to take what is already working, like a newsworthy topic, and put a spin on it with a new idea. For example, solo female travel is a popular topic in the travel niche.

You can take this very popular topic and put your own unique spin on it like so, “The Cheapest Travel Destinations for Women Who Want to Travel Solo“.

Step #3: Get Data

Anyone can write something, but the entire purpose of content is to be useful to the reader. Your murmurings on the cheapest travels destinations may not as useful to your audience as an actual cost-benefit analysis that contains data.

Fortunately, obtaining data for your content isn’t hard at all. By performing a quick and easy Google search, you can find virtually any data source, whether it’s a statistics or an infographic. However, be mindful to avoid filling your content full of data and facts.

Allow your own voice to resonate in your content so you can show your business off as an authority in your niche.

Step #4: Outreach

If you’ve created an outstanding article then it makes outreaching a whole lot easier.

The only thing you have to do is make sure that you’re telling the right people about your story.

Remember how I said you should do your research before brainstorming content ideas? Well, we’re going to reverse engineer your research into successful online content to see who linked back to it.

Think about it this way. If a journalist covered a story based on a popular article and you’ve created a twist to it, that journalist is more than likely to be interested in what you have to say.

Therefore, outreaching is simple. All you have to do is look for journalists and influencers who linked back to some popular content in your niche and reach out to them to promote your article. Remember to be polite in your outreach, and if you’re going to follow up, do it manually to let your recipient know that you’re serious about receiving their coverage.

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Content MarketingWriting

3 Easy Tips to Simplify Complex Content For Your Audience

by Brandon Lee
written by Brandon Lee

How do you create digital content that’s easy for your readers to understand, despite the subject matter?

The plan is simple.

You need to break down your content in simple terms, but without boring your audience into leaving your website to find something else to read.

Sure, this sounds easy but executing on it hardly is. Think about it. If you ran an automobile repair company and would like to educate your audience through a blog post, could you write a post about “how automobile traction” works that’s engaging and simple to understand?

Most businesses struggle to break down complex topics, and their blogs are suffering as a result. If you are one of those businesses, read on to learn more about how you can write easy-to-read content and increase your website’s conversion rate.

1. Avoid Using Jargon/Complex Words

“I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the garbage man or the president of the university.”

-Albert Einstein

One of the most prevalent issues that exist in online content across the web is the presence of jargon and complex words. In high school and college, using big words may have been a great way to sound smart and impress your teacher.

However, when you’re writing digital content, you’re writing to aid an online reader’s understanding, not to impress them. For example, if I were running a web design company, this would be a great example of a sentence that contains too much jargon and complex words.

“Acme Web Design Company is a full-service B2B web design agency that combines exemplary interaction with a picturesque website design.”

After reading that, just ask yourself one thing. If you needed a website, would you call your nearest web design company on the phone and ask to speak to a “full-service B2B web design agency that combines exemplary interaction with a picturesque website design”

Of course not, but many people believe that it’s okay writing like this. Eliminate jargon and complex words in your writing to get your point across with more clarity, like so.

“Acme Web Design Company is a web design agency that provides state-of-the-art websites for small businesses to receive more online customers and increase their digital sales.

2. Write for a Sixth Grader

In its best form, writing is simplistic. The art of writing great content is to simply say what you mean and mean what you say. Just check out this excerpt from internet marketing guru Neil Patel.

If you read any of my blogs, you’ll know that I write a lot about writing

Why? What’s the big deal? Why am I obsessed with this topic?

On the personal side, I write about writing because, well, I really enjoy the topic.

Neil Patel has millions of subscribers to his blog, and after reading this, it isn’t hard to see why. His style is fairly simplistic to the point where anyone can read his writing and understand his thesis instantly.

I pulled this excerpt from Patel’s blog where he talked about how you can improve your online writing. This is a really complicated topic, especially for those who don’t have much writing skills. However, Patel made this excerpt easy to understand by simply writing for an imaginary sixth-grade audience.

3. Use Visuals

If you’re attempting to write research-driven content on a complicated topic, you better be ready to dilute your content by adding engaging visuals. Facts and data are much more likely to be absorbed if they’re displayed through a table or infographic.

In fact, readers will only read 20% of your content, according to a recent study. For this reason, make sure you include images, infographics, graphs, tables, and any other visual item that can reinforce what you’re trying to say. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Final Words:

Writing digital content isn’t easy, but you can make it simpler by using these tips to create digestible content for your target audience. If you don’t have the time to devote to your blog, get in touch with us today to learn more about how we can increase your website traffic and engagements today!

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Content MarketingSocial Media

What is The Buyer’s Journey

by Brandon Lee
written by Brandon Lee

As the global trend of e-commerce continues to rise, more marketers are beginning to face the pertinent challenge of converting prospective consumers that are seemingly invisible. In order to understand the motives behind consumer action, most modern marketers follow a conceptualized marketing theory, known as the Buyer’s Journey.

Essentially, the Buyer’s Journey is somewhat of a voyage a prospective customer takes before they make a decision to purchase a product or service. The Buyer’s Journey is generally effective in understanding the mindset of the consumer while allowing marketers to methodically generate sales based on this approach. In this article, you will learn all about The Buyer’s Journey and how this approach can positively impact your business.

How Does the Buyer’s Journey Work?

To understand how the Buyer Journey works, you must first realize that there are different brands of “buyers” in particular sectors. For example, the Buyer’s Journey model may appear to be considerably different for B2C companies than for B2B companies. At any rate, here are the stages of the Buyer’s Journey as it relates to B2C companies.

conductor - What is The Buyer's Journey

Source: Conductor

  • Develop Interest – In this stage, the prospective buyer realizes that they have a unique problem or desire.
  • Information Gathering – During this stage, the buyer begins to gather more extensive information about their particular problem or desire.
  • Seek Options – Next, the buyer begins to explore their options for addressing their problem or desire.
  • Make a Purchase Decision – Finally, the buyer is ready to make a purchase and selects the appropriate vendor.

How Can I Use The Buyer’s Journey For My Business?

In theory, the Buyer’s Journey is a practical and effective solution to converting prospective customers into sales. However, in practice, this method will only yield positive results if you are using implementing it to your content strategy. In short, you’ll have to create content similar to the Buyer’s Journey’s framework to see any tangible growth.

To give you a better understanding of how this is done, let’s apply the Buyer’s Journey to a typical, real-world example.

Malcolm is a construction worker that is attempting to repaint the interior of his home. Let’s venture with him on his Buyer’s Journey to ultimately purchase Acme Premier Gloss Paint.

  • Develop Interest – Make Malcolm aware that buying traditional paint is ineffective and won’t improve the appearance of his home.
  • Information Gathering – Give Malcolm more information about the problem, such as the difference between traditional paint and your particular paint.
  • Seek Options – Make Malcolm aware of potential solutions and alternatives, such as hiring a professional painter or purchasing high-quality paint.
  • Make a Purchase Decision – Allow Malcolm to realize the value in choosing your premium paint over other brands and vendors.

This model should essentially give you a clear picture of how you can structure your content around the Buyer’s Journey. However, there is still a process you must go through to adequately create content that speaks directly to your audience.

You Must Create a Buyer Persona

Before you can create effective content that resembles the Buyer’s Journey, you must first identify who your audience is. To do so, you’ll have to create a Buyer Persona for your business.

A Buyer Persona is basically your ideal customer, based on market research and data from your existing customers.  Once you understand who your typical customers are, you can design your Buyer Persona to aid you on your mission to produce rich content that relates to the Buyer Journey.

To learn more about how you can create the perfect buyer persona for your business, click here to read this guide.

Conclusion

The Buyer’s Journey is an empirical marketing principle that allows marketers to create content that aligns with consumer interests. To learn more about how you can implement this strategy for your business, click here to learn more about how you can receive a website and digital content that follows the Buyer’s Journey today!

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