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Tag: SEO Tips

  • How to Unlock Profitable SEO as AI Search Engines Take Over | Entrepreneur

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    As AI technology continues to grow in capability and popularity, the online search landscape and search optimization are rapidly changing. AI search engines, including Perplexity, Google’s AI mode, ChatGPT Search, Gemini, Arc Search and others, are competing for their share of searches and are quickly catching up to traditional search engines.

    In fact, one study projected that AI search engines may have more users than traditional search engines by 2028. These constantly changing search dynamics have many businesses wondering whether their current SEO strategy is sufficient or whether they need to adapt to stay relevant. While many SEO strategies can help businesses rank in both traditional and AI search engines, there are some key techniques businesses can implement to ensure that the evolution of AI search engines does not leave them behind.

    Related: Want to Be Discovered in AI Search? These Are the Sources That Matter

    The increasing popularity of AI search engines

    AI search engines are generative AI platforms that create answers to queries entered by users. Rather than simply presenting results, like traditional search engines, AI search engines summarize and present information pulled from multiple sources. AI search engines are quickly becoming the first choice for many users.

    Rather than using a traditional search engine, people prefer to use AI search engines for more specific, conversational queries. AI search engines consolidate and summarize information, which appeals to many users, particularly when they have a longer, more specific search query or are researching a new topic. Users can also utilize AI search engines to compare products or generate a list of multiple service providers without needing to visit various websites.

    4 strategies for ranking in AI search engines

    AI Search engines cite the websites they pull information from. Having your website cited as a source is an effective way to generate organic traffic and increase leads. Fortunately, many of the SEO strategies that are effective for ranking in traditional SERPs remain effective for ranking in AI search engines. Additionally, search engines pay attention to ranking positions when they select websites to pull information from and cite. However, for businesses looking to stay ahead of their competition, here are a few strategies that we implement at Outpace SEO to make sure our clients rank in AI search engines as well as traditional SERPs.

    1. Audit your strategy

    AI search engines prioritize credibility and relevancy. Before you begin, audit your current SEO strategy and identify its strengths and weaknesses. Who is your target audience, and are they likely to use AI search engines? Are you hoping to rank nationally or locally? Answering these questions can help you adapt your strategy for continued success.

    2. Ensure visibility

    It’s essential to make sure that AI search engines can index your website and easily understand the context and relevance of your content. In-depth technical SEO is crucial to ensure that your website is visible to the relevant search engines. Some search engines have specific primary crawlers that need to be enabled in your robots.txt file. Make sure that your pages are indexed by Bing, not just Google. Your site should have a simple and easy-to-understand site architecture that allows AI engines to navigate it effectively. Other technical strategies include optimizing alt text, URLs, meta titles, page speed and internal linking to enhance your website’s visibility.

    Related: How AI Is Transforming the SEO Landscape — and Why You Need to Adapt

    3. Create concise, organized content

    AI search engines summarize information in conversational language. This means that they can more easily extract information from websites that provide clear and concise content. Answering questions clearly in a sentence or two increases the chance that AI search engines will cite your website in answers to search queries. Creating content that is clearly organized with header tags is an effective way to make sure that users and search engines can easily skim your content and identify its relevance. Using high-volume, long-tail keywords as titles and headers also increases the chance that AI search engines will use your content when they generate answers to popular questions. How you write your content can significantly increase your chances of ranking both in traditional search engines and AI search engines.

    4. Build online authority

    Both traditional search engines and AI search engines are more likely to rank your website if it has a strong online presence. AI search engines pay particular attention to websites with regularly updated content and a strong off-page authority. The type of brand mentions and backlinks you acquire is also significant; backlinks from websites in your industry with strong domain authority will do more to boost your website’s profile than links that are irrelevant or appear untrustworthy. By consistently creating on-site and off-site content, you can establish authority and credibility within your industry, resulting in increased rankings, leads and traffic.

    Final thoughts

    As more people use AI search engines, it may not be enough for businesses to simply rank on SERPs. If your target audience is likely to use an AI search engine to find businesses, information and products, then it’s essential to adapt your SEO strategies to rank in AI search engines as well as traditional search engine results pages. By creating content strategically, implementing technical optimizations on your website and developing your online authority, you can provide your business with a competitive edge and keep up with rapidly advancing AI technology.

    As AI technology continues to grow in capability and popularity, the online search landscape and search optimization are rapidly changing. AI search engines, including Perplexity, Google’s AI mode, ChatGPT Search, Gemini, Arc Search and others, are competing for their share of searches and are quickly catching up to traditional search engines.

    In fact, one study projected that AI search engines may have more users than traditional search engines by 2028. These constantly changing search dynamics have many businesses wondering whether their current SEO strategy is sufficient or whether they need to adapt to stay relevant. While many SEO strategies can help businesses rank in both traditional and AI search engines, there are some key techniques businesses can implement to ensure that the evolution of AI search engines does not leave them behind.

    Related: Want to Be Discovered in AI Search? These Are the Sources That Matter

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    Summit Ghimire

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  • How I Helped a Local Company Generate $5 Million in 6 Months | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Most people think you need a massive ad budget to grow fast. But earlier this year, I helped a service-based business generate over $5.1 million in just six months — and we did it by focusing on strategy, not spending.

    Let’s Get Moving started as a single-location moving company. Today, we have over 70 locations across North America, and I’ve led the SEO and digital marketing behind that growth.

    We didn’t rely on hacks or hope. We built a system that generated consistent, high-converting leads across every franchise, even in highly competitive markets like Toronto, Vancouver and Houston.

    This is the real story of how we scaled and what any entrepreneur running a service business can take away from it.

    Related: 31 Ways to Market Your Business on a Budget

    1. We consolidated a disjointed online presence into a scalable system

    When I first joined the team, Let’s Get Moving had four active locations: Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton and Hamilton. Each operated under its own subdomain, a structure that not only fragmented our brand identity but also made it nearly impossible to build SEO authority across the board.

    While Google Ads were driving decent results, the long-term organic growth potential was being held back by a lack of a centralized SEO strategy.

    Our first step was to rebuild the digital foundation — migrating all locations under one unified domain structure, developing dedicated SEO-optimized pages for each city and implementing a consistent content and review strategy across all franchises.

    That move alone positioned us for exponential, scalable growth and created a system we could replicate as we expanded to 70+ locations.

    2. We built location pages that actually convert

    Most franchise websites create a page for each city, add the name of the location and call it a day.

    We went deeper. Every location page became its own mini landing page optimized for the keywords people actually search in that city (like “movers in Chicago with great reviews”), with real reviews, service highlights and clear CTAs.

    We didn’t just want visibility. We wanted calls, quotes and bookings.

    This helped us dominate local search in dozens of markets without paying for clicks.

    3. We turned Google Business Profiles into lead machines

    Google Business Profile (GBP) isn’t a “nice to have” — it’s your homepage for local customers.

    We optimized over 70 GBP listings to show up in the top three of Google Maps (the “map pack”) by:

    • Consistently updating business details, hours and photos

    • Encouraging genuine, timely reviews from happy customers

    • Posting regular updates and offers

    • Using BrightLocal to monitor ranking and visibility

    For some locations, our Google Business Profile drove more than 50% of inbound leads. It was free. And it worked.

    Related: Ultimate SEO Guide On How to Get 100,000 Visits Per Month From Google

    4. We created content with the customer’s real questions in mind

    We didn’t blog just to blog. We asked:

    “What is our customer Googling the moment they realize they need our service?”

    Then we answered those questions clearly, concisely and locally.

    For example:

    • “How much do movers cost in Toronto?”

    • “Can I hire movers on the same day in Los Angeles?”

    • “What’s the best time to move to NYC to save money?”

    This kind of content didn’t just get traffic — it built trust. It positioned us as the go-to expert before they ever picked up the phone.

    We also focused on formatting. Every article used conversational headlines (based on actual search terms), bullet points for scannability and short paragraphs that respected the reader’s time. We weren’t trying to sound like a content mill. We wrote like humans answering real questions.

    And it paid off. The more content we published, the more leads came in — and we were ranking for high-intent searches across dozens of cities, all without spending a dollar on paid traffic.

    5. We scaled without sacrificing quality

    One of the biggest challenges with franchise growth is maintaining consistency across all locations. To solve that, we built internal systems to support every franchise equally — a strategy that many overlook when implementing SEO for franchises.

    This included:

    • Centralized SOPs for SEO and content

    • Shared review generation templates

    • A monthly dashboard for rankings, calls and traffic

    • Ongoing support and local keyword research for every new franchise launch

    By giving each location the tools to succeed and tracking performance, we created a self-sustaining lead generation system.

    The result

    In six months, our combined locations generated over $5.1 million in tracked revenue without relying on PPC, traditional advertising or gimmicks.

    And we’re still growing.

    What other entrepreneurs can learn from this

    Even if you’re not in the moving industry or don’t run a franchise, here are the key takeaways that apply to any service-based business:

    • Think beyond traffic, and optimize for search intent and conversion.

    • Treat every local market like its own opportunity.

    • Build a brand people trust before they ever contact you.

    • Create repeatable systems so you can scale without chaos.

    • Don’t ignore the tools that are free but powerful, like Google Business Profile.

    Related: 7 Local SEO Strategies I’ve Used to Help Businesses Boost Their Revenue 10x — Especially Blue-Collar Companies

    We didn’t win by spending more money; we won by thinking smarter, moving faster and obsessing over what our customers were already looking for.

    If you’re building a service business in 2025, SEO isn’t optional — it’s one of the highest-ROI growth channels available. But only if you treat it like the revenue engine it truly is.

    Most people think you need a massive ad budget to grow fast. But earlier this year, I helped a service-based business generate over $5.1 million in just six months — and we did it by focusing on strategy, not spending.

    Let’s Get Moving started as a single-location moving company. Today, we have over 70 locations across North America, and I’ve led the SEO and digital marketing behind that growth.

    We didn’t rely on hacks or hope. We built a system that generated consistent, high-converting leads across every franchise, even in highly competitive markets like Toronto, Vancouver and Houston.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

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    Fahim Ludin

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  • Double Your Traffic and Boost Your Sales With This Ecommerce SEO Guide | Entrepreneur

    Double Your Traffic and Boost Your Sales With This Ecommerce SEO Guide | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Many ecommerce brands spend huge budgets on paid advertising to generate leads. They invest time and money into pay-per-click campaigns, but once the ad spend stops, so does the traffic.

    What they’re missing is a sustainable strategy that continues to drive traffic and sales without ongoing ad costs.

    That’s where SEO comes in. When you optimize your website for search engines, you can attract a steady stream of potential customers who actively search for what you offer.

    In this article, I’ll show you the best SEO tips to double your ecommerce organic traffic and increase revenue without relying on expensive ads.

    Related: 5 Simple SEO Strategies to Improve Your Rankings

    Why is SEO important for ecommerce businesses?

    There are more than 26.5 million ecommerce websites worldwide, which makes it incredibly hard to get yours noticed. With the right SEO strategy, however, you can boost your online presence, attract targeted traffic and drive more sales.

    When you rank well for certain keywords in search results, it makes it easier for potential customers to find you when they look up relevant products. These people are actively searching for your products, which means they are more likely to become your customers.

    High rankings also boost your brand’s credibility and authority because consumers perceive top-ranking websites as more trustworthy.

    So, let’s see how you can use SEO to get these benefits for your small business.

    5 steps for doubling your ecommerce organic traffic

    Doubling your organic traffic may seem daunting, but with a clear SEO strategy and consistent effort, you can achieve it quicker than you think. The trick is to master the basics, which are often overlooked while chasing for some secret formula that gives instant results.

    That’s why you should:

    1. Do more extensive keyword research

    Keyword research is crucial for ecommerce businesses, as it helps identify keywords potential customers use when searching for products. To do it right though, you need to go deeper than traditional metrics like search volume and difficulty.

    Instead, focus on understanding the search intent behind each keyword. Some people are looking to learn more about a topic, while others may be more interested in buying a product.

    You should focus on keywords with clear purchasing intent, which are more likely to drive sales. For example, if you have a beauty products store, you may initially target a high-volume keyword like “best skincare routine.” However, people searching for this term are typically seeking information, not necessarily looking to buy.

    Targeting keywords like “best price for anti-aging cream” can increase sales, as people searching for these terms are ready to make a purchase.

    Related: Trying to Rank for a Keyword on Google? Don’t Fall for These 3 Myths.

    2. Optimize product pages

    Well-optimized product pages can significantly increase conversion rates, boost user experience and improve search engine rankings.

    Here are a few actionable tips on how to optimize your product pages:

    • Create clear and keyword-rich URLs for your product pages.

    • Use power phrases like “X% off” or “Lowest price” to get people to click on your page.

    • Provide detailed product descriptions that include key features, benefits and specifications.

    • Incorporate relevant keywords naturally into your product descriptions.

    • Use high-quality images and videos to show your product’s features.

    • Display customer reviews and ratings to build trust.

    • Place clear and engaging CTAs, such as “Add to cart” or “Buy now” across the page.

    • Use schema markup to help search engines understand your product information better.

    • Ensure your product pages are mobile-friendly, as most online shoppers use smartphones.

    3. Optimize category pages

    Optimizing category pages is a crucial SEO tip for improving user experience, boosting rankings and driving more sales. In the beauty products industry, for example, well-structured category pages like “Skincare,” “Makeup” and “Hair Care” can attract users searching for these terms and guide them to specific products.

    Further optimize your category pages by using relevant keywords in titles and descriptions, writing unique content that focuses on product benefits and ensuring a clean layout with high-quality images.

    You should also implement schema markup for rich snippets and add internal links to related categories to improve navigation.

    4. Increase content velocity

    Your competitors are likely publishing a lot of SEO content. So, to stay competitive, you need to publish even more.

    If you only publish two blog posts per month, you won’t be able to rank effectively and might risk falling behind. Increasing content velocity is an essential part of SEO writing that helps you cover more topics, target more keywords and reach a wider audience. As a result, you can improve your website’s visibility and get an influx of fresh organic traffic.

    However, to engage potential customers and drive more conversions, it’s essential that each piece of content is relevant to your audience’s interests and matches the unique user intent for each keyword.

    5. Build high-quality backlinks

    Building high-quality backlinks improves your search engine rankings and domain authority, which makes it easier for customers to find you.

    The key to effective link-building is to focus on quality and relevance. One high-quality backlink is worth more than a dozen links from link farms. Similarly, a backlink from a relevant source can boost your rankings more than numerous irrelevant links.

    For example, a beauty products store can benefit from backlinks on reputable beauty blogs, skincare forums or collaborations with industry influencers. These backlinks improve SEO and drive targeted traffic from audiences already interested in beauty products, which supports your visibility and credibility.

    Related: 7 Link-Building Tactics You Need to Know to Skyrocket Your Website’s Rankings

    Consistent effort and strategic SEO practices can help you stand out in a crowded market and achieve sustainable growth. The key is to focus on deep keyword research, optimize product and category pages, increase content velocity and build high-quality backlinks.

    Follow these simple ecommerce SEO tips to double your website traffic and get ahead of your competitors.

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    Nick Zviadadze

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  • 5 SEO Techniques to Help Your SaaS Business Rank in 2024 | Entrepreneur

    5 SEO Techniques to Help Your SaaS Business Rank in 2024 | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Software as a service (SaaS) is a booming industry full of potential and innovation. However, many SaaS businesses rely heavily on paid advertising for lead generation and customer acquisition, often overlooking the incredible power of organic traffic. This leads to high customer acquisition costs, which slows down business growth.

    Search engine optimization (SEO) is the practice of optimizing your website to rank higher in search engine results pages. Investing in SEO can drive sustainable organic traffic, reduce acquisition costs and attract highly qualified buyers ready to book demos.

    In this article, I discuss five essential SaaS SEO techniques to help you rank higher, increase the number of organic website visitors and drive more conversions in 2024.

    Related: 3 Powerful SEO Techniques That Will Boost Your Website’s Search Engine Ranking

    1. Do in-depth keyword research

    In-depth keyword research helps you identify the specific terms your potential customers use to find software solutions like yours. For SaaS businesses, the main focus of keyword research should be on your target audience’s needs and more specifically, long-tail keywords.

    For example, if you offer time management software, your first instinct would be to target keywords like “time management software.” However, websites that rank well for this keyword are well-established and have great authority, so climbing to the first spot on Google would take forever.

    Instead, you should focus on more specific, long-tail keywords. In this case:

    • “Time management software for freelancers”

    • “Affordable time management software for startups”

    • “Time management apps with project tracking”

    • “Best time tracking tools for remote teams”

    Long-tail keywords typically have higher buyer intent because they are specific, indicating that the person has a clearer idea of what they are looking for. Targeting keywords with clearer user intent and less competition makes it easier to rank, as well as to attract and convert leads looking for specific features or benefits that align with your SaaS offering.

    2. Maintain high content velocity

    Publishing one blog post per week is not enough to remain relevant in the SaaS industry. To stay ahead of the competition, you should increase your content velocity and publish as much high-quality content as possible.

    Producing more relevant and informative content in your niche signals to search engines that your website is a credible source of information. This boosts your topical authority and user trust, which is especially crucial for small business SEO.

    Increasing your content velocity also provides more opportunities to include various keywords, which boosts your chances of ranking high for more search terms.

    To effectively increase your content velocity and stay competitive in the SaaS industry, consider creating a variety of content types that cater to different aspects of your audience’s needs and interests. That includes:

    3. Create product-led SEO pages

    Product-led SEO pages focus specifically on your products, which is highly effective for attracting qualified leads who are more likely to convert into customers.

    The most common examples of product-led SEO pages are:

    • Comparison pages: Create detailed comparison pages like [Competitor product] vs. [Your product] to highlight your product’s unique features, benefits and advantages over the competition.

    • Competitor comparisons: Generate pages that compare multiple competitors, such as [Competitor product] vs. [Competitor product]. This positions your brand as a knowledgeable authority in the space and can help potential customers understand what the industry has to offer.

    • Best-of lists: Create lists like “X Best [Your Niche] Tools in 2024” and include your product to establish it as a top option.

    • Niche-specific landing pages: Optimize landing pages for specific keywords, such as “time management software for freelancers.” These pages should be rich with information about your product, including features, benefits, testimonials and calls to action.

    Related: 6 Ecommerce SEO Tips to Help You Rank on Google

    4. Build high-quality backlinks

    There are more than 9,000 SaaS companies in the U.S. with around 15 billion active users across the world. The SaaS industry is more competitive than ever, and most businesses use SEO to attract more customers.

    Building high-quality backlinks to your product pages and blog posts is an SEO technique that helps improve your search engine rankings and domain authority to get an edge over the competition.

    Some of the ways you can build backlinks include:

    • Guest posting on relevant industry blogs

    • Claiming unlinked brand mentions

    • Producing high-quality content like infographics and whitepapers to attract backlinks

    • Collaborating with other companies and influencers to create mutually beneficial content that includes backlinks

    If you want your link building to work, though, you need to also focus on quality and relevance. The best approach is to acquire backlinks from established websites in your industry because they contribute more to your SEO results. Backlinks from reputable websites signal to Google that your content is trustworthy and authoritative.

    For a SaaS company, you want backlinks from technology blogs, industry publications and authoritative websites in the software niche.

    5. Develop strong internal linking

    Internal links are hyperlinks that point to other pages on your website. They help Google understand the structure of your site, the hierarchy of your pages and the importance of specific content.

    Strong internal linking can improve your website’s SEO by making it easier for search engines to crawl and index your pages, which in turn can boost your rankings.

    Include as many relevant internal links as possible with every article you write. To find all relevant pages, go to Google and type: “site:yourwebsite.com [relevant keyword].”

    The best SEO tip is to use descriptive anchor text to provide context about the linked page’s content. For example, if you’re writing an article about “time management software for freelancers” and want to link to another article talking about best tools for remote workers, you can use the anchor text “best time tracking tools for remote teams.”

    Lastly, you should regularly update older posts with new internal links to keep the SEO content fresh and improve relevance.

    Focusing on the right SEO strategies can help you reduce customer acquisition costs and attract more organic traffic to your SaaS website.

    The best approach is to:

    • Conduct in-depth keyword research

    • Maintain high content velocity

    • Create quality product-led SEO pages

    • Build high-quality backlinks

    • Develop strong internal linking

    Try these techniques to improve your rankings, drive more qualified leads, boost conversions and get better SEO results this year.

    Related: 5 Common SEO Mistakes That Are Hurting Your Rankings

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    Nick Zviadadze

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  • Ever Wonder Why Certain Websites Rank Higher Than Yours? This SEO Expert Reveals Why. | Entrepreneur

    Ever Wonder Why Certain Websites Rank Higher Than Yours? This SEO Expert Reveals Why. | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Have you ever wondered why some businesses consistently top search engine results? It’s often the smart use of SEO, now supercharged with AI, particularly in keyword optimization.

    As a technical SEO expert with over two decades of experience in website development and digital marketing, I’ve seen firsthand how AI is revolutionizing the SEO landscape, making it more efficient and targeted.

    AI in SEO is like a super-sleuth assistant, effortlessly analyzing mountains of data to uncover trends and insights, leading to smarter, more impactful SEO strategies.

    Transforming keyword research

    Gone are the days of manually sifting through keywords. AI transforms this process, delving deep into data to reveal not just popular keywords but also niche phrases and emerging trends. It goes beyond just picking keywords — it’s like getting into your audience’s heads and really understanding their needs and wants.

    Making AI work for you in keyword optimization

    Ever wonder how AI can work wonders for your SEO? It all starts with choosing the right AI tool—think of it as finding a savvy partner in your SEO journey.

    Choosing the right tool

    You need an AI-driven keyword tool that matches your business’s unique needs and brings a set of skills that can truly make a difference. Think of it as finding a tool that speaks your language and understands your goals.

    Look for a comprehensive data analysis tool. It should dive deep into the sea of data and surface with valuable insights. Consider SEO tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush, which are like the seasoned guides of the SEO world.

    They can predict trends and provide insights into what your audience is actually searching for. It’s not just about having a lot of data; it’s about having the right data that can tell you about user intent and future search trends.

    This way, you’re not just shooting arrows in the dark but strategically aiming based on informed predictions.

    Understand user intent

    Diving into the world of user intent is a bit like being a mind reader. It’s all about understanding why someone typed a query into a search engine.

    Is it to buy something? To learn? To find a specific website? Or to have a question answered? AI tools are here to help you crack this code. For example, when you use a tool like MarketMuse or Clearscope, it’s like having a conversation with your audience without them saying a word. These tools analyze search queries and give you insights into what your audience really wants from their search.

    Now, imagine you run an online gardening store. AI might reveal that a significant portion of your audience searches for “how to care for indoor plants.” This is a clear signal to focus on informational content, perhaps a blog post or a how-to guide, rather than just pushing product pages. Conversely, if you notice a high volume of searches like “buy indoor plant fertilizer,” that’s a transactional intent where your product pages should take center stage. But here’s a twist: not all traffic is beneficial.

    Suppose your AI tool shows a surge in queries like “free indoor plants.” This traffic might not be valuable if your goal is to boost sales, as these users are likely looking for giveaways or contests, not to make a purchase. In this scenario, understanding user intent helps you refine your SEO strategy to attract the right kind of traffic — the kind that aligns with your business goals and converts.

    Stay agile

    Embracing AI in your SEO strategy is a bit like surfing. You need to stay agile and ready to ride the waves of change as they come. AI tools are fantastic at providing real-time data, offering a snapshot of what’s happening right now. It’s like having a weather forecast for your SEO strategy. Just as a surfer would check the weather and wave conditions, using AI tools allows you to monitor current trends, search patterns and changes in user behavior.

    Let’s say you run a fitness website and notice a sudden spike in searches for “home workout routines” due to an unexpected event, like a lockdown. This real-time data is your cue to quickly pivot and focus on creating content that matches this emerging interest. Perhaps you could introduce a new blog series or video content around home workouts. But here’s where agility really counts: not every trend or surge in searches is worth pursuing.

    It’s about discerning which waves are worth riding. If a trending topic doesn’t align with your brand or offers little potential for conversion, it may not be beneficial to chase it. The agility afforded by AI isn’t just about quick reactions; it’s also about making smart, strategic decisions based on real-time insights.

    Merge AI insights with your content strategy

    Incorporating AI insights into your content strategy is like having a seasoned chef in your kitchen — one who knows exactly what your guests crave. It’s about blending the science of data with the art of content creation.

    AI tools do more than gather data; they offer insights that can shape your content strategy, ensuring it’s not only rich with the right keywords but also resonates deeply with your audience. For instance, imagine you’re running a travel blog. AI might reveal that your audience is increasingly searching for “sustainable travel tips.” This insight is a goldmine.

    It guides you to create content focused on eco-friendly travel, perhaps a series of articles or an in-depth guide on the topic. This targeted approach ensures your content is not just relevant but also highly engaging and likely to attract the right kind of traffic — people genuinely interested in sustainable travel.

    However, it’s important to remember that AI is a tool, not a magic wand. It provides the map, but you need to embark on the journey. While AI can suggest topics and keywords based on trends and user intent, the creativity in how you present this content — the unique voice, the compelling storytelling is up to you. This is where your understanding of your audience’s preferences, combined with your brand’s unique perspective, comes into play.

    Related: How Does AI Writing Impact Your SEO? Here’s What You Need to Know.

    Merging AI insights with your content strategy enables you to create content that’s not only optimized for search engines but also genuinely valuable and engaging for your audience. It’s about striking that perfect balance between data-driven precision and creative flair.

    Conclusion

    Integrating AI into your SEO strategy, particularly for keyword optimization, isn’t just a nice to have; it’s becoming essential in a digital world where staying ahead of the curve means understanding and leveraging the latest technologies. By embracing AI, you’re not just optimizing your SEO efforts — you’re setting your business up for smarter, more successful online engagement.

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    Ludwig Makhyan

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  • Is Your Website's Traffic Plummeting? Stop Making This Toxic SEO Mistake — And Do This Instead. | Entrepreneur

    Is Your Website's Traffic Plummeting? Stop Making This Toxic SEO Mistake — And Do This Instead. | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Have you noticed your site’s organic traffic has plummeted over the past few years? This may have been caused by evidence of spammy link-building practices finding their way into your SEO work.

    Google’s link spam update was rolled out in December 2022, supported by the AI algorithm SpamBrain. This update is intended to combat spam and improve the browsing experience for anyone using the search engine. Successful marketers need to be aware of its effects to maintain a squeaky-clean backlink profile that helps, rather than hurts, their site’s organic visibility.

    In this post, I’ll take a closer look at what SpamBrain is, its effects on SEO and three of the most effective strategies for aligning your link-building strategy with this element of Google’s ranking algorithm.

    Related: How to Shake Up a Stale Link-Building Strategy

    What is SpamBrain?

    SpamBrain is an AI-based algorithm made by Google to identify poor-quality spam content and make it less visible in Google search results. Though it was first launched in 2018, Google only acknowledged it publicly as part of the company’s 2021 Webspam Report, suggesting that it’s become a larger part of Google’s ranking system over time.

    Google’s 2022 link spam update was rolled out to identify and neutralize backlinks that come from low-quality, spammy sources, preventing webmasters from artificially inflating their rankings.

    What does SpamBrain mean for SEO and marketers?

    The link spam roll-out caused a lot of websites’ rankings to plummet. These were websites with backlink profiles characterized by spammy link-building practices that Google has consistently warned against, including:

    • Buying links to artificially inflate a website’s rankings.
    • Excessive link exchanges between one website and another.
    • Using spammy, low-quality directories and “link farms” that provide no value to the end user.
    • Link building through forum comments with spammy, over-optimized anchor text.
    • Excessive distribution of links in widgets, footers, etc.
    • Using automation to generate links with no concern about relevance or context.

    If you noticed a drop in rankings or organic traffic following the December update, it’s possible this was caused by evidence of spammy link-building practices that have made it into your backlink profile.

    As Google’s algorithm updates become more focused on delivering the best possible user experience and more adept at identifying backlinks that go against its policies, it’s essential for SEOs and webmasters to consciously build links that avoid spammy practices and run a tight ship when reviewing the state of their link profiles.

    Related: 19 Sure-Fire Subject Line Formulas for Link-Building Emails

    Three link-building strategies to avoid being penalized by SpamBrain

    Now that you have an understanding of what SpamBrain is and its function in Google’s algorithm, here are three crucial link-building strategies you can use to maintain a healthy backlink profile, maximize the value of your link-building campaigns, and avoid getting penalized by Google’s link spam policies.

    1. Regularly audit your backlink profile

    It can be easy to let backlink profile audits fall by the wayside as part of your routine SEO work, especially if you’ve been investing in organic marketing for some time and your backlink profile is already large and diverse. However, this is an essential step towards ensuring your campaigns operate within Google’s policies and not putting your rankings at risk of penalization.

    Block off some regular time in your calendar to analyze your site’s backlinks, checking for any signs of poor-quality, spammy links that can be flagged for removal. This should include links with low-quality or irrelevant referring domains or those that use unnatural, over-optimized anchor texts. While using Google’s disavow tool will ensure that spammy referring domains won’t affect your rankings in the future, it’s important to exercise caution before entering a huge list of domains for disavowal.

    Occasionally, you might come across a link with spammy or irrelevant anchor text resulting from poor-quality past SEO work but it exists on a quality domain that could be a major asset to your SEO. In these cases, it’s better to disavow specific referring pages or ask webmasters to remove the links manually.

    2. Review link-building practices

    To ensure that you’re not going to be affected by link spam in the future, it’s a good idea to set clear link-building policies that you or your staff can follow when executing a link-building campaign. This will ensure new backlinks meet a certain quality threshold and don’t run the risk of creating a spammy backlink profile.

    Some of the things you might want to set policies about for a robust link-building SOP include:

    • Minimum domain authority.
    • Pointers for ensuring your content is relevant, high-quality, and authoritative in line with Google’s EEAT guidelines.
    • Approved anchor text.
    • Strategies and examples for framing backlinks in the content.

    By going into each link-building campaign with a set of firm anti-spam policies, you’ll eliminate the risk of spammy practices being flagged by Google as you build your backlink profile.

    Related: How To Maximize the Number of Linkable Assets on Your Website

    3. Commit to high-quality content

    Remember that the ultimate aim of SpamBrain and every Google algorithm update is to improve the experience for anyone who uses Google. They want to keep their users loyal, which means serving up the content that’s most relevant to their search queries.

    One of the most effective things you can do to ensure your link-building stays on the right side of Google’s spam policies is to keep an ironclad commitment to high-quality content. This is important for your linkable assets and the content that will serve as referring URLs in your campaigns.

    This means creating content that provides tangible value to its target audience, demonstrates a high level of expertise in the subject matter, and is written for a human audience rather than in a style that’s intended to artificially “game” a search algorithm.

    Though it’s not always easy, maintaining a high content standard in all aspects of your link building will prevent spammy practices from seeping into your backlink profile and will set you up for future success with Google’s user-focused algorithms.

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    Jeff Peroutka

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  • 5 Tips for Creating SEO Content That Ranks | Entrepreneur

    5 Tips for Creating SEO Content That Ranks | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    If you want to rank well on Google and drive organic traffic, it’s essential to know how to create content that’s optimized for search engines (SEO content).

    SEO-friendly content is fundamentally different from conventional content, which means there are some caveats you need to consider if you want your blog posts to rank.

    In this article, I will give you five practical SEO tips for creating content that ranks.

    Why is SEO content important?

    Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is important because it can place you on the top of search engine result pages, improving your online visibility and driving more organic traffic to your website.

    To do that, you need to create content that’s engaging and valuable to humans and also optimized for search engines. It’s the only way to land on the first page of Google and attract the right audience you can later convert to customers.

    Here’s how you can create quality SEO content:

    Related: 5 Simple SEO Strategies to Improve Your Rankings

    1. Write with a keyword in mind

    Before you start writing, you need to pick a keyword your audience looks up on search engines. You can use a keyword research tool to find relevant keywords with a good balance of search volume, relevance and competition.

    After you select a keyword, type it into Google and read content that ranks for it. Analyze these top-ranking articles, reverse engineer their structure, identify common themes, and learn why Google views them as valuable.

    Then, use these insights to craft your article around the target keyword. This method ensures your content aligns with search intent and has a better chance of ranking high on search engines.

    Writing an article first and attempting to fit a keyword afterward is a common SEO mistake. But it’s like fitting a square peg into a round hole — it just won’t work.

    2. Write for robots and humans

    Creating SEO content is all about striking a delicate balance between writing for search engines and your target audience.

    Writing for robots means strategically incorporating relevant keywords throughout the text, optimizing meta titles and descriptions, and using header tags. These and other SEO strategies help search engines understand the context of your content, improving its chances of ranking.

    While writing for robots is crucial, Google’s primary goal is to deliver valuable content to human readers. That’s why you also need to craft engaging and helpful content that matches the search intent of your audience.

    One important tip is to structure your SEO content to improve readability. That’s because users mostly scan articles instead of reading every word. You need to write engaging subheadings, bullet points and short paragraphs to help the readers quickly find the information they’re looking for.

    3. Start with a content outline

    Creating a coherent article without a proper outline can be challenging, even if you’re an expert. That’s why having a content outline to guide you can help with the article’s flow and prevent content overlap or repetition between different sections, improving the quality of your content.

    An outline helps the writer know exactly what information they need to provide to meet the search intent, creating a more straightforward writing process. This ensures a well-organized article that conveys all the necessary information.

    Creating an outline doesn’t need to be complicated. You can just Google your main keyword and analyze the structure of top-ranking articles of your competitors. Use this information to create a winning outline, covering the most important points and your unique insights.

    Related: 3 Ways to Build Content Pillars That Will Boost Your Google Ranking

    4. Create high-quality content

    Today, Google is a lot smarter than it was in the early 2000s.

    Back then, you could get away with writing short-form, mediocre blog posts and still manage to rank and drive organic traffic.

    Today, however, unless your content is as high quality as possible, your chances of ranking are very slim.

    Here are some simple SEO techniques that can help you create better-quality content and improve your online visibility:

    • Focus on long-form content: Although Google has mentioned that word count isn’t a ranking factor, long-form articles tend to rank better. That’s because this type of content is more likely to satisfy search intent and tick all the right boxes with search engines and readers alike.

    • Outshine your competitors: Identify gaps in the existing content of your competitors and include additional explanations to provide more value to the readers.

    • Use simple language: Write in clear and simple language, avoiding jargon that may alienate readers. Make your content universally understandable to cater to a broader audience.

    • Include visual elements: Create a better user experience by including images or videos to improve engagement and understanding of your content.

    • Leverage compelling data: Use data, statistics and expert quotes to enhance the credibility of your article and position yourself as an authority.

    • Cite high-quality sources: Referencing reputable sources to back up your claims makes your content more trustworthy and provides additional resources for your readers.

    5. Focus on content velocity

    Content velocity refers to the frequency with which you publish new content. You want to increase your content velocity as much as possible to improve your authority and your chances of ranking high.

    Your content can’t rank if it isn’t published, so you need to establish a regular publishing schedule with as many articles as possible. If you don’t have the time to focus on this strategy, working with an SEO agency can help you increase content velocity.

    Publishing content regularly signals search engines that your website is active and authoritative. However, it’s essential to find the right balance — while quantity is important, you should never sacrifice quality for quantity, because your content simply won’t rank if it’s bad.

    Related: The Best Way to Get More Results From Your Content

    SEO content is important because it helps search engines understand what your website is about. By optimizing your content for search engines, you increase the chances of ranking high.

    You can create better SEO content by starting with a content outline, writing with a keyword in mind, writing for robots and humans, focusing on quality, and increasing content velocity.

    Use these five tips to take your SEO content to the next level and start ranking high on Google.

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    Nick Zviadadze

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  • 10 Powerful Link-Building Tactics for Boosting Your Website's SEO | Entrepreneur

    10 Powerful Link-Building Tactics for Boosting Your Website's SEO | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Link building is an essential cornerstone of any solid SEO strategy, and with Google’s continued trend towards machine learning in its algorithms and rewarding sites that display relevance, quality, and authority, building a healthy link profile is harder than ever.

    In this post, we’ll look at 10 of the most powerful link-building tactics you can use to build a quality backlink profile and start climbing your target SERPs.

    Related: Why Is Link Building So Controversial?

    Guest blogging

    Guest blogging is the classic go-to for link-building tactics for one simple reason: it works!

    This tactic involves contacting blogs and online news sources in your niche and pitching the site owners’ content outlines. If they accept and like your content, you can link back to your target website either as part of an author bio or within the body of the content.

    There are a few better ways to ensure your backlink’s referring page has the kind of topical relevance that Google loves to see. It’s also a great way of demonstrating your expertise to your target audience in the process. Just be sure to cast a wide net with your blog outreach, and don’t just stick to sites that explicitly call for submissions.

    Leverage your existing network

    Leveraging your existing network is one of the easiest link-building tactics out there, yet it’s unfortunately neglected by many SEOs.

    If you’ve spent a long time in your industry, you’ve likely built a rich network of ex-colleagues, partners or other contacts. These people may be able to authorize organic dofollow backlinks on their site and will already be familiar with your level of expertise in a particular topic.

    Ask around and see if your network can throw some relevant links your way.

    Register on business directories

    Directories are a controversial subject in the modern SEO community. However, considering how cheap and easy it is to acquire these kinds of links, there’s very little downside to finding directories with a clear relation to your niche and getting listed with a link to your site.

    If you choose your referring domains wisely and look for a high degree of relevance for both the directory site as a whole and the businesses that are listed on it, you’ll be able to build a high volume of valuable links in a very short space of time.

    This can be a particularly useful link-building tactic for local brick-and-mortar businesses looking to optimize for localized keywords, such as “florists in Honolulu.”

    Related: 19 Sure-Fire Subject Line Formulas for Link-Building Emails

    Broken link building

    Another big one among low-cost, low-effort link-building tactics, broken link building is a great way to build links at scale for those embarking on a new SEO campaign.

    This tactic involves finding broken links (pointing to a dead page) on websites that have a topical relationship to your business and reaching out to webmasters, suggesting that they amend the link to point to one of your resources.

    The referring webmasters get to improve their user experience, and you get a powerful new link!

    Unlinked mentions

    Link-building through unlinked mentions is one of the more attractive link-building tactics because it doesn’t involve creating fresh external content to act as a referring page.

    In this strategy, you simply find mentions of your brand name on external sites, then reach out to the webmasters and ask them to link their mention of your business. As they’re already familiar with you and are happy to mention you as an authority in your industry, you’re likely to have a high success rate.

    Competitor link building

    Competitor link building involves analyzing your competitors’ backlink profiles to determine which kind of content is most likely to garner high-quality links within your topic focus.

    Using a backlinks analytics tool, you’ll be able to see whether your competitors get the lion’s share of their links to infographics, ultimate guides, tutorials or other kinds of content, and also discover the actual focus of the content.

    You can use this research to inform your own content calendar and maximize the chances of attracting quality, organic links from similar referring domains.

    Related: 6 Elements Your Link-Building Campaign Must Include

    Repurposing content

    Think about your site’s MVP — that one piece of content that gets a huge proportion of all the traffic and shares and has kept on proving its value long after it was first published.

    If it’s done well in its current format, it will likely see the same success in other formats, such as a video or infographic.

    Though it’s one of the higher-effort link-building tactics on this list, repurposing content can pay dividends by building on your stock of evergreen content and offering plenty of long-term value.

    Redirect links pointing to inferior content

    During your research for SEO drives, you’ve probably come across pieces of competitor content that have a ton of quality backlinks despite the content being fairly mediocre.

    If you’ve got a page on your site that you know blows a certain competitor out of the water, then you may be able to acquire new, powerful backlinks by reaching out to the referring domain authors and suggesting they link to your content instead.

    Considered one of the “gray hat” link-building tactics, redirecting competitor backlinks will not only help your visibility but could decrease your competitors’ in your target SERPs.

    Forum link building

    Forums and similar sites are often associated with spammy, low-quality link-building tactics. However, they can be fantastic referring domains for links to content and resources that are relevant to the conversation and useful to the site users participating in these communities.

    One of the best link-building tactics for sites with a rich library of authoritative content, this strategy involves looking for discussions about your business niche on sites like Reddit or Quora, offering some useful input, and linking to your content as a reference.

    Social media link building

    Social media can be a hugely effective tool in your link-building arsenal, enabling you to become a more visible authority and develop a strong network of content creators who are likely to cite you as an authority.

    Some of the most effective social media link-building tactics include using popular hashtags when sharing content to get your online assets in front of journalists and bloggers, following journalists in your niche to look for interview and citation opportunities, and actively participating in industry discussions to get your brand in front of potential linkers.

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    Jeff Peroutka

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  • 5 Common SEO Mistakes That Are Killing Your Rankings | Entrepreneur

    5 Common SEO Mistakes That Are Killing Your Rankings | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    After Google rolled out its latest core algorithm update, many websites saw a steep decline in their search engine rankings. The Search Engine Optimization (SEO) game has changed, and you need to adjust your approach if you don’t want your website to get left behind.

    From what I’ve seen in the past year, most of the websites lost their rankings because they were making the same exact SEO mistakes. In this article, I’m going to outline five common SEO mistakes I’ve seen in 2023 and explain how to avoid them.

    Related: 5 Simple SEO Strategies to Improve Your Rankings

    What is SEO and why is it important?

    SEO is the practice of optimizing a website and its content to improve search engine rankings. It involves various approaches, from on-page optimization to fine-tuning the technical details. The main goal of all of these strategies is to secure the top positions on search engine result pages.

    In a nutshell, SEO is a vital element of online success because it can:

    • Boost online visibility

    • Drive organic traffic

    • Prove your authority

    • Improve user experience

    Despite search engines and SEO constantly evolving, businesses don’t always follow the best — or most updated — SEO practices. Here are the five most common SEO mistakes I’ve seen in 2023 that can tank your search engine rankings.

    1. Focusing on SEO busy work

    SEO is a complex field, and many business owners don’t know where to focus their efforts for the best results. So, what they do is try different SEO strategies and approaches, often doing too much.

    The truth is, you don’t need to audit your website five or six times a year and fixate on adjusting every little detail. Instead, you want to focus your efforts on the biggest needle movers — content creation and link-building.

    Your website’s content should be at the heart of your SEO strategy. It’s what can cause search engine algorithms to rank your website high and what can attract, engage and turn your website visitors into customers. Similarly, building backlinks signals that your website is trustworthy and authoritative, boosting your search engine rankings.

    Focusing on content creation and link-building will most likely have the biggest impact on your SEO success, especially if your website is new.

    2. Having low content velocity

    Content velocity involves creating more content quickly. The logic is simple — you can’t rank for what you don’t have. So, more content means more chances to rank for relevant keywords.

    However, many websites have low content velocity, which sabotages their SEO potential. They focus on publishing one article per week, which is usually not enough.

    Let’s say you publish four articles today. In about six months, you should have four ranking articles. Now, double that publishing rate, and you’ll have eight ranking articles, effectively having doubled your SEO performance.

    The takeaway is this: The faster you publish, the faster you’re going to rank.

    Related: 5 Essential SEO Strategies For Entrepreneurs to Boost Their Traffic

    3. Doing selfish link-building

    In 2023, everyone knows the importance of backlinks. This means nobody is going to give you one for free. And why should they? Instead, these days, most websites ask for compensation when providing a backlink.

    The problem? Paid link-building is against Google’s guidelines. Fortunately, there is a way to bypass this and get backlinks for free. In your outreach emails, focus on what you can offer your prospect.

    Here are three “offers” that have worked for me in the past:

    • Reciprocal linking: Propose to link back to their website when they give you a backlink.

    • Future guest posts: Offer to link to their website in a future guest post.

    • Quality content: Deliver an in-depth, keyword-optimized blog post relevant to their niche.

    4. Relying on ad hoc keyword research

    Some people have a very ad hoc approach to keyword research. They do it weekly, choosing keywords randomly and creating content around them. The problem with this approach is that you never get a comprehensive view of your niche.

    As a result, you don’t know whether the keywords you’re choosing are optimal because there’s no frame of reference. To fix this, you should cast a wider net and find as many keywords as possible. Think 200 to 300 keywords that provide you with enough content material for the next few years.

    From there, you can see what keywords bring the most value. You can compare keyword intent, search volume and difficulty ranking to discover the best options. The more comprehensive you are in the initial stage of your keyword research, the better your SEO outcomes will be in the long run.

    Related: 5 Common Keyword Research Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

    5. Building low-quality backlinks

    When it comes to link-building, quality is more important than quantity. High-quality backlinks can give you a significant ranking boost, helping your website reach the first page of search results.

    Low-quality backlinks, on the other hand, spell trouble. At best, they won’t have any impact on your rankings. At worst, they’ll lead to your site getting penalized and losing rankings. So, how do you know which backlinks are good?

    You can assess backlink quality by:

    • Checking quality metrics (DA, DR)

    • Analyzing the website’s SEO performance (monthly traffic)

    • Ensuring topical relevance

    • Assessing trustworthiness (is the site legitimate?)

    • Avoiding backlink farms

    Remember, one high-quality backlink is worth more than 10 low-quality ones.

    Steering clear of these five common SEO mistakes is vital to maintaining your website’s search engine rankings in 2023.

    By focusing more on content creation, upkeeping content velocity, avoiding selfish link-building, conducting comprehensive keyword research and prioritizing quality backlinks, you can set up your SEO strategy for success.

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    Nick Zviadadze

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  • 3 SEO Techniques to Help You Rank High on Search Engines | Entrepreneur

    3 SEO Techniques to Help You Rank High on Search Engines | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has been around for more than 25 years. The industry, however, has evolved a lot since its inception, and it seems like every year brings a major algorithm update that completely changes the game.

    Because of the dynamic nature of SEO, many online guides on the topic offer outdated advice. Strategies like keyword stuffing, link farming and writing exclusively for search engines simply don’t work anymore.

    In fact, they are likely to hurt your website’s ranking.

    And yet, SEO remains an invaluable tool for businesses to reach more customers, drive organic traffic and boost brand visibility. That’s why I wanted to share the three most important SEO strategies that can help you rank in 2023.

    Related: 5 Simple SEO Strategies to Improve Your Rankings

    What is SEO and why is it important?

    SEO is a comprehensive approach that combines multiple optimization strategies to improve your website’s visibility in search engines like Google. Whether it’s on-page SEO, off-site SEO or technical SEO, you need to be familiar with the latest practices to improve your website’s ranking.

    Today, SEO is not just an option — it’s a necessity that can help your business to:

    • Improve online visibility: SEO helps your website rank high on search engines, ensuring more potential customers see it.

    • Drive organic traffic: SEO brings visitors to your website, attracting customers who are genuinely interested in your content, products or services.

    • Boost user experience: SEO involves creating high-quality content, improving page loading speed, making your website mobile-friendly and taking advantage of other practices that can offer your website visitors an overall better experience.

    • Establish authority: SEO can make your website seem more authoritative. That’s because users tend to trust search engines to present them with the best possible content.

    3 SEO techniques that work in 2023

    As search engine algorithms continue to evolve, it’s important to stick to strategies that yield the best results. Here’s what you can do to rank better in 2023:

    1. Focus on content velocity:

    Content velocity is a strategy that emphasizes the importance of publishing a significant amount of content as quickly as possible. The idea behind this is that your content can’t rank if it doesn’t exist.

    Simply put, the more content you create, the more opportunities you have to rank for relevant keywords. This may sound like a basic principle, but most websites out there don’t adhere to it.

    Content velocity is important because the faster you publish content relevant to your niche, the faster Google will recognize your website as an authority.

    Although content velocity is vital for ranking high, you shouldn’t sacrifice quality for quantity. This means that every piece of content you create should provide value to your readers and align with user intent. Striking this delicate balance between quantity and quality can be challenging, but it’s definitely rewarding.

    When I start working with a client, I recommend creating a minimum of 20,000 to 30,000 words of new content monthly. By publishing content faster and incorporating relevant keywords, you can reach topical authority more quickly. Although Google doesn’t have a specific authority metric, a website with a small number of pages can rarely be considered an authority.

    That’s why content velocity is a great strategy to climb search engine rankings faster.

    Related: 5 Ways to Optimize Your Content for Better Google Rankings

    2. Do value-backed guest posting:

    Guest posting has been one of the most common ways to build backlinks over the years. However, reaching out to a website and pitching a guest post will most likely get an instant rejection.

    That’s because authoritative websites get hundreds of such requests, and when they do approve them, they usually receive content that adds no value to the reader. Nobody is interested in a 500-word uninspiring blog post that does little more than clutter the web with the same old information. Worse yet, these days, a lot of guest posters simply deliver AI-generated content that has zero originality.

    A more effective alternative is to offer a value-backed guest post that can benefit their website. For example, offering a 2,000-word article that is optimized around a keyword relevant to their business is a much better deal. That way, you actually deliver some value to the website owner. They get a long-form article that they would otherwise have to pay for, and you get a backlink in return. Win-win.

    3. Improve your writing processes with AI:

    AI is not good enough to replace human writers. However, it can help content writers significantly improve the writing process by increasing efficiency and productivity.

    To give you an example, AI tools like ChatGPT are great for quickly creating attention-grabbing headlines or intro sections following proven formulas. For example, instead of spending an hour coming up with an angle for an introduction following the AIDA (attention, interest, desire, action) formula, you can generate it in seconds with ChatGPT with a simple command like: “Create an introduction section for an article titled [Title]. Follow the AIDA copywriting formula.”

    You can also use AI to generate content outlines, come up with new keywords and personalize content to add a unique touch to your articles. For example, you can ask ChatGPT to create a pun, make a comparison or provide an example to emphasize a point, making your content more engaging and relatable.

    Related: 5 Essential SEO Strategies For Entrepreneurs to Boost Their Traffic

    SEO helps businesses improve online visibility, increase authority, boost organic traffic and enhance user experience. However, it’s important to say goodbye to outdated SEO strategies and embrace proven SEO techniques that help you rank in 2023.

    Focusing on content velocity, doing value-backed guest posting and improving your writing processes with AI are the things that can be the biggest game changers for your SEO strategy.

    Try them, and watch your SEO rankings improve.

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    Nick Zviadadze

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  • A Step-by-Step Guide to Local Keyword Research | Entrepreneur

    A Step-by-Step Guide to Local Keyword Research | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Keyword research is a major step in any well-planned SEO strategy. This is due to the significance of keywords in things like content optimization and improving ranks on search engine results pages. Usually, keyword research is conducted as the first step to lay the foundation of the whole SEO strategy.

    Additionally, they are conducted globally, as the main aim of any website is to appear on results pages for people from all around the world and achieve global success. Little did they know that they needed to start locally to succeed globally. But how, you may ask? Easy — local keyword research!

    Related: Local SEO Has a Surprising Impact on Your Business. Here’s How to Use It

    What is local keyword research?

    You know how sometimes when you type something into a search engine and then your location, it returns websites that are exactly what you are looking for? Well, I used to think this was magic back in the day. It turns out it is not; it is just a very good local keyword research process. Local keyword research is the process of finding and identifying keywords used by users in your local area.

    What should you look for in a keyword?

    Before using any keyword, there are some characteristics that you need to carefully look for. These characteristics are volume, relevance and difficulty. So, let us look into each one.

    Volume:

    The first thing is the volume. The volume of a keyword is the number of searches that have been conducted in search engines for these specific keywords. This volume will be global, with many tools breaking down the global volume to the top countries using it. This is rather beneficial, as it can show you whether or not this keyword is used heavily in your country.

    Relevancy:

    The second thing you need to keep an eye on is relevancy. This includes analyzing search intent and seeing which keywords match your content or query. This will help you target keywords that relate to your industry and niche and avoid wasting your efforts on irrelevant keywords.

    Difficulty:

    Difficulty is a major element that you need to keep a good eye on. Keyword difficulty is the extent to which a keyword would be hard to rank on result pages using it. Difficulty usually happens due to a large number of websites using this keyword or the authority of the websites using it, making it hard for others to do the same. Difficulty ranges from 1 to 100, so it is better to choose keywords with low keyword difficulty so it is easier to rank quickly and effectively.

    Related: 5 Common Research Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

    Benefits of conducting local keyword research

    Competitive advantage:

    With the mistaken belief that local keywords are less competitive than global ones, many businesses ignore local SEO. You can gain an edge over rivals who aren’t investing as much time and energy into local SEO by conducting local keyword research and optimizing your website for targeted local keywords.

    Enhanced user experience:

    Including helpful details like your store’s address, hours of operation, phone number and contact information is a crucial part of local SEO. Streamlining the process by which users can locate certain pieces of content improves the overall quality of the site’s usefulness.

    Higher conversion rates:

    Doing some localized keyword research might help you focus on search terms that have a significant commercial purpose. People who are actively looking for a product or service in their area are more likely to buy it, increasing your conversion rate and improving your return on investment.

    Build local authority:

    Building local credibility for your business can be accomplished through the consistent use of local keywords in content and the optimization of a website for local search results. When search engines see that your content is relevant to a specific geographic region, they may give you a higher page rank and earn the trust of those users.

    A step-by-step guide to conducting local keyword research

    1. List your services and products and the potential keywords

    The first step is listing the products and services that your business offers. For instance, if you own a barber shop, you will list down some things like hair coloring, hair straightening, haircuts and so on. You would need to think about all the possible outcomes. Based on all of these, you would be able to list potential keywords that customers might use as well. For instance, if you are based in Colorado, there is a chance that potential customers will search for “affordable haircuts in Colorado.” Try to be as creative as possible and think of all the variations that customers could think of.

    2. Find your target keywords using a keyword research tool

    After coming up with all the potential keywords that customers might use, it is time to validate them. In this step, you will use the powerful capabilities of any local keyword research tool to find which keywords match the ones on your list so that you can start using them.

    3. Time for a competitor analysis

    Think you are done with the local keyword research tool? Well, think again. One of the most important steps of keyword research in general, not only locally, is getting a glimpse of your competitors and seeing what they are doing and what keywords they are using. This will help you get a better understanding of the keywords used in this industry or market and find a way to be ahead of the competition.

    Related: 14 Easy Ways to Rank Your Website Higher on Google

    Best local keyword research tools

    There are many local keyword research tools that you can find on the market. Therefore, let us suggest a few that you might like.

    The first one is Ahrefs. Ahrefs is considered one of the first SEO tools on the market, which gives it an authoritative position among all tools. The local keyword research tool on Ahrefs is one of the best among thousands of tools. It allows you to analyze each keyword both globally and locally to get a complete picture of it.

    In addition to being completely free, Google Keyword Planner is also a very trusted local keyword research tool that you can use. Google Keyword Planner will provide you with accurate insights about any keyword. Additionally, it has a filtering option where you can filter keywords by location to find trending keywords in your local area. I mean, it’s Google; what’d you expect?

    In summary, local keyword research is crucial for optimizing SEO. By focusing on local keywords, businesses can achieve improved visibility and relevancy in their area. The benefits of this localized approach include a competitive edge, increased map visibility, better user experience, higher conversion rates and local authority building.

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    Omar El Bahr

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  • How to Optimize On-Page SEO, Off-Page SEO and Technical SEO | Entrepreneur

    How to Optimize On-Page SEO, Off-Page SEO and Technical SEO | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    On-page SEO, off-page SEO, and technical SEO are three of the many terms found in the never-ending and extensive world of SEO. However, they are each extremely important. Very similar, yet so different is one way to describe on-page SEO, off-page SEO and technical SEO. These terms are SEO specialists’ first and foremost priorities, as they either improve your businesses and make them stand out if they are probably optimized or don’t help your business at all if they are not.

    This article will explore these terms, how to optimize each properly, and the key differences.

    Related: The 4 Pillars of SEO You Need to Know

    What is on-page SEO?

    On-page SEO is the process of optimizing your website’s pages to be able to increase your domain authority and rank on all search engine result pages (SERP). Well, isn’t that what SEO means in general? Well, you are somewhat correct; it is. However, on-page SEO is more concerned with what takes place internally on the website.

    Still confused? Let me break it down for you. On-page SEO includes everything that you do on your website; it has nothing to do with any efforts you exert outside. For instance, the content you write in hopes of ranking is on-page SEO. Images, videos, headlines, articles, keywords and so on are all examples of on-page SEO.

    Best practices for on-page SEO

    The practices to optimize on-page SEO are way more extensive than you may think. There are many varied methods and techniques that could improve technical on-page SEO effectively and efficiently. So, here are the most common and best practices you could consider:

    Use high-quality images:

    Images are a big deal when it comes to the user experience. Usually, users are more attracted to websites that include more images and media. In order to ensure proper and effective on-page SEO, make sure to optimize all the images on your website. This includes using high-quality images and a suitable image file format. Also, remember to compress the images to avoid messing with the site’s health and speed.

    Optimize meta descriptions:

    Meta descriptions are texts that appear below your article’s or web page’s main title on SERP pages to give a brief description of the content. Optimizing meta descriptions is very important for optimizing both content and on-page SEO. So, how can you optimize them? First, keep them simple. Meta descriptions are usually very brief; they can’t go over 160 characters. So, make sure to be brief but also inclusive. Your meta descriptions should also be unique so that they can attract users from search engine results pages. Most of the time, users disregard meta descriptions as they can be repetitive or misleading. Thus, make sure to write something new, engaging and precise.

    What is off-page SEO?

    Off-page SEO is the process of optimizing the SEO of a website or webpage. Yes, isn’t this the exact same purpose as on-page SEO and SEO in general? Well, again, you are 100% correct. On-page SEO and off-page SEO have the same essence and serve the same purpose. However, the way they both accomplish this is totally different.

    As we previously stated, on-page SEO techniques take place inside the website. On the other hand, off-page SEO techniques and efforts are executed outside. However, all the impacts reflect directly on the website and contribute significantly to improving the ranking on all SERPs.

    Related: 3 Ways to Make Your Content Rank Higher on Google

    Best practices for off-page SEO

    Implement link-building strategies:

    Link building is one of the most effective techniques when it comes to optimizing off-page SEO. It is the process of getting other websites to refer to your website — either to an article, a certain page or the main website. The process of link building generates what are called backlinks, which are great factors for most search engines. Backlinks are usually acquired organically or through link exchange platforms. If you aim for perfect and extremely effective backlinks, you should definitely consider good and suitable link-building strategies.

    Consider guest posting with reliable websites:

    Guest posting is yet another powerful off-page SEO practice that you should implement. Guest posting is the process of publishing articles on another website in the same field. Guest posting and link building are interconnected, as the article you write for another website will link to your website, which means a new backlink. This can help you gain recognition and attract new potential users and customers. However, with guest posting, you should be sure of the website you are writing for and know whether it is reliable or not to avoid gaining toxic backlinks.

    What is technical SEO?

    Technical SEO refers to the process of improving a website’s search engine visibility and performance from a technical point of view. While on-page and off-page SEO concentrate on factors like content and external factors, respectively, technical SEO addresses the technical aspects of a website that influence its search engine rankings. Technical SEO has some key elements like site speed, indexing, website structure and many more that need to be optimized and updated regularly to ensure that it’s effective.

    Related: How to Create an Effective SEO Strategy — A 2023 Guide

    Best practices for technical SEO

    Technical aspects can be a big deal. However, there are also solutions and effective methods for everything. So, let us explore the best practices you can use to improve your website’s technical SEO.

    Optimize your website’s loading speed:

    The loading speed of your website is one of the most significant technical SEO factors. A slow-loading website can negatively affect the user experience and increase abandonment rates. To optimize the loading performance of your website, you should reduce the size of your images and employ effective caching techniques to reduce response time. Consider using a content delivery network (CDN) to distribute your website’s content across multiple servers, thereby decreasing response times for users worldwide. By optimizing the loading speed of your website, you can increase user satisfaction and enhance your site’s ranking in search engine results.

    Use HTTPS for a secure website:

    Implementing HTTPS, or Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure, is not only crucial for website security but can also have a positive effect on your website’s ranking. Google has stated that HTTPS is a ranking factor, which means that websites with HTTPS are likely to rank higher in search engine results. HTTPS protects the data exchanged between a user’s browser and your website, ensuring the confidentiality of sensitive information. You must obtain an SSL certificate and configure your website to use HTTPS in order to implement HTTPS. This minor modification can have a significant effect on your website’s ranking and overall security.

    In summary, on-page SEO optimizes content and elements within the website, improving relevance and user experience. Off-page SEO enhances the website’s authority through link-building and guest posting on external platforms. Technical SEO focuses on improving technical aspects like site speed and security for better indexing and user engagement. Be sure to follow the best practices for each one so that you can increase your website’s visibility and search engine rankings.

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    Omar El Bahr

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  • How to Create an Effective SEO Strategy in 2023 | Entrepreneur

    How to Create an Effective SEO Strategy in 2023 | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    In the context of search engine optimization (SEO), a content strategy refers to the whole process of organizing a website’s material by topic in order to maximize the likelihood of the website showing up in search results. It is the procedure that must be carried out in order to make the most of the chance to acquire organic traffic from search engines.

    That is why this guide is for you if you’re looking for ways to rank higher and dive deeper into the SEO sea.

    Related: 6 SEO Tips to Benefit Any Business

    What is an SEO strategy, and how beneficial could it be?

    The use of a technique known as search engine optimization (SEO), which entails the planning and carrying out of actions aimed at achieving that goal, can improve an organic search engine’s ranking. To put it another way, an SEO strategy is the plan of action that you carry out in order to increase the amount of organic traffic that you receive.

    As we mentioned above, an SEO strategy is a set of techniques and tactics aimed at improving a website’s visibility and ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs). Here are some benefits of implementing an SEO strategy:

    • Increased website traffic: One of the primary benefits of an SEO strategy is that it can help increase the amount of organic traffic to a website. By optimizing a website’s content and structure for search engines, it becomes more likely to appear higher up on SERPs, which can lead to more clicks and visits.

    • Better brand credibility and authority: When a website appears higher up on SERPs, it can give the impression of being a more authoritative and credible source of information. This can help build trust with potential customers and lead to increased brand recognition and awareness.

    • Cost-effective marketing: Compared to other forms of digital marketing, such as paid search or social media advertising, SEO can be a relatively cost-effective way to attract and convert website visitors. While there may be some upfront costs associated with SEO, such as hiring an SEO specialist or investing in SEO tools, the ongoing cost of maintaining and improving an SEO strategy is typically lower than other forms of marketing.

    • Long-term benefits: While SEO is not a quick fix and can take some time to show results, the benefits of a well-executed SEO strategy can be long-lasting. By consistently optimizing a website’s content and structure for search engines, it can continue to rank well on SERPs and attract organic traffic for months or even years to come.

    How to create an effective SEO strategy

    There are certain steps that will allow you to build or plan an effective SEO strategy for your business. If you execute these steps in the right way, you will have the best strategy for your business. Read below for a quick overview of how to create the best and most effective SEO strategy:

    Conduct thorough keyword research

    Keyword research is a fundamental step in any SEO strategy. It entails figuring out the terms and phrases that members of your target market use to look up information about your company or sector. By understanding the keywords that are relevant to your content, you can optimize your website and create targeted content that will attract organic traffic. There are various tools available, such as Google Keyword Planner and SEMrush, that can help you conduct thorough keyword research and identify high-volume, low-competition keywords to target. Remember to consider long-tail keywords, which are more specific and have less competition but can still drive valuable traffic to your website.

    Related: 5 Essential SEO Strategies For Entrepreneurs to Boost Their Traffic

    Optimize your website for mobile devices

    Websites must be mobile-friendly in today’s digital world. More people are using smartphones and tablets to access the internet quickly, which is very useful and time-saving. Mobile-friendly websites get more traffic. Start by making your website responsive for your target audience. Your website will automatically adapt its layout and content to multiple screen sizes and resolutions. Your website will work nicely on any device with a responsive design.

    Consider mobile website loading speeds. Mobile consumers are impatient when loading websites. Optimize pictures, and decrease HTTP requests for faster loading. A content delivery network (CDN) can reduce latency and load times by delivering your website’s content from servers near your users. Mobile optimization includes making your website’s navigation easy on smaller screens. Make sure your menus and links are finger-friendly. Want a pro tip? Avoid mobile-unfriendly pop-ups and interstitials. These two can be any user’s nightmare.

    Remember mobile SEO’s importance. Consider meta tags, headers and content for mobile searches. Additionally, consider mobile users’ potential search terms. Optimizing your website for mobile devices improves the user experience, mobile search results and mobile traffic. This increases engagement, conversions and digital marketing success.

    Build high-quality backlinks: This is where it gets tricky yet very effective

    Bear with me, will you? Backlinks are of great importance when it comes to fishing for the perfect SEO strategy in that vast sea.

    Backlinks are links from other websites that point to your website, and they are a major factor in determining your website’s authority and credibility in the eyes of search engines.

    To build high-quality backlinks, start by creating valuable and engaging content that other websites will want to link to. This could be in the form of blog posts, articles, infographics, videos or any other type of content that provides value to your target audience. When other websites find your content useful and relevant, they are more likely to link to it.

    Guest blogging is another method for increasing backlinks. Reach out to relevant industry websites, and propose a guest article. In your guest post, be sure to include a link back to your own site. This not only helps to build backlinks, but it also allows you to showcase your expertise and reach a new audience.

    You can also build backlinks by reaching out to influencers and industry experts in your niche. Ask them to share your content or collaborate on a piece of content together. When these influencers and experts share your content with their audience, it can lead to valuable backlinks and increased visibility for your website.

    Using the tips in this guide, you’ll see increased organic traffic and enhanced brand visibility — and you’ll also be able to provide a better user experience. To sum it up, by performing comprehensive keyword research, optimizing website structure, producing high-quality content, ensuring mobile optimization and building quality backlinks, you can create a highly effective SEO strategy in 2023.

    Related: 5 Simple SEO Strategies to Improve Your Rankings



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    Omar El Bahr
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  • YouTube vs. Facebook Ads: Which Is Better? Here’s Your Answer | Entrepreneur

    YouTube vs. Facebook Ads: Which Is Better? Here’s Your Answer | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    You can get a much better return on YouTube ads compared to what you can get through Facebook ads in today’s environment. While both of these platforms can still get you a positive return, the return you get on YouTube ads is much bigger overall.

    Both platforms still give advertisers the same fundamental returns as always by offering insights into who is interested in buying products and services in your market in real time. In my experience, YouTube has gotten significantly better at offering these opportunities for their advertisers, while Facebook has gotten much worse during the same three-year period.

    Here are five reasons that YouTube’s ads now greatly excel in offering these buyer opportunities to your business so that you can increase the overall return from your ad budget in 2023.

    Related: Why YouTube Ads Should Be in Your Advertising Budget

    Reason 1: Facebook’s data is not as good as it used to be and certainly not as good as Google’s (who owns YouTube now)

    Facebook’s great marketing results of the past were largely built on customer data that they previously collected/purchased from Apple users, which tracked what they typed into their devices in real time. Unless you are in a niche where it’s plausible to target users without having this preexisting knowledge about your users, your returns will not be as good as they were back in 2020 and earlier.

    To that end, YouTube ads now give you a better opportunity to get in front of prospects who are looking to buy what you sell in real time.

    Users who have recently made “purchase” related searches on Google in the recent past (for example, searching: “Amish furniture stores”) can now be targeted on YouTube using video ads. There is a very high probability that these users would buy from you if you were to get in front of them while on Google’s YouTube.

    YouTube also gives you the ability to get in front of lists of people who have made specific searches on YouTube before as well (for example, searching: “Best toolboxes to buy under $3,000”). This gives you even more opportunities to advertise to people who are likely to buy from you in real time using YouTube’s platform.

    Reason 2: You can’t target customers who are researching your competitors on Facebook anymore

    It used to be that you could target most of your competitors’ fans or prospects while on Facebook, but not since the privacy policy changes in 2021. On the flip side, YouTube directly provides a way to get in front of your competitors’ prospects while on YouTube who:

    1. Have recently watched one of your competitors’ YouTube channels (signaling future purchase probability), and
    2. Are currently watching a video about your competitors anywhere on YouTube (by having an ad appear during the video in question).

    Both of these methods can be very profitable for your business.

    While your competitors have paid big money to collect an audience in your niche, you can easily swoop in and steal these prospects by making a more compelling pitch during or after one of their videos. No fluff: This is the most profitable way for you to make money in online advertising today.

    While Facebook allows you to target competitor audiences, this generally only works for competitors with more than $100 million in yearly revenue.

    Reason 3: You can’t target people who are actively seeking to solve problems on Facebook like you can on YouTube

    YouTube has the second biggest search engine aside from Google itself. People visit daily to search for recommendations on whom to buy from in your niche. The question is if they will buy from you or somebody else who shows up for all your keywords in your space (for example, searching: “Who has the lowest interest rates on VA loans in 2023?”). Finding customers on YouTube is similar to Google search, but cheaper because YouTube advertising is less competitive, with fewer companies investing in producing videos that run ads there.

    Meta still does have some digital equivalent of knowing who’s in the market for products/services in your niche as they collect data on what their logged-in users do after leaving Facebook. However, it’s nothing like Google’s level of data, where they have all their users’ previous Google and YouTube search histories. According to Kinsta, Google Chrome also holds 77% of the web browser market users in 2023, adding to your advantage of using YouTube ads.

    Reason 4: YouTube’s lead/purchase tracking is now much better than Facebook’s

    Facebook scaled back how many days they let you track users after clicking on one of your ads with changes to their attribution settings in January 2021. You can only track a user after clicking on one of your ads in Facebook for up to seven days, whereas it used to be up to 30 days.

    On the other hand, YouTube allows you to track users for up to 90 days after the user clicks on an ad and up to 30 days after just seeing your ad. More than 50% of people do not make a purchase in your market upon first making it to your site.

    Based on the Pareto Principle, you must find the 20% of your advertising that generates 80% of your results if you expect a good return from online advertising, and YouTube’s extra bit of tracking data makes the difference.

    Reason 5: For niche businesses, YouTube scales much more than Facebook

    It is hard to build a campaign that scales on Facebook nowadays for niche businesses. Whereas Facebook’s ad platform had been previously great at finding customers for niche businesses using their customer lookalikes matching algorithm, the results with this feature now are far less effective.

    For example, our company generated great results through Facebook ads for the Nolah Mattress company using their customer matching algorithm in 2017, however, when using the same exact algorithm to advertise a different mattress company The Spinery in 2023, the results were not nearly as effective.

    Knowing the exact 1,000 people that are considering a purchase in your space at any given time is far more important than the ability to get in front of random users on Facebook.

    Summary

    YouTube gives you the perfect opportunity to get in front of savvy consumers to steer them in your direction while they research before making a purchase. Experienced marketers know this, which is why Wyzowl’s 2021 video marketing survey showed a clear increase in the number of people creating YouTube ads. Therefore, in 2023, YouTube is considered a must-have tool to scale up any niche business.

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    Corey Zieman

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  • 5 SEO Tips for Lawyers | Entrepreneur

    5 SEO Tips for Lawyers | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    The legal space can be ultra-competitive. It would help if you had an innovative and unified marketing effort to build organic, consistent traffic that can convert to quality leads. One of the most tried and true ways to find those quality leads that every firm needs is through optimizing your site’s search engine optimization (SEO).

    SEO should be thought of as a long-term investment in your business. It may take time to move the needle, but if done right, it can provide a lasting pipeline of high-quality leads and help build brand recognition in your community. But the question is, how do you go about doing this?

    Related: How AI is Changing Marketing in the Legal Industry

    1. Start with the basics

    When beginning a thorough SEO review, you’ll want to start by auditing existing content.
    Your content strategy will primarily be based on specific keywords you aim to rank for. Understanding how your content is written and optimized for specific key terms is crucial in improving your digital footprint.

    You must start your content analysis by focusing on your priority key terms by conducting market research. Google is a fantastic resource in helping with this.

    Google’s Trends tool is a fantastic way to check search data for key terms you may be interested in while showing you historical and demographic data about the term. For example, if you are a personal injury firm, it may be critical to know the trends in search data between car accidents and car crashes. Although similar, your local clientele will likely favor one term over another. To capture your local audience, you need to think like them, not necessarily as a lawyer.

    In addition to this, are adjacent vital terms to your focused term. If a potential client is doing searches for a car accident lawyer, they’ll also likely include terms like “near me” or will consist of the local city name before or following the focused key term. Identifying these relevant key terms is essential in creating your digital marketing plan.

    Optimizing your site for specific local terms will help rank on page one. Aim to use these keywords throughout your title, subheadings and content. Be very careful, though not negatively impacting your content.

    Overusing specific keywords may have a negative effect, known as “keyword stuffing.” When drafting content, be careful to avoid this easy problem to fall into. Generally, aim for your keyword to account for 1-2% of the content.

    Local service pages are a strong example of how to avoid keyword stuffing. Attorneys will want to feature the name of the city and likely a mix of keywords specific to their branch of law. Many law firms do this successfully and can feature a range of content on the page.

    2. Look at your competitors

    For every key term, a competitor in your space currently ranks number 1 on Google. If you still need to conduct a competitive analysis, this should be done with your content audit.

    If your competitor is already ranking for a key term you want, it’s likely because they’re doing something right. Learning from them is an excellent step in competing in the space you’re aiming for.

    If you are being outranked consistently by another firm, you’ll need to know why in your effort to draft content and edit your webpage.

    Using tools like Ahrefs or SEMRush can be highly beneficial in your competitive analysis, helping you to decipher what content or backlinks are an asset to your current SEO strategy and what needs to be retooled.

    3. Don’t ignore reviews, Google My Business and Apple Maps

    If you still need to activate your Google My Business (GMB) account and get verified on both GMB and Apple Maps, you should do so immediately. Getting your business listing is crucial in growing the authority needed with Google to rank on page one.

    You need more than just creating your profile; you’ll need to update it regularly with posts. Ensure all the information is consistent between your GMB listing and Apple Map profile. Your business’s name, phone number, address and description should match.

    In addition to your listings, you should encourage as many clients as possible to leave you a positive review. Your number of positive reviews for your business is connected to your ranking on Google and the local map rankings. The more, the better is the name of the game here.

    Related: Struggling in Local Search? Here’s What Your Local SEO Strategy Needs to Compete in 2022

    4. Target niche-relevant links

    As mentioned above, concerning your GMB listings or Apple Maps, your off-site SEO efforts are essential to establishing authority with Google. For lawyers, highly niche sites with high authority with Google are an excellent option for improving your chances of ranking on page one.

    FindLaw, Super Lawyers, and Avvo are just a few examples of highly authoritative websites. They display not only your information and act as a way to advertise your business but are potent backlinks for your site.

    Again, like with your GMB profile or Apple Maps listing, ensure your legal listing is consistent with all your other online profiles. Uniformity is key across your many platforms/listings to gain authority with Google or other search engines.

    5. Use Google’s available tools

    Expanding on the idea previously presented with Google Trends, the search engine giant offers a variety of invaluable developer/marketing tools to help you make informed decisions. This web application allows users to check page health statistics across mobile and desktop. It also will show you suggestions for improving your site’s health.

    This data is precious in your efforts to optimize your website. A better user experience on your site will likely lead to a higher conversion rate. Google offers extensive guides and classes on understanding the more technical aspects of what goes into web design and maintaining a healthy website.

    With these efforts, digital marketers can help drive your firm into an aggressive SEO strategy. Innovative firms will continue to challenge themselves with new campaigns to continue backlink growth and publish fresh content regularly.

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    Hank Stout

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  • Why SEO Is Critical for Small Businesses | Entrepreneur

    Why SEO Is Critical for Small Businesses | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Search engine optimization (SEO) helps increase website traffic by improving search engine ranking. If you’ve wondered whether your small business really needs to focus on SEO, you aren’t alone.

    Over 50% of small businesses don’t have an SEO strategy, and 22% have no plans to create or implement one in the coming year. Considering that SEO can help businesses establish authority within an industry and build brand awareness, neglecting to explore the world of SEO can severely limit growth.

    Further, it’s a great way to organically promote a business for free. Organizations of all sizes can benefit from SEO, whether it is an online shop or a brick-and-mortar business.

    Related: 5 Essential SEO Strategies For Entrepreneurs

    Benefits of SEO for small businesses

    As stated, good SEO practice for small businesses is a must. Here are just a few reasons why:

    • Cost-effective: When compared to paid advertising, SEO is a cost-effective strategy for small businesses. You may choose to invest in paid software to help you measure your results, but the benefits will far outweigh the costs.

    • Improves the user experience: By focusing on SEO, you’ll improve the user experience for your website visitors. This will improve engagement and likely result in higher conversion rates.

    • Competitive advantage: By investing in SEO, you’ll gain a competitive advantage over other businesses in your industry. For instance, let’s say you run a service-based business and target local customers. Focusing on SEO means your business will show up higher in search results when customers look for local businesses in the same category.

    • Long-term results: SEO is a long-term strategy that will continue to benefit your business for years to come. Paid ads stop generating traffic once you stop paying, but SEO will continue to deliver results over time.

    How to develop an SEO strategy

    Without a proper strategy, it will be impossible to capitalize on SEO. Here are four strategies small businesses can use to create a strong SEO strategy that will carry a business into the future and pay dividends in the long term.

    1. Keyword research:

    Google’s algorithm is always changing, but one SEO strategy that has remained fairly consistent over the years is keyword research. When you do keyword research, look for words and phrases that your target audience will be searching for on Google.

    As your business begins to rank for those keywords, you’ll start to get more traffic to the company website. When you’re just getting started, it’s a good idea to look for high-volume, low-competition keywords.

    That means a lot of people are searching for that keyword, but it’s still pretty easy to rank highly for it. The easiest way to find this information is by using a keyword planner. This software can be expensive, but you can find free tools to use.

    Related: 7 Ways Small Businesses Can Use SEO to Boost Customer Service

    2. Optimize your website:

    Once you know what keywords you’re trying to rank for, you’re going to strategically place them throughout your website. For example, you can use certain keywords in the alt tags of images, the titles of your posts and page descriptions.

    Simply adding keywords to your website won’t be enough on its own — you also need to consider how well the website functions overall. For example, your page speed is a significant ranking factor because a fast-loading website improves the user experience.

    Since most people use phones to access the internet, you also need to make sure your website is mobile-optimized. If not, you’ll probably have a high bounce rate since the website won’t format correctly on mobile devices.

    3. Get backlinks from high-authority websites:

    Google gives more weight to credible sources, so another SEO strategy is to get backlinks from high-authority sites. One way to obtain backlinks is by becoming an expert source for journalists and bloggers.

    If you join a free site called Help a Reporter Out (HARO), you’ll see requests from journalists looking for sources to use in articles they’re writing. You can monitor these requests daily and send pitches when you have something valuable to contribute.

    This strategy isn’t easy, and it’s important to always send high-value pitches. Still, if you stick with it, you’ll start to receive backlinks and build your domain authority over time.

    4. Regularly create new content:

    Consistently creating new content is another way to improve SEO ranking since Google rewards sites that create high-quality content. However, you need to publish new content on a regular basis, not just every once in a while.

    The easiest way to do this is by coming up with a content calendar and publishing schedule. Brainstorm 12-15 potential blog posts you could write, and figure out how often you can realistically write new articles. You can also start incorporating relevant keywords into your blog posts.

    If you’re wondering whether SEO matters for small businesses, the answer is a resounding yes. As a small business owner, SEO can help you increase your online visibility, build credibility and attract the right audience to your website.

    It’s a cost-effective marketing solution that delivers long-term results. You won’t see results immediately, but with time and effort, you’ll continue to improve your Google ranking.

    Related: A Basic Guide to SEO and Its Impact on Online Businesses

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    Joseph Camberato

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  • How AI is Transforming SEO for Small Businesses | Entrepreneur

    How AI is Transforming SEO for Small Businesses | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Once upon a time, the SEO game was all about keywords and backlinks. The more you had of each, the higher your site would climb on the search engine results page. But boy, how the times have changed! Today, we’re standing on the brink of an AI revolution that’s flipping the script on SEO as we know it.

    Indeed, AI is whipping up a storm of transformations in the SEO world, and small businesses are finding themselves right at the heart of this tempest. In the fast-paced, ever-evolving realm of SEO, the old adage seems to be spot on: the only constant in life truly is change.

    These changes are not just cosmetic touch-ups or minor tweaks; they fundamentally alter how we approach SEO. It’s as if we’re explorers navigating uncharted territory in the vast landscape of digital marketing. And the compass guiding our way? Artificial Intelligence.

    AI is not merely a tool in this journey; it’s the vehicle driving us forward. It’s reshaping the roadways of SEO, constructing new bridges over the gulfs of user intent, and tearing down the old walls of keyword stuffing and link-spamming.

    And who’s in the driving seat of this transformation? Small businesses. Yes, it’s the small businesses, the underdogs of the corporate world, that are seizing the opportunities offered by AI, revolutionizing their approach to SEO, and taking their digital presence to new heights.

    Related: Why Combining Public Relations and SEO Will Propel Your Business in Today’s Digital Landscape

    Understanding AI in SEO

    Artificial intelligence is no longer the stuff of science fiction. It’s here, it’s now, and it’s making a big splash in the SEO pool. AI algorithms, like Google’s RankBrain, are changing the rules of the game, making it more about user intent and less about keyword stuffing.

    The shift from keywords to user intent — Long gone are the days of mindlessly stuffing your web content with keywords. Today’s AI-driven search engines focus more on understanding the user’s intent. They’re smart enough to read between the lines, understand the context and deliver results that best match the user’s needs.

    Personalization and predictive analysis — AI is taking personalization to a whole new level in SEO. By analyzing user behavior, AI can predict what a user is likely to search for next and serve them customized results. This level of personalization is a game-changer for small businesses looking to connect with their target audience.

    Machine learning and SEO — Machine Learning, a subset of AI, plays a pivotal role in SEO. Let’s delve into this fascinating world and see how it’s shaking things up. Machine Learning algorithms can study and learn from user behavior. This understanding allows search engines to deliver results that are more relevant and satisfying to individual users.

    AI and local SEO

    Local SEO is an incredibly critical aspect for small businesses. It’s all about ensuring that people in your local area can find you easily when they’re searching for services or products you provide. And guess what? AI is stepping up to the plate and making a real difference in this arena too.

    With the advent of AI, the rulebook for local SEO has been rewritten. With its ability to analyze massive amounts of data and discern patterns, AI is taking local SEO from a general shotgun approach to a highly focused sniper’s precision.

    In the realm of local search results, AI is not just making a splash; it’s creating waves of change. By honing its understanding of user intent and deciphering contextual nuances with increasing finesse, AI is taking the accuracy of local search results to new heights. This means that small businesses, from the corner bakery to the neighborhood bike repair shop, are more likely to find themselves in the spotlight of potential customers in their immediate vicinity.

    The new scribe in content creation

    It’s time to think beyond the confines of search engines. AI is not just revolutionizing the way these digital librarians work; it’s also transforming the art and science of content creation.

    AI tools are now stepping into the shoes of content creators, wielding the chisel and hammer to craft content that’s primed for search engines. These technological marvels save businesses a wealth of time and resources, handling the heavy lifting of content generation.

    But AI isn’t just creating content from scratch. It’s also stepping into the editing room, helping businesses fine-tune their existing content based on SEO best practices. With AI’s insightful suggestions for improvement, businesses can significantly enhance their visibility on search engines, like a beacon shining brighter on the digital horizon.

    Related: What’s Holding Back the Robot Revolution? We Humans.

    Data privacy: The elephant in the room

    As AI algorithms evolve, becoming more intricate and intelligent, the whispers of data privacy concerns are growing louder. In this era of heightened awareness about data privacy, businesses, especially small ones, need to tread carefully. They must ensure they’re wielding the power of AI responsibly, complying with all the relevant privacy laws, and respecting the sanctity of user data.

    Like any powerful tool, AI comes with the risk of overdependence. While AI can be a valuable ally in the SEO battlefield, businesses must remember that it’s not the silver bullet for all their SEO needs. The human touch – creativity, intuition and emotional intelligence — still holds immense value.

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    Gajura Constantin

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  • How to Create a Winning B2B SEO Campaign | Entrepreneur

    How to Create a Winning B2B SEO Campaign | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Every business that operates online needs a comprehensive and effective SEO strategy to boost organic traffic and visibility. People generally think of SEO in terms of ranking high for popular keyword searches, but for business-to-business (B2B) companies, the strategy moves from a broad audience to a specific one.

    The consumer in a B2B exchange is the end user of a product or service, not a general consumer looking for a regular product. The marketing content with B2B needs to appeal to not one person, but a whole group of decision-makers, including managers, directors, C-suite executives and shareholders.

    Appealing to this group and selling effectively requires a nuanced understanding of how approval and buy-in happens across each decision-maker and channel. The sales cycle for B2B is typically longer, more involved and much deeper than a B2C campaign, so the SEO strategy has to adjust to that.

    What’s the difference? A general consumer tends to make decisions on their own and buy whatever they find that solves their problem. While some purchases may be higher involvement and may need buy-in from others, many consumer products and services require less research and fewer decision-makers than any B2B product or service.

    The campaign has to be adjusted to this understanding to get the payoff in the end. Here’s how to go about it.

    Related: The Secret to Super Successful SEO

    Why is B2B SEO unique?

    Knowing the differences between B2C and B2B SEO is just one part of the equation. Understanding how to manage these differences in planning and execution is key.

    B2B keyword strategies:

    B2B keyword strategies are very different from B2C keyword strategies. With B2B, you’re aiming to target not just the end user, but the collective decision-makers. The line-level employee who may mention the idea to management to improve the organization and processes is helpful, but they’re not the ones making the decision in the end.

    Ultimately, it will be an owner, founder, director or executive who’s searching for a solution that solves a pain point for the company, not someone looking to make work more streamlined at entry level. Their approach will be more precise and focused, which may include low-volume keywords and phrases.

    Understanding the industry language that these decision-makers will use will help you discover the best keywords for your SEO strategy. If they’re lower in search volume, that’s actually better for a B2B strategy. You’ll have less competition and create a place for your brand to stand out and capture attention.

    Bigger effort for conversions:

    Selling to a consumer is often simple and straightforward. A lot of purchases rely on impulsivity, so all you have to do is catch their attention at the right time. They’re scrolling, shopping and buying regularly, so being the one who comes up in their search or feed is not as challenging.

    And in return for that ease, most B2C companies may sell to one-time purchasers, but they make it up in high volumes.

    In contrast, B2B customers typically buy once or once every few years. The purchases are usually much bigger, both in cost and potential impact, so there’s a lot more for them to consider in saying “yes.” These relationships are meant to be long-term, so no one is jumping in impulsively.

    What does this mean for you? You will have to invest more work and research into the content and marketing channels to nurture and earn the trust of a B2B consumer. It’s essential that you communicate your EAT: Expertise, Authority and Trustworthiness.

    • Expertise: Expertise is your knowledge of the industry and product on a deep, practical and relatable level. You have to establish yourself as an expert and show that you can do it better, faster and more easily than others.

    • Authority: Authority is your credibility — your position as a respected source of information in the industry. You not only need to know what you’re talking about but how your products and services impact the industry in its entirety. It’s about knowing what you do and how it affects what your customers do in context.

    • Trustworthiness: A B2B customer has to believe that you can deliver what you say you will. They’re ending their long research process and sales meetings by choosing a brand and shelling out a lot of money for a business investment in hopes that it will pay off and solve their problems. They have to trust you for that to happen, and it’s up to you to make your company and your offerings seem as trustworthy and reliable as possible.

    Focus is shifted to B2B content:

    Authority and trust are paramount to closing the sale in a B2B market. Your website and off-page content should be designed to prove that you’re an authority in the niche and that your company, products and teams are trusted by others to deliver solutions no one else can.

    According to a Demand Gen Report survey of over 200 senior-level B2B marketers, 41% of respondents report consuming between three and five pieces of content before making a connection with a sales representative. That’s a lot of upfront effort for the lead payoff.

    Those same industry experts also said that 68% of them want to see B2B content organized by the pain point or problem it can solve, and they want in-depth, specific content like case studies.

    Leveraging case studies isn’t directly promotional, but they can make your company stand out. You’re showing off some of the process to make them feel at ease with your approach and how you performed with other business customers.

    You can also use customer testimonials, which go a long way toward showing potential customers how you run your business. Choose testimonials that demonstrate real results, such as a customer who had an X% increase in productivity after implementing your software solution.

    Content like this uses hard facts and real-world customers to give your prospects confidence, which is the key to getting them to reach out to a sales representative. Educate your target customers to help them see your value, and more importantly, offer value to them.

    B2B SEO numbers:

    A survey in 2019 with SEO professionals from across the globe revealed that the number one most important element of search engine results page rankings was on-page elements like meta titles and descriptions. The next priority is the depth and accuracy of the content in the results.

    Furthermore, a consumer insights article by Google indicated that:

    • 89% of B2B researchers find information online

    • The majority of decision-makers are C-suite executives, but almost a quarter of the decision-makers are not executives

    • 49% of B2B product research is conducted on a mobile device while at work

    Related: 5 Content-Marketing Tactics for B2B Ecommerce

    B2B SEO campaign strategies

    There are three basic elements to any SEO strategy, and here’s how they apply to B2B brands:

    1. On-page SEO:

    On-page SEO encompasses the actual words and phrases you use on the website and how they correlate with your target keywords. This includes your blog posts, articles, page content, FAQ page and other on-page content.

    Think of this as your first opportunity to leverage your creativity to include keywords in your website content. This not only helps when visitors browse your page, but it shows the search engine site crawlers what your website is and what you do, which impacts the ranking and relevance of your content in the search results pages.

    It’s not enough to just plug in keywords, however. You have to provide high-quality content and accurate information that has value for the customer, which keeps them reading and looking for more information.

    Here’s an outline to optimize your content for rankings:

    • Keyword research: Do your own research based on rankings and low competition. Determine what your B2B customers are searching for and how you can use those keywords to direct them to your website.

    • Competitor research: Look for search terms that aren’t sponsored, then plug them into your search engine. Check out the top few results for those search terms and see what makes them better or more unique, earning that high ranking. Let that guide your strategy.

    • Create better content: You saw what competitors have to offer, and you know what keywords are most important, so now it’s time to put it into action. Create content that’s better than your competitors — offer more value, use keyword variations, include engaging graphics, and refine until you get it right.

    2. Off-page SEO:

    Off-page SEO is where you boost your credibility and authority. Take advantage of your industry connections to build links, collaborate on groundbreaking content, establish thought leadership and promote your content.

    Backlinks tell the search engine algorithm that other authoritative sources find your content reliable and accurate. The AI bots are more likely to rank your content and website higher if you have approval from another website that they already view as credible.

    Your networking skills can also build strong relationships with other brands to enhance your authority. Consider it a mutually beneficial relationship that serves both of you, not a chance to boost your own company.

    Consider opportunities to guest post on each other’s sites, collaborate on research, start a podcast together, build an online community, or host a virtual summit. These are all powerful off-page SEO boosters.

    3. Technical SEO:

    Technical SEO may seem boring because it’s the code-driven, behind-the-scenes, introverted part of SEO — but it’s essential to your success. Think of technical SEO as facilitating the communication between your content and the search engines, giving the bots all the information they need to put your content in front of relevant searchers.

    Google and other search engines want to provide high-quality results to searchers with a seamless process. For that to apply to your site, you need to get it functioning beautifully and ensure that the content is as good as it can be.

    If you have site issues that impact the experience, such as slow page load times, broken links, excessive or obstructive pop-ups, or a non-mobile-friendly interface, you will lose some of your ranking. The best content in the world can’t make up for a poor website and vice versa.

    Here are a few precautions you can take:

    • Audit page load times: Long page load times make visitors click away. It should only take a few seconds for a page to fully load — otherwise, you’re losing a potential customer.

    • Optimize for mobile: Many B2B customers are searching for business solutions on their mobile devices. Make sure your site is not only fast but optimized to be easy to use on mobile phones and tablets.

    • Test navigation: Is it easy to move around your site and find what you need? If not, consider how you can fix it to make the experience seamless for your visitors.

    • Create a schema or site map: A schema is for the bots and helps them map out your page to learn what you do, what you have to offer and what relevance you have for searchers.

    • Check all links: Check every link on your site, both internal and external, to make sure everything is functioning as it should. If links are broken or changed, replace or remove them.

    This guide gives you everything you need to get started with B2B SEO campaigns. Get started to create a winning B2B campaign that gets you tons of valuable organic traffic.

    Related: Top B2B Marketing Strategies for SaaS Businesses

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    Jason Khoo

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  • Avoid These 5 Pitfalls In Your Digital Marketing | Entrepreneur

    Avoid These 5 Pitfalls In Your Digital Marketing | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Digital marketing is an excellent avenue for startups to increase their visibility and attract new audiences and customers. A third of customers discover new brands via social media – the younger, the higher the share. Data by Google shows that 49% of consumers use the search engine to look for new products.

    Consequently, it’s unsurprising that social networks and business websites are the two most important marketing channels in 2023 — with over 80% of marketers harnessing these avenues to reach potential customers. That’s closely followed by email marketing – unsurprisingly, given that, on average, email packs $36 of return on every $1 spent on it.

    The bottom line? Startups must have a solid digital marketing strategy to stay competitive.

    However, many new contenders make basic mistakes when drawing up their strategies. Here are the five worst pitfalls — and how to avoid them.

    Related: Why a Proper Digital Marketing Strategy Is a Financial Advisor’s Secret Weapon

    1. Not identifying target audiences and their pain points

    One of the most common mistakes startups make in their digital marketing strategies is to dive in without a clear idea of their target audience or what the pain points of this audience are. This is especially true for freshly launched startups, as it is tempting to cast the net wide to target as many potential customers as possible.

    However, digital marketing strategies are more successful when they have a clearer focus and a narrow audience. One of the best ways to outline this audience is by creating customer personas and a custom-tailored strategy to address each.

    2. Neglecting the basics: websites, blogs, and SEO

    In 2023, digital marketing offers many avenues for startups to engage their audience — with an increasingly heavy focus on social media.

    As a result, many startups focus exclusively on social channels at the expense of less flashy but equally important components of digital marketing: their business website, blog content and SEO. Many startups’ websites are light on information and heavy on the design. They’re anything but the SEO-optimized, content-rich powerhouses they need to be to rank in Google and boost visibility.

    Blogs, especially, tend to be sidelined. Faced with flashy trends such as influencer marketing, article writing might seem outdated in 2023. However, blogs are still a cornerstone of content marketing and have large potential in terms of search engine optimization.

    Related: No Money, No Problem: 17 Free Ways to Boost Your Website’s SEO

    3. Leaving automation and personalization potential untapped

    Another common mistake many startups make in drawing up their digital marketing strategy is neglecting automation and personalization. Modern marketing platforms offer a huge potential here. Nowadays, technology enables marketers to adjust content and messaging strategy to every customer’s preferences. Research by McKinsey shows that 71% of customers now expect to receive personalized messages from companies.

    Automation tools can help marketers streamline their workflows and reach results more efficiently. However, to derive the maximum benefit from these options, they must be planned initially; otherwise, data is siloed. By integrating personalization and automation into their digital marketing strategy from day one, startups can build a comprehensive data basis.

    Related: How to Use Automation (and Avoid the Pitfalls) as an Entrepreneur

    4. Ignoring social proof

    Why should customers trust a startup? By definition, these businesses are brand new and so have no reliable track record of being judged. That’s why startups must integrate social proof into their digital marketing strategy from the start.

    When purchasing an unfamiliar brand online, 95% of people read customer reviews before. This is why showing testimonials, ratings and links to review sites like Trustpilot on business websites can significantly boost conversions.

    Another way to go is to harness the growing creator economy by working with influencers who can access an audience that trusts them.

    A Statista’s Research Department survey showed that 45% of consumers between 18 and 34 had tried products recommended by micro-influencers. 27% even said they’d made purchases directly after seeing a post.

    Related: Need to Establish Trust With Your Audience? Leverage Social Proof.

    5. Failing to review and improve their digital marketing strategy

    A final mistake all too many startups make in their digital marketing strategies is to draw them up once and leave it at that. Instead, every digital marketing strategy should include provisions for making revisions and improvements. Regularly.

    No matter how thorough a startup’s initial research on its target customers is, even the best strategies must be tweaked when new insights become available. Periodic reviews should be part of every startup’s digital marketing strategy – alongside S.M.A.R.T. goals. By defining marketing targets that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-based, startups can outline concrete issues to revisit in every iteration of their digital marketing strategy.

    Final Thoughts

    Developing a digital marketing strategy is a must for every startup. Doing it right, though, is a challenge.

    By avoiding the common pitfalls outlined above, startups can craft a custom-tailored and efficient strategy for their digital marketing efforts.

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    Hasan Saleem

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  • 5 Simple SEO Strategies to Improve Your Rankings

    5 Simple SEO Strategies to Improve Your Rankings

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Search engine optimization (SEO) affects your website’s visibility online. Good SEO means more page traffic and higher chances of selling your products and services to a broader audience. No matter how great your products are or how well-designed your website is, without an SEO strategy, your chances of ranking on Google or any other search engine are slim.

    How important is SEO?

    Sure, you’re already making other marketing efforts to lead your audience to your website. You’re spending on ads and perhaps partnering with content creators to post links to your page. But that’s not enough.

    If you’re getting traffic from other sources, that’s great! But did you know that organic search is five times more valuable than Google ads? This is because over 90% of website traffic comes from search engines.

    Users who land on your page from a search engine have higher chances of converting because they specifically searched for your brand, products, or services. On the flip side, someone who ended up on your page after coming across your ad may not have had any prior intentions to check out your website.

    Unlike organic search, that’s intentional, paid marketing efforts may disrupt someone’s experience. Besides, any website that’s too deep into the Google search page may lose its credibility.

    Related: 7 Reasons Why SEO Matters for Every Startup

    What is an SEO strategy?

    An SEO strategy improves your website’s search engine ranking to improve your organic traffic. A complete SEO strategy should tackle three types of SEO:

    • On-page SEO: Focuses on content that’s on your website and ensures that it addresses your specific search query. Some critical factors that affect on-site SEO are content quality and uniqueness.
    • Off-page SEO: Focuses on strategies done outside your website to improve its credibility and ranking. Link-building is the backbone of off-page SEO strategies.
    • Technical SEO: Technical SEO deals with the backend aspects of your website to help increase your ranking. Good technical SEO means your page load time is fast, all your pages work, and it has structured data.

    Related: This Is What Makes SEO Important For Every Business

    Easy SEO strategies to improve your ranking:

    1. Content is everything

    While Google has made significant changes in its algorithm in the past year, content has long been a priority. Consistent publication of engaging content is the number one factor that affects your ranking. This means your website shouldn’t just have a bunch of keywords, but you should also produce high-quality content that’s unique and provides value to your readers.

    Google looks at the quality of your copy — beyond any SEO technique. You have to go beyond regular calls to action and stand out from other similar pages.

    If you have an e-commerce business, creating a blog to supplement your main page can answer your audience’s questions and help you rank higher on search engines.

    One of the factors that Google looks at is whether your content is up to date. Updating your website with fresh content with a blog will be much simpler. Plus, a blog can help you reach a broader range of search queries and increase the average visit duration.

    There has been debate on the ideal length of a blog, but according to a HubSpot study from 2021, the ideal blog post length for SEO should be 2,100-2,400 words.

    2. Make a list of keywords

    Keywords are no longer the essence of an SEO strategy but are still essential in optimizing your page. Use a keyword search tool to help you find a list of keywords related to your niche.

    If you’re a new business, targeting low-competition keywords would be a good idea for a higher chance of ranking, and getting more organic traffic to your website would be a good idea. Of course, these keywords have to make sense for the type of content on your page.

    3. Know what your audience is searching for

    Many will make the mistake of creating content to increase page rankings — this technique will backfire. Ultimately, you’ll have a page filled with keywords that aren’t relevant to your business. Consider creating an accurate buyer persona to understand what your audience wants. After that, you’ll know what motivates your audience and what content can address their needs.

    4. Build high-quality links

    A backlink is when another website links to yours. It is one of the most significant factors that affect your ranking and is a great way to get organic page visits. This means you can’t rank with on-page efforts alone.

    Top websites may get backlinks organically, and building connections with reputable websites is essential. One of the best ways to get backlinks is by sending a genuine outreach email to websites you have linked to.

    Email blasts do work but are becoming less effective as many marketers have overused them. That said, there are plenty of resources on the web to get your creative juices flowing and develop creative ideas to set up an outreach campaign. Make sure that if you do conduct an outreach campaign, you are polite and genuine and always try to provide value first.

    5. Don’t upload large files to your page

    Images and videos undoubtedly add value to your content and can help attract more visitors to your page. However, these files can be large and, as a result, affect your page’s load time.

    Page load time is one of the factors that affect your page’s ranking, and it also affects your mobile friendliness. Look at these factors and what managers can do to stay on top of them.

    Many plugins and tools can help you reduce your file size without losing quality. Never upload high-resolution images. As a best practice, stay within 500 KB.

    Related: 10 Essential SEO Strategies For Entrepreneurs to Increase Their Traffic

    Summing up

    Like any business strategy, it will take time to see results. And instead of reaching for the stars, always make your SEO goals more specific to address your business needs. This way, it will be easier to track and measure your progress.

    Since the algorithm is constantly changing, you also have to stay up to date with the latest changes to ensure that you’re familiar with the best practices.

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    Nick Brogden

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