How To Optimize The Site’s Images

1. Post high-quality images with the right format and the right size.

Standard photos must be in JPG format. Graphics and images that require transparency must be in PNG. To optimize graphics with limited colors, use PNG-8 over PNG-24. It is also better to reduce the number of colors from 256 to 16. Don’t forget to use SVGs (vector graphic images) for icons and logos for scaling. It won’t increase the size of the file. When using images, its actual width must not exceed the width of the largest container used (multiplied by two for retina displays).

2. Publish content using responsive images.

The latest CMS like WordPress version 4.4 already has the scrset attribute built-in. Not all blogs and CMS are fortunate. They must enter and code the srcset attribute which provides the browser a list of image variants. The attribute makes it possible to show the image on different screen sizes. When combined with the sizes attribute, the images can load on different screens without too much effort. Srcset and sizes attributes are vital to an SEO and social media marketing company. They impact user experience (UX) through the increased appeal of the post and the decreased loading times.

3. Use the right file name.

The file name of the images allows Google and other search engines to know what is the image about and what is on it. The right file name makes it easy for the image to appear on image search engines.

4. Add alt tags.

The alt tag is the abbreviation for the alt attribute on an img tag. The alt tag of an image describes what is on the file. It also describes the function of the image on the page. Screen readers, non-visual browsers, Braille readers read the text on the tag to make the image accessible.

The code of the alt tag looks like this:

<img src=“image.jpg” alt=“image description” title=“image tooltip”> The alt tag is not only helpful for the blind and visually impaired people. It is also has a purpose for SEO. It can be used to describe the image using keywords. The alt tag does not have to be spammed or stuffed with keywords to be effective. A phrase with 16 or fewer words is enough to describe what is on a particular image. Use descriptive, concise and accurate words when filling out the alt tag. However, not all images on a site have a purpose. Some are on the site for design reasons. If that’s the case, the images must be part of the CSS and not the HTML. If the change is not possible, make it an empty alt attribute like this: <img src=”image.png” alt=””> The empty alt attribute ensures screen readers skip over the images.

5. Create an image XML sitemap.

Provide search engines about the images and its information on your site by creating a sitemap. Adding the image-specific tags to an existing sitemap is fine and works just as well as separate one. The images listed on the XML sitemap helps the search engine like Google index the images. Indexing helps the images appear in search results.

5. Fix the alignment and utilize captions.

An image with the same width as the text column emphasizes the image. Use proper alignment to ensure the image complements the text. At the same time add captions. Captions help readers to scan the content. They can be used to provide an overview or the purpose of the published content.

6. Refrain using stock photos.

The image that is part of the content must always be relevant to the text. Use original works and photos over stock images. It also helps to use GIFs, but use it sparingly. Too much can distract the reader from the motions of the image.

These are some ways to image optimization. It helps the site improve user experience as well as its SERP ranking. It can also increase conversion rates when buttons and other CTA-related images have the right title and alt tags.

The post SEO Techniques: Image Optimization appeared first on Internet Marketing Reach.

Writers who wish to be part of digital marketing Philippines must understand the difference between SEO writing and writing for white papers. They must follow writing, editing and publish rules to make their narrative attract readers.

Below is a ten-step to follow for better writing this 2018. Search engines are becoming smarter while some readers are becoming lazy. As a writer, you must evolve, too.

1. Become hungry in SEO writing.

One account or writing job is not enough. It is vital to take more job orders or write more about the accounts or topics assigned. Strive to produce more than your word or article quota each week.

A hungry writer develops their writing skills without them knowing. They learn new words, discover different writing styles, and become efficient in their work. They also have a chance to see a different perspective of writing and adapt to them quickly.

2. Create meaningful sentences.

Each word counts. Each sentence must provide value to your reader and client. The moment a user clicks on your page, they must immediately find what they need. If not, you fail to deliver.

Also, the meaning of a sentence does not depend on its length. A long sentence does not necessarily have value while short sentences do not mean you cannot get the message across the reader. It is all about delivery and the right combination of words.

3. Work on grammar.

Learn the rules of grammar. Read the published posts of famous Internet writers. Observe how they write.

Notice that most of them use active than passive voice. A sentence in an active voice is simple and easy to read. It also helps trim sentences of unnecessary words, phrases, conjunctions, and other parts of a sentence.

4. Think of your audience.

When writing for the audience, make it easy to read. Craft a dialogue, paragraph, or prose that hooks the viewers to stay until the end
Use the power of the abstract.

Abstract or indirect descriptions in the text’s body make readers think of the sequence of events. It also activates part of their brain that uses imagery. Use this to change writing style and allow readers to guess what happens next.

5. Use the keywords to guide the paragraph flow.

Use the keywords appropriately. Place it in the first paragraph or within 100 words of the article. Pair it with words that will stick out. Thought-provoking and emotional words near the keyword emphasize its importance.

Discover new words, ideas, and insights to make cohesive paragraphs. Ensure each section retains one idea. The sentences must support the main idea.

6. Use white space.

White space is the best ally of SEO writers. It helps the words in each paragraph stand out. At the same time, it provides a classic and elegant appearance to the page.

White space is only useful when there is content. It is an effective break between images and text. It prevents users to get overwhelmed with visuals.

7. Chunk your paragraphs

Chunking is breaking down difficult text into manageable pieces. Writing using your words is an example of chunking. Chunking paragraphs are ideal as is it helps readers quickly identify key terms and ideas.

One way to chunk is to write the same number of sentences as existing ones. It creates a pattern and maintains symmetry. The text also becomes easy to digest that paragraphs with five or more sentences.

8. Use headings.

Like white space, heading breaks the structure of the article and the flow of the text. It also helps readers identify what they are reading or decide if they should read it. According to Yoast, readers tend to read them carefully over the body of the text.

Headings have a hierarchical structure. Place your keyword on the highest rank or the H1, which is also the title of the page or the blog post. Use it only once while the rest are available to use many times.

9. Refer to the Flesch Reading scale.

Yoast SEO plugin features a content analysis tool which indicates the Flesch Reading Ease score. The score signifies how easy it is to read the text. The score is essential for SEO writing because readability is a ranking factor.

Moreover, complicated and hard to read texts may scare readers. It may prevent them from checking the site or visiting your page. Increase traffic by using reader-friendly words and creating meaningful sentences.

10. Write from the heart.

Do not write for the bots, clicks, or the job. Write to your heart’s content. Compose drafts and write-ups using the brain and edit using the heart.

Serve the people before serving the search engines. Users are the ones who will increase the site’s traffic and return on investment (ROI). Think of the audience to avoid awkward keywords anchors or repetitive writing.

Better SEO writing doesn’t happen overnight. It comes with practice, effort, and hard work. There is no shortcut to improving one’s writing on tips or steps to follow. SEO writing is a valuable skill in the 21st century as search engines progress and made to think like humans.

The post A Writer Becomes A Marketer: Better SEO Writing in 10 Steps This 2018 appeared first on Internet Marketing Reach.

To rank the business online and have access to the market, here are some online marketing strategy for your local SEO.

1. Use Google My Business and Bing Places for Business.

Google My Business (GMB) is a powerful tool in local searches. It is also strict with its verification process. Once the name of the business, address, and contact numbers in the entry fields, you must verify your account using the verification pin the company sends to the store’s physical location. This process ensures the listing and its information is accurate and genuine. Under Google’s terms of service, only the business owner qualifies to claim his or her GMB page.

After verifying the listing, optimize it for search engines. Fill out the fields and add a description, business category, operating hours, types of payment accepted as well as the features and amenities of your shop. A business logo, few photos of the shop, its products, services, and staff increases the legitimacy of the business. If the company provides services, hiding the headquarters or the address of the warehouse is acceptable.

Don’t forget to business’ name, address, and phone number (NAP) in Bing. It has the same process as Google. Both tools help rank the keywords used on the business’ website in local search.

2. Encourage ratings and review on Google.

Glassdoor, Yelp, Zomato, and other niche-related websites for ratings and reviews are great, but nothing beats the power of Google. Encourage customers and passers-by to leave a rating or a review by placing a sign to the storefront. Don’t forget to mention it upon ringing the cashier. The star ratings and a few words from your customers is the most excellent marketing strategy for your store. Inform customers of the business’ online presence to know where they can leave their reviews.

3. Make a contact page.

The contact page transforms curious users and site visitors into customers. A comprehensive contact page lands new clients, an investor, or anyone interested in the business to visit the actual store.

A business contact page must have the exact address of the business, phone or mobile number, and e-mails. It can also include a contact person from sales, operations, or the HR. Some contact pages have forms allowing customers to leave their concerns, messages, and suggestions to the company inbox.

4. Be part of interviews.

Exposure thru the local news and publications may be old school, but it’s part of SEO once they begin to post their article on their website. It also establishes your credibility within the area and become a lead establishment in your niche.

Interviews aren’t only on TV. Podcasts or a Google+ Hangout within a comfortable area builds relationships with users and customers. Sign up on Help A Reporter Out (HARO) to connect with journalists and provide insights on the business niche and other relevant information?

5. Use Yoast SEO plugin for WordPress blogs.

Optimize your CMS. If on WordPress, use the Yoast SEO plugin. It’s free and easy to use. It guides users to adjust their title tags, meta description, and sitemap among others. It’s also ideal for managing content and keywords.

USe the plugin to optimize the business sites’ title tags, headers, and meta description. Place the keywords related to the brand or business, so people can easily find the business using these queries.

6. Publish more content.

The goal may not be to create a how-to site or excite your brand thru your newsletters and updates. However, writing new content helps the site rank on the target search terms or keywords in the location of the business.

Ensure all published content is high-quality and original to prevent plagiarism, violations, and other sanctions from Google and other search engines. Most of all, high-quality content is a ranking factor in Google, so the pages are likely to appear in search results when you create such material.

7. Use Google Search Console.

Search Console is another tool by Google used to provide information and target local customers an users. Submit the business site’s sitemap for crawling. The console makes sense of your site structure, so bots can locate all the URLs in the site. It best to submit the sitemap on a quarterly basis to crawl new pages.

The tools in the Search Console also point to the site’s error. It presents data which helps the business improve its online presence and performance. Lastly, it sends an e-mail covering site issues that need fixing.

8. Fill out directories.

Citations are what make local SEO different from other search optimization techniques. They are mentions of your business NAP on local search sites. They are similar to entries on old-school yellow pages. When listing on online directories, ensure there are no wrong spelling, lacking numbers, or unrecognizable abbreviations on the business information.

The local newspaper and government agencies in the commerce sector are some websites covering the area or location of the business. They are the best sites for citations.

Online reputation must be part of marketing. Ratings and reviews cover this aspect of Internet marketing. Local SEO helps solidify the business reputation as it builds the brand and makes it available to users in the area or the surrounding location.

The post SEO Techniques: Local SEO appeared first on Internet Marketing Reach.

To gain these benefits, install Yoast SEO and treat it as a valuable tool. It is the key to hitting targets as it makes the site search-engine friendly.

Installing Yoast SEO Plugin

Photo by WP.All Club

To set up the plugin, select the “Plugins” option from the site’s admin dashboard on the left side of the screen. Hovering over it shows the ” Add New” option. Clicking on it brings you to a page with featured, popular, recommended or favorite plugins. There is a search box available if Yoast SEO doesn’t appear in the current selection. Click “Install Now” to download install. Afterward, WordPress asks to activate the plugin.

Setting Up and Getting Started

Here’s how to get started with Yoast SEO on a WordPress site without importing settings from prior SEO plugins.

1. Locate “SEO” from the admin dashboard. It’s on the left-hand side of the screen.

2. Select “General” to set the basic SEO options of the site through the ‘Introduction Tour.’

3. Go to the “Your Info” tab upon skipping the tour.

The tab has fields for ‘Website name’ and ‘Company or person’ information. Fill them out, so Google shows the WordPress site’s name on the SERP. Meanwhile, the company or person drop-down selection is for Google’s Knowledge Graph. This info appears as metadata on the site.

4. Head to the ‘Webmaster Tools‘ tab to verify the site.

It’s necessary to create an account at Google Search Console to connect and verify the site. To create an account at Google Search console, add your domain and click on the “Add a Property” button. Select the Meta Tag Verification option. Copy and paste the Meta Tag HTML into the Google Search Console section of the Webmaster Verification section of Yoast SEO and click “Save Changes.” Return to Google Search Console and click on the Verify button.

Besides Google Search Console, Yoast SEO makes the process of site verification on Alexa, Bing, and Yandex Webmaster Tools quick and simple.

5. Change user access.

Yoast SEO has a ‘Security’ tab with an option to disable the Advanced part of Yoast SEO metabox. Unchecking this option may be helpful to sites with multiple authors. It doesn’t allow other users access to redirects and ‘noindex’ settings.

Visiting these tabs covers the ‘General’ section of SEO. It also takes care of the basics of the plugin. There are other sections to view and *adjust for total optimization of the site.

On-site and Off-site SEO Settings

Site optimization has two factor areas. These are on-site SEO (also called on-page SEO) and off-site SEO. Aligning your Yoast SEO settings on these aspects ensures the optimum performance of the site.

Title and Meta Data

Part of on-page SEO is title and metadata. Yoast SEO has a “Titles & Metas” section with seven tabs focused on the site’s appearance in SERPs. The first tab has settings for titles. It shows options for changing title separators to make the appearance of page titles consistent. It also has a ‘force rewrite titles’ option to override built-in SEO title displays and prevent using the same title on different pages.

Next up is “Homepage.” The contents of this tab depend on the blog’s set up. It is useful for making changes in the title and meta descriptions for the front page and pages for blog entries. If there’s nothing to edit, proceed to “Post Types.” It has fields to set a template for post, page, and media titles and meta description. It also has checkboxes for ‘noindex, follow’ tags, ‘Date in Snippet Preview,’ and ‘Yoast SEO Meta Box.’ Filling these out inserts the information to pages, titles, and meta descriptions. Leaving the meta description box blank allows search engines to pull an excerpt of content from the page.

The ‘noindex, follow’ option instructs meta robots not to index the page and crawl for links. At most cases, it’s unnecessary to check this box. This option is useful to pages that could be a duplicate content or irrelevant to site rankings such as a ‘Thank You’ page or ‘About Us.’

XML Sitemap

Yoast SEO automatically generates a comprehensive sitemap for the site. It is an XML or extensible markup language file listing all the site’s URL available for crawling. Besides the URLs, it also has the relevant information regarding each page that helps bots to crawl the site. The plugin categorizes the URLs for easy access and clear structure. Submitting the sitemap to the Search Console is essential. It helps the search engine can make sense of the organization of the site’s content. A large site can have multiple sitemaps so web crawlers can access all areas, information, and files on the site.

Submit the sitemap to Search Console by clicking on the “Crawl” > “Sitemaps” on the sidebar menu of the site property management dashboard. Click the “Add Test/Sitemap” button to add the sitemap URL.

Robots.txt

The site’s robots.txt file is available for edit through the ‘File Editor’ link on the plugin. The file tells search engine bots the pages to crawl. Specified crawl instructions help bots crawl the site quickly to leverage SEO methods and raise site ranking. Search engines have a crawl budget so hacking the file by disallowing some pages one way to optimize the site.

The format of a robots.txt file has two lines – the user agent and directives. Directives are crawl instructions such as disallow, allow, and crawl-delays.

Alternative Text

Since Google doesn’t have an algorithm for image recognition, it’s a must to fill out the form field for Alt Text on WordPress. Use descriptive words and SEO-friendly keywords to highlight the elements of the image and optimize it for search engines. The alt text increases the chances of the image to appear in the SERP. Moreover, it helps blind and visually-impaired users to make sense of the image.

Social SEO

Yoast SEO has a social section to link the business or brand’s social media accounts. It has tabs for Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+. The primary tab, “Accounts,” has form fields for various social platforms. Filling these out associates the site with the corresponding social media profile. This feature covers a part of social SEO or social media optimization (SMO).

SEO Ready

The following changes and settings are ways to optimize a WordPress blog. Using the Yoast SEO plugin makes it convenient for bloggers and webmasters to hit their goals, increase traffic, gain subscribers, and expand consumer base. Dabble with each option on the plugin to explore different ways to boost the site’s existing on-site and off-site SEO strategy.

The post SEO Techniques: Optimizing WordPress Blog with Yoast SEO appeared first on Internet Marketing Reach.

However, managing a blog isn’t a walk in the park. Imagine handling a corporate blog. It gives everyone a headache especially if there’s no path or list to follow. Thus, it becomes a must to streamline the workflow. Whether you are on WordPress or some other blogging platform, laying a path as a guide makes a difference. Corporate and personal bloggers will appreciate the fact that their workload is less than ever.

The tips below are useful in streamlining the blogging workflow. Read on to find how you can turn them into a marketing strategy.

Tip #1: Get organized.

Being organized is necessary to bloggers and other online publishers. Each one has their editorial workflow the works for them. It can be a simple brainstorming session of content ideas. The workflow will depend on the number of people in your team. The writers, editors, reviewers, and publishers who produce, edit, and publish content will take a toll on the entire blogging continuum. Therefore, everyone must understand their role especially on the expectations regarding deliverables.

Creating a content calendar is a way to organize thoughts and task delegation. Since time management is essential to bloggers, a plotting the content to post and publish ahead of time leaves additional room for editing and improvement. Enforce a soft and hard deadline if work tends to pile up. The soft deadline is the time and day the content must be ready. The hard deadline is the period you must not postpone.

Tip #2: Find the time.

Avoid making excuses and commit to the task you must accomplish. Make blogging a part of daily life. Don’t just do it during free time or during the times it’s convenient. Corporate bloggers must be consistent, so they have to be serious about the process. The brand or business online presence relies heavily on continuously publishing fresh content. A schedule of the specific days and times of the week is a must for blogging alone.

Set a frequency of publishing on the blog. Those starting out can post one to two items per week. Still, new and existing blogs must continue to stick with the frequency of publishing to avoid looking dead. Getting back on the blog once a week or a month will push blogging efforts down the drain. Remember, it only takes at least an hour to create and publish a new post.

Tip #3: Save all ideas.

A creative mind almost never runs out of juice. Ideas sprout here and there like mushrooms in damp forests. It’s best to have a notebook – paper or virtual – nearby to jot down a bunch of topics for the blog. Maintain a filing system so you can quickly move to the writing stage. It will also help you formulate impressions and opinions when in dire need of a topic.

Most of the ideas in the mind fleet with the passing of time. Whenever you have thoughts worth discussing, grab a notepad, phone or laptop. Record the idea. The impact of the topic generated is what comes out of sparing a minute from your usual workflow. Once in the process of writing, prepare at least ten articles in advance. Write three more in case of emergencies. That way you won’t scramble to produce posts whenever you get sidetracked.

Tip #4: Use text editors.

WordPress won’t be available all the time. Hence, you must look for alternatives. Use text editors instead. Desktops, laptops, tablets, smartphones have apps and software for composing and editing long-form texts. Writing will be as easy as 1, 2, 3 since the text editor is highly portable. Not to mention, text editors are distraction-free and easily formatted. It cuts the job in half and makes the transfer to WordPress hassle-free. Copy and paste the content into a new post then add images. The result: a fresh content to publish right away.

Tip #5: Optimize images.

Accompanying images brings life to an article while capturing the interest of the readers. Photos, illustrations, and vectors are available in Google images, but some of them are subject to copyright. Ensure the visuals you plan to use are free for everyone yet always include an image credit. Most of all, resize images. WordPress has a plugin that drops free re-sizable photos right into your blog. Photo editors and enhancement apps and software have this feature, but some of them aren’t available in a trial version. Still, there are several websites for resizing images on the web.

Tip #6: Consider other types of content.

Long-form content still dominates the SEO field, but nothing can stop the market demographics from changing. Generation Y (Millennials) and Z quick to consume content. They prefer videos for its authenticity and rawness. It shows people in action which breaches the gap between the screen and the audience. On the downside, using other content format requires new people on the team. Coordinate your needs, timeline, and plans to have content in time for publishing.

Time is the most precious asset in the world. Becoming an efficient blogger becomes a catalyst for success. Applying the tips above streamlines blogging workflow which results in staying ahead of strict schedules and deadlines. Eventually, there won’t be a need to struggle and chase contents but a list of content to publish on well-organized and relevant blogs.

Note: This post was published on July 22, 2014. It has been revamped and updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

The post Successful Blogging: Tips on Streamlining Blogging Workflow appeared first on Internet Marketing Reach.

Though the Penguin algorithm makes link building difficult, it successfully regarded links on a higher standard. One must become creative and thorough to earn valuable links. Checking a competitor’s strategy and surveying its site for weak spots is one way to come up with a link building strategy. Reverse engineering a competitor’s backlinks is another link building strategy 2018 to add to SEO company Philippines tactics.

Reverse Engineering Defined

Based on the definition of Dictionary.com, to reverse engineer is to study or analyze a device or a product of technology to learn its details – design, construction, and operation – to produce a copy or an improved version. Applying the concept of reverse engineering in link building allows you to examine their links, spy on their tactics, and [maybe] replicate their sites.

Reverse engineering is ideal to find out how a competitor or a similar site rank on the SERP. It’s also a way to discover new opportunities to grow a site. It widens outreach and enables link builders to become creative in their approach. It can be a means to copy site content or steal competitor’s inbound links. It can also be both. Both paths will still end with copying their strategy.

Becoming Successful with Reverse Engineering

Before gathering websites from the SERP, it’s essential to know which market to target. It’s best to tap on the market with the biggest demographic relevant to the chosen keyword. Ensure to use all possible keyword combinations from generic short phrases to long-tail. That way, competitors will vary. Target small companies, blogs, and small websites. When done with those, go for authority sites ranking the chosen keyword. Compile the list of domains to be used as the reference.

After gathering the list of competitor sites, there are three ways to become successful in reverse engineering. Plan link building strategies based on the methods below.

1. Copying the other site’s content marketing campaign

Since the Panda algorithm, content became the key to being a valuable website in the digital community. However, everyone is already doing the same thing. It’s difficult to stand out especially when someone is already ahead in the game. Still, there are ways to reproduce content that’s already out there.

Replicating content is a way to come up with fresh content. Rewriting the piece or transforming it into a photo or video gives audiences something new without being entirely the same. Another way to hack their marketing campaign is by contacting the author. The maker of the content can provide insights regarding the deal or process of posting the author’s work on a site.

Last but not the least, surveying the website’s best-linked content (sites with the most backlinks) for patterns in the content topics, style, length, and format gives a picture of their plans as well as the trend which the market is most responsive.

2. Identifying their weak spots

Finding the pages that lost the most links is a chance to recreate the content and acquire the link.

3. Aiming for unique links and desired links

Unique links from a competitor’s site are backlinks with no matches. These can be called gems as they are the only website in the industry that got a referral. It is valuable especially if the site has high DA. At the same time, anticipating their desired links gives an advantage as it becomes a source of the link without breaking a sweat.

The Drawback of Reverse Engineering

It’s crucial to note that not all sites are trustworthy. Some of them may use black-hat SEO. Therefore, linking from them won’t help with SERP ranking. Using link research tools to analyze the health of the backlinks from each competitor will help filter through the list. Checking them manually is time-consuming but worth the effort.

Like any other link building strategy for 2018, it pays to figure out the why’s and the how’s. Reverse engineering competitor’s backlinks require tools. A backlink analysis or backlink checker is the first step to figure out why and how they got the link. Build a strategy from there.

Understand that backlinks are like a vote of confidence. Reverse engineering shows the content that users look forward to seeing on the site. Hence, it’s link building technique that employs content marketing.

The post Link Building: Dissecting Tactics That Work – Part 3 appeared first on Internet Marketing Reach.

A digital marketing agency is familiar with CTR as its one of ways to measure how effective is their pay-per-click (PPC) marketing strategy. Whether or not a site utilizes PPC with the help of Google Adwords is out of the question. Understanding the difference between individual CTR and the average CTR of the website helps marketers and site optimizers to do their job.

Utilizing Average CTR for Data-Driven Decision Making

Image Credit

The average CTR is crucial in finding if a digital marketing campaign works. It’s the most important metric to monitor in regards to PPC advertising. It on contributes to a keyword’s expected CTR which is a component of AdRank. Each ad and keyword has their CTR in GA. The data will help you analyze its relevance to the what you advertise and which networks.

The average CTR is an indicator of performance. A high CTR shows that the link or ad pays off as it draws traffic to your site. Meanwhile, a low CTR may be the result of ineffective content, targeting the wrong audience, reaching an indifferent demographics, and using the wrong keywords. Still, other factors influence a site’s average CTR that is out of one’s control. Industry, ad format, ad position, and channel are some of the factors or benchmarks that can raise or flunk the CTR.

CTR Benchmark and its Effect on the Data

Based on the updated benchmarks per industry from Wordstream, the field for search network and display network became competitive as the average CTR for all industries on both networks decreased its percentage. Still, the CTR for ads on the search network remains greater than Google Display Network.

The reason behind these data stems from user behavior. Those on the search network are actively eyeing for content related to keywords, so the links and pages get high CTR. Meanwhile, the ads on the display network allow users to skip past the ads. Thus, they become passive and revert their attention to click on the ads or links. Some users also find ads annoying as it disrupts their overall viewing experience.

Display ad format and its position on the search engine results page (SERP) are also CTR benchmarks. The position of the ad or link in the results page can result in a high or low CTR. For instance, belonging to an industry with a high CTR doesn’t guarantee the same result. The site ends up with a lower CTR if it does not rank in the SERP. If the keyword is in high rank or top one, the site can have a higher CTR even if the industry average is low.

Last but not the least, channels significantly influence CTR. Users from different platforms vary in behavior. Those coming from Facebook comes into the site for a different reason to those from Google search. Looking into which channel a page gains the highest CTR is a way to utilize the “last-click wins” approach. That way, the site makes the CTR SEO factor to conversion.

CTR as Part of SEO

Sample CTR data of GreatBikers.com

These are guiding principles to utilize the CTR as an essential SEO and PPC metric. Impressions form a great part of the CTR, but it won’t be complete without the clicks. Engaging users is the key to earning a high CTR. Take note that CTR and SERP ranking are inversely correlated. At the same time, some users prefer to use different channels.

As a webmaster or digital marketer, it’s essential to determine a baseline CTR and goal. Doubling SEO efforts to be or stay on page one of SERP can become the first task. Analyzing data is also crucial to become skilled in tracking the CTR by a selected period. CTR is one of the several data to get from GA for applying data-driven decisions.

The post Data-Driven Decisions: Using Click-Through-Rate to Maximize Conversion appeared first on Internet Marketing Reach.

Broken link (invalid link) building is another white hat method that effectively forms a relationship with other webmasters or website owners. The process is similar to guest blogging. Instead of reaching out to bloggers and webmasters to pitch a high-quality piece of content with anchor texts, it involves resource pages or links with informative, relevant, reliable and timely content. The link builder recommends one or more alternative links for the webmaster. It’s essential to include the target sites in the recommendations for the technique to become successful. The more high-quality websites link to your website and target pages, the more likely you rank in the search results.

The process of link building starts with looking at prospecting websites, identifying relevant sites, and searching for 404 pages to replace within those sites. A site with several outbound links has a potential to drive the link building campaign to success. This broken building technique works best with personal blogs and small companies. There’s a higher chance these pages contain broken links than well-maintained sites of prominent brands and known companies. After identifying the target websites, content creation follows. Implementation occurs once the link builder contacts the webmaster to be aware of the situation.

GIF taken from GIPHY

Some SEOs might not follow this sequence as they are responsible for accomplishing a part or half of the job. Either way, there are three types of broken link building to employ for target prospect.

1. Resource Page Targeting with Keywords
2. Resource Page Targeting with URLs
3. Direct URL Targeting

Keyword Link Building

Targeting keywords is as straightforward as it comes. Most link builders rely on this method as it expands contact base through the outbound links of a website. To do this, search relevant keywords on Google. The keywords must be part of a category but still relevant.

Refrain from being specific and aim for general terms when culling for keywords. Pair these keywords with prospecting phrases from Google search. Doing this helps you find linking prospectives. Make a list and compile all of your findings.

To narrow down the results, you can use the Duplicate Deleter tool or the remove duplicate function in Excel. Once you have a list of potential linking pages, begin looking for error pages. Tools like Domain Hunter+, Check My Links or Link Miner does the job in a short time. After all of this, verify whether or not they are 404 pages. Use the HTTP Status Code Checker.

Half of the job is looking for the error pages and extracting them. The link builder must comb through the links for relevant pages from his or her site to replace the broken link after contacting the webmaster. Using Broken Link Building from CitationLabs streamlines the process and proceeds to the last part – informing website owners of 404 pages.

Resource Page Targeting with URLs

A purpose of site or URL selection is to link from relevant online directories. Remember, there are there are thousands of sites in a niche or industry. Thus, you have to find which one makes the link building efforts worthwhile. An authoritative and non-commercial site is ideal for broken link building. These websites will have resources with various 404 opportunities.

Targeting URLs has the same steps as keyword link building. One way to find resources page is through Google search. The queries below are useful for hunting potential pages.

Resource page queries:

“Keyword” + inurl:links
“Keyword” + “helpful resources”
“Keyword” + “useful resources”
“Keyword” + “useful links”

Resource page targeting with URLs focuses on the inbound links of the site. Curate a list and do as you would with keyword link building. Both resource page targeting with keyword and URLs require content that fits the page to link from.

Direct URL Targeting

This technique doesn’t need a broken content. There is already a link prospect, and all that’s left is to find the 404s in the site. It’s the least scalable of the three strategies. Still, it’s a great conversation starter between the link builder and the website owner.

There are tools to use to check out the links on a given site. Xenu Link Sleuth, Screaming Frog SEO, and Deep Trawl are all recommendable website crawling tools. After exporting links, choose broken external URLs over internal ones. Always go for the most relevant ones. Utilize the chosen site’s resources section. It is also a useful technique for targeting a competitor’s website. It is excellent tactic if the goal focuses on increasing outreach.

The tricky part of broken link building lies in the content creation. The resource page can be a match or an improved version of the broken page. Unfortunately, there’s a chance that the content you will replace has greater authority, or more informative and trustworthy. Therefore, the link builder must go an extra mile to improve the content to pitch. Examining the traces of the previous content by checking its relevance through various tools lessens the pressure of creating content.

Broken link building can be trimmed down to three words:

1. Prospect
2. Content
3. Outreach

Identify relevant prospects and trim them down to those with high DA. Create content for the people while thinking of Panda algorithm. Include citations too! Last but not the least, be polite when reaching out. Remember, simple thank you from one digital marketing agency to another can be the start of a long relationship.

The post Link Building: Dissecting Tactics That Work – Part 2 appeared first on Internet Marketing Reach.

Whether a self-learner or a veteran, there’s still a bunch of things to learn in this fast-paced industry. Thus, they rely on the information from the community and other fans who follow the topic. Since a lot is going in digital marketing, the content people consume must be informative and essential to the rest of the community.

If you have been under a rock, here are five blogs you must bookmark to be on top of online marketing news, updates, and techniques.

1. Moz

The blog is the go-to-guide for everything related to an SEO company – analytics, keyword research, link building, and content writing. It also has topics that can bring your online marketing skills to the next level. There are posts relating to branding, design, social media, and user experience (UX).

What’s unique about the Moz blog is how each published advice, how-to, and insight is comprehensive. Beginners of SEO can grasp the concept behind each idea because of the simplicity in each explanation. Most of all, some posts come in a different format. You can read, listen or watch. It’s up to you how you plan to consume the information.

Reason to bookmark: Whiteboard Friday SEO lectures by Rand Fishkin

2. Content Marketing Institute

Explore a community of content creators and providers through Content Marketing Institute. The website has articles and resources on content creation up to distribution. It even covers the editorial process as well as the tools and techniques used in generating content for mobile and desktop platforms.

On top of the tips and tricks from the published posts, the website also features what’s new in the content writing strata. There are also announcements on training and events for budding writers, marketers, and those who wish to leverage their existing skills.

Reason to bookmark: Free browsing of Chief Content Officer, a print, and digital magazine published quarterly

3. Kissmetrics

Real-time results and progress need representation. Kissmetrics provides studies and analysis on behavior-based engagement on social media. The blog, on the other hand, is an excellent reference for statistical reports between websites. Besides the comparison, it also includes the tools they use to arrive at the solution.

Kissmetrics is a useful guide to those who want an in-depth understanding of analytics. The blog also includes a discussion of SEO techniques as well as catchy and real-life sales and business operations relating to online marketing.

Reason to bookmark: Articles that explain the importance of conversions

4. Copyblogger

Investing in content marketing is the key to rank a website. As part of the search algorithm, it pays to have a solid content marketing plan and presence to maximize user engagement. A blog that provides information on such topic is Copyblogger. The company founded its operations on optimizing user engagement and traffic.

Though there exist different types of content, nothing beats the long-form writing. Copyblogger’s website has a blog that tackles writing, creativity, and productivity. It also has articles on entrepreneurship, selling and freelancing – essential life tips that will expand your career in writing or blogging.

Reason to bookmark: MyCopyblogger, an online training resource that gives you access to a course and e-books.

5. Marketing Land

The website includes everything about marketing – email, mobile, social, and SEM. It even has a section for Chief Marketing Officers and digital marketing executives. It has an ongoing post called “Marketing Day” that reports what goes on in within Marketing Land and other places in the industry.

It compiles the news within the landscape, so you don’t have to look anywhere else. The articles are a combination of online and traditional marketing. Everyone can catch up with the trends of the practices in the industry.

Reason to bookmark: Click-baiting featured images of each article

Lots of comprehensive and useful websites are available on the web. To ensure you aren’t spending your time on useless and irrelevant blogs and online marketing news, you can narrow down your search. Specify what you need so you get more time learning and less time browsing.

The post 5 Blogs on Digital Marketing To Bookmark This 2018 appeared first on Internet Marketing Reach.

As the months’ progress, it pushes for HTTPS implementation. Chrome 62 warns visitors of sites with unsecured forms. Last but not the least, it increased its Meta Description limit. Google allows 300 characters. It’s double the amount of the previous one. There are other updates which are unconfirmed as the people at Google tweak the algorithms almost d6y gain the most of their link building strategies.

Link Building Strategies for 2018

Keeping these updates in mind makes it essential to rethink some of the link building tactics for 2018. The existing methods you apply may not function as well as it did before due to the updates. Hence, you must try other ways to deliver and attract high-quality links. Matthew Woodward of matthewwoodward.co.uk has ten link building strategies meant to increase your search traffic.

Below are the link building strategies to use this 2018.

• Guest Blogging
• Broken Link Building
• Reverse Engineering
• Newsjacking
• Influencer Marketing
• Data-driven Content
• Reddit Marketing
• Link Reclamation
• Content Syndication
• Local Citation

However, he advised using three and keep working on it for the rest of the year. Choose methods which are quick and easy to execute. Doing so minimizes distractions and helps you track your results. If guest blogging results to the table before, it’s safe to say it still does, but it’s not the same.

Guest Blogging

Guest blogging is a white hat method and helpful in promoting brands, leading new visitors and potential clients and customers to a site. Moreover, it’s useful in getting in touch and establishing relationships with industry bloggers and webmasters.To achieve these, you must create a high-quality piece of content then add links to your site in the content body. Get the content piece published in a high DA (domain authority) site.

The idea of guest blogging is simple which makes it the most effective and popular link building strategy. Creating content is only the beginning. The bulk of work lies in searching for a list of prospects to publish the guest post. Use the search engine and few search queries to come up with quality blogs. Compile them and consider how relevant they are to your brand.

Like other commodities, these websites must also undergo quality assurance. Here are examples of qualifiers:

• Domain authority (metric used by Moz)
• Trust flow (metric used by MajesticSEO)
• Number of referring link domains
• Placement of content
• Niche-specific / multiple categories
• Panda-proof content

There are various tools available online showing the DA, number of backlinks and traffic. Copying the information and including them in your list helps you refine your list. Though it takes time and effort to execute, it becomes worth it to sort the list and maximize your guest blogging efforts. Once you’ve determined the websites to pitch the content, it’s time reach out to the webmaster or site manager.

Guest blogging isn’t over once the content piece is published. It is only the beginning. Engaging in the comment section of the guest post strengthens relationship marketing. Monitoring the social media shares and setting up Google alerts for URL everytime it gets shared are some ways to get the most of the guest blogging strategy.

To summarize the guest blogging process, here’s how to get it done.

1. Look for prospects.
2. Trim down the list to the relevant and qualified.
3. Reach out to them.
4. Create the content piece.
5. Establish a relationship.

Creating the content first is a backward process. Following the process above helps your site earn links and brand’s online presence. A significant boost in your traffic happens when used for industry and niche specific websites.

The post Link Building: Dissecting Tactics That Work – Part 1 appeared first on Internet Marketing Reach.