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.

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.

The Secret Behind Visual Marketing

Photo taken from Nordwood Themes

What better way to boost content marketing on several online platforms than using visuals? Though search engine optimizers use full-length articles for their strategies, visuals are just as compelling. Visual marketing falls under content marketing, but the hierarchy of content importance and the underdevelopment of algorithms to recognize photos make it the last resort to raise SERP ranking.

Visual marketing one way of appealing to search engine crawlers and users through images, photos, slideshows, graphs, and the likes. Audiences like them because they are snackable and bite-sized. Information becomes easy to digest. They are impressive promotional elements across social media platforms. This marketing strategy increases CTR and website traffic which helps with ROI and conversion rate.

Furthermore, it’s a way to recycle full-length articles and newsletters into motion graphics, images, videos and the likes. A website won’t be stuck with popular long-form posts when it has visuals to back them up. The continuous sharing of the content on social media and the web will generate traffic back to the original site. Adding a visual gives the long-form a chance to be an evergreen content.

Lastly, posting another type of content format is refreshing and rewarding to frequent site visitors and loyal audiences.

Four Reasons to Join The Visual Marketing Bandwagon

Photo taken from Unsplash

Not everyone jumps on the opportunity to use the marketing tactic though it’s around for a long time. The technique becomes different when on a digital scale. Still, some things remain the same. Take the advice from a web design company and join the hottest digital marketing trend. Below are four reasons why visual marketing is a useful technique to leverage a business or an industry.

1. Visuals improve recall through association of figures, compelling imagery, and motion.

According to Inc.com, 81 percent of users skim the content they read online. A photo, gif or slideshow gains people’s attention back to the material. It also attracts them long enough to stay on the page.

2. Visual marketing will make you stand out.

Content recycling and creating visual content push webmasters to go out of the usual type-and-publish. It encourages them to look for new ways to present information which results in unique and one-of-a-kind posts.

3. It provides a content personality.

Getting used to the pattern of visual content creation leads to adopting consistency. A designer often has or follows a template. Hence, the set of visuals will have uniformity while remaining relevant to a topic.

4. It promotes brand identity.

Besides consistency, making a logo and using it to brand visual content makes the business or company stand out. Customizing logos for different types of visual content helps users recognize your brand. A small icon is neat and fits well on videos and other motion graphics. Meanwhile, a complete logo that includes the enterprise slogan, website, and name is for images and infographics.

Wrapping Up

Visual marketing is and must be a part of an SEO agency’s strategy. Though it’s short of words for link building and identifies using keywords, it has the power to engage users. The elements on an image taps on the emotional and psychological aspects of audiences. Utilizing it leads to traffic generation, high CTR, and conversion rate.

The post Using Visuals to Leverage Content Marketing for SEO 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.

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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.

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.

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If you think of the Internet as a huge market, there are lots of consumers out there. The lot is a potential market which can boost sales and brand popularity. Finding a way to reach the untapped market is what’s left to do.

When you engage with people, you put yourself out there. You let them know you are open and willing to listen as well as establish a relationship. It’s essential for a writer to know these things as they know the content piece well enough to explain them to end users.

2018 is the year and age of digital engagement. Here’s how writers become marketers during and after creating an engaging content piece.

1. The blog is a free and creative outlet.

Bloggers are modern-day poets while writers become digital strategists. Some of them set up a blog or two to express their thoughts no-holds-barred and share their interests. Others have one to further their online presence. A blog is a great avenue to attract new customers and set up a loyal base of followers. It’s also useful for widening a brand’s reach.

Use it as much as possible. Set up an account and make use of free hosted platforms. Most blog accounts have built-in comment sections. There are also share buttons and settings allowing you to boost your content to other platforms. Utilize all of them by replying to comments and publishing your content to the social profiles you have.

2. Baiting becomes a habit.

Online marketing has one goal – user engagement. The person who sees your content must be interested in the topic to click on the post. This part is where writing skills become handy. Writers must no only write for their satisfaction. They must also peak the interest of end-users, encourage them to explore the content, and consume it until the end.

Thus, you must create an attention-grabbing title and body to retain the users on the site. Click-baiting becomes a hobby especially when you prioritize search engine and social media analytics. However, baiting isn’t an invitation to create spammy and fraudulent content. A viral material can be a blessing or a curse. Consider your next steps wisely before settling on a decision that may disrupt your digital marketing campaign.

3. There are two options – serving the people or serving Google.

Choosing Google means SEO writing. SEO writing means using keywords and delving into topics that interest a group of people. Hence, most written pieces optimized for search engines are part of a niche or a target industry. An SEO company hell-bent to provide fast results so they end up with static and technical content.

If you want to earn the sympathy or organic traffic, you must also write for the people. Try not to avoid users from awkward keyword anchors and repetitive or outdated content. To hit two birds with a stone, take the customer service route. Write with the needs and queries of people in mind. That way, you bait the right people and make them loyal to the brand without sacrificing the keyword.

4. You take a lot of personalities and responsibilities.

Due to the broad topics under your wing, you take a lot of personalities. You become sweet and direct when creating a piece about Korean skincare. Other times, you take the long route to cover the basics of Google Analytics. Sometimes, you become a storyteller. The personalities you take on depends on the piece you are currently working.

Consequently, it becomes your job to publish the content piece. It also becomes your job to create a content plan. Most of all, you stretch your creative juices to come up with graphics, photos, and videos.

The style of writing, flow of words, and readability all influence users to consume a written content. Meanwhile, the visuals make their stay worth-while. All of these can result in a sale, an offer or a referral.

Online writing in the 21st century doesn’t center on words, grammar, and ideas. Content creation through writing has more to it than meets the eye. You have to maintain a blog, see that people visit the blog, and ensure they take corresponding actions.

The post A Writer Becomes a Marketer: Digital Engagement in the 21st Century appeared first on Internet Marketing Reach.

It may seem simple to produce and publish content on a regular basis. Even websites who subscribe to a digital marketing agency are in danger of putting great material on top of the other. Looking at the other side, marketers – which can be bloggers or content writers – face the risk of getting stuck. Experiencing mental block is a real thing as well as having no interest in the topic at hand.

A successful blog continues to attract audiences, capture the attention of influencers that can expand audience reach and inspire trust, likeability, and loyalty. On top of that, viewers must gear towards action for the website to rank in search engines.

If you are a content producer struggling to come up with new material, it’s possible to come up with a topic and write about it even when it’s not up to your alley. The methods below will guide you to produce posts as you write about anything under the sun.

Ask questions

You can make things interesting when you ask questions. Researching on related problems and coming up with ideas gives you a clear purpose and directs you to seek the answers. Thus, the task becomes an opportunity for you to grow as it allows you to expand your knowledge.

The questions you come up with can be the same as the ideas brewing in the mind of audiences and viewers. As audiences vary at any given time, they may be waiting for answers to the same or related problems. Habitually seek solutions, so you continuously create meaningful content.

As a blogger, you must focus on the primary questions until you come up with blog content. Having a lot of questions is a great way to expand ideas. Consequently, it makes your job easier.

Research

It’s your responsibility as a writer to produce an easy-to-consume version of the things you gathered from your research.

If you can’t come up with questions, diligently pursue them the way you would with the answers. That’s when research becomes a valuable asset. Organized forums such as Quora and Topsy are goldmines for various topics. Utilize the knowledge from other users. Create value out of them.

Research on the questions that spark your interest. Since the bulk of your time will depend on your research, it helps when you look for ideas and gather as much as you can. The information you collect and your way of providing answers are the basis for the value of the content you produce. When you take the time to impart knowledge in an easy-to-view and quick-to-digest format, you provide actual value.

Start writing

Some writers are full of concepts and ideas yet fail to relay them to their audiences. Writers miss out on the window to provide value as they go back and forth between the drawing board and working table. Scratching out ideas whenever they don’t seem to work or come through is allowing the fear of uncertainty to devour your work.

Though not all content you produce will be as green as the turf in spring, starting out with an existing idea can lead you to something better. Immersing yourself in the strokes of the keyboard and letting your thoughts and ideas flow is one way to clear your head. You gain clarity and become organized to explore the topic you wish to expound.

Without content, SEO and online marketing are not possible. These elements go hand in hand, so a lot rests on the hands of a blogger and writer. The great thing about writing is the fact that it’s a skill that can be learned or mastered. There are various ways to go about writing. You just have to find what works for you.

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