Posts tagged Search engine optimization

2 of the Best (and Easiest) Types Of SEO-Focused Content

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There are a number of different techniques that you can use to create content that goes “viral”, or is shared across many mediums to many audiences. This is what we are all hoping for right? To gain better SEO value for what we create on the web, and to spread our message to many different potential customers, clients, donors or contributors. Here are two opposing techniques you might want to consider…

The Manifesto

The Manifesto is the web content equivalent of “preaching to the choir”. Write a passionate, eloquent, or well-researched argument that your niche will wholeheartedly agree with. Since you’ve already got an army of believers who agree with you, they’re already primed and ready to share your argument.

Such As: “Why I’m a Vegetarian, Dammit” an essay that was posted on a vegetarian recipe blog,  received over 14,000 mentions within StumbleUpon (one of the second tier social bookmarking sites) alone.

The Controversy

The opposite of the Manifesto, the Controversy is all about stirring up some dissent in your niche. Write a well-written rebuttal to another argument, challenge a popular opinion, or spark a controversial discussion and watch the reader comments fly.

Such As: Warren Buffet wrote an August 2011 op-ed piece in the New York Times that was titled Stop Coddling the Super-Rich. It straddled the line between a manifesto and controversy: it went against everything we expect the super-rich to argue, true, but it was also something the general public agreed with. As a result, the controversial-but-popular article landed the NYT a ton of coverage and shares.

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Four Of The Most Common SEO Myths

In the changing world of search engine optimization, SEO, it takes quite a bit of working experience to truly understand how it all works.

The basic premise of SEO is pretty straightforward of course, it’s what web content writers use in order to make their websites more attractive to the search engines, most notably Google. The first point that needs to be noted is that many web copywriters do this ONLY for the ultimate purpose of driving traffic. This can be a big mistake, since visitors to your website who don’t “convert” – turn into sales (or votes, donations, etc.) – are pretty useless, aren’t they?

Interesting, compelling and persuasive web content is what supports the TRUE mission of your website, to improve the bottom line for your business.

Now that we have that critical, and often forgotten, point out of the way we can focus on the SEO benefits that your web content writing creates. Many people have tried to understand and explain how SEO works, but aren’t always correct in their assumptions. This can be attributed to the constantly changing nature of SEO, and which means that the article could be obsolete in a couple months, incidentally. But as of now, here are four of the most common SEO myths that you should know:

More Links Automatically Makes For a Better Ranking

Yes it’s obviously true that a website’s popularity and perceived importance as measured by links is used by the engines to determine its ranking. It shows that others on the web view this particular web content as valuable. However, if your site receives a link from another website which contains NOTHING but links (or close to it), search engines like Google will give these links less influence over the popularity factor of your site, and it won’t do much to improve your rankings. Sites that often fall into this category are those that ask you for reciprocal links, links back and forth between your two sites. And reciprocal links have little (no?) value to begin with; Google knows you are more than likely trying to game the system. The reason it’s impossible to know if there is any worth to these links? Google does not and will never share their algorithm for ranking websites, so we can never be exactly sure what nuances it contains.

Filling Your Site With Keywords And Phrases Boosts Rankings

Keyword stuffing, or using your desired keywords and search phrases an inordinate amount of times within your copy, actually did work “back in the day” – when search engines were less sophisticated and their algorithms weren’t optimized to detect web content quality. And folks did it then to game the system just like reciprocal links (and many other “black hat” ways to trick the engines), and some people still think it has value. But modern search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo are now quite intelligent. They can verify your web content very much like a human does, and they are trained to identify spam and content that isn’t written with any sense of quality or coherent flow in mind. This is often the kind of content that you will get from foreign SEO companies that promise to throw your content up all over the web. When using these firms for your website content and more high profile outlets and sources, this also means that consumers who come across this content online will be associating its poor quality directly with your company and brands, by the way. But keyword stuffing can’t help to improve your page ranking these days. You should never sacrifice the quality of your content for it, most importantly when this content will be used directly on your own website.

You Can Be Penalized For Duplicate Content

Up to this day, many web content providers and online writers hold onto the belief that duplicate content can negatively affect your search rankings. This is actually a myth, one that we at Hat Trick Associates have exposed and discussed with you before. There is no penalty for duplicate content. But also know that the SEO value of content that is not unique to your site will also not HELP your SEO rankings either, or do so in a very minor way. So only use duplicate content if it actually advances your business goals; if the duplicate web content helps you close a sale then it’s worth the effort it takes to share it. Otherwise spend your time somewhere else.

PageRank Correlates Directly And Precisely With The Search Engine Results Page (SERP)

This is a common myth, but not true. PageRank and search engine results are two independent things. The Google Toolbar’s PageRank feature displays a visited page’s PageRank as a whole number between 0 and 10. The most popular websites have a PageRank of 10, the least have a PageRank of 0. Google has not disclosed the precise method for determining a Toolbar PageRank value. The displayed value is not the actual value Google uses so it can only be used as a rough estimate.

PageRank measures number of sites which link to particular page. The PageRank of a particular page is roughly based upon the quantity of inbound links as well as the PageRank of the pages providing the links. Other factors contained within the algorithm include things like the size of a page, how up to date the page is, the key text in headlines, and the words used for the hyperlinks – the anchor text.

The Search engine results page (SERP) is the actual result returned by a search engine in response to a keyword query. The SERP rank of a web page refers to its placement on the list of search results, where a higher placement equals a better SERP rank.

But the SERP rank of a webpage is not only a function of its PageRank, but also depends on a relatively large and continuously adjusted set of factors (over 200), commonly referred to by content writers and internet marketers as “Google Love”. Search engine optimization is aimed at achieving the highest possible SERP rank for a website or a set of web pages, not the highest PageRank.Enhanced by Zemanta

The Many Benefits of Content Marketing

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Content marketing is becoming one of the most widely used forms of promotional strategies on the web today. It is cost-effective way to reach a wide audience base, yet it is not as easy as submitting a simple pay per click ad.

Content marketing is relatively cheap compared to most other options, but it requires you to invest your time, effort and a lot of patience before you can reap its returns. This is one of the reasons why many people are not sold to the idea that using content online is a good way to market their products and services. For those that do understand the true long-term value of web content, they have found ways to create it themselves or work with someone who can.

For those who are still uncertain about the advantages of content marketing, here are five factors that make content marketing such an effective online marketing strategy:

It’s cost-effective

Other forms of marketing need you to invest your fortune. In content marketing, it only needs time and effort to have your website, products or services promoted online if you are doing the work yourself. Working with an outside writer to create your content can also be very cost effective.

It lasts FAR longer than other advertising methods

On top of its being economical, your content stays on the web for an indefinite period, and continues to drive traffic long after your content has been published. Other methods of marketing get exposure as only for as long as you have the finances to support it. This is huge benefit when considering ROI for your marketing dollars.

It helps to build credibility

By consistently sharing helpful information on the web, you are actually making your content work for you because it gradually builds your reputation online. Over time, people will see you as an expert in the field that you are writing about. As your credibility grows, you will be able to establish trust. Trust is a big thing in business, as credibility matters very much in marketing.

It attracts traffic

Content marketing is intended to attract an audience with a certain degree of interest on your niche. These people will also be the ones who will visit your website to know more of what you have in there for them. Content which is focused on facts and solutions pertaining to the products or services it promotes will surely attract traffic.

It builds up your site’s SEO

By consistently publishing content, you are actually attracting search engines too. Search engines are always on the lookout for fresh content they can rank. Content which are infused with effective keywords will always catch the attention of search engines, moving you up in the rankings and bringing quality visitors interested in your services and products to your website. Great content also creates good links back to your site as other people share your information.

These are the primary reasons that web content marketing is so effective in promoting your business.

If web content writing and posting isn’t something you can (or want to!) do for yourself, consider hiring someone who can help you build your online content to reap the many rewards detailed above.

Contact me if you’d like to know a bit more about the potential content solutions that we provide, or conduct your own searches and see what options are available to you.

Whatever route you choose, for the health of your business – begin creating and sharing high-quality web content today!

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