Your article gets virtual cheers from your audience. The next one flatlines. What's going on? The problem may be a lack of consistency. You should follow the same standards to create a strong foundation for every piece. Continue reading
The post 3 Tips for Eyeball-Worthy Content appeared first on Content Marketing Institute.
Voice search is taking the search industry by storm…
While we are watching the breath-taking adoption of smart voice assistance and subsequent growth of searching-by-voice popularity, marketers still don’t have the fundamental question figured out:
With half of search queries predicted to soon be spoken (and hence half of the search results being spoken), where will the clicks come from?
In other words, does voice search mean the death of search referral traffic?
To some extent, it may… but this is by no means going to cause the death of digital marketing.
Voice search, or Conversational Search, is the state-of-the-art human/machine interaction wherein voice search-enabled devices can answer spoken search queries.
Conversational search platforms analyze spoken words and reply with responses in a computerized voice that resembles natural language. Voice search is currently integrated into a plethora of devices including mobile phones, tablets, streaming device remotes, and home assistants.
Speaking of the latter, currently, the four main voice search platforms are:
| Platform | Name of the assistant | Search engine being used |
| Amazon | Alexa | Bing |
| Apple | Siri | |
| Windows | Cortana | Bing |
To sum up:
To give you a bit of background before we get into tactics here, here’s how the search algorithms are changing to accommodate the growing voice searching trend:
With the rise of voice search came changes to old-school search engine platforms. Search engines like Bing and Google are slowly moving from a keyword-centric format to analyzing semantics and natural language processing which produces search results more on par with voice search.
In the Fall of 2003, the Google Hummingbird algorithm created an environment where SERPs are populated more with search results that use context clues like the type of device used, geolocation of the search, time of day, and previous searches of the user. To maximize the search result potential, Google uses a machine learning technology called RankBrain.
RankBrain is mainly used as a middle-man, interpreting the search to identify web pages that match the search criteria but don’t necessarily use the exact words of the search phrase. RankBrain relies heavily on semantics, going beyond keywords and diving into the contextual meaning of the search phrase. Voice search is a new reason for content creators to focus on the structure of their content and analyze each web page and article to answer specific personas.
In February 2018, Backlinko, a go-to source for SEO and content marketing advice, published a research study where they gathered and analyzed 10,000 Google Home (a voice search enabled virtual assistant device) search results. Backlinko examined 11 ranking factors and six content-focused factors.
Now that we all generally understand where we are coming from, let’s get to tactics here:
Remember how I mentioned above that search engines understand context much better now. No keyword is isolated: Google uses machine learning and semantic analysis to understand what each typed or spoken query really means.
Well, there are tools that can help you think like Google. TextOptimizer uses Google’s search snippets for your query to extract the context (related terms and concepts) using semantic analysis. What you need now is to select those that apply to your product and naturally cover them in your product description.
Keep working on your product description until TextOptimizer scores it at least at 80 or higher.
Another voice search SEO practice is optimizing content for the 5W + H questions, or who, what, when, where, why and how.
Isolating a single snippet of information allows Google and Intelligent Agents to answer the 5W + H questions quickly and succinctly. Becoming a quick answer to a problem is a massive boon to your web page.
Use tools like Answer The Public and, again, TextOptimizer (its Topic Ideas section) to research related questions and cover them on your product page:
Adding an on-site glossary (internally linking to your product pages) is another good idea to generate some visibility from information-intent-based searching and still getting some sales by providing your product as a solution. Here’s a good example of a glossary that is well structured and well-optimized.
Use H2 and H3 headings to point search engines to your page structure and hierarchy. This also helps the page to get featured more, even if you are currently ranking below the top 5 organic search positions:
Image Source: digitaleagles.com.au
Getting featured is your best bet to rank for voice search queries and the smart keyword-optimized use of subheadings is your best bet to get featured.
Serpstat Text Analytics is one of the best ways to create your optimization strategy that is geared towards content structuring. Provide your query and Serpstat will analyze your competitors’ title and heading usage and return the clear optimization steps for you to do an even better job than them:
Image Source: SEW
Finally, if you organize your page with bullet points, tables, and highlights, voice search platforms will better understand your content.
An added benefit is that clean organization increases readability and gives an incentive to scan through before leaving, so you may see more people willing to engage with your product page instead of leaving it immediately.
While keeping SEO simple is still a good idea, search engines could always use some help in understanding your pages better.
Schema.org generally helps search engines better understand and faster interpret your page. When it comes to voice search optimization, it also helps them pick up important numbers, like prices, deals, and the review score. If these are read to a voice search user, they will be more likely to add your product to the shopping cart.
Schema App is a nice (paid) tool to integrate schema.org with your eCommerce website. If you use WordPress for your eCommerce site content management, there’s a variety of plugins to choose from.
Voice search results are tightly connected to mobile search results: Whatever you are seeing ranking #1 or being featured on mobile will likely be read to a user in response to a voice search query. This makes mobile rankings even more important.
Rankedy is one of the few SEO platforms recognizing the importance of mobile position tracking and giving a clear report combining both the desktop and mobile search:
With its Rank Journal feature it’s also easy to spot some important correlations as to what influenced ranking change:
While I understand why many years of focusing on traffic may impact the overall SEO mindset, this is not the question to ask.
If there’s voice searching, there will be voice buying (Hint: it already exists). Don’t go after clicks: Aim at making your products easier to discover and possible to buy without ever using the screen, and you’ll stay (or become) ahead of your competition.
All in all, as Microsoft’s @PurnaVirji put it, the basic principle remains the same:
“The best way to think about what to d, is to find ways to best serve your audience. What are pain points that conversation can make easier? Start with that. Then leverage voice search for the discoverability it can help provide.”
Voice search is an ever-growing technology that more and more users are adopting. Marketers have the chance to utilize a new SEO format to advance their page further. In a voice search, the first result is the only one that matters.
For best voice search SEO, you have to develop a conversational format and take a guess at what search engine users will ask to land on your page.
Guest author: Jessy Troy is co-owner of Hire Bloggers, a blog dedicated to helping bloggers find paid gigs or even full-time jobs. You can catch up with me on Twitter as @JessyTroy
The post How To Optimize Your Product Page For Voice Search appeared first on Jeffbullas’s Blog.
Bad FAQ pages confuse, bore, and fall short of their SEO potential. But FAQ pages done right can pay off for your users and your branded and non-branded keywords. Here’s how to do it. Continue reading
The post How to Use Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Pages as an SEO Treasure Trove appeared first on Content Marketing Institute.
It sounds so easy. Start a blog. Make money from it. Be your own boss. Live anywhere.
If you’ve ever started a blog and attempted to grow it into a money-making machine, you know how hard this is – how hard it is to consistently write, attract new readers, and come up with interesting ways to monetize.
Never fear, help is here! If you’ve been dreaming about turning your blog into a business, here are five strategies bloggers are using in 2019 to make money.
While most strategies require you to have thousands and thousands of readers, these methods can be profitable even if you have a smaller audience.
If you’ve ever seen a disclaimer on a blog that the author will receive a commission if you purchase a product through the links on their page, this is an example of affiliate marketing. It’s a method where blog owners can promote products and services and earn a small percentage of revenue from every sale.
Affiliate marketing works best when you only promote products that will benefit your readers — the ones you would recommend even if you weren’t getting paid.
With that in mind, when you come across products, services, or apps you think your readers should know about, find out if the company has an affiliate program you can join.
Most affiliate programs are free to join. If you want to sell consumer goods, you might want to consider starting with Amazon.com. The e-commerce giant lets anyone promote products through its Amazon Affiliates program.
Once you sign up, you generate a custom link to the product on Amazon. Then you place this link on your website. Anytime someone buys the product through the link on your website, you get money.
Once you have a loyal following, affiliate marketing can be a great source of passive income.
With the rise of different types of website building tools, it’s becoming easier to sell products directly on your website. This method is a little more complicated than affiliate marketing because you’ll have to consider manufacturing, storing inventory, and shipping orders.
That’s why many bloggers use drop-shipping or fulfillment companies instead of turning their home office into an e-commerce warehouse. With drop-shipping, products are branded and shipped straight from the manufacturer. All you have to do is process the orders on your blog.
With fulfillment companies like Amazon FBA, you can send a shipment of your product to a warehouse where they handle storing and shipping orders.
When it comes to which products to sell, the options are nearly endless. You could sell branded merchandise featuring your logo or website name. T-shirts, hats, mugs, towels, and stickers are popular options.
If you’re an artist, you could create new pieces to mass-market on your site. If you’re a fashion blogger, you could partner with a designer to offer one-of-a-kind articles of clothing for your site.
Coaching and consulting services are a great way to make money quickly when you’re starting out with a blog. To get started, consider what topics you have in-depth knowledge of.
It could come from prior professional experiences or hobbies where you have invested significant time. Based on this expertise, you can offer one-on-one or group coaching and consulting services.
To be successful in this model, you’ll need to be able to attract loyal customers who are willing to pay for your help. This will require marketing of your blog and likely building a social media presence.
While there are many coaches and consultants in the market, you can use your blog to differentiate your services and offering. You can use your entries to build your brand and demonstrate your value proposition.
The key to success in this area is keeping an entrepreneurial mindset when setting your rates. It is tempting to set low rates to attract clients – and there are times when it makes sense to offer introductory discounts – but you have to remember that you’re offering expertise in these sessions and should be paid appropriately.
It’s easier than ever to create and sell courses online. You can use a third-party platform like Teachable or Podia, or host it directly on your site.
Similar to coaching, online courses are a way to leverage your knowledge and expertise into income. The difference is that online courses can provide passive scalable income. After the initial work of creating a course, you can keep making money as long as new students join.
To get started, get a sense of what topics your current blog readers are interested in or questions they are struggling with. You could also conduct simple market research to determine what your target audience is focused on. With these subjects in mind, develop an in-depth course that provides a solution to your blog readers.
Once you have a loyal fanbase, consider offering an online membership option. Memberships, where readers pay a set amount each month, can be a strong source of recurring revenue rather than a one-time purchase like a course or product.
In exchange for their monthly payment, members will expect something in return. As a blogger, you can keep certain advanced content inside the membership area.
Another option is to give members special discounts to products and courses, or early access to new content. An active community forum within the membership area can also draw readers to sign up.
Some bloggers choose to go with a direct appeal that just asks for people to become members to help sustain the production of high-quality content on the site.
Whether you’re a long-time blogger or just starting out, don’t listen to the naysayers! There are plenty of ways to earn money no matter how many subscribers you have.
Think about monetizing your blog the same way as publishing content — adding value and providing benefit to readers should always be your first concern.
Each of these methods has its own unique challenges, but with a little determination, you’re sure to find the best way to monetize your blog in 2019.
Jon Nastor is an entrepreneur who helps people start online businesses and find side hustle ideas. He is also the host of Hack the Entrepreneur, which has received 4.8 million downloads, since its launch in 2014.
Original post: 5 Ways to Monetize Your Blog in 2019
A branding agency ran a full-page ad in the Economist that caught my eye a few years ago. The headline read: “The World Belongs to Those With Something to Say”.
Underneath the headline was a photo of Donald Trump and Nigel Farage, standing together on stage… the implication all too obvious. The ad went on to explain the world-shaking potency of having a clear and compelling message – regardless of one’s politics, and in some cases, regardless of the actual facts.
They’re dead on. And to drive the point home, let’s just slightly adapt that headline: Your Market Belongs to Those With Something to Say.
By contrast, most marketers seem to view their content strategy as a form of “organic retargeting” – where each ho-hum article, video or social post is the equivalent of tapping their dozing prospects on the shoulder, merely reminding them that their brand still exists.
And not surprisingly, the results from a typical existence-reminder campaign are consistently underwhelming – expect perhaps a small trickle of activity each time you publish something.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. In fact, what if I told you that a single post on your blog could shake your industry? (Not to mention, elevate your company to celebrity status in your niche).
It’s true. And luckily, this is a knowable and repeatable process. So let’s dive in and unpack the method for discovering – and then harnessing – the real forces that drive your market so that you can turn your content into a waterfall growth channel… instead of just a drip campaign.
Everything starts with understanding what forces are currently driving your market.
What fears and anxieties are keeping people up at night? Are there any game-changing opportunities in play (or on the horizon)? Are there outside forces or new regulations that will fundamentally change how your market operates?
Whenever possible, harnessing these types of emotional undercurrents is what will generate a chain-reaction everywhere your content gets distributed – where your initial promotion is merely the catalyst.
And this chain-reaction isn’t just exposure – content that effectively taps into these undercurrents will also generate waves of new followers, subscribers, customers, and outright raving fans… which are huge marketing assets.
By contrast, “filler content” will only generate pageviews.
So obviously, striking the right nerve is critical. With that in mind, let’s talk about exactly how to find these undercurrents, and measure their potency…
Shameless Plug: Zag (my startup) has an awesome content research tool that makes it easy to find all the most heated discussions and viral content across your market, in seconds. For example, here’s the most-shared (recent) content that it found relating to ‘content marketing’:
Anyway, those are my go-to sources for discovering the hidden drivers in your market. Keep in mind that another valuable resource is going to be your own customers. Pay attention to sudden spikes about key concerns that show up across your support and social channels.
Now that you know how to spot these undercurrents… let’s talk about how to harness them.
Successfully tapping into a hot topic is equal parts art, science, and luck. The challenge, of course, is doubling-down on a message that will command attention and break through the noise.
One way to do this – as illustrated by Donald Trump and Nigel Farage – is by using controversy. Or arguably, overly-simplistic solutions to complex problems. But I’d advise caution with this approach, since controversy is a double-edged sword, and it can profoundly backfire.
Luckily, there are some other engagement strategies that work wonders for punching through the noise, with minimal risk of backfires – specific to each underlying cause:
And in general, whatever the undercurrent is – double down on a core message that’s built on an epic solution of some kind, specifically for your target audience. This can be things like a strategy guide, a step-by-step process, a curated list of resources, or a bespoke tool you’ve created.
This is the best way to cut through the noise, harness the awesome power of the emotional forces that drive your market, and drive substantial publicity in the process.
But this leaves one lingering question… and it’s one that many content marketing “experts” conveniently gloss over:
“How do I actually get my message to my market?”
Let’s break it down, step by step…
Unless you already have a sizeable audience, the impact of sharing your trend-tapping, market-shaking message with a few hundred followers and subscribers – while still worthwhile – is going to be fairly limited.
You’ll need to leverage existing platforms and other people’s audiences. Here’s how to do that for maximum impact:
Power tip: Find influencers who actively share content by monitoring where your competitors are getting mentioned. We even have an app for that 
Power tip: Sometimes it makes more sense to answer questions, where you mention your content in your response (instead of starting new threads). This is frictionless and also a substantial source of traffic. Our platform has a tool called First Responders that finds questions like this in real-time, across thousands of communities, including Reddit.
Power tip: Retargeting display ads to a segmented audience of people who have clicked to view your content (on Medium, Youtube, etc) but who haven’t yet converted, can yield substantial ROI in contrast to regular advertising.
There are various other ways to distribute your content, but in our experience, the processes described above – in combination with a truly powerful message for your market – will give you the most mileage.
You’ll always have a few “duds” now and then, but if you run this process consistently (even just once a month), you’ll be amazed at how much traffic and impact you can have in your market – often with just a single idea, strategy or solution.
Yes, it’s more involved than low barrier activities – like simply posting your content across your own channels. But at the same time, pound for pound, I’ve yet to discover a more effective way to drive serious, game-changing exposure with content marketing.
And on top of it all, this is to say nothing of the SEO impact that this kind of substantial promotion can have for your brand’s domain… but that’s a whole other discussion.
Bottom line: Just try this process once, and watch what happens.
I predict you’ll be pleasantly astounded
Guest author: Chris Rempel is a veteran SEO, growth marketer, serial entrepreneur, and the founder of Zag.ai (a marketing intelligence platform for serious content marketers & SEOs).
The post The Foolproof Method For Turning Your Content Into Serious Traffic appeared first on Jeffbullas’s Blog.
How you design your community’s “neighborhood” plays a huge role in how your audience experiences the brand. Stay away from cookie-cutter neighborhoods with this advice from the front lines of community management. Continue reading
The post If You Give a Community a Cookie … How to Create a Great Digital Neighborhood appeared first on Content Marketing Institute.
The time for digital lethargy has passed…
If you run a small business, you NEED an online presence.
It’s as simple as that.
Today’s consumers – your customers – have a certain expectation for the availability of information.
They want to unlock their smartphone, type a query or business name into Google, and decide whether or not they want to buy from you all before you even know who they are.
If your website doesn’t show up when they go through this process then they will happily go and buy what they need from your competitor.
Sound scary and intimidating?
That’s ok… the good news is that starting a website isn’t all that hard to do. In fact, I’m confident that almost any small business owner could have their very own website up and running within 24 hours by using this guide. So let’s get into it.
Perhaps the biggest hurdle for small business owners when it comes to starting a website is the sheer amount of misleading information available online.
A complex web of competing priorities and biased advice makes it hard to know where to start and which path is going to be best for your business.
You’ve got drag-and-drop website builders, development and design agencies, website software solutions, and an array of other businesses who have a hidden agenda when it comes to helping you get your website up and running.
The truth is, most of these options will be expensive and offer very little, if any, additional functionality and value to the solution I’m about to talk about below.
Especially when it comes to website builders, such as Wix or Weebly, they tend to be quite restrictive in what you can do. And don’t get me started with design and development agencies, for the most part, they are charging a huge fee for something that is painfully simple to do.
So, instead of wasting a ton of time, money, and effort just to end up with something you’re only partly happy with, consider building your website with WordPress.
The beauty of WordPress is that it is extremely user-friendly and easy to use, plus, it is customizable to suit businesses of all shapes and sizes. (This website is built using WordPress)
This reason, as well as the fact that WordPress is a free platform, is why it is miles ahead of the pack in terms of worldwide usage, making up over 50% of all websites that use a content management system:
Image Source: BuiltWith
Yes, WordPress itself is a free platform. But there are costs associated with starting and maintaining a website.
The costs you need to consider include:
A small business WordPress website can cost anywhere from $100 to $1,000+ to launch and run each year, but if you know what to look for you can get a great outcome much closer to the low-end.
Ready to get started with WordPress for your small business website?
Here is a simple step-by-step process for what you’ll need to do:
Your domain name is the URL that people will use to access your website. Something like “mysmallbusiness.com”.
Owning a domain name is a critical part of the experience your potential customers will have with your business online. It is much more professional than having a generic domain name that is associated with a free website builder.
When you are choosing a domain name consider three things:
Imagine if Apple had the domain name “computersandphonesonline.com”… it just wouldn’t work, would it?
Most hosting providers (which I’ll get to in a moment) allow you to purchase a domain name from their repository, and unless you want something super-generic, like “Apple.com” you’ll be able to secure a domain name for about $10-20 a year.
As I mentioned previously, your web host is a company that stores the backend data of your website and enables it to go live. All of your website files, photos, content, and other information is “hosted” in a database.
The problem with choosing a hosting provider is that there are literally thousands of them, so it can all be a bit confusing and overwhelming.
Each small business that is looking to build a web presence will have unique needs, so it’s best to think about what you care about most.
Typically, there are three key criteria that you would use to decide which web host is right for you:
The easiest way to find a web host that suits your needs is to use HostAdvice.com. HostAdvice provides an extensive database of hosting providers, which you can search and compare based on price, functionality, user feedback, and tons more.
For example, you can use their quick link menu to see the best hosting services for WordPress or Small Businesses:
Then, you can use the powerful search filters to find the best web hosts by Price, Disk Space, Server Location, and an array of other factors:
When you narrow your hosting selections down to a few options, you can use HostAdvice’s comparison table to see all of the features side-by-side:
Then, as a final piece of due diligence, you can dive deeper into the hundreds of user reviews for each hosting service:
The great thing about most hosting providers is that they will offer free guidance on buying a domain name and getting your WordPress website setup. Bonus!
Ok, great, you’ve got a domain name and a web host… What next?
Well, at this point your website will look much like a blank canvas. So you need to use what is called a “Theme” to design its look and feel. WordPress Themes are essentially a template or structure that sets up your website and makes it easier to work with.
There are over a thousand free themes in the WordPress Theme Directory, which you can see here:
Of course, if you’re looking for something a bit more custom, on-brand, and flexible for your unique business, then you can buy themes from third-party websites and install them via your WordPress dashboard.
One example of a theme provider is ThemeForest. ThemeForest has over 44,000 WordPress themes starting from as little as $2. The value in buying a theme, rather than using a free option, is that the theme creator will typically offer support and guidance on how you can set your theme up and replicate popular design looks. For example, this preview of a theme shows you what it could potentially look like for different business types:
Once you’ve picked a theme, you can customize its look from in your WordPress dashboard using the theme’s installation instructions.
There you have it, a simple 3-step process for starting a small business website with WordPress.
What’s holding you back from ramping up your digital presence?
Your customers are waiting…
The post Why Your Small Business Should Start a WordPress Website (And How to Do It at Low Cost) appeared first on Jeffbullas’s Blog.
