The marketing industry is diverse and ever changing, and one of the easiest ways to stay on top is to read the most relevant and pertinent blogs. There are thousands of marketing blogs out there that focus on different aspects of the marketing industry from optimization, conversion, advertising, and content.
image credit: Search Engine Watch
SEO as we know it is actually gone forever. The most recent Hummingbird update to Google’s search algorithm was a final nail in the coffin of an industry that had been in decline since the major Panda update in 2011 that affected as many as 30% of all search results. Are you dubious, or worried that our position is extreme?
Have you heard about Google’s 15th birthday present to itself? Last week, the world’s undisputed search giant rolled out an all-new search algorithm, dubbed Hummingbird because “it’s fast and light”. The name is a dramatic departure from the P-theme of their prior Panda and Penguin updates, but the company’s search chief Amit Singhal reports that Google Hummingbird is the biggest rewrite since 2001.
The shift’s been described as “silent,” despite the fact that the company’s engineers estimate it will affect around 90% of search results. The company’s offered few technical specifics on just what we can expect from Google Hummingbird, though search experts worldwide are quickly identifying what content marketers can expect in this all-new era of search.
If you’ve had a blog or website for very long, by now you probably know 2 important things about search engine optimization:
The trick to a successful website is twofold: first, you need to attract plenty of visitors, and second, you have to convince them to convert into readers, subscribers, and buyers. With the right strategy, you can achieve both goals and make your SEO do double-duty. The key is to use long-tail keywords.
Thanks to Google’s Panda and Penguin updates, getting your blog to appear on the first page of search results is trickier than ever. Building links is frowned upon, but you still need links to rank well. So what kind of link building strategy can you use to get the high-quality links you need without incurring the wrath of the Google gods?
The answer: a strategy that focuses on building relationships and benefiting readers.
Effective online marketing starts with thorough keyword research. The right keywords help you attract more visitors, make more sales, and rank higher and appear more often in search engine results.
But knowing the keywords your prospects use to find you online is more than just good SEO — it’s also good market research. By learning what your target market is looking for and what kind of language they use to find it, you can create products and content that are more attractive to them and that truly deliver what they want. That leads to a better reputation and more traffic and customers.
Did you know Google’s search algorithm changes 500 or 600 times a year? Updates to the world’s largest search engine can range from massive to minimal, but a single day rarely goes by without an update. Back in February 2011, Google introduced their Panda update, which affected around 23% of websites, devastated a number of small businesses, and changed the fact of SEO as we know it. It’s unfortunate that many marketing professionals today are a little wary of future algorithm changes, so Google’s Matt Cutts sat down a few weeks ago to reveal some insights on what we can expect this summer:
The era of being able to successfully get to the top of Google with smoke and mirrors is definitely over. We’re now in an era where quality content creation reigns supreme, and search engines are increasingly taking social signals into account to judge the quality and relevance of content.
That being said, keyword research still matters. Given that 89 percent of consumers still head straight to Google, Bing, or Yahoo to search for branded product or service solutions, a keyword strategy is a tool to ensure your company is ranking well.
There are ways to direct your energy that make a far bigger impact than others – and we’ve highlighted the best and worst practices for today’s content marketer:
SEO copywriting might seem boring and uncreative at first, and it can at times be very repetitive. But balancing search engine optimization with content marketing does not limit creativity. In fact, this unique combination often requires and strengthens the writer’s creativity.
If you’re in charge of your company’s blog, SEO is just as important for you as creating quality content that inspires engagement and generates leads. After all, if you’re not getting traffic, you’re not getting engaged readers or leads, either.
After you slave and sweat over writing those high-quality articles your readers love, use this checklist of 14 blog writing tips to properly optimize your blog posts.