by Linda Pophal
I have a love/hate relationship with search engine optimization (SEO). I understand SEO. I very often use the concepts in my own writing—and often use the concepts in writing for clients. Sometimes, though, and probably because I was a writer long before SEO was even “a thing,” I balk at what can seem at times to be a misguided focus—a singular focus—on SEO to the exception of everything else. Continue reading “SEO and Me: A Love/Hate Relationship”
Google Search Console (GSC) (formerly Google Webmaster Tools) is a free online resource of tools and reports that Google makes available to users to help them improve their websites and optimize them for search. If you have a website, you should be using GSC—or using an agency that can help you uncover valuable insights to help improve your website performance. Continue reading “Using Google Search Console to Improve Your SEO”
A lot of questions I see related to digital marketing tend to compartmentalize, or silo, various types of communications. For instance, questions about social media or even about specific social media channels. Or questions about blogging. Or questions about website performance. Continue reading “Communication Channels Don’t Work in Isolation: Be Strategic!”
This is the time of year for predictions and, as we approach a new decade, we thought we’d take a look back at the last decade to see how well the predictions we made then have held up. Here’s what we said then, where we are now and what we predict for 2020. Continue reading “How Did We Do on Our 2010 Predictions? A Look Back as We Approach 2020”
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a very important consideration in today’s digitally-driven content environment. After all, if you can’t get visitors to your site, and get them to engage with your content, you’ve obviously missed the mark. But, in an increasingly competitive quest to rank ever higher in Google SERP (search engine results page), some content marketers may go a bit overboard when it comes to chasing the numbers.
Continue reading “Are You a Slave to SEO Keywords? Why You Should Write for People, Not Bots”
Recently Entrepreneur writer Nina Zipkin covered a fascinating infographic put together by The Website Group, a U.K. – based digital marketing agency, Ahrefs, an SEO tool platform. The infographic looks at data collected and analyzed by Ahrefs based on two million random keywords. By looking at the top ten ranking pages for each of those keywords, they pulled together some great insights on how long it takes to get to that coveted top-ten spot. Continue reading “In-depth SEO Analysis Supports Taking the Time to Do it Right”
Search Engine Optimization, or “SEO,” is a frequently used and important tool in online marketing. Yet to many it’s an unfamiliar and intimidating concept that they may naturally shy away from. Fear of the unknown is understandable, but SEO is something that can’t be ignored if you want your online efforts to pay off. And, it’s really not as complex as the terminology might suggest. Continue reading “Navigating the Complexity of SEO: Some Simple Tips”
A year ago, we m
ade some predictions for the marketing trends we expected to see in 2016, and we feel we did well enough to give it another shot for 2017. Here are some of the trends we expect to see this year. Continue reading “Strategic Communications’ Marketing Predictions for 2017”
David Meerman Scott, a well-known marketing strategist, coined the term “newsjacking,” which he describes as “the process by which you inject your ideas or angles into breaking news, in real-time, in order to generate media coverage for yourself or your business.” He’s even written an ebook on the topic: Newsjacking: How to Inject Your Ideas Into a Breaking News Story and Generate Tons of Media Coverage.
The concept makes sense, and we all know that a great way to gain relevance online is by leveraging hot topics and news items that are beginning to trend-but it’s a competitive, and fast-moving, field. How do content marketers stay on top of the relevant trends and news in their industries to ensure they’re curating and communicating fresh, engaging content? Continue reading “Content Marketers: What You Need to Know About Newsjacking”
It’s hard to overstate the value of a good blog and the impact it can have on your business. Here when we’re talking about value, we’re talking about bang for your buck. A blog is essentially free, other than the time you put into creating content and the cost of the website on which you host it. And yet a quality blog can do so much to drive traffic to your website and to help establish yourself, and your organization, as thought leaders in your industry.
We’ve been blogging since February, 2009, and we’ve been doing it consistently (one of our highly recommended strategies for success). Here are our “top tips” on building a blog that will generate real results: Continue reading “Building a Better Blog”
