What is Local SEO & Why is it Important for Businesses in Pokhara 2024?
In today’s competitive digital landscape, the significance of Local SEO cannot be overstated for businesses aiming to attract local customers…
What is SEO in Marketing and How does SEO work?
In this age of Digital Marketing, SEO or Search Engine Optimization has risen as a prominent and best way to market your business as websites and products easily reachable to customers or clients…
5 Best Free SEO Tools For a Competitive Edge
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has proven to be crucial in this modern internet world. SEO does the work of attracting organic traffic from search engines. Without it, well, you’ll have a difficult time reaching out to people.
But optimizing your website can be a daunting task, especially if you are just starting out. Don’t fret too much. It’s difficult but not impossible to rival the ones that have already established themselves. Fortunately, there are plenty of free SEO tools available on the web that can help you analyze and improve your website’s performance.
In this blog today, we share the best free SEO tools for a competitive edge in the online world. Whether you are looking for keyword research, backlink analysis, or site auditing tools, there are many great options available. We’ll talk about these tools.
If you want another subscription-based premium list, check our blog on Best SEO Tools to Take Your Site To The Next Level.
5 Best Free SEO Tools To Take Your Website To The Next Level
- Google Analytics
- Google Search Console
- MozBar Extension
- AnswerThePublic
- Yoast SEO
1. Google Analytics
Google Analytics should be your first option for any SEO Tool. Google Analytics is a free-to-use web analytics tool by Google (of course) that gives a user valuable site insights and analytics.
The tools provide users with information on their audience demographics, interests, and behaviors to help make data-driven decisions to improve their site.
It uses metrics such as first-time visitors, bounce rate, visitor reactions, session duration, new sessions, pages per session, conversion rate, and page views to provide the admin with essential data.
Another of Google’s strong features is its ability to track down the source of traffic. It categorizes it into country, device type, search engine, and such. In addition to that, Google Analytics provides in-depth data on marketing initiatives and campaigns, making it valuable for marketers alike.
Google Analytics is a free-to-use tool and you’ll never need to actually pay. While there is a premium version of the tool called Analytics 360, you might never need it. Google Analytics 360 is for large-scale companies with advanced tracking. But for most businesses, the free version of the analytics is more than enough for gathering information and insights for optimization.
Pros:
- The most important features are not behind a paywall. It’s completely free
- Customizable reports
- Seamless integration with other Google Tools
2. Google Search Console
While some people might think Google Search Console and Google Analytics are the same things, they both serve different purposes.
To keep things simple, Google Analytics is focused on insight into how users interact with a website while the console is focused on the performance of the site in SERPs, One is about establishing a presence, and another is to maintain a presence.
Google Search Console is a free-to-use tool that gives a user in-depth information into a website’s performance in search engines.
The console’s search performance insights provide site owners with information on search performance, search queries, impressions, and click-through rates. These data can be used to identify areas for improvement.
It also helps more with the technical aspect of SEO. It alerts owners to any issues such as broken links, security issues, crawling, and indexing errors. Basically, it’s a staple for any website to identify and resolve technical issues.
Google Search Console is completely free to use without any paywalls. So, you can unlock its full functionality simply by verifying the ownership of your website.
Pros:
- Completely free to use
- Alerts for Issues
- Easy integration with other Google tools
- Can submit sitemaps
Don’t know what sitemaps are? Learn all about Technical SEO through our ultimate guide.
3. MozBar Extension
Let’s divert away from Google for now. Coming up third for the best free SEO tools, we have MozBar.
MozBar is a free browser extension created by Moz who is a leading provider of SEO software and tools. With this tool, all the important SEO metrics are easily accessible through the browser.
This free tool can quickly and efficiently analyze a website’s domain authority, pages, backlinks, keyword difficulty, and such. Add that to its detailed on-page analysis, we have a strong tool for SEO analysis.
MozBar can be used to analyze the data of various different websites, making it efficient. Users can also access other metrics such as social media shares, page speed, and CTRs.
MozBar displays the Domain and Page Authority of any website on the SERPs. The higher the authority, the better the website ranks on the SERPs. It includes a variety of factors such as backlink quality, number of root domains, and inbound links.
Yes, it does have a paywall but you get useful information without the premium too. MozBar premium offers keyword difficulty score, page optimization, and other deeper metrics for you to analyze.
Overall, MozBar is a powerful and useful tool for anyone involved in SEO. You can access valuable SEO information on any website you visit through just a simple extension.
Pros:
- Quick and Easy Access
- On-Page Analysis
- User-Friendly Interface with easy setup
- Free to Use
4. AnswerThePublic
We’ve talked about SEO analysis enough. Let’s talk about keyword research now.
Keyword research is particularly very important as search queries are done through keywords. You’ll get traffic to your site if you target the proper keyword. If you own a recipe-based site, your keyword probably should be revolved around cooking, not how to change a tire.
An honorable mention to Google Keyword Planner. Google Keyword Planner is a free-to-use keyword analysis tool to determine how good your keywords are. It displays the average search rate, 3-month changes, competitiveness, and the bids people place on the keywords. It’s a very useful tool but we believe we talked about Google quite a lot.
AnswerThePublic is a free keyword research tool that displays how relevant your keywords are. It helps discover newer and better keywords by displaying what people are searching for. It collects user searches for a particular keyword and displays it in a convenient way.
The tool displays search volume, cost per click, prepositions, comparisons, and indicators for the keywords you research. The tool also sorts out questions people ask into categories, making it easy to identify common queries.
NP Digital’s keyword research tool also provides insights on “long-tail” keywords. These keywords tend to be more specific but have a higher conversion rate. It’s best people target long-tail keywords for maximum gains.
AnswerThePublic’s free-to-use version is limited to just 3 queries a day. The premium version gives you unlimited searches, more in-depth insights, and the ability to compare your data over time. While the premium version is ultimately always better, there’s a lot you can get off of just the free-to-use version.
Pros:
- Generates a lot of high-value keyword ideas
- User-friendly interface
- Convenient data display through infographics
- Free to use
5. Yoast SEO
What CMS (Content Management System) do you use for your website? What system do you use to publish, edit and manage your content?
The most common answer to that question is WordPress. WordPress is free to use easy website builder and CMS is used by over 45% of all the websites in the world. And this is where Yoast SEO comes in.
Yoast SEO is a WordPress plugin used for optimization reasons. Instead of manually recording your data, managing optimization issues, and evaluating it, Yoast does it for you.
This easy and free-to-install tool comes with everything you need to start ranking your site in search engines. It overlooks most of your site’s technical issues and evaluates each page of your site for improvements.
Yoast comes with its own content analysis tools, evaluating and providing suggestions for improvements for best SEO practices. It also helps in the content creation process, making sure you follow the SEO checklist properly.
Keyword Density? ✅
Meta Descriptions? ✅
Readability? ✅
Internal Linking? ✅
Redirects? ✅
And so much more. The tool makes sure your content creation process is both user-friendly and optimized for search engines.
We have talked about sitemaps before. Yoast SEO can also create XML sitemaps so that search engines can crawl and index your sites more effectively.
You can also optimize your content for social media. Improve the appearance of your shared content through custom images, formatting, and descriptions.
Finally, Yoast SEO offers a range of premium features for more advanced users, including support for multiple focus keywords, internal linking suggestions, and the ability to preview how a page will appear in search engine results.
Yoast SEO Premium does pack a lot more than its free-to-use version. Yet, it isn’t all that necessary. The free version is still a powerful tool that helps site owners optimize their content properly for search engines.
Pros:
- Easy to Use and Navigate
- Content Analysis with social media optimization
- Sitemap creation
- Free to Use
Using SEO tools helps identify your problems with plenty of room for improvement. It isn’t a bold statement to say that SEO tools are a MUST for any digital marketer or website owner if you want business. By properly implementing SEO strategies with the help of tools, you will definitely get more traffic and conversions.
If you are looking for more powerful tools behind the paywall, read our next blog on the best SEO tools to take your website to the next level.
5 Best SEO Tools To Take Your Website To The Next Level
Establishing a strong internet presence has become mandatory for any business in a world where everything is online. This is why Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is important to attract more traffic. SEO helps you with increased visibility and traffic to your site.
There isn’t a specific strategic approach to Search Engine Algorithms as they keep evolving. But what we have are tools to help keep track and help optimize your site to rank higher. There are many optimization tools out there on the market and we will narrow it down.
Well, no beating around the bush. You want a guide on some of the best SEO tools out there to help you rank better. In the blog, we discuss the best SEO tools to take your site to the next level.
Note: Most of the tools given below are free to use but have most of their content blocked behind a paywall. We recommend you check out their pricing as they are subject to change over time. All the numbering for these tools is done in no specific order.
If you want another free-to-use list, check our blog on Best Free SEO Tools.
Best SEO Tools To Take Your Website To The Next Level
- Ahrefs
- SEMrush
- MozPro
- Screaming Frog SEO Spider
- Woorank
1. Ahrefs
Ahrefs is a notable name in the field of SEO. It is a powerful SEO tool used by many digital marketers to analyze, optimize and track their online metrics. While Ahrefs is a pay-to-use tool, it still provides some free-to-use tools for website owners. Some Free Ahrefs Tools are:
Ahrefs Webmaster Tool is a powerful free-to-use tool that allows users to monitor their website’s SEO health. It consists of all elements such as backlinks, organic and paid searches, keywords, site audits and so much more.
While yes it is still limited, It’s a great tool for starters or people who want to improve their SEO and marketing efforts. Users can easily view their crawl errors and identify which keywords have been organically listed. To get started, simply click on the link here.
Please note that you will need to verify the ownership of your website to use the free tools.
Other tools for people to use are Ahrefs broken link checker, site explorer, SEO extension toolbar, and keyword generator that generates keyword ideas based on a primary keyword. Site Explorer analyzes the quality and quantity of inbound links, marketers can identify opportunities to improve their website’s authority and credibility with search engines. This feature however is extremely limited on a free-to-use version. We’re yet to talk about the paid features yet.
One of Ahrefs’ key features is its Site Explorer, which allows users to gain insights into their website’s backlink profile. By analyzing the quality and quantity of inbound links, marketers can identify opportunities to improve their website’s authority and credibility with search engines. Site Explorer provides information on top-performing pages, organic search traffic, and keyword rankings.
It also comes with a lot of powerful tools, but that’ll be for you to explore.
Pros
- Comphresneive and up-to-date backlink analysis
- Well-documented and easy to navigate
- Constantly adding newer features for more in-depth insights into your website performance
- Has free tools for people to use
Pricing
- Free tier: Access to Webmaster Tools, 5000 crawls per month
- Lite: $99 per month, or $83 per month if paid yearly
- Standard: $199 per month, or $166 per month if paid yearly
- Advanced: $399 per month, or $333 per month if paid yearly
- Enterprise: $999 per month, or $833 per month if paid yearly
2. SEMrush
Coming up next on the best SEO tools we have SEMrush. Like Ahrefs, SEMrush is an advanced SEO tool that gears up a user with all the useful information to increase their traffic. And yes, most of its features are also locked behind a subscription. Let’s run down its tools and consider if it’s worth paying.
SEMrush offers a wide range of features such as in-depth SEO analysis, backlink profile, keyword ranking, and advertising analysis tools. Advertising analysis is a notable feature of the tool that helps users identify their competitor’s strategies. Knowing what your competitor is up to is the biggest advantage you can get.
Additionally, you will get content marketing, market research, advertising, social media, and agency tools at your disposal. With such powerful tools in your hands, it’s sure to produce notable results.
SEMrush’s features make the tool a valuable asset to any SEO enthusiast or digital marketer.
Pros:
- Advertising insights with competitor information
- Social media management
- Has the good quality of life features
- Free Trial
Pricing:
- Free tier: Limited access to tools with 10 requests a day
- Pro: $119.50 per month, or $99.95 per month if paid yearly ( 7 Days Free Trial )
- Guru: $229.95 per month, or $191.62 per month if paid yearly ( 7 Days Free Trial )
3. MozPro
Just like the previous tools, Moz Pro is a popular SEO tool that offers a wide range of features to help users optimize their websites for search engines. Let’s learn why it’s on the list of the best SEO tools in the current market.
One of the most appealing aspects of Moz Pro is its keyword research function which offers insights into search volume data alongside difficulty rankings. It’s basically got most of the SEO tools that you’ll ever need.
Custom report-making options allow businesses to professionally package and share vital SEO data with employees or clients almost effortlessly. It also features a spider tool to audit your website and highlight possible issues and recommendations to fix them.
Moz Pro does provide users with a free trial to test out the initial features. The tool has many features that make it an excellent choice for businesses of all sizes to help improve their website’s search engine rankings.
Pros:
- Comprehensive SEO Toolset
- Custom Reporting feature
- Easy to Use
- All of Moz Pro’s plans come with 24-hour online support.
Pricing:
- Free trial: 30 Days
- Standard: $99 per month, or $79 per month if paid yearly
- Medium: $179 per month, or $143 per month if paid yearly
- Large: $299 per month, or $239 per month if paid yearly
- Premium: $599 per month, or $479 per month if paid yearly
4. Screaming Frog SEO Spider
While all the tools given above objectively do the same thing, this one’s different. Screaming Frog SEO Spider is primarily a website crawler, i.e. it falls more on the technical side of things. The tool allows a user to identify technical SEO issues on their website.
Read more on the complete Technical SEO Guide You’ll Ever Need
Since the tool is just focused on one aspect, it does that best. The SEO spider crawls websites quickly and efficiently giving users detailed reports on technical issues. Broken links, duplicate content, missing pages, redirects, metadata, and more.
Screaming Frog SEO Spider does have a free version, however, as expected is limited. The free version of the tool allows users to crawl up to 500 URLs on a single website and can also export data but this feature is limited to CSV files only.
If you want a tool that addresses your technical SEO issues, then Screaming Frog SEO is the way to go.
Pros:
- Detailed technical website analysis
- Strong crawling tools to identify root problems
- Customizable reports
- Has a free-to-use version
Pricing:
- The license for a year costs 259 US dollars but varies if you want multiple.
- 1 to 4 Licenses come to 259 US dollars per license annually
- 5 to 9 Licenses come to 245 US dollars per license annually
- 10 to 19 Licenses come to 235 US dollars per license annually
- 20+ Licenses come to 225 US dollars per license annually.
5. Woorank
Now this one is for digital marketers, or so people say. Woorank is a powerful SEO tool that provides users with an in-depth analysis of their website’s SEO performance. It’s not that different from other traditional SEO tools but stands out a bit in the field of social media and marketing.
Another unique feature of WooRank is its competitor analysis tool, which allows users to compare their website’s performance against their competitors. This provides valuable insights into how they can improve their search engine rankings and gain a competitive advantage.
Woorank tool offers a range of features to help users identify technical issues, optimize their website’s content, and improve their search engine rankings.
Pros:
- Gives mobile and social media analytics
- Competitor analysis with customizable reports
Pricing:
- Free trial: 14 days
- Pro: $79.99 per month, or $53.25 per month if paid yearly
- Premium: $199.99 per month, or $133.25 per month if paid yearly
- Enterprise: Contact them for a personalized rate
Note: You get 4 months free if you pay for the yearly subscription
Conclusion
SEO tools help you save time and increase your efficiency. It streamlines the process and automates time-consuming tasks with analytics, keyword research, and monitoring. Imagine having to do that all manually, finding the correct data with precision would have been impossible. Tools help point out errors and solutions that we would have not gotten manually.
We have given the 5 best SEO tools to help you in your SEO journey. Always use tools to help your SEO for an edge against your competitors.
8 Must Know Tips For Image Optimization
Ever been redirected to a website when clicking an image on Google search? Or perhaps you clicked away from a site as it looked unappealing without any graphics? Images play a huge role in any industry. Website and Search Engine Optimization is no different.
As the quote goes, a picture speaks a thousand words. Not only do your pictures help give information, but they also add a visual appeal. We also know that images play a massive role in your SEO and may impact how well you rank. Optimizing your images for SEO can enhance your user experience, leading to increased traffic.
In this blog, we’ll answer your question on how to optimize images for SEO and cover its essentials. We will break it down into simple tips so that you won’t have any difficulty at all.
Tips For Image Optimization
- Choose The Right Image Format
- Compress your Images
- Optimize File Names
- Use Descriptive Alt Text
- Mobile Optimization
- Image Sitemaps
- Image File Structure
- Avoiding Copyright
1. Choose The Right Image Format
Did you know, the file type of the images you upload to your site plays a role in SEO? Choosing the right file format for your images is an important step.
JPEG, PNG, and GIF are the most popular file image formats used on the web. We recommend you use these formats too. Alternatively, you can opt to convert your images to WEBP format. A WEBP format produces high-quality results even though it has a relatively small size. Squoosh is a free-to-use browser tool to convert your images to WEBP.
Recommendations for Format Uses
- JPEGS: Standard pick for most images including blog posts and screenshots. JPEG is a lossy format, where you compromise quality for size. The optimization isn’t all that bad though, your images will still retain quality. Not recommended for photographs or complex images.
- PNGS: Best recommended for logos, icons, and high-quality images. It has a better image quality but with a larger file size.
- GIFS: These are animated images, use where you see fit! GIFS are ideal for adding small, eye-catching elements to your website. But have a larger size.
It is also to be noted that the higher the quality of your pictures, the more size it will take. The more size it has, the longer your site will take to load. Images are essential but there will be some balancing for you to do. More on size compression in a bit.
2. Compress your Images
If your website takes just a second extra to load, it might lead to a higher bounce rate. In this world where attention spans are getting shorter, it’s essential to have your content load on the go. This is why, things like image sizes add up.
An easy fix to help your site load faster is to compress your images. Large images tend to slow down your website and are frustrating for your visitors. It isn’t all that difficult either. There are many free-to-use tools all over the internet you can use for image compression.
Some good image compression tools you can use are TinyPNG and Compressor.io or even do it through Photoshop.
Make sure to check your page speed through Google PageSpeed Insights.
It’s important to find the right balance between reducing your file size and maintaining image quality. There are people who recommend uploading image sizes less than 200KB. But don’t go overboard with image compression! No use of a low file size image if it looks like a bank camera footage. Make sure you are using the correct file format as we discussed beforehand.
Read more on Website Load Speed Tips
3. Optimize File Names
Might be a big bummer for some of you but unfortunately no. You just cannot name your image Sasdd or some random mumbo jumbo and call it a day.
Be descriptive with your file names. Like said before, don’t put meaningless/ generic names to your images like “123” or “img1” or something like that. Use names that accurately reflect what your image is about.
The above example shows what your typical file name should be. Instead of something random, we’ll fill it with something a SE crawler can read and process.
If you want to space your texts, use hyphens instead of underscores. Helps search engines read file names more easily. Incorporate relevant keywords into your image file names. This can help improve your website’s SEO and make it easier for search engines to understand the content of your images. Don’t overdo it either. Just make sure the keyword is there with relevant context.
4. Use Descriptive Alt Text
The following tip is basically the same as the previous tip but leans a bit more toward the technical side. An Alt text is a descriptive text added to an image in HTML code. Its purpose is to help visually impaired users or search engines to understand what your image is about. Users have a higher word count they can play with but still should try to keep it simple. Keep your alt texts concise like around 125 characters.
It’s now a known fact that clarity and conciseness is the key to your SEO. So, try to be accurate with your alt description and don’t use it as an opportunity to stuff keywords.
5. Responsive Image
If you are acquainted with SEO well enough, you know the role of responsive websites. Mobile users make up a bulk of your incoming site traffic and a responsive website ensures your mobile viewers are having a quality time.
Similar to responsive websites, responsive images play a crucial aspect in mobile optimization. Image optimization adjusts the resolution of your image according to the user’s device specifications. Be it a tablet, iPad, or phone. This feature is important for mobile users as they expect fast and seamless access to websites (that’s the entire thing about mobile phones, it gotta be fast). Responsive images ensure a positive user experience.
In addition to improving user experience, responsive images can also help to reduce page load times. Large images can slow down page load times, which can have a negative impact on SEO. By optimizing your images for mobile devices with responsive design, you can ensure that the images on your website are optimized for different screen sizes and resolutions, while also reducing their size and overall impact on page load times.
6. Image Sitemaps
Image sitemap files provide search engines with information about the images on your website; location, caption, alt texts, and other metadata. To keep it simple, take image sitemaps as a directory where you can store and upload new images.
Image sitemaps sort of work like alt descriptions. It provides search engines with more information about your images than you might be able to do on the page itself. If your image doesn’t have much text-based content, you can use sitemaps to describe what your content is for.
It isn’t strictly necessary but considered a good practice.
Search Engines like Google often include images in their search results. You can take full advantage of this fact by providing your image sitemaps to search engines. This way, your chances of being shown in a relevant search query are very high.
Sitemap creation isn’t difficult either. There are plenty of tools like Yoast SEO or Google Search Console that can generate an image sitemap for you. Submit your image sitemaps to the respective search engine so it can crawl and index your images properly.
7. Image File Structure
The image structure is the organization and presentation of images on your website. This can be done both visually and through codes. Image structure helps search engines understand and interpret your images accurately.
Google stated that its search engine uses the file path and names to rank your images. You read it correctly, yes NAMES. So be it hotdog or not, you sure will be using the correct file structure to rank your images higher. Structure your images into sub-folders and categories to optimize your image structure better.
8. Avoid Copyright
Copyright is an issue most newbie bloggers or content creators often overlook. Using other people’s creations/images without their consent can lead to legal consequences. Many times, using copyrighted images will end with a fine or severe warning.
How to avoid copyright? Here are quick tips on how to get access to copyright-free images.
Go to the Google search bar and search for the picture you would like. Just below the search icon, you will see a tools option. Click on that and a new section pops up called “usage rights”. Make sure you select the creative commons license.
Get the picture you want from that section. They’re completely free to use.
Alternatively, if you are looking for sites that offer free stock images and videos:
These two are just one of many sites that offer free-to-use stock images without any copyright issues. While you may not find very niche images, it still has millions to offer.
Make sure you use non-copyrighted images or ask for prior permission from the owner before use. Additionally, if you want another safe layer of security, get a written or signed proof of ownership permission lest any problems in the future.
Images play their own role in your SEO. Make sure you are following the best practices to have an edge over your competitors. We gave our insights and tips on the topic and hopefully, you know more about how to optimize images for SEO.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why optimize images for SEO?
A: Image optimization helps improve your rankings in SERPs through Google’s algorithms. Properly optimized images improve user experience through alt texts, responsive images, and faster page load times.
Q: What file format should I use for my images?
A: The file format you use depends on the type of images you intend to upload. In most cases, you will be using a JPEG format as it’ll take less space. We don’t recommend you use GIFs often.
Q: What is alt text?
A: Take alt text as a description of your image that helps search engines and visually impaired people understand your image. Optimize your alt text by using keyword-rich phrases (no don’t overdo it) and properly describing what your image is about.
Q: Is it necessary to create an image sitemap?
A: Creating an image sitemap can help search engines discover and index your images more easily, which can improve their visibility in search results. While it's not strictly necessary, creating an image sitemap is a best practice for SEO and can help your website's overall search engine ranking.
5 Common SEO Mistakes To Avoid in 2023
SEO is a free and organic method to gain traffic and conversions. It’s a constantly evolving field that requires attention and experience. To rank high is another thing but to know how a search engine ranks your content? Impossible. We don’t know the proper algorithm behind search engines. But what we are sure of are the false practices and mistakes that negatively impact their site. Let us list the most common SEO mistakes to avoid so you can stay mistake-free.
Key Takeaways
- Your primary focus should be on user experience. A good user experience leads to lower bounce rates and higher customer retention.
- Conduct thorough research on your keywords before starting your content writing/production.
- Avoid excessive keyword stuffing to focus more on delivering high-quality content.
- Do not plagiarise, copy or steal someone else’s content.
- Don’t forget to optimize your content for Local SEO.
- You learn from mistakes and experiences. Always analyze your mistakes, practices, and strategy for the best results.
1. Ignoring User Experience
“As long as I have content, people will read it.” This is probably one of the biggest elephantocious misconception people can have about SEO.
Good quality content aside, user experience plays a key role in two things; First impressions and customer retention. User experience directly impacts how users interact with your website.
A first impression is the last impression. If you make a positive visitor impression, it’ll go down the line very well. A well-designed and intuitive user interface can lead to less bounce time and more conversions.
It can be as simple as choosing the correct font for your sites, managing contrasts, picture quality, and such.
Avoid any clustered layout and try to keep it simple. Remember, it should be simple yet effective. Confusing or disorganized website navigation can make it challenging for users to find what they’re looking for.
Your site should make a user achieve their goals easier. The more user retention you have, the more loyalty you build. A site with a good user experience has a competitive edge too.
Avoid slow page loading times. Ever been in a situation where you just click off a site because it takes a while to load? Imagine yourself in that situation with your site. Ensure your website has a fast loading speed as a slow-loading website can frustrate users and lead to a high bounce rate.
Don’t forget about responsive sites! A responsive site is a website that is designed and developed to adapt to various screen sizes and devices. It provides users with an optimal viewing experience across all devices, from desktops to smartphones, by adjusting its layout and content to fit the screen size.
Mobile users make a bulk of online internet searches, so make sure your site is well-optimized for them too. Conduct user testing, and gather feedback from your audience to identify areas for improvement.
2. Keyword Stuffing and Research
Next on the list of common SEO mistakes is Keyword Research. Keyword research plays an important role in SEO, perhaps the most important. Keyword research is important to determine which keyword will lead to higher traffic and conversions.
It can be difficult to determine which keywords are relevant to a particular topic or industry. As a result, websites may not be optimizing for the right keywords, causing them to miss out on potential traffic and sales.
Keyword research helps to identify the most valuable and relevant keywords for a particular industry, allowing websites to optimize their content accordingly.
Just because keywords are Keyword stuffing is the practice of overusing specific keywords in website content or meta tags in an attempt to manipulate search engine rankings. This technique is considered a black hat SEO tactic and can lead to penalties from search engines, resulting in lower search rankings. So more isn’t better after all.
Just spread your keywords here and there, do not stuff. Same for title tags too. Your title tag should focus on only one or two keywords.
But we cannot ignore the elephant in the room. Quality content. If your site lacks informative, engaging, and relevant content, bounce rates will skyrocket and popularity decreased. This is also noticed by search engines and they’ll rank your content even lower.
Produce high-quality content without plagiarising and duplicating it to improve user engagement.
3. Poor Link Building
Imagine link building as building connections in real life. However smart or rich you may be, connections are very important. Link building helps improve a website’s reputation and authority on SERPs. The more dominant your site is, the more likely your site’s content will rank higher.
Try to interlink your site’s content with one another. This way, people can have a deeper experience inside your site, like a wormhole. It’ll lead to a lower bounce rate and higher user interaction.
The process of linking and crediting other sites is called outbound linking. These types of link help build authority and build trust with search engines. The more a reputable source links to you, the higher your chance of getting recognized.
But there used to be a loophole around this. A common practice people do was to purchase links from shady sources.
Yes, you’ll get the links but poor-quality ones. If you don’t get links from sites that are not in your niche, search engines can recognize them pretty well. Reciprocal linking is another false practice where you exchange links between sites.
It’s acceptable to some degree but you can be penalized for it.
Read more on Backlinks and Tips on How To Improve Them
Make sure your main objective is creating high-quality content that will naturally attract more traffic and backlinks over time. Use outreach strategies to promote your content to relevant websites and social media platforms.
4. Ignoring Local SEO
You may have known the other common SEO mistakes people make. But how about this one? Ignoring Local SEO proves to be a common mistake among many.
According to Google, more than 45% of the total searches made online are local. This means people living near the same geographical location as you have a higher chance of finding your businesses/site. If you own a business, you definitely cannot ignore local SEO.
Numbers-wise, over 80% of the people who do a local search compare businesses. Your business could be one of them too. Make sure your content is well optimized, Google reviews well set up, and high-quality content.
Businesses can easily improve their visibility in search results for users searching for products or services in their local area. Not optimizing your content for local SEO can lead to fewer leads, conversions, and ultimately lower search engine rankings.
One of the strong points of Local SEO is audience targeting. By optimizing your online site for local search queries, you gain more visibility whenever a local search is made.
What if My Business Focuses On A Global Scale? Do I Still Need Local SEO?
Logically speaking, no. It would not seem important as your business or site does not cater to a single geographic location. But, local SEO can still be a good tool for reaching out to potential customers locally.
There can be people who want your service that may be living in your area. So Local SEO helps with that. It’s about gaining new additions, so Local SEO will definitely help you a lot.
5. Not Analyzing and Measuring Results
Last but not last, we have a result analysis. Out of the most common SEO mistakes, perhaps this lies at the top. It’s essential to learn from your mistakes and very few people tend to do that.
But a simple habit of checking how well your content or site is doing can fruit in wonderful results.
Not measuring and analyzing SEO data leads to difficulty in determining the efficiency of current strategies and missing out on valuable insights. The insights can be used to enhance a website’s visibility in search engine results.
A tracking system should be implemented using tools such as Google Analytics and Google Search Console to monitor website traffic, keyword rankings, and other metrics.
The data should be frequently reviewed to inform future SEO tactics. For instance, if particular keywords drive significant traffic to a website, then optimizing content around those keywords is a wise investment.
Another solution is to engage an SEO professional experienced in measuring and analyzing data. They can identify underperforming areas and recommend ways to improve SEO strategies.
Moreover, they can set up tracking tools and provide regular reports on website performance, ensuring that the site continually improves and achieves its SEO goals. Carry out your content and site audit today with Growfore for the best results.
Avoiding these key but common SEO mistakes will definitely help you improve your site’s search engine rankings. Always remember, to focus on the user experience first. Your site is nothing without its users so it’s for the best if your site is as user-friendly as possible. Conduct keyword research, do not spend time optimizing content with difficult or random keywords. Don’t stuff them either.
Link your sites and have others link yours through high-quality content delivery. Do not neglect local SEO either as they can make a bulk of your business.
5 Tips to Improve Your Local SEO
If you are familiar with SEO, Local SEO needs no introduction. However, if you’re new-ish, just understand local SEO as optimizing your site for a specific local area. It could be just a city, a state, or an entire country.
This is the digital era where online searches play a very very VERY important role in consumer decision making. And a bulk of those online searches are done to search for local businesses, as much as 90%. The percentage alone illustrates how vital local SEO is for attracting potential customers and converting them into loyal ones.
Getting your content optimized for local people is crucial if you own a local business or provide services to a specific geographic area.
Over time, Google’s advanced algorithms have prioritized more on local search results when users send a query. These local search results provide quick and efficient options to the users and are preferred. As a result, search engines prioritize local businesses in SERPS to give users more personalized and relevant information to its users. It’s a win-win for both the search engine and the users.
How to Improve Local SEO? We’ll simplify the process for you. Let us dive into some pointers and strategies to enhance the local SEO that will help you improve your local visibility and traffic.
Key Takeaways:
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1. Claim your business in Google My Business platform to place your business in SERPs and Google Maps 2. Conduct keyword research and on-site optimization to organically attract viewer’s attention 3. Request customers to leave a review on your business 4. List your business in local directories and earn citations 5. Involve your business in local events and occasions 6. Make use of social medias to establish your online presence even further. |
What is Local SEO?
Local SEO is about tailoring your services, products, and online content to people locally. Your website and content cater to the search behavior of local customers so that you’ll appear in their SERPs more often.
Do I need Local SEO?
Simple answer. If you run a business or a service that has a physical location or provide services in a specific area, local SEO can be of big help.
A general search query for a local is ”[product/service] near me”. In the search result above, the user (me) wanted some hotdogs. The results here show restaurants that can provide some good ones according to ratings.
If your services are well talked about online, that’s a new source for business and customers.
Try your search optimization journey with Growfore today for the best results.
Local SEO vs Traditional SEO, What's the difference?
The difference between these two SEOs boils downs to the target audience. Traditional SEO aims to improve the reach and visibility on a global scale while local SEO is just the opposite. It’s more personalized and narrowed down to a specific geographic area. The main goal of local SEO is to drive more local people to your site for products or services.
Here are some amazing tips to get your local SEO journey started:
- Claim Your Google My Business Listing
- Optimize Your Site For Local Searches
- Earn Local Citations and Backlinks
- Encourage More Online Reviews and Ratings
- Don’t Forget Social Media
No worries, we’ll go more in-depth on these topics.
1. Claim Your Google My Business Listing
Creating your Google My Business (GMB) account is one of the most important steps for your local SEO. A GMB Account enables businesses to manage their company/business online to ensure they appear in the local search results.
It is a free tool that costs no money and allows you to customize the way your business is presented to users online. Your business profile allows you to connect with customers, post updates on it, read reviews from customers, list products and so much more.
By claiming your GMB listing, you can end up in Google Maps and local search results. How convenient. Business owners can update their business info with names, addresses, phone numbers, operating hours, websites, services, and pictures. With so many optimization features, it’d be a grave mistake to not create an account already.
Moreover, you won’t need a real physical address to place claim your spot in the GMB listing. As long as you make in-person contact with customers, you are good to go. This includes plumbing, cleaning, or other in-person services that might not have a head office.
This tip isn’t only for Local SEO. Make sure you have your GMB account to place your business on Google Maps. This way people who come near your locality can know about your business if they’re searching for one.
How To Make a GMB Account?
- Visit the Google My Business website and click on the “Manage now” button.
- Sign in to your Google account or create a new one if you don’t have one already.
- Enter your business name and address. If your business is already listed, claim the existing listing; otherwise, create a new one.
- Verify your business by phone, email, or mail. Google will send a verification code or a postcard to your business address.
- Once verified, you can complete and optimize your GMB listing by adding accurate information, photos, operating hours, and other relevant details.
- Remember to regularly update your GMB listing, respond to customer reviews, and monitor insights to maximize the benefits of your Google My Business presence
2. Optimize Your Local Searches
It’s not SEO anymore if you don’t have on-page workings to do. If you own a website, on-page SEO is important. On-page SEO is about optimizing your website for keywords you found relevant in your content. On-page SEO allows search engines to understand the relevance of your website content. So if you are familiar with keyword targeting for a global audience, research relevant keywords for a local audience.
A well-optimized site has:
- Enhanced User experience: It’s a general benefit to SEO. By organizing your elements such as meta tags, headings, and contents in a relevant, well-optimized way, you can boost your rankings in the local search results.
- Targeted Local Traffic: With proper keyword targeting, you will be getting in traffic from local customers.
- Increased Click-Through Rates: Better keyword targeting and optimization will automatically lead to higher click-through rates. With a well-optimized site, your business will be listed high in the local search results.
- Increased Conversions: More the CTR, the higher the chances of conversions. Additionally, by having a well-strategized conversion plan you will have increased conversion rates.
So How Should You Do It?
- Do keyword research
If you want to improve your website’s visibility in local search results, make sure you conduct a thorough research. Incorporate location-specific keywords so your business appears at the top. Here’s how you can do it. Google Keyword Planner is a great free tool to help you research keywords.
If you own a restaurant at let’s say Melbourne, your meta title for blogs can be “Best Restaurant in Melbourne”. Follow it up with a meta description highlighting your unique selling points. Do the same for your headings. Your H1 heading could be “Best food in Melbourne”.
- Sprinkle information about your business
Make sure you sprinkle some information about your business and what it specializes in throughout your content. Do not overdo it. Make sure it’s natural and informative. This helps search engines understand what and who your blog is about/for. Your content should have strong keywords likely to be searched by users.
- Optimize your images
Use images that have a lower file size to ensure a faster loading page. Your images should also not be shy of eye-catching infographics with alt texts and descriptions. Learn more on Image Optimization with our Full Image Optimization Guide.
- Location-Specific Landing Pages
You should have a few landing pages dedicated to a specific target location. That landing page should have relevance to the area you are targeting for. Don’t forget to include information about your business, products or services, customer testimonials, local reviews, and any location-specific details that can help users make informed decisions.
- URL Structure
Optimize your URLs to include location-specific keywords. For example, if you have a landing page targeting “Dog grooming services in San Francisco,” an optimized URL could be “example.com/dog-grooming-san-francisco.” This makes it clear to both users and search engines what the page is about and improves the likelihood of ranking for location-specific searches.
- Schemaorg
Schema.org is a project that contains all structured data markups supported by search engines. Users can use Schema.org to find the markup they need for their particular page. Learn more about Schema here.
Want to know about more amazing free SEO Tools for your websites? Learn more about free SEO Tools.
3. Earn Local Citations and Backlinks
Think of it as advertisements. Local citations are online mentions of your business on various internet directories. It’s like a backlink from business listings, review sites, websites, and other platforms. These types of citations all lead back to your site and establish credibility and relevance in a specific location.
Backlinks are of a similar type and are very essential to any kind of SEO strategy to establish authority and relevance. We all know what strong authority and credibility result in; a higher site ranking.
How Should My Business Earn Citations?
Directories are platforms that lists and provides information on local business. An example of a directory is TripAdvisor. It contains all the required information on the business and is a great source for earning citations. Research and identify local directors that are well-established and have an online presence to claim your business on their platform.
Make sure you have uploaded relevant information on the directories and is consistent across all platforms you claim your business in. Make sure you have relevant and consistent information as false information is a big no-no.
Secondly, try to partner up with other local businesses or organizations. It’s a real business after all and sponsorships aren’t that farfetched of an idea. Consider sponsoring local events, and participating in community events to establish your presence. Getting your business known by the locals is a great way to have your business locally boosted.
When building citations and backlinks, you should focus on quality over quantity. Go for sources that have established themselves well over time and are relevant to your industry. Be genuine in your outreach efforts and provide value to the local community, and you’ll be more likely to earn valuable citations and backlinks.
4. Encourage Online Reviews and Ratings
The first thing people look for when they discover a business is its ratings. How well is the service /product provided by a business? Ratings play a huge role in search engine algorithms and impact how high you are placed in the SERPs. A good amount of positive reviews for your business improves your business’ visibility.
The first impression is the last impression. Once a potential customer sees the review on your business, it’s highly likely a good review they read will put a good impression. It helps customers make informed decisions about your goods and services. Positive reviews are social proof that validates the credibility of your business. So don’t take reviews lightly.
How To Generate Positive Reviews From Satisfied Customers?
This goes without saying, providing excellent customer experiences. If a customer is satisfied, make them double satisfied (just a new term I made up) with your customer experience. A good business-to-customer interaction is sure to generate positive reviews.
Research shows that requesting people to leave a review on the app store, or subscribe to a youtube is more likely to have a successful conversion than leaving otherwise. Similarly, actively ask customers to leave a review. Make reviewing process easy by providing customers with links to review platforms.
You could additionally provide some offer in exchange for a review too. Just make sure you comply with the guidelines of review platforms and ethical practices to generate fake reviews.
Use social media. Social media is a great way to interact and engage with customers for a business. Be online, publish content, and share it on your social media accounts. Don’t forget to request people to leave a review!
5. Use of Social Media
This last and final tip cannot be emphasized well enough. Social media do what they are best at; being social. They help boost your online presence and visibility within your local community. There are many social media that you can make use of to establish your online presence.
Let’s talk about a few of the popular social media and how you should strategize your SEO plans.
- Facebook: Have a Facebook page for your business with accurate and relevant information and description. Make sure to share updates and engage with your audience. Facebook pages also have a review system through their likes and stars, encouraging them to leave reviews!
- Google My Business: While not strictly a social media platform, Google My Business (GMB) is crucial for local SEO. Claim your business listing, provide accurate information, and regularly post updates, photos, and offers to place yourself higher on local search result pages.
- Instagram: It’s a platform to share pictures. So share visually appealing photos and videos of your products, services, and local events. Use location-based hashtags, engage with local influencers, and encourage user-generated content by running contests or featuring customer posts.
- Twitter: Share timely updates, news, and promotions about your business. Engage with local customers, industry influencers, and other businesses in your area by mentioning them and participating in relevant conversations.
- YouTube: Create video content showcasing your products, services, or local expertise. Optimize your video titles and descriptions with local keywords. Share your videos on other social media platforms and embed them on your website.
Learn more about the Role of Social Media in SEO and Best Practices.
Remember to stick to three important principles: Consistency, engagement, and relevance. Update your social media with relevant pictures, posts, and profiles, and engage with your audience.
Engagement is important as it’s better to retain an old customer than try to acquire a new one. Provide good content/products/services tailored to your local community. Utilize your social media strategy well to place yourself higher in the SERPs.
Conclusion
We know the need for local SEO for your business to flourish locally. By implementing the tips we stated above, you can improve your website’s visibility in local SERPs more easily. We listed out the best practices for your local SEO to drive the intended traffic to your business. What’s there to remember? Not much. Focus on relevant keywords, claim Google My Business listing, get local citations, request reviews, and customer engagement on social media.
And like stated before, remember the three maagical principles.
5 Tips To Build High Quality Backlinks
You have learned through countless experts and articles that backlines are essential to SEO. They drive visitors from one site to another as referrals. A high-quality backlink will not only help increase your website’s rankings but also build authority.
Not everything is easy and getting a complete grasp of technical SEO takes time, effort, and patience. It isn’t easy but we can simplify the process. Here we share the best tips to build high quality backlinks. Buckle up!
Key Takeaways
1. Check the domain authority of the site linking back to you and have a good traffic volume 2. Select evergreen keywords for your blog titles 3. Use Guest Blogging to reach newer audiences 4. Find sites that upload content in your niche and suggest they replace broken links with your content as alternatives 5. Think long term, social media can be a great way to acquire backlinks and build stronger relationships. |
5 Tips To Build High Quality Backlinks
1. Focus on quality, not quantity
Focus on building higher-quality backlinks from authoritative websites rather than smaller websites. Google’s algorithms are getting increasingly sophisticated which spells bad news for link farmers.
Simply put, if a website with high domain authority and relevant content links to your website, it is more likely to improve your search engine rankings than if several low-quality or irrelevant websites link to your website.
You should use tools such as Ahrefs or Moz to check the domain authority of the sites that have linked you to their site. Make sure they have a good traffic volume.
You should also consider the relevancy of the website that links back to you. It should match your website’s niche and content. For example, if you specialize in recipe sharing, it’s better to have backlinks from sites that focus on culinary arts too. We’ve talked more about backlinking in the Full Technical SEO Guide.
Secondly, on the topic of quality content, there’s evergreen content. It’s a type of content that does not need to be changed. I.e it remains relevant and valuable to readers at any time.
It could be about the history of hotdogs, you know, something that cannot be changed. While catching up to the current trends is definitely helping you gain that traffic, publishing evergreen content helps you rank higher in the long run. Evergreen contents are tough to outrank too.
This type of evergreen content is more likely to attract links naturally, which can help to improve your search engine rankings. Think of it, would you still care about some meme trend that was relevant years ago?
If you want to create evergreen content, do an in-depth keyword analysis for content in your genre. Follow it up by writing content many times better than your competitors. It’s a friendly competition, so you should do your very best.
Note: Make sure your selected keywords are evergreen; not seasonal, or trend based. These can include holiday-themed events, promotions, time stamps, etc.
2. Guest blogging
Guess blogging refers to creating and publishing content on someone else’s website as a “Guest” with the aim of driving back traffic to the guest’s site. It’s like person A writing an article for person B but subtly/purposefully promoting their site in return.
It’s a popular strategy used by site owners that creates a win-win situation for both the guest and the site owner. The guest gets more exposure, the site owner has fresh and relevant content.
Start your guest blogging journey by first identifying websites that fit your niche. Review their content and ensure each other’s requirements are fulfilled. It’s important to adhere to the website owner’s best interests by creating high-quality content.
Make sure to build your backlink profile by inserting your author bio and sprinkling links back to your site. Not all sites accept guest blogging, so it’s essential to research and contact one if found. Don’t overdo it though. Never overdo anything.
Look for guest blogging with a higher domain authority because as we discussed before, a good backlink = higher you will be on SERPs.
3. Broken Link Building
This is a technique that may take time to do, but still worth every minute spent. Broken Link building is an act of finding broken links on another person’s website and replacing them with relevant links back to your site.
Broken link building is a great way to build higher-quality backlinks which improves your SE rankings. It also drives more traffic to your site as people who check other websites can now be redirected to you through links.
Once you find a broken link, it’s your responsibility to convince the site owner to replace the link with yours. Your link should be relevant and informative so it can act as an alternative.
Like Guest blogging, it’s a great situation for both you and the site owner. You get traffic and referrals, the site owner gets an improved user experience through relevancy.
Do not spam the site owners for broken link replacement. Avoid spamming and only refer/suggest. It’s ultimately the site owner’s choice to replace the link.
Why not shoot them an email like this?
Dear [Site Owner’s Name] I hope this email finds you well. I came across your website, [Website Name], and noticed that you have a broken link on your page [Page Name]. The link seems to no longer work. I wanted to offer a solution by suggesting a replacement link that I believe would provide value to your readers. I recently published a comprehensive guide on [Topic Name], which I think would be a great fit for your page. The guide provides in-depth information on [Topic], and I believe it would enhance the content on your page. Here’s the link to the page that I think suits as a better alternative. Thank you for your time and consideration. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Best regards, [Your Name] |
With the right approach and a bit of effort, broken link building can be a powerful tool for building high-quality backlinks and improving your search engine rankings.
4. Infographics
Coming up next on tips to build high quality backlinks, we have infographics. Infographics are a visual representation of information that is easy to digest and share. Infographics are a mashup of texts, graphics, and other visual elements.
A good infographic uses all three elements to create a readable and informative image that can be easily shared.
Infographics are a powerful tool for building backlinks. Start by creating a high-quality infographic that falls under your niche. Do not overdo your infographics and avoid clustering. Clean good infographics that play with colors and most importantly, are informative.
Promote your infographics through social media and other platforms. Alternatively, you can also reach out to other websites and bloggers to share your infographics. Guest blogging, Infographics, and broken link building play well together to help drive more traffic to your site.
You can also submit your infographic to infographic directories and other websites that showcase infographics. Some good sites for submitting your infographics are:
If you make infographics that your audience will be interested in, you can get people excited about your brand and make them trust you more.
5. Social Media
Backlinks from social media platforms do not have a “high” quality. They’re generally considered to be a low-tier backlinks as they have a “nofollow” attribute on their links. A nofollow link tells a search engine to not count as credit.
We talked about this in #1 Tip about quality over quantity. So why did we bring it up? Hear me out. Putting social media as a tip can prove to be contradictory but for a good reason.
Just because you get a low-quality backlink does not mean it’s worthless. Social media is a huge marketing platform for any business. What it cannot make up on a quality backlink makes up for engagement and reach.
A good engagement from your followers can expand to newer audiences. This can in turn lead to newer backlinks to your site from other websites that viewed your content through social media.
Social media also do what they are best known for; being social. These media can build relationships with other people and influencers which can lead to more backlinks in the future. Think about the long-term success that you will get over time through social media.
In conclusion, it’s not about how well social media credits will do but how many more it will passively generate for you. It can still have a positive impact on your SEO and should be a part of your marketing strategy.
If you plan to do SEO, you should have a long-term plan. Just like mastering any art, building quality backlinks takes time, effort, and patience. Hopefully, these tips to build high quality backlinks help you start off on something.
How To Use Google Ads To Drive Traffic And Conversions
Your site is done, contents or products are on standby, and you’re ready. All that’s left is for people to come to visit your site. Unfortunately, gaining traction organically can prove to be difficult. Establishing a prominent online presence takes time.
Most consider taking a quicker route to customer reach, i.e. spending money on advertisements. It’s not for nothing either. According to Google, a well-made ad has a conversion rate of 4%. It doesn’t seem much but multiply it by the thousands of people it’s shown to, and you’ve got a lot of customers.
Here, we’ll guide you on how to use Google Ads to drive traffic and conversions to your site. Get the best Return on Investment (ROI) by implementing our strategies below.
Key Takeaways
- Traffic is just the number of people your ads reached out to while conversions are the number of sales made through the traffic.
- Identifying your target audience is the key to any ad. They’ll help determine your keywords, ad type, and campaign lengths.
- Indicate benefits, strong calls to action, link extensions, and responsiveness to your advertisements for the best results.
- Refine your advertisement methodologies through trials and analytics tracking.
- Avoid any false practices through any advertisement platforms as they’ll give bad rep and penalties.
Introduction to Google Ads
Google Ads is an advertising platform that allows businesses to reach newer people and gain customers. The platform works for all businesses, regardless of size or background. It uses a pay-per-click (PPC) model meaning advertisers only have to pay when someone clicks on their ad. It’s a cost-effective approach to advertising, a win for both Google and advertisers.
If you want to establish an online presence through advertising, it’s best recommended you use Google Ads. With Google Ads, advertisers can target specific keywords and demographics to reach their ideal audience.
What is The Difference Between Traffic and Conversions?
Simply put, the number of people who click on your ad and are redirected to your website is ad traffic. It indicates the number of people the ad reached out to.
Conversions refer to the traffic that resulted in a purchase or required action. It can be anything from a sale to filling up emails for newsletters, anything. Conversions indicate how successful your ad was in gaining new customers.
Traffic is a measure of volume while conversions are a measure of performance. Both are important for a business, so they can’t really be put one over the other.
How To Use Google Ads | Planning Your Google Ads Strategy
It’s kind of a rhetorical statement but you’ll need a Google Adsense account to begin first. Don’t have it? Start right away!
- Identifying Your Target Audience
Identifying your target audience is important for creating ads. It’s the foundation of your advertisement as you’ll build your ad focusing on the audience.
Make sure you know what you’re selling. To whom are your products concerned? If you have a business for cakes, you’ll need to target audiences that love pastries.
Conduct market research and understand the demographics of your current customers. If you want minute details, include age, gender, interests, and locations. Finding an effective customer pattern is essential as it’ll help you get more customers in the long run.
Consider all your competition. There’s a lot to learn from them, the strategies they use, and all the gaps in the market you can fill. - Set Target Goals and KPIs
KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) are used for tracking your performance. Once your target is set, you can begin your ad campaign. Whether it’s to get more brand awareness, generate leads, boost sales or improve customer engagement, KPIs help track how well your campaign is going.
You will determine the KPIs that’ll help track your progress. Supposedly, if your target is to increase the traffic to your website, your KPI should be the number of people that visit your site during the campaign. It isn’t just limited to the people visiting your site. It can be CTRs, ROI, CPAs, and much more.
Set up your campaign goals and KPIs to help determine how well your ad is doing. It’ll help provide essential analytics to improve your ads. - Determining Budget and Timeline
Your budget depends on the size of your business. Most probably you’re a small or decent-sized business wanting to know how the industry works. Well if you’re one of the big shots, glad to be of help. Budgeting and timeline work hand in hand. If you want your ads to stay for a longer timeline, you’ll need a higher budget. If it’s for a short time like for a few weeks, it’ll cost less. Make sure to know what you’ll be paying for.
Keyword Research and Selection
Keywords direct users to the information they’re looking for. Chances are, you can help drive traffic to your website and increase conversions if you have the right keywords. The same strategies can be used for keyword selection as you did for finding out your key audience.
Conduct keyword research to find out high-value keywords. High-value keywords are more likely to be searched by users. There are multiple free/paid keyword planner tools that help you find keywords. (Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, Ahrefs). Look for keywords that have high search volume but low competition as it’s difficult to try and rank among the most competent ones.
Try Keyword Research with Growfore for in-depth competitor analysis.
Make sure you optimize your keywords by regularly reviewing and updating your keyword lists. Tracking your analytics is important so you can find flaws and fix them accordingly.
Ad Creation Process
While we aren’t the best in terms of creating advertisements, we know what’ll work best for everyone.
- Highlight Benefits
Highlighting the benefits of your products/services/site is better than listing the features. Benefits one-up the competition while making sure your advertisement is not densely packed with information (a big no-no).
- Have a Strong Call To Action
Make sure your advertisements encourage the audience to take action by using clear and compelling language. You can see this in practice in so many advertisements all over. “Apply Now”, “Do this”, “Do that” and all that.
- Be Creative
In this world full of saturated things, try to keep your advertisement fresh and creative. Try out new things and experiment with different ad formats to see what fits. Keep up to date with the current trends and gags so you can resonate with your audience more.
- Add Extensions To Your Ads
Make sure you have a direct link from your ads to specific relevant sites. No use of your ads if all they do is redirect to 404s. Another thing, if you are not advertising a product, try to not include the price. It’ll kind of force out a conversation with the buyer, giving more chances for a sale.
- Keep Things High Quality
Use high-quality images that are clear and concise. Don’t use dull or unmatching colors as they won’t grab the viewer’s attention. We know simple and concise is the way. Overloading your ad with too much information won’t do you any good.
Responsive Ads
The types of ads that adapt to display sizes of all types are known as responsive ads. These ads work on all devices regardless of their screen sizes. Responsive everything is the best practice for any advertiser/website owner.
Learn More about Responsive Sites and Their Importance
Use high-quality images for your responsive ad that does not lose clarity even when resized.
Launching and Monitoring Your Campaigns
Your ads are now set. They’re clear, visually appealing, and well-strategized. All that’s left is to launch the campaigns.
Make sure your budget is set realistically and aligns with your goals. Your KPIs should be well monitored through the help of analytics tools provided by Google Adsense themselves. These data are key to helping modify your advertisements accordingly.
Once you know which keywords are performing better, try to increase their bid. The higher you bid for the keyword per click, the more likely it’ll be shown to others. As for the ones that aren’t performing that well, just decrease their PPC.
Ad Testing and Refining
A common testing method to refine your ads used by most advertisers is the A/B type. You create two identical versions of the same advertisement and place the campaign. The ads will only have slight differences from each other like the color, fonts, contrasts, and placements.
You’ll automatically know which ad performs better through analytics. Use it to refine your campaign for better performance and user interaction.
In conclusion, Google Ads are a sure-proof way of gaining traction in the online world. If done correctly, it’ll act as momentum to help consolidate your online presence further.
As time goes on, make sure you scale your campaign accordingly. Research the market, find better practices, and experiment with your ads.
Go with hit-and-trial methods, you’ll find better ways of advertising. With time, you’ll be ready to go for international markets through ads in various languages, better bids, and geotargeting.
Do keep clear of any false practices in advertising. They’re illegal and go against Google’s Ad Policies. Read more on Google’s Ad Policies here. The last thing you’ll want is a penalty and a stop before you can even start.
Well then, that’s it. Happy Advertising!
How To Create Google Adsense Account?
Let’s face it, trying to profit from your website takes a lot of effort, strategic planning, and dedication. But with billions of web searches conducted daily, search engines are a huge market for anyone.
If you think you’re ready for monetization but don’t know how to start, look no further. In this blog, we discuss how you can monetize your website or blog through Google Adsense. We’ll guide you through the simple steps on how to create Google Adsense account. In no time, you’ll be monetization ready.
Key Takeaways
| 1. Adsense is a free-to-join monetization program that enables website owners to earn money by displaying ads. 2. You must own a website that’s at least 3 months old with a recommended of 30+ published content. Make sure you follow Adsense policies 3. Avoid low-quality traffic and clicking on your ads. You will get a penalty from AdSense. |
What is Google AdSense?
Google Adsense is a monetization program that allows website owners to earn money by displaying ads on their websites. What’s great about the program is that it’s free to join. Website owners of all niches and sizes can earn money from their sites by displaying relevant advertisements.
The way Adsense works is through clicks. Website owners can earn money whenever a visitor clicks on a displayed ad. The amount of money they are paid depends on the ad type and the amount the advertiser is willing to pay.
If you think the application process might be long, you’re mistaken. Applying for monetization is a streamlined process that shouldn’t take you much time. Know more about the application process as you read below.
Benefits of using Google Adsense
Let us discuss the advantages of Google Adsense in simple points.
- Easy Setup and Application
Creating your Adsense account is an easy and user-friendly process. All you need is to have an account and add a code to your website, and boom, you start displaying ads.
- No Traffic Requirements
Most ad networks require you to have some amount of traffic to start earning. This isn’t true for Google Adsense. The program does not have any traffic requirements so even small sites and pages can earn
- Global Reach
Google’s reach is all over the globe. Your website from one country can be earning much more due to international traffic. International Ads can also help your website earn more.
- Targeted Ads
Algorithmic-targeted advertisements are more likely to get interaction from a visitor. Google’s algorithm can display relevant ads to help get more clicks and bucks.
- Customizable
Site owners can fully customize the types of ads displayed on their websites. They can set up ad filters, set up ad categories to show or hide and block specific advertisers from displaying on your site. In addition to that, site owners can also customize how their ads look, from colors to sizes.
Overall, Google Adsense provides a platform for users to start earning from their sites. Not to forget, Adsense can provide a detailed report on your ad performance, impressions it generated, and so on.
Requirements for Setting Up Your Google Adsense Account
There are a few requirements before you can apply for a Google Adsense program.
- You must own a website or blog with your original content. The content on your site should not have any plagiarized content.
- You must comply with the Google Adsense policies and guidelines to avoid any violations that could result in account suspension or termination.
- You must be at least 18 years old.
- Your website must be primarily in one of the languages supported by Adsense. There are a few countries that do not support Adsense. Make sure you check that too.
- Your site must be more than 3 months old. It’s recommended that you have over 30+ published content so that your users will have a lot to go through.
Creating a Google Adsense Account
Head up to Google’s Adsense account setup page by clicking here.
Click on the “Get Started” option to get redirected to a page to sign in to your Gmail account.
After filling up your details, you will be taken into the Google Adsense Dashboard. Take into account that the region you set up initially cannot be changed in the future.
There are other customizations and setups you can do through the dashboard, but it is recommended that you connect your site to Adsense first.
Click on the “Let’s Go” button on the connect option and AdSense will provide you with a small piece of code. This code needs to be added to your website or blog. The code is called the AdSense ad code.
To add the AdSense ad code to your website or blog, you will need to follow the instructions provided by AdSense. If you use WordPress, AdSense will give you specific instructions on how to add the code to your site.
| You will need to add the code within the <head> </head> section of your website or blog’s HTML code. |
Once you have added the AdSense ad code to your site, you will need to click the submit button to confirm that you have added the code correctly. This will allow AdSense to start displaying ads on your site and tracking your earnings. It may take some time for ads to start appearing on your site, but once they do, you can start earning money from clicks and impressions.
Common Issues with Google Adsense Account
Here are some common issues users can face when setting up or using their Adsense account. By being aware of such issues, users can ensure their AdSense account is not suspended and remains in good standing.
- Low-Quality Traffic
Visitors that are not interested in the content of your website but are there just to click on ads are called low-quality traffic. These types of traffic can be generated through bots or farms that artificially inflate the number of ad clicks. These types of bots result in a lower-click through rate as the ads clicked have no purpose for the bots. Additionally, if you are caught, Google can suspend or terminate your account. Always make sure your traffic is organic.
- Policy Violations
As we discussed before, make sure your site follows Google’s Adsense policy. Do not promote gambling, violence, scams, or any matured content on your site if you want to earn from Google Adsense. Google AdSense has strict content policies that all publishers must follow to use their platform.
- Verification
Do verify your Adsense account with the required information and credentials to avoid ad serving being disabled.
- Payment Issues
If you want your payment to be delivered to you on time, make sure you have filled in your credentials. The option to fill in your credentials is just on the home page of the Dashboard.
- Ensure Ad Compliance
If you read through the policies, AdSense has specific ad placement rules such as limiting the number of ads per page and avoiding placing ads in certain locations. Make sure that you place ads correctly on your website to avoid any policy violations. Keep track and monitor your ad performance and have friendly advertisements.
Can I Click On Ads On My Site to Get Money From AdSense?
No. Clicking on Ads on your site is like setting up bots to ad click. It’s a misconception people seem to have. Trying to take advantage of such activity is considered to click fraud and may lead to your account suspension or termination.
How Should I Get Help?
It’s best recommended to get AdSense help from Google itself. Log into your account and you’ll be redirected to your dashboard. There’s a “?” icon at the top right section of your dashboard next to a bell. Click on it and you’ll be shown options. Most of the answers to your queries will be there. If you need help then you can contact the Google Adsense support team. Make sure to include details of your problems and not put any sensitive information.
Setting up a Google AdSense account is a good method for website owners and bloggers to earn money from advertising. Make sure you follow Google’s AdSense policies to keep your account up and running.
It’s important to note that engaging in click fraud or violating AdSense policies can lead to account suspension or termination. Therefore, it’s essential to concentrate on generating genuine traffic and clicks through quality content and user engagement. Hopefully, this blog helped you understand how to create Google Adsense account.
SEO vs PPC: Which One Is Better For Your Business?
One is a free-to-use method to organically rank your content and site higher in the search results. The other is paying to place yourself at the top of the search results. The debate between SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and PPC (Pay-per-Click) is a common one among businesses looking to improve their online visibility and drive traffic to their website.
How good is each method for generating leads and long-term success? While there is no straightforward answer to this debate, let’s break it down to understand what they are, their pros, cons, and gains. Decide the answer for yourself on who wins in the burning topic, SEO vs PPC.
A Brief Overview: What is SEO?
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the practice/process of improving your website/content in a way that increases its visibility in the search engine result pages (SERPs). SEO aims to drive more organic traffic to a website, increase its online presence, and ultimately improve its business.
Why Should You Do SEO?
- SEO gives you increased visibility and traffic to your website.
- More traffic and leads result in higher chances of conversions.
- It’s also about doing small quality-of-life changes to your websites, giving a better user experience.
- Gives you better credibility and authority in your industry.
- Lower cost/completely free to do it.
- Better sustainability in the long run.
- Branding and Awareness
How Does SEO Work?
You don’t need a huge agency doing your site optimization work for you to rank higher in search engine result pages. SEO works through tweaking and enhancing various elements of your website.
There are a lot of elements that users can optimize to make their site more visible to search engines. Search engines take a lot of factors into account to determine which site has the better content to rank. The best start to SEO is the identification and use of keywords. Keywords define what your content is about.
The screenshot above is an example of SEO. Featured snippets are a new way of searching results that showcases your content in a much more readable format without clicking it. It’s a great way for generating leads and traffic to your site. It’s not an easy process to rank No. 1 in any content on Search Engines. Users are highly likely to click on the first result they see. Probably a few other results. There’s no going to page 2 on search results.
Types of SEO
- Technical SEO: This focuses on optimizing the technical elements of a website, such as its structure, coding, and server settings, on making it more search engine-friendly.
- On-page SEO: This involves optimizing the content and elements on a website’s pages, such as the page titles, meta descriptions, headings, and internal links
- Off-page SEO: This involves building high-quality backlinks to a website from other authoritative websites, as well as social media marketing and other forms of online promotion.
Moreover, SEO is a huge time investment. Website owners might not see their rankings improve over a long span of time. It’s highly unlikely to see instant success with SEO. You will continuously need to update and optimize your site as time moves on. Regular optimizations will be necessary if you want to keep on ranking higher.
The algorithm behind SEO? We have no idea. Search Engines have changed their algorithm over the years to make sure no one can take advantage of them. This makes it so that you’ll always have to keep a close eye on how you strategize your website optimization.
What is PPC?
Pay-Per-Click (PPC) is a digital advertising model that puts your content at the top of search engine result pages for the specific keyword you bid for. Basically, advertisers pay search engines for every click they get on the ad. It’s a form of targeted advertising that caters to a specific audience.
Learn More on the Basics of PPC Advertising
Benefits of the PPC Model
- PPC offers quick results; instant visibility and traffic as your content is ranked higher above organic rankings.
- Control over ad spend and budget
- High flexibility and customization of ad campaigns.
Types of PPC Advertising
- Search Engine Ads
SE ads are the most common type of PPC ads that appear at the top of SERPs. Advertisers can bid on certain keywords so that their businesses are shown at the top of the result pages if users search for those keywords. They’re mostly text-based clickable links.
- Display Ads
Display ads use visual elements like images or videos to make more engaging and interactive advertisements for the users. They’re more expensive than text-based ads and can be more specific. They can be in the form of pop-ups in apps or websites and are shown algorithmically.
- Shopping Ads
Ever search for something on Google and have been displayed pictorial results to buy products? These ads appear at the top of the search engine results pages when users search for specific products.
- App Installs/Social Ads
Ads on social media or mobile applications generally have ads that encourage you to download certain apps or games. These ads can also end up in your SERPs but generally are limited to apps.
Users can easily identify an AD from organic results as a PPC ad has a sponsored tag above their title.
Although your ADs are at the top and you get a ton of traffic, the disadvantages of PPC will show soon enough.
First and Foremost, PPC is an advertisement campaign that costs. Trying to keep your ads up for an extended amount of time will really start to put a dent in your wallet. That budget could be well utilized somewhere else.
Secondly, traffic and conversions are different things. If you want conversions, just money and advertising wont cut it. Even if you get a successful conversion, your Customer Aqquisition Costs (CAC) will be much higher.
Differences Between SEO and PPC
Now that we know the what SEO and PPC mean, we can finally list what are the differences, SEO vs PPC.
- Cost SEO is a free-to-use/more cost-effective approach to building and growing your website. There are paid tools and services you can use to help you optimize your site better, but it remains free to use. As for PPC, it’s an advertisement model to help reach more people. It involves paying for each click which adds up very quickly.
- Time To See Results SEO is a time and effort investment. Rising up through the search engine rankings needs time to build trust, authority, and relevance. This is why PPC is a faster way of gaining that traffic you might need to get things started. PPC provides instant visibility and traffic to your website
- Long Term Success We’ve discussed SEO takes time. To rank at the top of any keyword is a difficult and long process but it eventually pays off. SEO is the process of building relevance, reputation and trust. While PPC is good for a short term boost, SEO is a surefire way to get a long term success.
- Targeting SEO targets specific keywords and topics of difference niches to rank higher in the search results while PPC targets keywords and audiences through advertising.
- Cost Per Customer Acquisition and Traffic SEO is a free method to organically get more traffic into your websites. If you have a successful conversion through SEO, then the cost per customer gain is lower than compared to PPC, where you have to pay for each traffic into your website.
Which One Is Better?
In this debate over SEO vs PPC, the true answer is not clear cut. It’s not a matter of which one is better as they have their own unique advantages and disadvantages. It’s best to utilize both for maximum gains, but will ultimately depend on your business goals, budget and target audience.
Use SEO to build your brand. SEO isn’t just for people with no budget to spend on ads but people looking for long term. SEO helps build brand authority and reputation. It’s a choice if you want long-term ROI.
But PPC isn’t bad either. PPC is for people who want quicker results; be it their wish or necessity. PPC Ads helps you reach your product/services out to customers faster. Use advertising if you want to direct your audience to a sales or landing page. These Ads roll out faster in people’s search results so if you want to make a time sensitive offer, go for it.
You can use both hand in hand too. If you’re starting a business, use PPC ads to help boost your product to people’s result pages. Generating awareness that way can be beneficial in the long run too. The high cost keywords you bid for through PPC model can be moved to organic search through SEO.
PPC can also be a good way to test keyword strategies before committing to long-term SEO strategies. If you can rank well through organic search and strong paid visibility, it’s a win-win.
We only provided insights for these topics. The ultimate decision is in your hands. But hopefully, you learnt something more in this blog, SEO vs PPC.
TikTok For Business and SEO Traffic | 5 Tips for Maximum Growth
There’s no way you have not heard of TikTok. Even if you don’t use it, you are acquainted with what the app is about. TikTok has reshaped how the internet works, setting trends, spreading the news, establishing businesses, and the app has done it all.
It’s a social media app that has a whopping 1 billion active users at any time, mostly young audiences. Reaching young audiences is a crucial part of any business; many are trying to cash in too. However, with so much content on the platform, it can be challenging to make an impact.
This article will explore five tips to use TikTok for your brand exposure and set an impression among millions of viewers. Whether you’re a small business owner or a marketing agency, these tips will help you leverage TikTok to achieve your goals and take your brand to the next level.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- TikTok’s algorithm generally works by targeting geolocation-based audiences and prioritizes popular trends.
- Optimize your TikTok account with relevant keywords, and hashtags with a focus on a simplistic username.
- Understand modern humor to relate to the current generation more. It’ll help you reach out to a wider audience.
- Drive viewers to your website/product with well-crafted videos. Add clear links/call to action in your videos.
Why TikTok?
Ever since its inception, TikTok has gained popularity all over the world. This remains true, especially for younger generations, and has become the most downloaded app in the world.
The app allows users to create, and share short-form videos with music or audio.
TikTok has become an important platform for businesses as videos on the app can leave a lot of impact on its younger demographics. Massive corporations have established themselves on TikTok in a way they can’t on other social media. It’s a platform to showcase a product or service in a fun and creative way or by participating in TikTok challenges or trends.
Learn more about The Role of Social Media in SEO Strategies and Best Practices
Understanding How TikTok Algorithm Works
It’s actually challenging to find something ‘new’ or ‘fresh’ on social media sites as everything you are shown is personalized to you. Algorithms are programmed to show and suggest things that you already like. They’re done by understanding your likes, dislikes, retention rates for videos, and geographic location.
It is important to understand the workings behind TikTok’s algorithm if you want your business to pop up more in people’s FYP. The algorithms behind social media are a closely guarded secret, but people have more or less identified how it works.
1. Geographic location and Device Settings
Your geographic location is the biggest factor that plays in identifying your target audience. TikTok generally displays your videos on the FYP of people that live in your region/country. This way TikTok can be a great way to reach local people. The app also takes into account your device and account settings.
2. User Interactions
TikTok’s algorithm identifies what videos you like, comment on, and share. It even analyzes the amount of time you spend watching a video. The longer you watch replaying a video, the more TikTok will show you a similar video. When uploading, the algorithm determines what your video is about such as hashtags, sounds, and captions to identify your target audience.
3. Popular Trends and Timelines
TikTok’s algorithm prioritizes videos related to the currently popular trends, challenges, and viral videos. The more recent a video is, the more likely it’ll end up on people’s For You Page.
TikTok for Business and SEO
There’s one thing that we all need to understand. While there is an indirect correlation between TikTok and your Search Engine Rankings, there is NO DIRECT impact of TikTok on it.
The main goal of TikTok is to leave an impact on the users to whom the videos are shown to. This way, users know about your brand or product on the market. TikTok is a big marketing industry for businesses and brands that you have to capitalize on.
Let Us Use an Example:
Bose is an international company that specializes in manufacturing audio equipment. The current screenshot you see is a TikTok Profile for the company. With over 250 million total views on their TikTok, they sure have left a lasting impression among viewers. In short, TikTok is a huge social media marketing campaign, that too for absolutely free.
Let’s learn how to market your business or website with TikTok!
Tip #1: Optimize your Profile and Content For SEO
Most of your basic SEO knowledge comes up in play here. Make sure you use relevant keywords in your profile description and video captions. Not all products or businesses should have the same keywords; they should reflect your business and the type of content you produce.
Stick with a clean and memorable username. It necessarily does not have to be catchy, keep it your brand name. Your profile should be clean with a recognizable profile picture. Consistency is key in every part of life. The same goes for TikTok. Be it short or long, try to keep a regular schedule to keep your followers engaged and attract newer ones.
Tip #2: Leverage TikTok Hashtags
Hashtags help categorize the content you upload. Users can search certain keywords, and if you have it on your hashtags, it displays your video. Hashtags help increase your rich and visibility on TikTok.
Do not stick with just popular or niche hashtags. Mix things up a bit to help attract newer followers. The more relevant your hashtags are, the more likely users will find your video. Use TikTok’s analytics to track how well your hashtags are doing.
Most importantly, do not overdo it. Spams or irrelevant hashtags can lead to negative rankings on your account.
Tip #3: Collaborate with TikTok Influencers
You should try to collaborate with influencers and brands on TikTok. Influencers already have a large loyal following on TikTok, so a collaboration with them would mean a lot of new audiences. Influencers have a lot of credibility among their followers, so it helps build credibility and trust.
It really doesn’t have to be a collaboration. If your content is unique and high quality, it’ll end up in the FYPs of other people.
Tip #4: Drive Traffic to Your Website
You’re slowly gaining followers and audiences, now it’s time for conversions. Make sure your videos have a clear call to action on what to do that helps promote your videos. Do not overdo it.
Link your websites and products in your TikTok profile so that people can click it. The more clicks you get, the better.
Additionally, users can also search for your website on their respective search engines. The more people that search for your website/product, the better traffic and rankings you get.
Make sure your site is well-responsive to have a lower site bounce rate.
Perhaps, TikTok or social media marketing, in general, is the most directly indirect way for the best SEO.
Tip #5: Understand Modern Humor
This last tip is the most important tip of them all. We discussed relevancy being important. Understanding modern humor is the peak relevancy.
GenZs are a group of people born in the late 1990s. Their type of humor is rather unconventional. GenZ humor revolves around memes, slang, references, and sarcasm. Understanding the humor isn’t difficult, but trying to create content based on such humor might prove difficult to non GenZ people.
Yet, keeping up with GenZ humor is important for businesses and brands that want to connect with the young demographic. Because in the end, it’s the young that are their future customers. Humor gets into people quickly and can leave a lasting impression.
GenZ humor helps you stand out from other competitors. It makes it more relatable and approachable for the young. GenZ is a difficult demographic to reach and convince. By speaking their language, you can connect with the younger people on a deeper level.
Quirky, unpredictable, and ever-changing, are the best words to describe this humor. But has it found success?
Ask them,
TikTok is a great tool for Business and SEO. The app presents itself as a unique opportunity for businesses to appeal younger demographic. Establishing an online presence is essential, dominating it? Even better.
By understanding the platform, being creative, and leveraging tools like hashtags and influencer collaborations, businesses can use TikTok to drive growth and traffic to their websites.
Want to read more helpful blogs? Check them out here.
Understanding the basics of pay-per-click advertising | PPC
Is SEO proving to be too difficult for you? While organic traffic is beneficial in the longer run, pay-per-click (PPC) advertising can be a great way to start.
PPC is a form of online advertising that places your site/business to appear at the top of SERPs (Search Engine Result Pages). Basically, you pay search engines according to the number of clicks you get for the ad. But there’s more to this than it looks on the surface level.
In this blog, we’ll dive into the fundamentals of PPC advertising and help you polish your marketing strategy. Starting fresh or a seasoned professional, this blog will help you brush up on your knowledge.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- PPC is a great way to increase online visibility, generate sales and expand target reach.
- Visitors are 50% more likely to buy a product/service from a PPC advertisement.
- List your goals for your PPC campaign with a proper emphasis on keyword research and landing pages.
- Keep track of Click through and conversion rates to optimize your approach.
- Avoid keyword stuffing in your advertisement
What is PPC?
We did the basic introductions, let’s dive in deeper. With Pay-Per-Click advertising, clients can bid on specific keywords and have their businesses hoisted at the top of search engines or other sites. The rates per click can depend on the value and relevancy of the keywords. More on that later.
Is PPC Good?
This method of digital marketing can prove to be beneficial for businesses depending on their budget, goals, and industry. Since users can bid on specific keywords, they can bring in the target audience for a certain product or business.
Below is an example of PPC targeted ad.
By placing their keywords, users are shown Booking.com’s site at the top of the result page. PPC and organic results can be identified by a sponsored tag, usually above the site.
Visitors are also 50% more likely to buy a product from a PPC-advertised site. According to Google Economic Impact Report, advertisers make an average of 2$ in revenue for every 1$ they spend on google ads. So, advertisers can see up to 200% return on investment from PPC advertisements alone.
Keeping track of and producing analytics from organic users is comparatively more difficult than keeping track of PPC users. Advertisers can track every click on their ads, deduce keyword popularity, track user behaviors on the site and so much more. Users from PPC ads have better data to make data-driven decisions and optimize accordingly.
Types of PPC Ads
While ads on SERPs are the core of pay-per-click ads, it isn’t the only form of advertisement around. Here are the most common types of pay-per-click ads that you find in your daily lives.
- Search Engine Ads
SE ads are the most common type of PPC ads that appear at the top of SERPs. Advertisers can bid on certain keywords so that their businesses are shown at the top of the result pages if users search for those keywords. They’re mostly text-based clickable links.
- Display Ads
Display ads use visual elements like images or videos to make more engaging and interactive advertisements for the users. They’re more expensive than text-based ads and can be more specific. They can be in the form of pop-ups in apps or websites and are shown algorithmically.
- Shopping Ads
Ever search for something on google and have been displayed pictorial results to buy products? These ads appear at the top of the search engine results pages when users search for specific products. These ads also include prices and links to the website that showcases the product.
- App Installs/Social Ads
Ads on social media or mobile applications generally have ads that encourage you to download certain apps or games. These ads can also end up in your SERPs but generally are displayed on applications or socials.
How to Make Your Own PPC Campaign?
Starting your own ad campaign can take various steps. You will be spending money on these advertisements, but it should be worth it.
- Take time in determining your advertisement goals first. List out your goals for your PPC campaign. Is it for boosting sales? Traffic creation? Generating leads? Whatever it is, make sure it’s all well thought out. Make sure you know what type of ads you want to display. A PPC ad can be optimized to target very specific locations too. Your local PPC ad can target users to zip code level, ensuring that an ad is shown only in desired locations.
- As we’ve discussed before, PPC advertisement is about bidding for keywords. This is why proper research should be done on your target keywords for your product or site. Research keywords that your target audiences are likely to search for. There are various online tools that can help you in your keyword research such as Google Keyword Planner or Ahrefs.
- It’s time to set up your PPC account. Wherever you plan to advertise your product/site, it definitely has an advertiser portal. Signup for a PPC account with search engines or social media platforms that you want to advertise on. The most common choice for anyone is Google Ads.
- Set up a budget for your Ads. Understand how much you want to spend on ads and how much return you are hoping for. It should be realistic.
- Ad creation! Make sure to write compelling advertisements that include your target keywords and clear calls to action. Encourage clicks with headlines and highlights.
- Do not forget your landing pages! Users are directed to a landing page after clicking on your ad. Landing pages are standalone webpage that is designed for conversions. If your PPC landing page is not well optimized, it can lead to a negative customer experience. Make sure your landing page is responsive, loads fast, and has clear calls to action. Advertising one thing and redirecting users to a different product leads to negative impressions.
Ads cannot contain excessive capitalization, punctuation, and misleading information is strictly forbidden. Launch your campaign and monitor results.
More on Responsive Websites and Their Importance
Analyzing your Ad Campaign
Analyzing and adjusting your ad campaign according to the analytics is very important. You can create your own strategy by observing data from the users. Use tracking tools like google analytics to see how many clicks and conversions you are getting from your PPC ads. If there are multiple ads, monitor how well each of your keywords does so you can adjust your bids accordingly.
If by any chance your ads do not do well, it can be a great opportunity to improve. Conduct tests and consult people to make changes to your ad copy for the best results.
Here are some important analytics to observe to help strengthen your ad campaign.
- Click-through rate (CTR)
If your ad can successfully bring a click from users, it’s a positive CTR. If your CTR is high, it indicates that your ad is relevant and engaging. A realistic CTR for any business should be around 2-3%.
- Conversion Rate
While conversion rates are generally for product sales, conversions can also mean users performing desired actions. These can include gaining subscriptions, followers, engagement, or newsletters. The higher your conversion rate, the more successful you are. A higher conversion rate and CTR are also good for your organic growth.
- Budget Worth
You’re spending money on your ad, so it’s important to know the revenue you are generating for every dollar you spend on your ad. The lower you pay for an Ad for higher gains, the better. It’s also called cost per click.
Mistakes to Avoid On Your PPC Campaign
No task can go smoothly without avoiding mistakes. There are many common mistakes advertisers make that hampers the success of your ad campaign. Below are some of the important mistakes to avoid.
- Keyword Stuffing
Make sure your keywords are well researched that is relevant as well as competitive. Do not stuff many keywords in your ad in hopes of targeting multiple genres. Trying to manipulate search engines or platforms that way results in poor audience targets.
- Lack of testing and optimization
If you release a defective product in the market, it won’t be received well. Make sure proper research and optimization are done on your ad campaign. This holds true, especially for your landing page. If your ad landing page is not responsive, or without clear calls to action, users will bounce off your site immediately.
More on Optimizing your Website Load Speed
PPC is a great way to increase online visibility, generate sales and expand target reach. But an ordinary ad won’t do well if you’re opting for PPC advertising. Sure it’s a powerful tool but it requires careful planning, testing, and optimization to be successful. Make sure you know your target audience and set up clear strategies to approach.
Just make sure to steer away from false advertising practices. Avoid keyword stuffing, false advertisements, and bad landing page creation, and stick with simplicity. Do not forget to analyze and look back on your mistakes so that your next ad campaign is a solid one.
Basic Guide to Search Engine Marketing
Search engine optimization enhances a website’s appearance and traffic through the organic search results pages of Google and other global search engines.
SEM, or search engine marketing, is the broader umbrella term that encompasses SEO and other paid search activities like paid ad placement and retargeting.
This blog will talk about the basics of search engine marketing.
What is SEM in simple words?
Search engine marketing, or SEM, is a digital marketing strategy businesses use to increase their visibility and ranking on search engines. SEM involves using paid search ads and optimizing your website and other online content for search engines.
You can improve your opportunities of appearing higher in search results by optimizing your site for search engines. It can lead to more visitors finding and engaging with your business.
Paid search ads are another way to ensure that your business appears at the top of search results. Paid search ads are purchased through an ad auction. Businesses can bid on keywords that they want their ad to appear for.
The highest bidder will have their ad appear above all other keywords’ results, giving them a more visible and prominent position on the search engine results page. SEM is an effective way to market your business online and reach new customers.
By using a combination of paid search ads and SEO, you can improve your visibility on search engines and reach more people looking for what you have to offer.
Why is SEM important?
In a world where nearly everything is searchable online, search engine marketing has become one of the most important tools for businesses.
Search engine marketing, or SEM, uses paid and organic techniques to improve a website’s visibility in search engine results in pages or SERPs. Businesses can increase their opportunities of being found by potential customers by optimizing a website for search engines.
SEM can be used to target specific customer demographics with laser precision. When used correctly, search engine marketing can be an incredibly powerful tool for driving traffic, generating leads, and growing a business.
So why exactly is search engine marketing so important? Let’s take a closer look.
- With search engine marketing, businesses of all sizes can compete for visibility in search results. SEM also gives companies the ability to track their progress and measure their ROI with relative ease.
- Search engine marketing allows businesses to target their potential audience.
Techniques and strategies used in SEM
Several techniques and strategies used in search engine marketing can be highly effective if used correctly. One common technique is to target specific keywords and phrases relevant to your business or website.
By optimizing your site for these keywords, you can attract more search engine users looking for what you have to offer. Another effective strategy is to create quality content that is keyword-rich and informative.
This type of content will not only help improve your search engine rankings. It will also hold readers’ attention and encourage them to return to your site.
In addition, link building is another important search engine marketing technique. By building links from high-quality websites, you can show search engines that your site is relevant and popular, leading to higher rankings.
There are different strategies that you can use to achieve success. However, it is important to remember that not all techniques work for all businesses.
It is important to experiment with different approaches and find the ones that work best for you.
How effective SEM is?
Search engine marketing (SEM) is a dynamic and constantly evolving field. It is one of the most effective methods for maximizing online visibility and driving targeted traffic to websites.
SEM can help businesses reach their ideal audiences more effectively and efficiently than ever before through careful targeting. SEM experts can create highly targeted campaigns that ensure maximum engagement with users by utilizing search data trends, search engine algorithms, and other key metrics.
With the help of effective search engine optimization (SEO) strategies and state-of-the-art tools and technology, search engines drive traffic not only to websites but also to products and services on those sites.
Thanks to search engine marketing, businesses can stay ahead of the curve by continuously adapting their strategy to remain relevant in an ever-changing landscape. Whether you’re a seasoned search marketer or just starting, you must bring your A-game to succeed in this competitive field!
How much does SEM cost?
Search engine marketing (SEM) is a little like advertising on TV. You’re bidding on keywords that you think people will search for when looking for products or services like yours.
The higher your bid and the better your quality score, the more likely your ad will appear in search results.
The average cost-per-click (CPC) for search ads in the U.S. is $2.32, but it can scale from a few cents to hundreds of dollars, depending on the competitiveness of the keyword and the size of the market. The average cost-per-click (CPC) for search ads in the U.S. is $2.32, but it can scale from a few cents to hundreds of dollars, depending on the competitiveness of the keyword and the size of the market.
If you’re just getting started with SEM, you may want to set a comfortable budget for your business and start with a few keyphrases relevant to your product or service.
As you get more experience with SEM, you’ll be able to tweak your campaigns to get better results and lower costs.
SEM in eCommerce
Search engine marketing is a tool for eCommerce businesses. By leveraging the search algorithms of major search engines like Google and Bing, marketers can improve the visibility and status of their websites in search results, thereby driving more traffic to their sites and ultimately increasing sales.
In addition to helping with SEO, SEM can also involve paid advertising campaigns that target specific keywords or search terms. These ads may be seen at the top or bottom of search results pages or even in google maps listings and other sections of search engines.
Thus, organizations that leverage SEM have a significant advantage over their competitors in reaching potential customers online.
Whether you are a business owner just beginning with online marketing or an experienced SEO expert looking to incorporate SEM into your strategy, many resources are available to help you succeed with search engine marketing.
So start optimizing your site today – and harness the power of SEM!
Pros and Cons of SEM
Many businesses turn to SEM as a powerful and efficient way to boost brand awareness, generate user traffic, and achieve higher search engine ranking when it comes to search engine optimization.
Compared to traditional search engine optimization methods, which rely on a variety of on-page and off-page factors to optimize a website’s search engine ranking, SEM involves using paid search advertising campaigns targeted specifically at search engine users.
SEM allows companies to reach their desired audience more effectively and efficiently than they could through SEO alone.
Additionally, search engines like Google and Bing offer excellent tracking tools that enable brands to monitor the performance of their ads and the search terms that direct traffic back to their websites.
For these reasons, SEM is widely regarded as one of the most effective tactics for achieving SEO success today.
However, there are some drawbacks associated with SEM as well. For example, the need for technical expertise to successfully set up and maintain an SEM campaign can make SEM a rather costly endeavor for small businesses and startups.
Regardless, with its proven track record of driving results and versatile targeting capabilities, search engine marketing will be a valuable tool for marketers in all industries looking to improve their online image and drive better business results.
Conclusion paragraph:
So, what is SEM? In simple words, SEM is the process of driving traffic to your website through paid search engine results.
You can think of it as a form of online advertising. SEM is important because it can be highly effective in reaching potential customers who are already interested in what you offer.
It can also be relatively affordable, and it’s a great way to improve your website’s visibility. There are several different techniques and strategies that you can use to achieve better results with SEM.
And, thanks to advances in technology, SEM is becoming increasingly more effective. The cost of SEM varies depending on the size and complexity of your campaign, but it’s generally less expensive.
Four Pillars of Off-page SEO
When you have a website, what would you want?
Of course, visitors!!!
Visitors undoubtedly improve your website’s analytics. Search engine optimization works to gather and engage users as much as possible. On-page, off-page, and technical sectors grind to enhance the status of the website and business.
This blog will only talk about the off-page factors you should know to aid your SEO campaign.
Off-page SEO Ranking Factors
There’s no doubt that off-page optimization is essential for SEO success.
But what exactly are the necessary factors? Let’s take a closer look.
First, off-page optimization involves building relationships with other websites and online influencers. Off-page factors help to create awareness and interest in your site. They can lead to high-quality inbound links.
In addition, social media plays a significant role in off-page optimization, as it’s a great way to share your content and engage with potential customers. Second, off-page optimization also involves creating high-quality content that people will want to read and share.
Off-page includes writing blog posts, infographics, eBooks, and other types of content that are informative and interesting. By providing valuable information, you’ll not only attract links and social shares, but you’ll also build trust and authority with your audience.
Lastly, off-page optimization is also about monitoring your results and adjusting as needed. It goes with tracking your website’s traffic and engagement levels. It also keeps an eye on your competition. Constantly tweaking and testing your off-page SEO strategy ensures you’re always ahead of the curve.
Now let’s hold a detailed discussion about a few mentioned off-page factors from above.
1. Link Building
One of the essential off-page factors is link building, of course.
Have you ever heard about it?
It is like making friends and building many connections in your friend’s circle. It builds connections with different other websites or any platform. This off-page optimization techniques help to build a strong network of inbound links pointing back to your website, known as backlinks.
Links serve as foundational connections that will increase your website’s overall authority in search engines like Google. Search engines utilize those links to discover new web pages. They determine the rank of those links according to the searches made.
Link building is accomplished through various tactics, such as guest posting on high-authority blogs in your niche or creating engaging content that promotes sharing on social media.
It’s necessary to decide on the type of links you use to link your web pages. Not every link is good. There are many toxic and risky links that you should be aware of. Ultimately, what matters most is that you remain consistent and strategic in your approach, using both tried-and-true methods.
You can prepare innovative new strategies for building more connections to get the desired results for your website.
If you’re looking to boost your link-building efforts, you should focus on the following things:
- You should recognize and know the advantages of good links. You should also know about the disadvantages of toxic links.
- It would be best to emphasize finding relevant quality links, brace on getting more relevance, and good testimonials.
- It would help if you generated the link magnets. Guest posting, press releases, image/video submissions, etc., can help you gain a few quality links.
Google can always detect the toxic links or spammy links you are using to manipulate the ranks. Google penalizes the site with spammy links immediately and lowers the rank.
Therefore, you shouldn’t hesitate to seek out the help of a proven professional to get there!
2. Social Media
Social media is essential in off-page optimization techniques. Social media has become a crucial tool for expanding businesses online through platforms like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
These social platforms can bring you inbound links, which is great for traffic and leads. Social media can build up your reputation in the most positive way. Your website can reach new audiences.
You can make yourself a brand and promote it continuously and effectively.
You can stay connected with your customers directly. Social media can help businesses effectively engage with their followers.
The main objective is to boost Search Engine Optimization (SEO) efforts by creating and maintaining an active presence on social media. You should constantly produce high-quality content.
Just make sure that your content includes relevant keywords and links back to your website. So, you can ensure your business stays at the top of consumers’ search results. Several benefits and potential ROI make social media undoubtedly one of the critical components of off-page optimization techniques.
As we are talking about social media optimization here, you should know that its main objective is to escalate the performance of your website’s quality and organic content on social media platforms. Still, you might question how social media optimization works for ranking in search engines.
A social signal factor lets the search engine know how qualitative a website’s social media content is. Search engine covers the viral and trending content on all social media platforms. It compares the mentions and links of the page on those platforms and ranks the pages with the most links and comments. It would help if you gave away control to the audiences for building up social engagements.
For instance, you can’t sway the audience just that easily with one-way conversation since social media gives you a direct connection with the audience. You’re nothing but a participant, and audiences can be very honest about your services/ products.
You can create a community here and get feedback to improve your services. This social media activity can grow faster if you hold onto the positive feedback and respond to the negative through improvements. Flex your links, content, services, and products in social media through different social media widgets.
Social media brings out the interactive part of the website and aids in search engine optimization deliberately.
3. Citations
Several online directories are of high quality. You can volunteer your website to be on these directories.
Some of those directories are:
They will give you inbound links, also known as citations.
Citations are those backlinks that help people find your website more easily through these online (maybe local) directories.
So, using citations is a process of providing links to other websites relevant to your website’s topic. This process instantly helps in increasing the credibility of your website. You can use citations to prove that your website has genuine and authentic information.
Citations also help get traffic from other websites linked to yours. You might have one question right now: “Where can you see the citations?”
You can see citations anywhere in the business directories, online directories, other websites, different social media platforms, etc. Another critical point about citation is that it guides you to find your content’s relevancy in different categories so that people can locate you quickly.
Thus, it is evident that citations play an essential role in SEO. As an off-page factor, it deserves due importance.
4. Branding
One of the most important off-page SEO services is branding. The main aim of branding is to gain fame and respect from the audiences and customers.
The first word that pops up in anyone’s mind when they hear any company’s name is brand. It covers almost everything from your product’s quality to the treatment you give to your customers.
The primary intention should be to create a strong and positive brand. This intention would lead you to gain more new customers and earn the loyalty of the existing ones in the long run.
Among several ways to build up a brand, a few of the effective methods are:
- To create a strong identity
- To develop a consistent voice
- To ensure your marketing efforts are targeted and relevant
Yes, it takes your time and patience, along with continuous efforts.
After you set up the brand, you need to protect it. You need to take precautions for damage control.
To prosper and retain your brand, you can do the following activities:
- You are creating brand awareness through the press releases where you can mention new services/products that you are providing, special offers, site news, hiring, competitions, awards, etc.
- They are getting recognition through the images, videos, audio, flash, news articles, blog post, etc., published on the site. Text isn’t the only thing that can get you an appearance in search engines. Your images, videos, etc., can also appear when people search online.
- Building a community means making your audience feel like part of the brand. This particular sentiment can accelerate the branding exponentially upward.
- Social networking means letting people know about your brand to everyone who is using different social networks throughout the world. This activity can build a closer relationship, gain trust and loyalty, collect ideas, lessen negative feedback through direct conversation, and provide consistent customer care.
This way, you will be able to set yourself apart from your rivals and make it easier for customers to remember you.
Conclusion
So, those are the critical factors for off-page optimization in SEO. It’s not a lot to remember but may seem daunting. Off-page optimization is different from on-page and technical optimization.
For instance, it is like you have a house and work outside of your home to improve its condition. Simply, it’s like earning money and upgrading the level of the house and its members.
The ranking is a challenging job, and off-page plays a considerable role in improving the ranking. Without it, your site would struggle a lot.
And if you have difficulty being in this rank competition, don’t worry – we’re here to help! Let us know if you need any help with your SEO or content marketing strategy.
We have a team of experienced professionals who can help your website rank higher and generate more leads.
Thanks for reading, and happy optimizing!
