How To Fix Broken Links on Your Website

Broken links can have a negative impact on your rankings and compromise user experience. The last thing you want is for a user to encounter a broken link when they want access to more information.

This is often an indication of a poorly maintained website and can increase website abandonment rates. It is important to find and fix broken links as often as you can.

Find Broken Links

You can find broken links using freely available online tools like Google Analytics. These tools will scan your entire website and create a list of broken links. This process takes a little time based on the size and age of your website. For example, an e-commerce website with hundreds of pages might have several internal and external broken links.

 It might take some time for the software to identify them all. You can set up a monthly report in Google Analytics. The software will send reports on the number of 404 redirects on your website and you can track the links accordingly.

Create a Priority List

Links are easy and quick to fix if you have a relatively small website with just a couple of errors. But if you have a big website, you might need to create a list of priorities to ensure you fix the most essential broken links first. Google Analytics can help you with this process as well.

Check how much traffic the 404 error page receives from users clicking on a particular page title or link. The titles or links with the most amount of traffic needs to be at the top of the priority list. You can start fixing links at the top of the list first and make your way down over time. This ensures that the pages that receive the most traffic are fixed first.

This is the perfect opportunity to replace broken links that have outdated information with good links that have current data. That can help improve user experience and credibility. Just perform a simple search to find adequate replacements for the best results.

How to Build Powerful Backlinks With Guest Posting

Backlinks are one of the three most important ranking factors in SEO, which means you need to make sure your website has a good link profile in order to rank high on the SERPs. There was several ways to build links and one of the most popular is guest posting.

However, getting backlinks through guest posts is a little tricky because Google doesn’t exactly encourage guest posting for the sole purpose of building links. Here’s a look at how you can gain more links through this strategy:

1. Don’t Use It as a Link Building Strategy

If you use guest posting solely as a link building strategy, you’re bound to attract Google’s attention eventually. Posting poor quality articles in low-authority websites to get links doesn’t work. This technique is sophisticated and requires more effort, but it can also offer greater rewards.

2. Create a List of High-Authority Websites

Backlinks from low-quality or low-authority websites aren’t very useful. It is better to have a couple of links from high-authority websites than fifty links from low-authority ones. Look for websites that offer guest posting opportunities in your industry and focus on ones with great domain authority.

3. Outreach with Your Content

Make sure you have good content with original research and current information. It is worth the effort to create a piece that provides considerable value and doesn’t get lost in the sea of content. Once you have a good article, you will need to send outreach emails to every blog on your short list.

4. Provide a Profile on Your Articles

Google values authority and experience, which is why it is a good idea to include your profile with your qualifications or experience in the post. The profile will appear at the top or at the bottom of your article and help you get your name out there. This is the primary source of all your traffic.

When you guest post, don’t flood your article with backlinks to your website. If you do add a link, make sure it is absolutely relevant to your content. The goal here is to build trust and authority, which will eventually bring more traffic to your website.

How To Optimise Your Pinterest Account

So, unless you have been hiding under rock for the past few years, Pinterest has somehow made it onto your radar. Whether it is pretending you have no interest in getting engaged while pinning 200+ diamond rings. Or handing over a Pinterest screenshot to your builder and saying ‘could we whip something like this up?’. Pinterest is a highly inspirational and unique social media platform. The site was first established in 2010 and has gained over 250 million monthly active users.

Pinterest is mainly your go-to for sharing ideas, collecting bookmarks (aka. pins), sharing content, and interacting with other enthusiasts. It is an adult wonderland of anything from room makeovers to artist tutorials here, plus a couple of sneaky infographics.

The popularity and versatility of this platform has made it the ideal marketing choice for visual and creative businesses. Want to make sure you get the most out of your Pinterest efforts? Here are my top tips:

1. Establish a Business Account

If you intend to use this platform for marketing purposes, it is important to set up a business account. You can convert your personal account to a business account easily and utilise the wide range of benefits it provides. Here’s a look at what you can do:

·      Smack your business name on there, and any branding you can work in. Update the covers of each of your boards with either a pic of your work, or a branded icon image.

·      Add your business contact details to the account so any of your new found fans can find your company information easily if needed.

·      Set up analytics and get frequent reports on the performance of your pins and content. This will give you visibility on your campaigns and help determine if your target audiences are interacting with the profile.

If you don’t have a personal account, you can set up a business account directly. It is easy to use your business Google account for logging into Pinterest. There’s no need to fill up an entire registry form.

2. Always Add Your Website URL

The primary purpose of the Pinterest profile is to draw people back to your business website. One of the best ways to do that is to add your website URL to every post you pin. Having said this, make sure the links are relevant to the pin’s content.

For example, if the pin features a beautiful wooden chair set, make sure the link leads the same chair set on your website or a related product. This might seem like a simple thing, but it’s not uncommon for people to forget adding URLs to the pins. This can significantly limit the potential of your Pinterest campaign.

3. Rearrange Your Board

The natural order of the board might not be the most effective way to reach the audience. For example, you don’t want the boards at the top showcase content related to Christmas in the middle of May. Consistently rearrange your board order to ensure the most relevant content remains at the top of the page and catches attention.

4. Use Rich Pins

If you’re familiar with Rich Snippets on Google, then you know what Rich Pins are like. These are optimised snippets that include an HTML code. They’re more eye-catching and look professional. Rich Pins are more likely to attract attention than regular pins so if you want to stand out, this is a good option.

These four steps are a great way to start optimising your Pinterest profile. There are other ways to improve the profile but these will help lay a solid foundation for them. Want to know more? Feel free to give me a jingle.

How To Optimise Your Instagram Profile

Did you know that Instagram users are 10 times more likely to engage with an Instagram post than any other platforms? The platform also has more than one billion active monthly users. These are some seriously big numbers, and there is no denying that Instagram is now a must have for ALL businesses.

Many companies and influencers have found great success through Instagram and have a large following on the platform. In order to take full advance of this network, you need to optimise your Instagram account as much as possible. Want the goss on how? I can help:

1. Choose the Right Instagram Profile Picture

This is a very visual platform full of expertly edited pictures and videos. Poor quality profile pictures and logos won’t be able to grab user attention easily. Another pet hate of mine, is logos that are cut off by the circular shape of the Instagram profile picture display. Make sure whatever your profile pic is, it represents your brand or profession well, as it is often the first impression of your brand.

Get your profile pic right and you will clearly convey the purpose of your profile and attract the right audience. Make sure the picture is clean and all details are clearly visible. Don’t choose an image that has too much going on because that will only confuse the users. Remember - most of the time the image is smaller than your wee pinky nail on our screens.

2. Use Your Name

Instagram is a more personal and direct platform compared to other social media networks. That’s why you need to make sure your profile name is either your name or the brand name. For example, Nasa’s Instagram name is Nasa and Chanel’s name is Chanel, it’s a no brainer.

There are many ways for you to incorporate the name into the profile but make sure it is personal and directly connected to the brand. I would refrain from using caps, or adding anything ‘salsey’ in replace of your name.

3. Target Keywords in Description

Instagram allows users to create short and precise bios for their profile. These bios are displayed directly below the profile name and are highly visible to anyone who clicks on the profile page. The best way to optimise this section is to add a few keywords relevant to your interest or brand.

For example, you can choose an attractive description like “Experience the World through the eyes of National Geographic Photographers,” which is used by the NatGeo profile. Short, sweet and perfect for a big dog like NatGeo.

If you’re new or want to create a personal business profile, use short descriptions. For example, a professional watercolorist will use a description like “Artist, watercolours, freelancer, and mentor” in their profile. Such a string of keywords gives people the right idea of what to expect.

4. Always Include a CTA

Most brands or professionals don’t want to be contacted through Instagram DMs because that can be difficult to manage. That’s why it is a good idea to include your website URL, email, or other social media information on the profile page. This will make it easier for people to contact you directly.

Instagram is a different platform compared to other social media entities. It is still evolving and offers several ways to reach your target audience. It is all a matter of finding the right way to utilise it. Need more tips and tricks? Book in for your free consultation call by getting in contact.

How To Optimise Your Facebook Page Pt. 1

Facebook is a complex friend to have. Just when you think you have gotten to know them, they change up their face - literally. Facebook is the king of social media and has a wide user base of over two billion monthly active users. While other platforms like Instagram and Twitter are becoming popular, they still haven’t overtaken Facebook in terms of sheer reach and influence. That’s one of the reasons why this platform has become one of the favourite tools used by marketers today.

If you want to gain attention on Facebook, it is important to ensure your account is optimised and suitable for marketing. Here are some tips on how to achieve that:

1. Make Sure You Choose the Right Theme

Facebook doesn’t offer much leeway when it comes to the profile page theme, but it is still important to make it uniquely your own. The tips mentioned below will help you do just that:

·      Make sure you have a relevant and attractive page title. Don’t stuff the title with generic keywords in the hopes of gaining better ranking on Google. That will only do more harm than good.

·      Choose the right header and profile image. You need to make sure the business’ brand is incorporated into the banner well. Using the company logo as your profile picture is the safest bet.

·      Use images that are relevant to your brand on the profile page. It is a good idea to forgo stock images as much as possible to establish a unique brand identity.

These tips will help you establish the right theme and ensure people who log onto your profile are impressed.

2. Use a Vanity URL

Facebook allows you to modify your URL so that it is personalised and relevant to your brand. Don’t use the generic, dynamic URL automatically issued by Facebook, especially if you want to stand apart from the crowd.

A personalised URL will make it easier for the user to find your page on Facebook search. Make sure the URL is similar to the page title and easy to memorise. That will help establish the brand presence and gain more recognition from your target audience.

3. Optimise the About Us Section

Most users will head for your About Us section immediately if they’re curious about your brand. They want to get as much information as they can before they invest time into your company. The About Us section is the perfect opportunity to provide just that. You will only get around 155 characters and it needs to be of the right category. These categories include:

·      Local Business or Place

·      Brand or Product

·      Company, Organisation, or Institution

·      Artist, Band, or Public Figure

·      Entertainment

·      Cause or Community

Selecting one of these categories will ensure your About Us snippet has the right format. Make sure you link your official business website in this page so users have easy access to more information.

An optimised Facebook account won’t just reach a wide audience, but also help elevate all of your marketing campaigns on this platform. If you have a solid foundation, you’re more likely to gain audience trust.

How To Check And Improve Your Site’s Loading Speed

Not sure about you, but I HATE waiting, and so do your potential clients. Website loading time is one of the most important aspects of user experience. If your website doesn’t load within 3-4 seconds, people are likely to abandon it. On top of this, Google also considers website loading speed a ranking factor because it influences user experience. If your website is slow, it won’t rank high on the SERP. Here’s a look at how you can fix the issue:

1. Check The Site Speed First

The site speed depends on several factors, including hosting quality, traffic, bandwidth, and website design. It is a good idea to investigate the root cause of the issue before trying to fix it. There are several metrics in place to check website speed such as:

·      TTFB – TTFB stands for Time to First Bite and indicates the time taken from the start of downloading to the successful download of the first bite.

·      Page Rendering – This metric indicates how long it takes for the white-screen of the browser to disappear and for the page to begin to load.

·      Page Load – This indicates how much time it takes for all of the page elements to load fully. This showcases that all of the resources within the page are usable.

·      Full Loading – This is the time it takes for the entire website to load, including all main and deferred resources.

Your website download speed should be consistent across all of these metrics to ensure it performs well. You can then use website speed check tools like the one provided by Google. Once you have a good understanding of how this works, you can start fixing it.

2. Improving Website Speed

The first step to improving website speed is to optimise the website. Make sure the website structure is lean and clean so it loads in an organised fashion. Ensure the code allows for primary elements to be downloaded first so the user can see the important parts of the page quickly. You should also optimise the images and reduce website file size as much as possible. The lighter the website, the faster it loads.

These steps should help you improve website speed and performance by a considerable margin.

How to Secure Your Site with HTTPS

When you access a website through Google Chrome, you might have noticed a “Secure” or “Not Secure” tag in the address bar. This tag usually appears before the URL on the left-hand side. It is an indication that the website is either secured with SSL certificate or not.

Google has confirmed that HTTPS is a ranking factor and acts as a tie-breaker if two websites of equal quality are up against each other for a top ranking. The secure/not secure tag also has an impact on the user’s trust and website reputation. That’s why it is important to secure your site with HTTPS. Here are some tips that will help you do just that:

1. Make Sure Your Hosting Situation is Secure

You won’t earn an SSL certificate if your hosting situation isn’t secure. If you’re sharing the IP with several other websites, it won’t be possible to add an SSL certificate to it. While getting a more secure hosting service can be a little expensive, it is worth the money.

Many users will abandon a website if it isn’t marked as secure. Make sure your website isn’t hosted on a shared IP address and is secure. This is the first step to gaining an SSL certificate.

2. Apply for SSL

The next step is to buy the SSL certificate. This is a series of numbers and code that is unique to your website, like a fingerprint or a password. When users visit your website, their system checks the code or password to confirm you are who you say you are. Once that confirmation is through, they access your website and are secure.

Almost all popular browsers will trust a Certificate Authority to ensure the page is secure. While it is possible for website owners to create their own certificate of identity, buying one from a trusted authority is more reliable.

3. Activate the Certificate

Your website host may complete this entire process for you. Just contact them and let them know you have purchased the certificate. If you want to do it yourself, there are several online guides that provide detailed tutorials.

Once the SSL certificate is installed, you’ll see a marked increase in your website traffic and reduction in your bounce rates.

How to Make Sure Your Site is Mobile-Friendly

Smart phones have changed the way people browse through the internet. Mobile search traffic has already exceeded desktop search traffic. Websites have become more efficient on mobile phones and it is easier to perform a quick search on these devices than searching on the desktop. That’s why it is important to ensure your website is mobile-friendly. There are several ways you can do this and they include:

Responsive Design

Responsive website design is specifically designed to function on multiple platforms. Websites with this structure scales down and up according to the screen size. This ensures the website looks good and is user-friendly on all devices. Some business owners choose to invest in the cheaper alternative of having a separate mobile website, but that can do more harm than good in the long run.

Responsive designs ensure all menus are easy to access, all links are clickable, and the text on the page is easier to read. Without this optimisation, users will have a bad experience and they won’t visit your website again.

Optimising Images

Image files are larger in size, which means they take more time to load than text or other files. It is important to optimise the image before it is loaded into the website. There are several ways to do this and reduce the file size. You can switch the format and choose something lighter. For example, JPEG file sizes are typically smaller compared to PNG file sizes.

You can also crop the images or compress them. Cropping reduces the physical size of the image as well as the file size. That can be suitable for smaller mobile screens and will enhance user experience. Compressing image files helps reduce the file size without compromising the quality of the image. Visitors will be able to see the image in its full glory.

As mobile screens are smaller, it is important to make sure the page design is optimised for it. Make sure there’s ample white space to ensure users don’t click on links unintentionally while they’re scrolling through the website.

How To Set Up A Google Search Console

If you aim to gain traffic through organic search on Google, you need to set up a Google Search Console. This process is fairly straightforward and doesn’t require any technical ability. Here’s a brief but helpful guide on how to go through the setup process:

1. Set Up Analytics First

It is always a good idea to set up Google Analytics first. This platform provides in-depth information on your website traffic. You can see how many people visit, the number of unique visits, session times, the origin of those visits, etc.

2. Sign In With Your Google Account

If you already have an Analytics account, use the account name and credentials to sign in to the Google Search Console. If you don’t have Analytics or a Google Account, create a new one connected to your business. Make sure you use the right account for this process.

3. Add A Property

After you have logged in, you can see an “Add a property” button on the homepage. It is located at the top of the page and is clearly visible. Click on that button.

4. Add Website

Add the URL of the website you want to track into the bar. Make sure the URL is accurate and use the homepage address for tracking the entire website. You can then click the “Continue” button.

5. Verify the Website

Google will ask you to verify your site in four days and there are several ways to do that. Here’s a look at your options:

·      You can copy the HTML code they provide and upload it to your website code if you have root access.

·      You can verify through the Google Tag Manager if you have access to it.

·      Verification can also be done through the hosting provider.

·      Claim ownership of the website through Google Analytics Tracking ID.

Google Analytics makes the verification process very easy. You can also set up the search console for Bing with a similar process. 

How To Set Up Google Analytics

Google Analytics is one of the most versatile marketing tools you can use. It helps you keep track of all the activities on your website and plan optimisations accordingly. Analytics data can also help you identify problems with your website and fix them before they can impact your business. This process isn’t too complicated and here’s a simple guide on how to do it:

1. Sign Up For Your Google Analytics Account

You need to sign up for the account before you can use the tool. The first step is to log into your Google account and go to Analytics. You should find the sign up button on the right side of the Analytics homepage.

2. Fill In The Form

You’ll be immediately taken to a form that you need to fill. You need to specify what should be tracked, choose a suitable account name, add a website name, and then provide the website URL for tracking.

3. Choose Data Sharing Options

There are a number of data sharing options mentioned in the form. Choose your industry, reporting zone, and click the checkboxes on sharing with Google Products and Services, Benchmarking, Technical Support, and Account specialties. Once you submit the form, you’ll be prompted to accept the terms and conditions.

4. Add Your Tracking ID

When you complete your form and submit it, you’ll be taken to a page with your tracking Id. It is a bit of HTML code and it should be added to every page on your website. Adding the code depends on your website’s format. It is a good idea to ask your web designer to do it to avoid any complications.

5. Test

Test to see if the tracking id is working by looking at the reports. If the id is installed correctly, you should see the reports in 24 hours.

Once the Analytics is installed, you can start working based on its data. We also recommend installing Yoast SEO and using the Keyword Planner in your marketing endeavours.

How to Optimise Your Website Images

People like visual content, which is why most websites have beautiful images and pictures that relate to the brand. However, images are a double-edged sword; they can enhance the beauty of your website, but can also compromise its performance.

Pages with heavy HD images often take longer to load. As a recent survey by Google indicates, websites that take more than 2-3 seconds to load have a high abandonment rate. Here are some tips on how to optimise your images to avoid slow load times:

1. Choose a Good File Name

The file name and connected alt-text is a great way to ensure your images are SEO-friendly. Google can’t read images to identify its content, but it can read the file name or alt-text. This gives the search engine a clear idea of what kind of content is on the page and that can help improve rankings.

2. Choose the Right Format

Images come in different formats and file sizes and these formats are designed for different purposes. If you have a larger image or illustration, choose the JPEG file of the image. If the image needs to be transparent, choose the PNG format. WebP is ideal if you want to reduce file size but preserve image quality. SVG integrates well with JavaScript and CSS, which makes it a good choice for logos and brand imagery.

3. Scale the Image

Large file sizes take longer to load, which is why it is important to ensure the image is of a good size. An 1850x900 pixel image will look smaller and cropped when it is displayed in a 250x150 space, but it will still need to upload completely. It is better to scale down the image size according to the page requirements and then upload it to your website.

It is also a good idea to make an image responsive. Responsive images will adjust to the screen size and still look good. If you own a WordPress website, this is done automatically. You will need to add a line of code to make an image responsive on other platforms.

How To Optimise Each Page On Your Website

Almost every business has a website today and all of them are competing for attention online. This means business owners can’t afford to compromise on the quality of their platform and must make sure every page is of good quality.

If all the pages are optimised, you’ll see a significant improvement in the user experience as well as your search engine rankings. There are several factors involved in web page optimisation such as:

1. Mobile-Friendly Pages

Mobile search traffic has far surpassed desktop search traffic, which means a majority of your visitors come from a mobile platform. You need to make sure your website is mobile-friendly and this can be done by using a responsive website. Make sure every page is light-weight and loads quickly. All the links and menus should be easy to access on the smaller screen to ensure the best results. Google provides an accurate tool to help you test the mobile-friendliness of your site.

2. Fix All Broken Links

Many website owners find it too tedious to browse through their website links and find broken links. However, ignoring broken links can have two big consequences; it can compromise a search bot’s ability to crawl your website and it can hamper user experience. Both of these factors will have an impact on your website’s search engine ranking. Make sure all broken links on the page are fixed or add redirects if needed.

3. Fix Duplicate Meta Tags

Duplicate meta tags can send the wrong signals to the search engine algorithm, which can have an impact on the ranking. Google requires all Meta tags and page titles to be as unique as possible. It is important to identify any duplicate Meta tag connected to your page and replace it. There are several tools available online to help you fix the issue, including Yoast SEO.

4. Security

 

Google considers SSL certification a ranking factor and will rank HTTPS websites higher than regular sites. Websites without this certification are marked as not secure in Chrome, which can have an impact on your reputation.

These small optimisations can improve the website’s performance and ensure visitors have a good overall experience with it.

How to Install Yoast SEO (WordPress Users Only)

SEO is one of the most important modern marketing strategies available today. It can help your website rank high on search engine results pages. Yoast SEO is the most popular SEO plugin on the WordPress platform and can help your website shine. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to install it on Wordpress.

1. Log Into Your WordPress Website

The first step is to log onto your WordPress website with administrator access. This will work best if you have the most up-to-date version of the site because the plugin is updated regularly as well.

2. Search for the Yoast SEO Plugin

When you log in, you'll be taken to the website dashboard. There should be a Plugins menu on the left-hand side of the screen and there’s an Add New button on it. Click on the button and type in Yoast SEO in the Add Plugins dialogue box.

3. Install the Plugin

The first result should be the official Yoast SEO plugin. Click on the Install Now button on that plugin and let it download fully. Once the download is complete, the software will prompt you to activate the plugin. Once activated, Yoast SEO is ready for use.

4. Configure

To get the best results from Yoast SEO, you need to properly configure it. The plugin is on the global settings and isn’t personalised to your website. On the left side of the page, you will find a menu under “SEO.” It is important to adjust all of the settings mentioned in the menu according to your requirements.

You will have SEO General, Search Appearance, SEO Social, Tools, and Search Console settings. Connect Yoast to Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and Bing Webmasters Tools to utilise its full potential.

If you like Yoast and want to explore all of its features, try out the premium plugin. It can be downloaded from the download section on My Yoast. This is a feature-rich plugin that can be a great marketing investment.

How to Set Up Bing Webmaster Tools

Google might enjoy enduring dominance in the search engine field, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore other search platforms. Placing all your eggs in one basket is never a good business strategy. That’s why many business owners are encouraged to set up their website in Bing as well. Here’s a brief look at how you can do that:

1. Create a Microsoft Account

Just like you need a Google account to use Google Analytics, you need a Microsoft account to use Bing Webmaster Tools. The registration won’t take much time but it is a good idea to make sure the account is related to your business and is not personal.

2. Add Your Site

Once you have logged in, you’ll find the ‘Add a Site’ button on the page. Copy and paste your website URL to the field. Make sure the site URL is accurate because you might have to repeat the entire process.

3. Enter the Sitemap

If you have never connected your website to Bing and don’t know much about its user data, just choose the default option and upload the sitemap to the page. If you have data regarding the highest traffic times on your platform, enter that information into the form. You can click add to submit all of the data to Webmasters Tools

4. Verify Ownership

Once you have uploaded the information, Bing needs you to verify ownership of the website before it can start tracking it. This can be done in three ways; you can download and upload the BingSiteAuth.xml file, you can add a meta tag with authentication code into your website’s default page, or add the CNAME record to your DNS file.

5. Submit URLs for Indexing

This is a slightly time-consuming process but it is a good idea to get it done as soon as possible. Bing only allows 10 URL submissions a day and 50 per month so if you have more than 50 pages on your website, this can take time.

Once this is done, your Bing Webmasters tools are up and running. You can then set up deep links or use Yoast SEO to improve rankings on the Bing SERP.

How To Create An SEO Blog

So, everyone is talking about it, but you still have no idea what an SEO blog actually is? SEO is still one of the most effective digital marketing techniques. Creating an SEO-focused blog can be quite challenging because it requires going beyond the content. Here are some tips that can help you with the process:

Make Sure Your Website is Optimised

Your website structure should be optimised to ensure it is search engine friendly. This lays down a good foundation for your future marketing campaigns. Website optimisation involves several steps, including:

Mobile-Friendly Websites

Websites need to be mobile-friendly in order to rank high. Google switched to the Mobile-first index last year and ranks websites based on their mobile performance. If your site performs well on this platform, it is more SEO-friendly. You can test your website’s mobile friendliness and make decisions based on that.

Loading Speed

Modern consumers are impatient and favour websites that load quickly on all platforms. In fact, a Google survey shows that they are prone to abandoning websites that take more than 3 seconds to load. That’s why checking site speed and optimising it is important.

Technical Optimisation

Technical optimisation includes things like fixing broken links, identifying and fixing duplicate Meta tags, and identifying crawl errors. You also need to make sure the website is secure with HTTPS. Websites without them are clearly marked as ‘not secure’ by Google in Chrome.

A well-optimised website will help you reach your audience and rank high on the search engine results pages.

Optimising Content

SEO Content

Make sure you have long-form content with more than 1,000 words. Google requires at least 300 words per page to properly index a website. If the piece is short and doesn’t provide any real value, Google will look at it as thin content.

SEO Images

You also need to optimise your images to ensure they look great on all platforms and don’t hamper website performance. It is possible to reduce file size without cropping the picture and compromising its quality.

A great SEO blog can help bring in organic traffic and establish a good reputation in your industry for your brand.

How to Set Up Keyword Research Checklist

Keywords are the bait that draws the search engine’s attention and helps bring in traffic. Business owners and marketers need to regularly upgrade their keywords list and ensure they’re using the right phrases in their campaigns.

It helps to have a consistent process to ensure you always get good-quality keywords. Instead of just looking at tools like Google Keyword Planner, investigate further and try to reach user intent. Here’s a checklist to help you find the best options:

1. Don’t Discard The Keyword Planner Entirely

The Google Keyword Planner isn’t the most comprehensive tool but that doesn’t mean it isn’t useful. It provides a list of words that is directly related to your search phrase and provides data on these keywords. You can collect the words and use them sparingly in your content; just keep in mind that these keywords need to be relevant to your interests.

2. Buyer Personas

User intent is the most important factor during keyword research these days. That’s because Google has switched to Machine Learning and AI search algorithms. The search engine no longer matches the search phrases exactly with the keywords in website content; it looks much deeper.

If you want to reach user intent, you need to understand your buyers and that can be done by creating buyer personas. List down the gender, age, location, hobbies and interests, income, pain points, and other such important characteristics of your ideal buyer to create a persona.

3. Look at Forums

Your industry’s forums are a great source of information and keywords. Just type the primary keyword and forums in your Google search bar to find a treasure trove of niche topics and related keywords. This is likely to draw a large number of audiences to your website because people are actively interested in it.

4. Social Media

Question and answer platforms like Reddit and Quora are also a great place to find niche topics and related keywords. You can find the questions your target audiences are actively interested in and create a keyword list accordingly.

After you do that, it is all a matter of finding long-tail and specific keywords to ensure you get the right traffic. 

How to Identify Crawl Errors and Improve Your SEO

All web pages need to be indexed in order to show up on the search engine results pages. Their position on the SERP is determined by their quality, which is decided by search engine crawlers. These crawlers move through your website and analyse its structure, linking, speed, content, and other such factors. If the bots can’t crawl your website effectively, they won’t be able to rank it. Google will send an HTTP code error to users if their bots aren’t successful. Here’s a look at how you can identify crawl errors:

1. Look at The Reports

There are two kinds of reports to look into in order to find all the crawl errors in the website. The site error report shows errors that occurred in the past 90 days that prevent Google’s bot from accessing the whole website. The URL error report indicates specific errors that prevented Google bots from trying to crawl specific pages on the desktop or mobile versions of your website.

2. Different Types of Site Errors

If your website is functioning well, the Site Error page shouldn’t show any errors. The report will have three error types; DNS, Server Connectivity, and robots.txt. If all is well, they will have green checkmarks. If there are errors, you need to click on the errors to get a more in-depth report. High error rates of 100% in any category shows that there’s something fundamentally wrong with your website. An error rate of less than 100% is an indication of temporary errors or overloads.

3. Different Types of URL Errors

URL error reports don’t often need urgent attention. Some errors mentioned can be ignored but be sure to keep an eye on the page. Google will rank the most important concerns at the top of the page for your immediate concern. The types of errors include Not Found errors, old URLs in the Sitemap, and long redirect sequences.

Once you have resolved the errors, you need to mark them as finished to ensure they disappear from the list. This can help you manage the errors better and help Google crawl better as well.

How to Find Solid Keywords in Google Keyword Planner

Keyword research is an important aspect of running any marketing campaign. It requires time, focus, experience, and knowledge of how SEO works. There are several tools available online to help marketers find the best keywords, but many of them have become obsolete. This is largely because search engines have evolved considerably and no longer match exact keywords to find the optimal results.

However, tools like Google Keyword Planner are still quite useful and can help you find the best keywords for your requirements. Here are some tips on how to find solid and attractive phrases for your campaigns:

1. Use The Most Relevant Primary Keyword

Most people don’t realize just how much of an impact primary keywords have on the results in the Keyword Planner. Make sure you use the most relevant and reliable keyword to search for other keywords in the tool. Precise keywords will lead to the most accurate results and some of these results might even touch on niche topics, which can help you focus on user intent.

2. Browse Through The List of Keywords

The primary phrase will generate a long list of related words and phrases in the Keyword Planner. Browse through all of these keywords and make a note of the ones that are most relevant to your business. This list isn’t final, but it can act as a starting point to your keyword research.

3. Look at the Data

Look deeper into every keyword and browse through the data provided by the Keyword Planner. You can see the number of impressions, clicks, popularity, big amount, and other such factors whenever you click on a particular keyword. The tool also provides information on bid amount and competition for the phrase. All of this information can help you find the most effective keywords to incorporate into campaigns.

Google Keyword Planner is a versatile tool that can be very helpful despite the focus on user intent. You just need to learn how to use the platform effectively to get the best results.

How To KEEP Your Social Media Followers!

Did you know Facebook has nearly 2 billion monthly active users? That is a lot of cute cat videos people!

Aside from being an addictive distraction from things you need to do, social media is a fertile hunting ground for all manner of marketers, advertisers, and business owners. And can you blame them? It’s a great way to establish connections with prospective customers and spread brand influence. But with all of our work to attract new followers, are we loosing our older followers in the process?

People on social media have very short attention spans but very long memories, so consistency is key. Here are some tips and tricks that will help you avoid common mistakes and ensure you keep from sending your followers running for the hills:

1. This is social media, not a sales media  

This may seem obvious from the name but the true purpose of social media is to be ‘social’ and connect with other users. Yet brands seem to forget that the only way to experience some measure of success is if they try to connect and establish a relationship with the audience instead of constantly selling. It’s time we realised that sales will come with better visibility and carefully planned marketing campaigns. Focus too much on sales and you’ll alienate people instead of drawing them in. Try to follow the 1-6 rule and make sure you team every promotional post with 6 pieces of content that are more casual, entertaining, and engaging.

2. Speak up

The most successful brands on social media have their own voice and personality that shines through and keeps audiences engaged. For example, some brands have a very humorous and sarcastic voice that fits modern sense of humour well. Others come across as knowledgeable and sophisticated, which benefits them as well. Without a good social media voice, it’s easy to become lost in the crowd and become invisible. A great voice and personality immediately grabs attention creating that killer first impression you’re aiming for.

3. Consistency is key

Like I said, people on social media have short attention spans, especially on highly mobile platforms like Twitter. You need to post things consistently and regularly in order to be present and keep the audiences engaged. If you post once in a blue moon, even a winning personality and voice won’t help you maintain traction. The brand will be exposed to new audiences every day so it’s important to maintain a good image and provide a consistent message. People will browse through the profile and research the company before they make their choice to follow you.  

4. Check twice and check again

Mistakes on social media can quickly turn into PR nightmares. All kinds of trolls will come out of the woodworks to mock you over small typos or rage at you for every perceived offence. It’s important to check, double check, and then check four more times for good measure just to ensure your message or content is grammatically sound, void of spelling mistakes, and not stepping on anyone’s toes.

5. Be the giver

People love freebies and the best way to find traction on social media is to give your audience a little somethin’, somethin’. This doesn’t always have to be discounts or rock bottom process, something as simple as games, challenges, and humorous tweets can keep them engaged. The purpose of your social media account should be to provide some tangible or intangible value to you tribe of followers.

Follow these steps and you’ll start to gain long term attention and adoration all over your social. In turn, you will be bringing in the cash. Creating long term loyalty is also about trusting that little gut of yours. So, right before you press go on that next post, just ask yourself – Would I want to see this?

How To Increase The Value Of Your Website Visitors

The best part about digital marketing is the numbers. With traditional media, we would send out our flyers and throw up our posters and just hope for the best, but in this day and age, we can track exactly where our efforts are getting us. 

In an earlier blog post I talked about How To Calculate The Value Of Website Visitors. The number we just came to in that post is really important. With that number (and I recommend testing it out over different time periods and sources), you understand exactly how much value you’ll bring to the company if you increase web visits by, say, 20%. 

But there’s some additional information you should be tracking if you want to improve that visitor value from $3.32 up to $4. Couple the increase in visits with the increase in value per visitor, and you’re talking about some serious profit. 

Here is how you can work on increasing the value of each visitor (now that you know the number):

Calculate the visit to lead conversion rate.

What percentage of your visitors become leads over a year?

FORMULA: Number of leads / Number of visitors (over the same period)

EXAMPLE: 11,375 / 325,000 = 3.5% visitor to lead conversion rate

Our example receives 3.5 leads for every 100 visitors to its website.

Calculate the lead to customer conversion rate.

What percentage of your leads turn into customers over a year? 

The next step in the funnel is to move leads to sales. This conversion rate tells you how well your team turns leads into customers. Try out some ways to improve your conversion rate, and stick with the ones that work. When your conversion rates go up, the value of each lead goes up, and so does the value of each visitor.

FORMULA: Number of customers / Number of leads (over the same period)

EXAMPLE: 200 / 11,375 = 1.75% lead to sale conversion rate

This means the example gains, on average, 1.75 customers for every 100 leads it receives through the website.

And one all-important note.

There is one important concept to keep in mind. You should be able to tie the new customers that came through during the year back to web leads directly. In saying that, I mean that these particular customers should have found you on Google, or a social network, or came directly to your website, etc. If they became a lead at a trade show or through a friend’s referral (both offline sources), they shouldn’t be included. Including those customers will overvalue each visitor since some of the end customers didn’t go through your website process. So, keep in mind if you can’t segment by source, most likely, your visitor value will be inflated.