You think twice about sharing it, don’t you?

There’s a way for marketers to control the way their content displays as it shows up on social networks, including Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. You control the social media content your page generates through social meta tags.

For instance, if someone copies a link to the index page of the Tim Ferriss blog in their Facebook status update:

It looks like this:

What you see here has room for improvement. You want to compel a viewer to click, right? The problem here is that the image, headline, and description haven’t been crafted to get a click. People probably ignore or trash this post instead of sharing it.

Luckily, the title, description, and image that automatically pop up when a user shares a link on many social networks can all be specified by the content publisher. When you optimize your content to look good on social media, it is more likely to get a click.

Social share optimization is one of the tactics we prioritize with our SMM services.

Why? Well, aren’t you much more likely to click on the post if it comes across your feed looking like this?

Read on to learn how to customize the headline, description, and image of your pages using social meta tags. Jump to these sections with the links below, or read on for your guide to optimized social media content:

• Pro tips for crafting social meta tags
• Using WordPress? social meta tags in WordPress plugins
• Open graph tags
• Twitter card markup
• Schema for sharing on LinkedIn, Google+, and Pinterest
• Social Media Promotion with Meta Tags
• FAQ: How can I optimize my social media content using social meta tags to increase click-through rates and engagement?

Pro Tips for Crafting Social Meta Tags

The point of using social meta tags is to control the way your content is displayed in feeds rather than letting Facebook, Twitter, and other social platforms generate the headline, description, and image for you.

• Adjust or recycle unused title ideas by using them as headlines in social media content.
• You may want to test different versions of an image. Use Open Graph tags and Twitter Card tags as a social media marketing testing ground.
• Tweak the image and content based on the network. Showcase images and text that will appeal to the unique interests of each network’s distinct audience.
• While Twitter is said to default to Open Graph tags if no Twitter Card markup is on the page, in our experience, you get a more controlled result if you include both types of social media markup on a page.

Using WordPress? Social Meta Tags in WordPress Plugins

If you’re using WordPress, several plugins make it possible to implement social meta tags without ever having to write a single line of code.

Some options include:

• WPSSO for social markup across the major social sites
• JM Twitter Cards for the full range of Twitter Card types
• WordPress SEO by Yoast for Facebook Open Graph tags and Twitter Cards

WordPress plugins for social meta tags are a quick and easy way to associate custom headlines, descriptions, and images with your WordPress posts and web pages on a page-by-page basis.

If you’re using different software to operate your site, the social markup for Facebook Open Graph, Twitter Cards, and the other major social networks is below.

Open Graph Tags

The Open Graph protocol is Facebook’s standard for implementing social meta tags. It has also become recognized by all the major social platforms, including LinkedIn and Twitter. This means that Twitter, LinkedIn, and other networks often pull the headline, description, and image indicated in the Open Graph tags.

The critical Open Graph tags are:

In order to have the Facebook shares that come from your webpages formatted with a headline (title), description, and image of your choosing, like this:

… here’s what the social meta tags must look like in the HTML code:

<meta property=”og:title” content=”The Always-Up-to-Date SEO Checklist from Bruce Clay Inc.” />

<meta property=”og:url” content=”https://www.bruceclay.com/blog/seo-checklist/” />

<meta property=”og:description” content=”Just getting started optimizing websites? Here’s a time-tested SEO checklist to keep on-hand during your projects.” />

<meta property=”og:image” content=”https://www.bruceclay.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SEO-Checklist.jpg” />

<meta property=”og:type” content=”article” />

To make sure your Open Graph tags have been properly configured, use Facebook’s Sharing Debugger to view an error report and see a preview of how a shared URL will appear when posted to Facebook.

Pro tip: If you update a page’s OG tags, use the Sharing Debugger to force Facebook to do a fresh scrape of the URL, which will cause Facebook to pull the new social meta tag data. Otherwise, it might pull from the cache instead of showing your updated content.

Twitter Card Markup

Twitter Cards allow you to attach photos or videos to Tweets with a few lines of code. There are several types of Twitter Cards, but Summary Cards and Photo Summary Cards are most commonly used.

The basic markup tags for Twitter are:

So in order to get this:

… the Twitter Card social meta tags will look like this:

<meta name=”twitter:card” content=”summary_large_image” />

<meta name=”twitter:title” content=” The Always-Up-to-Date SEO Checklist from @BruceClayInc” />

<meta name=”twitter:url” content=”http://www.bruceclay.com/blog/seo-checklist/” />

<meta name=”twitter:description” content=”Just getting started optimizing websites? Here’s a time-tested SEO checklist to keep on-hand during your projects.” />

<meta name=”twitter:image” content=”http://www.bruceclay.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SEO-Checklist.jpg” />

Want to see what your page will look like when pasted into a tweet? Input a URL into the Twitter Card validator to see a preview and make sure you’ve configured your Twitter Card social markup correctly.

Pro tip: If you update a page’s Twitter Card tags, use the Twitter Card validator to force Twitter to do a fresh scrape of the URL, which will cause Twitter to pull the new social meta tag data. Otherwise, it might pull from a cache instead of your updated tags.

Schema for Sharing on LinkedIn and Pinterest

As mentioned, Open Graph tags are read by Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Most social networks recognize and support Open Graph as a default standard when it comes to social markup. But there is another solution for Pinterest and LinkedIn, which is schema markup.

To use schema markup to customize the title, description, and image associated with your LinkedIn or Pinterest, the social meta tags look like this:

<html itemscope itemtype=”https://schema.org/Article”>

<meta itemprop=”name” content=”Blog Post Title”>

<meta itemprop=”description” content=”This a description of blog post”>

<meta itemprop=”image” content=”https://www.domain.com/image.jpg”>

Again, this schema markup will go in the HTML code associated with your post right before the closing head tag, </head>.

You can validate your schema markup using the Google Structured Data Testing Tool.

Read more on using schema and structured markup to improve how your content is displayed in our technical SEO and schema markup guides.

Social Media Promotion with Meta Tags

Start thinking of your social media content, like social advertising. Strategic social markup for enhanced distribution is everything in today’s dynamic digital landscape.

The key to maximizing your social distribution is to control how your content is displayed in feeds rather than letting Facebook, Twitter, and other social platforms pull content from the page for you. By optimizing the meta tags that control social media content, you can craft messages about your blog post geared toward the distinct audiences you have on each social network.

Much like page title tags and meta description tags help boost organic search engine rankings, social meta tags are elements in your HTML that boost social exposure, increase social media traffic and improve click-through rates.

For additional help crafting more informative meta tags, be sure to check out our advice on how to use keywords in SEO.

FAQ: How can I optimize my social media content using social meta tags to increase click-through rates and engagement?

Leveraging the full potential of your content goes beyond crafting captivating posts; it’s about ensuring your message resonates with your audience. This is where social meta tags come into play. These unassuming code snippets are key to maximizing click-through rates and engagement on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Social media is a bustling landscape where millions of pieces of content compete for attention. To stand out, you must provide users with content that speaks directly to their interests. Social meta tags offer a solution. By customizing your headlines, descriptions, and images, you can create a tailored experience that captures attention and entices users to delve deeper into your content.

Open Graph tags and Twitter Card markup are your secret weapons for optimizing content display on Facebook and Twitter. Craft a compelling headline that sparks curiosity, a concise description that delivers value, and an image that resonates with your target audience. This orchestrated effort ensures your content is not lost in the sea of posts but instead shines brightly on users’ feeds.

Don’t limit yourself to just Facebook and Twitter. LinkedIn and Pinterest also have their preferences. Schema markup can help you optimize the presentation of your content across these platforms, customizing titles, descriptions, and images to meet each platform’s target audience.

If you’re a WordPress user, implementing social meta tags becomes even more accessible. With plugins like WPSSO, JM Twitter Cards, and WordPress SEO by Yoast, you can streamline the process and effortlessly associate custom headlines, descriptions, and images with your posts and pages. This empowers you to maintain consistency across your digital footprint while ensuring optimized display on social networks.

Social meta tags are not just technical elements but the bridge between your content and your audience. By taking the reins and crafting how your content appears on social platforms, you enhance your chances of capturing users’ attention and driving engagement. Optimizing your social media content with social meta tags in a world where every click counts is a strategy worth mastering.

Step-by-Step Procedure:

1. Determine the social media platforms for which you want to optimize content (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest).
2. Familiarize yourself with the basics of social meta tags, including Open Graph tags and Twitter Card markup.
3. Identify the key content you want to promote through social meta tags.
4. Craft an attention-grabbing headline that encapsulates the essence of your content.
5. Create a concise yet impactful description highlighting your content’s value.
6. Select or design an image that aligns with your content and captures users’ interest.
7. Implement Open Graph tags in your HTML code to customize the content display on Facebook and other platforms.
8. Utilize Twitter Card markup to optimize content visibility and engagement on Twitter.
9. Explore schema markup options to customize content presentation on platforms like LinkedIn and Pinterest.
10. Choose the appropriate schema tags (itemscope, itemprop) and populate them with relevant content details.
11. To simplify tag implementation, Consider using WordPress plugins like WPSSO, JM Twitter Cards, or WordPress SEO by Yoast.
12. Install and configure the chosen plugin according to its documentation.
13. Access the plugin settings to input custom headlines, descriptions, and images for your content.
14. Use social media validators (e.g., Facebook’s Sharing Debugger, Twitter Card validator) to test and preview how your content will appear.
15. Adjust and refine your social meta tags based on validation results and platform-specific requirements.
16. Update your website’s code with the revised social meta tags.
17. Monitor the performance of your optimized content by tracking click-through rates and engagement metrics.
18. Analyze the data to identify trends and areas for improvement in your social media strategy.
19. Continuously iterate and refine your social meta tags based on user engagement and platform changes.
20. Stay updated on best practices and emerging trends in social media optimization to maintain a competitive edge.

The post What Are Social Meta Tags? How to Control How Your Content Looks in Social Media Shares appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

There’s good content. And, then there’s high-quality content, the stuff that rises in the search engine results pages, oozing those attractive and useful characteristics both consumers and search engines value.

For an SEO copywriter, there are few SEO content writing tips that make your content more “valuable and useful” to your readers than including first-hand information from an expert.

If your web copy isn’t performing, it might be because it lacks credible, expert information.

While it takes extra time and research, the voice of an expert has the power to lift good content to high-quality heights.

Think about it like this. Would you trust an essay, a research paper, or a white paper without original research and real sources? Moreover, would you trust a paper that was plagiarized? Yet, for some reason, we expect consumers to simply accept digital content even when it’s copied from material on the web and presented without sources and citations. On top of that, we expect search engines to reward that type of content with rankings. It just doesn’t happen that way.

Regardless of your industry or topic, expert information brings credibility to a site. Credible content not only nourishes consumer appetites, but also meets Google’s bar for the amount of E-E-A-T (experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness) on a webpage, boosting your rankings. It happens this way.

So is your website content credible? Does it demonstrate a high level of expertise? If so, that’s great news. You can check out the rest of our SEO Copywriting Checklist for other ways you can improve your content. If not, it’s time to make some friends with experts.

How? I’m going to share with you a step-by-step process for building and maintaining healthy relationships with industry experts, a process we’ve had the chance to perfect in producing content for a big-brand client in the wedding industry.

Use these SEO content writing tips to make relationships with real experts who will help you publish high-quality content, whether you’re writing SEO web content, articles, or blogs.

This article will walk you through the following:

• How to identify industry experts
• How to find industry experts
• How to reach out to experts
• Tips on conducting interviews
• Tips on how to maintain relationships
• FAQ: How do I identify the right industry experts for my content?

How to Identify Industry Experts

What makes an industry expert?

Not to be confused with industry influencers, industry experts are people with the expert knowledge, experience, education, data, or advice on the specific topics you’re writing about.

According to Google, the level of expertise required for a site varies depending on the topic and industry. In its Search Quality Rating Guidelines, Google gives the example that a medical site should have information with “appropriate medical expertise or accreditation,” yet suggests a site about the proper care of cats could easily be rated high-quality if it features expertise by everyday cat owners as opposed to trained veterinarians.

Ask yourself these basic yet important questions to help you identify the best expert for SEO copywriting:

• What type of information do you need? (Studies, analyses, facts, testimonials, opinions?)
• Who has first-hand knowledge of this information?
• Who does your target audience want to hear from most?

For the purpose of SEO content writing, find an expert who is doing the work today (as opposed to a retiree or someone who just speaks or writes about the topic). These are doers and dream makers, the ones who can provide you with unique, never-before-seen quotes and advice.

It’s also important to talk to someone who not only has been interviewed before but also enjoys talking about what they do or know. It’s not enough to find a professional with the knowledge you need. You want an expert who can appeal to your target audience by simplifying complex concepts without industry jargon.

Next, competitive analysis will reveal the level of authority you want to go after. At the very least, you want an expert at the same level or higher than the ones featured on competitor sites.

For this project, this meant talking to wedding planners. On the topic of wedding etiquette, my first thought was to reach out to etiquette experts, such as the team at The Emily Post Institute. Yet I went with wedding planners because I knew that they could provide me with all things etiquette, plus real-world tips on how to incorporate those rules into modern scenarios facing the couples who are their clients today.

How to Find Industry Experts

You know the title or level of expertise you need, so how do you find the experts?

Here, are a few places you can begin your search:

Recent newspaper and magazine articles. If an expert is passionate about what they do and know, chances are they’ve been interviewed before. Begin your search in websites of major newspapers and magazines for the topics you’re writing about to discover notable experts.

If you’re writing about sleep apnea, for example, a recent article in the New York Times on the same subject reveals the name of Dr. Avidan, director of the sleep clinic at the University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine, someone who just might know a thing or two about sleep apnea and can talk about it in a way that’s not so (queue yawn) boring.

For my project, I needed a wedding planner, but not any planner would do. I needed the best of the best, and that meant planners who produce events and weddings for the stars. I picked well-known celebrity wedding planners who helped bring celebrity weddings to life within the last year or were recently named one of the top wedding planners by reputable publications such as the Knot, Vogue, or Martha Stewart Weddings.

University faculty and professors. This is a great resource for a wide range of topics required for informational websites. Many universities have professors and staff who regularly speak to journalists for interviews. Look for the institution’s media page to find a list of faculty by expertise. For example, UCLA has this handy Media Guide to UCLA Experts.

Popular bloggers. If you want to feature information or advice from everyday people with experience in the topic you’re writing about, find an active blogger who is immersed in the conversation. If you’re writing about how to potty train your toddler, for example, it might help to have quotes or advice from a mother who is dealing with this issue today, as opposed to a pediatrician who simply gives generic advice. An active and popular lifestyle blogger who writes about motherhood is also going to give you fun, easy-to-digest information that might better appeal to your target audience.

Dos and Don’ts

Do pick more experts than you need. If the project requires interviewing two experts, reach out to five or ten. You never know who will respond, and it’s always a good idea to have backups in case someone flakes, gets sick, or simply has to cancel last minute. Another reason to reach out to more experts than you will need is that not everyone will give you the best information, and you’ll have a few options to choose from.

Do create a spreadsheet. Keep a list of experts you want to interview. Include the proper spelling of their name, company name, and contact information, including email, phone number, and website. Add a column for the date you reached out, the date they responded, if they agree to an interview, and if they agree to be interviewed regularly.

Don’t reach out to competitor resources. As tempting as it might be, it’s better to find your own experts and build relationships with people who are not contributing to your competitor’s websites.

How to Reach Out to Experts

It’s time to say hello. The way you reach out to busy industry experts matters, as does what and how much you say when you have their attention. You can use the telephone, but here’s why I prefer email along with the process that was most successful for me.

Send a brief but enticing email. Why email? When was the last time you picked up your office phone? It’s simply annoying to cold call someone and even more annoying to be the recipient of that call. Also, people don’t check their voicemails throughout the day, but they do check their emails several times a day. This means that an expert can read and reply on their own time, which makes it convenient for them, and you.

With one email, you can introduce yourself (your title and the company you work for), explain the reason for the interview (talk about the project, client, and benefits of being featured in the content), and let them know you’re reaching out to them specifically because they are an expert in their field. Include your deadline, and keep it open for a phone or email interview.

Personalize the email. You have time to personalize your emails, and there is an important reason to do so: you’re making a real relationship. You want them to feel as though they are your top choice. A generic email without the recipient’s name is insulting and exhibits lazy behavior on your part, not a good start to a relationship.

Create a template. What can save you time is creating a template, but be careful to highlight the dynamic areas of the email so that you don’t use the wrong name, which is also very insulting.

Here’s an example of the template I used to contact a luxury wedding planner.

Dear [the expert’s name] and the team at [the business name],

[The client’s name] is building its resource library for brides.

We’re looking for wedding and events experts to provide background on wedding invitation wording and etiquette. Are you interested in being a named expert in our series? The name of [the expert’s name and business name] will be featured in the piece in front of researching brides.

If you’re interested, I would like to set up some time to talk. Both phone and email will work for the interview. My deadline is [a date], so please let me know as soon as convenient.

Sincerely,

[Your name]
Content Writer
[Your company]
[Your website]
[Your phone number]

Tips on Conducting Interviews

These tips will help you conduct thorough interviews that will provide you with the unique, expert-level information you need to write quality content.

Here’s the prep work:

Research competitor content. Before I begin any SEO content optimization project, I want to know what my competitors are already writing about the topic or industry. Above, I mentioned competitor research is an important step to find the type of expert you need, but if you want to beat your competitors, you will need to write content that’s more valuable and useful, which means you will have the basics covered and then some. While reading competitor content, you’ll find content gaps and weaknesses, which can be the areas you can focus and expand on to capture your target audience.

Research past interviews or online content featuring your expert. If your experts have been interviewed before, read every single interview as well as the content they’ve contributed to. This is because the expert might give you a similar quote, and you don’t want to run into duplicate content issues or repeat what’s already available online.

Write down your questions. Even if the conversation flows out of order, a written list will keep you on topic and ensure you get all the information you need at one time. It also shows that you did your homework. Ask the who, what, where, when, why, and how, and then dig deeper with questions that will give you the unique information your target audience needs and wants.

When it’s time for the interview:

Email questions ahead of time. Whether it’s in person, by phone, or via email, the interview will go much smoother if the expert receives your questions ahead of time. In my experience, this extra step gives them time to think about the questions and produce better, more thoughtful answers. If you’re conducting an email interview, then send your questions along with a reminder of the due date. If you’ve scheduled a phone interview, remind them of the date and time of the interview and make sure you confirm time zone differences and that you have the right phone number.

Get personal. I love to open my interviews with a discussion of the expert’s recent contributions to the industry. There are many benefits to this approach, including possibly bonding over a common interest, breaking the ice with someone who’s just met, and opening the door for the expert to freely chat about their passions and work, a technique that’s provided me with tons of unexpected information I can then incorporate into the content.

Confirm the name and title of the expert. Don’t assume the owner of the company is the CEO, even if the website says she is. Always confirm the expert’s title as well as any qualifiers. Some wedding planners preferred “celebrity wedding planner,” while others requested “luxury wedding planner,” “event designer,” etc.

Thank them for the interview. Whether you conducted a phone or email interview, send a follow-up email thanking them for the interview, with a sentence about how you will inform them once the piece goes live.

Tips on How to Maintain Relationships

So far, so good. You’ve interviewed the right people, got some great information, and now it’s time to honor these relationships. Here are a few tips to help you foster and keep these relationships.

Stay consistent with tone and formality. Remain formal, even if the expert breaks out into casual communication. I’ve had experts write back in fragments and without punctuation, yet I remain formal because I aim to be respectful, and consistent and earn their trust as a professional. At the end of the day, this relationship is a formal business relationship and you want to earn their trust by being reliable and consistent with your communication style.

Follow up. If you don’t hear back within a few days, go ahead and send out a second email to follow up. With a few experts, I sent out more than one follow up, and it proved to be fruitful because my emails went into their spam folders, and they were so happy when they found out I was still interested in an interview.

Make notes. Consider this as being a good listener. With every reply and conversation, update your spreadsheet with information that helps your relationship. Identify the experts who’ve agreed to be interviewed and those who would like to be interviewed regularly.

You also want to add any new or specific contact information. For instance, 75 percent of the experts I reach out to refer me to their assistants and request to be CCd by all the correspondence; I record that in my notes.

As time goes by, you will also get to know how reliable and prompt your experts are. Those who continue to miss deadlines can be dropped off the list. Those who respond immediately and seem super eager to help can be relied upon for last-minute deadlines and special cases. I had one expert who would always fill in the gaps when others flaked.

Follow through. Once the piece is published or live on the web, email the link and thank them a second time. This is also a great time to ask them for a second interview if you need more information from them to clarify the first interview or for a different project. Let them know if you plan to interview them again in the future and ask if they have any favorite topics or ideas they want to contribute; this makes them feel a part of the project. I kept this process going with 10 experts, and interviewed each expert every other month.

Follow them on social media. Following experts on social media sites like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook not only shows support but also keeps you up-to-date on future projects that might benefit your content.

SEO Content Solutions and Takeaways

As an SEO copywriter, you never go into a project hoping to produce mediocre content. Yet even the best writers find it challenging to write that high-quality copy that satisfies both search engines and consumers. Why? Because high-quality content has many characteristics, and without a clear SEO content strategy, it’s easy to forget some of the ingredients that set copy apart from the competition.

Consider expert information as the solid research behind a good essay; by featuring original research and citing reliable sources, you can build trust with your readers and prove to be an authority on the subject.

Are you interested in learning more SEO content writing tips including how to optimize that content for search and set your copywriting apart? Our SEO training program will teach you SEO best practices to boost your content’s search rankings.

To find out about our content development services to help raise your webpage quality through new or refreshed content, contact us for a quote and free consultation.

Editor’s note: This page was originally penned by content writer Melanie Saxe, now updated and republished.

FAQ: How do I identify the right industry experts for my content?

Tapping into the expertise of industry authorities is the key to crafting content that informs, influences, and engages your audience. The process of identifying the right industry experts for your content involves a combination of strategic planning, research, and relationship-building.

The first step in identifying suitable industry experts is to define your content’s scope and target audience. Understand the specific topics and themes you’ll cover, then pinpoint the individuals whose knowledge aligns with these areas. Whether it’s through online forums, social media, or conferences, immerse yourself in the industry’s ecosystem to recognize the voices that resonate.

Once you have a list of potential experts, evaluate their credibility and authority. Scrutinize their professional background, achievements, and contributions to the field. Look for individuals with a consistent track record of sharing valuable insights and original research. Reading their published works, blogs, and articles will provide a glimpse into their expertise and writing style.

Beyond expertise, consider the relevance of the expert to your target audience. Are they addressing the needs and pain points of your readers? Are they able to simplify complex concepts into digestible content? The right expert possesses knowledge and understands how to communicate effectively with your audience, making your content more relatable and impactful.

Establishing a connection with chosen experts involves thoughtful outreach. Craft personalized emails highlighting their contributions and why you believe their insights would greatly enhance your content. Show appreciation for their expertise and express your desire to collaborate. Building a genuine relationship rather than a one-time transactional interaction lays the foundation for fruitful partnerships.

Lastly, be open to ongoing collaboration. Industry experts appreciate their insights being valued beyond a single piece of content. Consider involving them in interviews, roundtable discussions, or recurring features. Maintaining a consistent rapport builds trust and strengthens your content’s authority over time.

Step-by-Step Procedure: Identifying Industry Experts for Your Content

1. Define your content’s scope and target audience.
2. Research industry-related forums, conferences, and online communities.
3. Identify potential experts whose expertise aligns with your content’s themes.
4. Evaluate the credibility, achievements, and contributions of potential experts.
5. Study their published works and writings to understand their expertise and style.
6. Analyze the relevance of the expert to your audience’s needs.
7. Ensure the expert can simplify complex concepts for your readers.
8. Craft personalized outreach emails highlighting their contributions.
9. Express appreciation for their expertise and potential collaboration.
10. Explain the benefits of working together and how it aligns with their goals.
11. Establish a genuine connection before diving into collaboration discussions.
12. Plan out the specific type of content where the expert’s insights will shine.
13. Outline the value the expert’s contributions will bring to your audience.
14. Provide options for different levels of involvement (interviews, guest posts, etc.).
15. Be flexible in accommodating the expert’s availability and preferences.
16. Showcase their expertise prominently within the content you create.
17. Engage in ongoing communication and updates about the content’s progress.
18. Seek the expert’s input on promoting the content to their network.
19. Express gratitude for their contributions and showcase the final piece.
20. Maintain the relationship by continuing to provide value and collaboration opportunities.

By following these steps, you’ll be equipped to identify and collaborate with industry experts who can elevate the quality and credibility of your content, making it a valuable resource for your audience.

The post Guide to Leveraging Industry Expert Interviews to Write High-Quality Content appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

But it’s worth taking a look at where Google’s tech contributes outside the search world. In particular, Google has worked with NASA on multiple projects with some amazing results.

Back in 2005, Google and NASA made headlines by announcing a joint venture. This venture continues to have the potential to create the world’s largest technical-informational database, making Google yet again a shining star. Google reported it was going to cooperate with NASA and develop one million square feet of real estate within the U.S. Space Agency – NASA’s Research Park in Silicon Valley. Tech journalist Eric Auchard said, “Google and NASA are to cooperate on research projects such as large-scale data management, nanotechnology, massively distributed computing, and the entrepreneurial space industry.”

• Results of Google and NASA joint ventures
• Google and NASA quantum computing
• FAQ: What are the practical outcomes of the collaboration between Google and NASA?

Results of Google and NASA Joint Ventures

So, what so far has been the result of this collaboration between Google and NASA? People wondered if Google was going into space, but the result has been far more practical.

One early achievement was Google Mars. Pairing NASA data with its Google Earth technology, Google brought interactive mapping of the surface of Mars to the public.

Perhaps the biggest achievement has been some very fast computers.

Google and NASA Quantum Computing

Google and NASA (in collaboration with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory) announced in 2019 that they were able to achieve what’s known as quantum supremacy, according to a NASA press release. Harnessing the power of quantum processors and circuits, they were able to compute in a matter of seconds what supercomputers would take years. IBM pushed back, saying not so fast to the claim of quantum supremacy. Nonetheless, Google and NASA continue to advance their abilities to do the computations they need to accomplish their future goals.

In 2015, Google Vice President for Engineering John Giannandrea said at a press conference, “We have already encountered problems we would like to solve that are unfeasible with conventional computers.” Quantum computing is the way they can solve these problems.

What might those problems be? We can only imagine, but it could be in the area of artificial intelligence. Google has continued to expand its presence at NASA Research Park outside of San Jose, so only time will tell what more technological advances will come from this partnership.

FAQ: What are the practical outcomes of the collaboration between Google and NASA?

Google and NASA enjoy an exceptional partnership that brings together Google’s cutting-edge expertise in technology with NASA’s expansive knowledge of space exploration.

One notable outcome lies in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). The joint efforts of these two giants have pushed the boundaries of AI research, yielding breakthroughs that extend beyond space-related applications. Google’s machine learning algorithms, refined through this partnership, have found applications in everyday tasks, from image recognition to language processing, making our digital interactions more intuitive and efficient.

These companies have joined forces to design satellites that are better capable of earth observation, weather forecasting, and environmental monitoring. These satellites, equipped with cutting-edge sensors and imaging technology, help us better comprehend our planet while providing vital data that industries can utilize.

Google and NASA have also formed an innovative partnership to explore space exploration. For instance, the development of autonomous rovers equipped with AI-powered systems has revolutionized the exploration of distant planets. These rovers can adapt to dynamic terrains, make real-time decisions, and transmit critical data to Earth, paving the way for more efficient and insightful space missions.

Beyond technology, the collaboration has fostered educational initiatives that inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers. Programs such as virtual space exploration tours and online educational resources provide immersive learning experiences, igniting curiosity and nurturing a passion for space and technology among students worldwide.

The collaboration between Google and NASA goes beyond theoretical discussions, resulting in practical and impactful outcomes. From AI advancements to cutting-edge satellite technology and transformative educational initiatives, their joint efforts continue to shape various sectors.

Step-by-Step Procedure: How to Explore the Practical Outcomes of the Google and NASA Collaboration

1. Introduction: Clearly introduce the Google and NASA collaboration topic and its practical outcomes.
2. Discuss AI Advancements: Explain how the partnership contributed to AI breakthroughs and their applications in diverse fields.
3. Elaborate on Satellite Technology: Detail the enhanced satellite capabilities and their impact on Earth observation and data collection.
4. Explore Space Exploration Innovations: Describe the innovative solutions, like AI-powered rovers, that emerged from the collaboration for space exploration.
5. Highlight Educational Initiatives: Explain the educational programs initiated by the collaboration to inspire and educate students.
6. Summarize Key Takeaways: Provide a brief overview of the main practical outcomes and their significance.
7. Discuss Collaboration Background: Briefly explain the motivations and goals that led to the partnership between Google and NASA.
8. Detail AI Research: Describe specific AI research projects undertaken as part of the collaboration and their outcomes.
9. Explain Satellite Advancements: Dive deeper into satellite technology advancements and their real-world applications.
10. Illustrate Space Mission Impact: Provide examples of space missions that benefitted from the innovative solutions created through the partnership.
11. Showcase Educational Programs: Highlight specific educational initiatives, discussing their reach and impact.
12. Present Collaborative Framework: Explain how Google and NASA collaborated, including joint research and resource-sharing.
13. Mention Industry Collaborations: Discuss any collaborations that emerged between the partnership and other industries.
14. Discuss Challenges Overcome: Address any challenges faced during collaboration and how they were successfully navigated.
15. Future Prospects: Touch upon the potential future outcomes and projects arising from the ongoing partnership.
16. Provide Additional Resources: Share links to relevant articles, reports, or official statements about the collaboration.
17. Conclusion: Summarize the comprehensive understanding gained about the practical outcomes of the collaboration.
18. Proofreading and Editing: Carefully review the content to eliminate errors in grammar, spelling, and formatting.
19. Formatting and Finalization: Ensure the whitepaper report follows a professional format and structure.
20. Citation and References: Include proper citations for sources used in the whitepaper content.

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This year we hit a milestone: 2021 marks the 25th anniversary of Bruce Clay Inc.! What started in January 1996 with one man working off his dining room table has grown into a multimillion-dollar agency that has served thousands of clients via offices around the world.

So how did we get our start? The story goes way back to the 1990s, before search engine optimization — or Google — was even a thing. Bruce, having run several other businesses, was ready for a change. He started a consultancy in his name (Bruce Clay Inc.) and well, the rest is history.

We know the timeline (see our company history here). But we wanted to hear the story of how we got to where we are today from the man himself. So enjoy this interview with Bruce, which details the journey of how a guy with a vision of internet business turned Bruce Clay Inc. into a global brand.

• The year was 1996… how did you get started? 
• What was business like the first year? 
• What were your first clients like? 
• Tell me about the first big milestone for Bruce Clay, Inc. 
• Let’s talk a little more about the early SEO conference days
• What are some of your achievements over the years? 
• When did you start the SEO training program and why? 
• When did you launch the SEOToolSet and why?
• How did the brand go international?
• What sets BCI apart?
• What do you like best about what you do? 
• What’s in store for Bruce Clay Inc? 
• FAQ: What were the early challenges Bruce Clay Inc. faced in the ever-changing landscape of search engine optimization?

The year was 1996 … how did you get started?

Bruce: My bachelor’s is in math and computer science, and I’m a programmer at heart, even though I was managing businesses before that. And my MBA is from Pepperdine, so I liked the concept of business marketing.

Prior to 1996, I had run other businesses. And I decided I really wanted to be a consultant. I didn’t want a cast of thousands in multiple cities nor did I want any of the things that went with operating a business.

My general feeling at the time was it’s just gonna be me, my notebook computer, and a Corona on a beach. That’s what I was going to do. And it ended up taking on a life of its own.

Back in January of ‘96, when Al Gore “invented” the internet (even though the internet had been around for 20 years), everything I read made me realize it was going to get to be really, really big. And I looked around and determined that marketing on the internet was through something called a search engine.

I figured out how all the data moved around and what kind of data the search engines used. And it really turned out to be a puzzle. And the more I did it, the more I loved it.

But this was years before Google. The landscape had Infoseek, AltaVista, Excite. It was chaos at the time. We actually made the very first search engine relationship chart pretty early on, in the year 2000 (you can see that below).

What was business like the first year?

Bruce: A vast majority of the time, I was building the website and doing a lot of research on search engine ranking, which is what it was called back in the day.

I used Netscape to build my handwritten HTML website. I learned how HTML and search engines could work together if I changed the HTML. I just kept adding content. So there was a lot of experimentation going on.

And then, all of a sudden, people started hiring me. I was making enough money to make ends meet and grow.

And then, I started getting more business, and I raised my prices. Then, I got more business, and I hired people. Then we raised our prices, and I got more business again. And before you knew it, I had to move the business out of the house. That was in the year 2000.

What were your first clients like?

Bruce: They were very small companies — like one-person companies. They were people who said, Hey, I’m going to get on the internet. I’m going to sell this thing online.

I remember that one of my first few clients was an actual witch.

So I felt very good because I think every SEO company at the beginning needs to have a witch on their client list.

Tell me about the first big milestone for Bruce Clay Inc.

Bruce: Well, the first real milestone didn’t happen quickly. I think the first milestone was when I could afford staff. Then the next milestone was probably when I started speaking at Danny Sullivan’s conferences, Search Engine Strategies.

And then, from there, the next milestone was probably a million-dollar year. And then it kept going from there.

After reaching those milestones, I felt I had really succeeded. I had run other businesses successfully, but with Bruce Clay Inc., I pivoted into a whole new, yet-to-be-discovered industry, and I was once again succeeding.

Anybody can succeed once. So I really felt strongly that I had actually succeeded twice.

Let’s talk a little more about the early SEO conference days…

Bruce: I think ‘99 was the first year of Search Engine Strategies. For the very first one, I was there, as were most of the people who had started doing search engine ranking.

Danny Sullivan got all the key speakers together for his conference. We all sat at one table in a bar to discuss what we were doing. That was the conference. That’s how few of us there were.

Had there been an earthquake or disaster of some kind, the SEO industry would have been wiped out.

A lot of my early fame was because I was vocal and answered questions freely, participated in conferences and gave away information. And I’ve been given a lot of credit for the foundation-building of the industry by doing that.

And I’m proud to be in that position. I think that’s how I got the honor of having colleagues name me the Father of SEO.

What are some of your achievements over the years?

Bruce: Well, obviously, there is success. That is really a great thing.

Over the years, I have been on TV shows, in major publications like Wired magazine’s spread on Google before Google went public, and even on the cover of magazines. We’ve been pretty fortunate that we’ve been able to retain recognition.

When Wiley asked me to write the Search Engine Optimization All-in-One for Dummies book, that was a nice surprise and recognition.

I also received the Lifetime Achievement Award from The History of SEO advisory board.

One of the other things that comes to mind — almost a moment when I didn’t know how to react — was the first few times that people came up and asked to have their picture taken with me or asked for an autograph. The first time that happens, it’s like, You’re talking to me?

I could have let it go to my head and become a really terrible person. But all it made me do was double my efforts to train people, answer questions, and engage.

When did you start the SEO training program and why?

Bruce: The catalyst was a client who asked for on-site SEO training around 1998. I had a lot of materials because I was training my staff, but I didn’t have a formal training program. So I had to create one.

I built a PowerPoint deck and went out and did the training.

And it was a couple of years later that I started offering my own classroom course.

So I’ve been doing training for about 23 years now. I’ve trained over 5,000 people by my rough count. Now we are releasing our online SEO training course in March.

When did you launch the SEOToolSet and why?

Bruce: Within six months of starting the company, I wrote my first tool. At the time, it was called the Keyword Density Analyzer, which evolved into the Single Page Analyzer today.

I was tracking keywords in spreadsheets for pages I was optimizing, and it became very tedious. So I wrote a program that would read the webpage and build a report that told me where all the keywords and keyword phrases were used on the page.

I started building the tools out in about 1998, and we have 40 of them in the SEOToolSet^® today. Recently we added a WordPress plugin and even got a patent for our analysis software. And we are expanding the SEOToolSet even more in the near future.

How did the brand go international?

Bruce: I had people from other countries asking me if they could open Bruce Clay offices. The first time that happened, there were a number of things that ran through my mind — Do I want to do this? Is it going to succeed? How do I structure it? — But equally as important was: Is it a place I want to go on a vacation?

And Sydney, Australia, was nice. So I set up Australia first in 2007. Today, we have offices there and also in Japan, India, and Dubai. We are looking to expand in Europe and Singapore next.

In many cases, the international locations had clients before they even had offices because the brand was strong. I would make sure the employees knew what they were doing beforehand, but we also had our training program in place. So we were able to train people to do SEO our way.

The international offices were almost an instant success.

What sets BCI apart?

Bruce: There are a great many companies that have only one expert and a whole bunch of junior people supporting them. At BCI, we are now a company of only experts. I made the decision a few years back that 100% of the staff working on client projects would have 10 years or more of experience in their field.

By hiring experts, I found that larger companies are drawn to us. I’ve had people come to us and say the reason they are talking to us is they got tired of having to train the prior agency’s SEO team on how to do SEO because they knew more than them.

So we’re a company of experts. We’re certainly not the cheapest nor the most expensive in town, but we are one of the best. We’re not a cast of hundreds of employees here in the U.S. We don’t need to have hundreds to be the best.

What do you like best about what you do?

Bruce: I solve puzzles for a living.

We are working in an environment that is a moving target. Google changes the algorithm an average of 10 times a day. You have competitors that want your lunch, and they’re going to do whatever it takes for them to get it.

Every day, we go to war. Your website is the tool we bring to the battle as the weapon. We are fighting in real time against other businesses in the search results. If we lose, the client company might have to let people go.

Some other industries out there are not so mission critical in any given moment. If an SEO messes up a company’s website and SEO strategy, they could damage the company’s revenue and people’s livelihood.

And so there’s a level of responsibility with SEO that very few industries have.

What’s in store for Bruce Clay Inc.?

Bruce: In the first month of 2021, we saw almost exponential growth. I think 2021 is going to be an unbelievably amazing year for digital marketing because everybody’s at home.

Things pivoted in 2020, but nobody knew the impact of it until this year when all of the marketing money was going to digital. From the inquiries that we’ve had in January, I see that companies recognize that there’s an opportunity they need to jump on.

We may have to hire a person a month for the whole year just to keep up with growth, maybe more! So I expect 2021 to see rapid growth. Our near-term focus is on SEO training and the SEOToolSet. And services, of course, will need to keep up with demand.

Happy 25th anniversary to Bruce Clay Inc.! We look forward to many more years of serving businesses with the very best SEO strategies out there.

Interested in talking with us about your digital marketing needs? <https://www.bruceclay.com/quoteform/”>Request a quote for a free consultation, or learn more about Bruce Clay Inc. today.

FAQ: What Were the Early Challenges Bruce Clay Inc. Faced in the Ever-Changing Landscape of Search Engine Optimization?

As the SEO industry’s landscape emerged and evolved, Bruce Clay Inc. found itself at the forefront of pioneering strategies and tactics. The nascent days were marked by uncharted territory, where algorithms were erratic, and practices were experimental. This article explores the challenges that Bruce Clay Inc. grappled with during this formative period.

In the dawn of SEO, algorithms were rudimentary and often unpredictable. The challenge lay in deciphering these algorithms, which lacked transparency and consistency. As a result, optimizing websites for search engines demanded an almost intuitive understanding of their behavior. This dynamic environment required continuous adaptation, forming the bedrock of the company’s commitment to staying ahead.

Moreover, the scarcity of reliable resources and guidelines compounded the challenges. SEO professionals like Bruce Clay Inc. had to rely on trial and error without standardized practices. Crafting effective strategies meant relying on experience and intuition rather than established conventions. This early phase thus demanded a willingness to experiment and innovate, shaping the company’s foundation of expertise.

The infancy of SEO also witnessed a lack of awareness among businesses about its potential impact. Convincing clients of the value of SEO posed yet another hurdle. The team at Bruce Clay Inc. had to effectively communicate the significance of ranking higher on search engines, often pioneering the concept to skeptical clients. This experience solidified the company’s role as a practitioner and educator, helping clients navigate unfamiliar terrain.

Transitioning from traditional marketing to digital was yet another uphill task. SEO was a relatively novel concept, and industries were skeptical about its efficacy. Bruce Clay Inc. faced the challenge of establishing credibility and proving SEO ROI to businesses accustomed to traditional advertising methods. This experience honed the company’s ability to showcase tangible results, a skill that remains integral to its success.

The early challenges faced by Bruce Clay Inc. in the dynamic realm of SEO shaped its trajectory into becoming a trailblazing authority in the industry. Navigating the unpredictable algorithms, experimenting with nascent strategies, and advocating the potential of SEO to skeptical clients were all instrumental in forging the company’s identity. These challenges, once surmounted, laid the groundwork for Bruce Clay Inc.’s continued success and expertise in the ever-changing landscape of search engine optimization.

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Google’s sophisticated link analysis algorithm, Penguin, has run in real-time as part of Google’s core ranking algorithm since the Penguin 4.0 update in September 2016. Because it can recognize most bad links, Google’s algorithm just ignores them now rather than penalizing the sites they point to.

However, in our experience managing SEO for clients, we’ve found many cases when a low-quality link profile still hurts a website. In these cases, we must closely evaluate every link and be honest about its value to the brand.

Search engine link disavowal tools are needed in today’s link penalty environment. These tools cut ties between a site and links pointing at it that might be seen by engines as dark marks. As with all powerful tools, Google’s and Bing’s disavow tools require careful use to avoid damaging mistakes.

This guide provides steps on disavowing links for both Google and Bing and includes:

• Commentary on Google and disavowal
• How disavow files help you
• Who needs a disavow file
• Drawbacks and limitations of disavow
• How to build a disavow links file for Google
• Bing’s disavow links tool
• What’s next
• FAQ: How can I effectively disavow harmful backlinks to improve my website’s search engine rankings?

Commentary on Google and Disavowal

In 2019, Google’s John Mueller stated during a webmaster hangout that the “vast majority of sites” do not need to use the disavow tool. In line with that statement, Google did not immediately include the disavow tool as part of the new Search Console experience. However, access to the original tool was not removed.

You do not have to be working in SEO for long to realize that it’s not always wise to take Google at face value when they make such statements.

We have long found that actions Google states are unnecessary and sometimes continue to work very effectively. This isn’t because Google is trying to mislead, necessarily. But the internet is a big place, and they cannot possibly make statements that apply equally to every site.

Additionally, such statements often arise from advancements in the algorithm, such as new ways to detect bad links. These changes have allowed Google to make massive strides in bad link identification over the years. But even their technology is fallible and can be fooled.

In November 2020, almost three years after the launch of the new Search Console experience, Google finally added a new version of the disavow tool.

As you can see from the screenshots below, little has changed in the disavow tool, and the process remains largely the same.

Old Google disavow tool:

New Google disavow tool:

Our view is that disavow is still a powerful tool for SEOs, as long as it is used lightly. As one of the BCI team puts it, “You need a scalpel, not a hacksaw.”

How Disavow Files Help You

Quality backlinks are a requirement of healthy search rankings. But you can’t go far if your site is associated with off-topic or spammy inbound links. While it’s important to attract good links, removing bad ones is just as important. This is why link pruning is a critical task of SEO.

A problem arises, however, when you’re stuck with a few bad backlinks. If you can’t get them removed, and Google is not discounting them from your link profile, then how do you avoid a search engine ranking loss for these backlinks? Fortunately, both Google and Bing have an answer: each search engine has a tool for disavowing links, which means telling them the backlinks you want them to ignore.

The search engines’ disavow links tools can help your website in many ways.

First, it can improve your inbound link profile. Disavowing a low-quality backlink essentially blocks it from the search engines’ considerations. If a search engine feels that a low-quality link is dragging down your trust factor, removing that link via disavow can help your site regain some of that trust. In fact, we’ve seen that getting rid of low-quality backlinks can provide positive results in a way similar to attracting quality links to your site.

Another benefit to using the tool is the opportunity to discover negative SEO. While gathering link information, you might find artificial links pointing to your site that you did not generate. If you are indeed negatively targeted by your competition, asking nicely to remove the links may not work. While rare, negative SEO is a great example of when disavowing links can stop poor-quality links from harming your site.

Who Needs a Disavow File?

As mentioned above, Google states that most sites should not need the disavow links tool. In a Webmaster Hangout, John Mueller reiterated it this way:

That’s kind of the goal with all of this. And that’s why the disavow tool isn’t like a main feature in Search Console. You kind of have to look for it explicitly. That’s all done on purpose. Because for most sites you really don’t need to focus on links that much.

Search Console Help calls it an advanced tool and warns users to use the tool only if:

You have a considerable number of spammy, artificial, or low-quality links pointing to your site, AND The links have caused a manual action, or likely will cause a manual action, on your site.

So do you really need this tool?

The short answer: probably. (Sorry, Google.)

Why? There are many reasons disavowing links might be the right choice for you, the first of which is that few sites have a perfect link profile.

If we think of your site like a home, over the years “stuff” accumulates. You have to dedicate time to finding the things that are no longer helpful and getting rid of them. From cleaning out the gutters to decluttering the garage, we know this is a necessary maintenance task.

Websites are no different. As sites age, they can attract more junk. Also, links that once were useful may now be broken or outright dangerous. As our founder, Bruce Clay says: “Everyone has the weakest link. We all have links that we wish would go away.”

That’s why many sites today have a disavow file. While initially envisioned as a last resort, disavow tools have become a required last step in a complete link-pruning process.

Once you’ve worked to remove as many low-quality, off-topic, or spammy inbound links from your site, if you’ve found you’re stuck with a few stragglers (which is very common), the disavow links tool might be the best way for you to avoid current or future penalty.

You might also want to use the tool if you’re turning a new leaf in your SEO strategy. You or a past vendor may have consciously created unnatural backlinks in the past. Whether or not you have been penalized for these backlinks yet, you’re eager to follow the search engine’s guidelines. Using this tool helps you to get on the path of SEO best practices.

Here are other important reasons you might need to use the disavow links tool.

You know you need a disavow links file if any of the following are true:

• You receive a manual action or a Google link warning in Search Console. (Also see our 9 Tips for Getting Your Manual Link Penalty Overturned.)
• You suspect an algorithmic ranking penalty based on links.
• You believe you might be a victim of negative SEO.*

*Note: If you suspect negative SEO against your site, we strongly recommend working with an experienced SEO. Negative SEO that works is exceedingly rare. Commonly, the links cited as negative SEO are so bad that they cannot be missed. Generally, if you can easily identify spam, so can Google. We strongly recommend ruling out all other issues before determining that negative SEO has impacted your site.

Drawbacks and Limitations with Disavowing Links

If you fall into one or more of the categories mentioned above, the disavow links tool might be the best option for you. That said, there are drawbacks and limitations to disavowing links.

The biggest problem with the disavow links tools is that disavowing links may backfire on the user.

Sites may inadvertently damage their link profile during a clean-up effort. This often happens to sites with manual actions. You may be forced to prune links that still have value in the effort to appease Google. So, your site may end up getting unpenalized, but your link profile is severely depleted as a result.

For this reason, we greatly stress the importance of using search engine disavow tools with the help of a professional and even offer an SEO Penalty Assessment Service to help you.

How to Build a Disavow Links File for Google

Google’s disavow links tool requires you to submit a list of the domains and pages you wish Google to ignore when evaluating your inbound link profile.

The first step to using the Google disavow links tool is to create a .txt file. Per Google’s instructions, this file type has to be a.txt file encoded in UTF-8 or 7-bit ASCII. Within this file, list the URLs and domains you want to disavow; each domain and URL should have its own line.

To include a domain-level link in the file, add “domain:” before the URL of the domain home page (for example, “domain:shadyseo.com”).

To submit a page-level link, simply list the URL.

Add notes to each submission by starting the message with “#” on the line before the URL or domain listing.

Once you have your .txt file, you can now submit the final list to Google’s Disavow Links tool. Here’s how:

1. Sign into Google Search Console.
2. Go to https://search.google.com/search-console/disavow-links.
3. From the drop-down menu, select the website for which you are disavowing links.
4. Select “Disavow Links.”
5. Select “Choose file.”
6. Upload your .txt file.

Important: When you upload future disavow files, you must include all previously disallowed domains and URLs. Google overwrites each previous disavow file, rather than appending new data to it. Incidentally, if you have disavowed something you shouldn’t have, uploading a new file with that address omitted will remove it from your disavow list.

Pro Tip: Domain-Level Disavow

Google cautions users about the domain-level disavow because of the potential damage it can cause. However, disavowing links on the domain level can be a more thorough approach to cleaning up bad links. Commonly, domain-level disavow is used in situations where a site is generating many links or is likely to create additional unwanted links in the future. For instance, a spam directory that lists you in every county nationwide would be better blocked at the domain level. A link can be a moving target within a site, and the only way to safely extract it is by disavowing the domain as a whole.

Bing’s Disavow Links Tool

The way to use Bing’s disavow links tool is slightly different from Google’s tool because you don’t upload a .txt file. Instead, you have to manually enter each domain or URL.

1. Log into Bing Webmaster Tools.
2. Go to “Configure my site” and then select “Disavow Links.”
3. Within the Disavow Links tool, use the drop-down menu to indicate that you are disavowing a page, directory, or domain URL.
4. Enter the URL you want to disavow and click “Disavow.”
5. Your submission will be featured underneath the tool along with the date it was disavowed.
6. If you want to delete a submission, select the check box and click the “Delete” button.

For more details, see the Bing Help file for disavowing links in Bing.

What’s Next?

After you’ve submitted the links you want Google and Bing to ignore, it’s time to wait. Google says it could take weeks before it recrawls your site and “reprocesses the pages.” This might be especially frustrating if you’re waiting to recover from a certain manual or algorithmic penalty. Bing says you might not notice any dramatic changes at all! At least you can sleep a little better knowing that you’ve cleaned your house of low-quality backlinks – until, of course, it’s time to do it again.

Want some help identifying which linking sites shouldn’t be trusted? DisavowFiles.com is a free crowdsourced database and SEO tool that gives users insight into their websites’ backlinks. This tool was the buzz of SMX Advanced when we launched it because it offers data that can simplify the process of backlink evaluation and disavowal. Read more about the free DisavowFiles tool.

FAQ: How can I effectively disavow harmful backlinks to improve my website’s search engine rankings?

Backlinks, the links from other websites pointing to yours, play a pivotal role in determining your website’s search engine ranking. However, not all backlinks are beneficial. Disavowing links that originate from low-quality or spammy sources is crucial in protecting the credibility of your site, and can wreak havoc with its ranking and credibility. Here is where disavowing comes into play.

Understanding the Disavow Process

Disavowing backlinks is the strategic action of telling search engines to disregard certain links when evaluating your website. This process involves creating a disavow file, which contains a list of the harmful backlinks you want to disassociate from your site. It’s essential to approach this task with caution, as disavowing legitimate links can also harm your ranking.

Identifying Harmful Backlinks

The first step is to identify which backlinks are harmful. Utilize tools like Google Search Console and third-party backlink auditing tools to compile a list of suspicious or toxic links. Look for links from irrelevant, spammy, or low-quality websites, as well as those with over-optimized anchor text.

Creating the Disavow File

Crafting an accurate and comprehensive disavow file is vital. This file, typically a .txt document, contains a list of the harmful backlinks you want to disavow. Each link should be formatted correctly, including the domain and subdomain if necessary. Submit this file through Google’s Disavow Tool, specifying the domains or URLs you want to disavow.

Monitoring and Iterating

After submitting the disavow file, monitor your website’s performance and ranking closely. Keep in mind that the effects of disavowing might not be immediate. Regularly analyze new backlinks to ensure you catch and disavow harmful ones promptly. Additionally, periodically review your disavow file, removing entries that are no longer relevant.

Expert Insights for Effective Disavowing

Seasoned SEO practitioners often emphasize the importance of a balanced approach. While disavowing harmful links is crucial, it’s equally vital to focus on building high-quality, authoritative backlinks. Cultivate a diverse link profile by engaging in ethical link-building practices and creating valuable, shareable content.

Disavowing harmful backlinks is a meticulous yet necessary process to enhance your website’s search engine rankings. By skillfully identifying and disavowing toxic links while maintaining a strong link-building strategy, you can ensure that your website climbs the ranks while maintaining its credibility.

Step-by-Step Procedure: How to Effectively Disavow Harmful Backlinks

1. Gather Data: Use tools like Google Search Console, Ahrefs, or Moz to identify potentially harmful backlinks.
2. Evaluate Quality: Assess the quality of each link based on relevance, authority, and anchor text.
3. Compile List: Create a list of harmful backlinks that you want to disavow.
4. Create Disavow File: Format the list as a .txt document with each link on a separate line, preceded by “domain:” or “url:”.
5. Specify Domains: If you want to disavow an entire domain, use the “domain:” directive to cover all its URLs.
6. Use Comment Lines: Include comments in the file to document your actions and reasoning for each disavowal.
7. Submit through Google Disavow Tool: Access the Disavow Tool in Google Search Console and upload your disavow file.
8. Monitor Changes: Observe your website’s performance and rankings after the disavowal. Be patient, as results may take time.
9. Regular Backlink Audits: Conduct frequent backlink audits to catch and disavow new harmful links promptly.
10. Update Disavow File: Continuously update your disavow file by adding new harmful links and removing outdated ones.
11. Balance Link Building: Focus on building high-quality backlinks from authoritative sources to outweigh the negative impact of harmful links.
12. Create Valuable Content: Develop engaging and shareable content to attract organic, reputable backlinks.
13. Diversify Anchor Text: Use varied and natural anchor text to avoid over-optimization and penalties.
14. Build Relationships: Cultivate relationships within your industry to foster organic link-building opportunities.
15. Review Disavow Decisions: Periodically reassess your disavowal decisions to ensure you haven’t disavowed any valuable links.
16. Stay Informed: Keep up with SEO trends and search engine algorithm changes to adapt your disavow strategy.
17. Avoid Over-Disavowing: Be cautious not to disavow too many links, which can harm your site’s link profile.
18. Consult Experts: If unsure, seek advice from experienced SEO professionals before making significant disavow decisions.
19. Educate Team Members: If working in a team, ensure everyone understands the disavow process to prevent inadvertent mistakes.
20. Document Everything: Maintain records of your disavowal actions, updates to the disavow file, and their effects on your site’s performance.

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For many of us, conversion rate optimization (CRO) can seem like a complicated venture. Many people aren’t even sure where to begin. Though each business might need to tailor the testing process to their company and website, the following is some basic insight into how to create a CRO strategy for your company.

If you’d like to start with an overview of CRO, read A CMO’s Guide to Conversion Rate Optimization.

• Phase I: Strategic research
• Phase II: Creative development
• Phase III: Testing
• Phase IV: Reporting
• Creative development tactics: navigation 
• FAQ: How can I effectively implement a Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) strategy for my website? 

Phase I: Strategic Research

The first step in any project is always research. For conversion testing, this includes things like:

<>Analytics Data Mining

• Determine baseline traffic volumes, top landing pages, bounce rates, exit rates, and traffic sources.
• Understand current conversion rates for the site.

Competitive Data Mining

• Examine other sites in the same competitive niche, and see what elements are missing from your site.
• Are you competitive with other sites in terms of offerings and pricing?
• Are your competitors taking the right action for their audience?
• Do competitors follow best practices?

Establishing a Sales Funnel

• Create a map of the overall sales funnel based on the outcomes of the above two steps. This will be used as a reference document throughout the testing process.
• Some sites may have multiple goals for their visitors. In those cases, it would be appropriate to have multiple different Funnels.

Determining Target Page and Testing Method

• Based on the outcome of all the steps mentioned above, determine the best page to target for testing.
• Based on analytics findings, also determine whether testing should be A/B or Multivariate.

In deciding your priority for testing, consider using the following order:

1. Pages that are already performing to some degree
2. Pages with the highest volumes of traffic
3. Pages near the beginning of the sales funnel

Phase II: Creative Development

For A/B Split Testing

• Develop a series of redesigned “recipes” for the entire targeted page (different ingredients that go into a variation), taking care to include differences between each recipe (typically about three different designs).
• Traffic is split randomly, but equally between the different recipes, and visitor actions are recorded.
• Low volume of traffic is required on the targeted page due to the low recipe count.

For Multivariate Testing

• Develop a series of redesign recipes for specific elements on the targeted page, taking into consideration how elements may interact with each other.
• Traffic (users) shows all possible combinations of targeted elements randomly but equally, and visitor actions are recorded.
• High volume of traffic is required on the targeted page due to the high recipe count.

Phase III: Testing

We recommend using the Google Marketing Platform (formerly known as Google Website Optimizer) to facilitate A/B split and low-level multivariate testing. For multivariate tests on larger scale sites that will require an excess of 50,000 recipes, some of these options may be suitable solutions:

• License more robust software from a third party (e.g., SiteTuners)
• Develop an in-house suite with more robust capabilities than Google software provides out of the box.

In my experience, Google is usually able to provide actionable results after approximately one month of testing. Results may come in more quickly for sites with larger volumes of traffic or may take longer for sites with smaller volumes of traffic.

Phase IV: Reporting

Once you are satisfied that substantial results have been obtained, it’s time to generate a findings report.

The report should detail what was changed, how it was changed, why it was changed, and then deduce why the performance increase was achieved. Also, you should report on the estimated lifetime value of increased conversion rates based on the winning version.

Creative Development Tactics: Navigation

Outlined below are a few steps that can be taken to quickly test navigation elements, should the need exist on a particular page:

Heat Mapping

• Site overlay feature in Google Analytics can provide insight as to where people are clicking.
• Use software to predict visual attention patterns without the need for an actual sample demographic. For example, a heat mapping type of software like HotJar or an eye-tracking program such as Attention Insight can help you analyze behavior on a page.

Flow Charts

These can help to identify areas that are cumbersome within navigation:

• Outline all current possible navigation steps (aka, task analysis).
• Simplify the task flow, on paper, wherever possible.

Analytics

• Top landing pages (content overview) report can give insight as to what navigation features are being used most frequently.
• Navigation analysis report provides more details as to how effectively the navigation funnel is performing.

Heuristic Evaluation

• Requires multiple participants (three – five people).
• Among the quicker methods for spotting usability issues in any navigation system.
• Participants are controlled and do not interact with each other.
• Controller has the opportunity to explain navigation, which ensures context-relevant reports from participants.
• Controller can note unrelated issues as well, as they are brought to light during the evaluation.

For more information, check out this classic research article on how to conduct a heuristic evaluation.

Happy testing, everyone!

This article was originally written by SEO analyst and CRO specialist Scott Fowles. It is now maintained by BCI staff.

FAQ: How can I effectively implement a Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) strategy for my website?

Conversion Rate Optimizing (CRO) is an invaluable strategy to maximize the potential of any website. CRO is a process that adjusts websites so as to convert visitors into paying customers; an essential tool for online businesses.

Understanding the Basics of CRO

Before diving deeper into CRO, it’s essential to understand its fundamentals. CRO is a systematic way of improving user experience by analyzing behavior and making data-driven decisions. Start by understanding your website’s goals, defining key performance indicators (KPIs), and setting achievable targets.

Identifying Key Elements

To effectively optimize your website for conversion, you must identify and address its weak points. Conduct thorough usability testing, analyze website traffic using tools like Google Analytics, and gather user feedback to pinpoint areas that need improvement. These insights will be invaluable when crafting your CRO strategy.

Actionable Insights for CRO Success

1. A/B Testing: A/B tests provide an effective means of comparing headlines and images across websites, providing valuable data-driven insight into user preferences. These experiments give you the power to make data-informed decisions based on users’ behavior and make the best use of user information.
2. Mobile Optimization: With more people browsing websites via their phones or tablets than ever, optimizing it for mobile can increase conversion rates significantly.
3. Page Load Speed: Slow-loading pages can deter users and lead to high bounce rates. Optimize your website’s speed by compressing images, minimizing HTTP requests, and using a content delivery network (CDN).
4. Clear Call-to-Actions (CTAs): Make your CTAs prominent, concise, and action-oriented. Use contrasting colors and persuasive language to guide users toward desired actions.
5. User-Friendly Forms: Simplify forms and reduce the number of fields users need to fill out during the conversion process. Each additional field can increase abandonment rates.

Continuous Improvement

CRO is an ongoing process. Regularly monitor your website’s performance, analyze the results of your tests, and adapt your strategy accordingly. Stay updated with industry trends and user preferences to remain competitive in the ever-evolving digital landscape.

By implementing these strategies and consistently refining your approach, you can boost your website’s conversion rates, enhance user experience, and ultimately achieve your online business goals.

Step-by-Step Procedure: Implementing a CRO Strategy

1. Define your website’s goals and set clear KPIs.
2. Conduct usability testing and gather user feedback.
3. Analyze website traffic using tools like Google Analytics.
4. Identify weak points and areas that need improvement.
5. Implement A/B testing for different webpage elements.
6. Ensure mobile optimization for all website pages.
7. Optimize page load speed through various techniques.
8. Create clear and compelling CTAs.
9. Simplify and streamline user-friendly forms.
10. Monitor website performance and test results regularly.
11. Adapt your CRO strategy based on data and insights.
12. Stay updated with industry trends and user preferences.
13. Continuously refine your CRO approach for long-term success.

The post How to Set Up a Basic Conversion Testing Strategy appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

As a marketer or business owner, you have to make about a zillion decisions for your website along the way to prominence and profitability.

Naturally, questions come up that you need help answering. And you might not have the luxury of an expert at your beck and call.

Since articles and experts abound in digital marketing, it’s hard to know what answers to trust. That’s especially true with SEO questions.

Advice you find around the web may be conflicting, outdated, or just plain impractical.

So for marketers who are trying to figure out how to do search engine optimization, content marketing, PPC, search engine marketing, or social media marketing on their own, we would like to help clear up the confusion.

Announcing our new “Ask Us Anything” video series on YouTube!

To answer your digital marketing questions, we’re launching a new video series.

Do you have a question about SEO, PPC, content, social marketing, or the intersections between them?

We invite you to submit your question here: BruceClay.com/Ask

Answers You Can Watch

To prime the pump so to speak, we filmed answers to some of the questions that we hear from blog readers, clients, and students in our SEO training courses.

Visit the Bruce Clay, Inc. YouTube channel and you’ll find many videos already queued up in our Ask Us Anything playlist!

Samples of Q&A topics that are ready to watch include:

• How to Appear in Google Search Featured Snippets
• How Do I Get Rid of Extra Pages in Google’s Index?
• What’s the ROI for a Social Media Campaign?
• How Many Words Per Page for SEO?

Everyone Appreciates Answers that Get to the Point

Brief is best when it comes to video answers.

You might be struggling to decide a particular optimization issue. For example, should you use heading tags in your navigation menus? Yes or no?

When you’re unsure what to do, it can hold up your projects. At times like these, you just need a best-practice answer.

That’s why we keep the “Ask Us Anything” videos focused and brief. (Here’s that answer, in case you’re curious.)

Each video answers a specific SEO or digital marketing question in about two minutes. According to one commenter, the short length is the best part:

“I’ve watched every one of your AUA vids. I like that you keep them short and have multiple people answering Q’s. Keep ’em coming…”
–InternetDude

When you submit a question, we will:

1. Quickly determine whether it’s something we can answer. (We don’t guarantee we’ll answer every question.)
2. Choose the best person to answer it — from Bruce Clay himself to the many experienced, knowledgeable members of our team.
3. Film away!
4. Notify you by email if we post a video that answers your question.

The main goal of our “Ask Us Anything” videos is to provide reliable answers to SEO questions and other issues facing digital marketers.

Helping you understand the best practices better means that you can do your job more efficiently — with better results.

We hope you enjoy watching, learning, and getting your questions answered in our new video series!

Please subscribe to Bruce Clay Inc.’s channel and watch all of our video answers. And go ahead: Ask us anything!

The post Ask Us Anything! New Bruce Clay Video Series Answers Your Digital Marketing Questions appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

You know that SEO (search engine optimization) is what you do to get your blog or site to show up when your audience uses Google to find you.

You might be doing your own SEO. Or you may be a copywriter looking to boost your content with the competitive advantage of higher search rankings, better click-through rates and improved like- and share-ability.

Get started with SEO for copywriting using a standard series of steps to optimize your content, as we call it in the SEO biz.

Download the SEO copywriting checklist we use at Bruce Clay Inc.

What Is SEO Copywriting?

SEO copywriting creates content that can be found by searchers. It involves providing the search engines with clarity on what content is about.

It’s worth saying that optimizing your content for a search engine is a layer in making the best content for your reader. Make sure the content can stand on its own, and that it would be something your readers want to take the time to read and share.

You want to write with the visitor in mind. Use language naturally. Make your content engaging.

SEO is part of promoting and positioning your content. A lot of people have a lot of ideas on how to best optimize web content. And that’s OK, because there are many approaches that work. Methodologies aren’t set in stone, but for many, tried and true practices developed over the years have created lists like the one shared here with you.

Best practices for SEO copywriting, like any other best practice, should be viewed as a foundational starting point that’s flexible enough to grow and change on a case-by-case (page-by-page, site-by-site) basis.

Keep in mind that while this SEO copywriting checklist is a helpful starting point, you’ll need to use data discovered through your search marketing tools plus your own wisdom to figure out how to best optimize the pages given each individual scenario.

For example, if you use a tool like the Multi Page Analyzer in the SEOToolSet, you can see what the top-ranked competition for your keyword set is up to with their optimization efforts.

Bruce Clay teaches in our SEO training course that if you can find trends in the optimization patterns of top-ranked competition, you can think about doing something similar. This is how from data + wisdom we find the sweet spot for search marketing optimization.

Using the SEO Checklist

The printable, downloadable, shareable resource that is Bruce Clay’s SEO copywriting checklist is meant to act as just that — a checklist. It’s a to-the-point reminder of everything with SEO impact that you can check your content against.

The SEO copywriting checklist answers the question of what to do. What follows expands on why you do it.

We’ve divided the SEO tasks for copywriters into three categories, which you can jump to with these links:

• During the Research and Writing Process
• Before You Hit Publish
• When the Page Is Live

Get the Checklist

During the Research and Writing Process

• Know your target audience, aka persona, for the page. Identify the likely audience for this page. Speak to them and address their needs through the content of the page.
• Research and identify which keywords are primary and secondary. First off, someone needs to assign keywords to content. It might be an SEO analyst, or it might be you. The end goal is knowing what keywords to optimize on the page, and the importance and weight of each of those keywords. You’ll give priority to the primary keywords when optimizing. Typically we pick no more than two primary keywords, followed by secondary keywords.
• Identify clarification and related keywords. Clarification words are those words most commonly used surrounding certain topics. These words can help clarify to the search engine if you are talking about a fruit or a computer when your content is about “apples,” for example. Clarification words should be located near keyword phrases in the body copy.
• Have a call to action (CTA) in mind for the page. All content should be written in a way to support the goals of the business. Know what the end goal is for the content and tell your reader what you want them to do next.
• Identify the word count of the page. Each page should have a target word count. To get a more precise word count target for your page, get a word count of the pages you’re competing against in the search engine results page (SERP). Set a target word count in range of the top-ranking pages. You should always say as much as you need to thoroughly cover a topic and provide something of value. There is typically a minimum word count around 450 words.
• Identify needed links. Hyperlinks are one of the most important search ranking factors, so as a writer, you should think of what links should be included on the page to support the themes of the website. Every site has best-ranking pages for its main themes; these are the SEO landing pages. In the new content, include a link to the main SEO landing page on the theme you’re writing. A good SEO practice is to link to a high-value SEO page with anchor text that contains the primary keyword phrase of the page being linked to. One more thing about link placement. The first 200 words of text are the most important in conveying to the search engine what the page is about; a link contained in the first 200 words will have additional weight compared to links later in the copy. Therefore, be mindful of where you include anchor text links within body copy. You may want to hold off on linking to external sites in the first 200 words of copy.
• Craft the H1 heading tag like a strategic headline. Use the top-level heading tag (the H1 tag) as the headline of the page. Include target keywords in the H1 heading because search engines consider this tag to be an important signal of relevance. In a content management system (CMS) like WordPress, the H1 tag is the post title. In this case, you can also think about crafting this tag in a way that interests the reader and compels them to click to read. Learn more about heading tags and their impact on search engines in What Are Heading Tags and Why Are They Important to SEO?
• Enhance scanability using short paragraphs and bullet points. People consumer more and more content from mobile devices. Expect mobile browsing to become the primary user experience soon. Cater to those reading on their mobile device by using paragraphs between one and three sentences. Use bullet points and subheadings to help readers scan the text.
• Use a mobile-friendly writing style. Voice search is surging along with the rise of mobile web browsing. As SEO copywriters, we adjust our understanding of our reader. Our reader is doing more voice-activated searches, which are often full sentences or questions rather than a string of keywords. So instead of the query “Eiffel Tower height,” a voice search might be the phrase “how tall is the Eiffel Tower?” spoken to a search engine or smart home device. Use a tool like Answer the Public to research the questions people are asking about a topic. Then ask and answer those questions in your content.
• Identify the target keyword density of a page. Each keyword should have a minimum and maximum usage for a page as illuminated by competitive research. If you use the SEOToolSet, fire up the Multi Page Analyzer, plug in a keyword and the top ranking pages, and you’ll get the keyword densities and number of uses of a keyword on the top pages. It’s up to you to pick a target keyword density in the range of top-ranking pages. Tip: Keyword density is a bit of a controversial point in SEO, so rather than thinking of keyword density in strict terms, let it be a guide to the normal range and to help you avoid keyword overuse (aka keyword stuffing).
• Understand keyword distribution. Keywords should be distributed throughout the content evenly — showing up at top, in middle and towards the end of copy. Map out visually on the page where they should go, ensuring they are used in a natural distribution throughout content. Use the Single Page Analyzer in the SEOToolSet to visually see where keywords are on a page. These are some of the keyword distribution results of the very page you’re reading:

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Before You Hit Publish

Optimizing the URL

If you can, optimize a page URL. A carefully crafted URL has SEO benefits and is more attractive to human readers who may see the full URL of a page in some situations.

The best practices for URLs are:

• Be descriptive of the page topic.
• Shorter is better.
• Separate words with hyphens in place of spaces.
• Use all lowercase letters.

Optimizing a Page’s Head Section with Meta Data

As far as the head section of a page goes, a copywriter should pay attention to a few tags:

• Title tag
• Meta description tag
• Meta keywords tag
• Social meta tags

These tags not only help to tell the search engine what the page is about, but they are also an opportunity to boost clicks from a search engine results page (SERP) or social site.

The content you write in the head section renders as your title and description in the SERPs. The content in the social meta tags render as the headline, description and image in a social share. The social image will appear in a Google result if the page is pulled as an answer box.

Quick Definition: What Is an Answer Box?

Answer box, featured snippet, quick answer, direct answer, position 0 … these are all different words to refer to the same thing — a boxed search result at the top of a search results page that generates an answer to the searcher’s query right on the SERP rather than requiring the searcher to click through to a results page.

Now back to meta data optimization …

Make sure you’re making the best use of meta tag real estate to pull your potential visitors into the page. For more details on how to optimize the head section of a page, check out The Ins and Outs of Meta Data. For more information on how to optimize your content in social media shares, read about our pro tips in What Are Social Meta Tags?

Here are some rules of thumb for crafting meta tags.

• Title tag: The title tag in a Google search result is around 600 pixels, which is approximately 70 characters including spaces. Make sure the most important information and top keywords are included in those first 70 characters. If a company has a strong brand, consider putting the brand name at the front of the title tag. This could increase click-through-rate to your site by associating trust with the brand over other results in the SERP. If the brand is not yet built up, consider putting the brand name (or brand name domain) at the end of the title tag.
• Meta description tag: Best practices is to ensure the important keywords and descriptive information show up in the first 156 characters of the description tag so when the description renders in Google SERPs, those important keywords are showing. The description tag displayed in a Google SERP result is approximately 24 words or 156 characters including spaces.
• Meta keywords tag: Even though Google has said it does not consider the keywords tag in ranking its search results, we use the meta keywords tag as a reminder to the writer and the webmaster of the primary keyword targets for the page. The methodology at BCI is to put the keyword phrases in the tag in order of word length and to use title case on each word. You may use the keywords tag to include the brand name within a page’s meta data.
• Meta data tips: Symbols like the ampersand (&) actually add more characters than using an “and” instead. Usually, the goal is to minimize the character count in order to fit important keywords in before the character cutoff in the SERP.
• Social meta tags: There are no standard length guidelines for Open Graph title and description tags because Facebook shows a different number of characters depending on where content is displayed. That said, Facebook displays a maximum of 300 characters in a description, so that gives you a ceiling. Use the preview and debugger tools for Twitter Cards and Open Graph tags to see what your URL will look like if pasted into either of these social sites. More on controlling how your content looks in social media shares here.

Optimizing the Content of a Page’s Body Section

First things first, the body content must fulfill the promise of what you have told both users and the search engines what the page is about in the head section.

Aside from providing solid, quality content on the topic, adding keywords throughout further clarifies the topic of the page. Here’s some tips for optimizing the body content:

• Primary keywords placement: Place the primary keyword or phrase in the header (the H1 Heading tag) and first sentence of body copy. This is among the first content on the page the search engine and the user encounters (aside from the information in the Head section) and further gives clarity as to what the page is about.
• First 200 words: Place all the keyword phrases for the page in the first 200 words of body copy and then evenly distributed throughout. This is assuming you have a fairly targeted list of keywords for that page. You wouldn’t want to try and stuff a ton of keyword phrases upfront if it’s going to feel spammy. Remember, there is a fine balance between providing information and being natural.
• Clarifying keyword distribution: As with primary keywords, clarifying keywords words should be distributed evenly and in proximity to the keyword phrases throughout the page.
• Images: Use images on your pages for a number of reasons. Images offer visual interest, which means a more engaged reader. Images break up text allowing the eye to scan content more easily. A single strong image on a page is correlated with higher search rankings.
• Image alt text: It’s a federal requirement in the U.S. that websites use descriptive alt text with images. Make sure any images on the page have descriptive alt attributes that explain what the image is and include keywords appropriate to the image within the alt text. The ideal situation is that the alt text will contain target or clarifying keywords and describe the image appropriately.

Get the Checklist

When the Page Is Live

Once you’re working with live HTML, you can run a few tests to make sure the page is ready for its close up.

• Check for broken links. Use a tool like the free Check My Links to find out if any of the hyperlinks on the page were accidentally malformed, leading to a 404 page not found.

• Check the readability of the content. A tool like the Single Page Analyzer will give you a grade-level score of the text. Did you know that the average newspaper is written at the seventh grade reading level? Adjust the text if you find a readability score too far above or below your target reader.

• Test the page speed. Search engines factor page speed into ranking calculations. A faster page is a better optimized page. Enter the URL in the free Pingdom test to see if you can make any adjustments on the page to help it load faster.

This SEO copywriting checklist helps you cross those “T”s and dot your “I”s when optimizing content. If you have any tips to add, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below. We’d love to hear from you.

This article was originally published in 2012 by Jessica Lee and most recently updated in 2017 by Bruce Clay Inc. staff.

If you liked this SEO copywriting checklist, subscribe to the blog to get digital marketing strategy delivered to your inbox for free.

The post The SEO Copywriting Checklist appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

• As of 2015, more searches are performed on mobile than desktop. Mobile is the main device used worldwide for the majority of online browsing time. Google has been strongly emphasizing the mobile-first perspective ever since.
• In April 2015, Google made a pre-announced update to the algorithm that ranks mobile search results. A website’s mobile friendliness officially was dubbed a confirmed ranking signal for mobile search rankings.
• In late 2015, the Google Quality Rating Guidelines were updated with screenshots from the perspective of mobile devices.
• In November 2016, Google pre-announced an update to its search index, moving to a mobile-first index. This means that Google uses your site’s mobile version in ranking calculations.
• And this coming January 2017, sites that show an intrusive interstitial in the transition from a mobile search result to the content clicked will not rank as highly in Google results.

Google is optimizing its users’ mobile search experience and webmasters must be in lock step.

Consider this checklist your mobile SEO go-to resource.

If you’re already on board and optimizing for mobile, jump to the section that best suits your needs. If you’re new to the game, start from the beginning and use this checklist as a start-to-finish guide.

Table of Contents

1. Choose a Mobile Platform
2. Optimize Mobile Sites for Crawling and Indexing
3. Optimize for Page Load Speed
4. Optimize Design for the Mobile UX
5. Implement Analytics to Track Mobile Conversion Goals
6. Optimize Your Content for the Mobile Experience
7. Test Often and Optimize User Experience

1. Choose a Mobile Platform

There are primarily four varieties of mobile page strategies: responsive design, dynamic serving, separate mobile page and Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP).

For both mobile and desktop searchers, Google is looking to rank web pages that show high relevance, trust and great user experience.

Remember, to rank for a target query Google needs to deem your web page the most relevant and “least imperfect” option for that query.

While your desktop-optimized web pages may be incredibly relevant, if your code does not allow for your content to fit the smartphone experience, Google recognizes this as a poor user experience. A poor user experience means your website gets further from “least imperfect” and your rank drops further down the SERP.

Since ranking high in mobile search results needs to be a priority, building a dynamic or separate mobile platform for your content needs to be a priority as well.

You have options for how to display your content for the mobile user agent and visitor: responsive design; dynamic serving; a separate mobile site; and Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP).

The solution — or combination of solutions — that’s right for you will depend on many factors including development resources, conversion goals, mobile keyword research versus desktop keyword research, and persona behavior.

To figure out which mobile optimization strategy is best for you, we recommend reading:

• A Cheat Sheet for Mobile Design: Responsive Design, Dynamic Serving and Mobile Sites — an article that compares and contrasts three technical options for a mobile website.
• Building Smartphone-Optimized Websites portion of the Google Developers website.
• Chapters one and two of Building Your Mobile-Friendly Site: The Distilled Best Practice Guide.
• AMPProject.org for a technical introduction, tutorials and sample code for building an AMP HTML page.

2. Optimize for Crawling and Indexing

When optimizing your mobile platform, don’t forget about your technical SEO best practices.

If you skip the technical SEO on your mobile site, search spiders may have a hard time discerning mobile-specific content from desktop-specific content, which can create a bad user experience in both the mobile and the desktop experience.

Remember the basics: search engine spiders need to be able to discover, crawl and index your web pages in order for them to rank.

In other words, if a search spider cannot find and access your site pages, your site cannot rank.

To help search bots crawl, index and differentiate (if they are different) your mobile site pages, make sure you:

• Create a mobile XML sitemap with a <mobile:mobile/> declaration after each URL listing.
• Submit your mobile site and your mobile XML sitemap to Google Search Console.
• Never design your mobile site using pop-up windows or lightboxes that cannot be discovered through a sitemap crawl.
• Make sure to implement rel=canonical, rel=alternate media and Vary: User-Agent HTTP Header tags as needed to tell Google when it should deliver a desktop version of your web page and when it should deliver a mobile version.
• Make sure to allow the Googlebot and Google Smartphone user agents to access your site.

3. Optimize for Page Load Speed

This is very important to both the user and the search spider!

According to the PageSpeed Insights portion of the Google Developers help site, Google prefers above-the-fold content to render in under a second on a mobile network.

Anything longer than a second, they say, can result in a poor user experience. The idea is to get users interacting with the page as soon as possible.

On the user experience end: According to Google and Strangeloop, 85% of mobile users expect sites to load at least as fast as desktop sites. So improving mobile site speed needs to be a goal.

To help get your mobile sites loading faster make sure you:

• Focus on mobile image optimization to reduce load times.
• Follow the page speed optimization recommendations outlined in the Mobile Analysis portion of the Google Developers PageSpeed Insights resource.
• Use front-end optimization strategies, such as mobile-optimized caching, to address mobile performance issues and get mobile pages loading faster.
• Regularly check your page speed using the Google PageSpeed Insights analyzer.

4. Optimize Design for the Mobile UX

In the context of mobile optimization, design describes the elements of the web page the end-user sees, and user experience (or UX) describes the experience that design creates for the user, how they interact with elements on the page, how the elements on the page make them feel, whether the site is easy to use or frustrating, etc.

Google wants happy, satisfied searchers, so user experience is a huge priority for the search engine. Create a bad above-the-fold user experience and expect your site to rank somewhere far from Page 1.

To really send home the importance of why mobile UX matters, consider this comment by a Google representative:

“According to our studies, 61% of users are unlikely to return to a mobile site that they had trouble accessing from their phone. That includes sites that use fonts which are illegible on mobile, or sites where users have to zoom in or pan around excessively.”

Straight from Google. More than half of your inbound traffic is unlikely to return to your mobile site if they are met with a poor user experience. This means serious loss in conversion, as well as loss of mobile rank.

To get your web pages designed and optimized for UX, we recommend starting with these considerations:

Read Google’s 25 Principles of Mobile Site Design to learn what Google considers “mobile site design best practices.”

Consider how your buttons look, feel and function:

• Are you using Click-to-Call buttons?
• Is your logo a button that makes it easy to get back to your home page?
• Are your buttons finger friendly?
• Have you placed your most important CTA button above the mobile fold?

Consider the UX of your mobile site search:

• Is the site search visible above the fold in your mobile design?
• Can you add filter elements to make searching your site on a mobile device easier?
• Did you make sure it’s impossible for search filters to return zero results?

Is your mobile experience optimized for task completion?

• Can your forms be simplified?
• Can login requirements be simplified? Can users purchase as a guest?
• Are your menus working for the user? Can you simplify them? Would your pulldown menu work better as toggle menu?
• Would a third-party payment service make paying with a mobile device easier for your end user?
• Do any of your forms or other windows open in a pop-up window or lightbox? If yes, fix this. Pop-up windows and lightboxes are bad for UX and SEO.
• Does your user have to pinch, scroll side to side or zoom out to see your web pages? If yes, fix this. The Google representative quoted above specifically referenced a user having to “zoom in or pan around excessively” as an example of bad user experience. Your mobile platform should deliver web content that is sized to fit mobile devices.

5. Implement Analytics to Track Mobile Conversion Goals

It’s not a new concept. How can you understand where your web pages are succeeding and failing if you’re not tracking activity with analytics?

Don’t overlook this important step on your mobile platform to show ROI in exchange for buy-in and budget.

Make sure to:

• Implement analytics across your mobile site.
• Develop intelligent mobile- and conversion-centric metrics that give insight into how your personas are interacting with your web pages. Remember to look at micro-conversions and device-specific bounce rate.
• When possible, define your mobile goals early then build mobile web pages with a task flow that makes conversion easier for the user.
• Remember desktop rank and mobile rank can differ greatly. Page one in mobile SERPs tends to include significantly fewer organic results than desktop SERPs, and the keywords your personas are using to search for you in the desktop experience are not necessarily the words they’re using in mobile. Make sure your mobile stats are coming from true analysis of mobile SERP activity.
• Make reporting easier by setting up a custom mobile campaign dashboard.
• Monitor mobile site speed in Google Analytics by navigating to Content > Site Speed.

6. Optimize Your Content for the Mobile Experience

I won’t say “content is king” one more time, but I will say content really matters. Content is the means by which your users get to know you, your products and your services. Thoughtful content is truly key to conversion. Plus, without strategic content you can’t optimize your web pages for keywords, which means your web pages can’t rank in the desktop or mobile experience.

When approaching content creation with an eye toward mobile optimization think:

• Is your content resonating with mobile users? Don’t set it and forget it. Instead, keep on adding and testing content types and measuring the corresponding mobile tracking variables.
• All mobile content is not created equally. What works and reads well on one device type might not work at all on another (think smartphone experience versus tablet experience).
• Is your content easily read without excessive scrolling or zooming? Are your digital assets – images, videos, navigation, etc. – easy to see without scrolling or zooming?
• Are you calls to action front and center? Can you place a call to action above the fold?

• Can your content be optimized for local? For instance, can you include the stock of product available nearby like REI does?
• 62% of keywords have different ranks between desktop and mobile. Have you done mobile-specific keyword research? Are your mobile users using search phrases that are very different from the phrases your desktop searchers are using? If yes, consider using dynamic serving to deliver mobile-optimized content to your mobile users.
• Are your meta tags optimized? When appropriate or necessary, are they optimized specifically for mobile?
• Social content is mobile content. Are you integrating your search, social, video and mobile campaigns?

7. Test Often and Optimize User Experience

So you picked a mobile platform, designed your mobile pages with user experience in mind, and created mobile-optimized content. Great! Now… is it working?

Does it look like you intended it to look? Is Google seeing it how you think Google should be seeing it? Are all the usability features you built into your web pages actually working for your users?

Don’t set it and forget it. Mobile optimization is all about testing and retesting over and over again.

While testing is the final step in our checklist, remember that testing isn’t like putting a fork in it and calling it done. As an optimizer your work is never done, instead you should consider it “done for now until it’s time to test again.”

When testing and retesting your mobile web efforts, make sure to consider these factors:

• Have you tested on a range of devices using an emulator, or a series of actual devices?

• With each website release, the configuration needs to be checked.
• Are you testing your UX using real people that represent your personas? Have your friends and family test your site.
• Have you recently run your mobile-optimized website through the Google PageSpeed Insights tool to glean insights about user experience and site speed? (Don’t miss the User Experience section of the SiteSpeed Insights tool!)
• Google will add snippets to mobile SERPs warning searchers when the website they see listed may yield a sub-optimal user experience. Warnings include “Uses Flash” and “May not work on your device.” Have you checked to see whether your site is being amended with Google warnings in mobile SERPs?

Anything Worth Doing Is Worth Doing Right

Hunter S. Thompson wasn’t thinking of mobile website optimization when he said “anything worth doing is worth doing right.”

Yet there’s no better quote to emphasize not only the importance of mobile SEO, but more so the importance of effective mobile SEO; of not just optimizing for mobile, but optimizing the right way for mobile.

Times are changing and the way that people use and access the internet is changing, so we as marketers need to be changing the way we think, analyze, create, package and deliver content.

How are you optimizing your web pages to make sure they are mobile ready?

For more information on how to optimize your pages for speed and mobile SEO, we recommend these resources:

• Google Developers Mobile Friendly Websites
• AMPProject.org
• SEO Guide: Mobile SEO and UX Optimization

START THE GUIDE

Let us help you drive and track traffic to your website with a mobile-first SEO strategy. BCI’s services are tailor-made to match your business goals and audience. Let’s talk more about growing revenue through digital marketing.

This post was originally published by Chelsea Adams on Oct. 29, 2014, and updated on Nov. 23, 2016.

The post All-In-One Mobile SEO & Design Checklist appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

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The post Unwrapping New SEO Tools That Save You Money: SEOToolSet 6.1 appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..