keyword optimization Archives - Bruce Clay, Inc.

How Can Businesses Develop an Effective SEO Strategy Based on Their Target Audience?

Bruce Clay — Mon, 27 Nov 2023 19:36:07 +0000

Understanding the challenges, preferences, motivations and behaviors of a target audience is the key to a successful SEO campaign.

In this article, we’ll discuss how businesses can tailor an SEO strategy to their audience and optimize their return on investment.

Audience research is key
Keyword optimization with audience intent
Content creation aligned with audience needs
User experience and technical SEO
FAQ: How does keyword optimization contribute to audience-focused SEO?

Audience Research is Key

The first step in understanding your audience is to create detailed customer personas that encompass demographics, preferences, pain points and online behavior.

Gather valuable information through keyword research, social media insights and by using tools like Google Analytics. Armed with this knowledge, you can begin to tailor your messaging, keywords and content directly towards them.

A recent study looking at consumer purchasing habits by CX Network found that 63% of consumers think they are being sold things they don’t need. So why does this matter to you?

Businesses have an opportunity to increase their conversion rate when they do audience research, but most businesses skip this vital step or perform it once every five years.

If you keep up-to-date information on your audience and create clear customer avatars, you can make sure that your marketing content addresses your customer’s pain points clearly. Consumer confidence in your brand will go up — and so will your sales.

Keyword Optimization with Audience Intent

Once you have a grasp of your audience’s preferences, it’s time to focus on keyword optimization.

Instead of solely relying on high-volume keywords, prioritize those that align with your audience’s search intent. Understand the ‘why’ behind their searches. Are they seeking information, looking to make a purchase, or trying to solve a problem?

Develop content around these keywords that addresses the underlying intent to provide real value to your audience.

During this process, it’s also wise to look at your competitors. When do they show up in search queries? What types of searches do customers use when they end up on your competitor’s site?

Understanding when they appear in search results and the specific search queries that lead customers to their websites can provide valuable insights for enhancing your own SEO strategy.

Leverage this competitor data to make informed decisions that will optimize your online visibility and capture a larger share of your target audience.

Content Creation Aligned with Audience Needs

Producing content that aligns with your audience’s needs fosters trust and strengthens your brand connection between them. When your audience finds you helpful, they are more likely to engage with your brand in the form of likes, shares and comments.

Generate articles, blog posts, videos, or infographics that answer their questions and concerns. Regularly monitor, update and refresh your content to keep it current and engaging. This will position your business as an authority in your niche, earning trust and loyalty from your audience.

Search engines will reward you with better rankings, too.

User Experience and Technical SEO

A technically sound website that provides a seamless experience improves SEO rankings and ensures your audience will come back.

Optimize your website so that it is mobile-responsive, loads quickly and is easy for users to find what they are looking for.

Invest in technical SEO to optimize site structure, meta tags and image tags. A fast, user-friendly website will make your audience — and search engines — happy.

A successful SEO strategy starts by understanding your audience’s preferences, behaviors and intent. Following the tips we just outlined will drive organic traffic and convert your visitors into loyal customers.

We can help you figure out how to structure a successful SEO strategy. Reach out to us for a free consultation.

FAQ: How does keyword optimization contribute to audience-focused SEO?

The significance of keyword optimization cannot be overstated. The core essence lies in understanding the nuances of audience behavior and preferences in the online landscape.

Keyword optimization acts as the gateway to seamlessly connect user intent with content relevance, ensuring a harmonious synergy between what the audience seeks and what businesses offer.

Audience research helps businesses gain profound insights into the language and queries used by their target demographic. These insights form the backbone of keyword selection, allowing for the incorporation of highly relevant and resonant terms into content.

This deliberate choice of keywords positions content to organically attract the intended audience, steering traffic towards websites and platforms catering directly to their needs.

Keyword optimization evolves beyond mere word matching — it involves comprehending the context and intent behind the audience’s search queries.

This strategic approach crafts content that not only aligns with specific keywords but also addresses the underlying motives behind the audience’s searches.

It’s about providing solutions, answers and valuable information that precisely cater to their queries, thereby fostering a stronger connection and trust between the audience and the brand.

An insightful tip for effective keyword optimization in audience-focused SEO is the continual refinement of keyword strategies.

Regularly monitoring keyword performance, trends and shifts in audience behavior helps in staying adaptive and responsive.

Adapting keywords to reflect changes in audience preferences ensures that content remains relevant and impactful amidst the dynamic digital landscape.

An effective audience-focused SEO strategy unfolds by transitioning seamlessly between audience research, keyword selection and content creation. Each component works together to form an engaging framework that not only resonates with but also retains your target audience, propelling your businesses toward long-term digital growth and success.

Step-by-Step Procedure

Understand Audience Behavior: Conduct thorough audience research to comprehend their preferences, pain points and online behavior.
Identify Relevant Keywords: Use insights from research to identify keywords aligned with audience queries and interests.
Keyword Analysis: Analyze keyword performance, trends and competition to select optimal keywords.
Create Targeted Content: Develop content that seamlessly incorporates chosen keywords while addressing audience needs.
Monitor and Refine: Continuously monitor keyword performance and audience behavior, adapting strategies accordingly to maintain relevance and resonance.

The post How Can Businesses Develop an Effective SEO Strategy Based on Their Target Audience? appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

Why SEO Basics Still Matter + Evergreen SEO Tips

Bruce Clay — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 15:00:44 +0000

Now more than ever, it seems the world is changing. Not too long ago, I spoke about tipping for SEO and digital marketing, which is causing high-growth companies to drive even faster.

And then, of course, Google changes an average of 12 things per day in Search, and websites are being impacted for things they aren’t even doing wrong.

Yet with all these changes, the basics of SEO remain the same. It is important not to lose sight of the fundamentals that we know make a difference. They make a difference in Google’s ranking algorithm and make a difference to businesses trying to remain relevant and competitive online.

That is why SEO basics are the foundation of any successful website. Let’s look at this idea in more detail.

What is an evergreen SEO strategy?
What are some basic SEO strategies that get results?
FAQ: How can I implement an effective evergreen SEO strategy to stay competitive in an ever-changing digital landscape?

What Is an Evergreen SEO Strategy?

No matter what changes are thrown our way, a basic and dependable approach to SEO helps a company’s online presence weather those changes.

That approach includes the following SEO principles:

Beat the competition, not the algorithm
Focus on a whole-SERP SEO strategy
Optimize to be the least imperfect

1. Beat the Competition, Not the Algorithm

There are countless ranking signals in Google’s algorithm, with thousands of updates made yearly to Search. So it’s safe to say that no one will know exactly what the search engine algorithm is looking for.

We do the best we can with the information that’s available to us and the wisdom we have from years of practice, success and failure. We stay on top of developments and test them over and over again.

However, instead of focusing on every little algorithmic possibility, we instead focus on our competition. Our competition is the content ranking on Page 1 of the search results. And we discover that competition through keyword research (more on that later).

For more, read:

SEO Should Beat the Competition, Not the Algorithm

2. Focus on a Whole-Serp Strategy

With keywords in tow, you will be able to see what types of search engine results are most prominent for those queries. You will prioritize your SEO and content development efforts there.

For example, some search queries will have more prominent video results, images, or perhaps featured snippets.

Google SERP for the query “how to get kool aid out of carpet”

In other words, don’t just focus on the “blue links.” When you approach SEO and content development by understanding which features Google believes are the most relevant for a query, you evergreen your SEO program.

For more, read:

What Is a Whole-SERP SEO Strategy?

Optimize To Be the Least Imperfect

Analyze the content and the webpages that are ranking for your desired keywords. What are they doing well? What can you do better?

As mentioned, the goal of SEO is not to try to beat the ranking algorithm, which is infinitely large. The goal of SEO is to beat the competition. And the way to do that is to be least imperfect compared to the competition. Every website is imperfect against the Google algorithm. And when Google evaluates which pages to serve in its search results, it chooses the least imperfect compared to others for that search.

For more, read:

How to Do Competitor Research for SEO

What Are Some Basic SEO Strategies That Get Results?

Here are five basic SEO strategies that are proven to get results:

Keyword and audience research
Information architecture aka SEO siloing
Quality content
Technical and on-page optimization
Linking practices

1. Keyword and Audience Research

SEO keywords are single words or short phrases that represent the search queries that people use in a search engine. Once you have identified your keywords and explored the intent behind them (i.e. what a person is trying to accomplish when they use them in Google), you can do the following and more:

Identify and speak the language of the target market
Create useful content for your target audience
Communicate to Google that a webpage is a relevant match for a query
Drive more qualified traffic to appropriate webpages

For more, read:

2. Information Architecture aka SEO Siloing

How you organize the content on your site matters for search engines and users. SEO siloing builds relevance for a website and positions it as an authority on a topic. It also helps website visitors navigate the content with ease, and get complete answers to their questions.

For more, read:

3. Quality Content

Google wants to display the most useful content to its search engine users. So quality content is likely the most important ranking factor to get right.

For more, read:

4. Technical and On-Page Optimization

The performance of your website matters to website visitors. That is why you need to make sure that the site provides a good user experience. You do this through technical SEO practices that optimize the back-end of the website.

In addition, you want to help Google understand what a webpage is about, and this can be accomplished through on-page SEO.

For more, read:

5. Linking Practices

How you link to other webpages matters in SEO. There are three primary strategies in linking:

Internal links: How you link to pages within your website
Outbound links: Which websites do you link to
Inbound links: Which websites link to you

Each type of linking strategy has its own best practices. It is important to strive for quality and relevance with every link.

For more, read:

Without the basics of SEO, websites suffer when Google changes things or we experience economic or market downturns. This results in knee-jerk reactions that end up costing businesses more in the end than an upfront investment in evergreen SEO strategies.

Looking to add an evergreen SEO strategy to your company plan? Talk to us. We can help.

FAQ: How can I implement an effective evergreen SEO strategy to stay competitive in an ever-changing digital landscape?

With search engine algorithms frequently changing and competition intensifying, adopting an evergreen SEO strategy is essential to remain competitive in the long run.

An evergreen SEO strategy focuses on core principles that remain effective regardless of algorithmic shifts. The key is prioritizing beating the competition rather than chasing after ever-changing search engine algorithms. Conducting thorough keyword research to identify and understand your competition is the first step. By analyzing what content ranks on Page 1 of search results for your target keywords, you gain valuable insights into your competitors’ strategies and areas for improvement.

Adopting a Whole-SERP approach is a crucial aspect of a successful evergreen SEO strategy. It goes beyond focusing solely on traditional blue links in search results. Instead, consider the various features that Google deems relevant for a specific query, such as featured snippets, images, videos, or knowledge graphs. By understanding which elements are prominent for your target keywords, you can tailor your SEO and content development efforts accordingly to maximize visibility and engagement.

Optimizing to be the least imperfect compared to your competition is another fundamental principle of an evergreen SEO strategy. Instead of obsessing over trying to outsmart the ever-changing ranking algorithms, concentrate on delivering the best possible user experience and content quality. Analyze the webpages that rank for your desired keywords and learn from their strengths. By providing more value to your audience and addressing their needs comprehensively, you increase your chances of ranking higher in search results.

Implementing evergreen SEO strategies involves five proven practices:

Conduct comprehensive keyword and audience research to understand user intent and create targeted content.
Optimize your website’s information architecture using SEO siloing to establish authority on specific topics and improve navigation.
Prioritize producing high-quality content that caters to your audience’s needs, as it remains the most significant ranking factor.
Ensure technical and on-page optimization to enhance user experience and facilitate search engine understanding.
Adopt effective linking practices including internal, outbound and inbound links to build authority and relevance for your website.

Mastering the art of evergreen SEO is essential for staying competitive in the ever-changing digital landscape. By focusing on beating the competition, understanding user intent and delivering high-quality, valuable content, businesses can create a solid foundation for long-term online success.

Step-by-Step Evergreen SEO Strategy Implementation:

Conduct comprehensive keyword research to identify relevant target keywords.
Analyze competitor content that ranks on Page 1 of search results for your chosen keywords.
Identify areas for improvement and potential content gaps in your niche.
Develop a Whole-SERP strategy by considering different types of search engine results for your target queries.
Prioritize content creation that aligns with your audience’s search intent.
Implement SEO siloing to organize your website content and establish topic authority.
Optimize website navigation for user-friendly access to relevant content.
Focus on producing high-quality, valuable content that addresses your audience’s needs and queries.
Ensure technical SEO practices to improve website performance and user experience.
Optimize on-page elements such as meta tags, headers and content structure.
Utilize internal linking to guide users to related content within your website.
Employ outbound links to reputable sources that support and complement your content.
Seek quality inbound links from authoritative websites in your industry.
Monitor and analyze website performance and rankings regularly.
Continuously update and improve your content to remain relevant and valuable.
Stay up-to-date with industry trends and algorithm changes to adapt your strategy.
Leverage social media and other promotional channels to drive traffic to your content.
Encourage user engagement and interaction with your content.
Monitor and respond to feedback and comments from your audience.
Continuously evaluate and refine your evergreen SEO strategy based on performance metrics and changing market demands.

The post Why SEO Basics Still Matter + Evergreen SEO Tips appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

7 Proven Ways to Come Up with Content Ideas for Your SEO Program

Bruce Clay — Thu, 10 Mar 2022 15:00:09 +0000

Expert, shareable content is the backbone of your SEO program. But coming up with topics can be intimidating if you don’t have the proper guidance. Here, I’ll outline seven ways you can keep your SEO editorial calendar filled with useful content:

Keyword research
Personas
Old content
Company initiatives
Industry news and updates
Repurposed content
Subject matter experts
FAQ: Why is repurposing content a powerful approach in optimizing a website’s search visibility?

1. Keyword Research

One of the most obvious places to start is your keyword research. Your keyword research should drive endless new webpages on your website.

Keyword research helps you identify the things that your target audience is looking for. It helps you understand your customer journey, so you can create content to support them at every step.

As you research keywords, you get a sense of the type of content that is ranking for those keywords. That tells you what search engines like Google believe is quality and what other websites say about the topic.

To learn more, read: What Are Keywords?

2. Personas / Audience

Persona research and development can help you create content specific to the challenges your various audience members face. Brainstorm a list of topics that each persona would be interested in, then optimize that content with any of your target keywords.

To learn more, read: 3 Steps to Define Your Target Audience for Your SEO Program

3. Old Content

At one point or another, you’ve probably heard someone say you need evergreen content. Evergreen content is content that can stand the test of time. For many topics, it is hard to trust several years old content, but that might be the content that is ranking for your site.

This is true for any content but especially important for what Google calls “your money or your life” topics. These are topics that can impact a person’s health, financial stability, or some other important aspect of their life.

I’ve written in the past about how to do a content review, and that advice still stands:

Start by reviewing the top-ranked pages. These are pages that rank in the very top results on Page 1 and drive the most traffic.

Next, identify the rest of the pages ranking on the first page in Google’s search results, and driving good traffic.

Identify the pages that are ranking on Page 2 and beyond that have the potential to rank better.

Finally, find those pages that are not ranking well nor driving traffic, and are irrelevant or low quality.

For each of these categories, you’ll want to consider:

How to handle the content: Will it be a rewrite? How will you handle duplicate content? Will you combine like-topics into one in-depth article? Will you get rid of some content altogether?

How to optimize the content: For the pages that you want to give a boost, make sure they are optimized with the basics.

To learn more, read:

4. Company Initiatives

There will always be company news, a product or service announcement, or a new section of content that needs to be added to the site based on an initiative. Save space on your SEO editorial calendar for these types of announcements and webpages.

Target an 80/20 mix here, where 20% of the content you create is company-focused and 80% is educational or useful in some other way. This helps ensure you are not inundating people with sales pitches.

5. Industry News and Updates

Your industry will likely have news, trends, reports, or something else interesting to report on from time to time. Keep your finger on the pulse of what’s happening in your sector, and plan to write about attention-grabbing headlines.

6. Repurposed Content

There’s so much potential in a single piece of content. So make sure you look at the entire library of resources your company is creating, and think about how to repurpose that for your SEO program. Videos, webinars, training materials, ebooks, and much more can be repurposed into web content.

To learn how read: What’s the Best Way to Revive Dead Content and Get New ROI?

7. Subject Matter Experts

There are a lot of people in your company who know a lot about what they do. Take the time to get to know the subject matter experts and what topics they might be able to come up with.
In particular, we always suggest talking with your customer support staff or reviewing support tickets to get ideas for content that will answer real questions. As a bonus, you can talk about common pain points and issues in your customers’ own words.

Among your in-house experts, some people like to be guest contributors on the company blog, while others can just give you really great ideas to write about.

More Tips

As you are creating content for your SEO program, here are some tips:

Always strive for quality. Google and your website visitors are scrutinizing the quality of your content. Make sure that every webpage is something to be proud of. Read: What Makes a Webpage Quality?
Always have a tech or editorial review. To further enhance a webpage’s quality, ensure you have a dedicated editor. In some cases (like technical topics or YMYL webpages), you’ll also need a technical/expert review.
Always optimize your content. Having great content is the first step, and optimizing it comes next. Read: The Always Up-to-Date SEO Checklist
Use tools to track your SEO calendar. A simple shared spreadsheet works great to track the topics you want to write about, what’s in the queue, what’s published, and more.

With a little creativity in how you go about it, it’s easy to find inspiration for content. Use the seven steps outlined in this article to get your SEO content plan going.

We develop content for many of our SEO clients. For information on our content services or help with your SEO projects, contact us today for a free quote.

FAQ: Why is repurposing content a powerful approach in optimizing a website’s search visibility?

Optimizing a website’s search visibility is a cornerstone of a successful online presence. One highly effective yet often underestimated strategy in this pursuit is content repurposing. By repurposing content, you harness the power of creativity and resourcefulness to maximize the reach and impact of your digital assets.

The Versatility of Repurposing

Repurposing content involves taking existing pieces of content and adapting them into different formats or for various platforms. This approach leverages your existing knowledge base, allowing you to present your expertise in fresh, engaging ways. The possibilities are vast, from transforming a blog post into a visually compelling infographic to converting a webinar into a series of informative articles.

Search Engine Visibility and Repurposed Content

Repurposing content can significantly boost your website’s search visibility. When repurposing content, you create multiple entry points for search engines to discover and index your material. As each repurposed piece gains traction and attracts links, your website’s authority and relevance grow, further elevating its search engine ranking.

Captivating a Wider Audience

A key advantage of content repurposing lies in engaging different audience segments. Not everyone consumes information similarly—some prefer videos, while others lean toward podcasts or written articles. By repackaging your content to cater to varied preferences, you expand your reach and captivate a broader audience, driving more organic traffic to your site.

Evergreen Value and Time Efficiency

Repurposing content breathes new life into evergreen topics. Even though the core message remains unchanged, the new format provides a fresh perspective that resonates with both new and returning visitors. Moreover, repurposing allows you to optimize your content creation efforts. Instead of starting from scratch each time, repurposing enables you to create valuable content while efficiently ensuring consistency across all platforms.

Integrating Repurposing into Your Strategy

Incorporating content repurposing into your SEO program requires a thoughtful approach. Begin by identifying high-performing content that can be repurposed for different channels. Tailor the content to suit each platform’s requirements while maintaining its essence. Ensure seamless integration across your digital ecosystem to maximize its impact and benefits.

Step-by-Step Procedure: Enhancing Search Visibility Through Content Repurposing

Identify Existing Content: Review your website’s archives to pinpoint high-performing and evergreen content that can be repurposed.
Choose Repurposing Formats: Determine the various formats (e.g., infographics, videos, podcasts) suitable for repurposing each piece of content.
Tailor for Different Platforms: Modify the content to align with the characteristics and preferences of each platform or medium.
Optimize for SEO: Incorporate relevant keywords, meta descriptions, and alt tags to ensure the repurposed content is search engine-friendly.
Maintain Consistency: Ensure consistency in messaging, branding, and tone across all repurposed materials to maintain a cohesive online presence.
Create Engaging Titles: Craft compelling titles that resonate with the target audience and encourage click-throughs.
Leverage Visual Elements: Use visuals such as images, graphics, and videos to enhance engagement and convey information effectively.
Distribute Strategically: Share repurposed content across appropriate platforms, including your website, social media channels, and relevant industry forums.
Monitor Performance: Track the performance of repurposed content, analyzing metrics such as traffic, engagement, and conversion rates.
Adjust and Refine: Based on performance insights, make necessary adjustments to optimize the impact of repurposed content.
Encourage Social Sharing: Encourage users to share repurposed content, expanding its reach through organic sharing.
Engage with Your Audience: Respond to comments and engage in discussions to foster a sense of community around repurposed content.
Collaborate with Influencers: Partner with industry influencers to amplify the reach of repurposed content.
Repurpose Regularly: Continuously identify opportunities for repurposing as new content is created.
Update and Revise: Periodically revisit repurposed content to update statistics, refresh visuals, and ensure relevance.
Analyze Link-Building Opportunities: Seek link-building opportunities by contacting other websites that may find value in your repurposed content.
Measure ROI: Evaluate the return on investment of repurposing efforts by assessing factors such as increased traffic, higher rankings, and lead generation.
Optimize Over Time: Fine-tune your repurposing strategy based on insights gained to improve results continually.
Educate Your Team: Train your team on the benefits and best practices of content repurposing to ensure consistent implementation.
Stay Current: Keep up with industry trends and content consumption changes to effectively evolve your repurposing strategy.

By following this comprehensive procedure, you can harness the power of content repurposing to optimize your website’s search visibility, engage a wider audience, and establish your brand as a trusted authority in your field.

The post 7 Proven Ways to Come Up with Content Ideas for Your SEO Program appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

Siloing – How to Structure Your Website

import-role — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 03:46:45 +0000

SEO Guide Step 12

SEO silos
What is siloing?
How to silo your website
FAQ: How can I effectively implement siloing to enhance my website’s search engine rankings?

SEO Silos: an essential strategy.

Silos: clearly communicates topic relevance, depth, and expertise to search engines. And it is a standard for how to emphasize the expertise of your site by spotlighting the main themes of your site in a hierarchy based upon how people search. It commonly results in significant traffic increases for existing as well as new keywords.

“Make a site with a clear hierarchy aligned by words users would type and with pages containing a reasonable number of text links that point to the important parts of your site.” – Summary, Google Webmaster Guidelines

“Create a naturally flowing hierarchy. Make it as easy as possible for users to go from general content to more specific content they want on your site. Add navigation pages when it makes sense and effectively work these into your internal link structure.” – Google Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide

So, about Siloing…

Proper internal linking and good site architecture lay the foundation for getting your website ranked for more of your desired keyword terms and phrases. In this lesson, you’re going to learn siloing — including what it is, why silos are important, and the two approaches to structuring your website into SEO silos. Let’s get started!

What Is Siloing?

In order to rank well in search engines for both broad keywords (e.g., peanut butter) and longer, more specific keyword phrases (e.g., organic crunchy peanut butter), your website must have enough clearly organized supporting content to appear relevant for those terms.

Search engines look closely at your site structure to determine your site’s main topics and whether there is enough keyword-supporting content.

Think about how farmers organize their harvests of wheat, barley, oats, and so forth. Farmers care for the integrity of their products by storing each specific type of grain in a separate silo. If wheat, barley, and oats were all mixed together, the product would have less value, marketable only as generic “grain.”

Siloing a website means grouping related pages together, either structurally or through linking, to establish the site’s keyword-based themes. Much like farmers use separate silos to store different types of grain, webmasters can silo a website to distinguish its various content themes and make clear to search engines what the site is about.

Siloing your site improves the relevancy of your pages for your desired search terms. Links are strategically used within theme-focused sections of the site — and PageRank (i.e., linking value) gets passed between closely related pages and landing pages, reinforcing the themes.

Don’t let your website be viewed as a disorganized mixture with no keyword focus! Your silo strategy reveals what the site is really about and helps position your website as an expert source for a given topic.

Search engines award the top keyword rankings to sites with clear website structure and subject matter relevancy matching a user query. That doesn’t mean pages filled with exact keyword phrases. Especially in the era of Google’s Panda algorithm, which rewards quality content, you want to build your website around themes based on keywords, not just the keyword phrases themselves. Siloing that themed content is essential to SEO.

SEO GUIDE BONUS VIDEO

Here, Bruce explains how siloing is essential if a website wants to rank for broader types of queries in the search results.

Without further ado, here’s the nitty-gritty of siloing.

What Is Physical Siloing?

There are two ways to silo a website — physical siloing through the directory structure and virtual siloing through the linking structure. Let’s discuss physical siloing first.

The URL address of a webpage can give users and bots important clues about the page. For instance, the URL below reveals that the page focuses on some kind of cordless, hammer, power tool by Makita:

http://www.seriouspowertools.com/cordless/hammers/makita-bhp123.htm

When you use the physical URL directory structure of a website, like a filing cabinet, to organize related pages, you are creating physical silos. Each theme of the site has a group of pages saved together under one folder dedicated to that specific category (e.g., “cordless”), and within that category are subfolders for the different subcategories (e.g., “hammers”). Each file has its place in a distinct category, with no two files ever getting filed into both categories, only one or the other. (SEO Tip: You don’t want the same page contents to be indexed under more than one URL.)

To have a physical silo structure, create a directory structure that aligns with the various themes covered within your website.

What Is Virtual Siloing?

Virtual siloing involves using the internal link structure of a site (i.e., how pages link to other pages) to:

Connect groups of related pages together.
Separate unrelated pages.
Strengthen the primary landing pages of each silo.

While physical siloing requires theme-related pages to be located within the same directory of a site, a virtual silo is formed by links between theme-related pages.

Connecting related pages virtually through text links can be effective even in the absence of physical silos. That’s because search engine spiders crawl a site’s contents by following its links. Virtual siloing is powerful.

By linking between pages that are tightly related in topic and theme, you are consolidating that theme’s relevance to a section of your site. A site hierarchy, with top-level landing pages and support pages for each SEO silo, emerges based on linking patterns alone.

For example, rather than interlinking between all of the pages haphazardly, our example power tools website could use virtual siloing to show that it has three distinct, keyword-relevant content themes for cordless, electric, and gas-powered tools:

Support pages always link up to their silo landing page (indicated by the lines connecting all the blue pages together, for instance). Cross-links between silos should be avoided except for silo-top landing pages (indicated by the larger rectangles in the example diagrams). Since random links between silos would weaken the theming, no subpage within a silo should link to a subpage in another silo. The diagram below shows appropriate and inappropriate internal linking for a siloed website:

Careful linking within your site shows the relationships between pages and reveals your website’s topic structure. It also strengthens your main landing pages, which are the ones you want to show up in search results. Virtual siloing leads to the accumulation of PageRank on the top-level landing page of each silo, which becomes the most relevant page on your site for keywords related to that theme. This is how siloing leads to better search engine rankings.

We recommend using the virtual silo approach, reinforced by the physical silo approach when possible, for maximum effectiveness.

How to Silo Your Website

The process of siloing a website by topic can be briefly described in four steps:

Determine the overarching themes for your website. What content do you have (and plan to have), and what is it about? We recommend you consider your themes in conjunction with keyword research. (See Step 1 for more on keyword research.)
Choose your siloing strategy. Decide how to implement a website structure that clearly identifies the themes of your website: physical siloing and virtual siloing or virtual siloing alone.
Plan your linking structure. Examine your link structure (starting from your main navigation menu) and decide how best to connect pages together to reinforce your themes according to the way people search for your content. Keep in mind that you’ll generally need at least five supporting content pages to establish a silo theme.
Implement and build your silos. Publish high-quality content that includes your targeted keyword phrases for each theme-based silo. Trim and/or create links to connect supporting pages within each silo and reinforce your top-level silo landing pages.

Whew, this was an important lesson. We hope you are seeing your website with new eyes. With website structure in mind, you can better determine whether search engine spiders see your content themes clearly or just crawl around your site confused.

What’s next in the SEO Guide? External linking! In the next lesson, we’ll give you SEO tips on how to attract the right sort of inbound links to your website and prune the harmful links that can damage your site’s rankings.

TIP: Many people have questions about how best to silo a particular website. If you need face-to-face help, why not attend one of our Bruce Clay SEO Training classes? For much less than you might pay for consulting services, you can learn SEO, ask questions — directly to Bruce Clay — and get answers in person! See our SEO training page for dates, locations, and details.

Need more SEO tips?
See more on Siloing or Search Engine Optimization

Related blog posts and articles:

FAQ: How can I effectively implement siloing to enhance my website’s search engine rankings?

Siloing is an invaluable SEO and website structure strategy, capable of elevating the ranking of any website on search engine result pages (SERPs). By structuring and organizing website content into silos, siloing helps search engines understand its hierarchy and relevance – helping search engines understand your web pages’ hierarchy and relevance better than before. This blog explores its complexities while offering expert advice on effectively implementing siloing.

Understanding Siloing

Siloing involves grouping related content into thematic clusters, also known as silos. Each silo focuses on a specific topic or keyword; its content should be closely related and interlinked. This organizational approach helps search engines recognize the topical relevance of your pages, making it more likely for them to rank higher in search results.

The Benefits of Siloing

Improved SEO: Siloing enhances your website’s SEO by clearly defining the relationships between pages. This structured approach makes it easier for search engine crawlers to index and understand your content, leading to higher rankings.
Enhanced User Experience: Siloing benefits search engines and your visitors. It provides a logical and user-friendly navigation structure, ensuring that users can find the information they seek quickly and easily.

Implementing Effective Siloing

Keyword Research: Conduct thorough keyword research to identify the primary and secondary keywords related to your niche or industry.
Content Audit: Evaluate your existing content and categorize it into relevant topics. This will help you identify content gaps and opportunities for silo creation.
Create Silos: Group related content into silos based on your keyword research. Each silo should have a central pillar page as the cornerstone content.
Interlink Pages: Within each silo, ensure that the pages are interlinked. Use keyword-rich anchor text for these internal links.
Optimize On-Page SEO: Optimize each page within a silo for on-page SEO factors, including meta tags, headings, and high-quality content.
Monitor and Refine: Regularly monitor your website’s performance in search rankings. Adjust and refine your silos as needed to improve results.

By following these steps, you can effectively implement siloing to enhance your website’s search engine rankings. SEO is an ongoing process.

Step-by-Step Procedure:

Perform comprehensive keyword research to identify relevant keywords for your website.
Conduct a content audit to categorize your content into thematic clusters.
Create silos by grouping related content, designating a pillar page for each silo.
Interlink the pages within each silo using keyword-rich anchor text for internal links.
Optimize on-page SEO elements for each page within the silos, including meta tags, headings, and content.
Monitor your website’s search engine rankings and adjust your silos to improve performance.
Stay informed about SEO industry trends and search engine algorithm updates to maintain and enhance your website’s rankings over time.

The post Siloing – How to Structure Your Website appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

Pay-Per-Click Management Prices

import-role — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 03:46:42 +0000

We approach PPC management pricing with a very different philosophy from most agencies. Our pay-per-click philosophy is that keywords should be selected, managed, and expanded if they convert and achieve your business goals. Conversion for a PPC search engine marketing campaign can be defined as immediate revenue or delayed revenue, such as a lead.

Pricing
Monthly basis
FAQ: How can I effectively utilize PPC management pricing strategies to maximize conversions for my business?

Pricing

We do not typically advocate for clients who have hundreds or thousands of keywords. Instead, most of our PPC client accounts generally focus on the most relevant keywords set within their vertical and geographical targeting focus, and we manage them to achieve a targeted conversion metric such as cost per sale/acquisition or cost per lead (if conversion can be measured).

Monthly Basis

Our fees are assessed on a monthly basis only. Our base rate for our pay-per-click management services is between 18% and a low of 12% of spend depending upon spend, plus a $2000 base monthly fee, which includes our advanced software tools. We negotiate all rates entirely based on monthly spending and competition. This is adjusted by activity – keywords, campaigns, and budget rework to keep pace with your needs.

Read more about our pay per click management services or request a quote. Also, see search engine marketing pricing for some of our other services, which include search engine optimization, SEO training, web analytics, and more.

FAQ: How can I effectively utilize PPC management pricing strategies to maximize conversions for my business?

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising has become an indispensable tool for businesses aiming to enhance their online presence and drive conversions. Adopting a strategic approach that aligns with your goals is crucial to utilizing PPC management pricing strategies and ensuring optimal conversion rates.

A thorough understanding of your target audience lies at the core of successful PPC management pricing strategies. Conduct comprehensive market research to identify your audience’s preferences, behaviors, and pain points. Utilizing this data, you can tailor your PPC campaign to meet customers’ expectations.

Advertising that charges cost-per-click (CPC) bills you each time someone clicks your ad, while cost-per-acquisition (CPA) only bills when an action like buying, subscribing, or participating is taken – like purchasing, subscribing, or taking part in an offering. Each model offers its advantages; choose one that best meets your business goals. A hybrid approach that combines CPC and CPA often yields favorable results.

Data-driven decisions form the bedrock of successful PPC campaigns. Google Ads analytics provide valuable insight into your ads’ performance. Keep an eye on the click-through rate, conversion rate, and overall return on investment. This data can be used to adjust pricing strategy by allocating the budget to keywords/placements that produce higher conversion rates.

Adopt a dynamic approach to pricing by embracing real-time adjustments. In the fast-paced world of digital advertising, consumer behaviors and market trends can shift swiftly. Regularly assess the performance of your campaigns and be prepared to modify your pricing strategy accordingly. This agility will help you seize opportunities and mitigate potential losses.

Harness the power of A/B testing to optimize your PPC management pricing strategies further. Create variations of your ads with different pricing points and monitor their performance. This experimentation will unveil valuable insights into what resonates best with your audience and facilitate data-backed refinements.

Mastering PPC management pricing strategies requires a blend of market understanding, data utilization, and adaptability. By tailoring your approach to your audience, selecting appropriate pricing models, analyzing performance metrics, staying agile, and conducting A/B testing, you can unlock the potential of your PPC campaigns and maximize conversions for your business.

Step-by-Step Procedure: How to Effectively Utilize PPC Management Pricing Strategies to Maximize Conversions

Conduct thorough market research to understand your target audience’s preferences and behaviors.
Define your business objectives and align them with your PPC goals.
Choose an appropriate pricing model based on your objectives, such as CPC or CPA.
Consider a hybrid approach that combines CPC and CPA for a balanced strategy.
Set up tracking and analytics using platforms like Google Ads to gather performance data.
Monitor key metrics like click-through, conversion, and ROI for insights.
Analyze the data to identify high-performing keywords, placements, and ads.
Allocate your budget to keywords and placements that yield the most conversions.
Stay attentive to market trends and shifts in consumer behavior.
Regularly assess the performance of your PPC campaigns and pricing strategy.
Embrace real-time adjustments to your pricing strategy for agility.
Experiment with A/B testing by creating ad variations with different pricing points.
Monitor the performance of A/B test campaigns and compare conversion rates.
Gather insights from A/B testing to refine your pricing strategy iteratively.
Continuously optimize your campaigns based on data-driven decisions.
Keep refining your approach as your business goals and market dynamics evolve.
Collaborate with experienced PPC professionals or agencies for advanced insights.
Maintain a balance between experimentation and proven strategies.
Stay updated with industry best practices and emerging PPC trends.
Regularly review and adapt your PPC management pricing strategies to stay competitive and maximize conversions.

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