by Fronetics | Jan 10, 2018 | Blog, Content Marketing, Marketing
Those writing for SEO need to be conscious of how users are being more conversational in their search queries and how search engines are analyzing phrases over keywords.
This is part two of a four-part series about writing for SEO for supply chain marketers.
Last week, we kicked off our Writing for SEO series by taking a look at how search engines are changing. As we delve further into updated strategies for effective SEO writing for supply chain marketers, today we’ll explore the ways in which people are changing their search behaviors, and what that means for your content.
Search queries are turning conversational
Before we start quoting studies and scholarly research, think for a minute about how you search the web, and how that’s changed over the past several years. Chances are, you do lots of searching on your phone, sometimes using voice search. (“Siri, what’s the fastest pizza delivery in my neighborhood?”) And you’re probably “talking” to the internet more like a friend than an encyclopedia.
The studies back us up. According to HubSpot’s blog, “Amplified by the rise of mobile and voice search, queries have become more and more conversational.” A few years ago people tended to enter a single term into a search engine. Now they’re increasingly asking questions and using full, complex sentences.
Search engines are responding. In order to understand this new type of query better, much of Google’s product development in the past 3-4 years has been about natural language processing. The 2013 introduction of Hummingbird, Google’s search algorithm, is a prime example.
Writing for SEO with topics over keywords
Search algorithms like Hummingbird have begun analyzing phrases rather than relying solely on keywords. This is big news for writing for SEO. As Google and other search engines move from keyword to topic-focused SEO, you need to be adjusting your content strategy to maximize your visibility.
We pointed out last week that keyword rankings aren’t as reliable as they used to be. In summary, search engines have evolved beyond the point that everyone gets the same results from a query (depending on location, search history, etc.). Therefore rank can change drastically depending on context. Now we’re looking at the same issue from the user end.
“The traditional view of ‘keywords’ in search has changed,” according to HubSpot. Traditional writing for SEO technique tells us that there were about 10-20 “big keywords” that were sought after for ranking within a topic. Now, there are hundreds or thousands of “long-tale variations” that people regularly search for within a topic — and change based on location.
To boil it all down, it’s no longer enough to dominate a few words. What’s important is broad visibility across a topic.
Make sure to read the other posts in our series, part 1: Writing for SEO: Search Engines are Changing, part 3: Writing for SEO: Topic Clusters and Pillar Content (NOT Keywords), and part 4: Writing for SEO: Measuring the Success of Your Content.
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by Fronetics | Jan 3, 2018 | Blog, Content Marketing, Marketing
In part one of a four-part series on writing for SEO, we address how search engines and the search landscape have changed recently.
Content marketing has seen a lot of changes in the past few years. These changes are largely results of the rapidly evolving search landscape, as well as a seismic shift in the way people are actually discovering content. New, more sophisticated search algorithms, changes in the way people use search engines, and new ways that marketers develop their content are just a few of the contributing factors and outcomes.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be writing a series of posts examining how marketers should approach writing for SEO in this new landscape. Today, we’re exploring specifically how search engines have evolved — something they are always doing, as they improve to help searchers find the content that best answers their queries.
Are keyword rankings still important?
It’s important to recognize that as search engines change the way they process and evaluate content, older metrics of SEO success aren’t as reliable as they used to be. Take keyword rankings for example. While conventional wisdom tells us that it’s absolutely necessary for content marketers to check their Google keyword rankings for target keywords, debate has swirled recently about the actual reliability of this metric.
Why is this once-standard metric being called into question? The answer is largely about context: Search engines have evolved beyond the point where everyone gets the same results of a query, and therefore rank can change drastically depending on context.
Location-based searches are one of the most obvious and important contextual variables. Simply put, depending on where you’re searching from, you’ll see different search results. This makes it difficult and unreliable to evaluate success based on keyword rankings alone.
Featured snippets
In addition to keyword-ranking problems, search engines are starting to dictate how content should be structured — particularly with the increased appearance of featured snippets. These snippets typically display content from within one of the pages ranking on page one of a question-based query, directly answering the question searched for without the user ever having to visit the actual page.
Fronetics has the featured snippet for Supply Chain Management MBA Programs.
A recent study found that of 1.4 million queries, 30% showed a featured snippet — that’s big growth. This means that content that ranks within the featured snippet section often gets a much greater share of the traffic for the given query. For content creators, this points to a need to restructure content to try to appear within these featured snippets.
Changes to the way search engines work do present a challenge for content creators writing for SEO. But keeping pace with the ever-changing technology is key to keeping your content relevant.
Make sure to check out part 2 in our series, Writing for SEO: People Are Changing How They Search, part 3, Writing for SEO: Topic Clusters and Pillar Content (NOT Keywords), and part 4, Writing for SEO: Measuring the Success of Your Content.
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by Fronetics | Dec 5, 2017 | Blog, Content Marketing, Current Events, Logistics, Marketing, Supply Chain
Companies in the supply chain and logistics industries should take note of these 4 trends that are gaining traction as we move into 2018.
Joe Pulizzi of the Content Marketing Institute recently revealed his predictions for the biggest trends in content marketing for 2018. As the founder of CMI, Pulizzi dedicates his time discussing how content marketing has evolved with leading marketers from around the world and keeps his finger on the pulse of content marketing trends.
Most of the predications we discussed for 2017 are still holding true as we roll into another calendar year. Supply chain and logistics companies are still working overtime to nail down a true content marketing strategy. Native advertising is still the “gateway drug” to content marketing. And the growing dependence on mobile devices has continued to skyrocket.
What does this mean for 2018?
The key trends from 2017 continue to highlight the importance of good content. With over one million new-data-producing social media users each day, high-quality content is the only way to stand out from the masses. As you start to strategize for next year, and beyond, be sure to consider these trends in your supply chain marketing plans.
4 content marketing trends for 2018
1. Original content is king
A recent report claims that Apple is planning to invest over $1 billion on original content. Why the hefty price tag? As competition in the mobile space continues to heat up, brands need to do more to stay relevant. Valuable, original content can help companies like Apple grow its audience and keep its current customers coming back for more.
What does this mean for you? Pulizzi believes that this trend will offer companies multiple options to monetize their content. Either through direct sales to customers or advertising and sponsorship opportunities, supply chain and logistics companies will be able to cash in on their original content.
Make sure to keep a close eye on your competitor’s content. More and more companies will see the value in original content and look to build loyalty and support from their growing audience.
2. Creating vs. purchasing
For those supply chain and logistics companies that don’t have the time or resources to invest in creating original content, acquisitions will offer a pricey solution. 2018 will see a spike in content marketing brand acquisitions, giving companies full-service content options. Back in August, Netflix acquired Millarworld, a comic book publisher, hoping to gain traction with cutting-edge content in a host of different mediums.
While 62% of companies outsource their content marketing, the rise in acquisitions highlights the value of content creation and distribution. The decision to create content vs. buy will depend on the size of your wallet.
3. Content marketing budgets on the rise
According to Marketingmag.com, content marketing will become a $300 billion industry by 2019. That’s a lot of money being spent on content creation and distribution, which can only mean one thing: content marketing budgets are increasing. 39% of marketers expect their content marketing budgets to increase this year.
More brands are seeing the effectiveness of content marketing over traditional advertising. Moving away from traditional advertising and optimizing your content marketing strategy will make your marketing budget dollars stretch further and work harder in getting your content in front of the right people.
4. Content marketing overlap
Many of us are familiar with Marcus Sheridan’s story about the success of his pool company and starting the Sales Lion. Desperate to save his company, Sheridan threw himself into content marketing and created the most-visited swimming pool website in the world. Sheridan’s biggest take away? Marketing is a team sport. “Want content marketing to work? Involve everybody on your teams,” writes Sheridan.
Content marketing doesn’t work in a silo and without leadership. For content marketing to be most effective, leaders need to give clear ownership to someone over your content marketing strategy. From there, everyone needs to get on board, creating a culture of content. Your sales teams should integrate your content marketing into their sales processes. Your PR team should meet regularly with your social media experts.
“To say you have a culture of content is to say that everyone who works for your company understands the value of the information you provide and participates in making that information useful,” writes Marcia Reifer Johnston.
Overlap is bound to happen in your content marketing endeavors. The key is to have clear leadership over your strategy and regularly communicate your goals and initiatives, so your entire team can be engaged in your efforts.
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by Fronetics | Nov 8, 2017 | Blog, Data/Analytics
Marcus Tober, Searchmetrics founder, suggests three key ways to make your content more relevant and to improve your SEO visibility.
We talk a lot about the importance of content, like here and here. Content is everywhere, and companies are working hard to continually produce new content. But not all content is created equal.
Searchmetrics founder Marcus Tober discusses how data is changing the relevancy of content in his conference talk, Mastering the World of Deep Learning: How Big Data Is Making Content More Relevant in Search. As a pioneer in search-analytics software, Tober has watched search engines become more advanced at figuring out which web pages people will find relevant. Through years of research, Tober offers three lessons to make your content more relevant.
3 ways to make your content more relevant
Develop your content niche.
“Experts are not called upon because they are the smartest person in every room; they are called upon because they are the smartest person in a specific room.” John Gordon
Find your area of expertise, or niche, in your market and focus your content around this topic. Instead of writing broadly about various subjects relevant to your industry, your writers should tackle tough questions and introduce cutting-edge thought leadership in one key area that defines your company’s strength.
Marcus says, “This means that if you specialize in something and make it really good because you understand the user, you can have great search performance” compared with a huge site that produces content about everything.
Through this valuable and focused content, your company will stand out as a leader in your industry. Audiences will know how to categorize you, which sounds like a bad thing, but isn’t. When they have a specific question, they know to turn to you as a specific expert.
Get rid of ROT.
ROT (redundant, outdated, and trivial content) can sink your website. “Think about your house. We’re all a bit messy and a bit lazy. Likewise, I can imagine that you have a lot of content that maybe you should get rid of or should merge with something else you have,” says Tober.
Many companies keep older ROT content because of the volume of posts they want under their belts. Tober worked with a German company, Pflege.de (similar to care.com), which was afraid of cleaning out its ROT because of the internal links and the possibility of older posts still bringing in traffic.
On Tober’s recommendation, Pflege purged ROT and lost 95% of its content. 95%! The content the company was left with was more relevant and ranked higher with search engines. Pflege’s SEO visibility grew 240% within a few short months.
Update remaining content to address user intentions.
It’s not enough to just get rid of ROT. You also need to keep an eye on older content and make sure you continue to update as needed. “You have to make what’s left really good,” Marcus says.
What is meant by content that is “really good?” He means content that addresses people’s intentions – content that meets the information needs underlying the keywords and phrases they use.
Big data can help brands track their older content and make changes to address audience questions and relevancy. Tober’s company, Searchmetrics, is an example of a data service that helps companies take an in-depth look at older content and how it addresses user intentions. When brands update content to address specific wants and needs, it can boost online visibility and reveal new potential for older posts.
Improving your company’s SEO visibility can be easier to achieve than you think. Using these three steps, you can get ahead of search engines and place your brand in front of untapped audiences.
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by Fronetics | Nov 6, 2017 | Blog, Content Marketing, Marketing
Use these four tips to earn high-quality backlinks that will boost your company’s search engine ranking.
It’s no secret that backlinks can help your search engine rankings. Backlinks are any link on another website that points (or links) back to your website. Since the 1990s, search engines have used backlinks as a bit of a popularity contest: the more you had, the more popular your website became.
It didn’t take long for companies to hunt for backlinks, creating relationships with other companies in the same industry for the sole benefit of getting links to their websites. But like all relationships, link building can be abused and, often times, only beneficial to one party. Pursuing links for search engine ranking alone creates a negative mindset, leading to uneasy relationships, damaged brand reputation, and low-quality, spammy links.
How can you achieve high-quality backlinks?
Let’s start by understanding what constitutes a high-quality backlink. SEO consultant Mark Walters defines them as links that:
- Are from a relevant and trusted source
- Have anchor text that matches your keywords
- Are on a page with Google’s PageRank
- Are next to backlinks to authority websites
- Are from different sources
- Are not reciprocal
- Are on pages with few other backlinks
Now that you know what defines a high-quality backlink, how can your company achieve these organic relationships? The answer is hard work.
Here are 4 tips to help your efforts get high-quality backlinks.
1. Create the best content available on your topic
The best content is content that is unique. Not only is original content SEO friendly, original content is audience friendly. In one minute, users share 300 hours of video on YouTube and tweet nearly 400,000 tweets times. If you want content that stands out, you need content that differs from that of the rest of the pack.
You can make content stand out by using winning headlines, graphics, images, and with great writing. Create every single piece of content with your current and prospective customers in mind. Content that attracts and engages audiences effectively communicates valuable information, providing knowledge to help guide informed decisions. Creating reliable information will establish your website and business as a thought leader within your industry, and other companies will start to take notice.
2. Perform exclusive interviews with industry experts and/or influencers
The strategy of interviewing industry experts is becoming more and more common. Here at Fronetics we often interview influencers. The draw from big names helps bring in new traffic to our site, as well as provide readers with the latest happenings in our industry.
“The benefits of creating content around authority figures in your space is vast, such as bringing recognizable authority names to your site, while also having the opportunity for such content to be shared by featured experts as well. The end result could create lots of great content for your site, while also bringing in a nice consistent supply of new traffic as well.” Writes Zac Johnson for Business 2 Community.
3. Create custom infographics
Images are a fail-safe way to create engaging content, but infographics do more than just give readers visual knowledge. Infographics also help achieve backlinks. They provide interesting and valuable information using images, giving readers the knowledge without having to read through heavy text. The most popular infographics incorporate amazing design and well-researched statistics.
According to HubSpot, social media users share and like infographics 3x more than other any other type of content. Good infographics have the ability to make your content go viral, generate tons of high-quality back-links, and improve your site’s overall SEO.
4. Participate in collaborative content marketing
Collaborative content has many benefits, but one of the biggest is reach. Your collaborators have their own followers and platforms. Combine that with your audiences, and your content is already reaching more people. These collaborations save time and money and will earn you backlinks through the other participants. Collaborative content will help drive organic traffic, provide valuable and relevant information, and introduce a new voice to your content.
Using these four strategies will help your company earn high-quality backlinks and start improving your search enginge ranking. Your higher rankings will come from organic backlinks that your hard work helped to create.
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