gregalbuto

M Posted 5 years 4 months ago

t 9 min read

What is paid distribution?

Paid distribution means using various platforms and networks to promote content. This sponsored material might appear in locations, such as a part of newsfeeds on social media sites or after articles on various publications. Using paid distribution might not be ideal for every business owner but you can leverage it to drive traffic to your site more quickly.

Creating content and a distribution system for paid media

Content is absolutely vital to the success of your site in the SERPs. You need to be creating new and unique content on a regular basis. There’s writing it, optimizing it, sharing it on social and other mediums and tracking it—but how can you maximize your content's reach? In addition to SEO, a strong paid distribution system can bolster your results. Leveraging paid media will not only drive traffic to your site, but you can use it in tandum with other types of media like owned or organic.

Once you have produced high-quality, data-driven content using the concept of the marketing funnel, you need a distribution system that will get that content in front of the intended audience. Without a strong distribution system, it does not matter how relevant, insightful and engaging your content is, few people will read it. Content distribution is not about pushing your material in every direction possible, just hoping that someone will see the piece and respond to it. Instead, it is a process of learning exactly how to reach your prospective clients-- where they are and the types of content they appreciate.

Say 'YES' to paid distribution

Paid distribution has begun to replace previous techniques, such as banner ads, in the minds of some. Marketers have realized that customers have little interest in engaging with flashing ads and are instead intent on self-educating, building relationships with trusted sources and remaining in control of the first portion of the sales cycle. One of the most important things to consumers today are their reviews. Statistics show that consumers are more interested in reviews than they've ever been before - good or bad.

Paid distribution accomplishes the goal of engaging potential customers while they are on other sites, while also bringing in leads through thought leadership and relationship building. There are a number of different options available for paid content distribution platforms that you need to investigate before making a decision to work with a particular one. You will have choices both on various social media sites as well as through prominent publications with third party platforms. 

Understanding your paid distribution options

Distribution networks

1. Outbrain
2. Nativo
3. Taboola

1. Outbrain is a very popular paid distribution platform, as it works with a variety of high-value publications, such as Time and Slate. It provides recommendations to readers for more content on a monthly basis based on what they have read.

Marketers and readers themselves appreciate the efforts made by the network to control the quality of the content it promotes. Readers do not have to worry about being subject to spammy links, which in turn raises the reputation of the recommendations, encouraging more people to click. The platform claims to assist in finding a whole new audience that you wouldn't have previously found.

2. Nativo is a native-advertising platform. Native advertising describes taking content and sponsoring it on sites that are similar in terms of style and type of content. This system purports to generate up to an 82 percent increase in brand lift, but the system does have a reputation problem: many customers simply do not trust this sponsored or ad content.

A survey from Media Week states that 60% of people who click on banner ads did it accidentally and more and more people are using ad blockers each year. Currently, 25% of users have ad blockers which is up from last year. Nativo and marketers must work to conquer the distrust that seems to be hindering the full potential of this marketing style. Less marketing budget is going toward ads and sponsored content because more people are not trusting of it.

3. Taboola is similar to Outbrain in many ways, although it is slightly cheaper on average and works with different publishers. This site already provides video recommendation services. Overall, Taboola claims to provide over 300 billion recommendations to 550 million unique visitors each month. See the articles below and note the small "Promoted Links by Taboola" in the upper right corner.

Social media distribution options

1. Facebook sponsored posts
2. LinkedIn sponsored updates
3. Promoted tweets

1. Facebook sponsored posts. 

With Facebook Sponsored Posts, you can use the incredible wealth of data available through the social media giant to target people based upon precise criteria, such as their age, location and interests in order to gain visibility to your brand and website. These posts are also capable of being shared like any other type of post (to Facebook this is called a Boost Post) which means that promoting quality content can widen your audience even beyond your predetermined parameters.

You can set up your boosted post through Facebook Ad Manager or do it organically. Here, you can set the duration of the boost, how much you'd like to spend, conversion tracking options and more. You can target your audience by their location, whether they've left a shopping cart, etc.

Given the enormous audience available on Facebook, however, most brands find this to be an effective means of reaching their followers and growing their audience. Note the very faint "Suggested Post" in the upper left.

2. LinkedIn sponsored updates. 

LinkedIn Sponsored Updates are generally significantly more expensive than Facebook, but they also offer a distinct advantage. Since this platform is geared towards professionals, you will be able to target readers based upon job titles and companies. This can improve your ability to refine your audience. You can leverage LinkedIn Sponsored content to drive leads, build brand awareness, target professionals and more.

The goal on LinkedIn is not to get broad audiences, but to get precise, narrow audiences of the exact people most likely to be interested in your content. See the "Sponsored" upper left.

3. Promoted tweets. 

Marketers often like promoted tweets because they blend in with the rest of the Timeline. Although they are still labeled, they do not stand out as sponsored content, making them stealthier for many readers. You can also target people based upon what they are talking about, such as a commercial, in real time.

You can leverage Promoted tweets to drive traffic to your pages but you can also combine them with your Twitter presence to increase engagement and reach your audience. Using only promoted tweets can be dangerous, though. Be sure to combine your daily Twitter presence with your sponsored one so users aren't intimidated by your ads.

Maximizing paid distribution efforts

1. Develop high-quality, data-guided content that you can be confident will engage your intended audience.
2. Select paid distribution platforms based upon where you expect your audience to be. For example, if you are targeting millennials interested in TV shows, Twitter will likely be an excellent option. If you want your marketing article read by those who also read Entrepreneur, then Nativo might be a good choice.
3. Set goals and budgets before you begin so that you can gauge your success and do not have to worry about using your entire budget in a single day.
4. Use A/B tests to see how well different headlines and titles perform on your chosen distribution networks.
5. Measure ROI through bounce rates, click-through rates, page visit duration, engagement and leads. See which types of content and which platforms are working best for you. BrightEdge customers can import the data as Paid channel and view in the Total Conversions by Channel reports. Use this data and information to optimize campaign performance.

Paid distribution can be an excellent option for many brands to help them get their content in front of the intended audience and attract the desired attention to the material. When used in conjunction with the rest of a developed distribution system, you can build an audience, increasing brand reach and awareness. This will lay the foundation for your organizational growth.

gregalbuto

M Posted 5 years 4 months ago

t 9 min read

The bulk of holiday shopping has yet to hit which means there is still time to market your products before the holiday shopping season officially begins. BrightEdge research has found that shoppers are not only spending more online, they are buying more items when they do. Because of this, including smaller ticket items might be a good idea to encourage consumers to purchase more items from your business per visit. Now could be the best time for sales, discount codes, and email marketing campaigns to encourage consumers to buy as much off of your sites as possible. 

We investigated how these shoppers may be changing their behavior. This chart shows a shift starting around March 2020, of users increasing the number of purchases per visit.

Keep in mind that many consumers receive cash or gift cards during the holiday season so there will likely continue to be spending even after the holidays are over. While some stores leverage a semi-annual sale yearly immediately following the holidays, others use digital marketing strategies to increase spending at their businesses. 

• Promote your brand as much as possible on social media platforms. Use your presence on social media to boost promotions, discount codes, sales, specials, etc. Your social media will be important to your brand over the next couple of weeks. Be sure to add a link to your profile where consumers can easily get to your site. 
• If you’re on Instagram and your brand is eligible for the Instagram Shopping feature, use it! Instagram has 200 million users and you have the ability to reach them with your products. This allows consumers to shop right from your social media. Each month, 130 million Instagram accounts tap a shopping ad at least once and 36% of Instagrammers in the US love to shop and see it as a hobby. 
• Make it easy for consumers to make purchases. While your site is hopefully already optimized, you’ll want to be sure your pages give your audience what they’re looking for. Be sure your website loads quickly, is responsive for mobile and desktop, and your products are easy to navigate around.  
• Give consumers an incentive to keep buying. For example, practice email marketing strategies by sending a “Thank You” email following a first-time purchase that offers a 10% discount code off of their next purchase. 
• Leverage “people also buy” or “shoppers that buy this also tend to buy” queues on your site to guide consumers to other products they might be interested in. Because shoppers are purchasing more items, linking related products of similar prices could encourage them to buy suggested items as well.

Our research suggests that consumers are browsing more because they’re stuck at home majority of the time. Because of this, they’re purchases more items and spending more overall but the purchases cost less. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to drive sales without discounting a few products here and there. Happy holiday shopping! 

gregalbuto

M Posted 5 years 4 months ago

t 9 min read

For small businesses to be easily found by users searching for your products or services, your site needs to rank well in the local listings. While studies show that 28.5% of clicks come from the first organic SERP, and drop significantly after that; the local 3-pack has the highest percentage of clicks overall at 44% CTR. 

In order to maximize visibility and increase your opportunity to ranking well, it’s important to own your local listing, otherwise known as a Google My Business page. 

Claiming your business profile using Google My Business

A business profile can be added to Google by anyone. A profile is a listing of your business – or a local citation. Any place added to Google Maps is given a profile, because of this you may not have control over your business location. In order to manage your business profile, you’ll need to have a separate Google My Business account for your profile’s page. You cannot manage your business profile without a Google My Business page.

You’ll need to claim ownership over your business profile and once it’s approved by Google, you’ll have a business profile to properly manage the accuracy of information consumers see.

Essentially, Google My Business is a tool used to increase the visibility of your profile. It is important to maintain accurate and up-to-date information on your business profile as other channels including Yelp and Bing get their local business information from Maps and Search as well. If possible, maintaining consistent NAP information through local directories and your site’s location information is essential.

Interacting with consumers on Google My Business

Within GMB, you can manage how your business appears in local searches and Google Maps. You can manage your NAP, images, videos and more – including reviews.

We’ve found that 93% of users are influenced by reviews regardless of whether they’re positive or negative. Therefore, it’s important to have as many positive reviews on your GMB listing as possible. 

Through GMB, you can interact with consumers and engage with them when they leave you a review. This is a great way to show other consumers that you’re interested in what users have to say about your products and services. You can also enable direct messaging via your Google My Business page to be contacted directly by consumers.

It is important to know that you cannot turn off GMB reviews. If you have negative reviews, decide with the rest of your marketing team a good strategy to address them as they are likely to impact sales down the line. 

Harvard Business Review found that businesses will increase sales and ratings if they respond to reviews, good or bad. Forbes recommends moving the situation offline by providing contact information of a specific company representative. By responding, you have the opportunity to increase ratings and also show potential customers that you care about your consumers experiences.

Optimizing your Google My Business page

Having a well-optimized Google My Business page can attract visibility to your site and is a crucial part of local optimization efforts. 

1. Add and claim your business's Google My Business page to Google Maps.
2. Add a unique and detailed description of your business that encourages people to learn more. Use relevant keywords for products and services to increase rank opportunity for those queries. 
3. Choose a specific business category to better connect you to consumers. Some category options include grocery store, beauty supplies or fitness center. Use a category that describes your business as a whole. If your beauty supply store offers in-house services like haircuts, create a separate business profile for the services.
4. Use high-quality images and videos of your products and business.
5. Make sure your NAP – name, address, phone number - is completely accurate for potential local consumers.
6. Encourage positive reviews from consumers. You can provide a CTA for after a purchase is made, send a thank you email requesting a review, etc.

You can leverage Google My Business to both increase visibility and your chances of outranking competitors. Manage how your business is seen on search engines and correct as much NAP information as you have control over with GMB.

Kirill Kronrod

M Posted 5 years 4 months ago

t 9 min read

What are Google Quick Answers?

Google Quick Answers are highly-visible text snippet answers and links placed at the top of the Google SERPs and were observed to provide a huge boost in organic traffic. Quick Answers appear up to 40% of the time for some types of queries.

In September 2014 Google introduced a new method of presenting content relevant to “how to…” or “what is…” queries, where Google answer box takes content from specific web pages and features it in the “Quick Answers” box just above the first organic result in SERP and just below paid listings. 

In addition to the content, Google Answers also provides a link to the page with this content. In its 2018 reintroduction to featured snippets, among which it includes Quick Answers snippets, Google defined them as a tool to "help people more easily discover what they’re seeking, both from the description and when they click on the link to read the page itself." When users click on a featured snippet such as a Quick Answer, Google will take the user right to the answer text on the page.

In some instances, the answer box also adds an image or several images from the page.

Find How You Rank For Featured Snippets

Appearing in Google Quick Answers

Pages that Google finds and selects for Quick Answers on our site are high authority pages with quality, well-structure content that is theme-relevant and optimized for a great user experience and answer specific questions closely matching the query for the Google answer box. Below is a sample page that is featured in Google Answers.

This page was created to answer specific questions that users might have about a particular feature and has variety of quality content relevant to the theme of the query. The page was optimized for a great user experience: a well-structured “How-To” guide (marked in red), a video tutorial, detailed explanation of the feature and its applications, links to related features, PDFs and other resources like help and support.

From the technical SEO standpoint, we need to ensure that page is a part of a site structure, is referenced from other pages with theme-relevant linking and is included in XML Sitemaps for better crawling (use HrefLang XML Sitemap if pages are present in multiple geos).

How high does the page need to rank in order to be featured in Quick Answers?

Usually a page that is ranking in the first position in organic results would also be featured in Quick Answers. However, we also observe instances when our pages are in the Google Answers box, even when these pages are not top ranking pages in Google and ranking on positions two to four.

In such cases our pages are preferred for Quick Answers listing when they compete with authority pages that don’t have theme-relevant content and are not well-structured. Google has recently noted that it plans to change the way featured snippets like Quick Answers work by introducing more than one featured snippet on a single SERP. This could potentially shift the strategy, as certain Quick Answer SERPs may now have several slots in which to appear, instead of just one. 

Google Answers Geo targeting

Google Answers is making its way to Geos. Thus far we saw a rise in answer box appearing in countries with English as a primary language, for example, Canada, UK, India, Australia.

It’s interesting to note that when pages are positioned well for Geo targeting (with implementation of HrefLang Sitemaps and localization for local English), Quick Answers features content and local URLs in corresponding Geo SERPs.

Measuring the impact of Google Answer Box in BrightEdge

When Quick Answers were just introduced and we started to see our pages appearing there. We measured the impact in terms traffic and CTR from SERPs using Adobe web analytics and Google Webmaster Tools, and, not surprisingly, we saw solid increase for Google Answer box. What we needed to add was a more formal and easier tracking method that would allow us to understand how many of our keywords in the “how to” theme are ranking in Google Answers.

BrightEdge platform is now enabling us to do just that to score a Google Answer box or two. Quick Answers ranking report is now a part of the Keyword report, where we can measure aggregate rankings of a particular keyword group. The same report also provides details for each keyword in the group.

How to optimize for and rank in Google Quick Answers:

1. Select a topic that is interesting for your users. You can use Data Cube and Instant to find keywords with high search volumes that your audience is interested in learning more about. 
2. Create quality content relevant to the topic. If your content doesn't answer the question the user is looking for, you're likely to miss out on the answer box.
3. Structure the page with user experience in mind. If your page isn't easily accessible or doesn't load quickly, users will leave your page and move on. This is a signal to Google that your page isn't a quality page.
4. Implement SEO best practices to achieve higher rank for Google Answers box.
5. Provide useful information that can include videos, PDFs, details and links to other relevant topics. Don't leave your visitors hanging on one page. Offer other information throughout your page to drive them to remain on your site.
6. Add a how-to list, a numbered list or bullet points. If your audience is searching how to complete a task, be sure to make the answer easy for them to understand with a short list of steps to take. An example is the list you're reading right here, right now!
7. Measure the impact. Track your page rank with Page Reporting.

For more information, download the free BrightEdge white paper on Quick Answers.

gregalbuto

M Posted 5 years 5 months ago

t 9 min read

Structured data is a mark up that provides information about pages to the search engines and Schema.org is a vocabulary that can be used with many different encodings supported by HTML that can help boost organic search performance. There are hundreds of different schema.org entity types, and you can locate a full list of schema.org entity types at schema.org.

While some types of entity types are used often, other types are underutilized and underrepresented. Some of the most commonly used entity types include CreativeWork, Book, Movie, TVSeries, Person, Place, Restaurant and more. But what about breadcrumbs schema, FAQ schema, Review and all the others that may be useful to your pages? Let’s take a look at some of the more important entity types that are undervalued by SEOs.

Underrepresented schema markup

• Course: In the EDU structured data space, there is a lack of course and educational info being marked up. But using the Course type and related properties here would enhance search result listings. Typically, you will find that small trade colleges are some of the only to utilize education schema. Why? Larger colleges and universities expect their school name to carry a lot of weight therefore, they don’t feel they need schema.

Supported by Google for Rich Results 

• Podcast: Podcast is a new and recent extension. As new podcasts go live on a daily basis, markup for them is becoming increasingly relevant and should be used.

Supported by Google for Rich Results 

• Article/BlogPosting: For as many blogs as there are on the internet, blog markup is underutilized. If you’re writing educational, informational and unique content, you’ll want to use schema simply to help your content be more easily understood by search engines, which may help your content with keyword relevance.

Supported by Google for Rich Results 

• Guides: Schema.org vocabulary for guides is underutilized. In today’s digital world, the quicker a user can find the answer to their pain point, the better. A guide is a great way to give snippets of information to a searcher quickly.

Not yet supported by Google for Rich Results.

• HowTo: You’ll find that HowTo markup is not frequently used, though growing in its adaptation by websites. Recipes were the first “how-to” content that Google and other search engines supported with rich results, making recipe structured data a must include to be competitive in organic search. One can expect a smilar trend for the expansion of recipe into the much braoder How-To/DIY space.

Supported by Google for Rich Results 

• FAQPage and QAPage: The vocabulary for FAQs is one of the most underutilized forms of markup currently. While FAQ and QA markup might be similar they serve different functions. FAQ tells Google “I am an organization providing the answer to a question” while QA is for a user to ask a question to a community, and the community members answer and/or rate the answers to determine the best response to the question – like Quora.

Supported by Google for Rich Results 

• Event markup: Event schema is partially underutilized. While SportsEvent and ComedyEvent are used often, other important ones like SaleEvent and MusicEvent aren’t used as often as they could be.

Supported by Google for Rich Results 

• Fact Checking markup: You will rarely see fact check vocabulary, even at such a unique and important time of disinformation. This could be because fact checking websites are still a small niche, but if you are in a publication space acting as a fact checker, this entity type and properties could be useful in helping searchers cut through the noise and find reliable information sources.
• Home Activities markup: This entity typeis new but it’s extremely relevant today and will likely continue to be during COVID-19 and stay at home orders. Stay at home mom blogs and site’s like Martha Stewart’s DIY projects are relevant pages to include home activity vocabulary.

Other vocabularies that are underutilized include Contact pages, Search Result Page, Profile page and real estate listings.

Google structured data guidelines

In order for your pages to be included in Google’s SERPs, you have to follow their structured data guidelines as you implement schema on your site. Google states that they will penalize your pages and take “manual action” if guidelines are not followed. Be sure to become familiar with and follow Google’s guidelines. You can find technical, quality, relevancy and more guidelines straight from Google.

Some of Google’s guidelines are simple. Don’t markup spammy data, fake reviews or fake content, misleading data and more. Other guidelines are slightly more complex. When considering using FAQ schema, people want to leverage it to sell. Google specifically responds negatively to using FAQ markup to sell and emphasize that sites cannot use FAQ schema for selling purposes. FAQ schema has to be factual and if it’s used for sales, you will have rich results removed from search results.

Schema.org and structured data are extremely valuable to your pages for organic search performance purposes. Begin using schema markup by first deciding which entity types are most relevant to your content and then add it to your code.

While schema.org vocabulary may seem extremely complicated, once you begin to understand how to align your content with existing entity types and how to implement it into your webpage’s HTML, you will more easily understand how valuable a tool it can be in your SEO workflow.

ksoosOLD

M Posted 5 years 5 months ago

t 9 min read

A CMS, otherwise known as a Content Management System, is software used to develop and manage your content through various marketing channels. While most content management systems mainly focus on content management for your website, some also grant marketers the ability to manage content across multiple channels such as web apps, social media and more. A CMS allows for multiple users across your organization to collaborate on marketing efforts without requiring them to have deep technical or coding skills. 

How does a CMS work? 

A CMS helps guide content creation in an easy-to-use application by allowing users to create, manage and publish content with a few clicks of the mouse. Rather than building a website or landing page from scratch, a CMS removes the need for heavy development and simplifies content creation through drag and drop or WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editors. This allows marketers to control more of the website, streamlining workflows and bringing both the business and technical teams together to collaborate in real time. 

Evaluating what CMS you should use

Start by identifying the problems your team is currently facing and whether you’d benefit more from a SaaS or a hosted CMS solution. Be sure to fully understand your site and content management needs and the basic features you’ll require from a CMS before you begin your evaluation. We recommend making a list of need-to-have and nice-to-have features to assist with your evaluation.  

Most CMS platforms will allow you to build web pages, save your favorite page templates, store and deliver content, allow you to collaborate with teammates and even create workflows, calendars and processes to help keep your team organized. 

When evaluating the price of a CMS solution, you’ll need to consider more than just the upfront cost of the product. Not all CMS solutions come out-of-the-box with everything you’re looking for, some will require additional features or integrations and may have add-on costs for large support requests or SLAs, WYSIWYG editors and more. Consider all your business needs and be sure you’re aware of the CMS’s limitations and other costs that may come up. 

Consider what kind of upkeep and daily management will be required. What will the creation and upkeep of the site look like after the initial migration and set up is completed? Will you need a developer to assist with your day-to-day tasks? How will this solution work with your team’s skillset(s)? Does the solution offer WYSIWIG or drag-and-drop type editors for your non-technical (non-developer) team members? Look at what kind of support is included or available as well and consider what would be best for your business. Do they offer 24/7 support, or will an SLA be required? 

Be sure to evaluate whether this CMS can easily integrate with your current tech stack. If the out-of-the-box solution can’t solve some of your needs, how much customization is needed or available and what is able to be integrated? This is where you should consider all features (the need-to-have and nice-to-have features you listed out earlier) and see what will require additional integration or may have additional costs. 

You’ll also want to make sure the CMS software is scalable. Find a solution that meets your current requirements, but always be thinking about future goals and where your site and company are heading and find a CMS software that can grow and adapt with you. What features will you need moving forward to assist with your company’s growth? 

CMS software features for SEO & digital marketing 

Not only will a good CMS allow you to create outstanding web content with ease, it should give you the ability to manage your site’s SEO as well. Basic SEO features include page titles, meta descriptions and image alt text. Think about how much control your team would like to have over more of the technical SEO features such as updating sitemaps, robots.txt, adding schema, canonicals or setting redirects. Being able to quickly make these changes without waiting for development can be critical for SEO success. 

Have questions about schema and structured data? Learn more here. 

Page speed and mobile responsiveness are important factors to keep top of mind as well. Your site may look great, but it won’t perform well for users and may not rank as well on search engines if the site loads slowly or isn’t mobile-friendly. A faster site not only helps your search rankings, but increases user engagement and conversions as well as lowering your site’s bounce rate. If the CMS you’re considering comes with CDN capabilities, be sure it’s lightning fast with proven page speed performance. 

Read more about the effects of page speed 

Other features to consider include social media marketing/integration, site chat to assist inbound sales, e-commerce features, A/B testing, dynamic content for personalization, blogging capabilities, SMS functionality, CRM and sales features or email marketing. Will your team benefit from using features like content calendars or structured workflows?  

In conclusion  

As you review solutions, think about what will be most useful and relevant to your business. Does this solution meet all/the majority of your needs or will you need to add on products and features or need to integrate with other technology?  

Every website will have different needs – some may require event registration while other sites may require e-commerce features or a site chat for inbound sales.  Most platforms will allow users to sign up for free trials, or sandbox versions of the CMS software to get a hands-on experience to truly see if a CMS is right for you.