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How to Win with Zero-Click Search SEO Adaptation

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The rise of AI-powered search engines and zero-click results is reshaping the online space, forcing marketers and content strategists to rethink how they measure success. You’re not alone if your website traffic is dipping, but your conversions and on-site engagement are increasing. And you’re not doing anything wrong. That’s what you can expect in the era of zero-click search SEO adaptation. We’ll explore zero-click searches, why they matter, and how to optimize your content for this evolving search environment. We’ll also discuss why traditional metrics like click-through rates (CTR) are becoming less relevant and what marketers should focus on to stay competitive and drive meaningful results. Zero-Click Searches: Explained What are zero-click searches? Let’s break it down. Zero-click searches are queries answered directly on the search engine results page (SERP), so the user doesn’t need to click through to a website. Think of Google’s featured snippets and the AI-generated answers now populating the platform. These days, a majority of Google searches result in zero clicks. The data above shows that, in 2024, 58.5% of Google searches in the U.S. and 59.7% in Europe did not generate clicks. In other words, zero-click searches often mean users get their answers instantly, and usually don’t need to go further. It’s convenient for the user, but potentially frustrating for the publisher who invested in that content. Yet here’s the twist: this shift isn’t necessarily bad. It just requires a change in strategy.  The New SEO Strategy: Adaptation Is a Must Traditional SEO focused heavily on driving clicks. There’s nothing wrong with still wanting to generate traffic. However, with AI-generated summaries and snippets giving users instant answers, we must adopt a new strategy: zero-click search SEO adaptation. This approach acknowledges that success can’t be measured solely by traffic volume anymore. Instead, it looks at other metrics to determine how your content is performing. This includes: Time on Page: How much time are they spending on a single page? Scroll Depth: Are they scrolling to the bottom of the page or stopping halfway? Conversion Rates: How many people convert by completing a form or purchasing?  On-Site Engagement Metrics: How many people are engaging? How many are returning visitors? How many pages are being viewed per session? Why would we want to track these metrics? When traffic is low, we want to learn about the behavior of the users visiting your site. Those who click through are often further down the funnel. They’re more informed, curious, and ready to act. The Reality of Declining Top-of-Funnel Traffic With AI surfacing top-level queries right on the SERP, fewer users visit your website for basic information. Before you panic, it isn’t all bad news. This means your site may see: Lower traffic overall Higher engagement per visitor Lower bounce rates Higher conversion rates This isn’t a decline, necessarily. You’re reaching people who are further along in their decision-making process. As a result, you may see people exploring your website more or making purchases. Your Guide to Zero-Click Search SEO Adaptation How can you adapt your strategy to zero-click search optimization? Let’s break it down. Step 1: Restructure Your Content Strategy If most zero-click search results address the top-of-the-funnel questions, you need to invest more in middle and bottom-of-funnel content. The way to pivot is to create content for different search intents. For example: Top-level content (e.g., “What is X?”) should still exist but can be shorter, more concise, and optimized for AI or snippet capture. Middle-funnel content should answer comparative or evaluative questions like, “How does X compare to Y?” or “What features should I look for in X?” Bottom-funnel content should target purchase-related or decision-making keywords like “Best X for [use case],” “Where to buy X,” or “[Product] reviews.” It’s also smart to use a pillar-cluster model. Create pillar pages exploring high-level topics, then link to more focused cluster pages with specific keywords and subtopics. This helps AI and search engines understand the depth of your expertise. Step 2: Focus on Conversion-Ready Users Remember: not all traffic is created equal. One engaged, ready-to-buy user is worth more than 100 casual browsers. So, you’ll want to use on-page signals to nurture leads. You can do that by: Including clear calls-to-action (CTAs) based on visitor intent Offering downloads, checklists, or calculators to encourage engagement Embedding videos or interactive content to increase time on page Rather than focusing on impressions and CTR alone, you should start prioritizing: Engagement Rate: How many users engage with something on-page? Dwell Time: How long are they staying? Lead Conversion Rate: How many take the next step? These are the accurate indicators of content success in a zero-click world. Step 3: Make Peace with the AI Layer AI isn’t going away. It’s becoming the first touchpoint for many users. That means your top-level content isn’t wasted, but it’s being repurposed by AI to answer questions. That visibility still builds trust, even if you don’t get the click. For example, if your content is used in a featured snippet or quoted in an AI-generated summary, users may recognize your brand and return when ready to engage more deeply. To optimize for AI, try: Using clear headers and structured content Answering questions in the first few lines Writing with a natural, conversational tone Providing concise, factual, and trustworthy information Step 4: Reevaluate Your Keyword Strategy AI search is increasingly semantic and contextual, meaning it’s not just about matching keywords. It’s about understanding intent and creating your content with that in mind. Instead of stuffing the page with exact-match keywords repeatedly, try using variations naturally throughout the text so you don’t get penalized. Also, structure content in a way that answers a question, offers an opinion, or presents data. Let’s use this blog post as an example: Overusing the “zero-click search SEO adaptation” keyword would turn off Google and readers. So, it helps to use similar keywords such as “zero-click search” and “what are zero-click searches.” This post is also formatted with H2s and H3s, as well as bullet … Read more

How to Write an SEO Blog Outline in 3 Easy Steps

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How to Write an SEO Blog Outline in 3 Easy Steps

So you’re writing a blog. Good writing starts with a good SEO blog outline, but in the age of search engine optimization, “good” can mean a lot of different things. Should your outline be optimized for top search engine results placement? For maximum reader engagement? For clarity and economy of language? In the attention ecosystem, a good SEO blog outline requires all of the above. Your outline should be tailored to the search terms you want to be ranked for, but it also has to support your specific goals and speak to your specific audience. All of this can feel like a juggling act, but don’t worry—in this guide, we make writing a high-performing SEO blog outline achievable in just 3 easy steps. Step 1: Select High-Quality Keywords Before you can start writing your perfect SEO blog outline, you have to first identify what you’re writing about. There are two kinds of keywords you should be aware of: focus keywords and secondary keywords. Focus Keywords Focus keywords are the primary words or phrases you target for search engine results placement (SERP). High-quality focus keywords should be specific enough to accurately describe your content, but broad enough that related web searches still return your page. For example, “SEO” is too broad to be a helpful focus keyword for this blog post. A web search for “SEO” will return too many results on too many overlapping topics. However, a keyword like “SEO blog outline” is more specific to the content of this blog—that means users who search for “SEO blog outline” are more likely to be looking for articles like this one. A best practice for focus keywords is to include them in the title and at least one major heading within your blog. Secondary Keywords As the name suggests, secondary keywords are less central to your SEO blog outline. They may describe the broad ideas and subjects of your blog or highlight niche topics within your content. While you don’t necessarily have to include secondary keywords in your blog outline itself, they should be present in the content of your blog. Secondary keywords don’t have to be as targeted as your focus keyword—think of them as additional context for your focus keywords. For example, “writing” is too broad for a focus keyword, but in tandem with the focus keyword “SEO blog outline,” “writing” can add additional context that improves SERP for your blog. Step 2: Know Yourself and Know Your Audience Think about the way teachers communicate with their students: it’s different from the way they communicate with parents, isn’t it? It’s likely that the way you communicate with loved ones is different than the way you communicate with colleagues or bosses. The way you might talk to a potential client is different from the way you might talk to a competitor. Communication is always in service of a goal—whether that be to order your morning coffee, run an efficient meeting, or convert a new lead.  When it comes to SEO blog writing, understanding your goal is pivotal. However, motivation isn’t the only component—you must also consider your audience. Just like you might adjust your communication style based on the situation, you might also adjust your style based on the person you’re talking to. Blogs are typically audience-oriented. Blogs change minds, break down barriers, and encourage change, but blog posts themselves are not just productive monologues, they’re a kind of secret dialogue between a writer and their audience. Knowing your own goals and identifying the audience you wish to speak to is the vital first step in writing an SEO blog outline. As easy as that is to say, “knowing” and “identifying” are ambiguous concepts in practice. Here’s what this looks like in action: Tone As you write the body of your blog, you’ll quickly realize that there are a thousand and one different creative decisions you can make. Should you take a conversational style? Should you incorporate jokes? What about emojis? It’s helpful to think about tone in several dimensions: Formal vs Conversational. Factors may include your target audience’s age and the context they’ll be reading your blog in. In a corporate finance blog, a formal tone could convey expertise and certainty. However, a blog geared towards personal finance for beginners might benefit from a more conversational tone that feels engaging and personable—even if the factual content of the blog is exactly the same.  Humorous vs Informational. Humorous writing is engaging and can be enjoyable for readers, but not every topic or audience lends itself to humor. In the wrong context, humor can make a writer appear unserious, especially if the joke obfuscates something more important in your writing. An informational approach can feel more “dry” to readers, which can work against you if you’re trying to create a memorable connection with a reader, but can be a benefit when your goal is purely to convey information.  Enthusiastic vs Factual. Finally, enthusiastic writing can increase the readers’ motivation to take action, while a more reserved presentation of facts has greater educational value. Enthusiasm is contagious and can inspire confidence in your readers, but it takes a balance between enthusiastic presentation and factual grounding to find the right tone for any blog. Authority As you think about your target audience, what level of experience do they have with the topic? Are you writing to seasoned experts who already understand the foundational concepts of your writing? Or are you writing to newcomers who need a thorough explanation of the background of your topic? In practice, the distinction is never that black and white—your audience will most likely be somewhere in between the two extremes. For this blog, for example, I’m assuming most readers are familiar with the concept of search engine optimization. Your target audience’s level of authority on the topic should guide the way you structure your article, what topics deserve their own headings, and which ones can safely rest on the cutting room floor. Motivation Finally, consider the action … Read more

The Future of Blogging: Today’s Recipe for a Perfect Blog Post

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A craveable, delicious, delightful blog post isn’t much different from a pastry.  As long as you follow the recipe, steps included, you will create a post your readers are hungry to devour – and might even return for more. The good news is you won’t make a special trip to the grocery store to get started on the perfect blog post. Everything you need is in your virtual pantry – you just didn’t realize it.  Writing a blog post, especially in today’s competitive market, is intimidating. Once you break it down and understand the ingredients, however, you can whip up these readable bits on the fly and stay up with the trends for the future of blogging in 2023. So, What Do You Need to Craft the Perfect Blog Post in 2023? The future of blogging has certainly changed. What worked last year doesn’t necessarily apply today. Therefore, staying up on the latest blogging and SEO trends is essential so that you know what Google expects – and, more importantly, what today’s reader wants. The Perfect Blog Recipe Before you start to type, you want to make sure you have the following essentials ready to add to the mixing bowl: 1 click-worthy title 1 attention-keeping introduction A pinch of creativity A few cups of informative, scannable subheaders A splash of succinct body copy A handful of authoritative research and your expertise 1 part formatting 1 delectable conclusion A dusting of enthusiasm for the topic A garnish of passion for your niche Putting it Altogether – How the Future of Blogging will Change How You Use These Ingredients As you can see, the ingredients haven’t changed, but how and when you use them has.  We will break down each portion of this recipe so that you know how to mix it all in and get your readers to come back for more. Creating Your Title By far one of the most essential ingredients! Your title sets the stage for what the reader can expect, even determining if they ever get past the SERPs to read your blog. Spend time on this stage of your recipe. In fact, whatever you title it as your “working” title, be prepared to come back and rework it until it is just right later. Don’t hastily toss forth the first title you have in mind. Instead, let it sit and rest, and the flavors meld together. Think of title creation as a slow, steady simmer rather than a rapid boil.  A good title mixes intrigue and information and is not too long.  Yes, Google says there is no limit, and the length of your title will not influence your search engine results. Instead, it affects whether or not someone will click on it. The first 60 characters matter the most – so make those count even if you have a 100-character title. Whatever you do, don’t over-sprinkle in the keywords for your title – not only will it kill your readability factor and turn off any enthusiastic taster, but it will turn away Google too. Roll Out Your Introduction Your introduction supports your title. So perhaps you may not create it until you have solidified your intro – and that’s okay.  An introduction requires time and patience. While you will mix up something short, sweet, and enticing, you will also want it to rest a few hours before you revisit and rework it again. While adding a keyword to the introduction is essential, ensure it is not the highlighting flavor. An introduction gives readers just a taste of what else is to come, but the full flavor doesn’t explode until the end. Of course, if your introduction isn’t tasty enough to keep reading, the end doesn’t matter much.  So, take your time, rework it after the entire blog is done, and ask yourself, would I eat this up? Never Forget the Power of Creativity Too many recipes lack creativity. Think of those five-star restaurants – are they working with “vanilla” recipes used over and over again? Of course not. They are hashing out something unique that stays with their branding but still tantalizes the tastebuds.  Never leave out a pinch of creativity in your content – all of your content. Creativity should be tossed in from the start; if you can’t taste it, add more. Start Rolling Out Subheaders Subheaders help your reader scan and understand what they are about to digest. They should go in an even flow, make sense, and inform.  Ideally, subheaders are introduced every 300-500 words max (there’s nothing wrong with adding them in fewer words as long as the words in between pack a powerful punch). Subheaders are a great place for optimizing with secondary keywords but don’t overdo it. Time to Mix in Your Body’s Copy You have a working title, and you’ve rolled out the subheaders. Now comes the time to mix together your blog’s body.  But before you add anything, do your research. You may be an expert in your niche, but that doesn’t mean you won’t need resources to back up what you say. Today, using authoritative, high-quality links is still a must-have for any recipe. Search Engine Journal states that every site needs credible, authoritative, and trustworthy content – and a reader can’t take you at your word without some citations. As you mix up that copy, make sure to spice it up enthusiastically. Nothing turns a reader away more than negativity. So, likewise, be as passionate about your niche as you want your reader to be as you create your blog – if you are not excited about it, why should they be? A few other things to keep in mind while you mix up your body’s copy: Optimize Gently. Optimizing your content is like working gluten. Too much, and it’s gotten too chewy, stiff, and undesirable. Yes, keywords matter in 2023, but how and where you use them has changed.  Focus on Your Brand’s Authority. What Google praises more than keywords are brand … Read more

How to Use Google Trends for Content Marketing & SEO

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Content marketing is recognized as one of the most effective ways to grow a business and attract new customers. To be successful with content marketing, you need to share high-quality content regularly. But it can feel difficult to constantly think of useful and insightful topics that attract the right audience. This is where online tools like Google Trends come in handy. Learning how to use Google Trends for your content marketing gives you a valuable resource for relevant, trending topics that people want to engage with. As you read on, we’ll explore how to use Google Trends for SEO and improve your content marketing strategy. What Is Google Trends? Google Trends is a search feature offered by Google that shows you the most popular search terms for a specific period. Current trends are from the past 7 days, while past trends date back to 2004. The Google Trends site also allows you to check the frequency of specific search terms. On the results page, you can see the interest over time, interest by subregion, and related topics. You can also adjust your search based on the industry, category, time frame, location, and type of search (image, shopping, news, web, or YouTube). Google Trends can be a valuable tool for conducting market research. It gives you insights into the seasonality of search terms or even helps you gauge how much interest your products have in a certain geographic region. Query vs. Topic in Google Trends Google Trends gives you information on both search terms and topics. A search term is a specific word or phrase, while a topic is a group of search terms that fit into the same general concept. Google Trends measures and ranks these categories differently, so accurately comparing search terms and topics is difficult. Instead, you should compare search terms to search terms and topics to topics. How to Use Google Trends: 11 Innovative Ways With the help of Google Trends, you can create better, more relevant content that your audience will want to read. Try these 11 ways to use Google Trends for content marketing. 1. Conduct Market Research Google Trends is a valuable tool for conducting market research. It can give you insights into the seasonality of certain search terms or even help you gauge how much interest there is for your products in a geographic region. For example, let’s say you are a brick-and-mortar business based in Columbus, Ohio. You are considering building a second location in Indianapolis, Indiana. By checking Google Trends, you can find the popularity of terms relevant to your business in specific locations. If the search volume is low, you might need to reconsider your plans. 2. Discover Relevant Trending Topics If your team struggles to find fresh topics for content each month, Google Trends is a great resource. You can explore the most popular searches nationwide or narrow it down to a specific location or timeframe. Use the charts to help visualize and compare terms. When choosing your Google Trends topics, make sure the topic: Is something you can write about with authority. Is relevant to your business. Is something that would interest your target audience. 3. Improve Your Keyword Research While creating high-quality, relevant content is the most important part of content marketing, you should also consider your search engine optimization (SEO). SEO strategies help improve your search rankings for specific keywords. And Google Trends can help you do better keyword research. Use the Explore feature and enter a keyword or phrase you are considering. You will see a breakdown of interest over time, along with the interest by subregion. Then you can try various search terms to see which are the most popular. More popular search terms will give you better results. This is because more common keywords increase the chances of someone discovering your content and are more likely to be used in regular conversation. When creating content, you’ll want to use these keywords naturally. Keep in mind that other businesses are likely to use similar keywords, so you should narrow down some long-tail or focus keywords that are more specific to your business and content. The “Related Topics” section on the Explore page is a good place to brainstorm similar topics and keywords. It can even help you discover a topic or angle you hadn’t thought of before. 4. Create Your Content Calendar A content calendar helps you organize your content strategy around the types of content you create and when you post. Engagement is a huge metric to consider as you plan the release of your content. Knowing how to time your content to trends and what people search for is a great skill to cultivate, and Google Trends can help you plan and schedule your content calendar accordingly. For example, if you want to write content about cooking, the Google Trends results show significant search peaks in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving and Christmas. The weeks before these holidays would be the ideal time to share your relevant cooking content so it’s easy to find when someone searches for it. Another example is the term “wedding invitations.” This term shows a surge between early January and the end of February. That’s because there are likely a lot of couples who get engaged between Christmas and Valentine’s Day. While some keywords get used more often at certain times, other keywords will show you when to avoid talking about certain topics. This could be because of a lull during one season, like the summer, for certain keywords that are relatively popular the rest of the year. Utilizing Google Trends data for each topic on your content calendar will help you plan the best times to post your content. 5. Enhance Your Branding You can also use Google Trends to check the popularity of your brand. While this feature might be more effective for larger brands, even small businesses can use this feature by limiting the search to your local area. When you use … Read more

40+ Digital Marketing Experts to Follow on Twitter: Keep Your Marketing Skills Up to Date

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40+ Digital Marketing Experts to Follow on Twitter: Keep Your Marketing Skills Up to Date

Digital marketing is constantly evolving. SEO trends and content marketing strategies that worked six months ago might not produce the same results today. So, what can you do as a marketer, entrepreneur, or website owner? How can you keep up with the latest marketing strategies, the algorithms, and analytics? The answer? Follow the right people on Twitter. There’s no better way to stay up-to-date than to follow the right people on Twitter and scroll through their feeds filled with great advice. Twitter is ​one of our favorite social media platforms, but we all know there are over 500 million tweets sent out each day. No one has the time to check each account and verify the real pros from the self-proclaimed “experts.” So, to help you sift through the non-relevant stuff and get straight to the information that really matters, we’ve compiled this list of the leading digital marketing experts and publications to follow on Twitter. Each of these experts seems to have cracked the code with not only understanding the complexities of digital marketing but also putting them into practice. They are moving the industry forward with their innovative strategies. The best part? They’re constantly sharing their knowledge — all for free. What are you waiting for? Scroll down to see the list, add the experts you’d love to follow, add value to your Twitter feed, and keep your content marketing skills in top shape. Read, learn, share, and enjoy! Did we miss anyone? Let us know in the comments!   [bctt tweet=”NEW: Our top 40+ recommended #marketing experts to follow on Twitter, a list curated by @daninofuente and @JuliaEMcCoy ✨ Is your digital marketing hero on the list?” username=”ExpWriters”] How We Hand-Curated Our List of 40+ Digital Marketing Experts There were a number of factors that helped us decide on which experts to recommend for following. Our CEO, Julia McCoy, was heavily involved in the creation of this roundup. She reviewed and approved each of the people we recommend below. Secondly, two of us writers were included in the formulation: one of our copywriters, and me, Danielle, Express Writer’s Content Specialist (and everything else behind the scenes). We think that humanly created lists are some of the best lists! Next, here’s what we looked at when determining who to recommend to our Write Blog readers. First, we looked at experts in content marketing, social media, and SEO. Then, we considered digital marketing experts who are regularly invited to share their knowledge by speaking at leading conferences all around the world, and writing for consistent columns or their own blog. Instead of tenure (years in the field), we looked at recent accomplishments and studied to find people that are the most current in the marketing space. We believe that matters more than tenure. If you’ve been a marketer for 30 years and you haven’t written a single blog on marketing trends for the past six or even three months, are you even current? We also researched the pioneers and thought-leaders. What did they share on Twitter that was noteworthy, original, and outstanding? Finally, experts who’ve mastered current industry trends and are influencing future trends were also considered. [bctt tweet=”See our top 40+ recommended #marketing experts to follow on Twitter! Is your digital marketing hero on the list?   ” username=”ExpWriters”] 40+ Digital Marketing Experts to Follow on Twitter After taking into consideration the above points, we decided on the following names that every digital marketer needs to follow. These are the people who are moving the industry forward with their innovation and following them will allow you to stay on top of your digital marketing. 1. Ai Addyson-Zhang, Ph.D Ai Addyson-Zhang, Ph.D. is a long-time college professor who is now an entrepreneur changing the space, taking the stage and teaching authentic, real practices for social media. Her passion for social media pedagogy only started in 2015 after the surprise that one of her students didn’t know what Pinterest is! She realized that not all her students were familiar with all social media platforms, and as an educator, she needed to level up and practice what she preached. These realizations inspired her to create Classroom Without Walls, a weekly Facebook Live show where she interviews experts in modern marketing to provide real, authentic insights on the industry. Julia has been a guest 3x! Catch a recap of Ai and Julia on Ai’s Medium page. Ai also built the Social Media Pedagogy Online Training course and helps her fellow educators and professors transform traditional learning by applying social media practices. This fearless and industry-changing woman has grown into a consultant and speaker, keynoting on stages and training academic and industry leaders how to apply storytelling in digital marketing. Follow @aiaddysonzhang on Twitter. 2. Chris Strub When you check out Chris Strub’s YouTube channel, you’ll notice his impressive accomplishment: He’s the first (and only) man to live stream and Snapchat in all 50 US States. This accomplishment is documented in one of his books, 50 States, 100 Days. His roadtrip-slash-social media success is only a part of his bigger achievement: helping nonprofit organizations around the US. Besides being an author and famous mobile storyteller, he’s going around the world as a millennial keynote speaker in social media conferences, and an educator offering online courses on using social media to build relationships — whether you’re a nonprofit or not. Follow @ChrisStrub on Twitter 3. Madalyn Sklar If you’re wondering how to use the most out of your social media platforms — especially Twitter — in your marketing strategy, Madalyn Sklar is your go-to person. She’s had already figured out how to live tweet in 2008 before everyone else, and now, she offers her own #TwitterSmarter Masterclass online. Madalyn also offers coaching, consulting, and speaking services for those who want “rockstar results” with their social media. She’s pretty much very active on Twitter as she’s hosting two Twitter chats #TwitterSmarter and #SocialROI every Tuesday and Thursday. Follow @MadalynSklar on Twitter 4. Brian Fanzo Brian Fanzo describes himself as a “pager-wearing millennial keynote speaker.” What is a digital marketing expert doing with a pager? What is a pager? (I … Read more

The 7 Do Not’s of SEO in 2019 and Beyond (Search Engine Journal Webinar Recap)

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The 7 Do Not's of SEO in 2019 and Beyond (Search Engine Journal Webinar Recap)

SEO to content is like paleo chocolate frosting to a paleo chocolate cake. (Ever had one of those? They’re decadent, AND good for you. ) It seriously is that important–and impactful–in content marketing. SEO-focused content marketing has powered our own organic marketing at Express Writers for years. Without good SEO practices, your content will miss out on the possibilities of earning traffic and leads through organic user searches. The opposite, bad SEO, will make readers and Google look a little like Steve Carrell in this scene in the 2014 movie, Alexander and The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day: Not good. That’s why, this April, I presented a webinar for Search Engine Journal on the top seven bad SEO tactics to abandon forever – ones that are dragging down your search rankings, confusing users (see above photo), and leaving your content in the dust. We had an amazing turnout for this webinar. Over 300 people tuned in live! Here are the slides from my webinar, and here’s the YouTube replay. For those who missed it, or those who want the highlights, keep reading – I’m recapping the major points, here, too. ✔ Before we get into the bad SEO tactics and practices people are still using, we need to answer one question… [bctt tweet=”Get your own content marketing all geared up for the ROI you’ve been waiting for with the help of good SEO. Watch @JuliaEMcCoy’s @sejournal webinar about the 7 Do Not’s of #SEO in 2019″ username=”ExpWriters”] Why Does SEO and Google Matter? Two reasons: 1. Most Internet Users Rely on Google About half of the world’s population uses the internet. That’s no joke. Of those internet-users, about 60% begin their browsing with a Google search. Over 3.5 billion Google searches happen in a day. Plus, Google dominates the market. Almost 60% of all web traffic begins with a Google search, according to the data from SparkToro and Jumpshot. Image: Backlinko 2. Google is All About the User Most web traffic comes from Google, and Google is all about that end-user. From their Search Engine Evaluator Guidelines to their Webmaster Central Blog, the user experience takes center stage. When your SEO and website experience tick off human users, you tick off Google, simultaneously. Therefore, good SEO practices are all about keeping users and Google happy. The better you do, the more highly you will be ranked in search (and loved by users!). With that out of the way, let’s get into the bad SEO tactics that will make your two most important audience members (humans and Google) confused, annoyed, and fed-up. [bctt tweet=”SEO-focused content marketing has powered our own organic marketing at Express Writers for years. Know why SEO matters with @JuliaEMcCoy’s @sejournal webinar about the 7 Do Not’s of #SEO in 2019″ username=”ExpWriters”] 7 Just-Plain-BAD SEO Tactics You Shouldn’t Be Using Anymore 1. Using Your Target Keyword the Wrong Way An outdated SEO practice we need to do away with is targeting one keyword per page – especially similar or semantically related keywords. Instead, it’s better to target both focus keywords and secondary, related keywords in the same piece of content. This will align your SEO strategy with modern semantic search, which is what Google is focusing on moving into the future. Semantic search looks at a page’s overarching topic vs. individual keywords to determine whether it’s relevant to a user’s search query. On the right side of this diagram, each keyword is targeted individually. A better SEO practice is to target related terms like these within the same piece (left). Using a focus keyword + variations, related terms, and synonyms all within the same high-quality content piece signals to Google AND users that the page is topically relevant to the search query. 2. Developing Thin Content That Doesn’t Go the Distance Short, thin content pieces are not SEO-worthy. If you want a page to rank, you need longer, in-depth content. How do we know? Look at the data: From BuzzSumo’s analysis of over 100 million articles, long-form content (over 3,000 words) was most-shared. A Backlinko study came to the same conclusion – long-form content = higher search rankings. To write longer content, focus on answering the user’s question(s) thoroughly and deep-dive into your topic. 3. Posting Content Whenever You Feel Like It You can’t post content erratically if you want to rank higher in search. Many studies have shown that consistently publishing high-quality content leads to more ranking opportunities. For one example, a HubSpot benchmark study found that companies that posted over 16x/month earned the most traffic and leads. That doesn’t mean you need to start blogging like a madman (or madperson), though. If you push out tons of posts but your quality sucks, you still won’t get anywhere. That leads us to bad SEO tactic #4… 4. Focusing on Quantity Vs. Quality Pushing out blog posts just to get them on the web is never a good idea for SEO. Quality matters more than quantity for rankings and readership. If you can’t feasibly publish fantastic blog posts on a consistent basis (say, 2-3x/week), cut back. One amazing post per week or month is better than 3 mediocre or crappy ones. Tip: Check out the top 5 search results for your focus keyword in Google. Try to create a post that’s better than anything in that top 5. 5. Publishing Duplicate Content According to SEMrush, a study of over 100,000 articles showed the most common SEO error is something we can all easily avoid: duplicate content. Nearly 66% of the articles in the study suffered from this problem. It happens when multiple pages appear very similar or match 100%. Usually, this is unintentional, but some people do plagiarize content. Either way, you will be penalized. Luckily, this mistake is easy to avoid. Do it by running all of your content through Copyscape before publishing. Rewrite any pages that have a percentage match. 6. Using Shady Tactics like Link Buying If you really want to get on the wrong side of Google, link schemes and link … Read more

Your Nutshell Guide: How to Find Killer SEO Keywords for Your Online Content

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Your Nutshell Guide: How to Find Killer SEO Keywords for Your Online Content

What’s one way to make sure your content gets search engine-indexed, ranked, and, ultimately, discovered by users in your target niche? I’m sure you already know the answer from the headline – you need SEO keywords. More importantly, you need to know how to find SEO keywords. Why? Because the benefits are incredible. When you target the right keywords and use them to optimize your amazing content: You’ll start ranking for those keywords. You’ll hit desirable top spots in the SERPS. You’ll drive much more profitable traffic to your website. Take a look at this chart from Ignite Visibility that shows how much your click-through rate increases as you climb into the top 5 spots on Google for a keyword. When you hit #1, your CTR makes a huge leap from 13.32% to 20.5%. More clicks and more profitable traffic will lead to: Leads Conversions Followers Sales Unicorns and rainbows (not literally, but you’ll FEEL just as magical as these things – like you’re an SEO wizard) That’s a LONG pathway of benefits. And with Facebook ad costs up 43%, and 30% of all internet users using adblockers, it’s even more important than ever to make sure you’re honing on the right keywords and building great onsite, organic content. In essence, you’re building content people want to find. It’s an investment for your future. So, how do you find the right ones that will amount to traffic boosts, lead boosts, and conversion boosts? I’m going to show you, step-by-step, using two of my favorite tools for keyword research and discovery (KWFinder by Mangools, and SEMrush). Let’s do this. How to Find the Right SEO Keywords for Your Online Content in SEMrush The right keywords are ones that give you opportunities to break into the rankings – and maybe even climb past all the other results to hit that coveted #1 position. These high-opportunity keywords all follow a specific formula. Usually, they: Are specific (A.K.A. long tail keywords) Have low search competition (don’t confuse this metric with keyword difficulty – competition shows how many advertisers are bidding to show up in paid spots in results for the keyword) Have relatively high search volume (people are actually typing them into Google) Have low keyword difficulty (a score that rates how hard it is to rank for a keyword) Most keyword tools have their own method for calculating difficulty scores. For example, here’s how KWFinder does it: If this is a lot to take in, I get it. These criteria seem like a lot to juggle at first. But that’s what I’m sharing today – I’m answering the ultimate question: How do you find SEO keywords that fit ALL of these factors? Let’s see what that process looks like in SEMrush. 1. Start with a Relevant, Broad Search Term with Potential To narrow down keywords in SEMrush, start by searching for a keyword you think has potential. For example, if I sell graphic t-shirts in my online store, I would research the term “graphic t-shirts.” As you can see, this keyword has an average organic search volume of 6.6K searches per month. But, check out the competition. We’re looking at .93. That’s almost 100% competition, which means you’re up against tough luck. Another thing to consider is that even though you may net many of these numbers in search volume, few will be qualified to buy. The search term is too broad: They’re probably at the early stages in the buying cycle, and haven’t made a decision on what to buy yet. So, this traffic potential is useless for your bottom line. For even more proof, when I plug “graphic t-shirts” into Keyword Explorer, it rates 44 on a difficulty scale of 1-100. In general, scoring 50 or above means it’s impossible to rank for the phrase. While this ranks below 50, it’s a best practice to only use keywords that rank at 40 or below. Lower difficulty = lower competition = higher ROI. So, we’ve ruled out using this keyword in our SEO. We need to get more specific to find a better option. We need a long-tail keyword. 2. Use Your Broad Term as a Root, and Go Long Tail “Graphic t shirts” is too broad. How do we make this root keyword more specific? We add to it. Let’s try “women’s graphic t shirts.” The search volume is 5.4K for this one. That’s better but still too high. Let’s look at the “related keywords” to see if there’s an option with lower competition. “Women’s graphic tee shirts” has an average monthly search volume of 210. I would need to do a little more research on keyword difficulty and brand competition, but this could be a good option for SEO. 3. Dig Deeper – Check Keyword Difficulty and Search Volume To dig deeper, I could click on “View full report” to view all the related keyword possibilities. Then I could sort them by keyword difficulty and search volume to find my sweet spot. The sweet spot, where a keyword is balanced between low keyword difficulty, low competition, and high search volume, is ultimately what you’re looking for. Tip: Use More Than One Tool to Find Great SEO Keywords (How to Use KWFinder) One of my number one tips for how to find SEO keywords is to NEVER rely on one tool exclusively. Instead, use multiple tools to double-check your research and compare how each tool rates keyword difficulty, measures search volume, and more. Here’s what I mean: In SEMrush, “women’s graphic tee shirts” looks like a solid SEO keyword option with high potential. To make sure I’m on the right track, I’m going to turn to another one of my favorite SEO tools, KWFinder, to double-check. As you can see, KWFinder gives this keyword a difficulty rating of 37, or “still easy.” Plus, the search volume is 260/month, but many of those searchers could be in a later stage of the buyer’s journey. There’s definitely potential here. Now that I’ve double-checked the results for … Read more

SEO vs. SEM: What You Need to Know

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Seo Vs Sem

If you’re in the online writing or content marketing business, you may have heard the words SEO and SEM thrown around. You may have even casually sprinkled them into conversation yourself while quietly panicking at the thought of someone asking you to explain further. SEO and SEM are common marketing terms, but does anyone really know what they mean? First things first, SEO and SEM do not mean the same thing. Let’s clarify that now so that you don’t use them interchangeably. Both SEO and SEM aim to increase a website’s visibility. One of the main differences, however, is that SEM includes more paid search tactics while SEO is a process of using organic techniques to build credibility for search engines. That clarifies things, right? Not so fast. Let’s dive in to today’s topic. What is SEO? SEO is defined as search engine optimization. It is a process that uses various techniques to make a webpage rank higher in search results. Increasing your search ranking will also increase the traffic to your site. Basically, great SEO = more visitors = more customers = more sales. Google is constantly changing their algorithm, so it is a task to keep up with the best search engine trends. Unlike the quick return of some paid SEM tactics, SEO takes patience. It is a steady process that shows progress with time. Main Components of SEO SEO is comprised of two main components: on-site optimization and off-site optimization. These are also referred to as on-page and off-page. Some on-page optimization tactics include: Keyword incorporation into titles, headers, meta descriptions and content Creating high quality blog posts and page copy Optimizing page load speed by resizing embedded photos Formatting proper URLs Some off-page optimization tactics include: Back-linking, or having other authoritative sites link back to your webpage Posting on social media Managing local listings All of these strategies establish your site as a credible source in the eyes of a search engine. While SEO is a more organic way to optimize your site, it still takes hard work and expert knowledge to utilize the full benefits. What is SEM? SEM refers to search engine marketing. This type of online marketing involves both organic and paid strategies to optimize a site. SEO can be thought of as one component of SEM, but in a larger sense, search engine marketing is working to drive traffic to your site immediately. (Now, SEM is something I’ve never personally used at Express Writers. Instead, we use foundational inbound marketing and do things like publish 1,000 blogs to bring in our leads.) If your boss is looking for a quick boost in website analytics, paid search engine campaigns could be the way to go. Some paid SEM strategies include: PPC (Pay-per-click) listings and advertising campaigns Ad campaigns designed to reach a target demographic Hiring a copywriter to create relevant ad copy using selective keywords Managing metrics like impressions, cost per click and click-through rates The most popular SEM strategy is pay-per-click campaigns (PPC). You’ve probably come across these ads without even realizing what they are for. PPC is just fancy terminology for paid search results. Search engines like Google sell ad placement to the highest bidder. These ads will show up first when someone searches for matching keywords. It’s likely they’ll click the ad just because it’s the first thing they see. Honestly, who goes past the first page of search results on Google? Every time the ad is clicked, the business pays a fee to the search engine. Just try it. I searched “tires in Austin” to look for places to replace my flat tire. At the very top of the list there’s an ad for Good Year Auto Service. I click, they pay. This type of targeted marketing helps increase your site’s visibility in a shorter amount of time. But it must always be turned on, like a faucet, with revenue – without revenue, it shuts off. Rules to Follow for SEO and SEM Maybe you’ve started a website without even considering online marketing strategies. Don’t rush to change everything just yet! The ins and outs of these terms can feel overwhelming but you’ve probably incorporated some key components without even trying. One major part of ranking high in search engine results is creating high quality content. Everything else is icing on the cake. The Do’s of SEO Develop a content strategy before writing and posting content Focus on engaging, well-written and high quality content Include links back to your website Research keywords and incorporate them naturally Insert links to credible and original sources Find your voice and have a consistent tone throughout your site Include a call to action (CTA) that is relevant to your brand Incorporate photos, videos and GIFs that are labeled for reuse and resized to optimize the page’s loading time Customize your meta descriptions to speak to someone searching for your content The Don’ts of SEO Avoid keyword stuffing. Don’t overuse your keyword in a way that negatively affects readability Pay for links. They usually do not add value to your content Repeat the same content or use the same titles and meta descriptions for different articles The Do’s of SEM Take advantage of SEM tools Analyze the sites of your top competitors Know and continually research your audience Share your content Check your quality score and ad relevance Pay attention to A/B testing to figure out what ad copy is most effective The Don’ts of SEM Forget to utilize ad extensions to make it easier for customers to interact with your site Write content for only one group of people. Instead, write different content for different demographics Use excessive punctuation. Capitalizing every letter or adding extra exclamation points doesn’t emphasize your point. It just comes off as irritating Where Should I Start? Now that you know the difference between SEO and SEM, the first thing to do is to use terms correctly. You can even bring up the topic at a dinner party. … Read more

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Content Marketing SEO

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#ContentWritingChat Recap: Content Marketing SEO

This week, we had our monthly community chat for #ContentWritingChat! There was a lot of great information shared during the busy hour over on Twitter. And we’re recapping it all for you! #ContentWritingChat Recap: Content Marketing SEO Join us for #ContentWritingChat on Tuesday, December 12th at 10 AM Central Time to talk about #ContentMarketing SEO! ?? pic.twitter.com/4Oe0yCEmRS — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) December 5, 2017 We conducted a poll a while back to see which topics our participants were interested in. One of the topics that came out on top was Content Marketing SEO, so we made it the choice for this week. Q1: How do content marketing and SEO work together? And why is it important to utilize both? To kick off the chat, we asked everyone to share how content marketing and SEO go hand-in-hand and why both are important for content creators. Here are a few responses: A1) They work hand-in-hand. If you spend a lot of time on one, but not the other, then your content suffers. If you rock both of them out, you will see ridiculous returns!#ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/wcYnBBVKjV — Jason Schemmel – Podcaster. Speaker. #GSDChat?️ (@JasonSchemmel) December 12, 2017 Jason knows that if you spend more time on one or the other, your content is going to suffer. It’s important to implement both content marketing and SEO if you want to see major results online. A1: They work together like peanut butter and jelly — they’re complimentary! You need both because they work together to improve each other.#ContentWritingChat https://t.co/JuKtBudPeS — ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) December 12, 2017 As Sarah said, they work together to improve each other. A1: Content marketing & SEO are like PB & jelly! They complement each other. Good content isn’t worth as much if it isn’t well optimized for your audience to find it. #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/EQy9UxDXRc — Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) December 12, 2017 Good content isn’t worth much if it isn’t optimized for your audience to find it. Keep that in mind! A1 Content marketing + SEO is like the crust + filling in a pie. You can’t have high-ROI (tasty, reader-friendly pie) unless you have a firm strategy and knowledge on how to use both. #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/cEqBoTaHrG — Julia McCoy | Author. CEO. Content Educator (@JuliaEMcCoy) December 12, 2017 Julia said you can’t have high-ROI without a firm strategy and knowledge on how to use both. A1: Content marketing and SEO work together by amplifying one another. You need great content and people seeing that content. SEO is a great way to get in front of people who are looking for a solution to their problems. #ContentWritingChat — Amanda Cross (@amandacrossblog) December 12, 2017 You need great content and you need people to actually discover it. That’s why content marketing SEO is so crucial these days. Q2: What are some tips to help you create content that truly resonates with your audience? No matter what, it’s so important that your audience enjoys your content. To create content they’ll want to read and share, here’s what you need to know: A2: Get to know your audience first. Find out what information they want to learn about. If you don’t know them, you can’t be helpful to them. #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/CcHvaXVOae — Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) December 12, 2017 As Lexie said, it’s important to get to know your audience first. They will guide you when it comes to creating content they enjoy. A2: Create content with your audience in mind. Your audience is the boss so always pay attention to what they’re talking about and what makes them tick. Use this information and channel it into your content strategy. #contentwritingchat — Flying Cork (@flyingcorkpgh) December 12, 2017 Once you know who your audience is, you can create with them in mind. Write about the topics they’re discussing to attract attention. A2. Listen to what your audience are chatting about on a daily basis. #contentwritingchat — Cheval John (@chevd80) December 12, 2017 Cheval knows that listening to your audience is so important if you want to create amazing content. A2: Listen. You need to see what your audience responds to, what they comment on, what they talk about, what they email you about, etc. Then deliver on that consistently. #ContentWritingChat — Amanda Cross (@amandacrossblog) December 12, 2017 Amanda also said listening is crucial. You can see what your audience responds to, what they comment on, what they talk about, and so much more. That can help guide the direction of your content. A2: Your audience is your compass. They’ll point your content creation in the direction that it needs to go. Always pay attn. to their topics of interest and be willing to pivot your strategy to accommodate them. #contentwritingchat — Maria Marchewka (@_MariaMarchewka) December 12, 2017 When you pay attention to your audience, the answers will follow. Don’t be afraid to tweak your strategy to best suit them and their needs. a2 Start with knowing your audience persona – then provide content that showcases your expertise, authority, trustworthiness & how you can help. #contentwritingchat — Debi Norton (@BRAVOMedia1) December 12, 2017 Debi knows it’s important to share content that showcases your expertise, authority, and trustworthiness. A2: Pay attention to your Analytics: what’s grabbing their attention/converting them already? Expound upon those subjects and milk them for what they’re worth! Do more of what’s working.#ContentWritingChat https://t.co/7lUGj80ka4 — ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) December 12, 2017 Sarah suggests looking at your analytics. You can see what is grabbing their attention and earning conversions. Do more of what’s working to maximize your results. A2: Ask them! Survey your audience about what #content appeals to them#ContentWritingChat — Danielle Bullen Love (@daniellewriter) December 12, 2017 If you’re feeling stuck for ideas, ask them! Danielle suggested surveying your audience to see what appeals to them. After all, they’re the best source to ask. A2: Answer questions people are actually asking about topics relevant to your business/product/service. https://t.co/6nmT8gvegf is a helpful tool for this! #ContentWritingChat — Ashley Bovin (@aruthbovin) December 12, 2017 Make sure you’re … Read more

#ContentWritingChat Recap: How to Conduct an SEO Audit with Lexie Kimball of Netvantage Marketing

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#ContentWritingChat Recap: How to Conduct an SEO Audit with Lexie Kimball of Netvantage Marketing

Have you ever conducted an SEO audit for your website? If not, you should! However, if you’ve never done one before, you might be wondering how to get started… If you’re in that boat, there’s no need to worry! That’s exactly what we talked about in this week’s #ContentWritingChat. And as always, our participants had some amazing advice to share. If you’re ready to turn your website into one that Google loves, keep reading for the valuable tips! #ContentWritingChat Recap: How to Conduct an SEO Audit for Your Website with Lexie Kimball of Netvantage Marketing Join us for #ContentWritingChat on Tuesday, September 26th to learn how to conduct an #SEO audit for your site with Lexie of @netvantage! ? pic.twitter.com/kPvQArxxwu — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) September 19, 2017 Our guest host this week was Lexie Kimball of Netvantage Marketing. Lexie is their account manager and she really knows her stuff when it comes to SEO! As a frequent #ContentWritingChat participant, it was great having her step into a guest hosting role. Q1: Share the basic process you go through for an on-site SEO audit. If you’ve never conducted an SEO audit before, you’ll need to know where to begin. To help you out, our chat participants shared some essential steps the process includes. Here’s what you need to know: A1: The first step of an audit is keyword research. We use that keyword research for page titles, metas & body copy. #contentwritingchat — Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) September 26, 2017 A1.2: We also do a technical audit of the website to check for potential red flags @Google won’t like. #contentwritingchat — Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) September 26, 2017 Lexie’s first step in conducting an SEO audit is keyword research. As she mentioned, the chosen keyword for a piece of content goes in page titles, meta descriptions, and body copy. The team at Netvantage also does a technical audit of the website to locate any red flags. A1: In a nutshell: Discussion with client, keyword research, on-site recommendations, implementation of changes. #contentwritingchat — Michael Hall (@allmikehall) September 26, 2017 Michael, also from the Netvantage team, knows that chatting with your client first is a must. It’s important to understand their business and needs. He then suggestions moving on to keyword research, on-site recommendations, and implementation of changes. A1: My basic SEO process- 1. Google the site 2. Use analytics to ID keywords 3. Start looking at specific pages#ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/2ZAFZ5xB6r — Mallie Rust (@malliefe2o3) September 26, 2017 Mallie starts by Googling the site, using analytics to identify keywords, and then she looks at specific pages. A1: We start by running the site thru @screamingfrog, then perform our UX/design/technical/mobile-friendly/etc. audit.#ContentWritingChat https://t.co/O4ysptZmpm — ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) September 26, 2017 Sarah and the team at ThinkSEM start by running the site through Screaming Frog before moving forward with other key steps. A1: I use @semrush to check out where my website stands and take their suggestions into consideration. #ContentWritingChat — Sarah Nelson (@Blogging_Geek) September 26, 2017 SEMrush is a go-to tool for Sarah! She takes the tool’s suggestions into consideration. A1. Have a clear understanding of your goals and target audience. Start with a plan. #contentwritingchat — YourWebContentWriter (@WebContent4U) September 26, 2017 It’s also important to have an understanding of your goals/your client’s goals and who the target audience is. From there, you can create an effective plan. A1 FIRST step: Talk to your client and outline solid KPIs you’re judging content by when auditing. #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy ? (@JuliaEMcCoy) September 26, 2017 A1 2: Use @screamingfrog to grab ALL site links. Do manual checks across all the content per KPIs. It’ll take a while. #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy ? (@JuliaEMcCoy) September 26, 2017 For Julia, she feels talking to the client is the first step. This allows you to outline solid KPIs you’re judging content by when auditing. From there, she also likes to use Screaming Frog to grab all site links. Q2: Where do you start with keyword research? When it comes time to conduct keyword research, where do you begin? Check out this great advice from Tuesday’s chat: A2: We always ask clients first. They know their business the best & have the best suggestions for keywords. #ContentWritingChat — Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) September 26, 2017 A2.2: We also ask them for their competitors. Looking at competitor’s sites is another great way to look for keywords. #contentwritingchat — Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) September 26, 2017 To get started with keyword research, Lexie knows it’s important to talk to the client before beginning. Because the client has plenty of knowledge on their business, they’re able to provide some great suggestions for keywords. She also suggests looking at competitors to see which keywords they’re using and ranking for. A2: A consultation with the client. We question them on their ideal clients/products or services, etc. #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/bsBm7zqaML — ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) September 26, 2017 A consultation with the client is a must for Sarah! Sarah and her teammates use that opportunity to question the client on their ideal audience, products, and services. A2: Ask client to provide a list of what they consider high priority keywords. It helps our KW research stay relevant. #contentwritingchat — Michael Hall (@allmikehall) September 26, 2017 Michael knows it’s helpful to ask the client to provide a list of keywords that are high priority. After all, they likely have a good idea of which ones are best for their business. A2: We interview clients & their clients. G Trends is a place to start, and Keyword Planner (https://t.co/1hcNesBoNM) #contentwritingchat — Ray Sidney-Smith (@w3consulting) September 26, 2017 For Ray, it all starts with interviewing the client. Then, he moves onto tools like Google Trends and Google Keyword Planner. A2 Start by defining which keywords you want your site to rank for. Then, record your ranking for each one. #contentwritingchat — Dennis Shiao ✍️ (@dshiao) September 26, 2017 Dennis knows it’s important to define which keywords you want your site to rank for. You can then record … Read more

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