SEO - Express Writers

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Making Content Marketing & SEO Work for Your Brand with Gini Dietrich

December 31, 2020June 30, 2017 by Rachel Moffett

By now, you probably know how important content marketing and SEO are for your online brand. But do you really know how to implement them? In this #ContentWritingChat, we discussed this topic and received some really great advice from our chat participants. Keep reading to learn more! #ContentWritingChat Recap: Making Content Marketing & SEO Work for Your Brand with Gini Dietrich Join us for #ContentWritingChat on Tuesday, June 27th at 10 AM Central Time with @ginidietrich! pic.twitter.com/EVjz2mKquj — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) June 20, 2017 Our guest host this week was Gini Dietrich. Gini is the CEO of Arment Dietrich. She’s also an author and a speaker. In this week’s chat, she shared some valuable tips you’ll want to use for your own brand. Q1: Content marketers today have to know SEO. Do you have a process you recommend to combine both? To kick off the chat, we asked everyone to share their tips for combining both content marketing and SEO. Here are some of the responses we received: A1: I do, in fact! The process is this: 1) Define keywords where you can compete; 2) Create headlines (cont…) #contentwritingchat — Gini Dietrich (@ginidietrich) June 27, 2017 A1: 3) Develop your ed calendar based on those headlines; 4) Publish content; 5) Earn high-value links; 6) Watch results #contentwritingchat — Gini Dietrich (@ginidietrich) June 27, 2017 Gini’s process includes the following: defining keywords where you can compete, creating headlines, developing an editorial calendar, publishing content, earning high-value links, and tracking results. A1 Know your keywords (use @semrush). Optimize a headline & craft outline. Create comprehensive, best-answer 2000w blogs #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy ? (@JuliaEMcCoy) June 27, 2017 Julia says it all starts with knowing your keywords. She loves to use SEMrush for this. Then, she writes an optimized headline and begins creating her content. A1 Identify key keywords through Google Keywords + other research. Find out what people want to know about through this. #ContentWritingChat — Emma Thibault (@EmmaAThibault) June 27, 2017 For Emma, her process starts by identifying keywords with Google’s Keyword Planner and other research. She knows it’s important to figure out what your audience is looking for. A1: Take advantage of tools like @yoast to guide your SEO efforts. It gives you an idea of #SEO basics. #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/c3CgrTcPLY — Mallie Rust (@malliefe2o3) June 27, 2017 Mallie recommends using Yoast, which is a powerful WordPress plugin. It’ll give you an understanding of the basics of SEO. A1: Write for your audience, not for Google’s robots. #contentwritingchat pic.twitter.com/kC0Qu5B9nY — Mike Bryant (@MichaelRo22ss) June 27, 2017 Make sure you always write with your audience in mind. You need to create content that will appeal to your human readers. A1: They should work together like a PBJ sammich these days. End goal = getting right content in front of right people.#ContentWritingChat https://t.co/Qwsju66PjQ — ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) June 27, 2017 As Sarah said, your end goal is always to get the right content in front of the right people. A1 SEO is key to getting your content to the right eyeballs! Great content won’t spread without some strategy! #Contentwritingchat pic.twitter.com/LLS5XisNt9 — HeyOrca! (@HeyOrca) June 27, 2017 Kristin agrees that you need a strategy in order to get your content in front of the right people. Q2: So, are you saying we need to create content for robots first? The big question here is… Who do we focus on when creating content? Do we focus on the human reader or the robots running the search engines? Here’s what our chat participants had to say: A2: Not necessarily, no. You should have a list of questions customers and prospects ask. (cont…) #contentwritingchat — Gini Dietrich (@ginidietrich) June 27, 2017 A2: A list of questions you answer via email. Your FAQ. Then look up keywords based on those. #contentwritingchat — Gini Dietrich (@ginidietrich) June 27, 2017 Gini doesn’t feel robots should be your primary focus. Instead, she recommends keeping a list of questions your customers and prospective customers ask. You can then do keyword research and create content based on those commonly asked questions so you can better address your audience’s needs. A2: Nowadays, Google’s getting smarter and smarter – if you produce great content for people, its bots will follow suit#ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/0HuBwVNpyo — @AndreaTorti90 (@andreatorti90) June 27, 2017 Andrea is right. Google is getting a lot smarter and they do pick up on it when you create great content for your human audience. A2. Quality Value Audience = 1st. #contentwritingchat — Gabriela Cardoza (@CardozaGab) June 27, 2017 Gaby’s advice is to focus on providing quality, valuable content for your audience first and foremost. A2. I always write for my audience first. #SEO tweaks can be made afterward w/o compromising story. #contentwritingchat — Kristin Huntley (@seekristintweet) June 27, 2017 Kristin focuses on writing for her audience and makes SEO tweaks afterwards. A2 Robots don’t care about your content, your audience does. SEO is a stepping stone, not the end goal. #Contentwritingchat pic.twitter.com/sK6Flouhju — HeyOrca! (@HeyOrca) June 27, 2017 In the end, your audience is who really cares about the content you create. Always keep them in mind. Q3: The Google Keyword Planner only gives ranges for non-advertisers. How can we get more specifics? Our chat participants had some great advice for getting more specific information when it comes to keyword research. Here’s what they had to say: Q3: There are lots of tools. I’m partial to the Moz keyword planner tool. #contentwritingchat — Gini Dietrich (@ginidietrich) June 27, 2017 Gini likes using the Moz keyword planner, which is a favorite for many content creators. A3: There are other fish in the sea if you’re willing to pay. Moz, SEMrush, keywordtool.io & others are available. #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/MBQ2MLwbGE — ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) June 27, 2017 Sarah suggests looking towards some other tools for help. She recommends Moz, SEMrush, and keywordtool.io. A3: Big fan of using the @semrush tool to help identify keywords and @majesticseo to analyze backlinks/kw’s #contentwritingchat — Devin (@DevDawg) June 27, 2017 SEMrush and Majestic SEO are … Read more

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Internal Linking & Its Importance in SEO with Sarah Danks

December 31, 2020June 9, 2017 by Rachel Moffett

The latest #ContentWritingChat was all about SEO as we talked about the importance of internal linking. In this chat, some amazing tips were shared regarding this tactic and how you can use it in building your own website’s online presence. If you’re ready to learn more about it, keep reading for the recap! #ContentWritingChat Recap: Internal Linking & Its Importance in SEO with Sarah Danks Join us for #ContentWritingChat on Tuesday, June 6th at 10 AM Central Time with @ThinkSEM! pic.twitter.com/XOUOS7Vit2 — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) June 3, 2017 Our guest host this week was Sarah Danks from ThinkSEM. She’s their Digital Strategist and is no stranger to a great Twitter chat. In fact, if you’re a regular participant you’ve likely noticed Sarah in our chat before, as she typically joins us every week. It was great having a regular participant step into the guest hosting role and she shared some fantastic advice with all of us. Q1: Why are internal links important? To kick off the chat, we asked everyone to share why they felt internal linking was an important part of SEO. Here’s what a few of our participants said: A1: The World Wide Web is all about connections. What’s related to this content? What else is relevant to my search? #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/MJNwGN1WzR — ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) June 6, 2017 Aii: And it doesn’t get more relevant than showing the relationship between pages on your own website! #ContentWritingChat — ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) June 6, 2017 As Sarah pointed out, the web is all about connections. Internal linking allows you to to connect pieces of relevant content to one another. You’re able to show the relationship between pages on your own website, which is a great way to keep them on your site longer. A1 If SEO is a house, internal linking is the framework of the house. It moves your “traffic” from room to room onsite. #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy ? (@JuliaEMcCoy) June 6, 2017 Julia’s response is really a helpful way to think of internal linking. It helps to move traffic from room to room onsite. This basically means it keeps people from moving from page to page once they’ve first landed on your site. It’s key if you want to keep someone digging into the depths of your archives. A1: Internal links spread your authority and ranking through the site and builds structure! #ContentWritingChat — Jeff Higgins (@ItsJeffHiggins) June 6, 2017 Jeff knows that building up those internal links is a good way to increase your authority with your audience. And who wouldn’t want that?! A1. They help make you a credible, reliable source by showing readers that you’re the authority! #contentwritingchat — Kristen Dunleavy (@KristenWritesIt) June 6, 2017 Kristen also mentioned it’s a way to show you’re a credible and reliable source and builds your authority. A1: Makes it easy for everyone. Without these, people will go elsewhere for answers and info. #ContentWritingChat — Jeremy Murphy (@jeremypmurphy) June 6, 2017 By providing internal links, it also makes it easier for your readers to find more relevant content. As Jeremy pointed out, people will go elsewhere to find what they’re looking for if you don’t give it to them. So, if you have more content you know they’d enjoy, link to it! A1: Internal links help guide your audience through your site to other valuable/actionable content #contentwritingchat — Elizabeth Greenberg (@BettaBeYou) June 6, 2017 Elizabeth feels internal linking helps guide your audience through your site and leads them to other valuable, actionable content. Keep that in mind when adding links to content so you can be sure you’re sending them somewhere worthwhile. Q2: How do internal links affect overall site structure? Now that you know the importance of internal linking, you should also know how it’s going to affect the overall structure of your website. Here are a few responses we received in Tuesday’s chat: A2: Internal links are a major part of website architecture. A well-linked site is easy to navigate.#ContentWritingChat https://t.co/R2ISQMC1eI — ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) June 6, 2017 A2ii: Conversely, if the linking between pages is sparse it will be difficult to find related content or even convert.#ContentWritingChat — ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) June 6, 2017 As Sarah pointed out, a well-linked site is easy to navigate. This is great for visitors to your site because you want everything to be accessible. There’s nothing worse than a site that makes it difficult to find what you’re looking for. Also, if you’re lacking when it comes to links, it makes it harder for readers to find related content. It can also make it more difficult to get them to convert. A2) It offers flow & stability. Internal linking saves the users from thinking where to find additional content. #ContentWritingChat — Jason Schemmel (@JasonSchemmel) June 6, 2017 Jason said internal linking offers flow and stability. Instead of forcing your reader to figure out what to do next or where to go, you can direct them to additional content. Don’t leave it up to them, otherwise there’s a greater chance they’ll leave your site. A2: It helps create a hierarchy of your content and allows users to flow from broad content to more specific content. #ContentWritingChat — Pinpoint Laser (@PinpointLaser) June 6, 2017 This is another important thing to consider! Linking helps create a hierarchy of your content. Through those links, a reader can flow from broad content to more specific content that’s still relevant. A2) Done correctly, Internal linking helps customers more easily find relevant information on their topics of interest. #contentwritingchat pic.twitter.com/batd9sXPaV — Jeff Reno(e) ? (@Renoe) June 6, 2017 Jenn knows internal linking is going to help customers easily find the relevant information they’re looking for while on your site. Make sure you’re taking advantage of that by directing them to the next page you think they’d be interested in. A2: Internal linking is like a roadmap… you can subtlely lead your viewer where you would like them. #contentwritingchat pic.twitter.com/lXEy22t4Q0 — Sarah Nelson (@Blogging_Geek) June 6, 2017 Think of … Read more

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Curating Consistent Content for SEO with Danielle Tate

December 31, 2020May 12, 2017 by Rachel Moffett

As online content creators, there’s no denying that SEO is essential. It’s not enough to just write amazing content for your blog, but you have to optimize it as well if you want search engines (and potential readers) to discover it. To help you step up your skills and create content for SEO, you’ll want to dive into the recap of our latest #ContentWritingChat where we talked all about it! #ContentWritingChat Recap: Curating Consistent Content for SEO Join us for #ContentWritingChat on Tuesday, May 9th at 10 AM Central Time with @Elegant_Entre! pic.twitter.com/rdvWR9nxP0 — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) May 2, 2017 Our guest host for this week’s chat was Danielle Tate of Elegant Entrepreneur. Danielle is a CEO, best-selling author, and a speaker. Q1: When it comes to publishing content consistently, where do you find inspiration to write? There’s no denying that sometimes it can be hard to come up with fresh ideas for your content. In order to keep those creative juices flowing, you need to seek a little inspiration. We asked our chat participants where they find inspiration for their writing and here’s what some of them had to say: A1a: I always look for news hooks that correlate with my post topic. Tying in headlines creates interest. #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/p1t9SETgFA — Danielle Tate (@Elegant_Entre) May 9, 2017 A1b: Also, any customer question your company or blog receives is a topic for a post. It’s info your readers want #ContentWritingChat — Danielle Tate (@Elegant_Entre) May 9, 2017 For Danielle, she likes to look for news hooks that correlate to the topics she wants to write about. She also turns to customer questions, as they can make great blog content. This is a good reason to pay close attention to feedback your audience gives you and make note of any commonly asked questions. A1: Find inspiration from your audience! They can give you great ideas based on their questions. #contentwritingchat — Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) May 9, 2017 It looks like Danielle isn’t the only one turning to customers to find content ideas. The team over at Netvantage Marketing uses this strategy as well. A1: Our customers. What questions are they asking? What are they talking about? #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/PLCOaDqhWC — Kristi Kenyon (@kkenyon86) May 9, 2017 Kristi does the same. She finds out what questions customers are asking and what they’re talking about. This will lead you in the right direction when it comes to potential topic ideas. A1. I usually look at trends, listen for challenges and I have a pretty serious rainstorm board in my office. #ContentWritingChat — Bourbon & Honey (@BrittanyBrander) May 9, 2017 Brittany knows it’s a great idea to look at the trends in her industry. This gives you an idea of what’s hot at the moment and provides you with an opportunity to write about it. She suggests looking at trends and listening for challenges others are facing and then having a good brainstorming session. A1 Reading different articles is always a plus, there’s always new inspiration to writing/creating content. #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/BIlyn3BfTd — Tony Stephan (@OmnipoTony) May 9, 2017 For Tony, he enjoys reading different articles for inspiration. There’s always something new to read, whether it’s something within your industry or not. You can always draw inspiration from what others are saying. @ExpWriters A1. I find inspiration to write content from twitter chats and also from successful people who are great with others #contentwritingchat — Cheval John (@chevd80) May 9, 2017 Cheval gets inspiration from Twitter chats. Chats are very informative and they provide you with the opportunity to connect with others and hear their questions. It can be a great place to find your next blog post idea. @ExpWriters A1: Frequently inspired by something someone said, what I see in nature when I #run, and a great photo/video. #ContentWritingChat — Jeremy Murphy (@jeremypmurphy) May 9, 2017 Jeremy finds writing inspiration from a variety of sources. He gets ideas from things he hears others talking about, what he sees in nature while he’s out on a run, and from great photos and videos. Q2: What advice do you have for writers maintaining a blog long-term? One thing that many on the outside looking in don’t realize is that blogging is actually hard work. You take on many roles as a blogger and it can sometimes feel overwhelming. So, how do you manage all of those tasks for the long haul? Check out this advice: A2: Don’t be afraid to widen your scope of topic so you have more to write about for the same audience #ContentWritingChat — Danielle Tate (@Elegant_Entre) May 9, 2017 Danielle says you shouldn’t be afraid to wide your scope of topic when it comes to the content you cover. If your audience would be interested and it’s still relevant overall, there’s no reason you can’t experiment with something new. A2: Write about something you genuinely enjoy, don’t let it turn into a chore, and find a schedule for yourself #contentwritingchat — Digital Natives Cast (@DgtlNativesCast) May 9, 2017 No matter what you choose to write about, it should be something that you genuinely enjoy. If you aren’t passionate about your chosen topic, writing will quickly become a chore. A2: Test, test, test to see what works, scale what does, stop doing what doesn’t. Metrics are our friend. #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/uprUW3fhnm — Jobs2Careers (@Jobs2Careers) May 9, 2017 Make sure you’re running tests to see what’s working for you and what’s not. This allows you to see what you should do more of and what needs to change. @writingchat A2a: Consistency. If you can’t keep it consistent then don’t waste your time. #ContentWritingChat — Our Fractured Minds (@FractureSaga) May 9, 2017 As Jeff said, you need to keep it consistent. If you’re going to start blogging, you need to develop a schedule and stick to it. A2: You need a content strategy and an editorial calendar. Focus on consistently creating valuable, quality content. #ContentWritingChat — Rachel (@redheadrachel) May 9, 2017 To make sure you’re … Read more

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Practical SEO Advice for the Online Creator with Caleb McElveen

December 31, 2020November 4, 2016 by Rachel Moffett

Are you ready to catch up on this week’s #ContentWritingChat? We’ve prepared an awesome recap with some of the tweets from Tuesday’s chat, so get ready to dive in! #ContentWritingChat Recap: Practical SEO Advice for the Online Creator with Caleb McElveen Join us for #ContentWritingChat on Tuesday, November 1st at 10 AM Central Time with @cj_mce of @Searchtalklive! pic.twitter.com/Hvnvt43BfR — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) October 25, 2016 Our guest host this week was Caleb McElveen. Caleb is and SEO and content marketing specialist. He’s also a co-host on the digital marketing podcast, Search Talk Live. Q1: What are the basics of SEO every content creator should know? SEO doesn’t have to be hard to figure out! In fact, if you’re just getting started with optimizing your content, these basic tips are great to know: A1) Learn to correctly optimize title tags, meta descriptions, headers, & more. Understand how they impact performance. #ContentWritingChat — caleb mcelveen (@cj_mce) November 1, 2016 A1) Also, its important to understand user intent when creating content. It can heavily impact your SEO strategy. #ContentWritingChat — caleb mcelveen (@cj_mce) November 1, 2016 Caleb said it’s important to know how to correctly optimize title tags, meta descriptions, headers, and more. All of these things impact the performance of your content, so it’s helpful to know the best ways to optimize them in order to maximize your results. He also recommends understanding user intent when creating content because it can also impact your SEO strategy. A1: Keywords! How’s your audience using/searching for them? Use those thru-out copy, in <h> tags, description, etc. #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/3b7WRAH6l9 — ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) November 1, 2016 Sarah knows keywords are essential to SEO! She recommends figuring out how your audience is using and searching for keywords, which will help you choose the right ones for your content. You’ll also want to sprinkle those keywords throughout your content in heading tags, meta description, and more. A1) Proper keywording. Find those popular, relevant keywords about your content that will help people find it easier #ContentWritingChat — Jason Schemmel (@JasonSchemmel) November 1, 2016 Jason also agrees understanding keywords is very important! He recommends finding the popular and relevant keywords that will help your audience find your content. A1. SEO and readability should work together, not against each other, to make your content easily searchable + scannable #contentwritingchat — Kristen Dunleavy (@KristenWritesIt) November 1, 2016 Kristen is right on with her answer! She said that SEO and readability should work together. You should never sacrifice readability for the sake of trying to rank higher. Providing great content for your audience should always be priority number one. A1: Never overstuff with keywords! Write naturally and then use some SEO dust before publishing. #contentwritingchat — Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) November 1, 2016 One big SEO don’t? Keyword stuffing! It’s not cool to overdo it on the keywords because Google doesn’t like it and neither do your readers. We’ll have some more SEO mistakes coming up in the next question! Q2: What are the biggest mistakes people make when it comes to SEO? There are some common SEO mistakes people make when creating their online content. It’s important to know what they are so you can avoid them! Here are a few mistakes you don’t want to make: A2) Not having or using keyword/phrase correctly. Often it’s not used in titles & more, or there’s keyword stuffing. #ContentWritingChat — caleb mcelveen (@cj_mce) November 1, 2016 A2) Also, many forget to optimize images and other media that impacts SEO and how users can find them. #ContentWritingChat — caleb mcelveen (@cj_mce) November 1, 2016 Caleb knows many people make mistakes when it comes to keywords. In some cases, people fail to use the keyword correctly or don’t even have one. Make sure you’re using your focus keyword in titles and throughout your content without going overboard. Keyword stuffing is a big no-no! He also said not to forget about optimizing the images you share. They’re searchable as well and you want to make sure you take that extra step to optimize them. A2) Using keywords that aren’t used as often. Don’t waste space on useless words that won’t help you get noticed. #ContentWritingChat — Jason Schemmel (@JasonSchemmel) November 1, 2016 As Jason said, using keywords that aren’t used as often won’t help you see results. You need to do your research to find the right keywords for your content. A2: Ignoring SEO by thinking body copy isn’t necessary for success. They think it’s just page titles and meta. #contentwritingchat — Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) November 1, 2016 A2 Mistake 1 is ignoring SEO. 93% of online experiences start with a web search. #ContentWritingChat — Lex (@estherproject) November 1, 2016 Ignoring SEO is a huge mistake! If you want your content to be seen, you need to learn about the best SEO practices and start putting them to use with your own online content. @ExpWriters A2 – Writing for SEO purposes only, missing the actual personality and story. #ContentWritingChat — globalHMA (@globalHMA) November 1, 2016 a2: Thinking that it’s all about Google. Yes – rankings matter! But creating content people want to read is priority! #contentwritingchat — Jobs2Careers (@Jobs2Careers) November 1, 2016 Remember that SEO is important, but there’s so much more to you content than just the optimization process. You have to start with a piece of quality content that shows personality and tells a story in order to really attract people. A2 thinking they understand it by reading about it and not implementing it. I’m still learning everyday about SEO #ContentWritingChat — Tony Stephan (@OmnipoTony) November 1, 2016 Never stop learning. SEO changes and it’s important to stay updated on all the latest information. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you know everything about SEO. Make sure you’re actively learning about the best practices and implementing them. Q3: What steps can you take to get your content on the first page of search results? As an online content creator, one of your dreams is … Read more

A Holistic Approach: How SEO and Content Marketing Work Hand-in-Hand Today

September 5, 2022July 28, 2016 by Adam Oakley

Have you ever assembled a puzzle? Most of us have. There’s a deep sense of satisfaction watching the image slowly come together through tedious effort and clever tactics. But for some, putting the puzzle can be frustrating. There might be one piece, just ONE piece, that’s missing from a section, and it can drive you mad looking for it. Here’s the thing — content marketing can be a lot like a puzzle, with many pieces coming together to make something amazing. Unfortunately, content marketers often get fixated on a single piece, leaving the rest of the puzzle unassembled. That piece is, very often, “Search Engine Optimization (SEO).” SEO and content marketing are becoming two pieces to a puzzle in today’s friendly online marketing era. Yet, SEO as a separate piece has still earned more than its fair share of attention. Frankly, it’s not hard to understand why. Getting to the front page of a search engine like Google can seem like the make-or-break gauge of success for a piece of content. But there’s a lot more to what makes a fantastic SEO and content marketing strategy, where you win with both Google and readers; and ignoring it will simply leave you with an incomplete puzzle. A holistic approach to it all is what you need today in order to win. A Holistic Approach: How SEO and Content Marketing Fit Together Thankfully, there are definitive steps you can take to ensure a holistic approach to your SEO and content marketing strategy. Here’s how: 1. Learn the Difference Between Advertising and Marketing One major mistake marketers tend to make with their content is making it overly advertorial or salesy. Sure, potential customers might stumble across your blog through a referral, or a backlink, or a search engine. But if they’re looking for helpful information or a solution to their problem and all they find is an advertisement for your latest product or service, they’ll feel alienated right off the bat. In fact, 28% of Americans actively seek to avoid advertisements online, according to Hubspot. And advertisers are the second most hated group online, only falling behind criminals and hackers. Yup. If your content becomes perceived as a sneaky advertisement, you might quickly find your brand being seen in a light you never intended. It doesn’t matter how great your SEO is if you’re creating content that is entirely self-serving. Truly great content will help to inform and assist the reader, rather than cajole them into a conversion. The positive impression a reader engaging with your content will have a far greater impact than merely a sales pitch alone. Customers who feel serviced and satisfied will willfully engage with more of your content, explore your brand in greater depth, and even recommend you to others. And here’s the best part — all these efforts to ensure your content benefits a potential customer will pay dividends in SEO. It’s Not Just About Keywords Anymore It’s not just about keywords anymore. There’s a lot more to building a comprehensive SEO strategy. Among the most effective methods to increase search engine visibility is generating quality backlinks from other sites. And, simply put, no one is going to link back to an advertisement. People link back to valuable, easy-to-understand, hyper-relevant content. If you break out of the mindset of needing to convert every reader with a sales pitch tucked in every piece of content, you’ll find your SEO improving in tandem with your conversions. 2. Write Exceptional, Meaty, Evergreen Content for Your SEO and Content Marketing Campaigns How long does it take to put together a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle? No matter how good you are, it’s a time consuming process — and effective content creation is no different. Anyone can whip up a stubby blog a couple hundred words long stuffed with the requisite keywords. As a matter of fact, many are already doing it. It’s a super bad habit, and a perfect example of a strategy focused purely on SEO and not on content. There’s evidence to back this up, too. Neil Patel of Quicksprout found that posts he made over 1500 words received 68% more tweets and 22% more Facebook likes than shorter posts. That’s a massive boost for a more thorough article. Even if you have good intentions about informing your audience, if it’s not well-researched and relevant, it won’t appeal to readers. In content marketing, it’s not the thought that counts — it’s the product. With that said, it’s important to dig deep into your subject matter to create content that’s so thorough, readers will frequently return to you for their information. Speaking of information, that’s the other thing you’re going to have to consider. What kind of information do you intend to share? It can seem daunting to break new ground, especially in fields that are written about with extreme frequency (here’s looking at you, content marketing.) Thus, it can be a bit tempting to jump on current events and tie your content to that. Trending hashtag? Next blog post. Viral challenge? Gotta upload a branded video. There’s just one problem — this type of content has a short shelf-life and won’t have the long-term impact it could. That’s why you need to build a foundation of “evergreen” content for your marketing strategy. Evergreen content involves creating pieces that are relevant for as long as possible (ideally forever, but things do change and need to be updated.) When you develop a marketing strategy, consider developing content that won’t become outdated anytime soon. This means it can continue to draw views, shares and backlinks well after its publication, giving you a long-term SEO boost as a consequence. In the long run, your dedication to creating long-lasting and meaningful content will result in a wealth of engaging and relevant material that will drive readership years after it is written. This doesn’t mean you have to completely ignore current events — quite the opposite. Making your content relevant to the experiences of your viewers is essential. … Read more

#ContentWritingChat June 21 2016 Recap: The Basics of Optimizing Your Content Correctly for Search Engines

August 4, 2022June 24, 2016 by Rachel Moffett

Did you miss #ContentWritingChat this week? There’s no need to worry, my friend. We have you covered with a recap of our latest chat (and it’s a good one). Go ahead and dive into our recap and brush up on your SEO skills with this week’s tips! #ContentWritingChat June 21 2016 Recap: The Basics of Optimizing Your Content Correctly for Search Engines Join us for #ContentWritingChat on Tuesday, June 21st at 10 AM CDT with guest host @sherrybonelli! pic.twitter.com/Nb3R9N83nn — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) June 14, 2016 For this week’s chat, our guest host was Sherry Bonelli. Sherry is an expert digital marketer (hailing back from 1998), the founder of Early Bird Digital Marketing, and has been featured on the TODAY Show, CNN, ABC. She joined us to share her tips on optimizing your written online content for search engines. Q1: What are the basics copywriters should know about SEO? You don’t have to be an SEO expert to optimize your online content. If you’re a natural writer, knowing the basics will just refine your existing skills to help you create fantastic content that Google will love. Check out these tips from the chat: A1: Everyone can learn enough SEO basics to make a difference! Don’t overthink it. #ContentWritingChat — Sherry Bonelli (@sherrybonelli) June 21, 2016 A1: Title & Description get people’s attention in SERPs. Use keywords. #ContentWritingChat — Sherry Bonelli (@sherrybonelli) June 21, 2016 Don’t forget that everyone can learn the basics of SEO and even small optimizations can make a difference. As Sherry said, the title of your content and its description will get the attention of potential readers. Make sure you’re using the right keywords to rank higher and attract your ideal reader. A1. Even a basic understanding of the language people use to talk about your industry will help your writing. #contentwritingchat — Kristen Dunleavy (@KristenWritesIt) June 21, 2016 Great advice from Kristen! Understand the language people use within your industry. You need to get inside their heads to choose the keywords they’ll be searching for. A1. Write for the audience- talk like you’re talking to a real person. Keywords matter but are second to utility. #ContentWritingChat — Epictions (@epictions) June 21, 2016 Write with your audience in mind. You want to write for humans, not for robots. Keywords come second. A1: How to do keyword research; it’s vital to reaching your audience. Also, how to use keywords naturally. #contentwritingchat — Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) June 21, 2016 Make sure you know how to do keyword research. To find the ideal keywords for your content, you’ll need to know how to research them effectively and which tools you should use. A1. Copywriters should know why SEO matters, what keywords are and how to use them effectively. #contentwritingchat — Brittany Brander (@BrittanyBrander) June 21, 2016 Brittany said to make sure you know why SEO matters. Of course, don’t forget about those all-important keywords either. A1 Basic #SEO Title, tags, meta description, H1,H2, keywords, search volume, long list #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/UVjVw39uAi — Varun Kumar (@varunkr842) June 21, 2016 Varun suggested that you learn about title, tags, meta description, and headers. You should also understand how to choose the correct keywords. A1a Know how to write good meta titles & descriptions. “Free PPC.” Huge for SEO benefits and ROI from content rankings #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy (@JuliaEMcCoy) June 21, 2016 Our CEO, Julia, said to make sure you know how to write good meta titles and descriptions. Those are key for ranking your content! A1. Focus on using the right keywords in titles/headlines and tag images with appropriate keywords as well. #ContentWritingChat — Cheryl Joy (@CherylJoy2) June 21, 2016 Cheryl said to focus on using the right keywords for your content and in your titles and headings. Don’t forget to tag your images with the appropriate keywords as well. This is a step that’s easy to overlook! A1: I use the @yoast SEO plugin to help keep me on the right track with SEO. #ContentWritingChat — Zachary Fenell (@zacharyfenell) June 21, 2016 Zachary relies on the Yoast SEO plugin for WordPress to keep him on track when it comes to optimization. We’re right there with you! A1: First & foremost, it has to be natural. I’ve encountered keyword-stuffed copy too often — burns the eyes, it does. #contentwritingchat — Ryan Eisenacher (@ImAGirl_YouKnow) June 21, 2016 Ryan knows keyword stuffing isn’t cool. Make sure the copy you write sounds natural, otherwise it can be a turn-off for your reader. A1) Keep your content natural. Don’t force your #SEO because the search engines will see through it. Optimise not force. #contentwritingchat — Jim Carter (@MSLJim) June 21, 2016 Jim said to keep your content natural. Don’t force your SEO. Q2: Should you optimize every piece of content you create? Is it worthwhile to optimize every piece of content you publish online? Here’s what some of our chat participants had to say: A2: Yes. Every piece of content you write should be optimized. Even if it’s print material…#ContentWritingChat — Sherry Bonelli (@sherrybonelli) June 21, 2016 Sherry believes in optimizing all of the content you create, even print material. A2: No. Depends on what the content is for. If PPC landing page, definitely zero need to do SEO #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/HpEMsOeCZ2 — ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) June 21, 2016 Sarah from ThinkSEM said you don’t need to optimize all of your content. Ultimately, it depends what the content is for. Certain pages on your site don’t necessarily need to rank. A2) Only optimize what is relevant. Such as our “about” or “contact us” page may not be relevant. #contentwritingchat — Scott Johnson (@iScottJohnson) June 21, 2016 Scott said pages such as your About page and your Contact page don’t need to be optimized. Make sure you’re optimizing what’s relevant. @writingchat a2 When we write, we want it to reach everyone, and optimizing it will ensure wider reach #contentwritingchat — Atulmaharaj (@Atulmaharaj) June 21, 2016 For the content you want to reach a wide audience, make sure you’re taking the time … Read more

ContentWritingChat May 10 2016 Recap: How to Kill it in SEO Rankings with Great Content

November 16, 2020May 13, 2016 by Rachel Moffett

Did you miss our #ContentWritingChat this week? If you did, you missed a great chat! However, there’s no need to feel left out because we have a round-up of some of the tweets from Tuesday’s chat. Get caught up on our session and learn more about SEO and great content! #ContentWritingChat May 10 2016 Recap: How to Kill it in SEO Rankings with Great Content Q1: What are the basics of SEO every online writer should know? Many people are intimidated by SEO, but it doesn’t have to be hard. You just need to start with the basics! Here are some things every online writer needs to know when it comes to optimizing content: A1b) Where are your competitors beating you, and how can you make a play for their rank? Can you? Should you? #ContentWritingChat — Jeff Reno(e) (@Renoe) May 10, 2016 Great answers from Jenn! She says you need to know how to research, but you should also keep an eye on your competitors. In what areas are they beating you? How can you improve? Use that to your advantage! A1: They need to know how to research keywords and how to include them properly in a title and article. #contentwritingchat — Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) May 10, 2016 A1. How to search for keywords. Long-tail keywords are your friend. #ContentWritingChat — Brittany Brander (@BrittanyBrander) May 10, 2016 One thing you absolutely need to know: How to research keywords. If you want to optimize your posts, you need to make sure you’re choosing the best keywords for your content. And yes, those long-tail keywords are your friend! A1: The basics are keyword focus, heading tags, meta descriptions, and relevance. What’s trending? What value is added? #ContentWritingChat — Ryan Clutter (@Ryan1SEO) May 10, 2016 Ryan said you need to know which keywords to focus on, how to use heading tags, and how to include meta descriptions. More importantly, you need to make sure your content and the chosen keywords are relevant. Are you adding value to your audience? A1) Also – how to prioritise between topics/terms and determine potential value. Learn tools like @semrush & @moz #ContentWritingChat — Tim Fawkes (@Tim_Fawkes) May 10, 2016 Tim said you should be able to prioritize between topics/terms and figure out their potential value. He recommends using tools like SEMrush and Moz. A1: How 2 do good keyword research,Understand users’ search INTENT & Smart placement of keywords #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/ktPe3uV1An — Amel Mehenaoui (@amelm) May 10, 2016 Amel brings up a great point when it comes to placement of keywords. The days of keyword stuffing are long gone, my friends. (It was never cool anyway!) You should work your keywords into your content in a way that sounds natural, not spammy. Q2: How can you gain better rankings in Google’s search results through good content? Optimizing your posts for search engines is about more than just keywords, meta descriptions, etc. You always need to focus on providing good content first and foremost. Google loves good content and so do your readers! A2: Know what audience is seeking. Check analytics – what content is getting you the most hits? #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/kbOWaAgYkf — Eliza David, Author (@elizadwrites) May 10, 2016 Eliza knows how important it is to keep your audience in mind when creating. What do your readers want to see? How can you help them and add value? Your analytics are a great place to see which posts get the most traffic, which keywords your audience is searching, and more. Create more of what they want! A2: Consistency in you messaging while strategically using words that target KW you want to increase rankings against. #ContentWritingChat — Jeff Reno(e) (@Renoe) May 10, 2016 Jenn’s advice: Be consistent and be strategic about your keywords. A2: Focus on 1 core keyword & create content more engaging than what’s out there, which generates shares & links. #ContentWritingChat — Ryan Clutter (@Ryan1SEO) May 10, 2016 Ryan said to focus on one main keyword and make sure you create engaging content. That’s sure to get noticed by the search engines and your audience! A2: Content relevant to page/business, useful for readers, bulletted where possible#ContentWritingChat https://t.co/Z3tIAVnuMl — Monica Nastase (@MonicaNastase) May 10, 2016 Monica said to make sure the content you’re writing is relevant to your business. That’s key! You want to stay on topic. A2) Creating authoritative content makes Google see you as useful = better results #ContentWritingChat — Tim Fawkes (@Tim_Fawkes) May 10, 2016 As Tim said, authoritative content helps Google see your content as being useful. Respond to the needs of your audience by writing amazing posts. A2. Know your keywords, but the focus should always be the quality of your content. Good content gets found! #contentwritingchat — Kristen Dunleavy (@KristenWritesIt) May 10, 2016 A2: Good content = audience finds it useful. They’ll share/promote/link to it, etc. #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/Xqw8FpPi3p — ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) May 10, 2016 A2: If you have good valuable content, people will want to link to it, which in turn helps your rankings. #contentwritingchat — Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) May 10, 2016 A friendly reminder from these three chatters: If you create good, valuable content, your audience will want to share it! Focus on providing quality content every single time. Q3: What are some don’ts to avoid when it comes to SEO? There are some things you should avoid when it comes to SEO, otherwise you risk being penalized by Google and turning off your readers. A3 Don’t write for #Search Engines, write for humans, don’t do anything BLACK HAT! #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/FLpjXiVsdY — Debi Norton (@BRAVOMedia1) May 10, 2016 A3 focus on your #Content – write for people not for search engines #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/udnbCGzg2G — Varun Kumar (@varunkr842) May 10, 2016 Debi and Varun are spot-on with their answers! Write for humans, not search engines. Providing great content for your readers should always be your number one priority. A3. No. keyword. stuffing. ever. ? #contentwritingchat — Kristen Dunleavy (@KristenWritesIt) May 10, 2016 A3: Over doing it on keywords. … Read more

#ContentWritingChat February 9 2016 Recap: SEO in 2016 and Beyond with Jeff Deutsch

December 31, 2020February 12, 2016 by Rachel Moffett

Rachel is our team Social Media Specialist. If you missed this week’s #ContentWritingChat, you’re in luck! We have rounded-up some of the best tweets from our chat on Tuesday, February 9th at 10 AM CST. Ready to dive in and learn more about SEO? Keep reading! #ContentWritingChat February 9 2016 Recap: SEO in 2016 and Beyond with Jeff Deutsch Join us Tuesday, February 9th at 10 AM CST for another #ContentWritingChat! Guest host: @jgdeutsch! pic.twitter.com/GGILjEbURu — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) February 2, 2016 Our guest host this week was Jeff Deutsch. Jeff is the VP of Marketing for Ptengine and a contributor to Inbound.org. (Check out the post where he got famous: Confessions of a Google Spammer.) Jeff is super knowledgeable in SEO. He joined our chat to share his expertise on the best SEO practices you should be using. We were so excited to have him joining us! Q1: How would you describe the process of SEO (in your own words)? #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/YbhrZiOT2E — ContentWritingChat (@writingchat) February 9, 2016 A1: Convincing search engine algorithms that your content is the most relevant and authoritative on the subject (1/2) #ContentWritingChat — Jeff Deutsch (@jgdeutsch) February 9, 2016 A1: BUT Google’s algorithms are trying to become as good as an expert human on the subject. So write for humans! (2/2) #ContentWritingChat — Jeff Deutsch (@jgdeutsch) February 9, 2016 A1 Optimizing your online content for the human-robot-search-engine that Google has become. #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy (@JuliaEMcCoy) February 9, 2016 As Jeff and our CEO, Julia, pointed out, SEO is about optimizing your content for search engines. You want Google to view your content as relevant and authoritative in order to rank higher in search results. Jeff also gives us a very important reminder about making sure you’re writing for humans. Google’s algorithms keep getting better and better and you want to keep up – and this is a key way. Q2: What are some key ways to gain better Google rankings? #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/rLlzKm7CbT — ContentWritingChat (@writingchat) February 9, 2016 A2: ROI-focused keyword research. Most SEOs just look for keywords with huge search volume. That’s not enough. #ContentWritingChat. — Jeff Deutsch (@jgdeutsch) February 9, 2016 A2: Pick the right keywords to describe your content. Make sure keywords are in your title, content, alt-tags, etc. #ContentWritingChat — Kavita Chintapalli (@kavita1010) February 9, 2016 A2: Is your website optimized beyond keywords in the page title, body copy, etc. Think site speed & mobile. #contentwritingchat — Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) February 9, 2016 Kavita mentioned the importance of keywords in her answer. Make sure you’re selecting the right keywords for your content. Use keywords that people are actually searching for so you can reach them. Include keywords in your post title, throughout your content, and in the alt tags for your images. Don’t forget to think beyond keywords, too. Netvantage brings up a great point about making sure your website is optimized. Google favors websites that are mobile-friendly and have quick loading times. If it wasn’t already obvious by the answers from Jeff, Kavita, and Netvantage Marketing, picking the right keywords is essential! You want to target the keywords your audience is actually searching, otherwise you cannot expect them to find your content. Kavita added a great tip which is to make sure you’re including your focus keyword in your post title, throughout the post itself, and in the alt tags for your images. Very important! However, don’t forget to think beyond keywords. Netvantage Marketing reminds us the importance of having an optimized website. Google favors websites that are mobile-friendly and ranks them higher in search results. You also want to have faster page-loading times because that’s a good thing to Google! Q3: Describe good standards for SEO content in today and the future. #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/5uKTLzQOHL — ContentWritingChat (@writingchat) February 9, 2016 Q3: Make your content relevant AND authoritative. Ask yourself, “Would an expert on this subject link to this?” #ContentWritingChat — Jeff Deutsch (@jgdeutsch) February 9, 2016 A3: Informative & engaging copy that answers users questions. Establish yourself as an authoritative & expert source. #ContentWritingChat — Ryan Clutter (@Ryan1SEO) February 9, 2016 What are some good standards for SEO content? Follow the advice from Jeff and Ryan and make sure all of your content is relevant and authoritative. High-quality content is key first and foremost! Try asking yourself Jeff’s question the next time you’re writing, “Would an expert on this subject link to this?” If not, you might want to step it up! Q4: How does SEO fit into “storytelling” content and why is it important? #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/MPxzMnkK86 — ContentWritingChat (@writingchat) February 9, 2016 A4: Storytelling connects the reader to you emotionally and makes her support you–and willing to share your content. #ContentWritingChat — Jeff Deutsch (@jgdeutsch) February 9, 2016 A4 Storytelling is MEMORABLE. We remember, share, identify w/ a good story. Storytelling = future of good SEO content #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy (@JuliaEMcCoy) February 9, 2016 Jeff and Julia provided great answers for this question! Storytelling is important for building a connection between you and your reader. That kind of connection is memorable to your readers and is going to make them want to share your work. Focus on building a stronger relationship with your readers to grow your brand. Q5: What are ways to earn links naturally for SEO? #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/mdzwS4jWVY — ContentWritingChat (@writingchat) February 9, 2016 A5: Build a BRAND. Be known as “that guy” or “that woman.” This will build you a following that will share your content. #ContentWritingChat — Jeff Deutsch (@jgdeutsch) February 9, 2016 A5: Compelling content MIGHT earn some links on its own but w/o manual promotion you’re leaving links on the table (1/2) #contentwritingchat — Andrew Dennis (@AndrewDennis33) February 9, 2016 A5: If you’re investing time & effort into creating great content, you should put equal effort into promotion (2/2) #contentwritingchat — Andrew Dennis (@AndrewDennis33) February 9, 2016 To naturally earn links for SEO, focus on providing quality content for your audience. When you create valuable content for your audience, they’ll want … Read more

How Express Writers Gained Over 300 Keyword Positions In One Day in Google (Case Study)

December 31, 2020November 9, 2015 by Adam Oakley

The other day, I was poking around in my favorite SEO analytic software of choice, SEMrush, checking on our rankings. My team at Express Writers has a Guru subscription there that allows us to see detailed analytics of our site–and I mean detailed. We see a ton of keyword position data down to the most recent keyword ranking change of our site in Google, as of just an hour ago. (If you haven’t already, go check out SEMrush here.) Well, a couple days ago I was doing my biweekly SEO audit of all of our keyword positions and pulling keyword data for new content. I was shocked to see that the positions changes mapped a huge spike: as of October 28, 302 new keyword gains. In 24 hours. And our traffic had spiked up to the most I’d ever seen: 1,251 people on one day. What Exactly Are We Doing In Google? Let me give you a little look at exactly how we’re getting and maintaining our positions with Google before I delve into the recent major keyword growth. 1. Content We write and publish about 3-4 blogs on our site a week, ranging from 1,000-3,000 words each. So since 2011, we have 642 blogs published on our WordPress site (this one makes 643): This isn’t counting the hundreds of guest blogs I’ve placed on places like SiteProNews, Search Engine Journal, Social Media Examiner, and more. Also, we have about 50-80 website pages, maybe 400-800 words each. 2. Traffic So, with that insight into just how much we publish, now it’s time to see what the results are. We have some serious organic traffic. I’ve never placed a Google paid ad in all my four years of business; and never will. I believe in great content brainstorming, writing and publishing, and it is what is keeping us strong. And sometimes just this process can take me 40 hours a week. It isn’t easy, but it is thoroughly worth it. SEMrush puts our traffic at a value of $6,800 (what we would pay if we were paying for ad clicks). We have 3,000 keywords indexed in Google, with over 100 in the top 5 positions of Google. We’re outranking a large number of our competitors in the content creation niche. Let’s look at the graph on the right a little deeper: Whoa! This month we have the most site traffic we’ve ever had, with 1,251 people visiting in a single day the first week of November. 3. How We Gained 300+ Rankings In One Day Here’s what I saw that stopped me in my tracks the other day. I clicked on Position Changes under Organic Research, in SEMrush: See that? 302 new rankings in a single day! Clicking on what was “new,” some of these showed we were position 11 for “modern copywriter,” #3 for “copywriting companies”, and #19 for “website content”: The orange bar below showed we’d lost 200 keywords. But clicking on that, I saw they were mostly unrelated keywords—like “express for her,” “sprinkles icing,” and more. Except for a few pivotal ones we’d lost a few positions on (looks like I need to refresh some old SEO content), the “lost” weren’t too bad. How The Heck Did We Get 300+ Keywords In One Day? I have a couple theories. First, Google RankBrain is out. It came out two days before our rankings showed a major spike. Read my blog on RankBrain here. RankBrain is an AI system that basically could be replacing Google’s old way of doing its algorithm, and it exposed 15% of the web that Google hadn’t shed light on before. I’m sure RankBrain is showing a lot more website owners rankings they didn’t know they ever had. RankBrain means we’ll all be able to see a whopping 15% more in analytics and positions online that our sites and content are ranking for—all the more reason to start publishing great content! Secondly, Google has still been rolling out Panda, AND, topical trust flow has recently been making big waves (it’s replacing PageRank and focuses on reporting relevant content in higher rankings). Topical trust flow weight could be mostly likely why we lost our unrelated rankings, too. All this is probably tied into the quality of the RankBrain AI. Lastly, we’ve been working hard on our content. Over the past month, I’ve revamped and improved our blogging and content publishing quality. Here are just a few of the changes: SEO audit of our blogs (I just corrected 35 “bad SEO” blogs, rewrote their meta descriptions and edited the copy, over the last 3 weeks, and took them to green SEO on the Yoast plugin) More SEO research and keyword planning with SEMrush for each post Heavier research and analyzing of topics and what goes into each post Custom drawings and illustrations, like this one, for many of our posts At least one infographic written, designed and published per month Re-purposing of infographics into SlideShares, RSS content to pull guest traffic Email marketing bi-weekly that sends a blog roundup to our subscriber list We Know What It Takes To Help You To end this post, I’d like to emphasize that any one of our clients can see these results. We’re not only writers with pens over here. My team not only writes great SEO optimized content, but we plan it, too—and we use SEMrush! Our team includes strategists that map out monthly editorial calendars for our clients, audit websites to remove anything that could be hurting websites, and similar services. We’ve seen content success truly happen for us – this post proves that – and we know exactly what it takes to get even a brand new website client onboard with publishing great content that gets both the eye of a reader and Google (albeit if Google, a robotic eye). If you’re ready to get serious about content and thus, your rankings and readers, check out our Content Shop!