Want to use video to help more people know, like, and trust you? Wondering how to create episodic video content that keeps people watching? To explore how and why we produce a weekly video documentary, I pull back the curtain on our show, The Journey. More About This Show The Social Media Marketing podcast is
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- Your Guide to the Social Media Jungle
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Contrary to popular belief, the top ranking pages aren't always the best targets for your link building efforts. There are good reasons to chase those links, sure, but there are also drawbacks — as well as some hidden alternatives you may not have considered trying. This Whiteboard Friday delves into the pros and cons of targeting high-ranking sites for links and why you should consider a link intersect strategy, targeting sites that rank for broader topics, and earning links from publications ranking beyond page one of the SERPs.
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Video TranscriptionHowdy, Moz fans, and welcome to another edition of Whiteboard Friday. This week we're chatting about why it may not actually pay to get links expressly or exclusively from the websites and pages that are ranking highly for your keywords. There's a bunch of reasons why behind this. There's a corollary to it, which is high-ranking websites may not always be the best link targets.
Are these the *best* links you can get to rank for "target keyword(s)"?So okay, let's start with this question of when you're trying to rank for a target keyword, let's say you're trying to rank for "stylish sofas." You've decided you want to replace your couch, and you want something stylish. So you search for "stylish sofas." The results that come up, we're not talking about the paid results. That would be a mistake to try and get links from those. They're pretty commercially focused. They probably don't want to link to you, and I'm not sure it's all that valuable, necessarily, at least from an SEO perspective. But are these links, the ones that rank in the organic results top five, are they necessarily the best links you could possibly get? There are some reasons for and some reasons against.
In favor:Let's talk about in favor of why these are good link targets. The first one is pretty simple and pretty obvious.
A. These pages get lots of real visitors interested in this topic who may click on/visit your site (if it's linked-to here)
These pages get a lot of search volume, get a lot of search visits from this query. If you're somewhere in this page, if my website is linked to here, that's actually a really nice thing. Maybe someone will click on the top result and then they'll find me and they'll click on it and they'll go to my page instead. That would be great. So if it's linked to there, you could get direct traffic from those pages, so nice link to have.
B. Google has put some trust/indication of authority in these pages and sites
Google has put some sort of trust and a signal of authority for this keyword by ranking it here. It's saying, "Hey, you know what? This top result and these top results are all highly relevant and authoritative for this particular query."
So those are absolutely true things, but I think they bias SEOs and link builders to think in terms of, oh, if I want to rank well for this, these are the only things I should be looking at or the first things I should be looking at or the best places to get links from.
Here's why that's not necessarily the case, so some points against.
A. Ranking is not actually an explicit signal from Google that these are the best quality links
By putting a page here, in the top of the results, Google is saying, "We, Google, believe that this page will do a great job of solving the searcher's query," not, "We, Google, know that if you get a link from here, you have a very good chance to rank for this keyword." That's not explicitly or implicitly said. It's not an implication. Google has never stated that publicly. I don't think it's necessarily the smartest thing to do in their ranking algorithm to have this recursive system that looks at who that already ranks is linking to someone else and replace them. That would be poor for Google's own user experience for a bunch of reasons.
B. Google and searchers expect that these pages that rank here are going to solve the searcher's query themselves (not force another click)
Not they're going to link to something that's going to solve the searcher's query, at least certainly not necessarily, and definitely that they're not going to force you to make another click. Google wants to rank pages here that solve the searcher's problem directly. So saying, "Oh, well, I don't think they do that and maybe they should link to me to solve this aspect of the problem," this is a spurious connection.
C. Of course, earning links from these pages, incredibly difficult
These people, especially if they're ranking for a commercial, non-branded query, like "stylish sofas," they really, really don't want to link to one of their competitors, to someone who's trying to actively outrank them. That would be pretty challenging.
I recognize that many times when link builders go about this, they look at, okay, this page is ranking. Let me see if I can find another page from this domain from which I can get a link. That's not terrible logic. That's a totally reasonable way to go about link building. But whether it's the best or the only one is what I'm going to challenge here. I don't think it is necessarily the best or only way that you should go about doing your link building for all these reasons we've just talked about.
Alternatively, links like these may be more achievable and provide more ranking value:Now, what are the alternatives? You might be asking yourself, "Well, Rand, show me where should I be doing this if not from here?" I'm going to present a few alternatives. There's obviously an infinite number of link building tactics you could pursue, but I think some of the smarter ones would be to think about some alternatives like...
1. Sites and pages that link to multiple high-ranking targets
For example, if one and three and four are all linked to by SiteA.com, SiteA.com seems to carry, not necessarily for sure, it could be correlation and not causation, but it's certainly worth looking at as to whether Site A is relevant and provides high-quality links and could conceptually link to you and whether that's a good resource. I think that link intersect concept is a really good one to start with. In fact, I think, from a logic perspective, it makes more sense that sites and pages that tend to link to these top results probably provide more potential power to your ranking authority than just the pages that are already ranking.
2. Sites and pages that rank well for what I'd call broader keywords/broader topics related to the space you're in
So if it's "stylish sofas," you might look at keywords like, well, who's ranking for "interior design" or "interior design magazines" or "interior design events" or perhaps it's "decoration ideas." If I can find the people who are ranking for those sorts of things, that probably is going to say those are the types of places that will link out to other resources that have more specific targeting, like targeting "stylish sofas," and probably provide a lot of value there.
3. Influential publications and resources in the topic space that may not be doing good keyword targeting or SEO
I like going and trying to find influential publications and resources, that are in the topic space, that might not actually be doing good keyword targeting or good SEO, which means it's hard to use Google to find them. You may find them ranking on page two, page three, or page four. You may need to do some other types of research, like look on Instagram and see what companies or what publications are using these hashtags and have lots of followers in this interior design or decoration or furniture space.
From there, that will lead you to influential publications in the space that maybe have lots of readership, lots of engagement on social channels or on their website, but haven't done a particularly great job in Google. Those influential publications, I think Google is doing a very good job of identifying, "Hey, wait a minute. Here's a bunch of publications that are in important in space X and they are all linking to this website, which is doing a good job of targeting these keywords. So, therefore, that's who we should potentially rank."
So hopefully, this Whiteboard Friday will help you to expand your link building opportunities and also to recognize why the top ranking pages might not always be and certainly aren't necessarily the best link targets.
Thanks everyone. We'll see you again next week for another edition of Whiteboard Friday. Take care.
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Remember that one time you were tempted to post all 20 images from your friend’s bachelorette party, all at one time, within the 30-minute window it took to filter each and create ~the best~ captions?
Yeah. Don’t do that. (Kim Kardashian, I’m looking at you.)
When should you use Instagram’s slideshow? When the answer to the following question is “yes,” resort to a slideshow: “If my friend posted all these photos individually as single images, would I consider him annoying, self-indulgent, or out-of-touch?”
Even a solid “maybe” in this case elicits a slideshow.
Yes, this goes for brands, too.
Instagram is not a full representation of your life or your brand. We all understand this. With that understanding comes the expectation that you will carefully curate your own photos, selecting only highlights intended for the enjoyment of your audience.
In social media, the enjoyment of your audience always comes first, at least for brands. Here are some tips to help marketers (and everyone else) use Instagram slideshows to benefit both the brand and their audience.
Avoid Insta-Faux PasWhile your audience enjoys your photos, they don’t want to know how much you enjoy your photos. Posting gratuitous photos gives your audience the impression that you, or your brand, is self-obsessed (and not in a trendy way). Oops.
Your audience likes you bunches and wants to know about all the awesome things you do. They love seeing snapshots from your trip or your brand’s philanthropic event. However, they don’t want to see three in a row. (Still looking at you, Kimmy K.)
Think about it this way: It’s cute when you have one missed call from your boyfriend. It’s not cute when you have eight missed calls in the span of five minutes. That’s just overwhelming.
In short, posting too often is a major Instagram faux pas. When you have more than two pictures to share at a time, use a slideshow; avoid appearing insta-rude.
Reduce ClutterYou’ve got to understand a brilliant purpose behind these slideshows: They reduce clutter. It’s the same purpose of the algorithm—the constant challenge social media platforms are facing. With more users comes more content, and not all of it’s valuable. How can we best deliver the content our audience cares about most? How can we reduce the clutter?
Slideshows allow you to share more than one aspect of a story without contributing to the clutter, as @the12ishstyle‘s Katie Sturino has done. Choose up to ten images of your trip, your brand’s philanthropic event, or in Katie’s case, a lookalike Barbie. Publish all images in one post to let your audience explore your slideshow at their leisure, not against their will.
Additionally, if your brand has a healthy social media advertising budget, slideshows allow you to send your target audience the full story, all at one time. Rather than boosting each post under multiple budgets, you can combine the budget for a larger spend, allowing you to reach a larger audience.
Instagram slideshows let your audience explore your images at their leisure, not against their will.
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Creative Storytelling
Slideshows also give brands new, creative ways by which to intrigue audiences or tell their brand story. Comic accounts, for example, use slideshows to tell longer stories than can be told in one photo. The audience can swipe through the slideshow as if turning the pages of a book.
To the delight of their audience, brands can also sneak surprises into slideshows, as I once did for Indiana University, shown below. These little surprises engage your audience, giving them a good laugh while increasing brand affinity. Everyone loves someone, or some brand, who can laugh at herself.
The caption to the slideshow above reads, “Please enjoy these five images of what one might consider g.o.a.t.” At the time, g.o.a.t. stood for greatest of all time. I crack myself up.
User-Generated ContentOne caveat with slideshows is that they still aren’t great when it comes to mass user-generated content (UGC) shares. Therefore, if your brand has an overabundance of quality UGC (lucky you), slideshows may not be your clutter-reduction solution.
Currently, the standard is to post credit to the photographer by tagging her in the caption. As all photos in a slideshow share the same caption, there’s really no graceful way to credit all photographers when sharing more than two pieces of UGC in a slideshow. Yes, you can tag each photographer in their image within the slideshow, but, it might not be considered enough for your generous UGC providers.
On the other hand, Photoshop found a nice way to tell an extraordinary visual story from one photo-editing influencer, @hobopeeba‘s Kristina Makeeva. All photos of the slideshow are examples of Kristina’s work. In the caption, Photoshop provided an explanation of each photo.
If you want to post all 20 of those pictures from your friend’s bachelorette party, first wait until you are 100 percent sober. (You’re welcome for that advice.) Then, choose the two most amazing photos. Post twice, ten photos each. Make sure you lead each slideshow with one of the amazing top two photos.
And there you have it! A faux pas-free, engaging, still self-obsessed (but in a polite, charming way) solution to your over-sharing problems. Your audience will love, adore, and thank you.
The Journey, a Social Media Examiner production, is an episodic video documentary that shows you what really happens inside a growing business. //http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZ6WgPz5u5Y Watch The Journey: Episode 14 Episode 14 of The Journey follows Michael Stelzner, founder of Social Media Examiner, as he continues to pursue what many will see as an impossible goal: to
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- Your Guide to the Social Media Jungle
Wondering how live video can help you make money? Looking for ways to increase the return on your investment in live video? In this article, you’ll discover six ways to develop leads and boost sales using live video. #1: Generate Leads via Teasers and Prompts The popularity of live video makes it a great way
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- Your Guide to the Social Media Jungle
I am so THRILLED to tell you that the Convince & Convert team and I are partnering with our friends at Uberflip to co-produce Conex: The Content Experience, a fantastic event for smart content marketers in August, in the great city of Toronto.
This is year three of Conex. I was one of the speakers for years one and two, and I was so impressed by how good the event was that I asked to partner and co-produce with Uberflip in 2018, and into the future. Plus, I’m an investor in Uberflip (I love their Content Hub technology), so it’s a natural fit.
For my entire career, my rule has been “do not produce events.” Too much time. Too many details. I speak at dozens of events every year, but have never produced one—until now. Why the change? Six reasons:
1. Conex Is IntimateWe’ll have 750 to 950 people at this year’s event—big enough to be dynamic, but small enough to interact and network.
2. Conex Is a BLAST!Uberflip is known for being irreverent, and some say the same about me and my team. From the first minute until the last, this event is going to be fun.
3. Conex Is Super RelevantUberflip helps tons of companies succeed with content marketing. So does my firm. Plus, I’ve written multiple books on the subject, and produce The Content Experience show, which is all about content marketing success. This event is for content marketers and is put together 100 percent by content marketers.
4. Conex Is a Very Strong EventTerrific speakers teaching the latest and greatest content marketing tips and tactics. There’s no fluff. NO PANELS. No bad speakers. All meat. No bun.
5. Conex Is in a Killer LocationToronto is one of North America’s great cities. There’s so much to do, and it’s very easy and affordable compared to many big places in the USA. Also, it’s super convenient, and there are reasonably priced flights for just about everyone. And the event itself is at the remarkable Royal Conservatory of Music’s TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning. Beautiful!
And perhaps most importantly . . .
6. Conex Is a Great DealUntil January 31, full conference passes are just US $499. (Save $400 on this early bird deal.) There is simply no better value for a content marketing event, in my estimation.
Plus, for just another $300 you can add a pre-conference workshop called “How to Create the Perfect Content Marketing Editorial Calendar.” Tickets are limited to about 50, and it will sell out because this exclusive workshop is being taught by the tremendous Anna Hrach, one of the Analysts on my team here at Convince & Convert.
I just approved the curriculum for this workshop, and we’ve loaded it with our best stuff. Tons of value!
I am 110 percent sure that if you’re in content marketing, you will LOVE this event. I want you to be there. We’ve got a while until Conex kicks off August 20, but I wanted to make sure you knew about the January 31 cutoff for the very best price.
The Best Content Marketing SpeakersI believe in Conex so much so that I’m co-producing it and helping select the speakers.
And that’s where I need your help. I want to know who YOU think is a great content marketing speaker. Who is super interesting, and relevant, and smart, and awesome? Who do YOU want to see on stage at Conex?
I would be very grateful if you’d leave a couple of recommendations here. If you do, I promise you I’ll do whatever I can to get them to Toronto.
If you have any questions at all about the event, our workshop, or anything else, just ask here. Either me or Kelly Santina, our Head of Operations, will answer back right away.
Many thanks. Hope to see you in Toronto. Remember, best price ends January 31.
Just like any other form of content out there, an infographic relies on a killer idea to be effective.
It doesn’t matter if an infographic has stunning design and imagery. Unless it covers something that your target audience cares about, then it’s nothing but a colossal waste of time.
Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to come up with something interesting and fresh.
After all, if you run an active content marketing campaign, you may be required to come up with several content ideas on a daily basis. This would leave you feeling as if your mind is squeezed dry of all creative juices.
But what if I told you that you don’t have to generate new ideas 100 percent of the time? If you only know where to look, you can always keep valuable infographic ideas flowing.
Without further ado, here are seven specific strategies that will keep your infographic marketing campaign fueled with valuable ideas:
1.
