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You don’t have to wait months or years to get high rankings in Google. Through Google News, you can instantly shoot up to page 1 of Google.
Now Google already gives you a set of guidelines, but here is what I found is effective:
1. You have to write news worthy content – if you are struggling to find news content you can go to Google Trends or any popular news site to see what’s hot.
2. Create a Google News Sitemap – through the Yoast SEO plugin you can create a sitemap. This way when you have news worthy content they will pick it up faster.
3. Your URL structure has to be unique – if you don’t have news related keywords within your URL you are less likely to rank. By having specific keywords you will shoot up to the top for news related queries.
In addition to that, follow the guidelines Google News gives and you will be fine.
Quite often I give presentations to groups of entrepreneurs who think that social media is all about building up followers and fans. You hire a social media intern to share some updates, you get some fans and followers, and that somehow generates business for you.It doesn’t work that way. People get impressed with lots of followers on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, but the truth is, the majority of those followers never see your content and you don’t get a lot of value from them. Your focus should not be on social media. What I tell to the groups I speak to is that they need to focus on strategic content, relationships, and technology. I’m not saying social media is not important, but if you switch your focus a little, your social following will be a lot more valuable. It’s not all about the numbers, and in this article I’ll explain why....
When was the last time you created something online that went viral?Whether you're new to content marketing or are a viral content maven, you probably know that it can be nearly impossible to predict which tweet or video or meme might go viral. Often, it feels like virality is just completely random. We asked three content marketing experts to weigh in on what they think makes some content super-popular while other content goes straight to the internet graveyard.Drawing from their own knowledge and experience, they share their perspectives below. Learn what they think sets viral content apart....
Over 2 million blog posts are published each day. No wonder many marketers struggle with inventing fresh content ideas to fuel their marketing efforts. Yet, 99% marketers agree that a constant supply of inventive ideas is critical to marketing success, according to research conducted by content marketing expert Jean Spencer. So, here are seven tactics to help you overcome your idea-generation hurdles....
When it comes to writing text for your blog and social media posts, many marketers wonder, "But what's the character limit?" It's never a simple question -- sometimes, it's answered by parameters established by certain channels. And on other occasions, it's more a question of what's ideal. For example, you probably know the character limit for a tweet is 140, but did you know that the ideal length is actually less than that? (Hold tight -- we'll explain why.) While we've written before about optimizing your actual content, we thought it would be helpful to gather the numbers of character limits -- both enforced and ideal -- for different online channels, all in one place.  Below, you'll find a more detailed guide to character limits and ideal character counts for posts on your blog, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, SnapChat, and YouTube....
When it comes to content strategy, a lot has been said about the importance of keeping a steady stream of fresh content flowing through your distribution channels. Marketers have listened. According to the Content Marketing Institute (CMI), 76 percent of content marketers produced more content in 2016 than they did in 2015. That content stream will only increase in 2017. This trend has been with us for years. According to an October 2016 TrackMaven blogging report: Over the last five years, the average number of blog posts published per brand per month increased by 800 percent. However, over the same time the average number of social shares per post (from Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest) decreased by 89 percent....
Although there are more than 100 types of content that one can actually create, we dilute most of our energy and resources in producing what most others do, news and light article content, without ever considering that there exist a ton of other content alternatives that could be utilized.
This is why I have decided to create this catalogue of content types. To remind writers and editors, that there are a tens of alternative opportunities for creating valuable content and that it is only up to me and you to pick them up and use them.
While there have been other attempts at listing and cataloging formats and types of content that can be published online (which I have listed and referenced at the end of this article), I have tried to improve upon them, not just by extending the number of formats covered (over 100), but also by identifying relevant examples, and where possible, appropriate tools, that can be useful to create that specific type of content....
For the last couple of years we have heard nothing but declarations of the importance of content marketing, and that it really needs to be the driving force behind our SEO campaigns. 'Content is King', remember? Well you will find no disagreement from me, however just because content rules all that doesn't mean that all content was created equally or that every single bit of it is worth doing. So do yourself - and your marketing budget - a favour and stop wasting your time with these three outdated content marketing tactics....
At the end of 2015, Tom Napper had a problem. Jockey, the 140-year-old apparel brand, had recently hired him to oversee advertising and integrated marketing. But Napper had little to work with. The company’s CMO had recently departed. His skeleton team consisted of three people: a social media strategist, a public relations manager, and a content editor (who would depart the team just two months later). And his marketing budget had dissolved. All that remained were a few dollars for social media advertising. “What else could we do in marketing with no money?” Napper, Director, Advertising and Integrated Marketing Communications, remembers asking himself.He surveyed the promotional channels at his disposal and landed on Jockey’s blog, which the marketing team updated sporadically. “I saw a huge opportunity,” Napper says. “If we could create content for the blog and social media that would drive up organic search around key terms, that would be a win.”...
Throughout my career, long-form content has always been an important part of my marketing strategy. And most of the radically successful entrepreneurs I know also use long-form content. Coincidence? I don’t think so. I know what you’re thinking: “But how can I write these humongous articles? I don’t even know where to start.” If you have an idea for an article in mind, that’s enough to get started. All you need is an idea, some time, and good Googling skills. Over the years, I’ve honed the process of writing long-form content that works for any topic. It’s so easy to learn, I bet you’ll finish your first 3,000+ word article within a few days....
Creating high-quality content is critical to content marketing success. With more than 2 millions blog posts published every day, you need a way to make your content stand out. But you’re probably wondering, “How do I create high-quality content that drives traffic and engagement?” Today, I will make things easy for you. I am going to show you 17 techniques you can use to improve the quality of your content in no time....
Blogging may be an elder statesman when it comes to the formats content marketers have at their disposal, but that doesn’t mean the technique is ready to go the way of the dinosaur. In fact, CMI’s 2016 B2B Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends report found that 81% of content marketers include blogging among their techniques. But, as with any tactic, blogging has been impacted by many shifts in marketing best practices, consumer behaviors, and technological advances. What are the latest trends in blog creation and usage, and how do these shifts impact blogging’s role in your content marketing strategy? Orbit Media’s second annual survey of 1,000 bloggers aimed to answer these questions. While Orbit Media co-founder Andy Crestodina’s own summary focuses on changes over the past year, the results also reveal some trends that gradually have been gaining momentum over a longer time. Below are some of the findings that we at CMI found to be particularly intriguing, along with some actions that we suggest to help you take full advantage of this powerful content marketing format....
Every great marketing campaign relies on being able to communicate your story, whether that be the story of your brand or the products or services that sit at the center of your company. However, brand storytelling is becoming the foundation of many content marketing campaigns and for a good reason. A powerful, creative and insightful way of providing that coveted personal connection between company and customer, if incorporated correctly, storytelling offers a progressive strategy that has the potential to strengthen your brand, drive sales, enhance customer loyalty and in turn improve retention. At first glance the science of storytelling may appear to be fairly straightforward but as is the case with all marketing tactics, ensuring this natural love every human is hardwired to have a good story concisely communicates your brand message isn’t as easy as many marketing professionals make out. The power of storytelling, however, is right there for the taking, and by following these golden rules, you can transform your marketing plan or your client’s for the better....
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In a world where everyone seems to be constantly churning out content, you may be feel like you’re not doing enough. However, there’s an upside and a downside to what I’m about to tell you. The upside is: There is no universal “right amount” of content to publish. There’s no magic publishing cadence for achieving content marketing success. Rather, the key is to figure out how much high-quality content you can produce on a regular basis – and then maximize it through your distribution channels to reach your goals. And that’s the downside: You have to find your own best publishing cadence – based upon your goals – through testing, trial, error, and optimization....
Are you using your blog for business? Wondering how to combine blog posts with social media content to move people through the sales cycle? In this article, you’ll discover how to use blog posts to create social media content at every stage of your marketing funnel....
In an era where more than 2 million blog posts are published per day, promotion is the crucial piece to the marketing puzzle that’s so important but also so easy to screw up. If you aren’t taking the time to squeeze the most out of your content in terms of promotion, you’re shooting yourself in the foot.If you want to see actual results from your content, from more shares and comments to “likes” and leads, perhaps it’s time to rethink how you spend your time creating content....
One of the best ways to demonstrate your relevance and expertise is by publishing thoughtful and valuable content to educate, inspire, and entertain your target audience. The problem is, it’s a lot of work! So, how do you avoid CMF? The answer: Get smarter with content creation. Yes, there are fantabulous ways, like working with guest bloggers, to keep the original ideas and perspectives flowin’. But even so, when it comes to content creation, you need to get the most bang for your buck (time is money, right?). Try upcycling: The simple process of repurposing old content into something new and improved.
Too many would-be content creators are searching for their magic feather–the book, online course, or perfect antique typewriter that will make them a writer. And while they search, they can’t or won’t write. So Ann began her session at Social Media Marketing World by asking us all to recite a pledge out loud: “I don’t believe in unicorns, fairies, or Santa. There is no magic feather.” Despite the slander against Mr. Claus (who I have on good authority is very real), it’s a crucial first step. You have to know that good writing is a learned skill, not something magically bestowed on those with the right talisman. You can do it. You can get better at it. Here are Ann Handley’s five tips for writing “ludicrously spectacular” content....
By delivering content that is both timely and helpful for the niche it is aimed at, it builds the image of your brand as someone that genuinely knows your customers and the problems they are facing, and how you can help them overcome these obstacles. Being an authority builds trust – something that customers rely on when making purchasing decisions. Great content is also beneficial for your SEO. Blogs with quality content and are greatly connected to your brand have positive effects....
A popular misconception is that content marketing its all about blogging. While blogging is certainly an important and effective component of content marketing, it is not the only one. It may not even be the best way to reach your audience. There are other avenues where your content can be marketed. There are podcasts and video productions which are effective in generating leads. The key in content marketing is delivering your message to your audience regardless of the medium. Here are seven best practices you can follow to ensure effective content marketing:
The creation of mobile devices has made multitasking close to ubiquitous in the modern world. Between social media, live streaming, and digital news, it’s hard to imagine a time of day when we aren’t tempted to look at a screen while we’re doing something else at the same time. Because of this phenomenon, it should come to no surprise that the average human attention span has fallen to just eight seconds -- shorter than that of a goldfish. What’s more, 59% of people share articles on Twitter without even reading them, and more than half of all pageviews are under a minute in length. It’s clear that people aren’t reading as much as they used to, and content creators need to adapt their strategy to that reality. In this post, we’ll discuss strategies and resources marketers can use to create content that will generate clicks, shares, and most importantly, more readers....
If you’ve seen any of CMI’s 2017 Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends research, you may have noticed that the content marketing industry is growing up. In fact, 28% of B2B marketers, and 30% of B2C marketers now say their program has reached the sophisticated or mature stage of progress – the point where their efforts are able to provide measurable value to the business. Increasing sophistication with content doesn’t mean practitioners have outgrown the tools and techniques that helped them reach greater success. And, despite all the channels, formats, and digital innovations emerging in our industry over the last few years, one tried-and-true tactic, in particular, continues to lead the pack when it comes to reliably driving returns on the content investment: blogging....
We’ve recently concluded a significant research effort across our different sites/newsletters that evaluated the effectiveness of different lead generation pieces. This represents more than 1,000 titles across 10 industries. The title of your lead gen content marketing item accounts for 82% of the variance in performance. This is the single most important performance factor. Certainly, you want good content, ideally on a topic that will perform well, but the reality is that the title is hugely important. Of course, when we are talking about performance/effectiveness, it’s a question of whether someone will choose to download it.What did our research find? Here are the 7 Key Factors to creating the most effective title....
Sure, articles let brands talk directly to customers about solving problems, like how to save for a home while paying off student loans, for example. Blog posts have relatively low overhead compared to, say, a national ad campaign or video product release, and in some industries such as finance, they are necessary to edge out competitors trying to capture the same audience. But a content plan with only blog posts is like a diet that consists solely of bananas. Sure they provide some value and it’s safe to eat one per day, but without diversity you’re going to become malnourished. The problem for many brands is they don’t have the data to justify alternative approaches that may cost more than a 600-word article. When our data scientists examined 3,200 stories produced on the Contently platform over the last year, they found that a different type of content outperforms blog posts across most industries: - Infographics reach 54 percent more readers than blog posts. - The median cost to reach one reader for an infographic was $0.04 versus $1.77 for a blog post. -Infographics have a 73 percent completion rate. Blog posts have a 66 percent completion rate....
Engineers and other technical experts take to the web to educate themselves on their options now more than ever before.
When sifting through online content, engineers and other experts in their fields want facts, not a hard sell. They’re conducting serious research.
In fact, according to a study by CEB in partnership with Google, 57 percent of the B2B purchasing process has been completed by the time someone contacts a salesperson.
So, as content marketers, we need to give them the information they need to make smart purchasing decisions. But engineers have already studied for years to accrue their subject matter expertise. Can marketers actually talk intelligently to them online?...
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Scoop.it!
Neil Patel shares tips on getting ranked on page one through Google News.