Posts

driving online traffic featured image

How to Generate More Organic Traffic

/0 Comments/in , /by

There are a variety of ways to bring traffic to a website, but the best and most sought after is organic traffic. Organic traffic is traffic brought to a website through any means other than paid traffic — people find a website through a search engine or type it into the URL bar.

someone driving online traffic

1. Use the power of social media.
Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Pinterest — the options are endless when it comes to using social media. In a social media dominated world, it’s important to get involved with the platforms that suit your organization the best. Not only is it important to get on those platforms, but it’s important to use them to interact with clients or consumers. Social media has the power to help individuals form relationships with one another to then improve reach of blog posts and information even more.

2. Enhance your SEO.
SEO is a monster to master. There’s so much that can be done, but the most important thing is to be consistent with your efforts. There are big things you can do with SEO and there are small things you can do. You can improve your SEO dramatically by using Google’s Keyword Planner. This tool helps you determine what people are searching to find the information they are looking for. You can also do things like write meta descriptions, adjust the alt text of your images, and link to internal content with creative anchor text. The options are endless when it comes to improving your SEO – it just matters if you want to start big or small.

3. Host a contest.
A contest can be hosted on social media or on your main website. You can give out a large prize or a small prize. You can give out one prize or multiple prizes. Really, there is no limit on the options available when hosting a contest. The important thing about a contest is to engage your audience. They should be giving something to you (engagement with your website or your social media profiles) while you’re also giving something to them.

4. Utilize video.
Users love consuming video. It’s an easily digestible form of content that can be chockfull of information for users. Also, if your consumers are used to seeing long-form written content, a video can spice things up and re-attract people to your website. Adding video, especially auto-play video, can make your website more engaging, ensuring users stay there longer and in turn improve our SEO.

5. Write long-form content.
Long-form content (typically a piece over 1,200 words) has the ability to elicit higher engagement from consumers. Because long-form content is focused on providing valuable information on a specific topic, it is more likely to draw the attention of readers. Long-form content is more likely to get into the specifics of a topic than a 500-800 word piece, which means more keywords can be found within the content to rank for.

6. Create relationships with other organizations.
Don’t think of them as competition, think of other organizations as potential promoters. You see it all the time in the blogging world — people working with others in their industry to promote one product or another.

7. Write eye-catching headlines.
Headlines are the first piece of text someone sees about a story. It’s the hook that should reel someone in to click on a link. If you focus a little bit of effort on perfecting the headline of a piece of content, you are sure to attract more consumers as well as improve your SEO at the same time.

8. Utilize email marketing.
Email marketing is highly overrated these days. It’s the one bit of content you actually own that can benefit you. It’s a direct connection between you and a consumer. Using email can be tricky — you don’t want to overwhelm your consumer with a ton of emails which could lead to them unsubscribing, but you want to utilize this chain of communication to best serve your organization. Stick with zippy emails that engage but don’t overload. Offer special access to information/deals. Keeps them around so they actually want to engage with your information.

9. Build a community.
Through the power of the Internet, the world feels a lot smaller these days. It’s easier for people to connect, especially over brands or companies. There are Facebook pages for people who have certain hobbies, forums for people to discuss their favorite movies, and there can be a place for your organization to connect with consumers and have consumers connect with each other. Allowing for comments and conversation means a place for connection, just make sure to set rules and guidelines (like respect all opinions) if you’re going to make commenting a big part of your outreach.

10. Guest blog and ask for a guest blog in return.
Guest blogging is not dead. Guest blogging is alive and well, and your website might benefit from it. First of all, if you’re not blogging, you should start. Blogging is a great way to consistently create content and connect with consumers. Second of all, blogging is a great way to collaborate with other people in your market, or not in your market. Branch out by getting a guest post from someone in a totally different sector and contribute to their blog yourself. By branching out, you’ll reach a whole new potential market and therefore increase your organic traffic.

Driving more organic traffic to your website can be hard, but it’s not impossible. It takes a little more time and whole lot more effort, but anyone can do it. If you’re looking for help in gaining more traffic through organic methods, contact Cabedge today! With a team of SEO and online traffic experts, we are sure to have someone that should be able to help you reach your goals.

meeting about seo

5 Things to Avoid for Good SEO

/0 Comments/in , /by

Search Engine Optimization feels like this mystical world that needs to be uncovered layer by layer. There’s really not that much to it — create good content and utilize the tools available to you to make sure your content is seen — but still it seems like there are 40 new articles coming out each day about how to best utilize SEO. Today, we are going to talk about what you shouldn’t do. It’s easy to tell you to link-earn, utilize keywords, and share your content, but what about what you’re already doing that you should stop doing right now?

Here are five things you should stop doing in order to improve your SEO today.

seo website design

1. Duplicating content.
Sometimes website creators think the more information the more likely they are to rank for their website. Good idea, but it’s wrong. Google (and other search engines) are sophisticated — they know when information is being duplicated or when there are too many pages on a website and that reflects in the ranking. You might think it’s important to create sub-pages for all the services you provide, but if there’s very little content on those sub-pages, it might be a better idea to keep all your services on one page. Fewer pages that have more information are more likely to rank higher on Google. Additionally, you shouldn’t create ten pages with mostly the same information except for a different title (like if you offer services in different cities). Stick with creating quality content for one page and see how well it ranks.

2. Cut off spammy links. They aren’t benefiting you.
Gaining links/link-building is crucial for good SEO ranking, but having spammy links can actually hinder your chances of changing your ranking. “Spammy” links come about when you outsource your link building or your link gets added to an unprofessional directory. It’s important to find these, and remove them if possible. You can submit a disavow document that tells Google you don’t want to be associated with spammy links, which should help with your ranking.

3. Ignoring extensions and social media.
Having great content and a stellar website is important, but if you’re not utilizing everything at your fingertips, your website ranking will only go so far. For local businesses, Google My Business is essential for high rankings. Adding in all applicable information to this extension helps ensure higher rankings from Google and more clicks from searchers. Additionally, social media is a great way to help your website get ranked. More and more people are using social media search functions to find new products and places to go. Platforms like Yelp are constant resources for locals and tourists when looking for places to go in town, influencers are impacting how consumers choose to spend their hard earned cash, and sharing your content and information on social media helps people see your information more organically. Utilize everything at your fingertips, not just the traditional marketing paths, and you’re ranking are sure to soar to the top.

4. Trying to go too big.
The goal is not to go viral overnight. Viral videos/stars/publicity stunts get a huge moment in the sun, but two weeks later few people remember them. It’s important to work toward consistent growth, which often is smaller than we may hope at the beginning — but it’s consistent. This is important to remember if you’re a local business. If you’re located in Portland with no additional locations and no e-commerce site, it’s important to focus your SEO geographically rather than trying to reach all four corners of the globe. Focus on SEO growth strategically, aiming for consistent growth, and you’ll go up in the search results one by one.

5. Focusing on everything but the content.
At the end of the day, the most important thing you do for your SEO ranking is create good content. It can be frustrating to hear this advice, but it’s the truth. If you don’t have good content, no one is going to stay on your page long enough for its high ranking to matter. Create good content, focus on organic engagement, and the rest will follow.

Are you ready to take the next step with your SEO? Contact Cabedge today. With our team of experts, we will be able to come up with an individualized plan to help improve your SEO today.

person working on seo at a computer

5 Small Ways To Improve Your SEO

/0 Comments/in /by

You’re ready to tackle SEO. You’ve read all the articles, watched all the videos, and you feel sufficiently prepared to help your company rise in the search results. Or, maybe you’ve been working in SEO for years, and you’ve got all the big things down like link-earning and utilizing keywords. That’s great! But before you get too engrossed in the SEO world, don’t forget the simple things you can do on your homepage or in blog posts to take your SEO to the next level. Here at Cabedge, we have five tips for how to improve your SEO in easy, yet impactful ways.

seo chart

1. Add alt text to all your images.
Alt text is a way for search engine crawlers to catalog images on a webpage. Since crawlers can’t visually see the image, alt text is used to describe what action is being depicted in a photo. To improve SEO rankings, alt text can also include the keyword you are trying to rank for. This may seem like a minor detail when it comes to SEO, but the small things can add up to big change on the Internet.

meta description example

2. Add meta descriptions to pages and posts.
Meta descriptions are what appear when a page shows up in the search results (see the example above from Google). These are very important for ranking, especially when they contain a keyword. After the headline, this is the second most important element that can promote a blog post and grab a reader’s attention. Meta descriptions should catch the reader’s attention, utilize keywords, and promote the page or post accurately.

3. Make anchor text work for you.
This is anchor text. It is the text that users can click on to be sent to another page with further information about a topic. Some websites utilize anchor text like this: “Click here to learn more about puppies.” When really it should be used like this: “Puppies are great companions for children.” When the keyword is utilized as the anchor text, it’s another indication to website crawlers that the page is providing valuable information to readers. It’s important to use links, but don’t use too many. Use them when most applicable and most likely to help with your SEO.

4. Utilize headings.
Headings help break up the content on a page, which is helpful when sharing long-form content. Headings make a page/post more user friendly, and they can include keywords, both of which help rank sites better on search platforms.

5. Incorporate different types of media.
Similar to including headings in your posts, incorporating different types of media makes for a better user experience and therefore, better SEO. Photos are great, including them where applicable for visual representation of concepts you discuss, but other types of media can also be helpful when trying to improve your SEO. Embed videos, insert audio clips, or incorporate slideshows to take your page/post to the next level.

If you’re looking for help with your SEO, look no further than Cabedge. Reach out to us today, and get in touch with an SEO expert that can help you improve your search result rankings fast.

computer in an office with images

Digital Marketing: What it is and Why Your Organization Needs It

/0 Comments/in /by

Marketing, as defined by the American Marketing Association is, “the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.”

Digital marketing takes those traditional marketing activities into the digital space. It is a non-traditional field that encompasses a wide range of skills and elements and is essential to achieve success in the world today.

Fundamentals of Marketing

Marketing is all about getting the right message to the right people at the right time. It’s about understanding an audience and catering to their needs. It means staying up-to-date on trends in the digital space and using those up-and-coming communication methods to connect with audience members. Digital marketing encompasses a lot of platforms and methods of communication, but it all comes down to being able to promote a product to the right people in the right manner.

  • Understand your product/service’s benefits and features. When you’re selling your product or service you aren’t selling what it is but rather what it can do for the consumer. Will it make their morning run more smoothly? Will it help them chop vegetables more swiftly? Sweaters don’t fly off the shelf because of the color selection they come in, but rather the promise an organization sells of one living their best life while wearing said sweater. Digital marketers know how to pinpoint those benefits and communicate them to a wider audience.
  • Define your audience. The main part of a marketer’s job is to understand the audience they are trying to sell to. In the digital space, it’s incredibly easy to get a message out into the world, but it’s not as easy to get that message to the right people. To define your audience, you simply need to determine who your ideal consumer is. Decide what they eat for breakfast. Figure out where they get their information. Determine where they go to get their work done. Figuring out every detail about your consumer helps you determine the right path and message to reach your target audience.
  • Craft a persuasive message/call to action. The final step to being a digital marketer is to market. Whatever it is you want accomplished (reading a blog post, buying a product, signing up for a service) you need to share it in a creative and persuasive way on the right channels so it reaches the right audience.

Elements of Digital Marketing

The amazing thing about digital marketing is that there are a handful of different avenues one can go down when exploring the field. Because the online space is constantly growing and changing, so is a digital marketer’s job. Here are just some of the elements a digital marketer must have in mind when providing services:

  • Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Increasing organic traffic to your website through search engine rankings.
  • Content Marketing: Content marketing requires the creation and promotion of your own content (think blog posts or videos) to build brand awareness and convert customers.
  • Social Media Marketing: SMM utilizes social media channels like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to promote content and generate leads.
  • Pay-Per-Click (PPC): Google AdWords is a type of PPC — marketers pay a certain amount of money based on how much traffic is driven to the site via ad clicks.
  • Affiliate Marketing: Commonly seen on social media, affiliate marketing is a method of marketing that requires a partnership between a brand and a promoter where the promoter is compensated for talking about the products/services online. For example, a corporation can partner with a blogger to have them promote its new nail polish.
  • Email Marketing: Used as a means of direct communication with consumers, email marketing is a popular way to promote content like discounts and events.

Digital marketing is a big world to tackle — that’s why Cabedge is here to help. We have a team of able digital marketers who consider communicating their passion. Contact Cabedge to get a personalized digital marketing plan for your organization today.

cabedge blog post

How to Make Friends and Influence Link Earning for Better SEO

/0 Comments/in /by

Link building has always been important to a website’s SEO, but now more than ever, the practice is about engagement and relationship building. As Google’s machines get smarter, they can realize when links are disingenuous, and then stop giving those links as much credit in their SEO formula.

That’s why it’s crucial to build relationships with people before asking for a link. It isn’t easy, but nothing worth having ever is. To build relationships with potential linkers, start with engaging on their platform — blog, website, social media, etc. This shouldn’t be hard since anyone you’re reaching out to for links should be writing/producing content you’re interested in. Guest posting is also an important way to cultivate links and relationships. Because guest posts are give-and-take (you’re giving content and taking a link), others are more likely to work with you in the future. And, if you have the ability, try to meet people in person. Reach out to get coffee or meet over lunch. It can be intimidating to meet people offline in the digital age, but it could lead to a very beneficial relationship down the road.

Paying for links and leaving links in comment sections is a thing of the past (the very, very long ago past). Search engines are smarter than that now, and they are increasingly looking for genuine links and relationships between link givers. Put in the time to build relationships with people in your online community, and the links will come organically.

For help growing your link building community, look no further than Cabedge. With years of experience in SEO, Cabedge can help you come up with a personalized strategy and link building plan to help improve your organizations SEO.

cabedge blog post

The Age of Voice Assistants: How to Get Noticed

/0 Comments/in /by

You might have gotten used to calling Alexa for your every waking need, but Google is still trying to figure out how to rank these searches properly.

Voice searching is on the rise with gadgets like Alexa and Google Home. Searching is a whole different ball game than it was five years ago, and SEO is changing because of it. Elements like search terms, keywords, and mobile-friendliness change how people are searching with their voice, and therefore, how Google indexes those searches.

One of the biggest changes, is in picking up on human’s natural speech patterns. Typically, when a user searches for something on their desktop or mobile device they are using different syntax than they do in their normal language. For example, say someone is trying to find out if Domino’s is open on Thanksgiving. If they are typing in the search they might try, “Domino’s hours,” but, if they were to speak the search, they are more likely to use full sentences, “Hey Google, is Domino’s open today?”

Because of the need to pick up on varying syntaxes and search words, things are changing for SEO rankings. To appear in a voice search now, it’s important to be featured on the first page, and it helps if you’ve got a featured snippet. Featured snippets look like this:

And they sit at position zero on a search page. This featured snippet would be the first thing a Google Home would read out to its user in an answer along with the website name.

Along with featured snippets, elements like long-tail keywords, mobile-friendly sites, and including a question/answer format in web pages are growing increasingly important with the rise of voice searching.

One thing is for sure — with changing technology comes changing SEO practices.

If you or your organization need help staying up to date with SEO trends, reach out to Cabedge! With years of experience and an understanding of how swiftly SEO practices are changing, Cabedge can help with it all. Contact us today, and we can get started on a plan personalized to your needs.