# Matt Janaway
> Matt Janaway is a prominent digital marketer with two decades of experience. Come on in to learn about everything related to SEO and digital marketing 🎓
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Append `.md` to any post or page URL to get the content in Markdown (for example, `/example-post.md`).
## Pages
### About Matt Janaway; A Digital Marketing Expert from the UK
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/about/
Last updated: 2024-08-14T10:30:31.000Z
If you'd rather learn more about me by listening instead of reading, you can check out this podcast episode:

I started my career journey during the 00’s internet retailing boom by developing multiple eCommerce stores, which enjoyed great success using a successful and evolving SEO formula. I then moved into a new Head of Digital role for a leading UK retailer, managing a team of digital marketers. In 2016 I left the Head of Digital role to concentrate on my digital marketing agency full time.

I'm the CEO of Marketing Labs and also the owner of some eCommerce businesses. I'm also an investor, author and speaker. 

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My digital marketing philosophy is based on creating fantastic content and building a natural link profile. No cheating, no shortcuts, no hacking, no spamming. I only ever use proven techniques and believe it is important to constantly evaluate your data.

Collecting as much data as possible is of the utmost importance. You can use this data to analyse which methods you have tried are working the best for your website. It is important to keep things simple and never try to run before you can walk.

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![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/07/MarketingLabs-62-1.jpg)

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![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/07/MarketingLabs-271-1.jpg)

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![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/07/MarketingLabs-333-1.jpg)

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## Writing

In addition to my own blog, I write and contribute to various websites within the digital marketing area; some of these include moz.com, searchenginepeople.com, smartinsights.com, socialmediatoday.com and many more of the world's largest digital marketing websites. If you are interested in my writing, please [contact me](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/contact/) to discuss it.

## Speaking

Being part of the digital marketing community is fantastic, even more so when you get to travel and meet like-minded marketers. Occasionally I receive requests to talk at seminars, be part of expert panels and be part of judging teams. Two recent events attended are the Spark Notts finale and to be on an expert Q&A panel at the Online Retail Events ceremony.

## Investments

I am passionate about supporting small businesses and startups. I believe that these ventures have the potential to drive innovation, create jobs, and positively impact communities. Over the years, I have invested in a variety of early-stage companies, providing not only financial support but also mentorship and strategic guidance. I am always on the lookout for promising opportunities and love to connect with other like-minded individuals who share my vision for supporting and nurturing the next generation of business leaders.

## Books

I am also an author of digital marketing and business books. I believe that sharing knowledge and insights is a powerful way to help others succeed in their own entrepreneurial endeavours. Through my writing, I aim to provide practical and actionable advice on topics such as digital marketing strategies, business development, and leadership. Whether you're just starting out or looking to take your business to the next level, my books are designed to equip you with the tools and knowledge you need to succeed in today's fast-paced business landscape.

## Endorsements

As of the time of writing this, I am proud to have had an impact on my peers. According to my LinkedIn profile, I now have over 5000 endorsements from fellow professionals.

## Awards & Accreditations

I am a contributor at the Google Webmasters Forum as well as a contributor at websites like moz.com, business2community.com, semrush.com and many more. In addition to this, my team and I won three Online Retail Awards in a row. I am also a full member at moz.com, majesticseo.com, ravenools.com, ahrefs.com & semrush.com and have been accredited as a Link Research Tools associate.
### Contact
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/contact/
Last updated: 2023-07-27T15:49:23.000Z
I'd love to have a chat over a video call or email.

### Here's how to reach me

- [MJanaway](https://twitter.com/mjanaway?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) on Twitter
- [Matt Janaway ](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattjanaway/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)on LinkedIn
- [Matt Janaway](https://calendly.com/mjanaway?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) on Calendly - book a chat!

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/03/CleanShot-2021-03-18-at-17.25.41@2x.jpg)
### Privacy
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/privacy/
Last updated: 2021-03-18T19:15:34.000Z
This website doesn't have any tracking cookies apart from Google Analytics, so you'll be pleased to know that your data isn't used for anything other than analysing the website traffic. No marketing and no ads.
### Proud to be featured in...
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/featured-in/
Last updated: 2025-10-09T10:17:36.000Z
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[60 Experts Share their Number 1\. Growth Hacking Tip - Online Marketing Blog60 bloggers, online marketers and social media experts share their Number 1 Growth Hacking Tip A writer needs a reader. A blogger needs an audience. Often, we have wonderful things to say about our chosen topic, but our audience is small. It can be disheartening to write fascinating articles and pos…![](https://t1.gstatic.com/faviconV2?client=SOCIAL&type=FAVICON&fallback_opts=TYPE,SIZE,URL&url=http://www.guestcrew.com/blog/60-experts-share-number-1-growth-hacking-tip/&size=128)Online Marketing BlogErika Mohssen-Beyk![](http://www.guestcrew.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/60-Experts-Share-their-Number-1.-Growth-Hacking-Tip.png)](http://www.guestcrew.com/blog/60-experts-share-number-1-growth-hacking-tip/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

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[Future Trends in App Development: 2023In 2023, several trends in app development are anticipated. Whether they are used on a desktop, a mobile device, or both, apps have a significant impact on our lives today. Apps exist in a wide![](https://programminginsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/10445506_10153960945417494_6378027717912277647_n-2.jpg)Programming InsiderMarc Berman![](https://programminginsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/AppDevelopment.webp)](https://programminginsider.com/future-trends-in-app-development-2023/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[eCommerce Innovations and Trends for 2023 - SyncSpiderFind out what eCommerce innovations can help your business boost your ecommerce brand and what trends we can expect in 2023.![](https://syncspider.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/sysp-favicon-dark-300x300.png)SyncSpiderFilip Radotic![](https://syncspider.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Best-eCommerce-Innovations-and-Trends-for-2025.png)](https://syncspider.com/blog/best-ecommerce-innovations-and-trends-for-2023/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[The Benefits of Customer Data Analytics in Digital Marketing: - SEO CallingData is king in the realm of digital marketing. More customer information than ever before is available to businesses thanks to the expansion of social media and the internet. This information can be utilized to comprehend consumer behavior, preferences, and purchasing trends, enabling businesses to…![](https://www.seocalling.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/5b0e65a6-5c0c-47bf-8f66-b62f91d3c730_200x200-removebg-preview.png)SEO Calling\[email protected\]![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/aab516f433e891209b797bf2ddfc42f5?s=96&d=mm&r=g)](https://www.seocalling.com/the-benefits-of-customer-data-analytics-in-digital-marketing/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

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[Effective Ways to Promote Your eCommerce Store on a Budget | Andre Oentoro | NewsBreak OriginalA great marketing plan should increase sales and reduce or eliminate cart abandonment. Effective marketing techniques encourage people to take in your message, get familiar with your brand, and finally buy from you. Reaching your target demographic and increasing revenue requires persistence and a v…![](https://static.newsbreak.com/static/original-web-icon.png)NewsBreak OriginalAndre Oentoro![](https://img.particlenews.com/img/id/1VJTf9_0jaC0W8B00?type=thumbnail_1600x1200)](https://original.newsbreak.com/@andre-oentoro-1590317/2849474478008-effective-ways-to-promote-your-ecommerce-store-on-a-budget?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[Five Significant Elements Of A Marketing Plan For A Small Business | ZupyakFive Significant Elements Of A Marketing Plan For A Small Business - An article written by clairejack on Zupyak.com. Read more here!![](https://www.zupyak.com/favicon.ico)clairejackclairejack![](https://d1tlrxy0mfxnyo.cloudfront.net/thumbnail/449732/d2af6dcd-4ae3-3202-c6f9-ce1f3ed50dd5.webp)](https://www.zupyak.com/p/3464850/t/five-significant-elements-of-a-marketing-plan-for-a-small-business?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

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[28 Days Later: How Quarantine Affected Internet Marketing. Serpstat ResearchSerpstat is presenting their study on the changes in internet marketing caused by the crisis.![](https://academyocean.com/img/favicon152.png)28 Days Later: How Quarantine Affected Internet Marketing. Serpstat ResearchOrel IvanMarketing Specialist at Serpstat![](https://academyocean.com/storage/posts/images/51kOblyHL5nmRc6bxyl1DCD9MOWBNCSHR6QvO9kx.jpeg)](https://academyocean.com/blog/post/28-days-later-how-quarantine-affected-internet-marketing-serpstat-research?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[8 Tips to Help Small Businesses Thrive During the RecessionWe spoke with some business owners to get Tips to Help Small Businesses Thrive During the Recession. See what they suggest!![](https://www.thestockdork.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/fav-icon-2-1.png)The Stock Dork Stock Ideas, Penny Stocks, Product ReviewsJenna Gleespen![](https://www.thestockdork.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Featured-Image-7-1.jpg)](https://www.thestockdork.com/tips-to-help-small-businesses-thrive-during-the-recession/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[On-Page SEO The Ultimate Guide for 2021 (43-Point Checklist) • SEO BuddyThis is our Epic comprehensive guide for 2021 to improving on-page SEO with a 43-Point On-Page SEO Checklist, and why on-page SEO matters.![](https://seobuddy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/cropped-siteicon-seobuddy-512x512-180x180.png)SEO BuddySEO Buddy![](https://seobuddy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/on-page-seo-checklist-opengraph.png)](https://seobuddy.com/blog/on-page-seo-checklist/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[Crucial SEO Strategies to Convert More CustomersConverting customers starts in a myriad of ways. It starts by improving your ranking to get more website visits and interactions.![](https://capturly.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/cropped-favicon-270x270.png)Capturly BlogTündi![](https://capturly.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/SEO.png)](https://capturly.com/blog/crucial-seo-strategies-to-convert-more-customers/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[8 Ways to Improve Your Next Ecommerce Promotion for More Conversions | Metacake - Ecommerce Growth For The World’s Most Influential BrandsWe’re a full-service ecommerce strategy, design, and marketing team obsessed with skyrocketing the growth of direct-to-consumer brands.![](https://metacake.com/favicon.ico)Ecommerce Growth For The World's Most Influential BrandsKen Ott![](https://metacake.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/331238304-8-ways-to-improve-your-next-ecommerce-promotion-for-more-conversions-1738x1160-text-logo-2.jpg)](https://metacake.com/8-ways-to-improve-your-next-ecommerce-promotion-for-more-conversions/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[5 Bold Predictions for the Future of eCommerce | AcodezThe biggest web companies today are the ones that anticipated the market trends earlier. Here are 5 predictions for the future of eCommerce to follow.![](https://acodez.in/favicon.ico)AcodezView all blogs![](https://cdn.acodez.in/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Feature-image.jpg)](https://acodez.in/the-future-of-ecommerce/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk#Data%5Fcollection%5Fand%5FTracking%5Fwill%5Fbe%5Fmore%5FExplicit)

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[The Future of SEO and What the Experts say? – The Rank CompanyThe Rank Company interviews Bruce Clay, Larry Kim, Matt Janaway Daniel Foley, James Reynolds, Julian Goldie and Ryan Darani about The Future of SEO![](https://rank.company/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/cropped-Screen-Shot-2020-11-03-at-9.05.36-PM-1-1-192x192.png)The Rank Companyanirbanblogger![](https://rank.company/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/IMG-20201116-WA0000-1.jpg)](https://rank.company/2020/11/the-future-of-seo-and-what-the-experts-say/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

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[Time blocking: thorough guide | DeskTime BlogTime blocking is the ultimate way to boost your productivity. Here’s a thorough guide to everything you need to know about this productivity method.![](https://desktime.com/favicon.ico)DeskTime InsightsGuest Author![](https://desktime.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/blocking.png)](https://desktime.com/blog/time-blocking-to-boost-productivity/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[3 Ways Social Media and Content Marketing Can Work Together | BulklyWant to know how to make social media and content marketing work to your advantage? In this post we’ll show you 3 ways to make it happen. Click to find out how.![](https://bulk.ly/favicon.ico)BulklyMathew Reeves![](https://bulk.ly/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/social-media-and-content-marketing.png)](https://bulk.ly/social-media-and-content-marketing/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[25 of the Best eCommerce Practices to Boost Your Online Sales in 2021Looking to boost your online sales this year? Check out the 25 best ways to boost your eCommerce business’s sales and start converting more customers.![](https://www.3dcart.com/favicon.ico)3dcartJacques van der Wilt![](https://blog.shift4shop.com/hubfs/iStock-1294578601.jpg#keepProtocol)](https://blog.shift4shop.com/boost-your-online-sales?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

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[What Is Business Development? Full Definition, Guide & ToolsOur a handy and comprehensive business development guide aims to answer all your questions about the business development role and what it could mean for your business.![](https://marketsplash.com/content/images/size/w256h256/2023/04/MarketSplash-Logomark-400px.png)MarketSplashMarketSplash Team![](https://marketsplash.com/content/images/2023/07/MarketSplash-SAAS-MARKETING-10-27.jpg)](https://marketsplash.com/business-development/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[101 Ecommerce Experts Share their Secrets | SEO QuotesIf you want your online store to climb through the rankings, these SEO quotes will help you get there a little faster.![](https://www.oberlo.com/assets/favicons/apple-touch-icon-180x180.png)Oberlo![](https://www.oberlo.com/media/1591969588-seo-quotes-matt-janaway.jpg)](https://www.oberlo.com/ebooks/ecommerce-experts/seo-quotes?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

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[30+ Sales Practices To Follow In 2021Doing what you can to sell more but feel like you’re banging your head against the wall? Customers listen patiently and then they go buy from the competition anyway? Are you struggling to increase profits, but at the end of the month it turns out again that you barely managed![](https://blog.harmonizely.com/favicon.ico)Harmonizely BlogKinga Odziemek![](https://dbei3eb88obfs.cloudfront.net/2021/01/image-from-rawpixel-id-422644-jpeg.jpg)](https://blog.harmonizely.com/30-sales-practices-to-follow-in-2021/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[How To Leverage ABM With The Help Of Social Media - Experts AdviceLooking to take your account-based marketing (ABM) efforts to the next level? Learn how to leverage social media to drive results with UnboundB2B - expert insights.![](https://www.unboundb2b.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/cropped-Unbound-Logo-1-270x270.png)UnboundB2BGaurav Roy![](https://www.unboundb2b.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/how-To-Leverage-ABM-With-The-Help-Of-Social-Media-1-scaled.webp)](https://www.unboundb2b.com/blog/marketing/leverage-abm-with-the-help-of-social-media/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[7 Features of eCommerce Website Design That ConvertEver wonder what some of the most successful eCommerce websites do to generate consistent high revenues month after month? Well, for starters, they’ve got the fundamentals covered well. The other, their eCommerce website design is top notch! If some of the fundamental features don’t exist on your we…![](https://arkenea.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/favicon-16x16-2.png)Arkenea IncSmruti Hingnikar![](https://arkenea.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/wallet-2125548_1920-1.jpg)](https://arkenea.com/blog/ecommerce-website-design/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[Reasons to Use Content Marketing in eCommerceIf you’re an eCommerce business owner, then you need to know what content marketing is & how it works. Check out our guide on how it’s done to perfection.![](https://www.3dcart.com/favicon.ico)3dcartShift4Shop![](https://blog.shift4shop.com/hubfs/iStock-831311422.jpg#keepProtocol)](https://blog.shift4shop.com/content-marketing?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[21 Smart Business Tips To Increase Client Bookings in 202121 tips for increasing client bookings at your spa, salon, or barbershop, and what to look out for in the year ahead.![](https://storage.googleapis.com/dev-blog-images/2020/05/b1ff742e-cropped-b8b3df06-favicon-512x512-1-250x250.png)Genbook Help Centre | Product tips and how-to's at your fingertips.![](https://storage.googleapis.com/dev-blog-images/2021/02/b5320330-increase-client-booking-tips.jpg)](https://learn.genbook.com/increase-client-booking-tips/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk#adopt)

[7 Sales Prospecting Techniques to Win More MeetingsAs sales reps, we need meetings in order to sell and close deals – and there’s nothing worse than not being able to win meetings in the first place. For some, it’s a numbers game. The more prospects contacted, the more meetings you’ll secure. But we think there’s a lot more to it.![](https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/5fb5660c3153246ba4c11f95/5fc4c58fb2be47a60f2a27df_Untitled-1.png)MeetFox logo2 min read![](https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/5fb5660dc478be9d00ac73ab/5fd3a038f6bf4c70eac55b54_7%20Sales%20Prospecting%20Techniques%20to%20Win%20More%20Meetings.jpg)](https://meetfox.com/en/blog/7-sales-prospecting-techniques-to-win-more-meetings?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[Why Personalization is Key to Your Ecommerce Success | Compete ThemesLearn how to personalize your marketing to make your eCommerce sales soar. Practical tips and lessons inside…![](https://www.competethemes.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/cropped-favicon-270x270.png)Compete ThemesBen Sibley![](https://www.competethemes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/personalization-ecommerce-success.png)](https://www.competethemes.com/blog/personalization-ecommerce-success/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[SEO Benefits of Guest Blogging in Your Digital Marketing StrategyWondered how effective guest blogging can be towards boosting your website’s SEO? We’ll walk you through the tangible benefits of having a guest blogging strategy to drive traffic and leads.![](https://www.flyingvgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/cropped-Flying-V-Group-site-identity-1-270x270.png)Flying V GroupRobb Fahrion![](https://www.flyingvgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/SEO-Benefits-of-Guest-Blogging-in-Your-Digital-Marketing-Strategy.jpg)](https://www.flyingvgroup.com/blog/2021/03/31/seo-benefits-guest-blogging-digital-marketing-cs/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[Top 55 Marketing Agencies Experts Reveal Which SEO Tactics Clicked for Them | E2M BlogSEO undergoes several changes on a continuous basis, which is why it makes sense to try and understand what works and what doesn’t. If you’re looking for new ways to attract more traffic to your website, increase your business’s visibility, and rank better on SERPs, you may want to![](https://www.e2msolutions.com/images/logo.png)E2M SolutionsVivek Patel![](https://www.e2msolutions.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/top-marketing-agencies-seo-tactics-1024x490.jpg)](https://www.e2msolutions.com/blog/seo-tactics-by-top-marketing-agencies-experts/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[How To Find Your Niche Online Without Costly Newbie MistakesThe first step to ecommerce business success is finding your niche. This article gives a step by step guide on how to find a niche market. Also, I asked some experts what the biggest mistakes are that people make when choosing a niche.![](https://www.ecommerceceo.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/cropped-Ecommerce-CEO-Favicon-270x270.png)Ecommerce CEOTwitter![](https://www.ecommerceceo.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/How-To-Find-Your-Niche-1.jpg)](https://www.ecommerceceo.com/how-to-find-niche/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[83 Experts Share the Best Ecommerce Conversion Rate Optimization Strategies for 2018 - Shane BarkerAre you ready to grow your business and maximize sales? Discover the best ecommerce conversion rate optimization strategies that you should focus on in 2018![](https://shanebarker.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/cropped-favicon-32x32-1.webp)Shane BarkerShane Barker![](https://shanebarker.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/ecommerce-conversion-rate-optimization-expert-roundup.png)](https://shanebarker.com/blog/ecommerce-conversion-rate-optimization-expert-roundup/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[9 SEO Gurus You Should Be Learning from Right NowYou may have heard that “SEO is dead.” Perhaps you’ve even said it yourself. The reality, however, is that SEO is far from dead!In a…![](https://cdn-static-1.medium.com/_/fp/icons/Medium-Avatar-500x500.svg)SEO Tips 2019Jonny Tyson![](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1200/1*THaLOBs1EQ8l4JS_j082DA.jpeg)](https://medium.com/seo-tips-2019/9-seo-gurus-you-should-be-learning-from-right-now-c757b687007d?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[40+ Experts Share The Video Marketing Mistakes & SolutionsA successful video marketing strategy it’s so much more than simply recording a video and uploading it on the Internet. From the right format to how you address![](https://breadnbeyond.com/favicon.ico)Breadnbeyond | Animated Explainer Video CompanyAndre Oentoro![](https://breadnbeyond.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Video-Marketing-Mistakes.jpg)](https://breadnbeyond.com/video-marketing/mistakes-and-solutions/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[How Long Does SEO Take to Show Results? | Databox BlogHow long does SEO take to see results? Almost 40 marketing pros share their expert opinion, plus tips to include in your SEO strategy to rank faster.![](https://databox.com/wp-content/themes/databox/inc/img/favicons/favicon-512x512.png)DataboxMara Calvello![](https://cdnwebsite.databox.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/22060706/how-long-does-SEO-take-to-see-results.png)](https://databox.com/how-long-does-seo-take?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[8 Most Impactful PR & Marketing Campaigns During The PandemicIn a year full of unfavorable events, there were many bright spots in the PR world. Here are the most impactful PR & marketing campaigns in 2020.![](https://prowly.com/magazine/app/uploads/2020/02/owl_blue_rounded_favicon.png)Prowly MagazineAlladdine Djaidani![](https://prowly.com/magazine/app/uploads/2021/01/adam-niescioruk-Z9arfr0f248-unsplash.jpg)](https://prowly.com/magazine/pr-marketing-campaigns-during-pandemic/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[How To Boost Your Marketing During The Slow SeasonSlow seasons happen to every store. We have contributions from experts to uncover the best ideas to help you get out of the doldrums.![](https://global-uploads.webflow.com/617f60f9be2ba89e9ecc60ca/6195b374af37e437be9f7262_referralcandy-webclip.png)ReferralCandyDarren Foong![](https://global-uploads.webflow.com/6185b708a2657014268d2eaf/620498a5a964454d19ea99db_experts-roundup-slow-season.png)](https://www.referralcandy.com/blog/marketing-slow-season-experts-roundup/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[Growth Hacking Strategies for 2018 Recommended by the ProsThis is an expert roundup about growth hacking techniques. We asked 41 experts about their growth hacking strategies for 2018\. Here’s what they answered.![](https://www.omnikick.com/wp-content/plugins/genesis-favicon-uploader/favicons/favicon.ico)OmniKick![](https://www.omnikick.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Growth-Hacking-Strategies.png)](https://www.omnikick.com/growth-hacking-strategies/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[3 Tried and Tested Customer Acquisition Strategies for Your Ecommerce SiteDo you want to acquire new customers for your eCommerce site? If yes, here are some tried and tested customer acquisition strategies for your eCommerce site.![](https://thenextscoop.com/wp-content/plugins/pwa-for-wp/images/logo.png)The Next ScoopSam Makad![](https://thenextscoop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/3-Tried-and-Tested-Customer-Acquisition-Strategies-for-Your-Ecommerce-Site.png)](https://thenextscoop.com/customer-acquisition-strategies-for-ecommerce/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[MVP Development Services for Investment-Attractive StartupsWe offer full-cycle MVP design and development services to build your product in up to 6 months. Test your product/market fit quickly and on a budget.![](https://spdload.com/favicon/apple-icon-180x180.png)SpdLoadSPDLOAD![](https://spdload.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/home_image.png)](https://spdload.com/blog/saas-marketing-after-covid-19/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[9 E-Commerce Conversion Tips to Boost SalesConversions are crucial for the success of any business. For e-commerce conversion, there are certain things you need to optimize. Here are 9 expert tips:![](https://www.ecommerce-nation.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/cropped-NEW-ECN-FORMAT-CARRE-270x270.jpg)E-Commerce NationWRBlankenship![](https://www.ecommerce-nation.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/9-Conversion-Tips-to-Boost-E-Commerce-Sales-compressor.png)](https://www.ecommerce-nation.com/9-ecommerce-conversion-tips-to-boost-sales/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[The Future of eCommerce: 8 Trends to Watch Out for in 2021Are you ready for every new eCommerce trend in 2021? Start preparing now for next year’s newest trends and stay above the competition!![](https://www.3dcart.com/favicon.ico)3dcartJoydeep Bhattacharya![](https://blog.shift4shop.com/hubfs/iStock-1180759456.jpg#keepProtocol)](https://blog.shift4shop.com/future-of-ecommerce-2021?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[How to Optimize Your Website to Get a Blistering Page Load Speed - ‘corePHP’(Image Source)![](https://corephp.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/favicon.png)\\'corePHP\\' - Expert Development, Digital Marketing, & MoreMichael Pignataro![](https://corephp.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/word-image16.jpeg)](https://www.corephp.com/blog/optimize-website-get-blistering-page-load-speed/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[21 Ways for Creating a Website Structure That’s Optimized for SEO | Databox BlogSearch engines use your site structure to find, crawl, and rank content on your website. Here’s how you can build an SEO-friendly website structure that Google (and your users) love.![](https://databox.com/wp-content/themes/databox/inc/img/favicons/favicon-512x512.png)DataboxElise Dopson![](https://cdnwebsite.databox.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/26124438/website-structure-for-SEO.png)](https://databox.com/website-structure-for-seo?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[How to Create Enagaging Content that Generates Eyeballs and Backlinks?How do you ensure that you’re publishing engaging content that is killing your competition and bringing you the returns? Here’s what you should do![](https://blog.contentstudio.io/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/favicon-196x196-1.png)ContentStudio BlogWasiq Naeem![](https://blog.contentstudio.io/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/How-to-Create-a-Killer-Piece-of-Content-that-Generate@2x-1024x533.png)](https://blog.contentstudio.io/how-to-create-a-killer-piece-of-content-that-generates-both-eyeballs-and-backlinks/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[How to Master Omnichannel Marketing in 2023 - Email and Internet Marketing BlogЧто такое омниканальный маркетинг, почему на него стоит обратить внимание и как отличить омниканальность от мультиканальности.![](https://sendpulse.com/favicon.ico)SendPulseWill Cannon![](http://default)](https://sendpulse.com/blog/omnichannel-marketing?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[2 Easy Strategies To Increase Your Web Traffic With Print MarketingWith the advent of digital newspapers and magazines, and blog posts came much debate over the fate of print media — you know, how you used…![](https://cdn-static-1.medium.com/_/fp/icons/Medium-Avatar-500x500.svg)MediumConversion Fanatics![](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1200/1*9lh_oAPOyWBGy4UlhDyODg.jpeg)](https://medium.com/@convfanatics/2-easy-strategies-to-increase-your-web-traffic-with-print-marketing-1e014c718e4a?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[Mobile SEO Tips & Tricks That You Should Apply ASAP - SmallBizDailyWhile more than half of all online searches come from mobile devices, Google continues to develop recommendations for website![](https://www.smallbizdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/image.png)SmallBizDailyMaria Valdez Haubrich![](https://www.smallbizdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/shutterstock_1070366501-1.jpg)](https://www.smallbizdaily.com/mobile-seo-tips-tricks-that-you-should-apply-asap/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[How to Actually Provide Value on LinkedIn | Right Mix MarketingIn this post, author Henry Foster explains the importance of providing value on LinkedIn and the actual steps involved in executing it.![](https://www.rightmixmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/favicon.png)Right Mix MarketingGuest Author![](https://www.rightmixmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/linkedin-689760_1920-1024x683.jpg)](https://www.rightmixmarketing.com/linkedin-strategies/how-to-actually-provide-value-on-linkedin/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[Email Marketing: Use It to Take Your Real Estate Business off the Groundusers worldwide send 293 billion emails every day, there is an excellent chance that you can find your customers through emails. » Jason Fox Real Estate Marketing | Real Estate Websites![](https://www.jasonfox.me/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Fox.Outline.png)Jason Fox Real Estate Marketing | Real Estate Websitesjasonfox![](https://www.jasonfox.me/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/email-marketing-business.jpg)](https://www.jasonfox.me/email-marketing-real-estate-business-off-the-ground/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[What is Email Marketing: a starter guide (2023)Email marketing is your direct line to your customers, clients and audience. Here is why every small business should leverage their email marketing.![](https://static.cdn.wisestamp.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/cropped-Wisestamp-email-signature-manager-and-email-signature-generator-favicon-270x270.png)WiseStampJimmy Rodela![](https://static.cdn.wisestamp.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/email-marketing.jpg)](https://www.wisestamp.com/blog/4-reasons-why-small-businesses-should-use-email-marketing/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[Best Lead Magnets for Lead Generation: 2020 Study ReportCurious about which lead magnets work the best for lead generation? Here’s what we’ve learned from 790 marketers who took part in our 2020 Best Lead Magnets study.![](https://www.getresponse.com/global/favicons/apple-touch-icon-180x180.png)GetResponseWrite for us![](https://us-wd.gr-cdn.com/getresponse-blog/sites/5/2020/07/1449/cropped-best-lead-magnets.png)](https://www.getresponse.com/blog/best-lead-magnets-study?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[6 Inspiring Content Marketing Examples from Uninspiring IndustriesDoes your industry offer no inspiration for content? Here’s how to create highly engaging (and useful) content that your audience will love!![](https://marketinginsidergroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/favicon.ico)Marketing Insider GroupMichael Brenner![](https://marketinginsidergroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Screen-Shot-2022-02-01-at-8.52.41-PM.png)](https://marketinginsidergroup.com/content-marketing/9-tips-take-boring-out-content-marketing/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[Broken Link Building Tips for Increasing Search Rankings, Authority, & Traffic | Databox BlogWant to build site authority and increase traffic through high-quality backlinks? Use these broken link building tips to create a better backlink process.![](https://databox.com/wp-content/themes/databox/inc/img/favicons/favicon-512x512.png)DataboxBelynda Cianci![](https://cdnwebsite.databox.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/22140120/broken-link-building.png)](https://databox.com/broken-link-building-tips-for-increasing-search-rankings-authority-traffic?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[Search Engine Marketing (SEO and PPC) trends 2019 | Smart InsightsLearn how to optimize your search marketing tactics to outrank your competition and win traffic and leads in 2019 by the SEM experts![](https://www.smartinsights.com/wp-content/themes/smartinsights/favicon.ico)Smart InsightsCarolanne Mangles![](https://www.smartinsights.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/SEM-trends-2019.png)](https://www.smartinsights.com/search-engine-optimisation-seo/seo-strategy/search-engine-marketing-seo-and-ppc-trends-2019/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[9 Experts On Redesigning eCommerce Website For MobileIt’s almost a given that traffic today is led by mobile than desktop. This makes your life a tad bit tougher as your eCommerce website must render well on mobile devices. Not only does it need to render well, but the user experience has to be customized to suit the smaller form factor if you want ……![](https://arkenea.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/favicon-16x16-2.png)Arkenea IncSmruti Hingnikar![](https://arkenea.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/imac-606765_1920-1.jpg)](https://arkenea.com/blog/redesigning-ecommerce-website/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[How to Master Omnichannel Marketing in 2023 - Email and Internet Marketing BlogЧто такое омниканальный маркетинг, почему на него стоит обратить внимание и как отличить омниканальность от мультиканальности.![](https://sendpulse.com/favicon.ico)SendPulseWill Cannon![](http://default)](https://sendpulse.com/blog/omnichannel-marketing?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[101 Experts Share their Top Link Building Techniques - Online Marketing BlogIf you thought link building was dead, think again. Before 2012 link building was a relatively straightforward affair. The more links you had pointed at your website, the higher your ranking in the search engines. That simple formula was crushed beneath the Google Penguin update of 2012\. But link bu…![](https://t2.gstatic.com/faviconV2?client=SOCIAL&type=FAVICON&fallback_opts=TYPE,SIZE,URL&url=https://www.guestcrew.com/blog/101-experts-share-top-link-building-techniques/&size=128)Online Marketing BlogErika Mohssen-Beyk![](https://www.guestcrew.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/101-Experts-Share-their-Top-Link-Building-Techniques.jpg)](https://www.guestcrew.com/blog/101-experts-share-top-link-building-techniques/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[Search engine optimization trends for 2020 - How many are you following? | Smart InsightsWhat are the big search engine optimization trends you should follow for 2020? We’ve spojen to industry experts to help inform your digital strategy.![](https://www.smartinsights.com/wp-content/themes/smartinsights/favicon.ico)Smart InsightsExpert commentator![](https://www.smartinsights.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Carrie-Rose.png)](https://www.smartinsights.com/search-engine-optimisation-seo/seo-strategy/search-engine-optimization-trends-for-2020/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[6 WordPress Plugins to Make Your Website Mobile Friendly | @thetorquemagOBox Mobile If you want to make your website appear flawless on mobile devices, you should embrace OBox Mobile. This simple plugin will help you make your WordPress site compatible with almost all mobile devices, regardless of their operating systems. The best thing about this plugin is that it does…![](https://torquemag.io/apple-touch-icon.png?v=rMJJxXE9Kj)TorqueMichael Evans![](https://torquemag.io/uploads/2014/02/obox-mobile-2-banner1.jpg)](https://torquemag.io/2014/02/6-wordpress-plugins-to-make-your-website-mobile-friendly/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[Interview with an eCommerce authority, Matt Janaway - SetalksIt’s unfortunate but the simple truth is that most search agencies in Karachi are not doing the kind of work that could be regarded as “A” grade quality. I![](https://setalks.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/seo-wordpress-theme-logo-horizontal-light-1-1.png)SetalksDania Zehra![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/10e90639f3e81aa2935abb973fefaa8c?s=50&d=mm&r=g)](https://setalks.co/blog/interview-ecommerce-authority-matt-janaway/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[Top ECommerce Trends To Keep an Eye on in 2023 - intelvueAre you going to launch a new tech startup? Or, want to integrate your business with the top eCommerce trends in 2021? Here you go.![](https://www.intelvue.com/wp-content/themes/intelvue-2023/images/intelvue-favicon.webp)intelvueAbdullah![](https://www.intelvue.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Top-ECommerce-Trends-To-Keep-an-Eye-on-in-2021-1-1.jpg)](https://www.intelvue.com/top-ecommerce-trends-in-2021/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

[61 Effective CRO Tips to Increase the Conversion Rate of a WebsiteConversion rate is a key goal for any online marketer. Here are the 61 CRO experts tips to increase conversion rate of your website.![](https://shanebarker.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/cropped-favicon-32x32-1.webp)Shane BarkerShane Barker![](https://shanebarker.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/61-Effective-CRO-Tips-to-Increase-the-Conversion-Rate-of-a-Website-Expert-Roundup.gif)](https://shanebarker.com/blog/cro-tips-to-increase-conversion-rate/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)
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### Digital Marketing Consultant in Nottingham, Sheffield and Lincoln
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/digital-marketing-consulting/
Last updated: 2023-07-27T15:47:15.000Z
If you’ve been putting off a digital marketing audit, don’t. Digital marketing involves so much more than just SEO, and it’s time to get serious about it.

- Get insights on how to increase online visibility and conversion rates.
- Hiring a digital marketing consultant can help your business grow.
- A good digital marketing consultant should be the go-to resource for designing, developing, and monitoring a business' online marketing strategies.

[![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/07/Cotact-me_Banner_2000-X-200_Pixels_SP_20-July-2021.jpg)](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/contact/)

### How a Digital Marketing Consultant Can Help Your Business Grow

If you’ve been putting off working with a digital marketing consultant, don’t. Digital marketing involves so much more than just SEO, and it’s time to get serious about it. The right consultant will help increase online visibility and conversion rates, and, ultimately, ROI. Hiring a digital marketing consultant can help your business grow. A good digital marketing consultant should be the go-to resource for designing, developing, and monitoring a business' online marketing strategies.

### Why digital marketing is important for your business

There are many reasons you need to focus on digital marketing, but you don't usually need to think beyond it allowing your business to reach new audiences and markets. It also gives you the ability to drive greater revenue. You should make it your mission to use all available digital channels to your advantage.

### What to consider when hiring a digital marketing consultant

Digital marketing is too important to fall victim to rushed or careless mistakes. The outcome of your digital marketing campaign is not only important, but it will influence how prospective customers view your business as well as influence your search engine rankings. Therefore, you need to hire someone who can offer credible, unbiased advice.

Your consultant should have a keen understanding of marketing, advertising, and SEO. For some reason, many businesses undervalue the value of employing a digital marketing consultant. A good consultant can provide you with professional advice, provide market insight, and improve your company's visibility and conversion rates. They'll also help minimise the risks of damaging the performance of your website by making mistakes that aren't well thought-through.

[![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/07/Cotact-me_Banner_2000-X-200_Pixels_SP_20-July-2021-1.jpg)](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/contact/)
### Digital Marketing Training in Nottingham, Sheffield and Lincoln
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/digital-marketing-training/
Last updated: 2023-08-30T18:15:02.000Z
Unlock your business's potential with bespoke digital marketing training tailored explicitly for businesses of all sizes in Nottingham, Sheffield, and Lincoln.

Whether you're a new start-up seeking a thriving digital presence or an established organisation intending to expand your digital strategies, my experience and approach offers precisely what you need.

### Why Digital Marketing Training?

In a digital era, marketing extends beyond traditional measures. Digital marketing offers limitless opportunities, including capturing larger audiences, tracking KPIs, monitoring competitors, and, notably, increasing sales.

By mastering SEO, social media advertising, and Google Ads, businesses can expand their reach unimaginably. This is where I come in.

### Meet Your Trainer: A Pioneer in Digital Marketing

I'm CEO of Marketing Labs, an author, investor, public speaker, and owner of various eCommerce businesses.

My marketing journey began during the 00’s internet retailing boom, gaining immense success with SEO and eCommerce. As the former Head of Digital at a prominent UK retailer, I led a team of marketing experts before dedicating myself to forming the top-tier digital marketing agency, Marketing Labs. 

No spamming. No hacking. No shortcuts. I believe in creating stellar content and building organic link profiles. My philosophy centres on data and testing. It's paramount to collect as much data as possible to understand which strategies are most fruitful for your business — keeping things simple yet effective.

### Comprehensive Digital Marketing Training

My digital marketing training covers a wide spectrum of techniques and strategies, from Google Ads and PPC to SEO and social media marketing.

My success in digital marketing has equipped me with evolving formulas and extensive digital strategies that you will master in this training.

The training is not the end. It’s the beginning. It's about putting knowledge into practice and seeing fruitful results.

As a veteran of internet retailing and a long-standing leader in digital marketing, I have tailored my approach for marketers ready to take the leap and drive success.

As a writer, I frequently contribute to renowned digital marketing websites like moz.com, searchenginepeople.com, smartinsights.com, socialmediatoday.com, and more.

As a speaker, I become a part of expert panels, judge teams, and seminars like Spark Notts Finale and the Online Retail Events ceremony.

As an investor, I support startups with financial backing and mentorship.

As an author, I share my knowledge of digital marketing strategies, leadership, and business development.

Resultantly, my efforts have acquired over 5000 endorsements from professionals and three consecutive Online Retail Awards.

Join the me for digital marketing training in Nottingham, Sheffield, and Lincoln.

[Contact Me](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/contact/)
### Testimonials
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/testimonials-reviews/
Last updated: 2023-07-27T15:46:40.000Z
Matt has helped me grow my brand and offer me guidance for over 2 years. His support and outlook is amazing and I’m forever grateful for his expertise. More so recently Matt has helped me start my own freelancing website and within a few days my dreams of starting up my own website is happening. Again, Matt always goes the extra mile. I recommend using Matt to anyone I know as he’s a dream to work with.

Charlotte

Unite UK

Couldn't be happier with the service Matt and the team provide. Thank you to the whole Marketing Labs team. 

Steve Smith

Vaunt Design

Brilliant course delivered by Matt and the team. Some great ideas on improving our website. Very thorough very knowledgeable 👍 

Don Davis

Excellent company and such a pleasure to do business with. Matt has helped me set up my website and guided me through the whole process on how to get it performing at its best. Nothing is to much trouble for these guys and are always on call to give helpful advise. highly recommended. 

Scott Baines

S and E Cleaning Services

Quite simply, these guys are market leaders! The knowledge and expertise that Matt and his team bring are unparalleled - their ability to fully understand a business and help them to use SEO to maximise business opportunities is second to none. 

David Smith

Oxford Innovation

Digital marketing expert Matt Janaway is knowledgeable, innovative, efficient and a pleasure to work with. I am the founding editor of aircargoeye.com, a news analysis website focused on the global airfreight industry. It was established in late 2015, and with Matt's assistance, we have seen our website traffic and popularity grow steadily. See less 

Thelma Etim

Air Cargo Eye

What a find Matt and his team were! Matt redesigned our website in early 2015, under budget and on time. The service Matt provided then and now has been fantastic. I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Matt. 

Martin Bishop

Armstrong Evans

I have been working with Matt and his team for around 4 years. The channel we opperate in has been very competitive and you need to be on the top of you game to stay ahead. Matt is a guy that is always very proactive in what ever he turns his hand to. He understands that when a market changes, the business sometime needs to be ahead of the game. Matt will always opperate in a structured and well thought out manner to be number 1 in his field.

Pete Oughton

Dension
### Digital Transformation Support & Services
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/digital-transformation-support-services/
Last updated: 2023-07-27T15:46:18.000Z
Digital Transformation is a term that's becoming increasingly popular in recent years. While it sounds like hyperbole, it's an accurate and deliberate way to describe the current wave of change that is now underway. 

In the digital economy, digital technologies like mobile applications, cloud computing, and internet-of-things technologies impact your entire business and fundamentally change how you work.

Here are a few key benefits that come from having a digital business model:

- Increased customer retention
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URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/podcast/
Last updated: 2023-07-27T15:55:49.000Z
Listen to the latest episode of the Marketing Blabs Podcast on Spotify. 

Listen to previous episodes:

[Or if you prefer another Podcast platform, like Apple Podcasts, click here](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-blabs/id1666341861?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).
### The B2B SEO Playbook
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/the-b2b-seo-playbook/
Last updated: 2026-01-02T23:28:08.000Z
"The B2B SEO Playbook" is a comprehensive guide crafted to address the unique challenges and leverage the distinct opportunities inherent in B2B SEO.

This book serves as your reliable roadmap through the complex terrain of search engine optimisation for business-to-business companies. 

"The B2B SEO Playbook" is designed for a diverse audience, including business owners looking to enhance their online visibility, marketing managers tasked with deploying effective SEO strategies, and directors aiming to guide their teams toward improved digital marketing practices.

Whether you're new to SEO or a seasoned professional seeking to stay on top of the latest trends, this book provides valuable insights and actionable strategies that can be applied at any level of expertise.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2026/01/Mock-1.png) 

#### The B2B SEO Playbook (eBook)

Discover the secrets of B2B SEO with "The B2B SEO Playbook" by Matt Janaway. Tailored for business owners, marketers, and directors, this book offers practical strategies and insights to enhance your online presence and drive success. Perfect for both SEO beginners and seasoned professionals.

[Buy Now](https://mattjanaway.gumroad.com/l/the-b2b-seo-playbook?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) 

### What to Expect

**Comprehensive Coverage:** The book breaks down the essentials of SEO, starting with the basics of how search engines work. It covers key topics such as the importance of keywords, the role of content marketing, and the intricacies of building backlinks.

**Practical Strategies:** Each chapter is filled with practical advice and step-by-step guides on implementing effective SEO tactics that are specifically tailored for B2B businesses. The strategies discussed are drawn from Matt's extensive experience and are designed to provide long-term benefits.

**Real-World Applications:** "The B2B SEO Playbook" goes beyond theory, offering real-world examples and case studies that demonstrate how the strategies can be applied effectively in a B2B context. This approach helps bridge the gap between learning and actual implementation.

**Accessible Content:** The content is structured to be easily digestible, with clear headings, concise explanations, and a logical flow that guides you through the complexities of SEO without overwhelming you.

### How This Book Helps

Enhanced Online Presence: Learn how to optimise your website to improve its visibility in search engine results, attracting more qualified traffic.

Targeted SEO Strategies: Gain insights into developing SEO strategies that cater specifically to the needs and behaviours of B2B buyers.

Increased Credibility and Trust: Discover how to use SEO to establish your brand as a credible and authoritative source in your industry, not just for visibility.

Long-Term Success: Equip yourself with knowledge that ensures your SEO efforts are sustainable and adaptable to the evolving digital landscape.

Ready to take control of your B2B SEO strategy and drive meaningful business results? Purchase "The B2B SEO Playbook" on Amazon and start transforming your digital marketing approach today!

[![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/07/B2BBookMarketing-copy.jpg)](https://mattjanaway.gumroad.com/l/the-b2b-seo-playbook?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)
## Posts
### The long-term SEO risks of AI-generated content
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/the-long-term-seo-risks-of-ai-generated-content/
Last updated: 2026-08-03T12:32:06.000Z
Listen to this blog post on Spotify

Using AI-generated content for SEO feels like cheating. If something feels like cheating, it probably is. It's just way too easy to publish pages very quickly. 

Lately, it's common to see people sharing growth charts on LinkedIn as if they've just invented a new growth engine.

What usually doesn't get shared, though, is when performance falls off a cliff a few months later.

In most situations, we see impressions disappear, indexing slow down, and the programmatic AI content production machine turn into a domain-wide performance issue that might be difficult to recover from.

If you have been paying attention over the last 12 to 18 months, you'll have seen the same decline repeat itself in public case studies and private audits.

The chart looks the same each time - a surge followed by a decline after 6-9 months. 12-18 months, if you’re lucky. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2026/07/image-1.png)

This isn't an anti-AI post. I love AI. It can be extremely useful as part of your content production process, but the problem is creating content of little value and scaling production without editorial control.

When AI becomes your full publishing strategy, rather than a tool inside a process, the long-term SEO risk increases rapidly.

In this article, I’ll start with what Google actually says about AI-generated content. Then I’ll walk through real-world case studies.

After that, I’ll break down the repeatable pattern I keep seeing with websites that rely on AI too much:

Rapid Production Phase → Visibility Surge → Quality Recalibration → Systemic Downgrade → Structural Reset.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2026/07/image-3.png)

Finally, I’ll lay out a better approach to using AI for content production that improves efficiency without damaging search performance.

## What Google says about AI-generated content SEO

Before showing the case studies, it's important to note that there’s no specific evidence that Google punishes content just because an AI model wrote it. Having said that, those working on Google’s search systems give a confusing bag of mixed signals.

Here, they seem to suggest that it's OK:

✅ Google Search Central has said:

🗣️

“[The appropriate use of AI or automation is not against our guidelines.](https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2023/02/google-search-and-ai-content?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)”

But here, they say that isn't OK:

❌ John Mueller said:

🗣️

AI-written content falls under auto-generated content, which has been in the Webmaster Guidelines "[since almost the beginning](https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-says-ai-generated-content-is-against-guidelines/444916/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)", and that using machine learning to generate content is essentially the same as shuffling words around or synonym-spinning: "for us it's still automatically generated content, and that means for us it's still against the Webmaster Guidelines. So we would consider that to be spam."

There is, however, plenty of evidence that poor quality, thin, unreviewed pages that do not demonstrate real experience, expertise, or trust are punished - or rather, will struggle to perform long-term, either at scale, or even just at normal production speeds.

The Helpful Content System is now part of the core ranking algorithm, which means that a single large section of unhelpful content can suppress performance across the domain, including your best work.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2026/07/image-4.png)

The other part that matters is Google's spam policy. They explicitly call out the misuse of automation for ranking manipulation: [“Using AI or automation to generate content with the primary purpose of manipulating ranking in search results is a violation of our spam policies.”](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/essentials/spam-policies?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

And to compound it, Google’s March 2024 core update and various spam updates put “scaled content abuse” front and centre, and Google stated [it reduced low-quality and unoriginal content in results after the update](https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2024/03/core-update-spam-policies?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

If you have been in SEO for a while, this should feel familiar. Scale-first ~~tactics~~ hacks always look brilliant right up until they don't. Content farms, link farms, thin affiliates, guest post networks, etc. Every manipulation hack gets a window, then the window closes. 

AI content is just the newest version of the same attempt to manipulate search engine algorithms.

## Real-world case studies of AI content traffic collapses

OK, let's put some meat on the bones. Most conversations about AI-generated content SEO stay theoretical, but not this one.

We've now had enough time to see the damage, so the data is no longer theoretical.

In all of the examples below, early growth tells you nothing about how content will behave after the next wave of quality-systems recalibrations or algorithmic updates.

If the strategy is “*publish fast and hope,*” your website's search performance is probably a time bomb, waiting to explode.

And if the strategy is “*publish easily without expertise,*” your performance will struggle as well.

### SEOwind: “100% growth” narrative

SEOwind published a case study claiming it published 116 AI-generated articles in 30 days and saw strong gains, including a 100%+ increase in impressions and a 70%+ increase in clicks.

Their case study was cited all over the internet as proof that AI-generated content is not only a viable SEO strategy but the best one.

Then their rankings disappeared. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2026/07/mlabs-2026-07-09-at-16.43.44@2x.jpg)

Image using data from Ahrefs

SERP data tools show the domain losing almost all of its visibility, which is consistent with what you see when trust is recalibrated, and clusters (and sometimes even entire domains) drop out of Google's index.

### ClickUp: 250k page one keyword losses

ClickUp is a major brand with an incredibly strong backlink profile and a large content operation. [It was valued at around $4bn a few years ago](https://www.reuters.com/technology/software-firm-clickup-valued-4-bln-new-funding-round-2021-10-27/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). 

They published circa 150 AI-generated or AI-assisted blog articles and publicly claimed 85% growth in non-branded organic traffic over 12 months.

But, as expected, their rankings eventually plummeted. Ahrefs keyword charts show that the domain has lost over a quarter of a million keywords on page one alone.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2026/07/mlabs-2026-07-09-at-16.17.21@2x.jpg)

Image using data from Ahrefs

It doesn't stop there. What makes this case especially useful as an example, is that the drop is not just in keyword rankings. In Ahrefs’ AI citations reporting, citations dropped across multiple AI systems at the same time:

- ChatGPT: -1.5K loss
- Perplexity: -515 loss
- Gemini: -416 loss
- Copilot: -380 loss

This is to be expected when visibility is lost, because AI platforms often rely on search engines to pull back answers.

### Userpilot: 43k page one keywords, down to 3k

Userpilot developed a programmatic AI content strategy, publishing content like competitor comparisons. They scaled content production from an average of [4 posts per month to around 40](https://gracker.ai/case-studies/userpilot?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

No surprise, then, that like all of the other examples I have reviewed, they saw a collapse in rankings. This one was pretty astronomical - from around 200,000 keywords to less than 5000.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2026/07/mlabs-2026-07-15-at-17.11.35@2x.jpg)

Image using data from Ahrefs

### AirOps: aggressive scaling and largescale declines

AirOps is a classic case of what happens when you stack multiple largescale risks at once.

They added over 3,000 self-serving listicles, an incorrect AggregateRating schema across the blog, and a URL footprint that doubled from 98k to 202k URLs in about 10 months.

Each of these can be a problem in isolation, but together, they gave Google's algorithms a lot of ammunition.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2026/07/mlabs-2026-07-09-at-16.44.40@2x.jpg)

Image using data from Ahrefs

The subsequent decline in keyword ranking was sharp. Their organic visibility dropped significantly.

When the footprint is that large and the content is that homogeneous, recovery isn't simply a matter of removing a few weak pages. In fact, recovery might not even be possible.

### Causal.app

The Causal case study is probably the most public and most thoroughly documented failure.

Jake Ward, founder of AI content tool Byword, ran what he called an "SEO heist", scraping a competitor sitemap, feeding the URLs into Byword's "Write From URLs" feature, and publishing 1,800 AI-generated articles to Causal's website.

Ward publicised it on Twitter and claimed 490K monthly visits and 13k page one keywords. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2026/07/mlabs-2026-07-09-at-17.12.47@2x.jpg)

Image using data from Ahrefs

Causal had been on a solid organic upward trend for two years before this, so the AI content push didn't just fail to add to that; it knocked the site back years. 

### ZacJohnson.com

In September 2023, the site was pulling an estimated 370 monthly organic visits. By February 2024, that number was 923,218.

The climb lasted five months and roughly doubled traffic each month. Secondary sources have cited up to 60,000 AI-generated articles published across that period. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2026/07/mlabs-2026-07-09-at-17.13.42@2x.jpg)

Image using data from Ahrefs

Then, as always, Google caught up with the content process. Traffic went from 900k in February to zero by July. It has stayed at zero every month since.

## Why scaling AI content fails SEO in the long term

These case studies clearly show how search engines treat AI-generated content, especially when scaled.

It's worth running through the specific mechanisms that cause the declines, because "AI content is bad" doesn't tell the full story.

To me, the problem looks like it has four distinct components, and understanding them lets you actually avoid the failure.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2026/07/image-6.png)

### Content sameness at scale

When you use an LLM to produce articles, you're essentially using the same input and the same process.

The same information, the same structure, the same choices, the same transitions. Mel, Marketing Labs' head of content, wrote about [AI creating similar structures for content here](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7479828236101885953/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). 

Google's systems are very good at detecting clustering - pages that are semantically connected or others that are near-duplicates, even when the words are different. At scale, AI-heavy content tends to produce exactly this kind of signal.

This creates a structural problem. The more homogeneous the content, the less reason Google has to index or rank it. 

Pages that rank long-term tend to have something genuinely different or useful to say, structured in a way that reflects how a practitioner actually thinks about the problem, and not how a language model predicts the answer should be organised.

### Missing "experience" signals

Google has repeatedly stated that it uses E-E-A-T signals (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust) to assess content quality. That first E, Experience, is particularly hard to fake at scale.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2026/07/image-7.png)

Experience can be shown in many ways: real screenshots, data from tools you use, quotes from real conversations, processes that only make sense if you've done the work. This means AI will systematically miss experience signals that are genuinely hard to fake.

### Weak editorial and SEO fundamentals

Haste is almost always the enemy of quality. AI content processes almost always optimise for speed.

The resulting editorial problems are obvious: weak internal linking, obvious page structure, poor targeting of intent, and no meaningful differentiation between pages competing for the same queries.

### Site-wide performance risk

This is the part that makes AI content very risky.

Google's Helpful Content System doesn't work on a page-by-page basis. It assesses content at the domain level. A cluster of low-quality content can suppress performance across the entire domain - including the pages that are useful.

This is likely what happened to ClickUp. The AI-generated content wasn't isolated to a subfolder that could be removed easily. It was enough to drag the domain's overall quality signal down, so the losses weren't just on AI articles.

Recovery from this position is slow and expensive, and sometimes not even possible. You're not just culling bad pages; you're rebuilding Google's trust in the domain. 

## How to use AI without long-term SEO risk

The problem isn't AI. It's what you're using AI for and **what you're not doing yourself**.

AI is an incredibly useful tool in the content production process. It's when it replaces the process that the risk escalates.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2026/07/image-5.png)

Everyone will have their own process, but here's how I use it without generating the same issues described above.

1. **Start with real knowledge, not AI synthesis.** The articles that perform well in the long term contain information that had to come from a human brain. Original research, first-hand experience, interviews, proprietary data, internal processes only your team knows. AI can't make this up. Use AI to help you plan the content, not to produce something from nothing.
2. **Keep human editorial control.** Every piece of content should be reviewed by someone with genuine subject-matter expertise. You should be asking: "Is this actually true? Does it reflect how practitioners think about this? Is there anything here that only we could say?" If the answer to the last question is no, the content isn't ready.
3. **Match production speed to editorial capacity.** If you can meaningfully review 10 articles a month, then only publish 10 articles a month. The idea is that no article goes out without deep and thorough attention. Volume without human control turns a content strategy into a liability.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2026/07/image-8.png)

1. **Fix technical fundamentals before scaling anything.** Internal linking, crawl structure, intent matching, schema, page structure etc. all need to be right before you should continue adding more pages. Adding more content to a technically weak website makes the risk bigger, not smaller.
2. **Audit regularly and cull decisively.** If you've already been using AI content, a content audit is a must. Identify pages with zero clicks over the previous year, find the pages that are cannibalising each other, and find pages that exist entirely to match keyword lists instead of adding value. Consolidate, improve, or remove these pages.
3. **Use AI where it helps.** Create content blueprints based on SERP analysis and competitor gaps. Ask it to fact check and ask it to check for errors or mistakes. Ask it if you've missed any angles. Input search data, competitor data and expert thoughts to ask for feedback.

The question I ask about any page before publishing: could a competitor produce this exact article without having done any of the underlying work? If yes, it's not good enough.

There has to be at least one thing on the page - a specific observation, a screenshot, a comparison, a process, an outcome - that requires actual human effort and experience to produce.

## Conclusion

The pattern is consistent enough now. AI content, especially at scale, produces early gains, then quality recalibration hits and performance declines.

I'm not saying this to encourage you not to use AI. It's an argument for using it as a tool inside of a very disciplined process, instead of a substitute for one.

The websites that will perform well in search over the next three to five years will be those that produce content with an editorial perspective, grounded in first-hand expertise, and that consistently execute the fundamentals. AI can help with parts of that, but it can't replace it.
### Why AI Brand Trackers are Utterly Pointless
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/why-ai-brand-trackers-are-utterly-pointless/
Last updated: 2026-07-08T17:42:09.000Z
Marketing teams love data and dashboards. So when a new wave of AI trackers promises insights into business performance inside AI platforms, it sounds exciting. Unfortunately, the data will never show you what you want it to.

The idea is seductive.

“Track how often your brand appears in AI answers.”

“Measure your visibility inside ChatGPT.”

“Understand your share of voice in AI conversations.”

It sounds like the next evolution of SEO and brand monitoring, [but while the logic seems familiar](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/generative-engine-optimisation-geo-is-just-seo-lets-stop-pretending-its-new/), unfortunately, the game has changed significantly, so we can no longer track the same visibility metrics. 

It’s nonsense, not because the tools are badly built, but because the thing they’re trying to measure doesn’t exist in a stable, observable form.

Tracking brand mentions in AI isn’t just noisy; it’s structurally impossible to do it well right now. And no tool, however polished, can fix that.

This article is not a hit piece on any one company. It is a blunt look at why this whole category struggles to help serious marketers and business owners who need reliable AI visibility data.

## AI answers aren’t shared experiences

Search results on Google and Bing aren't perfect, but they’re at least fairly easy to compare.

If two people search the same keyword, in roughly the same place, they’ll see something recognisable. Rankings can shift, personalisation creeps in, but there’s still a good common reference point.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2026/01/mlabs-2026-01-19-at-16.45.38@2x.jpg)

AI doesn’t work like that. Every response is shaped by:

- What the person is searching for. We can see the data for search engines but not for AI conversations - the framing has moved from keywords and keyphrases to full, deep and detailed questions. Everyone is different, so the answers will vary.
- Prior conversation history has a huge impact on the answer. Nobody has the same history, so we all see different answers.
- Inferred intent - depending on how the question is asked, it will change the framing completely.
- Location and language nuance
- Model-side experimentation
- Memory and preference signals
- When the data was collected
- Where the data was gathered

Two people can ask what *appears to be* a similar question and get entirely different answers. Different examples. Different framing. Different brands.

So when a tracker says, “Your brand appears in 300 AI conversations,” the only sensible response is: **whose conversations? What about?**

There is no stable baseline. Without a baseline, you’re not measuring visibility; you’re collecting anecdotes at scale, which is ironic because the scale you can collect these anecdotes is still tiny in comparison to the scale you'd need to collect to make it meaningful.

## AI outputs aren’t repeatable, so trends are fiction

Ask an LLM the same question twice, and you'll get different answers. The structure changes. The examples change. Sometimes even the conclusion changes.

That’s not a bug. It’s how probabilistic and predictive models work.

AI trackers rely on sampling and repetition to infer trends. But when the underlying system is non-deterministic, repetition doesn’t reveal truth; it just produces different dice rolls.

Charts go up. Charts go down. None of it reliably maps to user reality. You’re not watching trends or movement. You’re watching variance and calling it insight.

## You can’t see the real questions people are asking

This is the fatal flaw that most tools quietly step around.

In search, we can discover keywords, model demand, estimate coverage, and ultimately, analyse coverage. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2026/01/mlabs-2026-01-19-at-16.47.46@2x.jpg)

In AI, you have no idea:

- What people are actually asking
- How questions evolve mid-conversation
- Which prompts matter commercially

Queries aren’t short keywords. They’re messy, conversational, multi-layered, and often unguessable.

AI trackers invent a small, artificial query set and extrapolate confidence from it. It's theatre, ultimately, and not science. 

You’re measuring what could be asked, not what is being asked, and guessing at the answers.

## Brand mentions don’t equal sentiment or impact

Even if your brand appears, you still don’t know:

- Why was it mentioned
- Whether it was framed positively, neutrally, or cautiously
- Whether it helped or harmed perception
- Whether the user trusted it or ignored it

LLMs hedge constantly. They compare. They list options. They soften language.

A brand included in a paragraph alongside five others isn't always a recommendation. A warning wrapped in polite language is still a warning.

Sentiment analysis on AI answers is guesswork stacked on top of guesswork.

## **There is no exposure data, so the numbers float in space**

Every serious channel gives you *some* sense of exposure:

- Impressions
- Reach
- Frequency
- Clicks

AI platforms give you none of that.

You don’t know how often an answer was shown, whether anyone read it, or whether it influenced a decision. 

There’s no denominator, so the metric can’t mean anything.

## **You’re measuring outside the system, blindfolded**

Until AI platforms provide brands with first-party analytics, citation reporting, referral transparency, and query class data, everything else is reverse-engineering shadows.

AI trackers don’t observe reality. They infer it from the outside and sell confidence through visualisation.

That’s not analytics. It’s speculation with a UI.

## What actually matters instead

If AI visibility matters, it will show up downstream. Not in dashboards, but in referral traffic from AI platforms, brand search lift, assisted conversions, and sales conversations that mention AI as the source.

Those signals are imperfect; they’re delayed, they’re messy. But they're also vital. If AI is influencing demand, your pipeline will feel it.

The best way of thinking about it, in my opinion, is that if you need a tracker to prove it, it probably isn’t happening.

## Why AI tracking tools fail

AI brand tracking isn’t failing because the tools are immature. It’s failing because:

- There’s no shared surface
- No fixed query set
- No impression data
- No platform feedback
- No stable outputs

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2026/01/mlabs-2026-01-19-at-16.43.17@2x.jpg)

It's not a tooling gap, it's a physics problem. Until AI platforms open up first-party data, the smartest move isn’t finding a unicorn tool; it’s restraint.

[Focus on being genuinely useful](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/leveraging-competitor-reviews-for-killer-product-descriptions/). Focus on being cited naturally. Focus on what shows up in traffic, leads, and revenue. Work on your brand, coverage, and messaging. 

## Three persistent illusions that keep AI trackers alive

These tools survive because they tap into expected analysis, and they provide comfort. I see the same three illusions keep coming up.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2026/01/mlabs-2026-01-19-at-16.51.27@2x.jpg)

### Illusion 1: More metrics mean more control

AI trackers love complexity, more segments, more filters. More “AI-specific” views and slices.

They feel precise. They look sophisticated in a board deck. But precision built on unstable inputs is just decoration.

If the underlying feed is based on guessed queries, shifting models, non-repeatable outputs, and loose attribution, piling on detail doesn’t fix the problem; it hides it. You end up debating decimal points on numbers that were never solid to begin with.

### Illusion 2: Benchmark gaming

As soon as benchmarks exist, behaviour bends around them. Vendors can so easily tune data to score well. Users can design prompts to “win” tests. Teams can optimise for benchmark lift instead of commercial impact.

You see the same pattern everywhere: AI visibility scores creep up, internal reports look healthier, and nothing meaningful changes in leads, pipeline, or revenue.

When success is defined by narrow, synthetic tests, people optimise the test and not the outcome.

### Illusion 3: S**ampled answers represent reality**

AI trackers rely on a small set of sampled prompts and outputs, then present the results as if they describe what users actually experience - they don’t.

AI answers are non-deterministic, heavily personalised, and shaped by prior context you cannot see. The same question can produce different brands, different framing, and different conclusions from one moment to the next. Sampling a handful of prompts and calling it “AI visibility” assumes stability that simply isn’t there.

What these tools really measure is how a model responded in a controlled test environment, not how real users encounter brands in live conversations. That gap matters a lot!

Treating sampled AI outputs as representative insights is like testing a single search result and assuming it explains the entire SERP landscape.

## Conclusion

AI trackers sell a comforting idea: if something can be tracked, it can be controlled. With AI, that promise falls flat. These tools try to pin stable numbers onto systems that shift at extremely high speed, from LLM performance drift, through to constant model releases and rapid changes in answers. The result is a stack of graphs that might look solid, but they wobble under light pressure.

There is a better option. Keep measuring traffic, leads, and revenue with the [analytics tools](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/google-analytics-4-in-depth-guide-tutorials-faqs-tips/) you already trust. Let those numbers tell you whether content and campaigns are working, instead of chasing misleading AI usage reports or AI tool popularity myths.

Yes, that means leaving some things untracked. False measurement creates more risk than honest gaps.
### Internal Linking Audit: A Step-by-Step Guide
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/internal-linking-audit-a-step-by-step-guide/
Last updated: 2026-07-15T14:01:10.000Z
Most websites lack an efficient internal link architecture. Important pages can sit multiple clicks deep. Orphan pages remain mostly unseen, and anchor text on links isn't descriptive. I see it in audits every month, and it holds back the rankings the content deserves.

In this guide, I'll share the process we use in audits for Marketing Labs' clients.

## What is an internal linking audit?

An internal linking audit is a systematic review of how the pages on your domain interconnect. It examines site structure, anchor text, crawl paths, and the flow of internal link equity.

It isn't just a broken-link check; it requires examining the complete information architecture from a search engine's perspective.

It assesses whether link equity reaches pages that should be visible in search engine results, or whether low‑value pages are overly link-equity-heavy. It surfaces orphan pages, high click depth, and thin anchor text, which weaken signals. It also shows whether your topical clusters support your important pages.

## How internal linking strengthens SEO signals and topical authority

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2025/12/image.png)

An example of link equity flow

Internal links pass link equity from one page to another. That is a controllable distribution, and it is faster to adjust than external links. Anchor text then adds context, telling Google the destination page's purpose and which terms matter. This is simple internal link optimisation that pays off.

Strategic patterns stitch related content together so search engines see clear themes, with research on [the impact of internal](https://staff.najah.edu/media/published%5Fresearch/2025/06/08/10-1108%5Fjima-11-2023-0383.pdf?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) link structure demonstrating measurable improvements in topical authority and ranking performance.

[Hub‑and‑spoke architecture](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-create-topic-clusters/), in which a **pillar** links to all spokes and each spoke links back, is a particularly popular model. It supports crawling of internal links and nudges search bots toward higher priority paths. Link counts and source page strength also signal importance, which is how to strengthen SEO signals with internal links without gaming the system.

> “Internal links are super critical for SEO.” - John Mueller, Google Search Advocate

A few practical pointers that move the needle:

- Spread **links from “power pages”** (high authority or traffic) to commercial pages that need support.
- Use **contextual links** inside body copy; they send clearer signals than sidebar or footer links.
- Keep clusters tight: spokes should link to the pillar and to each other where it adds value.
- Aim for **descriptive anchors** that match user intent, not generic “click here”.

## The scalable internal linking audit process

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2025/12/image-1.png)

### Start with a full crawl and clean baseline

I usually start an internal linking audit with a full crawl to systematically map URLs, status codes, anchor text, inlinks, outlinks, and crawl depth. I connect Google Search Console and Analytics APIs to our crawling tools, where possible, so that I can cross‑reference performance with structure. This sets a clean baseline for internal link analysis.

It's usually a good idea to enable JavaScript rendering when menus or links rely on JavaScript. I also run an initial crawl without robots.txt to identify blocked sections, then a standard crawl to mirror what Google sees.

### Export and classify pages by intent

Next, I export key data. All Inlinks, All Outlinks, Response Codes, and a crawl depth view are exported to a spreadsheet. I add a column to tag page types and label commercial pages, pillars, and supporting content. This separation lets me see if authority flows toward commercial intent pages or just circles around blog posts.

### Identify under-linked pages and weak authority flow

It's then important to check the Inlinks tab to see which pages receive the most internal links. This is how to spot under‑linked commercial pages that need support. I'd suggest using Link Score, which estimates internal authority, to find the best sources for new links.

### Reduce click depth and surface buried sections

![Screaming Frog crawl tree](https://storage.googleapis.com/contentpen/uploads/cd31d3ce-df70-43e7-af82-71f73cab3122/uncategorized/1f1ce895-b422-49f6-b563-cb3a719d5af7.jpg)

Image courtesy of Screaming Frog

The image above shows a healthy crawl tree: short branches, clear hubs, and key sections near the root.

You can then review click depth. Any important page more than three clicks from the homepage gets flagged. I look for fast wins, such as adding links from category pages, popular guides, or the main nav. Reducing click depth is often the quickest way to improve internal linking for SEO on a big site.

The crawl tree graph in Screaming Frog is one of the fastest ways to understand site depth at a glance. Instead of scanning rows of URLs, you see how sections branch out from the homepage and where content starts to drift too far from the root. Buried pages usually show up as long, thin branches with no shortcuts back to stronger hubs.

This view makes structural problems obvious. Blog archives that only link in sequence, category pages hidden behind multiple layers, or legacy sections never re-integrated after a rebuild stand out immediately. When a supposedly important section sits further from the root than low-value content, the issue is architecture, not optimisation. The fix is deliberate linking from strong hubs, not more random links.

### Find and fix orphan pages

You can hunt for orphan pages by comparing crawler lists to sitemaps, GSC, and Analytics. If a page deserves to exist, you need to give it contextual links from relevant content. You can also find orphan pages by navigating to Reports > Orphan Pages (via GSC/GA/sitemap integrations) to catch pages with no internal links and pages the crawl might have missed.

### Audit anchor text for relevance and intent

Anchor text comes next. I usually build a PivotTable with destination URL and anchor text to spot generic phrases, exact‑match spam, or missing partial matches. I want natural variety with clear relevance, not ten versions of “click here”. This is where internal linking SEO shifts from random links to a deliberate internal linking strategy.

### Clean up technical blockers

Technical housekeeping follows. Resolve 404 errors by updating sources or removing dead links - this is great for users, but also good for retaining as much internal equity as possible. It's recommended to replace internal links that have redirect chains with the final URL. I strip nofollow on internal links that block authority, unless there is a very specific reason to keep it.

### Document fixes and build a repeatable roadmap

Finally, I document. I rate each issue by impact and effort, then create a sprint‑ready roadmap. Quick wins first. Big flow fixes next. Ongoing content edits after that. This keeps the work scalable, which matters if you want a repeatable process.

## Always run an internal linking audit after structural changes

Internal linking rarely breaks overnight. It degrades quietly after structural changes, when pages move, but links don’t follow.

Any of the following should trigger an internal linking audit:

- CMS changes or platform migrations
- URL, category, or taxonomy restructuring
- Navigation rebuilds or menu changes
- JavaScript framework changes that affect rendering or linking
- Large content launches that introduce new sections or hubs

These changes often alter crawl paths, depth, and link equity flow without anyone noticing. Running an audit immediately after keeps important pages close to the surface and prevents authority from leaking into dead or low-value paths.

If you’ve changed structure, don’t assume internal links “mostly survived”, check.

### Step-by-step checklist

If you want the process without the commentary, here's a concise flow:

**1) Crawl the site properly**

Run a full crawl to collect URLs, status codes, inlinks, outlinks, anchor text, and crawl depth. Enable JavaScript rendering if navigation relies on it. Run one crawl without robots.txt to find blocked sections, then a standard crawl to mirror what Google sees. Connect Search Console and Analytics for performance context.

**2) Export and classify pages**

Export All Inlinks, All Outlinks, Response Codes, and Crawl Depth into a spreadsheet. Tag each URL by page type (commercial, pillar, supporting) to see where internal authority flows.

**3) Identify structural weaknesses**

Review crawl depth and flag any commercially important page sitting more than three clicks from the homepage. Use the crawl tree graph to visualise buried sections and isolate folders or templates that are structurally disadvantaged.

**4) Find link opportunities from strong pages**

Check the Inlinks report and Link Score to identify pages with traffic, backlinks, and frequent crawling. These are your best internal link sources to support underlinked commercial pages.

**5) Audit and improve anchor text**

Group internal links by destination URL and review anchor text distribution. Remove generic anchors, avoid forced repetition, and use descriptive language that matches user intent. Remember that image links rely on alt text as the anchor.

**6) Fix technical blockers**

Replace internal links pointing to redirected URLs with direct links. Resolve or remove 404s. Remove internal nofollow unless there is a clear reason to block equity. These fixes preserve internal authority and improve crawl efficiency.

**7) Resurface orphan pages**

Cross-check crawl data against sitemaps, Search Console, and Analytics to find pages with no internal links. If a page deserves to exist, add contextual links from relevant content or hubs.

**8) Prioritise and document**

Score issues based on source strength, topical relevance, and impact on depth. Ship quick wins first, then tackle larger structural fixes. Document changes so internal linking doesn’t drift as the site grows.

Tips:

- If you use the same link twice on a page, assume the first contextual anchor may be treated as the primary one. Make the first one count.
- Avoid JS‑only links for mission‑critical paths; keep crucial links in standard HTML.

## How to measure whether internal linking changes worked

Internal linking isn’t guesswork. If the changes matter, you should see movement quickly.

You may be able to start measuring impact around six weeks, depending on Google's crawl frequency and website size. You’re not looking for large-scale improvements; you’re looking for confirmation that search engines have noticed the structural change.

In Google Search Console, watch impressions and average position, specifically for the target page and the surrounding cluster. Rising impressions usually come first, followed by steadier rankings. If nothing moves at all, the page is either still structurally weak, doesn't add value, or isn't the best match for the queries you’re targeting.

Use URL Inspection to confirm the page is being crawled and indexed properly, and check crawl stats if they’re available. Pages that receive stronger internal links tend to be crawled more consistently, which is often the first quiet signal that the fix has landed.

Finally, rerun the crawl in Screaming Frog. Confirm that click depth has reduced, inlinks have increased, redirect chains are gone, and orphan pages are no longer isolated. If the crawl doesn’t reflect the changes you intended, search engines won’t see them either.

If you don’t see any of these signals improve, stop adding links and reassess. Internal linking works well when it’s done deliberately. When it doesn’t move, it usually indicates a deeper structural or intent issue, not a lack of link equity.

## Internal linking execution and optimisation

Audits tell you what’s wrong. Execution decides whether anything actually improves.

This is where internal linking usually goes off the rails. People either change nothing because they’re cautious, or they change everything because they’ve found a lever that “works”. Both approaches fail for the same reason: they ignore control, sequencing, and feedback.

The goal here isn’t volume. It’s deliberate, testable change that improves authority flow without breaking the structure or muddying the intent.

### Add links deliberately, not everywhere

Internal linking is easy to overdo. When people discover it “works”, they often add dozens of links in one sweep, tweak anchors aggressively, and touch half the site in a single session. That usually makes things worse, not better.

Start with five to ten high-confidence edits. Choose strong source pages, add clear contextual links to the pages that matter, then leave it alone. Watch how impressions, crawl behaviour, and engagement change over the next few weeks. If the signal moves, repeat the pattern; if it doesn’t, reassess the structure or intent before adding more links.

Internal linking works best when you treat it like a controlled experiment, not a site-wide rewrite.

### Finding and prioritising internal link opportunities at scale

Random link drops do not move the needle; instead, identify power pages with backlinks and traffic, then add contextual links from those pages to valuable pages that need a lift.

Here's a full guide on [finding internal link opportunities](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-find-internal-linking-opportunities/) that actually improve rankings.

You can also use site search operators to mine content. A search like site:yourdomain.com “target keyword” pulls up relevant articles that should link to the target page. Then check pillar pages to ensure they reference every related cluster page and that the loop flows both ways.

### Prioritise edits using evidence, not instinct

Prioritisation is simple when following evidence-based frameworks. Research on the[ determinants of internal](https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/325544/1/1885273924.pdf?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) audit quality shows that systematic scoring based on source strength, relevance, and impact produces superior outcomes. Source strength, topical relevance, and destination click depth decide the order. A strong source with close relevance to the target, but that reduces depth, should receive the first phase of edits. Add a link, test the impact, and repeat.

This is internal link optimisation at scale without guesswork.

A simple scoring matrix helps focus edits:

| Factor            | High (3)                  | Medium (2)             | Low (1)                  |
| ----------------- | ------------------------- | ---------------------- | ------------------------ |
| Source strength   | High traffic/backlinks    | Moderate traffic       | Low traffic/no backlinks |
| Topical relevance | Tight keyword/theme match | Related but tangential | Loose connection         |
| Destination depth | ≤2 clicks                 | 3 clicks               | ≥4 clicks                |
| Overall priority  | 7–9 = edit first          | 4–6 = secondary        | 3 = backlog              |

Tip: When two sources are equal, prefer the one with better rankings and more impressions in Google Search Console - those links are crawled and recrawled more often.

### Using keyword data to identify strategic linking opportunities

Search Console is a goldmine for identifying linking opportunities. Export queries and pages, then group by [keyword themes](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/keyword-grouping-guide/) to see natural clusters. Pages that rank for similar terms should link to each other and to the pillar page that leads the topic.

The biggest potential winners here are pages that have rankings sitting between positions four and fifteen for target search terms and topics. A few well‑placed internal links can nudge those into the top three.

Pages with high impressions and low click-through rates could be given additional internal links and stronger anchors.

Additional tactics:

- Find “near‑miss” pages where Page A ranks for queries that Page B targets. Select the page that best matches the searcher's intent, and add a contextual link from A to B or B to A, with a descriptive anchor text that aligns with the search intent.
- Use “[Also Asked](https://alsoasked.com/?via=matt-janaway&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)” and related searches to diversify *semantic anchors* (e.g., “pricing guide,” “setup checklist,” “best practices”).
- Map queries to **search intent** and align anchors accordingly (informational vs. commercial).
- Refresh older posts with fresh internal links pointing to current commercial pages and updated guides.

### Validate your topic clusters before adding more links

You’ve probably already built topic clusters and pillar pages using your keyword groups and cluster strategy. That’s essential foundational work - but it’s not enough on its own. A cluster performs best when it’s complete and structurally sound from an internal linking perspective.

Before you go hunting for new internal links, run this operational check on each cluster you’ve already defined:

- Does the pillar link to every spoke that actually matters? A missing spoke link means the cluster isn’t a network - it’s a one-way street.
- Does every spoke link back to the pillar? If supporting content doesn’t return authority to its hub, the cluster’s hierarchy is broken.
- Do related spokes link to each other where they add context? Connecting tightly related posts helps search engines see theme depth without forcing unrelated pages together.
- Are commercial or conversion-focused pages genuinely inside the cluster, not dangling outside like an afterthought? A cluster without commercial pages under-linked to the pillar is a content silo, not a strategy.

Clusters live or die by internal links. This check turns your existing cluster strategy - which you’ve likely already defined in those other guides - into a pass-fail test that reveals gaps you can act on today.

## Decide what to keep, merge, redirect, or remove

Internal linking audits don’t just surface opportunities; they expose content that no longer earns its place in the structure. If every page is treated equally, authority is diluted, and clusters weaken over time.

When I find pages with low links, weak performance, or unclear intent, I run a simple decision check:

- Keep and improve the page if it has search demand, inbound links, conversions, or plays a clear role in a topic cluster. Strengthen it, update it, and support it with better internal links.
- Merge if the page overlaps heavily with another and competes for the same intent. Consolidate the content into a stronger page and redirect the weaker URL.
- Redirect if the page has links, history, or equity but no longer fits the site’s structure. Point it to the closest relevant alternative to preserve as much authority as possible.
- Remove the page if it has no demand, no links, and no strategic value. Don’t waste internal links propping up content that doesn’t deserve visibility.

This is where many sites quietly leak equity. Cleaning up weak or redundant pages often improves internal link flow more than adding new links ever will.

## Internal linking best practices for large sites and eCommerce

At scale, internal linking stops being a content problem and becomes a structural one. You can add perfect contextual links in blog posts, but if taxonomy, navigation, and templates are working against you, authority still leaks and depth still grows.

This section focuses on the site-level elements that quietly control how internal link equity flows, regardless of how disciplined your content team is.

### Set internal linking rules for scale

Scaling needs rules. It's important to document simple [content rules](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-development-the-ultimate-guide/) so writers and editors don't second-guess anything. Every new post should link to two or three related posts and one or two service or category pages. Service pages can link down to key guides and up to the main service hub. This keeps authority flowing in both directions.

### Structural elements that support internal linking

Category and tag structures are important on large sites because they create automatic internal links. Use them to group content tightly around themes, and not as a dumping ground. One of the biggest issues for eCommerce stores is data management, and it's far more important than many realise.

Breadcrumbs help users and bots understand structure, depth and relationships, and provide consistent links back to parent pages. For eCommerce, ensure [product pages](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/the-ultimate-guide-to-ecommerce-product-page-seo/) link to related products and parent categories, while category hubs link to main categories. This should sound like common sense, but many CMS's and themes get this wrong.

Mega menus and HTML sitemaps can help reach deep pages, but keep menus tidy and focused on real user needs. Related content areas are fine when they're tuned to surface relevant, evergreen pieces that support conversions, not just the latest posts. However, sometimes they're left to their own devices and end up including generic products or posts.

Pagination needs clean links, and while rel="next" and rel="prev" are no longer technically used by Google, a consistent pattern still helps crawling and user experience. I usually still recommend keeping rel="next" and rel="prev" in place and ensuring you self-canonicalise the paginated pages.

By implementing pagination correctly, you are giving search engines a strong hint that you’d like them to consolidate indexing properties, such as internal and external links, from the component pages/URLs to the series as a whole (i.e., links should not remain dispersed (diluted) between /page-1, /page-2, etc., but be grouped with the sequence).

### eCommerce-specific internal linking considerations

More tips for large eCommerce catalogues:

- For faceted navigation, expose only valuable, index‑worthy facets. Keep the rest crawlable for users, but prevent spinning out near‑duplicate URLs.
- When products are permanently out of stock, add a link to the closest alternative and the parent category.
- Avoid linking to internal search results pages unless they act as curated hubs with genuine value.

As URLs change or pages get pruned, internal links decay. A semi-regular sweep to fix links and add new ones into fresh content will improve internal linking on big sites without a rebuild.

## Common internal linking mistakes that damage SEO performance

Overlinking the same anchor from every page to a single commercial URL can look spammy and dilute its impact. I'd recommend mixing anchors with clear variations that still match the topic.

Also, make sure the anchor text is relevant to users. Keep it intent-driven and explanatory.

Generic anchors like “click here” waste context and make it harder for search engines to map themes across your site.

Many sites keep link equity trapped in the blog. Guides link only to other guides and skip the service pages. Fix that by routing from high‑traffic posts to relevant commercial pages. Do not create *orphan pages* by publishing content without adding internal and external links. If a page cannot be linked naturally, search engines will almost certainly deem it unworthy of visibility in search results.

Redirect chains sap link equity and slow crawling. This needs to be done regularly, so run crawls for redirect chains and break the chain by linking to the final URL.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2025/12/Image.png)

Link equity loss from redirects

Nofollow on internal links blocks equity flow and should be used only on rare occasions. Deep placement also hurts. As mentioned earlier, pages that drift deeper over time lose authority and crawl attention.

Footer or sidebar‑heavy linking carries less weight than contextual links, so keep the focus inside the main content.

[Broken links](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/repair-404-errors-using-screaming-frog/) waste crawl budget and annoy users, so they need to be fixed as a priority and with regularity.

💡

Bonus tip: You should also analyse external links. Use multiple backlink databases, such as Moz, Ahrefs, Semrush, and Majestic, to build a comprehensive list of all backlinks pointing to your website. Once you have this data, import it into Screaming Frog and check for any 404 links. If you find broken URLs, assess whether the backlink is high quality and still adds value. Where it does, set up a redirect to the most relevant alternative page on your site to preserve as much link equity as possible.

## Internal linking governance: stop the structure from drifting

Internal linking usually fails over time, not all at once. New content gets published, old hubs aren’t updated, navigation stays static, and the architecture slowly drifts out of shape.

To prevent that, internal linking needs simple governance rules, not ad-hoc fixes.

Before any page is published, it should pass a basic internal linking check:

- It links to at least two or three genuinely relevant supporting pages
- It links up to the correct pillar or hub page
- It includes a clear route to a relevant commercial or conversion-focused page where appropriate

If a page can’t be linked naturally into an existing structure, that’s a signal to rethink the topic, not publish it anyway.

Blogs are usually well-maintained. Hubs, category pages, and navigation rarely are.

Someone needs to own:

- Pillar and hub pages (keeping spokes up to date)
- Category structures and internal paths
- Navigation changes that affect depth and authority flow

Without ownership, these areas quickly become stale, and internal links decay even when writers follow the rules.

Governance doesn’t need to be heavy. It just needs to exist. Simple publishing rules and clear ownership are enough to keep internal linking working as the site scales.

#### Quick checklist:

- Replace 3xx chains with direct links.
- Use **descriptive anchors**; avoid generic text.
- Keep key pages within three clicks from the homepage.
- Route authority out of the blog to relevant commercial targets.
- Fix 404s and refresh or remove dead content.
- Prefer contextual links over sitewide templates.

## Conclusion

An internal linking audit is not a one‑off task. Regular maintenance keeps equity flowing, topics clear, and important pages close to the surface.

Start with the big wins: connect authoritative pages to commercial pages, fix 404s, reduce redirects, and remove orphans. Bake simple rules into your publishing workflow so structure does not drift as you scale.

I'd recommend running quick checks monthly and a full audit each quarter. Map [new content](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-publishing-strategy/) into existing clusters as a habit.

## FAQs

### Question 1: How many internal links should each page have?

There is no magic number because context matters more than totals. Aim to link to two to five closely related pages within the body copy. Avoid long lists of weak links that blur topical focus. Commercial pages usually need more internal links pointing to them than they send out.

### Question 2: Should I use the same anchor text for all internal links to a page?

No, because repetition looks artificial and adds risk. Use your primary keyword in a sensible share of links, then mix in partial matches and natural language. Keep every anchor relevant to the target page. That balance sends strong signals without looking forced.

### Question 3: How often should I conduct an internal linking audit?

Active sites benefit from a full internal linking audit every quarter. A monthly sweep for broken links and new orphans is smart and quick. Run an audit after migrations, structural changes, or large content launches. Bigger sites may add continuous monitoring to identify issues more quickly.

### Question 4: Do footer and sidebar links pass the same authority as contextual links?

No, because contextual links in the main content carry clearer signals. Sitewide links are useful for navigation but are often discounted. Keep global links for core navigation and trust contextual links to move authority. That mix keeps both users and search engines on the right path.
### AI is Making Marketers Lazy,  and it’s Killing Creativity
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/ai-is-making-marketers-lazy-and-its-killing-creativity/
Last updated: 2026-07-15T14:05:16.000Z
We keep calling AI “a tool.” But most marketers aren’t using it like a tool, they’re using it like a crutch.

Why write a headline when ChatGPT can give you 10 in 3 seconds? Why wrestle with strategy when you can prompt for that, too?

This tension is explored brilliantly in *The Guardian’s* article, [“Are we living in a golden age of stupidity?”](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/oct/18/are-we-living-in-a-golden-age-of-stupidity-technology?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), which argues that frictionless tech might be dulling our minds.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2025/10/image-12.png)

However, there is a real problem on the horizon - real learning requires friction, and AI is smoothing it all away.

## AI makes things easier, and that’s not always good

We’re at the start of a paradox. We have more data, more content, and more computational power than ever before, but you can see brands using AI as an output a mile away. Their content is shallower, less sharp, less human.

A [recent study from MIT](https://www.media.mit.edu/publications/your-brain-on-chatgpt/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) found that people writing with AI showed lower brain activity in networks linked to attention and creativity. That should worry anyone, but especially those in this industry.

It’s not that AI is making people stupid; it’s that it’s removing the struggle that makes us smarter.

## Real learning comes from struggle

We don’t sharpen strategy by avoiding hard work; we sharpen it by wrestling with it. The uncomfortable parts, the rewrites, the failed tests, the frustrating “why isn’t this converting?” moments. These are the times where insight is forged. Skip the struggle, and you skip the very thing that gives you experience.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2025/10/image-13.png)

### Lazy inputs = lazy outputs

You’ve likely seen a flood of bland LinkedIn posts and the “SEO-optimised” AI blog spam. 

No tension. No edge. Just predictable, AI noise. People aren’t wrestling with ideas anymore; they’re outsourcing the discomfort.

“Frictionless” sounds great in UX. But in creativity, it’s fatal.

### Friction is how we learn

In my agency, the best insights come from the challenging aspects, such as debates over messaging, the third failed test variant, and the unexpected dip in conversion rates that we must dissect.

Take those away, and you're left with someone coasting through autocomplete marketing.

You can’t shortcut your way to deep strategy; you have to earn it. Psychologists call this *desirable difficulty*, the idea that [learning sticks better when it’s effortful](https://bjorklab.psych.ucla.edu/research/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). Remove that effort, and you lose the learning.

### AI should augment, not replace

There’s nothing wrong with using tools - I use AI every day.

But there’s a massive difference between using it to stress-test your thinking and pushing your boundaries, and using it to avoid thinking altogether.

You can feel the difference in the output. One sharpens, the other dulls.

## Use AI like a smart assistant, not a replacement for thinking

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2025/10/image-14.png)

1. Treat AI like a very capable assistant, not a slave. Use it to bounce ideas, get an outline, or sanity-check thinking, but you still have to lead the way.
2. Lean into the hard bits. If something feels slow or frustrating (like testing ad variants or debating positioning), then that's good. That’s where the learning lives.
3. Make space for manual work. Write the headline yourself or build the strategy deck from scratch. It’ll take longer, but it’ll force your brain to stretch.
4. Don’t just ask for outputs, interrogate your inputs. AI will give you what you feed it. Garbage in = garbage out. Spend more time refining the question, not just the answer.
5. Hold your team (and yourself) to a higher bar. “AI wrote this” isn’t a flex.“AI helped me sharpen this” is.

## The winners will be those that can think and learn

Marketers who offload thinking, avoid discomfort, and skip the learning phase are going to be ten-to-the-penny over the next decade.

The best marketers are the sharp ones. They’ll use the friction - the testing, the rewrites, the debates - to get smarter.

AI is powerful, but it is one of many tools in a marketer's toolbox, and only when used correctly.
### Testing Isn’t a Gamble - It’s How You STOP Gambling With Budgets
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/testing-isnt-a-gamble-its-how-you-stop-gambling-with-budgets/
Last updated: 2026-07-15T14:09:38.000Z
Some businesses see marketing testing as an expense. I see it as a filter that stops you from pouring money down the drain.

I once sat in a meeting as a consultant between a business and a Google Ads agency. The business owner said, “What do you mean you need to test? You’re wasting my money. I pay you to have the answers.” 

That line encapsulates one of the most costly misconceptions in marketing.

## The Problem

Some business owners believe that testing is about throwing money at random ideas to “see what sticks.” It isn’t.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2025/10/image-8.png)

Testing is how you find out which part of your spending actually earns its keep.

When you don’t test, you’re not saving money; you’re just hiding from the data. You’re assuming your keywords, the ads, audiences, or landing pages are perfect. They’re not. They never are.

Without testing, you end up protecting the wrong things. The wrong message, the wrong audience, the wrong creative. And these drain the budget for months.

## What’s Really Happening

Let’s say you’re spending £10k a month on ads, and you skip testing because you “can’t afford” to waste £1k experimenting.

But you’re probably wasting 30% of that £10k on underperforming assets anyway. That’s £3k every single month.

Testing doesn’t waste £1k - it saves the £3k you’re currently burning.

That’s the bit people miss. Testing isn’t just about finding losers. It’s about stopping losers faster. It's also the only way of finding winners.

## The Truth About Testing

Testing isn’t a cost - it’s calibration. Think of it like tuning a high-performance engine. You’re not tearing it apart for fun; you’re making sure every cylinder fires cleanly before you can drive efficiently.

Without that tuning, the car might still run, but half the fuel burns inefficiently, power’s lost, and you’re convinced it’s “fine” because it still moves. That’s most ad accounts.

Testing gets everything firing in sync. It identifies friction, enhances performance, and ensures that when you scale, you’re scaling efficiency, not wasting resources.

Each test compound contributes to better performance, and that precision is your profit margin.

Every test gives you leverage:

- Which headline earns the click?
- Which audience actually converts?
- Which offer actually drives conversions, rather than just increasing the engagement rate?

## Takeaways

If you’re serious about performance:

1. Budget for testing. Without it, results suffocate.
2. Test small, scale smart. A 10% test budget now saves a significant amount of waste later.
3. Judges test by what they teach, not just what they earn. Every “failed” test is an important lesson learned, not a loss.
4. Document and repeat. A testing culture compounds; a guessing culture collapses.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2025/10/image-11.png)

## Final Thought

If you’re not testing, you’re gambling; you’ve just convinced yourself the roulette wheel is predictable.

Testing isn’t a gamble. It’s how you stop gambling with your budget.
### How to Get More TikTok Views: Top 11 Strategies to Accelerate Your Growth
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-get-more-tiktok-views/
Last updated: 2026-07-15T14:12:49.000Z
Short-form videos are all the rage lately.

Spearheaded by platforms like Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and, of course, TikTok, they represent a real opportunity to be found. 

In this post, we'll focus exclusively on getting more views on TikTok. 

## What actually counts as a "view" on TikTok?

First and foremost, remember that different social media and streaming platforms measure views differently. 

For instance, on Instagram, a single "view" is logged after the clip plays for at least three seconds. 

On YouTube, it's either 30 seconds or half of the entire clip, whichever's shorter. 

On TikTok, a single view is recorded as soon as the video starts playing. In other words, your video gets awarded a view each time it auto-plays on someone's feed. 

Of course, not all views are valuable from a commercial standpoint.

That's why TikTok allows you to perform a more in-depth analysis of your video's watch time. If you open your video, tap **'More insights**,**'** and scroll down to the "Retention rate" section, you'll get a more detailed look at your views. 

![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXeHsfYwvzfSKwubSNqcZI49jTMsat3GZZp-4D201Suhwmj7B_0NjCi43nrj5FYXnq4J6E7uAgl3xPPdoyZCx_BL3UhJWrwrQB_yLXItk3ph1_wGOGm-8dshahqq4ezu9HtixeZg0oW4JLMuoBlnHISbbINS?key=UIqzX7igfV2RsQj6Xz3LAQ)

### Does TikTok pay for views? 

The short answer is yes, **TikTok pays per view**, but only if you're part of the Creator Fund program. 

In terms of rates, payouts range from $0.02 to $0.04 per 1,000 views. 

Let's say your video gets a million views on TikTok. With the current rate, you could earn between $20 and $40.

That's definitely not nearly enough if you focus solely on creating content on TikTok. However, if you have other monetisation strategies, like [TikTok affiliate marketing](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/tiktok-affiliate-marketing/), getting paid per view is a bonus.

### What about TikTok profile views?

TikTok profile views can be more valuable than video views because: 

- Profile visitors can view more of your videos, resulting in increased potential for video views.
- TikTok profile views are more effective for increasing your brand awareness and attracting more followers.
- Profile views will help you promote links in your TikTok bio.

![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXd10K8N1dqia4Vn5GV4_kkJDPGEv1v9Nb2QaEEwkeWpTkIx1PhkGHe88PAIKSrzkoPvxUXQ8As6e23is6W1ZLi_-osopuGl-bujI0u3IJFxjagfkJe7NURX_ZRIeRRpqCJhrqM5evq4HyjFm-ZGtx220ayv?key=UIqzX7igfV2RsQj6Xz3LAQ)

Growing TikTok video views and profile views may involve different strategies, but they all revolve around captivating your target audience through great content. 

### Should you pay for TikTok views? 

Although there are mixed opinions online regarding the practice of "buying" TikTok views, in my opinion, I'd always recommend against it.

Paying for likes, followers, or views is, in itself, a direct violation of TikTok's Community Guidelines (see "[Fake Engagement](https://www.tiktok.com/community-guidelines/en/integrity-authenticity?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk#4)"). 

In addition, paid or fake views don't provide any real value to your business. They might appear attractive to more impressionable users, but the risks far outweigh the potential benefits of purchasing fake engagement.

## How to get more views on TikTok: 11 practical tips you can do today

Here are 11 strategies that will help you get more views on TikTok:

### Use trends

Trends play a huge part in TikTok culture. 

They can come out of nowhere, bring a ton of attention with them, and provide an opportunity for everyone to participate (including brands). 

Trends come in various forms, including challenges, dances, captions, and audio. Businesses can also examine trending keywords in advertising campaigns to determine which content types are currently driving results. 

You don't need to look far to find trends that are easy to get into. Browsing through your "For You" feed for a few minutes should give you a handful of ideas. You can also look at search suggestions or check the "Trends" tab on [TikTok Creative Center](https://ads.tiktok.com/business/creativecenter/inspiration/popular/hashtag/pc/en?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

This feature lets you look for trends by song, creator, video, or hashtag.

![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXeMSa-Cfs0JfwSONuvYOE_TZQQXZaauVMQ_ceFOPvony_5lxkbHqRUkPWL3YIVfdWBCw95hBoxPRi9gadM0TLOq-i7YkVXcAKRgrrFOKih21Prf_EmlXfVw97GnDVGXyX6PY2EhfZZoqhdChRY_HvZU_xI?key=UIqzX7igfV2RsQj6Xz3LAQ)

Alternatively, use the Keyword Insights tool to take a peep at the keywords advertisers are bidding for within a specific period. 

![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXeVxP3v84d5rkyAzbUF6kr0V_Za7vVzWOoZk-9-t_lfK3EfXkMYWscfknwCf_TPG-cVPh0tinzMDejYhkkAeShZdkBfOXN_I1QzM_s3VBt_g-u2LfqOmUBpYqfpFu6vqf2NfCdN1PGPj7tzF8NL-mqMY3kD?key=UIqzX7igfV2RsQj6Xz3LAQ)

Want to stay ahead of trends pertaining to specific brands? 

Use a tool like [Brand24](https://brand24.grsm.io/ldnegdy08qw8?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to set custom alerts whenever someone mentions your brand on social media. This will help you be among the first to know about the latest trends, conversations, and user sentiment surrounding your company and products. 

### Use relevant hashtags

Using popular hashtags isn't useful for just obtaining trends. You can also use those hashtags in your TikTok videos to boost their visibility.

Remember, hashtags are almost universally used across social media to help algorithms identify the topic and context behind posts. 

If you use the right hashtags, TikTok is more likely to recommend your videos to the right viewers. Hashtags also make your posts more discoverable through the built-in search tool. 

![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfTOUt6BJ7JhwiRlkaX4KZrl31kaTJMsz-tryb8gu6FyT8wsVLSbjo6pvVMz1WMi3bRXPj7qFyHq6s5ynFHEsCxUSV3jt39Q8vpsjQiAaZ5lJ7LVIegeu58Jpmt3hRstDejTduLOcvkO_w2MwbPBOCo78jz?key=UIqzX7igfV2RsQj6Xz3LAQ)

The best part is, you don't need to search hard for potential hashtags that can give you the reach you need. 

Whenever you create a new post on TikTok, just tap **'Hashtags'** when you're about to write a description.

![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfMnN3Zu5ItFe9XX0-7cW2oLGU5TZpI6CLlGkdzJeKpKcQ-kwkIfsFIkXwYpAozvOouJa-v9WXIAAHSZJbMnMB3B4ewxwcEMFws7oibY2pp_6Ni5deygwKTCRvGkhen6Z4DbYvcyPnJAsdJcXDpgASFuSM?key=UIqzX7igfV2RsQj6Xz3LAQ)

From there, start typing anything related to your post, and TikTok will generate popular hashtag ideas for you in seconds.

![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdU1YdxDJeMtcTzmM67X1fNCVe-EnVrVAYjp5Nz74VW90IGxg75XtEzDOKy8ffEpwpfMA1VGKNYaiGluBPRvfzP9xzJTOJ-ehSOIEoxtUja3zmpGfC8Cs6ryZqV6VBUfskypKqbKL2Q-ZF6LTNbbYhtSjwY?key=UIqzX7igfV2RsQj6Xz3LAQ)

### Add your location

Location tags function similarly to hashtags, offering the same benefits. 

Pinning your location will help your TikTok video appear to users who enter location-based queries in the built-in search bar. 

![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcC8eIQk2GVMHTBcE3B_Zk1fuFhwKJ64Bx78r8JLqOMQU_s8NimGmw8K4fWV4zik21aKgg0yt7TJPyzfY_SDwUBunopwUnKUIgUrIcYoYT2IL3spbUc6uxTLlleQAPgczdkJlDSZ46CDu2xQn1vMPgTRFk?key=UIqzX7igfV2RsQj6Xz3LAQ)

Location tags are great if you're posting from a popular destination or event. Otherwise, tagging your location will give your posts a boost in searchability for users in your area.

### Duet popular videos

Aside from jumping into trends, another way to piggyback on the success of other TikTok creators is to use the "duet" feature. This allows TikTok users to attach their own clips directly next to the original uploader's video, then upload the result as new content. 

To duet a video, tap the **'Share'** button and look for the **'Duet'** option if it's available. Note that some users may choose to disable duets on their posts. 

![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXckLhTYSNDVrI5rbX4ax2kUl6lK_-hlHDerhcSw7w9tD0zEAHpHs77Hkj98VI-zM9576nzs25cuXI5KtYvuaO_8cSV4ONauwqivPcHaeK-vojuV31wT460lbMcxcJCjiZOjCFy_eDadKxcRPbgk6fFQjkjP?key=UIqzX7igfV2RsQj6Xz3LAQ)

While the duet feature is designed for songs, you can also use it to post reactions, responses, or commentary. This allows you to share your original thoughts, establish your credibility, or perhaps segue into a promotion, all while leveraging the popularity of the original video to capture attention.

### Stitch in your follow-ups

On TikTok, "stitching" is similar to doing duets.

You can find a popular post, add something original (e.g., insightful commentary or genuine reaction), and start drawing more attention to your business. The main difference is, a stitched clip plays right after the original video, not alongside it. 

You'll also find the **'Stitch'** option by tapping the **'Share'** button.

![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdhxdpBqYcafpXs4sC1SUdoffjvLTCSNaVkXyjwaoERnCcs2GpBxk8lqDdA-QUnRNpMwWyEQmO12N2iIB-f3eEgan3aLCu9zQOtJgyun5-lR7RSjOEmPI1OmK6857jBXMVhw7TRgS1CBYdHqkexcawn8G5x?key=UIqzX7igfV2RsQj6Xz3LAQ)

Just a friendly reminder: duets and stitches aren't considered original content on the platform, making them ineligible to earn from the [TikTok Creativity Program](https://www.tiktok.com/legal/page/global/tiktok-creativity-program-beta-terms-eea/en?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). But if that's not a concern, both stitches and duets are great for expanding your reach and potentially fostering connections with other TikTok creators. 

### Experiment with how-to videos

Educational content is a great way to establish a strong brand.

Not all users appreciate extracting all their information from long-form blog posts. Some people would rather watch quick, 15-second tutorial videos that highlight the important steps.

That's exactly why TikTok creators are generating hundreds of thousands of views with educational content.

![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfSjQEf_xLH8LVfsu04OlQuahDV4JuxO7-7TlfB5Kn7LoJRFM9BKkMdAtPr64r2ytXMSih6x3wZ7UBTUD6VjVu4G33cYjfP3ZSSmEzepIDtnvuzRaAFTe4G2tKEROGiMhu7nsZbZTmDh4kBm3BtWxpTPHb9?key=UIqzX7igfV2RsQj6Xz3LAQ)

How-to videos are also a great way to build your reputation as an expert, which is perfect for funnelling traffic to your own website. Since TikTok only allows links in your bio, don't forget to include a CTA in your video that invites viewers to your profile. 

Please note that there are a couple of caveats to consider. 

First, you need a business account. And second, you can only include one clickable link. 

The workaround that most TikTok influencers and brands use is to create a mini-website or "link hub," which contains all the other links your viewers need to see. This should definitely include links to your other social media profiles and website (if any). 

![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcPtGAhEfuvN_hPSdNK3VltwnsbBXROzUXT3R6LC1N40JZedaSbacYlRAuPM2-REo_vKzhb5IrKnqMbfMEK50NMG5dSdKKYriSg9C2WjOcwfTgkHnf80pvCdvCRK8JMaU_CmcaoYdUIbNhT8CjkaiXpMcAK?key=UIqzX7igfV2RsQj6Xz3LAQ)

### Cross-promote your social media content

Adding a link to your bio is one way to bring your TikTok viewership to your other social media profiles. 

Since social media cross-promotion is a two-way street, you should also make an active effort to promote your TikTok videos on your other profiles. 

You don't really need to do anything special to do this right. Just tap the **'Share'** button, select the right social network, modify your caption, and you're done. 

It's also important to passively promote your TikTok profile through social media links, whether on your website or in YouTube post descriptions. 

![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdsZ50o_XwQ09m2FN8w36MDoRMHktzBlStXJtb74ciA8U92h2A40kMW8bhTTqYCzGD7E1cGGUVhRVxTpHhzLT6MGQVpYE7kLjbjcBq6uwzzA2NE6IsvsBfFIGwwB7Lc8AaEC57jcTvUhbMhUuk5U55eyH9K?key=UIqzX7igfV2RsQj6Xz3LAQ)

### Work with influencers

Influencer marketing is a tactic that often requires more time, effort, and investment than the other strategies on this list. But as far as potential results go, a single campaign can [elevate your TikTok brand's reach and influence](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-become-famous-on-social-media/) within a short amount of time. 

The game plan is simple - look for a credible influencer who can align with your company's vision, have them promote your brand, and watch your viewership numbers skyrocket. 

Above all, pick a partner who brings a lot of creative value to the table. 

Take your time to personally explore the feeds of potential influencers and ensure they can come up with something fun and original. That's what will really help your brand turn heads on TikTok. 

![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXf7sr6ryL99ZkGY8Gc6IFkSSCxXTE9V-uUfTs2HEeXqNYaDgt929L0bMNGsSTa4_tLQBaYuCHHcLTvzLcD9NeQ5q2gF5gbNwhtisF9bpU7Ap9x_5Er93f6SKPq7xpyMCqsItGSLHsDo7iZy7cFpzeLkXRw?key=UIqzX7igfV2RsQj6Xz3LAQ)

There are plenty of influencer marketing platforms out there that will help you find the right partner. Depending on your budget and campaign objectives, you can choose between the following:

- [Collabstr](https://collabstr.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)
- [Tokfluence](https://tokfluence.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)
- [Upfluence](https://www.upfluence.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

### Schedule your TikTok posts at the best times

Timing is an often-overlooked factor that can determine the reach of your TikTok content. 

The idea is to align your posting schedule with your target audience's activity. Based on an [analysis by Buffer](https://buffer.com/library/best-time-to-post-on-tiktok/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), TikTok posts tend to reach their peak reach and engagement at the following times: 

- Sundays at around 2 p.m.
- Tuesdays at around 4 p.m.
- Fridays at around 8 a.m.

In the past, you needed to use a third-party post scheduling platform with direct publishing support for TikTok. Now, you just need to access TikTok from a desktop browser, create your post, and toggle the **'Schedule'** option under "When to post." 

![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXedoNrYJquIIpUC4Sc0SKIjJu0aTQhKBsloiYtjJELSNJpQdWLYHgPU3OEm83fkE9gybqxW_YzuAgwstnC4zLPoHhSCHZx8CeZ904WXqNeUDwo9DZt_4IZ1SCGKu-U-kYybcPJhqv7Obrsd2U2TgPPIDSUm?key=UIqzX7igfV2RsQj6Xz3LAQ)

While using the suggested posting times above is a great first step, you need to fashion a personalised posting schedule tailored to your existing audience's behaviour. 

To do this, use TikTok's built-in analytics to reveal your viewers' most active times on a month-to-month basis. 

![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXeeiqnmo-WJs3XQEqjLexdJ-HYAqzlDIPQJkX7wqNcrNsqL4SUKgAxDTzV9d4WulizngHarr_z7PZcldumMc4RjQdTdE_grt6PUvzmQi96oBJh2ISgr8_TlAK0OJ-eXe7wXVCJx1UehDB5kCFz9?key=UIqzX7igfV2RsQj6Xz3LAQ)

### Use custom thumbnails

Appearing on your audience's feeds is typically enough to score views. But if the user has auto-play disabled, you're faced with the extra challenge of getting them to click your video. 

This is where the thumbnail comes into play. 

Custom thumbnails allow you to set a cover image as well as present CTA or title overlays. 

As a result, viewers will know exactly what the video is about from the jump. It's also a great way to promote a unique selling point or special offer to TikTok users before they swipe on through.

![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcftbOJhCsFv8AolBU2uVt4x1Tj0bDQZN0bqYe6_tYslVKhaBFk18H_C6zmWST8ssVH-4VP0OemwE1GqoIr1pmw7VvhqNzspNmSqubOuw6yHOSWkQmve8rXHfwL5k1aP36sAlWtG8jz-CDXiTTQ9o7YPw-N?key=UIqzX7igfV2RsQj6Xz3LAQ)

You can set a custom thumbnail when creating a new TikTok post. Just tap **'Edit cover'** at the bottom of the preview panel, scrub through your video to find the perfect still image, and create a stylised title. 

![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcxVajyvICh6Ksq5mbqhKKFm8glZCJp1l51gnXbxl83hY-d-zrc-dq7FYzXhPyvkdj05D1Kj_2x-eIZd8LOWegzX-QtkYvdWd2vnPIcoD-0JKKmEb5Ok7vcKuaw-k6XV8sWyTxvpvfu5WVZUh5JCdFE0xmO?key=UIqzX7igfV2RsQj6Xz3LAQ)

### Launch TikTok ads 

[TikTok advertising](https://getstartedtiktok.pxf.io/c/2936055/1359578/16372?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is the easiest and fastest way to accumulate hundreds or thousands of views. 

Anywhere else, advertising can quickly deplete your budget. But on TikTok, getting measurable results through advertising is actually quite cost-effective.

For one, the platform charges less than platforms like Meta Ads. It's also easier to optimise your campaign settings based on your advertising goals, be it to increase sales, boost your reach, or generate leads. 

![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfdB6FINkB9hrbJU4whBnNF_Z-lsFC0ZZCE5q41fap-Yedw0IbmDhk8RPSi3mPWPy6fLNpt6FGdmM0ogvl4bDaPDaSdKn9r6qNvKphuh3npyvaZRfVIrPgItCLbPFHydGrpLWKuZy4I181caFLqOt4XIq_s?key=UIqzX7igfV2RsQj6Xz3LAQ)

[Click here](https://getstartedtiktok.pxf.io/c/2936055/1359578/16372?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to get started with TikTok ads. 

## Bonus Tips to Get More TikTok Views

- Use [TikTok tools](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/top-13-tiktok-marketing-tools-to-boost-your-brand-presence/) to level up your content strategy and win more views
- Use tools like [OpusClip](https://www.opus.pro/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to instantly convert your YouTube videos into multiple clips for TikTok
- Ramp up engagement by responding to comments and reacting to other posts
- Explore other [low-cost marketing strategies](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/low-cost-marketing-strategy/) (e.g., running a hashtag contest, leveraging user-generated content, and creating a blog)

## Final Words

Growing your TikTok viewership is a significant amount of work, but it doesn't require substantial technical skills or a substantial budget. 

It's simply a matter of how badly you want to grow on the platform and whether TikTok is the right channel to promote your brand. 

With the strategies above, the only barrier you need to worry about right now is when you'll start. Just remember to stay true to your brand's core message and focus on delivering value to your target audience.
### Optimising for AI Overviews Is Giving Major 2004 SEO Vibes
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/optimising-for-ai-overviews-is-giving-major-2004-seo-vibes/
Last updated: 2026-07-15T14:14:51.000Z
In the old days of SEO, you could throw together a few keyword-heavy pages, buy some backlinks, and watch your rankings improve in what felt like real-time compared to the last ten years.

Well, welcome back - optimising for AI Overviews feels like we've all been dropped back into 2004.

## The AI Overview gold rush

If you've spent ten minutes on Reddit or LinkedIn lately, you've probably seen people bragging about how easy it is to rank in Google's AI Overviews. They're not wrong, either. At least, not yet.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2025/10/image-4.png)

I've done a lot of testing, and the formula for gaining visibility in AI Overviews can be very simple:

1. Write a handful of "Top 5 tools/services/products in 2025" posts. You can even get AI to write them for you.
2. Include your company near the top and convey a positive sentiment.
3. Repurpose them into LinkedIn articles, Reddit posts and comments, YouTube videos, some guest posts, and directory listings.
4. Wait a few weeks...

Before long, you'll start showing up in AI-overviews across Google, and generative AI conversations in ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity.

It works, but only because the current AI retrieval systems are naïve.

## Why it's working (for now)

AI Overviews (and other generative search tools) aren't ranking pages the old-fashioned way. They're summarising information from multiple sources - and those summaries rely heavily on:

- Structured content (lists, comparisons, headings).
- Consensus (how often entities appear across sources).
- Recency (fresh, frequently updated content).

In other words: flood the web with consistent, well-formatted "Top X" content, and you'll look authoritative to AI; even if you're gaming the system.

To put it in numbers:

- A Semrush study (2025) found that [13.14% of all Google queries now trigger an AI Overview](https://www.semrush.com/blog/semrush-ai-overviews-study/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), up from 6.5% earlier this year. It's currently higher, still.
- 93% of links appearing in AI Overviews aren't in the top 10 organic results ([RAB2B](https://www.rab2b.com/blog/googles-ai-overviews-are-changing-search-now-what?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com)).

That means even small or mid-tier sites can punch way above their weight, for now.

It's early and messy, exactly like the Wild West of SEO circa 2004.

## The hidden risks of optimising for AI: Overviews

Unfortunately, what's currently working might also cause organic performance issues elsewhere.

Google is huge and complex, and it can be slow to adapt when it releases new systems. But it is anything but stupid, and this won't last long. 

The same thing happened with low-quality guest posting, and content farms, and many black-hat methods over the years - they worked beautifully until they didn't.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2025/10/image-5.png)

Here's where the current and manipulative AI Overview tactics could backfire:

### Duplicate Content & Content Cannibalisation

Syndicating the same listicle across your blog, LinkedIn, guest posts and directories creates dozens of near-identical pages.

Search engines recognise repetition and either ignore duplicates or split signals across them, so it's likely that none of the pages will perform well. Chances are, LLMs will do the same soon, too.

### Low-quality backlink profile from guest post spam

Obtaining numerous links from low-quality listicles results in backlinks from sites with duplicate content. That creates noisy link profiles that could potentially trigger quality filters or devalue your domain.

### Manipulative syndication signals (fake consensus)

Reposting the same set of recommendations across multiple sites (often from the same network) creates a “consensus” that LLMs pick up. It’s an artificial signal that's easy for retrieval models to devalue once patterns are detected.

### Spammy anchor text patterns

When every syndicated piece uses the same or similar anchor text links, it creates obvious manipulation patterns that can cause link-based algorithmic issues.

### Triggering trust or quality downgrades

Google's "helpful content" systems (which now roll into the core algorithm) track patterns across an entire domain.

If your site suddenly resembles a "review mill" or a self-referencing comparison hub, that could be a red flag.

You might rank in AI Overviews, but lose visibility in organic SERPs, where 90%+ of search traffic still happens.

### Creating brand fatigue

If you're everywhere, on every "Top X" list, every directory, every post - but always written by someone else, users clock it.

What was once clever looks manipulative and desperate. The trust you gain from AI visibility can evaporate when users realise it's engineered.

### Misaligned authority signals

AI Overviews draw from multiple data points, but classic SEO signals - such as backlinks, brand mentions, and entity authority - still matter.

If all your new visibility is built on self-published content, it's a short-term lift - not an enduring signal of expertise.

## How to optimise for AI Overviews without hurting your long-term SEO

AI Overviews will get harder to game. The question is: will you still be visible when that happens?

Here's how to future-proof your strategy:

### Make content AI-readable, not AI-bait

- Use clear headings, subtopics, and summaries so LLMs can extract context easily.
- Don't over-optimise with repetitive phrasing or keyword stuffing.
- Keep it useful enough that a human would still find it enjoyable to read.

### Earn citations from others

It's one thing to say you're great. It's another when others say it for you.

Build real authority through PR, partnerships, and collaborations. AI systems value third-party reinforcement over self-promotion.

### Diversify your signals

Generative search pulls from across the web - so make sure your brand appears in:

- Author bios and structured data
- LinkedIn articles and YouTube descriptions
- Forums, Reddit, or Quora (authentic mentions help more than you think)

### Track AI visibility properly

Use manual prompts or tools like Semrush's "AI Overview tracking" to spot when your content appears.

Note: impressions ≠ traffic. Many AI Overview clicks never reach your site - treat them as brand awareness, not conversions.

## The future of AI overview SEO

It's tempting to jump on what works right now. But remember, Google giveth, and Google taketh away.

Optimising for AI Overviews today feels a lot like stuffing meta keywords in 2004\. It's a short-term opportunity with risks, not a long-term strategy.

If you're smart, you'll use this period not to spam your way to the top, but to understand how AI interprets your brand.

Because when the dust settles - and it will - the winners will be the ones who built trust, not tricks.

## Final thought

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2025/10/image-6.png)

Yes, ranking in AI Overviews is fairly easy. But easy doesn't last.

So by all means, experiment. Just don't mistake early-access chaos for a sustainable strategy.
### The eCommerce Revolution: When AI Agents Start Doing the Shopping
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/the-ecommerce-revolution-when-ai-agents-start-doing-the-shopping/
Last updated: 2026-07-08T16:44:39.000Z
LISTEN TO MY AI VOICE READING THIS POST

0:00

/248.76408163265307

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Most people still think of AI as a “helpful assistant.” A useful tool that gives you answers, suggestions, writes summaries, or recommends what to buy... That’s already old news.

We’re now entering a world where AI doesn’t just recommend -it takes action, and **it buys** on your behalf.

Welcome to Agentic Commerce, where AI agents build shopping baskets, complete checkouts, and even handle delivery details, all without a single human click. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2025/10/The-eCommerce-Revolution_-When-AI-Agents-Start-Doing-the-Shopping---visual-selection.png)

Not going to be at home? AI knows, as it'll be connected to your calendar. So you can even schedule specific days for delivery. 

This is all closer than you think, and now is the time to prepare.

## AI’s next move: From advisor to personal shopper

Until now, eCommerce has revolved around humans making micro-decisions, such as what to search for, what to click, and which buttons to press.

But as OpenAI, Google, and Amazon roll out agent frameworks like ACP (Agent Commerce Protocol) and AP2, those steps are getting automated.

Instead of opening the Etsy website to search for and buy a handmade mug, your AI agent does it:

“Order the handmade ceramic mug I liked last time, from the same seller, before it sells out.” Done. No browser. No cart. No clicks.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2025/10/mlabs-2025-10-07-at-16.34.03@2x.jpg)

ChatGPT has already tested instant checkout via Etsy. Stripe is partnering on payment delegation. Google’s now pushing secure “agent-to-platform” transactions. And Amazon’s Rufus quietly sits inside their ecosystem, learning exactly how and what people buy.

No doubt Claude and Perplexity are working on something similar. 

The infrastructure is forming right under our noses, and it's progressing at an exciting pace. 

## Your website isn't your only storefront anymore

Here’s the opportunity - in the world of agentic commerce, your storefront is expanding beyond ***just*** your website. Your product data, API, and checkout integration are now a new shop window. 

If an AI agent can easily parse your product feed, confirm stock, verify price, and complete a transaction, you’ll be one of the early adopters gaining visibility in this new channel.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2025/10/image-1.png)

Pretty sliders and pixel-perfect UX still matter for humans - but for AI agents, clean data, clear logic, and low friction are the new design language.

This is a massive mindset shift. The “SEO” of the next five years isn’t just ranking pages, it’s optimising your machine-readable commerce layer.

SEO is too big to go anywhere, and it'll still dominate for years to come, but this is a massive new opportunity.

## Who’s building this future?

Right now, the big players are shaping the pipes:

- OpenAI + Stripe (ACP): powering delegated payments directly inside AI tools.
- Google (AP2): creating open protocols for authenticated, secure agent-to-merchant commerce.
- Amazon (Rufus): leveraging its own data to keep buying inside its walls.
- Card networks (Visa, Mastercard, etc): moving toward agent identity and token-based authorisations.

Don’t worry if these acronyms sound abstract; most of this will be handled by your existing platforms and providers. The opportunity lies in how ready your data is, rather than in how technical you are.

It’s a bit 'Wild West' still. Some will push open standards; others will lock merchants into closed ecosystems. But the momentum is undeniable - every major tech company wants its AI to be the buyer, not just the broker.

## What this means for eCommerce brands

If you run an online store, this shift hits three core layers:

1. Discovery: Agents won’t “browse.” They’ll query structured product data. Optimising your schema, feed, and metadata can now be considered SEO for AI conversations. And yes, [I'm still referring to it as SEO. It absolutely isn't GEO](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/generative-engine-optimisation-geo-is-just-seo-lets-stop-pretending-its-new/).
2. Checkout: Instant, API-driven transactions will need to integrate into your checkout. If your checkout process is flexible and API-friendly, you’ll be ready for the next wave of seamless transactions..
3. Fulfilment: Delivery times, reliability, and return policies will directly influence agent choices. No more hiding bad reviews or complex T&Cs - AI doesn’t forget.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2025/10/image-2.png)

Essentially, your “visibility” will be determined by data quality, trust signals, and operational transparency - not by who’s best at running Facebook ads.

## What’s already happening

We’re seeing early signals:

- ChatGPT + Etsy: AI-assisted checkout is in early testing.
- Shopify: quietly expanding APIs for agent-driven commerce.
- WooCommerce: as above.
- Payment networks: experimenting with delegated payment tokens.
- Retail AI pilots: some brands already feeding structured product data to LLM partners.

The first use cases will be relatively straightforward, involving reorders, subscriptions, and low-risk purchases. But once people trust it, expect agents to handle complex decisions (e.g. “Find me the best eco-friendly sofa under £1,000 that delivers before Friday”).

The brands investing in accessible, trustworthy data will quietly start winning first.

## How to prepare

Here’s where the innovative brands will get ahead:

### Clean your product feed

- Manage your data properly. Make every field complete and accurate: price, stock, reviews, delivery, dimensions, colour - everything. If you don't have a field, create one.
- Agents can’t “guess” or fill in blanks.

### Expose structured data

- Don’t trap product info behind CMS templates or PDFs.

### Talk to your payment provider

- Ask about ACP/AP2 compatibility, delegated payments, and tokenisation.

### Simplify shipping & returns

- Friction-free logistics = higher “visibility” with agents.

### Monitor visibility

- Track what product data is actually being surfaced in AI layers.

### Reframe marketing

- Think “AI comprehension” instead of “human persuasion.”
- Focus on reliability, transparency, and data consistency.

### Start small

- Begin with one well-structured feed or an API-ready product line.

## Risks, challenges and realities

Let’s not sugarcoat it. This comes with issues:

- Fraud and liability: Who’s responsible if an agent orders the wrong item?
- User control: How much autonomy will consumers really give up?
- Platform lock-in: Will small stores be forced into walled gardens?
- Regulation: Expect debates around consent, privacy, and payment authorisation.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2025/10/image.png)

We’ll see phased adoption, not an overnight revolution. Expect simple, low-risk purchases first, then proceed to bigger, more complex transactions as trust and standards evolve.

## The window for early advantage is now

If this feels like 2000s SEO or 2008 Google Ads - that’s because it is.

We’re watching the early stages of a new optimisation layer for commerce. The brands that act now - by managing and enriching product data, cleaning feeds, opening APIs, and testing agent compatibility - will build a compound advantage long before the mainstream catches on.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2025/10/image-3.png)

In a couple of years, some brands will still be wondering why their competitors have an advantage, while early adopters will already be thriving inside the AI ecosystem. Be the business whose competitors look on with envy!

Agentic commerce isn’t a ‘what if.’ It’s already under construction. And just like with SEO, those who adapt first tend to stay ahead longest.
### Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) is Just SEO, Let’s Stop Pretending It’s New
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/generative-engine-optimisation-geo-is-just-seo-lets-stop-pretending-its-new/
Last updated: 2026-07-08T16:59:07.000Z
LISTEN TO MY AI VOICE READING THIS POST

0:00

/464.77061224489796

1×

ChatGPT may be all the talk lately, but here’s a reality check: ChatGPT's search interactions are a drop in the ocean compared to Google, which serves around 400x more searches. 

Not only is ChatGPT's search market share **tiny** in comparison to Google, but searches on Google are actually increasing, not declining. This tells us two things; 

1. AI is not taking market share from Google
2. AI should be seen as a **new** channel that sits within SEO

Recent data from Search Engine Land indicates that Google handles over 5 trillion searches annually (\~14 billion per day), while ChatGPT receives roughly 37.5 million search-like prompts daily, representing **just about 0.25% of Google’s volume**.

Put another way, for every search-type query ChatGPT gets, Google gets about 400\. Even Microsoft’s Bing clocks in at nearly **16x more usage than ChatGPT**.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2025/06/mceclip0-1.jpg)

Even if every single ChatGPT prompt were a search query (which they’re not), it’d still be well under 1% of Google’s size. 

These numbers should put things in perspective. Yet, on social media, in blogs, and boardrooms, a buzzword has emerged from the AI frenzy: “GEO” (Generative Engine Optimisation).

It sounds like the next big thing: a new SEO for the AI era - but is it really a paradigm shift, or just an unnecessary rebranding of what good SEO's have been doing all along?

Let’s explore why the hype around “GEO” is overblown. Not only is SEO not going anywhere, but **GEO IS SEO**. 

## **Why generative AI isn’t replacing search engines**

First, the cold, hard stats: ChatGPT’s share of search-like activity is minuscule next to Google’s.

Google commands about 90% of the market, while ChatGPT accounts for around a quarter to a half of a per cent. Bing, Yahoo, and DuckDuckGo collectively account for a small percentage.

In other words, AI usage is still far behind traditional search in terms of usage. People haven’t collectively changed a habit of a lifetime. As marketers know, user behaviour is a stubborn thing!

### They serve different purposes

Then there’s the question of intent and experience. ChatGPT (and the Claude, Gemini, etc.) serve a different kind of need compared to a search engine. That's not to say there isn't some overlap.

ChatGPT excels in areas such as providing long-form answers, offering brainstorming assistance, providing coding help, and offering conversational guidance. It’s more of a personal assistant or tutor than a quick lookup tool.

Only about 30% of ChatGPT prompts resemble traditional search queries. Primarily, it's used for content creation or providing advice, rather than browsing websites.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2026/01/mlabs-2026-01-09-at-12.38.11@2x.jpg)

If you want to book a flight or do some shopping, you'll likely turn to search engines. Search engines excel at navigation and transactional queries, but ChatGPT can't compete yet.

### Google isn't taking it lying down

Even for informational queries, Google hasn’t been standing still. Features like Google’s own AI-powered AI-Overviews aim to give direct answers, keeping users on Google. Paradoxically, Google’s addition of AI summaries might make *Google* even stickier.

Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, suggested that they’re seeing **increased search usage, and not a decline**. Rather than losing users to ChatGPT, Google is integrating similar tech and retaining its audience.

This all shows that **ChatGPT isn’t replacing Google**. Instead, it has created a new way of finding information. We’re likely heading toward coexistence, not outright competition, where AI tools supplement traditional search rather than replacing it.

The idea that “GEO” will replace SEO is based on the false premise that ChatGPT-style search will replace traditional search. However, the current reality today is apparent: SEO dominates, and GEO (to the extent it exists as a practice) is a tiny add-on, not a sea change.

Now onto the fun part...

## **GEO is just SEO rebranded**

If you strip away the buzzwords, optimising for generative AI is a lot like what good SEO has always done.

How does a tool like ChatGPT decide what information to present? It’s trained on content from the web. The same content that traditional SEO aims to optimise. Currently, it even pulls data from Bing’s search index when it needs more up-to-date information than it was trained on.

In short, if you want to be visible in AI-generated answers, you need a strong presencein search results.

Even proponents of GEO admit it builds on classic SEO: *“Generative engine optimisation strategies build on the foundation of traditional SEO, refining familiar techniques…”* (as one agency put it).

However, I have yet to see anyone successfully prove any differences between 'GEO' and SEO. The overlap between what they ***claim*** is GEO and what SEO actually is, is huge. For instance, I've seen the following claims recently:

- GEO leans on Schema and structured markup
- GEO requires concise and to-the-point content
- GEO needs you to tackle the query quickly with no content bloat
- GEO demands semantic relevance and similarity
- LLM's need to be able to render content in HTML

Every single one of these is a responsibility of SEO. Anyone who tells you otherwise is either uninformed about what SEO is or is intentionally trying to deceive you. 

Semantic relevance is my favourite. Not only does Google understand semantic relationships, but it also developed the very architecture that today’s LLMs are built on, approximately 12 years ago. 

In other words, GEO is just SEO. Charlatans/grifters/opportunists have just given it a new name, and suddenly everyone thinks it’s a different game, **but it's not**.

## **SEO fundamentals already align with the AI era**

Here’s the good news: if you’ve been undertaking good SEO, you’re already doing most of what GEO advocates.

Traditional SEO’s core pillars - understanding user intent, creating valuable content, and building authority - naturally translate into visibility in AI-driven conversations. After all, AI still needs source material. 

It’s worth remembering that SEO has never been a static field. It has continually evolved since 2000, when I started working with websites. We’ve adapted to the Penguin algorithm, voice search, mobile-first indexing, featured snippets, RankBrain, BERT... the list goes on.

Every time the rules changed, the SEO community adjusted accordingly. Generative AI is justanother evolution. Yes, we might tweak how we structure content or seek brand mentions, but none of that throws out the core principles of SEO.

TL;DR: Don’t let the GEO hype trick you. ChatGPT’s influence is tiny compared to Google’s, and the same tried-and-true SEO practices are your best bet to win, whether the answer is coming from a search engine or an AI.
### Top 21 Content Marketing Metrics that Actually Matter
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/top-21-content-marketing-metrics-that-actually-matter/
Last updated: 2025-04-22T18:18:40.000Z
So, there's a lot of content already on your site. But how do you know which pages are helpful and which are not? The answer is to measure your content marketing efforts using the right metrics.

But which metrics should you track for your [posts](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-write-a-blog-post-in-30-minutes-a-how-to-guide/)? This article covers the top 12 metrics to help you optimise your content efforts and meet your goals.

Before we get into it, let us understand the basics of content marketing metrics in detail.

## What are content marketing metrics?

![A visual representation of content marketing metrics.](https://images.surferseo.art/91fdeb8d-16a5-4a9e-8262-0c88da52dfa1.jpeg)

Content marketing metrics should be treated like scorecards to show how well your content (blog posts, videos, or even social media posts) is performing. They help you understand if your audience likes your content, if they share it, and if it helps you get more customers. These data points enable content marketers to assess the success of their content and offer insights into what is effective and what isn’t. Without these, content marketing efforts would be aimless and inefficient.

They cover both quantitative and qualitative data points. These metrics help businesses understand the impact of their [content marketing strategy](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/tips-for-building-an-amazing-content-marketing-strategy/) on their target audience, website traffic, and ultimately, their bottom line.

By [tracking content](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-tracking-ultimate-guide-with-tips-and-tricks/) marketing metrics, businesses can make data-driven decisions to optimise their content strategy, improve their online presence, and increase their return on investment (ROI).

The bare minimum that you might want to track would be the standard four metrics in Search Console; clicks, impressions, click through rates and average position:

![Google Search Console screenshot showing clicks, impressions, CTR, and average position](https://images.surferseo.art/64b61119-e777-47a1-9103-fc3db709042c.jpeg)

### Why do you need to track content marketing metrics?

Each metric has a different meaning and value for different content purposes. Depending on your end goals, you can track these metrics, identify areas for improvement, adjust your content strategy, and, if needed, convey the goals to your content team.

Here are some of the many reasons why a business should be tracking them:

1. Track the content’s impact on sales and revenue.
2. Monitor how your content stacks up against competitors.
3. Drive more visitors to your website.
4. Set performance benchmarks.
5. Find and fix underperforming content.
6. Create a better experience for your site visitors.
7. Improve your customer acquisition methods.

### Setting content marketing goals and objectives

Before diving into metrics, ask yourself: What’s the real goal of your content marketing? Is it about producing engaging content that captivates your audience or driving leads into your sales pipeline? Maybe both. Is it about awareness of your brand or you as a person?

For instance, if your goal is lead generation, you could focus on tracking the average value of leads from your campaigns to see their real impact.

Do you want to nurture your sales pipeline? Measure how your content moves prospects from awareness to decision-making stages. Clear goals aren’t just guidelines—they’re the fuel that powers a data-driven strategy. Without them, even the best content risks becoming digital clutter.

![Content Marketing metrics infographic](https://images.surferseo.art/d706e1ca-fc40-49d8-aeec-82f88187994d.png)

## Metrics to track visibility

Visibility is the first step towards content marketing success. Metrics that measure how effectively your content is performing across search engines and social media are the most critical metrics.

### Metric 1: Organic search traffic

Organic traffic refers to visits originating from unpaid search engine results, driven by natural search rankings. This helps you grasp the effectiveness of your website traffic and search engine optimisation (SEO) strategy. Tools like Google Search Console and Google Analytics are good for these purposes.

Higher organic traffic often correlates with better content visibility, relevance and yes, higher keyword rankings.

### Metric 2: Keyword rankings

Anyone who understands content realises that [keyword](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/keyword-grouping-guide/) rankings are vital for SEO strategies. They determine content visibility for specific search queries. High rankings boost content discovery. Monitoring these rankings allows content marketers to optimise performance on search engine results pages.

Think about it this way: if your post doesn't show up when someone searches for it, does it even exist?

![Keywords ranking for a website on the SEMRush dashboard](https://images.surferseo.art/45cf7e9e-be67-41e3-8483-ba605d4b2183.jpeg)

### Metric 3: Backlinks

One of the strongest ranking factors is backlinks (links from other websites to yours). Often hard to acquire, these can improve search results and a site's credibility. They are like social handshakes, proving Google that your site is credible and dependable. High-quality backlinks from reputable sites can also improve a website’s link equity.

![SEMrush screenshot showing backlink types and link attributes breakdown](https://images.surferseo.art/88b8300f-475f-424e-9a8f-fbe266ede46e.png)

### Metric 4: Views and impressions

How do you measure the reach and visibility of content? Views and impressions.

Views refer to the number of times a piece of content is viewed, while impressions refer to the number of times a piece of content is displayed or shown to users. These metrics can be tracked using Google Analytics, social media analytics tools, or other tools such as SEMRush or Ahrefs.

Monitoring these can tell a corporation how much traffic their content is generating, and how well their content marketing dashboard is performing. Is it reaching qualified leads, and is it reaching their target audience? For example, a high number of impressions but low views may indicate that while your content is being seen, it’s not motivating your users to take action.

## Metrics to track engagement

![Engagement metrics showcasing audience interaction.](https://images.surferseo.art/86ff845d-1c85-43b3-b40b-6c534a1f7a57.png)

Engagement metrics assess how well your content captures and retains audience attention. Metrics like time on page and social shares of a blog post can point out how effectively a blog post retains audience attention and engages users.

### Metric 5: Time on page

Time on page measures how long visitors remain on a particular page. It is a direct indicator of [appeal factor of your content](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-engagement-field-guide-how-to-create-content-that-gets-clicks/). Longer time spent usually means higher user engagement.

Significant time spent on your pages strongly suggests that your content resonates well with your viewers. You can use the free version of Microsoft Clarity dashboard to check these metrics.

![Dashboard metrics on average scroll depth and pages per session from MS Clarity](https://images.surferseo.art/9f47a573-1c66-4f0e-b265-0d5b5f33c1bc.png)

### Metric 6: Bounce rate

Bounce rate measures the percentage of visitors who leave after viewing just one page. A [high bounce rate](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/why-a-high-bounce-rate-isnt-always-a-bad-thing/) may suggest that your content fails to meet user expectations. A low bounce rate tells that users find your content useful and worth exploring further.

You can [set it up with simple steps](https://www.semrush.com/blog/bounce-rate/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) in your Google Analytics.

### Metric 7: Pages per session

As it says in it's name, it is a measure of the number of pages a user views during a single visit. A higher number underlines effective content interlinking and user interest. It can tell you how effectively interlinked your content is. Are viewers able to navigate to the information they are looking for?

Remember, a higher number might also mean that users are struggling to find what they're looking for. So check this with the other key metrics such as bounce rate, average session duration etc.

### Metric 8: Traffic sources and user demographics

[Traffic sources](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/best-traffic-sources-for-affiliate-marketing/) and user demographics are two important content marketing metrics that help businesses understand where their website traffic is coming from and who their target audience is.

Traffic sources refer to the channels or sources that drive traffic to a website, such as organic search, social media, email, or paid advertising. User demographics refer to the characteristics of website visitors, such as age, gender, location, and interests.

By tracking traffic sources and user demographics, businesses can understand how to optimise their content marketing strategy to attract more traffic, engage their target audience, and drive conversions.

For instance, if a significant portion of your traffic comes from your social media channels, you might focus more on creating engaging social media posts to further boost traffic and engagement.

Find them under reports in the Google Analytics (GA4).

![GA4 data showing organic, referral, direct, and email traffic sources](https://images.surferseo.art/9c1e864e-07b2-43a2-945e-40919f8e19be.png)

### Metric 9: New and returning visitors

New visitors are those who land on your site for the first time, unique site visitors. Returning visitors are those who find enough value in your content to revisit.

Is your content marketing campaign working? Is it attracting new visitors, retaining existing visitors, or driving repeat business. For example, a high number of returning visitors means users find it worth their time, which is a positive sign of your content marketing campaign' success.

## Lead generation metrics

![Lead generation metrics illustrated with graphs.](https://images.surferseo.art/6c58dbc6-68ba-4151-a530-48302e89f0b3.png)

Lead generation metrics determine how effectively your content marketing efforts generate potential customers. A well-optimised blog post can drive form submissions and demo requests with ease by encouraging readers to take action.

### Metric 10: Click-through rates (CTR) of your CTA's

CTR measures the percentage of [people](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/people-also-search-for/) who clicked on a link or call to action. It tells you if your content prompts engagement in your CTA's. A high CTR indicates strong messaging and relevance, while a low CTR may suggest the need to optimise titles or meta descriptions.

### Metric 11: Form submissions

Form submissions measure how many visitors complete a form, be it contact forms, subscription forms, feedback forms, etc. High submission rates means that your content is able to invoke curiosity in potential customers. A higher number indicates a strong interest in your services.

## Conversion Metrics

These metrics assess the direct impact of your content on sales and revenue. They reflect how effectively your content converts leads into customers, offering insights on content marketing ROI.

### Metric 13: Conversion rates

The conversion rate metric measures how effectively your pages convert prospects into customers or leads. It is calculated by dividing the number of conversions by total visitors.

Strategies for improving conversion rates include creating a sense of urgency in your landing page. Adding testimonials, reviews, and user-generated content can influence potential customers. They show that others have had a good experiences with your product or service and thus lead to a higher conversion.

![Formula to calculate conversion rates with number of conversions and visitors](https://images.surferseo.art/7fd8578d-4d4f-43c9-b19e-afa75ca0745b.png)

### Metric 14: Goal completions

Specific actions taken by visitors, such as signing up for a newsletter or making a purchase are goals completion metrics. They indicate how well your content drives specific actions and meets business goals.

Complex goals can be broken down into simpler shorter steps (e.g., adding to cart, entering shipping information, completing purchase). Tracking each step tells tales of user behavior and where drop-offs occur.

### Metric 15: Revenue Generated

When you make any type of investment, it's natural to assess the financial success of your content marketing efforts. For example, a blog generating $500/month in leads might be considered a high-performing asset.

Tools like Google Analytics allow for revenue tracking, providing up-to-the-minute insights. Use this metric to assess the overall profitability of your business and be in the know about high-performing products or services.

## Social media metrics

![Social media metrics displayed in a dashboard format.](https://images.surferseo.art/c41ddd6d-3ba4-47e2-b068-81e4e655323a.png)

You can't ignore social media metrics when you are trying to stay ahead in the content game. When it comes to the performance of your posts across social media platforms, you need to be in the know. That is where these metrics come into play.

### Metric 16: Shares and likes

Shares are directly proportional to the reach of your posts. It increases your audience reach, expands your network and also tells the viewer that their friend found your posts shareworthy. Number of likes talks about your content's approval metrics.

### Metric 17: Follower growth

Follower growth measures how effectively your brand expands its audience. While numbers can be appealing, remember to choose quality of audience over quantity. Having engaged and targeted audience is always better than having a huge chunk of inactive followers. Its good to track these vanity metrics but do not get carried away by them.

### Metric 18: Comments and Mentions

When a viewer comments on your post, they're giving up their time understanding your content and responding to it. This is direct feedback from your audience. Both positive and negative comments are good as they can help your marketing team identify areas of improvement and growth.

## Advanced metrics and strategies

Customer journey metrics, attribution models, and A/B testing are also equally important. Tracking the customer journey from a blog post to product pages can provide insights into user behavior and engagement.

### Metric 19: Customer journey

Customer journey metrics offer a treasure trove of insights, revealing how users transition from engaging with your pages. For content marketers and marketing leaders, tracking this helps to tap into user behavior, helping refine strategies for greater success. Measuring how many users [read your blog](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/9-statistics-about-blogging-in-2021/) and also visited your product pages can throw light into user behavior.

### Metric 20: Attribution models

Attribution models are methods used to determine which marketing efforts or touchpoints (like ads, emails, social media posts) get credit for a conversion, such as a sale or sign-up.

For example, let's say you recently bought a pair of shoes online. Before buying, you might have seen an ad on Instagram, received an email, and searched for the brand on Google. An attribution model decides how much credit each of these interactions should get for your purchase.

### Metric 21: A/B Testing

Comparing two versions of a webpage, email, or other marketing asset to determine which one performs better, is called as A/B testing. It is a powerful tool for optimisation. For instance, testing two CTAs can determine which drives higher conversions.

## Tools for measuring content performance

Outdated and obsolete content can bring down your site statistics and you are better off without them. Thus, periodic analysis of performance metrics is necessary to identify areas needing improvement in your content strategy. Key tools include Google Analytics, SEMrush, and HubSpot.

There are a load of tools out there to assist you in this task. Here are a few:

### Google Analytics

Google Analytics tracks various content performance metrics, making it essential for marketers. It provides key metrics such as page views, unique visitors, and average time on page to evaluate content effectiveness.

### Semrush

Semrush excels in tracking SEO and keyword performance across web content. Features like position Tracking allow users to [monitor keyword](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/keyword-monitoring/) rankings across different locations and platforms.

### HubSpot

HubSpot tracks lead generation metrics, including conversion rates and form submissions. The platform offers customisable dashboards to visualise key sales metrics, and performance.

## Common mistakes in measuring content performance

1. Not all metrics are equally valuable. Separate the standard metrics from the key performance indicators (KPIs).
2. A study by Massifco found that [70% of marketers](https://www.massifco.com/5-content-marketing-measurement-mistakes-to-avoid-with-proven-alternatives/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) fail to set clear measurement priorities, resulting in inefficient use of resources.
3. Don't ignore your user's feedback - be it verbal or written in form of comments or the silent ones - views, bounce rate, page per session, etc.

## To wrap it up

As I mentioned earlier, not all content marketing metrics hold the same weightage. They differ for each content strategy. Take some time to learn about which metrics really useful for your specific content growth. Be it organic search traffic or keyword rankings tor tracking time on page and bounce rate, find out the content metrics that really matter. Tracking the right metrics of a piece of content can provide valuable insights into its key performance indicators.

The best content marketing isn't formed from a checklist but a path perfected over trial and errors. Start tracking your key metrics today and make informed decisions to drive your content marketing success.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What’s the most important metric for measuring ROI?

The most important metric for measuring content marketing ROI is the conversion rate, as it showcases how effectively your efforts lead to sales. Focus on improving this metric to maximise your returns!

### How can I improve my click-through rate (CTR)?

To boost your click-through rate, focus on crafting captivating headlines with powerful words and compelling meta descriptions. By making these changes, you'll attract more clicks and engage your audience effectively!

### Why are engagement metrics important?

Engagement metrics are crucial as they indicate how well your content resonates with your audience, helping you improve its quality and appeal. By focusing on these metrics, you can enhance user experience and retention, driving greater success for your content!

### How do I track organic search traffic?

To track organic search traffic effectively, utilise tools like Google Search Console and Google Analytics, which offer valuable insights into your content's performance from unpaid search results. Embrace these tools today to empower your online journey!

### What are the benefits of updating old content?

Updating old content significantly boosts its relevance and can enhance your SEO rankings, ensuring it stays valuable for your audience. Take charge of your content strategy and watch your engagement grow!
### Top 13 TikTok Marketing Tools to Boost Your Brand Presence
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/top-13-tiktok-marketing-tools-to-boost-your-brand-presence/
Last updated: 2024-08-23T16:56:43.000Z
Are you looking to upgrade your TikTok marketing toolkit?

This post will cover the top TikTok marketing tools you should consider adding to your arsenal in 2024\. This includes tools for:

- Video content creation
- Post scheduling
- Influencer marketing
- Brand monitoring and analytics

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/tiktok-tools-1.png)

Let's get started.

## TikTok Marketing Tools to Grow Your Brand in 2024

Here are the top TikTok marketing tools you can use to penetrate the short-form video space:

## TikTok Tools for Content Creation

While TikTok comes with built-in video editing capabilities, plenty of brands and content creators use third-party tools to produce attention-grabbing posts.

### Tool 1: CapCut

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-23-at-13.22.20@2x.jpg)

[CapCut](https://www.capcut.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is a popular video content creation tool that can help you create professional-looking TikTok posts without possessing professional skills. 

Its beginner-friendly interface lets you focus on productivity rather than grinding through tons of tutorials and various learning resources. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-23-at-13.22.47@2x.jpg)

CapCut is available on desktops and mobile devices, so you can create eye-catching TikToks on the go or in the office.

Upgrading to CapCut Pro unlocks the following features:

- **Instant filters—**Use various filters from many categories, such as retro, portrait, food, and scenery, to make your video pop.
- **One-click video effects —** Use the drag-and-drop interface to apply video effects like lens, glitch, and distortion.
- **AI video tools —** Create AI-generated videos using text scripts, product photos, and ecommerce listings — or turn your long-form media into short-form clips.
- **TikTok templates —** Skip 90% of the video creation process with ready-to-use templates specifically designed for TikTok.

**Price:** $8 per month

### Tool 2: KIMP

Established brands can use KIMP, an unlimited graphic and video creation service, to boost their social media marketing efforts while focusing on more meaningful tasks. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-23-at-13.25.51@2x.jpg)

The KIMP360 platform lets you create new requests, collaborate with designers, and manage projects in a Kanban-style dashboard. This is the easiest and most cost-effective way to get experts to handle your video creation process, whether you need TikTok ads, logo animations, all-out video marketing campaigns, and so on.

There are several amazing benefits: 

- **Unlimited design requests and revisions —** Ensure you get visual content that perfectly matches your vision.
- **Round-the-clock customer support —** Get in touch with KIMP's customer support team anytime through live chat.
- **Create brand profiles —** If you're a marketing agency, you can create individual brand profiles for each client that contain their fonts, logos, and style guides.

**Price:** $799 per month (for video content - they have packages for graphic/image content too)

### Tool 3: Filmora

While CapCut is great for quick and easy edits, [Filmora](https://filmora.wondershare.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) by Wondershare is built to create more advanced video content. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-23-at-13.29.04@2x.jpg)

Filmora's cross-platform editing feature is perfect for letting you start organising and cropping your mobile captures and then continuing later on your desktop for more in-depth editing. This lets you take full advantage of features like customisable filters, title effects, transitions, and audio controls.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-23-at-13.29.42@2x.jpg)

Here's a quick look at some of Filmora's key features:

- **Stock media library —** Find useful media assets for your TikTok videos without leaving the app.
- **Wide range of video templates —** Streamline the creation of travel vlog posts, countdowns, sporting events, ads, and more.
- **AI video generation—In addition to text-to-video, Filmora uses AI to generate copy, stylise** clips, or automatically clip out silent pauses.

**Price:** $9.99 per month or $49.99 as a one-time payment

### Tool 4: Zoomerang

[Zoomerang](https://zoomerang.app/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is an easy-to-use video editing app tailored to the needs of content marketers.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-23-at-13.30.08@2x.jpg)

Its core features revolve around AI-powered video content creation. It can instantly generate thumb-stopping videos from product page URLs, written video scripts, or plain text prompts that describe what you want to see from your video. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-23-at-13.30.35@2x.jpg)

In addition to AI tools, Zoomerang also offers the following features: 

- **Community-sourced templates —** With Zoomerang, you can quickly create videos that resonate with the TikTok audience using popular templates submitted by the community.
- **Video editing tools fit for TikTok —** Use the green screen effect, add filters, insert seamless transition effects, and more.
- **Social media ad examples —** If advertising on TikTok is your goal, Zoomerang can provide you with many examples from established brands.

**Price:** $39 per month

## TikTok Tools for Post Scheduling

Successful TikTok marketing doesn't only revolve around quality content — your publishing strategy also matters in maximising the reach of your posts.

### Tool 5: Vista Social

[Vista Social](https://www.kimp.io/?partner=Janaway&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is a powerful yet affordable social media management platform that lets you schedule posts to various networks. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-23-at-13.32.05@2x.jpg)

Its centrepiece is the centralised publishing calendar, which gives you a bird's eye view of all your planned content. You can start scheduling your posts here — or set up an automated content publishing schedule so you can just focus on queueing up posts. 

Of course, post-scheduling is just one small aspect of social media management. 

Here's a quick rundown of Vista Social's other features: 

- **Centralised inbox —** Manage and respond to all conversations across your entire social media profiles.
- **Review management —** If you're promoting an ecommerce brand on TikTok, you can use Vista Social to keep track of customer reviews in one place.
- **Schedule posts in bulk —** Vista Social lets you streamline your content curation efforts by pulling content from other blogs, hashtag search results, user posts, or a CSV file.

**Price:** $39 per month

### Tool 6: SocialPilot

[SocialPilot](https://www.socialpilot.co/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is another social media management platform built for agencies, but individual users can still use its features to supercharge their TikTok marketing. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-23-at-13.33.02@2x.jpg)

After connecting your TikTok account, you can start scheduling posts right away through the calendar, main dashboard, or the "Posts" submenu. You can also create an automated publishing queue to simplify your content scheduling efforts. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-23-at-13.33.18@2x.jpg)

Below are other noteworthy SocialPilot features you should know about:

- **AI assistant —**  Quickly generate text posts for Facebook, LinkedIn, and other supported networks simply by mentioning your content requirements and topic.
- **Collaborative features for teams —** SocialPilot lets you assign tasks, implement a simple content approval process, and manage your internal marketing team in one platform.
- **Advanced tools —** Utilise link shortening, organise content with tags, set up custom fields, and more.

**Price:** $30 per month

### Tool 7: Iconsquare

[Iconosquare](https://www.iconosquare.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is an all-in-one social media management tool designed for businesses, agencies, and individual users. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-23-at-13.33.53@2x.jpg)

Despite its expansive suite of features, Iconosquare manages to keep the experience light and beginner-friendly. 

This is largely thanks to the well-structured onboarding workflow, which ensures you complete a week's worth of social media content marketing in no time. By the end of the process, you should know everything there is to know about Iconosquare's social media management features.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-23-at-13.34.12@2x.jpg)

Speaking of features, here's what Iconosquare brings to the table:

- **Campaign builder —** See the big picture beyond individual posts and track how different content groups drive social media growth.
- **Generate content ideas with AI —** Use AI to generate content ideas that align with your social media marketing goals.
- **Comprehensive analytics and reports —** Stay on top of important social media engagement metrics, identify trends, and track your best TikTok content types.

**Price:** $59 per month

### Tool 8: Plannable

[Planable](https://planable.io/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is a more straightforward social media publishing tool that brings your undivided attention to your content strategy. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-23-at-13.35.06@2x.jpg)

Long story short, it allows you to schedule TikTok posts or queue them up in a preconfigured timetable. If you work with a team, Planable will also help you establish a content approval workflow and use custom labels to group posts into specific campaigns. 

Here are a few other Planable features you may want to look into: 

- **AI caption generator —** Planable's AI is smart enough to automatically generate post descriptions in social media lingo (including relevant hashtags and emojis).
- **In-depth user permissions management —** Planable gives you granular control over your team's account permissions, allowing you to specify if they can modify admin settings, check analytics, approve posts, create drafts, edit content, or just view your content plan.
- **Interactive analytics —** "Analytics view" lets you track social media growth metrics, identify your strongest-performing content, and compare the performance of posts from a single interactive report.

**Price:** $33 per month

### Tool 9: Loomly

[Loomly](https://www.loomly.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is another content-focused social media management platform that can help you schedule TikTok posts. You can design a custom publishing workflow with specific post states and approval steps or use a pre-built workflow that matches your needs. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-23-at-13.36.25@2x.jpg)

When it comes to creating posts, Loomly has a strong emphasis on cross-promoting content on multiple social media profiles. 

You start by defining a default caption or description that automatically applies to all networks. From there, you can fine-tune your post's copy and settings depending on the social networks you select. 

For example, when creating TikTok posts, you can control features like comments, duets, stitches, and the link shortener.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-23-at-13.36.42@2x.jpg)

If you're interested in Loomly, here are other useful features you can expect:

- **Daily post ideas —** Loomly can provide you with a month's worth of content ideas that align with global events and holidays.
- **Network-specific content ideas —** Creating posts with Loomly also includes a handful of recommended ideas for specific social networks, like authentic conversations and duets for TikTok.
- **Specify automated posting times —** Loomly also allows you to set specific times for scheduled posts so you can focus more on creating TikTok content.

**Price:** $42 per month

## TikTok Tools for Influencer Marketing

With all the features for rapid video content creation, TikTok is an opportunity-rich environment for finding partnerships with creative influencers and creators who can boost your (or your client's) brand reach. 

You just need the right tools to help you tap into these opportunities.

### Tool 10: Upfluence

[Upfluence](https://www.upfluence.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is an influencer and affiliate marketing platform aimed at helping companies connect with brand partners on social media. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-23-at-13.37.24@2x.jpg)

Its influencer matching tools enable you to identify and connect with potential brand ambassadors who already have an optimistic view of your products. You can also search the Upfluence database to find the influencers who fit best your needs based on their audience, content keywords, engagement potential, and other parameters. 

Other than influencer discovery, Upfluence also comes with these tools under the hood: 

- **Consolidate your influencer outreach efforts —** Craft outreach emails, track your influencer conversations, and manage drip campaigns directly through the Upfluence platform.
- **Affiliate marketing software —** Upfluence is also equipped to help you manage your affiliate program and automate commission payouts.
- **Influencer marketing analytics —** Track social media growth attributed to influencer marketing campaigns and use the data to optimise your strategy over time.

**Price:** Custom pricing

### Tool 11: SeekSocial

[SeekSocial](https://seeksocial.io/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is a no-nonsense influencer discovery tool that lets you scan millions of TikTok profiles and identify prospective brand partners based on follower count, engagement rate, profile keywords, platform activity, and other filters. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-23-at-13.37.53@2x.jpg)

SeekSocial displays each influencer's email address alongside their other social media profiles to kickstart your outreach efforts. The tool also includes the following extra features:

- **Find viral videos —** Quickly find trending, viral-worthy videos to give you content ideas or discover even more potential TikTok influencers.
- **One-click export tool —** Export your profile list into a CSV or Excel file so you can import it into your email service or even another influencer marketing platform.
- **Search for existing TikTok brand partners —** Use the "Sponsored Videos Only" filter in the viral video finder to filter out professional TikTok influencers who know how brand promotions work.

**Price:** $99 per month

## TikTok Tools for Brand Monitoring and Analytics

Tracking your social media presence is essential for maintaining a healthy brand image and sustaining positive brand growth.

While you have profile analytics baked into the TikTok app, third-party brand monitoring and analytics tools make it easy to turn raw data into actionable steps. 

### Tool 12: Brand24

[Brand24](https://brand24.grsm.io/ldnegdy08qw8?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) leverages AI to tap into millions of sources, scanning for brand mentions, identifying user sentiment, and spotting mentions that deserve your attention.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-23-at-13.38.35@2x.jpg)

All your mentions are compiled into the "Mentions" page, including the ones from TikTok. You can filter mentions according to user sentiment, location, and a weighted popularity rating called "Influence Score." 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-23-at-13.38.56@2x-1.jpg)

Brand24 also lets you take brand monitoring to new heights with the following features: 

- **Compare your reach against competitors —** Create a different project for a competitor's brand and compare your reach over dimensions like share of voice, overall audience sentiment, and the estimated value of PR exposure.
- **Track hashtags —** Evaluate the success of your hashtag campaigns or look for relevant posts and measure engagement.
- **AI-powered insights —** Dive into the context of trends in social media reach and mentions to make sharper, data-driven decisions.

**Price:** $119 per month 

### Tool 13: TikTok Ads Analytics

If your goal is to dominate the TikTok space, the built-in TikTok Ads platform can help you better than any other [TikTok Ads](https://getstartedtiktok.pxf.io/c/2936055/1359578/16372?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) platform. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-23-at-13.39.38@2x.jpg)

TikTok Ads will help you create, launch, and manage campaigns tailored to various advertising goals. This includes growing your social media reach, bringing traffic to your website, generating leads, and driving ecommerce sales. 

The platform also has advanced analytics tools that provide deeper insights into your TikTok audience data, campaign channels, and content performance. You can also explore the TikTok advertising landscape by reviewing your industry's top ads and trends.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-23-at-13.39.56@2x.jpg)

If you're considering launching your first TikTok Ads campaign, click here to receive exclusive ad credit offers and 1:1 onboarding support. 

## Conclusion

The more businesses that capitalise on TikTok marketing, the easier it becomes to find tools and services to give you a competitive advantage. 

With the tools above, you'll have everything you need to establish a dominating TikTok presence in your niche — whether it's for creating killer video content or tracking the results of your marketing efforts. 

Finally, you can expect to see changes in the top tools businesses use for TikTok growth over time. Don't forget to check back in the following months to stay on top of your game.
### 30+ Most Lucrative Niches for Affiliate Marketing
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/30-most-lucrative-niches-for-affiliate-marketing/
Last updated: 2024-08-20T20:18:49.000Z
Do you want to know the ***most lucrative niches for affiliate marketing?***

If you want to earn more than what you get from your day job, then affiliate marketing is definitely a viable business model to pursue.

One crucial aspect of growing your affiliate business is finding the right niche. Finding a lucrative niche drastically increases your chances of generating revenue.

Sadly, knowing which niche to target can be overwhelming and tricky.

That's why I've done the hard work for you and compiled a list of the 30+ most lucrative niches for affiliate marketing.

## What is an affiliate marketing niche?

An affiliate marketing niche is a targeted and distinct segment within a broader market.

Targeting a specific affiliate marketing niche instead of a broad market offers the following benefits:

- **It helps establish yourself as an expert or authority in your field**. Specialising in a specific niche can help you build your reputation as an expert. Being a thought leader lets you build trust while expanding your audiences. Leverage tips and tricks to dominate your chosen affiliate marketing niche, such as learning [how to become famous on social media](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-become-famous-on-social-media/) to drive more customers.
- **It equips you to refine your sales pitch and boost your earnings**. Targeting a niche market lets you engage your audiences more personally. You can discover your niche market's wants and needs easier, and it helps you determine the niche products or services that get their attention and money.

## Top 30+ highest-paying affiliate niches

The best niches for affiliate marketing can depend on your goals and target market.

You can learn [how to start affiliate marketing with no money](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-start-affiliate-marketing-with-no-money/) and succeed by jumpstarting your efforts with the most profitable niches. 

Check out the list of niches below:

### Niche 1: Fashion

First on our niche list is the fashion industry.

Go on affiliate platforms such as [Collective Voice](https://www.collectivevoice.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) (Formerly Shopstyle Collective). Join any of its thousands of connected retailers to earn commissions when you sell or promote their products.

While fashion is one of the most competitive affiliate marketing niches, many clothing brands generally give high commission rates, with some offering around 50% of each sale amount.

In fashion affiliate marketing, you can get an average of £2,400 to £5,000 monthly commissions.

### Niche 2: Beauty

Fashion and beauty affiliate programmes often go together, but these niche businesses differ slightly.

The fashion niche focuses on clothing, accessories, shoes, and accessories, while the beauty niche revolves around makeup, self-care, and hair care products.

Companies within the beauty industry, such as Dermstore and [Sephora](https://www.sephora.co.uk/affiliates-page?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), offer some of the most popular affiliate marketing programmes. 

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/BTCIuXFID8ZnKatDTXNEhpXD91Avk5qFiIeb5MTxjF6Ioc6v7azrk2jG6XBH8ruywW9jV42LWojf3tZPiDBinwSB-nadbOX02fSqGrXky_AyNVgucbEF6BIdFGYd4i4Q-cJCmpMsfZqBrIFRndqiIUc)

**Image source: sephora.com*.

Beauty products are often replaced, so if you retain your customers, you will likely receive monthly repeat commissions.

### Niche 3: Travel

Promote rental cars, hotels, flights, travel insurance, tours, vacation rentals, and other related products and services to earn commissions.

Join platforms such as [Travelpayouts partnership](https://www.travelpayouts.com/th?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to access more than a hundred travel affiliate programmes and partner with brands such as Viator, Booking.com, and GetYourGuide.

### Niche 4: Pets

You would be amazed at how much pet owners spend on their furry friends.

You can make the most of this by joining affiliate marketing programmes in the pet industry.

You can promote anything from treats, food, and supplements to toys and pet grooming products.

[Pupstarts breeders](https://pupstartsbreeders.com/ambassador-program/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) offer up to 25% commissions for its brand ambassadors and affiliates. 

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/MGigbs8PAToEP0MAOUh3Ls_2BfF8yPChlpJ32g6C6wpE5oFL3mWmGJYWTHTlxf-_HRxpBY6JF8AQPjZX994RU75Di7LXhNHw4TMHGjVFzU0eJ-ipt81uHh0yk4FT6rkUvPjQbdiOJcm0wd60M87jQj4)

**Image source: pupstartsbreeders.com*.

### Niche 5: Gaming

There are over three billion gamers globally, and with the right strategy and program, you can earn massive commissions from this niche. 

Video game live streaming service [Twitch](https://help.twitch.tv/s/article/joining-the-affiliate-program?language=en%5FUS&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) offers commissions of 50% of the subscription price.

Getting more followers and subscribers can get you 70% commissions, allowing you to earn almost £900 monthly.

When joining a gaming affiliate platform, you can sell and promote headphones, gaming tutorial merchandise, and gaming chairs.

### Niche 6: Outdoor

Earn a hefty affiliate marketing income by promoting and selling products for fishing, hiking, camping, and other outdoor activities.

You can also be an affiliate marketer for multiple outdoor companies at one time, becoming a one-stop shop for camping coolers and tents, hiking boots, and fishing gear to earn higher commissions.

Check out affiliate programmes from brands such as [Mountain Warehouse](https://www.mountainwarehouse.com/affiliates/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) that pay out various click commissions based on your link from the link manager or product feed. 

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/AoesMs9CTKgOocgNB5wrtmZVRMUbfpeHcv2xG_7FQUW1m_SL06h-6TSFztJASBqNulCUre9uIT_jbERadQbGRiqCmF3wTO6O4OLFdShJuLzpa9Xh6dUkhoGQblJ1jXCJ-9IEBqdl76J95yRMU5qJn9k)

**Image source: mountainwarehouse.com*.

### Niche 7: Lifestyle

The lifestyle niche covers multiple topics, products, and services, from productivity to sustainable living.

If you don't want to focus too much on one industry but still promote various and unique products and services, then the lifestyle niche can be right for you.

Earning opportunities can reach up to £44,000 a year within the lifestyle niche affiliate programmes.

### Niche 8: Food and drink

The food and drink industry is another evergreen niche. After all, everyone has to eat.

You can promote or sell meal subscription boxes and other food-related products and services.

Share affiliate links in your cooking blogs and videos or when you share recipes on Instagram and TikTok.

Online supermarket [British Corner Shop](https://www.britishcornershop.co.uk/affiliates?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) offers 3% commissions for existing buyers who purchase from your link and 7% for new customers. 

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/hRB1nw-e0_6CAFHkOHguRT2pMFhQJpi9gJynjKSbxSqvJ2Gb_bfKVUP9uiLcAQVs3URbtAEECs3fAYJZICJ8fspAOHgdpBA890MHD1fEMImbibUThmmHJEix3hVtBe0jRAuLtKUFRboBdBg80jbF8wc)

**Image source: britishcornershop.co.uk*.

### Niche 9: Fitness

Join fitness-related affiliate marketing programmes and promote sporting goods, supplements, at-home gym equipment, and workout programmes.

You can also earn commissions within sub-niches, such as yoga and running marathons, or pair your affiliate marketing efforts with health products and services. This allows you to reach more audiences and earn higher commissions.

For instance, [Fitbit's affiliate programme](https://www.affiliateprograms.com/p/fitbit/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) offers 12% commissions on all product sales from your affiliate link to the brand's website.

### Niche 10: Music

Music is one of the most evergreen niches in any industry, so there's no shortage of demand.

Earn high commissions by sharing links to musical instruments, software, albums , live tickets and technology.

Companies such as [Prime Loops](https://primeloops.com/affiliate-program?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) offer up to 20% commissions for all its products. 

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/2Wpaix27ov4QhzM2EhsTU99lZsfNSMnQDQT_yXqHMYxysNmfE7T-fiJIoxwuR9kOAfzL_lZj23Anq5BhwZfbp3yj0N8KzctVU6Z6cZrr2KgqCmWaScG1PzXImZHHwfp5g5NRxdvpcE7RFnHztQOcSgo)

**Image source: primeloopstracking.com*. 

Music is a broad niche, so focus on your target audience's interests and needs to create blog posts and other affiliate marketing content that resonates with and addresses their pain points.

Conduct keyword research and get ideas from [people also search for](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/people-also-search-for/) sections on search engines.

### Niche 11: Art

Make money by sharing your artwork and including affiliate links in your content.

For example, you can showcase your art pieces on Instagram, share the tools and software from your partner brands, and include your affiliate links.

Art supply brand [Arteza](https://arteza.co.uk/pages/affiliates?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) offers competitive commissions with high earning potential.

Leverage social media platforms to share your artwork and include compelling captions and hashtags for maximum visibility and reach.

Compile your art pieces into a video clip easily using [Kimp](https://www.kimp.io/?partner=Janaway&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) and share it across your social media channels.

### Niche 12: Movies

Hollywood is a billion-dollar industry, making it a great niche to tap into for your affiliate marketing efforts.

Join AppleTV+, Fandango, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video affiliate programmes.

[Apple TV+](https://performance-partners.apple.com/home?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) offers one-time payment commission rates for memberships and a 7% commission on sales revenue for TV & Movies.

Recommend your favourite TV series, movies, and home theatre appliances. Include your affiliate links to start earning commissions.

### Niche 13: Sports

Capitalise on the popularity of sports by joining affiliate programmes from popular brands.

You can explore a micro-niche further and share exclusive content and affiliate links for specific sports, such as football and tennis.

You can also promote sports-related products and services, including selling equipment, tickets, and memorabilia.

[Nike's affiliate programme](https://www.nike.com/gb/help/a/affiliate-program-eu?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) offers up to 11% commissions on all valid sales.   

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/26GKhTnKIFujDFUbrYN_eVx5x0auQmxixxkRYKTB9WlZSBiDEth7fmLjpHfHSdqXYShQXmQYkwSHEizWW_PI_7YxoLQbHpm6gpj6bpxPUmSH5MEOj27jExKC5pT6Y8ePvrM1_z2Yf0RBeqbY89G0xQU)

**Image source: nike.com*.

### Niche 14: Luxury

The luxury niche can include name-brand items, expensive or exclusive vacations, and access to events.

Most people are willing to pay a higher price for luxury items or services, which can lead to higher affiliate marketing payouts.

Consider going down a niche and recommend luxury jewellery, travel, and more. 

For instance, the [Marriott Hotel affiliate programme](https://www.marriott.com/marriott/affiliateprogram.mi?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) lets you earn commissions on qualified vacation packages and hotel stays from encoded affiliate links.

Commissions are based on the net sales amount, excluding food and beverage, taxes, service fees, product returns, and reservation cancellations.

### Niche 15: Cosmetics

Cosmetics is a beauty niche that focuses on makeup products. If you have a lifestyle, beauty, or fashion blog, it can be a perfect niche for affiliate marketing.

You can get recurring affiliate income with cosmetic products since the items need regular replacing.

Being an [affiliate for Oskia Skincare London](https://www.oskiaskincare.com/affiliate-programme/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) can get you 12% introductory commissions with opportunities to earn more. 

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/NIG_nNgu-pdZetdbwBP6iJVX2NT8oE4aVQ6fE_EuljgkrNplqFIkj12AjDhbUyeqKuMeYnFU6tkIuoqIrpbuTMRbRF1CMoRq92rBIkKhMFfFEHYAWIU38N-lDS9j8h_BY5OdT7IzjaPifAWTcZVIf6M)

**Image source: oskiaskincare.com*. 

### Niche 16: Self-improvement

Help others to help you earn commissions by becoming an affiliate in the self-improvement and personal development niche.

Recommend and sell books, coaching programmes, and education or online courses, such as a topic on [content research, the ultimate guide](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-research-the-ultimate-guide/).

It's a great way to get recurring and passive affiliate marketing income.

For instance, [Udemy affiliates](https://affiliatesupport.udemy.com/hc/en-us/articles/360049411833-What-are-the-requirements-to-join-the-Udemy-Affiliate-Program-?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) start with a 10% baseline commission for valid affiliate sales, with performance-based increases.

### Niche 17: Education

As the demand for online learning grows, your opportunities to earn commissions as an affiliate marketer in the education niche will also grow.

Promote various education-related products, from digital and physical textbooks to online education programmes that teach marketing learners about proven[ topics for content writing](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/topics-for-content-writing/).

Education appeals to a range of audience ages, allowing you to reach a wider yet niche market—from parents looking for tutoring materials to professionals who want to upskill or pivot to new career paths.

Learning platform for education and skills training [Alison.com](https://alison.com/affiliates/learn-to-earn?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) offers 20% commissions of the revenue generated by new learners that you bring to the platform.

### Niche 18: Hobbies

Dive into the hobby niche to earn affiliate marketing commissions.

Promote various products and services, including photography, golfing, books, foraging, knitting, and woodworking.

For instance, [Adobe](https://www.adobe.com/uk/affiliates.html?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) offers high commission rates for affiliates, up to 85% of the monthly subscription for the first month. 

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/8_JKJ10B_wE7tA8bWSnmByL6dqd7W5clQWG8XkeBBXu2u02Lw95nDZBzmM1aBStPUaH2Ds4LP1tI2Y0cQuqJWy3X4PlmoCRbkPFN2ufyaNYqz9J_l0a5Zu9CccvSQlYQ1aArxAc-npKgur9Wl8OAiNU)

**Image source: adobe.com*.

Consider combining hobby niches with others to maximise your affiliate marketing income.

### Niche 19: Gardening

Gardening is a sub-niche under hobbies you can dip into to earn significant affiliate marketing commissions.

It's one of the most popular hobbies, and promoting gardening tools, technology, and related products and services can provide many opportunities for payouts. 

[Click & Grow UK's affiliate programme](https://uk.clickandgrow.com/pages/affiliate-program?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) offers 10% commissions for the entire customer cart, which can easily add up.

### Niche 20: Health

Health is wealth—when you nail your affiliate marketing efforts in this niche.

Become an affiliate for health companies and promote to a wellness market.

You can sell weight loss, nutrition, personal care, alternative medicine, healthy recipes, and mental health products and services.

The [Organic Pantry](https://www.theorganicpantry.co.uk/index.php?route=affiliate/login&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) offers a 5% standard commission rate for affiliates. 

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/d6VNdTkGjLz9CDo9EEgq5ze6k0bAXgysYklpzlwvNGhiMomVEHcsao5mz9ROcOA798wIu8tS9OuupynTs-Yjh-JcsT7zc-GP3a542llb5feUFkKQHLCszzLF5vbIkan4M7vP66K2_ZphFCO2Rt0CL1c)

**Image source: theorganicpantry.co.uk*.

### Niche 21: Personal care

Personal or self-care is under the beauty, lifestyle, and health niche markets.

Recommend thousands of unique personal care products with affiliate links to optimise your commissions and earning potential.

Brands like [The Body Shop](https://www.thebodyshop.com/en-gb/affiliates?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) offer 8% commissions on sales from the affiliate network.

### Niche 22: Technology

The technology industry is a profitable niche for affiliate marketing.

Plus, the technology niche constantly changes, giving you more current and future opportunities to achieve affiliate marketing success.

For example, with [HubSpot's affiliate programme](https://www.hubspot.com/partners/affiliates?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), you can earn a 15% recurring or monthly commission for up to a year and a 100% flat rate of your first month's revenue.

### Niche 23: Psychology

Another lucrative health sub-nice is psychology.

Join mental health-focused affiliate programmes from platforms such as [Online-Therapy.com](https://www.online-therapy.com/affiliate.php?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to earn up to £120 in compensation per conversion.   

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/twvaP6bpDNgxQUWPRVMOI849cKUCxp6CGok71flxuXgzdNqjoRIYbqthaNAMLZ8QSr_K5OUJuknsOcVYobY1vH0QZxIaMmJfGvWds0iRSlVc9izyWRbfNQ8uKjNpqzNv29J4JXkY4R4kZ_gaAEYz7ZU)

**Image source: online-therapy.com*

You can promote mental health-related programmes, platforms, and insurance to your target audience.

### Niche 24: Insurance

You can sell insurance for almost anything, giving you many opportunities to earn affiliate marketing commissions.

For instance, you can promote travel, pets, homes, health, and other insurance types.

[PolicyBee's affiliate scheme](https://www.policybee.co.uk/affiliates?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) offers up to £40 for every person you recommend who takes out a policy with the company.

Most insurance companies pay per sale or lead, so you won't have to wait for subscription renewals to receive your payouts.

### Niche 25: Web hosting

Web hosting is a specific and high-paying niche for affiliate marketing if you get it right.

You can make thousands as an affiliate promoting products and providers such as [20i Hosting](https://www.20i.com/?awc=20974%5F1681098191%5Ff4066f072d9dc0aea1b683dfc8a563d1&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

It's a great niche if you're a digital marketer or website builder.

For instance, joining [Hostinger's affiliate programme](https://www.hostinger.co.uk/affiliates?%5Fga=2.94097501.1955352866.1681092495-471019675.1681092495&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) can get you at least 60% commissions per eligible sale.

### Niche 26: Finance

Join affiliate programmes in the finance niche and promote investment plans, budgeting apps, cryptocurrency trading, and many more to earn affiliate marketing commissions.

Independent financial service provider [Hargreaves Lansdown's affiliate programme](https://www.hl.co.uk/about-us/affiliate-program?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) offers performance-based payout rates but with unlimited potential to earn higher commissions. 

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/mKDBNH3g3W1a8SGKZtujIbNPE3z-x9GnFxtfgF5fqSVuwLctqAZVUZFan46ukI49qV8uSjN75VTyUmrpZx_MvDawV8nO96QbNndukI7xDuEDALaR7cbawUcsxdBBbUwxfozwAXe4-RWgoOjVkNlzr08)

**Image source: hl.co.uk*.

Combine this with other industries, such as the investment niche, to increase your earning potential.

### Niche 27: Parenting

Don't overlook the parenting niche to make money online.

As an affiliate, you can sell and recommend a wide range of products, from parenting books and classes to organisers and schedulers.

Raising children is expensive, so you have a target market willing to spend more with the right offers.

Get up to 5% commissions and more earning opportunities with the [Mamas & Papas affiliate programme](https://www.mamasandpapas.com/pages/affiliate-programme?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

### Niche 28: Dating

If you found love on dating sites, use it as inspiration and a selling point for your affiliate marketing content.

For example, you can earn up to £70 commission for every subscription you refer on [eHarmony's affiliate programme](https://www.eharmony.com/about/affiliate-program/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) and get more based on your performance.

### Niche 29: Medicine

Earn significant commissions by joining medicine-related affiliate programmes. 

You can share affiliate links when promoting medicines, medical supplies, mobility aids, medical alert systems, and related products on your website.

Get 5% commissions on product revenue when you join the [Complete Care Shop affiliate programme](https://www.completecareshop.co.uk/complete-care-shop-affiliate-programme?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

### Niche 30: Home security

It's not too hard to convince people to invest in home security systems, making home security a lucrative niche for affiliate marketing.

For instance, you can earn commissions of up to 30% per sale when you become an [ESET affiliate](https://www.eset.com/uk/partner/online-affiliates/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) marketer.

### Niche 31: Furniture and home accessories

Furniture and home accessories are another niche in the lifestyle and hobby industries.

You can apply for furniture retailer [OKA's affiliate marketing programme](https://www.oka.com/uk/about/affiliates?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) and get up to a 15% commission on product revenue. 

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/m5nyu5PcY6LfD5ImYMjm-Fe5NiqgQoccsIo0kLVMULXUkJEO1LSx1qxcfn9xk0ajpI3inxeW1qjEGYidg1cYuDaebmCLWzDRVerMtWAeiCZRP4JoQKr5vKpQEI7geOulhGcZkmgUeQNSxTWXr3lE55k)

**Image source: oka.com*.

### Niche 32: Forex

Specialise as an affiliate marketer in the Forex niche to earn big commissions.

Earn commissions up to $750 (or around £600) for every qualified client when you join [FXCM's Forex affiliate programme](https://www.fxcmaffiliates.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

## Find the most profitable affiliate marketing niches for you

Affiliate marketing can be a lucrative online business if you put in the time and effort to find the right niche and build a strong affiliate marketing strategy.

The 30+ niches highlighted in this post are just a few examples of the countless opportunities available for affiliate marketers.

Remember to prioritise your audience's needs and interests, provide valuable content, and be transparent with your affiliate relationships.

With dedication and persistence, affiliate marketing can be a profitable and rewarding way to help you earn more income online.
### 13 Monetisation Strategies for Bloggers
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/monetisation-strategies-for-bloggers/
Last updated: 2024-08-19T17:59:39.000Z
Monetisation strategies for blogs can vary in complexity.

Some are easier to implement, like Strategy #6, which only takes minutes to set up. 

This guide covers 13 effective monetisation opportunities that bloggers of all sizes can capitalise on, including low-barrier-to-entry options.

## What is a monetisation strategy?

Monetisation strategies allow bloggers, website owners, and other online brands to generate revenue from their assets.

Bloggers, in particular, need to research effective monetisation strategies. They put vast amounts of work into [content research](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-research-the-ultimate-guide/), writing, optimisations, and promotions—without the guarantee of making money from their efforts.

Of course, there are hobby bloggers who don’t care about monetisation. Since writing is their passion, they’re even willing to haemorrhage money to keep their blogs online.

*That’s not the case for everyone, of course.*

According to statistics, the majority of bloggers start their journey with the goal of [becoming self-employed](https://convertkit.com/reports/blogging/motivation?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). A huge portion of blogs are built by existing businesses to generate organic traffic.

## 13 Monetisation models to profit from your blog

If you want to turn blogging into a profitable career, here are 13 monetisation models you can use.

### Idea 1: Earn commissions through affiliate marketing

Sign up for affiliate programs and earn commissions for every sale attributed to your blog.

[Affiliate marketing](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-start-affiliate-marketing-with-no-money/) is a performance-based monetisation method that can help you generate **passive income** with your blog.

Let’s say you’re promoting a product that costs £69.99 per unit. With a 10% commission rate, you make £6.99 for every customer who uses your affiliate link to complete a purchase.

The more affiliate products you promote, the bigger your profit potential will be.

That’s why many bloggers rely on affiliate marketing as the main engine behind their online business model.

Start with affiliate networks like Amazon Associates, ClickBank, and CJ Affiliate to find viable affiliate programs.

These platforms feature a wide range of product categories—from dietary supplements to gadgets. Amazon, for instance, lets you promote the vast majority of products on its website.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/K6Z3ogYwYNSYkJcUfEfRqp6UrnOG240rZLL33UfPbM-SH254KOqRdhi8p4-jInypIqf7-GTIF4v15zIQtNe7MgBO7ejFtS26I7L5WWK-dIAGT9VU9jrzMhx2VOxETlN5zPTCfob0nr7XPNjeYhmIhaH00S3rJKZmByI065rKXl4jbofTquJxuhBWukc_5A)

Image Source: Amazon.com

To succeed with affiliate marketing, promoting products you’re truly familiar with and passionate about is important.

That’s why you shouldn’t constrain yourself to affiliate networks when looking for products to promote.

Use Google to see if your products have an affiliate program. Enter the product’s name followed by the keyword “affiliate program” or anything similar.

For example, if you’re an avid user of [Canva](https://partner.canva.com/GjoPML?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), run the query below to see if they offer an affiliate program:

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/BgrUJwFOkLUwqBNZi-MRqJy19ztSvjCA5ba180C1rmyjSDgbZfQkQq0tM8SgUoQJq-L22mPpq0xN3YQeHjmGqMHg32oo0WHDgUxMITd2onAspaTd0W5m_hhMkQrq0asQ7Hm3M4W5_EQR5kAV77KYUZyTgTmNo44hqnPoR6nuHb3_kxkKtwqNMzKWFiRbAA)

Image Source: Google.com

### Idea 2: Create and publish sponsored posts

Publish sponsored posts on your blog to make money from brands that need help reaching their target audience.

Just like affiliate marketing, content sponsorship is a way to make boatloads of money through blogging.

A sponsored post can be any article promoting, reviewing, or mentioning the partner brand. Requests may vary depending on their marketing goals.

🔗

Quick tip: If you write a sponsored post on your blog, ensure that any links to the advertiser use the rel="sponsored" tag. This indicates to search engines that the link is part of an advertisement.

Before you can publish sponsored posts, you need two things: a **decent reader or user base** and a **professional media kit**.

Of course, growing your traffic is the tough part. The only sustainable way to do it is to [develop an SEO strategy](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-build-an-seo-strategy-for-your-business-from-scratch/) to generate a steady stream of recurring traffic.

Once you have the traffic, the next step is to build a media kit that showcases your blog’s performance and brand partnership opportunities. You should also include an email address specifically for business-related inquiries.

Your media kit can be a PDF or a simple web page with all the required information.

For your inspiration, here’s an example of a media kit from food blogger Coleen—AKA, The[ Redhead Baker](https://www.theredheadbaker.com/media-kit-rate-sheet/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk):

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/1FMIjshGzn2aFGdgWQ0hGQvSCWvIexh1ehWJblcAS76Rs8o3sSRf0YgsVsQPAUtaEn1wBYE9axIrm8qV2fJT450q2f3g2zMBN2PjIATnWXadsN_UiE5aaCYfWBWio10o-mNSrlxd4m1LZfuP7G_IdfVEN2Y3MQEZX_8RwUJVo0mxqXBpq9qS3JvYCTFksg)

Image Source: TheReadheadBaker.com

### Idea 3: Offer professional services

Use your blog as a platform to promote professional services.

Every proficient blogger possesses a profitable skill that other brands are willing to pay for.

In most cases, this skill is tied to the blogger’s niche. For example, you can promote social media consulting or management services if you're a social media marketing blogger. 

As you're already well-versed in writing, you could also offer [content writing](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-development-the-ultimate-guide/) as a professional service.

If your blog already has a sizable collection of content, you won’t need marketing wizardry to acquire users or promote your value proposition. The quality of your content and the organic traffic it brings will do the selling for you.

### Idea 4: Create digital information products

Develop your own information products to cement your authority in your niche and make money at the same time.

For most bloggers, eBooks and online courses are the most accessible product ideas.

You can create eBooks with tools like Google Docs and Pages for macOS. To create eye-catching, visual-heavy eBooks, consider using tools like Canva.

Canva is a drag-and-drop graphic design and editing tool. It comes with customisable templates specifically structured for eBooks.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/hwdacIg8Qilx3zYzFLYZwUaYHnkHmBwFFbJabEuqzNoSOGX2JPLskPt7JiOrT-sF4gnpmXWaeXrIdE-1Yla0Z4auRZVK6iD-hzCXHV44SS8-_Hne-HP00fZyDZEfmmLuExC3ArSc4Ekl9cm1wlSsgzQkCcqGTZOJxqtcphq6CUeORKckWYyRRE7Et_mqQw)

Image Source: Canva.com

However, an online course could generate the most revenue in the long run, especially with subscription models.

With a subscription-based pricing strategy, you can maximise each customer's lifetime value without investing more in advertising or marketing.

Use platforms like [Teachable](https://teachable.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) for the tools to manage your students, build your course modules, plan your subscription model, and track sales. These platforms also provide the reach to help you penetrate the e-learning industry quicker and more effectively.

### Idea 5: Sell access to premium content

Create premium content and lock it behind a paywall to profit from your most loyal readers.

Most bloggers, like me, offer their entire content library completely free. However, some decide to sell access to premium, “gated” content on a subscription basis.

Just like online courses, premium content lets you leverage your growing user base to generate recurring revenue. The key difference is premium content is much easier to create than a full-fledged online course.

If you run a WordPress-powered blog, use a plugin like [Simple Membership](https://simple-membership-plugin.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to sell premium content easily.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/gij2Bz94NEcKSJy-fOKd_NCeYVxhwpxhca4PdEANF6lKOifPzc8LRx1Hk47ga5B9E7lHegXlIS7a-D26_g1m1q4THOMfnkLPt3YUstlUXI2i4WWbaUjERg3yqS70P958pIOuYtGEwUCpUkVnO_DUQ-Ai9ewI41lwTVEMIeIh7OWhdZBt8Ozq-DsZGWntKQ)

Image Source: Wordpress.org

[The platform I use is called Ghost](https://ghost.org/?via=matt70&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). It has built-in tools for bloggers to create and manage their audience, including the ability to sell access to their content to premium subscribers. 

### Idea 6: Ask for donations

Embed a donate button on your blog to monetise your traffic.

Asking for donations is the most straightforward strategy for monetising your blog. It’s also easy, especially using services like PayPal or [Buy Me A Coffee](https://buymeacoffee.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/vubBTfVCg-EO89CxYM1wdQbhwhuJANyDQmgcH_vzwsi_hIUWL3wBnbjFlSqxkM5Gct6zQxZKgcvEhdxaEnShoDAy4QaC-XsoKLg2lx7eJKO3ipA07JCPuWCqzxSIUqS1Pk3ZANyagOoToY_sazgcpcpEZZRbKLArtVHDsBEEP4JoxpSauxjJki72l8Kkpw)

Image Source: PayPal.com

The challenge is to show your audience that they’re getting enough value from your content to justify donations.

This is tricky, but it can surely be overcome with a dedication to content quality.

Below are quick tips to help you [create high-performing content](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/5-tips-for-creating-high-performing-content/) for your blog:

- **Always have a ‘hook.’** A hook is a must-have element in blog content that motivates the audience to keep reading. The usual approach is to focus on the unique benefit they can get simply by reading your content.
- **Align your points with proven facts.** Use statistics, surveys, and other verifiable data to support your claims. This not only improves the trustworthiness and value of your content but also helps improve your SEO by citing and linking authoritative sites.
- **Tell stories.** Trigger high-arousal, urgent emotions by telling stories with proven results. Use relatable stories to get readers to care about the characters while positioning your brand as the “saviour” of people in similar situations.

### Idea 7: Make money with display advertising

Show display ads on your blog and get paid to show adverts to your website visitors.

This involves working with ad networks like [AdSense](https://www.google.com/adsense/start/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to serve ads on pre-defined spaces on your blog.

The catch is you need plenty of traffic to make display advertising profitable - a large audience equals more revenue.

Display advertising networks don’t pay a lot unless you get tens or hundreds of thousands of readers per month. They’re great for supplementing your blogging income, especially considering you don’t need to do much to show ads on your blog.

On average, website owners and bloggers only make less than $1 per click. Since the average Click-Through Rate (CTR) of display ad campaigns is less than 1%, that means you stand to earn less than $30 for every 10,000 views.

There’s also the user experience aspect to consider when monetising through display advertising.

40% of users [dislike all forms of online advertising](http://thedrum.com/news/2018/04/25/40-brits-dislike-all-types-online-ads-finds-ofcom-media-usage-report?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), targeted or not. Therefore, tread carefully and explore monetisation opportunities through display ads only if you have significant website traffic.

Many publishers attempt to maximise profits by overloading their pages with banner ads, hurting the customer experience (and SEO) in the process.

### Idea 8: Sell advertising space

Rent ad space on your blog to earn a reasonable amount from businesses that would appreciate the value in your audience.

Selling ad space directly to advertisers is a good alternative to working with an ad network. Not only will you have the opportunity to handpick the brands you’ll promote, but you can also charge more per click—especially if you have great quality content and a healthy audience.

If you use WordPress, you can create ad spaces using a plugin like [Ads Pro](https://codecanyon.net/item/ads-pro-plugin-multipurpose-wordpress-advertising-manager/10275010?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). It lets you designate and manage over 20 banner ad locations on your blog.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/AnH9mtJE_UIz8WVTn2zPpoYzBBJSDmW0InCGkA_kIvnr66vijeXLEUBzA0MgJaIah0XEWldzPw-tiTSGGpc-Aunxb1KaNn6yPbDu_risLOZaHjxBuWUmtTawh9THmMtvc9dus2fuP66DOuYtoLVBThKpEzzYIMNvLUmIO2iEb_UtVOuRRLcVl8YnDg2ubw)

Image Source: CodeCanyon.net

### Idea 9: Create a job board

Use plugins like [Simple Job Board](https://wordpress.org/plugins/simple-job-board/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) and promote sponsored job listings from businesses in your industry.

A job board is a visual tool that lets users search for job opportunities in their fields of expertise. You don’t collect payments from them; you get paid by businesses looking to recruit talent.

Monetisation through a job board is only profitable in certain niches, like freelancing, graphic design, and various service industries. A job board is an easy and profitable monetisation strategy if the niche is right.

### Idea 10: Sell custom device cases

Design custom cases for smartphones, laptops, and tablets and sell them on your blog for a profit.

You don’t need a manufacturing line or product managers to do this. Platforms like [Casetify](https://www.casetify.com/sell?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) let bloggers focus on creating unique designs while they handle everything else—from production to shipping.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/Tmi81gCxa1b25Mo0Bw7619bBcH1JNT-6pcABwu9EECo0BrtPsRHVbw0qkjT8xirxjB6WM_GASuhRzz9m0sf5DVtr6v2rrNz0zdDUDOiy3CeqoApmofoWEldMr0zSnpUq0t6h-d2woBldK0lMgSnif-vYlDd6RXu8X1323UJpRp_3k3NQCIyXrw-sSqzwEQ)

Image Source: Casetify.com

Selling custom device cases isn’t just a monetisation opportunity for artists and photographers. Regardless of your niche, you can sell branded cases for your visitors from around the world.

### Idea 11: Charge money for guest posts

Charging guest posts is a lucrative business strategy if you have an SEO-healthy blog.

This monetisation strategy is simple: accept guest posts from contributors or brands and get paid.

Just be sure to enforce strict [content publishing](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-publishing-strategy/) guidelines to avoid saturating your blog with poor-quality promotional content. If you can get another brand in front of thousands of your readers, they will gladly pay for it. As earlier, ensure that you use the rel=sponsored tag. 

### Idea 12: Build a paid business directory

Build a business directory on your blog and make money from businesses via paid listings.

This simple monetisation strategy requires a plugin like [GeoDirectory](https://wpgeodirectory.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), which offers features such as a user-friendly builder, templates, and detailed listings.

However, business directories are only profitable to certain blogs, particularly those that target a local audience. As a rule of thumb, check if any of your competitors promote a business directory before you follow suit.

### Idea 13: Start dropshipping

Sell physical products internationally or locally and profit from your blog through dropshipping.

Dropshipping is an accessible way for bloggers to enter the eCommerce space. It allows you to skip technical aspects like inventory management, manufacturing, and shipping.

Best of all, dropshipping doesn’t require a lot of capital to get started. You need to set up a platform like WooCommerce or Shopify, which lets you drop ship products through a customised online store, marketplaces, social media, and your blog via a “buy button.”

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/Qk88WACXtjg00PBF-VJG5KTGDfScZbCWiK_wL1rfBRA_1CmZ5VU643KRiRqAQ9zBfTP4VAzh58GrQt49RGlCP6Nq-pLKnj7ckJg9sYM5nC7WzSoKOAgCK1sYmLhYErn1SnwsZ3RGfo8729PWyC9jRI02wjcD8YXG1uKdVfeUg7xDmJV9odDWEkOMiqq0pg)

Image Source: Shopify.com

## Guiding principles for successfully monetising your blog

Before wrapping up this post, remember the following principles for [making money with your blog](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-monetise-your-blog-5-methods-and-their-pros-and-cons/):

- **Use multiple revenue streams.** Don’t put a cap on your revenue potential by sticking to one monetisation strategy.
- **Mind your profit margins.** It sounds obvious, but to make your blog sustainable, ensure you make more than you spend on monetisation strategies.
- **Focus on value.** Have a user-first approach to monetisation to guarantee reader and customer satisfaction.
### Leveraging Competitor Reviews for Killer Product Descriptions
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/leveraging-competitor-reviews-for-killer-product-descriptions/
Last updated: 2024-08-13T22:55:37.000Z
Here's a summary of this post:

Summary

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Product copywriting can be hard. 

You need to find the right words to entice customers without forgetting about search engines. Users should always come first, but you need to understand how search engines interpret content.

Everything must also be tightly packed into just the right length whilst ensuring the copy flows and reads well. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/write-content-2.png)

Many marketing and copywriting experts recommend writing just around 300-600 words of product copy. That's not a lot, so you need to make every word count.

In this post, we'll discuss how to use competitor reviews, sentiment analysis, and testimonials to discover the best keywords and angles for your product descriptions. 

## What is Competitor Analysis? 

In a marketing sense, competitor analysis is the process of evaluating your top competitors and utilising their strategies to your advantage. 

"Top" is the important word here. 

Your top competitors will likely have invested time and money into their marketing; they’re usually the ones sitting at the top of the tree. If you undertake correct competitor analysis techniques that match your specific objectives, you can learn from their investment.

### What are the different ways to use competitor analysis?

Competitor analysis can be used in multiple areas of marketing: 

- **Keyword research.** Find and steal your competitor's top-performing keywords.
- **Social media marketing.** Track down social media content strategies that you know will generate engagement.
- [**Content research**](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-research-the-ultimate-guide/)**.** Borrow popular content ideas and topics from your competitors.
- **Market gap analysis.** Analyse multiple competitors and their customer feedback to identify underserved markets.
- **Email marketing.** Subscribe to your competitor's email list to obtain ideas for newsletters, automated emails, and email optimisation.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/competitor-analysis-2.png)

When it comes to product copywriting, you can take competitor analysis a little further. 

Instead of just borrowing keywords and writing style ideas, you can look at your competitor's reviews, comments, and other forms of customer feedback. In doing so, you'll uncover customer pain points and suggestions that can enrich your product copywriting strategy.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-13-at-18.35.35@2x.jpg)

At the same time, you'll discover the positive things that customers love about a competitor's product. These are excellent talking points to include in your product descriptions if you want to captivate potential customers.

## How to use competitor analysis for product copywriting

Now that you understand how competitor analysis can affect product copywriting, it's time to take some action. 

Follow the steps below to conduct competitor analysis for product copywriting effectively:

### Step 1: Specify what you're looking for

When conducting competitor analysis, you need to define the information you're looking for clearly. 

This will help you determine the best tools and approach to use in your analysis. 

For example, service providers may look at the pricing, performance, UI design, and known technical issues of their competitor's products. Bloggers, on the other hand, need to look at their competitors' keywords, topics, and promotion channels. 

Right now, you're looking to create better product descriptions by analysing competitor reviews. That means your analysis should centre around 4 areas:

- Customer complaints
- Praises
- Improvements and suggestions
- Keywords

Next, build a simple spreadsheet that lists and organises these details as you scrape them from customer reviews. This will serve as your sentiment analysis spreadsheet, which is incredibly useful if you work with a content team. 

Any spreadsheet tool like [Google Sheets](https://www.google.com/sheets/about/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) would be perfect for this job. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-13-at-18.36.25@2x.jpg)

While you're at it, set its general access permissions to **'Anyone with the link' a**nd invite your copywriting team to view the file. You'll find the options you need by clicking **'Share'** in the upper-right corner.

You'll fill the details out later as you analyse competitor reviews. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-13-at-18.37.06@2x.jpg)

### Step 2: Identify your top competitors (if you haven't already)

Sometimes, looking for your biggest competitors isn't as simple as using the ones that you're aware of. Your search engine or social media competitors are often different from your traditional competitors. 

Maybe you've never thought about analysing competitors in this much detail before. Or, you could be exploring new product ideas and would like to see who you'll square up against. 

Whatever the reason, tools like [Semrush](https://semrush.sjv.io/Aokxv7?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) offer surefire ways of identifying competitors.

The most straightforward method is to use the Market Explorer feature.

Just head to **'Market Explorer'** under "**Trends**" and select **'Find Competitors.'** From there, enter your website URL and click **'Search.'** 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-13-at-18.37.29@2x.jpg)

Your top competitors and the key players in your market should be visible in the "**Market Summary**" section. You'll also find more competitors if you scroll down to the "**Domain vs Market Dynamics**" list.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-13-at-18.37.55@2x.jpg)

Another way to find competitors with Semrush is to use the Organic Research tool. 

To use it, go to **'Organic Research'** from the main menu, enter your domain URL, pick your target country, and click **'Search.'** 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-13-at-18.38.22@2x.jpg)

Give Semrush a few seconds to generate your report. 

When done, simply click on the **'Competitors'** tab to view your website's top organic competitors.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-13-at-18.38.46@2x.jpg)

Ideally, you should be aware of every single business competing for your target audience's attention. But for now, focus on businesses that sell the most products in your space.

Keep in mind that your organic competitors are businesses that [target the keywords](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/niche-keyword-research/) relevant to your industry. It would be wise to conduct a deeper analysis of how they optimise their content for keywords — it should help greatly with your product descriptions in the long run.

Again, Semrush is great for this objective. They also offer a [free trial](https://semrush.sjv.io/Aokxv7?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) with all core features unlocked (but with daily quotas). 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-13-at-18.39.08@2x.jpg)

After finding your top competitors, you can start looking for both positive and negative customer reviews about their products.

### Step 3: Look for five-star reviews

The next step in the process is to look for positive reviews to identify sought-after qualities in your products. 

On the internet, customers leave reviews on various websites and platforms. It can be your competitor's own website, social media page, ecommerce marketplace, or any third-party review platform. 

Let's say your competitor is on Amazon. 

You can find customer reviews and ratings directly on your competitor's product page. Scroll to the bottom or click the **'ratings'** link below the product's name.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-13-at-18.39.36@2x.jpg)

Right above the reviews section, select **'5 star only'** in the drop-down menu under "**Filter By.**" This will automatically refresh the list only to contain positive reviews. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-13-at-18.39.54@2x.jpg)

Remember, filter controls are different for every website. But wherever there are reviews, there are usually filters that you can use to sieve through tonnes of customer feedback. 

The fun starts right after filtering the reviews. 

You should immediately be able to spot positive things you can add to your spreadsheet. 

For example, in the review below, the terms "quality for the price," "great value," "great quality," "clear," and "details" really drive home the point.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-13-at-18.40.20@2x.jpg)

These terms would make fine additions to your product copywriting spreadsheet/sentiment analysis documents. 

Just don't stop at one review. Keep looking through them for positive reviews to build up a nice, diversified selection of words to enhance your product descriptions.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-13-at-18.40.41@2x.jpg)

Don't forget to copy and paste these terms into your spreadsheet — you'll need them later. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-13-at-18.40.58@2x.jpg)

### Step 4: Scan negative reviews to identify customer pain points

When it comes to competitor analysis, negative reviews are just as important as positive ones. 

Fortunately, most eCommerce websites and review platforms also let you filter out negative reviews with just a few clicks. 

Anything below three stars is guaranteed to have at least one complaint, leading to more words in your spreadsheet. 

Of course, you can also filter out one-star reviews to scrape the bottom of the barrel. Those are guaranteed to mention touchy issues that are worth addressing in your product descriptions.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-13-at-18.41.17@2x.jpg)

Here's an example of a negative customer review on Amazon:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-13-at-18.41.36@2x.jpg)

When analysing negative reviews, don't just take keywords at face value. Pay close attention to what customers are saying and keep notes in your spreadsheet. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-13-at-18.41.57@2x.jpg)

### Step 5: Look for customer suggestions

While reading negative and positive reviews, you might stumble on a few improvement requests from customers. 

Even customers who write stellar reviews may chip in suggestions. 

For example, here's a customer review on Amazon hoping for the seller to offer more colour variations:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-13-at-18.42.20@2x.jpg)

Customers might not say it outright, but whenever they mention anything they didn't like about the product, you can also consider their feedback as suggestions.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-13-at-18.42.39@2x.jpg)

If your products can accommodate these requests, mention them in your product descriptions to establish your competitive advantage. 

For now, track them in your spreadsheet to guide the content creation process.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-13-at-18.42.56@2x.jpg)

### Step 6: Find keywords to target

At this point, you should have more than enough ideas to create killer product descriptions. 

Now, you can start concentrating on the SEO. 

You may come across distinguishable SEO keywords in product page reviews purely by chance. Just look for commonly repeated terms that customers use when describing the product experience.

💡

Pro tip: [You can also use this guide to help you find additional keywords](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/people-who-bought-this-also-bought-related-keyword-searches-unraveled/).

In relation to the examples above, some of the keywords that popped up are:

- "Quality keycaps"
- "OEM profile"
- "Artisan keycaps"
- "Backlit keycaps"
- "PBT keycaps"
- "Cherry MX switches"
- "BOX White switches"

If you don't recognise any noticeable keywords in product page reviews, consider looking at standalone reviews in blogs. 

Google should lead you right to them. 

Just enter a keyword along with your competitor's brand and the term "review" to find the information you need. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-13-at-18.43.46@2x.jpg)

When you find them, fire up your favourite SEO tool — be it Ubersuggest, Ahrefs, or Semrush — and head to their keyword analysis or organic research tool.

📖

Must-read: [Ubersuggest vs. Ahrefs vs. Semrush](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/ubersuggest-vs-ahrefs-vs-semrush/)

For example, the Organic Research tool in Semrush can reveal page-level keywords. Place the review's URL into the domain field and let the tool work its magic.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-13-at-18.44.08@2x.jpg)

After several seconds, your organic research report should be ready.

The review article's keywords are in the "Top Keywords" and "Top Position Changes in Organic" sections. Add them to your spreadsheet, and you're ready for the next step.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-13-at-18.44.27@2x.jpg)

Need more keywords?

Take the review article's top keyword and run it through a keyword research tool. This will help you discover more related keywords and relevant questions you can mention in product descriptions.

### Step 7: Track social media mentions and online communities

Not everyone is willing to go back to a store page for the sake of leaving reviews. 

In fact, many internet customers like to share recommendations (or vent their frustrations) on social media. 

They don't even need to post actual reviews. In most cases, their comments or responses to threads contain a lot of keywords you can use in your product descriptions.

For example, here are a couple of useful replies on Reddit:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-13-at-18.44.49@2x.jpg)

When you find them, go ahead and add those terms to your spreadsheet. They could fit under any sentiment (praise, complaint, or suggestion) or SEO keyword category. 

If you're having trouble looking for customer feedback on social media, use social media listening or [keyword monitoring](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/keyword-monitoring/) tools. These will help you spot mentions of your competitors' products wherever they're posted. 

### Step 8: Writing product descriptions

Right now, your analysis file should look something like this:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-13-at-18.45.16@2x.jpg)

Take note, we've only been at it for several minutes. Imagine how many words you can collect if you invest an hour into your competitor analysis. 

All that's left is writing your product descriptions. 

Here are crucial things to remember:

- **Address customer complaints.** Talk about the common complaints customers have with your competitors' products. Reassure that they can expect a better experience when buying from you.
- **Highlight sought-after qualities.** Make desirable product qualities easy to find and detailed. Put them above the fold or use formatting techniques like bullet points to highlight them.
- **Include a section for requested features.** Let your customers know if your products offer highly-requested features that are missing from competitors. Depending on the feature, it can be a main talking point in your product descriptions or a special mention below the main copy.
- **Weave in SEO keywords to boost search engine visibility.** Use content optimisation tools like [Surfer](https://surferseo.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to get actionable suggestions on improving product descriptions. This is extremely important if you're building dedicated product pages on your website.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/overview-1.png)

To give you an idea, here's what a good product description would look like using the keywords in our list:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/mlabs-2024-08-13-at-18.45.38@2x.jpg)

## Let experts handle your product copywriting

Conducting competitor analysis is one thing. 

Incorporating competitor keywords and customer feedback into your copywriting, however, is an entirely different beast.

Perhaps the biggest challenge is naturally weaving in keywords without disrupting the readability and flow of your product descriptions. For that, you'll need skilled professionals who understand your content needs. 

If you're struggling, my team is more than happy to help. 

[Contact me here](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/contact/) and let's discuss your challenges.
### How to Build an Email List for Affiliate Marketing
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-build-an-email-list-for-affiliate-marketing/
Last updated: 2024-08-13T13:11:44.000Z
This is the ultimate guide on ***how to build an email list for affiliate marketing.***

An email list helps build your authority, improve user engagement, and cultivate buyer confidence as your subscribers ponder over their purchase decisions.

TL;DR: It’s the perfect tool for affiliate marketers who want to supersize their commission payouts.

## How affiliate marketing and email marketing works

Affiliate marketing is one of the best and most straightforward ways to [generate passive income online](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/tag/passive-income/).

You build your online presence, promote another company’s products, and earn a commission for every sale.

You don’t need a hefty investment to develop your own product or build your own brand. Just look for an affiliate program from a company you like and make sure their products are seen by the right audience.

More importantly, you need to earn the trust of your target audience by providing them with high-quality, authoritative, and helpful content.

This is where email marketing campaigns step in.

## Benefits of emails for affiliate marketing

Email marketing is primarily a lead-nurturing strategy that “warms up” leads and builds buyer confidence. It’s also used to send promotions that encourage purchase-ready leads to convert into paying customers.

Here are the top reasons why email campaigns are perfect for affiliate marketers:

- **Most people still use emails:** Despite its age, [email marketing isn’t dead](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/email-marketing-isnt-dead-you-just-need-to-write-better-emails/). In fact, nearly everybody who uses online services—from social media to online shopping—actively uses emails for day-to-day communications.
- **Emails help you get close and personal:** The vast majority of email users check their inboxes every single day. And with mobile email apps, marketers have the opportunity to reach their audience wherever they go.
- **Email users expect brand communications through email:** Statistics show that [46% of smartphone users](https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/email-marketing-stats?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) prefer to receive branded and promotional messaging through email. If you cultivate the right emotions and expectations in your email subscribers, you don’t have to worry about high lead churn rates when sending promotional content.
- **Close more affiliate sales:** Emails are a great way to send coupon codes, buyer’s guides, product reviews, and other types of sales-generating content. 59% of users reveal that these emails help with purchase decisions.
- **Engineer automated campaigns:** Modern email marketing platforms feature drag-and-drop automation builders. This lets you send automated emails on a schedule or based on your subscribers’ actions.
- **Email marketing is cost-effective:** Data shows that email marketing has an average ROI of [$36 for every $1](https://www.constantcontact.com/blog/email-marketing-statistics?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) spent. Not only that, but some email marketing platforms offer free plans to marketers with a small subscriber list.
- **Send surveys and feedback forms:** Other than affiliate products, emails and newsletters are effective in spreading surveys, review requests, and feedback forms. These help affiliate marketers improve and refine their content strategy over time with user-oriented decisions.

💡

****Tip:** If you’re interested in becoming an affiliate marketer, read [how to start affiliate marketing with no money](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-start-affiliate-marketing-with-no-money/).

## How to build an email list for affiliate marketing: Step-by-step guide

Here are the steps on how to generate subscribers for your affiliate marketing email campaigns:

### Step 1: Create your own website

*Feel free to skip this step if you already have your own website.*

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/set-up-a-website.png)

The first thing you need to learn is how to create a website for affiliate marketing.

A website can help you generate organic traffic, establish brand authority, and win the trust of your audience. It also provides a place for your signup forms, which ultimately allows you to build your email list.

Website building boils down to three steps:

- **Domain registration:** Register a domain name for your affiliate website, including a top-level domain (TLD) or domain extension like “.com,” “.io,” and “.net.” Your domain name will serve as your affiliate website’s address.
- **Web hosting:** Before you can build a website on your domain name, you need hosting. Hosting your domain creates an online storage location assigned to its address, which can be used for installing content management systems (CMS) or uploading individual website files.
- **Website creation:** Most marketers use [WordPress](https://wordpress.org/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to create professional-looking websites from scratch. WordPress is a free CMS that lets you use customisable themes, install plugins for added functionality, and manage your content using a visual dashboard. I personally use Ghost CMS, which is also great.

Domain registration and hosting can be done through a single platform like [20i](https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?s=2734607&v=20974&q=399428&r=919827&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). It also has a one-click WordPress installation feature, which kickstarts your website creation efforts.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/YTMfdSJZJ2yZ5OOIw3yEcSN5R8AoclsO22hqY9ENDd7p0eHybYqIlzgQ3U_DpwznTOZHo8vs_EiYxEPP0ZV2tRuakUlKK_zCk9SvF3PG0LvuJ8V0B9gmonU5pA0fqye2A7mLAgVnfrGW-umdxJgQF05-0iTXzD7-xhAyPqN6l_VvW2JBM_qoFBl8Dw)

Image Source: 20i.com

With WordPress installed and ready to use, you need to personalise your affiliate site with a performance-focused theme.

WordPress has thousands of free themes available on the official theme library. Use the search bar to find a theme that matches your brand and the affiliate products you’re trying to promote.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/aBVVQB23wPJjc2Nw6ezIf3canvyOX3r-64c3hX06PUFZtofD20MTenGEnAhjuJxpBTGMrSgrCm--JqyZKe8DjlcLUaXcK3MchgjNP14spHL5z9HaHxk7_mOgvui8OUaneyJCzxUxEnDGjgQDb9Wkk5TiGJT_iWaGgg0_U6TOkGAPxEYND6Zl_7xC8A)

Image Source: WordPress.org

You can also browse third-party marketplaces for premium themes with extra features for customisability. But if you’re new to affiliate marketing, consider sticking with a free theme while your website gains traction.

Just be sure to pick a lightweight theme that’s readable and loads fast.

📖

****Must-read:** [Which site builder is best for your digital marketing strategy?](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/which-sitebuilder-is-best-for-your-digital-marketing-strategy/)

### Step 2: Choose an email service provider

Sign up for an email marketing platform to manage your affiliate marketing email list.

Email marketing platforms like Sendinblue, GetResponse, and Mailchimp equip you with the tools you need to run successful email campaigns. They help with list segmentation, email content creation, email automation, performance tracking, and more—all from a single, user-friendly interface.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/email-newsletter-providers.png)

[Mailchimp](https://mailchimp.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is particularly favourable for new affiliate marketers. Its free plan supports up to 2,500 monthly emails, over 300 integrations, and up to 500 subscribers.

The free plan also includes basic reporting features, professionally designed email templates, and Mailchimp’s AI-powered “Creative Assistant.”

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/fA2WeaZfQxMYc5mupqVfCGBCswdmGwe0L99LLmP6ncUkwQx5eMbRVjxEUD3rKwJSMe9LKBpE6ObT1Hzp2oVA-p-Q72-wMs0bqf3Aqh-736LE-cOxZvAyMokFOTOPOZr3hsesnUJwhlXHQu9o4agFGRX9X0P8iuu84wL84q6HsamFsFhOt90Zgii8mg)

Image Source: Mailchimp.com

Most modern email marketing platforms also come with a built-in form builder.

Forms enable website visitors to subscribe to your email list. In addition to their email addresses, forms can capture other information, such as their name, birthday, and so on.

### Step 3: Optimise your opt-in forms

Customise and adjust your opt-in forms so they’re user-friendly and visible without disrupting the user experience.

Mailchimp’s default form, for example, is just a simple card with an email field and **‘Subscribe’** button.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/iM66Q-hwxsuwzOgndVGKKhfHhE3XUyn1WsMPE6WZDtyPvhe2x6uCivrD29FydJtKYr-NLlSUleeO1zw4gl1hQcv72vaX-SEPCKAMA6pyyfm8sr3Y_iFB-xaUbmkd1EUBwyvvL7XlUdAbVm-WE1leWL9MU1lEx0b8Ts6GBN5I5CetDE8MoBw4KA6XPg)

Image Source: Mailchimp.com

A straightforward form that only asks for your audience’s email is good for the user experience. But if you want to launch personalised campaigns, you need more than your subscribers’ contact details.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/opt-in-form-info.png)

Consider asking for your audience’s first name, birthday, or both.

First names allow you to write personalised subject lines and email openers that snag your subscriber’s attention. Birthdays, on the other hand, let you segment subscribers by age group and send special birthday offers.

### Step 4: Experiment with pop-ups

Try using pop-ups to maximise the visibility of your opt-in forms.

As the name suggests, pop-ups refer to small windows that appear over the content users currently have open.

Pop-ups get a bad reputation because reckless marketers and advertisers use them aggressively without regard to the audience’s goals. But if you show users relevant information that adds value to their experience, pop-ups are an effective way to increase sales or sign-ups to your email list.

Most email service providers that come with a form builder have a pop-up creation tool baked into the software.

Mailchimp, for example, provides minimal templates that can fit all website themes.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/uePDsQlPr2_Iop5jlSJNWGH8hagMLeuZe8FN-UlP4FvgRH1IIBwWoTmvqeVbwsjhJ0szlnw3WX2y7M17KaKfZIwiBpBuYmrWiqIadrmE37e4VWewTGXoycqNe0t9DP3tTlMzcQk2y0AaJIP-hHVH9z8_V_wggTqtAZV9tYnxGbII6e_HPc0hcMX5eQ)

Image Source: Mailchimp.com

If you want more dynamic pop-ups, consider third-party form builders like [OptinMonster](https://optinmonster.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

The app features multiple campaign types that present information in different ways, like full-screen welcome mats, slide-in scroll boxes, floating bars, and content lockers.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/91mCePFAePkJI8rpU9In7M2xpg_OMsW3npX7yqOe1Zb5NXgbRhLAdEFJC-436ENn2y3YQ49v2uEYwxE0uxWo69PNT3yF-iNfdvk7ZeN7K0qmgUwEOQxazwnortf8briNKaUwCnbcGhVEWR4I0QueDueeq5PUvOIu5Ugo5LqE13tvno8i4QyO7V7FnQ)

Image Source: OptinMonster.com

### Step 5: Develop helpful content aligned with affiliate products

Publish content pieces that help your target audience solve their problems without buying anything.

Tackle topics that generate demand for the affiliate products you need to promote. However, your content should focus on your audience’s questions and highlight the answers.

Even if you don’t blatantly promote affiliate products, targeting the right topics in your [content research](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-research-the-ultimate-guide/) will pull in prospective leads who have a high chance of converting into paying customers.

Suppose you’re promoting diamond engagement rings. Your content can be about the best proposal ideas, engagement party inspiration, picking memorable proposal spots, and so on. These are the content ideas your target readers are interested in, and they’ll keep coming if you implement a consistent posting strategy.

The more high-quality traffic your content generates, the more potential email subscribers you can generate. You just need the right opt-in offer to get the ball rolling.

### Step 6: Create an opt-in offer

Offer something valuable in exchange for your audience’s subscription. That’s how an opt-in offer or “opt-in bribe” works.

Brands and marketers usually offer premium content, discounts, and free trials to convince their audience to subscribe.

As an affiliate marketer, your options include:

- Free eBooks
- Data-driven downloadables (reports, white papers, survey results, etc.)
- Templates
- Checklists
- Gated content
- Forum membership

Plain-text documents won’t work for these types of premium content.

Use design tools like [Canva](https://partner.canva.com/GjoPML?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to create premium, visual content your would-be email subscribers will be thankful for.

Canva features a drag-and-drop interface where you can piece together text, shapes, photos, effects, and more to create original visuals in minutes. It also features customisable templates for different content types, including ebook covers, infographics, social media posts, and more.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/VdbQPGaAKmxZ8yNVpBe1bB-95iI2i8ZWCUuQLquphkwrTtNpN9hqx_uAZMzdDvRSfy0XM3TI1815jnoaTz9Q6rdS0j8k6OZclQLfXHbzfhk9JbBgwDIWVyVZZMj2TgwsmfDui3GhxBCg3cNNkM5-1zqKHeA8tvhMjRM2z9AIudFBQKi0J1-WkQ1faA)

Image Source: Canva.com

Apart from visual content, unload all your [content development](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-development-the-ultimate-guide/) wizardry on your opt-in offer.

Ensure it contains information that your audience won’t find anywhere else, including your own website.

For example, affiliate marketers can purchase the product they’re promoting and use it themselves. This gives them firsthand knowledge of the product’s features, real-life use cases, and some quirks.

Once your opt-in offer is ready, feature it in your subscription forms, pop-ups, homepage, and landing pages.

### Step 7: Build a landing page

Build a conversion-optimised landing page that promotes your opt-in offer as if it’s a full-fledged product by itself. This page should also build your credibility as a trustworthy information source in your industry.

Let’s say your offer is an eBook called “The Ultimate Guide to Wedding Proposals on a Budget.”

Tell the abridged version of how you got absorbed into this niche. From there, jump straight to the benefits of your eBook, like what readers can learn and the estimated monetary value of the information they’ll receive.

It’s also important to use visual communication when building landing pages.

Never use generic stock photos for this purpose. Instead, use screenshots, actual product images, or renders.

Use on-demand design services like [Kimp](https://www.kimp.io/?partner=Janaway&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to create original graphics for your landing page.

Unlike agencies that do their work behind closed doors, Kimp takes you to the heart of their operations. They assign a dedicated design team to work with your brand, which you can collaborate and communicate with via a designated Trello board.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/kdd8Rcqa7Q10yRjrB1XT6JSj9B8xrhLBQFNwQXjnubFN6-IbLBi2YsFk7jUg9WyIkTNgQ1rMn4kO7W2nkDtZGnAE7YVMLmi8u-m4cQPSKwb1M9lc_9yXjrvnvjECRbUS_EiUKn9LecVf2_TIGxdZvyG_Ha1TACv9OS0Dc7nyXkM9P0FmfnLQioSYww)

Image Source: Kimp.io

Don’t forget to put a clear CTA and summary of your opt-in offer (including its benefits) above the fold. For ideas, refer to this landing page by [Semrush](https://semrush.sjv.io/Aokxv7?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) that promotes their State of Content Marketing report.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ztj2m8XpMyc1iwMEo3-XbqhXG8p-hEy6JnShwarLhJ7GZKBoaZyqsBTzFb_Q1Z3FqGpXrkLhGu2QggDH1sxdSOPmVsS7WINTxd2YJrU-ngUoDg913JGc4XRRT1AHn79HzZkbbCb7_VTXESM1BC2NJGzLVIjwaDV2TDJ6sSUfPZRWAjCDVXLz8odW5Q)

Image Source: Semrush.com

## Email marketing for affiliates: Best practices

- Don’t ask for too much information in the sign-up process.
- Optimise the conversion experience for mobile (Read: [Content Strategy for Mobile: The Ultimate Guide](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-strategy-for-mobile/)).
- Use exit-intent pop-ups to give readers one more opportunity to subscribe before leaving.
- Sprinkle soft pitches of affiliate products all over your opt-in offer.
- Run a drip campaign rather than sending a promotional email the first chance you get.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/optimise-optin-forms.png)

## Building an email list for affiliate marketing: FAQs

### Do you need an email list for affiliate marketing?

An email list helps affiliate marketers build their authority and slowly win their audience’s trust. Setting up a basic lead generation campaign for an email list also costs little to nothing, practically making it a risk-free strategy for affiliate marketing.

### How do I create an email subscription list?

**7 steps to build an email list for your affiliate marketing business:**

1. Create your own website
2. Choose an email service provider
3. Create and optimise your opt-in forms.
4. Experiment with pop-ups.
5. Develop helpful content aligned with affiliate products
6. Create an opt-in offer
7. Build a landing page

### Can you put affiliate links in emails?

Ask your email service provider directly if you can include affiliate links in your emails. Some vendors discourage affiliate links to preserve delivery rates, whereas others even build features for product link placements.
### 11 Best Traffic Sources for Affiliate Marketing
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/best-traffic-sources-for-affiliate-marketing/
Last updated: 2024-08-12T16:16:59.000Z
Read this guide to understand the ***best traffic sources for your affiliate marketing*** business.

According to the latest data, [16% of online orders](https://www.demandsage.com/affiliate-marketing-statistics/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk#:~:text=It%20was%20estimated%20that%20affiliate,States%20come%20through%20affiliate%20marketing.) come from affiliate marketing. This gives us a glimpse of the earning potential of those aspiring to start an affiliate marketing business.

However, with the myriad of options available on the internet, finding the best traffic sources for an affiliate business can be tricky. 

That's why, in this guide, I'll share 11 of the best traffic sources for affiliate marketing in 2023\. 

From paid advertising to social media and beyond, these sources can help you reach your target audience, generate quality traffic, and boost your affiliate sales. 

## What are traffic sources?

Traffic sources are places (or methods) affiliate marketers use to generate site visitors. The more eyeballs you bring to your content, the more potential commissions you can earn from affiliate offers.

Affiliate marketing traffic sources can be either organic or paid.

Let’s differentiate them.

### Organic traffic vs paid traffic

Organic traffic is free traffic from online platforms and services. For example, sharing content on social media is free—yet it can provide instant exposure and clicks to your affiliate site.

If you want to know [how to start affiliate marketing with no money](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-start-affiliate-marketing-with-no-money/), pouring your efforts into organic traffic generation is the way to go. The catch is that you need to wait a while before you see a steady stream of organic traffic.

Paid traffic, on the other hand, will help you reach your target audience quickly. But unlike organic traffic, it comes with recurring costs.

While paid traffic is not ideal for sustainability or growth, it effectively widens your reach and builds a positive brand image.

## Best traffic sources for affiliate marketing

Here are the best ways to drive traffic to your affiliate website and boost revenue:

### Search engines

Invest in [Search Engine Optimisation](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/tag/seo/) (SEO) to get free, recurring traffic from platforms like Google and Bing.

Search engines can potentially generate hundreds of thousands of organic traffic to your affiliate website.

The goal should be to appear on the first page of search engine results for the right keywords.

For example, if your affiliate product is a coffee maker, you want the top spots for keywords like “best coffee maker with grinder.”

![Rank for these position to get high organic traffic.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/02/11-Best-Traffic-Sources-for-Affiliate-Marketing-in-2023-rank.png)

Image Source: Google.com

Achieving high rankings increases your discoverability to millions of search users. To do this, you need to execute an [SEO strategy](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-build-an-seo-strategy-for-your-business-from-scratch/).

### How to generate traffic from search engines

Create a comprehensive on-page and off-page SEO strategy to boost the rankings of your affiliate marketing content.

- **Conduct keyword research:** Use tools like [Semrush](https://semrush.sjv.io/Aokxv7?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to find profitable keywords and track your search positions. [Here's a guide I wrote about keyword research](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/niche-keyword-research/).
- **Craft keyword-optimised content:** Create compelling content and optimise it for your target keywords with tools like [Surfer](https://surferseo.com/?fpr=matt23&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). [Here's a guide I wrote about creating content](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-write-a-blog-post-in-30-minutes-a-how-to-guide/).
- **Build backlinks:** Obtain backlinks from relevant, authoritative websites or create them yourself by publishing guest articles. [Here's my backlink guide](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/what-makes-good-backlinks-how-to-build-them/).
- **Develop a healthy internal link profile:** Plan a [cluster strategy](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/cluster-strategy/) and create a network of internal links between related posts.
- **Improve your website’s performance:** Use tools like [PageSpeed Insights](https://pagespeed.web.dev/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to identify and fix performance-related issues on your website.

### Organic social media

Use social media platforms as content distribution channels to generate traffic to your affiliate website.

Social media publishing also helps build a reputable brand, especially if you focus on sharing valuable content and generating positive user engagement (likes, positive comments, shares, etc.).

[Grammarly](https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?afftrack=&b=864277&m=26748&u=864476&urllink=&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), for example, frequently creates and shares educational posts that draw the attention of its target audience. To attract targeted traffic to your website, do the same with your affiliate marketing business social profiles.

![Share quality content on social media through Grammarly.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/02/11-Best-Traffic-Sources-for-Affiliate-Marketing-in-2023-Grammarly.png)

Image Source: Facebook.com/Grammarly

## How to generate traffic from social media sites

Learn [how to become famous on social media](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-become-famous-on-social-media/) sites to rake in high-quality traffic.

- **Join social media groups:** Connect with individuals who are genuinely interested in your niche and encourage them to visit your site for valuable information.
- **Use hashtags:** Boost the searchability of your social media content with trending hashtags.
- **Curate content:** Build brand awareness and generate followers by sharing content from brands they already love.
- **Engage other users:** To build your social media presence, follow your target audience, like their posts, and write informative comments.
- **Leverage visual content whenever possible:** Use tools like [Canva](https://partner.canva.com/GjoPML?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to create eye-catching visuals and draw the attention of your audience.

### Online communities

Join online communities and message boards to connect with your target audience and encourage them to visit your affiliate website.

Online communities offer the perfect opportunity to reach people who are likely to buy your affiliate products.

For example, [Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) has millions of channels or “subreddits” dedicated to specific topics. Look for subreddits related to your affiliate products and contribute to the community. Add value, build relationships, and show the community that you're trusted.

![Check communities like Reddit.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/02/11-Best-Traffic-Sources-for-Affiliate-Marketing-in-2023-Reddit.png)

Image Source: Reddit.com

### How to generate traffic from online communities

- **Find relevant communities:** Search for subreddits and online message boards that specifically discuss relevant topics.
- **Participate in the community:** Naturally build your presence by participating in conversations constructively.
- **Obtain ideas for your content strategy:** Tap into forums for [content research](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-research-the-ultimate-guide/) and share articles valuable to the community.
- **Build up your profile:** Mention your expertise and insert links to your affiliate website into your profile.

### Email lists

Send bulk emails to your subscribers to promote affiliate marketing content.

Email lists provide a direct line of communication between you and your existing leads.

These are people who are already familiar with your brand and understand what you offer. More importantly, they already gave their vote of confidence by signing up for your email list.

![Email lists help bring traffic.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/02/11-Best-Traffic-Sources-for-Affiliate-Marketing-in-2023-email-lists.png)

### How to generate traffic from email lists

- **Use email marketing automation.** Schedule automated emails to send on specific conditions and times, like sales Holidays or first-time page visits.
- **Experiment between HTML and plain text emails.** Plain text and HTML emails with custom graphics appeal to different user bases—experiment with both to find out what your audience prefers.
- **Balance promotional and informative content.** Share a mix of educational content, and affiliate offers to avoid being perceived as “spammy.”

### Paid search traffic

Invest in paid search ads to propel your affiliate website to the top of search engine results.

Search ads can quickly boost your affiliate site's traffic—but only as long as you fund your campaigns.

![Paid search campaigns can propel your website to top results.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/02/11-Best-Traffic-Sources-for-Affiliate-Marketing-in-2023-paid-search-campaigns.png)

Image Source: Google.com

The most common advertising model for paid search is Pay-Per-Click (PPC), which charges you for every ad click. While it’s effective in bringing targeted traffic, PPC campaigns are risky as you might spend thousands of dollars on clicks that don’t convert into affiliate sales.

### How to generate traffic from paid search:

- **Research keywords carefully.** Ideally, target high-traffic keywords with reasonable PPC competitiveness ratings (use tools like Keyword Magic Tool from [Semrush](https://semrush.sjv.io/Aokxv7?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)).
- **Target keywords with commercial intent.** Look for keywords that people use when they’re close to a purchase decision (keywords that contain words like “buy,” “order,” “review,” and “price”).
- **Split test ads.** Run multiple versions of your ads with different Calls-To-Action (CTAs), copies, headlines, and more.
- **Consider native ads.** Invest in native ads (ads that look similar to a website’s native content) to draw clicks without disrupting the user experience.

### Social media advertising

Give your social media presence a quick boost with social media advertising.

Each social media platform offers different systems and tools for running ad campaigns.

For example, Instagram lets you promote native ads through Stories and Reels. Facebook, on the other hand, offers mid-roll ad placements that appear to users who watch videos on the platform.

TikTok provides several engaging ad formats including In-Feed Ads that appear natively in a user's For You feed and look like regular TikTok videos. There are also other ad types, like TopView Ads that play when a user first opens the app, taking over the full screen.

Branded Effects let brands create custom filters, stickers and special effects to engage users. Another useful way of harnessing more interest in your content is using Spark Ads that let you boost existing organic content from your own account or even partner creators. 

![Sample social media ad.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/02/11-Best-Traffic-Sources-for-Affiliate-Marketing-in-2023-social-media-ads.png)

Image Source: Instagram.com, @awconferences

### How to generate traffic from social media ads

- **Pick a platform your target audience uses:** Improve your chances of generating affiliate sales by advertising to the right audience.
- **Test different ad types:** Try mid-roll ads, Instagram Stories ads, carousel ads, and other ad formats to find the one that suits your affiliate marketing business.
- **Hyper-target your ads:** Use ad targeting options like location, interests, age, and gender to reach the perfect audience for your ads.

### Guest blogging websites

Submit posts to other websites with similar audiences to promote your brand to a wider audience and generate referral traffic.

Find websites that accept guest posts using “guest blogging footprints,” which are keywords combined with phrases like “submitted by,” “write for us,” and “submit guest posts.”

Run a Google search using these footprints to find potential sites you can write for.

![Find websites that accept guest posts.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/02/11-Best-Traffic-Sources-for-Affiliate-Marketing-in-2023-find-websites.png)

Image Source: Google.com

### How to generate traffic from guest blogging websites

- **Read contributor guidelines carefully:** Check if the website allows backlinks to promotional content (or if they allow backlinks at all).
- **Target popular websites:** Reap the full benefits of blogging by writing for websites that garner tons of monthly traffic.
- **Write great content: Make your guest posts stand out to hook readers and encourage them to visit** your website.

### Content syndication platforms

Extend the reach of your affiliate marketing content by re-posting them on content syndication platforms.

Content syndication is the practice of republishing content—such as articles, videos, and infographics—to maximise its traffic potential.

You don’t need to make modifications to the original content in order to syndicate it. As long as it’s yours, you can syndicate content as is and squeeze the most value out of it. 

![Sample content syndication.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/02/11-Best-Traffic-Sources-for-Affiliate-Marketing-in-2023-content-syndication.png)

Image Source: Medium.com

### How to generate traffic from content syndication

- **Look for the right platforms:** Choose a content syndication platform that matches your affiliate marketing content and target audience.
- **Set a canonical tag:** To avoid being flagged for duplicate content, set a canonical link to your original post (platforms like Medium.com has a tool for this).
- **Build a professional contributor profile:** Mention your background, social media, and website in your author profile.

### Video sharing websites

Use the power of video to captivate your target audience, generate traffic, and earn more commissions.

Videos are among the best [content strategy for mobile](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-strategy-for-mobile/) marketing—thanks to the popularity of apps like YouTube and TikTok.

You don’t need an elaborate production setup to create videos for your affiliate marketing business. “Talking head” videos, simple product reviews, and “unboxing” videos are effective in capturing the attention of potential buyers.

Most video sharing sites like YouTube also allow creators to insert affiliate links directly in the post description.

![Generate website traffic with videos.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/02/11-Best-Traffic-Sources-for-Affiliate-Marketing-in-2023-videos.png)

Image Source: YouTube.com, @AirPhotography

### How to generate traffic from video sharing websites

- **Use the right video formats:** Publish comprehensive videos (reviews, unboxing, tutorials, etc.) on YouTube, but focus on short-form videos (quick tips, product reveal, etc.) on TikTok and Instagram Reels.
- **Focus on unique and useful information:** When talking about affiliate products, share information based on your firsthand experience.
- **Embed your videos into blog posts:** Enhance the value of your affiliate marketing content by embedding original videos.

### Q&A websites

Answer relevant questions in Q&A websites like Quora, Fluther, and Ask.fm while mentioning a relevant resource on your affiliate website.

Q&A websites provide a direct line to people who can solve their problems with your affiliate products.

![Insert links to useful pages.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/02/11-Best-Traffic-Sources-for-Affiliate-Marketing-in-2023-QA.png)

Image Source: Quora.com

### How to generate traffic from Q&A websites

- **Build content around popular questions:** Use top questions as [topics for content writing](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/topics-for-content-writing/) to give users a reason to visit your website.
- **Never force links:** Q&A websites may delete your answers if it’s considered overly promotional.
- **Write informative answers:** As a rule of thumb, write answers that can stand on their own (without forcing users to visit your page).

### Messaging groups and apps

Create or join messaging groups on Discord and Telegram to establish a direct line of communication with your target audience.

Messaging apps are rising as some of the most lucrative and personalised channels for [SME marketing](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/sme-marketing/). Participate in conversations, build up your reputation, and casually mention your site or affiliate products when the opportunity presents itself.

### How to generate traffic from messaging apps

- **Respond to other users’ messages:** Reacting or replying directly to another user’s message can help you stand out in a messaging group.
- **Build your own group:** Use your social media profiles, email list, and website to bring users to your private messaging channels.
- **Regularly share content, unique tips, and special offers:** Build a sense of exclusivity around your messaging groups with offers and “hacks” they won’t find anywhere else.

## Frequently asked questions

### What are the best free traffic sources for affiliate marketing?

Top free traffic sources for affiliate marketers:

- Search engines
- Online communities
- Content syndication platforms
- Guest blogging websites
- Social media

### Can I use Google Ads for affiliate marketing?

Yes, anyone can use Google Ads to promote their own brand and website, including affiliate marketers. Use it to drive up website traffic and improve your chances of generating affiliate sales.

### Is affiliate marketing hard for beginners?

While affiliate marketing has low barriers to entry, building a profitable affiliate marketing business can overwhelm beginners. To be successful in affiliate marketing, you need to learn several branches of digital marketing, like email marketing, social media, blogging, SEO, and advertising.

## Get a done-for-you traffic generation strategy for affiliate marketing

Our team is fully prepared to help create a traffic generation strategy tailored to your affiliate website’s specific needs. Take the first step by booking a [free consultation](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/digital-marketing-consulting/) today!
### Affiliate Marketing vs Dropshipping: Which is Better?
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/affiliate-marketing-vs-dropshipping/
Last updated: 2024-08-12T15:49:46.000Z
If you're looking to create passive or active income streams and can’t decide between ***affiliate marketing vs. dropshipping***, then this post is for you. 

This guide details the key differences between affiliate marketing and dropshipping, including a side-by-side comparison of the two in terms of barriers to entry, costs, and profitability. 

Let's dive in to find out which business model best suits you.

## What is affiliate marketing?

In affiliate marketing, marketers earn commissions by promoting products or services from other businesses. Sales are attributed using “affiliate links,” which are unique URLs for every affiliate.

Statistics show that the affiliate marketing industry is [worth upwards of $17 billion](https://kinsta.com/affiliate-academy/affiliate-marketing-statistics/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). Due to the success of the affiliate marketing business model, it is the top revenue source of roughly a third of websites.

### Affiliate marketing pros

- **Focus on marketing:** Affiliate partners don’t have to worry about product development, inventory tracking, shipping, online store management, or handling customer service.
- **Low barrier to entry:** Anyone can sign up for an affiliate program and become an affiliate marketer without much preparation (some programs let you promote affiliate links on social media).
- **Free affiliate marketing tools:** Most affiliate programs provide members with free analytics, affiliate link management tools, and marketing materials (product photos, banners, etc.).
- **Work from anywhere with anything:** Affiliate marketers can work from anywhere using any device, such as a laptop, smartphone, or tablet.
- **Easy to scale:** Affiliate marketers can sign up for multiple programs and grow their affiliate business without additional costs. They can even promote different affiliate products—including competitors—in one campaign.
- **Wide range of products:** Affiliate marketing platforms like Amazon Associates, ShareASale, and ClickBank include a wide variety of products.

### Affiliate marketing cons

- **Lots of competition:** Because anyone can become an affiliate marketer, most affiliate marketing niches are saturated.
- **Small earnings for low sales:** While it’s possible to find affiliate programs with a commission rate of 20%, companies can pay as little as 5% in commissions.
- **You don’t control the pricing:** Since you don’t own the products you sell, you have no control over its pricing model.
- **You put your own brand image on the line:** Your brand will be affected if certain issues surrounding your affiliate products arise.

## What is dropshipping?

Dropshipping is a simplified eCommerce business model that allows you to sell another company’s products without needing to purchase and store inventory. 

Although purchases are made through your own platforms, dropshipping suppliers will handle the packaging and delivery of products to customers.

Rather than paying commissions, suppliers sell products to dropshippers at wholesale prices. You then decide the product’s selling price, giving you direct control over your profit margins.

The dropshipping industry is forecasted to reach a value of [over $300 billion in 2024](http://oberlo.com/statistics/dropshipping-market?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

### Dropshipping pros

- **Control your margins:** Dropshipping grants you complete control over your margins.
- **Low-risk business model:** Unlike traditional eCommerce businesses, you don’t need a substantial overhead to start, manage, and grow a dropshipping company.
- **Cash in immediately:** The money you make from dropshipping is instantly accessible, unlike affiliate marketing, which has withdrawal requirements and delays.
- **Work anywhere:** Similar to affiliate marketing, dropshippers can also operate their business from anywhere—be it their home office or a local coffee shop.
- **Dropship just about anything:** It’s easy to find dropshipping suppliers that sell anything from kitchen utensils to car accessories.

### Dropshipping cons

- **You don’t control shipping:** If a customer’s order doesn’t arrive on time, they’ll hold your dropshipping business accountable—not the supplier.
- **Popular products become less profitable with more competitors:** To gain market share, new dropshippers will sell the same products at a lower price.
- **Building a dropshipping store takes more work. Unlike affiliate marketing, which** lets you sell right away, dropshipping requires more preparations, like choosing a business structure and designing your virtual store.
- **You need to keep customers happy:** Although you’re not in charge of shipping and product quality assurance, you need to provide customer support through your own channels.
- **Upfront costs:** Building a dropshipping business needs funds for domain registration, hosting, and other essential services.

## Affiliate marketing vs dropshipping: Business model comparison

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of affiliate marketing and dropshipping:

## Section One: Barriers to entry

Both affiliate marketing and dropshipping methods for [monetising your website, social media channels or blog](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-monetise-your-blog-5-methods-and-their-pros-and-cons/). However, they have a few differences in barriers to entry.

### How to start an affiliate marketing business

To become an affiliate marketer, look for an affiliate program you like to join, submit your registration, and wait for approval.

Search Google to see if a product or service you want to promote has an affiliate program. Use the company’s name along with the keyword “affiliate program” (with quotations) and inspect the results.

![Quickly search through Google.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/02/Affiliate-Marketing-vs-Dropshipping-Google.png)

Image Source: Google.com

Follow the on-screen instructions to complete your registration.

In most cases, you only need to provide your contact details, payment information, and desired login credentials to become an affiliate. However, certain companies have additional requirements in their partner programs.

For example, [Supermetrics](https://affiliate.supermetrics.com/4538.html?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) require applicants to provide their tax information and their own website.

![Affiliate program registration through Supermetrics.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/02/Affiliate-Marketing-vs-Dropshipping-registration.png)

Image Source: Supermetrics.com

Another way to look for potential products to promote is via large affiliate networks. These platforms let you find thousands of affiliate products in categories like fashion, personal care, gadgets, hobbies, fitness, and more.

Some of the biggest affiliate networks to kickstart your affiliate marketing efforts are:

- CJ Affiliate
- ClickBank
- ShareASale
- Amazon Associates
- eBay Partner Network

After your approval, your affiliate program assigns a unique affiliate link to your account. Use this link to promote the affiliate product and get credited for sales.

### How to start a dropshipping business

Build a dropshipping brand by planning your business idea, deciding your business structure, choosing dropshipping suppliers, and creating your online store.

Planning your dropshipping business is a crucial and time-consuming step.

To make money, you need a solid business concept that defines your brand, the product types you want to sell, and the customers you are selling to. This requires the same attention to detail as planning a [digital content strategy](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/digital-content-strategy/) (identifying your goals, researching your audience, brainstorming ideas, etc.).

After finalising your business plan, it’s time to look for dropshipping suppliers, like:

- AliExpress
- Spocket
- Wholesale2B
- SalesHoo
- Worldwide Brands

![Look for dropshipping suppliers.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/02/Affiliate-Marketing-vs-Dropshipping-Spocket.png)

Image Source: Spocket.co

Take your time and compare dropshipping suppliers carefully—the success of your online business depends on it.

To ensure a sustainable and profitable business model, consider testing a sample order from these suppliers. Compare their delivery times and the actual quality of products.

Upon deciding on your dropshipping supplier, you’re ready to build your online store.

This leads to another set of steps:

- **Register your domain.** Come up with a unique domain name and register it with services like [One Word Domains](https://www.oneword.domains/r/matt?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).
- **Pay for hosting.** To build a website with your domain, purchase a web hosting solution from companies like [20i](https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?s=2734607&v=20974&q=399428&r=919827&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).
- **Pick an eCommerce platform.** Use eCommerce platforms like [Shopify](https://www.shopify.com/ph?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) or [WooCommerce](https://woocommerce.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to simplify the online store creation process.
- **Choose an online store theme.** Unless you have your own team of web developers, choose a pre-made store theme that matches your brand.
- **Use dropshipping integrations.** Connect your dropshipping supplier with your online store using the right integrations or apps.

![Shopify integrations.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/02/Affiliate-Marketing-vs-Dropshipping-Shopify.png)

Image Source: Shopify.com

### Advantage: Affiliate marketing

Although some affiliate programs ask for your tax information and your own website, ALL dropshipping businesses need these requirements. You also need to plan your business structure and build your digital storefront, whereas affiliate marketing lets you earn commissions just by promoting your affiliate link.

There's a lot more that goes into running an eCommerce store, even if you do dropship your products to your customers. You have more legal and moral responsibilities. 

## Section Two: Costs

Dropshipping vs affiliate marketing comes with different costs.

### How much does affiliate marketing cost?

Choosing the affiliate marketing route doesn’t involve any expense.

In fact, there are countless guides on [how to start affiliate marketing with no money](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-start-affiliate-marketing-with-no-money/).

You only need to spend money on domain registration and hosting if the affiliate program requires a website. Everything else is optional, including premium themes, SEO platforms like [Semrush](https://semrush.sjv.io/Aokxv7?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), and marketing tools.

However, you might want to consider investing in your content marketing to generate traffic and close sales.

### How much does dropshipping cost?

With dropshipping, expect to pay up to £100 during the first month. This covers the costs of domain registration, website hosting, eCommerce tools, and product validation.

In the following months, you may need to pay a little bit more for your eCommerce software ecosystem (especially if you started with free trials). You also need to plan a budget for your marketing and advertising campaigns.

### Advantage: Affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing is much cheaper than dropshipping.

Just remember that, to grow with either business model, you need to invest in proven digital marketing strategies. This requires an investment depending on the results you expect.

## Section Three: Profitability

The profitability of either affiliate marketing or dropshipping depends on the amount of work you put into them. However, it can be easier to increase profits and scale your business with dropshipping.

### How much can you make with affiliate marketing?

Your affiliate earnings depend on two things: your sales performance and the commission rate you signed up for.

Suppose you sold a £59.99 product with a 20% commission rate. Your expected earnings for that sale should be £11.99.

Here are tips to earn more as an affiliate marketer:

- Invest in multiple traffic channels (search engines, social media, email, etc.).
- Look for well-known products that your target audience trusts.
- Compare commission rates between programs that sell similar products.
- Sign up for multiple affiliate programs that target the same audience (promote multiple products in one campaign).

👑

****Must-read:** [How to become famous on social media](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-become-famous-on-social-media/)

### How much can you make with dropshipping?

Since dropshippers control their own margins, it’s difficult to determine an accurate projection of your dropshipping store’s profitability.

Just remember that dropshippers normally mark prices up by 30%. With this strategy, a dropshipping business can make [around $100,000 per year](https://www.bluecart.com/blog/is-dropshipping-profitable?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) on average.

Follow the tips below to make more money with your dropshipping business:

- Increase your product selling prices.
- Sell high-ticket, focused-niche products.
- Improve the customer experience and make it a selling point.
- Launch paid promotions to widen your online reach.
- Build a solid online presence (promote on social media, publish blog posts, etc.).

✅

****Must-read:** [SME Marketing: The Ultimate Roadmap to Success](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/sme-marketing/)

### Advantage: Dropshipping

Dropshipping generally offers higher profit margins and more scalability. Although affiliate marketing can be a truly hands-off business, dropshipping offers more opportunities to increase profits.

## Affiliate marketing vs dropshipping: Which one should you pick?

Overall, affiliate marketing and dropshipping are both lucrative ways of making money online.

Affiliate marketing may be easier and more accessible, but dropshipping can be more profitable. It all depends on your determination, business acumen, budget, and available time.

### Affiliate marketing is better if…

- You already have an audience and would like to monetise your reach quickly.
- You want to promote a specific product you love.
- You don’t have time for product validation, customer service, and frequent paid promotions.
- You want to make money online with zero capital.

### Dropshipping is better if…

- You have experience running a retail business.
- You want higher profit margins.
- You have the budget for your dropshipping store.
- You’re knowledgeable in providing good customer service.
- You can dedicate a lot of time to your dropshipping business.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Can you do affiliate marketing and dropshipping at the same time?

Yes, anyone can do affiliate marketing and dropshipping simultaneously. As long as you have time for both endeavours, you can make money from commissions and online store sales with no issues.

### What’s better than affiliate marketing?

Dropshipping is more profitable than affiliate marketing, but it’s generally harder and more expensive. Publishing sponsored posts or promoting products as an influencer can also lead to bigger profits in the short-term.

### Is affiliate marketing still profitable?

Yes, affiliate marketing is still profitable for both businesses and affiliate partners. Roughly a third of all online publishers consider affiliate marketing as their top revenue source.

## Grow your affiliate or dropshipping business with time-tested strategies

Whether you run an affiliate business or dropshipping store, you need proven digital marketing strategies to generate more traffic and make more money.

[Contact me here](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/contact/) if you need help to develop a high-performing marketing campaign for your business.
### The Necessity of Personal Branding for Founders and CEOs
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/the-necessity-of-personal-branding-for-ceos-beyond-just-social-media/
Last updated: 2025-03-11T02:59:52.000Z
How can Founders and CEOs distinguish themselves from the crowd in the digital age?

Establishing connections in the era of the faceless internet can be a daunting task, but the answer lies within the human element - personal branding.

In recent years, consumer behaviour has exhibited a significant shift - people buy from people, not just from businesses. They crave authentic engagements, personal narratives, and real conversations. They're more likely to engage with businesses when they feel a connection with the people running the operations.

They're invested in stories, in journeys, and in the people who lead us forward.

Therefore, the ‘humanisation’ of a corporate leader, especially a CEO or a Managing Director, is no longer a nice-to-have but a must.

It's about telling a narrative that resonates, showcasing a persona that is relatable and positioning yourself as not just a figurehead but a trustworthy expert. Transforming CEOs into enduring brands of their own is essential.

### What is personal branding, and why it's important for CEOs

Personal branding, in essence, is the practice of marketing yourself as a brand. It's a powerful composition of skills, personality, and values that you wish to project to the world, and particularly for a CEO, it becomes an unmissable opportunity.

Coalescing your reputation into recognizable personal branding aids in establishing credibility, inspiring trust, and seizing remarkable professional opportunities. Leaders like Richard Branson and Gary Vaynerchuk - belong in a Hall of Fame of CEOs as their personal brands are as powerful as the companies they lead.

Elon Musk is an extreme but helpful example. His vision for the future and his often provocative online presence overshadow the powerful brands he controls, like Tesla and SpaceX. His tweets make headlines, and his promises about the future of mobility and space exploration are widely discussed topics. He has effectively leveraged personal branding to position himself as a thought leader in electric vehicles, space travel, and renewable energy industries.

Similarly, Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, is known for his adventurous personality and audacious business moves, which often seem to supersede the brand of his widespread companies.

Then there's Gary Vaynerchuk, CEO of VaynerMedia, whose energetic, riveting persona is arguably stronger than his company's brand.

All these CEOs act as mission driven messengers, use their personal brand to communicate their company's core values and vision.

### Beyond social media

While social media is a necessity for engagement and awareness, it can fall short of providing the control and freedom that a personal website offers.

Allowing for in-depth insights and showcasing a CEO's professional journey, a website serves as a robust hub for one's online presence.

From hosting a detailed bio to featuring blogs, videos, speaking engagements, and media appearances, it is a platform that amplifies the sound of your professional voice. Podcasts, guest articles, and speaking engagements also provide platforms to expand their reach and showcase thought leadership in their industries.

### Blogging and Creating Guides

Expressing a CEO's expertise and vision isn't just about appearing in interviews or speaking at conferences, though; it also involves pervasive thought leadership.

A notable way to showcase this is through blogging and creating guides that not only highlight your industry expertise but also provide value to your audience.

For instance, a biweekly blog discussing the state of your industry, giving predictions about future trends, or illustrating an innovative solution to a problem can establish you as an authority in your field.

Similarly, creating guides on relevant topics can demonstrate your deep knowledge and willingness to educate others, further solidifying your expert status.

### Personal Branding vs. Corporate Branding

While promoting a personal brand can bring numerous advantages, it's important to maintain a careful balance with the [company's brand](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/does-offline-branding-have-a-place-in-seo/). It should be like a perfectly choreographed dance where both entities have a symbiotic relationship. 

This balance ensures that the CEO's personal brand aligns with the company's vision, goals, and brand image, thereby creating a seamless narrative that reinforces each other.

It's also paramount in instances when public endeavours differentiate the sentiments towards the person and the corporation, helping in reputation management.

### Practical Steps to Building Your Personal Brand as a CEO

Starting a journey towards personal branding involves a few crucial steps:

**Identify your core values**: What beliefs drive your actions? What principles do you stand for? Pinpointing these values and aligning your personal brand with them adds authenticity and depth.

**Define your Unique Selling Propositions (USP)**: What sets you apart from other CEOs? Identify your distinctive strengths.

**Communicate consistently**: Your messages should consistently reflect your personal brand.

**Effectively leverage platforms**: Your personal website, social media accounts, and public appearances should be well-coordinated to augment your personal brand.

**Engage with your audience**: Interaction with stakeholders, employees, customers etc., helps humanise your brand and strengthens your relationship with them.

**Continuous learning and development**: In an ever-evolving world, staying updated and innovative is key.

**Work with a brand strategist:**  To craft a clear and consistent message that matches with your personal and corporate values, try working with a successful or established brand strategist.

### Final thoughts

Personal branding for CEOs extends far beyond just social media. Its compelling influence incorporates building reputation and credibility, showcasing thought leadership, and striking a meaningful relationship with consumers, ultimately helping CEOs stand out in crowded marketplaces.

Whether it's Elon Musk's audacious future vision or Richard Branson's adventurous tenacity, a compelling personal brand narrates a unique story about its creator.

It's time CEOs harness this opportunity, elevating their influence and accelerating their impact to levels beyond the possibilities of relying on just a corporate brand.

## Personal Branding FAQs

### Why is personal branding important for CEO's?

Personal branding allows CEOs to establish a direct and authentic connection with their audience. It helps to establish their status as an expert, differentiate themselves from competitors, and enhance their visibility within their industry.

### What is a personal branding strategy for CEO's?

A personal branding strategy for CEOs involves defining their unique value proposition, identifying the target audience, establishing a consistent message and image, and leveraging platforms like personal websites and social media to reach and engage their audience.

### What are the benefits of personal branding?

Executive branding is important because it humanises a corporation. It instils trust with stakeholders, showcases the executive's expertise, and can significantly enhance the company’s reputation and overall brand perception.

### How does personal branding benefit leaders?

Personal branding helps leaders differentiate themselves, highlights their thought leadership, builds credibility, increases their influence, and fosters stronger connections with their audience.

### How does personal branding affect a business?

A well-crafted personal brand can enhance a company's credibility, create a positive perception in the market, generate new business opportunities, and attract top talent who align with the leader's values.

### How does a p**ersonal brand lift your reputation?**

A personal brand helps shape the public perception of a leader. By consistently showcasing their values, expertise, and thought leadership, they can enhance their professional reputation and standing in their industry.
### Your Obsession with Growing Your Email List Could be Damaging your Marketing Efforts
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/your-bloated-email-list-is-damaging-your-marketing-efforts/
Last updated: 2023-09-26T14:14:31.000Z
There's a notion among businesses that the more extensive their email newsletter subscriber list, the better their email marketing will perform.

It sounds highly logical on paper: a larger audience results in more eyeballs on your product/service/brand and could yield greater results.

However, this approach is not just flawed, but it could be **significantly damaging your email performance** and overall revenue potential.

## The illusion of a large database

The irony is that while larger databases are expected to drive better marketing results, they often do the exact opposite. Unless it's of exceptional quality, the size of your subscriber list is [just a vanity metric](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/vanity-keywords/). 

Firstly, why would you even want to email someone who doesn't want to be emailed by you?

Secondly, there are technical reasons why it can mean **the people who do want to receive your emails might not get to them** if you aren't following best practice list management.

This surprising outcome occurs when some recipients are disinterested in the newsletter content or your brand. In these instances, email deliverability suffers, your content resembles spam, and those who genuinely are interested may not even receive your emails because you're passing signals to email providers that you're not sending out valuable emails.

## The root cause: a dirty email list

One of the most common culprits behind poor email performance is an unclean, or 'dirty', mailing list.

These lists lower your performance and deliver your messages to unengaged, inactive contacts that we can affectionately refer to as "zombies".

By ignoring your emails, these zombies inadvertently signal the Email Service Providers (ESPs) that your content is irrelevant or even spammy.

ESPs regard this lack of engagement seriously. And when your emails appear uninteresting to a large portion of your audience, the chances of being marked as spam increase.

This issue affects your sender's reputation, causing your emails to land in spam boxes and, consequently, **not reach the inboxes of interested subscribers**.

A dirty mailing list not only costs you valuable customers but also puts you at the risk of ruining your brand's reputation.

## The power of double opt-in

The goal of a successful email newsletter is to maintain a consistent cordial relationship with your audience.

Securing audience approval for your newsletter, particularly through the double opt-in method, is a robust approach to enhance this relationship and build trust.

Contrary to what many believe, the double opt-in method—where users confirm their subscription to your newsletter twice—can significantly improve the engagement and deliverability rates. It ensures that every subscriber on your list is **genuinely interested** in and has consciously chosen to receive your content.

Why does this matter? You're more likely to develop a clean and engaged mailing list by prioritising double opt-in. This method dramatically decreases the chance of ending up with subscribers who might ignore your emails (which damages your deliverability) or even mark your emails as spam.

Another practice to heed is avoiding pre-selected subscription checkboxes, particularly during the checkout process. While it might increase your subscriber numbers, this 'forced opt-in' practice will harm engagement rates, email reputation, and, ultimately, the performance of your email campaigns.

While it's tempting to take shortcuts to maximise the size of your email list, the ethical and efficient way to build your mailing list is by earning your audience's approval.

It is a clear and straightforward path to better engagement, improved email deliverability, and the avoidance of spam traps, leading to the sustainability and success of your email campaigns.

## The solution: prioritising list hygiene

Maintaining a clean email list can be daunting, primarily because businesses hesitate to remove contacts they've worked hard to acquire. However, it's worth stressing that, in most cases, keeping your list clean is critical.

The first step in this process is to recognise your database's cleanliness or lack thereof. Tools and services exist to facilitate an 'email cleanse'. One of my favourites is called [Bounceless](https://www.bounceless.io/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). 

Following this analysis, the next step involves implementing measures to maintain your list's integrity on an ongoing basis and to stop filling your list with anyone who has a remote connection with your business.

Let's concentrate on sending valuable content to those who want it rather than holding onto zombie subscribers who could ultimately harm your campaigns.

Reassessing your strategy could help steer your business away from the fallacy of large mailing databases. Prioritising the quality of your email list over sheer quantity can result in stronger engagement, a robust sender reputation, and, ultimately, better performance from your email ventures.

## ❌ The Don'ts of building your email subscriber list

- **Never buy email data**: Purchasing email lists might seem tempting for quick growth, but it's an unethical, short-term tactic. These lists usually contain low-quality leads **who haven't opted in to receive your communication**, which reduces engagement and damages your sender's reputation.
- **Avoid spam-like behaviour**: Don't send emails to individuals without explicit permission. This will harm your sender's reputation and could get your emails classified as spam.
- **Steer clear of pre-selected checkboxes**: During a checkout process or account creation, avoid pre-ticked boxes that automatically sign up customers to your newsletter. This can lead to low engagement rates and damage your sender's reputation.
- **Avoid holding onto inactive subscribers**: Don't keep inactive or "zombie," subscribers in your email list. They lower your performance and signal to Email Service Providers that your content may be irrelevant or spammy.
- **Don't delay unsubscription requests**: When a contact chooses to unsubscribe, act promptly. Failure to do so might lead to spam complaints.

## ✅ The Do's of building your email subscriber list

- **Focus on quality over quantity**: Always prioritise quality over quantity when it comes to your email list. A large database may be appealing, but it won't always yield better results.
- **Utilise double opt-in**: Encourage your users to confirm their subscription via double opt-in method. This will help ensure each subscriber is genuinely interested and significantly improve engagement and deliverability rates.
- **Maintain a clean email list**: Regularly cleanse your email list to remove inactive contacts, incorrect email addresses, and obvious spam accounts. Use tools like Bounceless to assist in this process.
- **Implement re-engagement campaigns**: Before removing disinterested subscribers, try sending re-engagement or 'win-back' campaigns to reignite their interest.
- **Provide value in your content**: Email your subscribers useful, engaging content. The more they find your emails beneficial, the likelier they are to open and engage with them.
- **Don't always sell**: Try to remove focus from sales and towards adding value. Promotional emails have a place, but try to make them less frequent than emails that add value.

## How to cleanse your email list

Cleaning your email list is not an immensely time-consuming process. Here's a guide to help you maintain a clean list:

1. **Identify inactive subscribers**: Initially, identify email recipients who haven't engaged with your emails in a significant period, say six months. These subscribers are unlikely to engage with future content and can harm your email sender's reputation. To be specific, anyone who has opened an email is engaged.
2. **Re-Engagement Campaigns**: Before eradicating the idle subscribers, consider sending a re-engagement or 'win-back' campaign. These are specialised emails aiming to provoke engagement and discern if the subscriber remains interested in your content. Let them know that if they want to continue receiving the emails, they should click the subscribe button; otherwise, they will be removed from the list.
3. **Remove Invalid Email Addresses**: Utilise email validation services to detect and remove spoofed, incorrect or non-existent email addresses. Sending emails to addresses like this will bounce, hurting your deliverability rates and sender reputation.
4. **Eliminate spam accounts**: Keep an eye out for email addresses that look suspiciously spam-like. Accounts with weird combinations of letters and numbers or extensions from obscure email domain providers must be scrutinised.
5. **Unsubscribed Contacts**: Make sure any contacts who have chosen to unsubscribe are removed promptly.
### Leveraging AI: 6 Ways Freelancers Can Enhance Their Workflow
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/leveraging-ai-6-ways-freelancers-can-enhance-their-workflow/
Last updated: 2025-10-09T09:23:49.000Z
❗

This post first appeared on UpWork

As AI continues to revolutionise the freelance landscape, we asked CEOs, founders, and other professionals to share their experiences. From boosting productivity with AI-language models to boosting creativity and organisation with ChatGPT, here are six insightful ways these leaders have incorporated AI tools into their work to enhance efficiency and productivity.

- Boosting Productivity With AI-Language Models
- Improving Task Prioritisation With AI-Powered Features
- Enhancing Ad Copy Creation With GPT-4
- Increasing Online Visibility With Social-Media Tools
- Streamlining Workflow With Goblin Tools
- Boosting Creativity and Organisation With ChatGPT

### **Boosting Productivity With AI-Language Models**

"Incorporating AI into my workflow has revolutionised my productivity. A major revelation was the use of an AI-based language model, such as GPT-4, for content briefing and idea brainstorming. 

Often, I have a concept in mind, but sometimes struggle to develop it efficiently. GPT-4 assists by generating various ideas and drafts based on my input, significantly reducing the initial drafting time and facilitating the creative process.

Another example is using AI tools for email management. Services like "SaneBox" leverage machine learning to filter and organise emails, reducing clutter and prioritising essential correspondence.

These practical applications of AI save me a significant amount of time, allowing me to focus on high-value tasks and continually improve the quality of my services."

[Matt Janaway](https://web.archive.org/web/20230927221730/https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattjanaway/), CEO, [Marketing Labs](https://web.archive.org/web/20230927221730/https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/)

### **Improving Task Prioritisation With AI-Powered Features**

"As a marketing consultant prior to leading Click Intelligence, I used AI-powered tools to streamline my freelance work. A specific tool that transformed my productivity was a project management tool integrated with AI, like ClickUp or Trello.

For instance, these tools come with AI-powered features that automatically prioritise tasks based on deadlines, project status, and workload. 

In one of my projects, where I had to juggle different tasks with varying deadlines, the AI's predictive capabilities and intelligent task scheduling saved me from the hassle of manual planning. It ensured I never missed a deadline and could balance my workload effectively.

This use of AI not only improved my project organisation and time management but also freed up my mental space to focus on strategic tasks, ‌significantly boosting my overall productivity and output quality.**"**

[Simon Brisk](https://web.archive.org/web/20230927221730/https://uk.linkedin.com/in/simonbrisk), Director, [Click Intelligence Ltd](https://web.archive.org/web/20230927221730/https://www.clickintelligence.com/)

### **Enhancing Ad Copy Creation With GPT-4**

"I've integrated AI tools, such as OpenAI's GPT-4, into my workflow. Specifically, I've been using it to create Facebook ad copy. Initially, ‌generating diverse, engaging content for multiple clients was daunting, but AI has revolutionised my process. 

For instance, I provide it with product information, a target audience, and a creative brief, and it generates a range of unique, persuasive ad copy options. This not only significantly speeds up my work but also presents a wider array of creative possibilities, thereby enhancing the quality and appeal of the ads. 

It enables me to focus more on strategising for my clients' campaigns, ‌increasing productivity and efficiency in my freelance work. **"**

[Steve Dinelli](https://web.archive.org/web/20230927221730/https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevedinelli/), Founder, [Marketer Interview](https://web.archive.org/web/20230927221730/https://marketerinterview.com/)

### **Increasing Online Visibility With Social-Media Tools**

"Using AI-powered social media management tools, I could significantly increase my online visibility and participation. 

I can identify patterns in social media conversations related to my industry using AI algorithms, enabling me to tailor my content to what is currently resonating with the audience. 

For instance, with the aid of these instruments, I could zero in on a hot topic in digital marketing and write an article that has since received a lot of attention and shares."

[Claire Jill Parker](https://web.archive.org/web/20230927221730/https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-jill-parker/), Director of Business Management, [GoVisaFree](https://web.archive.org/web/20230927221730/https://govisafree.com/)

### **Streamlining Workflow With Goblin Tools**

"Neurodivergent freelancers need to know about Goblin Tools! This is the most effective use of AI I've encountered. 

The tool breaks down projects into manageable action items, estimates the time required for tasks, and compiles a brain dump into a list of tasks. It is a game-changer for sure!**"** 

[Laura McGuinn](https://web.archive.org/web/20230927221730/https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauramcguinn/), Non-Profit Contractor, [Laura McGuinn](https://web.archive.org/web/20230927221730/https://www.lauramcguinn.com/)

### **Boosting Creativity and Organisation With ChatGPT**

"There are often times when I get stuck on idea generation in brainstorming social media content for client accounts. By prompting ChatGPT with some basic information about my client, their target audience, and specific goals for that month, I'm able to produce a huge list of possible content topics and ways to approach those topics that will best reflect the goals of the business. 

It's also great for doing what I like to call "organising my brain chaos." Sometimes, I know what I want to say, but getting all my thoughts into a well-structured piece of content that sounds cohesive is difficult. 

Now, with ChatGPT, I can input the "brain chaos" and it will help plan an actual piece of content that makes sense to someone other than the voice inside my head. AI has been an incredible time-saver and productivity booster!"

[Marissa Pané](https://web.archive.org/web/20230927221730/https://www.linkedin.com/in/marissapane/), Online Marketing Strategist, [Pané Marketing](https://web.archive.org/web/20230927221730/https://marissapane.com/)
### How to Build a Profitable Affiliate Marketing Sales Funnel
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-build-a-profitable-affiliate-marketing-sales-funnel/
Last updated: 2023-08-30T21:27:39.000Z
Do you want to learn the secret sauce to help you **build a profitable affiliate marketing sales funnel**? 

This guide has you covered. 

Data shows that affiliate marketing generates [5 to 25% of online sales](https://bloggingwizard.com/affiliate-marketing-statistics/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) for big companies and brands. 

The catch is, earning that amount of sales takes more than promoting your affiliate marketing program and acquiring affiliates. 

It would help if you had a profitable affiliate marketing sales funnel for your efforts to pay off. 

Buckle up as we go through some tips and tricks, including mini walkthroughs and the best funnel-building tools below, to help you develop a profitable affiliate marketing sales funnel that converts.

Let’s jump right in.

## What is an affiliate marketing funnel?

The affiliate marketing sales funnel is a series of stages that potential customers go through before purchasing an affiliate product or service. While marketers use different models, affiliate marketing funnels typically include four stages: **awareness, interest, desire,** and **action.**

This is known as the “AIDA” sales funnel model.

- **Awareness:** The awareness stage is at the top of the affiliate marketing funnel. Here, the target audience learns about the affiliate product for the first time.
- ****Interest:** In this stage, the audience expresses interest in the product but is still far from a purchase decision. However, they have interacted with your brand in different ways, like writing blog comments and subscribing to your email list.
- ****Desire:** Audiences continue to learn more about the product and eventually develop a desire to own it. They start reading more product reviews, researching competitors, comparing pricing options, and more.
- ****Action:** The action stage is where marketers can reap juicy affiliate sales. It’s at the bottom of the funnel but still requires a strategy for generating repeat customers.

A successful sales funnel is essential in [monetising a website](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-monetise-your-blog-5-methods-and-their-pros-and-cons/), especially affiliate marketing.

As an affiliate, you’re not the only channel where potential customers can purchase the same products. Your selling point should be the *experience* you offer through each stage of the buyer’s journey.

## What are the benefits of an affiliate marketing sales funnel?

Here are the top three benefits of an effective affiliate marketing funnel:

### Benefit 1: Supercharge content planning

If [content ideation and planning](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-research-the-ultimate-guide/) bottleneck your affiliate marketing business, building a sales funnel sorts things out.

An affiliate sales funnel maps out the content types and topics you need to accomplish your marketing objectives. This allows your team to produce content faster and more efficiently.

### Benefit 2: Maximise your content budget

An affiliate marketing funnel eliminates the guesswork in your content planning process, ensuring every piece you create brings leads closer to a purchase. It prevents you from wasting resources on content that contributes nothing to the buyer’s journey.

### Benefit 3: Grow your affiliate product sales

Build an affiliate marketing funnel to provide your audience a seamless experience from product discovery to purchasing.

With a sales funnel, you avoid information gaps that compel users to find another website for answers. This keeps them returning to your site as they pass through every stage and eventually make a purchase through your affiliate link.

## How to build an effective sales funnel for affiliate marketing

Read on to learn the steps on how to create effective affiliate marketing sales funnels:

## Awareness stage

Reach more potential customers with a mix of outbound and [inbound marketing](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/inbound-marketing-why-its-essential-and-how-to-set-up-for-2022/) strategies.

Your primary goal is to maximise traffic, grow your reputation as an information source, and introduce them to your affiliate products. This involves two steps: 1) **creating** **educational content** and 2) **promoting content to the proper channels.**

### Step 1: Research your target audience

Conduct audience research to determine your affiliate marketing funnel's best traffic channels and content types.

Answer questions like:

- What challenges do they face (that your affiliate product solves)?
- Where do they spend the most time online?
- What’s their highest educational attainment (or their reading level)?

Compile your answers into “audience personas” for easier reference.

An audience persona is a fictional person who represents your target audience. This helps affiliate marketers build and tailor their content strategy to the audience’s preferences.

Use tools like Google Sheets or online design apps to create scannable audience personas for future content projects.

[Canva](https://partner.canva.com/GjoPML?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), for instance, offers customisable “personal profile” templates you can tweak for creating personas. Change the headers to create sections for important information, like “responsibilities,” “challenges,” and “goals.”

![Use Canva tempaltes to create graphic personas.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/02/How-to-Build-a-Profitable-Affiliate-Marketing-Sales-Funnel-Canva-templates.png)

Image Source: Canva.com

### Step 2: Look for question-based keywords

By researching question-based keywords, obtain a deeper understanding of your target audience’s goals and challenges.

The Keyword Magic Tool by [Semrush](https://semrush.sjv.io/Aokxv7?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is the perfect tool for this.

Click **‘Keyword Magic Tool’ from the main menu** under “Keyword Research.” Begin your research by entering a relevant keyword or topic into the “Enter keyword” field.

For example, if your affiliate product is a project management tool, feel free to use it as your keyword.

![Semrush keyword tool.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/02/How-to-Build-a-Profitable-Affiliate-Marketing-Sales-Funnel-keyword-magic-tool.png)

Image Source: Semrush.com

On the results page, click **‘Questions’** in the top toolbar to reveal question-based keywords. These keywords relate to your target audience’s goals and challenges.

![Question-based keywords.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/02/How-to-Build-a-Profitable-Affiliate-Marketing-Sales-Funnel-question-based-keywords.png)

Image Source: Semrush.com

In addition to rounding up question-based keywords, Keyword Magic Tool includes metrics like monthly search volume, keyword difficulty, and Cost Per Click (CPC). These will help you handpick keywords for Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising campaigns.

**Tip:** Mind the keyword difficulty rating (KD% in Semrush) when picking keywords for your affiliate marketing funnel. Look for keywords with a maximum KD% of 49 to help you rank and pull organic traffic quickly.

### Step 3: Build a top of the funnel (ToFu) content strategy

Use the question-based keywords you obtained to create top-of-the-funnel (ToFu) content, feeding traffic down your affiliate marketing funnel.

Here are typical examples of ToFu content:

- Q&A-style blog posts
- How-to guides
- Industry news articles
- General listicles

Use your keyword to create title ideas for the ToFu content you want to build.

Let’s say you want to build ToFu content around the keyword “why use a project management tool.”

You can create a general listicle called “Why Use a Project Management Tool: 10 Reasons Why” or “Why Use a Project Management Tool: 10 Best Benefits Explained.”

ToFu content is meant to introduce potential customers to your affiliate products, so you don’t need hard-selling copy yet. However, it’s crucial to make a solid first impression. Polish your content with a writing assistant like [Grammarly](https://www.grammarly.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). It automatically detects writing mistakes and provides one-click correction suggestions.

![Polish your content with a writing assistant like Grammarly.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/02/How-to-Build-a-Profitable-Affiliate-Marketing-Sales-Funnel-Grammarly.png)

Image Source: Grammarly.com

Grammarly also shares recommendations based on your custom writing goals. Use them to help enhance your content and their effectiveness in [engaging potential customers](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/five-ways-to-create-engaging-content-that-converts-for-your-b2b-business/).

Don’t forget to mention your affiliate product(s) and discuss their benefits.

### Step 4: Optimise your content for search

Optimise your content with a tool like [Surfer](https://surferseo.com/?fpr=matt23&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to rank higher in search engines.

Surfer features a “content editor” that offers actionable optimisation goals, like target content length, image count, headings, and keyword ideas.

![Optimise your content for search with Surfer.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/02/How-to-Build-a-Profitable-Affiliate-Marketing-Sales-Funnel-Surfer.png)

Image Source: Docs.Google.com (with Surfer extension)

If you don’t have the budget for another SEO tool, remember the following guidelines when creating content:

- Add your target keyword near the beginning or end of your content’s title.
- Mention keywords within the first 100 words of your post.
- Use keyword-optimised subheadings.
- Insert internal links to other relevant posts (including related posts you’ll create in the future).

### Step 5: Promote your content to the right channels

Push your content to reach a wider audience using proven promotion strategies, like social media marketing and paid advertising.

A link to your post should suffice for most platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. But for sites like Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube, you’ll need to repurpose your content to the right formats.

Manage your publishing strategy with a free tool like [Buffer](https://buffer.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). It lets you build a content calendar that automatically publishes posts at specific times, maximising the exposure of your affiliate content.

![Automate posting schedule with Buffer.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/02/How-to-Build-a-Profitable-Affiliate-Marketing-Sales-Funnel-automate-posting-schedule.png)

Image Source: Buffer.com

When it comes to advertising, remember that your goal isn’t to sell affiliate products yet. Instead, it’s to build your brand authority and follower base.

It won’t immediately lead to affiliate sales but will grow your social media reach and reward you with long-term recurring traffic.

**Must-read:** [Content Publishing Strategy (with 20-Point Checklist)](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-publishing-strategy/)

## Interest stage

After publishing ToFu content that draws potential customers, shift to creating middle-of-the-funnel (MoFu) content.

### Step 1: Create a lead magnet

Develop a lead magnet to convince potential customers to give their email addresses.

Affiliate marketers use a variety of lead magnets or “opt-in bribes” to capitalise on their audience’s interest. Some examples are:

- eBooks
- Cheat sheets and templates
- Online course
- Premium content
- Free apps
- Free consultations
- Industry reports

Remember to give decent coverage to your affiliate product(s) in your lead magnet. Emphasise their benefits and insert your affiliate link to generate affiliate sales.

Just ensure that your lead magnet aligns with your target audience’s goals. Furthermore, it should be leagues ahead of your regular ToFu content in terms of depth and overall quality.

Consider building your content with a tool like Canva or hire on-demand graphic design services like [Kimp](https://www.kimp.io/?partner=Janaway&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). They create a range of visual content along with reusable branded assets.

![Graphic designs from Kimp.io](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/02/How-to-Build-a-Profitable-Affiliate-Marketing-Sales-Funnel-catalogue.png)

Image Source: Kimp.io

Step 2: Create a landing page for your lead magnet

Build a landing page to highlight the benefits of your lead magnet and streamline the opt-in process for your target audience.

A lead magnet landing page is like a sales page. But rather than promoting a paid product, it offers a free resource.

Instead of asking for cash, lead magnet landing pages only request your audience’s email.

Use tools like [Mailchimp](https://mailchimp.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to create landing pages and manage your email list in one place.

![Create landing pages and manage your email list with Mailchimp.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/02/How-to-Build-a-Profitable-Affiliate-Marketing-Sales-Funnel-email-marketing.png)

Image Source: Mailchimp.com

Below are tips for creating successful lead magnet landing pages:

- **Write a compelling headline.** Talk about the results your audience can get. Insert specific numbers and statistics.
- ****Make the benefits easy to find.** Mention the benefits above the fold or use visual content (graphs, videos, etc.) to direct your audience’s attention.
- ****Use a strong Call-to-Action (CTA).** Write a goal-driven CTA button label or link anchor text (i.e. “click here to start creating eye-popping designs!”).

### Step 3: Promote your landing page

Improve the visibility of your landing page to prospects in the interest stage through smart internal linking and heavy content promotions.

First, add internal links to your landing page from your ToFu content using these strategies:

- Create a sidebar CTA that encourages readers to visit your landing page.
- Add a new section within your ToFu content that mentions the benefits of your lead magnet.
- Find existing keywords within ToFu content and embed a link to your landing page.

Next, schedule social media posts mentioning your lead magnet and your landing page’s URL. Consider inserting a link to your landing page in your social media bio.

## Desire stage

Go on the offensive and start pushing promotional content pieces that sell your affiliate product(s). The best targets for this move are those who collected your lead magnet and subscribed to your email list.

### Step 1: Start with a “thank you” email

Automate a “thank you” email that tells prospective customers what to expect from you moving forward.

At the same time, lightly mention your affiliate product or any special offer available through your affiliate program.

Use email automation templates from platforms like Mailchimp. These plug-and-play workflows are pre-optimised for positive results—they don’t need heavy modifications to be effective.

![Mailchimp email templates.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/02/How-to-Build-a-Profitable-Affiliate-Marketing-Sales-Funnel-Mailchimp.png)

Image Source: Mailchimp.com

### Step 2: Schedule a follow-up

Automate a follow-up email a few days after sending your welcome email.

This time, delve into the specific features of your affiliate product and how they can help your audience solve their problems.

At this point, they’re just a few steps away from a purchase decision. Just give them the extra push they need by reminding them about the product’s benefits (and showing a convenient link to the product’s sales page).

### Step 3: Start churning out bottom of the funnel (BoFu) content

If leads are still reluctant to convert into paying customers, send them a regular stream of bottom-of-the-funnel (BoFu) content.

Share price comparisons, customer success stories, coupon codes (if possible), and “getting started” guides.

At the same time, keep them thinking about your affiliate product by sharing updates, “hacks,” and user-generated content (testimonials, reviews, social media posts, etc.).

## Action stage

You have two objectives in the action stage: make your audience buy more and understand what you can do to increase sales.

Continue promoting new content and affiliate products to your audience via email. To learn more about them without forcing more sales, run surveys with questions like:

- How would you rate your experience?
- How did you find out about our website?
- What types of products are you interested in?
- What content type do you want to see more of?

Create surveys in no time with tools like SurveyMonkey, Typeform, and Google Forms. These tools feature a visual builder and survey management dashboard for tracking responses.

You can also inspect analytics data from your email marketing platform, landing page builder, and other services like Google Analytics. Use the information you gathered to create lookalike audiences, update your audience personas, and find opportunities to improve your affiliate marketing funnel.

## Resources You’ll Love

- [Top 3 Digital Marketing Channels for Your Website (and How to Choose the Right One)](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/top-3-digital-marketing-channels-for-your-website-and-how-to-choose-the-right-one/)
- [Digital Content Strategy: How to Develop a High-Performing Content Strategy](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/digital-content-strategy/)
- [How to Start Affiliate Marketing with No Money](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-start-affiliate-marketing-with-no-money/)

## Get a done-for-you sales funnel that works

A well-planned sales funnel unlocks the true profitability of any affiliate site.

The catch is that that it can take ages to map the stages and prepare all the content you need.

Give your funnel marketing a head start.

[Contact me here](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/contact/), and let’s create an affiliate marketing funnel that works for you.
### How to Find Internal Linking Opportunities
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-find-internal-linking-opportunities/
Last updated: 2025-12-17T11:44:41.000Z
Are you looking for a reliable guide on how to find internal linking opportunities?

Internal links can make a big difference to your SEO performance.

You can try every website optimisation trick in the book, but without internal linking, your web pages will struggle to perform to the best of their ability.

Internal linking helps visitors and search engines navigate and understand your website, increasing the chances of your web pages ranking well in SERPs.

Data backs this up, with [51% of SEO specialists](https://databox.com/seo-statistics?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk#internal) recommending adding two to three internal links in each blog post for optimisation.

However, internal linking can be complex, and it needs the right strategies to make it work.

The best way to start is to ***find*** internal linking opportunities—which I'll cover in this guide.

I'll cover the tips and tricks to help you find internal linking opportunities like a pro.

## What is internal linking?

An internal link is a link that points to another page within the same website.

Internal linking is crucial to Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) because it helps search engines like Google understand your site better, and good internal links pass link equity to the recipient page, along with hints about what the purpose of the page is.

The links also help visitors navigate and understand your site, improving user experience and engagement. 

## How to find internal linking opportunities

Kickstart your efforts to spot internal link opportunities across your business website with the steps below. 

### Step 1: List all of your web pages

List all your website's pages to get a page inventory, making it easier to plan which pages to link to in the later steps.

Perform a thorough internal link audit to determine the following:

- The pages with existing internal links
- The pages you can link together
- The pages without enough links
- The pages that don't have internal linking potential

From here, map all your existing website content.

You can create a simple template (like the HubSpot spreadsheet below):

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/4l45SjAMGc-5OQ9nmp-O4nGxwxI5IIb-kS0m4TrGnHAkNTd-yjS8ciq8db3uul1UXMziTbJw8fVS2v_dRS6dReoegZ-QExVvOshghFXQIvvxGdCQFTvl5iQRIjJvbGs9L6jBZioFL9itd33TII6exxw)

**Image source: Hubspot.com*.

Categorise your content based on their topics, including the stage in the customer journey they are designed for, whether for the awareness, consideration, or decision phase.

Having a content inventory can also help organise your [content publishing strategy](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-publishing-strategy/).

Find content gaps where you can take advantage of additional internal linking opportunities. 

### Step 2: Conduct thorough keyword research

Perform keyword research to find high search volume but low-difficulty keywords to use as anchor text for your internal linking.

You can also leverage these keywords when finding the best [topics for content writing](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/topics-for-content-writing/).

Use SEO tools like [Mangools](https://mangools.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) for your keyword research.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/XKNc5oO84tm8VsSOUxFn3WXMX7Nbg2K5pmplCyC-d0KzSx_mEvX8x-x04crur9sviff3EoXjgzdwf92dAW4ZAUr1z13IgiBnu5IlrHvLz09bKl-XqUm5TDK06KoNcKieNXzvY9lTHlu9TEXHbYD0KGk)

**Image source: Mangools.com*.

Pair your target keywords with the appropriate content.

For instance, if your web page is about content marketing, use keywords such as [digital content strategy](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/digital-content-strategy/), content marketing, and other relevant keywords.

Remember to link to relevant and important pages and use informational keyword anchor text so your readers know what to expect when they click on your internal links.

You can also do content research to learn from the top-ranking pages' content and internal linking strategies.

My [Content Research: Ultimate Guide](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-research-the-ultimate-guide/) can help. 

### Step 3: Identify other internal linking opportunities

Any reliable [content engagement field guide on how to create content that gets clicks](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-engagement-field-guide-how-to-create-content-that-gets-clicks/) can tell you that internal linking isn't limited to your blog posts and landing pages.

You can also add internal links to your videos and images' alt text tags and descriptions (among others).

Add internal links where they make the most sense, but be careful not to overdo it.

After all, your internal links should help your visitors navigate and experience your website, not overwhelm or confuse them. 

### Step 4: Use Google Search Console

[Google Search Console](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/monitor-debug/search-console-start?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is a tool that helps you assess your website's performance on Google Search.

Use the tool to determine how to improve your website's Google Search presence to bring in more traffic.

Navigate to the 'Performance' section and click the 'Queries' tab after logging into your Google Search Console account.

Ensure the data range is set to 90 days.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/L249jJwhxMbibKcJt_12I06QQcP2W-inE5qfmVGI-b1vd9_XWZ7C3jV1SuK6w3PXfLzuKV_iW_mJuN75JsnSw98yhvXWzd4opYLOYA5z0On6mgOi72ZNaxxgqaeibL1LKkmvL9KrrBTtLoUCrl1g10U)

**Image source: Google.com*.

Use the data in 'queries' to see what pages get clicks and impressions for particular keywords. Add these keywords to your spreadsheet from step 1.

### Step 5: Find relevant pages to link from

Next, do a site search in Google for your domain and keyword.

If one of your pages is receiving impressions for the query/keyword' internal link', your search would be something like this:

```
site:mattjanaway.co.uk internal link

```

It should show you a list of pages that relate to internal links, like below:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/08/CleanShot-2023-08-29-at-21.54.26@2x.jpg)

Make a list of these pages because each one of them is a potential opportunity to link back to the page that is getting impressions and clicks for the keyword (from the Search Console data in the previous step).

You could also use dedicated software and third-party plugins to help you find link-building opportunities. 

For instance, some tools can link your pages and build internal links automatically based on your pre-set keywords.

This way, you won't need to manually search for keyword internal link opportunities and link pages, saving you time and effort. However, these tools are usually subscription-based and costly. 

### Step 6: Add internal links

Now, you have a list of pages on your site, a list of keywords they are getting impressions for, and a list of relevant pages for those keywords.

You now need to go into the relevant pages and look for keyword mentions. When you find them, you should link to the page receiving impressions.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/08/CleanShot-2023-08-29-at-21.57.11@2x.png)

## 3 Internal linking mistakes

Don't fall into these common internal linking pitfalls. 

### Mistake 1: Broken internal links

Links can stop working if the linked page no longer exists or you linked to the wrong URL.

Fix your broken links with these quick tips:

- Remove broken links that lead to your error pages.
- Replace incorrect URLs with the right ones.
- Republish your still-relevant deleted pages.
- Redirect your visitors to another relevant page. Drift's error page below shows a classic redirect link from an error page example.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qrrEuiLs8vYeJokPIO3HSgqwIZwrgB7x9KbH1yNvFhxESl_KCS3-koacwMqoAow-4JzsJ4_MOAK2nq27kCXEI4DPricPdQBHjZ3CvpNiGcJtBlHFLrhdlJvzMMl8C4CAW0gvW1zdhuHjC-C1jOKuk4)

**Image source: Drift.com*.

Use software such as [Raven Tools](https://account.shareasale.com/newsignup.cfm?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to detect broken internal links on your website. 

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/iYYSvDUF1oa-sLtHGPuEk_9Zu_6N6SxxFsokQBlPbWKnAwx_MY_PLezGOBbx9ngX-0PM93EszRTty_NfJyx8-nsLH5eGqv74AO-ExuOCyaAn6OIHMdgI1j949YiAWOkjlSsydxMYwGNozF9kj56xQ6U)

**Image source: Raventools.com*.

Broken links can ruin user experience, frustrating your visitors.

Plus, they can negatively impact your website's flow of link quality, causing search engines to perceive your page as low-quality and rank your pages lower in SERPs. 

### Mistake 2: Including masked links in your content

If you want to avoid getting your website penalised, then don't use masked internal links.

As the name suggests, a masked link is covered or concealed so it appears to look like other links.

Some will use masked internal links to cover affiliate links, track clicks and other site statistics, and beautify or shorten links.

Search engines consider masked links deceptive since they can trick visitors into clicking your link when the link's content isn't relevant to them.

### Mistake 3: Ignoring your orphan pages

Orphan pages are pages that aren't linked to from other pages on your website.

Search engine bots can't find these pages easily because they don't have internal links and also lack link equity.

Audit your website using a crawling tool to assess your internal linking structure to find pages without internal links.

If the page is valuable and should be indexed, consider adding internal links from your other pages.

If the page isn't helpful, consider deleting it from your website.

Minimise orphan pages from your website to improve your website's performance. 

## 3 Internal link checking tools

Check out the top internal linking checker tools for website analysis below. 

### Tool 1: Semrush

Semrush is a popular SEO tool with robust internal link analysis features within its Site Audit functionality.

The software's Site Audit tool provides comprehensive data on the following:

- Internal link distribution
- Broken links and other internal link errors
- Nofollow tags
- Page crawl depth
- Pages that pass the most link equity
- Orphan pages

If you're learning [how to choose the best B2B SEO agency](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-choose-the-best-b2b-seo-agency-a-comprehensive-guide/), check if your prospect uses advanced tools like SEMrush to 

### Tool 2: SEOMator Link Checker

SEOMator Link Checker's free version can give you a basic yet essential analysis of your internal linking efforts.

Provide your URL, and the tool can give you a breakdown of the following data:

- The total number of links on your page
- The total number of internal vs. external links
- The number of no-follow internal links
- The anchor texts used for your hyperlinks.

You can use this data to assess your current internal links and improve your strategy 

### Tool 3: Ahrefs

Ahrefs's powerful SEO tool suite includes an extensive report on your internal link portfolio.

You can filter the report by click-throughs, link equity, anchor text, and other factors.

Ahref's Site Auditing tools also provide an overview of new internal linking opportunities based on your current keywords that you can leverage.

Any internal linking or [content development ultimate guide](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-development-the-ultimate-guide/) can tell you how crucial this tool is for SEO. 

## 4 eCommerce internal linking tips

Learn from these internal linking best practices for eCommerce businesses and website owners. 

### Tip 1: Interlink your top-performing pages

Crucial pages, such as your most visited product pages, help spread link equity across your website.

Determine the high-performing pages to link to by reviewing key metrics, such as your website's conversions, organic traffic, and sales performance.

Also, consider filtering your URLs based on organic sessions to identify your top-performing pages and compare their link numbers.

From here, you can tell which pages have the most authority and link to and from these pages to spread the link equity throughout your site. 

### Tip 2: Focus on your website users

While internal linking is a Google ranking factor, your focus should be your website users and customers, not search engine crawl bots.

Ensure your content and links are relevant when adding internal links to your pages.

Leverage relevancy to determine the best links and content to use, such as whether the link will help your visitors move across your related pages. 

### Tip 3: Use HTML sitemaps

An HTML sitemap shows everything on your site, including how each page relates to each other.

It helps search engines determine the most relevant pages from your website to show to your customers on SERPs.

Essentially, HTML sitemaps help search engine bots and users navigate your website, so ensure your sitemap is user-friendly. Doing so tells search engines that your website is valuable and helpful to users, helping your pages rank higher in SERPs. 

### Tip 4: Leverage breadcrumbs

Breadcrumbs are a fantastic way to show search engines the hierarchy of your eCommerce website. It serves as a structure map and an opportunity to create a natural flow of link equity to the most essential pages on your website. 

## Find internal linking opportunities like a pro

Effectively finding internal link opportunities can be challenging but not impossible.

Learn from tried and tested tips, use the best tools, and continuously develop your internal linking strategy to amp up your efforts and boost your chances of succeeding.

Book a [free consultation](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/digital-marketing-consulting/) with me if you need a hand.
### Why a High Bounce Rate Isn’t Always a Bad Thing
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/why-a-high-bounce-rate-isnt-always-a-bad-thing/
Last updated: 2023-08-04T14:22:25.000Z
Doesn’t a high bounce rate mean your website visitors are not engaging with your site?

Well, not always. High bounce rates don’t always mean your website isn't performing.

High bounce rates can mean a lot of things—and that’s what I'll cover in this guide.

I'll explain the nuts and bolts of bounce rates and why you shouldn’t immediately panic when your bounce rate starts rising.

## What is a 'bounce rate'?

Before panicking that you have a high bounce rate, you first need to understand what a bounce rate is.

Bounce rates in Universal Analytics are a little different to GA4\. 

In UA, a bounce is a visitor who leaves the entry page to your website without interacting with other pages on your site.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/08/BounceRate-01.jpg)

If you have 100 visitors and 80 leave before visiting another page, then your bounce rate is 80%.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/08/BounceRate-02.jpg)

In GA4, this is flipped on its head a little. Google introduced something called Engagement Rate. The engagement rate is sort of like the opposite of the Bounce Rate. If you have 100 visitors and 80 leave before visiting another page, your engagement rate is 20%.

Except, not quite. Because let's say that 10 of those 100 also fill out a form on that entrance page ***and then leave without visiting another page***, GA4 classes them as 'engaged'. So your engagement rate is now 30%.

This is why it's important to understand the difference between bounce rates in GA4 and UA. 

With UA, and historically, there is an assumption that bounce rates measure the visit quality, with high bounce rates indicating that your landing page isn’t relevant to visitors; this isn't always right. It is certainly much more correct with GA4, though.

**So, for the purpose of this blog post, I'll be focusing on the classic/historical definition of bounce rate as used in Universal Analytics.**

Tracking and analysing your bounce rate is crucial because of the following reasons:

- Bounce rate is sometimes believed to be a [Google ranking factor](https://www.searchenginejournal.com/ranking-factors/bounce-rate/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). While Google does not confirm this, there can sometimes be a correlation between high bounce rates and lower page rankings in Google’s search results pages.
- High bounce rates can mean your visitors are not converting. It gives you a good idea of how to assess and refine your existing web design, [content publishing strategy](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-publishing-strategy/), blog posts, product pages, and other components to improve your website.
- A high bounce rate can tell you if your website’s performance, content, layout, copywriting, or user experience has potential issues that cause visitors to leave in a snap.

You can perform site content audits and research to spot potential issues and improve your content. This [Content Research: Ultimate Guide](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-research-the-ultimate-guide/) can help. 

However, I'll also be highlighting situations where a **high bounce rate can be a good thing**. 

## Bounce rate benchmarks

Check out the bounce rate benchmarks to help you determine if your bounce rates are good or bad. 

### Good bounce rates

According to a Forbes Advisor article, the average bounce rate for many websites is between [41% to 55%](https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/software/website-statistics/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk#:~:text=The%20average%20bounce%20rate%20is,website%20beyond%20the%20first%20page.).

However, average bounce rates can vary depending on your industry, traffic source, where your traffic lands, and other factors.

The graph below shows the average bounce rate per industry.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_3acKZ1stNSk8CUSgpfBK3EGNhDg2VpLvk_0CismN3GMlSX2ks3KGs97n2JOWfFP9zKF0w5Rp3u57zfXXQE6KkQWZLT0JzHjiMgP-QIHrXDEQDxPNQVpZXSp17rLiEKx0HDdrp9bRMnKgmt2YlvGJOU)

**Image source: fireplugins.com*.

As you can see, the average bounce rate can differ significantly based on the industry.

For instance, retail or eCommerce websites offer products visitors often look for, making shoppers stay longer on the site to browse.

On the other hand, reference materials websites (think blogs, guides, information) have a much higher bounce rate because the visitor has a purpose to read and consume specific information. Once that intent has been served, they will likely leave.

The best way to gauge if your website has a good bounce rate is to compare it with direct competitors within your industry.

## Bad bounce rates

A bounce rate above the average is considered high but isn’t necessarily a cause for concern unless it’s above 90%.

However, your website’s bounce rate (if it’s too high) can be easy to address since it often means a specific issue is causing the high bounces.

There are various factors that can contribute to high bounce rates. These can include failure to remove bots from your GA data, subpar website design and UX, inadequate content, browser incompatibility, slow loading speed, tracking code errors, and numerous other factors.

Other factors, such as high traffic from paid ads on Google, social media content like your [interactive Facebook posts](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/interactive-facebook-posts/), and mobile visitors, can also raise your bounce rates. 

## When is a high bounce rate not always bad? 

The big question is, when is a high bounce rate not a bad thing?

If you have a one-page website or provide other content types where single-page sessions are the norm, then high bounce rates aren’t too much out of the ordinary.

Picture this:

1. You've just completed a Google search for 'are high bounce rates bad?' and found this page.
2. You read this page in full. You love it! You might even share it.
3. You leave because you've now learned that high bounce rates aren't always bad, and you have no need to look at the other pages on this website.

In short, this page has matched your searcher intent. You got what you are looking for, and you don't need to look around.

### Bounce rates summary

To summarise, a high bounce rate is bad if:

- Your website’s success depends on people visiting multiple web pages. For example, if your visitors don’t go beyond the entrance page, it keeps them from moving along your sales funnel (from your landing page or product page to your checkout page).

On the other hand, a high bounce rate isn’t too bad if:

- You have specific content and pages like blog posts and news pages. Visitors often land on your site, get what they need, and leave.
- You have a single-page website, such as a physical store’s landing page or a directory page, usually meant for a single-page session.

To really understand how your traffic is performing, you should only use bounce rate alongside other signals. Analyse exit rates and user journeys. Arrange some user tests and watch real users complete specific tasks on your website. Keep an eye on heatmaps and ask for feedback from visitors.

⚠️

Bounce rates are a tiny piece of a big puzzle.

## 3 tips to lower your bounce rates

The reality is that you don’t have total control over your bounce rates.

However, you can follow best practices to improve your website and the user experience to help reduce or keep your site’s bounce rate within the average (or lower).

The tips below can help you do just that. 

### Tip 1\. Improve content readability

Keeping your content clear and easy to read help your website visitors have a positive user experience.

It can encourage them to stay longer on your website, lowering their chances of bouncing.

Use free online tools like WebFx’s Readability Test to assess your web page or content’s readability.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/zGQWUxj32sujYO8kvp_Ii9VhIGnO9Y9ColFbLMWD_xYpKzvF_jUvNXpRgZpsEm5wFzB8JvrlVo0zJoaWKQwJfjU3vVIy-jOml0PQfYTfywNX91tRKw-dt02MlpyMuiWjeVzEhcQmQNrmzR1X22Enrk0)

**Image source: webfx.com*.

The tool rates your content’s readability based on the Flesch Kincaid Reading Ease test and other specific tools.

Aim for a readability score of 65 or higher.

Also, follow these quick tips to improve your content’s readability:

- Include the appropriate subheadings to break down long blocks of text and make your content easier to understand. For instance, if you create a blog post comparing [Ubersuggest vs Ahrefs vs Semrush](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/ubersuggest-vs-ahrefs-vs-semrush/), add subheadings for each. It makes it easier for your readers to follow and digest your content.
- Include bullet points when applicable to make vital information easier for your readers to spot.
- Ask questions to encourage your readers to participate, helping your content engage them.
- Include a Call-to-Action (CTA) in your conclusion to tell your readers their next steps, such as signing up for your email newsletter. For example, add a “Read Now” CTA to invite your readers to visit related blog posts, such as the Top Ten [Low-Cost Marketing Strategies](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/low-cost-marketing-strategy/) for Business Owners.

### Tip 2\. Optimise your content for high-value keywords

Your content must offer value to your visitors, or they’ll bounce.

The solution? Ensure your content is relevant to your audiences and visitors by targeting high-value keywords.

Ideally, target search terms with low competition and high traffic, but this isn’t always possible.

An effective workaround is to target keywords that show buyer or search intent.

You can use the [Semrush](https://www.semrush.com/?irclickid=R5nwlFx1KxyPWaOVSwxXJy2rUkFznZQbWUtaxc0&utm%5Fsource=affiliate&utm%5FMedium=impact&utm%5Fcampaign=2936055&utm%5Fterms=&utm%5Fcontent=&irgwc=1&utm%5Fmedium=impact&utm%5Fterm=) Keyword Magic Tool to find low-difficulty yet high-intent keywords.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/JiERtfw5EWQiWkHdkNYtM27elw4xktAzUlPNV_o2AhgqNPpe_JBnPCop4RU55Ok46caJJwh180Hexf-SlQbbpxqVek162-oi-o3WoK-RXvERTNrvTuODoL6DJ-J_Da4iLsTjFnu0jUmKnbwicXBKC74)

**Image source: Semrush.com*.

The tool helps you find keywords you can target and incorporate into your content to satisfy search intent. Using high value keywords strategically helps optimise your content for organic search.

It helps put your web pages and content in front of your high-value customers, drawing quality traffic to your website, reducing bounce rates, and increasing conversion and sales. 

### Tip 3\. Add engaging videos and images to your content

Recent data shows that [90% of marketers](https://motioncue.com/video-marketing-statistics/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) said video marketing helped increase user engagement.

Create short, compelling videos, stunning images, and other visual content to boost your traffic and audience engagement.

Use graphic design tools like [Canva](https://www.canva.com/pricing/?clickId=3UMywH21VxyPR7QUNZUeSUTuUkFzne2yWUtaxc0&utm%5Fmedium=affiliate&utm%5Fsource=Matt%20Janaway%5F2936055&irgwc=1) to create professional-looking visual content in a flash.

Canva has user-friendly editing and design features, including beautiful templates you can easily customise to create videos and images without graphic design experience.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/dqDKf49ucAwJwmVoWPNpmILwlEwkZ9PZGqKnRMtDisfiRVcBp3Ml2PO8HGD0-ZxOZtKsvzFIPjBK7qvN8FBPNMlGrIyS5N9rrNdfuizJVegc3lcWGS7m4d30GYTuSnzGBXV1rfxEbE4rW0DCVcUXuoo)

The more engaging your visual content is, the more likely your website will draw visitors and get them to stick around, lowering bounce rates. 

## A high bounce rate: Friend or foe?

High bounce rates are not always bad.

However, you must know what’s behind your high bounce rates to assess whether they can ruin your website’s success, conversions, and sales.

[Get a free consultation](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/digital-marketing-consulting/) with me today.

I can help you lower your bounce rates, optimise your content, and work with you to improve your digital marketing strategies, positioning your business for success.
### How to Drive Traffic to Affiliate Links: Tips, Steps, Etc.
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-drive-traffic-to-affiliate-links-tips-steps-etc/
Last updated: 2023-07-26T13:13:45.000Z
Do you want to know the best ways to **drive traffic to your affiliate links**? 

In this guide, you'll find out how. 

Recent data shows that affiliate links get over [five billion clicks](https://www.refersion.com/blog/affiliate-marketing-statistics/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) annually, highlighting that these links can generate a significant amount of traffic. 

The more targeted traffic you generate, the more potential sales you can close—leading to higher commission payouts. 

The challenge is knowing the strategic and effective methods to direct traffic to your affiliate links. 

That's why we've put together this comprehensive guide. 

Use the tips, steps, tools, and techniques below to help you drive more traffic to your affiliate links and take your affiliate marketing game to the next level.

## How to drive traffic to affiliate links

Here are eight proven ways to bring more traffic to your affiliate links and earn more commission:

## 1\. Create informative content on your affiliate site

Create valuable content to generate organic traffic and maximise the exposure of your affiliate links.

Done right, content development is the best marketing method to reach your online audience and promote affiliate products.

Here’s how to build a content strategy for generating traffic:

### Target the right topics and keywords

Use keyword research tools to find potential keywords for SEO and discover relevant [topics for content writing](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/topics-for-content-writing/).

Ideally, cover topics related to the problems your affiliate products try to solve. This enables you to naturally weave affiliate links in your content.

For example, travel blogger [Emily](https://www.emilyluxton.co.uk/photography/travel-photography-gear?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) published an informative guide on travel photography equipment, wherein she promoted Amazon affiliate products like a DSLR tripod and camera remote.

Just ensure to include a disclaimer that informs readers about your affiliate links.

![Inform readers about the affiliate links.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/02/How-to-Drive-Traffic-to-Affiliate-Links-inform-readers.png)

Image Source: EmilyLuxton.co.uk

Use keyword research tools like Keyword Magic Tool from [Semrush](https://semrush.sjv.io/Aokxv7?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to research content ideas and keywords.

Enter any relevant keyword or topic, pick your target location, and click **‘Search.’**

![Use keyword research tools like Keyword Magic Tool from Semrush.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/02/How-to-Drive-Traffic-to-Affiliate-Links-keyword-magic-tool.png)

Image Source: Semrush.com

Once the results are in, use filters and metrics to find keywords and topics for your affiliate site.

Click **‘Questions’** to look for question-based keywords, which make excellent content topics.

![Look for potential topic and keyword ideas.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/02/How-to-Drive-Traffic-to-Affiliate-Links-question-based-keywords.png)

Image Source: Semrush.com

### Use action-oriented writing

Make your content more actionable to encourage readers to buy affiliate products.

Create tutorials, “how-to” guides, and online reviews that increase demand and put readers in a buying mode. Consider inserting screenshots, videos, actual product photos, and other visuals to make your content more compelling.

You can also write listicles to mention multiple affiliate products in a single post.

Just use clear Calls-To-Action (CTAs) to boost your affiliate link’s visibility and clicks:

![Use clear CTAs.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/02/How-to-Drive-Traffic-to-Affiliate-Links-CTA.png)

Image Source: TheHappyFoodie.co.uk

### Polish and optimise your content

Use automated proofreading tools like [Grammarly](https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?afftrack=&b=864277&m=26748&u=864476&urllink=&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to detect writing mistakes and get one-click correction recommendations.

Spelling, grammatical, and punctuation mistakes make your content sound unprofessional and untrustworthy. As such, readers may become reluctant to purchase your product recommendations.

While they don’t directly affect search engine rankings, mistakes may also prevent other website owners from linking to your content.

![Polish and optimise your content with Grammarly.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/02/How-to-Drive-Traffic-to-Affiliate-Links-Grammarly.png)

Image Source: Grammarly.com

To further increase your content’s SEO performance, use [Surfer](https://surferseo.com/?fpr=matt23&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to get on-page optimisation suggestions—from keyword ideas to word count recommendations.

Install the Surfer browser extension to get on-page SEO recommendations as you create content with Google Docs.

![Get on-page optimisation suggestions.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/02/How-to-Drive-Traffic-to-Affiliate-Links-Surfer.png)

Image Souce: Docs.Google.com

Below are additional tips for creating content that can attract heaps of site visitors:

- Use a well-written meta description.
- Build backlinks by submitting guest posts on high-authority websites.
- Write honest and unbiased reviews—mention a few disadvantages of your affiliate product along with the workarounds.
- Connect related posts with internal links to distribute traffic.
- Promote similar affiliate products with comparison posts.

## 2\. Promote on your social media accounts

Promote affiliate links on social media platforms to monetise your follower base. You may also share content to bring traffic back to your site and build brand authority.

Sharing affiliate links directly with your followers is one way [how to start affiliate marketing with no money](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-start-affiliate-marketing-with-no-money/).

You don’t need to invest in tools or services to build your social media presence, generate followers, and share affiliate links. All you need is an affiliate product, a camera, and a little creativity.

Below are proven social media promotion tips for affiliate links:

### Publish eye-catching product photos on Instagram

Capture captivating photos of your affiliate product and promote them, along with your affiliate link, on Instagram.

Although Instagram prohibits affiliate links in post descriptions, the platform allows links in profile bios. That’s why affiliate marketers include a CTA that invites their target audience to use links in their profiles.

![Put affiliate link in your Instagram profile bio.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/02/How-to-Drive-Traffic-to-Affiliate-Links-IG-profile-bio.png)

Image Source: Instagram.com, @seasideinteriors

### Share affiliate links on your business pages

Spread posts with your affiliate links on social media to get quick, targeted traffic.

A straightforward approach is to write a mini-review, paste your affiliate link, and attach media (photos and videos) proving that you have firsthand experience with the product.

If possible, include affiliate offers or CTAs to spur action. It can be a discount code, limited-time offer, or scarcity (i.e. “while supplies last”).

![Promote affiliate links via Facebook posts.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/02/How-to-Drive-Traffic-to-Affiliate-Links-FB-post.png)

Image Source: Facebook.com, @EmmaReed.net

### Bring back traffic from social media groups

Establish a presence in social media groups to bring traffic to your affiliate website.

Populous social media groups have strict rules when it comes to affiliate links. While some groups allow members to share affiliate links, most prohibit sharing anything promotional.

As such, focus on building your authority and sharing educational content to bring traffic back to your affiliate website. That’s where you can promote affiliate marketing offers and earn juicy commissions.

## 3\. Submit quality content to websites

Generate referral traffic by submitting content to other blogs that allow guest posting (articles written by contributors).

Nearly all websites prohibit the inclusion of affiliate links in a guest post. However, they should allow links back to your homepage or any relevant content that may include your affiliate offers.

Look for websites that accept guest contributions using guest blogging footprints. These are queries containing your target keyword along with phrases like “write for us,” “guest post by,” and “contributor guidelines.”

Run guest blogging footprints on Google to quickly find these sites.

![Sample Google search for guest blogging.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/02/How-to-Drive-Traffic-to-Affiliate-Links-guest-blogging.png)

Image Source: Google.com

## 4\. Jump into conversations in online communities

Participate in online communities and Q&A websites to promote affiliate products to people who need them.

Communities like Reddit have smaller networks or “subreddits” for anything, including hobbies, jobs, products, and services. Use the built-in search bar to find the right subreddit for promoting affiliate links.

![Find the right subreddit for promoting affiliate links.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/02/How-to-Drive-Traffic-to-Affiliate-Links-Reddit.png)

Image Source: Reddit.com

Remember these tips when promoting on communities and Q&A sites:

- ****Create content related to queries.** Tap into Q&A websites for [content research](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-research-the-ultimate-guide/) and create related content that mentions your affiliate links. Share related content whenever you answer questions to pull traffic back to your site.
- ****Write answers that stand on their own.** Write answers that have enough information so users don’t feel forced to click your links. Some Q&A sites like Quora enforce strict policies on links and the overall quality of answers.
- ****Don’t link to affiliate links directly.** Unless the community or Q&A site expressly allows promotional links, don’t include affiliate links to avoid getting banned. Only link to helpful content that adds value to your answer.

## 5\. Publish short-form affiliate content on TikTok and Instagram

Create short-form videos (Instagram Reels, TikTok videos, etc.) that contain affiliate links to lure in potential customers.

Videos are now the most popular social media content format. They also hold the key on [how to become famous on social media](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-become-famous-on-social-media/).

Instagram Reels, for example, are discoverable via the dedicated “Reels” tab on the app. Add video elements like sounds, effects, filters, and trending hashtags to make your videos even more searchable (your videos will appear to users who want to use the same elements).

![Sample short-form video.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/02/How-to-Drive-Traffic-to-Affiliate-Links-short-form-videos.png)

Image Source: Instagram.com, @softvintagedreams

Thanks to the prevalence of social media apps, creating short-form videos is a highly effective [content strategy for mobile](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-strategy-for-mobile/) marketing.

Short-form videos are also incredibly easy to create.

Just use your smartphone and the built-in video editing tools on TikTok and Instagram to create authentic videos that feature your affiliate product.

Here are a few short-form video ideas you can use:

- Product reveal
- Product unboxing
- Mini-review
- Tutorial
- Durability test (drop, scratch, etc.)
- Quick comparison

## 6\. Repurpose affiliate content into visuals

Repurpose information from existing affiliate marketing content to create visuals for social media.

Convert steps, tips, stats, and other information into infographics, slideshows, or animated clips. Promote repurposed content (including your affiliate link) on visual sharing platforms like Pinterest, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

Drag-and-drop design tools like [Canva](https://partner.canva.com/GjoPML?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) can help you repurpose anything into professional-quality visuals.

Use templates to speed up content creation, be it an Instagram Story, Pinterest infographic, TikTok video, and so on.

![Canva templates.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/02/How-to-Drive-Traffic-to-Affiliate-Links-Canva-templates.png)

Image Source: Canva.com

## 7\. Create lead magnets and build an email list

Offer lead magnets such as eBooks, online courses, industry reports, and templates that contain affiliate product recommendations.

A lead magnet is a step up from regular content that any affiliate marketer can create. Unlike blog content that’s publicly available, lead magnets require users to provide their email addresses to gain access.

It should focus on a particular skill, solution, or strategy that helps readers solve their problems. More importantly, it should be packaged with visual content along with unique information that can’t be found anywhere else.

Use graphic design tools or hire services like [Kimp](https://www.kimp.io/?partner=Janaway&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) for your visual needs.

Kimp is an unlimited design service that lets you create eBooks, white papers, videos, presentation decks, and more. They can supply your design needs through every step of creating lead magnets—from designing your landing page to producing promotional materials.

![Kimp.io homepage.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/02/How-to-Drive-Traffic-to-Affiliate-Links-Kimp-graphics.png)

Image Source: Kimp.io

Strategically insert your affiliate links in your lead magnet. Once you have your audience’s email address, create an audience segment in your email marketing platform.

After building an email list with your lead magnet, include affiliate offers in your email marketing strategy.

Add links to automated emails during sales Holidays (Cyber Monday, Black Friday, etc.). Use platforms like [Mailchimp](https://mailchimp.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to create automated email workflows using templates.

## 8\. Launch paid campaigns

Invest in paid advertising campaigns to increase traffic to your affiliate links short-term.

Apart from free traffic sources, paid traffic is also essential in successful [SME marketing](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/sme-marketing/).

Some websites offer banner placements and native ads with direct affiliate links. Paid social media and search ads, on the other hand, only allow links to your own site or web page that contains affiliate promotions.

Do your research and look for ad platforms that suit your goals.

Some of the platforms you should consider are:

- TrafficStars
- Facebook Ads
- MediaVine
- Adsterra
- Google AdSense

## Customers Also Ask

### How do I promote affiliate links without spamming?

Promote affiliate links while providing useful, relevant content to your target audience. Never force affiliate links where they don’t fit and ensure you prioritise solving your audience’s problems.

### What is the best paid traffic for affiliate marketing?

Launching paid search ads, banner placements, native ads, and social media ads are among the best ways to generate traffic to your affiliate marketing site. Avoid advertising affiliate links directly and use ad placements to promote your website instead.

### Can I start affiliate marketing without traffic?

You can sign up for an affiliate program without verifying your traffic stats. However, affiliate marketing is only profitable if you have a steady stream of traffic to your promotion channels or your own website.

## Supercharge your affiliate marketing like a pro

Making money as an affiliate marketer isn’t easy.

In such a competitive space, you need proven, cutting-edge strategies that put your brand on the map.

A popular and well-trusted brand image will, in turn, help you garner more traffic, build buyer confidence, and close more affiliate sales.

*Cut through the competition with a team of digital marketing experts.*

Book a [free digital marketing consultation here](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/digital-marketing-consulting/) and let’s draw up an affiliate marketing plan that works for you.
### TikTok Affiliate Marketing: The Ultimate Guide to Short-Form Video Monetisation for 2025
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/tiktok-affiliate-marketing/
Last updated: 2025-02-17T20:39:27.000Z
If you’re looking to make generate income through ***TikTok*** [***affiliate marketing***](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-start-affiliate-marketing-with-no-money/), you’re in the right place.

According to Statista, [TikTok videos from personal social media accounts get an average of 31,100 views, while an average business video gets 17,500](https://www.statista.com/statistics/1372502/tiktok-video-views-by-type-account/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

![Bar chart showing TikTok videos from personal accounts get 30,115 views vs. 17,523 for business. Personal content significantly outperforms business. Data: Statista.com.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/07/CleanShot-2023-07-12-at-22.15.35@2x.jpg)

Source: statista.com

With the sheer number of views you can generate out of your videos, you’ve got a great chance of generating loads of income through the platform.

Hopefully you see the massive potential of running your own affiliate program and marketing through TikTok.

In this guide, we’ll take a deep dive into TikTok affiliate marketing—what it is, why it works, and how to get started.

## What is TikTok affiliate marketing?

TikTok affiliate marketing is a monetisation strategy that involves promoting products in exchange for referral commissions. Affiliate marketers earn a commission whenever users complete a purchase through their designated affiliate links.

The affiliate marketer promotes the brand’s products or services to their audience, and in return, earns a commission on sales or referrals made through their unique affiliate link. 

On TikTok, you can do affiliate marketing in two ways.

1. Although TikTok prohibits affiliate links in videos, creators are free to insert and promote them via their profile bios. This allows TikTok creators to make money from **traditional affiliate programs**.
2. TikTok also allows a content creator to partner with brands directly through the **TikTok Shop**. TikTok Shop's affiliate program is a valuable resource for content creators looking to monetize their work, offering potential benefits in generating income through the platform.

Affiliate marketing on TikTok is a popular way for creators to earn money and build their personal brand. TikTok Shop's affiliate program offers content creators a valuable resource to monetize their work, with potential benefits in generating income through the platform.

## Benefits of affiliate marketing on TikTok

TikTok Shop's affiliate program offers content creators a valuable resource to monetize their work, with potential benefits in generating income through the platform.

Below are some of the benefits of TikTok affiliate marketing:

### Benefit 1: Start affiliate marketing with little to no overhead

If you're wondering [how to start affiliate marketing with no money](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-start-affiliate-marketing-with-no-money/), look no further than TikTok.

Countless TikTok marketers rake in commissions from affiliate programs without spending thousands on elaborate [content](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-research-the-ultimate-guide/) creation workflows. In fact, often, the most amateur-looking videos perform the best. They also don't need to invest in additional assets to generate sustainable affiliate marketing results.

For example, traditional affiliate marketers invest in domain registration and hosting to put up “money sites.” These are websites specifically built to draw an audience and promote affiliate products on other platforms. They need hosting, content, SEO, sometimes Google Ads.

***TikTok affiliate marketers don't need to go through all that trouble.***

Once you’re in an affiliate program, feel free to jump straight into content creation and promotional activity. TikTok already provides a platform to build an audience, [publish content](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-publishing-strategy/), and generate clicks. 

Strategically selecting and promoting affiliate product links can help align with the interests of your target audience, particularly the younger demographic.

### Benefit 2: Ready-to-use content promotion tools

TikTok provides a strong lineup of content promotion tools and features to reach potential customers. Check their [creative center](https://ads.tiktok.com/business/creativecenter/inspiration/popular/hashtag/pc/en?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) for the popular current trends and trending hashtags to boost your organic reach.

![A screenshot of TikTok’s Creative Center trends page, showing top trending hashtags like #shortnsweet, #billcipher, and #novelshort, with analytics options.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/Trending-on-Tiktok.jpg)

Trending on Tiktok

Hashtags and trending sounds, for example, instantly boost the searchability of TikTok videos. TikTok Stories will also help you stir user engagement with interactive stickers, "duets," and "stitches."

As the cherry on top, TikTok's advanced audience analytics feature helps you understand your target audience's content preferences. It tracks useful audience data, such as their active times, age groups, and cities.

### Benefit 3: Step up your game with the TikTok Creator Portal

Although starting a TikTok channel is easy, creating high-quality videos that garner interest has a learning curve.

If you're new to the world of short-form videos, the TikTok Creator Portal will help you navigate this unfamiliar landscape. It contains a comprehensive library of learning resources on every stage of TikTok marketing—from [content strategy development](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-development-the-ultimate-guide/) to hosting live streams.

On top of the TikTok Creator Portal, upgrading to a Business Account unlocks additional features to grow your presence, including:

- **Auto-Message.** Create automatic responses and welcome messages for your target audience.
- **Create CTA buttons.** Use the "Lead Generation" feature to publish call-to-action buttons, like "Subscribe," "Buy Now," or "Click Here."
- **Insert an email button in your bio.** A Business Account lets you feature a direct email button on your profile, enabling potential customers to inquire about your brand or affiliate products.

TL;DR: TikTok affiliate marketing is just like traditional affiliate marketing. The main difference is you don't need to invest in your own website or a robust [content development](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-development-the-ultimate-guide/) strategy to earn commissions.

### Growing Popularity of TikTok

Since its launch in 2016, TikTok has skyrocketed in popularity, amassing over 1 billion active users worldwide. With it's unique short-form video format, creative editing features, and an extensive music library that allows users to create engaging and entertaining content. 

TikTok’s user base is predominantly younger generations, making it a goldmine for affiliate marketers targeting this demographic. The platform’s continuous innovation and user-friendly interface have made it a favorite among content creators and viewers alike. 

As TikTok grows, it offers affiliate marketers a great chance to use video content to connect with a large, active audience, driving traffic and sales by linking directly through their links.

### Opportunities for Niche Marketing

Affiliate marketers can target niches like fashion, beauty, or gaming by [creating content](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/cluster-strategy/) that connects with their audience. Using TikTok’s hashtag system and collaborating with content creators in the same niche increases visibility and reach.

TikTok’s affiliate program also allows marketers to earn commissions by promoting relevant products, boosting conversion rates. By taking advantage of TikTok’s social network and tagging products feature, niche marketing on the platform becomes a valuable opportunity in the affiliate product marketplace.

## Building a Strong Foundation

Create high-quality content, engaging with your audience, and building trust with your followers.

### Consistency and Content Quality

Post high-quality content regularly, use relevant hashtags, and engage with your audience through comments and direct messages. First build trust with your followers and establish yourself as an authority in your niche. Only after ensuring this, put forth your affiliate offers to them. That will boost your sales!

## How to make money with TikTok affiliate marketing

Ready to get started with TikTok affiliate marketing?

Here are the steps you should follow:

### Step 1: Decide your niche

Pick a niche and stick to it in your [content marketing strategy](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/tips-for-building-an-amazing-content-marketing-strategy/). This will help you build the right kind of audience for your TikTok affiliate marketing business. Audience is everything.

Ideally, choose a niche based on your firsthand experience, hobbies, and expertise.

The more knowledgeable you are about your niche, the easier it is to create informative, high-quality TikTok content. This extends to your ability to find, vet, and promote affiliate products to your target audience.

To help you pick a lucrative niche on TikTok, take a look at the [most popular content categories](https://statista.com/statistics/1130988/most-popular-categories-tiktok-worldwide-hashtag-views?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) on the platform:

- Entertainment
- Dance
- Pranks
- Fitness and sports
- DIY and home renovation
- Beauty and skincare
- Fashion
- Cooking
- Life hacks
- Pets
- Travel and outdoors

### Step 2: Upgrade to a Business Account

Before you look for affiliate programs, ensure that you have a TikTok Business Account first.

Launch the TikTok app, head to your profile, and click the hamburger settings button in the upper-right corner. From the pop-up menu, tap **'Settings and privacy.'**

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/CIrCpFf6-X6BOoMC18ElM9rUrc0f1Sxx26BCIDxBlwNZj3dl3ePBGEaEMYZPbIQR-4Ya0dbxLwHWpcUUTu5uitEZVW7Ew05wMnW5VOnUbx6hrGUUM8KP9s5nRQVr7bzqw2W27JArMSFW7PAP6pEpk9E)

Source: TikTok.com

Tap **'Account'** and select **'Switch to Business Account.'**

Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the switch. This includes choosing your profile category and entering your email address.

### Step 3: Look for affiliate programs

With your account ready, start looking for affiliate programs that align with your brand and target audience.

Start with popular affiliate networks like Amazon Affiliates, ShareASale, and Commission Junction. To look for products to promote, create an account and use the search features.

Don't forget to look at the commission structure as well when choosing an affiliate program. Pay attention to the commission amount you stand to earn with each transaction. It goes without saying that you'd be better off with higher commission affiliate programmes - as long as it aligns with your audience. 

Here's a quick look at the common affiliate program structures used in major networks:

- **Pay-Per-Sale**. Get commissions from purchases completed through your affiliate [link](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/love-thy-neighbour-why-linking-out-is-important/). [Affiliate marketing sales](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-build-a-profitable-affiliate-marketing-sales-funnel/) may have low conversion rates, but they usually lead to higher payouts.
- **Pay-Per-Lead**. Rather than earning commissions for sales, a pay-per-lead affiliate marketing program pays you for each lead you convert for your affiliate partner. Pay-per-lead programs generally pay less than pay-per-sale campaigns, but that doesn’t mean they’re not profitable—especially since it’s easier to convince users to subscribe than to make a purchase.
- **Pay-Per-Click**. Pay-per-click is the least popular structure for affiliate marketing. It’s more widely used in paid advertising campaigns, which run through networks like Google AdSense and Mediavine.

### Step 4: Shorten your affiliate links

After signing up for an affiliate program, use link-shortening tools like Bitly and TinyURL to shorten your affiliate links.

Link shortening is a standard practice in social media affiliate marketing. It replaces long, ugly affiliate links with shorter URLs that are easier to remember.

To shorten your affiliate link, simply enter the URL into your preferred link shortener. The tool should provide you with a shortened version of your link with just one click.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/lcsONv6Bk2vVWgW5dC-QQqLwfv7iMLewcdKWRWsXdwjAPDauHOw1pxkhfqVfYECvqQ07sUrQh_42vjukOnUpH-z7n9vuO1BFDmo3jI1-mEN0vnmwR4akrlkfoyehYOFF2q86aXA28_jRCVH6YuGMMpg)

Source: TinyURL.com

### Step 5: Add links to your bio

Head to your TikTok profile and tap **'Edit profile.'** From there, tap **'Bio'** and paste your affiliate link into the "Add a bio" field.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/zX30YoewEjeoy0pPs7OgOPd07EPe_9d8Ay1bwbOyNizwvj_FjRFPt7vGJpiM9csstLzIy-TGxOiz7KqTQAF_35qieWw9r0UV1J_Lla2PYlYh6w7FaqaUXhCNOQ0F1wN652mS9TO-jSfawLq0A1rQQes)

Source: TikTok.com

To make your affiliate link more eye-catching, write a short but captivating introduction at the top of your bio. Consider using a bridging or landing page to add affiliate links, which can help redirect TikTok traffic to external platforms. Concisely describe who you are, what to do, and what users should expect from your affiliate link.

Feel free to use emojis to draw attention to key information, like your CTA and email address.

For your inspiration, take a look at Sam San Shop’s TikTok bio:

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/Y37YdiO67-OUFuZfNL6OBOFXso6ka9CqniYVAxEZRL_7Uv8B8DDalKeidYj3AevEGILl5FYNcAIj54hPhDYQb7kqZ4NClCnu4dAM8Yqw3pXpRwtxxfN5Akntzu3pJk5uG-t3e8tE_d54yzvOu_33EzQ)

Source: TikTok.com, @sam.shan.shops

### Step 6: Publish relevant content

Use the power of content marketing to draw visitors to your TikTok page.

The game plan is simple: publish content about your audience's problems, highlight affiliate products as a great solution, and invite them to check your bio for more information.

On TikTok, the go-to content format for affiliate marketers is short-form videos.

Some ideas you can use are:

- Product unboxing videos
- Quick tutorials
- "Hack" videos
- Before and after reveals
- Product reviews
- Product comparisons

### Bonus Tip: Use a mobile landing page builder to feature multiple affiliate links at once

Most TikTok affiliate marketers use a mobile landing page builder like [Linktree](https://linktr.ee/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to consolidate multiple affiliate links into one page.

Linktree is a drag-and-drop tool that creates a mini landing page with buttons for your affiliate product pages. This allows you to personalise your page to align with your TikTok brand.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/rUd5Dbb-jdO_tkbCdXOA5DnXy31pZUWAqM7aUGu469b2DknSjnoNd_PxvCoGwkq9NagDdYVSRv5iltdCW50ik5ccazadhWEPRd8LLTMMUuGvkRNLLCngbl33zocWUvCLdw1FAHlTUcz7Vg8nl212ZWg)

Source: Linktr.ee

## Joining the TikTok Shop Affiliate Program

The TikTok Shop Affiliate Program offers a fantastic opportunity for creators to earn commissions by promoting products directly from the TikTok Shop. 

To join the program, creators need to meet specific eligibility criteria, including having a TikTok Business account and a minimum number of followers. 

Once accepted, creators can easily find products to promote, share their contact information, and add products to their TikTok Shop.

This program is designed to streamline the process of affiliate marketing on TikTok, providing creators with the tools and resources they need to succeed. 

By joining the TikTok Shop Affiliate Program, creators can tap into a vast marketplace of products and start earning commissions through their engaging content.

### Eligibility Criteria for TikTok Shop Affiliate

To be eligible for the TikTok Shop Affiliate Program, creators must meet the following criteria:

- Have a TikTok Business account
- Have a minimum of 5,000 followers on TikTok
- Maintain a strong engagement rate on their TikTok account
- Have a niche or audience that aligns with the products offered in the TikTok Shop
- Agree to the terms and conditions of the TikTok Shop Affiliate Program

Meeting these criteria ensures that creators are well-positioned to succeed in the TikTok Shop Affiliate Program. 

By aligning their content with the products available in the TikTok Shop and maintaining a strong engagement rate, creators can maximize their earning potential and build a successful affiliate marketing business on TikTok.

## Growing Your Audience

Growing your audience is essential for success in affiliate marketing on TikTok. This involves using various strategies to increase your reach and engagement.

### Simple Tactics to Boost TikTok Engagement

There are several strategies you can use to increase engagement on TikTok, including:

- Using relevant hashtags to reach a wider audience
- Collaborating with other creators in your niche to drive traffic
- Running contests or giveaways to encourage engagement
- Using TikTok’s Duet feature to collaborate with other users
- Utilizing TikTok’s Reaction feature to encourage engagement
- Sharing user-generated content to show that you value your followers’ contributions

By using these strategies, you can increase your engagement and grow your audience on TikTok.

![Title slide for a TikTok engagement strategy carousel, highlighting the importance of proven strategies to increase interaction.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/1-Boost-Your-Tiktok-Engagement-1.jpg)

![Slide illustrating the impact of relevant hashtags on TikTok, showing a 12.6% increase in engagement through targeted hashtag use](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/2-Use-Relevant-Hashtags-1.jpg)

![Slide emphasizing the importance of collaboration with niche creators on TikTok to increase engagement by up to 70%](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/3-Collaborate-with-Creators-1.jpg)

![Slide promoting TikTok's Duet feature for content collaboration, which doubles the engagement of regular posts](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/4-Use-TikTok-s-Duet-Feature-1.jpg)

![Slide discussing the benefits of using TikTok's Reaction feature, noting an 18% higher engagement rate for reaction videos.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/5-Boost-TikTok-Engagement--with-Proven-Strategies-Carousel.png)

![Conclusion slide encouraging the implementation of TikTok engagement strategies to grow audience reach.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/08/6-Leverage-TikTok-s-Reaction-Feature.png)

## How to sell affiliate products through TikTok Shop

If you have an established presence on TikTok, you can sell affiliate products directly on the platform via the TikTok Shop.

This option comes with the following advantages:

- **Easily find TikTok products to sell.** Use TikTok Shop for creators to quickly find relevant products your followers will enjoy.
- **Promote products on LIVE streams.** Sell affiliate products using the sense of urgency with LIVE streams.
- **Build your TikTok Shop showcase.** Create an affiliate product store on TikTok without third-party tools.

To become a TikTok Shop affiliate, make sure you have a [Business Center](https://business.tiktok.com/self-serve-bc/registration?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) account with TikTok Shop and LIVE stream access. TikTok Shop's affiliate program offers valuable opportunities for creators to monetize their content effectively.

From there, head to the [TikTok Shop Affiliate page](https://shop.tiktok.com/business/en/affiliate?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) and join as a creator. When done, you’ll be able to find products to sell, share your contact information, add products to your TikTok Shop, and earn commissions.

TikTok Shop affiliates can also request product samples from partner brands. This is useful for creating certain types of content, like product reviews, tutorials, and unboxing videos.

## Tips to grow your TikTok affiliate marketing business

Affiliate marketing is an effective way to generate passive income and build wealth as a TikTok brand.

*But just like any other online business, it requires your full commitment to a content marketing strategy that brings in potential customers.*

Here are three additional tips to help grow your TikTok brand and earn more commissions from affiliate marketing:

### Tip 1: Balance affiliate and organic content

A key ingredient in [how to become famous on social media](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-become-famous-on-social-media/) is a balance between promotional and authentic content.

Don't use your TikTok profile as a 100% commercial channel that only has promotional content. In order to win followers, publish videos that provide value to users without pushing for a sale. Most of your content should be organic, and not promotional.

### Tip 2: Use trends to gain traction

Supercharge [content engagement](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-engagement-field-guide-how-to-create-content-that-gets-clicks/) with trends such as effects, sounds, challenges, and hashtags.

You can easily find relevant trends on the "For You" page in the TikTok app. Alternatively, simply create a post using the TikTok editor.

TikTok makes it easy to find trending elements to include in your video. For example, when adding hashtags, TikTok immediately generates a list of popular hashtag ideas along with their cumulative views.

![#vintage popping up with all the hashtags, mentions and videos around it](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/rRZcHAD7GgaqOYEMu6SxuuVoptdJVBL7O146ja2hEx3nzfZSun15wu4YaTMPnyq4dgA3yDEUZqP5J9lQVggsUI1iKXzedI8TdiDKH4S8dGrZtUJiHbyLavfxlDWYD75TFihQKyeKi6zTaaVp0RYrpNg)

Source: TikTok.com

### Tip 3: Increase conversions with special offers

To increase conversions, offer coupon codes or special discounts to customers who use your affiliate link.

Promoting special offers is one of the proven [hacks to convert more visitors](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/growth-hacking-ecommerce-18-underrated-hacks-to-convert-more-visitors/) for affiliate marketing. This requires an affiliate program that can provide marketers with their own branded promotion campaigns.

Unfortunately, not all affiliate programs offer this feature. And in most cases, affiliate programs that involve discounts and coupons only offer such campaigns at limited times.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Can you do affiliate marketing in TikTok?

Yes, anyone can do affiliate marketing on TikTok. You can earn commissions by using paid ads, promoting affiliate products, and sharing clickable links in your TikTok bio. Leverage Tiktok features and analytics tools to assess the performance of your affiliate links.

### How many followers do you need to make money in affiliate marketing?

Most affiliate programs don't require marketers to have a specific number of followers to promote products on TikTok. But in order to make TikTok affiliate marketing a viable business, aim to have at least around 5,000 followers.

### How do I become an affiliate in TikTok?

Once you're accepted into an affiliate program, you can start earning commissions by sharing affiliate links in your TikTok bio. Creators can also partner up with brands and promote products as affiliates through the TikTok Shop.

## Succeed at TikTok affiliate marketing with expert content marketing

TikTok affiliate marketing can be a great source of passive income.

With the right strategies, it can be your stepping stone to establishing your online business empire.

*You need expert content marketing to do this.*

If you need help with your TikTok affiliate marketing strategy, don't hesitate to [reach out](https://mattjanaway.co.uk/contact?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) so I can help jumpstart your successful affiliate marketing business.
### Affiliate Marketing SEO: Tips, Steps, Techniques for 2025
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/affiliate-marketing-seo/
Last updated: 2025-02-17T20:38:45.000Z
If you’re an affiliate marketer, you need to focus on ***affiliate marketing SEO***—plain and simple.

Affiliate marketing SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is your ticket to generating recurring, high-quality traffic. It’s a lot of work, but it’s more than doable with the right guidance.

**Note**: If you’re yet to build your first affiliate marketing website, read: [How to start affiliate marketing with no money](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/digital-marketing-consulting/)

## What is affiliate marketing SEO?

Affiliate marketing SEO is the process of optimising affiliate sites for search engine visibility.

An affiliate marketing SEO strategy involves on-page and off-page SEO practices that boost the search engine rankings of pages or posts containing affiliate links.

This allows affiliate marketers to get more eyes on their affiliate links, increasing their chances of generating more sales.

If you’re just starting your affiliate marketing journey, read our guide on [how to create a website for affiliate marketing](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-create-a-website-for-affiliate-marketing/).

### What is on-page SEO?

On-page SEO is the process of optimising website elements that affect your search engine rankings. This includes content, title tags, meta tags, keywords, page loading speed, internal link structure, and more.

### What is off-page SEO?

Off-page SEO includes strategies that involve factors away from your own website, like backlinks, directory listings (for local SEO), and social trust signals. However, off-page SEO campaigns primarily focus on link building, which aims to obtain backlinks from authoritative domains.

## How to do on-page affiliate marketing SEO

Follow the on-page SEO strategies below to boost your affiliate marketing website’s rank-worthiness:

### Step 1: Conduct keyword research

Research relevant keywords that will attract the right audience—without competing against bigger brands with deeper pockets.

There are a number of tools that you can use to conduct keyword research.

[Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool](https://semrush.sjv.io/Aokxv7?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is a great example.

Just enter a seed keyword, choose your location, and click **‘Search.’**

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/D8nURWev5zw9WVd4QhmrZ-MFR1ucg9OcIvq7qvXp8hNHeDc3NsqZUqC4tHZrdzCdAC795fgMD-j3rCbcxCCmD8KeeDOkc7bMmW3Ay7RqLwmAZBiQ1exKmQN4O9OdFI2hoftKIitqhNysmoCk5Q-frO9yHyiBw2gDTi6DbU9kVOXfpvU2IUCYMuqvfQ)

Image Source: Semrush.com

Keyword Magic Tool will supply hundreds of keyword ideas in different categories, like related keywords, phrase match keywords, and question-based keywords.

Each keyword idea includes crucial metrics like monthly search volume, Keyword Difficulty (KD) rating, average Cost Per Click (CPC), and so on.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/BIw6H3GDMZQbQFL51O9Z4miJc2wnSDvmrTS1Cec_rt6RMqt4LKWjaxMILXSfAI0N6nUINCpnq4y9RCVG5p76lLK6fT250-CdMVUZpWYFGA8nhk-exz6DvTM8JZsTarzXxMdU5gEkJJ9FoojOdAdqFdBCVKj3mLGcG0aZY0--9BGtHR1T9YY8rraGpQ)

Image Source: Semrush.com

**Tip:** Look specifically for keywords with “transactional” or “commercial” intent (Semrush can detect this relatively well). These are keywords used by people looking to buy products or services.

Identifying keyword ideas with Semrush is great for [content research](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-tracking-ultimate-guide-with-tips-and-tricks/) and strategy planning. It also provides you with a list of target keywords to insert in key elements of your content, like the title tag, subheadings, image alt text tags, and so on.

Another tool you can use for keyword research is [Surfer](https://surferseo.com/?fpr=matt23&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), which comes with a Chrome extension that provides real-time keyword suggestions. The extension also provides other optimisation suggestions like a target word count, headings, image count, and more.

### Step 2: Reframe your SEO content strategy

Restructure your SEO content strategy by creating “topic clusters” for higher rankings. This involves creating a pillar page about a core topic, writing posts about subtopics, and linking them all together.

**Creating your pillar page**

A pillar page is a comprehensive page about a broad topic that covers all (or almost all) subtopics.

The goal of a pillar page is to help users and search engines find related information fast.

For example, if you have a pillar page about freelance writing, it should mention subtopics like:

- Freelance writing marketplaces
- Freelance writing tools
- How to improve your writing skills
- Client management

But instead of covering these subtopics in detail, a pillar page only briefly mentions them while linking to other, more in-depth posts. These are called “cluster posts.”

**Creating cluster posts**

Start by brainstorming a list of subtopics related to your pillar page’s topic. Then, create a more comprehensive blog post for each topic.

Keyword research tools, including Surfer’s Content Planner tool, is perfect for this task.

Just enter your main topic, click **‘Create Content Planner,’** and watch as the subtopic ideas pile up.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/rMiJw3Y6O6rGP7k7vRFZ57ppfowpgWm-F_z1jqlIYS5wAI-Mnn5oDL0_T92giXPq2Wd1o2693wiLHTmQkQS_V0yPee65NPzG39hgSXJKvFObNjdZKJLuccxfe6SulzJCe06G-s-fDNu-a_SmAWrqprSxcVheXFF-RVi1cdPjH2pczf2atuv7Z9MzSg)

**Internal linking**

Be sure to interlink all the posts in your topic cluster. While doing so, visualise the hierarchy of your cluster posts in relation to each other and the pillar page.

You can further increase the SEO performance of your affiliate marketing website with multiple cluster levels. Check the graphic below to understand better how topic clusters work.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/mVln0V_TRHJfHGuaygjJhVT84iYb1D3-_C7oqxbtLrHlz-r__Rtozknc6vuewV5xZtQa3C2fI2GYux5m6WRbfKFzEU-5wF1cGunxOQIakbw32_B_MBDS2XAWRfS69hyqKOD7OWsXJXoKBkKwWJNPC8ejsuVST1o-QkdTc0q77XL0T5er3tChW47-eg)

Image Source: Semrush.com

### Step 3: Run an SEO audit

Use Semrush or Surfer’s audit feature to check your affiliate website’s SEO health, identify issues, and reveal remediation options.

SEO audit tools are pretty straightforward. Most only need the website’s URL to begin analysis.

Surfer’s Audit tool generates more fine-tuned results by letting you enter specific target keywords.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/POVVOCYRFTfJQTTLFyHnvsohXEMeq3uFmY8TfSElKAQ4CEckK4BVT4QHPwC5HRIti-0XEnr7qClB3nSENBwdAL8RDzM9_KcIjeKITLZGkha__9Qlp2VL4AsKj3rsOjdLPS8hjZL4oXfwnEsJTZ5FBQL9vzU7o2MLXuwY-LWb4Qy7YCSU98Bq1ucB5Q)

Image Source: SurferSEO.com

Once the audit is completed, Surfer uncovers optimisation opportunities to improve your content’s rankings. You’ll find suggestions like missing backlinks, internal links, long-tail keyword ideas, and more.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/QQzGBasmCNsjYvVq-M4Dbd02FrwEkqHqgUIg30o-lCW0_ah8ktrfTtMhwt0U3gKnM9iLTTSwu-ZWPCB2cHa_DLaNCmqYbdRAaZe4N_X-AMegDYdblfVAxaTKwyZDXAerpLu_0mWfsa55dplxSHRBuptB-LCt5VjFRdhfK8iDABnNsSSx_Fdys5XEzQ)

Image Source: SurferSEO.com

### Step 4: Optimise your website loading speed

Use [GTmetrix](https://gtmetrix.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to test your website's loading speed and get recommendations on how to improve it.

You might be surprised at how much faster your website can get with all the hidden issues affecting your website’s loading speed. GTmetrix catches them all and provides actionable information on how to address them.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/mT3U28XQqnsxNg0OEu3gpAZn21OEkOZtiI9PFDl5bdab62a5yLXjXjYlO4FgMFC_6DgoW5h8GA87aYh3jIu3aRxLDIIgaYtidf2Vhq0oTyRlbEeGBgdk5auYShGxdcjGKKzv2LwACEJw7RJcpcJl8AdGk1_nsU-iWbpcGgFLMNi3HRzyZ5yMl81wng)

Image Source: GTmetrix.com

If you’re optimising a new affiliate site, use performance optimisation WordPress plugins to improve your site’s speed preemptively.

- **W3 Total Cache**. Enable caching on users’ devices to improve loading speed when loading static website assets.
- **Smush.** Optimise your affiliate site’s images using lossless compression—without affecting quality.
- **WP Super Minify.** Minify, combine, and cache in-line JavaScript and CSS files to speed up page loads.

When all else fails, consider upgrading your hosting to a performance-focused provider like [20i](https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?s=2734607&v=20974&q=399428&r=919827&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

Also, implement a [content tracking](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-tracking-ultimate-guide-with-tips-and-tricks/) system to analyse how your website’s performance affects the user experience. This should be reflected via changes in user engagement metrics like bounce rate, session duration, and traffic.

### Step 5: Improve the mobile experience

Most people today use their mobile devices to search the internet.

To succeed in affiliate marketing, you must ensure your website is optimised for mobile devices.

Consider the following when building your affiliate [content strategy for mobile](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-strategy-for-mobile/):

- **Voice search keywords.** What keywords does your target audience use when using voice search?
- **Mobile content readability.** Is your content readable and accessible on smaller displays?
- **Mobile-friendliness.** Does your website use responsive design to streamline the user experience on mobile?

## How to do off-page affiliate marketing SEO

Off-page SEO is all about optimisation strategies outside of your website.

For businesses, this involves link building, local SEO, social media marketing, podcasting, and many more. But for affiliate marketers, off-page SEO ***usually*** boils down to link building and social media marketing.

The goal is to acquire high-quality backlinks from authoritative sources.

Here’s how:

### Step 1: Analyse your top competitor’s backlink profile

Use Semrush, Ahrefs, or SpyFu to uncover backlink opportunities. These tools will give you an idea of what kind of links your competitors have—and where they are coming from.

Once you understand your competitor's backlink profile well, you can start to build similar links for your own site.

For example, if your top competitor regularly submits guest posts to authoritative publications, create contributor accounts in the same publications. Check other aspects of their strategy, like their anchor text keywords, guest post topics, and content types.

### Step 2: Outperform competitors’ content

Look at your top competitors’ best content and create even better posts.

Below are a few tactics to do this:

- **Update old stats.** Authoritative websites prefer linking to content with accurate and updated data. If your competitor’s content contains outdated stats, build one with the updated numbers and reach out to their backlink sources.
- **Add more visuals.** Visuals are catchy and help readers better grasp advanced and technical concepts. Scan your competitor’s content for missed visual opportunities and take advantage of them.
- **Find inaccuracies.** Top-performing competitors rarely make mistakes when citing facts. But when they do, jump on the opportunity to claim their backlinks. Create similar content with the correct information and reach out to their link sources.
- **Make it more thorough.** Dial up the word count, cover more subtopics, and target more keywords. This will help you outperform competitors in getting backlinks and boosting keyword rankings naturally.
- **Broken links.** Use [broken link checkers](https://www.brokenlinkcheck.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to scan your target referring domain. If you find one with a relevant keyword as the anchor text, reach out to the website owner and encourage them to link to your post.

### Step 3: Work on genuine guest posting

Search for websites that accept guest posts in your niche.

Guest posts take a lot of work, so you need to look for the most authoritative websites you can find. A surefire way to do this is to analyse your competitor’s backlink profile, which we already discussed.

Another way to find websites that accept guest posts is to use “search footprints.” These are additional terms in search queries that function as filters.

For example, if you want to search for sites that accept guest posts, here are search footprints you can use:

- “Write for us”
- “Guest post by”
- “Submit guest post”

Take note that the quotation marks are included in these footprints. These tell Google to find results with those keywords in the exact same order.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/crLn6gbliiHB2EbbXMvHXOtLqDvMTGxO7cP8-xy_zroBZT7rte8Uc0mM8ehOkjfbfhBIqNrCYDA9qBuQfJVHDUafYrKCg-jbNnu3am3oUAOkN30Ooab0X0ARm7ltEodpEFzjXISIIX12Tikz7ypZxTUX6Jfzz3WquHPkeKJX27H-9AM-pPYYwNelZQ)

Image Source: Google.com

In most cases, sites that accept guest posts have clear contributor guidelines and a registration form you can use to get started. If not, compile their contact information and reach out to them individually.

### Step 4: Build social signals

Establish an active social media presence to gain social signals, encompassing shares, likes, comments, follower count, and other forms of social media engagement. Although social signals don’t directly affect search engine rankings, they do affect your content’s ability to obtain backlinks.

For example, sharing content on social media helps you get on other bloggers’ radar. If you share interesting facts and statistics in your niche, they might link to your content in their next post.

Popular social media users may also share your content, bringing raw targeted traffic to your affiliate website. This can bolster important SEO metrics like page session duration, monthly organic traffic, and pages per visit.

## Affiliate marketing SEO best practices

Win at affiliate marketing SEO with these best practices:

- Target keywords with commercial or transactional intent (keywords with terms like “best,” “how to buy,” “price,” etc.).
- When producing affiliate marketing content, place your focus keyword in the first sentence, headline, and subheadings.
- Publish “ego bait” content that mentions popular thought leaders in a positive light—encouraging them to share or link to it.
- Preview content both on mobile and desktop to keep the user experience consistent.
- Always include internal and external links to relevant articles.

## Affiliate marketing SEO: FAQs

### Is SEO good for affiliate marketing?

Successful SEO aids in the long-term profitability of any affiliate marketing business. Unlike paid channels like advertising and influencer marketing, you don’t need to reinvest the money to generate traffic and sales through SEO constantly.

### What are keywords in affiliate marketing?

Keywords help optimise the discoverability of your affiliate marketing content in search engines. It also helps you gauge product demand, creates elaborate content outlines, and identify in-demand content ideas.

### Are affiliate links allowed on Google?

Affiliate links are perfectly fine and won’t affect your Google search engine rankings. However, you need to disclose the presence of affiliate links as per consumer protection regulations.

## Fast-track your affiliate marketing SEO efforts

Affiliate marketing SEO is an incredibly powerful tool for driving website traffic and generating leads.

But it’s too much work for a solo affiliate marketer.

To be competitive, you need extra pairs of hands for time-consuming affiliate marketing SEO tasks.

Let’s rank your websites to get more traffic, close more sales, and generate more affiliate commissions.

Learn how to supercharge your affiliate marketing SEO efforts by talking with proven content experts.

[Contact me today](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/contact/) and let’s begin.
### How to Run an Instagram Competition: Ultimate Guide for 2025
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-run-an-instagram-competition/
Last updated: 2025-02-17T20:40:13.000Z
Do you want to learn ***how to run an Instagram competition?***  
  
Instagram competitions are a fantastic way to boost your brand's visibility, engage with your audience, and attract new followers.

What's even better is the fact that competitions are fairly easy to run, and you don't need to wait several months to get the results.

In just a few days, you can get hundreds (if not thousands) of likes, shares, comments, and even orders.

It usually only takes a few minutes to set up a competition.

Where do you begin? How do you set things up? How do you ensure a successful Instagram competition?

Below, I’ll walk you through the steps for running an Instagram competition, from setting objectives to creating rules and promoting your contest.

Let's dive in and make your next Instagram competition a success.

## Why host an Instagram competition?

An Instagram competition is a [low-cost marketing strategy](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/low-cost-marketing-strategy/) that helps build awareness for your brand. 

It also offers the following benefits:

### Drive higher audience engagement

Using contests and giveaways is a great way of getting [engagement](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-engagement-field-guide-how-to-create-content-that-gets-clicks/).

Giveaway posts can also boost your overall Instagram audience engagement. It is a fantastic way to engage Instagram users.

Instagram’s algorithms can work in mysterious ways, but once they see your engagement skyrocketing, Instagram followers count spiking, they'll show your content to even more people.

It's like a snowball effect of engagement.

### Increase your followers

Here's a neat trick: make following your company’s Instagram account part of your competition rules for participants to enter.

*Follow-for-a-chance-to-win* is an excellent tactic to collect entries and engage your audiences while raking in new followers.

This tactic gives you more opportunities to gain more followers and increase your audience engagement.

### Get more collaboration opportunities

Collaborating with other brands means tapping into their existing audiences and expanding your reach.

Running Instagram contests presents more opportunities to collaborate with other brands.

You can co-host contests with brands that offer products that complement yours and give away the complementing items as a bundle.

It’s a great way to promote your brands while expanding your reach and driving more engagement.

### Boost impressions and reach

Getting lots of engagement on your own giveaway posts helps boost your impressions and reach.

When followers like, comment, and share your content, it tells Instagram’s algorithm that people are into what you're putting out there.

The algorithm rewards you by featuring your posts more often on their feeds.

More eyeballs on your content means more chances of expanding your reach and building a solid online presence.

### Boost Brand Awareness

Instagram competitions create a ripple effect on your marketing campaigns. They generate buzz, spike brand awareness among potential customers.

Instagram users are naturally drawn to contests because of the chance to win, and with careful planning, you can create a buzz that lasts even after the competition ends.

Include your promotion guidelines on your Instagram story or Instagram feed, which will help your contest reach a broader audience. Hey, more interaction means more followers!

### Maximizing Reach with User-Generated Content and Hashtags

![Creative user-generated Instagram content for Starbucks' #whitecupcontest, boosting engagement among loyal customers through unique designs](https://images.surferseo.art/e805fcab-47ea-4fd6-89ce-d585e354a04c.png)

**Source: @Starbucks*

User-generated content (UGC) can be the backbone of a successful Instagram contest.

When participants submit their own photos, videos, or posts using a designated hashtag, it amplifies the reach of your competition.

Not only does this boost your brand's visibility among their followers, but it also creates authentic content that you can repurpose later.

Running a *photo contest* where Instagram users share their entries under a specific hashtag encourages wide participation and keeps the contest buzz alive on the platform.

![Infographic explaining the steps on how to run a competition on instagram](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/10/How-to-Run-an-Instagram-Competition.png)

## 8 Steps to Run an Instagram Competition

How you run your Instagram competition depends on your goals and strategies, but there are time-tested steps to get you started.

### Step 1: Set your goals

Identify what you want to achieve with your Instagram contest, are you looking to get more sales, [become famous on social media](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-become-famous-on-social-media/) platform, or perhaps you just want a stronger brand presence?

Your goals help shape your Instagram competition strategy and allow you to assess whether your efforts were successful.

One trick to narrow your focus is to consider the specific audience you want to reach, including:

- The content types they want to see from your account
- The posts they like posting on their own Instagram feeds
- How they behave on Instagram

For example, if you want more engagement, your goal can be creating content that your target audiences want to engage with and share.

Remember to include your photo contest, timeframe and budget to develop an effective Instagram competition.

If you work with a team, leverage social media management tool or software such as [Teamwork](https://www.teamwork.com/try-now/project-management-software-b/?gspk=bWF0dGphbmF3YXk5Nzk1&gsxid=IOPNLo2R8ihQ&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to identify your contest and other Instagram marketing efforts’ goals and track their progress.

The project management software offers essential features for managing your tasks, team, and clients in one platform.

![Teamwork project health and profitability dashboard for tracking Instagram contest posts and social media entries efficiently.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/05/data-src-image-731b8183-bdcd-4d13-b109-ad81a40a488b.png)

**Image source: teamwork.com*

Use the software’s time-tracking, resource allocation, reporting, and other collaboration tools for centralised management, streamlining your work.

### Step 2: Develop an entry system

Establish and highlight how your audiences can enter your Instagram competition. Make contest mechanics very clear so you don’t leave any room for confusion.

Check out these other contest entries you can get inspiration from:

- Ask participants to create a post and follow your company’s Instagram account
- Ask audiences to post an Instagram video or photo with a specific theme
- Ask IG users to comment or like your particular post to join your contest
- Get followers to tag and mention your brand’s Instagram handle in their post

Provide clear guidelines for entering your IG contest and highlight them in your promotional materials.

### Step 3: Use the right hashtags

Besides [creating high-performing content](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/5-tips-for-creating-high-performing-content/) for your contest, get more eyes on your Instagram competition by including relevant and creative hashtags in your contest announcement post.

Hashtags make your contest announcement post on Instagram more searchable and discoverable.

The more people see your contest announcement, the more participants you can rope in to join.

The challenge is that using hashtags can be tricky. If you inaccurately tag content, your post may be displayed in irrelevant feeds.

You can run several IG contests in two to three months, and you don’t want to keep using the same hashtags for every single one. 

You’ll need the right hashtags relevant to your contest while ensuring the post reaches your target audiences.

Consider the following factors to help you come up with the right hashtags:

- **Short**. Keep your hashtags short to make them easier for interested participants to remember.
- **Memorable**. Make your hashtags memorable enough to capture your audience’s attention and interest. Create catchy and easy-to-search and write hashtags and avoid confusing word choices.
- **Relevant**. Use hashtags associated with your brand name, products and services. Doing so helps get your contest announcement post in front of audiences interested in your brand and products.
- **Universal.** With global audiences, consider whether your potential contest participants use similar words or speak the same language. Avoid using region-specific words or slang terms that can confuse your audiences.

You can get hashtag suggestions from a tools like Inflact.

The tool’s AI-based Instagram hashtag generator tool can give you instant hashtag suggestions by analysing keywords, photos, or URLs. 

![Generate Instagram hashtags using keywords, photos, or URLs. Select desired hashtags for your marketing strategy, boosting Instagram contest visibility and engagement.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/05/data-src-image-5fc1901c-2eff-49d4-940c-40add2a0edcb.png)

**Image source: inflact.com*

Inflact’s hashtag generator can sort hashtags by competition level and frequency. You can save your search results as templates so you can find and use them easily for other posts.

Also, consider weaving your [keyword monitoring](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/keyword-monitoring/) strategies into your hashtag research to determine the keywords or hashtags that work best for your contests, posts, and audiences.

### Step 4: Select a specific theme

If your Instagram contest is User-Generated Content or UGC-based, choose a theme so participants know the types of photos and videos to use to join your competition.

Pick a theme that aligns with your product, brand, and market.

You can also choose seasonal themes for holidays and special events.

Create an on-brand and theme-appropriate announcement to inspire your potential participants to join your contest.

You can whip up a visually captivating post in minutes with graphic design tools such as [Canva](https://www.canva.com/pricing/?clickId=2qNXoL1IFxyNWvUQvhUbhTKLUkAQ%3AGwqWUta0M0&utm%5Fmedium=affiliate&utm%5Fsource=Matt%20Janaway%5F2936055&irgwc=1).

![Design Instagram giveaway contest posts using editing and design tools. Select templates, customize with text and elements to create engaging Instagram contest content.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/05/data-src-image-944672d1-d8a1-4260-96e8-76c6b9a13da4.png)

**Image source: canva.com*

Canva’s customisable templates, various graphics, and user-friendly design tools simplify creating your Instagram contest post.

The contest for naming a summer climbing competition below is a classic example.

![Instagram climbing photo contest post encouraging user generated content through an Instagram giveaway, where followers can name the event to win a free ticket](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/05/data-src-image-bd521045-64b0-41ca-b514-5acf7a907018.png)

**Image source: Instagram.com*

The contest is specific to a special event or theme, and the mechanics are clear to participants.

### Step 5: Determine how you will choose winners

The best part of Instagram contests, at least for participants, is the announcement of winners.

You can determine winners with these options:

- **Voting**. Get your participants to compete to get the most likes. With the right prize, participants will more likely share your post, increasing your audience’s chances of winning while expanding your reach. Remember to set clear rules against using Like bots to prevent potential cheating.
- **Jury**. If you prefer quality over quantity to judge winners more fairly, using a jury is the way to go. You can choose a group of experts to decide on a winner. Remember to state this in your contest’s terms and conditions so participants know how they can win.

You can combine voting and jury methods or another way to pick a winner, but remember to disclose it to participants.

### Step 6: Choose an appropriate prize

![Choosing prizes for Instagram giveaways to boost engagement with options like coupons, gift cards, giveaways, and goodie bags, ideal for Instagram contest winner](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/10/Choosing-the-right-prize.png)

An effective way to get people to participate in your Instagram contest is to offer a valuable reward to your target audience without going over budget or deviating from your goals.

Provide a prize that is worth the time and effort it takes to join your contest while keeping it relevant to your brand, such as:

- Coupons
- Gift cards to your store
- Giveaways
- Free services provided by your company
- Goodie bags of your latest products

For instance, the collaboration giveaway by Sperry and PangeaSeed below offers a Sperry x Kerby Rosanes collaboration product as a reward.

![Instagram giveaway promoting a collaboration between Sperry and artist Kerby Rosanes with eco-friendly SeaCycled shoes, encouraging loyal customers to engage via Instagram content.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/05/data-src-image-0d11cf28-d58b-4033-af29-5a7b32549d6c.png)

**Image source: instagram.com*

### Step 7: Create your Instagram contest terms and conditions

![Example of an ongoing instagram giveaway that encourage users to interact with their instagram posts.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/10/Instagram-Contest-Giveaway-example.jpg)

**Image Source: @traderjoesobsessed*

Following legal guidelines when hosting Instagram competitions is non-negotiable.

The applicable laws depend on your location and your allowed participants. Play it safe and consult your lawyer when drafting contest terms and conditions.

The essential terms you should include are:

- Your contest dates
- The name and contact information of your brand (or the other promoting company when collaborating with other brands)
- The guidelines for entering your contest - the entry method
- All the important rules for how and who can enter, such as employee and age restrictions
- The guidelines for choosing a winner (or winners)
- The announcement dates for winners and how they will be informed
- The specific reward, including the description and number of prizes, how they will be delivered, and limitations
- Clear acknowledgement that your contest or promotion isn’t endorsed, administered, associated with, or promoted by Instagram and other social media networks involved in the competition

### Step 8: Track submissions and follow up with winners

Identify the specific metrics to use and how you will track them.

Doing so helps you determine your contest's participation level, including your promotional efforts' effectiveness.

Consider using the following metrics in your [content tracking](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-tracking-ultimate-guide-with-tips-and-tricks/) strategy:

- Likes per submission to help you track potential winners if your Instagram competition is decided by voting.
- Number of submissions or posts submitted that comply with your terms and conditions.
- Top participants or the users who shared the most content as contest submissions.
- Total reach to determine your participants’ number of followers at submission, showing your campaign’s potential reach.
- Follower growth shows how much your following increased during your contest
- Total likes measure the number of all likes on all your contest submissions.

Use tools such as Iconosquare.

The platform offers robust [content marketing automation](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-marketing-automation/) and social listening tools to monitor mentions of your contest, contest hashtag, brand, etc.

You can also use the tool’s analytics features to track most of the key metrics above to help determine your contest’s reach, engagement, and success.

![Instagram post insights showcasing total posts, likes, comments, and engagement metrics, useful for refining contest goals, Instagram stories, and overall marketing strategy](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/05/data-src-image-662770b7-135b-4648-9f23-745fa10b0dd5.png)

**Image source: iconosquare.com*

Finally, review your contest submissions and ensure you choose winners fairly based on your terms and conditions.

Select, contact, and award the winner accordingly.

If you’re not taking down the original contest post, remember to announce that the contest is closed or has ended.

## What to consider before hosting your Instagram competition

Instagram provides specific guidelines when running contests on the platform.

Below is a summary of the guideline’s important points:

- You must ensure your Instagram promotions are lawful and comply with applicable rules and regulations.
- You are responsible for creating official rules and determining eligibility requirements.
- Avoid inaccurately tagging content or encouraging others to do so.
- Promotions on Instagram must include a release of liability for Instagram and an acknowledgement that the platform is not involved in the promotion.
- Instagram will not assist with the administration of promotions, and you assume all risks associated with using the service for promotions.

Understanding Instagram’s rules and guidelines on hosting contests is crucial so you avoid potential violations and Instagram banning or even disabling your account.

Read Instagram’s full [promotion guidelines here](https://help.instagram.com/179379842258600?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

## The best ways to promote your Instagram competition

Below are quick tips to help you promote your Instagram contest effectively.

- **Include your contest link in your Instagram bio**. Add a link to your contest’s terms and conditions in your IG bio during your contest period. Also, include a link to the contest app of your competition entries’ photo gallery.
- **Share your contest announcement post in your Stories**. Draw more attention to your IG competition by sharing your contest announcement post in your Stories. Use the swipe-up feature in Stories to share links that connect your viewers directly to your contest app, photo gallery, or terms and conditions. You can also post Stories featuring your contest prize and share regular reminders of your submission deadline.
- **Cross-promote your Instagram competition on other social media platforms**. Share your Instagram contest announcement posts on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, and other channels your brand is active in to reach more people. However, ensure that the contest you promote does not violate other social media platforms' community guidelines and terms and conditions. Check out Facebook’s [Monetization promotion guidelines](https://www.facebook.com/business/help/1494941357361432?id=2520940424820218) to learn more.
- **Run social media ads**. Place your contest announcement on Instagram and Facebook ads to get your competition in front of your target audiences. Social media ads require a bit of investment, but they can yield results faster. You can also display ads for your Instagram contest on your website, specifically your blog pages. It can be a great way to draw more attention to your contest and drive traffic and engagement to your blog pages, especially when learning [how to monetise your blog](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-monetise-your-blog-5-methods-and-their-pros-and-cons/).

![Creative user-generated Instagram content for Starbucks' #whitecupcontest, boosting engagement among loyal customers through unique designs](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2024/10/User-Generated-Content-from-Starbucks.jpg)

**User Generated Content from Starbucks*

## Boost your online presence with Instagram competitions

Running an Instagram competition can be excellent for engaging your audience, increasing brand awareness, and gaining new followers.

Leverage the right strategies and tools to create a successful Instagram competition that is exciting, well-organised, and complies with Instagram's guidelines.

Choose a valuable prize, create a visually appealing campaign, set clear guidelines, promote your competition, and measure your success.

Run a successful Instagram competition and continue to grow your online presence with this guide’s tips and tricks.

Increase your chances of winning at hosting Instagram competitions with our guidance.

[Book a free consultation](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/digital-marketing-consulting/) now to find out how I can help you.
### 7 Interactive Facebook Posts: Fun Ideas to Boost Engagement
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/interactive-facebook-posts/
Last updated: 2023-06-02T07:34:54.000Z
If you’re serious about improving your audience engagement, you need ***interactive Facebook posts***.

Getting low engagement rates and follower interactions can be frustrating.

After all, lower engagement rates can mean fewer opportunities to win more followers, get more leads and traffic, boost brand awareness, establish your online presence, and drive conversions and sales.

One of the best ways to capture your audience’s attention and take your engagement rates to new heights is through interactive Facebook posts.

In this post, I'll share some fun and creative ideas for interactive Facebook posts that can excite your followers and make them eager to participate.

## What is an interactive Facebook post?

Facebook interactive posts encourage users to engage with your content.

They can increase your chances of getting your audience to comment, like, share, or complete other actions that help your company reach your Facebook and social media marketing goals.

Other benefits of interactive Facebook posts include the following:

- **Make things exciting**. Interactive posts encourage users to interact with your content, helping your brand expand your reach and boost engagement. Interactive posts can also make your Facebook page more popular and even help you learn [how to become famous on social media](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-become-famous-on-social-media/).
- **Give you the inside scoop**. Interactive content helps you learn a lot about your audience, such as their preferences, opinions, and behaviours. You can leverage this information to create content that gets them excited, encouraging them to engage with your posts and brand. Combine this info with what you uncover from Google’s [People Also Search For](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/people-also-search-for/https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/people-also-search-for/) section to create engaging and relevant Facebook posts.
- **Build up your brand**. Interactive posts help provide users with an unforgettable experience. It can lead to more brand loyalty and recognition, which is always good for engagement.
- **Encourage your audience to share User-Generated Content (UGC)**. Interactive Facebook posts can encourage users to create their own content highlighting or referencing your brand. It’s an excellent tactic to generate content for your brand without making content yourself. It helps boost your brand's reach and create a sense of community with your followers.

## 7 Types of Interactive Facebook Posts

Get inspiration from popular interactive Facebook posts that can boost your engagement rates.

Start with these fun things to post on Facebook:

## Idea 1: Ask your audience questions

Kick-off conversations and, in turn, engage your Facebook audience by asking questions in your posts.

For instance, ask about how your audience uses your products or services, how they use the items unconventionally, or funny stories and experiences with your products.

Make your questions relatable and compelling to encourage audience interaction.

Something as simple as asking which product variation your viewers like better can do the trick.

Add creative elements and visuals to your post to capture your Facebook audience’s interest and entice them to engage with your content.

Leverage tools like [Canva](https://www.canva.com/pricing/?clickId=2qNXoL1IFxyNWvUQvhUbhTKLUkAVGLTCWUta0M0&utm%5Fmedium=affiliate&utm%5Fsource=Matt%20Janaway%5F2936055&irgwc=1) to create stunning visual and interactive Facebook posts easily, even if you have limited graphic design skills.

Additional tip: Create a poll ad to get your content in front of your target audience.

Learn how to [create a poll ad from Ads Manager here](https://www.facebook.com/business/help/437605740190763?id=603833089963720).

## Idea 2: Start a conversation

You can be as creative as you want with your interactive post for Facebook. After all, creative and compelling posts will get more eye on your brand and encourage more engagement.

However, starting a simple conversation with your audience can get the ball rolling.

For example, you can greet your audience with a “Good Day” and hint at trending topics—from the weather to the news.

Fair warning: this type of Facebook content doesn’t always result in significant engagement, but it can be a great conversation starter.

Plus, it makes your brand more human and relatable, helping you foster engagement.

The key is understanding your audience and what makes them excited to create content they want to engage with.

Look for trending topics based on popular keywords and searches using [SEMrush](https://www.semrush.com/?irclickid=z5dyXLy0IxyNWM0VP2x%3Aizo7UkAVGIzKWUta0M0&utm%5Fsource=affiliate&utm%5FMedium=impact&utm%5Fcampaign=2936055&utm%5Fterms=&utm%5Fcontent=&irgwc=1&utm%5Fmedium=impact&utm%5Fterm=).

Its robust keyword research tools help you uncover information to fuel and elevate your [digital content strategy](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/digital-content-strategy/), including your social media content.

## Idea 3: Fill in the blanks

Another interactive post type that tends to work well is to ask people to fill in the blanks.

Create posts related to your brand, products, or services and ask them to complete the sentence, phrase, or list.

For instance, if you own a travel company, you could create a “My dream holiday is to visit \_\_\_\_\_.”

It's simple yet engaging, enticing your audience to share their two cents. Your audience will only need to do a little work, too, since they only have to fill in the blank with their answers.

## Idea 4: Create lists for your audience to complete

Next on my list of interactive Facebook post ideas is lists.

Get your audience to share their advice and opinions by creating lists that people can add to or complete.

Including lists in your interactive Facebook posts help you create engaging content because:

- **Lists are easy to consume**. Lists are great content formats because they're easy to read and digest. Your audience can quickly scan the list and get the information they need, making it an attractive format for viewers with limited time and attention spans.
- **Lists can be interactive**. Creating lists that require user input, such as completing a task or answering a question, can encourage interaction and engagement. Your audiences will likely engage with your content if they feel part of the conversation.
- **Lists are shareable**. Lists are highly shareable content, and users are more likely to share your content if it's informative or entertaining, expanding your reach and engagement opportunities.

Be strategic with your interactive Facebook post lists. For instance, you can leverage it when learning [how to create topic clusters](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-create-topic-clusters/).

## Idea 5: Share User Generated Content

My [content research ultimate guide](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-research-the-ultimate-guide/) will tell you that sharing User Generated Content (UGC) as interactive Facebook posts encourages audience engagement.

Why? Because it provides social proof of your brand's value.

Sharing UGCs means leveraging your customers' experiences and opinions to create content for your brand.

It helps you build trust and credibility with your audience because people are likelier to trust recommendations from their peers than from a brand's own messaging.

Share UGCs to encourage people to engage with your brand and contribute their thoughts and experiences.

Ask people to share photos, videos, or stories about your brand or run contests or polls encouraging people to interact with your content.

Creating interactive posts with UGC also increases your organic reach on Facebook.

When people engage with your content, it signals to Facebook that your post is relevant and interesting, which can help it appear higher in people's newsfeeds.

## Idea 6: Offer and ask for tips

Level up your audience interactions by sharing helpful tips and asking your followers to share theirs.

Sharing tips in your Facebook posts can boost interaction and engagement because it provides value to your audience.

People will likely engage by liking, commenting, and sharing posts that offer value.

Sharing tips can also establish your brand as a credible information source, increasing trust and loyalty.

According to a [content tracking ultimate guide](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-tracking-ultimate-guide-with-tips-and-tricks/), monitoring your content's performance is the best way to know if your Facebook posts are raising your engagement rate, whether they contain tips or UGCs.

Develop a solid content tracking strategy to monitor and analyse your Facebook post performance. It helps you improve your content strategy for better results.

## Idea 7: Showcase the real people behind your brand

Here’s one of the tricks from my [content engagement field guide](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-engagement-field-guide-how-to-create-content-that-gets-clicks/) on how to create content that gets clicks:

**Humanise your brand by showing the people behind your company.**

It can be a great way to increase audience interaction and engagement because it helps you build trust and establish a personal connection with your audience.

Seeing the faces and personalities behind a brand can make your audience feel a sense of familiarity and affinity with your company. It can lead to increased engagement and loyalty.

Showcasing your employees highlights your unique selling points, such as your values, culture, and expertise.

It helps differentiate your brand from competitors and create a compelling narrative that resonates with your customers.

Also, highlighting the people that make up your company provides opportunities for storytelling and human interest stories.

These stories can engage your audience and help them connect emotionally with your brand.

## Examples of interactive Facebook posts

Check out these interactive Facebook post examples you can emulate in your content.

## Interactive Facebook posts for marketing

There are countless content types you can use for your interactive Facebook posts for marketing, including the following:

- **Polls**. If you’re a beauty brand, post a poll asking your followers which makeup trend they are most excited to try this season. You can list multiple options, such as bold lips, glitter eyeshadow, or winged eyeliner.
- **Interactive quizzes**. If you sell pet products, create an interactive quiz that helps pet owners determine the best type of food for their furry friends based on their age, breed, and activity level. You’ll provide value by offering helpful information while engaging your audience.
- **Caption contests**. Share product or brand-relevant photos and ask your audience for creative, funny, or compelling captions. Steel Viking Fitness’ caption contest below is a classic example.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/05/data-src-image-c88c6059-6f54-4553-bd0d-9f47bb17abcd.png)

*Image source: facebook.com*.

Remember to review Facebook’s [Content Monetisation Policies](https://www.facebook.com/business/help/1348682518563619?id=2520940424820218), including community guidelines and applicable laws, when running contests on the platform to avoid violations.

## Interactive Facebook posts for estate agents

Here are some ideas for real estate interactive Facebook posts:

- "Which of these living room designs do you prefer? A or B? Share your thoughts in the comments below!" and include two photos of different living room designs.
- "Help us choose the perfect colour for this bedroom. Should it be grey or yellow? Vote for your favourite in the comments below." Share two photos of bedrooms with different colour schemes.
- "Caption this photo. What would you name this beautiful backyard oasis?" Include a photo of a backyard with a pool and landscaping.
- "Take a look at this stunning kitchen. Can you guess this home’s price based on its luxurious features? Comment your estimate below." and share photos of a beautiful kitchen with high-end appliances.
- "Help us stage this living room. Which accent pillows do you think look best on this sofa? A, B, or C? Let us know in the comments below." Add photos of various accent pillows on a sofa.

Take inspiration from the Facebook post below that asks audiences their top “to decorate” room.   

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/05/data-src-image-efe4b3a3-523e-4469-8d13-7a259646ba90.png)

*Image source: facebook.com*.

## Interactive Facebook posts for food companies

Below are interactive posts you can include when planning your [content publishing strategy](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-publishing-strategy/) for boosting audience engagement.

- **Recipe poll**. Ask followers which recipe they want to see next, and offer options for them to choose from. It’s a great way to get new ideas for content while encouraging audience interaction.
- **Meal planning tips**. Share tips and tricks for meal planning, and ask your audiences to share their strategies.
- **Ingredient spotlight**. Highlight a specific ingredient and ask audiences to share their favourite recipes or ways to use it. It’s an excellent tactic to inspire home cooking.
- **Virtual cooking class**. Host a live virtual cooking class on Facebook and share the recipe beforehand. Encourage your followers to cook with you and share photos of their finished dishes.
- **Cooking challenge**. Run a cooking challenge and ask your followers to create a dish using a specific ingredient or theme. Encourage them to share photos of their creations and pick a winner to feature on your page.

Jarlsberg’s contest for a cause for Comic Relief: Red Nose Day nails this.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/05/data-src-image-df010d49-04a1-4107-8819-61ac7ef60751.png)

*Image source: facebook.com*.

## Interactive Facebook posts for pet companies

Creating interactive posts can draw more attention to your Facebook content and increase engagement.

Try out the following:

- "It's National Pet Day! Share a photo of your furry friend or baby in the comments and tell us what makes them so special to you."
- "Attention all cat lovers! Help us settle a debate: are cats better than dogs? React with a heart for cats or a like for dogs."
- "We want to see your pets' best tricks. Share a video in the comments below of your pet showing off their skills."
- "Happy Friday! Show us how your pet is celebrating the weekend by sharing a photo of them enjoying their favourite activity."
- "It's time to play a game. Comment below with a photo of your pet and we'll reply with a funny caption."
- "We know you love your pets, but do they love each other? Share a photo of your pets cuddling or playing together."
- "It's National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day! Share a photo of your adopted pet and encourage others to consider adopting from their local shelter."
- "It's the first day of summer! Show us how your pets are beating the heat by sharing a photo of them cooling off."
- "It's International Cat Day! Share a photo of your cat and tell us one thing you love about them."
- "It's a bird, it's a plane, it's your pet dressed up in a costume! Share a photo in the comments below of your pet in their best outfit."

You can host a giveaway or contest like the one from the pet company Pets at Home. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/05/data-src-image-f2c1a114-711e-4796-a6d9-dc2020bf0941.png)

*Image source: facebook.com*.

## Skyrocket your engagement with interactive Facebook posts

Interactive Facebook posts are some of the effective content types for boosting engagement with your audience.

Using fun and creative content can encourage your followers to interact with your posts.

The more people interact with your content, the higher your engagement opportunities while increasing brand awareness and generating valuable insights about their preferences and opinions.

Remember to keep your content relevant, entertaining, and visually appealing and to always respond promptly to your audience's comments and feedback.

Implementing these strategies helps create a vibrant online community that engages with and even advocates for your brand.

[Book a free consultation](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/digital-marketing-consulting/), and I can help you jumpstart your journey to create interactive posts for higher Facebook audience engagement and marketing success.
### Keyword Grouping: Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/keyword-grouping-guide/
Last updated: 2023-04-27T07:54:22.000Z
If you’re struggling to get meaningful SEO and PPC results, **keyword grouping** could be the missing ingredient you need.

Keyword grouping drastically improves and streamlines your keyword research process.

It helps you uncover more target-worthy keywords and come up with content topics a lot quicker, among other things.

In this post, you’ll learn what keyword grouping is, why it’s important, and how to do it right.

## What is keyword grouping?

Keyword grouping is the practice of organising semantically-related keywords into groups or “keyword clusters.” A primary keyword is assigned for each group of relevant keywords.

For example, the primary keyword “shipping software” may be grouped with keywords like:

- eCommerce shipping software
- Discounted shipping rates
- Shipping software for eCommerce
- Shipping software for small business
- Shipping management software
- Shipping automation system

Keyword groups target a specific subtopic or search intent. They help guide [content development](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-development-the-ultimate-guide/) and maximise the ROI of paid advertising campaigns.

## Why bother grouping keywords?

Grouping keywords in your keyword research process leads to the following benefits:

### Make content ideation easier

Keyword grouping streamlines the [content research](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-research-the-ultimate-guide/) process by building content ideas around secondary keywords.

For example, for the keyword group “shipping software,” the secondary keyword “shipping automation system” leads to the following content ideas:

- How to Build a Shipping Automation System
- Top X Tools for Creating a Shipping Automation System
- Why You Need a Shipping Automation System: X Benefits to Consider

Using any free keyword grouping tool can give you lots of viable content ideas for a single primary keyword.

The better your keyword grouping tool, the better content ideas you can get in terms of quality and quantity.

### Improve on-page SEO

Keyword grouping is essential to a [content cluster strategy](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/cluster-strategy/). This involves grouping content or “cluster posts” around a pillar page, which is optimised for a primary keyword.

Building a content cluster around a keyword list helps search engines understand the context behind your content. It also helps users find relevant information through internal links.

Both factors play a crucial role in bumping up your search engine rankings.

### Optimise for alternative keywords

Create keyword groups and optimise for alternative keywords to maximise your campaign’s potential reach.

Remember, multiple search queries can have the same search intent.

People who search “buy shoes online” have the same goal as those who use “order shoes online.” Building a keyword group prevents you from missing out on potential traffic simply because people phrase their queries differently.

### Streamline the content writing process

Keyword groups make it easy to build cohesive content outlines.

If you look at your keyword cluster, you can easily identify the keywords that go into each content idea. It also helps you decide the sections to include in each post.

Content outlines directly improve content quality. They also help writers work quickly and efficiently.

### Prevent keyword cannibalisation

Keyword cannibalisation is when multiple pages or posts from the same website compete for the same keywords. This limits each piece’s capacity to achieve high rankings in search results.

If you group keywords and build your content strategy in clusters, you give every post its own focus keyword.

Some posts within the same keyword group may still rank for similar secondary keywords. But with effective keyword clustering and content planning, each piece’s rankings will only be pushed for the focus keywords that matter.

### Run more cost-effective PPC campaigns

Narrower keyword groups improve the performance of Pay Per Click (PPC) ad campaigns.

PPC campaigns are expensive. But they’re costlier if you target a large, unrefined pool of keywords—including terms that non-buyers use.

Keyword grouping helps separate the wheat from the chaff. It ensures every cent of your PPC budget goes to keywords that can pull high-quality paid traffic.

## How to do keyword grouping for keyword research

Without further ado, here’s how to group keywords (and create keyword clusters):

### Step 1: Start with a seed keyword

Identify top-level keyword groups based on your business’s main offerings.

For example, if your business offers HVAC services, use “HVAC repair” as the seed keyword for your first keyword group.

You don’t need specialised keyword grouping tools to find seed keywords.

It’s possible to sit with your team and brainstorm seed keywords for keyword groups, especially if you own your business and have a firm grasp of the inner workings of the industry. But if you’re building a website or running a campaign for a client, you can comb through competitor sites to find potential seed keywords.

You’ll find these keywords on a competitor’s “services” page, sub-menu items, or something similar.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/L8HVXOmC5BmlqaA7mCSd281BQnewUGiYzWiN1ZNAqxCwsJCKUzt5K3c0SJIyDpFJz1l_h75OzD1yMvAILp2gZqcag-xKPzVmCVy9SysTLHRTtz7PZIMJcchwTH_Py0UI7zoAIyIC-IuD_oY8zCIghbzmuccX6rVVquL1JfsAjvSSbSRGb2CzxRUKm-KbNA)

With a little bit of research, an HVAC business can build keyword groups around the following seed keywords:

- HVAC repair
- Air conditioning repair
- Air conditioning installation
- Ventilation repair
- Heating repair
- Air conditioning maintenance

### Step 2: Find related keywords

Use your seed keywords to find related keywords using keyword research tools.

Keyword Magic Tool from [Semrush](https://semrush.sjv.io/Aokxv7?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is one of the best tools for the job.

Just go to **‘Keyword Magic Tool’** under “Keyword Research” from the main menu. From there, plug in your seed keyword, set the correct location, and click **‘Search.’**

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/CYs6oD7pGwnaRFkYwOwqtUmLfuonTkVuMtl62oBxoLDNQXziHx7U1Irwy6Of62sPNY-iIDc7WUygBbQSzg-phoDcKEjPazRBSs8JCiAmu8SEpSRxuLC537Ur1dpMjdrgeAk0iJv9cOAzG9bMKiSf3twV_lNNvM8lclDHDDipkbg-RGnQTtKfloOVIr-cXg)

Image Source: Semrush.com

Within seconds, Keyword Magic Tool will provide you with a long list of broad match, phrase match, and related keywords.

To diversify your keyword groupings while maintaining relevance, switch to the **‘Related’** tab.

In addition to related keyword ideas, Keyword Magic Tool also includes essential keyword metrics:

- Search volume: How many users, on average, search for this keyword?
- Keyword Difficulty (KD %): How hard is it to rank for this keyword?
- Intent: Do users want to learn information, find a specific brand, review a company, or purchase a product when using this keyword?
- Average Cost Per Click: How much are advertisers willing to bid on this keyword?
- Competitive Density (Com.): How hard is it to target this keyword in paid campaigns?

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/P4shIG0hBP0Eqa6rq_116KLoFgi9VWBAOmkU17P_bJ8Nv_zoQosF0cmwlyjw2ydrHo64dZFS9PvmfpAB5Hc5aIAlnj6ELBvYdqbjXxPKult3VJIKkGacs7Z2riFxrNr-6ZmVOzkaqUATVNRLNhwihOoOfMpSyGCPWGc2uzCxejO8tdlCNUw80bGsqKniRg)

Image Source: Semrush.com

### Step 3: Look for keywords that need their own page or post

Look for keywords that pertain to a more specific topic compared to your seed keyword.

Let’s say you used “HVAC repair” as your seed keyword.

The keyword “air conditioner repair service” is clearly a different set of words, but it still overlaps with your seed keyword in terms of meaning and search intent.

If there is such a huge overlap, Google will pull the same search results for both keywords.

For example, here are the search engine results for the keyword “HVAC repair”:

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/TeWDwrULaLJ2oDCdmVv1itEMZCqp4j9Q2XoWpD6s5x80ozetm3yICumKeCk0f-0rqWizgFlRdIiOJZyAHo4p5oUl54RdxjPRodhNrCfBrWZVQp5BNtqx-9hJXGQcXe-1lowgIk2f38oIyCsAGojuFVzveHhujFE3XY9rHwAYX1nwBGPPShVBe5rCscvm4A)

Image Source: Google.com

…and here are the search results for the keyword “air conditioner repair service”:

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_FTdQDxYGJCrCot-YTseKtjNP6vApd0StJR6qpcO6C6hF1-yeKRDcIzDtsbNdmCJs4kUaLgjScDYkSnIglamUZpx2v8CQ8CzUyT6Ht5_x2lXiaWDXY3uBqewv8TbR0ICGUsVLZwQ_dVXSPtKIkqfdiLCAah5xyG2ud3vTJJWDodvxn1jmlRsB8X8GZwFsA)

Image Source: Google.com

Since the two keywords bring a totally different set of results, that means “air conditioner repair service” may need its own page or post.

Just be sure your keyword, along with its keyword variations, generates a reasonable search volume.

In the above example, “air conditioner repair service” and its variations combine for over 4,800 searches per month.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/qc1PXDx-NYAqh0iz3ojJnVXT-5KVMYLBdAID-WpKqW_WZy3fBpRrG-0IPdf_V43u0uzP2MNdsVWbcgvDyUXOGY_2ATbZidatQFeigD92LgteBTTUq1ZwXErOLoTaO3wwin2jM3mS0BB8XFrj6UcznkUUfCYK4x07Htxe8GUympKmYlLJNvX5E3_Al5Z6ag)

Image Source: Semrush.com

### Step 4: Expand your related keywords list

Use Keyword Magic Tool’s other features to find more related keywords for your keyword group.

For example, click on any of your potential keywords to launch the “Keyword Overview” tool. This reveals in-depth information about your keyword, including keyword variations, question-based keywords, and related keywords.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/6LObIBY97n-QFEOh46v0NswHwyVRXAoTSjPAQYALLMgXyOYK6oFj5zZogdYMajy-VkUk2OkQiMeRQwmmmoKwB5ZkgL-PNI4ukp4I2ziKk1wzh2zf6iWhr9UCq5XiUVfwl8Yhz5knu7pGyLJz6xEGq70-B5AyiDjhUZGT-IQoJSY236iKriojbnWANwEdFA)

Image Source: Semrush.com

Here are additional tips when selecting keywords with Keyword Magic Tool:

- Choose keywords with a keyword difficulty rating of 15-49\. Difficulty ratings aren't perfect, but they give you a really rough idea of how competitive they might be. These are keyword ideas that potentially provide quick wins to small-medium businesses.
- Check if they’re contextually relevant to your seed keyword. Choose keyword variations that make sense when included in the same content.
- Are the keywords tied to your competitors? Avoid navigational keywords that contain specific terms that point to competitors.
- Sort keyword ideas according to the ‘Related %’ metric when checking your focus keyword. When using Keyword Magic Tool with your focus keyword, click the “Related %” column twice to sort the keyword list according to their relevancy.
- Be on the lookout for keywords that can be their own topic. In the example above, “car air conditioner repair” brings completely different results than “air conditioner repair service,” which is why it belongs in another keyword group.

### Step 5: Pick your focus keyword and secondary keywords

Define the focus keyword and secondary keywords in your keyword group.

This is crucial if you want to utilise your keyword group in content marketing and paid advertising campaigns.

The focus keyword is the one with the most high-quality traffic potential. Whereas secondary keywords should supplement the focus keyword—reinforcing the content’s contextual relevance to the topic and augmenting its potential reach.

Consider this keyword list:

- Air conditioner repair | Volume: 1,000 | KD %: 46
- Air condition repair | Volume: 590 | KD %: 52
- Air conditioner repair service | Volume: 320 | KD %: 37
- Air conditioner repairs | Volume: 720 | KD %: 23
- Air conditioning repair services | Volume: 720 | KD %: 35

For this keyword group, “air conditioner repair” is the most viable in terms of search volume and keyword difficulty.

Despite having the most traffic potential, it still falls within the ideal keyword difficulty range (15-49).

### Step 6: Build your keyword lists

Use the Semrush Keyword Manager tool to create keyword groups within your dashboard.

On the keyword list, use the checkboxes to select the keywords you wish to include. When done, click **‘Add to list’** to add them to a Keyword Manager list.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/qj-Y2U20fijCV4GWSinBw156WAnSlg1zV2ev3cAE0QRpgRmHb6mA3T1b0nlWHujqcRQK3IsTa2oLd1ciOdG-CMah2KbRSS7NVQXnxRHO7cXa20yR-T_tKZX97AjS8ni7D8WBEIhoiN9xYNF6AfBiBRSl9HMsDpzD0KUtNIL4GaicXDo8_dOrxtHM8imiLA)

Image Source: Semrush.com

You don’t have to use this feature to create keyword groups if you don’t intend to keep using Semrush.

In this case, click **‘Copy’** to export your keyword list into a different tool. This can be a spreadsheet tool or another keyword research tool entirely.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/mAHIQhBJkPDj_o6YC1KJzeK0FbngdBZHL5NHqsf3n8iTACpKJRMM1c2HqWSQbq0Dkx1BvFfRn11qPshKcrfl9MtX1D8M-G25z7Ls_B6f0nTUOzy9U0v4nq-QxogS_LGgICRx5D6fZ7-SdFGbAtIyRMSDBn4MuBG4Mv6vOmHboR9t470Wp9XNeXjgrz9PSw)

Image Source: Semrush.com

Feel free to organise and label your keyword list as you see fit.

A good strategy is to put your focus keywords in a separate column, followed by all secondary keywords and essential keyword metrics.

Here’s what your keyword group spreadsheet could look like:

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/OL0tfBFTd5zt_xYzt0CzGm-JRq5vNHnfsoX1MIvX0njQLMvcvs1Ie9NjzBnMxiyGLY8ybjZAarVRERTlaT-icEXEvqKm1H1WPm_ev7eYJ1vA77rB2Z5tiAiyFBac1XiPSzaIPORy4P-7h_PLkflm8bM0xmmKRoxO4TrKQ0Lfp7SAl-etDwmgQjtHeg709A)

Image Source: Sheets.Google.com

**Tip:* Don’t forget that the steps above are just for one keyword group. Keep repeating the steps above to create keyword groups around focus keywords that require separate pages.*

### Step 7: Build content around your keyword groups

Use your keyword group to build keyword-optimised content outlines.

Below are some basic guidelines you should consider:

- Insert your focus keyword in the post’s title tag: Mention your focus keyword near the beginning of the post’s title.
- Mention your focus keyword within the first 100 words. Inserting your focus keyword in the intro of your content helps readers and search engines understand what it’s about.
- Insert keywords in subheadings. Mention your focus and secondary keywords in subheadings (consider building sections that discuss secondary keywords if possible).
- Use internal links to connect multiple pieces of content under the same parent topic. For example, your article about “air conditioner repair” can be linked to another post about “ventilation repair” since they both fall under the top-level keyword group “HVAC repair.”
- **Do not stuff your keywords. Be natural - write for your reader.**

### Step 8: Try other tools to build keyword groups

Build expansive and comprehensive keyword lists using multiple keyword research tools.

Apart from Semrush, [Surfer](https://surferseo.com/?fpr=matt23&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is a great tool that provides a “shortcut” to keyword groups.

From the main dashboard, look for “Keyword Research” under the “Tools” section and click **‘Create.’**

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/lt9Zpzlf6wOKKjLuofxrWkYfTaNYw6RvRh_9k-Ib9U9xJMn5i2-_D87zQfZU6-QoKdkBWU3fEfJAzxjy29pxvOpUv13_VpoWx9YklfxxN45u8z8YtVTolWSGaQMsbcSRnh5MCt_7bZiOAXvWWNIRhR0twarJpBN2De5dmxpuMu7BQNVEP9X85PeqMAd0QA)

Image Source: SurferSEO.com

Enter your focus keyword in the “Keyword” field and click **‘Create Keyword Research.’**

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GYlwaq9YgGKc97Qe5CcOPZ9MubhzHBVryVva21OTtzB_4JdAZiBnuUVeuScn6VRxoPAnfUsGCq50S6T-OdqQN1bx3zPcdUOcXua-VGeEFM0UV1SaITj2LnCIiYLWIDl_dyhEhIrBHgUjCFnMjpZHQ_8VssyDMv3aXjHpn6qhtX9A6J487YXQF96e6b8LA)

Image Source: SurferSEO.com

Once the results are in, click on your focus keyword under “Keyword Research History” to reveal ready-made keyword groups.

In addition to related keywords, Surfer also includes the keyword group’s cumulative search volume, keyword difficulty rating, and associated search intent.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/KyctPmh1NyWDuI96YpSPNd2Hex_F3nYKU1E0i58WXHG8RUpjEWELswGfq2u8d666-m7Jywdg40R5tRoLMvV8vMzGQQW8Qt4XxAn5CgVPdrd9FNxHETyNdBjqCWIlieU-_luRL0RatbJ55J_6utXhOJaqR_Zw53wbB2DBWMY4KbyoufeBALsDen0Fd-AI0w)

Image Source: SurferSEO.com

Surfer’s Keyword Research feature is a quick way to generate dozens of keyword groups around your focus keyword. Still, it’s better to try different keyword research tools until you find one that perfectly suits your workflow.

Aside from Surfer and Semrush, below are other SEO platforms with built-in keyword research functionality you should try:

- [Mangools](https://mangools.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk#a6116d8befeebf830a8d1cde9)
- [Raven Tools](https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?afftrack=&b=40&m=47&u=864476&urllink=&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)
- [Ahrefs](https://ahrefs.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

## Keyword grouping: Frequently Asked Questions

### FAQ: What is a keyword group?

A keyword group is a list of semantically-related keywords that can help SEO and paid advertising campaigns. It consists of a focus keyword and a list of related, secondary keywords.

### FAQ: How do I create a keyword group?

Steps to create a keyword group:

1. Start with a seed keyword.
2. Find keyword ideas that can be used as focus keywords.
3. Find secondary keywords related to your focus keyword.
4. Build a strategy for turning keyword groups into content plans.

### FAQ: How do you rank multiple keywords?

Building content clusters using keyword groups will help your website rank for multiple keywords. Build separate pillar pages for focus keywords and connect them with a web of “cluster posts” around subtopics.

## Resources You’ll Love

- [Ubersuggest vs Ahrefs vs Semrush: Which SEO Tool is Better?](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/ubersuggest-vs-ahrefs-vs-semrush/)
- [How to Build an SEO Strategy for Your Business from Scratch](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-build-an-seo-strategy-for-your-business-from-scratch/)
- [Digital Content Strategy: How to Develop a High-Performing Content Strategy](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/digital-content-strategy/)

## Build winning keyword groups for SEO and PPC

The guide above will help anyone build profitable keyword groups for SEO and PPC campaigns, but it’s still a time-consuming and painstaking process.

That’s where my team can come in.

We can provide done-for-you keyword groups that accelerate your SEO and PPC results.

[Contact me here](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/contact/) so we can discuss your strategy via phone call or video chat.
### Keyword Monitoring: Definition, Tips & Walkthroughs
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/keyword-monitoring/
Last updated: 2023-04-12T07:51:48.000Z
Are you looking to improve your search engine optimisation (SEO) strategy?

One key element to consider is **keyword monitoring** **.**

But what exactly is keyword monitoring, and how can you effectively implement it in your digital marketing efforts?

That’s what I'll cover in this guide.

I'll unpack what keyword monitoring is all about, provide helpful tips, and offer walkthroughs to get you started.

So, let's dive in!

## What is keyword monitoring?

Keyword monitoring is the process of tracking and analysing the performance of specific keywords or phrases that are relevant to your business or website.

This can be done through various tools, such as Google Analytics or SEMrush, which provide data on how often these keywords are being searched for, their ranking on search engines, and the competition level for those keywords.

Monitoring your keywords allows you to identify trends and optimise your website and content to improve your visibility and ranking in search engine results.

Keyword monitoring, often also called rank tracking, is crucial for SEO since it helps you understand what users are searching for and how to target your audience effectively.

## Why is keyword tracking or monitoring important?

Here are the top reasons why you need keyword monitoring for SEO:

### Reason 1: Double down on what works

By keeping track of the keywords that are driving traffic to your website, you identify the content and campaigns that are most effective and double down on them.

This helps you to optimise your marketing efforts and improve your overall online performance.

There are many tools and techniques you can use for keyword monitoring, including using analytics software to track traffic and conversions, setting up alerts for specific keywords, and using keyword research tools to identify new opportunities.

📚

**Important Read:** [**Content Tracking Ultimate Guide: With Tips And Tricks**](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-tracking-ultimate-guide-with-tips-and-tricks/)

### Reason 2: Track dips in search engine rankings

Keyword monitoring lets you track dips in your keyword rankings and determine the probable causes.

It can be due to increased competitor activity, search engine algorithm updates, website configuration changes, and so on.

Whatever the reason, recognising the problem is the first step toward a solution.

*Tip: Implement a* [*content cluster strategy*](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/cluster-strategy/) *to make your site’s internal linking more understandable to the search engines. Clustering your topics helps improve your topical authority, which then improves your rankability in the eyes of search engines.*

### Reason 3: Stay ahead of the competition

Stay informed whenever your competitors improve their rankings.

Keyword monitoring gives you the chance to investigate and use your competitors’ strategies and build upon them.

That way, your pages remain updated, competitive, and difficult to outrank.

### How to monitor target keywords in search engines

You need an SEO platform with a built-in keyword tracking tool like [Semrush](https://semrush.sjv.io/Aokxv7?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to monitor your keyword rankings.

Here’s how to use it:

### Step 1: Set up the Position Tracking tool

Log in to your Semrush dashboard and click ‘Position Tracking’ under “Keyword Research.”

Enter your domain URL and click ‘Set up tracking’ to proceed.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/4L0VD_pJgM-VUGpTPyF428xkGsmW4o_zr4rcwjWV1SxTL1grKRisLm2nGSus5mAWDrA6pkVJsC_Gxp9fSKsxJPNSO_T1d6p4jjHdXjfvGy5C3kT413Hd_PfrNkvv9sgmtHe_NNN_smOb69FIDT4c7AzFil7uVFY8dligMjlyW1_vS2MRrBFcORzTlEriiQ)

Image Source: Semrush.com

The Position Tracking tool creates a visual report about your website’s target keyword rankings.

But first, you need to specify what those keywords are and configure your targeting settings.

On the “Targeting” page, choose your target search engine, device, and location. Click ‘Continue to Keywords’ to move on to the next step.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/RMcXdYOGembD4uT9UPdwH2NKrXZyunlvMUTtMjvhn0bIGX6L06S7u3Mc9vy7lVhbvqNFB0IeGUcuZUTSwKMFZIIiIFtL9UWBtEJrRo22QiZD317tHsN8UTz4Iee0skfYzQfEjTepa9JotgT_3i8-_hgdwCga-qW4h6edO76ZuD07XWwbxfwQXgCl1YTXbQ)

Image Source: Semrush.com

Semrush automatically includes suggested keywords based on your domain’s SEO performance. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always catch your best keywords.

You need to plug those manually into the “Keywords” field—one keyword per line or separated by commas. When done, click ‘Add keywords to campaign.’

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/u6eujLi440BFnODiiWbEXwKst_H2qJi-lDtFNsDLl_CsFZmGL6LG6M2lNKb4uN3Pgrf7ej6Ie6QQVIJ-nPjqTS3N44oFjloQneol8Bltxnsg0LSi6WsvaiSD4j9nDIbZ4XRmp4NcdotykSN3I-8FsS3cn9_BzWl3sKilbpRi0Rhpj1ARWLqSONqM-igQSw)

Image Source: Semrush.com

Review your campaign keywords list in the table below.

Before you click ‘Start Tracking,’ decide if you want to receive weekly ranking updates. When enabled, Semrush will send ranking information on your target keywords via email.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/PRcr9-Je1pFExjtKXrucE1Nm-wRko7PrHVRnj4sGbjBhyRAJeVjTOj4ga5RCOfB0R3FaOWHUTsYcJ3QTGgJuHqlnZhcj1c2wilTkMCH4jM-i9sRr2yb755YLahwxcqe6Y8pYqcCvQNP4Tl0wUeJXxOV1oJ_bGLvBOAxxLjBETK-p4gG5INjWI5EkfZqq-w)

Image Source: Semrush.com

It will take some time for Semrush to gather and compile keyword data into your project dashboard. When done, you’ll be redirected to your project dashboard.

### Step 2: Analyse your keyword ranking data

Collect baseline data on your top keywords from your project page.

In the “Position Tracking” panel, look at the “Top keywords” list for your keyword rankings. You’ll also see your website’s position and visibility score for each keyword.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/oMmH0qQ9I3etLY6si-JYq1-u-E9M-m8e5uwCHJsNK5J8cvrZV7XVqzLKwfUtCfiY1qX-7k8tx9ghpOqZrOtf3jjcnRhX7UN9kPvq7L9je_DrawKo0_JYB_ZrH2Z29rUeaOfo23cQw49-fucJGHuDDYf37t_1qpAcUGJepbnET5iySk-3F47F9R5d1vzuNg)

On Semrush, the visibility score measures your website’s position and estimated Click-Through Rate (CTR) for your target keyword or keywords.

You’ll find your overall visibility score to the left of the Position Tracking report. At the centre, you’ll see a breakdown of your target keyword positions in ranges (Top 3, Top 10, Top 20, and Top 100).

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/t7ZpmwTbg3SO3qe0MtbjIZ2hSfFCOX_yysQyhHdqOMvP6z0gKEs1E70nSmWoIhD-R_ArrkhO-6bu689ikTmf4qhpj6w7qmlFRoY81h6HqyC2XmrwXn7W86nra68emNOyx3tip4Xg-kK7BMNECRw2ddhjj47iZp3QVzWdeEQURsBGHHAmkXIN38JLoAf_BQ)

Image Source: Semrush.com

### Step 3: Benchmark your rankings against competitors

Click ‘View full report’ in the Position Tracking panel to unload all your keyword ranking data.

In the top toolbar, click ‘Add’ next to “Competitors.” Semrush allows you to add up to 20 competitors to the Position Tracking tool, just click the plus sign next to your competitor’s domain and click ‘Update.’

If you can’t find a particular competitor, just enter their domain in the “Add competitors” field and click the plus button.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ikhs7Caaxr1yQvxYmRdYsv3JI9mkHTHuxrTcFDefqmq12wbU4I80Xl9IKFUUjRRn7kt-E_2olJqF4QvlWD18FOAi5egRlRu6kbN1cyDKYPBvfQrGVLvXiUfR51VZCxLiszYjI3HDcPopSbxHL66eJpXyxz6mvy26x5Zl0hYPRa34CM5LalQ9EW_AB0hnPg)

Image Source: Semrush.com

With competitors added, switch to the ‘Overview’ tab to compare your website’s performance with competitors in terms of:

- Traffic share
- Overall rankings and CTR (visibility)
- Estimated traffic
- Average Google rankings

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/o2ss4LnhS5wqWZqc17BF04Texo7mAutLi7PpaLHZ41MDnGmDHry2KkHfa6_a71V6ygrCydzJCPN02y3_XMls6GGbotw4BhsT9gtxGaLhQGDqlA6eeFIAXfjXuhNPCqMuuv_ruB0K_me4iODsfwMJxYSsNmgLcXKS0bqTLwnJe9TjUsT7RAn_l6b7q9ggrQ)

Image Source: Semrush.com

Select a competitor’s domain in one of the “Add domain” drop-down menus in the toolbar. The competitors you added earlier should be visible here.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/ZMsgxlPNFQ9-DRzMzPgrwDiydE5iRuvJ1wZInkQUYKfaTOG7-q_snTFCHAKO88kzhVNT6dgmxyLxF8hixWdbYENt60bsknCtrWmou6ryeOlIbirB5nIzhlwk1As0wHXxmS-XK7KBhxPHP8Z3AA3HF89vWYmfqZBrFOr93PC9HK8lebOfW0qyU5cD9UKfpA)

Image Source: Semrush.com

Feel free to add up to four competitors to the Position Tracking report.

The table below should now map your (and your competitors’) performance in terms of traffic share, visibility, total traffic, and average rankings. Just click on the data tabs to refresh the table in real time.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/UB4OmyFjuH-rkSA5aS4Af7ejj5cyUUoTgvXFBdgDNC32pkiQmOHfs3hdm6gyADV7etdLMmuaVrVKec-FdiXah1ivny82PT3k9tI-KeTee9a3if4Ufrqmv88RoFcWewOAY9nXX6Sp0_BFVSiaGnHoTnqBKGe_ML2tKzjgOUE2uVUu4yx2YJ7kQdQpnIsseQ)

Image Source: Semrush.com

Scroll down the Position Tracking report to view the “Rankings Overview” table.

Here, you can compare your rankings with competitors for specific keywords.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/t7hH4rssZMaReIBMf_KhW6oAH_bn9EuwYzAURDiXhgLgs6gz4mIRUwahopClH4Qan2_1KJQX23avuNF9pKz8G9oNsSqRc7hrXW4LQldL3woDYjX30DaI2MEFuHJRmDr4-meyjtfP3UkCmOg3L8aWTRvClnrPsXVHEgWt5N3_A85xc1vs7DW3zZiDTveQ-w)

Image Source: Semrush.com

### Step 4: Find low-hanging fruit keywords with Surfer

Use tools like [Surfer](https://surferseo.com/?fpr=matt23&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to quickly find low-hanging fruit keywords for quick wins.

Semrush is also equipped to help you find low-hanging fruit keyword opportunities. However, its feature set is better suited for in-depth SEO analytics and keyword tracking.

To look for low-hanging fruit keywords, log in to your Surfer dashboard and go to ‘Domain Planner.’ Enter your website’s domain, choose your target location, and click ‘Create Domain Planner.’

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/dS8ioyUzDHYT-QG5YN64wWuZXwOgh4cR_21tL_Qh1umB922p2ONHlj4jCdmRG2B-PeDDaw86PRl3-xgAcyt1dQudnOJLkBnJQAMF43Z0VPV9ued-pzOYulZzaxUR6Pq2Hi2MFCaN0fibvIuTvM5g-4O3O9cIsa9cQRIalgjWBBt6SjtHlXlCRAouDNuATA)

Wait for Surfer to finish gathering keyword data on your domain.

When completed, click on your domain under “Domain Planner History.”

The Domain Planner Summary page shows a list of keywords you already rank for. It shows the ranking page alongside useful metrics, like:

- Impressions
- Average position
- Traffic
- Keyword monthly search volume
- Search intent
- Featured snippets

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/k82P9iE96Wd2lba1CEbfg0BbM1_6zQzxfpfFrdcd-thNubJMFkpVwQ2SQEOkZW7K2i_V722_2chYoD86joS0vacJcaPiOnEWU55cBUM3xYTt0te8-k_MSugWtDi1C_peyBR38Dz_xIjPaOfUCQDfdFzxDX48fhrnS2RKwpQFU1-QjslNpRg-RFj0OJkWlg)

Image Source: SurferSEO.com

To find low-hanging fruit keywords, turn on the ‘Low-Hanging Fruit’ filter at the top of the filters toolbar. This will sieve out keywords you’re already ranking well for between positions 10-20.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/xW3Y74Zq7dz0t5E3rFMD7_pyFk16H94Zyz5d50RSTLF3LLy_kxPmR_q2yoh5Tmne8vv_yT7AhVX3uGPAfH1ozKL_LGjDkm9x4IQu0uGEfpETSbmfc3wXPsN37_bDHIKkhP461JzOZLztdQus72WU-b0KnrIk6ye0ZNowGu2XeqEIWWDb_YButQv9nWOyiw)

Image Source: SurferSEO.com

To leverage low-hanging fruit keywords, toggle the “Advanced view” on top of the keyword list.

This reveals related keywords your page ranks for, including metrics like traffic, average position, and monthly impressions.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/uHXP4kTD_azjtktwOYNhjUDjPTpBl--nx8zQxLboRMfSDPM37oZpYXyfDk_ywAMsa9OcjtPKwBSb2vHYUTTeA23llXrU10yCORFWmnLY3eRZvl-go99b9ee7MRkxnzAxCEY53SMzoaN84LnmiX2ovXKFllbL1EicUBtSQNBVTgwbHS7lskaTYNtS_q3F1A)

Image Source: SurferSEO.com

Tip: Track your competitor’s keywords by entering their domain into Domain Planner. This will help you steal profitable keyword ideas from their SEO strategy.

Consider optimising your content for the related keywords shown in Domain Planner.

Click the ‘Optimize with a Content Editor’ button in the lower-right corner.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/lOTlRr_srrNAglj327GJ28Q3GU3EAUqrCBdAeKwxoVdU0DACaVf2eazURIYdyeAlWvgrR2ZkvrCu9CxXtiJpO69AYv-iTWI2JAGYOG2PjhwUTNRApHNSqo-CiyIV_5gVGfUUiy6Hi8mlSMCoToYUnawR9WCuP2c6O1Sx6_7lUiHf_1Q1yqm1C_ANkBSiXQ)

Image Source: SurferSEO.com

Click the button again and select ‘Open Content Editor’ to launch Surfer’s proprietary content optimisation tool.

Its main features include:

- Content scoring system: Guide your content optimisation efforts with a content score that improves based on multiple factors (including everything below).
- Content structure recommendations: See recommendations for word count along with the number of images, paragraphs, and headings.
- Keyword suggestions: Get a list of keywords to include along with their ideal usage.
- Outline builder: Obtain suggestions for your content’s title, headings, subtopics, and included questions.

Surfer’s Content Editor also works with Google Docs through a browser extension. This lets you produce and optimise content in one seamless workflow.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/RJnY_izaMtUA3acD3L_VQ4Wah_E8cM-y2gHo9_u3rYzy_YJTIF6ViW3kOmu5oYiiOAMv90IMUzEfiC4UXofXCH5at6fG9ZxP4xIqWpnFt498uEQ_0BMaXV0bncuvZO6x4p4PsWfNH9bhjVSioP95Aw7lMzxhQNr9sJqa6RfplqQqG4nynM6BXm85fgME4A)

Image Source: Docs.Google.com

### Step 5: Use Google Search Console for free

If you have no desire to purchase a premium keyword rank tracker, monitor rankings through [Google Search Console](https://search.google.com/search-console/about?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)—a free service that helps website owners with:

- Monitoring indexing status
- Spotting indexing/crawling issues
- Track rankings for target keywords

To use Google Search Console for keyword rank tracking, log in with your Google account. In the upper-left corner, click ‘Add property’ in the drop-down menu.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/VTkaacWALPWp-JEKAvYji4XnQN3GlZw3XuZLR8ncA64YVQfOxyHRd3Y6djK8hOahZk7-ra9YElyxRK4uRSl8Z-uYlyI70H0bpqnC7L2e3s0ynUqaUNbjKSHzZvXbTl80CtHTMp3NcIDL9U2KYA8rDOmWwyjgEOqA90d-hcLcfoYwbUTFjqU2PCX_1lQMOg)

Image Source: Search.Google.com

The next step is to select a property type.

Since you want to track ALL the keywords your website ranks for, use the “Domain” option and enter your website’s details. Click ‘Continue’ when done.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/FSaeA3um4FhHqSTtsnhZfv2-uBL4utKYTr-rdYxpxt7jOleK6_AE2klWyagsjrQepvjSFRv3a5mq3zfsw9pzxtE7LDNsH5zkJt6gYPk8ULXGOWI_0768FZYyCi0jFdlm-CVig-g9wI2OqNm0i2RoijNRLpeXjp2-0nUQb6rWj6uw5YlNGVBscz33Ukk5cQ)

Image Source: Search.Google.com

Before Search Console retrieves data, you need to verify your ownership of the domain you entered.

Simply copy a line of text into your website’s DNS configuration. This is done by logging into your domain service’s control panel.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/P8AYC3-F-wRBWKlUx92ZRrC48rYDwJtchWmjokZYvUjpEkleUC72JHLLNnWtdEKVRJjhdJnqlUUGCI6lygFLIjaOuXG1EgoCZxLit2dMHA4mnbZTKEYS7G-98h22NFwfFuE1Nxz-3sppQLScKez8aUZnHbj1Mf3aTQrK-ITuuVZd4BR6lV76sRzF4qKCtg)

Image Source: Search.Google.com

Click ‘Verify’ to complete the verification process.

Review the on-screen instructions to ensure you completed the verification steps correctly.

If you did and Search Console still returns an “Ownership verification failed” message, wait 24 hours and try again. That’s because server-side DNS changes take time to apply.

If the verification is successful, you should now see data populate your Search Console dashboard.

To track your website’s keywords, click ‘Performance’ from the main menu.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/8HAlAtWqRQKM1jut7mgZIeUpuzM2TRHyWgnzd6ecFCYXvmC0AqOef5vZpnE_CW_UM42huvxCThB33qxKs7BYTzoZv49SeJZDjWBnPrzOsdbZAAEtSAWaqtl-6z0P1R8tSbZSw4Gr6SGCxViGcVnbosixCMGidVpcI8kbGeO0E7jXle-plq9WdSOSL_s6KA)

Image Source: Search.Google.com

Search Console’s performance report only displays two metrics by default: total clicks and total impressions.

Select the ‘Average CTR’ and ‘Average position’ boxes to pull up these metrics.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/H-K2xb397qyWsNk5-jDFcBT6nF2_cKZz42ChBUzcNTT9gYF3bD_8IpdunMpRZxGr-s6kCBdCPxoy-4SLV921NSTGRU-6CsI4KsUxMFe9rGN5kpK55uzI6BV5BLfu392WPtpq7ep_vgURlK3lN8QDilcocX8gwBXgg3DIg3ccZJplOSXTqZMMTOlxC0j2oQ)

Image Source: Search.Google.com

Head to the table below and check the ‘Queries’ tab. This should contain your website’s keywords along with the selected metrics (clicks, impressions, CTR, and position).

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Y35g7ayUFQU8g_ERXykGoH_RM1F7PQcIaWlRcdnBU_SabUIJT-rQBApXzx4P8TGBtqZkBTaCVu0hknpvtxXboHoUvB9ko7e6ChWZc0mEYoGEl_qfVq3bT-f0AqgpBeEdFMEQucuw2l78G_BOJu3cRH0lCDW_yht7ypnfabw7ikCYOxIqw2cRTV-herKLBw)

Image Source: Search.Google.com

Search Console lets you obtain and track large keyword data for free. However, it can’t be used for more aggressive SEO strategies.

It can’t help you track manually-entered keywords, get content optimisation suggestions, spy on your competitors, and so on. It’s only useful for keyword tracking, page experience optimisation, and page indexing troubleshooting.

## How to monitor target keywords on social media

Another type of keyword monitoring involves hashtags, brand mentions, and topics on social media networks.

It requires a social media listening tool that records and alerts you whenever someone mentions your brand, product, competitor, or any relevant keyword.

Semrush’s Social Media Tracker, for example, lets you track up to 50 social media profiles on the following networks:

- Facebook
- Twitter
- Instagram
- LinkedIn
- YouTube
- Pinterest

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/cr4ShfnQIlHAHD16BXE9l7bYNBxiEAgerl9yPn70mUInM6-K1AwI2VKa9m8X4gvC0GLo_ZQK8NHc1DpPzVRP0Ww4D15kYhJ0aBbG8I6oI-6PRToElmcxWiKjpqZupI9KksPXVSgcmsR49ANFm6Yyrds3lhIY8yomcaxpp48cDi-T5Ejdv4TWcCig9yWkjA)

Image Source: Semrush.com

After adding social media profiles, Social Media Tracker actively measures audience growth, user engagement, and publication frequently. It also lets you compare your social media performance with your competitors.

Some other tools for tracking keywords on social media are:

- Brand24
- Keyhole
- Agorapulse
- Vista Social

## Keyword monitoring: Frequently Asked Questions

### FAQ: What is keyword monitoring?

Keyword monitoring is the process of tracking your website’s rankings for target keywords. It is done primarily to gauge the effectiveness of ongoing SEO campaigns.

### FAQ: How do I monitor keywords on my website?

Use SEO tools to monitor your website’s keyword rankings visually. Tools like Semrush let you track your website’s position for multiple keywords while extracting metrics like total estimated traffic, average position, and visibility score.

### FAQ: Can Google Analytics track keywords?

No, Google Analytics isn’t built to track your website’s keyword rankings. Google Search Console, on the other hand, tracks the top search engine queries that lead to impressions and clicks.

## Resources You’ll Love

- [Inbound Marketing: Why It’s Essential and How to Set Up for 2022](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/inbound-marketing-why-its-essential-and-how-to-set-up-for-2022/)
- [Ubsersuggest vs. Ahrefs vs. Semrush: Which SEO Tool is Better?](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/ubersuggest-vs-ahrefs-vs-semrush/)
- [9 Key Benefits of Google Analytics 4 (GA4)](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/benefits-of-google-analytics-4/)

## Turn keyword tracking into SEO action plans

There’s more to keyword tracking than finding the right keyword monitoring tool and keeping an eye on your rankings.

You also need an SEO strategy that effectively utilises keyword data to outrank the search engine competition.

[Contact me here](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/contact/) to discuss how to turn your keywords into juicy SEO opportunities.
### How to Create Topic Clusters (Step-by-Step Guide)
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-create-topic-clusters/
Last updated: 2023-04-03T11:31:03.000Z
Learn **how to create topic clusters.**

It’s an absolute must for digital marketers, considering how content-hungry this generation of internet users has become.

Using topic clusters will drastically increase your chances of ranking well on search engine results pages (SERPs).

The better your rankings, the more organic, recurring, and relevant website traffic you can generate, and the more revenue you'll enjoy.

In this guide, I'll talk about the process of creating high-performing topic clusters, give some examples, and cover best practices and FAQs.

## Definition of pillar page and topic clusters

Here’s a quick introduction to pillar pages and topic clusters:

### Pillar page definition

A pillar page is a content hub that contains—yet only introduces—several sub-topics related to the main topic. Think of it like a category page.

The sections introducing the subtopics contain links to articles that have more in-depth coverage of the sub-topic. These sub-articles are called “cluster posts.”

For example, a travel website may have a pillar page about travel insurance.

That pillar page can contain short introductions and links to these cluster posts:

- How to pick a travel insurance policy
- 10 benefits of travelling with insurance
- Travel insurance for people with medical conditions
- Top 15 travel insurance apps
- Interesting travel insurance statistics

Pillar pages associate with a broad keyword like “travel insurance.”

Cluster posts, on the other hand, connect to related keywords like “travel insurance apps,” “travel insurance statistics,” and other long-tail keywords.

### Topic clusters definition

Link a pillar page to cluster posts, and you have a complete topic cluster.

A topic cluster consists of a network of content built around the main topic—with the pillar page at the centre.

![Diagram/illustration of how topic clusters work](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/PvYhjACn6GX5mYi4ucbo4JLR8_k5woIxI_QbmVWOAvhvTl13T0TpKMSBB__5Y-buHzVX--4EBYLM3iGz0HxalGago5nvEPGn4tp1fwZp1v1ufP2RKoYJjBeaDxpEIjVuDrvEhcNCDDCfM92zhHE)

*Image Source: HubSpot.com*

When creating topic clusters, some websites use them as blog categories.

For example, clicking a category on [Cesar Millan’s blog](https://www.cesarsway.com/dog-care/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) takes you to a “comprehensive guide.” In reality, it’s just a pillar page filled with links to cluster posts about related keywords.

![Cesar Millan's page](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/xY6j7O-rI4W7t9808VHzWSVhgbX1PQmuYfyPcZZMxH1oTHnmCgq0i0LVtHj3NlB0Ahf5jvmjfnRiQz404PST0n5edFVRqg_n9h-gprmvu7aCGKfb7jRQap7KRPQVvlsZ6zmM0-9Q2E4knEQEGCA)

*Image Source: CesarsWay.com*

This pillar page focuses on the core topic, “dog care.” It links to subtopic pages or cluster posts about more specific keywords like “dog grooming tips” and “travelling with your dog.”

Since websites cover multiple topics and subtopics, it’s natural for sites to contain several topic clusters.

TL;DR: A topic cluster is a network of interlinked pages related to the same topic. Pillar pages are the centrepiece that connects all supporting content (cluster posts) within that network.

## Topic clusters and SEO: What’s their connection?

Topic clusters help users find all the content they need to fully understand a topic. This improves the user experience and improves SEO metrics like pages per session and dwell time.

Using a topic cluster model also establishes the hierarchy and architecture of your website content to search engines. It helps you sculpt how your pages pass link equity to each other.

It makes relevant content easier to find for users and search engine crawlers, improving the [indexability of your website](https://www.semrush.com/blog/what-are-crawlability-and-indexability-of-a-website/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) and accelerating organic search rankings.

Topic clusters also increase your website’s topical relevance and authority. As a bonus, they make the content creation process more organised, efficient, and overall easier.

To give you an idea of how this looks from a search engine perspective, here's an architectural view of an example website:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/04/flat-website-architecture.png)

Image Credit: Sitebulb

You can see the homepage in green; outside of that, you'll see categories (pillar pages), and then you'll see posts in orange (clusters, when there are multiple posts) surrounding the categories. 

## Three topic cluster examples

Below are three examples to help you better understand topic clusters:

### Example 1: Content Marketing Strategy — HubSpot

![Hubspot's pillar page](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/vnKnP2vY2XQ3FFAy3mP0-OUliIc9F1RxFyCJqp208rEN-f5r8VKUOaopXLYy4JEJQfJeapOqubabCJ6GjAhSbjNI_NQ5kPn87Ujk9ut9295TExsIpbwwVNJbOLPMZQmPKIR14T7FXRyJ1scZJ2U)

*Image Source: HubSpot.com*

One of the best topic cluster examples is HubSpot’s cluster on [content strategy](https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/content-marketing-strategy?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). Its pillar page is structured as a guide with links to related content and valuable resources, including free reports and tools.

**What they did right:**

- Offer free data reports and tools
- Use plenty of informative visuals
- Link to truckloads of cluster posts
- Insert clickable chapters

### Example 2: How to create an online course - Podia

![Podia's pillar page](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/kwdp3Q9zTYJg3gj7_WMT9wWeIiGbSajkJv5kuwWnsfxzlTvPw3prdufyA5F3CMQEVYeo7xEFR1MyJJN5kCwVoc7NbIXYusheM43LdkFvaFTKf3JOYn7MsnQgE83a8SxOBWYxSsE5Qtcytf1gWb0)

*Image Source: Podia.com*

Podia is an e-learning service that helps aspiring experts build their websites, create online courses, and monetise their platforms. Their unique topic cluster is about making money with online courses, which is encapsulated in [this pillar web page](https://www.podia.com/how-to-create-sell-profitable-online-course?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

**What they did right:**

- Embed a video version of the pillar content
- Create a clickable Table of Contents
- Use clear CTAs (Calls-To-Action)

### Example 3:x Learn SEO - Semrush

![SEMRush's pillar page](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/fRysXAwU6UVjJ485w1ayiYgP5lU1Y71DcFS42f3J_ETCLTVSbPtGj8VpOzJDoAankbb6BkTT12veydnLDbE6orG5aT3ITdueqJbWxq3nGGqx6YYJNHYcPcaJ1-S-D-pNe_p1ZwfceWzF3DsnQbE)

*Image Source: Semrush.com*

Semrush is a leading online marketing and SEO analytics platform. Their [topic cluster](https://www.semrush.com/blog/learn-seo/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) for the keyword “learn SEO” focuses on keeping readers engaged with a healthy dose of tips, best practices, and links to relevant resources.

## 5 Steps on how to create topic clusters

To create content clusters, you need to:

- Pick your parent topics and subtopics
- Conduct extensive keyword research
- Build a topic cluster content plan
- Check competitor pillar pages
- Look for missed internal link opportunities

Here’s a closer look at each step:

### Step 1: Pick your parent topics and subtopics

Look for a pillar topic to begin building your first topic cluster.

Start with the “obvious” topics for your brand.

For example, if you run a car repair and modding business, create topic clusters like “car maintenance” and “car tuning.” These are topics that your target readers are interested in.

Let’s say you chose the topic “car maintenance.” This will be the main keyword for your topic cluster.

Use [Semrush](https://semrush.sjv.io/Aokxv7?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) (or a similar tool) to identify relevant subtopics around it.

Fire up the Keyword Magic Tool and enter your focus keyword.

![Empty search field on the Keyword Magic Tool page](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/8IG8VWEgL2YQLEpcvcFrkNNpUuvcqrHjvg0ti6eQZOW-CDTowVflIUMGC9wjRr2zW3lpMcKFqUOI52WMjaJzxwEiUeGW6dnW1KQoGPEmfeCUUJDoRglmWmbB8r6FZtM7gFAws8OFdJ2akO2mhr0)

*Image Source: Semrush.com*

Click **‘Search’** and wait for Keyword Magic Tool to generate keyword suggestions.

Scan the list for relevant subtopics you can include in your cluster.

![Search results in Keyword Magic Tool for the query "car maintenance"](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/HfMIHe3w-tQmpozzrqEkbHVgrhNG4zT6DVKA7g4qApoe93y5Y66zfldZ0KkMkKeeba04sLsUACO8qWu3l328DnW3DNZ3hobrwpLHQ112wcROROphowGJABhQeGDSSclNuiqQaY6aZ6QlDIqVK5s)

*Image Source: Semrush.com*

For more ideas, click **‘Questions’** to reveal question-based keyword suggestions. These keywords relate to your target audience’s pain points, which is why they’re great for topic clusters.

![Keyword Magicl Tools results page after using the "Questions" filter](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/fmT3HeseahSD6JnO__1oDrsNPekHAa1yGnAwPmWBL_FmZ48mBx_O9qbXPV6T9Ef9qIGT-opgiWseL1IMVNfnb0hw-1NFKR8VG3UhnJq1Vr5z7P1a04n5y8y1xOAjSJiaHL75r_KJu8vdX8fdZZU)

*Image Source: Semrush.com*

If you still need more subtopics, try other [content research](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-research-the-ultimate-guide/) tactics like:

- Analysing your top competitors’ content
- Using AnswerThePublic.com for more question-based keywords
- Checking online communities and social media groups

### Step 2: Conduct extensive keyword research

Use Keyword Magic Tool to find tons of profitable long-tail keyword ideas for the entire topic and subtopics.

Pay attention to:

- ****Keyword Intent.** Keywords with “informational” search intent are perfect for topic clusters. “Transactional” and “Commercial” keywords should be your second priority.
- ****Search Volume.** Target keywords with reasonable monthly search volume. Keywords that get 100-1,000 searches are ideal for small-to-medium businesses.
- ****Keyword Difficulty.** Aim for keywords with a Keyword Difficulty rating (KD%) of 0-49 to rank faster. Keywords with a KD% of 51-69 require a consistent link-building strategy that targets high-authority link sources.

![Keyword data from SEMRush](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/l5HMvFwKbP9Qr4acU32OqQTPoU4UFFjUQLW0XW48HU66YZabEf8HQNn_i0PD98bBPFoR8izkmc4pmg0E9VjewcFmVofJTst1jKUbNOOv-jeq4VBNvrwRS_wfbXwQrgTdlVLEXKVRUH_P3vgElZ8)

*Image Source: Semrush.com*

Each pillar page and cluster post should have one focus keyword. That dictates the sections, takeaways, and overall angle of each piece.

With the focus keywords set, expand it into keyword variations and related queries.

Suppose you want to build a cluster post for the subtopic “how much to budget for car maintenance.” This will be your focus keyword for that cluster post.

Click on it from the keyword results to load the Keyword Overview report.

![Keyword data from SEMRush for the search query "How much to budget for car maintenance"](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/Kc-7gWmoqvJyrsjwMzcCvhDCIAXEGYUhUf_a4gxou6trY283uKTh9T1wY4bm1-VKGtvHOq_D1VFrnbzHseJBUdBOPe1Ryewumg56L5R55DvhpK-gX9h2mdx2z-kLcRr4MJVOp7db41-Sq5MCfPE)

*Image Source: Semrush.com*

Scroll down to the “Keyword Variations,” “Questions,” and “Related Keywords” cards to look for potential target keywords. Click any of the **‘View all’** buttons for a longer list of keyword ideas.

![Keyword suggestions from SEMRush](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/cXnoFI3ldzvICXyrhY_XMoXesDgdcjxMblGuvmIaaEDsaawNUPdI35Hxt6rB8WDgB_7u0tNOD67N3_2owAbB39ElcbbtvQvscUhqrfl8Asm0Ghg9I38B7PGf2sLsfbd7r4jf3RT-BgT8YffakDs)

*Image Source: Semrush.com*

Target as many keywords as possible for all pillar pages and clutter posts, but don’t optimise for all of them.

Find the perfect balance between keyword density and content quality. It's too easy to over-optimise. Remember to write for your audience. 

Mention keywords where they naturally fit while prioritising those with ideal metrics (volume, difficulty, and intent).

Don’t focus on stuffing keywords and make the post as comprehensive as possible. The more information you write, the more target keywords you can insert.

For now, collect plenty of target keywords for your pillar pages and cluster posts.

### Step 3: Build a topic cluster content plan

Compile and organise your topics, subtopics, and keywords in a spreadsheet app. This puts your [content development](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-development-the-ultimate-guide/) efforts in full swing when building topic cluster content.

You can use your own format when creating a topic cluster content plan. Just include columns for the content type (pillar or cluster post), focus keyword, and target keywords.

Start with the pillar topic and its keywords.

![Spreadsheet containing Focus Keyword for Pillar Post](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/HLm4zo49cujGfZkxKExI0XyvS5-Bkww5Ncmou01gmn3jaNt5yzE744DdlwfPAtl6hfhjKTUhc3Sv8OpM_fCxgf-6fG2GkzG8vZ0cC65T1dHuF-5t17jnGYib2Q7gLBg0SsQBwdNEuiyZs8Binjc)

Include essential keyword metrics to help your content team prioritise keywords in content creation and optimisation.

Take a good look at your focus keyword and target keywords to come up with a content title.

![Spreadsheet showing Keyword Difficulty, search volume, content title](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/yyTGNwvP5cicz25Ojiq40yHspl3cYUq7RTdFezizq6pjJcGbnwK8Qrd_3s7WV_1X7rJ2FNhqjopdoP8q92gTvwi_-32jMzmjJcoHKFccvIcAsmQywvnWpfusvrOcJiqY5ulRsploh84-H_udSp4)

Repeat the steps for all the supporting cluster posts in your topic cluster.

![Spreadsheet showing keyword data for two topic clusters](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/E3kE5rXpR31Gs-2G2F1guDp8NcSrJt23XF2E2CNpVNMEHVkL4FlamNTorOfc-WpEL1ZRnyvuD8Y86JIzR2htxB-RsL8n_7FaniT8VU_bJMq_XccVp1jcOqHZvTSXyKykB7o6d-ImP0GgyWzlims)

*Tip: Use a project management tool like* [*Teamwork*](https://teamwork.grsm.io/mattjanaway9795?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) *to make your content plan more accessible to your team. It comes with additional features that enhance collaboration, like shared storage, instant messaging, and event planning.*

### Step 4: Check competitor pillar pages

Before greenlighting your topic cluster content plan, check competitor pillar pages for content gaps.

Use Google, enter your pillar page keyword, and scan the top results. You may also use long-tail keyword variations to find high-ranking competitor pillar pages.  

![Google search results for the search query "car maintenance ultimate guide"](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/FZC5CQUDMYRO3oOp8wcwNTE2wW25QhTh_AEeyxpCexK1UZWWa3fH-gdc1YRe2oY8T4m5X3A6BG1wFs_xNRCBoqxD1Msxfx51-8uSLTDr74s1J41FMHlKouzX8uIGbASk-mCu_-771nMcqXxMfpA)

*Image Source: Google.com*

If you find a pillar page, run it through Semrush to identify missing keywords and subtopics.

Go to **‘Domain Overview’** and paste the URL of the competitor pillar page you found.

![SEMRush's Domain Overview page](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/CNAKPwbSvSE2Oi0qUa_isSNRxQSEyDfnA6Lij6dtzUqclfukrRWfqsdFWD-wBjcqlJleVcCAyUQwq5FcxZlOq6cv02--sAD_LiJOxk6Z68wS-vdac6s-hyUFuLIEJYqwdQpon6dxCHsgzOtmr0s)

*Image Source: Semrush.com*

Scroll down to the “Top Organic Keywords” section to find keywords that your content plan is missing. These keywords also often point to subtopic ideas you may have missed in your research.

![Top Organic Keywords for a domain](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/WkfcdjEJM8ZOeuDYvenSJnqU6lAFJI5bfGCjh1Cf3pOkaZqZkx11kdvyy7iNg5jZ9n0K0nrzgh5Xag9tqCCtuKlUQiBYUFu9TV9iRIwK-dHrfND8oVHbY6IMMlHRDRyRm_84_-6j_6bZGePxWSM)

*Image Source: Semrush.com*

### Step 5: Look for missed internal link opportunities

An effective internal linking strategy is crucial to the success of your topic cluster strategy.

Your content plan will help you build a solid internal link network for your topic cluster. However, you may miss out on internal link opportunities that take your topic cluster from good to great.

Use tools like [Surfer SEO](https://surferseo.com/?fpr=matt23&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to find these opportunities quickly.

Go to **‘Site Audit,’** enter your pillar or cluster post’s details (URL and focus keyword), and click **‘Create Audit.’**

![Surfer SEO's Content Audit page](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/eLnocbyrI-kmTVovq0aCVv-nFAjaPDZTtkEwHAMXclzoHD7VQ_Zns8Qdcl4ZsgjyWPcXWvTo8EUGyehLQRGQVFTJzNxUJFVt2JH1ZiTHeFIHdTTqyNLrQF8oc5bGSTANc2ZhVyGrNDRYPv4RTbY)

*Image Source: SurferSEO.com*

On the site audit report, find “Internal links” and click **‘Show internal links.’**

This reveals a list of internal pages you can link to from your pillar or cluster post.

![Surfer SEO's link suggestions](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/xjuGk48-Pd3mAfH3Pc0raU8l9ypZPOKfKcA7u-hNyJgvzF8lpc5KygKhxktbbbXRaBO7ByxGE_klIQv-qxiGU5DB7FO43JTmATfgv-IRLS0ae3bHbJgytVnoXImW26rxttVZHmEBdaho3wzHpow)

*Image Source: SurferSEO.com*

## Best practices for creating a topic cluster strategy

Maximise your topic cluster strategy with these best practices:

### Write basic pillar pages

Pillar pages are meant to give readers basic information about several subtopics. They should only include definitions of terms and quick tips—leaving readers wanting more.

This encourages readers to click the linked blog posts or cluster posts within the pillar article.

### Use content tracking to analyse performance

The individual success of your pillar page and cluster posts directly impact your topic cluster’s performance.

Implement a [content tracking](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-tracking-ultimate-guide-with-tips-and-tricks/) strategy with Google Analytics to track user experience metrics like session duration, bounce rate, and pages per session. You can also use it to analyse user behaviour and reveal cluster posts that make your audience leave.

### Speed up content creation with writing assistants

Writing assistants like [Grammarly](https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?afftrack=&b=864277&m=26748&u=864476&urllink=&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) and AI writers like [Writesonic AI](https://writesonic.com/?via=matt&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) can turbocharge content creation. They will help you get topic clusters off the ground and improve your search rankings.

Tip: Read this [Hemingway App vs Grammarly vs Whitesmoke](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/hemingway-app-vs-grammarly-vs-whitesmoke/) guide to find the perfect writing assistant.

### Optimise your content for mobile

Mobile-friendliness is an essential ranking factor that lets you reap the full benefits of topic clusters.

Use optimisation tools like Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test and fine-tune your [content strategy for mobile](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-strategy-for-mobile/) users. This will supercharge your topic cluster’s long-term results.

## FAQs on how to create topic clusters

### What is a topic cluster?

A topic cluster is a network of related content or “cluster posts” connected to a pillar page. Topic clusters improve the user experience and your web page’s rankability on the SERPs.

### How do you identify a topic cluster?

Three quick ways to identify topic clusters for your website:

- Get to know your audience and focus on their primary goals
- Understand the problems that your products or services solve
- Look at the topic clusters of your top competitors

### How many pillar pages should you have?

You can have as many pillar pages or topic clusters on your website as you need. Designate one topic cluster for each product, service, and customer challenge you’re trying to solve.

## Quick and easy way to create topic clusters

Creating topic clusters is pivotal to your brand’s digital marketing success, but they require days or weeks (or months) of careful research and hard work.

Enjoy the benefits of topic clusters without taking time away from your core business activities.

[Reach out to me](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/digital-marketing-consulting/), and let’s build your topic cluster strategy today.
### Top 10 Content Marketing Automation Tools
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-marketing-automation/
Last updated: 2023-03-01T12:23:59.000Z
Most high-performing businesses use **content marketing automation** to supercharge their growth.

If you’re looking to learn more about content marketing automation tools so you can leverage them to take your content marketing initiatives to the next level, then this guide is for you.

Learn what content marketing automation is, how it works, and what tools make it possible.

## What is content marketing automation?

Content marketing automation is the development and execution of automatic workflows for repetitive content marketing tasks. It’s done through content marketing automation tools or outsourced services, freeing up time and manpower for your core team.

Most automation tools are designed for a specific content marketing process, like proofreading, email marketing, social media posting, and reporting. Some automation platforms connect two or more services into a single workflow.

Full-service content marketing agencies, however, can automate entire campaigns—from keyword research to content publishing.

## Why is content marketing automation important?

Data from HubSpot shows that [76% of companies](https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) use automation in their content marketing strategy.

Automations allow businesses to streamline time-consuming processes that don’t require constant human intervention. This allows undermanned teams to maintain a competitive level of marketing, whereas well-staffed companies can scale their operations, explore other areas of growth, or both.

Apart from saving time and resources, using content marketing automation software leads to the following benefits:

- ****Minimise human error.** Marketing automation platforms can perfectly execute marketing game plans to the letter. They’re more reliable than humans, who are capable of making occasional mistakes.
- ****Zero missed marketing opportunities.** A content marketing automation tool can monitor marketing touchpoints 24/7, including social media, website contact forms, and messaging apps. It can provide your target audience with on-demand marketing content or self-service experiences when no one else in your team is available.
- ****Optimise your content marketing efforts.** Robust content automation tools often come with built-in monitoring and reporting features. These help you leverage performance data to fine-tune and optimise your strategy over time.
- ****Reduce costs of content marketing.** Statistics reveal that marketing automation reduces marketing overhead by [up to 12.2%](https://softwarepath.com/guides/marketing-automation-statistics?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). It eases up your team’s workload and eliminates the need for certain marketing solutions that require monthly fees.
- ****Build better marketing segments.** Marketing automation can be used for the segmentation of qualified leads and customers based on interactions. This is helpful in personalising and optimising future campaigns for maximum conversions.

## Top 10 content marketing automation tools

Are you ready to automate content marketing and unlock the full potential of your business?

Here are the top ten content marketing automation tools to get you started:

## 1\. Grammarly

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/dZckRI3BvaozC23GzY36hlaMCqU-TPOo_NYDCcgh57S525N54WVH4yU9wsk74MvOp7iyUqh8Iravccx_ZM96O7liTTNadHQDTWWoUBxFMmscDUUR_im5Pw_i1y-7EXQOQeAcGstRSIMj_dT__Ies_qA)

*Image Source: Grammarly.com*

Most content marketers automate proofreading, editing, and plagiarism checking with [Grammarly](https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?afftrack=&b=864277&m=26748&u=864476&urllink=&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)—the biggest writing assistant in the industry.

Grammarly automatically checks content drafts for issues in correctness, readability, engagement, and delivery. The writing assistant also provides real-time feedback and suggestions that can be applied with one click.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/yDgJTqP_tWZp05e6ploRIFjom6-FoqgJXFfIR9EW692oEmCZDznc3rpJRMHP9WVOUVU3pGjj2yG4EEiKsDi1swFzctqPg-AhNS4MT9fr05Vyaxbgx0HiILJGvkolrA7QUhvao37gps4_EaP-U8w3zM0)

*Image Source: Grammarly.com*

**Other Grammarly features**

- ****Customisable content goals.** Adjust the writing assistant’s scoring and suggestions based on your content goals. These can be tailored to your brand’s audience, desired level of formality, industry, and marketing intent.
- ****Use anywhere.** Use Grammarly as a Microsoft Word add-on or install the Chrome extension to proofread on LinkedIn, Google Docs, Facebook, and more. Grammarly also has a mobile app for your communications on the go.
- ****Free version.** Grammarly offers a free version with all the basic proofreading features. You don’t need to provide your credit card information or worry about a time limit.

## 2\. Writesonic

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/S_W7622lIHlIUqez_O_Jd040QabCjOucDQ2DUFIzlMFINpY1Spi2wsni7kOUVlTd5mT053FMEysx0U4mRDi7D6t14aYCNP1hr5JKuQjYJ6LSYHcB1gYs30ef8dlXvoU7VFTro_aVgCRwR2t9w3fSiXg)

*Image Source: Writesonic.com*

[Writesonic](https://writesonic.com/?via=matt&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is an AI-powered writing assistant that automates essential steps in the content creation process. It can generate ideas, intros, outlines, and complete sections for long-form content.

Use Writesonic for every [content development](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-development-the-ultimate-guide/) process or only enable features that are relevant to you. Each step is done on a single interface, helping you achieve a new level of content marketing efficiency.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/UKoU-YLLSAn-rnwybtezbU78mS9ataX5YAK1oipqRmXH4I81zRosUDg45sbzZJ6ODUP9ZKvNp_uOqoES-0BoO9deYKxu8k7hYoXainF0aXmOq3B7SkrzzAGyELJb5I9oLKlSrNK87PJ73EDuv5y32_U)

*Image Source: Writesonic.com*

**Other Writesonic features**

- ****Create complete surveys and polls.** Easily build a list of questions for surveys and polls that guarantee high participation. Just enter a title, and a description of your survey—Writesonic will send you a complete list of questions you can use.
- ****Copy for social media posts.** Generate instant captions for Instagram, TikTok video hooks, Facebook ad copies, tweets, and more. Writesonic can provide you with an endless supply of copy to bolster your social media presence.
- ****Content rephrase tool.** Revise ready-made content to match your target audience’s preferences. This is also useful in link-building campaigns where similar pieces of content are submitted to dozens of potential link sources.

## 3\. Semrush

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/EshWzlcGnlf5OY2yPLf8IIbViRiC2llWC_WPr2kpVcZ4s6RzFkCejhkclCkKIpfRlWJ3Biu7P_dHOO7BXZB3xUj4y_iY7tdYTDIgA74skX0_0vHAQHYo9jDEh00XuTzXsBJf5CUw8rhW0__4Ytm0LC8)

*Image Source: Semrush.com*

[Semrush](https://semrush.sjv.io/Aokxv7?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is a comprehensive visibility management, SEO, and content marketing platform with automation features sprinkled all over.

Marketers primarily use Semrush for extensive keyword research, website analytics, and competitor analysis. But it also utilises automation for reporting and client management.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/nXXnIC_VPJiFt7Nqb_If_LBtWqcUoQrN7dlu_MPGu3sk8jEqX78P6QXXft-HtVwlHrbT8o3uk90F2wMSTTRqDYHolyNdrUeonl3hzfLq54yUpdcOYoLFx0_gIcW7AA1lkEP9B-EaizqGmDB2c24KTG4)

*Image Source: Semrush.com*

**Other Semrush features**

- ****Lead generation tool.** Embed a free site audit tool on your official channels to attract potential leads. This is useful for SEO and marketing agencies who need a boost in their lead generation performance.
- ****Diverse list of SEO tools.** Conduct keyword research, run [content research](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-research-the-ultimate-guide/), analyse a website’s backlink profile, and discover missed SEO opportunities—Semrush can do it all. It also has features for managing social media, PPC campaigns, and local SEO.
- ****App integrations.** Expand the functionality of your Semrush account with app integrations. Connect apps for keyword research, eCommerce, content creation, and more.

## 4\. Mailchimp

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/k3HOvBAcCk_D4e0T9hZ5PuHV29M4MTZjrRHlj2U9R8qD4eEj3-ucqO1FPLx_2u1Ji15KWd47tarzXGgKKFqlugDB7CpNM4Ww4_FdoobawqpVZA6f5tCmYrk6QXxVc8XGn-bZe7W7DZf4Ph-zLlkIXfg)

*Image Source: Mailchimp.com*

[Mailchimp](https://mailchimp.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is a popular email marketing platform built for creating, running, and managing automated campaigns.

Create automated workflows with pre-built templates for each phase of the customer journey, like welcome emails, remarketing emails, thank you emails, and more. Mailchimp’s drag-and-drop interface enables the rapid creation of personalised automations even for beginners.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/6_wLlRKcbXYYX5o2PqSKztUQEusPKjr43tZ7X0RLhJPnk-rqD3XItKlWQzQHH7wO6WH7MG4N6FKKWnmJ6UoZu2cZ6x51NhQnMUr8rw7abkVov3Bire3trCb31sK_CwtNqj3SkZJeaVlyNZYZ_n-bgps)

*Image Source: Mailchimp.com*

**Other Mailchimp features**

- ****Landing page builder.** Create landing pages and opt-in forms without coding. Mailchimp offers professionally-designed templates you can customise to match your website.
- ****Creative assistant.** Use Mailchimp’s AI-powered “Creative Assistant” to produce custom, on-brand marketing designs. Just send your website URL or logo to have customisable templates for social media covers, full-width pages, and more.
- ****Full website builder.** Mailchimp comes with a fully-featured website builder with an online store. This is available for businesses based in the US or UK only.

## 5\. CoSchedule

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/jEQhzSZVrewXk1r8RotCaWwIugheIZRrTfEvFeri83Nyrl8PhF8MTQOp59K6yj9dtFyZByt0tgk9CIqfRx8QJE9GeuWU6uP_v3yHgcRi-vvYqBLT3LFxrjTEL9bVuvVbCAKkXgHs3Q90g5x_cM_L1go)

*Image Source: CoSchedule.com*

[CoSchedule](https://coschedule.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is a top-tier content calendar software that can automate your social media posts. It features social templates that help you create social sharing plans for all sorts of content—from blog posts to events.

CoSchedule’s automated social reports also help you make data-driven decisions in your marketing. And, if you’re an agency, they make it easier to communicate marketing results with clients.

**Other CoSchedule features**

- ****Headline Studio.** Quickly create click-worthy content headlines with the Headline Studio. Evaluate headlines based on word count, sentiment, skimmability, word balance, and more.
- ****Social Message Optimis**er.** Receive instant, actionable feedback about your social media messages. Understand factors like hashtags, sentiment, message type, and so on to craft posts that will captivate social media users.
- ****Work and Asset Organis**er.** Get everyone in your content marketing team on the same page with the Work Organiser. Track task progress, streamline collaboration, and share marketing assets via the Asset Organiser.

## 6\. ChatBot

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/EQJY_Hk7YDFL3g9iErtCU2bXdlYUhndsNLWMGx3Z01pRplcCpJXPB3_wujBEzQ0IFUF6UPnxMAgo00vJgua9rIeNB0unwlzjE676kYuJtYPOEZNqzWnpkNFIwnqklByS7U20UaCljUBJGBX9kgcD848)

*Image Source: ChatBot.com*

[ChatBot](https://www.chatbot.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is an easy-to-use platform that eliminates the complexities of programming AI-powered chatbots. These function as stand-ins for live agents, addressing common concerns and queries regarding your company’s offerings.

Use ChatBot’s visual builder to program your chatbot’s responses and actions based on user input. To speed up the process, use any of ChatBot’s automated conversation templates, which can be customised for marketing, sales, or customer support.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/zPAHHBCY5AjaQm8DevCTNF1nEypAeSer371EAYUZiRewfjqGWqZjM_5GLjnXPFCp1CZliPdsnKxf_00dnFhgNUDDXoVookQaOxRsIVC2sbDKZTM7LLehBEiOVCOp1s9j0XJOyVXdNkEOnxOzr1_J414)

*Image Source: ChatBot.com*

**Other ChatBot features**

- ****Third-party integrations.** Create advanced chatbots that fire actions through third-party apps, like HelpDesk, Shopify, Slack, and so on. Link your chatbot with other automation software for more flexibility.
- ****Free online course.** Make the most out of ChatBot by taking the free chatbot designer online course. Learn about thinking methods, chatbot personality, and data collection features through automated conversations.
- ****Automate user segmentation.** Proactively refine your customer segments through data from chatbot conversations. ChatBot will also help you export lead data into your email marketing or CRM software.

## 7\. Kimp

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/NtDq6Sbz7wEn1N86_oMshKmVRPXj1y0BDA7bz7AUzqfknS3Cot7bf1prDWAUzWaal5FFaPTYX8uRqeuBQB1Ughe8YSskJtEig81sPYDfvGiE_qd3MmuzZRNN3NAkn9SFWuW1VirUJcUDRKljvQttsRA)

*Image Source: Kimp.io*

Automate your visual content design and production with [Kimp](https://www.kimp.io/?partner=Janaway&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)—a graphic design service provider that specialises in marketing-related projects.

Kimp offers flat-rate plans that provide unlimited requests, unlimited revisions, and 24-hour turnaround times. The designs are 100% unique and publish-ready, keeping your content marketing campaigns supplied with thumb-stopping visuals.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ig5zaCt25sucn0vGtZeOqzCvpbg1f8Y9zBmObZ7fW-GsMYVwbt5zp7NluBm2Vvc750RTEvD5AKpOS4l8QXi8sxVybIvMJNLQXF4zSFjvy43QdRfSB2o8b_Npwhjnh34V3qLy2HNTwqA0hiaF9Gr4A9w)

*Image Source: Kimp.io*

**Other Kimp features**

- **Trello project management.** Collaborate with your dedicated Kimp team through Trello. It’s a visual, Kanban-style task management platform where you can track due dates, share files, and communicate with team members.
- **Zapier integration.** Inject your Kimp designs directly into your existing content marketing workflows. Have your dedicated Kimp design team configure the integration with your content distribution channels.
- **Versatile visual content portfolio.** Kimp’s professional artists can create anything from logos, website banners, infographics, and landing page visuals for [mobile conversion optimisation](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/mobile-conversion-optimization-best-practices/). You can also request video content like animated static designs, animated text, video ads, and cinemagraphs.

## 8\. Surfer SEO

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/RdHvaGmLPAJ_OfyKE3ceChhh2IQUpGboekjF4MO-yWroSHl4eVBfHtlWngWfUMPwrR5hMdzeL1L4EFkoedyBr0qvZ1Grvkf7jeEFz2MBCxEzZi8k-CvTOHICyJKfqhq7qA2I2TNEGgJorZB3d3CPGJY)

*Image Source: SurferSEO.com*

[Surfer SEO](https://surferseo.com/?fpr=matt23&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is a handy on-page SEO tool that automates keyword research and competitor analysis.

The Surfer SEO Chrome extension automatically provides keyword suggestions, target word length, outline recommendations, and additional on-page optimisation details. All these [content tracking](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-tracking-ultimate-guide-with-tips-and-tricks/) features come from an analysis of the top results for your target keyword.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/XotTePLQQnPp8xePgdi8-41GmXCqIXRzbJnKt36vK_tdKnPP_dAhq--6ysiAlUuYWf9MdJ44tMU0sOfYmQVh2T4c80qCE38bdU5OVVMgAvn856pKA8ZGNuQyIgs7J_L8IJgpyKffenzMCVgsAOoFH2M)

*Image Source: Docs.Google.com with Surfer SEO extension*

**Other Surfer SEO features**

- ****On-demand site audits.** Reveal on-page optimisation opportunities like internal links, backlinks, and keywords. Choose which competitors to compare your optimisation with.
- ****Content planner.** Unveil lots of cluster topics and keywords related to your focus keyword. This is useful for building topic clusters and pillar pages.
- ****SERP analys**er.** Identify the exact strategies top competitors are using to rank on Google’s first page. Surfer SEO emphasises key factors like common backlinks, shared keywords, keyword usage, common phrases, and more.

## 9\. IFTTT

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/565pLLu8VIgCkfRJf9pz7iHwtDbBCvFSnZsEKhc8s09U7Amv6KzmkAKjYh6W-oD7WyujzeiDOIPvOg9_JWx07MjzLKjY32JEwWm6Ju8z5Ht2nSRky_WcfajaR79U0H1iwt3YCJWL5EZzVN4Sb6gonnA)

*Image Source: IFTTT.com*

Short for “If This, Then That,” [IFTTT](https://ifttt.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is a user-friendly automation platform that connects two services in a single, streamlined workflow called an “Applet.”

IFTTT lets users create their own Applets or activate existing ones created by the community. Automate anything from social media publishing, Google Sheets entries, smart device actions, and many more.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/ihtyKTYGtXmJR8uUYCKz-GXL1p04ypCoKgX-YvaCy0ROptHSdRnfag3YlPFCKkBNfC406AKQoaKtKI4Tq7TU0sc5evv5siURNFZ4rx6tUHkJ9nvUx6xeZlxpu9-Oy5modQAYMvuordMSthmR1DIZvmo)

*Image Source: IFTTT.com*

**Other IFTTT features**

- ****Easy-to-use interface.** Applets can be created in a few minutes using IFTTT’s guided process. Select one app for the “trigger” and another for the resulting “action.”
- ****Customisable Applets.** IFTTT boasts a huge list of existing Applets built and submitted by other users. Configure them using your accounts and you’re ready to go.

## 10\. Zapier

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/fXzcoXBvyJvJtmVbxQBGqxcYO5u-38A24WrN0UlcRv1X5jRKa-o5koWae65v8bU1Z9ReOOP54ZhytVipxXSBY0xqakL-mPp8oNPvaEzv4V1YWq6Hhkb8xygPnylERM-QWwjbkfbemIAIiu7MBhc9XW4)

*Image Source: Zapier.com*

[Zapier](https://zapier.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is a widely-used automation platform with similar functions as IFTTT.

Although IFTTT is more beginner-friendly, Zapier’s automation tool is more flexible. It’s also featured as an integration by more platforms like Kimp, Shopify, and CoSchedule.

**Other Zapier features**

- ****Multi-step workflows.** Zapier lets you automate up to 100 actions in a single workflow. This allows the full automation of complex marketing processes—not just individual tasks.
- ****Conditions.** Set Zapier automations to run only when conditions are met. Actions can also be timed or delayed depending on your marketing goals.

## Content marketing automation FAQs

### 1\. What is content marketing automation?

Content marketing automation allows marketing-related tasks and processes to run by themselves. Automations can be achieved through tools or third-party services.

### 2\. How many companies are using marketing automation?

Statistics show that 76% use some form of marketing automation. This helps them save time on repetitive marketing tasks while reducing human error and reducing their marketing overhead.

### 3\. Why is marketing automation necessary?

Marketing automation gives your core marketing team more time for critical tasks that require your utmost attention. It also ensures you don’t miss marketing opportunities and crucial customer behaviour data.

## Set up your content marketing automations now

Make the most out of content marketing automation without lifting a finger.

Our team is ready to help prepare your content marketing automation stack while you focus on running your business. [Contact me here](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/digital-marketing-consulting/), and let’s discuss your next step.
### Why You Should Stop Micromanaging Your Marketing Agency or Marketing Team
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/why-you-should-stop-micromanaging-your-marketing-agency-or-team/
Last updated: 2023-02-26T21:42:26.000Z
Micromanagement can sometimes be an unhealthy management style in situations where relationships, deep focus, and creativity are important.

It’s a common misconception that micromanagement will lead to increased productivity; in reality, it does the opposite.

Harvard Business Review (Harvard University subsidiary) found that [micromanaging was a major factor in triggering disengagement](https://hbr.org/2008/02/micromanage-at-your-peril.html?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), which can be **extremely costly**.

According to Harvard University:

- 68% of people who have been micromanaged reported a **decrease in morale**
- 55% of people who have been micromanaged reported a **significant loss of productivity**
- 69% of people have **left their jobs** due to being micromanaged

Controlling every aspect of a relationship and requesting constant progress updates from your team won’t benefit you or them.

![](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1605879071148-d9ddbff24471?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=MnwxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDd8fHNjcmVhbXxlbnwwfHx8fDE2NDM0MTI1OTg&ixlib=rb-1.2.1&q=80&w=2000)

Photo by [Ryan Snaadt](https://unsplash.com/@ryansnaadt?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit) / [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit)

Micromanagers often create a culture of pressure that kills creativity, productivity and innovation. In the marketing world, these three outputs are vital for success and ROI.

For these reasons, [micromanagement has been shown to lead to high turnover rates among employees/partners](https://tracktime24.com/Blog/the-negative-effects-of-micromanagement?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), low morale and decreased levels of productivity.

If you find yourself struggling with this issue, read on for some ways you can stop micromanaging your agency or staff (or encourage your clients to stop micromanaging your agency). This way, the agency can do what they do best: providing excellent service levels and delivering performance.

## What is micromanagement?

Before determining how to deal with micromanagement, we have to define it correctly.

Micromanagement is when managers are too heavily involved in the day-to-day tasks of their employees. Micromanagers provide excessive direction and demand excessive or unrealistic feedback from their employees/partners with the goal of increasing productivity.

The truth is that micromanagement isn’t the answer to increased productivity; in fact, it does the opposite.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2022/01/micromanaging-agency.jpg)

When micromanaging becomes a habit, either through choice or by accident, employees/partners may become afraid to make mistakes for fear of receiving negative feedback. They may also feel like they aren’t performing or their work isn't good enough. They often spend less time thinking about how best to perform or drive ROI and more time thinking about how they can tick boxes.

The [Wikipedia definition of micromanagement](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micromanagement?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) does a great job of summarising it:

> *"In business management, micromanagement is a management style whereby a manager closely observes and/or controls and/or reminds the work of his or her subordinates or employees. Micromanagement is generally considered to have a negative connotation, mainly because it shows a lack of freedom in the workplace."*

## Why you should stop micromanaging your agency

One of the biggest challenges for managers is being too hands-on. 

When you micromanage, you are telling the team that you don't trust them enough to work on their own and be responsible for the results of their work.

Micromanaging might sometimes be justified for an untrained employee or for more sensitive workflows, but there are better ways to teach team members the skills they need in order to do their job; micromanagement leads to people getting frustrated, which increases anxiety and damages the trust that an individual has in the relationship.

Unchecked micro-management also discourages any kind of independent thinking as well as decision-making within a team because no one will have confidence in your actions or choices.

## What to do instead of micromanaging

It's easy to say that certain methods aren't effective, but what about an alternative?

### 1: Hire well

Hire people with the right skill sets in the first place. People who have a specialist skillset. Help them to understand what you expect from them and let them work independently with minimal oversight.

You may even want to do this as early as the interview process; hiring people who are too dependent on micromanagement could be a warning sign that it will continue even after they start working for you.

### 2: Let them lead

Once you have your team in place, the first thing you should do instead of micromanaging is to stop asking for updates too regularly.

If you need an update, ask your team when they believe it would be most beneficial to have conversations about progress. They are the specialists; they are the ones with the expertise to make things happen, hence why you employed or engaged with them in the first place.

### 3: Let them take ownership

Next, step back and give your team room to take ownership. If they know what’s expected of them and don’t feel like they have to send in daily updates or check-ins, they will be happier and more productive. They'll spend less time reporting and more time having an impact. They'll be happier and more effective. 

### 4: Give them responsibility

Trust your team and let them know that you trust them by giving them the independence to work on tasks without always needing approval from you. When employees know that they are trusted, [they become more motivated and productive](https://hbr.org/2017/01/the-neuroscience-of-trust?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

## Tips for letting go of the reins

Understanding why are you micromanaging is the start of trusting your team.

- Are you wanting to improve their output?
- Do you not trust them?
- Are they not performing?
- Do you feel like you aren't in control?

Check in with your team about what you think is causing your micromanagement problem. Have an honest conversation with them to understand the mechanisms behind the behaviour. This will give you a better idea of where to focus your efforts.

Next, find solutions that work for you and your team. It’s important to remember that there isn’t one solution that will work for everyone or every situation - but it’s worth trying out different approaches to see if any could be helpful for you and your team.

One tactic might be scheduling meetings at intervals that you both find comfortable so you can check up on how things are going without being too overbearing. You may also want to talk with a coach or mentor who can offer insight into effective ways to lead your team or agency without micromanaging.

Finally, be patient! It can take time before employees start feeling more comfortable with less oversight from their managers. Give them time to adjust by checking in regularly without being too overbearing and giving feedback that's appropriate for the situation at hand, not just general feedback on how they're doing overall. Be approachable and let them know they have your support if there's anything you can help with. 

## Let your team use their creativity

Creatives need to feel like they can take risks and make mistakes in order to be successful.

Micromanagers kill creativity and innovation because they make team members feel like they can’t make mistakes or that their work isn’t good enough. The marketing team will often use this thinking as an excuse not to try new things.

Lightbulb moments happen when the pressure is off.

![](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1552862750-746b8f6f7f25?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=MnwxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDR8fGxpZ2h0YnVsYiUyMG1vbWVudHxlbnwwfHx8fDE2NDM0MTI0Mzg&ixlib=rb-1.2.1&q=80&w=2000)

Photo by [Johannes Plenio](https://unsplash.com/@jplenio?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit) / [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit)

They may also think that taking risks is the worst thing they could do to avoid conflict. When you over-manage your employees, it can lead them to become complacent with their current tasks because they no longer have the desire to learn or try something new, or through fear of the pressure on them.

It’s important for managers to allow team members some risk-taking opportunities, which will allow them to grow and develop into well-rounded members of the team. As a micromanager, you should encourage employees to take on new projects or experiment with different ideas. You shouldn’t punish them for making a mistake – instead, you should help them understand what went wrong and how it could be corrected next time.

You should also encourage your employees to use their creativity by giving them the opportunity to express themselves. Sometimes, micromanagers forget about how important it is for people, not just from a business perspective but from an emotional point of view as well, by providing opportunities for expression within the company. This has performance benefits, but also health and happiness benefits.

## Conclusion

Micromanagement is counterproductive, not to mention inefficient and, ultimately, demoralising. 

- It demotivates
- It stifles creativity
- It lowers productivity
- It decreases happiness
- It can cause health issues
- **It ruins performance**

You’re better off delegating the tasks to the people who know how to do them the best.

It’s an old cliche, but it’s true: nobody knows your business like you do, so it’s not easy letting go of the reins, but if you want your business to succeed, it’s necessary.
### Niche Keyword Research: How to Find the Best Keywords
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/niche-keyword-research/
Last updated: 2026-05-14T15:11:02.000Z
If you want to learn how **niche and longtail keyword research** can help your marketing campaigns perform better, this guide is for you. *(Pay attention to step #2\. It can do wonders for your campaign.)*

Niche keywords are more profitable and easier to target, especially for smaller brands without an infinite marketing or advertising budget. And as long as you have the right tools and strategies, they’re also quite easy to find.

This guide will show you the steps, tools, and tips on effectively conducting niche keyword research.

## What is niche keyword research?

Niche keyword research involves discovering and building a list of profitable long-tail brand keywords.

As the name implies, niche keywords are highly specific keywords that focus on a narrow industry vertical. They typically contain three or more terms.

Niche keywords are used in SEO and PPC advertising campaigns. While they don’t usually have the highest search volume, they’re useful in targeting high-quality traffic with strategic search intent. The searchers are often at the bottom of the funnel and ready to convert. 

## Why is keyword research important?

Keyword research ensures your content marketing, advertising, and social media campaigns reach the right audience.

Remember, keywords are often utilised at the beginning of the online experience.

According to statistics, [68 percent](https://videos.brightedge.com/research-report/BrightEdge%5FChannelReport2019%5FFINAL.pdf?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) of all trackable online traffic originates from organic and paid search results. This pertains to users firing up their favourite search engines, entering keywords, and clicking organic or paid results.

To appear in those results, you need to target the keywords your target audience uses.

You also need to analyse a handful of keyword research factors, namely:

- Average search volume
- Keyword search intent
- Keyword difficulty
- Average Cost Per Click (CPC)

### What is average monthly search volume?

**Average monthly search volume** is the number of times a keyword or keyword phrase was searched for in the past 12 months divided by 12\. Ranking for search terms with high search volume *often* results in more organic traffic.

### What is search intent?

**Search intent** refers to the user’s motivation behind their online query. Some use keywords strictly for research purposes, while others use keywords when they’re ready to purchase a product.

### What is keyword difficulty?

**Keyword** **difficulty** gives you an idea of how easy (or difficult) it is to rank for certain keywords. Several factors impact a search term’s keyword difficulty level, such as the backlink profile of the pages ranking in the top 10 of the search results, their authority, etc.

### What is average CPC?

Average **CPC** reflects the price range businesses are willing to spend (per click) when targeting a keyword in advertising campaigns. This value is often indicative of the keyword’s profitability.

*Where do niche keywords fall into all of this?*

Niche keyword research helps you find keywords that:

- Target users with purchase intent
- Have low-medium difficulty
- Perform well in advertising campaigns

Let’s take a look at some examples.

## Examples of niche keywords for search engine optimisation

Let’s say you’re conducting keyword research in the weight loss industry.

“Weight loss” and “fitness” are broad keywords virtually unreachable to small businesses. However, they can be used as *seed keywords* to initiate keyword research.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/dMKVgjWwIbSHKotJU-h4rxFhJwYevMzUjbrJRJ6NMsY-7tJopnr79ZsiVEDG93gnyBlntW9UH61gIRMUDoacAl-peh0K65mBm5qxHwTmgbKUR8F4aIZj0dPtcHET4jg0EmN_qwyPZarWgBCyM0mLF03PAJ15kRALyx5Q1RYvNisY1QNFqZTsXHzb38bD8A)

Image Source: Google.com

Niche keywords are longer and more specific versions of these seed keywords.

Some examples of longer keyword phrases derived from the seed keyword “weight loss” are:

- “Free weight loss programs for seniors over 70”
- “Belly fat burning exercises at home for males”
- “Student weight loss meal plan”

Rather than targeting the weight loss industry as a whole, the keywords above target a more specific submarket.

They may only attract just a fraction of the search volume of broad keywords. But they’re less competitiveand more effective in generating targeted traffic.

**Important:* Keyword research is also an integral component of* [*content research*](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-research-the-ultimate-guide/)*. By discovering profitable niche keywords, you’ll identify relevant and unique content ideas that your target audience is looking for.*

## How to find niche keywords for search engines

Here are the steps on how to find niche keywords for your brand:

### Step 1: Identify your niche seed keywords

Start by looking for seed keywords relevant to your niche.

Broad keywords that describe your entire industry, such as “health,” “wealth,” and “relationships,” won’t do. If you use them as seed keywords, you could end up with keyword suggestions that are still too competitive or vague for your niche.

Remember that a niche is a small, well-defined section of a submarket that is relevant or closely related to your product.

For example, if you’re selling a social media scheduling tool, don’t start with broad seed keywords like “social media” or “marketing.”

Instead, use more specific terms like “social media scheduling” or “social media management.” Better yet, try using “social media scheduling tool” as your seed keyword.

Once you have a seed keyword, the next step is to look for keyword research tools that can expand it into long-tail keyword variations.

### Step 2: Expand your seed keyword into long-tail keyword ideas

Take your seed keyword to your go-to keyword research tool and turn it into a list of long-tail keywords.

For example, the Keyword Magic Tool by [Semrush](https://semrush.sjv.io/Aokxv7?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) refines your seed keyword into hundreds of profitable niche keywords.

From the Semrush dashboard, go to **‘Keyword Magic Tool’** under “Keyword Research” and enter your seed keyword in the search bar. Select your target region in the drop-down menu before clicking **‘Search.’**

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/iQTGo0O_oGtg-tK3hAIHnjkAW2aT4HvedHoXrAFaZdTnDXb09uiu8MO_RVlWpTM8MZST_nmyiJWlNEWrLzjlLxqvbYhyn9S7T-9OuKlb_Umc1bHRycXo7UYIa7pTP_VN9nxFKeM-AJr7h2ujSZhPKiaQRYz_nHZ959PsEDLpQIyT62ivoDDE2QXedu6y2w)

Image Source: Semrush.com

Within seconds, Semrush generates a long list of long-tail keyword variations.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/SR5B1w8TzqyW997zrZya46RjGIQJVJIy-iT088ZIO7CGEDNHBbOnJf_CeNZhzW-DlHZQ-C8INQekzgyZuvWGm9nt0JGSinkOzTyOWwAnR_aZ0FzHnVrwskWykGUOfnSc9PHD5dHCkisHVD1TnSRhN9DmWUc9VW1mQioE8Zjf0nggo8TEf1PTUOQAvnD7gw)

Image Source: Semrush.com

In some niches, you need to look for keywords that include your target audience—or any term relevant to them.

For example, if your product is a skin collagen supplement, start with a seed keyword like “collagen supplement for skin.”

Semrush will provide you with longer, more specific niche keyword ideas that can be used immediately.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-8K3vpQm_Apc50Kyo8r2O0E5I4At89aLuWj1QwMbtMhwjVITIBW72ILPwDFqhC6707cYvLpd_KWBNMxv4aAbmGHAicXblpbWyApfSXx8_qQBGzRgB1gj1U6A4tseFmk8RrSYzl87m7Jlkc7tb7yhxQt0emUaTUnBaei8AoYGsVv8UU9HXITwq6z3_W6tAw)

Image Source: Semrush.com

Semrush also reports important metrics, including keyword intent, average search volume, and keyword difficulty.

This brings us to the next step.

### Step 3: Check the keyword difficulty

Before adding a niche keyword to your list, pay attention to its keyword difficulty rating.

[Keyword tools](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/ubersuggest-vs-ahrefs-vs-semrush/) use slightly different algorithms in determining a keyword’s difficulty score.

Semrush, for instance, uses a scale of 1-100, with 100 being the “most difficult.”

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/zF06U1Z33TAk_TS_UC-B6gLTJLb386fsBCAHhi-FwGFFJvX8t5KQqpptKR9JEWsue87Qilf11Z5tNcdga9MFGonxVMEdfsI1UgGQWhsiHvSmO6LDzopbxqYM3ia8bs-yfVeoz4nXW_VEtDnF8rXfd7UrFtZBTEKc4iwQfWEDE82LMWgxZixn3lgW3K0Ojw)

Image Source: Semrush.com

For small brands, keywords with a difficulty rating of up to 49 should be ideal. Those with a difficulty rating of 50+ likely require link-building efforts, which is a bit more challenging.

**Tip:** Use Semrush to generate a domain analysis report and evaluate the difficulty of keywords you already rank for. This will be your benchmark when picking keywords based on their keyword difficulty rating.

Semrush reveals the keyword difficulty rating of keywords under the “KD%” column.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/8V95k-Ta_vSmp4FUeGj8o7itg4s5fC5gmVkfU0SQXH8KxHBPPlzylmJLS_PnxKrjqg24gQgDsAjbSjo-xiPeH6FwKcfuDv5Tlpm82UI317tDhfQNLkPyJCiaWtED2rrKTGXAbZnR6Nfo8n4coL6zmSwwXbzINs3tCyuZNBKOTIg_0UHQ8w2hlPD9CM18NQ)

Image Source: Semrush.com

If you can’t find a keyword with a suitable difficulty range, use Keyword Magic Tool’s keyword difficulty filter. Select the keyword difficulty range you’re comfortable with or enter custom minimum and maximum values.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/yCDlt89x08f1JQIufJkAKZMpCy6U66WLmlyrgbPxKEUhfmzAFfO7Ny7laM57X_s9OjVkk9hrSBmwACxn2NncCaVJ0LbmeELIvedeArTTExleSbpOT31D61Xh2CLBzDSbP-xVaOw8FRHZojUrzJLCbBTiY5WLAj38m9mHbP2owyYTuJL1QuRkZOKqz3PGaQ)

Image Source: Semrush.com

Within seconds, Semrush reloads the page with keywords that match your filter.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/8_PVkYAuzYO0-EHn33NgxzaHvseS4nzcJ7Zuf4cmEpTwmJ_Lc6CG0kPQzhjW_l2vYma_-0-rNlMv45zkyaV7BwUV-3MOWoYHVO_cq9DJ1itjAscomYV17EyMtTjzMuPKvblmuPInxw032_qsaLZaPhaD5OgbHNPgIDaw83i_XK0yxl16yflEJDhD8TgIrA)

Image Source: Semrush.com

### Step 4: Look at the keyword intent

Understand the intent behind each keyword idea so you know how to utilise them effectively.

The SEO community categorises keyword intent into four groups: informational, navigational, commercial, and transactional.

- **Informational Intent.** Informational keywords are used when the user is conducting online research. They’re looking for answers to their questions, not solutions or products to buy.
- **Navigational Intent.** Navigational keywords help users find content from a specific website. The user already knows exactly what they’re looking for, which is why navigational keywords already contain or product or brand name.
- **Commercial Intent.** Commercial keywords help users inspect brands or compare solutions between providers. These keywords indicate that the user is already considering a purchase.
- **Transactional Intent.** Transactional keywords signal that the user is ready to make a purchase. These keywords are useful if your goal is to generate conversions.

Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool lets you filter keyword suggestions based on search intent.

Click the “Intent” drop-down menu on the filter toolbar and select your target intent. You can choose more than one before clicking **‘Apply.’**

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/90T48NYwMixObRWbz1_y3YAiSDNvG3Xh806iPKhoN89ikQIynkblZbClmkVOJO_4fQa0rOmmTmRFQjEJvxCZD-unZ20NTmyXhm7qZhm-QZviep2RvpngdQi2WExIshRA_6Hc6v-CrMfrpVZe_AvHfi0CiTCCxNBandBqvBnkSZAhOwNboRLRVeenXyvQrg)

Image Source: Semrush.com

💡

****Tip:** Don’t ignore keywords that only generate 100 monthly searches or less. Not only are these low-competition keywords easy to target, but you can also target multiple keywords in a single campaign and combine their traffic potential.

In some cases, Keyword Magic Tool will only return a few keyword variations after applying multiple filters. But if the resulting keywords have a reasonable search volume, approachable keyword difficulty rating, and the right intent, you’ve struck gold.

### Step 5: Check the keyword’s Cost Per Click (CPC)

If you plan to do paid search campaigns, look at the “CPC” column to gauge the profitability of keyword ideas.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ABHksKFaio9jh_whuKmwHx8Qaqxp7Cka-wMv-yltCgsHr1rKWfDWBZ1SXjLZRbsda7XrrWsCkwVVUk8EUg0V1M7m_8lZns3QcUfNCImFcsUSpLD0VLzB9Ghv9USgTvfI-MP97U0XxiuVpgy6xTG-HdHjt9Uile4NchSBHPRjKYZXaA1USh0MTTHYe4lnhQ)

Image Source: Semrush.com

The CPC value is indicative of the keyword’s profitability in paid campaigns. A higher value means that the keyword has a high likelihood of generating conversions, which is why advertisers are willing to pay more for clicks through that keyword.

Apart from the CPC metric, check the average search volume of keywords and the “Competitive Density” column to determine their profitability.

The competitive density metric measures the level of competition in Google Ads campaigns on a scale of 0-1.

If the keyword has a competitive density of over 0.8, they’re often used by people who intend to make a purchase. On the flip side, you’ll have to pay more to get your ads seen.

However, keywords with a competitive density of 0.6 or below are easier to target in campaigns. This makes them useful if your goal is to get some eyeballs on your website and raise brand awareness.

The downside is that advertisers avoid low-competition keywords because they may not effectively draw users who are likely to convert.

### Step 6: Look for related and phrase-match keywords

Broaden your target keyword pool by checking for phrase matches and related niche keywords.

In Keyword Magic Tool, switch to the “Phrase Match” and “Related” tabs.

Phrase match keywords include terms or phrases with the same meaning as your seed keyword. Optimising for these keywords will help services like Google Search understand what your content is about.

Phrase-match keywords will also help you find low-competition keywords for your marketing and advertising campaigns.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/WH1hBnWpxKyTrrZh24LdCcQdeeGMgN7UBGkVGyfw-B-waN1hkXTuEjrIC3fWVsuCb1aUgIuNVy5zzjWTNhj3nV6U1vAB7gNFWaGsuIJZbYxfqrVRNuFhpUKqnCiTog0rFFAcFtvh6F_hp0xPZmxQ3kjbCxipX2qPtlukHfWttSXBg4ZXopznHMb48keQ6Q)

Image Source: Semrush.com

Related keywords, on the other hand, are semantically related to your seed keyword. These closely-related keywords also help search engines understand the context of your content.

Click on the “Related” tab to quickly view related niche keywords. When selecting your target keywords, don’t forget to analyse the important keyword metrics (search volume, keyword difficulty, intent, and CPC).

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/6gaVJ-RxMRFApX58vLzMjn4SnDdhO8NLE1HQvgyWzmL284XSDtgVrMJ7V5mO6tbBFrv11D47cSdD8LlVxi3K6mXtQuRrRhrsS0Eu3jb2sMOv3Ytzp4do_DyNjdqateuMphF6CmFDTf5Y5T7tUrNpRUJSv3NHin5Eeo4CaA7Gx0yMxl7Ka2PDj_DPtC7NZw)

Image Source: Semrush.com

### Step 7: Check for question-based keywords

Look for question-based keywords to find even more niche keyword ideas for your campaign.

Targeting question-based keywords is perfect for [content development](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-development-the-ultimate-guide/) since they tell you exactly what users are searching for. They also help you rank for voice searches, which is an emerging trend worldwide.

Data from Google reveals that [20% of all searches](https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/marketing-strategies/app-and-mobile/voice-search-statistics/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) through the Google app are voice searches.

That’s far from the majority. But since billions of searches are done daily, optimising for voice search is a lucrative keyword strategy.

The Keyword Magic Tool has a built-in “Questions” tab that instantly reveals question-based keywords.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/hzLRSWyVRxlQYmhYlZHu4jcocIZs1J5f1RcCPkDm8m6wkf_L_4Ldc2HReVWQ6PSuIg5PocaJLzfnLWHIEuh-a6ltG4E5Pi8RGSNsiZ0tOjICWjM5pX-FubPDwCbzxXfQoGgH2_t8pnP0g_M-6fO_dIxjkEKFnu1ydI9T_JkAYcngGKgiabAmsiMwicaO9w)

Image Source: Semrush.com

### Bonus: Mine your own site's search data

Most of the steps above start from scratch, but if you run an eCommerce store or a content-heavy website, you already have access to one of the most valuable keyword sources available: your own internal search data.

Regularly mining your internal site search data is an absolute goldmine. Every search your visitors make tells you exactly what they want but couldn't find, or what they want surfaced more easily. These are real buyers, with real intent, already on your site.

Go to your analytics platform, find the site search report, and export your top 100 queries. Then ask yourself a few questions:

Do we have a page that answers this?

If yes, is it easy to find via navigation?

If not, should we build one?

You'll uncover gaps in your category architecture, missing product pages, and content opportunities you might never spot with a keyword tool. Unlike external tools, this data reflects actual demand from your real audience, not estimated search volumes across the wider web.

## Other tools you can use for niche keyword research

Other than Semrush, here are additional keyword tools you can use for niche keyword research:

1. **Google Keyword Planner.** The [Google Keyword Planner](https://ads.google.com/home/tools/keyword-planner/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is a free keyword research tool specifically designed for PPC campaigns. It’s integrated into the Google Ads platform, streamlining the keyword research and ad campaign planning processes.
2. **Surfer.** [Surfer](https://surferseo.com/?fpr=matt23&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is a handy and affordable on-page optimisation tool that provides useful niche keyword suggestions as you write your content. It also helps you plan your SEO strategy with the SERP Analyzer, Content Planner, and Site Audit features.
3. **Supermetrics**. [Supermetrics](https://supermetrics.com/?idev%5Fid=4538&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is a data management tool that can consolidate marketing data from all your platforms into one dashboard. Data streams can be sent to destinations like Google Sheets, Data Studio, or Amazon S3.

## Build your niche keyword strategy today

With niche keywords at your disposal, it’s only a matter of time before you see sustainable results from your advertising and marketing campaigns.

All you need now is the proper execution.

📞

[Click here](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/digital-marketing-consulting/) to book a free consultation and let our team help you plan your niche keyword strategy.
### The Ultimate Guide to Google’s “People Also Search For” Feature
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/people-also-search-for/
Last updated: 2025-02-22T15:41:32.000Z
Are you using ***People Also Search For*** to improve your SEO campaigns?

Seasoned marketers leverage Google’s ‘People Also Search For’ feature to generate lots of highly relevant traffic to their sites.

There’s no reason why you shouldn’t do the same to get better results out of your SEO efforts.

This guide covers everything you need to know about the People Also Search For feature.

Let’s get started.

## What is 'People Also Search For' in Google Search?

“People Also Search For” is a Google Search feature designed to help users find the information they need.

![Google search bar displaying 'People Also Search For' box with related queries.](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/CzR6CQw74uGegL7W82lzmgd7RN_x3fR5VJ58KjcexVG1TheKQxUtd1OS8axbNsdUGb1LmtzdQJrcmM8wdHVgm_9qxs-FRt0UsQPn4X_c15GXFVjjct38GHmvlAhHZ9GxZ0f3Mx4J7_OJmW3iZlV7guoR1dhN-ToWn8SsF0IEAJUdIj5-Lo6U0lhSmbc5SQ)

Image Source: Google.com

'People Also Search For' appears as a rich snippet on the search results page, as seen above.

Although it can get quite confusing, because PASF also appears in the sidebar, as seen below. 

![Sidebar widget in Google search showing 'People Also Search For' suggestions.](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/n64fq15gC3XeGs7votndlhsSjNmvV9JjUCKo_ws_yH7FKzlbJ28mDZorG_6--Wd3Uju94z93Mc3StVWNsk_1nbRd2K83uFDRKlOjLjJJcBZV6nIVc2qLGrqeUDdmbgIuep10EvtzRIcqsGslwjW0zhPqhcEqkfpSkWuwOoHPDwvDlGi_27qY4XEj91eVqg)

Image Source: Google.com

Each version shows different keyword suggestions. For example, if you search “what is shipping management,” the People Also Search For widget (in the sidebar) only includes broad, related topics. The snippet below the search results are much more detailed.

PASF suggestions are sometimes used in an [SEO strategy](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-build-an-seo-strategy-for-your-business-from-scratch/). They help professional marketers, agencies, businesses, and individual brands learn their target audience’s search behaviour and identify more keyword opportunities.

## People Also Search For (PASF) vs People Also Ask (PAA): How are they different?

And then to throw a little more confusion into the mix, Google also has a feature called People Also Asked. So that's:

- People Also Search For (in the snippet, more detailed)
- People Also Search For (in the sidebar, less detailed)
- People Also Asked

PASF and PAA both appear in search engine results pages and both help search engine users obtain more information related to their search queries.

Their difference is that they lead search engine users to create two different experiences and they're based on different intents.

If you click a PASF keyword, Google generates fresh organic search results. This time, the query will include the exact keyword you selected.

![PASF feature allows users to access related keyword suggestions in context](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/f2wxda3jumQK1sKqOK4kKNDKp0asddzy2u2QBzXm9uxGKhuUTrDPagrg_HI9w3DLbGdq_TJPoKthOjN_ZTVydTqS7kk9LXyYoai1k7Oss0QX39B9fjGH6c2iDrOXwUA9FdNMwyCIeQWjqI9Vx7vUjRgKc9NPNXbeG6daQU5Bth3dmGv_LNBJZo7mC9BmhQ)

Image Source: Google.com

On the other hand, clicking a “People Also Ask” keyword won’t fetch new search results.

The People Also Ask widget is an accordion, meaning it is a stack of headers that expand and collapse content when clicked.

![PAA giving groups of related queries, helping users find content ideas](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/t4hoibV-ItGIL-Fi1bxWovr7n-BZgmTBG5KFsDRnHAwa4-kETl789QzUjjbub7RGXAIlxHb2P5iz9LdA8HrWD9aOGQcx8xW6LkchqpesdeOkCd0iwmaCgQsUoxuFMMJdneIGnhC4LRva-obbYV4BVzYptIygSrYypsbIiA9G68jSUiTNs24z-3I0Ph-69A)

Image Source: Google.com

The People Also Ask feature provides a summary of the information that users want.

Some of the text in the People Also Ask section is in bold for emphasis. Others may feature a list, video, or image to convey better the information users search for.

All People Also Ask widgets include a link to the source of the snipped information, rewarding the website with free traffic. Since PAA widgets appear at the top half of search results, PAA keywords are precious in SEO.

Data from [Semrush Sensor](https://www.semrush.com/sensor/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) reveals that 61.92% of all search engine queries trigger a PAA widget.

![Graph displaying search trends and the frequency of PAA on SERPs](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/TKwMPEjlMQPK4QPatf4JS5WyQScK-aack1wT3R3bFpZIxsAqD96XIQySBXteri7YJFANcPLiNUT8eFniyuwTdmJc4CDcYhlva0f3OOfppjGo0Yc6-EMc2mOv5OCGTiC8yDUoZXlNJ4u8eMUnZ_K9HrKnwOllkW2vb9oAZ-sKohrGs-75PfBHofqP25UyjA)

Websites that appear in the PAA widget may also show in the top 10 results. That means your website is shown twice on the same search results page, increasing your organic traffic share.

### What about “Related Searches”?

“Related Searches” is another widget at the bottom of Google’s search results. It has similar keyword suggestions as the People Also Search For widget (snippet) —with a few extras.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/SgQJmVcbtuvg8fPn6cT8Ib-E3zwNMO8BS-ddK0lwNHeM82uMW2PP1SX0C80tBBVlQscPDT98_AY09k_uGicuN84u2PV44MSREVOHAozkRh5qlt-dUdvKd4pGVKea3wRzxu0rDe0Ap4hm4-5iBvzSnpK0P3mV6ZFxUdT0A2M72u53qWpAA11uuW2-zOjh6w)

Image Source: Google.com

Related Searches reveal more keywords than People Also Search For. But since People Also Search For is located at the top of the search engine results pages, it has more traffic potential.

Clicking a keyword under Related Searches will refresh the search page with results relevant content next to the chosen keyword.

## Why are PASF and PAA keywords important for SEO?

Here are three main reasons why you need to include PASF and PAA search terms when doing keyword research:

**1\. They can maximise your search engine traffic**

Optimising for PASF and PAA keywords helps you drive more high-quality organic traffic.

PASF and PAA keywords are generally less competitive than broad, generic search terms. You also end up with a lot more keywords to craft better content for the user, which will also help your on-page SEO.

**Tip:** Combine related PASF and PAA keywords into your [content cluster strategy](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/cluster-strategy/). This involves several pieces of content or “cluster posts” connected to other content ideas on a central “pillar page” via internal links.

**2\. The help build comprehensive content plans**

PASF and PAA keywords uncover crucial topics your target audience searches for when researching your industry—and they deserve a spot in your [digital content strategy](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/digital-content-strategy/).

Remember, these keywords come from Google’s database. These are frequently-searched terms that people use after their initial query.

Integrating them within your content plans ensures they get all the answers from your website. It also lets you beef up the content length by thousands of words and get higher search engine rankings—without adding fluff.

**3\. They can improve the user experience**

PASF and PAA keywords reflect search user behaviour.

Covering them in your content and providing all the information your audience requires gives readers a more complete and enriching user experience.

That’s how you win your target audience’s trust and build your authority as an information source—making users come back for more.

**4\. They help you borrow ideas from your competitors**

Reviewing the PAA widget shows important snippets of text from a high-ranking website. This will give you an idea of how to angle or structure your content.

PAA answers also highlight relevant keywords or phrases, which is helpful content you can add to your content strategy.

## How to research PASF keywords?

Here’s how to find PASF keywords (and PAA keywords) for SEO:

### Step 1: Identify a core topic

Brainstorm a core topic to develop your first “seed keyword.”

This will be the query you’ll use to kickstart your PASF and PAA keyword research.

You don’t need tools to do this. Just sit with a person on your team, come up with words that describe your industry or product, and list them down.

For example, if you sell carpet cleaners, “carpet cleaning” is your core topic.

Other variations are:

- Carpet cleaner rental
- Carpet cleaners products
- Carpet cleaner

### Step 2: Run a Google Search with your seed keyword

Fire up Google, enter “carpet cleaning,” and enter one of your seed keywords.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/g1DhumB_f7_DdT5f6TNuHeucK6EKSTSunXJtIR1sjUosFV2y1IzJ2vfGD2rgiAx_Y4am9_mkCLpXBAfV4F1L7wHUEGuMelCcUt9RCqZe7vqjT3dak_Qx8szTtrRzkowdNwC2lkJKMTcNJGWY0lH4lJ3CZh0k2JWW_VHcYvoF05c5loNLd5H7-d5-BxK95g)

Image Source: Google.com

Remember, the PASF search engine feature only appears after visiting one page of the results.

Click the top organic result and wait for the page to load. When finished, click the “back” button on your browser and wait for the “People Also Search For” widget to appear.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_AY_TCFl3bq4arFPDzCVAfyJCkOtS-yIf941Y_giIXexCADXVURNQSTlqmLMmJVZ0X9i2ityvFdkF4_foKFQfTe41KRlORPr4w7rLfSBfqtE_rEJe9IQLJDXCLHXp-JEsikyLJCZ094sbAiMB_55IgfYViIZh6BYxcH1CQgS1pnOehYOKez3Klhz58MvSg)

Image Source: Google.com

List down the PASF keyword suggestions—you’ll need them later.

### Step 3: Check Related Searches

Scroll down to Related Searches to discover more suggested keywords that aren’t included in the PASF widget.

The Related Searches widget should contain more keywords than the PASF widget.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Fn91VG4pkNtTRxZzgokB6nNvBzx5vOs3a2H271EOevFSfZ1Fi1J32OLqBxz5AMkihuVa5O7JNzGWu7toD36WQkmo3_RSPg5IgF6-3XMZI1vGssHVFvuopzWkIPBkP6N_a8v48ldGPmZs9mAqZSma4HSXEMo9RYAy23LhbgKpewl25FOpuKhg24s6RWW_Pw)

Image Source: Google.com

However, some of these keywords may not match the search term or intent behind the original query.

For example, the Related Searches for “carpet cleaning” includes the keywords “Bissell carpet cleaner” and “carpet shampoo cleaner.”

These keywords are useful if you sell those specific products. Otherwise, it doesn’t make sense to target them in your SEO strategy.

Use Related Searches keywords with care.

### Step 4: Review the People Also Ask widget

Inspect the PAA widget to identify keywords and topics to include in your SEO strategy.

Unlike the PASF widget, the PAA widget is shown right out of the gate. It is usually seen displayed just below featured snippets, like reviews, images, and the Google Local Pack.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/uHYeR9pV0XCXI_kUOWJRGAetwqgGwVSHOWE8-aUrzr8qJFVP4x-_ARkNFLz27albK8NrnFOZXn-FzsLoBr_RLridKDo9Vlsq0xIJAQXuDJ9VFvdGpkgla3503qTPgPFyjMW9ezxW5NsYA6wm3544JtcM6YuGBIM7h9RkZZFhyWqX8Tec6BP7Nv4mTzl8bQ)

Image Source: Google.com

Expand a PAA keyword to inspect how competitors write their answers.

Emulate the format of their answers. If they’re using paragraphs, then your answer should also be in paragraph form. If they’re using bullet points, then be sure to follow suit. You can come back to these later on to improve them when you have enough user data to determine whether you can improve the answers (for example, longer, shorter, or more precise).

### Step 5: Search using PASF and PAA keywords

Get even more keyword ideas by running a search using the PASF and PAA keywords you discovered.

With PASF and Related Searches keywords, simply click on the keyword to reload the search page.

In most cases, Google includes similar pages in search results for PASF and Related Searches keywords. But you may notice a few new pages that are more relevant.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/xmuaXii8TirOX0l5tvPVml8T5KU9ViAbMKeWk7zIvPYmZwOffHroytHXAk215e_AC1dE9n7dWc0umNvDJJC2HJonfCs8XLEV4rS4v0SQDMiAK8bDc0iz2wRjwL53C0_kXp7oP8-0gg5OGpeKkAwNZC01T_ufVDl0HMOitgPJw6svPjSTHEPzqEIaSUgMnQ)

Image Source: Google.com

Repeat steps 2-4 on the new search page to find a new batch of PASF, Related Searches, and PAA keywords. Keep going until you’re happy with the size of your keyword pool.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/kgPoDS6nSAh-HCBcsTYrKJAK3lbNVMmqWjX7Yer9VosOhsUd-mRqzlXbOZEhHWP88xr0uRcsbOp7qPM5SQ_16UArYY9SGjs9M2sOzK3kL0RIL-JmoslQoCu666scOynLu0NXnALH4B3rrigfvB-9Vkl4D8KPuWEPdYbO-DzJnhHU16CID8Cny1-ct55H_w)

Image Source: Google.com

### Step 6: Use a keyword research tool to find question-based keywords

Find PASF keywords with more data and speed using keyword research tools.

Manually searching for PASF and PAA keywords via Google is time-consuming. You’ll also miss essential keyword metrics, like monthly search volume, keyword difficulty rating, and Cost Per Click (CPC).

Keyword Magic Tool from [Semrush](https://semrush.sjv.io/Aokxv7?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) can unload all these metrics for you.

To use it, enter a seed keyword, set your location, and hit **‘Search.’**

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/4SIPiaRV7xEVY5-vMPB41d0GFZLKiF_k9zY-RAbjljsQlrh0JlnZHlWwxTG5rw7t2hiEwUL5OW0JssxaIo4aPCnc6KvXp2Wfevjno02t2Lxayj4L5T1J0pUIB-7d4TFkBdfKlgaclNV9ak-W_tIAudZ21q-Aoltc8LHieyXlypxOFJYapbYaQv3HILpY4g)

Image Source: Semrush.com

Keyword Magic Tool starts with a list of long-tail keyword suggestions derived from your seed keyword.

To look for potential PASF keywords and related search terms, click the **‘Questions’** tab in the top toolbar. This will refresh the keyword list with question-based keywords that people ask when researching your topic.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/6-pOe8T0iOyC1Kt9xYw_xM0S49vt4K96gkxARmZFnyziRkII2-5j3k6Bpj79rSZMrCQ1WPbAdmTv3H8JycrxP-faB5P8tNmrAHTgQkd_-bwt0wtJgP0a-8RsdbMTOTKbANXLD8ucslfB2vqpkwFnXUjWHTi7gmUcs35rOcmdHTuyiAQxUkJqI9lKveVfFA)

Image Source: Semrush.com

For more question-based keywords, go to the **‘Related’** tab for suggestions related to your seed keyword’s topic.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/1dr9jCHD02n9KBrbRxm422DZG09NC76pn11iopFAHaj49wOlZfWqlb_QeUY3f5arN6k_J_1iqkggeTp0pU2Ps6HtZqI9zlPqX3gciqR7GLxGVUAPIRBb89pBjlS2sU_BoPCAi01EF_IE9aFjJQJF3XIJiJCsNXUge65d6tL5j7h3u6t4RnryWseinIwebQ)

Image Source: Semrush.com

One advantage of Keyword Magic Tool is it reveals a wealth of keyword metrics to help you identify viable keywords for SEO and PPC.

This includes the keyword’s monthly search volume, search intent, keyword difficulty rating (KD %), CPC, and paid advertising competitive density (Comp.).

Here are a few tips on how to use these metrics when selecting target keywords:

- **Check the keyword intent.** For traffic that leads to paying customers, pick target keywords with a “transactional” or “commercial” intent. These pertain to users who are currently considering a purchase or are already in a buying mood.
- **Watch the keyword difficulty rating.** Keywords with a KD% value of 15-49 are low-medium competition keywords. They’re ideal for small-medium brands that don’t have a large team of dedicated SEO professionals to help them rank. It's important to note that keyword difficulty metrics are generally pulled from Google Ads and not organic results. But they can give you a rough idea of how commercially competitive a keyword might be.
- **Pool multiple low-competition keywords together.** Rather than shooting for high-competition keywords with thousands of monthly searches, go for various low-competition keywords with reasonable search volumes. Remember, you can optimise a page for numerous related keywords simultaneously—allowing you to target their total potential monthly traffic.

### Step 7: Analyse PASF keywords you already found

Go to the list of PASF keywords you found manually and run them through Semrush.

On the “Keyword Overview” page, enter your PASF keyword and click **‘Search.’**

Semrush will uncover everything you need to know about your PASF keyword.

You’ll see its monthly search volume, keyword difficulty rating, search intent, CPC, and more. It even shows additional keyword ideas in the form of keyword variations, questions, and related keywords.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/TaelfgR80IotZ83HKSVC397JfHW_YREz2c0ISevNm036Y-t9blSvrmtElNNzrHcONhZSl0FikMu65TTJWQZdPSdkM7PDsQ3qnLKE4WGyXEijgug-_to3kudn5vxpx-RBYocnCcHEkAxhM91_Bc4TK6DngzaaYwgvSFXB_be4gxOkVtz5Llm7Ms0mHEDJjg)

Image Source: Semrush.com

To analyse your entire list of PASF keywords, switch to the **‘Bulk Analysis’** tab.

Copy and paste up to 100 keywords into the main field and click **‘Analyze.’** This runs the bulk keyword analysis tool, which reveals essential metrics (volume, KD%, Comp., etc.) for all entered keywords.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/xDe4Xucc178Un3mAM_MtnFcRAaM-b7LH92ukIJEhpRKgzLZ8mC1TytBEd-8W2X_4qL06vT8YB8xdiZ5d5v9E1SZhMu0t7DjH-QjJzALUutER6uUFd1SZfT6PmJPKGQgV7iqJO97cblgDYh4vDQYGLrO6pyi9y4xr-zZ4295fC6Shl3VRR4fVeZEwlhWAZw)

**Tip:** Use an on-page optimisation tool like [Surfer](https://surferseo.com/?fpr=matt23&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to ensure you’re using keywords right. Surfer comes with a Chrome extension that checks the optimisation of articles on Google Docs.

## People Also Search For: Frequently Asked Questions

### What is People Also Searched For on Google?

“People Also Search For” or PASF keywords is a Google Search feature that helps users obtain more information about their query. They appear whenever users click on a search result and return to Google’s search page.

### How do you get to People Also Searched For on Google?

Research PASF keywords by running a search using a seed keyword, clicking on a page, and returning to the results. You can also check the “Related Searches” widget at the bottom of the search results, but it won’t highlight the most relevant keywords.

### What is People Also Ask?

“People Also Ask” or PAA provides Google Search users with more information related to their queries. Unlike “People Also Search For” or PASF, PAA shows quick summaries of relevant answers.

💡

****More reading on similar subjects**  
[Content Research: The Ultimate Guide](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-research-the-ultimate-guide/)  
[Content Development: The Ultimate Guide](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-development-the-ultimate-guide/)  
[“People Who Bought This Also Bought” — Related Keyword Searches Unraveled](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/people-who-bought-this-also-bought-related-keyword-searches-unraveled/)  

## Use People Also Search For keywords to supercharge your SEO

Finding and analysing PASF keywords are just the beginning.

You still need to work them into a cohesive SEO content strategy and that’s where the challenging work begins.

Content ideation, creation, optimisation, and promotion can be overwhelming to plan—let alone execute.

The good news is our team of digital marketing experts is ready to help.

Let us handle the process of optimising for PASF and PAA keywords while you focus on top-level tasks.

📞

[Click here](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/contact/) to book a call with me today via phone or video chat.
### Top 3 Surfer SEO Alternatives
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/surfer-seo-alternatives/
Last updated: 2022-12-29T20:32:31.000Z
Searching for **Surfer SEO alternatives** is by no means easy.

Surfer SEO has amassed masses of five-star ratings on trusted review sites like G2 and TrustRadius, as well as getting plaudits from countless independent bloggers... And for good reason.

It set the gold standard for applying advanced SEO insights during the content creation process.

This post will cover the best Surfer SEO alternatives that can deliver comparable results.

## What is Surfer SEO?

![Surfer SEO's homepage](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/EXtXuWVgUsN4VDBUI9uCzLdlYoha6CyCKg7Ik_yY33389b4SPELYmPDkz1JyrTgQi8NkQseeTr9Dr1jq5pkmaJMDGBIZU82M91nHOj7D6Df3tMolE_8PC9h4kxoxA-ELzYH1vU1TPqOgGSAIqQ)

*Image Source: SurferSEO.com*

[Surfer SEO](https://surferseo.com/?fpr=matt23&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is an industry-leading SEO tool for on-page optimisation.

It is a straightforward platform that provides actionable information for search engine optimisation, particularly for these areas:

- Content optimisation
- Keyword research
- SERP analysis
- Internal link structure
- Link building

Surfer SEO lets you skip the number crunching and dive straight into recommendations.

For example, to optimise existing content, use the “Audit” tool to quickly generate a comprehensive to-do list.

Go to **‘Audit**’ and fill out the required fields, namely your page URL and target keyword(s).

![Surfer SEO's Content Audit page](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/pk3IBF-RQ3o5sPxbkSwrgdM0S0Itctc-cYnQ8rgBBeuvpRvy53PTMPoV35RKv7c_obRpZJzysMKwXngCfpsF3drDo_8BtERix59xcMYg8g7-w724BWhJOxqfYWgiZyQb1lg3Cq9cOcNln90VJNY)

*Image Source: SurferSEO.com*

The audit report leaves out visual-heavy charts, long tables, and lists of in-depth SEO data in favour of direct action plans.

It starts with a content score followed by actionable tips in areas like [backlinks](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/good-bad/), internal link opportunities, additional keyword ideas, and so on.

Click the **‘Show’** button to reveal the details of each recommendation.

![Surfer SEO's analysis/recommendations to optimize content](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/S7QJpIjBJDi5prQt6oE6uDNsWO26ldrXa9u8citfhSSP8eQhy5umZuAZlfw283z8ufq4t3HaNIIdHAPdrry35GQ5lTuUcI1iTENey2aG6tqYSr5N8QRWCdcqv1-YdIGRKlgY_f27C6KL88Q6FAs)

*Image Source: SurferSEO.com*

Another noteworthy SurferSEO feature is the “Content Editor,” which supercharges the content creation process through real-time SEO suggestions, such as:

- Overall content score
- Target word count (based on the top 10’s average word count)
- Outline element suggestions (title ideas, headings, and questions)
- Target number of images
- Heading keyword suggestions
- Content keyword suggestions
- Top competitors

The Content Editor feature can be used via SurferSEO’s web interface.

Alternatively, use the Chrome extension to bring content optimisation suggestions to Google Docs or the WordPress blog post editor.

![Surfer SEO's content score along with other pertinent data about how to improve the score](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/MOPRhUwTeRB6fJESYDr4EtzIxTlQWZQB_obEiYmx8rksj4dVZQomksfwYD_acRX789VD1mG-Mux6vpzmxaMbSmofhQGuTT5f68EfySMayk8zxect9KQIT17I4f2vueJu2bHtTIHhH6CQhpd-qM4)

*Image Source: SurferSEO.com*

With the Surfer SEO Chrome extension, you don’t need to do keyword research, build an entire spreadsheet of target keywords, and slide them into content briefs.

The extension lets you do [content research](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-research-the-ultimate-guide/) AND keyword research while you focus on writing high-quality content.

### Other Surfer SEO content optimisation features

- ****Content Planner.** Build a content roadmap to rank for difficult keywords.
- ****SERP analys**er.** Unveil the most significant on-page factors for the top-ranking competitors.
- ****Keyword research.** Use the standalone keyword research tool for brainstorming [content development](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-development-the-ultimate-guide/) plans.

Surfer SEO costs $59 per month for the “Basic” plan, which can optimise 10 articles. The “Pro” plan costs $119 per month and lets you optimise 30 articles.

[*Click here to create a Surfer SEO account*](https://surferseo.com/?fpr=matt23&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)*.*

## Top 3 Surfer SEO alternatives

With its robust set of features, Surfer SEO deserves to be on your consideration list for content optimisation tools.

If you’re still on the fence, here are three popular Surfer SEO alternatives you should try:

### Alternative 1: Frase

![Frase's homepage](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/sFhGQbilLVRIIp1Szk6YeD-Z7_Yg0mq-ls6WBxNy5Z6t38PZKxfGl4eBcrudC3LiVJHij_cAl1N7XYZFKIxEOjOE8117tIZaxak2oIULIsEGldiZTe4hOZLxmyPcXPegvk7X561yzn-FfYPRzxQ)

*Image Source: Frase.io*

[Frase](https://www.frase.io/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is an AI-powered tool for content optimisation.

Its main selling point is the AI writer, which can paraphrase, generate, or expand SEO-friendly content in seconds.

This is similar to AI-powered writing assistants like Writesonic, but with more focus on creating SEO copy.

Frase also provides a score-based SEO content editor with the “Topic Score” feature.

Increase your Topic Score using the keyword recommendations and reviewing competitors’ content in the top 10 results.

Frase charges $44.99 per month for the Basic plan and $114.99 for the Team plan (three users). An add-on charge of $35 per month is required for the AI writing assistant.

### Alternative 2: Topic

![Topic's homepage](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/6Hq3_XZBG9OUHDJv9yo76Rq7FH9TOGSV43ZVp_MnrAX_v82BVEfwRSbj-gDBmdWl4KsaCYxrEWg8Dp7ZAu36GnRQ_h57er_8y1GxCHIw6wWPMN5ZNNx7JoYqGoJLRxID71Tm3qjjKRZN05fKjoE)

*Image Source: UseTopic.com*

[Topic](https://www.usetopic.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) fast tracks your SEO content creation workflow by consolidating optimisation tasks into one interface.

The tool uses data from the top 30 results to provide heading suggestions, target keyword ideas, and sought-after questions to answer.

Topic’s built-in “Outline Builder” ensures a cohesive article structure, while the “Content Grader” provides real-time feedback for SEO.

It also features a WordPress and Google Docs integration so that you can focus on content writing first and SEO optimisation second.

To use Topic, the “Starter” plan costs $99 per month for up to 10 SEO articles.

The “Plus” plan, which costs $199 per month, lets you optimise up to 25 articles.

### Alternative 3: Clearscope

![Clearscope's homepage](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/BdcxNjn-iqWi-xYAHb-hB2b_Md87VnIHyG-hTankY-zrkQt1FIf7tRTZ4q_Ac0M-pp0kfLThNPO7pdFPyoVhPWcI6i_CoCjw94b-xJs0Hs4dLGit-0iZ69sMoEuk45Rzv3CksVky6akXnH9WUN0)

*Image Source: Clearscope.io*

[Clearscope](https://www.clearscope.io/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is one of the first content optimization tools to grace the internet.

It helps you audit existing posts and generate content reports, which will help you create [high-performing content](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/5-tips-for-creating-high-performing-content/) for your target keywords.

Content creation and optimisation go hand in hand with Clearscope’s text editor.

The tool evaluates keyword optimisation, word count, and readability as you write your draft.

The text editor is available as an integration for Google Docs and WordPress.

Clearscope charges a premium of $170 per month for a total of 20 content reports. The “Business” plan costs $1,200 per month, which allows over 100 content reports.

## FAQs when looking for Surfer SEO alternatives

### FAQ 1: Is there a free version of Surfer SEO?

Surfer SEO doesn’t have a free version. However, there are free extensions like Keyword Surfer that shows basic keyword metrics in search engines.

### FAQ 2: What is a good score on Surfer SEO?

For most Surfer SEO projects, a target score of 67-100 is recommended for well-optimised content. The target range depends on the difficulty of your target keyword.

### FAQ 3: How do I optimise content with Surfer SEO?

Surfer SEO generates content audits to help you optimise existing content.

The Content Editor provides real-time feedback for improving content quality based on your focus keyword.

From there, as you write, Surfer gives you detailed and practical tips.

## What next?

There are only a handful of reliable SEO tools that do the same job as Surfer SEO.

Its ability to help you produce pages that have a better chance of ranking in search results is top-notch, and Surfer SEO’s usability, features, and competitive pricing are unparalleled.

But if you like to explore other options, Frase, Topic, and Clearscope are highly recommended.

Get expert digital marketing assistance to make the most out of your on-page optimisation tool.

[Contact me here](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/digital-marketing-consulting/) and let’s discuss how to make your website perform in search.
### Vanity Keywords are MOSTLY Pointless; Here’s Why
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/vanity-keywords/
Last updated: 2026-05-27T09:13:28.000Z
Don’t target ***vanity keywords* without a plan*.*** 

They’re expensive, hard to rank for and require a HUGE amount of work.

Most websites that rank for vanity keywords have astronomical budgets.

Even if you spend countless hours and lots of money pursuing vanity keywords, there’s a good chance you still won’t earn rankings on the first page of Google.

In this guide, we’re going to take a deep dive into vanity keywords.

## What are vanity keywords?

Vanity keywords are search terms that are too broad or too competitive (or both) to be profitable.

Some examples are overly simplistic keywords like “shorts,” “car,” “parenting,” and “marketing.”

These keywords may describe the products or services you’re selling, and ranking for them may have a psychological ‘prestige’ factor. However, the resources you need to rank can easily drain empty your marketing budget—and even then, you probably still won’t be able to rank. *(That’s how competitive these vanity keywords can be.)*

⚠️

They're also not the keywords that the ****vast majority** of your potential customers are searching for. I'll explain more about this further down this post.

Let’s say you’re a fitness coach, and you plan to target the keyword “fitness,” here’s how the search results look.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/L07v5aSMCAfjt-a_wg65T4By4_KDL0mltjc1H84JD4EJILhZ3HITzMbTnBCohv03awKA2ws8DuuWEU8jSOMWnWQETo9BLC4aeel_5VWb3E6vLHG-FLbGGOw-lXh2ra8cgmbz71GNdSzNCYDIcOKGmXKgH0SJSfY5hGnvFHU3o0n1IFuXa449kUcxiZ3Q5A)

Image Source: Google.com

As you can see, the sites that are ranking are massive, well-established household names. Competing against them is going to be a nightmare unless you have huge resources.

## The problem with vanity keywords

Search engine optimisation, content marketing, and paid advertising cost money.

Keyword research helps to ensure you get your money’s worth by targeting the right audience in your campaigns. It also helps you pick winnable battles through low-medium competition keywords, which are yet to be targeted by big-name brands with massive marketing budgets. Picking your battles is important. 

If you target vanity keywords, you’re essentially wasting money on keywords that aren’t optimised for conversions.

Remember, we’re talking about vanity terms that are broad and with very mixed search intent.

Granted, they are top-level and have large search volumes, They could potentially generate thousands, if not millions, of monthly searches. But since they’re too broad, they’re highly competitive and unlikely to be used in search queries that end in sales. They're mostly useful for awareness and not commercial performance. 

Putting money into vanity keywords also causes you to miss out on keyword opportunities that are actually profitable.

These are usually longer, more specific keywords capable of pulling in users with purchase intent. They’re also far less competitive than vanity keywords, making them the ideal target keywords for [SEO](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/tag/seo/) and [content marketing](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-create-a-profitable-content-marketing-business-model/) campaigns.

These are called *long-tail keywords*.

Here’s why they’re important.

## The importance of keyword length for search engines

In SEO terms, broad vanity keywords can sometimes be referred to as “short-tail” keywords.

Short-tail keywords are search terms that mostly contain one to two words, like:

- Shoes
- Coffee
- Plants

These keywords may get a lot of monthly searches—great if you’re a top-tier brand in need of more exposure.

Long-tail keywords, on the other hand, lie on the other end of the keyword length spectrum. And they're also usually much closer to a conversion as they're bottom-of-the-funnel searches with conversion intent.

These are keywords with three or more words, such as:

- Best women’s running shoes for beginners UK
- Coffee maker with grinder UK
- Low maintenance plants for bedrooms

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2026/05/vanity-keywords.jpeg)

Long-tail keywords may generate less traffic than short-tail keywords. But what they lack in traffic potential, they make up for in quality traffic potential, lower competitiveness and **higher conversion rates**.

For one, it’s easier to identify the user’s intent when searching for “coffee maker with grinder UK” instead of “coffee machine.”

If somebody has searched for the long-tail variation, it’s clear that they’re looking for a product with a specific feature they want that’s also available for purchasing in the UK.

But if they simply searched for “coffee machine,” they may only be interested in how those machines work, reviews, advice, help, support - they might just be looking for a picture. They could even live in a part of the world where it’s logistically impractical or impossible to buy coffee makers.

As a marketer, “coffee maker with grinder UK” is a far more lucrative target keyword. That’s because it’s used by people who are considering spending money on the product.

Not to mention that “coffee maker with grinder UK” is way less competitive than “coffee maker.”

A quick Google search can confirm this.

For the keyword “coffee maker,” Google returns a grand total of 479 million results.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/KriGBW3EXCT8nbBeTHF9Zu6te_fXk26o_K-iQROTdjG09Of6dGqsnLlnDkRdO5AcgRwhtzBORlkA4t9Yuad81lEYsAXksk2ZWLLuOR61B7HRpNCEuCnhS_yKP0pGhg6ZswpAsHHaqxiXcxleqXanIC8MomgvTY-cHeOvvmj5QZd9jv7bB9YuBDouMsyK3w)

Image Source: Google.com

That’s nearly half a billion other pages competing for the same audience.

Moving on to “coffee maker with grinder UK,” Google only returns a little over 5 million results.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/h1gxaWX46YaRERoBjY1mSn71J7tZS8l7wA6AQ-uLkWWG9X8-7NsHkScfauD1PheceJfYWKGNfWMMiM6t4MH8tfsaCdL-dvtKy8w4xPf7hWuicwVNFXHEGcLr5XXNpeQ_Hpb5v5tzTReeKTgWRhlBRdnGN8nRDMdXLM6SrV1DYwkOQCoexdMA7rxqGS2f7w)

Image Source: Google.com

Five million is still a huge number. But it’s still far less competitive than a keyword for which 479 million websites exist.

Another example might be someone searching for "car". Put yourself in the situation where you might make a broad search in Google for a car.

Your search journey might last weeks, and go something like this:

Search one: car  
Search two: fuel efficient cars  
Search three: diesel family cars  
Search four: best family car  
Search five: car dealer near me  
Search six: BMW X5 pictures  
Search seven: BMW X5 reviews  
Search eight: Most fuel efficient BMW X5  
Search nine: What is the best colour for a BMW X5?  
Search ten: Do BMW X5's hold their value?  
Search eleven: BMW X5 vs Audi Q7  
Search twelve: 2020 grey BMW X5 diesel for sale near me

You get the idea. The further down the journey (funnel) the person is, the more specific the search gets and the closer to they are to converting.

## How to research and use long-tail keywords

Below are four proven ways to search for long-tail keywords using broad or vanity keywords:

### Option 1: Use Semrush to generate long-tail keyword ideas

To look for long-tail keywords to replace useless vanity keywords, use a keyword research tool like the Keyword Magic Tool from [Semrush](https://semrush.sjv.io/Aokxv7?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

The Keyword Magic Tool is one of the most popular [keyword research platforms](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/ubersuggest-vs-ahrefs-vs-semrush/) money can buy. It is designed to expand broad keywords into hundreds of profitable, long-tail keyword ideas.

Simply enter a broad keyword or “seed keyword,” pick your location, and click **‘Search.’**

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/ALrYmXC716oU9HOzTF3ZSlf7rsmKSi9h7u0w6Ctzgj63Rrauxh-KvNx1a06lWgHbmYnraxH7hH5uYD79Bv-EcD8F49faJe5CxJ-vZcXTtVVO0CeijtWkoze5nGIY177yk3uV9-xsBw9r2JkHOcQoQFdu_xNE9rXpPzqdquWjy9povQuZpmxvHOw9DgBNOw)

Image Source: Semrush.com

In addition to hundreds of long-tail keyword suggestions, Keyword Magic Tool will also provide you with essential keyword metrics, like:

- Average monthly search volume
- Keyword difficulty rating (KD%)
- Average Cost Per Click (CPC)
- Competitive Density (Comp.)

These actionable metrics help you handpick the perfect target long-tail keywords for content marketing and SEO.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/au9HgVSS-H8bOIGYXPtkO19frKzDDUDM_8kGu18wVrzmCTfYtjtDoLGY8vbLbvY_0ZF9HS1PLCaB8DRWelc6V4wzMYDTgDSvd6HGZacOt_SgGZQS8Uz8woNEgEjoZC2i5xCNFLby6Bn_XFNVwFf7tO7z3DWIp2IJmAByKtVIDBPjWrcJtxXTEeSU0DZY_A)

Image Source: Semrush.com

### Option 2: Make sure you analyse keyword intent

Evaluate the user intent behind long-tail keywords to see if they’re the right fit for your marketing strategy.

Keyword Magic Tool also automatically analyses the intent behind each keyword suggestion. This is useful if you want to target keywords that align with your marketing goals.

Keyword intent can be found under the “Intent” column, containing any of these markers:

- **Informational.** Used by people who only want to do research.
- **Navigational.** Used by people who are looking for content from a specific website.
- **Commercial.** Used by people who are considering or comparing products.
- **Transactional.** Used by people who are ready to buy something.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/IUIlCSkkWlPqEUvAXhS-i1f5W0IJyjyhaEvVUK3TK9qPu5ITlOhRl-jHzkzmWk9DqUckM4QUY_HTaIAjzyD74TMtTp-GKU61Y7KpeN6MKeVSSQlciscbT2sDsfp51QzfiuI0q27HFgMOuAF5xncAP_44WIfImg4KdzLHoM2pYwI9n01Wc0dbA895AvCDTg)

Image Source: Semrush.com

In reality, there are a lot more intent types, but these four should give you enough to go on. 

Understanding keyword intent informs future strategies that involve [content creation](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-development-the-ultimate-guide/) and conversion rate optimisation.

To turn keyword traffic into real business results, match keyword intent with the right content types to drive user action.

For example, if you want to promote a “how to” guide to raise brand awareness, target keywords with “informational” intent. If your goal is to increase sales or [boost a product page](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/the-ultimate-guide-to-ecommerce-product-page-seo/), choose keywords with “commercial” or “transactional” intent.

### Option 3: Generate SEO content plans with Surfer

[Surfer](https://surferseo.com/?fpr=matt23&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is a powerful on-page SEO tool that can help you produce keyword-optimised content from start to finish.

The “Content Planner” tool lets you build an actionable [content strategy](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/digital-content-strategy/) by generating dozens of keyword clusters around the main topic. These are keyword groups used for content projects that address a specific customer need.

To use it, enter a seed keyword, choose the right location, and click **‘Create Content Planner.’**

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/H0dq5AW_kOwk6tQKVnNiPCOWe9oPTeej08tqIWRU7sbWA4aTduF9ROoJvQ_iMkD-P2y7Icq4nhKc7hUG93GnSkQa6Mxdu2gSZ3KKR1X43wJQJ9O6Yzv0blEtn7rhsdzdc8rmzBwXVAGhWBixTr4xMXIJyMpBU7kxwrLkKfy-snx0jVp-jVVVPNjJ9nE5iA)

Image Source: SurferSEO.com

Wait for Surfer to identify the potential keyword clusters around your vanity/broad keyword. When done, click on your content planner from the top of the list.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/wyB5v8ogh_fXIfFEVrKXzY5bJmVOB6A7enzLyZVnyC4qz6uIRCKcN9Wq8RKOT8Zd0fdAIGori5f97lo0TAy-XdABqRL8Rj1cf36Itm0TPmqiKU0-wLfy0BIjOWcYo8g3lVo_fziPc38UzcJdw3i3XvvhKaKjGnrlfM3M3biuBGULeMLEWmGY06kjIEYANA)

Image Source: SurferSEO.com

Surfer sorts long-tail keyword ideas into individual content plans. The tool also defines the intent that each plan satisfies, like “shopping,” “customer investigation,” and “informational.”

Here are some of the content plans for the keyword “security cameras”:

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/RGU8wQxOeZSUPLfJ0qUJdW9hos_rxmnOS-RpgG47_gmoqimcEQowHk_0_s1DldF9IM1_9NspErn69GKcSvAH5hcgjCOCV0vo-8PxFBxoMFxmrI6VsIsc1mY-K0jRquBgxrrn-T12-cMNWq_KUeLhRYOTJkDgEg1iq9_SNcanCJIinrV4CFJYHTkvftapjA)

Image Source: SurferSEO.com

For the complete list of long-tail keywords, hover your mouse over the content plan you’re interested in and click **‘Open Detailed View.’**

This pulls up Surfer’s content plan reporting window, which contains relevant long-tail keywords. The tool also calculates the total traffic potential of all the target keywords combined.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/nKA_xGwfVz_3lT03JKlA3RrpxVVPBOyep1Z9RDL7kERvn15k2CZMVchR9qYISkpiBejCj9QF0nwz7sNG7is32nWvElqNFjFb7iwvhm8PrGLVosqy-I0JZWMI2k6JoUYNyAzsnqDvpxWf4hMhuJ4XjUy9GTkyjcKlExtHjijEMGsNQjK1L9irUOGOS-JK7g)

Image Source: SurferSEO.com

Remember, these keywords are far more valuable than vanity keywords that offer little substance in terms of marketing. These are profitable long-tail keywords that will help you accomplish business goals with the right keyword optimisation strategies.

### Option 4: Build keyword-optimised content

Use your content plan to create SEO-friendly pieces to generate recurring organic traffic.

Surfer’s “Content Editor” tool is perfect for this job.

After viewing the content plan you want to work with, click **‘Create Content Editor.’**

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/CeQEjTu0al5DTiLzLy-CYibZ8QORd_9554wTD87qS_YGYrXmUlIF_zjHPQ4rJymMCzThJNr6yNc6FOrP9GQ5GNa2Yx6gosIv_3hbtw8m0wxuvQd51ueK9rthe-sLwFnybWGgRiyb9i7eS5C8NrTEbrGeh7RbHLsYQ1FkKPNjVLS6zWcypvcgd4ja1xInOw)

Image Source: SurferSEO.com

Once created, click the ellipsis menu icon and click **‘Open Content Editor.’** This fires up Surfer’s proprietary, cloud-based document editing tool enhanced with on-page optimisation features.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/2x0HauagbhHjLcCAHKtQyCEii_lq-MxKMSVkEI6DpbOM1glycMKqrSaEtZ7wSrnsw_n4x9YkTc1ISrrLvtU7HJatbNzonE77kL76TzdGUVCQ8Gifdwq7KY1FQHXCjWMF3kmHK6eDgIdHU8IQ8OieC5STG-RCvbJ1AbFcKmwXIyCItebx8Mc8R1wWcqx3AQ)

Image Source: SurferSEO.com

A better way to use Surfer’s Content Editor is through the [browser extension](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/keyword-surfer/bafijghppfhdpldihckdcadbcobikaca?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

This enables you to use the Content Editor as you create write-ups using Google Docs.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Pe8DWv0RTw-cAJCwgcAo4-zwW22d_sleiqnIqyoMfZBGzsqpS9eZmybLAgZWfzgQHedPP7MjaMwYt7NDXQSlAx1ergEAFM3PSVLxKBj4lMCytMV_Btfzm2M6T2NlOhOvVxtfG1yotSNWInuVolN1D0RrEDDJFXSkH0IvsTok0i9Yo4op9V8VhijiNvtrPA)

Image Source: Chrome.Google.com

After installing the extension, go to your Google Docs document and launch Surfer from the extensions toolbar. This opens the Surfer Content Editor sidebar, which will help you optimise your content as you write it.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/B2TqH3vM6YBVuWY3Q_b6Q-POB47SoBoTXuVS3Q7FeCUmMzdaZ6JWkA7Yv9yvvoTmTDb3pgPzPrq0tqfBUlDJOC8P2SQB9iEEklHVVznYho-pzAAk2kNKWKn64b-bGkxN3AiL9vsaVVNcpTAkZcIv3iO0Ej8TzoBg10_NZWilZxdJmhraUKgP4HOEREVH3A)

Image Source: Docs.Google.com

On the Surfer sidebar, click on the keyword you created via the Content Planner. This fully integrates the Content Editor’s on-page optimisation features into Google Docs, including:

- Real-time Content Score. The Content Score provides real-time feedback on your content’s optimisation. Aim to reach the target (green) Content Score using the suggestions displayed through the Surfer sidebar.
- Recommended content stats. Below the Content Score, Surfer shows actionable metrics to guide your optimisation efforts. This includes the recommended word count range, image count, number of headings, and number of paragraphs.
- Target long-tail keywords. Lastly, Surfer shows a long, handy list of long-tail keyword suggestions along with their recommended usage. The tool also provides heading keyword suggestions to help structure your SEO content.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/BSILm3Srx-YsUl7ZNbS99i-9Q_zATOcPs-Xz-W_JXx28YWnv_WMwmQ396fq7x6KAx8aBZxIhcTkhUFo_dLHW8ign3_FsYGTohMeEdK4vNLmpeTKFh8isthLBjawRMPabWdN02kTVGaxmeC90Liz6-adr2iKNza2e1zH18kuXK-y78Hjh3irhHCULRWhoHQ)

Image Source: Docs.Google.com

💡

***Tip:** **Make the most out of Surfer by using it with writing assistants like* [**Writesonic*](https://writesonic.com/?via=matt&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)**—an AI-powered tool that will help you with content ideation, outline creation, and the actual writing process. Polish your content drafts with an automated proofreading tool like* [**Grammarly*](https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?afftrack=&b=864277&m=26748&u=864476&urllink=&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) *to eliminate grammatical, spelling, and readability issues quickly. Remember, though, make sure you craft the content yourself. Search engines can easily pick-out AI created content and remove it from the search results entirely (and maybe even your entire domain!).* ***They should be used to speed up your process and not to replace your content writing.** 

## Why you need to identify vanity metrics

Not everything slapped with the word “vanity” is useless in marketing.

As explained above, vanity keywords are great starting points for keyword and [content research](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-research-the-ultimate-guide/). They also enable the upper echelon of brands to cement their authority in their respective industries.

The same can be said for vanity metrics, which are pieces of data that also make your brand look good on paper—but don’t necessarily impact your bottom line. That is if they’re not paired with the right business or marketing goal.

Some examples of other vanity metrics are:

- Social media likes
- Social media followers
- Bounce rate (particularly low bounce rate)
- Ad impressions
- Click-through rate
- Unique site visitors

Each of these can be useful to help to build a picture of overall performance, but in silo, they're almost meaningles.

## How to actually use vanity metrics

Vanity metrics are useful when optimising the performance of your marketing strategies. In which case, they evolve into “performance metrics” or “user engagement metrics” that can give you insights into what works and what doesn’t.

Click-through rate, for example, is only a vanity metric when measured by itself. But when evaluated in relation to the performance of a Call-To-Action (CTA) button, it becomes a crucial measurement of effectiveness.

Unique site visitors also don’t automatically translate to more conversions. But this metric will help you assess the potency of traffic generation channels, or provide details of how your website is performing from a conversion standpoint.

Vanity metrics shine when used in an A/B or split testing strategy in which you track, measure, and compare the performance of multiple versions of the same content or element—allowing you to identify their best-performing versions faster.

You can collect these metrics using various tools, like [Google Analytics](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/benefits-of-google-analytics-4/) and in-app social media insights.

💡

***Tip:** **If you track data from multiple platforms, use a tool like* [**Supermetrics*](https://affiliate.supermetrics.com/4538.html?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) *to consolidate them into destinations like Google Sheets and BigQuery.*

## Do keyword research that gets real results

Finding the best target keywords is just a small part of the journey to marketing success.

You also need proven and data-driven strategies tailored to your target audience’s goals, expectations, and content preferences.

This is where the heavy lifting takes place.Let me help you create an effective, keyword-optimised content marketing strategy. [Book a free consultation today](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/digital-marketing-consulting/) and let’s get to work.
### 12 Proven and Tested Topics for Content Writing
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/topics-for-content-writing/
Last updated: 2022-11-04T08:51:53.000Z
To achieve digital marketing success, you need a robust strategy and some great ***topics for content writing*** *.*

It's easy to hit the wall when coming up with topic ideas. But don't give up. 

If you’re learning how to create topic clusters, start a new blog, or promote your business online, here are 12 amazing content topic ideas to get the ball rolling.

## Importance of choosing topics for content writing

If you don't craft content that encourages engagement, you can easily come unstuck. Check out the reasons why you need to pick topics carefully for content writing:

### Tip 1: Build a solid readership

The first (and perhaps most important) reason to choose content topics wisely is to capture the interest of your target audience.

To do this, build a content marketing strategy around their problems and goals.

You can write about your own products or services every once in a while. However, the bulk of your content should benefit your readers without requiring them to buy from you.

### Tip 2: Analyse your target audience’s content preferences

Testing topic ideas will help you understand the content preferences of your target audience.

Implement a [content tracking](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-tracking-ultimate-guide-with-tips-and-tricks/) system and compare the performance of existing content. Double down on topics that get the best results and decide whether to tweak or eliminate weak-performing topics from your strategy.

### Tip 3: Reduce the cost of your content development

Identifying your best topics and formats helps optimise your [content development](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-development-the-ultimate-guide/) strategy.

This lets you avoid wasting time, money, and manpower writing content that won’t benefit your digital marketing goals. More importantly, you can allocate the right resources to creating content pieces that are proven to get results.

### Tip 4: Refine your team’s content-writing skills

Content writers can consistently improve the quality of their output by focusing on a set of relevant topics.

Each assignment is a learning experience that builds their expertise. This makes them capable of producing high-level content packed with original information.

## 12 Proven and tested topics for content writing

Here are the top 12 topics that make [content research](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-research-the-ultimate-guide/) an absolute breeze:

## Topic Idea 1: “Top” listicles

Top listicles are the bread and butter of most businesses that do content marketing.

They’re easy to research, even easier to write, and are always in demand by users in search of easily digestible information.

Listicles are also flexible and can be moulded for almost any subject. You’ll find many top listicles about tools, strategies, websites, and other resources.

Here’s an example of a top listicle from the [Semrush](https://semrush.sjv.io/Aokxv7?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) blog:

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/dA427wgbA0A2-uS0nPfYFAnEi2WqjoU_FCzXc6Oj9oeQSRhfwOi9BQnw0b4cvXkcfbw7zyMeaZla-xqD5mxU6RF9uZyStQK3CFnYH-DErdKdMwvMuZJV4p3K0JK7Tg87u5wsw3BH6ZvD-HyyOqA7R4k)

*Image Source: Semrush.com*

**Top listicle title examples:**

- Top X \[resource category\] to help you achieve \[goal\]
- X Best \[resource category\] for \[target readers\]
- The ultimate list of X \[resource category\] for \[year\]
- X ways to do X

## Topic Idea 2: How-to guides

How-to guides are just as popular as top listicles in search engines. They’re the perfect format for users looking to solve a specific problem.

To create an effective how-to guide, ensure your content can help readers accomplish their goals by the end. Include detailed instructions and use visuals whenever possible to make the steps easier to understand.

Some examples of visual content are screenshots, videos, infographics, and still images.

Here’s an example of a comprehensive how-to blog post that includes informative screenshots:

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/bTT-X7SZ0Xu9nwthXA2h2PI0NLRoZSBui4OYmsH81yOq02uPFslMW39RrAhvPMt5hl2YCK1q3k0UfHBKfogc09px1myN-xP6e_yPNsTbye-sZFJG1hxd6u44lIyL3cNLNt6sEdidw7Ep7PdWqZJzwEs)

**How-to guide title examples:**

- How to \[goal\] for beginners
- \[Resource name\] ultimate guide: How to use \[Resource name\] to \[goal\] like a champ
- How to \[goal\] in X easy steps

## Topic Idea 3: Life hacks

Life hack posts do great on social media platforms, particularly if they’re attached to visual content like short-form videos or infographics.

A life hack is a strategy that solves a common problem using accessible tools and everyday objects. It should be easy to do and can be considered a “shortcut” to accomplishing something that normally takes more work.

Multiple life hacks are usually combined in a single listicle.

For example, here’s a compilation of social media hacks by [Inkbot Design](https://inkbotdesign.com/social-media-hacks/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk):

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/t78HAUCEjitwr02OxBEhKj9mvLPmy1v2BF8E6dlVcG6ywdgCvZkVe00YIDc2S7awt2rIyzNoN8BDL1lfofDnx9LT0zvT21UYuG9S-eySFz8Ik0IyWUPo7Zdz5y9CFrI4H7W4Y-wkYO_9o9BOr-58Dlc)

*Image Source: InkbotDesign.com*

**Life hack title examples:**

- This simple hack lets you \[goal\] like a pro
- Use this life hack to \[goal\] in minutes
- Top X \[resource category\] hacks to maximise your \[goal\]

## Topic Idea 4: Industry news

Writing industry news articles can provide you with a quick spike in traffic.

They may not have evergreen value. But publishing a news post about trending topics is a surefire way to boost your brand’s relevance in your particular niche.

An industry news article is also a straightforward assignment for any content writer.

You don’t need to share a step-by-step strategy that readers can follow. Just report the news as accurately and honestly as possible while chipping in original insights.

If the news can affect your readers, share a few tips on how they can adjust to the changes.

[Search Engine Journal](https://www.searchenginejournal.com/category/news/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) regularly posts SEO industry news on its blog. This enables them to capitalise on the latest news in the digital marketing world to generate consistent traffic.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/sh6jaqaMsNtF880sq3w2k_FXIT-ssuIV-1Fe-qaYApWWptxGDC_5pca7Aglpj5WDP2XX-7C4We7BYLmW88--eSYmdptteETZ6BENNqQ7gWiaDcKkGb-ERTC6cufxTTBSz0foKgURCWNASCr5244fuok)

*Image Source: SearchEngineJournal.com*

Tip: Use Google Trends to search for trending topics based on Google queries. This can point you to newsworthy information that makes for an interesting content-writing topic.

**Industry news title examples:**

- \[Name\] releases \[resource\]: Here’s what you need to know
- \[Name\]: “\[quote\]” — what it means for \[target readers\]
- The rise/fall of \[name\]: What happened in the \[event\]

## Topic Idea 5: Customer success stories

Customer success stories are relatable, inspirational, and powerful in lead generation.

Before you start writing your first success story, reach out to your customer first and get their permission. Not all customers are happy to share about the brands they use online.

With their approval, prepare a list of questions about their experience or schedule a phone call. Any means of communication between you and your happy customer will help you craft a compelling success story.

[Google Workspace](https://workspace.google.com/customers/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) has an entire library of customer success stories on its website. In each story, they highlight how their clients benefit from their platform’s specific features.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/R7jtcKfhugFvXn6VXH_ZNEM38Raa_9CgVNhjBtKIWp_83KI1Ei5ltXTBgK8mVhzAMkqO3OqcEWw7px1VwMPzq3CKdiRUOlj8UvdQHG68PT0MDDAFHmgxbBbTSURdO1CvRP1c7g3-LBbkKCzvOl3TGQo)

*Image Source: Workspace.Google.com*

**Customer success story title examples:**

- How \[customer\] achieved \[goal\] using \[your product\] in X days
- “\[Quote\]”: Customer success story featuring \[customer\]
- How \[your product\] helped \[customer\] get \[goal\] and how you can do it, too

## Topic Idea 6: Interviews

Interviews are more versatile than you think.

Aside from promoting another brand, interviews can also provide valuable and expert-level insights to your audience.

Ask your interviewee for any advice they can give your readers whenever possible. To ensure the content stays on-brand, you can organise interviews with your business executives or managerial staff.

That’s exactly what [Infrastar](https://infrastar.co.uk/interview-with-the-ceo/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) did when interviewing their CEO, Glen Griffin.

It has the added advantage of being shared by the interviewee so you can reach their audience.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/iUVsln_dvRydS9Ll4JXGlxoGoCmUzejzkKATtHOloUiBLw6IIOkLODewNmmHEkoI9QR4gAAV4m7rlS9dUqiTyRRbqqviBHRiiSYRtOp4LAubMql6k81lV40PiPdx5ZzEogeUi3Q6Lipkm5NrE2IwjN0)

*Image Source: Infrastar.co.uk*

**Interview title examples:**

- X takeaways from our interview with \[position\], \[interviewee\]
- We interviewed \[interviewee\] about \[goal\]: Here’s what we learned
- Interview with \[position\], \[interviwee\]: “\[quote\]”

## Topic Idea 7: Pain points

Your audience’s problems are a never-ending supply of content writing topics.

Focus on their pain points and help them understand where things went wrong. To make your article more compelling, incorporate a list of solutions that address their problems.

Here’s an example of a pain point article from MakeUseOf:

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/XbVl_QiDXnp-qKNq1NTLGyaDFGBncBNYPLCY7Xwbj-fR8GBYaGq5CyfvkF7QEnG6NupvJgOnaxPCursyzLg_WNmjCVEPMH_KfrT-2mOnyyoWwbt6jZAvFIAMPkUgqmDuWd9G-RVrajoqs6W2fEydXtY)

Image Source: MakeUseOf.com

**Pain point article title examples:**

- Here’s why you’re not \[goal\] (and ways to fix it)
- X reasons why your \[resource\] isn’t working
- Why \[goal\] is hard: X reasons and strategies to improve

## Topic Idea 8: Case studies

Case studies feature hard facts and proven results to win the audience’s trust. They also function as natural link magnets—earning backlinks from other websites that cite data from your study.

If you have the resources, create a case study using original research about a specific strategy or product.

Here is a case study from [Marketing Labs](https://marketinglabs.co.uk/case-study/croft-vets/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) about their SEO, PPC, and social media marketing campaigns with Croft Vets:

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/GFcQHBHlCWgg1ZxCD_xBYwbSMjzSOmykey6kldX7G18H5EfSQ1797nXLcav5fkqh1KpeQnUCcHvXYT6jIOf0kH1NfKjWQ33fvlef1JFBbfsjVrIKQZCSRlzaFgiLcO6uigZTbvyL-bmskD-LWEGiNrc)

*Image Source: MarketingLabs.co.uk*

Alternatively, create content about existing case studies by other reputable brands in your niche. This is a more cost-effective strategy considering the time, money, and extensive research it takes to publish an original case study.

**Case study title examples:**

- The most common reasons why \[statement\]: Case study \[year\]
- Case study: X things about \[resource\] you don’t know about
- Case study: The truth about \[topic\] and why you should care

## Topic Idea 9: Statistics

Statistics posts offer another opportunity to organically win backlinks from other sites.

Start with a relevant topic or question that matters to your audience. From there, compile data from various third-party sources—including your own case studies—to build another link-worthy post.

Statistics posts are usually presented as a list.

To maximise linkability, insert data visualisations or entire infographics. These visuals will also make your content more shareable on social media.

Here is an example of a statistics post with an infographic from [Business2Community](https://www.business2community.com/infographics/baby-boomers-love-social-media-and-tech-infographic-01377201?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk):

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/LoUZBfrqaG82REfsZLLoDfts3C_wwS7twM9Xjh07QitfpnMgJgDo-gTK8ZcO8FIysK4xmdQ-3nM5sa8JCGJWQaG9F7y9cDNdYGY5McjuOkdT5UOwLUHJLtXyifJn4w4zfP55vCLL40FMJgx7PRgd7RU)

Image Source: Business2Community.com

To create brilliant data visualisations and infographics without a professional graphic designer, use drag-and-drop tools like [Canva](https://partner.canva.com/GjoPML?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). It offers a free version with lots of templates and customisable design elements.

Remember to use large and readable fonts for [mobile conversion optimisation](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/mobile-conversion-optimization-best-practices/).

**Statistics article title examples:**

- Infographic: X mind-blowing stats about \[topic\]
- X statistics about \[topic\] and what it means for \[target readers\]
- Top X \[topic\] statistics every \[target reader\] should know

## Topic Idea 10: Brand stories

Brand stories make your company more relatable and approachable to your audience.

Company events, C-suite backstories, everyday gossip at the office—these topics give readers a “behind-the-scenes” look at your company.

Semrush does brand stories all the time in their website’s “Newsroom” section.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/N8Gej6dr8bMqDi-ht7h_LNPVSwPtHqt2OvNq6rlXAotb5tLX6dHy8rPULlp_jITkJwfAu6itRegErB1Rv_nTV3AOLDacspA0oN0FWWQg98oZ_p4lPxj9lJ8j2hIWQoCDCf67Lx2gdr77l8nasM3Bre4)

Image Source: Semrush.com

Make your brand stories more impactful and share-worthy using short-form videos on social media.

Shoot Instagram Stories, TikTok videos, Facebook “My Day” clips, and YouTube Shorts featuring your company culture and the people in it. Then, share a link to the full brand story on your website to take that traffic home.

**Brand story title examples:**

- A look at the \[company event\]: X things we learned
- Meet \[employee\]: Our new \[position\]
- Introducing \[product\]: The easiest way to \[goal\] yet

## Topic Idea 11: Product reviews

If you’re an affiliate marketer, product reviews let you publish interesting content AND increase the passive income potential of your website.

Affiliate marketing entails promoting another company’s products in exchange for commissions. It lets bloggers, businesses, and digital publications monetise their websites while providing useful product recommendations to readers.

Websites can sell virtually anything as affiliates—from digital marketing tools to smartphones.

Some websites like [What’s The Best](https://www.whatsthebest.co.uk/tech/photography/gopro-hero-10-review/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) even partner with multiple marketplaces, giving their audience more options on where to buy.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/NY-i27DDXuab1PWQhUEFur78ZD9uKn__Xk4KKhWryQtj3vDGtKg7KHuD9fsY95IZEe4Kf--AQTQ5t0fg2nDm4OQFz5LAOzDWVJkjOoeyusG5QU84WTrbuSvg400LERnWqQ4LID7y-WlQZuyPKYBsyv0)

Image Source: WhatsTheBest.co.uk

**Product review title examples:**

- Ultimate \[product\] review: Pros, cons, and tips
- We used \[product\] for a week: X things we know so far
- \[Product\] review: Is it the best \[product category\] you can buy?

## Topic Idea 12: Comparisons

Comparison posts take reviews to the next level.

Instead of reviewing just one product, a comparison lets you feature two or more. This is useful if you want to promote multiple affiliate products in a single article—or if you already reviewed the product and need to present it from a new angle.

It’s also easy to come up with content title ideas for comparisons.

Take a look at this example about Hemingway App vs Grammarly vs Whitesmoke:

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/fdUChWZR6OMV9n4lJ49-I-XedeS81pRdIR0BWlZmsIpNExuzpMzK3tNqeidmEEtbJpshcisBUQW4rPDMWQq-9Sqz0JfiA7yq9W-DIG_5EH-XqAfqWxrUZwZ-uzY6I7LIUmoLMx9sDBNoHECnkcIYaVI)

**Comparison title examples:**

- \[Product\] vs \[product\] vs \[product\]: Which one should you pick?
- \[Product\] vs \[product\]: The ultimate \[product category\] showdown
- Ranking the best \[product category\]: \[Product\] vs \[product\] vs \[product\]

## FAQs when choosing topics for content writing

### What kind of content can I write?

Some popular content writing topics include industry news, how-to guides, interviews, customer success stories, and reviews. Cover various topics to attract audiences with different goals.

### How do I find a content topic?

Ways to find interesting topics for content writing:

- Do keyword research
- Look for questions your target readers are asking
- Spy on your competitors’ web pages
- Observe online communities and social media groups
- Check Google suggestions

### How do I start content writing?

To be a successful content writer, always start with content research to understand what internet users are looking for. [Conduct keyword research](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-research-the-ultimate-guide/) for SEO and observe popular posts about the same topic for ideas. You can then move on to the [writing](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-write-a-blog-post-in-30-minutes-a-how-to-guide/) stage. 

## Power up your content strategy with the best topics

Topic research is a crucial step in content writing, but it’s difficult to pick the right topics every single time.

*Unless you have a dedicated content team to do all the heavy lifting.*

[Contact me here](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/digital-marketing-consulting/), and let my team build your perfect content strategy.
### 10 Best Practices to Create a Content Cluster Strategy
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/cluster-strategy/
Last updated: 2022-11-03T16:47:21.000Z
Everybody loves a good **cluster strategy**—brands, content marketers, users, and search engines. And for good reason; when planned and implemented well, it can drive huge performance. 

However, not everybody knows how to build them right.

Learn how to create topic clusters successfully with these best practices.

## What is a cluster strategy?

A cluster strategy in content marketing is an SEO tactic that creates a network of content based on a main topic and its subtopics. This network is called a “topic cluster,” which connects interrelated content with internal links.

Content for the core topic is the “pillar page,” whereas content for related topics and subtopics are called “cluster posts.”

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2022/11/CleanShot-2022-11-03-at-15.45.34@2x.jpg)

## 10 Best practices to create a content cluster strategy

Here are ten best practices to remember when creating a content cluster strategy:

## 1: Build a HUGE list of subtopics

Conduct thorough [content research](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-research-the-ultimate-guide/) to build an authoritative and exhaustive topic cluster. Don’t give your target audience a reason to look elsewhere for the information you didn’t include.

Use tools like [Semrush](https://semrush.sjv.io/Aokxv7?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to expand your main topic into a long list of related subtopics.

On the Keyword Magic Tool, enter the focus keyword for your main topic. Use short-tail keywords like “habit stacking,” “mental fitness,” and “pet care” to uncover truckloads of subtopics.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/l93WCSNrwWdw2JDOkKT3V8knX9UnHr-PslYMLmeJCGJDQ-WMXsjM7OszE-CwCfqLxDwPNzWVKDgH6UjHNPQgFVgip2m6JbPlAx-2ai3XXT2ZtgeFwPBmg1EmH4Sek4_-WtKD_glLHsHg9wxqc1nYTXI)

*Image Source: Semrush.com*

Scan the keyword search results for potential ideas around your particular topic. Look for “informational” keywords that people use to do online research.

Semrush indicates information keywords with an ‘I’ under the “Intent” column.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/3AqlH7ZlmrsurIyYt2HVfuatLql_HrA-_VX5ex7o5gPYlRyF-qmAaDNKi8JypAWLMsvJifKdA4Ne4GcZQCOHJAb9ewTqKxi-2dSfz_U-m-S2n37dppZbIT0en7Fos5e0ntqX-nY0dXuNDad2IIAnZRI)

*Image Source: Semrush.com*

For more subtopic ideas, click **‘Questions’** to reveal question-based keywords. These are content ideas that directly relate to your target audience’s problems.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/1n4-Wy0Qf24LeqSNmHZSn6m9jeUMchhxHIOfUGr1wTsbV4j4Ubr2iYBS47cm7NWUJX9y2rVk80VW6uZ-LkC5ay4l-DXOBzP8xGObAkrg9IVYsdCflwrm-lbyOVeE8drGtmDtQaE-10S6gllkVkC1-Zk)

*Image Source: Semrush.com*

Explore phrase match, exact match, and related keywords for more ideas. These categories pull up different keyword variations for a diversified topic cluster.

You can also use [AnswerThePublic](https://answerthepublic.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to discover keywords that Semrush may have missed. It’s a free content ideation tool that compiles queries from search engine results pages—perfect for creating topic clusters without content gaps.

Start with a broad keyword or topic and click **‘Search.’**

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/u8eepYFrwDvESZ44g1B-yYMUIHS0v1gsHhmtzKGJiMWEaypmSSC11thGKnnFhYvT-fUf3gtpG2Iz2i-gVh4tthvWG91GSo0K2HNWMyoXeyC0CMz5NN6Esqe-ADpmYPrFFY_UfMcfNIALcS3eyuxzaqo)

*Image Source: AnswerThePublic.com*

AnswerThePublic offers five keyword categories that can supply you with subtopic ideas.

Tip: Check these keyword categories using the “Data” view for better readability. Simply switch to the **‘Data’** tab above the keyword results.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/wmhllU32Y9OW_RaLQyJ08PcTBUPgDwueNMxlZCxyaCDUAGGb-tvhpdpBKfWJS-FOu8cuRnrL7rf1PGlXFx1eEl3qVSUjdEKGYfD0PYnATZMzlBu9r5JNNL_ETa1ROwN-kk9httMXzZzi2et7Y0de3BI)

*Image Source: AnswerThePublic.com*

## 2: Conduct competitor analysis

Make sure your topic cluster is built to compete with competitor analysis.

Use Google to find the top-ranking websites for your focus keyword. In most cases, you’ll find additional subtopics right from the search engine results.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/OrnUf3v6jfP5eIdDKb9DZvGKY995tD-WZmnBFNmJdIs2Q4n5G8eY0edOePiL-mtyRC3MPvmJQrmS8Uj5whHUKSacB8Gv8rCVO2hnNk8SPhgT6bJKKxWGw0f2vTLYXmHjlK4sTFvY6CxUbjoX0FDX5Rw)

*Image Source: Google.com*

Do an eye test of the top results and look for pillar pages. These will give you a goldmine of subtopics to add to your topic cluster.

For example, the pillar page from [RSPCA](https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) links to subtopics you can include.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/7mCmDg0Pqd14WvDCIkRqCQzDrU6KZa9cRyA5HAOOYaxFI5yJncbY9l167IlsbuMYw16uxlq_xe9VwkyWYleYJ9b8nVfCjqsoWow2wvUCmKSUX4rKCVk-udErjGZCVspC-0gR7gxrdkDl1bf3JPk3kjM)

*Image Source: RSPCA.co.uk*

Other than subtopic ideas, competitor analysis also lets you find keyword opportunities with a tool like Semrush.

Launch the Domain Overview tool and plug in the URL to your competitor’s page.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/h1GOj9AeKF8EkUyXpGJ4fuSXJKlBeX98Ya_XFkwMQAq6WfuuBFciaM3T_IsxY3P91GX46TvuF2nlJ00lVC68gNl6Jqa9IcSyvL8LtKJ3UOOpvY_r5XfDsYo4rRKgb1wxAHKxxdsPA7ROrkS-xdCATF8)

*Image Source: Semrush.com*

On the domain overview report, scroll to the “Organic Research” column and look at the “Top Organic Keywords” list. Consider adding these keywords to your topic cluster strategy if you haven’t yet.

## 3: Optimise your cluster content’s loading speed

A digital.com survey revealed that [50% of users](https://digital.com/1-in-2-visitors-abandon-a-website-that-takes-more-than-6-seconds-to-load/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) abandon a website that doesn’t load in six seconds or less.

That’s half of your potential traffic out the window.

Some other data sources suggest that six seconds might actually be three seconds.

Scan your topic cluster content for performance-related issues with a tool like [PageSpeed Insights](https://pagespeed.web.dev/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). Just enter the URL of your pillar page or cluster post, then click **‘Analyze.’**

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Qt4HQr_TfKmghREXkgosjCQ_HcuLOdf4fa2eB_85G0CHU1SJIek90-wfAp6nA7xM483T9-qKO0hoLx2toqquewG9Xr-qHXRhePZUlHDGEIqpba0Nr7OeNfrkVisju5nJ6kflIUFnAyG0A864IQXW1DI)

*Image Source: PageSpeed.Web.dev*

The report begins with a diagnosis of your page’s performance on mobile and desktop devices. Use the tabs above to switch platforms.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/BRKsQ-NCAcDKwvYJ8KcnksTvq-Cazp8aHk2PujKd1wufwsf9OS_vl_XA58yO3yWvSdZ1TPh9nXRkoWqXXUmWXp09ZcMlrRk89vN9tbpXz4CuOfHxKy8KBJw3jNCfUYFXGPttBkvPtSsyGTEEDiyU7B4)

*Image Source: PageSpeed.Web.dev*

If your performance rating is less than 90, review the “Opportunities” and “Diagnostics” sections below. These will show you the detected issues bogging down your website’s loading speed.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/Z6eRnNsVlW22O6QowI_-qQRYs-ahETpvmHICO_Td86xt6AHVKte7LSXSAIWnuX2ACwV0Qb844wAIBL2uFqsLVGDAY3PrlNIMUeWOkNN--g-duW3OwJbojHhaRVJqG_qrpZelaai0JQuH1vzpjz4UtbU)

*Image Source: PageSpeed.Web.dev*

Click on any issue to reveal more details along with remediation suggestions.

For example, if PageSpeed Insights reveals that third-party code is affecting loading speed, it will highlight the third-party integrations responsible.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/2hS2u8xSJrFprJqnZ8JeiQAKmgyZcz8k9kZ35iQGS51EjAP0FIOmGTZuJbmowaCK044418F8XYYtLLzxr9rB9zatsSSU3KtvWNWxTr2w619JAS_zg667sC8fCnNx9Tt_JotSYz43beolvBoOlCMfi_8)

*Image Source: PageSpeed.Web.dev*

Click **‘Learn more’** for in-depth instructions on how to fix performance-related issues on your website. These may require coding knowledge, but their impact can be offset with the right performance optimisation plugins, tools, and services, like:

- W3 Total Cache
- WP Rocket
- Autoptimize
- CDN services (Cloudflare, Google Cloud CDN, Amazon CloudFront, etc.)

## 4: Don’t go overboard with your pillar page

Pillar pages are meant to help users find the specific blog post for a subtopic. They’re not supposed to spill more detail than cluster posts.

If users want to explore a subtopic, prepare them with basic information and a quick introduction. Write short paragraphs to ensure they easily find the link to the associated cluster post.

Write a simple and concise pillar page that makes it easier to find internal links. Pique their interest with quick tips and explanations relevant to the subtopic, but that’s it.

For most topics, 2,000 words should be plenty for a pillar page.

To target the right word count, check the average length of the top 10 results for your topic or subtopic keyword.

Alternatively, use an on-page optimisation tool like [Surfer SEO](https://surferseo.com/?fpr=matt23&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to get real-time content length suggestions. It also provides suggestions for keywords, headings, and image count through machine learning.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/8PaMLXvhKRjngaiQNq_PWff6i_ipJ1fNG9bGMO5WJdGOpZhYeLXV2mzB305GpX4oYXLr75_2QhOJi4WzerSglr3mRqu_pPTx7E7KsU-bsfymid_tN--V2WrsYFpWsR_k9-vGe0MpASMCjUxT1AsC31M)

*Image Source: Docs.Google.com*

## 5: Streamline your content development process

Consistent [content development](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-development-the-ultimate-guide/) is the most time-consuming phase of building a topic cluster.

Don’t let it bottleneck your cluster strategy.

Use automated writing apps to streamline tasks like proofreading, editing, and optimisation.

[Grammarly](https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?afftrack=&b=864277&m=26748&u=864476&urllink=&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is the go-to writing assistant for marketers, bloggers, students, and everyone who needs to create sparkling content. It generates real-time correction suggestions based on your specific content goals.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Snf5qmROocSw1pHKfze7up9dSCcoGB4jf0xq0_-G_9wXtQsb3aU5oCqkPL7Snqzd2XJvgE_k_vN_S-qrjVBYFpGB54jOcmCVSgFpfZ_I3H6LslLtZQquXtjJ4P6nVHtSWnUXN7mcIKqzk1yJrn4Yga0)

*Image Source: Grammarly.com*

To polish content with Grammarly, paste your pillar page or cluster post draft into the editor.

The writing assistant immediately shows suggestions that affect your content’s correctness, clarity, engagement factor, and delivery.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/hFZZbbMQx1o_zVuR4EBE2pxxcSY6QGMcFjlXrDMhd0PqUXWy7PaJnoJT0JBTr0xUkO8Fky0tl9gBt9yAMZQKOGJB9kixCONBNpBetyHd11-Az1jMd2MQCOuZYqyOXbUcmwMRaxfpFU6iUncLYUO15Ak)

*Image Source: Grammarly.com*

Grammarly can also be used as a Microsoft Word add-on, Google Chrome extension, or standalone desktop app. If you create plain text content, you can also write your draft straight from the Grammarly editor.

Apart from Grammarly, here are other writing tools to streamline cluster content creation:

- [**Writesonic**](https://writesonic.com/?via=matt&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)**:** An AI-powered writer to lighten the load of content creation.
- [**Headline Studio**](https://coschedule.com/headline-studio?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)**:** A free tool from CoSchedule to help you write click-worthy headlines.
- ****[Hemingway Editor](https://hemingwayapp.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk): Another free tool to simplify your writing and improve readability.**

## 6: Interlink as many related pages as possible

Internal links make the most out of organic traffic by giving readers more content to explore. They also help search engine crawlers explore your site and understand your content hierarchy, which can boost rankings.

Topic clusters give you ample opportunities for internal links.

In addition to links to and from your pillar page, cluster posts can also link to each other based on topical relevance.

Use Surfer SEO’s content audit tool to discover missed internal link opportunities.

Go to the Audit tool and enter your cluster post’s URL along with its focus keyword.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/riTfQ7BG5kdbABct_AR6oS_yavbK3klR1uFaT-s484PONsG1BcVlfrG5uXXKaUCuIRnc15BHPdZTk_BacuQrY9QLBqRy1ncJ83iHBJtM8GTJK3MNMU3Y5KU66ITumIrfGTYpW2nPjbbZq9Q1vSCvZXE)

*Image Source: SurferSEO.com*

The content audit report shows on-page optimisation opportunities regarding backlinks, keywords, metadata, and so on. It also identifies topically relevant pages that can be internally linked from your cluster post.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/Xj296uQmjw3cF56CrHLwPSZPNZ6l8D4R-BkuaWiI_7HIr98qxWH0WkI0btf3zch_2FY1rRrbIbJLzyH6QWlgn3I551wKShf5UiOlSiZxbmdLawPpe4LcB2oJNsceYHyfIPnPoHPN5dfuTZvd57f2osg)

*Image Source: SurferSEO.com*

Click **‘Show internal links’** to reveal these pages.

Look specifically for other cluster posts from within the same topic cluster. If you find existing content that’s outside the cluster, use your discretion on whether it needs an internal link.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/SLZN06_30sIIS8JtUkio1Tx074IaazpT3ytUhdZVsv2QUP_wm4ZuzMRjGZOYijCPJ80_AkmuCN9HN0EnHjn2aZue92xPZM9wJOEKN_ckBNaZMu7SbJ4OrLcpOsIo2mQgHkRoL4Gs_pMTfeqgghdFfFk)

*Image Source: SurferSEO.com*

## 7: Make mobile-friendly cluster content

Research shows that mobile users now account for [the majority of internet traffic](https://www.similarweb.com/platforms/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

Most users may not have an engaging experience if you develop a pillar page without [mobile optimisation](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/mobile-conversion-optimization-best-practices/). Search engines like Google also consider mobile-friendliness a crucial ranking factor.

To optimise your cluster content for mobile, below are four simple tips to try:

- Use responsive design to scale page elements and reposition based on the device’s display.
- Space out clickable/tappable elements.
- Use larger fonts and image sizes.
- Develop an app to make your topic cluster content more accessible.
- Improve your website’s loading speed on mobile devices.

If you have already developed your cluster content, use the [Mobile-Friendly Test](https://search.google.com/test/mobile-friendly?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to find ways to boost the experience of mobile users.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/3covpVNQnsFHMREciNVbqBRdXA5Qlq4_mDXPjWYHMUooteKEKZTGaKK6TQWvccdOySGfrRmTEyzCoucrFfPOlRxF_phM_cnzu7z_iQlVndJ9t9UyPevPgSDGK7je8o-kH-lQGOfAoNY-HytV3odhjdM)

*Image Source: Search.Google.com*

Mobile-Friendly Test detects problems and provides solutions to help optimise pages for mobile users.

On the results page, click on a problem to view technical details. For in-depth instructions, click the **‘Go to issue documentation’** button.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/aD3drDgF87N7nHTObDbxdHJ-cmylqcM1pLUIhkFa3UMRQGsJQuY7LLa6sUdNpYMpetvmwUPr5wTFow9Pezkeo57Eg3FU4SXtWynOU7xib3BsJOeZ7umpj-zvmJM5Xxww0QN1auZB2MELGiRgch92Eoc)

*Image Source: Search.Google.com*

## 8: Build multiple topic clusters

Authoritative brands use multiple topic clusters—one for each content category on their website.

A lifestyle blog, for example, can create clusters for related topics like fashion, food, and outdoor activities.

If your blog is focused on a small topic, build different types of pillar pages that connect to similar cluster posts. Set a unique theme for each pillar page, such as:

- ****FAQs.** Create a pillar page that links to question-based cluster content (“how-to” guides, “what is” posts, etc.).
- ****Resources.** Compile cluster posts that discuss tools, services, and other resources on a single pillar page.
- ****Press.** Build a pillar page for news-type articles, press releases, and other cluster posts that relate to your company.

## 9: Amplify your topic cluster with link building

Topic clusters work best when paired with a solid [link building strategy](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/good-bad/).

Every piece of content in your topic cluster should receive a healthy amount of backlinks. These will happen naturally if you produce great content, but sometimes it needs a push.

Pillar pages are a given since they spread traffic and link equity to all other posts in the cluster. Meanwhile, backlinks to cluster posts allow faster rankings because they can target low-difficulty keywords.

Some of the proven link building strategies are:

- ****Guest posting.** Submit articles to authoritative sites that publish guest posts and include a link to your cluster content. Make sure the website is genuine and of high quality.
- ****Mention other brands.** Link to other brands in your cluster content and notify them to encourage a backlink.
- ****Steal backlinks from competitors.** Check your competitor’s backlink sources, reach out to them, and give a compelling reason to link to you instead.

## 10: Use a content tracking platform

Pillar pages and cluster posts affect the effectiveness of the entire topic cluster.

Deploy a [content tracking](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-tracking-ultimate-guide-with-tips-and-tricks/) system with a platform like Google Analytics. This lets you monitor content performance and make the necessary adjustments to improve the user experience.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/pvfbAXaz2rHXfa6Cgiwp57Eqw38W9lLcksVngrdR-1oAUK0YodH3GcSS8zkTx3gBtOjrbdabbcjAUaz9p_frwjjVKjtwDm5kvtmV4lcLfpyC2xvOd99rRzzOPK1MyCpNH8HnvQPMkcAD3Fnt3VruvvE)

*Image Source: Analytics.Google.com*

Google Analytics tracks metrics like session duration, pages per session, bounce rate, and conversion rate. It also identifies your top-performing pages, which lets you shape your content strategy over time.

## FAQs for creating a cluster strategy

### FAQ 1: How do content clusters strengthen SEO?

Topic clusters improve the crawlability of your website content, which is essential to the indexing process. They also build topical relevance and elevate the user experience.

### FAQ 2: What is a topic cluster strategy?

The topic cluster strategy groups content around a main topic using a pillar page. This page links to more detailed posts that discuss relevant subtopics.

### FAQ 3: How do I create a content cluster?

Five steps on how to create topic clusters:

1. Choose your main topics and subtopics
2. Perform keyword research
3. Create a topic cluster content plan
4. Analyse competitors’ pillar pages
5. Find missed internal link opportunities

## Create high-performing cluster strategies now

Topic clusters bolster your website’s content architecture, improve the user experience, and increase your search engine rankings.

But effective topic clusters aren’t easy to make.

Let my team help with your topic cluster strategy by [sending a message here](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/digital-marketing-consulting/). Get expert help planning your topic cluster, creating content, and optimising each piece for maximum SEO results.
### How to Become Famous on Social Media
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-become-famous-on-social-media/
Last updated: 2022-10-28T18:59:18.000Z
Society is changing, and with that change there has been a huge shift towards people wanting to learn how to become famous on social media.

Whether you’re a business, aspiring influencer, entrepreneur, or just a regular person, social media fame has a lot of perks.

Aside from growing your personal and professional networks, being “social media famous” can be extremely profitable.

You can make thousands of dollars from brand sponsorships, affiliate marketing, sales of your own products—you name it.

Here's a guide with steps to take to become a popular social media influencer on any platform.

## How to become a famous digital marketing influencer

Digital marketing influencers can become huge on all social media platforms.

After all, [social media marketing](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/tag/social-media-marketing/) should be right at the heart of your strategy.

Here’s how to establish your authority in the social media world.

### Step 1: Start blogging

Prominent figures in usually have their own blog or website where they publish high-quality, educational posts.

Blog posts not only showcase your expertise but they also boost your credibility.

With effective [Search Engine Optimisation](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/tag/seo/) (SEO), blog posts provide you with a steady stream of organic traffic. This brings hundreds—or thousands—of potential customers to your personal brand message for a fraction of the cost of advertising campaigns.

Of course, one of the main benefits of blogging is that it also provides you with an almost infinite number resources to share on social media. Each post can be broken down into many shareable snippets. 

Below is a blogging checklist to get you started:

- Register an original and brandable domain name on registrars like [One Word Domains](https://www.oneword.domains/r/matt?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).
- Subscribe to a blogging-optimised hosting like [20i](https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?s=2734607&v=20974&q=399428&r=919827&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).
- Install or integrate a Content Management System (CMS) like WordPress, Joomla, or Squarespace.
- Choose and customise a theme that reflects the brand you want to build.
- Optimise your website for user experience and SEO.
- Conduct [keyword and content research](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-research-the-ultimate-guide/).
- Put together a [content strategy](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/digital-content-strategy/).
- [Start blogging](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-write-a-blog-post-in-30-minutes-a-how-to-guide/).

### Step 2: Put a human face on your website

To make your brand social-media-ready, you need to put a human face on your website.

A simple author page or “About The Team” page on your blog with your actual photo helps brand recognition on social media and adds trust to visitors reading your post.

You can write a detailed piece about your professional background and experiences. If you work with a team, you can show everyone’s faces along with their names and positions on one page.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/tqWp4GBNWHQ6qRVu2LHbsFk091kAw8leVsQ_8ylqV520nOfbrZbLxexjRx_4b5wE5XlbKWoNwQs92OUobsxU1n7jxVoD6-zZ-wlLiCI0hS9n7MuQgmv3dYo6JtymbmDSbBEKHNjYN686EBKVfpXN8i4)

*Image Source: [marketinglabs.co.uk](https://marketinglabs.co.uk/about/the-team/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)*

Consider placing links to your social media accounts on your “About” page to add more trust. Alternatively, you can add them as buttons on your website’s header, footer, or sidebar.

### Step 3: Build your official social media accounts

Internet personalities create official brand pages and profiles on social media.

You can create a profile for your personal brand or the company you're running. Or both. Either way, it’s important to use an account type for brands and businesses.

The steps here vary for [different social media platforms](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/top-3-digital-marketing-channels-for-your-website-and-how-to-choose-the-right-one/).

For example, on Facebook, you can create an official brand page tied to your personal account.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/NEBfFesPC4KvXnwzT4ipBoG-LL48wECKLQ6d4bVm8jnA3o3LcK4kePz0iDFGSj-kQmqpVyZEa6TSZIVnV1DHv22agTfObzPemdAkRFw-DgFUX5N5ynxqnhpTZpFhFWa-zEAxlgvsTn2RST2x_YYU3U4)

*Image Source: Facebook.com*

A few quick tips on building an official brand page or profile on social media:

- Use a professional, official-looking profile photo. Use free tools like [Canva](https://partner.canva.com/GjoPML?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to apply filters and colour effects to spice up your profile.
- Write a short but compelling profile description. In 2-3 sentences, describe what you do and what type of quality content your social media audience can expect.
- If possible, insert a link to your website and other platforms. Show your target audience more authoritative and valuable content to win their trust.

### Step 4: Develop a social media content strategy

Develop a social media content strategy that aligns with your audience’s preferences, your brand’s identity, and your marketing goals.

Below are some tips:

- ****Repurpose your blog content.** Transform your blog content into something that matches the content formats in your target social media platform. Use the right tools to transform blog posts into infographics, image quotes, videos, and so on.
- ****Insert tweetable quotes in your blog posts.** Tweetable quotes promote your brand by sharing bite-sized wisdom on Twitter. Mention statistics, impactful statements, or thought-provoking questions to intrigue Twitter users and take them to your website.
- **Analyse your competitors.** If you need ideas, look at how other digital marketers craft their social media content. Observe the topics they cover, how they integrate branding, and what CTAs they include in their social media posts.

### Step 5: Research and test

Diversify your social media content strategy and measure your results. This lets you double down on strategies that work, tweak promising strategies, and remove strategies that only waste resources.

Major social media platforms have built-in analytics for measuring content performance over time. Gauge the effectiveness of content by identifying and tracking Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) like follower growth, likes, views, and reach.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/bz2JzQVHPxkN-3cd8XdBVU5_8HZ5nl-4zOMgTnIuPxML5WvlX_jJ-yMMKiUfowwm-SlN2-QQWtlOaIUXVBoBQGuaS2YJ3zh3LhzEqDzzqkQRP9qfO-Wh2KC5Z1XS3Ge2sBAU-FfKg6Lo0s-VOhp1Ahc)

*Image Source: Instagram App*

Alternatively, invest in social media management platforms like CoSchedule, Vista Social, and Later for more in-depth user engagement analytics.

## How to become an Instagram influencer

To be an Instagram influencer, you need to dial up your visual content game.

This requires the right skills, tools, and strategies.

### Step 1: Decide your niche

If you’re building an Instagram brand from scratch, choose a niche that aligns with your passion, expertise, and user demand.

- ****Passion.** What can you talk or read about for hours without getting tired?
- ****Expertise.** What’s something you’re highly skilled or knowledgeable in?
- ****User demand.** Are people willing to pay for those skills or knowledge?

### Step 2: Invest in your photography skills (or hire a photographer)

Instagram-level photography doesn’t require a multi-year degree.

There are plenty of Instagram photography tutorials and online courses that will teach you how to capture better shots. [This one is especially good](https://skl.sh/3TLmaWD?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). 

If you're on a budget, YouTube is free and is home to thousands of tutorials that will hone your Instagram photography skills. You just need to use the right keywords in the built-in search tool.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/uflnfxtrPOCFLQ2NVf3li9iT9v9Z5jHWiiD3RMC68F4PQ8rObvgzwbUbTJad1qGwEfeL-7gkv8jN29Af21xDgXgw1EcxTlnEg0Rl2IojEpGm9WJtcagRZfzR51Gbz-_gDNRKM_UGmPiLSVxH-CS0NLg)

*Image Source: YouTube.com*

If you want the faster route, hire freelance photographers from marketplaces like Fiverr or partner with a creative agency that offers [photography services](https://marketinglabs.co.uk/services/creative/photography/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

### Step 3: Experiment with other types of visuals

Other than Instagram photos, experiment with other visual content formats to get people’s attention:

- ****Video content.** Consider making videos for Reels, Stories, and feed posts to engage Instagram users. Reels on Instagram work exceptionally well since the arrival of TikTok.
- ****Inspirational image quotes.** Turn your favourite inspirational quotes into eye-catching, shareable images.
- ****Data visualisations.** Using a tool like [Canva](https://partner.canva.com/GjoPML?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), turn mind-blowing statistics into data visualisations like charts, graphs, and timelines.
- ****Blog visual headlines.** Promote your blog posts on Instagram by sharing visual headlines, which consist of stylised fonts, a hero image, and a link to the full article.

If you can’t afford an in-house graphic design or video production team, check out services like [Kimp](https://www.kimp.io/?partner=Janaway&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) for on-demand visual content. They provide businesses, agencies, entrepreneurs, and individuals with their own dedicated team of professional designers.

### Step 4: Work with influencers

Instagram has influencer marketing tools baked into the platform.

Use branded content tools to leverage the reach of macro-micro influencers in bolstering your brand’s presence. This enables pre-approved partners or other influencers to tag your brand whenever they post something with your product.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/LFJlTzvnxFcY-KmpcKLVxdESnu9WGOcbP00Dk_w1JHZIHckLHDrQYgXD9W46SWKyyFr71t5IIZJgSvAjvzUdv9DdzJHYa7o0m9mNfjHlZTs0sW23OOW_fmlB9mAX9zC8w2W0018Ax2_V8xkpB_5Q5c8)

*Image Source: Instagram.com, @lushyyshanxx*

## How to become a Facebook influencer

Successful Facebook marketing relies on content curation, original content distribution, and community engagement.

### Step 1: Optimise your content distribution

Facebook is the perfect place to promote your blog posts and reach a diverse audience.

To make sure your content appears on top of your audience’s feeds, schedule your posts at optimal times.

Use the [Meta Business Suite](https://www.facebook.com/business/tools/meta-business-suite) to schedule your post at the automatically-detected best times. Alternatively, you can manually schedule a time for your posts will be published.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/pvGtMTP0QVVBOtJKqQo42raVwcRqkgKfZ8mh6nxZ31-Yr8CVCFJwOFckzCHqTIZVXAkhs9whzYaiMow_Av9YQLa1fqNoGTM6UZWvIjMWTHWN1A4t-aTBWCeMGzNeYuBLhSfo0tV1pphALd40ASwrNcY)

*Image Source: Business.Facebook.com*

### Step 2: Split test your posts

Split or A/B testing lets you fine-tune your content strategy over time by running multiple versions of the same post simultaneously.

Streamline A/B tests with third-party tools or use the built-in tool from the Meta Business Suite.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/xUPftvRkVZl-sZnvHBUf2RfzETU0ChBkaAvtPRoTBPEIMGIinF6kzlWBr8vjQerzMeL-PcQh8Cb_mmpDY8YjrVJ9Km9XZejNcXh65jtx3zvEXVKnDTae1kYjd48E_hDLT89klO2CdM0HXJMcxJyUQHM)

*Image Source: Business.Facebook.com*

### Step 3: Actively curate relevant content

Use a healthy mix of original and curated content in your Facebook posting strategy. **Don't just talk about yourself.** 

Content curation is the practice of sharing content created by someone else. This gives your followers fresh content without hours of gruelling [content development](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-development-the-ultimate-guide/).

### Step 4: Engage in Facebook online communities

Facebook users love a brand that participates in conversations and helps solve their problems.

Respond to comments, answer questions, and acknowledge their feedback—negative or positive.

You should also join Facebook groups and do your part in the community. Engage other posts and share your knowledge wherever it’s needed.

## How to become famous on YouTube

YouTube is the premier video-sharing platform where talented video creators thrive.

While there’s no one-size-fits-all blueprint to YouTube fame, there are best practices you can start with:

- ****Pick the right niche.** Do [content research](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-research-the-ultimate-guide/) like you would on your blog: pick topics that are popular, helpful to your target audience, and align with your brand offerings.
- ****Create tight and highly educational videos.** Avoid long intros and get straight to the meat of your content.
- ****Try different video formats.** Experiment with “talking head” videos, “top-down” tutorials, or full animations to find what works for your audience.
- ****Keyword-optimise your videos.** To appear on YouTube search results, optimise your videos for your target keywords and build engagement.
- ****Respond to comments.** Replying to comments will make your YouTube channel more likeable and approachable.
- ****Cross-promote.** Share or embed your YouTube videos on other channels (your blog, other social media platforms, etc.), and vice versa.

## How to become an influencer on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the preferred social media platform for [B2B brands](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/5-easy-steps-to-harness-linkedins-b2b-goldmine/) and professionals.

Here are the top five tips to earn an influencer status on LinkedIn:

- ****Build a company page and link it to your personal profile.** If you have an agency, build an official company page and specify your position on your profile (CEO, CMO, etc.).
- ****Syndicate your content.** Re-post or “syndicate” your blog posts using LinkedIn articles to reach a wider audience.
- ****Run polls.** Engage and learn more about your audience using LinkedIn’s polling tool.
- ****Share relevant industry data.** Demonstrate that you’re wired into the industry by sharing studies, surveys, and statistics while chipping in your own thoughts and outlooks.
- ****Don’t hesitate to self-promote.** Professionals on LinkedIn are more receptive to self-promotions—automate messages to new connections, mention your brand in conversations, and invite others to check out your website.

## How to become an influencer on TikTok

TikTok is the reigning king of short-form video content. While most users expect entertainment, plenty of businesses capitalised on the platform’s massive user base to promote their brand.

- ****Take advantage of trends.** TikTok videos that use trending effects, sounds, and hashtags can be visible to users who use the same tools.
- ****Use the scheduling tool.** Launch TikTok from a desktop browser to access the scheduling tool.
- ****Answer TikTok questions.** Use the “Questions” tool to share your expertise with users who need it most.
- ****Share valuable information.** Other than jokes and memes, TikTok has countless short-form tutorial videos that get tons of views.
- ****Use TikTok Creator Tools.** Creator Tools help brands boost their exposure on the platform through hyper-targeted advertising—use it to jumpstart your TikTok profile’s reach.

## FAQs on becoming famous on social media

### How do I become internet famous?

5 surefire strategies to build your internet fame:

- Practice cross-promotion between your content channels.
- Establish a presence on every platform your target audience uses.
- Get involved in conversations and communities.
- Remain professional and focus on providing value to social media users.
- Learn how to use social media marketing tools (hashtags, schedulers, etc.).

### What is the easiest social media to grow on?

Instagram’s suite of marketing tools can help new accounts build their reach fast. Even without photography skills, you can use drag-and-drop tools with Instagram content templates like Canva to get your target audience’s attention.

### Which social media platform is most popular?

Facebook is the biggest social media network with roughly three billion active users monthly. It also has the most diverse user demographic—catering to people of all ages, genders, ethnicities, and languages.

## Become famous on social media with half the work

Reaching social media fame takes a tremendous amount of research, effort, and patience.

It’s far from easy, which is why most brands partner up with agencies to streamline their social media marketing while they focus on developing their brand.

[Request a free consultation](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/digital-marketing-consulting/) today and learn how my team can help you rise to social media stardom, or help you to build your personal brand.
### Content Publishing Strategy (with 20-Point Checklist)
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-publishing-strategy/
Last updated: 2022-09-21T12:31:31.000Z
Marketers who produce high-quality essays never rush **content publishing**.

They also never just hit the ‘publish’ or ‘share’ button after creating content.

Instead, they develop a detailed content publishing strategy tailored to their marketing goals and target audience’s preferences. This improves the impact of every content piece and the ROI of their content creation efforts.

Let’s take a closer look at content publishing, why it matters, and how to build a strategy for it.

## What is content publishing?

Content publishing is a major component of a [content marketing strategy](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/tips-for-building-an-amazing-content-marketing-strategy/).

It involves deciding the best content format for sharing, where it will be shared, and when to do it.

Remember, content quality, relevance, and value are not the only factors you should worry about. There are also your content buckets, posting schedule, content distribution strategy, and post-approval process.

- ****Content publishing schedule.** When and how frequently should you publish content?
- ****Distribution/promotion channels.** Where should you share posts for maximum reach?
- ****Content buckets.** What content buckets or formats can amplify your message?
- ****Review process.** How will you decide if the piece ready for publishing?

To reap the full benefits of content publishing, build a strategy that answers these questions. The more detailed those answers are, the better.

## Benefits of content publishing

A content publishing strategy boosts audience engagement, optimises efficiency, and achieves marketing goals.

Here’s how:

### Benefit 1: Improve post/content visibility

The timing of your posts affects how many people can see them.

If you publish social content when most of your readers are asleep or busy, chances are your post will go unseen.

And when your audience is ready to consume content, your post is already buried under a mound of content from other brands.

This will limit your post’s potential to generate user engagement—regardless of its quality.

But if you publish you post at the right time, it can appear at the top of your target audience’s feeds. This is a much more favourable position for generating user engagement.

### Benefit 2: Streamline content development

A content publishing strategy streamlines processes related to content development.

Let’s say you need to promote a blog post on Instagram.

Your content publishing strategy should outline which formats to use, be it image quotes, carousels, screenshots, or custom graphics.

Simply choose one that best communicates your content’s most valuable and attention-grabbing detail (shareable quote, key takeaways, step-by-step instructions, statistics, etc.), and continuously analyse which mediums perform the best for you.

### Benefit 3: Accomplish marketing goals

In digital marketing, having a library of high-quality, evergreen content isn't the end-goal. It’s how those pieces of content get you closer to your marketing goals that matter.

If you want to increase revenue, align your publishing strategy with the habits of your buyer personas. If you need more traffic, focus on promoting relevant content on busy channels, like social media or Q&A sites.

Your content publishing strategy will help you make these crucial decisions.

## How to create a content publishing strategy

Before you plan your content publishing strategy, you need to identify your **content marketing goals**, create **audience personas**, and conduct **content research**.

Put them all together to develop a content creation workflow so you have high-quality articles to publish.

Follow my [content development guide](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-development-the-ultimate-guide/) for these essentials.

Content research reveals valuable insights that supplies you with crucial content ideas. Meanwhile, your audience personas determine the best distribution channels for your content based on your target audience’s preferences.

For example, if your target audience consists of professionals, choose LinkedIn as your content distribution channel.

Scan the network’s top-performing posts to discover the best content types and topics that get engagement.

The next step is to acquire the right tools for content planning and publishing.

[Teamwork App](https://teamwork.grsm.io/mattjanaway9795?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is a powerful platform for creating internal content plans.

It keeps everyone on the same page with collaboration features like visual workflow planning, document sharing, group chats, and third-party integrations (cloud storage, virtual conferencing, etc.).

![A screenshot of Teamwork's webpage](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/YdIoXPgC53GHBjqv6UN41FgSEUClfcXNS05bheCACrf8kUQ2YF1Fh4PMFmEsn2aDxjNGWL606mBLPcHHPqV4IT3RPnvfe4OPz3aTmCfXy1qAqGzTIijJ1NsxuxgRlrVcNxrJ_iP_Thf1feIsbQ)

*Image Source: Teamwork.io*

Use the Teamwork App’s file-sharing capabilities for important documents, like personas, content guidelines, and templates.

Use the custom workflow builder to track tasks like editing and repurposing content for social media.

The Teamwork App also has a calendar tool for managing task deadlines and publishing dates.

While it’s designed primarily for events, you can still use it for content projects by entering details, like:

- What’s the post’s title
- Where to publish the post
- Who’s in charge of approving the post

![A screenshot of a calendar with a blue "Add Event" button](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/sjchqt29Gq8t-YvxCcqJ6ZaXUXXN7jAm_UGdOaKJtmo-1_xPkBBfzwUoZ53aFkrvkN83atWx-0vn-qcLZxiHMsMefTHVMlbQrGnmd6zlVwHzEpBAbsy5CoNH3geD9Ukdbx7EG_Bud2T-rRi4Cg)

*Image Source: Teamwork.io*

If you need a more straightforward content scheduling platform, try [CoSchedule](https://coschedule.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), which is free for the basic content calendar. The platform functions as a centralised calendar for content marketing projects, including blog posts, emails, and social media content.

![Image Source: CoSchedule.com](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/cbc6klFMLWuZ6tZVl8utIo5KLLcHGVo6iYZMk_6e6alVqis_OPW91QEYgCnlDTT3L-re7zhFdx6fVK-zh4-XL_anPmLjRsBmE28fYgYk8vP--ZKSql88FvbD5ji92H6GAi2MwydZYPaWgTU8DQ)

CoSchedule's marketing calendar

CoSchedule’s main feature is simplified content automation. Just create a project, define your tasks, and set a schedule to automatically publish your post to the channel you specify.

Go to the calendar page, click **‘Create,’** and select **‘Project’** to plan an automated post with CoSchedule.

![CoSchedule's calendar with the "Create" button highlighted](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/iJRxPmBtCSxVnakaXk1ZI-4buXq9Bo1CWc_qZjl19k0jFPSR7WL_lzdhwAMpaNTlN8w66hbUOyeD6lG39qZ6ENbazg8TCUSSxKLoZ0LNBYyuGXjPn4GSCbdZSd-adFpf5oOkN5dmpSIh7MQ_5A)

*Image Source: CoSchedule.com*

Give your project a name and select a project type from the drop-down menu as shown below. Click **‘More options’** to add a project description and tags (optional).

![Options where project types are shown](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/U4iwd5TPdM-JDMF1RuuJlAlQDAas2zU5oT4w7jD8BNnA1pRlpOpWiP_D8YdcgZawEsmSLF8b2oibszneUfYy9l02XMi_I3Pr5muDA46xYi0Oe9QyoQ3EF5PHBPt9prdsvrXKVpo86Pyfeyph-A)

*Image Source: CoSchedule.com*

CoSchedule will take you to the project builder where you can add links, use project templates, assign tasks, and set publishing times.

Paste the link to the content you want to promote into the “Add a link” field.

![CoSchedule's platform with the "Add a link" field](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/5lM27dnv1bVr7Z_V1wwoQRthrKJcO7jwAMNttkkS0r3QuZwgQIrH4zbybzmLwlQ87wLFoPA6PghdcqKEtBzntJN1UhWwdvn7VKZNBU2heLzfe3r15u6m3Eku02NYc1SgBUEC2n1e4H40i1i_Tg)

*Image Source: CoSchedule.com*

CoSchedule lets you automate posts using four pre-defined schedules: same day as publish, day after publish, week after publish, and month after publish. Otherwise, select **‘Custom Date’** if you prefer to set a date yourself.

To set a posting schedule, click the “Plus” button next to your choice.

![Posting schedules on the CoSchedule platform](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/jk5JhXvf3h4RzgyKXQ5Hhdtt8rP9oVF1FqbU0PJy0-rA4Ow3Rcw425vQ49DDenbfZ9HQK9Bo5U6W_b4_CdRrE4CigPOTf2b5ipdPFlIosIgAY0npEfIIUsZHJ0t3gLzS4Oll-obpvqUgwPytog)

*Image Source: CoSchedule.com*

Complete the details of your automated post by picking a social profile, writing a description, uploading media attachments, and finalising the posting date and time.

CoSchedule’s “Best Time Scheduling” feature automatically uses proven posting times for the specified channels.

To use a custom schedule, click **‘Best time’** and choose a different time from the drop-down menu. You can also set a specific posting time by selecting **‘Custom time.’**

![A screenshot showing how to add a custom publishing schedule](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/U76a1exwPD0PySd-U9-tyICbr3sdllwdpAsCXzZ0SvtldqBcmcp4JJcgEfnPA1oHnkokkHOVYKDhrBnVJejsDr4LYgQBg9sXXrNfK3MNj6Kk4nmIx8-OPQVb2Nlmkk4K_6XwmO3RRdtBGtm6bw)

*Image Source: CoSchedule.com*

Not confident in the description you wrote?

Click **‘Analyze’** to get actionable feedback about your post.

![CoSchedule's text analyzer](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/cBe94zWU1fnWtPscG-9-iAkPGICYNZ_YQjYaXzULeaMAnOpihNTAHMZlna3yFgVQaXl-fealgT_bzxkYoigJ1g0jI0CoOeuZhVy6n3sSMlGKrjV6lE1EEnyScwht4dJ2kVNt76tjF0NQ_c5tNw)

*Image Source: CoSchedule.com*

Based on the feedback you obtain, tweak your description so it gets a better score.

## 20-point checklist for content publishing

Tools like Teamwork and CoSchedule lay the foundations of a successful content publishing strategy.

But before you publish a single post, double-check the 20-point checklist below to supercharge your results.

### Check 1: Is your piece 100% polished?

Have an editorial team review the draft’s quality, spelling, and grammar before publishing it.

If you can't afford an editorial team, leave your content for a week and come back to it with a fresh pair of eyes.

To save time, use writing assistants like [Grammarly](https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?afftrack=&b=864277&m=26748&u=864476&urllink=&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to quickly identify issues and get correction suggestions.

### Check 2: Am I posting at the right time?

Align your posting schedule with your target audience’s behaviour. Research the best posting times for your chosen channels and use analytics data to fine-tune your schedule over time.

### Check 3: Does my content answer questions mentioned in the title?

Provide audiences with a memorable and compelling experience by providing takeaways that relate to the post’s title.

Don’t disappoint them by mentioning topics or questions that aren’t covered in your content.

Intent is important here. Don't let your title over-promise or under deliver.

### Check 4: Is my title any good?

Use a tool like [Headline Studio](https://coschedule.com/headline-studio?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to create eye-catching post titles. Insert your target keyword to improve the post’s search engine rankings.

### Check 5: Is the permalink optimised?

Modify your post’s URL structure to make it shorter and easier to remember. A proven strategy is to use your target keyword as the post’s permalink.

### Check 6: Am I publishing on the right channels?

Consult your audience personas to bring quality traffic back to your website. Use [content tracking](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-tracking-ultimate-guide-with-tips-and-tricks/) solutions like Google Analytics to pinpoint your most effective traffic channels.

### Check 7: Does the post have enough internal and external links?

Sprinkle internal links to your own content to spread [link equity](https://ahrefs.com/seo/glossary/link-equity?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) across your website and improve the overall rankings of your website.

Add external links to authoritative blogs to improve user experience and the trustworthiness of your brand.

### Check 8: Do I have an effective CTA?

Top off your content with a call-to-action tied to your content marketing goals. Experiment with multiple CTAs with [split testing](https://instapage.com/blog/what-is-split-testing?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to maximise conversions.

### Check 9: Did I use enough visual content?

Improve your content’s readability using images, videos, and other visuals that break up thick walls of text. These elements also increase your posts’ shareability on social media.

### Check 10: Is the meta description catchy?

Write a punchy [meta description](https://mangools.com/blog/meta-description/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) that sets your target audience’s expectations. This improves your content’s organic click-through rate from search engine results. 

### Check 11: Is it formatted for readability?

Use plenty of subheadings (H2, H3, H4, etc.) where it counts to improve your post’s readability. Organise sets of information into bulleted or numbered lists to make them more digestible.

### Check 12: Does the intro hook readers?

Review and revise your post’s intro if necessary to ensure it hooks readers. Start with an impactful one-liner, like a question, statistic, or cold hard fact.

### Check 13: Is the content short but meaty?

Review your content and trim wordy, redundant, and weak lines. Keep sentences and paragraphs short so the whole piece reads with authority.

### Check 14: Is the information up-to-date?

If you included statistics, check the web for more updated data. As a general rule of thumb, avoid citing any data or statistics that are older than 24 months.

### Check 15: Is the caption enticing?

Write inviting post descriptions or captions that concisely explain the post’s topic. Pique your audience’s interest with emojis, questions, statistics, or takeaways from your content.

### Check 16: Did I use the right hashtags?

Improve your content’s searchability on channels like Twitter and Instagram by injecting relevant hashtags into the description. Find juicy hashtag ideas with free tools like [Hashtagify](https://hashtagify.me/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

### Check 17: Does the post highlight your brand voice?

Infuse your post’s description with your unique brand voice. This makes it more recognisable on channels like social media and email.

### Check 18: Are my KPIs defined?

Define KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) to measure the effectiveness of your content publishing strategy. Focus on metrics that are directly tied with your content marketing goals, like conversion rate for lead generation and follower growth for brand building.

### Check 19: Did I use the right content bucket?

Mould content around content buckets that communicate your message efficiently and impactfully. Some examples of content buckets are online reviews, listicles, short-form videos, and how-to guides.

### Check 20: Is the content long enough?

Content length isn't a specific ranking factor, but there is a correlation between length and rankings. 

There's also a correlation with length and the number of keywords you will rank for. 

Rank higher in search engines by matching or exceeding the average word count of the top 10 results for your target keyword **as long as the content is adding value**.

Write sentences with a purpose, communicate your points clearly, and avoid adding fluff.

Consider answering questions that people are searching for in Google to improve your content.

## FAQs about creating a content publishing strategy

### Question 1: What is content publishing on social media?

Social media content publishing involves strategising, creating, and scheduling content based on the audience’s activity patterns.

Tools can be used to automate specific tasks like posting, report generation, and content curation.

### Question 2: What are publishing tools?

Content publishing tools include blogging platforms, content management systems, and social media apps. These are applications that allow individual users and brands to upload content privately or publicly.

### Question 3: What is online content publishing?

Online content publishing, also known as online or electronic publishing, involves uploading and publicising digital content like blog posts, newsletters, eBooks, social media posts, and online news articles.

A content publishing strategy is needed to optimise the distribution of content for maximum views.

## Create your content publishing strategy now

Magnify the reach of your content with an effective content publishing strategy.

Don’t just hit the ‘Publish’ button as soon as your content is completed. Instead, use the checklist above to ensure every piece of content you publish makes big waves on the web.

We can do it together. [Contact me](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/contact/) if you need to plan the perfect content publishing strategy for your brand.
### 9 Key Benefits of Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/benefits-of-google-analytics-4/
Last updated: 2025-03-03T18:30:35.000Z
Are you curious about the ***benefits of Google Analytics 4***?

Should you upgrade from Universal Analytics to GA4 now—or wait for Google to close the curtains in July 2023?

To help you answer these questions, I'll cover the benefits of [Google Analytics 4](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/google-analytics-4-vs-universal-analytics/), so you know what you're stepping into should you decide to transition to GA4.

Here are the top nine benefits of upgrading your existing Universal Analytics property to Google Analytics 4.

## Benefit 1: Prepare for the cookiepocalypse

Other major browsers like Firefox and Safari have already pretty much killed-off third-party cookies. Google Chrome—Google’s homegrown web browser—will follow suit in 2023.

Third-party cookies collect data from users to help marketers and advertisers create data-driven decisions. Although Google Analytics uses first-party cookies to track website traffic, it still relies on third-party cookies for referral data.

Google Analytics 4 will use Machine Learning (ML) and predictive metrics to crunch historical data and track the user journey using [conversion modelling](https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/marketing-strategies/data-and-measurement/conversion-measurement-in-a-cookieless-world/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). This will continue to help you make data-driven decisions in your marketing campaigns without third-party cookies.

## Benefit 2: Create customisable report pages

Google Analytics is known for its data-rich, visual-heavy reports.

While useful, these reports can be overwhelming for beginners.

It’s also impossible to customise the data sections or “cards” in each report. This can make the interface look and feel cluttered, even for experienced users, especially if they only need specific data sets from Google Analytics.

![A screenshot showing various reports](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/U4tG-9aa-ONBnWG8OGApQKwaroVLO4UwKUxUWdKVWSKiS3PimolQeNo2LeoLXr0C7LGb1oFR5tPqbrRgMMCLYaLr3So7bHLvNXifZcZz388UKeH-bUOChUZ6NP6ktH_giZHCaGwrY02aKgJtPw)

**Image Source: Analytics.Google.com*

Google Analytics 4 lets you fine-tune your dashboard to specific marketing objectives, be it [content research](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-research-the-ultimate-guide/) to conversion rate optimisation.

Just go to the report page you want to customise and click **‘Customize report’** in the upper-right corner.

![Click the pen icon to customize your reports](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/jOlYvSP1VcB83YU3SNJmeGYJXjJIVhWA8iOsPGGRZWMNYvzYptRS6rFFdMHSAPAEXKDXYxxV2ZLLrD5PL5y_37W8kL8DNUS4l05DAAH9SBl5Az_cp1kfv9VTM3Ov-UG9hwKRXH9vC_wnKo4QYw)

**Image Source: Analytics.Google.com*

In the “Customize report” panel, you can rearrange or delete data cards as you see fit. Click **‘Add Cards’** if you want to display new sections in the report.

!["Cards" you can add to customize your reports](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/zGND3dd-bPjSUpijiI6XWOfM4f5cV4rCfUSQCEdkjAPR8rLMdISply6abePQFTpev5_f3UMULdrLYUpWb2TmTFovwGoMoxgOJZo22fyTMq5WZXSF0G8pJGu4AkC3Be4j98_o1m8UgEae2KOE4g)

**Image Source: Analytics.Google.com*

## Benefit 3: Easily identify your most profitable advertising channels

Google Analytics 4’s “Advertising workspace” gives give you a quick snapshot of your advertising channels. Use it to identify your most profitable Google ads channels across devices quickly.

![A link to the Advertising page from the menu](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/e2KiCIYEUb3LaB8hd_ZO_flzFu4nW8f5jCXdnNOqP3HAUxsEBzF4hNqRXrSfbXF0Q_auTzAfGLxmHe5Cm7-6NcGK5arhNAdb8zOA5Sb0xUEbHOhquGLkXTXHH-JUZufg-jtx8rP9NohHob5evw)

**Image Source: Analytics.Google.com*

For a deeper look at the customer journey, inspect the “Conversion paths” data card. The in-depth report it generates includes advanced engagement metrics like conversions, days to conversion, purchase revenue, and so on.

Augment your advertising campaign reports with a robust and feature-packed SEO tool like [Semrush](https://semrush.sjv.io/Aokxv7?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). While it’s known for its SEO analytics features, it also features a PPC (Pay-Per-Click) Advertising Toolkit that helps with keyword research, social media ad management, and ad tracking.

## Benefit 4: Use automatic common event tracking

In the soon-to-be-retired Universal Analytics, tracking user events like scroll depth and YouTube video views requires the creation of custom events through Google Tag Manager. It’s a cumbersome process that involved several steps, such as installing Google Tag Manager, configuring new variables, creating a custom tag, and so on.

Google Analytics 4 lets you breeze through these steps.

[Common events](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9234069?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) like scrolling, ad clicks, on-site search, and downloads are automatically tracked. It’s also easier to monitor related metrics like event count, event count per user, total revenue, and so on.

*Tip: Click the ‘Plus’ button next to “Event name” to track more event-related metrics.*

![Click the "plus" button to track more event-related metrics](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/R-uTGLcXNDssoIVMUCbShHpCLGPZjX1SJmkg7Z27F_04bpaLejTD7aYYCgoXewYz2C6FDS1onfvl7jl9yG1Mtrqf75GJeX6yW0tpTAvHDoaGfFXRdAQYFcZMcJ-hDoFhgfXBZbr-KQZRw7J3Fw)

**Image Source: Analytics.Google.com*

## Benefit 5: Dig deep with Explorations

Google Analytics 4 accommodates specific analytics goals with the new “Explorations” feature.

Explorations let you create reports using various data visualisations and analysis techniques.

A similar feature was available in Universal Analytics for paid Google Analytics 360 users. With Google Analytics 4, it’s available for free as a built-in feature.

![A link to the "Explore" page from the menu](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/WYq73n80OuJ21D249liwB_QA2Y7H0vgqVoaI3tM_qoztXB3K0ftQMwx-um2sEfIvmXt7ccMxjYy0UDp_KGbfFZzMphByjlGIo-tMPKvCjHyoy4ZguHqFdbXv5CSIKhfZ0fT7CMWDgQruEwjyxQ)

**Image Source: Analytics.Google.com*

Explorations take [content tracking](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-tracking-ultimate-guide-with-tips-and-tricks/), audience research, and conversion rate optimisation to the next level.

In the “Template gallery,” you’ll find ready-made Explorations designed to analyse certain areas of your marketing, like:

- Marketing funnel performance
- User segment overlaps
- User lifetime value
- Lead acquisition performance
- User cohorts behaviour

![Various templates for reporting](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Tq7uJhm5RYzovmRpVOTvi-m2CVCdXXFCboVX5wJQWe9Y5FO1RM4KNAVn-ZJW8Tl3p7J4Ya8VJIl-kpsma66MiIZu2gUbJBehHkzCMLrkKajCy97vxZnXz9sN1Hhx48tUz9xHlxTp4SHFSV4xnA)

**Image Source: Analytics.Google.com*

## Benefit 6: Flexible tracking with an event-driven data model

Google Analytics 4 uses a flexible data model that breaks away from the fixed data structure from Universal Analytics.

Instead of measuring “hits” (page hits, eCommerce hits, interaction hits, etc.), Google Analytics 4 tracks everything as an event, including first page visits, ad impressions, sign-ups, and any other conversion event.

![A section of a page showing the events that Google is tracking. (e.g., Page views, Scrolls, etc.)](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/iltGiQIzzVX97CNnYYVO3cOCA3dDwwzZPWcK0IJHPcagBFNaJ-SONypZWfNm3P-lGzogB2tPkUSEL5xQQ1xhoipBvivn4k-g-19QSeM9J5Q6Ht89ix2gmpIbNKVyyeyKsjz01mfEqPwBNgGWeQ)

**Image Source: Analytics.Google.com*

These events can contain a diverse list of parameters to provide enhanced measurement and reliable data on the complete customer journey.

Parameters add context to interactions in the custom event category, like what content types or traffic sources generate the most user engagement. This gives you more information to work with in [content development](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-development-the-ultimate-guide/).

Below are examples of the event parameters you can use:

- Content ID
- Content-type
- Item brand
- Price
- Page referrer

## Benefit 7: Integrate app data into your dashboard

Google Analytics 4 was initially introduced as “Google Analytics App+Web.” This put heavy emphasis on the platform’s ability to consolidate data from mobile apps into your Google Analytics property.

Add a data stream from your mobile app by going to the “Admin” page, selecting **‘Data Streams,’** and clicking **‘Add stream.’**

![Go to "Data Streams" then click the "Add streams" drop down](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/dZ1N6Vz5LM3OHLS27c8HcifvZVa0jm3lMXUJ1Qv8t-pQGK7rq0QIX3QgB0X-gcJzMRovHuJtCWBB9Pd0YQH8-zcdak7GLKGTO9TWxmw4w1HRBJScYMwga8rRlN60muKlRld4VErZjxrzfa3y9A)

**Image Source: Analytics.Google.com*

Use the built-in app reporting for [mobile conversion optimisation](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/mobile-conversion-optimization-best-practices/) without leaving Google Analytics 4\. After configuring your mobile app stream, events like ad clicks, subscriptions, updates, and in-app purchases will be automatically collected.

## Benefit 8: Get more data with higher limits

Universal Analytics limits the amount of data collected per property to 10 million hits. It’s also limited to tracking a maximum of 500 events per user session.

Google Analytics 4 lifts those limits and collects a virtually unlimited amount of unsampled data. This allows you to make marketing decisions based on more complete and reliable information.

There is, however, a limit of 500 distinctly named events for mobile app streams. Automatically-tracked events like scrolls, clicks, and ad views, however, don’t add to that limit.

## Benefit 9: Export data with ease

With Universal Analytics, you need to pay for Google Analytics 360 to export raw data to BigQuery. Google Analytics 4 does this for free.

Google Analytics 4 also supports a “streaming export” option for user properties linked directly to BigQuery. This continuously feeds raw data from Google Analytics to the BigQuery cloud data warehouse, making the data available within minutes.

For traditional data exports, Google Analytics 4 lets you download reports as PDF or CSV files.

You can also use a third-party solution like [Supermetrics](https://affiliate.supermetrics.com/4538.html?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to streamline data exports from Google Analytics. It automates data movements to destinations like Excel, Azure Synapse, Data Studio, and Google Sheets.

![The homepage of Supermetrics](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_TgeBnNQ4NAF40Le7ZT9eiiGcZNjrq4DZEyuWGeP9CyF9pjt_bKP-Zs9t_lSVjiiSqrlflfN1MJ1YHVMK9LA9ESPOjMNIMRhRQI8qdxSAsCkW-sMtjIIb4eheFXkycZDNKeqezzcKNmYvCOHIw)

**Image Source: Supermetrics.com*

## Are you ready to reap the benefits of Google Analytics 4?

Don’t spend hours or days learning Google Analytics 4.

Let us handle the setup and management of your Google Analytics 4 dashboard and focus on what you do best: running your business. [Reach out here](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/digital-marketing-consulting/) and get started.
### Digital Content Strategy: How to Develop a High-Performing Content Strategy
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/digital-content-strategy/
Last updated: 2022-08-31T21:45:30.000Z
Creating and optimising a ***digital content strategy*** isn’t just for new brands. 

Established companies, bloggers, and agencies should also evaluate the effectiveness of their content marketing.

Remember that adaptability is paramount to sustainable marketing success.

It’s more than just keeping up with the latest trends and “hacks."

If you want to stay on top of your content marketing game, you need to examine your results and let the numbers show you the way forward.

We have a lot to cover, so let’s dive right in.

## What is a digital content strategy?

A digital content strategy encompasses everything that goes into a brand’s content marketing—from [audience research](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-research-the-ultimate-guide/) to [content creation](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-development-the-ultimate-guide/) and optimisation to [content performance tracking](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-tracking-ultimate-guide-with-tips-and-tricks/).

It includes plans on how to **create** and **distribute** digital content, such as articles, videos, and infographics, while aligning them with business goals like raising brand awareness and generating sales.

Data from the CoSchedule’s [State of Marketing Strategy Report](https://media.coschedule.com/uploads/2022/03/Trend-Report-Marketing-Strategy-2022.pdf?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) showed that having a documented content strategy will make you 414% more likely to succeed.

## 7 easy steps to create a digital content strategy

Now that you have a better understanding of what a content marketing strategy is, let’s build one.

Here are seven steps that will help you engineer the perfect digital content strategy for your business.

### Step 1\. Set your business goals

You need to define the business goals that you want to accomplish with content marketing.

Do this in three stages:

- Set your long-term goals
- Identify your short-term goals
- Determine your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Ask yourself, “What do I want to accomplish in 6-12 months?”

Do you want to build a healthy, active following on social media? Perhaps you’d like to improve sales. Or raise brand awareness.

Those are your long-term goals.

Short-term goals, on the other hand, are the stepping stones that will take you to your long-term goals.

Let’s say your long-term goal is to 3x your organic traffic in six months.

In this case, your short-term goals can be to ensure every single article is optimised for keywords with low difficulty but with reasonable monthly search volumes. Or that you won’t publish a single post without putting your [SEO strategy](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/5-stats-you-need-to-know-about-seo-in-2021/) in mind.

Your SEO strategy may include the following:

- Create a list of [low-hanging, relevant keywords](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-conduct-keyword-research-for-search-engine-optimisation-seo/)
- Build content [topic clusters](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-development-the-ultimate-guide/#tips-for-effective-content-research) around those keywords
- [Publish SEO-friendly blog posts](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-development-the-ultimate-guide/) using topic clusters
- Generate backlinks to your website

Another component you need in place is your KPIs or **Key Performance Indicators.**

These are metrics for tracking progress and measuring results. More importantly, they will tell you if your strategies are working or if you need to try something else.

In connection to the example above, here are some KPIs that can help you gauge SEO performance:

- ****Keyword rankings.** Your search engine rankings for your target keywords
- ****Organic traffic.** The traffic are you generating from search engines
- ****Inbound links**. The number of websites that link to your site or specific metrics that these links possess

Remember, the example goals and KPIs above are applicable if your long-term plan is to get recurring search engine traffic.

The KPIs you need to track will depend greatly on the goals you determined. These will also decide the platforms you’ll use for performance monitoring and analytics. *(More on this later.)*

### Step 2\. Conduct audience research

Knowing your target audience allows you to fine-tune pretty much every aspect of your digital content strategy.

How your audience acts ultimately tells whether your content marketing strategy succeeded or not. After all, they are the ones who will visit your website, consume your content, and pay you money.

As such, your content should be tailored to their needs and preferences. You need to consider the language they use, their pain points, the platforms they use for content consumption, etc.

A direct approach to conducting audience research is to run surveys and interviews to obtain first-party data.

Run surveys using free platforms like [Google Forms](https://www.google.com/forms/about/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). It features pre-made templates you can use to gather feedback from your target audiences.

![A screenshot of Google Forms](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/9i1N0HFJFC0gnNKmj7Z9h9PzA6in8Y2z-1P2OMYuscaguqIA9omRgtPtX7vYKci23aNO4QqKW0KQSNVTLd57osF3qDwhvBhawxY3ZfqivFUWsrINa9t3u4q_ImVUQRGYwS2npTY8DEhqbowp-A)

Image Source: Google.com/Forms

Another method to understand your audience is through [content tracking](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-tracking-ultimate-guide-with-tips-and-tricks/). This involves tracking data to identify your audience’s content preferences and how they use your website.

[Google Analytics](https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is, by far, the best free platform marketing teams can use to track the performance of existing content.

💡

PRO TIP: Check out [these posts about Google Analytics](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/tag/analytics/) to learn more

It can track metrics tied to digital marketing goals, like average monthly traffic, bounce rate, and session duration. You can also go deeper and inspect the performance of an individual blog post.

![A screenshot of Google Analytics showing several site metrics](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/QnU5jsItV_anKrIPSNATGYVJXAYL3PhgOotXhhToiIQoT4hkR5Az1iZRBpoLlEQkdszUdsrdnFiD8WhyTeCwFArEdQ3svhG3N86BPoP_xzuGxKBnKcCWT2RBidrJK5KZCxD1gUwr1UKIgsDLHw)

Image Source: Analytics.Google.com

Google Analytics gives you a bird’s-eye view of the user journey on your website. Using the “Behavior Flow” report, you can check your audience’s starting pages along with further interactions—including pages where they usually leave.

![Google Analytic's Behavior Flow page](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/NmNSNE_cJV-Mys-J2FslCe-G7-B19phWMng-bNAgtQCgufKWmTeVHkKo4cFKmRzwus9EhAParPGTKi55ej0auQEQgKy5SOLx3ddV1SDTX1KL0hG92gOkAYBh8PHPQtf8SkfzcLKyRk65MA3APw)

Image Source: Analytics.Google.com

Just remember that, in the upcoming Google Analytics 4, the Behavior Flow report will be replaced by “Exploration” templates you can use to track your users’ journey.

### Step 3\. Build audience personas

An audience persona is a fictional, detailed profile that reflects the characteristics of your ideal consumer. It includes details like their age, interests, education level, job title, and goals.

Personas help you produce content that speaks to your target audience in a more personal and compelling way.

They help you understand the language they use, the topics that matter to them, and the main considerations in their decision-making process.

HubSpot’s [Make My Persona](https://www.hubspot.com/make-my-persona?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) tool is perfect for creating a visual buyer persona.

![Hubspot's buyer persona generator](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/rl0TTUL8A0fO52XFkH4C1RnkqblgIfDoJBDUwhL8NDsvzTdB0VqyvM3Jzmh7wAe5zq1x4bpzMfSQWYBaqoKvyV4VLMKzg1u_u9tJNbQVXPQqvsfZs5O0BRnWlDFVHa0nWKustxroEk-3W54pwQ)

Image Source: HubSpot.com

### Step 4\. Do keyword research

Conduct keyword research, so your [content development](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-development-the-ultimate-guide/) and marketing strategies are founded on hard cold data.

Keyword research helps you generate content ideas, calibrate your SEO strategy, and optimise different elements of your content.

An effective digital content strategy banks on a list of lucrative, well-targeted keywords. This includes keywords that your target personas use to find relevant content based on where they are in the sales funnel.

There’s no shortage of keyword research tools out there that can help you build your target keyword list.

[Keyword Magic Tool by Semrush](https://semrush.sjv.io/Aokxv7?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), for instance, is a good choice when it comes to digging up potential target keywords for content marketing.

All you have to do is enter any relevant keyword and hit **‘Search.’**

![SEMrush's keyword magic tool](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/xVtZiwGRjHjY1O44Xlk5mgejcPb0MThilweu-bgLO9Rs1HrJxgpWGVVlMxbjTd5xcn9EevcsH-gK3bYvxQuRWnkp7hiEEfbW1NxZGpiA8hFAJpGQwee_AyJyqUcWojwuTUjv5OiclroF-W5uTw)

Image Source: Semrush.com

Keyword Magic Tool will then expand your keyword into hundreds of long-tail target keywords.

The results include crucial keyword metrics, like search volume and keyword difficulty. These allow you to use data to pick the right targets for your digital strategy.

![Keyword Magic Tool showing various keywords with data](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/50folujb7DYGqAMNn3oY6ZfCo3dQpWOBjE1rQtysQxrXLsfoq5aGcdsGTMq5oa-PMyufkvdkaGJx-tI42C0Hb8Lw5Zr3tADif99YxEbJSZ4X0aGwWxqoZoscTYQwvNJza_7U2a8G5qFKSCZSxA)

Image Source: Semrush.com

When choosing target keywords for your content marketing strategy, remember to use filters to extract content ideas that fit different stages of the sales funnel.

For example, if you want keywords for users in the awareness stage, look for “how to” keyword ideas.

With Semrush, you can filter keyword results based on user intent, be it informational, navigational, transactional, or commercial.

![Keyword Magic Tool with filters for search intent](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_22UJZ_m59LyO2lrRhQDrqRJQY54OhIpKS3LYiwhfT3VyTkaEi9lEVtrGLg8KZhQiPzKkJ_NEtBi5X16FUWHZeep4wtZFJHguDQOlV2er5hoE7Fhgms28B7X-G-8Y8aufd8fpgxokECYVWGqSQ)

Image Source: Semrush.com

### Step 5\. Use keywords to brainstorm content ideas

Your audience personas and target keywords are ready. You’ve also set your short-term and long-term business objectives.

It's time for you to brainstorm fresh content ideas.

You need content ideas that are:

- Tailored to your audience persona’s needs and preferences
- Optimised for your target keywords
- Contributes to accomplishing your business goals

Suppose your goal is to generate more leads for your email marketing online course.

First, you need to create content that makes people interested in email marketing.

If your main target keyword is “email marketing,” you need informational, question-based keywords that contain terms like “how,” “why,” and “what.”

Semrush makes it easy to find these keywords using its advanced filter system.

![Keyword Magic Tool results after applying filters](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/uFZ5xWHxwXx3WvslpPTy_GStPZPDfPaqo7iPHcmfBbhuQ7X5IRHU3v9Tp4m1mUcEtNUNYTUOV4du2uywely7hLPiL00k1ptC3g_HxZcYrcztZJ8MOF_6QQsGJEjO-xW8YuLXb-Ly-s1meMl5yw)

Image Source: Semrush.com

Another tool for brainstorming keyword ideas is [AnswerThePublic](https://answerthepublic.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). Just enter a seed keyword and let the tool do the rest.

![AnswerThePublic.com's results after entering the keyword "email marketing"](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/8l4cxDgmetvhzh3x0UmGgTmqE-qm3aVaJ_-k4ppG-NSvUbaBhTquAqP40vBv-QdpbojFOvFLLNGUBlsW0nxsUq-jy8ZU7rx25RNyUv-seHypJiJZoWFONIxqmhczj3VTDn_twl1WXh6CXLrpLQ)

Image Source: AnswerThePublic.com

Finally, you need to refine your list of keywords into titles or headlines before writing and loading them into your editorial calendar.

If you look around the internet, you’ll find a handful of tips for writing click-worthy content titles.

Here’s a piece of advice: Use the [Headline Analyzer](https://coschedule.com/headline-analyzer?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) from CoSchedule.

Headline Analyzer works by analysing your content title ideas and providing actionable suggestions. It scores headline ideas based on factors like word count, reading grade level, clarity, and skimmability.

![CoSchedule's headline analyzer showing a Headline Score of 73](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/VpId_uO1CCqYsk5uq_rd9Ac70k7ZsBw8ChIf_tt19tljAeB3lYQgJIj0lrKRJwc9Ye-qSvT2XGSqQo_BQcyU6KV2La84_-hcs2uFc2WSceS_D2rGPDAgcnk94Hfk6-Tn4FCcYJDJgaHJIpxsLw)

Image Source: Headlines.CoSchedule.com

### Step 6\. Create killer content

You now have everything you need to create high-quality content that will help you reach your marketing goals.

Content creation is a critical step in any brand’s content marketing strategy. It’s also the most elaborate—thanks to the number of complexities that go into producing killer content for marketing.

Start by checking out my [top 5 tips for creating high-performing content](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/5-tips-for-creating-high-performing-content/). Once you’re done reading, here are additional you and your content writing team need to keep in mind:

- ****Speak the language of your target audience persona.** Are your target readers old and educated enough for the technical terms you’ll use? What are the main concerns you need to address in your content?
- ****Add internal links to relevant posts.** Injecting internal links to relevant posts will not only encourage readers to see more of your website. It’s also a great way to spread “link equity” over your content library, which will improve your website’s overall rankings.
- ****Automate the proofreading process.** Using an automated writing assistant like [Grammarly](https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?afftrack=&b=864277&m=26748&u=864476&urllink=&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to streamline proofreading will shave hours off of your writing process. Other than correcting spelling and grammar mistakes, it also helps you tweak your language and word usage to maximise readability.
- ****Use the right formats.** Blog posts, videos, infographics, online courses, eBooks, and white papers—you need to learn how to use different content formats to maximise your strategy. As always, your decision should be based on your marketing goals and your audience personas.

### Step 7\. Bring it all together

Nice work—you’re nearly done creating a solid content strategy for your brand.

It’s time to bring everything together into an accessible project management system where everyone in your team can be on the same page.

One of the best tools for the job is [Teamwork](https://teamwork.grsm.io/mattjanaway9795?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). It is a tool designed to bolster brainstorming and collaboration.

![Teamwork's homepage](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/xiLrP_nSojL0ot_sjXL9YBGYSDH7Xa1FDJAFQvPhQG16WUyZIynORctaeZ5Fjs2MCkwVVKZBD-wQW2AwIVBnUA_HRCS8nYS-pmPhroeryA5886ntMDCCWDHd7l6iqRrjjeUVRX6UrWP4iTzksQ)

Image Source: Teamwork.app

Teamwork lets you communicate with other members, assign tasks, and track progress.

It also comes with a secure, accessible cloud storage drive for sharing files like audience personas and content strategy guidelines.

In addition to managing team tasks, you also need a system for monitoring and managing your content calendar. For that, a free collaborative calendar app like [Google Calendar](https://www.google.com/calendar?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) should be more than enough.

## 3 examples of high-performing digital content strategy

Do you want inspiration for your digital content strategy?

Below are some of the best content marketing campaigns from other brands you can borrow.

### Example 1\. WPBeginner - Beginner’s Guide for WordPress

![WPBeginner's article about "How to Start a Wordpress Blog - Easy Guide - Create a Blog (2022)](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/2RYMuvU542avko1ZlC-WM6KcrXJoBMbgoX__BFDf0-QzLRu4Vxud3DLYmkpEWgryLEcNNUgbr5QnK_2dgEaYLOh8D1sqSGlOKnPacwLFKagM3Vd6hBW3pUvcY4PicYYOB_D5FJrm50lx7f61hg)

Image Source: WPBeginner.com

WPBeginner created a super-detailed [content pillar](https://www.wpbeginner.com/start-a-wordpress-blog/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) that addresses its target audience’s concerns and accomplishes its marketing objectives.

The post itself is spiced up with a variety of content types—from videos to screenshots—and contains heaps of internal links to relevant posts.

### Example 2\. Mixpanel - Engineering Blog and Customer Stories

![Mixpanel's blogroll showing several blog posts](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/xHI5YaBY5UqMAFmyi6viI_Z5E2ZYZ8GvW8NIiFP8ZiwuVnBlNNMO20lSsbtPFf4WZbchBNiUO-hxYi8GrWnNcKeueric7mey0m0-RLVdaS8hT9Yoxhd9KMFD9ftjsKnLlGWD47u2xHSPdU6I_w)

Image Source: Mixpanel.com

Mixpanel did two things incredibly well in its digital content strategy.

First, they created a dedicated “Engineering Blog” for developers who make up a considerable portion of their readership.

Second, they created a comprehensive “Developer Docs” library to help their audience with the technical aspects of the platform.

### Example 3\. Supermetrics

![Supermetrics' resource tab showing various links to their resource pages](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/fFemW19_b-3VcODQDVonY1TBtXG-m0Prps-WyqsjVoyX7Ol-Zj-sHcL-LP-mBu9VSFsiujmNXRyG4JI5kC2wLqqiSYZzKNi-cwBOBUQNOgWsAVLJ25uh3qH_6oKkXfk_mN7lLkR4Rgh3qrY2cw)

Image Source: Supermetrics.com

[Supermetrics](https://affiliate.supermetrics.com/4538.html?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) uses a fully-loaded content marketing strategy with formats like templates, webinars, a podcast, and a library of technical documentation. This helps them convert their audience from the awareness stage all the way down to the purchase stage.

## FAQs for creating a digital content strategy

### Question 1\. What is a good content strategy?

A great content strategy factors in your business goals, target audience personas, and target keywords. It outlines how content will be researched, developed, published, and tracked.

### Question 2\. What are the 3 components of content strategy?

On a fundamental level, a content strategy has three main components: brand goal alignment, content development, and target audience research. Tasks such as keyword research and content distribution fall under content development and audience research.

### Question 3\. Why content strategy is important?

A content strategy ensures you always produce content that brings you closer to your marketing goals. It ensures readers get the information and experience that leads them deeper into your sales funnel—thus, positively impacting your bottom line.

## Need help with your digital content strategy?

A digital content strategy must be personalised to your brand’s unique identity and goals.

That doesn’t mean you can’t get any outside help. Let’s hop on a [quick video call](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/contact/) and discuss your digital content strategy today.
### Google Analytics 4 vs Universal Analytics: What’s The Difference?
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/google-analytics-4-vs-universal-analytics/
Last updated: 2025-03-03T18:33:09.000Z
***Google Analytics 4 vs Universal Analytics***: ***Which is better?*** That’s the question trending in the digital marketing world at the moment.

Google announced they'd be retiring Universal Analytics in 2023\. Taking its place is [Google Analytics 4](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/google-analytics-4-in-depth-guide-tutorials-faqs-tips/)—positioned to be the next-generation measurement solution with a whole host of new features.

Despite these promises, a lot of website owners are still on the fence about using GA4.

There are concerns about how it provides data, the user experience and even what it calls some sections. 

If you belong to that group, here’s everything you need to know to make the best decision.

## What is Universal Analytics?

![Home page of Universal Analytics](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/LULDqiSLhG7-dSTvo8Zo1Wo63mhp1mHp4KR5K4Upxf8nqn93lXXVMARnOZsK1zPVX5Bnv6DHNcXRbs4gg2S8pYKToN7rPjUbUjSBjAaCU7CBKmjDesBVjlnJmH7Uq3hvfL8Hs31MWVME8TH8RQQ)

**Image Source: analytics.google.com*

[Universal Analytics](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6086070?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is the old version of Google Analytics introduced in 2012\. It revolutionised the way web analytics is done—combining traffic data from first-party and third-party cookies.

However, Google Chrome is set to phase out third-party cookies for user data collection in 2023\. This will severely diminish the effectiveness and reliability of Universal Analytics in collecting, reporting, and processing session data.

While Universal Analytics is still widely used today, Google plans to shut it down on July 1, 2023\. In the meantime, users can choose to keep using Universal Analytics or [upgrade to Google Analytics 4](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-upgrade-to-google-analytics-4/).

## What is Google Analytics 4?

Google Analytics 4, or GA4, is the latest version of the Google Analytics service.

GA4 is designed to help digital marketers and businesses capture essential user information without the help of third-party cookies. It uses Machine Learning (ML) in a process called “conversion modelling” to measure events and user behaviour.

Conversion modelling generates the missing pieces of data with historical trends and current Google signals. This includes the device used, conversion type, time of day, and other data attached to the user journey.

For more information about GA4’s conversion modelling approach, read their detailed guide [here](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/10710245?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

## Google Analytics 4 vs Universal Analytics: The key differences

To understand the benefits of Google Analytics 4 over Universal Analytics, here’s a look at their key differences:

### Difference 1: Difference in data models and collection methods

Universal Analytics uses a session-based data model, whereas GA4 uses an event-driven data model for data collection.

In a session-based model, user interactions or “hits” are measured for a single user journey or “session.” Different hit types include user visits, eCommerce transactions, custom events, and social media interactions.

GA4, on the other hand, uses an event-based measurement model that tracks all user interactions as events.

Upgrade to GA4 to set up automatically collected events like page views, ad impressions, file downloads, scrolls, video engagement, and on-site searches. These “enhanced measurement events” are tracked independently of sessions and can be toggled on or off through the data stream settings page.

![A list of enhanced measurement events](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/LEboSgZ-ePpHwBXqKFujNTlUWr89uOY5fH6f_YxhUZ8_tdjoLJYC6v5L7Dj082464jp8mQVdXpyowISIPNTqvPUMeb6upsp5aEXy5p45VHC0_zEmT5mYSyCeur1JnRRTUx9-qddT2uHp-4dMVsY)

**Image Source: analytics.google.com*

Other than recommended events, GA4 also makes it easy to create custom events, unlike Universal Analytics which requires several steps. Create events in-app by entering custom event parameters and assigning modifications.

### Difference 2: New IDs

Universal Analytics uses tracking IDs to collect data about your Google Analytics property.

Tracking IDs follow the format “UA-XXXXXX-X,” which can be found under **‘Tracking Info’** on your “Admin” page.

![Image showing wherre the Tracking ID can be found](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/dsCKvBAEF2KA3ApWVm6tfdbxQgOiGRd_dqxYQNpEnNafhfwfA8VOTjJpWsnf1zS5MedTzuLLlOik_7gSQzozmTsIUAenCziV8iA0rwPx3gXyslJjIJYdmulnmVBK6U3fIWPya3Y2S9Nvvm9mIgY)

**Image Source: analytics.google.com*

In GA4, this is replaced by a measurement ID, which follows the format “G-XXXXXXXXXX.” Find your measurement ID by checking your data stream details from the “Admin” page.

![Image where you can find the measurement ID](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_CjDIQMAgJ_xCjGeddcFlLbFZhbF2ojb894spSVZ79kYsD8gEVL_MEFcY_PcV_SCI9hSuJtM90II3y0ktvG__cRwgr2yQ5Vjimn3dqMPbLbXI2afaHXSKbt3SnL_71hJ5FyI_m-PNuiWWv1AUWw)

**Image Source: analytics.google.com*

### Difference 3: Get more data with Explorations

Explorations are custom reports that use a combination of advanced analysis techniques and data visualisation tools. They reveal in-depth information you won’t find anywhere else on GA4’s reporting interface.

You can use explorations for extensive [content tracking](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-tracking-ultimate-guide-with-tips-and-tricks/), digital marketing funnel exploration, lead acquisition monitoring, and so on. GA4 lets you use pre-built exploration templates or create your own using the drag-and-drop builder.

![GA4's drag-and-drop builder](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/XbeybeNPw5uXlrxH1dPPJO_sEM1JgWC6ZQdNC_uRpqVDw1_iPcFQ0Dxsy69LQh5cUWQiMBgB39ewcTjCnIZLA_8bCdvTBnynoPDQIpyeU5cA6WZy6cLQEfP_OKbkJtPdqn-GUED-hg3pP5K99ik)

**Image Source: analytics.google.com*

Universal Analytics offers a similar feature to Google Analytics 360 or GA360 users. But with GA4, everyone can access this feature for free.

### Difference 4: Customisable interface

Report pages are not customisable on a Universal Analytics property. You can’t rearrange, remove, or add data cards—they’re there to stay.

GA4 changes this with the easy-to-use report customisation panel.

Just click **‘Customize report’** to change the arrangement of data cards on the current report. Data cards can also be deleted or added to fit your analytics needs, be it for [content research](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-research-the-ultimate-guide/), conversion optimisation, or ad management.

![Cards for creating a customized reports](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OEDVDsPNEjU1jWGFb2zT8Nl1D3OrWQwFMsfs33uBmm7GY8AlEI7hGSKTZQ69GVqtIKQVO3wycdsPvZ7i2Sc8U_hTxnn9HqXCgE_kghoiCFRa3JKUFNaRv8tZ8NM16ASUkfsjJ2DRQSj79Sv9Uc)

**Image Source: analytics.google.com*

You can also create custom dimensions by heading to GA4’s “Configure Page” and going to **‘Custom definitions.’** Simply click **‘Create custom dimensions,’** personalise its details, and specify an event parameter to pull data from.

![Section where you can create custom dimenrsions](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/N9R2v2bnzaM0QMoBsi2djUzJJtrtbW3vCevm7jYtlLKSqJuXsYIrvnvE5JsI0FhImy81dfgaVx-4YJkmebf7vj_1a8g7ZsbUU3VizsRYLMC3DLaRJpqrdi3c9W1wADTSk-U9TOY22NY6Gb2pfpw)

**Image Source: Analytics.Google.com*

### Difference 5: Free BigQuery integration

BigQuery is a fully-managed, cloud-based data warehouse that lets you run SQL queries.

Universal Analytics properties need a paid GA360 subscription to export raw data to BigQuery. But with GA4, this feature comes for free.

Alternatively, use a business analytics platform like [Supermetrics](https://affiliate.supermetrics.com/4538.html?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to easily export your Google Analytics data to BigQuery. It also supports other data destinations like Google Sheets, Google Data Studio, Excel, and Amazon S3.

### Difference 6: Unlimited data

Universal Analytics has a monthly limit of 10 million hits for tracking interactions. It’s also limited to only 500 events for tracking sessions.

Unlike Universal Analytics, GA4 lets you track and analyse data without monthly limits—except for the number of distinctly named events in mobile app data streams.

This is a game-changer for big businesses that cater to millions of website users per month. Some examples are an eCommerce website, popular cloud-based services, and online communities.

### Difference 7: Include mobile app data in the same property

Google Analytics can also be used to monitor user behaviour on mobile apps—useful in [mobile conversion optimisation](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/mobile-conversion-optimization-best-practices/) and app development.

With Universal Analytics, you need to create a separate entity for mobile apps to track usage data and the data is stored in that separate property.

Simplify this process with GA4 by creating data streams from mobile apps for your property. This requires a corresponding Firebase project to send data to GA4, which can be created through the upgraded Google Analytics platform.

## FAQs about Google Analytics 4 and Universal Analytics

### Is Google Analytics 4 better than Universal Analytics?

Google Analytics 4 is better than Universal Analytics from a data collection standpoint—thanks to its event-based model. It’s also more readable, customisable, and cost-effective. Although there is clearly a huge learning curve, and understanding the way it collects and displays data is a challenge.

### What is the difference between Google Analytics 360 and Google Analytics 4?

Google Analytics 360 users get to enjoy higher limits from their GA4 properties. All the data and features like custom metrics, explorations, and mobile app data streams remain the same between GA360 and GA4 accounts.

### What are the different versions of Google Analytics?

Currently, users can pick between Universal Analytics and Google Analytics 4 for their Google Analytics accounts. Google Analytics 360 can be purchased as an add-on to unlock higher limits for GA4 and new features for Universal Analytics.

## Transition easily from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4

Get started with Google Analytics 4 today without taking time away from your core business operations.

With the help from my team, your brand-new GA4 property can be up and running in no time. [Reach out to me](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/digital-marketing-consulting/), and let’s schedule your free consultation.
### How to Start Affiliate Marketing With No Money
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-start-affiliate-marketing-with-no-money/
Last updated: 2026-07-08T17:01:26.000Z
Are you wondering ***how to start affiliate marketing with no money***?

Don’t worry—it’s possible with the right strategies and tools.

The good news is that you’ll find everything you need to build a lucrative affiliate marketing strategy today.

The only catch is that you need to read this whole guide.

Let’s get started.

## What is affiliate marketing?

Affiliate marketing is the practice of promoting another brand’s products and earning a commission for every sale. An affiliate marketer’s success is largely performance-based, meaning their earnings primarily come from affiliate sales.

Bloggers, social media influencers, vloggers, and website owners—anyone who owns a content distribution channel can become an affiliate marketer. They get credited for sales whenever customers use their designated “affiliate link” to make purchases.

Different affiliate programs offer different commission rates, so it's essential to choose the one that provides fair compensation for your effort.

Ultimately, you get paid for sending your audience to businesses.

## Benefits of affiliate marketing

Here are some of the key benefits of running an affiliate marketing business:

### Benefit 1: Generate passive income

An affiliate marketer makes money online whenever a customer clicks their affiliate link and makes a purchase.

They don’t need to be present in every sale or active in attracting customers. As long as their affiliate link stays online, people can use it to complete purchases—rewarding the affiliate marketer with passive income.

### Benefit 2: Low overheads

You don’t need a large capital to start an affiliate marketing business.

Sign up for a free affiliate program and promote your affiliate link on free content channels. This includes social media, emails, guest posts, or any channel that allows users to promote affiliate products.

Even if you choose to build a self-hosted site, there are options that cost less than £100\. Build your website slowly as you gain more capital.

### Benefit 3: Wide range of ready-to-sell affiliate products

Affiliate marketing lets you make money without spending anything on product R&D, manufacturing, inventory management, and so on.

The products are already there. You just need to choose the products you want to promote, sign up for the company’s affiliate program, and start your affiliate business.

Large affiliate networks like CJ Affiliate, ClickBank, and Amazon Associates have a diverse catalogue of products. This allows aspiring affiliate marketers with different interests and spheres of expertise to turn their passion into a thriving online business.

Some examples of affiliate products you can promote are:

- Fashion items
- Gadgets
- eBooks
- Online courses
- Software
- Gardening tools
- Online services

### Benefit 4: Unlimited profit potential

An affiliate marketer can promote as many affiliate products as they want. In fact, most successful affiliate marketing businesses promote several products on one website.

They can also jump outside their fields of expertise to reach a wider audience and unlock new income opportunities. As long as you’re willing to build new brands from scratch, affiliate marketing lets you make money in any niche.

### Benefit 5: Easy to learn

The affiliate marketing world is peppered with online communities, [affiliate courses](https://skl.sh/3SMgETz?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), and other resources that help anyone learn the business.

Top affiliate networks also provide their partners with loads of useful guides, tutorials, and even free materials for marketing their products. It’s up to the marketer to decide how fast and effective their learning experience will be.

### How hard is affiliate marketing?

Learning how to do affiliate marketing versus actually doing it are two different things.

Beginners can grasp the concept of affiliate marketing in less than a day. But they still have a lot of work to do and marketing strategies to launch before they can make their first sale.

You don’t need a huge investment to join an affiliate program and promote your first affiliate product. However, you need to spend time learning the ropes, running tests, and optimising your affiliate marketing strategies to get results.

## How to start affiliate marketing with no money

Starting affiliate marketing with decent capital is indeed an advantage, but it’s not a requirement.

Follow these steps to become a profiting affiliate marketer with little to no investment.

### Step 1: Decide your niche

The first step in any business endeavour is to find a niche.

Choosing a niche not only affects the long-term profitability and scalability of your affiliate marketing business. It will also have a huge impact on your long-term marketing performance.

If you’re passionate about your niche, it’s easier to stay motivated even if you’re not getting results yet. You can also utilise the knowledge and experience you’ve accumulated over the years to produce top-quality, original affiliate marketing content.

However, passion and expertise aren’t the only factors to consider when deciding on a niche. Alternatively, you can also join a reputable affiliate marketing program to get access to quality products.

Since you have a limited budget, it’s crucial to “niche down” and pick a small industry that isn’t saturated with big-budget competitors.

[Google Trends](https://trends.google.com/trends/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is one of the most popular tools for discovering profitable affiliate marketing niches. Use it by entering any keyword or topic related to your passion.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/HZHwFr9lmtUd4R3fmjRIDqEoqUNHaWivNl2v1ghnrNuYEIWsu7Utc6otp79ek9RsxZaNLRc1cMvUi_uB6M0GD6yLOfuo5lBR7DXlwTFh4ZLimo-ODxyoz1v1nXBF-qUHmjgKF7bMMJ7kb5MBlXKJTy8)

*Image Source: trends.google.com*

Look under “Related topics” and “Related queries” to find potential niches for your affiliate marketing business.

For example, if you’re passionate about graphic design, here are some of the potential smaller niches you can explore:

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Mdd5-7HNdeNeDhSPRJqCnfXT_d0d7qtI9zu03nH07fhMnRNd0M5rbD9PYRvxebFPLsNn33ahPG-JpYHoAlZO7--IrBl9EyP6DgOGepXw5wMvlVfqA1idu97iIj2TSEJF057O8x94pMPJvPATEaiD9nY)

*Image Source: trends.google.com*

In the example above, your niche can be about running design studios, graphic design software (Adobe Spark or Figma), or laptops for graphic design.

Keep clicking the **‘Next’** buttons beside the number of results to find more ideas.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/7qHcgXIBSoh7saRm9DCpOiMqNiEnfOouam4wD7lT0y9OV8YZkGossDQag8bwsvJUc88glnKxXgbhdekNBNbUqO89CTUnOV4HoabGoJdacVZCMbUewaOA6n9uUQwD1ize6-Wxu2a8NEDYazSj80xM8Yo)

*Image Source: trends.google.com*

👉

BONUS TIP: You could also try out [Exploding Topics](https://explodingtopics.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to gather data on upcoming trends. 

### Step 2: Define your target audience

Understand your target audience to identify content and product ideas that will pique their interest. This depends on the niche you chose in the previous step.

Suppose you went with “Adobe graphic design” as your niche.

Your target audience is clearly graphic designers who use (or want to use) Adobe products.

From there, you can build your target audience persona with a tool like [Make My Persona](https://www.hubspot.com/make-my-persona?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). Answer the questions and provide the missing details in the guided tutorial to generate your persona within minutes.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/uRLDK9j1wx9F-zMYSv_oss9U32IBIobGytfhiWz_wTwPLAamaU__FNA4jZH3Wvaj5RzAKNGIex73nbcke5xClLFTSsb6CcwRW_kj9Rz5qBnYPDvSKszYzEKjWG-iqQ9lJNeVZfxUKFkusgk3pNNmaHI)

*Image Source: hubspot.com*

If you’re not sure who your target audience is, below are a few tips you can try:

- Check out and participate in social media conversations.
- If you have an existing website or social media platforms, use audience analytics to track user demographics.
- Use LinkedIn to identify a lookalike audience and analyse their professional and educational background.
- Run surveys, interviews, and polls on social media (or in-person if you have the resources).

### Step 3: Look for affiliate programs and products

After researching your target audience, the next step is to look for an affiliate network or program that sells relevant products.

For example, if you want to focus on Adobe graphic design products, sign up for the [Adobe Express affiliate program](https://www.adobe.com/express/affiliate?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) for free.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/O-Pb2itDJUJ_C4AsB93iHWRxjpzRQeoB3oMMa3a4pY4K073O_gqaLyXYJMYFTNCkGlPOzlQzzAQOCWBLGYlF6wpo_dQCUEAqYgjN0xXwH6x_9UUMRcYBYX5dqmBPtPbbChw_4lkw_PJLDtsw9wSSf5U)

*Image Source: adobe.com*

Alternatively, look for affiliate products that your target audience may need.

For instance, beginner Adobe software users may require in-depth learning resources. That’s where products like books, online courses, tools, and templates come in.

Find these related products on affiliate networks such as:

- ClickBank
- eBay Partner Network
- Amazon Associates
- CJ
- ShareASale
- AWIN
- Avangate Affiliate Network

Signing up for an affiliate program is free, so don’t hesitate to join as many affiliate networks as you can.

Cast a wide net, research eye-catching products, and compare them against each other. Move on to the next step only if you’re 100% confident in the affiliate product you chose.

### Step 4: Conduct keyword research

[Keyword research](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-conduct-keyword-research-for-search-engine-optimisation-seo/) helps with [content research](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-research-the-ultimate-guide/), which entails coming up with content ideas for affiliate marketing. If you plan to build a website, keyword research is also an essential prerequisite for SEO (Search Engine Optimisation).

A tool like [Semrush](https://semrush.sjv.io/Aokxv7?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) will help you do all these through the Keyword Magic Tool—a popular keyword research tool for affiliate marketers, bloggers, agencies, and businesses.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/CUf7w57agwOnHC0wVYyV_y2jWMQUok6QIv6PlYeqV_Dtq1HLF8YyVERHHLOPKrsuS8vQAwvG7nOA1EyJ_AKCDwodgiJlpgdZckyRJ3h5IR_Q--Qd4umLbB-RewFBirHI5XUPKzwkEDaPNXFG3Wn3tCg)

*Image Source: semrush.com*

Although Semrush is a paid tool, it offers a free version without any time limits. You are, however, limited to 10 results and 10 research requests per day.

To use Keyword Magic Tool, enter any relevant topic or keyword and click **‘Search.’** With a free account, Semrush will provide you with up to 10 keyword suggestions per report.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/AFac5TI8oMXLoZSdhXgG0iqkw8av01qq1sRkVBlgD6oD9ac6oj4jhyp2QnAUwmyfOcxBO9ITyCELmlFyWc1VcbDdcM9ebP5tUDa6mtoxFhNIPRhfkfNeR2Xyyy85TnG55MIKwYBoT5-sHTO5xNzRIro)

*Image Source: semrush.com*

Here are a few tips to remember when conducting keyword research:

- **Look at the ‘Intent’ column.** Since you want users who will purchase your affiliate products, target keywords with a “Transactional” or “Commercial” intent. The Keyword Magic Tool is one of the few keyword research tools that reveal this information.
- **Watch the KD (Keyword Difficulty) rating.** Keywords that have a rating of 70 and above are impossible to rank for unless you have a workable SEO budget. The ideal keyword has a reasonable amount of monthly search volume and a KD of 14-50.
- **Check question-based keywords.** If you need content ideas, switch to the ‘Questions’ tab. This reveals questions that your target audience asks about your keyword.
- **Use multiple tools.** Other than Semrush, use other free keyword research tools for your affiliate marketing niche site. Some examples are AnswerThePublic, KeywordTool.io, and Ubersuggest.

### Step 5: Build a free website

Most, if not all, successful affiliate marketers use their own websites to make affiliate sales. Promote affiliate products using an informative and unique blog post.

If you have zero budget, use free website builders like Wix and WordPress.com. These tools come with customisable themes that anyone can use regardless of web development knowledge.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/rSZdsR5IK0UXDk94WWwmP_HdxvFjBJ5b2SfDkqQd0MyDGvmFKJYdLe9GD40fFNn6u-uEJBQkw26eAlGjUTYFTQlrBDBMImmvCXYfRgMVdcI_IcaNsftrizLNFZNz7D3CKuNyUr6RID9MVuAxZN4HYOU)

*Image Source: wordpress.com*

Your website will house most of your affiliate marketing and SEO content. They will help you attract the right kind of audience through free sources, namely search engines and social media.

Once you start earning affiliate commissions, consider migrating to a self-hosted website with these steps:

- Register a unique and brandable domain name using blogging-focused hosting services like [20i](https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?s=2734607&v=20974&q=399428&r=919827&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).
- Create custom graphics with free tools like [Canva](https://partner.canva.com/GjoPML?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)—or work with design services like [Kimp](https://www.kimp.io/?partner=Janaway&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) for an eye-popping website.
- Prioritise usability and use tools like [PageSpeed Insights](https://pagespeed.web.dev/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to improve performance-related issues.

### Step 6: Promote affiliate links on social media

If you want to make affiliate sales faster, build a social media presence and create content that promotes your affiliate links. This includes YouTube videos, TikTok posts, Instagram feed images, and so on.

Use a content format that best communicates the value of your affiliate product to your target audience.

For example, [Howfinity](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvhddhDjyzU&t=1s&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) published a YouTube video tutorial about Adobe Creative Cloud Express. To turn views into affiliate sales, the channel inserted their affiliate link in the post’s description—briefly mentioning it within the video.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/i5Bk0-EGxE1z7PxkDmc48SDSqz9hRhPCrBToZ2IUNFiY6ZVCWVJ_w5AljmnTmavUEGqSGnDnVQqeKbK-kBgDXXijvF4ohUpDS_X1qTsp-XjoG8VOipB20XLLQgr7cOhSqXFN3u5keXaBHzpnLWnQeSo)

*Image Source: youtube.com, @Howfinity*

Promoting affiliate products or services on social media is also a great [content strategy for mobile](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-strategy-for-mobile/). That’s because your target audience can access your affiliate marketing content using native apps installed on their mobile devices.

### Step 7: Set up a content tracking system

Implement a [content tracking](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-tracking-ultimate-guide-with-tips-and-tricks/) system to monitor the performance of your affiliate marketing content over time. It will also help you adjust your content strategy based on your audience’s preferences.

Use an analytics platform like [Google Analytics](https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to track your top-performing posts and content distribution channels constantly. It will also help you learn more about your audience’s demographics and behaviour.

And yes—Google Analytics is 100% free to use.

Be sure to check out this [Google Analytics 4 tutorial](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/google-analytics-4-in-depth-guide-tutorials-faqs-tips/) for instructions on how to use the platform’s latest version.

For social media, use the built-in user engagement analytics tool. TikTok, for one, tracks follower activity so you know the best time to post your affiliate marketing content.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Kf-O9a06lLjLm880YURpzmb3LC5AEBdWR2ZP7chv9Wc4GSdYXHVkJvDuWUHtOSVrqDqueNBBivbuwYSrPC88HZLB_UCkAukpmUWS7AqGPmJGkjoGYhb2j8lUC00MUyFvNUuPZr4FJsfWjv0BsgnIhRM)

*Image Source: tiktok app*

### Step 8: Use learning resources for new affiliate marketers

To fully understand how affiliate marketing works, make self-learning your new lifestyle.

You’ll find lots of learning resources that will teach you the fundamentals, advanced strategies, and tools for a successful affiliate marketing business.

Check out these examples:

- The ClickBank affiliate marketing course
- Semrush affiliate marketing overview course
- Free affiliate marketing courses on Udemy
- Affiliate Marketing Tutorial for Beginners 2022 on YouTube by [Santrel Media](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-Bof0SU7ZI&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

If you can allot a small budget for learning affiliate marketing, here are some of the best books for affiliate marketing you can purchase.

- Affiliate Marketing for Dummies
- Affiliate Marketing Secrets by Chandler Wright
- From Nothing by Ian Pribyl
- Traffic Secrets by Russell Brunson
- The 1-Page Marketing Plan by Allan Dib

## Best niches for affiliate marketing

Before I wrap up this post, here are some of the best niches for affiliate marketing you should explore this 2022:

1. Home security
2. Web hosting
3. Essential oils
4. Online dating
5. Yoga
6. Credit repair
7. Investing
8. Supplements
9. Baby products
10. Cryptocurrencies
11. Solar power
12. Veganism
13. Vaping
14. Pet care
15. Professional growth
16. Binary options
17. Survival
18. Tax preparation
19. Hunting
20. Meditation

## Hone your affiliate marketing success today

Do you want to be the next affiliate marketing success story?

Don’t struggle through the tough parts. [Reach out to me](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/digital-marketing-consulting/) today and let me and my team help craft an affiliate marketing strategy that will work for you.
### How to Monetise Your Blog: 5 Methods and Their Pros and Cons
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-monetise-your-blog-5-methods-and-their-pros-and-cons/
Last updated: 2022-08-10T11:35:07.000Z
You’ve created a blog that delivers valuable information to a good amount of followers. Now what?

Today’s blogs are more than a vehicle to share firsthand experiences and personal opinions. They’re a terrific opportunity to generate income.

This guide will explore how to monetise your blog with five strategies. It will help you determine whether they would be a good fit for your needs.

## 5 Ideas for How to Monetise Your Blog

There's a lot to consider when developing a blog monetisation strategy.

Time commitment, financial investment, and ease of maintenance are all factors that play a role in determining the best way to earn income with your blog.

Here are five ways you can make money with your blog, their pros and cons, and whether they might be a beneficial option as you work toward your goals.

### Strategy 1: Sell Ads

Possibly the most obvious option is to sell ad space on your blog.

Companies will pay you for digital real estate to promote their products with banner ads, background ads, video ads, or text link ads.

Partnering with a business whose products are complementary to your content can provide added value to your viewers.

**The pros:**

- Capitalise on high traffic numbers: The more people that visit your page, the more opportunities to make money with ad sales.
- Takes little effort: You have to create new blog content anyway. Including ad space doesn’t require much extra work.
- Passive income opportunities: Even archived blog articles can bring in ad sale revenue.
- Low commitment level: Since ads are typically sold by impressions or a monthly fee, you can adjust your strategy at any time.

**The cons:**

- Direct people away from your site: If visitors click on an ad, they’re sent to that marketer’s website. You can tackle this to a certain degree by opening the advert clicks in a new window.
- Can be disruptive: Too many ads can be annoying to viewers as they interrupt their experience.
- Demand high traffic: Advertisers want to promote on pages with high traffic volume.

A good candidate for ad sales is a blog with high traffic and frequent content.

Blogs that sell products and have a lower traffic volume should avoid this monetisation method.

### Strategy 2: Google AdSense

Another version of selling ad space (and a highly popular way for bloggers to make money) is to understand how to monetise your blog with Google AdSense.

As a blogger, you create available ad space in your [blog post](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-write-a-blog-post-in-30-minutes-a-how-to-guide/) by including ad code on your site. Then, companies bid in a real-time auction to secure space on your page. The highest-paying ads appear on your blog.

Google handles all of the billing and ensures you receive your payments.

**The pros:**

- Simple set-up process: Google makes it easy to begin. If you meet [basic criteria](https://www.google.com/adsense/start/resources/monetization-tips-to-optimize-google-adsense/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), you can simply sign up and paste a code (which they provide) into your blog.
- Self-run: Other than the need to occasionally check metrics and make any necessary adjustments, AdSense is fairly hands-off.
- Reliable and consistent pay: AdSense commissions are paid monthly (as long as you meet a $100 payout threshold).
- You’re in control: Test and adjust your ads to ensure they’re yielding the best results. You can also remove them from your blog at any time without penalty.

**The cons:**

- Lack of security: If Google feels you’ve violated any of their policies, they can shut down your account without warning.
- No guarantee: You only make money when visitors click on the ads. Therefore, you could be promoting a company without receiving compensation.
- Reduced revenue: Any money you make from AdSense ads is shared with Google.

Google AdSense is effective for blogs with low traffic, in niche markets, or as a supplement for other income opportunities.

Blogs that sell their own merchandise or provide authoritative information wouldn’t be as successful with this method of monetisation.

### Strategy 3: Affiliate Marketing

For companies wanting to know how to monetise a blog without ads, [affiliate marketing](https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2021/06/18/4-keys-for-bloggers-to-successfully-monetize-with-affiliate-marketing/?sh=1bdfbd6030cf&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) may be a good fit.

Through affiliate marketing, bloggers will endorse third-party products and services, and their trusting viewers will click on links for more information.

If those clicks result in purchases, the brands will pay bloggers a commission.

The pros of affiliate marketing include:

- Can be highly lucrative: Payouts can be significant and limitless.
- Easy set-up: Simply sign up for an affiliate program to get a link to share with your readers.
- Wide diversity: Affiliate programs exist for numerous markets.
- Several ways to participate: As an affiliate, you can write a product review, share a link in an article, publish how-to videos using the product, or promote it through social media.

The cons of affiliate marketing include:

- Limited control: Ultimately, the [conversion rates](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-ecommerce-brands-can-double-their-conversion-rate-without-creating-a-new-site/) depend on the effectiveness of the brand’s website and sales team, which are out of your control.
- Building someone else’s customer list: While you want your referrals to end in sales, those leads become the brand’s customer and may not earn you income beyond the initial sale.
- Competition: Affiliates write about the same products yet want to be the ones to get credit for referrals. This puts you in competition with each other.
- Limited pay: You only get paid for the referrals that convert to customers.

Affiliate marketing is most effective for a blog that has a big mailing list and audiences who are engaged and highly responsive.

Blogs that need to remain neutral or that sell products in direct competition with affiliate goods may want to consider an alternate method for monetisation.

### Strategy 4: Product Sales

Rather than sell products for third-party companies, consider selling your own products on your blog.

Don’t have anything that fits the bill? Create digital products like online courses, instructional videos, or e-books that teach valuable information.

Your loyal readers already appreciate the content you publish.

Providing them with additional products that offer further insight will entice them to buy and possibly spread the word to their own contacts.

**The pros include:**

- Further establishes you as an authority: The more expert content you can publish, the more people will look to you as a thought leader in your field.
- Total control: You determine what content to include, what pricing structure to implement, and how to promote the products.
- Continuing income: Creating evergreen products or materials that can be updated in the future means you can continue to sell those items for years to come.
- Minimal or no set-up cost: Digital products don’t cost much to produce, so your profit margin can be higher.

**The cons include:**

- Up-front time commitment: It takes time to create valuable content worthy of selling to your audience. You’ll have to put in the work to develop something worthwhile.
- Free content vs. paid content: Your blog provides free quality content on a regular basis. Determining what topics to include in paid content can be challenging.
- Saturation: There are tons of blogs providing for free the kind of information you’re trying to sell. You’ll need to ensure your products contain information people are willing to pay to receive.

If you’re willing to invest the effort to create products that help you to establish yourself as an authority and maximise your income potential, selling your own products can be a good fit for you.

If you’re not able to commit to researching and creating quality material, consider another method of monetisation.

### Strategy 5: Members-Only Content

Some bloggers choose to sell a membership that grants people access to premium content.

You can charge a monthly or yearly fee that allows readers to access expert how-to articles, whitepapers, trend studies, and more.

This creates a community of loyal followers and a subset of metrics to provide even more targeted content and advertising.

**The pros:**

- Constant income: Memberships guarantee you constant payments for the duration of the members’ lifecycle.
- Audience growth: As members gain value from their membership, they may promote you to their own personal and professional contacts.
- Increased lifetime value: Rather than publishing an entire e-book, releasing monthly chapters can provide greater overall sales in membership fees.

**The cons:**

- Commitment hesitancy: Some readers shy away from signing up for recurring payments and therefore don’t want to commit to a membership.
- Logistical issues: A membership website needs to collect a payment, create user accounts, and allow and restrict access based on membership level.
- Member retention: You’ll need to create products and content to incentivize members to maintain their membership.

Bloggers who have long-term goals can commit time to ongoing content creation and who have built a solid reputation would do well with a [membership site](https://www.forbes.com/sites/stephanieburns/2021/01/01/this-entrepreneur-made-two-million-by-mastering-the-art-of-membership-sites/?sh=19e6437335bb&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

If you’re not familiar with the topics you’re writing about or don’t have time to maintain a membership site, you should avoid members-only content for now.

### Summary

To make money with your blog, the only real blog monetisation requirements are a steady audience and email list growth. If you have these two things, you’re ready to generate revenue with your blog.

In reviewing the content mentioned in this guide, consider which monetisation method helps you achieve your goals while meeting your time and financial restrictions.

Whether you choose one of these methods or a combination thereof, your strategy should propel you toward your mission, provide value to your audience, and generate revenue for continued success.
### Ubersuggest vs Ahrefs vs Semrush: Which SEO Tool is Better?
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/ubersuggest-vs-ahrefs-vs-semrush/
Last updated: 2022-08-05T07:44:39.000Z
Which online tool is the best for SEO work?

These well-known SEO tools claim to be the best in the business—as they should.

Ubersuggest, Ahrefs, and Semrush are among the most complete, easy-to-use, cost-effective SEO platforms.

SEOs and marketers trust them for tasks like keyword research, backlink analysis, rank tracking, and [content research](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-research-the-ultimate-guide/).

While they’re designed to help with SEO work, each platform brings something unique. Before we start, it's important to note that no single tool will do everything perfectly for every business, so I'd recommend grabbing a trial for each tool and seeing how they work for you.

In this comparison, I’ll look closely at their features, usability, pricing, and other factors that set each platform apart.

## Ubersuggest vs Ahrefs vs Semrush

### Ubersuggest overview

![A screeshot of Ubersuggest's home page.](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/w5MPU9gved0v7Fg-S_My2BRQQ23H1uycud6aXK3W8ZE-aALpQ4Pg4z_1izkktmSogqRcIehntN_uHfQq_o-R4FJbEZq6YYXsnWgXUxnLk9LR56msZjy6kxkhkq7ZEeyqGblX-yKrnC-hM5s53Q)

Image Source: ubersuggest.com

At one point, [Ubersuggest](https://neilpatel.com/ubersuggest/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) was in every “top keyword research tools” listicle on the web. That speaks volumes about the tool’s capabilities in generating keyword suggestions, evaluating keyword difficulty, and so on.

Today, Ubersuggest is known for so much more.

In addition to keyword research, the new Ubersuggest helps with site audits, backlink analysis, traffic analytics, etc.

### Ahrefs overview

![A screenshot of ahref's homepage.](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/cvqtllzBa0h1oEEdLaFI7Lb-JWXa9pSSjmLUQe-JxP-7LhYHphFF6d_oaXew2Old-emHL8hzoGOwPB7RzSyBMAEgp3nt4qt5AjuObTve7QgvR0UxSmFG44zSe3es6VGkTTrvQzfinRxchVFv8Q)

Image Source: ahrefs.com

[Ahrefs](https://ahrefs.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is a popular platform with everything you need for SEO success. It lets you find keyword suggestions, run site audits, discover SEO content ideas, spy on competing domains, and more.

Ahrefs also has basic PPC or paid campaign management features. This is helpful if you target both organic and paid traffic in your digital marketing strategy.

### Semrush overview

![A screenshot of SEMRush's home page.](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/yU0_DQSE649-6HnmQefzmGXkslpdLt0BAG8tTRQMwpdaudrClBWyatI_iTtsZAvDqO961HCNo6cyAHr2K-T4XmPNYA4JDhKrkVHfqxQYsNEqHkQ7zlyyk8EYRIMpo2Sd3mboDXli7ASmjypH3Q)

Image Source: semrush.com

Semrush is a comprehensive digital marketing platform. It helps you dominate search engine rankings and offers a unified interface for your social media and PPC campaigns.

Semrush is dedicated to continuously improving and future-proofing the platform. They roll out product updates and integrations every couple of months to beef up the already capable platform.

## TL;DR: Semrush takes the cake!

If you don't want to read into each detail, here's the bottom line...

[Semrush](https://semrush.sjv.io/Aokxv7?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) may not be the cheapest SEO tool on this list, but the value it provides is off the charts.

Semrush has many features for keyword research, competitor research, link building, on-page SEO, and content research.

Semrush goes beyond SEO to help brands and agencies hit their marketing goals. It has features for other digital marketing tasks like social media marketing, advertising, brand monitoring, and trend watching.

However, to read in more detail about the comparisons, see below.

## How easy are they to use?

SEO tools have glaring differences in the user experience they provide.

The interface’s design, learning curve, and overall “feel” of the platform—these details have a direct impact on your efficiency and productivity.

### Ubersuggest Ease of use

Ubersuggest follows a clean and consistent design language that makes important features easy to find. It also features a beginner-friendly onboarding process to help set up your first project in no time.

![Ubersuggest's onboarding process](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/bCjrid5v6xPE8tuVra8as1CRM5spWckYPKnlehUxeMsGHQ_2394C1XRRurCKcM1qm5o08mFMuBqg87dp-UWfvqK-TvuQISzjwZcWQ7RTlTvf_PIIrLVvmpXfKVSvkVXeAo9J15xyyM8rxc5Slw)

Image Source: ubersuggest.com

Ubersuggest is great for new projects because it sends keyword suggestions right away. It also lets you enter competitor domains so you can track their top keywords and SEO performance immediately.

![Ubersuggest's site navigation/menu](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/35svyZv2kgO29deGC8RJ14GXw3Tf9mjkFLaYnLu0bSBP8-0S4rQW50WP85gBnHYIpD7jn86th7vJioKhEqGyWQlj2QLXqs4ksv64IeuWhAsZRwXEnOqUbsZxBt-1vet5On9gHmDfcZkbZL64xg)

Image Source: ubersuggest.com

### Ahrefs ease of use

Ahrefs groups its features into various pages, which you can navigate directly from the top bar. This includes the “Site Explorer,” “Keyword Explorer,” “Site Audit,” “Content Explorer,” and more.

![Ahrefs' site navigation/menu](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/MT9xafonV1eCqVlUfaEYhG-CaY8lI5s4NGP8y5mY7iunpbcCDWdpVsEQITGddt6IpsWE4hJohHauSWuEMe8dJdZSZJKTA4ov2T4UonY2ChTyIbDblkiwHrDmAffJxRV4hwAoMzdb6korijZ-_w)

Image Source: ahrefs.com

Ahref’s starting page for its features looks clean and less overwhelming.

It uses a simple search tool on Site Explorer. Enter a domain, choose what you want to explore from the drop-down menu, and click the search button.

![Ahrefs' site explorer page](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/K9XNxng1SEqTQ-TcUnqP-brA1d_BzHwI3cFKJ279EdZ6xaZ91CTqE5u1EvoGRR7GljRt1D4iRrkYBu72BaXEKKH1z28QKsjFQqSkayh3RsUPzKeRv-mwS39UXQoj1-d6qB92jvAWSVZHqwsfhA)

Image Source: ahrefs.com

After running your search, Ahrefs will show a report page jam-packed with data.

The most important metrics are immediately visible above the fold, whereas in-depth information is presented using interactive charts.

![The Semrush dashboard](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/5VmSOycL85WShfsRgbIFgngev0cjFXxe5BLlyrZKk9iD4j-2tAUmsJT5_lINn9RiHKjQKppVMH49n0DxiE0sHYs30tXxTjvlgR-JSSm1goGNoMwNmdMkp5MKiHMvuf6uwL5OKn9yT2tf_G5Elg)

Image Source: ahrefs.com

Ahrefs’ sidebar navigation for the Site Explorer tool can overwhelm newbie users.

By default, all sub-menus are expanded, revealing dozens of links that will take you to another report or tool. There’s also “Overview 2.0,” which is the same report but with a more colourful, readable, and visual-heavy design.

Expanded menus can be collapsed to make the interface look cleaner and more focused. However, the menu structure itself—in addition to the “Legacy” stuff—can make Ahrefs a bit confusing for beginners.

### Semrush ease of use

Semrush may not be as user-friendly as Ubersuggest, but it’s simple enough to help beginners get started right away. And despite its arsenal of advanced SEO tools, the onboarding process is designed to acquaint you with all the important features ASAP.

Here’s a tip: Create a [free Semrush trial](https://semrush.sjv.io/Aokxv7?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) account, then follow along with our walkthrough.

From your main dashboard, Semrush lets you track competitors immediately or create a new SEO project.

![A page where you can add your comeptitors or create a project ](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/9fmHrMERboPwpsp8hUoduYGnj4YUvpD615VcOhMIkQ1BCMtbqxLeUt-3Ee9rlWJT1YyznCSyrMiLjq1mA9emWC6Nk9grbQwhewQXDJgeleETdgIswPf-9Kcu-Qd7Z3BRHQ8fdHDdLD9CVCIvRQ)

Image Source: semrush.com

To create a project, enter your domain and assign a project name. Semrush will take you to your project dashboard, which contains all the essential tools to supercharge your marketing campaign—from site audits to [content tracking](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-tracking-ultimate-guide-with-tips-and-tricks/).

![The page where you can set uo position tracking, site audit, backlink audit, etc.](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/p9iMtqJK0QVKXaTdQO3NKzfhpJ_pZ9nynCwWfs0JuewTED0LDf_aMHqQB8WgyCw9utGDbGXjwBX7cxwMWvQmTPbbchob3IbJKwG4CvzTVsFOtoHgvTXHPfhty5bpxTtzG-CFoMlwtaUQmBs_-g)

Image Source: semrush.com

From your dashboard, use the top search bar to analyse a domain or conduct keyword research. This will take you to the appropriate Semrush tool—no navigation necessary.

![Search bar of Semrush](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ncHOGq-57gjlaDK7dYtnkUABw-kp8dYn8jImD8JQjSHtw_D2eJdEbo5DWdpVVhLb_Xk4kUzzAgAcRjSJqJcyWNqJrc4KnK9ECet2hGsRwRdX6bNF6Y1zEW1mveeQTNdd0Byp8H4mX6IH7xBGfg)

Image Source: semrush.com

## How good are they for keyword research

When comparing SEO tools, you can’t forget about keyword research.

Here’s a quick look at how each tool generates juicy, target-worthy SEO keywords.

### Ubersuggest keyword research

Ubersuggest’s keyword research feature is as straightforward as it gets.

On the “Keyword Overview” page, plug in a seed keyword, set your language and location, and hit **‘Search.’**

![Empty box where you can enter your keywords](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_t0GLsW4X-MG27_NXXTCFeYqX04bX0q6kuQsB_IA_hnTKts5UXhDze3_FuYv3JY1pLJwp-0k14f9wgh5e8xkNVmdjCPdZ12gKZnnUYMIxOIo-JgWqg7yFP-CVZggbdiMaL-QQkuPUrsjrgVeEA)

Image Source: ubersuggest.com

Ubersuggest will pull up basic keyword metrics like search volume, SEO difficulty, and CPC.

The tool also generates a chart that tracks the keyword’s search volume over the last 12 months. As a bonus, the chart includes the search volume from mobile devices—useful for mobile SEO and [mobile conversion optimisation](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/mobile-conversion-optimization-best-practices/).

![Ubersuggest's keyword overview page](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/OzUs_gV5WJhDJ5sLJir-ob-2NIedHBO0Na-deoX16Dd3t7pJQaMh_Vkfw3gRp3OIqq4SKDF6Fb_Y4YxOqlsvgaWQUe8tNzBvuy55TwHEqI4TAIbtmFs0CAMwHhD7K70H_ONVSxIUg5da1RdvgA)

Image Source: ubersuggest.com

Below these figures, you’ll find both keyword and content ideas tailored to your target keyword.

For a better view, just navigate to the **‘Keyword Ideas’** or **‘Content Ideas’** page from the main menu.

**Other Ubersuggest keyword research features:**

- ****Easy competitor keyword research.** Generate a keyword overview report using a competitor’s domain to reveal their best keywords instantly.
- ****Keyword lists.** Group keywords into lists for future campaigns and save your keyword research progress.

### Ahrefs keyword research

Ahrefs’s Keyword Explorer provides a list of keyword ideas not just for Google, but for other search engines as well. This includes YouTube, Yahoo, Bing, Amazon, Yandex, and a few other search engines.

![Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer page](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/g1CI0C1MKx4zskH3StYuJNcO7MF6rriD7mOf3Q4xDZXMXFHzpXJbrbedOYkyY6L1XXnLOHADNJq3ZFZzzGXd7gi9zbfkwMcZGqCTCYCIsYF8bhFqgSKG20eAA9c5KC_a_RYoFaXX3smr6BIsmg)

Image Source: hhrefs.com

Keywords Explorer can be used in two ways. You can enter your seed keywords manually or import your saved keywords list as a CSV or TXT file.

After clicking **‘Search,’** Keywords Explorer shows essential metrics like search volume, traffic potential, and keyword difficulty. Right beneath these details are lists of similar keyword ideas you can add to your strategy.

![Ahrefs' overview page of a keyword](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ZdSaP7qCd_YWwQrWu2yGlQXBPSS7pMnCsu9YZ9h0Z_P10gtV-Q2VUWTuPLRIjFVDk3NreEzXSkpcKlFBRwpvYrQ_6_pnp5Fw_Ci7HJoaKX2nMQeZ3huyZvcOzPVc6_veRYUt9wtd979BUr3_qg)

Image Source: ahrefs.com

**Other Ahrefs keyword research features:**

- ****Organic and paid position history.** Check out how the top 10 organic and paid results changed rankings over the past 24 months.
- ****SERP overview.** Analyse the featured snippets, backlink count, top keywords, and SEO strength of the top 10 results.
- ****Keywords lists.** Create and manage multiple keyword lists for different projects or clients.

### Semrush keyword research

The “Keyword Magic Tool” is the centrepiece of the Semrush keyword research workflow.

It generates an exhaustive report about your target keyword along with a massive and diverse list of potential keyword ideas.

![Empty box where you can enter your keyword in Semrush's Keyword Magic Tool](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/3jsfX0nBSq1wLmyjO_K71y3_fnisWshfVrYgs5FO1lAkLbZ0KwI5ykfZBM9tEZ8GvnR3Scr5wYQ7omUWzc6M3k-Qm6q3pin5ddh7dyvSjYr_zZGy2_FkGUSHZuOD2_QjLLvLz_wl7lb6m5BCMg)

Image Source: semrush.com

Keyword Magic Tool features an impressive range of tools for extracting profitable keywords from the keyword search results—without overcrowding the interface.

For example, if you want keywords that contain a specific term, just use the keywords list to the left.

![Results page after clicking "Search" in the Keyword Magic Tool](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/bLLDtHPbW0z0jBlurgKooGJcl0NEyWaghWUajNBl9VmVKcMt34ZXR6kHdlCMTFhsuyu-3yKI7nExo5pQTbfHBfgeRxY0-u-J3rtIgwESQs-sLEfh42JsP6I7L6LWk9pFg3xqo-thVXMFVJJlPA)

Image Source: semrush.com

Semrush’s advanced keyword filters help you easily find phrase match, related, broad match, and question-based keywords. Filter keywords based on specific metrics and included terms to comb through the keyword results with even more precision.

![Filters to get better keyword research results](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/xcijPOguLzqz_iMWiqIgd18eihLxuNgl8Ia8PPfzG1aiGD8B0o1j5y_cbr2Aep-Yk9LMucWUVbyS56_F3Voda_aaAeA_9MGc96uPbbSwrbD4vQ5WjyX3KAEFQ_Pgp5ibBNVgPoLNKQxxZk0W4Q)

Image Source: semrush.com

**Other Semrush keyword research features:**

- ****Keyword gap.** Find keywords that your top competitors rank for.
- ****Search intent analysis.** Understand what drives your target audience to use specific search keywords.
- ****Position tracking.** Proactively monitor your search engine rankings for specific keywords.
- ****Keyword Manager.** Get real-time keyword data for your saved keywords and effortlessly export them into downloadable reports or other Semrush tools.
- ****Easy competitor research.** Enter a competitor’s domain in the “Keyword Overview” tool to reveal their target keywords.
- ****Mobile keywords.** Research mobile keywords and track your rankings in mobile search.

## Which is best for domain and backlink analysis

To get higher rankings, you need to learn how to inspect websites for SEO issues. If you run a [digital marketing consulting](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/digital-marketing-consulting/) agency, this will help you create an effective SEO roadmap for your clients.

Ubersuggest, Ahrefs, and Semrush are all equipped with tools for domain analysis.

### Ubersuggest domain & backlink analysis

Ubersuggest’s domain analysis relies on the “Site Audit” feature.

Click **‘Site Audit’** from the main menu and use the search bar as usual.

![Empty box to enter your domain for auditing](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/6BgKLjg5gpeQFBtaAS_w_Tog9sIS3UtJ53g74hNUhdbNvFasGI_30-ua25ENDJgWWkCGnt5cGAhU6diF2LLMLJP9wa0kOVeZFO9wGFm8xYV0MDic6LFWebrZyGmj87jjf-CGBiYYhm1NJ6W0iA)

Image Source: ubersuggest.com

Once the audit completes, Ubersuggest highlights potential SEO issues related to crawlability, content optimisation, site speed, and more.

![Results of the site audit](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/lz4nEJSJrI-XT6YISzvprMb0zqpf1RPf_6V5WPFDI2331pwajhi-81SlM21Q_kmxEeVTzXTpriTcQWBQVrSk6kOAs1WeulIBc4hOyghJ5vGrNE3F9vWYmapEqjJrpC5UckfMbf3dnweQfzGQeQ)

Image Source: ubersuggest.com

Ubersuggest’s domain analysis may not be as in-depth as other tools. However, it has a few interesting tricks up its sleeve.

Click **‘Backlinks Overview’** from the main menu to get an overview of a website’s backlink profile. This reveals crucial information such as the domain’s backlink growth over time, backlink target pages, and anchor texts.

**Other Ubersuggest domain analysis features:**

- ****Find backlink opportunities.** Easily find potential backlink sources by comparing your competitors’ referring domains with yours.
- ****Scoop up top-performing posts.** Use the ‘Top Pages by Traffic’ to figure out which pieces of content work best for you and your competitors.

### Ahrefs domain & backlink analysis

One way to analyse domains with Ahrefs is to use the Site Explorer tool. This reveals essential information, including Domain Rating (DR), backlink count, and the number of referring domains.

![A screenshot that shows the site's Ahrefs rank, UR, DR, number of backlinks, etc.](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/VVd0G7LXBw7tg8nuYpycrHKXA1_SQHMVxxgQWnUdkUHd14sPGrXd7tRNSzw31awljqT634qF6AYeRXzARW_rLHY2w3t7kZnIr_MnHz7knPnzI3Pj6kGYD1Pag-OnqFGCWWMWO5f9qQp5ln25Rw)

Image Source: ahrefs.com

Below these metrics, you’ll find interactive data charts, which are the highlight of the Ahrefs domain analysis experience.

These data charts make it easy to analyse the SEO performance of your target website over the years. You can also quickly export the data as a CSV file with one click.

![A graph that shows the refrring domains, avg. organic traffic etc.](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/6MK9lPP2O5y3MsTZb6OC0nE5P6zxBVxw6xqdICTnqkoEczQ0iSUM8Wq4yMcPdgcuumO-1Ajs4UgNN9AK_bOoQSHGShtjdejEtHc_c0Tr8F8M5-nCqwOi8PzfL0tTSUw-aAHKcOZ24jTplwNmFA)

Image Source: ahrefs.com

For advanced SEO data, Ahrefs’s Site Audit tool gives you a comprehensive view of your website’s SEO health.

The Site Audit report highlights issues like broken links, slow pages, excessively long title tags, and image redirects. It also recommends internal link opportunities between pages that tackle similar or related topics.

**Other Ahrefs domain analysis features:**

- ****Top pages.** Identify the website’s top pages in terms of backlinks, traffic, and social media reach.
- ****Competitor analysis.** Ahrefs identifies competing domains, analyses your competitor’s backlink profile, unveils their organic keywords, highlights their top-performing pages, and more.
- ****Link intersect.** Spruce up your backlink strategy by identifying domains that link to your competitors but not to you.

### Semrush domain & backlink analysis

Semrush has loads of features under its belt for domain analysis.

The “Domain Overview” tool, for instance, provides a wealth of actionable insights for SEO and PPC in seconds. Simply click **‘Domain Overview’** under “Competitive Research,” enter the domain you want to analyse, and click **‘Search.’**

![Empty space box to enter your domain for domain analysis](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/cr83gpqFO_Xm7IRaotOIEA001HB7MDRkwNoLFC0aka758pWKKXgh82XI82FXcs1q2H3-JSz7Nb1Bd7WsG3K29_-jN8P63mxUVFKVN43moez6MdTQO4dMw9mKdQ8TOQDZ0P2kpHYZ3oy718DSdQ)

Image Source: semrush.com

Semrush instantly reveals valuable SEO metrics about your target domain, like its own Authority Score (AS), search traffic, and backlink count.

![Results of Semrush's domain analysis](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/b5Q8anCfpCTGXQBd5dLY1fMQi6ZP23tAVPDAZUDHTnEgupWBLYVkVDPIWZg19Ky-mmNQt91ynlHLPLAQym7ZwYbH7ndgmolmM43317BNM6UYwubyCCkUjGOnBZ7Zz4xAR4VyhGrJDnY4n19pKg)

Image Source: semrush.com

Scroll down to find lots of information on the domain’s SEO and PPC performance. This includes its top organic keywords, search intent distribution, main organic competitors, and traffic distribution by country.

![PIeces of information about a site that's pertinent for SEO and PPC](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/j4RTO3GZE6f-Stg8bNNLBWgGk6_z4C7Ysn3lXraN7O60vhqmbchsFyAMoXrBzyhcHnqNvj0aIDMauyOQ37oG-DBhIhWCRJ8dv44ZTz7eNAe0XBIlhnDoHW3s7ZteyDBHA00D25bXthdTwkPvsA)

Image Source: semrush.com

Semrush comes complete with a site auditing tool for on-page SEO. This lets you do a deep dive into the on-page ranking factors on your website and how to improve them.

**Other Semrush domain analysis features:**

- ****On-page SEO checker.** Get actionable on-page optimisation ideas based on data acquired from competitors.
- ****Backlink gap.** Find prospective link sources by analysing shared link sources between competitors that you’re missing.
- ****Backlink audit.** Evaluate your website’s backlink profile and clean up links from spammy sources.
- ****Semrush CRM.** If you fancy yourself as the [best B2B SEO agency](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-choose-the-best-b2b-seo-agency-a-comprehensive-guide/), the Semrush CRM lets you create a custom client portal to provide clients with self-service tracking options.

## What about their pricing?

Before I wrap things up, here’s a quick comparison of each tool’s pricing plans.

### Ubersuggest pricing

Ubersuggest’s entry-level plan starts at **$12 per month** or **$120** for lifetime access. For agencies that manage over eight websites, the “Enterprise” plan costs **$40 per month** or **$400** for lifetime access.

### Ahrefs pricing

Ahrefs’s “Lite” plan starts at **$99 per month**, which includes all of the platform’s basic features. Their pricing goes up to **$999 per month** for advanced features like SSO, audit logs, and access management for agencies.

### Semrush pricing

Semrush charges **$119.95 per month** for the “Pro” plan, offering all the features small marketing teams and individuals need. For businesses that take on up to 40 projects at a time, the monthly cost is **$449.95 per month**.

## Ubersuggest vs Ahrefs vs Semrush: Who’s the Winner

Your competition is fierce, and you can’t outrank anyone if you cut corners or settle for platforms that do less.

If you need long-term SEO results, use Semrush.

The unique, robust, and comprehensive features Semrush brings more than justify the slight price difference between Ahrefs. Not to mention that Semrush comes with a more streamlined interface and better onboarding experience.

To top it all off, you can use some of Semrush’s core features for free. [Click here](https://semrush.sjv.io/Aokxv7?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) and sign up for a free account today.
### How Content Marketing Drives Sales
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-content-marketing-drives-sales/
Last updated: 2022-10-17T15:39:57.000Z
Can content marketing drive sales?

How exactly?

And what strategies can you use to ensure your content generates sales?

These are some of the many questions I'll cover in this guide.

If you want to generate sales through inbound, organic traffic, then you need content marketing.

## How content marketing drives sales

Below are some ways content marketing can help you generate more sales:

### 1\. Content marketing generates organic traffic

Let's start with the obvious.

Having a content marketing strategy with SEO in mind allows you to attract traffic for free.

SEO or Search Engine Optimisation is an inbound marketing strategy every brand needs in its marketing stack.

Picture getting to Google’s first page and being visible to millions of search engine users.

If you rank well for the right search queries, you can bring visitors and potential customers to your virtual doorstep.

Granted, ranking takes time and money. But it's worth the effort.

Where does content marketing tie in with all of this?

Everyone in the digital marketing world knows that strategic content creation is important for ranking well in search engine results.

Great content is more likely to attract backlinks from authoritative sources, improving your chances of getting into the top 10 results.

Statistics show that the top three results [get the most search engine traffic](https://www.smartinsights.com/search-engine-optimisation-seo/seo-analytics/comparison-of-google-clickthrough-rates-by-position/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), with #1 getting 39.6%, #2 getting 18.4% and #3 getting 10.1%.

Without a carefully crafted content marketing strategy, you'll struggle to rank your pages.

### 2\. Content marketing addresses the pain points and challenges of your target audience

To turn website visitors into paying customers, you need to offer content that addresses their pain points.

This is an essential aspect of a well-rounded [content research](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-research-the-ultimate-guide/) strategy, which plays a crucial role in content marketing.

In a content marketing strategy, you provide content tailored to the audience’s goals, needs, preferences, and challenges.

These factors depend on where they are in the sales funnel, which in its most basic form has five stages

👉

BONUS TIP: [Click here to read more about my concept for a new sales and conversion funnel model](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/the-cro-journey-towards-a-new-conversion-optimisation-model/). 

**1\. Awareness:** Users are introduced to the brand via catch-all content campaigns.

**2\. Interest:** Interested users get to know more about the brand through targeted content.

**3\. Evaluation:** Prospective buyers are on the fence on whether or not to purchase from a brand.

**4\. Engagement:** Warm leads start interacting with the brand through a contact form, live chat, or newsletter subscription.

**5\. Purchase:** The lead is now your customer.

![An illiustration from Zendesk showing the five stages of a sales funnel](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/vr8fzoI2vYF8dt0kF8QCOm7QFy7soVePngA8DyUlFmWxrrXuKHKvkxj6SDwBbdfWqJd4nKqtc-SlLNeQx7vng6Z7kgeAE0WiWaPtrYYk2ycU7YcLeltl8aC9nFA31BVPTt9uutsGVFLh3gWTuA)

Image Source: zendesk.com

Let’s say a potential customer is in the evaluation stage of the sales funnel.

Their challenges are the lack of knowledge about your products and unclear benefits of choosing your brand over a competitor.

If you created your content marketing strategy right, you’d invest in product reviews, comparison posts, and tutorials.

These content types will eliminate the roadblocks that keep your site visitors from buying.

### 3\. Content Marketing helps to reel in customers from social media platforms

Content marketing isn’t just limited to blog posts and organic traffic.

It also includes other content distribution channels, such as review websites, online communities, and social media platforms.

Social media sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok and Instagram are among the most popular channels for spreading content.

They also contain handy content promotion tools and features that maximise brand awareness.

For one, Twitter and Facebook are perfect for sharing blog post updates. On the other hand, Instagram features Stories with visual content and interactive stickers for user engagement. TikTok has high-engagement video content at its core.

Let’s say your inbound marketing strategy includes posting podcasts to draw in leads and boost sales.

You can upload a Story containing a “behind-the-scenes” clip from your latest episode and insert a link sticker that takes users back to your website.

![A screenshot of a computer screen](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/pFuz_isB_jwB3VnXzlkrJO9hhbPSUIa_z6NG9TTikt50KldHsUjI6370OtTXqlaAdFy8iIn0FmL03GpC8-YOnO_Lbe6xqLkuc79DJ_8KJrlOZOMFm67hppM3pd_5zQDwmLizekcEHq8kNOOj3A)

Don’t forget that it’s also possible to monetise your social media content directly.

Facebook, for example, lets you add “Shop Now” CTA buttons to your official page. Instagram also enables you to create shoppable posts that guide users from brand discovery to checkout.

To learn more about social media for content marketing, check out my post about the [five steps to social media success](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/5-steps-to-social-media-success/).

### 4\. Content marketing creates sales-optimised landing pages

Speaking of checkout, most—if not all—buyer journeys include interaction with at least one landing page.

If you’re serious about content marketing, your landing page will contain more than just a product description and an order form.

It would include a compelling headline, positive social proof, eye-popping visuals, links to relevant resources, and a decent helping of supporting copy. These are the components of a convincing, “complete” experience that leads to conversions.

Furthermore, everything will be optimised from top to bottom based on analytics data from [content tracking](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-tracking-ultimate-guide-with-tips-and-tricks/).

That’s how a successful content marketing strategy works. It doesn’t have to be perfect from the start, but it should constantly evolve based on results.

### 5\. Content marketing is great for building your authority

Before closing a single sale, you need to establish a certain level of trust between you and your prospective customers.

Content marketing can do that for you.

By consistently producing top-quality and high-value content, you create awareness and bolster your credibility and brand authority.

All that can boost buyer confidence and encourage customers to buy from you.

### 6\. Content marketing generates demand for your products and services

Most visitors don’t come to a business’s website with the intent to purchase right off the bat.

Often, people visit a site with the intent to search for valuable information that will help solve their problems.

With a user-oriented content strategy, you give them the information they're looking for while also positioning your product or service as a “must-have.”

You don’t need a sophisticated content marketing plan for this.

For example, [MalCare](https://malcare.com/?src=664A89&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) regularly publishes guides that provide tips on improving the security of WordPress websites.

At the same time, they include mini sections that present their product as a shortcut to success.

![A TL;DR: section of a post from MalCare](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/w-ZqcB20X5M-xVzoM7YCz5X8d2rKPZe9IwmOtENxhwx-aXCT0HCJ-cUi5WAwyz9Y57AnsTszbf2I4aSuOb33QaXFGPuhnCzwMZslZeSAtEuAHuD2m6jrZCDa9elPiVyWRe_A6NWdmyyM7UAcqw)

Image Source: malcare.com

### 7\. Content marketing can help you to stop relying on paid channels

Paid advertising is a reliable way to generate sales, improve brand awareness, and grow your following.

However, relying ***solely*** on advertising revenue to keep your business afloat is risky for two reasons.

One, ad fatigue kills the possibility of scaling your advertising efforts past a certain point. And two, you need to constantly launch creative ad campaigns one after the other or else your revenue stops.

[Content marketing](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/tag/content-marketing/) fixes both problems by providing your online business with a steady flow of organic traffic.

After a [successful content marketing campaign](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-development-the-ultimate-guide/), you don’t need to dwell on the drawing board—nose-deep in research for your next move. Once you start ranking for the right keywords, you'll get relevant, organic traffic.

## How to create content that drives sales

With the right approach to [content research](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-research-the-ultimate-guide/), [content development](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-development-the-ultimate-guide/), and [analytics](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/tag/analytics/), anyone can leverage content marketing to achieve their revenue goals.

Below are five tips that will help you create sales-generating content.

### Tip 1\. Target keywords with purchase intent

Remember to target keywords with strong purchase intent.

These are keywords that people use when they’re ready to buy. You can find these keywords with a keyword research tool such as [Semrush](https://semrush.sjv.io/Aokxv7?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

With SEMRush's Keyword Magic Tool, you can discover tons of keywords with purchase intent in minutes.

Start your search with any relevant keyword, select **‘Transactional’** under the “Intent” filter, and wait for the suggestions to pile in.

![Keyword Magic Tool's results](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/xpEn5rR8X2TLyyzribH6FS_bOIqXdrllprntYFnH4GeEc4yqau039dnxYIA7j2uUQq6Oys4S6k3tplQhkwF10UhoUhlY3jw-OhvCDxS1XzDu2nEDjoxAerlMvu519hB6lcOdpSUbzTGgOwrSUg)

Image Source: semrush.com

On Keyword Magic Tool, simply click the **‘Include keywords’** filter, select **‘Any keywords,’** and type in transactional terms like:

- Buy
- Price
- Best
- Order

![Keyword filters applied on the Keyword Magic Tool search results](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/bqhV8ZoGfFgXma1u17LQqBvxny4FuOKGVfHCiy2F1p0kZ0REs8hVsHp7VS946Gc0UCbJ9eunYSBA1xlNYf3CraKUl6u75KqS6jnSWT6OWWWQC3Vb_ZfWHIQ4agdGceHAHlHDm4X1MyZFC9-VOA)

Image Source: semrush.com

The resulting keyword suggestions may get fewer monthly searches per month. But, you’re bound to attract users who are inches away from clicking that ‘buy’ button.

![A search result in Keyword Magic Tool](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/B7rMgBNfmGGz9yAtfVYzwFjhxaZJdUJTreTKcMFDyNeJpUR02XIpbc0uZomdwfO6OrRpK-iVBFdEpBSAMMM5MikWoprO9cmss0GUcUrwVWW4fqx6fsUVCoCJVPAS7X1U2_lBxQlZDiqsZGLyIw)

Image Source: semrush.com

### Tip 2\. Offer lead magnets

Your site visitors are no longer willing to wait hours or even minutes to receive the value or support they’re promised.

This happens not just in the customer service space but also in content experiences and online purchases.

That’s why lead magnets like ebooks, templates, and industry reports are so important for content marketing. They provide comprehensive answers to the questions your potential customers are asking.

In return, brands can convince users to share their email or other information that qualifies them as marketing leads.

Check out what brands like Semrush do to present their lead magnets and generate truckloads of marketing-qualified leads:

![An free report offered by SEMRush](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/X08wvt7Hg86fcQnvEr-NbqLG31ESYId454dNeyg2imRJflyJdodwI3eCkgejQGX4iB8gzsPZQ8thOb2PZYCqM1Ix5Eg9eo4qVuiSzSkTr8WYMIEvSEyjosVxJbCWlx7MBLyipve1KeKk3zPumw)

Image Source: semrush.com

### Tip 3\. Leverage user-generated content

User-generated content or UGC refers to content created and submitted by sources other than the brand itself. In other words, the user.

A product review from a social media influencer is an example of UGC—so is a testimonial from an actual paying customer.

Online brands use UGC to make their offers more believable and convincing in the eyes of prospective customers.

You often find them sprinkled all over landing pages amongst supporting copy. They come in the form of screenshots, tweetable quotes, plain text, image quotes, or video testimonials.

![A screenshot of a testimonial given to Marketing Labs](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/m-N_rnIKyU6rrg6wOTKc4gd-qavSSV5txmnq9zvRnzm4aw2JMTVfQ6zPll4R45VNEiPWXVQmc4avAMQHPgy0nszB8Ua72py06-U9BPjokOjuH0QaWebIfZIrzPPdNkbdp4J15pzWH2dJXuvvPA)

Image Source: MarketingLabs.co.uk

UGC is also a high-performing content format for social media marketing—not just because it's effective in persuading prospective leads but also because they’re easy to come by.

A good strategy is to launch a hashtag contest that requires participants to upload something.

![A social media post with content mechanics](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/Q0XOiE2IeXLP4Rqlr36XdxcBoQlswQUnRb7Z83vrJCmPPyGHW7TokgQyo89QN3XvjqdkSXNrfQbvPs7Y-Iqi7RE4c48h-NX3tBjFK1lDo-6EyGhQnfTM0ynhZSb7HpGlfa23PRah3tjqHtCh2w)

Image Source: Instagram.com, @fitnessconceptmalaysia

### Tip 4\. Put a premium on Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO)

Conversion Rate Optimisation, or CRO, involves tracking content’s conversion performance and launching experiments to improve it. This goes beyond content tracking with a focus on top-level metrics.

Sure, tracking metrics like conversion and bounce rates sounds good on paper. However, it can’t tell you **exactly** [why your content isn’t converting](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/why-your-content-isnt-converting-and-how-to-fix-it-without-spending-thousands-on-ads/)—nor will it show you how to make things more conversion-friendly.

Instead, [you need CRO strategies](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/why-your-content-isnt-converting-and-how-to-fix-it-without-spending-thousands-on-ads/) like split or “A/B” testing. This works by comparing two different versions of the same page and keeping the one that performs better.

If you have the budget, you can also invest in heatmap tools like [Hotjar](https://www.hotjar.com/?utm%5Fsource=Marketing+Labs&utm%5Fmedium=partner&utm%5Fcampaign=agency-partner) to determine which elements of your content get clicks and which get ignored. 

As a result, you can visually track the user experience on a page level and make adjustments to maximise the visibility of conversion elements.

![Hotjar's heatmap feature](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/0KtqTXtC3j6IJe40UPpVu_KSXQ1qR6MrpQJbk1fQtkIwzr0_WKK3Lo-oEc9oIEZysL3rn8tbxvzXjcniDYKK7qJerTU1QG2Hu4M4TQD3mcF_nh5pQ7P7_EOAw4ow5-M6P8CpI4ZM0g-2aKx5kA)

Image Source: Hotjar.com

## FAQs about creating content that generates sales

### Question 1\. Does content directly increase sales?

Yes, content can directly impact your bottom line if you use the right strategies. Additionally, well-optimised content tends to be more profitable than ads, especially in the long run.

### Question 2\. What kind of content helps increase sales?

Social media content that brings attention to your products can be a reliable driver of sales. Landing pages, lead magnets, and user-generated—from product reviews to social media photos—also increases buyer confidence and, by extension, conversions.

### Question 3\. How does content marketing attract potential customers?

Content marketing draws in potential customers in many ways. They can spur lead generation through lead magnets, maximise conversions through data-driven landing pages, and bring users straight to checkout through shoppable social media posts.

## Create sales-generating content now.

Creating content to boost sales isn’t a walk in the park.

Several elements need to come together so your content can turn your site visitors into paying customers.

At the very least, you’re looking at a couple of weeks’ worth of work to do adequate research, build the right content, and optimise conversion performance.

If you need expert help with any of these, don’t hesitate to [reach out](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/contact/) so I can discuss your content marketing needs.
### How to Upgrade to Google Analytics 4
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-upgrade-to-google-analytics-4/
Last updated: 2022-07-27T07:50:50.000Z
Here's a 5-minute guide on how to **upgrade to Google Analytics 4**.

Universal Analytics had a great run as the gold standard of web-based analytics for marketers. Unfortunately, it’s ill-equipped for the challenges of a cookie-less future.

[Google Analytics 4](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/google-analytics-4/) future-proofs the platform with predictive metrics and Machine Learning (ML) to map every twist and turns in the customer journey. It also comes with features for modern user behaviours, like data stream support for mobile apps and cross-domain tracking.

It sounds complicated, and initially, there's a learning curve, but it's not too challenging. 

Here’s how you can upgrade to Google Analytics 4 and start collecting data:

## How to upgrade to Google Analytics 4

The process of upgrading is very straightforward. If you already have a Google Analytics property, follow these steps to start reaping the benefits of Google Analytics 4 (GA4):

### 1\. Fire up the Google Analytics 4 Setup Assistant

Sign in to your Google Analytics account and look for the notification banner at the top of the page. Click **‘Let’s go’** to launch the Google Analytics 4 Setup Assistant.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/d_GZ7YCZX8SrFZo8ZueWJpKkcAP8iwJn65IWnJgmC5o2NrPPI7eeTfd2ARAQNtMwpX9apIxMkAaVXYvM3IWe_G5KCjgupLJe7imhEwX0_2V4I4hpPJopwRoHAQJchaTpYmH_O6wRdLXj5YFMH5Y)

*Image Source: analytics.google.com*

If you can’t find this notification, or if you accidentally clicked **‘Dismiss,’** go to your “Admin” (settings) page and launch the Setup Assistant from there.

Look under the “Property” column and click **‘GA4 Setup Assistant.’**

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/hVZec0P09q6NFaF7k0hayI_9rQfD0PNrR0I0J_7wrcAwRQBUOu31LegYrlD1gS6zGFuXMcKVvJ9e9ATX2_cIoP3fRtX5FFWlGVj273orMikd_U0QTSbE5mEgVagHhR_BYxpbnvKEFvZUe2Wk_-U)

*Image Source: analytics.google.com*

On the Setup Assistant page, click **‘Get Started’** under “I want to create a new Google Analytics 4 property.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/FvxxbDzncKqceX-5R3wjdKhNI2Cnpvct0ULipyYKiN9JmlQpW954M9I3w0iJ7f8Aodt2wpJJp-rZbfBj_VVVCNFIlKj6tefg5fp6xMUMd-5ZTbI6-MgqC6l0EAvTQKCFPbuFM6m2ViyOFwKHTG0)

*Image Source: analytics.google.com*

Upgrading to Google Analytics 4 **will not** dissolve the previous version of your property (Universal Analytics - the property you've been using to analyse your traffic until now). It will continue data collection and will not stop processing data in the background.

### 2\. Finish creating your Google Analytics 4 property

On the “Create a new Google Analytics 4 property” window, click **‘Create property’** to begin the next step.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/K3_dTJSQZdfpnG1_MdxNXJ80o_a8Jwz9UocQqfHg8x3MUl79qnbgBV69KvlxwsyWHYa1WSKcIzAa_ou7oFZDB1IJVA097b6IINQJuC-Gq34oQPfNnPKpu9e3AuhilxDFn6tMGKSniLS4qltfMd0)

*Image Source: analytics.google.com*

If your website uses [global site tags](https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/collection/gtagjs?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) (most likely), which are used for tracking custom events, click **‘Enable data collection using your existing global site tag(s).’** This option creates a connected site tag, which eliminates the need to manually add tags to your web pages for [content tracking](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-tracking-ultimate-guide-with-tips-and-tricks/).

You should see a message confirming the creation of your Google Analytics 4 property.

Important details, like your GA4 property name and property ID, can be found at the bottom of the page.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/rxp2nFUkv4eMnf3-SfD0VBHQVCntmhCzCGG12fpNCZFKfsfvxmgLkgj8xe71-RnBFXm_HZczAsOIIwbrDQmjbkzuFL0TqfW3BOoJ-YnPh8GvVA00W-GQ0WR28xnjrl8RqUVLNNx2Px6yvDj8xHg)

*Image Source: analytics.google.com*

Although your Google Analytics 4 property is ready, you still have basic settings and features to configure.

Click **‘Go to your GA4 property’** to reload the 'Setup Assistant' and view a complete checklist.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Tzdv8O2O9KCHzkgwcqscIwCbH7APsv3439Ohz3Iq0mqXP3nJfKzt5ExoqaVaexb1F1o9aC8aBV-_vr8YWPk8i7SaPpCfM2CgtQFsFEgrc-KDmZ9TH4uUVwjZLQft5YucSPdYsjjhU-l22txhkdI)

*Image Source: analytics.google.com*

### 3\. Manage your data collection streams

The Setup Assistant will guide you through the necessary settings to make the most out of Google Analytics 4.

Your first priority is to configure how Google Analytics 4 collects data for your new property.

Under “Collection,” click the right arrow button next to **‘Tag installation’** or **‘Enhanced measurement’** to go to the “Data Streams” page.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/i4hNgxt6PPZ2gipvrtVnDmTEQK3nz8X-1LLFxgR6dvJL3H73np8aLX2ptNzU7-tTDU4BiweY8cIDhbhBlyIBAii9KWR3d2JamFRcJlMkdDHBn2ksldMn2s1CI_K7nqTVwyVmvG4yYitMeq-O0P8)

*Image Source: analytics.google.com*

Google Analytics 4 can take in data from websites and iOS/Android apps. This provides you with a unified dashboard for everything—from [mobile conversion optimisation](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/mobile-conversion-optimization-best-practices/) to user engagement tracking.

Click **‘Add stream’** to a new data stream to your Google Analytics 4 property.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/7zGn6ARHbRHMMOmcn-EiLbHiJn7iI0SoNQ4FShwfNw387ba0oQUxjOcqEAwoz7kdm4MHfrM1JgF7KifmWWYGv0kZQ6ugE1S7WFLJ5hHCvH6Es3Hhd3kM46yi-4JWdu08iDnTQw9FGBHBDeQ07bI)

*Image Source: analytics.google.com*

Choose between iOS app, Android app, and web property from the drop-down menu. For website tracking, select web property.

Most users don’t need an additional website data stream after setting up their Google Analytics 4 property. But if you really need a new web stream, enter the website’s URL and give your stream a name.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/WxN7uB9QDeVacvWHX7vE8Y4NtGPwB3ef7JJPYUelENDnTPX-6E64OoCIa3RTHJPWI_j5gEnAPIIMV591OgnKcNpTMurqdKgxb1ElQbSQpsc5wwo6wFG0edHm8Bu5mfgkUZ1_rndwZ9fr_kp4sAQ)

*Image Source: analytics.google.com*

To set up a mobile app stream, you need to register your app to Firebase.

Do this within Google Analytics 4 by entering the required details, downloading the configuration file, and following the instructions for adding the Firebase SDK to your app.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_esOHLv7HyWtnsXUiCzimiLYBFWhM9RWJ4B98e-sm8ygDimkqTQNM9N10XO5iJ8ngt8pDO2JNUdgYp9WZj-n0pHTASfxsAW-ix6nyl9GGCcHolLbeNcC0Zv_cESECegjEdE7lAeXiS9y1bZMieQ)

*Image Source: analytics.google.com*

### 4\. Install your tags

To start collecting data, add a new on-page tag using either a global site tag or the Google Tag Manager.

Get started by going to your “Data Streams” page, choosing a data stream, and scrolling to “Tagging instructions.”

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/roJYtfasAeC8NIFUjJgMaFNgDsdDX0qYAaetqa5yvlqMWBBt5jKJYKJhqKT5S066LTg_a0dTtcXJHTVcfN4oOwz6vTcC5yW6WhzKE_Muu5rTz8e8Sm2XZBidPp06sfCDOt1-c9-kjGxGkInTol0)

*Image Source: analytics.google.com*

For existing Google Analytics properties with an active global site tag, you need to connect your measurement ID to your Universal Analytics interface.

Click **‘Use existing on-page tag’** to find the measurement ID you need.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/wdKVl_iXPBjiVCXFG8ET7iOKQCuG1DFVcCXV_hTHLd9pVO59UfStJ53VkBkGTblUM4A965Uxd31wdF-yyTS3jNmghvCk6D1uyD-DogPi1Q5hI6vflW70fkRAvRjZ5tffodCZfWM8Rdo9TaB7ii4)

*Image Source: analytics.google.com*

Switch back to your Universal Analytics property and go to the “Admin” page. Click **‘Tracking Info’** under the property column and look for “Connected Site Tags.”

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/uqh_3_XJW1d311hC5n0tJIdmSqo3syulDs2kPHNMLA4vgKFgL0A5C4Nx_2AD_ha6_Wdlc7tXaOG6rLiFqEiFHlYzuya8DsixSDJC2VrLZeRkIFmg6l8jM8ty-c0qEwybhbmNA-OBe797l3dizEQ)

*Image Source: analytics.google.com*

Paste your measurement ID into the “Enter ID of tag to connect” field and give your tag a nickname. Click **‘Connect’** to finish creating a connected tag between your Universal Analytics and Google Analytics 4 properties.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Zhe_rMpuJB8KSBdvKu5is4F6LvfDJdeeNNKmXMXIsnxbeu4JYPR-02_HqV5bTWV4DErRmJF-A3QshGu3UrZHhXE9XR99nsylA2UBBY8sc-Jl2PvGfLjtvDOUjsWEwO0dPon75pGQeSW1lPQZlrM)

*Image Source: analytics.google.com*

The global site tag is required if you use a website builder or CMS with a specialised hosting service like [20i](https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?s=2734607&v=20974&q=399428&r=919827&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). This includes self-hosted websites with a platform like WordPress.

For website builders like Shopify, Wix, and WooCommerce, [click here](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/10840722?hl=en&utm%5Fid=ad&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk#cms) for additional instructions.

### 5\. Set up enhanced measurement

Enhanced measurement enables Google Analytics 4 to automatically analyse how users interact with your property. This is done by tracking events like page views, scrolls, video engagement, and file downloads.

Go to your “Data Streams” page and click on a data stream to configure enhanced measurement.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/2HzWahUC6UDcbJOfAZE3Xs0ebOdzm-86cObEJZggadiZAJ11KnoO3AZHNqCQHpUTPfr46L5S6wRleBgYzGgwmyYmogwQ9sz1M_NS8QFN6B6exa_HSK_9AuSJcxQ5K5sJ3neS_AM5nTkwVowaAyc)

*Image Source: analytics.google.com*

In the “Enhanced measurement” section, click the **‘Settings’** button for the list of automatically tracked events. Use the toggle switches next to the event you want to enable or disable tracking for.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/J-CVt6QWTioLw8_1JrYZy-Y2bUICPNVFgspxsHEJ8D86X5LzBaXL22AZVN0eAZ1vAJgKEDghvA-FV6YHXe1t5kCf2A7xaStjzH8ig2vf8hYJW9oxjzzvZXFQRz9I-q-h8coyioRQFgCMohIdwWc)

*Image Source: Analytics.Google.com*

👉

Bonus Tip: Use enhanced measurement to monitor your website’s performance and optimise your [content development](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-development-the-ultimate-guide/) strategy.

To analyse which content types work, what page elements get clicks, and how to incorporate your findings into future content plans.

## Google Analytics 4; Upgrade FAQs

### Is it worth upgrading to Google Analytics 4?

Yes, it's better to upgrade to Google Analytics 4 sooner rather than later instead of waiting for Universal Analytics to be discontinued. [Google Analytics 4 unlocks features](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/google-analytics-4-in-depth-guide-tutorials-faqs-tips/) that level up [content research](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-research-the-ultimate-guide/), user engagement tracking, conversion rate optimisation, and more.

### Is Google Analytics 4 free?

Google Analytics 4 is 100% free. It even includes access to features that used to be exclusive for paying Google Analytics 360 customers.

### Why do I need GA4?

Google Analytics 4 enables website analytics in a world without third-party cookies. It also provides deeper insights with the event-driven data model and unlimited unsampled data.

## Upgrade to Google Analytics 4 quickly and easily

Enjoy the benefits of Google Analytics 4 NOW without configuring enhanced measurement and site tagging.

[Contact me here](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/digital-marketing-consulting/). Let my team do the work while you focus on running your business.
### Google Analytics 4 (GA4) In-Depth Guide: Tutorials, FAQs, Tips
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/google-analytics-4-in-depth-guide-tutorials-faqs-tips/
Last updated: 2025-03-03T18:36:04.000Z
Buckle up for **Google Analytics 4**—it's about to change the way analytics is done.

There has recently been a lot of noise about Google sunsetting Universal Analytics and replacing it with GA4\. 

It's important to note that GA4 is wildly different from Universal Analytics. It works in a vastly contrasting way and has a steep learning curve.

However, Google Analytics 4 is packed with features that power up and future-proof the most popular, albeit ageing, analytics platform. But before taking advantage of GA4, you must first learn how to use it.

👉

BONUS TIP: Install GA4 as soon as possible and let it run alongside Universal Analytics. This way, when UA is discontinued you will have some meaningful data already in GA4 to make year-on-year comparisons.

Let's take a deep dive into Google Analytics 4, why you need it, and how it can improve your [content tracking](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-tracking-ultimate-guide-with-tips-and-tricks/) and SEO.

But first, a quick introduction.

## What is Google Analytics 4?

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is a new property type of Google's renowned analytics software.

Set to replace Universal Analytics on July 2023, the new Google Analytics 4 is set to modernise the world of analytics with fresh features.

Unsurprisingly, not all marketers are happy with this change. Most of the chatter has been very negative, and often for good reason, but the more that GA4 is used, the easier it gets.

After all, many consider Universal Analytics as the gold standard for collecting, processing, and tracking analytics data. And after being so close to perfection, the mere thought of change can be intimidating.

That's understandable. Change isn't always good. This move is likely somewhat forced due to legal issues around data collection and the arms race between tech giants. Either way, Google clearly feels that the time is right to change things up and change the way we track website performance. 

But with Google Analytics and the legendary platform's latest property type, there are still many things to look forward to.

## Three benefits of Google Analytics 4

There are quite a few benefits of GA4, but here are three of the most important advantages of Google Analytics 4 over standard Universal Analytics properties (starting with three major ones):

### Benefit 1: Surviving the 'cookiepocalypse'

By 2023, Google Chrome—the most popular web browser on the planet—will completely stop supporting third-party cookies for user data collection.

That means website owners can no longer rely on third-party cookies to obtain valuable information about their online audience.

[Apple devices have cookie limitations](https://www.performancemarketing.com/news-views/cookie-apocalypse-ios-changes-disrupting-advertising?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) for the benefit of privacy, too. 

Google Analytics 4 is designed to provide you with all the insights you need without relying on third-party cookies or identifiers. It does so using machine learning (ML) and conversion modelling, which [Google explained in detail here](https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/marketing-strategies/data-and-measurement/conversion-measurement-in-a-cookieless-world/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

### Benefit 2: Better integrations with Google's advertising platforms

With Google Analytics 4, traffic data from both Google and non-Google paid channels are integrated into in-app reports.

Up until now, you can only track paid Google traffic in Analytics, and not other paid channels.

You can track your most profitable paid channels from the "Advertising snapshot" page.

![Advertising snapshot page](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/FsQUbh2OOuwwXclj8RTywitQrpFWgcdIvju65oDOlRQmVM8McC9_dvyzvdjVoZ0QWWpx2poNOgJ38U5DpyeSsgcn9FrZ8_mPq2_7f5oXmnIWkKMEv-AbNMgqEr9KO6qpilZYqfk8ls1Lw471NQ)

*Image Source: analytics.google.com*

### Benefit 3: Simplified metrics tracking across all marketing channels

Gauge the effectiveness of your marketing efforts without switching between multiple dashboards.

Seamlessly measure everything—from file downloads to ad conversions—with Google Analytics's rigorous event tracking. Just configure the suitable data sources or "data streams" and build the appropriate custom event to track user interactions.

Other than the significant benefits above, Google Analytics 4 also comes with the following advantages:

- Get a deeper look at every touchpoint in the customer journey
- Use predictive metrics to estimate potential earnings from specific audience groups and fine-tune your [content development](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-development-the-ultimate-guide/)
- Save time with pre-built events like scroll behaviour, outbound clicks, and video engagement
- Overall better and more readable data visualisations and reports
- Attach multiple custom parameters to learn more about each user interaction

Excited to work with Google Analytics 4?

Use the guide below to up your analytics game.

## How to upgrade to Google Analytics 4

If you have an existing Google Analytics account, start the upgrade process straight from your dashboard. Otherwise, create a new Google Analytics account [here](https://analytics.google.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

Log in, look for the notification at the top of the screen, and click **'Let's go.'**

![Blue "Let's go" button to transition to GA4](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/OapzlmTIZeAcejplZVLhsilv4Ffvf10Vyzr6bGEfaaAmYW4q3XnXQCrIUox8lg-_KG-Q4hwVkyz3CXtdRb8f7SnUEdoepDm6U8V3EysslPZZ2LSue2FZSiXAm6XdcZuo5C6RVbSzkYOsZf4IPA)

Image Source: analytics.google.com

This fires up the Google Analytics 4 Property Setup Assistant.

Create a new Google Analytics 4 property using data from your existing Universal Analytics property. Click **'Get Started'** to do this.

![Blue "Get Started" button to setup GA4](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/gXfzFKCoGpnkIqphGFAp4VXJyBSr-vcdaiCOVRYSFKzQrEkVL26maf0S126FdmoUSoge_GCoG9q7txt1w7Yjjk2LQO7i708IKHZ7pswSjWX0FNl3xvAmDLwCM-fbUhirsOpLPfN-CFAGiHVMLA)

Image Source: analytics.google.com

A confirmation window will appear, elaborating what the setup assistant does during the transition.

Read the information shown to speed up the onboarding process and choose to enable data collection with your current Universal Analytics tag.

Click **'Create property'** to proceed.

![Blue "Create property" button for creating a new property in GA4](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pgRQFTeW2ZSF0e2zRST0HtcPDycWSVZ0E0kJBgBY9tdy47IYB7RcXUdfx2xgvbC8j-c546X4t-cb3n8qoMsO5jg4pFqKjriKB5toAy5DA4a18xCCadkA_zGCWMtUeeoiHuOMb0OUr74g1Jus7A)

Image Source: analytics.google.com

You've now converted your property to Google Analytics 4.

Check out the important details about your new Google Analytics 4 property under "Connected Property."

This already sounds like a huge win. But there's still a lot of work to be done to make the most out of your new analytics platform.

Click **'See your GA4 property'** to continue.

![Confirmation page that shows you've successfully create a property](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_TtGzZFHiLXc0qmikHfGBDS9wvnI1KENAL4s9a8b8BtQmEZve-7P40elu5wix27fe44VftEBpxCI39dLa680l0sjAvFC-X5K1PdvMINlE9D-xQI8qZZiR1C3QCWmKhOPAtshN3TsnNOlxFI7zQ)

Image Source: analytics.google.com

This takes you back to the setup assistant. Only this time, it shows settings and features that will get your Google Analytics 4 journey off to a running start.

I suggest going through the list from top to bottom to configure the features you used with Universal Analytics.

![Configuration features of Google Analytics 4](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/uFzbdeqPCCdGpqFL3GZ9-Hc8KkdpOaHvpf1r5m9XLo0l1hSDjcgLoWIO8YGrtF66LvThR5CLC-yeaysF_8vy14n6-B2ID2fCo-IGGhP9IvAVdEmQ68XfOadNWq_6RBoIc3q_vhHl0HJWsh-oCQ)

Image Source: analytics.google.com

## Universal Analytics vs Google Analytics 4

Google Analytics 4 brought a ton of changes to Universal Analytics.

The most significant change is the introduction of an all-new data collection and measurement system.

Previously, Universal Analytics captured data from "hits," which can be page hits, social interaction hits, eCommerce hits, and custom event hits. These are identified not just by their hit type but also by their category, action, and label.

With Google Analytics 4, everything counts as an event.

The only way to define them is through parameters, which are significantly customisable.

![Hit types explanation page](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/kMo5i6cKIQyTypjl-szdaSyurtkSX0DaDqCLneyRW0cvlxI8tsuVSFluMD3VYd03N1jGoS1w3yuSAjArbs13SgFIL4E5uD3akCApXhcbgz8OSgkTe_kUPPuD6acCpIC_WaH_2698Kn3-4rWBYw)

Image Source: support.google.com

Universal Analytics and Google Analytics 4 also use entirely different approaches to measuring user sessions.

In Universal Analytics, sessions count all page views, transactions, and social interactions—ending only after 30 minutes of inactivity or once a "reset event" has been triggered.

Google Analytics 4, on the other hand, start tracking sessions using the "session\_start" event. The total duration is calculated by looking at the session's first and last event fired.

Another core feature introduced in Google Analytics 4 is "Explorations."

This lets you obtain in-depth insights about your customers and users via advanced data visualisation and analysis.

Explorations may seem overwhelming, but you'll quickly get the hang of them—thanks to the ready-to-use technique templates.

![Page that shows the Template gallary](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Wn6Mtule-3Meq4iDGyp8NkNuP6uKTHf8J1Sy5RMY_A48PN0R0I-ArnLlfgzyutPExLqUFj0QT-wt0SlEYrnkSnITXlDSS2RH7HJYruanm_dpLCya2J1wfmSxzoxnsRzM_A2t7-i9yQ3z9GZx3w)

Image Source: analytics.google.com

Unfortunately, covering all of the changes from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4 warrants its own full-length blog post.

Read [this post](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9964640?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) from Google's support site for the complete list of changes.

## Google Analytics 4 tutorial

If this is your first time using Google Analytics, [head to the Analytics website](http://analytics.google.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) and log in with your Google account.

**Tip:** Before you begin, connect your website to Google Tag Manager. If you don't know how check out [this post](https://support.google.com/tagmanager/answer/6103696?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) for the complete video tutorial and instructions.

On the welcome page, click **'Start measuring'** to continue.

![Google Analytics welcome page](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/ym7iEkbXGlBSqeuJblpJ-oPOPhxqG4yTNxrUEiop5IO2wjJvwjum75g6ZThkLPf-OqohZ7m4MobJSbTiCQiydo73jMexdy8j0yA__YJeQ4LzQbPNdCFo51Dlnr1MGfPqHtoWZ8p6D3Ly6LDoog)

Image Source: analytics.google.com

Give your account a name and configure your data sharing settings. You can leave the latter as is or disable options you're uncomfortable with, like contributing anonymous data for platform-wide benchmarking.

![Page where you can enter account name options for data sharing](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/nDuOUUH5nmyBQBtwbRIw9VxUu8aAYUvQSNIWyculHhf_4vq5HGIbL6WZvByMXGBlSOZYyf5ldIgtaLWbJ2iNH2bgSMyUDt6pWnx3AiwmfSVZetonprgM840v6NY-S9tS4M-VFOHNFTj667CQvA)

Image Source: analytics.google.com

Give your property (website or app) a name in the property setup section.

This name will only be used internally, so feel free to use anything to make you remember what the account is for.

Set your reporting time zone and currency at the bottom of the page. Remember that you can edit these settings later, so you don't have to worry about them now.

![Page where you can enter property details](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/8Gz3Mfhfi2MfhoXOuDerEDF4iztnYgZGMwTNOU5torK4juUVreT9c5W4BaQXM0-ck1ocasAItZusljfsIqLZtsvx8ADBP94PFjL9rEFk_cTa4ZDZumlWwcTWnkbJh9S9B_5qjUMS-7WrZdvcZA)

Image Source: analytics.google.com

Finally, enter some information about your business.

Specify your industry, number of employees, and your Google Analytics 4 objectives.

![Page where you can enter business information](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/LWT4EH1Uk7KlpQn4LgDw9x64M4z_mr-jSm8sEKUewPF5IxzFQ-RtY_4lR1T3_ZSCAgbCPx1sXVlt9fFPLw458bmwQQ5yYRVhNerV4paV0H_Fyuca175MQ5Eghf6ZBlh1_o4NZsSjTOMgu_hZuA)

Image Source: analytics.google.com

To complete this step, read and accept the Google Analytics Terms of Service. You can also manage your email notification preferences.

The next step is to set up your data streams, which are essentially the sources that will feed data to your Google Analytics 4 dashboard.

To proceed, pick a data stream type between "iOS app," "Android app," and "Web."

![Page to set up data streams to start collecting data](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/fTe5BDG9MF-Xduo800H5ryXNvBt7ybQ9QHFlu6LAGa7HRbx6OLoezGyBtmb6hYeZw3Ys-5Km9QIspYCaYJi8av7e-u3_oyfFOyp_xWnzBGO3R4NGoD4zl_gJO0lneSvxxSRQfqjVhcmxrNVA6Q)

Image Source: analytics.google.com

To do [mobile conversion optimisation](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/mobile-conversion-optimization-best-practices/), select either "Android app" or "iOS app," depending on your current marketing objectives. For everything else, like a blog or eCommerce store, choose "Web."

Upon choosing, Google Analytics 4 will prompt you to fill out your website's details.

This includes your website URL and a stream name.

![Empty box where you can eter your website URL](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/1KQmYeDae9BKdZhAYBrAARP-OrIlEo9F1rEkaGLUUvp60uVNQKmAHcb7cKRyJ-UczVRDR-CMwwr0ZgHf3iGw8Q5EoS1LlRZYvmNKGt6fFYdYqoZmhKdQ1ED3KA9VR251MKxAjf7UBIvGSzAlhA)

Image Source: analytics.google.com

Google Analytics 4 uses "Enhanced measurement," which allows you to track specific content and interactions on your website. This includes site searches, scrolls, and file downloads.

![GA4's "Enhanced Measurement" section](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/CBbuL40UI7rFhNkReMCWISmPLiazseUD0dhvRr3_w_HpTvfTgGYC4u5UnAcn0Lru1TAAv8Fo0CtVQtu8Li_BcCQgJ3KO2Gm4T1JqC9cvc0BqCDqT0Z_YNSdH-eN_QOfxnK4QxCm-6sFrxnZIgw)

Image Source: analytics.google.com

After setting up your stream, look for your "Measurement ID." You can find this in your web stream details, which conveniently appear after finishing the previous step.

![The section where you can find your measurement ID](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/TKqt4yC2jYROIB915U9irMi9nH-XqQSpgJElycBxlr6VExJpdeJCVtoBjlQlhsrITaeil45WQvvYLicN0HnKrWPlhJMpLocBZrDyM2OApmALLXs_kROR68qnSFsgv4b-UErSTgFjtplOL9ME9Q)

Image Source: analytics.google.com

With your measurement ID copied, head to [Google Tag Manager](https://tagmanager.google.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) and create a new tag. You can do this by going to the "Tag" page and clicking **'New.'**

![Screenshot of Google Tag Manager](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/B3tloNVY8Rs5AGTUEGp5H5Y4fHF0GGz-ZwhiKDTqk9RbfPJUH9dFnCEenEGaEbrC4nQvjhg_CLKFJb7P2wM2vwKvvzyMguVVskyk7tEx-rv-eonyOqOty4XzVFVgLzyLQZhwv4H_BmcbqT7_Cg)

Image Source: tagmanager.google.com

Click **'Tag configuration'** and select **'Google Analytics: GA4 Configuration'** from the list. This pulls up the tag configuration page, where all you have to do is paste your measurement ID.

![Empty box where you enter your measurement ID](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/wpg0QULHzur7EW12P6V3xGOwhhK0rbXE9mB7gZos9tzyrmxlxXOclo7P1TcFYtiXor-nd0iBz2hEjI19IhI85oEQUKm6oBcQif4cZwMENdf2yEKEZwAlnC0gWrTR8crH--MDkvpK722D8Kjjow)

Image Source: tagmanager.google.com

To allow Google Analytics 4 to obtain data from your entire website, click **'Triggering'** below the tag configuration section.

From there, choose **'All Pages**.'

![The page where you can choose a trigger](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Doj8NQH3QtsWqM-BjpSMDRhhj6f9wH6ie7oyBycEau5qi8sYOgksYuuqTZNdkcYhzTZMtVYfIzh7aLua5Dohs3HuIRyIWFRNZX19aWFCFs4NeN4Xx0dnttSvz92FVvxqeTX-OSTJQF4t0RH3lQ)

Image Source: tagmanager.google.com

Give your tag a name, click **'Save,'** and you're golden.

You should now see your tag listed in Google Tag Manager. For good measure, select the checkbox next to your Google Analytics 4 tag and click **'Preview.'**

This launches the Google Tag Assistant, which checks if data can be successfully collected.

![A screenshot where the GA4 Tag Sample is selected](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/n8Ju8AqjxBVEPCeM4jfd-mKaWF-stcNC39hCC7hmqcpSyneDdz0gRzV7UQd7jWy6xXtqlWcse6Awe406FLt7KN7qhVMydFn0pjVTOGfWp9mYQbetsU3BmZ2cwncuI_UFuSNpwOvNKGCTZzLPjQ)

Image Source: tagmanager.google.com

To finalise your changes, click **'Submit,'** provide the remaining requested information, and click **'Publish.'**

You should now be able to reap the full benefits of Google Analytics 4—pat yourself on the back!

### Using Google Analytics 4

Google Analytics 4 features a revamped interface that may confuse even previous users of Universal Analytics. But it's still mind-numbingly easy to perform basic tasks for [content research](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-research-the-ultimate-guide/), conversion rate optimisation, and audience research.

Universal Analytics users should feel right at home on the "Reports" page.

Here, you'll find the features you loved in the previous Google Analytics versions, including:

- Real-time reports
- Traffic acquisition reports
- Conversion tracking
- Demographics overview
- Event tracking

![GA4's reports page](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/iqkMulxlQhCHXNYfP3sxwWnmldBA1lb4FuMujn3454qAmgF3kIFX8OK3ZxcxPaHK7F0oavCUDJBAt6XPOXgFtDj_lmxtz1ha3Y10uoe0Qfelj3RHFww2mEKqNpt45F8RScDjsdXQl0pEz0QMEA)

Image Source: analytics.google.com

There's still a lot to unpack about Google Analytics 4.

This takes us to the next section of this guide.

## Google Analytics 4 training: What you need to know

Google Analytics 4's robust lineup of features may take days of nose-deep research and self-paced learning.

Fortunately, Google Analytics 4 has plenty of learning resources and training options available via the web. Other than paid online courses, there are also free, self-service training options—some are third-party and some are offered through official Google portals:

- [Skillshare](https://skl.sh/2OdFJX9?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)
- [Skillshop](https://skillshop.exceedlms.com/student/catalog/list?category%5Fids=6431-google-analytics-4&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)
- [Google Marketing Platform Academy](https://marketingplatformacademy.withgoogle.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)
- [Enterprise Marketing Portal](https://enterprisemarketingportal.google/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)
- [Google Analytics YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/googleanalytics?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)
- [Google Developers Blog](https://developers.google.com/analytics?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

## Google Analytics 4 FAQs

### Is Google Analytics 4 free?

Yes, Google Analytics 4 is free. Google Analytics 4 doesn't charge anything even if you connect multiple analytics accounts to your dashboard.

### What is Google Analytics v4?

Google Analytics 4 or GA4—for short—is an online analytics platform succeeding Universal Analytics. It is set to replace the outdated property type sometime in July 2023 completely.

### Is there a Google Analytics 4 certification?

Obtain Google Analytics 4 certifications from paid online learning platforms. These are optional, but they can help you land clients as a freelancer or agency—or secure full-time positions requiring related services.

### Is Google Analytics 4 better?

Google Analytics 4 effectively and accurately compiles information from multiple data streams across multiple channels. It consolidates data about your mobile app and website, unlike Universal Analytics which tracked mobile-specific properties separately.

### Should I implement Google Analytics 4?

Yes, you need to migrate to Google Analytics 4 before Chrome stops supporting third-party cookies. This also lets you enjoy new features like event-based tracking and ad campaign integration.

### When did Google Analytics 4 come out?

Google Analytics 4 was officially released in October 2020\. But it won't be a mandatory upgrade until July 1, 2023, when Google drops support for Universal Analytics.

## Need help with Google Analytics 4?

You don't need to sink countless hours learning and configuring Google Analytics 4.

Enjoy the numerous benefits of Google Analytics 4 without spending a second on training.

To learn how we can get this done, [click here](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/digital-marketing-consulting/) and schedule your free consultation today.
### Complete Guide to Local Lead Generation (with Examples and Tips)
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/local-lead-generation/
Last updated: 2022-07-01T14:03:45.000Z
Is your business struggling with **local lead generation**?

The internet is riddled with how-to guides on how to do lead generation effectively. However, the vast majority of these resources are written for big brands that target the global audience.

It’s true that all types of lead generation have the same goal: to get people interested in your brand.

But there’s a glaring difference between running lead generation campaigns primed for big brands on the global stage and campaigns that are meant for a local setting—particularly when it comes to the target audience and methods involved.

## What is local lead generation?

Local lead generation refers to strategies that raise consumer interest, particularly aimed at a local market.

It’s **mostly** for local businesses with physical establishments that only cater to customers within a specific region. However, big businesses that want to penetrate and disrupt new markets also count on local lead generation to accomplish their goals.

In [digital marketing](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/an-introduction-to-digital-marketing-for-small-businesses/), a lead is defined as someone who has shown interest in a brand through a variety of actions.

A typical example is a user who subscribed to a company’s newsletter.

It’s a clear indication that they’re interested in receiving more content and offers from a particular brand—with the possibility of making a purchase decision down the line.

## Why businesses need local lead generation?

Local lead generation is far less competitive than global lead generation.

Local audiences are also much easier to convert into customers if you welcome them to your physical store.

According to a Retail Dive [Consumer Survey](https://www.retaildive.com/news/why-most-shoppers-still-choose-brick-and-mortar-stores-over-e-commerce/436068/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), 62% of customers prefer in-store experiences because it allows them to physically observe and evaluate products before purchasing. They also choose physical shopping experiences for the following reasons:

- Bringing their purchases home on the same day
- Immersing in the in-store shopping experience
- Asking questions and getting instant answers

With local lead generation, you naturally encourage more people to visit your physical store. This gives your local business the best chance of converting them into paying customers.

## Best ways to do local lead generation

Here are 7 proven strategies that will help businesses generate high-quality leads through local lead generation:

### Tip 1: Target local keywords

Local SEO or Search Engine Optimisation is often cheaper, less competitive, and more effective in turning visitors into engaged leads.

The foundation of a successful local SEO campaign is a strong keyword strategy, which prioritises location-specific search queries.

For example, if you’re an HVAC servicing local business in San Francisco, you don’t just target a keyword like “HVAC repair.”

Your SEO efforts will yield better results if you target terms like “HVAC repair San Francisco” instead.

Tools like Keyword Magic Tool by [SEMrush](https://semrush.sjv.io/Aokxv7?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) can supply you with local keyword ideas you can use:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2022/05/Complete-Guide-to-Local-Lead-Generation-with-Examples-Tips-SEMrush.png)

*Image Source: SEMrush.com*

Local SEO keywords are easier to rank than regular long-tail keywords. Not to mention that they’re more likely to generate profitable leads than optimising for broad search queries due to their long-tail nature.

Another way to optimise your content for local lead generation is to use [Surfer SEO](https://surferseo.com/?fpr=matt23&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

Not only will Surfer help you unearth profitable local keywords, it also comes with an AI-powered extension for Google Docs. This works by evaluating your draft’s on-page SEO in real time while providing suggestions for word count, keywords, headers, and more.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2022/05/Complete-Guide-to-Local-Lead-Generation-with-Examples-Tips-Google-Docs.png)

*Image Source: Docs.Google.com*

### Tip 2: Add your location to Google My Business

You can also attract more local leads by optimising for “near me” searches.

As you may have guessed, “near me” searches are done by potential customers who are urgently looking for products or service providers within their area. As such, optimising for these searches greatly benefits local lead generation.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2022/05/Complete-Guide-to-Local-Lead-Generation-with-Examples-Tips-Google.png)

*Image Source: Google.com*

Google has a handful of ways to determine which websites appear in these queries. 

The easiest one, however, is to add your physical location to [Google My Business](https://www.google.com/business/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). It’s a business tool that makes you visible on Google Maps while also improving your chances of appearing in “near me” searches.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2022/05/Complete-Guide-to-Local-Lead-Generation-with-Examples-Tips-Google-Business.png)

*Image Source: Google.com*

To use Google My Business, simply log in with your Google account and follow the on-screen instructions. This includes entering your local business name, supplying your business address, and so on.

Remember, optimising for “near me” searches also makes your local business more discoverable to mobile users. That’s because people are now more likely to reach for their phones and dictate their search queries to their virtual assistant.

### Tip 3: Use popups

Local or not, popups are a great way to generate leads on any website.

It’s true that popups were once considered intrusive and terrible for the user experience. But with the right strategies, they can actually enhance the engagement factor by providing value to users.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2022/05/Complete-Guide-to-Local-Lead-Generation-with-Examples-Tips-Warfit.png)

Image Source: Warfit.net

For instance, modern brands use smart popups that only appear once the user satisfies specific conditions. They can appear when the user clicks the ‘close’ button or scrolls to a specific portion of a page—indicating strong interest.

Of course, there’s the popup content itself, which must put the audience’s needs first and the brand’s promotion second.

[OptinMonster](https://optinmonster.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is a popular lead generation software you can use to design, publish, and track popup forms. It features a visual, drag-and-drop form builder so you don’t have to touch a single line of code.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2022/05/Complete-Guide-to-Local-Lead-Generation-with-Examples-Tips-Optin-Monster.png)

*Image Source: OptinMonster.com*

Using OptinMonster lets you create a variety of popups. A lightbox popup, for example, is close to a traditional popup, but with advanced targeting features like:

- ****Page-level targeting.** Present specific popups to users based on their previous visited pages and interactions.
- ****Device-based targeting.** Show different offers between users on their mobile devices and those on their personal computers.
- ****Geo-location targeting.** Send value propositions to a local audience and tailor your messaging to the local community and culture.

Since you want to generate local leads, combine OptinMonster’s geo-location targeting with dynamic campaign triggers to create a hyper-personalised experience.

For example, rather than presenting local users with a popup straight away, create a geo-targeted popup that only appears when they try to leave your site. This gives you one last opportunity to turn local visitors into leads.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2022/05/Complete-Guide-to-Local-Lead-Generation-with-Examples-Tips-Dog-Lovers.png)

*Image Source: DogLovers.com*

Other than lightbox popups, OptinMonster also lets you create full-screen “welcome mats,” floating bars, sidebar forms, in-line forms, and so on.

Here are some tips on using popups for local lead generation:

- Always avoid creating popups that disrupt the user experience.
- Create frictionless opt-ins by refraining from asking for too much information.
- Use A/B or “split” testing to optimise the conversion rate of your pop-ups.

### Tip 4: Promote your local business through social media ads

Want to start generating leads without waiting weeks for inbound marketing results?

*You should look into paid social advertising.*

A lot of customers looking for nearby businesses use social media to find options.

To reach these potential leads, use the social media platform’s integrated advertising tool to instantly magnify your presence.

Facebook Ads, in particular, features a wealth of audience targeting tools that can help businesses make the most out of their advertising dollars. You can target users by age, location, interests, behaviours, and a slew of demographic factors.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2022/05/Complete-Guide-to-Local-Lead-Generation-with-Examples-Tips-Facebook.png)

*Image Source: Facebook.com*

To get leads for your local business, be sure to specify the exact locations you want to target in the “Edit audience” window. You can add multiple locations and set a custom radius of distance from your target locations.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2022/05/Complete-Guide-to-Local-Lead-Generation-with-Examples-Tips-Facebook-Audience.png)

*Image Source: Facebook.com*

Not sure how to configure your ads?

Facebook comes with an automated ads feature that automatically optimises itself based on your needs. All you have to do is answer a series of questions about your local business and goals—Facebook will do the rest.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2022/05/Complete-Guide-to-Local-Lead-Generation-with-Examples-Tips-Facebook-Ads.png)

*Image Source: Facebook.com*

### Tip 5: Remember your offline marketing efforts

With so much emphasis on digital channels, some local businesses forget the importance of traditional, offline marketing in lead generation.

Offline marketing highlights the benefit of proximity that will make potential customers come to you. Best of all, you rarely need to invest in digital local lead generation tools to make offline campaigns work.

Here are some ideas you can try:

- ****Printed materials.** Pamphlets and flyers are relatively cheap to make, but they can turn into an enormous waste if not utilised strategically. As a rule of thumb, design printed materials that focus on providing value, such as actionable tips and free shipping coupons.
- ****Business cards.** Handing out business cards is as personal as you can get when it comes to generating local business leads. Give stacks of business cards to your professional and personal connections, post them on local bulletin boards, and partner up with non-competitor businesses that target the same audience to distribute your cards.
- ****Trade show appearances.** Trade shows provide a huge opportunity to local business owners by letting them raise awareness and captivate in-market buyers. Some trade shows are held specifically for B2B players, but a lot of them also attract the general crowd.
- ****Billboards and posters.** Billboards and posters are classic examples of local, offline marketing in action. They’re not always cheap, especially with high-traffic placements, but they can definitely get the word out on your business.

Have a read of these [free marketing ideas](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/19-free-or-inexpensive-offline-marketing-ideas-for-small-business/) for some extra tips. 

### Tip 6: Run a social media contest

In the age of social media, more and more businesses are raking in leads hand over fist with social media contests.

The thing is, social media users love interactive experiences, especially if they get to do it as a community. Social media contests offer exactly that—with the added excitement of possibly winning a prize.

Fortunately, you don’t need to use or do anything fancy to run a social media contest.

A simple hashtag contest only requires a unique and fun contest mechanic. [Chicnutrix](https://www.instagram.com/chicnutrix/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), for example, asked their followers to come up with a birthday hashtag while nominating three friends.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2022/05/Complete-Guide-to-Local-Lead-Generation-with-Examples-Tips-Chicknutrix.png)

*Image Source: Instagram.com, @chicnutrix*

Social media contests are a [low-cost marketing strategy](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/low-cost-marketing-strategy/) with high potential returns. However, marketers still need to put a lot of thought into the contest mechanics to make it successful.

Below are a few ideas:

- Ask your followers to post a photo with your image and use a specific hashtag. In addition to raising brand awareness, this will also supply you with user-generated content you can use for further promotions.
- Post a random image and ask your followers to write a funny caption. This could be the easiest and most straightforward way to run an engaging contest.
- Run a “tag a friend” contest to encourage participants to spread the word about your brand. This contest type can exponentially grow your social media reach and following.

### Tip 7: Create a localised opt-in offer

Let’s say you have a lead generation campaign running for a while.

Now, your [content tracking](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-tracking-ultimate-guide-with-tips-and-tricks/) indicates that your landing pages are getting traffic. But when you look at your conversion numbers, you’re staring at a bunch of zeros.

Keep in mind that a lot of people aren’t easily swayed by value unless they can get them immediately. That’s why marketers use opt-in offers or “lead magnets” to get more conversions.

Some examples of lead magnets are:

- Free eBooks
- Discount coupon codes
- Branded freebies
- Free reports or white papers
- Templates
- Free trial access
- Gated content

As a local business owner, be sure your lead generation system uses localised lead magnets. That means they should offer content that’s relevant, useful, and valuable to the local crowd.

## Local lead generation: Frequently Asked Questions

### Question 1\. Is local lead generation profitable?

Local lead generation can increase your revenue passively if you target organic traffic from search engines and social media. Small local businesses can also achieve measurable, short-term results through locally-targeted advertising.

### Question 2\. How do you generate local leads?

Apart from local SEO, pop-ups, ads, and offline marketing, businesses can get local leads through social media contests and influencer marketing. It’s always important to add the ingredient of locality to these campaigns, like picking a local influencer or hosting location-specific giveaways.

### Question 3\. What are the three approaches of lead generation?

The three core pillars of lead generation are: content marketing, social media marketing, and search engine marketing. These represent the channels used by audiences to discover new businesses they might be interested in.

🤩

Run high-performing lead generation campaigns now

Local lead generation is a powerful and cost-effective way that businesses use to hit or exceed revenue goals.

If you want to get your local lead generation to a running start, [click here to schedule your free consultation today](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/contact/)!
### Hemingway App vs Grammarly vs Whitesmoke: Which Is Better?
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/hemingway-app-vs-grammarly-vs-whitesmoke/
Last updated: 2022-06-06T07:57:59.000Z
Drop everything and answer this: **Hemingway app vs. Grammarly vs. WhiteSmoke**, who would win? The answer matters **A LOT** if you care about [creating written content](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-development-the-ultimate-guide/).

In this post, you’ll become spectators to the ultimate proofreading tool showdown.

I’ll compare their features, pricing, and overall effectiveness in helping to create 100% spotless, top-quality content.

There’s a lot to cover, so let’s jump right in.

## Hemingway App vs Grammarly vs WhiteSmoke: Overview

First of all, a quick introduction of our contenders.

### About Grammarly

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/JvaFkZsWGorRoygHZlWT5YxTL3JpqVHIb4esVmrbeHC4zM10Ca81GzRlabtQfzeHivH4dJ9xANujlz-WWDZcl-Hr1XrY97oeZ6RtBoJ5jDuK7HA_deAQE_s8ydwZtUUKg3p7Ii5F)

[Grammarly](https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?afftrack=&b=864277&m=26748&u=864476&urllink=&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is perhaps the most popular writing assistant on the internet—and for a good reason.

It is jam-packed with features that can help businesses, students, and bloggers create flawless articles.

While writing, Grammarly proactively detects spelling and grammatical errors while providing correction suggestions, which can be applied with one click.

Each suggestion also comes with a brief explanation of the mistake along with a **‘Learn more’** button. This can help your writers avoid making the same mistakes in future assignments.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/lz3LlyAicPiWEXEEzuBZZErLwOTQD7Dv7z64M4XPar3p2V9sD4u7sDQVUEnKNVqM7udd7Eg2X9pvVJxZ-9-HQ1Sj2tIXd38KXNGGrX5F1d5rVfVYVG_taMnuvXrlUYoKBxEfr4MR)

*Image Source: Grammarly.com*

Grammarly can also check for issues that affect your content’s clarity, reader engagement, and delivery. Not to mention you can specify your goals to tailor the tool’s strictness to your brand’s voice and writing style.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/dpEPkqGbzVhAgCm7uo7zXhx7OBU1ry8hvkYPkZz_nKHS9gbogvT7yUIU0H0HZIoIlb0kr9vjrmEPUDd3Sm4o3msaUdT3MvjXD2M4e9gxnv_KB2s39nkWumH7HPmlfwqpkdfj33Az)

*Image Source: Grammarly.com*

### About Hemingway App

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/nQHn0L8I5YCZPKy8nfZ5mc1ZjxI_6QhCE2D_A-cm_7UKnmj9OArzlJApuQpImToKLG4bYYGukp2gcAXN7jvJUnRG4ggaKdqn4iDPcpOZRNjiaYygcgqc7ydAPLzsFI8XCtJtkdon)

*Image Source: HemingwayApp.com*

The [Hemingway Editor](https://hemingwayapp.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)—also known as “Hemingway App”—is a popular tool that focuses on improving your content’s readability.

Right from the start, I should mention that the tool doesn’t check for spelling or grammatical mistakes. It does, however, offer unique features that businesses and writers can use to maximise reader engagement.

For one, it can help users look for hard-to-read sentences. This includes the use of passive voice, which may appear less direct and sincere.

The Hemingway App can also provide one-click suggestions for words that can be simplified or removed.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/MzIMA-2efQ1FM4Woob9bMifTVVOArt5MZ6QTo6QooonxS991MY-kRrR_zoRgcP7X1CeghzzMKOEKeOC9CiNWmisXk3dDjShhaQqVIHUktHDSJE7XecrkiLJdx242QTcGi4Ti1JGL)

*Image Source: HemingwayApp.com*

What makes Hemingway Editor a pleasure to work with is its intuitiveness. Every suggestion is colour-coded while words that can be improved are brightly highlighted.

### About WhiteSmoke

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pn_hxu_IB86JYLEONkmXZAI1wZ0ndiIB5w4h3WciU-AiSJdY_SpXa5wZEweuIZuBNxsumysZOmj6zX8lXUOhGMy2b49-GiKiqfy2xXK8-7ADt804eGweJvzsNtTw5rzDBQ9GgPL0)

*Image Source: WhiteSmoke.com*

[WhiteSmoke](http://www.whitesmoke.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is a time-tested writing tool trusted by educational institutions, authors, businesses, and technical writing teams.

It is a proofreading tool, translator, and plagiarism checker rolled into one. You can use it as a browser add-on or a desktop app, which can be licensed on up to three computers.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/X2VShfCjkaAXCkSEipYitXcvjPuu6mcPBUOHs0y0v7Mi0iaUCaGgWhf2_DjF8pEGgLeppxm20kn84kbKwmRiNrtmwu0srSY9cIG1BvlT52mU8-s0G-2h9YD4KgB6OBALfIMW0eyh)

*Image Source: WhiteSmoke.com*

WhiteSmoke also provides suggestions you can apply in one click. Right-clicking suggestions pulls up additional tools, like the thesaurus, web search, and a detailed explanation of the error.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/KetIEp_rrfTEHEsQw5oT-FRXrIUPH2JwPk1BMFwJ-Kdh7WFuFdSrggf9HZ_9MDcm_rspXpAyqJSh4s580hVQS56KDE0KTwHZDh_KtW9eIyPywQ6wIcJO9XLVphSwyz6wxqYQSWC7)

*Image Source: WhiteSmoke.com*

## Feature Comparison

The Battle of Features: Hemingway App vs Grammarly vs WhiteSmoke

Now that we've had a good look at our contenders, it’s time for the ultimate face-off.

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of Hemingway, Grammarly, and WhiteSmoke in terms of usability, reliability, proofreading features, and more.

### Section 1: Proofreading usability

With [content development](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-development-the-ultimate-guide/) in full swing, it’s important to have an automated proofreading tool that’s handy and easy to use.

First up, Grammarly offers multiple ways to use the tool—fitting different writing workflows.

If you rely on cloud-based tools in your day-to-day, using the Grammarly browser extension is the way to go. This allows the tool to proofread everything you write on Google Docs, Gmail, or even social media.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/hC9nDaMtM4ZxoSRKssnV4FEA7RjxmwuBtwK54azTNO75yOwqYwA0_ywD7ekqiTPRQM1OewvHuHW6n18D3I2PwgOB1hUPNEKx2DTKH2xejnhYdAmGeozEyWZLjfFwLSKl9No5kDy4)

If you’d like to keep proofreading as a focused process, you can use Grammarly’s web-based editor. This grants access to a user-friendly, distraction-free writing mode for proofreading your drafts.

To use Grammarly’s web editor, you can either upload your document or paste it on a blank template.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/n3dTsoqtgjXHyj3H3XTzQKNpqpRC_ksCtDEmy08MzVK413558x37QL7iU0Xn2i-asx5H-Lc6VOK7S7GBKBkRgdSZv4sViR8526f1FhGyzxFdUF-YQQJIRPf9KowsVkaVxeNnXiod)

The actual Grammarly editor can be used as a barebones word processor. But that’s not what you’re here for.

What you want is the writing assistant panel, which houses all the issues and suggestions. These are categorized under the following:

- ****Correctness.** Find grammatical and spelling mistakes.
- ****Clarity.** Detect issues that affect text readability.
- ****Engagement.** Replace overused words with better alternatives.
- ****Delivery.** Avoid text that can be misinterpreted.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/WnppyvEYwZ5P_K6v7UyhzvpTDiNzZ2cFwDnOj1rvLPBzphXONMIie8aKnIKz3P2rfKoLluJRb5GOzTJtDw08jPCP54ADmPlf7j1qa11yoAkbCFKL4_dvJSbyfUGAc2NJFtmU6J2x)

You can select a specific category or click **‘All suggestions’** to highlight all potential improvements detected in your piece.

To apply suggestions, select the cards to the left of the writing assistant. From there, simply click on the correction suggestion you want to use.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/sAx-nggwOQhYqJ1IqbDzxLx8xU0WKVTVEYj_8kL0QDXVDOeoJZsSQi1OzF102eiJ2Y0gmEfhmx8iidPJ5LiBDfATUW2h7EvC9ofMqqPpoVpRwwiQLgu_IvnhMjpYBtl6jcCNdSMz)

Using Grammarly’s web editor, a decently written, 2,000-word article only takes roughly 5 minutes to proofread. This is thanks to the streamlined interface along with the tool’s fast and responsive performance.

I almost forgot—Grammarly has a desktop version you can install and run straight from your OS. But its usefulness pales in comparison to the Grammarly extension for Microsoft Word.

Once installed, you can enjoy Grammarly’s core features without leaving your favourite writing software.

Next up, let’s take a look at the Hemingway Editor.

Let’s just say it’s as straightforward as it gets when it comes to proofreading tools.

Simply fire it up, paste your text, and watch your draft light up with readability issues. You might be surprised at the number of issues you’ll uncover with the Hemingway Editor.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/B-Y45YMFqD7AzrrbU_v21o9FUZbaIYeY97cQ3zAzn950H3L_XupOPdmOfCRSmCTV8ICyxyr6k6lYRZWwQoibFAbOJPwyEomL-bqKkT_-ZKd2LKCbMI2L0-hqhMk_KTYGuYq2uwWT)

Hemingway will help you discover ways to supercharge the readability of your content. Unfortunately, it won’t spoonfeed correction suggestions that you can apply with one click.

For the majority of issues you’ll find with the Hemingway Editor, you’ll need to rewrite wordy sentences yourself.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/TCfazYVrCVJ6iC4ml_cpWNaV9DchNH7TL2szbDjW-xwx-1j2Ctdg04R7b9XEgvh34DGC41uQgnyRTeqWA_-pW3UShGni6GywlQ-cd3qeRF6ai1dHCOBl0fJZViFgNyWECEIfQxV_)

Other than the web-based editor, the Hemingway Editor also comes with a downloadable desktop app. This is useful whenever you need to polish drafts without an internet connection.

Moving on to WhiteSmoke, the app’s interface, unfortunately, looks and feels outdated. However, it’s more than capable of helping you create 100% error-free content.

WhiteSmoke can detect a slew of issues like dangling modifiers, punctuation errors, tense inconsistencies, and sentence fragments.

All you have to do is paste your draft, click **‘Check text,’** and click on the corrections you want to apply.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/tnh_NFPzduumjcE_sAMrjFujLI-eAwxVS1Htc7xrDWPYwFpcXK1d5f3ddyyczGIH42myZ1PdbDgfDVt371OpdZOvjArEUSVmEz7u9B-Lzwl-vRK513l61j9Oelb-x_Y9kMmHM0NQ)

There is, however, one small catch.

When using the WhiteSmoke desktop version, the grammar checker is limited to a meagre 10,000 characters. This will bog down the proofreading process of long-form content, including eBooks and comprehensive guides.

That’s it—WhiteSmoke in a nutshell.

By the way, you can use WhiteSmoke as a browser extension or a standalone desktop app. Either way, you’ll have the exact same features and support for web browsers.

Looking at our contenders above, Grammarly wins as the most usable grammar checker in the market.

Let’s face it: none of the tools above are hard to use. Grammarly, however, is the only grammar tool that can be integrated with whatever you work with.

It can be MS Word, Google Docs, social media posts, or any online editor that runs on your browser.

**The winner in terms of usability is Grammarly.**

### Section 2: Reliability

Being able to work seamlessly with word processors is a nice touch.

The question is, how accurate is the proofreading tool in detecting grammatical mistakes, misspellings, and sentence structure issues?

First off, Grammarly is widely regarded as very reliable in detecting mistakes. And it’s not because it vastly outclasses the other two.

The difference-maker is, Grammarly lets you build a personal dictionary that can help you develop and complement your writing style.

Here’s how it works: whenever the Grammarly app detects a potential spelling error, just click **‘Add to dictionary.’**

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/KQqwH18LFaDx2_IEcWD7MiZ7konr9lOrHiPq4qDlHJKJL1HtPg6c0lHhshKB_gcbo8iumIsTMx3bAQLYplQC97lpz6JixiYM3Nxw00nZoKNfQ734GLdL7jHwnFlo21TZXwElDHQU)

Of course, Grammarly’s proofreading features aren’t perfect, particularly if you’re using a new Grammarly account. But as it gets familiar with your personal dictionary and goals, it becomes the most perfect writing assistant that money can buy.

The Hemingway Editor, however, is more commonly used as a book writing software for aspiring authors.

It can’t help professional writers detect spelling and grammar errors. But its readability score and vocabulary enhancement features can help them hone their writing skills.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/sTOn-PmZ0Qs3B7KLXw5uMZULBBnxlvkeq973wCmk0i3_GtcSiToBNmh2jeV3tDMbyNlMYHu4q5Xmw3G7VVfyc2LWeJ_IPJqeSbc8kVhCUtef-hSuwB50Avs61VF_9E-e4tcqleIx)

Limited features aside, the Hemingway Editor will show you room for improvement when other tools—even Grammarly—find nothing. The downside is, that most of the issues it detects could be related to the writer’s personal preference.

WhiteSmoke, on the other hand, is a reputable grammar and plagiarism checker for organisations. If you’re a [B2B SEO agency](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-choose-the-best-b2b-seo-agency-a-comprehensive-guide/), magazine company, or anything that involves written [content creation](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-development-the-ultimate-guide/), WhiteSmoke is a good investment.

As far as reliability goes, it’s on the same playing field as Grammarly—minus the customisability aspect.

**Again, Grammarly wins another point for reliability.**

### Section 3: Portability

I know what you’re thinking.

*“What does portability have to do with grammar checkers?”*

Picture this: your editor or proofreader is at home. But there’s an urgent post that needs to go live ASAP.

Your editor then whips out their iPad and launches the tablet version of Grammarly. This allows them to finish up the proofreading process on the bus or train home.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ry29qL750xc7ifeOyKyODh4fSZLIb9LG6PyDXqnDHXIkNojDEBYjdZpCrLrM3ZWbwhLBv1zWviZUjeduZheXbi8CbR2UkRQEpr4Ygkv2TJzDeUSOVDB90qfqdCIYA7Hi6cWMZIfr)

Of course, portable grammar checkers are also useful when writing emails or social media posts. That means your writing can be error-free no matter where you are or what you’re doing.

WhiteSmoke also has a tablet and smartphone version of their grammar checker. The only difference is, Grammarly’s mobile version categorically performs better and looks more intuitive.

Sadly, the Hemingway App doesn’t have a mobile app at all. But you can still use the tool via your mobile browser to create short and crisp sentences.

**This round goes to Grammarly.**

### Section 4: Extra features

Next, let’s go a little deeper and explore what these proofreading tools have under the hood.

Allow me to start with my favourite Grammarly feature: goals.

Grammarly allows you to personalise the proofreading experience by specifying your content’s audience, formality, domain, and intent.

- ****Audience.** Are you writing for experts, knowledgeable individuals, or just online readers in general?
- ****Formality.** Do you use colloquialisms, or would you rather write formally?
- ****Domain.** Are you writing for academics, business, emails, or creative projects?
- ****Intent.** Are you writing to inform, tell a story, or convince readers to buy something?

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/X_AXZdswuNhxvwGG_qimzdK9iH2lsPiAq-j3z0pOu17fxldgCQ_8UgbTxRn1j-T6bttJMYQuQAhIRSfb3QvrYk6Nzx0ukAT5R2pT9YrIGDAcXeQR3E6xp7g51WKiKh48ZcJyJyK6)

Setting Grammarly goals before you begin writing is a great way to boost content engagement.

If you’re not impressed yet, Grammarly has a mini [content tracking](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-tracking-ultimate-guide-with-tips-and-tricks/) feature baked into the editor.

By clicking your content score, you’ll see a detailed report of metrics tied to quality signals. This includes the average length of sentences, word count, word variety, and so on.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/hjVMI5pgL6UbeyPT0gJLydJkYgJOCMY_tavKtH2kIV8whs5mC-QhoYpgMWLolLNRwm5ooOp44o_uTdR2rh8UfOvB97InuynquSKpigI7a1LrGHsWBwqNa6dJLG1Mq415N9GT0i-5)

This will allow you to fine-tune your content according to the sentence structure and tone you’re after. Furthermore, the tool compares your performance with other Grammarly users to help improve your writing and grammar skills.

In addition to ironing out writing errors, Grammarly also doubles as a plagiarism software—comparing your draft to billions of pages across the web. And if all else fails, you can request the assistance of an expert to polish your writing.

Moving on to the Hemingway App.

Other than alerts to help you with grammar and sentence structure issues, there really isn’t much to talk about. There is, however, the “write” mode, which you can use as a minimalist substitute to word processing programs.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/hxK8wLB3cnkFXM1I-3l8yN74JeUcaaJ2yHHkVkGzEHPG1qyPpMqL8LbajS7vw1b0hJ4IxToQzK373wS9mXA9AhtB1aNA-9_poA29-jaZ6P4odwCE7HHIBGaQErMP5NoecuGNBzXe)

Finally, it’s time for WhiteSmoke’s extra features.

Despite its age, WhiteSmoke features integrations with Microsoft Office and Gmail. This makes it extra convenient for professional writers who rely on those platforms for their daily tasks.

WhiteSmoke also has a built-in translation tool you can use if you’re planning to publish multilingual content. However, it’s not as dependable as hiring a professional translator.

**Yes—Grammarly wins this one.**

## Section 5: Pricing Packages: Hemingway App vs Grammarly vs WhiteSmoke

Before we end this comparison, let’s take a look at the pricing options of all three editing tools:

**Grammarly**

Grammarly has a free version that comes with all core features. You can check your content’s correctness, use the browser extension, and install the Microsoft Word add-on without spending a single cent.

The Grammarly Premium version, however, unlocks everything the platform has to offer. This starts at **$12 per month.**

If you’d like to purchase Grammarly Premium for three users, the Business plan costs **$12.50 per member per month.**

**Hemingway App**

The Hemingway App has a free version you can use indefinitely through your web browser. If you wish to use it offline, you can purchase the desktop app for a one-time payment of **$19.99**.

**WhiteSmoke**

WhiteSmoke doesn’t offer a free version, but its paid subscription costs less than Grammarly.

The “Web” version costs **$5.00 per month**, whereas the desktop version costs **$6.66 per month.**

The “Business” plan starts at **$11.50 per month**. This comes with extra benefits like phone support and installation for up to three computers.

## Who Wins? Hemingway App vs Grammarly vs WhiteSmoke

You probably already know this by now.

Grammarly gets a resounding win in every category. Not to mention it’s the most cost-effective platform listed above, especially considering how they didn’t skimp on the free version.

You can [click here to get Grammarly Premium](https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?afftrack=&b=864277&m=26748&u=864476&urllink=&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) and start producing flawless content. Let me know about your experience in the comments below!
### Small & Medium Business Marketing: The Ultimate Roadmap to Success in 2025
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/sme-marketing/
Last updated: 2025-02-17T20:40:43.000Z
Do you want to run a successful ***SME marketing*** campaign?

Are you stuck on where to start, which strategies to use, and how to sustain a marketing campaign’s success?

If youanswer yes to any of those, then you’re in the right place.

In this guide, I'll talk about the nitty-gritty of SME marketing. But before we even talk about the strategies, let’s start with the basics.

## What is SME marketing?

Just because your business is a small or a medium-sized enterprise doesn’t mean you should do any less than big brands. In fact, depending on your SME marketing strategy, you might need to spend more time and attention to detail—from [inbound marketing](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/inbound-marketing-why-its-essential-and-how-to-set-up-for-2022/) to audience research and [content tracking](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-tracking-ultimate-guide-with-tips-and-tricks/).

You see, SME digital marketing covers a lot of ground.

It involves everything that can help small business owners reach their target audience through marketing channels, like:

- Social media marketing
- Content marketing
- Email marketing
- Conversion rate optimisation
- Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
- ...And lots more

Unlike large enterprises, you probably don’t have millions to burn on campaigns involving A-list influencers or celebrities. But you can’t handle your digital marketing like a solo entrepreneur, either.

Rather, you need a team of specialists to handle every area of your digital marketing strategy. That’s what other SMEs in the competition are doing, and that’s how you’ll achieve measurable business growth.

## SME marketing trends

Now that you’re familiar with SME digital marketing, let’s look at trends that will shape the industry this 2022.

### Trend 1: The rise of video marketing

During the lockdown, everyone suddenly had enough free time to create and consume boatloads of videos.

TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube—video consumption on the internet is at an all-time high, particularly short-form videos.

[Cisco states that 82% of all online traffic](https://blogs.cisco.com/sp/ciscoces-changing-the-equation-for-live-streaming-and-abr-video-quality?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) in 2022 will move through video. That’s **15 times higher** than the traffic share of video back in 2017.

It comes as no surprise that SMEs are doubling down on their video content strategy.

The [State of Video Marketing 2021](https://www.wyzowl.com/state-of-video-marketing-2021-report/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) report from Wyzowl revealed that 86% of businesses use video for digital marketing. And if you want your SME to be relevant and visible, you’d follow suit.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/Q94h7AY55jXO81B4To5jFxwnhARyVOtxE1jzTAgd2dwBUBR2Cfp6mXpVwWVnC152qfpek8PYO2zAcM8dhAxtgl15PFpqLZxp7ih-ChMBIL1Tuj1WMH023rCdqTwGVHJoOjNzsCfd)

*Image Source: TikTok.com, @Vessi*

### Trend 2: Instant messaging for direct marketing

Businesses used to rely on SMS and phone calls as traditional digital marketing channels. They’re quick, convenient, and guaranteed to reach potential customers regardless of where they are and what they’re doing.

However, they have since been replaced by OTT (Over-The-Top) chat apps like Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp.

Unlike SMS, OTT chat apps boast features that take mobile messaging to a whole new level. Users can form group chats, send animated stickers, and complete self-guided experiences through chatbots.

That’s why businesses have been migrating their sales and customer service experiences from SMS to OTT chat in recent years.

Chat apps also hold the position as the most popular mobile app category on the internet.

Data from Statista shows that a staggering [90.7% of internet users](https://www.statista.com/statistics/1252652/top-apps-categories-by-global-usage-reach/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) access chat apps regularly.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/HssDQC527yQDBirY71D_MdRQ5vy_yveFH2b7KmpbuNwEfS8sidulf2Xvh8-BZMtV_ZiJIKZzexdrNhpPjxe2kvd8pjFqfHMmmkWhMWXi8KDgF-iy9s_AZ1-Ks4y7bmDYaB8a0AuG)

*Image Source: Statista.com*

### Trend 3: Digital marketing being dominated by tools

According to the [2022 State of Content Marketing](https://www.semrush.com/state-of-content-marketing/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), “content marketing tools” have been the most popular topic in the marketing landscape. It is even ahead of other major topics, including “corporate content marketing” and “social media content marketing.”

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/6m32V54gdCN8MMVc7MvLfTGzjeQ-OxlmKD6RWr6V35sQN-QkV6ecMxAOw8y2IuRPQUKpHixeYhcIvwx_dL6ifaJ_7pvtGYzVNb-IHrk1Lvd1fWqCcW2ma9zDZYX_upSFmMjbjQ2G)

*Image Source: SEMrush.com*

A good reason to invest more in content marketing tools is the ever-growing need for automation.

As SMEs’ marketing stack keep up with rising customer expectations, businesses start depending more on automation tools to boost efficiency. These help marketers save time on repetitive tasks while also taking the unpredictability of human error out of the equation.

### Trend 4: Virtual events are here for good

In the early years of the pandemic, small businesses that launched physical events had no choice but to go digital.

Thankfully, there was an abundance of video streaming platforms that established the practicality of virtual events. Even social media networks like Facebook and Instagram had streaming features, allowing businesses to connect with their audience in real-time.

In 2022, pandemic restrictions have eased, and people are coming back to offices, shopping centres, and other public accommodations. However, [75% of event attendees](https://corp.kaltura.com/thank-you/whitepaper/state-of-virtual-events-2022/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) prefer to attend virtually even after in-person events have returned.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/K67lATSLcN3RapyZ7hwqxWiEzmnfvdsDXAEDOWTxsIdAki1J-DkKhE9MvBLXhjanAYiWx1pCAHROpAPWX072nVU5qiX8PbiXrRBbzec3PXlQeIrMFL5Ttb-ZrVrDpESWB1Lh48EU)

*Image Source: Kaltura.com, The State of Virtual Events 2022*

### Trend 5: A/B test or lose

At this point, every self-respecting marketer should know that there’s no such thing as an overnight success.

To have a winning SME digital marketing strategy, you should expect to only establish baselines in your first campaign. What you do from there, including [content engagement](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-engagement-field-guide-how-to-create-content-that-gets-clicks/) and conversion rate optimisation, will take you on the path to victory.

To help you reach important milestones faster, you need to add A/B testing to your SME digital marketing mix.

In simple terms, A/B testing involves simultaneously testing multiple versions of the same asset. It can be an ad, videos, website content, and even individual page elements—from headers to CTA buttons.

As a result, brands will be able to test strategies and gather actionable data significantly faster.

### Trend 6: Social media advertising for quicker wins

When asked about their SME digital marketing priorities, small business owners are no longer tunnel-visioned on blog [content development](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-development-the-ultimate-guide/).

While important, inbound content marketing strategies simply aren’t fast enough for SMEs that need to make every bit of spend count. This is especially true if they put all their spend into a single channel.

To support the growth pains of a budding business, marketers have turned to social media advertising to gain instant exposure.

A study by Visual Objects found that [70% of small businesses](https://visualobjects.com/advertising/blog/small-business-advertising-2022?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) now invest in paid ads on social media platforms. That’s surprisingly much higher than the 31% of businesses that invest in PPC and search ads. This is likely due to a lower barrier-to-entry, rather than better performance.

### Trend 7: Influencer marketing is MASSIVE

Apart from social media ads, more and more brands leverage the power of influencers to win at online marketing.

According to a report by [Influencer Marketing Hub](https://influencermarketinghub.com/influencer-marketing-statistics/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), the size of influencer marketing ballooned to $16.4 billion in 2022\. That’s more than double its market size in 2019, which sits at a modest $6.5 billion.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_VB4iIcJAMiNScFkMdgnRi9_83nIiyWCqwNtBjN0rQDlxgBvYSYcqYf0GD3fbLbdn3Xd36t8Hn_8K8X8AnZxfJbnStPmOBeiLxCH-aGdM6zrg_m7BRS-WT-ilLWkk2kECNzqQ4Kc)

*Image Source: InfluencerMarketingHub.com*

Influencer marketing allows brands to leverage the social media presence of popular content creators to boost online reach.

Top influencers on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook can promote your brand to hundreds of thousands of followers in one post. You just need to set a budget, find the right influencer, and develop campaigns that align with your marketing objectives.

## SME marketing tips and strategies

Now that we’ve covered the most important SME digital marketing trends, it’s time to plan your next move.

Here are some of the best tips and strategies that will help augment your SME digital marketing:

### Tip 1: Review your target audience

Video marketing, instant messaging, virtual events—nearly all the latest trends in SME digital marketing affect how brands connect with customers.

Remember, user experience is paramount in all aspects of online marketing.

Before committing to a new strategy, make sure it taps into a platform your target audience uses.

In addition to deciding which digital marketing trend to pursue, revisiting your audience research has a slew of other benefits:

- Fine-tune your brand’s messaging
- Identify what a prospective buyer looks like
- Discover conversations and queries that ultimately lead to sales
- Explore opportunities to improve your products

### Tip 2: Use short-form videos to ramp up engagement

The world of social media marketing is undeniably heading towards videos.

They’re impactful, memorable, and can be spread in several engaging ways.

Believe it or not, you also don’t need expensive video production to captivate social media users. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram have built-in tools to help SMEs create share-worthy and searchable videos.

Of course, there are also cost-effective tools like [Canva](https://partner.canva.com/GjoPML?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) that simplify the video creation process. You can trim videos, stitch together multiple clips, and create simple animations that can pique the interest of users.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/A-xTQ9fcfMqqNWfbHuhgXzV-Qvfy0xZXNOpvjQGkCRKfDi0LIjn_jPQvTY4DL9g1FCZU3hN_1LhWP8hOHAfZ4cxw3-tdZQydVhtFg0vRy4MpOp-ZJU757MRPhrxhp_XRt3cDfvZY)

*Image Source: Canva.com*

### Tip 3: Focus on storytelling

In an age where everyone spends absurd amounts of time online, users are better at spotting branded content than ever.

The number of potential customers who can be wowed by professional-looking infographics or explainer videos is diminishing. Today, they’re looking for authentic and relatable storytelling experiences.

A lot of customers have also stopped caring whether they’re watching paid video ads or organic content. If your story is delivered in a non-intrusive way and provides a worthwhile experience, users will respond positively.

Some actual use cases of storytelling for SME digital marketing are:

- Highlight success stories of past customers or clients
- Establish relatability by hammering down on their pain points
- Deliver stories through short-form videos to maximise watch time
- Show your team at work to build buyer confidence
- Use relatable formats for social media posts (Stories, memes, etc.)

It’s also important to spread your stories on channels where potential customers expect them.

For example, [KMS Auto Repair](https://www.instagram.com/kmsautorepair/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) publishes Instagram Stories that give their audience a “behind-the-scenes” look at the business.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/G30UK17d1QrPcSSU6CLLmrNuNPpYj-Lm5cNeq8NhDajL2tedWnNfqHuug3pRH1OaphfcYOP83dPwvkFT0J6QFmVxa1NyKrtwQEkhB0GrJa-MMz6gMplp8B4U9m_21B5e7BVc_I0m)

*Image Source: Instagram.com, @kmsautorepair*

### Tip 4: Align emails with the customer journey

Speaking of storytelling, there’s another channel medium sized companies can’t afford to miss.

Yes—I’m talking about emails.

In email marketing, medium enterprises know that it’s not about flashy images or visual templates. It’s all about taking readers on a journey that winds down the path to conversion.

For example, you can start an email series with an introduction that calibrates the audience’s expectations. From there, you can start following up with meatier messages with CTAs that drive web traffic.

If necessary, your SME can also send reminder emails in case the customer chose not to take action.

Sound good?

Below are a few tips to help you develop an effective email marketing strategy:

- **Automate your emails:** There are loads of email marketing platforms that let you plan and send automated campaigns. This allows you to focus on other aspects of your digital marketing while your email front works in the background.
- **Use plain text emails for drip campaigns:** There are reasons why plain text emails have a higher click-through rate than HTML messages filled with unnecessary visuals. Aside from being more readable, they look significantly more authentic than branded emails laden with graphics.
- **Schedule timely emails:** Take note that plenty of customers wait for the right time before they take the next step. Don’t forget to automate emails on your customers’ birthdays, holidays, and other relevant dates.

### Tip 5: Combine organic and paid campaigns

Focusing solely on either organic or paid digital marketing campaigns may work, but the results might not always be favourable when done individually.

Building organic traffic channels is a solid long-term strategy that can keep SMEs afloat for years. Paid channels, however, can help them acquire new leads in the short term.

Let’s step into the world of a [B2B SEO agency](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-choose-the-best-b2b-seo-agency-a-comprehensive-guide/), for example.

By prioritising both raising search engine rankings and paid ad rankings, brands can rake in up to [29% more profits](https://www.business2community.com/brandviews/shelley-media-arts/80-seo-sem-statistics-that-prove-the-power-of-search-2019-update-02251024?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

Other than increasing your SME’s profit potential, combining organic and paid marketing initiatives allows for sustainable growth.

Remember that organic campaigns like SEO take some time to generate results. More importantly, it takes money to keep SEO campaigns running.

While waiting for your search engine rankings to come through, consider taking advantage of paid channels to fund your growth.

### Tip 6: Streamline analytics tracking

Here’s the thing: SMEs need to invest in platforms that will help them track key growth metrics.

After all, there’s no way to determine if your marketing strategy is working unless you measure your results.

An all-in-one online marketing platform like [SEMrush](https://www.semrush.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), combined with Google Analytics and your favourite A/B testing tools should have all your analytics needs covered.

It will help you stay on top of important metrics that gauge digital marketing success, like unique visitors, session duration, and keyword rankings.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/1dpwPVKONVmjG9bhM59rmJ_xG9yIbBoTBsYrjZar7K6W8ALwuYg0MubyrcskvnEV8vhtao0AZK1UI-ryF1AqTIGLXyO9fwcDW0mIwQQqWcp51S7wWCOg_MlfyYa-hccJ-gpcrIxy)

*Image Source: SEMrush.com*

To gain a competitive edge, SEMrush also lets you analyse every single facet of your top competitor’s digital marketing strategy.

SEMrush can help you dissect their top keywords, most popular pages, best backlink sources, and more.

Finally, SMEs also need to track the impact of their digital marketing initiatives on their bottom line. A proven way to do this is to use [Google Analytics](https://analytics.google.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to track goals like sales, page visits, and downloads.

## Work with an SME marketing agency now

I know—SME marketing may seem too big and complicated to wrap your head around after reading just one post.

Just take one step at a time and focus on a clear direction.

You may not notice huge progress in your online marketing journey as it happens. But, over time, small wins will eventually add up and help small businesses make a dent in their industries.

An SME marketing agency can help you see the big picture and build your roadmap to online marketing success. [Contact me here](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/contact/), and let’s get to planning right now!
### Content Strategy for Mobile: Ultimate Guide
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-strategy-for-mobile/
Last updated: 2022-05-16T08:51:00.000Z
You're pushing away more than half of your customers if you don't have a content strategy for mobile. Don't be that business.

Fact: You'll lose loads of leads and sales without a mobile content marketing strategy.

[55 percent of all internet traffic comes from mobile devices](https://www.statista.com/topics/779/mobile-internet/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). And that number doesn't even include tablets.

Without a content strategy for mobile, you're pretty much telling more than half of your potential audience that you don't take their visit seriously.

*That has to stop.*

In this post, I'll help you develop a solid mobile content marketing strategy to grow your digital footprint for 2022 and beyond.

But before I get to the juicy stuff, an important introduction...

## **What is mobile content marketing?**

TL;DR—it's content marketing that targets smartphone and tablet users.

Just like regular content marketing, mobile content marketing is also broken down into a handful of areas. This includes mobile video marketing, SEO, landing page optimisation, and so on.

Now that we're all on the same page, it's time to get to work.

## **Mobile content marketing strategies for 2022**

Here are the top proven mobile content marketing strategies your brand should use in 2022:

### **1\. Build a keyword strategy around voice search**

How do you search the web with your phone?

If you're like [71 percent](https://www.oberlo.com/blog/voice-search-statistics?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) of internet users, chances are you use a virtual assistant and/or voice search.

That's why mobile content marketing requires a shift in your keyword strategy.

Instead of usual keywords like "roof repair CA" or "best email marketing tools," target additional keyphrases that sound more natural. Think "roof repair services near me" or "what's the best email marketing tool for professionals."

Tools like [SEMrush's Keyword Magic Tool](https://semrush.sjv.io/Aokxv7?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) can help you with this by compiling a list of question-based keywords that you can answer with your content.

Just run your search as usual and click **'Questions'** once the results are loaded in.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/6uHt3MQQOsqlHxjsobxabnTXawizOjQSmSev869ZwF1jEiYSq3j8Ao58or7-FtG3aXBl0j7Uu6a8MCR05MZE7sjTLTf3zUn4GGnQmBI8WGt4gBN_pC8PxSVpzR6miYKK-pS3sOIQ)

*Image source: SEMrush.com*

A free alternative to SEMrush would be[ AnswerThePublic](https://answerthepublic.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

It can provide you with a list of question-based keyword suggestions based on your target search terms.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/gHqiQz0q3_GfP3_yzjMmkJGCvNrcZfmQ24wPMxAAM_oQQ_7We48fZJSixLumv0t6_Zv7_8dxiU_n5LjeXMirHzH8S0QLqAnTUEwYOjrRnkXLW4WTEmSCiWyJiHhCaXXHwLYKEXK1)

*Image source: AnswerThePublic.com*

Here are some tips when optimising for voice search keywords:

- Don't forget about "near me" keywords
- Create FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) sections to commercial pages (service pages, product pages, category pages etc)
- Optimise for rich snippets
- Write concise and to-the-point answers to questions

I put together an in-depth guide on how to conduct[ content research](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-research-the-ultimate-guide/). I encourage you to check it out so you have a deeper understanding of how to come up with keywords and topics that are highly relevant for your readers.

### **2\. Establish a solid social media presence**

Most people do most of their social media activities on a smartphone.

If you want to do mobile content marketing right, you need to up your social media marketing game.

This is where mobile video marketing comes into play.

According to statistics, [video content consumption on mobile devices increases by 100% each year](https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/video-marketing-statistics-for-2020-infographic/566099/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). Furthermore, 92% of all mobile users share videos with their peers.

The good news is you don't need an in-house production team to create share-worthy videos on social media.

Tools like VEED, Promo, and InShot make it easy to whip up eye-catching video content for social media.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/Z5qvhDoly2HKwXY0XYqmzko8Vh5rRqvCsOT3gd6mjFCvsbMv4vQ_gX47csbmbXOVif-_j43CaGzEcjLPiZ2t4-zsKVTcoGSJPg6by1mFdxIrwUY7vV6c-1yQ4X53pUAcJJ61QmQ3)

Some other mobile marketing tips for social media are:

- **Engage users:** Build a trustworthy brand by engaging social media users through likes, comments, and shares.
- **Use live videos:** Humanise your brand and provide "in the moment" experiences using features like Instagram Stories and Facebook Live.
- **Join groups:** Discuss relevant topics and find qualified leads by joining social media groups.
- ****Create shareworthy custom images every time.** The bare minimum you should offer users is custom graphics, which you can make with tools like [Canva](https://partner.canva.com/GjoPML?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

### **3\. Transform your website into an app**

It's not rocket science: mobile apps are more accessible and can be fun to use.

Unlike regular websites, apps can be launched straight from a phone's home screen. This eliminates the need for users to rely on a clunky mobile browser to check out your content.

Don't have the budget to create an official app for your brand?

You can use tools like [Convertify](https://convertify.app/?aff=me3&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to turn any existing website into a full-fledged mobile app instantly.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/bnYlGihQlnILfobhW0U-XtfZlZ4hsnmOZTNL9_tplJrk_Nrhfop0it5QwaTBqGELjnLVXbn6-6nRj4unYNNxPAyy0m-OqH40hIxYpIZZNgJwFFhy6ViMrmzgDFQQOyWpPoWBY0J2)

*Image source: Convertify.app*

Convertify also comes with a number of extra features, like:

- Push notifications
- Media playback
- Downloads
- Social media sharing
- Custom app loading screen

### **4\. Optimise website content for mobile browsers**

One of the key principles of mobile content marketing is improving the experience of phone and tablet users.

This should start with your website.

Applying a mobile responsive theme is a step in the right direction. This allows page elements like headers, text, and widgets to automatically adjust and reposition to accommodate smaller displays.

Without mobile responsiveness, your website could look like this:

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/REsi3Ri9t_NgK2r8P7obk5HKXvsU75vfT3RtDpBXH27T4y3t4E0vNHiV9JOuBx_BgLrbcRw-M0P9jNOPwREBjMH5kmY6J3bbHZSmPJ4HpMQ8a9YUWhHnvaVlGZ_5ZH3S-Ig08ldz)

*Image source: Gatesnfences.com*

It looks nasty, right?

Of course, mobile content optimisation takes more than just mobile responsiveness.

Below are a few other things you should take care of to improve the mobile content experience on your website:

- **Readability:** Use large fonts with sufficient line spacing to make texts more readable. Also, use formatting techniques, like subheadings and bullet points, to improve your content's scannability.
- **Space out clickable (or tappable) elements:** On smaller screens, it's easy for users to tap the wrong button or link by mistake. You can help them avoid this using proper padding and spacing between interactive elements.
- **Build Accelerated Mobile Pages:**[ Accelerated Mobile Pages](https://amp.dev/documentation/guides-and-tutorials/start/create/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) or AMP is an open-source framework initially launched by Google to improve page loading speeds on mobile. It features a library of resources to help you adopt the best practices in creating mobile-friendly pages.

Just weeks ago, I published an actionable and easy-to-follow guide on[ content tracking](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-tracking-ultimate-guide-with-tips-and-tricks/). It's crucial that you read the post, so you have a better grasp of how to track the performance of your content, which then gives you the data you need to optimise your website and its content for better conversions.

### **5\. Create mobile-friendly emails**

Every serious marketer knows that emails are powerful tools for generating traffic and conversions.

Tying emails in your mobile content marketing strategy is relatively straightforward.

All you have to do is make sure that your emails are crafted to be as mobile-friendly as possible.

Similar to your website content, emails should have spaced-out, readable fonts and clear interactive elements that are easy to tap. You should also avoid lengthy paragraphs and use subheadings, CTAs, and images that pop.

This email from Zoom checks all the boxes on what mobile emails should be.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/F3InGKMWAPiFdAZADBZab6rtukynRsSkYygKut4S-99M-09UfAPub-eAY5tJFCJrMEQ8KLB4hCbk12ZO7DlGG3o5sKJZTxF5vxP3bafOSwY0dpClIukg1emdUdgWKahMcEQCFLHR)

*Image source: Email from Zoom.us*

## **Mobile conversion optimisation best practices**

Want more conversions from your mobile content marketing campaign?

Optimising content and emails for mobile devices will help improve your[ content engagement](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-engagement-field-guide-how-to-create-content-that-gets-clicks/) and increase conversions. But there's more to mobile conversion optimisation than that.

- Use A/B testing to speed up your mobile landing page optimisation.
- Fine-tune your pop-ups and opt-in forms for smaller display sizes.
- Design landing pages with touch controls, particularly swiping, in mind.
- Use social media features like shoppable stickers and Facebook buy buttons.
- Simplify your navigation elements so they don't disrupt the user experience.

## **Mobile marketing trends for 2022**

To put together a winning[ content development](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-development-the-ultimate-guide/) game plan for your business, you need to be aware of the top mobile marketing trends that brands use.

1. **Streaming to connect with millennials:** When watching live videos,[ 56 percent](https://pipewolfmedia.com.au/10-live-streaming-statistics-that-will-surprise-you/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) of millennials choose to do it on a mobile device.
2. **Selling on shopping apps**: With more users shopping online, brands should consider creating merchant accounts on apps like Wish and Amazon.
3. **Influencer marketing is more important than ever:** Partnering with influencers on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram is still a great way to promote a brand.
4. **Mobile-first approach is here to stay:** The dominance of mobile devices over desktops means marketers should stick with a mobile-first approach in terms of SEO.

## **Fire up winning mobile marketing campaigns now**

Running high-performing mobile marketing campaigns is one of our specialties. If you're looking to explore your lead generation and sales initiatives through mobile content marketing, then [contact me now for a free consultation](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/digital-marketing-consulting/).
### 11 FREE and Low-Cost Marketing Strategy Ideas for Any Business
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/low-cost-marketing-strategy/
Last updated: 2025-02-17T11:33:08.000Z
What if I told you that a low-cost marketing strategy ***could*** outdo big-budget marketing campaigns?

Okay-maybe not all the time. But it is possible.

The intro here is important but [click here if you'd like to skip straight to the ideas](https://mattjanaway.co.uk/low-cost-marketing-strategy?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk#10-low-cost-marketing-strategy-ideas-for-brands).

Here's the thing: Your potential customers couldn't care less if your spokesperson is [Marques Brownlee](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marques%5FBrownlee?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) or even [Oprah Winfrey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oprah%5FWinfrey?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) if none of the things they say resonate with your customers.‌‌‌‌For example, Oprah can spend hours upon hours promoting the best hair clippers for dogs ever known to humanity.

But if it's promoted to people with pet snakes, it won't generate sales.

No matter how awesome, the dog hair clippers are irrelevant to most people who own snakes.

On the other hand, your [marketing campaigns](https://mattjanaway.co.uk/sme-marketing?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) can generate bucket loads of sales even if no one knows who you are. You just have to research, offer products that solve your target audience's problems, be mindful of your messaging, and price your products reasonably.

In fact, some of the most iconic campaigns in digital marketing history were by SMEs on a limited budget.

You've probably already seen some of them as they made waves all over social media platforms.

## Do low-cost marketing strategy ideas work?

Dollar Shave Club’s social media advertising campaign is a prime example of a successful low-cost marketing strategy.

Despite launching in 2012, many still consider their YouTube commercial to be one of the greatest ads of all time.

Fun fact: their video only cost [$4,500 and a single day](https://www.inc.com/magazine/201507/diana-ransom/how-youtube-crashed-our-website.html?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to make.

It shows—and it’s great. 

![Dollar Shave Club's viral YouTube commercial showcasing low-budget marketing success](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2022/05/10-FREE-and-Low-Cost-Marketing-Strategy-Ideas-for-Any-Business-Youtube.png)

*Image Source: YouTube.com*

Want another example of low-cost marketing strategies that skyrocketed a brand's online presence?

Let me ask you a question.

*“Will it blend?”*

If you immediately knew the reference, it proves how successful Blendtec's “Will It Blend” campaign is.

Each video in their campaign [only cost around $50](https://bettermarketing.pub/the-unintentional-genius-behind-will-it-blend-2b6272aeb668?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to make. Their first viral video, which spread like wildfire across social media channels, featured Tom Dickson blending 50 marbles.

Simple, intriguing, and pure marketing brilliance.

![Blendtec's 'Will It Blend?' campaign demonstrating effective low-cost marketing strategies](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2022/05/10-FREE-and-Low-Cost-Marketing-Strategy-Ideas-for-Any-Business-Youtube-Blendtec.png)

*Image Source: YouTube.com*

What made Blendtec's campaign particularly interesting is the fact that it was way ahead of its time.

They capitalised on short-form video content before platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels were a thing. This, in turn, allowed their videos to satisfy the demand for instant entertainment and reach potential customers.

Throughout the years, other businesses did their market research and attempted to replicate the success of viral brands.

Most of them weren't successful. But as low-budget marketing campaigns were launched left and right, patterns emerged, and “best practices” were identified.

## 11 low-cost marketing strategy ideas for brands

Here are some ideas that can help small businesses achieve massive growth on a limited marketing budget.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2025/02/1-2.png)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2025/02/2-1.png)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2025/02/3-1.png)

### 1\. Build a blog

Let's kick off this list with a free marketing tactic that any small business can do.

If your small business already has a website, starting a blog is a stepping stone toward generating free, organic traffic.

Publishing high-quality content on your blog will give your prospective customers a reason to come to your website. It can also help you to rank in search engine results and drive traffic to your virtual storefront.

Most importantly, a blog can help you showcase your business related expertise and build your brand identity. Establish yourself as an authority in your field while also increasing user engagement.

For small business owners, a blog is a search engine optimisation (SEO) powerhouse. With the right content strategy, your website can attract organic traffic, answer key customer questions, and become a trusted resource for your target audience.

Whether you're selling handcrafted soaps or running a local IT consultancy, ranking on Google can be the difference between a slow trickle of visitors and a steady stream of paying customers.

Websites like [Garden Lovers Club](https://blog.gardenloversclub.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) use their blog to reap these benefits.

![Garden Lovers Club blog as an example of using content marketing to drive organic traffic](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2022/05/10-FREE-and-Low-Cost-Marketing-Strategy-Ideas-for-Any-Business-Garden-Lovers-Club.png)

*Image Source: Garden Lovers Club*

Don't have the budget for a professional editorial team?

This is where automated proofreading tools like [Grammarly](https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?afftrack=&b=864277&m=26748&u=864476&urllink=&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) can step in.

It works by instantly detecting grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and readability issues in your write-ups. In addition, it allows your content team to apply suggested corrections in one click.

![Grammarly proofreading tool interface for enhancing blog content quality](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2022/05/10-FREE-and-Low-Cost-Marketing-Strategy-Ideas-for-Any-Business-Grammarly.png)

*Image Source: Grammarly.com*

Neat, right?

Here are a few additional tips to help you create a blog that generates traffic and generates loyal customers:

- **Build a user-centric** [**content development**](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-development-the-ultimate-guide/) **strategy.** First, you need to create a content strategy that aligns with your marketing goals AND your target audience’s needs. Plan blog posts that address their problems, provide practical advice and put your brand forward as the “shortcut” to success.
- **Follow up content creation with relentless promotion.** Your blog posts won’t promote themselves. Match content development with a promotion strategy that involves sharing on social media platforms, link building, and email marketing.
- **Use** [**content tracking**](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-tracking-ultimate-guide-with-tips-and-tricks/) **to improve your strategy over time.** To maximise your blog’s performance, you need to track your content and build on what works. Use tools like Google Analytics to monitor metrics like session duration, bounce rate, and scroll depth.

### 2\. Start microblogging

Blogging may cost little to nothing, but it is time-consuming and can take a while to pay off if done without expertise.

That's why you shouldn't rely on blogging alone to grow your small business. When you’re on a tight budget, or are small business owners you don’t always have time to create long-form content.

Microblogging is a specific type of blogging that involves publishing bite-sized posts and getting quick wins. You can do it using microblogging sites like Tumblr or your brand's social media accounts.

Twitter, for example, is perfect for publishing short text posts to engage existing customers and social media contests attract new ones. Even Instagram Threads can keep your social media presence alive without the heavy lift of full-length articles.

![Twitter login page with a 'Happening Now' banner and sign-up options for Google, Apple, and email](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2022/05/10-FREE-and-Low-Cost-Marketing-Strategy-Ideas-for-Any-Business-Twitter.png)

*Image Source: Twitter.com*

Microblogging can also be done via short-form video marketing channels. Some examples are Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts.

HubSpot's 2022 Marketing Industry Survey revealed that short-form videos are the [most effective](https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/short-form-video-trends?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) social media format in terms of ROI. The survey also found that 30% of marketers plan to increase their budget for short-term videos this year.

In addition, [TikTok has an engagement rate of over 7x higher](https://marketinglabs.co.uk/tiktok-for-marketing?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) than the next best social media engagement platform.

Creating short-form videos has numerous advantages for small businesses.

Not only are they easy to make, but they're also perfect for publishing simple and cost-effective daily videos that reel in new customers. Stay consistent and aligning posts with current industry trends.

Brands don't need to spend a fortune on video recording equipment. They can utilise built-in features like filters, voiceovers, and background effects to create eye-catching videos using their smartphones.

![Mobile screen showing a video editing interface with a keyboard and text document, featuring a record button for adding sound.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2022/05/10-FREE-and-Low-Cost-Marketing-Strategy-Ideas-for-Any-Business-TikTok.png)

*Image Source: TikTok.com*

Below are a few tips that will help you create engaging short-form videos to generate loyal customers:

- **Get straight to the point**. Short-form videos that rack thousands or even millions of views don't have lengthy, pointless intros. If you're creating one, jump straight to the question or drop a thought-provoking line that introduces your post's topic.
- **Plan your posting schedule**. Platforms like TikTok and YouTube Shorts let you schedule your post to a specific publishing time. Use it to publish videos during your audience's most active hours.
- **Use a mix of authentic and branded posts**.With short-form videos, brands can post videos on just about anything-from company huddles to daily commutes. However, they should also publish informative videos that offer helpful information, like instructional videos and product demos.

If you need fantastic content for your video marketing efforts, at a good price, I recommend the guys at [Kimp](https://kimp.io/?partner=Janaway&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). Their dedicated video production team is more than capable of creating captivating videos in a couple of days, all for a small, fixed monthly fee for **unlimited videos per month**.

### 3\. Leverage user-generated content

If your brand isn't new, chances are you have loads of user-generated content floating around on social media sites and online forums.

User-generated content, or UGC, lets you leverage word of mouth to promote your business. This includes product reviews, post comments, and social media posts with your product in them. You can use social media listening tools like [Brand24](https://brand24.grsm.io/ldnegdy08qw8?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to scoop up UGC about your brand from all over the web.

Encourage users to share their experiences, tag your brand, and leave reviews on online directories like Yelp, Google My Business, and Trustpilot can help new customers find and trust your business faster. In the digital world, authenticity sells.

![Brand24 homepage showcasing online reputation management tools for tracking brand mentions across social media, news, and reviews.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2022/05/10-FREE-and-Low-Cost-Marketing-Strategy-Ideas-for-Any-Business-Brand24.png)

*Image Source: Brand24*

If you're active on social media, you can also look for user posts and reviews using the built-in search tool. Every time a happy customer shares a review, photo, or story about your product, that’s free content marketing working in your favor.

Encouraging more UGC helps increase brand awareness organically. You can even take it a step further by analyzing common themes in user feedback and using data analysis to refine your messaging.

By proving your solutions work for existing customers, UGC can help you generate leads for business growth and attract potential clients or customers. And since they're published through your customers' channels, they will also help your brand reach a larger audience.

Feel free to share or link to positive UGC on your brand's official channels.

Just be careful when taking screenshots or copy-pasting UGC into your website. In doing so, you could be violating a review site's Terms of Service.

### 4\. Automate review request emails

Speaking of UGC, an easy and low-cost way to generate more is to automate review request emails.

Free email marketing platforms like Mailchimp have pre-built automation workflows you can use for this.

More customer reviews mean better visibility in Google Ads and paid search rankings, but the real value comes from trust.

![Mailchimp interface showing an automated email workflow to encourage customers to leave online reviews after a purchase.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2022/05/10-FREE-and-Low-Cost-Marketing-Strategy-Ideas-for-Any-Business-Mailchimp.png)

*Image Source: Mailchimp.com*

Remember to incentivise the reviewing process by offering freebies, discounts, and other valuable resources. If your customers had a good time with your product or their buying experience, they should be willing to write something.

When it comes to local businesses, local search visibility is a game-changer. A well-placed, five-star review could be the nudge a potential customer needs to visit your store instead of your competitor’s.

The best part is that your business owns the customer reviews that you have generated yourself. That means you're free to copy and feature them on your product pages or “testimonials” page and your social media profiles.

### 5\. Run social media contests

If there’s one thing that’s almost guaranteed to work in stirring [content engagement](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-engagement-field-guide-how-to-create-content-that-gets-clicks/):

**Free stuff.**

People love a good giveaway. You just need to develop simple and frictionless contest mechanics that will encourage participation. From flash mobs to viral challenges, these tactics spark conversation and drive user engagement in ways that traditional advertising can’t.

Don't require your audience to fill out elaborate forms or enter their contact information. Rather, require only actions that can be done without leaving the social media app.

![Instagram giveaway post by Ridge Wallet with contest mechanics and engagement strategies for boosting brand awareness.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2022/05/10-FREE-and-Low-Cost-Marketing-Strategy-Ideas-for-Any-Business-Instagram-Ridgewallet.png)

*Image Source: Instagram.com, @ridgewallet*

Aside from simple giveaways, you can run other contests that are completely free for your audience to participate in for building awareness and growing your audience. Think unexpected, unconventional, and attention-grabbing:

- **Caption contests**. Invite your audience to write funny captions to your social media photos. Pick the winner simply by looking for the best caption.
- **Trivia questions**.Reward your most loyal followers by asking trivia questions about your brand. You can pick multiple winners depending on your budget.
- **Hashtag contests**.If your goal is to gather UGC, ask your audience to upload posts about your product using a branded hashtag. You can quickly scan entries by entering the hashtag in the social media app's search tool. You can even pull these hashtags into your website.
- **Guerilla Marketing Tactics.** Whether it’s sidewalk chalk ads, flash mobs, or viral TikTok challenges, the best guerilla campaigns don’t just sell-they get people talking.

### 6\. Promote branded content on Instagram

When I say “branded content,” I'm not just referring to posts with your brand's name and logo.

On Instagram, branded content refers to posts promoted by influencers on Instagram. This includes sponsored posts and images that tag your products.

In most campaigns, influencers tag their local business groups or partner using the “paid partnership” tag.

![Instagram influencer post promoting Gordon’s Gin with a ‘paid partnership’ tag, highlighting branded content strategies.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2022/05/10-FREE-and-Low-Cost-Marketing-Strategy-Ideas-for-Any-Business-Instagram-Elisandra-Lima.png)

*Image Source: Instagram.com, @elisandralima*

Business accounts on Instagram can use branded content tools to galvanise their social media and strong online presence.

For example, you can enable automatic approval of branded posts from users. If you only want specific influencers to promote your branded content, you can also create your own creator whitelist.

### 7\. Create your Google My Business account

If your business has a physical location, creating a free [Google My Business](https://google.com/business?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) account is a no-brainer.

![Google My Business profile example for a local electrician, showing how businesses can increase visibility on Google Search and Maps.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2022/05/10-FREE-and-Low-Cost-Marketing-Strategy-Ideas-for-Any-Business-Google-Business.png)

*Image Source: Google.com/business*

By entering accurate and comprehensive company information, Google My Business will help you appear in lucrative “near me” searches on search engines. This is great for local businesses that need to attract more foot traffic and, ultimately, paying customers.

![Google My Business listing showing graphic design agencies appearing in local 'near me' searches for increased visibility.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2022/05/10-FREE-and-Low-Cost-Marketing-Strategy-Ideas-for-Any-Business-Google.png)

*Image Source: Google.com*

### 8\. Hop into TikTok trends

TikTok is another short-form video platform that can help brands connect with prospective customers.

Apart from the variety of easy-to-use video editing tools, TikTok also makes trend watching an absolute breeze. On the app's “Discover” page, brands can find and immediately jump into trending hashtags, sounds, effects, and filters.

![TikTok Discover page highlighting trending hashtags, sounds, and challenges for brands to join and boost engagement.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2022/05/10-FREE-and-Low-Cost-Marketing-Strategy-Ideas-for-Any-Business-TikTok-Trends.png)

*Image Source: TikTok.com*

Remember, participating in TikTok trends has zero cost. It is affordable marketing and will also improve your brand's visibility to TikTok users who are exploring the discover page.

### 9\. Repurpose old content into infographics and promote them on Pinterest

Pinterest is an underrated traffic generation platform for small businesses.

It's perfect for spreading infographics that promote your brand to a broader audience.

The good news is, you can probably publish your first infographic on Pinterest today-no graphic designer needed.

You just need to repurpose information from your existing blog posts and use [Canva](https://partner.canva.com/GjoPML?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to piece your infographic together.

Canva has loads of professionally-made templates to help you whip up something pin-worthy in minutes. Not to mention that the tool's drag-and-drop editor makes it easy even for non-designers to customise infographics.

![Canva interface displaying infographic templates for content creation and visual marketing strategies.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2022/05/10-FREE-and-Low-Cost-Marketing-Strategy-Ideas-for-Any-Business-Canva.png)

*Image Source: Canva.com*

### 10\. Offering discount codes for referrals

An excellent strategy for advertising discount codes is to add referral marketing to the mix.

The plan is simple: come up with a special offer and make it redeemable to customers who refer a friend.

There's no need to invest in an elaborate tool to run such a promotion. Simply promote it on social media, ask users to tag someone, and send the code via direct messaging or email.

### **11\. Industry Conferences**

Nothing beats good old-fashioned face-to-face connections. Attending industry conferences is one of the most underrated ways to build brand awareness and find your next business partner.

These events put you in the same room with decision-makers, influencers, and potential clients who would otherwise take months to reach online. Learn from leaders, and get inspired by emerging industry trends.

## 5 myths about low-cost marketing strategies

Don't let the myths about low-cost marketing tools and strategies prevent you from generating loads of site traffic, engagement, leads, or even sales.

Below are 5 myths about low-cost marketing strategies.

### 1\. TikTok, Instagram, and Pinterest are only for B2C

It doesn't matter if you're a [B2B SEO agency](https://mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-choose-the-best-b2b-seo-agency-a-comprehensive-guide?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) or an SaaS provider. You shouldn't write off TikTok, Pinterest, and Instagram in your next social media strategy and marketing plan.

These platforms may not be teeming with B2B clients in the middle of their buying process. There are, however, other users connected to your potential clients on other platforms.

If you focus on publishing share-worthy posts, you'll create a ripple effect that will eventually reach your target B2B audience.

### 2\. You need an in-house marketing team to succeed

The biggest brands in the world may boast their own team of marketing professionals. However, you don't need to match their investment to compete or even outperform them.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, creativity matters more than budget. It's all about being in tune with the pulse of social media and aligning your strategy with your audience's preferences.

Unlike PPC advertising, which requires ongoing spend and constant optimization, these low-budget marketing strategies help you boost sales without draining your budget-just a little creativity and effort can go a long way.

### 3\. Advertising is only good for short-term results

The long-term value of your advertising campaigns will depend on how you handle the goal-setting process.

For example, if you're running a Facebook advertising campaign, don't be tunnel-visioned on how to increase sales. Aim for other forms of engagement like writing reviews, subscribing to your newsletter, or following you on social media.

Advertising done well will permanently increase your brand's reach. You can then leverage that reach to maximise the success of your future campaigns.

## Don't have time to develop your own marketing strategy?

It's true that you don't always need deep pockets to run a successful digital marketing campaign.

You do, however, need to input a lot of time into planning your strategy. We can work together on this. If you need assistance or have any questions at all about digital marketing, don't hesitate to [reach out to me here](https://mattjanaway.co.uk/contact?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).
### Mobile Conversion Optimisation Best Practices (2025)
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/mobile-conversion-optimization-best-practices/
Last updated: 2025-02-17T20:44:38.000Z
Are you disillusioned with the conversion performance of your mobile traffic? Mobile conversion optimisation can potentially fix that issue. I'll take a deep dive into how it works and provide some useful tips.

If you want to turn your mobile visitors into paying customers, you must focus on **mobile conversion optimisation*.*

Mobile devices have been one of the catalysts for the rapid rise of eCommerce in recent years.

According to Statista, in 2021, mobile users accounted for [72.9% of eCommerce sales](https://www.statista.com/chart/13139/estimated-worldwide-mobile-e-commerce-sales/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)—translating to over 3.56 trillion dollars of revenue worldwide.

Unless you want your eCommerce store to be left out, you should include mobile conversion rate optimisation in your marketing strategy.

## What is mobile conversion optimisation?

If you have a website, you likely already have an idea of what mobile conversion rate optimisation is.

Mobile conversion rate optimisation, or mobile CRO, aims to increase the likelihood of turning mobile visitors into leads or customers.

It focuses on helping you convert the success of your mobile marketing efforts into results that benefit your bottom line.

Let's say you have an online store that's accessible from a mobile device. Your main objective with mobile conversion rate optimisation is to increase sales, upsells, and repeat customers through your mobile site.

Of course, not all mobile conversion goals are tied to sales.

A mobile conversion might also happen when a user subscribes to your newsletter, downloads your eBook, fills out a contact form or registers for your webinar.

Whatever your business goals are, mobile conversion optimisation will help you achieve them.

## Mobile conversion optimisation best practices for 2025

Now that I'm done with the introductions, it's time for some actionable tips.

Below are five proven conversion rate optimisation strategies that will allow you to drive sales through mobile:

### 1\. Have a mobile-first approach when designing forms and pages

It's time to face the facts: Mobile users now make up the majority of all internet traffic.

Many businesses and online services, including Google, have already adopted a [mobile-first mindset](https://developers.google.com/search/mobile-sites/mobile-first-indexing?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) (read my commentary on [Google's 2016 announcement here](https://www.smartinsights.com/search-engine-optimisation-seo/mobile-seo/googles-mobile-index-will-change-seo-2017/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)). This time, it's your turn to do it—starting with mobile landing page optimisation.

When using a landing page or form builder, use your editor's mobile view feature.

For example, when using Elementor for WordPress, you can easily switch to your mobile site view by clicking **'Responsive Mode.'**

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/inpB3or1T0C9h3Wyv_L5AjqiKKkI8YAXk1RCnihVMz8eZo5wrUPdBZI1JmGerhnxlCtUt-7mgLbOYXRAqxDy_zULXoBv5taGbKhL45ruBk5ncV_yC0eYWleK0OdyZXxj_P5-ZTvA)

Image source: Elementor.com

Upon switching to this view, the editor should now show what your page looks like on mobile screens.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/4mUoueRI2fjOF99KWZ6kj6uCGIKIVO0JkwfCEBkdDcNltv1IzxfnHop84pH9TYzBEEP5qWUYeipq79FdkvVCAMHJ5Xlk0vU9J6WOlOybEjt5SmjJTjvbdFBuAUAg1C7eYxPycAR4)

Image source: Elementor.com

Designing pages and forms with mobile phones in mind allows you to better optimise the experience of mobile users. As opposed to customising the mobile version of your desktop site, a mobile-first strategy leads to higher mobile conversion rates.

Going mobile-first also means prioritising the experience of mobile users, stretching all the way back to keyword research. Tools like [SEMrush](https://semrush.sjv.io/Aokxv7?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) now allow you to focus on finding mobile keywords to make sure users don't have inaccurate expectations from your content.

### 2\. Make sure conversion elements are accessible

You'll have difficulty converting mobile shoppers if your "buy" buttons are copied from your desktop site.

Even with a mobile-responsive design, there's a chance that conversion elements—from buttons to links—are packed too close together, making them harder to click or tap on a mobile device.

As a rule of thumb, create conversion elements that are large enough to be comfortably tapped with users' thumbs. A good strategy is to let them occupy an entire row of your mobile site.

For example, check out how eBay displays product pages:

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/Cba5HUZyDbW5JMT3HZ5jbcTvdjdID8IrULs1li4zgIvZZCHGzRcK0MxhcyWWTC-cSwrBWajzphhUtCmwEgh4Q3LFYAMZucBdjhexXLjL264eWsBqBAYDMqP90aezriRcw31HNv97)

Image source: eBay.com

Having entire rows allotted for conversion elements is also helpful if your mobile site pages have multiple options. This will make it easier to tap the correct elements.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/5W4UbZoJnLIe_sfxCClMHqKsro99kEFLpq2cMqFHCmHuiw3MgD7j353TfriCbvfM1JeOljLxVO64cuC3Df4VZRBS20t2Px7dZVYweac3FFqXolkJAYbZ5lC9G_nl47LNlX5CQnZn)

Image source: DollarShaveClub.com

Want a better way to create visual conversion elements?

You can create optimised images for mobile using a graphic design tool like [Canva](https://partner.canva.com/GjoPML?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). Its drag-and-drop interface allows you to create fantastic product images with overlays, text, and filters.

It also comes with the "Background Remover" effect, making it easier to create professional-quality product photos.

### 3\. Enable social logins

Most users already have their social media accounts logged in on their mobile devices.

To create a seamless experience, consider allowing them to sign up or make purchases using these accounts. Doing so will drastically simplify the process of purchasing and encourage more mobile conversions.

Enabling social logins is one of the growing mobile marketing trends that brands like Adobe follow.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/YtIO8zt2sfDNrssFMgc_Idgy_SrshhlQMV2A-ulTlZzi-4FpiCqjD4w5HKWcYbwIYbjy2Biqg9pewsef4BF_kkbyy7j-trnGDYDhvqeCOejhjjLZz6KXjxJzYq0OKcJhnHq3MtVN)

Image source: Adobe.com

Tip: If your website runs on WordPress, you can easily implement this feature using a social login plugin.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/FRROmSkKNYV05Uj2evbv9LSC79VNTIXTN75qHDg1wsvgdqJnuqGq9qi12YqkRp9aUJtnbvSgAM8iSiMZ7_FT-flJqBTzU-528efIrnrA7nZwBjw13k5iBZV6E-bsnzil-AA7q_we)

Image source: WordPress.org

### 4\. Create multi-step conversion experiences

For desktop users, filling an entire form with multiple fields on a single web page is easy. But for mobile visitors, it can be a nightmare.

For example, Apple is supposed to be a brand at the forefront of design when it comes to accessibility. However, filling up forms on their mobile site can be intimidating.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/tByovjXYQlsoQ-Ue_f9cLyF8tU1lpQfcdpUEV_OsCxgeSWbs1r2Ml8M3KPXk5Xm1Mwb0N1MaglQRAhhSWsJHasit2tXBAkfj_a9HaqyLMuSS7eeixM3FtW7Bxb-MB3sRzGG9-cRA)

Image source: Apple.com

Consider using a multi-step strategy to make the conversion experience more inviting to users.

You can take a page from Indeed's book and start with a single step to kick off the conversion experience.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/vsD7w-mEyvVSG8PfAEpoMiUrMzHaQghFrXigtZD_dXwJRPBOqietweokW3yS8Ycon0GcSDWksaq5-z-bex_aLMbItpQNF7uNR679qpGQXYXTGBlZ_NAXAOKxDPizW2dbK0Fzg0p0)

Image source: Indeed.com

The registration process can then be completed on the next page. And while Indeed requires users to solve a CAPTCHA, the test is highly simplistic and doable even on mobile devices.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/qemIjQpjbSqlBSW0Jdgz9MF5x7v9QRKT43rrTpxiiMclF0mnWLcmWNZk76YmyTnd135pYtjTk1SvsogwW2HyBujQnhkeKNblqyNi4OxP4I-OCHE3MNxxGOWW8ualtvgXE8uJop0P)

### 5\. Optimise your site's mobile performance

Page loading speed is imperative to conversion rate optimisation, especially for mobile sites.

Remember, you lose roughly[ 53% of your traffic](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/9238823?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) if your mobile site takes over 3 seconds to load. That's over half of your potential customers leaving simply because your mobile website isn't fast enough.

As such, mobile optimisation should include page speed optimisation. And more often than not, this requires the right tools and services to be done effectively.

## Three top CRO tools

Speaking of tools, here are three helpful CRO tools that can help you secure more conversions on the mobile version of your site:

### 1\. Google Optimize

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/yvou6FX3JzR_N_0oS8I0V6deOzgZ4v-kOobcA4uKPCQd_-1WDPon0rwUy9H0u0T1G5SbWxI719Udjpr9HWnGtPaWEVgjQ9-K-U-HOiw_9msoW6voKvwiTZ3Rp_ImxAJ4SCbPBH9U)

Image source: Optimize.Google.com

[Google Optimize](https://optimize.google.com/optimize/home/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is an experience optimisation tool that focuses on A/B or split testing.

You can use it to create multiple versions of mobile web pages and compare their performance side by side.

### 2\. Google Analytics

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/yAyXBjaTV_xVYOJpiG6G4SJN_9L3v-oZ14jr4ZW1gO1j7IpJy5iqve_sWTTUfO2jLEdj-D8veips-dueXBJB75zafj5cYQQMei1pqWPH0fcwa93q5ewZXBpd1m3FtVjBA1k_ZARp)

Image source: Analytics.Google.com

[Google Analytics](https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is a must-have tool if you want to scale your mobile content strategy and track conversions.

It will give you a complete view of the performance of your mobile website. You can identify your top pages, track engagement metrics, as well as monitor conversion goals—from page visits to sales.

### 3\. PageSpeed Insights

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/FuKFD0i6jmBKGDePeW6_TgaXIJrpLntUBYKLbGx0uo93HgaryVWvaWEJdW2u8R93g3gYLgfgkYIAIMM2hpROdTdXbNjXsHk_RHgIUgNn9x2NSZaLZWtR75UThCbGGD1L3DnpGMAo)

Image source: PageSpeed.web.dev

To help optimise the loading speed of your mobile site [PageSpeed Insights](https://pagespeed.web.dev/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) will identify performance-related issues for you.

More importantly, the tool will provide you with a list of optimisation suggestions along with a wealth of resources.

## Give mobile conversion optimisation serious thought

Mobile CRO is something every brand should put effort into, especially in the modern digital world.

With so much at stake, handling it by yourself can be daunting so I'm always here to help you improve the conversion rate on your mobile website, should you need help.

Take the first step today by [booking a free consultation here](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/digital-marketing-consulting/).
### Content Research: The Ultimate Guide
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-research-the-ultimate-guide/
Last updated: 2022-03-21T08:35:00.000Z
Welcome to my ultimate guide on how to conduct **content research**.

If you keep running out of content ideas and you’re tired of spending countless hours doing content research, then you’ll hopefully love this post.

I’ll cover proven strategies for conducting content research, creating content, and some best practices that you need to consider to produce a winning content marketing campaign.

But first, let’s talk about the basics.

## What is content research?

From a birdseye view, content research is about analysing content ideas, brainstorming topics, and developing a winning content strategy for your content marketing campaign.

It sounds easy, but it isn’t.

After all, you can’t just come up with topics out of thin air.

You need to learn a slew of tools, techniques, and best practices to produce successful content.

You can’t rely on hunches or gut feelings. You need a data-driven approach to discover content ideas that will help achieve your content marketing goals.

Remember, it’s not enough to create content that will bring visitors to your website. You need in-depth, authoritative content ideas that will establish your brand as a trusted information source in your industry.

You also need content ideas that will impact your bottom line by turning readers into qualified leads.

Those are the ideas that proper content research will get you.

Aside from how interesting a topic sounds, you also need to look at a number of things:

- ****Content relevance.** How can your content help your audience reach their goals?
- ****Topic popularity.** How much traffic can you gain by writing about a topic?
- ****Keyword strategy.** What are the keywords you’ll weave into your content idea?
- ****Competition.** How can you outperform existing content from competitors?
- ****Seasonality.** When is the best time to create and publish your content?
- ****Content formats.** What are the most sought-after content types for your topic?

Now that you have a better grasp of content research, let’s jump into the good stuff.

## How to do conduct content research

There are several things you can do to find click-worthy ideas for your [digital content strategy](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/tips-for-building-an-amazing-content-marketing-strategy/).

### 1\. Obtain ideas through keyword research

Keyword research tools provide you with profitable keyword opportunities for content marketing.

With just a touch of creativity, you can turn long-tail keywords into potential content ideas that can magnetise readers.

For this, I recommend using a keyword research tool that also reveals crucial keyword metrics. This way, you can discover content ideas along with viable target keywords in one place.

The Keyword Magic Tool from [SEMrush](https://semrush.sjv.io/Aokxv7?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is perfect for this job.

To use it, start with any seed keyword relevant to your niche.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/WdJQVU6fU3P-mCChUIbLgICMOcdui--dkgfo39iYuSCBP5GmQ5gWhOOh6iQDQE1eNAoBQQL5JS8WANwdR00y1c9yMgEChNONTeApQe3GTew81w9lvONqf63p2SzRaY7D1ArgrCyT)

Let’s say you’re in the home security business.

Upon entering the seed keyword “home security,” SEMrush will immediately provide you with the following keyword suggestions.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/BTVREUwOgcLVZbXZ0-1scOeKMMOIiILzm8Zb6PrztTyWqt9AK0pzXtDG15-59Nxj5_wmkv-6M8LjZxt0ZFivawT4H8Fx1aoV50hdAog3ztp2PWgZLJABO9DAykI3c-6em0hnrKQI)

Right off the bat, you can find keywords that can be fashioned into content topics.

For example, “best home security camera” can be a listicle article called “The Top 10 Best Home Security Camera Products in 2022.”

That’s not all.

Clicking on any keyword suggestion will reveal even more related keywords that can be used for content ideation.

You can also click **‘Questions’** in the filters bar to find question-based keywords. These keywords are usually good enough as content topics by themselves.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/kpDnmVWbiz-cQWi1EfGEr96-vj1Ib0PecAk9cfh5pAwblWUZHbrpsxQ7vvkWCxgKQKiFL10ngW0_FH6yubGzoEyvTl9rvPy7HAOkh5STT-0gsg2pzs4xf3E7H3CKXlZiedVyY1RW)

You can also use filters to include keywords that you normally find in content topics.

To do this, click **‘Include keywords,’** select **‘Any keywords,’** and enter words like “how-to,” “best,” and “tutorial.”

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/ulIgGxRjFeTQB2Z9nm_JoFaJayTLrhWPUVbhgEHdcru5p1ULS3F7kBShz2zX9RYbV6ATJUx4GA3eqiyzk4YR30VMNalG8JSaLODBniRZ-fm484Jb5l54Jy9pwhEN22AoWrAsLJ7Y)

Click **‘Apply’** to reveal keyword ideas that contain any of the terms you’ve entered.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/FrTdLU3CUky4QedpZfftyAcicShwr53f9_LzXKfhpPJma3m2A2Q4soQk-3xYtHCq5oKXQVgkZ5AcCsUSyMPqS71vPQjLhQ6C7VQO-IdrfTBWQ_7DM_peDlRZRlb9lUWhcTIoWnLO)

There you go—more content ideas.

Please take note, I only used ONE seed keyword. Change up your seed keyword a little, and you’ll have dozens of potential content ideas waiting for you!

Want to know the best part?

When using a keyword research tool like SEMrush, you can check whether people are looking for the topics that you are planning on tackling. After all, what is digital content if there’s no one around to see it?

Alongside most keyword data is information about the average search volume for each keyword.

The bigger the volume, the more organic traffic you can potentially gain. That is if you know [how to do SEO](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/the-ultimate-guide-to-seo-in-2021/) right. But also, the more competitive it could be to rank for. 

### 2\. Find questions that your target readers are asking

Using a keyword research tool isn’t the only way to unearth content ideas using your target audience’s questions.

[AnswerThePublic](http://answerthepublic.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), for one, cuts to the chase and provides you with a collection of question-based content ideas—and more.

It works by sifting through autocomplete data from search engines to identify helpful content topics.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/YXgO84ag0FAu40a8gZUINOa50FQmz9fADvZgODAliHrWxWDviOtI2Lr_0qiWmLt3UbqPhrSOrO73anO51yNXd38p10aSYokCQp7yXHsij5HpVMNL2OwWvcO8Hh3sqhG1paVdHETO)

The fun thing about AnswerThePublic is that it doesn’t just present you with an ordinary list. Instead, it shows you a web of content ideas based on questions that people ask online, and a hierarchy of questions and sub-questions. 

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/G0u-7coN9gg2JlXV9cSHdr-ZmWOYoc6sk9Rtue7vOV9abIjG9klxRpRooETzDMrRlFt9HasXNe4KirVOMnVGQBD0cyKjTbHAs040MUUVtV_MPEyyV8PIccwhrleIPcXzYaMnZdqg)

Easy, right?

You can practically fire up AnswerThePublic and walk away with a month’s worth of content ideas.

There’s also a separate list of content ideas based around prepositions, like “for,” “with,” and “without.”

Here’s what this list looks like if you switch to the **‘Data’** viewing mode:

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/1Cm-qP3JOyzeXJ3bHet-D_SqbBDOKJJerpftZMv1dPHMR0B0s_AqKYYZOgUZJXpnqLAJqFguA9oTF4RyPuf8geLMVfos9nyctr-1xx5XEV4vaTRtYmK1Z95EpjEhGWSfj5Pek1GS)

Again, these are just the results for one seed keyword.

We’re only two content research techniques in. But with all the ideas we’ve pulled out so far, you’ll pretty much never run out of content resources.

However, we still have a lot to unpack.

### 3\. Comb through online communities and groups

The internet has no shortage of content writing resources.

Social media platforms and online communities, for instance, may not look helpful for content research on the surface. But with the right tactics, they can provide you with a wealth of valuable information for your content strategy.

Why don’t you go ahead and do some light Reddit reading for a few minutes? Of course, you need to browse subreddits that are relevant to your business.

Tell me, what can you find?

I’ll give you a hint: **people looking for answers.**

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/QFNUkPcJaau2Zc9j_QvmL3iiVNHMvjNJ2B8erWnRQ-Al-FSoKDw5x5EZyx1v09gaVp6KS8e_-Xzg0hmK3BUi51pQKOIGbQFHvq6ohw72BZvGQDG9qpExoh8XAPiqK6TlG1k8saWK)

You can dissect posts like this to find content ideas you can cover.

For example, in the screenshot above, you can come up with the following content topics:

- “Best multi-camera home security system”
- “Benefits of motion alerts in a home security system”
- “Wired vs wireless home security systems: which one should you choose?”
- “Does your home security need motion alerts and night vision?”

You can also look for valuable content ideas by joining groups and communities.

This way, you can observe your target audience’s pain points in a way you’ve never seen before. That’s why entrepreneurs are likely to check out [Reddit business ideas](https://www.reddit.com/r/smallbusiness/comments/ajerhj/your%5Fbest%5Fbusiness%5Fideas%5Fwith%5F1k%5F5k%5F10k%5F20%5F50k%5Fto/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) as well.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/sbV9Nk3Z8ZvQhOYx3HQrl41rT7EcEaZhCvDjOqlFJTpGXx2A3oovUSQK6uc9822lIXMoQnyywvhAjPPd_GaM4zjF6CZkRSi4gB1SUonLeQ6XLQRIc3DG65JVRJ5Tenm_Pfik109l)

Apart from Reddit, below are a few other sites you can scour for lucrative content ideas:

- LinkedIn
- Quora
- Facebook

### 4\. Check out your competitors

If there’s someone in your network who’s already doing well with their content marketing efforts, it’s most likely your top competitor.

They likely wouldn’t be enjoying the level of success they have if they didn’t know how to create winning content.

The good news is there’s a way to take advantage and piggy-back on your competitor’s content marketing strategy.

Using platforms with competitive analysis features, like [Raven Tools](https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?afftrack=&b=40&m=47&u=864476&urllink=&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), you can effortlessly unveil their top-performing content.

From the dashboard, simply head to **‘Competitor Research’** and select **‘Domain Research Central.’**

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/EPl5jDk4HcjMCnf9bA1NSGiE_eGWQretoSLjABi7NIO_UCLs0cJfWcQiTlymgewe7iJRftzR_UI-VWJdO8PqfXui96m_joGLgNZhOJOKQDRCK69OMBNllTqyjsLLjZVkBjXCkCRH)

The next step is to enter your competitor’s website URL and then jump to **‘Pages.’**

You should see a list of your competitor’s top content—feel free to “borrow” their content ideas.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/FRdnrT7VRTWXzKAit2jUbc1icuID05eXVWtIgEGPhdlNvCwWgT5nybelapAyigsrbq5WelAScuRibD4XRMrqZfspVjgXbQxKVGg0s7f8VBBIEnjMOHdfKJ-mwtqP7bvzTdRJlfjn)

Platforms like Raven Tools can give you backdoor access to your biggest competitors’ content strategy.

Here’s the kicker: you can click on each piece of content to have a closer look.

In doing so, you can take your own research further by analysing how your top competitors build their content, and, crucially, **how to make yours better**.

Remember, borrowing web content ideas from competitors isn’t effective UNLESS you can make your content better.

Pay attention to the following content aspects and plan how you’ll outshine competitors in each of them:

- ****Content length.** How can you make your content more comprehensive?
- ****Headings and subheadings.** Did your competitor miss anything important?
- ****Visual content strategy.** How can you insert more visual content in your blog post?
- ****Keyword usage.** How does your competitor weave keywords into their high-quality content? Are they using keywords that you aren’t?
- ****CTAs.** What calls-to-action does your competitor use?
- ****Other elements.** Does your competitor use a table of contents, video, podcast, or pop-ups?

### 5\. Don’t forget about Google

At this point, we’ve covered a handful of in-depth content research tips to help you generate lots of content ideas.

You should have a full tank of content ideas by now. Still, there’s more to go on.

Your top competitors probably have loads of content ideation strategies up their sleeves. And unless you can match their dedication, you’ll always be a step behind.

For now, let’s go back to basics and utilise one of the most potent content research tools in any brand’s arsenal: [Google](http://www.google.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Phf1ZnagqT9G1MjqRCR7ZezpfB8Uzo-2lpsjSDFv0RMO_EjFl4FbPbk6Sslz65yMYmNHzpw7Uy10Qb6b_uMehayIOBPoRkWF6fQlEmg9_wCGULLlypRCgVgw-4BKrzf0iPrVvmeO)

There are a couple of ways to use Google for content research.

First, there’s the autocomplete feature that automatically provides suggested queries.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/141vrNCc0JoAr8wM-JmXJ48s1I2g6PMY1azvtpCEqsc78RC-aD5nlvThD5xRGEIL8zJyuBBEtJFqS8BQxKdKJwAU_XMRsYeVeQEnB8e582r5binibRSy6pC7Xpgs6zY-Goa8D9Fy)

Second, you can take a look at the “People also ask” section for more specific, question-based searches.

Most of these suggestions are already useful as content titles. You need to add a few tweaks here and there to make them more aligned with your marketing objectives.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/FTTWVzAvkiAfI04NEOxof-FtKP0gwVlkvvw5i0Q6Q9_0UkMQWZUUMgUjDzMF3EsPqLC5iZEyQBXRu9FhLKLfXueqYOQyhkHjftPi07Vd8qaHE1ZUvrk1bLi8ogG8HaKbZUqHjC87)

At the bottom of the search results, you’ll find the “Related searches” section.

You can handpick the searches you can use as content ideas based on the relevance of the topic.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Wk6tLwq_6b7XiPMTvdh8Em0kbNdKSgCYGWf2nwtMNNalIjRqV_dOz0vdeVkUFrXtkEXbIixdWc0YELWgXMekufzC2eIZ1O1QqxrN-OoFZC9gQ0a9C2J679FCkdF80oLD_m_WunyJ)

Lastly, there are the actual search results themselves.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/yJm4nxKld6jWiflN4kYKbnkRxxovqh8_xNEyrg06V5O2M2wHuSupsvnOkHKtzADd1eOJHolMN00BaJg3l9ss9TbwaabHHeVCKOxguLt7_5vQPbKMauFJHuQLLFszXIEALlytnhQL)

Remember to do a quick reconnaissance of each page.

More often than not, one can easily identify parallels between the top 10 Google Search results. Identify the common denominators in all pieces to help you get higher rankings.

In relation to the example above, you can see that the top pages are mostly listicles. And upon closer inspection, you’ll also notice that the top results use a lot of visuals—from photos to videos.

### 6\. Look for trends and seasonal topics

One of my favourite secrets for writing: **mind your timing.**

There are certain times when the volume of readers looking for a specific topic increases compared to normal. You can capitalise on those trends to get a huge, short-term spike of traffic and raise brand awareness.

[Google Trends](https://trends.google.com/trends/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is—without question—one of the most popular tools for spotting trends.

It’s also straightforward to use. Simply enter a keyword or topic, and the tool will do the rest.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/1gJIcWvkh6ML0cbqKaDj89p6rLAXYCzVvl5LeFUOAAbUiO4-Kg1K9pdZRQtucMat-YBj0YjppIEPwGuL08HXTfZCbb9xFeaGg4kAxEmmEvcwgeZPKZcma1CL8zbQude8KFwgNgez)

At first, Google Trends will show you a chart representing the interest for the topic you entered over time.

But that’s not really what you’re after.

What you want can be found at the bottom of the page — right inside the “Related queries” panel.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/FctbSRlgX_o7C-uCxWUycs6t2Mf6Yi7u6zM_jmz0TNiRk9tneXs4pLVr1KYuNSsMlGuRPLWyVAfAJmeltmwfZVg3fkPSTXHo0x7xIshiPEPHpNp24ILNRZ_dRoGP_rZRmKYtO7k-)

What makes this list important is that it shows trending queries on Google.

The catch is, you need to cash in those ideas as soon as possible.

Trends tend to rise and fall. If you’re too slow, you may end up writing about something people are already fed up with.

Unless, of course, you’re [writing about a seasonal topic](https://www.business2community.com/blogging/can-blog-seasonal-topics-0631212?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

These are topics that routinely become popular during specific times of the year.

“Black Friday” is a great example of this, rising in popularity every November.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/L8pnwThpcXf-ihDCyTlCLDYsYe7xfixOVahlKrEQ_x_U64QlvX9FAu_hdau1frAaVZ4wc86nS0ueFT2z0KUQWvKe1hbfW-tzBCWWr47TaeCnfmNzSKEDIESZe0Gwxp7k6W5Ojkys)

## Content research FAQs

Before I wrap up this guide, allow me to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about content research.

### 1\. Why is content research important?

Content research not only supplies you with topic ideas. It also makes sure you create content that will help you achieve your marketing goals, like increasing web traffic or building brand authority.

### 2\. Do you need a content marketing consultant for research?

A content marketing consultant will definitely help you through the process of building a solid content strategy. Unless you can afford to spend days conducting content research yourself, hiring a consultant is usually the more efficient route.

### 3\. What type of content is best for SEO?

If you’re looking for content ideas to fuel your SEO strategy, you need to [create posts that can attract backlinks](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/good-bad/). This includes case studies, stat lists, infographics, and long-form, in-depth content.

### 4\. What are the best tools for competitor research?

The best tools for competitor research include comprehensive SEO platforms like [Raven Tools](https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?afftrack=&b=40&m=47&u=864476&urllink=&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), [Mangools](https://mangools.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk#a6116d8befeebf830a8d1cde9), and [SEMrush](https://semrush.sjv.io/Aokxv7?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). These tools can reveal vital information about your competitor’s strategy, like their keywords, top content, and link sources.

## Put your content research on steroids

Doing content research is a time-consuming affair—especially if you don’t have a clear process to follow.

Cut the time you spend on content research in half and run successful content marketing campaigns by using the tried and tested tips above.  
  
If you need help with content ideation, keyword research, and competitor analysis, I welcome [you to reach out](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/contact/).
### How to Choose the Best B2B SEO Agency: A Comprehensive Guide
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-choose-the-best-b2b-seo-agency-a-comprehensive-guide/
Last updated: 2022-03-19T22:23:25.000Z
Do you want more organic traffic? Are you sick and tired of paying monstrous amounts of money on paid ads?

If you answered "yes," then it's time to find a B2B SEO agency with a tried and tested SEO strategy that can bring you more traffic and potential customers.

Don't forget rule number one if you're ready to hire a ***B2B SEO agency***.

… Don't rush it.

The impact that an SEO agency can have on B2B companies is ***HUGE***. And I don't just mean a positive effect - there are risks too.

The right agency can bring thousands of organic, relevant, and long-term web traffic. They can also establish a brand's reputation as an authority. And last but not least, B2B SEO agencies can help skyrocket B2B revenue.

TL;DR: Be meticulous when looking for a B2B SEO agency—the role they play is uber important.

To help you find an SEO agency that provides reliable SEO services, let me first help you avoid the bogus ones.

## How to spot a poor B2B SEO agency

Other than promising guaranteed rankings, there are other red flags to watch out for when choosing a B2B SEO agency.

### 1\. Can't identify realistic search engine optimization (SEO) goals

A good SEO agency won't guarantee rankings.

However, they have the B2B SEO tools, staffing, and know-how to identify SEO opportunities and deliver real improvements.

Apart from that, they should also tell you about the work involved and the strategy. See that they can explain every step in detail without relying on SEO jargon. 

This brings us to the importance of having a clear B2B SEO strategy.

### 2\. No clear SEO roadmap strategy

A trustworthy SEO agency should be able to give you a clear and detailed roadmap of where your money will go.

Their SEO strategy should include short-term and long-term improvements for your website—on-page and off-page. Short-term in the world of SEO, though, is 6-12 months. Anyone telling you that you should see results quickly is likely to be untrustworthy. 

Remember, the recipe for B2B SEO success requires a bunch of ingredients, such as:

- Keyword research, planning and strategizing
- Content creation and optimization
- Link building
- Social presence to help with brand awareness
- User experience
- Content marketing
- Reputation management

If their SEO strategy only involves one of these ingredients, look somewhere else. There's a necessary time and place for each of these 'ingredients', and at various points throughout the SEO journey, each one might take a priority, but make sure your agency can provide support in all of these areas.

### 3\. Emails you out of nowhere

You could be reading this post because you received an email out of the blue from a stranger.

It could read something like this:

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/W6m4cyn-zpzqAXncmxKqj6NcODWAKTsJ1f653I2gU2SMOKXqFmQHrowEX8ier_xii1mkwidmQOFAjQBOIQr2aXIdRwqSOtX3m66Jih7DSZy-4TAqnCUtH-0bVK6dDaIyz_dY2Zpc)

You should notice quickly that the email above is spam.

The main worry is that they already have a 20-page SEO audit waiting for me.

No, real agencies don't just prepare in-depth SEO audits and send them via email for no reason. And while some agencies do offer free audits, you'll have to request one first. They can take anywhere from 8 hours to 160 hours to produce.

These 'audits' are generated by primarily free software and include a chunk of 'optimizations' that they claim will help you improve your website. In reality, they won't. 

For perspective, an audit from any decent SEO agency would cost you between £600 and £10,000 depending on what's involved, the size of your website and the complexities of your website platform. 

### 4\. No online presence

This sounds like a no-brainer, but if an SEO agency doesn't have any online presence, then they're most likely fake.

I'm talking about an official website and social media profiles, at least on LinkedIn.

Even if they have a social presence, do a closer inspection and look for trust signals, like:

- Testimonials or comments from previous SEO clients
- Reviews
- Valuable and informative content
- Real followers

### 5\. Low-quality writing

Lastly, please pay attention to their emails and posts on social media or their website.

You can quickly tell if an SEO agency is shoddy if they frequently make spelling and grammatical mistakes or they write in broken English.

Let's get one thing straight: to have a successful SEO campaign, you need nothing less than high-quality content.

The top B2B SEO service providers know this. That's why they always use precise grammar and spelling when speaking to prospects.

Imagine the quality of content they'll make for you if they can't deliver solid writing for their own communications.

## How to choose a B2B SEO agency

Now that you know what NOT to look for, let's talk about finding an SEO agency the right way.

### 1\. Ask the right questions

When talking to an SEO agency, it's essential to ask the right questions to determine their legitimacy.

Reliable SEO agencies should know how vital this stage is, especially for B2B prospects.

Here's a quick checklist of questions you should ask:

- What are the common SEO strategies you use to improve search engine rankings?
- How long have you been doing search engine optimization?
- What kind of results should I expect from your SEO services, and when can I expect them?
- Aside from standard SEO tools such as Google Analytics, what other SEO tools do you use and for what tasks?
- Can you tell me about your experience with past clients?
- What is your client retention rate?
- Can I speak to any of your clients?
- How can I track the changes made on my website?
- Can you tell me about the differences between B2B SEO and B2C SEO?
- What experience do you have with businesses in my industry?
- Do you work with multiple clients in any given industry/niche?

### 2\. Request a technical SEO audit

A technical SEO audit is crucial to the success of any SEO campaign.

This will help your agency establish baselines, map focus areas, build a goal-driven strategy, and track improvements. For clients (you), a thorough SEO audit can serve as reassurance that you're getting your money's worth.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/KU3v6D5yjcsEf9yd9lnqI91Xmw713bOj6vns842s6VIZ9iWyiPIXOaP-M5spY0X5rgjscq0adrzAF0-oinW1QHy-QKP7gCRyouhzvBPZNUOF8d-wUJSCBsstnkG-dv83BcjMOCcQ)

Most high-quality SEO agencies will either encourage an SEO audit before partnering with a business, or they'll use the first month or two of the relationship for auditing the website.

### 3\. Make sure they do most of their SEO in-house

An SEO agency that does everything in-house is usually a better bet.

But the sad reality is many SEO companies outsource essential tasks. This includes copywriting, email outreach, and content optimization.

While there's nothing wrong with outsourcing itself, an SEO agency should be transparent about it. This shows that they're confident in their talent pool and their capacity for success—in-house or not.

If they do outsource, you should also complete some due diligence on the individuals or companies they outsource to. 

### 4\. Get to know the team

Regardless of whether they outsource small tasks, [a good SEO agency should be proud of the people in their team](https://marketinglabs.co.uk/services/digital-marketing/seo/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/phWPpIo5TLFOv2BQ8IxAvRl_y2WAs4MKgORPfW59fsQd4ddmtrme-rMv2mPBj_vf-QV3TiehxQdzupu1Tl2ejWFOJCka6iZA8oGm-gokrqQRCYxCjsg4BjcaYUVCb9SPNqhEW34G)

Ask to connect with everyone in the team, particularly those involved in your campaign.

You can then chat with them over the phone, on a video call or face-to-face. Ask about their roles, their experience, and their plans for your website.

Remember, SEO is a complicated process through and through. Every single step should be handled by professionals who share the same level of dedication and competence.

### 5\. Preparing to work together

If an SEO agency thinks you're a good fit, be sure to ask for a contract with deliverables.

Before you sign it, don't forget to read the terms carefully. Take a minute to understand the deliverables you can expect, and feel free to ask questions about them.

You can also pass it to your legal department to ensure the contract won't hurt you down the road.

A reasonably lengthy onboarding process usually follows the contract signing. This involves sharing access to your website and tools, discussing timelines, planning communication and reporting, and so on.

## Is B2B SEO still relevant in 2022?

Still on the fence whether you need B2B SEO or not?

Take all the time you need.

In the meantime, I've gathered some facts that may help you decide if you should push through with your decision.

Driving targeted organic traffic from search results has always been an effective, long-term SEO strategy when it comes to lead generation.

The same rings true in the B2B space, even in 2022.

If you want sustainable growth, your company needs to tap into solutions that will attract recurring, organic traffic. And while B2B SEO campaigns often come with high upfront costs, the long-term results are almost always worth it. It is the most sustainable marketing channel, in my opinion.

Let's take a look at some facts:

- 89% of B2B buyers use the internet for research; plus, 71% of B2B researchers start with generic searches ([Think With Google](https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/consumer-insights/consumer-trends/the-changing-face-b2b-marketing/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk))
- 65% of companies invest in SEO to accomplish digital marketing goals ([The CMO Survey](https://cmosurvey.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/The%5FCMO%5FSurvey-Highlights%5Fand%5FInsights%5FReport-February-2021.pdf?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk))
- 46% of companies increased their SEO budgets over the past few years ([Gartner](https://www.gartner.com/en/marketing/insights/articles/7-key-shifts-in-marketing-channel-spend-in-2021?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk))

With the high usage rate of search in B2B, ignoring SEO in favour of outbound marketing is practically a crime.

After all, B2B buyers with purchase intent tend to use search engines to research and compare products. It would be a huge oversight to be absent where prospective leads prance about with their wallets open.

With all that said, let's take a closer look at B2B SEO—what makes it different and how to make it work for your company.

## B2B SEO: What makes it different

Finally, it's imperative that you find an SEO agency that knows how B2B SEO works.

A key differentiator between B2C and B2B SEO would be audience behaviour.

Unlike B2C customers, potential customers in B2B are more meticulous and purchase in different ways.

They'll take a look at spec sheets, landing pages, product comparisons, reviews, forums, tutorials — anything that can help them make the most out of their limited budget.

Statistics show that the average B2B buyer does [12 searches](https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/consumer-insights/consumer-trends/the-changing-face-b2b-marketing/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) before engaging a vendor's website.

These searches, and the keywords used in them, relate to different stages in the B2B sales funnel.

Remember, we're not talking about someone searching for the latest gadget or fashion accessory.

B2B buyers are professionals in charge of making data-driven investment decisions for large companies. They have a professional responsibility to make the right decision.

It shouldn't be a surprise if they bide their time and run multiple searches using various keywords. However, this shouldn't be seen purely as a disadvantage. With effective B2B SEO, your business could have numerous opportunities to be discovered by prospects.

You should be targeting every stage in that conversion funnel. Those "How", "What", "Why", and "When" keywords can be just as important as the keywords in the final stage of the purchasing journey.

That's something a B2B SEO agency can plan for.

Here are a few things you need to discuss with your SEO agency:

### 1\. Creating and optimizing content for the different funnel stages

It's no secret that your SEO content should match the search intent behind your target keywords. The intent is everything when it comes to B2B audiences.

What some B2B brands miss, however, is the importance of content formats.

For example, if you're optimizing for leads in the evaluation stage, you shouldn't try to rank how-to guides or listicles.

You need content that showcases your expertise and capacity to deliver results.

Some examples are:

- Original reports
- Case studies
- White papers
- Videos
- Webinars
- Podcasts

Your SEO agency should understand your buyers and where they are in the sales funnel. They should also be able to fine-tune your [content strategy](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/tips-for-building-an-amazing-content-marketing-strategy/) based on what your audience needs in each stage.

Your audience may still be in the early awareness stage or just inches away from engaging. What's important is your company will be present throughout their journey — not just when they're about to sign the check.

### 2\. Adding personas to your keyword research recipe

Are your prospects currently looking for alternatives to a certain product? Do they need to learn more about your industry, or are they already close to purchasing from your competitor?

What are their roles, and what type of content do they need to further their research?

These are the things you need to discuss with your agency when building a B2B keyword strategy.

Building the right content is like planning a party and making the preparations. On the other hand, getting the right keywords is like addressing and sending out the invitations.

Keywords make sure your B2B content will be visible to the right audience.

It doesn't matter if a particular keyphrase has a lower search volume than another. What matters is your keywords should bring your personas precisely to the content they need.

You should take high conversion rates over search volume almost every single time you plan your content. If your content matches the intent of the person searching, your conversions rates should be strong.

Otherwise, you'll only waste money pulling in traffic that isn't ready for your bottom-of-the-funnel content — or already way past introductions.

### 3\. Optimizing your B2B content marketing

I wasn't even scratching the surface when I talked about content formats.

There's a lot more depth in the B2B buyer's journey for case studies and videos to cover.

You need to offer eBooks, online courses, free tools, cost calculators, templates, and checklists to convince savvy leads to buy from you. Not only that, you need to optimize and rank all this content to make them discoverable by the right audience.

Your agency should already know this, especially if they have worked with B2B brands before. Discuss how these content formats will be weaved into your SEO campaign.

The caveat to this is always going to be budget. Your SEO agency can't do it all if you can't afford enough of their time to implement everything. 

This is another reason to be thorough when picking an agency to work with - they will be honest and tell you that they have to adapt to your budget.

### 4\. Mixing paid search with search engine optimization

As potent as SEO is at generating B2B leads, it's not meant to be a standalone solution.

A good chunk of B2B companies still use paid search ads (in combination with SEO) for a reason. And that reason is, it's simply more profitable that way.

Data reveals that organizations using SEO and PPC get [25%](https://www.business2community.com/brandviews/shelley-media-arts/80-seo-sem-statistics-that-prove-the-power-of-search-2019-update-02251024?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) more clicks than those focusing on a single strategy. They also have 27% higher profits.

Don't be misguided by generalizations like "most searchers only look at organic results." As a matter of fact, [68%](https://www.demandgenreport.com/resources/reports/what-s-working-in-b2b-advertising/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) of B2B buyers look at ads during the research process.

Yes, organic results get a lot more clicks than ads, but in fact, running ads alongside a good organic presence can result in an increase on what one or the other can achieve individually.

Ideally, the same agency should handle your SEO and PPC campaigns. Smaller-scale SEO agencies may not have the resources for this, but there are SEO companies that can handle both. The data that can be passed between both is gold dust. 

## Generate tons of organic traffic with the right B2B SEO agency

Do you need help with your technical, on-page or off-site B2B SEO campaign?

Do you feel that your B2B SEO strategy falls miserably short compared to your competitors?

It's time we change all that.

You can reach your target audience generate relevant traffic and more leads and sales if you make thorough decisions backed by this guide. 

Use this form to [contact me](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/contact/).
### Content Engagement Field Guide: How to Create Content that Gets Clicks
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-engagement-field-guide-how-to-create-content-that-gets-clicks/
Last updated: 2022-10-17T15:46:14.000Z
If you're serious about getting meaningful results out of your content engagement initiatives, then use tried-and-tested strategies to bolster your content development efforts.

Are you getting very little to no **content engagement*?*

You're not alone. Some brands waste precious marketing spend because they aren't giving their content strategy enough thought.

In their mad dash for relevance, they mass-produce bucketloads of content. Most of them are misguided by the outdated saying: "If you build it, they will come." Don't compromise your [content marketing strategy](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/tips-for-building-an-amazing-content-marketing-strategy/) because of bad advice like this.

*That's* ***not*** *how content marketing works.*

You need the right content strategy and execution if you want your target audience to come. It would help to let your audience know about the new content you're publishing.

You need a tried and tested content engagement strategy to build content that attracts and converts traffic.

**Let me help.**

## What is content engagement?

Content engagement is an umbrella term under which user actions like clicks, comments, and shares fall.

It can happen anywhere—from your website to your social media profiles.

For example, if someone likes your post on LinkedIn, that's content engagement. And if someone clicks a CTA button on your blog to sign up for your newsletter, that's content engagement.

## Why engaging your audience is important

Content engagement shows that you're reaping the rewards of your content marketing efforts. After all, user interactions could eventually lead your target audience towards sales.

Furthermore, it's a good indication that you're doing something right and your content resonates with your audience.

You can then build off of your results to improve your content strategy. Not to mention that it signals relevance to search engines and social media.

## Content engagement metrics you need to track

You need to learn how to measure content engagement.

Like anything in the digital marketing space, you can measure content engagement by tracking the right metrics.

Here are some of the most essential content engagement metrics that every brand needs to track:

### 1\. Unique pageviews

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/rhR8va-U8jyh358cbSWVqFkDE5aICdWogJ2Oa8_-agHUjuyC-KB62FOk_mizc9x40p2qCfixCZqEyDObZaZTRSs68LUXE7fJvJb8lt_Oiap68OBeL6HXLeCFIVlbu2DgY0JPk45G)

**Unique pageviews** is a metric that measures the number of times users accessed a page.

The metric doesn't count repeated views when users hit refresh or navigate in and out of the page. This paints a more accurate picture of just how many people actually saw your content within a given timeframe.

### 2\. Session duration

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-tcLE_l2pUHS3OFUZVzGB-3J-1HehKzR_bBfVksOCS91cJfmk1KLcRNIk436QOAjvzD2W1pMAJXcZBFR6Ca29VNWVEX_DvynWeXtMtoW4PWcNSCTPgv5XjrrOdCSaMLW_YTkRR-5)

Also known as "dwell time" or "time on page," **session duration** measures the number of time users spend on a page.

Analytics platforms usually measure this on an average basis. The longer your users stay on your page, the more captivated they likely are by your content.

### 3\. Social referrals

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/MLkEfUsthOP3A4ec4CvV3xgXXquEIQhf6WQlDbL3jkjr4IOI5PViH8KC64lr_Z8ONx5SYtp-ftPmbcKpOZwhZtOue3hjS9Dex9ghjJoyRYahWeocBg6tcbQZ8YcS4K2LcDAP6Vf_)

**Social referrals** pertain to the number of users who visited your site from social media networks. This is a useful metric if you're trying to bring website traffic over from social media.

By tracking social referrals over time, you can gauge how effective your social media promotion tactics are.

### 4\. Social media engagement

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/z3F-RLRsDtJLSAgbmeu3ayMhnldjWUuP4uY87w5uBylUsE7ywjyVV0fJOMuotV5gjlEFiSA-EoUmgf93Fp5JXv3xZXOdN4CWvednJTa04MR4lsP33WTuXvcNymbtAGPzbQZZH279)

The **social media engagement** metrics you need to track vary slightly depending on the network you use.

For example, if you're running a Facebook page, you can track metrics like "post reach," "likes," and "tagged product clicks." But if you're managing a LinkedIn page, you can track some pretty advanced [visitor demographics](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/81337/visitor-analytics-for-your-linkedin-page?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) like "top job functions."

### 5\. Pages per session

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/B-tmMAlqPVsPquWOWrRmCOScD2VrFRMzCydPs12S72YIiOK7OHFWPOrGI2qTO9hdv0uoiA86XDYrVxm04QpR72LGJDZImoj80_gS-mfm8m-ZAZaM3CBLK1v0cetvV214bNQetmmO)

**Pages per session** measures the average number of pages users open in a single session.

This metric can be used to determine how motivated your audiences are to see more of your website. It's also tied to the effectiveness of your website's internal linking strategy and navigation elements.

### 6\. Bounce rate

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/TrDFkGiqd0IFwlVFL95RAGd1KBW6XCkbwaF-W1H83tmt9JkOZnYI60fCiB8Hn7rq9ghpEDkNqvwjuIDCjdWwIFL3NS9qNWBpcGhthLrWC9kRKwZoQLyFy1bQB8zZ4CWgsTojWgHe)

A "bounce" refers to single-page sessions wherein users leave without clicking anywhere on your page. **On** the other hand, the bounce rate measures how many bounces are happening.

If your bounce rate is high, chances are your content doesn't match their expectations in terms of quality and relevance. Although it is worth noting that if your content matches the visitor's intent, they might not need to visit other pages on your website, so your bounce rate on some pages will be higher than others.

### 7\. Sessions per user

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/tZTeWZWAyv6EnVrVJEPopNV8UCyXRK4T88Zl9DWLt-0ftRorlLQTrjZEtMZmJHgEwGNZ7dOQK2yWPsyBd_oScNctZVRTRoS1Bi3uv_CaooW2Sxj9Qax38mA1afKuQ6-7oeb7akKe)

The number of **sessions per user** counts the times a single user has visited your site.

Sessions per user is calculated based on visits from both new and returning visitors.

Certain ways to engage your audience through content can leave strong impressions—compelling them to come back for more. This, in turn, will improve the sessions per user metric.

### 8\. Scroll depth

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/HDzFWKwTIOWw0cs2rCZnLgyFMENAgyl_PpF72SoMs_mct3zhfTSw4DaC0es0Jz6r95kEnK_vIR3JpkY0CjY3jkESTR_i-8LDaXQNdV837dF1uvv2jaxjXbDfqrfwjwHGDXdHqOs-)

**Scroll depth** is an advanced content engagement metric that measures how far users scroll through your pages. ​

You can [track scroll depth](https://easyreporting.io/how-to-track-scroll-depth-with-google-analytics-4/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) on Google Analytics with the help of Google Tag Manager. During setup, you can define scroll thresholds to trigger custom events, which will be recorded on Google Analytics.

### 9\. Conversion rate

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/WB9Jqmbpi21CjA0i2miZFe7C6o7LGCpBALwfxQYjbqmdxzchfCuFuTJWS2iSbDK6S-JpaDRdZO0HJkGDgpVF6vc7jDgy1hCnQU9ajE5NieBGo-0r7fAmo44pgwadnsWL2zUm2dYn)

**Conversion rate** is a broad metric that tracks specific user actions like subscriptions, visits to specific pages, or purchases.

This is a crucial metric to monitor. After all, the figures you see here tell you how effective your initiatives are in achieving your business goals.

Conversion rates can be tracked independently by form builders, eCommerce platforms, email marketing software, and other tools. You can also create custom conversion rate goals on Google Analytics.

## How to keep your audience engaged

Understanding content engagement metrics alone won't help you win engagement points.

To learn how to keep your audience engaged, you first need to know your audience.

Who are they?

What are they trying to accomplish?

Most importantly, how can your content help them with their goals?

Being in tune with your audience's pain points enables you to develop an overarching content strategy with a higher probability of generating engagement. It allows you to identify content topics and keywords that address their pain points and pique their interest.

In addition, you should start focusing on [engaging content](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/five-ways-to-create-engaging-content-that-converts-for-your-b2b-business/) types that will keep readers hungry for more.

Some examples include:

- "How-to" guides
- Video posts
- Presentations and slideshows
- Infographic posts
- Massive listicles
- Roundup posts

You can refer to my [ultimate guide to content development](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-development-the-ultimate-guide/) for the steps in audience research and content ideation.

Once you get those things off your to-do list, it's time for some action.

### 1\. Maximise content readability

**Impacts:** 

- Bounce rate
- Session duration
- Pages per session
- Scroll depth
- Unique pageviews
- Conversion rate

It isn't rocket science: Huge chunks of texts with unreadable typography make for a terrible reading experience.

If you want to keep your audience engaged, you need to improve the readability of your content.

By the way, choosing a sans serif font and increasing your font sizes aren't enough. You also need to pay attention to your content's formatting and structure.

An easy tactic is to keep sentences within 20 words and paragraphs within 1-2 sentences.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/NNm-gggiyJNZumUnD7me1PGKKNU-CIBXrMLoYjOhDtGZAiT77b6mqq8XCuGU8lLgDq72GEho42JZi9qzjowCwxpC1cTS1T4duDalouzO9m_Nzeq6Iu9ZEn2ZrM441hYli8I4-3k2)

It's also important to use lots of headings and subheadings, so readers know when a section ends and begins. Using this strategy improves the readability and scannability of your content.

You also need to know how to use various formatting options and paragraph styles. I'm talking about bullet points, bold, italics, and numbered lists.

### 2\. Add a Table of Contents

**Impacts:** 

- Bounce rate
- Scroll depth
- Session duration

Instant gratification—that's the name of the game.

Another reason why users won't engage with your content is it took them too long to find what they're looking for.

You can fix this by adding a table of contents to your posts, especially long-form articles.

A TOC sets your audience's expectations straight as soon as they load your content. Ideally, readers should be able to jump to a specific section by clicking one of the headers.

You can do this with a WordPress plugin or through simple HTML.

First, just add an ID tag to the header you want to use in your TOC.

Feel free to use any string of text that describes each section:

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/ScfFM9VcFE3HyjqXl27ic_vdd3oJG2bV3PFRCMdf9ZsMvHQsCPzmk6Uq9kWFE_zwC_EIdq8utatGvwDJSDddo4_KvUuASuc17K7vIo1Wdv0oz7JTJxd3RsvHRM31V0BuMS4QZocS)

Next, when creating your TOC, just use the hyperlink tag and target your header's ID preceded with the hash symbol (#). For the best effect, format your TOC as an unordered list using the '<ul> and '<li>' tags.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/eQU79dRH_g2Eke5_NuHptGJrzqXSuklNAH7nyXHZIlxpQz2vOxDj2iNL0j5F3zqhUW4ELU-QZ3Rcp60OUL6-oF30DjrNyjkdTyJntXWh-lNHWQklpKKdrFBLO2iNzyocJGP3Ufia)

### 3\. Write powerful intros

**Impacts:**

- Bounce rate
- Scroll depth
- Session duration

Statistics show that the average reader spends less than [15 seconds](https://time.com/12933/what-you-think-you-know-about-the-web-is-wrong/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) on a page.

That's why it's important to create powerful, catchy introductions that will keep your audience scrolling.

Over the years, content marketers discovered a handful of ways to write such intros.

Some spark intrigue by mentioning a statistic or mind-blowing fact. Others start strong with a humorous line that knocks readers off their heels.

My advice is to experiment with different intro types to determine what works best for your audience. You can try telling jokes, mentioning movie quotes, or inserting memes.

Whatever you do, keep your introductions short and don't stray too far from the post's topic.

### 4\. Use lots of images

**Impacts:**

- Bounce rate
- Sessions per user
- Returning visitors
- Scroll depth
- Conversion rate
- Session duration

You don't need to be a marketing expert to know that images are more eye-catching than text.

Use infographics, screenshots, data visualisations, image quotes, etc. There are lots of opportunities to spice up content with visuals. Do this to make your content, particularly in-depth guides, less intimidating to read.

Sourcing high-quality photos from sites like [Deposit Photos](https://tracking.depositphotos.com/aff%5Fc?aff%5Fid=35051&offer%5Fid=4&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) should suffice for featured images.

But for your content's body, I highly advise using informative custom graphics. If your content team lacks a graphic designer, you can rely on drag-and-drop tools to design custom visuals from scratch. My favourite would be [Canva](https://partner.canva.com/GjoPML?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), which has loads of customisable templates to help you whip up designs in minutes.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/SxhI73TL1A8ApG-I6Icas0MGuHdhF8HvhEG50_WJP6GHGpn7E0MU1wc4mqFHkXYlTAZ0r3nxSadZFWEN1vW7uXlx-gBth-vyT965vrR0X9ZyMBczGPXkBDNqoq66_4tDI8ApDgc-)

If you'd rather have professionals create custom graphics for your content, I recommend checking out [Kimp](https://www.kimp.io/?partner=Janaway&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). They're a flexible design agency that can provide you with an unlimited supply of graphics and videos for a one-off monthly fee.

### 5\. Include actionable steps

**Impacts:** 

- Session duration
- Pages per session
- Sessions per user
- Scroll depth
- Conversion rate

Speaking of visuals, have you tried using informative screenshots with annotations?

Screenshots are perfect if you want to create in-depth, step-by-step guides. Annotations make them significantly better by showing exactly what your audience needs to do or look at.

Some of my favourite screenshot tools are Snagit and Evernote Skitch.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/3g1Fu-7jLibf4obyaa9AcBUy5dKK50peLfuEUlJr1trc3HQPykzOwCHaJ2fLbd7K2FMdBIBg23vtHYmn6ML_2wScdoqDpzWOwuusYGsB9RmxNTrjzmgBLs0MfWEadcDvVHKtYSc7)

### 6\. Make social sharing easier

**Impacts:**

- Social media engagement
- Social referrals

If you want your content to get more social media shares, make the sharing process as easy and frictionless as possible.

There are plugins and tools that can help you add dynamic sharing buttons without affecting your website's performance. An example would be Social Snap, which lets you add floating sharing bars and Pinterest "Pin It" buttons over images.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/pxZt1pjuGIOsm0p5b9dHyUQ_oSRik4dDOgvqSNDBj2hUQer743cka2wjLzVrheja0UU8uPkayWvOEsqkY3Wbii3KJkf8nb-5IUOCV-EfmbiBthE0SgB82dbpc9uZ0QB-1l_46kry)

### 7\. Use interactive content formats on social media

**Impacts:** 

- Social media engagement
- Social referrals

Social media networks like Facebook and Instagram make it possible to create interactive content for maximum engagement.

Instagram, for one, lets you create Stories with interactive stickers for a bunch of things, like:

- Quizzes
- Questions
- Polls
- Submitting images ("Add Yours")
- Shopping

On Facebook, you can run polls and host Q&A sessions for your followers. Don't forget that you can stream live videos on both networks to interact with your audience in real-time.

Lastly, you can also create interactive content for your website and then promote them on social media.

Some interactive content marketing examples are slideshows, quizzes, surveys, word generators, and calculators, like this one from Hootsuite:

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/GkUw-Nczvp92j3DKMLT91Ebp0WI7XjZG5-8ma3bUt1oZCTQiJRV3HIlxIOdap2OM99BbWIojmJN3v-D-5ZkA7zEC1-phHTsNyNtuQ2YjACPfm43bfRYhDgABdKxwedH2YNp2iOiR)

### 8\. Encourage readers to leave comments

**Impacts:** 

- Session duration
- Scroll depth
- Conversion rate

Sometimes, if you want readers to engage your content, all you need to do is ask.

Something as simple as "leave a comment below and let me know what you think" could spur content engagement. You can also try something more specific, like "what other content engagement tools would you recommend?"

This works on most content channels, be it your own blog or social media accounts. 

### 9\. Incorporate CTAs in the right places

**Impacts:** 

- Conversion rate
- Sessions per user
- Pages per session

Call-to-actions give your audience an extra nudge that could lead to action.

Make sure it's visible, action-oriented, and focused on the value that your audience will gain.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/yuxu9tiWfweB0zZhFFSzLtp9FwKptcA-paVTzsGRzdJOxC0HByS89BFW-fFaBd5USRP5WLxVg0ihKgdtBj2TxmCKDv7LgE_xl7LOAaDuPHQBXPvOen7aB1COnDVnUhHYClsjKUdP)

### 10\. Don't forget to proofread

**Impacts:**

- Session duration
- Conversion rate
- Bounce rate
- Scroll depth

Nothing ruins a reader's mood than spelling and grammatical errors.

If you're working with a team, you probably already have a designated member in charge of proofreading. But if you're a solo blogger who DIYs everything, proofreading can be time-consuming.

The good news is you can automate the proofreading process with a writing assistant like [Grammarly](https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?afftrack=&b=864277&m=26748&u=864476&urllink=&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

It's free and straightforward to use. All you have to do is paste your write-up, and Grammarly will detect the misspellings and grammatical errors you've missed.

Best of all, it will provide you with correction suggestions you can apply in one click.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/7dR3SECry1VXGpiRBywIQSQmvfbFq3TDVlXbOaUEG-2ATlnJCflwTif7nBqOn3ZYX6k6UlFv_jh6bJcqcRZNgzDVDxDF18sNqq2hpOc5z2jnsmNS-qCGi-inCQC8Z5X1GAYie2fZ)

## 5 additional tips for your content engagement strategy

A few additional strategies for engaging the audience include:

- ****Improve your website's loading speed.** Use tools like PageSpeed Insights and GTmetrix to pinpoint underlying performance-related issues. These tools will also provide you with actionable suggestions.
- ****Use heatmap tools like [Hotjar](https://invite.hotjar.com/mjanaway?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).** A heatmap visually tracks where clicks usually go on your web page. Use it to determine if you're getting enough clicks where they matter, such as your CTA buttons and affiliate links.
- ****Engage users yourself. Content engagement is a two-way street.** If you want better engagement on social media, try engaging them yourself by leaving comments and linking to your posts.
- ****Bolster your internal link structure.** You can ramp up your audience's average pages per session by adding more internal links to relevant pages. Not only will internal links bring traffic to your deeper pages, but they'll also have a positive impact on your SEO.
- ****Make commenting frictionless.** If you're after more comments, consider making the process frictionless by letting users comment anonymously. Unless, of course, you want to use your comments system to collect emails and build a mailing list.

## Content engagement FAQs

Still, have some questions about content engagement?

Here are some of the most common content engagement FAQs answered:

### 1\. What is a good engagement rate on social media?

An engagement rate of [1-5%](https://blog.hootsuite.com/calculate-engagement-rate/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is generally considered good for social media profiles. It may not seem like much, but remember that top-performing pages have thousands—if not millions—of followers.

### 2\. How do you measure content engagement?

Content engagement can be measured by analysing metrics like bounce rate, session duration, scroll depth, and conversion rate. These metrics are provided by content platforms like social media or manually acquired with analytics tools.

### 3\. What are the best tools for tracking content engagement?

You can track content engagement metrics with free analytics platforms like Google Analytics. There are also paid tools like [Hotjar](https://invite.hotjar.com/mjanaway?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) and Hootsuite with unique reporting features that free platforms don't have. 

## Find out what makes your audience tick

Unlocking content engagement requires tremendous research, hard work, persistence, and strategy.

If you don't have the bandwidth to keep track of (and improve) your content engagement, I welcome you to reach out and [message me here](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/contact/). Cheers!
### Content Tracking Ultimate Guide: With Tips and Tricks
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-tracking-ultimate-guide-with-tips-and-tricks/
Last updated: 2022-02-24T08:34:00.000Z
Fact: you need **content tracking*.*

Let's face it; nobody gets content marketing right the first time.

*…or the second time, or the third time, and so forth.*

Sure, you can model your content marketing initiatives around "proven" strategies that countless guides, tutorials, and courses have mentioned. You could even spy on your competitor's strategy and borrow some ideas.

Unfortunately, what works for someone isn't guaranteed to work for everyone else.

There's no such thing as a one-size-fits-all strategy in content marketing.

If you want actual, sustainable results from your content marketing, you need to add content tracking to the equation.

## What is content tracking?

### "Alright, I'm sold — tell me more about this content tracking."

I'm glad you said that.

To put it simply, content tracking is all about monitoring and analysing the performance of content.

By performance, I mean their effectiveness in accomplishing marketing objectives, like:

- Generating web traffic
- Generating leads
- Getting clicks
- Maximising session duration
- Converting readers into subscribers or customers

For content tracking to work, you need to publish a handful of articles first.

Let's say your website has 20 pieces of content.

Content tracking lets you determine which of those 20 are winners and which are losers. Based on your findings, you can double down on strategies that worked well — then fix or get rid of the rest.

Keep going until you develop the perfect content strategy that's guaranteed to work.

TL;DR: Content tracking lets you get the performance that content is supposed to achieve.

## How to create a content tracker

### Now that you know how content tracking works let's set up your first content tracker.

When I think of content tracking and marketing performance measurement, one platform immediately comes to mind: [Google Analytics](http://analytics.google.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/omDMGTovzSHuDp0BO54p4A85YuuEGG7ecMQpnv-oqQOBFaY_Eh1xeBawKEYJoLmwLuVUoTel3Jd62lE-WBL5eZSxd4htulVAJ8wa1oLPRKGxN9sjl5aaN1RLHv55TaHPZGyWwIri)

What is Google Analytics?

If you run any kind of website, Google Analytics is a must-have. It will give you an in-depth look at your audience's demographics, traffic sources, [eCommerce performance](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-ecommerce-can-embrace-growth-hacking-a-step-by-step-guide/), and many more.

Of course, it will also help you track the performance of your content and assess how users respond to them.

To get started with Google Analytics, the first step is to set up a new account you'll associate with your website. This process is broken down into three phases:

1. Naming your Google Analytics account
2. Naming your property (website or app)
3. Entering basic information about your business

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/5wYwSb-1V8rfrTkDi35OX3l5my_Z6FGkCmHRlWDh9SAsW1RlxhwKdra0DGNb9zbF3VsIQwNi0eUnHw94WgwBy46pcYpuW_v8gbKU-XsNqhRNOMGVVSkGwbbbU_5VEQv2QRlyTh1W)

Once your Google Analytics account is prepared, you need to connect your website manually. Doing so allows the analytics platform to pull data from your property.

For the complete instructions, check out the [official guide from Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9304153?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). Take note that the steps will differ based on how your hosting and website platform works.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/udJirstZKqmbXIu4gp6usCf5hm7_a8ZsU-cX9Pm4Eiurac9cgTGiCPNpwJHcYhBztrB2L5VgKuTR2IYCoGXVorr59AC_cVrLu2JenLFJsCjAfV2zUMwHpby-9qRpXOXyHzmZ6CXR)

If you're using WordPress ([something you should consider](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/which-sitebuilder-is-best-for-your-digital-marketing-strategy/)), you can use the GA Google Analytics plugin to speed things up.

I recommend getting the plugin from your WordPress dashboard to simplify the installation and activation process.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/sfVobbot9zWhzMArY0323B5ABFO-sXj6ijuG9_-4Srt-_WCQIfmK29MQfbYGY8vzAbxcgfsxxW6Nv_ks6Iv_gZKfPRxm7u7CgeOQf-nSzN1oS0B2AJGLnFXKh1l6ig2vGqjo5Cez)

After installing the plugin, head to your Google Analytics dashboard and find your tracking code.

Just go to **'Admin,'** select **'Tracking Info'** under the property column, and click **'Tracking Code.'**

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/6fGC8kW1kmcxjX1TgaXFXru8Xc1OzNHAcxtjNCxJzPQHQp-VtUFR0mDTRa_gN3LcuGs-7NinU4w-poqF3gHObNoyDfaDwfd22LuYdkPmw-6ss3VlRBdGv-P-VmDENDwE7r-4LkuI)

The code you're looking for is found under **'Tracking ID.'** Copy this code and head back to your WordPress dashboard.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/eTXWQmO_hYL3xFP_-TsXiOgNda8oU58KlCwkB2H12y9J17L-uAZUD35jmfSdBmuc8AVgJzs19Z1ejSRXTjSv-sC-3DbrDrkHRKgSa8ppjH3KuSgruXlM9p78kU0COPvfbzeNKYgb)

On your WordPress dashboard, expand the **'Settings'** menu and select **'Google Analytics.'**

If you can't find it, make sure you have installed and activated the GA Google Analytics plugin mentioned above.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/6JaOeMPuXI3zoZolts_139R-S5S8Q6v1EfAjjajkcHb4aizTuG1PHxbGAb9ed1Rfzfno-9ITK2AUiaEo6bGWiFdI2p0zYE2fbH9IhKYsnfnz_8NCpaMJgqMBpdPZxrdRmWT7Sgwj)

Once there, click the **'Plugin Settings'** section and paste the code in the "GA Tracking ID" field.

Also, be sure to select **'Global Site Tag'** as your tracking method. When done, click **'Save Changes'** to finish linking your website to Google Analytics.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/hGMujDIkU0SOH_9xc0xNucwo0XLWK0S3OenF-huFzSgij183Ppqv-iF7lAepD_015DzlosaH0lra2UfxSf9m3RUTA7aI84QjhSeSVl2zLt2NrgvTubzfMivfeaRZoAya_KgiBRhn)

That's it — you're done with the setup.

Give Google Analytics 24-48 hours to collect enough data. You can tell when it's done by logging in to your account and checking the data on your home page.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/pX_H1ecpulDm0CrleHBX6RHXshocxHpwZzLiMoQBy4QjGBkC05FDJ23aPNgtvY7eYO7DP_XKHqad5pgmuGdG2cyLohTr-jNGro0KFA0ng1Yx0ZiN8e3FwhBy4-ICgaRZl6ETQTel)

In the meantime, you can read the rest of this guide for tips on reading Google Analytics.

Let's jump right in.

### 1\. Track your most popular pages

A great and simple way to use Google Analytics for content tracking is to find your most viewed pages.

To do this, go to the **'Behavior'** sub-menu, select **'Site Content,'** and click **'All Pages.'**

By default, Google Analytics sorts your content according to pageviews. That means you can identify your most popular content right away.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/C5QyvOO7LBj6WoozPAWt9JR0Mj2hqiZ9Do5nMsGh5JM4dWXco4vzZpy3Lp0pbyCTbsBjGl9yJVv0R2Txo7BQuPBqNodDclW3d2sWXorsbErqs_46G5vuPh-y2_d7I6l7ifR11m0s)

Observing your most viewed content can tell a lot about your readers' preferred topics and content formats.

For example, if some of your top pages relate to the same topic, consider covering more sub-topics in the future. Certain content types may also stand out, like listicles, "how-to" guides, or product comparisons.

Just don't forget to consider the content promotion strategies you used in your most viewed pages.

After all, pageviews can sometimes be attributed to a successful, one-time promotion campaign — not necessarily the content quality.

You can verify this by checking your top pages' traffic sources.

To do this, click on the content you want to check.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/QlrPA6gVhejRkPypLyxqq2yoRtqG6zcZovrAMMj93pwF5ucpzGoRaB0UJJDhldPmyUU0F3jp0lCyN-nUNKLlu0rVd7rYiJn900SfkrUISku0lD1bKJhAduNIfcPU61evMThCaEm-)

From the **'Secondary dimension'** drop-down menu, select **'Acquisition'** and click **'Source.'**

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_ftorVco95m4qPXaV0HxY5aWPXUSK6Z4t-ftG_DjEgMMyMZu5QByKaGLtabUVsjxYPmiQZNpxe0_Fb3bz7U17mbOXotkNxt7-fQP404j_QPvzkbfI1nEbnxabfiiSQKRM7dMRazq)

After a few seconds, Google Analytics will show you the top 10 traffic sources for the selected content.

If your page generated most of its traffic from organic sources, particularly search engines, you need to take down notes.

That page most likely earned traffic through effective SEO.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/apU3mBTeTDOU8RE2diPg2fAJN_IS8_GHKfOu1QKUNdE4dnBEYx56pKLfW4sPhdlUxmeybYz3w447tLl_PI6KZGmjoyquBoG6XMxt4KW5_BHigdv3nsNfHbzpS5fLhwT3FATgqq2A)

If you see pages with numbers like this, good job — you're really onto something.

But that doesn't conclude your content tracking journey.

Just because your content succeeds at getting organic traffic doesn't mean there's no need for improvements.

Next up, let's take a look at pages that put off readers.

### 2\. Assessing problem pages

There are a couple of ways to find potentially problematic pages with Google Analytics.

The easiest one is identifying your top exit pages — AKA pages where your readers tend to leave.

On your Google Analytics dashboard, go to **'Behavior,'** select **'Site Content,'** and click **'Exit Pages.'**

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-AzNCRDCozGsn9z4greP9dMDFOE-Ehy_uE0fWHPDsSzo1VtRdj1U4Uajcowk2aopG6DXeKYhVK0TOlwmuAeFFwpYF3XcQn4LodHajjpudPKJ-0LhDaNOsBydS8ZUWEOV-l274N1X)

Google Analytics will almost immediately present you with a list of pages with the highest number of exits.

Don't be surprised to see some of your most viewed pages here. In most cases, a high number of visitors translates to a high number of exits.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/pSbyfc_jGD0qs3bSLEweecbAnl2MMtRUUFHAJzvEuFXapmAptLPMjGpYsISGpMMITmJonEFkihhQESKJtgF_2vJoVzY2fefO2KrgIcLj4Liepj8Il5-V4otg9VkZJBo6EW_pL9E3)

That doesn't automatically mean that the content is bad.

For one, your top pages could simply be raking in loads of pageviews. Naturally, they'll have more readers leaving than most.

It's also possible that you're looking at a goal page, such as a "thank you" page. In which case, exits aren't bad because your audience has already made their purchase.

Goal pages aside, what you need to look at is the **'% Exit'** metric. This measures the percentage of users leaving a particular page.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/tNiMJfz4ZYO10eiEPREbmvObxOyAVmsF8TTS2CDs5QoPeQ_IHMlXLGFs4cgF-wkO0MDcFTbu6dhiNEpIJOmoU0Ufzx6kjXAowha6QO-4n5ZsqNv6DIZJbEFoTN6O34kq5RGgognZ)

A high %Exit value could indicate several things, like:

- ****Misleading content title tags:**Your audience could be leaving your site because your content fails to meet their expectations. Be sure your posts fully address the questions and problems raised by their titles.
- ****Dead-end pages:**Sometimes, readers exit simply because there's nowhere else for them to go. You can solve this issue by adding relevant internal links to the main content's body, sidebar, footer, and header.
- ****No call-to-action:** You can also reduce your content's exit rate by blending in a compelling CTA. Try experimenting with creative ways to present your CTA, like exit-intent popups and contrasting CTA buttons.

### 3\. Fix pages with a high bounce rate

Aside from exit rate, you should also pay attention to content with a high bounce rate. 

This metric measures the number of visitors leaving your site without interacting with anything.

Let's say a user finds your post on Google Search. But upon reading your post, they immediately lose interest — leaving your website on the spot.

In other words, they bounced right back to the search engine results.

You can easily find pages with a high bounce rate in your pages report on Google Analytics.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/HzhaPLrrDiPY0cI4aDHBgvhiHUyJZ4YNKe1gaJ3J8hwo9hZAK28CliNrfMruloIXD6BDzylcwcxgdhBgveIOqjxpwkNOzLTKZr1E_RK6PhE16tbSVvrotUhy1wlZ5ckpEnlccr5T)

Similar to exit rate, bounce rate can be caused by dead-end content and unmet reader expectations. It can also be related to site-wide issues, like slow loading speed and errors.

If you find pages with an unusually high bounce rate, inspect the page firsthand using different browsers and devices.

### 4\. Measure session duration

Okay — you already know several ways to find content that needs improvement using Google Analytics.

Let's go back to finding positive things about your current content arsenal.

Google Analytics can help you find pages that can keep readers hooked. You just need to focus on the metric: average time on page.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Gs4PNK7c_GqCT3Y2cZWXsNRGAwSAWEk_GgZ5xgMnYQJimEG6mkIQofovLFz4oudSEIRzq9dmFOYOFtMADh4mLAAntugj95YUOVsLfFdVPyaVynhpQl4_trPHLNB9UcaYxqrcqryj)

I recommend looking for pages that can keep your audience engaged longer than average.

For example, suppose the average time on page for your entire site is 2 minutes. Pages that can keep readers for 3 minutes or more could be worth inspecting.

Check for the following content elements when analysing these pages:

- Visual content
- Writing style and tone
- Content length
- Amount of actionable information
- Overall content structure

## How to measure content marketing

### Measure the success of your marketing through content tracking

Remember, spending time and money on content marketing optimisation is pointless if it doesn't eventually affect your bottom line. At the very least, content should contribute to your lead generation efforts by bringing traffic to key conversion pages. Sure, they'll take time to rank, but once the data starts coming in, you can hone your process and improve the effectiveness of your content.

Content tracking lets you monitor your content's effectiveness in achieving marketing goals.

To track Google Analytics goals, head back to your admin settings page. Under "View," click **'Goals.'**

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/7n6NUELVRFRv2bwQk4K2Iq4szB5C8Pvj-57nwo4yL4qzsiuqKaG2Eh81dCR9V7nGwGv9MmqunCL6ELdmZGH0qc51BTlylztdfim4-CAqByCm7IZOX6tyQZq5C-AFp5InIDXZTVaK)

Click **'New Goal'** to build a goal tracker from the ground up.

Alternatively, you can import preset goals by clicking **'Import from Gallery.'**

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Yo3QxSBFH4PO9RuvCI41zu9D06x4tZjKPl6T91iNXV4_VeqUkW2at_1j_UEuPHDKNOq9ZP7MpiTWnXNMftIIXu8SSu63LkID7ZGzVD4IHvoqGd5pRsghfFzZAU6YKiEaeBvigk1D)

Preset goals often come in bundles to help beginners integrate advanced reports and segments into their Google Analytics account.

If you choose to create a goal from scratch, templates will save you a great deal of time.

You can find templates under "Goal setup" grouped in four categories: revenue, acquisition, inquiry, and engagement.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/dUO-Y0tNhJfYdtBJ0zyb7bbJaN2wChmGGhrSRzs1dOYJKQGXtxGjn5hahZfOs8F0NzXxUDPXp9_9mVtI3TZvRzeXJn6dNQXk9y8DlGq07JVVsXKwv3iV01cP1DveAz1wq_x1ip3L)

After choosing a goal template, the next step is to fill in your goal's description and details.

You can consider goals accomplished if users:

- Reach a specific page
- Stayed for a certain amount of time
- Visited a set number of pages
- Triggers a specific event

Now, how can you tell which pieces of content led to the completion of your goals?

On Google Analytics, go to **'Conversions,'** select **'Goals,'** and click **'Reverse Goal Path.'**

This will show you the list of pages users went through before reaching a goal.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/zUqaxQZkbcgFKHrpC-dGc23LCLqyVNGoK1G4bJqfR0_kOE_wc2BoPflvkZ_ntViH5A6qN1dZytvIvc8L1ChIC2apsZwP8xCGctrZ0wX0xP_0gRFfwHRWXtHop_i_uNd9n_UJTIIO)

Pretty cool, right?

That's how to measure success in marketing through content tracking.

## Blog tracking do's and don'ts

To make the most out of your content tracker, let's review a few do's and don'ts.

### Do: Check social media engagement

You can use social media management platforms to measure how content performs on networks like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Some examples are:

- Hootsuite
- Sprout Social
- SocialPilot

### Don't: Measure interactions using your own IP address

Google Analytics lets you create IP filters to make sure your own sessions don't contribute to page views and other metrics. Check out [OptinMonster's guide](https://optinmonster.com/docs/how-to-exclude-your-ip-address-from-tracking-events-in-google-analytics/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) on how to do this.

### Do: Track scroll depth

With Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager, you can [create a custom event](https://support.google.com/tagmanager/answer/7679218?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) that tracks how far readers scroll.

### Don't: Treat all visitors the same

Different visitors respond differently to content. Refer to the user demographics data on Google Analytics to create reader personas that can help with targeted content marketing.

### Do: Fix broken links

You can search online for tools that can scan your website for broken links. They could be the reason why some users abandon your site dissatisfied.

### Don't: Ignore page loading speed

[Page loading speed](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/7-tips-to-increase-your-website-load-speed/) is another factor that can affect your audience's content consumption experience. Google's PageSpeed Insights tool can help you boost your website's performance through actionable suggestions.

## 5 Reliable content tracking tips

### Still not happy with your Google Analytics marketing strategy?

Before we wrap up this post, here are five dynamic tracking habits to help you feel more confident.

- Use heatmap tools to analyse audience behaviour visually
- Identify KPIs or Key Performance Indicators that matter to your brand
- Determine content seasonality (trends, current events, holidays, etc.)
- Split test multiple versions of your content using Google Optimize
- If you have the budget, invest in comprehensive solutions like SEMrush or Ahrefs

## Content tracking FAQs

Below are some of the Frequently Asked Questions around content tracking:

### How is content quality measured?

Content quality can be measured using performance metrics like unique visitors, click-through rate, scroll depth, and time on page. To paint a clearer picture, welcome your audience's feedback through surveys and public comment boxes.

### How do I track content in Google Analytics?

You can track the performance of your content by connecting your website to your Google Analytics account. Google Analytics works by gauging metrics like bounce rate, traffic, session duration, and exit rate.

### What KPIs do you use to measure content success?

For most brands, important KPIs include successful purchases, signups, social shares, downloads, and inbound links.

## Start winning more business through content marketing optimisation

With the right guidance, content tracking can be done by anyone.

However, it's easier to turn a torrent of data into actionable chunks of information with experienced hands.

Don't hesitate to [send me a message](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/contact/) if you need help setting up your content tracking system. I'm more than happy to answer your questions and help you reap the full benefits of data-driven content marketing.
### Content Development: The Ultimate Guide
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/content-development-the-ultimate-guide/
Last updated: 2022-02-10T08:44:59.000Z
Are you looking for an actionable, reliable, and easy-to-follow **content development** guide?

Hopefully, I can help.

In this guide, I’ll cover the nitty-gritty of the content development process.

But before we continue, we need to be on the same page.

## What is content development?

You may have read somewhere that it’s all about researching and creating informative media. It can be an article, video, image, infographic, or anything that can impart knowledge to a target audience.

Technically speaking, that’s still true.

But as the internet’s ever-deepening content pool grows deeper, content development evolves and assumes new definitions.

To me, [content development](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/tips-for-building-an-amazing-content-marketing-strategy/) is a means of building relationships.

The ultimate goal of content development is to bridge the gap between you and your audience — AKA your potential customers.

And to do this, you need to focus on filling smaller gaps, such as:

- **Skill gap** — Between your team and the tasks that must be accomplished effectively
- **Information gap** — Between readers and what they want or need to know.
- **Content gap** — Between the internet’s demand for certain information and websites supplying them.

A successful content development strategy is one that fills all these gaps. You’ll know how to create one by the end of this post.

First, let’s talk about the easiest way to achieve your content development goals.

## The role of content development manager

Filling the skill gap in your content marketing team should start at the top level.

In this case, you need to start with a content development manager. These individuals can single-handedly make or break marketing campaigns.

They’re in charge of the creation, optimisation, and publication of content while making sure they’re aligned with the organisation’s goals. They’re also at the helm of your team’s content development training.

Most importantly, they should be able to accomplish their tasks with minimal intervention.

You probably don't even need this guide if you already have a good content development manager. They should be able to walk you through the entire content development process — from goal setting to tracking.

But since you’re here, chances are you haven’t filled that position yet.

That’s why I’ll share with you a step-by-step guide on how to create your content development process.

## Step-by-step content development game plan

Below is a proven, step-by-step guide on how to do content development. We've used this exact process many times in my [digital marketing agency](https://marketinglabs.co.uk/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to great effect:

## Step 1: Set your content marketing goals

Different goals require different content development processes.

Before producing a single piece of content, you must first have a clearly-defined goal. 

Do you want more traffic? Are you more concerned about converting more leads? Perhaps your goal is to gain more Instagram followers?

In addition to these questions, you must also think about other aspects of your content strategy. Doing so will help you create a workable “blueprint” for every piece you’ll develop.

For instance, when doing link building, goals should include a list of target websites where you’ll submit your expert content.

### Tips for effective goal setting

- Be sure to delegate tasks to the right team members.
- Set clear timelines with deadlines for specific tasks.
- Visualise goals using digital collaboration tools like Notion and Trello.

## Step 2: Understand your audience

There are two types of research that must occur as soon as your goals are set. 

*First, you need to do audience research.* 

Keep in mind that different people have different content preferences. As a brand, your goal is to use the content format and channels that work best for your audience. 

If you plan to work with a team of content developers, you can establish consistency by building audience personas. 

A persona is basically a detailed profile of a fictional person who represents your target audience. By understanding their profession, age, education, and competencies, your team will be able to tailor content to their tastes. 

HubSpot has a handy tool for this purpose called [Make My Persona](https://www.hubspot.com/make-my-persona?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

You can use it to whip up a nice, readable audience persona within a few minutes.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2022/02/step1.png)

Of course, you shouldn’t rely on hunches and guesstimates when filling in your persona’s details.

You need to use everything at your disposal to gather the necessary data. I’m talking about running surveys on social media, checking demographics on tools like Google Analytics, and more.

### Tips for effective audience research

- If you want to run surveys, keep them simple and rewarding for your audience.
- Look at your most active social media followers to identify overlapping characteristics.
- For accuracy, compare gathered audience data with that of your past customers.

## Step 3: Do content research

With your persona ready, the next order of business is to research content ideas that will reel them in.

There are several ways to develop fresh ideas from scratch, like checking trends and search suggestions.

[AnswerThePublic](https://answerthepublic.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is a free, easy-to-use tool that can help you with this. Simply enter a couple of keywords, hit ‘Search,’ and watch the magic happen.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2022/02/step3.png)

Within seconds, AnswerThePublic will show you a bunch of questions you can use as content topics.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2022/02/Untitled.png)

Another way to look for content ideas is to do [competitor research](https://mailchimp.com/resources/what-is-competitor-analysis/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). 

It’s simple: find topics that work for your competitor and beat them at their own game by creating better content.

You can do this using platforms like [Serpstat](https://serpstat.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). Just enter your competitor’s domain and look at their top pages.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2022/02/Untitled-1.png)

As a bonus, these platforms also show you important performance metrics for each page. This includes their total social media shares, traffic, and total backlinks.

Furthermore, you can look for information that’s missing from your competitors’ top content. These are content gaps that you can fill to draw in more traffic.

### Tips for effective content research 

- When checking competitors’ content, check metrics that are relevant to your goals
- Try to prioritise [evergreen content](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-make-content-marketing-work-in-a-world-saturated-with-content/) topics over trends and news
- Group related content into clusters with a pillar post that ties everything together.

## Step 4: List down your target keywords

Content development and keyword research go hand in hand. 

It doesn’t matter if you want to publish articles, videos, or infographics. Done right, [keyword research](https://moz.com/learn/seo/what-is-keyword-research?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) unlocks your content’s potential to generate organic traffic.

There are plenty of tools you can use to hunt down lucrative keywords for your content strategy. Some of the best ones are:

- [Mangools](https://mangools.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk#a6116d8befeebf830a8d1cde9)
- Ahrefs
- SEMrush
- Moz

[SEMrush](https://www.semrush.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), for example, lets you find useful keyword ideas using the Keyword Magic Tool. It also provides additional information such as the keyword’s difficulty rating, searcher intent, and volume.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2022/02/Untitled-2.png)

As a rule of thumb, try to list down multiple target keywords for each content idea. The more comprehensive your posts are, the more keywords you can insert naturally.

### Tips for effective keyword research

- Expand your keywords into multiple long-tail keyword variations.
- Target “low-hanging fruit” keywords (keywords that you rank for on Google’s page 2 results).
- Try to fill content gaps by targeting low-competition keywords with medium to high traffic.

## Step 5: Create content

Researching content ideas and building a target keywords list lays the foundation for content development.

Now comes the content creation process.

This is, for obvious reasons, a critical part of web content development. Even with a small team, maintaining a [quality standard for all content](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/5-tips-for-creating-high-performing-content/) is a challenging task.

To ensure consistent content quality, break down the content creation process into three stages:

- **Team briefing** — Be sure writers, designers, and editors are aware of the organisation’s content goals. Emphasise key information like target keywords, audience personas, and your brand’s tone of voice.
- **Content creation** — Before your team gets to work, set project-specific objectives like word count and page structure. It’s also a good idea to guide your content team with links to references, tools, and resources.
- **Editing** — Plenty of content development teams go through multiple rounds of editing. To keep content top-notch, editors should check the spelling, grammar, flow, readability, originality, SEO, and structure of each post.

For agile content development, create detailed style guides and content models. Keep an open line of communication through tools like Slack and use Kanban boards to track work in progress.

### Tips for effective content creation

- Consider cloud-based software with collaborative features like Google Workspace.
- Set deadlines to spur productivity and motivation.
- Allow room for creative flexibility, but not without brainstorming sessions prior to content creation.

## Step 6: Involve subject matter experts

Some companies have a team of subject matter experts or SMEs that fact-check content before they’re queued for publishing

This team can be in-house or outsourced via a consultancy

While valuable, a specialised team of SMEs isn’t always necessary. That’s because fact-checking can be done internally with the help of the organisation’s leadership.

## Tips for effective content polishing

- When citing statistics, be sure the numbers are from the most updated source.
- For brands with deep pockets, run content through a legal department or consultant to avoid possible violations.
- In addition to legal issues, check content for potentially offensive words and phrases.

## Step 7: Publish and promote

Publishing may sound like a straightforward affair, but there’s actually a whole science behind it.

For one, you shouldn’t just publish content right away after being approved.

To maximise exposure, you need to schedule your posts based on your target audience’s internet usage behavior. You can automate this process using social media scheduling tools like Buffer, Hootsuite, and Vista Social.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2022/02/Untitled-3.png)

It’s also important to know the best practices in social media content creation and promotion.

For example, be sure to use the right hashtags to boost your content’s searchability on Instagram. You should also create inviting captions that intrigue and compel users to take action.

### Tips for effective content promotions

- Know the [best times to post on social media](https://sproutsocial.com/insights/best-times-to-post-on-social-media/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).
- Respond to top comments to build a welcoming community around your brand.
- Go omnichannel and use various content promotion strategies, like email marketing and paid advertising.

## Step 8\. Review and improve

Website content development is ever-evolving.

There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all formula that works for every brand. In fact, I bet you won’t see the results you expect just by following the steps above.

To succeed, you need to constantly monitor results, make adjustments, and repeat.  
Use analytics tools to identify content winners and losers. Double down on what works, adjust or remove what doesn’t.

Test, test test!

### Tips for effective content performance tracking

- Define key performance indicators like session duration, scroll depth, and pages visited per session.
- Use A/B testing to find the best version of your content faster.
- Invite your audience to provide their feedback through comments or surveys.

## Content development tips

Here are some additional tips that will help bolster your content development process:

- **Get content ideas from Q&A websites** — Check websites like Quora and Fluther to find unique questions people are asking.
- **Go visual** — Look for opportunities to incorporate more visuals, like screenshots, infographics, and videos, into your content.
- **Utilise user-generated content** — Feature content created by your audience, like reviews, photos of your product, and testimonials.
- **Update old posts** — Get the most out of content development by revamping and promoting old content.
- **Publish more often** — Multiple studies confirm that publishing content more often will yield better results in terms of traffic and search engine rankings.

## Content development process mistakes

Mistakes are crucial to any endeavor. But you don’t have to make them yourself in order to learn from them.

Below are a handful of content development process mistakes you should avoid:

- Writing only about your brand
- Being overly promotional
- Not promoting enough
- Publishing thin content
- Spamming keywords
- Forcing unnatural keywords
- Not checking for plagiarism
- Ignoring search intent when targeting keywords
- Not linking to relevant and authoritative sources
- Forgetting to document your content development process

You should now be able to create a solid content development plan that performs. I know — it’s a lot of work.

That’s why a lot of brands choose to hire content development services.

## What to look for in a content development company

Before hiring an agency, make sure they have a detailed and comprehensive content development process.

That’s the first thing you should look for.

If possible, ask for verifiable results with previous clients. This is a surefire way of telling if they can walk the talk.

While you’re vetting an agency, pay attention to how responsive they are to your messages.

How long does it take for them to answer your questions? Do they offer clear and complete responses to your queries?

Finally, a great content development company should exhibit the willingness to learn more about your brand.

They should care about your brand’s goals, vision, and story — not see you as another avenue for generating profits.

## Content development FAQs

Before we wrap up this guide, here are a few frequently asked questions about content development:

> How much do content development agencies charge?

Content marketing agencies may charge anywhere between $2,500 and $10,000 per month — some up to $25,000 or more. In the UK, you can replace the $ with a £. They aren’t cheap, which is why you need to be extra meticulous when choosing a partner. But they can be **incredibly** powerful.

> What if I don’t have the resources for an elaborate content development process?

If your budget’s a little tight, you can stick to the basics of content development: research, write, proofread, and publish.

> Do I really need content development for my business?

If you want to build your online presence and generate leads, then yes — you need holistic content development. Unless, of course, you’re already a big-name brand like Tesla or Apple.

## Take your content development initiatives to greater heights

If you need help with anything related to content marketing, send me a message [here](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/contact/).

Let’s talk about the struggles you’re facing and come up with a winning content development framework that will bring you loads of organic online traffic.
### How to Start a Fashion Blog in 2025
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-start-a-fashion-blog-in-2022/
Last updated: 2025-02-19T02:45:43.000Z
The fashion industry is a [huge market](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-make-content-marketing-work-in-a-world-saturated-with-content/). Currently, there are as many as [60 million fashion blogs](https://letter.ly/how-many-blogs-are-there/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk#:~:text=Some%20of%20the%20world's%20most,to%2060%20million%20fashion%20blogs.) to read where fashionistas share tips and insight into the constantly-changing trends in the industry.

If you love style, clothing, and sharing your passion with others, a fashion blog is an excellent outlet for your creativity and skillset.

Don't know where to begin? You can learn how to start a fashion blog in just five simple steps.

## What is a Fashion Blog?

It's crucial initially to outline what a fashion blog is (or isn't). 

A fashion blog is a platform for writers to discuss clothing and accessory lines, beauty tips, celebrity fashion, and apparel market trends. These writers pay attention to trends and current events in the fashion industry.

![Organized Blogger Workstation](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1505330622279-bf7d7fc918f4?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=MnwxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDI4fHxibG9nfGVufDB8fHx8MTY0MjQ0NzQyNQ&ixlib=rb-1.2.1&q=80&w=2000)

Photo by [Arnel Hasanovic](https://unsplash.com/@arnelhasanovic?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit) / [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit)

The blogs share opinions, suggestions, and experiences on these topics to inform their readers and keep them abreast of industry news. Fashion blogs usually contain eye-catching visuals to support the written content and appeal to a broad audience.

Fashion is a highly popular niche. Creative people can share their ideas and vision with the world and make a living doing what they love. But it's also highly competitive. Not only are trends constantly changing, but designers want to be the best at what they do and attract consumers to their content.

Fashion is often a highly lucrative career and can lead to fame and fortune if supported by a known celebrity.

There are several types of fashion blogs. Some specifically focus on incorporating certain fashion trends into your own wardrobe. Others are how-to articles that teach makeup application tips and tricks. The most common types of fashion blogs are:

- **Celebrity fashion**: These blogs cover red-carpet ensembles, suggestions on how to recreate the looks worn by television stars, and beauty trends used by Hollywood actors.
- **General fashion**: This material explores a variety of everyday fashion insights, like where to shop for the best clothing deals, breaking news in the fashion industry, and colour trends.
- **Personal style**: If you have a special flair for creating unique ensembles, a personal style blog is a great way to influence others and share your creative looks.
- **Street style**: Fashion inspiration can come from anywhere, and these blogs highlight everyday people's approach to clothing and beauty.
- **Fashion critique**: Experts in the fashion industry can share their professional insight about trends, application, and style adoption among both celebrities and everyday people.
- **Fashion news**: Everything from famous designers to high-end shows, fashion news blogs keep people informed about newsworthy events happening in the industry.
- **Shopping**: Whether you sell your own clothing and accessories or want to share ideas on where to find certain pieces, shopping blogs are a great way to provide a service to your audience.

Regardless of their type, fashion blogs are a way to provide a unique perspective and feature products you stand behind. All of this provides value to your readers, attracts an audience, and helps generate revenue.

## How to Start a Fashion Blog in 5 Simple Steps

Fashion is a big influencer industry and continues to grow. By the end of 2025, fashion and style companies are expected to spend nearly [$15 billion](https://www.businessinsider.com/influencer-marketing-report?r=US&IR=T&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) on sales and promotions. To capitalise on its evergreen necessity, you can [start a fashion blog](https://www.more.com/lifestyle/how-become-fashion-blogger-14-quick-tips-success/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) by following these five simple steps.

### Step 1: Research Your Niche

To [create a successful blog](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/5-tips-for-creating-high-performing-content/), you must hone in on a specific aspect of the fashion industry and find your niche. If you want to connect with a younger audience, consider a blog that focuses on affordable substitutions for high-end looks. If you have an in-depth understanding of current trends, create a blog that offers recommendations on incorporating those looks into an everyday wardrobe.

![Knowledge](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1507842217343-583bb7270b66?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=MnwxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDF8fGxpYnJhcnl8ZW58MHx8fHwxNjQyNDQ3NDk1&ixlib=rb-1.2.1&q=80&w=2000)

Photo by [Alfons Morales](https://unsplash.com/@alfonsmc10?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit) / [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit)

Research your niche and ask yourself the following questions:

- What is your own style?
- Who do you want to reach?
- What issues are important to you? (Environment; body issues; etc.)
- What makes you unique?
- Do you have the expertise to be a critic?

The answers to these questions can guide you toward choosing a niche that can be successful for you.

### Step 2: Analyse the Competition

Even with a narrowed focus, chances are there are millions of other fashion blogs writing about a similar thing. How can you set your blog apart from the competition? Begin by taking a close look at what your competitors are doing. Learn from their successes and their mistakes to create a blog that provides a better experience.

![typing on a keyboard
-
You can follow me on dribbble.com/zal3wa](https://images.unsplash.com/uploads/141103282695035fa1380/95cdfeef?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=MnwxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDI3fHxibG9nJTIwcG9zdHxlbnwwfHx8fDE2NDI0NDc1Njk&ixlib=rb-1.2.1&q=80&w=2000)

Photo by [Damian Zaleski](https://unsplash.com/@zal3wa?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit) / [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit)

Look through their posts and find articles with high engagement. Consider expounding on some of those topics for your own blog. Articles with low engagement are topics that your audience probably won't be interested in, so you can avoid those.

Read user comments. Look up competitors on social media. Monitor chat rooms and forums to see candid conversations about the reader experience they're providing.

You can learn a lot about the needs and expectations of your audience. Do longer blog posts get better reception? Are posts with video and graphic visuals preferred? Analysing your competition can save you time and resources, as their experience can help flatten your learning curve.

### Step 3: Choose Your Platform

There are numerous platforms available to host your fashion blog. Choosing the one that's best for you depends on several factors. Once you've identified your niche and know how to set yourself apart from the competition, you'll have a better idea of what your needs are and which platform can best serve you.

If you want to learn how to start a fashion blog with no money, you can choose a free platform like [WordPress](https://wordpress.com/free/?utm%5Fsource=google&utm%5Fcampaign=google%5Fwpcom%5Fsearch%5Fbrand%5Fdesktop%5Fus%5Fen&utm%5Fmedium=paid%5Fsearch&keyword=free%20wordpress&creative=327272467830&campaignid=998785131&adgroupid=53026925687&matchtype=e&device=c&network=g&targetid=aud-1246208845436:kwd-1989503889&gclsrc=aw.ds&gclid=CjwKCAjwndCKBhAkEiwAgSDKQdJF5iiigTjfyltkMZLo%5FBk-NwcxVMaiw9l-USjJxrWNQmy849G6TxoC1-oQAvD%5FBwE), [Weebly](https://www.weebly.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), or [Medium](https://medium.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). Of course, these do have some limitations, like a limited selection of themes, the inability to remove ads from pages, and no custom domain name. You'll need to decide what's most important to you and choose the platform that supports those priorities.

### Step 4: Find a Template/Theme

There was a time when creating a website meant learning HTML code. Today, web creation is a much more simplified process so that practically anyone can create their blog.

![](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1522542550221-31fd19575a2d?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=MnwxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDIwfHx3ZWIlMjBkZXNpZ258ZW58MHx8fHwxNjQyNDQ3NjAy&ixlib=rb-1.2.1&q=80&w=2000)

Photo by [Hal Gatewood](https://unsplash.com/@halacious?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit) / [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit)

Platforms provide several templates that allow users to drag and drop information into a pre-designed layout. These templates are available in a variety of themes, with certain colour combinations, font styles, and general personality to enhance and support the content on your blog.

Choosing a template you can work with and a theme that fits your niche is essential. When people visit your blog, the [aesthetics of your site](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/238106570%5FThe%5FRole%5Fof%5FAesthetics%5Fin%5FWeb%5FDesign?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) play an important role in your overall success. If people aren't comfortable while on your blog, they're not going to stick around to read your articles.

The fashion industry, by nature, is impacted by visual appeal. Choose a theme that is attractive and supports the niche you've chosen. If you're going to post about environmentally-friendly fashion choices, consider a template whose theme features greens, tans, and blues. Choose a theme with gold accents and formal fonts if your blog is all about couture brands.

Before you commit to a template and theme, consider the following:

- Read the description carefully: Every template and theme offers certain features and functions. Be sure the one you choose will support the things you want to accomplish with your blog.
- Test it out: Most themes have a demo that allows you to try it out and see if it will work for your needs. Make sure you can customise the areas you want to tailor and that it supports the kind of media you wish to include.
- Consult user reviews: If you find a template or theme you like, see if others have had a positive experience. Better to learn ahead of time about any flaws in functionality before you invest time and resources with a page that won't suit your needs.

Once you've done your research, you can choose a template and theme that are visually appealing while providing the functionality you require.

### Step 5: Publish Your First Content

When you're ready to begin developing content, use audience research to determine what topics readers will find interesting.

![](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1457369804613-52c61a468e7d?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=MnwxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDl8fHdyaXRpbmd8ZW58MHx8fHwxNjQyNDQ3NjMw&ixlib=rb-1.2.1&q=80&w=2000)

Photo by [Patrick Tomasso](https://unsplash.com/@impatrickt?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit) / [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit)

Write original, helpful, and meaningful material that provides value to your audience. Spend time researching your topic to ensure you're providing the most current information and insight. You want to establish yourself as an authoritative fashion blogger whom people can trust and depend on for accurate and reliable information.

[Craft your first blog](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-write-a-blog-post-in-30-minutes-a-how-to-guide/) post directly in your new template. Be sure to include [relevant keywords](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-conduct-keyword-research-for-search-engine-optimisation-seo/) and links to valuable sources. This helps with SEO and earns you higher search engine rankings, increasing visibility and brand awareness.

When you think your article is finished, you can choose to preview it. This allows you to see your post through your reader's eyes. Identify any typos, errors, or formatting issues that need to be resolved. When you're confident it's ready to go live, click on "Publish." Ta-da! You've published your first fashion blog post!

## Summary

A fashion blog is a great way to harness your flair for style and your passion for the industry to help educate others about these topics.

Although you could take an online fashion blogging course, learning how to start a fashion blog is relatively simple. By following the five steps outlined above, you can develop a reliable blog that [attracts an audience, drives traffic, and helps generate revenue](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/9-statistics-about-blogging-in-2021/).
### 5 Tips for Creating High-Performing Content
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/5-tips-for-creating-high-performing-content/
Last updated: 2022-01-17T15:41:27.000Z
A good content strategy can drive 100% of your revenue.

[Content marketing](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/tag/content-marketing/) fills the gap between what message brands want to share and what consumers actually want to see. That’s the secret to building active, engaged communities full of loyal brand advocates.

When you share relevant, targeted and compelling content, you give your target audience a chance to learn about your products and services and get familiar with your brand.

So that when your audience does need your service, you are top of mind.

But in a world of [saturated social feeds](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/5-reasons-your-social-campaigns-arent-converting-how-to-fix-them/) and as the creator economy explodes, delivering *quality* content is key to getting ahead.

This blog will cover 5 tips for creating high-performing content that puts you in the best position to see tangible business results.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2022/01/1.jpeg)

## Hook your consumer

A hook triggers curiosity so that your audience doesn’t feel obliged to consume your content. Instead, they feel personally compelled to. Lure your customers in with something snappy, enticing and that evokes immediate interest.

Your job is to get them to bite.

Once you have their attention, your audience will become much more receptive to your messaging. But one hook alone at the start of your blog, video, or post isn’t enough.

The average human attention span is 8 seconds. So aim to constantly hit your consumer with bold statements or visuals littered strategically throughout your content.

Don’t just steal their attention. Retain it.

Good hooks make the value clear and easy to find. They tease the audience with rewards. They show new possibilities that solve problems through simple and specific solutions e.g. ‘get 25,000 subscribers without spending a penny’, ‘how we gained 16,641 followers in 7 days’, ‘double your email rates with this one hack’

If you want content that converts, include hooks that promise and then *deliver* value.

## Write compelling copy

“Writing is not like painting where you add. Writing is more like a sculpture where you remove, you eliminate in order to make the work visible” – Elie Wiesel

With shortening attention spans and saturated content spaces, mastering the art of saying more with fewer words is a huge skill. It’s the difference between clunky, convoluted and confusing messaging and impactful copy that cuts straight through the noise.

Less waffle means less opportunity for your reader to be distracted.

When you add copy to a social post, write a blog or send a newsletter, remember that having a single message per content piece is key. Otherwise, it can be overwhelming for the reader to digest and actually take away from your content, what you intend them to.

The trick is to keep things simple enough for your reader to understand, but compelling and contextualised enough for them to take action.

Use statistics and facts to add credibility to your brand. Leverage high-arousal emotions to keep your audience connected to the story that you’re telling. Tailor your language, content pillars and delivery towards your specific audience so it feels personally written to them.

Aim for more clarity, more precision and more impact.

## Tell impactful stories

Yes, your aim is to ultimately convert your audience and monetize their interaction with your brand. But to do that, you need to view your consumers as people, not a market.

Humans act on feeling and emotion. It’s the classic ‘show don’t tell’ argument. When you allow people to make a decision for themselves (with some subconscious directing of course) they’re much more likely to invest in your brand.

Storytelling is one way to do this.

When you wrap your message in a story packed with high-arousal emotions, you transport people to where you want them to be, you make marketing feel less like *marketing* and most importantly, you provoke emotional responses.

Focus on high-arousal emotions, the ones that cause a physical reaction from the body. Instead of making somebody smile, make them howl with laughter. Instead of making them feel thrilled, give them goosebumps.

High arousal emotions go beyond surface-level emotions.

It’s how you create experiences around your brand that trigger visceral attachment to your stories. The more high-intensity emotions you evoke, the more likely consumers are to become invested in your content and act on your messaging.

If people love a brand story, 55% are more likely to buy the product in the future, 44% will share the story, and 15% will buy the product immediately.

## Experiment more

‘Growth hacks’ is a term thrown around way too often. The reality is, what works for one person, business or brand won’t work for everyone. Results are contextual.

Timing. Industry. Audience. Channel. Demand.

All these variables change and so there’s no guarantee that a ‘hack’ that worked for somebody else’s content will deliver the same impact for you. It’s why you should always be experimenting with your ideas and testing different approaches.

If your typical content consists of long-form blog posts, why not try packaging it into bitesize videos and sharing across socials? (87% of video marketers say video has increased traffic to their website. 80% of video marketers also claim that video has directly increased sales).

Try sharing content on different channels. Test engagement through different media types e.g. lives, polls, infographics, etc. You should never say no to something without testing first.

You can *always* learn from the stuff you create (and those learnings will be contextual to your audience, your business and your brand). Optimise your content as you discover what works well and what doesn’t.

Growth experiments > Growth hacks

## Create for your customer

If you want to deliver content that converts, get to the nitty-gritty of what your customers *want* to see. Interview them, send surveys for feedback and analyse your data. Equally, look at why your audience is *not* buying from you…

Ask your sales team this: what is the biggest customer objection you face when selling?

[Once you identify why customers aren’t converting](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/why-your-content-isnt-converting-and-how-to-fix-it-without-spending-thousands-on-ads/), you can hone in your marketing efforts to strategically counteract or bring solutions to their objections. Create content that is designed to eliminate reasons customers might have not to invest in your brand, products or services.

Get them on your side.

The trick to this is properly understanding your customer before you try and sell to them. Spray and pray content with no coherent messaging or relevance to your target audience will just add to the noise on their social feeds.

Create targeted benefits-driven content and share and distribute it at relevant times to show that you genuinely care about your customer, not just their money.

That’s the secret to building trust and converting customers into fans.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2022/01/2.jpeg)

Following these tips will ensure that every piece of content you deliver is intentional, audience-specific and engaging enough to warrant action.

Just churning out tired, dull and generic content can actually harm your brand. Bad content is a liability to your reputation and brand credibility.

Invest in your content and your audience will invest in you.
### Inbound Marketing: Why It's Essential and How to Set Up for 2025
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/inbound-marketing-why-its-essential-and-how-to-set-up-for-2022/
Last updated: 2026-07-08T17:03:08.000Z
In his groundbreaking book *"Permission Marketing: Turning Strangers into Friends and Friends into Customers,"* Seth Godin contends that traditional or Outbound marketing has become less effective in modern times. Over 20 years after the book was published, his words ring truer than ever and the trend is becoming stronger. Here are some facts:

- 44% of direct mail ends up in bin without getting opened ([Source](http://mashable.com/2011/10/30/inbound-outbound-marketing/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk#2NsukMoTDPql))
- 86% of people change channels or skip through TV commercials ([Source](http://mashable.com/2011/10/30/inbound-outbound-marketing/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk#2NsukMoTDPql))
- 71% of people find cold calls annoying and 88% will have nothing to do with a company that cold calls ([Source](http://www.nomorecoldcalling.com/stop-cold-calling/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk))
- A third of the CMOs surveyed in 2015 said digital (inbound) marketing will account for 75% or more of their spending within the next five years ([Source](https://www.cmocouncil.org/facts-stats-categories.php?view=all&category=marketing-spend&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk))

Outbound marketing may not be dead and buried, but these are the times of inbound marketing. It is time to start turning to inbound, and this article will tell you how. So grab some good coffee and sit down for 15 minutes, because you'll be learning everything you need to know about inbound marketing and how to get set up.

## **Inbound Vs Outbound Marketing**

For those who just joined the party, inbound marketing is the digital version of [Permission Marketing](http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths%5Fblog/2008/01/permission-mark.html?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), a concept that marketing entrepreneur Seth Godin introduced for the first time in 1999.

In traditional marketing, sometimes called "[Interruption Marketing](http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/interrupt-marketing?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)," you interrupt your audience to tell them about your product or service and hope that they'll listen. For instance, a TV spot interrupts their favorite TV show, or a tradeshow interrupts their daily routine. By contrast, Permission Marketing involves obtaining your audience's permission before you hit them with your marketing messages, for example, an online subscription or a signup where the receiver allows you to send them mail.

In the context of the internet, inbound marketing makes your offer or brand visible to an audience that is already looking to buy products like yours. The aim of inbound marketing is to make it convenient for your audience to find you when they need your products or services, and make it desirable for them to receive your messaging and transact with your business.

Outbound marketing involves pushing your messages at large swaths of people and hoping to get noticed by your prospect customers. It includes activities such as cold calling, unsolicited direct mail, trade shows, telemarketing, advertising, etc.

Inbound marketing mainly consists of content marketing activities, such as blogs, podcasts, video, eBooks, newsletters, social media marketing, etc. Additionally, SEO, conversion optimization, and physical product trials also fall within the definition of inbound marketing.

The following infographic from [WordStream](http://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2015/08/25/inbound-marketing-strategy?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) sums up the difference beautifully:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/05/MarketingLabs_NewBlogImages_1024x768_RK_13-May-2021.jpg)

## **Why You Must Turn Inbound**

Your customers are the biggest reason to focus your attention on inbound marketing. People are faced with so many media choices and marketing messages today that they have evolved methods of tuning out unwanted advertising. According to the 2015 [Adblocker Report](https://blog.pagefair.com/2015/ad-blocking-report/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), ad blocking increased by 41% globally, burning away nearly $22 billion worth of advertising. [Studies](https://sjinsights.net/2014/09/29/new-research-sheds-light-on-daily-ad-exposures/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) have confirmed that an average adult is exposed to between 3,000 and 20,000 brand messages a day, but engages with only 12 of them.

People today have ad-free media options like Netflix. They can effortlessly transition between different types of media, switch channels, or just skip through commercials. Why would they ever watch your outbound message/video, unless they actually want to? As Millennial consumers grow up and your customers grow even more tech savvy, outbound marketing is predicted to die a [slow death](http://marketingland.com/millennials-speeding-slow-death-interruption-marketing-150324?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

Inbound marketing also boasts a better ROI because of lower customer acquisition costs, lower wastage and higher conversion rates. The 2015 *State of Inbound Report* by [HubSpot](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/53/SOI2015.pdf?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) states inbound efforts achieve higher ROI than outbound regardless of company size or total marketing spend. Every company surveyed was three times more likely to see a higher ROI on inbound marketing campaigns than on outbound.

Inbound marketing it's particularly essential for small businesses and startups, because they can expect higher returns even on smaller budgets. Companies with annual marketing budgets below $100,000 were found three times as likely to see a higher ROI on inbound marketing campaigns than on outbound. There's also evidence that inbound leads cost [61% less](https://www.impactbnd.com/blog/35-stats-that-prove-the-roi-of-inbound-marketing?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) on the average than outbound leads.

Paradoxically, some outbound budget is still essential to trigger inbound campaigns. But, you may be better off spending most of it offline, on media such as billboards, which the viewer can't escape.

> "If you have more money than brains, you should focus on Outbound Marketing. If you have more brains than money, you should focus on Inbound Marketing.” - Guy Kawasaki

## **How to Set Up for Inbound Marketing**

According to the [State of Inbound](http://www.stateofinbound.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) Report, 75% of marketers around the globe currently prioritise inbound marketing. If you're one of them, you should understand that inbound marketing is a long game. While you're likely to see some immediate results when the year ends, the true value of inbound will take more time to materialise. The long-term benefits of inbound marketing include:

1. Higher cost efficiency and lower cost per lead
2. Higher conversion rates (because of anticipated, personal, and relevant messaging)
3. Better targeting through personalisation
4. Long term relationship building with your customers
5. A better brand image because you're not annoying people with interruption marketing

A long-term inbound strategy is the first thing you need. You should be committed to your strategy despite the discouraging results you may see in the beginning. In fact, [Hubspot](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/53/SOI2015.pdf?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) recommends *doubling* your inbound budget if you get off to a slow start. Eighty-one percent of the companies that failed with inbound increased their budgets the year after.

## **Creating an Inbound Marketing Strategy**

According to Seth Godin, Permission Marketing strategies need to be *anticipated, personal, and relevant* in order to be successful. Applying his wisdom to inbound marketing, you should:

- Understand the product/service information that your prospect customers anticipate from your company
- Personalise the marketing message so that it explicitly relates to the customer looking for that information
- Make your marketing information relevant to the questions and intentions of your customers

The inbound marketing Funnel: You'll need to take the above steps at different points in your inbound sales funnel. The information at the lip of the funnel will help you get discovered by your customers. The information on your website will convert your visitors into qualified leads. And the messaging on your sales pages will primarily convert leads into sales. In order to provide the right information and action triggers at the right stage, you'll need to better understand your target customers and their needs.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/05/MarketingLabs_NewBlogImages_1024x768_RK_17-May-2021_SalesFunnel.jpg)

Figure: This is what the inbound sales funnel looks like. ToFu stands for top of funnel, MoFu for middle of funnel, and BoFu for bottom of funnel. ([Source](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/80220437090590674/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk))

Essential inbound marketing activities: You'll also need to set up relation building and tracking systems, like a CRM, for instance, and launch a full-fledged, sustained content marketing effort. Of course, tracking and monitoring the results is essential for steering your efforts in the right direction.

## **Steps for Creating an Inbound Marketing Strategy**

Based on what we've just discussed, creating a basic inbound marketing strategy involves the following steps:

1. Setting Goals, SMART Objectives and Becnhmarks
2. Understanding Your Customers
3. Creating Digital Presence
4. Capturing Leads for Further Marketing
5. Converting Leads into Customers into Repeat Buyers
6. Monitoring the Results

Let's explore each of these stages and see what activities you need to undertake at each step.

### **Before You Start**

You should understand that running an inbound marketing effort is not a one man show. You'll need a team and the appropriate systems to create and distribute content and to optimize your digital presence for SEO and conversions.

#### ***Human Resources***

Inbound Marketing Strategist: This person will lead the creation and execution of your inbound marketing strategy. This would be someone who knows digital marketing and is able to work closely with sales and marketing teams.

Content Manager/Writer/Editor: You'll want these three roles to be filled by at least three different people if your marketing effort is extensive. For very small businesses, however, a responsible writer would do for a start, with you managing the content.

SEO Team: This team will optimise your website in order to improve your organic search rankings. They should be an experienced team with proven results to show and references to vouch for them. Avoid rookie SEOs. They can do more damage than good.

Social Media Team: This team (or individual) will lead your social media and email marketing, with the goal to get you more engagement and higher CTRs.

Design Team: These people will present the content your writers create in a beautiful visual format, so that customers will notice it and interact with it.

Web Developers: They will work on your website to make the changes that you think are necessary to create a better user experience and increase conversions.

#### ***Inbound Marketing Software***

You'll need a variety of software tools to create, implement and monitor your strategy. These might include development tools such as WordPress, Magento, or Joomla; the necessary plugins to provide the desired functionality, such as subscription forms, reviews, etc; lead nurturing tools such as an email program or CRM; and tracking tools such as Google Analytics, social media insights, email tracking, etc.

Using a CRM Software: Using a CRM solves most of your tracking and lead nurturing problems, as you can integrate data from different channels and implement customized strategies for different segments of your customers. It will take much of the workload off your shoulders and allow you to implement your strategy without going insane. SalesForce, Insightly, and Zoho are among the best CRMs for small business, though there are many [other CRMs](http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/7839-best-crm-software.html?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) you can consider.

#### ***Should You Hire an Inbound Marketing Agency?***

Staffing and managing the above roles in-house can be a problem if you don’t have the time or the talent. You should probably hire an agency if you're going to have to staff most of the roles from outside your organization. Hiring an agency may be more economical. However, make sure you're putting your eggs in the right basket. Shortlist multiple agencies, scrutinize their credentials, and ask probing questions to select the best agency for your business and goals.

### **Step 1: Setting Goals, SMART Objectives and KPIs**

No journey can start without a goal, and inbound marketing is no different. However, a goal without SMART objectives and benchmarks is just a wish. Your goals are your destination and the objectives are the steps that take you there. The benchmarks are the milestones along the way that tell you if you're on track and how much progress you've made.

Set SMART Objectives: The objectives should be *specific, measureable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound*, hence the acronym "SMART". For example, one of your goals can be to dominate rankings on Google for your top industry keywords. You can break it down into multiple SMART objectives such as:

- *SEO Objective 1:* Outrank competitors x, y, and z within 12 months for the 10 most frequently searched key terms
- *SEO Objective 2:* Appear among the top three results for the top 10 key terms on Google within 12 months

Set Goals and Objectives for All Channels: Similarly, you can set your goals for social media, PPC, blogging, and conversion optimisation, then break them down into several objectives. Next, you should decide the milestones and KPIs that you're going to track during your journey. For example, CTR (or click through rate) can be an effective KPI to track the performance of your SEO or social media marketing.

Before you can set realistic goals and objectives, you'll need to know your customers, competitors and industry. Do your research, talk to your customers, hold brainstorming sessions with your teams, and make sure you're not setting your goals in a vacuum.

Write down your goals in a template, like this one from Hubspot. You can [download more of them](http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/marketing-with-excel-templates-list?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk#sm.00012eh5p15e9db4ttz2otsdziaf5) here.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/05/2.jpg)

### **Step 2: Understanding Your Customers**

Marketing, whether inbound or outbound, begins and ends with you customers. If you understand them well, you'll be able to respond better to their requirements. You'll be able to create the perfect user experience for them at every level in your inbound funnel. Luckily, digital marketing makes it easy to learn about your customers.

Learn from Historical Data: Your Google Analytics and social media insights will reveal valuable information about your customers, including their demographics, locations, devices used, keywords searched, and behavior on your website. You should read their comments on blog posts,reviews of your competitors' products, social media interactions, etc to learn more about what they want and need.

Do Your Research: Conventional methods of market research such as customer interviews, focus groups, polls and survey, etc haven't lost their importance. You should get out of your office into the real world and talk to your prospect customers, distributors, and other people in your industry. Find out what specific aspect of your product or offer you can improve to create a buzz among your customers.

Create Customer Personas: Based on your research, you should create detailed customer personas and understand the different roles that your customers play when they come to your website. A persona is a hypothetical yet in-depth sketch of your target customers. It includes everything from their demographics to interests and from their media habits to goals, pain points, and their decision making process.

### **Step 3: Creating a Digital Presence**

The Channels Your Customers Use: Through your customer research, you can find out the digital media habits of your target audience. Ideally, you should establish your presence on all the channels where your users are likely to be present. These can include search engines (mainly Google, Bing and Yahoo!), social media networks (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, etc) citation and review sites (Yelp, TrustPilot, TripAdvisor, etc), consumer and industry forums, and industry blogs, etc.

All Roads Lead to Your Website: Your website is the hub of your inbound marketing. Make sure you select a domain name that includes the most important keywords that your customers search with to look up a business like yours. Build your site structure keeping in mind the information your users need at different stages of their [buying cycle](http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/19022/How-to-Leverage-the-5-Stages-of-the-Customer-Buying-Cycle-for-More-Sales.aspx?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk#sm.00012eh5p15e9db4ttz2otsdziaf5).

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/05/MarketingLabs_NewBlogImages_1024x512_RK_20-May-2021_Cycle.jpg)

For example, a first-time visitor is more likely to be interested in knowing more about your company or product, whereas a repeat visitor may be more interested in comparing prices and features, or in actually buying your product. Follow the [best practices](https://blog.kissmetrics.com/optimize-buying-cycle/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) for creating a great user experience for your customers at every stage of the buying cycle.

Optimise for SEO: Visitors won't come running just because you've created a great website, unless you've optimised it for search engines. Focus on SEO right from the outset while you're building your website. Spend some time on [keyword research](https://mazen-app.com/guide/seo-keyword-research/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) and try to match each keyword you select with the customer intent. What kind of information is a person searching with a particular keyword likely to be looking for? What would you like to see on your page if you were your customer? Optimise your pages accordingly.

Unleash Blogging: A blog is a great content marketing tool because it helps your customers as well as your SEO. Do not create a blog just to drive traffic because it could impact the user experience of your visitors. Instead, create your content for the personas that you developed during the customer research. Address their questions and pain points, provide unique info on burning industry issues. There's no harm in optimising your posts for SEO by using keywords in titles, body, and meta descriptions.

Leverage Social Marketing: If your content is great, social media can make it magnanimous by spreading it far and wide. Establish your profiles on Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and other networks that your customers are hooked to, and share quality content. You'll need a social media strategy complete with goals, objectives and KPIs in order to succeed. Make sure you're consistent and create impressive content that resonates with your customers.

Use PPC for Accelerated Results: Your SEO efforts can take months, even years, to pay off. Obviously, you can't wait that long. PPC (pay per click) advertising is the answer. Yes, it's essentially outbound advertising, but here, you're advertising to an audience that's already searching for a product or service like yours. By focusing on the right keywords, bidding strategically, and displaying compelling ads you can get the traffic to start rolling in.

### **Step 4: Capturing and Nurturing Leads**

When you start getting traffic from search engines, social media, and other places, you should try everything in your power to convert your visitors into interested leads. When you know that a person is interested in your company or product, you can follow up with them through email, phone, social media, etc to get them to buy from you. Inbound marketers deploy a number of tactics to persuade their visitors to sign up and provide their email addresses, along with their implicit or explicit willingness to receive marketing messages.

Offer Premium Content: You can reward your visitors with a free eBook, guide, or a discount for subscribing to your mailing list. When they have agreed to receive information about your products, special offers, etc, you can keep sending them emails about your new products or offers. As these people already know your company and are receptive toward your messages, they have the highest chance of transacting with you.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/KL8VWCYkd0VCoarL0x2YhdvRQ0cSjVoR9RMKWME5bRWkqEf1HuvbTKCYsOwpdBNaj8r9iLAGr0BBpDUif1jLbl1kF77wWXTV1iqWmwl_sFz22YDTnBaML5Fzh6Zm71V1WlHIiRtMKuRPHC_oHQ)

Fig: HubSpot offers an in-depth "State of Inbound Report" in exchange for your email address. Notice that unlike most other lead capture forms you'll see, the check-boxes for receiving marketing information are unchecked by default on this form. HubSpot won't send you any emails until you tick these boxes. This is permission marketing at its finest.

Have Multiple Landing Pages: Every page on your website should be designed like a [landing page](http://unbounce.com/landing-page-articles/what-is-a-landing-page/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), a page you create with the goal to make your visitors take a specific action. The goal can be to make a purchase, subscribe to your email, download a brochure or app, etc. A good landing page allows visitors to find the required information quickly and entices them to take the action you want them to take. Each landing page is designed to receive traffic from specific keywords. It should be free of distractions and should have a single/simple call to action (CTA).

Plan Follow-up Email Sequences: Email continues to be one of the most effective lead nurturing tool. You should plan mailing sequences depending upon the product or offer your prospect customers are interested in. For example, if a person subscribed to your mailing list after searching for a specific product (which your Google Analytics should tell you), you can send them more information about that product or its associated products. Email management software like MailChimp, ConstantContact, and others allow you to schedule mailing sequences and track your emails.

### **Step 5: Converting Leads into Customers and Customers into Repeat Buyers**

So, now you have visitors and you have leads. Hopefully, you're making some sales too. But you must make planned efforts to make more of your visitors and leads buy from you. Start by optimising your product or service pages.

Create Compelling Sales Pages: Design your sales pages while keeping an eye on the personas you created in the research stage. Make sure your pages answer the customer's most pressing concerns in a simple and easy to navigate layout. You can find tons of articles on optimising your product pages on Unbounce, WordStream, Hubspot, VWO, etc. Check out this actionable [post on KissMetrics](https://blog.kissmetrics.com/15-psychological-triggers/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) about the psychological action triggers that compel people to buy.

**Remarket to Non-converting Visitors**

Regardless of how effective your website may be at converting visits into leads, the majority of your visitors will leave without taking any action on your website. Retargeting them with customised advertisements can bring them back and make them buy from you. You can do this by using a snippet of code (called "cookie") on your website. The retargeting cookie is stored in your visitors' browsers and tracks their online behavior to serve them appropriate ads.

You can hit them with your retargeting ads when they're making new searches, visiting other websites, or scanning their social media newsfeeds. You can remarket to your past visitors through [AdWords](https://support.google.com/adwords/answer/2453998?hl=en&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) and show them your ads as they visit Google Display Network websites, YouTube, or make new searches with your keywords. You can also [retarget on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/business/a/online-sales/custom-audiences-website) if you're using Facebook marketing to drive traffic. Remarketing/retargeting can be [more effective](http://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2015/10/01/remarketing-facts?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) than campaigning for new visitors, so don't avoid it.

**Market to Segmented Lists**

The people who visit your site can be divided into multiple homogeneous groups—first-time visitors, repeat visitors, subscribers, new buyers, repeat buyers, people interested in only certain types of products, and so on. In order to nurture leads properly and turn them into loyal customers, you should hit different segments with personalised messages. It's here that a CRM distinguishes great companies from good ones.

Popular CRMs like SalesForce or Hubspot make it easy to segment your customers based on their needs and automate messaging. In doing so, you can also take full advantage of marketing opportunities such as cross-selling or up-selling. You can send them helpful information to cement your relationship and establish your company as an expert in your niche. Or, you can leverage your relationship with them to run referral programs, in which they earn a discount etc for referring their friends, and you get a new customer with almost no acquisition cost!

### **Step 6: Monitoring the Results**

Tracking the results is crucial to the success of your inbound marketing plan. Monitoring your analytics will tell you what works best and what doesn’t work, so you can focus on the right areas and reduce waste. Your inbound strategy will need constant steering and adjusting based on what you see in your Google Analytics, social media insights, or CRM.

Compare your performance to the benchmarks you decided during the goal setting phase. Are you on track? Why not? What are the things that are working well and why? Why some tactics are not effective at driving customers and what can you do about them?

KPIs to Track: Apart from tracking your conversions, there are some strategic KPIs that you must monitor. These are:

- *Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC):* You can calculate CAC by dividing the total inbound marketing expenditure in a period (say, a quarter or a year) by the number of customers acquired in that period. This would tell you how much money you spend on acquiring a customer, on the average.
- *Customer Lifetime Value (CLV):* How much an average customer is worth to you in terms of profits? To [calculate CLV](https://www.ometria.com/blog/how-to-calculate-customer-lifetime-value-clv-in-ecommerce?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), you can simply multiply your gross profit margin with the sum of all the purchases by each individual customer. This would tell you how much gross profit you're earning from that customer. Do this for all of your customers, sum up the results, and divide by the number of customers to calculate your CLV.
- *CLV/CAC Ratio:* You should aim for a [CLV/CAC ratio of 3/1](https://www.klipfolio.com/resources/kpi-examples/saas-metrics/customer-lifetime-value-to-customer-acquisition-ratio?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), which means that you're earning three times as much as you're spending to acquire an average customer. If the ratio is 2/1, you're spending too much. If it is 5/1, you're probably spending too little and losing out on potential business. Calculating CLV and CAC for each channel separately will reveal which channel is more profitable than the others.
- *Other KPIs:* Additionally, you can track your ARR (annual recurring revenue), cash flow, and churn rate. These metrics are easy to calculate and track if you're using a CRM.

Monitor SEO and Conversions: The least you should do is track your visitors, CTR and conversions with Google Analytics. See where your CTR is moving. Are you converting a higher percentage of your visitors than a month ago? Calculating your cost per lead and conversion to lead ratio will reveal the areas you need to focus on.

### **So, Are You Ready to Set Up Inbound Marketing?**

As you may have realised, it will take some time to take the above steps and set up your business for inbound marketing. Even after you've established your inbound channels and sales funnel, you'll need to continuously improve your understanding of your customers and enhance the experience that you've designed for them.

Don’t lose heart if you don’t see the results in the first few months. Inbound marketing is more of a path you walk than a destination your reach. Start working today with a robust inbound marketing plan that pulls you more customers than outbound marketing ever did.
### Top 3 Digital Marketing Channels for Your Website (and How to Choose the Right One)
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/top-3-digital-marketing-channels-for-your-website-and-how-to-choose-the-right-one/
Last updated: 2021-12-10T14:27:28.000Z
With eCommerce retail [on the rise](https://www.census.gov/retail/mrts/www/data/pdf/ec%5Fcurrent.pdf?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), more brands are benefiting from a digital marketing strategy. Digital marketing is an effective tool for new websites because it allows businesses to connect with their audience on multiple levels and with greater frequency. This builds brand awareness and drives traffic to your website. In this article, we’ll explore various digital marketing channels, the pros and cons of each, and the multi-channel approach that makes the most sense for your site.

## Digital Marketing Channel Examples

Digital marketing uses offline and online channels to promote products and services. Digital marketing channel examples include:

● Offline: [print ads](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/why-these-5-print-marketing-methods-still-rock-and-how-to-use-them/), television, and billboard ads  
● Online: [search engines](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/tag/seo/), websites, and [social media](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/tag/social-media-marketing/)

A vast number of people shop online with eCommerce retailers, and [93% of today’s consumers](https://www.searchenginejournal.com/seo-101/seo-statistics/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) begin their journey with a search engine. Because digital marketing spans across so many outlets, it can help brands reach a wider audience, improve SEO rankings with digital content, and provide more metrics to help companies gain a better understanding of their followers.

Most businesses use several channels to create a successful digital marketing campaign. To know the best approach for your audience, you must first have a clear understanding of who it is you’re trying to reach. Knowing audience needs, behaviours, and pain points can help you create a marketing campaign that delivers the right message to the right people on the right platform. Identifying your audience and understanding how they relate to the different channels available through digital marketing is critical in developing an effective digital marketing strategy that yields results.

## 3 Most-Used Digital Marketing Channels

If you’re ready to grow your audience and promote your business but don’t quite know where to begin, this marketing channels list may help shed some light on various digital marketing platforms. Here are three of the most frequently used digital marketing channels to benefit a new website.

### 1\. Content Marketing

Provide [valuable content](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/five-ways-to-create-engaging-content-that-converts-for-your-b2b-business/) that resonates with your audience. As a result, you build trust, customer loyalty and keep people coming back for more. Content marketing consists of:

● **Videos:** Videos are engaging, eye-catching, and help tell a compelling story. For this reason, [69% of people](https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/state-of-video-marketing-new-data?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) prefer to learn about a product through video rather than text.

● **Blogs:** Blog articles are a great way to deliver value to your audience. They can establish your reputation as an authority in your field, help readers feel more connected to your brand, and boost SEO rankings.

● **Podcasts:** Podcasts give a voice to your brand and enable you to connect with your audience on a more personal level. This can help earn their [trust](https://www.business2community.com/branding/brand-trust-is-more-important-than-ever-for-consumers-02229321?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), which can result in more conversions.

The pros of content marketing include:

● **Elicit an emotional response:** You can attract an audience and build customer loyalty.

● **Increase visibility:** When you provide quality content that people value, they’re more likely to share it with their own contacts and expand your reach.

● **Establish your reputation:** People look to you as a thought leader when you consistently publish expert information.

The cons of content marketing include:

● **Takes time and effort:** Developing quality content takes research, strategy, and time to develop material that people will find worthwhile.

● **Costs money:** You may need to hire content creators, curators, and directors to produce quality material. Online marketers, social media managers, and sales reps can ensure your content reaches the right people.

● **Convincing senior executives:** Many people want to stick with the traditional marketing channels they’ve been using to grow email lists. Convincing them to switch to content marketing can be a challenge.

Suppose you have the time and workforce to research and create quality content that compels people to act. In that case, content marketing can be a highly effective channel for successful digital marketing campaigns.

### 2\. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

When you optimise your website for [SEO](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/5-stats-you-need-to-know-about-seo-in-2021/), you’re ensuring that search engines believe your website provides value to its users. As a result, they’ll rank you higher in search results so that people can more easily find the solutions you provide to their problems. SEO is achieved in several ways:

● **Organic search:** Without paying for placement, your website appears at the top of search engine results. This is important because [less than 1%](https://www.noeticmarketer.com/blog/is-seo-for-ecommerce-a-useful-marketing-channel?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) of Google users will click on the second page of results.

● **Mobile search:** Today, [half of website traffic](https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) comes from mobile devices. It’s vital that you capture these users by optimising your site for mobile-friendliness.

● **Local SEO:** [58% of people](https://www.score.org/resource/infographic-voice-search-101-small-businesses?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) use voice search to find places that are located near them at the time of their search. This tells us users are looking for local solutions and are ready to purchase when they begin their search.

The pros to using SEO as a digital channel include:

● **Drives quality traffic:** People who find your brand are already actively looking for the products you offer.

● **Boosts ROI:** Leads that come from search engines have a [close rate of 14.6%.](https://inter-growth.co/seo-stats/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) When your site appears at the top of search engine rankings, you get higher traffic volume, more revenue, and better ROI.

● **Increases credibility:** When your site is rewarded with high rankings, your audience trusts that you provide quality content that delivers value. This establishes credibility among your following and earns customer loyalty.

The cons of using SEO include:

● **Slow results:** It takes time to gather tangible metrics to determine whether your efforts are successful.

● **Success isn’t guaranteed**: Even if you optimise your website, there’s no guarantee that you’ll appear on the first page of Google results.

● **Changing algorithms could lead to penalties:** Google’s algorithms can be see as a bit of a mystery. They could [change their requirements](https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2020/12/14/top-digital-marketing-stories-2020?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) overnight, causing you to lose your SEO advantage.

SEO is the main driver for website traffic, but it isn’t a perfect system. By understanding its benefits and disadvantages, you can better determine how much emphasis to put on this marketing channel.

### 3\. Social Media

With [4.48 billion people](https://backlinko.com/social-media-users?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) using social media, this is an excellent potential revenue source. Not only does social media reach a huge population. It’s a highly targetable marketing option so that you can deliver relevant messaging to the right people at the right time. The top social media platforms include:

● **Facebook:** People of all demographics use Facebook to share personal and professional information. Through comments and chat forums, Facebook enables people to connect personally with like-minded people.

● **Pinterest:** Originally a source for DIY ideas, Pinterest is now used by [25% of B2B businesses](https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics?%5F%5Fhstc=254041943.32a6eca4195f2019ce83f09f5962d5fe.1631898348736.1631898348736.1633107553519.2&%5F%5Fhssc=254041943.1.1633107553519&%5F%5Fhsfp=4285443617&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to market their brand.

● **LinkedIn:** This social network is geared toward professionals who want to share industry information with and grow their expert contacts.

● **Twitter:** [166 million people](https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/twitter-jumps-to-166-million-daily-users-in-q1-warns-of-slowing-ad-spend/577136/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) use Twitter every day. Through retweets, your company’s information can be shared easily by readers to increase visibility and build brand awareness.

The advantages to using social media are:

● **Attract a following:** Social content is easily shared for expanded reach. Readers can leave feedback and engage with other members of your audience to build community and customer loyalty.

● **Low cost:** Social media accounts are free, and it costs nothing to simply publish a post. If you want to boost an ad, you can set specific parameters to ensure your campaign meets your budgetary restrictions.

● **Provide exemplary customer service:** You can keep an eye on what people are saying about your brand by monitoring comments and chat rooms. You can address negative feedback and respond quickly to any questions that might arise on these platforms.

Social media’s disadvantages include:

● **Requires qualified staff:** Whoever manages your social media accounts must be qualified to serve as the voice of your brand.

● **Negative feedback is public:** Whether you receive a negative review, get comments from a disgruntled customer, or encounter trolls, everything posted can be viewed by the public. You’ll need to develop a plan for handling such situations, as your response is just as publicised as the comments that initiated it.

● **Privacy issues:** Businesses often use social media as a way to research their competitors. If your staff isn’t careful about what information they post on social media, private company information could be seen by the wrong people.

[Social media marketing](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/5-reasons-your-social-campaigns-arent-converting-how-to-fix-them/) is a great way to connect with a large target audience and deliver quality information that establishes your authority in the industry.

## How to Choose the Right Digital Marketing Channel

Companies should consider a digital marketing campaign that uses several channels for the best results. A well-rounded campaign is more likely to reach a broader scope of people while delivering valuable content that resonates.

Use customer data to determine the best way to reach your audience. Does your ideal target audience get their news from the television? Do they drive to work and pass billboards on their route? Are they searching for products on social media? All of this information can shape your marketing strategy and help you develop an omnichannel campaign that delivers the most helpful information to the right people at the right time.

## Summary

Digital marketing is a great way to reach a wide range of people while building brand awareness and boosting visibility. While there are numerous digital marketing channels available to today’s marketers, there isn’t one sole option that yields the best results. Instead, brands should take an omnichannel approach to provide a well-rounded campaign that reaches more people in more ways. This broadens reach, drives traffic, and generates more revenue for continued success.
### 5 Steps to Social Media Success
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/5-steps-to-social-media-success/
Last updated: 2021-11-18T17:40:15.000Z
So you’ve probably seen the insane results that brands are getting through leveraging the power of social media marketing. But actually doing the work and taking consistent action to get there is a different kettle of fish.

Over the last few years, social media use has exploded. But so have user expectations of brands and the content they share.

Still, one thing holds true… social media marketing has an incredibly high ROI.

If you want a piece of the action you need to lay the foundations now and begin building and your social media strategy, brick-by-brick.

Here’s a 5-step process to optimize your social media game.

## 1\. Get Your House In Order

Your brand social media page is often your audience’s first touchpoint with your brand. So make sure that your shop window is the most attractive it can be.

Great content goes a long way. But not if it’s plastered on a poor profile.

Before you hit publish, optimise your social profile with all the information and key touchpoints you would expect to see as a consumer:

Profile picture (brand logo)

A banner photo that conveys brand personality

A clear, concise, and convincing bio/description

Operating/opening hours

Website or social links

Address (for physical businesses)

Not every feature will be relevant to your business or the channel(s) that you use. But providing comprehensive details will immediately win your audience’s trust.

Here are a couple of simple but effective examples…

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/11/unnamed-2.png)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/11/unnamed-1-1.png)

## 2\. Create Channel-Specific Content

Posting identical content across all your social channels might save you time, but it’s not the most effective way of doing things.

Treat each social channel differently.

TikTok is built for short-form video content with high virality potential.

Twitter is designed for reactive, short-form text-based content

Instagram is a visual-first channel (image posts, reels, stories, IGTV, etc.)

The list goes on…

Whilst it’s important to maintain consistency in your branding, playing to the advantages of each social site can help you better tailor your content for the communities you’ve cultivated on each of them.

Consistency is obviously important, but it’s ultimately the quality of your content that will compel your audience to take action.

Not how many times they see it.

In creating content for your specific audience, don’t forget to create content for the specific channels they’re active on.

## 3\. Use A Content Calendar

A content calendar will highlight what content is being published when, on which channels it’ll be shared, and who has the responsibility of writing, drafting, and scheduling it.

Without one, you won’t have a coherent stream of content and the inconsistencies in frequency, posting and themes will turn your audience off.

Having 1-3 months of content written, ready, and scheduled is a good goalpost to aim for. For larger teams with more resources, you can work on even longer timescales.

But don’t forget to regularly audit your content calendar.

On social media, things move incredibly fast.

New features, new trends, new developments…

The content you planned 2 months ago might no longer be relevant or the most effective means of engaging your audience.

Similarly, speed and reactivity are paramount in the world of socials.

So whilst having scheduled content is important, sometimes you need to get content out fast, as and when it comes in (i.e. trends). Make sure to allocate the resource for doing so.

## 4 Be Social On Socials

The clue is in the name: social media.

The best brands don’t just share content that promotes their products, they use social media to directly communicate with their target audience.

Marketing on socials should feel intimate, personable, and targeted.

If you give your audience enough attention, they’ll convert into loyal fans.

Insert yourself into trending conversations

Reply personally to DMs, comments and tags

Engage with other brands/influencers in your industry

Retweet/share positive feedback or customer reviews

Use polls, lives and other features to encourage interaction

The more you commit to social listening and engaging with your audience, the better you’ll understand their needs, wants, and pains. That way, you’ll also be able to deliver content that resonates with your audience more.

## 5 Think Beyond Social Media

A lot of marketers treat social media as an isolated marketing channel. But in reality, it should complement and be integrated with your efforts elsewhere.

Let your long-term objectives drive your content strategy.

For example, you might be a digital marketing training provider looking to generate more leads. But to do that, you want to build trust first.

Don’t tell people to take action (that rarely works).

Instead, use carefully selected content to inspire and compel them to take action…

Offer ‘live’ daily skill-boosting demonstrations

Release free snippets of your training guide

Show testimonial videos from past participants

Then think: how can I integrate socials with other brand touchpoints?

Add a website link to the end of your posts

Offer an exclusive social media discount code for the training

Invite engaged users to a training discovery call

Don’t get lost in ‘tactics’ – remember that conversion is the end goal.

—

There you have it.

5 simple steps to take your social media game to the next level:

1 Get Your House In Order

2 Create Channel-Specific Content

3 Use A Content Calendar

4 Be Social On Socials

5 Think Beyond Social Media

Obviously, that doesn’t cover everything. But it’s a sure good place to start.
### Voice Search Optimisation: 5 Tips for Getting Your Blog to Stand Out
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/voice-search-optimisation-5-tips-for-getting-your-blog-to-stand-out/
Last updated: 2021-11-08T08:50:00.000Z
With continuing advancements in the internet and technology in general, information is more accessible than ever before. Today, if consumers want to search for a product or service, all they have to do is talk into a device. In fact, more than [4.2 billion people use voice search devices across the world](https://www.statista.com/statistics/973815/worldwide-digital-voice-assistant-in-use/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). With this increasing trend, it’s important to incorporate voice search optimisation into your website development and content creation strategies.

## What are the Benefits of Voice Search?

Although voice search is a very complex technology, it makes our lives simpler. Some of the benefits of voice search include:

●   **Saves time**: Users don’t have to pull up a web browser or wade through pages of results to find the information they’re looking for.

● **Convenient:** You can search for anything at any time. While you’re driving your car, carrying an armful of paperwork, or giving your kids a bath, you can use voice search to seek information.

● **Simple:** Some people struggle typing information on a mobile device. On most devices, you don’t even have to press a button to activate voice search features.

● **Accurate results:** Because you’re able to ask more in-depth questions, results are better tailored to your queries.

From searching for music and weather updates to directions and product reviews, voice search is a powerful tool and an important element to consider in website optimisation.

It is worth noting that voice search also has its cons. While it can be amazing for informational searches, it isn't so useful for purchasing or anything that requires engagement.

## How Does Voice Search Differ From Traditional Search?

To understand the best ways to optimise for voice search, it’s important to recognise how it differs from traditional search. Its impact on website and content design include:

● **Conversational approach:** With voice search, users ask more complete questions which provide greater insight into the intent of the search. Who, what, when, where, and why queries indicate where consumers are in their purchase journey.

● **Keyword use:** Since voice search is more conversational, people ask questions as though they were speaking to another person rather than entering short phrases into a search bar. For this reason, keywords are longer. This is important to your [keyword research](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-conduct-keyword-research-for-search-engine-optimisation-seo/) during content development.

● **Location is key:** [58% of people](https://www.score.org/resource/infographic-voice-search-101-small-businesses?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) using voice search are looking for places that are located near them at the time of their search. These people are ready to engage and are actively seeking a location to make that purchase.

● **Vocalised responses:** Voice search results are typically read back to the user as a rich snippet. This delivers an instant response, which is one of the reasons people love voice search, to begin with.

These differences all play a vital role in the importance of voice search optimisation and how you approach your website design and content creation.

## 5 Ways to Use Voice Search Optimisation to Set Your Content Apart

Voice search trends in 2021 continue to rise. To capture that audience, you need to be sure your content is optimised for people using voice search systems to find solutions to their problems. Here are five ways to use voice search optimisation to set your blog apart from the competition.

### 1\. Use Simple, Long-Tail, Question-Based Keywords

Since voice searches are conversational and longer than text queries, you need to incorporate simple, long-tail keywords into your content. Long-tail keywords are more specific and help people hone in more closely to the results they’re seeking. That’s why [70% of searches are long-tail keywords](https://bloggerspassion.com/voice-search-seo/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). While you want to help narrow results, you also don’t want to be so specific that you wind up entering keywords that searchers would never use and software can’t identify.

For best results, keep your long-tail keywords simple. Develop content around phrases commonly used in conversation. If you get stuck, type a word into Google’s search bar and watch it populate frequently searched phrases. These answers can guide you in creating effective keywords that will help people find your blog articles.

Most people using voice search are asking their devices a question. Your keywords should answer who, what, when, where, why, and how. For extra help, you can also enter a keyword into Google and look at the bottom of the page for related searches. You’ll see suggestions on what questions might revolve around that particular keyword. This can help you create long-tail keywords to attract voice search users.

You should also check out [alsoasked.com](https://alsoasked.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) which gathers this data automatically. 

### 2\. Cater to the Locals

Since we know a big chunk of voice searches are being conducted by people looking for local solutions, it’s important to create content that caters to the locals in your area. Begin by ensuring all of your contact information online is current. Details like physical location, phone number, and opening hours can be a huge draw to attract people to your business.

One way to do this is through a [Google My Business](https://www.google.com/intl/en%5Fuk/business/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) listing. This free service allows you to list your business on Google Search and Google Maps so that when people search for you online, your company’s localised information is readily available. After all, [60% of smartphone owners](https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/marketing-strategies/app-and-mobile/voice-search-statistics/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) use this information to contact a business directly.

In optimising your blog posts for local users, be sure to include details in more than just the body of your articles. Insert location and other identifying keywords into your meta description, URL, headers, and title tags. This brings your site to the forefront of local search results and increases visibility among people who are ready to purchase and actively seeking your solutions.

### 3\. Take a Conversational Approach

Since the queries performed by voice searchers are presented in a conversational way, your blog content should use everyday language, idioms, and speaking patterns that relate to your readers. Research your audience and the language they use so your blog articles can mirror that tone and dialect. You can also earn higher SERPs when you take the following approach:

● **Tell a compelling story:** As much as people value informational posts, stories can attract attention elicit action. Create content that tells a story and still provides value. Share personal experiences, lessons you’ve learned, and failures you’ve overcome. Connect with your audience on a personal level and build a deep, lasting relationship with them.

● **Be authoritative:** Your blog articles and your content, in general, should provide expert-level information. Answer as many questions as possible and serve as an authority on the topic at hand. People will come to trust you as a leader in your field and will look to you for answers and solutions.

● **Know your readers:** If you don’t provide people with the right information at the right time, they won’t convert. Identify your ideal target audience by creating personas. These hypothetical characters can help you determine the pain points and needs of your audience. With this insight, you can develop content that resonates with your readers and compels them to become loyal followers.

● **Provide in-depth content:** Blog posts of at least 1,500 words that are chock full of useful information can help you earn higher SERPs. Long-form content with well-strategised keywords delivers valuable material that readers want to consume and search engines want to reward.

● **Appeal to your audience:** Blog posts with visual elements catch the reader’s eye and hold their attention. Graphs, videos, pull-out quotes, and high-resolution images are ways to engage your reader and keep them coming back for more content. This engagement can help with your visibility from within voice search, too, because Google knows that it is being received well. 

When people use voice search, they speak into their devices the way they speak to a friend. Your content should do the same.

### 4\. Design for Mobile Devices

Mobile devices have given consumers the freedom to shop at any time and from anywhere. As a result, nearly [half of all voice searches](https://www.statista.com/statistics/296692/mobile-search-preferences-among-internet-users/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk#:~:text=As%20of%20the%20first%20quarter,such%20as%20the%20Amazon%20Echo.) are made on a mobile device. For this reason, you must optimise your website to ensure it’s mobile-friendly. One of the most common complaints about mobile website access is slow loading times. If a page takes [more than three seconds to load](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/23-mistakes-that-kill-conversions-and-weve-all-been-guilty-of-some/), 40% of visitors will bail.

Make sure all graphics are compressed or embedded to minimise page load time. Use a performance-centric hosting platform that can handle the speed you need for maximum performance. Formatting is another issue for mobile users. Make sure graphics and text are scalable so that important information isn’t cut off from view on smaller screens. A person accessing your blog on their smartphone should have the same user experience as someone accessing it from their desktop.

### 5\. Write for the Snippet Response

When a user asks their device a question, [40% of Google’s responses](https://backlinko.com/optimize-for-voice-search?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) use a featured snippet of your content. For this reason, it’s advantageous to write your blog content with this snippet response in mind. To do this, come up with specific questions (use these questions as the header) and then write content that directly answers those questions. By creating content this way, Google can quickly locate the question and the answer and apply it to the snippet response.

Any time you create content for your blog, watch for opportunities to write with a snippet response in mind. It can help bring your brand to the top of the search results and gain you more visibility while enabling you to provide more value to a larger audience.

## Summary

The convenience and ease of voice search has led to its popularity among billions of people around the world. For a website to capitalise on this audience, you must incorporate voice search optimisation into your website and content development strategy. By following the five tips in this article, you can build a site that earns higher SERPs, increases visibility, and [drives traffic](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/7-easy-ways-to-drive-high-quality-traffic-to-your-landing-page-that-anyone-can-use/) that converts.
### Do People Still Read Blogs? 9 Statistics About Blogging in 2021
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/9-statistics-about-blogging-in-2021/
Last updated: 2025-02-17T20:45:13.000Z
For decades, blogs have enabled brands to connect with people online and promote goods and services. In recent years, many feel that what has replaced blogging is social media. Through posts, shares, comments, and chat forums, marketers are able to reach a highly targeted audience and engage with content that resonates. With sites like Facebook and Snapchat, businesses find themselves asking: do people still read blogs?

Not only do people still read them, but blogs are also a powerful tool for your [digital marketing strategy](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/top-digital-marketing-strategies-for-2021/). In this article, we’ll explore some eye-opening data to prove that blogs play an essential role in your overall success.

## 9 Statistics to Prove People Do Still Read Blogs

Is blogging dead? Absolutely not! Are personal blogs still relevant? Yes, they are. Blogging provides a way for people and brands to share long-form content to attract current and new followers. Here are nine enlightening statistics to prove that blogging is very much alive and why you should be including it in your content marketing strategy.

### 1\. 60% of people on the internet read blogs.

The first thing you should understand is who reads blogs. The [majority of people](https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/do-people-read-blogs?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) online read a blog fairly regularly. In fact, 49% of people read blogs up to six times a week, while 11% read them daily. Identifying even more specific details, like age, career, and most active time of day can help you deliver the right content to the right people at the right time.

To gain more insight, segment your audience and develop personas to help you identify your target market. Personas are hypothetical ideal customers whose preferences can help guide your marketing plan. This awareness can help you learn how to target your readers and how best to reach them. For instance, [64% of internet users](https://gs.statcounter.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) are reading blogs on Google Chrome. Optimising your articles for this browser could increase reach and readership.

### 2\. Internet users comment 77 million times a month on blogs.

Blogs are an effective way to boost engagement and encourage audience interaction. Every month, readers leave an average of [77 comments](https://wordpress.com/activity/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) on WordPress blog posts. This shows that people want to connect with brands and be part of the conversation.

Interaction in the comments section of blog posts allows readers to connect with your business and with each other. You’re able to develop a community of like-minded people with similar interests who share information. All of this helps strengthen your position as a leader in your field and a facilitator of open communication and the exchange of knowledge.

### 3\. 70% of consumers prefer to learn company information from a blog article.

With [more than 25%](https://backlinko.com/ad-blockers-users?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) of people using ad blocking software on their devices, content marketing is more important than ever. People don’t want to be distracted by pop-up or banner ads while they’re shopping online. Instead, [70% of shoppers](https://www.demandmetric.com/content/content-marketing-infographic?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) would rather learn about a brand through an article. This puts them in the driver’s seat. They can seek out information on their own terms and find more in-depth information in a blog post.

This further demonstrates the importance of understanding who your target audience is and what is important to them. Conduct research to learn what information they’re seeking, what problems they’re trying to solve, and how your products can help them. Understanding their trends, habits, and behaviours can help you create valuable content that is meaningful to them and entices them to rely on you for your expert information.

### 4\. Almost 80% of marketers use blog posts in their content marketing strategies.

The [leading content marketing challenge](https://www.semrush.com/blog/content-marketing-statistics/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) for most businesses is creating material that generates quality leads, attracts more traffic, and resonates with a target audience. Blogs are an effective way to achieve these goals. That’s why [80% of businesses](https://www.orbitmedia.com/blog/blogging-statistics/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) use blogs in their content marketing strategies.

Blogging is an effective way to build brand awareness, boost ROI, and establish your company as an authority in your field. As you begin to post frequent, consistent, quality material, you expand your visibility, and your audience will start to recognise your company’s name. With proper audience research, you can use blogs to create custom content that addresses their concerns, meets their needs, and entices them to share with their own contacts. This expands your reach, attracts current customers and new prospects, and keeps people coming back for more.

### 5\. Blogs are the second-leading type of media used in content marketing today.

Video is the primary form of media contributing to content marketing, and it’s no wonder why. Engaging, eye-catching clips can resonate with people on a deep, emotional level and drive them to act. Blogs are the [second preferred](https://www.hubspot.com/hubfs/State-of-Marketing%20%282%29.pdf?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) media type. In addition to building brand awareness and expanding reach, blogs also help with [SEO](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/5-stats-you-need-to-know-about-seo-in-2021/). The more content your website hosts, the more material search engines can scan and rank for listing placement. This increases visibility and can generate more leads by driving traffic to your website.

Blogs are an effective way to connect people to your brand. They allow you to portray your company’s vision, character, standards, and personality. This helps to build trust and customer loyalty, both of which are instrumental in securing repeat business.

### 6\. Companies using blogs gain 67% more leads.

Businesses who blog tend to generate [67% more monthly leads](https://www.demandmetric.com/content/content-marketing-infographic?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) than companies who don’t host a blog. Perhaps that’s why [more than half](https://www.umassd.edu/cmr/research/2019-fortune-500.html?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) of Fortune 500 companies maintain a blog as part of their content marketing strategy. Leads are crucial to the growth and success of your brand. Providing consistent, valuable content helps drive people to your website. It also gives them a reason to return and, hopefully, convert.

Blogging provides tons of ways to engage with your audience. From compelling CTAs and hosting give-aways to offering content upgrades and employing interactive content, blogs can attract attention and encourage audience interaction. They’re also easily shared by readers, expanding your reach and driving even more traffic to your site. All of this helps to generate more leads and increase potential sales.

### 7\. More than half of companies simply update old content for optimal results.

One of the main reasons companies shy away from maintaining a blog is the pressure of constantly creating new content. Marketers feel they [lack the time](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-write-a-blog-post-in-30-minutes-a-how-to-guide/) it takes to research, develop, and create quality content that resonates with their audience. The truth is, you don’t have to create brand new content from scratch every time. In fact, [51% of companies](https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) find that giving old content a facelift has been a highly efficient and successful tactic.

Blogs that are displaying outdated information could be working against you. Incorrect information can damage your reputation and lose trust with your faithful readers. Review your archive and make sure links still direct readers to relevant information. Check statistics to be sure they’re current. By updating old content, you ensure you’re providing the most valuable information possible to your audience. This earns customer loyalty and also higher SERPS.

### 8\. Nearly half of online consumers are influenced by a blogger’s recommendations.

[Influential bloggers](https://blog.feedspot.com/influential%5Fblogs/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) can have a powerful impact on their audience. When it comes to making purchase decisions, [46% of blog readers](https://www.semrush.com/blog/blogging-stats/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) are swayed by a blogger’s recommendations. When you provide dependable information that solves people’s problems, they begin to look to you for advice. They trust your experience and your knowledge, and they value your input. If you’ve built a solid reputation through meaningful, helpful content, they’ll be more inclined to trust you and convert when it comes to recommending your products for their needs.

That’s why it’s so important to ensure you’re creating blog articles that earn trust and provide value. Every article you publish helps secure a long-lasting relationship between you and your reader. When you invest the time and effort to create well-developed and helpful content, you increase the likelihood of seeing positive results that continue to benefit your business for years to come.

### 9\. Bloggers who post every day see 57% better results.

When it comes to successful blogging, consistency is critical. Bloggers who publish daily posts see [57% better results](https://www.semrush.com/blog/blogging-stats/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) than brands who post a few times a week. That’s because there are more than [30 million](https://websitesetup.org/news/blogging-statistics/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) blogs in the world. How can you set yourself apart from the competition? You have to establish a level of expectation among your audience. They need to know when they should anticipate seeing your posts and how often. Once you’ve built that routine, your audience will begin to look forward to your articles and seek them out.

You must stay in front of your audience, and you have to continue to live up to the high standards you’ve set for yourself. Continuing to provide quality content that arrives like clockwork is the way to appeal to your audience, attract new prospects, and build a loyal following that generates revenue for your brand.

## Summary

Although the face of digital marketing is constantly evolving, blogs are still a valuable tool for your content marketing campaign. Understanding your audience and developing articles that will reach them with the right information at the right time can help increase visibility, expand reach, and [drive traffic](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/7-easy-ways-to-drive-high-quality-traffic-to-your-landing-page-that-anyone-can-use/) to your site for more conversions. The researched facts provided in this article prove blogging is an effective way to promote your brand and build meaningful, lasting relationships with your audience to secure continued success for your bottom line.
### 5 Stats Businesses Need to Know About Content Marketing in 2025
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/5-stats-businesses-need-to-know-about-content-marketing-in-2021/
Last updated: 2025-02-19T02:57:30.000Z
What matters in content marketing this year? What is going to make your content strategy effective?

Having great content is all well and good. Getting people to *see* that content is another thing entirely. That’s where content marketing comes in.

You need to have a strategy for getting that content to wherever your target audience is.

There are many ways you can do this.

Social media, SEO, and PPC advertising are just a few of the ways you can market your content.

What makes things tricky is that trends are changing all the time. You need to be constantly evaluating whether you’re reaching your audience in the best way possible.

Let’s have a look at what you need to know about content marketing in 2025.

### **1\. Video Is The Number 1 Type Of Media Used In A Content Strategy**

When you think about it, video is everywhere.

Apps like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram are helping users to consume video content every day.

In 2020, it is believed that consumers watched 12.2 billion minutes of video. That’s equivalent to 23,211 years.

This growth in popularity of video content is huge, having doubled from 6 billion minutes the year before.

These figures are unsurprising when you consider the lockdown-ridden blur that was 2020.

With video content being the number one form of content consumed, how do you incorporate this into your content marketing strategy?

What will work for you will largely depend on the type of business you own. Some considerations are:

- Can you set up a YouTube Channel with some “how-to” tutorials for your product?
- How could you use a TikTok account for advertising?
- Are you utilising the “Reels” and “Story” functions of your Instagram account?
- Can you upload video content to your website to complement blog posts?

### **2\. 68% Of Businesses Expect Their Content Marketing Budget To Increase Throughout 2025**

This demonstrates just how seriously businesses are taking their content marketing efforts, with 8% of businesses spending up to $500million in 2020.

Businesses are recognising the power of content marketing and having a team of digital marketers to help them with it.

With over 5.6 billion Google searches every day, it is almost a certainty that your target audience is using the internet.

If they’re online, you need to be, too.

Not only that, but you also need to be where they are.

A larger content marketing budget gives you more room for exploration and trying new tactics in order to reach a wider group of people.

### **3\. SEO Is Still The Most Effective Content Marketing Tactic**

The State Of Content Marketing 2020 Global Report found that 75% of marketers believed SEO to be the most effective content marketing tactic.

Over 90% of the content produced is still blog posts.

Good SEO helps get this content ranking higher in the search results, and it gets it there faster.

SEO is incredibly important to your content marketing strategy, and it is unlikely this will ever change.

What’s required of you in terms of SEO might differ over time, but it’s what Google uses primarily to judge the quality of your content.

Google is only going to show content it thinks users will enjoy in its search results and matches the intent of what the searcher is looking for.

Very few businesses have an endless budget for paid advertising like PPC. This is why good use of SEO is so great.

It creates free, organic traffic.

In 2025 and beyond, that’s never going to go out of style.

### **4\. LinkedIn Is The Most Effective Social Media Platform for B2B Businesses**

96% of B2B content marketers said they used LinkedIn in the last 12 months.

Of the B2B marketers that use paid social media, LinkedIn was again listed as most popular with over 80% using the platform.

LinkedIn came out as the top choice of social media platforms on both occasions.

As a professional platform, it’s more trusted by businesses and professional people alike.

Using LinkedIn as part of your content marketing strategy helps you to reach your target customer.

Given the statistic above, it is more than likely that they are also active on LinkedIn.

If you’re a B2B business and don’t yet have a LinkedIn account, now’s your time to get one.

### **5\. 47% Of Buyers Will Read Between 3 And 5 Pieces Of Content Before Speaking To A Sales Rep**

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/10/Marketing-Labs_New-Blog-Image_SB_21-October-2021_V01.jpg)

What does this mean for you?

Well, it means that your content has to be consistently great, and you need to make sure you’re marketing it well.

If it takes consuming up to 5 pieces of content before a customer will speak to a sales rep, every one of them needs to be good.

That means ensuring you maintain a consistent brand image and message across each platform you’re on.

### **Wrapping Up**

So, what do these stats mean for you as a business?

The key takeaway is that you need to be consistently making great content and then you need a solid strategy for showing it to your target audience.

The value of content marketing can be seen by how much additional funds and resources businesses are putting into doing it.

Nothing is changing so drastically in 2025 that your old methods become redundant.

Just be mindful of changing trends. The increase in consumption of video means you may need to adapt your strategy to include that.

I hope you found these stats helpful! If you have any others that you’d like to share or have any questions, please drop them in the comments.
### An Introduction to Digital Marketing for Small Businesses
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/an-introduction-to-digital-marketing-for-small-businesses/
Last updated: 2021-10-07T08:33:59.000Z
Digital marketing is a powerful way for small businesses to reach a wider audience and generate more revenue. The impact of digital marketing on small businesses is so strong, in fact, [95% of small businesses](https://themanifest.com/digital-marketing/how-small-businesses-use-digital-marketing-channels-2019?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) want to ramp up their digital marketing campaigns. To make the most of a digital marketing campaign, small businesses must understand what digital marketing is, how to choose the right channels, and how to use those channels for business promotion.

## Importance of Digital Marketing for Small Businesses

Digital marketing is more than 'internet promotion'. This might sound strange, but offline marketing now impacts digital marketing, so it’s a combination of offline (television, billboard, and mobile ads) and online channels (websites, social media, and websites) to reach a broad audience and deliver the right message to the right people. Digital marketing is important for small businesses for the following reasons:

- **Every business has an opportunity to succeed**: Digital marketing works for businesses of all sizes, so small businesses can compete alongside big businesses.
- **It’s affordable**: Because so many channels are available through digital marketing, small businesses can choose those that meet their budgetary constraints.
- **Boosts conversion rates**: Digital marketing drives high traffic volume from a targeted audience, resulting in higher conversions.
- **Generates revenue**: With more conversions comes more revenue. Small businesses that implement a digital marketing strategy can reach a wider audience, deliver quality content, and close more sales.
- **Provides trackable metrics**: Using more channels provides more data to help shape future campaigns.

A well-strategised digital marketing campaign can be highly advantageous for small businesses and give them the edge they need to stand apart from the competition.

## How to Choose the Right Digital Marketing Channels

Although digital marketing offers numerous channels to promote your business, not all channels are a good fit for your needs. Every channel has its strengths and weaknesses, and while one channel might work for some businesses, it might not work for you. Follow these steps to determine the best digital marketing channels for your small business.

### Step 1: Assess Your Priorities

Before you can plan a marketing campaign strategy, you must first consider your objectives. After all, businesses that set goals are [376% more likely](https://coschedule.com/marketing-statistics?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to succeed than those that don’t. **What are your priorities?** Do you want to boost sales? Establish yourself as an industry expert? Raise brand awareness? Once you know what goals you’re trying to reach, you can analyze the various digital marketing channels to choose the ones that will effectively help you achieve your objectives.

### Step 2: Know Your Audience

Once you know what your needs are, you should learn the needs of your audience. For a marketing campaign to be successful, you have to deliver the right message to the right people through the channels they use. Learn where your audience spends their time online. Find out what kind of content attracts them and resonates. Discover how they prefer to receive content and who they follow online. All of this insight can help you choose the digital marketing channels that will be most effective for the people you want to reach.

### Step 3: Set Your Budget

Before you can map out a solid plan and choose your digital marketing channels, you need to know how much money you can spend. Different channels are available at different price points. Social media marketing is essentially free if you do it yourself, but paid ads or purchasing a content marketing strategy can be more costly. Businesses typically allot [10%](https://www.statista.com/statistics/693449/digital-vs-traditional-marketing-budget-change-according-to-cmos-usa/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) of company revenue for marketing. [Set your budget](https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2020/09/11/three-ways-to-determine-your-digital-marketing-budget/?sh=383a147447ea&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), then find out what each digital marketing channel costs. Prioritize your efforts and choose which channels to use now and which to try in the future.

Some digital marketing strategies for businesses on a budget include:

- Social media marketing: Accounts and posts are free. If you want to boost a post for a nominal fee, you can set specific parameters to ensure you stay under budget.
- Blog posts (SEO): It costs virtually nothing to post a high-quality article on a regular basis. You could pay experts to post on your blog to build more authority for your brand, but it isn’t a necessity.
- Page content (products, categories or services - SEO): Again, it costs virtually nothing to ensure your pages have descriptive content.
- Email marketing: Unless you’re using a paid service, email marketing only costs you the time of creating the email and sending it to your contact base.

As you weigh your options, remember to consider ROI and your channels' impact on your long-term marketing success. Using only a free channel may not yield as positive results as a daily blog or actual [SEO](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/5-stats-you-need-to-know-about-seo-in-2021/). In many cases, the more you put into your marketing campaign, the [more quickly](https://marketinginsidergroup.com/content-marketing/how-long-does-it-take-for-content-marketing-to-work/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) you’ll see results. Starting small and working your way up could take longer and may not be worth the savings.

### Step 4: Learn from Your Competitors

Research your competition and notice what channels they’re utilising. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel. If they’re successful, consider following a similar format. If not, find missed opportunities for channels that could yield better results. Paying attention to what others are doing can help flatten the learning curve and give you a head start as you plan your own digital marketing strategy.

## How to Promote Your Brand on Digital Channels

Digital marketing provides several effective avenues to promote your brand and deliver valuable information to your audience. Each channel requires its own unique approach for optimal results. Using the insight you gathered from choosing the right channels, here are ways to promote your brand on three of the most frequently-used digital channels.

### 1\. Content Marketing

The best way to build brand awareness and solidify your online presence is through content marketing. [Creating custom content](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/five-ways-to-create-engaging-content-that-converts-for-your-b2b-business/) that meets the needs of your audience and provides value helps to establish your brand as an authority, drive traffic to your site, and attract leads. Content marketing is ideal for brands interested in:

- Generating leads
- Boosting ROI
- Establishing authority
- Educating your audience
- Telling a story
- Driving traffic

To promote your brand with content marketing, you could create any of the following:

- Infographics: Provide detailed information in an easy-to-digest, eye-catching graphic.
- Blog articles: Deliver expert content that gives readers value.
- Whitepapers: Educate your audience about a topic in your field with an expert explanation.
- Research results: Sharing data from the research you’ve completed establishes you as a thought leader in your industry.
- Downloads/Ebooks: Your audience will see this as a value add and is another way to get them to engage with and convert on your site.

Content marketing helps connect with your audience on a deeper level and provides more material for search engines to scan and apply for SEO rankings.

### 2\. Email Marketing

Nearly everyone uses email at least [once a day](https://optinmonster.com/is-email-marketing-dead-heres-what-the-statistics-show/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) (mostly more). Email marketing is a useful channel for earning trust among readers with whom you can build deep relationships. Not only is it affordable, but you can also create custom content for highly targeted audiences to achieve maximum results. Email performance is easy to measure, and it enables brands to maintain contact with customers at every stage of their journey.

Using audience research, you can build an email campaign that meets the needs and expectations of your readers. Messages can depict the right tone, use the right language, and include the right multimedia pieces to elicit a positive response. Email marketing is great for companies that want to:

- Generate leads
- Build ROI
- Develop meaningful relationships with your audience
- Raise brand awareness
- Funnel sales

Email marketing is simple, affordable, and is a channel with which people are already familiar.

### 3\. Social Media Marketing

Since [4.48 billion people](https://backlinko.com/social-media-users?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) use social media, it’s a channel full of marketing potential. Social media marketing allows brands to reach a wider audience yet apply precise targeting to hone in on a niche market. This allows businesses to deliver meaningful content to the right audience at the right time. Social networks are all about connecting with people. Comments and chat forums help brands form personal relationships with readers. Social media marketing affords a more casual approach, so companies can appear more relatable.

Social media is also an effective way to gain more insight into your audience. Not only do these networks provide demographic data for targeting. You can also monitor comments and chat threads to learn about potential pain points and frustrations. Use all of this information to create a targeted ad for a large audience that helps [earn quality leads](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/7-easy-ways-to-drive-high-quality-traffic-to-your-landing-page-that-anyone-can-use/).

Social marketing is helpful for companies looking to:

- Build relationships
- Raise brand awareness
- Funnel sales
- Target your audience

Promote your business through social media marketing by engaging with the following platforms:

- Facebook: Create quality posts that deliver valuable information and invite readers to share or engage with comments.
- Instagram: Post eye-catching photos that generate conversations and get people interacting with your brand and each other.
- LinkedIn: Businesses can create short posts or longer articles that educate other professionals.
- YouTube: Create frequent video posts that give demonstrations or provide in-depth information about specific topics in your industry.
- TikTok: Create hashtag challenges to connect audience members and generate interaction and brand awareness.

Like anything else, each social media platform caters to and attracts a specific audience. Only use the channels that make sense for your particular target market.

## Summary

Digital marketing is appealing because it works for businesses of all sizes. Understanding its importance and learning how to choose the right channels is essential to creating a successful digital marketing campaign. Only then can you understand how to promote on these channels for ultimate success. Digital marketing for small businesses can be essential to setting brands apart from the competition and converting prospects into customers.
### 5 Stats You Need to Know About SEO In 2022
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/5-stats-you-need-to-know-about-seo-in-2021/
Last updated: 2025-02-19T02:47:59.000Z
Keeping on top of the latest SEO trends often feels like an uphill struggle.

Google’s algorithm can be likened to the moving staircases in Harry Potter. Just when you think you’ve got it figured out, everything changes.

One of the good things about SEO is that there will always be certain factors that Google will take into account:

Great content.

Site speed.

Quality links.

It’s unlikely these are ever going to become irrelevant as they go to the heart of what Google is trying to achieve: satisfying user intent.

That being said, there are things that do change. Here are some statistics you need to know about SEO in 2022.

### ****1\. The number 1 spot in Google has a CTR of around 32%**

When we talk about the number 1 spot, this means ignoring those taking up “sponsored” spots on the top of the page.

Those positions are held by businesses who have paid to be in those spots.

This statistic relates to *organic* search results. That’s free traffic clicking over on to your website.

With the number 1 spot in Google having a click through rate of 32%, it goes to show how incredibly important it is to work on your website’s SEO and move up through the search engine ranking positions.

To put it in context, the post in a number 10 spot is ten times less likely to get a click.

That in itself is evidence of just how important it is to work on your website’s SEO.

Getting more visitors to your website is the key to generating more customers and sales.

### ****2\. Almost 70% of search queries contain four words or more**

A large part of SEO is keyword research.

Many approach this process by finding a keyword (or keywords) they want to rank for and writing a post around it.

Depending on your business’s niche, it may be incredibly difficult to rank for a particular keyword as the competition is simply too high.

This is made more challenging if your website is still relatively new and hasn’t built up an authority yet.

An example of a keyword may be “marketing”. It has over 100,000 monthly searches d will be very difficult to rank for.

Keywords with a few words are called long-tail keywords. As they tend to have fewer searches every month, they are generally easier to rank for.

An example may be, “marketing for Italian restaurants”.

It’s unsurprising that many search queries contain four or more words. Users tend to ask Google a question to help them find out what they need to know.

One word alone often isn’t specific enough.

This is an important SEO statistic to know as you can use it to help guide your keyword research and content strategy.

Targeting long-tail keywords not only helps you to rank much sooner, but it also helps you to write content for your reader that will solve their problems.

### ****3\. 52.2% Of All Website Traffic Worldwide Comes From Mobile Phones**

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/09/Marketing-Labs_New-Graphic_23-Sep-2021_V1_R1-2.png)

If we need to find something out, most of us will get out our mobile phone and head straight to Google.

Unless you’re sat at a computer at the time, you’re unlikely to use it unless you don’t have access to a smart phone.

Google recognises this shift by moving to 100% mobile-first indexing.

This means that Google is looking at how a website loads on a mobile device as being more important than how it loads on a computer.

It is then using this as a determining SEO factor when deciding how it ranks content.

The important takeaway from this is that it is essential to make sure your website is mobile-friendly. It needs to load fully, quickly, and correctly on a mobile device.

### ****4\. 76% Of People Looking For A Business Nearby Will Visit That Business Within A Day**

If you have a bricks-and-mortar business, this statistic will apply to you.

It’s important for you that you have a strategy to work on your local SEO.

3 quarters of people who are looking for a business like yours will visit you within a day. To expand on that, 28% of those searches resulted in someone making a purchase.

These are big numbers, especially to small businesses.

More people than ever are conducting searches that include the words “near me”.

What this means for you as a business is that you should focus on making sure you’re targeting local people.

Try incorporating your location into some of your content so you show up in the search results when local people are looking for a business like yours.

For example, a post like “Italian restaurant in South East London” may attract some new customers.

### ****5\. By the End of **2022, More Than 50% Of Households Will Own A Voice-Enabled Smart Device**

What does this have to do with SEO?

It’s actually really important and is likely to have a big impact on SEO in the future.

Statistics show that 75% of voice search results will rank in the top 3 search results for that query.

So how do you optimise your website for voice searches?

There are some easy things you can do that will help:

- Make sure your site loads quickly
- Ensure you have an SSL certificate in place and your website is a HTTPS as opposed to HTTP
- Keep your content simple and easy to understand
- Longer pieces of content tend to perform better

As the technology grows, the way we use voice searches will change, as will what Google is looking for.

It’s going to be one to keep an eye on.

### ****Wrapping Up**

Moving forward into 2022, SEO is just as important as it has ever been.

The advancements in technology with mobile phones and voice-enabled smart devices is likely to have a big impact on how people search for information.

It may mean that you have to adapt your SEO to account for this, but it isn’t anything new or surprising.

Make sure that the content you produce continues to be high quality and solves a problem for the reader. This helps you to build an authority in your niche area which ultimately improves your rankings.

Keep working on making sure your website runs as smoothly as possible.

Having a content marketing plan in place that also incorporates social media where you can. This helps you to build your online presence and attract new customers.

I hope this helps! Are there any SEO stats for 2021 that you have come across and found interesting? Let me know.
### Why Your Content Isn’t Converting (And How to Fix It Without Spending Thousands on Ads)
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/why-your-content-isnt-converting-and-how-to-fix-it-without-spending-thousands-on-ads/
Last updated: 2021-08-31T11:32:59.000Z
Is there anything more frustrating than spending hours crafting what you know to be great content, only for it not to convert?

You’ve put together a solid strategy, done your research, and still…crickets.

Is it too pushy?

Is it not pushy enough?

Is it too long?

Is it that my product just isn’t good enough?

There could be any number of reasons why your content isn’t converting and sometimes it’s hard to pinpoint why.

Rest assured that it’s rarely the fact your product isn’t good enough, you might just not be giving it the credit it deserves.

Here are 4 possible reasons why your content isn’t converting, and how you can change it

## You’re Not Benefits Focused

It’s great to talk about your product or service and to be enthusiastic about everything that it can do.

You’re excited about it and you know that it’s **exactly what people need**.

There’s nothing wrong with that.

You need that passion to convince people to buy.

The problem comes when you don’t tell people enough about the benefits to them of buying it.

In fact, your whole content needs to be benefits-driven or it simply won’t convert.

You only have a small amount of time to convince an audience to buy from you before they lose interest.

This is why it is so important that everything you say is about **them** and **their needs**.

What is the problem they are having and how does your product resolve that problem?

It can be tempting to simply list your product’s features and think that’s enough to explain its benefits. In fact, the two often get confused.

Instead of simply listing what your product does, talk about how your audience’s life will be better because of what it does.

Think of this as an example. You’re selling washing powder in a new, bigger 3 litre box. Instead of simply saying “3 litre box” you could say “now with 100 washes instead of 75”.

This clearly shows a potential customer the benefit they get out of buying from you.

## Your Offer Isn’t Clear

If it’s not clear to your audience what the product or service is that you’re offering, this will simply cause confusion and they won’t buy from you.

This is largely because **they don’t trust you and your products**.

Building a relationship of trust is hard when your audience doesn’t know exactly what it is you are selling to them,

It’s easier to work on this relationship when you only have one service or product for sale.

You only have one message and one target audience to sell to.

It gets more complicated when you’re selling multiple things at once.

This can make your website feel messy, overcrowded, and hard to understand. Ultimately, it can mean that good content goes unread and therefore, doesn’t convert.

When you have a number of offers, make sure that they are all kept separate and ideally across different pages of your website.

This is especially important if you are targeting different audiences with each offer.

Don’t duplicate the copy across each page thinking it’ll work. Each of your offers should be written with your target customer in mind.

Just remember to keep everything as clear and easy to understand as possible, leaving no room for ambiguity.

## Your CTA Is Not Good Enough

We know that you know what a CTA is and that it is the key to conversion.

You know that your Call To Action needs to be strong, engaging, and almost irresistible to a potential customer.

If you want someone reading your content to do something at the end of reading it, you need to tell them exactly what it is they need to do.

If your content isn’t converting, your CTA might not be enticing enough.

To improve your CTA, think about the following:

- Does your CTA make the reader want to learn more about your product? If not, how could you improve this? What would make you want to click through?
- Is the placement right? Does it flow in the text or does it feel out of place? Awkward CTAs can cause your audience to stop reading if they feel forced into something.
- Could you use the CTA more throughout your content? There’s no need to over do it but if you could place it somewhere else it feels natural, why not?
- Vary the CTA throughout the text. You can use different CTAs; it doesn’t need to be the same one throughout. This also helps to “mix things up” for the reader.
- Consider hiring a copywriter to design it for you. While this may have some initial outlay, copywriters are specialists and know how to write content that converts. It could ultimately be your best investment.
- Be clear about what you want your audience to do. Keep your CTAs clear, obvious, and inviting to the reader.

## Your Website Might Be The Problem

Something as simple as a slow to load website can be the difference between content converting, and not.

In fact, every one-second delay in loading can result in a 7% reduction in conversions and 40% of people will abandon a website if it takes more than 3 seconds to load.

You could therefore have the best content in the world, but if users are exiting your website without viewing it because their experience is poor, it’s arguably worse than useless.

Having a well-optimised website experience can be the difference between someone buying from you and not.

So how can you optimise your website?

- Make sure it’s mobile-friendly. Most people access websites via their mobile phone so it needs to be optimised for mobile use.
- Utilising SEO throughout your website will help your audience to find you organically through a Google search and will help you move up through the search rankings (bringing you more traffic!)
- Run a page-speed test and follow the guidance on how to speed up your site if it’s too slow

## Conclusion

If you’re struggling to get your content to convert, it needn’t cost you a fortune in ads to solve the problem.

There are so many easy changes you can make that help improve a customer’s experience.

The customer enjoying and finding value in your content is ultimately the key to conversions.

Making everything customer-focused and as easy for them to absorb as possible will eradicate any confusion or ambiguity that turns a potential customer off.

In everything you do, tell the customer how they need your product or service in their life, and you’ll see more conversions.
### The Secret to Product Descriptions That Convert
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/the-secret-to-product-descriptions-that-convert/
Last updated: 2021-08-26T11:21:02.000Z
So you’ve nailed your website, invested in marketing and your site is getting an exciting number of visitors.

Time to sit back and watch those sales roll in, right?

Chances are if you’ve clicked on this post, most of your visitors are leaving without buying a thing. If that’s the case, then you’re missing the secret sauce and killing your conversions.

But fear not.

The secret sauce has 5 main ingredients and if you mix them well you’ll get product descriptions that will turn those visitors into customers.

### Ingredient #1: Read the customers mind

If you’re copying your supplier’s descriptions or worse, barely writing anything at all you’re losing customers.

Descriptions with sparse or generic content can be a real turn-off. How will visitors know they need this particular product if all they have is a picture and some manufacturer information?

The trick here is to put yourself in the customer’s shoes and write content that will answer their questions:

- What can’t they see in the picture?
- What are the benefits of the product or material?
- Why should customers buy the product?

Imagine you’re knocking on someone’s door and have to deliver an elevator pitch for your product. Now turn that into a compelling product description.

### Ingredient #2: Be unique

It’s tempting to copy what you know is successful, so a lot of eCommerce businesses check what’s working on competitor sites and replicate it.

But that doesn’t work for a couple of reasons.

The first is that Google’s ‘search bots’ love unique content. Its mission is to give its users fresh and original content so by rehashing other site’s descriptions you’re not giving them what they want.

The second reason is customer perception. If your product descriptions are boring, visitors won’t engage with them. Your descriptions are a big part of your brand identity and a strong brand identity is what inspires loyalty and conversions.

By all means, find out what your top-ranking competitors are doing but use them to inspire you and make your descriptions exciting, compelling, and fresh.

### Ingredient #3: Write for both customers and bots

Potential customers won’t read a ton of detailed paragraphs but bots will.

The trick here is to make sure visitors see your key points from ingredient #1 and then include lots of SEO strategy afterwards, ideally, through a ‘more info/read more’ button.

Of course, there will always be at least one human who likes to click ‘more info’. Keep that in mind but for the bots, use long-tail keywords that wouldn’t sit well in your visitor descriptions and other pages.

This ingredient has the double-effect of catching the eye of visitors as well as attracting the attention of Google which will rank your site, products, and pages for the phrases competitor sites aren’t using.

### Ingredient #4: Grab attention with your headline

Clickbait headlines have the unfortunate effect of disappointing people. They might drive traffic to a website but when the content doesn’t match the headline visitors leave.

Design your headlines to be clear, simple, and relevant. Here’s what to look for when writing a headline that will convert:

Play on people’s emotions so they can feel something related to the product  
Include a CTA in your headline to create a sense of urgency  
Depending on your product, refer to one or more of the 5 senses to get imaginations fired up

Don’t be tempted to pack in too many words because your headline will lose its power. Make it short enough to take in quickly using power words that will compel some action.

### Ingredient #5: Pay attention to the three ‘Ts’

The three Ts are typos, typography, and testing. Let’s take a quick look at each of them.

**Typos**

It should go without saying but make sure your product descriptions are free of typos, spelling, and grammar mistakes. Visitors will notice and will assume you’re not a serious business they can trust with their money.

Before you post, get someone with fresh eyes to check they make sense and are free of errors.

**Typography**

If you want your product descriptions to convert they need to be easy to read. That means limiting the number of fonts you use and being smart with font size, boldface, and italics.

Remember that size matters, both in terms of readability as well as information- hierarchy. Your most important information should grab the eye first and foremost.

**Testing**

Product descriptions that convert will vary from business to business and product to product.

So you must test different styles to see which ones turn your visitors into customers. Try A/B testing and play with tone, colours, bullet points and text. When you hit upon something that gets traction, apply it to your other descriptions to test the theory.

Keep tweaking your descriptions until you hit upon the right formula for your business and only then can you sit back and watch the sales roll in.

If you haven’t added the secret sauce to your descriptions, it’s time to get to cooking. Don’t feel overwhelmed if you have thousands of pieces of content to rewrite, just pick the ones that matter most and start there.

The hard work really will pay off.
### The Ultimate Guide to eCommerce Product Page SEO
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/the-ultimate-guide-to-ecommerce-product-page-seo/
Last updated: 2026-07-08T16:55:42.000Z
Are you ready to take your eCommerce business to the next level?

This article provides 12 easy-to-implement sections of tips to boost your product page SEO and bring about the sales you want!

Grab a coffee, this is a long article. Let's dive in and reveal my top SEO best practices for product pages that are guaranteed to deliver results and have been proven time and time again.

## **SEO is ESSENTIAL for Success**

If you're an eCommerce business owner, you probably know a little bit about product page SEO, so you’ll know that:

- SEO dictates your sales directly
- SEO increases the quality of your traffic
- SEO leads to more conversions
- SEO can significantly improve user experience

I’ve compiled all the information you need to know in a guide below, from crafting killer product descriptions that convince AND sell to using title tags as part of your eCommerce store copy - and hopefully everything in between.

But, before I reveal the secrets, it's time to throw some more stats at you that will give you the chance to understand the importance of your digital marketing strategy.

In a report published by *Smart Insights* in 2020, Paid traffic only accounted for 28% of overall website traffic. In contrast, 40% derived from organic traffic where eCommerce SEO strategies were used.

Read that again; let it sink in. While vital, your paid campaigns have very little power compared to that of SEO for eCommerce.

So, you could be spending time (and a lot of money) on campaigns that are driving a tiny portion of your traffic, while SEO, which can be done for free most of the time, is indeed your magic weapon. That’s not to say Ads aren’t vital, but you can see that there’s more potential with SEO.

Here are some numbers to back up the facts:

- Researchers found that [70 to 80 percent of search users](https://medium.com/datadriveninvestor/why-has-digital-marketing-become-the-core-to-every-companys-future-strategy-d9a5a1dc8364?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) focus on organic search results and ignore paid campaigns.
- About [93% of users turn to a search engine](https://www.smartinsights.com/search-engine-marketing/search-engine-statistics/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) when looking for a product online, which only proves how essential SEO efforts are to appear in results.
- Studies show that [more than 50 percent of users](https://www.webfx.com/blog/search-engine-optimization/8-google-search-statistics-prove-need-seo/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) find new companies and products after searching.

Exciting stuff, isn't it?

In a nutshell, without proper SEO efforts, your website and products probably won't gain much visibility in Google search. When you choose to optimise your online store, you're choosing to access more traffic, boost your sales, and make more profit!

## **1\. Write a Unique Product Description**

Your products are good. You know that. How can you convey this to your audience and convince them that yours are better than the rest?

Well, the truth is words alone won't cut it. You’ll need to create unique copy infused with keywords that target the searcher intent of your potential buyers.

Writing a unique product description may sound like an almighty task, especially if you sell many products of the same style.

Your product and its accompanying description should:

- Solve a problem for the buyer or enhance their life
- Include a strong CTA that isn't too 'salesy.'
- Be relevant to your consumers and their vision

You'll also need to think about the practical elements of your product pages which give your audience the information they need to make their buying decision.

There are four components that you will need to keep in mind when you come to writing a unique product description:

- Speak to your target audience - use language that they can relate to
- Focus on your product's benefits - how will it help them
- Make the content digestible - no complex jargon that will throw potential buyers off
- Use long-tail keywords that relate to your product and answer search queries

I don’t need to go over product descriptions too much here because Marketing Labs has an [almighty product description guide](https://marketinglabs.co.uk/how-to-write-the-perfect-product-description-free-template/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) that you should take a look at.

The only tips I’ll add to that guide are:

- Use the questions section of the [Mangools KWFinder](https://mangools.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk#a6116d8befeebf830a8d1cde9) to find out what questions related to your products people search for in Google. Once you’ve gathered the data, incorporate the answers into your product pages or even make an FAQ on the product page to help potential customers.
- Don’t just think about the product from your perspective; think about what people might want to hear or find ways of making the content engaging. For example, does the product get used by someone famous or a celebrity? What is the history of the product? How is it manufactured? Where is it manufactured, and why? Does it have any different uses? What materials is it made from, and why?
- Collect keyword data from customers. Every business has more data than they realise! When a customer calls or emails, take a note of what they call your products; this is valuable keyword data. Also, keep a record of any unique problems they need the product to solve.

And, finally; don't forget to write with enthusiasm since your passion for the products you sell will be contagious. If the excitement comes from you, the retailer, you are guaranteed to excite your buyers.

With the recipe above, you'll be crafting fantastic product descriptions that convince, sell, and tick all right SEO boxes.

## **2\. Conduct Thorough Keyword Research**

I mentioned keywords above as part of the 'write unique product descriptions” step. The question is, do you ***really*** know what keywords are? It’s pretty important to understand the next step, as it can make or break any SEO campaign, not just product description SEO.

If you're new to the eCommerce world, keywords and SEO could well be a new thing to you.

There are many keyword research tools out there that you can turn to. There's absolutely no need to be a keyword research expert to get it right.

Granted, it'll take a little bit of practice, but tools such as [Surfer SEO](https://surferseo.com/?fpr=matt23&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) and [Mangools](https://mangools.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk#a6116d8befeebf830a8d1cde9) are excellent options and used by SEO professionals.

Here is my step-by-step on doing keyword research the right way (using Mangools KWFinder):

1\. Make a spreadsheet of important, relevant broad keywords/topics based on what you know about your eCommerce business; these form your topic buckets

2\. Fill in those topic buckets with keywords by searching in Mangools for your broad keywords and seeing what related keywords show up (make sure these are relevant keywords)

3\. Understand how your audience/searcher intent impacts keyword choices and filter accordingly (more on this a little further down)

4\. Research related search terms to use as part of the product descriptions.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/08/image8.jpg)

### Keyword Searcher Intent

OK, so now I’ve covered how to find your keywords, now it’s vital to understand searcher intent. Every time someone searches in Google (and other search engines), they have a purpose in mind and an end goal. They are all at different parts of their purchasing journey, and your keyword planning needs to take that into account if you want to make sure your funnel is doing its job correctly.

Here’s a rough overview of the primary intent types:

- Informational intent: A considerable amount of searchers are looking for information; this can be in the guise of how-to’s, information, news, weather, education, statistics and many other forms. A lot of these searches might be questions.
- Navigational intent: These search terms are usually branded but not always. The searcher has a purpose in mind and is just using Google as a tool to navigate to their destination. For example, someone searching for the BBC is just using Google to navigate there quickly.
- Investigational intent: These searchers are conducted by people who have a problem that needs a solution (in the form of needing a service or a product). They might not realise what that solution is yet, and if they do realise, they might not yet know which product or service matches their needs best
- Transactional intent: These search terms are usually the final step of purchasing. The searcher knows what they want and are now in the process of buying

These different types of intent can make or break your SEO efforts. If you are targeting keywords that are too broad (more than likely informational searchers), like ‘car’, for example, your conversion rates will be low. Whereas targeting longer-tail keywords like ‘Blue Ford Focus For Sale in Nottingham’ will result in much higher conversion rates. The trade-off is a lower number of people searching.

Informational intent searchers might use qualifying words like ‘guide’, ‘best’ or ‘how-to’. For example, transactional intent searchers might use words like ‘buy’, ‘discount’ or ‘cheap’.

When you do your keyword research, I’d recommend that you add an extra column into your keyword spreadsheet for ‘intent’ and write the likely intent type next to each keyword. This will help you strategise your keywords for product descriptions and help you prop up your marketing efforts with blog posts and guides.

## **3\. Optimise Your Product Images**

Ever heard the phrase: 'a picture says a thousand words’? Well, that's because it often does! Your audience will make their initial judgement about your product based on the images you display online.

You should ensure your product photography is of a good standard, but have you given much thought to optimising your product images?

When you’re optimising your eCommerce site, you should consider each element thoroughly. The main components are:

- Alt text
- Filenames
- File types
- Image resolution and filesize
- Image quality
- Number of images
- Product details
- Technical image SEO

### Image Alt Text

There’s an option to add ‘alt text’ to product images which should be used to add a description of the image for the visually impaired. These allow you to create unique content packed full of rich SEO keywords. While these descriptions that accompany images won't be directly visible on your site, they will impact your website's SEO.

Google can reward you and place your website further up the search results when you make an effort to include alt text for images along with descriptions.

### Filenames

Believe it or not, the name of the image file you upload to your website can impact the search performance of your product page. I’d highly recommend naming your images something unique that is very closely related to your product title. For example, if you sell sized 9 leather Chelsea boots for men, call the image ‘sized-nine-leather-chelsea-boots-for-men.jpg’.

### Image resolution and filesize

The resolution of image files directly impacts the file size, and the file size directly impacts page loading times. The large the image, the larger the file, and the slower the page will be. 

I frequently see product pages with images that are 5Mb on them. This roughly means that the browser would take 50x longer to load the image than a 100kb one.

The first step would be to analyse how large an image opens on your website when you zoom in. This resolution would rarely be higher than 1080 pixels wide. If you are unsure, you can ask your website developer. Alternatively, if you are technically able, you can find this information by right-clicking the image and clicking ‘inspect element’.

Once you have the maximum resolution that an image can show on the website (if you are unsure, 1000px x 1000px should be fine), you now know what resolution to save your images.

From there, you then need to optimise the image using compression algorithms. I recommend using [TinyPNG](https://tinypng.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to do this. The compression aggressively reduces the file size of the image by reducing the number of colours in the image, but it’s almost always an invisible change in the sense that you can barely notice the difference, if at all. 

The image below that I took in New York shows a before and after compression. It started life out as a 5Mb image, and once reduced to 1000px wide and compressed using TinyPNG; its final size was 106kb which is a whopping 50x smaller:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/08/image7.jpg)

### Image quality

As you can tell from the section above, image size is vital for page loading times. However, there’s a balancing act between speed and quality. Your images likely don’t have to be pin-sharp, but having good quality images makes a big difference to your conversion rates, so try to strike a balance by testing your pages speed after uploading a photo.

### Number of images

Sometimes your product might only need one image to show it off entirely, but other times you might need many more. Take a plant pot, for example; maybe one image might suffice. But then compare that to a hand-made leather messenger bag; you’ll want to capture all of the fine details, the pockets, the features and probably the stitching. Don’t be afraid to have multiple close-ups on the details that matter.

### Technical Image SEO

An often overlooked technical detail is to forget that every image has its own URL as well as being on a product page. I’d recommend redirecting the images own URL to the parent page (in this case, the product page) to avoid Google indexing issues. This can also help to make sure your important pages are crawled if you have a large website and are concerned about the crawl budget as Google won’t be wasting resources on URLs that you don’t particularly want them to bother with as much as other pages.

For simplified crawlability and indexing, create an image sitemap or ensure your images are included in your main sitemap.

### Bonus Image SEO Tip:

Unique images are also important. Google can often tell if the image is yours or whether it has existed before. Unique images will help you gain visibility.

## **4\. Optimise Your Product Title**

Product titles are another easy way to optimise your eCommerce website and make it more relevant to users on Google. Putting a target keyword into your product title is one thing, but ensuring it ticks all the optimisation boxes, there's much more you can do.

Both the structure and content of the title are crucial. These two components complement one another. You will need to understand how Google's algorithm selects the products to be displayed to the searcher to determine which attributes should be added.

As a general rule of thumb, there is a good order to consider when writing your product title.

A well-optimised product title takes on a mini recipe of sorts and is made up of different ingredients as follows:

**Brand + Size + Product Type + Color + Material (if relevant)**

You won’t always be able to work to the exact recipe above, but you can adapt. Here’s a good example of a well-written and optimised product description that follows the above method reasonably well:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/08/CleanShot-2021-08-16-at-20.38.09@2x.jpg)

As you can see, the website has covered all of the key information in the product title. 

For the most part, Google selects results relevant to a search query based on the words at the beginning of the product title. Therefore, order matters as well.

1\. Follow Google’s requirements for product titles

2\. Make informed changes using trends in searches

3\. Add keywords to the title

4\. Place your important information at the beginning

5\. Include your modifiers

6\. Add category and brand names to your title

## **5\. Add In-Depth Product Information**

I include this section separately from the main product description section because I want to differentiate between the description and the product details.

When it comes to writing your product details, it goes without saying they need to convince and impress your audience. Convincing written language, however, can be hard to get right.

Many eCommerce business owners go hard and heavy with persuasive language and often miss the point entirely. This can result in potential customers being turned off.

There are three things that your potential customers will want to know when they read your product descriptions:

- The benefits the product brings.
- How do your products solve the problem they have or help them achieve what they want to achieve.
- The reason your product is the best option out there!

Educate your customers on your product. Tell stories and explain even the smallest details and why. Make an effort not to be boring but instead entice your visitors with exquisite details.

It’s also essential to consider just how many people use mobile phones for eCommerce buying these days. [79% of smartphone users have purchased online using their mobile devices in the last six months!](https://techjury.net/blog/mcommerce-statistics/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk#gref)

Therefore, it is CRUCIAL to ensure that your product descriptions are scannable. People want to access products and associated information quickly without having to scroll for too long, so make sure your user experience is up to standards. My recommendation here would be to utilise accordions and read more buttons.

## **6\. Add Frequently Asked Questions**

Frequently asked questions, also known as FAQs, are among the most critical elements of an eCommerce website. Not only does using them allow you to boost your SEO even more, but they provide valuable information to your buyers too.

To climb the search engine results and increase your overall search volume, you're going to need to map out your page content.

One good way of ensuring that customers have all they need in one place (brownie points for user experience) is to include FAQs on your product pages.

While this can be time-consuming writing up the questions along with product descriptions, it's certainly worth it.

As part of your broader SEO strategy, you will need to use keywords as part of your FAQs. This part of search engine optimisation is relevantly straightforward since SEO tools do the hard work for you.

You can also manually search in Google for questions that your customers may be asking. Start with a product keyword (after doing your research) and begin to type. Google will magically generate search queries based on what its visitors search for most.

Customer reviews are also likely to be far more positive if you answer your customer's questions early.

We all know just how frustrating it can be to buy a product but not have all the information you need to hand. Customers want to do things quickly, and scannable FAQs displayed on your product pages make that possible.

As a rule, consider displaying your product description alongside 5-6 FAQs and a few product reviews too. This will provide the peace of mind your customers need alongside the important stuff they are relying on to make their buying decision!

## **7\. Include Product Videos**

If you were to pick one reason why creating video content is a great idea, I'd pick this one: engagement. Besides forming the backbone of anything you do online, it also directly impacts your bottom line through increased engagement, conversions, and (ultimately) revenue.

Many people are unaware of how video content affects SEO. Here are five ways that product videos can boost your website:

1\. When you post a video on YouTube or another social media channel, people are more likely to visit your website than if you post any other type of content.

2\. Google cares about and loves video content. The search engine’s internal algorithm scans for media types and will recognise your site’s quality the more mixed content it has.

3\. Videos generate quality traffic. Many eCommerce websites that feature product videos improve user experience and have better SEO as a result.

4\. Users will visit for more extended periods if you use videos. Think about it; a video is far more engaging and often likely to keep a person interested than a long wall of text. Video content tends to be more popular than blog content.

5\. Your SEO value is improved through video content. Video content provides a meaningful return on investment on your SEO that you should take advantage of.

### Bonus Video SEO Tip:

If your video has words, get them transcribed and added below your video. This way, search engines can understand the video better, and you benefit from the HTML content.

## **8\. Incorporate Customer Reviews**

Google reviews can transform how SEO-friendly your site is and provide reassurance to your customers about your brand and its products.

Online customer reviews don’t just impact conversion rates; they can also indicate trustworthiness and authority to search engines.

And Google reviews are not just beneficial to other customers looking to buy products; they’re also instrumental when it comes to SEO. Google depends on reviews, amongst other things, to register the quality of your site.

Here are four reasons why Google reviews matter for SEO:

- Google trusts your customer’s opinions - as soon as someone gives a review of your business (good or bad), Google gets the message that it is a real, legitimate business and that other people have interacted with it as well.
- Google reads, reads, reads! - Google “reads” your site to understand the world (or, in this case, the internet). The more content it has available to read, the more it will know about your business and the more topically relevant keywords your site will rank for.
- Google will rank your website higher naturally - when your customers leave reviews for your business, Google will reward your trustworthiness by allocating you a higher ranking level in the search engine by default.
- By default, there is a high likelihood that your customers will leave reviews that naturally include your keywords; this user-generated content is excellent for SEO.

If you're yet to start using reviews as part of your SEO eCommerce strategy, it's probably time you begin to do so.

## **9\. Include Google Trusted Store Badge and Other Trust Signals**

What better way to show that you are a legitimate and trustworthy business to Google (and your customers)? When you have a Google trusted store badge displayed on your website, it’s a definite game-changer for SEO.

The checkmark badge indicates when the search engine itself has verified a business.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/08/image6.png)

To get a badge, you’ll need to apply via Google. Don’t worry, though, it’s all pretty straightforward stuff, provided you have the correct information at hand.

Below, I’ve included the steps to help you get that green badge and more customers as a result!

**Step 1:** **The first step is to open the Google Merchant Center**. Once you've created an account with Google Merchant Center, you can log in and get started right away.

To familiarise yourself with your dashboard, take a look at your account after you've been approved. Additional tools are included that allow you to take advantage of Google.

For now, locate the three dots in the upper right corner. An expanded drop-down menu appears when you click that.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/08/image5.png)

Next, select the Merchant Center Programs option.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/08/image2-1.png)

**Step 2: Choose Customer Reviews.** Besides shopping ads and product reviews, there are also interactive programs for dynamic remarketing, product reviews, etc.

I encourage you to explore all of them.

This tutorial instructs you to enable the Customer Reviews option under the Customer Reviews section.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/08/image9.png)

**Step 3: Read and Agree.** Before moving on, you will see the Customer Reviews agreement. There is a lot of helpful information in it, so be sure to read it.

Select that you have read and agreed to the document. Save and continue by clicking the Save and Continue button.

**Step 4: Paste a Survey on Your Website.** Afterwards, you'll receive a bit of code to add to your website. As Google guides you through that process, the code reminds potential customers to fill out a survey.

In the same way, as discussed above, this feedback is gathered and used to determine eligibility.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/08/image3-1.png)

**Step 5: Display Your Badge!** It may take 60-90 days for the merchant's evaluation process, depending on the circumstances. Eventually, you will get a reply email telling you whether your application was approved or not.

Google provides a Google Customer Reviews badge for your website if you have been accepted.

## **10\. Write Good Meta Descriptions**

If you haven’t got a clue when it comes to writing a good meta description, I get it! All the jargon can be confusing, especially if you don’t come from a marketing background yourself.

However, meta descriptions don’t have to be *that* intimidating.

Before we give you the top tips for writing the BEST meta descriptions for your eCommerce store, here are a few things to explain what they are and why they’re so crucial for SEO.

Let’s use ‘marketing tips’ as a search query example. When you type in the query, you’ll be presented with the top search results that fit the query.

The blue text at the top is the "Title Tag." It's the page's title. You'll find a description of no more than \*160 characters below them which is the meta description.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/08/image1-1.png)

It can be challenging to write a good meta description that doesn’t sound bland. After all, you’re working with the character limit of a standard tweet!

The description should give you a brief overview of what the page is about, as well as a reason to click the title tag. Searchers may not even realise they have decided because everything happens quickly and painlessly thanks to your content writing.

So, on the next part, here’s how to craft not just a good meta description but a brilliant one:

To ensure that your result is the one that is clicked, consider what would encourage a searcher to do so. You need to answer three questions:

- What do you have to offer?
- What is the benefit of buying from you?
- Do you have any unique selling points (and I mean unique here - there’s no point regurgitating the USP’s your competitors have at this stage)

Describe your business like you would an elevator pitch to people. There will probably be a few drafts to go through.

The way you present your brand is the first time most customers will be exposed to your eCommerce business; therefore, it’s essential to get it right. Remember to focus on the customer - *how does your product fulfil the needs of your customer?*

## **11\. Don't Forget the Smaller SEO Details**

If you've managed to incorporate all of the tips above, there will undoubtedly be room for further improvements when it comes to SEO.

For eCommerce business owners that are optimising an existing site, consider the following:

- **Internal linking -** linking to other relevant products that customers can buy from your website. Add a few internal links where you can when optimising your product pages and Google will favour your website and its SEO!
- **External linking -** blogs give you great opportunities to link to other trusted websites and resources. This is excellent if your product has been in the news, for example. Again as part of your SEO strategy, Google will recognise that you have carried out your research and directing your customers to other valuable content.
- **Rich snippets -** rich snippets (Schema) are a type of structured data markup that allows search engines to understand better what information is on a web page. In 2009, Google introduced rich answers to its search engine.

The above SEO tips will make a whole world of difference for your eCommerce SEO performance. It is simple for those using platforms like Magento, WordPress or Shopify to put each of the SEO tips into practice, thanks to how user-friendly each platform is on the backend.

## **12\. Give Customers What They Want**

Last but certainly not least, be sure to give your potential buyers what they want!

This includes meeting their needs regarding the product types you stock and display on your site and how easy it is for your site to be navigated.

We know that running an eCommerce site *isn't* always easy. In fact, it can be challenging at times due to obstacles presenting themselves due to new SEO trends.

Therefore, it's so important to get into your customer’s shoes to ensure that you are meeting their needs.

Because if Google changes its algorithms and you find one day that your site may have lost some search visibility/rankings, your customers are what you can rely on.

### **Start With Design**

You likely wouldn't walk into a messy, disorganised shop and come out as a beaming customer, would you? This principle isn't any different for online stores, either. The design of your website matters when it comes to your eCommerce site; focus on wowing your customers and give them that great initial impression.

This doesn’t mean filling your website with colour and features, either. Keep it minimal and distraction-free.

Your customer will get their first taste of your brand, its products, and whether it's worth shopping at right away when they land on your homepage.

There is value to be had in every pixel, every picture, and every word. Consider hiring a designer if you can afford it and make design one of your top priorities.

### **Site Speed**

How frustrating is it when a website won't load quickly?

You don’t want your customers to be in a negative frame of mind because your website took *forever* to load (that’s if they haven’t already left the website because they were fed up with waiting).

Loading pages should only take a few seconds at the most, and your visitors will get their information quicker. This makes it less likely they’ll bounce off your website and search elsewhere for their product.

When you navigate the site, it just feels better and puts the customer in a solid position to buy!

### **Product Navigation**

You don’t need an enormous selection of products for success. There can sometimes be benefits to limiting your product range:

- Provide customers with the ability to locate the information they need quickly.
- Prevent customers from becoming paralysed by decision paralysis or choice fatigue.
- Reduce the number of checkout clicks to increase conversions naturally.

However, it is vital to ensure that your customers can find the product pages they are looking for easily and quickly.

Most people are quick to make buying decisions and definitely will not want to be navigating your website for a long time to find that new toothbrush they need.

You can provide an excellent search experience by investing both time and money in the following:

- Results that match your customers' true intentions.
- Results that are clear and easy to read. Use product image thumbnails in your search results.
- An optimal number of results. When customers search on your site, they expect the most effective number of results. That number needs to be tested and determined by you.
- Results are returned lightning fast. If your search results are slow to load, though, it is effectively useless.

### **After an Online Purchase**

Once someone has placed an online order, the customer journey shouldn’t end. You should make an effort to send a friendly, personalised email to your customer alongside their receipt.

Make sure that your receipt contains the order number, contents of the customer order, an email, phone number, and social media links to contact your business if needs be.

This is all helpful information valuable to your customers and makes their lives that whole lot easier!

## **Summary**

Now that you're all clued up on how to improve your product page SEO, it's time to put words into action.

Your eCommerce store will see more success, drive more sales, and retain more loyal customers by following the advice set out above in addition to using an [SEO eCommerce strategy](https://whystuffsucks.com/marketing-blog/ecommerce-seo-audit?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

Make sure that your product pages display all the information that will be valuable to a customer and implement the SEO best practices I’ve mentioned.

If you're still unsure of how to carry out some of the SEO best practices above, it can be super helpful to watch YouTube videos available to you and follow such tutorials.

While you probably won't become an SEO expert overnight, you can undoubtedly take your SEO to the next level using the SEO tips in this guide.

From optimising individual pages with keywords to ensuring your online store looks the part and runs at a decent speed, start writing that checklist and ticking away!
### 5 Reasons Your Social Campaigns Aren’t Converting (+ How to Fix Them)
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/5-reasons-your-social-campaigns-arent-converting-how-to-fix-them/
Last updated: 2021-08-04T08:40:59.000Z
You read everywhere that social campaigns would lead to positive ROI. You were told your campaigns would drive insane traffic and generate top-quality leads and customers for your business.

It was almost a guarantee…

So…why isn’t any of that happening?

There are a host of reasons why social campaigns don’t convert, and any number of them could be affecting yours.

What we see most often with failed campaigns is that they’ve been rushed out of the planning phase in order to start generating ROI as quickly as possible. Big mistake.

The planning phase is the most important part of the campaign. It’s there that you make sure you’re:

- Targeting the right audience beyond demographics
- Nailing your messaging
- Getting your landing pages to load at lightning speed
- Solving common objections
- Getting your CTAs right

And only then should it even be considered for publishing.

Let’s have a closer look at some of these reasons why your social campaigns aren’t converting.

## Your Targeting is All Over the Place

If you’re trying to target everyone, you’re targeting no one.

Trying to reach a large number of people will be a waste of marketing spend. Generalised targeting will lead people to scroll past your campaigns, or worse, wondering “why is this showing up on my feed?”.

You don’t want that.

Yes, social campaigns will allow you to target your audience based on basic demographics, like their age and gender. But that’s barely scratching the surface.

While those are certainly helpful data points, your targeting will deliver much better results when segmented properly.

Think of it this way: a man won’t read The Sunday Times because he’s a 58-year-old male. That doesn’t make any sense. He’ll read it because he wants to be well-informed and have news to look at during his morning coffee.

Want to nail your targeting? Here are some of the characteristics of your audience you’ll want to consider:

- Interests
- Number of children
- Ethnic affinity
- Education levels
- Home ownership and type of home
- Political beliefs
- Life events (such as anniversaries and birthdays)
- Buyer profiles (such as gamers, foodies, or coupon lovers)
- The type of device they use

As much as filtering your audience to a high degree means targeting fewer people, that’s what you should be doing. The chance of those highly-targeted people becoming warm leads is a lot higher than if you blindly aim towards a bunch of people and cross your fingers.

## Your Messaging Misses the Mark

Accurate targeting also depends on reliable messaging. Your filters could be inch-perfect, but people still won’t convert if the words in your campaign don’t resonate with them.

The right messaging is about finding what your customers are saying, in their own words, and using that information. There’s no one better than your own customer to tell what he or she wants to read.

That’s why talking to your customers, listening to their objections, and reading their unfiltered comments is so important: so you can use their own words to swipe snippets of copy that resonate.

Take a look at the following Instagram ad from Talkspace:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/08/image3.png)

Talkspace is a confidential and affordable online therapy service offering one-on-one meetings with a licensed therapist.

As with any type of online service, their audience has different questions and desires in relation to what’s being offered. The only way to develop powerful messaging around those feelings is by listening to customers and prospects, and maybe borrowing a quote or two.

Here’s a handy example:

For the above ad, Talkspace’s marketing team could have found that prospects may be looking for an accessible, yet trustworthy online therapy platform that’s available 24/7.

Still, they may be scared that they won’t be able to get help for their specific problem, and maybe even that Talkspace isn’t legitimate.

The ad taps into those feelings by:

- Humanising the offer. It features a friendly picture of a licensed therapist who works for the platform.
- Featuring a quote from the same therapist, reassuring prospects that Talkspace is meant for ALL people.
- Reinforcing that support is available anytime in their caption.

The messaging of your campaigns should latch onto the beliefs, desires, and fears of your audience.

## Your Landing Pages Take Too Long to Load

Imagine spending hours developing a winning social campaign, working hard to get the click, then finally getting it, but as soon as a prospect lands on the page…

Five seconds go by.

Then five more.

And suddenly your prospect has disappeared…

It may sound like an absurdly short time, but you know it well: clicking back is easier than waiting for a slow page to load.

If a page takes longer than 3 seconds to load, 53% of website visits will be abandoned. Scary stuff. That means you should shape your entire website–including page loading speed–around the demanding nature of modern customers.

If that’s not enough to convince you, a slow landing page speed also gets the side-eye from Google’s algorithm.

There are several ways you can increase your pages’ loading speeds. Some of them from Moz:

- Don’t upload images that are larger than they need to be.
- Reduce redirects.
- Optimise your code: reduce or remove unnecessary commas, spaces, and other characters.
- Decrease the size of your HTML, JavaScript, and CSS files by using file-compressing applications like Gzip.

## Your Campaigns Don’t Solve Objections

Dive into the comment section of any social ad and, most of the time, you’ll find a handful of comments with questions like:

“Is shipping free?”  
“Is it vegan?”  
“Is it safe?”

And so on.

This is marketing gold. By being aware of the most frequent questions your customers and soon-to-be customers have, you’ll be able to remove several roadblocks before they become a problem.

The longer your prospects spend scratching their heads wondering if they should purchase your product, the longer they’ll have to check out your competition or finding reasons not to. Read that again.

If you can’t get your hands on enough objections through email replies or social media comments, here’s another strategy: go to your customer support team or your sales team. They’re the people who handle objections on a daily basis whether that’s through direct calls or customer tickets.

More than anyone, they know about your audience’s real problems.

## Buried CTAs (or Too Many CTAs)

Take a look at how Walmart has gone crazy with the CTAs below.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/08/image1.png)

A lot is said about buried CTAs. But have you ever entered a website and got confused as to where you should land your eyes?

“The more, the merrier” is nonsense here. There is such a thing as too many CTAs. I don’t know about you, but Walmart has given me a headache.

If visitors are as confused as I am and your store isn’t Walmart, they’ll probably do their online shopping somewhere else.

Now, the other side of the spectrum.

Which of the CTAs below are you more inclined to click on?

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/08/image4.png)

The CTA on the right is central, bold and visible. It makes you want to read the full story.

CTAs should beg to be clicked. They should stand out on the page with contrasting colours. They should be large enough, but not exaggerated. It takes a while to get the hang of it, but here’s a final example:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/08/image2.png)

## Closing Thoughts

It’s true that consistently creating and publishing social campaigns will result in high visibility. Yet, that visibility will only lead to conversions if you’re saying the right things to the right people. Are you?

To make your social campaigns work, start by avoiding the mistakes above, and you’ll get closer and closer to the ROI you were promised.
### How To Write a Blog Post in 30 Minutes: A Step-by-Step Guide
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-write-a-blog-post-in-30-minutes-a-how-to-guide/
Last updated: 2022-05-11T16:23:08.000Z
In this post, I will show you exactly how to write a blog in less than 30 minutes.

In fact:

These are the exact techniques I used to write 100+ blog posts which now generate more than 200,000 monthly website visits.

Let’s dive right in.

## The Power of Blogging and Why It’s Important

If you’re a business owner, it’s likely that you want to:

- Increase your website traffic
- Attract new customers
- Generate customer loyalty
- Be the expert in your niche

And herein lies the power of a blog.

A well-written, informative blog aligned with your business goals and customer pain points is hugely valuable to your business.

Not only does a blog help you to generate, nurture and convert traffic, but it also helps keep your existing customers engaged, increases demand for your products, and places you as the leader in your field.

If you craft great content, they can even generate lots of natural organic backlinks without you having to lift a finger. Not bad, huh.

What’s more, unlike paid ads, blogs will continue to offer value long after you’ve hit publish.

Not convinced? Consider these [stats](https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/the-benefits-of-blogging-20-stats-business-owners-need-to-know-infograph/511816/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk):

- A business that blogs, on average, receives 55% more website visitors than a business that doesn’t.
- Companies that blog get a **whopping 97% more links** to their website.
- 30% of customers learn about brands via ads, as opposed to 70% through blogs.

But be warned, blogging is not for the faint of heart. It requires consistency, a strategy and an overall understanding of your customer’s pain points. The content needs to be helpful, engaging and relevant to your audience.

## How to Generate Blog Content Ideas

If you are going to write content regularly, it’s a good idea to write down a content pipeline – all the themes you want to explore. You can keep these in a notebook or Excel sheet for inspiration. Copy and paste links of similar blogs or blog posts that sparked the idea - this is your 'content pipeline'.

When you’ve got a spare half an hour set aside to write your blog, all you need is a great headline to get you going. If you’ve created a content pipeline, it’s super easy to pick one and get started.

Good sources of inspiration can include:

### Google Autosuggest Results

A good blog aims to answer your customers’ questions, so the first step is to find out what your customers want to know.

Luckily, you can easily find out what your audience is searching for using Google’s autosuggest results.

Open Google in incognito, search for a topic that you are considering writing about and Google will suggest similar phrases that people search for. Use these results for inspiration for your blog title.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/07/image7.png)

### Conduct Keyword Research

Use [SurferSEO](https://surferseo.com/?fpr=matt23&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to find out what your target audience is searching for. For example, if you’re interested in “sustainable clothing brands,” plug it in Surfer’s content planner to find clusters of keywords for potential topic ideas. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-24-at-16.42.26.png)

With just one topic idea, e.g., sustainable clothing line, [SurferSEO](https://surferseo.com/?fpr=matt23&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) suggests 119 clusters of keywords. Take “sustainable sportswear” as an example; it has a potential search volume of 1,940.

A quick look on Google and you can easily find ideas for content titles related to this topic:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/07/image2.png)

Easy. You now have a killer idea for the topic “X sustainable activewear brands.”

Do you get the idea? Transform the keywords into clickable, irresistible blog post titles.

### Use Also Asked

Like Answer the Public, [alsoasked.com](https://alsoasked.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is free (hooray!), albeit a little slow at the moment but the team who have built it are constantly improving it. Nevertheless, it’s a helpful tool to understand your customers’ questions and dig deeper into a topic and ensure you answer all of the questions people ask.

It will fire out questions and if they make sense to your content, you can include them in your post, along with your answers.

## **How to Craft the Post and Break It Down**

Now we come to the critical question: How to write a blog post? This process has worked for many content writers, but it’s not set in stone. Find out what works for you and refine the blogging process over time.

Let’s look at how to craft a post and break it down from start to finish.

## Breaking It Down Step-by-Step: Writing the Blog Post

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/07/Create-Graphic--1--1.png)

### The First Twenty Minutes

Let’s break down the first twenty minutes of writing. This will be the most challenging part of the blog writing process to get done.

### The First Two Minutes

Have you got your topic and angle? Use the suggestions above to decide on your topic quickly. Bonus points if you’ve already built up a content pipeline of topics to choose from. If you want to achieve writing a blog post in 30 minutes or less, having a topic pipeline is essential.

But don’t stop there. Once you’ve decided on the topic, you need to create a click-worthy headline.

Did you know that having a colon in a blog headline increases your click-through by nearly [10%](https://optinmonster.com/blogging-statistics/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)? While only between 6-8 words in your headline can improve CTR by more than [20%](https://optinmonster.com/blogging-statistics/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

It’s a fact. An uninspiring headline can kill a blog in its tracks, so take the time to make sure it’s engaging and speaks to your target audience.

### Three Minutes In

Now you can start writing and working on the things that make you unique. Do a cursory Google search if you have to. You want to establish if the topic has already been covered before, and if it has, decide how you will change the angle to make your blog post unique and engaging.

Not every idea has to be original, but it does have to add value to the reader. It would help if you also decided the tone you want to take.

How many words do you want to write on average in your posts, and in what format? What makes your blog post different? Be clear on what you want to say before attempting to say it.

### Five to Eight Minutes In

During the next step, you set the direction of the blog and your outline. Generally, you should start with an intro, a few points, and a strong reiteration of what you’ve said already.

Start jotting down bullet points or craft a sentence or two in each paragraph. It might be helpful to think of the various subheaders you’d like to use.

If you don’t like typing or find yourself making too many mistakes, why not try voice dictation? It’s less intimidating than a blank page and is a great way to bring your conversational style to life.

### Minute Eight to Twenty

Use the next twelve minutes to flesh out your sub-headings with content. If you get stuck or find yourself struggling to express yourself, try using quotations from other writers. Research as you go, adding statistics and quotes to emphasize your point.

If you find yourself battling to formulate the right idea, it’s OK to set it again. Try another topic, or come back to it later.

If an idea isn’t ready yet, add it to your pipeline and come back when inspiration strikes.

### The Final Ten Minutes

You are almost there. You’ve got your introductory blog post planned, and you’ve written the bulk of the post down. Now you need to spend ten minutes putting on the finishing touches. Pat yourself on the back!

### Twenty-Minutes to Twenty-Two Minutes

Write your introduction. Once you’ve fleshed out your sub-headings, you can add context to your intro. It’s OK to write it down before fleshing out the piece too! Whatever works for you.

Your introduction will set the stage and give readers an idea of what they can expect from the piece, making sure to hook them with good content.

### Twenty-Two to Twenty-Four Minutes

Next, take two minutes to draft your call to action. What would you like them to do after reading this post?

Calls to action can include:

- “Let me know what you think of this article by leaving a comment below.”
- “If you love this (item) as much as I do, visit our store by clicking on this link.”
- “Read more about this topic by visiting (link).”
- “Download this eBook for more advice.”
- “If you like this article, please share it on your social media pages.”
- “Bookmark this article so you can refer back to it when you need to.”

Your call to action has to be concise and clear.

Brian Dean is the king of engagement, with many of his blogs getting hundreds, if not thousands, of comments. By asking simple questions, he engages his readers, like this:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/07/image5.png)

### Twenty-Four to Twenty-Six Minutes In

The following two minutes should be spent sourcing images. You can use premium photo sites like [Deposit Photos](https://tracking.depositphotos.com/aff%5Fc?aff%5Fid=35051&offer%5Fid=4&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to get the best photos. I'd recommend signing up to a small monthly subscription instead of paying for individual photos. If you need to, credit the creator.

Your images should enhance your message and stand out, but they are also vital for SEO. If you use your own photos, you may want to add a logo and watermark to prevent others from repurposing them.

Depending on the type of content and your audience, screenshots with annotations and arrows may offer the most value. Screenshots are a great way to create an actionable blog that your reader can implement.

### Twenty-Six Minutes to Twenty-Eight Minutes In

Start editing. Re-read your post. Edit your subheaders or more paragraphs around for clarity. Check for spelling and grammatical errors. It sometimes helps to read the post out loud.

If you aren’t good at spelling or just need a fresh set of eyes, you may want to put your work through [Grammarly](https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=864277&u=864476&m=26748&urllink=&afftrack=&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) (highly recommended) or [WordTune](https://www.wordtune.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/07/image4.png)

Depending on your audience, it can be helpful to use [Hemingway](https://hemingwayapp.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to tell you at what Grade Level you are writing. Unless you are writing on a highly technical level, you want to aim for Grade 4-6 level writing.

It’s not that your audience won’t understand you, but rather that your audience might simply scan your blog post. You want them to get the gist of it, even if they are reading in a hurry. Keeping the language simple will help them understand it.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/07/image1.png)

It’s also a good idea to run a Grammarly or [Copyscape](https://www.copyscape.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) check for plagiarism. Plagiarism is never a good idea. You probably won't run into legal issues for stealing a couple of lines, but your performance in search will be limited as they’ll think you are copying someone else’s content. Don’t jeopardise your discoverability by stealing content. Never copy the content of another website, write it in your own words.

### The Final Two Minutes

Use your final minutes to write a 140-160 character meta description that describes your blog. It has to entice click-throughs from search engines, so try to phrase it like you would a call to action. For example:

“We all want to dress our best. Read this blog to find out how you can revamp your wardrobe for summer.”

“Want to improve your iPhone photography skills? Here are five ways you can snap better pictures in 2021.”

Run it through a tool like [Meta Tags](https://metatags.io/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to ensure it’s the right length:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/07/image6.png)

Bonus tip: include emojis. They help to increase click-through rates. [Larry Kim saw an amazing 300% increase in CTR](https://cognitiveseo.com/blog/20067/emoji-seo-strategy/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) by using Emojis in Ad copy.

## **How to Promote the Post Once Complete**

Now that you’ve written your blog post, you want to get it out there! You can mention influencers that have inspired you to post or whose ideas you are building on and tag them in the post, asking them to share.

Alternatively, you can publish to a third-party blog tool like [Medium](http://medium.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) for broader reach. (Add a canonical tag back to your blog post to avoid self-cannibalising your blog!).

If you are serious about your blog and want mass uptake, promote the blog on social media by posting the link and putting a tiny budget behind advertising it, targeting your ideal readership.

Don’t forget to embed social share buttons and call to action in all your posts!

Once this is done, reach out to influencers in your niche and ask if they'd be happy taking a read and possibly sharing it with their audience. Quick tip - if you mention influencers in your blog post, they are more likely to share it. 

## Summary

Do you know how long this blog post took to write? Thirty minutes! Now that you know how to write yours, you can start producing high-level, engaging content for your blog.

Have fun with your blog! Pick topics that you are passionate about, don’t clone anybody else.

I look forward to reading your blog soon! Add a link to your blog in the comments below when it’s ready.
### How to Start Your Inbound Marketing Strategy in 2025
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-start-your-inbound-marketing-strategy-in-2021/
Last updated: 2025-02-19T03:05:45.000Z
How consumers interact with brands is changing fast. In this age of digital marketing, it is easy for consumers to avoid adverts and other marketing messages. In response, marketers are turning to inbound marketing strategies. Here is the lowdown on what inbound marketing can do for your business in 2025 and how to get started.

## What is inbound marketing?

Inbound marketing refers to a series of methods that attract customers to a brand by creating content that is valuable to them. Marketing messages may provide information potential customers are looking for or help them solve problems. Inbound marketing strategies also include experiences tailored to potential customers that only your business can offer. The idea is to establish a relationship and create a bond before making a sale.

On the other hand, traditional marketing – aka outbound marketing – relies on interrupting your audience. TV commercials are perhaps the most obvious example of outbound marketing. Whilst this may have been a useful strategy when consumers had to sit through commercials, it does not work well in a digital environment.

## Why is it important?

In 2025, consumers have learned how to tune out interruptive marketing messages. Instead, they prefer to learn about a product or a service on their own terms. This includes conducting their own Google searches, reading articles and watching videos.

According to Demand Metric, 70 percent of consumers would rather read an article about a business than watch an advertisement. Millennials are considered to be virtually blind to digital banner adverts.

More importantly, though, inbound marketing will help you achieve more with your existing marketing budget. Generating leads through inbound methods is 61 percent cheaper than outbound leads.

## Inbound marketing strategies for 2025

The goal of inbound marketing is to attract your target audience with content that is useful to them. By offering insights and solutions to potential problems you engage potential customers and establish trust. Being trusted will make customers more likely to buy from you. Inbound marketing does not stop with a purchase. The most successful marketers provide support to enable customers to get the most out of the product.

**Here are some of 2025’s top inbound marketing strategies:**

### Blogs

Long-form blogs remain one of the top strategies to attract customers to your brand in 2025.

Blogging drives traffic to your website. Consistent blogging will help build your brand and establish you as an authority in your field. However, it does take time to establish an audience if you do not already have one. In that case, consider guest blogging.

Being featured in an established and popular blog exposes your brand to a wider audience. It also helps you drive qualified, relevant visitors to your own website.

### Videos and live-streaming

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/08/use-2.jpg)

Live-streaming and video messaging exploded in 2020 due to social distancing restrictions. Whilst this development may have started out of necessity, many brands have recognised the potential of explainer videos and digital events.

Not only does video allow your brand to connect with potential customers worldwide. It also helps save costs associated with in-person events, whilst creating some of the same buzz and atmosphere.

Live-streaming allows your audience to ask direct questions or give feedback. It is a powerful tool when it comes to creating customer relationships.

Whilst video marketing has been growing for a number of years, short-form videos are proving especially popular. If your business is not yet using video as a format yet, it is certainly worth exploring its potential.

### Earned social media

Social media followers have chosen to connect with your brand. Continuously providing relevant and useful content is a great way to keep them engaged.

However, listening is just as important. Making a point of rewarding customer feedback by taking it seriously is one way of achieving that. Responding to comments and enquiries thoughtfully and timely is another.

### Limit forms – consider chatbots instead

Inbound marketing is about creating connections with potential customers.

Using forms to ‘gate’ access to a white paper, for example, may result in potential customers looking for the information elsewhere. Few users are happy to part with their personal details before you have given them at least some valuable content.

For years, gated content worked very well for digital marketers. However, they are producing fewer conversions in 2025\. Alternatives include shorter forms, requiring only a person’s email address. Another option are chatbots, simulating a conversation to create a connection with a potential customer. A live-chat system allows people to connect with you when it is convenient for them or they need your help. It eliminates the need to wait for a response.

Inbound marketing can help stretch your marketing budget further and entice customers to seek you out. As opposed to traditional interruption marketing, these methods help build relationships between businesses and customers which convert into sales. These relationships tend to last longer and lead to higher lifetime sales.
### 6 Simple Ways to Increase Your Landing Page Conversion Rate
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/6-simple-ways-to-increase-your-landing-page-conversion-rate/
Last updated: 2021-07-21T19:09:41.000Z
If you’re a business owner, there is a good chance you’re looking for ways to generate leads and guide people to your product or service—and landing pages can do just that. By offering people a special deal or promotion in exchange for their contact information, your landing page will help you build your customer base.

When it comes to landing pages, there are several types that serve very different purposes. Lead-generation landing pages function to collect contact information so that you can send them email promotions and newsletters. While click-through landing pages lead customers through an ad to your webpage and the call to action.

Squeeze pages have the sole purpose of collecting information from customers, usually email addresses, and these pages contain limited text. Sales pages pop-up and convince customers to purchase your service or product and require written copy that can coerce them to complete their transaction. Other types like splash pages, viral landing pages, and microsites will help your company generate leads, ultimately increasing sales revenue.

But in case your pages aren’t providing the results that you were hoping for, I’ve compiled six easy ways to increase your landing page conversion rate.

## Craft headlines that play to the customer’s emotions

More often than not, customers make purchases based on emotion instead of rationality. Think about how many times you’ve bought an item that you didn’t need because you felt that you needed it.

Make sure that the headlines on your landing pages are concise, straight to the point but also play on emotion by using words that suggest safety, belonging, happiness, or feeling attractive. If you want to increase conversions through the use of emotion in headlines and copy, sell the experience and not the product. Through storytelling and persuasive writing, you can actually convince potential customers that your product will improve their life.

## Remove any distractions

It can be easy to get carried away with images, videos, and text on landing pages. However, your potential customer might not have the attention span or time to carefully read through everything. Instead of filling the page with information, keep it simple with direct CTAs (call to actions) and simple personal information forms. If you only need the customer’s name and email to send your weekly newsletter, avoid asking for their age, gender, and city—this information can be gathered on your own time through Google Analytics.

## Decrease the time it takes for your landing pages to load

Your potential customer likely has a to-do list the length of a CVS receipt so ensure that your landing pages load as quickly as possible. If your pages are lagging, the customer will disengage with the content or product, decreasing the chance that they follow through with the purchase or give you their contact information.

Pages should always load within a few seconds and improving the speed that it loads will also help search engine optimization (SEO).

## Understand who is engaging with the landing page

Before creating the landing pages for your company, take the time to reflect on who will be interacting with the pages. Also, think about what kind of content and images would appeal to them. This strategic targeting will increase the landing page conversion rate as you’ve tapped into what your customer likes and needs.

If you have multiple landing pages, each targeting different demographics, it’s wise to tailor the tone and copy to suit their interests and appeal to the various groups.

## Introduce the live chat feature on the landing page

Implementing the live chat function on your landing page will improve the experience for the customer. Through the live chat tool, customers can contact you directly with questions and foster a friendly connection between them and the person behind the chat function. If a customer feels satisfied with the chat interaction, they will likely continue exploring your company’s website, increasing your landing page conversions.

## Run A/B tests

Testing two different landing pages, featuring unique information and CTAs, with potential customers and then comparing their performance will help you gain a better understanding of what customers best respond to. This is a great way to find out what types of CTAs are more effective.

A/B testing should be completely random and will provide you with insight on what works—and what doesn’t work—for your landing pages and desired customer base. If you’re wanting to improve the conversions on emails, social media posts, and web ads, the same type of testing can be applied.
### 5 Brands That Have Already Nailed Their Marketing in 2021
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/5-brands-that-have-already-nailed-their-marketing-in-2021/
Last updated: 2021-07-13T08:54:59.000Z
Marketing has changed over the years. The marketers back in the Sales Era saw tactics like aggressive promotion to sell goods, followed by the Marketing Era, which focused on products that people actually want.

Today, marketing acts on a broader interest.

With the advent of social media and an increasingly content-polluted environment, brands are realising that it takes more than a big advertising budget to be taken seriously. Luckily, the world has the available marketing tools and channels for businesses to utilise to create a killer marketing strategy.

Plus, there are a ton of brands that run successful campaigns yearly to get you inspired.

As we take on the second half of the year, we look at 5 brands that have already nailed their marketing in 2021.

## Acer

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Work-From-Home became the default for workplaces around the globe, including in Australia. Amidst this lockdown, brick-and-mortar businesses saw sales plummet as consumers stayed home and started spending consciously.

For many, work-from-home meant juggling work and children, chores, impractical desk setups, and stressed family members under the same roof. To alleviate these new-normal woes, Acer started a social-first campaign, “Acer Home Office SOS”. The campaign encouraged Australians to share their most chaotic, albeit hilarious, home setups to stand a chance to win a home makeover, Acer products and a Harvey Norman voucher.

Helping audiences embrace work-from-home in a light-hearted way led to Harvey Norman selling out the Acer Swift 5 within two weeks of the campaign going live and gave Acer an extensive email database.

## Dunkin’ Donuts

Dunkin’ has had a lot of success with the millennial crowd through a partnership with TikTok star Charli D’Amelio. This time, their outreach focused on Dunkin’ fans and their home makeovers. The lockdown-driven craze of home remodelling had soared during the global pandemic as people wanted to beautify the spaces they spent most of their time in.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/07/maggie-shannon_backdrop-dunkin-doughnuts-15-750x500.jpg)

Leveraging on these numbers, Dunkin’ partnered with paint brand Backdrop to launch a limited edition print in pink and orange – their iconic brand colours. This unique collaboration not only tapped into the millennial remodelling boom but also the focus on minimalism that is part of the brand image at Backdrop. Despite being a beloved food chain, partnerships such as ‘The Charli’ and can help reposition Dunkin’ as a lifestyle brand.

## Häagen-Dazs

Socially conscious buyers want to purchase from brands that hold the same beliefs and back the same causes as them. In March this year, Häagen-Dazs launched a marketing campaign that pledged $1.5 million to support a diverse group of creators over the next three years. #TheDazs aims to address the social issues that are apparent today, where marginalised creators are underappreciated and overlooked.

The ice-cream brand will donate to up-and-coming creators and organisations that train and support them. With authenticity and social issues a huge marketing trend in 2021, Häagen-Dazs has set a precedent for delivering what they have promised through this campaign and stepping out of their comfort zone to play their part in a better world.

## McDonald’s

McDonald’s is no stranger to artist collaborations, having worked with Travis Scott, reportedly making him $20 million in sales. Following the success of the Cactus Jack meal, which caused ingredient shortages in outlets everywhere, they announced their upcoming partnership with sensational K-pop boy band BTS. The menu would begin their “tour” in the United States, just like the chart-topping boy band would during performances, and make its way around the globe. Featuring iconic menu items like nuggets, fries and a medium coke, McDonald’s also brought in two new Korean-inspired sauces.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/07/image.jpg)

A tweet posted by McDonald’s announcing the collaboration garnered over half a million likes on Twitter. Diehard fans all around the globe have voiced their excitement leading up to the debut of the BTS meal, proving once again that McDonald’s is the best fast-food chain.

## Lyft

As vaccinations bring back in-person activities, people are understandably facing a hard time getting used to functioning outside. Returning to their daily lives before the pandemic could create problem spots from running late to human interaction. The new Lyft campaign, ‘How to Human Again’, empathises with the post-pandemic learning curve and placing their service as a solution.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/07/Lyft_-_How_to_Human._Again._-_Hello.png.jpeg)

Following a partnership with Tinder to promote post-lockdown dating, Lyft launched a series of videos to help audiences who find their social skills a tad bit rusty. The campaign not only used a popular YouTube concept, “How-To” videos, they also capitalised on the shared experience of awkwardness that riders may feel from the period of social distancing.

In the new digital era, creativity is vital to success when it comes to marketing. Which one of these creative campaigns is your favourite?
### Why AI Should Be Your Next Content Writer
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/why-ai-should-be-your-next-content-writer/
Last updated: 2025-02-19T03:10:47.000Z
AI is getting good. Like, **really good**! There's no reason why you can't use it as part of your content strategy. I wouldn't suggest AI being your entire strategy, but it can certainly prop up your efforts and help you break through writer's block.

No shit, the content below - including the conclusion, and even the page title and meta description - is **entirely written by AI** without any edits and explains why AI should be your next content writer. 

## What is AI content?

Artificial Intelligence is the intelligence exhibited by machines and software, enabling them to perform tasks and make decisions independently. At its simplest level, AI works by pre-programming predefined responses to questions and allowing the computer to answer your questions from the web without you ever speaking to the machine.

You never need to write code for AI to perform. AI can even use a neural network (A simple algorithm that can be used for computer processing or data extraction) to write in certain ways (excited, professional and funny, for example), identify certain patterns, draw insights and even answer specific questions. Essentially, AI acts as a scaffold for your content, as it organises your content writing process into an automated and efficient process.

## Why AI is your next content writer

AI is now offering a unique opportunity to make better content. The main advantage of using this type of technology is that it is like a human translator. You can collaborate with the people that you want to create content with and explain to them how the content will be relevant to their online audience. Also, it can be used to moderate the content that is already created. Sometimes you might come across content that could cause a negative impact on your online presence.

With AI, you can turn the situation around and turn the story into a good one. It is important to create content that your visitors will respond to based on their search queries. Just a few queries will help you learn a lot about them and improve the quality of your content.

## How AI can help with content creation

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/08/Marketinglabs_new-graphic_SA_AUG_19-August-2021--1-.jpg)

Artificial intelligence can help you to make better content, whether it is a chatbot, the optimization of your content to cater to niche groups or writing blog posts in English.

With the right combination of language and context, AI can improve the quality of your content and help you to make your brand heard. You can also automate work like writing and editing. This helps to improve efficiency and help you to focus on more important tasks. Content marketing has played a major role in boosting a business and brand visibility. The integration of artificial intelligence can be a game-changer for you.

## The benefits of AI content writing

There is no doubt that online content is highly competitive. It has reached a saturation point, and any medium that can produce content that is better than the rest is most welcome.

Whether you are a student or an adult, a content writing career offers you unlimited opportunities to excel and grow. The benefits of AI-based content writing have never been more clear than they are right now. AI content writing can be executed with relative ease. The solution to your problem lies in the code and the AI tool that you can use. You can start creating content with zero experience and little ability to write. 

## Conclusion

If you think content is the key to online success, you are right. But you cannot achieve this without the right tools. The good news is that you can start preparing yourself for this exciting new world by understanding what content is and what you need to do to create better content.

## Real Conclusion

OK, back to my own writing now. 

This technology is powerful. I've created a [new blog category which will be the new home for my content about AI](https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/tag/artificial-intelligence-ai/). I'll be writing some new posts soon to explain how to take advantage of AI for content writing, as well as some ideas of how you can use it to prop up your own content efforts, including:

- Creating social media posts
- Blog writing
- Coming up with blog post ideas
- Pushing through writers block with some paragraph outlines and ideas
- Creating briefs for writers
- Creating how-to guides
- Creating content for landing pages
- Writing product and category descriptions for eCommerce
- & more

I'll also be covering which AI tools to use based on my own testing. Keep an eye out!
### You Might Not Need More Traffic… Here’s Why
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/you-might-not-need-more-traffic-heres-why/
Last updated: 2021-07-06T12:02:14.000Z
Conversion counts. Increasing website traffic is not everything.

You know the situation: sales are dropping, and the pressure on the marketing team is growing. Website traffic is often one of the first numbers to be considered. It would be easy to conclude that your business needs more website traffic, which will automatically result in more sales. But does it?

Here is an alternative: optimising your site – and current traffic – for conversion.

## What is conversion rate optimisation (CRO)?

The conversion rate of your website is the percentage of web visitors who take the desired action. This could be a purchase, signing up for regular updates or making an enquiry. Conversion rate optimisation refers to the process of improving your conversion rate.

CRO remains one of the most important factors in driving online sales. Traffic volume is part of the foundation of your conversion. However, it is not the only factor.

Rather than looking for additional traffic, consider the visitors who are already finding your website. These are people who are clearly interested in your products and services. Convincing them to make an enquiry or a purchase generally requires less time and effort than generating additional traffic.

## How CRO works

Successful optimisation is based on careful research and analysis. Marketers can choose between a number of strategies to make more of their existing website traffic. To select those which will work best you need to understand where your visitors are coming from and how they find you.

Here are some of the questions to ask:

- Who are your customers?
- Are they restricted to a particular demographic?
- What devices do your visitors prefer to use when they browse your website
- How do they find your website, and where do they enter it?
- Is there a specific cut-off point where they abandon their purchase or your site?

Connecting your website to a solid analytics service such as Google Analytics will answer some of your questions. Analysing your existing customer base will also provide further insight.

Another option is asking your existing customers how they are using your website and why.

## Optimisation strategies

Your analysis will help you choose the most suitable conversion rate optimisation strategies for your business. Some of them are almost universally applicable and worth considering for most businesses.

### Identify the most promising pages

Getting started with CRO might seem like a big task. However, once you know which pages of your website are most likely to covert, focus your efforts on those.

For most businesses, this will be your homepage or specific landing pages above all others. In fact, landing pages are designed to persuade visitors to take a specific action. For example, if you are trying to convince visitors to purchase a product, including testimonials from existing users may work.

Pricing pages are often among the most frequently visited pages of a website and are prime candidates for optimisation. Not all your customers will have the same budget available to them. Displaying different pricing levels and payment intervals is one way of encouraging conversions. You can also generate enquiries by offering customised quotes. Requesting a quote starts a conversation between your business and the customer and is often the first step towards building a relationship.

Blogs offer conversion opportunities, too. Your business can position itself as a thought leader in an industry, whilst simultaneously turning readers into potential leads.

### Create an irresistible call-to-action (CTA)

Now that you have identified the most promising locations to optimise, it is time to create a convincing call to action. Define your most important website goal.

This could be a purchase, a quotation request or asking visitors to create an account. There is no need to choose only one: your website may have primary and secondary goals. These may differ between individual pages.

Your primary call-to-action needs to be placed in an obvious position, above the fold of your website. Visitors need to be able to identify it clearly on any device and act on it easily. Make it clear what you would like visitors to do and how they can benefit from their actions.

### Speed things up

No one enjoys waiting a long time for a website to load. You cannot influence the quality of the connection your site visitors have access to. However, you can do everything in your power to ensure your site loads fast. This will help you make a great first impression.

Speed check website speedcheck.org believes that you may lose up to 40% of your visitors if your website takes more than three seconds to load. No business can afford to lose that many potential customers.

Conversion rate optimisation is a powerful tool to help your website generate more business from visitors the site already has. In effect, it will make your existing marketing budget work harder. Choosing between different optimisation strategies needs to be based on research and analysis to be as effective as possible.

### What to do next…

Now your conversion rate is higher, you’re starting to bring in more revenue. That can be used to start ramping up your traffic if you need to.
### How eCommerce Brands Can Double Their Conversion Rate Without Creating a New Site
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-ecommerce-brands-can-double-their-conversion-rate-without-creating-a-new-site/
Last updated: 2022-09-27T15:05:41.000Z
You’ve probably looked at dozens of blog posts that promise to increase your conversion rates in *\*insert dramatically short timespan here\**. The thing is, a lot of the tips you’ve found would take you several days or even weeks to implement, let alone start seeing results.

You don’t want to spend hours on research, plus a fortune on a website redesign and a new marketing team. You want them now!

So, what are your options?

Okay, let’s get real. And maybe parental.

I’d be remiss not to tell you that the best results are worth the wait. Traffic spikes that stick and long-term high conversion rates require diligent and continuous approaches like:

- Customer surveys and interviews.
- Multiple A/B testing sessions.
- Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).
- In extreme cases, complete website rewriting and redesign.

But…I also realise that you may want some quicker wins too.

So here are a few well-known tricks you can use to double your conversion rates. You can apply the following strategies in a few days, maximum. While they’ll require group thinking and help from your team, they’re not nearly as time-consuming as developing a whole new marketing strategy.

Read on to learn more.

## **Rewrite Your Hero Section to Match Your Prospects’ Expectations**

The hero section is the most important part of your website. It’s where visitors decide if your website speaks directly to their needs or if they should leave and look elsewhere.

This alone makes optimising your hero section one of the most important steps towards conversions.

A hero section entails **your headline, your subheadline, your hero image, and everything that conveys brand value upfront.**

Here’s an example from Salesforce:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2022/09/image3-7.png)

See how the words exactly match the expectations of people looking for customer support software? Not any software, but one that cares about customers’ desires?

While it’s not always possible to know *exactly* who’s coming to your website, you can work with what you know. If you own a business, there’s a high chance you know what customers expect from you. Previous praises and complaints, emails, survey results, or social media interactions can help you with that.

Okay. Based on what you know, what’s the first sentence they need to see on the page to think, “I’m in the right place”?

Yes, your software might be a “cutting edge solution”, but does that really speak to the problem they came to your website to solve? You can go deeper than that.

Whoever wrote Salesforce’s headline above could’ve said something like “the best customer support software”. But that’s not a customer-centred headline. They had a reason to believe their visitors were coming to their site to make *their own* customers happy. So they addressed that.

Your hero section should match your visitors’ expectations. If it can’t do that, don’t expect more conversions!

## **If Possible, Do User Tests. If Not…**

There’s nothing like a fresh set of eyes to pinpoint where something’s off.

Ideally, you’d use platforms like UserTesting.com to have real users go to your website and tell you what keeps them from converting. While these users aren’t exactly your customers, you can adjust filters to have them correspond to your target audience.

It can be awkward to ask customers to do that work for you, even if you offer incentives. In this case, an alternative is to have someone on your team run a basic heuristic analysis through your “problematic” web pages — the ones you need to perform better.

That means they’ll voice unbiased opinions as they go through the page, telling you where the hiccups are. It’ll require them to step into your desired customers’ kicks and tell you what keeps them from saying “yes” to your offer.

If you can’t do this exercise in person, it’s a great idea to have them record themselves and their screen for genuine reactions.

This will give you insights you might not have realised were an issue. It might be small things, such as the positioning of elements, a certain headline that doesn’t sound right, or a lack of clarity in your messaging.

## **Optimise Your Offer**

An offer isn’t your product or your brand.

Instead, ****an offer is the benefit a buyer will get when purchasing from you.** This benefit could be a free trial, a bonus, free shipping, or a price reduction.

If you’re wondering whether a 7-day money-back guarantee is enough…it’s probably not. That’s the least your visitors expect from you and every other eCommerce store.

When it comes to doubling conversion rates, you first want to make sure your final offer is as good as it can be. That means you shouldn’t settle for the offer you’re currently working with.

Without an outstanding offer — or an offer that’s *at least* better than your current one — you could have the best website copy in the world, the most expensive designers, and all the traffic you need, but your conversion rates wouldn’t be as high as they could be.

Optimising your offer is about removing obstacles on the path to purchase, making it easier for visitors to convert. You’re also doing it to sell more products whenever possible.

Here are some ways you can optimise your current offer:

- ****Include free shipping (if possible).** Some people don’t offer free shipping because of the obvious: profit margins. If it’s not possible for you to offer free shipping on every single product, do your best to offer them in a few products or once the customer spends a certain amount.
- ****Add a freebie.** Sometimes, a little friendly push is all it takes to get a conversion.
- ****Coupon codes.** Who doesn’t love coupons?
- ****Guarantees.** Can you turn your 30-day money-back guarantee into a 60-day money-back guarantee? If you’re confident about customer satisfaction, you could go even further.
- ****Use upselling techniques.** Amazon’s “frequently bought together” is a prime example. Bundling similar products could increase conversion rates and encourage buyers to add more to their cart.

## **Optimise Your Lead Magnets**

You want more people to opt into your email list and be the first to know about product launches, don’t you?

But some of them don’t want to do it. Your job is to both increase the desire to opt-in and remove the friction in doing so. Here’s how you can do it:

- Include a no spamming guarantee somewhere in your lead magnet. And, of course, live up to that guarantee.
- Assure leads that their data will be safe with you with a 100% privacy guarantee.
- Encourage opt-ins by offering a coupon. Or free shipping. Or both.
- Include an option for visitors to choose whether they’d like to receive updates or not, like in the following example demonstrated by OptiMonk:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2022/09/image2-7.png)

## **Test Your Images**

Images sell. People aren’t there to read stuff, except for product descriptions and, of course, your offer. Accept that some of them won’t read a thing, and that’s fine.

In this case, they need to see your product in the highest possible quality. After all, it’s the closest they’ll get to it before buying. If they can salivate over what they see on your website and picture it in the context of their lives, your conversion chances are sky-high.

Take a look at award nominee and top retailer DollarShaveClub presents displays the products on their website:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2022/09/image1-6.png)

It almost looks like they’re on your counter. If you’re looking for a smooth shave, you’re looking at it.

There’s very little copy on the page because the imagery does the talking.

## **Don’t Change Your Whole Website. Change What’s Curbing Your Conversions.**

There you have it, 5 techniques you can apply to your eCommerce website that could improve it in a matter of days. If you were selling before, notice how your website performs after the changes.

With a little fine-tuning, you’ll close a few gaps, find a few more, and slowly start to get the hang of it. The more you do it, the faster you’ll learn about what visitors want to see in order to say a resounding “yes”.
### How eCommerce Can Embrace Growth Hacking: A Step-by-Step Guide
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-ecommerce-can-embrace-growth-hacking-a-step-by-step-guide/
Last updated: 2023-04-04T15:50:38.000Z
From [developing a growth hacking funnel to implementing a way to get visitors with your growth](https://www.quicksprout.com/the-definitive-guide-to-growth-hacking/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) hacking tactics, the entire idea of growth hacking is pretty fun. 

In fact, some might argue that growth hacking is simply a cheaper, more creative way of what some would have called marketing a few decades ago. 

Growth hacking isn't reserved for one particular type of business, and it can work very well for eCommerce businesses. There are plenty of eCommerce stores looking for unique ways to get the word out about their products. 

Take a look at Airbnb. This is one of the best examples of growth hacking you can find since it involves a currently large company earlier in its life, along with some cool tactics that didn’t cost much money. 

Airbnb was tasked with trying to get more people to list their apartments on the site. However, they couldn’t convince many users because, at the time, the site reputation was pretty low. They were stuck in a tough spot because **they needed more users to get more users**. It turns out, some of the marketers went straight to Craigslist. Initially, they started posting ads to get more people who wanted to list their housing or stay in an apartment. After that, they famously [integrated with Craigslist to make this happen almost automatically](http://andrewchen.co/how-to-be-a-growth-hacker-an-airbnbcraigslist-case-study/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

This is just one example of why online stores and markets should embrace the idea of growth hacking. The evidence is there that a site with potential like Airbnb can find great methods for gaining users through creative means.   

## Growth hacking can teach you how to find customers and engage with them

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/06/growth-hackd.jpg)

Looking at the Airbnb example, we talked about above, it’s clear that potential customers frequent certain websites. The tough part is figuring out where exactly they are. For example, if you run an online shoe store for young men, going to a forum focused on women’s shoes is obviously not your spot. The key to locating the right spot for customers is figuring out whether or not these people are primed to buy from you. If they are, what’s the best way to go about finding them, getting noticed and then convincing them to buy?

Airbnb tapped into the current Craigslist infrastructure without changing anything about how real estate items are listed on the site. They used a competitor’s platform, automated it and brought over customers who would generally use Craigslist for these types of listings. However, the best part of this setup is the fact that they were able to realise that Craigslist was a goldmine for people who would want to signup with Airbnb. What’s cool is that they probably didn’t have to spend much money to test and figure this out. 

## Growth hacking provides a strong opportunity for free marketing

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/06/MarketingLabs_Growth-Hacking-step-by-step_Blog_RK_18-Jun-2021_R1-02.jpg)

The Airbnb example obviously required them to post listings at a cost, but in general, your growth hacking efforts are going to work to your advantage because of free or super cheap exposure. For example, the [Appsumo Welcome Mat](https://sumo.com/app/welcome-mat?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is a free and easy to implement solution for collecting email addresses and boosting your user counts. 

The App Sumo brand has used the exact same tools it sells to prove that the growth hacking strategies work. In fact, the company claims to have accumulated [500,000 customers with the help of the welcome mat and various other tools and hacking methods](http://www.appsumo.com/appsumo-growth-action-video/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). 

## Growth hacking sets the tone for your company, pushing it towards a creative mindset

Growth hacking, by definition, means taking data and analytical information to creatively bring in more users for your business. Some other interpretations are scattered throughout the internet, but in general, that’s what it means. The cool thing is that growth hacking works best for smaller companies, so you’re bound to set a tone for what’s to come in the future. 

Generating a more creative path is a much better way to get started with your company than one that focuses on constantly cutting costs and holding back creative ideas. 

## Growth hacking helps to define goals clearly 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/06/MarketingLabs_Growth-Hacking-step-by-step_Blog_RK_18-Jun-2021_R1-03.jpg)

Clear goals are hard to come by in a young organisation, especially one that resides online. Many small and large ideas will be floating around, but a growth hacking strategy helps align the company in pursuit of a single goal for at least a brief period of time. 

Going back to the Airbnb example, imagine how hectic the offices must have been in the early years of Airbnb. However, realigning and telling everyone that the main goal was to focus on Craiglist helped to strengthen and clarify what the goal was at that very moment. Although you’re not always going to find something this clear, growth hacking can bring sanity to a crazy office, at least for a few moments. 

## Online stores must use data and statistics to succeed

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/06/MarketingLabs_Growth-Hacking-step-by-step_Blog_RK_18-Jun-2021_R1-04.jpg)

Your [gut feeling is no longer good enough](https://hbr.org/2003/05/dont-trust-your-gut?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to succeed in online business. Don’t even think about trying to compete with big online companies without having access to a wealth of data. 

This ties in directly to growth hacking because most creative decisions are made based on stats and analytics. Since you should already be putting a focus on these areas, the transition should be fine. However, if you lack analytics, growth hacking can help to put you back on the right track. 

## In Conclusion

The world of eCommerce is ripe for growth hacking, so make sure you embrace the idea and look to your coworkers to find creative solutions to your biggest problems. Accumulating more users or customers is generally your biggest goal, so start getting your hands dirty with a little growth hacking.
### 5 Psychological Principles You Need to Know Before Your Next Marketing Campaign
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/5-psychological-principles-you-need-to-know-before-your-next-marketing-campaign/
Last updated: 2021-06-04T10:53:31.000Z
There’s a reason why the national bestseller *Influence*, written by Psychology professor Dr. Robert B. Cialdini is “among the most important books written in the last 10 years”, according to the Journal of Marketing Research.

One, it explains the six psychological principles (or as he calls them, “weapons of persuasion”) which lead people to saying “yes” to requests. Two, it’s based on 35 years of extensive research on human behaviour.

What’s more, these principles can be used for good or for evil, as in encourage people to almost murder one another with electric shocks. Don’t believe it? Read about the Milgram Experiment.

The principles I’m about to share are powerful enough to support both lawful and unlawful decisions. When applied properly, they *work.* Of course, we won’t be using any of these principles to scam or harm anybody. On the contrary, we’ll be applying them to supercharge our marketing strategy.

Today we’ll be talking about 5 of them, namely:

- Scarcity
- Reciprocity
- Social Proof
- Authority
- Consistency

But before we jump into it, let’s try to understand why they work so well.

## **The Principles You’re About to Learn are Shortcuts of the Mind**

If there’s something us humans don’t like to do, that’s *thinking*. As much as you try to deny it, your brain is always choosing the easiest path without you noticing.

Daniel Kahneman’s book, *Thinking, Fast and Slow,* goes over the principles of ****System 1 and System 2 thinking**.

System 1 refers to the *click-whirr* type of thinking, to borrow from Dr. Cialdini. It’s the “lazy” type of thinking that searches for solutions that are based on our past actions and ingrained beliefs.

Thinking is hard. Having someone else do the thinking is easier, even if that someone is your past self.

You can see that in work when you scroll down a website to see reviews and testimonials. If a lot of people gave something five stars, you automatically judge that product, service, or course as good. You know that because you’ve already judged your purchases by reviews a thousand times before.

It’s like your brain goes “hey, this has happened before. Do I *really* need to do this all over again?”. And then it shoots for the quickest solution.

Now, System 2 refers to actually thinking for yourself, or trying your best to. When something’s new to you, your brain has to take the longer path with research and measuring out the best options. This system tires easily, and that’s why most people would rather get it over with quickly.

In the case of marketing, these shortcuts help people make purchasing decisions fast, and save them the work of looking around. Hopefully, what they need to know is already there.

Try and apply the following tactics in your next campaign.

## **Scarcity**

*“The idea of potential loss plays a large role in human decision-making.”*

Way back in the Paleolithic Era (or the Old Stone Age), people had to walk alongside herds of animals if they wanted to survive. That was because these animals roamed in search of food, which was scarce at the time.

If they ever found any trace of food, they had to hold on to it for dear life. They never knew when they’d find it again.

*“But it’s not like I won’t find the same product ever again”,* you might say. Congratulations, you’ve just gone through the logical thinking path. But here’s where that fails:

Our brains are in System 1 mode most of the time. It flips the switch when we step in strange territory. Let’s do a brief exercise as an example:

Imagine you’re *desperately* shopping for tickets because you need to fly somewhere soon. You find one for the perfect price. You see the following message: *“Only a few seats left. Book now”*.

Would you honestly think about it potentially being a fake scarcity tactic? Would you still look around and try to find a better deal? By then, the seats could’ve been booked. Most of us wouldn’t risk it.

The key here is to make your product limited. Rare. Desirable. If you give potential buyers enough time to *think* whether they can come back later, you’re doing it wrong.

How to use it in your marketing:

Two words: Black Friday.

If you don’t get that Kindle for a Black Friday price, you won’t be able to get it for that price again…unless you wait until next year. And by then, you might not want it anymore.

Amazon also does a great job of warning potential buyers about products that could be out of stock soon.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/06/image2-8.png)

They could’ve said “order in 3 hours” and given buyers a chance to look at other websites.But how soon is “soon” here? It could be in an hour, but it could also be in a minute. Again, most of us wouldn’t risk it.

Here are some expressions you can use in your marketing campaigns to tp into scarcity:

- Only a few spots left
- Time’s almost up
- Limited-time access
- Order soon

Whatever you do, DO NOT use fake scarcity. People aren’t dumb, and they don’t enjoy being fooled. Use it the right way, or don’t use it at all.

## **Reciprocity**

*“The rule says that we should try to repay, in kind, what another person has provided us.”*

In plain English, doing someone a favour creates an unconscious obligation for them to reciprocate that favour.

If you don’t believe it, think back to how many times you avoided taking favours because you just knew you wouldn’t be able to reciprocate them. If you accepted them out of pressure and didn’t reciprocate it, people would think you took advantage of them. Not sure about you, but some of us can’t stand feeling guilty.

In his book, Cialdini says that ,“most of us find it highly disagreeable to be in a state of obligation. It weighs heavily on us and demands to be removed.”

And that’s why this technique works so well: if you provide someone with something of value without seeming to want anything in return, that sense of obligation will be instilled.

How to use it in your campaign:

The key is to create quality, FREE content in addition to your marketing campaigns.

The folks at Copyhackers find that a lot of leads convert because, if their free content is so valuable, imagine what could be offered in paid content!

The more prospects you genuinely help and nurture with outstanding content, the more primed they’ll be for when it comes to selling anything in your campaigns. I promise the work will be worth it.

## **Social Proof**

*“We will use the actions of others to decide on proper behavior for ourselves, especially when we view those other as similar to ourselves”*

Piggybacking other people’s experiences is so much easier than thinking for ourselves, isn’t it? One single well-written testimonial could tell you everything you need to know to push you towards a purchase.

If that proof comes from someone we already know, like, and trust, the results are even better. However, since we don’t know people on the internet, social proof has a little more convincing to do.

Great social proof is powerful enough to spawn thousands of sales.

That’s why, when applying social proof to your marketing, a past customer’s experience has to closely match the experience your prospect is going through. More examples below.

How to use it in your campaign:

Make sure you apply these strategies in a way prospects can relate with the pain. Try to outline the customer journey from before the purchase to the point where they reached the desired outcome. This will create a deep emotional connection.

The Healthy Mummy’s homepage (healthymummy.com) is the perfect example of the combined power of before and afters, reviews, and testimonials.

****Before and afters:** When truthful, before and afters will help prospects envision their desired results.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/06/image1-7.png)

****Reviews:** Have great reviews? Boast them. Note that not all of them need to have 5 stars to do the trick. They just have to show prospects you’re good and legitimate.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/06/image3-8.png)

****Testimonials and Success stories:** These outline the customer’s journey from their motivators to reaching the desired outcome. Considering that prospects are going through similar situations, they’ll see themselves in the journey. The sense of possibility will increase, and so will your conversion chances.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/06/image6-4-1.png)

## **Authority**

*“A multilayered and widely accepted system of authority confers an immense advantage upon a society.”*

Ever since birth, we learn that obeying authorities is the way to go. Teachers and parents were bigger and smarter, and we were taught that following their advice would lead to benefits down the road.

Was that always true? No. But we grew up with that belief, and it’s too late to change that.

Again, trusting an authority’s expertise is easier than doing extensive research to find out what’s right or wrong for you. What’s more, if you can’t trust an authority on a subject, who else can you trust? So there’s that.

If you can prove your product or service is authoritative, you already have a leg up. Here’s how to boast that authoritativeness.

How to use it in your campaigns:

*Expert. PhD. CEO.* It goes without saying that, if you hold any of those titles, using them on a campaign — where applicable — is a must.

If including testimonials anywhere in your campaign, prefer testimonials that highlight your differentiators. Look at what a client had to say about Rob and Kira, from *The Copywriter Club*:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/06/image4-5-1.png)

Notice how the client is essentially boasting about having worked with them. The testimonial above oozes authority from every corner.

Would you trust them? Most marketers we know wouldn’t think twice. That’s the confident feeling testimonials should convey.

## **Consistency**

*“Once we have made a choice or taken a stand, we will encounter personal and interpersonal pressures to behave consistently with that commitment.”*

The consistency principle infers that people take actions based on their deep-seated beliefs, as well as what they’ve already said or done.

If they’ve promised something, they must follow through with that promise. If they believe in something, they’re likely to defend their stance whether it’s “correct” or not.

After all, no one wants to be seen as inconsistent or having mixed opinions, especially in today’s context where public opinions are widely seen and scrutinised. If you can make people publicly state their opinions, you’ve already imbued the consistency principle.

How to use it in your campaigns:

BlendJet does this well in their giveaways. One of the rules they include is: *“tag a friend and comment why you want to win.”*

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/06/image5-1.jpeg)

Can you see what they did there? That’s encouraging a public commitment.

It’s a small request that won’t make people give up before trying. It’s not one of those giveaways that require people to follow 100 accounts before entering.

The key is to never start with big requests. In Cialdini’s words, allowing someone to agree with a small request makes them more likely to agree to a bigger one later, even if the big request is unrelated to the previous.

In your campaigns, make sure to kickstart a behavior that instills an obligation for people to finish what they’ve started.

## **Apply These Psychological Principles Dutifully**

Keep in mind that you don’t have to use every single principle in one campaign. Instead, focus on the ones that would make sense to use in a particular campaign.

Lastly, use them for genuine purposes. These concepts are powerful enough to either skyrocket your sales or make you seem like a scam.

PS: If you can get your hands on Cialdini’s book, I highly recommend it.
### Five Ways to Create Engaging Content That Converts for Your B2B Business
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/five-ways-to-create-engaging-content-that-converts-for-your-b2b-business/
Last updated: 2021-05-20T13:20:18.000Z
Here is a simple infographic that breaks down the differences between B2B and B2C companies:

![B2B vs B2C differences infographic](https://i.marketingprofs.com/assets/images/articles/content/210519-janaway-img1.jpg)

It's clear to see that B2B and B2C audiences are different. Whereas one audience is looking for efficiency and expertise, the other is looking for deals and entertainment. That means B2B and B2C companies must view their content marketing differently.

That said, content that engages the reader is fundamentally the same no matter where it comes from. In this article, we're going to look at five ways you can engage your audience with excellent B2B content that converts.

## **1\. Sell the story before the product**

Businesses buy your products for one reason: It either saves them money or makes them money.

Your content should focus on providing value that an employee can bring to their manager or a manager to their executive. It should convey that undeniable value to your reader.

But that's not your only job; you need to engage your readers, too.

Often, marketers can focus so much on providing value that they lose sight of engaging the reader. That causes two problems:

1. The content is so value-driven that it isn't engaging anymore.
2. Every piece of content looks like a sales pitch.

There's nothing wrong with trying to sell your product. But if that becomes your only message, no one wants to read it.

So how do you add value to your content without beating readers over the head with all the reasons your product will make them money?

By [telling a story](https://www.marketingprofs.com/training/course/44509/storytelling?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

Stories can take many forms: They can be funny and witty; they can be entertaining and memorable; they can educate the reader about something; they can even tug at your heartstrings.

So, engage your readers with a story. You can't expect readers to share your content with their manager or executive if they fall asleep while reading it.

## **2\. Connect your story with your brand**

Engaging your readers with a great story is important, but the goal of any piece of content should be to move your reader from point A to point B to eventually convert.

Your content should move them through the sales funnel. Every piece of content you write can't be only about solving a particular problem; at some point, you have to explain to your client what makes your product valuable and stand out from all your competitors'.

Connecting your story with your brand is one way you can move your client through your sales funnel. People *like* products, but they *love* brands. Connect your story to your brand, and you've got customer loyalty.

These (B2C) companies have learned how to tell a story that connects to their brand:

- **Starbucks**. It doesn't sell coffee; it sells an experience.
- **Geico.** It doesn't have anything to do with geckos, but the animated gecko makes you remember the brand and slogan.
- **Nike.** It uses just three words to tell its brand story.

How can you tell a story about your (B2B) brand?

## **3\. Guest contributors can create content that converts**

Once you've created content, you need to distribute it. You want as many people to see it as possible. One of the most undervalued platforms for that is guest blogging.

When you share your content on another site, it establishes you as an authority. When people see your brand in more than one location, it builds brand recognition. Your content can also provide backlinks to your site to help move prospects through your sales funnel (and improve your SEO).

Many B2B businesses may find it odd to promote on other sites, but it's one of the most effective ways to establish yourself in the industry. [Guest posts](https://www.marketingprofs.com/chirp/2019/40878/how-to-write-a-perfect-guest-post-pitch-infographic?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) go to where the readers are, and they connect readers to your story and your brand.

So share content through guest contributions, and benefit from the audience that other brands have already built.

## **4\. Diversify your content**

There's more than one way to get your point across, just like there's more than one way to promote your business. Your content is no different. If you wish to engage your audience, you have to be willing to diversify your content.

What does diversifying mean? It means using text, images, *and* video.

Sometimes, the best way to get your point across is with a well-written blog post. Other times, you may be able communicate that same message more effectively with an infographic, such as the one we shared at the beginning of this article. And if neither of those will do the trick, [video](https://www.marketingprofs.com/charts/2019/42165/b2b-video-content-top-goals-formats-channels-and-challenges?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is a great option!

Think through your content, and be strategic in how you present it: What is the most efficient way to get your point across? What medium works best?

Diversified content will engage your audience in different formats and attract different kinds of people.

## **5\. Track your content metrics**

When you begin implementing your content strategy, you'll find that some content doesn't earn the amount of customer engagement you thought it would. That's OK.

You may want to try to repurpose it in another way. If you wrote a blog post, repurpose it as a video or infographic, then compare their performance. The numbers will tell you which format was more effective.

You have to test things out to see what your audience prefers to consume; then double-down on that form of content. That takes time. Remember the infographic from above? B2B is about the long buying cycle.

So be patient, track your metrics, and multiply what works.
### 12 of Your Most Common SEO Questions Answered: The Ultimate Search Engine Optimisation FAQ Guide
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/12-of-your-most-common-seo-questions-answered-the-ultimate-search-engine-optimisation-faq-guide/
Last updated: 2022-09-07T11:37:01.000Z
Regardless of how many answers you get, fresh SEO questions will always crop up again and again.

It happens. What works for SEO today might not be as useful tomorrow, and what’s good today may be overcome by something else we’ve got to adapt to next year. That’s how we’ve been rolling for the past 20 years. SEO is complex, and there's much more to it than meets the eye, like the graphic below highlights:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/07/Marketing_Labs_Recreate_this_visual_infographic_1080x1080_MK-NT-_07July2021_01_R1---Copy.jpg)

We didn’t see mobile-first and voice search optimisation coming in, say, 2014\. Bit by bit, Google announced algorithm updates throughout the years, and we waited on the edge of our seats. Tons of questions stacked up. We got answers. We adjusted. And here we are.

However, there are those “root” questions that never go away. I’ve compiled the ones I see most often, and answered each one for you.

## **How does SEO help your business?**

SEO helps your business gain online visibility by increasing the chances of your website appearing in higher search engine positions.

Competition is fierce out there, so keep in mind that an SEO strategy, however well-developed, won’t guarantee #1, #2, or even #3 rankings for a website. And that’s okay. Positioning among the top 10 websites for your focus keyword is what you should be aiming for.

(Searchers won’t always click on the first result that comes up!)

## **Which is better for ecommerce: Pay-Per-Click (PPC) or SEO?**

It depends on your goals. If you’d like immediate visibility and instant traffic, go ahead and set a budget for ad spend. But remember that PPC is no good without a solid campaign in place.

Now, if you’d like to generate organic traffic to your website while getting lasting return on investment, SEO is the way to go.

Bear in mind that the ROI of paid ads won’t last as long as that of SEO. Though ranking organically is a longer process, it increases brand awareness by placing your web pages higher on search engines without spending a penny on ads.

## **Is SEO dead?**

No, SEO is not dead. Far from it.

It’s easy to fall prey to this type of news. But ask any seasoned SEO expert out there and they’ll assure you they’ve been hearing this kind of horror story for the past 20 years.

For as long as Google is willing to create a better user experience for searchers, and marketers have access to algorithm and best practices updates, SEO will be very much alive. Not only that, but it will continue to be the most reliable process to create online visibility for your business.

So, yes, SEO is still relevant in 2021 and beyond.

## **Is keyword research still important?**

Yes. Arguably, keyword research is the most essential part of your SEO strategy, especially if you’re in eCommerce.

It’s true that Google is getting exponentially smarter at recognising a searcher’s intent. Yet, although Google is smart, it’s not *human* smart.

Keyword research with the help of platforms like SEMrush and Moz is still the most effective way to get your strategy right. By conducting keyword research, you’ll know the exact terms people are using to find products like yours, as well as those that aren’t as relevant.

It’ll lay the foundation for your strategy. You’ll use both long-tail and “head” keywords to create SEO optimised content that connects with prospects at every stage of the funnel.

Skip keyword research at your peril.

## **Can SEO keywords be phrases?**

Yes, SEO keywords can be phrases, as well as individual words.

“Cashmere sweater” is a keyword, but so are “how to wash cashmere sweaters” and “cashmere sweater price”.

In essence, a keyword is any term you type into the search box. That’s why some marketers may refer to them as “keyphrases” or “keyword phrases”.

## **Which SEO tool is best?**

There’s no “best” SEO tool.

Every SEO software will have its pros and cons, as well as pricing variations and feature availability according to the goals you have in mind.

Filtering your SEO tool choices will be easier if you consider:

- ****The number of clients you’ll be working with.** It doesn’t make sense to pay for a subscription if you’re not going to use it consistently, seeing that the average platform starts at $99 a month. In this case, opting for free SEO alternatives would be better for your pocket.
- ****Your company’s size.** Pricing and features will vary depending on company size and business goals. Starting prices will also vary from one solution to another, so dive into comparisons before making a decision.

Now, if instead of “best”, we were to talk about the most popular tools out there, start your research by comparing the following:

- SEMrush
- Ahrefs
- Moz

## **What applies as duplicate content in SEO?**

In simple terms, duplicate content is any type of content that shows up on more than one page.

Regardless if the content is exactly the same or almost identical, it would be considered duplicate content. Google won’t penalize websites for it, but it could hurt rankings. So be careful.

In eCommerce, creating duplicate pages without realising is fairly easy, so pay extra attention to your product pages. Make sure to create original content for each page whenever possible, and avoid copying and pasting pre-written content to new pages.

## **What does Technical SEO mean?**

There are three types of SEO: on-page SEO, off-page SEO, and technical SEO.

Technical SEO refers to the optimisation processes that help web crawlers scan and index your site easily, thus increasing your website’s chances of higher rankings.

Technical SEO optimisation makes crawling smoother by removing the “bumps” from your site. Best practices include:

- Optimising your website for mobile-friendliness.
- Installing an SSL certificate for secure communication.
- Enabling AMP for quick loading of mobile pages.
- Speeding up your website’s loading speed.

## **What is considered “bad” SEO?**

“Bad” SEO, also known as black hat SEO, involves practices that are frowned upon by the Google Webmaster Guidelines. While black hat SEO isn’t illegal, it could have your website banned from search engines.

From Google Search Central, website owners should “avoid tricks intended to improve search engine rankings.” Such tricks include:

- Spam.
- Keyword stuffing.
- Paid links and link manipulation.
- Hidden text or hidden links on the page.

Are these quick ways to rank higher? Possibly. But the results won’t last long.

## **Can SEO be automated?**

SEO can be automated in parts. However, it cannot be fully automated (and that’s a good thing).

Certain SEO activities like generating related terms for a certain keyword, analysing a competitor’s rankings, and managing your backlinks can save you hours of work when automated. That’s the job most SEO tools out there do very well.

Still, human brainwork is encouraged when coming up with a seed keyword list, analysing a searcher’s intent, and earning high-quality backlinks through great content creation.

## **Does SEO require coding skills?**

SEO doesn’t require any particularly advanced coding skills.

Basic HTML knowledge comes in handy for SEO experts, but no additional skills are needed to develop a solid SEO strategy.

## **Is SEO free?**

SEO can be done for free, although there are paid SEO tools with automated features available. Those can save you a lot of time and give you more accurate analytics to work with.

Online tools likeAnswerThePublicand even Google itself can bring free insights for keyword research, because you’ll have access to exact matches of terms people search for when looking for your product. When using Google’s ‘Search Engine Results Page’ (SERP), don’t forget to look at the ‘People Also Ask’ and ‘Related Searches’ sections of the SERP.

Keep in mind that doing SEO for free won’t provide data like keyword density, search volume, or allow you to analyse multiple competitor websites at once. Unless, of course, you’re working with a free trial version of a subscription-based SEO tool.

## **In closing…**

Can all SEO questions be answered? That’s impossible. SEO is ever-changing, meaning new questions will always come to light every single year. Not to worry – we’ve adapted so far, and we can do it again for as long as it’s necessary. Meanwhile, we’ll stick to the answers we know.

Have any questions I haven’t mentioned?

Let’s hear them in the comments below!
### Brilliant Outdoor Advertising Ideas for Small Business (with Examples)
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/brilliant-outdoor-advertising-ideas-for-small-business-with-examples/
Last updated: 2021-05-05T07:04:59.000Z
Outdoor advertising has held its own in the face of digital-media onslaught. In fact, outdoor has integrated well with digital media, with many companies using outdoor to advertise hash-tags, encourage brand searches in Google and kick start online campaigns. The opposition by environmentalists and consumer groups has also failed to make a dent in out-of-home advertising revenues, because big-budget companies still find outdoor media extremely effective.

## **Why OOH Still Rocks the Advertising World?**

According to TGI data, adults in the UK spend [70% of their time](http://www.adverta.co.uk/statistics-bus-advertising/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) out-of-home, and 86% can talk about some form of outdoor advertising that they've seen in the last three days. Apart from high CPM, out-of-home can also deliver a better ROI. BrandScience found that the global out-of-home advertising delivered an average of [$2.8 in sales for each $1 spent](http://www.jcdecauxna.com/transportation/document/ooh-effectiveness-and-roi?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). This makes OOH (out of home) more effective than both print and TV media.

## **Is Outdoor Media Right for Your Business?**

Travel, retail, media, and telecom businesses benefit the most from outdoor advertising, reaping the highest ROIs. Other B2C businesses can also expect better returns compared to other media. As for B2B companies, they don’t typically use outdoor media for direct sales producing activities, though sometimes they use it for brand building and brand recognition.

The economy and flexibility of outdoor media make it perfect for small businesses. Outdoor includes a broad variety of media vehicles, so small businesses can select the one they can afford. Fascia signs, pole signs, posters, etc usually have a small price denomination, starting at around £100 per week.

## **Out of Home Media in the UK**

The [Department of Communities and Local Government](https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment%5Fdata/file/11499/326679.pdf?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) defines at least 12 types of outdoor advertising in the UK. These include **posters and notices, placards and billboards, fascia signs and projecting signs, pole signs and canopy signs, models and devices, advance signs and directional signs, estate agents’ boards, captive balloons, flag advertisements,** and more. Additionally, there's **bus and bus-shelter advertising, advertising inside shopping malls**, and certain other types of innovative outdoor branding.

## **How to Use Outdoor Media for Maximum Impact**

Before you select the appropriate outdoor media mix for your upcoming campaign, there's something else that you must do. Get creative!

Outdoor media is seen by a large number of people. However, those same people are exposed to some 5000 advertising messages every day. This makes it very hard for them to remember your particular ad, unless it's something out of the ordinary. Here are some tips and recent examples to get your creative juices flowing.

## **1\. Go creative with your shop-sign**

The shop/office sign can either attract or repel your customers, so the more you work on its design, the better. With certain restrictions, the [UK laws permit the display](https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment%5Fdata/file/11499/326679.pdf?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) of shop fascia signs and advertisements on business premises. Hence, a shop fascia or any other sign on the business premises may be the cheapest and most cost-effective way to advertise your brand out-of-home. Here are a few tips:

1. **Bring out your brand:** Emphasize your business name, logo, and what you do. Do not use your shop sign for advertising offers and sales, and it dilutes your brand. Use other types of signage, such as pull up banners or posters, for displaying products and special offers.
2. **Use LED, neon, or back lighting at night:** Outdoor signage becomes strikingly noticeable at night, if it's illuminated. Even if your shop is closed, keeping the sign lit at night attracts the attention of motorists and passers-by (assuming that your shop is located on a street and not inside a shopping mall).
3. **Use 3D elements in your design:** The simplest way to do this is by using cut-letters or channel-letters. The difference between the two is that channel lettering is open at the back and has space (channel) inside it for inserting lights. They look stunning when lit at night.

![http://www.precisionsignsonline.com/images/channellettersigns.jpg](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/zNF5uSwtjCixPjnCcUy6f8sVjtEkGKC9cyBdOb9Gn3NMqeyo-BgHwHChdI-Alt5vIoQJkt_PEuFDlk8VoFgmLTwHPw1Fd1dCJbeOIOzw9E4VlEjqpPhf-Ov3XJSQQ1pJLSpiiqkhloVeb5AutA)

I'd also recommend reading [this guide which discusses what makes a good shop sign](https://www.geeteesigns.com/what-makes-a-good-shop-sign/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

## **2\. Engage your audience**

One of the best things about outdoor media is that with a little ingenuity, you can make it highly interactive and engaging. Technology has made it possible to personalize your outdoor advertising for the viewers.

Electronic or digital billboards allow you to control the Ad being displayed at any particular time, so you can serve different Ads on different days or times, depending upon the audience and the occasion. But there are ways to make your signage engaging without using technology. 

Here are a couple of examples.

### **Example: A Dog #LookingforYou**

The following video features a truly great out-of-home idea by Battersea Dogs Home. A volunteer handed out leaflets outside a shopping mall to people who seemed to care about dogs. The leaflets were marked with an RFID tag, using which the advertisers were able to track people as they went around the mall. People were surprised when they noticed a dog followed them on posters and billboards wherever they went.

### **Example: Interactive Workout Billboards**

The above example involves LED signs and some latest technology, but there can be much simpler ways to build interactivity into your static signage. Here's Powerade's famous 'workout billboard,' which people can use for climbing, punching, and operating weights.

## **3\. Emphasize Your Product**

Out-of-home media is probably the strongest when it comes to featuring your product and its benefits. Big pictures of your products are hard to miss and stick to people's minds. But static 2D product shots are a not the only way to show your product outdoors. You can actually create a 'touch-and-feel,' outdoor campaign that allows your customers to experience your product up close.

### **Example: Uber's 'You Drink, We Drive' campaign**

Uber installed a breathalyzer in Toronto, with the offer—you drink, we drive. The sign invited pedestrians to blow into the breathalyzer, and offered them a ride home if they were over legal limit.

### **Example: Heineken's 'Grab' Billboard**

There can be simpler ways of emphasizing your product, like this Heineken billboard:

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/1QfTbRZaHW5fgeliJ7fA4pNetlkc5iqk6F3zRL19U4oJzlSrcKe9-lUZ72AcqrANIkOaCSBRuBXqJME8IIHrnf3BITJTXhFQ9mTkzwzd_QlRACb0q5i4vzQu-dytz0Dga938-H0GV3K8z74CVQ)

### **Example: Leica's 12X Zoom**

Why tell the people about the benefit of your product when you can show them? A Swiss Ad agency designed these powerful billboards demonstrating Leica's zoom-in feature.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-QBdOWWl4ZYyCQY62It-j4h7-2YCKhwBkVf_VxNHRMmPggse0ziS25cs_sJ3nG1Is-edEWWfg0GwFe38jRZivIxbVk9XJ-6fKpRSMMGOCjYUY-b-PoAPQNv6B7std7SGxFxHLWKj2LK5QRNwXA)

## **4\. Look for cheaper ways to advertise**

If you think billboards or other large-format signs are out of your league, there can be many inexpensive or even free ways to advertise outdoors. With a little improvisation, you can pull off catchy outdoor campaigns that people notice and talk about.

### **Example: Marvel's 'Antsigns'**

People see large signs and posters all the time, but who would miss this tiny billboard popping up from the pavement beside bus stops across Australia? Marvel erected a large number of these micro-signs to announce their upcoming movie Antman. The 'Antsigns' were super-economical and super-effective. Size does matter, but creativity matters more than size.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/RsIsHOObQ4t7OWDPTSjdU6qE-tnpkFIbehLjOdE6GDGV-bj8aRZ4UfJkWPNBt2OWtb4pIY5FLTLY8tt24CZRuzjLj7tOxts73gG0ejiaaO3Figsoab2AeTFGHj4xaV2UtkB4gXO1t1T_Fjjlcg)

### **Example: IKEA's 'People Signs'**

Another simpler example of inexpensive outdoor branding is human branding. Though it sounds shamelessly commercial, human or people branding can be one of the cheapest, yet most effective kind of outdoor advertising. People branding can take many different forms. For instance, you can distribute branded apparel with your logo and message, so people will display your brand whenever they go around wearing your goods. A more striking way would be to do something like IKEA did.

### **Example: OBI's Renovated Billboards**

Signage is the first thing that comes to mind when we think about out-of-home advertising. Many people think billboards and signs are ugly. Could there be a way to advertise without using signage? The German DIY firm OBI used what they called "renovated billboards." They effectively featured their products, made the streets look nicer, and saved considerably on advertising. Three birds with one stone.

## **5\. Get moving billboards**

Small businesses often use buses, trucks, vans, and other vehicles for branding. Bus advertising is the most seen advertising medium, and one of the most economical too. Other than buses, you can also wrap your own vehicles (such as delivery vans, trucks or even motorcycles) in your brand colors and ads. Your ad is printed on adhesive, waterproof vinyl and pasted on the vehicle.

Like other outdoor media, the impact of your moving publicity will also depend on how creatively you've designed your campaign. One of the most effective ways to create stunning moving publicity is to think in 3D, and exploit the shape of the media itself to create a visual illusion. The following examples will clarify what I'm saying.

### **Example: The giant reptile**

Kids may be scared to ride it, who wouldn’t look at this bus twice? The designer simple photographed the bus, measured the size, and created a stunning 3D visual for Copenhagen Zoo. The rest was done by the pasting crew.

### **Example: What's inside the van?**

There's no better idea for outdoor advertising than to brand your own (or rented) vehicles. The following ad uses the third dimension to create a visual illusion as if you're looking inside the van, where it showcases what the business is about.

## **How to go about outdoor advertising**

The best way to advertise outdoors is to work through an outdoor media agency. They specialize in designing for outdoor media and have the required government permissions as well as knowledge about outdoor advertising regulations.

With the right media selection and some really out-of-the-box creativity, the effects of your outdoor advertising can spill over to other media, such as social media and blogs…just like this one!
### Why Your Brand Isn’t Generating Sales Online (+ How to Fix It Without Being Overly-Promotional)
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/why-your-brand-isnt-generating-sales-online-how-to-fix-it-without-being-overly-promotional/
Last updated: 2021-04-28T21:04:59.000Z
There you are, peacefully shopping around for the cheapest products at a retail store.

A salesperson comes around and greets you with a smile. “Is there anything I can help you with?”, she asks.

“No, thanks. I’m just looking”, you reply.

“Just tell me if you need anything!”

“Okay.”

But she never leaves your side. She keeps breathing down your neck and trying to sell you on other products you’re not interested in. You just feel like running off at this point.

If you could hear her thoughts, they’d be screaming *“Buy! Buy! Buy!”.*

Will she make a sale? Probably not.

The same problem happens in digital marketing when people get overly-promotional. Maybe that’s the reason why you aren’t reaching your sales goals in the first place.

Sales aren’t just about selling, you know. They’re about creating a connection with potential buyers in hopes that they’ll become customers. More than just numbers, sales are about:

- Getting to know your potential customers.
- Solving their problems.
- Priming them for a sale with content they care about.

Being unaware of the above results in marketers being “salesy” as a last resort.

With that in mind, let’s have a look at a few mistakes that might precede an overly-promotional spree (and how to fix them).

## **Mistake #1: Your Product Doesn’t Solve Your Audience’s real problems**

What you think may be your customers’ pain points may be far from what they’re struggling with.

Think about an email marketing software. It solves issues ranging from a lack of proper management to a need for automation. What particular problem does *your* audience want that product to solve? You won’t know until you ask them.

Simply assuming your audience’s pain points increases your chances of getting them wrong. This, in turn, creates a disconnect in your messaging.

The result? No sales.

### The Fix

****Don’t create your customer personas based on loose assumptions.**

Instead, create them based on facts.

Survey your customers, your leads, and even people who are no longer your customers. This way, you’ll get to find out:

- What made customers purchase your product, and the results they’ve achieved with it.
- What keeps current leads from buying your product, what other brands they’re comparing yours to, and which objections you should address to make the purchase easier for them.
- What problems caused someone to choose another solution over yours, and the areas where you could improve.

To do that, you can send surveys and feedback forms to your mailing list, or you can include them on your website’s homepage as multiple choice questions.

For best results, leave a description field so people can be thorough with their answers. The more in-depth answers you get, the better the insights you’ll receive.

Regardless of the amount of detail you include in your persona documents, you won’t reach the right people if you don’t hear it (or read it) directly from them.

## **Mistake #2: You Aren’t Creating Content to Reach People at Every Stage of the Buyer’s Journey**

According to a 2018 study, 82% of searchers are more likely to select brands they’re familiar with when online shopping. Interestingly, these brands don’t even have to be ranking high on search engines.

What does that tell us?

Above all, that building brand awareness should be your main focus if you’d like to drive more online sales.

And guess what: you can’t do that by focusing on the “decision” stage of the sales funnel and leaving everything else behind.

If you’re familiar with the Awareness, Consideration, and Decision trio, you know what this is about. Why would people buy anything from you if a) they’re unfamiliar with your brand and b) they don’t know if they should trust you?

It’s your job to meet people where they currently are in the funnel.

### **The Fix**

****Create the right type of content to grab people at every stage of the funnel.**

****Awareness:** Attract people to your channels and get ready to educate them. Tell them more about your brand and let them know how you can help them. All the while, keep a consistent brand voice and design.

Content for the awareness phase includes:

- Blog posts
- Social media marketing
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Targeted advertising
- Freebies (such as eBooks, checklists, and templates)

****Consideration:** People already know your brand. Nice. Yet, they’re currently comparing it to other brands and figuring out which one they’ll “click” with.

Content for the consideration phase includes:

- Email marketing
- Social media marketing
- Guides
- Podcasts and videos

****Decision:** People are now ready to buy. You can nudge them in the right direction by having the right content available to them. Remember: even though they’ve considered buying from you, they can still turn away.

Content for the decision phase includes:

- Product reviews and testimonials
- Case studies
- Product comparisons
- Pop-ups (coupons, free shipping)

Making sure your marketing strategy meets everyone’s needs will prevent you from being heavy-handed with your promotions.

## **Mistake #3: You Aren’t Addressing Customer Objections**

When you’re about to buy something, what keeps you from completing your purchase?

Pricing? Not really.

Most of the time, people won’t buy a product due to a [lack of perceived value](https://www.thebalancesmb.com/top-5-reasons-customers-aren-t-buying-from-you-2295720?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). For starters, they have no idea if they’ll be wasting their money.

To make potential buyers complete the purchase, you need to tell them they’ll be getting everything they paid for–and make them believe it. You need to prove to them that the price is irrelevant when compared to the value they’ll get in return. This will have them opening their wallets in no time.

As an ecommerce marketer, you have two jobs:

- Creating desire for the product.
- Removing the obstacles towards obtaining that product.

### **The Fix**

****Remove customer objections with customer-driven sales copy.**

You can’t address sales obstacles unless you know what they are. It’s the moment when both customer surveys and feedback make a world of difference.

For one thing, you may find that people still have a lot of questions about your product that weren’t answered in your sales copy. This is what happened with Hubspot’s Growth Stack software. In a case study, copywriter Joel Klettke describes how people weren’t buying the product because the landing page copy wasn’t answering the right questions. In conducting customer research and tweaking the copy, Hubspot saw a close to 100% increase in conversions.

The lesson: you should vanquish all customer objections before you start to write copy, and answer all of those questions as you write.

Including enough good reviews and customer testimonials on your landing pages is another great way of removing pre-purchase anxiety. If possible, offer free trials and refunds with no questions asked. Little by little, you’ll be removing blocks that keep potential buyers from reaching the final stage.

## **Closing Thoughts**

When selling products, a sale is the las thing you should be making. When you understand that sales are more about helping people and creating a meaningful connection with them, your “salesy” side will shut off.

Getting to know who your customers are, what they really want from you, and nurturing them with relevant content removes every stone out of their way. So talk to them. Get to know them, their fears, their dreams, and why they didn’t complete their purchase. The amount of valuable information you’ll gather could shock you.
### 7 Easy Ways to Drive High-Quality Traffic to Your Landing Page That Anyone Can Use
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/7-easy-ways-to-drive-high-quality-traffic-to-your-landing-page-that-anyone-can-use/
Last updated: 2023-03-30T14:57:28.000Z
Driving traffic to a landing page can be relatively easy.

Driving *high-quality traffic* is a different story.

It’s common for business owners to wonder why they’re getting tons of traffic but not making any sales. They’ve fallen into the misconception that lots of traffic = lots of sales.

In the above case, high traffic means they get all kinds of visitors to their landing page – many of which won’t be ready to convert at that moment.

Seeing little to no results, the same business owners then jump straight to complicated and potentially expensive methods like pay-per-click (PPC) advertising.

Does that mean that PPC should be avoided? Not at all.

Still, there are free and more effective strategies you can use. You can avoid costly mistakes by driving targeted, high-quality traffic from visitors who are far more likely to go down the sales funnel.

In this article, I’ll be sharing practical methods that will get you there.

****The best part? They’re either free or budget-friendly.**

First, a quick look at why it’s important to drive quality traffic to your landing pages.

## ****Why It’s Important to Drive Qualified Traffic to Your Landing Pages**

Getting a billionaire to access a “how to be a billionaire” landing page will result in a visitor, but that’s all.

See how this works?

You don’t just want more traffic for the sake of spikes. You want more traffic so you can have more people at the top of the funnel, and subsequently, more people coming out at the bottom of the funnel.

It’s all about catching the right eyes with the right strategies, such as:

- Social media marketing
- Email marketing
- Influencer marketing
- Targeted advertising
- Forums
- Guest blogging
- Website internal linking

Here’s how you can harness the power of each them:

## ****Social Media Marketing**

Why do you think 91% of businesses use social media for marketing purposes?

There are quite a few answers to that. First of all, creating and managing a business social media account is free for everybody. Marketers will only have to pay for it if they choose to reach their target audience with paid advertising. But that’s not always necessary.

Moreover, hiring a social media manager and designer is optional, especially for brand new businesses on a budget. There are countless intuitive (and free) social media management and graphic design tools available today. They’ll meet all of your marketing needs if outsourcing is out of the question.

Not least, social media marketing gives businesses the opportunity to direct interested visitors to their landing page through calls-to-action (CTAs). Make sure your CTAs are clear, specific and communicate the value of following your request in order to drive the highest quality traffic.

## ****Nurture Traffic Through Email Marketing**

Imagine earning up to $44 for every $1 spent on a marketing campaign. Email marketing makes it possible.

As a part of the middle of a buyer’s journey, email marketing can drive qualified traffic from people who have already shown interest in your brand. While that means they’ve already been to your landing page and gone through your lead magnet, they probably haven’t bought anything. Yet.

These leads are ideal candidates for a reason: whether you work with email drip campaigns, newsletters, or nurturing sequences, these people have been consuming great content where, hopefully, you’ll be linking back to important landing or product pages.

In short, they’re familiar with your brand and what you do–which makes them part of the elite traffic you’re looking for.

## ****Hire Influencers**

“No way. That’s too expensive”, you might be thinking. If you’re thinking about celebrity influencers, it certainly is.

However, influencer marketing has evolved enough to accommodate a wide range of people with a varying number of followers.

Lucky for a lot of brand owners, affordability followed suit. For instance, a micro-influencer with 1k followers can charge as little as $65 to advertise a product on their profile and direct their followers to a landing page.

Moral of the story: if you choose your influencer wisely, your product will be shown to thousands of people who are interested in products like yours. All they need is a little nudge from someone whose opinion is valuable.

## ****Advertise Where Your Audience Hangs Out**

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/09/Why-Your-Brand-Isn-t-Generating-Sales-Online.png)

Knowing the websites your audience visits is key if you’d like to put your product or service right in front of them.

For instance, a developer who’s looking to drive traffic to his app’s landing page could go to community websites like Product Hunt and advertise there.

Business owners, on the other hand, could use their LinkedIn profile and posts to link back to their landing page, providing an opportunity for their active followers (who are already engaged with their content) to convert.

Whatever you do, never advertise in a vacuum. First, pinpoint your target audience’s whereabouts and then plan your strategy around them.

## ****Don’t Dismiss Forums Like Reddit**

With 430 million monthly active users, the likelihood of your target audience hanging out on [Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is high. Yet very few businesses have tapped into its power yet.

It’s also the place where you’ll find over 100,000 communities – also known as subreddits – about pretty much any topic.

It’s a place where opinions matter, and where people go to share their honest point of view about brands like yours.

If you want your brand to strike up meaningful conversations while having the opportunity to send them straight to your landing page, Reddit might be the platform for you. The advertising cost will depend on ad type and reach, among other factors, giving you flexibility to work around a budget.

## ****Guest Blog**

Let’s start with a brief disclaimer about guest blogging.

This practice has been dragged through the mud for a number of fair reasons, including the fact that guest blogging has been used as a poor link-building strategy by many.

From an SEO standpoint, writing shallow content for the sake of earning backlinks gets the side-eye from Google. If you’re invited to guest blog or pitch a guest post, there are a few things you must consider:

- Is the website in question authoritative? Will the collaboration bring you quality backlinks?
- Who’s the website’s audience? Do they match your target audience? Will they be interested in learning more about your brand?
- Is the page to be published considered Your Money or Your Life (YMYL)? If the answer’s yes, remember the quality standards for this type of page are higher when it comes to EAT (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness).

Done the right way, guest blogging means having your own author bio at the end of the page. Plus, quality backlinks to your website and mentions of your product are great ways to “borrow” a website’s audience and lead them to your landing page.

This article you’re reading now is classed as a guest blog!

## ****Use Internal Linking to Your Advantage**

People won’t necessarily land on your website through the homepage. Depending on the search results they get, they might land on one of yourblog posts, on your contact page, or on your “about” page.

For this reason, you’ll want to find opportunities to link to your primary landing page throughout your website. As an example, you could end every blog post with a CTA. Or maybe, you could subtly reference your products as examples, and use these examples as anchor texts linking to your landing page.

The goal is to have your landing page visited through other pages on your website. Try and link to it at every chance you get, preferably in a subtle way that makes sense in the context of the rest of the page.

## ****What about the Landing Page Itself? How Can I Make It Better?**

Sending high-quality traffic to your landing page won’t be enough if the messaging on the page isn’t straightforward and relatable, or doesn’t solve customer objections.

A landing page should have one main goal: to turn visitors into leads. So place the most important information they need to do that front and centre:

- How your product/service can help them. Make it your headline, so visitors know they’re in the right place right away.
- An above-the-fold CTA, so the visitor doesn’t have to scroll all the way down to take action. Including multiple CTAs will give visitors more than one chance to click on them as they read.
- Social proof. Include testimonials and numbers to increase trustworthiness.

All it takes are a few tweaks. Grammarly’s landing page is a great example:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/04/Screenshot-2021-04-12-at-09.03.45.png)

Whoever visits the page knows what Grammarly is about at a glance, trusts the product because of its high ratings, and is more likely to give it a try because, well, it’s free.

Further down the page, visitors can learn more about how and where the product works, as well as where it’s been featured.

## ****Closing Thoughts**

Driving high-quality traffic to your landing page doesn’t have to involve complicated or expensive marketing. And if it *does* involve money, the methods you choose should give you a high return on investment (ROI).

Listed above are great ways to send the right people to your landing page, no matter the size of your business. Remember: driving ****quality** visitors to your site is the first step to increasing conversion rates.
### How eCommerce Brands Can Increase Site Traffic in 90 Days (Without Spending Thousands on Ads)
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-ecommerce-brands-can-increase-site-traffic-in-90-days-without-spending-thousands-on-ads/
Last updated: 2021-04-15T20:37:00.000Z
Pay-per-click (PPC) ads are the heroes of short-term minded marketers.

That’s because paid ads can get eCommerce businesses immediate online visibility and laser-target the audience they want to reach. After all, Google and Facebook are being paid to do it.

Even so, eCommerce marketers shouldn’t assume that PPC ads alone will drive the traffic they need. Why is that?

For one thing, they may risk spending thousands of pounds on ads, only to see a low return on investment (ROI). Regardless of how much money they put into these ads, they won’t convert unless they harness the collective power of organic and paid traffic.

If you want to increase traffic to your eCommerce website without breaking the bank, there are several techniques you can use. They’re effective enough to place paid ads as a last (or complementary) resort.

In this article, you’ll see a few marketing techniques that can increase website traffic in as little as 90 days, including:

- Social media engagement
- Giveaways and contests
- Free shipping and discounts
- Influencer Marketing
- Reviews

Read on to learn more.

## **1\. Engage in Social Media**

It’s no wonder 52% of businesses have a well-planned and consistent social media strategy. Creating a solid online presence through social is crucial for any brand to establish a deeper connection with their audience, as well as grab prospects’ attention with eye-catching posts.

Still, it can be challenging to stick to several platforms at once. How can smaller eCommerce brands make themselves known when the big guys are everywhere, including Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, and more recently, TikTok?

Unless you have a dedicated marketing team to help you stay consistent, trying to keep track of everything on your own is the recipe for poor business management. But there are alternatives that can help you juggle both.

You can use apps like Hootsuite to manage all of your social media channels and schedule posts in one place. Or, you could laser-focus on one or two channels instead of them all. However, it pays to have a social media manager develop and distribute your brand campaigns while you manage other aspects of your business.

The bottom-line is: social media is often put in the backburner when it should be the star of the show. Just ask Eric Badnholz, founder and CEO of BeardBrand, who said it all in his [case study for SmartMail](https://www.smartmail.io/resources/social-media-ecommerce-case-study?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk):

> *“…most people will settle for more traditional online marketing initiatives like paid search, SEO, email and affiliate marketing as their key marketing drivers for their eCommerce store.”*

While the above initiatives are certainly helpful, social media can do a lot of the heavy lifting. BeardBrand often encourages engagement and replies on their social media channel, which develops a friendly community of bearded lads instead of being just another product aimed at men.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/04/Screenshot-2021-04-07-at-07.24.26.jpg)

Just like Wendy’s, they don’t take themselves or their followers too seriously. Regardless of the platform, humanising social media interactions makes a world of difference.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/04/Screenshot-2021-04-07-at-07.27.59.jpg)

## **2\. Plan a Giveaway**

While you may not be able to afford giving products away too often, giveaways are a great tactic if you want to see a few quick traffic spikes–both on your social media page and on your website.

Here’s an example from a Blendjet Facebook giveaway:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/04/Screenshot-2021-04-07-at-07.31.06.jpg)

As you can see, they’re pretty simple to establish. While different giveaways will have different rules, the blueprint usually involves:

- An official giveaway image (like the one above)
- Setting a closing date for the giveaway
- Having participants tag a number of followers on the official image
- Requiring each participant to follow the page that’s hosting the giveaway
- Randomly picking a winner (using apps such as Gleam)

This way, people who want to take part in the giveaway will be led directly to your eCommerce profile in order to follow it. Then, if your products interest the viewer, they might end up clicking on your CTAs that lead to your website. Hopefully, they’ll be filling up their carts after that.

## **3\. Offer Free Shipping and Discounts**

It’s happened to you: you saw a product with free shipping, and instantly the final price wasn’t that big of a deal.

If there was a shipping price, however, even $5 made you reconsider your purchase, regardless of how much you needed the product. Or at least how much you *thought* you needed it.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/04/Screenshot-2021-04-07-at-07.31.25.jpg)

([Source](https://cheezburger.com/8978991872/image-beyonce-shipping-no-free-shipping?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk))

It’s true: recent statistics have shown that 79% of consumers affirmed that free shipping makes them more likely to buy.

Interestingly, according to a survey by Return Customer, 93% of customers seem to prefer free shipping over discounts. That’s your sign to go for it if you haven’t already.

What’s more, making the words “FREE SHIPPING” prominent on your website instead of burying them in a corner will help your conversions, especially if you’re using it as a differentiator.

But does that mean you should abandon discounts over free shipping? Not at all.

Discounts can be applied to dissolve bottlenecks in the customer journey. For instance, if you’re looking at high shopping cart abandonment rates, including coupons in follow-up emails is a great strategy to get those customers back.

Exit intent pop-ups are great places to offer coupons, especially if you notice high traffic, but little to no conversions. Or, if you’re up to engaging your visitors, you’d be interested to know that gamified opt-ins can increase eCommerce conversion rate by 400%. They’re a great way to engage visitors and grow your email list.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/04/Screenshot-2021-04-07-at-07.31.36.jpg)

([Source](https://launchspace.net/software-comparison/best-gamified-optin-forms/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk))

## **4\. Use Influencer Marketing**

18% of marketers are spending up to $500,000 a year on influencer marketing. The reason? An average of $5 returned for every $1 invested in influencers.

Influencer marketing is powerful for a number of reasons, but the biggest of them is clout. The right influencers can present your brand to their audience (of thousands or millions of followers) in a way that stirs up desire and, consequently, builds trust around your product.

Riding along an influencer’s long-established authority is one of the most coveted ways to generate traffic, and you can see why.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/04/Screenshot-2021-04-07-at-07.31.46.jpg)

Still, a few marketers may find it unnecessary and expensive to pay for influencers, particularly if they’re new to this type of marketing. You might be one of them.

The good news is, you don’t have to start off by hiring expensive influencers for long-term partnerships. Not only are micro-influencers (who have at least 1,000 followers) less expensive, but they’ve shown higher engagement rates when compared to celebrity influencers. That means you can work with multiple influencers at once to generate more traffic to your website.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/04/Screenshot-2021-04-07-at-07.32.02.jpg)

([Source](https://hypeauditor.com/blog/how-do-micro-influencers-and-mega-influencers-compare-in-instagram-engagement-rates/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk))

Now, this is important: finding influencers who resonate with your brand is a *must*.

Different influencers specialise in different areas, and you’ll want their audience to match yours for better results. Influencer marketplaces like Collabstr and OpenInfluence can help you with that.

As an alternative and a “thank you”, you can send your product out to influencers who resonate with your brand in exchange for reviews.

That brings me nicely onto the next point…

## **5\. Keep Reviews Coming**

If you knew that 97% of consumers read reviews before making a purchase, would you still disregard them? When a potential customer is comparing products during the consideration phase, a top-rated review can be a deal-breaker.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/04/Screenshot-2021-04-07-at-07.32.16.jpg)

([Source](https://support.trustpilot.com/hc/en-us/articles/223402108--8-tips-for-writing-great-customer-reviews?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk))

Reviews start conversations around your brand.

If customers aren’t talking, it’s about time you get the chat going. Still, that can be hard to pull off when customers don’t seem to care.

Note that getting reviews doesn’t always depend on a customer’s goodwill. Most of the time, all you have to do is ask nicely for them to leave one.

Also, the most important reviews should come from loyal customers, not only because they’re likely to leave high-rated reviews but because they trust you enough to provide valuable feedback.

And if a few negative reviews come along, don’t fret. If a brand doesn’t have any slightly negative reviews or constructive comments, that means something’s wrong. Instead, you can use the customer pain points your product was unable to solve as a way to improve your marketing strategy and product development.

## **Growing Your eCommerce Brand is a Matter of Leveraging Both Organic and Paid Strategies in a Smart Way**

PPC is a great strategy to rely on for fast results. It’ll put your business on top of the search engines as long as you pick up your credit card.

Rely too much on it, though, and when you least expect it, thousands of dollars have been wasted on unsuccessful campaigns.

Hopefully, you’ll leave this article knowing that eCommerce marketing is primarily about your long-term achievements, and whether your customers will still choose your brand over the competition in the long term. Your PPC campaigns might have driven traffic to your site thanks to your paid ad, but the question is: will the spikes stick after a week? A month? A year?

That’s why establishing your online visibility and subsequent authority with organic marketing strategies is key. Social media, free shipping, giveaways, and influencer marketing are great ways to start.

Try committing to the above strategies for at least 90 days and see how it goes.
### Why These 5 Print Marketing Methods Still Rock, and How To Use Them
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/why-these-5-print-marketing-methods-still-rock-and-how-to-use-them/
Last updated: 2023-04-04T15:28:42.000Z
It wasn’t long ago that big media houses like [BBC](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-11634105?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) and [CNN](http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-11634105?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) were predicting the demise of the wristwatch. Many people thought they didn’t need a wristwatch because they had a mobile phone. It turned out wristwatches came back stronger than ever after just two bad years. Their sales continue to grow and are projected to rise by 30% by 2021.

Print is no different. With the rise of online and mobile media [40% of professionals predicting](https://www.debate.org/opinions/will-printed-magazines-and-newspapers-dry-up-in-the-next-decade-as-a-result-of-the-popularity-surrounding-online-content?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) that "printed magazines and newspapers will dry up in the next decade". After seven years of negative growth, the global print magazine industry is rising from the ashes and is expected to [resume growth this year](https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/magazine-publishing-market-size-2021-global-industry-trends-future-growth-regional-overview-market-share-revenue-and-forecast-outlook-till-2023-2021-02-02?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). Why? Because the generation we know as "digital natives" [prefer reading in print](https://www.storaenso.com/en/newsroom/news/2016/1/why-people-prefer-reading-in-print?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/04/magazine-marketing.jpg)

Photo by [Charisse Kenion](https://unsplash.com/@charissek?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit) / [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit)

## 6 Reasons that Keep Digital Media Growing

As a business owner, you may not be interested in the fate of print media. But you can use it to your advantage because print possesses qualities that other media don’t.

### 1\. Unique and Tangible

Print has become a kind of novelty, which is more likely to get noticed. Everyone has a smart-phone these days and people consume tons of digital media, which can dilute the impact of online marketing, especially on social media. The same cannot be said of print media vehicles such as magazines, newspapers, or snail-mail. Print media is physical, hence your potential customers have a more wholesome sensory experience while holding it, leafing through it, or even smelling it (seriously, it's not uncommon for cosmetic companies to perfume their print ads).

### 2\. Affordable

Contrary to what many digital marketers would have you believe, print media need not be a bank-breaker. There are always cheap print media options available. Business cards and stationery, the bare essentials for every business, can be used effectively for offline marketing. The average cost per impression (CPI) for printed media such as pamphlets or flyers is around $0.03, much below the average CPI for online media ($0.07 per impression).

### 3\. Long Life

What are the odds that you will read an online blog post more than a couple of times? No one reads a post or watches a particular video every day. Yet, a magazine that contains your advertorial is still likely to be seen around the house (or office) even months after its publication date. The same is true for your brochures, banners, or other printed materials.

### 4\. Non-Intrusive

Print media does not just pop up to interrupt your audience in the middle of their favourite activity. Hence, print media is often closer to the concept of permission marketing or inbound marketing. The reader can choose when to read it and when to put it away.

### 5\. Targeted

When carefully planned, no media campaign can be as targeted as a print media campaign (other than SEO and search engine advertising, of course). You can control snail-mail to reach only the people you want. You can advertise in industry-related magazines that you know your potential customers read. 

### 6\. Loyal Readership

Print publications—dailies, weeklies, monthlies, bi-monthlies, books, etc.—can have a much more loyal following than digital media publications. People subscribe to print publications much more selectively than digital publications. A person who subscribes to your email list may never actually read your emails, but that same person will rarely miss his or her favourite magazine or local newspaper if they subscribe.

## 5 Powerful Print Media and How to Use Them

It's an unfair world when it comes to marketing your small business. Big brands with deep pockets hold sway over the entire media spectrum, digital or non-digital. It becomes difficult for a small business on a shoestring budget to make a big splash. You'll need to unleash your creativity and do something unconventional. Let's look at the most commonly used print media vehicles and see how you can ride them to success.

## 1\. Magazines

Magazines allow you to print slick, high-quality images of your product and impress your audience. They have a well-defined readership—Maxim and Men's Health are obviously read by males, whereas Better Home and Gardens targets homeowners and families. There are industry-focused B2B magazines that allow you to reach your ideal customers directly. Finally, magazines have a long shelf-life and can be read months or even years after they were published.

### Should I Advertise in Magazines

Magazine advertising is suitable for you if you are a local store, fashion brand, food business, or any B2B or B2C seller. You should select magazines that target your audience and have a low CPM (or cost per 1000 impressions).

### How to Use Magazines for Marketing

Here are the questions you need to ask before you buy advertising space.

\*What is the circulation of the magazine?

\*What are the readers' demographics?

\*What are the rates and CPM?

\*What is the publishing frequency—monthly, weekly, or other?

\*What are the distribution channels—newsstands, subscriptions, digital, etc?

\*Are the topics and sections planned for the next year relevant to your business?

Pro Tip: Always check the magazine's circulation and other data from the relevant third-party sources in your area. For example, you can use the [National Readership Survey](http://www.nrs.co.uk/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) or the [PPA website](http://www.ppa.co.uk/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) if you are in the UK.

## 2\. Newspapers

Newspapers come in a variety of types—local, regional, national, evening, or Sunday editions. They contain different sections that target different readerships, such as sports, business, entertainment, world news, etc. You have a lot of flexibility when it comes to buying ad-space, which starts with classified ads and has sizes ranging up to full- or double-page ads. According to the Ebiquity study, press ads offer an average [ROI of £1.48 for every £1 spent](http://www.newsworks.org.uk/why-advertise-in-newsbrands?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

### Should I Use Newspapers?

Newspaper advertising could work best for your business if the majority of your audience is above 35, because the average age of newspaper print audience in the UK ranges from 43 to 61 for different newspapers.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/04/Picture-1.jpg)

Newspaper advertising is also suitable for you if your business depends on mega-sales or coupons for its revenue, because a newspaper ad can spread the word to a large number of people within the least amount of time.

### How to Use Newspapers for Marketing

\*Newspaper advertising rates vary depending upon the size and position of your ad—the size is measured in columns-centimeters, where the number of columns represent the width of the ad

\*Check the circulation, relevance to your business and audience, CPM, and other things that you would check for magazines

\*Plan the size, frequency, timing and position of your ad—premium positions (such as front-page or back-page usually cost extra)

\*If you are planning for the whole year, you can book the space in bulk and get some hefty discounts—with most newspaper, you can try bargaining for a discount anyhow

\*Network with journalists to get editorial coverage in the relevant section and edition—fashion, sports, books, art, magazine, etc

\*If the price of bigger ads sounds formidable, there's no harm in starting small with a classified or single-column window advert

### Best Days to Advertise in Newspapers

\*Newspaper ads are most likely to get noticed on Mondays and Tuesdays, but the circulation tends to be low—these days are often more suitable for B2B ads, banks, and other businesses that want to reach customers while they're at work

\*Wednesdays and Thursdays are perfect for grocery stores or businesses that make most of their sales on Fridays and weekends

\*Fridays and Saturdays work best for entertainment and food businesses—and Sunday, with the highest circulation, is the perfect day for coupons

## 3\. Digital Prints

Digital prints can include **banners and streamers, business cards, flyers and leaflets, large-format signs**, **vehicle graphics**, etc. Digital prints are affordable, simple, and fast. They are impossible to miss when you hand them out or display them, and can be precisely targeted by geo-location and audience.

### Should I Use Digital Prints for Marketing?

Digital prints can work for all sorts of businesses. Most businesses require business cards, envelops, and letterheads, which can all be digitally printed. Retail outlets can use banners or digital displays in-store and outdoors. B2B companies can pull up a few vertical banners during exhibitions and events. Grocers and charities can distribute flyers, and so on.

### How to Use Digital Prints

The only critical thing here is the design. Make sure it's worthy of sending into print, to say the least. It should be flawless and attractive, and should deliver the message clearly, within a few second. Get help.

## 4\. Direct Mail

Many major corporations use direct mail to distribute a variety of marketing materials including sales letters, brochures, catalogs, postcards, etc. Why do they go through the hassle of sending out snail-mail when email is so simple and quick? It's because they know direct mail is an effective and profitable way to reach their customers. The physical media delivered via direct mail [leaves a deeper footprint](http://www.forbes.com/sites/marketshare/2011/10/18/in-this-land-of-digital-lets-not-forget-the-physical/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) on the customers' minds.

### Should I use Direct mail for marketing?

Direct mail works well for all types of businesses, big or small, B2B or B2C. It's a surefire way of getting noticed and differentiating yourself from your competitors. The response rate for direct mail to an existing customer [averages 4.4%](https://www.approvedindex.co.uk/direct-marketing/direct-mail-response-rates?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

### How to Use Direct Mail

If you have no idea about direct mail, you can start by a subscribing to as many mailing lists as you can. You might have to go through a lot of mail, which is not actually junk but a source of information for you. Look at the materials coming from your competitors or other similar businesses. Which ones impress you the most? Your research will reveal ideas that you can use for direct marketing.

The **design, timing, and targeting** of the mails are critical. The design should be stunning and the timing should be convenient for your customers. Your ROI for direct mail can increase if you select your addressees carefully and offer discounts or coupons. Make sure you brush up your knowledge about direct mail marketing before you start burning money.

**Pro Tip:** Check your local regulations about direct mail. Certain communities may frown upon unsolicited mail. [The UK laws](https://www.gov.uk/marketing-advertising-law/direct-marketing?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) prohibit sending a mail to anyone who has asked not to receive direct mails using the [Mail Preference Service](https://corporate.mpsonline.org.uk/index.php/mps/faq?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

## 5\. 3D Printing

Print media is entering a new dimension with the crazy growth of 3D printing technology. The global 3D printing industry has grown from $3.07 billion in 2013 to more than [$21 billion](http://www.forbes.com/sites/louiscolumbus/2015/03/31/2015-roundup-of-3d-printing-market-forecasts-and-estimates/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). Companies like Amazon, Staples, UPS, Home Depot, and a host of less well-known companies are already in the race to leverage the continued trend.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/04/2.jpg)

Source: [Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/sites/louiscolumbus/2015/03/31/2015-roundup-of-3d-printing-market-forecasts-and-estimates/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

### Should I Use 3D Printing in My Marketing Mix?

If you can envision a role for 3D printing in your "value delivery chain," I would encourage you to work on you idea. 3D printing is still a relatively new field and the uses are still largely undiscovered. Amazon, for example, is already offering [many 3D printed products](http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=8323871011&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) that may be sent directly to customers' 3D printers.

### How to use 3D printing for business?

Ivan Pope, Founder of Body scanning startup Shapie Me, suggests the following uses in an interview with [Econsultancy](https://econsultancy.com/blog/66542-3d-printing-adding-another-dimension-to-marketing-s-future/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk):

\*Give away unique items

\*3D print your brand's logo or character

\*Replacements/repair businesses can use it for printing parts

\*Invent and print new character or product

\*Miniature of your new product for the launch

\*Print unique souvenirs, mementos, tokens, coins, or rewards

\*Print product samples

\*Print 3D free gifts and put them in your packaging as a sales promotion tactic

Other than these, there can be as many uses as people can think of. If you use it right, 3D printing can prove to be your unfair competitive advantage.
### The Problem With Digital Marketing
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/the-problem-with-digital-marketing/
Last updated: 2021-04-24T22:39:34.000Z
It’s not hard to see why more and more people are stepping into the digital marketing world. With an umbrella of profitable careers to choose from in one of the UK’s biggest growth industries, everyone wants to come out on top.

However, as a marketer myself, and huge ecommerce enthusiast, I think it’s important to address a few misleading practices being shared out there.

> All I want for Christmas is for my competitors to follow bad SEO advice from influencers.
> 
> — Pedro Dias (@pedrodias) [April 17, 2019](https://twitter.com/pedrodias/status/1118605244110376961?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

The problem with digital marketing isn’t digital marketing itself. Instead, it’s the buzz created around a few digital marketing strategies that have been made into shortcuts–when they’re anything but.

Although a few of these practices might have been effective in the past and showed brief results, they could seriously harm a brand’s reputation in the long term. Particularly now, when Google’s algorithm is smarter than ever.

The worst part? You might be applying some of these techniques to your business without being aware of it.

So how can you avoid reproducing such tactics and risking your business’s online presence?

You’re about to find out the most commonly found issues that are often replicated in the digital marketing realm, including:

- Short-term mindset
- Shady practices (that could hurt your positioning)
- Lack of professionalism
- Hacks, tricks, and everything in between

Keep reading if you’d like to grow your business and maintain a squeaky-clean reputation online.

## A Short-Term Mindset

Everyone wants to see the fruits of their efforts as early as possible. But short-term mindsets can kill the big picture.

> You can hack your way into hitting a few short-term marketing goals, but it’s impossible to hack your way into building a great brand
> 
> — Matthew Kobach (@mkobach) [February 10, 2021](https://twitter.com/mkobach/status/1359513914485186560?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

Sure, there are specific cases when a shorter-term focus might be useful. For instance, in strategies like pay-per-click (PPC) ads, marketers may see immediate spikes in traffic. The error lies in holding on to PPC for dear life and spending thousands of dollars on ads without success.

Here’s the truth: some of the most effective strategies take months to years until you can finally say “we’ve made it.” And that’s a reason to celebrate.

For example, accurate SEO results take at least 4 to 6 months to show up, seeing that ranking on Google isn’t as easy today as it was two decades ago. Plus, organic traffic will naturally take longer to come along.

The same goes for ROI. Some marketers are so focused on immediate metrics that they forget to measure long-term ROI. That’s unreasonable in a number of cases, like trying to track results before a sales cycle is completed. If you do that, you won’t be collecting accurate ROI metrics.

Usually a B2B sales cycle is around 3 months to 9 months, but the time frame will depend on the products being sold, the focus of the campaign, as well as specific business goals. See how it’s not an all-purpose approach?

As an example, if the focus of your business is to generate brand awareness and customer retention, a prolonged marketing strategy is the only way to reach those goals. Trying to track campaign results too early won’t bring you accurate numbers, and could eventually hurt your conversions.

## Shady SEO Practices

Also known as Black Hat SEO practices, these quick-fix types of strategies have made marketers dirty dollars in the past and created quite a stir in the digital world.

In short, Black Hat SEO won’t help your website rank and might end up banning it from search engines.

Trying to pull a fast one on Google in 2021 is the same as begging to have your website penalised. But of course, marketers who are just getting started may not realise the dangers of Black Hat approaches.

Be wary of “ranking” techniques such as:

- Placing hidden links or hidden text on a page, so as to add more keywords.
- Irrelevant keyword placement for ranking purposes.
- Unrelated guest blogging for the sake of getting backlinks.
- Link buying and selling as another backlink “shortcut”.

These tactics no longer work like they once did, and could cancel months of SEO effort on your part.

## Lack of Professionalism

There are digital marketers, and then there are dabblers.

While a digital marketer doesn’t necessarily need a formal education in the field, a true marketer will dive deep into concepts and data for months or years before calling herself a professional for hire. He or she doesn’t just repeat what they learned from someone else.

What’s sad is, a lot of people can’t tell the difference. An expert on the outside could be someone who’s regurgitating fast tips and tricks they’ve seen around the web and gaining visibility from it.

Not a dabbler? Prove it! Provide clients with case studies, testimonials, qualifications, certificates…anything you can to show them your work is legitimate. By addressing your expertise on a dedicated “about” page, you’ll also boost your reputation according to Google’s E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) guidelines.

Although there’s no shortage of digital marketing jobs out there, that doesn’t mean there’s a job for everyone.

## Hacks, Tricks, and Everything in Between

“Hacks” aren’t to be confused with growth hacking. We’re talking about hacks that might have worked in the past or never worked to begin with.

I also mean tricks some professionals know their inexperienced readers won’t notice. While Black Hat SEO tactics fit here, there’s more where those came from.

- Misleading and clickbait headlines, such as “Become a Marketing Expert in 7 Days.” These are great for grabbing attention, but could result in low click-through rates (CTR). Not to mention, that’s the same as fooling your readers.
- Poor, slim content filled to the brim with keywords (also known as keyword stuffing). Quality content should answer readers’ doubts, preferably in-depth. Search engines know better than to rank poorly written pages.
- Spam emails. Because someone has read somewhere that sending multiple emails increases the chances of subscribers seeing them. There’s a word for that: spamming.

Trust me, there are all kinds of deceitful tactics and people these days.

Even though it’s 100% possible to improve any marketing strategy in the short-term, people are promising results they can’t deliver for the sake of earning clicks, views, and subscribers. And sadly, unsuspecting brands may fall for it and waste their hard-earned money.

Ultimately, succeeding in digital marketing is a direct result of the help you provide.
### 8 Reasons Why You're Not Getting Referral Traffic
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/8-reasons-why-youre-not-getting-referral-traffic/
Last updated: 2023-03-30T14:58:41.000Z
Referral traffic is one of the most essential sources of traffic you can receive for your website. It comes from external links, which should be trustworthy and quality sources. Having quality backlinks for your site is paramount to increasing your referral traffic. If links are poor, or you don't have enough of them, you won't see much referral traffic coming to your site. If you're wondering why your referral traffic is low, there could be a number of problems. It's up to you to work on the links for your website, even though many of them will be from other people. Instead of standing around scratching your head, check out these things you're doing wrong.

Backlinks are generally built to increase the authority and ranking potential of your website but if you get the right content on the right websites, referral traffic can be invaluable.

## 1\. Consider Broken Link Building

What is broken link building? This method of building backlinks doesn't involve looking for broken links to your website. It requires you to find links to other sites that result in 404 errors. You then get in contact with the webmaster and inform them of the error while recommending some alternative replacement links.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/04/Marketing-Labs_Images-for-blog-post_8-reasons-why-you-re-not-getting-referral-traffic_kk_1500X300_19apr2021_V01_r1.jpg)

Of course, your link should be among the replacements. For example, you can find a website that has recently changed its domain. Look for sites still linking to the old domain. Contact their owners with a short message letting them know about the broken link. Instead of giving them a link to your homepage, you might like to choose a relevant blog post or page. Jon Cooper has [crafted an outstanding piece of content](http://pointblankseo.com/creative-broken-link-building?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to highlight potential broken link building strategies.

## 2\. You Are Writing Content for the Wrong Websites

Guest posting and content marketing can be effective ways of increasing your backlinks. However, you need to [be careful about the blogs you choose](http://mattjanaway.co.uk/seo-annihilation-avoiding-guest-post-spam/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). You aren't doing yourself any favours by asking to post on a blog with a poor reputation. You need to do a thorough check of each blog before you contact the owner about writing a for them. Firstly, you can do a cursory check of the quality of the content. Is it badly written, with poor English, or is it unoriginal? You don't want to put your name on any old blog in your industry. You need to get familiar with their content to ensure it's suitable for you, and you can write something that fits. If there are too many ads or it looks spammy, discount it from your possibilities. From Google’s point of view, a backlinks worth could easily be valued based on click through rates - the more people click through the link, the more relevant it should be.

## 3\. You're Not Social Enough

Being sociable online in a variety of different ways can indirectly help to improve your backlinks. If you're not taking the time to engage in conversation, you're missing out. For example, join sites like Quora, where you can answer questions. If you show that you have an expertise in a specific niche then you increase the chances of showing others that you are an authority in your field, thus increasing the chances of natural links to your site.

## 4\. Try linking out

Perhaps it might seem a little odd, but [linking to other sites can help you](http://mattjanaway.co.uk/linking-out-is-important/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) get more referral traffic. The key thing here is to let other people know that you have linked to them - everyone loves having their ego massaged. You can do this by email or on social media. On social media it makes it very easy for the people you have given links to share your post. For example, you send a tweet to someone to tell them you referenced one of their blog posts. They then retweet the link of share it independently to generate more traffic to your site.

## 5\. You're Not Sending Out News and Updates

It can be tough for small businesses to have enough newsworthy content to share. But whenever you have something worth sharing, you need to broadcast it. Using email and social media will get the word out if you have something to shout about. Writing a press release or a blog post about the latest news in your industry will give you something to promote.

## 6\. Your Content Isn't Shareable

When you write new content for your website or blog, are you thinking about shareability? Many people concentrate on SEO when writing. But they often forget to consider whether people will want to share their content. You need to produce content that’s informative or entertaining. Readers should think of your content as being useful not just for them but for other people they know. Shareable content doesn't always have to be a serious article or a case study, although these are two obvious options. It could be something lighthearted or funny, from a picture of an employee's pet to what you got up to at the office party.

## 7\. You Aren't Taking Advantage of Your Contacts

Making use of the contacts you have in your industry is essential. Building relationships with people through social media and networking can benefit you in so many ways. If you have useful contacts, make sure that you're helping each other out. You can trade links with colleagues, but you have to get it right, don't just swap links randomly. You should be trading with companies who have the same target market as you. They should and offer products or services that complement yours.

## 8\. You're Using Poor Link Building Techniques

Finally, there are link building methods that you should avoid. Paying for links is never recommended and you’ll want to avoid the growing number of "black hat" tactics. You should ensure you're choosing the right methods to improve your backlinks. Google is making link building harder and harder and in order to ensure you are generating the right type of links on relevant websites you should think about how a natural link profile might look to an algorithm. Effective off-site SEO is absolutely vital to generating traffic.

You can boost your referral traffic if you take the time to work on your backlinks. Create a plan of action so that you know what you need to do. Start thinking about readers and visitors and stop thinking about building links that you think will trick Google into ranking your website higher in the search results. If you get it right, there’s no reason why you can’t start generating seriously high-quality traffic with a good chance of an excellent conversion rate.
### 5 Reasons the Links you Build do More Harm than Good
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/5-reasons-the-links-you-build-do-more-harm-than-good/
Last updated: 2021-04-01T23:29:57.000Z
For years, people have been using link building as a method to improve the SEO performance of their site. When done correctly, it can have a great deal of success. However, there are times where you could be shooting yourself in the foot. You may think your link building is helping you, but it can actually be harming your website’s search rankings. 

So, to help you understand how to build links properly, I’ve decided to come up with five reasons your link building campaign isn’t as successful as you’d hoped:

### You’re Using Outdated Tactics

If you want to make the most out of link building, then you need to use tactics that work in today’s world. A lot of people will try building links using outdated tactics that have no use anymore. Something a lot of SEO’s used to do is build links from Web 2.0 articles. This may have worked back in the day, but nowadays it’s a pointless method. Likewise, some will still spam comments sections in blogs with links to their site. Again, there was a time when this helped, but now it’s doing nothing for you.

### The Links Come From Bad Sites

When people first start link building, they become obsessed with creating as many links to their website as possible and they look for any site willing to link to them. This may seem like a good idea as you’re getting plenty of inbound links, which in theory could improve your organic performance. However, some of these sites may be untrusted and dangerous. Check the sites you want links from using something like Majestic SEO or Moz, as well as some due dilligence on your own part (check for a business address, contact details, look through posts and check the outbound links for relevancy) to make sure they’re legit.

### The Links Are From Irrelevant Sources

If you want to build links to a blog post on a certain topic, you should approach high quality sites and make the content relevant. For example, if your content is about the best travel destinations this year, you need to try and find sites that are relevant to travel. Blogs would be a great place to start. You shouldn’t go to a finance blog to try take your content; it would make no sense. If you forget about relevancy, your website can suffer in the long run. It wasn’t too long ago that irrelevant backlinks could help - [now it’s much more difficult](http://www.linkresearchtools.com/case-studies/undisavow-backlinks/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

### ‘Nofollow’ Links Aren’t Always Bad

No follow links aren’t always bad. This tag was introduced to try to combat link spammers. The idea being that no one would spam if they knew that Nofollow links wouldn’t pass link equity. However, having a proportion of inbound [Nofollow links can look very natural](https://moz.com/blog/the-hidden-power-of-nofollow-links?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) and can assist in making your website's link profile look organic and blend in with your competitors.

### You Paid For Links

Some SEO’s choose the easy way and pay for backlinks to their site. It seems like the perfect idea, you spend a little bit of money, and build loads of links. In theory, buying links could help to boost your search rankings. However, there are a few issues with this. If Google catches you buying links, [you’ll be penalized](http://www.seomark.co.uk/buy-backlinks/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). Google’s guidelines specifically state that buying links is dangerous.

So, you can now see five reasons why your link building campaign isn’t as great as you’d hoped. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Link building can be difficult and very time consuming. If you want to generate organic traffic, you need to be making sure that everything you do is of high quality and for the right reasons, otherwise you might struggle to make an impact.
### 19 Free or Inexpensive Offline Marketing Ideas for Small Business
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/19-free-or-inexpensive-offline-marketing-ideas-for-small-business/
Last updated: 2023-06-22T12:26:26.000Z
Regardless of whether you are a brick-and-mortar business or a technology company selling online services, obviously digital and social marketing is vital but offline marketing is still crucial for building a strong brand. Here are 19 free or inexpensive ways to market your business offline. They get more traffic to your store AND to your website and cause more people to buy your product or service. Best of all, they don’t require a bank heist for pulling off—just consistency and common sense.

## **#1\. Spread word of mouth**

Word of mouth is arguably [the most important factor](http://www.smartinsights.com/online-pr/viral-marketing/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) that influences your users to try your service or product. You can generate short-term word-of-mouth publicity by doing something out of the ordinary, like a cool outdoor advertising idea:

![Switzerland: Stopping traffic](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/JN456JZPt3qA9aigdNSsIogxkl0NzDK6My7PFqdmDJu8gdu5sFBrA6VIEb0wT5zpz7DbcFFXf9rq1GF0Rod81tLerMNhWUulGqdBtKbl4DR6JW8tPpyz8O4eDrDUOHrXWM9mM7SmboiLbQgXuw)

MacFries Pedestrian Crossing ([Source](http://www.businessinsider.com/15-surpising-foreign-mcdonalds-ads-you-wont-see-in-the-us-2013-4?op=1&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk))

But, the only way to achieve positive and long-lasting word-of-mouth is to provide extraordinary products and services. Exceed your customers' expectations, and they will spread the good word about your business. Word-of-mouth publicity doesn’t cost anything, though providing extraordinary products and services does.

## **#2\. Craft an elevator pitch**

What if you come across a customer in an elevator and have to sell him or her your product within the duration of the elevator ride? Seriously. These days, people have an attention span [shorter than goldfish](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/11607315/Humans-have-shorter-attention-span-than-goldfish-thanks-to-smartphones.html?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). Whatever media you choose, remember that 8 seconds is all you have to capture their attention. Write a crisp and clear elevator pitch, not longer than 60 seconds. Then use it in your offline messaging.

## **#3\. Sponsor community events**

Community events are often covered by media and attended by many people. They are also a lot cheaper to sponsor than commercial event. Having your logo or banner displayed while a local press photographer clicks the title image for tomorrow's newspaper won't hurt your brand, to say the least.

## **#4\. Attend industry exhibitions**

For exhibitions, have the necessary ammo such as your leaflets/brochures, promotional items and displays ready, with all the bells and whistles. Most importantly, you should have trained salespeople with good knowledge about the product/company. Depending upon your budget and the kind of event, you can book a booth in a few hundred to a few thousand Pounds.

## **#5\. Attend professional events**

Professionals such as doctors or lawyers can spread positive publicity about their personal and professional brand by being a regular at seminars, conferences, or other important events pertaining to your specialty. Have your visiting cards ready to pass around, regardless of whether you're just attending, or speaking at the event. Most people may think of public speaking as something unthinkable, but if you can conquer your fear of it, nothing works better for your brand than speaking at a professional conference.

## **#6\. Distribute promotional products**

Low-cost free giveaway items work well for both B2B and B2C businesses. It's always nice to have something free, to the extent that sometimes the purchase is made for the sake of the free item (think about McDonald's Happy Meal). B2B companies usually print calendars or emboss wall-clocks with their logos to create a long lasting reminder of their brands. Your customers see your company name and logo each time they use the item.

![http://www.ucacanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/promotional_items.jpg](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/I7BCzoxD_uZOa9k9dS-KhNgzyVjwt1SZ5vZu5V307pYcfQjN8CCNugwIERL4DGgOFL7OOY5TRDyhflLiqaLN8GfEX1pezmwhPO1AKH1YtpitfKcaj78n8vBoyg3ajCUWSGYP0g912SFLtsJmLw)

## **#7\. Offer free product trials**

If you can, why not give away your own product free? This induces trial and if you're good, repeat buying will always follow. That's why so many businesses offer free trials. Almost all paid websites offer them, for a limited period. Car showrooms offer free drives and fast-food joints offer free fries or drinks.

## **#8\. Collaborate with other businesses**

Sometimes, small businesses can benefit from big brand-names by being a part of co-promotions, but this can only happen if you have a truly innovative product and have good connections. Short of that, you can involve one or more small businesses to plan and run collaborative marketing campaigns. For instance, a cab company can place their brochures at a hotel's front-desk and in exchange place the hotel's brochures in all cabs.

## **#9\. Print flyers and brochures**

The good old flyer is the weapon of choice for startups and small businesses. Convenient and cheap, flyers can sometimes prove problematic to distribute. So, make sure you know how you'll distribute the 500 or so leaflets that you're going to order. Brochures tend to be more long-term and detailed, covering your company or product from all angles. They are good for B2B or high value products, but can be more expensive to design and print.

## **#10\. Print car stickers**

Your flyer is seen by just the person you give it to. A car sticker can be seen by hundreds of people. The catch here is that most of the people you give the sticker will never paste it on their cars, unless they really own your brand. Hence, target your loyal customers for this freebie. Of course, paste the stickers on your own vehicles too.

![http://www.allen-signs.co.uk/images/content/07-09-2010_102_1.jpg](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/uV25OCHTZkeeXJQfpKkNksONDGGk0b-bkauDjVnSOnNtAYmwJuGRMWUgfsVP17kdneWb7BXmxe1FpesRuhhkPcTq0gUNDlk0S0SW5pGDtwCh68uyv7t6pnEDiRZ4n1ml8iQRoosZgAMgav-XSw)

## **#11\. Give away branded T-shirts**

I'm mentioning Ts separately from promotional items because a T is something more personal. The customer proudly wears your logo on their chest as they go around their Sunday shopping or evening gym routine. Everyone loves a free T, as long as it's not a total rag that you're handing out.

## **#12\. Free radio and TV publicity**

Believe it or not, there may be journalists in your area struggling to have content for their weekly TV or radio programs, content that you can provide. If you are an expert in your niche—a chef, a lawyer, a therapist, etc—go after a few local journalists with your idea to cover the topic in their magazine shows. There are many [ways to find journalists](http://www.business2community.com/public-relations/7-easy-ways-to-find-a-journalists-email-address-0329052?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk#V4kdXuqo6SXEUmgJ.97), but you need to have a good story that their audience will be interested in.

## **#13\. Leverage business cards**

Business cards are usually the first stationery item any business would like to have printed, yet they are vastly under-utilised as a marketing tool. Think of your business card as a mini brochure. Include a QR code or add testimonials on the back. Do you support a social cause? Mention it on your VC. Print your website and social media accounts. Get creative and create a unique design that surprises people, so that they may remember your business and talk about it.

![http://doublemesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/bentply-business-card.jpg](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/WcyVRW9s9eow3REAJEX9IvYji9MKV6y5WnBdtEt6dyX8uryXVPD2yIisfyW_fkXaYNgKp1yqnx1lXq16B7S5015hOfluCp6njljXLPOAd3iBQUvGGai4-CpN_QBVLw3GWG-0gJwPkaVI-kTHGQ)

[Image source](http://doublemesh.com/creative-and-innovative-business-cards/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

## **#14\. Display banners and signs**

Do you have a physical storefront or an office? You should obviously have some well-designed signage displayed. Your aim is to get people through your door, and banners and displays help you do that. There are simple vertical banner stands that don’t cost more than a few Pounds to buy, and stunning digital prints are also inexpensive.

![http://www.emjprinting.co.uk/_assets/images/products/banner-stand.jpg](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/jzplXVYKayVRI_1jgOv1GeQyStQ6iXKfT17F2rX6b8y4am8K63RteWDuP_dBkhkyOg-xCigkjr5R_w5FRCqEmBqVPzeljj9PPAjsFr83Laz-78yDGkBCaW0eQrIZPuxvoAfpsCWQIyV-0rC9wQ)

The only thing you may need to put some money into is the design. Attractive design will attract people's attention, so they'll know that you're there when they need your products or services.

## **#15\. Surprise your audience**

It was many years ago. I stopped at a traffic sign and a pedestrian was crossing the road. It was a young boy holding up a placard that reminded people to brush twice a day for better oral hygiene. You guessed it. The placard was from a toothpaste brand that had hired the young man to (maybe) just cross a few dozen roads. It was surprising and very effective, as I still remember the brand. There can be as many ways to create astonishing brand presence as you can think of—decals, 3D signs, social experiments, and even surprising videos such as this one from McDonald's:

## **#16\. Become a social entrepreneur**

According to different studies, [people hate businesses](https://hbr.org/2007/06/companies-and-the-customers-who-hate-them?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) that make money their first priority. Consumer trends favour brands that stand for a particular social cause. Unlike a conventional entrepreneur, who thinks how he can maximise returns on investment, a social entrepreneur thinks how his products and services can make this world a better place. Profits are nowhere in the equation, but profits always follow. If you're determined to go the mile for a cause you believe in, you'll find people who share your dream and are ready to help you turn it into a reality.

## **#17\. Build business networks**

NSY president [Tom Farley says](http://fortune.com/2015/07/07/tom-farley-networking-tips/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) he owes every bit of success he has ever had to networking. Networking is not about how many people you know, but how many people know you and your business. Make a list of people who you think can matter for your business—clients, influencers, journalists, CEOs…the Prime Minister. Set up appointments and do your homework before you meet them. When properly done, networking is one of the best uses of your time.

## **#18\. Billboards and outdoor wraps**

Billboards are ON 24/7\. You can't shut them off or switch channels. They're great for announcing launches and displaying your brand, but they can be expensive. A cheaper alternative is to have your own (or contracted) vehicles wrapped in your branding and turn them into moving billboards. The more creative you can get with the design, the better.

![http://www.carwrapshawaii.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/DSCF0671.jpg](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/iubqohtGUbOXxU2WjkeG-tdho3hmx7nU2byFI0xhjRdZAYKgIZXYZP_H8g2u4xZedLaNowZ-A_WP9_VKfAUj35nndT4UTsqXp3kZQQTqNwAI_t-b7IUUk-_lnyRl78VZiGgLGbRUSH1KT_3VEQ)

## **#19\. Use innovative packaging**

Regardless of where a customer saw your ad, the purchase is going to happen at the shelf. Innovative packaging can prompt your customers to pick up your product and ignore a more famous brand.

![http://demilked2.uuuploads.com/creative-packaging-part3/creative-packaging-part3-19-2.jpg](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/oOazTETZLQIIApabIiaBjOQV-VAo7t1paiTtlr73vvRTb3RvV0zBz--kxRYB5lUJbcmWZXeomXCPwdYd6t2xnzMe0j14_1W9TT1xQYP6IcWxBFKfY0SQjbF9EbC42HbGMQNFnSbDGWvWvcDRrw)

Can you think of some more? Did you find any idea particularly useful? Let me know in your comments.
### 23 Mistakes that Kill Conversions and We've All Been Guilty of Some
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/23-mistakes-that-kill-conversions-and-weve-all-been-guilty-of-some/
Last updated: 2022-12-16T16:48:19.000Z
So, you're glad your marketing investment is paying off and your site is attracting reasonable traffic. What next?

If you're like most businesses, you've probably put the cart before the horse by spending on PPC and SEO before fully optimising your site for conversions. Chances are that your conversion rate is much below what you could potentially achieve. It's because you've made some common mistakes on your sale or subscription pages, mistakes that kill conversions.

Take a quick read through these conversion killing mistakes...

## **#1\. Your Site is Visually Pretty, but Useless**

People come to your website with the intentions of accomplishing certain tasks. They may be looking for information, comparing prices, buying a product, etc. The single goal of your website or landing page is to enable users to quickly and smoothly achieve their objectives. If your sites doesn’t do this, it's useless for your visitors regardless of how pretty it may look.

In order to keep your visitors from hitting that dreadful back arrow, it is crucial to design your site with them in mind. Build your understanding of your customers and their needs before building your website. Aligning the user experience with the user intent is the overarching rule for creating high-converting pages. High converting sites are not always pretty. Think Craigslist, or look at the ugly affiliate home page below that converts very well.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/03/CleanShot-2021-03-24-at-13.31.48@2x.jpg)

#### **Designing for Your Customers:**

Keyword research is a good starting point, but designing a high converting user experience will take more than just keywords. You'll need to get out of the office and talk to your customers.

Organise focus groups, create roles and personas, track their online behaviour and, and discuss with your associates. Your aim is to know the customer intent behind the main keywords driving you traffic, and satisfy that intent by providing relevant, quality content on your landing page.

## **#2\. A Confusing Main Headline**

Your main headline is the first thing your visitors read on your page. Unless it directly addresses their concerns in simple words, they'll get confused and click away. Don’t write a clever or complicated headline. Instead, write a simple and compelling answer to the biggest question on your visitors' minds.

- Try to pique your reader's emotion by using sensory words, such as taste, feel, imagine, see, etc
- Make people curious, excited, optimistic, fearful, or pleased by using power words
- Create a sense of urgency by using words like now, today, by midnight, etc
- Include a part of your CTA in your main headline to make your page more consistent.

## **#3\. Poor Quality Images**

The first impression is the last impression, and the photos on your page are the first to tell your visitors what kind of a business you are. Low quality images will deliver a bad impression of your business, which is bad for conversions.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/03/pixelate-hexagonal-filter-example1.jpg)

Image courtesy of [Gifgit](https://www.gifgit.com/image/pixelate-hexagonal?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

Product images are important because in the absence of a touch-and-feel experience, they are the only cue your visitors have for taking action. It's better if you hire a professional for the photography. But if you're a pro yourself or you want to try your hand at the DSLR camera you bought cheap on eBay, make sure you have the right equipment such as light boxes, reflectors, etc.

## **#4\. Too Much Text**

Don’t expect most of your visitors to climb across the endless wall of text you've added to your landing page. Too much text can baffle your users and scare them away. Yes, text is important to communicate the value proposition and incite action, but too much of it can make your page look cluttered and hard to scan.

Remember that you only have about 5 seconds to impress and engage your visitors. Place your most important product benefits upfront, in a small and crisp sentence or a bulleted list, which is easier to skim than a solid block of text. Split longer paragraphs into multiple sections under headings and images that clearly spell out the key points. The goal is to use minimal text and organise it in a clean and easy-to-read format.

## **#5\. Complex Navigation and Design**

The web has become a seamless ecosystem, with a standardised or uniform user experience from one site to the next. People are used to looking at different elements in a certain way. For example, main menu is on the top, anchor text is blue, and clicking on specific icons is supposed to do specific things. If your site design does not follow the norms of the web, your user experience will suffer, and so will your conversions.

The key is to keep it simple. Do not be innovative with your site design by creating Flash based navigation, crazy drop-down menus, cartoon characters that serve no purpose, or other such elements that might make your visitors unsure or confused.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/03/CleanShot-2021-03-24-at-13.42.56@2x.jpg)

Shopify's homepage is a good example of an error-free landing page. It has to-the-point copywriting, multiple CTA buttons (with one call to action), and a simple design.

## **#6\. Poor Quality Content**

Do you have poor grammar, typos, or misspelled words in your content? People may not like reading a lot of text online, but they do notice bad content. Hosting poor content gives your users the impression that you're not serious about your business and customers.

Quality content differentiates a great user experience from an ordinary one. Yes, it takes time, money, and hard work to create great content. But once you've created it, you can keep driving higher conversions for a long time.

Remember that great content is great because it addresses your customer's concerns, highlights product benefits, and persuades your visitors to take action.

## **#7\. Bad Typography**

The size and font of your headings and text influence the user experience. Your content should follow a "visual hierarchy," where the most important point stands out most clearly, followed by the next most important point(s), and so on. Do some research on font faces and sizes and see what works best for your business and page design.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/03/Too-long-to-narrow.png)

Image courtesy of [Adobe Express](https://www.adobe.com/express/learn/blog/13-rules-to-help-you-stop-making-bad-font-choices?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

Do not try to emphasise too many value propositions on a single page, as it may cause clutter and confusion. Bold face and italics, though recommended, should be kept to a minimum for the same reason. Do not have too many different font faces, one font for the headlines and another one for the body; that's all you need.

## **#8\. Missing Trust Signals**

People only buy from businesses they can trust. Testimonials, reviews, social media following, and comments are some of the most important trust signals on your page. Knowing that other people have done business with you before, and reading their opinions helps reduce anxiety and instills confidence. If you're not using some of these, be prepared to struggle with depressed conversion rates.

## **#9\. Placing Branding Over Value**

Are you so obsessed with your brand that you're burying the value proposition under your logo, graphics, or self praise? Take a look at the Fayettechill homepage, which doesn’t say anything about the business or the value that it offers to the visitors. Unless you're relying on repeat visitors or strong referrals, placing your brand on top of the value proposition is not a good idea.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/03/CleanShot-2021-03-24-at-13.44.48@2x.jpg)

## **#10\. Too Little White Space**

You'll be amazed to see how many websites have this error. White space plays a crucial role in making your design look clean. It makes different page elements stand out. Sites that don’t have plenty of white space surrounding different elements can look confusing and cluttered.

## **#11\. A Hidden CTA Button**

The CTA button should jump at the visitors without them having to look for it. A missing or obscure CTA button can confuse your visitors when they're ready to take action. If they're not dying to do business with you, they can always go to your competitor's website, which probably has CTA buttons that stick out.

A CTA button should look like a button and should contrast with the colour scheme of the page. It should have a reasonable size and should be surrounded by plenty of white space to make it stand out. There's no harm in having more than one CTA button as long as they promote the same action.

Some A/B tests have shown that a red CTA button converts better than other colours, but don’t take it for granted and do your own testing.

## **#12\. Multiple CTAs**

Though you can have more than one CTA buttons on a page, they should shout out the same call to action. Avoid asking your users to buy your product, download an eBook, AND subscribe to your newsletter on the same landing page. Multiple conflicting calls to action distract your users and cause your conversion rate to drop. If you want users to take many different actions, have a dedicated page for each action.

## **#13\. Vague CTA copy**

Don’t get clever with your CTA copy. Research says bold and direct copy converts better than creative or clever CTA copy. The copy on and around your CTA button should be clear and to the point. It should spell out the exact action that you want the user to take. The copy should give the user a clear idea about what's going to happen after they click the CTA button.

Some tests have shown using first person in CTA copy converts better. Hence "Start My Free Trial" will probably convert more visitors than "Start Your Free Trial," though you must test your own CTA variation.

## **#14\. A Lengthy Lead Capture Form**

If you are looking to capture leads on your landing page, ask for the bare minimum information. The length of your lead capture form is directly proportional to the number of people who drop out while filling the details.

The best practice is to only ask for the name and email address. Where you have to use a longer subscription form, break it down into a number of smaller forms and display a progress bar to let the users know where they are in the subscription.

## **#15\. A Confusing Checkout Process**

Forcing your visitors to "create an account" before they can check out usually causes many of them to drop out. While there's no way around acquiring your first-time buyers' shipping address, credit card info, or other details, the best practice is to break down lengthy checkout processes into easily palatable segments.

Collect only the bare minimum information that is required. For example, the geographic location of the user may be auto-filled. Other check out conversion killers include confusing shipping rates, not enough payment options, a minimum order amount, an unclear return policy, no guarantee info, etc.

## **#16\. A Painfully Slow Loading Time**

How could we forget this lethal conversion killer? Nothing drives away your visitors like a form or page that seems to take forever to load. Research says most of your visitors expect your page to load within 2 seconds or less. If it's taking longer than that, many of them will go away.

## **#17\. A Poor Mobile Experience**

The same is true for improperly optimised mobile pages. A page that doesn’t display properly across different mobile devices risks losing most of its visitors. Considering that most of online traffic now comes from smartphones and tablets, a non-responsive/non-adaptive page is a bad news for conversions.

## **#18\. Distractions at POP**

Many eCommerce pages try to emulate Amazon's product pages and overload the point of purchase (POP) with too many distracting products. Though you should feature your best sellers as well as products that you want to upsell or cross sell, do not go for an overkill. Do not dump related products, promotions, featured products, opt-ins, navigation, and every other thing near the POP, unless you don’t want your visitors to buy any of them.

## **#19\. No Communication or Interactivity**

High converting websites try their best to reduce purchase anxiety by killing the pain points that might be on the visitor's mind. An FAQ section, terms of service, explainer videos, and guarantee information are some of the ways. However, some questions may still remain unanswered. It's a great idea to provide real time interactivity in the form of live chat or telephone support.

Your visitors may not have the time to read through your return policy, FAQs, or other helpful material to look for the answers to their questions. Live chat makes it convenient for them to get those answers instantly. It also boosts their trust and gives them the reassurance there's someone they can talk to if something goes wrong.

## **#20\. Lack of consistency**

A smooth user experience is all about being consistent. The content on your page must be consistent with the keywords that are driving you traffic. Your headline should be consistent with the CTA. The design across your pages, the language and style, the action buttons, the fonts and colours, everything should be in harmony.

## **#21\. Not Considering Reading Pattern**

According to studies, online users follow an F-shaped pattern while scanning web pages. It means the top and left hand side of your page attract more eyeballs. Therefore, your most important product benefits, headlines, and copy should be aligned left and placed near the top of the page.

![F pattern website reading](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/GyWvlc0kI7hIEv87pqGrtc0uZj9wut4IyfxFy78VOyAHfFNX-KPzICX1m3S3SKDs4R4jXThe3nE2NmJ75rvQCHp85JXLivvtOpffzECaC6bscRw_IcLjD4FQlFGnmPrtnj0r56aWnl45yAiyTA)

## **#22\. Not Providing a Price Comparison**

Regardless of how great the user experience, people will still not buy your product if it's over priced. Even when you're listing competitive prices, your customers subconsciously want to compare prices with another figure. That's why you see many items with marked down prices in eCommerce stores. Somehow, providing a comparison converts better than providing prices in a vacuum.

## **#23\. Not Testing**

Did you know the first and last rule of conversion optimisation? It's ABT: "always be testing." With a plethora of reliable online testing tools available, there's no reason to rely on guesswork for building a high converting page. If you think a new layout or colour will convert better, prepare a variation of your page and go for split testing. Even minimal testing can make a phenomenal difference to your conversion rate.
### 5 Easy Steps to Harness LinkedIn’s B2B Goldmine
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/5-easy-steps-to-harness-linkedins-b2b-goldmine/
Last updated: 2021-09-11T18:23:38.000Z
There are more than 300 million users and 3 million business pages on LinkedIn, but that's not what makes LinkedIn vital for B2B marketing. It's the blistering click-through rate.

LinkedIn is the origin of a jaw-dropping [64% of total traffic](https://econsultancy.com/blog/63616-linkedin-users-are-more-interested-in-your-company-stats?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk#i.4q7qb5wl4d1jxz) coming to a select bunch of corporate websites from social media. If that doesn't impress you, here's the stunner. [Hubspot](http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/30030/LinkedIn-277-More-Effective-for-Lead-Generation-Than-Facebook-Twitter-New-Data.aspx?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) found that LinkedIn converted more leads than Facebook and Twitter combined. This could well be the reason why all of the top 50% of American law firms have LinkedIn business pages, and 88% of all B2B marketers use LinkedIn for marketing.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Ls0VzGsDYsauezav1F_8UEAi5UdDrX5g9uPiVp-4Q9RUYKrt2x23VhXRRwzVFP5G-fwh0qUux_mA2aBVpfxeMn0C5QGMGb1D3q8392_35icMXFCbnkqO2z6_rF6pQWUaAms0qgC_vmQoH4YM)

## **The Big Loss**

Most businesses target Facebook and Twitter as their primary channels, keeping LinkedIn as the third priority. A lot of the time, these businesses can barely maintain an effective presence on just one or two channels so LinkedIn gets ignored, which is such a loss, as the channel can prove much more effective for B2B marketing. With the following tips and a smart digital marketing strategy, you can jumpstart your LinkedIn marketing and start seeing results within days. You just have to dedicate 15 minutes to LinkedIn daily.

## **#1\. Know Your Audience and the Channel**

Each social media website has its own strengths and these, in turn, mean different social behaviours. For instance, 68% of Facebook users log in to see what friends and family are up to. By contrast, the predominant majority of LinkedIn users signs in for professional reasons, which means they may not want to see a video of your cats (unless it's cat-food that you are selling, and they happen to be looking for it).

The average time a user spends on LinkedIn is much less than the average time spent on Facebook or Twitter. In other words, LinkedIn users log in with specific objectives in mind. They may be looking to find a job or an employee, keep tabs on their professional connections, make new business acquaintances, or become active in communities that align with their professional interests.

For a B2B marketer, it means two things. Your updates should be carefully thought out, and your targeting should be precise. The content should be focused on your business and industry but should talk about them from your customers' point of view. The content quality should be top-notch. Substandard photos and videos have no place on LinkedIn. Avoid posting poor memes or unprofessional content.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/JuW9lo1kcbPo4B4GZ11S6WzrNncds2aiLBZzziydns0PtSZkuqwko92-6sOb9YslDL2vnuEh5XMun4rhn6JiAss7FIchJTswAjnumOf-A3FV88mzrKQbT7bvMjht6E43eNktGpfJBdb5rntc)

Thankfully, LinkedIn has a very effective search feature, which makes finding and targeting people and companies a simple task. You can look for people, groups, universities, and companies to target by location, company name and size, industry, seniority level, and many other search attributes. However, many of the search features require you to upgrade. You can consider upgrading when you get your head around the free version of LinkedIn.

## **#2\. Dress to Impress**

Your [LinkedIn company page](http://help.linkedin.com/app/answers/detail/a%5Fid/710/~/adding-a-company-page?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) should be impressive. LinkedIn users can spot low quality from miles and wouldn’t engage with you if they doubt the quality of your services. Here are a few things that you can do to enhance your company page.

**Design a Good Cover Photo:** Make sure that you display a professional-looking cover image that depicts your business. Inserting your company logo in your cover image and using your brand colours makes your page look more professional. Take a look at the Fast Company and Hubspot cover images below for inspiration.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/vVSUnuElCDqfYHKSXTrm-c6WUzqploguSqTdTkGHwqzUYZn0QH6rOtRzL2DGF3qLGhxr2EorDkBgyxNfMYUNRUKAxdMdsO40j-tNVwxHEbd2JHlVH0J0XVgDBBhcuEWDeEoyEjbBoiKoIQS-)

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/XAF71jPO2qA8LKwV42V4342--vqqXkbNxBL5BVAh1tMyA9qQD3ekU78bjsh_H3cnQofZvcoKn5I-0FVevZ7wtXryAedLgkkIfd2kHChXk6qYEp65vaJs6pSZvUodl9hG2XpkZvERBXmSpQsK)

**Use Showcase Pages:** LinkedIn business pages used to support product and services pages and media-rich content. They don’t anymore. However, you can create [Showcase Pages](http://help.linkedin.com/app/answers/detail/a%5Fid/44865/related/1?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to feature your special offers, launches, or other important aspects of your business. Showcase Pages include a bigger hero image and a two-column feed design. You can create up to 10 Showcase pages, but each of them will have its own followers and can be connected to only one company page. The followers of your company page cannot be carried over to your Showcase Pages. Check out the following Showcase Page by HP. It is one out of 10 Showcase pages that HP maintains.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/pw7jECJ_IRQpL7avyQ89g0iPDXRQBh7C6msl5xAldl5NC3Qp1pfv9Wg81htUvbZ4YIYNzAPobJQiryGHlBHF6IJ82TkzWZILz7ediqHCJOxhojsyz2divKk_CNkGo2vBMq3fIP6-Qo1-13ae)

**Optimise Overview:** In the Overview section, clearly describe your business and products as well as whom your business serves. List down your key specialities and sprinkle the profile with keywords that people may use as search terms when they are looking for a business like yours.

## **#3\. Spark Engagement**

Like other social media channels, content reigns supreme on LinkedIn too. You should give your audience a reason to engage with your post. Does it correspond to their needs? Is it entertaining? Is it crisp and well presented?

Pictures and headlines are the two major attention grabbers on LinkedIn, as users will only notice these when glancing through their newsfeed, especially if they are using a mobile device or tablet. Draft catchy headlines that compel your audience to engage with your posts. Here are a few tips to help you write great headlines:

- **Use numbers in your headlines—e.g. Exploiting LinkedIn for Marketing in 5 Easy Steps*
- **Use interesting words—e.g. Exploiting*
- Use unique analogies or logic—e.g. *B2B Goldmine*
- Ask a question (if you are not using a number)—e.g. *why…? how…? would you…?*
- Use [online resources](http://www.copyblogger.com/magnetic-headlines/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) for improving the appeal of your headlines
- Track and report. Keep a detailed report of all headlines and KPIs like CTR. Over time you’ll be able to see what works the best for your industry.

You should include a picture or video with your updates and keep the text to a minimum, without compromising on the clarity of your message. Create your content as bite-size chunks of useful information.

Before you can select what to post as updates, you'll need to know your audience and their needs. Your updates must resonate with your audience in order to trigger engagement. Use current events or trending topics to make your updates more interesting. Don’t talk about your services all the time. Instead, post about general topics that interest your readers. Check out the following updates from two of the most followed LinkedIn company pages.

![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_Go6ytwCh3BSKOuU6fgn4bYq1JAr8voy0KLJDCRnmX0VHJ445qyvoHPWZd52te226psckOo6VL0w11EcCHm461XjFJND5hom2B9Qe0FiPX3J0GKX5ay0fQL9Wxjfl4u_8DdbZsEGw-Q4bSms)

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/RC8ya-pf0PNMyf-xAvnaUC_Oa6feSR8NIBEFPs4PTdkOUrgNmN0LqVwtpMBiQDdtKH8AbNMis84itk0CFwS_zIA5sNzs18v2nZyDydpXy-SMB9SRku03E03OKuAnIp9HZ62Ba2hQJr9LdkEu)

LinkedIn also allows you to target your updates. When posting, you can select which particular connections or groups you want to share that update with. Using this feature, you can target people from a particular profession, seniority, geographical area, and more.

## **#4\. Leverage Groups**

One of the most valuable features of LinkedIn is Groups. LinkedIn Groups are similar to Facebook groups, but the former are more focused and meaningful. They provide a place for professionals from the same industry to share their content and ideas, network with peers and influencers, and establish themselves as credible voices in their industry. There are several ways to leverage LinkedIn Groups for business.

- Target the groups that have your prospects and customers as members. It may take you some time to find the groups that work best for you. You can join a few groups, see what's going on there, and replace the ones that offer little value. With nearly 2 million Groups on LinkedIn, you'll never run short of choices.
- Post content occasionally and comment on what others are sharing as often as you can. Don’t post too often and always reply to people's questions. According to LinkedIn stats, you can have up to 4 times higher company pageviews if you comment on posts in different groups.
- Create great content for sharing with other professionals in your targeted Groups. You can develop ebooks, guides, how-to videos, or blog-posts for sharing in different Groups.
- Answer questions and speak on hot industry topics to establish yourself as an expert and engage other Group members.

If you are struggling to find Groups in your industry or area you can always start your own Group(s). Build them around different niches or needs in your industry. For instance, a travel agency can start several groups around vacation hotspots. Users who have been to those places or are interested in going can join such groups. Creating a successful group can do wonders for your company's image and, if done correctly, sales.

## **#5\. Build a Campaign**

Without publicity, a terrible thing happens. Nothing! If you want to avoid the frustration of watching your LinkedIn followers grow at a snail's pace, you should consider LinkedIn advertising. With that said, I always advise my clients never to go for advertising before they have refined their content and targeting strategies. After you know where your audience is and what kind of content it best responds to, advertising can always take your marketing efforts to a new level.

More than 80% of LinkedIn users say they like to engage with companies on LinkedIn. Advertising helps you reach a larger number of targeted prospects. Considering the phenomenal conversion rates that LinkedIn boasts, [LinkedIn advertising](https://www.linkedin.com/ads/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) can deliver the loudest bang for your buck.

![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/wmZoegkxn9J-8fd2E6Y7-7nvAuj7r4pjWi1IDvkeRrEDGSlHWQJtEXgnD5oDe6-elJplBucNago6V9l3gDQWKnF8wp1K8IO5TVNlOGoNuHTW3d8e57k7hOVGQ7IpYWm4S4bJhqXvrWHg-uun)

LinkedIn offers you two basic option for advertising—Ads and Sponsored Content.

**LinkedIn Ads:** Creating an Ad is really simple; however, it's what your Ad will contain that demands your attention. Slick images, spanking headlines, and solid descriptions can multiply the effects of your advertising campaign. LinkedIn Ads are shown in the right side pane.  

**Sponsored Content:** Sponsored Content is basically an update that you promote to your targeted audience. It may be the latest achievement by your company or some helpful information that you want to share with a targeted group of individuals and/or businesses. You can sponsor your most engaging updates to multiply their reach and engagement. Sponsored Content also helps you cement your reputation in your industry by posting informative updates and targeting them to the right audience. For example, if you are a stockbroker, you can sponsor and update about the hottest stocks to buy or stock buying tips. Again, keep track of them and dont be afraid to shout from the roof tops when you’re doing well.

LinkedIn's advertising platform gives you elaborate targeting options, which you should fully exploit while finalising your campaign. In addition to the demographic and interest targeting that Facebook and other social platforms offer, LinkedIn allows you to target people by you can target people by job title, employer, industry, and even skills/ interests. You can also create multiple variation of your Ad and link them to different URLs or LinkedIn pages.

So, now that you know how effective LinkedIn can be, do you plan to start using it for your B2B marketing? Did you find this post helpful? Let me know in your comments and don’t forget to share this article with your colleagues, clients or anybody you feel could benefit.
### 7 Tips To Increase Your Website Load Speed
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/7-tips-to-increase-your-website-load-speed/
Last updated: 2021-03-20T15:57:19.000Z
Increasingly over the last few years, Google has been placing more precedence on website performance. In particular, [site and page speed](https://moz.com/learn/seo/page-speed?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) has been worked into a core aspect of their ranking algorithms. Despite this, it’s incredible how many websites there are out there that have not been optimised and are missing out on vital opportunities. Below we outline our 7 top tips for optimising your website for page speed.

### ****1\. Choose a Reliable Host in Your Target Location**

It should be no surprise to you that your web hosting and more broadly the servers your website uses plays a large role in your overall site speed and performance. If your website is hosted on an unreliable server, then your site is likely to mirror this unreliability. [Virtual Private Servers](https://www.hosting.co.uk/vps-hosting/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) (VPS) are some of the most dynamic and reliable options available to website owners. Whilst a VPS is technically on a shared server, each VPS rests within a separate node. This virtual separation means your website will never experience slowdowns due to another platform, making VPS hosting a reliable, cost-effective alternative to a dedicated server.

Not only this, but many experts also acknowledge that the location of the datacenter your server is housed in also plays a role in the [performance of your website](https://blog.templatetoaster.com/hosting-server-location-affect-seo/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). For example, if you have a website aimed at a UK audience, you should aim for your services to also be based in the UK. Simply put, the data on your website travels through a network of cables and the further the data has to travel, the longer it takes for your site to load.

### ****2\. Utilise Dynamic Caching**

Some websites [serve a visitor with a fresh page every time](https://winningwp.com/what-is-website-caching-and-why-is-it-so-important/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) they visit the same website. If your website is constantly changing this is necessary, but in reality, it’s not needed all the time. Serving a new page every time a visitor comes on site places a load onto the database and CPU. Generating the page for the user also takes time, which can cause delays for visitors.

To get over this, [dynamic caching](https://blogs.akamai.com/2015/10/dynamic-page-caching-beyond-static-content.html?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is recommended. The idea behind this is to create a saved version of the page people are visiting and save that within their cache, meaning it doesn’t have to be created for them every time they visit the site. This is a faster process but also it lowers the strain on servers and frees up those resources for other parts of your website. A final upside to this is that your site will be able to hold more visitors.

![](https://354584.smushcdn.com/485035/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/cdn-banner.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)

### ****3\. Deploy a Content Delivery Network (CDN)**

On your website, there are lots of components that remain the same for long periods of time, or ever. Because these are relatively unchanged, it’s good practice to serve these resources to users from [a server that is nearest to them](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/cdn/what-is-a-cdn/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

A CDN or Content Delivery Network will analyse the IP address of the user visiting your site and will make the decision to send the required components from a server that is closest to the user’s location. Through this process, people from completely different sides of the Earth will experience similar load times.

### ****4\. Defer Javascript**

This tip can require a bit more technical knowledge. There aren’t many websites out there that don’t utilise [javascript](https://www.w3schools.com/whatis/whatis%5Fjs.asp?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) in some capacity. The language is a cornerstone of the web, however it does have its downsides, one of them is the burden on page load time it can add. By ordering the scripts that fire, you can postpone the javascript to load until the more vital visual and structural components of the site have fully loaded.

There are a lot of aspects to implementing this correctly, so if you’re not a techie, please [consult an expert](https://marketinglabs.co.uk/services/web-design/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) if you would like to take on this task. However, there are some plugin options available that can assist with the work, particularly if your site is built with WordPress. Be careful about just letting a plugin loose on the code of your site, verify that the changes it wants to make will not negatively impact the user experience of the page.

![](https://354584.smushcdn.com/485035/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/above-fold-banner.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)

### ****5\. Defer and Inline CSS**

This is essentially the same task as point 4, however it’s targeting another language that is a cornerstone of website construction: [CSS](https://www.w3schools.com/whatis/whatis%5Fcss.asp?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). There is a finer line to work with deferring the loading of this code, because the CSS is what usually visually composes the different elements outlined by the html. If we delay the CSS our pages will not look good!

The solution to the above problem is to inline the code that is [above the fold](https://www.webvanta.com/post/2014-07-06/responsive-design-above-the-fold?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). The fold means the area of the website that loads before you have to scroll down. By inlining this code, you separate the CSS that defines the area above the fold and insert them directly into the code for every page, as opposed to on a separate stylesheet. This means that section will be loaded instantaneously. Once the rest of the page has been rendered, the CSS files can then be loaded.

To implement this, you’ll have to firstly, get the essential CSS for the above the fold section. Admittedly, this can be quite a difficult task, but there are more online tools that are capable of doing this for us. In some cases, it’s as easy as typing in the URL of your site and it will provide you with the essential CSS you are looking for.

You will then need to take this code and insert it into the key pages of your site. Again, enlisting [the help of a professional](https://marketinglabs.co.uk/contact-us/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is a good idea if you want to ensure the implementation is perfect.

### ****6\. Implement Lazy Loading on Images**

Even for those who are extremely cautious with their images, they will usually take up the majority of the size of a page. Especially when you consider the size that some images are uploaded, which can be hundreds of MB. As a result of this, it becomes important to only [load images when a user is actually going to be viewing them](https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/what-is-lazy-loading/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

The answer to this problem it to implement a lazy loading strategy. Lazy loading essentially means that an image is only downloaded when the user has scrolled far enough down a webpage to view it. If all the images are loaded onto a page at the very beginning, it will take a long time, and the user might not even get far enough down the page to see them. It’s a waste of resources for both the user and yourself.

As with the previous two points, this is a difficult task to execute manually. There are options that can speed up the process, particularly if you operate on a WordPress site, where there is the [Jetpack plugin](https://en-gb.wordpress.org/plugins/jetpack/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). There are a whole host of features that this plugin can help with and lazy loading is one of the most useful.

![](https://354584.smushcdn.com/485035/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/cut-code-banner.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)

### ****7\. Cutting Excess Code**

Depending on what platform your website is built on, there could be a huge amount of code that is included into the templates but doesn’t help with your site in any way, shape or form. Reducing this will [help the page load faster](https://www.vendasta.com/blog/cut-heavy-code-wordpress-site?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). As an example, WordPress adds lines of code that lets emojis be rendered. Whilst this is a feature with its benefits, you have to weigh up whether it’s better to cut those lines or to keep them for the added functionality they add.

The seven options we’ve outlayed above are a mix of optimisations for servers and on page. By approaching the task of speeding up your site from both these angles, there should be a lot of progress to be made. By improving the load speed of your site, you’ll improve the site not just in the eyes of search engines, but users will have a better experience which is one of, if not the most important factor to optimise for.
### 3 Principles of Psychology You Can Use to Improve Your Click-Through Rate
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/3-principles-of-psychology-you-can-use-to-improve-your-click-through-rate/
Last updated: 2023-03-27T12:04:11.000Z
There are many ways of improving your digital performance. A Smart Insights study shows that 20% of businesses think content marketing will significantly impact their digital business. However, just behind, at 14%, is using big data. Big data can be used for so many benefits, but one of them is increasing your click-through rates.

Your CTR should show you how useful searchers find your advert or organic listing. A speedy fix for growth is to improve your CTR. If you can increase your click-through rate, you benefit from more traffic, more orders and more revenue. It can even [increase your AdWords quality score](https://marketinglabs.co.uk/adwords-quality-scores-tips-improve-ppc-performance/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), which means you can pay less per click - or get greater exposure.

But how can you do this? What tips and tricks are there to ensure that your advert gets a high click-through rate? Advertisers use many methods, and it varies from person to person. However, every digital marketer should pay attention to human psychology's basic elements if they want their CTR to increase. Various psychological principles will encourage someone to click on an advert. In this piece, I will explore three principles of psychology that will dramatically improve your click-through rate.

## Past Experiences Affect Current Experiences

A fundamental principle of psychology is that your past experiences will affect your current experiences. If something happened to you in the past, it determines your future subconscious decision making.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/04/MarketingLabs_PsychologyBlogImages_1500x300px_RK_26-Apr-2021_V1.jpg)

Let me break things down for you with a simple example. Imagine crossing a road for the first time. They have no idea what to do, so they begin to walk out in front of cars. The parent stops the child and tells them it's dangerous, and you should look both ways. The next time the child crosses the road, they draw on that experience and look both ways without being told.

It's easy to apply this principle to online advertising to increase click-through rates. Someone is more likely to click on an advert if it's similar to something they've seen before. Or if it reminds them of an experience. Luckily, you can use Google Adwords to target your ads at people that have used your website before -[ this is called remarketing](https://www.ppchero.com/ultimate-guide-to-adwords-remarketing/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). This increases the chances of someone clicking on your ad and should also increase the conversion rate once they visit your site.

## We Do Things For People That Do Things For Us

If that heading sounds confusing, don't worry, I'll explain the concept in more detail. Humans have a psychological tendency to do things for people that will do things in return for them. If you're out with a friend, and they pay for your dinner, you're more likely to give them something at a later date. The next time you're out, you'll be eager to repay them and pay for their dinner. Whereas you're reluctant to do things if nothing is ever offered to you.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/04/MarketingLabs_PsychologyBlogImages_1500x300px_RK_27-Apr-2021_V2.jpg)

To put it simply, your advert should offer something. An excellent example of this is an advert that displays a discount or promotes a sale. What's more likely to get clicked on; an advert for shoes or an advert for 50% off shoes. It's a no brainer; the 50% off advert will always have a higher click-through rate. And, this is because you're offering something substantial, so searchers more inclined to click the ad and then buy those shoes.

## People Act When Things Are Scarce

Any psychologist will tell you that scarcity makes people act differently. If something appears to be scarce, it makes you react in a certain way. There's only one seat left on the bus, so you run like hell to get to it. It installs a little bit of fear in your brain that you're going to miss out on something. In the digital marketing world, we call this FOMO - '[Fear of Missing Out](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear%5Fof%5Fmissing%5Fout?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)'.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/04/MarketingLabs_PsychologyBlogImages_1500x300px_RK_27-Apr-2021_V3.jpg)

It's easy to use scarcity to encourage people into clicking on your advert. 'Hurry, 50% off sale ends today', is an example of advert text that gets people clicking. When you see an advert like that, it triggers the FOMO and the fear of missing out on such a significant discount. It's a tried and tested method that yields positive results.

In conclusion, psychological principles can have a considerable impact on your click-through rate. If you want to get your CTR up, you should spend some time working on applying some of the tips above.
### 5 Commonly Overlooked Blogging Mistakes That Can Affect Your SEO Rankings
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/5-commonly-overlooked-blogging-mistakes-that-can-affect-your-seo-rankings/
Last updated: 2021-03-19T00:23:56.000Z
As a blogger, trying to achieve first page of results in Google is the ultimate dream. According to statistics from 2017, [75% of searchers](https://www.searchenginejournal.com/24-eye-popping-seo-statistics/42665/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) never go any further than the first page results with [30% of visitors clicking on the first link](http://www.smartinsights.com/search-engine-optimisation-seo/seo-analytics/comparison-of-google-clickthrough-rates-by-position/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). In short, if you’re not on the first page of results, you’re missing out on huge amounts of traffic.  
  
In 2019 and beyond, the statistics are even more significant. According to [Ahrefs](https://ahrefs.com/blog/57-seo-statistics-for-2020/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), 99% of people don’t go beyond first page results.

For this reason, SEO should be a vital part of your blogging strategy. Optimizing your site and blog posts for SEO can help to **boost your rankings in Google**, getting you closer to the ‘holy grail’ first page results. However, there are some common blogging SEO mistakes that could be doing more harm than good. Are you making these overlooked blogging mistakes?

## **Mistake #1: Your articles are too short**

Naturally, Google advocates longer pieces of content – as detailed content helps users with the query they are searching for. Backlinko found that pages ranking on page 1 had an [average of nearly 1900 words!](http://backlinko.com/search-engine-ranking?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) Effectively, any blog post under 500 words is going to be less effective and attractive to search engines than long-form content.

It seems clear that Google wants to present searchers with detailed, in-depth information that offers value to online visitors.

![5 commonly overlooked blogging mistakes that can affect your SEO rankings](https://cdn.liveagent.com/app/uploads/2019/09/5-commonly-overlooked-blogging-mistakes-that-can-affect-your-seo-rankings1.gif)

## **Mistake #2: You post too often**

In the past, Google was heavily focused on websites that were regularly updated. It led to some bloggers posting multiple times per day in order to try to remain relevant. This resulted to a culture of *article-churn* where thousands of poor-quality blogs were posted daily.

Now, Google seems to have reversed the impact of this somewhat (either intentionally, or just as part of algorithm weighting). Search results now give prominence to well thought-out, quality articles. When writing your blogs, **concentrate on quality not quantity**, a great place to start is writing content for your audience and not for search engines.

This obvious move towards quality over quantity caused Rand Fishkin, co-founder of Moz, to coin the term “[10x content](https://moz.com/blog/how-to-create-10x-content-whiteboard-friday?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)”. He explains the term as; “How can I create something 10 times better than what any of these folks are currently doing”?

This type of content takes time to plan, research and craft, so don’t worry about blasting out lots of content. Worry about making it great!

## **Mistake #3: You don’t conduct keyword research prior to writing**

Even though Google now understand language more than ever thanks to the introduction of [RankBrain](http://searchengineland.com/faq-all-about-the-new-google-rankbrain-algorithm-234440?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), SEO is still highly reliant on keywords. Google is constantly looking at the content of your website, including keywords and synonyms of keywords, so it knows what your website is about. It uses these keywords to index your website appropriately.

In order to make sure Google finds you, [choose your keywords carefully](https://marketinglabs.co.uk/easy-way-keyword-research-free/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) so it accurately describes your blog posts. If you research keywords thoroughly, there’s a good chance you might find some nice opportunities.

![5 commonly overlooked blogging mistakes that can affect your SEO rankings](https://cdn.liveagent.com/app/uploads/2019/09/5-commonly-overlooked-blogging-mistakes-that-can-affect-your-seo-rankings2.gif)

## **Mistake #4: You use too many keywords!**

Despite the last point, there’s a keyword ‘fine-line’ around this topic! Google can easily tell if you’re ‘stuffing’ your blog content with keywords to attempt to play their intelligent algorithms. Your first priority is quality content and whilst keywords are vital, you have to find a natural balance. **Don’t make your content unreadable because you filled it full of repetitive key phrases**. A great way to ensure you have an organic keyword profile within each post is to create paragraph headings. These help to break up the content for readability but also strengthen your on-page SEO as your can assign H2 and H3 title tags.

![5 commonly overlooked blogging mistakes that can affect your SEO rankings](https://cdn.liveagent.com/app/uploads/2019/09/5-commonly-overlooked-blogging-mistakes-that-can-affect-your-seo-rankings3.gif)

## **Mistake #5: You don’t link to other great websites & their content**

Your website’s link architecture and profile is a huge deal for Google and SEO. Google use links to determine how popular your website is, and how much authority you have. In other words, lots of strong backlinks to your site should equal higher rankings.

By organically linking to similar, more established sites which you trust to offer as a point of reference for your own content, you are encouraging Google to trust your content more. It is therefore important not to forget to [link to other websites](http://mattjanaway.co.uk/linking-out-is-important/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). In addition, by naturally creating outbound links within your content, you are organically creating relationships with other webmasters who are then more likely to link back to your website in one of their other posts. **Don’t forget that it is links that make the World Wide Web go round!**

That’s all for now, folks. How are you going to tackle these big SEO blogging mistakes? Don’t underestimate the power SEO to help you rank on page 1 of Google results and drive more traffic to your blog.
### How to Make Content Marketing Work In a World Saturated With Content
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-make-content-marketing-work-in-a-world-saturated-with-content/
Last updated: 2022-07-04T16:35:45.000Z
There’s no shortage of content online. 4.6 billion pieces of content are produced daily, each competing for your consumer’s limited attention.

The industry is saturated, to say the least. On the one hand, a flash flood of content is good for searchers, as they’ll find information about pretty much anything they look for. On the other hand, content creators must fight for their chance to earn those searchers’ attention.

This is supposed to be encouraging, not discouraging. Here’s why:

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a brand new business or a seasoned marketing veteran —you can play the content marketing game and win it.

While you should keep an eye on your competitors efforts, content marketing is about meeting the needs of potential customers through high-quality, original content.

Let’s look at how to do just that.

### **Why Should You Care About Content Marketing?**

Content marketing holds one main purpose: reaching your business goals through content creation and distribution. It’s not about selling – not directly – but rather about steering potential customers in the right direction.

Whether you want prospects to sign up to your email list, download an ebook, or buy your product, content will get you there. But only if it’s the *right kind of content* at the *right time*.

Generic content will get buried among the piles. Generic content is *weak*.

Creating content for the sake of it won’t scale your efforts or bring you enough prospects. Bluntly speaking, people will find better sources somewhere else.

What you have to do is create content that shines. Content that stands out and answers all of your prospect’s questions. Content that can be repurposed and shared, again and again.

Want to learn how to do it yourself? Keep reading.

## **How to Make Content Marketing Work in a World Saturated With Content**

### **1\. Watch What Your Competition is Doing. Then Make It Better.**

Let’s talk about the ‘Skyscraper’ content strategy.

Backlinko’s CEO Brian Dean has tested and proven that this strategy increased search traffic by 110 percent in only two weeks. Talk about a spike!

The Skyscraper technique is divided in two parts: creating content, and then chasing the right people who can give you a backlink for it.

For now, let’s just focus on standout content creation.

This strategy is by no means meant to replicate or plagiarise content. “Making it better” means creating something original, more valuable, and more readable than the current winner.

Will it take time and work? Yes. But it will also give you the traffic you’ve been craving. And when you’ve got traffic and a good content marketing strategy in place, the results will follow.

So…what are a few ways you can make your content better than the guy who’s positioning first in search engines?

- ****Adding expert quotes and sources**. Remember Google’s 2014 E-A-T guidelines? Here’s a refresher: E-A-T stands for ****Expertise**, ****Authority**, and ****Trustworthiness**. If your website meets all three requirements, you won’t only be creating content Google loves–you’ll be creating content your audience will keep coming back to, because they know it’s legitimate.
- Adding expert quotes to articles, linking out to reputable sources, and including a professional bio on your website will ensure quality raters that your page is run by an expert whose input people can trust.
- ****Add visuals to your blog posts.** Infographics, visual examples, videos, checklists…anything that adds value by making it easy for the reader to grasp what the page is about. Plus, visuals can easily be pinned and shared by readers for later reference.
- ****Create PDF “pocket” versions.** Offering downloadable PDF versions of your written content is another way to keep readers coming back to it when they need it most. Making it a “snackable” version with key points and takeaways is even better.
- ****Write longer copy.** While this isn’t always applicable, longer copy has been shown to work better because you answer all customer objections in one source. Of course, you should always A/B test your copy to ensure if long-form content works better for your readers.

While the above steps aren’t a guarantee of first-ranking Google positions, they are a smart way to increase traffic to your website, simply because the content is well-assembled and well-distributed. Instead of thinking about positioning, think about bringing value to your readers.

In the end, it’s all about creating content with sharing potential. It’s about creating “awesomeness”, as Google Search Advocate John Mu once tweeted in response to a curious marketer:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/03/Screenshot-2021-02-24-at-08.42.40.png)

### **2\. Take Advantage of Social Media and Social Trends**

Brands like NBA, Guess, Chipotle, and even The Washington Post are using TikTok as one of their content strategies.

Why? Because they’ve seen its massive growth and marketing potential.

Part of TikTok’s strength relies on the trendy content streaks any business can borrow and mould into their own brand. Any business or professional is suitable for TikTok trends – whether it’s a law firm, a healthcare professional, an eCommerce brand… you name it.

What’s more, TikTok users can start and follow challenges with the purpose of going viral. An example of a famous challenge is Guess’s #InMyDenim, where users would record themselves going from “disheveled” to “fabulous”. Only, the latter had to include Guess denim apparel.

The same goes to other platforms like Instagram and other types of media, like memes.

Laffin, a plush toy company, saw an opportunity in current events and created the following meme:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/03/Screenshot-2021-02-24-at-08.43.01.png)

And the response was incredible.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/03/Screenshot-2021-02-24-at-08.43.31.png)

All it takes is a bit of creativity to come up with interesting ideas. Nothing will ever be 100 percent original, but you can get pretty close to it. After all, your brand is unique.

The question you should ask yourself is: *how can I tie current news and trends with my content? And how can I make it interesting enough to be liked, commented on, and shared?*

### ***3\.* Create Evergreen Content**

A lot of those humongous “ultimate guides” you see around the web were written years ago. That’s also the reason why you see hooks like “Updated for 2021” on title tags, for instance.

That happens because some principles change so often that they need to be consistently updated. A great example of ever-changing content is Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), in which new guidelines and rules come around every year.

Still, the changes or potential additions are so minimal, a complete rewrite of SEO guides isn’t necessary and a few key rules still remain. Writers can just tweak those guides for clarity and upgrades, and they’re ready for republishing.

You, too, can create your own ebooks and guides only once, and update them every year. This type of long-form content has several benefits:

- You’ll do the hardest part of the work only once.
- It’s an extensive, free source of knowledge to your readers, and you can use it to turn visitors into prospects.
- There may not be a need for writing all of the content in the first place–you can assemble existing blog posts into a large ebook, making it a one-stop source for your audience.

When it comes to content creation, there are many options to explore here. You can:

- Compare your product to others in the market.
- Create detailed “how-to” guides.
- Assemble one free guide, and add a subscription fee to those who want to see more.

You know your potential customer like the back of your hand.

What type of content would they like to see? A smart strategy is to send out surveys and cater to their wants and needs.

### **4\. Grab Potential Customers at Every Stage**

Educating and nurturing prospects with standout content are the most important steps towards a buying decision.

A smart content strategy will send prospects down the marketing funnel if the right content is well-placed at every stage of the buyer’s journey: ****awareness, consideration, and conversion**.

Grabbing potential customers at every stage means creating content they’ll both need and love to consume.

Take videos, for example. According to research from Brightcove Inc., 85 percent of millennials affirmed they’ve bought a product (or service) after watching a video. It figures, as enjoyment of video ads is said to increase purchase intent by 97 percent.

With that in mind, there are ideal types of content for every stage of the funnel. Here they are.

****Awareness.** In this phase, you’re attracting people who have most likely never heard about your brand. You must educate them and give them a great first impression to activate positive brand association.

****Types of content:**

- “How to” blog posts
- Engaging social media posts
- Free guides and ebooks
- Handy checklists,
- Videos

****Consideration.** It’s when the previous “strangers” have now become prospects, and you must send them deeper into the funnel.

****Types of content:**

- Personalised email marketing
- Case studies
- Free webinars
- Free samples
- Free consultation

****Conversion.** Congratulations, you’ve got a customer! Yet, just because you’ve won their business once, that doesn’t mean your work is over. You’ve still got to delight your customers, or they’ll choose to go somewhere else.

****Types of content:**

- Free trials
- Demos
- Quotes
- Discount coupons

### **Key Takeaways**

As much as you don’t want to read this, your newly created content won’t earn its well-deserved attention overnight.

Remember that there’s an overflow of content out there.

You might have to create dozens of pieces of content to reach your conversion goals, or a top Google position, or the big prize you’re on the lookout for: cash.

So hang in there. Getting established and earning authority in your niche takes work.

In the meantime, enjoy it! Above all, creating and marketing original content should be enjoyable. The big break might come when you least expect it.
### Email Marketing Isn’t Dead. You Just Need to Write Better Emails…
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/email-marketing-isnt-dead-you-just-need-to-write-better-emails/
Last updated: 2021-03-18T19:23:45.000Z
Has your open rate plummeted? Are you wondering whether you should give up on email marketing altogether?

It *could* be that email marketing is the problem. More likely, it’s your approach.

Before you throw in the towel and assume that email marketing is dead, try implementing these tips.

### **Is Email Marketing Really Dead?**

At first, it’s easy to understand why people think there’s no point in using email marketing anymore. After all, average email open rates decreased slightly in 2020 to about 21.3 per cent. By contrast, from 2015 to 2018, they held steady at about 24 per cent.

If you’re seeing your open rates for newsletters and marketing emails starting to drop, you might assume that they’re going to keep doing so. If history is any indication, though, don’t necessarily mean that email marketing is dead or that your efforts are in vain.

Remember, in the past, whenever there’s been a decrease in email open rates, it’s been followed by a significant increase. As marketers get smarter and change the way they handle their emails, open rates go back up and businesses are able to get back on track.

### **How to Write Better Marketing Emails**

Email marketing definitely isn’t dead. However, if you want to see significant increases in open-rates, you need to change the way you write and format your marketing messages.

Listed below are 5 tips that will help you write better emails, the kind of emails that get opened and convert people from mere subscribers to paying customers:

### **1\. Keep Content Simple**

Do you want people to open and read your marketing emails? Furthermore, do you want them to follow through on your call-to-action? If so, you need to keep your content simple.

What do people do when they know that your emails are wordy and full of huge blocks of text? They stop opening them altogether.

Remember the basic rules of writing for the web when drafting email copy:

- Keep sentences short
- Limit complex sentences
- Use simple words and phrases
- Limit paragraphs to 3 sentences or fewer
- Use headings and bullet points to break up text and keep things organised

Keep emails simple from a design perspective, too. Don’t use tons of different colours and fonts. Avoid adding a bunch of images as well. This creates clutter *and* can slow down page load times.

### **2\. Personalise, Personalise, Personalise**

Personalisation can make a big difference to your email open rates.

What happens when people feel that you’re writing directly to them? They’re more inclined to actually click on and read your content.

If your emails feel generic and impersonal, a huge portion of your email list subscribers will likely end up deleting your messages without opening them. They might even go so far as to unsubscribe or send the emails straight to the spam folder.

How do you avoid this? Start by including each subscriber’s name in the email salutation. You may want to include it in the subject, too.

Personalise email content based on subscribers’ past actions as well. For example, you can encourage them to restock an item they bought a month ago, or remind them of something they added to their cart but didn’t pull the trigger on.

### **3\. Write Clear Subject Lines**

Great marketing emails start with great subject lines. Hundreds of billions of emails are sent daily. That means the average person has a lot of messages competing for their attention.

If you want to increase your open rates, you need to craft subject lines that encourage recipients to take action. Here are some tips that will help you do this:

- Use clear, easy-to-understand language (no long, complicated words)
- Limit subject lines to 50 characters or fewer
- Use verbs (“open”, “click”, “act now”, etc.)
- Avoid spam triggers (words like “cash” and “save” or writing subject lines in all caps)
- Use time-related words if applicable (“expires soon”)
- Include first names

Don’t be afraid to experiment with different styles. Pay attention to your data to see what kinds of subject lines get the most attention from your subscribers.

### **4\. Use One Call-to-Action**

Do you want to increase conversions? If so, you need to give your recipients a job to do after they read your copy.

A call-to-action (or CTA) is a must for marketing emails. Don’t go overboard by asking too much of your audience, though. Limit yourself to one call-to-action per email.

Whether you want your readers to visit your website, start shopping today, or download your free eBook, make your CTA clear and noticeable.

Readers shouldn’t have to search for your instructions. Put the button somewhere they’ll be sure to see it. Design it so it contrasts with the rest of the copy, too.

Don’t forget to add alt-text to your CTA button as well. That way, if the reader has blocked images, they’ll still know where to click.

### **5\. Optimise for Mobile**

Finally, make sure your marketing emails are optimised for mobile devices.

Approximately 46 per cent of emails are opened via mobile. Clearly, it’s important to make sure your audience can read your copy just as well on a mobile device as they can on a computer.

Test emails on mobile devices to ensure copy is readable and features plenty of white space. Make sure images load quickly, too, and don’t get cut off. If this is a problem, try reducing the file size.

Make sure your CTA buttons are larger than 45-57 pixels as well. This size translates to about 1.6-2 centimetres, which is the size of the average adult finger. Make the button easy to push and recipients will be more likely to follow through.

### **Level Up Your Email Marketing Strategy**

As you can see, email marketing is not dead. You just need to write better, more engaging emails.

Keep the tips listed above in mind as you work to improve your strategy. They’ll help you to increase your open rates, convert more customers, and keep your business alive.
### 7 Useful Content Marketing Examples from eCommerce Brands
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/7-useful-content-marketing-examples-from-e-commerce-brands/
Last updated: 2021-03-20T15:49:59.000Z
Content marketing can be an incredibly effective medium to promote a business. Particularly, if you’re operating an eCommerce website because you’ll be operating purely online and your offline branding is less relevant — although your offline branding can also help with your SEO efforts. This means that customers will be visiting their site to buy products, goods or services.

If you can add content to your site that makes them more inclined to make a purchase, you can create a profitable marketing campaign. Below, I’ll outline some stores that take different approaches to content marketing. Each one highlights why understanding your audience is vital.

## ****Scotts Menswear**

![](https://354584.smushcdn.com/485035/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/CleanShot-2020-07-13-at-16.58.21@2x.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1 "CleanShot 2020-07-13 at 16.58.21@2x")

Scotts Menswear is a popular UK based eCommerce clothing store. They sell a range of fashionable clothing from brands including Adidas. Scotts have a blog set up that is used as a marketing platform. However, the way in which the blog operates isn’t intrusive or particularly apparent. Instead, Scotts operate with a subtle approach to marketing through content.

The blog is run be an ex-editor of an entertainment magazine that was geared towards men. It’s fitting then that the blog has the same characteristics of a men’s mag. It has content based on film, TV, pop culture and fashion. All of which will be attractive to Scott’s target customer. Direct marketing is incredibly subtle with only the occasion link to the online shop. Usually, you’ll see the store being advertised at the bottom of each piece of content, and it is related to the subject of the article. The site is attractive, colourful and easy to access for customers. No doubt, it generates a lot of business for Scotts.

## ****Grazia Shop**

![](https://354584.smushcdn.com/485035/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/CleanShot-2020-07-13-at-16.58.58@2x.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1 "CleanShot 2020-07-13 at 16.58.58@2x")

Another clothing store, but this one has taken a different approach to content marketing. Rather than producing content loosely based on the target customer, it hits the target audience directly. The majority of the content produced by this company is based around fashion and is often linked to celebrity culture.

The site has the appearance of an online magazine with appealing images that are sure to draw the reader in. It uses a variety of different types of content such as Q & A’s, must have items and even short videos. The blog also features plenty of calls to action, designed to get customers onto the store page. I particularly love the collaborations between industry insiders that ensures the blog looks professional and helps build that authoritative reputation.

## ****Furl**

![](https://354584.smushcdn.com/485035/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/CleanShot-2020-07-13-at-16.59.31@2x.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1 "CleanShot 2020-07-13 at 16.59.31@2x")

Furl sell extremely high-end space-saving furniture. Its target audience is consumers who live in houses where space is a premium. Almost every single customer of Furl uses them due to their genius space-saving furniture, so Furl take advantage of this by creating amazing content which gives tips and ideas for their target audience. You can find content on topics like selecting the right colour schemes, space-saving tips, and even advise how to choose the right fabric for living with pets. The content is shared extremely well on social media due to the perfectly targeted nature of the writing.

## ****Reebok**

![](https://354584.smushcdn.com/485035/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/CleanShot-2020-07-13-at-16.59.49@2x.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1 "CleanShot 2020-07-13 at 16.59.49@2x")

Last year, Reebok launched a new marketing campaign with a microblog. The campaign, titled ‘be more human’, was a slightly different approach to content marketing. The whole purpose of the content was to get customers to interact with the company on different levels. Reebok provided readers with information on fitness activities and how fitness increases brain power. They also encouraged readers to participate by taking tests and uploading pictures of their workout. In many ways, this is an example of how user generated content can boost your brand. Links to the shop stores and connections from the content to the site itself were subtle and yet, incredibly effective.

## ****Jean Paul Gaultier**

![](https://354584.smushcdn.com/485035/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/CleanShot-2020-07-13-at-17.00.41@2x.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1 "CleanShot 2020-07-13 at 17.00.41@2x")

JPG proved that marketing — and specifically content — doesn’t need to have a large budget to be effective. In fact, it’s possible to market to customers using content with just a few simple alterations to your site. That’s what this company was able to do and it proved to be very effective. JPG added animations and what could be seen as online gimmicks to their site homepage. These were colourful cartoons that customers could interact with. It was akin to something you occasionally find on the Google search page. That may even have been where JPG took the idea from. Rather than blasting customers with marketing, these little add-ons made the site more fun. It might have encouraged customers to stay on the site longer and make a purchase.

## ****Unique Log Cabins**

![](https://354584.smushcdn.com/485035/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/CleanShot-2020-07-13-at-17.01.00@2x.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1 "CleanShot 2020-07-13 at 17.01.00@2x")

Unique Log Cabins offer a very niche product that has to appeal to a certain type of audience. Instead of trying to be creative with generating social shares, they opt for a more informative approach. A large proportion of their sales are for garden offices and one stumbling block with selecting the right garden office is whether you would need building planning permission. They created a really handy guide for their visitors advising of the steps which can be taken in order to bypass needing permission to build.

## ****Best Buy**

![](https://354584.smushcdn.com/485035/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/CleanShot-2020-07-13-at-17.01.59@2x.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1 "CleanShot 2020-07-13 at 17.01.59@2x")

Best Buy uses content on their site in a very specific way to secure a sale. Best Buy offers customers PC guides because they understand buying a PC is a big purchase. They are often quite expensive, and customers do tend to think carefully before they make a purchase.

With the best buy guide, customers are helped to make this purchase with useful information. At the same time, the customer is slowly pushed towards a sale with effective calls to action. Best Buy uses the guide to make sure that a wide variety of PCs are sold to different customers. It is a fantastic example of targeted content which helps the customer while increasing conversions. The brilliant factor here is that this isn’t just content for the sake of marketing. It will be of value to the consumer as well.

## ****Conclusion**

You can take the basic outline of any one of these ideas to improve the way you use content marketing in your business. There is no one-size-fits-all strategy for your on-site content marketing efforts, instead, you have to start understanding your target audience — only when you understand what makes them tick and what brings them to your website can you really develop a content plan. There are various content marketing strategy guides available online but my favourite has to be the Smart Insights content marketing strategy hub.

Once you are happy with your strategy, the hard work starts. You have to be confident that you can make your efforts pay-off and stick to creating the content that your visitors demand.
### Everything You Need to Know for eCommerce Success in 2025
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/everything-you-need-to-know-for-ecommerce-success-in-2021/
Last updated: 2025-02-19T03:06:43.000Z
So, you’re thinking of starting an online business in 2025\. Maybe you’re already selling online, and you want some strategies for more success.

Now, you may think that you have to expand your product catalogue. Maybe you’re thinking that you should improve the quality of your products. You could even think about branching into other product lines.

Let’s let you in on a little secret. It’s all in the marketing. Sure, your catalogue and product quality is important, but without an effective eCommerce marketing strategy, how will consumers find your products, let alone buy them.

So, what do you need to know? Here’s some concrete advice you can follow for eCommerce success in 2025.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/03/marketing_1606914941.png)

## **Your Website**

Think of your website as your shop window. Think of it as a store people walk by every day. Each time, they look through the windows at the products, the layout, and the design of the store. They should have a reason to come in. It should thus be inviting and attractive. If it’s not, consumers won’t go through the trouble of coming in.

Remember, consumers are emotional buyers. Or, in other words, they’ll often buy a product that’s not the best on the market based purely on the fact that they like the looks of it or how it makes them feel. You’ll find this in almost every industry, from electronics to clothing and shoes. Likewise, good design can invite them in and let them explore more.

Apart from the design and looks, it should also demonstrate your brand’s story. This story needs to be consistent across all aspects of your website’s design. So, how do you tell it? It’s simple. By using content, consumers learn your story, and you create awareness about your brand. In this way, consumers know if they identify with your business and whether they want to do business with you.

In fact, consumers trust content more than traditional advertising with 70% preferring to learn about a company through content rather than ads. For this reason, content is the backbone of any digital marketing strategy. The key, however, is that you should provide relevant and valuable resource to consumers to solve their problems.

## **Social Media**

Your content goes beyond your website, though. If you think of your website as the store window, social media is the counter inside where consumers have the chance to meet and engage with you.

Here, consumers not only get the chance to learn more about your business through your content but can also interact with you. This creates relationships on a deeper level than traditional advertising.

Obviously, social media also allows you to use ads and target specific consumers to optimise your reach, but keep in mind that advertising and selling shouldn’t be the sole purpose of your account.

## **SEO**

Okay, so now you know how important content is. But how do actually get people to read it? That’s where SEO comes in.

Think of it this way, what do you do when you’re struggling with a problem? Yes, you search for it on the internet. Now, why would consumers act any differently?

The goal with SEO is to make your site feature as high as possible in search engine results. So, by perfectly optimizing your keywords, you can make your website, content and products as visible as possible.

Ultimately, for you, this means more visitors, more leads, and more revenue. As a bonus, SEO offers one of the best returns on investment of all digital marketing strategies.

## **PPC**

One drawback of SEO and organic traffic is that it often takes some time for the strategy to start showing results. If you don’t want to wait that long, or use some other strategy in the meantime, pay-per-click (PPC) may be for you.

Like SEO, you use keywords to target specific consumers, but here you pay every time someone clicks on your ad. You could actually reason that the more successful your ads are, the more you’ll pay. Thus, although PPC is highly effective, keep in mind that pricing varies and you may end up paying a lot more for highly competitive keywords.

## **Email Marketing**

You’ll hear this everywhere. An email list is one of the most valuable assets your business can have. With it, you can target specific consumers that are more likely to engage with your content.

Although it’s an older form of marketing than PPC and SEO, it’s still very effective and provides a high return on investment, simply because it’s so affordable and email use is so widespread. It also gives you some other benefits like automation and segmentation that allows you to increase your reach and targeting without much hassle.

## **Analytics**

Once you’ve implemented all these strategies, you’ll obviously want to know what’s working and whatnot. Here, analytics are indispensable. It provides insight into all your marketing efforts with which you can analyse your performance and make improvements where necessary.

For example, it can show you metrics on your website traffic, how you get visitors, and what people do on your site. Likewise, you can get information on your email open rates, your conversion rates, and you get to test different strategies to see which works best.

## **Conversion Rate Optimisation**

Armed with the data you get from your analytics, you’ll be able to optimise your conversion rate to get the most reach for the lowest outlay. In this way, you increase your return on investment, up your leads, and increase your revenue.

This could include anything from tweaking your content strategy, changing the forms on your website, or improving your targeting to get the most bang for your buck.

## **Final Thoughts**

There you have it, a simple guide you can use to increase your eCommerce success in 2025\. By using these guidelines, you’ll increase your overall reach, get more leads, up your conversion rates, and increase your revenue.

But don’t let your research stop here. There are many more things you could learn and implement to set yourself up for success.
### How to Conduct Keyword Research for Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-conduct-keyword-research-for-search-engine-optimisation-seo/
Last updated: 2022-07-04T16:36:37.000Z
Google is getting smarter every year, and so are all search engines. Still, it won’t simply “get” what you’re trying to say, or which audience you’re trying to reach. You need to give it a few pointers.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/03/SEO_1608543242.png)

That’s why you’ll need to conduct keyword research for SEO (the right way) if you want your eCommerce business to be found by your potential customers in an ocean of pages.

Keywords, as you probably already know, are what searchers type in as search queries, such as “how to make cookies from scratch?” or “what’s the population of China?” or “women’s shoes for work”. It’s whatever you type when looking for information, entertainment, a product to buy, or a specific company or site, for instance.

You can (and should) conduct keyword research for your whole website or for standalone blog posts. Even for eCommerce sites, it’s important to write informational posts to engage the audience and guide them towards the sale.

It’s a time-consuming process, no sugar-coating here. But after the research your writing will become more targeted, flow much more easily, and you’ll have a much higher chance of appearing on top of the Search Engine Results Page (SERP).

****Keyword research gives search engines and your readers the knowledge of what your page is about, making it easier to navigate.**

That’s what makes it such a crucial process in digital marketing.

The term people search for must be on the page, so your searchers know they’re in the right place and know exactly what to do. And for organic search engine rankings, that’s a score.

So if your page is about women’s running shoes, search engines will expect to see the term “women’s running shoes” somewhere on the page (hopefully on top of it), as well as terms related to it throughout the body copy.

****One misconception about “keywords”, especially for beginners, is about them being simply words, like “coffee” or “clothes”. That’s untrue.**

Some people even call them “keyword phrases” or “keyphrases” because people know that ranking for lone words such as “shoes” is virtually impossible when there are over 6 billion active websites out there. (Scroll down to learn more about head keywords/head terms).

*As a little disclaimer, conducting keyword research isn’t a guarantee that you’ll reach top positions, though it will give you an edge over the competition. Remember that Google prioritises YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) sites like medical sites, as well as authoritative sources. It won’t be overnight success. Positioning for one page or one blog post in the top 10 results is already a great achievement.*

This article will teach you how to brainstorm keyword ideas, how to pick the right keywords, where to place them, and how to organise them. But before we jump in, there are a few concepts you must understand.

If you already know the basics, feel free to skip to the how-to section below.

## **Head vs. Long-Tail Keywords (and Why Prefer the Latter)**

Imagine the keyword spectrum as a long-tailed animal. At the tip of the “tail” are the terms consisting of 4 or more words–these are the long-tail keywords.

The shorter terms consisting of 1 or 2 words are called “head” keywords, or head terms.

Here’s the definition for each:

****Head:** these are general terms, like “motorcycle gear”. They look good on homepages and category/subcategory links to give Google and your visitor direction as a labelling system, but aren’t great from a ranking standpoint, as they’re general and too competitive.

Of course, if you’re writing about motorcycles, you’ll obviously want to include the word “motorcycles” in your copy. But don’t expect it to be among the top 10, or 20, or even 40th page for the search query “motorcycles”. There are a whole lot of websites writing about them from all possible angles.

****Long-tail:** The more long-tail the keyword, the more specific the search will be. These are terms like “best places to visit in Mexico this summer” or “how to know if an egg has gone bad”. As you can see, they usually contain 4 or more words.

It’s much easier to rank for these terms because they’re much less competitive. When there’s less competition and you write about it with authority, your ranking chances go up because you’ll be pulling targeted traffic, even if the monthly searches are low.

There’s also what we call ****“body terms”,** which stand right there in the chunky middle between 3 and 4 terms.

## **Search Intent**

Let’s say you wanted to go on a trip to Paris, and wanted to check out hotel prices.

What search query would you type into the box?

You wouldn’t search for “Paris”. That’s a fact. You know, even if you’ve never studied SEO, that searching for “Paris” wouldn’t give you the answer you need. You’d need to search for “trips to Paris”, at the very least.

Search intent is about that.

Google has even coined the term “micro-moments”, which are the moments during the day when you grab your phone and say “let me look that up”. You could be searching for an answer or looking for a certain product.

The point here is, micro-moments are closely linked to ****searcher’s intent**. Intent is the reason behind the search, and there are three main types of intent:

****Informational:** You’re looking for answers to your questions. These types of searches usually include “how to”, “why”, “what”.

****Transactional:** These searches usually happen when you’re close to buying. You’d usually include “buy X” or “compare X and Y” or even “homes for sale in X”.

****Navigational:** This one happens when you’re trying to go directly to a site, like when you type Facebook.com.

Be careful with unclear intent. For instance, someone looking for “Nottingham properties” could be trying to learn about the real estate market, as well as a property for sale. A person looking for “comfy leggings” is likely not interested in the history of comfy leggings–they probably want to buy comfy leggings. Pay attention.

Now you can start building your first keyword list.

## **Start With a Keyword Seed List**

Whether it is for a whole website or for a blog post, you’ll want to start off with a big old list. Granted, your list will be shorter for a blog post than for an entire website, but keyword research is equally important in both cases.

Depending on how many pages your site has, your seed list could contain hundreds or thousands of keywords. There’s no right number here.

Not all of the keywords will be perfect, but think of it as a first draft: you’ll cut the fat later.

The first step is to put yourself in your customer’s shoes. If you were them, what searches would you make to find your services/products? What questions would they have? For example, if you sell SEO learning resources (such as courses and webinars), a chunk of your seed list could look a bit like this:

*SEO courses*

*SEO webinars*

*Why you should learn SEO*

*Keyword research certification course*

*How to do keyword research for SEO*

If you’re looking to attract local traffic, don’t forget to add state and city as keywords, as well, (e.g. tools company in Nottingham, UK)

A pro tip is to ****add keywords that reflect the entire buying cycle** in all three phases: Awareness, Consideration, and Purchase.

For the ****awareness** phase, you should add overarching keywords–the most basic keywords that outline what you offer. These would go on your home and category pages. (SEO courses)

For the ****consideration** phase, focus on longer-tail keywords. These would go on articles, blog posts, FAQs, and review pages. (Why you should learn SEO)

Finally, for the **purchase** phase, you would focus on keywords that reflect your product or service. These should go to your product and service pages. (Keyword research certification course)

### **Where to Find Keyword Ideas**

There are many useful ways to fish for keyword ideas. One of them is Google itself.

As you’ve already noticed, once you start typing on the search box, Google comes up with a lot of suggestions before you even finish typing.

These searches appear because people are looking for them, every single day. It’s Google telling you “hey, people want to know about this stuff”. These auto-completed searches are research gold–don’t ignore them.

You can also scroll down to the bottom of the page where you’ll see even more search suggestions.

Some search queries will have the “People Also Ask” box, but just because the questions are already answered by another website, that doesn’t mean you can’t answer those questions in your own content. In fact, you should: Google’s mission is to make the world’s information *useful*. For that to happen, you must sane the searchers’ doubts.

For question-oriented keywords, visit forums like Reddit or Quora and try to find questions about your business that pop over and over again. Then, answer them in your content.

Keyword research tools like SEMRush, SpyFu, and Moz also offer ample related-keyword metrics you could add to your list.

For question-oriented longer-tail terms, Answer The Public is a gem. It displays a variety of search-based keywords containing why, when, how, and what questions so you’ll have a range of terms to choose from.

## **Refine Your List by Analysing Volume and Competition**

The more competitive a keyword is, the harder it will be to rank for. And the more people search for a term on a monthly basis, the higher the volume will be.

The “sweet middle” for a keyword is high search volume and low competition. And don’t forget to always consider the ***intent***.

Does that mean you should abandon a keyword because it has a low volume? Not at all! In fact, if a keyword makes sense in your writing (as in it doesn’t sound weird) and flows smoothly within the context, go for it. After all, you will have a lot of other keywords in your content that will naturally have a higher search volume and lower competition, and they, too, could drive traffic to the page.

Also, you can try to rank for a more competitive keyword if your site is authoritative enough to compete with the “big guys”.

****Not only your most important keywords will drive traffic**. Even though your most important keyword could be “SEO content strategy”, you could very well position for “SEO content writing services” and drive traffic that way. The goal is exactly this: to include as many keywords as the content supports (besides your focus keywords) to pull traffic from them.

(Scroll down to learn more about focus keywords)

### **Torn between two or more keywords? Here’s what to do.**

- Look at the SERP for that keyword. What comes up? Does the content from the top results match the content of your page? If not, let it go.
- Is there too much competition on top (rich snippets, local maps, people also ask)? If yes, even if you position in the top 10 results, a lot of people might have their answers answered before clicking any links. In this case, if you really want traffic, go for the less competitive keyword.
- Is the intent clear? If one of them has a mixed intent, go for the one with a clearer intent.

## **Selecting Your Focus Keyword(s)**

You can have up to three focus keywords for a single page.

Your focus keywords should reflect the main focus of your page, whether that’s a landing page, product page, or blog post. Again, there’s no guarantee that you’ll rank for those keywords. But in SEO, it’s not just about rankings–****it’s about directing your reader and making the content valuable and useful, above all.**

### **Don’t forget to use related terms and synonyms**

Like you read in the beginning, Google is a smart fella. It does know that “auto insurance”, “vehicle insurance” and “car insurance” mean the same thing. These terms are synonymous. By using synonyms, you’ll have a lot more writing flexibility.

What are related keywords, then? When coming up with keywords for a blog post titled, for example, “Rumours About Covid-19” (focus keyword), what would people expect to read about? They would expect to read about the effectiveness of masks, and even if Covid in pets is a thing. These are related keywords. They should be different from your focus keywords.

## **How to Organise Your Keyword List in a Document**

When doing keyword research for your whole website, you’ll be using it as a document you’ll refer to whenever you’re writing fresh content. It’ll also make the process much more organised.

The way most people do it is by dividing them into sections in an Excel spreadsheet. For instance, you could divide them into the following sections:

- Your focus keyword(s)
- Awareness keywords (these would be the head terms)
- Category keywords
- Subcategory keywords
- Product/service keywords
- Question-oriented keywords

This isn’t a lifetime document, however. It’s important to update it every quarter or so, or as you find new keywords you want to include in your content.

## **Where to Place Your Keywords**

In your headlines.

In one (or more, if applicable) sub-headlines.

In your meta descriptions.

Throughout your body copy in a way that sounds natural.

That’s it.

It’s not necessary to add your focus keyword all over the place. Adding it ONCE on the page is enough. You can add it more times if it flows within the content. If it doesn’t and you do it anyway, you’ll be keyword-stuffing your text–and Google frowns upon it.

Remember you should write for readers, too. If a keyword would sound weird, use a related term in its place. But don’t stuff, or you’ll hurt your rankings. Write naturally.

## **Wrapping up**

As a final and very important tip, don’t write content thinking about rankings and rankings only. What you want is to show your visitors an easy path with a clear labelling system, and most importantly, answer their questions. Keywords are only the means to an end.

Add your keywords after you’ve written for humans. Write first, optimise later.
### Growth Hacking eCommerce: 18 Underrated Hacks To Convert More Visitors
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/growth-hacking-ecommerce-18-underrated-hacks-to-convert-more-visitors/
Last updated: 2021-03-18T23:52:14.000Z
Amazingly enough, before “growth hacking” was a thing, companies managed to grow and increase revenue and profitability all the time!

Ignore the hype around “hacks”, which everyone from interns to experienced marketing consultants are promoting (including myself, on occasion), and instead, focus on your aim of generating more eCommerce revenue.

eCommerce brands are increasingly reliant on [Facebook Ads and Google AdWords to pull in traffic](https://www.coredna.com/blogs/social-media-advertising-guide?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), but that approach is not only costly, it can also leave you too reliant on advertising spend and could result in too many costly first-time clicks, without enough actual buyers to make a profit.

No one in marketing has time for those sort of false-positive metrics. It’s time to start generating some real returns, with the following underrated - but tried and tested - eCommerce growth “hacks”.

## **1\. Create buyer FOMO with live customers metrics**

Taking FOMO one step further, some brands use technology to show how many people are also viewing the same products/deals when other web visitors are online. Or they show items that have been recently purchased. [Creating a sense of urgency](https://blog.kissmetrics.com/urgency-to-fuel-ecommerce-sales/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) through limited offers or visual time countdowns has been shown to convert more buyers. This is an excellent way to social proof your website and makes your store look like it has a thriving community.

Have you tried installing a [FOMO plugin](https://www.usefomo.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) (fear of missing out) that prompts visitors every time a purchase is made through your eCommerce site or setting a pop-up with a time-limited offer code? If you have a customer on the fence, these could be effective ways to encourage a purchase.

![Growth hacking for ecommerce: FOMO](https://www.coredna.com/web_images/ecommerce-growth-hack-fomo.png)

## **2\. Use a solution-focused SEO title**

The first thing that both your readers and search engine algorithms see with regard to your website (and all of its pages) is its title.

With that in mind, you want to be sure that your title is eye-catching, and that it describes to your potential customers what they should expect from engaging with your brand.

Check out the following example from OppoSuits:

![eCommerce growth hack #2: Solution or benefit-focused SEO title](https://www.coredna.com/web_images/SEO-focused-title%20(1).png)

Rather than focusing on the brand name, OppoSuits front-loads its page title with a benefit. In doing so, the company stands apart from other boilerplate SEO titles.

Unless your brand is a household name, this is incredibly good practice. For example, clothing company Gap can get away with a page title that reads “Shop Gap for…”, since consumers looking to shop at Gap’s online store will simply type in Gap.com. However, if an individual isn’t looking for a specific brand, and instead uses a [non-branded search term](https://elitesem.com/blog/non-brand-search-actually-works/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) such as “women’s summer clothing,” using a solution-focused SEO title will boost your CTR, which we all know is one of Google ranking factors.

## 3\. Offer live chat functionality to boost visitor trust

[Smart Insights](http://www.smartinsights.com/ecommerce/raise-ecommerce-conversion-rate-online-chat/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) found that visitors who use live chat convert at ****roughly 8x times the rate of non-chatting visitors**!

You might be asking, “*aren’t those live chat software expensive?*”. Look, it doesn’t have to be an exclusive live chat product, you could easily integrate something like Facebook Messenger – just like [Mustad Saddleworld](https://www.mustad.com.au/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) (pictured below) or [Zendesk Chat](https://www.zopim.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) (formerly Zopim).

![Growth hacking for ecommerce: live chat or facebook messenger](https://www.coredna.com/web_images/ecommerce-growth-hack-live-chat%20(1).png)

In fact, according to the same study by Smart Insights, 63% of visitors are more likely to return to a website with live chat features, and 38% of those surveyed completed a purchase as a result of the help they received through a live chat channel.

## **4\. Hook new customers with “Loss leaders”**

A loss leader is a product that a company sells at a loss, knowing full well that it’ll make up for the loss on future sales of products that are complementary to the original product.

A few examples:

- Video game systems are sold at a loss, with actual video games (which cost pennies to mass produce) making up the bulk of profits for gaming companies
- Similarly, each sale of Amazon’s Kindle loses money for the company, while subsequent purchases of ebooks easily allow the company to recoup this loss
- Manual razors are loss leaders, while razor blades are cheap to make and need to be replaced every couple weeks at most.
- Printer companies lose money on every printer sold - but easily make up for it by selling ink cartridges at a huge markup.

The trick, here, is to find a “main” product to sell that attracts customers, and offer it at a relatively low price - then identify a large amount of “smaller” products that go hand-in-hand with the larger item to sell on a more consistent basis. As the above examples illustrate, these “smaller” products are typically consumable (e.g., razors and ink cartridges), or offer variety (e.g., different video games and ebooks).

## **5\. Turn visitors into customers via social posts**

Customers need to know that others buy/love/need your products or services. In fact, it’s quite possible that social proof online may play a larger role in converting visitors as buyers can’t physically see customers in your shop.

It is therefore far more important to be on top of your social proof as your visitors are ****far more likely to purchase an item if they can read and see other have already converted**.

Out in the real world, that ‘*social proof*’ is easy to validate: We see other people in coffee shops, cafes, restaurants, bars, shops, we can see they are also buying, so why not treat ourselves?

We can’t do that online as easily. At least not without social proof such as testimonials, positive reviews, and online feedback. Make your social proof prominent. Ideally, on the homepage, around the product/service pages, and everywhere else you can display this information. Daniel Wellington does a great job of showcasing their products in a social context.

![Growth hacking for ecommerce: Social posts](https://www.coredna.com/web_images/ecommerce-growth-hack-social-post%20(1).png)

You could also improve your website’s social proof through displaying customer-supplied pictures and social posts about your products, clearly highlighting your social following to visitors or alternatively, drive traffic and focus to ‘best seller’ products.

## **6\. Answer FAQs on category pages**

To illustrate what we mean here, take a look at this screenshot from motorcycle gear shop RevZilla:

![eCommerce growth hack tip: Answer frequently asked questions on Category pages](https://www.coredna.com/web_images/revzilla-category-page%20(1).png)

Clearly, the company went to great lengths to provide as much information as possible to its customer via this section of its site.

The best part, though, is that this page isn’t some subsection of the company’s site that its visitors might never end up seeing. It’s the bottom part of the category page for motorcycle helmets.

![ecommerce hack: Rezilla category page](https://www.coredna.com/web_images/revzilla-seo-2.png)

In addition to the above information, RevZilla also uses its product pages to point its visitors to further info via blog posts and videos:

![eCommerce growth hack tip: RevZilla category page tactice](https://www.coredna.com/web_images/revzilla-seo-3.png)

As mentioned, providing all of this info on a single page allows customers to easily find everything they need to make a purchasing decision. If, on the other hand, RevZilla had simply placed all this information on separate pages (as is typically done), there’s a pretty good chance that most people wouldn’t take the time to click around the site to find what they were looking for - and would simply navigate away from the site altogether.

The takeaway, here, is to use every opportunity you have to educate and inform your visitors with regard to the products you offer. And *definitely* don’t make it difficult (even in the slightest bit) for them to find this information, as a good amount of your visitors aren’t going to dig very far in order to find it.

## **7\. Ensure your website loads in under 3 seconds**

Slow websites kill sales. New web visitors, especially those who aren’t familiar with your brand, don’t need an excuse to click back.

A delay of 1 second can reduce conversions by 7% - so anything as high as 3 seconds will have a massive impact on revenue. [Increase your website loading speed](https://www.singlegrain.com/blog-posts/search-engine-optimization/how-to-improve-site-speed-in-nine-steps/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to under 3 seconds, and you could ****generate a conversion bump of 21%**.

![Growth hacking for ecommerce: increase page speed](https://www.coredna.com/web_images/ecommerce-growth-hack-page-speed-1.png)

Test your site using [this tool by Google](https://testmysite.withgoogle.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). It will give you pointers on how to improve performance by carrying out a series of extensive website speed checks.

## **8\. Include comparison guides for similar products**

Since you likely offer a number of products that are similar in many ways - but also very different in others - you want to provide a way for your visitors to easily compare and contrast each while they come to a purchasing decision.

(This, of course, goes along with what we just said about providing easy access to information.)

For example, Keurig provides the following chart comparing three different versions of coffee makers:

![eCommerce growth tip: Keurig comparison page](https://www.coredna.com/web_images/keurig.png)

Comparison charts allow you to provide an objective overview of your products, in turn enabling your customers to decide which one best fits their specific needs.

It’s worth noting that such charts [can be used to upsell customers](https://www.coredna.com/blogs/ecommerce-upselling?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) who may have originally been checking out the baseline version of a product, but quickly realized the benefits of going with a more advanced model. Conversely, those who may have originally been hesitant to purchase the more advanced version of a product might be easily convinced to purchase a less-expensive model - which, of course, is better than having them walk away empty-handed.

## **9\. Focus effort into generating customer reviews, case studies & testimonials**

eCommerce brands need testimonials to keep that social proof strong. Whereas, software (SaaS) companies, training and service providers need to go one step further.

Adding client logos alongside positive testimonials with the relevant social proof (e.g. names, job titles, headshots, logos, etc.) and in-depth case studies can help convert shoppers.

![Growth hacking for ecommerce: customer reviews](https://www.coredna.com/web_images/ecommerce-growth-hack-customer-reviews.png)

Don’t force visitors to other 3rd party websites to read your reviews! To further validate your social proof and trust, display third-party platform review integrations such as reviews.co.uk and Feefo reviews prominently throughout your website. If your budget is small, focus your effort to drive reviews through free channels such as Facebook and Google Reviews. These will all help to curb visitor doubts and convert more buyers.

If your budget is small, focus your effort to drive reviews through free channels such as Facebook and Google Reviews. These will all help to curb visitor doubts and convert more buyers.

## ****10\. Get the reviews you want by suggesting specific topics you’d like them to address**

Pretty much every entrepreneur knows the importance of generating customer reviews and testimonials.

But it’s easy to make the mistake of collecting a bunch of reviews that really don’t say all that much. You know the type: “XYZ Company’s (product) is better than any other brand I’ve tried!” “Five stars, no doubt about it!”, blah, blah, blah.

These generic reviews are problematic for a few reasons. For one thing, as we said above: they don’t provide any real information about the product or service being offered - or the provider, for that matter. Along with this, they’re quite impersonal; since the person reading the testimonial doesn’t know all that much about the person providing the review, they have no reason to think that their opinions will align. Along with this, such generic reviews are pretty easy to “fudge”; even if such a review was actually given by a real customer, a potential customer has little reason to trust that the review is accurate.

At any rate, the onus is on you - the eCommerce store owner - to solicit reviews and testimonials that actually have substance to them. When reaching out to current customers, you’ll want to suggest specific topics you’d like them to address (e.g., the product’s quality, their on-site experience, any interaction they may have had with your customer service team, etc.). That way, you can provide more focused testimonials on the applicable pages - rather than just as a collection of testimonials on a single, separate page on your site.

## ****11\. See your homepage as a digital dashboard for your site**

No matter which page a web visitor lands on, sooner or later they’re going to visit the homepage. Don’t over complicate this page. But at the same time, don’t miss anything. Keep things simple and help users navigate to where they want to go.

Everything on or around the homepage is important for increasing conversions, including the main menu and footer. Avoid overloading web visitors with huge blocks of text or too many videos, especially if they auto-play!

Make sure the navigation is simple so visitors can find what they want easily. Display your social proof early and make it easy enough for them to purchase/sign-up within seconds of visiting your homepage.

Things to consider when building your homepage:

- Clearly display your contact details
- Highlight what makes your company different!
- Show your unique selling points (FREE delivery + returns, etc)
- Display your main categories above the fold
- Avoid distracting visitors with banner movements and silly animations
- Brand it up to the max - give it some soul with real images and logos

## **12\. Negotiate “Advertiser access” to influencer’s Facebook page**

You undoubtedly know how effective a [strong influencer marketing campaign](https://www.coredna.com/blogs/influencer-marketing-case-studies?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) can be, right?

Of course, if a popular figure in your industry mentions your brand organically - that is, without being paid by you to do so - well, that’s even better.

Now, when an influencer mentions your brand in a post on one of their social media channels, you’re going to want to milk every bit of value you can from it. To do so, you’ll want to reach out to the influencer to see if they’d be interested in providing you access to their [advertising account](https://www.facebook.com/business/help/155909647811305) (in exchange for payment, of course). Once you have advertiser access to the influencer’s account, you’ll be able to [boost their post about your brand](https://www.facebook.com/business/help/240208966080581) to target audience’s as defined by you and your influencer.

It’s a win-win partnership:

On the influencer’s side of things, they’ll be getting some free advertising (since you’ll be paying for the ads). On your end, though you’re paying for the ad behind the scenes, the ad in question will appear to consumers as social proof (since it will be coming from the influencer’s account rather than your own).

## **13\. Underpromise your customers but ALWAYS strive to over-deliver**

Over-delivering is something every business that wants growth should strive to achieve. What does that look like for an eCommerce company?

[Free shipping above a minimum order value](https://www.coredna.com/blogs/ecommerce-shipping?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is now the most common trick, however, what about offering a free bonus gift or exclusive downloadable content? Focus on consistently delivering great customer service - show you care, especially if there is a problem with an order - on social media, online, via email and every relevant channel.

Why not create a FREE easy returns policy? At the very least, make it so easy for your customers to contact you via live chat, ticketing, email or telephone that they can do it in their sleep and strive above all else, to respond quickly and professionally!

As an eCommerce business, the closest point to touching your customer is through your product packaging. Don’t forget about how you present and deliver your orders.

Strive to create a memorable unboxing experience that will leave your customers wanting it again and again. If you’re a small eCommerce site that is making a product, why not add a quick personalized [hand-written thank you note](https://www.ecwid.com/blog/automating-handwritten-cards.html?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to each order - it will make sure your customers feel super special.

Always reply to reviews whether they are good or bad. It’s a huge cliché, but you really do have to go that extra mile now social media has made the internet so transparent. If your reviews are not all 5 star, don’t worry, a few 3-4 star reviews are okay, it shows that you are a real business!

## **14\. Turn influencers into your money-making affiliates**

For eCommerce sites that maintain a blog, one effective way of gaining visibility for your brand is to create a roundup post, in which you feature other brands that offer ancillary products or services that relate to your offerings in some way or another.

Say, for example, you sell products related to health and fitness. You might decide to create a roundup post such as the following:

![eCommerce Growth Hack: Turning influencers into affilaites](https://www.coredna.com/web_images/influencers-roundups.png)

You’d then provide each of the individuals you featured with an affiliate link to your site (or to a specific product, if you so choose), which they can in turn use on their own site and social media channels to point their followers toward your online store.

This tactic is essentially a win-win situation for your company *and* for the influencers you partner up with: not only do you present them to your audience as thought-leaders in their industry (as they do for you, to *their* audiences), but they also stand to generate additional revenue every time one of their customers makes a purchase on your site using their affiliate link or code.

## **15\. Drive repeat orders through targeted, genuine loyalty schemes that are focused on users’ behavior**

Most loyalty schemes need customers to make at least 8-10 purchases before they get something for free (or a discount). There is nothing worse than having to buy 10 things before you get one free - most customers simply won’t bother!

During a recent study at a local car wash, a set of customers were simply given a blank loyalty card that showed on the 9th visit they would receive a free car wash.

On the other side of the study a separate set of customers were given loyalty cards with two pre-stamped visits, they too also received a free car wash after 9 visits. The study highlighted that those customers who were given a pre-stamped card came back time and again, with [repeat business increasing 178%](https://msbfile03.usc.edu/digitalmeasures/jnunes/intellcont/endowed%20progress%20effect-1.pdf?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) compared to the customers with unstamped cards!

![Growth hacking for ecommerce: Loyalty schemes](https://www.coredna.com/web_images/ecommerce-growth-hack-loyalty-schemes%20(1).png)

When creating your own loyalty scheme for your eCommerce business, **focus on your users’ behavior and repeat purchase rate**. There are many different types of eCommerce loyalty schemes for example; the point system and paid loyalty schemes, however, each type has its own merits.

However, if you have nothing else to offer your visitors or the product is a one-time purchase, don’t bother. Invest this time into over-delivering on every new order.

## **16\. Take the stress out of submitting forms - Reduce the input fields**

Customer data is power. It means you can sell more, target more accurately and feed data into drip email marketing campaigns. Asking customers or prospects for too much information is the quickest way to lose them - period. Think about optimising every form on your website and even at the checkout!

At the minimum, get a name and email address (and payment details, as needed) - but don't ask for more than necessary. Neil Patel shows us that removing ****don't ask for more than necessary**. Neil Patel shows us that removing [one input field can increase conversion rates 26%](https://www.quicksprout.com/2013/01/31/how-to-optimize-contact-forms-for-conversions/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). It’s simple, ask less and your customer will buy more.

![Growth hacking for ecommerce: Fewer fields in checkout](https://www.coredna.com/web_images/ecommerce-growth-hack-checkout.jpg)

****Must-read resources:**  
\- [How to Design an eCommerce Checkout Flow That Converts](https://conversionxl.com/blog/how-to-design-an-ecommerce-checkout-flow-that-converts/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)  
\- [The Anatomy of The Perfect Mobile E-Commerce Checkout Page](https://www.crazyegg.com/blog/perfect-mobile-ecommerce-checkout/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

## **17\. Show visitors the TRUE discount value (Or offer a *price match* guarantee)**

How do we know we are getting a good deal? One simple but effective way is to **show what visitors would have paid before a discount is applied or automatically given**.

It seems to too simple to miss but it’s surprising to see the number websites that miss this trick. Clearly stating how much the item would cost without the applied discount can drive conversions and show the true value of the discount.

![Growth hacking for ecommerce: true discounts](https://www.coredna.com/web_images/ecommerce-growth-hack-discounts.png)

If you’re not running any discounts, have you thought about offering a ‘*price promise guarantee*’ on all products? It’s an easy way to take the thought out of your customer's head about finding it cheaper elsewhere.

![Growth hacking for ecommerce: price match guarantee](https://www.coredna.com/web_images/ecommerce-growth-hack-price-match.png)

Another way to present discount value is to offer FREE delivery over a certain order value, however, don’t forget to tell the visitor how much they might be saving. You can implement this by adding the original delivery cost at checkout and then applying the discount.

Although there are many types of eCommerce discounts that can help drive sales, increase new customer acquisition and boost conversions, a business can quickly become too reliant on sales. Be careful not to damage your brand image, overly relying on ‘*price-driven*’ shoppers and decrease profitability.

## **18\. Partner up with other brands to do “Giveaway loops”**

While basic contests and giveaways via a company’s Instagram and other social media channels can be effective in their own right, participating in loop giveaways is a surefire way to expand your brand’s audience.

Here’s how it works:

First, you need to find brands to partner with that would be interested in collaborating on the giveaway. While you don’t, of course, want to partner with your competitors, you’ll want to consider working with brands that offer products and services that complement your own. For example, if your company specifically sells women’s dress shoes, you might want to partner up with companies that sell jewellery, makeup, handbags, and more.

(Note: You want to aim to partner with at least five companies - but it’s possible to create a successful loop giveaway involving 20 or more companies. If you’re able to generate a good amount of participation, the more companies you work with, the better off you’ll be.)

Once you have your partners all set, each of you will begin the contest on your own social media page by prompting your followers to follow a different account. Essentially, you’ll create a loop that looks something like this:

- *A* tells its followers to follow *B*
- *B* tells its followers to follow *C*
- *C* tells its followers to follow *D*
- *D* tells its followers to follow *A*

(Note: of course, that this loop can start anywhere - as long as it ends in the same place. For example, followers of *C* will begin on *C*’s page, then go to *D, A, B*, and then back to *C*.)

On your post, be sure to explain the following:

- The rules of the contest (i.e., the steps your followers will need to take)
- The potential prize participants can win (or, at least, an explanation of how a winner will be chosen)
- The deadline for entering and completing the assigned tasks

As is probably obvious by now, the main benefit of running a loop giveaway is that your brand will be seen by anyone who participates in the contest (this, of course, is why it’s beneficial to get a decent number of companies to participate). While not *every* follower of *every* brand will participate in the contest, you’ll inherently gain a new potential customer out of everyone that does.

(Also worth noting is that those who participate are likely to be qualified leads, since their engagement level with a partner brand is clearly quite high.)

One last thing to note, here:

Because loop giveaways require participants to take a number of steps (as opposed to simple “single-entry” giveaways), the prize(s) you give away should be rather substantial. The good news is that, since you’ll be partnering with a bunch of other companies, you can split this cost accordingly.

## ****Conclusions**

Let’s quickly run through that list of underrated eCommerce ‘hacks’ again:

1. Demonstrate social proof in real-time
2. Use a benefit-focused SEO title
3. Install Live Chat to make it easier for customers to ask questions
4. Attract new customers by selling products at a loss
5. Show your web visitors how much others love your products/services
6. Answer FAQs on your category pages
7. Work hard to increase your website’s loading speed
8. Create comparison guides for similar products
9. Create case studies, reviews, and testimonials to support buying decisions
10. Solicit specific product reviews
11. Simplify your homepage - see it as a dashboard
12. Boost influencer's content that features your brand
13. Under-promise and over-deliver on every order
14. Turn influencers into affiliates
15. Build a genuine loyalty scheme around your visitors
16. Reduce signup and checkout input fields to drive engagement
17. Make it easier for potential buyers to clearly see the discount they are getting
18. Partner up with other brands to create "giveaway loops"

As you can see, there are many tactics to help drive revenue growth from your website.

As a bonus tip, you should also spend some time [working on conversion optimization](https://marketinglabs.co.uk/improve-websites-conversion-rate-day/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). Testing various parts of your website can have a huge impact on your conversion rates, and in turn, this improves your bottom line figures. The best thing about improving conversion rates is you don’t need to increase traffic - tiny percentage changes can make a huge difference in your website’s profitability!
### How to Build an SEO Strategy for Your Business From Scratch
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-build-an-seo-strategy-for-your-business-from-scratch/
Last updated: 2021-03-19T16:08:46.000Z
Search engine optimisation (SEO) is a fundamental part of your digital marketing strategy. SEO is a set of criteria that you have to follow so that your website shows up on the first page of search results.

The higher your website ranks the more traffic you get. This increases the chances of gaining more customers.

At first glance, search engine optimisation may seem complicated — especially for beginners.

However, at its core, SEO isn’t complicated at all.

Even with little experience, you can implement SEO strategies to help improve your website search engine ranking.

If you’re wondering how you can go about applying SEO, you’ve come to the right place.

Today, we will lay down the groundwork for crafting an effective SEO strategy.

## **Step 1: Audit Your Website for Searchability**

Before you get started with creating an SEO strategy, you need to make sure search engines can read, or crawl, your website.

If your website has everything in HTML text format, then search engines won’t have a problem reading and indexing your website.

However, for images, flash files, Javascript, and other non-text items, search engines may have a hard time reading your site.

To know where your website stands in terms of searchability, use tools like Google cache or the MozBar. These will help you see what parts of your website are visible to search engines.

Here are two ways to work around non-HTML text elements:

- Add alt-attributes to images. This allows search engines to read visual content and helps rank the page.
- Provide a transcript for audio or visual files. Doing this is another way to help search engines crawl and index your website.

## **Step 2: Define Your Target Audience**

Knowing your target audience is key to your SEO strategy. The more you know about your target audience, the better you can understand what they’re searching for and how they use search engines.

To better understand your target audience, consider the following:

- Where do they live?
- How do they receive information?
- What communication mediums do they frequent? Social media? Email?
- What is their income?
- What are their interests?
- What are their values?

Based on these, you can better know how your website’s content can serve your audience.

## **Step 3: Do Keyword Research**

After you’ve thoroughly defined your target audience, it’s time to research relevant keywords. This is the secret sauce to ranking high on search engines.

Through keyword research, you’ll find out which phrases people commonly use for websites like yours.

Keywords are what help you target people who have the highest chance of showing interest in what your business has to offer.

Also, keywords can give you insight into exactly what consumers are looking for. This allows you to further tailor your website and services to fulfil their needs.

When we talk about keywords, there are three primary types: generic, long tail, and broad match.

****Generic keywords:** Simple words like “washer”

****Broad match keywords:** More specific than generic keywords like “Maytag washer”

****Long-tail keywords:** Descriptive and leads to point-of-purchase like “where to buy a Maytag washer”

Generally, you want to aim for broad match keywords, but it’s also helpful to include long-tail keywords.

To help you find the most ideal keywords for your niche, you can use tools like Google Keyword Planner. It’s free and easy to use.

Simply enter your words related to your niche and the keyword planner will show you relevant keywords. It will also show you the search volume and competition level.

Aim to target keywords that have good search volume with low competition. By doing this, you can get ranked quicker and without too much trouble.

## **Step 4: Use Keywords Strategically**

Now that you’ve found the right keywords, it’s time to strategically place them on your website.

It can be tempting to place keywords all over your website, but avoid doing this. Keyword stuffing could potentially get your website demoted in rankings or removed from search engines.

Your keywords should fit naturally on your website. For long-tail keywords, aim for a keyword density of about 0.5% to 2%.

For example, if a web page has 1,000 words, the keyword should not appear more than 20 times.

Using your keyword in page titles, URLs, meta descriptions, and blog content all help improve your ranking.

## **Step 5: Build Links**

Search engines use something called backlinks to determine page ranking. Backlinks are links from other pages to yours.

For example, when a page links your website, this is considered a backlink. If you link another website, they have a backlink from you.

The more backlinks you have, the more page authority you have, and the more authority you have, the higher your ranking.

One way to get backlinks is to reach out to other webmasters and ask them to include links to your content. Publishing guest blog posts on high-authority websites is also a great way to increase backlinks to your website.

## **Step 6: Get Social**

Social media isn’t typically a component of SEO, but it does have an influence on your ranking. When you post content on your social media, it gets shared and seen by a lot of people.

Not only does this increase traffic to your site, but it increases the chances of someone including your content on their website. This could give you a valuable backlink.

## **Now You’re a Digital Marketing Pro!**

See, we told you SEO wasn’t complicated. By following this guide, you’ll be closer to ranking high on Google and seeing exponential growth in your business.

Remember, seeing results from your SEO efforts take time. Stick at it.
### Top Digital Marketing Strategies for 2021
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/top-digital-marketing-strategies-for-2021/
Last updated: 2021-03-19T16:06:33.000Z
Marketing is an ever-evolving industry with new trends and innovations emerging as customer needs, behaviour and demands change. As each new year end approaches, marketing teams globally start planning for the next, calculating their budgets, and developing strategies that will increase their reach the most.

But throw a global pandemic into the mix and things get slightly harder to predict. Because of the pandemic, customer behaviour has shifted, and marketing has to adapt to keep up, despite not having much time to adapt. To add more complexity, business’s revenue is down which means that marketing budgets are down.

Despite this, marketing is now more important than ever for business that, not only want to survive, but thrive. With this in mind, what are some digital marketing trends and strategies for the year ahead? Here we’ll highlight some of the trends and strategies businesses are employing in a severely restrained market.

## **Email Marketing**

According to [HubSpot](https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), about 80% of marketers report that they’ve seen an increase in email engagement in the past year. Now, email has long been one of the mainstays of effective marketing strategies, and we expect that its popularity will increase, especially when one considers that email marketing has the highest return on investment for small businesses.

Add to that that global email users will grow to 4.48 billion users by 2024, and it’s easy to see why many businesses will not only continue their effort, but [invest](https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/blog/how-the-top-digital-marketing-trends-will-evolve-in-2021/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk#emailmarketing) more in email marketing.

In a customer-centric market, areas of investment will be on personalization strategies that ups engagement with both new customers and existing customers and email marketing automation that makes personalized campaigns easier to implement and manage.

## **Content Marketing**

Because of lockdown regulations globally and people being advised to stay indoors, there is a huge demand for digital consumption. For this reason, [content marketing](https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) will be more important than ever with many marketers planning on increasing their investment in content marketing in 2021\. And who can blame them, when there’s less exposure through other means, it’s perfect for promoting a brand or product and creating awareness.

There are some strategies that will stand out in 2021, though. For one, content marketing will focus more on [inclusivity](https://99designs.com/blog/marketing-advertising/digital-marketing-trends/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) that cover a variety of races, sexualities, religions, and people with disabilities. Likewise, there’ll also be a move to content that emphasizes [environmentalism](https://99designs.com/blog/marketing-advertising/digital-marketing-trends/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk#3) and brands will benefit from broadcasting their sustainable practices.

And it’s not only written content that’s important with video content now overtaking blogs and infographics as the most commonly used format in content marketing. It improves customer engagement and the user experience with video marketers saying that it has increased traffic to their website and directly increased sales.

Likewise, [interactive content](https://99designs.com/blog/marketing-advertising/digital-marketing-trends/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk#5) plays an important role in user engagement. It’s been popular for some time but is now recognised as a best practice. It doesn’t only promote more engagement and a better user experience, but it also lets user spend more time on a website that increases ranking on search engines.

## **Social Media**

With more people spending time at home and online, more people are spending time on social media and this means more time for engagement with businesses. In fact, social media [budgets](https://www.marketingcharts.com/digital/social-media-113777?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) accounted for 24% of marketing budgets during the second quarter of 2020.

This creates a lot of opportunities marketers to engage with new audiences and re-engage with existing customers. And this is especially important with a continuing trend of more marketers focussing on customer retention through social media marketing.

## **SEO**

SEO will be as important as ever, and, like always, search algorithms will evolve keeping marketing teams on their feet. The coming year will be no different, but the focus will shift from getting listings on the first page to SEO visibility in position zero. So, what is position zero? Position zero refers to Google’s featured snippet that’s separated with a small box at the top of the search results. It also has more relevant information that answers the user’s question without them having to click on it.

Now, this may sound counter-intuitive because it doesn’t take visitors to the site, but it goes a long way in giving the business recognition as an authority in the field, which may be worth more than a single site visit. For this reason, many SEO marketers are prioritising this strategy.

And SEO will no longer only be about what users search for, but also how they search. With [semantic](https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/blog/how-the-top-digital-marketing-trends-will-evolve-in-2021/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk#seo) search, search engines don’t only use keywords, but also the context, meaning, and intent to deliver search results to users. With this in mind, more businesses will focus on creating people optimised content that answers questions. In other words, content that’s natural and answers questions searchers have will rank higher in search results.

Another SEO strategy that’s gaining traction is image and video SEO. As more users are discovering that they’re able to search with images, more marketers are optimizing their image and video SEO

## **Pay Per Click Advertising**

As we’ve stated before, marketing budgets are down with the effect that many businesses are scaling down their digital marketing efforts. This means that the demand is going down and when the demand goes down, so do the prices.

The upside is that businesses can take advantage of some excellent [low cost](http://blog.ironmarkusa.com/advertising-during-covid-19?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) marketing opportunities so it’s a perfect time to compete online.

## **Conclusion**

2020 has probably caused the biggest shake-up in the marketing industry ever. Marketers need to work with lower budgets and must still deliver on conversion targets. This requires innovation and it remains to be seen what trends emerge in 2021.

That notwithstanding, the trends and strategies we mentioned here are shaping the industry as we move into the next year, and we expect them to continue for some time to come.
### Travel Bucket List
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/travel-bucket-list/
Last updated: 2022-05-12T13:20:35.000Z
Most of the places on this list are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, but there are also some other gems here.

My list includes everything from extraordinary natural wonders to remarkable cultural properties and they all share one thing in common for me: I'd love to visit them.

## Machu Picchu, Peru

![Machu Picchu, Cusco - Perú](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1587595742138-7975cf837028?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=MnwxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDEzfHxtYWNodXxlbnwwfHx8fDE2MTYxOTYxOTg&ixlib=rb-1.2.1&q=80&w=2000)

Photo by [Eddy Velazco](https://unsplash.com/@eddiekizka?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit) / [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit)

Given that it’s on the Inca Trail, you can be sure to see at least a few llamas and guanacos, the wild Incan sheep. It’s best known for its stunning ruins and for being one of the most gorgeous mountain villages in the world. Perched high in the forested Andes, near a beautiful waterfall, this idyllic little mountain town is considered one of the most photographed towns in Peru and an UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

## Yellowstone National Park, USA

![I had been visiting the national park with my friend few weeks ago, we saw a lot of nice things but that one is gorgeous !](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1529439322271-42931c09bce1?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=MnwxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDF8fHllbGxvd3N0b25lfGVufDB8fHx8MTYxNjE5NjQxOA&ixlib=rb-1.2.1&q=80&w=2000)

Photo by [Nicolasintravel](https://unsplash.com/@nicolasintravel38?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit) / [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit)

In the heart of the US, Yellowstone Park protects millions of acres of national parks and National Wildlife Refuges. Home to the most famous of all the bison species, the land is covered in sharp canyons, snowy peaks and serene valleys that make this such a breathtakingly scenic place. 

## The Great Wall, China

![](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1583316161835-3d4d351c00c2?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=MnwxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDQxfHxncmVhdCUyMHdhbGx8ZW58MHx8fHwxNjE2MTk2NjI3&ixlib=rb-1.2.1&q=80&w=2000)

Photo by [Max van den Oetelaar](https://unsplash.com/@maxvdo?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit) / [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit)

The Great Wall is a massive wall that is believed to have been first built in 3rd Century BC, with at least twenty-five original complexes, over a 1,000km perimeter from Juyongguan in the north to Lin’an in the south. How can you not want to walk along some of that wall?

## Petra, Jordan

![Petra - Wadi Musa, Jordan 🇯🇴

Petra  es un importante enclave arqueológico en Jordania, y la capital del antiguo reino nabateo, cuyos pobladores la llamaban Raqmu .1 El nombre de Petra proviene del griego πέτρα que significa piedra, y su nombre es idóneo ya que no se trata de una ciudad construida con piedra, si no literalmente excavada y esculpida en la piedra.

El asentamiento de Petra se localiza en un valle angosto, al este del valle de la Aravá que se extiende desde el mar Muerto hasta el Golfo de Aqaba. Los restos más célebres de Petra son sin duda sus construcciones labradas en la mis](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1605476973288-c0c11758f8ef?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=MnwxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDIzfHxwZXRyYXxlbnwwfHx8fDE2MTYxOTcyMTk&ixlib=rb-1.2.1&q=80&w=2000)

Photo by [Jorge Fernández Salas](https://unsplash.com/@jorgefdezsalas?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit) / [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit)

Petra is a famous archaeological site in Jordan's southwestern desert. Dating to around 300 B.C., it was the capital of the Nabatean Kingdom. Accessed via a narrow canyon called Al Siq, it contains tombs and temples carved into pink sandstone cliffs, earning its nickname, the "Rose City." Perhaps its most famous structure is 45m-high Al Khazneh, a temple with an ornate, Greek-style facade, and known as The Treasury. 

The idea of peering through endless corridors of sandstone hoping that the next turning will uncover those perfectly carved structures is extremely exciting.

## Ancient Kyoto, Japan

![Golden Pavilion, Kyoto, Japan](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1596240860673-4ec6d6bab147?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=MnwxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDEyfHxhbmNpZW50JTIwa3lvdG98ZW58MHx8fHwxNjE2MTk3NTQ3&ixlib=rb-1.2.1&q=80&w=2000)

Photo by [Jeremy Santana](https://unsplash.com/@strikevillain?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit) / [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit)

It is not only Japans cultural centre, but also the birthplace of Buddhism in Japan. The UNESCO World Heritage site “Kyojiki,” composed of 13 books from the 8th to 12th centuries, is believed to be the first encyclopedia of Japan, written by the Japanese priest Ishida Mitsunari.

Just look at the luscious greenery, it oozes calm and serenity. 

## Acropolis of Athens, Greece

![3rd of four shots taken - Sunrise 1, Sunrise 2, Sunset and Night. A beautiful sight in a captivating city taken when the conditions were good.](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1505884065216-0661d68e5c47?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=MnwxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDMwfHxhY3JvcG9saXN8ZW58MHx8fHwxNjIzMTcwMDg2&ixlib=rb-1.2.1&q=80&w=2000)

Photo by [AussieActive](https://unsplash.com/@aussieactive?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit) / [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit)

Located in the heart of Athens, the Acropolis dominates the skyline of Athens. The entire structure is 906 steps (2618 feet) of sheer staircases leading to the main ruins of the Parthenon.

From looking at photos, my favorite view is from the top of the Acropolis, looking towards the Parthenon on the left. The main building dominates the scene and in the background there are also some other famous ruins (like the Temple of Athena Nike) from antiquity that are currently being restored.

## Mesa Verde, USA

![Fabulous Cliff Dwellings at Mesa Verde](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1623107061821-ee462b5c7ea5?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=MnwxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDE1fHxtZXNhJTIwdmVyZGV8ZW58MHx8fHwxNjIzMTcwMjUy&ixlib=rb-1.2.1&q=80&w=2000)

Photo by [Wallace Bentt](https://unsplash.com/@wallybee43?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit) / [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit)

Mesa Verde National Park is in southwest Colorado. It's known for its well-preserved Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings, notably the huge Cliff Palace. The Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum has exhibits on the ancient Native American culture. Mesa Top Loop Road winds past archaeological sites and overlooks, including Sun Point Overlook with panoramic canyon views. Petroglyph Point Trail has several rock carvings.

Archaeological sites here are concentrated in the cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde National Park and nearby Mesa County. There are thousands of Native American cliff dwellings with intricate rock carvings, which date back more than 1,000 years.

Some have been turned into museums. They include Basketmaker II, Cliff Palace, Garibaldi, Figure 8, Half-Circle, Khanokton, Redrock Cliff, Tse-ten-ak and Ute Court House. The Ancestral Puebloan people lived in many of these cliff dwellings for thousands of years. They were farmers, hunters and artisans. Mesa Verde National Park Rock Art and Meteorites.

## Easter Island

![Moais](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1524536120883-854d2c00bf1f?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=MnwxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDJ8fGVhc3RlciUyMGlzbGFuZHxlbnwwfHx8fDE2MjMxNzA0NjU&ixlib=rb-1.2.1&q=80&w=2000)

Photo by [Thomas Griggs](https://unsplash.com/@viajeenparacaidas?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit) / [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit)

Easter Island is a Chilean island in the south Pacific Ocean, famous for the giant statues known as Moais, which dot the landscape.

Created by the Rapa Nui people, who are thought to have inhabited the island from the 12th century onward, hundreds of Moais are spread around the island. Some are partially toppled, while others stand erect; some stand on ahu (stone platforms), and many still remain at the quarry where they were created. Ranging in size from a meter to 20 meters, each carving is unique and thought to symbolize an ancestor.

Not much is known about the history of Easter Island, beyond the fact that it was occupied for thousands of years by various native cultures. The earliest known reference to the island was made by Italian mariner Giovanni da Verrazzano in 1524; there were other European visits, including the famous Spanish expedition of Pedro de Ursúa and Pedro Fernandez de Quirós in 1540.

After being discovered by Europeans, Easter Island was occupied for most of the 18th century, then occupied again from 1863 to 1877\. It was then finally abandoned, due to warfare, invasion, and epidemics. The island lies between Hawaii and Chile, 2,600 miles off the coast of Chile. Access is limited to air and sea.

## Iguazu Falls, Argentina/Brazil border

![](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1590246185445-fbc0bc97c7e7?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=MnwxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDIyfHxpZ3VhenUlMjBmYWxsc3xlbnwwfHx8fDE2NDQzMjEzMTA&ixlib=rb-1.2.1&q=80&w=2000)

Photo by [Christhian Gruhn](https://unsplash.com/@gruhh?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit) / [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit)

Iguazu Falls is a waterfall of the 3-step type created by the Iguazu River on the border between Argentina and Brazil. It's home to 275 waterfalls with over 260 of them falling from heights greater than 100 feet.
### The Ultimate Guide to SEO in 2021
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/the-ultimate-guide-to-seo-in-2021/
Last updated: 2021-03-18T22:23:36.000Z
Some say SEO is dead in 2021\. I know a few people that may disagree: The millions of businesses who continue to see massive bottom-line growth through search engine strategies.

In 2021, relevancy is still king, and the companies who can adapt to the changes in the search engine landscape will be the ones who thrive. It’s about more than just getting a few search terms on page one of Google.

It’s about building a solid foundation of SEO that will outlast changes in algorithms and keep your business relevant.

Over the coming decade, a solid growth program can continue to leverage SEO to:

- Connect with your target audience
- Boost top-of-the-funnel acquisition
- Drive more qualified leads and sales
- Reach more potential customers and beachhead markets
- Build a strong and enduring online brand presence

These are the fundamental goals you should have in mind when you start brainstorming your SEO strategy. In this article, we’ll run through some of the top SEO strategies and tips to keep in mind in 2021 and beyond.

****1\. Build landing pages that are 100% Search Engine Friendly**

The days of slow, stocky and inefficient web properties are long gone.

One of the biggest changes to SEO for 2021 is the fact that Google will be focusing more on the user experience than ever before. That means a big focus on mobile friendliness, fast load times, and a good user experience.

You’ll want to have a website that is fully optimised for mobile and desktop. You’ll have to make sure to keep pages short, load as fast as possible, and use a lot of white space. Modern landing pages must be easy to navigate and use, and you’ll want to have a clean layout that is easy to read.

Think about the kind of quality Google demand from their own sites. That’s the standard they are setting for you.

****2\. All web properties MUST be mobile friendly – NO exceptions!**

Mobile is becoming more and more important.

SEO-friendly websites require quick loading on mobile, and you’ll want a website that is easy to read on mobile. The fact is, Google gives massive preference to websites that are mobile friendly and applies harsh ranking punishments on those that aren’t.

[Mobile friendly websites will continue to rank significantly higher](https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2016/11/mobile-first-indexing?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) in subsequent years than they do now. In 2021, websites cant simply run on mobile – they must be flawless on both smartphones and tablets.

****3\. You’ll want to make sure that you’re using the right keywords.**

You’ll want to be sure that the keywords you’re targeting are the right ones. You know, the ones that people are actually searching for. It will be critical to make sure that your content is relevant to the target audience you’re trying to reach.

What does this mean? No more using tacky tools to generate massive spreadsheets of pointless keywords. Either outsource it to professionals or invest in heavy duty tools like [Semrush](http://semrush.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

Your content must be well-written and compelling – the days of blog spam and clickbait content are long gone. You’ll want to make sure that your content is something that people are going to want to link to. The content you feature must present as expertly written and relevant to the target audience you’re trying to reach.

Google notices these things nowadays. Writing poor content? Goodbye page 1.

****4\. Focus heavily on relevant internal linking structures**

Moving forward, there will be a significantly stronger emphasis on the relevance of your website content. In other words, you’re going to want to make sure that every single page on your website is relevant and valuable to your target audience.

In other words, no more throwaway content.

The days where you can stuff as much keyword-rich content as possible into a page are long gone – relevancy is king and all content must be highly relevant and useful for the visitor.

****5\. Start producing more video content.**

Video has been steadily growing in importance over recent years, and it is now one of the more rapidly consumable forms of media on the internet. Video is particularly critical when it comes to SEO, because it’s one of the few categories which have yet to saturate.

Over the coming decade, video will be king, as consumers become increasingly blind to textual content. This is because Google and other search engines are placing a greater emphasis on video content than ever before.

As such, particularly in the most online year ever, it’ll be essential to start producing more videos for your brand – especially if you want to stay competitive with other competing businesses online.

Consider tools like [Lumen5](https://lumen5.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) which don’t break the bank.

****6\. A strong social media presence is a requirement, not a luxury.**

The days of shoving an RSS feed into Buffer and calling it a day are long gone. Having a solid, curated social media presence is practically a cost of doing business these days.

The fact is, social media has grown into one of the most powerful marketing channels on the internet today, and it continues to get stronger every single year despite how saturated it feels. More and more people are flocking towards social media for all kinds of reasons (work, education, etc.).

Besides – don’t forget what a massive chunk of the world has yet to come online. It’s easy to forget old head social media platforms like Facebook in favour of the trends, but it’s the foundational platforms that continue gaining steam.

****SEO isn’t going away**, it’s just going to change. In 2021, you’ll want to make sure that you adapt accordingly. There is no such thing as a “one size fits all” SEO strategy – instead, it will be more important than ever to have an in-depth understanding of the landscape and to adapt to the changes accordingly.

Stay on top of algorithms, but don’t dwell on them – as important as they are, the fundamentals have never changed. A great business, publishing great content and hustling to get it in front of everyone who should see it – that has and always will be the foundation for scalable, high ROI SEO growth programs.
### SEO vs PPC: Is Organic SEO or Pay Per Click Better for my Business?
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/seo-vs-ppc-is-organic-seo-or-pay-per-click-better-for-my-business/
Last updated: 2021-03-18T22:34:21.000Z
When you are planning marketing campaigns for your eCommerce website, there are a number of variables to consider, albeit given that every business is different, whichever you prioritise at different times, depending on changing business objectives, both have their value, regardless of business type.

It’s simply a question of keeping your marketing strategy under regular and consistent review to find what is working.

That being said, let’s dive into the essentials to learn what might work best for your online business and remember that what works today may have to evolve as the search engines tweak their algorithms.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/03/marketing_1602933452.jpeg)

## SEO Versus PPC

Digital Marketing includes two elements, organic and PPC, (sponsored ad’s). Both are important for boosting your visibility and search engine ranking. The skill is in applying each at the appropriate time.

In general, as a rule of thumb, to gain immediate presence and visibility, pay per click (PPC) allows those with a good budget to get fast results, perhaps when launching a new product line, or boosting sales of your higher value goods or services.

Organic SEO is a longer term strategy, requiring consistency of efforts in creating high value content to your audiences. Every asset you create is money in the bank that accumulates in terms of ranking.

Some marketing channels achieve greater results than others, depending upon what products or services your business is about.

Google regularly updates its algorithms, so, organic ranking involves a commitment to learning emerging priorities of this search engine.

While this ever-changing SEO landscape is frustrating, it helps stop those with deep pockets gaming the system, leaving room for the smaller online business to compete.

## Organic Ranking

The options for marketing focus are seemingly endless. For instance, here are just a few organic marketing channels to conjure with:

- Video uploaded to YouTube, Snapchat, Twitter, etc.
- Blogs
- White papers
- Guest posts to high authority niche sites
- Articles on LinkedIn
- Social media links from e.g. Facebook, Pinterest
- Forum contributions, such as Quora
- Your preferred media

The point whichever ‘channel’ you use for promotion is to establish:

- brand authority or industry leadership
- competitiveness in cost
- quality versus competitors
- any of the above and more

When creating content, it has to be significant to your audience and relevant. This way, the search engine maintains its value to searchers online. It’s important, therefore to avoid irrelevant links to other content.

Spamming will consign the website owner to a digital black hole. While there is an element of speaking to search engine bots, first and foremost write content for humans!

Another important aspect of what Google values is adaptability of online content to smart phones – bearing in mind this behemoth sells their own phone! If your content requires excessive page manipulation on a phone, chances are customers will get frustrated and click away.

Whatever content you upload, stay abreast of your audience’s responses by analysing your metrics. Without putting time into reviewing success, your efforts can be wasted. Seeing what is popular and where your audience likes to find your website content from helps you to prioritise your future marketing strategies and better manage your SEO return on investment

## PPC

Sponsored Ad success is a potentially expensive learning curve. It is essential that you have done some groundwork before putting your money into this machine. For instance, key word research is essential in order to understand what terms your audiences are using to find your stuff.

Observing competitor activity in this area helps to get an idea of what keeps them ranking. It is not only the amount companies are prepared to bid, but the structure of their ad and language used. Pay per click is part art, part science.

The science is the checking of metrics and tweaking accordingly. It is vital to conserve your budget to do this on an hourly basis with new campaigns, or as a newbie. Then look daily at conversions to sales or consultancy appointments made. After a week, you will have a clear idea of terminology that speaks to your audience and structure to galvanise the psychology of your buyers.

Bear in mind also, that the key words used in your ads must align with descriptions of products on landing pages i.e. relevance rules! This initial research and on-going monitoring of performance can be off-putting, in which case, there are plenty of marketing agencies to whom you can outsource campaigns until you learn the ropes.

If you are committed to learning and deploying in house, then be prepared for consistent, planned split tests, alternating between variants of ad content. Also, continual trial and error over several months is inevitable during your PPC steep learning curve.

For those that prefer to teach themselves PPC rather than outsourcing, be aware that there will be important metrics to monitor closely, each of which has their own jargon, e.g.:

- Cost per impression: banner ads and text ads can be paid for ‘in bulk’, e.g. purchasing 1,000, 100, 000, etc. displays around the net. These are said to generate a click through rate of around 3%.
- Impressions can be reported to you via the search engine’s webmaster tools, showing you how many times your advert showed up to your audience. This gives an idea of whether your message generates click troughs. It is useful to split test two adverts at a time, at least, to compare response rates.
- Cost per click; this involves calculating how much is actually spent on each click through to your website and from this you can work out how many of these convert into actual sales
- Cost per acquisition; this is the established cost of actually acquiring a new customer, or new sale.

## Either Or and Campaign Combination’s

Realistically speaking, organic and paid search are not mutually exclusive and should run in tandem, at least when Pay Per Click is deemed either necessary, or your organisation has the budget for this ‘nice to have’, in addition to building your organic presence, the value of which is cumulative.

The weight of budget allocated really depends on your particular business situation and what your goals are. If you are looking to corner the market over a competitor, then boosting your visibility via PPC has value. Similarly, when launching new product lines, or conducting sales, then extra promotions will boost views to your online store. Some online retailers will want to promote their products aligned with popular holidays, such as Valentine’s Day, Christmas, Eid and so on.

Consultancies seeking to expand their revenue streams and gain market share may decide to capitalise on currently trending topics of interest, such as healthcare during a pandemic, support in applying for business grants and support during an economic downturn and so on.

Whichever combination of organic and paid marketing campaigns you are weighing up in terms of value, consider the following aspects of implementation:

## Speed and Time

PPC’s value lies in the fact that campaigns can be up and running immediately. Having selected your ideal key words, adverts can be running in less than an hour, driving traffic to your website.

Organic SEO is a long-term game and it takes a while to show its effect in the Search Engines. However, the impact is cumulative; the more you do, the more ‘rods in the pond’ and the more the search engine rewards your efforts.

If, however, you have content valuable enough to see you featured in *Google News,* expect faster results and high volumes of traffic. If you are picked up by magazines and journals in your industry, you can generate a lot of traffic quickly too, when your website is mentioned on a popular website.

## Budget and ROI

With no budget, sweating it out in organic SEO is your only option. However, learning what works and putting in the time will yield great results over time.

If you do have sufficient funds for PPC, you will need to ensure that the revenue you receive from paid campaigns exceeds expenditure. Pay Per Click can lose you money very quickly. Bear in mind that some key words cost much more than others, for instance in high value industries, or where there are many more competitors. In this case, to make it work for your business, you will have to build your investment and be well-capitalised.

Take a look at the [average cost per click across different industries](https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2016/02/29/google-adwords-industry-benchmarks?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) for an idea of what you can expect in terms of investment:

The return on investment is much greater with organic SEO over time. Once you’re achieving a significant amount of visitors from search engines, you create a virtuous circle, wherein the more popular you are, the greater your potential for reaching more viewers and buyers.

Of course, the flip side of this is that your online shop-window could continue to get window-shoppers who do not convert to enough buyers to make your business viable, in which case, you may seek purchase uplift through additional paid campaigns.

## Targeting

The key to any marketing is learning how to best target your ideal online shop visitor. PPC gives you targeting options that are not available purely through organic SEO. You can be extremely precise via long-tail key word phrases, such as: “(Brand-name) summer dress sale”, “U.K. made, organic moisturiser for men”, etc. Such specific targeting will reach those looking for exactly what your are selling and is likely to convert more visitors to purchasers.

Alternatively, should you choose a broader audience, your phraseology in your ad will be more generic, but may convert less.

Here are just some targeting variables to consider:

- Keywords: “sexy”, “bargain”, (brand name), “fast-acting”, etc.
- Interests or hobbies – particularly if linked to topical subjects
- Placements i.e. geographical, local or demographic references
- Retargeting involves the smart use of technical tools, such as cookies to track where your website visitors come from and go to afterwards; whatever they are looking at, pop up banner adverts can follow them around, linking to their interests
- Organisational roles, for instance, reaching decision makers, such as CEO’s, managers, etc.
- Life events, e.g. weddings, Holy days, local holidays or festivals, back-to-school, pandemic concerns, environmental disaster challenges, etc.
- I am sure you can think of many more relevant to your offering. Make a list, then schedule your campaign, to establish your calendar.

There are so many options which enable you to reach your particular audience of interest. Slight tweaks to change your message or offer can help achieve marginal increases in RPI that make all the difference in turn over.

Get specific about the particular pains and needs of each of your ‘segmented’ audiences.

## Tracking

Since Google stopped providing keyword data for advertisers to target specific audiences, tracking which keywords generate sales or leads is more challenging. However, some paid SEO services such as SEMrush, [Keyword Hero](https://keyword-hero.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) and others continue to offer some metrics to support your efforts. While attributing revenue to specific keywords is now more difficult, by monitoring and recording competitor success, you can make informed guesses as to what works.

By keeping records of all your campaigns and analysing results from detailed tweaks, you can track rewards from particular keywords or formatting of your ad.

Other important metrics include: value per click or impression, bounce rate, pages viewed, number of website interactions occurred before a visitor bought and much more, all of which helps you better manage your budget and optimise campaigns.

By reviewing organic SEO metrics and optimising your performance, your company has the opportunity to appear in search engines alongside household brand names, but with far fewer resources.

## Putting in the Work

Every new art or skill is a matter of putting in the time. By regularly scheduling in time to review your results, you can learn what works for your particular business, whether it be learning which platforms your audience likes to spend time on, or what words galvanise activity.

When you’re getting your SEO efforts right, through learning what works, you’ll be getting links from other websites that increase your viral impact, bringing increased visitors to your website than your efforts alone would otherwise manage.

Popularity from balancing inputs via organic or paid SEO helps you rank higher in the search engines at different levels and at different times. One method is not intrinsically ‘better’ than the other unless of course, you have a specific purpose in mind, for which one strategy works better. The combinations and budget allocated will evolve over time as your business needs change.

Remember, while Pay Per Click costs more in the short-term, it can help you fill in gaps in your rankings while you work on organic SEO to bring visitors to new content, services, or products.

The toughest decision is deciding which channels to start out with because relying on one channel to support your business is risky.

Choose two or three channels and really understand how they work. Learn and observe the impacts of hidden algorithms on your website visits. Mastery and turnover are simply an on-going learning curve.

This technical side of SEO can seem off-putting, but by focusing on organic versus paid, you will learn these various elements as you go along.
### The CRO Journey Towards a New Conversion Optimisation Model
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/the-cro-journey-towards-a-new-conversion-optimisation-model/
Last updated: 2023-09-01T14:25:35.000Z
If you have done everything within your power to optimise your landing pages for conversions (if you haven’t then be sure to check out these [25 useful conversion optimisation tips](http://mattjanaway.co.uk/search-engine-people-25-amazing-ways-boost-ecommerce-conversion-rates/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)!).

Well, guess what? Chances are, so have your competitors. But even with the upshift in websites caring about their conversion rates, the global average conversion rates seem to have been [stuck between 2 to 5 percent](https://smartinsights.com/ecommerce/ecommerce-analytics/ecommerce-conversion-rates/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) forever.

This means at least 95% of your visitors are ****not buying from you**, no matter how much you optimise your website. But why?

### ****The Secret of High Conversion Rates**

One of the secrets to high conversion rates is understanding that the elements on your website aren’t the most important factor. The most important factor is inside the mind of your website visitors.

If your webpages can unlock that secret by interacting with your visitors, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to double or triple your conversions. You will probably never get to anywhere close to a 25% conversion rate, simply because not everybody who comes to your website is looking to buy your product or service.

In other words, they don’t have the intent to buy, at least for now. And this is the key mindset to remember in all forms of digital marketing – ****INTENT**.

### ****The Classic Conversion Funnel Model**

According to the classic theory of consumer buying behaviour, people go through at least five different stages before they become a regular customer.

The classic model of consumer buying behaviour, shown below, comprises of awareness, interest (or familiarity), information search (or consideration), purchase, and post-purchase (or loyalty) stages.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/04/Recreate--blog-post-The-CRO-Journey-Towards-AN-16-4-2021-1920-x-400.jpg)

For those who are not familiar with this model, the different stages of the buying cycle can be understood as follows:

- Awareness: The consumer becomes aware of his/her needs and starts looking for solutions
- Familiarity: The consumer becomes familiar with the available solutions (products or brands) by gathering information about them
- Consideration: The consumer compares different alternatives to decide which particular solution is going to work for them
- Purchase: They make the decision to buy from a particular business or brand
- Loyalty: They evaluate their purchase and decide whether to keep buying from the brand

### ****Matching the Message with the Stage in Buying Funnel**

As you can see, this model assumes a consumer’s buying behaviour to be a ****linear process**.

As consumers transition from one stage to the next, they narrow down their choices and finally stick with a single product, business or brand. For achieving the most conversions, marketers must reach consumers at specific moments that most influence their buying decisions. They must deliver the right message at the [right stage of the buying or conversion funnel](https://www.finteza.com/en/marketing-resources/13-conversion-funnels-must-have-marketing-tool?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

For example, on-page conversion optimisation factors like big ‘buy’ buttons, clear layouts, and smooth navigation will not convert a visitor who is just beginning to realise he/she has an unfulfilled need and is only looking for information about available solutions or perhaps reviews of a product.

At this stage, marketers should instead try and feature their brand as an alternative to consider, or their store as a trustworthy reseller. On the other hand, a visitor who is ready to buy should not be distracted by unnecessary information, as he/she has already progressed through the familiarity (information search) and consideration stages, and the most important thing for them is a smooth purchasing experience.

### ****Conversion Optimization Roadblocks**

There are two problems that make it difficult to practice this approach of matching the message with the stage in the buying funnel.

### **Conversion Roadblock #1**

Marketers don’t know for sure which stage of the buying funnel the visitor is at, and what is the appropriate type of message, or action trigger, for that particular stage.

In the absence of a viable model for finding out the stage in the buying funnel and matching the message with that stage, marketers mainly have their instincts to rely on. They can test different variations of the landing page by changing different elements, such as the CTA copy, product benefits, colours, and layout.

However, much of the testing may be wasteful, as it would not be based on any scientific model. A/B testing is key here!

### **Conversion Roadblock #2**

The proliferation of media and available choices has empowered the consumer to an extent that the classic model of consumer buying behaviour is not as valid anymore.

Consumers have unlimited channels available to them, for identifying the alternative solutions to their problem, gathering information, and comparing those alternatives before reaching the decision to buy. Consumers are no longer passive, waiting for the marketers to reach out to them.

Instead, the interaction between businesses and their customers has become two-way. Consumers have become empowered and do not follow the classic buying model anymore.

Let’s look at each of these problems more closely.

### ****Discovering Customer Intent**

A logical conclusion of the buying funnel model is that a single type of message will not work for every visitor.

Instead of planning for conversions in a vacuum, marketers have to find out where, precisely, in the buying funnel there seems to be a problem. The easiest way to isolate the problem is through your Google Analytics.

Hence, if you see that most of your visitors are abandoning your page soon after landing on it, it’s the initial stages of the funnel that you need to address. And if people are not completing the purchase after they have clicked the buy, subscribe or download button, the problem exists in the final stages of the funnel.

Google Analytics tells you the page where most of the dropouts are taking place. But it doesn’t tell you why people are leaving the page and exactly what you need to change on the page.

Many marketers rely on their gut feeling to find out the exact point of the problem and apply fixes, which can sometimes work. But a much better way is through ****testing**.

Tools like heat-mapping or mouse-tracking can help you zero-in on the source of the problem and solve it quickly and cost-effectively. They can tell you precisely which part of your page most of your visitors look at before they leave your site.

Let’s say you’re using conversion testing tools and know the point in the conversion funnel that’s causing the bleed. This allows you to pinpoint the probable stage where those visitors are, but you’ve only actually solved just one side of the equation.

You still don’t know what type of message you need to deliver at that point in order to make visitors stay on your site and progress to the next stage in the funnel. Perhaps, you could do better if you knew the critical elements of online behaviour—what kind of experience people are looking for at different points in the funnel.

### ****The Elements of Web Experience**

A [peer-reviewed study](http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/ijbm/article/view/25174/16335?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) published in the International Journal of Business and Management analysed academic papers on CRO published from 2004 to 2012\. It concluded that the classic conversion model funnel was missing one crucial element—experience.

Interestingly, a [McKinsey study](https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/marketing-and-sales/our-insights/the-consumer-decision-journey?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) examining the purchase decisions of almost 20,000 consumers also reaffirms that online behaviour is radically different from an offline or real-world experience.

For example, leaving a website and going to another one is as simple as clicking the back button, and then clicking another search result. Leaving a physical store without buying anything means having to drive to another store, something that most people won’t be willing to do. ****The internet is different from the real world** – it’s **virtual*, and a web experience is different from a real-world experience.

This is very important to remember, it builds on the earlier assertion that ****INTENT** is the key mindset.

The researchers from the first study held an in-depth interview with the founder of the US-based conversion optimisation agency Clixo, which has worked with companies like Nissan, Samsung, Motorola, Hyundai, and Peugeot. They found out that Clixo uses a proprietary conversion optimisation model called Clixo’s Conversion Framework™. The model was developed over a period of 9 years, through research and extensive real-world work that Clixo carried out for its paying clients.

### ****Clixo’s Conversion Framework™**

The Clixo’s Framework identifies five components of web experience that are crucial for converting a website visitor into a customer.

****1\. Catalyst**: What is the motivation and traffic source? Clixo tries hard to understand what triggered a visit and the traffic source. This information helps them understand better the visitors who are serious about purchasing the company’s products or services and the stage of buying funnel they’re in, in order to determine how to best start the conversation.

****2\. Value:** Value is based on the visitor’s perception of a company’s website and products. That’s why it’s imperative to gather customer feedback or behavioural insights with tools like [Quaraloo](https://qualaroo.com/home?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). To your website visitors, value means being unique, relevant, and specific.

a. Unique: Does the visitor feel the conversation on your website or landing page is unique and distinct from other sites?

b. Relevant: Is the message or conversation relevant to your visitor’s intent?

c. Specific: Does it directly and precisely address your visitor’s concerns?

****TOP TIP**: Using creative and persuasive copywriting is very important for creating value.

****3\. Usability:** Is your site user-friendly? Is the interface intuitive and simple? Does it load quickly? There are tons of studies proving the importance of usability for a good user experience. Avoiding frustrating navigation menu’s, popups, and cluttered layouts improve usability. Bold headlines, clear fonts, impressive copywriting, formatting, and dark coloured text on a white background are just some of the elements of a user-friendly website design.

****4\. Persuasion:** Persuasion depends on clarity and incentive. Clarity means that the value proposition is communicated clearly through copy, pictures, video, and design on both service sections and [product page copy](https://marketinglabs.co.uk/how-to-write-the-perfect-product-description-free-template/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). The incentive is how the company incentivises a purchase, e.g. “buy before such and such time and win a free gift.” Persuasive copywriting need not be very creative, but brief, bold and compelling.

****5\. Confidence:** Confidence is about reducing anxiety and inducing trust. Blogs like CrazyEgg, Unbounce, QuickSprout and others have tons of articles on it. Using trust symbols such as VeriSign Secured, guarantee seal, or a padlock icon reduces anxiety and can boost buyer confidence.

Customer testimonials, social proof, and reviews boost trust too, whereas free trials generally increase anxiety if they are accompanied by lots of small print.

If you aren’t already, you should be building your social audience using tools like [Marketing Labs Scheduler](https://marketinglabs.co.uk/free-social-media-marketing-tool/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), and monitoring brand activity and mentions using something like [Cyfe](https://www.cyfe.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). Doing social media correctly can help make big strides into building confidence.

These five web behaviour factors greatly influence conversions and must be addressed for building high-converting websites. Clixo has successfully used this Framework to double the conversion rates for most of its clients. In addition to these, the study uncovers two more behaviour elements. These are:

****6\. Aesthetics:** The optics or the visual appearance of the website. Because conversions depend on the perception and intent of your customer, there’s [no hard and fast rule for creating great aesthetics](https://www.crazyegg.com/blog/ugly-website-design/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). We have Google, on one hand, doing great with a minimalist interface, and Craigslist on the other hand, with a cluttered but useful design that has held its own for over two decades.

****7\. Interactivity:** The internet has the capability to provide highly interactive and personalised experiences. The responsiveness of the company to the individual needs of the customer has a strong bearing on conversions. Contemporary web users are savvy and like to solve their problems themselves, using interactive tools, FAQs, forums, blogs, videos, and if need be, live chat. A high converting website provides these interactive features.

### ****The Linear CRO Model**

Founder of [Growfusely](https://growfusely.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), [Pratik Dholakiya](https://www.pratikdholakiya.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) has proposed a comprehensive model of conversion optimisation by superimposing the above seven behavioural elements with the five stages of the conversion funnel. Here’s the model that emerges, as published in his [post on Unbounce](https://unbounce.com/conversion-rate-optimization/what-every-conversion-rate-optimization-strategy-is-missing/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/04/MarketingLabs_RecreateBlogImages_1024x460.jpg)

According to Dholakiya’s model, each element of web behaviour corresponds to specific stages in the buying funnel. For instance, Catalyst and Aesthetics are relevant in the initial three steps, when the consumer is becoming aware, gathering information and evaluating options. Persuasion and Confidence work best towards the end of the funnel, and Value is important throughout all the stages.

The above model clarifies some of the confusion about the specific actions you should take to address conversion issues occurring at different stages.

It gives marketers a framework to form and test different hypotheses instead of relying on guesswork and wasting time and money on unnecessary tests. However, there’s just one problem that makes this model dysfunctional. It turns out that just as you were getting ready to score, someone moved the goalposts.

### ****The Consumer Decision Journey**

The research by McKinsey showed that the classic model of buying funnel has changed because of the amount of information and buying choices available to consumers in the age of digital marketing.

“A more sophisticated approach is required to help marketers navigate this environment, which is less linear and more complicated than the funnel suggests,” the study reiterates. Called the Consumer Decision Journey, the new model is summed up by the following figure.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/04/MarketingLabs_RecreateBlogImages_1024x520.jpg)

Apart from being non-linear and much more complicated, this model is different from the classic buying funnel in three significant ways.

After a ‘Catalyst’ has triggered the awareness, consumers start with an initial set of choices.

However, unlike the classic conversion funnel suggest, consumers start with fewer choices at the outset, and can expand their consideration set during the active evaluation stage. For marketers, it means that they need to invest in creating brand awareness, so that consumers may include them in the initial set.

It also means that not everything is lost for the brands that were excluded from the first stage. They can interrupt the decision-making process by entering the decision journey during the active evaluation phase and even bumping out a rival.

The second difference is that the outreach of consumers to marketers has become more important than marketers’ outreach to consumers. Customers now actively pull the information they want, as opposed to marketers pushing information to them. So, marketers must establish as many potential customer touch points as possible, by making information about their products available to consumers through every channel that their customers are likely to use.

Finally, the post-purchase behaviour has also changed radically. The increasingly competitive and complex world of today has given rise to two types of loyalty — ****active** and ****passive**.

Active loyalists (sometimes known as brand advocates) not only stick with a brand, but also recommend it to others.

Passive loyalists, on the other hand, keep on buying a brand merely out of laziness or confusion caused by the dizzying range of choices. Marketers still need to provide a great after-sales experience that inspires repeat buying. But they also need to take measures to expand the active loyalists and to ‘woo’ passive loyalists away from competitors.

### ****The Conversion Journey**

It is obvious that with these findings, the linear conversion optimisation model does not remain very practical.

The boundaries between the stages of the classic buying funnels have melted, and the cone has transformed into a continuous loop, during which customers actively seek information, evaluate alternatives, and make buying decisions.

They like to progress through the cycle on their own, without being prompted by marketers. So, the best that marketers can do is to assist the customers in finding information about their products and to make sure that the information is presented in a relevant, aesthetic, and interactive manner.

I have superimposed the web behaviour elements we identified above on the Consumer Journey Model of buying behaviour. Here’s the picture that emerges.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/04/MarketingLabs_RecreateBlogImages_1024x520Conv_RK_21-Apr-2021.jpg)

If this picture is making you dizzy, here’s what it means.

- Value is important throughout the consumer’s journey. You should be relevant, unique and specific in your message all the way.
- Catalyst is important to attract the customers to your offer, for the first time as well as for repeat purchases.
- Aesthetics are important for retaining the visitors on your website when they are in the active evaluation phase.
- Persuasion, interactivity, and confidence are important to ease the visitors through the evaluation process to the buying decision. They continue to be important during the post-purchase phase in order to keep your customers coming back.

Let’s quickly go over a hypothetical example to clarify things a bit more.

Let’s say you want your website to convert the maximum possible number of visitors into repeat customers.

You’ll start by working on the Catalyst. You’ll need to trigger recall about your product and make it enter your visitor’s consideration set. This would require not only off-page but also offline marketing and branding.

You could try and get a post published with a high domain authority blog, for instance, or place an ad in the local newspaper. In short, you’ll need to create brand awareness.

Now, let’s say your consumer is already aware of your brand and comes to your site to look for certain information.

Your site should have the right aesthetics and usability for the visitor to stick around.

They should know your company’s name and where exactly they have landed on your website.

The navigation and layout should be clear, and the copy should be persuasive.

The trust elements should all be there, and you’ll need to provide interactivity to engage the customer and help them get to what they want.

You can find out from your traffic sources the particular catalysts you need to create or improve. Your Analytics will tell you if your visitors are going away within a short time of landing on your page so that you can focus more on aesthetics and usability.

Heat mapping, mouse tracking and customer feedback tools will tell you more about what’s going on in your customer’s mind and where they are in the buying loop. Based on this info, you can improve different elements of their experience. So, if they’re leaving your page just when they were supposed to click the buy button, you’ll need to focus more on confidence or interactivity— maybe look at providing testimonials or a live chat service, if you don’t already.

### ****Your Turn**

As you might have noticed, the Conversion Journey Model is still in beta stage and needs a lot of refinement and real-life testing. I’ll share the results when we have put it through a substantial amount of testing. Until then, I would love to hear what you think about it and how you think it can be improved. The comments section is all yours!
### How to Use Keyword Research to Pump More Qualified Leads Into Your Conversion Funnel
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-use-keyword-research-to-pump-more-qualified-leads-into-your-conversion-funnel/
Last updated: 2021-03-19T16:06:44.000Z
As a marketer, you can’t afford to be out of touch with your target audience. If you want your strategies to help increase conversions, you need a firm grasp of who they are, what makes them tick, and what they’re looking for at any given time.

You need to stop casting a wide net and start to [develop clear-cut offerings](https://conversion.com/blog/too-many-options/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) that will make your audience say “*that’s exactly what I want*.”

This is where *keyword* *research* steps in.

Remember, the success of any online marketing or advertising strategy depends on your target keywords. Whether you’re trying to draw in leads through SEO, PPC, or content marketing, targeting the right keywords through research ensures that your message reaches the right people.

It can also enable you to avoid going head to head against well-established brands that are way out of your league.

Unfortunately, not every marketer is prepared on how to do keyword research the right way.

Some cut corners and use a list of keywords they scraped months ago, while others simply fail to recognize the gaps between their target keywords and what they actually offer – or just go for the keywords with the largest search volume.

In this post, we’ll look into the steps on how to do keyword research that can help impact your conversion rates positively.

Let’s begin.

## 1\. Renew Your Seed Keywords

The first step to any keyword research strategy is to come up with “seed keywords” that are relevant to your niche.

If you’ve been operating in your niche for quite some time now, you may think that you can mentally concoct a couple of seed keywords without research whatsoever. After all, they are basically just broad terms that may describe your industry, service, or product.

A better strategy, however, is to load up [Google](https://www.google.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)and take a look at Autocomplete suggestions. Doing so will also give you an idea of what your target audience could be searching for lately.

![](https://www.convert.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/1.jpeg)

Why do you need to renew your seed keywords each time you do research? Trust me, *you don’t want your next big budget marketing campaign to be built on outdated keywords*.

For now, grab one seed keyword that resonates the most with your product or service — you will need it for the next step.

## 2\. Expanding Your Seed Keyword

Of course, seed keywords are almost always too broad and competitive to be feasible to target. As such, you need a keyword research tool like [Ubersuggest](https://neilpatel.com/ubersuggest/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to expand it into hundreds of long-tail keyword variations.

In simple terms, [long-tail keywords are more specific phrases](https://www.smartinsights.com/tag/long-tail-keyword-research/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) that consist of at least three terms. They are generally less competitive than seed keywords and are much easier to target in SEO.

For example, if your seed keyword is “event planning”, here are some of the long-tail keyword suggestions that Ubersuggest will generate:

![](https://www.convert.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/2.jpeg)

Really useful, right?

However, just because long-tail keywords are easier to rank for, doesn’t mean you can just pick any one of them and call it a day. You still need to determine the profitability of each keyword by analyzing the metrics presented by Ubersuggest.

## 3\. Crunching the Numbers

When conducting keyword research, the first metric that may catch your attention is the average monthly search volume. This is a direct measure of a keyword’s popularity and, in turn, its traffic potential.

In keyword research, there’s no set standard on the average search volume you should aim for when selecting your target keywords. Instead, you have to factor in your planned customer acquisition cost, profit potential per lead, and click-through rate to determine which keyword opportunities are profitable for you.

![](https://www.convert.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/3.jpeg)

When it comes to a keyword’s competitiveness, a rating of around **0.4** or less indicates low-medium competition — perfect for small brands in need of fast results.

![](https://www.convert.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/4.jpeg)

Lastly, the average cost per click or CPC reflects the average price that advertisers are willing to pay for placements in AdWords. The higher the CPC, the more potent a keyword may be in terms of conversions.

![](https://www.convert.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/5.jpeg)

In Ubersuggest, you can click on any of the metric labels to sort the keyword suggestions accordingly. But before you do so, there’s one more thing you need to consider in your keyword research:

## 4\. Looking for Commercial Intent

Just because a keyword suggestion has promising metrics, doesn’t mean it automatically leads to higher conversions.

For example, take a look at the keyword “event manager.”

![](https://www.convert.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/6.jpeg)

While this particular keyword has **1,900** monthly searches and a competitiveness score of **0.44**, it’s typically used for informational search queries that people search in Google for research.

Maybe searchers are interested in becoming event managers themselves. There’s also a chance that they’re just curious about what an event manager actually does. One thing is for certain, this keyword is probably not going to generate you much revenue due to its ambiguity.

What you must do is to filter the keyword suggestions by adding [action-based or commercial terms](https://backlinko.com/commercial-intent?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). In this particular example, let’s try adding the terms “hire,” “find,” “price,” and “services.”

![](https://www.convert.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/7.jpeg)

Notice how the number of keyword suggestions is drastically reduced from hundreds to **19**.

From there, you can start cherry-picking new target keywords based on their metrics. Just don’t forget to check the monthly search volumes of each to check for seasonality.

![](https://www.convert.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/8.jpeg)

## 5\. Sprinkling Keywords In Your Content

There you have it — new keyword opportunities that can send your marketing off to a profitable trajectory.

It’s now time to weave your keywords into key areas of your webpage.

Keep in mind that keywords not only improve your rank worthiness. They can also be added to your on-page content to improve click-throughs and the [conversion rate on your landing or product pages](https://marketinglabs.co.uk/how-to-write-the-perfect-product-description-free-template/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

For your reference, here is a quick list of the website elements where you need to insert your target keywords:

- Page title
- Subheadings
- Main content
- Meta description
- Permalink/page URL
- Image alt text
- Image filename

**Conclusion**

It doesn’t matter if you’re building links for SEO, creating content for social media, or optimising for higher conversions — your strategy needs to be built upon an up to date list of well-targeted keywords to make sure your efforts lead to good revenue.

Whatever you do, be patient and handle each step of your keyword research with utmost care.
### Designing for Mobile First: Reasons, Challenges and Strategies
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/designing-for-mobile-first-reasons-challenges-and-strategies/
Last updated: 2021-03-18T23:44:40.000Z
If you’ve been tracking the sources that send traffic to your website, the odds are that you’ve seen a steady rise in the numbers of mobile visitors. For some websites, mobile traffic surpassed desktop traffic long ago. According to [Smart Insights research](https://www.smartinsights.com/mobile-marketing/mobile-marketing-analytics/mobile-marketing-statistics/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), people now spend significantly more digital media time (51%) on their mobiles compared to their laptops/desktops (42%).

![](https://www.convert.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/image1.jpeg)

Image Source: Smart Insights

In the UK, 45% of all eCommerce traffic now comes from smartphones and tablets. Many eCommerce retailers have seen their share of mobile sales double over the last couple of years. Mobile now accounts for 40% of all online retail sales in the UK. In fact, I could fill up this post with stats proving the criticality of mobile marketing. [Optimising your checkout](https://blog.convert.com/mobile-checkout-optimization.html?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) and website for mobile has never been more important.

These trends should compel any online business to seriously consider a mobile first strategy. Yet many of them still don’t have a responsive, nevermind a mobile-first, setup. Those that do offer some sort of mobile experience leave a lot to be desired.

## Should You Really Put Mobile First?

Adopting a mobile first strategy means designing your web experience for mobile phones and tablets, before scaling it up for larger display devices.

The term “mobile first” remains more of an enigma, because web designers have by and large shied away from the challenges that it presents. Moreover, skeptics say “mobile first” shifts focus away from the only thing that matters—customers. But the proponents say customers are the precise reason why a business should put mobile first. If you get it right, you can [really start improving your conversion rates](https://blog.convert.com/mobile-checkout-optimization.html?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

Although, I must stress from the outcome that a mobile first strategy is not necessarily the right way to go for every business. A 30 minute dive into Analytics will give you all the answers you need.

## Mobile First for New Websites

A mobile first marketing strategy demands that you start designing the user experience for the small screen. In other words, you conceive a design keeping in mind the limitations of mobile media. The prototype only includes the bare-bone elements that would deliver a smooth and personalised mobile user experience.

For instance, you’ll avoid counting on HD video or heavy images, and prefer using lightweight technology to make the site perform better on smaller screens. Then, you can add value by implementing more detailed elements that enhance the experience on desktops and laptops. This approach is called progressive enhancement, and it’s the opposite of how most of designers approach the design process.

Most designers start with the big screen and the complete set of tools to design a great desktop user experience. When the desktop website is complete, it is made responsive and adaptive for mobile devices by “selectively degrading” the user experience. Certain heavier elements may need to be dropped and the design technologies not supported by (or useful to) mobile may need to be replaced.

Not only is this a lot of work, making a mobile version of your website often occurs as an afterthought. You’ve spent most of your energy in creating the perfect experience for the big screen, which is why the mobile version of your website can look a little lame. A mobile-first competitor can easily steal some of your share of mobile traffic.

## Mobile First for Existing Websites

Google’s mobile-friendly algorithm update affected more than 80% of sites when it was rolled out. Almost one year later, there are still millions of websites that are not mobile friendly. They risk losing a big part of their sales, because a poor mobile user experience may turn away almost half of their visitors. They can also lose traffic, because Google ranks non-mobile-friendly sites poorly.

Of course, these losses won’t show anywhere on your profit and loss sheet or income statement, but these are opportunities lost. You are missing them because you haven’t really done anything to reign in the biggest and potentially most high converting chunk of your traffic.

Mobile friendliness, or rather, mobile-centeredness, is particularly essential for local and eCommerce businesses. It’s because mobile claims the highest share of local searches as well as the highest conversion rates. In short, if you have an old website that you’re looking to update to contemporary technology, mobile should be a top consideration for the revamp.

## Is Mobile First Suitable for Your Business?

Clothing and apparel are amongst the most searched categories on mobile phones in the UK, followed by electronics, grocery and household products, home improvement, and health and beauty. Needless to say, you better have a mobile optimised site if you are doing business in any of these categories. This doesn’t mean the rest of the businesses can turn a blind eye to mobile, because the vast majority of your customers are glued to their small screen for most of their digital day.

Apart from driving business leads and sales, a smooth user experience on a cleverly designed mobile website also gives you a better image in the eyes of your customers. According to research by Barclays, more than 40% of all retail purchases are influenced by mobile in one way or the other. Almost half (48%) of UK millennials say they will be less likely to buy a company’s products if they have a poor experience with that company’s mobile app or website.

In many industries, ad spend on mobile is still low considering the traffic and sales that smartphones and tablets drive. However, it’s growing at a rate of 35% to 45% and is forecast to surpass print and TV advertising by the end of this year. As more and more “digital natives” grow up, the mobile trends are only going to get stronger.

The bottom line is, no business can afford to put mobile marketing in the bottom drawer. But should you put it on top? Probably yes, if most of your customers are already using mobile to access your services.

## Challenges in Mobile First Strategy

When designing for mobile first, you’re designing for the vertical resolution. Your options are severely limited by the elements, navigation, content and tools that the mobile platform can support. The horizontal big screen is more flexible and feature-rich. Unless you know better, designing for mobile first may keep you from visualising the possibilities for your desktop user experience.

A hero image that looks impressive on desktop might eat up too much space on a smartphone’s screen. On the other hand, the designer might not pay adequate attention to high quality images or HD videos when designing the mobile experience first. Designing the desktop version first lets you create a more wholesome user experience, which may be lacking in the desktop version of mobile first websites.

![](https://www.convert.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/image2.jpeg)

Hence, designing for mobile first does not mean that you lose sight of the possible desktop user experience. Always remember that you’re focusing on small screen just because your customers use it. Your goal is to create a simple and enjoyable experience for your mobile users, while offering the best possible experience to your desktop users. You want to offer your customers what they want and not what technology can build.

## Designing for Mobile First

### Aligning Mobile Experience with User Intent

Before you start strategising and designing for mobile, you should know the reasons why someone will get out their smartphones and engage with your app or website. These reasons can fall in one or more of the following categories:

- **Look Up or Find Something:** Users want to find some information or answers urgently. Most of the time, this information is relevant to their location.
- **Explore and Interact:** Users have some time to kill and want to spend it playing a game, researching a product, or interacting with your content in a fun way.
- **Check Status or Updates:** There’s some information that keeps updating and your users are interested in staying on top of things, like live score updates during a football match. Create or Edit: Your users want to perform a micro action that cannot wait, for example, uploading a photo, making a reservation, or commenting on a blog post.

**In order to create an intuitive mobile user experience, you have to align your website with the abovementioned user behaviors in the context of your own business**. Because people can access your website from anywhere at any time, you need to think about optimising their experience across all locations.

When you take these factors into account, you’ll automatically prepare your mobile user experience for the real world. You’ll put upfront the information and [features](https://www.convert.com/features/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) that your users want to see and use, instead of what you want to emphasise. Here’s a comic rendition of this philosophy to make things clearer.

![](https://www.convert.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/image3.png)

Do you see the disconnect between what people want to see and what’s usually on a university’s website? The circle on the right side shows precisely what should have been there on the site.

## Minimal Navigation

On desktop, you can have top menu, side menu, and bottom menu. You can have different widgets or interactive modules to enrich the desktop experience. But when designing for mobile, you actually have to minimise menus and navigation.

With the network, screen size, and hardware restrictions that mobile has (compared to desktop or laptop), you don’t want to bury your content under layers of navigation. Your mobile users want relevant content to load on the front page in a flash. Each step of navigation that you add forces them to tap another time and wait for another page to load, which is terrible user experience; especially if they have a slow internet connection.

## Synchronising Mobile and Desktop Experience

One of the risks in pursuing a mobile first strategy can be that your desktop site turns out to be inconsistent with your mobile app or website. This could perturb users who use both mobile and desktop to access your business. Moreover, it’s bad for branding. Hence, it’s essential that you take both mobile and desktop/laptop into consideration right from the outset.

Once again, your user (and not mobile or desktop) is at the centre of the experience that you are designing. The rule of thumb is to give your users what they want through the easiest and shortest possible route.

## Responsive Vs Adaptive Web Design

Responsive or adaptive web design fluidly changes itself to fit the screen size being used to access it. To check whether your website is responsive/adaptive, you can simply shrink the browser window and see how the site changes to fit any screen size. Much of the difference between adaptive and responsive technologies lies in the HTML and CSS behind them, and the end results may look similar.

However, adaptive web design (AWD) requires less coding to implement than responsive web design (RWD). In adaptive design, it’s the server that does the heavy lifting to customise the experience according to the type of device that’s requesting access. In RWD, the whole page is sent to the device’s browser, which then modifies it according to the screen size and dimensions.

This means AWD can detect the type and [features](https://www.convert.com/features/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) of the device and use them to provide a superior user experience. Adaptive websites are also a little faster to load than responsive sites. But they may have issues when loading on certain not-so-popular screen sizes. However, a lot depends on how the individual websites are designed.

## Mobile Apps

Mobile apps provide a highly personalised user experience and put your loyal customers within arms-reach of your marketing. You can learn more about them by tracking their habits and needs, and offer them special deals and personalised content.

Amazon used its (now defunct) Underground app to promote free stuff. In the bargain, the brand stays in customers’ minds as well as their smartphones. What do you think is the first place they’ll think of when they actually need to buy something? Amazon is also hacking growth through the mobile app with a referral strategy, where you get a $5 credit each time someone you referred buys anything, and the buyer also gets $5 off.

![](https://www.convert.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/image4.jpeg)

This is just the tip of the iceberg considering what mobile apps can do. Businesses can also make mobile apps work for their employees and affiliates. Uber is an excellent example of this. On the other hand, desktop websites with extensive functionality and interactivity can utilise mobile apps to offer a scaled down version of the experience for the small screen. For example, Basecamp has a nifty app to let people stay on top of their projects when they’re on the go.

![](https://www.convert.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/image5.jpeg)

## Google Vs Yahoo—Two Different Mobile Experiences

To better understand what we have discussed so far, let’s compare the desktop and mobile versions of Yahoo and Google.

![](https://www.convert.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/image6-2.jpg)

![](https://www.convert.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/image7-2.jpg)

It’s plain to see that both search giants are following radically different strategies here. Yahoo’s desktop front page is cluttered with information, probably because the people at Yahoo think their users want more than just search from the interface. The mobile front page is nothing more than a severely watered down version of the desktop, which appears to pay little regard to mobile user experience. Almost half of the space is occupied by a big image, which doesn’t make much sense unless you’re looking for latest news.

Google, on the other hand, has a much more consistent mobile and desktop experience. They are focusing on one thing—search. At the same time, Google allows people to access all of its products with a single tap on the toolbox icon. Here’s the screen that pops up.

![](https://www.convert.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/image8.jpeg)

The comparison also reveals the difference in targeting strategy. Yahoo has a much broader offering that comprises news, finance, weather, mail, movies, beauty, politics, and tons of other products. Google is primarily focusing on search and using it to push its gradually expanding arsenal of nicely targeted tools. Can you see that Google is apparently following a mobile first strategy, whereas Yahoo’s mobile website is more of an afterthought, just a degraded version of its desktop website?

The point is that mobile experience, like everything, should be rooted in your overall marketing strategy. It’s not just about manipulating elements and changing font sizes, but about how well you understand your customers.

## Future of Mobile

With digital natives growing up, smartphones getting smarter, and network speeds getting faster, mobile media growth shows no signs of diminishing. Actually, mobile appears to be taking the centre stage in our daily lives, just as a flood of smart objects and virtual reality suits prepare to enter the digital marketplace. The ubiquity and timelessness of mobile make it a perfect platform for marketing all kinds of products and services. And, it’s much less cluttered so far and has a lot of space for new players. Long story short, the time to act is now.
### Digging for Gold: How to Find Lucrative Keyword Opportunities for PPC or SEO
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/digging-for-gold-how-to-find-lucrative-keyword-opportunities-for-ppc-or-seo/
Last updated: 2023-05-02T16:39:16.000Z
In mining, gold prospecting involves a sophisticated string of processes.

It requires specialised equipment, experience, and a never-ending pool of patience to pull off. When the mining company strikes gold, however, all the time, money, and resources they spent becomes well worth it.

The same can be said for keyword research within the context of marketing.

To find lucrative keyword opportunities, you need time, knowledge, and the right tools.

It matters not if you’re running a content marketing campaign for display advertising or organic SEO. If you want your investments to generate profitable results, you need to be diligent with your keyword research – no exceptions and no cutting corners.

Fortunately, performing keyword research isn’t nearly as complicated as mining for real gold. Of course, in this post, that’s what we’re going to talk about – finding lucrative keywords to target.

## **Choosing the Right Tool**

Before anything else, you need to equip yourself with an effective keyword research tool.

It doesn’t have to be incredibly feature-rich, nor does it have to be a paid one.

A free tool like [Ubersuggest](https://neilpatel.com/ubersuggest/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) already has everything you need to make a killing with your keyword research.

At this point, you might be thinking, “Out of all the keyword research tools on the internet, why Ubersuggest?”  
There are several answers to that question, and we will highlight them throughout this guide.

For starters, however, one of the things you’ll love about Ubersuggest is the fact that you have only to go to their site to use the tool.

That being said, you don’t have to commit to anything to apply what you’ll learn in this post.  
Without further ado, let’s boot up Ubersuggest.

## **Providing Your Seed Keyword**

As with most other keyword research tools, Ubersuggest kicks off with a page where you can enter a seed keyword.

You can also specify a search platform and language to narrow down your research.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/05/02.05-a.jpeg)

After you click “Look Up,” it’ll only take a few seconds before Ubersuggest provides you with hundreds of keyword suggestions.

For example, let’s go ahead and use “keyword research tips” as our seed keyword. This will yield the following results:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/05/02.05-b.jpeg)

By default, Ubersuggest aggregates keyword suggestions from the AdWords Keyword Planner and Google Suggest. You can include or exclude either source via the checkboxes to the left of the keyword results.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/05/02.05-c.jpeg)

One of the best things about Ubersuggest is that it does a terrific job of pulling in long-tail variations of your seed keyword.

These keywords are usually less competitive than broad terms, which is why they are perfect for smaller brands.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/05/02.05-d.jpeg)

However, the keyword’s length shouldn’t be the only factor you’ll consider when doing research.

Now would be a good time to introduce the other valuable metrics you can unravel with Ubersuggest.

## **Checking Keyword Metrics**

In the results page of Ubersuggest, you’ll notice three more columns alongside the keyword suggestions: search volume, CPC, and competition.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/05/02.05-e.jpeg)

### Search Volume

As you may have guessed, this metric denotes the average monthly search volume. This allows you to directly gauge the popularity and, naturally, the profitability of keywords.

### CPC

Next up, the CPC or cost per click metric is the average amount advertisers would pay for clicks while targeting a specific keyword. Measuring the CPC allows you to check the profitability and the feasibility of keyword opportunities for your brand.

### Competition

Lastly, Ubersuggest lets you measure each keyword’s competitiveness on a scale of 0.0 to 1.0\. As a small business or startup, you should opt for keyword opportunities with a competitiveness rating of up to 0.4.

If you’d like to prioritise a certain metric when analysing your keyword suggestions, simply click on the “up” or “down” arrowheads in the column headers. These will sort the keyword suggestions in an ascending or descending order based on the corresponding metric.

For instance, if you want to focus on keywords with a high monthly search volume, click on the “up” arrowhead next to the “Search Volume” header.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/05/02.05-f.jpeg)

You can do the same when you’re trying to sort the keyword suggestions based on CPC or competitiveness.

As you can see with these steps alone, you’re on the right track to generating lucrative keywords for your marketing campaigns even if you’re [doing your keyword research for free](https://marketinglabs.co.uk/easy-way-keyword-research-free/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

## **Finalising Your Research**

To further refine your keyword research, you can use the filter options on the left-hand side of the results page.

The first option is to pick out keywords that contain a specific term. For this, enter another keyword in the “Filter Results” box and click the “Go” button.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/05/02.05-g.jpeg)

The second method is to specify “Negative Keywords” that you’d like to exclude in your research. This is useful if you want to eliminate branded keywords being used by your competitors.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/05/02.05-h.jpeg)

Notice how the total number of keyword suggestions shrinks as you use apply filters. If used in conjunction with the metrics presented, it’s only a matter of time before you spot the perfect keywords to use for your campaign.

Finally, Ubersuggest lets you quickly export keyword ideas into a CSV file. All you need to do is click the “Export to CSV” button at the bottom of the page.

Just remember that you must first select the keywords you’d like to include in your CSV report. To do this, click the check boxes adjacent to the keywords.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/05/02.05-i.jpeg)

## **Additional Tips**

No matter how capable Ubersuggest is as a keyword research tool, its effectiveness still depends on who uses it.

Now that we’ve covered a good bit of what the tool has to offer, here are a handful of tips that can help maximise your success:

- Localise Your Keywords Ubersuggest lets you target a specific location right off the bat, so be sure to use them whenever possible.
- Consider Purchase IntentApart from the keyword’s popularity, CPC, and difficulty, be sure to identify the purchase intent of people who use them. For example, a keyword with the terms “near me” indicate a strong desire to visit or purchase from a local business.
- Look for Customer QuestionsIf you’re conducting keyword research for content development purposes, you can filter your Ubersuggest results to include question-related terms like “how to,” “why,” and so

## **Conclusion**

Finding profitable keyword ideas is like striking gold. [If you process them well](https://www.smartinsights.com/search-engine-optimisation-seo/seo-strategy/long-tail-keyword-research-strategy-to-improve-your-seo/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), they will surely give your marketing campaigns a significant boost.

Hopefully, the guide above helps you get the ball rolling with Ubersuggest. Just remember to be patient and let the metrics shown by the tool guide your decisions from this point forward. Good luck!
### What is GDPR and How Does it Impact Your Online business?
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/what-is-gdpr-and-how-does-it-impact-your-online-business/
Last updated: 2021-03-20T16:12:00.000Z
We usually put extra effort into making our content fun and enjoyable to read. We go out of our way to provide our readers with tips we know can help you grow your online businesses. Unfortunately, in this instance, you’ll have to make-do with a serious piece of content.

Every single EU company that participates in any form of outbound marketing will be impacted by GDPR when it comes into full-force in early 2018\. A recent study by Smart Insights found that [only 6% of businesses are ready for GDPR](http://www.smartinsights.com/email-marketing/email-communications-strategy/is-your-company-gdpr-ready/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) – that is a very scary number and could result in your business breaking the new regulations! You have no choice but to be ready, you have to comply by May 2018\. The key is to not to worry but to focus on getting prepared for the change in regulations. We hope this post will help you and your business better understand what GDPR is all about, whilst helping you to think about how best your business can prepare.

## ****What is GDPR?**

The General Data Protection Regulation, abbreviated to GDPR, is a new set of regulations set-out by the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission, that intends to strengthen and harmonise data protection for all individuals within the European Union (EU) across both offline and online channels. It will replace the previous 1995 Data Protection Directive from which the current UK Data Protection Act 1998 laws are drawn from. If you like to read legislative acts, [you can view the official GDPR document here.](http://ec.europa.eu/justice/data-protection/reform/files/regulation%5Foj%5Fen.pdf?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

If you carry out any form of marketing strategy, then the new GDPR regulations are likely to impact your business. This includes email marketing, direct mail, outbound calls, AdWords remarketing and any other form of marketing where there’s a requirement to hold your customers/visitors personal data.

It’s important to explain from the outset that your customer data isn’t always as obvious as it might seem.

When you think about data, you will naturally be thinking about:

- Name
- Email address
- Physical address
- Telephone number
- Order history

However, it goes beyond that. Chances are, you keep customer/visitor data outside of the above, even if you might not realise it.

Here are a few more types of customer data you probably hold and record:

- AdWords cookies
- Conversion tracking cookies
- Remarketing cookies
- Analytics cookies
- IP addresses

These new GDPR laws are comprehensive and complex. It’s vital you plan now, ready for May 2018\. Don’t leave it too late. Your website visitors (and customers) have the right to know what personal information you store about them, and what you intend to do with that information. As of 25th May 2018, failure to comply with GDPR could result in a business fine for non-compliance. To ensure your business is GDPR compliant, read this [in-depth guide](https://blog.moosend.com/gdpr-compliance-questions/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) that covers the most frequently asked GDPR questions.

## ****You will need to ask your visitors for their for permission!**

GDPR clearly states that you will need to explicitly ask permission to use someone’s data. Auto-opt-in is no longer a viable way of conducting business. ****You can no longer assume you have permission** – even if that website visitor places an order and becomes a customer.

![](https://354584.smushcdn.com/485035/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/giphy.gif?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)

It is also no longer OK to pre-tick a subscription box or use double negative words when asking visitors to sign up for your newsletter. You should work on earning that consent now. Don’t wait until the 25th of May 2018!

It doesn’t stop there. Making the sign-up process as obvious as possible isn’t enough. You also have to keep a record of when each individual gave you permission to contact them and note down exactly what they were shown when they opted into your communication channels.

## ****There is a caveat, though. GDPR may conflict with other laws.**

One thing that GDPR does specifically state, though, is that if it conflicts with any other law, you should pay attention to the original law, instead. This means the [PECR legislation](https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-pecr/what-are-pecr/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) takes precedence over GDPR where there’s a conflict when it comes to email and telephone marketing.

Oddly, PECR does allow what they call ‘soft opt-in’. This essentially means that if you acquired a customers contact details when they placed an order then it is acceptible to communicate with them about the same kind of things they were originally interested in.

Just to make this whole thing even more complicated, though, PECR is possibly being replaced. Parliament is discussing stricter ePrivacy laws and nobody is sure whether ‘soft opt-in’ will remain.

For now, it is probably best to always aim to get explicit opt-ins from your customers. It might seem like everything is bad news, but there’s a huge advantage of explicit opt-ins – everyone in your communication list actually ***wants** to receive contact from you! Anyone who prefers a large email list over a quality email list is just kidding themselves. Quality should prevail over quantity every single time.

## ****You will need to clearly highlight how visitors & customers can stop all communications with you.**

You should always accept requests from people who no longer want you to communicate with them, but unfortunately, there are lots of companies who ignore these requests. Well, not anymore!

You now have to make it easy for anyone to opt-out of receiving communications from you. You have to make it very clear how to opt-out in all your phone/email/print communications.

Once someone has opted out of receiving communications from you, it’s imperative that they no longer receive any form of communication from you otherwise you could land yourself in big trouble. To ensure these customers don’t fall back into communications, keep a ‘do not contact’ list and ensure these people are never added back to any of your marketing lists. Failure to comply could result in large fines from regulators.

## ****GDPR requires your website and your data to be secure!**

GDPR states that you have to provide a secure website when visitors pass their data onto you. You also have to store their data in a secure environment. This means you will need an SSL certificate if visitor/customer data passes to you from your website. Visitor data can be anything from an email address, phone number or even cookies. Ensure that any page on your website which asks for any information from a visitor is secured using an SSL. [Read this beginners guide to understanding SSL](https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/what-is-ssl?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) and why it’s going to be extra important when GDPR kicks in.

![](https://354584.smushcdn.com/485035/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/giphy-ssl.gif?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)

It’s good to see that Google is actually ahead of the GDPR regulations in this instance. They announced earlier in 2017 that if there’s any sort of form on your website and the page is displaying insecurely via HTTP, they will show an insecure message to the visitor. This obviously only applies to people using Google Chrome at the moment, but other browsers may or may not follow suit in the near future.

## ****GDPR regulation in summary. How can you best prepare?**

If you only read one paragraph of this post, read this one.

GDPR is a complicated beast. Scrap that…a very complicated beast! However, it’s easy to stay on the right side of the law if you try to put yourself in the shoes of your marketing ‘victim’. It might even make your marketing and sales processes more efficient, as you won’t be wasting time on the wrong people.

If you have a bit of spare time to do some deeper reading then you should [read this ultimate guide to GDPR](https://www.vpngeeks.com/beginners-guide-gdpr?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). If not, then here’s a short list of GDPR compliance action points which should help you and your business:

- Ensure your website has an SSL certificate and any page where a visitor might process personal data to you is secure.
- Make it as easy as possible for anyone to opt-out of any communications from you.
- Make sure you no longer use auto-opt-in systems – ask visitors/customers for use of their data.
- Set up explicit opt-in processes using double opt-in techniques.
- Keep a do-not-contact list and check it each time you send out any form of marketing material.
- Keep a copy of everything (securely!). Take a screenshot of your opt-in pages and log any changes you make.
- Double check how GDPR may conflict with any other data laws your company currently adheres to.
- Invest in data security – build a system that is secure and up to date with the latest technologies.
- Think about what data you may be storing about your visitors/customers
- [Read this 12 action step guide](https://ico.org.uk/media/1624219/preparing-for-the-gdpr-12-steps.pdf?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) about preparing for GDPR
### Top 4 FREE WordPress SEO Plugins You Need To Try
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/top-4-free-wordpress-seo-plugins-you-need-to-try/
Last updated: 2021-03-20T16:15:37.000Z
There’s no excuse not to invest time into your site’s SEO through using one of our hand-picked top 4 FREE SEO WordPress plugins. With over 50,000 new WordPress websites being created daily around the globe, your site’s SEO needs to reign king for it to succeed.

With hundreds of free SEO plugins to choose from, we’ve carried out the research for you and shortlisted our top 4 FREE SEO plugins you need to try. Before we jump into our results, it is important to remember that these free SEO WordPress plugins are not ‘turnkey’ solutions. Search engine optimisation is a continuous process that requires ongoing testing twinned with a deep understanding of how search engines and consumers behave online. Before you invest heavily in an SEO agency to take charge of your WordPress website’s SEO, take some time to understand basic SEO techniques through installing one of these top 4 plugins.

### ****#1 YOAST SEO**

![](https://354584.smushcdn.com/485035/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/yoast.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)

Created by Team Yoast, [Yoast SEO](https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-seo/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) was founded by Joost de Valk back in 2008\. With over 3+ million active WordPress installs and over 12,000 five-star rated reviews, this plugin stands definitively out from the SEO plugin crowd! Due to popular demand, Yoast SEO is now available as both a basic FREE plugin or PREMIUM upgrade plugin which costs from $69 for use on one website only. Not only has this plugin been written from the ground up by Team Yoast to improve your WordPress site’s SEO, the creators go the extra mile to support webmasters via technical support, latest research articles and publishing best practice SEO guides online. The key focus of this free SEO plugin is to help users [write better content](https://www.seobility.net/en/blog/seo-copywriting/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)[ ](https://yoast.com/complete-guide-seo-copywriting/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)and technically optimise websites through the following ways:

- Keyword optimisation – Yoast SEO allows you to grade your page based on a selected keyword
- Snippet previews – Yoast SEO allows you to instantly see how your new page or post will look in search engines
- Readability – Yoast SEO will grade your page for user readability
- Control website breadcrumbs – Yoast SEO gives full control to set website breadcrumbs
- Setting up canonicals – Yoast SEO can set-up canonical tags to stop duplicate content
- Indexing – Yoast SEO can set FOLLOW / NO-FOLLOW tags for crawl bots to read
- Creating post titles and meta descriptions – Yoast SEO allows users to define these important on-page factors

The only true difference between the paid and free versions of this plugin is the options of 24/7 support and an Ad-free dashboard. However, if you are serious about your site’s SEO we strongly recommend upgrading to get access to Yoast SEO re-direct management tools and internal linking suggestions. On a personal note, here at Marketing Labs, we use PREMIUM Yoast SEO to help us with our ongoing search engine optimisation.

### ****#2 ALL IN ONE SEO PACK**

![](https://354584.smushcdn.com/485035/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/all-in-one.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)

Developed by Michael Torbet and Steve Mortiboy, [All in One SEO Pack](https://wordpress.org/plugins/all-in-one-seo-pack/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is an out of the box SEO plugin for beginners, twinned with deeper, more advanced premium SEO features that can be fine tuned and an API for developers. First created in 2007, All in One SEO Pack has over 25+ million WordPress installs and over 400 five-star rated reviews. Although the free version of the plugin comes with no technical support, it’s recent head to head [SEO plugin comparison battle](http://www.wpbeginner.com/opinion/yoast-seo-vs-all-in-one-seo-pack-which-is-the-best-wordpress-seo-plugin/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) with Yoast SEO saw it come out on top as the winner. Unlike any other decent free SEO plugins, All in One SEO Pack claims to offer an out-of-the-box SEO beginner-friendly tool for creating meta and technically friendly blogs and pages on WordPress that Google will admire (we’re not sure this is technically possible but worth giving a try). In addition, All in One SEO Pack offers the following SEO capabilities:

- Generates META tags automatically – you may need to check these, however, it’s a handy tool if you forget
- Automatically optimises your page titles – again awesome but you may need to add that ‘human’ touch
- WooCommerce integration – All in One SEO Pack is the only free SEO plugin to offer full eCommerce integration
- Sitemap support – All in One SEO Pack enables full XML sitemap submission
- Google AMP support – perfect additional tool for news or blogging websites that want to drive trending traffic
- Available in 57 languages – All in One SEO Pack can be used around the globe, no matter what the language

The [All in One SEO premium plugin](https://semperplugins.com/all-in-one-seo-pack-pro-version/?loc=readme%5Futpv&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) version offers 1-year professional support with advanced WooCommerce advice, social media integration and an SEO extension for video. With a single use website license starting from $97 per year, we recommend getting the most out of the free All in One SEO plugin version before upgrading.

### ****#3 SEO SQUIRRLY™**

![](https://354584.smushcdn.com/485035/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/squirrly.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)

Created by the clever humans at Squirrly SEO, [SEO Squirrly™](https://en-gb.wordpress.org/plugins/squirrly-seo/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is described as a WordPress SEO tool for the non-SEO experts out there! First launched in February 2013, SEO Squirrly™ aims to help you write content that is both SEO and human-friendly. Highly recommended by leading SEO guru [Neil Patel,](https://www.quicksprout.com/about/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) this plugin has over 30,000 active WordPress installs and 400+ five-star star rated reviews – since 2013, this plugin has been downloaded over 2 million times! Considering the very strong SEO WordPress plugin competition, SEO Squirrly™ has managed to capture a small piece of the SEO plugin industry with a promise that the plugin tool is the closest example of having an actual SEO expert sat next to you in the office. As with most WordPress plugins, SEO Squirrly is available as both a FREE version with limited features alongside a PRO and AGENCY version, costing a very reasonable $20 to $50 per month. In addition to basic plugin functionality such as content optimisation and keyword research, SEO Squirrly™ can help your site reach its SEO potential through the following ways:

- Real time SEO advice – SEO Squirrly prompts you with optimisation tips as you write new content
- Traffic light tracking – SEO Squirrly grades your posts and pages to ensure you continue to strive for SEO greatness
- Week by week progress reports – SEO Squirrly keeps you up-to-date about how your SEO is performing
- Optimisation for humans – SEO Squirrly believes content should be written for humans as well as spider bots
- XML Sitemap creation – SEO Squirrly generates in-depth, technically sound XML sitemaps for search engines
- Seamless integration with other SEO plugins and WordPress widgets – says it all really!

SEO Squirrly™ has a very simple and affordable pricing plan for both single and multi-website users. We recommend that if you are only a small online business or create up to 5 new blogs per month, the free, LITE plugin version should offer enough helpful SEO features. However, if you run multiple websites and invest heavily in posting new content regularly, SEO Squirrly PRO with unlimited posts, up to 100 keywords research requests per month and upgraded support may be the right option for your business.

### ****#4 SMARTCRAWL (WPMUDEV)**

![](https://354584.smushcdn.com/485035/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/smartcrawl.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)

Developed by the WordPress experts WPMUDEV, [SmartCraw](https://premium.wpmudev.org/project/smartcrawl-wordpress-seo/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)l is a powerful WordPress SEO plugin that is available for FREE as part of a WPMUDEV Membership ($49 per month). Although not technically a FREE SEO WordPress plugin, we’ve included SmartCrawl in this post for two reasons. The first is that many WPMUDEV users don’t know that this fantastic plugin exists and two; when you divide the costs between all the brilliant WMPUDEV plugins (140+) such as Hummingbird and WP Defender, that you get access too, SmartCrawl is an extremely affordable and powerful WordPress SEO plugin. Supercharged to optimise your SEO, SmartCrawl ensures high impact SEO results with little effort (remember, little SEO effort only gets you so far online, to succeed you should heavily invest your time in deeper SEO activities). Please note that this plugin is only available to download via WPMUDEV directly with a [subscription plugin membership](https://premium.wpmudev.org/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). With over 150,000+ active downloads and plenty of highly-recommended reviews online, Smartcrawl offers a depth of technical and content SEO tools such as;

- Sitemap creation – SmartCrawl creates and updates XML sitemaps for search engines
- Custom descriptions and titles – SmartCrawl allows full control over editing these important SEO attributes
- No index options to limit crawl – SmartCrawl can easily enable no-index attributes
- MOZ 3rd party integration – SmartCrawl integrates seamlessly with MOZ for cross-platform functionality
- Clean and easy to use interface for non-techies – WPMUDEV takes pride in creating user-friendly plugins
- Dedicated SEO support & guidelines – WPMUDEV offer a wealth of SEO support and advice.

Before you jump in and buy a WMPUDEV membership, take advantage of the special ****30-day free trail**. Here at Marketing Labs HQ, we use WPMUDEV Hummingbird and WP Defender plugins for speed optimisation and essential WordPress site security and thoroughly recommended a WPMUDEV Membership for its great value and brilliant plugin results.

### ****Our Recommendation**

As a leading SEO agency, we are always recommending the best SEO plugins for our WordPress clients. From our experience, we highly recommend [Yoast SEO](https://en-gb.wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-seo/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) with its easily usable interface, quick no indexing features and rich snippet preview view – if you are serious about your SEO, upgrading to the premium version is a must to get access to re-direct management tools. However, if you are looking for great value for money, we would strongly recommend signing up for a full [WPMUDEV Membership](https://premium.wpmudev.org/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to get access to their fantastic range of WordPress plugins such as WP Defender, SmartCrawl and Hummingbird – with unlimited site usage, their pricing plan is a no-quibble deal worth having.

From all the team here at Marketing Labs, we hope you find your perfect WordPress SEO plugin that enhances your website’s SEO results. If you have any questions or would like help setting up your WordPress SEO plugins, please [contact our expert digital marketing team](https://marketinglabs.co.uk/contact-us?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) who will be more than willing to help!
### The Importance of Social Media Etiquette
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/the-importance-of-social-media-etiquette/
Last updated: 2021-03-19T00:57:55.000Z
Social media has become an all-important aspect of modern business. In this day and age, if a company aspires to be successful, it needs to [weave a social media strategy within their overall marketing efforts](http://www.smartinsights.com/social-media-marketing/social-media-strategy/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). Failure to take advantage of social media platforms could result in lost potential. It’s no wonder that [76% of businesses](https://marketinglabs.co.uk/this-is-how-500-ecommerce-stores-plan-to-grow-in-2017/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) feel that Facebook and Instagram offer them the best chances of growth during 2017.

The power of social media can be aptly understood by the fact that the right social strategy can build or destroy a brand. In business, mistakes on social media platforms are costly and could put millions of dollars (and carefully earned reputations) at stake.

Once we appreciate social media’s relevance to modern business, we move on to the next phase which is how to use social media in a way to correctly promote our businesses. We’ve all come across brands on social media that present themselves either too robotic or sometimes even too personal. So what strikes that perfect balance and how can small businesses make the best use of social media to promote their brands, connect with new potential customers and create loyalty in existing ones?

Using social media in the right way is both an art and a science. And yes, there’s a right way of doing it, whilst keeping in mind your area of business and the persona of your customers.

Here are some of the traps that even the most seasoned social-savvy businesses have fallen victim to. You should try to avoid these mistakes at all costs.

## It’s first imperative to understand how a social platform works…

When you are in the process of launching your business or brand on a social media network, you need to take the time to understand the culture and ethos that platform is known for, and [whether it’s right for your business](https://www.bigcommerce.com/blog/influential-social-media-trends-and-platform-updates-to-test-in-2016/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

More often than not, these characteristics aren’t obvious – which can get a little frustrating. But most factors can be learnt and understood through some trial and error.

However, a campaign that gives the impression of being thoughtless is the last thing you would want for your customers. A sloppy social campaign could actually generate more negative publicity and interest than you would believe.

Burger King’s [Whopper Sacrifice](https://www.cnet.com/news/the-dark-secrets-of-whopper-sacrifice/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is the perfect example of a social media campaign that failed to understand the platform it was presenting itself on. Burger King asked customers to delete 10 friends from their Facebook lists to get a free hamburger coupon.

The company did not fully realise that Facebook’s main strength is connecting real friends. As a result, [Facebook disabled the campaign after ten days](https://www.cnet.com/news/facebook-drops-a-whopper/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

![](https://socialnomics.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/6a00d83453633269e2010536b7af2b970b-600wi.jpg)

## Do you trust the skills of your social media team?

Companies can get into trouble when they fail to vet and monitor their social media strategies properly. The question is, do you trust the skills of the people on your social media team?

- Do they know [what content strategy you follow](http://www.smartinsights.com/content-management/content-marketing-strategy/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)?
- Are they on the same page as you?
- Are they aligned with the real values of the company?

All these questions are very important and can help drive a powerful social media strategy.

Whilst hiring social media professionals, employers tend to focus on their previous record with different companies. It is obviously important to hire people who are known to have worked on important projects, however, it is equally important to understand the kind of results they have produced and the strategies they have followed previously.

For example, a social media employee of KitchenAid [posted an insensitive tweet](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/04/kitchen-aid-twitter-tweet-obama-grandmother%5Fn%5F1938031.html?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) about President Obama’s deceased grandmother, which understandably generated a media furore – this a great example to show the vetting process needed in your social team.

DiGiorno, a frozen pizza company, got into a similar situation following its inappropriate use of the hashtag #WhyIStayed. The hashtag was created after Janay Palmer Rice decided to stay with NFL player Ray Rice after an incident of domestic violence. DiGiorno [tried to join the conversation](http://www.adweek.com/creativity/digiorno-really-really-sorry-about-its-tweet-accidentally-making-light-domestic-violence-159998/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) without really understanding the context of the hashtag.

Although the mistake was caught within minutes and an apology statement was issued by the company, these mistakes can dilute years’ worth of hard work that goes into building a brand image.

## Being culturally insensitive and simple-minded about your posts

A company might have good intentions for its customers, but if it comes across as culturally insensitive, that’s a big no-no for brands. It could bring in a torrent of negative criticism for your business, in turn denting a company’s carefully crafted social reputation. While engagement is key, organisations must fully understand social etiquette and review all posts several times before they are pushed live.

One such example is Global Village Duluth’s ill-conceived celebration of the Martin Luther King Day. To commemorate the occasion, the store gave 25% off on all black products in the store. Now that’s a risky campaign!

Their customers were not just unhappy about the position that Duluth had taken but outrightly blamed the department store of being blatantly culturally insensitive. Some customers even went so far to say that they will never buy from the store again!

## When your marketing is in bad taste

Epicurious is a popular food website. On the morning of the Boston bombings, they suggested healthy breakfast options to Boston denizens, which were insensitive, even foolish, to say the least, in view of the grave situation in the city.

![](https://socialnomics.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/image1.png)

In view of a tragedy, especially one within the country, a brand should stay quiet and let it pass if it has nothing inspiring to offer. At a time when a country is mourning a loss, a tragedy cannot and should not be used as a blatant opportunity for promotional social posts.

Instead, if the company had ventured to offer food to the victims and their families, without overtly seeking the spotlight, the conclusion might have been much better.

Epicurious was criticised and condemned by many of their customers and online social followers.

## In conclusion:

The above points are simple, and pretty commonsensical too, but even big brands can fail to understand the real damage that their carelessly thought of campaigns could damage reputations of their businesses.

As professionals, before we create a social media plan, we need to have a clear understanding of our customers. In addition, businesses must understand the national and international environment in which they operate, as well as the industry to which they belong.

Above all and most importantly, a business must not undermine the goodwill of its customers and must understand that its very existence depends on customer loyalty. It is from here where their real value flows from. [Thelma Etim](http://thelmaetim.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), a journalist who writes for the BBC website, [Air Cargo Eye](https://aircargoeye.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) and Huffington Post perfectly sums up this behaviour when she said: “Listening gives you the platform to relate and respect”.

It is important to work towards more profitability – that’s what businesses are all about. However, at the same time it is also equally important to connect with customers on a human level, and every now and again, step into their shoes. This is how cultural sensitivity, empathy and connectivity will all find a place in your brand.
### The Easy Way To Do Keyword Research For Free
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/the-easy-way-to-do-keyword-research-for-free/
Last updated: 2023-06-22T16:30:09.000Z
Search engines use keywords to determine what a web page is all about. It is therefore vital that every web page you create targets a keyword or set of keywords. A web page without keywords or focused content is a missed opportunity as search engine crawl bots will struggle to determine what the page is all about. This will result in poor search engine rankings and more importantly, the loss of online digital visitors. When curating your website, the aim is to pick a range of keywords that will help categorise your pages. However, there might be hundreds of words that relate to your website.

So, how can you separate the best from the rest, and figure out which keywords you should use? It all comes down to steady and thorough keyword research. Many people think that this keyword research takes up loads of time and will deplete budgets. However, there are ways you can easily do keyword research for FREE, as this article will show you.

## ****Look at your competitors**

If you’re completely devoid of any keyword ideas, then a good place to start is with your online competitors. Take a look at the keywords they’re having success with, as it will give you a general idea of what you should be using too. This method requires you to get your hands dirty. Start by crawling your competitor’s site, look at their page titles and view their content including blog posts, category pages and their homepage. If your competitors are on the ball with targeting keywords, you should notice a few words that pop out at you right away – particularly in the titles.

You can then type these keywords into a search engine and see how well your competitors are ranking. If they rank high in the results, you know these keywords are hot and potentially successful – [don’t forget to keep on eye on other competitors](https://canonicalized.com/seo-competitor-analysis/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) who appear in these search results to further your research.

The biggest trick with this method is to think like the consumer. For example; if your competitor sells fridges and their title for their home page is ‘Quality White Fridges – Small, Medium, Large’ – if you search for that exact term, they will rank high because the search term is very niche and an exact match. The question you need to ask yourself is ‘who would be searching for quality white fridges – small, medium, large’? To ultimately see how your competitor is performing, try searching for ‘white fridges’ to see where they rank. This is where you’ll find the real online competition.

Although this blog post is about FREE ways to carry keyword research, if your business has some budget for keyword research (we’re only talking £20 – £50), we highly recommend [Spyfu.com](https://www.spyfu.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). Starting from just over £20 per month, the tool can help you to delve deep into your competitors’ most profitable keywords for online ads and organic search.

## ****Think of keywords and phrases that are most relevant to your website**

Get in the mind of your visitors and online customers. It is of vital importance that you target keywords and phrases that are relevant to your website and your audience. As a result, the only way you’ll find attractive, potential keywords is to get deep into your website, products and blogs to see what phrases and words are most relevant to it.

Why not create an ‘off the top of the head’ keyword map with a few employees from across the company. Brainstorm every keyword or phrase that visitors may use to find your site or products. This task should be super easy for any business that takes digital marketing seriously. Once you have created this list, it’s time to add the all important volume search data to focus on the keywords with potential. Using a search volume tool such as [Moz Explorer](https://moz.com/explorer?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) (max 2x FREE keyword searches), find the search volume for each of your keywords. You may find a few hidden niches or be surprised that your initial brainstorm keywords have very little search volume.

To give you an example, our own website (marketinglabs.co.uk) offers SEO and digital marketing services to small/medium businesses. During our brainstorm, we jotted down keywords such as SEO, search engine optimisation, digital marketing, internet marketing, SEO agency, social media marketing. We soon realised these terms were too broad so created another map with niche, more long-tail keywords such as; Best SEO company Nottinghamshire, SEO Nottingham, SEO companies in Nottingham, best digital marketing agencies, eCommerce SEO agency. Backing up our initial ideas with data helped us to settle on targeting our chosen keywords. As you can see, our homepage targets ‘Best SEO Company in Nottingham, UK’. This keyword had moderate search volumes but more importantly, we believed competitors could easily be outranked.

Keyword research like this is an on-going process as search terms constantly evolve with visitor search behaviour and trends. It is important to keep refreshing your data to maximise potentially keyword targets across your website, blog or eCommerce business.

## ****Use Google’s ‘Related Searches’**

Another FREE way to find tasty keywords is to literally search keywords and phrases in Google’s search box. To do this, make sure your personal Google settings are set to use [Google’s ‘prediction service’](https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/186645?hl=en&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) – this setting will try to help finish phrases and sentences when searching in Google.

Once you have activated this setting within your browser, using your brainstorm keyword map, type your keywords into the search engine search box and watch for possible recommendations. If you click SEARCH, the search engine will also provide related searches at the bottom of the page. This simple, yet high effective research method can help you to identify new trends or [long tail keywords](https://yoast.com/focus-on-long-tail-keywords/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

Unfortunately, this method of keyword research does not provide any search volume data, so recommendations must be taken with a pinch of salt. However, here at Marketing Labs, we say that if Google is showing phrase recommendations, these terms usually have a certain amount of current search volume.

## ****Use Google Analytics to find your current keywords that are driving traffic**

Our final method is another fantastic FREE way to carry out keyword research through utilising current data that you have to hand.

If your website is set-up to use Google Analytics ([learn how to set-up Analytics here](http://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/how-to-install-google-analytics-in-wordpress/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)), you can delve into the keywords area to show the current keywords that are driving traffic to your site. As a rule of thumb, if these keywords are driving traffic, your website must be ranking for these search terms.

To find these keywords within your Analytics account, head to the section called ‘TRAFFIC SOURCES’. In this section, you will see a subsection called ‘KEYWORDS.’ Once this section has loaded, select a time range, and your dashboard should display the keywords within that period. You can even set a filter to view the conversion % of each keyword. Keywords marked ‘NOT PROVIDED’ are terms that Google cannot disclose for visitor privacy rules. You can find out more about [Google’s ‘NOT PROVIDED’ change here](http://www.notprovidedcount.com/what-is-not-provided/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

Once you have delved deep into your keywords via Analytics, it’s time focus on the quick SEO wins across your website. To do this, search your top 10 keywords within Google to see where your site ranks. Rankings between #1 – #3 are positions that can wait to be optimised. Rankings between #4 – #10 are prime pages that with some [quick SEO on-page tweaks](https://marketinglabs.co.uk/5-simple-on-page-seo-tips/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) could climb a few places to receive more traffic. Using your focus list of keywords, you can now optimise this page to perform better in search engine results.

There you have it, 4 FREE methods to carry out keyword research. Remember, keyword research doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg nor does it have to be too technical or time-consuming! With common sense and some good judgement, you and your team can start to focus your website around hot keywords and long tail phrases that have inviting search volumes.
### Good, Bad, and Ugly Backlinks Explained
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/good-bad/
Last updated: 2021-03-18T23:21:37.000Z
In a nutshell, good backlinks get you good search engine rankings. Bad backlinks can do the opposite. On the other hand, ugly backlinks can get your site demoted or removed from search results and even if you realize your mistake, [disavowing them is not a simple solution either](http://www.smartinsights.com/search-engine-optimisation-seo/seo-strategy/penguin-4-0-disavow-hard-truths-need-told/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). That can hurt. And that's why you should never sign up with SEOs who promise you hundreds of links overnight because most probably, these would be ugly backlinks.

As a related aside, it’s important to remember that Google’s algorithms don’t just take backlinks into account, you also have to ensure your [pages are optimized correctly](https://marketinglabs.co.uk/5-simple-on-page-seo-tips/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), and that your website provides a great user experience for visitors.

Google updates their algorithms frequently so it is vital as an SEO to keep up to date with ranking changes and the reasons why certain websites search performances might change.

![Good Bad and Ugly Cowboy ](https://www.rankranger.com/www-img/web/docs/blog_2/good-bad-ugly-cowboy.jpg)

## What are good backlinks?

Google wants to see people (or websites) linking to your website naturally. It hates what it calls **"link schemes"**, which include **"any behavior that manipulates links to your site or outgoing links from your site"**. But why would people link to your site naturally? Google thinks the best way to get other sites to link to your site is to create high-quality content.

*"Creating good content pays off: Links are usually editorial votes given by choice."*

In order to determine if a link is manipulative or genuine, Google's Penguin algorithm measures a [myriad of factors](https://searchenginewatch.com/sew/study/2323727/dissecting-google-penguin-21-what-factors-mattered-study?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). These include the quality of the linking domain and the other links leading from it, the anchor text, the surrounding links and text, the domains authority, and link diversity, among many other factors. The goal is to measure three things:

1\. **Relevancy:** Relevancy means that the link's context, anchor text, and the linking domain's other content are relevant to the page where the link is leading. For instance, a link from a vacation rental website to a limousine service may qualify as a good backlink.

2\. **Trust:** How much does Google trust the website linking to your page? Nobody knows for sure how Google measures trust. But in all probability, they have a list of hand-picked websites that they consider to be 100% trustworthy (i.e., sites with [domain authority](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domain%5FAuthority?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)). These may include sites like Wikipedia, CNN, BBC, the Telegraph, etc. Google's spiders measure the number of links a particular website is "away" from the trusted domains in order to find out "how much" that website can be trusted.

3\. **Diversity:** This dimension takes into account your overall link profile. If most of the backlinks are coming in from the same domain, Google may interpret it as a link scheme. To achieve higher rankings, you should have a broad-based link profile with several websites of different types linking to your site.

## What are bad (and ugly) backlinks?

The bad and ugly backlinks happen when a link building campaign goes wrong. For instance, if you're building backlinks through aggressive guest posting without considering the authority or trust of the linking domain, Google's algorithm can sniff out spammy links. Or, if you're into exchanging backlinks with friendly websites, Google may penalize both websites. Other examples of bad backlinks include links from blogging networks and article directories, low-quality guest blogs, irrelevant domains, advertorials, low-quality directories, etc.

As for the ugly ones, these are the backlinks that [openly and unabashedly violate Google's guidelines](https://ahrefs.com/blog/bad-links/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). The examples can include backlinks built by robots on hundreds of websites, backlinks built using "dofollow" widgets (such as a badge or plugin), links hacked into other websites without their permission, or links from foreign language websites that have nothing to do with your business. Google is likely to take a strong notice and may demote your website to a page that nobody will ever visit (which is where Google’s [Search Console Disavow tool](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/2648487?hl=en&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) comes in handy).

## Use your head

Using the information provided in this post, you should now be able to start improving your website’s link equity. It’s important to remember at this point, however, that your best tool when determining whether you would want a backlink from a website is your own self. If you view a website from a neutral perspective, you should be able to quickly determine the quality of the site. If you have doubts about the quality and relevance of the website, don’t pursue the opportunity and move on.
### What Makes Good Backlinks (& How to Build Them!)
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/what-makes-good-backlinks-how-to-build-them/
Last updated: 2021-03-19T00:34:28.000Z
Backlinks are the lifeblood of SEO today, just as they were 10 years ago. According to [CIO](http://www.cio.com/article/3104104/search/top-6-seo-ranking-factors-of-2016.html?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), backlinks are the second most important ranking factor, after content relevance; whereas [Moz](https://moz.com/search-ranking-factors?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) declares page- and domain-level back-links to be ***the*** **most influential ranking factors**.

![image](https://i1.wp.com/www.searchenginepeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/image.png?resize=624%2C499&ssl=1 "image")

However, unlike 10 years ago, today it's the quality of the backlinks that counts and not the volume. In fact, a large number of low-quality backlinks can get your site de-indexed, thanks to Google's [Penguin](https://www.wordtracker.com/blog/7-top-tips-to-avoid-a-google-penguin-penalty-in-2014?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) Update rolled out in 2012\. More than ever, a [sound SEO strategy](http://www.smartinsights.com/digital-marketing-strategy/digital-strategy-development/10-reasons-for-digital-marketing-strategy/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is vital to success. So, what makes a good backlink? Perhaps more importantly, how can you get more good backlinks and avoid bad ones? Let's explore!

### WHAT MAKES A GOOD BACKLINK?

Google and other search engines use many factors to determine the quality of backlinks for the purpose of ranking websites. Though they seldom disclose their exact mix, experts believe most of these factors can be roughly grouped into four broad categories—**relevancy, trust, diversity and authority**.

### Relevancy

Google and other search engines want to provide their users with the most relevant search results. If the quality of the search results they provide declines, so does their audience. So, it's only logical to consider relevance as a measure of link quality. A backlink is more valuable if it comes from a relevant source. For example, if you have a website about home décor, an incoming link from a construction website might be more useful than one coming in from, say, a health and fitness website. This is, of course, an oversimplification, though. Search engines consider a myriad of factors to determine relevance.

For instance, **a relevant link is likely to be clicked**. Anyone building a home is likely to be interested in interior décor and click that link. On the other hand, someone browsing for outdoor fitness tips may not be in the best frame of mind to click a link to a home décor site. The anchor text (be careful not to over-optimize anchor text links, [more on this here](https://www.searchenginejournal.com/how-and-when-to-diversify-your-anchor-text/51425/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)), surrounding copy and surrounding links also help search spiders find out if your link is relevant or if it is spam.

### Trust

By ‘trust’, we mean how much Google trusts the website from where your links are originating. Some argue that, in all likelihood, **search engines use a set of "trusted websites" to determine the trustworthiness of a domain**. The examples of trusted websites might include BBC, HubSpot, or Huffington. The closer a particular domain is to a trusted domain, the more trustworthy it is. The nearness is measured in terms of the links that stand between a trusted website and the subject domain. So, theoretically speaking, if site A has a backlink from, say, BBC, and site B has a backlink from site A, the search engine is likely to trust site A more than site B, and so on. It is expected that Google uses a trust scale to determine the value that a link from certain domains might pass through to the link destination.

Of course, the above is an **overly simple** explanation of how search engines determine the trust factor. In order to be ranked higher, a website must have backlinks from high trust websites.

### Diversity

A diverse link profile would consist of links from different domains, and different types of domains. By "different domains" I mean that all or majority of your links should not be from the same domain. Different types of domains means that all or majority of your links should not be from the same type of domains, e.g. web directories. A robust link profile is diverse in both the senses.

Diversity should also cover where on the page the link is (body, footer, sidebar, etc.) as well as the diversity in the anchor text you use. It might also cover the link attribute, whether that be FOLLOW or NOFOLLOW.

When people talk about link building, they're usually thinking about building explicit links from other websites. The fact is that today's search engine spiders are fast and intelligent enough to track even implicit links, reviews, etc. from all across the internet. That's why a reliable citation profile and social media presence should always help. Building links from these and other popular citation, review and social platforms will make your link profile more diverse and set up a good foundation for your link building efforts.

![image](https://i1.wp.com/www.searchenginepeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/image-1.png?resize=624%2C255&ssl=1 "image")

### Authority

There are many ways to consider ‘authority’. There seems to be an insistence within the SEO industry on assuming that DA (Moz domain authority) is the default authority metric. Truth be told, DA is simply Moz’s attempt at understanding how Google might calculate authority. Domain Authority is simply a 100-point algorithmic scale which you can measure using Open Site Explorer.

The domain authority of CNN.com, for example, is 97/100\. It has more than 152k total links from more than 5000 root domains. Similarly, you can check the DA of any particular domain before targeting it for your link building initiative. Anything above 70 is great, but above 40 isn't bad either. Using the DA metric alone, though, doesn’t tell you the full story of the domain.

Other tools have their own way of trying to determine authority.

- Majestic developed [Citation Flow](https://majestic.com/support/glossary?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk#CitationFlow)
- Link Research Tools developed [LRT Power](http://www.linkresearchtools.com/technology/lrt-power-trust/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)
- Ahrefs developed [Domain Rating](https://ahrefs.com/blog/seo-metrics/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

It is important to remember that it can be quite easy to school/manipulate authority metrics by building a lot of links from untrusted websites, so it is also recommended to use trust metrics and try to build a picture in your head about the link profile of the website which you want a link from.

## How To Get Quality Backlinks

In Matt Cutts' words, "The objective is not to ‘make your links appear natural’; the objective is that your links **are** natural." Some SEO experts have interpreted him to mean that you should create great content and people will automatically link to it. However, "*write it, and links will come*" **doesn't always happen**.

Great content is the first thing, but not the only thing you need for acquiring backlinks. For that, you'll need to actively target high authority websites with content that they'd love to link to. The problem is, websites with a high DA score either won't always publish your content, and they quite rightly have extremely high-quality standards. Here are a few strategies that might work.

## Audit Your Link Profile Using Majestic Seo

[Majestic](https://majestic.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is an excellent tool for researching your current link profile and discovering the areas that you need to work on. You can quickly analyse your domain and your competitors' websites and see if the quality, diversity and relevance of your link profile holds up against your competitors'. This will give you a fair idea about which particular websites you need to target.

## Make A List Of Websites

You can start by understanding your audience and make a list of the websites that would appeal to them. The list should contain the authority and trust scores as highlighted above and the perceived difficulty of getting a backlink from a particular domain.

For instance, it's relatively easier to get links from a website that accepts guest posts from just about anyone compared to one that doesn’t. Think about these carefully, though, the posts that are harder to acquire are usually the best links.

### Discover Linking Opportunities

Guest blogging isn't your only option for building backlinks. There are numerous tools and techniques available to help you identify link opportunities on the domains you are targeting. I'll briefly cover a couple of important ones here.

#### THE MOVING MAN TECHNIQUE BY BRIAN DEAN

1\. Look for websites/pages in your industry that no longer exist. You can do it simply by doing a Google search with phrases like "page no longer exists" or "service not available".

2\. The next step is to use OSE, Majestic or another link crawling tool to find out the domains and pages linking to the page that no longer exists.

3\. Shortlist the domains of interest. Create a piece of relevant and compelling content on the subject and offer the site owner or manager a link to your new resource from their old piece of content. Details of this method [can be found here](http://backlinko.com/high-quality-backlinks?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

#### THE BROKEN LINK REPLACEMENT METHOD

1\. This is the reverse of the Moving Man Technique. Instead of looking for pages that no longer exist, here we analyse our target domains and find out the broken links that lead to an outdated or unavailable page.

2\. You can use Broken Link Checker or Google's Chrome Broken Link Checker Extension to find links that lead to a 404, 500 or 502 page from a particular domain or webpage. You'll be able to find dozens or even hundreds of broken links on your favourite domains.

![image](https://i1.wp.com/www.searchenginepeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/image-2.png?resize=624%2C646&ssl=1 "image")

3\. Shortlist the topics of interest among the links that no longer work. Create high-quality content on those topics, and reach out to the target domains, offering them to link to your content.

### Reach Out, Follow Up, And Repeat

As you may have guessed, you've got lots of work to do. Research, analyse, create, reach out, and be consistent, and you'll see your link profile and traffic improve sooner than you would have thought.

Interestingly enough, [46% of eCommerce businesses](https://marketinglabs.co.uk/this-is-how-500-ecommerce-stores-plan-to-grow-in-2017/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) plan to use SEO to grow in 2017\. For them to be a success, they need to follow methods similar to those in this post. But don’t forget that there are so many other attributes that make a good SEO campaign. Start of by [auditing your website](https://www.bigcommerce.com/blog/ecommerce-seo-checklist/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) and ensure your content is up to scratch!

To quote Cutts once again, **"Link building is sweat plus creativity."**
### The Anatomy of an Amazing 404 Page Design
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/the-anatomy-of-an-amazing-404-page-design/
Last updated: 2021-03-20T00:28:56.000Z
Have you ever clicked on a link only to be confronted with an error page? Instead of seeing your favorite website, you have a blank page in front of you telling you that something’s gone wrong.

I’m obviously talking about the dreaded 404 page design. For website owners, you have two choices regarding this page. You can do nothing and let the viewer’s browser kick in and display a page of their own. Or, you can take things into your hands and get a custom 404 page designed – [here are some nice examples](http://www.smartinsights.com/user-experience/findability/engage-with-404-error-pages/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

Personally, I suggest you do the second of these two options. A custom 404 page can reflect well on your website. Believe it or not but a good page goes above and beyond displaying an error message for the user. In this piece, you’ll learn the anatomy of an amazing error page. I’ll provide all the tips to help you design a brilliant one in no time.

### **Focus On The Copy**

![404-page-design-copy](https://designwebkit.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/404-page-design-copy.jpg)

  
The copy for your 404 page is extremely important. It sets the tone and should be reflective of your brand and website. For example, if you run a website that’s based on lighthearted humor, then a serious 404 page won’t make sense. It looks out of place, detached from your website.

Also, you have to think about the information you’re giving your viewers. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen an error page that tells me nothing. How are people supposed to know what went wrong if you don’t give them some help? What you should do is provide a short list of potential problems. To do this, you have to understand why most 404 errors occur.

Typically, errors happen for various reasons. This includes incorrectly typing in an address or following an expired link. Sometimes, the issue is deeper than that, and it can be a problem with the website’s server. My point is, you should tell viewers this information. Give them a list of possibilities so they can try and rectify the issue.

But, don’t bombard them with too much info. Just a few lines are all you need, not an essay! And, ensure you don’t blame the viewer for the error. It may seem trivial, but people get annoyed when accused of things. They’ll leave your site and never return again.

One great idea could be to provide visitors hitting a 404 error page with a small-scale magazine style section. You could even create them magazines to download by using [this PDF magazine creator](https://div-arena.com/epublishing/pdf-magazine-creator/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

### **Link Back To Other Pages**

![404-page-design-link-back](https://designwebkit.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/404-page-design-link-back.jpg)

  
Another important feature of a 404 page is the links you include. Along with the copy, you have to link back to other pages on your site. Remember how I said some errors are caused by mistyping or dead links? Well, if you provide a link back to your homepage, you help people resolve problems. If they click it, and your page loads up, they know it was one of the first two issues.

Some sites include this link in the copy they’ve written. Others will have a large button that people can click on and get redirected to the home page. The choice is up to you, go with whichever idea suits your site more.

### **Think About The Visuals**

![404-page-design-visuals](https://designwebkit.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/404-page-design-visuals.jpg)

  
The text isn’t the only thing that needs to be on this web page. You also have to think about the visuals. The way your website is presented will have a bearing on the type of visuals you display.

Your branding is also vital. Make sure they are instantly aware about who you are. Your logo plays an important job here. I think of the logo on a 404 page a bit like walking or driving past a store you like the look of but don’t know what it’s called. The shop [sign is also vital for passing trade](http://imageinstallationandmaintenance.co.uk/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk#gallery) of bricks and mortar stores.

For example, professional websites are likely to only include their logo. This keeps things looking authentic and maintains a professional edge. Then, more relaxed sites like to include cool or funny images. I believe Twitter has a cool little whale on their 404 page, while Google Chrome uses a dinosaur. It adds a lighthearted approach to things, and makes the error page less serious. But, it’s only suitable for certain websites.

Another important element to think about is your social media accounts. You could pull in your latest social media posts. This would work great if you post regularly ([don’t forget to schedule your social media posts](http://marketinglabs.co.uk/free-social-media-marketing-tool/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) for maximum efficiency)

### **Don’t Forget About The Search Box**

![404-page-design-search-box](https://designwebkit.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/404-page-design-search-box.jpg)

  
The final thing every great 404 page has is a search box. It presents users with an opportunity to find other content on your site. Yes, a redirect link will partially do this too. But, it will only send them to your homepage. Of course, you could have a couple of other links too, but it won’t cover everything.

However, a search bar will! People can type whatever they want into it, and get sent to the relevant page. It’s great for users that followed incorrect links or typed the web address in wrong. They can get to where they need to be, without any fuss at all.

Consider this advice is you want to build an amazing 404 page. Believe me, it’s more important than you think to have good web design on this page. Don’t neglect it, spend some time creating a masterpiece.
### This is how 500+ eCommerce Stores Plan to Grow in 2017
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/this-is-how-500-ecommerce-stores-plan-to-grow-in-2017/
Last updated: 2025-02-19T03:06:00.000Z
Amazon may capture all the headlines, but small and mid-size businesses still play a significant role in global eCommerce. Companies who are still establishing and growing their brands had a good 2016 — and they expect an even better 2017.

BigCommerce surveyed over 500 online merchants to gauge small business sentiment and growth tactics. A lot is going on in the world — both on and offline — leaving some ambiguity as to how businesses are feeling about their prospects for success this year. From the use of chatbots to developing a user-friendly mobile site and creating personalised offers, we think the [eCommerce trends](https://magemail.co/blog/ecommerce-trends/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) of 2017 should be here to stay.

Now time it’s time to see the results! The research showed, businesses are more optimistic than ever. Here’s an insight into the growth plans of over 500 successful eCommerce shops.

![](https://354584.smushcdn.com/485035/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/millennials-prefer-to-shop-online.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)

This was confirmed in the NFIB report, which showed small biz optimism to be at an all-time high.

So if businesses are feeling good about their growth potential in 2017, the question then becomes, how?

Between VR, sophisticated retargeting methods, and chatbots, a number of new technologies and trends are available for businesses to consider from a growth perspective. Survey respondents were asked about these, and their answers were interesting — yet ultimately unsurprising: small businesses are sceptical of new technology with unproven ROI.

Again, not surprising, but something for marketers to take note of. As long as [SEO](https://marketinglabs.co.uk/services/search-engine-optimisation-seo/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), [email](https://marketinglabs.co.uk/services/email-marketing/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), and [Facebook advertising](https://marketinglabs.co.uk/services/social-media-marketing/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) are still working – which they are, cash and time-strapped businesses would rather defer the marketing experimentation to the larger entities with large R&D budgets.

In that respect, entrepreneurs lean heavily on the old engineering saying: if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it. And it’s hard to blame them.

You can view all the data from [the small business survey on the BigCommerce Blog post](https://goo.gl/cNJu57?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), but here are a few stats that jumped out to us:

- 76% of businesses feel Facebook and Instagram have the highest potential of any social channel for driving growth (more so than Pinterest or Twitter, for example)
- 38% of businesses want to expand to Amazon
- 78% of businesses have high expectations for mobile wallets
- 67% of Millennials and 56% of Gen Xers prefer to shop on online rather than in-store

See the infographic below for more [interesting trends and data points](https://goo.gl/uPRR4H?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) about SMB optimism in 2017:

![](https://354584.smushcdn.com/485035/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/small-business-success-2017-infographic.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)
### 5 Underused Link Building Tactics for Small Businesses
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/5-underused-link-building-tactics-for-small-businesses/
Last updated: 2022-02-12T15:54:35.000Z
Link building is one of the most important aspects of SEO and if done correctly, will help improve your website traffic. If done incorrectly, it can have a detrimental impact on the visibility of your website. For this reason, many businesses steer clear of link building.

By using effective link building tactics, **you can boost the rankings of your website**. In turn, this makes your business more discoverable online and increases your exposure. Impressions, visitors and even revenue should all increase.

**SEO and link building should be considered long term strategies**. When done correctly, you can start seeing Google Analytics charts like this:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2022/02/Furl-2.jpg)

So what constitutes a safe link? [I cover the topic here](http://mattjanaway.co.uk/what-makes-a-bad-or-unnatural-link-lets-talk-metrics/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) and try to update the page as often as possible.

There are [many link building guides](http://www.smartinsights.com/search-engine-optimisation-seo/link-building/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) around the internet, but they can get quite complicated if you aren’t in the profession. So I put together a collection of five underused tactics right here for you to sink your teeth into.

## Get your existing business connections to link to you

Networking is an effective way of generating business contacts. When you have a plethora of contacts, you can use them to your advantage. Every contact you have will have a load of contacts you don’t have. These connections can be a window for your business to gain more coverage.

Now, let’s relate your business network to link building. Finding genuine websites and getting them to link to your website is crucial, so get your existing contacts to link to you – do whatever it takes. Having said that, sometimes just asking them nicely is enough to get what you want. If they ask, you could also link back to them, so everyone wins (reciprocal links won’t hurt you unless you unless you overdo it, as with every link building tactic). [Linking out](http://mattjanaway.co.uk/linking-out-is-important/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is a great way of showing that your website’s content can be backed up by other sources.

Think about every other business you use within your own business. Get in touch with your electrician, your window cleaner, your accountants, your suppliers – everyone! These are the kinds of links you should find easy to attain.

## Build links with images

Images are a brilliant way to build more links to your website. Many business owners aren’t aware that this is a useful link building tactic. However, it is, and you should use it as much as possible. If you have original images on your site, then you should make them available for reuse. In doing so, other people can use them and put them on their website.

The key is making sure they have to attribute the source of the image (you). Therefore, they need to link back to your site whenever they use it. Of course, you can only do this with original images you’ve created. So for example, things like your logo or photos of your office.

One great example of this is if you have a unique or interesting product, like Furl. They make super-interesting space-saving furniture and allow other websites to show off their images with a link back to their website. Interior design blogs love this! So far it has generated over 35 links for them.

Unique Log Cabins did a similar thing, albeit on a slightly smaller scale. So far their image link building strategy has gained them 9 backlinks.

## Run contests on social media

First things first, if you aren’t using social media, you should be. You can use social networking sites to build links. How? By running contests for your followers. Make the prize something useful for other businesses – not consumers.

It’s simple, all you have to do is offer a prize in exchange for something. In this case, what you want is a link from a company website or blog. Tell people that they have to enter the competition by following you on social media, and sharing a link of your choice. Not only will you get lots of backlinks, but you’ll also gain followers!

## Create a blog on your website

Blogging is something that’s criminally underused by small businesses. You see big companies use blogs all the time for marketing purposes. So, why aren’t small businesses following suit? A blog is an ideal place to generate lots of internal and external links. You can link to pages on your website within your blog posts which can help with the internal link architecture of your website.

The better the content on you blogs, the more likely they will generate backlinks from other websites. There’s more chance someone will share a link to an interesting blog post than a standard web page.

If your blog content is worthwhile enough, it will generate organic and natural backlinks without you having to go out of your way to build them.

## Get your business in the news

It can be fairly easy to get news coverage for your business. There are so many news outlets out there; you’re bound to find a local reporter that’s willing to write a story about you. Naturally, there needs to be a story to write in the first place. So, the first task is for your business to do something newsworthy. Ideas include sponsoring a local event or donating money to a local cause. Remember, [offline marketing can have an impact ](http://marketinglabs.co.uk/offline-branding-place-seo/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)on SEO.

These two recommendations will get you news coverage, and you’ll find the story all over local news websites. When your brand name is mentioned in the story, it might include a link to your business website

Basic link building isn’t as hard as some businesses think. However, if you make good use of it, it can have a positive effect on your company.
### 5 Green Business Ideas for Eco-Minded Entrepreneurs
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/5-green-business-ideas-for-eco-minded-entrepreneurs/
Last updated: 2021-03-18T23:56:13.000Z
If you’re an [entrepreneur](https://nopassiveincome.com/blowfish-business/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) that wants to be as green as possible in an effort to help the environment, then this post is for you.

I try to be switched on when it comes to energy saving, as do many other business owners. The environment is big news these days, especially since people are trying their best to help the planet and want to ensure they work with others who want to do the same.

If this sounds like something that interests you, here are 5 green business ideas for eco-minded entrepreneurs:

## Never Work With A Company Without Checking Out Their Values

As a business owner, you’re probably going to be working with many different companies and suppliers to ensure you can do what you set out to do. This can include cleaners, packaging companies, delivery companies, and more. But you should never work with a company without [checking out if they share the same values as you](http://www.greenpages.org/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) first. If they do, you’re onto a winner! With your combined efforts, you could have an even bigger positive impact on the environment.

It isn’t just about making sure your business is eco-friendly. It goes far beyond that. Make sure your business is working with those who share your views and values!

![](https://nopassiveincome.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/innovation.jpg)

## Make Your Eco-friendly Expectations As Clear As Possible To Staff

At some point, you’re going to have to hire staff to help you take care of everything that your business entails – you might even have your own team already. It’s a good idea to ensure that your staff members are eco-minded too before you offer them a job.

However, once you’ve hired them, it’s important to make your expectations as clear as possible to your staff. They should know exactly what you want them to do, from ensuring they recycle glass to minimizing paper usage.

You should make these things as easy as possible for them too. Ensure that you have the correct bins, and clearly label them. You could even have some instructions on display.

## Create Incentive Programs

Incentive programs are a great way to encourage your staff to be even more eco-friendly. Why not offer incentives for those who bike or walk to work?

This isn’t always possible, so you could also offer it to those who are carpooling or taking public transport too.

If you offer company vehicles, then make sure you choose eco-friendly models.

![](https://nopassiveincome.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/green-field.jpg)

## Become More Energy Conscious

Become more energy conscious in your business premises. Are you turning off the lights and your machines before you leave?

Are you making sure that energy isn’t being needlessly wasted?

Are you using sustainable energy where possible?

It’ll all make a huge difference! An easy method to cut your costs and be more eco-friendly is by switching your bulbs to LED bulbs.

Here’s a handy calculator to work out how much you will save by switching.

## Reuse and Recycle

Finally, make sure you are reusing and recycling wherever possible. Our office cafe started using recycled and [biodegradable materials](http://www.cooksmill.co.uk/disposables/biodegradable.html?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

Encourage everyone to buy second hand, upcycled furniture rather than brand new pieces. Give your staff reusable water bottles. Reuse and recycle just about anything you can!

Buying new equipment can be really exciting in business, but being more conscious of where you get it and what’s better for the environment is even better. Don’t let your values slip for a fancy new desk!
### “People Who Bought This Also Bought” – Related Keyword Searches Unraveled
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/people-who-bought-this-also-bought-related-keyword-searches-unraveled/
Last updated: 2021-03-19T16:08:31.000Z
I was in a bakery last weekend. Placed on the shelf above the birthday cakes, they had confetti, candles, and snow sprays. It seems obvious that anyone buying a birthday cake is also likely to buy confetti and candles, yet many online marketers ignore such simple cross-selling opportunities. Maybe it's because Google doesn't always consider cakes and confetti "related search terms," which is incredible considering the algorithmic power of Google!

So how can we find out what people searching for our products are also searching for?

## Why Related Searches Are Important

Related searches should be at the top of every marketer's agenda right now, for two reasons.

1\. They are one of the most efficient ways to achieve higher SERP rankings and drive more targeted traffic, and

2\. They can help you increase your average revenue per visitor by cross-selling products that your customers are likely to also buy when they're purchasing a particular product

The changes that Google has made to their algorithms have underlined the importance of **long-tail keywords** for any website that wants to enjoy top organic rankings. Related searches are the best and perhaps the only way to find long tail keywords that you want to target. Let me explain.

Google [increased the character limits](https://searchenginewatch.com/2016/05/19/googles-recent-serp-changes-and-tests-everything-you-need-to-know/https:/searchenginewatch.com/2016/05/19/googles-recent-serp-changes-and-tests-everything-you-need-to-know/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) for its mobile SERP page titles from 55 to 78 characters. The same goes for AdWords, where advertisers can now use more characters in headlines and descriptions.

Voice searches are one of the factors that may have prompted this change. Voice queries now account for 20% of all searches on Google and are increasing with each passing day. These natural language queries are longer and more heterogeneous than typed queries, and you can track them down by paying attention to the related searches.

It's simple, then. You need more and better keywords for optimization, and related searches are where you find those keywords. As a result, you can squeeze in more of the long-tail keywords into your page titles and improve your SEO ranking. This is [vital for blogs](http://neilpatel.com/the-step-by-step-guide-to-creating-a-money-making-blog-in-1-hour/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) which rely on long-tail titles, as well as [for eCommerce stores](http://www.smartinsights.com/search-engine-optimisation-seo/seo-strategy/rank-serps-long-tail-keywords/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

Also, long-tail keywords express the user's intentions more explicitly. They can help you develop better landing pages and achieve more conversions.

Then there are the related searches that help you cross-sell products and earn more revenue from each visitor to your online store.

## The Two Types Of Related Searches

People can look for *the same product* using many different search terms. For example, a person looking for birthday cakes may search for birthday cakes for boys, birthday cakes with pictures, or minions birthday cakes. These are related searches because they are related to the same product. The other type of related searches, which this article is primarily about, are searches for *other products* that your customers are likely to buy when they're purchasing the primary product.

Sucharita Mulpuru of [Forrester Research](http://blogs.forrester.com/sucharita%5Fmulpuru?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) says that product recommendations like upsells and cross-sells are responsible for an average of 10–30% of all ecommerce revenues.

Almost every eCommerce store displays related products on their product or checkout pages. However, most of them rely on cross-selling tools that eCommerce platforms like WooCommerce, Magento and Shopify offer, instead of doing their own research. As a result, the related products that are shown may not be the products that customers want.

Websites like Shopify, Amazon and other big retailers use historical data to feature products in the "Frequently Bought Together" and "Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought" sections. But eCommerce startups and standalone web stores often tend to ignore the cross-selling aspect of their online business. Getting this bit right can mean a [huge uplift in both conversion rates](http://marketinglabs.co.uk/improve-websites-conversion-rate-day/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) and in basket value.

If you can find out the products that your buyers also search for when they're buying your product, you can add them to your web store and earn some easy revenues increases. However, almost all of the available keyword research tools would only tell you the search queries that have your target keyword in them. For example, if you are looking for searches related to "birthday cakes in London" you'll get suggestions like these:

![clip_image002](https://i2.wp.com/www.searchenginepeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/clip_image002.jpg?resize=604%2C248&ssl=1 "clip_image002")

As you can see, confetti, candles and balloons are not related searches as far as Google is concerned. However, these are items anyone buying a birthday cake is likely to *also buy*.

How can we find related searches that do not contain your target keyword?

The answer lies in your customers' minds. The customer research should take into account the related products. Questionnaires, focus groups and other research methods should ask the respondents which particular products they think of buying together with your product. The research will reveal many related products, some of which you haven’t thought of before. With the customer research data to guide you, you can use the following tools to refine your understanding of related searches, discover the right long-tail keywords, and learn about products that can get you some easy revenues.

## Google Trends

The first and one of the most effective tools is Google Trends. You can use it to find the interest in a particular keyword in a particular region over the past hour, 4 hours, day, week, month, quarter, year, five years, since 2004, or in any selected timeframe. Let's see what suggestions we get when we explore the query "birthday cakes".

- Go to [Google Trends](https://support.google.com/trends/answer/4355000?hl=en&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) and select the region where you're doing business.
- Choose the timeframe, category, and type of searches you're interested in. Let's say we want to see the web search trends over the past five years in Food & Drink category.
- Google Trends shows you the interest in your target search term over the last five years in the form of a graph.

![clip_image004](https://i0.wp.com/www.searchenginepeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/clip_image004.jpg?resize=640%2C305&ssl=1 "clip_image004")

The bottom of the page displays Related Topics and Related Queries. Under the Related Topics, you can see that the people who searched for birthday cakes also searched for Minions – Film, Monster High – Brand and Avengers – Comics. These three topics have a "Breakout" label beside them, which means that the search volume for these queries has increased by more than 5000%. The rest of the related topics have the exact percentage showing the increase in popularity of these topics.

![clip_image006](https://i1.wp.com/www.searchenginepeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/clip_image006.jpg?resize=640%2C185&ssl=1 "clip_image006")

Under the Related Queries, you can see the long-tail keywords containing your target keyword "birthday cakes" or just "cakes". Once again, the Breakout label is there. Hence, "Minecraft birthday cakes" and "minion birthday cakes" have seen a growth of over 5000%, making them more lucrative for you to target.

From the above research, it is evident that your customers are more interested in birthday cakes themed after popular animation films like Minions or video games like Minecraft. Moreover, some of your customers may be interested in buying branded merchandise, toys, or comics when they're buying birthday cakes.

You can also use Google Trends to compare two search terms. For example, you can compare birthday cakes with wedding cakes and see which one you should focus on. In this case, birthday cakes appear to be a better flagship product for a bakery, compared to wedding cakes.

![clip_image008](https://i1.wp.com/www.searchenginepeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/clip_image008.jpg?resize=640%2C312&ssl=1 "clip_image008")

You should undertake further research using the Keyword Planner tool on the related searches you find through Google Trends. This will help you determine the right keywords to target based on their search volumes and competition.

## Uber Suggest

It's an excellent tool for discovering long-tail keyword related to your core product, but it might not be that effective for finding out related searches that do not contain your focus keyword. Still, sometimes it can give you great cross-selling ideas that you can further refine through Google's Keyword Planner.

For example, if you are selling smartphones, you can find keyword suggestions like smartphone armband, smartphone bike mount, smartphone car mount, smartphone door lock, smartphone finder, etc.

Click on any of the keywords that sound interesting. A drop-down box will give you the options to look up the related search term on Google search or Google Trends or to expand the keyword.

![clip_image010](https://i0.wp.com/www.searchenginepeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/clip_image010.jpg?resize=640%2C153&ssl=1 "clip_image010")

The idea is to do more in-depth research on each of the search term you shortlist. See the SERPs for those terms. Find out how they have been performing on Google Trends. Pick up a few more keywords related to your related search terms, and repeat the process. At the end, you will be left with some great keyword ideas for cross-selling different products as well as for optimizing your ecommerce website for traffic and conversions.

## Ahrefs Keyword Explorer 2.0

Ahrefs recently released their Keyword Explorer 2.0, which boasts more than 3.1 billion keywords and related search terms. Its working is similar to Uber Suggest or Google's Keyword Planner, but it comes with some additional bells and whistles, metrics that make it more powerful and accurate compared to other keyword research tools.

For instance, the "Clicks" metric lets you find out if people are actually clicking on a particular related search term. Hence you can find search terms that are not only popular, but also have a higher traffic potential.

![clip_image012](https://i1.wp.com/www.searchenginepeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/clip_image012.jpg?resize=640%2C144&ssl=1 "clip_image012")

In the above screenshot, the search term "chauffeur" has a much higher search volume, but less than one in four persons searching with this term are clicking on any of the results. The reason may be that many individuals are just checking the spellings of the word chauffeur by typing it into Google. On the other hand, "wow chauffeur" actually refers to the Chauffeur character in World of Warcraft (wow). If you look at the SERP for this term, you'll notice that none of the results gives a good answer, which means the user has to click on a result to find more information about "wow chauffeur".

Ahref will also tell you the number of clicks per search (CPS). The higher the CPS, the more traffic a particular keyword is likely to drive.

![clip_image014](https://i0.wp.com/www.searchenginepeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/clip_image014.jpg?resize=640%2C190&ssl=1 "clip_image014")

The Ahref tool also shows you the trends and actual search volumes for each of the related search terms you research. It tells you the number of organic and paid clicks separately, so you can decide which particular keywords you should use for your organic SEO or AdWords. For example, in the following screenshot, you can see that most of the people searching for "iPhone 7 cases" are clicking on the paid results (currently the top four results on Google's SERPs). By comparison, the term "best iPhone 7 cases" is generating a higher CPS and more organic clicks.

![clip_image016](https://i2.wp.com/www.searchenginepeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/clip_image016.jpg?resize=640%2C124&ssl=1 "clip_image016")

## Answer The Public

Google Keyword Planner, Google Trends, Uber Suggest, and Ahref Keyword Explorer are great tools, but they are not very accurate at suggesting related search terms that do not include your main keywords. You just have to rely on your customer research data and common sense to glean out related products that you can cross-sell with each other. Answer the Public is a fantastic free tool that allows you to generate related keyword ideas that you can further research with the above-mentioned tools.

The data is based on Google searches and autosuggest feature. To generate ideas, simply go to [Answer the Public](http://answerthepublic.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) and enter your main keyword, say "birthday cakes." Select your country and click GET QUESTIONS. The tool offers 127 Questions, 116 Propositions and 386 Alphabetical ideas pertaining to birthday cakes. The **Questions** tell you what your customers want to know about your product, so you can use them to enrich your product pages, write blog posts and do content marketing.

The **Propositions** are where you'll find most of your related search ideas. For instance, under the "with" proposition, you can see birthday cakes with crowns, birthday cakes with lots of candles, birthday cakes with roses, birthday cakes with candles, and birthday cakes with flowers. These are valuable ideas that you can use for bundling together or cross-selling these products with your cakes.

![clip_image018](https://i2.wp.com/www.searchenginepeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/clip_image018.jpg?resize=640%2C308&ssl=1 "clip_image018")

Let's try one more time using the keyword iPhone 7, a popular search term these days, and see if we can find some interesting related product ideas. Once again, the "with" proposition reveals that people also search for Apple watch, ear buds, air pods, and beats when they are searching for iPhone 7.

![clip_image020](https://i2.wp.com/www.searchenginepeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/clip_image020.jpg?resize=640%2C343&ssl=1 "clip_image020")

Answer the Public can be your first step to finding related searches for the purpose of cross-selling, SEO and conversion optimization. Feed the related product ideas that you gather here into Uber Suggest, Ahref and Google Trends to find out the search volumes, related keywords, clicks per search, and other key metrics. You will discover many additional related search terms in the process.

## Final Takeaways

Keep refining your list of target keywords by researching related searches. Extract the long tail keywords from related search terms and use them in your page titles and content to drive better quality traffic that converts more often. And use the related search data to sell and cross-sell related products and increase your online revenues.
### Five Things You Didn’t Know About Time Management
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/is-time-management-really-all-that-important-five-things-you-didnt-know-about-time-management/
Last updated: 2021-03-20T22:58:29.000Z
There are only so many hours in a working day, and managing your time effectively is the key to success. That's why it shouldn't come as a surprise to hear that time management is a field where a lot of studies have been carried out, and there are a variety of books on the subject. Time management can be broken down into two simple steps: Knowing your priorities and then tackling them head on.

Learning effective time management can have a trickle down positive effect on you as a person. You learn how to improve productivity, and by getting more things done in less time, you decrease your stress levels, leaving you in a better state of health overall. However, with all this hype on time management, you may wonder if it's as effective as some claim it to be. To answer your this, let’s take a look at some statistics.

If someone isn't organised and has a messy or cluttered workplace, they will spend 1.5 hours per day either being distracted or searching for missing things and in a single week, could equate to approximately [7.5 hours of lost time](http://www.dovico.com/article%5Ftime%5Fmanagement%5Ffacts%5Ffigures.aspx?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

![Businessman looking for his phone on his messy desk](https://marketinglabs.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Depositphotos_78358540_original.jpg)

According to the American Psychological Association Survey (3/5/2013), chronic stress is affecting one-third of employees in the workplace. Work stress usually accumulates when you have too much work to do but have not mastered time management to do it more efficiently. This, in turn, leads to employees being overworked which adversely affects their work-family balance and can also result in sleep deprivation.

Harvard Medical School did a study in 2013 which found out that sleep deprivation of employees costs US companies 252.7 days of lost work and $63.2 billion of lost revenues a year due to low levels of productivity. This can be fixed with efficient time management where you get more done in the same amount of time and hence have adequate time left for a restful night’s sleep.

A [recent study by the US Centre’s for Disease Control and Prevention](http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2016/p0215-enough-sleep.html?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) found that one-third of adults are not getting enough sleep. Lack of adequate sleep is associated with an increased risk of chronic health conditions such as heart disease, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and hypertension.

When something as simple as sleep affects you so much on a physical level, you know you need to prioritise better, and learning time management techniques would empower you to do just that.

Organisation and time management go hand in hand, not just on a professional level but also on a personal level. For example, according to the [US National Soap and Detergent Association](http://www.simplyproductive.com/2012/03/time-management-statistics/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), getting rid of excess clutter in your house cuts down housework by 40%.

Plus, keeping in mind how technology goes hand in hand with saving space and time, [a time tracking tool](http://www.minterapp.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) can drastically cut down time wastage and help improve your productivity levels.

All these figures show that time management is very much needed and is in fact very effective, and without proper knowledge of time management techniques, employees and employers can suffer in terms of lost productivity, lost revenue and deteriorating health.

Time management is a skill that can be learned and enhanced, and knowing how people spend their time is a way to understand it. Below are some interesting facts on time management:

## Choosing the right leisure activities

A person partakes in recreational activities to get some relaxation time away from work related tasks. However, studies have shown that choosing the right type of leisure activity can drastically impact you on a personal level.

If you choose reading as a source of relaxation compared to watching television, you are more likely to learn skills that would benefit you professionally and also on a personal level.

Since time is a limited resource, reading would be a more productive activity and hence it is important we choose the right leisure activities which can benefit us in the long run.

## Statistics on working parents with children

If you happen to be a parent, you are already going to be struggling for time. A 2015 Pew research study showed that in 2015, figures of households with both parents working full time [had increased to 46%](http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/11/04/how-american-parents-balance-work-and-family-life-when-both-work/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

The majority of these parents claim they don’t have enough time to manage their work-life balance effectively. Spending time with their children is even more important for working parents. However, working mothers tend to indirectly face a ‘[motherhood penalty](http://workfamily.sas.upenn.edu/sites/workfamily.sas.upenn.edu/files/imported/archive/networknews/The%5FNetwork%5FNews%5FInterview%5F78.pdf?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)’ if they ask for flexible working hours or take time off for important situations like caring for a sick child. This is why working parents need to make effective time management techniques a priority.

## Importance of prioritising sleep for teens

As a teenager, you have a whole host of things you'll want to do such as hang out with friends, catch up on your studies, take part in school and college activities, etc. Most teens tend to lag behind when it comes to getting adequate sleep.

However, teens need at least nine hours of sleep per night, or else they would be termed as being sleep deprived. A [Brown University study](http://info.methodtestprep.com/blog/bid/98401/10-Surprising-Facts-About-Teens-and-Time-Management?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) of teen achievement and sleep, students who consistently slept more were more likely to get A grades while sleep deprived students would usually get D’s and F’s.

## Number of interruptions per hour

The average person gets [7-8 distractions per hour](http://www.stephanspencer.com/got-time/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), which in turn equals 50-60 interruptions per day. The majority of these issues have been found to be unnecessary so controlling your interruptions and distractions would drastically improve the effectiveness of your time management.

## Time management figures of the average person

Unsurprisingly, time management is becoming a very common skill people are using to improve their lives. The average person now uses thirteen different time management techniques.

The importance of time management is becoming more appreciated as we evolve, and looking at the above interesting facts and figures, this is indeed a field where more study and research is rightly justified.
### How Google’s Mobile-Only Index Will Change SEO in 2017
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-googles-mobile-only-index-will-change-seo-in-2017/
Last updated: 2021-03-18T22:59:41.000Z
Google's decision to split it's index will mean big changes in SEO next year.

Google has unsettled the SEO community throughout 2016 by releasing back-to-back updates to its SERPs and search algorithms. The latest, and hopefully the last change for the year, was announced by Google's Gary Illyes [at PubCon](http://www.pubcon.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) last month. Google is going to launch a separate mobile search index, which will eventually become its primary index. The index will be effective "within months," said Illyes. Google officially confirmed this announcement just days go, with a [post on their webmaster central blog](http://webmasters.googleblog.com/2016/11/mobile-first-indexing.html?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) confirming their decision to make their index 'mobile first'. What was less clear was whether they'd be running two index's seperatly, or going straight to a single 'mobile first index'.

Not quite a bombshell, I'd say, considering that Google has been experimenting with a mobile index since last year. Google's mobile-first strategy that it has aggressively pursued for at least the last couple of years is no secret, but the latest change represents a huge challenge for businesses and SEOs, particularly when viewed side-by-side with the other changes to mobile search and SERPs that have been introduced this year. Before we can find out how to deal with the new mobile index as well as the other updates, let's run through what those updates were.

### Latest Google Updates that Will Affect SEO in 2017

****Right Column Ads Gone**: Google blew away the right column ads from its SERPs, dedicating a wider panel to the search results. It was in Feb this year.

****Longer Titles and Descriptions**: Then, in May, SEW observed something odd. It appeared Google had increased the displayable character limit of the page titles to 68-70 char for desktop, and a whopping 78 char for mobile SERPs. The SERPs were also displaying longer meta descriptions, which sometimes extended to 3 lines instead of the usual two.

****Mobile-Friendly Label Gone**: On August 23, [Google announced](https://webmasters.googleblog.com/2016/08/helping-users-easily-access-content-on.html?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) that the Mobile Friendly label would no longer appear in the SERPs. Some 85% of the websites appearing in mobile search results had already become search friendly at that point in time, so Google just pulled the plug on the label to de-clutter its pages.

****Putting Pressure on Pop Ups**: In the same announcement, Google slapped full-page interstitials (or pop-ups) with negative points for ranking [mobile websites](http://marketingland.com/mobile-top-sites-165725?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). The so-called "lead magnet" websites with boxes might have seen their traffic nosedive as a result of this change.

****AMP Update**: [AMP](https://searchenginewatch.com/2016/09/20/google-amp-is-coming-to-organic-search-results/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) (Accelerated Mobile Pages) is a Google-backed technology that speeds up the loading time for mobile pages to a remarkable 0.7 seconds (median time). In September Google said it would be displaying the AMP icon with AMP-coded pages on its mobile SERPs. Google says AMP is not a ranking signal, but SEOs should see this as an opportunity to drive better CTRs because the results with the AMP symbol are more likely to be clicked. Moreover, the increased page speed will have a positive impact on SEO too.

### Separate Indexes for Web and Mobile Search, but Why?

This time, Google has not just announced a dedicated index for mobile SERP's but has also said it is going to be their primary index, which means that it will be updated more frequently.

Google's obsession with mobile first shouldn’t be a surprise if you know that on average [56% of the traffic](http://marketingland.com/mobile-top-sites-165725?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) now comes from mobile devices. In fact, most [digital growth](http://marketingland.com/digital-growth-now-coming-mobile-usage-comscore-171505?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is now coming from mobile usage, whereas desktop is becoming a secondary touch point for an increasing number of users. Google wants its users to be able to find the content they want as conveniently and as quickly as possible. Because most of Google's users are now mobile, it simply makes sense to put mobile first.

But why a mobile-only index? Probably, Google realises that users behave differently when searching on mobile. For instance, they want the content to be served more quickly or want to see directions or distance info during [local searches](http://searchengineland.com/voice-search-explosion-will-change-local-search-251776?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). Additionally, because of the rapid mobile adoption rate, Google has seen a phenomenal increase in the number of voice searches. Voice queries have [multiplied 35x](http://searchengineland.com/voice-search-explosion-will-change-local-search-251776?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) since 2008 and now constitute up to 20% of all searches.

Most of the voice searches are made with natural language queries, which are often different and longer than traditional, typed queries. Google may have increased the title length on its mobile SERPs to cater for the increasing number of natural language queries. Accommodating user needs and incorporating the changes we have discussed above may require radical changes to be made to Google's search algorithms. A mobile-only search index solves the problem.

This move could also help Google achieve in helping boost the digital performance of businesses who perform well with their offline marketing efforts. For a while now, Google has used various metrics in their ranking algorithm which can be [helped with good offline marketing](http://marketinglabs.co.uk/offline-branding-place-seo/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). For example, your brand being mentioned around the internet and more people searching for you will help your organic performance. Because mobile devices are always with you, if you see something useful on the move, you can search for it instantly.

### How the Mobile-Only Index Changes SEO in 2017

As said earlier, the flurry of changes have rattled the SEO grounds and presented businesses, marketers and SEOs with new challenges and opportunities. Many websites may see their mobile rankings and traffic slipping, whereas others may be able to work their way up into the top rankings. Let's see how the mobile-only index and other changes impact us and how to deal with them.

![neil-patel](https://www.smartinsights.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/neil-patel.png)

I reached out to [Neil Patel](http://neilpatel.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) for his thoughts on the announcement...

> “Google will eventually create a new set of search results for mobile. The reason being is that the user behaviour for mobile users is different. They don’t have the screen size and bandwidth to go through dozens of results… ideally, they should see one result and the ideal one for them”.

The separate mobile index will leave marketers in a bit of a dilemma about whether to optimise for desktop or mobile. Should they have 68-70-char page titles that display on both desktops and mobile, or should they embrace the 78-char mobile titles and take advantage of long-tail and natural language key phrases? The longer titles (and meta descriptions) can prove effective at optimising for long-tail and natural language queries as well as for using your brand name in the titles. Moreover, conversion-focused websites or lead magnets may need to strip their mobile pages of annoying full-page pop-up lead boxes in order to retain their mobile rankings.

Many small and micro businesses may need to prioritise based on how much of their traffic comes from mobile vs. desktop. But we might see the return of dedicated mobile websites (m.example.com) if businesses want to retain their mobile traffic and SEO ranking.

The need to have a dedicated mobile website is also underlined by the AMP update. It is an open source technology that developers and SEOs can leverage to dramatically increase their page speeds, and consequently their mobile SEO ranking and CTR. Hence, separate mobile websites that had been pushed into the oblivion by responsive/adaptive design may become a necessity once again, thanks to Google's mobile-only index and AMP update.
### Does Offline Branding Have a Place in SEO?
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/does-offline-branding-have-a-place-in-seo/
Last updated: 2023-05-04T15:22:36.000Z
Can offline branding and SEO work hand-in-hand?

The internet is now such an overwhelmingly powerful part of successful commerce, but whatever happened to offline branding? Is it no longer relevant?

At Marketing Labs, we hear so many businesses talking about marketing. Eventually scoff at the idea of TV, billboard ads and print advertising. Is it true? Are you wasting your time and money by implementing offline marketing and branding tactics?

One thing is for certain: marketing online provides the opportunity for hyper-targeting, because you know exactly what people are searching for, as opposed to posting a billboard advert in a city centre and hoping that a few people like what they see.

However, it’s worth noting that studies have shown that offline well-implemented marketing can [boost your online performance by up to 40%](https://www.advancedwebranking.com/blog/how-offline-branding-impacts-seo/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). That means that although it’s harder to track, your offline branding efforts could bring in a huge online return on investment.

If done correctly, offline branding actually works! It’s not an archaic act, and it allows you to expand your brand to the point of full recognition. It’s funny that many of us thought that it was useless to focus on offline branding, considering how the biggest companies in the world still take out radio, newspaper, magazine, TV and billboard ads. Are we to believe that they don’t know what they’re doing? Or is their brand strong enough to continue offline marketing and be recognised for it?

- Has online marketing evolved so much that all other forms of advertising are now simply best used to supplement your digital efforts?
- What Are the Most Common Things to Prompt Online Searches for a Company?

Let’s say you setup an online store selling gardening equipment. You’ve tackled on-site SEO and online marketing tools offered through your eCommerce website builder, and now you’re ready to take it to the next level.

The first thing to ask yourself is whether or not you have the money to take on an offline branding strategy. After that, you can move onto the more common marketing techniques that prompt online searches for a company.

It turns out, TV ads are still prevalent, as are other techniques. The below figures show us that people still consider the following 5 marketing tactics useful. The % figures represent the amount of people who consider that particular advertising medium useful when making a purchase:

TV Ads: 44%  
Word of Mouth: 41%  
Magazine/Newspaper Ads: 35%  
Radio: 23%  
Billboard: 13%

Although this may not get you to jump out of your seat and advertise in a magazine straight away, it gets you thinking of how the offline world intertwines with the internet. After all, most of our lives are spent offline. It’s only once we login to our phones or computers that we start to use that information we learned about or heard about in the real world.

### **Google Takes Brand Searches into Consideration**

Here’s where offline branding truly has an impact in the online world. It used to be that Google and other search engines only cared about backlinks to sites. The theory was that if a website had thousands of links leading back to the site, people found it credible. Therefore, Google would move the rankings up a bit whenever more backlinks came through.

Google quickly realised that people abused this by selling and trading links, tainting their algorithm’s credibility.

However, due to recent Google algorithm updates, the search engine is now taking “brand searches” into consideration. This means that if someone searches for your company through Google, the search engine recognises that someone has shown interest. The more brand searches, the better your rankings. This forms a small part of Google’s Panda algorithm.

These changes have (or should have) brought back offline marketing as one of the leading ways to boost SEO.

### **Incoming Links Are Hurtful Without Enough Brand Searches**

What’s refreshing is that Google is punishing companies that have built up too many bad links to their website. If a business has thousands of backlinks, but a small quantity of brand searches, this looks unnatural to Google. However, if you have lots of brand searches, Google will reward you for having high quality links too.

So the goal is to prompt users to search for your company online, while at the same time, naturally convincing people to write about your company and link back.

Some are saying that links are no longer king. We certainly don’t buy into that! But links are no longer the only factor. In fact one could argue that brand mentions, whether through blog posts or people typing in the brand, are becoming the new form of inbound links – only time will tell.

### **Wonderful Offline Branding Tactics**

Smart Insights has a [great article](http://www.smartinsights.com/online-brand-strategy/multichannel-strategies/selectmarketing-channels/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) about the top marketing tactics to support your online brand. Everything can be found in the image above, but it’s worth looking into a few of these examples to understand how these offline and online techniques work together. And [here’s a guide explaining best tools to help you build links](https://www.outreachmama.com/link-building-tools/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

****Note:** Don’t underestimate the power of a strong brand logo! If you are designing your logo for your business or are going through a logo re-brand, ensure the design can be seamlessly displayed across both digital and offline marketing publications. When bridging the gap between on and offline marketing it’s important your brand is consistently presented across all channels. If you’re feeling creative, head over to [Logojoy](https://logojoy.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to design the perfect logo yourself! Alternatively, if you have the budget and are looking for help with designing your logo, you can find amazing freelance designers through [99 Designs](https://99designs.co.uk/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

As an example, I once saw a speaker at a computer conference. After he wowed the crowd, he posted information about his social media accounts. In addition, he recommended that people sign up for his free monthly webinar. This is a prime example of how offline branding pushes people to your online business and boosts SEO through searches.

So as you can see, it turns out offline branding does have a place with search engine optimisation. It’s wise to conduct research before completely going all out with your offline marketing campaign. For example, some industries and companies perform well with billboards, while others are just wasting their money. It also helps to target based on demographics who may see your ad.
### Mastering the Webinar: A Cheat Sheet for Nailing Your Next Digital Presentation
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/mastering-the-webinar-a-cheat-sheet-for-nailing-your-next-digital-presentation/
Last updated: 2021-03-19T13:07:04.000Z
Every business owner, marketer, promoter, and so forth should fully understand the [importance of content marketing](http://www.johnrampton.com/content-marketing-guide/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). Without regurgitating the same jabber that you’ve heard again and again, just accept that content marketing is an absolute powerhouse.

Once content marketing is an edible part of your promotional blueprint, you need to zero in on the type of content that you will produce. While blog posts, articles, infographics, and so forth are still super useful, video content is becoming epically persuasive online. Some of this valuable video content is consumed through webinars.

![Webinar](http://mattjanaway.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/stencil.default.jpg)

Webinars are a potent method for driving awareness, engagement, sales, and other critical business metrics in an affordable and scalable way. These digital classrooms will allow you to present valuable information to your audience and position yourself as a thought leader on a given topic. While there are tonnes of fantastic resources for gaining webinar tips and tricks, [like this awesome blog from ClickMeeting](http://blog.clickmeeting.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), there is an equal amount of outdated info that can cause your webinar to flop. Hard.

If you’ve never run a webinar before but are ready to dive in, this is the perfect place to gain an understanding of what you need to do. If you have run them before and are looking for ways to improve, meet your new webinar cheat sheet.

Here are the guidelines for running the perfect webinar.

### **Pre-Planning**

To get started, you need to set your goals for the webinar. Are you looking to drive sales, acquire emails, or something else entirely? Establish what you want to get out of the webinar first so that you can gear your efforts towards that goal.

It is also wise to set your budget early on so that you don’t end up overspending. Be sure to account for supporting content like blogs, any ads that you may produce, speaker acquisition costs, potential prizes, and any tools you may use along the way.

Next up is the research phase. Identify interests, pain points, career objectives, and other defining features of your audience so as to select a topic that will be valuable to these folks. Once you have uncovered these characteristics, establish a tentative title and choose a host.

Now that you have a subject under your belt, you need to acquire 1-3 presenters who can speak to this topic and provide actionable information. You can uncover these folks using tools like [ClearVoice ](https://www.clearvoice.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)and [Kred](http://home.kred/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), searches on social media, and a variety of other identification tools. Begin to reach out to these people via social media and email to see who might be interested in participating. Be sure to ask for headshots from those who agree; you’ll need them for your content and emails.

### **Setting Up the Foundation**

When it is time to begin setting up, you will first need to select a platform. To set up your webinar landing page, you need the webinar’s title, description, time and date, along with a sign-up form, speaker bios, and a promotional video for the event. Most webinar tools automate this process for you, so it’s much easier than it sounds. It is also wise to post a countdown video on the webinar page to remind any visitors when it will be taking place.

Next, create the first draft of the webinar outline alongside the speakers. Be sure to include:  
• Speaker introductions along with channels they wish to promote  
• Points of discussion  
• Approximate length of presentations  
• A rough draft of slides  
• A deadline for the materials

Now the fun part begins; you can start promoting your webinar.

### **Marketing Efforts**

Start with your email subscribers. These folks are already interested in the materials you produce and will be the most likely to sign up. Be sure to make your emails compelling by pointing out what they stand to learn, benefits of attending, speaker overviews, and other pertinent details like the time and date, and a link to sign up.

To help amplify the number of registrants, you can offer a free gift like an eBook download to anyone who signs up. This will not only encourage people to join but will add increased value to the webinar material.  
Be sure also to promote the webinar through social media posts, social ads (if your budget can accommodate), and supporting content. Make sure your speakers are sharing the event as well. Continue your promotional efforts up until the day of the webinar and send out automated emails at regular intervals to remind people about the broadcast.

### **Pre-Webinar Prep**

This will likely be the easiest part of the whole process. In preparation for the event, you will want to provide speakers with any guidelines such as your asks, do’s and dont’s, webinar formatting, the number of speakers, and any other relevant information.

Be sure also to schedule a test run to make sure everyone is comfortable with the format and that there is no conflicting information. You will want to provide presenters with a set of instructions for this as well. You can either hold the test run over the phone or on the actual webinar platform to make sure that all features are working properly and that all are acquainted with the controls.

### **Webinar Time**

When the day of the webinar arrives, be sure to send out reminder emails to any registrants to ensure maximum attendance. Have the host log on to the webinar platform 1 hour ahead of time to verify that everything is working properly. As speakers log on (10-30 minutes beforehand), it is wise to connect via IM in case there are any technical issues.

When the webinar begins, hit the record button and share via social that the event is now live. Proceed by thanking all in attendance, mentioning the name of the webinar, and introduce the speakers along with social information, websites, and anything else they wish to promote.

As the webinar advances, gather any questions posed by the audience that can be presented to speakers in a Q&A session afterwards.

After the Q&A session has concluded, be sure to thank the attendants, speakers again, and mention that the recording of the webinar will be posted online later on.

### **Post Webinar Follow Up**

Finally, convert the webinar recording into a YouTube video or viewable file to share with the web; also send this to the speakers to share.

Then send a follow-up email to those who attended thanking them and asking for any feedback. You can also direct them toward any relevant links where you can try to make a sale. Also send follow-up emails to those who did not attend with the information covered in the webinar and a link to the video replay.

Lastly, analyse your results. Take note of attendance numbers, conversions, email conversions, and successes/failures from the event overall so that you can improve for the next broadcast.

When properly conducted, webinars are an incredible vehicle for driving just about any goal you can think of. Utilise this information to the fullest so that you can construct a webinar that helps you achieve new levels of success.

What is your favourite webinar platform? Any questions about the webinar process that we didn’t address above?
### How to Improve Your Website’s Conversion Rate in a Day
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-improve-your-websites-conversion-rate-in-a-day/
Last updated: 2023-04-06T13:48:36.000Z
### **Conversion rate optimisation is sometimes really simple…**

Everyone has heard of the 80:20 rule, but we have gone one better with the 10:1 principle – 10 actionable tips to improve your website’s conversion rates. The best thing about these tips is that just about anyone can action them, and you can do them all in just one day!

Some of the most important conversion rate factors include trust, satisfaction and value. Read on for the tips.

![conversion-rate-infographic](https://354584.smushcdn.com/485035/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/conversion-rate-infographic.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)
### SMS Marketing: a Grossly Underrated Marketing Tactic
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/sms-marketing-a-grossly-underrated-marketing-tactic/
Last updated: 2021-03-19T17:02:10.000Z
Text message or SMS marketing delivers insanely higher ROIs and ridiculously higher sales than any other digital or conventional media. No convinced? Take a moment to let these figures sink in:

- [Papa John’s](https://laptrinhx.com/link/?l=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tatango.com%2Fblog%2Fsms-marketing-increases-sales-33-for-papa-johns%2F&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) SMS marketing campaign ****boosted** ****sales by 33%** and generated an ****ROI** ****above 500%**
- Bath Store UK [reported a dramatic ****32%**](https://laptrinhx.com/link/?l=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.textmarketer.co.uk%2Fblog%2F2011%2F08%2Fnews-and-case-studies%2Fmobile-marketing-bathstore-sales-surge-32-using-sms%2F&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) **jump in sales** the day they started sending messages
- Mainline Menswear [achieved a ****45%**](https://laptrinhx.com/link/?l=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.textmarketer.co.uk%2Fblog%2F2014%2F04%2Fnews-and-case-studies%2Fmobile-marketing-and-mainline-menswear-the-perfect-fit%2F&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) **rise in direct traffic** and a massive ****93% rise in mobile traffic**
- Bulmers Irish Cider increased ****sales by 50%** and [achieved a jaw-dropping ****73%**](https://laptrinhx.com/link/?l=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tatango.com%2Fblog%2F73-percent-of-recipients-purchased-after-receiving-geotargeted-sms-promotion%2F&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) **conversion rate** by combining SMS with geofence
- Silverstone, a British motor racing circuit, ****drove a 680% ROI** from its [integrated SMS campaign](https://laptrinhx.com/link/?l=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tatango.com%2Fblog%2Ftext-message-marketing-campaign-generates-680-roi%2F&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

### ****An ROI of 500% and 680%…no kidding!**

A cross-media [study](https://laptrinhx.com/link/?l=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.inma.org%2Fblogs%2Fresearch%2Fpost.cfm%2Fcross-media-study-shows-print-advertising-has-highest-roi&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) conducted in 2013 found the ROIs of TV, radio, online, newspapers, and magazine ads to be between 60% (for TV) and 130% (for magazines). You’ll be lucky to achieve an [ROI of 200%](https://laptrinhx.com/link/?l=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wordstream.com%2Fblog%2Fws%2F2012%2F08%2F13%2Fgoogle-adwords-facts&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) on Google Adwords. Email Marketing [can still yield excellent ROI](https://laptrinhx.com/link/?l=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.onblastblog.com%2Femail-marketing%2F&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) so I wrote a post recently outlining some ways to [take advantage of emails as a marketing medium](https://laptrinhx.com/link/?l=http%3A%2F%2Fmattjanaway.co.uk%2Ftop-email-marketing-growth-hacks-2016%2F&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

![image00](http://kikolani.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/image00.jpg)

And a 73% conversion rate for SMS… I mean, come on! Everyone knows the AdWords conversion rate has remained around 2-5% since forever. So, why isn’t SMS marketing as popular as it should be, with these kinds of results? There are [so many benefits](https://laptrinhx.com/link/?l=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.smartinsights.com%2Fmobile-marketing%2Fsms-marketing%2F6-benefits-sms-marketing%2F&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to SMS marketing; you should be taking it seriously. Obviously, your [website still has a huge part to play](https://laptrinhx.com/link/?l=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.prolimehost.com%2Fblog%2Fwant-to-convert-more-visitors-heres-how%2F&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) in converting, so there are many variables but this method of marketing should be taken very seriously.

### ****Why SMS is an Ugly Duckling**

Big brands don’t seem to like SMS as a marketing media. It’s probably because SMS marketing is still new (although SMS as a technology is relatively old as modern tech goes) and the marketing teams at big brands aren’t sure how to plan, measure or integrate it with other media that they’re more used to. The burgeoning social media and online marketing are still new to the brand managers and agencies, and maybe mobile is just a step too far. Otherwise, there’s no logical reason for professional marketers’ step-motherly attitude towards SMS marketing.

There are people who understand how effective mobile and SMS marketing is. In his [Forbes](https://laptrinhx.com/link/?l=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.forbes.com%2Fsites%2Fmarketshare%2F2013%2F03%2F04%2Fpulling-back-the-curtain-on-text-message-mobile-marketing%2F%2332efffbe2192&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) column, Steve Olenski quotes James Citron, the CEO of a video text messaging company as follows.

**“We live in a mobile-first society,” he says, “but many marketers have yet to embrace this reality.”*

It all makes sense to me, especially since I read that SMS text messages have a read rate of 97% within 15 minutes. Yet, mainstream marketers have by-and-large failed to take advantage of SMS marketing. That leaves the field wide open for small and medium businesses. You can conveniently use SMS to reach your customers directly, immediately, and personally, on media that’s uncluttered, trackable, simple, and cost-effective. But how exactly can you use SMS for maximum impact?

### ****How to Kick Start SMS Marketing**

If you are a small or local business, SMS marketing can work like magic for you. But you have to put some work into it and do it the right way. These are the steps you should take:

- Understand local laws and regulations for SMS marketing and ensure compliance.
- Build a database to record, monitor, and control your SMS marketing subscriber lists. Customers are obviously the best place to start.
- Plan your SMS campaign in detail and create the content (text, images, video, links, deals, etc.).
- Start sending messages and monitor the results very carefully.

### ****SMS Marketing and the Law**

Most developed countries have legislation in place to regulate SMS and most other forms of direct marketing. The intention is to protect mobile users from being badgered or harassed by irresponsible businesses and individuals. In the UK, SMS marketing is covered under the [marketing and advertising law](https://laptrinhx.com/link/?l=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fmarketing-advertising-law%2Fdirect-marketing&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). In the US, it falls under the [CAN\_SPAM act](https://laptrinhx.com/link/?l=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FCAN-SPAM%5FAct%5Fof%5F2003&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) of 2003 and the [Telephone Consumer Protection Act](https://laptrinhx.com/link/?l=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FTelephone%5FConsumer%5FProtection%5FAct%5Fof%5F1991&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) of 1991.

The relevant provision of the law prohibits businesses from sending marketing text messages to customers without acquiring their explicit permission. This means your recipient must have subscribed to receiving your marketing offers through text messages, and you must have a record of their subscription and permission.

The messages should also clearly state who you are, what you are selling, the offer, and the terms and conditions of the offer. Every SMS that you send must give your subscriber the option to opt out, for instance by sending a ‘STOP’ text to your short-code, a 5 or 6 digit identity number assigned to commercial SMS senders and mobile callers.

If you are going to do SMS marketing through one of the many text marketing agencies, you should ask them if they have the permission from the people they’ll be reaching with your messages. And if you are buying a list of phone numbers from a supplier, make sure that you can use it for marketing.

**Beware, businesses and individuals that violate the law can face penalties. Manchester based Tetrus Telecom was* [**fined £440,000*](https://laptrinhx.com/link/?l=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dmcommission.com%2Fnews%2F2012%2F11%2Fsms-marketing-regulation-uk-spammers-fined-440k%2F&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) *by the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office, UK) for spamming millions of non-subscribers with text messages.*

### ****Setting Up a Database of Subscribers**

Don’t worry; a database can be something as simple as an Excel sheet, with your subscribers’ mobile number, email address, and maybe their social media profiles. The emails and social media profiles are optional and will be used for OTT (over the top) messages or push notifications, which we’ll discuss in a little while.

The data in this database is the most important step in SMS marketing. Get it wrong and your conversion rates will be much lower than you would want. Working with a data agency to buy data may not give you the kind of loyal customers and control over your subscribers that you will get if you build your own opt-in lists. There’s no harm in doing both, but be aware of the complications if the recipients are not your own customers.

### ****Collecting SMS Subscriptions**

There are two ways to build a database of mobile subscribers, through your website and your conventional marketing channels. You can collect online subscriptions through a form on your website, which gets served to your mobile visitors. And if you are a local business, there’s no harm in informing your visitors about your SMS marketing program through a flyer or poster, requesting them to sign a consent form at the counter or to register through your website.

The longer route to this is to have a mobile app, which people can install, and you can use to push your text, image, and video messages to them. You could even use an app, but this would generally require more budget and development to build and manage.

Either way, you have to be clear and upfront about your SMS marketing program when you’re gathering subscriptions. Describe what the messaging is going to be about, e.g. your products and offers, and how many SMS per week your subscribers can expect to receive. Include links to your terms and conditions and privacy policy pages, and a statement about how to opt out of the program.

![SMS Marketing tips](http://kikolani.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/image01-Edited-339x420.png)

### ****Plan Your SMS Campaign**

Your plan should include ****the goals of your campaign, the content, the timings, and frequency of messages, and the people you are going to target**. Most importantly, the plan should detail ****how you are going to tie in the SMS campaign with the rest of your marketing and business functions**. SMS campaigns can fail to deliver results if you run them in isolation, without supporting media such as billboards, in-store posters, Twitter hash-tags, print flyers, online ad, or other media that you regularly use.

When drafting the content of your messages, remember that a standard SMS is 160 characters long. The messages should be clear and should offer something of value. Essentially, SMS is a form of ‘interruption marketing,’ so your recipients will only stay subscribed if your messages offer them something exclusive and valuable. It’s customary for businesses to offer discounts, coupons, and special deals via SMS marketing. In fact, discounts and deals are often the reason why people subscribe to your messages in the first place.

Finally, the message must contain a clear and concise call to action. If you’re going to handle your SMS marketing on your own, you’re going to need a [short-code](https://laptrinhx.com/link/?l=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.short-codes.com%2Fpages%2Fwhat%5Fis%5Fshort%5Fcodes&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) for your company. This short-code will be used to receive replies from your subscribers and track your campaigns. It will also be used to automate SMS marketing if you’re going to use a web-based service like Twilio, which I’ll discuss later.

### ****Start Sending Messages**

With your mobile subscription lists in order and your SMS content and sequence in hand, now would be the time to start sending SMS. Luckily, you don’t have to go out of your mind feeding all the numbers into your mobile phone, or bruise your thumbs pressing that send button a million times. There are plenty of tools and services available, which make it possible to send out millions of messages a week without breaking a sweat (or breaking the bank).

[Firetext](https://laptrinhx.com/link/?l=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.firetext.co.uk%2Fpricing&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk): Self-served and managed online SMS sending software; costs you 4p per SMS (up to 160 characters)

[TextMarketer](https://laptrinhx.com/link/?l=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.textmarketer.co.uk%2Fbulk-sms-prices&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk): Web-based bulk SMS platform; pay as you go; starting at 1.85p per SMS

[TextLocal](https://laptrinhx.com/link/?l=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.textlocal.com%2Fuk-and-international-sms-text-prices&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk): Similar to Firetext, with prices starting at 2.4p per text

[BulkSMS](https://laptrinhx.com/link/?l=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bulksms.com%2Fpricing%2F&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk): Covers over 800 networks in more than 200 countries; process start at around 4.3p; requires a desktop software to be installed

Some of these services also allow you to receive replies to your messages online. You can use the short code of the service provider along with a keyword to receive the responses from your customers.

### ****Web to SMS Apps**

The above services work just fine for most businesses, but there are ways to send free SMS, even make free voice and video calls, to any mobile user anywhere in the world. Yes, free. But you’ll need a developer for that.

[Twilio](https://laptrinhx.com/link/?l=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.twilio.com%2F&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), a San Francisco based cloud communication company, allows software developers to make and receive phone calls and send and receive messages using its free web service APIs. It’s an all-in-one mobile marketing platform with some powerful APIs, using which developers can build mobile communication apps. Twilio integrates with major CRM software and offers granular level tracking features. However, it’s only suitable for you if you have an IT department or are going to hire Twilio developers.

A few low-end web-to-SMS tools are also available, such as the [WordPress SMS](https://laptrinhx.com/link/?l=https%3A%2F%2Fwordpress.org%2Fsupport%2Fview%2Fplugin-reviews%2Fwp-sms&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) plugin, which claims to embed SMS functionality into your WordPress website. You could try it and see if it works for your subscribers. For MailChimp users, you can try [TXTImpact](https://laptrinhx.com/link/?l=https%3A%2F%2Fconnect.mailchimp.com%2Fintegrations%2Fsms-marketing-integration-with-mailchimp--4&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), which allows you to import mobile numbers from your MailChimp lists and send SMS right from your MailChimp account.

### ****Rise of OTT Messaging**

Modern day mobile marketing tools are diffusing the boundaries between SMS and OTT messaging, the type of messaging that does not involve a mobile carrier. Instead, the messages are sent using web services and APIs. Despite its effectiveness, SMS marketing is gradually being replaced by over-the-top (OTT) messaging.

Cloud-based services such as [Zapier](https://laptrinhx.com/link/?l=https%3A%2F%2Fzapier.com%2F&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) are merging popular communication apps such as Gmail, Dropbox, Slack, Evernote, Twitter, Mailchimp, and countless others with messaging apps such as Beepsend or Skype. Amazon Web Services (AWS) now offers Simple Notification Service ([SNS](https://laptrinhx.com/link/?l=https%3A%2F%2Faws.amazon.com%2Fsns%2F&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)), a comprehensive messaging app development platform for those who learned their math well at school.

In the very near future, marketers who ignore mobile and SMS could find themselves and their brands facing the consequences of ignoring reality. Yes, SMS or text message marketing may be a little geeky, it may be an unknown to us, it may not be the favorite marketing method among big brands, but it’s extremely effective.
### An Introduction to eCommerce Growth Hacking
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/an-introduction-to-ecommerce-growth-hacking/
Last updated: 2021-03-19T13:09:44.000Z
I can guarantee you’ll have heard an enormous buzz about growth hacking recently so I’m jumping on the bandwagon and joining two of my favourite topics; eCommerce & growth hacking. People who want to start a new business often opt for an eCommerce store. Why? Because it seems like a simple business model and one that can yield substantial profits. However, there will be a lot of competition out there, so you need to learn some tips to help you drive your company forward.

Growth hacking is a term that’s thrown around a lot, and many people are confused by it. Growth hacking simply refers to doing anything you can do to grow your business. It differs from marketing in the sense that you use any means necessary. I’ll be telling you how you can ensure that your business sees substantial growth, fast!

## **Achievable Goals to Assist in eCommerce Growth Hacking**

The first step to seeing growth is setting achievable goals. You may be reading this with a quizzical look on your face. Surely if you want to see growth, then growth is your goal, right? Well, yes, growing your business is the ultimate aim. But, you can’t make one giant leap and get there with ease. Growing a company is a process and one that requires you to achieve many smaller goals. So, my first tip for all eCommerce store owners is to set ****achievable** goals for yourself. You need a plan. You can’t just set a goal without a strategy of how you will achieve it.

Focus on smaller tasks that you can complete, and they’ll further your business. For example, look at your site statistics and see how many visitors you get each day. Take the average number, and make it your goal to keep this average for the coming weeks. It’s a small goal, but it shows you’re retaining visitors. And, you won’t experience growth if your customers keep leaving you. See, a small goal, that has a significant impact.

## **Focus On Your Strengths**

One of the rules of growth hacking is to focus on what makes your business tick. No doubt there is something that sets your eCommerce store apart from the rest. [These companies learned early-on](http://mattjanaway.co.uk/growth-hack-tips-for-growth/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) that their strengths were their best chances of growth. You might offer flexible delivery methods that competing stores don’t. Or, you sell products that you can’t find easily elsewhere. Find something that your store does (or could do), or sells, that others can’t compete with.

What you need to do is focus on the strengths you have as a business. Make the most out of your strengths and you’ll soon see growth. If you have a product that has the potential to sell successfully, make sure it’s on the front page of your site and promoted where possible on other pages. If you offer free delivery, then make sure everyone knows about it. You should plaster it everywhere on your eCommerce store, so people are aware of it. Do whatever you can to make your store strengths stand out.

## **Use Google Analytics**

I touched upon analytics and statistics earlier, but now we’re going to dive slightly deeper into it. At its core, what is an eCommerce store? It’s just a website. And, all websites have data that you can analyse. This ranges from the number of visitors per day to the average time people spend on your site. If you want to hack your way to business growth, you’ll need to use Google Analytics. Chances are, you created your store using a web design program or a platform like Shopify, Magento or WordPress. Moz has a great piece of content explaining some [things you should track](https://moz.com/ugc/top-five-google-analytics-metrics-to-watch-when-launching-an-ecommerce-website?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) with new eCommerce stores. If you are a bit of a techy, you could take this one step further and make some[ Analytics custom variables](http://mattjanaway.co.uk/search-engine-people-10-things-track-using-google-analytics-custom-variables/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to extract more data from your visitors.

You’ll be given access to all of your site stats and data by the company or platform you created your site with (if not, make sure you get it set up quickly!). But, you can also get your hands on additional apps that help you see things in more detail. It’s important that you have a detailed view of all your stats so that you can analyse them. The purpose of web analytics is to look for patterns and track your progress. You can see how well your eCommerce store is moving along. You’re often given graphs and charts that clearly show you the progress you’re making. By tracking your progress, you can see what things are increasing growth. If you try something new and notice it makes no difference, then you may as well stop doing it. But, say you use one of my previous tips and see that it boosts your progress, you know to keep doing it.

Growth hacking is all about finding solutions to improve your business. If you want to set your eCommerce store on its way, you need to think about growth. The more you grow, the more successful your company will be.
### 6 Trends That Will Rule B2B Marketing in 2016
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/6-trends-that-will-rule-b2b-marketing-in-2016/
Last updated: 2021-03-19T00:31:17.000Z
B2B marketing, just like any other field of marketing, is constantly evolving. Each year, the trends and best practices change and you need to work hard to keep up. There are some prominent trends in B2B marketing for 2016\. We can already see them as we pass the first quarter. There are several key areas you should be concentrating on throughout the rest of the year. Changes in the market mean that some things are falling out of fashion. Others are growing and taking hold while previous trends remain stable too. Check out the trends below to find out what will reign supreme over the B2B marketing industry in 2016.

#### 1\. Influence of consumer experiences

Customer experience has so far been more of a prominent trend in the B2C market. However, this year it is also coming to the fore in B2B marketing. The aim of customer experience is to deliver consistently excellent personalised experiences. In other words, businesses shouldn't be using a blanket approach to selling to all their clients. They should be making use of a range of resources to approach each client as an individual. Buyers in the B2B market have begun to expect the same standards when purchasing as a business as they do from being a consumer. The sales channel used and other factors shouldn't affect the quality of the customer experience. It should all be consistent and in line with your brand. Most leading industry experts agree that B2B websites are catching up B2C websites when it comes to user experience and [developing emotional strategies](http://www.prolimehost.com/blog/want-to-convert-more-visitors-heres-how/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). Take advantage of this trend and benefit from increased conversion rates.

#### 2\. Use of marketing apps

Apps are used for pretty much anything you can think of these days. People take their phones and tablets wherever they go, and apps make working on the move much easier. As well as mobile apps, website-based apps can be useful to people at their desks. Marketing apps have seen an increase in popularity in the year so far. On websites, apps help to make a site more interactive. They engage the user with tools such as calculators and estimators. Mobile apps often work best for companies who produce high volumes of useful content. Instead of sending people new material via email or other methods, it can be more direct with an app. If your business doesn't already have one, it's something you should consider.

#### 3\. Email marketing relevance

Email marketing hasn't gone away in 2016\. It is still here to stay, and its use has been growing and expanding. However, the use of email is changing, partly because of the devices people now use. Mobile devices, from smartphones to tablets, have become the most popular medium for opening emails. The majority of emails in the US during early 2015 were opened on a mobile device. These mostly consisted of smartphones. In 2016, it's important to take mobile devices into account when constructing emails. It's also essential to think about how you are using emails, don't leave your marketing for newsletters alone. The are emails you have to send that you can use as incidental marketing. For example, order and delivery confirmation emails will be opened the majority of the time so take advantage of the open rates.

#### 4\. Advocate marketing

Advocate marketing software helps businesses harness the power of word of mouth and referrals. Your clients, as long as they are happy, are some of your best promoters. Forming healthy relationships with them increases the likelihood of them recommending you. Specialized software helps you turn them into advocates using a range of methods. These can include engaging with clients on social media, encouraging reviews, and capturing referrals. First, you need to choose the right software platform. The next step is to identify your best clients. Focusing on these valuable customers will ensure you concentrate on the most critical areas.

#### 5\. Changes to online advertising

B2B businesses are having to think about their online advertising in 2016\. There's still plenty of advertising online, but the way people react to it is changing. The use of ad-blockers has risen, which is bad news for advertisers. As a consequence, B2B companies are having to reconsider how they approach online advertising. One of the solutions that many advertisers are beginning to consider is native advertising. This method matches ads to the form and function of a website, so it isn't too obtrusive. It might be in the shape of an article or a video, for example. In fact, video advertising is on the rise, and many marketers sing its praises.

#### 6\. Blogging helps build authority

Blogging might seem like a tactic from 2010 but it has some serious advantages. Not only is is excellent for driving long-tail search traffic to your website but it helps provide elements of trust and authority to website visitors. Matt Banner, CEO of [On Blast Blog](http://www.onblastblog.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) suggests that "Almost every B2B website that blogs in the correct way sees a positive impact on conversion rates". I certainly agree with his sentiment and all the data I look at suggests this is the case.

These trends are all having an impact on B2B marketing in 2016, and will continue to throughout the year. Keep watch to see how they develop and get on board too.
### Hacking Instagram for Serious Growth
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/hacking-instagram-for-serious-growth/
Last updated: 2021-03-19T00:02:45.000Z
Instagram is the fastest growing social media platform, with advertising revenues projected to surpass 2.8 billion dollars by 2017\. The exceptional growth of Instagram shouldn’t come as a surprise if you have a hint about its incredible social and marketing power. Instagram, [like so many other things](http://mattjanaway.co.uk/growth-hack-tips-for-growth/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) can be “hacked” for growth.

Instagram’s engagement rates are as high as 4.21% per follower, a jaw-dropping 580 percent higher than Facebook’s engagement rates. Businesses that hack into this marketing goldmine successfully experience uproarious growth in traffic and – if your website can convert – revenue. But, with over [40 million photos](http://techcrunch.com/2013/01/17/instagram-reports-90m-monthly-active-users-40m-photos-per-day-and-8500-likes-per-second/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) being uploaded daily to Instagram, you need to do something extraordinary if you really want serious growth.

![Instagram](https://i0.wp.com/www.smedio.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Instagram.jpg?resize=818%2C7771)

[Infographic source](http://www.quicksprout.com/2014/08/01/how-to-increase-instagram-engagement-by-182/?display=wide&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

What would you regard as serious growth? Well, how does $4,000 on the first day of sales for a brand new startup sound? That’s what [Austen Allred](http://austenallred.com/user-acquisition/book/chapter/instagram/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) achieved selling hipster neckties priced at $80 each! So what did he do, and can you do it too?

## **Instagram Hacks for Rapid Growth**

It turns out he followed a simple and logical sequence that you can fairly easily emulate. Here are the simple and totally legit (well, almost) steps to hack into Instagram for some incredible business growth. There’s some great checklist information [on this hub page](http://www.smartinsights.com/social-media-marketing/instagram-marketing/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) for Instagram marketing but for specific growth hacks, read on.

## **Get Your Targeting Right**

Segmentation and targeting sound like complicated marketing puzzles meant to be solved by professionals. Maybe that’s why most online marketing articles skip this critical step and rush on to advise posting great content (ie, photos). But how can you know what kind of photos will resonate with your customers and get you likes and followers? The secret lies in knowing and understanding your customers. It’s really simple, and there’s no prior marketing expertise required, as you’ll see.

### **Step 1: Create a Real Life Stereotype**

Let’s say you want to sell fashion jewelry on Instagram. Think about who would wear your jewelry. Look around at the people you know and spot the one who seems closest to your target customer. Let’s see… Sarah will wear your jewelry. She likes the kind of modern designs that you want to sell. Now imagine you are Sarah.

In order to think like you customers, you have to try to become your customer. Talk to people who fall in your target market and get into your customer’s mind. Who would you hang out with? What websites would you frequent? What would be your favorite topics? What kind of photos would you like on Instagram and more importantly, who would you follow?

### **Step 2: Analyse their Instagram Profile**

Sarah’s Instagram profile will answer many of these questions. See what kind of photos she likes? What are some of her favorite topics? See if there are some big Instagram accounts she follows, and whether they are relevant to your customers or product.

You don’t want to deep dive into checking **all** the people Sarah follows. That would be too time-consuming, and most of her connections might just be family and friends, who may not qualify as your target customers. Instead, the easiest way to find your target audience’s favorite topics and trends is to look at some of the hashtags they use. You might find a picture of Sarah in worn jeans and a jacket. She might have the photo tagged #streetstyle. Does that resonate with your brand? Why not research this hashtag and see?

### **Step 3: Find Out Instagram Influencers for Your Niche**

Jackpot! You can see the collection of pictures posted with this hashtag. Someone has posted a picture of her hand and she’s a some beautiful ring…similar to what you sell. 736 people have liked the photo. Could she be an influencer? It turns out she has over 30k followers. And she could really be into your kind of jewelry too. Congratulations, you just found your first influencer on Instagram.

![Instagram #streetstyle](https://i2.wp.com/www.smedio.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Instagram-streetstyle.png?resize=869%2C694)

This should start a chain reaction, as our influencer uses many more hashtags, which lead us to many more potential customers and influencers. You should also look for some big groups where your target customers hang out. Research a few hashtags and you’re likely to stumble upon many clusters of customers that you can subsequently reach. The beauty of Instagram is that you can be active. You can reach out to these people. On platforms like Facebook you have to be passive and wait for your audience to interact with your page.

#### **Create Stunning Photographs to Share**

Before you start interacting with and following people, you must have your profile page and website ready to handle and make the most of the flow of visitors that you’re hopefully going to generate. Most importantly, you need to stick with the themes that you’ve discovered through your keyword/hashtag research. In the above example, the hashtags that appeared most relevant included #streetstyle, #streetwear, #mystyle, etc. Hence your website, Instagram profile picture, account name, and updates must reflect these ideas.

Of course, Instagram is about photos and mobile, and the sky’s the limit as far as creativity and quality are concerned. You should take the creation phase seriously because the traffic and sales you generate are ultimately going to depend upon the quality of the content you create. Fortunately, you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Looking at what some of the big brands in your category are sharing should tell you what sorts of ideas are getting the most attention. Always use high-resolution photos and apply the right filters to make your photos stunning. As you develop your profile and audience, you can adapt your style to suit.

##### **Make It Easy for People to Contact You and Buy Your Products**

There’s another thing that you should do before you start following people and posting photos. You need to make it super-easy for your customers to reach you. The most common way to do this is to provide your website’s link in your account bio and include the phrase “Link in bio” with every photo you post. However, if you have time to handle Whatsapp inquiries, it works even better/faster.

![WhatsApp Marketing](https://i0.wp.com/www.smedio.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/WhatsApp.png?resize=869%2C415)

Remember that your customers are on a mobile phone when they use Instagram and may not like to fill out lengthy subscription forms or wait for your website pages to load. Make sure your sales pages offer a smooth “mobile user experience”. It can also be hard for people to purchase from their mobile screens. Hence, you should think of another way of tapping the traffic that your Instagram account is going to generate. You can offer a discount in exchange for their email address for people who may not be ready to buy right away.

###### **Reaching Out to People on Instagram**

Alright, so with your arsenal full of photos and your mind full of ideas, now would be the time to kick into action. The strategy here is to interact with the profiles that match your target customer. You’re hoping that they will see a mention of your name and visit your profile (which you must have set up immaculately). If you’re doing things right, some of them will also follow you, like your posts, and check out what you’re selling. Instagram obviously becomes more difficult if you operate in a niche which people might consider boring or lacks the sharable quality. This doesn’t mean it’s impossible though. The Workplace Depot ran a series of blog posts which coincided with sharing photos on their Instagram account. The idea was to come up with a collection of crazy ways you **wouldn’t** use their products. [Here’s a great example](http://www.theworkplacedepot.co.uk/news/2015/10/27/what-not-to-do-with-a-parking-post/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) of one of their campaigns. The product itself is not exciting in the slightest but the humorous and creative ideas are entertaining.

![Follow Us on Instagram](https://i2.wp.com/www.smedio.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Follow-Us-on-Instagram-1.png?resize=869%2C415)

There are four ways you can interact with people on Instagram—tagging, commenting, liking, and following. As with Facebook, tagging is annoying for people, unless you know them personally and have a good reason for tagging them. Commenting is good as long as you are not spamming by copy/pasting comments such as “hey, check out our profile @so-and-so!”

When you like someone’s photo, there’s a chance they could check out your profile and become interested in your products. The same is true for follow. However, you should follow only the people you’re targeting. There are Instagram accounts with hefty following that will follow you back just because you followed them, but they are of no use to you. Your goal is to build a community of people who really like your products and ideas.

## ***Pro Tip:***

*A good way to ensure that the people you follow check out your profile/products and follow you back is to (1) start following them (2) go to their profile, and (3) like three of the recent photos that they’ve posted. This shows them that you’re not only following them, but also like what they’re posting. You’ll be more likely to attract their attention and attract them to your profile page.*

The tip comes from Austen, who was able to achieve a 25% follow-back rate using the above formula. It was a lot of work, but by the end of the first week they already had 10,000 Instagram followers. This should be a good target to set for your Instagram marketing strategy!

## **Automate Instagram Marketing**

Finally, when you see traffic and sales from your Instagram account growing, it’s time to think about automation. There are a number of tools that you can use to put your Instagram marketing on autopilot, but the best of them would fail if you don’t know how to use them correctly. When deployed intelligently, they multiply the results of your efforts and reduce workload.

Tools such as Instagress, Huntgram, Latergramme, and FollowLiker help you manage your whole Instagram marketing, from finding your target customers, to following them, or liking what they share. Instagram officially doesn’t approve of these bots and [deleted](http://www.theverge.com/2014/12/18/7418687/instagram-makes-teens-and-celebrities-angry-by-removing-spam?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) millions of suspicious accounts some time ago. So, you shouldn’t go overboard when using autobots and keep the number of interactions close to what a human would be able to handle. Deploy your bot to behave like a human. Think about the times they would be active, the times they would be sleeping, the speed in which they interact. Never use bots for commenting, as the results can be [disastrous](http://blog.hootsuite.com/i-tried-instagram-automation-so-you-dont-have-to/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). Only use them to find and follow people and like their photos.

### Final Touches

You have to share great photos, monitor the analytics, and keep improving and progressing. But much before that, you have to understand your customer and follow the sequence that I’ve just described. Austen Allred got 10,000 followers in a week. Even if you get half of those in a month, that’s still 5,000 potential customers you can reach every day with your photos, products and offers. Customers who are 58 times more responsive than your Facebook followers.
### Want to Hack Serious Business Growth? Do a Lean Start Up!
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/want-to-hack-serious-business-growth-do-a-lean-start-up/
Last updated: 2021-06-09T14:19:35.000Z
To many entrepreneurs and businesses, ‘growth hacking’ may be a mystery wrapped in an enigma. And even more of them may be hearing the term ‘lean startup’ for the first time.

If that’s you, read on, because these are game changing concepts that are leading businesses to [incredible growth](https://nopassiveincome.com/writing-content-that-gets-many-shares/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) by changing everything about startups and product development.

In this post, we’ll just scratch the surface of these exciting ideas and see how the two relate to exponential business growth, and to each other.

## So, What is Growth Hacking?

It might seem like a trending hipster term but it can be very useful.

In part, it can be described as a kind of marketing, though there’s more to marketing than growth hacking.

In marketing you:

- Research the market, identify a need, and come up with a targeted offer that satisfies that need
- Select the ways (or channels) to communicate the offer, attract people, and sell it most profitably

[Growth hacking](http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/blog/blogging-tips/grow-your-blog-strategically-with-smart-goal-setting/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) focuses on the second part.

A growth hacker identifies the best channels for communication and customer acquisition in order to seriously boost sales and profits. But this is what a conventional marketer does too, so what’s the difference?

A conventional marketer depends on subjective methods, such as planning and his/her gut feeling to run marketing campaigns, hoping to attract potential customers to the top of sales funnel.

A growth hacker leverages business intelligence or analytics technology to analyse the sales funnels and find the openings for rapid business expansion. In particular, growth hackers exploit digital and social media to make the product go viral – often their solution can be a [simple tweak or change](http://mattjanaway.co.uk/growth-hack-tips-for-growth/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

There are no right and wrong ways to growth hack, just successful and unsuccessful growth hacks. Instagram growth hacking can work very well for some startups and [Twitter](http://www.prolimehost.com/blog/why-and-how-you-should-use-twitter-to-promote-your-business/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) can work as a great platform for others.

But much before that, a growth hacker helps create the perfect product in order to achieve the growth..

## What Comes Before Growth Hacking

Marketing today is driven not by advertising, but by product. Word-of-mouth spreads fast on social media, and with the strong demand for quality design, a poor product simply can’t be growth-hacked.

One of the [favorite examples](http://thenextweb.com/entrepreneur/2014/05/28/9-iconic-growth-hacks-tech-companies-used-pump-user-base/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk#gref) growth hackers love to quote is Hotmail, how it grew the subscriptions to 1 million users within 6 months by using the simplest growth hack ever. It was the tagline,

‘PS: We love you! Get your free email at Hotmail,’ which they added at the end of every outgoing email, and saw their growth curve transform into a hockey stick.

![Hotmail-Growth](https://nopassiveincome.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Hotmail-Growth.png)

Hotmail’s growth curve: (Source: [SmartInsights](http://www.smartinsights.com/managing-digital-marketing/marketing-innovation/learn-growth-hacking/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk))

However, think about it for a second. Would the results be the same if Hotmail had a poor product?

What would happen if the link to the subscription page didn’t work, or if the servers were jammed, or the interface had a poor design? In all likelihood, they would lose their existing subscribers instead of acquiring new ones.

The same is true for PayPal, GroupOn, Dropbox, Air BnB, and other widely quoted growth hacking examples.

Before they achieved their historical triple-digit growths, they had a product or a solution that a large number of people really liked and wanted.

****So, here’s your first step to growth hacking: STOP! Revaluate your product or service and improve.**

If you’re trying to sell a poor product, stop and put onus on improving it. Even if you have a titanic advertising budget, you’ll be sinking it without hacking any significant growth. As Dave McClure puts it in his [presentation](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irjgfW0BIrw&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk#t=109):

> *Do not try to do a viral marketing campaign until your product doesn’t suck, because, what will happen is people will tell other people that your product sucks, so don’t do that.*

But how do I know if I have a great product?

The answer is that you can never know, until you ask your customers.

You might think it’s great but your opinion here doesn’t matter.

## Lean Startup Vs Conventional Startup

This is why the [lean startup](http://theleanstartup.com/casestudies?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk#dropbox) movement has been gathering momentum in the recent years. It is a methodology for developing businesses and products first proposed by Eric Ries in 2008.

In the traditional startup, you conceive a product, write a business plan, raise the capital, recruit a team, and start selling like hell. Basically, what you’re doing is building castles in the air.

You have no way of knowing that a large enough market does care about your product. And while you have put down your acquisition and sales targets in your business plan, you have little idea about how to achieve them.

The typical startup begins with a business plan, which is developed after months of research and number crunching, all the while sitting in isolation at a desk.

It’s virtually a work of fiction that describes the opportunity or the need, the market size, the product and how it fulfils that need, and includes a projection of sales revenues, income, and cash flow for the next 5 years.

The product development also progresses in isolation, or even secrecy. A considerable (read fatal) amount of investment has already been made by the time the product sees the daylight, and the entrepreneur realises people don’t want or like the way it is designed.

Unsurprisingly, then, [75% of all startups fail](http://www.inc.com/john-mcdermott/report-3-out-of-4-venture-backed-start-ups-fail.html?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)! The daydreamed business plan evaporates as soon as it enters the real world. As Mike Tyson once put it, *“everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”*

## What is Lean Startup

A lean startup is the antithesis of this decade old formula. It involves experimentation, customer feedback, and adaptive design, as opposed to baseless planning, gut feeling, and the design-first mantra.

In a way, a lean startup is a staunch implementation of the basic marketing concepts, right down to where marketing should actually start—the end customer. ‘Build it and they will come’ has never worked.

Instead of the business plan, a lean start-up entrepreneur/growth hacker develops a set of *hypotheses*.

Then, he/she extensively tests those hypotheses by going out into the market and asking questions from his potential customers, distributors, and opinion leaders.

These questions concern the features, pricing, distribution, and acquisition channels.

![Business-Model-Canvas](https://nopassiveincome.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Business-Model-Canvas.png)

The business model canvas for lean startup (Source: [HBR](https://hbr.org/2013/05/why-the-lean-start-up-changes-everything?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk))

The research, *called customer development*, is carried out in tandem with product development.

The lean startup methodology professes *agile development*, in which the founders quickly gather resources to develop the product up to a minimum level for testing.

Further development is made iteratively and incrementally, based on the customer responses. The emphasis is on quick turnaround and retesting. The goal is to create value in every aspect of the offer.

As a result of agile development, the costly errors and delays of conventional product development are eliminated, and virality is built into the product’s design. In the ****words of Seth Godin**,

> *Virality isn’t something you do to a product, it’s something a product is.*

### Conclusion

In order to be hacked into a jaw-dropping growth, your product must give the user their ‘aha moment,’ compelling them to go ahead and share their experienced through their Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter, or other social networks.

For serious growth, your referrals and repeat customers have to keep growing at an increasing rate.

Only great design will ensure that. And to develop a great design, you have to do a lean start up.
### Top Email Marketing Growth Hacks for 2025
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/top-email-marketing-growth-hacks-for-2016/
Last updated: 2025-02-19T03:07:23.000Z
This year, digital marketers will be incorporating more email marketing schemes into their marketing campaigns. I have heard lots of noise recently about how email marketing is a dying tactic. I have plenty of clients for whom email marketing is very much alive and thriving so I have put together some of my thoughts on some simple email marketing growth hacks.

The average person [receives around 120 emails per day](http://www.radicati.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Email-Statistics-Report-2014-2018-Executive-Summary.pdf?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) – the global population receives 193.3 billion! – it’s safe to say that we have been overdoing it with the emails. Considering how much competition you have within your audiences inbox, you may now be wondering why so many brands and digital marketers are still utilising email as a form of marketing.

Put simply, its because it comes with a great deal of success, and, perhaps most importantly, it’s inexpensive. The latter is very important in today’s world of constant belt-tightening and ever increasing costs of platforms like Google Adwords.

If you’re not convinced then check out these statistics:

- Email is the [top source of analytics data](http://www.forbes.com/sites/louiscolumbus/2015/11/01/salesforce-research-defines-the-2015-state-of-analytics/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk#552820b1406c) for digital marketers.
- Email marketing was [the biggest factor](http://blog.custora.com/2015/11/black-friday-us-e-commerce-up-16-1-over-black-friday-2014/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) in last year’s Black Friday transactions.
- 89 percent of marketers [report](http://www.mailigen.com/blog/infographic-segmented-emails-is-what-the-future-holds/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) email being their No. 1 lead generator.
- [Most (61 percent) of U.S. consumers](http://www.emailisnotdead.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) like to receive weekly email promotions.
- Half of marketers expect their companies to [increase their email marketing plans](http://www.dma.org.uk/uploads/ckeditor/National-client-email-2015.pdf?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

Most important of all: we’re obsessed with our emails, particularly those millennials. Millennials are the [age demographic most likely](https://blogs.adobe.com/conversations/2015/08/email.html?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to check their email from bed (70 percent), from the bathroom (57 percent) and even while driving (27 percent). But please don’t use your phone whilst driving!

Whether you want to start an email marketing campaign or you want to update one you already have, there are many growth hacks you can use to your advantage.

Before we begin, [*Entrepreneur*](http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/251752?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)[‘s](http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/251752?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) Aaron Agius offered sage advice:

“We don’t hate all email — just the ones we don’t want to read. The numbers agree with me. When it comes down to it, consumers still derive tangible benefits from email, and marketers still get a real payback.”

Here are six email marketing growth hacks for 2025:

- Collect as many addresses as you can
- Social Proof Your Campaigns
- Introduce Social Media Functions
- Offer an Incentive for Paying it Forward
- Be Kind: Would You Like to Unsubscribe?
- Don’t Forget About Automated Messages
- BONUS: [Here are 5 emails that every marketer should send](https://www.campaignmonitor.com/resources/infographics/5-emails-every-marketer-should-send/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)!

## **Collect as many email addresses as you can**

Email marketing should always be considered a long-term strategy. It’s not something you do once and then forget about it. One element of this perpetual marketing campaign is the act of collecting email addresses. There are many ways to gather email addresses: a pop-up form, an interstitial ad or a sign-up section on one (or more) of your pages. There are many ways to do it.

- **Social Media**: Facebook, Twitter and even YouTube are great ways to start collecting email addresses for your email marketing campaign. You can create a sign-up form on your Facebook page, establish a Twitter lead generation card to advertise and gain sign-ups and insert a link to your landing page and signup form under the YouTube video clip.
- **Call-to-Actions (CTAs)**: Call to Actions are imperative to the success of your email marketing campaign. CTAs can be placed anywhere you wish: in every blog post you compose, in any of your social media messages or at the bottom of your content materials, like white papers, webinars and ebooks.
- **Postcards**: When was the last time you received a postcard? Probably when you were six years old and you got one in the mail from your grandparents in Florida! Well, try it out again. If you have a list of postal addresses without emails then send a direct mail offer that can be used whenever the individual signs up for your email list. They’ll be pleasantly surprised by something out of the 1990s.
- **Referrals**: This isn’t difficult at all. Ask your customers to refer your business and your email list, and if anyone signs up because of them they could receive a discount on future purchases from you.
- **Offline World**: A fishbowl for business cards, a free in-person event and sign-up forms at trade shows. You may think these are out-of-date techniques, but they’re effective at achieving your goal: getting as many emails as possible.
- **Reaching Out**: In order to reach out, you should contact bloggers who are in your market, post comments (not promotional) in articles and publish articles on websites that discuss a topic that fits within your niche.

It isn’t difficult at all collecting emails. As long as you’re not spammy (that’s a different topic for another day) and intrusive then you should be fine. When you have as many high-quality email addresses as you can gather, the real fun starts. MailMunch put together a guide highlighting [how to turn your email lists into revenue](https://www.mailmunch.co/blog/handling-email-marketing-leads/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

## **Social proof your campaign**

Social proof, otherwise known as informational social influence, has been key for successful campaigns in all forms of marketing. It’s when consumers reflect the correct actions of others. Simply put: monkey see, monkey do. It’s all psychology.

The first thing you have to do when [utilizing the power of social proofing](https://blog.kissmetrics.com/social-proof-factors-2/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is to tell your customers how many people subscribe to your email list. After that, try a number of things, such as urging customers to write their own reviews, write stories that customers can empathise with and be socially active on social media and with email.

Of course, there are a few other things that you should consider when social proofing an email marketing campaign:

- Let your customers be your brand advocates; let them do all of the talking.
- Blow your own horn and celebrate honours and awards your brand receives.
- Enhance your shareability by including links to your social media accounts.
- Inform subscribers what and when they’ll be receiving in future emails.

## **Introduce social media functions**

Even if you think social media marketing is slowly coming to an end because it’s too crowded, it doesn’t hurt to integrate social media with your email marketing. It isn’t hard to merge your social media presence with your emails.

[Social media integration](http://www.convinceandconvert.com/social-media-strategy/17-ways-to-integrate-facebook-and-email-marketing/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is crucial because it extends the reach of your emails and messages, helps identify key metrics, increases your email subscriptions, gives users more options and allows another platform to connect with.

You should also understand the difference between social connection and social sharing. The former is asking subscribers to connect with you on Facebook or Twitter and the latter is asking subscribers to share your content on these platforms.

Here are several tips to incorporate social media into your email marketing strategies:

- Insert social media icons into your emails.
- Send a dedicated email campaign for your social media channels.
- Offer an incentive for liking your Facebook page or following you on Twitter.
- Add a “Tweet This” snippet in your emails.
- Provide an email opt-in form on social networks.

Offer an incentive for forwarding emails

Back in the day, you likely were one of the many recipients of chain mails. They were essentially an early version of social media.

The same idea can work for your email marketing campaigns. For instance, you could offer someone who forwards your email a 10 percent discount or if you get someone to subscribe to your email newsletter that both you and that person will be given a coupon for the promotion of your choosing.

Some people do anything to receive discounts. So they’ll likely give their email address for some savings, especially if they frequent your store on a regular basis.

## **Be kind: Would you like to unsubscribe?**

Inserting an unsubscribe option to all of your emails is very polite, respectful and courteous. It may seem counter-intuitive because I’ve been explaining how to grow your email marketing lists but it’s effective because its an easy way of offering trust. It’ll help for the long-term strategy. Here are some [examples](http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/email-unsubscribe-pages?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) of great unsubscribe pages.

Remember, because of the [CAN-SPAM Act](https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), you have to offer recipients an opt-out facility.

## **Don’t forget about automated messages**

Automation, as well as personalisation and customisation, is an important facet of email marketing. [The goal is to ensure every new subscriber receives a personal note of thanks](http://www.getresponse.co.uk/email-marketing/gb-features/autoresponder.html?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) (potentially from the CEO or Managing Director). [Personal messages are effective](https://troops.ai/blog/personalize-emails/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) in ensuring your new customers are happy and that they will remain a subscriber to your weekly newsletter or monthly promotions.

Here are a few tips to generate automated personal emails:

- Be real; ensure that the emails look like they come from a real person within your company.
- Allow recipients to reply to the email, directly to the person above.
- Take the time to read and reply to their responses.
- Make sure the emails are sent based on the behaviour of the email (don’t make them generic).
- Don’t use gimmicks. Just use plain text.

## **Final Thoughts**

Email is not dead, it’s thriving. At least, provided you have a product or service people actually care about. There’s a huge difference between people needing your product or service and them actually having a passion for it. For example; fashion is sexy and people have a genuine passion, where-as a garage cupboard has no appeal what-so-ever.

At first glance, email marketing may not seem like the most effective use of your time and money. But after a little bit of research, in addition to trial and error, you’ll appreciate the potential impact it could have on your revenue. Hopefully, these email marketing growth hacks help you along the way.
### Top 5 Most Creative Shopify Stores
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/top-5-most-creative-shopify-stores/
Last updated: 2021-03-19T00:54:46.000Z
If you’re new to the ecommerce platform game, it may come as a surprise to hear that Shopify dominates much of the market.

Yes, Magento and WordPress (along with WooCommerce) have plenty to brag about, but Shopify has a unique niche. It has carved out a nice little spot that strays away from the open source crowd, moving away from what WordPress and Magento focus on.

Shopify is a paid platform, but it’s built for a commercial customer who may not know exactly how to build a website from scratch. This is particularly helpful if you’re new to online marketing, as ecommerce websites are far more complex to design and build than regular informational style sites. Selling online can be quite complex but with the right advice, you can make it work very well.

Shopify has all the tools needed for hosting, selling, processing payments and marketing through a number of different outlets. And that’s why so many big name companies have turned to Shopify to sell their products.

As a specialist ecommerce company, Shopify has great templates to choose from. Most companies want to get away from the default themes though and create something more unique. A lot of Shopify stores will get creative with their templates, or even design a site from scratch themselves. This makes it easier for the brand to stand out, while also ramping up the amount of functionality provided to customers.

With so many Shopify stores to choose from, picking the best ones is a tough task. Some of them do cool things with their search functions, while others just look awesome from the moment you land on the homepage. If you’re looking for an entry level solution to kickstart your online sales, we’ve picked our top five most creative Shopify stores online right now to show you what’s possible within the platform design-wise and serve as a slice of inspiration if you’re just getting started.

## ****The Noun Project**

![](https://wordtracker-swoop-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1069/content_Noun_Project.jpg)

Talk about a great place to start. The [Noun Project ](https://thenounproject.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)has a stunning homepage, even though we admit it’s not always easy to figure out exactly what it is they’re offering. Here’s the deal: The Noun Project sells icons for designers. If you need a bird icon for a business card, this website has you covered. If you’re a web designer and you’re in need of 100 different icons to scatter around client sites, this is a solid place to go. The most creative part of their own Shopify design is that they tell you to grab one of the icons below the search bar.

After you select an icon you like, the system automatically searches for similar icons, allowing you to see a number of varieties for comparison purposes. For example, if I dragged a mushroom icon to the search bar, the next page reveals dozens of collections with similar themes. We also enjoy that the majority of the website uses a black, white and grey palette, which corresponds nicely with the icon market. Most of the icons you see online are relatively simple from a color perspective, so this store reflects that trend well.

## ****DoDo Case**

![](https://wordtracker-swoop-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1070/content_DodoCase.jpg)

The [DodoCase](https://www.dodocase.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) company online store has been through various website redesigns, but we really enjoy the most recent one. To start, they have their email address and live chat link at the very top of the site so customers don’t have to go searching for it. In addition, the large header offers beautiful imagery to show what the cases look like. Not only that, but they show models carrying around the cases, so you can see exactly how your new case might look on your arm or in your hand.

Once you land on the case building page, the site allows you to select your device and move on. After that, it has a full case builder with patterns, shades, colors, interior designs, elastics and monograms. If you run a company that plans on selling custom items, the Dodo brand is a great example of how you can make Shopify functionality really work for you.

## ****JMandSons**

![](https://wordtracker-swoop-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1071/content_JMandsons.jpg)

[JM and Sons ](https://store.jmandsons.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)creates and sells custom tables, desks, lights, shelves and more. Why do we like the website? Because the homepage is so engaging and beautiful, it’s hard to turn away. The company realizes that they create rugged furniture, so it’s essential to share multiple photos and videos of what their products look like in the wild.

Throw a camera on top of the table to add to the hipster vibe and you’ve found yourself a niche. One of the takeaways from this site from an inspiration perspective is the importance of image selection and image sourcing. This site shows that you don’t need to learn how to code or be a web design whizz to create something beautiful. The Shopify layout here is actually quite simple but the use of eye-catching imagery takes it to another level.

## ****Noon Copenhagen**

![](https://wordtracker-swoop-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1072/content_Noon.jpg)

The [Noon Copenhagen](http://www.nooncopenhagen.com/world/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) company makes stylish and affordable watches. If you go to the website, you’ll notice that every aspect of the website references the Noon branding in some way. The header lends a gritty, yet elegant vibe, while the white and black watch pictures coincide well with the grey backgrounds. Not to mention, the slider offers beautiful pictures of the watches and models, but it also has a slight slant to stand out from the rest of the crowd.

A lot of the style has to do with colors and textures, so it’s pretty clear that the marketing team knows what they’re doing at Copenhagen. If you’re looking to Noon to inspire your own fledging Shopify efforts, this one highlights how powerful the right color combination can be - it’s worth testing a few options to make your brand pop. The elements on page are fairly simply but the addition of the slider creates a focal point - this is easy to incorporate on Shopify.

## ****PureFix Cycles**

![](https://wordtracker-swoop-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1073/content_purefix.jpg)

We recommend checking out the [PureFixBicycles](https://www.purecycles.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) website to understand the way a proper product page should be setup. It’s not that this example is particularly creative, but it is a wonderful blueprint for how you should build your own product pages. When you click on a bike, you land directly on the product page.

However, the beauty of this page only fully emerges as you scroll down. This product page includes tons of pictures of people riding the bike, along with videos and commercials to see the thing in action. A sizing chart is offered, and various other modules give helpful information on how to choose your bike.

This landing page is filled with several stunning pictures of the bike, showing the value of investing in good photography and offering shoppers a range of images. It also demonstrates the importance of including space in your design for technical details.

Now that you’ve had a chance to see some of the more creative Shopify stores, ask yourself, is it possible for you to get this creative? Can you turn a beautiful Shopify theme into something that reflects your own brand? Thousands of companies do this on a daily basis, so you can too.
### The Unbiased And Updated Guide To Selecting The Right Hosting Company
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/the-unbiased-and-updated-guide-to-selecting-the-right-hosting-company/
Last updated: 2021-03-19T00:06:38.000Z
Are you concerned about the speed of your website? There are many site owners who never even consider speed and uptime as factors for achieving more traffic and conversion. The truth is that the thousands of dollars that you’re investing into online branding and marketing can burn to ashes right before your eyes if your website takes too long to load or is unavailable. This can happen when you trust the wrong hosting company with your web property.

Unfortunately, most of the articles and reviews that you come across appear to be written by people who are being paid by hosting companies. But even if you succeed in choosing the right hosting, you never know when a perfectly good server goes bad because it outsold its capacity or started some upgrades. Eventualities aside, there’s a lot you can do to make sure you don’t have to go through the trouble of having to migrate your domain to another host from time to time. Take a few minutes to go through the following completely neutral and unbiased checklist to help you select the right hosting company the first time.

#### Step #1: Know Your Needs.

There’s no need to buy a canon if all you want to do is hunt sparrows. On the other hand, an air-gun won’t be a good choice for shooting elephants. You should know what kind of website you’re building, what types of applications and versions of software you need, and what your visitor volumes are likely to be.

Shared Hosting: Shared hosting is a good place to start if you’re not looking to become the next Amazon. Well, maybe that’s an over-exaggeration, but if you’re building a brochure website with less than 20 pages and expect less than 50 visitors at any time, shared hosting is for you.

VPS (Virtual Private Server) Hosting: It’s a step above shared hosting and is suitable if your requirements are outgrowing shared hosting. VPS is generally used by companies that deal with resource heavy applications and secured data.

Dedicated Hosting: As the name depicts, dedicated hosting gives you access to your own server with all its resources. You should buy dedicated hosting if you are in fact looking to become the next Amazon! Dedicated hosting can be a little more complicated when compared with shared and VPS hosting, here’s a [handy guide](http://www.prolimehost.com/blog/dedicated-servers-what-you-should-know-our-tips/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) with some tips.

#### Step #2: Compare Server Uptimes.

Imagine the frustration you’ll face if your site is regularly offline during rush hours. In order to avoid losing money and sleep, take some time to compare the uptime records of the providers you’re considering. Fortunately, there are tools and resources available for that.

- [Netcraft](http://uptime.netcraft.com/perf/reports/Hosters?reverse=1&orderby=epercent&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) Hosting Provider Performance Monitor provides a regularly updated record of 40 web-hosting companies
- [PC Magazine](http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2424725,00.asp?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) publishes a credible list of top web hosting services, along with reviews
- Finally, you can track your server with one of the [uptime monitoring tools](http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/blog/web-hosting-guides/the-ultimate-guide-in-tracking-website-uptime/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), such as UptimerRobot, which allows you to monitor uptimes for up to 50 sites.

#### Step #3: Check Hosting Server Speed.

You can easily find out your [page speed](https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/?hl=en&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) *after* you’ve hosted your website, but it would be too late. So there must be a way to check it before you decide to host with a particular provider. Your site speed will depend upon, among other factors, the bandwidth or resources that your provider assigns to your website. Almost all hosting plans come with unlimited hosting these days, which is another way of saying, “We’ll assign resources depending upon the traffic we have at a particular time.”

- Luckily, tools like [Pickuphost](http://pickuphost.com/speed-test/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) allow you to perform a speed test on dozens of famous hosting providers
- There are also several [updated](http://www.wpsitecare.com/performance-of-7-top-wordpress-hosting-companies-compared/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) [lists](http://www.codeinwp.com/blog/fastest-wordpress-hosting/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) available comparing the performance of the best hosting companies
- You can use services like [WhoIsHostingThis](http://www.whoishostingthis.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to find out where your competitors are hosting, perform a speed test on their websites, and try to determine their hosting quality

The last one is more of a finger-in-the-wind method, which might work. You should remember that the speed does not depend on the hosting quality alone, but on a number of other factors too.

#### Step #4: Check their Server Location.

[Evidence](https://builtvisible.com/ip-location-search-results/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) exists that your hosting IP address can affect your SEO and [traffic from Google](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/182192?hl=en&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), particularly if your users are concentrated in a specific geo-location/country. Therefore, it’s important for local businesses to get hosting nearest to their target market. Before you decide to host with a particular provider, you must ask them the geo-location of the server/host, and confirm that it’s located in your country.

Fluctuation in traffic when the hosting location was shifted back and forth between UK and US ([Source](https://builtvisible.com/ip-location-search-results/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk))

If you are a local/geo-specific business, but need to host your website in another country due to any reason, you may need to set the international targeting in WMA to your target country. Make sure you keep a close eye on Analytics to see if changing the international targeting and/or host location has an effect on your traffic.

#### Step #5: Check Renewal Prices.

Most of the hosting providers offer cheaper prices for first-time signup. It’s only at the time of renewal that many people find out they are required to pay double or more than what they paid first time. Make sure you know what you’re signing up for.

#### Step #6: Check Basic Hosting Features.

Almost all major hosting companies provide all essential features these days. However, you should reconfirm that your hosting provider offers contemporary features including:

1. Secure site certification
2. Malware and spam protection
3. Auto Script Installer, .HTaccess, SSI, FTP access, mySQL
4. An easy to use hosting control panel such as cPanel , Plesk, or vDeck (preferably cPanel)
5. Multiple domain hosting—so that you don’t have to pay extra if you need to host more domains on the same hosting
6. Site backup—your provider must provide regular site backups and offer the functionality to easily make site backups through the control panel
7. Easy site builder—in case you need it
8. Email @yourdomain—a standard feature with any paid hosting
9. Ecommerce features—Online store and selling tools, SSL certification, dedicated IP, and one-click shopping cart software installation (for ecommerce websites)
10. Money back guarantee (in case you’re not satisfied)
11. Support for Google Analytics, Adwords, site map, site search, etc.
12. Ability to upgrade to VPN or dedicated hosting
13. Reputation and history of doing good business
14. Multiple server locations to ensure that your data and your site are protected

Looks like there’s a lot to check in this step, but your job becomes easy because these features are pretty much the industry standard these days. You won’t be missing any of these features unless you’re buying your hosting from an obscure upstart based in India or Africa.

#### Step #7: Check their Customer Support.

Regardless of how carefully you select your hosting company, issues are bound to happen. And when they do, you need excellent customer support to get them resolved in minimum time. Personally, I would prefer a hosting company that provides 24/7 live chat support. Phone support can often be frustrating because you might need to wait and press different buttons for a long time before you can actually speak to a human.

#### Conclusion.

Your hosting quality affects your site’s performance, and consequently, the user experience it offers to your customers. Choosing your hosting company without due diligence can result in loss of customers, reputation, and sleep. Make sure you do everything you can to select the hosting company that will complement your marketing, SEO and conversion optimization efforts by providing blistering speeds and 100% uptime. Google [now use speed](http://www.smartinsights.com/search-engine-optimisation-seo/mobile-seo/how-do-mobile-and-desktop-ranking-factors-compare/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) as a ranking factor so make sure you don’t miss out.
### How to Create a Profitable Content Marketing Business Mode
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/how-to-create-a-profitable-content-marketing-business-model/
Last updated: 2023-05-04T15:07:49.000Z
Strategic or not, [nine out of ten companies](https://hbr.org/2014/07/the-content-marketing-revolution?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) have some kind of content marketing in place these days – even if they don’t realise. The reason is simple, your customers trust content more than traditional advertising, with [70% of them saying](http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/what-is-content-marketing/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) they’d rather learn about a company through an article than an ad. However, very few companies are using content marketing to lead and supercharge long-term business growth. Most small businesses start publishing content without having proper strategy and documentation in place beforehand. Such content marketing efforts soon fizzle out when people see that their content is not generating the kind of engagement they would like to see.

## **Why Content Marketing is the Backbone of Digital Marketing**

The concurrent content marketing revolution stems from our insatiable hunger for more and more fresh content. How many times in a day do you check your Facebook or Twitter feed, or see if there’s anything interesting on Instagram? Suddenly, we need more videos, articles, photos, and other forms of content than we ever did before. Having a strategy for your digital marketing has never been more important. As brands and businesses, we are taking this opportunity to get off our [auto pilot SEO ](https://www.autopilotseo.co.uk/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)strategy and incorporate serving customers with relevant and valuable content. It is clear that content driven marketing:

- drives traffic and leads,
- gets linked to from other websites,
- gets ranked higher by search engines,
- gets shared on social networks
- creates brand awareness and builds loyalty
- and adds to the bottom-line figures
- Increases your reputation as an authority figure

In order to create and share your content, you need to have a [solid content marketing business model ](http://www.smartinsights.com/content-management/content-marketing-strategy/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)that covers how and what types of content you will create and share, the channels you will use, the industry experts you can lean on and the results you’ll achieve. You can always find amazing content marketing tips on [Neil Patel’s blog](http://neilpatel.com/blog/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

# **The Content Marketing Business Model**

Content marketing may not be as expensive as native advertising, but it can still cost you a considerable amount of money. A recent study reveals that companies running the most effective content marketing campaigns are paying their agencies between [$5,000 to $50,000](https://hbr.org/2015/07/comparing-the-roi-of-content-marketing-and-native-advertising?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) per month for their services. Even if you are planning to spend much less than this range, you’ll still be making an investment in your business, for which you’d like to receive a return sooner rather than later. Like all other marketing activities, content marketing will only make sense if it delivers a positive ROI and long-term growth. That’s why you need to create a comprehensive business model outlining the mechanics, expenditure, and returns of your content marketing campaigns over the next year and beyond. It doesn’t need to be a 100-page plan; even a single page business model can steer your content marketing efforts in the right direction. Your planning process should include the following steps:

## **Step #1: Share Your Vision and Involve Everyone**

To start with, you’ll need to get your boss, partners, and staff in your organization on-board and gain their support for your strategy. The more people you involve, the more ideas you’re likely to get. Ideas are imperative for good content marketing. The people you involve will ‘own’ the model you build and should be willing to contribute and share the responsibility for making the plan a success. For that, you need to communicate your reasons for creating content, your vision of a successful content marketing campaign, and the obstacles or problems that you foresee.

- Why does your business needs content marketing?
- How will your content marketing help achieve consumer and organizational goals?
- Use statistics to make a convincing case for content marketing
- Explain that there should be room for making mistakes on the way to learning

## **Step #2: Outline Your Content Marketing Goals**

Ideally speaking, you should translate all your goals into numbers. This can be relatively easier when you’re defining the objectives for leads or sales, but can be tricky when you want to measure the intangibles, such as brand awareness, image, or recall. You can adopt the following approach:

- Make a list of the directly measurable and intangible goals
- Figure out a few KPI’s (key performance indicator) for each goal—these KPI’s will help you in measuring your progress and results
- Get the available figures for the measurable factors, such as the last year’s number of leads, conversion ratio, sales figures, etc
- Decide a scale to measure the intangibles—for instance, you can decide to plot brand awareness, recall, and image on a 5- or 10-point scale
- Adopt a suitable methodology to measure the intangibles before the content marketing campaign starts—you can use surveys, interviews, questionnaires, etc
- Now that you know where you stand, decide the points where you want to go
- Once you’ve decided your end-goals and the KPIs that you’ll use for evaluation, mark a few milestones along the way, against which you’ll check your progress when the content marketing kicks into action

****Tip:** Top content marketing agencies and clients consider the number of back-links that a particular piece of content generates to be a good measure of the content’s effectiveness.

## **Step #3: Define Your Buyer Persona’s**

Many businesses make the mistake of creating content for their brands or products, and not for their customers. You should remember that your buyers don’t go online to read advertisements about your business or product. They will [engage with your content only if they find it interesting](http://mattjanaway.co.uk/yahoo-small-business-19-explosive-content-marketing-tips-ecommerce-stores/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). And they will find it interesting as long as it offers value by solving their problems, answering their questions, or simply by entertaining them. That’s why you need to know your customers and understand their needs – you have to offer a reason to read your content.

****Are there different groups of audiences you’ll be creating content for? For instance, you may need different content for males and females, young and elderly, startups and established businesses, or people living in specific geo-locations. What are their content needs? What are the topics that most concern them, with regards to your business or products? For example, Home Depot knows its customers want to DIY as much of their own home-improvement work as possible. So, they’ve been offering [how-to DIY guides](http://www.homedepot.com/c/project%5Fhow%5Fto%5Fproject%5Fguides%5Fseasonal?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) for many years, and have hosted tons of helpful videos on their website. What are their media habits? Do most of them use Facebook, YouTube, or any other channels? Do they like to watch video more than they like to read text? Do they use mobile or desktop for locating and engaging with the content they like?**

## **Step #4: Prepare a Content Map**

Now that you know your audience and their needs, you can decide on what type of content you should create or curate to fulfill your customers’ expectations. The best way to do it is to plot the topics of your content on a visual mind-map. A content map will help you:

- ****Match the overall theme** and bigger topics of your content with the needs of your audiences
- ****Repurpose your content** by breaking down lengthy articles into smaller formats, such as tweets or Facebook updates
- ****Determine the direction of the content** as your audiences’ needs change—for example, you may need product specific content after your audience is past the need-recognition and awareness stages and want to compare the available products
- ****Decide the channels and content-mix** based on the media habits of your target audiences.

### **How to Create a Content Map**

Essentially, a content map is a variation of a mind map. There are no fixed formats to be followed. You can draw a tree, with various branches depicting different types of content going to different channels, and the stem being the main theme of the content. You may need several content maps depending upon how many bigger content themes you’ve identified. Here’s a quick sequence to get you started.

1. ****Decide the bigger theme** or topic after analysing your customers’ needs—let’s say your topic is “content marketing”
2. ****Break it down into several subtopics**—such as content creation, distribution, types, etc
3. ****Break down each subtopic into several titles** that cover that subtopic from different angles—for example, content creation can include text, video, photos, etc
4. ****Specify the channels** and type of content—Will you publish a particular blog post on your own blog or another website? Will you rather produce a video and publish it to YouTube?
5. ****Find influencers to target**. They will be industry experts and have an audience that is perfect for your message

****Tip:** Your choice of topics and channels must correspond to your audience’s needs and media behaviour. Most importantly, the topics must be relevant to your business.

## **Step #5: Finalise Your Brand Story**

Ultimately, the whole content marketing business model is there so that your business and brand can grow. Now is the time to finalise the key messages that you want to communicate through content marketing. When people like your content and visit your website to see who you are, you’ll need a compelling brand story to hold them captive. Think of your brand story as a breathtaking account of your mission, inspiration, values, and goals—the reason your business exists. Before you can come up with your story, you’ll need to do a bit of research on your competitors to differentiate your messages and value propositions from them. Your story must resonate with your customers and connect with them at a deeper level than buying and selling.

### **How to Write Your Brand Story**

There can be so many ways of telling your story. Some companies dedicate whole sections of their websites to brand storytelling, using text, video, and pictures to convey their key messages. Others may just use an About Us page for this purpose. Whatever the method that you decide for telling your brand story, keep in mind that the message in your content will be an explanation of your mission and values as stated by your brand story. Therefore, it’s important to write a story that is free of loopholes and has the right strategic depth to drive the whole content marketing strategy. Most brand stories can be figured out by asking the following questions:

1. Why does your business exist—your vision?
2. What is your history and background?
3. Who were your founders and how they were inspired into founding the business?
4. What is your corporate mission?
5. What was your major failure and how it turned into success

## **Step #6: Prepare a Content Creation Plan**

Relatively fewer articles talk about a [content creation and promotion plan](http://ignitemycompany.com/content-promotion-strategies-shortcut-traffic/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), but great content marketing is impossible unless you’re creating awesome content. Your content map will provide the guidelines for your content mix, including the posts you need writing, the photos and videos you need producing, the updates you need posting, and so on. In all probability, you’re going to need a professional writer, a graphic designer, a photographer/videomaker, a social media manager, and of course, the necessary gadgets, props or locations for creating what you need. Entrepreneurs and micro-business managers can always play some of these roles themselves and still manage to drive impressive results. I recently wrote [an article about visual content](http://mattjanaway.co.uk/10-tools-creating-great-visual-content/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), you might find this handy to help with the imagery of this step.

## **Step #7: Prepare a Content Marketing Budget**

While you’re at it, you should also prepare a forecast the amount investment that you’d be putting into content marketing. Estimate the cost of different activities, such as copy writing, photography, video production, the salary of the talent you employ, media buying, etc. Your budget will tell you how much and what types of content you can afford to create, and what kind of returns you should expect from your content marketing campaign. There’s no hard and fast rule for how much you should allocate to content marketing, but two different studies indicate that the majority of the surveyed companies are spending an average of about 25% of their total marketing budget (excluding staff salaries) on content marketing.

## **Step #8: Prepare a Content Curation Plan**

It will be unwise and expensive to try and create all of the content yourself. Research has shown that the companies that generate the most number of clicks from their content only [create 25% to 50% of their own content](http://www.convinceandconvert.com/social-media-measurement/new-research-finds-the-curation-vs-creation-sweet-spot/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), while curating third-party content for the remaining part. The sweet spot is around 40% created and 60% curated content. Your content curation plan will spell out the topics and sources of the content that you are going to curate. Apps such as [Pocket and others](http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/content-curation-tools?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) can make your job easier, as you can earmark content that you see anywhere on the web and schedule it to be published to your channels later on.

## **Step #9: Prepare a Channel Plan**

You’ve already outlined the content distribution platforms during the content mapping stage. In this step, you should focus on those channels in more depth. Decide the objectives for each channel in terms of reach, engagement (shares, likes, clicks, etc), leads, and conversions. How will you modify your messages for different channels? What will be the frequency of posting? All these things will go into your channel plan. Here’s a [great resource](https://www.outreachmama.com/link-building-tools/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) outlining the tools you could use during this step.

The main content marketing platforms include your website, blogs, social media (including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and other networks), and email. The channel plan will make it easier for you to track the results obtained from each channel, so that you may focus more on the more profitable ones.

## **Step #10: Prepare an Evaluation Plan**

If you remember, you decided to track some KPIs during the goal setting stage. Your content marketing evaluation plan will describe how you are going to measure the KPIs and how often. Google Analytics is your most basic and important tool for the purpose. Using Google Analytics, you can view the referral traffic sources and determine which channels are performing better than others in terms of sending you traffic. You can further track the conversions and see which particular channels are sending you better quality traffic. Similarly, you can track the number of times that your content is viewed, linked to, or shared by users. Also decide who is going to be responsible for collecting and reporting data. Here’s a simple template that you can use for evaluating different KPIs.

## **Back to Basics**

Learn from your mistakes, see how different types of content are performing, build on your strengths, strengthen your weak areas, and continue improving the output of your content marketing effort. Remember the basic rule—it’s the quality that matters more than the quantity. A high-quality, evergreen piece of content that you publish today will remain there forever. And forever being a long time, the leads and growth it will bring will far exceed the cost of its creation.
### 6 Most Important Trends in Blogging for 2016
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/6-most-important-trends-in-blogging-for-2016/
Last updated: 2021-04-17T22:21:57.000Z
As we push through the middle of the year and approach the final straight, we thought we would take a closer look at some of the blogging trends that have appeared during 2016\. As the blogging industry refines itself, it is noticeable that there are fewer significant changes to how bloggers are working.

The focus is now becoming a lot more incremental – evolution, not revolution, if you will. However, what are these evolutionary changes in trends? Most importantly, are you using them on your personal blog and in your blog posts? Let’s take a closer look at our blogging trends review of the year.

## 2016 Blogging Trends

### Longer posts

If you want to create a better quality blog,[ write longer posts](https://www.bloggingpro.com/archives/2016/08/22/short-vs-long-form-content-long-blog-post/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) – it’s as simple as that. You don’t need to cram your blog with dozens of new, short articles each week, and there’s some evidence that [might have a detrimental effect](http://mattjanaway.co.uk/seo-annihilation-avoiding-guest-post-spam/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). If you can write longer blog posts that are packed full of interesting and relevant info, not only will your audience love it; Google will too. In fact, it’s likely that fewer than ten or so of your articles will be responsible for 90% of your traffic. It makes sense, then to put more effort into creating better, but fewer, posts.

Be careful not to let each post drag on though, you have to keep your visitors attention. Try making it informative with lots of key take-away points.

### Bye bye banner ads

It seems like, for banner ads, [the game might be up](http://www.smartinsights.com/internet-advertising/internet-advertising-analytics/display-advertising-clickthrough-rates/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). First of all, this year has seen report after report stating the fact that they just don’t work. Digital advertising agencies have been pushing display and banner ads onto clients for years now.

The trouble is, they aren’t getting a return on their investment. The reason? Most ‘impressions’ on banner ads are bots, not people. And, there have been several eye-tracking studies that people just don’t look at banner ads. If you are a blogger relying on advertising income from banner or display ads, you can expect your figures to start dropping soon, so look for alternative revenue streams.

### If You Like This One, Number 12 Will Blow Your Mind!

The rise of the click bait article – and title, in particular – has been astonishing. Thanks to the likes of Upworthy and Buzzfeed, they are everywhere these days. The trouble is, people are starting to cotton on. If you are writing click bait headlines, you need to back it up with exceptional and extraordinary blog posts.

The simple truth is that far too many clickbait titles lead to poor quality writing and posts. So, this is one trend you need to be careful of – or you will end up attracting low-quality visitors to your site and suffering from high bounce rates. Clearness and clarity are key – maybe with a healthy dollop of humour every now and again.

### Higher quality comments

The game has been up for linking in comments for years now. It’s still useful for increasing your traffic numbers, but the effect on your SEO is more damaging than helpful. However, comments are still proving to be important. Savvy bloggers are using them to connect with other industry bloggers and engage their communities a lot more.

Are you doing the same on your blog yet? If not, why not try it out? You will meet a lot more people, make valuable contacts, and grow your network by a significant margin. You might even generate some nice contextual backlinks from your new relationships in the process.

### Engagement not views

As we have already mentioned a few times, impressions and views are becoming less important for bloggers. As companies become more aware of the fact that most traffic isn’t human, they are placing less importance on visitor figures. The focus now is more on engagement.

You need to find ways of attracting new readers – and keeping them. Your comments section will help with this, as we mentioned in the paragraph above. The idea is to build a community and go for social media shares. If you want to attract businesses and advertisers and make a career of your blogging, think ‘engagement’.

Engagement doesn’t have to be exclusive to your own website either. Engage influencers on social media and engage your audience while you are at it too. With the growth in popularity of time-saving social media scheduling tools like the [Marketing Labs Scheduler](http://marketinglabs.co.uk/free-social-media-marketing-tool/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), along with Buffer and Hootsuite, there’s no excuse. [You can plan a week’s worth of social posts](https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/33415/The-Social-Media-Publishing-Schedule-Every-Marketer-Needs-Template.aspx%23sm.0000zzmvm5jjlcx811vo9z3yr7w25?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) in an hour or two.

### Email can still be king

You might think we are cheating here, but it’s a good opportunity to underline the value of building up an email list. It gives you direct access to your audience at any time of day, and it encourages repeat visits. It beats social media by some distance – yet few bloggers know how to make the most of the email. Make it your aim to learn more by the end of the year, and grow your email list. It will boost your audience and up your readership by a considerable amount.
### Can Social Media Increase Customer Happiness?
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/can-social-media-increase-customer-happiness/
Last updated: 2021-03-19T00:12:23.000Z
Regardless of what your business model looks like, customers are obviously essential. They are the ones who pay your bills, cover your expenses and help you to maintain a profitable business. This is all true, but what if I were to ask you why your repeat customers come back to you, especially when you are offering an identical service or product to your competitors?

There are quite a few factors which can include pricing, quality of the product, delivery times and more, but if we keep all things constant, the biggest reason that customers return to a business is an emotional one: they like how they feel when they shop with you. [Bricks-and-mortar store owners](http://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/brickandmortar.asp?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) have been saying this for years, and it's time for more online businesses to take note:

> *Customers may forget what you said, but they'll never forget how you made them feel.*

If you go through studies on why customers shift from one business to their competitors, most of the time it will be because they were unhappy with the customer service. If your customer service is good, your customers aren't going anywhere.

How do you provide the kind of customer service that makes customers not only stick with your business, but also become brand advocates? Unfortunately, the answer to this question isn't simple, and every successful company has their own techniques and tactics that work for them. However, one thing is true across the board: successful retention comes from good customer service, and successful customer service comes from cross-channel outreach. Here are four simple ways to get started.

If your company ignores social media or uses it only for branding, marketing, or lead generation, you're missing out on the most effective tool for conversions and retention.

### Social Media as a Customer Service Platform

If your customer has a question about the product they bought from you or the service they are using, what do you think will be the best way to contact a company so that his or her question can be answered quickly? If your answer is by phone or email, you really need to think again.

Social media - especially Twitter - works faster than any other medium. This can scare off some customer support departments, but don't fear: often real-time complaints or concerns can be turned around faster on social media. Through this method, you can create a positive customer experience and encourage those customers to [share that experience with their social audience](http://www.smartinsights.com/customer-relationship-management/customer-service-and-support/customer-service-social-media/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

Check out this example from [2Checkout](https://www.2checkout.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), an online payment processing app. A customer tweeted directly to the company and the problem was resolved within a few with positive results. Through email, this could have taken more than a day.

Social Media is where your customers are. It's where they congregate, it's where they look for advice, and it's where they share their experiences. If you can be there for them when they need it most, they won't just be satisfied; they'll become loyal customers and advocates for your company.

### Social Polling

Relationships are two-way interactions. In order to build a close relationship with your customers, don't just wait for them to contact you!

Social polling and asking customers for specific feedback does two things:

- Customers will appreciate that you value their opinion.
- You will have a better understanding of what your audience wants, how they use your product or service, and how to improve.

Interaction and building relationships with customers is important which is one of the reasons I like is [social polling](http://www.twtpoll.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). Ask a question about a feature they want to add to a product you sell or what changes they want to see in a service, survey the results, and act on the most popular reactions. Twitter and other social media channels are great places to ask for customer opinions.

Once you have the data of what your customers are looking for, you can make alterations accordingly and create a win-win situation for your business. I've noticed that more and more [small business CRMs](https://www.agilecrm.com/marketing?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) are including social media tools, web popups, and surveys as a part of their software, essentially combining sales, marketing, and customer support into one package. So there's really no excuse not to ask for honest feedback and act on the results; it's almost too easy.

### Live Chat and Real-time Support

What could be better than you contacting your customers and potential customers at during the buying cycle and helping them make the right decision? Here, I really mean *help*. Don't just push your customers into purchases; help them with useful information and a friendly attitude.

One of the best things you could include on your site is live chat software like [ClickDesk](https://www.clickdesk.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) which makes it easy to chat with both potential customers and current customers directly from your website or web app. Many of these live chat apps include a social toolbar or other social media links that make it easy for customers to share their experiences (and follow your brand) on their favorite social platforms. When you offer personalized pre-sales support that actually solves their problems, they feel comfortable and, as a result, might not only stick with you as a customer, but also recommend you to others in their social and business circles.

### Respond to Negative Reviews...Politely

Social Media is amazing, but dangerous at the same time. If you or your customer service team doesn't know how to handle bad reviews, then things can get ugly and it can directly affect your businesses revenue. On the other hand, you can turn those bad reviews into opportunities to increase sales and retention in the long run.

Prepare your sales team for social media and especially review websites like Yelp. Teach them how to handle negative reviews. This is one of the finest examples where a [restaurant owner gets a bad review removed](https://www.eater.com/2014/10/6/6925273/restaurateur-pens-epic-takedown-of-entitled-yelper?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) because his restaurant was in the right.

Also, check [this post](http://www.reviewtrackers.com/case-studies-business-owners-respond-bad-yelp-reviews/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) where you will get an idea of how business owners successfully handle bad reviews on the internet. Remember that potential customers will check out your business on social media. If it looks like you aren't even bothering to respond to customer complaints, they are many times less likely to do business with you.

Not only can social media increase customer happiness, but it can help your business create an engaged community that will promote your brand organically. The four ideas discussed here are only the beginning of the journey to increasing customer happiness and revenue.
### 12 Sensational Content Marketing Ideas For Boring Industries
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/12-sensational-content-marketing-ideas-for-boring-industries/
Last updated: 2021-03-18T23:15:40.000Z
A blog post or video that one person might find boring can be intensely interesting to somebody else. Software developers, accounting firms, industrial manufacturers, layers, home cleaning services, real estate companies….you name a business, and the odds are that it’s perceived as boring by some people.

Actually, it’s not the industry that’s boring. It’s just the content. A carpet cleaning service is not interesting for me under the regular circumstances, but it’s the first thing on my mind when my dog runs all over the carpet after a muddy walk. The secret to creating and marketing compelling content is to understand what type of information your customer is looking for, and provide that information in a creative and convenient way.

Here are 12 content marketing ideas to help you kick-start your creativity and turn any boring eCommerce business into a crowd-puller.

## **#1\. Know Your Customers**

The more time you spend deep-diving into your target customer’s profile and demographic, the lesser the amount of energy (and money) that you’ll waste when executing your inbound marketing. Learn about the needs, interests, attitudes, opinions, demographics, and psycho-graphics of your customers as deeply as you can.

## **#2\. Learn About Their Favorite Topics**

The topics that your customers like to engage with and the media channels that they frequent are of special relevance for your content marketing. It’s not a compulsion that someone is interested in your product or service directly, but there can be an unlimited number of general-interest topics that your product can be related to. For example, if you sell vacation rentals, you don’t need to talk about the bedrooms and furniture all the time. You can talk about the beach or the city, the nightlife and shopping, etc. This makes your content more interesting for your audience. Give [Buzz Sumo](http://buzzsumo.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) a try to get an idea of what content gets shared the most in your industry.

## **#3\. Know Their Media Habits**

Do the majority of your customers sign into Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn? Do they like to read blog posts, watch video or attend webinars? You must create the type of content that your customers prefer and share it through the channels they spend most of their time on. There are many ways to track your customers’ media behavior. You can find out their social media profiles from their email addresses in your mailing list. You can use Google Analytics and other free and paid online tracking tools to gain an insight into your customer. Find out their LinkedIn and Facebook groups, their Twitter lists, blogs, YouTube channels, and other places that are relevant for your business and customers.

## **#4\. Brainstorm Ideas**

Don’t just talk to the walls. Involve your marketing team and/or agency in your quest for creating great content. Talk to your sales people, clients, customers, and even the team in the mail room or warehouse. Great ideas can come from anyone and anywhere. If you are a solo-preneur, talk to your family, friends, customers, and social media contacts. Observe your competitors and see what types of content are trending with your audience.

## **#5\. Weave A Fantastic Brand Story**

After you know the needs and the buying process and have hammered loads of ideas in your brainstorming sessions, it’s time to come up with a spellbinding story. Make your story sellable and interesting for your audience. It is from this story that your brand will get its *voice*, which must be carried throughout your content marketing. Use the elements of emotion, visualization, urgency, fear, and lust to spice up your story. The most irresistible brand stories are unexpected, provocative and relatable. At the same time, you should always keep your customer’s needs in view and provide upfront the information the they want.

****Different Brands, Different Stories**

[MailChimp](http://mailchimp.com/about/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)‘s brand story starts like, *“More than 7 million people use MailChimp to create, send, and track email newsletters…”*, and proceeds to more detailed story-telling *after* communicating the core benefits, who MailChimp is for, and what all you can do with it. It was among the top 10 brand stories of 2013.

[Kletterwerks](http://www.kletterwerks.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), a company that manufactures packs for mountaineering and hiking, has a more elaborate approach toward brand storytelling. They have a timeline on their Heritage page that you can scroll from left to right to read about important events in the brand’s history all the way from 1972.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/03/1-1-1024x526.png-900x462.png)

Once again, the story you tell and how you tell it will strongly depend upon what your customers want to hear.

## **#6\. Create Videos**

Describing *how to design an eBay store template* is boring both for you and your reader. Wouldn’t it be more interesting if you made a video with a screen recording tool and you spoke into a microphone? Boring jobs can become incredibly more interesting if you show people how to do them. For instance, this [viral video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvcj9xptNOQ&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) from GEICO, Government Employees Insurance Company, has reached more than 7 million people so far. See how creativity can make a typically boring topic interesting and compel viewers to engage with the content.

Keep your videos under 90 seconds to keep your viewers attention. You can make lifestyle videos, how-to’s, reviews, and mini-documentaries.

## **#7\. Publish Guides**

For complicated topics, such as using web designing software, guides can be more effective than videos. You can market your guides (or eBooks) through email, your website, and social media. Make it downloadable in a simple PDF format and offer it free to your subscribers. When writing a guide, always look for fresh topics that are in demand. Include statistics and experts’ opinions to add credibility. Keep your guides between 20,000 and 30,000 words, make an attractive page layout, use pictures and charts, and get a stunning design for the cover.

One of our clients, a realtor, recently published a guide about real estate taxes. Taxes are a big problem at their location and people need to consult with brokers or tax authorities to get their queries answered. Despite the seemingly boring topic, the guide was downloaded several thousand times within 90 days of its launch, bringing the amazing benefits of content marketing to a solo realtor.

## **#8\. Use Pictures**

Pictures are the most popular form of content on the Internet. If you think it’s only food, fitness, cats or fashion industries that have a patent to using stunning images, you should think again.

Imagine, if General Electric were using the pictures of their power-guzzler industrial equipment for content marketing! Instead, the company posts pictures signifying innovation, eco-friendliness, achievement, love, and awesomeness to their Pinterest boards. Check out this flirtatious pin from their board “[Hey Girl](http://www.pinterest.com/generalelectric/hey-girl/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).“

The point is, you can relate anything to anything. Don’t just think about your product and business. Think about the world that you do business in. Think about the problems your customers face in their day-to-day lives. If you can’t think of anything else, you can at least give them some humour and a reason to smile.

Use memes, gifs, landscapes, cartoon characters, action shots, illustrations, photos, and other types of visual content that empathizes with your customers while communicating your brand message. There are a [multitude of incredible tools out there to help create powerful visual content](http://mattjanaway.co.uk/10-tools-creating-great-visual-content/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

## **#9\. Simplify Complicated Information**

If your business involves a lot of data that you must communicate to your target market in order to sound credible, you must break down the complicated information into bite-size chunks that your customers can easily devour. For example [Intercom](https://www.intercom.io/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is a CRM solution provider that helps you digitally track and connect with the people who are using your products. Pretty boring, one might think. But wait till you see their content. Here’s a look at their landing page.

An average person may think CRM is complicated, but see how Intercom uses a simple illustration to depict that their solution actually simplifies things for their customers. The blog strategy that they are following is even more exciting. They use colloquial language and a matter-of-fact style along with simple graphs and data visualizations to make their content compelling. Here’s the opening of a blog post on [growth hacking](http://insideintercom.io/if-its-important-dont-hack-it/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) that uses several graphs to illustrate the long- and short-term effects of growth hacking.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/03/31.png1.png)

Growth hacking is a dirty world. Scraping websites and spamming activity feeds grows a business in the same way anorexia solves weight problems, swapping sustainable solutions with short term kludges.

Smart Insights do a wonderful job of providing incredible digital marketing data in an easy-to-soak-up way. This [2015 Digital Marketing Trends post](http://www.smartinsights.com/managing-digital-marketing/marketing-innovation/digital-marketing-trends-2015/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is a great example of using an immense amount of data but giving your readers bite sized chunks to digest.

## **#10\. Provide Answers And Solve Problems**

Content built around hot industry issues and problems has the highest chances of trending with your audience. Take the example of Chipotle Mexican Grill. The brand realized GMO food was a big issue in their industry, and went ahead to create the [Scarecrow](http://www.scarecrowgame.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) video and gaming app that challenges users to bring *real* food back to the people. The campaign has become hugely popular, achieving several million views and installations in a short time. Wait, isn’t Chipotle an interesting business? Maybe it is, but the GMO theme can also be relevant for other businesses in boring niches such as irrigation system suppliers or gardening tools manufacturers. Remember, you can relate anything to anything if you are creative enough.

Look for burning questions in your industry on forums such as Quora, Yahoo! Answers, and Twitter, or set up Google alerts to learn about trending topics. Then, think about how you can answer those questions in the most engaging way.

## **#11\. Tell Stories**

Don’t bore the living daylights out of your audience by bombarding them with updates about your product features. Instead, tell stories about how those features improve the life of your customers. Take the example of [ZenDesk](http://www.zendesk.com/why-zendesk?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), a company that provides customer service and support ticket software. Instead of babbling-on about their system and its features, the first thing that you see on their website is a video that tells the story of a ticket issued to a customer, and how the customer’s problem got resolved.

Share customer success stories, expert interviews, case studies, reviews, and inspiring real-life examples, showing, instead of telling your customers what your product or service can do for them.

## **#12\. Monitor And Adjust**

None of us are born great content marketers. We acquire the sense of what type of content performs better than others through observation and monitoring. Revisit your data regularly and monitor the performance of your blog posts, videos, social media updates, emails, and the rest of your content marketing activities. Focus more on the type of content that more people engage with. Learn from your competitors and people in other industries, and keep making your content more and more interesting.
### Which Sitebuilder is best for your digital marketing strategy?
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/which-sitebuilder-is-best-for-your-digital-marketing-strategy/
Last updated: 2021-03-18T23:13:19.000Z
A review comparing 7 options for SMBs and startups.

Your website is the foundation of an effective digital marketing strategy. It is a primary touchpoint for new prospects which presents the value your brand can offer. Many small businesses don't need a complex site, rather there will need be basic content about the company and what it will offer through its products or services. You just need to create the relevant pages. With limited budget, you will hope to limit design input and instead use pre-built templates and a tool to create the site. By using a low-cost website builder (sitebuilder), you should be able to achieve the look you want but if you don't choose the right sitebuilder, could your website be built on quicksand?

So, the question is, which website builder, or simple content management system (CMS), should you use? There are million different options. How do you know which one is right for your digital marketing strategy?

## Choosing which sitebuilder is best for your company

There’s no simple answer to this question. There are lots of very useful website builders out there. Having said that, there are also some pretty terrible ones too. Some are fine for simple blogs. Others are better for large, interactive websites. The best site builder depends entirely on what your needs are.

Before you start looking at the vast array of website builders, consider the following:

- Who will build your website? A developer/designer, yourself or an untrained staff member?
- Do you need a basic or an advanced website?
- How large will your website be (a few pages or a few hundred)?
- Will you update your website regularly?
- What type of website do you need? A blog, a simple landing page, eCommerce site?
- Do you need a heavily customised site?
- What is your budget?
- Are you happy to be flexible with your requirements or do you have something very specific in mind?

Once you have a clear idea of your website’s purpose, you can start comparing different website builders to find the one that best serves your needs. You shouldn’t take this decision lightly; it will directly impact the potential of your entire [digital marketing strategy](https://www.smartinsights.com/digital-marketing-strategy/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

Hopefully this article will cover the pros and cons of some of the most popular site builders so you can make your own mind up. Among other things, this comparison will provide you with:

- A quick overview of each site builder.
- A summary of on-site SEO capabilities and/or limitations.
- Website loading times - which are increasingly important for ranking pages in Google, both [directly and indirectly](https://moz.com/blog/seo-satisfaction?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).
- Main advantages and disadvantages of each site builder.
- A rough guide of what types of business each site builder could be suitable for.

## 1 IM Creator

![imcreator](https://www.smartinsights.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/imcreator-550x172.jpg)

[IM Creator](http://www.imcreator.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is an incredibly simple website builder. It allows you to create a website from scratch without any knowledge of coding. A number of templates exist to help get you started, which you can edit to suit your needs. It certainly lacks more advanced features, but if you require a basic (and small) website, this will definitely do the job.

The key benefit of this platform is that you can create a professional looking website in a matter of minutes. It’s drag and drop features allow you to get your site up and running much faster than with other platforms. This frees up your time to develop your online presence, rather than spending hours or days simply building a site.

### Basic On-Site SEO

From an SEO point of view, IM Creator ticks most boxes. You can edit meta titles and meta descriptions, and also add meta keywords (although [Google have confirmed](https://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.co.uk/2009/09/google-does-not-use-keywords-meta-tag.html?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) that they no longer use Meta Keywords as ranking signals).

### Site Speed

It’s fairly easy to find websites which use IM Creator as it has a showcase page. Measuring the first 10 websites from the showcase with GTMetrix obtained the following results:

Average Page Speed Grade: 75%

Average YSlow Grade: 78%

Average Homepage Load Time: 2.49 seconds

Average Homepage Size: 2.56MB

### Advanced on-site SEO

It’s difficult for a novice to undertake advanced SEO using IM Creator, but the whole point of this platform is to provide customers with a basic website builder. Advanced SEO should not be a priority with IM Creator.

### Pros

- Very easy-to-use drag & drop interface.
- Builds websites extremely quickly.
- Some nice templates which you can tweak.
- Low on features (this is actually positive as well as negative. A lack of features makes it easier to learn and understand).

### Cons

- Low on features.
- If you choose not to upgrade to the pro version, there are quite a few advertisements.
- Does not work with eCommerce.

### Suitable Businesses

IM Creator is ideal if you run your own business and need a website to act as a professional face for your company. It works very well for simple 2-10 page websites, and suits tradesmen, hotels, consultants and other types of small businesses. But if you’re looking for a more advanced website, this may not be for you.

## 2 Squarespace

![squarespace](https://www.smartinsights.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/squarespace-550x172.jpg)

Although [Squarespace](https://www.squarespace.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is considered as a direct competitor to IM Creator, it is actually very different in terms of strengths and weaknesses. Squarespace provides its customers with some great looking templates, making it easy to pick a style and tweak it. It also boasts excellent support and decent built-in analytics functionality.

This platform allows you to build websites using a handy drag and drop feature. You can use it to create a deep and sophisticated website, which are fully customised and interactive. The downside is that it is significantly more complicated to use than other site builders.

### Basic On-Site SEO

Squarespace also deals well with most basic SEO tasks. It supports HTML markup, meta descriptions and titles, sitemaps, robots.txt files and various other on-site SEO features.

### Site Speed

As with IM Creator, you can easily find websites which use Squarespace via a customer showcase page. A GTMetrix measurement of the first 10 sites showed similar results to IM Creator, but ever-so-slightly slower:

Average Page Speed Grade: 74%

Average YSlow Grade: 79%

Average Homepage Load Time: 2.68 seconds

Average Homepage Size: 2.51MB

### Advanced on-site SEO

Squarespace has a few extra features that can come in handy for those who want to be a little more involved with their websites. Creating a simple 301 redirect is fairly easy, as is creating sitemaps. The built in analytics are also very useful when you want to analyse traffic to make important decisions.

### Pros

- Excellent 24 hour support service.
- Ability to schedule posts - great for keeping your website fresh.
- Good website statistics and analytics are available, as are Android and iPhone apps, making it easy to manage your site on the go.

### Cons

- More complex than other CMSs.
- A huge problem with Squarespace is changing themes. Any text, images and elements added before switching themes will be lost.
- There are no free packages, although the basic package starts from $8.
- Works with eCommerce, but only has a singular payment option.

### Suitable Businesses

Unless you plan on updating your website regularly, there is little advantage over IM Creator. But if you need support on an ongoing basis, Squarespace is an excellent option. It’s particularly suitable for larger businesses who can spare the time to understand it and make full use of its potential. And you may wish to consider it for its eCommerce platform, particularly if you have a small selection of products or services.

## 3 Moonfruit

![moonfruit](https://www.smartinsights.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/moonfruit-550x164.jpg)

Moonfruit has been around since January 2000\. Although it was originally built on Flash, back in the day, it's now now up-to-date using HTML5 to give multi-device support\*.

### On-Site SEO and Site Speed

This was previously a potential problem when Moonfruit was Flash-based, but it's no longer an issue.

### Pros

- You can design your site on mobile devices and sites will render on mobile phones or tablets
- Range of modern style template designs which are effective for branding if you source the right imagery
- Support for social sharing

### Cons

- I have experience previously of slow support.

### Suitable Businesses

Moonfruit is suitable for small businesses who want to "punch above their weight" using the branded templates. It also has options for Ecommerce integration.

\* Correction added after original publication.

## 4 Webs

![webs](https://www.smartinsights.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/webs-550x159.jpg)

Webs claims to be the perfect solution for small businesses and this sitebuilder is certainly very easy to use. But it’s riddled with bugs, causing a massive 20% of users to leave 1 out of 5 star [reviews](https://www.trustpilot.co.uk/review/www.webs.com?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). Nonetheless, it boasts 55 million websites created to date (and is growing at a rate of 20,000 sites a day), so it must be doing something right.

### Basic On-Site SEO

Webs deals with the basics in a satisfactory manner provided you pay for a pro account. Most options expected of a website builder are available and easy to use.

### Site Speed

This is where Webs lets itself down. A GTMetrix test of 10 websites found pretty bad results. And unfortunately, a repeat of the test 24 hours later only served to confirm the original poor performance:

Average Page Speed Grade: 42%

Average YSlow Grade: 48%

Average Homepage Load Time: 6.11 seconds

Average Homepage Size: 1.73MB

### Advanced on-site SEO

Not great. If you need to do anything more advanced than adding page titles and meta descriptions, you’ll have problems.

### Pros

- Some of the templates look newer than those of other site-builders.
- Has a nice app store to add extra functionality.

### Cons

- Very buggy. Lots of reviews around the internet reported freezing and poor user experience.
- The sites created using Webs performed very slow on tests.
- Small selection of templates unless you upgrade to the pro version.

### Suitable Businesses

Most businesses would be satisfied with the collection of themes available. However, the problems with bugs and page loading times should be enough to put any serious business off.

## 5 Wix

![wix](https://www.smartinsights.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/wix-550x153.jpg)

[Wix](https://www.wix.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is incredibly easy to use. Even a novice can create a professional looking, fully interactive website using one of its many beautiful templates. A huge selection of apps allows for a great deal of control. Another positive feature is the utilisation of HTML5.

In terms of user experience, Wix is up there with the best, and its drag & drop builder is excellent. Not great if you’re looking for more serious content marketing possibilities, but this is certainly one of the better basic sitebuilders available.

### Basic On-Site SEO

Wix covers the basics but certainly doesn't excel. There are arguments both for and against [its URL structures](https://www.wix.com/support/forum/html5/editor/pages/page-name-has-a-hash-tag-and?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), but basic SEO is fine.

### Site Speed

Wix sites are fast. In fact, some are ****very** fast. Maybe I caught them at a good time! A test of ten sample websites showed the following data:

Average Page Speed Grade: 91%

Average YSlow Grade: 83%

Average Homepage Load Time: 1.91 seconds

Average Homepage Size: 1.84MB

### Advanced on-site SEO

If you plan to do anything beyond adding page titles and Meta descriptions then Wix just won’t cut it. There’s no support for anything like 301 redirects or many other advanced SEO tasks.

### Pros

- Fantastic drag & drop HTML5 builder.
- Live chat support facility.
- Trial packages available, which come in handy for testing.
- Fast performance.

### Cons

- Adverts all over the place - even on some pro packages!
- Works with eCommerce, but not very well. This is fine for very basic stores, but look elsewhere if you need something a little more complicated.

### Suitable Businesses

Wix is a decent all-rounder with some very good hosting speeds. Unless you plan on using your website to drive lots of organic search traffic, it should function perfectly well. It’s particularly suitable for websites that provide a face for a business, as opposed to those used for generating revenue.

## What about the rest?

If you need something a little more than a sitebuilder then there are some amazing articles around the internet that can help you make your choice but for balance, I have added my two favourites. WordPress for blogging and business websites and Magento for eCommerce.

## 6 WordPress

![wordpress](https://www.smartinsights.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/wordpress-550x139.jpg)

[WordPress](https://wordpress.org/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is one of the originals, and still remains popular due to its ease of use. It has evolved very well and is perfect for business websites, blogs, small eCommerce stores and is a great all rounder. Beginners can use this platform without too many difficulties provided you use a theme but you may need a developer at hand to guide you through.

Blogging is where WordPress really excels. It has literally tens of thousands of plugins, themes and widgets. These are a massive selling point as it covers most bases - chances are, if you want to do something with your website, someone else has already found a solution.

### Basic On-Site SEO

WordPress has everything you need for basic SEO. And certain plug-ins can be installed to make things even easier. One of my favourites is the [Yoast SEO plugin](https://yoast.com/wordpress/plugins/seo/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

### Site Speed

With WordPress, generally, you host the site yourself. How fast your site is depends on how deep your pockets are and how well optimised your site is for speed.

### Advanced on-site SEO

Various plug-ins (including the Yoast plugin mentioned earlier) and additional features are available to take care of every possible SEO need.

### Pros

- Fairly easy to install and use
- Can be used for eCommerce
- Great support available
- ****Huge** range of themes, plugins and widgets

### Cons

- You may need a developer to customise certain elements if you want some specific features
- You might need a little help along the way. Sometimes things aren’t immediately obvious but there are some huge communities who will be happy to help

### Suitable Businesses

Its ease of use means WordPress is perfect for businesses who want to control their own website and keep on top of it. And if your digital marketing strategy relies heavily on blogging and content marketing, this is one of the better platforms available, if not the best.

## 7 Magento

![magento](https://www.smartinsights.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/magento-550x169.jpg)

[Magento](https://magento.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is one of the most powerful eCommerce platforms around. It can be fairly complex, so definitely not for beginners. It’s also pretty much purely eCommerce, so probably not ideal for most marketing strategies. But if you know what you’re doing with it, this platform creates some beautiful, fully customised online stores which can be incredibly powerful from a digital marketing point of view.

### Basic On-Site SEO

Magento certainly has all the bases covered here.

### Site Speed

Out of the box, it can be a little slow (maybe an exaggeration but it could be faster), but a few tweaks will take of any speed problems. If you understand how to use Magento, you shouldn’t have any problems with site speed. If you don’t understand then you can find excellent developers easily.

### Advanced on-site SEO

Provided you get some great plugins/extensions or have a good developer then the world is your oyster.

### Pros

- Fantastic for eCommerce sites
- Huge variety of features and functions

### Cons

- Very complex - steep learning curve in order to take advantage of it
- Almost purely eCommerce - not great for other types of websites

### Suitable Businesses

Magento is best suited for larger businesses that have the time and patience to learn how to properly use it or have access to a good developer. For most users, the various features and functions are more likely to cause confusion and make the running of an online store more difficult.

## It all sounds daunting

With so many different website builders out there, picking the right one can be a daunting task. But it doesn’t have to be if you follow this simple advice:

1. Make sure you are clear on what your website’s role in your digital marketing strategy should be, and what purpose it should serve.
2. Choose the CMS which matches that purpose.

To find the most suitable CMS for your needs, the preceding information should cover just about all you need to know.

## Disclaimer

As ever with comparison posts, they can only ever be fully accurate at the time of writing the post. Please ensure you are up-to date with each offering before making your decision.
### Six Simple Growth Hack Tips to Drive Your Business into Hyper-growth
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/six-simple-growth-hack-tips-to-drive-your-business-into-hyper-growth/
Last updated: 2021-03-19T13:20:27.000Z
Founded in August 2008 by three room-mates who couldn’t afford to pay their rent, the peer-to-peer vacation rental company [AirBnB](http://notes.fundersandfounders.com/post/82297315548/how-airbnb-started?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is valued at $13 billion today. The phenomenal growth of the company became possible through a series of radical steps, or **growth hacks**, that the management continuously envision and implement.

To kick things off, the AirBnB founders decided to exploit CraigsList as it was being used heavily for renting-out accommodation. They started targeting CraigsList advertisers through emails, asking them to list their rental properties with AirBnB as well. It was a spammy tactic, but it worked. Next, they made a little modification to their website – AirBnB started offering people the option to list their properties with CraigsList after they had listed them with AirBnB. When the listing was added to CraigsList, it had a link back to the AirBnB website. Not only did this generated back-links for AirBnB but it also drove more traffic to their listings.

Does this seem too simple? That’s often how growth hacking work! Below, I have provided some really small and simple growth hack tips to use in your own business.

![6 Simple growth hack tips](http://mattjanaway.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/6-Simple-growth.jpg "Growth Hack Tips")

### ****What is Growth Hacking?**

The term **Growth Hacking** was coined in 2010 by Sean Ellis, who had practically become a one man growth shop for many of Silicon Valley’s dotcom companies. He set up systems, processes and mindsets that helped businesses leap into hyper-growth. He was, in his own words, a growth-hacker—a term he invented after he found it difficult to recruit candidates with the right skills to fill in his shoes.

Growth Hacking is a modern concept in which you hack your core digital product in a way that the product markets itself. You hard-wire growth in your product’s DNA. Consider the jaw-dropping growth of social media platforms like Facebook or LinkedIn. Until maybe recently, they had been in hyper-growth mode since they were launched. Why? Because they are viral by their very nature.

However, you can hack growth in any [business](https://fatlama.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). In the AirBnB example, people found it irresistible to advertise on CraigsList and generated free publicity for the startup. It was a tactic that helped the business grow very rapidly.

### ****Is Growth Hacking right for Your Business?**

\[tr-shareit \]If you are a digital marketer, you can build #growthhacks into your content marketing, website, and even your product itself\[/tr-shareit\]

You don’t really need to be a digital marketer to implement growth hacks. If you are a digital marketer though, you can build hacks into your content marketing, website, and even your product itself. Growth Hacking doesn’t rely on advertising or PR to spread the word around. It doesn’t follow any particular principles from the old world of brick and mortar products. There are plenty of tools to help you hack into growth, but you need to know how to apply them. The results of growth hacking are widespread word-of-mouth publicity, more conversions, and incredible business growth. One of my favourite examples of growth hacking is the way [Foundr Magazine clocked up 110,000 Instagram followers in 5 months](https://blog.gleam.io/foundr/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

## ****6 Simple Hack Tips to Push Your Business into Hyper-growth**

Alright, that’s enough theory and concept. Let’s get right to the meat. The following simple growth hack tips can be applied to any online business within days, and deliver a significant improvement to sales in the short term and eventually (and potentially) taking your business into triple-figure growth.

### ****1\. Hack Lead Capture**

It’s such a shame if a good quality visitor comes to your site or landing page and bounces without converting. You must do everything in your power to keep the visitor glued to your website and take the action that you want them to take. There are plenty of ways of doing this, but most of website owners do nothing.

One of the ways to boost your lead-capture performance is to lure your visitor with a lucrative offer or give them some free stuff. Take a look at the GroupOn homepage below and see how minimalist it is. The visitors can clearly see the advantage of subscribing—a 50% to 90% discount on deals. To make it easier for them, the subscription box just asks them for their email address, no first and last names, no DOB, nothing! I can tell you that GroupOn have an almost never-ending mailing list as a result of this simple conversion hack.

![groupon-growth-hack-email-signup](http://mattjanaway.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/groupon-growth-hack-email-signup.jpg)

### ****2\. Schedule Email Blitz**

How often is too often in email marketing? [Smart Insights have a great piece on this topic](http://www.smartinsights.com/email-marketing/email-communications-strategy/best-frequency-for-email-marketing/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

Each niche will differ but some businesses have good success from being very in-your-face. AirBnB sends daily emails to their subscribers about the latest rentals that they may be interested in, and the strategy has worked for them so far. You should use an email program like ConstantContact or Mailchimp, import email contacts from your social media profiles and mail lists, create a knock-out mail sequence, and put it on fire-and-forget.

It’s even better if you automate your email marketing with your latest deals and offers. There are several CRM’s available which you can use for this purpose. Check out [Contactually](https://www.contactually.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). It allows you to integrate LinkedIn into your contact list and sync your contacts with your Facebook friends, email subscribers, Gmail contacts, etc. You can send out group, individual and batch emails, and can also track every mail to see whether it is being opened and clicked.

### ****3\. Create Scarcity and Urgency**

Did you ever wonder why people pay stupendous sums of money to buy antiques and paintings? It’s scarcity! If the visitors coming to your sales pages get the impression that they can buy your product whenever they choose to, chances are that most of them will never make the decision to buy. “Oh, I can buy it another time” …a time that may never come.

Instead, you should drop clues about your product being scarce and/or time-sensitive. Using phrases like ****“Limited time offer”, “First come first serve”*** **or** ****“Offer expires in hh:mm”*** can often do the trick. If a visitor really likes your product, he/she will be tempted to buy right there and then. Notice how GroupOn, another company in hyper-growth mode, creates scarcity and urgency on its sales pages.

![social-proof-sharing](http://mattjanaway.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/social-proof-sharing.jpg)

Another way to create urgency is using a [sticky notification bar](http://wordpress.org/plugins/sticky-notification-bar/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) on top of your page header. Check out the Unbounce header example below:

![unbounce-sticky-header](http://mattjanaway.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/unbounce-sticky-header.jpg)

### ****4\. Make Your Content a Must-share**

The [Cheese and Burger Society](http://www.cheeseandburger.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) currently has more than 135,000 engaging Facebook fans, which it has gathered over a short period by applying a simple hack—it makes it almost obligatory for its followers to click the Share button. How?

![social-locker](http://mattjanaway.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/social-locker.jpg)

Most social media users are tough nuts to crack. They may like your content and still not click the Like button. Getting them to share your stuff is even harder, but not if you are using a [content locker plugin](http://designscrazed.net/wordpress-social-content-locker-plugins/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). These plugins restrict access to your premium content until the visitor shares the content that you want to spread. In my opinion, this method can be a little aggressive but there’s no doubt that some have had huge success with it.

The Cheese and Burger Society gets their customers to share or tweet pictures of their favorite cheeseburgers in order to be eligible to win free gifts. It’s probably a custom API that makes it possible for them, but you can always scale any growth hack up or down.

Here’s another way to get people to share your offers:

![groupon-growth-hack](http://mattjanaway.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/groupon-growth-hack.jpg)

### ****5\. Revamp the **Buy* Button**

Yes, write something else on it instead of **Buy*. Try “**Get Awesome”* or “**Get it Now”* button. It’s a subtle change, but the effect can be powerful if you have the right audience. If someone else is selling similar products as yours, the customer may prefer to buy from you, because they could perceive you as more creative. There’s also a psychological issue with the word **buy*, because it sounds like a commitment to pay. As ever, you will know your own demographic (or you should!), so you can adapt this tip to suit your own website personality.

The area around the button is also very important. Here are a few things you can put there to encourage people into clicking that button.

- A price comparison
- Key product benefits
- Customer rating and reviews
- The number of people who have bought that product
- And, of course, some elements to create scarcity and urgency, such as a countdown timer, limited stock indicator, etc

![product-page-growth-hack](http://mattjanaway.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/product-page-growth-hack.jpg)

### ****6\. Gamify Your Website**

Gamification is a vast subject, but it’s basically centered around people’s interest in publicising their actions and thoughts, and learning about others’. A simple example of gamification is providing a vote up or down option on your content, which you can do using a simple [plugin](http://pippinsplugins.com/love-it-pro/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). People can express their like/dislike about your post or page, and can also view how others have reacted to it.

There’s no end to gamification, and your visitors should love it. See how [Poshly](http://poshly.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) uses a number of gamification elements including countdown timers, quizzes, and free prizes to keep its audience engaged.

![poshly-growth-hack](http://mattjanaway.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/poshly-growth-hack.jpg)

You can also create a system of **badges, medals or bonuses** to reward loyal as well as first-time customers. Gamification is customizable as well as scalable. [4Food](http://4food.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), a website promoting healthy junk-food, has added plenty of gaming features to its website. You can build a burger for a cause and share it with your social media friends. 4Food will donate 25 cents to your cause each time a burger is sold.

![build-a-burger-social-share-growth-hack](http://mattjanaway.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/build-a-burger-social-share-growth-hack.jpg)

## **Growth Hack Tips – Conclusion**

As you may have noticed, growth hacking is dynamic and fluid. It’s hard to define the boundaries between different growth hacks. Gamification can merge with social sharing; scarcity can be turned into a social activity; email marketing can be blended with social media, and so on.

In order to be good, a growth hack must deliver significant growth. Every hack may not work for every business, and a lot of testing may be required before you can apply the right combination of hacks. But once you do, it should only be a matter of days before you see your growth spiking.
### 15 Awesome Marketing Lessons from 3 Awesome Instagram Accounts
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/15-awesome-marketing-lessons-from-3-awesome-instagram-accounts/
Last updated: 2021-03-19T00:51:40.000Z
Social media has exploded in the last 10 years, Facebook has well over a billion active users, with Twitter and Instagram claiming 300 million people each, and it’s a trend that is set to keep on rising. Instagram’s popularity has exploded further in recent years! That is perhaps part of the reason Facebook bought the media sharing site back in 2012 for $1 billion! If that’s not enough of a reason to invest your time, you should read of the [importance of social media](http://www.prolimehost.com/blog/the-impact-of-social-media-why-it-is-important/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) for further encouragement.

The Instagram platform was first set up as a simple image sharing service. These days, one can share both pictures and videos. People love using Instagram because it allows them to apply photo filters to images quickly as well as keep in touch friends and brands they have an affinity with.

When it comes to promoting a brand on the Internet, the use of Instagram is essential. The thing is; how can you effectively use Instagram to promote your brand? As with most marketing methods, research is crucial. That’s why we are going to take a look at three of the most popular Instagram profiles.

By doing so, we’ll find it what has made them so popular. You can then use some key takeaways to use in your Instagram marketing efforts.

****1\. Nike**

![Nike-Instagram](https://i0.wp.com/freshpeel.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Nike-Instagram.jpg?resize=574%2C186&ssl=1)

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know Nike is a popular sportswear brand. They design and sell a range of sports clothing, footwear and accessories. Almost everyone on the planet has heard of Nike!

In most parts of the world, Nike needs no introduction. Still, even a popular brand needs some clever marketing ideas to stay competitive! One such example was when Nike launched a new marketing campaign named PHOTOiD. So, how does this involve Instagram?

Nike invited people to create custom footwear using their Instagram photos. Users could then click through to have those shoes made and shipped to them. As you can imagine, the campaign was a roaring success and put them ahead of their competitors.

The company is the first brand to launch such an innovative Instagram marketing campaign. At the time of writing, Nike has around 39 million followers on Instagram.

Nike’s key Instagram marketing takeaways:

1. Nike focuses on their target audience. Instead of focusing on their brand, Nike uses Instagram to make their brand about people. They use all kinds of campaigns to focus the centre of attention on their fans and followers;
2. Nike involves their audience a lot in their campaigns. The brand often gives shout-outs to their fans and customers in their Instagram posts. For example, they will share photos and videos from people that use their products. And they’ll give them credit by mentioning their Instagram profile ID;
3. Nike inspires its audience. Brands have to think outside of the box to sell their products. It’s not enough to just talk about something’s benefits. You have to inspire your audience. For example, Nike does this by telling some good stories using photos and videos.

****2\. Red Bull**

![RedBull-Instagram](https://i2.wp.com/freshpeel.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/RedBull-Instagram.jpg?resize=573%2C190&ssl=1)

Another brand that you’ll see a mention of everywhere is Red Bull. Here is an example of a forward-thinking firm that has become power social media users. As you know, Red Bull is a popular brand of energy drink. All kinds of people use their drinks from students to celebrities.

Even sports personalities and office workers drink Red Bull for a much-needed energy boost. Today, Red Bull is a global brand. The drink gets sold in more than 167 countries and is as popular as other drinks brands such as Coca-Cola.

Since its introduction in 1987, Red bull has sold over 50 billion cans worldwide. Obviously Red Bulls inception was a few decades before any social media existed online, however since the creation of Instagram, Red Bull have gained over 4.3 million followers of their profile. Thats correct, 4.3 million for a drinks company! So, what is it that Red Bull share on their Instagram account?

You might think that Red Bull just talk about their drinks and post images with brand placement. What might shock you to learn is they talk little about their energy drinks! Instead, Red Bull captivate their audience by inspiring action.

Take a sneak peek at Red Bull’s Instagram page and you’ll notice a common theme. Each image and video posted show ordinary people doing extraordinary things! You’ll often see actions of people snowboarding down steep hills, for instance. And you’ll even see things like people drifting rally cars on snowy ground!

Red Bull’s key Instagram marketing takeaways:

1. Each photo and video posted by Red Bull is high-quality, and with a high-resolution;
2. Most of their content seldom features their branding or products. Images and videos motivate people to take an interest in high-action sports and pursuits;
3. All content shared on Red Bull’s Instagram profile has a story attached to it;
4. Many photos and videos contain relevant links to other people’s Instagram profiles;
5. Red Bull likes to tell people that its drink will “give you wings”. Many of the images shared are action shots from incredible heights.
6. The content they post inspires people not to give up on their dreams and visions. They serve as motivational tools with something to aspire to.

****3\. H&M**

![H&M-Instagram](https://i0.wp.com/freshpeel.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/HM-Instagram.jpg?resize=575%2C205&ssl=1)

You’ll find it hard to avoid the fact that there will always be an H&M store near you! In case you didn’t know, H&M is a Swedish retail clothing store chain. They have stores across 61 countries from the UK and USA to the United Arab Emirates and Australia.

The company has a rich and long history that dates back to 1947\. Today, it has over 3,700 stores globally. The firm opens up scores of new retail outlets each year. H&M is a clothing brand popular with those that seek the latest fashions. As such, H&M appeals to younger generations keen to stay on trend when it comes to fashion.

The H&M Instagram differs to Nike and Red Bull in many ways. For example, many of its photos and videos contain the latest fashion products they sell. They often have people modelling those items. Now, you might think they are just typical studio photo shoots. But, you’ll find no evidence of such an approach on their Instagram page!

Instead, H&M takes photos and videos of their products in a variety of settings. One recent image shows a model wearing an SS16 sweater and sitting at a table reading a book. She’s not walking down a catwalk, nor is she in some exotic location.

H&M’s key Instagram marketing takeaways:

1. Product photos and videos get shown in a variety of ways. Examples include laid out on a table, on hangers, and worn by people doing everyday things;
2. H&M use Instagram’s hashtag feature to launch competitions with their followers. One example was having people take selfies next to statues of David Beckham in New York and other U.S. cities;
3. The company upload photos to remind followers they are on other social networks. A recent example shows a product next to an iPhone with the Snapchat app logo on the screen;
4. H&M make good use of colour to emphasise the styling of their products. They also opt for stylish and artistic backdrops;
5. They upload images advertising fashion show live streams. H&M is a good example of how you can use Instagram to cross-sell;
6. H&M’s photos inspire people to choose certain clothing combinations. For example, a dress, handbag, shoes and sunglasses.

## Social strategy

As you see, three very large brands using social media in different ways to engage with their audience and promote a brand message. Each of the three examples above deliver a brand message in a variety of ways that critically doesn’t feel marketing overload, which is a vitally important ingredient for your [social media growth strategy](http://www.smartinsights.com/social-media-marketing/social-media-strategy/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). You don’t just have to be a big brand to take advantage of social media though, these tips work just as well for all businesses from [blog startups](http://www.onblastblog.com/before-starting-a-blog/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) through to eCommerce stores.

It takes time and effort to achieve this & doesn’t happen overnight. One consideration should be to build your social marketing into an overall annual plan, including paid for, brand, SEO and social activity. Planning activity in this way across all online channels helps to deliver a consistent message that will ultimately help your audience identity you and set you apart from your competitors.
### 5 Risks of Not Tracking Your eCommerce Conversion Rates
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/5-risks-of-not-tracking-your-ecommerce-conversion-rates/
Last updated: 2021-03-19T13:23:19.000Z
Conversion rates are one of the most significant factors to the success of your eCommerce site and are usually the most overlooked. Analysing your conversion rates is simple, but taking the time to improve them can be challenging, especially those who don’t have much experience. Ignoring conversion rates and not participating in Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) can negatively affect your website and your profits. In this article, we’ll be looking at the five most common risks associated with a lack of CRO, and what you can do to avoid them.

## **This post does not tell you how to improve your eCommerce conversion rates.**

The purpose of this post is not to tell you how to improve your eCommerce conversion rates. It is to tell you ****why you should*** monitor your conversion rates so you can ***then** try to improve your conversion rates. If you want to learn how to improve your CR, check out [this article I wrote on Search Engine People](http://www.searchenginepeople.com/blog/25-conversion-rate-boosters.html?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

### **1\. You might not get the chance to improve the quality of your visitors**

Your website needs to attract high quality visitors that are the best fit for your business and products. To do this, you need to focus on your marketing and optimize the correct, specific keywords for your target audience. If you use and optimise broad keywords, the total traffic may rise, but your total conversions will drop because you’ve hooked a larger spectrum of visitors, not all of whom need or want your specific services. Furthermore, if you try to improve your traffic from a specific keyword, your conversion rate will also rise. If you choose not to track your conversion rates for specific pages, you might not realize if a page performs poorly.

### **2\. You might not have the correct landing pages**

By using Search Query Referrals to see which keywords have the highest conversion rates, you can also determine what pages visitors are landing on when they search for specific phrases. If they’re landing on a page that isn’t optimized properly, the visitors will leave before taking any additional steps to navigate your site. If your keywords are directing the visitor to the “About” page instead of your primary landing page, there is a major optimization flaw. Each landing page needs to be a part of the Conversion Funnel, and it also needs to direct the visitor to your specific call to action (CTA). By focusing on a simpler navigation, an easy conversion funnel, and optimizing each landing page, you can increase your conversion rates. If you don’t use a CMS for your website, you could always try driving traffic to a [custom landing page using a tool like this](http://www.getresponse.com/features/landing-page-creator.html?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

### **3\. You’re not reducing bounce and exit rates**

High bounce and exit rates should throw up red flags immediately. A Bounce Rate is the amount of visitors who exit your site after only viewing a single page. An Exit Rate is the percentage of people who leave after viewing your page, and this rate is specific to each page. A high exit rate on a specific page is telling, and if you don’t focus on CRO for that page, you’re going to continue losing traffic. If you’re not tracking conversion rates in addition to bounce and exit rates, you’re not going to know which page or what content is causing visitors to leave your site.

By using A/B testing, you can determine which pieces of content need to be changed and optimized in order to enhance your conversion. A/B testing simply tests your current page against a new version to see if the changes make any significant increase or decrease in conversion, so you know what works and what doesn’t.

### ****4\. You’re not creating the best possible user experience**

Your site needs to be easy to use, streamlined, and accessible in order to boost conversions. By tracking conversion rates and focusing on CRO, you can create the best possible experience for your customers and increase your turnover. To do this, you need to ask yourself some questions. First, is your page relevant? Is there an obvious call to action? Are there too few or too many CTA’s? Are there too many links and ineffective images cluttering up your pages? Is your checkout process streamlined or is it cumbersome? Is it visually enticing, or is it boring?

One area which eCommerce stores tend to neglect is the search functionality. Getting search right can make a huge difference to the revenue you generate and the ROI from your marketing spend. Also hiring an online store management company can really help your company, [check it out here](https://www.orderwave.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

Each of these questions can be addressed and fixed by implementing and tracking A/B test results, as we mentioned earlier. Take this testing one step at a time, because changing too much at once can give you mixed results. For example, if you switch from short form copy to long form and change your headline, you won’t be sure which of those affected your conversion rates the most.

### ****5\. You’re wasting money and losing valuable customers**

This is the most obvious and important risk factor when you don’t focus on Conversion Rate Optimization, and it is intrinsically tied to the all of the above risks as a direct effect. If your website is not converting traffic into customers, you’re losing money, plain and simple.

One of the most common mistakes eCommerce site owners can make is to sink large amounts of money into Pay Per Click advertisements and SEO without taking the time to focus on conversion rates. By doing this, you effectively spend more effort on gaining large amounts of traffic and trying to rake in new customers instead of cultivating a lasting and trusting relationship with the customers you really want. Because CRO is essentially free and only requires time, you’ll get significantly more return on your investment, and it all goes to the bottom line of your business. If you want to be a trusted authority and a valuable eCommerce site, you need to focus on CRO.
### Tips for Building an Amazing Content Marketing Strategy
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/tips-for-building-an-amazing-content-marketing-strategy/
Last updated: 2021-03-18T23:33:53.000Z
If you are reading this article, chances are that you are already using content marketing in one way or another as a part of your overall marketing strategy. However, defining content marketing is something that most business owners may struggle with.

Before we jump into some tips, we have to define the term clearly. In a nutshell, content marketing is all about building relationships and is not about selling your products or services. It involves disseminating useful information to your existing and potential customers for the purpose of establishing your digital brand by building awareness and trust.

Content is the voice of your brand. If you want your voice to be heard, you need to consistently create and share great content - both on your own website and on other high-profile websites in your niche. This is why marketers are allocating more and more budget to content marketing. A robust content marketing strategy can really multiply the reach and impact of your content.

## Qualities of great content

Gone are the days when content marketing meant little more than SEO and guest blogging. The digital marketing explosion and rapid changes in Google's search algorithms have made content marketing more complex. In order to make its mark in the ever-expanding digital marketplace, your content must have the following qualities:

### 1\. Content should be precisely targeted

You'll be wasting valuable resources if you are targeting everyone with the same content. Each and every one of your potential customers is different, and you need to embrace this. You wouldn't talk about steaks to a vegan or try to force-feed marketing automation to someone who knows little about digital marketing. It is extremely important to draw your target market profile accurately and find out the channels where different clusters of your current and prospective customers are most active. Only then, you can create precisely targeted content that directly addresses your audience's concerns and needs.

### 2\. Content should match the stage in the buying cycle

The content that you direct at your repeat customers will be different from that which you share with your potential buyers. There are five stages in a typical buying cycle—Awareness, Interest, Consideration, Purchase, and Re-conversion. Your customers need different types of information through each of these stages. By understanding their needs at each step and aligning your content marketing strategy with those needs, you can allay their concerns, answer their questions, and boost their confidence - encouraging them to take the next step.

### 3\. Content should tell a story

Instead of describing your product's features, your content should tell stories about how those features work to the benefit of your customers. Try to give real-world examples of how your product can be used to solve the problems that it is designed to solve. You can feature case studies, customer success stories, excerpts from genuine reviews, etc.

### 4\. Content should include relevant imagery

Content with meaningful images get 94 percent higher views than content without images according to Buffer App. However, with an overwhelming amount of pictures circulating the internet, your images must be meaningful to your audience in order to get noticed and clicked. Use pictures of real people, quotes, infographics, and other custom images instead of relying on stock images.

### 5\. Content should show, not just tell

Although text is obviously still read, your customers may find it more convenient to view a slide-show or watch a video that features your products and services in use. In addition to developing text guides, see if you can produce how-to videos. Think beyond the conventional.

### 6\. Include a call to action

Even though content marketing is more about long-term brand building, you should never lose sight of the fact that the goal of marketing content is to trigger an action. It can be a download, a subscription, a purchase, or a plethora of other actions. Content on your own website should contain an explicit call to action that corresponds to the relevant stage of the buying process.

### 7\. Content should be shared extensively

After you have spent valuable resources in creating a great piece of content, don’t just click publish and forget all about it. A considerable part of your effort must go into exploring ways in which you can expand the reach of your content. Think about re-purposing and reusing your content on new channels. [Linking to related conten](http://mattjanaway.co.uk/linking-out-is-important/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)t (even if it's not your own) is a great way to make the content look more genuine and useful, it also has the added benefit of giving you the opportunity to reach out to peers within the industry.

## Building a kickass content marketing strategy

Now that you have a fair idea about what great content is, you should plan for its creation, delivery and management. In other words, you should devise a clear-cut written content marketing strategy. Your content strategy evaluates the needs of your business and customers and aligns your content with your business goals at every stage of the buying cycle. 

A content marketing strategy doesn't have to be a voluminous, formal document and can be scaled to fit any budget. Here are a few tips on how you can go about building an impressive content marketing strategy that will help your brand standout.

## Onsite content strategy

For the sake of simplicity, you can start from your website or blog. The key questions to ask are:

- What are my visitors doing onsite?
- What are the goals of my on-site content?

### 1\. Analyse customer traffic

Dive into your [Google Analytics reports](https://www.rankranger.com/documentation/analytics-conversions?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), but don’t get bogged down by the details right in the beginning. Remember that building a content strategy is about looking at the big picture and then drilling down to the granular level. At this stage, you should analyse the following:

- Which particular keywords have driven most organic traffic to your website in the past few months or years?
- What types of content or pages are driving social shares?
- Which particular pages do your customers spend most time on?
- Which particular category has the most number of page views?

Do certain pages have high bounce rates? Try to find out why. There could be an [obvious mistake](http://www.onblastblog.com/mistakes-made-by-rookie-bloggers/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

The answers to these questions will tell you which particular areas or topics you need to focus on.

### 2\. Find out customer intent

This [Analytics data](https://www.rankranger.com/documentation/analytics-traffic-overview?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) should give you a clear idea about what type of content your customers are most interested in. You'll learn about what your typical user intends to do on your website. Customer intent plays a vital role in optimizing the onsite customer experience. For instance, a customer searching for discounted items on an apparel website has a clear intent to look for marked-down goods.

When you know what your customers are looking for, you can make that particular type of content obvious on the main landing page. If you don’t have a designer in-house or on-hand you could always try landing page building tools - there are plenty out there. One particular builder I recommend to some of my clients is the Get Response Landing Page Creator simply because it fits their skill-sets. Alternatively, you could outsource to a designer to get you started.

### 3\. Optimise the customer experience

Optimising the customer experience involves finding out the stage in the buying cycle a particular visitor is at. Part of the answer is in the keywords that the customer is searching for when finding your page, the other part of the answer is in the visitor’s on page behaviour. For instance, a person searching for "content marketing strategy" is likely to be at the "Awareness” stage, where he/she needs more information on the topic. If a person is searching for "content marketing agency", he/she may be much closer to hiring an agency for the purpose of content marketing. Both of these types of customers should be given different types of information in order to optimise the onsite user experience.

Here are a few small the steps that you can use to [optimise onsite](https://www.rankranger.com/documentation/onpage-keyword-optimization?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) visitor flow:

- Change the menu structures so that visitors can find their desired content easily
- Make your page titles keyword-rich
- Ensure that your images have keyword-rich file names and alt text
- Cross-link all pages to relevant onsite content

### 4\. Define business and content goals

The second aspect of your content marketing strategy relates to your goals. On the highest level, your goal may be to be perceived as an industry thought leader. Content marketing is one of the strategies that you need to follow for achieving that aim. When you focus on content marketing, there should be several more direct goals that emerge. For example:

1. Provide relevant and engaging content to the visitors
2. Nurture relationships with repeat buyers
3. Streamline the conversion process by boosting customer confidence

![Goal Define Success Metrics](https://www.rankranger.com/www-img/web/docs/ver4/goal_infographic_janaway-2000.jpg)

Each one of these goals should then be broken down into tactics that you will employ for achieving that goal. For instance, achieving goal #1 will require you to:

1. Define an effective content mix—formats, topics, target audience, etc.
2. Define a regular and realistic publishing schedule— editorial calendar
3. Ensure high-quality writing and creative—text-based content and visual design

### 5\. Align strategy with goals and customer intent

A thorough onsite content strategy must be aligned with your goals as well as the customer intent. Formulating an onsite content strategy involves asking a lot of questions about your visitors, defining specific goals and coming up with suitable tactics. You will also need to test these tactics as you go along, and adjust your strategy depending upon what the analytics are telling you. Data is the key here.

## Offsite content strategy

Your offsite content strategy includes the posts you publish on different platforms, your social media posts, directory listings, and reviews. Unlike onsite content, offsite content is harder to control and measure. However, offsite content plays a major role in driving traffic to your site (and [landing pages](https://www.rankranger.com/documentation/landing-page-performance?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)) and building your brand image. Compelling, interesting offsite content is the key to sparking conversations about your brand and getting you some much-desired word-of-mouth publicity.

### 1\. Identify your target audience, channels and topics

There will almost always be a large number of blogs, websites and social media communities that cater to a similar target audience as yours. The best way to find out where your target audience is and what they are doing is through observation and research. You can make informed guesses, but it is better to know what your customers are really talking about. Instead of picking up topics at random and pitching your content to the publishers, you should research your keywords and see the responses of your potential customers. Ask the following questions:

- Which particular digital channels (websites, blogs, social media networks, forums) is your target audience most active on?
- What are the hottest topics that your audience is talking about?
- What are the topics about which little relevant information is being shared?
- What kind of content is being published by your competitors?
- What are the channels that your competitors are (or are not) targeting?

Also keep in mind the stages in the buying cycle and devise a content mix that addresses your customers' concerns at different stages. Remember that you'll never get noticed if you are saying what everyone else is saying. You must say something different and unique, yet relevant to the burning topics that you discover through your research.

### 2\. Nurture your relationships

The internet is overloaded with influential bloggers and social media users with massive followings. There are influencers in every category whose recommendations and reviews matter for your brand. You should find out some of these influential personalities (or entities) and build your relationship with them. You can use blog posts, targeted social media posts, email, or private messages to stay in contact with the key players in your niche and nurture long term relationships. Followerwonk is fantastic for finding influential people.

### 3\. Stay natural

Don’t hard-code SEO into your offsite content by stuffing it with keywords. Your audience likes to read a naturally written piece of content, and after the recent changes in algorithms, Google loves great content too. Stop targeting keyword density. Instead, target your audience with valuable information that's hard to find elsewhere. Great content is shared widely and creates organic backlinks to your pages. While you could focus on guest blogging, don’t use content marketing solely as a link building exercise. Google can sniff out low-quality backlinks and might penalise your website for creating them.

### 4\. Match your content with the channel

In addition to your customer intent, their stage in the buying cycle and your goals, you must also position your content with the channels that you are publishing it on. For instance, the content you share through LinkedIn should be reaching out to a more professional audience when compared to what you are sharing on Facebook. The latter may be more entertaining than business-like. User behaviour is different across different channels, so you should give them what they are looking for.

### 5\. Re-purpose, republish, and expand distribution

Great content is created with considerable effort. Don’t forget about it after you've published it on the channel that it was written for. Instead, take out the key information and re-purpose it for distribution through other channels. For instance, you can turn a marketing email into a social media update or take out key facts from a blog post and publish it on Slideshare in the form of a presentation with a link back to the original.

### 6\. Consolidate your onsite and offsite strategy

Your offsite strategy should fit into your onsite strategy to form your overall content strategy. If the customer becomes interested in a particular type of information after reading your blog post or social media update and clicks through to your website, he/she should easily be able find what they are looking for.

To sum it up...

A kickass content strategy, in essence, is about two things:

1. Providing valuable information
2. Optimizing customer experience

Set out a detailed plan of how to achieve the above, understand what you already have and look to improve on it. Remember you customer funnel (or goals) and remember, a content strategy is a continuous process and demands patience to formulate, test and refine. It should not be taken as a one-time exercise, but as something that you think about and do regularly.
### What Works Best for Digital Marketing in 2015? [Infographic]
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/what-works-best-for-digital-marketing-in-2015-infographic/
Last updated: 2021-03-18T22:46:27.000Z
Digital marketing is evolving at a rapid rate. As each year passes, the importance of having a properly structured digital marketing strategy is becoming more and more obvious. Smart Insights carried out a massive market research operation and blended it with [other research from the best market research sources](http://www.smartinsights.com/marketplace-analysis/customer-analysis/digital-marketing-statistics-sources/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) and the result was the following infographic.

It’s broken down into 3 sections; an overview of global consumer usage; an overview of benchmarks across customer life-cycle followed by research on the most effective techniques for managing digital marketing – according to industry peers.

## **Key Takeaways**

- Search optimisation is now the second largest online marketing channel.
- Half of those asked said they had no defined digital marketing strategy.
- Social media content is considered the best way to encourage interaction with consumers.

This research shows what many predicted. More people are using the internet than ever before and this trend will continue to grow. The use of mobile cell phones to search the internet is still growing and is now not far behind PC use as the prominent device of choice. This data provides some incredible insights into the average user profile and should be used when developing your 2015 digital marketing strategy. Amazingly, the top 100 websites in the world are actually slow adopters to ensuring their user experience for mobile users is acceptable with[ only 12% of them taking the plunge](http://www.guypo.com/rwd-2014/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

Interestingly for eCommerce stores, the data shows that iPads have the highest add-to-cart rates among devices, boasting almost a 9% add-to-cart rate. If you check your own Google Analytics dashboard and see that you have a high proportion of visits from iPad users then you would be wise to ensure that you maximise the return by ensuring you optimise the visitor experience for them.

## **2015 Predictions**

There’s clear data to also suggest that the majority of people working in SEO believe that the company they work for provide insufficient resource to really maximise search optimisation. I’m predicting this year will see more businesses take digital marketing seriously than ever before. I’m certainly seeing an increase in businesses contacting me seeking a consultant and most people I speak to in the industry are very busy. This demand could be the catalyst for bringing through a new generation of talented digital marketers and more businesses prospering from the potential of digital marketing.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/03/stateoftheartdigitalmarketingSmartInsights.jpeg)
### 24 Email Marketing Tips to Improve CTR
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/24-email-marketing-tips-to-improve-ctr/
Last updated: 2021-03-19T16:06:39.000Z
Practical ideas to test to get more from your email campaigns.

Leads are the lifeblood of every digital business, and [email marketing](https://www.smartinsights.com/email-marketing/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is a proven method to get leads and sales flowing. Email open and click-through rates can exceed those of other digital marketing methods; however, there are some best practices that you should follow to help your emails convert more efficiently. Get it wrong and you could just be wasting your time.

Recently, a family friend told me she was not happy with the results of her email marketing efforts. When I looked at the emails that she'd been sending out, I was surprised to see a full-page-width logo sitting on top of her message. Below the logo, she was using a three-column layout with two of the columns cluttered with 22 logos and icons and bold CTA’s. Not only could this trigger spam filters but it looks too busy. You have to have a clean and honest message, not just a sales pitch.

## Best Practices for Email Etiquette

In order to maximise the chances of your emails being opened and read, you have to ensure you practice correct email etiquette to avoid being [considered as a spammer](https://www.getresponse.com/learning-center/articles/spam-complaints.html?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). You must also make them look personal and natural.

How can you ensure your audience act on your call-to-action without making your email an obvious and pushy sales message? Adopting the following best practices can significantly improve the results of your email marketing campaign.

## Subject Line Best Practices

In order to generate conversions, your emails need to provoke an interest. There are plenty of opinions on the topic of subject lines - some tips will work for your business and some might not. Tim Watson [wrote an excellent article](https://www.smartinsights.com/email-marketing/email-creative-and-copywriting/7-email-subject-line-myths-exploded/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) on Smart Insights in 2012 that encourages you ****not** to follow subject line best practices, the tips that Tim mentioned will also work for some businesses, but not others. Regardless of opinion, subject line is important, whatever the goals of your email marketing campaigns. Here are some things to think about to help you achieve a good open-rate:

### #1\. Be personal and specific

You should write personally and be specific. *"Is your dog nutritionally healthy?"* is a better subject line than *"Dog-owners! Provide your with dog a better diet"*. Using your addressees' first name in the subject line can also improve open rate, for example - "Matt, *Is your dog nutritionally healthy?*.

![9086-400](https://www.smartinsights.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/9086-400.png)

### #2\. Create a sense of urgency

One tip that works nicely for some of my clients is to try to show your audience that they only have a limited amount time to react. There are many ways to make your subject line convey a sense of urgency.

*"Two Days Only—Here’s a gift, on us!"*. Using a headline like this, you are telling your customers they have to react quickly if they want to take up your opportunity. *"Dog Training—Last few seats remaining"*. In this subject line, you are telling your audience the product is scarce, so they should grab the last seat before it's too late.

### #3\. Stimulate emotions

Fear, astonishment, curiosity, love, and hate are some of the feelings that you can play with in order to get your email opened. Try saying something your readership least expect: *"Why your dog hates you"*. Obviously subject lines like these have a time and a place so don’t go overboard.

### #4\. Don't sell

Unless you have a special offer or giveaway, try not to pitch products in your subject line. A salesy subject line can lower your open rates. If you insist on using the subject line to sell then [sell the benefits](https://www.smartinsights.com/email-marketing/email-creative-and-copywriting/which-subject-line-words-boost-response-rates-infographic/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) and not the product.

### #5\. Offer an incentive

You should plan your conversion or sale offer to include a perceived benefit for the reader. A free download is often a great conversion tool. Coupons, discounts, badges, and physical gifts are some of the other things that you can use. *"Last Day: Claim your free T-Shirt"*.

### #6\. Avoid spammy words

Email spam filters are now fairly intelligent. You want to avoid using spammy words as much as possible. A few years back this was much more important than it is now but you should still pay attention to which words you use.

## ****Design Best Practices**

Most email marketing management tools offer a decent number of pre-designed templates and extra design tools. You could also opt for a custom HTML design. A custom design or attractive template can convey your brand message and look attractive. Be careful not to go over the top with visual elements, or you might distract the readers from the conversion. Simplicity is often key. Here are some of the best email design practices to follow:

### #7\. Mind the width

When designing your email template, make sure that its maximum width doesn’t exceed 650 pixels. It's [best to keep it at 600 pixels](http://www.smileycat.com/miaow/archives/002671.php?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). Anything beyond 650 pixels may not display properly in the email review pane.

![Comparison of email widths](https://www.smartinsights.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/retail-email-width-lg-700x372.png)

**Comparison of email widths - courtesy of smileycat.com*

### #8\. Avoid lots of images

A picture is worth 1000 words. However, Gmail and most of other email service providers don't usually display images automatically. In addition, most spam filters will push an email with too many images into the spam folder. Try to restrict images to no more than 25-30% of your email to ensure good deliverability.

### #9\. A column too many

The family friend I mentioned above was using a three-column layout, which is something most email users are not accustomed to seeing. A conversion email should be simple, so that the readers may focus on the main message and action. Do not overload them with complex multi-column layouts - 1 or 2 columns is fine.

### #10\. Tag your images

Ensure you add Alt and Title text to your images. As already suggested, the images may not load, so it's a good idea to turn your Alt text into an alternative call-to-action and link the image to your landing page.

### #11\. Design your CTA

While you shouldn't use an image for your CTA, for obvious reasons (one mentioned above!), it's a great idea to design your CTA as an action button. Your readers should be able to find out instantly where they need to click. Your CTA needs to stand out.

### #12: Use a light background

Use dark text on a light background. It converts so much better than using coloured or dark backgrounds as it looks cleaner and more appealing to the eye.

### #13\. Format text and links

Formatting improves the readability of your email. Highlight key points by making them bold. Format links to be a different color to the rest of the body. Try to keep the style in-line with your branding and only use one font.

### #14\. Integrate social media

Try to include social sharing options in your emails. Make use of them to expand the reach of your email. You would be surprised how sharable a good email can be!

## ****Content Best Practices**

If you are confident that the above points are taken care of, you can move on to the content. It's usually the content that will determine whether the person clicks-through, bounces or unsubscribes. Follow these best practices to increase conversions:

### #15\. Only have one CTA

To ensure your email performs, you must only give the readers one way of taking action. If you want your readers to buy dog-food, your whole email should be geared towards getting them to click through to your landing page. Don’t confuse your message by asking them to buy your product, download your eBook, follow you on Twitter and leave a review about you online - all in one email.

### #16\. Include multiple links

Having a single CTA doesn’t mean that you can't have more than one link in your email. However, the links should still point to your landing page. Try to avoid external links.

### #17\. Keep it short and sweet

The longer your email, the less likely your readers will read it all the way to your CTA. If you feel it's really important to write a detailed email, provide key information - possibly in the form of bullet points - right at the top, followed by your CTA, and then go on to provide more information below.

### #18\. Improve targeting

Segment your mailing list by using relevant attributes, such as buying history, average spending, geographic location, age, etc. When you organise your data and have defined segments, you can target different groups with different emails that appeal to those segments. If you are writing to your loyal customers, you could offer loyalty points. For new customers, you could offer a welcome discount. The better your targeting, the more efficiently your emails will convert.

### #19\. Provide clear contact information

You must provide your address and phone numbers in your email in order for it to look credible. Also include a helpline or email address to answer customer queries and resolve complaints. Your readers need to know what they can do if they want to make an inquiry or if something goes wrong.

### #20\. Match your email and landing page

Your email should work in harmony with your landing page in terms of the content, headline, look, and feel. Your readers should be able to instantly make the connection between the email they click and the page that opens.

### #21\. Provide Terms & Conditions

If your email asks people to buy your product or subscribe to a paid service, the transaction should be supported by the appropriate terms and conditions in order to sound credible. You should include a link to your Terms and Conditions page to boost the readers' confidence.

## ****Bonus**

### #22\. Use Tools

There’s a massive variety of tools which you can use to design your emails, evaluate your subject lines, and conduct A/B split testing to determine which particular version of your email converts better. Some of these tools come with built-in spam checkers and even human reviewers. You should select suitable tools for your business needs and make use of all the relevant features to improve the conversion performance of your emails.

### #23\. Monitor and Learn

Track your conversions with [Google Analytics](https://www.google.com/analytics/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), as well as the software that the email marketing platform that you use provides. See which emails convert better than others and try to figure out why. Learn from your experience and [don’t be afraid to experiment](http://marketingland.com/5-email-ab-split-test-ideas-you-havent-tried-49683?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

### #24\. Think mobile

Mobile phones and tablets are now the dominant choice of device to open emails. In 2013, [48% of emails were opened using a tablet or mobile phone](http://marketingland.com/report-mobile-email-opens-reach-48-edging-closer-overtake-desktop-open-rates-87182?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). Ensure that when planning you campaign, you ensure you cater for this proportion of your subscribers. As ever, test your drafts on all the devices you can get your hands on.

Finally, anyone dealing with email marketing should be familiar with the [CAN-SPAM Act](https://www.business.ftc.gov/documents/bus61-can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). You may be liable to legal penalties if you violate these laws. If you have someone else managing your email marketing, make sure that they comply with the best practices recommended by law.
### Dealing with Digital Marketing Technology in 2015 and Beyond
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/dealing-with-digital-marketing-technology-in-2015-and-beyond/
Last updated: 2021-03-22T17:34:24.000Z
It’s becoming all the more evident that the pace of change in technology and marketing is accelerating at an incredible rate. The integration of technology with marketing and strategy will be a key issue in 2015\. Technology has forayed into areas that were typically the domain of IT and marketing departments. Digital marketing used to be complex. Now, with the help of technology, it’s becoming much more manageable.

![2015-and-beyond](http://sitecondorblog.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/2015-and-beyond.png)

- How important is technology for marketing and strategy?

Should you adopt technology before you formulate your strategy, or should strategy precede technology

- adoption?
- How can you change your business to accommodate technology and keep pace with its rapid advances?

These are kind of questions you should be asking yourself if you are looking into using technology to improve your digital marketing efforts. I’ll try to answer these questions and clear some of the fog that shrouds the subject of technology in digital marketing.

## **Key Issues and Observations**

Before we can think about the solution, we must define the problem. Here are a few observations that I have, after working with many clients:

1. Technology is advancing so fast that it’s often difficult for marketers to keep pace with it. I went through my bookmarks earlier this week and within my “Marketing Tools” I have 50 tools bookmarked. Incredibly, 15 of these no longer existed or had evolved into something quite different.
2. Business owners and manager are grappling with the question of whether or not to invest in technology, and which particular tool or piece of software to opt for.
3. Some marketers are not fully utilising the technology that they already have access to.
4. Organisations lack the capability and/or budget to evaluate different digital marketing tools and purchase the right one.
5. There is a greater degree of collaboration required between marketing and IT departments.  
Most marketers think technology is a way to increase efficiency, but few of them seem to realize that technology is as much about efficiency as it is about customer experience, and equally, expansion.
6. Marketers are making their lack of technical knowledge an excuse for not understanding and using technology.

Because of these problems, marketing technology remains vastly under-utilised by most businesses.

## **What Technology Can Do for Marketing**

Technology is not the antidote for all your marketing problems. It doesn’t free you of the responsibility of creating brilliant content or drawing an elaborate target market profile. However, there are various areas of marketing that technology tries to help with but for the sake of time, I’ll stick to two areas: **efficiency* and **experience*.

****Increasing Efficiency:** Digital technology doesn’t only boost the efficiency of your existing processes, but also enables you to create new, more efficient processes. For instance, tools such as [**Oktopost*](http://www.oktopost.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) or [**Login Radius*](http://www.loginradius.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) make it easy to manage multiple social media platforms and accounts from a single dashboard. The process of social media marketing becomes more efficient if you are using this type of software. **Full Contact*, another piece of great technology, allows you to find out the social media profiles of your email contacts. It thus creates a new process that enhances the effectiveness of your email marketing and lead nurturing processes.

****Improving Experience:** Technology improves customer experience by making your messaging more interesting, media-rich and engaging. For instance, a designing tool such as **Adobe Photoshop* can help you create better visual content. Internet and mobile apps, virtual event and webinar software (my favourite being **Google Hangouts*), interactive ads and pop-ups, gamification tools, and other such technologies are more about enhancing customer experience. Even something as simple as keeping customers informed throughout a purchase can be easily sorted using technology (**GetResponse.com* have a [fantastic autoresponder](http://www.getresponse.com/features/autoresponder.html?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) well worth trying).

****Marketers should keep both efficiency and experience in mind while using marketing technology.** Efficiency should certainly be a goal, but the greater opportunity lies in using software to create targeted and behaviour-driven lead capturing and nurturing processes that could not have been conceived without technology. Think relationships.

## **Technology and Strategy**

Integration with strategy is one of the biggest dilemmas that technology presents. Managers are expected to formulate digital marketing strategies that leverage the available technology. Two approaches can be adopted.

1. Define your strategy, and then look for the technologies that help improve efficiency and customer experience.
2. Get hold of a digital marketing technology stack, and then make your strategy based on what you can achieve with your toolbox.

As you may see, both these approaches are fallacious. Option 1 imposes serious limitations on the goals and processes that you define, because unless you understand technology, you’ll not know what kinds of strategies are possible. Option 2 presumes that a particular set of tools can prove to be the panacea for your marketing strategy, but that’s rarely the case. Technology is evolving very fast, and there’s no one-size-fits-all digital marketing technology package that exists.

The right approach to strategy formulation is to ****maintain a circular relationship between strategy and technology**. You define your strategy based on the technology that you are currently using or know about. Your strategies then tell you what new tools and software you require. And, the new technology that you adopt allows you to further refine your strategy. It’s a relationship in which both technology and strategy reinforce each other, forming a cycle of continuous improvement. However it does need a starting point.

## **Types of Marketing Technology**

Digital marketing technology has quickly evolved into a maze of tools and software that can be confusing just to look at, let alone use. Take a look at the following marketing technology landscape, as depicted by [**SmartInsights*](http://www.smartinsights.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

![lumascape](http://sitecondorblog.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/lumascape.png)

As you can see, selecting and evaluating technology is a formidable task. It can be made simpler if you know the areas of your marketing where technology can be deployed. There are at least 10 types of digital marketing technology that a business should use in order to ensure its survival in 2015 and beyond.

1. ****CRM:** Using customer relationship management (CRM) software is a must for any growth-oriented business. CRM software can help you nurture your relationships with your customers, improve communications, and make it easier for your sales team to track prospects and close sales. There are several CRM suites available, such as **Salesforce*, **NetSuite*, and **OnContact*, which are regarded as some of the best CRM products of 2014.
2. ****Marketing Automation:** Good marketing automation tools can give you the capability to do things like manage your blog and social media, create landing pages and lead capture forms, track keywords and leads, benchmark your marketing against your competitors, manage email campaigns, and measure the performance of your digital marketing. Take a look at **Infusionsoft*, **Hubspot* and **Vocus* for some nice tools.
3. ****SMM Software:** If you don’t need a comprehensive marketing automation package that comes with a built-in social media marketing feature, you can use one of the several free and paid tools to manage, measure and coordinate campaigns across a variety of social platforms. **HootSuite*, **Oktopost*, **Buffer App* and **Sprout* are some of the best social media marketing tools available, although there are hundreds other tools out there. Some of these technologies also help you build interactive ads and apps that deliver a rich and engaging social user experience.
4. ****Email Marketing:** Your email marketing software makes it simple to design and dispatch aesthetically formatted emails and newsletters to your extensive mailing lists, but can also deliver elaborate analytics, including information about the ever growing mobile and tablet market. You can easily find out exactly how many people are opening your emails and clicking on the links that you included. **ConstantContact*, **Benchmark Email* and **GetResponse* are some of the top-ranked technologies for email management.
5. ****Webinars and Conferencing:** If you have your customers spread across the country or even across the world and your business model includes face-to-face interaction with them, you could use video conferencing software. **Join.me*, **Webex* and **GoToMeeting* are popular technologies in this category but also look at **Skype* and **Google Hangouts* for mainstream solutions.
6. ****Design:** Stunning, attractive design is the soul of your digital marketing, and, in my opinion, there’s no better software for it than **Adobe Creative Suite*. You can subscribe to the [**Adobe Creative Cloud*](http://www.adobe.com/creativecloud.html?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to access the latest versions of **Photoshop*, **Illustrator*, **Indesign*, **Acrobat*, and a plethora of other design apps. You can access these cloud-based apps from your office, home or anywhere else…even from your mobile. There are plenty of other options, though. I wrote a blog post recently on [creating great visual content](http://mattjanaway.co.uk/10-tools-creating-great-visual-content/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).
7. ****Analytics:** **Google Analytics* is the best and cheapest (free!) method of keeping tabs on your digital marketing performance. Just add the script to your website and you can delve into a data-rich environment, to emerge with important insights about the strengths and weaknesses of your online marketing.
8. ****Project Management:** In an emerging global workplace, your digital marketing team doesn’t necessarily need to be working from the office…or even in your city or country. There are numerous cloud based technologies available, which help you stay organized and collaborate with your team members as well as clients on a project-to-project basis. **Basecamp*, **Trello*, and **Smart Sheet* are some of the best tools available for project management.
9. ****Content Management:** Having fresh, unique and optimised content is the foundations to better search engine rankings. A content management system (CMS) makes it easy for your whole team to publish and update content. **WordPress* CMS continues to dominate content marketing with its intuitive interface and variety of plugins and templates.
10. ****Collaboration:** Tools like **Skype* and **Google+ Hangouts* allow you to collaborate with team members in geographically dispersed locations. Using Hangouts, up to 10 people can participate in an online meeting via video chat. **Google Drive* is an excellent way to collaborate on documents.

## **How to Manage Technology**

Many marketers fail to harness the full power of the technology that is already available to them. For example, a good proportion don’t know how to leverage Google Analytics for augmenting their online marketing performance. The gap between the marketers’ knowledge and technology is quite natural, though, as the explosion of technology has created a new dimension of marketing. However, marketers must learn and get better at using technology, as opposed to shying away and shirking responsibility.

Technology has melted the boundaries between IT and Marketing departments. Many businesses are puzzled by the question of whether their digital marketing activities should be run by the CMO or the CIO. In principle, the CMO (or similar) should have a leading role in marketing technology management. The reason is that marketing is increasingly about the digital customer experience that you design and deliver using different software, and the CMO is the right person to envisage and design the customer experience. But, with that said, there’s a need to integrate technology with other business functions, for which IT department must be involved. Marketing should spell out the requirements and carry out the financial governance of technology, whereas IT should deal with security, regulation, continuity, and integration with the business’s IT systems. However, this somewhat simplistic solution presents an important paradox.

Steve Jobs said, **“People don’t know what they want until you show it to them”*. In a typical setup, marketing knows little about technology, and IT knows little about marketing. How can marketers tell what they want, when they know nothing about technology? How can IT suggest a technology, when it knows nothing about marketing? As Henry Ford said, “if I had asked people what they want, they would have said, faster horses”. When marketing asks IT for a faster horse, IT delivers a faster horse. Both of them haven’t seen the automobile, so they don’t know it exists!

This paradox is solved by creating a new strategic role within the organisation, the role of a Chief Digital Officer, Head of Digital or CDO. It is predicted that 25% of organizations will have a CDO by 2015\. Chief Digital Officers operate in the overlap between IT and marketing. CDO is in charge of the eCommerce or online portion of the business. They are responsible for customer experience, revenue generation, and digital business strategy. CDO is the next generation IT hero who really understands digital as a way to bring innovation to the organisation.

It’s a powerful role. As new technologies are becoming available at a dizzying pace, CDOs in many companies report directly to CEOs and act as change agents. Other businesses confine the role of CDO to marketing by placing them under the CMO.

Marketing is transforming into something none of us have seen before. The technology big-bang is changing the organisational structures, and it appears that the role of CDO is going to become permanent and ubiquitous across business organizations. This role is going to make IT departments less important, if not completely useless. Unlike the stereotype CIOs who are just concerned with managing and implementing technology, ****CDOs implement technology driven innovation**.

## **Last Words**

Technology is outpacing marketers’ understanding. Management teams are grappling with how to handle technological change. Conventional marketing and IT structure roles are becoming obsolete, as are conventional marketing practices. Every business has a pressing need to harness technology. Every business will need to change the way it thinks about marketing if it wants continued success.
### 10 Tools for Creating Great Visual Content
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/10-tools-for-creating-great-visual-content/
Last updated: 2021-03-19T13:25:49.000Z
The vast amount of content created online is staggering. More than [350 million](http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-350-million-photos-each-day-2013-9?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) new photos are uploaded to Facebook every single day. One hundred hours of video is uploaded to [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/yt/press/statistics.html?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) every minute. On average, more than [3000 tweets](http://onesecond.designly.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) are retweeted every second! Its difficult to comprehend the sheer volume or videos, photos and articles that exist on the Internet.

In order to make that great piece of content you wrote stand out you sometimes have to go that extra mile because it often takes something visually special to cut through the sea of mediocrity.

![business-166](http://mattjanaway.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/business-166.png)

Here are a few tools that can help you build visually persuasive content. Most of them are free (or free to try) so take them for a spin.

## **Photos and Graphics**

Photos can almost double the chances of your content being clicked. And with the following tools, your photos will can be at the same standard as your content.

### **ThingLink**

Not only does [ThingLink](http://www.thinglink.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) allow you to make your photos highly engaging, it’s also a lot of fun to use! The online app allows you to insert tags and icons on your photo, which appear on mouse-over. When the user touches any of the icons, a pop-up with your message appears. You can also link these icons to relevant videos, music or photos, which will be superimposed on your photo.

The app also lets you search for relevant content right off its dashboard. Here’s a photo I created in less than 10 minutes. ****Scroll over the image. Go on, you know you want to!**

![](https://cdn.thinglink.me/api/image/612322725838454786/1024/10/scaletowidth#tl-612322725838454786;1043138249')

Made with[LEARN MORE](https://www.thinglink.com/?buttonSource=badgeButtonBox&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)

### **Canva**

Gone are the days when you need a master degree in Photoshop to create great visual content. Enter: [Canva](https://www.canva.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), the “fun-tastic” online tool that takes 21 seconds to master. Seriously… That’s the length of the tutorial video on their homepage. Design awesome images by simply dragging and dropping pictures and icons, add text, change the colours to go with your brand or theme, and you’re ready with a great custom image to share with your audience.

You can design different types of visual content such as Twitter posts, posters, Facebook cover images, and more. The app is free to use, but most of the images and icons cost you $1 each.

### **Adobe Creative Cloud**

For those of you who need more control (like me), there’s [Adobe Creative Cloud](https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud.html?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). The online creative suites eliminates the need for installing heavy graphics software on your computer, allowing you to access, work and collaborate on your visual content from anywhere in the world. Adobe has hosted tons of desktop and mobile apps on the cloud. And you can use the entire collection by paying $29.99 per month. Great if you are also into photography.

Creative Cloud also lets you share your visual content using [Behance](https://www.behance.net/?sso%5Finbound=true&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), get amazing fonts using [Typekit](https://typekit.com/?locale=en-US&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), build apps using [PhoneGap](https://build.phonegap.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), manage projects on [StoryPlus](https://creative.adobe.com/products/story-plus?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), and really do quite a lot. Adobe CC is great place if you are a creative designer, although it can be a little baffling for a beginner.

### **PicMonkey**

[PicMonkey](http://www.picmonkey.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is another easy-to-use visual picture tool that allows you to edit, touch up, and design images, add text, and share the results with your audience. It works in much the same way as Canva, but PicMonkey also allows you to create collages from your own photos and enhance them visually. Remove the wrinkles and blemishes from photos, make people blush, whiten their teeth, apply lip color, grow whiskers, and do a lot more.

### **Infogram**

Have you ever pondered how people can create infographics so quickly and easily? You don’t need to be a designer to make your data attractive by depicting it graphically. [Infogram](https://infogr.am/app/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk#/home) allows you to pick up one of the several templates and customize it with your own text and data. Just like with Canva and PicMonkey, you can just drag and drop items and objects to bring your infographics to life.

The free basic plan gives you plenty of features and charts to play around with and also publishes your infographics online. A must-use tool if you don’t want to bore the heck out of your audience with text, figures and tables.

## **Videos and Slideshows**

A video or slideshow on your landing page can boost conversions by as much as [80%](http://unbounce.com/landing-page-articles/the-benefits-of-using-video-on-landing-pages/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) or more. People are 160% more likely to buy from you if they watch through the end of your video, but how to make them do that? Here are some tools that can make your videos and slideshows captivating.

### ****Prezi**

Tired of publishing boring slideshows? [Prezi](http://prezi.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) gives you a whole new perspective on your presentations. You can create a wide area snapshot of your whole presentation using one of the attractive and meaningful templates. Prepare your slides and position them on the template. Use the tool to zoom in and out of your slides and fly around the presentation to give a unique and dynamic feel. You can customize the path or the sequence in which the slides will display and add audio to the presentation. Unlike a regular PowerPoint presentation, a Prezi presentation looks more like a video and emphasizes the way in which your slides are interconnected.

Prezi might take a while to master. You can view a plethora of public presentations shared on Prezi to get inspired. Here’s an example of a random video created using Prezi.

### **GoAnimate**

If a picture is worth one thousand words, a video must be worth a million. Why use text when you can capture your viewers’ attention with an entertaining, slick video? [GoAnimate](http://goanimate.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is a great tool for producing fun animated videos using a variety of cartoon characters, backgrounds, props, and smart sets. There are plenty of themes available to go with any type of video, including business presentations, white board animations, cartoons, comedy, Sci-Fi…you name it.

GoAnimate is easy and fun to use. Just select the theme, scroll your mouse over different objects and characters, and enjoy playing with a huge number of cool features and functionalities. You can try the video maker for free, but you must purchase a plan (starting at $39/month) if you want to download or export your video.

### **Sellamotion**

This is the Doodle video website that claims their one-of-a-kind animations are 800% more engaging than words. These videos use a human hand to sketch your story on a whiteboard at high speed, as a crisp voiceover speaks to the viewers. The videos they make are compelling and keep the audience hooked through the very end.

[Sellamotion](http://sellamations.com/work/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is a customized service and their team will offer you a price after learning about your requirements in detail. Their process starts with a conference call and includes script, original artwork, voiceover, and editing. The prices start at $297/minute, so this might not exactly be the cheapest or shortest route to producing a video.

You can see some of their work [here](http://sellamations.com/work/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

### **Common Craft**

[CommonCraft](https://www.commoncraft.com/join?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is similar to Sellamotion, but here, you tell your story with the help of paper cutouts and props instead of the whiteboard sketches. This can give you more versatility and visual appeal. It’s a great way to translate a complex idea into simple and interesting videos that stand out. CommonCraft videos can keep your audience glued to the screen (and on your page longer).

Plans start at $49 a year, but you’ll need to buy the $99 plan in order to be able to download or embed the videos that you create.

### **Haiku Deck**

[HaikuDeck](https://www.haikudeck.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is a great tool for creating compelling slideshow presentations that you can distribute through multiple channels. It gives you plenty of attractive layouts, stunning images, and bold fonts to play with. You can build delightful presentations pretty quickly; however, if your slides are really detailed, HaikuDeck may not be able to handle all the text. With that said, it’s a wonderful way of telling your brand stories and making your presentations stand out from the stock PowerPoint slideshows.

The website offers plenty of sample presentations that you can draw inspiration from. When they are ready, you can download or share your presentations via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, or email. You can also embed them directly into your webpage, just as I did with the following sample slideshow.

  
[10-Minute Content Marketing Miracles](https://www.haikudeck.com/p/DBkaVhE0NA/10-minute-content-marketing-miracles?utm%5Fcampaign=embed&utm%5Fsource=webapp&utm%5Fmedium=text-link) – Created with Haiku Deck, presentation software that inspires

These are just some of the tools that can make your visual content deliver the “wow” effect. Of course, there’s Instagram, Vine, Windows Movie Maker, YouTube Video Editor, and plenty of other free and paid tools that you can use for taking your static and dynamic visual content into a different dimension. Most of these tools come with easy tutorials, but they tell you little about your customers, their needs, and the type of content that they’d love. Tools still haven’t replaced the marketer, at least completely!
### 19 Explosive Content Marketing Tips For eCommerce Stores
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/19-explosive-content-marketing-tips-for-ecommerce-stores/
Last updated: 2021-03-19T16:07:04.000Z
Why the uproar about content marketing? Hasn’t content always been on centre-stage? The truth is, before there was anything else, there was content. Content was the basis of what propelled the internet into the most important invention of modern technology.

*“Content is the reason search began in the first place,”* says Lee Odden of TopRank Marketing. Before the Internet was cluttered with PPC and display ads and businesses embarked upon the SEO wild goose chase, it was just content that used to drive traffic. Ironically, even after the technology boom and the digital marketing big bang, content still has a massive impact in getting you customers and sales. Instead of diminishing in power, content has become more effective than ever before.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/03/1111.png1.png)

## **Why Market Content?**

A great piece of content that you create today will live for eternity on the web, and eternity is a long time! Killer content will keep driving you traffic, leads and sales for years and years. It will keep doing its rounds on social media, generating referrals and back-links. When you create and market awesome content, you are starting a chain reaction. The more informative the content, the stronger the shockwave that it creates. It should play a role in every digital marketing strategy (If you need help, there are [various strategy guides](http://www.smartinsights.com/digital-marketing-strategy/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) available).

Think of content marketing as the shop-floor work force, something that’s working away tirelessly regardless of the time of da. When utilised well, it should keep the business growing.

Here are 19 tips that will help you set up the digital marketing production line. After setting up the shop and putting some these strategies to work, it’s only a matter of time before you see the fruits of your labour.

## **A. Write Ballistic Headlines**

You should always start at the basics. A good headlines is where it all starts. In search results, your headlines have a massive impact so use them to try to grab the attention of your potential readers. Try the following headline tips:

****1\. Use Power Words**: Use power words in your headlines. These are words that convey feelings and appeal to the senses. Explosive, devastating, ballistic, skyrocket, panic…and also, wondrous, jubilant, mind-blowing, triumph…there are many. Be aware that using too many power words can make the article look spammy so find the right balance.

****2\. Don’t be scared of sexy**: Don’t go overboard, but making your headlines sexy will help to deliver traffic. Sex sells, and that statement is true of pretty much every industry. But remember the key rule. Don’t write anything your mum wouldn’t like!

****3\. Create Intrigue**: Don’t give away everything in the headline. Pique your readers’ curiosity by exploiting the gap between their problems and the solution that you offer.

****4\. Shatter Expectations**: Bear in mind that very few websites get attention by following the conventional. Break the mould. Be a square peg in a round hole. Say things that your readers least expect but always ensure you can back up your points with data and facts.

****5\. Learn as You Go**: Subscribe to websites such as Huffington Post, Content Marketing Institute, Copy Blogger, and many others, and observe what types of headlines are attracting the most number of tweets and shares. Don’t be afraid to experiment and learn from your mistakes.

## **B. Make Your Content Prolific**

Prolific, plentiful, productive, fertile, creative… these are all synonyms that define great content. People love to engage with content, if (and only if) the content presses the right buttons. Do you know what those buttons are for your audience? If you do, you could see your content spreading like wildfire. Follow these guidelines:

****6\. Hard-wire Virality**: How can you make your content viral by default? The answer is simple – if the content is worth its salt, it should spread by itself. Give your audience a reason to share or engage with your content. Is it fabulous content? Is it a special offer or a discount coupon? Did I mention fabulous content? That’s how you growth-hack content. Build virality in its core, so that your viewers are compelled to share it. This is sometimes not easy for an eCommerce store but you must try to ensure that your eCommerce blog is the best in your industry.

****7\. Gamify Your Content** *: Interactivity* is a term of the past. Its now known as gamification. Advanced video, parallax scrolling and rich media technologies have made it possible to serve content that your viewers can interact with in a multitude of different ways. It can be something as simple as a progression bar or a loyalty badge or as elaborate as a 3-D viewing option or a videogame involving your product.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/03/121-1024x575.jpg-600x336.jpg)

****8\. Newsjack Social Trends**: In the world of hashtags, trends come and go on a daily basis. Newsjacking essentially means taking advantage of what’s trending on social media. For instance, as I write this [#NashvsHayes](https://twitter.com/hashtag/NashvsHayes?src=hash&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) is trending on Twitter right now. Can you think of an idea that ties your business to these two musicians? A vine video contest mimicking their latest video, perhaps? Can you recall how many brands and individuals newsjacked “Gangnam Style” or the “Harlem Shake”? The only rule here is that the trends you pick must resonate with your target market, there’s no point talking #steaks to a #vegan market.

****9\. Write Longer Copy**: The myth about internet users not paying attention to lengthy posts is just that – a myth. Search engines seem to love long-form copy, as proven by [Neil Patel](http://www.quicksprout.com/2012/12/20/the-science-behind-long-copy-how-more-content-increases-rankings-and-conversions/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). He carried out A/B testing for his homepage with a shorter version that was only about 40% of the original length. Surprisingly, the original version converted 7.6% better and produced better quality leads. He observes the the top 10 pages that Google displays for almost *any* keyword have at least 2000 words each, on average. As for your readers, they could keep reading your post forever if you write what they want to read.

****10\. Use Visual Content**: Buffer reports that tweets with images receive 89% more favourites and 150% more retweets compared to those without. While you can curate most of the photos that you share, there’s no harm in getting creative with your smartphone camera. Who knows, you could start something as explosive as the [ice bucket challenge](http://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/ice-bucket-challenge?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)! You can also think about starting a video blog on YouTube—a video can [persuade 73% of consumers](http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2333878/Video-Helps-Persuade-73-of-People-to-Buy-a-Product-or-Service-Survey?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to buy from you.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/03/131.png-1.png)

## **C. Organise Content Marketing**

Although lots of eCommerce businesses are now aware of the need for content marketing, very few of them have laid down the infrastructure to streamline the flow of content through the overwhelming variety of digital marketing channels now available. The truth is that the digital revolution should be turning every company into a media company. Regardless of what business you are in, you need to possess the capability to curate, create, spread, and monitor content.

****11\. Create a Calendar**: A content marketing strategy is the first thing you need. Draft a document detailing the topics, segmentation and targeting data, strategic and short-term goals, and the short and medium-term plans for achieving those goals. An editorial calendar is just a small component of your overall strategy, but it’s a good place to start for small businesses. Plan your activities for the next year, quarter and/or month. Your calendar should include the topics that you’ll blog about, the social media updates that you’ll post, and the days and times for publishing. As you get to know your audience, prepare to adapt your strategy to suit. Ensure you provide enough content (but always ensure the highest of quality – don’t just churn out content for the sake of it). [Here is a great example](http://www.theworkplacedepot.co.uk/news/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) of an eCommerce store producing good quality content regularly. The content has propelled them into near-market leaders in their field.

****12\. Use Content Marketing Tools**: Content marketing can be scary. The sprawling cyberspace is daunting to navigate unless you use some of the various aids that are available in abundance. Tools are available for doing everything starting from strategy formulation to content creation and curation, and from content distribution and monitoring to online project management. Most of these tools come with a free trial period, so you should check [some of these](http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/free-content-marketing-tools-list?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) and see which ones work best for your business.

****13\. Outsource**: Currently, more than [62% of companies](http://www.inboundwriter.com/content-marketing/infographic-the-content-marketing-explosion/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) outsource their content marketing. However, most of these companies use a combination of in-house and external resources for content creation. Outsourcing execution activities (such as graphic designing, video production, blog writing, etc) saves your time, allowing you to concentrate more on the operations of the business. Outsourcing can also be more economical and productive, because working with a dedicated digital media agency delivers economies of scale. Just like other organisations, agencies are also more skilled at what they do for a living, and are better organised for content marketing.

****14\. Build a Team**: You can hire a digital marketing agency for the implementation, but you still need in-house talent for creating your content strategy, monitoring and supervising your agency, and carrying out other activities (replying to social media comments, assigning topics for blog posts, capturing and following leads, etc). In order to be great at content marketing, your company should involve everybody in the content marketing process -that includes everyone from the boss to the warehouse. Look for people with digital marketing skills and interest inside your organisation and readjust their roles to include content marketing responsibilities. A balance of having your own team and outsourcing certain elements of your strategy is a must but in order to find the right balance, you have to test (and then test some more!).

****15\. Make a Workflow Plan**: The content marketing process includes content creation, management, optimisation, aggregation, curation, monitoring or conversation, measurement, and learning. Your workflow process must deliver on all these stages. Keep these phases of value addition in mind while defining roles and assigning responsibilities to your content marketing team.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2021/03/141.jpg.jpg)

## **D. Bonus Tips**

****16\. Repurpose Content:** *‘kill two birds with one stone’*. In the back of your mind you should try this philosophy with the content that you produce – don’t just aim for two birds though, aim for lots! Its easy to forget about an amazing piece of content soon after it has been published. Ensure you create some spare time to come back to articles you are proud of. Share it more than once on the same channel in order to reach people in different time zones and with different online behaviours and habits. Then, repurpose it for distribution through other avenues. For instance, if you developed an infographic a couple of months back and are producing a video this month, see if the infographic can become a part of your video. Content isn’t exclusive to words!

****17\. Guest Blog**: Guest blogging fell out of favour with many digital marketers when [Matt Cutts made it public](https://www.mattcutts.com/blog/guest-blogging/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) that you should not be using low quality guest blogging as a means for building links. However, guest blogging is still very effective if you ensure the quality of your posts is second-to-none and don’t use it just as an opportunity for a link. Focus your efforts on reaching out to your potential customers or a community instead of building links. Make a list of highly read blogs in your industry and have a strategy to publish a certain number of guest posts every month or quarter. Guest blogging can really expand the reach of your content and help improve your brand.

****18\. Build Influencer Relationships**: Today’s digital marketing environment is characterised by influential individuals in every niche, people who have a sizeable following on social media and on blogs. They may be journalists, bloggers, your customers, employees, or even your competitors. A section of your content marketing strategy should be concerned with tracking down these high-power individuals (or entities) in your industry and nurturing your relationship with them. If you can get an influential blogger or journalist to mention your brand or share your content, the effects can be fantastic.

****19\. Create Evergreen Content**: Content based on news, trends and fads can stretch your reach in the short term, but content like this has a short shelf life. You should increase the life of your content by including some evergreen elements that keep driving you traffic year after year. For instance, if you are writing a post about iPhone 6 (which was just released), you can talk about its new features, and include a section about the best places to buy an iPhone from or how iPhone has evolved over the years. These parts will still be relevant even after the initial traffic frenzy caused by the launch mellows down. Tutorials, how-to guides, FAQs, reviews, and testimonials are a few examples of evergreen content.

Hopefully these tips help in your drive towards competing with the market leaders in your niche.
### A Guide to Growing Your Twitter Audience
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/a-guide-to-growing-your-twitter-audience/
Last updated: 2021-03-19T00:16:11.000Z
"How did you get all those followers?" is pretty much the digital age's equivalent of "What is the meaning of life?" Like everything in 2014, we want it all, we want it now and we want it online. The digital age has bred a new generation of amazing and intelligent young people who, due to the nature of the digital era, are also incredibly impatient, have low boredom tolerances and a[ need for immediacy](http://www.prelude-team.com/articles/generation-y-learning?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

We love Twitter for rapid interaction, ease of use and because it's an online gateway to hordes of potential followers (and website visitors). Followers mean popularity, which in turn means trust, which then in turn could lead to customers and brand recognition. There are numerous ways to tap into this glowing hub of activity, watch[ Eric Kuhn's video](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/29/eric-kuhn-twitter-tips%5Fn%5F3522736.html?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) for some insider tips.

As Twitter is such a fast flowing social network, doing simple things can often bring you great results very quickly. For example, running a competition is going to get you noticed faster than following someone in the hope they will follow you back because a competition gives Twitter users something that they want. Twitter may be fast and furious but by investing a little effort, it will reward you, eventually. This article will explain some of the ways you can quickly gain those much sought after Twitter followers.

## ****Give it away, give it away, give it away now!**

Perhaps the most obvious and probably quickest method of attracting new followers on Twitter is by running a competition. Giving away freebies to new followers will certainly attract people as everyone loves to get something for free and very soon you will see your follower count rise. Just remember, followers are great, but followers who actually want to interact with you are best, so to be really effective, your giveaway prize should be something that is relevant to the type of users you want in your follow list. Jeff Bullas has some great ideas for Twitter contests in his[ blog post](http://www.jeffbullas.com/2012/05/14/4-awesome-types-of-successful-twitter-contests/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

The key is to ensure that your giveaway directly aids you in accessing the right kind of followers, not ones who just want a free iPad. Check out what[ Sitepoint](http://www.twitip.com/how-to-grow-your-follower-numbers-to-over-10000-in-a-week/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) did for advice on how to ensure your competition attracts the right people and can handle the influx of traffic. Rob Ousby´s[ article](https://moz.com/blog/7-new-tips-for-running-a-twitter-giveaway?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) has good information on how to run a successful Twitter giveaway.

## ****Talk the talk**

Some people seem to have it all. You know the kind of people who can light up a room, the kind everyone wants to either be or be with. They're popular with their engaging personality and intelligent conversation and seem to always be doing something exciting or inspiring. The same applies online. The accounts who have got a good amount of decent followers are engaging with their flock. The[ top 20 brands on Twitter](http://www.businessinsider.com/the-top-20-brands-on-twitter-ranked-by-influence-with-customers-2012-7?op=1&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) all ask questions, seek opinion, give advice and recommend things to their followers and guess what, they are rewarded.

People will read what you have to say if you have taken the time to write it in an engaging manner, in a style that appeals to them. This is particularly important if you're a business. Always tweet ¨on brand¨ so that your brand and tweet stay firmly in people's minds. Similarly, users are more encouraged to click your links and give you a retweet you if you have made them smile or stirred them in some way.

If you're speaking your followers' language, they will feel engaged with you and if your followers like what you have to say then they are more likely to stick around, mention you in their own tweets and encourage follows from other Twitter users.[ This blogger noticed](http://www.problogger.net/archives/2008/05/08/5-tips-to-grow-your-twitter-presence/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) that the days he interacted with Twitter users, were the days he seemed to gain the most new followers. @ replies are a great sign that you're being noticed so as you would in any normal conversation, respond to them and keep them tweeting with you!

## ****Know when your audience is online**

The, reason for this is simple; if they can see your tweets then, there is a bigger chance they will engage with you and quickly. This has now been made really nice and easy with handy tools like this[ analysis](http://followerwonk.com/analyze?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) feature by Followerwonk. Analysing your Twitter usage enables you to see when your followers are most active, so that you can set about trying to tweet when they are. You can even schedule tweets if you're in a different timezone to your followers. Beware that you could miss out on actual interaction with your followers though if you don't have a human taking care of this. Being online when your target group is online also allows you to tweet about current affairs that may be relevant to you and them, rather than 8 hours later (a lifetime on Twitter) when the dust has settled.

## ****Lies, damned lies, and statistics**

Data is incredibly important for making decisions. Having access to good analytics can make an enormous difference to how effective your social media campaign performs. Monitoring your performance is now incredibly easy. Lots of social media dashboards have arrived on the market in the last couple of years and they are rapidly becoming more advanced. Kristi Hines wrote an excellent article on how to create the[ ultimate social media dashboard](http://www.cyfe.com/blog/social-media-dashboard/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). However, be warned. Just having the data alone won't be enough to drive your business forward - you need to have a [very strong social media strategy](http://www.smartinsights.com/social-media-marketing/social-media-strategy/do-you-need-a-social-media-strategy/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

## ****So what now?**

Please[ don't pay to get followers](http://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2013/05/16/buying-twitter-followers-pros-and-cons?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk#.). If you can use the methods discussed in this article, you will gain followers quickly without expensive adverts and you´ll ensure that you gain genuine followers, not those who just want a freebie or those that are actually fake accounts.

The novelty of a competition has still not worn off so follow the advice and make clever giveaways to people who are going to appreciate you in the long run.

Be genuine in your tweets. If an existing follower likes what you have to say, they could retweet you and retweets are potentially priceless. Conversations are great and on Twitter, it's no different - chat away! Make them smile and like all the popular people, you'll soon have the following you deserve. Ultimately, the point is to remember that hard work will pay off.

Remember not to neglect other social networks though. Each social network has its advantages and disadvantages - some are[ great for SEO](http://mattjanaway.co.uk/google-plus-seo-benefits/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) while others are fantastic for[ driving direct traffic](https://mashable.com/2013/10/15/pinterest-referral-traffic/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). Generally, the same growth rules apply to most social networks.
### 25 Amazing Ways to Boost eCommerce Conversion Rates
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/25-amazing-ways-to-boost-ecommerce-conversion-rates/
Last updated: 2021-03-19T00:41:28.000Z
Recent [research shows](http://success.adobe.com/en/na/programs/products/digitalmarketing/offers/apr/1304-32060-2013-optimization-survey-results.html?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) that 53% of businesses spend less than 5% of their total marketing budget on conversion optimization. 35% of the businesses report a conversion rate of less than 1%. It wouldn't surprise me if a good chunk of businesses don't even know their eCommerce conversion rates. For this reason, I will be highlighting some incredibly useful and actionable tips which will be almost guaranteed to help turn wasted visitors into paying customers.

I find it amazing that, with more than 95% of their budget being spent on bringing visitors to their website, they aren't doing everything possible to convert those visitors into customers. A poorly optimized page will drive away visitors and waste a large chunk of that money invested in lead generation. Having a poor performing landing page will even [have an impact](http://moz.com/blog/seo-satisfaction?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) on your search rankings in the long run.

## eCommerce conversion rates remain neglected

![contefgnt](https://i1.wp.com/www.searchenginepeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/contefgnt.jpg?resize=256%2C256&ssl=1)

Regardless of its key importance, conversion optimization seems to remain the most neglected part of digital marketing. The average conversion rate for international eCommerce stores has been [hanging around the 1.5% mark](http://www.smartinsights.com/ecommerce/ecommerce-analytics/ecommerce-conversion-rates/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) (depending on the sector) for what seems like forever, despite dramatic advances in technology and a growing confidence in entering personal credit card details online. The blame lies squarely on eCommerce websites and a lack of understanding behind the psychology of a web user.

eCommerce website owners seem to be too busy updating their product ranges, looking for new markets and processing orders that they hardly have the time, or the experience, to invest in conversion optimization. As a result, they waste money on visitors driven from SEO, PPC and other ways of generating traffic to their sales pages.

I have seen clients triple their conversion rates by applying some of the following tips to their product pages. It is important to remember that each one of these tips might only make a small difference, but collectively can be very powerful.

## Create a Sense of Urgency

![Urgency](https://i2.wp.com/www.searchenginepeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/1.jpg?resize=256%2C256&ssl=1)

You have to convince the visitor to buy your product, and one of the best ways of doing this is to try to turn it into an [impulse sale](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impulse%5Fpurchase?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). Supermarkets have mastered the art of the impulse sale by adding sweets and chocolate in and around the checkout area when you pay. How can you replicate this behaviour within a product page? It can be difficult. Product pages don't usually create a sense of urgency; instead they often give the impression that the product would still be available at the same price, even if the customer went away came back a week later.

Some eCommerce websites try to create urgency by using terms like "buy now" or "hurry up." The concept is fine, but they don't tell the visitors why they should buy now. The most powerful force that can make your customers take an immediate buying decision is fear"the fear of missing out on a good deal or a quick delivery.

Here are a few ways to add some urgency into your product pages. As always there are counter arguments with some of these ideas, so they have to be weighed up on a case-by-case basis:

### 1\. Low Stock Indicator

Inform your customers when a particular product is about to run out of stock. This encourages them to purchase immediately, or they might miss out on the product. A low stock level also reassures the customer that the item is popular; this gives them confidence that they are making the right decision. If, however, you have data to suggest that customers purchase multiples of the item, showing low stock levels might have a negative impact on sales if there isn't enough stock to cover their need. This tactic is probably best when you are confident that you sell the item in singles.

### 2\. Time-sensitive shipping

One trick that works very nicely is having a countdown to the daily delivery time cut-off. If your courier collects at 4pm and your cut-off is 3pm for orders to leave your warehouse that same day, let your visitors know in a clear and precise way. Buyers are inpatient. You can take advantage of their impatience by letting them know if they order soon; they could get the item as quickly as the following day. The best implementation of this method that I have seen was on The Workplace Depot website (you can see an example product page [here](http://www.theworkplacedepot.co.uk/flow-plates?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)). They take this process a step further and actually remove the countdown timer between the hours of 3pm (their cut-off) and 7am - this way, it doesn't put visitors off from ordering if they browse the website at 15:05 and realise they have almost 24 hours to order.

### 3\. Free Shipping

A growing proportion of customers look for free shipping when they buy products online. Having large shipping fees will scare visitors off and have a negative impact on your conversion rate. You have to ensure you have enough margin to cover the delivery fee but if you do have the margin, offering free shipping will certainly increase your orders. As ever, there is a balance. Depending on your margin, you will need a certain amount of increase in orders to cover the cost you used to receive from customers paying a delivery fee.

### 4\. Limited Time Deals

You could offer limited-time discounts, free items or package deals to encourage customers to buy before the deal ends. Highlight the amount they will save by buying now, the time left before the deal expires, and the number of people who have already bought that deal to encourage them to click that all important add to basket button.

## Ensure you attract high-quality visitors

![Quality Visitors](https://i1.wp.com/www.searchenginepeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/content-2.jpg?resize=256%2C238&ssl=1)

Every website visitor is different, and they all have their own needs, behaviours and concerns. For this reason, you must ensure that the quality of visitors coming to your site is high, or your conversion rates will suffer.

### 5\. Get your marketing right & attract quality traffic

Ill elaborate on the point above; if you don't optimise for the correct keywords in your inbound marketing strategy, the quality of visitors could be low. If the visitors coming to your sales page don't find the information (or product) they are looking for, they will leave - it's that simple.

For example: imagine a broad search term like gaming computers. If you want to start gathering visitors for this term, you need to ensure you actually sell gaming computers and not just conventional computers. Think about your range - having one choice of a gaming computer still probably isn't enough unless there were multiple upgrades available. Having a good range helps with broad search terms like this.

## Think about the visitor experience

![VIP](https://i0.wp.com/www.searchenginepeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/content-3.jpg?resize=256%2C256&ssl=1)

The most important thing to think about from a user experience point of view is simplicity. Is the page easy to understand? Do the eyes draw to the add to basket button? Do you over complicate the page with lots of bright colours and a lot of pointless features?

Here is a list of other things to think about which all play vital roles in conversion rates (and equally, drop rates). Visitors landing on product pages want these questions answered without having to go looking around the website. It is essential to answer these questions in order to help push your customer through the decision-making process. If you answer each question as clearly as possible without over complicating the product page then, you should see a positive impact on sales. I'll go into more detail on each specific question.

### 6\. Is the product page easy to understand and navigate?

Conversion rates increase massively if you just make things simple and clean (and maybe even bland!). As long as you have a clear call to action (in this case, an add to basket button) there is little chance of confusing visitors. Make the button stand out and try to ensure minimal distractions. Look for areas of the product page that might draw the eyes away from where you want your visitors to look.

### 7\. Is the price obvious and fair?

You have to make the price of the item very visible - it is one of the most important pieces of information on the page. Not only does it have to be visible, it should also be clear. Avoid adding fees and if your prices are excluding taxes make it obvious otherwise you might lose an order at the checkout when they realise it will cost them more than they expected.

### 8\. Is the product price competitive?

You may have very little control over this aspect, and the last thing you want to do is start a race to the bottom with your competitors, but it is important that you try to match the customer's perception of value. If you pride your store as being competitive then don't be afraid to brag about it by adding a price comparison between you and your competitors.

### 9\. Is the product suitable for my needs?

A great way of ensuring the visitor understands the quality of your product is to show off reviews that existing customers have about the product. Adding reviews to product pages should really help.

### 10\. What is the delivery cost?

Amazon have mastered converting visitors into customers by ensuring the visitor perceives value. One way to do this is to offer free delivery. Sometimes free delivery isn't an option but it's important not to seem too steep. Regardless of the cost of shipping, make it obvious early on. Transparency is important if you don't want to lose a customer when they find out that they have to pay unexpected charges when they get to the checkout.

### 11\. How long does delivery take?

Long deliveries are a killer for your conversion rate. Customers are impatient and offering a quicker delivery option actually helps boost sales.

### 12\. What payments methods are available?

Having lots of payment methods means you can match the expectations of a larger audience. As usual though, don't over complicate it.

### 13\. Should I trust this company?

Trust signals are hugely important. Try to offer guarantees and take advantage well known certification brands like [McAfee Secure](https://www.mcafeesecure.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) and [Trusted Shops](https://www.trustedshops.co.uk/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). If you have won awards, [show them off](http://mattjanaway.co.uk/awards-accreditation/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). Another way of generating trust is by adding genuine reviews of your service. Display your phone number (try to get a free phone number - see point 14) and live chat icon clearly (if you don't have live chat, you should get it - see point 13). This shows your customers they can reach you quickly if there's a problem.

## Provide excellent communication

![Communicate](https://i0.wp.com/www.searchenginepeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/20140816flat_icon_business-37.jpg?resize=256%2C256&ssl=1)

Good and timely communication should be a default practice for every eCommerce store. In order to achieve what most visitors would expect from your store, you need to ensure you cover all bases.

### 14\. Live Chat

A global [consumer trend study](https://blog.kissmetrics.com/live-chat/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) found that 90% of customers consider live chat helpful, and [another study](http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1007235&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) indicates 63% of them were more likely to return to a website that offered live chat support. In fact, 38% of customers said they had made their purchases because of the chat support they had received. That's why many good eCommerce websites now provide instant live chat, and so should you.

Your product pages should have a prominent instant chat icon so that the customer may ask any questions that they might have.

### 15\. Free phone

Having a telephone number on your eCommerce website is an absolute must. What adds extra trust is having a telephone number that is free to call. The costs aren't substantial, but the benefits can be massive.

## Be descriptive

![Descriptive](https://i0.wp.com/www.searchenginepeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/notebook-with-shopping-items-on-online-shopping-concept.jpg?resize=256%2C256&ssl=1)

Lots of eCommerce stores suffer from thin, poor or copied content. Content matters. So much so in-fact that Google created the [Panda algorithm](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google%5FPanda?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to try to improve the content quality of their search results.

### 16\. Do not copy/paste

Don't just copy and paste manufacturers descriptions - try to give your visitors something unique and descriptive. If you are struggling to be creative or have writers block then you could always get a professional to write your descriptions. There are some great writing services out there - my pick of the bunch are [Express Writers](http://expresswriters.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) but you can also find good writers on [oDesk](http://odesk.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) (but don't be tight, good writers are worth their weight in gold).

### 17\. Explain Products Visually

Everyone likes to see what they are buying. You must use photos and videos creatively to project a better perception of your products and help explain them better. Showing three or four stills of the product in isolation is not enough, try adding a shot of the product in situ to give an indication of size and quality.

### 18\. Sometimes images aren't enough, try adding a video

Adding great quality and descriptive videos often has a [positive impact on conversions](http://unbounce.com/landing-page-articles/the-benefits-of-using-video-on-landing-pages/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). High value, technical products that require a visual demonstration should have video on their product pages. Video also conveys a better image of your company while helping to build trust and create a professional image for your brand.

## Unified experiences across all devices

![Responsive](https://i0.wp.com/www.searchenginepeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/content-4.jpg?resize=256%2C256&ssl=1)

Whether you like it or not, mobile web-traffic is on the up. You have to provide visitors the same experience regardless of the device they are using.

### 19\. Responsive design

Forget having a mobile version of your site, you should develop a responsive design. Responsive websites can have a monumental impact on converting customers as Google highlight in [this case study](http://www.google.co.uk/think/case-studies/alpharooms-responsive-web-design.html?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). Nobody likes to squint at a small screen to do their online shopping so make it easier for them. In 2014 there are now over 125 devices with different resolutions. Try to ensure that your site has at least 4 different versions for varying screen sizes to you can cater for your entire audience.

## Gather data

![Data](https://i1.wp.com/www.searchenginepeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/1_MjUuanBn.jpg?resize=256%2C256&ssl=1)

Before making big decisions, gather up some data and do some testing. This process is one of the most important and should not be ignored.

### 20\. Try optimisation tools

There are some great conversion optimisation tools on the market like Optimizely, Unbounce, Crazy Egg, Visual Website Optimizer, and plenty more. It may feel time-consuming and expensive to experiment with different tools, but the results are worth the effort.

### 21\. Hire test shoppers

One of the best ways to find bugs in your checkout process is to hire test shoppers. This works best when you are in the same room as them. Watch their eyes and their behaviour. See if they hit snags and keep an eye out for their body language.

## Streamline the checkout

![Checkout](https://i0.wp.com/www.searchenginepeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Dollarphotoclub_62331467.jpg?resize=256%2C256&ssl=1)

If you get the product page how your visitors want it, the next step is ensuring your checkout process is seamless. Over complicated checkout, processes can be the cause of a large proportion of basket drops.

### 22\. One-page checkout

Remove the multi-page checkout if you want to make it easy for visitors to place orders.

### 23\. Reduce clutter

Try not to give visitors too much information to fill out, they will get fed up. However much you feel like having your customer's fax number, mother's maiden name and dogs first lover might be useful - it isn't worth the loss of customers!

### 24\. Don't insist that they register

You might like the idea of locking a customer into having an account in your database, and some customers are happy to sign-up. Unfortunately, not all customers will be happy to register. Remove the register option from the checkout process and try adding the option to sign-up once the order is placed.

### 25\. Automate as much as possible

Keeping with the simplicity theme, try to make it even easier to place an order on your website by introducing automation. One of the best examples of automation at the checkout is implementation of automatic address recognition. It's much easier for your customer to simply add their postcode/ZIP than it is to enter the full address. One of my favourite services to help with this process is [Postcode Anywhere](http://www.postcodeanywhere.co.uk/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), but there are plenty of alternatives.

Another automation to consider is one-click purchasing. You can add a Paypal or Amazon button which allows your customers to order and have it delivered to their standard delivery address at the click of a button.

## Don't be afraid to ask for help

If all else fails, you can always try a professional. There are some fantastically talented conversion specialists within reaching distance. Don't be afraid to ask for help, the costs involved can easily be recovered if they do their job correctly.
### Love Thy Neighbour; Why Linking Out Is Important
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/love-thy-neighbour-why-linking-out-is-important/
Last updated: 2025-04-03T14:08:44.000Z
I frequently come across websites that refuse to link out. I even more frequently see websites accepting guest posts but only allowing one outbound link in the post. This looks so unnatural, and it is obvious to most seasoned digital marketers that the post is there for one reason – and one reason only – to gain a backlink. If a person can spot this, chances are that Google can too. The problem with these types of posts is that they have ruined the reputation of guest posting. Hopefully, this article helps you understand why I think linking out is important.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1f/0a/1f0aa902-e34f-4f87-8ab5-3f69601e97a4/content/images/2023/04/Love-Thy-Neighbour.jpeg)

You should set yourself high standards when writing guest posts for other websites but also ensure you have exceptional standards when accepting them. Neil Patel [covers the topic very well](http://www.quicksprout.com/2013/02/18/dont-accept-guest-posts-unless-you-follow-these-7-rules/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). If you do guest blog as part of your link building strategy (and please ensure you [do it the right way and for the right reasons!](http://mattjanaway.co.uk/seo-annihilation-avoiding-guest-post-spam/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)), try to ensure that links from guest posts don’t become a huge part of your link profile. There are [lots of ways of building links](http://pointblankseo.com/link-building-strategies?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) and don’t forget to try your hand actually trying to [earn links](http://mattjanaway.co.uk/link-bait-mrcake-case-study/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

## **Linking out is important**

Linking out in a post is one way (out of many) to make posts look much more thought-out and relevant. Websites are slowly grasping the advantages of linking out, but it doesn’t seem to be happening quickly enough. The probability is, no matter what you are writing about; others will also be writing about it. Some might agree with your points, some might disagree. Link to them never the less. Visitors love making their own minds up so give them both sides of the story.

I’m going to try and tackle the issue and provide a few good reasons why you should link out to authoritative websites more.

## **Adds trust**

If you link out in a post to real authoritative websites it really adds trust to your argument. It backs up your point and adds references to help prove that you know your stuff. Also try to keep an eye out for similar posts in the media or within news corporations. For example; if the BBC wrote a post on their site about the value of Google, you could write your own article and link to the BBC page in your content but elaborate and go much deeper than the BBC might.

## **Looks more natural**

Imagine a guest post on a blog about DIY. It will probably be 500 words long. Chances are it only has one link in the post (probably exact match keyword anchor text too) this makes it very easy to conclude that this post adds little value to the blog but also the visitors. It is only there to gain a backlink. Now flip the coin. Imagine a guest post on a website that links out to 8 (random number there!) other websites within the post. Not only does this make it harder for a visitor to understand exactly why this post exists on the DIY blog, but it also makes the post look well researched. Then imagine that 7 of these links all go to relevant high authority posts, and the last goes to your site. This makes the post slightly more natural and makes it harder for Google to determine that the purpose of the post was written just for a link.

## **Build Relationships**

After the post goes live, get in touch with the webmaster of the site you linked to within the post – chances are they will love you for it! You never know when you can pull in a favour with them – or even maybe get some sort of opportunity on their website. The bigger your outreach, the more people notice you and the easier you will find it to build your reputation.

## **Make you look more of an expert**

If you link out in posts, it makes the content look well thought-out. To the average visitor, they will assume that you have done your homework (which hopefully you actually have) and are much more likely to read the post and click your link. A post without links can sometimes look like very little effort has been made to research the topic fully. Another thing to try is to use your bio to help explain why you are an expert in this particular field with a link out, for example, to where you were educated instead of linking to your own website in the bio.

## **Helps build links to the post**

The more you link out in a post (obviously within reason), the bigger the potential target audience and readership. Once you have told somebody you are linking to them, they are more inclined to take notice of you and potentially share it amongst their followers. The more people read the post, the more likely somebody will link to it. The more links you get to the post, the better the link to your website will be.

## **Keeps visitors on the site longer**

Lots of research has gone into behaviour of website visitors. The general consensus is that if somebody is reading a post and wants to read the page which you are linking to, there is a good chance that they will open it in a new tab and come back to your post. I usually like to make links open in a new tab for this reason. There is a good discussion in the [comments section of this page](http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/07/01/should-links-open-in-new-windows/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) about exactly the same topic. More and more, user experience metrics seem to be making their way into ranking factors so keeping visitors on your site will be sure to help, as Cyrus Shepard points out.
### SEO Annihilation! Avoiding Guest Post Spam
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/seo-annihilation-avoiding-guest-post-spam/
Last updated: 2021-03-19T15:09:26.000Z
We saw this one coming a long time ago. Matt Cutts, Head of Web Spam at Google, has finally lost his patience over “guest blogging”. He has hinted at various points over the last year or so that Google will take a stand against the latest form of web spam. His most recent post was much more direct than a hint, however. [“The decay and fall of guest blogging for SEO”](http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/guest-blogging/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk); I’m certain, was intended to be nothing less than a warning towards guest post spam.

> “Okay, I’m calling it: if you’re using guest blogging as a way to gain links in 2014, you should probably stop. Why? Because over time it’s become a more and more spammy practice, and if you’re doing a lot of guest blogging then you’re hanging out with really bad company.” Matt Cutts.

Unfortunately (like every other decent link building strategy) this method was adopted by the ill-informed and unqualified spammers. Spammers are the envy of every good online marketer. As [Jon Cooper suggests](http://pointblankseo.com/guest-blogging-apocalypse?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), the term “Guest Blogging” has simply been hijacked by spammers. I feel there is still life in guest blogging yet, at least in its traditional sense. Guest blogging has been around as long as the web and certainly a lot longer than Google. It’s an immense platform for branding, PR and audience outreach – you just have to steer clear of the adopted habits of the spammers. The good news is that there is no way an algorithm can 100% identify spam activity. It has to be programmed by a person and therefore means if you stick to rigid rules you should be fine.

The first thing to remember is that low-quality spammers churn out these articles at speed. They have little interest in quality; they just want to produce quantity. This means that they generally stick to a set pattern in each guest post. Usually, they go something like this:

- ****300-500 words** – nice and easy to churn out and, dare I even say it, spun!
- ****No links in the body of the post** – shows a lack of research on the subject. [Link out! It’s important.](http://mattjanaway.co.uk/linking-out-is-important/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)
- ****Keyword-rich anchor text links** – automatically shows zero knowledge of mainstream SEO trends, therefore, equals spam.
- ****Links only in the bio** – this is a shortcut. It gives the author an easy way of dropping a link.
- ****On sites with a high ratio of guest posts vs website owned posts** – this indicates a low-quality site.
- ****Low-quality website regarding visually and from a UI point of view** – shows that the site was not built for readers/visitors. Instead, it was probably built for making money by selling something (possibly guest posts).
- ****A high ratio of advertisements** – if the ratio is too high this makes the site look lower in quality.
- ****The website has a broad range of articles, not all relevant** – spreading the net wide means they can sell more guest post space and is non-specific.
- ****Low-quality website regarding their own link profile** – more about [what constitutes a good link profile here](http://mattjanaway.co.uk/what-makes-a-bad-or-unnatural-link-lets-talk-metrics/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) (in my own opinion at least!)
- ****No (or fake) author social links** – check out the social links in the author bio, if they lead to fake accounts it should be pretty obvious.
- ****Obvious false name** – as above. Overseas workers like to use traditional (or they perceive to be traditional names) like “Charles Wellington”. Sorry to any Charles Wellington’s out there!
- ****Poor spelling and grammar** – chances are it has been written by a non-English speaker for a small fee, certainly not a specialist in the topic.
- ****Bad Engresh** ****English** – as above.
- ****The website has a guest blogging category** – no comment needed!
- ****Thin in substance (lightweight/repetitive/generic)** – no apparent knowledge of the topic and lack of research. Once the article has been read, you haven’t learnt anything.

All is not lost. As long as you understand why the above traits might be used by Google as spam signals, you can keep your guest posting strategy relatively safe – especially if it only plays a small part in your link profile. To counter the above list, I have conjured up my general rules for safe (hopefully) guest blogging which takes the point of guest blogging back to its roots. You can find a list of [link building strategies here](http://cybernaira.com/link-building-strategies/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

- Make it epic! Try for 1000 words plus, maybe even 2000-3000 words! Spammers generally won’t (and can’t) put this amount of effort in because they know nothing about the subject and are often judged on quantity (of posts) over quality.
- Link out!!! It shows various opinions on the subject, shows that you have done some research and backs up your points. Try linking out as much as it makes sense to high quality relevant websites and posts.
- I feel like I’m stuck in a time machine for saying this but please don’t use keyword rich anchor text links! By all means use long-tail anchor text and maybe mention the keyword but don’t use exact keyword anchor text. Try something generic like “click here” or “read more over at…” or go branded!
- If you put a link in the bio, be safe and add the NOFOLLOW attribute.
- Check out the websites link profile beforehand and make sure the link would be trusted.
- Try and find a website which generally doesn’t accept contributions. Of course, these require more work, and you actually have to build a relationship with the website owner, but the extra work is worth it.
- Look for niche and specialist websites which don’t have a broad range of topics. Sites with a broad range of subjects tend to (although not always) exist purely for money making purposes.
- Add some meaty data. The post has to have a point and needs to be meaningful. Gather data and show it off to prove your point, the visitors of the post will love it.
- Add images and plenty of them. Don’t go over the top but make it look like lots of effort as been put into the post.
- Put your name on it! If you have to hide behind a fake persona, then it can quickly look like you have something to hide. If you put your actual name to it and back it up with links to your social accounts, it looks much more natural. Even better still; link to your Google Plus account and build your author reputation.
- Share it socially afterwards. Pull in favours, tweet relevant people in the niche and create a dialogue or discussion between them. Don’t fake this step, put the effort in.

Ultimately you have to take yourself back ten years. Forget about the value of the link and think about the value of the visitors and the readership. The link, while being the goal, needs to be seen as a bonus. I’m pretty confident Google will start looking at signals which will firmly split guest blogging into two categories; spam and non-spam.

Now would be a good time to cleanse your link profile. Check out all the blog post links pointing to your site and see if they align with the first set of bullet points above get them cleaned up. Either NOFOLLOW the links or get them removed altogether.
### Traffic loss or penalty? – When to call in the SEO detectives
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/traffic-loss-or-penalty-when-to-call-in-the-seo-detectives/
Last updated: 2024-08-14T18:30:59.000Z
It can be unsettling when you log in-to Google Analytics and see a dip in the number of visitors landing on your site. A feeling of worry is likely; a small traffic drop could signify a larger issue and this drop could be the start of an avalanche. It could be that your website has been affected by one of Google's latest algorithm updates. Alternatively, it could just be a naturally occurring blip; unfortunately blips do happen every now and then.

For a seasoned SEO, it might be possible to figure out whether the website in question has been hit by an algorithm update or a data refresh, but the same might not necessarily apply for most company CEOs or Directors. Fear and confusion might set-in and not being sure whether to press the panic button could potentially make things worse.

Hopefully this guide will help out in the time of need.

## Google Webmaster Tools Messages

The first thing to check after a traffic drop is your Google Webmasters account for messages. A message very rarely brings good news for webmasters. There are different types of messages you could receive from Google Webmaster Tools but one of the most dreaded among them is the unnatural link message.

### Unnatural link warning message

If you receive this message, you can skip the rest of this post and call in an SEO expert -- any old SEO expert wont do, you need a real expert. This message means that a proportion of the links pointing to your website look like spam and therefore, Google wants you to remove those links in order to get the visibility of your website back on track.

This can be a tricky job. Google will certainly not help you decide which links to remove and which links to keep and you might find yourself in a bit of a sticky position. There are hundreds of metrics and factors that need to be checked before removing a link. Links are the currency of the internet and are precious, you are better off leaving this task to an experienced SEO who knows his job incredibly well.

### Google Bot cannot access your website

This is another crucial problem. If you happen to get this message when you log into your Webmaster Tools account, it means that Google Bots are unable to crawl your website which in-turn means some - or all - of the pages of your website will not get indexed and this will result in loss of visibility in search engine results.

This can occasionally be an issue with Google Spiders but you should certainly investigate, especially if the message has appeared more than once.

There is a possibility that the firewall settings of your server could be behind this mess. If you have the know-how; check the DNS server in case it is down and make sure that the web server is not blocking Google Bots unintentionally. If you are overwhelmed with this, I think it would be the right time to find yourself a technical SEO expert.

### Malware Detection Message

As you can imagine, hosting malware on your website is certainly not something to be proud of. Your website's security is actually much easier to breach than you might think, especially if you don't follow [certain procedures](http://moz.com/blog/the-definitive-guide-to-wordpress-security?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to keep it safe. So, if you get a message within Webmaster Tools regarding malware detection, you need to do something to get your website cleaned up otherwise, Google will drop your website from its index. Contact your hosting provider for help.

## Rankings Are in Free fall

Search results change all the time for a multitude of reasons so don't get worried if you see sudden fluctuations in your rankings. If your rankings are falling like a rock, however, you have to accept that there could be something wrong with your website. As well as using Analytics on a regular basis, you should also use a ranking tracker. [SERPS.com](https://serps.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) has a useful piece of tracking software, as does [Moz.com](http://moz.com/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). Cross-referencing traffic drops to ranking drops is always good practice.

## None of the above

If none of the above apply, Google Analytics can give you plenty of answers. First things first; log in-to your account and go to "Traffic Source" then "Overview". Here you might find out where your problem lies. Check how many visitors have arrived on your site from Google and from other referral sources for the previous 7 days and make a note of the numbers. Then do the same check but change the date to the 7 days prior to the 7 days you have already checked. Repeat this process a few times. This should give you an indication of which source is causing the traffic drop. Once you know the culprit, you can make a change in your strategy to apply more onus in that specific area.

One common cause of traffic drops is when website owners move or change page URL's. Changing a URL will result in Google de-indexing the original page as it will signal a 404 error when Google Bots crawl the site. It is very important to ensure you follow the [best-practice for repairing 404 errors](http://mattjanaway.co.uk/repair-404-errors/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) after editing URL's.

Still stuck? Maybe you should call in the SEO detectives.
### 10 Things To Track Using Google Analytics Custom Variables
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/10-things-to-track-using-google-analytics-custom-variables/
Last updated: 2025-02-19T03:10:27.000Z
Google Analytics is an invaluable asset for any web marketing team. There are some amazing things you can do in Analytics which might not appear so obvious at first. Once you discover the potential of custom variables you will be blown away with all the extra data you can gather.

## So What Is A Custom Variable?

Your Analytics account already tracks plenty of visitor data as standard. If you like, you can log-in and quickly check where your visitors reside, what search term they entered into Google to find your website, which website referred them, whether they are new or returning and plenty more. There are also other things you might want to keep track of too, this is where custom variables comes in. A custom variable gives you the flexibility to customize Google Analytics and gather the most important visitor data for your business.

You might already be comfortable with custom variables but if not then take a little time out of your day and spend an hour or so reading [Google's own guide](https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/collection/gajs/gaTrackingCustomVariables?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), it will give you an idea of the basics of using custom variables and segmenting reports and how to implement them.

### Tell Me More

In order to give advice on what kind of custom variables you could and should be using, we need to split down what kind of data you should be tracking. In order to figure out what kind of data you should be tracking we need to look at what kind of website you have. For example, an eCommerce store might want to track items in a shopping cart or promotional offers where-as a blog might want to track how popular certain authors are. For this reason, I will break up my custom variable tips in to 4 category's and as a bonus, I'll add the code for each variable.

## Service or Support Sites

**1\. Handling complaints** \- Imagine you get 100 emails a day. At the end of the month you might usually have to sift through around 3000 emails to see which ones are complaints. Not if you use this custom variable, it will allow you to compare complainers with non-complainers. Two of the main reasons for complaints are poor communication and delivery issues so [implement some of these tips](http://mattjanaway.co.uk/ecommerce-tips-1-delivery/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) if you haven't already, then track your complaints over time to see if things get better.

`_gaq.push(  
['_setCustomVar',5,'Complaint','yes',2]);`

**2\. Keep track of which articles helped visitors** \- During the session, track places you see as a successful delivery of a help article. Increment the count. How many did they view? Is more a good thing or a bad thing? How do people react differently depending on how many articles/downloads they've made?

`_gaq.push(['_setCustomVar',2,'Session Articles','5',2]);`

## Ecommerce Stores

**3\. Track the loyalty of your customers** \- This can be great for eCommerce stores. Knowing how many customers have ordered once compared to how many customers have ordered 4 times can show you which customers show loyalty. This is invaluable data if you want to keep them coming back.

`` `_gaq.push(['_setCustomVar',2,'Purchases','4',1])` ``

**4\. Track product views** \- Using this variable, you can track which product get viewed the most and also what kind of products lead to sales of other products on your website.

`_gaq.push(['_setCustomVar',3,'View Product','ABC1234',2]);`

**5\. Track the number of items in the shopping cart** \- This can help in two ways; the first is (obviously) to see how many items might be in a customers cart, the second is to give you an idea of abandoned carts. An idea to take this further is to then work out your conversion rate based on completed orders and then to compare it to uncompleted orders. If you can figure out why baskets are being abandoned and can [sort the problem out](http://econsultancy.com/uk/blog/11182-basket-abandonment-case-studies-and-tips-to-help-improve-your-conversion-rates?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) this will seriously increase your revenue without even having to put effort into trying to rank higher in Google to bring in extra visitors - although you will obviously want to do that too.

`_gaq.push(['_setCustomVar',4,'Cart Items','4',2]);`

## Lead Generation Sites

**6\. Are they a real lead or just a visitor?** \- If a customer fills out a contact form or enters some details, they are a lead. Using this variable means that you can track whether they come back and their behaviour. Once you can see a set of behaviours you can start using this data to increase conversion rates.

`_gaq.push(['_setCustomVar',1,'Lead','Yes',1]);`

**7\. Start tracking newsletter subscribers** \- This can really assist if you want to drive visitors back to your site. Collating data from your newsletter email software and Analytics account can provide some really powerful information. You can check what brings people back to your site and in turn this will help turning visitors in to leads.

`_gaq.push(['_setCustomVar',2,'Newsletter subscriber','Yes',1]);`

## Blogs

**8\. Keep a track of your most popular authors** \- Many blogs have multiple authors and there's an easy way to see which authors bring your blog traffic.

`_gaq.push(['_setCustomVar',1,'Author','Matt Janaway',3]);`

**9\. Keep a track of your most popular categories** \- like above, knowing this information can be vital to write more of the things that your visitors want to read.

`_gaq.push(['_setCustomVar',2,'Category','Google Analytics',3]);`

**10\. Track visitors who comment** \- Visitors who arrive on your site, read what you have to say and then continue to comment are much more likely to keep coming back. Until a visitor comments, track them as "no" once they do comment then track them as "yes".

`_gaq.push(['_setCustomVar',4,'Commented','Yes',1]);  
_gaq.push(['_setCustomVar',4,'Commented','No',1]);`

Remember that as standard, you are only allowed 5 custom variables unless you upgrade to Google Analytics Premium. Use them wisely!

***Do you use custom variables? How?***
### Repair 404 Errors Using Screaming Frog
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/repair-404-errors-using-screaming-frog/
Last updated: 2021-03-19T15:12:02.000Z
I love data, I love analysing and I love technical SEO. One of my favourite tools is [Screaming Frog Spider](http://www.screamingfrog.co.uk/seo-spider/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk), it’s an incredibly useful tool for not only digital marketers and SEO’s but also for anyone who works with websites. It can be used for so many purposes which might not immediately jump out at you but the point of this article is to help you understand how you can utilise it to repair 404 errors (broken/missing page) which should help harness all your internal juice/pagerank.

Before I continue, I should confirm that I have no affiliation with Screaming Frog, my views are completely impartial. Also, if you aren’t sure about HTTP status codes, [here is a handy guide](http://www.seomoz.org/learn-seo/http-status-codes?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk). It might also be worthwhile checking out [JonJon Yeung](https://plus.google.com/u/0/104471684842619669791/posts?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk)‘s [Tech Tip Tuesday](http://www.tugagency.com/blog/2013/05/07/tech-tip-tuesday-what-is-a-redirect-would-i-need-to-implement-redirects-for-my-site/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) for this week, in which he talks about the need to implement redirects.

Before using this advice, it is important to start a crawl of your website. Enter the URL in the box at the top of the software and away you go. Let the crawl finish so you have the data ready to be organised.

## **Finding broken pages**

Broken internal pages aren’t great for your website from a user experience point of view as well as from a Googlebot point of view. Finding and repairing broken internal pages should be an important part of any website spring clean.

Start off by clicking the column titled “status code” to sort the pages by – as daft as it sounds – status codes. Any [4XX error](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List%5Fof%5FHTTP%5Fstatus%5Fcodes?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk#4xx%5FClient%5FError) means that the page is broken.

## **Repair 404 errors**

You can decide to either re-build the broken/missing page or redirect (more than likely a 301 permanent redirect if you are confident that the page has no reason to return) it to the most relevant page you have on your site. If there is no page on your site which you think is actually suitable for a redirect then you should point it to your homepage, especially if there are backlinks pointing to the page from external websites. To check for any incoming backlinks from external domains, enter the exact page URL into SEOmoz’s [Open Site Explorer](http://www.opensiteexplorer.org/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) and it will give you a list of links pointing to the page.

## **Replacing internal links pointing to the broken page**

One thing to note before sitting back and being satisfied with your work is that the page will more than likely have internal links pointing to it. If you click the page on your Screaming Frog crawl report, the bottom half of the page will now show some data. As standard, you should see 4 tabs; URL Info, In Links, Out Links & Image Info. Click the “In Links” tab and you will see a list of all pages on your website which point to this broken page, obviously all of these will need changing. Lastly, ensure that the 4XX page is not included in your sitemap.
### 5 Easy Ways to Increase PPC Click Through Rates (CTR) Whilst on a Tight Budget
URL: https://www.mattjanaway.co.uk/5-easy-ways-to-increase-ppc-click-through-rates-ctr-whilst-on-a-tight-budget/
Last updated: 2021-04-17T23:38:14.000Z
I often find myself guilty of going into too much detail when asked about PPC Click Through Rates (and digital marketing in general, actually). I think I sometimes lose the ability to explain things in Lehman terms so I decided to have a think about my top 5 basic tips to increase anyone’s PPC ad campaign’s CTR. If you have a small budget – much like most of the people who ask me for advice – increasing your CTR can be vital to get the most out of your PPC campaign.

## **Why are PPC Click Through Rates Important?**

I often get asked why PPC Click Through Rates are so important. Many people even go so far as to insisting they only need help with making sure their advert is in position 1\. This is the wrong attitude to have. I have seen many adverts ranking 2nd and 3rd which have higher click through rates than those ranking in 1st position. In addition to this, CTR’s have a huge influence on your campaign “quality score”. The better your quality score, the higher you can rank and the lower your CPC (cost per click) will be. This will increase visitors and save you money.

In reality, both positioning and click through rates are important but it can often be easier (and ****cheaper**) to increase visitors to your website by optimising your CTR instead of always working hard on trying to rank higher.

Before elaborating on these easy quick-fixes, it is important to remember that every single PPC campaign will perform differently to others for hundreds of reasons. All these methods might not necessarily work for each campaign but they certainly should provide a decent basis.

### **1\. Excluding Search Partners**

This point should be even more important when your campaign uses broad match keywords but can also help sometimes when your PPC campaign is using exact match keyword terms. In short, “search partners” are authorised websites which Google allow to take advantage their adsense program. Google checks the content on the website and decides which adverts will suit the website’s visitors ([click here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAceed8sW1o&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) to see more about adsense).

By removing search partners from your PPC campaign, your advert should only appear in Google searches and not on partner websites. CTR’s are proven to be higher in Google searches when compared to adverts on websites (for most keyword terms).

I recommend testing this method and then duplicating the campaign exactly but allowing search partners in the second campaign. After a couple weeks this should give you enough data to compare both campaigns. One set of data will pull in just Google search visitors and the other will pull in Google search visitors plus visitors from Google’s search partner.

### **2\. Consider Using Ad Extensions**

Many retailers in the UK are starting to harness the power of Ad Extensions to increase their PPC click through rates, and rightfully so! Ad Extensions allow your PPC ad to take up more real estate in the search results. They are (currently) split into 4 categories: Location, Sitelinks, Call & Products.

The above search for “Engagement Rings” shows a 1st place result for 365-diamond.com who have taken advantage of using Ad Extensions to open up the size of their ad space and draw even more attention to their advert.

There have been some significant increases in CTR’s of large household name retailers in the UK when using this method. Have a think about creating your own Ad Extensions. Maybe start out at site links and do some testing. I always find adding a link to your return policy and customer care promise (if you have one) helps.

For more information on Ad Extensions, visit the [Google Support Page](http://support.google.com/adwords/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=2375499&ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

### **3\. Gather Customer Reviews**

One of the easiest ways of increasing potential visitors trust in your store is to show them what others think about the service you offer. This is often called the “Star Snippet” and Google say that if you have 30+ reviews and your average feedback is 4 stars or more then they will show the Star Snippet in your ad. Customer reviews are a must if you want to increase your PPC click through rate.

You can gather these customer reviews through many ways but it is important that you do not abuse the rich snippet system. [Patrick Sexton](https://plus.google.com/115535413488555890288/posts?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) wrote a nice little outline about [rich snippet abuse here](http://www.feedthebot.com/rich-snippet-abuse.html?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

### **4\. Optimise Your Landing Page**

Another great way of increasing your quality score is to focus on your landing page. Concentrate on the audience you are targeting and use related keywords. Make sure the landing page has everything a visitor might need. I could go great detail here but it has already been covered [perfectly](http://www.smartinsights.com/conversion-optimisation/landing-page-optimisation/perfect-landing-page/?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk) by [Dave Chaffey](https://plus.google.com/106251350379622013691/posts?ref=mattjanaway.co.uk).

### **5\. Focus On Unique Selling Points**

This one should need no real explanation but I will provide one anyway. Have a think about what service your company offers that a competitor doesn’t. Think about things like free delivery, money-back guarantee’s, next day delivery, free technical support, awards you might have won, price promises or even how much experience you have in your field. You should pick the most appropriate service you offer and use it in the advert to attract searchers to click on your advert over your competitors.

### **Final Thoughts…**

As usual, the most important thing to do here is TEST. No two PPC campaigns will yield the same results. Different keywords target different audiences and different websites will work better than others for certain campaigns. Don’t assume that once your ad campaigns are set up, your job is done… This is when the real work starts.