by Fronetics | Feb 11, 2015 | Blog, Content Marketing, Marketing, Strategy
Most businesses don’t optimize blog posts. Here are 7 things you can do to optimize a blog post so you can improve your ranking and attract more visitors.
Most businesses don’t optimize blog posts and therefore miss out on ranking and, by extension, organic traffic opportunities. The good news is that there are 7 simple steps you can take to optimize a blog post so that you can improve your ranking and attract more visitors.
Step 1: Identify your keywords
Identify the keywords you are going to use in the blog post. Once you have identified the keywords you want to use, write your blog post around these keywords.
Something to remember: while it is important to write the post around the keywords you have identified, you don’t want to stuff the post with the keywords. You want to make sure your post is easy (and enjoyable) to read and doesn’t sound spammy.
Step 2: Optimize your title
Keep the title of your blog post under 60 characters. Include your keywords in the title.
Step 3: Optimize your meta description
Your meta description doesn’t impact search results. However, your meta description can improve click through rates (that is, it can increase the number of people who actually click on your link versus someone else’s).
When you write your meta description write it in a conversional (not spammy) manner and be sure to include your keywords. In short, think about what would attract your target reader to your blog post, and write it here. Try to keep your meta description to between 150 and 160 words.
Step 4: Optimize your heading
Using your keywords in the heading provides an SEO benefit and informs your visitor what your blog post is about. Be sure to not just use a keyword phrase, instead use additional content around the keyword.
Step 5: Optimize the body of the post
Search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and Bing use the keywords in the body of your post as a ranking signal. That being said, don’t go overboard with using your keywords in the body of your content because too many occurrences of your keywords can be viewed as keyword stuffing. Keyword stuffing can lead to search engines giving you a penalty and drop your organic rankings. Additionally, no one wants to read a blog post that reads like spam.
The short and sweet: use your keywords, but don’t go overboard, and always remember to write first to your audience and then search engines.
Step 6: Optimize images
Image search is becoming more popular. Write a SEO friendly title for your images. It doesn’t hurt to also write a description that explains the blog post itself.
Step 7: Optimize the URL
When you use your blog title as the URL extension you can improve your click through rate.
If you haven’t optimized your blog posts in the past, the good news is that you can go back and optimize them.
by Fronetics | Feb 11, 2015 | Blog, Content Marketing, Marketing, Strategy
Most businesses don’t optimize blog posts. Here are 7 things you can do to optimize a blog post so you can improve your ranking and attract more visitors.
Most businesses don’t optimize blog posts and therefore miss out on ranking and, by extension, organic traffic opportunities. The good news is that there are 7 simple steps you can take to optimize a blog post so that you can improve your ranking and attract more visitors.
Step 1: Identify your keywords
Identify the keywords you are going to use in the blog post. Once you have identified the keywords you want to use, write your blog post around these keywords.
Something to remember: while it is important to write the post around the keywords you have identified, you don’t want to stuff the post with the keywords. You want to make sure your post is easy (and enjoyable) to read and doesn’t sound spammy.
Step 2: Optimize your title
Keep the title of your blog post under 60 characters. Include your keywords in the title.
Step 3: Optimize your meta description
Your meta description doesn’t impact search results. However, your meta description can improve click through rates (that is, it can increase the number of people who actually click on your link versus someone else’s).
When you write your meta description write it in a conversional (not spammy) manner and be sure to include your keywords. In short, think about what would attract your target reader to your blog post, and write it here. Try to keep your meta description to between 150 and 160 words.
Step 4: Optimize your heading
Using your keywords in the heading provides an SEO benefit and informs your visitor what your blog post is about. Be sure to not just use a keyword phrase, instead use additional content around the keyword.
Step 5: Optimize the body of the post
Search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and Bing use the keywords in the body of your post as a ranking signal. That being said, don’t go overboard with using your keywords in the body of your content because too many occurrences of your keywords can be viewed as keyword stuffing. Keyword stuffing can lead to search engines giving you a penalty and drop your organic rankings. Additionally, no one wants to read a blog post that reads like spam.
The short and sweet: use your keywords, but don’t go overboard, and always remember to write first to your audience and then search engines.
Step 6: Optimize images
Image search is becoming more popular. Write a SEO friendly title for your images. It doesn’t hurt to also write a description that explains the blog post itself.
Step 7: Optimize the URL
When you use your blog title as the URL extension you can improve your click through rate.
If you haven’t optimized your blog posts in the past, the good news is that you can go back and optimize them.
by Fronetics | Feb 10, 2015 | Blog, Content Marketing, Marketing, Strategy
You’ve likely heard it before – your business should be blogging. It’s understandable if it isn’t. Given the finite nature of a single workday, we all face daily pressure to prioritize projects and streamline strategies. But isn’t it true that our priorities should align with activities that have the most significant impact on performance? When data becomes the guide to choosing where to focus marketing efforts, it becomes clear that blogging is the powerhouse of digital marketing activity.
Blogging positively impacts a number of typical objectives for businesses. It makes it more likely for companies to be found in search engine results, produces higher quality leads, establishes industry expertise, and shortens sales cycles. To understand exactly to what degree blogging is affecting these outcomes, let’s take a look at the data.
Blogging generates high-quality leads and increases sales.
Practically all marketing activities ultimately seek to drive one objective – to increase sales. Many businesses are tying big sales wins to their blogging efforts. In a 2013 publication of Marketing Benchmarks, HubSpot reported companies that blog once or twice per month generate 70 percent more leads than those who don’t blog at all. Further, companies nearly double their sales leads by increasing blogging frequency from 3-5 times per month to 6-8 times per month.
Blogging drives increased website traffic.
Increased website traffic can almost always be linked to an increase in leads and sales. Companies with 51-100 pages on their website generate 48 percent more traffic than those with 1-50 pages according to the same HubSpot report. Consistent blogging activity builds the number of website pages and consequently the number of opportunities for your company to connect with customers, leads, and industry peers. Publishing frequency matters, too. Companies that blog at least 15 times per month get five times more traffic than those that don’t blog. Small businesses with 1-10 employees see the largest gains by posting more often.
Blogging links businesses and customers.
Business websites with blogs have 434 percent more indexed pages and 97 percent more indexed links based on the findings of a 2013 Social Media Today report. If search engines can easily find your business, prospective customers will find you easier, too. Building links ensures existing and potential customers can connect and engage meaningfully with your company.
Blogging seeks to educate and establish expertise.
Crafting and publishing quality blog content builds credibility and trust. Social Media Today reports a full 70 percent of consumers learn about companies through articles rather than ads and that 61 percent of consumers have made a purchase based on a blog post.
Data makes it clear that relevant and engaging blog content is a valuable marketing asset and sales driver for many businesses. In fact, marketers who have prioritized blogging are 13 times more likely to enjoy positive ROI. Is your company taking full advantage of this powerhouse marketing activity or is it missing opportunities to attract leads and delight customers?
by Fronetics | Feb 10, 2015 | Blog, Content Marketing, Marketing, Strategy
You’ve likely heard it before – your business should be blogging. It’s understandable if it isn’t. Given the finite nature of a single workday, we all face daily pressure to prioritize projects and streamline strategies. But isn’t it true that our priorities should align with activities that have the most significant impact on performance? When data becomes the guide to choosing where to focus marketing efforts, it becomes clear that blogging is the powerhouse of digital marketing activity.
Blogging positively impacts a number of typical objectives for businesses. It makes it more likely for companies to be found in search engine results, produces higher quality leads, establishes industry expertise, and shortens sales cycles. To understand exactly to what degree blogging is affecting these outcomes, let’s take a look at the data.
Blogging generates high-quality leads and increases sales.
Practically all marketing activities ultimately seek to drive one objective – to increase sales. Many businesses are tying big sales wins to their blogging efforts. In a 2013 publication of Marketing Benchmarks, HubSpot reported companies that blog once or twice per month generate 70 percent more leads than those who don’t blog at all. Further, companies nearly double their sales leads by increasing blogging frequency from 3-5 times per month to 6-8 times per month.
Blogging drives increased website traffic.
Increased website traffic can almost always be linked to an increase in leads and sales. Companies with 51-100 pages on their website generate 48 percent more traffic than those with 1-50 pages according to the same HubSpot report. Consistent blogging activity builds the number of website pages and consequently the number of opportunities for your company to connect with customers, leads, and industry peers. Publishing frequency matters, too. Companies that blog at least 15 times per month get five times more traffic than those that don’t blog. Small businesses with 1-10 employees see the largest gains by posting more often.
Blogging links businesses and customers.
Business websites with blogs have 434 percent more indexed pages and 97 percent more indexed links based on the findings of a 2013 Social Media Today report. If search engines can easily find your business, prospective customers will find you easier, too. Building links ensures existing and potential customers can connect and engage meaningfully with your company.
Blogging seeks to educate and establish expertise.
Crafting and publishing quality blog content builds credibility and trust. Social Media Today reports a full 70 percent of consumers learn about companies through articles rather than ads and that 61 percent of consumers have made a purchase based on a blog post.
Data makes it clear that relevant and engaging blog content is a valuable marketing asset and sales driver for many businesses. In fact, marketers who have prioritized blogging are 13 times more likely to enjoy positive ROI. Is your company taking full advantage of this powerhouse marketing activity or is it missing opportunities to attract leads and delight customers?
by Fronetics | Feb 9, 2015 | Blog, Logistics, Strategy, Supply Chain
Reducing paper in the distribution center is good for business (and trees).
Paper isn’t a thing of the past in workplaces, but it probably should be. The reasons go well beyond simply saving trees to an even more compelling argument: it’s just better business. A 2014 survey conducted by the Association for Information and Image Management (AIIM) found that more than half of responding businesses posited that the single largest way they could improve productivity would be to remove paper from their organizational processes.
The study’s implications for companies in the supply chain industry echo a 2005 Inbound Logistics article in which Leslie Hansen Harps wrote that the speed through the distribution center is critical. “Effective operations use best practices within the four walls of the facility — and beyond.” One of the best-practices discussed in the article: reducing reliance on paper. Specifically, the article referenced moving to hands-free solutions. Denny McKnight of Tompkins Associates Inc. told Harps: “People writing numbers on pads of paper or keying strings of numbers into a keyboard is a bad sign.”
Of the companies reporting superfluous paper use as an impediment to greater productivity in the 2014 AIIM study, less than 20% have paper-reducing policies in place. This finding highlights the fact that many companies have identified the need to reduce their use of paper, but most lack a clear vision for doing so. While the shift to a paper-free distribution center can seem overwhelming and cost prohibitive, small efforts to eliminate unnecessary paper can dramatically improve efficiencies. To start, consider the identification of one organizational process where it would make sense to introduce a paper-free method and spend an hour researching how other companies have transformed similar processes and which solutions have proved to be the most successful.
No doubt, as faster, more sophisticated technology couples with a more computer literate workforce, distribution centers will see an organic shift to a paper-less work environment. Including regular reviews of ways your company could implement paperless processes ensures paper doesn’t slow you down. After all, finding ways to eliminate paper is akin to finding gains in operational efficiency.
Here are 10 (more!) reasons why your company should tame its paper tiger:
- Increased inventory visibility
- Increased fulfillment accuracy
- Fewer lost sales
- Fewer out-of-stock situations
- Reduced search time
- Increased communication with customers
- Waste reduction
- Overhead cost cuts
- Document storage cost cuts
- A safer work environment
Has your company reduced its reliance on paper? If so, what benefits have you realized? If not, what barriers to the implementation of paperless processes have you experienced?
