Wishing Everyone an Exciting and Successful 2015!

What You Need to Know

If there’s one thing you can count on, it’s that Google is going to update its search algorithm. Some experts estimate that Google makes 500 to 600 updates annually, or once or twice each day. Most of these changes don’t have a significant impact on your SEO strategy, but every now and then, one comes along that can have serious repercussions. Learn more about two new features of Google search that help users verify and evaluate search results.

Google, one of the largest companies in the world, relies on artificial intelligence for hundreds of it projects. It can seem a little hypocritical for Google to tell businesses that they can’t use AI-generated content on their website. Back in 2010, Google’s John Mueller said that using automated translation tools to create content for your website “could be viewed as being against our Webmaster guidelines.” Here we are, over 10 years later, and Mueller just tweeted that “content generators have been around since the start of the web…Most sites…don’t need help creating low-quality content.” There’s a big discussion in the SEO industry about AI-generated content.

One of the toughest things about creating content is coming up with ideas. You can research keywords all day long, but if you can’t come up with topics around those keywords, your content may fall flat. If your in-house copywriter is struggling to keep up with a content calendar, you might be thinking about working with a content agency. Use these questions to prepare for a meeting with the project manager or as starting points to create your own content. 

There just isn't a 'softer' way to say this; it's bad. Duplicate content, as defined by Google, “refers to substantive blocks of content within or across domains that either completely match other content in the same language or are appreciably similar.” Google highly recommends avoiding duplicate content. The key reason is that the ranking of the page on search engine results may suffer. This means, your audiences will not find your content, and when they do, they are unlikely to consider it useful. Understanding how Google handles duplicate content can help you elevate user experience and create a better content marketing plan.

Modern customer expectations have dramatically changed over the past few years. Although the pandemic certainly influenced customer behaviour in many ways, customers were already trending towards transparency and social responsibility from the companies they patronized. Creating content that shares your values and mission can bring your audience together to support your brand. Here are some ways to create connections to your audience through content marketing.

If you just keep churning out content without reviewing what you’ve already done, you’re missing out on opportunities to make your content perform better. A content audit exercise involves systematically reviewing what you’ve published on your website and blog. As you adjust your content marketing plan to your business goals, this audit can help you find gaps in your content and see what’s been successful. When reviewing your content, look for these things that can negatively impact your content strategy.

Search has changed a lot over the years. Search results are displayed to be more efficient for users. Users search for information differently than they used to. There’s still a lot that search can’t do right now. Google aims to change the power of search again with their latest update, Multitask Unified Model, aka MUM. This new update will expand search capability to make search deliver more accurate and relevant information in seconds. Here’s what your content writers need to know about MUM.

Refine Your Content So it Resonates with Your Audience

Many websites churn out content as part of their online digital strategy without considering how their audience will respond to the content. Contextualizing content is a way of adding value to the reader. But what does it mean to put your content in context? It’s a way of approaching content that considers the why and when of your content, not just the person who is reading it. A person who needs a plumber to fix a leak needs different content than someone who is thinking about how to install a new toilet. The first customer needs access to a list of quick tips to prevent damage until a plumber can help while the second customer may want to read through a detailed outline of updating a bathroom for aging-in-place.

A Simple Guide from Your Content Agency in Toronto

A blog post is an accessible, versatile format that has the potential to reach and engage a wide audience. You can write the blog posts in-house, or you can outsource content writing for your blog. The important thing is to ensure that your blog presents a professional image, offers memorable and shareable content, and proves effective in helping to achieve your business goals. If you're just starting your blogging journey, read through our ‘Step-by-Step Guide to Start Blogging' - parts one and two.

Writing SEO content requires a seamless blend of three skills to get the best results. In order to be a skilled SEO copywriter, you must be able to produce creative and engaging writing, have sufficient knowledge of the topic, and be able to use relevant keywords seamlessly into your writing. Are you at a loss on how to create informative and creative content? Here are ten tips that can be added to your copywriting cheat sheet to help you improve your SEO content.