Metadata is data that describes the content of your website.

The blurb that shows up on a search engine page and on social media is metadata, but other than that most non-programmers don’t see metadata.

Metadata makes it easy for your audience to find out what your website is all about and if you can provide the products or services they want.

There are 3 main components to metadata: title, description, keywords.

Search engines stopped using keyword metadata around 2009 as a ranking factor because spammy websites were using keywords unrelated to their content to get lots of page views. But the metadata title and description are still used as ranking factors.

Want to know how to create compelling Meta tags that will help drive traffic to your website? Here are some do’s and don’ts to keep in mind when writing them, direct from our team of pro metadata writers.

Title

Do: Keep it short and to-the-point. Search engine results pages will only display the first 55 characters, so make sure you don’t get cut off mid-sentence.

Don’t: Duplicate the title from other web pages within your site. The title should be unique to each page with a keyword describing its contents.

Description

Do: Use a call-to-action. Give readers a reason to view your webpage by telling them what they will get if they click on your link.

Don’t: Try to fool the viewer by stuffing tons of keywords into the description that are not relevant to the information they will find on the page. They will end up exiting your page immediately. Both the viewer and search engines will start to look at your website as one that can’t be trusted, hurting your online reputation.

Do: Provide a solution for the reader. In less than 155 characters, explain how your products or services can help with a problem your audience may have.

Keywords

Do: Use long-tailed keywords because these words have less competition and traffic, yet will direct more targeted Internet searchers to your website.

Don’t: Use generic keywords. While they get hundreds or thousands of searches, they are not specific to your webpage and could get lost in the shuffle with larger, more established websites.

While Meta tags alone won’t help your rank higher in the search engines, they will provide your audience with a snippet of what to expect from the webpage. Keep these tips in mind as you create interesting and valuable content for your audience, or hire a Crowd Content writer to create content with great metadata.

The post The Do’s and Don’ts of Metadata appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

What could have gone wrong?

One possible reason for the lack of readership could have something to do with the fact that it hasn’t been picked up by the search engines.

There are plenty of reasons people may not be reading your press release, but here are some tips on how to increase your traffic and get it found on Google.

1. Make it Search Engine-Friendly

By creating your press release with search engines in mind, you will increase its rankings, making it easier to find by both readers and reporters.

If the reporter likes what they see, there’s a good chance they will publish it on their media website. To do this, you need to make a list of keywords you want to get ranked for.

Once you have a good list of words to work with, include them in the article. Also, don’t forget about the metadata; include a few keywords in the metas to increase your chances of getting found online.

While the article should be easily scannable by search engines, remember that actual people will be reading it, so don’t stuff keywords where they aren’t necessary.

2. Write About a News-Worthy Topic

As much as we all want to sell our products or services, that’s a big no-no. Even if it ranks well on Google, no one is going to read it if you are blatantly trying to get them to buy something.

What big change has been going on with your company (new management, product launches, etc.)? Also, make it sound professional by using a third person writing style so that it doesn’t sound like you have a biased opinion.

3. Optimize Photos

Most audiences are more likely to read an article or press release that has an image. Pick one of a customer using your products or something else relating to your business.

Include meta tags and links on your image so that it is easier to share on social media by your audience.

4. Create a Great Headline

The first thing readers will notice about your press release is the headline, so it’s vital to have one that captures their attention. It should be short and sweet, yet act as a little teaser to give your audience a hint at what it will be about.

5. Promote it on Social Media

I’m sure you already know this, but social media is one of the most effective ways to get the word out, so don’t forget this step. Post a link to your press release on all of your social media pages where your target audience hangs out in order to make it easier for them to find.

Press releases are a great way to keep your audience informed on what’s going on with your business, while also being used as a way to build links to your website.

With these tips, your press release will be much easier to scan and find by the big search engines and your potential customers.

The post 5 Tips for Optimizing Your Press Release appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

After this declaration, many businesses put a stop to guest blogging, while others were determined to continue submitting articles to other blog websites.

So, in your opinion, should we put an end to guest blogging to help save our SEO rankings?

The answer is no.

And SEO expert Rand Fishkin would agree with that, stating, “While guest posting can be a wonderful way to build your authority and earn links, it takes a huge amount of effort, and it’s easy for marketers to start slipping down the ‘Guest Posting Slope of Madness’.”

What he means by this is that while guest blogging can be an extremely effective way to get links to your site, posting low-quality content on low-grade sites can actually hurt your website.

Here are some ways you can guest blog and draw more attention to yourself and your website.

Search for Quality Websites

To show Google that you aren’t using any spammy practices when it comes to guest posting, you need to search for the right websites to showcase your articles on.

What are some sites that are popular in your industry? Which ones have a high page rank?

Make a list of websites that have these qualities in order to get quality links back to your site.

Have Something Valuable to Say

Don’t guest blog just because you feel like you have to. Instead, write something your audience will actually want to read.

For article ideas, think about trends and updates in your industry by signing up for Google Alerts, checking out competitor’s websites, and seeing what other people are saying on social media.

Use Original Content

All too often writers will write one outstanding article that got rave reviews on one website, so they wanted to republish it on other blogging sites. Google will reward unique content, while ignoring duplicates.

Guest blogging can make a huge impact in increased website traffic and page rank. Follow these tips to effectively post your articles on other blogs for link building.

The post How to Guest Blog the Right Way appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

As someone who writes many articles per week, having writer’s block is my worst enemy. It slows me down and makes it nearly impossible to meet my writing goals.

If this has happened to you, take a deep breath, clear your mind, and use the following tips to unlock your creativity and have topic ideas ready to be used at any given moment.

1. Current Controversial Topics

When controversy is written about, you can count on a large amount of people having an opinion on the topic, resulting in tons of comments.

Keep the topic related to your business or industry and use a little common sense to determine if it’s a topic you should write about or should avoid.

2. Create a How-to Article

Many people go to blogs to get tips they can put to use in their own businesses or lives, and can be one of the easiest types of articles to write.

Make a list of things that you can explain in actionable tips on topics that will help highlight your area of expertise. Bloggers such as Heidi Cohen set a good example of what actionable tips look like.

3. Read Other Blogs in Your Industry

If you need some inspiration or want to find out what the latest trends in your industry are, the best ideas can come from other bloggers.

Are there any great ideas they have written about that you can elaborate on? In no way am I saying you should copy their ideas, but competitors and other industry trendsetters’ blogs can be a valuable resource when trying to find inspiration for the perfect writing subjects.

4. Search Social Media

Social media has made finding and networking with other professionals a breeze, thanks to the use of hashtags and groups. There are hundreds of networking websites out there, but my two favorites for finding writing inspiration is LinkedIn and Twitter.

With LinkedIn, you can search for groups by industry, interest, or company name. By going through the posts under certain tags or groups, you’ll get an idea of what people are talking about and what their interests are.

If you are still having a problem coming up with anything good to write about, start your own group discussion by blatantly asking others what topics they would be the most interested in. You’d be surprised at how many people will respond.

5. Create Google Alerts

Google alerts are an excellent writing resource because you can type in what topics you are interested in and will get an email daily, weekly, or whatever your preference is, with a list of articles that came out about that topic.

For example, if you are searching for marketing articles, have an alert set with the keyword “marketing” and Google will find every article with that keyword listed in it.

These are just a few ideas to get the creative juices flowing for your next writing masterpiece.

The post 5 Simple Tips to Fuel Your Blog Topics appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

The numbers listed under this header represent the percent of website visitors who left your website quickly. Having a high bounce rate could mean a number of things, but ultimately indicates that the wrong kind of traffic is coming to your website.

In order to target the right kind of traffic and keep your bounce rate as low as possible, here are a few ideas that will lead you in the right direction.

1. Use Long-Tailed Keywords

Using broad keywords in your website content will definitely attract a large amount of traffic, but if the keywords aren’t specific to your business, you’ll end up losing your visitors rather quickly.

For example, if you are trying to rank for the keyword “shoes,” but your website sells women’s shoes, you’ll lose many visitors who are searching for shoes that aren’t offered on your website.

Using specific keywords will draw in a smaller number of people, but your audience will be more targeted and more likely to stay on your website in search of what they are looking for.

2. Website Navigation Should be Easy

Especially for visitors who have never been to your website before, they may not know exactly where to go to find what they are looking for.

Having a website that is easy to maneuver and clearly tells the visitors where to go will make them more likely to stay on your website.

If the website requires takes them through a maze of buttons and are still having a difficult time finding the product they are looking for, they will probably leave your site to go to one that is more user-friendly.

3. Speed

Have you ever gone to a site where it feels like you are waiting forever for the web page to finally load?

It can be extremely stressful and most people aren’t going to stick around to see that page if it doesn’t load for them right away.

Having a speed of more than a couple of seconds can drastically effect your bounce rate and your search engine rankings (even 10 seconds is far too long for potential customers to wait for the page to load). There are tons of tools available to test the speed of your website, including Pingdom.

4. Make Your Message Clear

While it may be obvious to you what products or services you sell, not having a clear message on your homepage can leave visitors scratching their heads trying to decide if your products are what they are looking for.

Include a few sentences on your homepage that describes your mission statement and why your potential customers should buy your products.

If they aren’t sure what your company does by simply glancing at your website content, they will most likely leave before they get a chance to find out.

5. Keep Clutter to a Minimum

I don’t know how many websites I have gone to where they are trying to fit as much information, videos, audio, and pictures onto their homepage. This is too distracting and could overwhelm your site visitors.

Keep the site design clean, simple, and easy to understand from the first moment they look at it.

I am not promising that these tips will bring in tons of new customers, but they will help you reach the right audience and reduce your bounce rate.

For more ideas on promoting your website, check out this article on how to market your website and boost traffic.

The post 5 Proven Ways to Lower Your Website’s Bounce Rate appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

Everyone knows how effective social media websites like Facebook and Twitter are for SEO and branding purposes. But one underutilized website for search engine optimization is LinkedIn.

Not only is it an excellent resource for connecting and networking with other professionals in your area and industry, but it is also a powerful tool when it comes to getting the word out about your business, products, and/or services.

If you want to make the most of your LinkedIn account, here are some simple tips to drawing attention to yourself and your business on the social media site and in the search engines. 

Use Keywords Throughout Your Profile

One of the great things about LinkedIn is the fact that you can type a keyword into the search bar and get results from all over the networking site that match those exact words.

It’s an easy way to find people in specific industries or locations. One of the best ways to get found is by including powerful keywords throughout your headline and job description.

Make a list of about 10 keywords you want to rank for and make sure they can be found in your profile. 

Make Your Profile Public

While some people prefer to keep their profile private, it won’t do them any favors if they are hoping to enhance their Linkedin SEO efforts.

By making your profile public and out in the open, not only will it be easy to be found, but you will also make it that much easier for search engines like Google to find you.

Include a Link to Your Website

Building links is a must for any website because, if linked to the right websites, it will help bring your search engine rankings up.

With its high page rank and popularity, LinkedIn is the right website for the job. Including a link in your profile will be one more external link to add to your list.

Use the Publishing Option

Content still reigns as king, so the more writing you get out there, the stronger your website will be. LinkedIn is a great publishing tool that allows you to publish articles in the same way you would publish a blog post.

It’s a must to help build your credentials as an expert in your field, while also including a link or two to your site. Also, don’t forget to create engaging content that your audience will want to read.

There are tons of benefits to using this social networking site, including as part of your SEO and social media marketing campaign. Use these tips to strengthen your brand, website, and reputation online.  

The post How to Improve Your SEO Using Linkedin appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

Of course, writing content that people want to read is easier said than done.

With these ideas, you’ll be able to write compelling text that will keep your readers coming back for more.

1. Know Your Audience

Knowing who you are writing for will help you create content that will get read, shared, and liked. You can get an idea of what kind of content your audience enjoys reading by looking at your old blog posts and those of your competitors to determine which ones have the most comments, shares, and likes.

Also, social media is another excellent tool to unveiling what information your audience is interested in by scoping out groups on LinkedIn, industry-related hashtags on Twitter, and business pages on Facebook that your audience may be interested in.

2. Write a Compelling Headline

Now that you know who you are writing for, you need to write a headline that will really get their attention. A few things you need to remember are:

• Keep the headline simple that doesn’t require readers to get a dictionary to figure out.
• People love numbers and knowing how many tips or tricks can be found in the article, which is part of the reason I used a 5 in the title of this article.
• Leave them wanting more by having a headline that teases them. For example, “What You Should be Eating to Lose Weight.” It doesn’t give the article away and will intrigue readers to stop by and see what this miracle food is.

3. Do Your Research

While some articles rely solely on your opinion, doing your research can go a long way. You will be able to educate your audience, while also backing up your article with facts instead of just your thoughts.

4. The Content Should be Useful

Is your content valuable to your audience? Does it include any actionable tips they can use? If your article is about networking, include some tips on how to find and network with other likeminded people or professionals.

5. Add Personality to Your Writing

Your readers should get a feel for who you are, so incorporate it into your writing. This will help them feel a connection with you.

Great writing takes patience, determination, and all of the above tips. What would you add to this list?

The post 5 Simple Tips to Create Quality Content People Want to Read appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.