Author: Brad Johnson

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When it comes to search engine optimization, content is key to success. The thing is, while technical SEO does exist (and even plays a teeny-tiny factor), Google has stressed it time and again: All you really need for Google to like your site is publish high-quality, useful content. But what exactly is perceived as a sign of high-quality content?

Here are five content-related ranking signals Google is using to determine whether a specific article deserves to appear on top of Google.

1. Highly-Linked Content

A backlink profile is Google’s oldest ranking signal. Ever since Google launched, backlinks were at the core of its ranking algorithm. And while Google has repeatedly added dozens — and even hundreds — of other signals, backlinks have remained the most powerful one.

It used to be very simple: the more, the better.

When website owners figured it out, Google’s search result pages were heavily manipulated, so Google had to up its game. It’s all very complicated now, to the point where I doubt there’s a single person working for Google who completely understands how it works.

There are good and bad links, there are natural and unnatural links, and there are high-authority and low-authority links. One group may be balancing the other. Some links may be dragging you down, and some may be driving you up, and it’s not always possible to tell one from the other.

Now, this all comes down to one thing: you need as many editorial and natural links as possible. In other words, we need to create linkable content.

This is where the content creator can play a crucial role: it is actually in our power to create content that attracts links.

What is linkable content?

There is no single definition to linkable content, as there is no single type of link. Educational content attracts links from teachers, bizarre content drives links from popular media outlets and discussion boards, and innovative content may get links from niche journalists.

There are no set rules here, so it will be up to how well you do your research, and for the most part, up to your luck.

When working on an article, check out Buzzsumo to get an idea of which content attracts most links on your topic. Buzzsumo allows you to filter results to see recently published content and evaluate the current linkable trends:

Buzzsumo allows you to filter results to see recently published content and evaluate the current linkable trends:

2. Relevancy

Actually, this one should be #1, of course. I put after links only because it is a more recent signal — the one Google is still figuring out.

Years ago, adding a specific keyword several times in an article or on a page was enough for Google to consider that content relevant to the matching search query.

Obviously, this was a very easily-manipulated signal, so Google has been working hard on improving its relevancy signals.

Yes, there’s no single signal here, so, like with backlinks, we are talking about a group of signals. But as copywriters, we have more control here, as we actually create the content.

One of the biggest improvements to Google’s relevancy algorithms has been implemented thanks to the introduction of semantic mapping, which helped Google understand each query in context rather than matching the exact sequence of words to the indexed documents.

Semantic research can help publishers create better-researched, more relevant content, similar to how it helps Google algorithmically calculate relevance.

Text Optimizer is a great tool that helps you create a more relevant context to better match Google’s and its users’ expectations:

Text Optimizer is a great tool that helps you create a more relevant context to better match Google’s and its users’ expectations.

Text Optimizer will also score your content relevancy and point you to all possible areas of improvement.

Other improvements to Google’s relevancy algorithms which are not so easy to put into practice but still are good to be aware of include:

• Google Hummingbird update
• Google BERT update

3. Content Length

This is one of those search signals that keeps causing lots of debates and arguments in the SEO niche. In truth, we will ever know the definitive answer, even though multiple research studies (including this one) seem to show that Google favors long-form content.

The average length of content ranking on Google’s first page is 1,447 words.

It is rightfully argued that long-form content may be generating more backlinks, and hence it tends to rank higher.

Either way, whether it is a direct ranking signal or simply a way to create more linkable content, long-form content seems the way to go.

Always use your own editorial judgement, but as a rule of thumb:

• If you have a choice between writing one 1000-word article or three 200-word articles, choose the longer option.
• However, if you feel like your article is turning into a 5000-word book, it is time to consider breaking into a series by breaking it into more specific angles and subtopics.
• Finally, if you feel like you have fully covered a target question in your 500-hundred article (this often happens when you address very specific / narrow queries), don’t force it. A useful article that clearly answers a question is better than a long-form content that was written solely for word count.

4. Exact Keyword Match

While Google has moved beyond exact-match keywords and can now understand relevancy beyond word strings, including your target keyword is still important.

The same study mentioned above found that “the vast majority of title tags in Google exactly or partially match the keyword that they rank for”. Note that most titles didn’t have exact-match keywords but rather some variations of those.

Most title tags on the first page of Google contain all or part of the keyword that they rank for.

This does tell us that Google is still looking at keywords, so keyword research and optimization is still important. Here’s a helpful list of best keyword research tools out there, updated for 2020.

5. Content Engagement

To the best of my knowledge, Google has never confirmed that they use on-page engagement (what people do once they land on your page) as a direct ranking factor.

I can see why it may be a difficult decision for them. If users leave right away, does it mean the content was useless? Or does it mean it is so great that people found an answer right away, totally satisfied with what they read?

The above question makes both “bounce rate” and “time on page” metrics questionable signals of content quality.

However, for the search giant to totally ignore user satisfaction signals would be a huge oversight, given that they also own Google Analytics, which gives them plenty of data to peruse.

There are educated theories that Google uses some user engagement metrics as a ranking single, but those signals are evaluated differently from SERPs to SERPs, and they are never absolute metrics. Instead, they are being compared for top-ranking sites, allowing Google to quickly identify possible anomalies.

There’s not much content creators can do to impact user engagement, apart from creating genuinely useful content. But it is always a good idea for content creators to view site analytics and track content performance.

Finteza is the modern web analytics platform with a huge focus on conversions and engagement monitoring. You can use Finteza to better understand which of your articles are read in full, which of them send the users down the sales funnels, and which send them away from your site.

Use web analytics to figure out how to create more engaging content.

Conclusion

Of course, there are many more search signals that help Google serve up the most relevant search results. It is likely there are hundreds (at least 200) search signals at play any time a user clicks the “search” button. Many of those SEO factors can be handled through plugins. But content is still the foundation.

A content creator cannot influence all the aspects of search engine optimization. There are still technical elements to figure out (including the most important ones like site architecture and internal linking). And there are powerful ranking signals that are beyond an optimizer’s reach, like personalization and localization.

What you, as a content creator and content marketer can do is lay the important foundation for a high-ranking asset.

The post 5 Google Ranking Signals Content Marketers Need to Know appeared first on Content Marketing Consulting and Social Media Strategy.

       

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https://econsultancy.com/covid-19-changed-shopper-behaviour-online-stats/

It’s been nearly eight weeks since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Covid-19 outbreak a global pandemic. In this time, the retail space as we know it has had to completely evolve.

Without warning and without choice, brands and retailers have had to adapt to a pandemic that no one saw coming. As a direct result of Covid-19, many non-essential physical stores have been forced to close until further notice. Stores that have remained open have suffered from reduced/rationed stock and social distancing requirements. These actions have resulted in consumers changing their shopping behaviours, which in many cases has resulted in more transactions moving online.

With a network of over 6,200 brand and retailer sites as our client base, Bazaarvoice has unique visibility into current online shopping activity. We have analysed the different patterns and changes in behaviour, from increases and decreases in product page views to orders placed, reviews submitted and questions asked. We’ve reviewed this data globally across more than 20 product categories and compared it to the same time period in 2019, as well as the earlier months in 2020.

How people were shopping in March 2020 – the beginning of the shutdown

During the earliest stages of the lockdown in March 2020, data from the Bazaarvoice Network shows that customers started to really embrace online shopping and began setting themselves up for what looked to be a long period spent at home. We saw a 21% increase in online orders in March 2020 vs March 2019, and in a survey we conducted with over 3,000 members of the Influenster community, 41% of respondents said that they were currently shopping online for things they would normally shop for in-store.

This data highlights what most of us are currently experiencing, as we are having to change our normal shopping habits and look to purchase more items online than we all usually would. When we compared March 2020 vs March 2019, we saw a 25% increase in page views. This is likely due to the increase in time consumers have to search for new products, now that they are mostly housebound, and the fact that they may be purchasing brands they are not familiar with due to limited product availability.

The increase in page views led us to analyse the network data by category to help highlight which products people were browsing, versus which products people were actually purchasing. We saw a year-over-year increase in page views and order count for nearly every product category, but it was the food, beverage and tobacco, toys and games, and sporting goods categories that were in the top five for growth in both page views and order count.

It’s no surprise to see that people prioritised necessities, and also that they looked for ways to entertain themselves and their families.

It’s interesting to note that not all categories have seen the same growth that we mentioned above. Browsing activity is on par with last year for apparel and accessories products, but buying behaviour is down.

This may be due to people not wanting to purchase items in this category until they know when social distancing measures might ease off, yet still wanting to browse the items so they’re up to date with current trends and offers. Luggage and bags have seen a reduction in browsing and buying behaviour, which is expected due to the social distancing measures and restrictions meaning that people aren’t travelling as they were before.

How that differs from online shopping throughout April 2020

Now to take a look at April 2020. If we compare the data month-on-month, we can see that the stats for April are growing even more rapidly than they were for March. While we can see that page views and order count are trending upwards, with a 75% increase and 95% increase respectively, we wanted to delve into whether the number of reviews shoppers were leaving has also increased.

The data highlights that review count is up, with April growing at 32% year-over-year. As shoppers are increasing the number of items that they purchase, this is likely triggering more post-interaction emails than usual. Question submission – which is where a shopper submits a question around a particular product, such as asking for dimensions or whether they can use it in a specific way – is also seeing positive growth year-over-year, with an increase of 54% in April.

This increase in review and question counts shows that brands, now more than ever, need to engage with their customers. They can do this by answering any questions that they are submitting and also by taking the time to analyse their reviews, to help improve the overall experience for their customers.

Nearing the end of April, we’re seeing toys and games, arts and entertainment, animals and pet supplies, business and industrial, and sporting goods pulling in the largest number of page views. They have pushed the food, beverage and tobacco, and office supplies categories out of the top five.

This is an interesting change in shopper behaviour, as it may highlight that as people get used to spending longer periods of time at home, they are moving past the necessity phase and are now looking to prioritise different categories. This is also true for order count where we see that hardware, sporting goods, vehicles and parts, business and industrial, and arts and entertainment hold the top five spots.

Top priorities for shoppers

Alongside the products that people are viewing and purchasing, consumers’ priorities are also changing as a result of Covid-19. According to our survey, before the pandemic, respondents’ main priorities when purchasing were quality (48%), price (47%) and brand (24%). Now, they’re mostly focused on availability (49%), price (36%) and quality (34%).

It makes sense that availability is such a concern – over half (58%) of respondents said that they have experienced product shortages at stores from which they’ve tried to make a purchase. When asked if they feel like they have access to essential and non-essential supplies, 44% said that they’re getting by, but it’s tricky. Only 30% said that they have been able to get everything they need quite easily.

It’s very interesting to see the change in priority for shoppers, with the focus moving to availability. This will prove a key time for consumers to try new brands that they perhaps wouldn’t have before. This may result in a change in brand loyalty for some consumers who discover new products as part of their new shopping experiences.

Change to shopper circumstances

While we have delved into how people’s shopping behaviour is changing, we are also interested in some of the specific reasons behind why it may be changing, and one of those is changes in our work circumstances. In a recent survey we conducted with over 2,800 members of the Influenster community, we were interested to find out how people’s working situations have changed, as that will have a direct impact on how consumers are shopping and products they are prioritising.

Only 30% said that they have been able to get everything they need quite easily.

Thirty-six percent of respondents are still working their regular hours with their usual salary, while 22% have experienced lay-offs, and a further 8% are anticipating some sort of change based on their company’s current situation. The remaining 34% have experienced either reduced hours, reduced pay, been furloughed or have had to use their paid time off during this time.

As Covid-19 and its impacts continue, we are likely to see further changes to people’s working situations, which may alter shopping behaviour further.

What could this mean for retail?

While it’s key to explore how shopper behaviour is changing throughout this period, the question many people want the answer to is what long lasting impact will Covid-19 have on ecommerce and shopping habits. Which categories will people continue to increase spend in, and which will likely become less of a priority?

The shift we’ve seen in consumers moving to online shopping can only help to accelerate innovation in ecommerce across multiple industries. As companies have been working hard to improve their ecommerce experience – whether that be from improving delivery times, updating product descriptions on web pages, or utilising ratings and reviews across their products – it will be interesting to see whether once Covid-19 is over these consumers keep shopping online, or if they will want to return to shopping in physical stores.

We just don’t know yet. But one thing is for sure: brands that provide a seamless, informative online experience are poised to succeed during this challenging time.

Suzin Wold is SVP of marketing at Bazaarvoice.

The post How Covid-19 has changed shopper behaviour [stats] appeared first on Econsultancy.

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Perhaps no single industry has been so devastated by the coronavirus crisis as the multi-billion-dollar conference and events business. Countless careers in catering, hospitality, travel, and public speaking (like me!) depend on the future of conferences. We’re all wondering about the future of conferences.

We need these events to come back. But when?

In a recent free strategy paper I published called The Pandemic Business Playbook, I noted that we must think through post-crisis questions like this by assessing probabilities — what are the most likely scenarios?

Public speaking has been an important part of my revenue stream so the “re-opening” of conferences is essential to my business planning. Problem is, I found absolutely no data or projections on the future of conferences that could help me. So I conducted my own research and the results provide an interesting snapshot of what might be occurring in the next 2-3 years. Let’s look at this today.

The process

No government action is going to “re-open” traditional conventions and conferences. PEOPLE will allow conferences to re-open only when they feel safe enough to flock back to those airports, hotels, and convention centers.

My research was focused on diverse business executives likely to travel to conferences — when will they return, and what would make them feel safe to return?

In my survey, I purposely excluded anybody whose primary income is derived from events.**  I wanted to get a read on the sentiment of our CUSTOMERS — conference-goers whose income does not depend on these events.

The survey was conducted during the week of May 03, 2020, and the sample size was 123, which included diverse leaders from

• manufacturing
• services industries
• healthcare/pharmaceutical
• high tech
• automotive
• education

… and others.

I asked them three questions, and assured anonymity:

• What is the most likely timeframe large conferences (over 500 attending) will return?
• When is it likely small events will return (under 100)?
• What milestone event would have to occur to once again attend a conference?

This is not a scientific survey, but the results point to some useful insights that will influence my decision-making in the months to come.

** There was one exception in my survey. I polled a director for the huge SXSW conference just out of my own curiosity!

What is the near-term future of conferences?

Here is when respondents believed they would be returning to large conferences:

We can tease a few facts from this response:

• 36 percent believe they will be returning to large conferences within the next nine months.
• About 30 percent believe things will be normal no sooner than the second half of 2021.
• About 15 percent believe both 2020 and 2021 will be a wash-out for large conferences.

Let’s turn to views about smaller events with 100 or fewer attendees:

This was a more optimistic response, with about 40 percent of the respondents believing that we’ll have this figured out by the end of 2020.

About 34 percent believe that even small meetings of less than 100 people are at least a year away.

What will help people return to conferences?

The answer to this question was nearly universal: The virus has to go away … or at least become contained by vaccination or medical treatment.

More than 90 percent of the respondents included “vaccination” or some sort of effective medical therapy in their response.

Perhaps this respondent comment sums it up best: “I want to attend a conference without having to wear a mask.”

Until we stop reflexively seeing people as viral threats, the vital benefit of human contact at in-person events will remain elusive.

The medical reality of vaccination development does not support the relatively optimistic hope of the respondents. The grim truth is that a vaccine probably won’t arrive any time soon.

No short-term answer

A comprehensive New York Times analysis called “How Long Will a Vaccine Really Take?” reports that the average time to create a vaccination is 36 years. For example, after 40 years, we still don’t have a vaccine for H.I.V.  The fastest vaccination ever produced took four years.

Robert van Exan, a cell biologist who has worked in the vaccine industry for decades, predicts we won’t see a vaccine approved until at least 2021 or 2022, and even then, “this is very optimistic and of relatively low probability.”

So even if the world gets incredibly lucky and cuts the previous “speed record” of four years to 1.5 years, we would be late into 2021 just for approval of a vaccine.

After approval, millions of vials will have to be prepared, shipped, and distributed. Some vials will be stockpiled ahead of time and several manufacturing facilities will be built in anticipation of a cure, but not enough to vaccinate the world, or even America, quickly.

Vaccine alternatives

However, we may not need a vaccine for life to return to normal.

The history of H.I.V. offers a glimmer of hope for how life could continue even without a vaccine. Researchers developed antiviral drugs that lowered the death rate and improved health outcomes for people living with AIDS.

Therapeutic drugs might likewise change the fight against COVID-19. The World Health Organization began a global search for drugs to treat COVID-19 patients in March. If successful, those drugs could lower the number of hospital admissions and help people recover faster while narrowing the infection window so fewer people catch the virus.

The problem is, even if these chemical cocktails shorten sicknesses and perhaps even prevent deaths, they won’t prevent you from contracting the virus. We can use H.I.V. as a stand-in for coronavirus here. If you were told that you can go to conferences and contract H.I.V. but not die from it, would you go?

I don’t think we can under-estimate the psychology of fear as a factor in this equation, especially when there is a daily litany of new revelations about the coronavirus attacking the brain, heart, liver, kidneys, and creating strange new illnesses in children.

Lag time

Whenever we do hit “after coronavirus,” some parts of life will return to normal quickly. But big conferences only happen with months, sometimes years, of lead time.

The process of planning a schedule, assembling speakers, booking a space, reserving hotel rooms, marketing it to the world so people can convince their bosses to let them go — it all takes a long time. And almost none of that process can begin until planners know when it’ll be safe to gather thousands of people in a tight space.

Whenever that day comes, the local gym may be open, but big conferences will still be months away due to the planning time gap.

Conclusion based on probabilities: The low probability of having a vaccine quickly seemingly contradicts the relatively optimistic views of the respondents.

Even a “lucky” scenario would push approved drug therapies and/or a vaccination into late 2021 or beyond. With more than 90 percent of the respondents saying this a critical priority, the lack of assured safety and the lag time needed for planning events would likely prohibit a 2021 return for at least large conferences.

Impact of finances + regulations

About one-third of respondents also mentioned budgetary concerns or the lifting of regulatory constraints as impediments to attending conferences. Many companies have eliminated business travel in an effort to remain solvent and a significant economic rebound would be necessary to justify non-essential travel.

There are also travel considerations such as national travel bans, regional travel restrictions, and even a lack of flights cited as at least near-term problems.

Tim Peter is an expert in the hospitality industry, and he pointed to research showing that large company gatherings are expected to be the most vulnerable travel category coming out of the pandemic. “Many companies are already canceling large events through 2021,” he said. “This may never recover. Virtual events may become a new normal for companies.”

There are several factors that point to extended business travel restrictions:

• Projections that the virus will linger in the U.S. at least into 2021
• Significant business losses racking up in 2020
• Projections of a recession or depression that may last for years
• Increased effectiveness of online meetings and events

Conclusion based on probabilities: Economic conditions through at least 2021 will not be favorable to lifting bans on many corporate travel restrictions. Large company meetings probably will not come back in 2021 and could be vulnerable even beyond that timeframe.

One survey respondent said: “Conferences will be too risky until mid- to late-2021 when a vaccine becomes available and, more critically, when insurance companies will feel safe underwriting conferences again. A vaccine will be the trigger that lets them shift fault from the conference (willingly exposing participants to harm) to the attendee (individual choice to get the vaccine, the conference is not at fault).”

Virtual event evolution

We are certainly getting better at online meetings and events. Virtual conferences won’t do much to help airlines, hotels, and every other industry that supports this industry, but could they afford a new opportunity for speaking professionals?

Maybe.

This is anecdotal, but my colleagues in the speaking industry report that at least in the short-term, most online events are expecting speakers to appear for free or at dramatically reduced rates. A close friend spoke at three online events last week … all free. We have a long way to go before virtual events are compelling enough to rival those profitable real-life conference experiences.

This is an area ripe for innovation. People are exhausted from Zoom fatigue. It’s a complicated business problem because staring at a screen for hours taxes the brain in unique ways.

The future of conferences very well could be virtual for the foreseeable future, but long-term success will require a bold integration of science, technology, entertainment, and innovation from the speakers themselves.

Conclusion based on probabilities: Professional speakers will find a home in virtual events but until the quality of the events drastically improves to justify registration prices, revenue potential will be less than what speakers are accustomed to. 

Is there any good news?

I’ve identified major obstacles to resuming “normal” in the conference industry. If you’re following my logic, it looks like any business supporting conferences — including public speaking — is in for a challenging ride until at least 2022.

But there are glimmers of hope.

• In the U.S., coronavirus deaths for people under the age of 34 represent about 1 percent of the total. Research shows that Millennials are champing at the bit to hit the road again. This might be good news for youth-oriented events.
• Some nations are already approaching a level of safety even without a vaccine that allows for normal events. My friend in Iceland reports that an annual conference scheduled for this September is moving ahead as planned.
• If there is any hope for a fast vaccine, it is now. The stakes are enormous and dozens of companies are working on solutions. The survey respondents said in unison, “we must have a vaccine.”
• I think new forms of conferences will emerge. Zoom is not a sustainable format or long-term replacement for the conference experience. But there has to be something brewing out there — VR? AR? — that will create new opportunities.
• According to a study by strategic communications consultancy APCO Worldwide, 83 percent of people working from home say they miss attending in-person meetings and conventions. And 78 percent say they plan to attend as many, or more, when the threat of COVID-19 passes.

When SXSW was canceled this year, I felt like Christmas had been shut down. My favorite week of the year. I’ve made so many friends there and learned so much at this global gathering of thought leaders.

The very reason why monumental conferences like SXSW had to shut down is precisely what made them popular: they brought together interesting people from everywhere. The sheer immensity is why now they are so uncertain.

There will still be in-person conferences. Virtual events will fill part of the void. But we’ll miss meeting someone from another part of the world and unexpectedly getting sucked into a multi-hour conversation, playing hooky for all the talks we had planned to attend.

Our favorite conferences will return. When SXSW comes back, I’ll be first in line for a ticket.

What is the future of conferences?

The answer to this question is unknowable but I hope this post represents a rational thought experiment.

• People won’t return to in-person events until they can be assured of safety.
• “Mask-free” safety for large events probably can’t be assured until late 2021 or beyond.
• Respondents are optimistic that small events will come back quickly.
• Many safety-related and economic travel restrictions will remain in place through next year.
• Some conferences may be in jeopardy until the insurance situation sorts out.
• Youth-oriented events and conferences in countries that have rebounded from the virus will return more quickly.
• Virtual events will thrive and rapidly evolve but probably won’t offer “normal” opportunities to many professional speakers until a technological breakthrough makes them more attractive for paying registrants.

What’s next? You’ll have to come to your own conclusions.

What do you think is ahead for the future of conferences?

The post What is the future of conferences and public speaking? appeared first on Schaefer Marketing Solutions: We Help Businesses {grow}.