The most effective advertising for big players

The programmatic campaign was carried out in April this year and lasted a month. Our client has just introduced a new product to the market, so the main goal was to achieve the widest possible reach of advertisements to reach the largest possible group of potential customers. At the same time, however, we did not want to lose quality, so the campaign was to be visible mainly on high-quality portals that were very popular among Internet users. We have been cooperating with our client for a long time, creating other types of campaigns, so we knew his recipient profile, which made it easier for us to choose the means to achieve the set goal.

We decided that the best solution for the client would be to use video ads published on YouTube and in places automatically purchased by the Programmatic system as part of Open Auctions. We supplemented these activities with the Display campaign, using, among others, the Rich Media (Parallax) creation, whose advanced functions increase the possibilities of interaction with the recipient. We also decided to use animated HTML5 banners, which draw the attention of a typical user much better than traditional ones. What effect did the chosen strategy bring? In a month, it managed to reach 22,823,700 views in the most attractive advertising spaces on the Internet.

When it comes to impressions, the natural question may arise as to whether the ad was actually spotted and worked. After all, the creations could appear in a place where the user will not notice them, or they could be scrolled so quickly that it was impossible to register the message. To avoid such doubts, the viewability parameter was created, which determines what percentage of displayed ads was most likely actually seen by the recipient. In the case of the discussed campaign, viewability was at the level of 89%, which means that almost every display was related to the achievement of the assumed goal.

The best surfaces at optimal prices

But let’s move on to a more detailed campaign analysis. As the main goal of advertising was to familiarize as many potential customers as possible with the new product, we focused on different formats and different environments – this maximized the chance of achieving the expected reach. Different activities in different systems and display places, however, always carry the risk of burning through the budget. In optimization activities, we focused mainly on minimizing the cost of impressions without losing their number and, of course, the quality of placements for advertising. We also set a common capping for all formats, i.e. the maximum number of ad impressions per day per user. Thanks to this, it was possible to avoid unnecessary expenses on repeating the message to recipients familiar with it, and thus reach a greater number of new potential customers.

We also took care to exclude low-quality placements on an ongoing basis, which allowed us to maintain high-quality broadcasts throughout the campaign. As a result, the ad was most often displayed in such recognizable and prestigious placements.

Of course, we also paid attention to brand safety, i.e. securing the brand’s reputation. Throughout the campaign, we made sure that advertisements did not appear on websites rich in controversial content or in provocative contexts that could harm the client’s image.

Programmatic campaign costs

The entire month of the campaign is also the work of both our specialists and self-learning algorithms on issues such as budget relocations and bid optimization to achieve maximum reach within the assumed budget. As a result, we significantly reduced the costs of the campaign – a single impression averaged 2 cents for open auctions in Programmatic and 3 cents for the YouTube platform.

– Average CPV Video total: $ 0.03,
– CPV Programmatic Average Open Auctions: $ 0.02,
– YouTube average CPV $ 0.03.

In the case of CPM rates, i.e. per thousand ad impressions, the costs were as follows:

– Average CPM total: $ 3.66,
– YouTube average CPM $ 12.7,
– Average CPM Programmatic Video open auctions $ 3.90,
– CPM Display Programmatic average open auctions $ 2.21.

The total cost of the campaign was $ 83,500 and allowed to reach almost 23 million views. So optimizing your bids resulted in a number of impressions close to the population of Texas. Of course, this does not mean that so many people saw the client’s advertising creations, as promotional videos and banners could be displayed several times to the same users. Still, this is the reach that has significantly helped raise awareness of both the brand and the new product.

It should not be forgotten that Programmatic is an advanced system that collects huge amounts of data about Internet users in order to display advertisements only to those who are likely to be interested in the offer. This is a significant advantage over television or outdoor campaigns, in the case of which we have very little influence on the selection of the target group, and thus the final result of activities.

What is SEO audit?

Audit is control. In enterprises, this wording is used primarily in the financial and organizational context. By adding “seo” to it, we signal focus on this sphere, so: AUDIT SEO – controlling the adaptation of the website to the guidelines of search engines; assessment of the solutions and technologies used and the keyword strategy adopted; assessment of the effectiveness of actions to increase the level of visibility on the web.

A comprehensive audit aims to assess existing efforts to increase visibility. It can be carried out regardless of whether they were taken or not. The task of the auditor is not only to analyze specific solutions or to place keywords in a given headline, but also to look from a broader perspective, taking into account current trends in search engine guidelines.

When SEO audit should be carried out?

In the company’s life cycle, audits are performed at several strategic points. It is similar with a seo audit. Three moments can be distinguished here in particular:

A. start of the page or its redesign, combined with a change in some functionalities – a change in the page often introduces confusion in brand visibility, especially if it is not carried out under the watchful eye of a specialist. Changes in URLs, page layout, content modification or limiting them … a look with a trained eye allows you to overcome this chaos and identify places that could potentially delay ranking in positions. In the case of starting the page (we mean not only starting from scratch but also refreshing it, connected e.g. with a change in CMS), it is worth handing it over to the positioner before it becomes available to the public. Earlier evalsuation of solutions and introduction of modifications during work on the site will facilitate activities not only for positioners, but also developers who build the site.

B. a sharp decrease in visibility, no traffic from the search engine – at the time when such a dramatic change occurs, it is necessary to determine its causes. While the fluctuation is not caused by a modification of the algorithm of a given industry (such as high-profile changes in the medical industry that caused turbulence in traffic even on the largest health portals), which will be easier to track, drops in one domain will require deeper analysis and observation.

C. launching the campaign on other platforms and expanding marketing activities in the media – why is an audit necessary in such a situation? Let’s say you start activities and sales in an online store. Because of the products, you focus primarily on social media activities. Not every customer will go to the page directly from the Instagram bio link – some will look for the company in the search engine. Some will not remember the brand name and will search for terms associated with it or, e.g., hashtags, which they use on Instagram. Good visibility built around these slogans and proper presence in SERPs does not allow “clients” to be “lost” and will help direct them straight to the product card.

A comprehensive assessment of activities, made at a strategic moment and by an independent observer, is a great basis for organizing further work. Thanks to the knowledge contained in the audit, work planning and necessary time and financial expenses will be much easier.

To provide a full answer to the question of when it is worth performing a seo audit, it is also worth mentioning the necessity or need to check the activities of the positioning company. The subject may seem quite controversial, after all, “non-binding and free” audits are one of the methods of taking over customers. However, if we manage to abandon negative associations, we can easily see that the audit can help “look fresh” at the site and it is possible that we can see the potential for action in new places. More on how to look at the audit will be provided later in the text.

What gives a site audit for over $ 2,000?

How to start here without clichés … paid audits allow for an individual approach to the site. The price of a comprehensive audit is made up of many factors, primarily the time, knowledge and experience of the positioners who carry it out. Added to this is the cost of paid tools, which we support when evalsuating a website or site.

Packet audit – this is the solution for those who prefer to have full clarity and all information in one place. The audit in the package covers everything that is smaller than it. The information contained in the document is expanded, however, with further elements that broaden the scope of data on visibility in the search engine and deepen their analysis.

Let’s discuss the following elements of the audit:

A. meta tag analysis – checking the elements contained in the <head> part of the page, which are displayed in Google search results. Properly prepared title and meta description will contain relevant keywords and encourage you to enter the website. The audit will provide information on whether these items are saturated with keywords, have the right length, and appear throughout the entire domain. Duplicates will also be indicated.

B. analysis of the page in terms of the lack of duplicates – the audit will indicate all possible copies of the page – whether they are non-redirected versions of http and https, or copies created on subdomains or created during the process of building the page and available to network robots.

C. content analysis on the site – a comprehensive content study will allow you to evalsuate the content – its usefulness for the user, keyword saturation and comparison with competitors.

D. head section analysis – in addition to title & meta description, <head> also contains other elements important for positioning – meta robots, some canonical links.

E. correct structure of subpages – control of access to pages, convenience of use and finding information on pages, as well as internal linking – elements important both because of the orientation of web robots on the page but also because of the user’s convenience.

F. correctness of subpage code – indication of errors in the code, incorrect use of html, css, js or broken parts that may interfere with the correct loading of the page or prevent the use of some of its functionalities.

G. analysis of page indexing capabilities – controlling exclusions and bans on web robots that may prevent data collection.

H. analysis of website mobility – not only whether the website is responsive, but also whether the speed and solutions used enable proper use of the website on smaller screens of mobiles devices and with a weaker Internet connection.

I. display speed analysis – the issue of page rendering speed also applies to the desktop version; tests allow you to specify elements that delay pages loading and find solutions to eliminate these problems.

J. analysis search console – data collected in Google Search Console allow you to determine the status of the page in the Google index. Audit of older domains without GSC analysis will not be complete – the console provides detailed data on how crawlers crawl, how Google really sees pages and what errors it encounters. In the case of a new, new site and new domain, complete GSC analysis may not be possible – the data collected will be residual.

K. standard link profile analysis – similar to GSC analysis – for a domain with history. The analysis allows determining if and which pages contain links leading to a given domain.

L. detailed analysis of the link profile – a more detailed study of links allows determining the dominant sources of links and assessing their value.

M. detailed analysis of keyword potential – assessment of the selection of keywords based on the number of searches, click-through rates and Google search engine trends specific to a given industry.

N. examination of the substantive content of the page – in the extended version of the audit we also provide information on whether the site contains the necessary data, enabling users to find the necessary information. Deficiencies in product or service descriptions and the need to add additional technical information will be indicated.

O. Crawl Budget – an important element for large websites that provides information on how many pages in a given domain are able to scan the Google search engine.

P. detailed competition analysis – what are they doing better, what makes them higher and / or have better visibility in the search engine? Competition analysis allows you to see solutions that work in a given industry.

Q. detailed analysis of website visibility – during the audit, a wide visibility test is carried out, which requires the use of several independent tools. Analysis of the collected data allows you to get a full picture of the visibility of pages and tips for further development.

R. indications of changes – the extended version of the audit also allows you to include dedicated domain guidelines, whose introduction is aimed at improving the results of the website in Google search. The guidelines apply to all the elements listed above – the selection of keywords, their placement on the page, the number and quality of texts, the speed of the site. The audit also suggests places that allow increasing the diversification of incoming link sources or pointing places for links necessary for a given industry.

How long does it take to audit the website

The time of conducting the seo audit and receiving its final version will depend on the scope in which it is to be performed. This “high-end audit” also contains guidelines and may take up to two weeks to prepare.

The size of the website also has an impact on the duration of the seo audit. Sites with several dozen tabs, due to smaller working material, are analyzed much faster. Larger websites usually require more work. If it is necessary to provide extensive guidelines, deadlines are usually set individually.

What does the positioner do at this time? He prepares at this time an analysis of all the previously mentioned points. The work on some is facilitated by the provision of Google Search Console and Analytics – the data collected by Google robots allows you to quickly outline the main problems and areas where corrections need to be made. During work, other tools are also used to analyze traffic, website statistics and Google search engine data.

How to read a website audit?

Automatic audits, which some agencies use to take over clients, usually highlight all the negative elements that the auditor was able to find. They are dominated by a narrative emphasizing deficiencies and shortcomings – often without indicating specific places where they were noticed. In most cases, it comes down to a critique of the actions of other positioners.

A professional audit will focus on all aspects of the site – it will indicate correctly carried out work and places where the site does not stand out from the competition and does not deviate from Google guidelines.

By analyzing, for example, an online store’s website, the positioner is aware that the store’s engine does not allow changes. Therefore, information on this subject will be included in the audit, with an annotation that the X engine on which the store is located does not allow making the required changes. These types of remarks should be considered when planning the reconstruction of a website. If the CMS used is a niche solution (e.g. proprietary solutions), and the positioner does not have full access to the site, he will not have knowledge about whether given technical solutions allow the introduction of suggested changes.

How do you get started with the suggested changes?

A. Technical issues
By analyzing the page, the positioner indicates problematic places in the code. Some of them result from old solutions that should be replaced by newer ones. Others may require changes and, for example, shifting some snippets of js code, which will allow the website to load faster. In the case of popular CMS and templates, some code fragments are permanently embedded in the solution and their change requires advanced actions on the part of the developer. The introduction of some suggestions may involve additional costs, hence our attention at the beginning of the text – changes on the website should be consulted with the positioner already in the development phase.

B. Content
Some of the sites audited have poor content. Building a text database takes time, but creating content suitable for the user and web robots will pay off in many fields. The comments included in the audit will help determine the direction and prioritize the addition of certain content.

C. Site Links
The audit will contain information on the number and quality of links and compare them with competitors’ links. It will also indicate places where the owner of the page can add a link himself – e.g. by asking contractors to update the data on their page and supplementing them with their link to the page.

SEO audit – positioning game

SEO audit is a great start to website positioning. Having all the knowledge about the current status of the page in one place, you can easily plan changes. Note – performing point-by-point optimization is a persistent task! Preparation and updating of the code, followed by supplementing the content is a process that only in the first phase can take several weeks. It is also worth considering further cooperation with the agency – optimization work and all activities related to it will not disturb the normal work in the company, and the effects will appear faster!

Marketing indicators – what for?

Why measure at all? The answer seems obvious. Thanks to the analysis of key performance indicators (KPI), among others:
– you get measurable results of your marketing activities,
– you see which of the published content worked better and which worse
– you can accurately calculate the translation of the costs of marketing activities into profits from finalized transactions,
– it’s easier for you to plan your next promotional campaigns – so as to better tailor them to market requirements.

The problem, however, is that with the development of tracking and analytical tools, the number of indicators has also increased significantly. Of course, each of them matters. Sometimes, however, it is difficult to break through the thicket of numbers and percentages. So it’s worth knowing which indicators – available e.g. in Google Analytics, on the FB fanpage’s administrative page or in CRMs – have a really great impact on the assessment of the effects of marketing activities. So we discuss the most important ones.

Different marketing indicators for each type of message

Remember that when it comes to indicators that are important from the marketer’s point of view, there is no single, universal combination of the key ones. There are no indicators that will be relevant in every situation. All because the interactions with the recipient of each type of content released to the web are slightly different. For example, on the landing page you will observe data related to the acquisition of leads, but already in organic activities in social media – rather those related to the involvement of users under your posts. So choose the meters for each type of marketing message that you release into the world. The indicators depend on the purpose of the campaign.

What to measure by analyzing the effectiveness of the website?

When looking at website traffic, it’s worth paying attention to:

– traffic on the site – the number of page views, the number of unique website users and the percentage of those returning to the website are important,
– average time spent on the website and Bounce Ratio – this will show you whether the prepared content engages users so much that they want to get to know the information closer, or reject them immediately,
– traffic sources – so how did the users get to your site: by entering its address in the browser, via the search engine, or maybe from social media or thanks to other external links? This will help you spread out your accents well when it comes to promoting your site on individual channels,
– conversion rate – how many visitors to your site took the action that you expected. For example, on a landing page it is leaving a lead;
– the proportion of leads to conversions – so how many of the people who initially expressed interest in your offer went through the entire marketing funnel,
– cost of acquiring a lead / client – i.e. the proportion between the amount of expenditure on the promotional campaign and the results obtained.

It is also worth making a “heat map”, so check which areas of the website were of particular interest to readers – so as to make any corrections to the layout and increase the range and conversion rate.

Analysis of marketing indicators in social media

Slightly different indicators count in social media. It is also an important marketing communication channel that strengthens the brand image and acquires sales leads. But what indicates that your actions on the fanpage bring results? The indicators that should pay your special attention are:

– number of views (reach) – of course, organic reach is the key, i.e. the one achieved without reaching for a paid promotion,
– the number of clicks on the post – will show how much information you presented on FB or Instagram was of interest to the recipient. Each click is evidence of initial interest in communication and that the post attracted attention but was not scrolled,
– leads obtained through posts in social media – i.e., e.g. contact details left on the landing page to which they directed messages on FB or from lead ads,
– engagement rates – it’s about the number of: likes / reactions, comments and interactions – the more, the higher the effectiveness of your actions,
– user generated content – i.e. posts / materials related to your fan page by users, e.g. those in which your profile has been tagged. This type of traffic can be obtained, for example, by working with influencers, or by organizing competitions in which the task is to perform just such an action.

If you reach for paid promotion tools – conversion rates are also important, i.e. the cost of a single post view, click and conversion.

What about sales-related indicators? When analyzing activities in social media, it is usually difficult to obtain unambiguous and error-free data. However, the cost of activities carried out here should be included when calculating ROI, and thus the overall return on investment in promotion compared to the outlays made.

How to find yourself in the ocean of data?

As you can see, there are still quite a few marketing indicators that matter, and the ones above are just the tip of the iceberg. For example, CSR actions (related to corporate social responsibility) may have completely different performance evalsuation indicators, and nevertheless enter into marketing areas (e.g. from the purchase of each product X we allocate the amount of Y to the organization Z).

If you have the impression that it is difficult for you to be among the indicators, you can always go to specialists. They will look at all the data and indicators that have been generated, analyze their relevance and draw conclusions. As a result of their work, you will receive a transparent report that will show you clearly how your marketing activities translated into achieving your goals. It will also be a source of tips for the future – you will learn from it how to improve your work so that its results are even better. Marketing indicators – and more precisely their design in the context of a given action and goal – is one of the most important challenges for a marketer. However, the correct architecture will also make them an unparalleled ally in operations and reporting.

Choosing keywords for positioning is one of the first problems you need to solve in order to best conduct further actions. In most tutorials you will come across suggestions to use the keyword tools in Google Ads. It’s also worth adding Google Ads campaigns to this list.

When choosing keywords, you’ll ask yourself a few questions that require immediate answers. Among other things: do you want to position general keywords that give you greater ranges or a long tail? Is your domain brand strong enough? Later, it remains to select phrases within a given group. There are constantly new questions. In this case, a well-run Google Ads campaign can be the answer. If you have properly invested in this advertising channel, it may prove to be a great support for you.

In Google Ads campaigns, you can extract a very large amount of data about the searched and clicked keywords and their effectiveness. Both for text and shopping ads. In both cases, you are able to check the keyword that the user entered, clicked on your ad, and then converted (or not).

Where to look for all this information?

Where to look for all this information? In the search terms report. After logging in to your Google Ads account, select Keywords from the left menu, then click Search terms in the options at the top.

You import the entire report into a spreadsheet to freely analyze the data and suddenly you discover a sea of data. There are so many keywords here that you don’t know where to start.

You can do several things:

– Leave only those phrases that have brought valuable conversions and focus on them. With this solution, I recommend taking data from a minimum of six months back, preferably one year. Then you won’t be exposed to seasonal data analysis. Additionally, you can expand your word list in the direction of long tail niche phrases.

– Leave only keywords that have a specified minimum number of impressions in the analyzed time range. Here, I also recommend relying on data from a minimum of half a year. Then sort the data by number of views, descending. It is worth referring to the quality of traffic in Google Analytics and leave those phrases that have good results or have converted.

– Group keywords by product category, e.g. filter phrases for whether they contain the word “jacket”, “pants”, “sweatshirt”, etc. Then you need to determine the potential of each of these groups and analyze their effectiveness. However, remember to leave words with the best reach and conversion rates. In this way, the list will actually contain searched and clicked phrases from a given topic.

Analyze detailed data

If you do not want to analyze such detailed data and bury yourself in a huge spreadsheet, you can use the results in Google Ads at the keyword level. You’ll find them in your campaigns. This list will allow you to evalsuate phrases and similar variations in terms of efficiency and profitability for business.

You can also download this data to a spreadsheet, then filter and sort according to your needs. The main difference between this report and the previous one is that here you won’t see exactly what users enter in the search engine, only the keywords from your campaign. In addition, this report does not include data from shopping campaigns.

What can you do with a table full of keywords?

What can you do with a table full of keywords? Exactly the same as with the search terms report. Depending on the amount of time you have and the amount of data, you are able to prepare and then choose the positioning phrases that will bring the best results. However, regardless of which method you choose, you always get reliable data. Not only about the possible ranges, but also the effectiveness of these phrases (number and value of conversions and conversion rate). Thanks to this, you don’t choose keywords in the dark, based on the “can convert” principle, only according to real performance data.

What exactly does the SEO (search engine optimization) service that Paraphrase-Online.com provides to its clients? Do you have to pay extra for something extra for additional SEO activities? Why positioning is not an instant service and the SEO contract itself lasts up to 12 months? We take a closer look at popular questions that our account managers meet.

SEO: Positioning – what are we dealing with?

Website positioning service is more than just a one-off website review – audit, even in the extended variant combined with the preparation of optimization recommendations. The positioning performed by SEO specialists from Paraphrase-Online.com begins with an audit of the website itself and the links. The information obtained during them becomes the basis for preparing a positioning strategy including elements such as:

– website optimization, e.g. in terms of speed of operation,
– optimization of meta tags for the keywords entered in the contract,
– preparation and implementation of unique, optimized and appropriate length content on the website,
– linking divided into stages and diversified in terms of type and source of links,
– redirection,
– introducing improvements and changes suggested by Google Search Console.

The above list of works is not closed, but contains only examples of activities. A set of positioner works is created for a specific case – the individual needs of a given site. The type of access to the page at the disposal of the SEO specialist is also significant. Full access to the website is very useful for the comprehensive provision of SEO services.

The positioning strategy may change during the contract period. This is due to, among others from observing changes in the algorithm, the website’s response to actions applied by its SEO specialist, or the quality of competing websites. If the positioner observes that the competitors of the website they are dealing with increases the amount of content on their websites, they may, in response, recommend the introduction of larger pools of text also on the website which is under his care. It may also propose the creation of new subpages, e.g. a blog on a website, which will serve as a space for systematic publication of new texts supporting the positioning process.

SEO activities – what do we have in the price of the service?

We are aware that surprising additional expenses during the term of the contract is not what our customers want. To spare them such unpleasant surprises, already at the stage of presenting the offer and packages for SEO activities, we indicate what activities fall within the scope of a particular package. If our client is interested in a selected package, but would like to add something extra to it that is included in another package, then it is worth contacting the client’s representative who will provide a quote for this additional activity. Our goal is to offer SEO services tailored to the needs of our clients as much as possible.

We follow a simple rule that if something has a direct impact on the positioning service, it appears in the package of activities performed as part of the service. That is why we prepare new content for subpages directly related to keywords – this happens as part of the service. However, if our client would like to have texts written by the copywriter for all subpages, including those not affecting positioning, it will be treated as an additional service and as such an extra priced.

It is not possible that we will do some additional work on the website, and only after a while we will inform the customer that this is an extra paid item.

Why can’t SEO services be called instant?

One of the main differences between Google Ads and positioning is that in the case of the SEO service comes to wait for the results (on the other hand, they are more durable than in the case of Google Ads). Depending on the website we are working on, the existing link profile, the extent of optimization, competition, selected keywords and many other factors, we have to wait for the results for several weeks, several months or even a year. Unfortunately, positioning is not an exact science and there are no simple and guaranteed “10 added links = 5 positions increase in results”.

It happens that the very introduction of optimization brings satisfying results in the form of an increase in position. In practice, we can also deal with situations in which e.g. the next round of links brings results and increases occur. This does not mean, however, that previous actions were unnecessary – it is more about the cumulation effect. Due to this certain unpredictability inscribed in the reality of the positioner’s work, we avoid unequivocal declarations and assurances that the client will have to wait 5 weeks for results.

Just as certain actions translate into position increases, so removing them can mean declines. One of the most common cases in this category is removing meta tag optimization. The introduction of appropriate meta tags is one of the foundations of the positioning process.

During the duration of the positioning service, there are necessarily changes in the Google algorithm. Given the dynamics and frequency of their implementation, there is no way that a 12-month positioning contract would not come across them. Positioners don’t know about these changes in advance about the algorithm. Only after a while they can react to them and implement changes on the website adapting them to new realities. The changes in the algorithm should not be associated only with declines in position. It happens that such an update is a chance for quick promotion in search results (and it does not have to be only a temporary increase). The changes in the algorithm are generally geared to supporting high-quality websites – extensive, interesting content, user-friendly (see e.g. the issue of page speed). If our website falls under this trend, then updates can be its ally.

CEO basics – what do they include?

Can you talk about a kind of SEO primer, something that contains the basics of SEO in relation to each page? Certainly, it is something like a website audit, which we presented in more detail in the section “SEO: Positioning – what are we dealing with?” Of this blog article. This meticulously performed SEO audit provides solid foundations for SEO strategies. While the SEO audit is focused on examining a certain pool of “necessary” (it is difficult to imagine SEO activities in this area, e.g. without evalsuating meta tags, the presence of various types of duplicates, the amount of published content or the possibility of indexing the site by Google network robots – these are absolute SEOs basics for internal auditing), then SEO strategies may differ.

SEO strategies – why these differences?

There are many sources of differences when it comes to SEO strategies. In this case, we will focus on a few basic and common ones. Of course, there is also the fact that the SEO industry is not exact science. How SEO services are provided by individual positioners depends on their experience, know-how, tools used, etc. SEO strategies will vary depending on whether:

– we are dealing with a new page or history – a good website history is an undoubted advantage when it comes to SEO services;
– if the page has already collected links, and if so – what are the links, where do they come from, in what quantities does the website have them etc .; the current link profile is important when it comes to preparing an SEO strategy;
– SEO optimization – has it already been made, is it the correct optimization, or the desired changes can be applied safely and without problems to the website; the time spent on website optimization for SEO must be included in the SEO strategy;
– whether the page has not been punished by Google (we are talking here first of all about manual penalties – we are able to act to remove such a penalty from the website by appropriate actions).

It is also worth considering that SEO strategies are spread out over time and divided into stages that are performed in a logical order. SEO optimization, and thus its internal improvement, is usually done before linking. Similarly, even the best optimization will not produce results if the website continues to be penalized by Google.

Website optimization for SEO – compulsory driving

One of the first activities in the positioning process is the implementation and implementation of its optimization on the website. Do you dream of effective positioning?

Optimization is the point that cannot be missed. Specific websites need to be optimized at various levels; not all sites allow the same. Let us expand on these rather enigmatic statements.

Not every page requires optimization to the same extent – this means that there are pages that do not have, for example, errors in the head section that make positioning difficult, have a well-built menu and internal linking, do not have problems with duplicates. In this case, the positioner does not force on related modifications – because he does not have to. This site gets points right from the start. Therefore, it is worth consulting a SEO specialist when planning a new website and then positioning it. He will certainly suggest what to look for and implement at such an early stage. If the current website has already worked out results and e.g. positions in the top10 or close to this top, then it is worth moving to the new version of the website so as to minimize the risk of declines in already developed positions (and this risk always occurs). Here also an SEO specialist can help.

Not every page allows you to perform optimization to the same extent – it is related to access to the website, as well as the technology in which it was made. Positioners receive access from their clients to allow different levels of freedom of action. Not every change can be implemented by an SEO specialist in such a situation. You may need help from the client or a statement that we consciously abandon its implementation and the potential benefits of it.

Website positioning – SEO supported by tools

Positioners benefit from the support of various tools that provide useful data in their activities. An overview of popular tools from the positioner’s bag has already been presented on our blog in this entry and this entry is still valid. The list of 8 tools mentioned there is of course not exhaustive. An interesting case among the tools listed there is Google Search Console. They are distinguished by the fact that it is a free tool (just like Google Analytics) and … it was not created for positioners (Google does not create any tool for SEO specialists), but for webmasters. It is worth connecting them to your website. It provides information about website traffic (although not as extensive as Google Analytics), and also detects errors in the operation of the website. These errors are important not only in the context of SEO. The presence of subpages with 404 errors on the site may adversely affect the behavior of potential customers on the website and discourage them from making purchases. It is worth introducing redirects in this case, so that the potential customer had a reason to stay within the website and get acquainted with the product range that is close to interesting.

It is similar in the case of problems with adapting the website to display on mobiles devices. Given the growing importance of mobiles traffic and the number of transactions carried out in this way, it is not worth discouraging these customers from a hostile website that is not adapted to mobiles devices. Google Search Console indicates which problems the website faces in terms of mobility (if any, in its case).

Affiliate program – what is it?

The affiliate program is the alternative name for affiliate programs run as affiliate marketing. It can be described as internet marketing technique, which involves conducting activities not directly by the seller, but by independent marketers and publishers.

How does the affiliate program work?

The affiliate program is based on cooperation between the seller and partners. Its essence is the advertiser (seller) delegating marketing activities to partners. In return for the effects of their activities, they receive commissions.
It is worth emphasizing that the partners have virtually unlimited possibilities of action. They use available techniques and methods in any way – so that the developed strategy brings the expected results.

Participants of the affiliate program

Although the core of the affiliate program is the advertiser and publisher, there are more participants.

– Advertiser (seller) – informs about the promoted product and provides a specific creation.
– Affiliate network – provides the received creative to publishers.
– Publisher (partner) – places product information in the form of an affiliate link.
– User – clicks on the affiliate link and goes to the advertiser’s website and then purchases.

It is worth emphasizing that partner programs are also possible without the affiliate network. However, many advertisers choose to use it because:

– allows advertisers to establish relationships with publishers,
– manages tracking,
– manages payments.

Types of affiliate programs

Although the essence of how affiliate programs work is actually the same, there are different ways of billing between the advertiser and the publisher. That is why three main types of affiliate programs are distinguished.

Pay Per Lead (PPL)
Pay Per Lead should be understood as payment for a specific action that the user will perform after clicking on the affiliate link. It can be e.g. filling out a form, leaving contact details, subscribing to the newsletter, etc.

Pay Per Sale (PPS)
Pay Per Sale is a type of affiliate program that focuses on sales and purchases. This means that the publisher receives a commission from the advertiser when the user clicks on the affiliate link and makes a purchase. The remuneration is a percentage of the value of the subject of the transaction.

Pay Per Click (PPC)
Pay Per Click is a type of affiliate program in which the settlement is based on clicks made by users. Payments are made regardless of the number of products sold. Due to this fact, there are few affiliate programs settling on such principles, because they often do not translate into sales effectiveness.

It is also worth emphasizing that there are two types of affiliate programs:

– one-level – the publisher receives remuneration only for its own activities,
– two levels – the publisher receives remuneration for its own activities and the activities of the team it created.

The important role of affiliate links

When talking about affiliate programs, mention should be made of affiliate links. It is thanks to them that the user gets to the advertiser’s website, and the publisher receives remuneration.

An affiliate link is a unique URL that redirects potential customers to the advertiser’s website. Thanks to this, we know what part of the sale comes from the affiliate program. The advantage of affiliate links are unlimited possibilities of use. It is a comprehensive tool that can be used regardless of the type of marketing activities. These types of links can be placed in multiple channels at once, e.g.

– blogs,
– YouTube channels
– mailings,
– social networks,
– discount websites,
– thematic websites,
– internet forums,
– search engines and product comparison websites.

Affiliate program – where to start?

If you are a salesman and want to achieve your goals, you must first create an affiliate program. The next step is to invite publishers to participate. Although you can create a publisher network yourself, it’s better to get started with affiliate network support. It provides all the technological facilities, tools for publishers, as well as tools that allow you to track statistics useful during campaign optimization.

If you’re a publisher, you can search for advertisers on your own or, as with sellers, join an affiliate network. Thanks to this, you will not only gain access to active partner programs, but also the certainty of proper settlement of sellers.

Affiliate programs – is it worth it?

Affiliate programs are a marketing technique that has mutual benefits – both from the advertiser’s and the publisher’s point of view.

Low advertising cost
The advertiser bears much lower advertising costs because the publisher is responsible for conducting marketing activities. Depending on the type of program selected, for example, the seller may only be billed for sales, thanks to which he ultimately bears a lower cost compared to independently conducted advertising activities – even if the sales commission is quite high.

Chance for an attractive salary
A publisher participating in partner programs has a chance to get a high salary. It is adequate to the efficiency of marketing activities, which motivates to intensively promote the product. It can use any tools – so as to ensure the highest possible conversion.

Content Marketing consists in drawing the attention of potential recipients to the brand with valuable content. For example, if we are producing baking powder, a great move would be to include e.g. recipes for cakes on the blog. Such entries will certainly be useful to our current customers, will warm up the image of the brand, and will also attract new customers who will visit our website looking for recipes.

Popularity of Content Marketing

Is this approach to advertising popular? To answer this question, it’s enough to understand that over 55 million entries, 500 million tweets and four million blog posts appear on Facebook every day. A large part of these entries belongs to enterprises that implement content marketing strategies in this way. Such enormity of information certainly indicates the popularity of Content Marketing. Unfortunately, it also makes it very difficult to stand out and attract recipients. Due to the fact that the amount of created content is currently much larger than users could receive, their attention is only attracted by the most attractive information provided. That is why, remembering that the competition is not asleep and also cares about the website of its company, it is important to contribute to the fact that the content we publish is even better.

Although the amount of content that goes online every day exceeds the processing capacity of its recipients, it would be a huge mistake to recognize that too much content is being created. As many as 75% of people making purchases online are influenced by the content on the site. For this reason, every company tries to “arm” its brand with articles, posts or graphics, attracting potential customers. It is also worth remembering that high-quality content has a huge impact on positioning.

To be appreciated by the recipients, you must provide them with the highest quality content. It is worth noting that it is about content in a very broad sense, it cannot be limited to texts, it is also worth using graphics, videos and all other forms of communication that will affect the positive perception of the site.

Many people are certainly wondering – is this type of action a modern invention that has its source on the Internet? None of these things. Advertising techniques consisting in offering the recipient various types of attractive content in order to draw attention to the brand, worked well long before the invention of the Internet.

Why prepare a content marketing strategy?

Unfortunately, publishing content alone is not enough. It is very important that the activities have a consistent message that meets the client’s needs. That is why there is a need to develop a content marketing strategy. Thanks to it, all published content will be consistent and adapted to the specifics of the industry and the needs of individual recipients. Organized action will allow you to stand out from the competition and be successful.

You can think of strategy as planning your performance in a competition in which the main reward is to draw the attention of potential customers and, as a result, encourage them to use their services or purchase products. Without victory in these difficult competitions, there is practically no chance to be noticed.

That is why the right strategy is the key to success. Unfortunately, despite the rapid development of advertising on the Internet, the awareness of many entrepreneurs is still small. According to Paraphrase-Online.com research, as many as 63% of companies do not have a well-defined and documented strategy. Without it, online success is just a matter of chance. In the event of failure, all the effort and resources invested in online advertising are wasted.

A huge number of companies ignoring the need to have an action plan on the Internet is excellent news for all aware entrepreneurs. By resigning from the strategy, such companies make the results of their work accidental, which makes it easier for companies that will stick to the plan to stand out.

Content Marketing and positioning

Content Marketing brings many benefits, and one of them is the positive impact of positioning. Publishing attractive content on the Internet not only warms up the brand image and makes new customers reach us, but also affects the site’s ranking in the search ranking.

By placing valuable articles on the page, we influence the authority and credibility of our website. It is worth remembering that these are factors appreciated by Google and affecting positioning.
In addition, there is a chance that users who like the content of our site will place a link to it, e.g. on social media.

Summary

If you want your brand to stand out on the internet, you need to offer recipients interesting content that will capture their attention and encourage them to visit your site. It will be helpful to establish a coherent strategy of action in advance, which will ensure that every move will be planned and its result predictable. How to develop such a strategy? You will learn this from the next part of the guide, which will appear soon.

Pictograms can sometimes effectively replace a few words, and further increase the visual value of the content. However, these are not the only reasons why you should be interested in them when planning your marketing strategy. As it turns out, emoji can also affect SEO.

How did the emoji come about?

Despite the fact that Scott Fahlman is recognized as the creator of emoticons, the beginning of their history dates back to 1881. At that time, PUC published an article in which signs tried to express some of the types of emotions, including joy or sadness. Nevertheless, these typographic proposals proved to be too complicated to be widely used. In 1982, the previously mentioned scientist Scott Fahlman proposed to his colleagues to use the symbols “:-)” and “:-(” to distinguish humorous from serious content.

This is how emoticons got into internet communication, and thus their number expanded dramatically. The popularity of these symbols was so great that after a few years the word “emoticon” was in the English dictionary. In 1998, Shigetaka Kurita began working on communication with the client using icons, resulting in a collection of 178 graphics known as “emoji”. The name results from the combination of two words in Japanese – “e”, which means picture, and “moji”, which should be translated as a character.

A great return to SERP

Interestingly, in 2015 Google decided to block the option of adding colored emoji that appeared in search results. Reason? Many website owners have abused colorful pictograms, wanting to stand out from the competition. However, in 2017, the online giant decided to restore this option, observing the growing popularity of emoji in social media. Along with the announcement of this information, they began to wonder whether the search engine would be enriched by a colorful ranking of results due to new possibilities.

Emoji and SEO

Because emoji can be used in meta tags, they allow you to position yourself in search results. For example, if you want to order a pizza and put a pictogram in the search engine that presents it, Google will present a ranking of places offering this type of dish. However, keep in mind that some of the results can only relate to the graphics themselves. Anyway, entering the phrase “pizza” would also be too general and would not bring the expected results. For this reason, it is worth adding a locations description, e.g. city name, to the emoji. After entering in the search engine, eg “New York”, the results will show a ranking of pizzerias from this area, which in the meta title or meta description used this pictogram.

Of course, searching with emoji is much less popular than using words. It is enough to compare the search results, thanks to which it is easy to observe that the use of symbols for this purpose is not of constant interest by internet users. In addition, some pictograms can have different associations, so searching with a specific service or product can be problematic. One could therefore conclude that since two years since the introduction of emoji to SERP, it has not significantly affected the behavior of Internet users, it is better not to use them in meta tags, and thus not waste valuable characters. Not completely.

As it was emphasized at the beginning, the role of pictograms is constantly strengthening, so there is a chance that searching with them will become more popular. On the other hand, you cannot forget about other benefits that they bring, namely: making the message more attractive and able to effectively determine the attitude of the sender of the message.

The use of emoji in meta description allows you to effectively attract the attention of recipients. A catchy and unique description combined with attractive pictograms can influence the decision of the user who decides to visit our site. This, in turn, translates into increased click-through rate. CTR, which (along with the time Internet users spend on a given site) is, according to some positioners, a ranking factor.

Why use emoji in your content?

Emoji works great in internet marketing, where in the final selection of the offer by the client, psychological factors play a key role. According to researchers dealing with the impact of the internet on the human psyche, there is a special area in the brain that is activated when you watch your face. In their opinion, it starts and causes similar reactions when looking at emoticons or emoji. In other words: by using positive symbols, you have a chance to positively influence the mood of your interlocutor, as well as increase the level of sympathy and trust that he feels towards your person.

The use of emoji in communication with the customer also allows you to reduce the distance between two parties, and thus more effectively encourage the recipient to take various actions, e.g. subscribing to the newsletter or leaving a comment. In addition, one should not forget that one pictogram can effectively replace several words. This works great in communication and advertising on social media. In order for Facebook and Instagram posts to effectively attract the attention of recipients they must be interesting, but also concise. Emoji in this type of content allows you to perfectly depict a given thought and attitude of the author, without using many words.

Summary

Emoji are an important element of modern communication, thus becoming an effective tool in internet marketing. However, it is worth remembering about the measure in their use, if only because of the reason why Google in 2015 blocked this option. Inserting emoji into the content, you must first of all pay attention to whether their excess will not be confusing to the user, and thus will not disturb the transparency of the message. Such communication will also not fit into every industry and for every search – on the contrary! Handle it with care.

“To make the brand grow stronger and the customer live better” – this is the motto on the desktop of every salesman and every SEO, and the copywriter repeats them in his sleep to sit down eagerly to work on the text for the site, blog, back-up, portal and wherever the best product or service under the sun can be promoted. Such a “reality” is expected by the client and therefore every scratch on this image is a reason for dissatisfaction, complaints and often unfair assessments, in the light of which all the agency’s work is worth nothing based on weak texts, which in the best case “wrote a graduate of the third grade of primary school with diagnosed dysortography. ” Oh yes, you can listen. SEO copywriting is the victim of the dissatisfied customers who would like to get at least Shakespeare’s prose, and receive an amateur graphom show, which one does not know and who speaks … Oh, you get content authors whose task is to write for SEO, i.e. for the needs of Google search engine optimization.

A rigid framework for creation

SEO copywriting is not an easy job. It is fallow plowing. On the bumpy way of building content that is valuable for a bot, and interesting for a living reader, many difficulties await the creator – and even the disposition that “lopsided” phrases appear in the denominator (including the service and name of the city, eg “cleaning the cobblestones Miami “), and 20 keywords were found in 3500 characters. The guidelines also say that specially constructed headings are needed, and the content on inaccurate topics must be “lengthy”, and substantive. So say the tools analyzing the content of the page (including senuto) and positioners who based on them develop an action plan.

Technical aspects are not everything. If the whole range of guidelines reaches a specialized topic of the site, and the client does not share or does not have materials written in an accessible way, the copywriter will be awaiting a lot of hard work – query, preparation of the outline, and finally developing the right content. It all requires time and the ability to search for factual and reliable information. Therefore, mental acuity, vigilance and detective inquisitiveness in searching for needed data will be useful. Of course, many subjects are considered so-called lighter caliber, but there may be danger in some of them. A seemingly easy issue for one is a minefield for another. So how much truth is it in the common belief that a good copywriter will bear any topic and satisfy every customer?

Who wrote that he didn’t show off?

As a result of the copywriter’s work, a text is created for the website, company blog or thematic portal. Now the client’s task is to familiarize with the material and the decision to publish. In the vast majority of cases, the resulting content is accepted and implemented without reservation. We hear then that we managed, that we know each other, that our content is great and subsequent content orders will definitely reach us.

Some of the texts are returned to the agency with substantive comments or a request to change the style to a more or less official one. Based on explicit guidelines, we improve the material and send it back to the customer. In this arrangement, almost 100 percent. texts gain approval and gets to the site.

It is completely different when the material returns (after all, after a long period of verification) with an annotation that really doesn’t tell us much. The most popular comments include: “it is hopeless”, “bad reading”, “pointless”, “weak”, “who wrote it !!!?”, “Tragedy”. With 5 million characters that pass through our hands in a month, it may happen that the client gets a text not written entirely on the subject, not very “meaty”, stylistically weaker or too similar in content to those of competitors. We do everything to minimize the risk of such a situation. But if it happens, we could accept even the harshest criticism if, apart from the laconic commentary, we received at least one tip – marking incorrect information in the text or fragments that do not match the style of the client. A link to a similar page or thematic materials could be useful.

Meanwhile, in these rare but memorable cases, instead of a chance for immediate improvement (corrected orders give priority), at best we get a series of emails with explicit expressions of dissatisfaction with cooperation, and in a slightly darker scenario – we get bad recommendations on the Internet or announcement of the end of cooperation. In extreme cases, the customer uses this situation as one of the arguments for the early termination of the contract without complying with the terms of termination. We do not know to the end whether the reason for dissatisfaction is allegedly poor quality of the texts or the alleged lack of progress in optimizing the website. As practice shows, if you do not know what exactly is going on, it means that it is about money …, but this is a topic for a separate article.

SEO copywriting – two birds with one stone

Good content is the key to website success. Properly written, they attract the attention of Internet searchers. However, content sites do not make it to the top places in search engines by chance. Professional text design, an appropriate set of thematic key phrases and the optimal length of the text are, next to appropriate linking, one of the most important factors determining the presence in good positions in Google. This is food for vending machines, i.e. the first part of the work. When the page is high enough, i.e. on the first page of the search engine, the probability of clicking the link is very high. If the user already does this and the page does not find information that is interesting to him, i.e. valuable content for him, there will be no conversion, i.e. purchase or registration in the form. It is for the content of the page to attract attention, keep the user on the page and encourage him to act, he shares, among others SEO copywriter. In his work, he must construct a text frame that is formally appropriate and fill it with absorbing, factual content.

You will know them by their fruits

The global network is full of words. Every day, hundreds of millions of characters of new publications reach this unlimited space, many of which are of questionable quality and / or usefulness. When a user searches for information on a given topic, he is interested in specific products or services, he wants to get the one closest to his expectations. The latest research leaves no doubt that today’s internet user does not read the text on the page, but sweeps it with his eyes. A statistical web user stops rather on photos or moving images. At the same time, it is known that the most popular search engine needs content to have criteria for recommendation. On what basis does he choose the optimal ones from among all the texts? Google does not provide a search engine algorithm, but it clearly defines the characteristics of good material that will outclass the content available from competitors:

– the content of the page should respond to the user’s query and / or respond to his purchase needs
– the content should have an educational value
– the text should be fluent, logical and easy to read
– the most important information should be easily identifiable and available at an early stage

A good SEO copywriter is one that “A good pen” can reconcile all of these characteristics. Is able to combine the optimization aspect of content with the lightness expected by the reader, which means that apart from technical knowledge, he will also show imaginative character. However, it should be remembered that in most cases SEO content is not written by specialists in everything. Most of them explore the subject by working on it. The client must be aware that it is great art to write about difficult, often specialized issues in an accessible language that is understandable to the average user. In the vast majority of cases it is he who goes to the page in the search engine.

To understand is to want more

The user who gets to the page with the information sought in a transparent and understandable way will probably stay on it longer. That is why it is worth constructing the content of individual subpages in such a way that it encourages them to move on to the next and become familiar with their content. If the SEO Copywriter is dealing with a field that does not require delving into the ins and outs of professional terminology, the task is simpler. The customer usually does not object to even radical changes in the text layer of the site. It will be a little different when the author is faced with difficult matter, which includes topics related to industries or specialized services. Usually, when there is a proposal to let some air between the lines of a complicated text, i.e. translate it into a less professional language and give it a marketing touch, the resistance on the part of clients is very high. Companies want to maintain the image of a competent, professional enterprise even at the expense of less effective SEO activities. According to people managing company pages, presenting an offer with a less professional language may affect the perception of the company as a serious business partner or supplier of products or services. Meanwhile, as shown by our observations, giving ‘lightness’ to texts on company websites that, after negotiations, allow for changes, brings good results. Customers notice that a user of the internet who is spoken in a more understandable language is beginning to trust them and be more interested in their offer.

There is no positioning without good content. There is no good content without an efficient copywriter, i.e. one that is not only creative but also experienced in the art of creating SEO content. Such an author can write a sample text in such a way that he will convince difficult clients to allow them to change the content of their pages in accordance with the principles of optimization. If our copywriter is able to correctly interpret orders, search for information and complete tasks on time, it means that we’ve got a real treasure.