5 Types of Bad Backlinks You Don’t Want

Google Analytics is a powerful tool, but extracting valuable and useful insights can often feel like pulling teeth—especially for beginners. Hi, I’m Cally, from the International Institute of Digital Marketing. Here are 3 actionable ways to use Google Analytics to improve SEO. 1. Find low-hanging opportunities to boost traffic Consider whether a page is about a topic where freshness is a ranking factor. Second, if you see a significant organic traffic change to your homepage, it’s usually down to a fluctuation in the search volume of navigational queries. Maybe you went viral six months ago, and more people were Googling your brand, but then it naturally dropped back to the mean? 2. Find high-converting pages and improve their SEO The ultimate goal of SEO is usually to drive more sales from organic search. One of the easiest ways to do that is to improve rankings for your most valuable pages. Hit the “SERP” button and compare your page’s SEO metrics to those that outrank you. Take action to improve your page where it falls short. 3. Improve landing pages that contribute to conversions People rarely land on websites they’ve never visited before and buy something right away. They go on a journey, often visiting multiple pages on your site in the process. By default, Google Analytics credits 100% of the conversion to the last landing page the user visited (provided that it was a non-direct click). But the reality is that the person probably wouldn’t have converted if they didn’t read a blog post first. So technically, this page helped assist the conversion. Improving SEO for these pages will probably lead to an increase in conversions and revenue. For more information, visit www.iidm.world

If you were to describe your page in a few words and replace the spaces with hyphens, that would usually be “good enough” for SEO. But you’d probably prefer not to take a stab in the dark. Hi, I’m Cally, from the International Institute of Digital Marketing. Let’s run through a simple process for creating optimized URL slugs. 1. Remove special characters Have you ever seen a URL with backslashes () or square brackets ([])? Probably not, because these are unsafe characters that don’t belong in URLs. You should remove these for obvious reasons, but it’s also best practice to remove other special characters like commas, colons, semicolons, etc. 2. Remove superfluous information Google says it’s good practice to make URLs as simple as possible. So remove anything you don’t need from our potential URL. Note that you’ll have to use common sense for this part. The aim is not to make your URL so short that it no longer accurately describes its content. It’s to remove unnecessary words and phrases. 3. Boil it down to a keyword Most titles naturally contain keywords, so what you’re probably left with at this stage is a simplified, keyword-rich version of your title. This can lead to long URLs that get truncated in search results. The additional context can also be an issue should you ever want to update the page. So, the next step is to find the keyword that represents the most popular way people search for your page’s topic. 4. Make it lowercase Most web servers treat lower and uppercase URLs the same, but this isn’t always the case. Technically, everything after the hostname (domain) in a URL is case-sensitive, and some servers will treat them differently. To be on the safe side and to avoid potential duplicate content issues, use lowercase URLs—always. For more information, visit www.iidm.world

LinkedIn is talked about as an underrated platform. Like TikTok, LinkedIn posts can actually go viral. The thing is, you’re not going viral on a platform with all types of users. You’re going viral on a platform where everyone is there to talk about business. Hi, I’m Cally, from the International Institute of Digital Marketing. Here are 3 effective ways to increase impressions, engagement, and post clicks on LinkedIn. #1: Find LinkedIn Posts in Previously Published Content The first step of creating LinkedIn content is realizing you don’t need to create LinkedIn content. You already have content that could be used on LinkedIn. It just hasn’t been put into a LinkedIn-friendly format. You just need to make your content native to the platform you’re posting on. This means you don’t want to post a long, all text LinkedIn post to your Instagram stories. #2: Create Downloadable Documents (Not Opt-In Lead Magnets) These aren’t lead magnets where users opt-in to your email list to get the resource. You’re just going to give them the resource. This may go against your marketing brain, but the data doesn’t lie. Two million impressions and over 62,000 link clicks tell us this strategy is working. We’re establishing trust with our audience and showing them how much value we give away for free. #3: Lean into Employee-Generated Content Employee-generated content gets higher engagement, follows, and conversions than branded content. Have your company’s leaders explain what employee-generated content is, how it can help the business, and what they’d love to see from employees in the future. For more information visit www.iidm.world

Organic search refers to the non-paid search results from a search engine. These results can’t be bought or influenced by advertisers; they’re the ones the search engine deems most relevant to the user’s search query. What types of organic search results are there? Hi, Im Cally, from the International Institute of Digital Marketing. Let’s look at some types of organic search results. Featured snippets Featured snippets are short snippets that briefly answer the searcher’s question. They appear at or near the top of Google’s organic search results and the snippet is pulled from one of the top-ranking results. Video carousels Video carousels feature videos related to the search query. The entire carousel takes up one organic position. Top stories Top stories boxes feature recently published content about a topic. These usually show up in the organic results for newsworthy topics. People also ask People also ask (PAA) boxes show common questions that people also tend to search for. Each question is answered with a short excerpt pulled from a relevant page on the web. Why is organic search important? Ranking in organic search for relevant keywords drives ‘free’ traffic to your website. For example, the Ahrefs Blog gets an estimated 355,000 visits from organic search each month. If they had to pay Google for this traffic, it would cost them an estimated $946,000 per month. Given that you have to create and produce content to rank in organic search results, the cost of traffic from organic search is never truly free. But it’s often the most cost-effective way of driving high-quality targeted traffic to a website. Organic search is also important for anyone publishing videos on YouTube, as Google often ranks YouTube videos in their video carousels and featured snippets. In other words, ranking your videos in Google can often send plenty of views your way. For more information on SEO, visit www.iidm.world

App monetization is essential to the success of your mobile app. Whether you plan to charge for downloads or use subscription services to generate income, your app will never be profitable without a monetization strategy. Hi I’m Cally, From the International Institute of Digital Marketing. Here are 6 app monetization strategies you can use to ensure your app’s success. 1. Charge for the App in the App Store Charging for app downloads is the oldest trick in the book. When apps were first introduced in the mobile world, the majority of them cost money to download. This model is less popular these days, with many apps instead offering in-app purchases or subscription plans. That being said, depending on your target market, charging for your app may be a good strategy. 2. Offer Paid Premium Accounts This strategy is often referred to as the “freemium model” as it offers free featuresfor all users, but enhanced features for those who choose to pay for a premium account. In this model, you can attract users with a free download and then ask for payment for an enhanced experience. 3. In-App Ads Running in-app ads is one of the most common app monetization strategies. With this method, revenue is generated through sponsored ads, which allow the app to remain free for users. In a free model, users are incentivized to use your app. Plus, the more users you have, the more revenue your ads will generate. 4. Subscriptions In this model, your app can still be free to download, but different services will be offered to users that subscribe than to those who don’t. Depending on the service your app offers, you may want to offer different kinds of subscriptionsbased on necessary features. 5. Partnerships If you already have an established app or a large user base, you may engage in strategic partnerships with known brands who want to connect with your audience. Sponsorships help connect your audience to other relevant brands and can build brand integritythrough smart partnerships. On the sponsor’s side, they open up their advertising to new demographics and have the opportunity to push new content to interested consumers. 6. In-App Purchases This strategy can be especially useful if your app is free, as it offers a way to generate revenue without charging for your service. If you want to leverage in-app purchases in your app monetization strategy, consider what features you can offer to enhance your user experience. Successful in-app purchases leverage gamification and offer benefits to the user. For more information, visit www.thedigitalmarketinginstitute.org #Appmonetization #Subscriptions #Partnerships

As you are working on your website’s search engine optimization, keep in mind there are several types of bad backlinks you don’t want. Hi, I’m Cally, from the International Institute of Digital Marketing. These are five of the most significant types of backlinks to avoid. 1. Links From Spammy Sites These are links back to your site from places you just don’t want to be associated with your brand. Your website could be receiving backlinks from these kinds of places and search engines may penalize you, especially if you start receiving tons of spammy backlinks. If you’ve never researched your backlinks, now is the time. Use a Backlinks tool to get a list of backlinks to your site. 2. Links From Link-Mill Websites Link-mill websites or paid link schemes bring the number of backlinks many site owners think they need to up their SEO game. The problem is more links aren’t always a good thing, especially when they come from dubious sources like link mills. Search engines keep getting smarter and no matter how clever the latest scheme seems, it’s going to be found out eventually. 3. PR Release Links Press releases can be a source of bad backlinks. But that doesn’t mean every press release opportunity is going to penalize your website. You should, however, avoid filling a press release page with dozens of keyword-heavy links back to your site and then spamming it to dozens of newswires. The problem really comes in when brands do this repeatedly, trying to build backlinks to up their SEO. 4. Links From Sites Unrelated to Your Industry Not every backlink is a great one if it’s wildly irrelevant or from somewhere completely unrelated to what you do. When you’re starting to build backlinks to your website from fields and industries not related to your own, it can create confusion. 5. Discussion Forum and Blog Comment Links Search engines can spot when backlinks are just keywords filled with linkson forum after forum. They are becoming smarter, thanks to AI and natural language processing,and notice when it’s not a conversation, but a broadcast. As you research backlinks to your site, if you find a batch from any discussion forums, you can disavow them. For more information, visit www.thedigitalmarketinginstitute.org

If you’ve ever juggled multiple Twitter accounts, you know how challenging it can be. This is why it might be worth merging your Twitter accounts instead. By unifying your Twitter presence, you can strengthen your brand story and reach a wider pool of followers across two or more separate accounts. Hi, I’m Cally, from the International Institute of Digital Marketing. Here’s how to merge your Twitter accounts. Merge Twitter Accounts Through Your Dashboard While you can’t merge Twitter accounts, you can bring them together on your desktop or the Twitter mobile app. Log on to your account, click the “More” button on the right-hand sidebar, and click the little “+” symbol. Next, click “Create new account” or “Add existing account” to proceed: The process is similar for the iOS and Androidapps. You can add up to five accounts this way, so it’s a good tip to know about. Communicate With Your Followers Twitter’s not ideal for communicating lengthy statements, so pin posts from your website or other social media accounts to explain the situation. Use the same messages, posted simultaneously, across both Twitter accounts to start building some brand continuity and consistency right away. Use Twitter Ads If you’re consolidating, you’re not just looking to hold onto existing followers. You’re looking for new customers, too. Consider launching Twitter ads and running them across both accounts. Are Twitter ads really worth it, though? Absolutely. For one thing, we’re seeing a 35 percent increase in ad engagement across Twitter, which means there’s an audience out there for your corporate ads. Plus, the average Twitter user enjoys targeted, highly specific content, which means promotional yet informative adscan offer users what they want. For more information, visit www.thedigitalmarketinginstitute.org

If you’re looking to get into video marketing, there’s no better channel than YouTube. The good news is you don’t need to flood thousands of dollars in YouTube advertising. Hi I’m Cally, from the International Institute of Digital Marketing. Here’s how to create a good channel that constantly puts out quality content that people want. Create a Great Channel Layout & Organize Your Youtube Content The first step to YouTube marketing is to have a great channel layout. When people come to your channel, they need to know what you’re about and what types of videos you have. Create Regular YouTube Video Content Consistently updating your channel with content will keep your channel feed active, increase your presence on YouTube, and help you build an audience. You should aim for a minimum of one video per week, but the right amount of content depends on your audience, your goals, and your content. Design The Right YouTube Thumbnails Don’t skip this part. Choosing your YouTube thumbnail is just as, if not more, important than crafting a great title. Cross-Promote with Other Channels To increase your reach on YouTube, make it a priority to identify and reach out to other similar channels to cross-promote or collaborate in a mutually beneficial manner. This doesn’t mean that you need a huge following on YouTube already. You can use your email list, social following, or even embed videos on your website to drive traffic. For more information, visit www.thedigitalmarketinginstitute.org

You may be filled with questions, wondering how a chatbot can help when it comes to improving your marketing strategies. What if my company is small? Are they still useful? What can chatbots really do when it comes to adding valueor enhancing marketing strategies? The answer is: Lots of things, actually. Hi, I’m Cally, from the International Institute of Digital Marketing. Here are 6 Reasons to use chatbots for your website. 1.Chatbots Simplify Things Chatbots keep things easy for everyone involved. It may not be able to pull a rabbit out of the hat, but it will sure feel like magic to your customer, without the need to keep any difficult tricks or gimmicks up your sleeve. Chatbots are tailored to providing information consumers are looking for. It’s their primary job focus and they do it well. 2. Chatbots Talk the Talk Chatbots keep the conversation flowing the same way they conduct business: natural and organized. Since bots aren’t human, they don’t have the emotional hang ups that humans deal with, allowing them to keep customers feeling cool, calm, and collected. This can diffuse some of the problems that arise from human error. 3. Chatbots Are Always There For Us Chatbots are always there when you need them, day or night. Have an urgent question you need answered at two in the morning? Chatbots will be there waiting and willing to assist, guaranteed. With a chatbot always on call and ready to help, you don’t need to hire around the clock support staff. 4. Chatbots Make Things Better Bots provide valuable customer service, support, comfort, and in some cases a dash of entertainment. This in turns gives your online visitors and potential customers a more personalized and positive experience, making them feel valued and important. Bots can answer questions promptly and effectively, especially those frequently asked ones. This is particularly helpful, considering many customers have the same inquiries when visiting your site. 5. Chatbots Convert Visitors Into Customers Chatbots respond with lightning fast speed, eliminating lost or misplaced leads. Bots can schedule meetings and appointments on the spot, route potential clients or customers to members of the sales team, or even turn visitors into paying customers by helping them to purchase products or services. Better yet, bots can handle the qualification process for you as well. By collecting data from the prospect’s visit, bots can separate qualified leads from those who aren’t. This drastically reduces dead end leads and wasting valuable company time. 6. Chatbots Build Brand Trust Chatbots can build credibility and trust in your brand. AI chatbots are often the first interaction a potential customer has with your brand, making it the perfect opportunity to educate the potential buyer about your products and what your services can do for them. Bots really make a positive impression, leading to a powerful bond between the consumer and your brand. For more information, visit www.thedigitalmarketinginstitute.org

Certain Agile concepts and ideas have been part of the content marketing conversation for some time now. Scrum is one concept that’s often part of these conversations. But bundling it with Agile causes all kinds of confusion. Hi, I’m Cally, from the International Institute of Digital Marketing. Let’s look at a Scrum-based approach to content marketing. Scrum benefits for content teams The iterative approach of Scrum gives the content marketing team clearly defined increments of work, which can be analyzed and modifiedquickly without wasting time on something that provides no value to the blog, the company, or the readers. Organizing content work Scrum provides a great structure for organizingthe work in a way that makes clear who is working on what and why something is being done. product backlog The product backlog is a prioritized list of everything needed for the product. For a content marketing team, that product may be successful content pieces that bring in leads and boost conversion rates (or anything else that your team is focusing on). Sprint backlog When it’s time to start a new sprint, the development team pulls the product backlog items needed to reach the sprint goalinto the sprint backlog– a list of ordered PBIsto be worked on in that sprint. Scrum meetings Scrum meetings are held regularly and help improve teamwork and the product. Sprint planning The sprint planning meeting happens before a sprint starts. At the planning meeting, the product owner suggests product backlog itemsthat the team should work on and the development team then discusses what to take on and the best way to do the work. Daily Scrum During brief daily Scrum meetings, the team talks about what they’ve done, how everything is going, and what they plan to do that day. It’s the perfect opportunity for the team to identifypossible bottlenecks and impediments and come up with a way to resolve them. Sprint review After the sprint, the Scrum team members meet to review the work accomplished. They talk about what they did well and what could be improved in future sprints. The sprint review is also the chance to showcase the team members’ work. Sprint retrospective The sprint retrospective focuses on how the team collaborated as a unit, the obstacles they ran into, and how they can become a more productive and collaborative team. The purpose is not to assign blame but to have a positive meeting that reinforces the feeling of belonging to an ever-improving unit. For more information, visit www.thedigitalmarketinginstitute.org