Google has updated its review snippet structured data help documentation to recommend using dots over commas for the decimal numbers in your review snippet markup.

Dots over commas. Google updated its review snippet structured data help documentation to now recommend using dot separators for decimal ratings. Google added this section twice to the documentation, in both the reviewRating.ratingValue property and the ratingValue property sections.

For decimal numbers, use a dot instead of a comma to specify the value (for example 4.4 instead of 4,4). In Microdata and RDFa, you can use content attributes to override the visible content. That way, you can show the user whatever style convention you want, while also satisfying the dot requirement for structured data.

<span itemprop="ratingValue" content="4.4">4,4</span> stars

Commas still work but not recommend. Google explained that if you are currently using comma separators for decimal ratings in your markup, you’ll still be eligible for review snippets. However, Google now recommends that you update your markup for a more accurate interpretation.

Why we care. If you are currently using commas instead of dots in this application, you may want to schedule some time to update those commas to dots. It doesn’t seem critical but it is something you should add to your to-do list. And if you are thinking about adding this markup to your site in the future, go with dots for decimal points for these review snippets.

Add Search Engine Land to your Google News feed.    

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About The Author

Barry Schwartz a Contributing Editor to Search Engine Land and a member of the programming team for SMX events. He owns RustyBrick, a NY based web consulting firm. He also runs Search Engine Roundtable, a popular search blog on very advanced SEM topics. Barry can be followed on Twitter here.

https://searchengineland.com/google-now-recommends-using-dots-for-decimal-numbers-in-your-review-snippet-structured-data-389620

Only the spammiest of spammy SEOs “guarantee” anything.

“Guaranteed” first position rankings, “guaranteed” traffic estimates, and “guaranteed” ROI only live in the deepest, darkest pits of spammy LinkedIn InMails. And only the unsuspecting, naive, plus frankly ignorant businesses fall for these flagrant falsehoods.

But…

That’s not to say you can’t forecast or predict page rankings, traffic estimates, or search ROI.

Nuance and context make all the difference.

You can – if you know what you’re doing – predict the odds of success or failure ahead of time. Even before publishing a single piece of content or building a single link for a keyword.

In this article, you’ll learn the framework I’ve used to help scale seven, eight, and nine-figure companies into 10-figure companies. 

Why ranking takes forever

Ranking for something new can take a looooooooong time. 

Anywhere from weeks to months for already-big sites, to years for smallish ones. And it’s why you can’t really “guarantee” much in SEO with a great degree of accuracy.

Here are a few common reasons why.

Catch-22

You need to be a big site to rank for good keywords. 

But you need to rank for good keywords before you can build a big site. Therein lies your first dilemma.

Inputs vs. outputs

Rankings, traffic, and sales are lagging indicators. 

This means we need to focus instead on leading indicators like keyword and topic selection before we’ll ever see the “outputs” possibly years later.

Balancing act

Selecting “good” keywords involves a balancing act of:

• Relevance.
• Demand.
• Competitiveness.
• Authority.
• Buying intent. 

Yet, there’s no such thing as the perfect balance. And you often have to either prioritize or sacrifice different elements based on your short vs. long-term objectives.

Less ‘at bats’

Zero-click SERPs, knowledge graphs, instant answers, new advertising slots, People Also Ask questions, blended SERPs, and more mean that:

• You have fewer organic slots to possibly rank in.
• Those are being pushed well below the fold. 

The bar keeps rising

Your direct and indirect competitors are getting smarter and spending more money. So it’s an arms race to the top.

All of these problems affect every single company, brand or person trying to rank anything today. 

And all of these problems are only going to get worse over the next few weeks, months, and years.

Over a decade ago, ranking was easy. Then, Panda and Penguin and a slew of other algorithm updates changed everything. 

So now, we all have to navigate an ever-growing complex world of whatever AI + search monopolies dream up next.

How to reliably predict success

The primary benefit of working with hundreds of companies over the past decade in a variety of spaces and niches is pattern recognition – which is the ability to reliably see what works and what doesn’t to consistently produce results across time or context. 

(As opposed to what works one time, for one company, in one very specific context, because they were able to exploit some temporary arbitrage to their advantage.) 

And it led to the Planning Predictor™ framework that we now use for our companies to help de-risk SEO and content planning so that we’re only focusing, right now, on what’s mostly reliably expected to produce results. 

Here’s a high-level overview of the five decision-making criteria:

• Harvest demand: What are your customers searching for, when, and why? Perform both top-down and bottom-up analyses to build out initial keyword lists starting with relevance, volume, keyword difficulty (KD), and cost per click (CPC).
• SERP competitiveness: How difficult are the corresponding SERPs, and can you realistically compete based on the average domain rating (DR) and quantity/quality of referring domains – right now and in the years to come?
• Topical authority: Are you already seen as a topical expert in these spaces, or will you need to build it from scratch? (i.e., Are you already ranking for similar queries or hitting a glass ceiling?)
• Organic CTR: Can you realistically rank in the top ~3 for this given keyword now and in the future (assuming increased competition)?
• Payback period: What’s your ideal payback period and risk tolerance? (Zero to six months, 6-12 months, 12-18 months, 18+ months, etc.)

This might sound complicated at first. But it isn’t when you know how to analyze each one. So let’s get started.

1. Harvest demand

There’s a saying in the SEO world: “You can’t create search demand, you can only harvest it.”

In other words, the vast majority of mortals out there (read: 99% of the people reading this) aren’t going to be able to create a brand new category of searches from scratch. It’s too difficult and costly. 

Instead, most of our job is to identify what’s already out there, what’s already being searched, and how it lines up with both:

• Our customers.
• Our widgets or products or services.

Think of the typical buyer’s journey or jobs-to-be-done process, where you analyze the decision-making process of customers when they:

• Develop need awareness for a problem in their life, to…
• Begin searching for potential solutions and their respective pros vs. cons, before…
• Deciding on purchasing the ideal solution (hopefully yours).

This top-down analysis leads to uncovering all the potential problems, pain points, alternatives, and solutions your customers might face. 

Additionally, it should result in dozens to hundreds of potential keywords to target (or potentially thousands if you have multiple customer personas, segments, products, or services).

The next step is to break these down into varieties of variables, like:

• [Customer segment vertical] + [problem or pain point]

For example, [construction] + [project management]:

Then, you want to expand these initial keyword ideas for all the potential long-tail variations, weighing up the respective relevance, volume, KD, and CPC of each.

(Fun fact: CPC, while 100% focused on advertising, can help indicate keywords with higher potential buying intent.)

Another example for “best socks” then results in a giant list of related terms, that you can filter, to help cut through the signal-to-noise ratio for stuff you’re most likely to rank for right now (relative to your own site strength).

In truth, this is part art and part science. You’re looking to unearth gems. But it’ll take sorting through a lot of junk, first.

2. SERP competitiveness

Psssst. Come closer.

I have a dirty little secret to let you in on.

All SEO tools (even the best ones pictured here!) lie. 

Not on purpose necessarily, but out of necessity. Because what they’re trying to do – imitate and classify what Google’s doing – is insanely difficult. Near impossible. 

Case in point: the “keyword difficulty” metric.

It’s helpful to understand the perceived difficulty of potentially ranking for a keyword. Nice in theory. 

However, in reality (where we all live), it’s badly skewed. 

For example, a keyword can have a very low KD (like “6” out of 100), and yet not be easy to rank for. That’s because it largely focuses on links as a proxy for strength (and page-level referring domains at that). 

TL;DR? 

The average/median page-level referring domains might indicate the keyword is “less competitive,” even though the domain-level strength (plus content quality) of the ranking sites are actually very competitive. 

Like this example:

That’s troubling because it can (and often does) lead people to make bad choices about which keywords to target – when and why – and ultimately overestimate how quickly they’ll rank for it (i.e., not as soon as they think!).

As a general rule, if your own site-level strength is significantly below the ones already ranking for a given keyword (like the example below), then forget it.

Or, at least, add another XX months (and more $$$) to your estimated time to rank.

This is a giant problem because position 5 might as well be position 50 today. I’ll explain why in the fourth section below on organic CTR.

But first, let’s look at personalizing your keyword difficulty based on whether you already have topical authority on these terms.

3. Topical authority

Contrary to popular belief, HubSpot didn’t invent “inbound marketing.” 

Seth Godin did “permission marketing” about a decade earlier. And the Michelin Guide did a century before that. 

What’s old is new again.

Take pillars or clusters or hub and spoke models or whatever your favorite marketing guru charlatan comes up with next. All are semantics for describing content hubs that have literally been used for decades.

(OGs like Ian Lurie have been going on and on and on about these since most of you marketers today were still in diapers.)

These pillars or clusters or what-have-yous relate back to site architecture and content hierarchies, creating dense webs of information to help increase your topical authority on certain subjects.

In practice, you should be purposefully planning new keywords and topics in clusters like this, in bulk – vs. a bunch of one-off grab bags – so you can organize it with internal links to develop these silos.

For instance, the monday.com blog organizes topics around specific customer industries. Then, they use a parent-and-child hierarchy to help reinforce topical authority. (Disclosure: My companies have worked with monday.com.)

A rising tide lifts all boats.

Topical authority helps you rank higher and faster for related terms. 

But the inverse is also true: little to no authority means it’s going to be more difficult (and costly and take longer) to rank vs. those that do already possess it.

So ask yourself:

• Are you already ranking for similar terms? If so, you probably already have some level of topical authority. The more stuff you have ranking higher in a single cluster, the more likely you’ll rank faster with brand-new stuff in this space, too. 
• You can also use tools like the MarketMuse Inventory feature to analyze “personalized difficulty,” which helps predict your own personalized topical authority (and therefore the difficulty of ranking for it) vs. relying on vague, general aggregate scores a random SEO tool spits out. 

See?

Nuance and context are everything.

A good keyword for your competitor might not be good for you right now. 

And what’s good for you right now, when starting out, might not be what’s good for you in two years’ time when you’re trying to make bank.

4. Organic CTR

Position 5 on a SERP might as well be position 50. Why?

Because you can virtually expect the same level of traffic (read: zero, zilch, zip!). Why?

Because based on SERP CTR studies (the number of people who click on different positions), the top three results routinely net around ~70% of the clicks, eyeballs, and therefore credit cards. 

(You know, like that whole Pareto thing?!)

A quick glance through Advanced Web Ranking’s CTR studies will bear this out.

So, what does this mean?

It means:

• Ranking in the top 3 is all that matters at the end of the day.
• It’s often better to pick less popular and less competitive and more relevant keywords so that: 
  • You have a better shot at success (ranking top 3).
  • You can rank more stuff, faster, and shrink the time to value (traffic, leads, sales).

And, it means that to compete for the most lucrative keywords in your space, you need to get big ASAP or go somewhere else and feed off the scraps of the competition.

Got it? Good.

Then why is all of this important?

Because SEO and content marketing comes down to a simple cost vs. benefit analysis:

• What is it going to cost you to rank in the top three for a given keyword?
• And what’s the potential payoff if / when you do?

The “international SEO” keyword is a perfect example. (Plus, a solid meta-reference you can’t pass up.)

Weigh up the potential volume, traffic potential, KD, number of links to rank, and CPC of this term below:

Now. Ask yourself, can you break into the top 3 within the next ~12-24 months?

To answer this questions, we must look at the SERP competitiveness:

Pretty difficult!

Especially when you consider the loooooooow traffic you’ll get even if you did rank in the top 3. Plus, there’s virtually zero buying intent, too.

Meaning? 

Even if you thought you had a shot at ranking for this term in the next ~12-24 months (based on topical authority), why would you even bother? 

Unless you literally sold “international SEO” services or similar, it’s most likely not worth it for 99% of sites out there.

So adjust expectations accordingly.

• Pick a new keyword and topic to target.
• Or, adjust your patience and budget and timeline to build a giant site and enough topical authority it might take to rank for this keyword one day.

5. Payback period

Paid search gets the most love (and $$$) because:

• It’s relatively easy to see which specific keyword leads to which specific conversion and how much money you made in return.
• And because marketers + C-suites are lazy. (OK, maybe just “impatient” as well.)

Organic SEO and content, on the other hand, also have a defined payback period. But it’s often harder to track because it might take 6, 12, or even 18+ months to see the true ROI.

Exhibit A: the best converting keywords – even for the web’s biggest brands – might take years to rank in that coveted top 3 position that drives all the pesos or yen or Bitcoins or whatever:

So, your job is to figure out:

• Which keywords are “worth” the “risk” or investment (literally the first four criteria listed in this article)?
• Will the potential ROI make up for the investment of time, money, and resources?
• Can you really wait that long to see the payoff?

This leads you to a simple decision-making tree:

• If the answer is “Yes,” then full speed ahead! Go big and bold, doing hundreds, if not thousands, of new content pieces to dominate your space in the years to come (~18-24+ months).
• If the answer is “Maybe,” then it’s time to get creative. Realistically, which new keywords and content can you prioritize in the next ~12 months to deliver enough results that provide enough of a positive ROI to double down in the future?
• And if the answer is “No,” then it’s time to shift focus onto what you already have – typically updating existing content ranking bottom of page one, top of page two, or adding new content only in spaces you have topical authority – so that you can generate some tangible momentum within ~6 months time.

Simple, right?

Not really.

Because this last part is entirely subjective. 

A lot depends on your role, the company you’re in, internal stakeholders or champions, the broader market conditions, and more factors that can be outside your control.

In truth, after working with hundreds of companies over a decade, I’ve seen that most companies fall into #2 or #3 above. Only Unicorns and public companies live in the rarified air of #1. 

(Trust me, the air really is better up there!)

Predicting future SEO success is doable

Ranking today is difficult.

And unfortunately, it’s only going to get more expensive and complicated over time.

That means most outside of the web’s top 1% need to prioritize keywords and content to show results within 6, 12 or 18 months’ time. 

Showing some short-term results often buys you more time and money to double down later, whether that’s from your boss, clients, spouse, or your own gut.

This typically means going back to the drawing board, starting again at the top of this article, and then:

• Adjusting your keyword selections based on potential traffic and buying intent filters down to target less competitive stuff,
• Scrutinizing SERP competitiveness to make sure the domains and content you’re up against are as “easy” as the link-biased KD makes it out to be,
• Prioritizing areas you already have existing content ranking or some validation of topical authority in these spaces, and
• Can reliably break into the top 3 by publishing enough, building enough links, and/or increasing content quality faster than everyone else, otherwise
• Readjust your payback period expectations to stick it out for the long haul or compete for more realistic, short-term targets.

It’s not easy. You can’t “guarantee” anything.

But it is doable. And you can predict future success if you weigh each category carefully.

Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.

Add Search Engine Land to your Google News feed.    

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About The Author

Brad Smith owns three content marketing companies, and has been featured in publications like The New York Times, Forbes, Business Insider, and The Next Web. Each week, he shares first-hand experience and growth strategies behind some of the web’s fastest growing brands.

https://searchengineland.com/reliably-predict-seo-success-389436

There are numerous cases of businesses losing all of their reviews that they have acquired over the years in their Google Business Profile listings. The issue seems to be related to Google automatically applying suggested edits from the web to those business profile listings, which in turn can create a new CID for that business listing, and with that, the reviews get disassociated from that business listing. The result, when you look at the business listing in Google Search or Google Maps, the reviews no longer exist.

The report. Mike Blumenthal covered the issues in greater detail where he documents numerous cases of businesses having their reviews disappear overnight from their business profiles on Google Maps and Google Search. Mike said Google is changing the business listing CIDs, the unique identifier for the business listing, when the suggested edits are automatically applied. That change leads the reviews to stick with the old CID and are not transferred or moved to the new CID.

Reviews disappear. When the new CID is created, Google is not moving the reviews over to that CID, and thus all the reviews appear to disappear from the business profile listing. In reality, the reviews are still there, but on the old business profile listing and not on the new one.

What can you do. You should capture and document your old CID by using either Gatherup’s Google Review Link Generator chrome extension or Pleper’s free Google CID converter, as Mike said. Take screenshots or store your reviews in some sort of database, some even archive the emails they receive from Google Business Profiles with the reviews.

If this happens to you, you can then tell Google that your CID changed and the reviews were not migrated. Either Google can put back your old CID or maybe transfer the reviews, maybe – if you are lucky.

The best thing to do is to stay on top of the emails you receive about suggested edits and disapprove them if they are incorrect, most are likely incorrect if you maintain a good business profile listing.

Why we care. Reviews on your local listings can be the lifeblood of your local Google Search and Maps business. Many searchers look at the reviews before calling the business, many look at the reviews before placing an order and before driving to your location and some even suggest reviews play a roll in local Google search rankings. If your reviews disappear that can be a huge loss for the business.

Add Search Engine Land to your Google News feed.    

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About The Author

Barry Schwartz a Contributing Editor to Search Engine Land and a member of the programming team for SMX events. He owns RustyBrick, a NY based web consulting firm. He also runs Search Engine Roundtable, a popular search blog on very advanced SEM topics. Barry can be followed on Twitter here.

https://searchengineland.com/report-google-business-profiles-bug-causing-reviews-to-disappear-389599

With the recent developments on Twitter, you may have heard about Mastodon in the news. Perhaps you’ve already joined to protest or find an alternative. 

Although you can use Mastodon as an alternative to Twitter, there is no such requirement.

This article will discuss how digital marketers can join Mastodon, what to expect, and how to use it. I will also highlight a few tips to make it easier for you to absorb the flow of information in Mastodon.

What is Mastodon?

Mastodon describes itself as a “free, open-source decentralized social media platform.” 

It has microblogging features like Twitter but on a decentralized infrastructure named the fediverse (or federated universe). Although it sounds very much like Web3, it is only similar and not exactly the same.

Mastodon is free for the average user, but as always things are a bit more complicated which I will elaborate on below.

Tip: If you decide to leave Twitter for Mastodon (for whatever reason), do not delete your account. Instead, keep your Twitter account and set it private, to prevent bad actors from claiming your old Twitter handle and pretending to be you.

Is it worth joining?

The answer depends on your personal situation – but think about it.

If you (or your company) are already present on Twitter or other SEO-related communities in Reddit, Slack, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google Search Central Help Community, then why not join Mastodon and establish a presence there?

On Mastodon, like all other discussion platforms, SEOs gather and discuss search marketing-related topics. You don’t need to participate, but you are free to join. 

Many SEOs are already there, including Googlers like John Mueller, Danny Sullivan, Lizzi Sassman, Gary Illyes, and Martin Splitt. In other words, you will likely hear more about things that were said on Mastodon in the future.

How do I join?

Before getting started, it is important to understand how decentralized microblogging works. 

Simply put, instead of having one entity (e.g., Facebook or Twitter) running all the servers and controlling all data, anyone can set up a server to host Mastodon for themselves, exclusively for their organizations, or for others to join.

Because of this decentralized nature, as opposed to having a handle similar to Twitter (i.e., @username), your Mastodon handle must include a server hostname (e.g., domain name) and will look like this:

For comparison:

• My Twitter handle is @filiwiese.
• While my Mastodon handle is @[email protected], whereas:
  • @fili is the username.
  • @seo.chat is the server hostname.

The server name becomes part of your identity. That said, it is important to note that you can freely switch between servers while redirecting older handles to the new handle on the new server.

An important principle of Mastodon is that you are in charge of your data. Your content will be indexable for search engines on the public website of the server you choose. 

Your Mastodon profile URL will look like this:

• https://server-name/@username

(Or in my case: https://seo.chat/@fili)

Again, [server-name] is the hostname of the Mastodon server you joined. 

Often, when you click on profile links, you may end up on the user profile, instead of the handle. 

You can see the handle displayed under the username on the profile.

You can use handles to follow users if you are not on the same Mastodon server. Just copy the handle and paste it into the search box within the Mastodon apps.

Where do I join?

You can choose to host your own server on your own domain, so your handle includes your own branding. Search for “Mastodon hosting” to find a managed host you like.

Note that due to the current situation, a lot of managed Mastodon hosting providers do not accept any new clients at the moment as they are processing a backlog and improving their infrastructure.

Alternatively, you can join an existing server. Often, you may need to apply for membership. This is to reduce spam and prevent servers from unexpectedly overloading due to the increased demand.

Mastodon is seeing a huge influx of new users so it may be challenging to find a good server to join. There are a few rapidly growing, dedicated and popular SEO community servers already up and running.

If you want to forgo the trouble of setting up your own Mastodon server (even if just for the time being), you can join one of the following SEO community servers (free of charge):

• SEO.chat

• SEOcommunity.social

• seommunity.com (Spanish-language focused)

You can join any other Mastodon server and still participate in the SEO discussions. 

I recommend choosing a server name that is short and memorable, something you can identify with. As mentioned, it becomes part of your online Mastodon identity.

Note: You do not need to select the most popular Mastodon server to discuss SEO. It does not matter which server you use to access and be active on the Mastodon network. Just choose a server with a name that you can easily type. 

If you join an existing Mastodon server, be sure to read the community rules (this is important!).

When possible, donate to your server admin as they pay for all the traffic and services associated with your Mastodon handle and activity, often out of their own pocket.

Anything else I need to know about Mastodon?

Once you’ve joined Mastodon, there is a couple of quick facts to know. Here are a few:

• There are no ads.
• You can move from any server at any time, you are in control of your data.
• You need to follow people to see content from your peers.
• Using lists is recommended.
• There are custom emojis, depending on each server’s settings.
• The home feed is a firehose, where you easily go down the rabbit hole and can get lost.
• Direct messages are not encrypted (unlike Twitter) and are not really private (due to the decentralized nature of the network). Use email instead, preferably with Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) for real privacy.
• Posts are referred to as “toots.”
• Mastodon is not the same as Twitter, nor is it meant to replace Twitter.

Due to the lack of commercial intent (e.g., promoting content for a fee and/or ads) and the implementation of community moderation rules to which users must adhere (to avoid being banned from their respective servers), the overall experience of many digital marketers on Mastodon has been:

• “Refreshing.” 
• “[L]ike starting over without all the noise.” 
• “[T]alk[ing] about the real stuff again without being swamped with promotional content.”

I just joined, so how do I participate in SEO discussions?

Hashtags are everything

Mastodon is a bit different from Twitter in terms of discussions. If you don’t hash it, most people will not see it. 

It may pop up in the home feed of people following you, but so will many other “toots.” If you want to be visible and participate in discussions, hash everything you post on Mastodon!

Follow fellow SEOs

Next, get started with following SEO peeps who are on the platform. You can download the list of SEOs on Mastodon maintained by Jon Henshaw. Follow the instructions to import the list into your Mastodon account.

Customize the user interface 

When you log into the server of your choice, by default you will have an interface similar to other microblogging platforms. 

That said, you have an option in the account settings to display the advanced web interface. For marketers and power users, this is an ideal interface as it is loaded as a PWA in your browser and looks pretty similar to Tweetdeck.

In the advanced interface, you can create columns – including searches. 

An interesting option is to combine multiple searches into one column. 

• First, search for one hashtag (e.g., #seo) and then pin this search. 
• Next, go to the settings of this pinned search (in the upper right corner) and select “Include additional tags for this column.”
• Lastly, add any additional hashtags to the search “Any of these” (e.g., #google and #search). 
• Now the column includes posts for all three hashtags combined.

Monitor hashtags 

Finally, I have to reemphasize:

• Checking and monitoring the #SEO hashtag is important to participate in SEO discussions on Mastodon.
• So is tagging your own SEO-related posts.

A few more (fedi)tips

Becoming a Mastodon master

While getting used to the platform and posting messages, keep an eye out for posts with the #feditips hashtag. 

These posts will assist you in getting better at using Mastodon to its full potential.

Management apps

Although there are a number of different (mobile) apps, there are not many advanced apps available for managing many accounts with scheduling and planning functionality built-in. 

But as adoption grows, I suspect that a number of popular social media management tools will extend their services to include Mastodon. 

If they haven’t yet and you want them to, ping them and ask them to do so. Often they just need a little push. 

In the meantime, for the geeks among us, there is an API you can utilize and many libraries are available in different programming languages such as Python that you can use to programmatically plan and schedule your own posts.

Verifying identities

Unlike Twitter, you do not need to pay to verify. Actually, you self-verify. 

To do so, you need to add your websites to your Mastodon account and add a rel="me" link back to your profile from your (company’s) website, as a link: 

• <a href="your-profile-url" rel="me" >Mastodon</a>

Or as a link element in the HTML head:

• <link href="your-profile-url" rel="me" />

This will turn the link in your profile green with a little tick, to confirm that you have verified your identity.

In addition, John Mueller wrote two great scribbles about:

Custom emojis

Depending on the server you join, you can use different custom emojis. These are loaded as shortcodes like:

When categorized, they are also available in the emoji selection menu.

Is that all?

No. There is so much more about Mastodon and this article just scratches the surface.

It reminds me very much of Twitter and microblogging in the early days.

So, should I join?

Why not?

As a digital marketer, embrace the opportunity to experiment with a new communication channel and learn about decentralized platforms.

Will it replace everything on Twitter? Probably not.

Does that mean it is a waste of time? Probably not, because some people (and their conversations) will be on Mastodon only and/or primarily.

Don’t miss out and join today.

Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.

Add Search Engine Land to your Google News feed.    

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About The Author

Fili is a renowned technical SEO expert, ex-Google engineer and was a senior technical lead in the Google Search Quality team. At SearchBrothers he offers SEO consulting services with SEO audits, SEO workshops and successfully recovers websites from Google penalties. Fili is also a frequent speaker at SMX and other online marketing events.

https://searchengineland.com/mastodon-seo-community-389558

Why is content marketing important?

That’s a loaded question, but worth considering, because the benefits of content marketing are almost too numerous to count.

To sum it up, content marketing is important because it’s a cost-effective, sustainable marketing method that nurtures your audience, answers their questions, and builds their trust – all of which helps your business generate better leads, more conversions, and more sales.

Content marketing is all about magnetizing ideal customers to your brand. It isn’t about pushing your products or services in front of their noses and hoping they’ll bite.

Most importantly, a whopping 97% of brands use content marketing because it’s the way modern consumers prefer to interact with and learn about businesses.

What are some other reasons content marketing is important? Why should you use it? Let’s explore.

1. Content marketing builds authority on your own platform – not rented land

As a whole, content marketing’s main focus is building your brand’s authority and establishing relationships with your potential customers.

Where does this all happen? On your website, through the content you publish there.

Unlike social media marketing, where the platforms of focus are distantly owned by large corporations (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.), content marketing’s platform is one you own.

Publishing on your website means you own all the content that lives there (these are your content assets). 

That isn’t true for social media – you don’t technically own anything you post or send from those channels. If, one day, a social media company goes up in smoke, boom! Your content goes with it.

That means focusing on those channels is like building a house on rented land. If your account gets hacked, shadowbanned, or taken down arbitrarily, not just your content vanishes. Your audience and your means of communicating with them will disappear, too.

Not to mention, social media platforms seem to be constantly changing the rules about which posts are prioritized in their feeds. Your visibility there is largely dependent on the whims of company heads and the wiles of algorithms.

That’s why content marketing is a better bet – and a more sustainable option for growth.

2. It grows trust with your audience like no other

65% of consumers immediately feel a brand is both positive and trustworthy after reading a piece of that brand’s educational content.

Content like that, created for a specific audience, tailored to their questions and pain points, and aimed at their perspective, is an incredible trust-builder. And a key tenant of content marketing is researching to understand your ideal customers deeply enough to accomplish all of the above.

Even further, content marketing isn’t about selling, but rather helping. Consistently helping your audience with useful, personalized content showcases not just the brand’s expertise, but also its empathy.

And, ultimately, empathy shows your potential customers that you care, that you hear and understand their problems. The fact that you also have solutions for them (read: your products/services) is the cherry on top.

3. Content marketing brings in higher-quality leads

By definition, high-quality leads are people coming to your brand and content who have a high chance of converting into customers.

These people may fall into two categories:

• They know your brand, are familiar with your expertise and what you sell, and are ready to buy.
• Or, they know they have a problem, they understand the solution they need, and are ready to find the best option.

How does content marketing help pull this type of lead to you?

Through targeted SEO. 

Search engine optimization and content are a powerful combination. Targeting keywords with the right search intent in your content will bring in leads looking for the answers or solutions you provide. 

Different types of keywords will bring in leads at different stages of the buyer’s journey. 

• Awareness stage: They become aware that they have a problem and want more information.
• Consideration stage: They understand what the problem is and are ready to find the best solution.
• Decision stage: They know the possible solutions and are ready to choose the right one.

In their searches, people use certain terms or wording that give major clues as to how close (or far away) they are from making a purchase. People who fall into the “decision” stage are much closer to buying than people in the “awareness” stage.

Here are examples of keywords a buyer looking for a solution to stress might use at different stages of their journey.

How do brands use this information in content marketing?

For example, a hotel might target the consideration keyword “stress relieving destinations” in their content. They could use it in a blog with the topic “5 Stress-Relieving Destinations to Wipe Away Your Worries” and include their town or city as one of the options.

Imagine if that blog ranked in the top five of Google search results for that keyword. The hotel would bring in searchers in the consideration stage looking for holiday getaways – the exact people who need the solution the hotel offers. 

Those would be highly qualified leads, which could be nurtured with additional content and captured with strategic calls-to-action (CTAs). Presto.

4. Content helps you rank in search engines for better visibility

Consistent, high-quality content is a major factor in winning search engine rankings.

A site filled with that kind of content is also more robust, more helpful, more useful, and more engaging for its audience. Search engines like that, too.

Ranking at the top of search results is important not just for more visibility online, but also for driving more traffic to your site from search.

The #1 organic (non-paid) position in Google search earns a CTR (click-through rate, which measures the percentage of people who click a specific link on a webpage) of 39.6%, according to recent data. 

The #2 organic position has a CTR of 18.4%. And, if you scroll down to the bottom of the first page of Google, the #9 and #10 positions have a dramatically lower CTR of around 2%.

Note that paid search ads, which sometimes appear at the top of Google ahead of organic results, have CTRs that hover around 2%. People usually scroll past ads to find the organic results!

The organic top of Google earns more clicks and drives the most traffic. Creating high-quality content with content marketing helps you get there.

5. Content marketing costs less than traditional marketing but has a better ROI

Content marketing is a sounder investment than traditional marketing for a few reasons.

It costs less to maintain

Traditional marketing tends to rely on advertising, which in turn runs on a pay-to-play model. The second you stop paying for ads to appear where you want them, they disappear, taking your visibility along with it.

Content marketing costs, meanwhile, are centered more on the up-front expense of content creation. Once a piece is created, published, and distributed, you don’t have to keep paying for its existence or visibility – especially if you invest in SEO.

It has a better ROI

Multiple studies have found that the ROI of content marketing easily outpaces that of traditional advertising. On average, companies with blogs generate 67% more leads than companies without them. They’ll also earn 97% more inbound links, 55% more visitors to their sites, and 434% more indexed pages in Google.

Why is content marketing so much more successful, especially over time? For one, it’s more sustainable, and the return on investment tends to compound as published content gains traction, traffic, leads, and conversions.

6. Consumers would rather see content than ads

Let’s be real: No one would be engaging in content marketing if it wasn’t what consumers prefer.

And prefer it, they do: 62% of B2B buyers read at least 3-7 pieces of content before they’ll talk to a salesperson. And 70% of people would rather read an article about a company than see an ad.

Don’t forget the data on ad blockers, either. People are blocking ads on their computers now more than ever, with 290 million active users per month.

Marketing simply can’t look the way it used to because modern consumers have entirely different expectations, habits, and perspectives that affect their buying decisions.

Today, consumers like to do research before making a purchase. They like to be informed about the best options. They also prefer to shop with brands they like and trust, that have similar values.

Content marketing addresses all of these things, giving consumers content when and where they need it. 

7. Your competitors are using content marketing

Don’t forget, even if you’re not using content marketing, your competitors probably are.

97% of businesses use content marketing, and that includes 73% of marketers.

And if they’re doing content marketing well, that means your competitors:

• Have a more robust online presence.
• Have more visibility in online search.
• Draw in more leads.
• Have more deeply engaged audiences.
• Ultimately make more conversions and sales.

If you aren’t showing up with your website and content, too, that’s a giant missed opportunity.

8. It makes your website better – more useful and highly optimized

Content marketing adds mega-value to your website, especially in terms of usefulness and SEO.

Firstly, without content, your site would be nothing more than a shell with a shopping cart. Where would the value lie for visitors? For prospective customers?

Add content marketing, and your site becomes valuable. Useful. Helpful. Intriguing. Interesting.

Visitors will want to stay to read your content because they’ll discover it’s relevant to their interests and problems. They’ll stay to learn.

From multiple good experiences with your content, a visitor will keep returning for more. Their trust in your brand will grow. They’ll come to rely on your expertise. Eventually, they’ll buy what you’re selling as a result.

Secondly, you can’t expect to rank in search engines without high-quality content. It’s just impossible.

With optimized content, your site also becomes valuable to search engines, because entities like Google want to serve users helpful content. 

9. It nurtures customers into loyal fans

Content marketing is by definition a nurturing marketing method. It builds and establishes relationships with audiences with helpful, valuable content targeted to their needs, interests, desires, and problems.

As potential customers continually interact with a brand’s content that’s tailored just for them, trust grows and deepens.

Repeat this cycle over months and years, and you’ll earn not just a customer, but a loyal fan who will faithfully return again and again.

HubSpot’s flywheel is a great representation of this:

Consistent content marketing is one of the best ways to improve customer retention. In other words, your content marketing is what will keep them coming back even after they’ve made a purchase.

Content marketing is the present and future of marketing 

Content marketing is important precisely because it’s the present and future of marketing.

It’s how consumers prefer to be marketed to. It not only nurtures them, but it also builds loyalty and improves customer retention.

It’s more cost-effective and sustainable than traditional marketing and brings in more leads and ROI.

Content marketing is also how you do SEO right – not to mention win the top positions in Google. It makes your website better for users and search engines, which contributes to a better internet.

And, because content marketing centers on your website, you’ll get the benefits of building your authority on land you own, versus the rented real estate on social media platforms.

Content marketing is a smart and valuable way to grow a brand, plain and simple, and should be part of every business’s growth strategy.

If you haven’t dived in yet, it’s time to jump. What are you waiting for?

Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.

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About The Author

Julia McCoy is the founder of Content Hacker, 7x author, and a leading strategist around creating exceptional content and brand presence that lasts online. At 19 years old, she used her last $75 to build a 7-figure writing agency which she sold ten years later. In the 2020s, she’s devoted to teaching founders and marketers the strategy, skills, and systems they need to build a business through inbound content, so they can create more lasting impact in the world.

https://searchengineland.com/why-content-marketing-is-important-389290

People outside of the world of marketing rarely know what SEO is or what the initialism even stands for.

Within the industry, it’s a familiar term to all formidable marketers. Far less is SEO – search engine optimization – actually understood, though. 

First, it’s important to understand that, while SEO stands for search engine optimization, it is also often used interchangeably to describe the people who do SEO (a.k.a., SEO professionals). An SEO – or search engine optimizer – does SEO. SEOs do SEO.

To avoid any further confusion, we’ll refer to the people who do SEO as SEO professionals.

SEO professionals are a special breed of marketers from many walks of life.

But there are some characteristics and experiences many of us have in common that I will attempt to organize as some of the most useful and shared professional qualities possessed by SEO professionals.

I’ll also cover what the career path to becoming one may look like.

How do you start an SEO career?

Historically speaking, most SEO professionals didn’t plan on SEO as a career – at least until recently (starting in the late 1990s and early 2000s). That was because they couldn’t, really. 

Early in their educational journey, a marketer or digital marketer very rarely – if ever – declared, “I want to optimize websites and chase the Google algorithm for brands to revolutionize the way humans and businesses connect forever.”

The latter part of that dubious statement was probably similar to something many marketers-in-training did declare. 

But getting there through website and brand optimization to gain organic visibility on a search engine was not likely the vehicle they had in mind at the time for accomplishing it.

It’s also rare to meet multiple SEO professionals who’ve forged the same path to becoming one.

But there are certainly overlapping journeys, professions and experiences.

Some common previous areas of expertise for SEO professionals that commonly intersection include teaching, journalism, various math-focused professions and the obvious traditional marketing focuses.

But as the worldwide web evolved the way it has over the last 30 years, opportunities to help brands and people in new ways arose in the marketing realm. And some became more specialized – and lucrative – than ever.

Organic search, paid media and social media are all suitable channels for successful marketing strategies. And they indirectly or directly were created (or adapted to be used) for the growth, prominence, and usefulness of websites.

Today, as a result, high schoolers and college students are able to set their aims on a digital marketing gig specializing in SEO. This will continue to become more common as secondary-education institutions evolve with the world’s needs, job demand, and technology.

Possible SEO career routes

Like most careers, there are multiple directions an SEO professional can take. 

It’s probably most likely to start at an agency, and that’s a wonderful place to kick off almost any career related to marketing (or design, account management, video production or sales). 

There are typically a bunch of talented people with a plethora of knowledge and direction to share, so it’s like obtaining an education while getting paid.

You also get the chance to really find your niche in whatever facet of digital marketing you end up in, whether that be SEO itself, or a more-specific component within SEO.

Your first couple of years in SEO are likely to shape your long-term future, at least to some extent.

You can also reinforce and/or stand out demonstrating strengths with the critical soft skills mentioned above and your ability to effectively communicate with internal and external stakeholders.

Agency life allows those skills to shine while also finding out if agency life is for you.

You have to be able to juggle multiple deliverables and multiple deadlines constantly, oftentimes jumping between various projects throughout the same day and throughout the week.

The other direction you could go into is directly in-house at a company.

But if you’re looking to strengthen your SEO skillset as a novice, that could prove difficult without a good SEO at the company to guide you and teach you many of the basics needed to be successful.

Bigger companies would be more likely to have multiple skilled SEO professionals hired on a team at once. Getting into an opportunity like that is tough for someone with little to no experience.

One other potential direction an SEO career could go is strictly freelance or as an independent consultant.

This was probably the most common way to get into SEO back when Google and the marvel of search were still in their adolescent years. Today, it’s become harder as search has become more complex and the choices for vendors have increased significantly across the world.

These are three different potential career routes an SEO could follow. They usually overlap at some or multiple points based on what the SEO wants to do which steers them in that direction.

All three directions also offer the ability to work in a variety of environments (i.e., working in a traditional office setting, working at home, or a hybrid set-up).

SEO, like most digital marketing careers, offers flexibility when it comes to the location worked and also the time of day of which you do that work.

SEO job levels and salary ranges

The SEO career path will likely move from entry-level to experienced roles. And when it comes to salary, like all things in SEO, it depends.

Many variables influence compensation, including your location, work environment, whether you work in-house or agency-side, and experience level, among others. (We’ve done our best to put a general range to put at these levels.)

Entry-level

Salary range: $49K–$72K per year

So many jobs start with a basic, lower-tier position, but it’s also a lot like getting paid to continue hands-on education in your specific field.

Landing that first entry-level position is usually the tougher task. Once you assume the post, you’re going to want to learn as much as you can as fast as you can. Make sure you are absorbing everything you can.

Unfortunately, (or fortunately, for the lucky ones) having a great or terrible leader to guide and train you at this critical stage of your early career could make or break you. Make the most of it.

Junior SEO (SEO analyst, SEO specialist, etc.)

Salary range: $62K–$101K per year

Once you have the basics down and carry out the day-to-day with limited assistance, your entry-level position should move up to something a little bit more senior, like an SEO analyst or specialist (it’s not actually a senior position, though). 

These junior SEO positions usually do a lot of the data pulls and living-in-Excel that builds a solid, effective SEO. These are long-winded tasks that build SEO professionals at the core, and they can’t be replaced or abbreviated.

You’ll likely work closely with an SEO manager and their senior SEO leader to:

• Carry out tasks that can have a big impact on a client but take quite a bit of data-diving.
• Explain (then recommend and implement) to get the needle moving significantly.

SEO strategist

Salary range: $69K–$110K per year

After time as a junior SEO, be ready for a bit more reasonability, a bit more account ownership, and even some chances to start training other new hires (regardless of experience levels).

Some of the “training” you do will likely not be highly complicated SEO tasks but rather internal tasks related to the SEO process at the company. This could include:

• Using tools and datasets.
• Working closely with internal and client stakeholders.
• Reviewing and delivering client deliverables.
• And more.

SEO manager 

Salary range: $80K–$120K per year

SEO managers are typically the first managing-oriented SEO roles within agencies. New SEO managers usually oversee one or two SEO professionals to get a feel for their style, effectiveness, strengths and weaknesses.

These managers also usually manage several client accounts and their own workloads, too.

This period in an SEO career can also allow people to see what their next role may look like by identifying things they do and don’t like.

For instance:

• Some people love the in-the-trenches SEO work more likely tied to an SEO strategist or analyst.
• Other people clearly prefer the management-oriented role that has a big impact on the teams around them but doesn’t need to get their hands as dirty or as often as the more-junior-level SEO mentioned above.

Senior manager (head of SEO, director of SEO, etc.)

Salary range: $109K–$192K per year

Following successful posts at the helm as an SEO manager, a senior version of that usually follows.

As a senior manager, which could also be a head of SEO or even a director, you assume significantly more responsibilities, not just as an individual, but as a representative of the agency or company you work at, as well as the clients you work with and represent as the leader of their organic initiatives.

These senior managers tend to:

• Be some of the biggest players in agency-client relationships.
• Bring some of the best and brightest ideas.
• Be able to explain – and sometimes even convince – client stakeholders of the best reasons why some of the hardest, most laborious tasks are very much worth the effort and time.

Vice president

Salary range: $124K–$224K per year

VPs tend to be some of the highest-ranking, SEO-focused positions in the climb to the top. 

Whereas VPs of SEO/organic are still highly integrated with SEO efforts and usually oversee entire teams or more in that area, they still are very much responsible for:

• SEO strategies.
• Client communication.
• New business pitches and research.
• Operational responsibilities.
• And much more.

C-suite (CMO, CEO, etc.)

Salary range: $192K–$550K per year

This is likely the ultimate goal of many digital marketers, not just SEO professionals.

Some start their own companies, others join companies as veteran thought leaders and try to take said companies to the next level, and others are just so right for the job, there’s nowhere else they really belong.

Good, effective marketers are always going to be in demand, and the better ones are going to be leading the best companies and their organic-growth initiatives.

By the time an SEO makes it to the C-suite, they are likely:

• Focused on so much outside of SEO, like all marketing channels – usually both paid and organic – the “big picture” and the “bottom line” that guides the company.
• Working to achieve the most important goals to ensure growth and profitability for that company and their clients, if they have them.

Of course, these are not definitive paths through the SEO ranks.

Every company and agency has its own way of doing things. Sometimes it looks like this, other times it looks slightly different, and occasionally it looks extremely different.

It’s important to stay on the path that works for you and to take the steps needed to get to where you want to be.

Best ways to advance your SEO career

It’s imperative to understand that SEO education never stops. Staying ahead of the game is one shining factor that separates decent from great SEO professionals. 

As such, educating yourself on the many facets of SEO and digital marketing should be a top priority for someone trying to get their feet wet for the first time in the profession.

Stay on top of changes and developments in the industry through online forums and SEO-related news publications. Keep a constant eye on Google’s Search Blog.

From there, once a gig is landed, the most important aspect of building an SEO career comes at you every day: real-life SEO experience with clients, internal stakeholders, vendors, and/or agency partners, among others.

You’ll continue your education after that, too. Pretty much every day you’ll be reading blogs and news in the ever-changing industry.

You’ll attend cutting-edge conferences and virtual seminars. Eventually, you too may be speaking at these events and guiding SEO professionals from around the world. 

SEO professionals love to help each other as much as they love to learn from each other. It is one of the best parts of being an SEO and it’s why you’ll be hard-pressed to find any great SEO who dislikes another great SEO. We’re in this together and there’s plenty to go around!

The everyday trials and tribulations in the field are the best way to find your path as an SEO.

This allows you to learn:

• The many unique problems that may arise.
• How to strategically develop solutions.
• The very real (and sometimes complicated) relationship struggles with clients, stakeholders, vendors, and more.

Most of all, you should know if SEO is right for you early and often. I know I did, and still very much do.

Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.

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About The Author

Sam Hollingsworth is a native (Upstate) New Yorker currently residing in Saratoga Springs, New York, and helping lead SEO efforts for Moving Traffic Media as its Director of SEO. With a background in general SEO — specializing in local SEO, e-commerce SEO, and international SEO — as well as content strategy, social media, and client services, when Sam is not putting in time at the digital agency, he is likely enjoying one of America’s many historical thoroughbred race tracks, taking in the great outdoors (Adirondack Mountains, Great Sacandaga Lake, and more), and hanging with his family on whatever adventures they can find.

https://searchengineland.com/seo-career-path-388834

Third-party cookies are on their way out. You’ve probably been thinking and talking about this for a few years now. 

And you’ve likely seen many blog posts, articles, webinars, podcasts, etc. talking about how first-party data is the path forward for adapting to the cookieless future. 

What isn’t being talked about?

The role that search plays in collecting that precious first-party data.

The role of search in capturing first-party data

Oftentimes it’s commerce, loyalty programs, and the like that are deemed responsible for discovering the ins and outs of your customers.

But search plays a critical role, too. It’s uniquely positioned for a few reasons.

Users are purposefully engaging with your site 

So many marketing channels engage with consumers during a non-commerce moment – while they’re sitting on the couch binge-watching The Office, drooling over their best friend’s Insta-perfect pictures from that recent trip to Tuscany, etc. 

Search is a rare exception. The consumers we engage with are actively raising their hands, and we’re helpfully showing up to meet their needs. 

That means that every engagement we have with potential customers is highly intentional. They’ve made the choice to not just look for something we offer, but also to visit our site. What that means is…

Clicks have both high intent and strong timing signals

We can learn a ton of valuable information about a person, even if they don’t immediately make a purchase. 

Clicks are considered a first-party cookie, meaning the advertiser has a consented ability to:

• Tag the consumer’s browser.
• Use that information to improve their customer experience and future engagements and interactions with the brand.

We can also very directly and confidently infer interest. 

Someone looking for a tent on our ecommerce website shows a much stronger signal of “interest in buying camping gear” than a person browsing an outdoorsy blog or looking up the top 10 tips for hiking the Appalachian Trail. 

We also know that they’re thinking about buying that camping gear now.

Search is a demand-capture channel that reveals high intent and purposeful engagement with the benefit of a first-party cookie. 

Nothing new, right? 

What’s new is the relative importance of each first-party click that comes through search.

As the opportunities to mine data from third-party cookies become fewer and fewer and walled gardens build their fences taller and taller, that importance will only continue to rise. 

Search has a new responsibility to take its high-intent first-party data and use it across the marketing ecosystem.

Search data on its own can be valuable, but it becomes even more powerful when paired with other first-party data sources. So, what does that look like?

Search + site behavior data = better user experiences

Garnering an ad click is only half of the battle. 

As the consumer digests the website, text, imagery, and value proposition, a lot can happen. 

Sometimes, consumers bounce nearly immediately, while other times, they will view 10+ pages and spend over 15 minutes browsing the site. 

This metadata can and should be used to build customer segments. Purchase propensity scores can be derived based on on-site behavior. 

We recommend using this information to better inform automated customer targeting and suppression lists to be added to digital marketing and remarketing initiatives.

Search + CRM = better digital engagement

Extending the view on-site behavior, we can further couple search intent to known online and offline customer engagement. 

Is the consumer on our email list or mailing list, or have they previously purchased? 

If yes, how active have they been, and what metadata and activity can we add to our customer segmentation models? 

These signals can allow brands to alter messaging and value propositions in real time on the website and can also lead to improved customer engagement – a feeling that the brand knows who they are and wants to provide a personalized and tailored experience. 

Beyond the site, brands will also have the ability to reach these first-party customers in other paid and organic digital experiences, such as custom-tailored social ads and emails.

Search + CRM = better non-digital outreach

When we’ve historically talked about cross-channel marketing, especially when it pertains to search, the typical “other channels” are paid social, e-retail, display, etc. 

We need to start including our offline channels in those conversations, too. 

In today’s data-driven world, every brand-to-consumer touch point short of a friend saying “Hey, check out my new backpack!” can be part of a connected journey.

Take direct mail, for example.

Having the ability to tailor a brand’s direct mail campaign by refining the who, the what, and the how is powerful and performant. 

By understanding the customer’s intent and product/service desires, as well as the fact that their need is now, we have a unique ability to build propensity models. 

Firstly, these customer segment models can be built on the likelihood to purchase – leading to top segments as well as customers to suppress. 

Second, the content can be altered to match the exact products/services the customer has expressed interest in. 

Finally, the physical mail can be tailored to match the individual and their needs. Delivering a postcard flyer, an envelope, or a catalog to different customer segments becomes possible.

The role of search in creating great customer experiences

Search has always been an important channel (in my extremely unbiased opinion), and it’s only getting more critical as its role in creating great customer experiences grows. 

Our guiding light as search marketers has always been to meet hand-raisers with what they’re seeking, when they’re seeking it, in a way that’s responsible for our business. 

Now we have another imperative: taking the data those hand-raisers give us to make all of their experiences with our brand better.

Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.

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About The Author

Matthew Mierzejewski is Senior Vice President of Search at Merkle where he is responsible for US Search (SEM, SEO) delivery, operations, product, and sales. Matt has been a contributor to multiple industry roundtables, webinars and has also served as a Google SEM Beta Lead. Matt evaluates and supports Merkle’s adoption of new industry and search engine product opportunities and creates best-practices based on key performance goals for Merkle clients. Additionally, Matt has regularly participated in interviews by Google, MediaPost, and other media outlets for his opinions on the state of the online marketing industry. Matt has also been invited to speak and participate at industry events such as SMX Advanced, ad:tech and Mediapost Search Insider Summit.

https://searchengineland.com/capturing-first-party-data-search-389342

It is estimated that around 61 million Americans live with a disability. This represents about 18% of the total population of the United States as of the 2022 Census. Viewed another way, that 61 million figure would represent the entire population of the countries of South Africa or Italy.

This number is usually broken down into four distinct groups, with most groups sharing overlapping disabilities: 

• Visual Impairments (around 12 million).
• Hearing Impairments (around 48 million).
• Intellectual Impairments (around 6.5 million).
• Physical Impairments (around 39 million).

Inclusivity for users with disabilities should always be of paramount concern. To that end, guidelines on what is expected for websites and online content were developed by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) under the auspices of the World Wide Web Consortium (WC3).

These guidelines cover technical and content best practices to provide meaningful online experiences for all users, including the disabled. 

Whether it’s these guidelines, the Americans with Disability Act and Section 508, the Accessible Canada Act or any other local or state accessibility law, the goal is to be in compliance with these guidelines or risk possible legal consequences.

Unfortunately, in many cases, ADA remediation can be expensive. 

There are many things you can do to make your site accessible but in the end, no site can be 100% accessible (and thus 100% free of possible legal action) unless it’s “designed” from the top-to-bottom that way.

Enter accessibility overlays

Briefly defined, an overlay is a broad term used to classify widgets or technologies that inject third-party source code into a page (usually JavaScript) to make accessibility improvements on the front-end source code of the target page.

These overlays have grown in popularity over the last several years to the point that they are now on tens of thousands of sites across the web. Although dozens exist, the two most popular overlays by market share are UserWay and accessiBe.

For a monthly fee, these overlays promise users 100% ADA and WCAG compliance, protection from legal lawsuits and a superior UX for disabled users, by installing what amounts to one line of code to the website.

The reality though is far harsher.

While overlays can provide some automated repair for disabled users, the effect is uneven, incomplete, and many times interferes with screen readers and existing built-in browser accessibility features. 

Overlays also advertise full compliance and protection from WCAG 2.x and ADA noncompliance issues when the inverse is common. 

Most importantly, the majority of the visually disabled are against overlays.

Reason 1: The disabled hate overlays and actively campaign against them

You would think that overlays, designed to make the online surfing experience easier for those using screen readers or assistive technology built-in to Chrome and other browsers, would have clear advocates in the disabled community.

And yet, searches on Twitter for hashtags like #UserWay and #accessiBe are littered with hundreds of complaints by users bemoaning the overlays. The complaints are varied but show a clear disdain for the plugin by novice and experienced users alike.

Some disabled users have gone so far as to introduce solutions to block overlays because they interfere so much with accepted screen readers like JAWS or NVDA. 

Steve Clower, a blind software developer who specializes in accessibility, published this guide to block accessiBe after his apartment building adopted the overlay for their website.

Even more compelling is the professional industry response to the question of overlays.

The Overlay Fact Sheet is maintained by recognized accessibility expert Karl Groves and is signed by hundreds of CEOs, ADA and accessibility professionals, educators and professors, trade organizations, web designers and disability advocates. All are against the use and adoption of overlays.

Finally, the National Federation of the Blind has publicly come out against overlays.

They banned accessiBe from their 2021 conference as a sponsor and stated publicly that they found the company “….peremptorily and scornfully dismisses the concerns blind people have about its products and its approach to accessibility.”

Reason 2: Overlays do not correct all accessibility issues – even worse, they create new ones

It is a known fact within the accessibility industry that no single tool exists, including overlays, that can detect all known accessibility issues on the average website. 

Most automated tools can detect up to 30% of known issues, meaning that the remaining 70% must be identified manually by professionals doing manual testing. 

A recent presentation by known accessibility consultant Adrian Roselli titled “Overlays Underwhelm” expounds on this in more detail. 

In the clip, you can see Roselli run AXE, ARC, or WAVE accessibility testing tools against multiple sites using popular overlays.

Roselli clearly demonstrates how overlays mask the real issues on site pages and, in some instances, even create more issues for users accessing the site using popular screen readers or browser add-ons.

The examples outlined in the video presentation are common with sites running overlays. 

Reason 3: Overlays do not protect you from legal lawsuits – in fact, they may increase your risk

It is a common claim from overlay companies that using their accessibility widgets will protect you from ADA lawsuits. 

These claims have been quietly “scrubbed” from a lot of the overlay sites, but, thanks to the miracle of the Wayback Machine, nothing is ever really gone. 

For example, look at this screenshot from the accessiBe site from February 2021, highlighted for readability:

Accessibility industry watchdog site Usablenet has published a yearly report tracking all accessibility-related lawsuits since 2018. The report even pulls out specific data on lawsuits tied to the use of accessibility overlays which continue to rise dramatically every year.

Per the 2021 report , the following is relevant to our discussion:

“The promise to prevent ADA lawsuits by using an accessibility widget or overlays isn’t real. Many lawsuits in 2021 list widgets and overlay features as a barrier to equal access in addition to other inaccessible aspects of the website. This means these approaches give plaintiffs more claims to add to a lawsuit, not less.”

Usablenet now provides a monthly lawsuit tracker which individually breaks out third-party overlay-related lawsuits. That’s how many claims continue to rise from sites using an overlay instead of direct remediation to fix accessibility issues.

Would you like to view specific cases from sites running overlays that have been sued and lost?

The Law Office of Lainey Feingold has a constantly updated stream listing ongoing and completed cases.

Finally, anyone (especially law firms) can use a site like BuiltWith to find full lists of websites running overlay widgets. (Here’s the list for accessiBe and UserWay as a starting point for possible new litigation targets.)

The quick solution is not always the best solution: Ditch your accessibility overlays

It would be great if all we had to do was enable an overlay, add one piece of JavaScript code to our websites, and “miraculously” make our content and products fully accessible to everyone online.

But we can’t.

The technology is not there.

The experience for disabled users is not there.

Many of us have friends or family members living with a disability. Overlays are a slap in their face in most instances. 

I know this because I have blind friends who ask me all the time, “Casey, why do you not use your SEO powers for good and tell companies to stop using these overlays?”

This is my attempt. I wish I could do more. 

An accessibility overlay isn’t the answer

If your goal is to provide a superior experience for screen readers and users accessing your site content with a disability, don’t believe the hucksters shilling the benefits of an overlay to solve their problems. It won’t.

Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.

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About The Author

Casey Markee is the owner of internet consultancy Media Wyse. An SEO for over two decades, he has been working exclusively with food and lifestyle bloggers since 2015. During that time he’s worked with thousands of bloggers across every recipe niche imaginable. He likes long walks to the refrigerator and back and believes bacon and candy corn are gourmet foods.

https://searchengineland.com/accessibility-overlay-disabled-users-389394

Google has posted about another data issue with the Search Console reports, this one impacted the Discover reporting in the performance report section on October 23, 2022. This was a data logging issue that only impacted reporting, the Google Discover results were not directly impacted by this reporting bug.

What was the issue. Google said there was a “logging error” on October 23, 2022 specific to tracking and logging the Discover performance metrics in Search Console. As a result of this logging error, you may notice a drop in the Discover metrics on October 23rd.

Discover not impacted. While there was a bug with the reporting, this did not impact or change any actual real traffic from Google or Google Discover. This is solely a reporting issue and not an actual performance issue in Google Search or Google Discover.

What Google wrote. Google posted on October 23rd “A logging error caused a drop in Discover data on this day. This did not reflect a change in actual traffic, only an issue with data logging.”

Removed an issue. Google also seemed to remove the search feature bug annotation, it is unclear why the notation was removed but it has been removed from the list of data anomalies. Google later told us they removed that note because it is really not the place to document search feature bugs.

Why we care. If you notice a drop in your Search Console metrics for the Discover performance reports, you are not alone. This was a reporting issue only and did not actually impact your real traffic and impressions from Google Search or Google Discover.

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About The Author

Barry Schwartz a Contributing Editor to Search Engine Land and a member of the programming team for SMX events. He owns RustyBrick, a NY based web consulting firm. He also runs Search Engine Roundtable, a popular search blog on very advanced SEM topics. Barry can be followed on Twitter here.

https://searchengineland.com/google-search-console-reporting-bug-with-discover-performance-report-389521

Google dismisses the idea that outgoing links are considered a direct ranking signal – but tests have proven otherwise.

Who should SEOs believe? Why should we link out at all?

When asked about the impact of outgoing links on “link juice,” Google’s John Mueller flatly ignored the question stating again that any advice containing the term “link juice” should not be taken seriously.

Thus, we have to research a little deeper and go back a few years to find out. 

Incoming vs. outgoing links: Do they both matter?

So what’s the difference between outgoing (outbound) and. incoming (inbound) links? 

This infographic by Morningscore explains it pretty well.

Most people in the SEO industry and beyond agree that links to your site alias incoming links, also called inbound links or backlinks, matter.

Inbound links are still an important ranking factor on Google. 

While the search engine continuously adds other signals to refine results, the original Google algorithm is based on counting and assessing the value of incoming links.

More complex additions like the RankBrain algorithm or the concept of expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness (E-A-T) ensure that only usable, credible and content-rich sites get ranked on top. 

Yet the ranking itself still heavily relies on good old editorial links – those leading “back” to your site.

But what about outgoing links (i.e., links from your site to others)? 

That has been an evergreen debate among SEO practitioners and marketers alike. 

Let’s recap what we know about (outgoing) links first. 

Mueller repeatedly said that they are not a direct ranking signal. Yet he and many SEOs still advocate linking out.

• One approach could be called the egoistic one. It assumes that you have to hoard the authority you get from other sites by way of links. Thus, linking out as rarely as possible in order not to lose that authority, link value or “equity”.
• The other approach (I abide by) is the rather altruistic one. It assumes that the web is built on links (hence hypertext as in hyperlinks) and the more you are interconnected with other sites – both ways – the better. 

Why are SEO experts scared to link out?

Not only beginner-level SEOs are often literally scared to link out. Some experienced SEO experts are also not keen on risking their site authority on outgoing links. Why is that?

There are actually instances when Google penalizes sites for linking out or simply algorithmically reduces their ranking.

Here are a few examples.

Bad neighborhoods

Bad neighborhoods are often websites that are dealing either with adult subjects or gray areas like prescription-free drugs and gambling. They are also referred to as 3P (porn, pills and poker). 

Other obvious examples are so-called “warez” or copyright infringement sites in general. 

That said, even legit but low-quality sites you link to may have some detrimental impact.

Link schemes (i.e., reciprocal links, link farms)

“Link schemes” is a Google term describing all kinds of “unnatural” links meant to increase the chances of ranking on Google organically. 

Reciprocal links (I link to you so that you link to me) or link farms (interlinked sites just created, acquired or paid for the links) are common examples. 

Such links may get demoted by Google or lead to an “unnatural links” penalty.

Text link ads

Text link ads or in Google’s words “paid links” are links to other sites you have been paid for one way or another. 

These payments can be sponsorships, donations or free products as well. 

When in doubt, Google may penalize you for outbound links you have received some kind of remuneration for. 

Google wants you to add the “sponsored” attribute to such links. The same procedure also applies to paid reviews you have been asked to place on your site.

User-generated content (UGC)

UGC are comments, forum entries or any type of submitted content without editorial oversight linking out to third-party sites – which are also risky. 

Google advises you to use the “UGC” link attribute on such links. Check all contributions prior to publication ideally.

Guest posts, widgets, infographics, etc.

Over the years, Google has added a lot of common SEO techniques to the list of unnatural link practices. Some widely used link building techniques like guest posts, widgets and infographics were among them. 

Thus, when you have some of those on your site, you are required to use the “nofollow” link attribute on outbound links associated with them.

Broken links

Broken, or dead links that have been linked out to reputable resources, may overnight become hazardous to your site’s health. 

It’s not just the SEO issues. You also risk your reputation when visitors end up on defunct sites, error pages or parked domains. 

Monitor and fix broken or redirected links regularly. The latter ones can be even more harmful as deceptive sites won’t always send an error code but instead a “200” OK to fool you to link to them.

No wonder many SEO experts got more and more reserved when it comes to linking out. Some of them only link to Wikipedia or the like “for the potential SEO benefit of linking out.”

Others play it safe by adding “nofollow” to all outbound links even though Mueller also stated that there is no benefit in that either.

What does Google say about the benefits of outgoing links?

Despite all the possible pitfalls (I didn’t even list all of them), there are also benefits to linking out – both for Google and also for the website owners who do it.

In 2019, Mueller published an actual video on linking out and why it matters. At 1:19, he specifically encouraged linking to other sites that “offer additional value and more context.”

Given Google’s increased focus on E-A-T criteria in the ranking algorithm, linking out to established sources and experts has additional benefits.

What does that mean specifically?

Proof of authority

How do you prove authority? You literally add the author’s name and short bio, then link out to their website and social media accounts. 

Anonymous posts by “admin” as the default author on WordPress are usually called or outsourced content that has no name attached to it. 

Such content is, of course, far less convincing to potential readers and also Google algorithms.

Citing sources

Even accomplished experts usually rely on the work of others. 

By citing and ideally quoting sources from scholars in academia, journalists and bloggers ensure their expertise is backed up by others. 

Linking out to sources, especially highly credible ones like universities, government agencies or leading publications (think The New York Times, The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal), establishes credibility even if you’re not a world-renowned expert yourself yet.

More resources

No matter how extensively you cover a topic, there is always something to “read more” you haven’t mentioned. This goes beyond just crediting sources. 

Assuming that you have satisfied the reader and they are still interested, you are welcome to add more resources on the subject matter to broaden the scope of your content. 

Linking out to content that elaborates on some aspects you haven’t covered in-depth yet is a good idea to enhance a trustworthy article.

The web in general also benefits from sites actively linking out as sites devoid of outgoing links tend to become dead ends in the worst case.

Proving the direct SEO impact of outgoing links

Luckily, we don’t just have to rely on Google’s words. 

Some SEOs have actively looked for an answer by simply testing whether there is a positive impact of outgoing links. 

And there is!

Opinions are always to be considered with a grain of salt in the SEO world. Actual tests are often more reliable. 

The people of Reboot Online, “a data-driven SEO company,” have tested the potential effect of outbound links or lack thereof – not just once, but twice (first in 2016 and again in 2020).

As we can see above, the test sites which included outgoing links outranked the “stingy” sites that did not contain outgoing links.

Even test results may be biased of course, as the testers expected a positive impact. Reboot Founder Shai Aharony explains his motivation as follows:

“I’m repeatedly astonished at the numerous times we come across the absurd and old fashioned belief that Pagerank should be religiously kept within the site and that any outgoing links are ‘diluting’ your site’s authority…”

While it’s hard to ensure that a test only checks a particular ranking factor or hypothesis, SEO experiments can often provide useful hints for your ongoing optimization efforts. 

In this case, the test has been repeated so that we can be pretty sure that the results are valid. 

Ideally, you also conduct your own tests of course but it’s not an easy feat given the complexity of the current Google ranking algorithm.

Why do outgoing links make sense beyond SEO considerations?

Beyond the more or less obvious benefits that even Google spokespeople mention, there are many “social SEO” aspects of outgoing links that can ultimately improve your rankings or at least help you to gain traction in other ways.

Even if you still frown upon linking out to other websites for fear of risking your organic reach, here are some direct benefits of outbound links to be aware of before giving them up completely.

Getting noticed

First of all, when you link to someone – and usually there is a person who runs a website and who may notice – you are “getting out there.”

Especially when you’re new in a given niche, industry or market you want to “say hello” by acknowledging those who came before you. 

When I started a new blog in the past, I would usually make a list of “the best blogs” covering the specific topic the blog was meant to be about. 

As a welcome side effect, those lists not only would draw in other, already-established bloggers to my fairly new publication. They would usually also rank on top of Google for phrases like [(topic) blog].

Looking back at blogging about SEO for 15+ years I have to admit that many of my most valuable connections and often clients have been a direct result of my linking out to someone. 

Of course, numerous links did not get noticed, have been ignored or were acknowledged without any significant reciprocation. 

Yet those that did actually start a conversation and a process of relationship building have helped me a lot over the years. 

This is especially important for “introverts” who usually don’t go to conferences, meetups or trade fairs.

Give and take

Once you link out you give the present of attention, appreciation and often support. Even if you disagree with what you link, the vote has been counted by Google.

We have been primed for mutual aid for literally millions of years so when you receive a gift from someone, you are usually likely to reciprocate sooner or later. At least you are much more open-minded to suggestions down the road. 

Many people in the SEO industry reach out to a list of “100 prospects” and get a response rate of like 2%. Their main mistake is that they are contacting strangers out of the blue and asking for favors right away. 

Even if you don’t enjoy socializing with like-minded individuals working in the same industry, you are thus motivated to be friendly and literally make friends or “build relationships.”

User experience

No single person or even entity is all-knowing. Even Google can’t answer all queries in a satisfactory way. Thus while creating content, we will always rely on other people’s expertise. 

Even if you just rephrase it without directly quoting, you will probably not cover everything in as much depth as possible – so here comes the link. 

You can simply link to other content without having to reinvent the wheel and can stand on the shoulders of giants. This is a much better user experience than letting the visitor hang and not being able to cover the topic extensively enough for every reader. 

Let people read more elsewhere or check out the details you only mention without a lot of background. 

Don’t be afraid that they will leave the site. They will be more likely to return given the positive user experience.

How to link out to make it count

Now that you are considering linking out for SEO or other benefits, you probably ask yourself how to link out to have a positive impact on your site. Follow these tips.

Do not add a ‘nofollow’ when you don’t have to

Some publishers and blogs add nofollow tags to all outgoing links in order to minimize any potential risks of linking out. 

Yet, that’s like saying that all of your content is untrustworthy and lacks editorial control. Not only is there no gain from it, but there is also an additional risk of appearing low quality. 

Make sure to treat each link individually. Add nofollow tags only when needed. 

Editorial links should be treated accordingly – as proper links with no potentially discrediting attributes.

Check and update outgoing links regularly

Once you link out you vouch to some extent for the resource you link to. After all, you ensure the validity of the content you effectively recommend. 

Even if you disagree with the information you link to, you at least assign enough importance to it to send your visitors that way. Thus, it’s also advisable to check such links on existing content regularly. 

On WordPress, that task can be automated. Whenever a resource disappears, you have to unlink it or better replace it. 

No tool can warn you when third-party resources become outdated. Thus, it’s a good idea to check manually and regularly so that you don’t link to something that has been debunked or updated by now.

Link out to specific authority sites (not Wikipedia)

Another common shortcut is just linking out to Wikipedia instead of taking the time and looking up actual sources. That’s almost like saying, “just Google it!”

Most people have searched for a topic to find you and they have probably seen the Wikipedia entry above your result as well. 

They want to learn more, not just find out the basics like the definition of the keyword.

Link out for users first, for SEO benefits second

Make sure that the resource you link to offers some “additional value” for the reader. Do not just link out for SEO benefit. 

When someone notices you and ideally shares your content or, in the best case, links back it’s a nice-to-have. 

In the search industry, sometimes, it’s better to link to Google directly (even though they don’t notice or link back) than to a blog that only rehashes the news. 

In other cases, Google has only cryptic announcements you need some explanations on so a third-party blog is better. 

Mention experts by name and ‘ping’ them

When you link out to actual experts from your niche, industry or country you may benefit from their audiences noticing your content as well. 

In the past, WordPress pings ensured that every linked blogger would notice in their comment section. 

As that pingback and trackback features have been abused over the years, most blogs have deactivated that feature. 

You have to notify people manually again, like in the good old days before blogs. Mention experts you included by name and tell them that you linked to their content (on social media or by mail).

Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.

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About The Author

Tadeusz Szewczyk, also known as Tad Chef, is a professional blogger and SEO since 2004. Even though based in Berlin, Germany he has covered blogs, social media and search for a global audience starting in 2006. In 2007 he launched his own blog – SEO 2.0 – and also published on numerous other marketing blogs ever since. In recent years he wrote for the social media accounts of many clients as well. You can connect with Tad on LinkedIn and Twitter or visit his website and read his blog about social SEO.

https://searchengineland.com/outgoing-links-seo-benefits-389411