You hear it everywhere… “Content is the king of the web“. So, like a dutiful little entrepreneur, you set your sights on publishing the very best SEO content possible. After all, you don’t want to be like one of those corner-cutters who pays $2 for an article that makes no sense and drives customers elsewhere!
So, why are you still struggling with your SEO content?
Above all else, don’t panic. Lots of people are in the same position as you. That being said, let’s answer some of the most common SEO content questions:
1. Why does my blog suck?
A good blog can showcase your personality, set you apart from the competition, and increase your web traffic and sales. So, why isn’t yours doing any of that?!
Take an honest look at the writing. Are you combining well-researched facts with your “style” – whether it’s funny, sarcastic, brutally honest, or something else entirely? Good blogs need to do two things – leave readers feeling like they learned something new, and making them feel entertained along the way. Do one without the other, and you’ll wind up with a blog that’s as dead as a doornail.
If the writing is good – but you’re not getting much traffic – a guest blogging strategy may be exactly what you need. More on that in question #3…
2. Why don’t any of my articles get syndicated?
Syndication is the most powerful strategy you can have when it comes to your SEO content. After all, how many other methods allow you to get your name, your link, and your expertise out in front of targeted traffic – all for free?!
In fact, syndication is what the big article directories (like EzineArticles) were created for in the first place. These directories are places where webmasters can find interesting, informative content to republish on their own sites (with your name and link out there for the world to see). Getting your SEO articles syndicated on a regular basis can lead to more traffic and sales than you ever dreamed of!
With that being said, where are your articles being syndicated? Google one of your article titles, and see what comes up. If your SEO articles aren’t turning up anywhere, you’re doing something very, very wrong. It could be that your information isn’t summed up in an easy-to-follow way. It could be that your articles are all fluff and don’t have enough information in them. It could be that reading your articles is as boring as watching paint dry – and no webmaster wants to put his visitors through that.
If you’re struggling that much to get your SEO articles syndicated – or you just don’t have the time to write your own killer articles that are worthy of being syndicated – it’s time to invest in a writer that can do it for you. Otherwise, your articles are just littering up cyberspace.
3. Why aren’t my guest posts generating more traffic?
If you’re focusing on guest blogging, congratulations!
It’s a great way to get more exposure for yourself and your website – but only if you do it correctly.
With guest blogging, all you have to do is impress people. Then, it’s easy for them to click on your link, check out your site, and become a loyal customer. But it all starts with that first impression. If your guest posts aren’t very interesting, aren’t very informative, or don’t inspire anyone to read all the way to the end, you’ll never see that traffic spike that good guest bloggers get.
Remember, you only have one chance to make a good first impression. Squander it, and you’ll wind up missing out on countless profits!
Corky Swanson May 22, 2012 at 5:10 pm
BlogEngage is a great syndicator of content although it costs a bit for a gold membership. I wasn’t aware of how powerful syndication could be until I tried it. Every time a publish a post it goes all over the place, and traffic spikes. I know this has an effect on SEO, which gradually affects search engine traffic.
Nicole Beckett May 23, 2012 at 7:50 am
Glad to hear you’re having success with syndication, Corky!
It is such a powerful tool, but so many marketers shy away from it — mostly because they mistake syndicated content for duplicate content, or they’re simply writing content for “quick backlinks” and chucking quality by the wayside.
Those traffic spikes you’re seeing aren’t just good from an SEO perspective; they’re also great for establishing you as a legitimate expert in your niche. Plus, the more content you can get syndicated, the fewer spikes you’ll see. Instead, you’ll see much higher traffic on an ongoing basis… can’t beat that!
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Nick Stamoulis May 22, 2012 at 9:49 am
If you’re going to guest post, make sure you are posting on the right blogs that cater to the right audience. There are plenty of blogs out there looking for guest authors, but you don’t want to do it just to get a link. You want to make sure that the target audience is actually interested in the content to drive traffic to your own blog.
Nicole Beckett May 22, 2012 at 10:24 am
Exactly, Nick! And thanks for bringing that point up!
Lots of people think that guest blogging is all about getting a link; it’s not. Sure, you’ll get a link from it, but the main reward from guest blogging is the exposure. Being able to get your name out in front of targeted traffic (and being able to show them that you really know what you’re talking about) is what guest blogging is really all about.
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Trung Nguyen May 20, 2012 at 11:52 am
I’m really love your point 3, guest blogging is best way for link building and it can help our blog get high rankings for our keyword, however, we only get it if we do it correctly. Many of us only considered guest blogging is a way to build backlinks, so that’s why they didn’t do it with their best skill. Thanks for your post, Nicole.
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Nicole Beckett May 21, 2012 at 8:44 am
Thanks for the kind words, Trung!
Guest blogging is definitely more than just a backlinking strategy. Remember, every time you publish something, it represents you and your business. Readers don’t sit there and think, “oh, well, I’m sure he was just writing this to get a quick backlink, so that explains why it’s not very good.” Instead, they think, “man, this guy has no clue what he’s talking about. I need to find someone who can actually give me the information I need.”
My 8th grade science teacher used to tell us — “You only get one chance to make a good first impression.” That’s why everything you publish has to be of the very highest quality. With guest blogging (or any other kind of content strategy), your main goal is to get interested readers. The backlinks are kind of like icing on the cake.
Nicole Beckett recently posted..Your Business Can Do Better Than the Toilet!
Trung Nguyen May 21, 2012 at 9:24 am
Thanks for your comment, Nicole. I’m sure who is going to send their guest post should read your comment before do it right now.
Trung Nguyen recently posted..How to Make a Blog: 5 Steps to Make a Blog Yourself
david May 18, 2012 at 4:27 am
Hi Nicole, great content is a great base to have.
I do believe that getting that content ‘syndicated’ as you mentioned is stunningly important.
Without that, even great content does us little good.
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Nicole Beckett May 18, 2012 at 12:43 pm
You’re so right, David. And kudos to you for understanding the huge difference between “syndicated content” and “duplicate content” — most people think they’re the same thing, and they’re definitely not!
Nicole Beckett recently posted..Standing Out in the SEO Content World
Nishadha May 18, 2012 at 3:02 am
I think article syndicating is one of the best methods to get your article out there but very few blogger are doing it. There are hundreds of RSS directories out there and for a small amount you can outsource adding your feed to these directories. Totally worth the money according to my experience.
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Nicole Beckett May 18, 2012 at 12:46 pm
Article syndication is a great way to get your name, link, and expertise out in front of targeted traffic. In addition to RSS feeds, you should always be on the lookout for people in your niche who would want to share your articles with their readers — be it on their websites or in their emails. All it takes is developing a relationship with a website owner, and you can wind up getting your articles in front of a whole new audience!
Nicole Beckett recently posted..Standing Out in the SEO Content World
Jack Sander May 18, 2012 at 1:50 am
These techniques to generate traffic are great, if we implement them properly. From my own experience, I think we should analyze the strategies used by the top bloggers in our niche, and try to improve our sites using these information.
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Nicole Beckett May 18, 2012 at 12:49 pm
You’re right, Jack… these techniques are only as good as the content you publish!
That’s why it’s so important to put yourself in the minds of your readers. What do you want to know? What information will help you make a decision? What will make you think of the author as an expert? Publish content that answers those questions, and you’ll wind up getting a whole lot more out of each piece!
Nicole Beckett recently posted..Standing Out in the SEO Content World
Joe May 18, 2012 at 1:48 am
I though syndication is a possible red light with the Panda update?
Would you be able to tell me which directories are still green light? I heard rumours Ezine may not be as strong any more.
Thank you,
Joe
Nicole Beckett May 18, 2012 at 12:52 pm
Fear not, Joe! Syndication is alive and well (and thriving!) in this Panda world
All Panda is concerned with is quality content. As long as you publish content that’s well-written, full of solid facts, and is written with readers in mind (NOT search engines), you’ll be just fine.
The article directories themselves are not ranking as highly in Google as they were before Panda. That’s why you should be looking for other ways to get your content in front of people. Even without Panda, it’s never safe to put all of your eggs in one basket!
Nicole Beckett recently posted..Standing Out in the SEO Content World
Tho Huynh May 18, 2012 at 12:58 am
Guest posting only works if you did it right. You must have good content on your site before guest-posting, so that when people come to your site after reading your guest post, they won’t get disappointed.
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Nicole Beckett May 18, 2012 at 12:53 pm
Exactly, Tho. If you’re going to guest post, you’ve got to publish a post that impresses readers enough to visit your site. Then, once you get them there, you’ve got to have great content to keep them there!
Nicole Beckett recently posted..Standing Out in the SEO Content World
Devesh from Blog Marketing May 18, 2012 at 12:23 am
Those 3 are great questions, Nicole.
Guest posting is a powerful way to market your blog or business. I’ve been doing a lot of guest posting, lately and getting good results. It also helps to improve the search engine rankings of your blog and has a lot of long term benefits.
Great stuff, Nicole.
-Dev
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Nicole Beckett May 18, 2012 at 12:58 pm
Thanks, Dev! I can’t take *all* the credit for the questions, though. They’re actually questions I get all the time from people who are wondering if it’s time to hire a writer
Unfortunately, there are alot of blogs that suck out there — and alot of blog owners who don’t know what to do about it!
Congrats on your guest posting success! The benefits of it are huge! I’ve noticed that just one guest post can make my traffic *triple* for a few days right after I publish it. Get enough guest posts out there, and those peaks and valleys turn into a steady stream of traffic.
Nicole Beckett recently posted..Standing Out in the SEO Content World