Sometimes, Being You is Enough

Human nature makes us competitive. This evolutionary trait was certainly useful for outrunning opponents when out hunting animals for dinner. And it certainly helps us today by motivating us to be the best in whatever we do. We’ve also been raised into systems that encourage competitiveness.

Do you want to base your business on values but feel pushed to join the rat race?

Sometimes we need to do what feels right to us, in-line with our values and goals, and this doesn’t always involve a race to the top. For some, it’s an easy sprint; for others, it’s a grueling marathon. Not everyone has the same long-term goals.

Yet, sometimes we feel like we’re supposed to do certain things like go to university or get married and start a family or become a billionaire before forty. Be something.

How about just being yourself?

If your focus is on building a brand and less on where in the billions of search results you appear, continue reading. If you want to focus on SEO and cut the expenses associated, keep reading.

If you search for ‘best trainers’ you probably won’t see any world-famous brands’ own websites appear at the top of the results page. Maybe not even on the first page.

When you learn information like this, it makes you stop and question the often frenzied mindset website owners get into when their site doesn’t instantly appear at the top of Google. This becomes an issue because we are told, with accuracy, people searching online only look at the first few pages (if that) before selecting which website to visit.

Naturally, this becomes a worry. They can see their competitors and massive companies dominating the results pages. But it’s not all bad news because there are hundreds of agencies able to help them climb to the top, right? And everyone agrees that these things are fundamental to your website’s success or failure, right? Thus, competitiveness kicks in. But here’s the thing:

Competitiveness is a drug, drugs are addictive, and addictions are unhealthy

Wolfram Schultz, a professor of neuroscience at Cambridge University, revolutionised our knowledge of behavioral science in 1980. He demonstrated how dopamine powers the reward system in our midbrain, and that satisfying ambition, desire, and addiction were the triggers. We are chemically wired for it. Useful for motivating us to go and catch another meal, but not so healthy to partake in yet another pi**ing contest – for ego preservation.

My own personal example

I work in a very competitive market. Within digital media are some of the world’s most powerful and influential companies. There are also millions of marketing agencies who are now called digital marketing specialists or content marketing gurus, etc. Plus hundreds of other agencies providing various SEO and fancy-sounding services, all professing to be the best in some way shape, or form.

I’m a writer. Yes, I can design pretty cool websites and know (too much) stuff about how all this tech stuff works. People really like my writing style and I love creating the best I can for every new piece I write. I could probably earn more money focusing on those things.

It’s unrealistic and unnecessary to always try and compete with the big boys

I also write fiction novels. My life’s goal is not to beat every business involved in the mega digital media industry. I am happy enough that I can design a nice-enough website to represent me as a writer and help others in their industries. I only have so much capacity (creative juice) to research and write about various businesses and make them all sound amazing.

I get to help others reach their goals by doing what I love, and that’s enough for me

Writing 100’000-word novels involves a lot of writing (and re-writing) hours. Because I like to make a difference through words, having been moved by many books, I’ve chosen to use freelancing to support this, but not to be all-consuming. I am competitive, but I don’t want to run up the wrong mountain. Again (that’s another story).

My love for writing fiction is more powerful than my desire to beat my competitors and become a billionaire – I’ve already stacked up more than enough clips for my portfolio, I don’t need to be competitive to the point of losing track of what’s important to me, and it may be the same for you; let’s leave the pi**sing contest for the big boys’ room, eh?

But, if you’ve got a website, then surely it deserves a bit of attention?

However, if your website isn’t getting the attention it deserves, it might be worth doing a few simple checks (if a site content overhaul scares you), like that you have your address and postcode mentioned, this should help with ‘near me’ search results, presuming your business is listed? There is also lots of other information and help available across the web and right here on this website’s blog posts. Good luck.

Google Search insider knowledge

Algorithms are always changing, Google’s finest continuously making improvements and changing the game based on various metrics.

But this is no secret and it’s nothing new, just that words like metrics are being used more in relation to Search.

“In 2018, we ran over 654,680 experiments, with trained external Search Raters and live tests, resulting in more than 3234 improvements to Search.” Google.

Primarily, this was to deliver the right results, but it also served to tighten the net, closing loopholes black hats (still) try and squeeze through.

Many tactics have been used to try and manipulate or outsmart search engine results

These range from blatant plagiarism (copying site content), to bating with intriguing headlines “Read this and your life will improve… click here and give us your credit card details (and yes, we’ll probably sell on your data).”

None of these things provided any value to readers, were full of flashy ads and only aimed at getting something, usually money, and it still happens today. But not as much, and most of us know what to look out for.

It’s all in the manifesto

Much of the criteria Google uses to sort and organise websites for the SERPs (search engine results pages) is outlined in a 168-page guideline which Search Raters use to score websites as part of the experiments.

I have a copy and use it to help clients navigate things like best SEO practices, using Google’s own manifesto, which many top agencies re-word and charge 6-figures to include in things like ‘SEO audit and reporting’ with proposed fixes including content marketing campaigns, which basically means they’ll tell you to publish regular content like blog posts.

What about paid advertisements that rank at the top of the search results?

Search engines make no secret about their commercial activities. Like many businesses, advertisement revenue is a key part of their lifeblood. Without ad revenue, it would be impossible to carry out their services (and their experiments) without compromising on quality.

But the paid advertisements we see at the top of the results pages are clearly marked with an ‘Ad’ logo, and they only display results relevant to user-defined search queries – there’s little to no junk.

Should I pay for Google ad services?

If you can afford to do it until you’ve built up your brand and climbed the search engine results pages organically, then why not? It can be frustrating to see other names at the top, you want to be up there too, right?

Paid advertisements don’t get prioritised in organic results

Search engines omit advertisements, regardless of how much the sponsors are paying if they are not relevant. To do otherwise would be hypocritical and devalue everything they stand for. Organic Search results are ranked based on other factors mentioned here and in other posts across the web – and they all boil down to producing valuable content.

You can pay for an advertisement, but so can anyone, and there’s only so much room at the top – you’ll need to have a budget to pay for it long-term, and it won’t improve how your website is ranked in the normal search results.

“Google’s commercial relationships have no impact on algorithmic Search changes, and partner advertisers do not receive special treatment in resolving organic search issues or requests.”

Organic search results are the main website listings that appear on the results pages when we type or ask for things (a search query). Most people, after years of exposure to annoying flashy ads, skim past the ‘Ad’ sponsored results at the top, their eyes scanning for either specific brands or familiar authorities on the subject.

What do algorithms do?

Google algorithms check for things like quality links to respectable sources, such as academic or governmental, or from content-rich sites which meet their standards and basically get a Google thumbs up.

But what about those advertisements and pop-ups?

Often, paid ads do display in user-defined search query results, but they’re often ads by large agencies, acting like the middleman, similar to comparison websites.

Paid adverts don’t always offer the desired product or service, but it could be something similar (like an advert for a hotel) which may show when you book a train ticket. This isn’t bad or good, they get initial traffic and a chance to gain business. It is what it is, and sometimes it’s useful.

To be super-blunt, content marketing is Soft advertising

Articles (content) that offer information related to the product you’re selling, but not outright promoting a specific product and its benefits – that would be more like a product description, the typical glossy ad, or the iconic billboard. Instead, think of it like a complimentary read while you’re visiting somewhere, the catchy headline propelling your hand to pick it up.

Content marketing has replaced self-promoting product advertisement

Not to knock the value of the iconic advertisement like the dazzling perfume adverts on prime-time TV, they’re totally separate. And despite their price tags and A-list endorsements, they hold no weight with Google Search (naturally, this could change if you’re selling the perfume on your website).

“We never accept payment from anyone to be included in search results.” Google.

But they will appear on websites (banner ads and pop-ups) to help generate advertisement revenue. This is the same as it has been from the beginning, and it still is today with traditional publishing formats like magazines and newspapers.

But (cough into hand), What about the ‘Sponsored Listings’, they are Paying to be Included, Surely?

And if you’re curious about the sponsored listings appearing at the top of the results pages, we discuss the pros and cons of using paid ads here, but this post focuses on content marketing for SEO and how to climb the results pages organically (because you need deep pockets to keep paying for ads).

Google knows consumers are smart, and today’s Search delivers readable content that holds valuable knowledge related to what we search for in the first place – information or a product, maybe your product.

Keep it real: Google Search loves fresh ‘organic’ content

And despite what various marketing agencies might spout, you can’t buy your way to the top of Search. But what you can do is keep publishing new and useful content, and this is what content marketing is – using content to add value (to readers) and fuel SEO (search engine optimisation).

Still Confused? Look at Content Marketing like a Book Cover

Imagine a bookshelf, on the top and middle shelves sit the shiny hardbacks with impressive covers and intriguing storyline blurbs, and great reviews; on the bottom are dog-eared paperbacks with predictable storylines and a front cover with dull illustrations – which one would you want to read?

This Article is Content Marketing

Point is: You still need to shine and get your product or message out there, but it can’t all be about how amazing you are – leave that for social media. The author seldom writes anything on the cover about themselves, it’s all about the book and its storyline, and the blurb teases the reader about being caught up in an awesome page-turner and transported elsewhere through the eyes of its characters. This is what content marketing is. This article is content marketing – get it?

how big businesses do or don’t hit the top listings

It’s easy to think Amazon does very well in search engine results because it’s paid its way. Amazon may indeed place sponsored listings, but as we’ve mentioned, this is separate from the main listings, and you simply cannot buy your way to the top, no matter how big you are.

Amazon does well in organic Search because its product pages are content-rich and are constantly being updated with new products – they avidly encourage their vendors to write lengthy product descriptions, you’ll notice this when you expand the description brief.

“The freshness of the content plays a bigger role in answering queries.” Google.

Other big businesses selling the same item, even if it’s their own trademark brand, often don’t list as well because they haven’t invested in the written content required to satisfy search results. And many big businesses have gone bust because they didn’t adapt to the digital era fast enough, which was basically the result of a stubborn mindset.

Besides pleasing Google and other search engines, your customers should appreciate the information found in your content, and make converting their interest into a sale [profit] a lot easier.

Content Marketing Strategies for SEO: Styles

Who doesn’t love a good read or finding inspiration or a useful tip? Who’s sick of hearing every business professing they are the best or cheapest?

Content marketing comes in various styles and forms a valuable part of search engine optimisation (SEO). While content marketing often includes creating and publishing engaging or useful articles and posts, publications like newsletters are also an effective way to connect with readers to summarise (promote) your coming highlights.

Use or combine other digital and social media outlets to help your campaigns, producing things like podcasts or vlogs. It all depends on what you’re comfortable with, who your demographics are, how much time you have and what resources you can exploit.

We Create Downloadable Content:

Our shop’s shelves are stacked with a range of entertaining and useful articles available to download and publish immediately. We create content to help fuel content marketing efforts and boost SEO.