Archive for the ‘seo news’ Category
Tuesday, July 16th, 2024
I’ve been getting an insane amount of questions lately from clients – actually, marketers in general – about SEO priorities in the wake of the big leak and the launch of AI Overviews.
I’ve been in SEO for nearly 20 years and can’t remember anything to match it, even when Panda came out.
Some of those inquiries have been from brands looking to start an SEO program from scratch, which I think is the cleanest way to look at what matters right now.
This article covers how I advise people on starting new SEO programs in the AI age, looking at:
- How to define an SEO strategy.
- How to build an SEO approach.
- The skills needed to thrive.
How to define an SEO strategy
I’ll start by saying any silos that might exist in your SEO vision should disappear immediately.
Technical SEO, content, UX, links – they’re all very much under the same umbrella now and that umbrella is growth marketing. It’s the entire experience.
Google is essentially trying to recreate the web in a single dashboard, so you need to think about SEO in that capacity. Consider the different types of search results.
AI Overviews represent a huge change, but Google has also introduced “People also ask,” featured snippets, etc. Every search is different, and that changes by vertical/intent.
Speaking of building your brand, the Google algorithm leak made it clear that both brand authority and the authority of your authors and experts are important.
And “important” now doesn’t just mean “you’ll show up higher on the SERPs”; it means you have a better shot at showing up on a breadth of options Google presents to the user.
There’s not just one set of tasks and mechanics you have to master to get Google traffic. You must understand your vertical, the intent behind the search and how to structure data.
Moreover, we’re not just considering Google. Great SEO programs will also include Quora, Reddit, TikTok, user forums, etc., in their planning because those platforms are great places for building your brand.
Your strategy has to include the following:
- Customer research and understanding.
- Analyzing the intent behind keywords and addressing it in your content.
- Recognizing the types of content only you (and not AI) can provide – expert opinions, proprietary research and data, etc.
- Brand-building for both your organization and its authors/spokespeople.
Not to be overlooked: you need to make sure your tracking and reporting are set up to surface insights on where and how users are finding you and what they’re doing once they reach your site.
This was always true of SEO, but with things in such a state of flux, the teams best positioned to succeed will have resources to answer the questions of what’s changing, what’s working and what needs to be adjusted.
Dig deeper: Search everywhere optimization: 7 platforms SEOs need to optimize for beyond Google
How to build an SEO approach in the AI age
If you were referencing “how to build an SEO program” resources from 2014, you’d take the following approach:
- Build thousands of pages to rank for millions of keywords.
- Junk up the airwaves with mass-produced content that manages to get impressions and clicks.
- Buy and/or trade links and farm out tons of mediocre guest posts/earned content to boost your rankings.
If you’re thinking that doesn’t make sense for actually attracting customers and building a great brand, well, you’re spot on.
Today, good SEOs are prioritizing metrics like engagement and impact on pipeline and revenue, not just impressions and rankings.
Given that, a good approach to start with is:
- Create dozens to hundreds of best-in-class pages that provide authentic value and insights for users looking to solve their problems – which may include presenting various solutions, not just yours.
- Keep those pages fresh and current and look for ways to evolve the content as user needs change.
- Build your brand and your experts’ brands on non-Google platforms like TikTok, Reddit and industry-specific forums.
- Conduct proprietary research and craft thought leadership that builds your brand while signaling to industry professionals and journalists that your content should be used as a resource.
Dig deeper: Navigating the AI wars: Winning SEO strategies for brands
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The skills needed in SEO’s AI age
Broadly, today’s SEO is less about knowing SEO tricks (e.g., putting a pipe between phrases in your title tag!) and more about good marketing. It might not change the tasks required, but it changes the objective of the tasks.
For example, you definitely still need people who can do keyword research. Still, keyword research today includes customer understanding that informs you of the intent behind the keyword – and how to address it with your content.
The more complex the field of SEO gets, the more valuable it is to have the perspective of experience and the ability to gather and synthesize data and act accordingly. In other words, the ability to see through chaos and adapt as needed will be extremely valuable.
Broadly, make sure your team has the skills to build better, more intuitive content to get people to your website in one way or another and, once they’re there, give them a great experience to deepen their engagement with your brand.
Mastering modern SEO in the AI age
Some people may be throwing up their hands and calling this the death of SEO and it might indeed be the death of SEO as we came to know it. But that means it’s giving rise to another way (or ways) to engage with your users.
Remember that anytime there’s a macro-level disruption, there’s an opportunity to gain ground by adapting more quickly and effectively than your competitors.
In the case of brand-new SEO programs, that means building a strategy based on everything we know today – and prioritizing the ability to flex based on what we learn tomorrow.
Dig deeper: Modern SEO: Packaging your brand and marketing for Google
Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
Tuesday, July 16th, 2024
Loyalty programs significantly enhance your company’s financial well-being. Beyond simply rewarding returning customers, a strategically designed loyalty program can unlock multiple revenue streams that greatly benefit your brand. So, how do these programs actually generate income? Let’s delve into the key methods they employ to engage customers, boost sales, and ultimately increase your profitability.
What makes a successful loyalty program?
A well-designed and carefully calculated loyalty program can be a game changer for brands looking to maximize their return on investment through customer engagement. Loyalty programs have evolved beyond simple points systems to sophisticated, data-driven strategies that leverage technology and personalized experiences. These programs aren’t just about rewarding repeat business — they’re strategic tools that cultivate lasting relationships with customers, fostering a sense of connection and value.
The information collected from these programs facilitates targeted marketing, optimizes advertising expenditures and enhances overall customer satisfaction. In essence, a well-implemented loyalty program is not merely a cost, but an investment that yields substantial returns through increased customer retention and long-term profitability.
Revenue streams from loyalty programs
Membership fees
The growing trend of loyalty programs has introduced various models, with paid loyalty programs becoming particularly prominent. These programs offer brands an effective way to enhance customer retention by requiring an upfront investment from customers. In return, customers receive exclusive benefits, rewards and sometimes special resources akin to subscription services.
Paid programs present multiple fee structures to cater to different customer preferences and needs. A common model is the annual subscription, where customers pay a fixed yearly fee to access exclusive benefits throughout their membership period. This approach provides both customers and companies with predictability, ensuring consistent revenue and sustained engagement. Another popular model is tiered membership, where customers can select from different levels of membership based on their preferred benefits and budget. This tiered system allows for customization and personalization, encouraging customers to upgrade for additional perks and rewards. These fee structures not only generate revenue but also boost customer satisfaction by offering flexibility and value.
Increased customer spending
Loyalty programs play a critical role in incentivizing customers to spend more with a brand. By offering exclusive rewards, discounts or points for purchases, these programs create a sense of value and appreciation. The prospect of earning rewards motivates customers to choose a particular brand over competitors, especially when they are close to reaching a reward threshold.
Moreover, loyalty programs can incorporate tiered membership levels, where increased spending unlocks premium benefits, motivating customers to spend more to reach the next tier. Additionally, the psychological impact of these programs fosters a sense of reciprocity and loyalty to the brand, encouraging customers to keep purchasing to maintain their status and enjoy continuous rewards.
Enhanced retention
Loyalty programs provide measurable financial benefits that directly impact revenue, particularly through increased “captive” revenue resulting from reduced customer churn and member inactivity. When customers feel appreciated by a program, they tend to remain engaged and loyal, leading to a higher retention rate. This improved customer lifetime value translates into ongoing revenue from repeat purchases and continued participation in the program. Additionally, loyal customers often become brand advocates, sharing positive experiences and attracting new customers, which further boosts the program’s revenue potential.
Supporting this, Zippia reports that a 5% improvement in customer retention can lead to a profit increase of 25% to 95%, highlighting the significant impact of repeat customers. Returning customers account for approximately 65% of total sales and the cost of retaining customers is six to seven times lower than acquiring new ones.
Cross-selling and upselling
Loyalty programs serve as powerful tools for enhancing upsell and cross-sell initiatives through the invaluable data they collect from members. By tracking purchase histories, preferences, and engagement patterns, these programs provide companies with actionable insights into individual customer behaviors and interests. Armed with this data, you can tailor personalized offers and recommendations that resonate with each member’s unique buying habits and preferences.
For instance, a fashion brand can use a loyalty member’s purchase history to recommend complementary clothing items or outfit upgrades, thereby increasing the chances of additional sales. Furthermore, loyalty programs deepen the customer-brand relationship by rewarding continued support, which builds trust and encourages customers to explore new products. Ultimately, the strategic use of member data allows you to boost incremental revenue by successfully upselling and cross-selling relevant products and services to an engaged audience.
Cost savings
Loyalty programs are not only a money maker, they are also a money saver. They play a pivotal role in expense reduction through their ability to deliver targeted promotions based on collected customer data, reducing unnecessary marketing and advertising spend. By understanding individual preferences and purchase histories, you can tailor promotions to loyal customers who are more likely to respond, reducing the need for broad, less effective marketing campaigns.
In addition, these programs help improve the efficiency of inventory management and sales strategies by providing insight into demand patterns and customer behavior. Armed with this data, companies can optimize inventory levels, minimize out-of-stocks, and strategically allocate resources to meet the demands of their most valuable customers. Ultimately, loyalty programs not only promote customer retention, but also drive cost savings by ensuring that marketing efforts and inventory management strategies are targeted and executed efficiently.
Innovative monetization pathways
Innovative ways to monetize loyalty programs are increasingly embracing emerging trends such as gamification and the potential of cutting-edge technologies such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and beyond. Gamification brings fun and engagement to loyalty programs by incorporating game-like elements such as challenges, rewards, and levels that encourage repeat interactions and purchases. In addition, the integration of AR and VR technologies opens up exciting possibilities for enhancing the loyalty program experience. Customers using AR to unlock exclusive virtual rewards, or engaging with VR to explore immersive brand environments that offer unique benefits and incentives – augmented or virtual, these initiatives become a reality.
These technologies have the power to transform loyalty programs into dynamic, interactive platforms that not only drive brand loyalty, but also create new revenue streams through enhanced engagement and monetizable virtual experiences. As you continue to innovate in this space, the fusion of gamification and advanced technologies promises to redefine the monetization potential of loyalty programs in exciting and unprecedented ways.
Key takeaways
Loyalty programs generate revenue through multiple avenues, serving as comprehensive revenue drivers. These include membership fees, increased customer spending, enhanced retention, cross-selling and upselling opportunities, cost savings, and the use of innovative technologies like AR and VR.
Continuous innovation is essential to keep pace with changing consumer preferences and technological advancements, ensuring that loyalty programs remain relevant, effective, and valuable. This ongoing commitment to innovation not only supports revenue growth but also strengthens customer relationships and maintains a competitive edge over time.
Interested in exploring the profitability of loyalty programs further? Learn how to determine ROI and transform your loyalty program into a revenue center in our detailed publication on the subject. Download “The ROI of a Loyalty Program” e-book and discover the secrets to measuring customer loyalty.
Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
Friday, July 12th, 2024
Amazon rolled out its AI-powered shopping assistant, Rufus, to all U.S. customers in its mobile app.
Why it matters. This move signals Amazon’s push into AI-assisted shopping, potentially transforming how consumers interact with ecommerce platforms.
How it works.
- Rufus uses a specialized large language model (LLM) trained on Amazon’s product catalog, customer reviews and web data.
- Customers can ask questions about products, comparisons and buying considerations.
- The AI can provide suggestions for specific tasks or projects.
Why we care. Rufus may change how shoppers discover and research products, potentially altering the customer journey and how it allows advertisers to target customers on Amazon ads.
By the numbers.
- Tested across “tens of millions of questions” during beta.
- Available to Amazon’s entire U.S. customer base.
Key features. Rufus offers:
- Product recommendations and comparisons.
- Insights from customer reviews and expert analysis.
- Updates on fashion trends and the latest tech.
- Assistance with past and current orders.
Yes, but. Early tests show Rufus doesn’t always provide accurate information and its recommendations are limited to Amazon’s catalog.
What’s next. Amazon plans to continue improving Rufus over time.
Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
Thursday, July 11th, 2024
Alphabet’s rumored deal to acquire HubSpot is shelved, sources told Bloomberg (subscription required). Alphabet reportedly walked away from the deal weeks ago, according to Reuters.
- “Parties didn’t get to due-diligence stage in deal talks,” Bloomberg reported.
Early rumors about the talks seemed to solidify at the end of May, when CNBC’s David Faber reported the companies continued to have discussions and an all-stock deal was on the table.
Why we care. Rumors that Alphabet was considering a HubSpot acquisition began in April. Alphabet reportedly made significant strides in discussions to acquire HubSpot by May. But it seems like it’s not going to happen here in July. In the meantime, HubSpot users were either wondering what it would mean for a central part of their marketing stack, or maybe just ignoring it all.
Whatever the truth of any of the rumors, HubSpot’s shares moved up and down like a yo-yo at each twist of the story. Maybe things will settle down now?
Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
Thursday, July 11th, 2024
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) contains a concealed report that allows users to compare conversions exported to Google Ads and explains discrepancies between the platforms.
Why we care. This hidden feature provides advertisers with a valuable tool to reconcile differences in conversion data, potentially improving campaign accuracy and performance.
How to access:
- Start with your standard GA4 property URL
- Append “/advertising/key-event-differences” to the URL
- The full URL should resemble: “https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/#/p153293282/advertising/key-event-differences“
First seen. We first came across this from Brais Calvo Vázquez’s LinkedIn who showed us the shortcut that allows us to see this report:
Yes, but. The report isn’t accessible for all GA4 properties.
Between the lines. The renaming of “conversions” to “key events” in GA4 was meant to eliminate discrepancies with Google Ads. The report‘s hidden status may be due to its potential contradiction of this goal.
The big picture. Some users report seeing this feature for over a year, suggesting extended development or testing.
What to watch. Whether Google will officially release this tool or continue to keep it hidden, given its usefulness to marketers in reconciling data inconsistencies.
Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
Thursday, July 11th, 2024
Amazon rolled out a new beta feature for businesses that don’t sell products on its platform, allowing them to generate leads through display ads across Amazon’s vast network.
Why we care. Amazon’s new lead generation ad type gives advertisers the opportunity to expand their customer base and tap into Amazon’s data-rich environment, even if they don’t sell products on the platform.
How it works. The new lead generation ads allow customers to sign up for information directly within the ad creative, without leaving the website they’re browsing.
- Ads appear across Amazon’s properties, including the homepage and product detail pages, as well as owned sites like Twitch and IMDb, and third-party destinations.
- Placements are automatically optimized based on targeting tactics and desired outcomes.
First seen. We first were alerted to this update by Jeffrey Cohen on LinkedIn:
What came before. Amazon began exploring solutions for non sellers last year. Search Engine Land contributor Navah Hopkins, who wrote about the beta solution, confirmed that it’s now available for everyone and that before now customers weren’t able to fill out a lead form.
The big picture. Amazon is leveraging its extensive network and billions of user signals to help non-Amazon sellers engage with potential customers.
- This feature aims to level the playing field for businesses of all sizes, allowing them to tap into Amazon’s rich data ecosystem.
What’s next. Interested businesses can contact their Amazon Ads Product Development Manager (PDM) for details on accessing this beta feature through the Ad console.
Between the lines. This move signals Amazon’s push to compete more aggressively in the broader digital advertising space, beyond its own ecommerce platform.
Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
Thursday, July 11th, 2024
Google’s AI Overviews now appear less than 7% of the time. This is one of 10 noteworthy findings from a new analysis of AI Overviews.
This data was shared with Search Engine Land by enterprise SEO platform BrightEdge and its BrightEdge Generative Parser, which has been tracking and monitoring AI Overviews (and formerly Search Generative Experience) since late last year.
AI Overviews drop. Google continued to reduce the presence of AI Overviews in June – dropping from 11% to 7% of queries, according to BrightEdge. However, there was also a slight increase in AI Overviews in mid-June before the big drop.
Here’s a screenshot showing the drop:
Education, entertainment, ecommerce. The presence of AI Overviews remained stable in many industries – but these three were not among them.
- For education queries, AI Overviews dropped from 26% to 13%.
- For entertainment queries, AI Overviews fell from 14% to nearly 0%.
- For ecommerce queries, AI Overviews decreased from 26% to 9%.
AI Overviews real estate shrinks. AI Overviews take up less pixel space on top of Google’s search results than ever. They are now 13% smaller, on average, according to BrightEdge.
Less duplication in AI, Classic search results. Google is less frequently citing the same sources in AI Overviews that appear in Classic Search. This is because Google is leaning into its concept of “Let Google do the searching for you” where Google brings in information that anticipates relevant follow-up queries.
Search query patterns. Search intent plays a role in whether AI Overviews appear:
- Increases: “Best,” (+50%) “what is,” (+20%), “how to” (+15%) and “symptoms of” (+12%) queries are more often to trigger an AI Overviews
- Decreases: “Vs” (-20%), brand-specific (-15%), general product (-14%) and lifestyle-related (-12%) queries trigger AI Overviews less often.
UGC loses visibility in AI Overviews. Reddit and Quora lost a staggering number of AI Overviews citations – 85.71% and 99.69%, respectively, in June. Google must have recognized that these popular user-generated sites are unreliable sources of trustworthy information (at least for AI Overviews).
Less comparisons. Google cut in half the number of product comparison tables it showed in AI Overviews. This decline started June 1.
Less product viewers and carousels. Product viewers and carousels are two AI Overviews features that appear “significantly less” often in AI Overviews, BrightEdge reported. This decrease also started in early June.
Less lists. Ordered and unordered lists, which at one time were the most common SGE module, now appear “less often,” according to BrightEdge. This could be related to Google attempting to reduce the amount of space AI Overviews occupy.
More financial warnings. Google increased the number of financial warnings by 10% in June. Google already had a similar warning for healthcare queries.
Why we care. AI Overviews continue to be an area of extreme interest for SEOs, publishers and content creators because the search feature upends the traditional model of Classic Search. Since the arrival of SGE and AI Overviews, there have been huge concerns about Google making it harder or near impossible for some websites to get organic search traffic.
Even though AI Overviews are less visible overall, we don’t expect AI Overviews to go away. Google has told us it will continue to evolve in this direction and that it is resulting in more searches. Though Google has yet to share any data to back up this vague claim.
The report. BrightEdge continues to monitor and share updates as part of its AI Overviews guide.
Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
Wednesday, July 10th, 2024
Imagine a world where your marketing message finds its perfect match. No wasted effort, no aimless casting of a net. Your ideal audience, captivated.
This isn’t a dream. It’s Connected TV (CTV) advertising. Picture television’s massive reach, sharpened to a digital marketing laser.
Join MNTN for Everything You Need to Know About CTV Audience Targeting (in under 60 minutes) as they discuss everything there is to know about Connected TV audience targeting. They’ll explore time-tested targeting strategies and groundbreaking new tools that give you unprecedented control. You’ll learn the art of reaching the right people at the right time, maximizing television’s unmatched power.
Ready to dive in? Secure your spot!
Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
Wednesday, July 10th, 2024
Amazon is rolling out its Sponsored TV ads in the UK, currently in beta, following a successful launch in the U.S. market.
Why we care. This move opens new advertising opportunities for brands on popular streaming platforms like Freevee and Twitch, leveraging Amazon’s extensive data for targeted ad delivery.
The details.
- Available to sellers in the Amazon Brand Registry, vendors, agencies and U.S. brands not selling on Amazon.
- Some categories, like health and personal care, are ineligible.
Between the lines. Amazon’s first-party shopping and streaming data allows for precise targeting, potentially increasing ad effectiveness.
Exceptions. Brands must review Amazon’s guidelines and acceptance policies before launching campaigns, as certain product categories are restricted.
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The big picture. This expansion reflects Amazon’s growing influence in digital advertising, challenging traditional TV ad models.
What to watch. How UK brands adapt to this new advertising avenue and whether it will impact their overall marketing strategies.
Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
Wednesday, July 10th, 2024
Internal linking is one of the most under-utilized arrows in the quiver of a site owner.
Although inbound link building gets all the press, it’s the correct use of internal linking that can really move a site algorithmically when done strategically.
Google has been vocal about the importance of Internal linking for years.
Google’s John Mueller touched on this specifically in this Office Hours Hangout from 2022, calling internal linking “super critical for SEO success.”
As a site auditor who routinely touches multiple sites daily and hundreds of sites annually, I know first-hand how important internal linking is for site recovery and improvement.
In my experience, fixing these specific internal linking mistakes results in stronger sites, easier indexing by Google and higher rankings.
How many of these mistakes are you making?
Mistake 1: Non-descriptive anchor texts
One of the simplest things to understand about internal linking is the following: we link by what we want to rank for.
Do you want to rank for “banana cream pie” and then use that anchor text or these close variations:
- “banana cream pie recipe”
- “easy banana cream pie”
- “banana cream pie with instant pudding”
- “old fashioned banana cream pie”
- “no bake banana cream pie”
- “how to make a banana cream pie”
And yet, routinely, a link scan of a client site may result in large numbers of non-descriptive anchor texts like the following:
- “Click Here”
- “See this”
- “Here”
- “Get this Recipe”
- “My pie recipe”
- “This link”
When possible, be descriptive with internal linking. Use anchor texts that accurately describe to the user and Google what exactly you’re trying to index and rank.
Not only is this good SEO, but it’s also a sound accessibility practice.
Nothing annoys someone using a screen reader more than hitting non-descriptive anchor texts that fail to communicate where the user is being sent via a click-through.
Mistake 2: Anchor text cannibalization
We know that having clear, descriptive anchor texts is important to users and Google. But what happens when you use identical anchor texts on multiple posts or pages?
Let’s say you have four different chocolate chip cookie recipes and used the anchor text “chocolate chip cookies” on all of them.
Congratulations! You have basically guaranteed none of them will rank as competitively as possible for “chocolate chip cookies” and, most probably, won’t rank at all.
This is where the concept of internal linking cannibalization comes into play.
Google routinely limits which results from a site rank for specific queries. This search diversity limit prevents any site from dominating the SERPs for the same target queries.
Fixing this, though, is not difficult.
Sticking with the “chocolate chip cookies” example, focus on differentiating the internal links by varying the anchor texts.
Maybe one of the recipes is an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe, the other is a double chocolate chip cookie recipe, and still another is a chocolate chip cookie with brown sugar recipe.
By working methodically to map and differentiate internal links and corresponding anchor texts to prevent shared anchor text cannibalization, all these recipes can rank and rank competitively.
Mistake 3: Footer link spamming
It’s a known fact in SEO that all links are not created equal.
In-content links, sidebar links, footer links, etc., all count as links, but some are more important than others.
A good rule of thumb is this: a link that is clicked is always more powerful than a link that is not.
In the vast majority of cases, footer links are seldom clicked and don’t send much traffic.
Footer links are best used to publicize About and Contact pages, links to main category pages, links to copyright and accessibility policies and links to social media and location-specific information.
Unfortunately, spamming footers is a recent trend that has gained steam by publishers using blog support companies who are struggling to recover their sites from recent HCU, Core and Spam Update hits.
If you encounter a footer stuffed with anchor text-rich links to posts and pages, it’s probably because the publisher was incorrectly advised that footer links are a great way to increase authority sitewide.
The truth about footer links, though, is clear: they look spammy and do not remotely send a positive signal to Google.
Bottom line: Only place links in the footer that users will expect to see. That seldom will be anchor text rich text in multiple columns.
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Mistake 4: Linking to noindexed content
In the early Wild Wild West days of digital marketing, we had a concept called PageRank sculpting.
The concept involved controlling the amount of link equity passed through pages on a site by selectively nofollowing links on those pages.
That practice, however, has not worked in over a decade. Instead, when Google crawls a page and notices that a link on a page is nofollow, those links are ignored for algorithmic purposes.
Think of those nofollow links as a black hole on the page that just sucks up the link equity and PageRank to nothingness. You can’t get it back.
As such, it’s important for internal link building and topical discoverability that we try not to link to noindexed content on a site.
Otherwise, we are wasting that internal link authority.
Mistake 5: Not fixing 404s and 503s
Nothing is more annoying to a user than visiting a page and hitting a 404 or 503.
If a user navigates through your site and repeatedly hits a 404, one thing is guaranteed: that user will not come back.
Although Google has said for years that 404s are not a sign of low quality, if the issue is widespread and systemic, 404s can absolutely hinder the flow of PageRank and link equity through your site content.
Fixing 404s and 503s is not difficult. Your SEO guide to finding and fixing broken internal links covers the issue in detail.
If you are a blogger, I recommend using the Broken Link Checker plugin or use tools like Semrush, Moz, Ahrefs, Clarity or dozens of other options to crawl your site internally and fix these issues when they arise.
Mistake 6: Automating internal linking
The use of automation in SEO is all the rage these days.
You can’t throw a rock and not hit an article that covers how just installing the correct plugin or using one specific AI tool is all you need to take your SEO to stunning new heights.
For example, if you are a WordPress blogger, the plugin Link Whisper is a very popular internal linking option. However, you cannot use it to automate your link building, or you will spam your own blog.
The paid version can be horrible in both the sheer volume of its suggested link targets and the less-than-descriptive ways it warns you to link within those targets.
In general, I’m against all automated internal linking for the following reasons:
- You end up spamming your anchor texts. A tool that allows you to link every instance of chocolate chip cookies in a post does more harm than good. I see it daily.
- The tools ignore users. Understanding UX is very important with internal linking. We link when it makes sense to users on a page. Tools seldom understand that.
- The linking may not be strategic. You know your content best. Which posts you should send users, over a tool, is always of paramount importance.
Again, I’m all for working smarter, not harder. However, when it comes to internal linking, a slow and steady approach is always better than automation. I guarantee it.
Mistake 7: Internal permalink redirects
It’s not uncommon for sites that have existed for years to change their URLs at some point.
Sometimes, those changes are simple, like slightly changing one URL to add or remove keywords. Other times, they’re more detailed, like removing dates from your URLs and changing your entire sitewide permalink structure.
Google has been clear for years that changing URLs should be avoided, especially if all you are doing is adding or removing keywords.
But one of the biggest reasons to avoid changing URLS is that this creates internal permalink redirects. These extra server hops can reduce the flow of PageRank through the site and even impact page speed at scale.
For example, links to https://example.com/2022/02/sample-url.htm can be redirected to https://example.com/sample-url/ and links from https://example.com/sample-url can be redirected to https://example.com/sample-url/.
The problem with the above is that most site owners fail to do a “find and replace” and remove all the old internal links (with the previous URL permutation) to the new URL internal links (without the previous URL permutation).
This can result in dozens, if not hundreds, of internal redirects, which can greatly reduce a site’s bottom-line quality.
To fix this, contact your host and have it scan your site to fix it at scale. You can also install a plugin like Search and Replace and do this yourself.
Mistake 8: Overlooking link placement
Not every link is equal.
It’s generally understood that an in-content link, higher on the page, is the most powerful form of link for SEO purposes.
Sure, you can have links on the sidebar, footer, in a links list, a breadcrumb, or as an image; all of those links have value. But the in-content link, placed higher on the page, is usually the winner.
Why is this the case?
Google crawls a page from the top to the bottom: first, the header, then the body, and everything else after that.
Google then renders the page and runs any JavaScript it finds at this time. This is also why it’s important not to have a ton of JavaScript on the page to slow things down, especially pushed-out client-side.
Further, as far back as 2016, Google has said that in-content links within the primary area of a page are always treated as more relevant than those in the header, menu, footer and sidebar.
For internal linking purposes, it’s always a good idea to link naturally from the top of the page to the bottom. But placement absolutely matters.
Mistake 9: Orphaned content pages
An orphaned content page is an internal page that has no incoming internal links.
Fixing orphaned content pages is the epitome of low-hanging fruit for any site owner looking to improve their topical discoverability with Google and their bottom-line SEO.
As a general rule, I recommend pages have a minimum of 3-5 unique incoming links from related content and in many cases, much more.
Finding and fixing orphaned content is not difficult. Orphaned content linking reports are built-in to most site auditing suites, including Semrush, Ahrefs, Sitebulb, Moz and more.
You can also use the Link Whisper plugin mentioned previously in this article. It has a simple ability to scan the entire site and then sort all your content by the number of incoming links.
Finally, you can use the Yoast plugin (premium required), the All-In-One SEO plugin or even RankMath (premium required), all of which have built-in tools to scan and surface orphaned content pages and posts.
High-quality internal linking is a confidence vote for you
My late good friend Bill Slawski used to talk a lot about link confidence.
He was a big believer that internal linking done correctly was imperative for search engines to understand the relationship between links, entities and user satisfaction.
This link confidence was necessary to rank your site and content competitively.
In the wake of relentless core, spam and HCU updates, along with the rise of AI Overviews, ranking a site effectively has never been more competitive than right now.
If you struggle to focus on where to put your SEO efforts in 2024, internal linking should be top-of-mind. Doing so helps you communicate your site more effectively to Google.
Courtesy of Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing
