5 Strategies on Improve Backlinks to Your Website

Most people blame the failure of their SEO campaigns for the use of the wrong keywords. But content is but a fraction of the total digital marketing journey.

On the technical side, you need to make sure that your website speed is up to the standard, optimized for mobile, new strategies, and keep up with the Google algorithm update.
But there’s another method that is often overlooked: link building.

In ranking your site, Google will not only look at the content but also the quality of your links.
Although there are more than 200 signals that Google factors into when ranking websites, it is a safe bet that links and web content are the two most important factors.

Why Google?

Nothing speaks about market dominance more when your name becomes synonymous with search. For instance, when people want to look for something or fact-check a piece of information, they are always told to “Google it!”

According to statistics, more than 9 in 10 people use Google as their default search platform. Meanwhile, Bing, Yahoo, Baidu, and Yandex RU are fighting over scraps.

On average, Google gets more than 40,000 searches per second or about 3.5 billion unique queries every day.

Source:http://info.chitika.com/uploads/4/9/2/1/49215843/chitikainsights-valueofgoogleresultspositioning.pdf

The objective of SEO is to get your website to the top of the rankings in the search engine results page.

As you can see from the graph above, the top five websites are getting more than 75% of the total traffic for the specific keyword search. You cannot achieve that through content or website design alone.

This is where link building comes in.

What is Link Building 

Building links is a strategy that will help establish your credibility and build your brand.
Google’s algorithm works to provide the most relevant and accurate results to the searcher. To do that, it needs to trace who is linking to your content and how authoritative those websites are.
For instance, if people are looking for a good burger, and four food websites--with no connection to each other--are all recommending your joint, Google will sit up and take notice.

Link building has two approaches:

1. External -- It is when your website is linked to another credible site and vice versa.
2. Internal -- It happens when you link to a particular page within your website. When this occurs, Google will take that as a signal that the content has a particular value.

The more credible the websites link back to you, the better your traffic is going to be.

How to Get Backlinks to Your Website

For years, digital marketers got away with automating links to generate hundreds of pings each day.
But Google’s algorithm update nipped that practice in the bud.

Now, you have to do the grind. While buying backlinks may work for a while, it is not a practice that would sustain your digital marketing journey for a long time.

Here are a few strategies on how to get quality links to your website:

1.      Establish your expertise -- People are always claiming that they are the best at what they do. But nobody is willing to back it up. But how do you build your credibility and reputation? You can guest-post on credible websites. Make sure to target sites with a Domain Authority larger than your own. Do not focus on websites within your industry niche.

2.      Nurture a relationship -- If your objective is link building, you can be sure that you share the same goal with the website you are guest-writing for. That is the reason why you do not spread yourself thin by writing for every website that will have you. Make the time to write again and again on the same site, so that you would be able to build a relationship with them. Nobody wants to be used, and if websites realize what you are doing, they would either delete your posts or blacklist you.

3.      HARO -- Haro stands for Help a Reporter Out, and it is one of the quickest ways to establish your credibility. The website is a repository of information and first-hand resource that is used by journalists for their reports. Imagine if you are quoted in a prestigious news site like CNN or The Washington Post and readers will realize, “This guy knows what he’s talking about?” What do you think that will do to your reputation?

4.      Invest in infographics -- People love infographics because they can glean the crucial info and stats at a glance. The topic is cut into digestible pieces, wrapped in a great package. You can back or refute an assertion with the visual representation of data. You can make an infographic out of a popular or trending topic. But make sure that your stats are factual because it could backfire, especially if you have no idea what you are talking about.

5.      Scour for broken links -- Google will penalize your website for broken links. And nobody wants that. So, what you do is look for websites that changed their URL, changed names, or have shut down. Again, focus only on sites that are considered an authority in their field. Next is to find the websites that are still linking to the outdated resource. To do this, you can download Check My Links, which is a Google plugin. After that, you need to contact those websites and inform them about the broken link. You can then suggest a similar topic, which links to your website. Although you cannot get 100% of them to link back, there is a high likelihood that they will click on your link to check out your content. If they see anything of value, they will gladly exchange links.

You might ask yourself, “How to find websites that accept guest posts?”

There are two ways to do this. First is you monitor what your competitors are doing (make sure to choose only those that rank higher than you). With a backlink tool, you can see which websites they are listed as a contributor and go from there. Another way is to use Google and write your keywords on the search box + a variation of the following phrases: “write for us,” “guest post,” “submit an article,” and the like. It should give you quite a few options.

Those are some of the strategies on how to build links to your website. Again, nobody said that it is easy. But if you follow the correct path, you would be able to E-A-T, which stands for expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. E-A-T is Google’s distinct formula to rate websites.

Content is originally posted at https://www.pxmediainc.com/5-strategies-on-improve-backlinks-to-your-website/

A Step-by-Step Guide to Rank for Google's Featured Snippets

In the year and in the months where voice search is all set to take the world by storm, acquiring the top spot on Google's organic search results is an uphill battle. Not to mention, Featured Snippets are the most coveted spot for any business looking to increase their reach and ramp up their brand awareness.

But just because it's difficult, doesn't mean you don't have a chance of winning.

Featured snippets are your ticket to success if you can't climb to the top spot. It's named Position Zero, for a reason, after all.

That’s why today, we’re going to briefly talk about what featured snippets are, and how you can optimize your content to reach that coveted position on the SERPs.

All About Featured Snippets

We can describe featured snippets with a couple of examples.

So let's say we do a Google search on "how to take care of wall art".

Most of the time, Google includes images with a featured snippet, depending on the query. Just by looking at how featured snippets are present, it's easy to see that it's geared towards making online search easier.

With just a glance, you immediately see the answer you're looking for. Programmatically, Google chooses the best answer from a third-party website and features that in a snippet. Moreover, you can find these above the first organic search results. That's why it's also called "Position Zero," as we mentioned.

Generally speaking, featured snippets are classified into three:

●       Table: These types of snippets appear for posts or articles that include comparison charts. This is because Google places value on content that's well structured. So prices, rates, years, and other abundant numerical data grouped and organized by tables will certainly appear.

●       Paragraph: Paragraph-type answers appearing in snippets answer to questions like who, why, when, what, and how.

●       Lists: When questions are answered and presented through bulleted lists and numbered lists, they also have high chances of being presented in Google's featured snippets.

 How to Optimize Your Content for Featured Snippets

Featured snippets have been in Google since 2014. But it's only recently that marketers are looking to take advantage of the benefits one can reap from it. But the very fact that Google aims to provide an awesome experience by showing users relevant and the best search results is more than enough reason to rank for Position Zero.

Step #1: Keyword research aimed for question-type search queries

Keyword research has always been a constant and indispensable tool for successful pieces of content, especially for content that ranks on featured snippets. The main trick to landing a spot on Position Zero is to answer the questions that your target audiences are asking.

You've probably heard of many keyword research tools that have free trials but mostly paid services, like Ahrefs or SEMrush. And while tools like those are indeed advantageous at full capacity, you still don't have a shortage of free tools to use.

Free online tools like: KWFinder, Ubersuggest, Answer the Public, etc. are at your full disposal. They range from offering services that let you see keyword relevance, value, and volume to typing in keywords and seeing what types of questions people query on search engines.

With that in mind, don't disregard the importance of Google itself as a search engine for keyword references and featured-snippets-friendly content.

As you research keywords and check out suggested terms, don't forget to check the section on SERPs that say, "People also ask." They're mostly found underneath "Featured Snippets."

If you have a list of terms or long-tail keywords up for writing content around, you can consider this a goldmine that offers more opportunities to expand a given topic. Maybe even answer multiple questions in one article.

Step #2: Improve on-page SEO to rank on the first page

Being on the first page of SERPs increases the chances of being in a featured snippet. This is mostly because nearly all featured snippets are located on the first page. That means organic rankings are still an important factor, and will remain so for an indefinite amount of time. It's a solid practice that you shouldn't disregard either.

Revisit and realign strategies on how to make your on-page SEO better while providing top-notch user experience.

●       Build a solid link structure.

●       Earn backlinks from relevant and trusted sources.

●       Consider searcher intent closely.

●       Update content so it stays evergreen and relevant.

●       Diagnose SEO problems and search for penalties. Fix them if there are any.

●       Keep track of game-changing algorithm updates.

Step #3: Use the inverted pyramid structure for writing content

Write your blog posts and those many how-to articles like you would a news story. The inverted pyramid is a journalism concept that prioritizes the most important information first. The vital details follow, and the background information and supporting ideas come least.

Image Credit: Easy Media

How would you apply that to writing blog posts?

If you've done keyword research and have a question to focus on, you would want to answer that question directly before diving into the details.

Let's say you're writing an article that is all about, '5 Steps to Tie Your Shoes'. What you can do is begin with a list of the steps. Have it act as a preview or as a 'table of contents'. Afterward, dive into each step and explain how to do things in better detail.

If you're writing, 'Should you optimize for Google or your users?' Give the straightforward answer on the first paragraph. And then dive deeper as the article progresses.

Step #4: Formatting and optimize word count

Earlier in this article, we pointed out the three classifications of how featured snippet results are presented. So as you write using the inverted pyramid model, keep in mind these classifications too. Whether you're aiming for a table, paragraph, or list, make sure your answers are immediately on the first part of the article.

There's also the matter of the optimal word count. The majority of featured snippets have lengths of 40-50 words. This analysis is thanks to SEMrush doing a study for over 10 million keywords and 1 million domains.

So aside from displaying the central information first, stay safe by keeping your answers brief and straightforward. No more than 58 words at most.

Step #5: Optimize your content structure

Content is king. Therefore, content must be properly structured.

That means no large walls of text. The most basic format for writing blog articles -- especially long-form ones include:

●       Using descriptive headers and header tags (h1, h2, h3, etc).

●       Provide direct answers with simple, short, yet punchy sentences.

●       Use bulleted or numbered lists.

●       Add visuals like tables, graphs, relevant images, or videos.

Structured content must be understandable, relevant, useful, and skimmable. Long-form content does well for the sheer amount of detail found within, but don't neglect the fact that you will have readers who will likely be on the hunt for quick answers.

The Takeaway

Ranking on Google’s Featured Snippets are an advantage you simply can’t miss out on. You can:

●       Loot traffic from the first result.

●       Optimize for voice-search at the same time.

●       Be seen as a trusted expert.

As the prime source of reliable information according to Google's own recommendation, you can easily become the go-to website as people in your niche look for advice.

Getting better traffic and improving your site's SEO means occupying the first position of Google search results. But it doesn't have to be your only go-to. Snagging a spot in Featured Snippets is your second chance. And it's the one you shouldn't take for granted.

Bio:

Al Gomez is a Digital Marketing Consultant at Dlinkers and Sagad. With more than twelve years of digital marketing experience in search engine optimization, paid search and email marketing, he has contributed to a variety of online publications including Moz, Semrush and Wordtracker.

Content is originally posted at https://www.pxmediainc.com/a-step-by-step-guide-to-rank-for-googles-featured-snippets/

PX Media LLC. Ranked as a Top Performing Agency in California by Clutch

At PX Media LLC., we have 3 core principles that guide our business and every decision we make. These principles are Exponential Value, Exponential Results, and Exponential Success. In every endeavor we take on, we strive to bring these 3 principles to life in the best way possible for our clients. We accomplish this by bringing together some of the best talent in our industry, and we have created a powerhouse of web designers, programmers, technical experts, graphic designers, and photographers. SEO is becoming increasingly important for businesses of all sizes in the tech-driven economy of today, and we understand the importance of our work for our deserving clients. Recently. Clutch has released rankings of the best Business-To-Business (B2B) in the 50 states. We are proud to announce that we are included in these rankings in the Advertising and Marketing category for the state of California, with Clutch ranking us as one of the top SEO services in California.

Clutch is a well-established B2B ratings and reviews firm headquartered in our nation’s capital, Washington D.C. Clutch connects businesses to the solution providers that they need when they face an issue and need outside help. In order to be recognized by Clutch, a company is based upon important credentials such as market presence, minimum project size, and client focus. Most importantly, however, is the client reviews Clutch preforms in order to create the most unbiased review possible. These in-depth interviews with clients concern the quality of their interaction with each Clutch-registered company, and are incredibly important to the entirety of the review and rating process. Currently, our profile has 5.0 stars out of a possible 5.0 stars, and 4 reviews in one of Clutch’s most competitive categories. We are incredibly proud of our profile and we would love to share some of our client’s thoughts below:

“PX Media took the time to customize the solution to our end users’ needs and experiences.” – Founder, Chooch Companies LLC.

“They have an excellent eye for design and a solid technical sense.” – Founder, eBiz Advisers.

We would like to take this time to discuss our recognition on Clutch’s sister sites, The Manifest and Visual Objects.

The Manifest is similar to Clutch, providing a company’s size, location, and services offered, but gives the client all of this information all at a glance. The Manifest lists companies in certain categories, and with just one click, The Manifest will show the main components of the company, allowing for easy comparison between companies. The site also offers a How-To Guide designed to aid clients who are looking to employ the services of a 3rd party business found on the site. We are proud to be ranked on The Manifest in the top 40 SEO Services on the entire site and we invite you to check us out!

Visual Objects is Clutch’s newest sister site, and showcases to clients a more visually focused view of creative design companies. The site accomplishes this task by creating a visual portfolio of a company’s past works and allows for clients to quickly decide on which company will best execute their vision by comparing the past works of the companies.

PX Media LLC. is honored and humbled to be rated so highly on Clutch. However, we understand that we would not be here without our clients, and we are incredibly grateful to serve such deserving customers. Their input into Clutch has further solidified our guiding principles of Exponential Value, Exponential Results, and Exponential Success, and has given us reassurance that these principles shall continue to guide our business. PX Media LLC. looks forward to working with Clutch in the near future to ensure our business can be the best it can be, and can’t wait to see more client reviews on our Clutch profile soon! In the meantime, feel free to drop us a line or talk to a member of our team today to get more information!

Content is originally posted at https://www.pxmediainc.com/px-media-llc-ranked-as-a-top-performing-agency-in-california-by-clutch/

PX Media: A Path to More

More results. More value. More success. With PX Media, our team has provided stand-out customer service and client satisfaction for nearly 20 years by means of our exceptional marketing and advertising expertise. We take great pride in the quality of solution that we share with our clients and their businesses, which is why we’re excited to announce that PX Media has recently earned recognition as one of the top graphic designers in Los Angeles!

This achievement results from analysis and evaluation of our market presence, operations, and portfolio experience in the industry. Clutch, the B2B research and reviews agency behind this ranking, scores a host of information to verify the performance of each company, so we really appreciate this solid, data-driven support of our hard work and success.

In one of several perfect reviews on our profile, a happy customer highlighted, “I appreciated their strong work ethic and sense of mutual respect. They listen to critical feedback without taking anything personally. If I’m not happy with something, they’ll go back to the drawing board to make sure everything is right. They’re hard workers, and I only trust them to handle my web development and SEO campaigns.”

“The team is very upfront with us,” shared a second client, raving about how “PX Media’s honesty and helpful support is a breath of fresh air. We greatly appreciate how well the president handles our business relationship. They efficiently manage and execute all the tasks we assign them.”

We’re ecstatic to receive such positive feedback from our clients, since we strongly value building mutually beneficial, long-term relationships at PX Media. Beyond the acclaim that Clutch afforded us, our team also earned kudos from The Manifest and Visual Objects, two sister companies of Clutch.

The Manifest, a business news and insight platform, touted our SEO services, while Visual Objects, a portfolio curation platform, now showcases our completed creative projects in support of our exceptional design, marketing, and development experience.

“PX Media is proud to be once again be recognized as a leader of Los Angeles. We continue to work hard for our awesome clients. Supporting our clients is the best way we can ease their workload. Thanks to Clutch for being the premier review platform,” – Doug Goddard. 

Marketing success is right around the corner with our team, and we invite you to talk to us here to find out more about the role that we can play as part of your company’s team, growth, and success. Let’s do more together!

Content is originally posted at https://www.pxmediainc.com/px-media-a-path-to-more/