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How Ensure Online Plagiarism Doesn’t Harm Your SEO

August 22, 2019 • Content Marketing • 75
It’s a commonly believed myth that anything posted on the Internet is in the public domain. This is not the case. All creators hold the copyright to their published works in digital form, and unless stated, others do not have the right to use it without permission.

Although it is not mandatory to protect your public works, there are small steps you can take to reduce the chance of suffering from plagiarism and mitigate any damage to your Internet marketing efforts.

Follow this Anti-Plagiarism Checklist

You can never fully prevent people from copying your words and images; however, you can certainly deter them. Always follow this checklist from law firm Plattner Verderame, P.C., when creating new content.
1. Outline clear guidelines for writers and editors.
2. Fact check and verify all of your sources.
3. Ensure your writing is unique and offers something brand new for the reader.
4. Don’t hire cheap content creators without a proven track record.
Understand Copyright Laws

If you are based in the United States, you and the infringing party will be subject to US law. Outside of the US your content could be protected by the Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Work. That means, in the event of copyright violation, you can prosecute.

That said, it’s always worth checking up on your local copyright laws before you engage in legal proceedings. According to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998, you should always start by sending a letter to the relevant party. If their physical address isn’t available, an email will suffice.

If you don’t get a response, you can send a takedown notice to their website hosting service or Internet Service Provider (ISP) requesting that the content is removed. However, in such circumstances the burden of proof lies with you, meaning you will have to provide evidence that you created the works in question.

Dealing with Duplicate Content

A lot of Internet marketers fear duplicate content; however, it’s not as disastrous as it’s generally made out to be. Google will not penalize all websites that contain duplicate content. Instead, they’re more likely to penalize the website that offers the least amount of value overall. While this doesn’t mitigate the damage of content theft, it will hopefully provide a little consolation if you have been a victim to plagiarism in the past.

Using Copyscape

Copyscape is still the go-to website for detecting whether your content has been stolen. While it would be tedious to go through each page of your website on a regular basis, it’s often worth checking your pillar content every quarter.

Sometimes it’s simply better and more cost efficient to cut your losses and accept that your content can never be fully protected. However, in the event of a large-scale plagiarism issue, it’s definitely worth seeking legal advice and taking steps to regain control of your work.

Note: this blog post should not be taken as legal advice for SEO violations and issues of copyright. While the advice above is a good starting point to mitigate the damage caused by plagiarism, it’s important that you read up on the relevant law and address issues accordingly.
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What Search Engine Marketers Mean When They Discuss Quality

August 14, 2019 • SEO for Your Agency • 109
The SEO landscape is in constant flux. Without constantly keeping tabs on the industry it can be difficult to know for certain what the search engines are looking for. Regardless of your skillset or level of understanding with regards to Google’s algorithm, one thing’s for certain: quality matters.

Quality matters in every sense of the word. Be it the links you acquire or the words you write. Without a strict emphasis on quality and an SEO plan that focuses on value, your rankings will suffer.

This article, developed alongside Charlotte SEO, will help you understand what defines quality in the Internet marketing industry.

What are quality inbound links?

Inbound links (backlinks) are links that direct to your website. The power of inbound links relies on various factors. And the more powerful they are, the more “authority” Google will give your website. While domain authority and page authority used to be metrics that carried weight, nowadays they have little relevance.

An even greater factor that determines the quality of an inbound link is its relevancy. A link from a website with a low DA and PA means very little if the on-site content isn’t related to your niche. That’s why, when you’re conducting outreach, it’s better to focus your efforts on attaining links from websites that would actually benefit your own.

What is quality content?

Make no mistake. Content doesn’t just mean blog posts and articles. Content is essentially everything that is hosted on your website. Good writing alone isn’t enough. In order to truly reap the benefits of quality content you must ensure your images, videos, and games all offer something of value.

The best way to assess the quality of your own content is to ask yourself the following questions:
1. Am I presenting new information?
2. If this information relevant to my website?
3. Can people access this information somewhere else?
If you answer “no” to any of the above questions, then it’s likely that your content isn’t “special” enough. Quality isn’t about how well you write, it’s about how well your information can be absorbed and shared.

What are quality keywords?

Not all keywords and phrases are equal. If you’re in the business of ecommerce, you should focus on keywords that will lead to sales, rather than keywords that are broad and unfocused. It’s important to target visitors from various stages of the sales funnel to ensure you’re casting a wide net, but still driving visitors towards that final goal of spending.

Never try and cheat the system by excluding prepositions. Google’s algorithm is highly advanced and writing grammatically incorrect sentences for the sake of boosting rankings for certain search terms will not help. In fact, all this will do is harm readability and make you look unprofessional.

What is quality on-page SEO?

Search marketers will often underestimate the power of on-page SEO, considering it to be dated and irrelevant. This isn’t the case. While it might not hold as much weight as it used to with regards to meta data, keyword densities and on-page linking, these elements are still important to consider.

Ensure your meta data is up-to-date and readable. More often than not, this is the first thing people will see when they find your website on Google. Ensure you are targeting highly relevant keywords within your content, and use hyperlinks to link to other pages to help visitors navigate your website quickly and efficiently.

Quality is broad and subjective. People generally don’t know what they want until they’ve found it. Contrary to the above, you can’t always manufacture quality; however, you can always give it your best. While these steps are a great starting point and minimum standard to aim for, you should always try to go the extra mile and explore new and unconventional ways to develop your online brand.

If you’re based in Charlotte, NC and are looking for SEO advice from a leading Internet marketing company, visit Charlotte SEO: Directions to Charlotte SEO.
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Dated SEO Techniques That Have No Place in 2019

August 14, 2019 • Digital Marketing • 99

The SEO industry is confusing. One minute you’re using techniques that are guaranteed to skyrocket your website, the next you’re on damage control, trying to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it.

If you’ve been around long enough, you’ll remember the legendary Penguin, Panda and Hummingbird updates. The rules changed overnight and many search marketers had to re-strategize and start afresh. Contrary to popular opinion, this is good news for you. As an ethical Internet marketer all these updates do is trim the fat and leave you better equipped to take on the competition.

Having said that, it’s important that you’re on the right side of the fence when the wind comes blowing. Following this article, co-written with San Diego SEO, will make sure you are!

Stop Using Link Directories

Avoid link directories, article directories and other low quality content sites, with the exception of high-quality, niche-specific directories. When acquiring links, always ask yourself “would I trust/use this site myself?” If the answer is no, steer clear.

Forget About Exact Match Domain Names

Back in the day, exact match domain names provided an easy way to rank quickly and highly. Now, they are at a risk of being flagged as spam. This not only causes problems with SEO, but also trustability, as other website owners tend to be cautious about linking to keyword/phrase brand names.

Never Use Reciprocal Linking

Each time another website links to your website, it’s like they’re vouching for you. When you reciprocal link to each other, it’s essentially like saying “you vote for me and I’ll vote for you” and they both cancel each other out. In short, reciprocal linking is just a waste of time.

Do Not Use Keyword Stuffing

This is perhaps the worst technique of all. Keyword stuffing is a method that involves increasing the keyword density of your content to make it seem more relevant than it is. This hasn’t worked for roughly a decade, and it will almost certainly never work again in the future.

Don’t Worry About Exact Match Keywords

Search engines are smart. They have a pretty large vocabulary and know every synonym of every word in the English dictionary. Stuffing variations of the same word or phrase will just make your content unreadable and is a surefire way of alerting Google’s spam detector.

Ignore Word Counts

Content should be as long as it needs to be. When you try to break down the craft of writing in a methodological, mathematical manner, it will lose all character. Stop focusing on hitting certain parameters and start focusing on writing high quality, shareable content that people – not bots – actually want to read.

Don’t Use Variants of the Link Wheel Technique

When SEO was still in its infancy, link wheels were a common method of achieving top rankings. You could create a number of individual websites, load them with keyword heavy content, and essentially link them to each other to get some juice. While this technique can be done properly if the websites are of a certain quality and highly relevant to each other, it’s best avoided.

Unfortunately, whenever an SEO technique earns the blackhat label, there will still be plenty of search marketers reverting back to them, be it out of laziness or lack of better judgement. While some of the above techniques can still generate short-term results, the negatives far outweigh the gains.

Fundamentally, if you follow the rules and do what feels legitimate, you’re likely on the right track. If you’re using techniques that seem too good to be true, then they probably are!

If you’re based in San Diego, CA and are looking for SEO advice from a leading Internet marketing company, visit San Diego SEO: Directions to San Diego SEO.
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Article Writing Tips for Internet Marketers

August 12, 2019 • Content Marketing • 107
Article writing is probably the most important step of the on-page SEO process. Without quality content the search engines will never take your website seriously and you’ll struggle to find visitors.

The following tips – compiled with the help of Forge Web Design – will set you off on the right track if you need help developing content that shines.

Learn from the Masters

Writing is a trainable profession. While you’re unlikely to reach the creative heights of Hemmingway, reading will make you better. When you read you will instinctively pick up on what works and what doesn’t. Set aside a little time each day to read blogs by your favorite influencers, being mindful of their style and language.

Pay particular attention to how they are structuring their posts: the length of their paragraphs, how they incorporate other media, and how they begin and conclude their articles. Compare your own work to theirs and try to find ways to improve. Incorporate your findings into previously published content on your own website. This will provide the perfect testing ground to see if making amendments leads to greater engagement.

Use Relevant Words and Phrases

Google has one purpose: to rank the most relevant and beneficial content for the searcher. Make sure your content is actually about the keywords you’re targeting. This may seem self-explanatory, but SEO consultants all-to-often try to cram in multiple keywords and phrases that are disconnected from the topic in question.

That’s not to say that you should spam the content. Moderation is always key. Google’s algorithm is advanced enough to determine which search terms to rank your content for, regardless of whether or not they’re an exact match.

Forget About Word Counts

Search engines used to have a very strict criteria. If articles weren’t at least 500 words, with a keyword density of 3-5 percent, exposure was often limited. Many people in the SEO business still recommend taking this approach; however, Google’s algorithm can recognize these trends, and foul play will often have adverse effects.

Forget about word counts and keyword density altogether. If the information can be conveyed with 100 words, that’s absolutely fine. Providing it’s valuable and relevant, your rankings will not be affected.

Write for People, Not for Search Engines

This is the most important tip of all. Quality SEO isn’t about pleasing Google’s algorithm; it’s about pleasing people. Take the time to write to the best of your abilities. Keep your writing clear, concise and focused. Efficiency is key. The quicker and easier readers can digest your content, the better.

You should always strive to do the following:
1. Write short sentences and paragraphs.
2. Avoid flowery language – ensure your writing is understandable.
3. Use a variety of content – text, images, and videos.
4. Thoroughly edit and proofread your work.
5. Use bullet points and headers.
Forget About These Rules…

Follow your instincts and intuition – these rules are merely guidelines. Writing should not be methodological or mathematical. Have fun with it and think about what you like to read yourself. If your content doesn’t engage you, then it’s unlikely to engage others.

It’s always worth refreshing your article writing strategies and discarding old techniques that are no longer viable. Not only does this save time and energy, it ensures your content will withstand the test of time and generate results in the years to come.

If you’re based in Greenville, South Carolina and are looking for SEO advice from a leading Internet marketing and website design company, visit Forge Web Design: Directions to Forge Web Design.
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Getting Started With Affiliate Marketing in 2019

July 12, 2019 • Digital Marketing • 188

During the last decade the affiliate marketing industry has been constantly in flux. If you want to ensure you’re using your time and money wisely, it’s imperative that you stay well-ahead of the curve and predict industry changes in advance.

Fortunately, affiliate marketing is bigger than ever and there’s plenty of space to get involved if you want to establish a new online business. These tips will help you get started.

Find the Right Marketplace

There are literally thousands of affiliate programs out there in almost every niche imaginable. Finding a program that pays a high commission is just one step in the process. You’ll also need to find a product or niche that will hold your interest for the long haul. Affiliate marketing takes time, and it could be months until you start seeing viable results. If the topic you’re developing content for doesn’t engage you, then you’re only limiting your chance of success.

An affiliate marketing agency is always a good starting point as they can assist you finding a product and industry that’s right for you. In addition, an agency can help you devise a marketing strategy that will work best for your niche.

Select a Viable Commission Format

There are various types of commission, each with their own positives and negatives. Rather than going for a niche or product that has the highest commission, it’s always worth researching the other formats to ensure you’re choosing one that will provide the greatest long-term profit.

One Tier – Gain commission when a sale is generated from your affiliate link. This is the most common form of affiliate marketing and, generally, offers a larger commission than multi-tier systems.

Two Tier – Gain commission from other affiliates you have referred when they generate sales. With this approach you don’t have to make the sales yourself, but you will have to find others willing to market the product that you’re endorsing. Some affiliate programs have more than two tiers, allowing you to also generate commission from third, fourth or even fifth tier affiliates.

It’s far better to retain existing clients than to generate new ones. Therefore, recurring commissions provide the most viable way of creating a long-term, sustainable business model. If you find an affiliate program that offers recurring commissions within your niche, it’s definitely worth checking out.

Keep a Diverse Affiliate Profile

Keeping a diverse affiliate profile is more important than ever. Relying on a single product or website is a huge risk. You can never predict if a vendor will change the terms of their agreements and reduce commissions, or even halt their affiliate program altogether. If this happens and you don’t have a diverse affiliate profile, your business could seize to exist overnight.

If you are currently only focusing on one particular product or niche, start exploring new opportunities as soon as possible. Even if you’re conducting business ethically and taking all the correct steps to ensure longevity, there’s only so much within your control.

Create Valuable Content

There’s a common misconception that Google’s algorithm is erratic. Bloggers, particularly those in the affiliate marketing world, often report substantial drops in traffic after major Google updates. While algorithm changes can result in seemingly unjust rankings, it’s important to remember what Google’s primary goal actually is: to prioritize the best and most valuable content on the web.

Just because you’re engaging in affiliate marketing, it doesn’t mean your website can’t be valuable. In fact, the most successful affiliate marketers focus 90% of their efforts on developing valuable, engaging content. Fundamentally, if you follow the rules and don’t try to hack the system, you’ll be fine.

Due to algorithm changes, affiliate marketers have been hit hard on multiple occasions throughout the last decade. However, if you take the time to learn both what to do right, and what not to do, there’s no reason why you won’t develop a profitable and sustainable business.
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