2013 was a confusing year. It was the year that content marketing became the new SEO. Wait, but it was the year that social media became the new SEO. No, it was the year that SEO died. See what we’re saying? Regardless of the noise, as always, we continue to reiterate that for online success, you are going to have to employ a strategy that effectively uses all three of these elements. SEO, social media, and content marketing should be the breakfast, lunch, and dinner of your 2014. In that spirit, we gathered some of the best articles from December to get you on your way moving into the New Year. Enjoy, and if you’re looking for the same great content the rest of the month, don’t forget to check in with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.
SEO
SEO Changed Forever In 2013. How To Adjust And Thrive In 2014
If there’s ever been any question that SEO marketers need to put user needs first, 2013 was the year the search engines made it clear. Nearly every innovation in search — algorithm updates like Google Hummingbird, SERP enhancements, social integrations — was aimed at creating a better experience for the searcher.
What Caused Your Site Traffic to Drop? An SEO Forensics Manual
One of the most challenging parts of managing a website is identifying the root cause of massive site traffic changes from a particular source. To detect the cause, you’ll need to use a scientific, forensic approach.
SEO Really is Dead, Long Live…Uh…What Should We Call This?
Buying banner ads on search? Measuring keyword success in SEO via a ranking report? Google looking more like a portal (a la Lycos back in the day)? No, it isn’t the year 2000 all over again. This is today’s search environment.
Want Better SEO: Optimize the Images on Your WordPress Site
Including images in your website and blog content not only helps your content be more visually appealing and illustrate the points you’re making, images are also important for search engine optimization.
7 eCommerce Brands that Get SEO Right
There are some ecommerce sites we users and the digital world look up to. Amazon, Etsy, Macy’s, Overstock are not only go-to places to look for specific products directly. They also dominate Google search for money keywords. So how do they achieve this? What exactly do they do right in terms of SEO?
7 Common (and Dangerous) Misconceptions About SEO
With regular algorithm updates and new factors influencing search all the time, search engine optimization is a bit of a moving target these days. Add in the level of nuance that tends to surround search rank and you’ve created a perfect storm for misunderstanding and misattribution.
Wikipedia and SEO: What Every Digital Marketer Needs to Know
Wikipedia has been one of the success stories of the internet, growing rapidly to become the de facto reference site for many people. There are more than 4.4m pages in the English language edition alone, and it is still growing at the rate of 771 new pages every day.
SEO Roadmap for 2014
Not even the best can master every niche. Jay-Z is a business titan. He developed a blueprint so he could achieve the holy grail and ended up building the most expansive business empires I’ve seen in my lifetime. He has ventured into everything, from clothing to video games to sports management.
When 2 Become 1: How Merging Two Domains Made Us an SEO Killing
This is a story of recovery, despondency, occasional despair, and a pretty big gamble that paid off. It’s the why, the how, and the what of the things you might be able to gain from merging two significant domains into one unified site.
Content Marketing
5 Reasons Self-Hosting is Important for Video Marketing Success
Video content offers significant SEO and engagement benefits, but brands often make the mistake of hosting through networks like YouTube. There are many reasons why self-hosting is so important for results. Here are five that top my list.
Which Content is Most Relevant to Your Buyers?
Providing enough relevant content to buyers is one of the biggest concerns of marketers today, according to a recent study of CMI. But how do you know which content is relevant to your buyers?
The 6 Most Effective Content Marketing Methods
Content is king. It’s long been the mantra of successful internet marketing professionals, and it’s only becoming more important. As Google’s past Penguin and Panda updates and its recent Hummingbird algorithm reboot suggest, the key to boosting your search rank is to provide engaging, informative, and relevant content
Eight Best Practices for Writing Content
Although it has always really been the case, the last couple of years has seen the relationship between content and SEO become ever more important. Today, brands and site owners cannot afford to do anything other than to produce informative and engaging content that people actually want to read and share.
Content Marketing Minds: Empowering the Ultimate Content Creation Team
Fellow content creators, let’s swallow a big honking reality pill together. The things customers say about our brand runs circles around the prose we produce. According to Nielson research, 77% of consumers are more likely to buy a product when they hear about it from friends and family.
Social Media
Why Google Plus is a Great Traffic Generation Source
Evolve Your Social Media Business Strategy in 2014
As 2014 comes into view, social media is no longer an option for businesses. In 2014, the importance of social media for marketing will be fully recognized and businesses not optimizing social media platforms will be left behind.
Why Instagram Will Be The King Of Social Media In 2014
Instagram has gone from a selfie platform to a storytelling platform overnight. It’s quickly challenging the social media trifecta of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn through photo sharing in a mobile world. Instagram gives brands an opportunity to tell their story through visuals.
10 Twitter Tips From @FT as it Reaches 1m Followers
Last week, @FT reached 1 million followers, so we spoke to the Financial Times communities editor, Sarah Laitner, to get some advice on providing the best experience for readers and the organization.
Getting An Organization To Dip Its Toes Into Social (& Eventually To Dive In)
When Robert Harles started his job at Bloomberg LP as Global Head of Social Media, one of his first hurdles was that there was an explicit policy: no social media. Fortunately, the organization’s executives understood the value of social — they just didn’t know how to go about letting it happen in a highly regulated industry.
We’ll finish up this month’s roundup with some SEO Christmas fun from the guys at OnlinePartners.