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Cross Media Blogging and Why YOU Need it in 2024.

All, Blog Writing, Content Writing, cross media blog, Rank High on Google, Uncategorized

What is a Cross Media Blog?

This is one. We thought the best way to demonstrate Cross Media Blogs would be to produce one that shows you exactly what Cross Media Blogging can do for you. So, whether you are reading, listening, or watching this on video, do enjoy and feel free to contact me paul@yourcontentwrite.com if you have any questions.

What Can Cross Media Blogging Mean to You?

Imagine yours was the only business that provided your product or service, thereby eliminating all competition, solving your ideal clients’ burning issues and giving them exactly what they want and desire.

NOT ONLY THAT…

You rank number 1 on Google AND people connect with you and TRUST you to such an extent that they WANT to purchase YOUR product or service every time they need it.

NOT ONLY THAT…

They actively recommend your business to other potential customers too. And those customers do the same.

I’m not going to be twee and do the old ‘What would that do to your standard of living?’ But I think we can agree that the closer you can get to that scenario the better, right?

How close can we bring you to that dream?

At Your Content Write, Like the eager little marketing researchers we are, we’ve been chipping away for years to find the answer to that very question, and we’ve developed something very exciting:

Cross Media Blogging is the revolutionary new product from Your Content Write. It combines the power of the most effective marketing methods available today, with expertise from key professionals to generate (for you) unparalleled levels of user engagement, customer reach, accessibility, and lead generation.

How does it do that? To explain we need to break down the six elements that make up Cross Media Blogging and give you the juicy stats as to why they work and what they can do for you:

Commercially embrace the digital age we are living in.

How much of your current marketing efforts are online?

According to Web acquisition:

“Internet usage continues to grow rapidly, with over 5.18 billion (64.6 percent of the global population) users worldwide in 2023. This number is expected to reach 5.5-6 billion by 2024.”

You can, of course, continue to rely heavily on paper advertising, outdoor and billboards. They still have their place, but they are often not cost effective, and you are relying on your key demographic taking the time to look up from their phones and notice the right billboard at the right time for them to feel strongly enough about your company to make a purchase.

Put yourself in the mind of your customer.

As a consumer, you have no prior relationship with the company being advertised and therefore very little reason to do business with them. Traditional outdoor advertising works best for well-known brands, ones you probably already have done business with (ones you have probably regularly seen online). Then the billboard or bus advertisement merely acts as a reminder.

You could also advertise on the radio or the television. Having worked in both radio and television I can say that these are fantastic options if you have the money to get the job done properly and have your commercial aired at exactly the right times, then you will see results.

Since the invention of Netflix, Disney + and other streaming services however (as well as people’s preference for social media over television), these options tend to be regarded as overly expensive for reducing viewing figures.

According to Ofcom, the UK’s official communications regulators:

“Broadcast TV’s weekly reach fell from 83% in 2021 to 79% in 2022, the biggest-ever annual drop. The long-term decline in viewing of broadcast TV also continued – it fell by 12% year on year and was 16% lower than pre-pandemic levels.”

“For the first time, there is evidence of a significant decline in broadcast TV viewing among older audiences. Over-64s watched 8% less broadcast TV in 2022 than in 2021 and viewing was 6% lower than in 2019 (the last pre-pandemic year).”

“Older viewers are increasingly using streaming services, with take-up of Disney+ among online over-64s rising from 7% in 2022 to 12% in 2023.”

AND

“Among younger audiences, broadcast TV viewing continued to decline rapidly, falling by 21% year on year among those aged 4-34.”

HOWEVER IN THE ONLINE WORLD…

“YouTube and Facebook remain the largest social video platforms in the UK, each reaching 91% of UK internet users aged 15+ in Q1 2023.”

Okay, you’ve seen the stats. Can we agree your customers are online, and if you want to reach them then you need to be online too?

Excellent. So, the first essential ingredient to be placed into the ‘Cross Media Blogging’ mixing bowl is:

Your customers are online which means that’s exactly where you need to be.

Your customers are habitual creatures, so they need to digest your content in a way that:

a. They are used to

b. Will incite trust

c. Has been PROVEN to positively impact your brand personality, leading to sales

As the more astute among you may have surmised, Cross Media Blogging has at its core a well-written and engaging blog.

The simple blog, when optimised and used ‘properly’ can make a tremendous difference to your marketing efforts. According to OptInMonster:

“Every month approximately 409 million people view more than 20 billion blog pages, leading to 77 million new blog comments from interested readers every month.”

IN FACT…

“77% of ALL internet users read blogs.”

According to Hubspot:

“Businesses that blog get 55% more website visitors than businesses that don’t.”

AND

“Marketers who prioritized blogging received 13X more ROI than companies that did not.”

And for those of you who are currently spending more on advertising to get new customers than blogging, HubSpot also found that:

“70% of people prefer to learn about a company through articles rather than advertisements.”

Why Blogging is so effective?

It’s all about building the right relationship with your customers.

In essence, the blog speaks the language of your customers, it reaches them directly and gives them the information that they want in an engaging and informative way… WITHOUT the pressure sale.

I could write an entire volume into the psychology of blogging and just why it has the power to transform your marketing efforts, but for now let’s go with the common-sense approach:

YOU are approached by someone in the street that you have never met, and they try to sell you something. What is your response?

The majority of people would probably not respond favourably and would either ignore, politely decline, or rather more directly tell this presumptuous stranger where to go.

What this person is selling might be of great value and just what you need, but as you have no history with the vendor or what it is that he/she/other is selling you have ZERO reason to trust them.

Your blog, however, is written to appeal ONLY to your ideal customer and give them the information that they want for FREE, and subsequent regular posts continue to do this. When this happens, potential customers get to know you, begin to trust you, and see you as the ‘expert’ in that field.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out who they will be spending their money with when they need to make that all-important purchase.

Blogs Written by Humans for Humans

In this age of AI-assisted writing it can be very tempting to subscribe to an online, artificial copywriting service and have your web copy done in seconds, and many people are doing just that. Unfortunately, this can actually hinder your marketing efforts for the following reasons:

a. Google (assuming you’d like your customers to find your website on Google) only embraces AI to a point and that point comes when people simply use it to churn out copy and then publish it.

Google has already stated that they will not rank AI content if:

“If you see AI as an inexpensive, easy way to game search engine rankings.”

“When it comes to automatically generated content, our guidance has been consistent for years. Using automation—including AI—to generate content with the primary purpose of manipulating ranking in search results is a violation of our spam policies.”

b. As a copywriter with over 20 years of experience under my belt, I can spot AI copy a mile off. It all feels very generic and merges in with the content that EVERY OTHER person out there using AI is producing. As such, human-generated content has the ability to stand out now more than ever.

“A company using well-written and researched human content will rank better on Google and will effectively shine like a beacon against the backdrop of those companies electing to promote their business just using AI-generated content.”

Paul Greystoke

c. References and facts generated by AI are not always correct.

Needless to say then, the next element in our cross-media blog mixing bowl is the well-researched and engaging, ‘human-written’ blog post.

You need to be accessible to capture a wider audience.

If you want your company to be exclusive, then you NEED to be inclusive:

“One in every five people in the UK has a disability, one in ten has Dyslexia and approximately three hundred and sixty thousand are blind or visually impaired (a number set to rise to two point two five million in 2025).”

https://yourcontentwrite.com/crossmediablogs/

Think of the above in terms of spending power, then ask yourself: How are you currently reaching those demographics?

Add to this, that different people have different learning styles and take in and retain information in different ways. According to Avado Learning, a top-ranking platform:

“…roughly 65 percent of the population are visual learners, 30 percent are auditory learners.”

That’s roughly 26.4 million people in the UK who prefer to take in spoken information rather than have it written down.

The Professional Voice over Artist and the Cross Media Blog

There is a difference between a professional voice-over artist reading text and say, a business owner who is not a professional voice-over artist. Tonal quality, vocal inflexions, speed, and timing are all perfectly crafted over the years to produce something that will be instantly engaging and attractive to your potential customers.

For EVERY Cross Media Blog post we produce for you, there will be an audio version of that post that can be streamed directly from your site – boosting your Google ranking AND catering for those among your customers who can’t – or are too busy to – sit and read your content. We have a range of voice-over artists ready to give your brand the trusted voice and personality it deserves.

Add to this, our resident musician/producer further enhances your audio production with custom music and sound effects, giving your customers a truly unique and memorable experience.

So, the third element in the Cross Media Blog is the professional audio version that your customers can play directly from your blog post.

The power of the podcast

Once your audio is recorded, we also turn it into a regular podcast show, opening up your potential audience again by nearly 5 million worldwide.

According to podknowspodcasting:

“Podcasts are experiencing a surge in popularity around the world, with 61% of people, globally, reporting that they now listen to them.“

The same article also stated that the gender of podcast listeners was fairly evenly matched with 58% male and 42% female.

68% tend to listen to the entire episode too. This means that when your Cross Media Blog content is produced you have an audience the size of which is, frankly, unparalleled.

I’m sure also that many of my readers, listeners, and watchers (delete as appropriate) will already know that when you find a business podcast that really appeals to you, then you subscribe which means you are automatically notified every time a new episode is released.

You subscribe because you find the information both informative and perhaps entertaining too. You trust the information that is being given, as its purpose is to help without a pressure sales message – aside from a call to action contained within the podcast which might direct them toward a website / e-commerce platform or an email list – where you can actually engage them in a sales conversation.

So, the fourth element in your Cross Media Blog is a high-quality podcast that is distributed by us, throughout Apple, Microsoft, Spotify, and relevant Google platforms.

Google and search engine ranking (SEO)

Ranking high on Google (and other search engines) can be critical to your business success.

According to Berkley the top eight benefits of ranking high on Google are:

Google Ranking Benefit 1: Brings Organic Search Traffic to your Website.

Google Ranking Benefit 2: Generates Leads Cost-Effectively.

Google Ranking Benefit 3: Increases Brand Awareness.

Google Ranking Benefit 4: Gets You Ahead of the Competition.

Google Ranking Benefit 5: Optimises Your Website for Mobile Users.

Google Ranking Benefit 6: Builds Trust.

Let’s Talk Numbers…

Type your business service or product into Google and see how many results come up. Now, take into account that position 1 receives an average of 31.7% of those clicks, position 2 – 24.71 and position 3 – 18.59%. By the time you get to the very top of page two, you are looking at an average of ONLY 0.63% clickthrough rate.

This leads to the oft-quoted SEO joke that if you want to hide a dead body, so it won’t be discovered, the best place is page two of Google.

Thank you to numeroagency and orbelo for those Google stats.

To make sure your website is seen by as many people as possible, we have enlisted the help of a top-notch SEO consultant – or Google specialist, if you like – to help rise your Cross-Media Blog (and therefore your business website) to the top of Google.

Voice Engine Optimisation

A little speculation here, but we are also working hard to make your branded audio playable on Alexa and Siri as a result of a relevant user query. Early days and a little more experimentation are needed for this one, but as soon as it’s ready our Cross Media Blog clients’ content will automatically benefit from this.

So, the fifth element to be added to your Cross Media Blog is a dedicated SEO consultant to optimise your audio, written and video content so it will rank high on Google and the other search engines.

Your business on Video.

As an added extra, we can also include video production to your Cross Media Blog.

Whilst television may be experiencing dwindling viewing figures (as mentioned above) high-quality video content is NOT. According to Dash:

“In 2023 people are watching, on average, 17 hours of online video per week.”

Videos are also: “twice as likely to be shared than any other form of content.”

YouTube alone, has over two billion monthly users and 70% of viewers made a purchase as a result of seeing a brand on YouTube. This is probably part of the reason why 87% of marketers attribute sales back to their online video marketing efforts.

Your Content Write has teamed up with a long-established video production company to take your Cross Media Blog audio and add some stunning visuals/animation, which will then be uploaded to YouTube and optimised to rank on Google, as well as cutting a few short samples from your video content to be shared throughout your social media channels.

So, the sixth optional element we can add to our Cross Media Blog mixing bowl is the video content created edited and uploaded to YouTube.

So, what is Cross Media Blogging?

Cross Media blogging is the coming together of traditional blogging, audio marketing, podcasting, SEO Google optimisation and video marketing to create a product that can take you to the top of Google and gain the loyalty, trust and… money of more customers than you have ever experienced (see above for relevant stats).

And you don’t even need to come up with content ideas. Our researchers already know what is trending and what YOUR customers WANT to know about. We also look at gaps in your competitors’ content marketing strategy meaning you will absolutely stand out from the competition.

Ready to Stand Apart from Your Competition?

Click the link below and book a call and you can find out how Cross Media Blogging can take your business to the next level.

https://meetings-eu1.hubspot.com/greystoke

You can also SUBSCRIBE to our Cross Media Blog podcast, HERE:

<a href="https://rss.com/podcasts/crossmediablog/1186703/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cross Media Blogging and why you NEED it in 2024 | RSS.com</a>

by Paul@contentwrite

How to turn your website into a client conversion machine.

Blog Writing, Content Writing, Rank High on Google, Social Media for Business

How to get more traffic conversions on your website

Welcome to this no-nonsense guide from Your Content Write, aimed at helping you get more of the right people to your website and ACTUALLY have them convert!

So many business owners jump in ‘feet first’ to having their website designed. And their strategy, once built is to simply cross their fingers and hope people stumble by it. That or they send out an initial post or two on social media, get disheartened because there is little to no response then give up and try other avenues.

According to Data Reportal:

“There were 66.99 million internet users in the United Kingdom in January 2022. The United Kingdom’s internet penetration rate stood at 98.0 percent of the total population at the start of 2022.”

That’s just in the United Kingdom!

Statistica reported there to be 60 million e-commerce users, leaving only a slight minority as face-to-face non-digital buyers.

And Get Accept states:

“Just 16% of B2B sales departments in the UK have a face-to-face team that communicates with buyers in person.”

Based on those statistics I think we can safely agree that your potential clients ARE online. Does it not make sense therefore to have them interact with your flagship website?

It is, after all, the only place on the internet that is totally dedicated to promoting your company as the ideal business to satisfy their needs and generate a healthy profit at the same time.

If the only reason that you haven’t done this so far is because of a lack of knowledge and perhaps a perceived lack of skill then read on, this blog is for you.

Is your current website fit for purpose?

For your website to be your super-powered client-converting machine, it must first be fit for purpose and not just be aesthetically pleasing. I’m going to go through a checklist from which you can judge how well your existing site rises to the challenge.

The lower the bounce rate the higher your conversion potential

There is a metric in your onboard analytics called the ‘bounce rate.’ Generally having a high bounce rate is not a good sign: It means a user has landed on your page and left rather quickly WITHOUT interacting, making a purchase, or performing some other desired action.

There are occasions where someone arriving and then leaving seconds later is not a bad thing – getting a phone number for example, but if you are looking for high website conversions then you want to drive that bounce rate down as much as possible.

According to GoRocket Fuel:

“As a rule of thumb, a bounce rate in the range of 26 to 40 percent is excellent. 41 to 55 percent is roughly average.”

Have a look at your bounce rate. It can be an early indication of how the website visitors you do get are behaving. If you find that you have a high bounce rate, then you may want to fix issues on your site before doing a lot of work to get your ideal clients there.

Some of our client’s had previously tried Google AdWords (sponsored ads) and deemed them a waste of time as they cost a lot and people did not convert when on the site. Very often this is not the fault of the Google ad. Assuming the Ad was targeted right, then Google has done its job and gained you a site visitor. If they fail to convert from there, the fault is within their experience of your site.

Never substitute quantity for quality

As a side note please beware of companies selling links and guaranteeing traffic to your site. You cater to a specific demographic and want to service people with a specific need or desire. If your site were to receive an influx of site visitors and links from irrelevant sources your site is not going to convert and Google tends to take a dim view of this tactic, meaning your chances of ranking well in the search engines is practically impossible.

Technical reasons your site is not converting

There are many technical reasons (such as load time and inline styles) that, unless you are technically minded, are out of your control, but should be straightforward for your web developer to fix. These elements can (and do) affect conversion rate. If you’d like a free, detailed site analysis for all technical and non-technical elements that can be improved on your site give us a shout. We’d be happy to help.

What about those website elements that you DO have control over?

How simple is your website to navigate?

Have you ever been on a site and then left rather quickly because you couldn’t find what you were looking for? If that is the experience that you offer to your potential clients, then you can expect a high bounce rate and low Google ranking.

It’s worth noting at this point that your site should be designed for your potential clients – not for you! Your job is to make sure they can find what they are looking for as quickly and easily as possible. If you can do that then you are on your way to converting more website visitors.

Each page on your website is potentially a homepage

As an SEO consultant and content writer I often encounter many websites that have a fantastic homepage, armed and ready to appeal to and convert those customers. The rest of the site however does not live up to the standard set out by their homepage.

It’s almost as though the other pages were put there because ‘that is what is expected.’

Every page on your website should have an overriding purpose and a call to action pertinent to that purpose.

By designing your site this way you are increasing the number of potential site visitors by giving them multiple reasons to log onto your site. Each page will be focussed upon a specific type of user query. Apple are masters at this, and they expertly blend emotion, with fact. Each page is simple to navigate and has one specific purpose with one call to action. To see how they achieve this feel free to look at a blog I wrote for AWE networking back in 2021 on how to write great sales content like Apple.

The About Us page

The about us page is a bit of a misnomer as successful well performing sites DO NOT use this page to simply show off. If its name was more indicative of its purpose It should read:

About us – in as much as it will help you (the customer) achieve your goals.

For more information on how to write an about us page here’s a short video I made earlier:

Your clients already have website expectations – don’t disappoint them.

“From furniture to websites, your brain has a template for how things should look and feel.”

Imagine going into a shop to buy a sandwich and the shop owner has decided to change things up a bit. When you walk in there is a brick wall – the idea being you find the loose brick, push it in and the wall disappears revealing seven dimly lit corridors, with a puzzle to complete to progress forward. Only one corridor will lead to a sandwich.

When you eventually get to the counter you must write a few sentences about your shopping experience BEORE you are permitted to pay and then leave.

The whole process takes around 30 minutes.

Whilst there may be people who wish to go once for the novelty aspect, most will not want to spend their entire lunch break trying to rethink a process that till now has been automatic for the sandwich-buying public.

Yet some people design their websites just like this. Don’t substitute novelty or aesthetic beauty for the expected user experience.

Unlike the shop example below, web users on average take only 50 milliseconds to decide whether they are going to stay on a site. If it doesn’t meet with their own preconceptions (conscious and subconscious) on what a site like yours ‘should’ look like, the chances are they will leave as fast as they arrived.

As much as YOU love your website your web visitor’s whole day is not focussed around admiring your site. They have a problem that needs to be solved. If your content can provide a quick and easy answer, together with a compelling reason to buy, then you are on the right track and that visitor may well convert.

As outlined by searchengineland.com:

Navigation can make or break your website’s overall performance when it comes to retaining visitors, keeping them engaged and driving them through the conversion funnel.

A very simple way to find out how your website should look is to type relevant search terms into Google that you should be ranking for. Look at the first two or three listings i.e., Sites that offer the same product or service as you and are already converting well.

Here you are looking at general design and structure which you can adapt and use.

How important are spelling and grammar on your website?

I’ve been asked this so many times. If you land on a page and the copy reads:

Naturally, it should read ‘find out more.’

How confident would you be using their service if they can’t even get their own sales copy right?

Even if you don’t consciously see the error, on a subconscious level you have seen it, noticed it, and added it to your internal and automatic ‘reason to log off and go somewhere else’ list.

Google knows it too and will not reward a site with poor grammar and punctuation with ranking points. The site that the above image came from was on page ten of Google. Bear in mind that most of the traffic goes to page one of Google, with over 50% of search queries going to positions one and two. By the time you get to the very top of page two, you are left with around 2% of the traffic for that search term. You can imagine how many people actually visit page 10.

Is your website full of technical jargon?

Nothing wrong with that, it makes you sound clever which will give your clients more confidence in hiring you – right?

Wrong!

The late Steve Jobs once commented that if you can’t explain your product in simple terms then you either don’t understand your clients or your product well enough. And we can’t argue with that philosophy when we look at the success of Apple.

According to hcamag.com:

“As well as lack of trust, overuse of jargon can mean people disconnect from your message, feel isolated and ultimately lead to miscommunication.”

Who would have thought that using a stream of big, impressive words could be seen as condescending, and alienating?

Speak to your customers on their level. If you stand on a metaphorical platform and speak down to them, they won’t thank you for it.

“Ultimately, avoiding jargon not only shows customers that you care but helps you build lasting relationships built on clear communication.”

Usertesting.com

I’m going to add a caveat here:

Every industry has its own language and if you are appealing to clients who expect and want technical jargon, then, by all means, use it. Just bear in mind – because a service provider communicates in a specific language does not necessarily mean that their client base will.

A little while ago I was asked to proofread an eBook written by financial advisors for their potential clients. They were concerned because the company conversion rate was very low. My feedback was very simple:

“This reads like it was written by financial advisors FOR financial advisors.”

I rewrote their eBook to focus on their client’s wants and needs. I also dropped most of the jargon, and their conversion rate went up to 76% in a week.

Is your website Smartphone friendly?

Many internet users spend more time on their smartphones and tablets than on a stand-alone desktop computer.

“Mobile-friendly websites boost your sales and conversions because there is an ease of accessibility that surrounds this website design.”

Weblite.com

Again, we can take a lead from Google which base a lot of its rules around human behaviour: If your website is not mobile friendly then you are not accessible to most internet users and therefore will not be rewarded with ranking points.

It all comes down to your user journey. If a potential client logs on to your website using their mobile device and has a bad experience, then you will not convert that visitor into a customer.

We have already exceeded 62.3 million mobile internet users in the UK and according to Cyber Crew are expected to hit over 65 million active users by 2026

Also according to Cyber Crew, of all the time UK residents spent online 71% was on a smartphone.

If your website is not mobile phone friendly, stop everything and put that right as a matter of urgency!

Does graphic design impact your website conversion potential?

The short answer is yes, but that is a whole other blog. I’ve been back and forth on how much to put in this guide because, unless you are a graphic designer then you are at the mercy of your web design team.

I will say this though: Certain colours, combinations and even whitespace can be very effective in helping a web user feel specific emotions, follow a certain path, and ultimately make a purchase.

The yellow ‘M’ that signifies the Mcdonald’s logo, for example, is that colour because the use of yellow is often used to incite feelings of hunger and a desire to eat. Imagine the ‘M’ as dark blue – would you still have that craving for a ‘Big Tasty’ meal?

As a business owner you might have a penchant for a colour combination to create the desired aesthetic but, as highlighted by vw.com:

“…in the long run, it can be disastrous for the business goals unless backed with the right research.”

With web design, like all other elements in your website, simplicity is best. If you give the end user too much to look at and process, they will become distracted from their expected journey and are very likely to leave your website and go elsewhere.

Digital marketing and client conversions

Okay, you’ve taken everything above to heart and made necessary changes and now your business website looks great and is fit for purpose. All you need now is a steady influx of the right type of person who needs exactly what it is that you provide.

It is not enough to build an aesthetically pleasing and functional site and then just sit and wait for droves of potential clients to come along. It simply won’t happen.

Luckily, Your Content Write is backed up by twenty years of digital marketing experience so we can offer you a few fundamentals that should help create an impact:

To start you need to know:

Who your clients are

Where your clients are

What your clients want

And why they would benefit from using you over another company

This is basic marketing and the answers to the ‘who, what and why’ questions would have instructed your website content already. Now that you have your design complete it is time to revisit those questions and add ‘where’ into the mix.

You will also be wanting to have a sales funnel ready to go – that is, exactly what is the process from the potential clients being unaware of you, to be both aware and purchasing your product to then coming back for more or referring another potentially interested party.

“A well-executed sales funnel will help your business become more visible in the marketplace. This is because it creates a consistent and positive customer experience, which leads to increased word-of-mouth buzz.”

Again, the sales funnel process is a whole other blog, and the link above should help you get started.

Where are your potential customers?

Based on all the research above the simple answer is:

Your potential customers are online.

It’s impossible to get detailed without knowing your specific market sector but given Google’s market share we can assume that, like most of the UK population, your potential clients are on Google searching for answers to their problems.

If you know what they are typing in, then you can create content that answers their specific queries. The most cost-effective and popular way of doing this is by blogging. Blogs are a super effective way of creating and nurturing a trusted bond between your brand and your potential customer.

The theory is simple:

If your clients know, like and trust you then they are more likely to see you as the ‘expert’ in your chosen field and therefore make a purchase. They are also more likely to recommend others.

Blogging has been proven to increase quality website traffic and customer conversions. If you’d like more information on business blogging, click here

What happens once your clients have read your blog?

They convert right away and become lifelong advocates of you and everything you do?

That WOULD be nice, wouldn’t it?

Happily, the truth is not a million miles away from that:

Substitute the words ‘right away’ to after they have consumed 3 to 5 pieces of valuable content, perhaps over a few weeks and you will be closer to the truth:

Potential clients enter their search queries into Google

Your blog shows up on the first page and they click on it, finding it to be the breath of fresh air that they desperately needed.

Your blog becomes the platform from which you can truly connect with your consumers, and they can connect with you.

You consistently show up and give them what they want for FREE.

They begin to know, like and trust you.

They see you as the ‘expert’ in your chosen field and subscribe to your email list because they want to take their contact with you to the next level.

You can now give them free content, tailored more specifically to their wants, and needs.

You can also sell your products or services as they are more likely to be of interest.

Are your website and blog showing up on page one of Google?

On average, the number of Google Search queries each second is about 40,000, which is more than 3.5 billion searches per day.

Assuming you are on the first page of Google that is a lot of user searches coming your way.

And it works well if your blog ranks on the first page of Google for those key search terms that your clients are typing in but… what if your website is NOT on the first page of Google?

That doesn’t mean it can’t get there, but what it does mean is that you must dedicate a lot of your time in the early stages to create a good amount of relevant blog content for ongoing monthly recurring revenue in the future.

Business blogging success tips:

Write with your customers in mind and don’t make your content overly formal or jargon infested.

Give consumers the information and help that they WANT more than what they NEED… People NEED to save their money and buy an inexpensive basic phone. People WANT an iPhone 14 or a Samsung Flip Phone (you have an iPhone or a flip phone, don’t you?).

Make sure your content is a decent length minimum of 1,200 words.

Use pictures and videos to break up your content and make it more appealing and digestible.

Think about the phrases people will be typing into Google to find your content and try to include those phrases and variations of those phrases in your copy – keep it sounding natural or people won’t connect.

Don’t copy content from other sources unless you are quoting. Google is not daft and will not give you ranking points for someone else’s content.

Be consistent. People are habitual so if they are enjoying your content then make sure you stick to the same structure, tone of voice and format for each blog post.

Post regularly – at the very least once per week. Four times per week can give you results 3x faster.

I mentioned it above but make sure your grammar and spelling are on point.

Work hard in the early stages and reap the rewards in monthly recurring revenue thereafter!

Share your business content on social media

TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, LinkedIn, Clubhouse … I could go on.

By 2025, the number of active users is projected to increase to 4.4 billion
People spend an average of 144 minutes per day on their social media accounts

Social media is the place your clients probably spend most of their time. They use these platforms to connect with others, and according to research they go on for one (or all) of three reasons:

To be educated.
To be inspired.
To be entertained.

They don’t log on to be sold to.

So, as well as sharing your blog content on your social media platforms, produce regular well-timed posts to appeal to your potential clients. Whilst it is not always a good idea to try and sell your products on social media, if you can entice them to sign up to your email list then your chances of conversion are greatly increased.

Which social media platform should you use to promote your business?

If everyone behaved the same and their preferences were much the same too then there would probably be only one global social media platform. We are a diverse species though, which means there are a variety of social media platforms each with their own unique twist on sharing specific types of content for specific types of people.

With that in mind, please do your homework before posting on social media to select the right platform (i.e. the ones your clients frequent) and at the times they are most likely to react (analytics will tell you how well your posts perform according to type and time of day).

Break down your blog posts into smaller bite-sized chunks of information

It would be amazing if your potential clients woke up and wanted nothing more than to read your content, again and again. However, they have busy lives and may not even have the time to read a full blog post even once.

For these busy individuals, you can extract key elements from your blog and make smaller more digestible chunks of information, or infographic, audio, or video (perhaps with a link to the long-form article).

Give your blog posts to your strategic partners to share

No person is an island and businesses will always work better if they work together. Given that, take a look at your customer base and come up with other business individuals or companies that share the same client base that you can partner up with for a mutual benefit.

For instance, a photographer may want to connect with a wedding planner and a wedding cake maker. The chances are, if a client is using one of those services, that same client will also need help from the other two.

If you are operating to the mutual benefit of your strategic partners, then see if they will share your blog posts in their own social media/email channels. You return the favour in kind and reach a whole new audience!

And teaming up with other companies can really work:

Shopify generated approximately $50 billion for its partners in 2020.

And

95% of Microsoft’s revenue flows through its partners

Thank you crossbeam.com for those statistics.

You need a business email list

Some entrepreneurs refer to the email list as their ‘licence to print money.’

Whilst selling directly on social media and on blogs is often frowned upon, it is expected and keenly encouraged once a prospective client has subscribed to your email list.

It is their endorsement of you and is them saying that they WANT to hear more from you.

According to campaignmonitor.com:

“Email lists are important because email marketing is the best way to connect with customers vs. social media. In fact, you are 6x more likely to get higher click-through rates through emails instead of tweets. Also, email is 40 times more effective at acquiring new customers than Facebook or Twitter”

In conclusion…

I could have gone on as we live and breathe this stuff over here but that’s probably enough information for now. If you’d like to receive more tips and tricks and strategies to help your digital marketing efforts, then click here and sign up for our VIP list.

If you have the time to do it then the advice above should make a significant difference to your brand awareness, Google ranking, client conversions and your bottom line.

If on the other hand you are pushed for time get in touch and let’s work together to make your digital marketing efforts make a difference!

by Paul@contentwrite

Why Optimizing your FAQ Page Could Be One of Your Smartest Moves.

All, Rank High on Google

optimise your FAQ page, your content write, rank high on google, increase sales

It’s your FAQ page. Many people put them up because… well because everyone else does. But beyond serving your clients with some blatantly obvious answers to things that are mostly covered in your site, what other use does it have?

I can’t even begin to describe… Actually, I can and that’s what the focus of this blog is. So, let’s dive right in.

Let’s look at the basics from a user perspective, then delve into the SEO possibilities that will help your website rank high on Google.

Assuming you are on first name terms with your customer avatar, you will have a site that addresses the majority of your users and presents them with the information that they want, in order for you to make conversions and sales.

That’s all great, but what of your potential clients (The ones who are frantically typing away on Google, hoping and praying for the solutions that you have for their burning wants)? They will have specific questions, phrased in a way that is unique to them and similarly use unique associated keywords.

Wouldn’t it be nice to rank for those specific questions and have the answers ready-made?

That was rhetorical.

Welcome to your new and improved FAQ page…

Below follows a few tips and tricks on optimizing your FAQ page so Google, your customers and you are smiling so much you’d think you all slept with hangers in your mouths.

Your website is there because you want the user to perform an action (join a mailing list, buy a product etc). Your FAQ page is no exception. Treat it like a sales page, treat it with the same love and dedication as you would your home page. No more bland and vanilla yes / no answers to unoriginal questions. Make each of your answers enticing – compelling the user to want to take an action. Think of each answer as something you could see on the Google SERP (Search Engine Results Page) and want to click through to a website.

Start out with your generic questions then hop onto Google and start to think about how each question could be reworded to match what Google would recognise as a natural link to your service. This does not have to be guesswork. Start to type a question into Google and loads of options will populate below before you have finished typing. These options are not made up, they are there because Google recognise those terms as ones that are frequently put into the search bar. By replicating the appropriate ones (by clicking through and see where they lead), you are answering the specific questions that your potential clients have and you are using the keywords that Google already know and recognise as being related your product or service.

Take the Following Example:

Imagine you run a parcel delivery service. Think of the most basic question that a user might ask like, ‘When will my delivery arrive?’

Before you have finished typing the word ‘delivery’ Google will already predict what you might want, based on frequent searches. You’ll see those populated below your search.

Click on one and see where it leads. You’ll probably find companies that offer the same service (or similar) to you.

Because the FAQ page is often ignored as a lead generation page you’ll find it easier to rank as the competition is far less.

Include links on your FAQ page and calls to action that are relevant to your customer’s specific questions.

Don’t assume your text has always answered your user’s questions. Offer them an alternative option for a more in-depth answer (could be a phone call or an email). Let’s face it many people leave FAQ pages, frustrated because they didn’t get the answer they want. By offering them the option to get the exact answer that they want, then the chances of them using you to fulfil their desires are greatly increased as they now know you actually care about serving their wants.

Lastly, as discussed on previous posts – look at the keywords that you want your FAQ page to rank for on Google for and make sure they are not in competition with keywords in the rest of your site (Every page has a specific purpose and Google will not rank two pages from the same site on the first page).

I Hope you enjoyed this. If you want to be kept informed on future blog posts please subscribe and like our Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/YourContentWrite/?modal=admin_todo_tour

Questions and comments are always welcome in the space below.

Till next time…

by Paul@contentwrite

How to Write Content that Google and Your Customers will Love (Part 2)

All, Content Writing, Rank High on Google

SEO, your content write, rank on the first page of google, content writing.

All righty then…

This is a follow on from my previous post (hence part 2) If you missed that one, please refer to my previous blog.

All caught up?

Good.

When I write content for my clients I do it in two stages:

1. I create an amazing piece of prose that will educate, inspire or entertain (hopefully all three depending on the subject matter of the text). When doing this I pay absolutely no attention to keywords, Google or any of the other search engines out there. My first and most important task is to communicate an idea that will lead to a call to action.

2. After stage one is complete I then look in great detail at the purpose of the page. I want my clients to rank on Google so I try to make the purpose as specific as possible. I am trying to make this as niche as possible thereby making it easier for Google to present the page to the right people.

Generalized Phrases should be avoided as much as possible. Remember Google is not as clever as you (yet) so work has to be done to make the search engine crawler’s job easy.

As an example, if a car dealership wants to rank high for the keyword ‘Cars’ they will find it:

a. Very expensive if they are paying for it.
b. Extremely competitive if they are wanting to appear on the first page.

With such a general term Google has to cast a wide net in the hope that the information you are looking for is on that page.

Typically, you may find:

A few local car dealerships near to where the user is, information on Disney’s Cars, Magazine listings on the top performing cars, Newsworthy items that include cars and a few YouTube videos that have cars in them.

‘Cars for sale’ or ‘Cars for sale in Jarrow’ on the other hand is a lot more specific and helps Google recognise exactly what your page will be about.

How to write Content that Google and Your Customers Will Simply Love (Part 1).

All, Content Writing, Rank High on Google

Web Content Writing, your content write, seo, rank high on google, increase sales by supercharging your web content

Do you want Google to love your website as much as you do?

Do you want to increase your chances of ranking on the first page, when a prospective client searches for your product or service online?

That was rhetorical, by the way. I’m assuming that’s why we’re all here.

There’s something I tell my clients quite a bit and that is…

“Think like Google.”

The top techies at Google have the opposite goal. They are trying to make their algorithms so clever that eventually it (Google) will be able to think like a human, thereby producing an exact match for whatever search query you type (or speak) into the search engine.

But they’re not there yet, so for the moment we have to come down to their level and understand what makes Google recognise and rank one web page over another for the same search query.

Now, in future blogs we’ll be tipping our toes into the fascinating world of search engine optimization (SEO), then diving right in. For now, we’re going to look at the most important element and that is, your content.

You may have heard the phrase bandied around “Content is King.” That’s true because it serves two very important purposes:

It helps Google (and other search engines) understand what you do and therefore where you should rank.
It communicates an idea to your readers (hopefully) in a way that will inspire them to perform a desired action. That could be to buy a product or subscribe to a mailing list.

With me so far? Good.

By far, the most important element in the above is number two. You are less likely to rank high if your content alienates your readers. Google looks at popularity as well as readability and purpose when ranking a web page. If people are not engaging with your site it will be seen as not fit for purpose.

I want you to look at each page in your current website if you have one (or if not, start your initial design now). Pen and paper in hand, write down the web page title and next to that write what the purpose of that page is.

After you have done that, realise that you have probably been very general in your description and that description could probably apply to a million other websites. Do it again and be very specific:

Write down in as much detail as you can what the purpose of YOUR web page is.

What we are creating here is a niche. With a niche comes a certain set of keywords that will clearly define your niche (we’ll go into that in a little bit).

Now look at your content on each page and answer the following question with a yes/no:

Does this web page cover EVERYTHING your user would want to know (Not YOU, your user) when reading this page with no questions left unanswered?

If you answered yes to the above then make sure.

With no leading statements ask a target group to read your page and come up with questions. Have them communicate their understanding of the page. You might also ask the user how the page makes them feel and if they are inspired to perform your call to action in the page?

It’s handy if your target group are not friends and family but a small section of people who ‘should’ be likely to want to part with their hard-earned cash to purchase what it is that you have to offer.

Doing this on social media (which we’ll go into in a future post) can be very useful. If people feel like they have helped you then they are more likely to feel a sense of ownership and be engaged with what you have to offer.

Once you have these results then back to the drawing board you go, to re-write your page (Or congratulate yourself on being a content writing genius).

If you answered ‘no’ to the above then rewrite your web page, answering your own questions then follow the steps above.

If you need help with the actual content then please see my previous post:

https://yourcontentwrite.com/how-to-write-stunning-web-pages/

Ok, by this point we have a website that engages your potential client base. That’s great. Well done you.

If it is important for you to rank high on Google too (it isn’t always important, which will be explored in a future post) then jump into stage two.

Stage 2

Earlier you heard me speak briefly of keywords. They are important, but not as important as many people would have you believe.

John Mueller of Google stated in 2014. –

“keyword density, in general, is something I wouldn’t focus on. Search engines have kind of moved on from there.”

My advice is:

Definitely include keywords and synonyms but don’t overdo it and above all make it sound natural.
Once done, test it with your target group. Offer them something free for their assistance and get them signed up to a mailing list or a Facebook group. They will do some of your marketing for you in referrals.

There is more to ranking high on Google. This will be continued in my next blog post:

How to write Content that Google and your Customers will simply love (part 2).

I Hope you enjoyed this. If you want to be kept informed on future blog posts please subscribe and like our Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/YourContentWrite/?modal=admin_todo_tour

Till next time…

by Paul@contentwrite

What is Google Hummingbird and How Can it Work For You?

All, Rank High on Google

your content write, rank on the first page of google

Your Content Write is still hard at work, creating its long awaited ‘Supercharge Your Web Presence’ course.

As we do this, when we pluck out particular nuggets of information that could help you, we simply post them. If you have any questions post us a reply in the comments section. Enjoy.

Today… Hummingbird.

Hummingbird is the search algorithm that Google uses to decide what websites to show when a user puts a query into the search engine… and it has recently changed.

It used to be that when you pop a search query into Google then Hummingbird would look at websites with relevant keyword rich content amongst a few other variables. The sites who did this best were the ones who ranked on the first page.

Whilst, in essence this is still true, Google is endeavouring to stop keyword spammers from ranking above the more well deserving sites.

In Google’s own words:

“Hummingbird is paying more attention to each word in a query, ensuring that the whole query — the whole sentence or conversation or meaning — is taken into account, rather than particular words. The goal is that pages matching the meaning do better, rather than pages matching just a few words.”

So, what does this mean for you?

Look at each page on your site and note what the purpose of that particular page is.
Come up with keywords that clearly identify the purpose of that page.
Try not to have more than one page that is trying to rank high for the same keyword as Google wont generally display multiple pages from the same site on the first page (you’d be competing with yourself).
Then write content that is both keyword rich and enticing.
Try to make the copy as comprehensive as possible so the reader does not have any questions, except maybe “Ok I’m sold. Where is the buy / subscribe button?”

If you need any help or have any questions regarding this, Your Content Write will be happy to assist.

Click on the comments below or visit us on https://yourcontentwrite.com/

Till next time…

by Paul@contentwrite

What is a Cross Media Blog?

What Can Cross Media Blogging Mean to You?

How close can we bring you to that dream?

Commercially embrace the digital age we are living in.

How much of your current marketing efforts are online?

Put yourself in the mind of your customer.

HOWEVER IN THE ONLINE WORLD…

Your customers are online which means that’s exactly where you need to be.

Why Blogging is so effective?

Blogs Written by Humans for Humans

Needless to say then, the next element in our cross-media blog mixing bowl is the well-researched and engaging, ‘human-written’ blog post.

You need to be accessible to capture a wider audience.

The Professional Voice over Artist and the Cross Media Blog

So, the third element in the Cross Media Blog is the professional audio version that your customers can play directly from your blog post.

The power of the podcast

So, the fourth element in your Cross Media Blog is a high-quality podcast that is distributed by us, throughout Apple, Microsoft, Spotify, and relevant Google platforms.

Google and search engine ranking (SEO)

Voice Engine Optimisation

So, the fifth element to be added to your Cross Media Blog is a dedicated SEO consultant to optimise your audio, written and video content so it will rank high on Google and the other search engines.

Your business on Video.

So, the sixth optional element we can add to our Cross Media Blog mixing bowl is the video content created edited and uploaded to YouTube.

How to get more traffic conversions on your website

Is your current website fit for purpose?

The lower the bounce rate the higher your conversion potential

Never substitute quantity for quality

Technical reasons your site is not converting

What about those website elements that you DO have control over?

How simple is your website to navigate?

Each page on your website is potentially a homepage

The About Us page

Your clients already have website expectations – don’t disappoint them.

How important are spelling and grammar on your website?

Is your website full of technical jargon?

Is your website Smartphone friendly?

Does graphic design impact your website conversion potential?

Digital marketing and client conversions

Where are your potential customers?

What happens once your clients have read your blog?

Are your website and blog showing up on page one of Google?

And it works well if your blog ranks on the first page of Google for those key search terms that your clients are typing in but… what if your website is NOT on the first page of Google?

Business blogging success tips:

Share your business content on social media

Which social media platform should you use to promote your business?

Break down your blog posts into smaller bite-sized chunks of information

Give your blog posts to your strategic partners to share

You need a business email list

Welcome to your new and improved FAQ page…

Your Content Write is still hard at work, creating its long awaited ‘Supercharge Your Web Presence’ course.

As we do this, when we pluck out particular nuggets of information that could help you, we simply post them. If you have any questions post us a reply in the comments section. Enjoy.

Today… Hummingbird.