How to Build Relationships with Online Influencers (Without the Awkward)

By Sonia Simone

"There is only one reason you should initiate a relationship with a content publisher — you genuinely enjoy their work." – Sonia Simone

We’ve been telling you there’s no great secret to search optimization, but that’s kind of a lie, isn’t it?

There is one not-so-secret ingredient that makes SEO work. It also makes social sharing work. Referrals, too.

I won’t be mysterious about it — it’s links. Links make the web go around. They’re why it’s called a web in the first place.

When good websites link to you, those links are votes of confidence. Get enough votes and you win.

The hard part? Getting enough of the right links, from the right people. To do that, you need two things:

  1. Great stuff to link …read more      
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Schedule 30 Minutes to Uncover the Keys to More Powerful Content

By Britney Muller

I understand why content marketers may avoid SEO: it seems complicated and time-consuming.

But I’ve got good news. Today, you’ll learn why content marketers like you are well-positioned to use SEO tactics — possibly even more so than *cough* an SEO like me. :-)

Keyword research doesn’t have to be a marathon. A brisk, 30-minute walk can provide incredibly useful insights.

Even though keyword research benefits may not be obvious, the work you perform will help connect you to a wider audience on a deeper level.

Discovering how many people (a month) search for something, the words they use, and …read more      

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7 Easy-to-Forget SEO Steps You Need to Consider Every Time You Publish

By Jerod Morris

"Remember these elements to help more of the right people find your content." – Jerod Morris

“But I don’t really think about SEO very much anymore.”

That was my initial reaction when we all agreed that March would be SEO month here at Copyblogger. At which point, of course, I knew I’d have to write about it.

“Look, I just create useful content for people. Do that, get it read, get it shared, get links, have good hosting and fast page-load times … and productive search engine results will follow, right? I mean, what else is there to say?”

Turns out, plenty.

Keyword research is more fundamental to your content marketing strategy than you may think. Also, …read more      

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Zen and the Art of Content Marketing

By Sonia Simone

Zen and the Art of Content Marketing

Google reminds me that we’ve covered the intersection of Zen and business a few times at Copyblogger … which doesn’t surprise me a bit.

At the heart of Zen is the concept (which is not a concept) of nonduality. In the words of Shunryu Suzuki:

“To speak of waves apart from water or water apart from waves is a delusion. Water and waves are one.”

I’m sure Brian Clark had been rereading his Suzuki Roshi when he advised us on Monday to “forget SEO” — because the wisest practice of SEO is to get out of dualistic thinking about SEO. …read more      

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5 Content Optimization Mistakes You’ll Wish You Fixed Sooner

By Stefanie Flaxman

By now you know that — technical details aside — SEO is not separate from content marketing; it’s an integrated aspect of content marketing.

Optimizing your content for search engines is part of your craft and a skill you can strengthen with practice.

But even when you rank well for search terms your audience uses, the real test is what happens when someone clicks through to your website. As Brian wrote on Monday:

“There’s nothing worse than a quick bounce.”

To avoid a quick bounce, you need to focus on content optimization. Since you don’t want to miss any opportunities to …read more      

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