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  • ChatGPT: Data Mining and SEO With OpenAI and Bing

    ChatGPT: Data Mining and SEO With OpenAI and Bing

    Table of Contents

    Key Insights

    • Pubcon Austin 2023 might as well have been called “The State of AI SEO.” And it was fantastic.
    • ChatGPT and Bing GPT are a really easy way to toe the water of AI for data mining and SEO.
    • Development in AI, in all forms is moving lightning-fast. You need to be there, and you also need to be thoughtful how you engage.

    [bctt tweet=”According to @w2scott, ChatGPT and Bing GPT are a really easy way to toe the water of AI for data mining and SEO.” username=”SearchInfluence”]

    Introduction

    I attended and presented at Pubcon Austin a couple of weeks ago (February 2023) and came away with a ton of new ideas to use ChatGPT for SEO and how to do more effective ChatGPT Data Mining.

    ChatGPT Data Mining - Miners, mining for data as imagined by Midjourney

    Typically, a major conference will put out a call for speaking ideas months in advance. Pubcon is no different, and in the early fall of last year, the organizer Brett Tabke did just that.

    At the time, I had nothing that I was super passionate about presenting.

    But, since the winter holidays, I have been obsessively playing with OpenAI ChatGPT and a dozen or so AI content tools.

    I reached out to Brett Tabke, the organizer of Pubcon, and shared my idea for a talk. He was happy to make room for me on a panel — after giving me the requisite grief for being so late.

    If you’d like to see that presentation, I have it online here: Chatbots, AI Content, And The Marketer’s Conundrum.

    It turns out that earlier, Brett had put out a call to all of the speakers to ensure they addressed AI in their presentations. So, without knowing it, I was ahead of the curve.

    Brett presented a mind-blowing keynote, which gave me some great ideas for better use of the tools, and other presentations showed me some amazing tactical tricks.

    What Is ChatGPT and How Can You Use It for Data Mining and SEO?

    ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence (AI)-based chatbot system that uses natural language processing (NLP) to generate conversations.

    It keeps track of the conversation’s flow, context, and previous questions and answers.

    This makes it a valuable tool for both data mining and SEO since you can iterate on an idea and get well-formatted (mostly accurate) answers due to its training in the large language model (LLM).

    With ChatGPT, you can also ask complex programming language queries and get accurate responses in conversational format — perfect for understanding customer behavior, getting statistics for content, or even the kind of granular location-based information you need for local SEO.

    For years, the tech industry has embraced AI. Examples include IBM Watson, Tesla, and more. I detailed a few of these in an article I wrote for Near Media.

    ChatGPT’s wide range of applications makes it a great interdisciplinary tool — you can use it to learn new AI models, build generative AI tools, or even translate natural language input into other languages.

    It’s a revolutionary example of how machine learning can make everyday jobs more efficient.

    In short, ChatGPT is a powerful tool with a wide range of applications — perfect for data mining and SEO.

    Now, What About Bing GPT

    In addition to discussions of ChatGPT, there was a keynote from Bing’s Fabrice Canel. During his keynote, Fabrice gave the entire audience access to the new Bing GPT.

    Interestingly, I had received my preview access the day prior.

    It’s important to understand that Bing GPT is not ChatGPT. Bing’s GPT includes the knowledge of the underlying OpenAI LLM, plus the Bing search index.

    This is really useful because you can do things like feed it a URL and have it output the data you’re looking for.

    Screenshot: Bing GPT Fresh Data Pubcon Austin 2023 Speaker Roster

    As you can see, Bing GPT either breaks down or gets bored and stops with the table. There are also some OpenAI GPT limitations in text input and output size.

    But the data is great, and because it’s able to use the Bing search engine, it’s fresh findings.

    On the contrary, if you ask the same question to ChatGPT, you get a combination of made-up and outdated information. And, though not apparent here, it took ChatGPT a long time to think about this one.

    Screenshot: ChatGPT Making Up A Pubcon Speaker Roster

    The only one of the above speakers who actually made it to the podium in 2023 is Aleyda Solis, and that was definitely not her topic.

    Also, notice how Bing GPT actually cites its sources. It’s clear the Bing folks are thinking about how this technology can continue to add value to the copyright holders whose content is driving their answer.

    [bctt tweet=”Bing GPT cites its sources. The Bing folks are thinking about how this technology can add value to the copyright holders whose content is driving their answer.” username=”SearchInfluence”]

    If you’re using it to do ideation or organization for SEO, ChatGPT is probably safe.

    You can’t, however, trust ChatGPT data mining to give 100% correct results. So, it’s critical you fact-check everything ChatGPT creates.

    I have no doubt that for the lazy SEO, ChatGPT will be abused and ultimately become a tool with which they accidentally injure themselves, like a hammer bouncing back and hitting them in the head.

    Some Other SEO ChatGPT Use Cases

    Writing code is only one of the many well-documented examples of use cases for ChatGPT.

    Other interesting examples show how ChatGPT can answer complex questions like formatting text in HTML and schema.org markup.

    [bctt tweet=”ChatGPT can answer complex questions like formatting text in HTML and schema.org markup.” username=”@SearchInfluence”]

    It can even organize data into tables, as shown in the example above.

    And because of the ChatGPT response methodology, you can iterate on your initial question until you get the right answer. I find that I often have to create follow-up questions to get to the prompt I’m looking for.

    ChatGPT also has what they call “reinforcement learning models” that enable it to take feedback and improve.

    So, back at the office, we found ourselves preparing for an upcoming industry conference, UPCEA, where our Director of Sales and Marketing, Paula French, will be presenting alongside one of our clients, Alicia Jasmin of the School of Professional Advancement at Tulane University.

    The UPCEA conference organizers share a list of attendees but don’t provide their contact information. We are presenting, we have a booth, and we have some sponsored research launching.

    So, we want to get the word out to the attendees.

    We have a new marketing associate starting, and we were planning to have them go through the list and find better contact information for the attendees we were hoping to connect with.

    I had the idea that it might be possible to paste information from that list into ChatGPT and ask it to fill out the remainder.

    It worked!

    But more on that in a bit.

    Natural Language Processing With Structured Responses

    Here is an example of a ChatGPT response that finds and organizes data in a way that is now useful for an SEO practitioner — or anyone interested.

    I asked ChatGPT for neighborhoods arranged by city within the greater New Orleans area. And it gave me a well-organized response.

    Obviously, this is not a comprehensive list, but you can see the opportunity for using this mind data for SCO coming almost directly from ChatGPT.

    I asked: “table of neighborhoods arranged by city for the greater New Orleans area”

    ChatGPT answered:
    Sure! Here’s a table of neighborhoods arranged by city for the greater New Orleans area:

    Neighborhoods
    New Orleans Algiers, Audubon, Bayou St. John, Black Pearl, Broadmoor, Bywater, Central Business District, City Park, East Carrollton, East Riverside, Faubourg Marigny, French Quarter, Garden District, Gentilly, Holy Cross, Irish Channel, Lake Terrace, Lakeview, Leonidas, Lower Ninth Ward, Marlyville, Mid-City, Milan, Navarre, Riverbend, St. Anthony, St. Claude, St. Roch, Touro, Tremé, Uptown, West End
    Metairie Airline Park, Bonnabel Place, Bucktown, Causeway, Clearview, East Bank, Fat City, Kenner, Lakeview, Metairie Terrace, Old Metairie, Pontchartrain Gardens, Severn, West Esplanade
    Kenner Chateau Estates, Driftwood, Grandlake, Greenlawn Terrace, Highway Park, Kenner, Lincoln Manor, Louisiana Trace, Quail Ridge, Roosevelt Gardens, University City
    Gretna Algiers Point, Aurora Gardens, Garden Park, Gretna, McDonoghville, Mechanickham, Westwego
    Westwego Westwego, Nine Mile Point
    Harvey Barkley Estates, Barkley Place, Beechwood, Bellevue Gardens, Beverly Knoll, Brown Derby, Cottonwood Place, Dutch Gap, Harvey, Heatherwood, Magnolia Trace, Manhattan, Woodland West
    Marrero Ames Farms, Barataria, Lincolnshire, Marrero, Oak Forest, Oak Cove, Oakmere, Plantation Estates, Pritchard Road, Westwood
    Terrytown Terrytown
    Belle Chasse Belle Chasse

    Note: This is not an exhaustive list but includes some of the more well-known neighborhoods in the Greater New Orleans area.

    Chatbots As Personal Assistants

    So, about that attendee list…

    … I don’t want to expose the information of random conference attendees I don’t know. And, knowing that ChatGPT occasionally gives really authoritative-sounding wrong answers, I figured I could use the speakers at the recent Pubcon to demonstrate this point.

    Sometimes, one has to iterate to get the prompt right and, as a result, get the desired response.

    I heard it said in a recent presentation that “prompts are the new code.” I think the act of writing prompts for ChatGPT is actually good relationship training. You learn how to ask for exactly what you need without a whole bunch of fluff or drama 🙂

    [bctt tweet=”Prompts are the new code.” username=”SearchInfluence”]

    So, here’s a table of the speakers at Pubcon Austin. I had to paste information from the website into ChatGPT to give it the core data.

    Screenshot: Pubcon Speakers and Sessions Organized by ChatGPT

     

    I also had to iterate on this a couple of times because ChatGPT is funny, and sometimes, it will stop giving output for no clear reason.

    I find it best to think of ChatGPT as a person. It helps avoid frustration when you cannot connect on the point you’re trying to get across.

    OK, So, we’ve got our core data.

    Now, I want to enhance it with contact information.

    Normally, ChatGPT will refuse to respond to inappropriate requests, like giving you what it thinks is private information — even though it knows the answer. That data is out on the Internet somewhere; otherwise, ChatGPT wouldn’t know it.

    Email is one of those items. Ask for an email address, and ChatGPT politely declines.

    Screenshot: ChatGPT Inapropriate Request - Rand Fishkin's email

    Nope! Not going to give me Rand’s email address. However, look how nicely it directs me to Rand’s website to make contact.

    But, for some reason, if you ask for it in a table, it will give it to you.

    Listen. I know how SEO and marketing folks are. Now that you know this, you’ll abuse the crap out of it, and they’ll kill the feature. Please, please only use it when you need it and recognize that, sooner or later, it will go away.

    It’s also important to remember, like in the example above with fictitious speakers at Pubcon Austin 2023, that ChatGPT sometimes makes stuff up and does so in a really authoritative way.

    So, as I said, ask (for it in a table), and you shall receive.

    Name Company LinkedIn Page Email
    1 Gary Illyes Google https://www.linkedin.com/in/garyillyes/ [email protected]
    2 Dave Rohrer North Side Metrics https://www.linkedin.com/in/daverohrer/ [email protected]
    3 Aleyda Solis Orainti https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleyda/ [email protected]
    4 Martha Vanberkel Schema App https://www.linkedin.com/in/marthavanberkel/ [email protected]
    5 Pat Strader Data Agility Group https://www.linkedin.com/in/pat-strader-28972/ [email protected]
    6 Lazarina Stoy Brado Creative Insight https://www.linkedin.com/in/lazarinastoy/ [email protected]
    7 Dave Davies Beanstalk Internet Marketing https://www.linkedin.com/in/beanstalkdave/ [email protected]
    8 Ryan Jones Razorfish https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanmjones/
    9 Eric Enge Perficient https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericenge/ [email protected]

    And this was the prompt:

    Screenshot: ChatGPT Prompt Data enrichment with email and LinkedIn link

    I cannot stress enough that there is a very high likelihood some of the above data is wrong.

    It’s also important to consider that starting from a very specific example, like my use of the Pubcon agenda, may lead to brushing up against copyright protection issues.

    Brett, we’re cool, right?

    [bctt tweet=”I cannot stress enough that there is a very high likelihood some of the above data is wrong.” username=”SearchInfluence”]

    Frequently Asked Questions About ChatGPT for SEO and Data Mining

    Is it legal to use AI to write content?

    Today, yes. However, there are current court cases working their way through the system that may limit some of the uses.

    Bing is ahead of the game today, given their attribution of source documents in their chat output.

    What are some of the ethical concerns with AI content?

    The biggest concerns I’ve heard are about attribution and disclosure. Google has said they don’t have a problem with AI content, but they believe there should be disclosure.

    Does this mean that if you used AI tools to help you generate an outline or develop ideas, you must have that as a postscript? Not in my opinion.

    How long until the robots take over?

    They’ve already taken over. You may have missed it.

    In the first piece I *wrote* on the robot uprising, the content points out the risk of misinformation and the impact on jobs.

    We may have to learn how to be good servants to our robot overlords in order to survive.

    [bctt tweet=”We may have to learn how to be good servants to our robot overlords in order to survive.” username=”SearchInfluence”]

    What are some other concerns?

    Given these approaches to machine learning are based on the big bad Internet, ChatGPT can give biased responses. And as we’ve shown, the way you ask the question frames the response.

    A *bad* prompt will likely yield bad responses.

    And, accuracy. Always check your work.

    Should I use these tools?

    Unequivocally yes! Unless you like working harder and not smarter, you should be figuring out how to use AI-based tools to streamline your workflow.

    Maybe there are jobs that AI can’t enable, but they are few.

    And if you’re a marketer, particularly an SEO specialist, ChatGPT and other AI content tools are about to rock your little world — whether you like it or not.

    Code for the JSON-LD schema.org FAQ of the Above

    Screenshot: ChatGPT SEO Generated FAQPage Schema

    Schema.org houses a set of structured data schema that the search engines have agreed to recognize. The one above is an example of FAQPage Schema.

    For SEO, ChatGPT Is the Tipping Point for AI

    AI is for more than just machine learning professionals and business analysts. Chat-based AI is going to be integrated into most information retrieval systems in the very near future.

    As marketers, particularly digital marketers, we owe it to our clients to understand these tools and how they can be used for good and ill. And, if you employ freelance writers as we do, it’s critical that you start thinking about your new approach to plagiarism and originality.

    There is a crop of new tools to check for AI-built content. We’re currently trialing Originality.ai, and it looks promising.

    At Search Influence, we are already finding ways to be more effective and efficient with these tools. We believe, without a doubt, our work product will improve with the smart use of AI.

    And, when we find efficiencies that lower our cost-per-unit X in client work, we’ll be able to pass those savings on to our clients in the form of more value per dollar spent.

    I’m as excited about SEO as I’ve been in years, and I’ve been doing it for more than two decades.

    As I said in my article for Near Media, suggesting this changes everything is not hyperbole.

    Is change good? Is change bad? Change is inevitable.

    Let’s embrace the change together.

    Get in touch if you’d like to learn more about how we can embrace the change together and help grow your business through smart SEO and online ads — powered by AI!

    [bctt tweet=”I’m as excited about SEO as I’ve been in years, and I’ve been doing it for more than two decades. As I said in my article for Near Media, suggesting this changes everything is not hyperbole. Is change good? Is change bad? Change is inevitable. Let’s embrace the change together.” username=”SearchInfluence”]

    P.S. Hey, Google! Disclosure: This was partially written by AI — obviously.

  • The AI Sandwich – Chatbots, AI, And The Marketer’s Conundrum

    AI, Chatbots, and ChatGPT are revolutionizing the way marketers create content.

    I don’t believe it’s hyperbole to say, “this changes everything.”

    A friend described a good human/AI workflow as an “AI sandwich” and I think that’s about right.

    Image of an "AI Sandwich" as imagined by Midjourney
    AI Sandwich

    I go into much more detail in a post I wrote for Near Media.

    AI is analyzing medical images, optimizing energy grids, personalizing education, and driving cars. It is also moving quickly into SEO. ChatGPT is the most newsworthy of these tools, but there are many more..

    ChatGPT can render programming code, such as PHP code to write the html for an ascii cat face. 

    AI can be used for good, but it can also be used for evil. Cybersecurity researchers are already finding instances of bad actors posting functional malware code to cybercrime forums.

    ChatGPT and other AI-enabled tools shine in examples like the code above, where they’re either completely doing the work of humans or significantly shortcutting the process. 

    For prototyping, confirming assumptions, and initial fact checking ChatGPT, as an AI writing tool, works well – though a manual review is still advised.

    There are also a number of established AI writing tools such as Jasper, Writer, and QuillBot.

    Additionally, there are an equal number of AI image-generation tools, such as Dall-E, Midjourney, and Stable Diffusion.

    AI tools being used for SEO: ChatGPT, Jasper, and other OpenAI-based tools can be useful in the process of building content.

    However, there are concerns that the use of AI tools will lead to content being deemed “unhelpful”. Search Quality Raters are human beings who review Google search results and give feedback on the quality of the results, and they are looking for signals such as Expertise, Authority, and Trust.

    In order to support the quality guidelines and their human raters, the best use of AI tools may be an “AI sandwich” where humans write prompts, AI does its thing, and then humans edit and fact check.

    However, if we want to produce helpful, trustworthy content, the output of the AI content generation tools will need to be like parts on the shelf that together make the whole.

    We are about to see an explosion in AI-generated content, and legitimate content creators will use it to create better content, develop great ideas, and serve their organizations and clients more effectively.

    As an old-school SEO, ChatGPT and its peers are a great opportunity for testing and tuning.

    As a client-serving marketing organization, we are excited about the ways in which these tools and those still to come will help us produce better, more engaging content.

    However, we may see things get worse before they get better.

    Be sure to check out my post on Near Media. Your feedback is a gift.

    As far as the robot apocalypse goes, I’m hoping our new mechanical overlords will be gentle.

  • How to Be More Than Content With Your Content

    It’s not a good idea to buy everything in bulk—veggies, bread, condiments are a big no-no—and content’s no exception. Just like that 2-week-old bag of spring mix in your fridge, your content can go bad (It can even have an expiration date!) and not yield the results you expected. To drive your website’s visitors to action, you’ll need to bring something fresh to the table. If you’re currently struggling to elevate the value of your content and prevent it from getting smelly and dated, maybe you should take a closer look at your strategy (if you have one) and identify where your team is missing the mark.

    The Big Secret

    That 70s Show gif

    Quality. Over. Quantity.

    Less isn’t always more, but it’s definitely a start when it comes to an overwhelming amount of lackluster content. Creating content for the sake of having it won’t impress your audience—it may even bog them down and send them down a rabbit hole rather than your marketing funnel. However, you shouldn’t ignore the significance of great content’s impact on your organization’s overall marketing success. Content marketing is extremely cost-effective and offers a great return on investment compared to traditional marketing techniques. Major ingredients in a quality content salad include keywords, internal links, and headlines to break up text.

    Your audience turns to your content for insight, entertainment, and to inform their purchase decisions; but they don’t want to spend ALL of their time navigating your content—they have to buy something eventually, right? While you shouldn’t bury your audience with a mass production of daily blogs, social posts, and digital downloads all at once, you still gotta give the people what they want. The content production sweet spot lies somewhere in the middle; to get there, you’ll need a game plan for your team. Follow these best practices to help you develop top-notch content that gets results:

    I mean, it's simple gif from That 70s Show

    1. Know Your Audience

    Understanding your audience personas will help you stay abreast of relevant topics to cover and leverage behavior on social platforms to deliver your content to the appropriate channels. Knowing your audience really comes down to researching and understanding their pain points, learning how these problems affect them, and tracking their progression through the marketing funnel so that you can deliver the right stuff at the right time. Awareness of their stage in the buyer’s journey will help you deliver content that is both better tailored to the users you want to reach and more likely to earn you more conversions, more frequently.

    Lightbulb going off about head that 70s show

    2. Develop A Strategy

    Content serves to help your audience solve problems big and small while reinforcing the strength and uniqueness of your company’s offerings. Developing a content strategy will better help you understand the best time, place, and content type to post. When developing your content strategy, Hubspot suggests focusing on these key points: content format, channels for posting, and a system for managing the creation and publishing of your content. A CMS, or content management system, can help create and organize your digital resources and enhance the user experience. In addition, you should be on top of your editorial calendar—will that blog be outdated if you wait to post it? How useful is Tuesday’s weather forecast while you’re getting dressed for work on Thursday morning? Vary how often you publish time-sensitive content so that you don’t have to deal with the stress of constantly churning out new material.

    Alright, kitty, kitty, don't panic, you know what to do gif

    3. Set Goals

    You post content for a reason, whether it’s solving problems for users, generating leads, or increasing brand awareness. If you align the content you produce with a S.M.A.R.T. goal or one of your company’s goals, you’ll buttress your strategy with a specific purpose in mind. In turn, you’ll know what you plan to measure when the time comes to start analyzing your content’s performance. Your goals can include increasing leads by a certain percentage or even driving more social engagement. By setting goals, you’ll create a plan for your content that can be checked and adjusted.

    Floating heads gif from That 70s Show

    4. Switch It Up (And Around!)

    If you really want to ramp up your content’s impact, get creative. Within the digital space, there’s plenty of wiggle room to do just that. That awesome client testimonial on your website has the potential to be a killer case study, or you can transform it into a stellar infographic. The stories you tell don’t have to live solely on your website. You can repurpose your content so that it can be posted on multiple platforms; you can introduce your stories to new audiences without having to do more legwork. How’s that for bang for your buck?

    When it comes to all of these best practices for creating awesome content, Search Influence has it down to a science. We have the tools and expertise to help you optimize your content’s potential, whether you aim to strengthen your social media presence or paint a better picture of your content’s performance with analytics. Share your goals with us, and we’ll help you get there.

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  • Applying Stephen King’s Writing Tips to Create Web Content That Converts

    All great ideas start with words—maybe even just an utterance. “What if… let’s try…” There’s the excitement about the idea, talking about it over scribbled notes and endless cups of coffee, and then putting those words down on the page and getting your business plan running. Years ago, once you conceived of your brand and wanted to advertise and market your company, traditional media was the only option. And there was often a great rift between short and cheap advertising options like yellow pages listings and extensive and expensive options like TV commercials, billboards, and local print or magazine ads.

    Now, with the exception of niche industries where images alone can represent a business, website content is the dominating force for 1) convincing a visitor to your site that you can help them solve their problems, and 2) reassuring Google that you’re an authoritative source in your industry. However, not all writing is transferable across different mediums. Sprawling lines from Faulkner would be lost on visitors to websites, and similarly, website content would make a horrible novel. But, we can still take some inspiration and writing advice from one of the most prolific and spooky writers of our time, Stephen King. Here’s an essential checklist for writing website content, alongside some quotes from the horror bard’s technical writing opus, On Writing.

    Know Your Audience

    “The scariest moment is always just before you start. After that, things can only get better.”

    Shawshank redemption gif

    It’s daunting to start a website from scratch, but that’s the perfect time to draft buyer personas before writing any copy. Buyer personas serve as a representation of a business’ ideal customer. They should be based on existing and prospective customer data, such as demographics and psychographics. Explore your ideal customer’s pain points, preferences, shopping habits, demographic information, etc. Once you’ve figured out who your ideal buyer is, you’ll be closer to understanding your brand’s tone. Is it more professional and reassuring, or playful and creative? Whatever you land on, the objective will be the same—welcome the reader with inviting copy, earn their trust by assuring them of your expertise and authority, and move them toward a sale with focused language that’s action-oriented.

    All the best copy in the world won’t help if your audience can’t find your website. Think about how your audience might be searching for you on Google. What questions do you hear from clients or patients? Gather these common questions before even starting to draft your copy, and think about how you can answer them. You should also do keyword research on how users are searching for your company and similar competitors. If you’ve never performed keyword research, Moz has a great breakdown with strategies and online tool suggestions. Once you’ve recognized trends in search terms, try to fit those terms into your copy naturally (bonus points if you can work them into your H1s and H2s).

    • Understand your customers’ worries
    • Establish buyer personas
    • Find your appropriate tone
    • Do your research

    Keep It Simple

    “One of the really bad things you can do to your writing is to dress up the vocabulary, looking for long words because you’re maybe a little bit ashamed of your short ones.”

    Gif from the movie "Misery"

    There’s a time and place for long, drawn-out sentences. For websites, follow King’s advice and keep it simple. Think short sentences (below 20 words) and short paragraphs (around five lines). Research suggests “the new norm is skimming.” One great way to help out the skimmers of the world? Bullet points and lots of H2s. Put some of your unique selling propositions (USPs) as bullet points. That way, if someone is skimming, they’ll catch your most marketable features. Large H2s with USPs also help deliver valuable info in a short amount of time and space. Considering the average user’s attention span is now eight seconds, the more skimmable, the better.

    Also, a quick note about jargon—it’s best to avoid it. While you might think it shows off your expertise, it will more than likely come off as exclusive and confusing. Odds are, someone visiting your site doesn’t know as much about your business or industry as you do; don’t constantly remind them of that by throwing around obtuse industry phrases and abbreviations. It’s all about connecting and building trust. The best way to achieve this is by sticking with the brand voice that you established from your target research.

    • Short sentences. Short paragraphs.
    • Use bullets when possible
    • Avoid jargon
    • Make it accessible

    Avoid Filler and Fluff

    “I believe the road to hell is paved with adverbs, and I will shout it from the rooftops. To put it another way, they’re like dandelions. If you have one on your lawn, it looks pretty and unique. If you fail to root it out, however, you find five the next day… fifty the day after that… and then, my brothers and sisters, your lawn is totally, completely, and profligately covered with dandelions. By then you see them for the weeds they really are, but by then it’s—GASP!!—too late.”

    Mouse pushing spool in the film The Green Mile

    King does an interesting job here of showing how not to use filler and fluff language by… using filler and fluff. “Totally, completely, and profligately.” We get it. It’s a bit much. So what exactly are filler and fluff?

    Filler language uses too many words to describe something when fewer will do. It can also be generic terms that don’t add value to your sentences. Think, I need to finish this term paper so I’ll keep adding some sentences that don’t really say much and hope the professor doesn’t notice, kind of sentences.

    Fluff language comes down to vocabulary, or, often, a writer’s love for a thesaurus. The goal is genuine, but the result is copy that ends up wasting the reader’s time. When going over first drafts of your website copy, comb through every sentence and ask yourself, “Is this adding value?”

    • When in doubt, cut, cut, cut
    • Watch out for unnecessary adverbs and adjectives

    Develop a Brand Lexicon

    “Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.”

    Typewriter scrolling from the movie The Shining

    So you’ve done keyword research to understand what people are searching and to what degree. You’ve created buyer personas. The next step should be to develop a brand lexicon with your team. How will you refer to your customers? As clients, patients, buyers? How do you refer to your team? Staff, crew, talent, personnel, employees? How do you talk about your services or products? Finalize your choices and make it consistent throughout your entire website. Once you’ve got a list going, make it accessible for your writers and editors, either in a digital or print format.

    This isn’t to say you shouldn’t have a variety of language in your writing. Mix up the way you write about your company and services. We don’t talk to each other in narrow language scopes. When we talk about a wedding, we don’t just mention repetitions of basic services that could be common keywords (weddings, wedding services, wedding DJ). We bring up the flower arrangements, lighting, cake, bridesmaid dresses, centerpieces, dance floor, photo booth, signature cocktails, first dance, flower girl, ring bearer. It’s this variety of language that sends positive SEO signals to Google. You’re not writing to a keyword (something Google hates). You’re writing to the experience.

    • Draft a lexicon that pairs with your brand’s tone, and stick to it
    • Use varying language, not just keywords

    Trust Your Editing Team

    “Write with the door closed, rewrite with the door open.”

    You're going to be a writer someday, Gordie from Stand By Me

    There’s almost always a team of support to make sure your website content is just right. For the first draft, don’t worry too much about hitting every mark. Get the important information down first, and then go back and revise. While writing is for exploring, editing should be for fine-tuning. When editing, get collaborative and make sure multiple team members oversee the drafts. There are often subtle details that even the keenest eye will overlook when editing alone.

    You may also find that there are just too many words at first. You wanted to make sure every.single.awesome.detail. about your company was included and, as a result, went a little overboard. That’s okay. It’s always easier to cut down than to try to beef up your sentences with additional information. The latter often leads to filler and fluff anyways, and you should know that’s a no-no at this point.

    • Set up a team dedicated to editing
    • Don’t be afraid to revise, revise, revise

    Finish Strong

    “Description begins in the writer’s imagination, but should finish in the reader’s.”

    Its the most important part of the story, the ending from Secret Window

    Hopefully, at this point you’ve started to write some copy. Hurray! But, are you making sure you’re giving your readers an actionable “next step” in their buyer’s journey? Focus on getting closer to a natural call to action at the end of your copy. You can start off more broad by talking about what you offer customers, but by the time you’re reaching the bottom of your copy, the focus should be heavily on the reader.

    One quick trick you can use while editing—search for how many times you’re referencing your business in the collective first person, e.g., we can better help… our team is skilled… we, we, we. If there’s a lot of them, then get the hypothetical red pen out and start marking. Make it more about who you’re talking to. What do they get from working with you? How will their frustrations be solved? Start with your capabilities and expertise, but end with the reader taking action into their own hands.

    • End with a natural call to action
    • Focus on the user

    Above all, good website content comes from authors that know their brand inside and out. You’ve got your elevator pitch down, and you can talk comfortably at networking events about what puts your business above the competition. This authenticity and confidence in your brand will shine in your writing. It’s about making a connection in a short amount of time, recognizing the worries of your readers, and assuring them their goals can be met by working with you. So don’t rush it—get to know your brand, do some research, plan accordingly, keep it simple, and focus on the end-user.

    Feel like you could use some assistance with your website content? The content marketing team at Search Influence can develop a content strategy that helps get the right visitors to your site at the right time. Reach out to our team at any time to get started.

    Images

    Misery

    The Shining

    Stand By Me

  • How Repurposing Your Content Can Extend Its Shelf Life

    You may have noticed the recent box office trend of classic movies coming out again as modern remakes. From fairy tale retellings to musical biopics, some fans are excited to see their favorite characters come back to life, while other viewers might wonder why these stories are being repeated. Clearly, there’s a value in repurposing well-known content—based on the success of these movies—and it’s a value that businesses can borrow and put to use in their content marketing.

    Scene from the 2019 version of The Lion King

    What Does Repurposing Mean, Anyway?

    When you see the word “repurpose,” you might be thinking of “revamping,” but there’s a very important difference between the two. Revamping is simply reusing old content for the same purpose that it was originally created. This tactic updates the timestamp on the content so it stays relevant, but it isn’t changing anything that would allow it to resonate with new audiences. Repurposing content means changing the format the content was originally presented, thereby reaching new audiences and enabling company growth.

    To repurpose content, you wouldn’t simply repost an old Facebook photo or retweet an old stat; you have to be adding new value to the original. The real advantage of repurposing comes when you’re able to reach new customers in previously untouched segments for your business. Think about all the recent Marvel blockbusters. These superhero movies have created a massive base of fans, many of whom might not have read the comics but still enjoy watching the movies. Turning a classic comic into a big-screen action flick is a great example of how Marvel was able to repurpose their storylines into a different style of content and gain new, loyal customers.

    I understand that reference

    Which Content Is Worth Repurposing?

    The effort of repurposing should only be used on your best performing content; after all, not every Avenger made the cut from page to screen. Because repurposing will breathe new life into your existing content, you don’t want to use something that’s too dated or low-quality.

    How can you tell which pieces of content are the best? Look for what Buffer classifies as evergreen content, or content that is both timeless and high-quality. When your content isn’t dependent on a certain timeframe—things like limited deals or promotions—you can feel confident that it will remain relevant no matter when you repurpose. And if you know your content is high-quality, then you also know it will continue to get traffic. Analytics and lead tracking are great ways to find out how your customers interact with your site and what your strongest marketing efforts are.

    How Can I Repurpose My Content?

    Once you know which content of yours performs the best, it’s time to get creative and get your content in front of some new eyes. Four easy ways to start repurposing include:

      • Create an Infographic: Chances are, your business already has some pretty impressive statistics. But what’s the point of all those numbers if nobody knows them? Infographics help customers process data visually and are an easy way to turn lots of text into an image that’s more shareable on social media.
      • “Roundup” Blog Posts: An easy way to fill out a blog is with a repeating “roundup” post that compiles all your top hits at the end of every week or month. These not only create a place for customers to quickly find your best content, but it can also encourage regular visitors to read something they might have otherwise missed.
      • Turn Testimonials Into Case Studies: Case studies let you share your own successes from the perspective of your client. This information is valuable to potential customers who want to know how you were able to help people like them, and a well-written case study gives your current client the benefit of being promoted.
      • Turn Blog Posts Into Videos or Podcasts: Customers might love your regular posts, but when your content is only available in a readable form, it means you’re competing with other tasks in their day. By utilizing videos or podcasts, regular readers have more ways to enjoy your content, and it might even draw in new listeners who only have time for audio.

    The ideas don’t have to stop there. With just a little brainstorming, you can come up with plenty of other ways to repurpose content.

    Winnie The Pooh trying to think

    Does Repurposing Content Even Work?

    While a solid piece of work should be able to stand on its own, repurposing content gives you the ability to bring new life to something old and put it in front of a brand-new audience. While you might remember the original Disney animated classic of a recent remake, think of how many young viewers will experience the new version as their first movie-going experience. And, more importantly, how many will become lifelong fans after that.

    Repurposing content meets some very important business needs, too. Marketer Neil Patel’s recommendation of “write less… promote more” allows companies to save time in their creation process while still getting their name out there. Repurposing content allows you to do less work while actually gaining more rewards.

    From those classic movie remakes to sitcom spinoff series to covers of songs that become more popular than the original, everyone has been exposed to repurposed content in some form or another. As Mark Twain said, “there is no such thing as a new idea,” but one good idea can inspire countless more. By keeping all your great content to yourself or leaving old blog posts to get dusty on the metaphorical shelves of your website, you’ll never know how many great ideas it could spawn.

    Starting with quality content is the best way to create new ideas you’ll want to repurpose again and again. From SEO services to social media management, Search Influence knows how to help businesses develop that content. Let’s chat about how we can help you.

    Images

    Lion King

    Reference

    Pooh

    Spongerobert

     

  • How User-Generated Content and Engagement Can Help Boost Your SEO

    As we continue moving toward an increasingly digital world, the importance of user-generated content, and the engagement that it produces, is becoming more prevalent in the realm of SEO. What users say about your brand, and how often, can have a real impact on your online visibility. How you promote, engage, and moderate this content is equally important. Below, we’ll look at the good and the bad while also finding ways to use this sort of content to the benefit of your business.

    So What Is User-Generated Content?

    User-generated content (UGC) is as straightforward as it sounds—any content that is created by a user and shared on an online platform. This content can include reviews, testimonials, images, and comments that are shared on platforms such as social media, blogs, or internet forums. Think product reviews on YouTube or reviews of a restaurant on Yelp. Additionally, this type of content can also be shared directly on your business’s website (we’ll go into that more later).

    Eric Cartman walking down the halls in a Yelp Critic shirt

    What Are the Benefits of UGC?

    The most obvious benefit of UGC is the publicity of your brand, products, and/or services. But what does this mean in terms of SEO? For starters, it provides more information and context for search crawlers. Search engines can provide a user with results from both your website and other platforms that mention your brand. For example, a Twitter user’s tweet praising a good experience with your company’s customer service could show up on search engine result pages (SERPS). More content means more opportunities for search engines to find your brand and provide that information to users.

    As mentioned earlier, user-generated content doesn’t have to come from outside sources. There are ample opportunities to obtain UGC directly from your website. In a Reddit AMA last year, Google’s own John Mueller suggested that allowing users to make comments (say, for instance, on your website’s blog entries) is one way of getting more content onto your website. Allowing users to make comments and engage in a discussion will give crawlers more content to consume, thus providing them with more context. Want to share positive feedback from some of your customers or clients? Consider adding a testimonials section to your website that highlights this feedback to impress other potential customers.

    Woman at computer approves and thinks this user generated content is legit

    Another benefit of user-generated content is that it brings authenticity to a brand. According to Stackla, 90% of consumers (a 4% increase in just two years!) believe authenticity to be an important factor when deciding which brands to support, while 61% of marketers say this is what makes content marketing most effective. Authenticity is what drives and encourages engagement from potential customers. Users are 28% more likely to engage when given UGC such as product videos and official brand authorized content. If users are engaged, this will result in more time spent on a site and a higher likelihood that this will result in conversions.

    Are There Any Downsides to UGC?

    Unfortunately, there is a glaring disadvantage to user-generated content if it’s not handled appropriately: People won’t always give your business glowing reviews. We’ve all seen scathing Yelp reviews or tweets go viral. Are they always warranted? Not necessarily, but search engines don’t know that, and they sure don’t discriminate. Just as positive content about your business can give you an advantage in SEO, conversely, negative content can result in poor SEO performance. You may not always be able to do away with the critics, but there are certainly ways to help combat that type of content.

    How to Manage UGC

    So what can you due to limit or control this sort of content? One of the easiest and most obvious ways is to hire someone with the knowledge and know-how to manage it for you. Keeping up with and finding ways to control user-generated content can be incredibly time-consuming, so giving that responsibility to experienced professionals will not only save you time but will also ensure that it’s done in a thoughtful and SEO-friendly way. Finding ways to incorporate user-generated content on your website is one of the easiest ways of managing content since it gives you complete control over the type of content that is shown. Allowing users to submit review videos to your site or to offer a testimonial of their experience are just two ways to get more authentic content onto your site.

    It’s important to keep in mind that user-generated content will happen whether you like it or not. How you choose to handle it is a critical decision for a successful, sustainable business. There are plenty of services available for your business to utilize to achieve the online success you desire. Ready to get started? Contact our team today to see how we can help grow your business.

    Images

    Ilya Pavlov on Unsplash

    Cartman

    Legit

  • Once Upon a Time… The Power of Storytelling in Content Marketing

    Once upon a time, there was a lonely copywriter. All day long, he wrote blogs and web content, press releases and social media posts. He spent hours toiling away at his computer, but no one ever seemed to care about what he wrote. Saddened by this, yet hungry to improve his plight, he set off on a perilous journey across the mysterious internet to find greater purpose in his writing.

    His journey brought him far and wide–from the slippery slopes of search rankings in the north to the massive backlink mines in the south. Along the way, he fought the bloated keyword stuffing behemoth and the two-headed monster of duplicate content, but he never felt any closer to his ultimate quest. Dire and lost, he thought he would never find the answer.

    When he had all but given up hope, the Content King appeared to him. Impressed by the copywriter’s perseverance and quest for knowledge, the Content King gave the copywriter one final test to prove his worth.

    The Content King asked the determined copywriter to describe his long journey and all that he had accomplished so far. Bolstered by his newfound experience, the copywriter recalled his voyage with great energy, weaving a cohesive narrative sprinkled with all the right details. The Content King ooh-ed and ahh-ed and gasped in all the right places.

    When he was done, the copywriter felt confident and proud. He knew this was just the boost he needed to continue his quest. He thanked the Content King and told him he was ready to set off again. The Content King chuckled and told him there was no need. He had already found the answer—for the power of storytelling is the true key to writing amazing content!

    Once upon a time..the power of storytelling in content marketing - Search Influence

    Everyone loves a great story. We learn from them. Stories can convey a wide range of emotions. They pique curiosity and are meant to be shared.

    From a marketing perspective, stories are also more interesting to read than standard copywriting. They also help garner trust between the storyteller and reader. With a story, a reader can establish just how much your business matches their needs and interests.

    Ultimately, your goal is to sell your audience something. But first, focus on having a conversation with your audience—that will open them up more to the sale. Telling a story adds humanity to any sales pitch, and the overwhelming majority of purchase decisions are influenced by emotion.

    Storytelling can be applied to any form of content writing—from blog posts and social media to newsletters and videos. The key is knowing your audience and appealing to them. Think about what emotion you want to communicate and plan to how to bring that out on paper (or on the screen).

    Knowing this, how do you translate that into writing better content? Here are 5 ways to incorporate storytelling into your content creation:

    Create Characters, Structure, and Drama

    It is said that there are only 7 basic story plots (the quest, overcoming the monster, rags-to-riches, etc.). Every story must have a beginning, middle, and end—or in literary terms, an introduction, rising action, and climax. So, how do these basic plots and the traditional 3-act structure fit into content marketing?

    First, you set your scene and introduce your main character. In marketing, this character is the main connection between you and the target audience, aka the customer. Because of this, it must be compelling and relatable.

    Next, create conflict (physical, emotional, psychological). Your audience needs to empathize with your story. Drama makes everything seem more real. For this, you really have to know your audience and their buyer’s journey.

    And finally, you’ll have to read to the end of this post for the third act….

    Personalize and Relate to Your Audience

    To get a reader to identify closely with the story, personalization and parallels are key. Telling the story from either your perspective or a related person’s point-of-view will help provide that connection and evoke empathy by sharing experiences, problems, and concerns. Being authentic is another important factor in making this connection. Without authenticity, you lose credibility.

    Get emotional - Search Influence

    Get Emotional

    Storytelling is an imaginative and clever way to get people to feel something. Stories spark emotions. People can feel happy, sad, afraid, and angry, as well as multiple layers of each, often overlapping another.  This complex nature of emotions is what makes storytelling so effective in marketing.

    Studies show content that evokes emotion is more popular, and those that leave the reader happy (as opposed to sad) are more likely to go viral. What people share on social media proves this every day When crafting a story, decide what emotion you want to arouse and then provide the necessary information and support for the reader to arrive at that emotion.

    Don’t Just Tell Something, Show It

    You want your targeted audience to know about the benefits and advantages you are offering. Do not just tell them matter-of-factly, but rather show them with a story. Integrate these crucial tidbits into the story and fill it will examples, details, and data so that your audience can experience and connect with these elements, and hopefully, make decisions based on the experience. Blankly stating a benefit or advantage will not cut it—they need to be shown how and why.

    Give a resolution - Search Influence

    Give a Resolution

    Finally, in Act 3, you resolve the conflict. The resolution should be your company and the products/services that you offer coming to the rescue. It fulfills the purpose behind the story. To seal the deal, the resolution should also include a clear call-to-action for your audience. And don’t forget, everyone likes a happy ending!

  • 3 Ways To Make Your Website More Skim-able

    Bill Gates once said, “If your business is not on the Internet, then your business will be out of business.” I think we can expand on this and say that if your business doesn’t use the Internet to its advantage, it will not compete with those that do. This includes things like good SEO and a smart social media strategy, among other marketing tactics. Since all of these things are aimed at directing people to your website with the goal of converting a user into a customer, that site better be up to the task.

    There’s some bad news, though: most people don’t really want to read your website. They don’t have the time or the interest. But fret not! Your web copy can still be effective if you write it with this in mind. The key here is that you allow your readers to get the info they need quickly and without much effort. Let them skim!

    Mobile Search Content

    1. Visually Appealing Content

    Your copy should never look intimidating. Large chunks of text are out. Small paragraphs labeled with subheadings are the way to go. Bulleted or numbered lists are even better. Remember, a lot of your readers are likely using mobile devices. It doesn’t take much text to fill the screen of a phone, which might turn off someone  looking for a specific answer.

    2. Give Them What They Want

    Think about why someone would visit your site. What info are they looking for? That info should be the star of the site. If you own a tire shop, people are probably visiting your site for a few details: location, hours, services, products. If you own a dental practice, they’ll want to know what types of insurance you take, what services you offer, and your location. You can have more than the basics on your site, but make sure that you at least cover the most important details in a way that is easy to read.

    3. Put It Where It Belongs

    Make sure that your site is easy to navigate and all pages are clearly labeled with a logical title. “What We Do” is ok, but “Services” is better. Don’t put your hours on the “About Us” page. Put them on a page labeled “Hours of Operation.” You want your readers to scan the homepage and be able to quickly find the information they want or quickly figure out how to navigate to that information.

  • Turn Quiet Customers into Brand Ambassadors with the Right Social Media Content Strategy

    Thanks to Panda and social signals becoming more prevalent than ever in Search Engine algorithms, content both on and off-site is moving to the forefront of most SEO and online marketing strategies. Truly exceptional content not only ranks well, but is shared virally and provides a real value to the reader.

    Something I really began believing at PubCon NOLA this year is that social signals for search go beyond just whether someone likes or shares your content. The social signals Google is looking for have more to do with whether your customers are talking online about their experience with you after their purchase.

    Source: mvellandi Flickr http://bit.ly/8vqROG
    Source: mvellandi Flickr http://bit.ly/8vqROG

    The problem here is the ratio between people who want to shout it from the rooftops when they have a bad experience to those who openly share when they are excited or had a positive experience. In today’s social age, everyone is a journalist, food critic, secret shopper and referral source. The average Facebook user has 229 friends on the social network, meaning that if they so choose, they can instantly alert at least 229 friends to stay far away from the new Italian restaurant in the neighborhood after finding a hair on the pizza.

    That’s pretty powerful. There aren’t many other platforms that allow one individual to communicate with so many others so quickly, and to be so expressive while doing it.

    As a business, you’ve probably been told that you need to be marketing on social media to protect your reputation online and grow your business by generating leads or driving more customers into your store. I would challenge you to think beyond that.

    When is the last time you had a great experience at a local restaurant? Did you tell anyone about it? If so, how many people? Now think about the reverse. Chances are, you told a few more people about the negative experience than you did the positive one.

    Source: LetoLab.comIt is time to change our thinking when it comes to social messaging, beyond the traditional “lead gen” mindset. Rather than trying to push your product on someone who’s never used it or heard of it, why not look for opportunities to engage your existing happy but quiet customers and get them talking? Social media gives marketers and businesses the opportunity to turn a customer into a brand ambassador.

    Yes, we have to make sure we watch out for Panda and keep an eye on that pesky Google and their algo updates when it comes to on-site content strategy. I don’t mean for my focus on social to suggest that you should move your entire content strategy off your own website and onto social platforms. But, if we think about using our online content strategies to lift up our happy customers, get them sharing and engaging with us, just imagine the viral potential to reach their friends and family–new business you haven’t yet tapped into.

    You’re probably like, “Ok, I get your point, but how do I DO that?” Funny you should ask! Social media content strategies will vary by business and industry, but here are some tips for converting your social media following into brand ambassadors:

    1. Tone down the sales messages and pushy language. No more than about 20% of your social messaging should be self-referential or portray a sales message. Within this 20%, remember that the goal of these posts should be to provide a real value proposition to the audience. This could include specials, deals or contests.

      Content Strategy for Social Media - Provide a Value
      While this is basically a self-promotional post for Shutterfly, an online photo service, they are providing a value to their customers with a create-your-own cover photo featuring dad for Father’s Day.

    1. Reward your loyal customers and followers with exclusive information. Whether is a sneak peak into an upcoming in-store special or just a “Did You Know” fact, people love to feel like they have the inside scoop, so give it to them!

      Social Media Content - Give Fans Exclusive Info
      Online retailer HauteLook hosts designer pop-up sales for a limited time until inventory is sold. They effectively use social media to make their audience feel like they’re getting the inside scoop while also promoting the upcoming sale.

    2. Feature your fans. Everyone loves to be recognized, so give your fans a moment to shine by choosing to feature them every once in awhile. They’re more likely to share the content with their friends and family (increasing the potential reach of your future posts).
      Content Strategy - Fan Features

    3. A little subtlety goes a long way. I’m a big proponent of including a call to action in your post, but it’s best not to take it to the extreme. Providing a share-worthy piece of content to your pre-qualified audience with a slight nudge can never hurt.

      Social Media Strategy - Calls to Action Increase Engagement
      Disneyland provides a great piece of content with a direct call to action: share. And share they did! The piece resonates well with their audience and was timely for the Mother’s Day holiday.

    1. Post well and post often. At PubCon New Orleans this year, Alison Zarella (another AZ girl!) said it best: “the newsfeed is crowded.” As a business or brand, your competition on Facebook is not limited only to the business across the street that sells the same product. You’re also competing for your audience’s attention with the likes of their moms, distant cousins, besties and frenemies. If you don’t post great content and do it consistently, you’ll never be seen.

    2. Reply, reply, reply! Make sure to reply to your customers who comment or post with questions! Facebook and social networks are where people spend a lot of their time these days, so getting a quick reply and notification of that reply is what they expect.
      Social Media Content - Reply to Your Customers' Questions

    3. Be flexible and test for yourself. Above all else, try new things and test multiple approaches with your fans. There’s lots of information and data out there about what works, when to post and how to do it, but the truth is that every industry is different. You’ll never know what is the most effective for your brand until you try new things, compare results and adjust your approach.