On Page SEO - Links Optimization

I was recently asked about internal and external links with regards to on site search optimization.
It is no secret, anyone who has ever read a bit about SEO knows that links are an important factor in optimizing your website for search.

There are two types of links: internal and external.

Internal links link between pages in your website
External links link to and from your website to other sites.

But what to do? 
First things first – you need to understand that the best way to create a link network is to systematically create links over time. So yes, you need to be committed to this process. The good news is that you can control quite a large portion of your link network and create is naturally. If you create this network using simple logic, the links will work well for you. Google encourages the natural way to thinking. This means, if you do things the way it makes sense to do them, it will probably work well with Google too.

So how best to arrange all these links?

Here it is in a nutshell, a procedure that anyone can conduct on their website if they are willing to invest the time.

Internal links:

One of the on-page optimization tactics you can create yourself is a hierarchical set of internal links - meaning links between pages in your website.
The idea is to link between the pages on your website but using logic and hierarchy.
Consider that Google crawlers use links to move between the pages. If your network of internal links is done logically, it will help Google better understand your site and optimize it for search.

So what to do?

1. Create links using your keywords for each page.
2 - Hierarchy in internal links mean that sub-pages link to the parent page in the navigation and main navigation pages link to home page. And vice versa.
Linking between pages that share a theme is also a good logical pattern.

For example:
My site has a home page, an about page, contact us page, a products page and an applications page.
I have three products and two applications.
1 product serves one application and the other two serve another application.

What would my link network look like?
Home page would link to about, products, applications and contact
Links can be nice CTA buttons (contact) or a word of text (about, products, applications)
About, products, applications and contact would each link to the home page (link at the bottom with the word "home" would do, just next to the "back to top" link on each page)

The three separate product pages would link to the products page.
The two separate application pages would like to the applications page.
All product pages would link to one another.
Each product page would link to the relevant application page.
Each application page would link to relevant product page.
Each application page would link to the other application.
All these links are done with keywords in the middle of the text.
Product links can look like a CTA image inviting the reader to learn about more products.

3. If you have a blog, make sure you link to previous blog posts and to relevant product/ application pages (per above example).

4. Create CTA for each page per relevancy to link to landing pages.
Product pages CTA can be inviting the reader to learn more about other products, Application page CTA can be an invitation to download an eBook about a certain connected subject.
Blog CTAs can be an invitation to read more blogs or to download a tool or eBook to further deepen knowledge about a certain theme relevant to the blog post.

Always think what your reader should do next. How to keep them interested so they click another CTA and stay on your website, getting closer to purchase with each step.

External links - outward:

It’s good for SEO for your website to link to other sites in your field.
You can create a news / PR page and link to interesting news items in your field.
You can have a recommendations page on the similar principle
In your blog posts you link when you quote someone. This gives then their due credit and prevents you from poaching on their information. It also gives your information the authenticity it requires.
It’s always good to link to sites that have authority in your field.

External links - inward:

You need to get other websites to link to your site.
Guest posting in a way to go (if you can get the placement)
Paid advertising and banners also serve this purpose, but they cost money and are considered less authoritive. If you start out, it could be a fast way to promote your site.
Commenting on social media groups and linking the comment to your site is a free way to go about this.
Indexing your website in free indexes and forums in your field is also good.
Publishing articles in free article websites is good.
Syndicating your blog posts by placing them on LinkedIn Pulse and other free blogging platforms will only cost you your time.

All this will generate a links network over time that will lift your site in the search ranks and help Google understand what your site is about.
Hope this helps, please comment if it does.

Ofra
Teaching the Mean and Lean method for DYI marketing for small businesses.

Why do businesses need to alter their lack of understanding, when it comes to the need for marketing communication strategy?

A research conducted by McKinsey in 2012 [1] shows that businesses do not present their brands to the market in a way that is suited to the information that their customers are seeking. McKinsey defined this as a gap that causes the brands to "talk past their customers". In other words, businesses, which communicate the information that their customers want to hear, will be successful in selling their products and services to those customers. A proper marketing communications strategy could be the difference between a surviving business and a thriving one.

Marcom strategy can help you stay ahead of the game

Here are some points of alteration that can help businesses on the road to a comprehensive and effective communication strategy.

1. Alter the added value view point
We are all taught at business school to talk about added value to the customer. If we can prove this added value, the customer will buy the product or service. This assumption is valid, but most companies use this to deliver messages about the features of their product or service without stopping to wonder what their customer is really looking for? If you alter the view point an start with the added value the customer wants to find, then you can communicate to the customer how your product will provide them with the added value they seek. Added value comes first and foremost in solving a problem for a customer and in providing a service or products that the customers think they need.

2. Alter the company characteristics view point
According to the McKinsey research, B2B companies are promoting characteristics such as broad product portfolio, innovation, global presence, corporate responsibility, diversity and equal opportunity as a basis for brand strength. Whereas customers find characteristics such as honesty and dialog, responsible action along the supply chain, leadership and specialist expertise of importance when they evaluate a brand. Once again it is advisable to turn the focus onto the customers and their views. Customers want to buy from people and businesses they perceive as honest fore and foremost! reputation is key!

3. Alter the messaging focus
Considering that most B2B companies are focusing on similar messages, your business needs to create a unique message. Do not elaborate on features that might be similar to the competition. Finding the point that makes your product unique and solves a certain need in the market is key to creating a compelling marketing message. Do not concentrate only on the product features. Do not talk only about your company and product or service. Talk about the need of the customer and how it is met by your company. Expand this message to include core values, which are a part of your company DNA and that resonate with your target customer audience. If your customers can identify with the reason WHY you do business, they are more likely to buy from you.

4. Alter the marketing communications infrastructure
Assuming your know who you customers are and what they need, now you need to find them in order to deliver your marketing message. The possibilities to deliver a marketing message in the era of web marketing are endless and not very expensive. But perhaps because of this multiple choice / low budget environment, marketers tend not to be focused and they just try everything or to follow the herd. Taking the time to understand in which channels your customers are best tuned in to hear your new and clear message can prove instrumental to turning a slow campaign into a blitz of marketing success!

5. Alter the emotional rationale
As the tools for marketing are ever changing, principles of marketing remain constant. If you can create a marketing message that will be clearly heard by your target audience, and which resonates with your customers, touches their heart and involves emotions in their purchase, your chance of acquiring their business and then their loyalty for a repeated purchase will increase considerably.
Yes, even in business we purchase with the heart and then justify with the intellect. Numbers and statistics are good and important data, but only if they support a more emotional call to fulfill and an unmet need.

To conclude:
A comprehensive marketing strategy, which includes understanding of the unmet need, the target customers including their considerations and personas, combined with products highlights and the best dissemination opportunities, will help your business to stop "talking past your customers" and help create an open dialog with customers from day one, starting with effective communication of marketing and brand messages. A marketing communications strategy can help your business develop a focused road, driving a clear path through the overwhelming verity of marketing options and tools.


[1] http://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/marketing-and-sales/our-insights/how-b2b-companies-talk-past-their-customers