The Ultimate Guide to Cheap Web Content, for the Lazy Marketer

Content, content, content! We all agree it’s important. We all agree it needs to be high quality. We all agree that  whether you’re paying in time or money, the cost is high. So what do you do?

A common solution to this problem is outsourcing. Yes it costs money, but there are some options that are cheaper than others right? And at least that way you aren't spending all of your time trying to pull creativity out of nowhere...

Unfortunately, with outsourcing you’ll often find that...

* You rarely find high-quality writers straight away, and you’ll be throwing away time and money until you do (unless you use AffiloJetpack, where a selection of high-quality writers are already provided for you).

* Sometimes you’ll have to do so many edits that you may as well have written it yourself (especially with most cheaper options.)

* It’s harder to give your website truly unique content (anyone can get what you can from freelancers).

* Multimedia options are a lot more expensive than they need to be, especially getting videos created.

Don’t get me wrong: Not all outsourcing is bad. In fact, some freelancers are fantastic! But the ones that are can be hard to find at a good price, and not everyone can afford to put all their eggs into the “throw money at random people and hope for the best” basket. 

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So this blog post is all about the different types of content you can create, and the best time/money value methods for creating them. 

How to use this blog post:  

This is a type of menu for your content creation, to keep the process simple and effective. Feel free to skim the headings each time you want to create a piece of content, select the best option for you, and then read the information underneath it for a deeper understanding.

I would just like to make a quick note about the importance of keywords for ALL content. It doesn’t matter whether you are writing a thesis, or taking a selfie — if you’re making it for your site, you need SEO. This is how you ensure your topic is relevant to your audience, and that people are looking for information on it.

If you haven’t already, head to this lesson on keyword research, and then use your best keywords as topics to base your content on. Otherwise you really will be wasting time creating content that people aren’t even searching for!

Once you’ve got a keyword to use as your topic, look below to figure out which content type would best suit that topic. You can create a post that involves more than one, but you should always have one as the focus to prevent overcomplicating it for yourself and readers.

List posts are extremely popular. Why? It’s easy for people to scan, and there’s a promise of options for the reader. 

The last thing someone perusing the internet wants to see is a thick wall of text. Reading it will feel like wading through a waist-deep pool of molasses, while other sites could allow them to skim through content effortlessly like a gymnast on a trampoline. 

Be the trampoline to your readers’ gymnasts — use list posts. From the moment they see the headline, they know that when they click through they’ll see multiple pieces of information separated out into bite-sized chunks.

List Examples:

The actionable list: The thought-provoking list:  [number] things that make you realize ‘X’The resources list: The [number] best tools for achieving ‘X’The question list: Have you heard of these [number] ‘X’?

Ever heard of, “monkey see, monkey do?” People like other people. If someone wants to hear about an experience, they want it to be a personal experience from a real human being (preferably someone as similar to themselves as possible), not just another marketer. 

These stories are a way of brand-building, by allowing Internet-goers to “get to know” the person behind the brand. Promoting this personality can be as powerful as promoting the brand itself. You’ll need to think about how applicable this approach would be for your niche.

Using your own experience as a story will add a personal element to your content, which readers will be able to relate to. This can help you to stand out from the crowd, and endear yourself to your site’s audience. And if you think about it, it’s as easy as writing down things that have already happened.

‘My Experience’ Post Structure:

Think of an experience that could be relevant to your niche  If you can’t think of any, or you don’t have any for your niche, you could approach someone else for their story. Use the 5 senses  Think if any are applicable to the experience (how did something feel, sound, look, taste, or smell) and make notes about it.Include thoughts and feelings Jot down notes on your thoughts at each point in the story, and if possible, your feelings.Include a beginning, a middle and and end: Beginning: Set a scene. Where are you? Who are you? What are you doing?Middle: This is the main events of the story, and will usually be about three times the size of the beginning and the ending. Make sure to write at least 3 points to use throughout this part.End: Leave them with a conclusion and a direction. Let them know what came of the experience for you, and how they could use your experience for their own gain now.

, but less personal, more to-the-point. It’s also stronger for product promotion specifically (while “my experience” content is more for brand building). 

Avoid writing reviews if you have no experience with the product. At the very least, you need to do some thorough research. Ideally, you want to have tried the product yourself. 

Review Tips:

Make a pros and cons list Include both, even if it’s a product that you want to promote. Honesty is a valuable trust-building asset, and without trust your reviews won’t mean much!Compare products Writing about how two similar products compare can be a win-win. Different customers will be looking for different features — this helps them find the best option for them, and you make a commission either way, as long as you have an affiliate link for both.Include your affiliate links in optimal places Think about the best placement for your link, so it appears just as the reader feels convinced that they have found what they’re looking for. Put yourself in their shoes when you think about this!

Above all, people need to know what to do. Ever heard the term, “make yourself useful”? Even if you choose one of the other content types, you still need to find a way to incorporate this element.

Actionable Content Tips:

Think of the common processes people need in your niche.Write guides explaining how to do those things. This works extremely well in conjunction with “lists” content (see “actionable” list or “resources” list above).The more experience you can provide to back up your suggestions, the better. If you don’t feel qualified, then do the research or ask someone who might know.Ask yourself: If you were doing this for the first time, what would you need to know?

Sometimes you want to inject a pure funny bone-tickler into the Internet, especially if your goal is to produce link bait and build your brand personality as a light-hearted one. 

The problem with this is if you over-do it, or you do it badly, it can detract from the sincerity of your brand. 

The Best Ways to Use Comedy:

Link bait: Most commonly for use on social media Memes  Viral images with different captions to endear them to your audienceGeneral concept comedy images General, non-viral images with captions that make a joke relevant to those in your nicheComedy snippets ‘Vines’ Short, easy-to-digest comedic video clips; could be slapstick or “fail” videosCan be combined with “my experience” content structure  Only do this if appropriate for your brand, i.e., relatable funny stories for the purpose of brand-personality buildingCan also be combined with lists “[Number] funny ‘X’ that will really make your day!”

Ok, so you’ve got a keyword, and you’ve picked the best content structure for approaching the topic. The next thing you need to decide is which of the following media types you will use to get your point across. Don’t worry at this point about how to make them, that will be covered in point 4. Just choose which one you would like to progress with. 

Written media is the bread and butter of the internet. For SEO purposes, it is best to have a decent number of written articles or blog posts on your website. 

Each of these need to provide value to site visitors and have a decent word count — at least 500-800, but the longer the better… if you can keep the quality up!

If you don’t have much written content on your site yet, then I would suggest starting with this before you move on to the other types.

Written content is most effective for:

List content“My experience” contentReviewsActionable content

Written content isn’t as effective for:

You should always have at least one image to accompany your written content, but there are ways that images can be particularly useful as stand-alone content types. 

Visual information is the quickest to absorb, and imagery is even faster to skim over than video, making it one of the most efficient ways to consume concepts. 

This can make it very appealing to a lot of casual internet browsers, so if you’ve done quite a few written posts already, you may wish to consider trying your hand at one of these image content strategies.

Image content is most effective for:

List content (Infographics)Actionable content (Infographics)“My experience” content (Comic strips)Comedy (Memes, comedic concept imagery)

Image content isn’t as effective for:

Video is often thought of as the hardest to make, and many people avoid it for this reason. This is very unfortunate, as video is a very powerful medium!

One of the best advantages is that it instantly personalizes your content when you add voice. There is a person, your audience can hear you (or whoever you’re filming) and you can show them what you’re talking about without having to take a million photos. 

The other advantage is that video is great for uploading to third-party sites, such as YouTube or Vimeo. This spreads your reach, as people sometimes choose to skip search engines, looking for media instead by searching directly on these sites.  

Video content is most effective for:

“My experience” content  Reviews  Verbally describe your opinion of a product; show it if it’s a physical productActionable content Demonstration videos are particularly usefulComedy “Vines” (short funny videos, particularly slapstick), “fails”, or well-known comedic concepts

Video content isn’t as effective for:

***Tip: If the audio works by itself (e.g., you’re describing a process or talking through a review), then you can even save this as an audio clip, and upload it as a podcast. That way, you’re getting two pieces of media for the cost of one.

So how do you do it? You don’t want to spend too much time or money if you don’t have to. Unfortunately, there are no magical little content goblins to spin gold out of PLR articles. 

So although it ultimately comes down to your priorities. I can tell you your options and give you an idea of the best direction for you.

When it comes to written content, you have three main options:

Do the Writing Yourself

This is the best option if you can manage it. It costs you nothing, you know it will be original, and you’ll naturally get personality and consistency across your site. 

Just make sure to do your research so you know what you’re talking about, stick to the keyword as your topic, follow the content structure type from step 2, and you should be fine!

Get Others to Write for Free

If you don’t have the time to write your own, or you aren’t confident, this is your next best option. 

So, freelancers will cost you money, but here are some sources that might not for once-off content or an interview:

People who work in your niche in your area For example, If you are in the weight loss/fitness niche, is there a personal trainer at a gym nearby who would write something for you or let you interview them? I have personally had success with this.Students studying something to do with your niche topic For example, If your niche was dating related, you could see if a local psychology student might write something for you, or at least answer some questions for you.Friends/family/consumers who can contribute something of value to to those in your niche, such as a review, a recipe, a technique, or even just an opinion.

People often like the idea of being published online and being able to show others, or even use it as a reference point if they’re students who want to showcase their work! 

Now, I’m not suggesting that you can assume that others will write for you for free! No one likes a moocher. This is more about finding and approaching people that might want to do a stand-alone piece for you; the list above are just good places to look. 

Also, if you are lucky enough to find someone who likes to write for you on multiple occasions, then you really should find a way to compensate them for their time and effort — especially if (or when) your website is bringing in an income!

You’re not going to be able to use this as your sole source of content. But it’s definitely worth a try for the occasional piece, even if the best you get is a voice-recorded interview that you have to write out - at least you know the knowledge is sound and it requires less creativity on your part. 

Pay a Freelancer

If you are (at least somewhat) money rich but time poor, then outsourcing really is the best option for you. 

Start by going to a freelancing network site like Elance — I have used the following process myself for finding freelancers on Elance.

Search for “your niche topic” + “writer” or “blog writer” E.g., “Weight loss blog writer”

Select your settings in the left hand menu. My suggestion is: Individuals You always know who you’re working with and the work is more likely to be consistent. Companies tend to employ an assortment of writers and you have more middlemen to go through.At least 4 stars under “All Feedback”At least 5 reviewsSpecify an hourly rate to fit your budget I wouldn’t go any lower than $15 or higher than $40 for reasons of quality vs. value.

Make sure to read their profiles, as this will usually give you a brief indication of their competency as a writer. If there are obvious mistakes here, see it as a red flag and give them a wide berth. If it’s well written and appealing, give them a go. 

It’s also a good idea to look for mention of your topic in their description of what they’re done previously or what their interests are.

Basically there are two main ways to get images. You can find them for free if your requirements are simple, or you can buy them online if you have something more complicated in mind.

Either way, you need to make sure you aren’t stealing them from somewhere you shouldn’t be. Also, different sources are better for different types of images.

Best sources for free images (best for simple concept images to accompany written content)

Screenshots (2 options) Use a browser extension, such as Chrome’s ‘Awesome Screenshot’Use the ‘PrtScn’ button on your keyboard, then crop it with paint.Take your own photos! All you need is a basic camera, or even a phone camera.

Best sources for paid images (Best for more complex blog images, or stand-alone visual content)

For more complex images for your blog, either get them designed for you on Fiverr, or select something ‘as-is’ on photodune or another stock photo site. 

***Tip: Adding titles over images makes a great ‘title image’. This is really popular on the likes of Pinterest. You can either add a title over free images you’ve sourced, or pay someone from Fiverr to do it for you. — This is the artist I would suggest for title images.

The recording is the easiest part to do yourself. Whether you are filming an instructional video, an interview or something else, there are definitely cheap methods of going about it. This is not worth paying a videographer to do when you can do it so quickly.

Best devices to record yourself with

Webcam Best for reviews and ‘my experience’ postsPhone camera Best for interviewing people, comedy videos, or demonstration videosPersonal camera, if you have one Suitable for any type of video creationScreencapture such as Camtasia (or Screenflow for Mac) Best for reviews or demonstration videos (if what you are demonstrating is online)

The trick here is to get the editing done by someone else. This is the hard part, as well as the time-consuming part. By doing the filming yourself, then getting your project edited by an expert, you keep the best time/money/quality ratio that you can.

Best Sources for Video Editors

Fiverr You can outsource this fairly cheaply on a freelance network like Fiverr once again.Candidio You can also try out Candidio, a service tailored to perform exactly this purpose. You film cheaply on a phone or webcam, and then Candidio can edit it up for you!

So by this point, you have a topic, a structure, a medium, and a method for creating your content, and all you have to do is do it! 

You can use this process over and over, trying out different combinations for different keyword topics and filling your website with helpful, diverse media that will attract traffic and commissions. 

A final tip: Don’t forget to share what you do with social media. You can post your latest article, image, or video to social media while checking your site analytics in AffiloTools. Check out the social module yourself, and broadcast your fantastic new content.

As always, feel free to comment below. Let me know:

What’s particularly useful to you?What you would like to know more about?Are there any tools you use that I haven’t mentioned that could help people with their content creation?

Happy web content creating!

Regards

MichaelT

 

Plagiarism: The Biggest Digital Content Sin

In the digital content world, the worse thing you can do is plagiarize someone else’s work.

Not only are you stealing someone’s intellectual property and using it for your own gain, but you’re risking your site’s standings with Google and even legal action.

Just say “NO,” people!

But not all plagiarism is the work of evil content copiers twisting their mustaches and laughing maniacally in their super villain hideouts. 

In fact, you could unintentionally be stealing digital content from others and not even realize it.

Luckily for us, The Visual Communication Guy mapped how you can figure out if you’re guilty of this most heinous crime in a killer infographic.

Not only can you easily find out if you committed plagiarism or not but he’ll also let you know just how much of a horrible person you are (in terms of digital content creation, that is. I'm sure you're a lovely person in all other respects). 

Here’s some of the biggest takeaways from this infotastic piece of digital content:

Many of you might be surprised to find that there is quite a spectrum when it comes to plagiarism.

Yes, we all know you can’t copy and paste all or parts of other people’s work and claim it as your own. If not, I assume you’re some sort of sociopath and beyond the help of this blog. Please seek immediate counseling. 

But you might be somewhat surprised that the following also fall under the plagiarism umbrella, to varying degrees:

Basing your piece off the ideas of others without citing or crediting them.Misinterpreting the original author’s content to support your argument.Incorrectly citing the source.Not verifying the validity and legitimacy of your sources.Using the style or organization of another’s work without proper credit.

You might think these are minor plagiarism “mistakes,” but it’s a slippery slope.

It’s like littering. There is no trash can in sight, so what harm will it really do to drop that wrapper on the ground? It’s not like you’re dumping toxic chemicals in the pond baby panda bears drink out of, right?

Well, if everyone thought that way, our planet would be even more of a mess than it already is. Likewise, if everyone just shrugged off the seriousness of properly crediting and citing their digital content sources, the Internet would be filled with (even more) junky, poorly researched content.

If you’re not part of the solution, then you’re part of the problem.

Don’t go over to the Dark Side of digital content creation. Make sure you’re doing the following:

Start at the top of the “Did I Plagiarize?” chart and work your way down. If you answered “Yes” to all of those seven questions, then you’re solid.

If not, it’s back to the drawing board.

The Internet is one of mankind’s greatest inventions when it comes to communication and information. It’s literally only eclipsed by speech and written language. But as the barriers to information sharing and creation are obliterated, the ability to commit and likelihood of plagiarism have dramatically increased.

You might be an unknowing participant in this chain of digital content pillaging, but that’s on you to stop, Chief. For example:

Don’t use Wikipedia as a Source: Wikipedia is awesome and delivers tons of legitimate information to the masses, but that doesn’t mean you can take it all at face value. Check out the original sources that the articles cite and use those instead. Not only will you be doing the right thing; you’ll have a better understanding of the original author’s content, intent and purpose.No More Web 2.0: User created content on large sites like Squidoo, WikiHow, HubPages and other web 2.0 platforms should be trusted even less than Wikipedia as sources. If the pages reference their original content, then go to the source to make sure your information is correct. If they don’t attribute any sources, then they are not credible and should be ignored.Google Chunks of Content: Take a line or two of content from a source and put it in Google. If it shows up elsewhere and those pages don’t cite your source as the original, then you have an issue on your hands.

If you’re a normal, law-abiding person like most of us, you wouldn’t walk into a business and just start stealing their stuff. So, why would you think it’s OK to steal digital content or intellectual property?

Not only are you hurting the original creators, but you’re risking a lot yourself.

At the very least, Google and the other search engines don’t rank duplicate content very well and you risk losing your rankings and possibly even being de-indexed. On the more severe spectrum you could be guilty of a crime or in violation of civil laws, leaving yourself open to serious legal issues. Copyright law isn't the easiest topic to understand, but if you plan on getting heavily into content creation (such as publishing your own books), it's definitely worth educating yourself on the basics. 

Look, we’re all for being inspired by other people’s ideas. We don’t live in an information vacuum and many of the greatest ideas in the history of mankind built upon the information around them.

In fact, my wonderful editor, Melissa, found the article and infographic for this post originally. She got some ideas about a post and then passed them on to me. I took the original content, her direction and my own thoughts and came up original content that applies to our subject matter. [Editor's note: Awwww, thanks. =) ]

We’ve talked about content curation frequently on this blog. It’s perfectly legit… as long as you credit the original source(s) correctly and thoroughly. There are plenty of ways to create great content without infringing upon the rights of others.

What have been your experiences with plagiarism? After reading this post and checking out the infographic, did you discover you might have committed some shade of plagiarism unknowingly? Leave us your questions and we'll do our best to answer them! 

Regards

MichaelT

Now Showing: Movie Affiliate Programs

Now I know there really is an affiliate marketing program for everything. Halloween costumes, travel, dog training, wine, and now movies. There is an affiliate marketing program for each of these, and everything in between.

The Motion Picture Association of America said in its 2013 Theatrical Market Statistics report that the US/Canada Box Office earned USD $10.9 billion, with 227.8 million people going to the movies at least once last year. Meanwhile, Nielsen.com reports that online purchase of DVDs and video games is up 13% this year. Clearly, the movie niche is thriving, with a large target market.

I've decided to use AffiloTools this time to give this post a "breath of fresh air," if you will. AffiloTools is like Traffic Travis, only it's web-based and competition is displayed in percentages. The lower the percentage, the less competition.

Now, the keywords you'll target in the movie niche would depend on what movie or movie-related product you'll be promoting. If you're going to recommend movies through movie reviews, then you need to target keywords like "movie review" and movie title + "review" keywords, like "iron man 3 review." Keywords like these tend to have good monthly search views and low competition.

If you're going to recommend or promote foreign or independent films, those are the keywords to target. Always check out Ubersuggest.org too so you can see more variations of your target keyword.

I always check the Clickbank Marketplace first before looking for affiliate programs elsewhere. While they do have affiliate programs for movies, they are mostly movie downloads.

 and foreign independent films often have to take a backseat to blockbusters, mostly because they lack the funds to market themselves. Film Movement helps these movies reach their target audience.

The affiliate program is through Commission Junction. Affiliate get a 10 percent commission for each referral.

Docurama is a DVD label that brings high-quality documentaries to the mainstream market. The online store carries some of the best documentary titles. The site manages its own affiliate network and offers affiliates 10 percent per referral.

Warner Bros. is a large American film, music and television producer. The online site, WBShop.com, sells copies of movies released by Warner Bros and its subsidiaries. It also offers collectibles, accessories and clothing.

You can earn up to 7 percent commission on ALL sales, so this is not limited to just DVDs. The affiliate program is run through Commission Junction.

I've featured iTunes before as part of the music affiliate programs post. iTunes mainly offers music downloads, but users can also download movies to their mobile devices and computers.

You need to sign up as an affiliate through Apple's own Affiliate Helpdesk. The site doesn't mention the exact commission you will earn, but it does say that you will receive commission for all sales made through your affiliate links within 24 hours of the purchase.

Fandango sells movie tickets online. The site also offers gift cards, and provides movie-goers with previews, reviews and insider news on the movie industry. Their service is limited to the US only.

The affiliate program is through Commission Junction. You earn USD $0.10 for every ticket purchased though your Fandango affiliate link, while each gift card order gets you USD $2.

You can also go to Amazon.com and recommend DVDs or Blu-rays of your favorite movies. Offervault has some movie-related offers too so you might want to check these out.

The movie industry is clearly an income-generating industry. If you have a movie review site, or a blog that focuses on a specific movie genre, then you can definitely monetize it with any of the above movie affiliate programs.

Some of the affiliate programs I've covered may require a threshold of traffic on your site before you can get accepted as an affiliate, so I really can't recommend these to those just starting out. But don't let that get in your way if this niche is something you're really interested in. You can always get in touch with the affiliate manager for the product you want to promote and let them know you really want to join and promote their service.

The commissions aren't really all that exciting, and it can get quite competitive too with the keywords you can target. Still, if this is one of your interests or passions, then you go ahead and try. At the very least, you will earn enough to get tickets for your next movie date.

That ends this week's Niche of the Week. I hope you enjoyed it, and please do share!

Need extra lessons on keyword research? AffiloBlueprint can help...

Regards

MichaelT

Link-Building Software: With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

Link-building software is amazingly powerful when it comes to automating and streamlining your SEO campaigns.

But use it incorrectly or irresponsibly, and your site will drop from the rankings faster than the Titanic post-North Atlantic iceberg.

These programs can literally build tens of thousands of links in a week. But having tools like that is like having a loaded gun. Yes, you can hunt with it, but if you’re not careful you can also shoot yourself in the face!

Automated link-building software can have a place in your SEO campaigns... if used correctly. We’re not going to judge anyone and say you’re some Black Hat spammer if you use this method.

That’s just not realistic…

However, before you jump in and start firing off links like bullets at midnight during a Wild West New Year's Eve party, let’s go through what SEO link building software is exactly, the dangers of using it, what you can do to protect yourself and our product recommendations.

While it might seem self explanatory, there’s a lot more to automated link-building software than the name might suggest.

Different software packages offer a variety of features but generally speaking, link-building software usually:

Allows you to build links at PDF submission sites, article directories, web 2.0 platforms, social media sites, blogging sites, social bookmarking sites and others.Automatically sets up accounts at all of the different sites.Helps you submit “unique” content to each site by giving you the option to spin your content.Helps you avoid detection and deletion by the sites they are submitting links to through the use of proxies.Spreads out your link-building over time to avoid a giant influx of links.

Obviously, the biggest selling point here is that you save a whole heap of time. No more setting up accounts, verifying them, optimizing them, adding content and all of the other things associated with in-depth link-building.

Software like this can easily create more backlinks and accounts than you ever thought possible with a few clicks of a button. But more and bigger does not always mean better in SEO.

Some of the dangers of using automated link-builders are:

High-Velocity/Volume Link-Building: When your site goes from 0 to 10,000 backlinks in a few days, you might get the wrong kind of attention from Google and the other search engines (ex: manual actions, “sandboxing,” deindexing, etc)Footprints: When Google updates its algorithm to improve organic search results, it often attacks a large group of sites that share similar attributes. When using automated link-builders, it’s easier to get caught in one of these sweeps because the software uses the same patterns and variables for its users. This has the potential to leave a large footprint that Google (and your competition) can easily identify.Content Quality: These programs typically use content spinning in order to avoid duplicate content issues. However, when not properly done, spun content can read like pure gibberish. While you may not be using it on your main site, junk content in your link-building system may throw up red flags.Identification: Building this many links with this many sites can easily trip spam filters. Your IP, cookies and other identifying features can be targeted and blocked.  

Yes, there are some risks in using link-building programs that you need to be aware of.

Here’s what you can do to protect yourself and your site from an unwanted search engine backlash.

Steer Clear: If you’re that worried about your site and backlinks that it’s keeping you up at night, then don’t use automated link-building software. No one is saying you have to dance just because the band is playing.Use Proxies: You’ll want to invest in a solid proxy list or a VPN program like HMA to keep your identity clear.Take Your Time: Rome wasn’t built in a day. If you try to throw 10,000 links at your site, you’re going to have a bad time. Spread your campaigns out over weeks to make things look more natural.Diversify: When making all of these links, make sure you’re not over-optimizing titles, anchor text and other on-page SEO factors. Generally speaking, you want to only target your keywords with about 10-15 percent of your links. The rest should be long-tail variations, your URL, your brand name and general keywords ("click here," "read more," etc).Use Buffers: Unless you are ready to invest heavily in antacids and anxiety medications, don’t send all of these links to your main “money site.” Create web 2.0’s and other sites that will act like buffers for your main site. If any site takes the fall and gets de-indexed, it won’t be your main money-maker.

If you feel like you’re ready to take on the risk and responsibility of using software like this, then you’re probably wondering which ones are worth your time and which ones aren’t.

There are a fair number of these programs out there but, in our opinion, the best link-building software programs are:

SeNuke XCR is the “household name” when it comes to automated link-building and definitely the first place you should look.

The platform is extremely robust, offers all the bells and whistles you could ever hope for and is supported by a giant community of experienced users and knowledgeable staff. It’s so widely used that you can even find freelance marketers to run campaigns for you without buying the software yourself.

But nothing is perfect, folks. The drawbacks to this platform are:

Cost: Prices go for around $125/monthAvailability: If you don’t want to pay the monthly fee, they offer lifetime licenses but only from time to time.Complexity: Yes, beginners can get by just fine but this platform has so many features it’s going to take you awhile and some work to get things humming like a pro.

If you’re thinking about using an automated link-building system but don’t want to jump into the deep end with SeNuke XCR, then Ultimate Demon should be on your radar.

It offers most of the same functions and is pretty user friendly. It’s cheaper too: $49/month or a one-time fee of $349.

The one drawback is that it’s not as widely used as SeNuke so there is not the same support community out there.

Personally, I have never used GSA’s software, but several marketers I know and trust swear by it.

It’s a $99 one-time fee and definitely the cheapest out of the major link-building systems out there. It also operates without having to connect to databases like Ultimate Demon and SeNuke, which many marketers like.

All too often novice Internet marketers start thinking that if they don’t have the latest tool or system they won’t be successful.

“Oh, if I only had this crazy new link-builder then I’d be making $100,000 a month in SEO like the big guys (claim they do)!”

However, a lot of the time these link-builders are so advanced and can build so many links that they are not needed and should not be used by beginner SEOs. As we discussed earlier, you can do a lot of damage by building too many links too fast to your site.

If you are just starting out, have a limited budget or won’t spend the time and effort to learn how to properly use these tools, then you should just pass. You can do a lot more harm than good.

You don’t necessarily have to dive in headfirst with link building. Use Fiverr, Elance, other freelance sites and online marketing forums to find experienced providers that can run a couple of campaigns for you.  

Check out their history, get recommendations if possible and make sure they are building links responsibly. If their work pays off for your rankings, then maybe this is something you will want to invest more money and your time into.

All the best

MichaelT

Google Authorship is Dead: What’s Missing and How to Fix It.

Site owners across the globe blow their noses noisily as they discover the obituary here. And then they don their black clothes and head out. The year is 2014, and this is the funeral of Google Authorship.

Many put time and effort making sure that rel=”author” was laced throughout their website. Each content page frosted with the name and picture of whoever had compiled all of those words into a coherent, informative blog post.

But in the words of the (once) famous boy band Five, you’ve gotta “get on up when you’re down...”

So what exactly did Google Authorship do for us, and what can we do instead now that it’s gone?

**NOTE** If you didn’t use Google Authorship before, the following information is still important to you! It contains valuable instructions that can help you to improve your SEO and click-through rates.

Those little faces next to search results sure did make the internet a friendlier place. Also, because they were genuinely linked to an account, they carried the authority of the author whose mug it was.

Incorporating authorship helped with SEO, but it also helped with click-through-rates as the faces drew the eye and trust of many a web searcher.

So this advantage is gone for any who were using Google Authorship to get into (not to mention stand out in) top search results, but that doesn't mean that hope is lost.

There are other methods, if somewhat traditional, of standing out in search results and you need to direct your focus there now:

That’s right, we’re going back to the age-old method of standing out from the crowd with pure awesomeness. Before I dive into the nitty-gritty though, you need to start by checking that your website isn’t missing any important tags.

You can do this painlessly and effortlessly in a few seconds with the AffiloTools Health Check Module. It will tell you:
If any of your Title Tags or Meta Descriptions are missing.If any of your tags are too long.If any of your tags are missing important keywords.
All of those elements are crucial to ensure that Google doesn’t just select snippets to display from your page willy-nilly! You want to make sure you are controlling what is shown, and you want to make sure that it is quality.

As for that quality part, your average-joe headlines just ain't gonna cut it.

Go through the following checklist before finalizing your title tags and meta descriptions:
Is your title tag snappy and to the point?Who is your target audience? Does the tone of your title tag and meta description target that audience?Does your title tag include at least one of the following:
- A question
- A list (eg. “Top 5 Ways to do X” or “17 Facts About X You Need to Know”).
- An interesting Adjective (e.g., Crucial, Fantastic, or Unbelievable).
- A call to action, backed by a reason (e.g., “Watch this video about X to learn the incredible secrets of X”).Do you have your keyword for each page in its title tag and meta description? This is very important for SEO, but also for standing out to the person searching with that keyword!
Check your website now for weak title tags or meta descriptions, and adjust any as required. If you’ve got a lot of content pages, at least make sure to check your most important ones. See for yourself whether or not it makes a difference to your SEO and click-through-rate.

For any who don’t know, rich text snippets are the bits of extra information displayed next to search results, just like with this “Ultimate chocolate cake” recipe:

There are review stars with a written rating of 4.7 to prove the quality of the recipe against others without this information. Any searcher can also tell at a glance that it will take them 2 hours and 10 minute to make, and that a serving will be 541 calories.

Google Authorship was the reigning rich text snippet during its lifetime because authors could grow their authority for better SEO, and the profile images in search results would draw the eye for increased click-throughs.

However, there are other rich text snippets you can use that are as effective as ever. These will still help you to improve your SEO while giving a little extra “oomph” to your appearance in search results.

Now that Authorship is out of the mix, these other rich text snippets are more important than ever. If you have any doubt about whether or not they’re truly worthwhile, this snippet from the infographic on The Moz Blog should clarify for you:

A 20 to 30 percent rise in click-through rates is not bad at all! And visitors are even more likely to stay because they know more about what they’re going to find before they even arrive. That’s pretty snazzy, in my opinion!

So let’s get you set up with some rich-text snippets. Check the following two main types of rich text markup, ask yourself whether they’re present on your site wherever relevant, and implement any that aren’t!

(Instructions for implementation are at the bottom of the type descriptions.)

When considering a product, people want to know the good, the bad, and the ugly. Review stars indicate that they will find a concise review when they click through, and they’ll even know whether or not it will be positive.

This one is particularly useful for affiliate marketers, as product reviews are one of the best content types for convincing someone to buy a product while providing them with the link to do so.

Breadcrumbs have a similar role on the internet to the role they have in Hansel and Gretel. They tell Google the site structure or path leading to each post. They also mean that one post ranked in Google will display more related links to your site in the same search result.

That’s more bang for buck, you could say! In this case, if someone was looking for an introduction to affiliate marketing, they could also discover a whole bunch of other lessons by clicking one step to the left.

They can also better understand that “Introduction” originates from “Affiliate Marketing Lessons.” This has a double-positive of giving them deeper insight into the content they’re clicking on, as well as attracting relevant site visitors for you that are more likely to stay — i.e., the ones you really want!

As mentioned above, if your site is related to a food niche, or any health and nutrition niche that causes you to have a few recipes present, you want to use recipe rich text snippets.

Having information on how long it will take to prepare at least, and if possible, how many calories it contains, means that they won’t have to waste time searching your site for this information.

People searching for what you have to offer will be more likely to click through, rather than throwing away time searching other websites for the same information. Also, once again, they’re more likely to stick around when they arrive at your website.

It may seem intuitive to marketers to use a rich text snippet tailored to products, but Google has outlined that this is only for use by the merchant, so don’t use it as an affiliate!

If your website is built using WordPress, the easiest way to implement Rich Text Snippets is to use the plugin All In One Schema.org Rich Snippets.

Once you’ve got it installed, it’s as simple as:

1. Selecting which type of rich text snippet you want to add to a post.

2. Filling out the boxes to the best of your ability with the information you have.

3. Checking how it looks by entering your page URL into Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool.

It’s really that simple to boost your SEO and CTR with rich text snippets, not to mention making your post information more user-friendly in search results.

So Your Site Isn’t Built With WordPress?

If you prefer code wrangling over WYSIWYG, try using the Schema Creator here, browse through the Schema Tutorial at w3schools.com, or just read to your heart’s content at schema.org.

This week, your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to comb through your site for relevant opportunities, and implement the following:
Improved title tags.Improved meta descriptions.Review snippets.Breadcrumb snippets.Recipe snippets (if relevant).
Get these elements in place wherever you can and this should keep you out of trouble for a little while!

As always, comment below if you have any questions or thoughts on this topic, e.g.:
Do you have better tools for adding rich snippets? Is there a type of rich text snippet you use that I’ve missed? Is there something else Google Authorship did for you that you need an alternative to now?


Regards

MichaelT