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Semalt Shares 5 Proven Tips To Market Your Business Internationally

For any online marketer, expanding your coverage to incorporate international customers is a good thing. Many well-established enterprises have developed adequate methods of going global. Internet marketing involves taking your brand visibility to further heights. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a process brand marketers use to make sure that a website's search engine visibility is high.

As you prepare to start your international marketing campaign, here are a few valuable tips, specified by Oliver King, the Customer Success Manager of Semalt.

1. Multicultural Competency

When reaching an international audience, it is a good idea to have a website content available in multiple languages. Here, the main thing is to understand cultural barriers within your target geographical area. The content you choose and the language should be within the acceptable limits.

In other cases, it is important to understand cultural diversity across many nations. Different people use different online and offline platforms to do their online tasks. For instance, most Chinese people use instant massagers like MSN Messenger or QQ messenger while the USA uses WhatsApp. In other cases, China uses search engines like Baidu while Europe uses Google.

2. Customize Search Engine Marketing Locally

It is important to choose the search engine to optimize in the international country you are targeting. For instance, in China, doing SEO for a website on Baidu instead of Google can be a worthwhile idea. Depending on your niche, other might prefer Yahoo or Bing. The content should remain localized yet as relevant as possible. It is from here keywords come into play.

3. Understand the Regional Laws

In every region, laws are governing the way products are regulated, advertised and sold. For instance:

Advertising regulations

A country has to approve the promotion of a particular product and control it. For example, comparative advertising might be illegal in some countries.

Regulation of sales tactics

A country allows for some specific sales promotion tactics. Methods such as sweepstakes, contests and deals are regulated by the country.

Product regulation tactics

The country you are selling the product should be free of its usage, chemical constituents, safety measures as well as of their regulatory standards.

4. Optimize Website Design

The UX should be a primary factor to consider when optimizing a website for global usage. The website colors should reflect the cultures you are incorporating in your international marketing strategy. In the case of a site/app with a payment gateway, the API of the payment processor should support currency conversions to their native currency. The loading speed should be high on the local website.

5. Adopt Social Media Marketing (SMM) on Various Languages

Social media has the option of local targeting. One good idea is to use SMM tactics such as targeted advertising.

Conclusion

For any online business, the need for establishing a safe and adequate market potential is usually the primary goal. Many entrepreneurs might want to expand their businesses by taking their brand global. One of the most effective ways to make a website global is through internet marketing. Use the tips mentioned in the article, and your brand will go global through simple marketing tools such as SEO.

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Tips From Semalt: How To Outsource Your SEO Work To A Reliable Partner

SEO is a long-term strategy that focuses mainly on growing site's visibility by using creative and technical elements. In SEO, the quality of content matters a lot. The frequency of delivering quality and fresh content to users also matters. A good number of SEO agencies prefer hiring specialists to let them take care of their digital marketing tasks.

Outsourcing your website's SEO is an important step. With this in mind, the Customer Success Manager of Semalt, Oliver King prepared the list of questions you should raise when hiring an SEO partner.

a) How do you create users engagement using links?

Getting more links to create users engagement is a necessary prerequisite when it comes to SEO. You will definitely need a partner who can direct users to your content, and has an expertise in creating blogs and competitive directories. Before you hire your SEO campaign partner, ask for previous samples to be sure of what you are getting yourself into.

b) How do you craft content that is useful both to Google and real users?

Creation of content that fits both algorithms and search optimization should be well emphasized. Your content should be well received by your potential sites visitors and Google. When finding a partner to work with in your SEO campaign, check for the partner who can generate content that is video-based, and comprises of galleries. Request for previous samples to make sure the information they feed you with is legit.

c) How do you track down the progress of your SEO campaign?

SEO is a long-term strategy that assures investors of revenue benefits in the long run. Outsourcing your SEO work to a partner should not be based on achieving high-rankings in the algorithms within a short time. Hire a partner who measures SEO campaign success using rate of conversions and sales achieved.

d) How do you choose your key search terms?

Determination of key search terms to deal with in your SEO campaign should be comprehensive. Choose your key search term depending on your line of business. Work with a partner who offers a test run for key search terms to find the perfect one for your SEO campaign.

e) How do you optimize search terms related to new campaigns?

Before you outsource your SEO work to an agency, it is advisable to know that SEO is not all about space. Hire an SEO partner who can optimize search terms related to new campaigns and products.

f) How do you get a partner who can generate original content regularly?

The first months of SEO entail a great deal of work, with lots of reports and links being put into practice. After the first two months, some partners tend to charge a lot of dollars while doing very little for your SEO campaign. Hire a partner who can generate content regularly, generate more links for your campaign, and keep track of your competitors.

g) What are your SEO campaign achievements?

Returns are very important when it comes to SEO. You should be able to track down huge success, which is pointed out by increased online sales and appealing reports.

Outsourcing your SEO work to a partner is a procedural process that should be well executed to attain good results. Hire a partner who can create original content in real time and keep track of your SEO campaign. Above-discussed questions will help you to define the type of partner to go into business with.

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The Guide From Semalt: How Can Your Business Go Digital

For most companies, technological advancements of the new digital era present an unlimited potential. Many firms are going online due to the trending potential of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). As a result, it is essential for a business to embrace the internet as a new marketing channel, which can make the businesses thrive well.

To make your digital business succeed online, consider these aspects, accurately described by Oliver King, the Customer Success Manager of Semalt.

1. Smart machines

Machine labor is replacing human efforts fast. In other cases, there is a rising use of smart devices. In the Internet of Things (IoT), analysts are predicting that by 2020, more than 20.8 billion "smart machines" will be using an internet connection. According to the latest technology, typical smart devices possess capabilities such as:

Automation like self-driving cars

Sensing (such as IoT sensors like NFC)

3d printing for creating numerous 3d renderings physically

Sharing APIs that enable new online ecosystems

User interaction such as speech recognition, fingerprints and refining searches personally

2. Cognitive Computing

The Artificial Intelligence (AI) is taking over the functioning of a smart machine. Through the interconnection of different technologies, cognitive computers can reason, interact, learn and understand the human world. At the moment, intelligent machines with artificial intelligence complement the work of people. They help in aspects such as predictions as well as insights into valuable changes. In the business world, computers can analyze the trends and give a solution with a high probability of success.

3. Disruptive Change

Technology is highly dynamic especially when it comes to IT. This advancement means that you have to be ready to embrace the new ways for the better of your business. The new techniques may include major disruptions such as hiring more workers and finding the use of some workers not valid. Disruption could involve taking your staff for some online training techniques such as skill building. This kind of disruption is not be taken up softly by most workers. As some resists, it is your duty to convince them on the importance of the approach and the long-term benefit in the company.

4. Digital Technologies

This includes the above factors as well as the era of data and analytics. New businesses are starting due to the numerous possibilities internet and computers bring forth. For instance, in the world of equipment, websites are personalizing their experience through refining content for its readers. Search engines like Google have the capability of predicting a search item you are searching. For other cases, targeted advertising has taken over the internet bringing a better picture of the market analysis.

Conclusion

Companies can go online to fetch a steady supply of new clients. Through SEO, users create a strong brand presence as well as booking a healthy place in the SERPs for a given set of keywords. This situation is the heart of online marketing. Every business is trying to achieve this effect. The above factors can push your business towards incorporation of a digital platform on some of the crucial aspects a firm possesses.

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Semalt Analytics: Innovation And Digital Transformation In Today's World Of Business

Digital transformation (also known as disruption or business transformation) refers to transitions of businesses and their modes of operations into technological field while traditional management also experiences changes. Digital transformation is important for all kinds of businesses whether a small, medium or large business is. Thus, the disruption can be witnessed in medical, retail, software, logistics or even automation area. The use of innovations in business is the key to delivering a great digital business experience to both employees and customers.

Lisa Mitchell, the Customer Success Manager of Semalt, gives an insight on how innovations transform the world of business today.

The best way to stay ahead in competition in today's corporate world is to have the ability to deliver customized applications at the business convenience. The principal of digital transformation is based on enhancing customer experience and lowering costs of operations. However, digital transformation is more than enhancing new technology. It is also about organization culture.

Organizations should address dynamic businesses' demands, changes in business environment and innovate modern approaches. IT (Information Technology) teams and leaders in any enterprise should work together in marching towards continuous development, drive innovation and meeting business requirements. Essentially, that constitutes digital transformation-lower cost, accelerate business activities, brings positive change in competency models, people and processes and improving marketing time.

Key factors that drive business transformations include market demand, consumer behavior, innovative technology as well as environmental aspects. Technological innovations leads to technological businesses transformation. The business logistics should adopt new technology like cloud, RAD, IoT and big data and turn away from legacy systems. Additionally, technological innovations are acknowledged widely in an organization. They increase speed, deliver more efficient results, lower cost and bring value in enterprise.

Customer behavior is another significant factor in digital transformation. What are clients' expectations and demands from an organization (and technological needs in meeting business demands)? Customers want improved technological capacities combined with a plea for ease of use. In this regard, enterprises must deal with external factors such as changing economy, business partner requirements, market competitions and regulatory laws. Customer demands and capacity of technology in catering the demands is of manifold significance. For example, lower costs and improved capabilities are two most evident results. Moreover, Forrester Consulting Research carried out by Accenture Interactive, established the key drivers of business transformation as customer satisfaction, increased the speed of ideas and profitability.

Successful disruptive transformation is dependent on modern organizational culture and digital maturity. These details are highlighted below:

Customer demands. Clients look forward for a delightful experience in every delivery aspect. Thus, ensure your organization achieves consumer loyalty and customers will always speak about the brand.

Process orientation. Employee enablement and process digitization enhances data-driven decision making hence resulting in overall operational transparency and greater performance.

Business innovation. Digitizing existing business models or new digital products, which goes beyond prevailing business demands cater for changing business demands and fosters new innovative services and products.

In conclusion, digital transformation is a real change that causes a storm in the corporate world. The impact of business transformation is evident not only in operations but also in all levels of an organization and industry structures. CIOs and business leaders are stepping up to ensure that innovation coupled with business transformation is driving business, delivering value and bringing productive changes.

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Semalt Expert: How To Design Your Digital Business Effectively

According to research by MIT Sloan Management Review and Deloitte University Press, many businesses are prepared to go online. In this study, about 44% of the persons surveyed (3700 analysts, executives and managers), made it clear that their firms were ready for the disruption of operation following the introduction of new digital ways. However, 56% of respondents did not feel ready for the digital transition and oppose the new ways.

Adopting a digital platform can mean a lot in business. For instance, some Search Engine Optimization (SEO) procedures increase your clientele base. Digitalizing your business can be a good thing for its long-term plan. Whether or not this transition will happen in your business, you need a design or kind of a picture of the long run outcome. Many issues are likely to arise, which is normal when any organization is transforming. As a result, putting clear strategies on dealing with such hitches can be an extra task, which is worth the efforts.

Max Bell, the Customer Success Manager of Semalt, explains the aspects of designing successful digital business.

Design Thinking Encourages Collaboration and Innovation

When doing design model, the process involves looking for a solution using a given set of parameters the client wants. The answer is not clear, achieving it can be possible using some principles of making a conceptual collaboration between the parties which are affected by the change. For instance, when doing digital marketing, organizations might need to hire SEO experts as well as teaching their staff on a few digital marketing techniques to fetch clients. In the modern era, the majority customers come from the internet. This phenomenon means that websites are slowly replacing physical stores.

Design Thinking

Design thinking involves incorporating all aspects of an organization to work together to make a solution for something. It includes engaging different minds to look at a particular issue regarding future solutions. At one point, the ideas of different perspectives intersect giving the business a vital insight for future operations. For instance, the partnering of MU/DAI and SalesForce in fighting marine piracy.

In this regard, calling in a technology team can be a worthwhile venture. Many aspects of design as well as adapting to a digital platform require some talented and well-informed experts to deal with issues. For instance, teamwork between company executives and SEO teams can lead to the design of a good responsive website, which not only complements, but has a potential of replacing the physical shop. In this setup, design thinking is necessary since the transitioning might involve changing staff, inventory and many other aspects.

Conclusion

Design Thinking is a universal concept, which can help most organizations plan for their future. It enables different persons to bring in different perspectives and solutions. Design thinking can apply for very many businesses, and it is very likely that different individuals take it differently. Design thinking helps your business solve some long-term issues as well as moving from some of the existing difficulties. Changing people is difficult, but can be a worthwhile venture in some cases. Design thinking helps people get a diversified range of creative innovations as well as getting some deeper level of collaboration. Through the tips in this article, it is possible to adopt a proper design thinking process. It can be outstanding in transitioning to digital methods.

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SEO & Content Marketing – Semalt Shares The Difference You Need To Learn

In any online business, digital marketing can form the heart of a growing clientele base. For instance, internet marketers employ essential techniques such as Search Engine Optimization (SEO) or Content Marketing. However, knowing the difference between SEO and content marketing may not be very easy. There are many similarities between these two methods of fetching clients online. To be more specific, SEO is essentially content marketing. At the same time, content marketing is also about SEO.

To ease the confusion, the Customer Success Manager of Semalt, Lisa Mitchell, has a list of different ways to explain relations between SEO and content marketing.

The difference between SEO and content marketing

SEO and content marketing are not usually integrated. No matter how much these two factors seem to link together, some of their aspects do overlap. One major mistake content marketers make the belief that content marketing eliminates the need for SEO. This idea can mislead a person and result to a website ranking poorly because of not following key features designed for each of them.

This mistake is evident in the way people relate to different aspects involved in each of them. For instance, SEO means digital marketing techniques such as an appropriate keywords search, content creation, social media marketing, linkage and website design above other parameters. On the other hand, content marketing solely involves content creation. It is one of Google's methods of ranking a website, by involving aspects such as content relevance, the length of blog posts, viral SMM as well as some areas of SEO.

How SEO and content marketing relate

Viewing SEO and content marketing as separate entities can create the wrong impression of the two. First of all, SEO is part of content marketing, although not fully. This fact is evident due to aspects such as content placement, meta tags and meta description, social media linkage as well as keyword selection and development. Therefore, some of these aspects relate, making the two some of the most effective internet marketing techniques of the decade.

In every aspect of either SEO or content marketing, there is a technique of the other. For you to reduce the confusion, SEO and content marketing are different in some ways. For instance:

SEO covers a narrow spectrum when it comes to content creation and posting than content marketing. It involves more of technical aspects of running a website. At the same time, content marketing involves developing content, which will require SEO for online visibility.

Applying SEO and content marketing is different. For instance, SEO means automating certain technical aspects of content marketing. The only way content marketing makes sense is through the application of any SEO techniques.

Conclusion

For any online website to succeed in defeating their competition, both SEO and content marketing are a must have. For instance, SEO has many designs and technical features which content marketing needs to operate optimally. In other cases, SEO depends on information which is only available in content marketing. Determining the difference and knowing which one to can be essential to succeed online. As a result, the two online marketing techniques are independent and can help rank a website high in the search engines.

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Optimizing On-Page SEO To Deliver Value To Your Website - Research From Semalt

For any online business, getting an adequate coverage especially on the internet is key. For an internet marketer, booking a strong presence in internet platforms like search engines and social media is usually the primary goal. This stage is where Search Engine Optimization comes to play. The goal of any SEO campaign is generating quality traffic for your e-commerce website by booking top positions in the standard SERP of some specific keywords. In this regard, the higher your site appears, the more persons searching those particular keywords are likely to click your page.

On-Page SEO helps pages gain authority in the search engine results through aspects like keyword selection and content creation. A web page which appears first has a 99% chance of getting most clicks, especially when the content is relevant. However, doing this task is not very easy.

Lisa Mitchell, the Customer Success Manager of Semalt, describes several ways on how you can optimize your on-page SEO:

Key words selection

Just like any other SEO challenges, the primary task is finding competitive keywords. Apps such as Google AdWords and SEMrush can help you find keywords which have a weak competition. The keywords are essential for use in the web content. Here, the concept is that when you include keywords in your web content, Google crawler bots index your content and it appears in Google's search results the next time a person clicks on your link. The keywords need to be available to specific parts of a web page to achieve this CTR. For instance, it is important to include keywords on the page title, meta description as well as the page content itself. AdWords has a feature that shows you the metrics and quantitative analysis of the performance of your keywords.

Content Selection

The content should be relevant to the niche you are targeting. There should be an appropriate placement of keywords on that page. The content should be of a decent length, depending on desktop view or mobile view. Ensure that you do not have duplicate content on the page you are optimizing. Duplicate content introduces multiple URLs, reducing page authority as well as ranking.

Design of the page

For Google to rank a page, it has to be responsive, mobile friendly and with relevant content. Google algorithm awards pages by user intent and experience. You should create a web page which engages a user for some time, easy to use as well as one with a fast loading speed. Including some social media linkage as well as videos can be an extra advantage.

Conclusion

For every online start up, some amount of digital marketing is essential. Many companies adopt to SEO techniques and succeed in making many customers out of simple on page SEO and website design tasks. To succeed online, some crucial on page SEO factors need strict adherence. For instance, users can get a steady flow of traffic from the keyword selection as well as benefit from the high conversion rate of a successful SEO campaign. After using the guidelines above, your online marketing can be very fruitful. These tips not only apply for getting many visitors but also play a part in lead generation as well as converting visitors into buyers.

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Semalt Unveils Compelling CTA Buttons Guideline

When carrying out e-commerce, optimization of the website content for a good search engine visibility is a key attribute. Many companies have succeeded online through the efficient use of SEO and other digital marketing strategies. Aspects such as content selection and logo optimization are important in determining how a web page will behave on the SERPs. Following the January 2017 update of Google algorithm, the factors which Google is giving much weight nowadays is content relevance, mobile friendliness, and the user experience.

In user experience, Max Bell, the Customer Success Manager of Semalt Digital Services, recommends the following:

A web design that is aesthetic to the user's eye.

Ease of navigation (to the main idea).

Content that is relevant to the user's intent or need.

According to these factors, the experience of using a website should be the key concern when developing web content. As a result, CTA tasks create a great need for considering where to place important buttons. For instance, the call-to-action buttons. This button prompts a visitor to make the important task on a web page such as to buy, subscribe or download. You can use the tips below to make CTA placement can be an easy task:

1. The fold

CTA placement should adhere to the design of the web page. The UX should remain as aesthetic as possible with the CTA button. Some designs may favor placing the button above the fold and others below it. In other cases, a long web page includes CTA at the top and bottom part of the page. Short web pages have limited positions to situate a call to action button.

2. Desktop and mobile sites

According to the January update, Google will be paying more attention to the mobile friendliness of a website. When doing SEO, there are certain design features which you incorporate on a mobile device and not on a desktop. For instance, the length of content. According to research, many desktop users prefer a bottom placed CTA button. In the same study, people find it easy to perform a CTA action on a mobile device especially when CTA button is at the top of the page.

3. Left or right side

In most cases (if not all), call-to-action buttons serve the customers when on the right aspect of the web page. According to the visual acuity, a user, say a shopper, will click a page at the end or top right corner. This design favors persons doing mobile web development. Smartphones have a native feature of placing menus on the left, which allows for a right-hand side button placement.

Conclusion

When doing e-commerce, unique aspects of web design SEO and button placement play a critical role. A good website should be able to convert a visitor into a buyer through key aspects of the site. When a visitor clicks your link, a process AIDA (Attention – Interest – Desire – Action). This process should guide you through the places you put necessary buttons such as Call-To-Action buttons. CTA buttons can occupy conspicuous locations within your web page. These locations include areas like within the page or a right place for mobile users. An interface which is not straight forward can make you lose valuable traffic, harming your SEO efforts. Using these CTA placement tips, your conversions can increase significantly.

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Semalt Study: What Does SEO Add To Your Website?

Whenever a person goes surfing online, they do so with the intention of getting some info. This means that you (as a business) should have an online presence vis a vis website. Not just a website, a good website that ranks high in search engine results (SERPs). With the tendency of most users searching before making a purchase, having a good website guarantees you better yields.

Lisa Mitchell, the Customer Success Manager of Semalt Digital Services, specifies the importance of SEO when building a website.

Search results

In the past few years, prospective clients have been keen on searching for what they intend to buy online. They wish to see the product before making a purchase. Believe it or not, most of them do not go beyond the first page of results. This implies that your website MUST rank highly for specific keywords. As is evident here, SEO plays a very crucial role in web design.

Value of SEO

Nowadays web design and SEO go hand in hand. Whereas a few years back you'd see a web designer focussing on design elements, today they incorporate SEO while building websites. Why is SEO important and what value does it add to your website? Well, a website fully integrated with SEO brings in more traffic which translates to more sales. You may have a good site, but if it doesn't rank on the first page of a keyword search, then your effort is in vain. That's the value SEO adds to the site. Integrating SEO isn't hard, simple factor in these aspects - navigation, linking, content - and you're good to go.

Content, keywords & links

The content displayed on your website is very crucial for your SEO success. When the web designer is working on your website, ensure that they know all details about your business. With this taken care of, identify ALL keywords prospective clients may search for and incorporate them naturally into your content. Stick to ethical practices as required by Google and other search engines.

Adding keywords to your content while creating the web pages helps cut down on time you'd use to change the same on the pages created without incorporating SEO.

Link building helps you connect with other credible websites in your niche.

Creating a search engine friendly website

If you are a newbie, consider hiring a professional to help you design a classic, SEO-compliant website.

Incorporate fresh content alongside visual elements like videos and photos.

Make sure users can navigate easily through the website. Do the same for search bots.

Aesthetics and search ranking.

A good web designer understands the essence of creating a visually appealing site. Remember that your website represents your business to the world so it shouldn't disappoint. First impression matters here. It may cost you money but never underestimate the power of SEO. If you integrate it as is required, you'll get more traffic to your website, and your sales will project upwards.

Web design is dynamic, and as the years roll by, technology is being invented to help you incorporate SEO into your website seamlessly. Up your game.

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Semalt: Video Marketing As A Vital Strategy For Better SEO Rankings

In digital marketing, securing a robust online presence makes a firm authoritative especially on SERPs. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) helps organizations make this incredible step, especially when trying to fetch new clients online. SEO is all about making a website show up as one of the top result suggestions for any search query on a search engine. SEO involves tactics like keyword search, backlinking and creating relevant content which targets satisfying user intent.

Video marketing is another digital marketing technique which can also rank your page or website. Most well-established companies have found a lot of success in increasing their levels as well as creating a strong online company-visitors' relationship. For a given set of key words, websites which have videos present a 50% better chance of ranking before those who do not have a video.

Alexander Peresunko, the Customer Success Manager of Semalt Digital Services, shares the valuable practices to improve ranks of your pages by means of videos.

How Videos Improves Ranks of Your Pages

Video marketing affects the behavior of the Google algorithm in a variety of ways. Users may wonder how to make this happen or even how to make their videos rank through search engines. For instance:

Videos create backlinks to your website.

Videos create valuable content as well as making a user click call-to-action buttons within the user page. Backlinks enable the Google algorithm to prove the relevance of your content. As a result, they get a ranking priority giving your site an upper hand. One of the most effective tricks is creating video content with links pointing to it. Including a video code on your website automatically counts as a quality backlink.

Collecting emails in videos is an excellent tactic.

Users who provide an email after watching a video are potential leads which can convert. Videos can increase the Click Through Rates (CTR) of a URL up to 300%. More people are benefiting from Video marketing. The mobile friendly initiative is making video marketing mean a lot to Google. Furthermore, this tactic is free. Typical websites such as YouTube and Vimeo do not charge anything for users who may want to post a video for whichever the purpose.

Videos can rank.

Videos are content themselves, which have a chance to appear in the SERPs. It is essential to include keywords in your video naming and content as well as their description. Users share and comment on your video, an aspect which not only secures a possible following but also makes many websites rank. Social Media Marketing (SMM) techniques work well with ranking sites.

Conclusion

For any website getting clients online, becoming visible online is an advantage especially for the search engines. Video SEO has become a primary tactic for ranking websites. Many sites depend on videos for an appearance in some of the top most slots of a SERP. Entrepreneurs who are making online start-ups can make their websites rank well though including videos as one of the ways to post content. Using some tips above, you can make a successful SEO campaign by adding videos as an online marketing technique. Ranking your website is important especially when you are trying to become conspicuous online.

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Semalt Expert: 7 Surefire SEO Essentials You Need To Know When Selecting A CMS

In many online applications a good Content Management System (CMS) can make the difference between a performing website and one that is not performing. In any online e-commerce approach, booking a top position in the Search Engine Result Pages guarantees one a better chance of getting the traffic than your competitor. This fact is why many companies and websites are going for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to make the best out of their firm's online clients.

However, a good SEO and SMM may require a good Content Management System for it to work best. Most Content Management Systems have a good reputation and services. Some of them may fail to offer a feature or two, which might lead to a decline in the sales or even penalty in the ranking in Google.

When deciding on the CMS to use, consider the following factors, provided by Max Bell, the Customer Success Manager of Semalt.

1. H1 tags, page titles, and meta descriptions.

Websites use Google bots to crawl to the content on your site and index it. These are the things those crawlers see from your site. It is important to know how to customize (read: optimize) h1 tags, page title data or the meta description. This flexibility can help you get a good functional content management system.

2. Ability to use Alt attributes for images.

This attribute gives the search engine information on what the image is all about.

3. Using irrelevant and hard code.

This involves the technicians who make the website. Following the January update, a sites response speed is one of the factors that affect how a site will rank on the SERP. The CMS of your choice should avoid codes like including the view state on every page. It can make the pages heavy especially on mobile devices, lowering the speed of loading.

4. Page templates.

It is important to consider a CMS which allows one to customize the pages without altering the whole content of the template. Maintaining the UX should be a primary concern. Some templates may require slight alterations for the benefit of the look.

5. URL structure should be customizable.

To succeed in SEO, the URL structure you choose should contain words on content rather than random codes. In other aspects, one might need multiple languages.

6. Canonical problems and duplicate content.

This issue arises when more than one links point to a similar URL. As a result, a given set of keywords can show different search results which mainly point to one page or item. Duplicate content makes a website share traffic with its duplicate pages. This error reduces the authority of a page, reducing its chances of ranking before that of the competitor. As a result, it is crucial to run a full scan and eliminate all duplicate content. One way to remove duplicate content in your Content Management System is through using 301 redirects. Ensure your CMS supports these features.

7. Add-ons, plugins, and modules.

Automation is an important aspect in any CMS. It can allow for plugins like SEO or even WordPress.

Conclusion

To succeed in the online business, one must be aggressive and competent to match the competitor's gap and achievements. One way to do this is making internet marketing campaigns to promote a page or one's website. SEO is a good strategy to apply. The issue comes with the Content Management Systems in place and the things you may need. Using the above guideline, you can confirm the availability of the above crucial features before the enrollment to a content management system.

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How Important Is Web Design For Engine Rankings? - Semalt Expert Concerns

For any online business, getting a steady flow of clients online is the primary idea behind the creation of a website. Through Search Engine Optimization (SEO), a firm can secure a robust and conspicuous presence online. The brand image can reach many individuals as the company reaches many more clients. As a result, many websites target at ranking high on search engines for certain key words exclusive to their niche. The success of this process becomes possible through SEO. It involves aspects like keywords search, backlinking and social media viral marketing.

Since January 2017, SEO has changed gradually. For instance, apart from keywords, Google is now focusing on content relevance, mobile friendliness of the design, content relevance and the web design features as well. For one to make the SERP algorithm to rank them, they must focus solely on the user experience during the browsing session. The aesthetic feeling and impression of a person when they click your link affect their decision on whether to buy on your site or leave to a different search result. Therefore, making a website following good web design features is a must have for online marketing.

For one to get good rankings, the Customer Success Manager of Semalt, Digital Services, Alexander Peresunko, recommends the following elements:

Technical bit of the website

A website has to be efficient in its coding and hosting. A good site should not have issues and bugs. The hosting package should have adequate bandwidth for optimal responsiveness and speed. In January this year, Google requires websites to be mobile friendly for them to rank in the SERP pages.

Memorable branding

SEO is all about creating a strong brand presence. Google awards content relevance through ranking. The keywords selection and the description of your content strongly dictates the position that page will secure in the SERPs. Anything you post represents the brand you are trying to make viral.

Visual impression

The layout element of a website is the sole purpose of web development. Google awards user intent through such factors. A person should become enticed when they visit your site. The visual element increases conversions through converting visitors into buyers. The design should give your visitor an easy time and guide them through the purchase or subscription.

Simplicity

How you place content as well as special buttons such as Call-To-Action tasks contributes immensely to the sales you make. The ease of navigation significantly helps how customers find what they are searching. A customer should not have a hard time or experience any difficulties when navigating.

Conclusion

Like an entrepreneur, web development has the potential of affecting most digital marketing techniques such as SEO. The aesthetic appeal a visitor feels in your website has a great impact on whether or not they will make a purchase, as well as the position search engines, rank your web pages. For a particular set of keywords, mobile friendliness, as well as the responsiveness of a website, are factors Google gives weight when it comes to ranking a website. As a result, it is important for any entrepreneur wishing to venture into the online field to consider the technical bit of web development. Good sites have the potential of high rankings as well as competitiveness in their particular niches.

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Virtual Assistants & SEO – Compelling Ideas From Semalt

Whenever the word SEO pops up, people tend to associate it with the written word. It could be because most SEO is focused on 'typed' keywords or perhaps due to the fact that most marketers want to ensure that it's their website that shows up whenever a search result is displayed on Google. All the same, a new trend is emerging - something that does not involve any typing at all.

You must have noticed the emergence of virtual assistants (VAs) like Google Now and Siri, right? Instead of entering a query into a search engine, users can instead use voice search. As it is, more than 50% of teenagers and adults use VAs, and this number is expected to project upwards.

While the user may be happy to get their info easily and more quickly than before, there's a battle going on. Think of it this way, Google Now and Siri are tailored specifically to respond to verbally-entered texts. As such, there's a new avenue for more companies to get noticed. After all, VAs must get their info from somewhere so why shouldn't figure a way to capitalize on the voice response system?

Alexander Peresunko, the leading expert of Semalt Digital Services, defines some proven ways how to make the most of the virtual assistance, improving SEO performance.

Get familiar with voice inquiries

The first thing that you should know is this - virtual assistants (VAs) don't get bombarded with questions you see in your typical search engine. Of course, people would want to know about your business, but they wouldn't want a lengthy blog. They just want the basics: your address, open hours, offers, etc. Limit yourself only to tackling the basic queries.

And even in this domain, there are some ways in which you cannot get Siri or any other VA to point to your website. For instance, Siri automatically links to Yelp for address info for local businesses. This means that you must ensure that your bases are covered all over the web.

Use a natural voice

As a marketer, you must always write your content with SEO in mind, and the same applies for voice inquiries. Create content in a natural and conversational manner. As much as you may be used to WRITING with SEO in mind, it won't hurt to TALK with SEO in mind. Stick to a natural voice and reel in new clients.

Select the right keywords

Long tail keywords can be quite helpful when it comes to SEO-based voice search. For instance, 'tennis shoes NYC' is a more powerful query compared to 'tennis shoes'. Your location is very important. Choose a set of keywords that can be constructed in the way a typical web surfer would talk. Put yourself in the shoes of a potential client.

Future-proof your website

All marketers have sleepless nights thinking about the next Google algorithm. A little tweak can send a company tumbling down the search results for a query. Anyway, Google is yet to indicate how voice-unfriendly websites will be penalized in the next algorithm but that doesn't mean you should sit pretty. Get in the loop.

Virtual assistants won't be replacing text-based engines anytime soon, but their popularity will be surging upwards as the years roll by. Be prepared. Refine your search strategy and add a cool element to your marketability.

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Semalt Expert Explains How Machine Learning And Artifical Intelligence Influence SEO

Search engines like Google use artificial intelligence and machine learning to present a visitor with most relevant search results. How does Google search algorithm function? Why has your site failed to rank? These are important questions a site owner should ask before attempting to rank a website.

Keep it in mind that SEO is not simple. It is not an overnight procedure. One has to take into account essential components before starting the process. Therefore, it is important to understand how Google worked back then and how its algorithm functions presently.

The Customer Success Manager of Semalt Digital Services, Alexander Peresunko, specifies the influence of ML&AI on SEO performance with the help of the following essential points.

Google algorithm was characterized by simpler time for SEO. The old time for internet marketing and SEO was back ten years ago. The term "internet marketing" was exclusively derogatorily segregating a fraction of phishers, spammers and anyone who wished to shove products online. The concept worked, and most people could rank their websites within few days by keyword stuffing, creating irrelevant links and by spamming.

Presently, Google search engine is divided into several elements. It is the only way Google search algorithm can handle web's 70 Trillion+ web pages. In this regard, Google uses artificial intelligence (AI) to discover components that create the flow of rank factors. One technique employed by Google in optimizing your site is crawling and indexing. It involves following internal links of a site from one page to another. A webmaster or site owner can decide which pages they wish Google to crawl. Also, they can deindex the whole site with robots.txt if they want. Google uses Googlebot in sorting pages by anchor text, links or contents. Formulas and algorithm are another interesting methods that Google present. Google writes formulas and programs to deliver excellent search results.

How do AI and ML affect SEO?

The most important question is whether AI and Machine learning affect SEO positively or negatively. Different SEO experts have demonstrated diversified opinions and philosophy about the subject. On the positive side, a site owner using White-Hat SEO approaches should automatically achieve Google rankings. Google wants to see the generation of user engaging, shareable and great content in addition to optimizing onsite. The rest of the techniques should be manipulated. Moreover, it can take a while before a site ranks, but it is important to allow this to come naturally. Therefore, ensure a static ranking in Google and avoid spam.

On the downside, AI and Machine Learning helps Google algorithm to grow in pace that is difficult for even Google developers to cope up or maintain. From this point of view, site owners will have to work on experiments concerning ranking factors that matter for Google. Experts argue that eventually site optimization and SEO will be harder than initially anticipated. Also, this can mean an easier process of searching information. It is simpler to provide users with what they need in precise than to feed search engines with the information they want. If a site has a great user experience and content, it does not matter what Google requires. The customers will be happy and contented. Having satisfied customers is a perfect idea for any business.

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What Do APIs Hold For The Future Of Search? Predictions From Semalt

Over the last decade, people are talking a lot about APIs in the SEO industry. Generally, an API (Application Program Interface) is a given set of routines, protocols, and tools that may be used in building software applications. It defines how two programs communicate with each other, outlining the correct way for a developer to write a program that can request services from another, such as an operating system.

People have specialized mainly on the tools that can be built using APIs as well as the analysis data that is accessible and the reports you can automate. However, they tend to miss the bigger picture. Thousands of APIs are being used out there for things other than these, and more importantly, these APIs may have a revolutionary effect on the web, and thus the search engine optimization industry in the coming years.

It is clear that over the next couple of years, the number of users visiting websites will decrease over a large margin. This shift will mainly be as a result of APIs.

To make it clear, Alexander Peresunko, the Customer Success Manager of Semalt, takes a look at the history of the web over the last two decades and defines the role of APIs for the future of search.

What are the changes?

The web has been around for a little over 2 decades, a period during which it has undergone several changes. It started off with black and white text, with no images. With time, it grew much more colorful, with the introduction of images as well as improvement of web layout. However, it was still a static experience, a very long way from what we have today.

Nowadays, websites boast of high-resolution imagery and video, animation, embedded social media, not to mention being quite interactive. In just 20 years, the web has accelerated from something fairly simple to a sophisticated and interactive multimedia system. With the advances being made, it will only get better.

The structure of the web is not the only thing that has changed. In the beginning, the web was universally accessed using desktop computers. Back then, you used the web just to check your email, owing to the slow connections. This slowly progressed to laptops which saw off advancements like broadband and Wi-Fi. Nowadays, most people access the web on their mobile phones.

How the web is searched has also changed. Initially, search results provided you with 10 blue link results which would take you to a place where you can specify the attributes unique to the kind of thing you are searching for. Nowadays, Google can detect the context of your search from keywords in your text, and then provide you with additional inputs so as to refine your search.

What to expect?

Looking over the history of the web, we can see that it has become more interactive and dynamic. Beyond searching, the adoption of Apps is replacing use of web. This is because people are sharing information without having to use the web. Most of these apps have adopted publicly available APIs, while others use private APIs. Taking all of this into consideration, I cannot see how there is any conclusion other than the web giving way to other technologies.