#Panda 4.0 Algorithm
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esavvysolution · 2 years ago
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Unmasking the Winners and Losers of Panda 4.0: A Deep Dive
In the ever-evolving landscape of search engine optimization (SEO), Google's algorithm updates hold a significant impact on website rankings and online visibility. One such update that sent shockwaves through the digital marketing community was Panda 4.0. In this comprehensive article, we'll take a deep dive into Panda 4.0, understanding its implications, identifying the winners who adapted successfully, and the unfortunate losers who were left scrambling to recover.
Understanding Panda 4.0
What is Panda 4.0?
Panda 4.0 was a major update to Google's search algorithm, first introduced in May 2014. It was designed to target low-quality and thin content websites, to provide users with higher-quality search results.
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The Goals of Panda 4.0
Panda 4.0 had two primary goals:
Content Quality: To reward websites with high-quality, relevant, and engaging content.
User Experience: To enhance the overall user experience by reducing the visibility of low-quality content.
Winners of Panda 4.0
High-Quality Content Creators
Websites that consistently produced valuable, well-researched, and informative content thrived after the Panda 4.0 update. They saw increased organic traffic and improved search rankings.
User-Focused Websites
Websites that prioritized user experience by ensuring fast loading times, mobile responsiveness, and easy navigation were rewarded by Panda 4.0.
Content Diversification
Winners diversified their content formats, including articles, videos, infographics, and podcasts. This made their websites more engaging and appealing to a broader audience.
Losers of Panda 4.0
Thin Content Producers
Websites with shallow or duplicated content suffered significant drops in rankings. Panda 4.0 penalized them for not providing substantial value to users.
Keyword Stuffing Offenders
Websites that relied heavily on keyword stuffing, a practice of overloading content with keywords, saw their rankings plummet as Panda 4.0 detected and penalized such tactics.
Slow and Unresponsive Sites
Websites with slow loading times and poor mobile optimization lost visibility as user experience became a crucial ranking factor.
Adapting to Panda 4.0
Content Quality Improvement
For those who found themselves on the losing side, the path to recovery involved improving content quality. They revamped existing content and focused on creating fresh, insightful pieces.
Technical Optimization
Website owners had to invest in technical optimization, including faster hosting, mobile-friendly designs, and the removal of intrusive ads.
Natural Link Building
Adopting ethical and natural link-building strategies helped websites regain trust with Google's algorithm.
Conclusion
Panda 4.0 reshaped the SEO landscape, rewarding websites that put user experience and content quality at the forefront. The winners adapted and thrived, while the losers learned valuable lessons about the importance of ethical SEO practices. As Google's algorithms continue to evolve, staying informed and implementing best practices remains crucial for online success.
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digitalmore · 4 months ago
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abhinav3045 · 7 months ago
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K-Means Clustering in Python: Step-by-Step Example
by Zach BobbittPosted on August 31, 2022
One of the most common clustering algorithms in machine learning is known as k-means clustering.
K-means clustering is a technique in which we place each observation in a dataset into one of K clusters.
The end goal is to have K clusters in which the observations within each cluster are quite similar to each other while the observations in different clusters are quite different from each other.
In practice, we use the following steps to perform K-means clustering:
1. Choose a value for K.
First, we must decide how many clusters we’d like to identify in the data. Often we have to simply test several different values for K and analyze the results to see which number of clusters seems to make the most sense for a given problem.
2. Randomly assign each observation to an initial cluster, from 1 to K.
3. Perform the following procedure until the cluster assignments stop changing.
For each of the K clusters, compute the cluster centroid. This is simply the vector of the p feature means for the observations in the kth cluster.
Assign each observation to the cluster whose centroid is closest. Here, closest is defined using Euclidean distance.
The following step-by-step example shows how to perform k-means clustering in Python by using the KMeans function from the sklearn module.
Step 1: Import Necessary Modules
First, we’ll import all of the modules that we will need to perform k-means clustering:import pandas as pd import numpy as np import matplotlib.pyplot as plt from sklearn.cluster import KMeans from sklearn.preprocessing import StandardScaler
Step 2: Create the DataFrame
Next, we’ll create a DataFrame that contains the following three variables for 20 different basketball players:
points
assists
rebounds
The following code shows how to create this pandas DataFrame:#create DataFrame df = pd.DataFrame({'points': [18, np.nan, 19, 14, 14, 11, 20, 28, 30, 31, 35, 33, 29, 25, 25, 27, 29, 30, 19, 23], 'assists': [3, 3, 4, 5, 4, 7, 8, 7, 6, 9, 12, 14, np.nan, 9, 4, 3, 4, 12, 15, 11], 'rebounds': [15, 14, 14, 10, 8, 14, 13, 9, 5, 4, 11, 6, 5, 5, 3, 8, 12, 7, 6, 5]}) #view first five rows of DataFrame print(df.head()) points assists rebounds 0 18.0 3.0 15 1 NaN 3.0 14 2 19.0 4.0 14 3 14.0 5.0 10 4 14.0 4.0 8
We will use k-means clustering to group together players that are similar based on these three metrics.
Step 3: Clean & Prep the DataFrame
Next, we’ll perform the following steps:
Use dropna() to drop rows with NaN values in any column
Use StandardScaler() to scale each variable to have a mean of 0 and a standard deviation of 1
The following code shows how to do so:#drop rows with NA values in any columns df = df.dropna() #create scaled DataFrame where each variable has mean of 0 and standard dev of 1 scaled_df = StandardScaler().fit_transform(df) #view first five rows of scaled DataFrame print(scaled_df[:5]) [[-0.86660275 -1.22683918 1.72722524] [-0.72081911 -0.96077767 1.45687694] [-1.44973731 -0.69471616 0.37548375] [-1.44973731 -0.96077767 -0.16521285] [-1.88708823 -0.16259314 1.45687694]]
Note: We use scaling so that each variable has equal importance when fitting the k-means algorithm. Otherwise, the variables with the widest ranges would have too much influence.
Step 4: Find the Optimal Number of Clusters
To perform k-means clustering in Python, we can use the KMeans function from the sklearn module.
This function uses the following basic syntax:
KMeans(init=’random’, n_clusters=8, n_init=10, random_state=None)
where:
init: Controls the initialization technique.
n_clusters: The number of clusters to place observations in.
n_init: The number of initializations to perform. The default is to run the k-means algorithm 10 times and return the one with the lowest SSE.
random_state: An integer value you can pick to make the results of the algorithm reproducible. 
The most important argument in this function is n_clusters, which specifies how many clusters to place the observations in.
However, we don’t know beforehand how many clusters is optimal so we must create a plot that displays the number of clusters along with the SSE (sum of squared errors) of the model.
Typically when we create this type of plot we look for an “elbow” where the sum of squares begins to “bend” or level off. This is typically the optimal number of clusters.
The following code shows how to create this type of plot that displays the number of clusters on the x-axis and the SSE on the y-axis:#initialize kmeans parameters kmeans_kwargs = { "init": "random", "n_init": 10, "random_state": 1, } #create list to hold SSE values for each k sse = [] for k in range(1, 11): kmeans = KMeans(n_clusters=k, **kmeans_kwargs) kmeans.fit(scaled_df) sse.append(kmeans.inertia_) #visualize results plt.plot(range(1, 11), sse) plt.xticks(range(1, 11)) plt.xlabel("Number of Clusters") plt.ylabel("SSE") plt.show()
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In this plot it appears that there is an elbow or “bend” at k = 3 clusters.
Thus, we will use 3 clusters when fitting our k-means clustering model in the next step.
Note: In the real-world, it’s recommended to use a combination of this plot along with domain expertise to pick how many clusters to use.
Step 5: Perform K-Means Clustering with Optimal K
The following code shows how to perform k-means clustering on the dataset using the optimal value for k of 3:#instantiate the k-means class, using optimal number of clusters kmeans = KMeans(init="random", n_clusters=3, n_init=10, random_state=1) #fit k-means algorithm to data kmeans.fit(scaled_df) #view cluster assignments for each observation kmeans.labels_ array([1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 0, 0, 0, 0, 2, 2, 2, 0, 0, 0])
The resulting array shows the cluster assignments for each observation in the DataFrame.
To make these results easier to interpret, we can add a column to the DataFrame that shows the cluster assignment of each player:#append cluster assingments to original DataFrame df['cluster'] = kmeans.labels_ #view updated DataFrame print(df) points assists rebounds cluster 0 18.0 3.0 15 1 2 19.0 4.0 14 1 3 14.0 5.0 10 1 4 14.0 4.0 8 1 5 11.0 7.0 14 1 6 20.0 8.0 13 1 7 28.0 7.0 9 2 8 30.0 6.0 5 2 9 31.0 9.0 4 0 10 35.0 12.0 11 0 11 33.0 14.0 6 0 13 25.0 9.0 5 0 14 25.0 4.0 3 2 15 27.0 3.0 8 2 16 29.0 4.0 12 2 17 30.0 12.0 7 0 18 19.0 15.0 6 0 19 23.0 11.0 5 0
The cluster column contains a cluster number (0, 1, or 2) that each player was assigned to.
Players that belong to the same cluster have roughly similar values for the points, assists, and rebounds columns.
Note: You can find the complete documentation for the KMeans function from sklearn here.
Additional Resources
The following tutorials explain how to perform other common tasks in Python:
How to Perform Linear Regression in Python How to Perform Logistic Regression in Python How to Perform K-Fold Cross Validation in Python
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studio45creation · 1 year ago
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Python Developer in Chicago Unlocking Opportunities with Studio45Creations
Python has emerged as one of the most popular programming languages in the world due to its versatility, ease of learning, and vast ecosystem. In Chicago, the demand for skilled Python developers is on the rise, driven by the city's thriving tech scene, diverse industries, and a robust job market. This blog explores the landscape for Python developers in Chicago, highlighting the opportunities, key industries, required skills, and the role of Studio45Creations in this dynamic environment.
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The Tech Scene in Chicago
Chicago is known for its rich cultural heritage, diverse population, and significant contributions to various industries, including finance, healthcare, and manufacturing. In recent years, the city has also gained recognition as a burgeoning tech hub, attracting startups, established tech companies, and a pool of talented professionals. The city's tech ecosystem is supported by numerous incubators, accelerators, and coworking spaces, making it an ideal place for innovation and collaboration.
The Demand for Python Developers
Python's popularity as a programming language is reflected in its widespread adoption across different industries. Its versatility allows it to be used in web development, data science, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), automation, and more. In Chicago, Python developers are in high demand across several sectors:
Finance: Chicago is home to major financial institutions, trading firms, and fintech startups. Python is extensively used for algorithmic trading, risk management, and financial data analysis.
Healthcare: The healthcare industry leverages Python for data analysis, predictive modeling, and the development of healthcare applications. Chicago's medical institutions and healthtech companies are keen on hiring Python developers.
E-commerce: With the growth of e-commerce platforms, businesses in Chicago are seeking Python developers to build and maintain scalable web applications, implement recommendation systems, and analyze customer data.
Manufacturing: Chicago's manufacturing sector is adopting Industry 4.0 technologies, including automation and IoT, where Python plays a crucial role in scripting and data processing.
Startups: The city's vibrant startup scene offers numerous opportunities for Python developers to work on innovative projects, ranging from AI-driven solutions to cutting-edge web applications.
Skills and Qualifications for Python Developers
To thrive as a Python developer in Chicago, certain skills and qualifications are essential:
Proficiency in Python: A deep understanding of Python programming, including core concepts, libraries, and frameworks, is fundamental.
Web Development: Knowledge of web frameworks like Django and Flask is crucial for developing robust web applications.
Data Science and Machine Learning: Familiarity with libraries such as NumPy, Pandas, Scikit-Learn, and TensorFlow is beneficial for data analysis and machine learning projects.
Database Management: Experience with SQL and NoSQL databases like MySQL, PostgreSQL, and MongoDB is important for backend development.
Version Control: Proficiency in version control systems like Git is essential for collaborative development.
Problem-Solving Skills: Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities are crucial for tackling complex coding challenges.
Communication Skills: Effective communication skills are important for working in teams and interacting with clients or stakeholders.
The Role of Studio45Creations
Studio45Creations, a leading software development company in Chicago, plays a pivotal role in the city's tech landscape. Specializing in web and mobile application development, data science, and AI solutions, Studio45Creations is at the forefront of innovation, leveraging the power of Python to deliver cutting-edge solutions to its clients.
1. Web Development with Python
Studio45Creations excels in web development, utilizing frameworks like Django and Flask to build scalable, secure, and high-performance web applications. Whether it's an e-commerce platform, a content management system, or a custom web solution, the company's Python developers ensure seamless functionality and an exceptional user experience.
2. Data Science and Analytics
In the realm of data science, Studio45Creations harnesses Python's capabilities to provide data-driven insights and predictive analytics. By leveraging libraries such as Pandas, NumPy, and Scikit-Learn, the company helps businesses make informed decisions, optimize operations, and gain a competitive edge.
3. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Studio45Creations is at the cutting edge of AI and ML development. The company's Python developers use TensorFlow, Keras, and PyTorch to create intelligent systems that can learn, adapt, and perform complex tasks. From natural language processing (NLP) applications to computer vision solutions, Studio45Creations is driving innovation in AI.
4. Automation and Scripting
Automation is a key area where Python shines, and Studio45Creations leverages this to streamline business processes and increase efficiency. Whether it's automating repetitive tasks, developing custom scripts, or integrating systems, the company's Python developers deliver solutions that save time and reduce errors.
Career Opportunities for Python Developers at Studio45Creations
Studio45Creations offers a range of career opportunities for Python developers in Chicago. The company values talent, creativity, and innovation, providing an environment where developers can thrive and grow. Here are some roles available at Studio45Creations:
Web Developer: Focused on building and maintaining web applications using Django and Flask, web developers at Studio45Creations work on diverse projects across various industries.
Data Scientist: Data scientists analyze large datasets, develop predictive models, and provide actionable insights. They work closely with clients to solve complex business problems.
AI/ML Engineer: AI and ML engineers at Studio45Creations develop intelligent systems and applications, leveraging machine learning algorithms and neural networks.
Automation Engineer: Automation engineers create scripts and tools to automate business processes, improving efficiency and reducing manual effort.
Full-Stack Developer: Full-stack developers at Studio45Creations handle both frontend and backend development, ensuring seamless integration and performance.
Why Choose Studio45Creations?
Studio45Creations stands out as an employer of choice for Python developers in Chicago for several reasons:
Innovative Projects: The company works on cutting-edge projects that push the boundaries of technology and innovation.
Collaborative Environment: Studio45Creations fosters a collaborative and inclusive work culture where ideas are valued and teamwork is encouraged.
Professional Growth: The company invests in the professional development of its employees, offering training, mentorship, and opportunities for advancement.
Competitive Compensation: Studio45Creations offers competitive salaries and benefits, recognizing and rewarding the contributions of its team members.
Work-Life Balance: The company values work-life balance and provides flexible working arrangements to support the well-being of its employees.
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Conclusion
The demand for Python developers in Chicago continues to grow, driven by the city's vibrant tech scene and diverse industries. Studio45Creations a leading software development company, plays a crucial role in this dynamic environment, offering innovative solutions and exciting career opportunities for Python developers. With a focus on web development, data science, AI, and automation, Studio45Creations leverages the power of Python to deliver exceptional results for its clients.
If you're a Python developer looking to advance your career in Chicago, consider joining Studio45Creations. With a collaborative work culture, innovative projects, and a commitment to professional growth, Studio45Creations is the perfect place to unlock your potential and contribute to the future of technology.
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popyseo · 2 years ago
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300 High Authority Bookmarking Backlinks | Legiit
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Why Choose My Bookmarking Backlinks Service?
Manual Precision: I believe in quality over quantity. Each bookmarking backlink is thoughtfully placed manually on high-authority platforms to ensure authenticity and relevance.
Diversified Portfolio: To create a natural and effective backlink profile, I carefully select a variety of authoritative bookmarking sites, enhancing your website's credibility.
Niche Relevance: Your backlinks will be tailored to your website's niche, connecting you with an audience genuinely interested in your content.
Organic Traffic: Experience a surge in targeted organic traffic as your website gains more visibility through these strategic backlinks.
Google-Friendly Approach: My techniques adhere to Google's guidelines, ensuring your website's safety while boosting its potential.
What's Included:
A thoughtfully devised bookmarking strategy aligned with your website's goals and industry.
Comprehensive reporting that details the platforms housing your valuable backlinks.
Strengthened website authority, potentially resulting in improved search engine rankings.
Sustainable and reliable link-building techniques that withstand evolving search algorithms.
Please Order Here And Enjoy My Service  
our services: High Quality Bookmarks All Live & Permanent backlinks All manual service All live links Use WHITE HAT SEO Technique Report In an excel format 24/7 hours availability Google Panda 4.0 & penguin 3.0 Hummingbird safe.
Customer Satisfaction My 1st Priority.
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shanto4 · 2 years ago
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I will create 120+ high-authority SEO Profile Backlinks
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I'm S Das. I am a Search Engine Optimization expert with 1.3+ Years of Experience, I specialize in SEO and SMM. I'll Do all work are manually
Are you looking to boost your website's online presence and reach more auditions? Consider Profile Backlinks! With this gig, I'll manually submit your website to high-quality Profile Backlinks sites, increasing your Profile backlinks and driving more traffic. Profile Backlinks are a cost-effective and efficient way to improve your website's search engine ranking and increase your online visibility. Let me help you take your website to the next level with this powerful digital marketing strategy.
My Service
1. Manually Submission and Safe Backlinks.
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Google Panda 4.0 & penguin 3.0 Hummingbird safe.
Why Choose My High Authority Profile Backlinks:
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Contextual Relevance: I ensure that the backlinks are placed in relevant contexts, adding value to the conversation and making the link placement seamless.
White-Hat Techniques: My approach follows ethical SEO practices, so you can enjoy long-term benefits without worrying about algorithm updates or penalties.
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abbsee · 4 years ago
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aiplindore · 8 years ago
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Panda, Penguin, Hummingbird, Pigeon are among the most popular Google updates on the internet with Penguin 4.0 being the latest one among the versions rolled out. There have been some other technical updates too which, together with the previous ones, have changed the way internet search results work. Let us find out more about them in this infographic.
You can also read this blog - 
Penguin 4.0 - Effects, Benefits & How To Be Safe From The Penalty
And check out this presentation on Penguin 4.0 update - 
Why PPC is important for SEO and Conversion?
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nummero123 · 4 years ago
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Google Penalties That Destroy Traffic and How to Avoid Them
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Google takes its ranking system seriously, regularly changing it to give consumers the greatest search experiences possible. 
This includes penalizing pages or sites that do not follow Google's Webmaster Guidelines.
A Google penalty can be incurred intentionally through black hat SEO,
Accidentally through poor site upkeep, or simply as a result of an algorithm update. 
Google penalties, in any case, have a detrimental impact on your search rankings, 
and in some situations, your pages or entire website may be removed from results.
So, in this post, we'll go through what NOT to do (and what to do instead) to avoid a Google penalty and save your site from suffering a traffic decline. We'll go over:
Manual vs. algorithmic What to expect from Google penalties.
How to detect and repair a manual Google penalty.
Seven of the most common Google penalties and how to prevent them
By the end, you'll be able to maintain your ranks and continue to develop your website traffic.
What is a Google penalty?
When Google discovers that a website violates its Webmaster Guidelines, it imposes a penalty.
There are two forms of penalties, but both result in a decrease in ranking and traffic.
Algorithmic penalties
Google updates its algorithm every year to continue giving the best results to its searchers. 
Panda, Penguin, Pigeon, and Hummingbird are some of the most notable Google upgrades.
Some algorithm updates, such as Panda (keyword stuffing, grammatical errors, and low-quality content)
and Penguin (black hat linking tactics), is intended to lower the rank of guideline-violating pages, whereas others,
 such as Pigeon (solid local signals) and Hummingbird (newly prioritized ranking factors),
 are intended to favour pages with newly prioritized ranking factors (mobile responsiveness).
In that vein, are you aware of the page experience and mobile-first indexing updates?
A website's score may drop after an algorithm upgrade,
 either because it broke guidelines or because other sites better aligned with specific ranking parameters.
 Here's an example of traffic data from a site following the BERT update.
How to fix an algorithmic Google penalty
You can't check for algorithmic penalties because they aren't expressly specified anywhere. 
The best thing you can do is determine if your traffic decline coincides with the release of an algorithm change, 
and then learn everything you can about it so you can identify any modifications.
You need to make coming forward or any fixes you need to make to existing material.
Depending on the upgrade and the degree to which your website was out of sync with it, 
your repairs may or may not result in a restoration of ranking and traffic.
While algorithmic improvements occur regularly, they all serve to reward sites for EAT and good technical performance, 
thus they should be your primary emphasis.
Manual penalties
Manual penalties imposed by Google personnel for pages that have possibly unintentional flaws such as content quality and security, 
or for actively manipulating Google's algorithm using black hat SEO.
 Manual penalties, as opposed to algorithm penalties, are simple to discover and correct.
How to fix a manual Google penalty
There are various Google penalty checker tools accessible, but Google Search Console is also an option.
In your dashboard, navigate to the Security & Manual Actions tab and select Manual Actions.
There, you can discover which policy you violated, which pages were affected, and how to repair it.
You can submit it for review once it has got rectified. 
Employees at Google will review the request and, if it is correctly corrected, approve it and re-index your page.
What are the consequences of a Google penalty?
Any penalty results in a decrease in rank, however, the degree of the drop varies depending on the sort of penalty issued.
Penalties at the keyword level: Your ranking will decline for a certain term.
Penalties at the URL or directory level: A certain URL's ranking will suffer.
Domain-wide or site-wide penalties: Your site's ranking will decline for some URLs and keywords.
Delisting or de-indexing: This is Google's most severe penalty, in which they remove your domain from the Google index. 
As a result, none of the material on your website will displayed on Google.
How long do Google penalties last?
Google sanctions are in effect until they are removed. 
If a penalty remains unfixed for an extended length of time, 
the alert will removed from your Search Console, but the penalty's repercussions will stay in force. 
In other words, you've blown your chance to make things right with Google.
However, after the penalty is lifted, your site's traffic and rankings may or may not recover. 
Check out this page on Google penalty recovery timelines for more information.
The top reasons for Google penalties and how to prevent them
Every company aims to be on the first page of Google to improve traffic to their website and, as a result, gain more clients.
To accomplish this (through SEO), a lengthy amount of effort and patience is required. 
This is why many people, particularly those who have recently established a blog or website, are tempted to take shortcuts to boost their ranking. 
However, these strategies simply result in Google penalties.
The most common penalties are listed below, as well as what you may do to avoid and/or correct them.
1. Thin content and doorway pages
This occurs when website owners prioritize quantity above quality SEO material, believing that more content equals more visitors.
They may employ content generation software, produce short-form pieces, or scrape content from other sources.
Not only are these bad SEO methods detectable by Google, but low-quality material also reflects negatively on your company.
The Panda 4.0 algorithm upgrade in 2016 was designed to lower the exposure of low-quality material and gateway sites in search results.
How to prevent the thin content penalty:
Don't completely outsource or try to mass-produce your material. Mass-produced material is never of high quality, and outsourcing can result in off-brand and incoherent content.
If you need assistance growing your quality content, contact freelancers with whom you can collaborate closely and who specialize in your sector to create pages that add value to your readers.
Conduct thorough keyword research to ensure that you target the correct keywords and that your content corresponds to the query's intent.
Instead of doorway pages, create pillar pages or cornerstone content.
Combine short pages optimized for comparable keywords into a single long page with more information on a single topic.
2. Hidden text and links
Hide any material or links for the sake of SEO rather than user experience violates Google's Webmaster Rules. 
Text and links can concealed in a variety of ways, including:
Increasing the text size to 0
Using white text or background connecting
Putting text behind an image
Using CSS to move text off-screen
Using the same colour as the backdrop for the links
How to prevent the hidden content penalty
To begin with, never do it on purpose. 
If you have to hide something, it definitely shouldn't be on your page in the first place.
If you did not do this on purpose, 
Go to your Search Console's URL inspection tab, type the affected pages into the search box, and then click "see crawled page." 
You can look for any hidden links or CSS there.
3. User-generated spam
If you host a forum, allow guest articles, or allow comments on your blog, you may inundated with spam-bots or bad actors. 
Spam links may lead to low-quality or inappropriate pages, undermining the T in EAT.
Alternatively, actual humans will leave a comment on your blog with one or more irrelevant links solely to obtain a back-link from your site to boost their domain authority.
How to prevent the user-generated spam penalty
Here are a few methods for preventing user-generated spam on your website and forum.
Tools for comment moderation
Disqus used by us to filter, remove, and block spammy comments. 
You can also approve comments before they are made public on your site. 
If you can't keep up with moderation, even with a plugin or tool, turn off commenting entirely.
Anti-spam tools
Spammers swarm your comment section with automated scripts.
Integrate Google re-CAPTCHA into your website to prevent spam comments.
No-follow and UGC attributes
If a guest poster or commentator adds an appropriate link but one with which you do not want to be linked, you can tag it to make it a no-follow link. 
This stops Google from following those links off your page and passing link juice from your site to the linked site.
No-index meta tag
If you allow users to write articles on your site, you can mark such pages with a noindex meta tag. 
This manner, the page will be accessible via your website but will not appear in search results or be factored into Google's ranking system.
4. Unnatural or poor links to your site
Google's Penguin algorithm upgrade in 2016 intended to detect artificial link creation.
Back-link building is an extremely efficient SEO approach for increasing page authority—
but only if the links originate naturally from high-quality sources.
How to prevent the unnatural link penalty
Of course, adopt a link-building approach that does not include:
Purchasing or selling links
Exchanges of links (Link my website and I will link to you)
Links to your forum profile and signature
Links to blog comments
Links to article directories
Building an excessive number of links in a short time
PBN hyperlinks
Perform regular back-link audits
Unintentionally, you may also receive spammy links to your website. 
Analyze your back-link profile using Google Analytics, Search Console.
5. Keyword stuffing
On-page SEO, such as including keywords in the title, headings, body, meta description, and alt text, assists 
Googlebot in determining the purpose of your website. 
However, keyword stuffing on purpose is a black hat SEO strategy that will result in a Google penalty.
You're probably aware of what keyword stuffing in the body looks like, but you can also punished for keyword stuffing in the alt text.
6. Hacked website
If hackers obtain access to your website, 
they can not only threaten the confidentiality, but also inject dangerous code, add irrelevant material, or redirect your site to malicious or spammy domains.
Your site's rating will plummet on all search queries, and Google may remove your entire website from search results as a result of this punishment.
How to prevent the hacked website penalty
There are various ways to improve the security of your website:
Maintain the integrity of your content management system.
Use strong passwords that you update regularly.
Use an SSL certificate.
Invest in good hosting.
To detect hacks, use a malware scanner tool.
Back up your website regularly.
To prevent brute force attacks, hide the login URL and limit the number of login attempts.
7. Abusing structured data mark-up
Structured data mark-up is a sort of coding that allows Google to present your site more beautifully in search results,
such as by displaying star ratings and the number of reviews.
However, if Google discovers that you are using structured data that is irrelevant to the content or users, you may be penalized manually.
How to prevent the structured data penalty
This is yet another penalty for black hat SEO. Here's what you should do:
Don't use phony reviews to boost your CTR. Follow these recommended methods for obtaining genuine Google evaluations.
Use structured data only when it makes sense for the information you're marking up.
Make certain that your mark-up material is visible to readers.
Add no schema mark-up relating to unlawful activity, violence, or any other forbidden content.
Conclusion
Google penalties, whether algorithmic or human, harm your ranking and traffic. 
You can apply remedies to remove the penalty, however you may or may not recover your traffic and ranking. 
That is why it is critical to do all possible to avoid them from happening in the first place. 
You can contact Nummero Digital Marketing Agency in Bangalore.
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ggonecrane-ml4daprojects · 4 years ago
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Week 3 Assignment - Running a Lasso Regression Analysis
Introduction
In this assignment I am going to perform a Lasso Regression analysis using k-fold cross validation to identify a subset of predictors from 24 or so of predictor variables that best predicts my response variable. My data set is from Add Health Survey, Wave 1.
My response variable is students’ academic performance in the measurement of students grade point average, labelled as GPA1, in which 4.0 is the maximum value. 
The predictor variables I have used for this analysis are as follows:
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Data Management
Since my original raw dataset contains quite a few missing values in some columns and rows, I have created a new dataset by removing any rows with missing data via Pandas’ dropna() function. Also, I have managed BIO_SEX variable by re-coding its female value to 0 and male value to 1, and called it a new variable MALE.    
Program
My Python source for this analysis is appended at the bottom of this report. 
Analysis
In this analysis, I have programmed to randomly split my dataset into a training dataset consisting of 70% of the total observations and a test dataset consisting of the other 30% of the observations. In terms of model selection algorithm, I have used Least Angle Regression (LAR) algorithm.
First, I have run k-fold cross-validation with k =10, meaning 10 random folds from the training dataset to choose the final statistical model. The following is the list of coefficient values obtained: 
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Coefficient Table (Sorted by Absolute Value)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
{'WHITE': 0.0,
 'INHEVER1': 0.0002990082208926463,
 'PARPRES': -0.002527493803234668,
 'FAMCONCT': -0.009013886132829411,
 'EXPEL1': -0.009800613179381865,
 'NAMERICAN': -0.011971527818286374,
 'DEP1': -0.013819592163450321,
 'COCEVER1': -0.016004694549008488,
 'ASIAN': 0.019825632747609248,
 'ALCPROBS1': 0.026109998722006623,
 'ALCEVR1': -0.030053393438026644,
 'DEVIANT1': -0.03398238436410221,
 'ESTEEM1': 0.03791720034719747,
 'PASSIST': -0.041636965715495806,
 'AGE': -0.04199151644577515,
 'CIGAVAIL': -0.04530490276829347,
 'HISPANIC': -0.04638996070701919,
 'MAREVER1': -0.06950247134179253,
 'VIOL1': -0.07079177062520403,
 'BLACK': -0.08033742139890393,
 'PARACTV': 0.08546097579217665,
 'MALE': -0.108287101884112,
 'SCHCONN1': 0.11836667293459634}
As the result shows, there was one predictor at the top, WHITE ethnicity, of that regression coefficient shrunk to zero after applying the LASSO regression penalty. Hence, WHITE predictor would not be made to the list of predictors in the final selection model. Among the predictors made to the list though, the last five predictors turned out to be the most influential ones: SCHCONN1, MALE, PARACTV, BLACK, and VIOL1. 
SCHCONN1 (School connectedness) and PARACTV (Activities with parents family) show the largest regression coefficients, 0.118 and 0.085, respectively. They apparently are strongly positively associated with students GPA. MALE (Gender), BLACK (Ethnicity), and VIOL1 (Violence) however, coefficients of -0.108, -0.080, and -0.070, respectively, are the ones strongly negatively associated with students GPA. 
The following Lasso Path plot depicts such observations graphically:
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The plot above shows the relative importance of the predictor selected at any step of the selection process, how the regression coefficients changed with the addition of a new predictor at each step, as well as the steps at which each variable entered the model. As we already saw in the list of the regression coefficients table above, two of positive strongest predictors are paths, started from low x-axis, with green and blue color, SCHCONN1 and PARACTV, respectively. Three of negative strongest predictors are the ones, started from low x-axis, drawn downward as the alpha value on the x-axis increases, with brown (MALE), grey (BLACK), and cyan (VIOL1) colors, respectively. 
The following plot shows mean square error on each fold: 
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We can see that there is variability across the individual cross-validation folds in the training data set, but the change in the mean square error as variables are added to the model follows the same pattern for each fold. Initially it decreases rapidly and then levels off to a point at which adding more predictors doesn't lead to much reduction in the mean square error. 
The following is the average mean square error on the training and test dataset.
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Training Data Mean Square Error
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.4785435409557714
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Test Data Mean Square Error
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.44960217328334645
As expected, the selected model was less accurate in predicting students GPA in the test data, but the test mean square error was pretty close to the training mean square error. This suggests that prediction accuracy was pretty stable across the two data sets. 
The following is the R square for the proportion of variance in students GPA: 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Training Data R-Square 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.20331942870725228
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Test Data R-Square 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.2183030945000226
The R-square values were 0.20 and 0.21, indicating that the selected model explained 20 and 21% of the variance in students GPA for the training and test sets, respectively. 
<The End>
========  Program Source Begin =======
#!/usr/bin/env python3 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*- """ Created on Fri Feb  5 06:54:43 2021
@author: ggonecrane """
#from pandas import Series, DataFrame import pandas as pd import numpy as np import matplotlib.pylab as plt from sklearn.model_selection import train_test_split from sklearn.linear_model import LassoLarsCV import pprint
def printTableLabel(label):    print('\n')    print('-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------')    print(f'\t\t\t\t{label}')    print('-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------')
#Load the dataset data = pd.read_csv("tree_addhealth.csv")
#upper-case all DataFrame column names data.columns = map(str.upper, data.columns)
# Data Management recode1 = {1:1, 2:0} data['MALE']= data['BIO_SEX'].map(recode1) data_clean = data.dropna()
resp_var = 'GPA1' # 'SCHCONN1' # exp_vars = ['MALE','HISPANIC','WHITE','BLACK','NAMERICAN','ASIAN', 'AGE','ALCEVR1','ALCPROBS1','MAREVER1','COCEVER1','INHEVER1','CIGAVAIL','DEP1', 'ESTEEM1','VIOL1','PASSIST','DEVIANT1','GPA1','EXPEL1','FAMCONCT','PARACTV', 'PARPRES','SCHCONN1'] exp_vars.remove(resp_var)
#select predictor variables and target variable as separate data sets   predvar= data_clean[exp_vars]
target = data_clean[resp_var]
# standardize predictors to have mean=0 and sd=1* predictors=predvar.copy() from sklearn import preprocessing
for key in exp_vars:    predictors[key]=preprocessing.scale(predictors[key].astype('float64'))
# split data into train and test sets pred_train, pred_test, tar_train, tar_test = train_test_split(predictors, target,                                                              test_size=.3, random_state=123)
# specify the lasso regression model model=LassoLarsCV(cv=10, precompute=False).fit(pred_train,tar_train)
# print variable names and regression coefficients res_dict = dict(zip(predictors.columns, model.coef_)) pred_dict = dict(sorted(res_dict.items(), key=lambda x: abs(x[1]))) printTableLabel('Coefficient Table (Sorted by Absolute Value)') pprint.pp(pred_dict)
# plot coefficient progression m_log_alphas = -np.log10(model.alphas_) ax = plt.gca() plt.plot(m_log_alphas, model.coef_path_.T) plt.axvline(-np.log10(model.alpha_), linestyle='--', color='k',            label='alpha CV') plt.ylabel('Regression Coefficients') plt.xlabel('-log(alpha)') plt.title('Regression Coefficients Progression for Lasso Paths')
# plot mean square error for each fold m_log_alphascv = -np.log10(model.cv_alphas_) plt.figure() plt.plot(m_log_alphascv, model.mse_path_, ':') plt.plot(m_log_alphascv, model.mse_path_.mean(axis=-1), 'k',         label='Average across the folds', linewidth=2) plt.axvline(-np.log10(model.alpha_), linestyle='--', color='k',            label='alpha CV') plt.legend() plt.xlabel('-log(alpha)') plt.ylabel('Mean squared error') plt.title('Mean squared error on each fold')
# MSE from training and test data from sklearn.metrics import mean_squared_error train_error = mean_squared_error(tar_train, model.predict(pred_train)) test_error = mean_squared_error(tar_test, model.predict(pred_test)) printTableLabel('Training Data Mean Square Error') print(train_error) printTableLabel('Test Data Mean Square Error') print(test_error)
# R-square from training and test data rsquared_train=model.score(pred_train,tar_train) rsquared_test=model.score(pred_test,tar_test) printTableLabel('Training Data R-Square ') print(rsquared_train) printTableLabel('Test Data R-Square ') print(rsquared_test)
========  Program Source End =======
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milescpareview · 4 years ago
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All You Need to Know About AI-ML and Its Applications
“The pace of progress in artificial intelligence (I’m not referring to narrow AI) is incredibly fast. Unless you have direct exposure to groups like Deepmind, you have no idea how fast - it is growing at a pace close to exponential" states Elon Musk, CEO, SpaceX.
A close look at the AI market showcases that automation with AI is trending with all major corporations. The global market value of AI was pegged at USD 40 billion in 2019 and starting 2020, it is slated to grow at a CAGR of  42.2% for 7 years. The introduction of AI will boost corporate incomes by 38%. It is the efficiency of AI-systems which allows for low-cost installations with high productivity. 
In 2020, Covid-19 has gravely impacted global economic health. Yet economists view it as an opportunity for greater reform, stating that grave recession leads to greater automation. 
How did digital devices vest AI-automation?
From switch operations to coded commands, the transformation of computational powers has been phenomenal. Computers are increasingly smarter whilst processing data from varied sources, self-learning and improving its capacity to retain and read Big Data in microseconds. This gave birth to machine learning or ML. Programmers coded inherent capabilities to computers to react and recreate, and today we call it artificial intelligence or AI. Now, It has branched into subcontexts like Natural Language Processing (NLP), Speech Recognition, and Machine Vision. These are intertwined in various disciplines as applications of AI-ML. What are the principal subtypes of Machine Learning in use?
What differentiates AI from normal programming is the ML algorithm. It helps computers to analyse and learn from data to perform its task, and it gets better with more experiences and data. Based on AI applications, machines can learn in three principal ways:-
1) Supervised Learning-
It aims to train the machine to observe patterns from a controlled set of input and react as instructed to deliver a desirable output. The way social media recognizes faces and tags is a common application of supervised learning. 
2) Unsupervised Learning-
It is not limited to learn from restricted data sets. Rather appointed to learn the pattern from continuous incoming feed and responds to slightest change in usual patterns.. The system works perfectly for cybersecurity inspectors to detect abnormal behavior in server-centric systems.
3) Reinforcement Learning-
An offset of unsupervised learning where the system decides on how to react to a certain sequence of events. It allows the machine to learn from an uncertain environment and capture the concern and basis the pattern, deciding on the response. It enables AI to make business plans, marketing strategies, search recommendations, and others.
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What are the levels of AI?
The more advanced machine learning becomes, the better is the impact of AI. Measuring AI's success in mimicking human intelligence, it can be - 
1) Reactive - AI that can respond to stimuli
2) Limited Memory - AI that uses memory to learn and respond
3) Theory of Mind - AI that understands 
4) Self Aware - AI that is aware of its existence and needs
The potential that AI can achieve has 3 stratification's -
1) Artificial Narrow Intelligence (ANI) - Represents existing AI devices
2) Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) - Systems that have near-human abilities
3) Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI) - The most capable form of AI to achieve 
Within a narrow timeframe, AI has sneaked into our lives in every possible way. Your music application playing your favorite song or your favorite search engine displays accurate predictions before you complete typing the query is not pure luck. The software we use today takes advantage of AI to provide more human-like responses than behaving like mere machines. 
What are the trending AI applications in the market? The thriving AI-digital age is augmenting new technological disruptions with applications like -
AI IoT (AIoT) - For near-perfect CRM and personal assistance
AI for NLP -The speech-to-text tool for Speech API Adaptors
Edge Computing - A cloud storage system to manage data for IoT systems
Recommender Systems - Offering customized buying choices for visitors 
Computer Vision (CV) - with multiple object detection ability
Behavioral Artificial Intelligence (BAI) - asserting brand improvement and predicting customer trends
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How Industry 4.0 is preparing to be AI-ready? In our digital frontier, AI has no intention to sabotage human life. Let’s not get carried away by over-exaggeration of science-fiction movies that robots are going to take over. Scientists say that it is AI that will bring back humanity in the mechanized world. Looking at the bright side, there will be 29% growth in AI job listing and India ranks among the top five countries to globally drive AI growth.
The future is AI. Learning AI will give you an advantage and leverage your career in how you want your future to be. If you aspire to boost your career prospects and learn AI-ML applications, IIT Mandi and Wiley offer PG Certification in Applied AI and ML. This course will walk you through Deep AI processing and industry-specific tools for the entire AI lifecycle. You can learn modeling user-friendly APIs with tools like Python, Keras, Tensorflow, NLTK, NumPy, Scikit-learn, Pandas, Jupyter, and Matplotlib. 
Plus you will learn to 'Apply AI' in real-world scenarios under the guidance of the top industry experts organized by the Wiley Innovation Advisory Council. 
For over 200 years, Wiley has been helping people and organizations develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed. They are dedicated to developing efficient learning products, digital transformation education, learning, assessment, and certification solutions to help universities, businesses, and individuals move between education and employment and achieve their ambitions. In 2020, WileyNXT has been recognized by Fast Company for its outstanding innovations in education. 
Miles Education, always committed to your career success brings to you new-age certifications in Finance and Emerging Technologies. We have partnered with IIT Roorkee, IIT Mandi, IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode and WileyNXT to present PG certifications in AI, ML, Deep Learning and Analytics. 
To know more visit Miles Education today. 
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philipfloyd · 5 years ago
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The Unique SEO Content Strategy to Rank #1 with Zero Links
We keep hearing that content is king. Write great content, content here, content there. But how true is that statement? Is there such a thing as an SEO Content Strategy that you can use to rank #1 with zero backlinks?
    Like most answers in SEO, this one is also ‘it depends’.
  Keep reading and I’ll explain exactly why.
  While you might not be able to get to position one without any backlinks for a highly competitive keyword, you’ll definitely be able to increase your rankings in Google just by optimizing your content and having in place a great SEO content strategy. 
  By the end of this blog post, you’ll have a better understanding of how Google treats links and content and you’ll get the SEO Content Strategy that might help rank #1 on Google with zero backlinks.
  Can I Really Rank #1 with Zero Links?
Why Is Google Pushing More Weight to the Content Ranking Factor?
Step-by-step SEO Content Strategy to Rank #1 with Zero Links
Identify Your Primary Audience and Their Pain Points
Perform an In-depth Keyword Research & Audit
Make a List of the Keywords You Can Realistically Dominate
Analyze the Search Intent of Your Keywords
Optimize Landing Pages / Per Keyword & Per Search Intent
Write Content That Stands Out and Is Share Worthy
Launch & Share Your Content with Key Influencers
Monitor How Your Content Is Performing
Update Your Content Once in a While
Conclusion
  1. Can I Really Rank #1 with Zero Links?
Not long ago we performed a lot of searches for pharma, gambling and skincare keywords, in a nutshell on highly competitive keywords and niches. 
  Our bet was to figure out if there are pages within these niches ranking based on high quality content only. 
  As you can see in the screenshot below taken from cognitiveSEO’s Content Optimizer, you can see that there are many pages with no or just a few links but highly optimized content, that rank really well. 
  Of course, we cannot answer to this question with a simple yes or no, yet, with Google giving so much weight to content lately, we might say that a good SEO content strategy can help you out big time.
  Of course, it depends based on what you mean by rankings and it depends on what you mean by links.
  For example, someone might claim they rank without any links, but what are they ranking for?
  Are they ranking for a high competition, high search volume keyword, or a long tail, low competition and low search volume one?
  Some time ago, Steven Kang started a contest in the SEO Signals Facebook Group, with a prize pool of $1000, to whoever could find or pinpoint a website that ranked #1 on Google with no backlinks.
    However, the rules for this contest were very specific:
  There can be no external backlinks present. Any single external backlink to the domain discovered will disqualify the site.
The site can have internal links since some claim internal linking shouldn’t count for such claim.
The site must be written in English.
  One year after, the contest is still available. Nobody has won it yet.
    By the looks of it… it seems that it’s difficult to rank on Google without backlinks.
  However, in one case a website was eliminated and it had backlinks only from Social Media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
    While those are indeed backlinks, almost every website has them and they don’t pass as much value as a contextual link from a high quality, relevant website.
  Other contestants have said that the contest is not fair, as they did not buy or build the links, but they simply came naturally, just as Google wants.
  However… they’re still links, aren’t they?
  The contest therefore excludes all links, not only purchased, built or bought ones. Considering this, Social Media is also excluded and probably any other form of online promotion.
  So when it comes to ranking with zero links… Are you talking about links to that specific web page, or links to the entire domain?
  Are you talking about a made-up keyword with no search volume whatsoever, or about a profitable, competitive, highly searched for keyword with a great market value?
  If you’re trying to rank for a very competitive keyword, where the top-ranking domains have thousands of backlinks pointing to them… tough luck!
  The truth is that beside a solid SEO content strategy, links still matter and if your competition is building, buying or obtaining backlinks naturally, you’ll have a difficult time ranking #1 with zero backlinks.
  But if the competition doesn’t have many backlinks either, it is possible to outrank them, even without links, in some cases.
  There are many examples of websites which outrank their competition with fewer backlinks.
  For example, we’re outranking Moz for the keyword “does meta description affect seo” although we only have 23 referring domains, while Moz’s page has over 1500.
  For another similar phrase, “does meta description matter”, another website is ranking very well, with only 1 referring domain.
  However, in both cases the results are an answer box. If you remember, some time ago you could have the answer box position and another spot. 
  Luckily, when Google changed this and only let you keep one or the other, they let us have the answer box.
    These are pretty specific keywords and for the most competitive phrase, “meta description”, Moz still dominates the top spot.
  Ranking with just a few backlinks to a web page is possible, if you have the right content.
  But it’s probably necessary to have at least some backlinks pointing to your domain.
  The internet doesn’t really work well without links. Search engines use links to crawl the entire web.
  It’s also true that without any backlinks pointing to your domain, Google will have a hard time crawling and indexing your site.
  However, keep in mind that backlinks on their own won’t do very much if the content doesn’t satisfy the users. They can even do harm.
  After the Penguin updates, it was pretty clear Google was set to fight back against link spam.
  Maybe the top spot isn’t achievable with absolutely zero links, but you don’t need the top spot to increase your search traffic.
  You can greatly improve rankings in Google simply by optimizing your content even for competitive, high search volume keywords.
  Many other SEOs and content marketers have improved their rankings following this OnPage SEO technique.
  If you stick around, I’ll show you exactly how you can do it, too.
  But first, let’s see why Google is pushing away from backlinks and more towards content.
  2. Why Is Google Pushing More Weight to the Content Ranking Factor?
  Back in 2017, during our numerous tests, we found a big correlation between the Content Performance score we had developed and rankings.
  We repeated the test after 2 years, in 2019 and it seemed that content is even more important now.
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The algorithm we use is complex, using a mix of AI technologies and things such as LSI and Flesch–Kincaid to determine what makes a piece of content rank high.
Attempts to remove backlinks from the algorithms have been made before.
  Why? Mostly because of spam. As long as backlinks are a ranking signal, people will try to abuse them.
  In 2013, Yandex, the Russian search engine, removed backlinks from their algorithm in an attempt to stop link spam.
  Although it only took effect in the Moscow local search results and only for commercial queries, the change was short lived, as they brought links back only a year after.
  Officials at Yandex stated that the change was “quite successful technologically”, but people still bought links and spammed the web regardless, so they decided to bring them back.
  However, they brought them back with a substantial change: The links would not only be a positive ranking signal, but also a negative one, just like with Google’s Penguin update.
  Could it be that the officials at Yandex are not willing to admit their failure? Maybe, who knows.
  But if it was a success, couldn’t they just use spammy links as a negative signal only? Without using other links as a positive one?
  Google has also tested rankings without backlinks in their algorithm.
youtube
    However, they came to the conclusion that the results look much better when backlinks are a ranking signal.
  Unfortunately, there are other issues with backlinks other than buying them.
  Take a look at Negative SEO, for example. Google claims they can spot and ignore these types of links with Penguin 4.0, but is it really possible?
  I’m not convinced. I’ve seen many cases in which websites have a drop in traffic immediately after an unnatural spike in backlinks clearly built by others.
  You’d think that people engaging in Negative SEO will try to mimic link building… but that might also result in positive results for the target.
  So, these attacks are usually very obvious. Pure spam. And Google still penalized the site.
  So, it’s obvious they have a hard time dealing with all this link trading and spam.
  This, combined with the constant effort from SEOs to obtain backlinks in unnatural ways, has pushed Google into wanting to back away from backlinks.
  Backlinks are something you don’t have much control over. Yet, an SEO content strategy you can control.
  With algorithm updates such as Penguin (which penalizes spammy links) and Panda (which penalizes spammy content), Google shows us it’s putting more weight on content.
youtube
    But although search engines don’t like them, it seems like links are still going to stick around for a while, as Matt Cutts states in the video above.
  However, with AI software that can also write content like humans getting better and better every day…
  It’s hard to tell where this will go.
  We might have the same issue as with links, with AI written websites constantly trying to compete to the top.
  It would be a battle of the algorithms… one in which users won’t have a say.
  We could bring the law into the equation, but that would spark a whole new lot of bigger and more complex issues.
  However, I could see how in the future, the law would require you to specify that the content is written by a robot and not by a human.
  While AI written content can be used for good, it can also be used for harm, from the relatively harmless blackhat SEOs to the highly harmful fake news outlets.
youtube
    We’ve known for a long time that content was an important ranking factor, but now we also wanted to know why.
  Google was moving away from backlinks (our tool and marketing strategy was mostly built around backlinks) so investing in this was in our own interest.
  So let’s take a look at how exactly you can improve your rankings in Google without any link building, only by optimizing your content.
  3. The Step-by-Step SEO Content Strategy to Rank #1 with No Links
  OK. Now you know that it’s possible to rank without links in some situations and also why Google puts more and more weight on the content side of SEO.
  You also know that backlinks are something you don’t have complete control over.
  But how exactly do you rank without links? What step-by-step SEO content strategy can you apply to succeed?
  Here are the steps you need to follow to have a chance on ranking without links.
  3.1. Identify your Primary Audience and Their Pain Points
  The first think you should do before writing anything is identifying your target audience.
  You can start with what’s top of mind and build from there.
  Who would be interested in your content and how can you make your content appeal to them?
  Who are your clients? How old are they? Who are their friends? Where do they hang? How do they talk?
  It’s easier to do this when you already have some clients or readers. Just look at your best clients and readers so far.
  Who’s buying from you? Who’s reviewing on products? Who’s commenting on your blog and social media profiles?
  If you’re just starting out and have no idea… then consider doing a market research.
  I know it sounds complex, but you can start by simply creating a Google Form and sharing it on a couple of Facebook Groups, asking for help.
  Sure, it’s not much, but it’s better than nothing.
    Don’t focus on features with your product but on benefits. Don’t think in terms of needs but in terms of wants. Want is stronger than need.
  And don’t seek answers from your research but feelings and emotions which you can then use to convince them to buy.
  That’s what you want to ultimately address and that’s what will get you sales / engagement.
  This step is probably more useful for products and commercial keywords and less for informational queries.
  However, you can still address things such as the tone of voice for your audience.
  You can also try to create a persona of your ideal customer / reader and try to write as if you were speaking directly to that person.
  3.2. Perform an In-depth Keyword Research & Audit
  The really important step when trying to optimize content is always keyword research.
  What are you targeting now?
  You can use the Google Search Console to easily determine the keyword you’re already ranking for.
    Can you improve this existing content? Or should you target new keywords? These are questions you should ask yourself when putting together your SEO content strategy. 
  You can also use the CognitiveSEO Keyword Explorer to identify new topics you can target.
    Once you’re done, map out these keywords into an excel file and sort them out by relevance and importance.
  3.3. Make a List of the Keywords You Can Realistically Dominate
  Now comes the more difficult part.
  For which of those keywords can you realistically rank better?
  After you’ve determined a list of keywords you’ll go after, you have to take a look at two things:
  Content Performance and Domain Performance.
  You can use the Ranking Analysis section of the Content Optimizer Tool.
    While the Content Performance is something that we have control over and will improve in a future step, backlinks aren’t something we have that much control over.
  So you want to see websites with as few referring domains as possible compared to your site (which you can check with the Site Explorer).
  Of course, if you see a lower content score and/or word count, those are also good indicators that it will be easier to improve your content.
  3.4. Analyze the Search Intent of Your Keywords
  Search intent and user experience are very important. It’s the key metric in 2020 and onward.
  If you don’t match the search intent well, users will have a bad experience on your website.
  One of the best examples of search intent is transactional vs. informational.
  Given the keyword “men’s running shoes”, eCommerce websites will tend to rank better.
  However, for a keyword such as “best running shoes for men”, reviews and buyer’s guides will tend to rank better.
  People are simply looking for different types of content on each of those keywords.
  What you ultimately want to figure out is what your user is looking for when searching for a particular query and accessing your website.
  For this blog post I know that there are two possible intents that are very closely related to one another: “can you rank with zero backlinks” & “how to do it”. My article simply appeals to those needs.
  Knowing my audience in general, I know that I want to provide proof for the first group, and step-by-step tutorials for the second.
  A good way of analyzing search intent is to look at what’s already ranking well.
  You know they’re already doing something well, since they’re ranking.
  If you can spot some gaps you can fill, such as questions asked in the comments that remain unanswered in the content itself, that’s even better.
  Did you know?
  The Content Optimizer & Keyword Tool from cognitiveSEO automatically classifies the search intent for you. 
You just need to type in the keyword you are interested in optimizing for, and the tool does most of the job for you. The tool performs keyword research, it will tell you what is the user search intent, how popular is that keyword, how difficult it is to rank on it, and cream of the crop: what it takes to rank on that keyword, meaning, what are the exact keywords and links that boosted that page in the top of the search results. 
    3.5. Optimize Landing Pages / Per Keyword & Per Search Intent
  On with the actual optimization. Don’t worry, it’s probably the easiest step.
  First, consider that it’s always best to optimize for a single main keyword and a single search intent per page.
  You can sometimes combine very similar keywords, but try as much as possible to stick to the same search intent.
  Remember, if the search engine results are similar for these keywords, they probably have a similar search intent as well.
  You should keep in mind that writing naturally is the best way to go.
  Open the Content Assistant section and hit Start Optimizing.
  It’s easier to work on something you’ve already written, but you can also start from scratch. However, you’ll have to write at least a title for the tool to work.
  You can also import a URL if your content is already live.
  Then, just click Check Score, the tool will analyze your content, tell you the score and recommend you some keyword ideas.
    The idea is to add those keywords into your blog post. However, don’t just throw them in, or else you’ll end up with a Keyword Stuffing warning.
  The keywords with dots on their left are the most important ones. You should be using them multiple times throughout your content.
  The idea is to think of these keywords as subtopics or areas of interest that you should cover in your content.
  If a keyword that the tool recommends doesn’t seem to fit or has grammar mistakes in it, don’t force it in.
  You don’t need a 100% score. The tool will pinpoint how much you need to reach.
  However, you can also try doing it in phases. First, optimize for a few points above the average, then update your content after a few weeks to the recommended score.
  3.6. Write Content That Stands Out and Is Share Worthy
  A great way to do this is to write content about complex questions that are very often asked in your industry, or case studies.
  For example, this article about meta descriptions affect SEO or not has been linked to multiple times by other SEO blogs trying to make a quick point without getting into too much detail.
  Also, make sure you have great Titles, Headlines and Descriptions.
  Optimize your titles with keywords for SEO, but also keep them catchy for Social Media.
  You can use the Open Graph property to set different titles for SEO and Social Media
  Long content tends to perform better in organic search results.
  When people search for something, you already know they are interested in it. That’s why SEM has such a high conversion rate and people spend time reading in depth articles.
  You can look at the top ranking search results for your keyword in the Ranking Analysis section of our Content Optimizer Tool.
    For this particular keyword, you can see that the top ranking content is between 2500 and 5000 words on average, although we can even see articles with only 1800 words in top 10.
  Usually, it’s a good idea to go for at least the top 10 average plus a few hundred words, just to be sure. But it’s not really about quantity, it’s about quality.
  However, you’ll probably not be able to fit all the depth required for this particular topic in just 200 words, at least compared to the competitors.
  Nevertheless, take this content length thing with a grain of salt. While long form content performs better in search, shorter content might perform better on social media.
  On Social Media, people are browsing different things and not really looking for a particular topic, so they might prefer things straight and to the point.
  3.7. Launch & Share Your Content with Key Influencers
  Once you’ve written and published your content, it’s time to promote it. This should be an important part of your SEO content strategy.
  We made a study a few years ago on weather social signals influence rankings and it seems that a strong presence on social networks is correlated with better rankings.
    Once you have your content live, it’s time to share it with the appropriate influencers.
  Who are these influencers? Well, people who have a following which matches your target audience.
  If they don’t hear about your content… they can’t share it or talk about it.
  It’s also a good idea that the influencers themselves are interested or resonate in the topic and the way you present it.
  One of the even more advanced SEO strategies is to plan your content ahead.
  And by this I don’t mean having an editorial calendar, but actually targeting influencers beforehand, analyzing them and writing something that you already know they will be willing to share.
  You’ll have to be persuasive and it’s also a good idea to build trust with them beforehand, by sharing their content and commenting on it or engaging with them.
  I know it sounds evil and manipulative and you can be if your sole interest is only to get what you want, but being genuine and truly offering value in exchange usually works best.
  I can recall the easiest response I have ever got. It was from a person named Reiner, which reminded me of a character in the anime show Attack on Titan.
    Luckily, he did see the anime, so we how now had a personal connection and he was willing to give me a hand.
    Another easy-to-implement technique is to ask for quotes from experts in your industry or take interviews.
  Two examples are my article about SEO mistakes and my colleague Andreea’s article about SEO tips from 22 experts.
  While we offered a lot of value, it’s true that we also used the guests’ reputation to leverage our content’s reach.
  Of course, it’s not guaranteed to work, but most of them will gladly share the content on their social profiles or blogs.
  To find influencers, you can use a tool such as Brand Mentions.
  You can spy on your competitors and see which influencers have mentioned their content.
    Then, engage with them and try to build relationships.
  3.8. Monitor How Your Content Is Performing
  You should make sure you’re able to track your progress if you want to know how successful your modifications were.
  The Google Search Console is a great way of monitoring organic search traffic and positions.
  However, the data there might sometimes be a little confusing and hard to filter.
  You might also be interested in a third party tool, such as our Rank Tracker.
    Moreover, not all traffic comes from Google, so you might also want a tool such as Google Analytics to monitor other traffic sources.
  You can also try a tool such as Brand Mentions to monitor mentions about your brand and content on Social Media and the internet.
  To precisely monitor the effectiveness of this OnPage SEO technique, make sure you don’t make any other major changes to the website.
  3.9. Update Your Content Once in a While
  Google loves fresh content. That’s why updating it from time to time should be part of your SEO content strategy.
  Our method works really well for old content as well, so don’t just focus on new content.
  We’ve improved many of our old blog posts using the Content Optimizer Tool.
  In fact, we did it on a mass scale, with pretty good results.
  Although some of the articles did lose a couple of rankings instead of gaining them, the overall process was a success, both in terms of rankings and traffic.
Tumblr media
    One of the articles we’ve constantly updated over the time is our Google Easter Eggs article, which is one of our top performing piece of content, although not directly related to SEO. 
  It’s a good idea to check the content’s score from time to time to see if it’s still in good shape.
  The Content Performance score is relative. This means that as other articles improve, your score might drop over time.
  However, even if the score is still really good, don’t try to trick Google by simply changing the date to make your content look fresh.
  It’s best if you actually review the content and make a few improvements / modifications.
  Conclusion
  To get high ranks, the focus shouldn’t be on backlinks, but on a solid SEO content strategy. Get your content under the right people’s eyes, and you’ll see the links pouring in.
  Applying this SEO content strategy can help you easily rank without going through the hassle of obtaining links. Attack the content creation and promotion from the right angle and backlinks will come naturally.
  The truth is, you don’t need backlinks for every article. You just need a handful of articles that bring in the links to grow the authority of your domain.
  Then you can use those links to pass that authority to all your articles, making it easier to rank everywhere.
  So, let us know in the comments section below: Do you consider it’s possible to rank a page without any backlinks? Have you every managed to rank one on a decent search volume keyword? Do you know any content marketers at all able to rank websites on Google without backlinks? What other marketing strategy have you used to rank your content except building links?
  The post The Unique SEO Content Strategy to Rank #1 with Zero Links appeared first on SEO Blog | cognitiveSEO Blog on SEO Tactics & Strategies.
from Marketing https://cognitiveseo.com/blog/24293/seo-content-strategy/ via http://www.rssmix.com/
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wjwilliams29 · 5 years ago
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The Unique SEO Content Strategy to Rank #1 with Zero Links
We keep hearing that content is king. Write great content, content here, content there. But how true is that statement? Is there such a thing as an SEO Content Strategy that you can use to rank #1 with zero backlinks?
    Like most answers in SEO, this one is also ‘it depends’.
  Keep reading and I’ll explain exactly why.
  While you might not be able to get to position one without any backlinks for a highly competitive keyword, you’ll definitely be able to increase your rankings in Google just by optimizing your content and having in place a great SEO content strategy. 
  By the end of this blog post, you’ll have a better understanding of how Google treats links and content and you’ll get the SEO Content Strategy that might help rank #1 on Google with zero backlinks.
  Can I Really Rank #1 with Zero Links?
Why Is Google Pushing More Weight to the Content Ranking Factor?
Step-by-step SEO Content Strategy to Rank #1 with Zero Links
Identify Your Primary Audience and Their Pain Points
Perform an In-depth Keyword Research & Audit
Make a List of the Keywords You Can Realistically Dominate
Analyze the Search Intent of Your Keywords
Optimize Landing Pages / Per Keyword & Per Search Intent
Write Content That Stands Out and Is Share Worthy
Launch & Share Your Content with Key Influencers
Monitor How Your Content Is Performing
Update Your Content Once in a While
Conclusion
  1. Can I Really Rank #1 with Zero Links?
Not long ago we performed a lot of searches for pharma, gambling and skincare keywords, in a nutshell on highly competitive keywords and niches. 
  Our bet was to figure out if there are pages within these niches ranking based on high quality content only. 
  As you can see in the screenshot below taken from cognitiveSEO’s Content Optimizer, you can see that there are many pages with no or just a few links but highly optimized content, that rank really well. 
  Of course, we cannot answer to this question with a simple yes or no, yet, with Google giving so much weight to content lately, we might say that a good SEO content strategy can help you out big time.
  Of course, it depends based on what you mean by rankings and it depends on what you mean by links.
  For example, someone might claim they rank without any links, but what are they ranking for?
  Are they ranking for a high competition, high search volume keyword, or a long tail, low competition and low search volume one?
  Some time ago, Steven Kang started a contest in the SEO Signals Facebook Group, with a prize pool of $1000, to whoever could find or pinpoint a website that ranked #1 on Google with no backlinks.
    However, the rules for this contest were very specific:
  There can be no external backlinks present. Any single external backlink to the domain discovered will disqualify the site.
The site can have internal links since some claim internal linking shouldn’t count for such claim.
The site must be written in English.
  One year after, the contest is still available. Nobody has won it yet.
    By the looks of it… it seems that it’s difficult to rank on Google without backlinks.
  However, in one case a website was eliminated and it had backlinks only from Social Media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
    While those are indeed backlinks, almost every website has them and they don’t pass as much value as a contextual link from a high quality, relevant website.
  Other contestants have said that the contest is not fair, as they did not buy or build the links, but they simply came naturally, just as Google wants.
  However… they’re still links, aren’t they?
  The contest therefore excludes all links, not only purchased, built or bought ones. Considering this, Social Media is also excluded and probably any other form of online promotion.
  So when it comes to ranking with zero links… Are you talking about links to that specific web page, or links to the entire domain?
  Are you talking about a made-up keyword with no search volume whatsoever, or about a profitable, competitive, highly searched for keyword with a great market value?
  If you’re trying to rank for a very competitive keyword, where the top-ranking domains have thousands of backlinks pointing to them… tough luck!
  The truth is that beside a solid SEO content strategy, links still matter and if your competition is building, buying or obtaining backlinks naturally, you’ll have a difficult time ranking #1 with zero backlinks.
  But if the competition doesn’t have many backlinks either, it is possible to outrank them, even without links, in some cases.
  There are many examples of websites which outrank their competition with fewer backlinks.
  For example, we’re outranking Moz for the keyword “does meta description affect seo” although we only have 23 referring domains, while Moz’s page has over 1500.
  For another similar phrase, “does meta description matter”, another website is ranking very well, with only 1 referring domain.
  However, in both cases the results are an answer box. If you remember, some time ago you could have the answer box position and another spot. 
  Luckily, when Google changed this and only let you keep one or the other, they let us have the answer box.
    These are pretty specific keywords and for the most competitive phrase, “meta description”, Moz still dominates the top spot.
  Ranking with just a few backlinks to a web page is possible, if you have the right content.
  But it’s probably necessary to have at least some backlinks pointing to your domain.
  The internet doesn’t really work well without links. Search engines use links to crawl the entire web.
  It’s also true that without any backlinks pointing to your domain, Google will have a hard time crawling and indexing your site.
  However, keep in mind that backlinks on their own won’t do very much if the content doesn’t satisfy the users. They can even do harm.
  After the Penguin updates, it was pretty clear Google was set to fight back against link spam.
  Maybe the top spot isn’t achievable with absolutely zero links, but you don’t need the top spot to increase your search traffic.
  You can greatly improve rankings in Google simply by optimizing your content even for competitive, high search volume keywords.
  Many other SEOs and content marketers have improved their rankings following this OnPage SEO technique.
  If you stick around, I’ll show you exactly how you can do it, too.
  But first, let’s see why Google is pushing away from backlinks and more towards content.
  2. Why Is Google Pushing More Weight to the Content Ranking Factor?
  Back in 2017, during our numerous tests, we found a big correlation between the Content Performance score we had developed and rankings.
  We repeated the test after 2 years, in 2019 and it seemed that content is even more important now.
Tumblr media
The algorithm we use is complex, using a mix of AI technologies and things such as LSI and Flesch–Kincaid to determine what makes a piece of content rank high.
Attempts to remove backlinks from the algorithms have been made before.
  Why? Mostly because of spam. As long as backlinks are a ranking signal, people will try to abuse them.
  In 2013, Yandex, the Russian search engine, removed backlinks from their algorithm in an attempt to stop link spam.
  Although it only took effect in the Moscow local search results and only for commercial queries, the change was short lived, as they brought links back only a year after.
  Officials at Yandex stated that the change was “quite successful technologically”, but people still bought links and spammed the web regardless, so they decided to bring them back.
  However, they brought them back with a substantial change: The links would not only be a positive ranking signal, but also a negative one, just like with Google’s Penguin update.
  Could it be that the officials at Yandex are not willing to admit their failure? Maybe, who knows.
  But if it was a success, couldn’t they just use spammy links as a negative signal only? Without using other links as a positive one?
  Google has also tested rankings without backlinks in their algorithm.
youtube
    However, they came to the conclusion that the results look much better when backlinks are a ranking signal.
  Unfortunately, there are other issues with backlinks other than buying them.
  Take a look at Negative SEO, for example. Google claims they can spot and ignore these types of links with Penguin 4.0, but is it really possible?
  I’m not convinced. I’ve seen many cases in which websites have a drop in traffic immediately after an unnatural spike in backlinks clearly built by others.
  You’d think that people engaging in Negative SEO will try to mimic link building… but that might also result in positive results for the target.
  So, these attacks are usually very obvious. Pure spam. And Google still penalized the site.
  So, it’s obvious they have a hard time dealing with all this link trading and spam.
  This, combined with the constant effort from SEOs to obtain backlinks in unnatural ways, has pushed Google into wanting to back away from backlinks.
  Backlinks are something you don’t have much control over. Yet, an SEO content strategy you can control.
  With algorithm updates such as Penguin (which penalizes spammy links) and Panda (which penalizes spammy content), Google shows us it’s putting more weight on content.
youtube
    But although search engines don’t like them, it seems like links are still going to stick around for a while, as Matt Cutts states in the video above.
  However, with AI software that can also write content like humans getting better and better every day…
  It’s hard to tell where this will go.
  We might have the same issue as with links, with AI written websites constantly trying to compete to the top.
  It would be a battle of the algorithms… one in which users won’t have a say.
  We could bring the law into the equation, but that would spark a whole new lot of bigger and more complex issues.
  However, I could see how in the future, the law would require you to specify that the content is written by a robot and not by a human.
  While AI written content can be used for good, it can also be used for harm, from the relatively harmless blackhat SEOs to the highly harmful fake news outlets.
youtube
    We’ve known for a long time that content was an important ranking factor, but now we also wanted to know why.
  Google was moving away from backlinks (our tool and marketing strategy was mostly built around backlinks) so investing in this was in our own interest.
  So let’s take a look at how exactly you can improve your rankings in Google without any link building, only by optimizing your content.
  3. The Step-by-Step SEO Content Strategy to Rank #1 with No Links
  OK. Now you know that it’s possible to rank without links in some situations and also why Google puts more and more weight on the content side of SEO.
  You also know that backlinks are something you don’t have complete control over.
  But how exactly do you rank without links? What step-by-step SEO content strategy can you apply to succeed?
  Here are the steps you need to follow to have a chance on ranking without links.
  3.1. Identify your Primary Audience and Their Pain Points
  The first think you should do before writing anything is identifying your target audience.
  You can start with what’s top of mind and build from there.
  Who would be interested in your content and how can you make your content appeal to them?
  Who are your clients? How old are they? Who are their friends? Where do they hang? How do they talk?
  It’s easier to do this when you already have some clients or readers. Just look at your best clients and readers so far.
  Who’s buying from you? Who’s reviewing on products? Who’s commenting on your blog and social media profiles?
  If you’re just starting out and have no idea… then consider doing a market research.
  I know it sounds complex, but you can start by simply creating a Google Form and sharing it on a couple of Facebook Groups, asking for help.
  Sure, it’s not much, but it’s better than nothing.
    Don’t focus on features with your product but on benefits. Don’t think in terms of needs but in terms of wants. Want is stronger than need.
  And don’t seek answers from your research but feelings and emotions which you can then use to convince them to buy.
  That’s what you want to ultimately address and that’s what will get you sales / engagement.
  This step is probably more useful for products and commercial keywords and less for informational queries.
  However, you can still address things such as the tone of voice for your audience.
  You can also try to create a persona of your ideal customer / reader and try to write as if you were speaking directly to that person.
  3.2. Perform an In-depth Keyword Research & Audit
  The really important step when trying to optimize content is always keyword research.
  What are you targeting now?
  You can use the Google Search Console to easily determine the keyword you’re already ranking for.
    Can you improve this existing content? Or should you target new keywords? These are questions you should ask yourself when putting together your SEO content strategy. 
  You can also use the CognitiveSEO Keyword Explorer to identify new topics you can target.
    Once you’re done, map out these keywords into an excel file and sort them out by relevance and importance.
  3.3. Make a List of the Keywords You Can Realistically Dominate
  Now comes the more difficult part.
  For which of those keywords can you realistically rank better?
  After you’ve determined a list of keywords you’ll go after, you have to take a look at two things:
  Content Performance and Domain Performance.
  You can use the Ranking Analysis section of the Content Optimizer Tool.
    While the Content Performance is something that we have control over and will improve in a future step, backlinks aren’t something we have that much control over.
  So you want to see websites with as few referring domains as possible compared to your site (which you can check with the Site Explorer).
  Of course, if you see a lower content score and/or word count, those are also good indicators that it will be easier to improve your content.
  3.4. Analyze the Search Intent of Your Keywords
  Search intent and user experience are very important. It’s the key metric in 2020 and onward.
  If you don’t match the search intent well, users will have a bad experience on your website.
  One of the best examples of search intent is transactional vs. informational.
  Given the keyword “men’s running shoes”, eCommerce websites will tend to rank better.
  However, for a keyword such as “best running shoes for men”, reviews and buyer’s guides will tend to rank better.
  People are simply looking for different types of content on each of those keywords.
  What you ultimately want to figure out is what your user is looking for when searching for a particular query and accessing your website.
  For this blog post I know that there are two possible intents that are very closely related to one another: “can you rank with zero backlinks” & “how to do it”. My article simply appeals to those needs.
  Knowing my audience in general, I know that I want to provide proof for the first group, and step-by-step tutorials for the second.
  A good way of analyzing search intent is to look at what’s already ranking well.
  You know they’re already doing something well, since they’re ranking.
  If you can spot some gaps you can fill, such as questions asked in the comments that remain unanswered in the content itself, that’s even better.
  Did you know?
  The Content Optimizer & Keyword Tool from cognitiveSEO automatically classifies the search intent for you. 
You just need to type in the keyword you are interested in optimizing for, and the tool does most of the job for you. The tool performs keyword research, it will tell you what is the user search intent, how popular is that keyword, how difficult it is to rank on it, and cream of the crop: what it takes to rank on that keyword, meaning, what are the exact keywords and links that boosted that page in the top of the search results. 
    3.5. Optimize Landing Pages / Per Keyword & Per Search Intent
  On with the actual optimization. Don’t worry, it’s probably the easiest step.
  First, consider that it’s always best to optimize for a single main keyword and a single search intent per page.
  You can sometimes combine very similar keywords, but try as much as possible to stick to the same search intent.
  Remember, if the search engine results are similar for these keywords, they probably have a similar search intent as well.
  You should keep in mind that writing naturally is the best way to go.
  Open the Content Assistant section and hit Start Optimizing.
  It’s easier to work on something you’ve already written, but you can also start from scratch. However, you’ll have to write at least a title for the tool to work.
  You can also import a URL if your content is already live.
  Then, just click Check Score, the tool will analyze your content, tell you the score and recommend you some keyword ideas.
    The idea is to add those keywords into your blog post. However, don’t just throw them in, or else you’ll end up with a Keyword Stuffing warning.
  The keywords with dots on their left are the most important ones. You should be using them multiple times throughout your content.
  The idea is to think of these keywords as subtopics or areas of interest that you should cover in your content.
  If a keyword that the tool recommends doesn’t seem to fit or has grammar mistakes in it, don’t force it in.
  You don’t need a 100% score. The tool will pinpoint how much you need to reach.
  However, you can also try doing it in phases. First, optimize for a few points above the average, then update your content after a few weeks to the recommended score.
  3.6. Write Content That Stands Out and Is Share Worthy
  A great way to do this is to write content about complex questions that are very often asked in your industry, or case studies.
  For example, this article about meta descriptions affect SEO or not has been linked to multiple times by other SEO blogs trying to make a quick point without getting into too much detail.
  Also, make sure you have great Titles, Headlines and Descriptions.
  Optimize your titles with keywords for SEO, but also keep them catchy for Social Media.
  You can use the Open Graph property to set different titles for SEO and Social Media
  Long content tends to perform better in organic search results.
  When people search for something, you already know they are interested in it. That’s why SEM has such a high conversion rate and people spend time reading in depth articles.
  You can look at the top ranking search results for your keyword in the Ranking Analysis section of our Content Optimizer Tool.
    For this particular keyword, you can see that the top ranking content is between 2500 and 5000 words on average, although we can even see articles with only 1800 words in top 10.
  Usually, it’s a good idea to go for at least the top 10 average plus a few hundred words, just to be sure. But it’s not really about quantity, it’s about quality.
  However, you’ll probably not be able to fit all the depth required for this particular topic in just 200 words, at least compared to the competitors.
  Nevertheless, take this content length thing with a grain of salt. While long form content performs better in search, shorter content might perform better on social media.
  On Social Media, people are browsing different things and not really looking for a particular topic, so they might prefer things straight and to the point.
  3.7. Launch & Share Your Content with Key Influencers
  Once you’ve written and published your content, it’s time to promote it. This should be an important part of your SEO content strategy.
  We made a study a few years ago on weather social signals influence rankings and it seems that a strong presence on social networks is correlated with better rankings.
    Once you have your content live, it’s time to share it with the appropriate influencers.
  Who are these influencers? Well, people who have a following which matches your target audience.
  If they don’t hear about your content… they can’t share it or talk about it.
  It’s also a good idea that the influencers themselves are interested or resonate in the topic and the way you present it.
  One of the even more advanced SEO strategies is to plan your content ahead.
  And by this I don’t mean having an editorial calendar, but actually targeting influencers beforehand, analyzing them and writing something that you already know they will be willing to share.
  You’ll have to be persuasive and it’s also a good idea to build trust with them beforehand, by sharing their content and commenting on it or engaging with them.
  I know it sounds evil and manipulative and you can be if your sole interest is only to get what you want, but being genuine and truly offering value in exchange usually works best.
  I can recall the easiest response I have ever got. It was from a person named Reiner, which reminded me of a character in the anime show Attack on Titan.
    Luckily, he did see the anime, so we how now had a personal connection and he was willing to give me a hand.
    Another easy-to-implement technique is to ask for quotes from experts in your industry or take interviews.
  Two examples are my article about SEO mistakes and my colleague Andreea’s article about SEO tips from 22 experts.
  While we offered a lot of value, it’s true that we also used the guests’ reputation to leverage our content’s reach.
  Of course, it’s not guaranteed to work, but most of them will gladly share the content on their social profiles or blogs.
  To find influencers, you can use a tool such as Brand Mentions.
  You can spy on your competitors and see which influencers have mentioned their content.
    Then, engage with them and try to build relationships.
  3.8. Monitor How Your Content Is Performing
  You should make sure you’re able to track your progress if you want to know how successful your modifications were.
  The Google Search Console is a great way of monitoring organic search traffic and positions.
  However, the data there might sometimes be a little confusing and hard to filter.
  You might also be interested in a third party tool, such as our Rank Tracker.
    Moreover, not all traffic comes from Google, so you might also want a tool such as Google Analytics to monitor other traffic sources.
  You can also try a tool such as Brand Mentions to monitor mentions about your brand and content on Social Media and the internet.
  To precisely monitor the effectiveness of this OnPage SEO technique, make sure you don’t make any other major changes to the website.
  3.9. Update Your Content Once in a While
  Google loves fresh content. That’s why updating it from time to time should be part of your SEO content strategy.
  Our method works really well for old content as well, so don’t just focus on new content.
  We’ve improved many of our old blog posts using the Content Optimizer Tool.
  In fact, we did it on a mass scale, with pretty good results.
  Although some of the articles did lose a couple of rankings instead of gaining them, the overall process was a success, both in terms of rankings and traffic.
Tumblr media
    One of the articles we’ve constantly updated over the time is our Google Easter Eggs article, which is one of our top performing piece of content, although not directly related to SEO. 
  It’s a good idea to check the content’s score from time to time to see if it’s still in good shape.
  The Content Performance score is relative. This means that as other articles improve, your score might drop over time.
  However, even if the score is still really good, don’t try to trick Google by simply changing the date to make your content look fresh.
  It’s best if you actually review the content and make a few improvements / modifications.
  Conclusion
  To get high ranks, the focus shouldn’t be on backlinks, but on a solid SEO content strategy. Get your content under the right people’s eyes, and you’ll see the links pouring in.
  Applying this SEO content strategy can help you easily rank without going through the hassle of obtaining links. Attack the content creation and promotion from the right angle and backlinks will come naturally.
  The truth is, you don’t need backlinks for every article. You just need a handful of articles that bring in the links to grow the authority of your domain.
  Then you can use those links to pass that authority to all your articles, making it easier to rank everywhere.
  So, let us know in the comments section below: Do you consider it’s possible to rank a page without any backlinks? Have you every managed to rank one on a decent search volume keyword? Do you know any content marketers at all able to rank websites on Google without backlinks? What other marketing strategy have you used to rank your content except building links?
  The post The Unique SEO Content Strategy to Rank #1 with Zero Links appeared first on SEO Blog | cognitiveSEO Blog on SEO Tactics & Strategies.
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krisggordon · 5 years ago
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The Unique SEO Content Strategy to Rank #1 with Zero Links
We keep hearing that content is king. Write great content, content here, content there. But how true is that statement? Is there such a thing as an SEO Content Strategy that you can use to rank #1 with zero backlinks?
    Like most answers in SEO, this one is also ‘it depends’.
  Keep reading and I’ll explain exactly why.
  While you might not be able to get to position one without any backlinks for a highly competitive keyword, you’ll definitely be able to increase your rankings in Google just by optimizing your content and having in place a great SEO content strategy. 
  By the end of this blog post, you’ll have a better understanding of how Google treats links and content and you’ll get the SEO Content Strategy that might help rank #1 on Google with zero backlinks.
  Can I Really Rank #1 with Zero Links?
Why Is Google Pushing More Weight to the Content Ranking Factor?
Step-by-step SEO Content Strategy to Rank #1 with Zero Links
Identify Your Primary Audience and Their Pain Points
Perform an In-depth Keyword Research & Audit
Make a List of the Keywords You Can Realistically Dominate
Analyze the Search Intent of Your Keywords
Optimize Landing Pages / Per Keyword & Per Search Intent
Write Content That Stands Out and Is Share Worthy
Launch & Share Your Content with Key Influencers
Monitor How Your Content Is Performing
Update Your Content Once in a While
Conclusion
  1. Can I Really Rank #1 with Zero Links?
Not long ago we performed a lot of searches for pharma, gambling and skincare keywords, in a nutshell on highly competitive keywords and niches. 
  Our bet was to figure out if there are pages within these niches ranking based on high quality content only. 
  As you can see in the screenshot below taken from cognitiveSEO’s Content Optimizer, you can see that there are many pages with no or just a few links but highly optimized content, that rank really well. 
  Of course, we cannot answer to this question with a simple yes or no, yet, with Google giving so much weight to content lately, we might say that a good SEO content strategy can help you out big time.
  Of course, it depends based on what you mean by rankings and it depends on what you mean by links.
  For example, someone might claim they rank without any links, but what are they ranking for?
  Are they ranking for a high competition, high search volume keyword, or a long tail, low competition and low search volume one?
  Some time ago, Steven Kang started a contest in the SEO Signals Facebook Group, with a prize pool of $1000, to whoever could find or pinpoint a website that ranked #1 on Google with no backlinks.
    However, the rules for this contest were very specific:
  There can be no external backlinks present. Any single external backlink to the domain discovered will disqualify the site.
The site can have internal links since some claim internal linking shouldn’t count for such claim.
The site must be written in English.
  One year after, the contest is still available. Nobody has won it yet.
    By the looks of it… it seems that it’s difficult to rank on Google without backlinks.
  However, in one case a website was eliminated and it had backlinks only from Social Media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
    While those are indeed backlinks, almost every website has them and they don’t pass as much value as a contextual link from a high quality, relevant website.
  Other contestants have said that the contest is not fair, as they did not buy or build the links, but they simply came naturally, just as Google wants.
  However… they’re still links, aren’t they?
  The contest therefore excludes all links, not only purchased, built or bought ones. Considering this, Social Media is also excluded and probably any other form of online promotion.
  So when it comes to ranking with zero links… Are you talking about links to that specific web page, or links to the entire domain?
  Are you talking about a made-up keyword with no search volume whatsoever, or about a profitable, competitive, highly searched for keyword with a great market value?
  If you’re trying to rank for a very competitive keyword, where the top-ranking domains have thousands of backlinks pointing to them… tough luck!
  The truth is that beside a solid SEO content strategy, links still matter and if your competition is building, buying or obtaining backlinks naturally, you’ll have a difficult time ranking #1 with zero backlinks.
  But if the competition doesn’t have many backlinks either, it is possible to outrank them, even without links, in some cases.
  There are many examples of websites which outrank their competition with fewer backlinks.
  For example, we’re outranking Moz for the keyword “does meta description affect seo” although we only have 23 referring domains, while Moz’s page has over 1500.
  For another similar phrase, “does meta description matter”, another website is ranking very well, with only 1 referring domain.
  However, in both cases the results are an answer box. If you remember, some time ago you could have the answer box position and another spot. 
  Luckily, when Google changed this and only let you keep one or the other, they let us have the answer box.
    These are pretty specific keywords and for the most competitive phrase, “meta description”, Moz still dominates the top spot.
  Ranking with just a few backlinks to a web page is possible, if you have the right content.
  But it’s probably necessary to have at least some backlinks pointing to your domain.
  The internet doesn’t really work well without links. Search engines use links to crawl the entire web.
  It’s also true that without any backlinks pointing to your domain, Google will have a hard time crawling and indexing your site.
  However, keep in mind that backlinks on their own won’t do very much if the content doesn’t satisfy the users. They can even do harm.
  After the Penguin updates, it was pretty clear Google was set to fight back against link spam.
  Maybe the top spot isn’t achievable with absolutely zero links, but you don’t need the top spot to increase your search traffic.
  You can greatly improve rankings in Google simply by optimizing your content even for competitive, high search volume keywords.
  Many other SEOs and content marketers have improved their rankings following this OnPage SEO technique.
  If you stick around, I’ll show you exactly how you can do it, too.
  But first, let’s see why Google is pushing away from backlinks and more towards content.
  2. Why Is Google Pushing More Weight to the Content Ranking Factor?
  Back in 2017, during our numerous tests, we found a big correlation between the Content Performance score we had developed and rankings.
  We repeated the test after 2 years, in 2019 and it seemed that content is even more important now.
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The algorithm we use is complex, using a mix of AI technologies and things such as LSI and Flesch–Kincaid to determine what makes a piece of content rank high.
Attempts to remove backlinks from the algorithms have been made before.
  Why? Mostly because of spam. As long as backlinks are a ranking signal, people will try to abuse them.
  In 2013, Yandex, the Russian search engine, removed backlinks from their algorithm in an attempt to stop link spam.
  Although it only took effect in the Moscow local search results and only for commercial queries, the change was short lived, as they brought links back only a year after.
  Officials at Yandex stated that the change was “quite successful technologically”, but people still bought links and spammed the web regardless, so they decided to bring them back.
  However, they brought them back with a substantial change: The links would not only be a positive ranking signal, but also a negative one, just like with Google’s Penguin update.
  Could it be that the officials at Yandex are not willing to admit their failure? Maybe, who knows.
  But if it was a success, couldn’t they just use spammy links as a negative signal only? Without using other links as a positive one?
  Google has also tested rankings without backlinks in their algorithm.
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    However, they came to the conclusion that the results look much better when backlinks are a ranking signal.
  Unfortunately, there are other issues with backlinks other than buying them.
  Take a look at Negative SEO, for example. Google claims they can spot and ignore these types of links with Penguin 4.0, but is it really possible?
  I’m not convinced. I’ve seen many cases in which websites have a drop in traffic immediately after an unnatural spike in backlinks clearly built by others.
  You’d think that people engaging in Negative SEO will try to mimic link building… but that might also result in positive results for the target.
  So, these attacks are usually very obvious. Pure spam. And Google still penalized the site.
  So, it’s obvious they have a hard time dealing with all this link trading and spam.
  This, combined with the constant effort from SEOs to obtain backlinks in unnatural ways, has pushed Google into wanting to back away from backlinks.
  Backlinks are something you don’t have much control over. Yet, an SEO content strategy you can control.
  With algorithm updates such as Penguin (which penalizes spammy links) and Panda (which penalizes spammy content), Google shows us it’s putting more weight on content.
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    But although search engines don’t like them, it seems like links are still going to stick around for a while, as Matt Cutts states in the video above.
  However, with AI software that can also write content like humans getting better and better every day…
  It’s hard to tell where this will go.
  We might have the same issue as with links, with AI written websites constantly trying to compete to the top.
  It would be a battle of the algorithms… one in which users won’t have a say.
  We could bring the law into the equation, but that would spark a whole new lot of bigger and more complex issues.
  However, I could see how in the future, the law would require you to specify that the content is written by a robot and not by a human.
  While AI written content can be used for good, it can also be used for harm, from the relatively harmless blackhat SEOs to the highly harmful fake news outlets.
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    We’ve known for a long time that content was an important ranking factor, but now we also wanted to know why.
  Google was moving away from backlinks (our tool and marketing strategy was mostly built around backlinks) so investing in this was in our own interest.
  So let’s take a look at how exactly you can improve your rankings in Google without any link building, only by optimizing your content.
  3. The Step-by-Step SEO Content Strategy to Rank #1 with No Links
  OK. Now you know that it’s possible to rank without links in some situations and also why Google puts more and more weight on the content side of SEO.
  You also know that backlinks are something you don’t have complete control over.
  But how exactly do you rank without links? What step-by-step SEO content strategy can you apply to succeed?
  Here are the steps you need to follow to have a chance on ranking without links.
  3.1. Identify your Primary Audience and Their Pain Points
  The first think you should do before writing anything is identifying your target audience.
  You can start with what’s top of mind and build from there.
  Who would be interested in your content and how can you make your content appeal to them?
  Who are your clients? How old are they? Who are their friends? Where do they hang? How do they talk?
  It’s easier to do this when you already have some clients or readers. Just look at your best clients and readers so far.
  Who’s buying from you? Who’s reviewing on products? Who’s commenting on your blog and social media profiles?
  If you’re just starting out and have no idea… then consider doing a market research.
  I know it sounds complex, but you can start by simply creating a Google Form and sharing it on a couple of Facebook Groups, asking for help.
  Sure, it’s not much, but it’s better than nothing.
    Don’t focus on features with your product but on benefits. Don’t think in terms of needs but in terms of wants. Want is stronger than need.
  And don’t seek answers from your research but feelings and emotions which you can then use to convince them to buy.
  That’s what you want to ultimately address and that’s what will get you sales / engagement.
  This step is probably more useful for products and commercial keywords and less for informational queries.
  However, you can still address things such as the tone of voice for your audience.
  You can also try to create a persona of your ideal customer / reader and try to write as if you were speaking directly to that person.
  3.2. Perform an In-depth Keyword Research & Audit
  The really important step when trying to optimize content is always keyword research.
  What are you targeting now?
  You can use the Google Search Console to easily determine the keyword you’re already ranking for.
    Can you improve this existing content? Or should you target new keywords? These are questions you should ask yourself when putting together your SEO content strategy. 
  You can also use the CognitiveSEO Keyword Explorer to identify new topics you can target.
    Once you’re done, map out these keywords into an excel file and sort them out by relevance and importance.
  3.3. Make a List of the Keywords You Can Realistically Dominate
  Now comes the more difficult part.
  For which of those keywords can you realistically rank better?
  After you’ve determined a list of keywords you’ll go after, you have to take a look at two things:
  Content Performance and Domain Performance.
  You can use the Ranking Analysis section of the Content Optimizer Tool.
    While the Content Performance is something that we have control over and will improve in a future step, backlinks aren’t something we have that much control over.
  So you want to see websites with as few referring domains as possible compared to your site (which you can check with the Site Explorer).
  Of course, if you see a lower content score and/or word count, those are also good indicators that it will be easier to improve your content.
  3.4. Analyze the Search Intent of Your Keywords
  Search intent and user experience are very important. It’s the key metric in 2020 and onward.
  If you don’t match the search intent well, users will have a bad experience on your website.
  One of the best examples of search intent is transactional vs. informational.
  Given the keyword “men’s running shoes”, eCommerce websites will tend to rank better.
  However, for a keyword such as “best running shoes for men”, reviews and buyer’s guides will tend to rank better.
  People are simply looking for different types of content on each of those keywords.
  What you ultimately want to figure out is what your user is looking for when searching for a particular query and accessing your website.
  For this blog post I know that there are two possible intents that are very closely related to one another: “can you rank with zero backlinks” & “how to do it”. My article simply appeals to those needs.
  Knowing my audience in general, I know that I want to provide proof for the first group, and step-by-step tutorials for the second.
  A good way of analyzing search intent is to look at what’s already ranking well.
  You know they’re already doing something well, since they’re ranking.
  If you can spot some gaps you can fill, such as questions asked in the comments that remain unanswered in the content itself, that’s even better.
  Did you know?
  The Content Optimizer & Keyword Tool from cognitiveSEO automatically classifies the search intent for you. 
You just need to type in the keyword you are interested in optimizing for, and the tool does most of the job for you. The tool performs keyword research, it will tell you what is the user search intent, how popular is that keyword, how difficult it is to rank on it, and cream of the crop: what it takes to rank on that keyword, meaning, what are the exact keywords and links that boosted that page in the top of the search results. 
    3.5. Optimize Landing Pages / Per Keyword & Per Search Intent
  On with the actual optimization. Don’t worry, it’s probably the easiest step.
  First, consider that it’s always best to optimize for a single main keyword and a single search intent per page.
  You can sometimes combine very similar keywords, but try as much as possible to stick to the same search intent.
  Remember, if the search engine results are similar for these keywords, they probably have a similar search intent as well.
  You should keep in mind that writing naturally is the best way to go.
  Open the Content Assistant section and hit Start Optimizing.
  It’s easier to work on something you’ve already written, but you can also start from scratch. However, you’ll have to write at least a title for the tool to work.
  You can also import a URL if your content is already live.
  Then, just click Check Score, the tool will analyze your content, tell you the score and recommend you some keyword ideas.
    The idea is to add those keywords into your blog post. However, don’t just throw them in, or else you’ll end up with a Keyword Stuffing warning.
  The keywords with dots on their left are the most important ones. You should be using them multiple times throughout your content.
  The idea is to think of these keywords as subtopics or areas of interest that you should cover in your content.
  If a keyword that the tool recommends doesn’t seem to fit or has grammar mistakes in it, don’t force it in.
  You don’t need a 100% score. The tool will pinpoint how much you need to reach.
  However, you can also try doing it in phases. First, optimize for a few points above the average, then update your content after a few weeks to the recommended score.
  3.6. Write Content That Stands Out and Is Share Worthy
  A great way to do this is to write content about complex questions that are very often asked in your industry, or case studies.
  For example, this article about meta descriptions affect SEO or not has been linked to multiple times by other SEO blogs trying to make a quick point without getting into too much detail.
  Also, make sure you have great Titles, Headlines and Descriptions.
  Optimize your titles with keywords for SEO, but also keep them catchy for Social Media.
  You can use the Open Graph property to set different titles for SEO and Social Media
  Long content tends to perform better in organic search results.
  When people search for something, you already know they are interested in it. That’s why SEM has such a high conversion rate and people spend time reading in depth articles.
  You can look at the top ranking search results for your keyword in the Ranking Analysis section of our Content Optimizer Tool.
    For this particular keyword, you can see that the top ranking content is between 2500 and 5000 words on average, although we can even see articles with only 1800 words in top 10.
  Usually, it’s a good idea to go for at least the top 10 average plus a few hundred words, just to be sure. But it’s not really about quantity, it’s about quality.
  However, you’ll probably not be able to fit all the depth required for this particular topic in just 200 words, at least compared to the competitors.
  Nevertheless, take this content length thing with a grain of salt. While long form content performs better in search, shorter content might perform better on social media.
  On Social Media, people are browsing different things and not really looking for a particular topic, so they might prefer things straight and to the point.
  3.7. Launch & Share Your Content with Key Influencers
  Once you’ve written and published your content, it’s time to promote it. This should be an important part of your SEO content strategy.
  We made a study a few years ago on weather social signals influence rankings and it seems that a strong presence on social networks is correlated with better rankings.
    Once you have your content live, it’s time to share it with the appropriate influencers.
  Who are these influencers? Well, people who have a following which matches your target audience.
  If they don’t hear about your content… they can’t share it or talk about it.
  It’s also a good idea that the influencers themselves are interested or resonate in the topic and the way you present it.
  One of the even more advanced SEO strategies is to plan your content ahead.
  And by this I don’t mean having an editorial calendar, but actually targeting influencers beforehand, analyzing them and writing something that you already know they will be willing to share.
  You’ll have to be persuasive and it’s also a good idea to build trust with them beforehand, by sharing their content and commenting on it or engaging with them.
  I know it sounds evil and manipulative and you can be if your sole interest is only to get what you want, but being genuine and truly offering value in exchange usually works best.
  I can recall the easiest response I have ever got. It was from a person named Reiner, which reminded me of a character in the anime show Attack on Titan.
    Luckily, he did see the anime, so we how now had a personal connection and he was willing to give me a hand.
    Another easy-to-implement technique is to ask for quotes from experts in your industry or take interviews.
  Two examples are my article about SEO mistakes and my colleague Andreea’s article about SEO tips from 22 experts.
  While we offered a lot of value, it’s true that we also used the guests’ reputation to leverage our content’s reach.
  Of course, it’s not guaranteed to work, but most of them will gladly share the content on their social profiles or blogs.
  To find influencers, you can use a tool such as Brand Mentions.
  You can spy on your competitors and see which influencers have mentioned their content.
    Then, engage with them and try to build relationships.
  3.8. Monitor How Your Content Is Performing
  You should make sure you’re able to track your progress if you want to know how successful your modifications were.
  The Google Search Console is a great way of monitoring organic search traffic and positions.
  However, the data there might sometimes be a little confusing and hard to filter.
  You might also be interested in a third party tool, such as our Rank Tracker.
    Moreover, not all traffic comes from Google, so you might also want a tool such as Google Analytics to monitor other traffic sources.
  You can also try a tool such as Brand Mentions to monitor mentions about your brand and content on Social Media and the internet.
  To precisely monitor the effectiveness of this OnPage SEO technique, make sure you don’t make any other major changes to the website.
  3.9. Update Your Content Once in a While
  Google loves fresh content. That’s why updating it from time to time should be part of your SEO content strategy.
  Our method works really well for old content as well, so don’t just focus on new content.
  We’ve improved many of our old blog posts using the Content Optimizer Tool.
  In fact, we did it on a mass scale, with pretty good results.
  Although some of the articles did lose a couple of rankings instead of gaining them, the overall process was a success, both in terms of rankings and traffic.
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    One of the articles we’ve constantly updated over the time is our Google Easter Eggs article, which is one of our top performing piece of content, although not directly related to SEO. 
  It’s a good idea to check the content’s score from time to time to see if it’s still in good shape.
  The Content Performance score is relative. This means that as other articles improve, your score might drop over time.
  However, even if the score is still really good, don’t try to trick Google by simply changing the date to make your content look fresh.
  It’s best if you actually review the content and make a few improvements / modifications.
  Conclusion
  To get high ranks, the focus shouldn’t be on backlinks, but on a solid SEO content strategy. Get your content under the right people’s eyes, and you’ll see the links pouring in.
  Applying this SEO content strategy can help you easily rank without going through the hassle of obtaining links. Attack the content creation and promotion from the right angle and backlinks will come naturally.
  The truth is, you don’t need backlinks for every article. You just need a handful of articles that bring in the links to grow the authority of your domain.
  Then you can use those links to pass that authority to all your articles, making it easier to rank everywhere.
  So, let us know in the comments section below: Do you consider it’s possible to rank a page without any backlinks? Have you every managed to rank one on a decent search volume keyword? Do you know any content marketers at all able to rank websites on Google without backlinks? What other marketing strategy have you used to rank your content except building links?
  The post The Unique SEO Content Strategy to Rank #1 with Zero Links appeared first on SEO Blog | cognitiveSEO Blog on SEO Tactics & Strategies.
from Marketing https://cognitiveseo.com/blog/24293/seo-content-strategy/ via http://www.rssmix.com/
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t-baba · 8 years ago
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Pandas: The Swiss Army Knife for Your Data, Part 2
This is part two of a two-part tutorial about Pandas, the amazing Python data analytics toolkit. 
In part one, we covered the basic data types of Pandas: the series and the data frame. We imported and exported data, selected subsets of data, worked with metadata, and sorted the data. 
In this part, we'll continue our journey and deal with missing data, data manipulation, data merging, data grouping, time series, and plotting.
Dealing With Missing Values
One of the strongest points of pandas is its handling of missing values. It will not just crash and burn in the presence of missing data. When data is missing, pandas replaces it with numpy's np.nan (not a number), and it doesn't participate in any computation.
Let's reindex our data frame, adding more rows and columns, but without any new data. To make it interesting, we'll populate some values.
>>> df = pd.DataFrame(np.random.randn(5,2), index=index, columns=['a','b']) >>> new_index = df.index.append(pd.Index(['six'])) >>> new_columns = list(df.columns) + ['c'] >>> df = df.reindex(index=new_index, columns=new_columns) >>> df.loc['three'].c = 3 >>> df.loc['four'].c = 4 >>> df a b c one -0.042172 0.374922 NaN two -0.689523 1.411403 NaN three 0.332707 0.307561 3.0 four 0.426519 -0.425181 4.0 five -0.161095 -0.849932 NaN six NaN NaN NaN
Note that df.index.append() returns a new index and doesn't modify the existing index. Also, df.reindex() returns a new data frame that I assign back to the df variable.
At this point, our data frame has six rows. The last row is all NaNs, and all other rows except the third and the fourth have NaN in the "c" column. What can you do with missing data? Here are options:
Keep it (but it will not participate in computations).
Drop it (the result of the computation will not contain the missing data).
Replace it with a default value.
Keep the missing data --------------------- >>> df *= 2 >>> df a b c one -0.084345 0.749845 NaN two -1.379046 2.822806 NaN three 0.665414 0.615123 6.0 four 0.853037 -0.850362 8.0 five -0.322190 -1.699864 NaN six NaN NaN NaN Drop rows with missing data --------------------------- >>> df.dropna() a b c three 0.665414 0.615123 6.0 four 0.853037 -0.850362 8.0 Replace with default value -------------------------- >>> df.fillna(5) a b c one -0.084345 0.749845 5.0 two -1.379046 2.822806 5.0 three 0.665414 0.615123 6.0 four 0.853037 -0.850362 8.0 five -0.322190 -1.699864 5.0 six 5.000000 5.000000 5.0
If you just want to check if you have missing data in your data frame, use the isnull() method. This returns a boolean mask of your dataframe, which is True for missing values and False elsewhere.
>>> df.isnull() a b c one False False True two False False True three False False False four False False False five False False True six True True True
Manipulating Your Data
When you have a data frame, you often need to perform operations on the data. Let's start with a new data frame that has four rows and three columns of random integers between 1 and 9 (inclusive).
>>> df = pd.DataFrame(np.random.randint(1, 10, size=(4, 3)), columns=['a','b', 'c']) >>> df a b c 0 1 3 3 1 8 9 2 2 8 1 5 3 4 6 1
Now, you can start working on the data. Let's sum up all the columns and assign the result to the last row, and then sum all the rows (dimension 1) and assign to the last column:
>>> df.loc[3] = df.sum() >>> df a b c 0 1 3 3 1 8 9 2 2 8 1 5 3 21 19 11 >>> df.c = df.sum(1) >>> df a b c 0 1 3 7 1 8 9 19 2 8 1 14 3 21 19 51
You can also perform operations on the entire data frame. Here is an example of subtracting 3 from each and every cell:
>>> df -= 3 >>> df a b c 0 -2 0 4 1 5 6 16 2 5 -2 11 3 18 16 48
For total control, you can apply arbitrary functions:
>>> df.apply(lambda x: x ** 2 + 5 * x - 4) a b c 0 -10 -4 32 1 46 62 332 2 46 -10 172 3 410 332 2540
Merging Data
Another common scenario when working with data frames is combining and merging data frames (and series) together. Pandas, as usual, gives you different options. Let's create another data frame and explore the various options.
>>> df2 = df // 3 >>> df2 a b c 0 -1 0 1 1 1 2 5 2 1 -1 3 3 6 5 16
Concat
When using pd.concat, pandas simply concatenates all the rows of the provided parts in order. There is no alignment of indexes. See in the following example how duplicate index values are created:
>>> pd.concat([df, df2]) a b c 0 -2 0 4 1 5 6 16 2 5 -2 11 3 18 16 48 0 -1 0 1 1 1 2 5 2 1 -1 3 3 6 5 16
You can also concatenate columns by using the axis=1 argument:
>>> pd.concat([df[:2], df2], axis=1) a b c a b c 0 -2.0 0.0 4.0 -1 0 1 1 5.0 6.0 16.0 1 2 5 2 NaN NaN NaN 1 -1 3 3 NaN NaN NaN 6 5 16
Note that because the first data frame (I used only two rows) didn't have as many rows, the missing values were automatically populated with NaNs, which changed those column types from int to float.
It's possible to concatenate any number of data frames in one call.
Merge
The merge function behaves in a similar way to SQL join. It merges all the columns from rows that have similar keys. Note that it operates on two data frames only:
>>> df = pd.DataFrame(dict(key=['start', 'finish'],x=[4, 8])) >>> df key x 0 start 4 1 finish 8 >>> df2 = pd.DataFrame(dict(key=['start', 'finish'],y=[2, 18])) >>> df2 key y 0 start 2 1 finish 18 >>> pd.merge(df, df2, on='key') key x y 0 start 4 2 1 finish 8 18
Append
The data frame's append() method is a little shortcut. It functionally behaves like concat(), but saves some key strokes.
>>> df key x 0 start 4 1 finish 8 Appending one row using the append method() ------------------------------------------- >>> df.append(dict(key='middle', x=9), ignore_index=True) key x 0 start 4 1 finish 8 2 middle 9 Appending one row using the concat() ------------------------------------------- >>> pd.concat([df, pd.DataFrame(dict(key='middle', x=[9]))], ignore_index=True) key x 0 start 4 1 finish 8 2 middle 9
Grouping Your Data
Here is a data frame that contains the members and ages of two families: the Smiths and the Joneses. You can use the groupby() method to group data by last name and find information at the family level like the sum of ages and the mean age:
df = pd.DataFrame( dict(first='John Jim Jenny Jill Jack'.split(), last='Smith Jones Jones Smith Smith'.split(), age=[11, 13, 22, 44, 65])) >>> df.groupby('last').sum() age last Jones 35 Smith 120 >>> df.groupby('last').mean() age last Jones 17.5 Smith 40.0
Time Series
A lot of important data is time series data. Pandas has strong support for time series data starting with data ranges, going through localization and time conversion, and all the way to sophisticated frequency-based resampling.
The date_range() function can generate sequences of datetimes. Here is an example of generating a six-week period starting on 1 January 2017 using the UTC time zone.
>>> weeks = pd.date_range(start='1/1/2017', periods=6, freq='W', tz='UTC') >>> weeks DatetimeIndex(['2017-01-01', '2017-01-08', '2017-01-15', '2017-01-22', '2017-01-29', '2017-02-05'], dtype='datetime64[ns, UTC]', freq='W-SUN')
Adding a timestamp to your data frames, either as data column or as the index, is great for organizing and grouping your data by time. It also allows resampling. Here is an example of resampling every minute data as five-minute aggregations.
>>> minutes = pd.date_range(start='1/1/2017', periods=10, freq='1Min', tz='UTC') >>> ts = pd.Series(np.random.randn(len(minutes)), minutes) >>> ts 2017-01-01 00:00:00+00:00 1.866913 2017-01-01 00:01:00+00:00 2.157201 2017-01-01 00:02:00+00:00 -0.439932 2017-01-01 00:03:00+00:00 0.777944 2017-01-01 00:04:00+00:00 0.755624 2017-01-01 00:05:00+00:00 -2.150276 2017-01-01 00:06:00+00:00 3.352880 2017-01-01 00:07:00+00:00 -1.657432 2017-01-01 00:08:00+00:00 -0.144666 2017-01-01 00:09:00+00:00 -0.667059 Freq: T, dtype: float64 >>> ts.resample('5Min').mean() 2017-01-01 00:00:00+00:00 1.023550 2017-01-01 00:05:00+00:00 -0.253311
Plotting
Pandas supports plotting with matplotlib. Make sure it's installed: pip install matplotlib. To generate a plot, you can call the plot() of a series or a data frame. There are many options to control the plot, but the defaults work for simple visualization purposes. Here is how to generate a line graph and save it to a PDF file.
ts = pd.Series(np.random.randn(1000), index=pd.date_range('1/1/2017', periods=1000)) ts = ts.cumsum() ax = ts.plot() fig = ax.get_figure() fig.savefig('plot.pdf')
Note that on macOS, Python must be installed as a framework for plotting with Pandas.
Conclusion
Pandas is a very broad data analytics framework. It has a simple object model with the concepts of series and data frame and a wealth of built-in functionality. You can compose and mix pandas functions and your own algorithms. 
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Data importing and exporting in pandas are very extensive too and ensure that you can integrate it easily into existing systems. If you're doing any data processing in Python, pandas belongs in your toolbox.
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problogbooster · 6 years ago
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