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crazily-creative · 7 years

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🌞 c a c 🌵 i 🌞

Hello love bugs!

I feel like there has been this aroma of self-doubt, negativity, and many moments of sadness that lasts for weeks in the circle of people that I've had the chance to converse with. We as humans want instant gratification and speedy Wi-Fi. We forget that life does not happen on our terms sometimes, which is not helpful when we need it ASAP. Life happens on its own terms and timing! I love using this analogy; a pastry chef never frosts a cake right after taking it out of a 375-degree oven! Do you know why? The frosting will melt all over the place and will create a mess! She waits for the delicious cake to cool off to form a solid layer of perfection. The layer is easier to frost when it is a cool hard surface. The moments of waiting for it to cool off saved her time, money, and energy believe it or not. If she rushed the decorating process, the frosting would have melted, the cake would have turned into crumbles try to “clean” it, and she would have to start all over again, wasting another possibly two hours whereas she could have made another. Time takes Time peeps! Speaking of time I met a wise cactus that whispered brilliant advice into my ear.

Last weekend I went on an adventure around Old Town San Diego with my family, really to get away from the naughty heat in El Cajon. It is not as nasty as the Arizona heat, but it was pretty hell like! Old town was filled with beautiful cacti in all different shapes and sizes. Each and every one of the bushes had lover’s names beautifully and carefully engraved in them. Sadly I couldn't get the image of the Cacti screaming for their lives, because hello you’re engraving their flesh people! I was in awe over the vibrant green they were in the gross heat and how well they held their shape and also how they were located in calm and relaxing areas all over Old Town.

I enjoy taking everyday experiences and adding wisdom into the memory. As you read on you will find six simple steps to live your life like a cactus. I bring these words with love and a push to guide you into a loving path to assist with any internal hardship or confusion going on right now in your life.

Well here it goes…

Advice from a Cactus:

1) Get plenty of sunshine.

Just as the Cacti stand tall and high basking in the beautiful sunshine, us humans need that sunshine as well. The best way to revamp your energy is to surround yourself with nature and positive people. Go for a hike, jog around a park, or visit the local botanical garden in your area. Eat health, drink a lot of water and go out and play! Anything to keep your mind free from habits of touching technology, recharge your lungs, and to free you mind from any stored chaos. As for the positive people, you should be yourself around them without feeling judged or criticized each second. They should support you, provide guidance when you need it and give you endless love.

2) Accentuate your strong points.

The Cacti have points that can be spotted miles away. It’s tough skin keeps it safe and makes a clear point to what it stands for! Focus on what you stand for and go aver what you love. Do not allow people to get in the way of what you truly desire because they have limitations in their minds of what they can only do. You are NOT them, and they are NOT you! Ladies and gents if you have a passion or are extremely talented in one particular skill spend your life perfecting it, please, please, and I repeat PLEASE do not spend your time on trying to fit in or making others happy. Some people are takers and they will take until you break. Have a clear mind of what you want and the universe will follow.

3) Be patient through the dry spells.

OHHHH....those dry spells will have you in a dizzy chaotic never-ending twirl. Yes being patient is definitely easier said than done, but I promise that Allah will never let us down. What is meant for your will find it's way; your dream job, your dream husband/wife, or whatever goals you have written in detail on your bucket list. You have to be patient to stay sane. If your emotional and mental energy is on a constant mood of jumping from here to here to there, you will eventually ware yourself out! This is coming from a night owl that was running on two hours of sleep for two and half years, with NO coffee intake! My oh my it takes a toll on your body and mental health. You have to remain focused on the bigger picture and I guarantee the puzzle pieces will connect, finically too. Just keep moving forward. If you fall YOU have to get back up again! Rest if you must, but do not allow the dryness get to you!

4) Conserve your resources.

Save, save and SAVE some more. Money comes and goes, but do not allow it to over power your mind in any selfish ways. Just as you gained it you are able to lose it. Stay humble. Use it wisely. A lot of my money goes towards my art supplies and fabric, I have an addiction, which I am changing into spending on experiences rather than materialize. Take advantage of the resource that is all around throughout your city. Use websites, such as: EBay, Etsy, Tumbler, IG, FB, SC, Amazon, OfferUP, and Craigslist to find good deals. I guarantee if you ask for what you need you will receive it! For example, a quick update on your Facebook status, asking for whatever you need, there will be at least two people that will kindly let you barrow or provide advise. If you do receive what you need remember to pay it forward, for extra good deed points with the all mighty!

5) Wait for your time to BLOOM!

I know how exhausting waiting can be! I know you are tired, you work really hard, and you are at the point of possibility giving in. Please do not give in or give up! WAIT your turn, yes waiting is a pain. Now I do not mean sit on your couch and watch the time go, NOPE not at all! I mean continue to work in silence and I know your hard work will go noticed when the time is right. It has happened to me so many times, and I am utterly blessed and humbled by it! I've come to realize that rushing and speeding through ideas, or situations only leads to double the trouble. You will have to continue to do what you are doing. The job you have now can bring remarkable opportunities and connections. Which may eventually lead you into a better pathway. As soon as you bloom in your capabilities more doors will open, and the cycle will repeat and repeat!

6) Stay Sharp!

DO NOT be a prick! (of course I mean this in a respectful manner, be and stay HUMBLE). Stay sharp with your mindset and where you want to go. Do not allow others to take advantage of you. Many times when someone hurts us we become hermits and it may lead us into ignoring the blessings that already are surrounding us. We were okay before they came into our lives and we have grown as they left our lives. Another example, would be something I recently went through. I have this passion of creating things with my hands and someone close to me has that talent as well. We are both creative and love what we do. But one day I shared a design idea and the following week she created it. I was heart broken and pissed off! NO, I do not have the right to stop anyone from expressing his or her creativity. I encourage 10,000,000%, but per our conversation and her doing that really made me frustrated. I am still learning to properly confront others. I think she new what she did, due to this strange stare she shared with me. But, within this experience I have learned to never share your ideas, just make them happen. Be aware of your surroundings and if you are in a creative field make sure you know what type of people you work with. Never stop questioning, reading, and staying up to date with new cool tech gadgets in forming a better future better your future. Try new things and travel to broaden your horizon.

All in all, this cactus had a lot to share. They had love and oxygen, but mostly words of wisdom. I truly hope these steps help you and allow you to focus on what matters to you the most. We are human and you must be gentle and love yourself, yes even on the poopy days, It will take you far to stand tall! Let me know what you think? Where these six steps helpful? I would love to know your what your experiences have been. Please feel free to share your experiences below.

L ❤ve Always,

Sharm

Vibrant Erection

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digitalmark18-blog · 6 years

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17 Tactics to Create Engaging & SEO-Friendly Content by @ronlieback

New Post has been published on https://britishdigitalmarketingnews.com/17-tactics-to-create-engaging-seo-friendly-content-by-ronlieback/

17 Tactics to Create Engaging & SEO-Friendly Content by @ronlieback

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Some can create engaging content. Others can create SEO-friendly content.

Few can do both.

For true digital success, all content – from service pages to blog posts to guests pieces on third-party publications – must engage and appeal to search engines.

When engagement and SEO are aligned, both build upon each other’s mission.

That’s the simple secret of digital marketing.

For this alignment to flourish, technical SEO is crucial. But the most energy is absorbed by the copywriters. Sadly, most companies hire the cheapest copywriters possible to save a dollar here or there.

This is wrong in every way; a content writer carries more clout than most in the endless world of digital marketing.

I continually stress the importance of hiring strong copywriters to my agency’s clients – even if that client has already been with me for years.

One successful route that makes sense to those who don’t understand the importance of engaging and SEO-friendly content is my explanation of what I call the “online engagement ladder.”

Searchers begin at the lower rung and work their way up (read ascending from 1-4):

4. Content engages audience. 3. Title attracts an interest; meta description builds upon this interest. 2. Content ranks high for search query and keywords through strong SEO. 1. A search query is entered into a search engine with various keywords.

The end result of a business that follows the simple online engagement ladder?

Searchers quickly transform from prospects to customers/clients/readers (based on the proverbial Holy Grail of online industries: products/services/news).

Once these customers/clients/readers are exposed to engaging content on a consistent basis, they will soon become loyal to your brand. Without getting too deep, loyalty allows easy up-selling, and by nature this equates to higher ROI.

After more than two decades of creating content for both traditional and digital platforms, I’ve learned a few things about designing content strategies that feed the engagement/SEO-friendly machine.

Following are 17 essential tactics that I use when training my agency’s writers.

These are chronologically ordered for maximum impact. Notice the added energy that’s needed toward the revision stages of creating engaging and SEO-friendly content.

1. Keyword Research

For digital marketers, these four syllables are cliche. But for some reason loads of content is continually created without proper keyword research and a clear keyword strategy that includes optimizing each page or post for target keyword(s).

Search Engine Journal has dozens of articles on keyword research if you don’t know this foundation for content marketing success.

With proper research, you’ll know what type of keyword volume and trends are out there, and you can optimize your post or page to capitalize on that research.

Main service/product/category pages – especially “parent” ones – can chase the higher volume keywords. All other lower “child” pages and, especially blogs/education articles, can chase the long-tail, lower-volume keywords that are typically endless in any industry.

Note: Optimized website hierarchy and keyword mapping are paramount for success. If your agency refuses to mention this before creating content, run.

2. Related Keyword List

During your keyword research you’ll also discover related keywords – ones that when properly implemented will show relevancy to the post/page’s target keyword(s) and theme.

Spend time creating this list of related keywords. It will be vital to your overall strategy – especially after some other things are done that cater more to the writing side versus the SEO side.

3. Engaging & Optimized Title Tags (Headlines) Supersede Everything

You can have the best piece of content in the world, but if the title tag/headline is not engaging, not many people will notice. Genius copywriters like Ray Edwards say that you have a mere two seconds to garner attention with your headline.

First, for SEO purposes, you must use the target keyword(s) – as close to the front as possible. And keep that title around 60 characters.

Next, the title must do one or all of the following:

Explain how to do something.

Establish credibility.

Create curiosity.

Command a benefit of a product/service/news headline.

Engage the conversation within the reader’s head.

Explain the idea of the “WHY” of your brand (read Simon Sinek).

Also, two things that are statistically said to attract attention from a psychological stance are:

Brackets or parentheses

Odd numbers

Put the effort into creating title tags/headlines that drive clicks. Also, A/B testing of a few title tags will result in much higher results.

4. Now Forget About the Keyword Research

Now that the keyword research is complete, and you’ve created your headline, it’s time to focus on creating the content.

Put SEO out of your mind. Focus on creating the content itself.

Mentally make a note of the related keywords, and most importantly the theme of your title, but clear your mind of any thoughts of SEO. Just focus on the writing for now.

5. Enhance the Mindset

For some it takes music. For others pressure from deadlines. For others, booze or whatever other type of thing settles the soul, whether a run, a talk to a psych, or a simple hike with the dog into the woods.

Regardless of what it is, do it, and get focused on creative writing vs. SEO.

6. Now Write

Began writing the first draft with one mission: explain the topic to your readers in simplest form. The quickest way to achieve simplicity and organization (which is explained below) is to begin with a simple outline.

Draft the most important thoughts and create your subheads (if using numbers, don’t insert them yet – #6 above was once #9). All thoughts will likely change, but for now just get the main ideas down that support the overall title.

The ideas may start slow, but once the mood sets in – which occurs quicker when you practice this technique often – words will flow.

Don’t worry about sloppiness or correcting facts; let the mind go, and brainstorm on the screen or by handwriting with a non-stop flow (I’d say stream of consciousness, but that’s also cliche for literature types. Plus, we want short paragraphs that will help us in the revising phases).

Handwriting may sound like some archaic process, but for some, this process just works. It works for me with certain articles like this, which was outlined in a tub while taking a break from client work.

Remember – even in the first-draft phase — don’t write thick paragraphs.

This will help save time in future revisions, and with practice will help press the ideas of short paragraphs and white space between words. (Again – we’re writing for a smooth transition of ideas to the reader. The easier we make it, the faster these transitions will happen.)

7. Writer’s Block is B.S.

Many may stop and wonder what to do if “writer’s block” happens. Well, I once suffered from this, but soon realized it’s just B.S. – an excuse to not write.

I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with delaying the entire process of writing. I sometimes wait until moments before the deadline to begin a project.

But it isn’t writer’s block; rather, it’s a personal process to force creativity. This happens for only certain writings. But when I sit down to write every day for multiple clients, I never suffer from writer’s block.

If ideas won’t begin, simply start by writing words. Just the physical process of writing can get the mind flowing.

A few tips to start the act of writing are:

Rewrite the title in paragraph form.

Write a few URL structures.

Retype your related keyword list.

Brainstorm bullet points of what you want to say to someone as if you were talking to them.

The latter is my favorite. I imagine talking to the reader, and explaining all the main themes of my article, saying the words out in my head as I type or write each bullet point.

Sometimes I compose 100 bullets; other times 10. Regardless, they get the mind in unison with the fingers to write.

8. Time for Organization

Now, even if you have 1,000 words or 100 bullet points or 10 subheads, it’s time to organize your writing. Organized writing equates to organized thoughts, and this organization appeals to a reader’s emotions (equates to quicker sales).

Always organize with an end in mind:

What do you want to achieve here?

What is your overall mission?

Why would you waste time writing if there was no ending in mind (remember, we’re talking digital content that’s set to quickly engage…not fiction!)?

As for the actual writing process, some focus on creating the beginning and ending before the middle, and others the vice versa. Find what works for you. Experiment with both back-to-back, and find your way.

9. Drafting Begins

This is where the real work begins – drafting.

I use the 80/20 rule for all business practices, making sure 20 percent of my efforts achieve 80 percent of the results. This principle quickly comes into play when you begin drafting.

Your first draft may have 80 percent of its efforts in 20 percent of the ideas that need to be explained. Cut useless ideas and words aggressively.

Don’t be afraid – it’s only your first draft. Think about your first moments at anything – driving a car, starting an agency or business, love, music, whatever. Most would likely never repeat what happened first. The same thought process goes for your first round of edits:

Write.

Think 80/20.

Rewrite.

Repeat process

I’ll sometimes begin with 2,500 words for a “simple” blog item, cut it to 800 words, rebuild, and cut again. Rebuild until it achieves everything you want to say.

10. Now Walk Away

Regardless of how much writers think they can control all at once, fogginess will set in.

You can continue writing the first draft until your head explodes because that’s what that process is all about. But when drafting begins, fogginess will set in. Embrace it, but realize you must refresh the mind.

This is when it’s time to walk away.

Contingent on the size of the content, this period away may take a few hours, days, weeks, months, or years.

In regards to the latter, I’ve been away from the final draft of my debut fiction novel for nearly six years. Between I drafted another three, but I’m simply not ready to finish that first one.

But then again, that novel is for my relaxation – not client work that needs finishing under tight deadlines.

11. Repeat Steps 9 and 10, then Return to SEO Thinking

Repeat steps 9 and 10 for as long as it takes. Once satisfied, it’s time to return to the SEO thought process.

Start by revisiting your keyword research, and reread your related keywords.

Now that the tough writing is done, and thoughts/themes are explored, some related keywords will make more sense than others.

Again, think like the reader. Place as many of these related keywords into your article in a natural flow.

12. Organize. Again.

Now that you’re satisfied with the implementation of the related keywords, it’s time again get into the reader’s mindset and out of your own.

First walk away, then come back and read the latest draft out loud, making sure not to skip the subheads.

A trick I use is having my Facetime app open on my Mac so I can see myself while reading. I guess this replaces reading in the mirror, which never worked for me.

When seeing yourself as most see you in the digital world, you quickly realize how dumb you sound – and look – when your content is unclear.

Clean up the draft once again before returning to SEO.

13. Meta Descriptions Need as Much Energy as Revisions

Once you have your best possible draft (don’t be married to it just yet; if you are not the final editor, things are bound to change), it’s time to write the meta description.

Though Google says it has zero ranking factor, it can have a significant impact on who clicks through to your website.

The title tag is the main driver of openings in search results, but the meta description can help strengthen that title tag, or weaken it.

Don’t spend all the time writing and revising just to let a meta description pass by.

Also, use target and top-volume related keywords in it when possible. If in a search query, these keywords are bold in the meta description, which naturally attracts the eye, enhancing openings and user experience (UX).

Once your meta description is complete, the layout warrants it, write a “deck head,” which is basically the original subheading that supports the main title. The deck (as it is known in traditional journalism) is used to create curiosity around the title tag.

14. Optimize, Thinking from the Top Page & Down

Think from the top of the page down, and make sure you have optimized the following with keywords in mind:

URL structure.

Title (you centered your writing around it, but sometimes that title changes).

Sub-heading/header tags (make sure you not only optimize for keywords, but make them H2, H3, etc. tags).

Image alt text/captions/titles (fit as many keywords as possible here).

15. Optimize Linking

We could have simply made this a bullet point above, but many forget the importance of optimizing your internal/external linking for the actual post/page content that you create (read: not footers, menus, sidebars).

What happens within your text or images can do much for UX – or destroy a reader’s focus.

Optimize internal linking. Find the most optimal keyword or keyword phrase, and hyperlink it to an internal page of significance. One look through this article and you’ll quickly understand how much effort goes into internal linking.

Optimize for external links. Especially if you’re in a news-related industry where content depends on exposure of possible advertisers. A simple followed link in the text can create a strong relationship with that prospective advertiser.

Just make sure all internal/external links flow with the theme of your article.

Many readers will stall if they click on a link about content creation like this one, and that link brings them to a page about the importance of collagen and fingernail growth. Yeah, it sounds disgusting and will kill your audience’s intent – the thing search engines prioritize for top results.

16. Before Publishing, Revise Yet Again

Can I stress revising enough?

Many of these latter SEO elements will occur when a story is uploaded – especially the internal linking, and most on-site SEO elements such as making headline tags actual headline tags, and optimizing the meta descritpions and URL structures.

But once all is done, it’s time for one more revision. And this happens within a live screen. A great CMS like WordPress will allow you to preview your post before publishing.

This is once again psychological, and you will point out mistakes in a preview that even the best editor couldn’t find on your Word document. It’s just part of the process. Stick to it.

Also, it’ll show you how the article flows (is there enough white space?) and allows you to review/check all internal SEO elements, such as optimized header tags and internal/external links (you don’t want any 404s ever!).

17. Final Step: Get Social Early & Often

Socialize it through every online means you have, with a focus on Twitter and Facebook.

Social networks like these two have more than proven their worth regardless of pressure from the financial analysis and luddites that ironically cover the streams of social feeds today.

It doesn’t matter; the conversation needs amplification, and social is the truest means there.

Embrace social. Grow social.

Amplify your brand across every social channel that makes sense.

Summary

Don’t overthink the most basic elements of content creation:

Searchers must find the content.

The content must engage.

For long-term success, one element can’t go on without the other. When correctly implemented, both combine to create the strongest digital content possible – the optimal solution for ROI.

And this ROI compounds because strong organic content gets stronger with each free click, whereas even the best PPC ad needs continuous investment for success.

The step-by-step tactics above are the proverbial roadmap for creating successful content in any business, regardless if it’s product or service based, or a news organization that thrives on quality traffic for advertising dollars.

Engaging and SEO-friendly content is proven; don’t skimp on it.