I was brought up in a cult from which I escaped shortly after starting my business. The mindset I was forced into, all my life growing up, didn’t keep me back from much — except public speaking. (Life in a cult, my escape, and how I grew a successful agency from nothing is all part of a memoir I started writing in 2017. It will be finished this year. Want to hear about it? Click here.)
I’ve turned down several organic invitations to speak on stage in the past, even though I have managed to get comfortable with video.
So, this one thing held me back — until last week.
I broke through one of the last and biggest barriers standing in my way.
Right before Christmas of last year, I decided to accept an invitation to speak as the guest of honor at Jessica Campos’ (Marketing for Greatness) mastermind luncheon right here in Austin, Texas on January 9th, 2019. It was a big moment for me. Just saying yes was something I never would have done in all my seven years of entrepreneurship. That “yes” was a defining moment.
Jessica is a genius marketer and a good friend of mine here in Austin that I respect a lot. I met her through her local networking events and her Facebook group for Austin entrepreneurs. Saying yes to her was a no-brainer. It made me feel more comfortable speaking at her venue because I already knew and liked her.
She let me pick the topic, and so I picked the one I love the most: profitable content.
I collected my 6-step framework to profitable content which I’ve developed 100% from scratch, after learning and implementing content marketing for the past seven years and finally getting to a place of success after a lot of trial and error. I’ve taught this framework online, by invitation, for Stukent and other publications. It’s also the base of the course and book I built across all of 2017.
Teaching my 6-step framework, live.
So I took my favorite topic ever — and one of the most original concepts I’ve ever developed — and turned it into a new session geared for entrepreneurs at a “starting point” level for Jessica’s lunch. When I got up to speak, not only did I feel 1000% comfortable with my topic, but I also found myself thoroughly enjoying sharing it to a live audience.
Jessica told me something that stuck: “I think webinars are harder. If you did that, you can speak live. The energy of a real, in-person audience around you helps a lot.” She was right!
[bctt tweet=”Read and watch @JuliaEMcCoy’s first-ever live talk given in Austin, Texas on how to build profitable #contentmarketing. ” username=”ExpWriters”]
I Gave My First Live Talk on Profitable Content in Austin, Texas. Here’s How It Went
If a picture speaks a thousand words, a video speaks a million words — right?
My talented friend and videographer, Joel Valle, recorded my session for my YouTube channel as I spoke.
Psst… I’d be honored if you would subscribe to my YouTube channel. (It will be worth your time: I’m committed to a weekly video every Monday featuring practical advice on a hot content topic in my #ContentMarketingMemos.)
3 Speaking Tips that WORKED for Me
If you’re thinking of approaching your first speaking gig, here are the speaking tips that worked for me the most. I thought this would be useful to add to today’s recap.
1. You Don’t Have to Be an Extrovert to Speak (In Fact, Being an Introvert or Writer Can Help You Deliver an Impactful Message)
First, despite all my fears, there was a small spark in my heart that told me I should try speaking. Each of my family members has spoken publicly or are comfortable with it. And by all — I mean all! My father, mother, aunt, uncle! The internal spark of desiring to speak grew when I listened internally, focused in on quiet time, meditated, and prayed.
I’ve also talked to many live speakers across the years, down to walking the floors of Content Marketing World in 2018 and finding the keynote speakers to ask them for their tips.
(Lee Odden told me at karaoke night that he’s spoken on more than 200 stages, is a MAJOR introvert, and is still nervous about it and doesn’t love speaking! Even though he kills it and is in demand! Ann Handley, the winner of the first Hero Award, CMI’s Hall of Fame Award, told me she’d paced her hotel room in solace all day, practicing the speech she was giving on stage that evening. And she’s also given so many speeches.)
Everything I was told convinced me of something. Being an introvert did not discount my chances of speaking. I was excited to learn that possibly, being an introvert could even equate to “awesome speaker.” Could it be?!
In a pre-Write Podcast conversation, Brian Fanzo told me a story about award-winning keynote speaker Scott Stratten. Brian looks up to Scott as a speaker so much, and Scott is a major introvert. Scott won’t go out for drinks with Brian after killing it on stage because he’d rather decompress in his hotel room.
Brian also told me something else: Because I’m a good writer, I possibly have an advantage over many other average speakers. I can easily create content that rocks, and he said that’s the struggle for many speakers. Chris Strub has also encouraged me to stop letting the “introvert” perspective limit me. He’s even included me on his list of 50 women speakers, which I was very honored about.
Over time, I’ve had countless people tell me that being an introvert shouldn’t hold me back.
[bctt tweet=”1. You Don’t Have to Be an Extrovert to Speak – In Fact, Being an Introvert or Writer Can Help You Deliver an Impactful Message and 2 other tips on #publicspeaking from @JuliaEMcCoy #contentmarketing ” username=”ExpWriters”]
2. Practice, Practice, Practice Makes a Perfect Presentation
Nadya Khoja, Head of Marketing at Venngage, gave me this tip. Before she gave her first presentation (and she’s killing it now on stage), she practiced her slides at home 50 times.
50 times!
I realized something while considering speaking. Everything I’ve done, from launching my agency, getting on Facebook Live, creating and launching my first course, writing emails that work, creating and publishing good blogs, you name it — all became better with practice.
And so I took Nadya’s tip to heart. I decided I’d practice at home till I knew this presentation better than myself.
I already knew the 6-step framework — for Pete’s sake, I’d developed it 100% from scratch — but for this presentation, I wanted to know in and out. Not that I memorized every word. And that’s important: I think a good presentation is natural, and memorizing every word would make it stuffy.
To keep the flow natural, I made sure I memorized only the concepts and the first few sentences. (Keith Shannon, college professor and speaker extraordinaire, gave me this tip: “Know your opener COLD.” I took that advice to heart.)
I gave this presentation at home so many times, here’s what happened.
My 4-year-old could say the first three sentences of my talk all by herself without prompting.
My husband got so tired of me giving him the speech that he started hating hearing it and would look over at me with a painful sigh when I started saying it again. (I expected that, though.)
I could whip out the first three sentences and the concepts anywhere on the spot, down to saying it randomly to a vet care tech as we took our pet in for shots. (I bet they probably thought I was the one needing medical care, at that point.)
3. Find Your Rhythm
This sums up several tips I was given that all worked. A few were:
Look at the back of the room, the floor, or your slides when losing breath or confidence. This will reset your brain and let you look back out at the audience confidently. Good tip!
Sweep your glances across the audience’s faces. My friend Dori gave me this tip, and it worked very well for me.
Look at just a few people that you have a personal connection with if you feel your confidence is going down.
I didn’t have to rely on these tips like a crutch since I didn’t really lose my pace at any point, but I did find them helpful. I would add:
Find your natural rhythm. This is different for everyone!
Don’t be afraid to take up space. Stretch your arms, your body. This is your time, and it’s your space. Be you!
Strike natural and comfortable poses. I found a comfortable pose and found my mind eased up with my pose. I leaned on the podium and kicked up my heels for Q&A time.
Practice diaphragmatic breathing. This helped me probably the most. I learned diaphragmatic breathing from my mother, who was a trained opera singer. I remembered her old tips. You want to activate the muscle between your stomach and chest. Your stomach should deflate when breathing out, and you should feel the strength in your voice if you do it right. This gives you all the breath you need! I found a tip on a blog from a speaking coach: 10, 10, 10. Breathe in for 10, filling up your stomach, then your chest: Hold for 10, and breathe out for 10. This will force you to start breathing right and you’ll use the right muscle when speaking. I started practicing this for weeks before my speech. By the time I went up to speak, I was in diaphragmatic breathing rhythm.
Believe, relax, and focus. Faith, prayer, and meditation were a big part of my preparation process. I tried to stay off social media and avoided too much noise and interruption as I focused in and got ready. That’s hard because I run an agency, but I made it happen.
[bctt tweet=”Terrified of speaking in public? Major introvert @JuliaEMcCoy just gave her first-ever live talk in Austin on profitable content, and it went well! This post is jam-packed full of #publicspeaking tips. ” username=”ExpWriters”]
Slides: Julia’s Mastermind Guest Session, the 6-Step Framework to Profitable Content (20-Minute Live Talk)
Don’t forget to grab your copy of my slides!
And, you already know — but I’d absolutely love to hear what you think of my first-ever speech in the comments!
And more and more brands are getting with the times: realizing that they need a strategic approach in order to succeed.
As the research reveals, the stronger your commitment to content marketing, the better the outlook for your success.
Take a look at some of CMI’s impressive and intriguing findings around content marketing in 2019.
95% of B2Cs are committed to content marketing on some level.
96% of the most successful B2C content marketers say audiences view their company as a trusted resource.
Educational content is the #2 content marketing method for B2Cs in nurturing their audience (first is email marketing).
The highest area for spending in content marketing in 2019 is content creation (56%).
63% of marketers said their organizations were “very” or “extremely” committed to content. Of the most committed, 40% said their companies were “very” or “extremely” successful. (That’s in comparison with the least committed marketers. Only 8% reported any great success.)
Those are some powerful takeaways, right? With these promising indicators, smart marketers and agencies should definitely increase their focus and commitment to content marketing – IT WORKS.
That’s not all, though. The report is jam-packed with juicy information and insightful statistics. That’s why we’ve rounded up the top trends and takeaways from this important research so you don’t have to comb through the whole thing.
Ready? Dive in and take some notes!
[bctt tweet=”According to the latest B2C survey from @CMIContent and @MarketingProfs, 96% of the most successful content marketers say audiences view their company as a trusted resource. More #b2c #contentmarketing trends in this recap by @JuliaEMcCoy” username=”ExpWriters”]
6 Top Takeaways and Trends from CMI’s B2C Content Marketing Research Report
These are the key trends that caught our eye:
1. More B2Cs Than Ever Are Committed to Content
According to the report, the majority of B2Cs are committed to content marketing on some level (a whopping 95%).
[bctt tweet=”The majority of B2Cs are committed to content marketing on some level (a whopping 95%). More on #contentmarketing trends via @JuliaEMcCoy’s recap of @cmicontent and @marketingprofs 2019 report” username=”ExpWriters”]
As we already mentioned, 63% of marketers fall on the end of the spectrum: They’re either extremely or very committed.
This should come as no surprise, but it’s still nice to hear. Content marketing is a proven strategy and can earn you or your clients major ROI if it’s done right.
2. Committed B2C Content Marketers Are More Likely to Hit Their Goals
The most committed content marketers are all-stars who reach their goals more often, according to CMI’s survey.
49% of the most committed say they get content marketing buy-in from top leaders in their organization.
Another 68% say they have successfully used content to build loyalty with their existing customers.
72% have successfully educated their audience over the last year.
Meanwhile, among the least committed to content marketing:
Only 16% get buy-in from top executives.
51% have built loyalty with customers.
53% have successfully educated their audiences.
From the statistics, it’s pretty clear that to reach your content goals, you need to dig in and commit, especially if you want buy-in from the higher-ups!
3. Investment in Content Marketing Is Growing
This next takeaway is in line with #1, above.
As more content marketers and agencies commit to content marketing, more of them see the worth of investing fully in this strategy.
As such, 57% of marketers foresee their content marketingbudgets increasing in the immediate future. Of that number, 29% expect to increase their budgets by more than 9%.
This is great news, because the more you commit your time and budget to content, the better chance it will have to pay off.
[bctt tweet=”More than half of #b2c marketers expect their #contentmarketing budget to increase in 2019, says @CMIContent and @MarketingProfs in their 2019 B2C Content Marketing Report. ” username=”ExpWriters”]
4. For Many Companies, Content Creation is #1
Content creation is one of the top investment categories, according to CMI’s report. Of those marketers who increased their budgets within the last year, 56% funneled those dollars toward content creation.
Other runner-up categories include paid content distribution, dedicated content marketing staff, technology for content marketing, and outsourcing content marketing.
This trend says a lot about what’s important to most marketers going forward.
It’s the audience.
Content creation investment means higher-quality content. Higher-quality means better writing, more audience research, more targeted topics, and a brand voice that always hits the mark.
And, don’t forget: Ongoing investment in high-quality content equals more consistency at every audience touchpoint. According to research from McKinsey & Company, that’s how you make customers happy across the entire buyer’s journey:
“…positive customer-experience emotions—encompassed in a feeling of trust—were the biggest drivers of satisfaction and loyalty in a majority of industries surveyed.”
In a nutshell, more investment in content creation = more high-quality, consistent content experiences for your audience = higher audience trust = more loyalty = more conversions/sales.
That adds up to a whole lot of awesomeness.
5. The Key for B2Cs in 2019? Loyalty
The next key point from the CMI research directly ties into the increased investment in content creation. More and more marketers (81%) are focusing on building loyalty with their existing audiences through their content.
Meanwhile, only 12% are not concerned with creating content that builds audience loyalty.
As a 2018 survey from Yotpo demonstrates, brand loyalty is a highly desirable outcome from content marketing.
When customers are loyal, they do a bunch of amazing things for you:
60% will recommend you to their friends and family
52.3% will join your loyalty program
Nearly 40% will spend more on your products versus opting for cheaper versions elsewhere
It’s no wonder smart B2C marketers and agencies are devoted to building their audience loyalty. That loyalty snowballs, building on itself without any pushing or prodding.
[bctt tweet=”More and more marketers (81%) are focusing on building loyalty with their existing audiences through their content, says @CMIContent and @MarketingProfs. This and more #b2c #contentmarketing takeaways in this new post by @JuliaEMcCoy. ” username=”ExpWriters”]
6. The Longer B2Cs Use Content Marketing, the Higher They Fly to Success
Our final takeaway from CMI’s 2019 B2C research report is an interesting stat that shows how far a steady commitment to content can take you.
The longer an organization uses content marketing, the more likely they are to see success. Overall, 31% of B2Cs rate their marketing as mature and finding those positive gains. That’s compared to 27% of “adolescent” stage B2Cs and 26% of those at the “young” stage.
As the graph shows, the further your organization moves down the road toward content marketing maturity, the more likely it will perform better.
These statistics make perfect sense because they reflect common sense – in general, the longer you practice any activity, the better you become.
That means B2Cs and marketers who want to throw in the towel should stop short and ask themselves a huge question:
What is your marketing maturity level? Are you just starting out, or are you experiencing growing pains?
If you can answer “yes” to either, hang in there. Statistics show that your marketing game will improve with age.
[bctt tweet=”Statistics show that your marketing game will improve with age. More on @cmicontent and @marketingprofs 2019 B2B content marketing benchmarks via @JuliaEMcCoy ” username=”ExpWriters”]
Cheers to 2019 with the Industry Headed Towards Better Content Marketing
This research is a gold mine for marketers and agencies who want to level up in content marketing.
As you can see, the trends point to better returns for those who commit themselves to content and stick with it for the long haul. Additionally, those who prioritize their audiences and building audience loyalty are more likely to come out ahead.
Here’s to a great 2019, marketers!
You should double down on content creation in particular because the quality of this activity will greatly influence audience loyalty. The better you speak to your people, the more you’ll build that community around your brand.
What do you think of these research findings? Is there anything that surprised you, or anything that will influence your own marketing going forward? Let us know in the comments!
I’m super excited to share the news that my intensive SEO writing course, The Expert SEO Content Writer, is officially open as of today, December 21, 2018, with a special Christmas offer!
Back in September, we successfully tested the course with an epic beta launch. 101 students enrolled. My original goal for the September beta launch was 100. (For my courses, I don’t do free beta launches — I want my testers to have ‘skin in the game,’ and give me honest feedback. Free usually lowers someone’s expectation: but if they pay for it, they’re expecting good stuff.)
After talking to and listening to my beta students, I did some curriculum tweaks and added a new lesson to answer one more big, burning question. Today, I’m uber-101%-confident in offering my SEO writing course as an evergreen training course to the public.
Today’s blog about the relaunch is a FAQ of sorts. Inside, you’ll be able to pick my brain on the course reopening. Plus, a sneak peek at the current Christmas offer where I’m giving away a few special gifts to Christmas & New Year enrollees, the story of beta launch, what’s changed for today’s evergreen re-opening, why I don’t do open/close launches, who’s a good fit vs. not a good fit for the course, and more. Ready?
[bctt tweet=”Check out the story of @JuliaEMcCoy’s new evergreen training program, The Expert SEO Content Writing Course! #course #seowriting ” username=”ExpWriters”]
How the Idea For The SEO Writing Course Was Born
This subject I’m teaching in my new course — SEO writing — is one of my favorite subjects.
I’ve practiced the art of writing search engine optimized copy ever since 2011, when I was a fledgling, brand-new freelance writer.
Here’s the thing: I’ve always loved to write. SEO writing, however, was a disciplined skill that I had to teach myself. And I learned a lot of what works the hard way — by trying, testing, failing, trying and testing again to finally learn how to create SEO content that has ranked for over 18,000 keywords organically in Google and shot expresswriters.com to the top of search. See the story behind our rankings here.
Current rankings for our site: 18,400+ keywords in Google. 100% organic SEO content.
This August of 2018 when I got the “lightbulb moment” to create my SEO writing course, it was a no-brainer. I worked hard to build an intensive but short curriculum, designed for busy professionals who only have a week or less to spare to devote to SEO writing skills and training.
For me, growing my SEO writing skills back in the day was just one of many hats I had to wear, along with marketing my business and running my team. So I focused on providing a zero-fluff, actionable curriculum that could be digested and learned in one week, or 5-6 hours tops. (You’re welcome.)
Read the full story of how I developed the course below:
This blog post contains the full story of how I built The Expert SEO Content Writer Course from scratch.
The Story of Beta Launch for The Expert SEO Writer Course
After launching the finished course curriculum for a beta run in September, we had 101 students total enroll during my 10-day open period.
By mid-November, many of my beta students had successfully gotten through the curriculum.
I heard happy things from so many beta students. Did you see the student testimonials we added to the relaunched SEO writing course home page? Holy success stories, Batman!
While I appreciate each and every one of my beta students, I think one of my favorite stories comes from graduate student Monique. SEO content works, and she has hit the ROI jackpot! It makes my day to hear success stories like this.
Who’s A Good Fit & Who’s NOT A Good Fit for The Expert SEO Content Writer Course
I’ve had a few people ask me “what makes a great student for your new course?”
Great question.
This course is designed for online writers and marketers at all levels and stages — especially if:
You want to add “SEO writing” to your skills and expertise. This is the course for you, no matter where you’re starting from!You can be a total newbie or a seasoned writer interested in upgrading your skills or a writer struggling to create content that gets results in search engines. No matter where you’re starting from, this course will take you where you want to go in the world of SEO writing.
You’re a busy bee. It’s designed as a fast-paced, intensive, one-week program. It’s been built by someone who commonly wears five hats (CEO, content marketer, author, mommy, wife) on any given day, who can relate to your busy schedule! Structured for busy entrepreneurs, freelancers, and agency staff. You’ll be able to get through it easily inside a week or less.
Who is The Expert SEO Content Writer Course NOT For?
This program isn’t for “get rich quick” wishful thinkers. If you enroll in this course hoping to make a million dollars within a year, this program probably isn’t for you. You need to put in the work, fill out the templates, download and use the worksheets, and watch the videos carefully to see real results in your SEO content skills. Additionally, if you write for fun, but don’t care about earning income or growing a brand through your writing, this course probably isn’t the best fit for you, either. Sorry.
If you have no interest in learning SEO writing (at all), stop right now. Don’t take this course.
The best students are invested students. And real investment comes first of all from passion for and interest in the subject. My initiative-takers, my most successful students, are those that enjoy online writing.
SEO, keyword research and content optimization, all of which I teach in the course alongside SEO writing, is like a scavenger hunt. It takes interest and a perspective of “this is fun” to get the most out of it. In other words, if you’re a nerd, you’re a great fit. ?
Why I Launch Evergreen Courses & Not Open/Close Launches
Someone recently asked me on Instagram, “Why don’t you close your course and reopen every year?”
Good question.
I thought I’d wrap up today’s announcement by sharing a few of my thoughts here.
It may be going against the grain a bit, although there are many other evergreen course creators out there, but I don’t do open and closed launches outside of beta launches.
Here’s why.
I build products and services that:
a) meet a real need in the market
b) can offer a solution to a wide amount of people in that specific market
c) will last and add value over time
I do hold open and closed beta launches to ensure I have a successful product (over 100 students have tested this course and said it is amazing!).
But in the long run, I build evergreen offerings.
To put it simply, I believe that evergreen products serve market needs best.
If you know me by now, you also know I’m not just about getting more sales. I’m about adding real value that complements a real need. And our customers’ journeys.
Why close a service if it adds a long-term solution to a market need, and if I’ve tested it and made 101% sure that it’s a product or service that will truly solve the end user’s need?
[bctt tweet=”Why @JuliaEMcCoy doesn’t keep doing launches: ‘I’m not just about getting more sales from a product or service, I’m about adding real value that complements a real need.’ More on the story of the SEO Writing Course ” username=”ExpWriters”]
And here’s one more note on this point.
Even though I launch evergreen offerings, I’m not (at all) a launch-it-and-forget-about-it entrepreneur.
I refine and improve every single service and product I’ve created, as time goes on. I listen to the feedback of my users, my customers, and we re-engineer if needed to meet their needs.
This is also how I’ve successfully ran and operated Express Writers. We never “close and re-open” our writing services. Ever since I opened Express Writers in 2011 and hustled for my first clients, our sales and client lists have been growing yearly from consistent progress in the industry, refining our services, and growing and improving our systems. Each year gets better and bigger. I believe if I’d been doing closed launches, we’d never be near the growth we have today going into our eighth year of business.
I believe in evergreen services and products all the way…with consistent refinement, growth and tuning along the way!
Here’s a Peek at What We’re Giving Away: The Expert SEO Content Writer Course, Christmas Edition
Just to give you a quick view at the relaunch Christmas giveaway we’re doing, here’s the offer I’m giving away with the course (total value over $690).
You get ALL of this when you enroll today for $279.
The Expert SEO Content Writer Course: A Complete Course in Content in Just One Week. Freelancer, solopreneur, agency — you’re a busy person. That’s why I’ve distilled 7+ years of proven content writing strategies into a step-by-step system that will have you outpacing the competition on Google in just one week— no fluff, no filler.
The Only Industry Certification as an Expert SEO Content Writer. Our course is for professionals who are serious about their content careers. If you want to learn strategic copywriting techniques, advanced tools for high-ranking content, and the step-by-step formula for content success, this is for you. With the Expert SEO Content Writer Course, you’ll be able to earn official certification after you finish the course and show off your skills as a qualified SEO writer.
Exclusive Student Group to Get Coaching and Questions Answered. We know that networking and bouncing ideas off peers is critical to growth and success. The Expert SEO Content Writer Course has a private Facebook student community so you can connect with over myself and more than 75 like-minded peers for support, coaching, and encouragement.
Christmas Bonus #1: My two bestselling books, So You Think You Can Write? and Practical Content Strategy and Marketing are included in the Christmas bundle to increase your industry knowledge and give you even more tools to fine-tune your content for incredible results. You’ll receive FREE, full-length digital copies of both books, immediately available. Worth $50
Christmas Bonus #2: My complete content template library — get templates for long-form blogs, lead magnets, web pages, strong infographic copy, and even video scripts to NAIL your FB Lives or YouTube. Completely original (you won’t find these anywhere else, I’ve only used them to train my writing team) and customizable – yours to enjoy! Worth $150+
Christmas Bonus #3: Student-only partner discount codes — deep discounts on my favorite tools to help your content rank higher, including SEMrush, BuzzSumo, CoSchedule, and more! Worth $300
Christmas Bonus #4: My biggest discount EVER: $249 off a seat in my Content Strategy and Marketing Course! Combined with The Expert SEO Writer Course, this opportunity will skyrocket your results — and revenue — for the happiest New Year ever! Worth $249
May Your Holidays Be Merry and Bright…And Your SEO Content Right!
Imagine what you could do with powerful SEO content?
For us, we’ve seen sales from brand new leads at $5,000+. These leads found us through ONE optimized blog post.
SEO content is a powerful tool to boost your brand online.
If you wear a lot of hats, and “online writing” is one of them — or if you want to give your office the gift of profitable SEO writing skills this holiday, this course is perfect for you.
See you on the flip side!
– Julia
Tomorrow, we’re closing our laptops, putting away our content strategies, and hitting “pause” on our editorial calendars.
It’s a good time to reflect on the year and look at everything we’ve accomplished – not to mention recommit to the stuff that’s still on our goal lists.
With that spirit in mind, we’ve come up with a little poem that’s one-part reality and one-part reminder, with a big wink thrown in for good measure.
Did you know Google came out with yet another core update in August 2018?
It happened during the first week of the final month of summer.
As you can surmise from the name, SEOers (especially Barry Schwartz of SEO Roundtable) believe this update mainly affected content in the health, medical, and wellness industries.
That said, sites in other industries took a rankings hit, too.
That makes sense because Google’s core updates are global (meaning they affect all pages across the internet, no matter the industry affiliation).
So, what could the Google Medic update possibly mean for your website, content, and rankings?
Does it mean anything at all?
Let’s find out.
[bctt tweet=”#Google rolled out the Medic Update in August 2018. @JuliaEMcCoy gives us the lowdown on this core update and what it means for marketers. #SEO” username=”ExpWriters”]
How Does the Google Medic Update Affect Marketers?
Google officially announced the Medic update via Twitter on August 2nd:
This week we released a broad core algorithm update, as we do several times per year. Our guidance about such updates remains the same as in March, as we covered here: https://t.co/uPlEdSLHoX
The main key to remember here is this was a “broad core algorithm update,” as Google terms it.
According to Google, that means:
It’s routine – they do these types of updates several times per year.
It affects websites and web pages internet-wide.
Most importantly, though:
Google says sites and pages that take a ranking hit because of updates like these have nothing wrong with them!
How do I know?
Because in the above tweet announcing the Medic update, they reference the March 12, 2018 guidelines. These specifically state that: “There’s nothing wrong with pages that may now perform less well.”
In other words, if you saw a rankings shuffle because of this update, it’s not because you’re doing anything wrong. Instead, it’s because other pages better than your content in the first place are now being ranked correctly.
So, now that you understand it’s not you, it’s them…
What should you do about it?
What to Do Now: 5 Ways to Continue to Rank Well in Google Search
There’s no question about what to do now.
Google already laid it out for us.
We understand those who do less well after a core update change may still feel they need to do something. We suggest focusing on ensuring you’re offering the best content you can. That’s what our algorithms seek to reward….
According to Google, there was/is no “fix” if your site rankings dropped because of this update (or any other “broad core algorithm update”).
Instead, they continually advise marketers and SEOers to keep focusing on great content.
There’s no “fix” for pages that may perform less well other than to remain focused on building great content. Over time, it may be that your content may rise relative to other pages.
Of course, to create great content, you must continue to play by Google’s rules.
What is “great content” as Google sees it?
That’s the question you must continually ask yourself. And then, you must fulfill it.
Hint: The Google Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines give us a good idea of what the search engine looks for in great content. These guidelines recently got an update of their own – check out our analysis where we cover the most important points.
2. Win Your Readers’ and Customers’ Trust
Another facet of great content:
It effortlessly wins your readers’ and customers’ trust.
Great content seeks to help, entertain, inform, or guide the reader FIRST
Great content is factually accurate, and claims are backed with proof
Great content benefits the reader
What all this means is if you focus on producing great content, you will naturally win your audience’s trust as a byproduct. You won’t have to bend over backwards to do it, either.
3. Avoid Bad UX
If your website and its pages make users want to tear out their eyeballs, or if your site is so cluttered with intrusive ads it’s hard to use, the quality of your content won’t matter.
A bad UX (user experience) makes the presence of great content a moot point. It might as well not exist if it’s hard to read, confusing to navigate, or inaccessible.
[bctt tweet=”Google rolled out another update in August 2018: the Medic update. Does it mean anything at all for your website? Let’s find out in this new blog post by @JuliaEMcCoy.” username=”ExpWriters”]
4. Don’t Take Shortcuts
If you believe you can game Google and get away with it, you’re reading the wrong blog.
Instead of helping your rankings, SEO shortcuts are the quickest route to getting dumped onto page 5.
“The problem with SEO tricks is that they’re about getting a site to the top of the SERPs regardless of whether it deserves to be there. That’s the kind of trick that search engines have a vested interest in continuing to combat, which leads to algorithmic updates like Penguin.
Over-reliance on SEO tricks is what causes your rankings and traffic to be completely wiped out overnight by these updates.
Without a foundation of quality SEO in place, you’re going to spend a lot of your time fixing stuff and doing stuff over every time the search engines catch on to your latest trick.”
Shortcuts are the reason many sites’ rankings get knocked down overnight.
Even if they appear to work at the outset, they WILL come back to bite you. You can count on that the next time Google rolls out a broad, global update.
Just say no.
5. Create the Right Kinds of Content
In a recent marketing email from Brian Dean, he revealed that he always smiles when he sees Google announce an update.
Why a smile and not a cringe?
As he says, “My traffic almost always goes UP after Google rolls out an update. And this update was no exception. My organic traffic is up 25.2% compared to pre-Medic.”
He goes on to explain that there’s a better way to do SEO that works both short-term and long-term, a way that makes those updates your friends instead of your enemies. In particular, Brian emphasizes creating the right types of content.
Know your audience. If you’re not talking to the people who could easily become your followers, customers, and loyal fans, your content will never work.
Know your expertise. What makes you an industry expert? What knowledge do you have to share? Lean on that for your content topic area.
Know your content differentiation factor. What will make your content stand out in your industry? How can you help your audience better than anyone else to solve a unique problem?
Use the right keywords. These spring from your unique topic area and expertise, but they also map to your buyers and the information they’re searching for to solve their problems.
As you can see, the right types of content are not the same for everyone. Each brand out there has a different audience to please, and each audience has their own set of problems.
Before you can create the right content for YOUR audience, you need to do the upfront legwork and research, first.
However, if you can create the right content, you will more easily create great content. Win-win.
Moving Forward After Google’s Latest Algorithm Update
You can bet your bottom dollar that algorithmic updates will continue to roll out over time. It is the nature of the Google beast.
Instead of trying to trick Google into thinking you’re #1, focus on being #1 for your readers.
Benefit them. Earn their trust. Be useful. Produce great content for them.
This is how you roll with the punches of Google’s various updates. That way, when the next one comes around, you’ll actually gain rather than lose.
