Every brand has at least one unique “thing” that sets them apart.
The “it” factor.
If you’re involved in building your own brand or a business, you absolutely need to make sure you’ve identified that “one thing” that individualizes your message and your content.
That factor that differentiates you from your competitors. The one essential element everybody else is missing.
Without it, you’ll risk blending into the masses.
You’ll turn into another blip in the content sea. Seen and heard today, forgotten tomorrow. A scary, but true, reality.
So, my question for you today is:
What is your content differentiation factor in your industry?
First, let’s define.
What do I mean by “content differentiation factor?”
Your content differentiation factor (or CDF) is that one, unique thing – the it-factor – that separates you from the billions of other content pages on the web.
It’s the angle you present that provides a slightly different, new spin on topics your readers have seen before.
Joe Pulizzi of CMI calls this your pivot in the industry – more specifically, your content tilt. Joe talks about this concept in his book, Content Inc., which I highly recommend reading. He says:
When you have a solid differentiator, you stand out in a great way. Your voice rises to the top and gets heard. People want to hear what you have to say because it’s unique, useful, and valuable.
It’s how you not only reach your audience but reach them powerfully.
For today’s topic, let’s start by looking at a few perfect examples of brands that have it and use it to their advantage, and then get into how to find YOUR content differentiation factor.
Two Examples of Brands Killing It With a Solid Content Differentiation Factor (CDF)
Here are two amazing brands that are doing a killer job at using a CDF that aligns them with their audience.
1. Society6
First up, a brand with a solid CDF that perfectly caters to their audience – Society6.
This is essentially a printing service where you can get custom-designed items such as wall art, mugs, notebooks, t-shirts, phone cases, and even bedding, shower curtains, and furniture.
The differentiator which sets Society6 apart from similar printing services is the artist community that serves as their foundation.
Instead of offering pre-designed patterns and templates, Society6 sources designs from independent artists all over the world who receive a cut of the profits.
Their content ties into their CDF perfectly. They regularly feature original pieces from artists selling designs on Society6.
They also have a blog with more artist features, tips for creatives selling their designs on the platform, and home décor tips using their custom-printed goods.
Finally, Society6’s huge following and high content engagement speak to how well tapping into their content differentiation factor has played out. On Instagram alone, they have over half a million followers, and each post averages thousands of likes and comments.
Society6’s unique artists are their greatest asset, and they use this CDF to reach out to both consumers who want to support small businesses as well as creators looking to support themselves with their art.
[bctt tweet=”How are you differentiating yourself from others in your niche? What makes you stand out? @JuliaEMcCoy’s guide talks about content differentiation factor, plus examples, and how to do it. #contentmarketing #cdf ” username=”ExpWriters”]
2. Taste of Home
Another brand nailing their content differentiation factor: Taste of Home.
Originally a magazine dedicated to showcasing favorite recipes from home cooks, Taste of Home now has an online presence chock-full of content catered to their readers.
For example, their website serves as an extension of their printed compilations of reader-submitted recipes. However, what sets the brand apart is the fact that only the best of the best get featured because each is tested by the Taste of Home kitchen beforehand. Every recipe comes with tips, anecdotes, or secrets from the cook who submitted it.
Taste of Home leans into their CDF online and carries over the main mission from their print magazine: “foster[ing] a strong and loyal sense of community among like-minded home cooks of all ages.”
Along with user-submitted recipes and food-related blog posts, Taste of Home also populates their social media feeds with eye-catching video content.
Finally, their engaged community speaks to how well Taste of Home has used their CDF to their advantage. They essentially tap into the heart and warmth of home cooking.
How to Find Your Content Differentiation Factor (and Why It’s Different from Your Unique Selling Proposition)
It’s easy to mistake your content differentiation factor for your unique selling proposition, and vice-versa.
[bctt tweet=”Your unique selling proposition is NOT the same as your content differentiation factor. What makes you stand out in your industry? ” username=”ExpWriters”]
But, remember: They’re not one and the same.
Your unique selling proposition (USP) is the factor that makes your products or services better or more valuable than your competitors.
Your content differentiation factor is the unique angle you present as a brand/business. It’s how you approach industry topics and write about them from your individual perspective.
In short, your CDF is more akin to your motto, your mission, or your mantra. It’s how you approach connecting to your audience. To do it, you need to present them with an angle they haven’t seen before: your angle.
Here’s how to find it:
1. Don’t Over-Focus on Your Products/Services
This great blog from Jay Baer represents the pitfalls of what can happen when brands only focus on their USP, or on what their products/services do.
The key mistake, as Jay says, is when brands forget to be unique and only focus on the selling proposition:
“When marketers lean on unique selling propositions (USPs), they position their products as effective – but forgettable – solutions.”
Sure, your product is good and effective… but so what? Why should your audience care?
In contrast, your content differentiation factor is the thing that makes you memorable. It gives your audience a reason to listen to you because it’s about how you help them differently than the other guys.
How you help them differently – that’s key.
2. Consider Your Audience
You can’t stop at uniqueness for your CDF. It’s not enough to try to be different in your industry. Why?
Different doesn’t necessarily equal better. It doesn’t always represent a better choice for the customer.
Instead, frame your CDF in light of who you’re helping, what they need from you, and how you fulfill that.
To reference one of our above examples, Society6 does this by honing in on their artist community. Their mission is to empower independent artists and give them a platform for their work.
Aligning your CDF with your customers and readers is a great way to make sure it’s effective.
3. Ask Yourself How You Help Them BETTER
Maybe you help your audience in a very similar way to your competitors. If that’s the case, ask yourself:
How do you help them BETTER?
What unique angle of their problem do you solve?
What makes that angle possible?
Where does your industry expertise come from?
What piece of your background helps you help them?
4. Think About the Benefits
Again, stay audience-focused when coming up with your content differentiation factor. What benefits do you offer them when they interact with your brand, read your content, and buy your products/services?
It doesn’t have to be complicated, either.
5. Remember Your WHY
Finally, it always helps to think back to your original “why” – why you got into your business or industry in the first place.
What do you hope to do for your customers that no one else can?
How do you want to change the world?
What positive impact do you want to have on customers in your industry?
Discover Your Content Differentiation Factor and Get Heard for Profitable Results
It’s hard to stand out online.
That’s not to say it’s impossible. With your CDF firmly in hand, you’ll be well on your way to positioning yourself advantageously online. That way, your content will get read and shared by the right people, and your brand/business can continue to grow.
Just remember that it starts and ends with your audience, and how you impact their lives for the better.
Now get out there and differentiate yourself! And if you need some help with your homepage copy, content differentiation factor homepage slogan, or the blog you’re struggling to produce every week, we can help. Send us a quick line here.
As the final months of 2018 loom ahead, it’s time to start thinking about our strategies for next year.
It’s that time of year to already start asking our marketing selves…
How can we begin 2019 with a pop, sizzle, or a bang?
Better yet, what can we do right now to ensure we get nothing but positively sparkling results (like the fizz in champagne) as we think about a new calendar year? Achieve the ROI we’ve been looking for? Make sure our online content hits the mark?
How about finally earn more killer organic Top Three spots in Google we’ve been hankering for, for months?
Today, I’m sharing with you five key SEO trends for 2019 that I think will be big.
In fact, I think they’ll play a major role in content ranking success (or failure). Follow along and let’s see what tactics, strategies, and more will help you have a banner year, including SEO tips from today that are still relevant.
[bctt tweet=”1. Be Mobile-Ready for Mobile-First Indexing 2. Featured Snippets Rankings Will Go Up in Value …these & 3 other top #SEO #trends for 2019 by @JuliaEMcCoy” username=”ExpWriters”]
5 Must-Do SEO Trends for 2019 to Follow Today
Unsurprisingly, SEO trends in 2019 are all about keeping up with technology, staying on top of Google’s latest developments, and reinforcing your commitment to content. Let’s get right to it.
1. Be Mobile-Ready for Mobile-First Indexing
Our first trend is one that’s continuing from recent SEO trends in 2018.
Back on March 26, 2018, Google announced they were rolling out mobile-first indexing on their Webmaster Central Blog.
Previously, Google web crawlers looked at the desktop version of your pages and content to populate the SERPs. However, with the switch to mobile-first, this means that Google will be looking at the mobile version of your pages for indexing and ranking.
So, what if you don’t have a mobile version of your website? (Oh, the horror.)
What happens?
Google will still look at your desktop site version to rank your pages.
HOWEVER:
Your pages probably won’t display properly for users on mobile devices (or they’ll be difficult to navigate, read, and use).
THUS:
Your page rankings will most likely suffer (if they haven’t already).
In other words, why haven’t you updated your website for mobile browsing yet?
[bctt tweet=”Top #SEO trends for 2019? @JuliaEMcCoy got you covered in this information-packed, ROI-focused blog. #contentmarketing ” username=”ExpWriters”]
To be as mobile-friendly as possible for all shapes, sizes, and types of devices, Google first and foremost recommends using responsive design.
However, if you have two versions of your website (a desktop version and a mobile version), the search engine has some best practices you can follow for good results (via the Google Developers guide):
These best practices include:
Making sure your mobile and desktop sites have exactly the same primary content
Including metadata like titles and descriptions on both site versions
For best results, ensure you have all of the above items checked for your site. What worked for technical SEO in 2018 will roll over to 2019.
Lastly, consider updating your site design so it’s responsive – it’s a better practice for the overall mobile user experience (UX).
2. Featured Snippets Rankings Will Go Up in Value
Overwhelmingly, featured snippets are taking over the top spot in Google rankings for lots of keywords.
This is a big deal – users see these results at the top of the page, where the #1 ranked piece of content used to appear. In other words, that prime real estate is no longer guaranteed. Many marketers are thus calling this highly desirable snippet spot “position zero.”
Naturally, you should want key pieces of your content to shoot to top placements in featured snippets – but how?
A. Create Content that Ranks on Page 1
Before you can even think about getting your content in featured snippets, first, you need it to rank on its own.
In particular, the majority (90.1% of featured snippets) tend to get pulled from content pieces that rank in the top 5 positions.
It’s all about choosing the right keywords, writing great content for your audience, and providing value. (See trend #4).
B. Focus on Answers to Questions
According to a SEMrush/Ghergich & Co. study of 6.9 million featured snippets and 80 million keywords, only around 7%of generic keywords include featured snippets in the results.
In comparison, 41.59% of keywords with questions include featured snippets in the results – a 480% increase!
In particular, question keywords almost always include paragraph featured snippets. These types of snippets include a chunk of text that answers the question the user searched for (according to the study, these average out to about 46-84 words in length with a maximum of 370 characters).
You can thus earn your ranking content a featured snippet by framing short, succinct paragraphs of text as authoritative answers.
For example, when I type the question/keyword “how many counties are in Iowa” into Google, the results show this featured snippet that directly answers that question AND provides supporting details:
Question/keyword: How many counties are in Iowa?
Answer/featured snippet: “There are 99 counties in the U.S. state of Iowa.”
C. Use Numbered and Bulleted Lists, Especially for Subheaders
To get your content in list-style featured snippets, always make sure you use properly formatted subheaders (H2s and H3s) to break up and organize your text.
Google often uses subheader information to populate list-style snippets, like this result for “what countries are the Disney princesses from”:
3. Create the Highest-Quality Content
In August 2018, Google confirmed a major core algorithmic update that took a full week to roll out.
According to SEOers like Barry Schwartz and Glen Gabe, this update was all about quality. It particularly affected sites that had low E-A-T (expertise, authoritativeness, trustworthiness).
Barry Schwartz studied over 300 affected sites and found that 41.5% of those belonged in the health, medical, wellness, and fitness industries. He nicknamed it the “medic” update as a result.
Why were these sites hit hard?
Most health pages belong in the YMYL category – pages that Google says can affect the health, income, happiness, or financial stability of users. Low-quality content on these pages can directly impact people’s lives.
With this update, Google underlined their commitment to serving users the highest-quality content. If you’re not creating the best of the best, you will miss the mark and end up on page 3, 4, 5… or worse.
[bctt tweet=”Featured snippets will dominate #SEO in 2019. @JuliaEMcCoy explains how content gets to star in Google’s featured snippets in this information-packed blog post. #contentmarketing ” username=”ExpWriters”]
4. Keep Voice Search on Your Radar
Another SEO tactic for 2018 that we need to keep on our radar for 2019 is voice search optimization.
As voice search technology improves and becomes more accessible, it will become even more common.
According to Stone Temple’s most recent voice usage trends survey, more people than ever are comfortable using voice commands and voice search on their mobile devices.
And, a study Google commissioned found that 55% of teens and 41% of adults use voice search multiple times a day, every day.
It’s pretty safe to assume these numbers will continue to go up as time goes on, too.
To stay ahead of the game, optimize your content for voice search where it makes sense.
A. Optimize for Local Search
Most voice searches are local. According to Bright Local’s Voice Search for Local Business Study, 46% of those who search via voice are looking for local businesses on a daily basis.
If it makes sense for your brand, use geo-targeted keywords, build up your positive customer reviews, and make sure your NAP (name, address, phone number) are consistent across all of your online business listings.
B. Use FAQ Pages
To rank for questions as well as answers, create high-quality FAQ pages to compile the most common ones you encounter regularly.
C. Make Sure You’re Mobile-Friendly
Finally, to rank for voice search queries, you have to make sure your pages are mobile-friendly. Google will not pull voice search answers from sites lacking in this area!
5. Improve Your UX (and Understand RankBrain) – a MAJOR SEO Trend for 2019
One of the major SEO trends for 2019 is the emphasis on RankBrain. This is the part of Google’s core algorithm that uses machine-learning to serve users better search results based on their search intent.
(Back in 2015, in an interview with Bloomberg, Google revealed that RankBrain is their third most important ranking signal.)
RankBrain helps the algorithm interpret complex, long-tail search queries and the intent behind them. It can “see patterns between seemingly unconnected complex searches to understand how they’re actually similar to each other.” Additionally, it can “understand future complex searches and whether they’re related to particular topics.”
In other words, it’s smart, and the more data it collects, the smarter it gets about user search intent.
Specifically, RankBrain looks at the context of user searches.
What are synonyms/related terms for the original search query, and which pages containing these synonyms have relevant information for the user’s search intent?
To figure out if the algorithm returns good search results, it looks at how users respond to them:
Which user actions indicate the search results satisfy them?
Low bounce rates (users are staying on the page after clicking the link in the SERP)
Longer dwell times (users are staying to read more than the first few paragraphs)
Higher click-through rates (more users are clicking on results in the SERP)
Which actions indicate the search is unsatisfying or the results are not what the user had in mind?
High bounce rates (users are bouncing back to the SERP after clicking on results)
Low dwell times (users aren’t staying on pages to read past the headline or introduction)
Low click-through rates (users aren’t clicking on results)
To simplify it further, let’s borrow a good comparison from Backlinko’s detailed RankBrain guide.
Before RankBrain, Google looked at instances of keywords on a page with zero context. It guessed at whether the results it returned were in the realm of what you meant:
After RankBrain, Google knows what you mean when you enter search queries that could have more than one meaning. It gets your intent behind the search:
Understanding RankBrain is one thing. Using that knowledge to your advantage is another. The savviest content marketers will be on top of this for their SEO strategy for 2019.
A. Optimize Your Metas and Headline to Be More Enticing
Since RankBrain looks at the actions and context surrounding a search, use that to help boost your rankings.
For example, what can you do to increase click-throughs on your search engine listings? Pay attention to your meta titles (your H1/main headers) and your meta descriptions for each page. If they’re descriptive and enticing, you may pull in more clicks, which can equal votes for your content in the SERPs.
[bctt tweet=”Understanding RankBrain is one thing. Using that knowledge to your advantage is another. This and more #SEO insights as @JuliaEMcCoy talks about the top 5 SEO trends for 2019. #contentmarketing
” username=”ExpWriters”]
B. Pay Attention to Page Usability
Once users click on your result in a search, you want them to stay on the page. One way to do that is to improve your page usability. In other words, make it as easy to use as possible.
To learn more about usability, user experience, and how to make it better, the resource Usability.gov is a great starting point.
Guide Your SEO from 2018 to 2019 – and Beyond
SEO trends are constantly changing, so it’s important to stay updated – and stay relevant.
In 2019, some SEO trends will roll-over from 2018, but others are based on the future of technology and Google’s recent updates.
Keep ahead of the curve and update your 2018 SEO strategies so you’re ready to face 2019 with a bang!
“I blog all the time and I’m not seeing any traffic — why bother?”
Okay, there’s a lot wrong with that sentence.
First of all, define “all the time.”
Does that mean every few months, every month, weekly, daily — hourly?
The fact is — and you can quote me on this — the truth about how long it takes to get noticed in your content marketing… hurts.
The Painful Truth About Content Marketing ROI — and Why You Should Grin and Bear It Anyway
The honest-to-goodness truth about content marketing ROI is you’re not going to see content success the moment you press the launch button on your website and post your first blog.
In fact, you’re not going to see success with your content in the first month — and maybe not even in the first year, depending on your post frequency (and the quality of your content, of course).
Nope.
If you’re looking for a significant return on investment (ROI), then you NEED to be in it for the long haul.
In fact, this study from HubSpot outlines the magic number quite clearly — it’s around 400.
After approximately 400 blog posts, HubSpot’s statistics showed that traffic just about doubles.
For the savvy content marketer, that means you need to be prepared to deliver consistent, long-form content to drive the results you desire.
[bctt tweet=”Publishing content consistently but not seeing any positive results? @JuliaEMcCoy discusses the truth about short-term vs. long-term success in #contentmarketing in this blog post #contentroi ” username=”ExpWriters”]
And when I say consistent, I mean you have to have an editorial calendar and stick to it.
No ping-ponging around with posts — posting twice a week one week, skipping a week, then posting again.
And yet, visitors want reliable, consistent, frequent updates — that’s what drives traffic. So, if you want the traffic, you’ll need to buckle down and find a schedule you can adhere to.
Now, back to posting frequency. To get that traffic revving, you’ll need to not only be consistent — but frequent — with your posts.
It’s a proven fact that companies that posted 16 or more pieces of content per month had 4.5 times more leads than those who posted 0-4 times.
[bctt tweet=”Companies that post 16 or more pieces of content monthly have 4.5x more leads than those who publish 0-4x/month. @Hubspot ” username=”ExpWriters”]
And that just makes sense, since all that posting means these businesses are providing their sites with four times the indexing and backlinking opportunities.
You just need to be sure that all those posts are contributing high-quality content in order to keep visitors — and Google — happy.
That means that even posting once a week, which many bloggers do, is likely to keep you in the realm of blogging hobbyists who don’t expect high traffic.
So once you’ve decided you’re serious about moving forward with your content marketing, you’ll need to determine your goals.
Want the maximum traffic? Consider publishing 4 posts a week, which will bring you up into that high-traffic-driving stratosphere.
Looking for slower but steady growth? Consider 2-3 posts per week.
If you don’t mind taking it very slowly, posting once per week is fine. Just keep in mind it will take you more than a year to see a significant jump in traffic.
Once you’ve got your frequency and consistency down pat, you’ll need to concentrate on the meat-and-potatoes portion of success — and that’s your content itself.
[bctt tweet=”What’s the recommended posting frequency for #contentroi success? @JuliaEMcCoy shares her insights, plus studies from @hubspot @cmicontent @backlinko @unbounce and others #contentmarketingroi” username=”ExpWriters”]
Long-Form Content Provides Consistent Success
Content return on success is not just about churning out random thoughts in 500-word posts. You have to consistently provide visitors long-form, comprehensive content that’s relevant to their needs.
Multiple studies have proved this, and we’re a case study on this (stats on our own content marketing ROI coming up soon).
To underscore the importance of this, BuzzSumo studied more than 100 million articles and found the posts most likely to be shared were over 3,000 words long.
Image: Search Engine Journal
And high rankings were tied to long-form content in a Backlinko study that examined more than a million blog posts.
Of course, it’s not just the quantity that counts — it’s quality, too.
Higher-Quality Content Brings Higher Content Marketing ROI
Seems intuitive, right?
And yet so many people miss this critical part of the content ROI equation. That’s why I conducted a case study using my own company as a benchmark.
Why?
Because Express Writers has managed to pull down six-figure earning months on the basis of our content alone.
We did it by publishing over 1,000 blog posts with consistent, long-form content over six years. Yes, you read that right — six years. As of this post, we’re at 1,142 blog posts, total.
That content, which is published weekly along with a few podcasts with notes and recaps from our #ContentWritingChat, costs us about $1,600 per month.
It’s a very long time, a lot of investment, and a lot of content — but worth every minute of the hard work.
If we bought that kind of traffic versus generating it ourselves, it would set us back a mind-blowing $66,700.
But just by rolling up our sleeves and finding ways we could provide serious benefit for our reading audience, we were able to create a business that frequently breaks the six-figure threshold in a month — while spending under $2K.
Of course, as I mentioned, our content isn’t just long, it’s high quality — and that’s what you need to strive for.
E-A-T Your Words — How to Create High-Quality Content to Win at Content ROI
High-quality content needs to adhere to Google’s quality rater guidelines, which require that it’s got a high level of expertise, authority, and trustworthiness (E-A-T), a nice dollop of main content with a helpful title, and achieves a purpose for the page on which it’s hosted.
[bctt tweet=”For just $1,600 per month, Express Writers generates monthly traffic that’s worth a whopping $66,700. @JuliaEMcCoy shares how we do it in this blog post about #contentroi” username=”ExpWriters”]
Sounds like a tall order, right? It’s easier than you think, as long as you break it down into bite-sized chunks, as follows:
1. Create Unique and Useful Content
Nobody wants to read the same old information turned around and spit back out in a different format.
According to Social Media Examiner’s recent report, more than half of marketers say people want content that’s unique and useful.
And Google’s watching, too. If you publish something really lackluster, they’ll call you on it.
Image: Google Support
If you’re not going to come up with original, useful content — just stop. Content marketing is not for you.
But if you’re on fire to share actionable, relevant tips with the people who need to know them, then step on up — and reap the benefits.
Here are some critical ways you can create and share long-form content that will have your readers coming back for more, post after post.
2. Give Them Data-Driven Information
You don’t have to write content that’s full of numbers and equations, but readers are looking for information that is provable, factual, and can help them draw conclusions.
To increase social shares, put some of the data in an infographic.
In fact, infographics are a great way to share actionable material that provides real benefit to readers.
That image is just the tip of the iceberg — the infographic actually “unfolds” like a brochure (and you can get it as a PDF for convenience). Here’s the first part:
The information presented is attractive, data-oriented, and actionable — checking lots of boxes for visitors that are hungry for unique and useful stuff.
The ROI on this guide was and is huge, too — Oli Gardner’s team has told me it actually served to build their brand and was a fundamental piece that got their brand rolling in the early days. (Unbounce’s Content Director Dan Levy was one of my guest instructors for the Content Strategy & Marketing Course.)
3. Build Trust and Authority
If you’re creating unique and useful data-driven content, it just follows that — eventually — you’ll be seen as an expert in your industry.
[bctt tweet=”Short-form or long-form content? @JuliaEMcCoy discusses #contentmarketingsuccess in this new blog post, with studies from @hubspot @cmicontent @backlinko @buzzsumo and more #contentroi” username=”ExpWriters”]
To encourage visitors to keep coming back for more, establish a relationship with your community through a response/comments section in your blog or by providing relatable, actionable examples.
One way we do this at Express Writers is by sharing case studies of our experiences to help other content marketers adjust their strategies for better content ROI.
We also put a strong focus on being relevant and authentic because we know that’s what people want. No more burying sales pitches in cleverly designed content pieces — it just doesn’t work.
Remember, your content isn’t all about driving results. It’s also about sharing your passion for your industry and providing real service to your readers.
The results (read: content marketing ROI) are just what happens when you create and share truly good stuff.
[bctt tweet=”Content marketing ROI happens when you create and share truly good stuff. @JuliaEMcCoy ” username=”ExpWriters”]
If this is your mindset the next time you sit down to craft a piece of content for your site, you can’t help but create something that will inspire and engage your audience — and increase your content marketing ROI by default.
The Long — and Short — of It
So, you want content marketing success, right? Then you now have every tool you need to take action and make it happen.
You understand posting frequency and how posting more often helps increase your traffic.
You’re definitely down with the fact that it might take up to 400 posts before you start seeing that jump in hits, but you also know that like anything good in life, the waiting’s worth it.
And, you totally get that making the effort to create fantastic, long-form content is exactly what’s needed to engage, educate, and build an authentic relationship with your audience.
Short-form content is just not going to cut it for posts that create movement, traffic, and revenue on your site. And sleazy sales tactics are definitely out of the picture.
So, sit back and start brainstorming those actionable, relevant long-form beauties. Whip out that editorial calendar and create a consistent schedule your readers can rely upon.
Dig through the data and come up with something really unique, unusual, and share-worthy.
And, in the process, discover that you’ll win a lot more than just content ROI with this strategy — you’ll also win trust and loyalty. And that’s priceless.
Even if your content is killer, your conversion rates can still be lackluster.
*mic drop*
That’s because every tiny detail, including the surrounding content, sidebars, header images, and links (let’s call them the “peripheral stuff”), contribute to your user’s experience (UX, for short).
You may think these extraneous details have no bearing on the effect of your content, but they DO matter – a lot.
As it turns out, they can influence the user psychologically, especially if you cap your content with an ask or a call-to-action.
The surrounding stuff, the little details beyond the meat of your content/copy, can make your reader more or less likely to follow through with your CTA.
For example, did you know that something as simple as removing social login options (like Facebook) from a page resulted in increased conversions for a Norwegian cosmetics retailer?
It’s true. They did a split test, pitting one version of the page with a social login option against another version without it:
#1: The page with a Facebook login, above.
#2: The same page without the Facebook login.
The results? The one without the social login option (#2) earned a 3% increase in conversions and a spike in revenue for the company.
It’s there to help you create the version of your page that is most appealing to your customers/readers/audience and keeps them primed to act the way you want. In turn, this increases the likelihood of those people buying into your CTAs.
If your content is great but your UX sucks, you’ll have a harder time getting people to bite.
Websites that are harder to use due to off-putting ads, poor design choices, bloated copy (or not enough copy), and other UX mistakes are roadblocks to conversions.
The key is not to apply very specific tweaks that worked to increase conversions for another company. Everyone’s customers are different, so everyone’s data from split testing these optimization tweaks is totally subjective.
Instead, try implementing universally approved tactics, then test them to make sure they’re right for your audience.
We’ve rounded up a list of these universal approaches that pretty much work for everybody. Ready? Let’s break them down.
[bctt tweet=”Read a nutshell guide to website conversion optimization and 5 data-backed methods to improve your site conversions, via @JuliaEMcCoy” username=”ExpWriters”]
Website Conversion Optimization: 5 Data-Backed Ways to Improve Your Conversions
1. Use SSL Certificates/Trust Badges
One of the major ways to increase conversions on a page, especially a check-out or sales page, is to instill trust in your customers with the right elements.
If a customer is thinking about purchasing, they may already have some level of trust with you. In this case, you want to make that sales/check-out page help them cross the finish line.
Securing your site with an SSL certificate is one major way to build your trust and optimize your conversion rates. (Sometimes your web host will offer this as a service along with hosting your website.)
Take a look at how this appears on our site:
Or, for another example, here’s Amazon’s SSL-secured site:
Want to see a non-secured site? It doesn’t look as trustworthy, immediately right off the bat. This isn’t a good first impression:
You can also include a “trust badge” on the page. This little graphic is evidence your site is safe and secure as verified by an outside, trusted objective source.
Most of the time, these badges tell the consumer that your site uses SSL (secure sockets layer) technology to keep data like credit card numbers encrypted and safe. Others may simply signify a credible third party deems you trustworthy.
A good example: the Better Business Bureau, or BBB, has “Accredited Business” badges that show they have verified your company as trustworthy.
Here are some more examples of recognizable trust badges:
Using trust badges is a pretty fail-safe method because plenty of consumers are worried about the security of their information online.
According to a European study conducted by GlobalSign, 77% of internet users are worried about their data safety, including whether it will be misused or intercepted. Additionally, most people check for security indicators on web pages, whether it’s right before a purchase (24%), before handing out their details (48%), or just out of habit each time they visit a new website (21%).
People are rightly anxious about protecting their data, so addressing the underlying worry can help ease the way to more conversions, including completed check-outs.
[bctt tweet=”Your website not converting? @JuliaEMcCoy discusses #websiteconversion #websiteoptimization in this nutshell guide to improving site conversions” username=”ExpWriters”]
In fact, Blue Fountain Media showed how effective trust badges can be when they conducted a split test on their “request a quote” form.
One version of the form didn’t include a badge:
While a second version of the same form included a VeriSign seal:
The results: The version with the trust badge got 81% more form fill-outs than the one without it.
The takeaway: If you could instill more confidence in a user’s purchase or other action on your site, why wouldn’t you?
Get verified by a third party, or purchase SSL for your domain (DigiCert by Symantec is a good option.)
Slap a trust badge like an SSL certificate on pages where it makes sense
Test to see if it makes a difference in conversions
2. Use Pop-Ups Correctly for Better Website Conversion Optimization
There’s a lot of contention surrounding pop-ups. Do they help conversions? Do they hurt? There are arguments for both sides.
So, should you use pop-ups? Shouldn’t you? (Do you want to tear out your hair yet?)
Guess what:
The question is not whether you should use pop-ups.
The question is how you should use them if you go that route.
[bctt tweet=”Your pop-ups could be killing your conversions. @JuliaEMcCoy shares her insights on #websiteconversion #websiteoptimization in this nutshell guide ” username=”ExpWriters”]
A. Avoid Intrusive Interstitials (or Risk Google’s Wrath)
What the heck are “interstitials” as related to pop-ups?
Short answer: An interstitial is a period of time when your website content is supplanted by a promotional message.
Often, an interstitial looks like a pop-up that covers the entire screen. The user can’t see or access the content they were actually looking for until they respond to the interstitial, like so:
Things can get very sticky with interstitial pop-ups. The line between “quick grab for your attention” and “intrusive” is thinner than thin.
Perhaps the most important key to getting pop-ups right for more conversions is timing.
When and where your pop-ups pop up can make or break things for you.
According to Sumo’s analysis of 2 billion examples of pop-ups, the ones that converted the worst were rushed. That means they appeared too quickly, such as seconds after the page loaded.
In contrast, a well-timed pop-up can pay off… big time.
Here’s a great example Sumo supplies:
The pop-up below was timed to appear 15 seconds after a visitor started viewing an ebook product page. It offers a free download of the first chapter.
This pop-up has a 38.4% conversion rate, and it’s all because it literally pops up at the exact right time – when the user has had a chance to check out the product and get interested.
The takeaway: For pop-ups, timing is everything.
To discover the best time to launch your pop-up, Sumo recommends checking Google Analytics for the average time on page. For instance, maybe users spend an average of 20 seconds on your page before bouncing. Figure out how to sweeten the deal with a timed pop-up (maybe at the 15-second mark?) so they’ll want to follow through with whatever your CTA asks of them.
3. Entice Users with Buttons That Look Like Buttons
Because, since the dawn of the web (think the 1990s), this is how you interacted with web pages. When users see a button, they expect to take some form of action.
Here’s an example of good button design from a company who placed a PPC ad on Google for the keyword “buttons and website conversions.”
Obviously, they’re aiming for conversions themselves with this ad. The page, as such, lives up to expectations.
May I direct your attention to the CTA buttons on this landing page?
They’re big, colorful, rounded, and satisfyingly button-y.
Plus, when you hover your mouse over them, they change color.
I really want to click this button.
Landing pages without buttons are confusing. What am I supposed to click on?
Unsurprisingly (or maybe surprisingly), studies have shown that this logic holds up.
In a series of tests between pages with buttons that look like buttons and so-called “ghost buttons” (essentially transparent boxes with text in them), ConversionXL showed that users prefer the former over and over again.
For instance, in the first split test, users clicked on the ghost button version 20% less than the regular button.
Another case study from Unbounce shows more of the same. They tested two versions of CTA buttons: A rectangular version and a rounder, more button-y version.
The rounder version won by a landslide – it increased conversions by 35.81%.
The takeaway: When you create CTA buttons, make them look like a button! In other words, make them irresistible.
4. Keep Forms Simpler and Ask the Right Questions
Another piece of your website you can optimize for conversions is your form. Email sign-ups, surveys, check-out pages, and opt-in forms are all fair game.
To get the best conversions from your forms, the conventional wisdom is to keep them shorter.
In this piece, the author examines 5 different case studies where other factors played a bigger role than length.
For instance, a case study from Marketing Experiments found that they didn’t need to shorten their form to increase conversions. They just needed to get rid of the copy on top of it:
The copy above the form in Version B reduced conversions, driving them down by 28%. That’s because visitors to this page were already highly motivated to fill out the form, and the copy got in the way. Form length didn’t matter.
In another case study from ConversionXL, they literally tested how form length would affect conversions.
They started with a form containing 9 fields. After whittling it down to 6 and testing the shorter form against the original, they found that conversions dropped by 14.23% with the shorter form.
What mattered more than form length? The type of questions they were asking.
In fact, after tweaking the form copy (but keeping the fields at 9 total), they saw a jump in conversions – 19.21%, to be exact.
The shorter form didn’t have the questions that users were interested in answering. The longer form kept them, but with rephrased copy that helped reduce any anxiety about filling it out.
The takeaway: The context of your form is critical to conversions. Do users expect to have to answer a lot of questions (like if they’re requesting a quote for services)? Or do they just want to get to a freebie download as quickly as possible?
This should come as no surprise, but your particular audience’s needs/expectations should determine the length of your forms. Just don’t get overly complicated, and ask the right questions.
5. Never Oversell
You know that icky feeling you get when a salesperson is desperately trying to wring money from your wallet?
You just want to be left alone to browse in peace, but they carry on with their sales pitch anyway. They’re either totally oblivious to your disinterest or too focused on the $$$ to care.
It turns out you can replicate that exact experience on a website. (Of course, that doesn’t mean you should.)
For example, when I recently visited a blog that usually serves up the good stuff, a pile of CTAs plus a few small pop-ups met me instead.
Where should the user’s attention go in this scenario? If you’re overwhelming them with asks before they can even read your content/start building trust, well…
That’s how you turn them off.
Overselling can backfire.
Instead, keeping the asks simple and focused can go a long way. Take another case study from ConversionXL, where they optimized a landing page for Truckers Report, a resource that hooks truck drivers up with better jobs.
Here’s the original page:
After drilling down and simplifying the page through a few tests, they arrived at a version that converted nearly 80% better than the original (and the original wasn’t that complicated, to begin with).
Sometimes, simpler is better. Just repeating your CTAs all over the place without thinking about UX won’t convince visitors to act. It will do the opposite.
The above example shows us that you don’t have to oversell to get the desired results.
The takeaway: Instead of adding more elements to your webpage to increase conversions, try taking some away, simplifying, and narrowing your CTA down to one well-placed option.
[bctt tweet=”Just repeating your CTAs all over the place without thinking about UX won’t convince visitors to act. This and more #contentmarketing nuggets in @JuliaEMcCoy’s nutshell guide to #websiteconversion #websiteoptimization ” username=”ExpWriters”]
Website Conversion Optimization: There’s No One-Size-Fits-All
Optimizing your website for maximum conversions isn’t a straightforward task.
There is no checklist with boxes to tick. There aren’t any “best practices” that work every single time, for every single webpage.
Instead, website conversion optimization will be totally unique for you or your clients. It depends on your brand, your website, and your customers.
The best first step for any website to optimize their conversions is not to look at what their peers are doing, but rather what their audience wants/needs/expects from their website, content, and web pages.
Start with providing the best user experience possible, and you’re on your way.
You’ve heard over and over how successful content marketing can be (in CMI’s B2B Content Marketing Trends Report, 73% of respondents said their organization’s content marketing approach was either moderately or very successful) – so it’s even more disheartening when you can’t seem to get there yourself.
Luckily, content problems are common enough that we might be able to boil yours down to one or two (or a few) reasons why your content marketing creations aren’t working.
Read through these scenarios and see if any could apply to your content. Then, keep scrolling for tips to help you turn it all around so you see success the next time you roll up your sleeves to create.
[bctt tweet=”Are you having trouble seeing results from your content marketing? Here are 6 methods to help you re-focus for killer results, via @JuliaEMcCoy ” username=”ExpWriters”]
Your content failure might have happened because…
1. Your KPIs and Content Expectations Don’t Match Up
If your content expectations versus the reality of your KPIs (key performance indicators) present two wildly different pictures, something is up.
Either your content is flat-out failing or your expectations are too unrealistic to achieve.
Both scenarios require a reassessment of your approach, whether your content needs an overhaul or your expectations need tweaking.
2. You Don’t Have a Strategy
If you’re creating content on an ad-hoc, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants basis, this could be the major reason why it isn’t performing.
Without a content strategy, you won’t have a roadmap that leads to achieving your goals. It’s exactly like driving on a dark road without any directions or headlights.
One of the major ways a strategy helps your content is by laying out how each of your pieces maps to the buyer’s journey.
When a customer is able to find the exact type of content they need at the exact sales stage they’re in, it helps them move steadily down the sales funnel – closer to a sale with your brand, in fact, since it’s your content they’re engaging with.
Without this mapping guiding your content creation, you’ll be taking wild guesses about what types of content will nurture leads and encourage conversions. It just won’t work.
3. You’re Overly Focused on Selling
Yes, your ultimate end goal is to get those conversions (traffic to leads, leads to sales), but you’re self-sabotaging if your focus is on selling your products/services, promoting your brand, or a mixture of the two.
Overly salesy content is a cause of death for any campaign because it moves toward being interruptive and valueless for the consumer rather than helpful, interesting, or educational.
Consumers (especially millennials and Generation Z) don’t like ads for a reason. They’re pushy, annoying, and can feel a bit slimy.
82% of Gen Z-ers say they skip ads whenever they can, according to a Kantar/Millwardbrown study.
Do you want to be seen as an authority in your field and a helpful advisor, or like a shady used car salesman? Promoting yourself too much in your content will lead to the latter, which turns people off.
4. You Aren’t Talking to the Right Audience
If publishing content feels like shouting in an empty room (*taps mic* — Is this thing on?), consider this:
Are you speaking to the right crowd?
Content targeted at the right people is more likely to hit its mark.
The people you need to talk to are the ones who will care about what you have to offer, whether that’s your knowledge, your brand, or your products/services.
If your content isn’t connecting, it might be because you’re throwing bananas at horses or apples at monkeys.
6 Tactical Tips to Turn Your Content Marketing Around
1. Study Up on Your Audience, Then Write FOR Them
If your content isn’t performing, you should take a hard look at your target audience and buyer personas.
Are they still relevant? Or are they off the mark?
Go back and do your research. Do surveys, interviews, and polls with your customers and social media followers. Look at who your competition is targeting. Reassess who your brand ultimately seeks to help with content.
Michelle Linn has a great method to help you refocus on your correct audience: Ask yourself who you can help rather than wondering who you can target.
Once you have an updated handle on your audience, write your content FOR them.
Put yourself in their shoes.
Speak their language. Imagine talking to them across a dinner table and what you would say.
Address their fears, pain points, desires, and questions.
A good exercise to try if you struggle with content that’s too self-promotional: Eliminate all uses of pronouns like “I,” “we,” and “us.” Instead, use “you” and “your.”
2. Research and Capitalize on a Trending Topic
If you understand your audience well, yet regularly hit “publish” and hear nothing but crickets chirping, you need to start getting more eyes on your content.
You can easily do this by jumping on a trending topic. Their impact is fleeting, but it can be big once it hits.
To find one:
Check industry news.
Look at top posts on competitor sites and search for patterns.
Check BuzzSumo for current trending topics in your niche.
You need to be quick to find a hot topic and get related content pushed out in a timely manner, but it can be worth the time crunch for the traffic potential alone. Plus, these types of pieces are great lead-ins or introductions to your brand for that all-important awareness phase of the sales cycle.
3. Return to Start and Put a Content Strategy in Place
If your content creation is willy-nilly, unorganized, or undocumented, stop.
Do not pass “go.”
You needed a strategy yesterday.
Reaching any type of goal requires a plan of action. Especially if your goal is content that performs and leads to profitable results.
For content marketing, the plan of action that helps guide you to ROI is a content strategy.
The most current research in the Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends Report shows that the majority of the most successful content marketers have a strategy in place (62%). Meanwhile, among the least successful marketers, only 16% have a strategy.
This is no coincidence. A strategy gives you all the tools you need for your content to perform.
Period.
4. Stop Using Too Much Industry Jargon
Another reason your content might be falling flat?
Your tone or style might not be gelling well with your audience (see point #2).
If you’re not writing for your audience in a way that connects with them, it doesn’t matter how well you know your targets or how interesting/useful your topic – a wonky tone throws everything off.
A prime example is peppering your sentences and paragraphs with too much jargon.
For instance, if you are writing content aimed at cancer patients for the medical industry, you don’t want to overuse a term like “malignant fibrous histiocytoma” without explaining what it means in layman’s terms. (It’s bone cancer.)
The paragraph below is not aimed at patients. However, if you write content full of industry jargon like this and it’s not intended for your peers, it’s time to get simpler, more general, and less formal.
5. Trim the Fat from Your Content (or Get an Editor)
Another way to alienate readers and throw off your content performance is to stuff it full of fluff.
Phrases like the ones below are unnecessarily long, wordy, or redundant. They all have simpler alternatives that are easier to read, as Grammarly has shown:
Filler words and phrases decrease the overall value of your content. They stuff your pieces full of hot air and make them harder to read.
When you create content that’s concise, you don’t hem and haw. You get to the point(s) quicker, which gives the audience the satisfaction they crave.
Uncoincidentally, that leads to our next point.
6. Tell Them Why They Should Care
In high school or college, you probably wrote essays and papers in a specific format. The introduction was where you announced your topic and told your readers where you were taking them.
That’s still a good practice, but one major piece is missing for online writing: the point.
In most college essays, you save the main point for your conclusion, where you hammer it home.
Doing this in your content is a sure method to make any reader lose interest right away. Since their attention span is fleeting, they need the “why” to smack them in the face.
Why should they keep reading?
What’s in it for them?
How does the content apply to their concerns, desires, needs, fears, etc.?
If you can hand your reader the “why” right away, they’ll be more likely to keep reading, which can improve your content performance.
If Your Content Is on Life Support, Don’t Give Up
Even if your content is underperforming (or lying on its back with its legs in the air), there’s still hope.
Take the opportunity to analyze what might have gone wrong, then make an effort to fix it.
Update old content pieces that never realized their potential, keeping the above tips in mind. Brainstorm and work hard to be super creative – that will help you stand out a lot.
3. Create the Highest-Quality Content
