How To Improve Your SEO & Website Ranking With Google’s Content Updates

As human beings we are wired for connection so the images we see and the words we read are so vital to create this bond. That’s why what people are searching for has to be a focus for your business. If your website ranking is low or your SEO (search engine optimization) is poor, people are not going to connect with you, no matter how good your message, service or products are.

We all communicate through storytelling, from a few words, all the way to articles and information designed to attract our clients. This is where Google leads the way in directing your potential clients to your website to find out more about you and your business.

Think back before we used search engines and it was the phone book and probably more importantly, word of mouth. We relied on family, friends or trusted advisors to steer us in the right direction. Now Google is more than just a website, it’s how we all ‘look it up.’

That’s why it’s important for Google and their team to ensure that we are not having our time wasted by poorly designed content, websites and especially, fake information. They even have a program running in the background to ensure that content is not being made purely to trick the algorithm. You see there is a good side and a bad side to SEO.

The good side is making sure that what is written on your website, your blog and social media posts uses enough key words to make sure that you can be found, but it is still your writing, your message and more importantly, your style and tone.

The bad side is purely using these keywords to create content that honestly is boring to read, not really satisfying, and is purely written to draw you to their website because it boosts their website ranking.

This is why it is nice to know that Google is protected by a friendly, people-first ‘Panda.’

Ok so it’s not a real one, it’s just the nickname of a program that was created to ensure that the bad side of SEO did not clog up the search results. Named after the engineer Nanveet Panda who worked on it, recently it received another refresh/update.

The focus is on people-first content, meaning that it is constantly searching for the best written, authentic content that is bringing meaning and value to your customers. This is why your organically written words, along with those keywords, are the way to get more customers to your site.

That’s why authentic stories, articles, blogs and posts are so important to make you stand out from the crowded marketplace. Be real but also be smart. We instinctively know when something has been designed to trick us, a bit like click bait, so when it’s a website that isn’t authentic we feel let down. This is completely devaluing your brand.

It’s also not about finding the quick fix, hack or trick to attract new customers. It’s about writing authentically and testing to get the optimum outcome. This is why data is so vital to ensure that you are getting feedback to see if your marketing is working.

Here’s an example of how we work with our clients to get the best results.

1. Using our 7 step marketing system which is a proven data-driven method

2. A week by week process of tasks feeds the Google Algorithm

3. Technical checks are carried out daily to fix and optimize the website

4. We report back and share consultative recommendations for next month

One of our clients had great success within their first year after running with this detailed process. They achieved an increase from 100 to 2000 website SEO clicks which also massively impacted sales from 0 to 32 per month for high ticket trips and vacations.

This is a staggering achievement using the combination of a data driven process and targeted research to find what works best for each specific business.

Imagine what we could do to help yours?

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions or are having issues with SEO as we may be able to help.

Instagram Hack: New Features and Updates To Help You Win Engagement

Instagram is amongst the top 5 list of most used social media platforms over the years. It has evolved from being an outlet for posting photo content to becoming a useful tool for digital marketers to boost their brand’s awareness. With over 1 billion monthly active users, it is a sure way to effectively create and share content, drive traffic to attract more customers, and then generate more sales in return.

Have you ever wondered how the swipe-up link feature works? You’ve probably seen this Instagram feature in several celebrities, influencers, and marketing brands’ stories. Previously, only users with over 10,000 followers could use this on their stories. They can use it to include a link for their followers to check by simply swiping up their corresponding stories. However the 10k follower reach is not available for all of us, so we have some exciting news around how we can still benefit from story clicks.

Here at Leaders in Digital, we make sure that these useful features are maximized to be able to successfully promote your business and get more leads. Check out how your brand can benefit from this, and other Instagram updates...

How Swiping Up Can Increase Your Brand’s Engagement

Your followers, or casual viewers, get to engage with your Instagram Swipe Up story content which results in successfully promoting your brand. There are various ways businesses can benefit from this particular Instagram feature:

• Promoting Your Products or Services – this feature is definitely a great way for promoting what you have to offer for potential or returning customers. It’s also more convenient for your viewers to check out the offer as they can be easily redirected to your site by simply swiping up

• Promoting Your Brand’s Blogs and Videos – to easily promote a new blog or video content on your website, sharing it through Instagram stories and adding the link to the swipe-up feature can catch curious users’ attention.

• Promoting Upcoming Events – if you want your event to have a huge turnout, take advantage of the swiping uplink feature to advertise, and get interested participants. It’s a helpful approach to spread the word and encourage people to join.

This Instagram feature has proven to be a valuable game-changer for brands and Instagram influencers. Digital marketers who needed to drive more traffic and increase in ROI enjoyed the results of using the swipe-up link feature.

This Instagram’s Update Is the Alternative for The Swipe-Up Link Feature

Instagram acknowledged the few concerns regarding not having access to the swipe-up link feature. Since it’s only limited to verified accounts with 10,000 or more followers, it’s impossible for Instagram users with smaller followings to use it. Instagram addressed this issue by testing out the linked sticker feature to cater to all users.

The sticker feature’s many capabilities would be the substitute for swiping links. It’s already a natural way for interaction on the platform. Enabling people to participate in campaigns, expressing emotions, adding a touch of style to stories, and sharing information like time, location, and even temperature are some of the ways to use these stickers.

Vishal Shah, Instagram’s head of product, shares that there is no intention of bringing links anywhere else on the platform, and getting the stickers out for everyone is the goal they would like to reach. Let’s see if this follows through as a long-term strategy!

So if you are a digital marketer looking for more ways to efficiently boost revenue and gain more customers, make the most out of the swipe-up link feature and see results for your brand. And if you’re hoping to enjoy this feature too, but doesn’t meet the criteria, watch out for Instagram’s sticker update, and hang on till you can enjoy it as well.

If you’re looking to grow your business’ reach through various social media platforms, reach out to us at Leaders in Digital anytime!

How The Instagram Algorithm Works And 5 Tips To Outsmart It

With over one billion active users, Instagram continues to grow as one of the most popular social media platforms. The competition is getting tougher and brands put a lot of effort online to make sure their Instagram account gets maximum reach and engagement.

Now, are you wondering how Instagram decides what content shows up first in your Feed and Stories? You are not alone! The past social algorithm updates have greatly affected brands’ organic reach and engagement, making it harder for marketers to figure out the changes on the platform. Recently, Instagram published a blog post to give us a better understanding of the Instagram algorithm.

In this blog, Leaders In Digital breaks down the basics of how the algorithm really works, and some Instagram content strategies to ensure you are maximizing your brand’s organic reach.

How Does The Instagram Algorithm Work?

In 2016, Instagram ended its reverse-chronological feed to prioritize timely, fresh posts relevant to user's interests. Instagram is made up of “a variety of algorithms, classifiers, and processes” tailored to shape what users see first on the app. For Stories and Feed, Instagram uses key signals to decide what content to show people. Here are the signals that Instagram use, in order of importance:

• Information about the post. These are signals both about how popular a post is – think how many people have liked it – and more mundane information about the content itself, like when it was posted, how long it is if it’s a video, and what location, if any, was attached to it.

• Information about the person who posted. This helps us get a sense of how interesting the person might be to you, and includes signals like how many times people have interacted with that person in the past few weeks.

• Your activity. This helps us understand what you might be interested in and includes signals such as how many posts you’ve liked.

• Your history of interacting with someone. This gives us a sense of how interested you are generally in seeing posts from a particular person. An example is whether or not you comment on each other’s posts.

Instagram continues to work on updating and refining their algorithm. It’s important to understand how the algorithm works and create future-proof content strategy for your brand. Backed by data, here are 5 tactics to help you boost your Instagram presence.

5 Tips To Outsmart The Instagram Algorithm

1. Start With Consistent Publishing

You can’t “feed” the algorithm unless you’ve put enough content on your account. Consistency requires planning, don’t sacrifice the quality of your posts for quantity.

Don’t forget to know when is the best time to post your content on Instagram. Publishing during peak times will help you sync up when your target audience is using the app. Social Sprout recommends posting in the mornings and early afternoons during the week.

2. Make Use Of Carousels And Multi-Photo Posts

Keep in mind that posts with more engagement are rewarded with more reach. Carousel posts can make up to 3x the engagement and 1.4x the reach compared to other types of organic, in-feed content.

Brands can make use of carousels to show off their products from different angles, or by sharing tips and tutorials.

3. Put Out Stories On A Regular Basis

While Stories don’t have much influence on the algorithm, it gives brands a great push to be at the front and center of their followers’ feeds. Putting Stories on a regular basis will keep your profile popping up on the feed, making it more likely for your followers to check out your content.

Instagram Stories are also a good way to engage your followers with its features such as Q&A Stickers, Polls, and Live. These features will encourage your followers to always view your content and build familiarity with your brand for the long-term.

4. Use Better Hashtags

Using the right hashtags on your posts can help people discover your brand, even if they don’t follow you. Include hashtags as part of your content strategy to ensure that your posts are searchable. Dig around what’s the best hashtags to use for your niche and make sure they’re highly relevant to your posts.

5. Explore Creating Video Content

Video content has been booming on social media over the past years now. Videos are autoplays in your followers’ feeds, so it's a surefire way to catch their attention. Following the algorithm, we want our followers to spend longer time engaging with our profile. It doesn’t need to be a full-blown production video, what’s more important is you’re producing some form of video.

There is no instant way to get higher reach and engagement in social media. Start building your brand's online presence today. Contact us and let’s beat the Instagram algorithm together!