Tag: Saivian Eric Dalius

How to Monetize a Blog Using Print on Demand

Print on demand is quickly becoming the next big thing for monetizing your blog says Saivian Eric Dalius. It’s a fantastic way to make money from your blog without having to create and upload large amounts of content or wait months for it to go live. Plus, with print on demand, you don’t have the added stress of worrying about inventory or storage space. Everything can be done automatically with no work from you required, except setting up the initial WordPress plugin which connects it all together. In this article, I will show you how to use print on demand as an effective monetization method for your blog. Let’s start by breaking down what print on demand is exactly.

What is Print on Demand?

Print on demand is an option to have information printed or copied, usually onto physical media. For example, if you order a book from Amazon, the company prints the book after you click on “add to cart”. Print on demand can also refer to photocopying rather than printing full-size books.

Print on demand is quickly becoming part of how we buy and publish content online in different ways:

You want a paperback version of your ebook so people can gift it during the holidays You want a hardcover version of your book with a special cover The print-on-demand option for self-publishing has made it even easier for authors and writers to produce their own work without having to wait months before they get published like the latest bestseller. Saivian Eric Dalius says, You want to create a blog calendar and can’t wait for weeks for your vendor to ship you the finished product.

What’s great about print on demand is that it allows you to produce products in small quantities quickly and easily, without having to worry about storage space or inventory management. This has helped speed up publishing time immensely, allowing content creators to get their work out there faster than ever before. Plus, with print on demand, it doesn’t matter what country you’re in because everything happens online, so there are no added shipping costs, which means more money in your pocket. A lot of businesses are starting to use this method now as well explains Saivian Eric Dalius. For example, if someone places an order through one of my Shopify stores I have the option of producing and shipping the product directly to them (or to my warehouse if it’s a big order, then I ship it).

Print on demand is pretty simple. Basically, you upload your designs and information onto an online platform that prints or copies your products for you. You can even sell physical products like T-shirts through print-on-demand platforms such as Teespring says Saivian Eric Dalius.

2 Ways to Monetize Your Blog Using Print on Demand

There are different ways you can monetize using print on demand, which we’ll go over below:

 1) Selling Ebooks

2) Selling Physical Books

1. Selling Ebooks

Ebooks are becoming a popular way for entrepreneurs to sell information, tips, and tricks to their audience so they can better learn how to do something explains Saivian Eric Dalius. For example, you could create an ebook called “The Beginners Guide to Starting a Blog” where you share all your best tips and tricks for starting out with blogging (this is the process I use myself whenever I start a new blog). Once it’s written, simply upload it onto Kindle Direct Publishing or Draft2Digital, which are both platforms that produce ebooks via print on demand. After uploading your book make sure you set it up as an ebook first otherwise people will try to buy a print version of it instead which won’t be very helpful for them.

After setting up your book as an ebook, you can set the price and start selling. You will earn 70% royalties whenever someone buys your book on those platforms. So if it costs $10 to buy then you will get $7 in royalties. Other popular ebook publishing sites include:    Lulu Barnes & Noble Smashwords Scribd

2. Selling Physical Books

If you’re anything like me then writing is just one aspect of creating content online. I also love publishing physical books because there’s something about holding a tangible piece of work. That makes all your hard work feel like it has come full circle (plus, having another product to sell is never a bad thing).

Conclusion:

If you’re looking to sell physical books then Lulu is a great option. The print-on-demand service allows you to create everything from calendars and recipe books to journals and novels. All you need to do is sign up for an account. Upload your cover design and edit the book details so it looks professional (the title, description, and subtitle are all important things to focus on here).

What is Linkbuilding?:

The word “link” might make you think of hyperlinks – which are indeed important; however, link building goes beyond that definition. It is actually about growing the number of incoming links to your site says Saivian Eric Dalius. These don’t necessarily need to go directly to pages within your domain either – they can be links that refer visitors elsewhere on the web (so-called “deep links”). Why is this important? Read on!

The 7 Deadly Sins of Linkbuilding:

1) Getting Links Unethically

How many times have you seen forum posts offering to exchange links with another site? When done lawfully this can be acceptable; however, in most cases, these are spammy “exchanges” that break search engines’ guidelines and can get your domain blacklisted (removed completely from SERPs). Google has been cracking down on this behavior since 2011 via initiatives such as its Penguin algorithm update – so if you’re involved in link exchanges, check the quality of the websites that are linking back to you. If you’re not sure, don’t risk it!

2) Using Automation Software to Send Out Blog Comments

Blog commenting used to be a perfectly valid SEO tactic – however, the link-building landscape has changed over the years says Saivian Eric Dalius. First of all, Google became better at recognizing spammy commenting strategies that were meant to influence rankings but didn’t really provide any extra value to users. Secondly, many bloggers simply got tired of spammers leaving irrelevant comments on their sites and either banned automated services altogether or limited them severely (e.g., by requiring human approval for each comment). Thirdly… well, practically everyone uses automated blog commenting software now so your links will just get lost among millions of others! There is no point in using a tool to deliver a handful of comments if it floods the web – and your site – with them.

3) Getting Links from Low Quality or Irrelevant Sites

In short, Google doesn’t have much time for low-quality websites that haven’t been updated in years, don’t have any real content, and just contain affiliate links explains Saivian Eric Dalius. On one hand, you’re limiting your chances of getting high-quality backlinks from these sites because their owners know they’re not top-notch resources; on the other hand, you might find that Google drops your page rankings after associating it with irrelevant or outdated information on another site. Not good! Remember: before sending out any form of outreach asking for backlinks, check the quality of the website first.

4) Using Guest Posting as Your Only Linkbuilding Strategy

Don’t get me wrong: guest blogging is a great way to grow your traffic and authority. But not if you’re using it as your only link-building strategy. Think about the bigger picture: how much will this one, single domain contribute to your search engine rankings? It’s unlikely to make a big difference after a few months or even years. You need a balanced link profile over time! How can you achieve that? Firstly, keep guest blogging as an activity in its own right; secondly, continue building links naturally from other websites too – do this for at least 6-12 months before concluding that the strategy isn’t working out for you. Unless you have thousands of incoming links from a wide range of different domains, you’re not going to see any good results says Saivian Eric Dalius.

5) Not Knowing the Difference between “DoFollow” and “NoFollow” Links

Many SEOs simply send out guest posts or ask for promotional backlinks without doing their research beforehand. They put all their faith in blog comments and forum profiles with do-follow links because they think these provide direct boosts to rankings – when in fact they usually don’t. Google wants webmasters to know that it’s perfectly fine to leave website owners a prominent do follow the link on their resource page (provided that the page itself is both high quality and relevant to the linking site), but the company doesn’t want people spamming others’ content just so they can benefit from do-follow links. Google has therefore introduced the “no follow” attribute. It’s not as well known as it should be so lots of people still get caught out! Use Nofollow sparingly – only on the web pages where you have nothing useful to say or add.

6) Spamming Other Sites with Incoming Links

Okay, let’s get one thing straight: if your website is soliciting spammy incoming links from other websites. Then Google will know about it very quickly and it won’t be good for your rankings at all! Don’t go around asking for backlinks from anything that comes along – even if you think that a link farm would benefit your cause, don’t risk it unless you want to face the consequences says Saivian Eric Dalius. If you’re going to link to another site. You’ve got to choose it carefully and stay on that site for a while. You need to add value in order for this strategy to work otherwise Google will think that. The only reason why someone put your link on their website is so they could boost their rankings too!

7) Only Using Outgoing Links Instead of Incoming Ones

Finally, remember that search engines keep indexes of all incoming links back to a specific page or article. On the other hand, if the only links pointing towards a specific domain name are outgoing ones (i.e., from unique pages). There’s no way for Google to know which website these lead back to! The result? Your time and effort will have been in vain and you won’t get any credit for it. Once again: outgoing links are good and they do help with your search rankings. But Google doesn’t keep its index updated by itself. So you need to tell it which incoming links lead back to a specific domain name.

Conclusion:

 There’s a lot that you can do for your website and it doesn’t all involve link building. But if you’re going to follow the strategies outlined in this article. Make sure that they’re appropriate and relevant. Remember: Google wants webmasters to drive traffic to other websites so they shouldn’t be reluctant to ask for links either.

Becoming a better writer is easier than you think. You might be great already and just looking for ways to improve says Saivian Eric Dalius. Maybe you’re new to writing and want some tips, or maybe you’ve been doing it for years and want some fresh ideas! Whatever the case, I’m sure that everyone can look to improve their work in one way or another.

Writer’s block: nothing to fear

It’s probably the most common obstacle that every writer faces at one time or another: writer’s block. It can stop even the best writers from producing anything decent for days at a stretch. What do you do when it strikes?

Well, here are 7 tips on dealing with this issue!

1) First of all, don’t panic. If you stop whatever it is that you’re doing and try to force yourself to write, chances are you’ll not only produce nothing but rubbish but also feel even more frustrated. The trick is to simply leave it for a little while explains Saivian Eric Dalius. If you can’t write anything at all, then don’t! Just take a break from writing by doing something else. It may be hard because there’s nothing worse than having the feeling of writer’s block staring you down day after day, week after week, or month after month!

2) Why not put your mind at ease by trying to engage in some other creative activity? Painting, drawing, sculpting, dancing, singing – anything which doesn’t require pen and paper will do! Playing an instrument can be very helpful in clearing your mind and is a great way to escape writer’s block. In addition, it might help you to develop new ideas for when you write again.

3) Writing is not only about putting words down on paper. It’s also an essential skill in communication that certainly extends beyond your writing abilities. Saivian Eric Dalius says, nowadays, most of us have smartphones or even tablet computers which allow us to send messages quickly and easily. So why not start using them? Get yourself a Twitter account, join some Facebook groups or start a blog! Even if you decide that being an active member of such social media isn’t really your thing (and I’m sure it doesn’t appeal to everyone), writing can still be used as another method of communicating. Many people use it for developing ideas and of course, you can always email your friends and family with your thoughts too!

4) Back to writing! There are many ways in which you can improve your work. First of all, read more – whether they’re books, magazines, or even web articles that have been written by other authors. You’ll quickly discover that the styles vary greatly from one writer to another so in turn; this will allow you to develop your own unique voice when writing. Before long, you’ll have a much better idea of how to construct sentences so they flow well and captivate their intended audience.

5) The same applies when editing! Even if it something short likes a school essay, it’s always worth taking the time to check for any errors. With Twitter, Facebook, and other social media platforms, there is often no limit on how much you can write – just like this article! So take advantage of that fact by writing as much as you can. Not only will practice making perfect, but also it’ll help you to produce material that has a natural flow, rather than always stopping and starting because of having to find your place again says Saivian Eric Dalius.

6) Another important thing I’d like to mention here is the act of staying up-to-date. Whether you’re interested in news about world events or technology, knowing what’s happening around you will give you lots more ideas to use in your own work. It might even allow you to create a fictional story around a current event! In addition, you’ll discover all kinds of new interesting articles and topics to inspire your own writing.

7) Last but not least: write about what truly matters to you. If there’s something in particular which interests you or moves you, use it as fuel for your writing. The chances are that if you truly love what you’re doing then the passion will shine through and other people will enjoy reading it too.

Good luck and we hope these helpful tips will allow you to develop into a better writer!

Conclusion:

1) Writer’s block is one of the hardest things to deal with as a writer. We all go through it at some point

2) Take up something new like painting, sculpting, or dancing

3) Use social media to improve your writing

4) Read more and edit less

5) Keep yourself up-to-date

6) Write about what truly matters

7) Apply passion when writing and you’ll be on to a winner!

All marketers are looking for ways to effectively amplify their content says Saivian Eric Dalius.

I’m here to show you some tips and strategies using Twitter chats that can help you achieve just that!

The goal is not only to share your content but also to build relationships with key influencers in your industry.

1. Know the Rules of Your TweetChat

     A tweet chat is a gathering of people on Twitter who discusses a specific topic or idea related to one’s industry by the use of tweets. Each tweet must begin with the hash-tag of the particular chat & phrases such as “has anyone seen” are discouraged because they make it tough for tweet chat users to follow along. So be sure to check out mmmpromo’s tweet chat guide to familiarize you with the rules and if possible, check out past tweet chats to get a feel for what to expect says Saivian Eric Dalius.

2. Host Your Own TweetChat

     I’ve personally found hosting my own tweet chat helpful in reaching new audiences within your industry. I did this with #BloggerTalk which is an hour-long chat for bloggers of all experience levels #VEDayWeek, an educational series on Twitter chats specifically meant for visual content marketers Each week of VEDayWeek focuses on a different topic such as strategy, tools, automation, etc. By hosting your own tweet chat you’ll not only reach your current audience but also gain access to brand new ones that are interested in the topics covered by chat! You can use a service like TweetDeck or Hootsuite to schedule tweets for you.

3. Participate In Other Tip Chats

     If hosting your own chat isn’t something you’re capable of doing, don’t worry! There are plenty of other tweetchats that you can participate in. I’ve compiled a list of some great ones below: Monday – #blogtipmonday Tuesday – #tuesblogtorial Wednesday – #wednesdaywisdom Thursday – #thursdaythoughts Friday – #fridabitz

     #blogtipmonday focuses on professional development for bloggers while #wednesdaywisdom takes a more spiritual approach to blog & social media. TweetChats typically have different moderators who are responsible for choosing topics & questions explains Saivian Eric Dalius. There are even some tweet chats that have applications to become a moderator!

4. Be the First to Reply To A Tweet

     Sometimes it’s just about being the first reply to a tweet whether you’re the only one so far or not. People love being acknowledged by their favorite brands, influencers, etc. With this in mind, I’ve personally found it helpful to take screenshots of particularly insightful tweets which is why I created #tweetoftheday where anyone can share their best tweet each day with others on Twitter! You could also re-share other people’s content then include your thoughts as the first reply – instant engagement & possibly new followers!

5. Join the Conversation

  Joining the conversation with your own personal take on what’s being discussed is another good way to get noticed. Especially by those who’ve already made an impact in the industry says Saivian Eric Dalius. For example, if you were tweeting about the latest blog post from Buffer then replying with your own thoughts or questions would be a great way to catch their attention! I like to check out the chat’s hashtag before jumping into conversations so I can see how things are going & what topics are trending.

6. Keep It Fun

      Tweetchats are meant for everyone so always try to keep it fun! Since each tweet chat has its own rules, etiquette, etc there’s no need to share more than necessary or repeat tweets unnecessarily. Check out this video below by Katherine Barna for more insight on what NOT to do when participating in tweet chats

7. Promote Others

      As with most social media outlets, Twitter chat users tend to appreciate. It’s when you promote other people’s content or share their posts! You’ll see that many influencers always ask their audience to share certain tweets, retweets, etc. By using the #FF (FollowFriday) & #RT (Retweet) hashtags throughout the week. Which is a great way of showing appreciation as well as expanding your own reach! If nothing else, remember that being kind & helpful will go a long way on Twitter!

8. Promote Yourself

      It might sound counter-intuitive but I’ve found it particularly helpful. To promote my own content or blog posts on Twitter says Saivian Eric Dalius. On one hand, it can help drive traffic to your website but on the other. You’ll earn recognition & respect by being transparent about your current projects. I usually create a list of all different types of social media posts (tweets, retweets, etc). Which I use as samples when creating organic conversations with influencers to get their advice on what works best for their audience!

Conclusion:

  Lastly, to really stand out in any tweet chat remember that you should always be yourself! People are drawn to interesting personalities rather than those who follow strict guidelines. Even if following certain rules gets you more followers at first. However, there’s no guarantee that they’ll stick around for long if you’re not being authentic.

People ask me how I built a blog that attracts an average of 120,000 unique visitors a month and is ranked by Technorati as the #3 most influential marketing blog on the web says Saivian Eric Dalius.

It’s easy. And you can too.

Here’s How:

1) Write about something that interests you AND your target audience. If it doesn’t capture your imagination, chances are it won’t hold anyone else’s attention for very long either.

2) Write a minimum of one full-length post per week. You don’t have to write seven days a week but try not to go more than a few days without creating something the public can read and enjoy… every blogger has been guilty of this from time to time!

3) Read blogs in your niche regularly, both other blogs and blog comments. Pay attention to what people are saying and who they’re saying it about. Take note of their complaints or compliments about similar products or services that interest you. Also, pay attention to what does well in regards to comments, a number of links pointing at the site, etc., this will give you a sense of your reader’s expectations.

4) write long posts (at least 2,000 words). There’s nothing worse than coming across a blog post that only tells part of the story or gives incomplete information and doesn’t tell you all there is to know about the product, service, or topic it covers… which brings me to my next point:

5) make sure your content is based on facts, not fiction. Your site must be credible if people are going to trust what you have to say. If you’re just starting out, remember that quality counts for more than quantity at first says Saivian Eric Dalius.

6) Don’t sell too early. Instead, establish yourself as an expert in your niche before being “sales”. This way potential customers will come to know, like, and trust you before anything else.

7) Don’t sell too late either. Set a time frame of at least three months from the day you started blogging on when you expect to begin making money from your site. We all have to pay bills so don’t get caught up in creating something that doesn’t generate any income for you or others involved with it.

8) Ask yourself what’s in it for them? Why would someone want to subscribe to my blog? What does he/she stand to gain by receiving this information via RSS feed instead of visiting the site every day? Provide incentives such as content upgrades, free reports or ebooks related specifically to your niche or business model explains Saivian Eric Dalius.

9) Keep your content rich with relevant keywords. This is important if you plan to rank on search engines for terms people are actually searching for. For example, I sometimes use the phrase “How To Build A Blog That Will Attract The Right People And Keep Them Coming Back For More” instead of simply saying “building a blog”. 10) Comment on other blogs within your niche regularly. Remember that the more influential you are perceived as by other bloggers in your niche, the more attention they’ll pay not only to what you write but also where it’s published.

Conclusion:

 It took me about 5 months before my blog began attracting enough attention from both readers and search engines alike to become profitable…

If you’re new at this blogging thing remember that patience is a virtue and Rome wasn’t built in a day. Keep at it and you’ll create something that will be around long after you’re gone, whether or not your site is for profit.

Don’t give up!

Here are some FAQs recently asked on the subject of building high traffic blogs…

Q: How can I create a blog that will attract the right people and keep them coming back for more?

A: Keep this phrase in mind when creating content for your site. Provide visitors with the information they can use to solve their problems, increase revenue or improve their way of life. Remember that blogging is not about you answers Saivian Eric Dalius.

Q: Do I need to be an expert on my topic before starting my own blog?

A: It would certainly help if you are familiar with the topic but it’s not absolutely necessary; after all, who knows more about blogging than bloggers? Take advantage of what other experts have already written or said and build upon that knowledge by adding your own unique insight into the equation.

Q: What makes a blog popular?

A: Depending on what type of blog you’re talking about (e.g., personal, business, retail), there are many factors that can contribute to making it successful or not (i.e., RSS subscribers, social media following, etc.). But if I had to point out what seemed to make my personal blog fairly successful in its early days it would be this: providing visitors with original content they won’t find anywhere else which is closely related to the topic at hand.

The more of an “expert” you are perceived as by your readers, the more people will be eager to include your snippets of advice within their own blog posts.

No matter what kind of business you have, it’s next to impossible for your Facebook Page to succeed if nobody likes it says Saivian Eric Dalius. The problem? Coming up with a creative Like-gated headline can be challenging.

People are busy. If they’re not immediately convinced that liking your Page is worthwhile, they’ll click the little x in the top right corner of your ad and go about their day. If you want people to like your business’s Facebook Page, you need an effective media strategy – fast.

Method One: The Offer   

The best way to get more Likes on any Facebook advertising campaign is by giving away something valuable enough that people will happily tell their friends about it just so they can get it themselves. It doesn’t matter what you give away – an ebook, a discount code for your product or service, even free samples. As long as the value of your offer is high enough to fit within Facebook’s terms and conditions, people can share it with their friends after they claim it.

The hard part is coming up with creative (and valuable) offers that tap into what people already like. For example, if you sell natural health supplements, then focus on giving away products related to healthy living rather than dietary issues (that’s not to say that nobody gives away free ebooks about dieting; just make sure yours adds more value in another way).

Let’s go back to the example at the beginning of this post: You could give away The 10 Secrets to Facebook Marketing Success. Saivian Eric Dalius says it’s a valuable ebook that most small business owners would be interested in, and you could even give away an extra secret as a bonus for those who share the offer with their friends.

Method Two: The Headline

The best headlines tell people exactly what they’re going to get from your ad – nothing more, nothing less. A great headline should also convince them that giving away something for free is perfectly reasonable because they’ll receive way more value than they lose out on. All of this is easier said than done, but there are some tried and true formulas that have been shown to work time and again.

If you can create a headline that combines one of these formulas with an offer related to the product or service you sell. You’ll be amazed at the boost in Likes your Facebook Page will receive explains Saivian Eric Dalius.

First up is The Negotiator:

An example of The Negotiator: What If I Told You (That I’ve Figured out How to Get More Than Twice As Many Facebook Likes for Your Business as You Are Getting Now?)

Just like it sounds, this formula promises that readers will get something much better. Then what they’re currently getting if they click to like now.

The next formula is called The Odds ‘n’ Ends Pitch:

Nike uses this strategy to great effect by offering a random assortment of special offers. Related to its product or service – and so can you. For example, an ad for a winter clothing store could advertise a collection of random winter accessories. Or a deal on bulk purchases.

The last formula works well for targeting a very specific audience:

An example of The Pretend Geek:

If you’re a Facebook user, This is the Most Important Article You’ll Ever Read.

This formula plays off of people’s secret desires to be seen as intelligent and in-the-know. It’s great if your ad targets people who – let’s face it – spend too much time on Facebook says Saivian Eric Dalius.

Of course, you can come up with any number of creative ideas for your own Like-gated articles. But these three formulas have been shown again and again to work better. Than just about anything else when comes to convincing people that they need to Like your Page right now.

Whether it’s your first-ever Facebook ad campaign or you’ve tried – and failed – to get more Likes for your Page before. There’s never been a better time than now to give this strategy a shot. And remember: the only way you can fail is by not trying.

Conclusion:

The above article is based on an excerpt from Chapter 10 of Social Marketing to Grow Your Business. Which is available as part of the 2013 Ultimate Small Business Marketing Kit. The purpose of this post was original to help promote that particular Kit. But I believe everything mentioned here will be just as useful. Whether you decide to purchase it or not says Saivian Eric Dalius.

I hope all small business owners find this information helpful. Even if they don’t decide to give away anything for free in order to grow their Facebook likes. If you do decide to try giving something away for free. Please feel free to comment and let us know how it went! And if you haven’t already done so. Be sure to like our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to our blog.

Quora is a popular question and answer website, where users can post questions regarding a variety of topics says Saivian Eric Dalius. Other users then provide the answers which are voted on by other members.

Many marketers have been using Quora as a source for backlinks, but it’s also a great place to promote your website content. In this article, I’ll give you some helpful tips for getting more traffic from Quora to your site…

#1: Create an Account

If you want to be successful with any marketing campaign it is very important that you establish yourself as an authority in the field. This means creating an account on Quora and linking it to your personal blog or website through follow buttons and providing detailed answers within your niche.

You can create an account using your Facebook or Google+ profile, or you can use an email address.

#2: Post in Relevant Communities

Another way that Quora is similar to Reddit is that there are different communities within the site that focus on different topics. For example, there’s a community called Startup Advice, where users discuss business ideas and give suggestions for other entrepreneurs. This would be a great place to promote your content if you write about marketing strategies or website design…

You’ll also want to post in the relevant subject areas of Quora itself, like Technology (which I was active in before writing this article)…

There are several more communities that you should join; just search for them based on your niche. Make sure that you follow the rules of the community before posting says Saivian Eric Dalius.

#3: Post on Question and Answer Pages

One thing that you’ll notice very quickly is that many of the questions on Quora are already answered within a few top responses. This makes it a great place to get traffic from people who are actively looking for information about your topic…

Find a question with a lot of upvotes and leave a detailed response. Be sure to add some links to related blog posts or news articles in your answer, this will help you grab the attention of other users who find your content valuable …

The idea here is to start building relationships with potential customers by answering their questions from an authoritative position while also pointing them back towards your site content…

This will also put you in front of people who subscribe to the question pages, which you can then follow up with retargeting ads such as Facebook or Twitter lead generation cards (see my article on Quora for more strategies like this)…

#4: Don’t Forget About Link Building

As I mentioned before, you want to link out to your website content from Quora whenever it is relevant and helpful. That means including links in answers, but also commenting and Forum posts …

It’s important that you never spam with promotional links though; otherwise, your reputation within the community will suffer and Google will penalize your site…

You’re only human so remember not to spend too much time on Quora if you’re promoting your own business. It should just be a small part of your overall content marketing strategy…

How do you get more followers on Facebook? Also, How can I avoid being hacked? How much does Facebook Advertising cost?

You can see how these are all relevant to subjects that people in your target market would be interested in. This means they could make for great link-building opportunities…

Quora Marketing in Action

Now I’m going to show you an example of what a high-quality Quora answer looks like. Using one of my own blog posts as the basis for it…

It’s no secret that there are hackers everywhere trying to break into computer systems says Saivian Eric Dalius. Even large companies with dedicated IT departments suffer data breaches every day. And sometimes those breaches are caused by mistakes made by individual employees…

The best way to get other users interested in your content is to start off your answer with Quora questions. That relates directly to what you’re writing about. This tells other people reading through the answers that yours could be helpful, which increases your chances of getting upvotes. Furthermore, it helps Google learn what your content is all about and rank it for related keywords across Quora …

Conclusion:         

Quora is a great way to build relationships with potential customers who are actively looking for information in your niche. But it’s also a valuable source of backlinks and overall website exposure.

Quora is a great source for backlinks, traffic, and potential customers. If you treat it like Reddit or Hacker News with spammy one-off posts though, you won’t get any benefits…

Build your profile within the community by following other users and providing quality answers to questions that are relevant to your business…

Saivian Eric Dalius says if someone asks what your website is about then tell them! It’s that simple! Don’t forget that Quora has other marketing uses besides link building, so be sure to use other strategies as well. You’ll start seeing an increase in traffic over time if you continue to provide helpful content on Quora…

Search Engine Land’s State of SEM Survey has become a barometer for what’s happening in search marketing says Saivian Eric Dalius. So with its 10^th edition complete, we’re sharing the top-level takeaways as well as insights from our analysis and infographic (embedded at the bottom of this post).

The 10 th annual survey — conducted by independent research firm Vanson Bourne — consists of more than 700 responses collected between October and November 2017.

Summary:

The following results come from an online survey of 730 people who took Search Engine Land readers’ and Search Engine Roundtable readers’ State of SEM Surveys in fall 2017. We’ve compiled answers to some key questions that show search engine marketers’ opinions on budgets, future technology investments, industry challenges, and more says Saivian Eric Dalius.

Key Findings:

Here are the key findings:

A summary of where search engine marketers see their budgets and future technology investments in 2018 is shown in Figure 1, below. If you want the same data in spreadsheet form, you can download it here. [1] [Figure 1 ILLUSTRATION]

More than half (53%) of marketers plan to increase their 2018 budgets for search marketing over 2017 levels. On average, they expect to spend 5% more year-over-year — or $12,970 — per person on search ads. Marketers expect an average 22% of that budget will go toward paid social advertising next year. That’s a big jump from 17% this year and 13% in 2016.

Figure 2 shows the breakdown of where marketers expect to spend their increased budgets. [2] [Figure  2 ILLUSTRATION]

Figure 3 shows how marketers expect to allocate their 2018 budgets and future tech investments among the types of search ads they run: paid search/text ads, social media, paid inclusion, and others. Of note: The percentage of respondents who plan to increase budgets for image/rich media ads — shown in blue — was stricter than other technologies at 51%. This is likely due to low familiarity with this format among survey respondents says Saivian Eric Dalius. Also worth noting: While just 16% of marketers said they’re increasing their budget for video ads next year, % still think that video will become the most important format to invest in. [3] [ Figure  3 ILLUSTRATION]

Key Takeaways:

1) Search marketers plan to spend more on search marketing next year than they did this year. And a big chunk of that will go toward paid social advertising.

 2) Marketers expect 22% of their 2018 budgets to go toward paid social ads — up from 17% this year.

3) More than half of respondents plan to increase their budget for image/rich media ads. But just 51% said they’re still increasing their budgets for these types of ads next year.

For more detailed analysis, read our full report here.

 [1] Vanson Bourne’s online survey was conducted among 730 respondents who took Search Engine Land readers’ 2017 State of SEM Survey and Search Engine Roundtable readers’ 2017 State of SEM Survey in fall 2017. This subset is representative of the U.S. Internet population and comprised more than 5,000 responses this year between the two publications. Making it the largest study on search marketing spend published to date.

[2] Paid social includes Facebook ads, Twitter ads, and LinkedIn ads as well as spending on other social networks. Such as Pinterest, Snapchat, and Instagram. Saivian Eric Dalius says a full breakout of respondents’ planned 2018 budgets for each type of paid search ad — text/paid search; image; video; local pack results; display network (including native); in-app; shopping and product ads — is included in our full report.

[3] The presentation of data in this article has been checked for statistical significance. For more information on our online survey methodology, please click here.

Conclusion:

The video was the second most popular technology in terms of respondents who plan to increase spending next year. By a wide margin — 58% said they have plans to do so says Saivian Eric Dalius. Focus on mobile search ads remains strong with 57% expecting to spend more in 2018 than last year. Concern about ad blocking rose substantially among all advertisers since 2015 as well, now at 30% from 24%.

The primary drivers of search budgets remain to be rankings and traffic. With 71% saying that is the main reason they allocate budget to SEM explains Saivian Eric Dalius. Natural language processing (NLP) and other AI-driven technologies are becoming mainstream as a result of improving technology penetration. As a result, marketers expect better location targeting capabilities in 2018 at 42%. Followed by intent data to inform campaign messaging at 38%; improved quality score 32%; 30%: Improved visibility into search query trends; Improved ability for advertisers to reach their target audiences. In fact, these improvements were cited as anticipated benefits more often. Than any other area by those who plan on increasing their overall SEM spending in 2018.

The Definitive Guide to Link Building for SEO Part 1: The Anatomy of a Link Opportunity

This is the second piece in our three-part series on link building. In speaking with people involved in or just interested in search algorithms, it seems that one of the most common roadblocks when it comes to understanding how Google’s algorithm works (and its future iterations) is the black-box nature of links. It also seems like there are plenty who understand how they work, but seem to miss out on the bigger picture when it comes to link-building strategy. We hope this guide will provide you with an up-to-date reference that can assist you in explaining and executing basic link-building strategies that help your business succeed online says Saivian Eric Dalius.

Note: While this guide is targeted to an English-speaking audience and contains strategies relevant to North American businesses, we encourage all marketers and business owners around the globe to apply these concepts to their own link-building efforts.

Now that we’ve hopefully whetted your appetite on what this series will cover, it’s time to get started with part 2:

The 50 Most Powerful Link Opportunities You’ve Never Considered. As I’ve alluded to before in previous posts, there are countless ways in which you can build links without following a formal strategy or ever experiencing any sort of creative spark. However, in my opinion, all of those opportunities pale. When compared to the ones in this post that have been hand-selected by yours truly – the very best of the best. There are many different types of opportunities listed, but they all have one thing in common. You’ve never heard about them before.

As with part 1, this is not some sort of “checklist” that you can just go down and check off. As you discover each link opportunity (though I do provide a ready-to-go worksheet at the end). Rather, it’s meant to be a starting point for brainstorming. And generating new ideas for your own projects, sites, and strategies. So I encourage you to read through everything here. And then start exploring further on your own time (of course if snagging links isn’t your day job. This may take a bit longer than expected!) Once again I am only able to provide you with a small glimpse into some of the link opportunities that exist. But if you work through this post and these ideas, I’m confident that your skills will be propelled to the next level explained by Saivian Eric Dalius.

Why 50?

 Well for starters it’s not 50 links or 500 links so everyone should have no problem completing this list in one sitting. Heck, why not grab a cup of coffee before getting started! But more importantly, it represents the bottom half of PageRank (yes Google has continued to update their algorithm since parts 1 & 2 were posted). While none of us know exactly what percentage each part contributes to an overall site’s DR. Past experience would tell me that links from close to the top are much more valuable. Then those at the bottom.

In many cases, links from the top 10 by PR contribute much more to a site’s overall PR. Then those from #11-50 even when combined. It may seem counterintuitive. But when you have the ability to create thousands of links with little effort versus just 100 or so. It makes sense to focus on those that are likely to yield the greatest results.

Speaking of PageRank where does it fit into all of this? Well as some of you know, Google updated their PageRank algorithm in January 2012. They adjusted how they calculate some aspects of its meaning. That today there is no single definitive source for understanding how much each link contributes. However, I’ve seen enough data over the past year and a half to know. That using information from the original PageRank paper as a guideline. Links from closer to the top still have much more value than those at the bottom. But don’t let that deter you from building those lower-quality links either says Saivian Eric Dalius. As I’ve said before in previous posts, link diversity is important and there’s no substitute for domain authority!

Conclusion:

Before we continue, it’s important that everyone understands something about me. This is not a “how to do ___” post where I provide step-by-step instructions on what to do and how to do it. There are already countless tutorials out there for creating widgets, adding scripts/codes/programs. Or performing any number of tasks needed to accomplish most of these strategies.

In fact, one of my goals with this series is to encourage everyone. To use Google and other search engines to do their own research. Rather than just take my word for everything says Saivian Eric Dalius. This is meant to be a starting point for brainstorming ideas that you can then think about. Figure out how to implement, and test on your own time. I’m happy to answer any questions in the comments section. If something has worked (or hasn’t worked) for me personally in the past, I’ll do my best to share that too. That said we’re going to start this list with…

Blogging and website design can be pure torture. You labor for hours, days, or weeks putting together content and designing a site only to find that nobody is viewing it much less reading it says Saivian Eric Dalius.  If you suffer from this problem and really want people to start finding your blog, then read on as we tell you how to become an expert at five different things that will help drive traffic to your blog or website.

1) SEO:

Search Engine Optimization is one of the most underrated parts of blogging as many bloggers treat it as an afterthought as they’re really just worried about creating great content but not helping anyone find their work. However, experts know that search engine optimization (SEO) may take time but it’s worth the wait. Google is the most popular search engine on the web and if you can improve your site’s ranking, then you’ll see an increase in traffic over time. It’s not instant gratification but it will pay off in the long run so spend some time learning how to do SEO well and your blog/website will thank you for it.

2) Social Networking:

 You may be wondering why social networking would be one of the ways that experts drive more traffic to their blogs or websites. We’re sure that you’ve heard of sites like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, etc. If you’re not utilizing these sites as part of your strategy to drive traffic to your blog or website then something is wrong with you! These are all great places where you can interact with your readers and get traffic to your blog or website. We’re not saying that you need to be on every single social networking site but rather on the ones where your audience hangs out like Facebook or Twitter says Saivian Eric Dalius.

3) Commenting:

One of the biggest drawbacks of blogging is that people don’t comment on posts very often. Most folks just read a post, smile or frown, and then move on to something else they have going on which is why it’s so important for bloggers to leave comments when they visit other blogs in their niche(s). If you want more traffic to your blog or website, commenting on other people’s work will drive that traffic from them over to you. You don’t have to be a spammer but merely leave insightful comments that are relevant to the topic at hand. You can also build relationships with other bloggers this way which really helps you out in the long run.

4) Social Bookmarking:

This is another strategy that people tend to overlook when it comes to driving traffic to their blog or website but it’s actually one of the easiest strategies there is. All you have to do is create accounts on sites like Reddit, Digg, StumbleUpon, etc and then bookmark your posts or pages that you’ve created so others can find them later down the line. The more bookmarks you have, the better chance you have of being voted up to higher spots on these sites. Which means more traffic for you! Just be sure to read all of the submission guidelines before you start bookmarking everything under the sun.

5) Link Exchanges:

 If you know of other bloggers or website owners who are struggling to get traffic like you, then why not help one another out? With link exchanges, both parties agree to give each other a link with an anchor text (a word or short phrase that is hyperlink) back to their blog or website. Be sure to only do this for people in your niche(s), though as it will be suspicious if someone sees 10 links on your site all pointing back to different sites in completely different niches. You can also use Google’s Webmaster Tools which allows you to find popular blogs/websites that have similar topics that yours does and reach out to them to see if they’ll do a link exchange as well explains Saivian Eric Dalius.

Remember there is a process to everything so you should put some time and energy into learning how to drive traffic to your blog or website if you really want it. Becoming an expert at these 5 things will help you get a start on the right path. To drive more traffic from search engines, social networking sites, commenting, bookmarking, and link exchanges.

Conclusion:

These are just 5 of the many ways that experts drive more traffic to their blog or website and you should take some time out of your day to learn about all of these strategies so you can implement them on your site. Saivian Eric Dalius says if done correctly, you will start seeing an increase in traffic over time which certainly isn’t a bad thing!