How to create cornerstone content for your website

Published on: 17 January 2019 Last Updated on: 08 August 2019

If you’ve been running your website for some time, accumulating lots of different pages, tackling different angles and creating a rich variety of resources, you probably have a good idea of what your most popular pages are. The problem is, someone else landing on your site for the first time doesn’t. Could they get from the homepage to your top-performing pages in just one or two clicks? Or are they only going to find them through luck, clicking around randomly through your menus (which is unlikely with today’s fondness for instant results) or a Google search that directs them straight to that page?

Letting your readers and Google know what the most important and valuable pages on your website are is what creating cornerstone content is all about. Here we take a look at what it is, why it’s so important for SEO, and how to implement a strategy to make the best possible use of it.

Putting your best foot forward

An excellent example of a high-value post that could get overlooked by a new visitor is a particularly informative blog post you wrote several years ago. If a new visitor lands on your homepage and clicks on your blog, they’d likely have to scroll down and click through to ‘older posts’ multiple times before they get anywhere near this page – and as the saying goes, ain’t nobody got time for that!

These top performers are your cornerstone or ‘evergreen’ content. Like the architectural term, the cornerstone is the foundation that all other parts are positioned against and aligned with.

The idea is to get all those top performers in one place where they can dazzle your readers and have them coming back again and again. By fleshing out your cornerstone content page into an unusually lengthy post, you’re creating a veritable treasure trove of useful information for your readers which they can use to easily access all the other content on your site that may interest them. In just one page, it gives them an overview of everything your site has to offer, with enough information to brief them on what each section is about while leaving them hungry for more – which you will supply with just one easy click.

A rose by any other name

Cornerstone content goes by quite a few monikers. Evergreen content, long-form content, massive value posts, pillar articles… whatever you call them, they’re the content that keeps on giving. It’s the kind of content that remains relevant (either because it covers unchanging facts, goes into exceptional detail, or because you regularly update it) no matter when the reader discovers it. And, of course, it’s the kind of content that gets you noticed and rewarded by Google because so many visitors find it useful and spend time reading it. Speaking of which…

Why Google loves cornerstone content

Google uses many metrics to measure the value of a particular page and decide where it deserves to rank in their search results. Which keywords are used, how often and where is just one of the factors their algorithms take into consideration. How much time a user spends on a page before clicking away is a good indication of whether that page answers their query or not. A page which consistently gets clicked away from in just seconds is clearly not answering the user’s question and will quickly see its ranking for that search term drop. Whether the page loads quickly and how it’s linked internally to the rest of your website are also considerations.

Great cornerstone content can also help you take on keywords that have a lot of competition and would normally be pretty hard to rank for.

Cornerstone content strategy

When you’re building a new website, structuring your site around a few major keywords (generally two to five, depending on the nature of your niche) is a good place to start. For each of those keywords, you want one fat, juicy cornerstone article that links out to smaller posts which discuss a certain aspect in more detail. If you’re relatively new to SEO and aren’t yet sure what keywords you should be aiming for, get a good SEO company on board at this point to help you identify them.

Whenever you write a new article, it should tie back to its corresponding cornerstone piece. Aside from making it easy for your readers to navigate to the topics they’re most interested in, it also lets Google know this page is important and will increase its chances of ranking in searches.

If you have an existing website, you can take the same approach and work backward. Pick the top three to five pages you’re the proudest of and want your visitors to see the most – those will become your cornerstone pieces. Going forward, make sure new posts tie back to their cornerstone piece and start updating older pages systematically to do the same.

One of the awesome things about cornerstone content is that although it’s one of the best ways to improve your site’s SEO, it’s not very technical – so anyone who can build their own website can take advantage and get the rankings they deserve.

Read Also:

Content Rally

Content Rally wrapped around an online publication where you can publish your own intellectuals. It is a publishing platform designed to make great stories by content creators. This is your era, your place to be online. So come forward share your views, thoughts and ideas via Content Rally.

View all posts

8 Reasons Your SEO Campaigns Aren’t Showing the Desired Results

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is one of the digital marketing strategies that have been talked about for years. Established businesses on digital media swear by this strategy in boosting their web traffic, increasing visibility, and improving returns on investment. As a result, all businesses are running towards this strategy with the hope to see positive results. SEO campaigns are essential for your business to improve your business to the next level. Unfortunately, to the disappointment of many firms, SEO isn’t showing the results that they expected. This has led to great losses after spending thousands of dollars to develop a strategy that does not bear results. The question is, “Is SEO overhyped?” If not, why is it not working for your business? And what can you do to improve your SEO strategy and begin to experience positive results and increased ROI? SEO is an effective digital marketing campaign, but it only works for firms that have learned how to leverage it. In this light, here are eight reasons why your current SEO campaign isn’t bearing traffic and leads, and what you can do to realize positive results from it. Different Factors Are There Why SEO Campaigns Do Not Show The Desired Results There are several factors are there why SEO campaigns do not exhibit the desired results all the time. Try to achieve your goals in the best possible ways. Work out the plans that can help you to achieve your goals in the correct order. 1. Your Web Design Sucks How visually appealing is your website? Do you have a professional look that would appeal to a new customer? How are the pages, posts, imagery, calls to action, and other page elements placed on your website? Does the site look busy and stuffed? When an individual visits your site, they will move on quickly if they don’t like the design and layout. This results in increased bounce rates which causes search engines to rank you at the bottom of the search page. What’s more, a poorly organized page makes it hard for search engines to crawl the site, and this results in lower rankings. You can improve your SEO strategy by taking the time to design a user-friendly website. Make sure that page elements such as the content, imagery, and CTAs are correctly placed on your site. 2. You Have Poor Content Experts say that content is king and this statement has never been more accurate than in matters of SEO. Content is what will draw people to your site and keep them coming back. If you don’t give your readers a reason to return, they will not. What does poor content look like? First, it does not provide any useful information to the target client. Secondly, it is poorly written with an unappealing structure and poor-quality imagery. If readers find your content unattractive, they will pass by your page regardless of its ranking. Take the time to develop quality content for your readers. It should provide meaningful information that's easy to read. Use an appealing tone and organize your work into visually appealing formats. Finally, use high-quality images and video for your content. 3. You’re Targeting the Wrong Audience SEO only works if you are targeting the correct audience. This may seem obvious, but not all businesses can accurately sift through the millions of online users and identify their target audience. For example, if you are an auto repairs company but your content leans towards the car manufacture industry, you may lose out on your target audience. Before developing an SEO campaign, identify your target audience. Strive to produce content that is directly targeted to them. For example, an auto repairs company should focus on clients who are seeking repair services and not to buy new vehicles. If you are not sure, consider seeking help from a Minneapolis SEO Expert . 4. You’re Using the Wrong Keywords One of the top techniques in an effective SEO campaign is the use of keyword phrases. These are search terms that prospective clients feed on search engines when looking for a product or service. Note that not all keywords will guarantee success in your SEO strategy. If you use simple keywords, you will face stiff competition from other players in the industry. If you go for very narrow ones, no one will find your site. The best way to use keywords effectively is by using long-tail over short keywords. Long-tail keywords utilize a series of terms, at least two or more, that are commonly typed by readers. So instead of using “dentist” as your keyword, you would have a phrase such as “best dentist in Minneapolis.” The longer phrase has a higher chance of ranking higher and shaking off competition. 5. You Have the Wrong Priorities When employing an SEO campaign, various metrics come into play. You can choose to measure web traffic, conversion rates, bounce rates, ROI, and many others. Failure to focus on the right metrics can cause your SEO strategy to fail. Unfortunately, most businesses pay attention to the wrong metrics. For example, they will strive to increase their following on social media and their site traffic but ignore other metrics like the conversion rates. Having a large following doesn’t guarantee that they will all convert. Therefore, make sure that you are paying attention and directing your resources towards metrics that will generate returns for your business. 6. Your Conversion Rates are Low One of the ways to know that your SEO strategy is working is when your conversion rate increases. Conversion rates go up when users take your desired call to action (CTA). It could be to sign up to your newsletter, join your email list, or buy your product. Different businesses have varying CTAs based on their needs. If your conversion rates are low, your SEO campaign is not working. To improve your conversion rates, focus on strategies that will draw and keep people on your site. Have an appealing website and ensure that your call to action is visible. The CTA should also have attractive graphics and terms – it should be like the magic button that everyone itches to click. SEO campaigns can work well in your favor as it can help your business to grow in the right direction. 7. You Have no Precise SEO Plan What do you intend to get out of your SEO campaign? Do you have specific goals? If not, the chances are that your strategy is not targeted at anything in particular either. Lack of an actionable SEO plan will cause you to try out anything, including strategies that are doing nothing for your campaign. Come up with a practical plan of what you wish to achieve with SEO. Do you want traffic? What for? Do you want to write blog posts for your website’s blog section? What will the blogs help you achieve? Outlining your goals enables you to channel your efforts and resources towards a worthy cause. 8. Your Site is Not Mobile Responsive Search engines today are favoring sites that are mobile responsive over those that maintain a desktop view even on mobile devices. Mobile friendly sites load faster and have easy readability on phones and tablets. If your website isn’t mobile responsive, search engines will rank it lower, and this will stall your SEO dreams and goals. Develop a mobile site that will appeal to search engines and visitors. SEO works for businesses that have mastered the strategy. If your campaign isn’t working, look into these eight things and make the necessary tweaks to gain positive results from your SEO campaign. Final Take Away Hence, these are some of the core factors that can work well in your favor while you want to develop your business in the right direction. SEO Campaigns can work well in your favor when you apply the correct techniques in the proper manner. Do not lose out on the chance that can provide you the opportunity. Read Also: How To Integrate Email Marketing With SEO Two SEO Trends To Take Advantage Of In 2018 5 Ways To Improve Mobile SEO

8 Tips For Hiring The Right PPC Agency

If you’re looking for a way to drive more leads and sales for your business, you may be considering hiring a PPC agency in Toronto. Pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns can be an effective tool for driving targeted traffic to your website and generating conversions. However, it’s important to choose the right PPC agency to ensure you get the best results from your campaigns. In this blog post, we’ll discuss tips for hiring the right PPC agency. Here Are Eight Prime Ideas For Hiring The Right PPC Agency Let us dive in: 1. Define Your Objectives Before you start looking for a PPC agency to hire, it’s important to take the time to define your objectives. What are your goals? Do you want to increase website traffic, drive conversions or boost brand awareness? Or do you have multiple goals that need to be achieved? Knowing exactly what you want from the agency will help you find the best fit for your needs. Additionally, having an understanding of your own internal resources and capabilities can help you determine what kind of agency you need to achieve your goals. Once you know what your objectives are and what type of help you need, you can begin the process of researching potential agencies. 2. Do Your Research The other step should always be to do your research. Start by searching online and looking at reviews of different agencies. You should also check out the websites and social media profiles of the agencies you’re considering. This will give you an idea of their expertise, and the types of services they offer. It’s also important to read up on industry news and trends to make sure that the agency you’re considering is up-to-date with the latest changes in PPC. Doing your research can also help you find a few agencies you’d like to contact. Make sure to take your time and evaluate the options you have. 3. Consider the Size When it comes to hiring a PPC agency, one of the most important factors to consider is the size of the agency. A larger agency may have more resources, experience, and expertise to draw from when managing your campaigns. However, a smaller agency may provide a more personalized approach that you may prefer. It’s important to assess the size of the agency and consider if they have enough resources and capabilities to provide you with the results you’re looking for. Think about the size of your budget and the scope of your campaigns to determine what size of an agency will best fit your needs. 4. Check Their Case Studies It's important to take the time to review their case studies. Case studies are an important way to gain insight into the strategies that a PPC agency uses to achieve results for its clients. Ask the agency for links to their case studies and review them. Ensure they have experience with clients similar to your business in terms of size and industry. This will help you get an idea of the results the agency can deliver for you. Additionally, don’t be afraid to ask for further details about the case studies. This will help you better understand the campaigns and how successful they were. It can also help you decide if the PPC agency protects your data and is right for you. 5. Make Sure They're Certified Another important criterion is to make sure that they're certified. This is especially true if you're looking for a PPC agency in Toronto. Many agencies claim to be experts in the field but may not have the necessary qualifications or certifications to back up their claims. Look for certifications from major search engines such as Google and Bing, as well as professional organizations. Ask the agency directly what certifications they hold and check to see if they are legitimate. A certified PPC agency will be able to provide you with the best service and ensure that your campaigns are run in a compliant manner. 6. Find out About Their Clients When researching potential PPC agencies, one of the most important questions you can ask is who their clients are. Knowing who the agency currently works with will give you a good indication of their experience and success in the field. You should also look for clients that are in the same industry as you. It will give you a better understanding of how well they’ll be able to service your own needs. When looking at the client list of a potential PPC agency, you should also consider their level of involvement with each client. Ask them how long they’ve been working with the client and what types of services they provide. Also, make sure to look out for any awards or industry recognition they may have won while working with that client. This will give you a better idea of their capabilities and how well they’ve been able to service their other customers. 7. Check Their References When you’re looking for a PPC agency in Toronto, it’s important to make sure you check out their references. A reputable PPC agency will be able to provide a list of clients who have had positive experiences with their services. Ask the agency for a few contacts you can talk to and get feedback from. Make sure to ask if the agency was able to meet its client's expectations and goals. You should also inquire about the customer service they received and the quality of results they achieved. Gathering feedback from former and current clients is a great way to get an inside look into the work of the agency and its capabilities. 8. Get a Proposal Getting a proposal from potential PPC agencies is an important step in the hiring process. A well-crafted proposal can give you a better understanding of the agency’s capabilities and how they plan to help you achieve your goals. When requesting a proposal, provide the agency with a clear list of your objectives and expectations, as well as any relevant data or information about your business and current campaigns. This will help them create a more detailed and accurate proposal for you. Conclusion When it comes to hiring a PPC agency in Toronto, there are many factors to consider. By following these tips, you can ensure that you are making the right decision for your business when hiring a PPC agency. Remember to carefully review the proposal before making a decision. Good luck! Read Also: Why Would The Data For A Search Network Campaign Show Conversions But No View-through Conversions? To Increase The Speed At Which Google Analytics Compiles Reports – What Action Could Be Taken? Quality Of E-Commerce Data Entry Services- Whether You Should Invest In Them?

A Comprehensive Guide To SEO For Law Firms

Search engine rankings are essential for any business that wants to increase engagement and generate new leads. Unfortunately, law firms continue to ignore SEO, which can be costly in terms of poor web traffic, new information, and increased revenue. However, some law firms that hire third-party Law Firm SEO services may not be very clear with the process themselves. This lack of understanding often hinders them from helping out the appointed firms to get them the best results and rankings. Here we shall explore the basics of building a law firm's online presence and help all law firms and SEO agencies understand the process of optimizing the digital presence of their business or clients in this profession. Why Do You Need SEO In A Law Firm? SEO is the process of optimizing online content to improve visibility in search engine listings. From creating content to improving the technology base of your website, there are many ways to do this. The overall goal of SEO is to create a great user experience that meets the potential customer's needs and leaves a positive impression. In short, SEO for lawyers is SEO for lead generation. Building a successful lead generation engine requires creating a user retention strategy at different user journey stages. You must ensure that your website provides customers with the right content and a clear conversion path for them to become leads. Steps For Successful Law Firm SEO Given below are the steps to a successful SEO strategy for a law firm— 1. Keyword Research Research your customers and create a list of keywords your prospects are using. Then, use Google Trends to see if a particular keyword is trending up or down or in demand over time. In addition, some keyword data can be obtained from Buy>Search Console>Search Queries. The results generated by that key phrase are visually interesting and help prime the content creation pump. Therefore, you’d want to search for keywords with high search volume (100+) and low difficulty keywords. 2. Competitor Analysis The lawyer is hyper. In time, it is the only channel that generates an increase in the composition. By analyzing the competition, you can see and protect the competitors and use useful opportunities. In fact, if we reverse engineer what works for them, we can duplicate it and achieve the same success. SEO is about getting people to click on your site when looking for something. Direct competitors are companies that offer the same services as you but to the same customers. Indirect competitors are competitors that replace your services. 3. Website Compliance Legal reasoning involves applying the law to the facts to determine the rights and obligations of the people involved in a situation. Failure to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) can result in discrimination, financial liability, and reputational damage. There are no specific guidelines to be followed by law, but the website is expected to be accessible to everyone. A company's website must comply with the ADA if it complies with Title I or Title III, including locations with 15 or more full-time employees for 20 weeks or more per year. Although there are no specific guidelines for website accessibility, many organizations use the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0. According to the American Bar Association (ABA) Accessibility Report, there were more than 8,000 website accessibility lawsuits between 2017 and 2020. By following these guidelines, the Company's website can be accessed by people with cognitive, language or learning disabilities and by sighted or hearing people. 4. Off-Page SEO Off-page SEO strategies can help law firms rank higher in the search results where SERPs are based on strength, signal, and relevance. This includes activities like— Linking your site to established links from local businesses.Generating reviews and ratings on Google My Business and other review platforms.Creating a social media presence for your law firm.Posting client testimonials. With many links to local organizations and businesses on community pages and a robust process for populating local listings with reviews, law firms can achieve great results by focusing on local and external links. 5. Local SEO Local SEO is making a legal firm's website more prominent in search engine results for terms with a local focus, such as "criminal lawyer Miami." The pinnacle of local search engine optimization is Google My Business (GMB). You may assess the appropriateness of your search keywords, listings, and the reputation of the legal services provider. A comprehensive local SEO plan takes into account each of the ranking elements mentioned above. The two most important conversion factors for local businesses are— High Google rankings.Positive reviews. 98% of consumers read reviews and trust them almost as "personal recommendations." But don't incentivize your customers in exchange for a positive review. This violates Google's rules, which you can see here. 6. Content Creation Law firms have a great opportunity to showcase their skills and encourage potential clients to use their services through well-written content. Content must be fresh, authoritative and relevant to your company's target audience. Choosing the right topic, clear details and engaging writing can make all the difference. Client personas are the types of people who make the best clients for your law firm. You also need to know your company's target audience to target your topic research to meet those needs—understanding who you're writing for increases your chances of creating something relevant and valuable to your audience. Google Analytics and social media can help you identify web traffic and follower demographics, which can help you get closer to your target audience persona. 7. Link Building Link rate is the percentage of backlinks to your site over some time. A logarithmic scale from 0 to 100 measures the strength of a website's backlink profile. This is different from Domain Authority. Search engine ranking scores are based on dozens of factors using other SEO software. Creating a profile in a free directory is one of the easiest ways to get backlinks to your site. This process involves finding relevant prospects who can direct you to your site, finding email or other contact information, and contacting them. In addition, you can view citation performance by adding a UTM parameter to your URL and adding your campaign source to it. Do you have a unique vision for how to grow your law firm? Or is it a strong opinion based on data on a hot legal topic? High-quality legal blogs and websites can interest your guest posts that can help lawyers. Therefore, submit articles by email or form. Of course, you can always use a content creation service to write your script if you're short on time. The First Digital Digital Law Firm FTI Law, established in 2020, represents the first hybrid technology law firm. Although it has offices in Manhattan, the company's clients are primarily located outside the United States. The company takes a zero-security approach, requiring a security app and two-factor authentication for every interaction. FITI invested in infrastructure enabling better video conferencing, including better microphones, lighting and internet connectivity. In addition, lawyers can obtain digital signatures for documents previously sent by international couriers. Also Read: How To Build Seo Trust And Credibility In 6 Easy StepsSEO Consulting Price: The Average Cost of SEO ServicesHow Do You Choose An Seo-friendly Theme For Your Website

How to create cornerstone content for your website

Putting your best foot forward

A rose by any other name

Why Google loves cornerstone content

Cornerstone content strategy

Why A2 Hosting Is One Of The Best Hosting

A Complete Online Guide to Boosting Your Website Traffic in 2020

Content Rally

Content Rally wrapped around an online publication where you can publish your own intellectuals. It is a publishing platform designed to make great stories by content creators. This is your era, your place to be online. So come forward share your views, thoughts and ideas via Content Rally.

Leave a Reply

Popular

Technologies For Creating A Startup Idea

How to Download Facebook Videos on Android?

7 Rules of Effective Ecommerce Web Design

The 10 WordPress Plugins Every Sucessful Blogger Uses

Follow Us

Recent

Agricultural Consulting Services: Boosting Farm Efficiency and Yield

5 Symptoms Women Entering Into Menopause Should Keep an Eye Out For

How to Download Airtel Thanks App and Recharge Seamlessly in 2025

How to Choose a Gift That Matches Their Personality Perfectly

Related

8 Reasons Your SEO Campaigns Aren’t Showing the Desired Results

8 Tips For Hiring The Right PPC Agency

A Comprehensive Guide To SEO For Law Firms

How to create cornerstone content for your website

Putting your best foot forward

A rose by any other name

Why Google loves cornerstone content

Cornerstone content strategy

Share this Article

Why A2 Hosting Is One Of The Best Hosting

A Complete Online Guide to Boosting Your Website Traffic in 2020

Content Rally wrapped around an online publication where you can publish your own intellectuals. It is a publishing platform designed to make great stories by content creators. This is your era, your place to be online. So come forward share your views, thoughts and ideas via Content Rally.

Leave a Reply

Popular

Follow Us

Recent

Related