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.

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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.

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Improve Your Domain Using These SEO tips

If you are a website owner, it is essential that you know one thing or two about SEO. In fact, having a site that is well-placed can be considered one of the main factors that determine how many visitors you attract. Therefore, you need to have some tips that will help your website to rank on the first page of search engine results. Domain name: Let us discuss the simple things first. We will use as an example the domain http://www.business.com. In this case, “.com” is the top-level domain. This is a suffix, and it always appears at the end of a domain. Usually “.com” is the most common choice, but you will also find others such as “.org”, “.gov”, etc. The actual domain name is “business. It is unique and it will also be used for search results. The top-level domain and the domain name form together with the root domain. They represent a complete web address. Subdomains are placed in front of the root domain in our example we used “www.”, but you will also see other subdomains such as “blog.”. Finally, the protocol helps with the internet function and its role is to enable to the connection. Here, our protocol is “http”. Choosing a domain name: It is vital that you choose a good domain name because it will add to your brand reputation and you must make sure that it will show up amongst the first search results. Your domain name should also be easy to comprehend by people, but you should keep search engine algorithms in mind as well. There are a couple of tips that can help you with that. It is important that you keep things simple so that the domain name will be memorable for your visitors. If you can, try to avoid numbers, as it might be more difficult for customers to find you. You should also make sure that there are no misspellings. Even misspelling on purpose might be a bad idea because it makes things confusing. Make sure that you are not choosing that visitors will find difficult to comprehend. You should also make sure that your domain name is not too long, as no one is willing to type a long URL. Additionally, the name should be related to the content of the website in a way. Customers will be able to associate your domain with the business in an easier manner. Using keywords: Keywords are always important when it comes to SEO. However, nowadays you can’t just build your domain around certain successful keywords. Google’s algorithms have been improved, so you’ll need to be smarter too. You should do a bit of keyword research first, and then make sure that no one else uses your idea. The keywords that you choose will help your domain to rank organically. Buy a domain: For some people, doing all this work can be a dreadful task. If you are one of those persons, worry not. You can also buy highly ranked SEO domains. You can choose between different packages and each ones comes with a different number of domain names. Read Also: 8 Reasons Your SEO Campaigns Aren’t Showing The Desired Results How To Integrate Email Marketing With SEO

What You Need to Know When Outsourcing SEO

Various companies have come to realize the importance and effectiveness of search engine optimization (SEO) for improving website rankings, increasing brand awareness, and (ultimately) generating leads for their businesses. Others don’t know much about SEO, or the fact that it’s smart to maximize efforts by hiring a professional SEO consulting company to guide your campaign. Here are some reasons why outsourcing is a good move -- if you partner with the right team. Businesses can choose to hire or build an in-house team dedicated to managing their SEO needs. They may also opt to outsource the responsibility to an agency like Coolbison SEO that can effectively launch an SEO campaign. Despite the potential comfortability of having your own SEO team under your roof, there are pitfalls. Reasons to Outsource Savings: Outsourcing an SEO campaign is affordable. It will save you the time, effort, and costs of having to hire, constantly train, and manage an in-house team. The salary of an in-house SEO Manager alone can cost you up to $65,000. Though the initial cost of hiring a contractor might seem exorbitant, it is more cost-effective over the years. This is especially true when you consider you’ll eventually need to replace your team members, which takes time for recruitment and additional training. Expertise: SEO is a dynamic and multi-disciplinary process that needs consistent attention for it to be fully effective. It is a complex process with a steep learning curve. Agencies specializing in SEO are fully equipped with the tools of the trade. They also stay on top of constant search engine algorithm updates and rule changes. A qualified company can provide you with the most effective SEO strategies to date. Additionally, SEO experts know how to handle the analytics of your website. They’ll interpret data, locate blind spots in the metrics, and pinpoint data relevant to conversion, in addition to many other skills. Focus on Operations: SEO is an important aspect of marketing, but it shouldn’t overtake your main job: running your business. Entrusting your SEO campaign to professionals will allow you to focus your efforts. You do not have to divide your attention between your operations and having to keep up with the frequent SEO updates and trends. Long-Term Maintenance: Employing the proper SEO techniques can provide lasting results. However, it is not a one-time deal; it is an ongoing and quickly evolving effort that needs constant upkeep. If you want the benefits of an SEO campaign, you have to be in it for the long haul. The campaign requires regular updates to your website, content, and social media spaces, so it’s convenient to let someone else do all the legwork. Selecting an SEO Company Once you’ve decided to outsource your SEO campaign to contractors, the next step is to choose which SEO company you trust. There are a staggering number of SEO agencies throughout the world who will be willing to take on your campaign, but do they have the qualifications and integrity required? For example, in Canada alone, there are many digital marketing companies willing to take your money. Businesses in Toronto, Scarborough, and North York needing digital marketing services will be faced with a large number of options. Of course, there is the option of hiring providers outside of the country. Deciding whom to trust with your campaign requires ample consideration and research. In your search for a reliable SEO company, consider: Cost: This depends on several factors, including the number of keywords, content word count, and the condition of your current website (among others). In Canada, average monthly rates can range from $2500 to $5000. The price in other countries (e.g. Australia and the UK) may be substantially above that margin, while others (e.g. India and the Philippines) may be less. Communication: Determine how the team communicates. Are they available when you need them? How quickly do they respond to correspondence or requests to fix issues? How often do they present their reports or updates? Branding: Ascertain the agency’s familiarity or experience with your industry. This way, your SEO efforts stay true to the brand identity of your business. You can be confident in the agency’s ability to attain your goals and communicate your vision. Otherwise, determine how much time you are willing to invest to walk them through the important aspects of your brand. Needs: Identify your goals and what your SEO needs are -- whether it’s the full package or just a small part of it (e.g. content creation or link building). Be wary of providers that: Make extravagant claims: If a deal sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Be cautious of companies who claim they can get you the "number one" spot on the search results page in a short span of time. Rely on “connections": Claiming to "know people" at Google who can boost your rankings is a sign they may not be confident in their own abilities to succeed. Additionally, search engine employees have a confidentiality agreement; so this “connection” is likely to be fabricated. Over- or under-priced services: Companies offering their services at a fraction of the market price are likely either inexperienced or provide low-quality services. On the flip side, those overpricing their services may have minimal commercial awareness. Do your research and get references before signing a contract; you don’t want to entrust your website to just anyone. All manner of businesses (from small “mom and pop shops” to large-scale enterprises) can benefit from outsourcing their SEO campaign to experts in the field. True online marketing professionals will possess the necessary staff, know-how, experience, and tools needed to run your SEO campaign efficiently and successfully. Read Also: Improve Your Domain Using These SEO Tips Know Why Content Marketing Is Important For SEO

Top Web Hosting Trends for 2020

Every industry has its own set of trends and the web hosting industry is no exception. Every year, new trends and developments are discovered to help keep with the ever-changing demands of the industry, and web hosting providers struggle to be among the first to offer these experiences to their customers. If you already own a website, it is certain that you already host one web hosting company or another, and if you intend to build one in the coming year, you will also require the hosting services of a web hosting company. This article focuses on some of the top trends you should be on the lookout for from your web host, as they will help optimize your website’s performance, while significantly impacting the internet landscape. Top Web Hosting Trends for 2020: 1. Green Hosting: Running a website, blog, or internet application on an eco-friendly and energy-efficient server is bound to appeal to a lot of people, particularly now that more people are becoming increasingly aware of their environment and are conscious of reducing their carbon footprints. In 2020, we will be seeing lots of web hosting companies invest in eco-friendly schemes and participating more in eco-friendly initiatives that aim to minimize damage to the ecosystem. Green web hosting here means running hosting infrastructure on servers, routers, and equipment that runs on low energy, while at the same time implementing policies that encourage recyclable energy. This trend will greatly contribute to the recovery of the environment and as a website owner; you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you are indirectly contributing to a healthier and better environment. 2. Cloud Hosting: Cloud computing is not a new concept and is a technology that has come a long way in recent years. However, not many people understand what cloud computing is, and even fewer people make use of it. However, this state of affairs is bound to change in 2020 going forward. In the first place, cloud technology has already entered into the web hosting industry, providing better site performance than website owners are used to. Unlike other forms of hosting that relies on a physical server, cloud hosting stores data on a cluster of servers, making it virtually impossible to experience downtime, server errors, or any of the other problems experienced with traditional web hosting. The beauty of this system is that you only get to pay for the resources you use, meaning that you can scale up down your website resources to fit your immediate website needs. Suffice it to say that the benefits of cloud hosting mean that a lot of websites will take advantage of this trend in the coming year. 3. Better Authentication Protocols: Security has always been one of the major concerns of website owners, with the recent rise in the level of cybercrimes, particularly those targeted at small businesses. As a website owner, one of your primary responsibilities is to make sure that the personal and financial details of your users are safe and secure. But this can be a difficult assignment if your web hosting provider is not up to the task. Thankfully, the coming year will see more in the areas of website security. Already, Google has made it compulsory for websites to have an SSL certificate installed if they want to get the search visibility they deserve, but 2020 will bring with it improvements in how websites are accessed and secured. For example, two-factor authentication (2FA) will become a popular feature for website owners as more and more web hosting companies will integrate this feature into their security systems. Other security features to look out for include compliance checks for common CMS vulnerabilities and encrypted storage. 4. Website Builders: Not too long ago, WYSISYG website tools were popular on the internet, giving anyone with an idea the opportunity to design their website without any technical or coding experience. But the rise of content management systems relegated these tools to the background until they all but disappeared. Thankfully, web hosting companies are again seeing the benefits of these tools and have developed a better version. Enter online website builders. Just like the WYSIWYG of old, website builders allow you to design, publish, and promote your website in just a few clicks and with no coding experience or technical skills. But this time around, these online tools can build even advanced websites. For small businesses nursing their finances, this means that they too can develop and run a website without spending scarce financial resources on a website designer. If the signs on the ground are anything to go by, we should expect to see highly developed website builders from almost all web hosting providers by 2020. 5. Domain research tools: Domain research tools have been available for years, with Nameboy being one of the oldest on the internet. But these days, it is becoming increasingly difficult to come up with the perfect domain name, especially because almost all the good.COM domain names are taken. Of course, if the.COM of the domain name you are searching for is taken and your website is a target at a country like New Zealand, you can always opt for the .CO.NZ alternative and immediately register it with a registrar like Domain Names From Freeparking NZ but in the coming year, finding your ideal domain name will no longer be a difficult thing. To ease the process of creating and registering domain names, domain name registrars, most of which also double as web-hosting providers will integrate domain research function in their domain search tools. With this system, if the domain name you want is already taken, you will have hundreds of similar suggestions to choose from across a variety of popular and not so popular domain name extensions. 6. Automated Backups: Already, many web hosting providers offer automated backup to their customers, but for most of these providers, this feature is an extra add-on feature that attracts an extra fee. With the increasing popularity of CMS applications like WordPress, automated backups will soon become a common feature in web hosting. Not only as backups on CMSs easy to run, but they also tend not to take up lots of space as only the files needed to run the site will be backed up, meaning that you will be able to get your site up and running in no time, should your site suffer damage for any reason. This automated backup system can be configured to run monthly, weekly, daily, or at any interval the site owner prefers. Conclusion: While it is true that some of these developments are already available today, they are not as common as they should be, but in the coming year, these and many more developments will come up in the web hosting industry and lots of site owners will be able to take advantage of them. And best of all, this change will significantly improve how you run your website. Read More: Top 9 Factors To Keep In Mind Before Choosing A Web Host 6 Things To Consider Before Choosing Web Hosting For Your Ecommerce Website Things You Should Know About Web Host Providers What Makes A Web Hosting Good?

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.

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Improve Your Domain Using These SEO tips

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How to create cornerstone content for your website

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Cornerstone content strategy

Share this Article

Why A2 Hosting Is One Of The Best Hosting

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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