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Simple SEO: WordPress

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Simple SEO: WordPress 5

Properly configured, WordPress can be an extremely effective way of designing, maintaining and managing your site. Not only that, but sites using WordPress tend to rank well organically within the top search engines, once properly configured. However, neglecting some critical configurations can cause pages and posts that make up your site to not even be indexed by the major search engines.

Because WordPress is open-source, thousands of developers are constantly releasing updates and plugins to enhance the functionality of the platform — many of which are free. And some of these plugins are essential to properly optimize sites for top organic results in the most popular search engines. My two personal favorites are Headspace2 and Google XML Sitemaps.

To prevent pages of your blog from appearing to be duplicates of other pages, it’s essential that each page and post have a unique meta title and meta description. Otherwise, only one page or post with the same meta title and meta description will make the cut. Headspace2 adds a widget inside the WordPress edit page/post screen where you can easily fill-out a unique meta title and meta description on a per-page or per-post basis.

The most recent release of Headspace2 has even more essential SEO features, such as the ability to no-index pages that you don’t want to be included in search results — a contact form or privacy policy, for example. More information about the Headspace2 plugin can be found at the WordPress.org plugin directory or at UrbanGiraffe.com.

Google XML Sitemaps will generate an XML-compliant sitemap of your site each time you add a new page and/or post. It also pings Google, Yahoo, MSN, and Ask.com whenever your sitemap has been updated so they can index the latest version. Although this hasn’t been proven to affect organic rankings, it can certainly speed up the time it takes for search engines to index your new information. More information about the Google XML SiteMaps plugin can be found at ArneBrachhold.de.

Of course, neither of these two plugins alone will cause your content to soar to the top of Google. There are literally hundreds of other on-page and off-page factors that go into determining how your pages rank. However, these plugins will help, and they are very easy to install.

WordPress.org or Your Own Domain?
People often wonder whether it’s better to host a WordPress site on WordPress.org or install and host WordPress on their own domain. Aside from the benefit of not having any out-of-pocket expenses to start, there’s really no other reason to use WordPress.org. If this blog is going to become a source of income, not having full control over the future of it is a big mistake.

For example, suppose the people responsible for running WordPress.org decide to terminate your account for some type of inadvertent violation? Or if the taxonomy of your URLs changes because of a major restructuring that the developers decide to take? Countless hours of your time would be wasted as all of the other external SEO factors such as article backlinks, press releases, social bookmarking, and comment links would no longer point to valid URLs.

Hosting WordPress on your own domain gives you much more control and isn’t that expensive. You can easily register a domain with any one of several registrars for under $10 (search online for coupon codes) and many of these registrars will offer low hosting fees as well. Some will even offer free add-ons and most will have a control panel that includes an easy way to install WordPress.

Simple SEO: WordPress 6
Simple SEO: WordPress 26
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1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Ollie

    May 6, 2009 at 6:09 am

    I would agree that you should host wordpress on your own domain. It keeps the balance of control in your favour!

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Tips & Tricks

How to: Display RSS feeds from anywhere

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Here is a simple way to display any RSS feed in your WordPress blog.

<?php include_once(ABSPATH . WPINC . '/rss.php');
	$rss = fetch_rss('http://feeds2.feedburner.com/WPCult');
	$items = array_slice($rss->items, 0, 4);

		if (empty($items)) echo '<li>No items</li>';
		else
			foreach ( $items as $item ) : ?>
            <a style="font-size: 14px;" href='<?php echo $item['link']; ?>' title='<?php echo $item['title']; ?>'><?php echo $item['title']; ?></a><br /> 
            <p style="font-size: 10px; color: #aaa;"><?php echo date('F, j Y',strtotime($item['pubdate'])); ?></p>
            <p><?php echo substr($item['summary'],0,strpos($item['summary'], "This is a post from")); ?></p>
            <?php endforeach; ?>

The first step is to include the WordPress file rss.php then will apply code after to style the feeds.

Of coarse I forgot to mention, change the RSS feed to the feed you want to pull.

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Traffic

21 Effective Strategies to Amplify Website Traffic

The article provides a comprehensive guide to driving traffic to your website, highlighting 21 effective methods. These techniques include targeting low-competition SEO topics, gaining brand exposure via podcasts, conducting content gap analysis, engaging on Reddit, collaborating with complimentary brands, and continuously updating outdated content. Other strategies encompass utilizing social media, building personal brands, developing free tools, repurposing content, and exploring lesser-known ad platforms. The aim is to enhance site visibility, improve search engine rankings, and ultimately increase visitor traffic.

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Link Building Strategies

Navigating the myriad ways to drive traffic to your website can be daunting. However, not all strategies are created equal. This guide focuses on 21 proven methods that can significantly boost your site’s visibility and traffic.

1. Target Low-Competition SEO Topics

  • Leverage tools like SemRush’s Keywords Explorer to uncover topics with low keyword difficulty but high search potential.
  • Example: A post on evolving SEO trends continues to draw traffic due to strategic keyword targeting.

2. Brand Exposure via Podcasts

3. Content Gap Analysis for Higher Rankings

  • Analyze the top-ranking pages for common keywords and identify content gaps in your articles.
  • Fill these gaps to enhance your content’s relevance and ranking potential.

4. Engage Reddit Communities with Value-Added Posts

  • Share valuable content on Reddit without overt self-promotion to avoid backlash.
  • Repurpose your top content for Reddit, keeping it informative and link-free until the end.

5. Collaborate with Complementary Brands

  • Partner with non-competitive brands targeting similar audiences for webinars or content collaborations.
  • Example: Joint webinars with social media tools like Buffer, targeting the same audience base.

6. Update Outdated Content

  • Regularly refresh your high-performing content to maintain or improve its search engine ranking.
  • Example: Updating an SEO tools article led to a significant traffic increase.

7. Connect with Industry Amplifiers

  • Identify and engage with influencers in your niche using tools like SparkToro.
  • Build relationships rather than seeking immediate promotion.

8. Maximize Reach with Social Media Threads

  • Convert blog posts into engaging social media threads, particularly on platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter.
  • Example: Turning an AI content article into a popular LinkedIn thread.

9. Utilize FAQ Sections for Long-Tail Keywords

10. Build a Personal Brand on LinkedIn

  • Regularly post and engage on LinkedIn to tap into its vast professional network.
  • Leverage influencers and relevant connections to enhance your content’s reach.

11. Engage TikTok’s Vast Audience

  • Create consistent TikTok content to tap into its billion-user base.
  • Example: A strategy involving multiple daily videos for initial weeks to establish a presence.

12. Develop Free Tools for ‘Tool’ Keywords

13. Repurpose Content Across Channels

  • Transform your content to suit different platforms, like turning videos into blog posts or social media content.
  • Example: Adapting a YouTube video into a detailed blog article.

14. Boost Rankings with Strategic Internal Linking

  • Utilize internal links effectively to pass PageRank and improve page rankings.
  • Identify internal linking opportunities using tools like Ahrefs Webmaster Tools.

15. Gain Traction on Product Hunt

  • Launch products or significant updates on Product Hunt to reach a tech-savvy audience.
  • Build a following and engage in relevant communities for a successful launch.

16. Feature in Niche-Relevant Newsletters

17. Optimize Google Business Profile for Local Queries

  • Claim and optimize your Google Business Profile to appear in local searches and Google’s “map pack.
  • Regularly update your profile with accurate and detailed information.

18. Engage Audiences with a Weekly Newsletter

  • Create a weekly newsletter featuring curated and original content.
  • Grow your email list with opt-in incentives and regular, valuable communications.

19. Achieve High YouTube Rankings

  • Target high-demand topics on YouTube and optimize your videos for these queries.
  • Example: Growing an SEO-focused YouTube channel to over 400,000 subscribers.

20. Rank Videos on Google

  • Create videos for topics that have a higher likelihood of ranking on Google.
  • Use Ahrefs’ Content Explorer to identify such topics and optimize your videos accordingly.

21. Explore Lesser-Known Ad Platforms

  • For targeted reach, consider advertising on platforms like Quora, TikTok, or Reddit.
  • Example: Running targeted Quora ads to promote specific content pieces.

A short story about driving traffic to your websites.

The Super Squad’s Guide to Driving Traffic

Lucy, Ethan, and David were three good friends who had superpowers – they were masters at getting visitors to come to any website they wanted! One day at school, their teacher, Mrs. Thompson, asked them to share their secrets in front of the class. The Super Squad smiled, happy to explain their favorite ways to save websites and bring them lots of traffic.

Ethan went first, saying that the easiest way was to create content on topics that aren’t too hard to rank for in search engines. He uses special keyword tools to find hidden word opportunities. For example, I could write an article about the history of skateboarding since not as many sites have covered that,” he explained. That way, the search engines are more likely to show my content near the top since it fills a need!

Lucy’s favorite trick was getting interviewed on podcasts related to the website’s niche. “Podcasts allow you to share your message with their already big audiences,” she said. “It’s an easy way to introduce yourself and bring new visitors over to your site!”

David’s top traffic idea was refreshing old content. I like to update and add new information to existing articles and posts that did well in the past but haven’t been touched in a while,” he described. “It’s just like giving new life to popular toys by painting them or fixing broken parts. More people will want it again once you improve it!”

The class realized driving traffic takes work, but the Super Squad made it sound fun and achievable with the right strategies.

Conclusion:

If you’re looking to drive traffic to your website, then be sure to check out the 21 proven ways that Tim Soulo discovered. These strategies can help you get more people to visit your website and improve your overall online presence.

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Guest Post

Essentials for Ecommerce Website Development

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Essentials for Ecommerce Website Development 8

While e-commerce is projected to account for more than $6.5 trillion in sales by 2023, getting to stand out in this domain is getting tougher every passing day due to the dense competition.

Simply put, to become successful with your e-commerce business, you need to have a robust website. Now there is a number of factors that go into creating a perfect Ecommerce site including a solid backend and a stellar-looking UX, and in this read, we’re going to walk you through the rundown of Ecommerce website essentials that you need to look out for.

Let’s begin.

Essentials for Ecommerce Website Development 9
Essentials for Ecommerce Website Development 40

Essentials For A Successful Ecommerce Website

1. Responsive design

Considering the fact that more than 50% of the global internet traffic comes from mobile devices, there’s no surprise that you need to have a website that looks stellar on both desktop and smartphone screens.

In context with eCommerce alone, more than 60% of the people buy from mobile-friendly sites. You can quickly judge the importance of mobile-friendly sites from the stats.

To make your website mobile-friendly, you need to use the responsive eCommerce web design so that it can adjust itself based on the device your audience will use.

2. Easier Navigation

Navigation is an integral aspect of an eCommerce website. If your website fails to provide that to the consumers, there’s a high chance that they’ll bounce off it and ever higher chances are of them to make no purchase.

Moreover, if a user leaves your website due to uncomfortable navigation, they’re very less likely to ever click on your website again – which is a disaster in long term.

What you need to do here is to make sure that you have clear menus for different product categories so that the users can navigate through them seamlessly. Moreover, a great practice is to locate your bestselling products on the homepage of your website.

Also, you need to allow the users to sort the products using filters such as Style, Color, and Pricing, etc.

Essentials for Ecommerce Website Development 10

3. Top-Notch Security

If the users do not trust your website, you are unlikely to make any sales. This is especially applicable with Ecommerce websites where users input their personal information such as Email and credit card numbers.

Therefore, having a robust security system for your Ecommerce website is integral.

To achieve that, you need to create secure passwords and update them regularly. Moreover, it’s essential to purchase an SSL certificate, as it would cast out the essence of security to the audience and they’ll feel more comfortable making a purchase from your website.

4. Try To Provide More Value To the Users

The biggest problem regarding an eCommerce store for the consumers is that they can’t feel, smell, or touch your products. While there’s no way to reverse that but the AR integration could allow your prospects to test certain products digitally. This can act as great compensation.

You can offer value to your customers by offering certain perks such as discount vouchers, free shipping, and gifts. This would keep your customers hooked with your store. Moreover, it is a great practice when it comes to retaining your customers. It is also worth noting that a great pricing strategy significantly contributes to customer value and retention.

5. Stay On Top Of Website Maintenance

Note that for eCommerce websites, even minor bugs and issues may cause disasters in long term. Therefore, it is essential to stay on top of your maintenance game in order to provide a smooth and seamless shopping experience to the consumers.

Another direct benefit from maintenance comes around the overall performance and speed optimization of your website. Note that nobody likes a website with slow loading speeds.

A quick tip here for Ecommerce side holders is to put your website into maintenance mode while you work on it because it helps you avoid ‘Briefly Unavailable for Scheduled Maintenance. Check Back in a Minute’ and display a timeframe on when your site will go live again.

6. Have Several Payment Options

The way you accept payment also determines how innovative and valuable you’re as a store holder. This is the same for eCommerce websites – the more payment options you offer, the better.

People like to pay directly from their finance apps instead of swiping cards. Therefore, in addition to the major credit cards, you must also offer digital payment gateways like Apple Pay, PayPal, etc.

A great practice here is to display icons of the payment options that you accept on your website so the users may know what they can use to make transactions.

7. Social Proofs Like Reviews And Ratings

Trust towards the product quality is yet another concern why people feel uncomfortable shopping online. To get around this issue, you need to display social proofs like reviews and ratings in order to back up your claims of the product.

Moreover, if you successfully earn the trust of your audience, they’re more likely going to refer you to their friends and on their social platforms.

8. Set An Option For Order Collection

While this is something you don’t often see on eCommerce platforms, order collection is an option that provides huge utility to some users.

There are hundreds of people that are often not at home and cannot receive their orders at their workplace. Having an order collection feature is quite useful to these people and ultimately it adds tons of value to your store.

In simpler words, you’ll turn these random customers into your regular and loyal customers. Moreover, they’ll act as a free referral for your business.

Additional Advice

While the tips mentioned above will significantly assist you in creating a robust eCommerce website, here are some tips that you can consider for further betterment.

  1. Avoid using longer videos on the homepage
  2. Avoid using access content on the homepage
  3. Try using bigger images for your product listings
  4. Use display buttons for product variations

Wrap Up

Ecommerce business is not an additional option anymore. In fact, it is a protocol for every brand to have an online store where they can trade their products through digital means.

Therefore, if you haven’t considered making an E-commerce store yet, do it now or you’ll miss out on tons of revenue on the table.

Author Bio:

Frank Borg has a flair for strategic innovation and tech-driven transformation. He leads the Content Marketing Team at Wppals. He thrives on exploring and sharing information about the transformative impact of technologies and strategic innovation on SMBs, startups, and enterprise-grade organizations. 

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