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We have Homer Simpson to thank for the term that perfectly describes a communication model that turbocharges action requests with urgency. Because
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Great action pages will attract people via social media, search, traditional media, and even word of mouth. This means they’re ideal for list-building.
Knowing how much or how little to say starts with being clear about your objective. Rarely is it our job to turn readers
It might seem too obvious to mention. But it’s critical that you’ve defined the objective of your email. Often, it’s to lead your
If the currency of the Internet is web traffic, then search engine referrals are money trees. Google alone fulfills 3.5 billion search queries per day. This “free” traffic has become such a valuable Internet commodity, that Search Engine Optimization is now big business. Ironic? Perhaps.
If you publish web content in 2024, you can’t afford to ignore SEO. To some, SEO is a rabbit hole with no end. To the rest of us, however, the basics are easy enough to master.
Search engines use little programs called web crawlers to scan and index your website. When crawlers encounter links, they follow them to discover new pages. This is how they ‘crawl’ the Internet.
Search engines are your friend. Their job is to connect search users with what they’re looking for. They will index just about anything, but what they’re really trying to do is upweight relevant, quality search results and downweight the crappy ones. They’ve designed their algorithms around this principle. That’s where you come in.
How are you supposed to help a search engine do anything? You start by understanding how search engines think. Then, you offer them what they’re looking for. Let’s get started.
When a web crawler hits your website, it doesn’t just see what you see, it’s mostly seeing your HTML source code. Whether or not you’re familiar with HTML, there are things you can do to make your source code ‘friendlier’ to search engines. Here’s what to focus on.
<title>What’s life like for a battery hen?</title>
<meta name= “keywords” content= “Battery hen, caged hen, cage eggs, chicken cruelty, laying hens, animal cruelty, animal welfare, living conditions”>
<meta name= “description” content= “Hens trapped in cages have no quality of life. Here’s how animal welfare is compromised in the cage egg industry.”>
One word: backlinks. What makes backlinks (or ‘inbound links’) so important? Whenever you link to someone else’s website, you’re effectively endorsing their content. If a reputable website endorses your content, a little bit of their reputation rubs off on you. Higher rep = higher ranking. Simple as that.
A few good backlinks from reputable sites are enough to give your search rankings a kick. Go for links on static webpages, news stories, and blogs. These hold more power than links on message boards and social media. Context matters. Links from on-topic pages will benefit you more than links from unrelated sites. Link text also matters. Those link text tactics you’ve applied on your own website will work here, too.
If you forget every other rule, remember this one. Make your page with your supporter in mind. Write original, high quality copy. Design engaging action pages. Create a rewarding experience—something your supporters want to spend time with, share, and come back to.
It may surprise you that in addition to a secretive algorithm, Google relies on real humans to quality check the pages in their index. You can even read Google’s internal guidelines that reveal how pages are judged. It’s a long document but the gist is simple: design for humans and prioritize original, reputable, quality content.
Not a ‘technical’ person? Not to worry. These are things your web developer should take care of. However, they’re that important that they’re worth double checking.
*Any SEO experts will be screaming that there are way more than two technical things to consider when optimizing a website. They’re right. You can nerd out over technical SEO for days. Knock yourself out.
Webmasters have been trying to outsmart search engines for decades. And search engines have been thwarting their every move. Thinking you can cheat the system is a rookie mistake—and it’ll cost you.
Rule of thumb: avoid shady SEO tactics and those who use them. When you turn on search engines—search engines turn on you. Cheaters’ websites get deleted from indexes. That’s a hard and lonely place to come back from.
One final word of warning. While it usually takes effort to make your content visible to search engines, don’t make the mistake of thinking you can hide content from them. Sensitive content is always vulnerable to being crawled and indexed—even if you’ve been cautious to avoid inbound links. If the idea of seeing your unreleased, unfinished, or embargoed content pop up in search results sends you into cardiac arrest—don’t publish it online. If you can’t avoid this, then password protect your content until it’s ready for release.
Don’t panic if you’ve done all the right things and aren’t seeing results. Good SEO takes time. There are no ‘quick fixes’ when you’re marching to the beat of a search engine’s drum. Approach SEO with integrity. Be consistent. Set a standard. Apply basic SEO principles every time you produce new web content. Make sure everyone who produces content alongside you understands these expectations, too.
Play the long game. In time your efforts will be rewarded.
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